Rafe's First Name

By Debra Baschal

Fandom: The Sentinel

Author's note: sleepless night leads to challenge (You asked for a story containing: Rafe doesn't use his first name. Of course, Simon, being the boss knows it, someone in payroll must know it & it is in the 'puter, right? Well, Blair is bored & decides to find out why the big secret.
Please include:
Rafe's b-day being a holiday & the name being related to it. e.g. Kris Kringle Rafe, Christopher Columbus Rafe, you get the idea.
A Blair/Rafe scene of confrontation.
Simon saying "No, Sandburg" at least twice.
An innovated slashy part where Jim manages to get the name out of Blair. Heeheehee.

Well, I'm not sure how innovated the slashy part is, it's really only a compromising situation,

Hop this fills all the criteria

Rafe's First Name
By Debra Baschal
dbasch@ccountry.net

"Hey, Rafe, thanks for the birthday card. But why'd you just sign it 'Rafe'? I thought that was your last name?" Blair asked his fellow detective, as he came out of the elevator into the hallway outside the bullpen.

"It is. It's also the only name I use." Rafe answered.

"What's wrong with your first name?" Blair asked, slightly confused.

"I'd just rather not use it," Rafe answered, vaguely.

"How about your middle name?"

"That's even worse," Rafe shook his head. "You wouldn't believe how many fights I got in back in school over them."

"You won't even tell me?" Blair asked his friend, almost batting his eyes.

"No way, Sandburg. I want those things buried forever. If I never hear them again it'll be too soon."

"They can't be that bad," Blair countered.

"Oh, yes they can," Rafe answered.

"At least your initials don't spell out B.S." Blair responded with a shrug.

"It would've been a lot easier than what I had to put up with."

What was that?" Blair asked, hoping his friend was distracted enough to actually answer.

"Drop it Blair. It's a closed subject."

Rafe walked into the bullpen. Blair started to follow, but was stopped by a hand placed on his chest.

"No, Sandburg. Not now," Simon told him, shaking his head. "Rafe is very sensitive about this. Just let up on him for now. Maybe ask him again in a year or two."

"Simon."

"No, Sandburg. I mean it kid, not now. Unless you want to make an enemy of him, you'll drop it," Simon advised his youngest detective.

Blair reluctantly nodded, agreeing to do so. Simon continued to glare at him for another moment, then nodded and let him go.

Blair sighed in defeat as he walked back towards his desk.
_______________________________________

"There has to be a reason," Blair thought as he pondered his conversation with fellow detective Rafe. "There has got to be a reason he not only doesn't use his first name, but won't use it."

Blair had finished typing the necessary reports, and had closed the file on another case. Bored until his partner returned from court, and stuck on desk duty till the doctor cleared him for full duty, he started surfing the CPD 'web'.

Seeing the Personnel button, he came to a decision and entered the page and started filling out the form.

NAME (LAST NAME FIRST): Rafe,
RANK: Detective, First Grade
BADGE NUMBER: 41950
PERSONAL PASSWORD:

"Personal password?" Blair thought for a moment. "It's going to be something he can remember."

Thinking about his friend, he typed: Armani.

A long moment later Rafe's personnel file opened up on the screen.

Smiling, Blair quickly began reading, not seeing his approaching friend.

NAME (LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE): RAFE, PATTON, MacARTHUR
DATE OF BIRTH: NOVEMBER 11TH, 1964
PLACE OF BIRTH: CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: 241-86-9217

"What did you do, Blair?" Rafe quietly demanded, angrily as he realized what was on the younger man's computer screen.

"Rafe," Blair squeaked in surprise. "I didn't know you were back."

"Obviously." Rafe glared at him. "I told you I didn't want anybody to know my full name, but you went and accessed it anyway. How did you get my password anyway?"

Blair blushed in embarrassment, "I guessed."

Rafe shook his head, upset, but also seeing the younger man's side also.

"I'm really mad at you about this, Blair. But I can understand why you did it," He took a deep breath and continued. "Just don't spread it around, OK?"

"Sure thing, Pal," Blair assured him.

Rafe grinned slyly. "Just promise me you'll swear Jim to secrecy when you tell him."

Blair gave him a quick double take, then grinned. "I hadn't planned on telling him in the first place."

Rafe smiled. "I know, but when he gets it out of you. Promise?"

Blair started laughing, partly out of relief, "Ok, I promise. But I still don't see what wrong with either of those names."

Rafe stared at him for a moment. "Just remember, I know where you work and where you live."

Blair laughed again as Rafe went back to his own desk.
______________________________________

An hour later, Blair grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the break room.

After pouring himself a cup, he sat down at the table and let out a deep sigh.

"You OK, Blair?" Rafe asked as he came into the room. "I heard that sigh down the hall."

Blair nodded his head, "Yea, I'm fine. I'll be even better when the Doctor releases me back to full duty. This paperwork only stuff sucks, big time."

Rafe nodded in agreement. "I know. You gave us all a scare though. How's your foot? I can't believe it wasn't broke when Presley ran over with his motorcycle."

"The Doctor said it would've if he had been in a car. Of course, If he hadn't stolen my shoes, I wouldn't have even had a bruise. But I'm not going to argue with a guy with a gun over a pair of shoes."

"Where was your piece?" Rafe asked.

Blair smiled. "Upstairs in the loft. I had just been taking out the trash, man. I didn't think I needed it."

They both laughed.

Clearing his throat, Blair continued. "Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I had no right to do that."

Rafe waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I should really learn to get over it. "

"Well, just so we're even. My full name is." Blair started blushing, "Well, the one I was born with is, was Sweetie Blair Sandburg."

"What? You're kidding?" Rafe asked, shocked.

Blair shook his head sadly. "No I'm not. My mother the hippie. I convinced her to let me switch them around when I went to college. Luckily, most teachers accepted Blair when I was in school. I still got beat up for it several times a year."

Rafe grinned. "So your Mom calls you by both names."

"Yep. I can't break her of it either," He grinned again. "Not that I've really tried. Most people think it's just an endearment anyways. By the way, what's wrong with being called Pat or Mac?"

"Nothing, if I could've gotten people to call me either. I was stuck with Ton-knee or General or Star." Rafe answered.

"Why did your folks name you that in the first place?" Blair asked.

Rafe grinned ruefully. "When I was born, my parents had only been in the States just over a month. After they found out I had been born on a national holiday and what it was about, they named me after the two American generals they knew of, George Patton and Douglas MacArthur. Unfortunately, being from South Africa, they had no idea what people in the states consider good first names. 'Sides, it's acceptable where they're from, to give your kid someone's last name for their first name. It's just a cultural difference."

Blair nodded.

"I guess we'd better be getting back to work Patton," Blair grinned mischievously.

"That's right Sweetie," Rafe grinned back as they both stood.

"Here you are," Jim said as he came into the room.

"When'd you get back from Court?" Blair asked.

"I just got back. I saw you weren't in the bullpen and thought I'd check on you."

"How's your hearing?" Rafe asked, slightly nervous.

"Oh, I've got it turned down. It was a madhouse downstairs. I think the guys over in Vice busted an illegal casino or something. Everything OK in here?" Jim asked slightly concerned.

"Yea man, everything's cool." Blair assured him.

"I'd better get back to work. Take it easy on that foot." Rafe said as he moved out of the room.

"What was that about?" Jim asked.

"Nothing. We were just talking."

"It have anything to do with you trying to find out his first name earlier?" Jim asked.

"How'd you find out about that? You weren't listening from over at the Courthouse were you? Man, don't you know how dangerous that is? One horn or a backfire and you could suffer a major hearing spike." Blair admonished him.

"Relax Chief. No I didn't try to listen from over there. I ran into Simon across the street. He told me. Now," he closed the door and started backing Blair into the corner by the vending machine. "What did you find out? What is Rafe's first name?"

Blair felt trapped as his back hit the corner formed by the wall and the side of the vending machine. "What makes you think I found out anything, Jim?"

Jim smiled as his hands kept Blair's shoulders trapped. "I'm a sentinel. Guess."

"You know this could be considered a breach of the Sentinel/Guide relationship." Blair tried to change the subject.

"No it isn't. Especially if the Guide is as good at obfuscation as you are, Chief. Now, what did you find out?" Jim demanded in a low voice as he leaned closer to Blair. "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"You wouldn't dare. Not here." Blair told him, confident he wasn't about to get tickled.

A wicked gleam came into Jim's eyes. "Wanna bet?"

"Jim?" his eyes widened. "No!" Blair screeched as the larger man started tickling him.

"What's his first name?" Jim demanded of his partner who was laughing hysterically as he wiggled his fingers over the smaller man's torso while still holding him upright.

"No!" Blair shrieked in laughter.

As the younger man tried to sink to the floor, Jim pressed his body against him to help keep him standing.

"What is it, Chief? You know I can keep this up for a long time." Jim warned.

"You know, that is not something I ever thought I'd hear you say to Hairboy, Jim." Henri commented from the door, where he, the rest of the Major Crimes Detectives and several uniforms were standing, watching.

"Help!" Blair squeaked, trying to catch his breath.

"Was there something you guys wanted?" Jim asked, maintaining his hold on his partner to prevent his escape but had stopped the tickle torture.

"Oh, I don't know, Jim. What would a bunch of cops want when they hear someone screaming in a police station?" Simon asked almost calmly. "Why are you torturing your partner?"

Jim grinned sheepishly, "Just trying to find out something. Asking hadn't worked, sooo." He started turning bright red.

Simon shook his head. "We'll leave you two.alone. Just remember, this is a public place, not a playground or the loft." He started moving out of the door. "Alright People, back to work. Ellison is through torturing his partner for today." He stopped and glared towards Jim and Blair. "Aren't you Detective?"

Jim released Blair, after making sure he could remain standing on his own. "Yes, Sir."

Quickly everyone went back to work, except Rafe.

"Don't let him torture you like that, Blair," Rafe told him in a quiet voice. "I told you, you could tell him, just swear him to secrecy first."

Blair grinned sheepishly as Rafe left the room.

"Ok, Chief. I won't say a word. I promise." Jim assured him.

Blair nodded. "His full name is Patton MacArthur Rafe."

Jim nodded a smile of enlightenment covering his face. "He was born on Veteran's Day. It makes sense. I can see why he wouldn't be too comfortable with those names. Right Sweetie?"

Blair's eyes widened into circles. "Who told you?"

Grinning, Jim started back towards the bullpen. "Your Mom. Who else?"

"Aw, Mom." Blair groaned as he followed his partner.

Fini