The Prodigal Son by katef, illustrated by PattRose

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William Ellison put the phone down and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Sitting in his home office, he was feeling his age, having dealt with yet another query from a Financial Director who should know better than to disturb his CEO at home.

It wasn’t a crisis per se, and nothing that would cause him any particular problem. In fact, even up until fairly recently, he would have enjoyed the challenge, and the rush that being involved in big business usually gave him, especially if it involved imposing his will on a board member who should be more confident in his own abilities.

Today, however, he found that he was beginning to feel his age, and was looking to step back a little from the ‘front line’ so to speak. Except that he wasn’t comfortable with leaving his beloved Ellison Enterprises in the hands of a board of directors under the leadership of his younger son, Steven. Yes, Steven was a capable enough businessman, who had willingly tried to absorb all the information and attitude his father had impressed on him, but he didn’t have the killer business instincts of the elder Ellison, and would likely never expand the company to the extent that William still desired.

Granted, Steven had complied with his father’s wishes by finding a suitable, wealthy and personable wife, with whom he had fathered a son and daughter in record time, but William didn’t want to have to wait to see if his Grandson would be a potential ‘super entrepreneur’ in his own image, while he still had an older son who, if he could be persuaded to return to the fold, would definitely have the single-minded drive to forward the company’s plans.

The problem with this scenario, however, as far as William was concerned, was not so much that Jimmy possessed the hyper senses of an Alpha sentinel, which could very likely be an advantage in the cut-throat world of big business and the boardroom, but that the man had rejected his father and his father’s company years ago. Not only that, but when he had finally succumbed to taking a Guide, he had landed up with possibly the worst match Fate could come up with - in William’s view.

Not being one to give up easily, William determined to set events in motion to win back his older son to the fold, firstly by disposing of the unwanted little hippy bastard he had taken up with, then introducing Jim to socially acceptable Guides with whom he could be taken seriously in the higher circles in which William was accustomed to move.

Unfortunately for William, his plans were flawed from the outset, because like many mundanes, and particularly unimaginative ones like himself, it was beyond his comprehension that a full bond, such as that shared by Jimmy and his Guide, Blair, had nothing to do with social standing, age or even gender. It was an instinctive mutual imprinting of two souls destined for each other.

For now, and comfortable with his misconceptions, William sat back and pondered the plans he had already put into place to wean his son away from the unsuitable influence of his chosen Guide.

Although he hadn’t actually made any further attempt at contacting Jimmy after the disastrous confrontation at Thanksgiving, William had made it his business to keep a careful eye on his son and Blair’s progress, and had been interested to find that the little bastard had friends in the teaching staff at Rainier University –; Dr Eli Stoddard, no less –; who had facilitated the boy’s return to academia.

However, he was pleased to note that Dr Stoddard was now out of the country, conducting an extended expedition to Borneo, so for the moment was out of the picture.

On the other hand, as a prominent businessman, William was himself an important benefactor to Rainier, having made several substantial donations over the years, to the delight of Chancellor Edwards; a woman more concerned with monetary gain for the university than with ethics or the academic status of lowly grad students and Research Assistants.

It had been remarkably easy for William to suggest to the Chancellor that it would be of immense benefit to the university, in particular in regard to a possible new sports complex, if a certain ex sex-slave and Guide could be dismissed, preferably ignominiously. Leaving the woman almost salivating at the prospect of such a huge boost, not only to the University’s facilities, but to her own reputation as an astute financial manager, William quietly set about finding a suitable means to bring about young Sandburg’s downfall.

The problem was swiftly solved when his tame private detective mentioned the private tutorials Blair offered to a handful of chosen students with whom he was able to work without too much empathic stress. With a little searching, some careful persuasion, and the promise of substantial monetary reward, William’s minion secured the assistance of an impecunious second year student who was in severe need of funds, and who was prepared to shelve her principles in order to get it.

All William needed to do now was to wait for the girl to spring the trap, and Jimmy’s little bastard Guide would be out on his ear, possibly even looking at jail time, and certainly ripe for throwing out of his son’s life.

Blair:

In his tiny store room-cum-office in the basement of Hargrove Hall, Blair was looking forward to the last tutorial of the morning, after which he had arranged to meet Jim for a late lunch, followed by an afternoon helping his Sentinel in the MCU. He smiled happily to himself, having completed a good chunk of the research he needed for his Criminology class, and also proof reading the most recent chapter of his Forensic Anthropology Master’s thesis.

Although he missed Eli very much, he had to admit that he now had more free time to himself for his own studies, but was more than grateful that his mentor had insisted on continuing to pay Blair’s small fee as his Research Assistant, because he wanted to be sure that his favourite student would still be at Rainier on his return from Borneo. With the upcoming long summer break, he hoped to be able to get a significant amount of his own studying covered, at the same time as being able to spend more time at the PD with Jim, a prospect which caused him to shiver in delicious anticipation.

It wasn’t that he enjoyed the grisly nature of some of the cases he had helped Jim with, and he knew himself to be less than happy with confronting death in any form, but just being with his adored Sentinel was enough for him. Jim was everything to him. Rescuer, lover, protector and best friend, he knew that, without Jim, he would quite possibly not even exist, having succumbed to the excesses of his evil captor, Vittorio Galbini.

Deliberately turning his mind away from that line of thought, he tidied away a few stray papers and took out the text he knew he’d need for the upcoming tutorial.

He admitted to himself that he wasn’t altogether happy to have taken on this particular student, as he already had several hand-picked, pleasant and level-headed students who were grateful for his help and advice, and were happy to supplement his small salary with a little extra pocket money.

On the other hand, this student, Melanie Turner, had come to him in a panic, convinced that she was about to fail her Anthro class, and tearfully insisting that ‘just everyone’ knew that Blair was her only hope.

Although the empath in him was wary about the troubled ‘vibes’ he could easily discern in the girl’s aura, his innate gentleness and helpful nature didn’t allow him to turn her away, so he took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and waited for her knock.

The actual tutorial passed relatively easily, although Blair had to admit to himself that it was unlikely to have done Melanie much good, because she appeared to be far too wrapped up in herself and her troubles to have taken in much of his teaching and advice, even though she had thanked him for his time as she left.

A while later, after finishing with his tidy up and stuffing books and papers into his backpack, he carefully packed up his state-of-the-art laptop, smiling to himself as he recalled the scarcely imaginable thrill of receiving such a wonderful gift for his birthday. It had been matched by the car Jim had bought for him, making him briefly swallow hard with emotion at the demonstration of love and support by his Sentinel and his friends at MCU. Finally ready to leave, he heard a peremptory knock on the door, followed by the immediate entry of two grim faced uniformed police officers.

“Blair Sandburg?” the first spoke up. At Blair’s puzzled nod of acquiescence, he stepped forward, with his partner close behind.

“I’ll ask you to accompany us to Chancellor Edwards’ office. There is a matter we need to address following a complaint about you.”

“I don’t understand!” whispered Blair, paling in fear as his panic responses began to kick in. “What am I supposed to have done? I’ve been here all morning, I swear! Please can I ring Jim? He’s expecting me!”

Ignoring his words, the first officer simply took his arm in a firm grip, and turned to lead him out, nodding to his companion to shut the door and follow them out of the building and towards the Administration block where Chancellor Edwards’ plush office was situated.

Neither officer spoke to him again, and both turned deaf ears to his pleas to call Jim, so that, by the time they arrived at the Chancellor’s office, Blair was well on the way to a panic attack, while his head began to pound with the effort of trying to hold at bay the angry emotions battering at him without the strength and protection of his Sentinel’s mind to bolster him.

Once in the office, Blair was marched up to the Chancellor’s large desk, where the woman stood glaring down at him with an expression of disgust tempered with a little unholy glee at what she was about to say.

“Mr Sandburg,” she said coldly, giving him no chance to pull himself together. “I have just had one of your students in here, highly distressed. She told me she had just come from a private tutorial with you, and that you made indecent advances to her, to such an extent that she is contemplating pressing charges, hence these officers’ presence. What have you to say for yourself? It goes without saying that any such unethical behaviour will naturally call for at the least your dishonourable dismissal from this university. Maybe even a period of incarceration if the case is proven.”

Wide-eyed with horror, and shaking in anxiety, Blair could barely breathe, let alone answer her charges. “No nononono, this can’t be happening! I didn’t, I swear, please, Jim, help me! Please!” and he crumpled to the floor to curl up into a small ball, rocking in distress, and clutching at his head, which was by now pounding unmercifully, beset by the intense anger directed at him.

“Shit!” muttered the first officer. “This is Ellison’s Guide! I should have realised before when he said he wanted to call ‘Jim’. I’ve seen them in action at a couple of crime scenes. We’ll be lynched if we take him in! I’ve heard that he’s MCU’s little mascot, and Ellison doesn’t take prisoners!”

“You’re kidding!” replied his partner in horror. “Just our fucking luck! What do we do?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to call in some backup, like another Sentinel / Guide team. They can run interference for us and take care of the kid before he goes into meltdown.”

Frowning at the half-heard exchange, Edwards pointed at Blair, saying, “What do you think you’re waiting for? Take him into custody! I’ve already given you the address of the student so you can interview her. Get him out of my office!”

Gritting his teeth in irritation, the first uniform, Baker, bent down and took hold of Blair’s arm again, almost letting go at the moan of pain that resulted from the action. Looking to his partner for support, they managed to get the young man to his feet, and half carried him out to the waiting patrol car, where he was pushed not ungently into the back seat, while Edwards and several passing students and staff members looked on in puzzlement and not a little morbid interest.

Once she was sure that the grad student was settled into the patrol car and would soon be taken downtown for questioning, Chancellor Edwards returned to her office, self-satisfied smirk in place, to phone William Ellison to inform him that his plan had been set in motion.

Meanwhile, Officer Baker was placing a call to Vice to request the backup of one of their Sentinel / Guide teams. He was well aware that unaccompanied bonded Guides needed special handling, even when they hadn’t had the sort of traumatic recent past that Blair had suffered, simply due to their sometimes drastic reactions to empathic overload without their Sentinels’ support. It was always advisable to have some experienced backup if not actual medical knowledge, since extreme cases could lead to the administration of medication to calm and dampen the empath’s mental distress.

He was more than grateful when he was patched through to the nearest available team of Sentinel Detective Mary Kelly and her Guide Stewart Carlson.

Mary and Stewart had worked alongside Jim and Blair in the Kobyoshi bust, and they were both very fond of the small, shy but talented Alpha Guide, and had even put in an appearance at his recent birthday party. Although self-effacing to an extreme degree, Blair had quietly impressed everyone with his dedication to his Sentinel, and his intelligent and sympathetic contributions to the operation. Added to that his gutsy role as bait in spite of his obvious terror, and he had quite unknowingly earned himself a great deal of respect from the other officers in the joint operation.

Within a few minutes, the pair’s unmarked sedan had pulled up behind the patrol unit, and Mary fairly leapt out of the driver’s seat, closely followed by Stewart.

“Where’ve you put him?” she snapped, answering herself instantly as she easily made out the distressed little moans and mutters coming from the back of the unit.

Leaving Stewart to deal with the uniforms, she slid quietly into the back, trying not to frighten the hunched up figure even more.

“Hey Blair, remember me?” she said, speaking softly and unthreateningly, while giving the young man a little space and a moment to recognise her.

Red-rimmed and tear-filled eyes peered up at her, and Blair wordlessly made a tiny movement towards her. Understanding what he was mutely asking, she held out her hands and willingly took the shaking body into her arms, offering the care and protection that all Sentinels felt compelled to provide for distressed Guides, whether or not their own. Although nothing like the depth of comfort his own Sentinel could provide, Blair gratefully accepted Mary’s calm support, which he could feel was augmented by that of her Guide, Stewart.

After a few minutes of virtual silence, during which Blair made a valiant effort to pull himself together, the Sentinel / Guide pair confirmed that they would take responsibility for delivering Blair to the PD to be reunited with Jim, and also that they would offer to undertake the investigation into the alleged assault.

Unbelievably grateful for the rescue, the patrolmen returned to the PD without their troublesome passenger in order to write up their reports, and hopefully avoid any confrontation with a super-protective Alpha Sentinel Ellison.

*

Jim:

Sighing in relief, Jim pulled off his tie and ran his finger around the constricting collar of his dress shirt. He had just returned to the bullpen after a morning spent in court: something he could do without, but a necessary evil which at least he could do by himself without Blair’s grounding presence at his side.

Not that he didn’t want his Guide as close as possible at all times, but this was one part of the job where hyper senses were least likely to cause a problem, so it was logically a good time for Blair to enjoy a little down time at the U.

Smiling to himself, Jim thought about how his young partner had left that morning, with a happy smile, and a spring in his step, clutching his backpack to him. Jim was well aware of how much Blair appreciated the laptop birthday present he had received from the MCU gang, as well as the small Ford convertible from Jim, which allowed the young man to have a little more independence. Added to that, with the arrival of warmer weather he was now comfortable enough to discard his customary turtleneck sweaters in exchange for lighter weight long sleeved Henleys, as wearing the concealing Native American choker and wolf pendant Jim had given him had made Blair less self-conscious about the tattoo around his neck.

As for Jim himself, he was only too happy to see a little more of his Guide’s beautiful body on display, and he made no bones about telling Blair how much he was loved.

His smile broadened as he recalled Blair’s pausing at the loft door, to turn back and run to Jim for a hug and another kiss before leaving, needing a bit of reassurance that Jim really could survive without him for a few hours, and that his Sentinel was truly OK with Blair having a bit of time to himself.

He waved distractedly at the scattered greetings called out to him, and headed a bit tiredly to his desk.

“Well, how did it go?” questioned Megan Connor, who had crossed over to him, file clutched in her hand. “Did you manage to get Bartholomew convicted?”

Nodding, with a slightly smug expression spreading over his face, Jim replied, “Yep, all done and dusted. I had thought for a second that his wife would retract her statement, because she seemed really ill at ease, but she stuck to her guns and shopped the bastard. He won’t be assaulting any more school kids in a hurry!”

“Great going, Jimbo! It’s good to get a slimeball like that off the streets. Sandy got quite upset when you two questioned the miserable waste of breathe.”

Smile slipping a bit, Jim agreed. “You’re right, Connor. He said as soon as he ‘read’ the guy that he felt really creeped out. That kid’s usually so forgiving of folks it’s hard to get him to say a bad word about anybody!”

Megan replied, “Not so much a ‘kid’ now, after all he’s achieved in such a short time!. I think that’s what makes him such a beautiful person, no mush intended! He genuinely believes that there’s good in everyone –; well, most folks –; even those that hurt him.”

Slapping Jim on the shoulder in a friendly farewell, she headed back to her own desk, only to turn back to stare inquisitively at Jim, who had jumped back to his feet, head cocked in his classic ‘hearing’ posture.

As Megan and the other MCU personnel looked on in consternation, Jim growled out, “Shit! Blair’s in the building, and he’s really upset. He’s being taken up to Vice!” and without another word, Jim was running out of the bullpen, unheeding of the questions following in his wake.

Megan, along with her partner Joel, who had just stepped out of his office as Jim made his hurried exit, quickly followed after the Sentinel, exchanging a worried glance.

Not bothering to wait for the elevator, Jim bolted down the two flights of stairs to the Vice Unit’s floor, and charged towards the interview room which held his Guide. Completely ignoring queries and challenges thrown at him he burst through the door to see his tearful and trembling Guide being comforted by Mary Kelly.

Knowing that Jim was on his way, and liable to be angry and unpredictable, she moved aside quickly and gathered up her own Guide, stepping back against the far wall to give the primal Alpha some space.

Swiftly crossing the room, and dropping to his knees to put himself at eye level with the distraught young man huddled in the hard chair behind the battered desk, he found himself immediately landed with an armful of sobbing Guide, who was clinging on to him as if his life depended upon it, stammering out disjointed phrases and apologies.

“Jimmmmm! I’m so s s sorry, man...didn’t do it, I swear...d d don’t k k know why sh sh she said it, I didn’t, I w w wouldn’t! I’m yours, only yours...! Please believe me, J Jimmmm!”

“Ssshhh, baby, calm down a bit, love. Take some deep breaths for me OK? That’s right. Now, let’s hear what Mary has to say, then you can tell me what happened, OK? Link with me now.”

Seeing that Jim seemed to have himself under reasonable control, Mary stepped forward, although she did make sure Stewart was slightly behind her, automatically shielding him from possible adverse reactions by the near-feral Alpha.

“I’m really sorry, Sentinel Ellison,” she began, choosing to keep the discussion formal for the time being.

“We responded to a call from Rainier by two uniforms who had been summoned to an alleged assault. It seems that some student that Guide Sandburg had been tutoring had complained to Chancellor Edwards that Blair made indecent advances towards her, and threatened her with assault.” Pausing for a second while she monitored the responses to her statement, namely snarling from Jim and a whimpered denial from Blair, she continued.

“Baker, one of the patrolmen, recognised Guide Sandburg, and didn’t want to risk him overloading, so he called in some Sentinel / Guide backup. We were nearest, so we took over. I knew Blair needed some support, and I thought it best to get him away from Rainier as soon as possible. We have the address of the student who made the complaint, and I intend to follow up on the questioning as soon as you’ve calmed Blair down a bit. For what it’s worth, I’ve already made a statement for the record that my senses lead me to believe that Blair is telling the truth, although any inquiry may want a second independent Sentinel opinion.”

Taking a deep breath, and using all his considerable strength of character to control his urge to rip someone, preferably the lying student, apart with his bare hands, Jim finally nodded.

“Thanks, Mary, Stewart. Both Blair and I appreciate your handling of the situation so far. I’d prefer to interview this student myself, but I know that won’t be allowed, so I’d appreciate it if you report back to me as soon as you’re done. Blair doesn’t need to be under suspicion any longer than necessary.”

“Sure thing, Sentinel Ellison. We want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible too. There’s something very fishy about the whole set up. And I didn’t feel happy with the ‘vibes’ I was getting from Chancellor Edwards. She was back in her office phoning someone when we left, although I didn’t recognise who it was. Stewart thinks she’s up to something, and I agree with him.”

So saying, she put a friendly hand on her Guide’s shoulder, and steered him out of the small room, with a final reassuring comment. “Take care, Blair. I’m sure we can get this sorted quickly. See you two soon.”

As the pair left, another uniformed officer stepped in to keep watch, although Jim completely ignored him. Sitting on the other chair, he settled Blair on his lap, and cuddled the slender body close, rubbing soothing circles on the shaking back with a gentle hand.

Meanwhile, Megan and Joel positioned themselves outside the interview room, ready to run interference if required against unwelcome intruders.

A short while later, Blair had calmed down somewhat, thanks to the comfort and support offered from Jim through their shared link. Jim was also well able to discern his Guide’s total innocence of the charges levelled against him, and did his best to keep his anger under as much control as he could so as not to distress Blair any more than necessary.

When Captain Sullivan from Vice entered the room, accompanied by both Simon Banks and Director Kingsley from the Sentinel / Guide Department, Blair had himself under enough control to be able to answer their questions, as long as Jim maintained his supporting hold on both his body and his troubled mind.

Explaining to the other men how he had been asked to take on the new student against his better judgement, he described her distracted state during the tutorial, but admitted he had attributed it to her claims that she was afraid of failing her Anthro class which would put her seriously behind in her credits. He told them how she had thanked him at the end of the session, and had left on time with no more than a handshake.

When he described the entry of the two patrol officers, and the interview with Chancellor Edwards, Jim could barely restrain himself from leaping to his feet to go and tackle the witch face to face.

After Blair had finished his statement, and had answered the few questions posed to clarify various points, Simon spoke up.

“Well, I don’t know about you people, but it certainly sounds like a put up job to me, that is, provided Guide Sandburg is telling the truth.

“Now, Jim!” he continued quickly at his detective’s immediate angry reaction to his words. “I’m not saying he’s lying, far from it! It’s just that it would be beneficial to obtain a totally independent sentinel ‘lie-detector’ test to back up Sentinel Kelly’s and your statements, after which I’m sure any judge will have no problem with believing him should it ever get to trial. Personally, I’m thinking it’ll never get that far. Whoever is behind this may think they’re being very clever, but they obviously don’t understand, or at least have underestimated, the sanctity of the bond.”

“I agree with Captain Banks,” said Adam Kingsley. “I know it’s hard for mundanes who have limited contact with and knowledge of Sentinel / Guide pairs to fully comprehend just how deep the link goes between bonded pairs. And they certainly have difficulty with grasping the virtually infallible contribution played by sentinel senses when it comes to interviews, just as they misunderstand the gift of empathy in guides, and think they are mind-reading or some such. I feel certain that Sentinel Kelly and Guide Carlson will get to the bottom of this girl’s reasons for making the accusation.”

Relaxing slightly, Jim nodded his agreement and eased Blair off his lap and on to the other chair, although he kept hold of the young man’s hand. He thanked the men for their understanding and support of his Guide, grateful to have such well-informed and well-intentioned friends and colleagues.

At Captain Sullivan’s suggestion, Jim and Blair followed Simon back to the elevator to return to the MCU bullpen, where they could sit in a bit more comfort while they waited for the outcome of Mary and Stewart’s interview with Melanie Turner.

Accompanied by Megan and Joel, the party entered the bullpen, where Rhonda appeared almost immediately with a cup of hot chocolate for her favourite Guide and anthropologist, which earned her a genuine, if slightly watery smile from Blair.

Smiling his own thanks for the secretary’s thoughtfulness, Jim sat down next to the young man, after sending Megan and Joel back to their own work with warm words of appreciation for their support.

*

A couple of hours later, Jim, knowing that although they had missed lunch, Blair probably wouldn’t feel much like eating, had the idea of sending out for some soup for his Guide and a sub for himself. He called to Megan, who was hovering in easy reach, and she grinned in agreement before leaving the bullpen to call in at the deli just down from the PD.

When she returned, carrying a large beef with mustard on rye for Jim and a cup of chicken soup for him, Blair whispered heart-felt thanks, and took the soup, feeling the first pangs of hunger at the delicious aroma.

“No worries, love,” said Megan with a smile. “You have to keep your strength up to watch out for Jimbo there. He’d be a basket case without you, mate,” she added, nudging Jim playfully as he was about to take a bite out of his sandwich.

“Your faith in me truly astounds me,” growled Jim, but with the suspicion of a twinkle in his eyes belying the harsh words.

Laughing, Megan went back to her own desk with a parting shot. “Don’t you worry, Sandy. It’ll be OK, you’ll see!”

At Blair’s grateful smile, she winked and went back to work.

Not long after, Jim had finished his sub, and Blair had managed a good portion of his soup. Suddenly, Jim looked up and said, “Kelly and Carlson are back. Let’s hope they’ve got something useful to report, Chief!”

Quickly putting down the unfinished cup of soup, Blair grabbed Jim’s sleeve in reawakened anxiety, and turned to look towards the bullpen door to see Mary and Stewart entering.

Walking quickly straight over to Jim’s desk, Mary offered a small smile of satisfaction, while Stewart laid a comforting hand on Blair’s shoulder.

“We’re ready to report in about what we’ve discovered, Sentinel Ellison, but Captain Sullivan wants to get everyone together so we don’t have to go over everything more than once, so I hope you won’t mind being patient a bit longer. It’ll be worth it, I think,” she finished with a wider smile encompassing both Jim and Blair.

Sure enough, the door reopened to admit Sullivan and Director Kingsley, who had been alerted to the new meeting. Emerging from his office, Simon greeted the newcomers, and led them all to the conference room down the hall where everyone else took a seat around three sides of the table, leaving the fourth to Jim and Blair, who sat with thighs and shoulders pressed together and hands clasped as Blair fought to control his nervousness.

Coughing to attract everyone’s attention, and leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, Captain Sullivan began by saying that the best place to begin the second meeting was to hear the report by Sentinel Kelly and Guide Carlson, newly returned from interviewing Melanie Turner, the student who had made the allegations of indecent behaviour by Guide Sandburg.

White faced and trembling visibly, Blair clutched hard at Jim’s hand, and prepared to hear the worst despite Mary Kelly’s previous reassurance.

However, what he was about to hear both relieved and saddened him, as it hurt and infuriated his Sentinel and the others present on his behalf. Having said that, Blair, being Blair, simply failed to comprehend the concept, since he was totally unaware of being worthy of their anger and disgust on his account.

What transpired at the interview was quickly recounted by Mary Kelly, who began by saying that she and Stewart had tracked down the student at her flat, where they questioned her regarding her accusation. At first acting indignant and tearful, Melanie had reiterated her allegations, even adding a bit more detail for effect, but she had soon caved in after further questioning, especially when confronted by Sentinel Kelly’s hard-nosed attitude and the corroborating evidence of sentinel senses at work. Eventually fearing for her own safety, such was the anger and disgust emanating from the Sentinel and Guide team, that she described in detail how she had been approached by a man who had offered her a substantial amount of money for bringing Blair Sandburg up on charges. Although she had no personal grudge against the grad student –; didn’t even really know him - her desperate need for funds led her to agree to the plan, although she maintained, truthfully, that she had no idea who was actually behind the plot. She only wanted to take the money and run, figuratively speaking. She was now downstairs being charged with false accusation and wasting police time.

Almost overwhelmed with relief, Blair addressed Mary in a shaky but grateful tone. “Thank you so much, Sentinel Kelly and Guide Carlson. You don’t know how much it means to me that you took on this investigation. I’m so grateful to you both, and to everyone here for believing in me.”

“Oh, I think we all have a fair idea, Chief,” said Jim with a smile, tousling the chestnut curls, even though he was seething inside with the need to track down the creep behind the whole plot. For the present, though, he was simply glad to have his Guide’s name cleared so quickly and effectively.

Clearing his voice, Simon spoke up. “Well, I think we’ve heard enough, gentlemen and lady. I for one can’t see this going any further except to try and find out the motive behind this nasty little plan. Jim, why don’t you take Blair on home now for some rest? He looks all in!”

“Thanks, Captain, I will.” Jim accepted the offer with gratitude and helped his unresisting partner to his feet, tucking him close to his side with an arm wrapped firmly around Blair’s waist. Shyly whispering his thanks to one and all again, Blair allowed himself to be led out of the room by his beloved Sentinel, leaning gratefully against the muscular body and soaking up the strength and support so willingly offered.

“If it’s OK with you, Chief, I’ll ask Megan or Joel to pick up your car and backpack from the U. I think it’s in your best interest for now to keep a low profile for a few days. Besides, the summer vacation is coming up fast, so you won’t really be missing much, will you?”

With a deep sigh, Blair replied, saying, “I think you’re right, Jim. I’d like to pick up my car and my stuff myself, but I know that I don’t really want to risk coming into contact with Chancellor Edwards for a while. Even if she’s been proven wrong, she still hates me, and obviously wants an excuse to get rid of me. But I have no idea why!” he finished on a plaintive note. “I don’t know what I’ve done to offend her!”

“It might not be anything specifically to do with you personally, Chief,” mused Jim. “It could be that someone else has an axe to grind, and that someone has instigated all this just to get you out of the picture. I just want to find out who that someone is...!”

Dropping the subject for now before Blair could get any more agitated on his behalf, Jim grabbed their jackets before having a quick word with Joel, who immediately offered to get a lift with Megan to the U and pick up Blair’s car and backpack. Collecting the appropriate sets of keys from his young friend, he smiled encouragingly and patted Blair’s arm, before leaving the bullpen on Megan’s heels.

With a general goodnight to the bullpen at large, Jim and Blair headed for the elevator and parking garage, to drive home via a Thai takeout place that they both liked, where Jim left his exhausted partner dozing in the truck’s passenger seat while he bought a selection of dishes to share.

*

Later that night, having managed to get a few bites of food inside his semi-comatose Guide, Jim cleared everything away, putting the leftovers in the refrigerator, and steered the young man to the bathroom to do the necessary and freshen up a little. Half carrying the drooping young man up to the bedroom, he smiled as Blair began to snore softly almost as soon as his head hit the pillows, completely oblivious of Jim’s efforts in stripping him down to his underwear, and tucking him carefully under the comforter.

Although not particularly tired himself, Jim decided to retire early also, submitting willingly to the lure of a cosy cuddle with a warm and pliant body in preference to a late night watching TV alone downstairs.

Just before he locked up for the night, he heard Joel drive up to 852 in Blair’s small car, and park it beside the truck in front of the building, obviously having finally finished work for the day. Opening the door at the older detective’s knock rather than surprising him by jumping the gun as he was sometimes wont to do, Jim smiled in thanks when the kindly older man held out Blair’s backpack. Refusing to come in, as Megan was waiting in her car downstairs to take him back to the PD to pick up his own vehicle, he waved goodnight and made his way to the elevator and his lift back.

Placing Blair’s keys in the basket by the door, and the backpack safely in the small office under the stairs, Jim finished his tour of the loft, and, confidant everything was locked up tight, he took himself up to bed to enjoy his anticipated cuddle with his Guide.

*

The following morning, Blair awoke to the gently touch of sentinel-sensitive fingers stroking the soft skin of his neck and shoulders while he lay in his customary sleeping position, face tucked into Jim’s neck, with his arm draped over the washboard abs of his Sentinel’s stomach, and a leg thrown across Jim’s thighs.

Pulling back a little to peer up at Jim’s smiling face looking down at him; he whispered a sleepy, “Morning Jim,” and lifted his head up for Jim to capture his mouth for a first kiss of the day. In the back of his mind, he sometimes wondered how sentinel senses could cope with what he was certain had to be ‘morning breath’, but, as Jim never commented on it, and actually instigated the kisses, he assumed it was OK.

With a small smile, he settled his head back on to Jim’s shoulder, which prompted Jim to question him. “What’s with the smile, Chief? Care to share?”

“Um, well, I was just thinking that...um…doesn’t my ‘morning breath’ offend your senses? I mean, I love waking up to your kisses, but I just wondered if it was as good for you?”

Breaking into genuine chuckles, Jim replied, “Only you, babe, would worry about bad breath when I’m trying to make love to you! For your information, Einstein, you could never taste bad to me, even if you’d eaten curry the night before! The great thing about how you’ve enabled me to use these senses means I can filter out anything that isn’t pure, delicious ‘Blair-taste’. Now you, on the other hand, don’t have that facility, so how do you manage, kiddo?”

Blushing with a little embarrassment and a whole lot of love, Blair raised his head again to gaze adoringly at his Sentinel before saying, “There’s nothing about you that could make me not want to comply with your every wish, Jim. I love you so much, and I need to let you know in every way I can.”

Pinking even more at the rather sappy statement, he ducked his head a little, but knew that he shouldn’t really be surprised when, far from making a joke of his declaration, Jim firmly but carefully raised Blair’s face up to his again by placing a finger under the younger man’s chin. Smiling tenderly at his Guide’s beautiful but shy expression; Jim simply took another kiss from the succulent mouth.

Some while later, they resurfaced to take their customary (and very satisfying) shared shower, and grab some breakfast before heading down to the PD.

Since Blair had no intention of going in to Rainier today, they both climbed into Jim’s truck armed with travel mugs of good coffee, as their impromptu lovemaking had made them a little late for wolfing down much more than a breakfast bagel to keep them going.

*

The drive to the PD was made in relative silence, with the two men lost in their thoughts, and taking the occasional sip of hot coffee.

Eventually, Jim spoke up, wanting to get his Guide to open up to him, although he knew already through their shared connection that the young man was very troubled.

“Hey, Chief. Penny for them! Care to share, baby? I can hear your mind working from here.”

Responding with a small smile and appreciating Jim’s efforts to cheer him up, Blair worried at his lower lip for a few moments before speaking.

“I’m sorry for being so down, Jim. I don’t mean to create an atmosphere or anything. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about Melanie. I mean, I know what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet, but why would she choose that way to get money? She admitted she didn’t even really know me, and said it wasn’t personal, but I don’t understand how anyone could do what she did just for payment. If it hadn’t been for our bond, and the connection we have to other Sentinel / Guide pairs who know me and believed in me, I could have been dismissed without references at the least, and maybe even gone to prison. I don’t understand, man.” He looked away, misery creeping over his expressive face as it seemed that yet another tiny bit of innocence was stripped away from his gentle soul.

“Look at me, baby,” Jim commanded softly, reaching over to grasp Blair’s knee and give it a gentle shake.

When his Guide complied, turning his sorrowful, round eyes up to meet Jim’s glance, Jim continued as he turned his attention back to the road. “I can’t answer that for you, Chief, not in any deep, meaningful way, but I can and do say that there are many more good people out there who make up for the selfish and evil ones who make our job as police officers and protectors so necessary. I’m just so sorry that you’ve come across so much bad in your life, and I’m truly grateful that you haven’t let it damage your soul, baby. You’re still the most generous and loving partner I could have wished for. Gorgeous too! And if that sounds mushy,” he continued with a loving smile, “then so be it. I can do mush, as long as it’s for you!”

Pleased when Blair responded with a happy giggle, he concentrated once more on negotiating a safe path through the rush hour traffic until they finally pulled up in the PD parking garage in much better spirits.

When they entered the MCU bullpen, Blair tucked in close to Jim’s side as usual, there were a few greetings from the fairly small number of people present, and, on reaching their shared desk, Jim spotted a post-it note stuck to the computer screen, asking him to call Mary Kelly as soon as possible.

“Looks like Mary and Stewart have something to report, Chief,” he muttered, and picked up the phone to make an internal call while Blair hung up their jackets and plopped his ever-present backpack down behind his usual chair.

A couple of minutes later, after a brief exchange, Jim put the phone down and turned to Blair saying, “Come on, Chief. Mary’s got some info for us regarding the set up, and suggests meeting up with her and Stewart down in Vice.”

Nodding in response, Blair got quickly to his feet and followed Jim’s long-legged stride out of the bullpen, almost running to keep up until Jim stopped and turned round to take him in a quick hug before tucking him into his side again.

“Sorry, Chief. I forgot for a moment that you were there –; guess I’m in a rush to find out something concrete to go on. Let’s hope we can get everything wrapped up real soon, because I for one am really looking forward to rubbing that bitch Edwards’ nose in it when we get proof of complicity,” he finished with a grim smile.

Blair ducked his head at that, knowing full well that the Sentinel needed to take some decisive action in solving a situation that threatened his bond mate, but still uncomfortable in his own mind about taking any such vengeful steps on his own behalf.

He kept such thoughts to himself, not wishing to seem to challenge Jim’s instinctive protective urge, and simply concentrated on sending love and support through their link.

*

They were met at the door of the Vice Unit by Sentinel Detective Kelly and Guide Carlson, both of whom wore serious expressions. Gesturing to Jim and Blair to follow her, Mary said formally, “Please come this way, Alpha Sentinel Ellison, Alpha Guide Sandburg. We do have some information for you, but it may not be what you want to hear.”

So saying, she opened the door to one of the unoccupied interview rooms and stood aside for them to enter.

When Jim and Blair were seated, Jim obviously growing more impatient by the minute, she and Stewart sat opposite the pair and she began.

“As you know, I reported hearing Chancellor Edwards making a phone call as we were taking care of Blair, but I didn’t recognise the person she was speaking to. Anyway, Stewart went through the phone records for me, and pinned down the number she called. I’m sorry to have to tell you, Alpha, that it was to William Ellison’s private line at Ellison Enterprises.” At Jim’s angry growl, she continued hastily, “Of course that doesn’t mean that it was your father she was speaking to. It could be anyone else with access to his office. All I know is that the voice I heard was definitely male.”

Jumping to his feet in barely controlled fury, Jim spun round to face them, and spat out, “It’s OK, Kelly. You don’t have to make excuses for him. I’m pretty damned certain that it was my father. It bears all the hallmarks of the type of action he would take.”

Turning to face Blair, he held the young man’s troubled gaze and continued, “You know when he called in at Thanksgiving while you were asleep on the sofa?”

Blair nodded and replied unhappily, “Yes, Jim. You told me he wasn’t best pleased to find out that not only was I male, but damaged too….”

“I’m sorry honey,” continued Jim, walking up to Blair to put his hands on his Guide’s shoulders in a comforting gesture. “He was more than angry –; spitting mad, really. I should have known he’d try and do something like this. That bastard still wants me to join him at Ellison Enterprises despite already having Steven at his beck and call. I was always the prodigal son as far as he’s concerned, but he can’t get it through his head that I don’t ever intend to return to the fold! I chose to join the army to escape from his influence, and I also chose the PD for the same reason. And our bond is the best thing that ever happened to me, babe, even if I didn’t deliberately set out to choose you. We were meant to be together, Blair, and he’ll never part us, that I swear!”

“Hey,” he continued when he saw slow tears begin to slide down his Guide’s miserable face. “Don’t take on, lover. It’ll be OK, I promise!”

No one in the room was surprised, however, when Blair replied, “B b but he wouldn’t be mad if I wasn’t a nobody, Jim. And I’m damaged, dirty! How can you say that it’ll be OK? He’ll never accept me –; no one in his position could! I’m so sorry.”

Pulling the young man into a close embrace, Jim hugged him for a few moments before pushing him away a little so he could look into the wet eyes. Shaking him gently by the upper arms to emphasise his words, Jim said, “Once and for all, baby, YOU are the single most important person in the world for me. Even if you really were a ‘damaged nobody’, it wouldn’t change a thing as far as I’m concerned. YOU are MY Guide, Chief, and no one is ever going to change that. Got it?”

Sniffing, the Guide ducked his head for a second before meeting his Sentinel’s forthright gaze. “I got it, Jim,” he whispered. “Thank you for loving me so much.”

“No problem, kiddo!” replied Jim, glad that Blair’s mini crisis of confidence seemed to be over for now.

“Now, if Mary and Stewart don’t mind, I have a father to visit!”

“Certainly, Alpha. Do you need back up, or is it something you’d rather do in private?” Mary replied somewhat cautiously, knowing that it probably wasn’t the best idea for the senior Sentinel / Guide team to go into a potentially volatile situation without witnesses.

Realising where the other Sentinel was coming from, Jim nodded in rueful agreement.

“Yes, I think it would be a good idea to have you two along, because god knows if he really is involved in this dirty little plot, I may well have to kill him!” And everyone present was uncomfortably aware that he wasn’t altogether joking.

*

A short time later, having advised Simon of their destination, (and, incidentally, only receiving his blessing when he learned that Kelly and Carlson would be going along also) the two pairs set out for Ellison Enterprise’s plush office complex in one of the most up-market of Cascade’s business areas, arriving at more or less the same time despite travelling in two separate vehicles.

Nodding to the other pair, Jim, with a supporting arm wrapped around Blair’s waist, took the lead and entered the vaulted reception area and approached the extremely smart young woman at the desk.

Growling a little at her snooty glance at his Guide, Jim snapped, “I want to see William Ellison right now. Tell him it’s his son, and it’s police business!”

Backing up nervously, the woman nevertheless spoke up firmly. “I can’t let you go up without an appointment. Mr Ellison is a very busy man.”

“Look, lady, you can either call him right now, or we’ll go up unannounced. I don’t think you’ll like his reaction if I take him by surprise, will you?”

Nodding quickly, she reached for her phone and rang William’s private room, biting her lip worriedly until he answered with a barked, “Ellison!”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she began, “but there are some police officers here to see you, and one of them says he’s your son--”

“My son, you say? Well, send them up, woman!” snapped her boss, hanging up immediately.

Turning her attention back to Jim, she indicated the private elevator on the opposite side of the room. “Mr Ellison says for you to go on up. He has the office suite on the top floor.”

Nodding brusquely, Jim steered his Guide over towards the elevator, and pressed the button for the fifth floor. When the car arrived, the four of them entered, maintaining a grim silence until they arrived at a heavy mahogany door bearing William Ellison’s name on a polished brass plate

William, who was as yet unaware that his little plot to remove Blair from Rainier had foundered, smiled smugly when he learned of his older son’s visit. He was convinced that the way was now clear to take the first steps in reconciling Jimmy to his destiny as Ellison Enterprise’s next CEO, and was already planning which socially acceptable Guides he could introduce him to, should his son still require such a person.

Answering the sharp knock on his office door with a hearty, “Come on in, son!” he looked up expectantly at the doorway, only to frown in consternation at the sight of Jim hugging that disgusting hippy boy close to his side, and followed in by a tough-looking partnership who could only be another Sentinel / Guide pair.

“Hi Dad.” Jim’s terse greeting dripped with sarcasm as he continued, “Good of you to see us. I’ve got a few questions I’d like you to answer regarding a little matter of framing my Guide for an assault charge. What have you to say?”

Spluttering in confusion, William countered with, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, son! How dare you waltz in here for the first time in years just to accuse me of underhand practices! I suppose that boy has put you up to this,” he spat, pointing an accusing finger at Blair.

“No, sir, that is not the case,” the stern young lady Sentinel spoke up. “We have reason to believe that a telephone call to this office was made yesterday by Chancellor Edwards of Rainier University. It was overheard while Guide Sandburg here was being wrongly accused of indecently assaulting a student, who has since confessed to being paid to make the allegations. I don’t suppose you’d know who might be behind the plan, would you, sir?” she finished grimly.

“If there was a call to this office, I don’t know who received it,” snapped William, uncomfortably aware that there were two sentinels present who were undoubtedly reading his physiological responses, and who would likely detect his guilt. However, he had no intention of openly admitting to setting the little hippy bastard up to take a fall, and was still convinced he could talk his way out of trouble. After all, why should his son and the other officers take an ex-slave boy and sex toy’s part over his?

Standing up behind his huge desk, he leaned forward, frowning in his most intimidating manner, hoping to gain some small advantage from his status as one of Cascade’s leading businessmen.

“I want you all to leave now if you’ve nothing else to say. I’ll be calling my lawyer and will be in touch if you persist in this fabrication. Good day!”

“Not so fast, Dad,” his son responded in his most uncompromising tone. “We both know you’re aware of sentinel abilities in sensing liars even if you don’t have much concept about the nature of the bond. Well, unfortunately for you, there are two here who can testify to your ‘obfuscations’ so you may as well come clean. Why the hell did you do it, Dad? What did you hope to gain; and what did you promise Chancellor Edwards for her complicity?”

Snarling in fury, William emerged from behind his desk. The game was up, so he might as well drive his point home and say his piece. It might even do Jimmy good to hear it spoken out loud.

“You want to know why I did it, do you? Why I would bribe that money-grubbing bitch Edwards with the promise of a new sports complex for her precious university if she backed up my scheme? Why I would go to the trouble of finding some penniless and unscrupulous student to accuse that little bastard of doing something which he probably does all the time with his ‘training’ and ‘experience’?

“Well, I’ll tell you, Jimmy! It’s because I care about what people think of you, and I want you back here with me where you belong, running this company as it should be run. I’m sick of seeing you waste yourself as a lowly police officer when you could be making serious money right here! And I’m REALLY sick to my stomach to see you coupled to a fatherless slutty boy-toy who can only make you a laughing stock in polite circles! There! Now are you satisfied?”

With a cry of pure rage, Jim rushed forward intending to tear the man limb from limb, disregarding his Guide’s panicked attempt to hold him back.

“No, Jim! Please don’t! He’s not worth you getting into trouble for, Jim, please stop!” and Blair tried to pull on his furious Sentinel’s arm, only to be flung aside in Jim’s blind anger.

Hurled part way across the huge office, Blair lost his footing to land with a crash onto a glass-topped occasional table, which shattered under the pressure to slice open the young man’s hands with razor sharp shards.

Crying out in fear and pain, Blair clutched his bleeding hands to his chest, while the other pair sprang into action, with Stewart rushing to Blair’s side with the intention of treating his injuries while Mary pushed William out of the way of his primal Alpha Sentinel son.

However, in the instant of hearing the smashing of glass accompanied by the smell of his Guide’s blood, and hearing his beloved Blair’s cry of pain, Jim immediately snapped out of his black rage, and rushed to the young man’s side.

“Oh god, Chief, I’m so sorry!” he cried in anguish. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, baby. I didn’t even think, I was so intent on throttling that bastard!” and he threw a disgusted glance over at William, who was standing open-mouthed in shock, surveying the scene unfolding in front of him.

Turning back to Blair and completely dismissing William from his mind, Jim gently pulled his Guide’s smaller hands out from the shelter of Blair’s armpits where the young man had thrust them in pained reaction, and quickly scanned the damage.

“I’m going to take him to the ER,” said Jim, addressing Stewart, who was still hovering nearby. “These are going to need stitches, and I think there’s still some glass embedded in this one,” he continued, peering at a particularly deep slash across Blair’s left palm.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he said softly to his smaller partner, who was crying quietly in shock and pain. “I have no right to ask you, but I hope you can forgive me sometime for doing this to you. It was completely unintentional, sweetheart. I just couldn’t see past my blind fury at him. Not that that’s any excuse! I’m so sorry, lover. I know you were only trying to do your job.” And he quickly wrapped the young man’s hands in strips of cloth torn from his own shirt rather than wait until Stewart searched for a first aid kit.

Mary, knowing that Jim was now totally focussed on his Guide’s welfare, concentrated instead on taking William into custody, as the man was too rattled right now to make any more complaints or excuses.

It was a strange group that emerged from the private elevator a few minutes later, what with a tall, concerned man in a torn-up shirt supporting a smaller, blood stained and tearful partner, while a shocked and bemused William Ellison was escorted from the building by two tall and serious-looking officers.

The smart receptionist could only stare at the party in open-mouthed shock as they piled into the two waiting vehicles, with William settled in the back seat of the unmarked sedan to be taken down town by Mary and Stewart, and Blair placed carefully in the truck’s passenger seat to be whisked off to the ER by his deeply upset and contrite Sentinel.

*

Driving at a reckless speed, Jim completed the trip to Cascade General in double quick time, and pulled up in one of the nearest free parking bays, irrespective of whether they were legal or not. Throwing the truck into park, he jumped out of the cab and ran around to the passenger door, to reach in and lift his Guide out. He noted worriedly that the young man was shivering a little in shock, and that the shirt material wrapping his hands was now sopping with blood that oozed continuously out of the raw gashes.

Biting his trembling lip in pain, Blair tried so hard to stop crying, but the hurt coupled with the shock of being pushed aside by his adored Sentinel made such fortitude well nigh impossible, and he swallowed around the sobs which were threatening to overtake him.

“’M sorry, Jim. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble...but it hurts!” he whispered.

“Ssshh, sweetheart. You didn’t cause any trouble –; that’s all down to me,” replied Jim grimly, wrapping a supporting arm around his Guide’s waist to help him in to the ER, where he immediately called for assistance.

Seeing the blood staining the whole front of the young man’s shirt, the approaching nurse immediately gestured for the pair to follow her to a cubicle, where she told Jim to help Blair up onto the gurney. Once advised that they needed a doctor from the Sentinel unit, she nodded and quickly left the cubicle to phone up to the Sentinel ward for an appropriate member of staff.

It was scant minutes later when Dr Stevens entered the cubicle, having heard the call for assistance, and feeling fairly sure from the nurse’s description with whom he would be dealing once again.

“Sentinel Ellison, Guide Sandburg,” he greeted in a friendly but soft voice.

“What have we here? You’re in quite a mess there young man, aren’t you?” he said, approaching the shivering figure on the gurney in an unthreatening manner, since the last thing he needed was for an overprotective Alpha Sentinel to go into primal mode.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he continued, looking at them both enquiringly.

“It was my fault,” Jim answered immediately. “I pushed Blair away during an altercation with a suspect, and he fell through a glass-topped table. It was totally my fault!”

“Please don’t say that, Jim,” whispered his Guide in a shaky voice. “It was an accident, Doctor. I was trying to hold on to Jim’s arm and he pulled away from me, that’s all. He didn’t mean to do it.”

“All right, that’s all I need to know for now,” broke in Dr Stevens, not wanting the budding guilt-fest to get in the way of his treatment of the still seeping wounds.

“Let’s get you into a gown young man, and out of those blood-stained clothes so I can begin to clean you up. I’ll get you a clean scrub top also,” he said to Jim. “There’s not much of your shirt left!”

So saying, he called to a nearby nurse, who went off and quickly retrieved a scrub top for Jim which Jim slipped on gratefully once he had helped Blair out of his blood-covered Henley and into the backless gown.

Talking quietly to the still rather shocky young man, Dr Stevens cleaned the area round the deep cuts as gently as possible, although Blair still uttered a few half-stifled moans.

Jim could do nothing at that point but gently stroke his Guide’s head, massaging the scalp in an effort to sooth and comfort.

Eventually, Dr Stevens was satisfied that all the glass fragments had been removed, even asking Jim to double-check for him, then he injected the sites of the deeper cuts with local anaesthetic so he could begin to stitch them.

As he worked, he said, “These will be painful for a while, Blair, and you’ll be restricted in your movements until the stitches come out, but there’s no nerve or tendon damage that I can see, thank Heavens. You should get back your full mobility within a few weeks, but you must take care not to try to do too much and pull the stitches, and you must try to keep the cuts dry. I’m sure Jim will help you with awkward tasks, though.”

Jim just nodded in mute agreement, and continued with carding his hand through the chestnut curls while he waited for the doctor to finish up.

A few minutes later, Dr Stevens snipped the end of the final stitch, and placed a loose gauze dressing over each wound, which he bound carefully so that Blair looked as if he was wearing puffy white mittens.

“There you go, young man, and keep away from glass tables in future!” said the kindly doctor, patting his young patient on the shoulder.

Turning to address Jim, he said, “Take him home for some rest, Jim. He needs to be kept warm, even if it is supposed to be Cascade’s excuse for early summer. He’s still a little shocky, and should have something soothing like sweet tea when you get in. He can have over-the-counter painkillers when he needs them, but he shouldn’t need to come back except to get the stitches removed, unless there’s any sign of infection. I’m sure you’ll be the first to notice that, though.”

Then, lowering his voice to sentinel pitch, he added, “Whatever it was that caused the accident, Jim, you should try not to dwell on it for Blair’s sake. He truly seems to think it wasn’t your fault, so just concentrate on looking after him, all right? I’m no psychiatrist, and I don’t want to preach to you, but I can’t see that carrying around a huge burden of guilt is going to have any beneficial effect on either of you. Forgive my audacity, but I think it’s for the best.”

Stomping down on his instinctive desire to bristle with indignation at the offered advice, Jim sighed deeply and said, “You’re right, Dr Stevens, and I appreciate that you just want what’s best for us –;Blair in particular. I agree with you, even if it’ll be hard for me to do as you suggest. Thanks again Doc.” After shaking the doctor’s hand, he turned back to help ease his young Guide gently down off the gurney, and supported him out of the ER and back to the truck for the drive home.

*

The drive back to the loft was completed in silence and much more slowly, with Jim casting worried glances at the withdrawn figure huddled into the corner of the passenger seat.

On arrival at 852 Prospect, Jim helped the younger man down from the cab, and guided him up to the loft with an arm round his waist, but was well aware of the minute stiffness in Blair’s body at Jim’s touch, and the resistance he could feel in his Guide’s mind as he tried to link with him.

When they entered #307, Jim moved to steer Blair towards the bathroom and then to bed, hoping to have at least a little mutual rest and cuddling, even if Blair’s impaired touch meant that there was no chance of instigating a full bond right now. He was taken aback when Blair stood his ground and ducked his head, biting his lip again in palpable anxiety.

Shivering with trepidation, he shot a nervous glance first at Jim’s concerned face, then at the hand that was grasping his bicep, and finally towards the office door. Whispering sentinel-soft, he said “Please don’t be angry with me, Jim, but, I…I’m so sorry –; I don’t want to upset you, but...I need to be alone for a while. Please, can I just sit in the office for a bit? Oh, please don’t be mad!” he finished, chin quivering with the effort of containing a sob when he saw the coldness that crept across his Sentinel’s face.

Bitterly hurt, even though he knew he could hardly blame Blair, Jim still couldn’t help his irrational and angry reaction, or control his instinctive withdrawal although it would upset his Guide even more.

Releasing Blair’s arm and stepping back smartly from his lover’s side, he said brusquely, “Sure, Sandburg. Go ahead. It’s not like you don’t have a reason to avoid me, is it? Let me know when you can tolerate being around me again, huh? I’ll be right here!” And he turned away and stomped over to the kitchen to grab a beer out of the refrigerator, ignoring the pained expression and hurt gasp from the other man, even as he hated himself for the deliberate cruelty of his words.

Twisting the cap off his beer, he threw himself down on the sofa in front of the TV, and, grabbing the remote, began to surf the channels for something marginally interesting to watch. Nursing his self-pity, he studiously ignored the soft sob and almost silent footsteps as Blair shuffled over to the French doors, not even turning when he heard the young man’s slight struggle to prise the doors open with the fingertips of his heavily bandaged hands.

Only when the doors closed softly behind the devastated Guide did Jim turn to face the room and allow himself to listen to muffled sobs and smell the saline tang of fresh tears as Blair slumped on the futon, trying to stifle his crying with a pillow.

Right then, Jim thought he couldn’t have hated himself more. Beset by guilt over the accident, even knowing he was hurting his Guide with his coldness, yet he couldn’t bring himself to go and offer comfort to Blair in case he should be rebuffed, as he didn’t think he could take that amount of pain.

He forced himself to replay the scene in his father’s office again, seeing himself throw Blair aside as if he was no more than an irritating nuisance standing between himself and his prey. Remembering vividly the crash of smashing glass, the cry of pain and the scent of his Guide’s blood, he came close to hurling the beer bottle against the wall in self-disgust. Breathing heavily in an effort to contain his emotional turmoil, he sat back against the sofa cushions and forced himself to watch the mindless drivel on the TV although he didn’t take in a single word.

Meanwhile, in the office, Blair finally managed to contain his sobs, although tears still leaked obstinately from beneath his eyelids. He was desperately worried about upsetting and angering his Sentinel, who was, and always would be, the centre of his universe.

However, the unforeseen violence of the incident had shocked him to his very core, reigniting his fears and memories of pain inflicted by big, angry men in contrast to the love and gentleness he had become accustomed to receiving from Jim.

Yes, certainly he’d seen Jim mad, with criminals, fellow cops and even with Blair himself a couple of times, reacting with anger arising from concern when he thought that Blair had endangered himself unnecessarily. But he had never done more than shout at him and given him a shake, and had certainly never thrown him aside like an unwanted hindrance.

His head was telling him that this was just an unfortunate accident caused by the furious Sentinel’s instinctive reaction to an implied threat to both himself and his Guide, and certainly not aimed at hurting Blair, but rather keeping him out of harm’s way. However, it had backfired dramatically insofar as Jim had completely ignored Blair’s attempts to do his job as Guide and moderating influence to the detriment of their partnership and causing Blair to be injured anyway.

Blair’s heart therefore chose to ignore the rational, common sense argument in favour of retreating in the face of the hateful demons which were trying to cast Jim in the same mould as past abusers in Blair’s memories. Cringing internally at the remembered pain and humiliation, Blair was forced to confront the fact that he was once again afraid of being pressured in terms of sexual activity, which would obviously be a potentially devastating problem to the Sentinel / Guide bonding process that was so vital to them both.

The combination of pain, stress and emotional confusion built inexorably in the Guide’s mind until the threat of empathic overload became increasingly likely, so that Blair knew that he would soon need to seek help. Despite his reluctance, he was forced to creep out of the illusory shelter of the office and move fearfully towards where Jim sat like a statue in front of the TV, still clutching the beer bottle and in a light zone brought on by his own disturbed thoughts and the over-stretching of his senses to monitor his Guide’s every movement and murmur.

Worrying his lip between his teeth until it bled slightly, Blair sank silently down to crouch at Jim’s feet, gradually pressing closer to his Sentinel’s leg until his forehead and one bandaged hand rested on Jim’s thigh. He was incredibly relieved when, rather than being shoved away in disgust, a gentle hand came to rest on his head, and long fingers carded through his curls. Although neither spoke, they stayed in place for an hour or so, gradually re-establishing their shared link, giving and receiving comfort, and trying to regain a sense of equilibrium.

Eventually, however, being fully tuned in to every nuance of his Guide’s physical state, Jim knew instantly when the young man was beginning to grow stiff and cramped in his half-sitting, half-kneeling huddle on the floor, so he broke the silence by saying, “Come on, baby, I can feel you stiffening up. Let’s get you into a more comfortable position, shall we?”

When Blair raised his head to look into Jim’s face, Jim was filled with love and no little remorse as he studied the solemn expression on the attractive features, noting the beautiful blue eyes large and dark with emotion, and lips red and slightly swollen where Blair had bitten them in his nervousness.

When Blair nodded slightly, Jim reached down and, keeping his movements slow and gentle, just as he had when he’d first brought Blair home, took hold of the smaller man’s arms just above the elbows. Relieved when the young Guide didn’t cringe in response, he turned the slender body to sit in his lap; the curly head tucked into the crease of Jim’s neck and shoulder and the injured hands resting in Blair’s lap. Wrapping one arm around Blair’s body in a comforting embrace, he gently took the young man’s bandaged hands in his free hand.

“Comfortable, baby?” he whispered. Blair nodded again, relaxing incrementally into the embrace and allowing his taut muscles to loosen and rest.

A few minutes later, he whispered nervously, “Jim, can I talk about what happened? Please? I really need to tell you what I feel, but I’m scared I’ll make you mad at me again. Please can you just listen and not be mad?”

Stabbed through the heart by a barb of bitter pain at his Guide’s passionate plea, Jim just nodded, determinedly strengthening his resolve to listen to Blair without a negative reaction, and tightening his hold fractionally to encourage Blair to continue.

Glancing up quickly to gauge his Sentinel’s true state of mind and ‘reading’ him to discover self-directed guilt and understanding rather than disgust and anger, he began, after tucking his head back into Jim’s broad shoulder.

“I’m sorry, man. I really shouldn’t be acting like such a wimp. I do understand what happened. You were reacting as a primal Alpha Sentinel to neutralise a potential threat to you and your Guide...but Jim...you didn’t let me do my job. I’m supposed to guide you: help you contain and control your senses and reactions so you don’t end up doing something that could land you in jail. It might not have mattered so much in pre-industrialised societies, but in the 21^st century, even Sentinels get prosecuted under present legislation! I only wanted to stop you from hurting –; perhaps killing –; your own father!

“When you threw me away like that, I couldn’t help but remember how Galbini and his friends used to do that. They’d use me then throw me aside like a piece of used, dirty trash!

“I’m sorry man, truly, but it brought back all those fears....”

Here Blair trailed off, exhausted both at the lengthy speech and the weight of emotions behind it. Without the energy to argue or defend himself further, he resigned himself to his fate, insofar as it would be dictated by Jim’s response.

Jim, although hardly surprised by his Guide’s confession and aware of his state of mind, was sincerely upset –; mortified even –; that a thoughtless, instinctive reaction of his could have wreaked so much havoc. Deeply troubled, and never a particularly verbose personality at the best of times, he struggled with how to begin to explain his thought processes to the beloved, but now undeniably anxious young man cuddled to his chest.

Finally deciding that all he could do was respond with the same candour and direct honesty that Blair had granted to him, he tried to organise his reply accordingly.

“I’m sorry, baby. I scarcely know how to begin. It seems to me that whatever I say, it’s going to sound trite and unconvincing, even though I want to be completely sincere. You already know by now that I’m not that good with words. That’s your department, babe, so I’m just going to do my best here and let you ‘read’ my sincerity.

“Firstly, I need to say how very sorry I am that you got hurt. I would NEVER lift a hand to you intentionally, kiddo. I can’t really even describe what I was feeling back then –; the fury was so intense that nothing and no one could have stopped me for a few moments. But surely, sweetheart, it must mean something about the strength of our partnership that I stopped short the instant you cried out? I know very well that you should never have been hurt, but you did stop me anyway. Getting to grips with my miserable, evil-minded father was never going to take precedence over going to help you, lover.

“I’m just praying here that, if you’re willing to stick with me, and as our bond deepens further, I’m going to react to you immediately rather than wait for it to take an injury to you to make me stop. Can we start over, Chief? I need to know that you’re not so frightened of me that we’ll never regain our true bond.”

Aware that silent tears were once more dampening his scrub top, he reined in his impatience to listen for his Guide’s response.

A few moments later, after taking a deep calming breath, Blair whispered, “Thank you for explaining everything to me Jim. I think I can understand and accept what you mean, and I would never give up on us. I can’t –; it’s just not possible. All I ask is that you give me a bit more time. I’m sorry to ask it –; it shouldn’t be necessary –; but I’d be lying to you if I said it didn’t matter to me. It did, and I’m a bit shaky. But I’ll always love you, Jim. It’s a given. You’re my Sentinel, and you saved me, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to show you how much that means to me. I’ll try to get over this quickly, I promise! Please say the words –; please tell me you feel the same!”

Jim’s heart-felt response was immediate, as was the surge of love and gratitude that he sent through their link.

“Always, babe. My Guide, forever. Nothing will ever change that, lover. Nothing!”

*

Later that evening, after both men had managed a few bites of the light supper Jim threw together, they retired to the bathroom where Jim matter-of-factly took care of many of the more intimate actions his Guide couldn’t manage with his heavily bandaged hands. Well aware of his partner’s shy embarrassment, he deliberately refrained from prolonging the necessary duties any more than he had to. Having covered the injured limbs in plastic wrap, Jim steered his tired and rather despondent young partner to the shower, where he completed their mutual clean up in as quick and straightforward a manner as possible, easily discerning his Guide’s barely disguised relief. However, he resolutely refused to take umbrage, knowing how hard it was for Blair to try and control his fear responses, and concentrated instead on sending soothing and supportive thoughts through their link as he gently patted the younger man dry with a large, fluffy towel.

Finally returning to their large bed, he was grateful when Blair immediately accepted his offer of a cuddle, quickly settling himself into his customary position half-lying on Jim’s long body, and falling asleep almost as soon as his head came to rest on Jim’s shoulder.

Jim simply lay for a while, quietly holding the beloved body in his arms, and thanking TPTB that, despite his potentially disastrous actions, his Guide was still prepared to work with him to repair the damage done to their bond. He couldn’t even find it in him to feel any resentment, even if it meant virtually going back to square one in sexual terms in order to rebuild Blair’s confidence in his Sentinel, and in said Sentinel’s intentions. Blair had forgiven him freely, and had confirmed his commitment to their partnership, and for now that was all Jim needed to know.

*

After a fairly restful night, Jim awoke early to see that Blair was still deeply asleep, so he carefully extricated himself from under the smaller figure blanketing him, and slid out of bed to make use of the bathroom and put on fresh coffee.

Taking the opportunity to call Simon while Blair slept on, he caught up on the situation regarding William, learning that his father had barely arrived at the PD before his high-priced lawyer swept in and secured his release on the grounds that there was nothing more than circumstantial evidence and hearsay backing the charge of plotting against Blair. The student involved, and the middle man William used to approach her both claimed that they had never known who was behind the offer. All they had was William’s angry ‘confession’ shouted during his furious outburst in his office in Jim and the others’ presence, which was unusable as Ellison Senior hadn’t been cautioned.

Between them they agreed that Jim and Blair should come in later that morning to discuss the issue further, and that a different approach should be taken, one which might well involve confronting Chancellor Edwards.

Hearing Blair stirring above him, Jim terminated the call and trotted up the stairs to see a tousled head peer up at him from his nest of pillows and comforter.

Jim smiled gently at the charming sight, and held out a hand, hoping to encourage his Guide to come to him for a hug. He was pleased and not a little relieved when Blair smiled shyly back at him and held out a bandaged hand for him to take. Gripping his lover’s forearm carefully, not wanting to hurt the cut appendage any further, Jim eased the smaller body into his arms for a comforting few minutes’ cuddling before pulling gently away.

“Ready for a quick shower, sweetheart?” he asked hopefully. “I’ll wrap your hands in plastic again, but then I’d like to put something less bulky on them so you can at least wiggle your fingers. Sound OK to you?”

“Yes, please, Jim,” came the quiet response. “I’d like to be able to do at least a bit for myself. I mean, I know I can’t do much, and I promise not to overdo it and pull the stitches, but I feel like I’m wearing boxing gloves!”

Jim was delighted by his young partner’s gentle attempt at humour, and, smiling in appreciation, he helped Blair down to the bathroom to do what was necessary to make Blair feel more comfortable.

A short while later, Blair was clean and dressed and feeling a little less handicapped with the fresh dressings and expertly applied support bandages which Jim had used to replace the thick original ones in order to expose all his fingers while still protecting the stitched cuts to his palms.

After a light breakfast, Blair declared himself ready to go in to the PD, with only a trace of a quaver in his voice betraying his unease. It would probably have gone unnoticed to mundane ears, but came over loud and clear to his Sentinel, who was well aware of his Guide’s inner conflict. Under the circumstances, Jim could only applaud the younger man’s courage.

*

When the pair arrived at the MCU bullpen, Blair was once more in his customary place tucked snugly against Jim’s side, to all outward appearances completely normal if it wasn’t for the white bandages covering the young man’s hands.

Megan flew over to them from her desk, and totally ignoring Jim’s scowl of indignation as usual, hugged Blair gently before placing both hands on his shoulders to look intently down into his face.

“Sandy, love, are you really OK? We’ve all heard about what happened, but not how badly you were hurt. Your hands will heal completely, won’t they?”

Blair would have liked to duck his head down in embarrassment at the unsolicited attention, but he knew that it would hurt the kind-hearted Aussie Inspector’s feelings. He therefore forced himself look up into the concerned face and offered Megan a tiny smile before saying, “I’m all right, really. They’re only cuts –; no real damage done. The stitches won’t be in for long and--”

Just then Joel appeared, interrupting Blair’s halting explanation and preventing any further comment from Megan by turning the small Guide towards him and engulfing him in a careful but thorough hug.

On their way past the group, H and Rafe also ruffled Blair’s hair and gave him friendly pats on the shoulder, while Jim looked on with a fond and indulgent smile on his face.

While the expressions of comfort and concern continued, he pondered again on how people seemed to like to touch and hold Blair. He wondered if it was a ‘Guide’ thing or simply a ‘Blair’ thing that drew so many to his gentle partner.

His smile thinned a little when he also considered the downside to this apparent compulsion to have physical contact with the beautiful empath. Not everyone had the best reasons for wanting to possess the young man; witness Galbini and Kobyoshi and their sadistic and sleazy henchmen.

Swiftly shutting down that line of thought before his irritation could upset Blair, his smile widened again when he saw Rhonda approaching. Having noted their arrival and reception, the attractive secretary exited her office with her usual offering of a cup of hot chocolate and a paper plate bearing two chocolate chip cookies which she carefully placed on Blair’s desk before cupping the young man’s scarlet face in her cool hands and dropping a kiss on his forehead.

“I’m so glad you’re all right, Blair! Enjoy your chocolate, dear.” And, smiling benignly at Blair’s stammered thanks, she swept regally back towards her office.

Just then, Simon entered the bullpen, and, seeing Jim and Blair, asked them to come to his office. “You can bring your chocolate with you, son,” he added with a grin. “I wouldn’t want to upset Rhonda by depriving you of her gift! Not if I want my paperwork done expeditiously, anyway.”

Since Blair didn’t have the grip yet to enable him to carry anything, Jim obligingly picked up the drink and cookie plate and followed his Guide to the Captain’s office, where he set them down on the desk within easy reach of Blair’s chair.

After a few minutes’ of small talk, where they caught Simon up on the extent of Blair’s injuries, and Blair ate one of the cookies and drank his chocolate while Simon and Jim savoured some of the Captain’s gourmet coffee, Simon brought the subject round to other possible lines of enquiry into the alleged plot to implicate Blair.

“I hate to have to say it, Jim,” he said, “but I can’t see how we’re going to be able to charge your father, even if he is the most likely suspect. Like his lawyer said, there’s no real evidence against him. Sentinel Kelly might have heard Edwards’ phone call, and might have traced it to your father’s office, but she couldn’t positively ID the voice on the other end of the line at the time. In retrospect, and having now heard your father speak, she’s almost certain that it was him, but it’s too open to question if a really sharp defence attorney was to press the issue and sway an impressionable jury to think there was reasonable doubt, sentinel senses notwithstanding.

“Again, although the student ‘fessed up quickly enough, according to sentinel interrogation results she really didn’t know who was behind the whole thing, and the middle man isn’t saying anything. He’s most likely one of your father’s employees, and would rather take the rap and a good payoff rather than shop his benefactor.

“So, since your father’s statements are inadmissible as evidence, I’m thinking that the next step has to be confronting Chancellor Edwards herself, in which case I really can’t let you be the one to do it, Jim, unless you can promise me faithfully that you won’t try to rip her head off!”

Simon’s wry expression made it clear that he wasn’t joking, and Jim knew he had to tread carefully.

Tightly reining in his anger, and knowing that any loss of control now would only confirm Simon’s fears regarding his unsuitability for conducting the Edwards interview, Jim looked his Captain directly in the eyes and said, “I get what you’re saying, Simon, and after the last episode, it’s quite understandable that you should be concerned that I can’t control myself. I have to tell you, though, that I want in on this case. I want it real bad, for Blair’s sake and for my own. I give you my solemn oath that I won’t overreact again. It’s more than my life and my sanity’s worth to have Blair frightened of me again, any more than he is now. Our partnership is too important for me to risk damaging it further with another outburst.”

With that, he gently took Blair’s hand in his own and looked into the wide blue eyes.

“Do I have your backing in this, Chief? I need to know if you don’t think you can trust me not to get mad again.”

Swallowing hard, Blair paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, Jim, I trust you. I believe that you won’t do anything that might hurt me again. As long as we face her together, I won’t be afraid.”

Smiling widely at this affirmation of love and trust from his beloved Guide, Jim turned back to face Simon. “Is that enough for you, Simon? Can you let us do this? I’d be more than happy for another pair to go along for the ride –; perhaps Kelly and Carlson will want to follow up on this anyway. What do you say?”

Leaning his elbows on his desk and resting his chin on steepled fingers, Simon contemplated his Sentinel Detective for long moments, before switching his gaze to Blair. Although he swallowed nervously at the attention, the younger man returned Simon’s look with an earnest one of his own, and was rewarded when the captain nodded briskly. However, the big man still didn’t exactly look 100% convinced of the rightness of his own decision when he replied.

“OK, gentlemen, go and do the interview. But know that I’m sticking my neck out on this one, so don’t let me down. Common sense tells me that in most folks’ opinion –; especially the PD’s - you’re really too close to this case for objectivity, but I know how much it means to you. To you both.

“But Kelly and Carlson take the lead, OK? What they say, goes, and if you can’t handle that, it’s no deal!”

“Thanks, Simon. I really appreciate this,” Jim replied warmly in overt relief. Then, turning to his rather bemused partner he said, “Come on, Chief, let’s go and beard the Chancellor in her den!”

*

After checking with Mary Kelly and her Guide, and getting their enthusiastic affirmative response, Jim and Blair set out for Rainier University, where they met up with the other Sentinel / Guide pair as arranged. Blair directed them to the Chancellor’s office, where the middle-aged secretary at the front desk looked up inquisitively at the group, only to break into a wide smile when she recognised Blair.

“Hello, Blair, dear,” she said warmly. “How’re you doing? I heard about what that Turner girl said about you, and I have to tell you that I don’t believe a word of it! Neither does anyone else who knows you, dear. I hope you’re coming back soon?”

Smiling shyly with pleasure at the older woman’s words, Blair thanked her, saying that he hoped to be back next term, all being well.

Not wanting to break in on the exchange, but needing to get the visit underway, Jim asked to see the Chancellor.

“Well, she usually won’t see anyone without an appointment, but, seeing as it’s police business, I think you should go right in. Good luck, dear,” she finished, addressing Blair again and offering him an encouraging smile.

“Thank you, Marjorie,” replied Blair softly, then turned to enter the inner office, tucked close to Jim’s side, and followed by the other team.

Marie Edwards looked up in surprise, which changed rapidly to anger and disgust when she saw who her visitors were. Straightening her smart suit jacket, she glared at Blair before saying, “What is the meaning of this? Why is that creature here and not sitting in a cell somewhere?”

Stopping in front of the wide desk, arm comfortably wrapped round his Guide’s shoulders in support, Jim simply stared speculatively at the woman for long moments, eyes cold and hard, until she squirmed slightly in her chair.

“Chancellor Edwards,” he began with icy politeness. “My colleagues and I are here to investigate a particularly unpleasant attempt to damage my Guide’s reputation. Although there is no doubt of his complete innocence, I can and will get to the bottom of this nasty little plot, and, when I do, the perpetrators will not like what will happen.”

“Are you threatening me?” gasped the Chancellor, trying valiantly to hide her worry.

“Are you confessing to something?” came the cold response.

“No, no, not at all!” she stuttered angrily. “What makes you think I know anything? As far as I’m concerned, that young man behaved reprehensibly, and was treated accordingly.”

Just then the door opened to reveal the Dean, who had been advised of the detectives’ visit by Edwards’ secretary.

“Sentinel Detective Ellison, Guide Sandburg,” he said smoothly, also nodding politely to the other pair in greeting. “I understand you are here regarding the dismissal of Guide Sandburg for alleged unethical conduct? I have recently been advised by Director Kingsley, an old friend of mine, that there is some question of the complicity of certain members of Rainier staff in the case. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to your suspicions?”

Rubbing Blair’s arm in comfort as he felt the young man shiver slightly, Jim inclined his head courteously to the Dean before saying, “We have reason to believe that Chancellor Edwards may have been approached by my father, William Ellison of Ellison Enterprises. We know that she placed a phone call to my father’s office –; Sentinel Kelly here could hear her –; and we also understand that my father made her an offer of donating enough money for new sports facilities in payment for helping to implicate my Guide. My father has admitted as much in our hearing. We are here to see what she has to say.”

All eyes turned to the woman seated behind the desk, whose haughty demeanour was rapidly changing to one of surly defensiveness.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she blustered. “I know absolutely nothing about a so-called ‘plot’! All I shall say is that when that young woman, Melanie Turner, came to me in obvious distress because of what he did” –; this said, pointing at Blair –; “I had no choice but to call the police!”

“You should know, Chancellor, that the student in question has confessed to her part in the ‘plot’! She was apparently well known for her monetary problems, and was happy to take a bribe to accuse my Guide of indecent assault. The man who approached her has also confessed. That just leaves you and my father....” Here Jim tailed off, deliberately loading his tone and expression with an implied certainty of her guilt.

Mary Kelly, playing along, smiled knowingly at the dismayed woman, while Stewart Carlson adopted a smug smirk, and raised his eyebrow in a tacit invitation to hear her reply.

As for the Dean, he looked at his colleague with a frown of displeasure.

“What do you have to say Marie? Is this true? Is that really the source of the financial backing behind the new sports complex you’ve been so proud to tell me all about?”

Now squirming visibly in discomfort, Marie Edwards realised that there was no longer any point in trying to maintain her innocence. Sentinel senses would easily pick up on her attempts to bluff her way out of trouble, and as far as the Dean was concerned, she knew with a sinking feeling that her days at Rainier were numbered. Stiffening her spine, she decided that, if she was going down, she wasn’t going to go alone. She was going to take that smooth-talking bastard William Ellison down with her.

Lifting her chin in bravado, she looked from one person to another, finishing with Jim, whom she addressed directly.

“All right. I admit it. Your father came to me with an offer to donate a substantial sum for my proposed sports complex if I would help him get your Guide dismissed. He said he wanted you to break the bond with that creature and come back to work with him, so he could groom you as the next CEO of Ellison Enterprises. He said that he knew plenty of proper Guides you could choose from who would be acceptable in polite society. All I had to do was to wait while he set the whole thing up, and then react convincingly when the police arrived. Are you satisfied now?” she finished defiantly.

Jim stared at her a while longer, then, without another word, he nodded decisively once, then turned and left the office, still holding Blair close to him, and leaving Kelly and Carlson to tie up the loose ends.

The pair left the building, still maintaining their silence, until they reached the truck, where Jim turned and hugged Blair to him, pressing a kiss to the top of the curly head.

“I’m so sorry you had to hear that, babe,” he said softly. “I know how badly you feel about coming between me and my Dad, but I don’t want you to feel that way anymore. What that man has done –; what he wanted to do to us –; I can never forgive him for. I can’t even say that I hate him. It’s too strong for that –; too deep. I just know that I never want to lay eyes on him again, ever!”

“Oh Jim,” replied Blair, tears of sympathy beginning to well up in his eyes, and his expressive face full of love and concern. “I don’t care about myself, really. But I’m so very sorry he could do that to you. If I’d ever known my father, I don’t know what I would do –; how I would feel - if he tried to do to me what your Dad tried on you. I can’t understand that sort of thinking at all!”

“It’s OK, Chief. Unfortunately I do understand it. To that man, business acumen and social acceptance are all-important. Family is simply a means to an end, cementing the Ellison Empire together. He may never get formally accused of what he tried to do to you, sweetheart, but a far worse punishment will be loss of face in the public eye, and his failure to entice the prodigal son back to the fold. That’s something he’ll always regret!”

*

Epilogue:

Some days later, the partners were enjoying a well-deserved day off after following up several leads in another case which had led to the criminal’s arrest.

Blair had had his stitches removed that morning, and Dr Stevens professed himself to be happy with the young man’s recovery.

“The cuts have healed very well, Blair, and shouldn’t scar much at all. Just keep a light dressing on them for now, and no soaking them in the tub until they’re completely healed. You’ll have to be careful for a while longer, as your palms will be tender to touch, but all in all they’re coming along nicely.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Blair with a happy smile. “Jim is helping me a lot still with some things, but I can do more and more now.”

“Yes, Chief,” agreed his Sentinel with a grin. “But I’m going to be really glad when he’s OK to cook again, Dr Stevens. I’m getting fed up with my efforts, and he does it so much better!”

Blushing at the praise, Blair looked up at Jim in adoration, and got a gentle hug and ruffling of his curls in response.

“Go on with you, you’re making me blush too!” said Dr Stevens, smiling benignly at the pair. “Take care, and I don’t want to see either of you in here for a loooooong time, except for social visits!”

Waving goodbye to the doctor and staff, Jim and Blair left the hospital, arms around each others’ waists, and drove back to the loft in companionable silence, just exchanging smiling glances every so often.

On arriving back at the loft, they sat together on the sofa for a while, simply enjoying each other’s love and comfort through their mental link, until Jim gently eased Blair to lie down with his head on a pillow on Jim’s lap. Jim had discovered some time ago how relaxing it was for him to be able to run his hands through Blair’s curls, and Blair had admitted that he loved the soothing touch also, so they often ended up in this position.

Blair had worked hard to put aside his earlier fears, and was in tune with his Sentinel once again for the most part, getting his confidence back a little more each day. He hadn’t returned to Rainier yet, having decided that he might as well wait until the summer break was over, and starting afresh.

“Penny for them, sweetheart,” murmured Jim, massaging the scalp beneath the soft curls.

“It’s not much, really,” replied the younger man, turning slightly more onto his back so he could look up at Jim’s face.

“I was just thinking about going back to Rainier in the Fall. It’s going to be strange with a new Chancellor.”

“I suspect it’ll be a change for the better, love,” mused Jim, recommencing his playing with Blair’s hair. “This one’ll have to work pretty hard to repair the damage that Edwards caused to the University’s rep.”

Nodding in agreement, Blair replied thoughtfully, “I must admit I never really believed the Dean would dismiss her. It seems so strange that he should take my word over hers.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, love. It’s not strange at all for anyone who gets to know you. You’re probably the most honest person I’ve ever met!”

“Thanks Jim. That’s so good of you to say, even if I have trouble believing it. I do feel sorry for Melanie, though.”

“Can’t see why myself, Chief. You’re way too forgiving, not pressing charges.”

“Yes, but Jim, it must be punishment enough for her to get sent down from Rainier. She’ll never be taken seriously at a university again, once her reputation becomes known.”

“If you say so, Chief. I still think she’d damned lucky that you’re as good a person as you are. Most folks would have hung her out to dry for what she almost did.”

As it turned out, the fallout of the ‘Blair-plot’ as Jim and Blair had facetiously named it, had led to several expected results, namely Chancellor Edwards’ dismissal, Melanie Turner’s being sent down, and the ‘middle man’ turning out to be one of William’s employees as they had thought. He had indeed taken the rap for his role in the set-up, willingly protecting his employer’s identity as he knew that William Ellison had already transferred a substantial sum of ‘hush money’ into a foreign bank account for him.

What had been unexpected, except perhaps for Jim, was William’s sudden decision to step down from his CEO’s position, and his temporary withdrawal from the social scene.

Unwilling to face the shame of his actions, ironically more because they had failed so abysmally rather than from the nature of the actions themselves; he turned his back on potential sneers from erstwhile business colleagues and society folks for the time being until the affair had faded from public interest, and installed a bemused but highly appreciative Steven to the post of CEO in his stead.

This development had pleased Jim immensely, as it seemed to signify the end of his father’s attempts to lure him back, and gave his younger brother the position and prestige he rightly deserved after all his years of working for his father and trying to meet every demand the older man had made on him, reasonable or otherwise.

As for Jim and Blair, they were looking forward to a two week holiday in less than a month’s time, Jim having found a cabin near Lake Chelan where he was determined to treat his Guide to a lot of TLC and some serious bonding. Blair was really excited about it, having confessed to Jim that, although he had travelled widely in his childhood, he had never had what you could call a real holiday. Even as a student, he had only been on anthropological expeditions when he could get a grant, so the thought of spending two whole weeks being cared for by his Sentinel pleased him no end.

With that thought uppermost in his mind he smiled up at Jim, face full of love and, knowing that it would please his lover greatly, he whispered, “Make love to me Jim?”

He wasn’t wrong in his assumption, and he wasn’t disappointed.

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