Warnings: There's one scene of attempted rape (attempted only - nothing graphic), a death scene (no one we like...well, no one I like, anyway), plus references to an original character being flogged.  Personally, I think he deserves it.  If any of that is going to squick you out, please proceed with caution or don't read at all.

 

Disclaimer: As always, it is with extreme regret that I admit that most of these characters aren't mine.  Several of them belong to PetFly and Paramount, while several more are Susan's wonderful creations and she lets me play with them now and again.  I borrowed the idea of the 'white gown and veil' outfit from CiceroCat's excellent AU "Masquerade", while the story itself, and a few of the characters, are mine alone.

 

Thanks: To Susan for allowing me to play in her Cascade Clan universe and not minding (or not admitting that she minds) when I refuse to play with the GDP.  To Susan and Eileen for hosting my stories on their fabulous and AU-rific site.  To Nancy for her endless encouragement and demands for "More!" (I swear she was Oliver Twist in a previous life).  And to Georgie for having the patience to read through my stories and point out where things are a bit garbled.

 

 

One Good Turn

by Arnie

 

"But, Daddy -"

 

"No!  I've already told you, Marianne, that I've made up my mind.  And that's an end to it."  The door slammed shut behind him and Gregory Dupres left for his office.

 

Left behind, Marianne sat on the couch and hugged a cushion to herself.  It wasn't fair!  She'd found her Sentinel; she'd found the Sentinel she wanted to spend the rest of her life with - and her father was insistent on making her bond with some tycoon's son in North Dakota.

 

Well, she wasn't a Dupres for nothing.  Tilting her chin defiantly, she grabbed her car keys and left.  She had a friend to visit.

 

~'~

 

"Marianne!"

 

"Hey, Blair."  She hugged him exuberantly.  Blair Sandburg was smart, practical and sneaky, with a streak of loyalty a mile wide.  He was also a Guide-strength empath who had no intention of bonding with anyone.  If anyone would help her, he would, she was sure of it.

 

His smile faded quickly.  "What's up?"

 

She smiled, not at all surprised that he'd picked up on her feelings.  "You remember I told you that I met a Sentinel?"

 

"Yeah, I remember.  Uh...Chase?"

 

"Jason."

 

"Sorry, Jason.  He's a cop, isn't he?"

 

"Yeah, he is."  That had been another strike against him in her father's eyes.  His daughter was not going to work - let alone work in a police department.

 

"So what's the problem?"

 

"My father.  He's chosen a Sentinel for me."

 

Blair looked stunned.  "He's arranged a bonding?"

 

She nodded.  "Not only that, but he's going the whole hog.  I'm being escorted down to North Dakota by the Senior Sentinel Prime and some of his Clan - and I have to wear one of those old gown and veil get ups."  Her father, besides believing that he knew what was best for his daughter, was also ultra-conservative.

 

"You're kidding!"

 

Shaking her head, she felt her eyes fill with tears.

 

"Well, why don't you just go ahead and bond with Jason?  Doesn't he want to bond?"

 

"Yes!  But you know what my father's like!  You know they can break the bond without too many side-effects as long as it's done soon after the bonding.  I need time to be with him, for the bond to settle.  Then Daddy won't be able to do a thing."

 

"And with your father having so much money and everything...."

 

"He'll be able to track me down."

 

"And drag you home."  Blair paced up and down for a minute.  "What about this other Sentinel?  Does he want an arranged bonding?"

 

"I don't know.  His father and mine do a lot of business together.  Mr. Ventriss is the one who suggested the bonding."

 

"So when are you being shipped off?"

 

"Next Friday."  She sniffled again, then burst into tears.  "I don't want to bond with Brad!"

 

"Hey, hey."  His arms slid around her and she buried her face in his shoulder.  "It'll be okay.  I'll think of something, I promise."

 

~'~

 

"Hey, Matt."

 

"Hey, Blair.  You're just in time."  Matt handed him a bottle of beer.  "We've got pizza, we've got beer...all we need is women."

 

"Well, don't look at me, Matt, you're not my type."  Blair looked around the untidy room.  "Is Ric here?"

 

The pile of clothes on the couch moved suddenly, and Ric sat up.  "Someone taking my name in vain?" he drawled.  "Blair!"  A hand, clutching a bottle, appeared from the mass of clothing.  "We got beer!"

 

"I guess your allowance came through then?"  Blair prodded the clothes on one of the chairs to make sure that none of their other friends was lurking underneath, then sat down.

 

"Uh huh!  Dad wasn't gonna pay up but Grams gave him hell.  Here's to Grams!"  There was a few seconds' silence as Ric, Matt and Blair solemnly toasted the elderly lady.  "I'm outta beer!"  Ric pushed the clothes aside and got up.  Once fully in sight, he was exposed as being a tall, skinny guy in his early twenties.  Wide shoulders showed that he'd broaden out at some point but Cedric Wilson Enderby III was, so far, still as stick thin as he was the first day Blair had met him.

 

"Ric?"

 

"That's me, man!"

 

Another beer bottle was pushed into Blair's other hand and he accepted it automatically.  "You've got family down in North Dakota, haven't you?"

 

Ric almost choked.  "Have I?  That's like saying that Chancellor Edwards has cooties.  I got 'em all over North Dakota!"  He waved his beer bottle to illustrate his point, then licked up the beer that trickled over his hand.

 

"You know anything about a Brad Ventriss?"  Settling his second bottle between his feet, Blair took a gulp from his first.

 

Ric appeared to sober up almost immediately.  "Blair, if Brad Ventriss is a friend of yours, you are off my Christmas card list."

 

"No friend.  I just need to know what kind of a guy he is."

 

"Huh!"  Ric exchanged a glance with Matt then contemplated the label on his beer bottle.  "If Brad Ventriss was a wine, he's the type you'd sent to your worst enemy."

 

"That bad?"

 

"Ric," Matt put in, "just tell him."

 

Ric shrugged and picked at a slice of pizza before dumping it back in the box.  "Rumour has it that the only reason he's not in jail is because Daddy has big bucks."

 

"Jail for what?"

 

Sighing, Ric dumped the beer bottle on the littered coffee table and sat back, running his hands over his face.  "You didn't hear this from me, okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

"He's...into date rape."

 

"What?!"

 

"The guy's a sleazeball, Blair.  Rumours have been circulating about him for years but because he always picks girls who come from the 'wrong side of the tracks' there are never any charges brought.  Apparently his last victim wasn't so ready to roll over and let him get away with it, so her dad lost his job and didn't get it back until she agreed to shut up."

 

"And people let him get away with this?"

 

"His dad has a lot of money and employs a lot of people.  If it's a choice between shutting up or seeing your family end up on the breadline, what are you gonna do?"  Ric shook his head.  "Plus, there's not that much evidence, you know.  A couple of his 'supposed' victims killed themselves but, hey, that's nothing to do with Brad baby; he's a total gentleman!"  Abandoning his beer completely, Ric returned to the kitchen.  "I need coffee."

 

"Blair?"

 

Half-lost in his thoughts, Blair looked up into Matt's concerned face.

 

"What made you ask about Brad?  Is he giving you trouble?"

 

He shook his head.  "I've never met the guy.  It's just..."  Blair sat back.  "You remember Marianne?"

 

Ric wandered back in, a jar of instant coffee in his hand.  "Marianne Dupres?"  An appreciative smile lit up his face.  "I sure do.  She's the kind of girl that could get a guy to church."

 

"Her dad's arranged for her to bond with Brad."

 

The coffee was abandoned as Ric perched on the edge of the coffee table.  "Blair, you gotta stop her!"

 

"She doesn't want to bond with him; she's found her own Sentinel."

 

"But her dad wants her to bond with Brad."  Matt made it more of a statement than a question.

 

"That's right."

 

"Huh.  So what's her dad like?"  Ric asked.  "Would he listen to reason?"

 

"Reason, maybe...I guess.  Rumours?"  Blair shook his head.  "Anyway, he's a bit...well...let me put it this way, when Marianne goes to this bonding, she's going in the full gown and veil get up."

 

Matt choked on his beer.  "No one's worn that in decades!"

 

Blair shrugged.  "She's being escorted to Bismarck by a pile of Sentinels.  Apparently, they'd be sent mad by the sight of her ankles, or something."

 

Ric looked disgusted.  "Don't tell me, he's the kind of guy who believes that nice girls don't get raped - or if they do, they were asking for it."

 

"I don't know - I just don't.  But Marianne's convinced her dad won't change his mind.  He does a lot of business with Mr. Ventriss; you really think he'd believe his business partner's son is a rapist?"

 

"No."  Matt put his bottle of beer on the floor.   "You were right about needing coffee, Ric.  The smell of this beer is turning my stomach."  Leaving it behind, he collected the jar of coffee and disappeared into the kitchen.

 

"Sorry, guys," Blair muttered, getting up.  "You were celebrating before I came in."

 

"Hey, no."  Ric gestured for him to sit down again.  "I like Marianne; she's a sweet kid.  And, to be honest, anything I can do to put a spoke in one of Brad's little wheels is okay by me, you know?"

 

"I can't think of anything we can do, Ric.  I thought of taking Marianne's place -"

 

"I think even Brad, intellectually challenged though he is, would notice that you're not a girl.  You know what I'm sayin'?"

 

"I wasn't thinking of going through with the bonding, man!  I was thinking of going to Bismarck in Marianne's place then leaving 'em behind at the airport and coming back."

 

"Huh.  You are the right height, and you would be in a gown and veil.  You can't tell who's what underneath one of those things."

 

"Yeah, but they're Sentinels," Blair pointed out.  "They're gonna be able to tell that 'she' is a 'he'."

 

Ric smiled slowly as satisfaction radiated from him.  "Maybe, maybe not."  He laughed to himself for a moment, then, "Matt!"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"What was Gizmo saying about those scent pad things of his?"

 

Matt came in, three mugs of coffee held precariously in his hands.  "What?"

 

"Gizmo.  Remember when he was in the lab?  He was wittering on about a new kind of air fresh."

 

Blair stared at him.  "Ric, I don't think it'll help if I go in there smelling of pine fresh or ocean breeze."

 

"Nah, this was a thing he'd invented.  Basically, you could put your favourite scent in there - it doesn't have to be summer flowers or pine trees."

 

Blair still didn't see where he was going with this.

 

"Oh, I remember!"  Matt put the mugs down.  "He said it'd be perfect for avenging wives and all that.  You could put the scent of prawns in there and hide it in the guy's car.  I think he's already sold a couple.  You know Kate caught Nick cheating on her, don't you?"

 

"Huh.  I'll remember not to ask him for a ride anywhere.  Anyway, the point is, Gizmo could probably fix it up to put Marianne's scent in there.  If you wore one, it'd be bound to cover your natural odour, (not that I'm making comments here, Blair), so the Sentinels won't realise that anything's wrong."

 

"You think it'll work?"

 

"We'll give him a challenge.  Gizmo loves challenges.  So, if we can get this to work, are you gonna go trotting off to North Dakota with Marianne's dad?"

 

Blair sat back and thought about it - for all of two seconds.  "Yeah.  I'll do it."

 

~'~

 

"Look, Gizmo, if you don't think you can do it -"

 

"I didn't say that, Ric, did I?  I just wanna know what's going on, that's all."  Gizmo's eyes intently examined each of them in turn.  His trouble radar was pinging like mad, and Gizmo, resident tech genius of Rainier campus, hadn't stayed alive and out of trouble without listening to that radar.

 

"Okay, Gizmo, here's the deal," Matt laid an arm across his shoulders.  "You know Eddie Grant?"

 

"Yeah!"  Everyone knew Eddie Grant; he was rich, spoiled, and believed that whatever he wanted he could have.

 

"Well, we know someone could be Eddie Grant's twin and we wanna make him think that someone is someone else."

 

Gizmo looked at Matt then at Ric.  "So what's his part in this?" he asked, pointing to the Teaching Fellow in their midst.

 

"He's the someone."

 

"So who's the someone else?"

 

Mr. Sandburg spoke up, "Does that matter?"

 

"It does if you want my help, pal!"  Mr. Sandburg might be a grad student and part-time Teaching Fellow but Gizmo was a tech genius - and they needed him.  He waited as the three of them exchanged glances.

 

Finally, Ric sighed and admitted, "Marianne Dupres."

 

"Ooh, Marianne!"  Gizmo smiled.  He liked Marianne.  She was pretty enough to be one of the popular girls but smart enough to avoid the shallow in-crowd.  "She's a Guide.  You're a Guide!"  The wheels were turning in Gizmo's head and naturally enough his tongue spun into gear before he could stop it.  "You're gonna bond with someone in her place?"

 

Mr. Sandburg looked appalled.  "No!"

 

"It's just to play a trick on Eddie Grant's evil twin, Gizmo.  That's all."  Matt's arm turned him back to his workbench.  "So, you think you can do it?"

 

"Ha!  Can I do it?  You need to have faith in me, Matt.  Of course I can do it."

 

~'~

 

Naturally, Jason, Marianne's Sentinel-to-be, had to be brought in on the plans.  He didn't like the deception as he would have preferred to go to North Dakota himself and simply challenge Brad Ventriss.  Marianne was not in favour of that as she knew how ruthless her father could be - and the odds were that Mr. Ventriss was a bird of a feather in that respect.  Finally, Jason agreed to ignore his reservations and he became invaluable during the scenting-tests.  Fortunately, he wasn't there when Gizmo was rubbing swabs all over Marianne's neck in order to work out her exact scent; Sentinels do not like people messing with their Guides' necks.

 

"Okay, give it a minute."  Gizmo handed one of his scent pads to Blair and stepped back.  "You see, your body heat will warm the pad and it'll start giving off Marianne's scent.  At least, that's the idea."

 

Feeling stupid, Blair held onto the pad.

 

"No...it's gotta be up against your body for it to work.  Put it under your shirt."

 

Feeling even more stupid, Blair slid the pad under his shirt and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans.  "So how long will it last, anyway?"

 

"Most of my pads last about a week right now.  That'll give you enough time, right?"

 

"Right."

 

"Okay, the pad should be warm enough now.  Sentinel Hatfield, you want to uh...smell him?"

 

Jason looked apprehensive but he moved away from Marianne and stood next to Blair, sniffing cautiously.  He hesitated, then sniffed again, harder.  "I can smell Marianne but it's not strong enough."

 

"Okay."  Gizmo moved back to his workbench and spent a few minutes working on another pad.  "Put that under your shirt."

 

Blair tucked the second one into place and they all watched the clock.

 

"Okay, now try it."

 

Jason leaned in again and inhaled.  Then his face cleared and he leaned in closer, growling slightly.

 

Blair leaned back as Jason's sudden interest in him surged against his mental barriers.  "Okay, man, I think that's it!"

 

"What?  Oh, yeah."  Jason returned to Marianne's side and wrapped his arms around her waist, scenting at her neck.  "They work."

 

"I could tell!" Marianne said, the smile on her face taking the sting out of her words.

 

Blair took a deep breath.  "So, what time should I be at yours on Friday then?"

 

~'~

 

Friday came all too soon for Blair and he yawned as he stumbled out of his warehouse and into Jason's car.

 

"Didn't sleep well?"

 

Blair shook his head and gazed blearily at the passing scene.  He'd spent the entire night tossing and turning, and what sleep he had got had been filled with nightmares.

 

"You're not changing your mind, are you?"

 

"No, man.  There's no way Marianne can bond with that guy.  You just make sure to do your part and be fully bonded by the time Mr. Dupres catches up with you."

 

Jason smiled.  "You don't need to worry about that.  I'll take good care of her."

 

"I know.  She trusts you."

 

"That's how it should be, Blair.  Maybe you'll find that out one day."

 

"Not me, man!  I'm happy the way I am."

 

Jason let it go, although Blair suspected that was because he was doing both Jason and Marianne a huge favour.  If not, he was positive Jason would have continued with a "it's good to bond" talk.  He knew that, once bonded, most Guides were perfectly happy with their bond, it was just that it wasn't for him.  He liked his freedom.  Plus the idea of being stuck with some Sentinel for the rest of his life totally didn't appeal - supposing they didn't get on?

 

"Okay, we're here."

 

Blair looked up, startled.  "Okay.  Marianne should be out soon.  Seeya, Jason."

 

"Blair."

 

He looked back through the open door.

 

"Thanks.  I appreciate this."

 

Blair shrugged and smiled.  "I couldn't let Marianne get shipped off to North Dakota.  I mean, who on earth arranges a bonding nowadays?"  With that, he shut the door and left.

 

Getting into the house was easier than any of them had hoped it would be.  The housekeeper, practically Marianne's adopted mother, was another person who was not happy at seeing Marianne sent to North Dakota to bond with some Sentinel they'd never met before.  And, once Brad's charming personality was described to her, she had offered to help in any way she could.  Therefore, all Blair had to do was meet her at the gate and be escorted to Marianne's room by way of the back stairs.

 

"You came!"

 

Blair hugged Marianne tightly.  "Of course I came!  I said I would."

 

"We don't have much time."  Marianne dragged him over to where her bonding outfit was waiting.  "This is it."

 

"Man!  I thought these things were a thing of the past."  The full length robe was thick and heavy, the better to disguise any alluring shape with.  "And how are you supposed to see through this thing?"  He held the veil up to the light.  It was almost as bad as the robe.

 

A knock at the door startled them all.  "Marianne?  Fifteen minutes!"

 

"I'm just getting changed now, Daddy.  I won't be long."

 

"All right."

 

They heard his footsteps move away down the hall and all three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

 

"Okay, let's get moving."  Blair hurriedly stripped off his extra shirts and slid the pads in place beneath his t-shirt before tucking it back into his jeans.  "Don't forget to give my backpack to Ric.  I don't want to freeze on the way back."

 

Marianne shoved his shirts into his backpack and zipped it up.  "I won't forget."

 

"Sit!"  The housekeeper's hand on his shoulder pushed him towards the dressing table chair, and within seconds a thin scarf was wrapped tightly around his head, smoothing his hair and flattening his curls.  "The robe next."  Between them, Marianne and the housekeeper lifted it from the mannequin and helped Blair struggle into it.  The veil was put in place and adjusted, then the hood was pulled forward and the sides of the veil tucked back into place.

 

"How does that feel?" Marianne asked anxiously.

 

Blair stared out through the veil.  The portion that covered his eyes was thinner than the rest of it so he could actually see out.  "It feels awful!"  He tried walking up and down a bit, and felt hampered by the skirts of the robe.  "It's a good thing I'm not going to try to outrun them in this - I wouldn't get very far!"

 

"That's probably the idea!" the housekeeper commented, her tone sarcastic.  "But its heaviness will help disguise your shoulders."  She handed over the white gloves that completed the ensemble, then opened the door and looked out carefully.  "Marianne!"

 

Marianne nodded then hugged Blair again.  "Thank you!"

 

"It's okay.  Just be happy.  I'll see you when you get back to Cascade."

 

The pair of them disappeared out of the door and Blair was left alone to put on his gloves, or rather, Marianne's gloves.  He managed to squeeze his hands into the gloves and thanked God they weren't leather - at least the cotton material was a bit more giving.  Taking a few deep breaths, he ran through a meditation exercise in an attempt to calm himself but lost his thread completely when there was another knock at the door.

 

"Marianne?  Are you ready?  The Cascade Clan are here."

 

Blair opened the door quickly.

 

Mr. Dupres was waiting for him, a pleased smile on his face.  "There, you look fine!  I said you would.  Now remember, Marianne, I don't want you to talk at all until we're alone with the Ventrisses.  Some of the Sentinels escorting us, including the Senior Sentinel Prime, are unbonded.  And we don't want any of them challenging Brad, now, do we?"

 

Underneath his veil, Blair rolled his eyes.  Mr. Dupres really was a piece of work!

 

"Come along then.  And remember, don't say anything."

 

Blair nodded.  Marianne had told him that her father wanted her to stay silent on the way and, as there was no way his voice could be mistaken for Marianne's light tone, he was more than ready to remain quiet.

 

He tensed as Mr. Dupres took his arm to escort him down the stairs, then tensed even more as he saw the group of Sentinels and Guides waiting for him in the hall.  There was no doubt that the Sentinels, at least, would have heard Mr. Dupres' reminder about being quiet and, from the annoyed look on the face of the guy at the front, they were less than impressed.

 

"Shall we go?"  Like splinters of ice, the words fell into the silence.

 

The hand on Blair's arm tightened.  "One moment!"  Mr. Dupres was rivalling the lead guy in terms of chilliness.  "Marianne, this is the Senior Sentinel Prime, James Ellison.  Senior Sentinel Prime, this is my daughter, Marianne Dupres."

 

The Senior Sentinel Prime had greater control over his face muscles than Blair had.  Blair could have sworn that the guy was mentally rolling his eyes as fast as they could spin.

 

"Miss Dupres."

 

Blair had no idea how he was supposed to respond.  Finally, he settled for tilting his head in acknowledgement.

 

Ellison had obviously decided to go the whole hog and he introduced 'Miss Dupres' to every member of his Clan who was present.  From the way the hand on his arm was flexing and relaxing, Blair could tell that Mr. Dupres wasn't pleased.

 

Finally, after the last Guide had stepped back, Mr. Dupres spoke again, the words clipped and his voice tight.  "All right, let's go."

 

The cars were already waiting and Blair found himself sitting in the back of a Mercedes that was in immaculate condition.  Marianne's father was at his side and the Senior Sentinel Prime got to sit by the driver.  Blair had to stop himself smiling.  It was obvious that Ellison was finding this to be as big a bore as he was.

 

~'~

 

Sitting in the front of the car by Dupres' obviously long-suffering chauffeur, Jim sighed to himself.  How on earth Dupres had managed to persuade the Mayor that his daughter warranted being escorted by the senior members of the Cascade Clan was beyond him.  However, he was here now and it should, he hoped, be easy enough.  All they had to do was get the girl to Bismarck and hand her over to the Ventrisses.  Mr. Dupres would be staying but his private plane would fly the Cascade Clan back to their city.

 

Jim shifted slightly as his thoughts returned to Miss Dupres.  Her scent was unsettling him, he had no idea why.  Every time she came near him, he would have sworn he could smell another scent on her - an alluring, tempting scent that was inviting him to rip off her veil and bury his face in her neck.  He took a deep breath then shut his eyes as her scent reached him again.

 

Maybe Dupres had had the right idea in putting her in that ridiculous costume.

 

~'~

 

Finally, they reached the airport and Mr. Dupres led the way through the terminal, Miss Dupres walking sedately at his side.

 

Behind them, Jim ground his teeth together.  Her scent was driving him crazy.  Every time he inhaled, he had a weird dichotomy of reactions: one was the protective acknowledgement all Sentinels had when faced with a Guide who was not their own, and the other was a raging need that cried out to him to claim his Guide.  If that scent had been the only one present, he would have claimed her on the spot and fought the other Sentinel in defence of his bond.  However, it wasn't.  That other scent was there, overlying that wonderful musk and confusing the hell out of his senses.

 

Growling softly to himself, he shook his head.  She was being bonded to another Sentinel, and that was the end of it.  Determinedly, he dialled his sense of smell down and let her scent disappear.

 

Once on board the plane, he kept his distance from her, but snagged Edwards by the arm as he passed.

 

"Senior Sentinel Prime?"

 

"Do you notice anything unusual about her scent?"

 

"Miss Dupres'?"  Jim nodded and Edwards turned his head to stare at the silent Guide.  "I haven't but I didn't really scent her.  As she's not a Clan Guide, I didn't see much point in logging her scent."

 

"Do me a favour and see what you think."

 

Edwards nodded then left him to wander up the plane and back down again.

 

"Well?"

 

"I didn't notice anything unusual."

 

"Damn!"  Jim shook his head.  "I could have sworn there were two scents mixed in together; hers and another Guide's."  At Edwards' concerned look, he shrugged.  "Obviously, I was wrong."

 

"Do you want me to try again?"

 

"No.  If we say anything at all, Dupres will get upset and he is a friend of the Mayor's.  I'm sure Simon would appreciate it if we didn't bring down any more heat on him."

 

Edwards grinned.  Captain Simon Banks was well used to taking flak from that official, and he certainly wouldn't be pleased with anyone who handed the Mayor any more ammunition.

 

Jim shook his head again.  "Okay, let's get seated.  The sooner this is over, the better."

 

~'~

 

Considering that Blair had spent the night worrying about the day, that he was wearing a warm, thick robe and that the cabin was well-heated, he wasn't actually surprised when he woke up suddenly and realised he'd been fast asleep.

 

Glancing around the plane, he felt extremely grateful for his veil and hoped, fervently, that he hadn't been snoring.  He had no idea if Marianne snored but he was quite sure that, if she did, her snores would sound nothing like his.  He realised that Ellison was staring at him, a small smile playing about his mouth, and grimaced.  Of course the Sentinels would be able to tell that he'd fallen asleep and was now awake.  How annoying.

 

"Marianne?"  There was a gentle touch on his arm and he turned his head to look at Mr. Dupres.  "Ah, you are awake.  We're about to land so fasten your seatbelt, dear."

 

Blair nodded his head slightly and hurriedly fastened his seatbelt, keeping his gaze directed down and away from the Sentinel who was watching him so closely.  He didn't know why Ellison was so fascinated by him, but he wished he'd knock it off.

 

They'd landed and were heading towards yet another expensive car that was waiting by the terminal doors, when Blair made his move.  He touched Mr. Dupres' arm lightly, then gestured towards the ladies' room.  For a second, he thought Mr. Dupres was going to suggest that he hold it until they arrived at the Ventrisses' and his eyes widened in alarm but, fortunately, Mr. Dupres didn't and Blair hurried to the door without a backward glance.

 

~'~

 

The minutes passed slowly outside the restroom.  Jim, falling back on his military training, simply stood at ease and waited.  Mr. Dupres, obviously unused to having to wait for anyone or anything, waited for a few moments, then started pacing and glaring at his watch as if it were responsible for his daughter's bladder.

 

Finally, Tina, Sentinel Niven's Guide, suggested quietly that she should go in and see if Miss Dupres needed any help.  Getting the nod from both her own Sentinel and Jim, she hurried past them and inside the restroom.

 

There was a few seconds' quiet, then Sentinel Niven surged forward and burst through the door, the rest of the Clan behind him.  They found Tina, standing stock still, her face almost as white as the Guide's robe in her hands.

 

"It was in that stall.  I think she's gone!"

 

"What do you mean she's gone?" Mr. Dupres demanded from the doorway.  "Marianne?  Marianne!"

 

Jim stared up at the gaping hole in the ceiling, its even edges dripping with dust motes.  "She's gone all right.  Up into the ventilation system."  He turned to the others.  "Spread out.  She has to come down at some point."  As the Sentinels and Guides dispersed, Jim grabbed for Mr. Dupres' arm and drew him away from the doorway.

 

"What are you waiting for?  You have to find her!"

 

"My Clan will search the airport; they'll find her.  But I need to know, Mr. Dupres, is your daughter unwilling to bond?"

 

Mr. Dupres' colour deepened alarmingly.  "Unwilling?  How dare you think such a thing!  My daughter's welfare is of the utmost importance to me, Sentinel Ellison, and don't you forget it!  It's obvious to me that she's been kidnapped!  And if you were half the detective you're supposed to be, you'd see that too."

 

Jim glared at the man.  From what he could see, kidnapping was an unlikely explanation; Miss Dupres escaping from an unwanted bond was far more likely.  However, this was a friend of the Mayor's, so, "We will consider that angle, I assure you, sir."

 

"You better had!"

 

~'~

 

"Hey guys."

 

"Blair!"  Standing up, Ric gave him a hug as Matt slapped him on the back.  "We knew you could do it!"

 

"Yeah, don't look now though."  Matt jerked his head in the direction of the dispersing Sentinels.

 

"Just let me put on the rest of my stuff first."  Blair rummaged through his backpack, pulling out his flannel shirt and jacket.  "It was freezing...."  Glancing at the Sentinels, he left the rest of it unsaid.

 

"We'll soon be back in warm and sunny Cascade," Matt reminded him.

 

"Yeah," Ric smiled.  "Beaches, babes -"

 

"And enough rain to qualify for the monsoon season," Blair finished.  "Let's go."

 

~'~

 

All too soon, it became obvious that Marianne was gone.  With the Cascade Clan and its leader showing a huge amount of incompetence, Gregory Dupres reached for his cell phone and called his friend, the Mayor of Cascade.

 

~'~

 

Blair locked his door behind him and dumped his backpack on the floor.  It was good to know that that charade was behind him.  He really hadn't looked forward to pretending to be Marianne, even though he wasn't sorry that he had.  She was a friend of his and she had needed his help.  What else could he do?

 

He shivered slightly and hurried over to put on his space heaters.  Ric and Matt had invited him back to their place to celebrate but he was just too tired.  He'd go by their place tomorrow.

 

Yawning, he made himself a cup of tea and sat down to watch some TV, although his mind really wasn't on it.  Leaning his head against the back of the couch, he yawned again, then sat up straight to reach for his cup.  His hand froze in mid-air as the news began and a picture of Marianne was shown on the screen.

 

His jaw dropped as he listened to Gregory Dupres' plea for his daughter's kidnappers to get in touch, then he jumped a mile as his cell phone rang.  His eyes were still fixed to the screen as he grabbed for his backpack and quickly pulled his phone out.  "Blair -"

 

"Have you seen the news?!"  Ric had never sounded so panicky in his life, Blair was sure of that.  "They think we kidnapped Marianne!"

 

Blair turned away from the screen and turned the sound off.  He couldn't concentrate while listening to Mr. Dupres' platitudes.  "It's okay, man, keep calm!  There's no way they can trace this so-called kidnapping to us!"

 

He held the phone away from his ear as Ric exploded verbally on the other end of the line.

 

"Look!  We had to do this!  What would Marianne be going through right now if we hadn't?!"

 

There was silence for a second then, "Yeah.  Yeah.  You're right."  Ric took a deep breath.  "So what do we do?"

 

"Nothing.  If Marianne doesn't phone the cops and tell them she hasn't been kidnapped, I'll be surprised.  And if she doesn't, she'll be in Cascade long before they can track anything to us.  I mean, Marianne didn't get on any commercial flight out of Bismarck, so they've got no reason to check the passenger lists.  And even if they do check all the passenger lists, why would they assume we had anything to do with it?"

 

"Yeah.  I guess."

 

"What about Matt, is he okay?"

 

"Well, kinda."  There was a pause and Blair heard bottles clanking in the background.  "He's drinking all the beer we have as he says they don't get beer in the clink."

 

"The clink?  Where did he pick up that term?"

 

"Who knows?  I think he's been watching old gangster movies or something."

 

Blair sighed.  "Look, we're not going to jail.  We haven't done anything wrong."

 

"Tell him that."

 

He sighed, ran a hand through his hair in frustration, and abandoned the subject of Matt's reaction for another, just as important.  "What about Gizmo?  Will he be okay with this?"

 

"Yeah, he won't even know.  Gizmo doesn't believe in watching TV.  Says the Government uses it to subliminally programme its citizens."

 

Blair shook his head in disbelief.  Even Naomi hadn't believed that theory.  "What about when he's back in the uni on Monday?"

 

"Who'd tell him?  The last time Gizmo had a conversation that even approached normal, Clinton was believed to be monogamous."

 

"Well...if you're sure...."

 

"Yeah, positive.  Uh oh, gotta go - Matt's finished the beer."

 

The line went dead and Blair turned his attention back to the TV.  He froze as he saw a very familiar pair of eyes and hurriedly turned the sound up.

 

"Sentinel Ellison!  Is it true that Marianne Dupres was kidnapped from under the very noses of the Cascade Clan?"

 

"Senior Sentinel Prime!  Do you have anything you'd like to say to viewers who are worried that Sentinels are losing their touch?"

 

The door on the TV slammed shut and Blair sank down onto his couch.  He really hoped that Marianne phoned someone soon.

 

~'~

 

Jim grimaced as his phone rang.  He didn't need to be psychic to know it was his boss.

 

"Ellison."

 

"Would you like to explain why I had to hear from the Mayor that Miss Dupres was kidnapped?"

 

He was right, it was Simon.  "I don't believe this is a kidnapping, sir."

 

"Mr. Dupres -"

 

Glancing around the Bismarck P.D., Jim turned to face the wall and kept his voice down.  "With all due respect, sir, Mr. Dupres refuses to entertain the idea that his daughter didn't want to bond with a total stranger."  Jim could tell that his boss was calming down slowly.  Hopefully, he'd be more likely to listen to reason than the irate Mr. Dupres.  "Miss Dupres disappeared from the ladies' restroom in Bismarck air-"

 

"I know that!" Simon interrupted.

 

"She took off the bonding gown and veil her father had her wear, and climbed up into the ventilation system.  If it was a kidnapping, the kidnappers had to know that she would need the restroom and had to subdue her and get her into the ventilation system and out of the airport without any Sentinel noticing.  Simon, I couldn't smell any drugs in the stall, so the supposed kidnappers didn't sedate her.  And would you like to take on the challenge of silently kidnapping a five foot eight woman and lifting her up into the ceiling?  Even if there was more than one of them, there's no way it could have been done that quietly.  Plus, there was a lot of dust in the ventilation shaft.  No one was dragged along that shaft, but someone crawled through there."

 

"Meaning that Miss Dupres went willingly."

 

"Yes.  Forensics have dusted the shaft for fingerprints and are faxing the results to Serena.  I've already phoned her and told her to go to the Dupres residence and get Miss Dupres' fingerprints from her bedroom.  Once we've proved that Miss Dupres was the only one in there, Mr. Dupres will have to accept that she wasn't kidnapped."

 

"You did get Mr. Dupres' permission to visit his house, didn't you?"

 

Jim grinned.  "I explained that it would be necessary to eliminate any stray fingerprints Miss Dupres may have left."

 

There was silence for a second and Simon's body rhythms calmed to normal.  "All right.  How long are you planning on staying in Bismarck?"

 

"Not long.  The Bismarck P.D. have got everything in hand."  Jim paused, then, "I think we'll be catching a commercial flight back, sir."

 

"Hmm.  I'll consider signing off on your expense sheet if you're right."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"All right, Detective.  Let me know when you know something."

 

~'~

 

Once the Bismarck P.D. showed that they were quite capable of handling the enquiries, Mr. Dupres 'suggested' that the Cascade Clan might like to return to Cascade.  The Clan was more than willing to do that and, to Jim's surprise, Mr. Dupres' private plane was ready to carry them back.  Refusing to look a gift horse in the mouth, he hustled his Clan on board and they took off.  Four hours later, Jim was in Simon's office being given the bad news.

 

"Serena sent the fingerprints' comparison up.  They don't match."

 

"What?"  Jim sat down.  He'd been positive.  "How can they not have matched?"

 

"Look for yourself, Jim."  Simon's voice was sympathetic as he handed the sheets over.  "The set from the shaft are definitely not Miss Dupres' fingerprints and there's no record of them in the database."

 

"Jesus."  Leaning back, Jim ran his hand over his head.  "Simon, none of this makes sense."  Turning his head, he glared at the ringing phone on his desk.

 

"You want to get that?"

 

"It's probably reporters."  He shrugged and headed into the bullpen.  "I'd better get it though," he called over his shoulder.  "Ellison."

 

The man on the other end sounded distinctly nervous even before he spoke.  "Senior Sentinel Prime?"

 

Jim frowned.  He knew that voice.

 

"This is Sentinel Hatfield."  He gulped again, his rate of respiration increasing.  "I'm bonded to Marianne Dupres."

 

"What?!"  Jim really hadn't expected that one.

 

"Mr. Dupres was sending her to Bismarck to bond with a - a Sentinel she'd never met, sir.  He was aware that - that she had already met me and wished to bond but he didn't feel that a police officer was good enough for her."

 

Jim wasn't interested in discussing Mr. Dupres' snobbery, he just wanted to know one thing.  "How did she get out of that airport?!"  He noticed the way Simon sat up with interest.  Well, at least they'd be off the hook for allowing Miss Dupres to be kidnapped.

 

"She was never there, sir, a friend of hers took her place.  He escaped by climbing up -"

 

"Into the ventilation system.  We already figured that out."

 

"Yes, sir."  There was silence for a few seconds as Jim thought it through, then Hatfield asked, "Do you wish us to return to the P.D., Senior Sentinel Prime?"

 

"Yes."  Jim's voice was harsh.  Of all the stupid, brainless things to do, this took the biscuit.  He took a deep breath.  "The Clan acknowledges your bond, Sentinel Hatfield, but this mess needs to be sorted out."

 

"Yes, Senior Sentinel Prime.  We can be there within an hour."

 

"I'll see you then."  He all but slammed the phone down.  Why the hell hadn't Hatfield come to him before putting this idiotic scheme into motion?  Why hadn't -

 

He.

 

The other Guide was male.

 

One male, one female.

 

Dual scents.

 

Jim took a few more deep breaths and tried to calm the Sentinel within him.  God help Sentinel Hatfield if his Guide's scent was the wrong one.

 

~'~

 

Jim left Simon happily planning his phone call to the Mayor, and paced up and down in the bullpen, watching the clock.  Finally, just forty-eight seemingly endless minutes after he'd put down the phone, he heard the elevator ping and the doors slide open.

 

He kept his face impassive as he waited, although he could feel his nerves thrilling to the adrenalin rush as he readied for battle, if need be.  One Guide would be his, one would not; which one was she?

 

Sentinel Hatfield appeared, pulling his nervous-looking Guide along by her hand.  Her grey eyes flitted up to meet Jim's, then she ducked out of sight behind her Sentinel's back.

 

Jim inhaled, filtering out the other scents and focussing on the Sentinel and Guide only a few short feet away from him.

 

For a second, he felt almost giddy with relief; she wasn't his.  Then, determination flooded through him.  They knew who his Guide was and they would tell him.

 

~'~

 

Jason gulped as he faced the irate looking Senior Sentinel Prime.  He knew Sentinel Ellison, who didn't?  But seeing him about the P.D. or attending a Clan gathering in his presence were very different from facing him when your Guide was the supposed victim of a kidnapping that had embarrassed the Clan.  And, to make it worse, the stronger Sentinel looked as though he was about to go to war.

 

"Senior Sent -"

 

"Who was the other Guide?"

 

Jason blinked.

 

"Who took her place?"

 

"Uh...Se...a friend of Ma - my Guide."

 

"Name?"

 

What on earth was the Senior Sentinel Prime up to?  Why was he so insistent on knowing who the other Guide was?  Jason felt Marianne tugging on the back of his sweater.  They'd agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone who had helped them.  Mr. Dupres was bound to be furious and, as he would hardly be able to target his daughter's bonded Sentinel, especially if the Clan was going to protect them, they were worried that he might take his rage out on the one who made Marianne's escape possible.

 

Jason's thoughts escaped him as the Senior Sentinel Prime stepped into his personal space and loomed over him threateningly.

 

"What is his name?"

 

He heard Marianne whimper slightly, and the tugging on his sweater increased as he answered, "Blair Sandburg."

 

"Where do I find him?"

 

Jason tried to calm his rocketing heartbeat as the Senior Sentinel Prime stared him down.  Finally, despite the almost frantic tugging behind him, he told him Blair's address.

 

The stronger Sentinel was gone almost before he'd finished and he took a deep breath.  Now that he didn't have Ellison in his face, Jason was able to think again and he was sure he knew why the other Sentinel was determined to find this Guide.

 

Turning, he wrapped his arms around Marianne.  "I'm sorry.  I had to tell him."

 

Her voice was muffled against his chest.  "But we promised!"

 

He rested his head on top of hers.  "He's the Senior Sentinel Prime, Marianne.  I had to tell him."

 

There was a few seconds' pause then her arms wrapped around his waist and she hugged him back.

 

~'~

 

Ignoring the gathered press, Brad shut his car door calmly and walked into his father's building.  Well, if he was honest, a lot of buildings in Bismarck belonged to his father.  Mr. Ventriss was a wealthy and successful businessman.

 

Once he was out of sight of the reporters, Brad scowled.  He should have been looking forward to bonding, among other things, with Dupres' gorgeous daughter.  Instead, somehow, she'd given them all the slip from the airport and disappeared into thin air.  Naturally, the Cascade Clan Sentinels had been useless.  Brad had wanted to track her through the airport himself, but his father had refused, saying that Brad could zone and as he had no Guide - not that Brad needed to be reminded of that - it would be dangerous for him.

 

Now, only half an hour before his father normally left the office, he'd phoned Brad and told him to get down there as they had some news.

 

Brad sneered slightly as his dad's unattractive secretary told him to go in, then hid the sneer.  His father didn't like it when he was rude to Mrs. Robertson as she'd been with him for years.

 

"Ah, there you are, Bradley."

 

"Hey, Dad.  Mr. Dupres."  Brad shut the door behind him carefully; he didn't want the hired help listening in.  Turning, he looked at the two men.  They didn't look happy.

 

Mr. Dupres cleared his throat.  "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Bradley."

 

Brad knew it.  That little bitch had pulled something sneaky.

 

"Marianne has been found but she's bonded to another Sentinel."

 

"What?!"  He couldn't believe his ears.  She was bonded?

 

"It's true, Bradley," his father chimed in.  "After they saw all the reports of her kidnapping in the media, her Sentinel -"

 

"I'm her Sentinel!"

 

"Her Sentinel," his father repeated, repressively, before continuing, "contacted the Cascade Clan.  The Senior Sentinel Prime has agreed to support their bonding."

 

"So?  Break it!"

 

"Bradley!"

 

Furious, he glared at his father.  He'd promised him Marianne Dupres and now he was backing out of it.

 

"Marianne is bonded to another Sentinel and the Clan are protecting them.  We haven't even been able to find out where they are."

 

"They're probably in the Sentinel Suite at City Hall, Norman," Dupres pointed out.

 

"So?  Go in there and get her!" Brad snapped.

 

"You don't walk into the Sentinel Suite at City Hall and try to drag a protected Guide out of there, Bradley," his father replied, sounding almost stern.  "Anyone trying that would be lucky to walk away with their lives."

 

"Fine!  I'll do it!"

 

"You'll do no such thing!"

 

"She's my Guide!"

 

"I'll get you another Guide."

 

Brad flung himself onto the leather Chesterfield.  That bitch, Marianne.  He'd been looking forward to putting the slut through her paces once they were bonded and now he'd never be able to get his hands on her.  Well, not unless her Sentinel died - and even then, she'd probably kill herself to spite him.

 

Well, he wasn't going to sit at home moping, although, with the press camped on his apartment's doorstep, he'd have to be more careful than normal.  He didn't want to have his fun with a pile of reporters and photographers just waiting to catch him chucking a whore out of his apartment afterwards.

 

"We have found out how she managed to get out of the airport."

 

He ignored Dupres and continued making plans.  He knew a few girls with their own apartments; as long as he was careful, it'd be fine.

 

"She persuaded a friend of hers who is also a Guide to take her place.  Obviously, the Sentinels weren't looking for anyone but Marianne."

 

His head snapped up.  "I'll have the friend then.  If she's good-looking."

 

"Bradley!"  His father shook his head, chidingly, a smile on his face.

 

"Her friend is male - a Blair Sandburg.  And he's hardly our sort of people," Dupres explained.

 

Brad leaned back on the Chesterfield, turning the possibilities over in his mind.  Whoever this Blair Sandburg was, he owed Brad a good time, at the very least.  And Brad Ventriss always collected on his debts.

 

~'~

 

Slouched on his shabby couch, Blair had stuck to watching the few news channels he got ever since he'd turned the TV on and seen Mr. Dupres claiming his daughter had been kidnapped.  Personally, he couldn't wait for the guy to find out that his daughter, far from being kidnapped, had chosen to bond with the Sentinel she'd found, and refused to follow his archaic plans and have her bonding arranged for her.

 

Not for the first time since Marianne had come to his office asking him for help, Blair shook his head.  Who on earth arranged a bonding nowadays?  It was...it was...plain unheard of, that was for sure!  Who did Mr. Dupres think he was, believing that he knew which Sentinel his daughter would be happy with?  Blair shook his head yet again, then sat up straight as Mr. Dupres' furious face appeared on the TV screen with a dozen or so frantic voices calling in the background for a comment about his daughter's non-kidnapping and subsequent bonding to an unknown Sentinel.

 

Once again, the reporters in Bismarck were denied and a door slammed in their faces.

 

Blair jumped up from the couch and danced on the spot.  "Yes!"  Grabbing his cell phone from the crate that served as a coffee table, he dialled the number for Matt's and Ric's apartment.  He didn't even wait for the person answering to speak.  "Ric?  Matt?  Have you seen the news?"

 

"Huh?"  Ric sounded confused.  "What news?"

 

"Marianne must have contacted someone!  Her dad was just on the news looking furious!"

 

"Her father always looks furious," he argued.

 

"Not this furious.  And the reporters were asking about the Sentinel she's bonded to!"

 

"What?  Matt!  Matt!  We're off the hook!"

 

Blair chuckled as he listened to Ric trying to wake his booze-sozzled roommate up.

 

Finally, Ric came back to the phone, alone.  "He's stoned, man.  I'll tell him the good news in the morning."

 

"Good idea."  Blair yawned and stretched.  "Ah, I'm beat.  I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?"

 

"Okay, Blair.  Later."

 

The line went dead and he dropped the phone back on the crate, yawning hugely as he did so.  Now that he knew the Cascade cops weren't going to come beating down his door, he could sleep.

 

~'~

 

"So how are we going to find this guy?"

 

Brad smiled at his best friend as they fastened their seatbelts and waited for his dad's private plane to take off.  "That's simple, Andy.  The Cascade Clan are bound to want to pick him up.  You don't make fools of a Clan and get away with it Scot free.  All we have to do is wait for them to find him and, once he's released, pick him up ourselves."

 

Andy grinned.  "And then...."

 

"And then let the fun begin."

 

~'~

 

When the sun rose over soggy Cascade and broke through the clouds to illuminate the dingy road he lived on, Blair was still buried, fathoms deep, in sleep.  It wasn't until the clock's hands had crept past ten o'clock that he surfaced, his bladder demanding that he get up and move now.  Rolling from his bed, he staggered up and into the bathroom, scrubbing the sleep from his face as he went.

 

Half an hour later, cleaner, and considerably more awake, he came out, his skin goose-bumping in the cool morning air.  He dressed hurriedly and shivered his way into the kitchen for a toasted bagel and some tea, then took them to the couch so he could watch the morning news.

 

Mr. Dupres was still ducking the Bismarck reporters on his way to the airport, while the Cascade reporters seemed annoyed that they weren't able to reach the Senior Sentinel Prime.  However, the Bismarck reporters had managed to get a brief clip of Brad Ventriss the day before and Blair looked with interest at the scummy playboy as he headed into his father's office without offering a comment.  He looked spoilt, to Blair's biased eyes.  Selfish too.  Taking his plate back to the kitchen and dumping it in the sink, Blair reflected that he was glad Marianne wouldn't have to deal with him.  God knew how he'd treat any Guide who was unfortunate enough to end up bonded to him.

 

Glancing at the clock, he decided that he'd given Matt plenty of time to recover from his sudden alcoholic binge the night before, and he grabbed his jacket and backpack.  Time to go visiting.

 

The Volvo started easily for once, and he headed off down the street, vaguely noticing the blue and white truck parked nearby.  The clean condition of it sank in, and he did a small double-take.  While trucks weren't unusual in this neck of the woods, few of them were in good condition and even fewer were well-washed.  He shook his head and dismissed it from his thoughts.  Maybe the owner was a neat-freak.  Who knew?

 

By the time Blair reached Ric's and Matt's apartment, he was grinning again.  Marianne was safe and he didn't have to worry about spending hours on a plane with Mr. Dupres and a load of Sentinels and Guides.  Today was definitely a better day than yesterday.

 

Parking and locking up quickly, he headed up the path, a smile still on his face.  He was about to reach for the intercom buzzer when he realised someone was behind him and he turned, ready to let whoever it was go first.  If they lived there, they'd probably just let him in and save him buzzing up.  The words died on his lips as he realised that he knew the guy standing there.

 

"We meet again, Miss Dupres."

 

Horrified, he stared up into the Senior Sentinel Prime's intent blue eyes.

 

~'~

 

Jim smiled as he inhaled that delicious scent again and gazed down into his Guide's appalled face.  For a few seconds, there was silence, then Sandburg started talking.

 

"Hey, man, I'm really sorry about bringing heat down on the Clan - that was never my intention."

 

Sandburg stepped backwards as Jim moved forwards, and his words sped up.  As he listened, Jim wondered how on earth the kid had managed to keep silent all the while he was in that robe and veil get up.  Apparently, animatedly talking was his Guide's natural state.

 

"It's just that Marianne really didn't want to bond with that guy.  I know someone who knows him and, believe me, you wouldn't want to see any Guide in his hands."

 

Actually, Jim would agree with that.  He'd been less than impressed with his brief encounter with Brad Ventriss.  The Sentinel was weak and, Jim suspected, spiteful.

 

"Anyway, so that was why I did it."  Sandburg seemed to realise that he was out of space to retreat into, and an annoyed look crossed his face.  "Look, I'm sorry if you're pissed off but I did what I had to to help a friend, okay?"

 

"I understand that," Jim admitted.

 

"Oh."  Sandburg glanced around and gave the spare five inches between them a meaningful stare.  "Then what's your problem?"

 

Jim inhaled, delighting once more in his Guide's scent.  "There's a bonding suite in the Cascade P.D. with your name on it."  Jim would have preferred to take his Guide to the Sentinel Suite at City Hall, but the P.D. was much, much closer and he really didn't want to wait.

 

"Are you out of your mind?  I'm not gonna bond with Brad Ventriss!"

 

He grinned, he couldn't help it.  "Relax, Chief, I'm not suggesting you do."

 

"Then who...you?!"

 

Jim smiled and leaned in closer, then took a step back as Blair shoved him away, angrily.

 

"Knock it off, man!  I'm not about to bond with you!"

 

"Yes, you are, Sandburg."

 

"Get real, Ellison!  What did you do to come up with that crazy idea?  Feed the inner kitty catnip?"

 

Stinking of anger, the Guide tried to push his way past the Sentinel, but Jim brought him to a standstill by grabbing hold of him.  "We're going to the P.D.," he told him, firmly.

 

Ignoring the litany of complaints and curses, the Sentinel manhandled his Guide down the path to where some of his Clan were waiting.  Throwing an order over his shoulder for Sandburg's car to be left at the loft and his truck to be driven to the P.D., he dragged his Guide over to Edwards' car and managed to get them both inside without releasing the firm grip he had on the kid.

 

"Edwards."

 

In the driver's seat, Edwards turned his head to listen.

 

"Get us to the P.D."  He got a nod and returned to holding onto his Guide.  "Give it up, Sandburg."

 

~'~

 

Trapped in the back of Edwards' car with a Sentinel who was determined to bond with him, Blair continued to fight.  It wasn't, as Ellison undoubtedly assumed, aimless struggling; he had a vial of concentrated sage in his jeans' pocket which he always carried in case of emergences - and if anything qualified as an emergency, this did.  Unfortunately, Ellison was holding onto that wrist and there was no way he could get the vial out using his other hand.

 

Finally, he stopped struggling, accepting that, for now, he wasn't going to able to get his wrist free.  Hoping to lull the Sentinel into a false sense of security, he slumped against the back seat and glowered sulkily at him.

 

"Relax, Chief," Ellison said, attempting to sound reassuring.  "It'll be over soon."

 

Determinedly, Blair kept his mouth shut and slouched further into his corner.  He could feel the slight strain on his arm as it was held tightly by the Sentinel, and hoped the Sentinel would feel it too.  Whether he did or not, Blair couldn't tell, but the grip loosened slightly, then, as they turned into an underground garage, his wrist was released.

 

The grip on the front of his jacket hadn't eased up, but Blair wasn't worried about that one.  With any luck, the Sentinel would be too affected once Blair smashed the vial to keep hold of him.  He hoped.

 

As Ellison glanced away, Blair grabbed the vial firmly.  The car came to a halt and he acted.  Raising his hand up, he threw the vial down with all his might, then grabbed for the door handle as the concentrated sage filled the car.  He knew that the Sentinels wouldn't have any long-lasting ill-effects from it, but it would keep them busy for a little while.

 

He slammed the car door shut behind him and fled for the exit, ignoring the muffled shouts as he went.

 

~'~

 

Coughing wildly as the sage filled the car, Jim instinctively let go of the jacket and reached for the door handle.  He had to get out of there.  The door gave way and Jim fell gratefully into the fresh air, gulping in lungfuls to clear the taste of sage.  Lying on the concrete floor, he was uncomfortably aware that Edwards was lying on his legs but he couldn't raise the energy to protest.

 

He'd had his Guide.  He'd had his Guide in his hands - and now he was gone.  The Sentinel growled quietly.  His Guide would be found.  No matter where Sandburg ran to, he couldn't keep out of sight permanently, and sooner or later....

 

"Jim?  Are you all right?"

 

Looking up, he realised that they had an audience of concerned policemen, including his boss, and that Doctor Harvey, the Clan doctor, was heading their way with her Guide hot on her heels.

 

"I'm fine, Simon, Doctor Harvey."  He coughed again, and sat up, pushing Edwards off his legs.  "Sandburg used sage on us, that's all."

 

"That's all?"  Edwards, his own Guide anxiously trying to help him, raised his head and glared at the Senior Sentinel Prime.  "Your Guide is a sneaky little smartass.  Sir."

 

"I agree with that, Edwards."  Jim got to his feet and offered his second in command a helping hand up.  "C'mon, we've got one sneaky little smartass to find."

 

~'~

 

Seeing as Jim was not only the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade and the Northern Territories but also a police detective, he had advantages the ordinary Sentinel on the street did not have.  An APB was issued, and flags attached to all of Sandburg's credit cards and bank accounts.  If the kid used any of them, Jim would know within five minutes.  The Clan spread out around Cascade, covering all of Sandburg's known haunts, plus the bus and train stations.

 

"He's got to go to ground somewhere," Edwards commented, his eyes fixed on a detailed map of Cascade.

 

"Libraries, cinemas, cafes.  Anywhere someone can sit for a long time without drawing attention to themselves."  Jim's face was grimmer now.  If Sandburg had enough cash on him to avoid using his cards or bank accounts, they could be in for a long wait and the Sentinel had little patience at the best of times.  "If he's sensible, he'll wait until dark."

 

"That won't stop us."

 

"But it will lessen the chance of the police picking him up."

 

"Maybe."  Edwards shook his head.  "There's no way we can cover all of these places."

 

"We don't have to, sir."

 

All three of them looked up as Sentinel Pais and her Guide, Karl, came into the room.

 

"Karl and I were checking all the local buses and one of the drivers remembered picking him up today not far from the P.D."

 

Jim relaxed slightly.  At least the bus gave them a starting point.  "Did he remember where he dropped him?"

 

"Yes, sir."  Lisa reached out and pointed to a busy cross section of the city.  "Guide Sandburg left the bus at the corner of Howard and Sixth."

 

~'~

 

When he first ran, Blair had no idea where he was going.  His only thought had been to get away and stay away.  A few hours' later, after one long bus ride and a not very lengthy, ducking down alleyways, run, he sat huddled in the corner of a cafe.  And he still had no idea where he was going.

 

His car was at 'the loft', wherever the hell that was, and the train and bus stations were out as Ellison was a cop as well as a Sentinel and would, Blair was sure, have put out an APB on him.  Unfortunately, that meant that he had to keep off the streets until it was dark enough to move around safely.

 

Going home was out of the question as he realised that Ellison probably had his address - Ric's and Matt's too, so seeking refuge there was an impossibility as well.  Fortunately, he had plenty of friends who'd give him a couch to sleep on for the night, although how long he'd have to stay out of sight, he didn't know.

 

Sighing, Blair laid his head against the back of his grimy seat and ignored the anthropology journal he'd been pretending to read for the past few hours.  It would be dusk soon and once it was, he could go.

 

~'~

 

Finally, Blair shut his book and stopped pretending to be engrossed in it.  He was glad it was winter, otherwise he would have been stuck there until late evening while he waited for the sun to set.  It was dark enough now and he really didn't want to be wandering around in the pitch black so, slipping the journal into his backpack, he dug out his wallet and headed towards the counter.

 

It wasn't until he opened his wallet to pull out some bills, that he discovered he had a problem.  Mentally slapping his forehead, he remembered that he'd intended to go to the ATM after he'd visited Ric and Matt...and well, his afternoon hadn't exactly gone to plan.

 

Summoning up his most charming smile, he leaned over the counter slightly and asked, "I'm sorry, do you take credit cards?"  The look the girl gave him said it all and he cringed.  "I meant to go to the ATM this afternoon and uh...kinda got sidetracked.  I only have a few cents in my wallet."

 

Wordlessly, the girl held out her hand and he blushingly gave her the card.  Thank God he'd had a dollar in his jeans' pocket earlier or he would have had to walk - or run - all the way from the P.D.  He signed the receipt, not commenting on the healthy tip she'd added to his bill, and tucked his card back into his wallet before ducking out of the doorway.

 

Once outside, Blair realised that he wasn't exactly sure where he was.  He knew he'd taken a few turns off thriving Howard Street before finding himself in this rather rundown area.  Shrugging, he decided to try to find his way back to Howard Street.  He'd be able to find his way to any number of his friends' places from there.

 

Accordingly, he crossed over the road and headed up the street.  Footsteps made him pause and he stared around, nervously.  He wasn't normally the kind of guy to get spooked by shadows but considering the kind of day he'd had, it wasn't shadows he was nervous about.

 

Cautiously, he lowered his barriers and stretched out with his mind, trying to feel if there was anyone around.  His eyes widened suddenly as he picked up a very definite someone - a Sentinel, and he fled in the opposite direction.

 

As all of his attention was on the Sentinel following him, he didn't realise there was anyone else there until he, quite literally, ran into them.  He jerked back, gasping an apology, then tried to wrench himself away as the big unknown guy facing him grabbed his jacket and yanked him forward.

 

"Hello, Blair Sandburg," the man muttered, his beer-laden breath making Blair's stomach muscles clench.

 

"I-I don't -"

 

"Know me?  No, but I'm gonna know you.  And so is he."

 

Blair shook his head and tried to step backwards.  "Look, man, I think you're making a mistake."  He turned his head quickly as his backpack was pulled from his shoulder, a muffled thump telling him it had been dropped on the ground.  With a shock, he realised that the Sentinel was behind him, and started struggling harder.  While Ellison's determination to claim had been hard to handle, the feelings he was getting from these two guys were making his stomach churn.

 

He opened his mouth to yell for help, but the sound was cut off by a large, hot hand, while a bony body pressed against his back.  Between the two of them, he was hustled into a nearby alleyway and shoved face first against the wall; the hand that was wrapped around his mouth was the only thing that stopped him from banging his head.

 

"Don't hurt him too much, Andy."  The weasly voice came from the side, so didn't belong to the larger guy who was now leaning against his back, almost casually ignoring Blair's frantic struggling.  "I don't want him marked when I take my Guide back home to meet my dad."

 

"You sure about this, Brad?  We could just have our fun now and leave him in the alleyway."

 

Brad?  Ventriss?  Blair tried to talk, desperately, but the hand wasn't moving.

 

"I think he recognises me."  Brad sounded pleased.  "Well, the slave should always recognise his master."  The Sentinel leaned in and blew in Blair's face, smiling as he flinched.  "And soon he'll learn who the master is in this relationship.  You didn't notice us following you from the cop shop, did you, Blair?  I think you need someone to look out for you, to take care of you.  And that someone is going to be me."  A finger traced over the part of Blair's face that wasn't covered by the hand or pressed against the wall.  "But for now, we're all going to have a lot of fun.  Andy, I'll let you go first; after all, I've got a whole lifetime to enjoy him."

 

Andy chuckled; his breath wafting against Blair's ear.  "Can you reach his belt?"

 

"Not without scraping my hands on the wall.  Naughty, naughty, Blair.  The wall isn't going to save you."

 

"It might not, but I will."  The growl that came from behind them sounded barely human, but the words were distinct.

 

For a moment, the three of them froze, then Blair was thrown to one side as Andy turned to deal with the intruder.

 

Suddenly free, but confused as hell, Blair fell over a trashcan and landed in a heap on the ground.  Scrambling away, he scooted backwards on his backside, just trying to get some distance from the fight that was brewing only a few feet from him.

 

~'~

 

The smell of his Guide's fear was infuriating the Sentinel as he stared at the two men who had dared to attack Sandburg.  A glance to one side showed him that four of his Clan were already approaching his Guide and would protect him, allowing the Senior Sentinel Prime to keep his attention on the two violators in front of him.

 

Jim recognised one of them as a Sentinel.  Brad Ventriss.  Denied the Guide he thought of as his, he must have decided to take his revenge upon the one who helped her escape.  Jim had disliked him upon sight and considered him to be a weak Sentinel who should be culled from the herd.  And he had chosen to trespass upon the Senior Sentinel Prime's territory in order to attack a Guide - a Guide who was to be claimed by the Senior Sentinel Prime himself.  Hatred filled him for this predator who preferred to prey upon the innocent instead of protecting the tribe, and the emotion was heightened by the fading scent of lust upon the two men.

 

His voice was raw with the anger within him as the Senior Sentinel Prime demanded of the other Sentinel, "Are you claiming the Guide?"  He hoped that the Sentinel would say yes - if so, he would kill him in combat and claim the Guide as his own.  If not, the Sentinel would be turned over to the Clan and be dealt with according to their laws for the attempted violation.

 

The excited gleam that lit up the other Sentinel's face could be seen by all the Sentinels present, and it heightened the tension that was filling the alleyway.  "Yeah, I am.  He's my Guide - I found him first and I claim him."

 

Even though the Senior Sentinel Prime knew that Ventriss had not found Sandburg first, he was more than willing to use that as an excuse to deal with him.  "Then I challenge your right to bond."

 

A hint of uncertainty crossed Ventriss' face and he glanced towards his larger, non-Sentinel companion.  "Get him!"

 

The other, apparently eager to engage in a fight, grinned stupidly and moved forward.

 

The Sentinel regarded him with disdain.  This was no fighter; the alcohol he'd imbibed was slowing down his reflexes and he would be an easy assailant to defeat.  Clan justice would be enough for this one.

 

As the other stepped towards him, fists waving slowly in the air, Jim gathered his strength and threw one punch towards the man's face.  It connected solidly and there was a satisfying crack as the man's nose broke.  It was followed by a thud as the man collided with the wall and slid down it to lie with the rest of the trash.

 

The lesser opponent defeated, the Sentinel's attention snapped back to the challenger for his bond to his Guide.  Ventriss was looking distinctly uneasy as his gaze flickered from the downed man to the feral Sentinel.

 

Finally, he shrugged.  "Okay, what do I care?  The Guide's yours."

 

The Senior Sentinel Prime smiled.  Did Ventriss really think that was how it worked?  "The challenge has been given and accepted.  Defend yourself."

 

Shock and fear took over from the uncertainty, then anger and determination filled his face.  Ventriss nodded.  "If that's the way you want it!"

 

His hands came up to a defensive position and the Senior Sentinel Prime was pleased to see that Ventriss had studied fighting a little.  It would make defeating him that much more satsifying.

 

They circled for a few moments, each of them weighing up their opponent, looking for weaknesses.  Then Jim attacked.  He feinted to the right and, as Ventriss moved to block him, contemptuously batted him across the face from the left.

 

Ventriss stepped back quickly.  The mark on his face was reddening rapidly as he licked at his lip.  First blood had been drawn.

 

Smiling in return, the Senior Sentinel Prime waited until Ventriss attacked, fury driving his movements, but each of his attempts were blocked or brushed aside by the stronger Sentinel as he took his time playing with Ventriss.  The Senior Sentinel Prime was determined that Ventriss would suffer until the end for the assault upon his Guide.

 

Finally, Ventriss rallied and tried a final attack, throwing himself at the other Sentinel.  The Senior Sentinel Prime caught him easily, and yanked his head back until the lesser Sentinel was bent like a bow.  "This is for my Guide," he snarled into the upturned, bloody face.  Then, with a quick jerk of his hands, he snapped the violator's neck and discarded the body.

 

Throwing his head back, the Senior Sentinel Prime roared in triumph.  The challenge had been met and the Guide was his.

 

~'~

 

When the shadows surrounded him, Blair scrambled up and tried to back away, unsure, due to the deepening darkness, if they were friend or foe, and unwilling to wait around to find out.  Unfortunately, they were between him and anywhere he could go.

 

"It's all right, Blair.  No one is going to hurt you."  The shortest shadow among them reached out a hand, her voice calm and reassuring, but withdrew the hand when he flinched.

 

"You're safe now," another one chimed in, his deep voice a melodic counterpoint to the female's.

 

"Look, I don't know what you want but -"  He stared over at the other group as a body hit the wall and slid to the ground.

 

"The Senior Sentinel Prime will deal with them, Blair," the man said, firmly.  "It's all right."

 

Blair's pounding heartbeat sped up at that.  The Senior Sentinel Prime was the one who saved him?  He guessed he should be grateful to the guy but he had an idea what the Sentinel would expect in return.  And right now, he really wasn't sure how he felt about that.

 

"Just take a few deep breaths, and calm down."

 

He stared at the woman as she moved in closer again, barely noticing as her hand rubbed his arm gently, then turned his gaze back to the others, watching as best he could.

 

Two of the figures, Ellison and Ventriss, he guessed, were fighting now.  And, from what he could see, the shorter one was taking the worst of it.  Well, he wasn't surprised; Ellison looked like a guy who could take care of himself.  A sneaky little voice inside him added, 'And his Guide,' but he ignored it.

 

Finally, the fight came to an end, and the shorter figure was caught and bent backwards at a spine-damaging angle.  A harsh voice, barely recognisable, snarled, "This is for my Guide," and Blair cringed as the snap of breaking bones met his ears.  The roar of a triumphant Sentinel quickly followed and he shrank back against the wall, wishing, not for the first time that night, that he could melt into it and disappear.

 

With the other Sentinel dead, the victorious Sentinel now had time to pay attention to him, and Blair shrank back even more as he approached.  The ones who had been surrounding him stepped out of the way and Ellison reached for him.  For a few seconds, Blair panicked that the guy was going to do the same thing to him, but the hands that held onto him were gentle, although firm, as he was pulled forward and hugged to the Sentinel.

 

One arm held him tightly while the other hand ran over him, checking for injuries.  Then the scrapes on his hands and face, that he'd received when Andy threw him to one side, were gently checked over.  Now that his attention had been brought to them, they began to sting; stupidly annoying when his head was filled with confusion.

 

~'~

 

Satisfied that his Guide was relatively unharmed, the Sentinel turned his head and growled, "Edwards."

 

"Senior Sentinel Prime?"

 

"I'm taking my Guide to City Hall.  Have the other violator taken to the P.D. and held there.  He'll face the Clan tomorrow."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Holding Sandburg tightly, Jim steered them both in the direction of Howard Street, his Clan surrounding them protectively.  When the call had come in about the kid's credit card, he and the majority of his Clan had already been searching Howard Street, Sixth Street and any roads leading off them for any sign of his Guide.  It was fortunate for Sandburg that they had.

 

Now his Guide was safe, although badly shocked.  For a moment, as the Sentinel had reached for him to check him over, the Guide's vital signs had rocketed, showing his fear.  He was calmer now, despite the tension that was keeping his body rigid.  Sandburg was not actively struggling, yet, but he was resisting his Sentinel's hold; his body language betraying his desire to escape.  However, his Guide would learn that he could not run.

 

Once their vehicles were reached, Jim handed over his truck keys to Sentinel Niven and guided the kid towards the back of Sentinel Harvey's car.  He opened the door for him then paused.

 

"Blair?"  He had to repeat himself a couple of times before the dazed eyes turned up to meet his.  "Do you have any more sage on you?"

 

The question took a few moments to sink in, then Sandburg shook his head.

 

The drive to City Hall was a short one and Jim was glad.  He wanted to get his Guide somewhere safe.

 

It wasn't until they had reached the Sentinel Suite and Jim had shown Sandburg to the room they'd be sleeping in that night, that he fetched his Guide's backpack and handed it over, asking quietly, "Anything in there I should be worried about?"

 

Sandburg looked up, confusion on his face.

 

"Have you got any other herbs tucked away in there?"

 

Once again, it took a short while for the question to be understood, then the kid shook his head again.

 

Letting the subject go, Jim nodded towards the door.  "Why don't you grab a shower?  I'll rustle up some spare clothes for you and something to eat."

 

Sandburg nodded after a few seconds and turned towards the door, taking his backpack with him.  It wasn't until he got to the door that he seemed to realise it was still in his hand and he gazed at it for a moment before placing it one of the beds.

 

Shaking his head slightly, Jim opened the door into the corridor and gave his orders to the Sentinel and Guide on duty there.  Hopefully, a warm shower, some hot food and clean clothes would restore his Guide.  At least a little.

 

Returning to the room, Jim realised that the shower was still off and he couldn't hear any sounds from his Guide at all.  Knocking on the door gently, he pushed it open and glanced in.  "Chief?"

 

As though he'd been in his own version of a zone-out, Sandburg seemed to jerk back to awareness and he turned.  "Shower.  Yeah.  Got it."

 

"Okay.  Shout if you need anything."

 

"Okay."

 

Jim shut the door again and listened as Sandburg finally started getting undressed.  Well, he'd managed to speak; that was an improvement.  The Sentinel forced down his desire to claim his Guide.  It was going to be a long night.

 

~'~

 

Blinking his eyes slowly, Blair gazed into the darkness.  He was in bed.  His eyes shot fully open as he suddenly registered that the heaviness across his side was an arm.  It tightened and he panicked.  With a shove and a roll he was free, and on the floor.  A thud from the other side of the bed told him that so was his attacker.

 

Even as he thought the name 'Ventriss', his memory caught up with him and he yanked his legs free of the tangled bedclothes and scrambled to his feet.

 

"Sandburg?"

 

"You were in bed with me!"

 

"Relax.  I was on the bed; you were in it."  There was a pause and Jim continued, his voice good-humoured, "Now let me turn on the light before you do any more damage."

 

"Don't forget to d -"  Blair bit off the rest of the word.  He was not this guy's Guide.

 

"Thanks, Chief."

 

Jim's voice sounded even more smugly pleased and, when the light clicked on and Blair's vision cleared, he was not surprised to see a triumphant smile on the Sentinel's face.

 

Ignoring the smile, Blair pointed to the other bed.  "There are two beds, you know!"

 

"I know.  I was sleeping in the other when you had a nightmare."

 

"Oh."  Blair had a vague flash of darkness and struggling and Ventriss' voice hissing in his ear before comfort and safety had defeated the terror.  He shook his head and shrugged.  "Well...thanks...I guess."

 

"You're welcome.  I guess."

 

The Sentinel was smirking again and Blair scowled at him before heading for the bathroom, only just resisting the urge to slam the door.

 

With the door between them, Blair rubbed his hands over his face, then stopped as the smell of the antiseptic hit him.  Glancing at his hands, then his face in the mirror, Blair thought back.  The Sentinel had been surprisingly gentle as he'd applied the antiseptic earlier.  After his shower, Blair had felt...he guessed detached was the only word for it.  Ellison had insisted that he ate, then applied the antiseptic, and practically put him to bed.

 

Blair shook off the memory of the Sentinel's kindness - it really wasn't important that Ellison had taken care of him.  He could take care of himself.  Mostly.

 

His mind shuddered away from those frantic moments in the alleyway.

 

Blair closed his eyes and concentrated on dragging his attention back to the matter in hand.  What was he going to do now?  Taking a deep breath, he closed the lid of the toilet seat and sat down to think.

 

Ellison had defeated Ventriss.

 

Blair refused to think about the fact that Ellison had killed Ventriss.  He really didn't want to go there.

 

So...Ellison had defeated Ventriss.  Of course, in the Sentinel's eyes, that meant that he'd 'won' the Guide.  Blair really didn't see it that way.  The problem would be to convince Ellison of that.

 

Problem number two:  If he couldn't convince Ellison, how the hell was he going to get out of there unbonded?  He had no actual problem with Ellison himself - he seemed like a nice enough guy, and he was definitely a huge improvement on Ventriss.  But bonding was so... final.  While the bond could be broken in the beginning, it was usually for life.  And the longer the bond, the stronger it was.

 

"Chief?  You all right in there?"

 

"Yeah!  I'll be out in a minute."  Standing up, he lifted the lid and did his business, then flushed.  If there had been a window, he would have taken his chances imitating a human fly on the side of the building...possibly.  It would have depended on how high up they were; he and heights were not meant to be friends.  With his hands washed and dried, he took a deep breath and opened the door.  Ellison wasn't likely to try to bond with him tonight...was he?

 

"You okay?"

 

"Yeah, sure."  Blair avoided his gaze as he looked at his freshly-remade bed.  It wasn't helping that Ellison kept on being nice to him.  "Thanks."  He waved a hand at the bed and hoped Ellison understood.

 

"No problem, Chief.  You want to get in so that I can turn out the light?"

 

"Sure!"  Blair dived under his covers and tensed as the light clicked off and Ellison moved across the room.  He almost melted with relief as he heard the Sentinel get into the other bed.

 

"Night, Chief.  Sleep well."

 

"Night, Ellison."

 

The smile was back in Ellison's voice as he answered, "Call me Jim."

 

~'~

 

From Jim's point of view, the next day was almost guaranteed to go badly where his budding relationship with his Guide was concerned.  For a start, Sandburg was going to find out that he wasn't allowed to leave until after they were bonded - although Jim was pretty sure the kid would figure that one out for himself, assuming he hadn't already.

 

Secondly, Sandburg's other attacker was being brought to the Sentinel Suite to face Clan justice.  The Sentinel's jaw clenched.  The one who had attacked his Guide would be punished and deservedly so.

 

He eyed the bathroom door which blocked his view of his Guide.  Sandburg seemed the type to argue against the punishment.  However, as none of the Guides would be present due to the overpowering emotions involved in bringing an attempted violator in to face justice, it was possible that Sandburg would not find out.  Possible, but not probable, human nature being what it was.  The Sentinels who were present would tell their Guides and the Guides would talk among themselves.  And Sandburg wasn't stupid; he had to know that his other attacker would be punished.

 

Jim eyed the bathroom door again.  If, or when, Sandburg found out, he'd deal with it.  In the meantime....

 

"Sandburg!  Your breakfast is getting cold!"

 

"I'll be right there."

 

Jim shook his head.  Maybe it was all the hair, but Sandburg was taking longer than his ex-wife to get ready.

 

Finally, the door opened and he emerged, rubbing his hair vigorously to dry it off.

 

Refusing to give in to the urge to recommend a haircut, Jim told him, "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I ordered scrambled eggs, toast and coffee."

 

"That's great.  Thanks," Sandburg replied, a lack of enthusiasm easily heard in his voice, dropping the damp towel on the bed.

 

As he sat down at the table, Jim got up and put the towel back in the bathroom, making a mental note as he did so about introducing his Guide to house rules after their bonding.

 

When he sat back down again, he noticed that the kid was looking rather nervous.  "Something wrong with your eggs?"

 

"No, no!  They're fine.  Thanks."  Sandburg prodded his eggs again.

 

"Okay, Chief, spit it out."

 

He raised his eyebrows.  "Spit what out?"

 

"Whatever it is that's bugging you."  Jim sat back and regarded his Guide-to-be thoughtfully.

 

"Nothing's -"

 

"Sentinel, remember?"

 

Sandburg's vital signs went nuts.  "How can I forget?"

 

Jim grinned.  He knew what the problem was now.  "Relax, Chief.  I wasn't planning on bonding today."

 

"You weren't?!"

 

"Well, not unless you're up for it."  Jim waited a beat then drained his cup.  "Anyway, I've got things to do.  If you need anything, just ask.  Sentinel Niven and Tina will be on duty outside the door."

 

"Gee.  Thanks."

 

"Seeya later, Chief."

 

"Yeah."

 

As the door shut behind him, Jim heard a muttered, "I don't doubt that."

 

~'~

 

Left alone, Blair explored his prison-cell-in-all-but-name; he was determined to distract himself from thinking about the Sentinel and thinking of a way to escape was a good start, to his mind.  He hadn't really been in any kind of condition to notice much the night before, and having to have breakfast with a Sentinel who was planning on bonding with him (even if it wasn't today) had kind of kept his attention on the situation at hand.  However, there really wasn't that much to explore.

 

Having given the room a thorough once-over, Blair opened the door, not surprised to find a Sentinel and Guide waiting for him.

 

"Do you need anything, Blair?"

 

Blair smiled at, he presumed, Sentinel Niven.  "A ton of sage?" he asked, innocently.

 

He got a flicker of a smile in return.  "I'm afraid we're out of sage."

 

"Pity.  I know a great organic health food store that'll deliver though."

 

"Sorry."

 

"Okay, thanks."  Blair shut the door and muttered, "It was worth a try," then yanked the door back open as a roar of voices got his attention.

 

The smile had gone from Sentinel Niven's face, and he had one arm wrapped tightly around his pale-faced Guide.  "Please stay inside, Blair."

 

"What was that?"  Blair stared down the hallway as the roar sounded again, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up at the primal sound.  "What's going on?"

 

He was firmly pushed backwards into the room, Sentinel Niven following him in, bringing his Guide with him.

 

"Andrew Lipton has been brought in to face the Clan," Sentinel Niven said shortly, dipping his head to scent at his Guide's neck.

 

"Who?" Blair asked, his mind distracted by the way Tina visibly calmed down, leaning into her Sentinel instead of clinging to him desperately.

 

For a moment Blair wondered what it was like, then his attention snapped back to the Sentinel as he replied, "Your attacker."

 

Blair's jaw dropped as he realised that he'd forgotten what Ellison had said about bringing the other guy to face the Clan.  His thoughts skittered about, as he tried to avoid thinking about what was happening in the room where the Sentinels were screaming.  Surely they weren't going to kill him?  Blair backed up to his bed and sat down, his emotions churning.  While one part of him hoped they'd rip the guy apart for what he had been about to do, the other part of him, the saner part, did not want the guy killed like Ventriss had been.  Okay, Ventriss had deserved it - and if he'd hurt Marianne, Blair would have been hard pressed not to off the guy himself - but...killing him was so barbaric.  He looked up, staring, almost fascinated, at the kindly Sentinel in front of him, wondering if he'd be howling for revenge like the others if he hadn't been put on duty in the hallway.  Finally, he asked, "What are they going to do to him?"

 

There was a second's pause then Sentinel Niven answered smoothly, "I don't know."

 

Blair knew he was lying.

 

"They won't kill him, if that's what you're worrying about.  If the Senior Sentinel Prime were going to sentence him to death, he would have killed him in the alleyway."

 

Like Ventriss.

 

Gathering himself together as best he could, Blair answered, "Thank you," and was proud of the fact that his voice didn't shake.

 

By the time the door opened again, Blair had argued himself around in a circle and was back at his original not-really-in-favour/half-against state, although he was aware that he had no idea what he was half-against as he didn't know what Ellison was doing to Lipton.  When Ellison finally came back in, Blair was almost startled to see that he looked exactly the same as he had when he left.

 

"Niven, Tina."

 

The pair stood and acknowledged their leader, but the Sentinel continued, "Could I have a word, please, Senior Sentinel Prime?"

 

"Of course."

 

As Tina made to follow him, Sentinel Niven turned back slightly and murmured, "Please stay here, Tina."

 

She looked surprised, but stepped back immediately then, as the door closed, moved over to sit by Blair on his bed.

 

"It's all right, you know," she said, her hand resting on his arm.

 

He could feel the sympathy flowing from her but shut his mind to it.  He didn't want her sympathy, didn't want to be here, and he didn't want to be thinking about what Ellison had done.

 

Her hand moved away but she stayed where she was.  "He had to punish Lipton - he was going to rape you."

 

Blair opened his mouth to speak but she talked over him.

 

"Sentinels protect Guides.  And they'll punish anyone who tries to harm a Guide.  It's what they do.  They need us and if we're threatened then they're threatened.  Self-preservation is - is...."

 

"One of the most powerful urges we have," Blair supplied when words seemed to fail her.

 

"Yes.  Add to that a kind of...well, it's not mother-love, but the urge to protect is there.  You put them together and Sentinels can't help but protect Guides.  And if that means stopping someone who'd hurt us, well, they'll do it!"

 

"I guess.  It's just...."

 

"A shock when you first see the reality of it."

 

"Yeah!  I mean, last night Brad Ventriss was - was..." Blair stumbled over this words, then continued, "and then he was dead!"

 

"Brad Ventriss was a Sentinel too," Tina reminded him.  "But instead of protecting Guides, he was trying to hurt one - no Sentinel would stand aside and see that happen.   If the Senior Sentinel Prime hadn't killed him, one of the others would have, and then they would have challenged the Senior Sentinel Prime for his position because he failed to protect the tribe and the Clan."

 

He looked up, startled, at that.

 

"Remember?  Sentinels need Guides.  You threaten us; you threaten them."

 

Blair really couldn't understand that.  "Ellison seems to be doing okay without one," he retorted.

 

"For now."

 

"For now?  He's fine!  You've seen him!"

 

She stared at him, consternation on her face, then demanded, "Blair, how much do you know about the Sentinel/Guide bond?"

 

He shrugged.  "The same as everyone else, I guess."

 

"Well, think on this: if a Sentinel doesn't bond, sooner or later his senses become too much for him and they overload.  And when that happens, the Sentinel either kills himself or ends up in a psychiatric ward.  And that's if he doesn't fall into a zone out and die because he's in too deep to find his way out again."

 

He gazed at her, not quite believing what she was saying.  "But he's fine!"

 

"For now," she repeated, then patted him on the shoulder.  "Just think about it for a while."

 

~'~

 

Blair thought about it, then thought some more.  He wasn't even halfway through thinking when the two Sentinels returned, and Sentinel Niven and Tina left.

 

"How are you doing, Chief?"

 

He looked up, startled.  "Fine!"

 

"Okay."  As the Sentinel moved towards him, Blair leaned back to avoid him.  "Are you sure you're okay?"

 

"Of course I'm okay.  Why wouldn't I be okay?"  Blair took a breath, aware that he was talking too quickly.  "I was just wondering -"  He stopped, not sure if he really wanted to ask the question.

 

Ellison sat down on the other bed.  "Wondering what, Chief?"

 

Blair looked at him, then looked away.  'I'm wondering if you killed Andrew Lipton in cold blood.'  He looked back at the waiting Sentinel.  He didn't look any different from the guy who'd soothed his nightmares the night before - and then remade his bed for him - but Blair was almost afraid to ask in case he had killed Lipton without a second thought.  Killing Ventriss, Blair could almost, now, understand that - the urge to protect a threatened Guide and to remove a rogue Sentinel had driven Ellison to destroy the Sentinel once and for all.  But, if he'd killed Lipton, it would have been in the cold light of day.

 

"Sandburg?"

 

"What did you do to Lipton?"  The words were almost blurted out as they forced their way past his fear of the answer.

 

"Does it matter?"  Ellison's voice was detached and flatly disinterested.

 

"Yes!"  Blair pushed himself to his feet and stood over the Sentinel.  "Yes, it matters!  What did you do to him?"

 

The Sentinel stood up, his jaw clenching, and Blair took a step back and waited.

 

Finally the Sentinel answered, "I flogged him."

 

For a moment, the words didn't quite make sense, then their meaning sank in.  "You whipped him?!"

 

The muscle at the corner of his jaw flexed again, and Blair stared at it, wondering if it was always such a barometer of the man's mood.

 

"Yes, Sandburg, I whipped him."

 

"And...and...just what?  Threw him out into the street?"

 

"Doctor Harvey and Karl have taken him to hospital."  The muscle was flexing again.

 

"Well, that's big of you!"  Blair shut up as the man grabbed him and shook him slightly.

 

"Look, Sandburg, he was going to rape you.  No one violates a Guide, no one."

 

"But...whipping?!  Jim," Blair put his hands on the Sentinel's arms and felt him relax slightly.  "I don't have a problem with him being punished - but why not through the courts, put him in jail?!"

 

"Because this was a Clan matter.  And this is how we do things."  The Sentinel stared down at him, his jaw working overtime as Blair pulled away.

 

"But it's so...archaic!"

 

"Calm down, Sandburg."  Jim's hands were back on his shoulders, holding him still this time.

 

Blair tried to shrug them off.  The warmth was alluring and Blair felt annoyed with himself for wanting to accept the comfort being offered.  Why couldn't Jim see how over the top his reaction had been?  "Why whip him?  Why not something else?"

 

"Like what?"

 

"I don't know!"  He tried harder to move the hands but Jim tightened his grip and refused to be budged.

 

"Well, until you do, why don't we stick with what works?  He'll never lay a hand on another Guide."

 

Blair shook his head.  "I'm amazed you didn't chop off his hands and have done with it!"

 

Jim's eyes were rapidly turning icy.  "His back will heal.  Amputated hands wouldn't."

 

"And why would that stop you?"

 

There was a few seconds' pause as Blair regretted what he'd said and Jim's hands tightened with anger.

 

"I'm sor -"

 

"If that's what you really think of Sentinels, then maybe this is a mistake."  He let go of Blair and stepped back.

 

Blair didn't even stop to analyse the wrenching sense of loss he was feeling.  "A mistake?  What's a mistake?"

 

"Us.  Bonding."  The muscle was flexing again.

 

"Y-you don't wanna bond with me?  But you need me!"

 

The glare intensified.  "Make no mistake, Sandburg, I don't need anyone!"

 

"But...Tina -"

 

"Tina made a mistake."

 

"It seems like everyone's making mistakes today!" Blair retorted furiously.  Damned stupid Sentinel.  Okay, He'd been out of line with that comment, but he had tried to apologise.  And now that he was changing his mind and thinking maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be too bad to be bonded to Jim - after all, the guy had a sense of humour and, for some reason that he didn't even want to think about, it just felt right to consider being bonded to him - Jim was acting like he didn't even want him!

 

"Well, this is one I'm not making - you're free to go."  Jim grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open.  "Show Sandburg out!" he snapped as he stalked past the waiting Sentinel and Guide.

 

"Senior -"

 

"Wait a minute!"  Blair stalked after him, fuming.  The guy had no right to go chasing him around Cascade, save him from a rogue Sentinel, whip the other guy who was going to rape him (and Blair was sure he'd come to terms with that, sooner or later) and then walk off refusing to bond with him.  "Stubborn, self-sufficient, son of a bitch!"

 

Jim stopped and turned around.  "What did you just say?"

 

"Stubborn, self-sufficient, son of a BITCH!" Blair repeated, getting into his Sentinel's face.

 

The muscle flexed wildly.  "Get out while you still can."

 

"Bite me, Ellison."

 

The glare narrowed.  "Wh-"

 

"Bite.  Me."  Blair was determined they were going to bond now if he had to drag the Sentinel into the bonding suite himself.  "You know you want to - so give it your best shot.  And then I'm gonna kick your ass!"

 

"You and whose army, Sandburg?"

 

"Don't need an army, Ellison.  I can take you on any day of the week!"

 

"Well, let's see then, shall we?" Jim growled, grabbing his arm and yanking him towards a nearby door.

 

Blair allowed himself to be chucked into the bonding suite and waited, foot tapping, while his Sentinel locked the door.

 

"Okay, now what?" Blair demanded.

 

"Lie down."

 

"Fine!"  Blair flopped down on the bonding platform and tilted his head back.  And waited.  Finally, he raised his head and glared at the Sentinel who was standing with his arms folded.  "What are you waiting for?  An engraved invitation?"

 

The Sentinel shook his head and settled down on the bonding platform next to him.  "Why are you doing this, Chief?"

 

"Because there's nothing on the TV.  Now get on with it before I die of old age!"

 

"Fine!" Jim snapped, leaning over him and holding him in place.

 

Blair stared up at the ceiling.  Stubborn, pain in the ass of a Sentinel.  And damned Sentinel Clan with their archaic ideas of punishme -

 

Teeth scraped across his Adam's apple and he lost the thought as a flush of heat spread through him, clouding his mind and making his toes curl.

 

"Not so talkative now, are you, Chief?" the Sentinel murmured.

 

Blair tried to speak but all that came out was a repetitive, "Uh," sound that turned into a quiet wail as the Sentinel bit into his throat.  He tilted his head back even more as endorphins rushed through his bloodstream and exploded into his brain, shattering his mental barriers.

 

~'~

 

The Sentinel growled as he shoved his way through the remnants of his Guide's barriers and invaded his mind.  His anger was gone now, and he was determined to claim his Guide beyond any doubt.  No one would challenge their bond.

 

His Guide was gasping as thoughts and memories were exchanged, and the Sentinel gentled his touch, not wanting to hurt his Guide, in spite of the earlier jibing.  Scenting harshly at his Guide's neck, the Sentinel smiled as the hand that had been pulling at his shoulder relaxed its grip and fell back to the bonding platform, and his Guide slipped into unconsciousness.

 

Restraining the urge to roar with triumph, the Sentinel turned his Guide on his side, and spooned up behind him, snuffling at his hair possessively.  The Guide was his.

 

~'~

 

Edwards put the phone down and tightened his arm around his Guide.  All of the Guides had been clingy, for want of a better word, since Lipton was punished.

 

None of the Sentinels were surprised.  Having a Guide violator, even an attempted one, in the Sentinel Suite had raised all their hackles, and the man had been lucky to escape with his life.  Of course, Lipton had not considered himself lucky.  He'd spent the first few minutes of his punishment screaming that he was going to kill the Senior Sentinel Prime, then the remaining minutes simply screaming.

 

Not that any of the Guides would have been able to hear his screaming over the roaring of the Sentinels as their Senior Sentinel Prime punished the one who had attacked his Guide.

 

Edwards tightened his arm again, then relaxed it slightly.  Flogging Lipton would send a message to all that violating Guides would not be tolerated.  His anger filled him once more and he pushed it down ruthlessly.  His Guide was already nervy enough.

 

"Neds?"

 

He took a deep breath and kept his voice calm, "Yes, David?"

 

"Was it bad news?"

 

Edwards had to think for moment before he remembered the phone call from Captain Banks he'd just taken.  "Nothing that the Senior Sentinel Prime can't handle."  If Mayor Cartwright, Gregory Dupres and Norman Ventriss thought they'd get to question Ellison's Guide about what happened in the alleyway, they'd soon find that they were mistaken.  There had been more than enough Sentinels present to bear witness that the fight had been a fair one.  Ventriss was just going to have to deal with the loss of his rapist son, and he'd soon find that relying on his high-powered friends or the media to put pressure on the Cascade Clan was a mistake.

 

Pushing the thoughts away from him, he concentrated on his Guide.  "C'mon, David, we're going to bond."

 

~'~

 

This time when Blair woke up to find an arm draped possessively over him, he knew whose it was.  And he knew what he'd done.

 

"So.  You regretting it yet, Sandburg?"

 

Blair shrugged sleepily, his eyes still closed.  "Not unless you are."

 

The arm tightened then relaxed.  "I think I can manage to live with it."

 

He smiled, hearing the teasing tone in his Sentinel's voice.  "Good, because I'm not going anywhere."

 

A knock at the door interrupted them and Jim groaned.  "It looks like I'm going somewhere though."

 

Blair stayed where he was as Jim pushed himself up off the bonding platform and went to the door, then smiled as the door was opened approximately two inches with Jim's body blocking the view of whoever was out there.

 

A quiet murmur was all he could hear of the conversation, and his eyes slid shut again as sleep tugged at him.

 

"Chief?"

 

Forcing his eyes open, Blair looked up.

 

"Stay here.  I won't be long."

 

Blair frowned, pushing the fog of tiredness away and trying to raise enough energy to get up.  "What's the matter?"

 

"Nothing.  Just stay here."

 

There was something wrong, he knew it.  Even ignoring the feelings he was picking up, he would have been able to tell from Jim's face - that muscle was flexing again.  He managed to sit up and started a protest, "But -"

 

"No.  Stay here."

 

The door shut behind him and Blair flopped back on the platform, feeling rather like a bride whose husband has gone fishing on the first day of their honeymoon.

 

~'~

 

"Senior Sentinel Prime."  Mayor Julius Cartwright was, as always, a busy man but this kind of outrage required his personal attention.  Especially as his friends and very important business associates were involved.

 

"Mayor Cartwright.  What brings you here?"

 

Julius was rather taken aback at that.  Surely the Senior Sentinel Prime knew of this terrible occurrence?  Drawing himself up to his full height, he intoned impressively, "We are here because of the murder of Mr. Ventriss' son!"  One hand gracefully indicated the grieving father at his side.

 

While not looking shocked, Ellison did raise his eyebrows.  "Murder?"

 

To Julius' intense surprise, it appeared that the Senior Sentinel Prime was not aware of this horrible event.  It was fortunate that they had insisted upon seeing him.  Briefly, he wondered if the Sentinel was losing his touch and hoped that Sentinel Prime Edwards would be easier to deal with.

 

"Yes!" Norman's voice shook with his emotion.  "Bradley was murdered by an out of control Sentinel - left to die in an alleyway.  And all because some Guide claims that Bradley was attacking him.  Which is something we all know to be untrue!"

 

"Do we?"

 

"Bradley was a Sentinel!" Norman retorted.  "He would never have hurt any Guide.  Not even one who was attempting to lead him on!"

 

"So you're saying that this Guide -"

 

"Must have been working as a prostitute!"

 

Julius tsked and shook his head.  After years of successfully dealing with the Clan he knew that criticising a Guide, even one like this, was a mistake.  Fortunately, before he had to speak, Gregory stepped in.

 

"We don't know that for sure!"  Gregory was looking uncomfortable as he shook his head at Norman.  "It could simply have been a misunderstanding - but to say that Brad was attempting to attack the Guide is, obviously, ridiculous."

 

The Senior Sentinel Prime's voice was harsh as he replied, "And yet the Sentinels present will all bear witness to the attempted violation of the Guide."

 

Julius felt his eyes bulge with shock.  Attempted violation?  Ellison was making it sound as though he was siding with the Guide's ludicrous version of the event.

 

"They're lying!" Norman snapped and Julius murmured his agreement.  "It's obvious that this Guide has...has colluded with them in some way in an attempt to make himself look like the victim!  I demand we see this Guide - and the Sentinel who murdered my son."

 

"My Guide is resting and will not be disturbed." Ellison replied, even more to Julius' shock.  Ellison had bonded with this Guide?  "And I am the one who defended my Guide and punished the one who was attempting to violate him."

 

Julius began to suspect that he'd made a mistake in bringing Norman to see Ellison.  He took a step back, subtly signifying that this debacle had little to do with him.

 

Norman was looking rather white.  "You -"

 

"I defended my Guide.  Your son was killed in a fair fight and my Clan will bear witness to that."  Ellison's hand snapped out and he took the file Edwards held ready.  "Your son, Mr. Ventriss, had been accused of rape on more than one occasion."

 

Julius tsked again and felt the sweat break out on his forehead.  Ventriss had failed to mention that when he insisted that his son had been foully murdered.

 

"Those allegations were totally false!"

 

"It's true that Ventriss was never put on trial but it certainly shows that his reputation would bear out my Guide's allegations, even if there weren't several Sentinels and Guides able to corroborate his story."  Ellison's glare became grimmer and Julius was glad that he was not on the receiving end of it.  "In short, sir, your son attacked my Guide and was killed for it.  He was not murdered."

 

"I demand to speak to the G -"

 

"I'm sure that we do not wish to cause the Senior Sentinel Prime's Guide any more distress," Julius interrupted, determined to shut Ventriss up before he got them all killed.  "It's obvious that a mistake was made."  He was glad to see that Gregory was nodding in agreement; it must have occurred to him too that they were in over their heads on this one.  Regrettable though Brad's death was, Ventriss would just have to come to terms with it.  "And now, we've taken up far too much of your valuable time, Senior Sentinel Prime.  My congratulations on your bonding."

 

"Congratulations?!" Ventriss appeared to choke on the word.  "He's bonded to that -"

 

"Naturally, it is a matter for celebration when the Senior Sentinel Prime bonds."  Julius glared at Ventriss, wishing he'd take the hint and shut up about the Guide.  With a trickle of unease, Julius realised that he could not even depend upon his status to save him if the Senior Sentinel Prime chose to go primal over the insults offered to his Guide.  One of the first things he'd learned in office was that insulting a bonded Guide was a big mistake - and insulting the Sentinel Guide Prime had to be an even bigger one.  Glancing over his shoulder at the Sentinels present, Julius gulped.  Ellison was looking like a large cat who was more than capable of defending his cub and the other Sentinels weren't looking much more civilised.  "Well," he continued, "I think we've taken up more than enough of the Senior Sentinel Prime's time."

 

"Yes, I agree," Gregory chimed in.  He glanced at his watch.  "Is that the time?  I have a business meeting to get to -"

 

"Don't you want to see your daughter?"  The glint in the Senior Sentinel Prime's eye was unnerving and Julius was more than relieved that he didn't have a daughter who was a Guide.

 

Gregory looked trapped for a second, his eyes betraying his fear of being cut out from the herd and left to deal with a bunch of predators, then he reasserted his dignity.  "Naturally, I'll be only too pleased to see Marianne.  And her Sentinel, of course.  I'd like to offer them my congratulations."

 

Ellison glanced over his shoulder.  "Edwards."

 

"This way, Mr. Dupres."

 

"Well!  We need to uh..."  Julius glanced around.  Ventriss was grinding his teeth but he was, for now, staying silent, thank God.  "We'll wait for Gregory downstairs."  Leading the way out, Julius sighed with relief as the elevator doors slid shut.

 

"Juli -"

 

"Not a word, Norman!"  Julius was furious.  If he'd had any idea about Brad Ventriss' past he would never have agreed to confront the Senior Sentinel Prime like that.  Pulling out his handkerchief, he mopped his forehead.  He'd give Gregory fifteen minutes.  If he wasn't out by then, he was on his own.

 

~'~

 

Jim smiled as the mayor scuttled off to the elevator with Ventriss in tow.  From the amount of sweat that had popped into view on the politician's forehead, he'd been regretting coming to the Sentinel Suite for the past five minutes.  He'd certainly stank enough of fear.

 

Shaking his head, the Sentinel went back to the bonding suite.  He had his Guide to deal with.

 

Naturally, Sandburg was still awake when Jim got into the bonding suite, although his eyes were clouded with tiredness and his speech was slightly slurred.

 

"Everything all right, man?"

 

"It's fine, Chief."  Curling up around his Guide, the Sentinel allowed himself to relax.  "Go back to sleep."

 

"What was wrong?"

 

"I'll explain later."

 

"But if it was important -"

 

"It's been dealt with now.  Go to sleep."  He smiled as his Guide finally gave in and slid back into unconsciousness, then frowned.  He hoped Sandburg wasn't going to be this stubborn all the time.

 

~'~

 

"Hey, there's my car!"

 

Jim grinned as he parked the truck next to the green Volvo.  "That's because this is the loft."

 

Sandburg looked around as he got out.  "Well, it looks like a street to me but if you want to call it a loft..."  He trailed off and glanced at Jim, a gleam of mischief in his eyes, "After all, you are the one with the Sentinel eyesight."

 

"That's right.  Which means I can recognise a lousy joke when I see one."

 

"Ha ha.  Comedy Central must be missing you."

 

Jim grinned again as he led the way into the apartment building then stopped grinning as he discovered that the elevator wasn't working.  "Okay, Chief, I hope you like stairs."

 

"No problem, man.  Stairs are good for you."

 

He frowned as he followed his bouncing Guide up the stairs.  Was Sandburg always this enthusiastic about exercise?  Oh well, if he was, he'd appreciate it all the more when the elevator wasn't working - which seemed to be most of the time lately, regardless of what the building committee said.  Jim made a mental note to contact them again and complain about the elevator.  He didn't pay service charges for nothing and the elevator was definitely a service - when it worked.  Unlocking the door, he showed Sandburg in.  The kid would have to sleep on the couch tonight but the spare room didn't need much fixing up at all.  A bit of paint and some furniture would do.

 

"Jim, this is great!  I love the space!"  Sandburg tilted his head back and stared up at the high ceilings then threw a glance over his shoulder.  "Painting up there must be a challenge."  His eye was caught by the balcony windows and he headed in their direction.  "Wow!  Check out that view."

 

"Not bad, huh?"  Jim liked the view.  It was one of the reasons he'd bought the loft in the first place.

 

"Not bad?  On a clear day, you can see forever, man!"

 

"Not quite that far, Darwin, even with my eyesight."  Leading the way to the spare room, Jim pushed open the door.  "This'll be your room.  We can pick out paint -"

 

"Uh...my room?"

 

"Yes, your room."  The Sentinel turned to eye his Guide, hoping this wasn't about to turn into a battle.  His Guide's stance suggested that it was.

 

"Jim, I have a place to live."

 

"Yes, Sandburg, and it's a warehouse."

 

"But it's my warehou - how do you know it's a warehouse?"

 

Jim shrugged.  "I've seen it."

 

The kid's jaw dropped.  "The truck.  The blue and white truck - I knew I recognised it!  I knew it was too clean the first time I saw it!"

 

He frowned.  Sometimes Sandburg really didn't make any sense.  He was about to ask for enlightenment, though he was sure he'd regret it, when the phone rang.  "Hold that thought."  Leaving the kid at the door to his room, Jim grabbed the receiver.  "Ellison."

 

"Jimmy?  It's Dad."

 

"Hey, Dad.  How are you?"

 

"I'm fine.  So...I hear you bonded today?"

 

Jim frowned at the phone.  Talk about news travelling fast.  "Yeah, I was gonna call you.  How did you find out?"

 

His father sighed.  "Norman Ventriss."

 

Of all the names his father could have said, that was one Jim did not expect.  "Norman Ventriss phoned you and told you about my bonding?"

 

Sandburg's head snapped around as the name got his attention, and Jim waved him over then draped an arm across his shoulders, tilting the phone so they could both hear.

 

"Not quite, Jimmy.  He was trying to get backing to take down the Clan, and your bonding was mentioned during his diatribe."

 

The Sentinel felt the shock that rippled through his Guide, and tightened his grip.

 

"You don't need to worry though.  No one in Cascade is foolish enough to take on the Clan.  And even if they were, they wouldn't try it - you can take my word for that."

 

"Thanks, Dad."

 

"Not a problem, son.  So, when do I get to meet this Guide of yours?  You are planning on introducing him to the family, aren't you?"

 

"Yes, Dad, I'll be introducing him to everyone."

 

"Good.  Steven says he wants to meet the saint who's taken you on."

 

Jim grinned despite the stiffness of his Guide's shoulders.  "Tell him to be careful of Sandburg's halo.  It's crooked at the best of times."

 

"I'll do that, Jimmy."

 

"I'll call you tomorrow and set up a dinner date."

 

"Good.  Take care of yourself, and say hi to...what did you say his name was?  Sandburg?"

 

"Blair, Dad.  Blair Sandburg."

 

"Say hi to Blair for me."

 

"I will, Dad.  Bye."

 

"Bye, Jimmy."

 

Putting the phone down, Jim let the kid shrug his shoulders free and gazed at the back that was presented to him.  "You okay, Chief?"

 

Another shrug, then Sandburg turned around.  "I'm sorry."

 

"What for?"

 

He shook his head.  "I didn't think Ventriss would try to target the Clan, I -"

 

"Hold up, Sandburg, Ventriss' actions aren't your responsibility.  He's pissed because his son was killed - I did that."

 

"Yeah, but you wouldn't -"

 

"Brad Ventriss was a rogue Sentinel.  Sooner or later, someone would have had to take him down.  And better that it was now, like this, than after he'd bonded to some Guide.  Ventriss can try to make all the trouble he wants.  He can't harm the Clan and he can't harm the Senior Sentinel Prime or his Guide.  And, believe me, if he tries to come after me personally, he'll find my dad has enough clout to take him on financially."

 

There was another shrug and Jim let the subject drop.  Time would show his Guide there was nothing to worry about.  In the meantime....

 

"Now, all we have to do is decide what colour to paint your room."  He laid his arm across Sandburg's shoulders again and steered him back to the open door.  "I'm thinking pink."

 

"Pink?!"

 

"You like pink?  Good, pink it is."

 

"No, Jim!  Definitely no pink!"

 

Jim sighed.  "You're so fussy, Sandburg, you know that?"

 

~'~

 

Staring up at the ceiling, Blair thought back over the day.  He shouldn't have bonded with Jim, he knew that now.  Bonding with Jim had made him a target for Ventriss' anger too.  Sure, Ventriss would have been furious with Jim anyway, but he probably would have been satisfied with purging his anger on the no-good Guide who'd 'lured' Brad to his death.

 

Sighing, Blair turned over on the couch.  There was no way that Ventriss was going to let this go.  And if Ventriss was anything like his son, revenge was going to be the only thing on his mind.

 

"Sandburg!"

 

His breath caught in his throat for a moment, then he relaxed.  "Yeah?"

 

"Go to sleep.  I can hear you thinking all the way up here."  Listening, he heard Jim turn over in bed.  "Don't make me come down there and deal with you."

 

He smiled, in spite of it all.  "Okay, Jim, I'm going to sleep now."

 

"Good."  There was a pause then, "Don't worry about it, Chief.  It'll be fine."

 

'Easy for you to say, man.'  "Okay.  Night, Jim."  Blair shut his eyes determinedly.  Maybe if he went to see Ventriss?  Maybe if he explained?  Maybe he could talk the guy around.  Somehow.

 

~'~

 

Of course, like the best laid plans, things did not go quite as Blair planned.  For a start, he had failed to take into account the fact that he was newly bonded and that his Sentinel was extremely reluctant to let him out of his sight for longer than strictly necessary.

 

"Jim?"

 

His Sentinel looked up from the mountain of paperwork that was threatening to collapse his desk.

 

"I'm just heading over to Rainier to drop off some papers.  I'll be back later, okay?"

 

"I'll drive you."

 

"It's fine, Jim.  I'll catch a bus."

 

"It'll be quicker if I drive you."  Jim grabbed his jacket then steered Blair towards the elevator.  "We'll grab lunch on the way back and then you can help with my paperwork."

 

"You didn't bond with me just to get a secretary, did you, Jim?"

 

"Sandburg!  What an idea!"  The smirk on Jim's face said it all.

 

"Yeah, right."

 

Once they were back in the bullpen, with Jim casting odd looks at Blair's healthy choice of sandwich, Blair buckled down to the paperwork and started clearing Jim's backlog of reports.  For some reason, Captain Banks, Jim's boss, was not keen on the way Jim wrote his reports, although Blair could see why Jim believed that, as they contained all the salient points, everyone should be happy with them.

 

Blair guessed that, "Knew store clerk was guilty.  Arrested him," wasn't enough for the paper pushers who dwelt 'upstairs' somewhere in City Hall.

 

~'~

 

Two days of being practically joined at the hip later, Blair's chance came when Jim was called into a meeting with a bunch of bureaucrats.  For a moment, Jim hovered by the desk, his desire to keep his Guide with him clearly at odds with the desire to keep his Guide from dying of boredom.

 

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

 

"I'll be fine, Jim."  Blair made sure to keep his voice calm.  If he gave one hint of nervousness, he'd either end up being dragged into the meeting or handed over to another Sentinel for safekeeping.

 

"We'll keep an eye on him, Jim," Brown, one of the other detectives Blair had met that morning, offered.

 

Jim's gaze turned to the nearby desk as Brown and his partner, Rafe, were weighed up as possible protectors of Jim's Guide.  The muscle in his jaw flexed, then he nodded slowly.  "Thanks, H."

 

As he turned back to his Guide, Blair spoke up hurriedly.  "It'll be okay."

 

"Okay."  Jim hovered for a few more seconds, then finally left.

 

Blair sighed.

 

"Never mind, Hairboy," Henri told him, coming to perch on the edge of the desk.  "Jim'll be back soon."

 

"I know, H., thanks."  Blair smiled and turned his attention back to the paperwork.  All he needed now was a way to get out of the bullpen without Henri and Rafe noticing.

 

His chance came sooner than he'd hoped as first Henri then Rafe were called away.  Rafe paused in the doorway.

 

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

 

Blair smiled reassuringly, incredibly glad that Rafe was not a Sentinel and therefore could not detect anything out of the ordinary.  "Yeah, positive."

 

"Well, H. should be back in a few minutes."

 

"Yeah, I know."  He watched Rafe hover thinking that if the guy didn't get a move on, Henri would be back before Rafe had gone.  "Rafe!"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Go.  I'll be fine."

 

"Okay, well...if you're sure."

 

"Positive," Blair repeated.  He waited until Rafe was out of sight then dropped his already scribbled note on the desk and grabbed his jacket and backpack.  While he would, hopefully, be back before Jim was, there was no point in leaving his Sentinel to worry.  Although how calming he'd find, "Jim.  Back soon.  Don't worry.  Blair," was another matter.

 

Exiting the police station, he glanced around, feeling vaguely paranoid.  No one seemed to be paying him any attention and he was glad of it as he really didn't want a repeat of the other day.  He headed off down the street to find a phone booth that wasn't too close to the station; there was no point in giving his Sentinel the slip if he was going to stand outside the P.D., in full view, phoning hotels in an attempt to find Norman Ventriss.

 

Phone booths were a-plenty, it was finding an unvandalised phone booth that proved to be a challenge but Blair finally found one and dived into it with all the relief of a homing pigeon after a long flight.  Grabbing the receiver, he fed a chunk of change into the machine, pulled up the phonebook and looked through 'hotels'.  Ignoring all the ones that advertised full colour TVs or vibrating beds, he started with the ones that didn't bother to list a price.  Seven hotels later, he hit paydirt.

 

It wasn't until he got out of the cab outside the hotel that doubts assailed him.  He really didn't think that Ventriss would go crazy and try to kill him in the hotel lobby; at least, he hoped he wouldn't.  In any case, as Jim's Guide, he had to try to talk Ventriss out of this stupid desire for revenge, although he made a mental note to not refer to it as 'stupid' in any way, shape or form.  Staring up at the impressive facade of the over-priced hotel, he stiffened his backbone and headed inside.

 

~'~

 

"What the -"  Edwards threw his newspaper on the floor and shoved his cell phone into David's hands, ignoring the surprise that rippled through their bond.  "Call Ellison," he growled, then set off across the lobby floor.  Damned Guides!  He'd known from the start that Ellison's Guide was a trouble magnet but he hadn't expected the short, scruffy, pain in the ass to go out looking for trouble.  And yet here he was, alone, defenceless, in the lobby of Norman Ventriss' hotel.  Well, if Edwards didn't kill him, Ellison certainly would.

 

The kid took a moment to appreciate the view of the reception desk, and Edwards' mouth quirked a smile in spite of himself; David had been appreciative of the same lovely receptionist.  He followed as Sandburg headed towards the bank of phones and extended his hearing to listen in even as he stalked his prey.  There was no need for subtlety; Sandburg's attention was concentrated on whatever he was up to and Edwards doubted if he'd notice if a brass band were to march through the lobby.

 

"Could I have Mr. Norman Ventriss' room, please?"

 

Edwards ignored the stereo input as he heard the girl on the reception desk through the phone as well as from across the lobby, and reached over Sandburg's shoulder to gently lay a hand on the cradle of the phone.

 

He smiled as it took a few seconds for the silence on the line to filter through to the kid, then Sandburg's gaze went from the hand on the phone, up Edwards' arm until their eyes met.

 

"Sentinel Edwards!"  The kid's eyes looked as though they were about to fall out of his head.

 

"Senior Guide Prime.  Where's your Sentinel?"

 

His gaze darted about for a few seconds but Edwards knew he was looking for an answer as opposed to looking for his Sentinel.

 

"Well, why don't we go and sit down while we wait for him?"  Keeping a smile on his face, in spite of his gritted teeth, Edwards took the receiver and placed it back on the cradle, then wrapped a hand around Sandburg's arm to escort him to their seats.  After the incident with the sage in the car, he didn't trust the kid not to take off on the spot.

 

"The Senior Sentinel Prime is on his way," David murmured as they sat next to him.

 

Sandburg groaned.  "Oh, God."

 

"No, your Sentinel," Edwards smiled grimly, "although you might be able to appease him by treating him like a God for the next few days."  His smile grew as the Guide at his side slid further down in his chair.  Yep, payback was a bitch.

 

~'~

 

"Edwards, David," Jim's voice was icily polite as he stood over the three of them, "thank you for minding my Guide.  Sandburg."

 

"Hey, Jim."  Blair kept his voice calm and even, although he had no doubt that the two Sentinels were picking up on his racing heartbeat.  His heartbeat raced even more when Jim grasped his arm firmly and helped him out of his chair.

 

"Let's go."

 

In spite of everything, including the manically twitching muscle in his jaw, Jim remained silent until they got to the loft.  Blair was surprised he'd managed to hold it that long.

 

The door was shut, locked and chained behind them, and Blair eyed it with disquiet.  Was Jim expecting him to make a break for it?

 

"Would you care to tell me what the hell you thought you were doing?"

 

Blair took a deep breath, fighting to keep his calm.  "Going to see Ventriss to try to persuade him to leave the Clan alone."

 

He watched as Jim paced back and forth furiously.  "Alone?  By yourself?  Do you have any idea what could have happened to you if Edwards hadn't been watching Ventriss?"

 

"Edwards and David," Blair corrected.

 

"What?"  Jim stopped pacing to stare at him.

 

"Edwards and David.  Do you guys even realise you're doing it?"

 

Jim looked nonplussed, as though the argument he'd been intending to have had taken a sharp right into the Sandburg Zone.

 

"Edwards," Blair repeated.  "Edwards was watching Ventriss.  Not 'Edwards and David', although David was there, you know.  He was doing his part."

 

"I know he was doing his part!"

 

"So what did you think I was doing?"

 

"What?"  Jim's jaw muscle was dancing faster than Baryshnikov.

 

"What did you think I was doing?"  Blair enunciated the words carefully.  Then, as Jim looked at him blankly, he continued, "I was protecting the Clan, Jim.  That's what I was doing."

 

Jim shook his head in return.  "Sandburg -"

 

"Yeah, I know.  Sentinels protect Guides and Guides...what?  Hide under the bed?  Do nothing?  Or do nothing but support their Sentinels?"  He stalked forward and poked Jim in the chest.  "I was doing my duty as Senior Guide Prime.  And don't you forget it."

 

His wrists were caught and held by the still-angry Sentinel.  "I realise that you were doing your duty, Sandburg, but you didn't have to do it in such an inane, brainless and reckless way.  Ventriss could have killed you!"

 

Blair tugged on his wrists.  "He was hardly likely to kill me in the lobby and that's where I was planning to meet up with him."  He pulled again, but Jim wasn't taking the hint and letting go.  "If anyone is going to have a chance to talk him out of going for revenge, it's you or me.  And you're not trying to talk to him - you're having him watched."

 

The fingers tightened slightly.  "To make sure that he doesn't attack my Guide, the Clan or me.  I sure as hell don't want you wandering in there trying to talk to him - it's dangerous!"

 

Blair sighed.  "Jim, I realise that you're only trying to protect me and the Clan but can't you see that I need to protect you and the Clan too?"

 

His wrists were released and the Sentinel turned away, his teeth grinding.

 

"It's okay for you to put yourself in dangerous situations to protect the Clan or the tribe...or me, isn't it?"

 

"That's different!"  The answer sounded like an angry cat's snarl.

 

"How is it different, Jim?  Because Guides are weaker?  We can defend ourselves too, you know!"

 

With a speed that stole his breath, he was grabbed, yanked to the floor and his Sentinel rolled them over to pin him in place.

 

"I didn't see you defending yourself there, Sandburg."

 

He stared up into the Sentinel's eyes, his body taut with resistance.  "You are stronger than I am, Jim.  I know that."

 

"So where's your argument now?"

 

"Sentinels are stronger than most people, including their Guides.  It doesn't mean that Guides are less than Sentinels," he spoke over the Sentinel when he tried to answer, "or more in need of protection!  Men are generally stronger than women.  Does that mean that women can't defend themselves?  Can't join the Armed Forces or be a fireman, coastguard or cop?"

 

"That's a totally different argument, Sandburg, and you know it!"

 

"Is it?"  He sat up as Jim rolled off him to sit by his hip.  "This is a partnership, Jim - a partnership of equals.  It's symbiotic; you need me and I need you.  That doesn't make me less able to defend myself even though my defences aren't brute strength and sheer physical mass!"  His voice softened, "I trust you to watch my back, Jim, I trust you one hundred percent."  He laid a hand on his Sentinel's arm, letting the bond flare.  "Don't you trust me to watch yours?"

 

"Yes."  Jim sighed but shook his head.  "But I can't and won't see you walk into a dangerous situation - no Sentinel could see their Guide do that, and you can't expect them to change!"

 

"I wasn't going to go leaping into a house fire or tangle with machine gun wielding maniacs; I was trying to meet Ventriss to talk with him.  And it wasn't going to be that dangerous, Jim.  I was going to ask him to meet me in the lobby - with witnesses."

 

"Witnesses who had no idea that you needed protecting."

 

"I don't need protecting, Jim."  Blair sighed.  Was it hard-wired into their brains or something?  'Protect the Guide; treat the Guide like he's made of glass.'

 

"I think we're gonna have to agree to disagree on that, Sandburg."  The tone in the Sentinel's voice and the glint in his eye suggested that 'agreeing to disagree' was not going to change a thing.

 

"Maybe we are.  As long as you don't try to stop me from doing what I think is necessary."

 

Jim's tone was grim.  "And as long as you accept that I'll do what I think is necessary."

 

His answer was lost as the Sentinel pushed him flat and moved to claim him.  The bond flared as strong teeth bit into his neck, marking their territory and, as he spiralled down into incoherent euphoria, his last thought was that if he had to fight his own Sentinel for equality, then he would.

 

~'~

 

"Senior Sentinel Prime."

 

"Edwards."

 

Edwards put the coffee pot down and stepped back.  A quick glance around the room confirmed what his senses had already told him: the Senior Guide Prime was not present.

 

"He's at my desk."

 

Naturally, Ellison had worked out who he was looking for.  Edwards gave a brief nod, although he was surprised that Ellison trusted his Guide to stay put after yesterday.  Although he hadn't said a word, an eyebrow quirked in his direction.

 

"He knows better than to disappear on me again."

 

Edwards scanned the room again, this time to make sure they were alone.  "Did he explain what he was up to?"  If the Senior Sentinel Prime objected to discussing his Guide, he'd certainly say so, but Edwards was prepared to risk a snub to satisfy his curiosity.

 

Ellison sighed.  "He was hoping to talk Ventriss out of whatever revenge he's got planned for us."

 

In spite of himself, Edwards' eyebrows shot skywards.  That had been the only possible reason he'd been able to think of for Blair to go and see Ventriss, but he still felt surprised when Ellison confirmed it.  The kid had guts, he'd give him that.

 

"I know."  Ellison shook his head.  "He said, and I quote, that it was his duty to protect the tribe."

 

Guts and a stubborn streak, if Ellison's displeasure was anything to go by.  "Well, he is the Senior Guide Prime."

 

He earned a glare for that.  "I know that!  It's just..."  Ellison put the coffee pot down and turned to face him.  "He's my Guide."

 

"And you'd rather he didn't put himself in that kind of situation."

 

There was a slight grinding of teeth, then Ellison smiled ruefully.  "He's got some weird kind of idea that Guides are seen as less than equal.  That we treat them like they're made of glass because we don't think they can deal with danger."

 

Edwards snorted, indignantly.  "That's nonsense!"

 

"That's what I told him."  From the look that Ellison was giving him, his convictions had been challenged.  "How would you react if David put himself in danger?"

 

The Sentinel in Edwards surged forward, ready to challenge the Senior Sentinel Prime for merely thinking of such a thing, but he forced it back, determinedly; Ellison wasn't suggesting he put David in danger, no Sentinel would suggest that about a Guide.  "Well...I... I'd..."  He gave it up and admitted, "I'd drag him out of there and shake him until his teeth rattled."

 

"Even if it was to save you?"

 

"I can take care of myself!" he snapped.  David in danger?  The very idea gave him the shudders.

 

"And David can't?"

 

"He's my Guide!"

 

Ellison leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.  "That's Sandburg's point."

 

Edwards scowled, grinding his teeth as he did so.  "What's Sandburg's point?  That I should let my Guide be put in danger?"

 

"That Sentinels refuse to let their Guides watch their backs because they are Guides."

 

"Okay, Ellison, you may be able to understand the kid, but he's lost me.  What exactly is he suggesting we do?  Put our Guides out there with no kind of protection at all?"

 

"He's saying that if we put ourselves in danger, we should accept it when our Guides do the same."

 

"Stuff and nonsense!  Protecting Guides is what being a Sentinel is all about!  We can't do any less.  Why if David were to...to...walk into Ventriss' hotel and try to meet him, I'd tie him up in our apartment until he's learnt some sense!"

 

"And yet, he's the Guide Prime."

 

"I don't care!  If it's a choice between him being Guide Prime or me keeping him safe, I'll -"  He bit his lip, suddenly realising where Ellison was going with this.  "I'll put the tribe before my own safety but I won't let David do the same."

 

"Exactly."

 

"With all due respect, Senior Sentinel Prime, does the Senior Guide Prime intend to upset all our conventions?" Edwards demanded, acerbically.  "If so, tell me now and I'll buy stocks in ulcer medicine!"

 

"Only those he can get away with, Edwards."  Ellison's face became grim.  "And putting himself, or any Guide, in danger, is not one he'll succeed in."

 

"Does he know that?"

 

"He will."

 

Ellison left, taking two cups of coffee with him, and Edwards glared down at the coffee pot.  Okay, if he was honest, Guides weren't treated the same as Sentinels but...  His thoughts went to his own Guide, and he softened.  If he had to destroy all of Cascade to keep David safe, he'd do it, and he knew that Ellison felt the same way about Sandburg.  He shook his head.  Let Sandburg rail against accepted convention all he wanted.  If he was hoping to revolutionise the Clan and put Guides out there, in as much danger as Sentinels faced on far too regular a basis, he was doomed to disappointment.

 

~'~

 

Life gradually calmed down, as much as it ever could when Sentinels, Guides and police officers are involved.  The media attention that had been worsened by Brad Ventriss' death, died down, and Norman Ventriss, his business badly damaged by William Ellison and his cronies, returned to Bismarck and set about rebuilding his empire.  This led to a more relaxed atmosphere among the members of the Cascade Clan as the Bismarck Clan, (of whom Brad Ventriss had most certainly never been a member), had sworn to let them know if Norman Ventriss left North Dakota or contacted any high-priced 'terminators'.

 

Even the slight strain that had been evident between the Senior Sentinel Prime and his Guide seemed to have disappeared as Blair settled into life as the Senior Guide Prime.

 

Blair had to admit, it wasn't all bad.  He liked working with Jim, he liked working in the P.D., and it was amazing how often his anthropological background came in handy when helping Jim investigate cases.  If there was a drawback, and there was, it was the fact that he was all too aware of the protection thrown up around him; not just as a Sentinel's Guide but also as the Senior Guide Prime.

 

Tuesday was a prime example, no pun intended, of the over-protection he was 'enjoying'.

 

Blair had always found his office hours to be convenient.  If students needed help or wanted to discuss their grades, they knew when and where to find him - as opposed to chasing him down at inconvenient moments and making him late for class.  If no students turned up, well, it gave him a couple of hours twice a week to get some of his own work done (assuming Ric and Matt didn't turn up and spend the two hours goofing off in his office).  So, in every respect, Ric and Matt excepting, Blair's office hours were useful and smooth-running.  Until Tuesday.

 

It wasn't until Baxter Page was sitting in the chair opposite him, waving his hands wildly as he protested the very unfair (in his opinion) 'E' grade he'd been given, that Blair realised why Baxter's essays had suddenly become incomprehensible and full of inaccuracies.  The kid was high on drugs.

 

Blair began to try to calm Baxter down.  He had a marked lack of success as the kid surged to his feet and started waving his fists in Blair's direction, all the while telling him exactly what would happen to him if he didn't alter his grade, "And pronto, Tonto!"

 

"Look, Baxter, just take a deep breath -"  Blair needed to take a deep breath himself then as his door almost came off its hinges as Sentinel Selby came bursting through it, with Tony, his Guide, on his heels.

 

Within seconds, Baxter's face was up close and personal with the plaster on Blair's office walls, while Tony phoned the Senior Sentinel Prime and campus security.

 

Security arrived at pretty much the same time as Jim did, which was fortunate for Baxter as the Senior Sentinel Prime was extremely displeased at the thought of someone vocally abusing his Guide.  Baxter took one look at the livid Sentinel, the happy haze of drugs almost instantly evaporating from his system as old forgotten urges screamed 'fight or flight', and meekly accompanied security from the office.

 

As soon as Baxter was out of the office, Blair was yanked to Jim's side, one heavy hand running over his head and shoulders as his frantic Sentinel checked that he was unharmed.

 

Blair tried to calm his Sentinel down by leaning into him and soothingly stroking his arm.  "Jim, I'm fine, really."

 

"We're going home."

 

The arm around his waist tightened as he stiffened in resistance.  "I have office hours, Jim."

 

"We're going home."

 

Blair ground his teeth, a habit which he was positive he'd picked up from his Sentinel.  He knew, oh how he knew, that if the Guide were threatened, the Sentinel had a few stock responses: defend Guide; get Guide back to own territory; bond with Guide.  He suspected that response two and three were the ones he was facing.  His innate stubbornness had him attempting to dig his heels in as Jim pulled him towards the door.  "Jim!  I'm not going home now - I need to mark these books!"  Giving it up, he grabbed for what blue books he could reach, and snagged his backpack from the sympathetic Tony as they passed him.

 

"At least let me put them away!"

 

His words were totally ignored as he was hauled outside and practically shoved into the truck.

 

"For God's sake, Jim, give me a minute!" Blair snapped, as he stuffed the books into his backpack.  There really weren't enough of them; he'd left more than half the pile behind.  Blair was not at all impressed with the turn of events.  Okay, his Sentinel was upset that he'd almost been attacked by a student, but hauling him out of there like this was a bit much.  He tried to push his Sentinel back as that worthy (or unworthy) individual reached for the seatbelt, and said, soothingly, "Look, Jim...I'll just fetch the rest of the blue books and then I'll be -"

 

Jim slammed the seatbelt buckle shut with a distinct 'thunk' and glared at Blair.

 

Okay, he wasn't leaving the truck.  "Or you could fetch them, I don't mind."

 

His door slammed shut and Jim stalked around the front of the truck to get into the driver's seat.

 

"Or I'll do without them.  That's okay too," Blair commented, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.  Sighing, he added, more to himself than to Jim, "Maybe I can stay late tomorrow night to mark the rest."

 

He got a growl for that comment, and sighed again.  He guessed staying late anywhere was out of the question right now.

 

Once back at the loft, he was all but dragged out of the truck and into the elevator which was, for once, working.  Blair was relieved.  From the look on Jim's face, if the elevator hadn't been working, he would have shot it.

 

Upstairs and in the loft itself, Blair's backpack was tugged from his hand and thrown to one side.

 

"You know, big guy," Blair commented, his sense of humour rearing its ugly head, "if I did that you'd quote the House Rules at me."  His jacket was yanked off him and thrown in the direction of the backpack.  "But oh no, it's one rule for Sentinels and one rule for Gui-iiii -"  He was pushed flat on the hearthrug and looked his Sentinel in the eye.  "That's right, push the little guy around."

 

His Sentinel growled.  Jim really didn't like it when Blair made snide comments during bonding.

 

"I don't mind.  Just flatten me as well.  See?  No problem."

 

His wrists were grabbed and held above his head, even though he wasn't attempting to resist, and then his Sentinel growled in his face.

 

"Ooh, I'm scared, man."  Tilting his head back he muttered, "Bite me, Jim!"

 

He grinned as his Sentinel nipped at his neck, then sighed as the bonding heat flooded through him.  No wonder Guides didn't mind bonding, he thought, vaguely.  Really.  If they sold this as a drug, the entire country would be addicted.

 

~'~

 

Sitting at the table later while marking his meagre amount of blue books, Blair's mind returned to the whole 'overprotection' issue and he fumed quietly about it.  His mother had enjoyed travelling to different parts of the world and, after she had had her son, had seen no point in not taking advantage of the wide education the world had to offer.  Therefore, Blair was well-travelled before he reached the age of independence, and the Arctic and Antarctic were the only continents he could not claim to have lived on for any length of time.  Even after he'd joined Rainier, he'd signed up for as many anthropological expeditions as he could.

 

And now?  It was presumed that he couldn't cross the street without a Sentinel near at hand to stop the traffic if need be.

 

He shook his head and cast a fulminating look at the back of his Sentinel's head.  Jim was sitting on the couch with the contented air of a well-fed cat, while Blair was at the kitchen table grading those books.  And he knew all too well that he could forget returning to Rainier to retrieve any more; sneaking out without his Sentinel noticing was about as likely as Chancellor Edwards developing a compassionate streak.

 

Even the aforementioned university official, a long-standing thorn in Blair's side, was being nice to him - a stunning turnaround which he knew was totally due to his change in circumstances.  He never thought he'd miss the snide remarks or acidic looks she used to throw his way, but missing them he was.

 

Lost in thought, he was brought back to the kitchen as a large, familiar hand placed a cup of tea in front of him.

 

"How's it going, Chief?"

 

For a second, Blair was stymied, then the blue books returned to his mind.  "Oh, fine, man.  I'm almost finished."  Of course, that was due to the fact that most of the books he should have been grading were still in his office.  Not that that mattered to his smirking Sentinel.

 

"Good.  The game's on in half an hour and Simon's on his way over with pizza."

 

"I'll be done in a few minutes.  Thanks."

 

As Blair was sitting at the table with Jim standing over him, he had to tilt his head back to meet his gaze.  He suddenly realised that he was exposing his throat when the intent blue gaze dropped slightly and the Sentinel's fingers curled possessively.

 

For a moment, Blair was caught in that stare, not moving, barely breathing, then Jim sniffed the air.  "Simon's here."

 

As Jim moved past the table to open the door, Blair dropped his head forward and grinned.  He knew what they'd be doing (again) once Simon had left.  His grin widened.  Okay, bonding was definitely a perk of being bonded.

 

~'~

 

The next day saw Blair practically chained to Jim as the Sentinel refused to let his Guide out of his sight.  Sighing to himself, Blair phoned Rainier's personnel office, again, to let them know that he wouldn't be in.  Fortunately, a few colleagues still owed him enough favours for him to have his classes covered and, as Chancellor Edwards was totally star struck with having the bonded Guide of the Senior Sentinel Prime on her staff, he wouldn't catch any flak from her about missing a day.

 

Grinding his teeth slightly, Blair made a promise to himself that the very next day would see the start of his campaign to get Sentinels to recognise that Guides were not delicate flowers who'd wither in a sharp breeze without their Sentinels to provide shelter and safety.  Sitting in Jim's truck, he cast a glance at his own personal 'shelter and safety'.  He had no chance of starting his campaign that day, he knew that.  He'd count himself lucky if didn't find himself taking bathroom breaks in 'shelter and safety' too.

 

The day after saw him back at the P.D., this time on one of his scheduled days there and, as he and Jim were working with Edwards and David, it gave him a chance to involve Guide Sutherland in his fight for equality.  Not that he was going to tell David they were fighting for equality; David liked the quiet life too much.  No, so far as David was concerned, they'd merely be collecting lunch for their Sentinels.  Blair had no doubts that Jim, (and probably Edwards too, as he had a suspicious nature), would realise though, and he grinned at the thought.

 

"Lunch?"

 

"Yeah, Jim, lunch.  You know, sandwiches, coffee.  Food."  Blair smiled at the two Sentinels.  "David and I can go to the Deli and pick up whatever you guys want and bring it back.  Can't we, David?"

 

"I don't mind," David quietly agreed.  "I mean, if you and Sentinel Ellison want to continue working, that is, Neds."

 

Blair stopped himself from rolling his eyes.  When people thought of a typical Guide, they had David Sutherland in mind; shy, compliant, obedient and not one to put himself forward.  He grinned as he caught the glare Edwards was throwing his way as the Sentinel read his body language.  Even thinking criticism about a Guide was frowned on by a Sentinel.

 

"Okay."  Jim dug into his pocket and brought out his wallet.  "Lunch for four then."  The hard stare he gave Blair told him that Jim knew what he was up to and didn't approve in the slightest, but he was letting him 'prove' whatever it was he was setting out to prove.  "And, Chief?  None of that healthy stuff you're always pushing on me.  I'll have one of Antonio's specials."

 

Keeping the smile on his face with an effort, Blair replied, "Sure, Jim.  One heart attack on a baguette coming up."

 

Blair made sure that they went there and back in record time - after all, there was no point in proving how self-sufficient Guides were if they got lost, kidnapped or mugged on the way.  And soon the four of them were eating, drinking and attempting to avoid dropping mayonnaise on the photographic evidence.

 

"So, did you have any trouble finding your way, Chief?"

 

Blair ignored the dig at his directional abilities, (he knew he could get lost on a straight road), but took the opportunity offered him.  "Not at all.  Well, there was a savage poodle who attempted to attack us, but we told it that we're bonded Guides and our Sentinels would be bound to come leaping to our rescue if he even tried to sniff us.  So, he left us alone and chased a car instead."  Ignoring the three pairs of eyes that fixed themselves upon him, Blair smiled sweetly and turned his attention back to his sandwich.

 

"But, Blair," David replied, sounding rather confused, "we didn't see any poodles."

 

Edwards choked.

 

~'~

 

For a week or so after that, Blair's campaign went well.  Every time he was at the P.D., he made a point of going to fetch lunch or run errands, frequently dragging any other unlucky Guide he encountered along the way.  Not, as he pointed out to Jim late one evening, that he was into running errands for Sentinels and Jim better hadn't get used to it.  Jim merely smiled and asked him to fetch the remote control from the coffee table which was all of eighteen inches away.  Blair smiled in return and happily lobbed the remote control at his Sentinel's head before attempting to escape into his room.  As he was chased, grabbed and tickled into submission, he reflected, as well he could while shrieking for mercy, that sacrifices had to be made.

 

The next day, his entire campaign went to pot.

 

"Hey, David, Sentinel Edwards."

 

As usual, David was ensconced at his Sentinel's side, happily working on paperwork.  "Hi, Blair."

 

"Blair."  Edwards nodded in Blair's direction and turned his attention back to his paperwork.

 

"I'm just going to the deli and to the bank.  Do you need anything?"

 

David exchanged a glance with his Sentinel, then stood up and grabbed his jacket.  "I'll go with you, if you like."

 

"Sure."  Blair frowned slightly as David put his jacket on and followed him to the elevator.  His Sentinel, sneaky as Jim undoubtedly was, wasn't having him guarded by David, was he?  Blair shook his head.  Sentinel Edwards would never stand for that...surely.  Doubts assailed him as he looked back over the past week.  Even when he hadn't invited anyone to go with him on one of his self-imposed errands, he'd always ended up with company.  Damn!  He kicked himself.  Jim really was craftier than he'd assumed.  Since he'd made such a fuss about being guarded by Sentinels, it was obvious that he was now being guarded by Guides.  And while it was great that their Sentinels thought they were capable of the job, it meant that he wasn't winning any kind of independence back at all.

 

"Blair, are you okay?"

 

He smiled and strengthened his barriers, hiding his annoyance.  It really wasn't David's fault that Jim was such a sneaky son of a.... "Sure, I'm fine."

 

"Okay."

 

Blair could feel the other Guide's doubt, but David let it drop, for now, although Blair was positive Edwards would hear all about it later.

 

Stopping at the ATM, Blair groaned as he saw the 'out of service' sign flashing.

 

"It's okay, there's no one in there," David told him, glancing through the doors.

 

Blair glanced at the clock he could see inside the bank.  He guessed it was too early for the lunchtime crowd.  "I'll use the ATM inside then - assuming it's working."

 

Stepping inside, Blair was hit by an atmosphere of fear and he knew that David was picking up on it too.  Glancing around wildly, the pair tried to back out of the doors but a large security guard wearing an oddly ill-fitting uniform grabbed Blair's arm and yanked him further into the bank.  To Blair's dismay, David, instead of getting out, promptly stopped retreating and followed them.  He really was going to have to have a word with Jim about being protected by Guides who had no sense of self-preservation.

 

"Larry!  We got another two."

 

A masked face appeared over the edge of the counter, the eyes glittering deep within the eyeholes.  "I thought you were going to stop anyone from coming in!" Larry snapped in return, his voice shaking nervously.

 

The one whom Blair mentally named 'Moe' looked dismayed.  "They were inside before I could stop 'em!" he whined.

 

"Leave them here and get back to the door - and keep everyone else out!"

 

As Moe stepped back, the door to the bank's 'inner workings' opened, and a well-built masked figure stood there, beckoning them on with the large gun in his hand.

 

Calmly, Blair headed towards him, with David at his heels.  The fear in the bank wasn't just from any staff or customers; the three bank robbers were petrified as well.

 

Curly stepped back, then shut the door firmly behind them as soon as they were inside.  "O-over there."

 

Larry stood up as they approached, four well-stuffed holdalls lying at his feet.  There were quite a few people sitting against the back wall, their hands and feet securely tied and gags covering the lower half of their faces.  "Okay, let's tie them up and get out of here."  He pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans and aimed it at them, his hand trembling slightly.  "Sit down."

 

Blair sank to the floor, keeping his hands in plain view and hoping David had the sense to do the same.

 

"You," Larry's gun waved in Blair's general direction, "slide over there, and lie face down."

 

Blair felt David's apprehension spike but he didn't move as Blair slid away and put his face to the floor, Curly's gun following his every move.  Inwardly, he was cursing heartily.  If he had to choose between nervous amateurs or calm professionals, he'd take the calm ones, thank you very much.  Professional bank robbers were less likely to make mistakes and, unless they were violent, rarely wasted their time harming their hostages as long as they didn't attempt to interfere; they focussed on getting the job done and getting out with as much money as possible.  Amateurs like these were far more likely to end up shooting someone by mistake or setting off alarms, which usually led to a stand-off with the police that ended in more than one death.

 

"Sit up."

 

Blair sat up and risked a glance at David who was now sitting with his hands and feet tied.  He was pale faced but seemed calm enough.

 

Larry produced some more rope and tied Blair's hands together in front of him, then rummaged in the bag at his side.  His fear heightened as whatever he was looking for wasn't found.  "We're outta gags!" he snapped, turning the bag upside down and shaking it.  His face turned towards Curly.  "What are we gonna do?"

 

"That's okay, man, it's fine," Blair interrupted, his voice quiet.  "No one outside would hear us if we shouted anyway - there's too much traffic around."

 

"Yeah.  Yeah!"  Larry stood up and paced for a second, then knelt to check Blair's bindings.  "Yeah!  You-you just stay quiet, you hear me?"

 

Blair nodded and saw David nodding quickly too.

 

Larry checked David's bindings then his eyes flickered up and met Blair's gaze briefly.  "We don't wanna hurt anyone, we just want to take the money and get out.  So, you keep quiet until we're gone and you'll be fine.  Okay?"

 

"I hear that, man," Blair replied, quietly.  "You don't have to worry about us."

 

"Good!"  Larry stood up.  "Benny!  C'mon, we're outta here!"

 

Blair wondered who on earth Benny was, then realised it was Moe as that figure lumbered into view, panic on his face.

 

"Larry!  There's a cop car outside!"

 

"No!"  Larry cursed as he stomped up and down for a moment, then he pointed towards Blair and David.  "We'll take them as hostages.  Get 'em in the car!"

 

The ropes were ripped from their ankles as the pair were yanked to their feet and pushed towards a door with Larry and Moe panicking behind them every inch of the way.  As they headed out of a back door, Blair's mind was whirling with two things.  The first was a determination that both he and David would get out of this without a scratch, regardless of what he had to do to the three stooges accompanying them, and the second...he was never going to be able to persuade Jim to relax his 'protect the Guide!' attitude now.

 

~'~

 

Jim frowned as he looked at the clock.  Given his Guide's recent determination to avoid even the impression of worrying his Sentinel, he'd practically been able to time how long it took Sandburg to get to the deli and back to the second.  He knew that Sandburg had wanted to call in at the bank but, even so, he should have been back by now.

 

"Ellison!"

 

Giving the clock another annoyed glance, he headed into Simon's office.  Three seconds later he came barrelling back out of the door, raced down the corridor, and collided with Edwards by the elevator.

 

"Tell me Sandburg's bank isn't Cascade National!" Edwards demanded, as frightened people threw themselves out of the elevator to let the two manic Sentinels have it to themselves.

 

"And there's been a bank robbery there," Jim growled in return, listening to the sound of Edwards' teeth grinding.

 

"That's it, Ellison.  I don't care how unhappy your Guide is - he's a trouble magnet and he needs protecting!"

 

"Don't worry.  After this, if Sandburg wants to go anywhere without me, it'll be with a full complement of bodyguards."

 

Once in the bank, it became obvious that all the hostages at the scene had been released, and that there had been no injuries or fatalities.  Unfortunately, there were also no Guides.

 

~'~

 

Sitting in the back of the car, David glanced at the bank robber at his side, then at the Senior Guide Prime at his other side.  Slowly, he inhaled and then exhaled, feeling his stomach muscles tremble as he restrained his urge to hyperventilate, then Blair's hand patted his arm comfortingly.  He really didn't know how Blair was keeping so calm; his own thoughts were all over the place.  One second, he'd be thinking that he really had to keep Blair safe, then he'd be worrying what Neds would be thinking, and how badly Neds was going to react once they got back.  Neds really hadn't been happy about Sentinel Ellison's determination to allow Blair some leeway in how much protection he had - even if that leeway was surface only.  And Neds definitely hadn't been happy about the idea that the other Guides could keep an eye on Blair.  He really hadn't thought that was a good idea.

 

David glanced around at the three bank robbers in the car.  He was going to have to agree with Neds on that score; wuss though he might be, he had to admit that he'd give a fortune to have Neds sitting at his side, knowing that he could depend on his Sentinel to keep them both safe, because that was what Sentinels did and it was about time Blair just accepted it.  Blair was smart and resourceful and he really was being amazingly calm about this, maybe he got kidnapped on a regular basis or something, although David was sure he'd have heard if Blair did, after all, Guides talked to each a lot, in fact David didn't know any Guide who didn't like to talk and....

 

There was the sign for the freeway.  It looked like the car was heading out of the city with them in it.

 

With a start, he realised that he'd completely lost the thread of whatever he was thinking about.  Glancing around the car again, he also realised that he didn't care what he'd been thinking about; he wanted to be safe back in the P.D. with Neds.

 

~'~

 

Blair sighed to himself as he patted David's arm comfortingly.  David was panicking; he could feel it.  He really hoped it hadn't occurred to David yet that the bank robbers had removed their masks.  If it did, David had to realise what Blair had realised: the bank robbers couldn't let them go.

 

Of course, it was possible that it wouldn't occur to Larry, Benny and the totally misnamed and shaven-headed Curly that their hostages had seen their faces and would be able to identify them.  Possible, but not that probable given the way Larry kept eyeballing him in the rear view mirror.  Blair wished Larry would keep his mind, and his eyes, on the road.  At the rate they were travelling, it really wasn't going to do anyone any good if he crashed the car.

 

And, assuming they reached Cascade's outer limits safely, Blair had an ace up his sleeve.  He just hoped he'd get to play that ace before Larry used his gun to trump Blair's hand for good.

 

~'~

 

Having heard from the police officers who were first on the scene what direction the possible getaway car sped off in, Ellison and Edwards ran back to the P.D. to give chase.  Naturally, they called out the rest of the Clan, for when you are in a dismembering mood, it helps to have as many Clan members at your side as you can find.

 

An APB was put out on the car's general description, with orders to approach with caution, while the Cascade Clan piled into whatever vehicles they had (or could acquire) in order to spread out around the city.  Sentinel eyesight was considered an advantage when one of the Guides being hunted had distinctive curly hair.

 

~'~

 

Blair cast a glance at the "You Are Now Leaving Cascade" sign and glanced back to meet Larry's gaze in the rear view mirror.  He could feel Larry's reluctance to do what he knew had to be done, and hoped it would be enough to stop him.

 

Taking a breath he commented, in as casual a tone as he could, "Did I mention that David and I are bonded Guides?"

 

The car screeched to a halt as Larry slammed the brakes on and Blair's head bounced off the back of the driver's headrest.  There was silence for a few seconds, then Blair continued, "David's Sentinel is Sentinel Prime Edwards, while my Sentinel, Jim Ellison, is the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade."

 

Larry and Curly suddenly looked rather green around the gills, while Benny looked confused.  After a few seconds, his face cleared and he declared, as if solving a puzzle, "That's the head of the Clan!"

 

"That's right!" Blair said, smiling at him.  Maybe this would work after all.

 

Larry's face turned a shade greener, then two doors opened and slammed shut as Larry and Curly hurled themselves out of the car.

 

Blair opened his own door and leaned out of the car to get a better view, not quite believing what he was seeing as the two figures fled up the road.

 

"What are they doing?" David asked.

 

"I think they're running away."

 

"Oh."

 

Blair looked at David, who looked back at him.

 

"You'd think they'd realise they'd get farther in the car," David pointed out.

 

Benny turned around.  "Aren't we going to Canada now?"

 

Blair smiled and patted his arm.  "It's okay, Benny, I'm sure you'll be going to Canada soon.  Oh, look, they're coming back now."  Pushing his own door fully open, he got out as quickly as he could with his hands still tied, and reached back in to help David.

 

"Out, out!" Larry screamed.

 

Blair found himself pushed to one side as Larry yanked at David.  Suddenly, Larry reared back, horror on his face as he hastily started rubbing his hands on his jacket.  "I touched him, I touched him - they'll know!" he screeched.

 

David hurriedly scrambled out of the car as Blair began to try to calm Larry down.  "It's okay, Larry.  Just - just take a deep breath."

 

Larry inhaled quickly, and exhaled just as quickly.  Then took another breath that verged on hyperventilation as Curly dived into the car and slammed the door behind him.  Obviously deciding that leaving now was a good idea, Larry yanked open the driver's door, then swung back to wave a finger in Blair's face.  "We didn't hurt you!  We didn't lay a hand on you!"  Glaring at his finger as that digit waved far too close to Blair's nose, he yanked his hand back suddenly.  "Just remember that!" he shouted, before diving into the driver's seat and slamming the door.

 

The vehicle screeched away, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

 

Blair shut his mouth as the dust swirled up, then opened it again.  "I think they've heard of Jim and Neds."

 

Beside him, David nodded, a stunned look still on his face.  "I-I think so too."

 

Blair glanced down at his hands and offered them to David.  "Untie me and I'll untie you."

 

~'~

 

Edwards glanced at Ellison's hands as they gripped the steering wheel.  The knuckles were white and straining.  Turning his eyes back to the road, he forced his hearing out to its farthest limit, hoping to hear the one heartbeat he knew best of all.  When he got hold of David he was going to, going to...make damned sure he never went near another bank in his life.  And make damned sure he never went anywhere with the Senior Guide Prime without him and a gang of Sentinels along as protection!

 

He glanced at those straining knuckles again.  He was positive Ellison was thinking along the same lines.

 

With his hearing stretched out to the maximum, the phone ringing was like the trumpet of Jericho, and he recoiled sharply with his hands clamped over his ears.  Mentally yanking at the sound dial, he almost missed the relief in Ellison's voice but the name got his attention quickly.

 

"Chief?!  Where the hell are you?"

 

Instantly, Edwards zeroed in on the other end of the line.  There, thumping merrily away with nary a skipped beat, was David's heartbeat.  He was so focussed on that sound that he completely missed whatever Blair was saying.  It wasn't until the call ended and David's heartbeat disappeared that he realised he was still sitting in the truck with Ellison.

 

"They're fine, the bank robbers let them go.  They're on Interstate 5, at a diner just outside Cascade."  Ellison had obviously realised that Edwards hadn't heard much, if anything, of Blair's conversation.

 

"Thank God for that!"

 

Leaving Ellison to stamp his foot down on the accelerator, which he did, Edwards reached for the radio and informed the rest of the Clan where the Senior Guide Prime and Guide Prime were to be found.  He didn't care who reached them first as long as they were protected sooner rather than later.

 

~'~

 

Putting the phone down, Blair stepped out of the phone booth and looked at David.  "They're on their way."

 

"Was Neds there?"

 

"Yeah, he's in Jim's truck, with Jim.  Jim's driving."

 

David's eyes widened as that piece of information sank in.  "Oh, God."

 

"Well, look on the bright side; it won't take them that long to get here."  Blair was just hoping their Sentinels would arrive in one piece.  "Look, let's go get some coffee while we wait.  You and I both know it'll be days before we're let out again."

 

He got a laugh that was halfway to a sob.  "At the moment, Neds in Blessed Protector mode sounds great to me.  Even if I won't get to step outside for a week."

 

"A week?"  Blair led the way to the diner.  "We'll be lucky if we get to go anywhere within a month."

 

Just as he reached the door, David's hand grabbed his arm.  "Look!"

 

Blair turned.

 

And saw a whole convoy of vehicles, including quite a few police cars, heading their way.  Naturally, Jim's truck was at the head of it and, from the looks of things, he was definitely breaking the speed limit.

 

"Do you have the urge to run away?" David asked, very, very quietly.

 

"Oh yeah.  Screaming all the way."

 

The truck screeched to a halt and Jim and Neds leapt out, heading towards the two Guides at a run.

 

Blair smiled, projecting calming thoughts at his rapidly approaching Sentinel.  "Hey, Jim.  You'll never guess wha -"  He was yanked into a tight hold, and checked over firmly.  "What happened to us today," he finished, faintly.

 

His Sentinel growled in return, obviously smelling three strange scents on him and identifying them correctly as the kidnappers.  With the rest of the Clan surrounding them, Blair was turned on the spot as Jim stripped off his jacket and flannel shirt and threw them to one side.  His protests were ignored as the Sentinel removed off his own jacket and wrapped it carefully around him.  Glancing over, Blair saw that David had suffered a similar fate as Edwards hurled David's jacket away from them.

 

The discarded jackets and shirt were grabbed by other Sentinels who sniffed them over carefully, growling as they did so, before passing them on to other Sentinels.

 

Glancing up at his own Sentinel, Blair watched the dancing muscle in his jaw before dragging his attention back to what Jim was saying.

 

"Did they say where they were headed?"

 

Blair's eyes met David's for a brief appalled moment.  While he knew that Larry, Curly and Benny were bank robbers who could have hurt any amount of people during that stupid bank robbery of theirs, Blair was extremely reluctant to hand them over to the Clan.  Not just because of his previous experience of Clan justice but also because Larry hadn't wanted to hurt them.  Maybe if he calmed Jim down before telling him where they were going, he'd agree to simply hand them over to the Cascade cops to be dealt with?  But David, it seemed, had no compunction about leaving them to their fate, as he happily replied, "Canada," before tucking his head under Edwards' chin and accepting the bear hug being bestowed upon him.

 

"David!"

 

Jim's arms tightened around him in response.  "Leave it, Sandburg," he ordered, as several Sentinels and Guides disappeared back into their vehicles and roared off down the interstate.  "The Clan will bring them in for justice."

 

"Jim, they didn't hurt us - they let us go!"

 

"Only because you told them we're bonded Guides," David chipped in, far too cheerfully for Blair's liking.

 

"You know what, David?  You're not helping!"

 

A wide smile cracked Edwards' face as he beamed at a suddenly confused Blair.  "No, he's not, is he?  Senior Sentinel Prime, I'm taking my Guide home."

 

"Good idea, Edwards."

 

"Blair?  Nice job."

 

Blair frowned even more as Edwards and David moved away and got into Dr. Harvey's car.

 

"Nice job?  What on earth is he talking about, man?"

 

"You, Chief.  You kept your head, and you got yourself and David out of there without either of you being injured.  Now let's go home."

 

"But -"

 

"No buts, Sandburg.  Let's go."

 

~'~

 

Pushing his Guide to the truck, the Sentinel helped him in, then made sure that his seatbelt was securely in place.  Sandburg was silent but Jim knew it was only a matter of time before he started arguing on behalf of the bank robbers again.  As he moved around the front of the truck, he shook his head.  For all that Sandburg couldn't, or wouldn't, accept the Clan's way of doing things, the Sentinel was still glad that they'd met.  This was his Guide, no one else's, stubborn streak of independence and all.

 

Once he was in the truck and the door was shut, Sandburg turned in his seat to face him.  "Jim."

 

He knew it.  Jim sighed and leaned his head against the headrest before looking over at him.  "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

 

"They didn't hurt us."

 

Jim rolled his eyes.  Sandburg had got his attention by using the most important thing to a Sentinel; his Guide would have made a great lawyer.

 

"As soon as I told them that David and I are bonded Guides, they couldn't wait to get out of the car and get away from us."

 

Jim frowned.  "They left the car?"

 

"Yeah, it was kinda weird, actually."  Blair half-laughed and shook his head.  "I told them what we are, and who you guys are, and, man, they leapt out of the car and ran away!  Talk about faster than a speeding bullet!"  His laughter grew louder as he continued, "Then it hit them that they needed the car, and they came running back."

 

As reassuring, and entertaining, as it was to have his Guide talking and laughing at his side, the Sentinel stuck to the facts.  "And then they left you on the side of the road where anything could have happened to you."

 

The laughter stopped and Sandburg met his eyes, an apology in the blue gaze.  "I know, Jim, but -"

 

"No buts, Sandburg.  I'm the Senior Sentinel Prime of the Cascade Clan.  They kidnapped my Guide, and the Guide of the Sentinel Prime.  When they're caught, and they will be caught, they'll be brought back to face justice."

 

"But they didn't hurt us!"

 

"I know that.  They'll face justice, not vengeance."

 

Sandburg sighed and slumped back in his seat, turning his head to gaze out of the window for a moment.  Finally, he looked back at Jim.  "I haven't made any difference at all, have I?"

 

"I wouldn't say that, Sandburg."  Jim smiled.  He'd noticed a few differences himself in the way Guides were treated.  Small differences, admittedly, but then the Guides were up against the ingrained instincts of pre-civilised Sentinels.

 

"You do realise I have to keep on trying, don't you, Jim?"

 

Jim's smile got wider.  "Wouldn't have it any other way, Chief."

 

~'~

 

David sighed with relief as the front door was firmly shut and locked behind them.  Slipping his Sentinel's jacket off, he hung it up on the coat rack, then buried his face in it, inhaling the comforting scent that still clung to it.  He was, without a doubt, overwhelmingly glad to be home.  Turning, he smiled as he watched his Sentinel stalk the perimeter.  Neds was going to be extremely territorial over everything for the next few days - and that included his Guide.

 

His smile widened and he felt himself blush as Neds turned and stalked towards him, growling softly as he approached.  Oh yeah, Neds was definitely going to be territorial for a while.

 

~'~

 

The door was shut and locked behind them, and Blair took off Jim's jacket and slipped it onto a coat peg, resisting the urge to bury his face in it as he did so.  Resolutely, he turned away from the jacket and the comforting smell of his Sentinel that lingered around it.  He was home, and he didn't need to hold onto any kind of security blanket at all.

 

He smiled and shook his head as he watched Jim check that the loft was secure.  Sentinels, God love 'em, you could make a fortune betting on their reactions sometimes.

 

"Jim?"

 

The Sentinel paused for a moment to stare at him, then continued his prowling.

 

Blair's eyes narrowed as he considered his options; maybe feeding his Sentinel would help calm him down, although he knew that bonding was really the only thing that would work.  Shrugging, he decided that food might help and took two steps towards the kitchen, then stopped as his Sentinel's gaze focussed on him with the intensity of a laser beam.  It looked like he was out of time.

 

The Sentinel paced towards him and the Guide smiled and tilted his head back, exposing his neck, and showing his complete trust in his Sentinel.  He was rewarded by being pulled into a bear hug, and having his Sentinel's face buried in his neck, as he was scented enthusiastically.

 

As he was half-tugged, half-carried towards the couch, the Guide dropped his barriers and rested his head on his Sentinel's shoulder.  He might not have won equality yet, and it was only yet, but what he had really wasn't too bad at all.  As his emotions filtered through the bond, he felt his Sentinel's answering emotions and grinned.  Oh yeah, he knew it was only a matter of time.

 

~finis~

 

23rd April 2005.

 

Feedback to: Arnie1967@btinternet.com

 

 

Warnings: There's one scene of attempted rape (attempted only - nothing graphic), a death scene (no one we like...well, no one I like, anyway), plus references to an original character being flogged.  Personally, I think he deserves it.  If any of that is going to squick you out, please proceed with caution or don't read at all.