Title: And I Remember or (The strength that you gave me.)

Author: Laekin

Disclaimers:  I hold no claim to the primary characters in this story.  Jim and Blair belong to PetFly and Edwards and David belong to Susan.  To PetFly, no money is being made or sought.

  To Susan, thank you again for creating Edwards and David and for being generous enough to let me play with them.

Warnings: PG for mild violence, angst situations, and h/c.

Notes:  Again, I cannot say thank you enough to Susan for letting me play in the universe she created with the characters she gave life to.  I would also like to thank Gail, whom I have yet to meet but who was wonderful enough to take the time to beta this fic.  Any remaining problems are mine, all mine.

And I Remember

by

Laekin

Seregill@aol.com

Edwards watched the slender form of his Guide as the younger man deftly navigated his mountain bike down a steep slope in the trail. The presence of the sun, peeking firmly out from behind the clouds, had prompted Edwards to call in a 'Sentinel' day, pack up his Guide and head off to the mountains for some BMX biking.

Though David liked to tease that they couldn't officially BMX, since they were both riding Cannondale mountain bikes, the Guide loved the little excursions out into the wilderness. David tackled the trails with an enthusiasm that usually left Edwards with his heart in his throat as he watched his Guide go jumping off boulders and careening through streams.

The flashes of fear were worth it in the end, when he took home a happy, bright eyed, mud encrusted Guide. David, a quiet soul by nature, would often chat his Sentinel's ear off as they drove home and as far as Edwards was concerned anything that encouraged David to talk was worthwhile. Listening to his Guide's voice, a soft tenor liberally laced with a rich Boston accent, was an almost physical sensation. Edwards could spend hours listening to David read out of a dictionary.

So intent was Edwards' concentration on the path just in front of his Guide that the cell phone on his hip rang three times before its insistent noise drew him out of his minor zone. Grinding his teeth in annoyance at the interruption, he called forward to stop David and braced his feet in the mud, balancing on the seat of his own bike as he snatched the phone off his hip, flipping it open before barking sharply.

"Edwards! This had better be good."

The voice on the other end of the line growled back just as sharply. "There's been another shooting."

Captain Rick Falks, head of the Cascade SWAT division allowed his men a certain level of irascibility. He felt it kept their edge up and it kept him from having to coddle egos bruised by his own brash nature.

Edwards exhaled through his teeth. "Fatality?"

"Yes."

"Damn it."

"Patrol Officer Koates. She was coming off traffic duty, last stop of the morning."

"Driver of the car?"

"Unharmed. Saw nothing, heard nothing. According to him, one minute she was reading him the details of the citation, the next she slumped over, fell against his doorframe and then hit the ground. Initial coroner report is saying single gunshot wound to the back of the skull, bullet severed the spine and lodged in her chest."

"Just like the others."

"Yes. The scene is secure for the moment. Ellison and Sandburg are being dispatched to investigate but they want SWAT there to make sure this sniper isn't waiting. If he really is after cops…"

"We'd be laying out a buffet for him."

"Exactly."

"On my way sir." Edwards disconnected the call without waiting for his superior's response. Falks wasn't much on small talk.

The Sentinel studied his panting Guide closely for a moment. David's heart rate was elevated and he was a bit out of breath, but the Guide's eyes was bright and shining, his face full of healthy color. Over all, outdoor activity agreed with his Guide.

"Neds?" David's soft voice penetrated Edwards' thoughtful fog.

Early in their partnership David had gotten tired of calling Edwards, Edwards all the time. Knowing that his Sentinel despised his given name, David had come up with the shortened, 'Ned' sticking an 's' on the end in deference to Edwards's preference for being called Edwards. David used the shortened version only when the two men were in private and Edwards had grown very attached to the soft way his Guide spoke the nickname.

"There's been another shooting. We're needed at the crime scene." Edwards delivered the news directly, wishing he could be saying anything else to his gentle young Guide. He really had wanted them to enjoy the day together.

"Oh, no." David whispered regretfully. "Who?"

"A patrolman, Koates."

David fell silent but Edwards felt a wave of sorrow wash across the bond, causing the Sentinel to pause in the act of turning his bike around in order to walk it back up the trail. David sighed softly then, feeling his Sentinel's gaze, looked up into the older man's eyes.

"She'd just gotten engaged, two weeks ago. They were planning a Christmas wedding."

Edwards lifted a brow, wondering just when his Guide had been around a patrol officer long enough to learn such information.

David didn't need the link to interpret the look. He gave a little smile. "When I was helping Blair with the backlog of data entry down in Records. He was flirting with the blonde records clerk, 'Cilla so I… ah…kept Barney company. He likes to gossip."

Edwards quirked an eyebrow but decided there was a certain bliss to be found in ignorance. Especially where Records Clerk Barney Woohousen was concerned. Giving his head a shake to forestall any further commentary from his Guide, he turned and led them back up the trail. They'd left the car at the top of the mountain and Edwards wanted to get on the road immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once in the car, David laid his head against the shoulder strap of his seatbelt, watching as the trees of the mountain gave way to the rolling green fields of the outlying farms and eventually to the gray austere beauty that was the city of Cascade. Closing his eyes, he began the slow meticulous process of reworking his mental barriers.

For David the excursions out into the mountains were a wonderfully relaxing time. There was something rejuvenating about being out and away from people. Even with his connection to his Sentinel, David often found himself feeling bombarded by the emotions of other people. For the longest time, he'd thought it was normal for a Guide to be hyper sensitive to the environment around them. After all, that was why a Guide needed a Sentinel to help shield them. Then he'd met the Senior Guide Prime.

While David came out of situations involving large groups of people exhausted, feeling like every nerve was frayed, the Senior Guide Prime seemed to thrive in the company of large crowds. David was awed by Blair Sandburg's energy and openness with the world around him and as the recognized Senior Guide Prime Apparent he tried to mimic the example set by Sandburg. However, as the months moved along, David was feeling further and further out of his depth.

David had begun to worry that there was something wrong with him. Afraid it would affect his ability to help his Sentinel, he'd shyly gone to the Senior Guide Prime and asked for the young anthropologist's help with seeking out texts that discussed the history of Guides and Guide barriers. Blair had been ecstatic to share his work, talking to David for hours upon hours about Sentinels and Guides. A couple of times, the other Guide had found himself overwhelmed by Sandburg's ability to talk… and talk… and talk.

In amongst those long hours, he'd been close to revealing to Blair the real reason he was so interested in the old texts but a part of David still held back. He didn't want to disappoint the Senior Guide Prime or disgrace his own Sentinel with what he perceived as his weakness. So, he'd finally made good his escape with the materials he thought might best suit his needs, without ever letting on why he really needed them.

At night, after bonding with Edwards, when David was certain his Sentinel's sleep was deep and restful, the Guide stayed up pouring over the texts; searching out any word, sentence, paragraph or page that addressed the skill of barrier maintenance. Most of what he'd found he'd already learned in twisted ways from the GDP but towards the end of his search he'd found a small section, tucked at the back of a text, that spoke of double shielding.

Double shielding was the act of erecting interior mental barriers, independent of the exterior shields maintained by the Sentinel/Guide bond. It was sort of like wearing silk underwear beneath a thick layer of clothing to help keep out the cold. The exterior barriers were the barriers all Guide's possessed instinctively. They were the barriers that were rearranged in the bonding. The barriers shared between Sentinel and Guide. The Guide consciously erected the interior shields; which were, by their nature, more complex and less stable then their exterior counterparts.

For one thing, they had to be porous enough so as not to interfere with the Sentinel/Guide bond. His bond to Edwards was his life and David could never imagine doing anything that would adversely affect the bond in anyway. Secondly, they were difficult to maintain for an extended period of time. David was not an anthropologist like Sandburg but he was an intelligent young man and he surmised that the very nature of the Sentinel/Guide bond fought against any sort of secondary barrier that might put connecting at risk, even for a split second, if it were improperly erected.

It had taken David three weeks from discovering the knowledge to even consider trying to implement it. At first, he'd rejected it out of hand. Edwards was his Sentinel and he was fiercely loyal to the older man, his trust in Edwards complete and unwavering. His Sentinel would protect him. He needed no other independent source of protection. David thought he just had to work harder at not being so thin-skinned.

For two weeks everything had settled down and David had mentally chastised himself for being such a ninny. He didn't need any sort of secondary shielding, he just needed to stop being so reactive when people seemed to stare at him. He had just managed to convince himself this was the truth when, in one week, everything had fallen apart.

A run of hostage situations and gang warfare overspill had kept the SWAT team in an almost constant state of alert when they were not actively deployed. Edwards and David had stayed at the station 24/7 availing themselves of the station bonding platform when they could, but otherwise both men had been completely focused on the job.

It was not the first time David had been in a position of being 'seen but not heard'. His duty was to his Sentinel and if that meant standing or sitting for hours on end silently watching the proceedings unfold around him, then that was what he did. However, this time it had been torture.

Emotions were running high in the SWAT department. Frustration, exhaustion, aggressiveness and anger flowed off Edwards as well as the other officers in the department. David had had his hands full absorbing and releasing the excess emotion off his Sentinel in order to help Edwards keep a calm sense of prospective on the situation.

Adding to Edwards's stress levels had been a complication triggered by a miscommunication in Records. Someone hadn't been paying attention and had allowed a young, unbonded Sentinel, fresh out of the academy to be assigned to the Cascade SWAT department. With the city exploding around them, it had been deemed a minor issue that would need to wait to be dealt with but as the hours started to flow together into days the problem had exacerbated an already flammable situation.

Edwards had become increasingly territorial, as well as frustrated, exhausted, aggressive and angry. The young unbonded Sentinel, thrown into a maelstrom of sensory input on her first assignment had grown increasingly agitated and eager for the centering contact of a Guide. The SWAT team, caught in the middle of a mounting territorial battle that they couldn't fully understand, as well as trying to keep a lid on a city intent on burning down around them, had grown uncharacteristically intolerant of the gentle young man who shadowed their commanding officer.

David recognized that he was becoming the 'easy' target for all three elements. Edwards was tense because there were multiple threats to his Guide. Officer Umbrek was tense because, for the first time in her life, she was feeling the desperate need for a Guide. The SWAT team was feeling tense because they were all getting pressure to subdue and secure the city streets, and their commanding officer was behaving erratically because of his Guide.

By Thursday, his exterior barriers shredded beneath the onslaught of emotions from outside the bond and the barriers held in place by his Sentinel tainted by Edwards' territorial imperative, David had broken down and attempted to erect the interior barriers he'd read about.

David had always been an obedient Guide and though a part of him felt like he was betraying his Sentinel, a larger part of him was screaming that he would be no use to Edwards as an overloaded pile of empathic gibberish. He was just too close to giving in to the breakdown coming his way. Driven by the fear that he was hours shy of a breakdown that would incapacitate himself and his Sentinel, David had thrown himself into the effort to erect the interior shields. Desperate, near panic and tapping into the stubborn streak that many people didn't realize the quiet little Guide possessed, David had built the interior barrier thread by thread until finally, finally… the cacophony of emotional sensations in his head had dulled to a far away roar.

Alone, at Edwards' desk, David had sobbed with tearless relief, his head cradled on his folded arms. Everybody in the office thought the young Guide was catching a short catnap. After the initial softening in the bombardment of input, David had been tempted to try to strengthen the shields further but Edwards had exploded out of Falks' office, calling his team to action.

For the next forty-eight hours, they had been the tactical unit at a scene involving teenage gang members holding the younger siblings of a rival gang hostage. It was a situation out of every police officer's nightmares. A stroke of luck, and Edwards's firm hand on his frazzled unit, allowed the situation to end without bloodshed, but it was a close thing. David didn't let himself think about what might have happened if he had continued trying to Guide his Sentinel while being battered by the emotions all around him. If he'd been unable to help his Sentinel remain calm and focused, or worse had somehow added to his already stressed partner's burden, Edwards could just as easily have made the one wrong move that would have ended the whole situation in disaster.

Edwards and David had been sent home twelve hours later. David, who had held the interior barriers for just over sixty hours, collapsed into the deep bonding he and his Sentinel so desperately needed. The Guide was so exhausted that he'd fallen asleep in Edwards' bed without so much as a by your leave from the older man.

While it was rare to unheard of for the young Guide to take such liberties, the strain of Umbrek's presence was still keen in Edwards' mind. Rather then finding himself discomforted by his Guide's presence, Edwards had gained extra levels of comfort from being able to physically hold David, claimed and marked, in the inner sanctuary of his territory.

Edwards had been concerned when, twelve hours later, he'd risen feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy a day off but his Guide had given little more then half-conscious protests to the Sentinel's attempt to rouse him. While it was true that David wasn't overly fond of mornings he'd trained himself, over the years, to respond to an early alarm clock without undue use of the snooze bar. Edwards never had to call David more then once to get him up and moving.

This time, however, the Guide showed no inclination to move or be moved. As the day progressed, concern had deepened into serious worry. Edwards had begun making checks on his Guide's vitals every half-hour searching for a physical cause that might be exacerbating David's exhaustion but he could find nothing. He'd had his hand on the phone, flipping through his mental rolodex for Ellison's home number when his sleepy Guide had wandered past, moving from the large master bedroom that dominated the left side of the apartment nearest the front door, towards the equally spacious secondary room just behind it.

David made a pit stop in the bathroom, than moved blindly towards his own room. Still concerned, Edwards released the phone and followed his sleepwalking Guide, scanning him anxiously, but as before, Edwards senses reported that David was in perfect physical health. Heart rate and respiration were normal, slow and steady; the Guide was even mumbling softly as he tended to do when he was very tired but trying to remind himself of a chore that needed done. Without acknowledging his Sentinel's presence, David had crawled into his own bed and burrowed under the covers quickly slipping back into a deep peaceful sleep.

Edwards had followed silently and stood looking down at the dark wavy mop of hair poking out from underneath the covers, a bemused expression on his handsome features. He could sense no distress coming off his Guide. In truth the young man 'felt' and appeared relaxed, calm and content. Exhaling a deep breath, Edwards reached down, stroking the soft springy hair back from David's temple, feeling the warmth of his Guide's skin against his fingertips and breathing in the soothing scent that rose from the bedclothes.

As he opened his hearing and let the lull of his Guide's heartbeat fill his senses, Edwards couldn't quite shake the niggling concern that had gripped him for the past few hours. Instinct screamed that something was wrong but his senses confirmed only that his Guide was healthy, content and fast asleep. Giving David's hair one last affectionate tousle, he left the room and resigned himself to indulging in quiet, homebound activities until his napping Guide chose to surface.

David had woken eight hours later. The young Guide was bright-eyed, eager for coffee and food and Edwards could find no hint of anything wrong with the younger man. Firmly shaking his head free of fanciful notions, Edwards had started making dinner forcing himself to relax into the comfortable routine he shared with his Guide.

Since Edwards made no mention of his concern over David's collapse and as David could remember very little beyond the intense bonding he'd shared with his Sentinel, the young Guide figured there had been no ill effects from his experiment with the internal barriers. While he was still hesitant to use them for extended periods of time, he found them growing useful when he and Edwards were sent out into the field.

"Dave…" Edwards spoke softly, wondering if his quiet Guide had fallen asleep.

"Hmm?" David was working the final threads into place. Just a moment more and… there, the sensation was akin to being inside a car, caught in a heavy wind. He could, still 'hear' the barrage of the city's emotions battering against him but he felt removed, buffered, from the sensation. David exhaled softly, feeling his muscle relax. He'd been unaware of how tense his body had become when they'd entered the empathic pressure of the city.

Sitting up, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, looking over at Edwards. "Yes?"

"Nothing. We'll be arriving in a few minutes and I didn't want you drooling on your jacket."

"I don't drool." David retorted automatically, even as he reached up and felt his lapel.

"Of course you don't, kiddo you just…"

"Test the waterproof qualities of different fabrics." David finished the old joke without missing a beat.

Sentinel and Guide shared a quick, affectionate glance before Edwards' attention was drawn back to the road. They turned down a couple of side streets, than slowed as the crime scene came into view.

Edwards frowned as he took in the number of people moving within the police barriers.

"If this lunatic really is targeting police it would be like shooting fish in a barrel." The Sentinel growled.

David chewed on his lower lip, feeling the depth of the older man's concern behind the annoyed tone of voice. Reaching over, while they were still in the privacy of the Sentinel's car, he stroked his hand across Edwards' forearm, a gesture meant to give and receive comfort.

Edwards parked his vehicle and reached over, catching his Guide's smaller hand. For a moment he trapped David's fingers between his own hand and his powerful forearm, sinking into the centering sensations that were coming off his Guide.

"How are your barriers Dave?"

"They're high, I'm okay." David kept his voice soft.

The musical cadence of his Guide's accent washed over Edwards and he smiled affectionately at the younger man before disengaging from his touch. The Sentinel Prime had come a long way in accepting comfort from his Guide while in public but he still couldn't forget the times when David had been attacked just for following his instincts.

"Tell me if you start to have problems. Emotions are going to be running high out there."

"I know. I'm prepared." David reassured his Sentinel with a grin.

"All right. Still I want you to st…"

"Stay behind you. Yes, Sentinel." David used the title as a way to let Edwards know that he was ready for them to assume their professional demeanors. The gentle twinkle in his emerald eyes gave the word an affectionate connotation, not a fearful one.

Edwards gave a little growl then turned and swung out of his car. He moved to the back end and withdrew his vest, drawing David's out as well and tossing it towards his Guide as the younger man stepped over to join him. Slipping his shoulder harness back into place, Edwards secured his vest on over the harness, turning a practiced eye on his Guide making sure the younger man had his own vest strapped on properly.

The Sentinel was already feeling anxious about their situation. They were on a side road, caught between two rows of multiple story buildings. The sun was starting to set causing a wicked glare to ricochet off the glass windows and the angry horns of rush hour made hearing difficult.

Edwards reached out and caught David's arm, tugging the young man tightly in behind his larger body. Busy with the last strap of his vest, David gave a small peep as he was almost pulled off balance by his fretful partner. Locking the last strap down into place, the younger man reached and caught the back of Edwards' shirt just beneath the vest.

The physical connection steadied the nervous Sentinel and he took a deep breath.

'Get a grip Clements.' Edwards chastised himself before quietly muttering over his shoulder. "You're shifting the vest, let go."

David rolled his eyes behind his Sentinel's back but obediently released the older man, keeping close enough that Edwards could feel his body heat.

"I 'saw' that." Edwards muttered.

David didn't say a thing but somehow he managed to tread on his Sentinel's heel.

Catching his balance with nary a skip in his step, Edwards let the small indiscretion go for the time being, though he made a mental note to discuss the effects the Senior Guide Prime of Cascade was having on his own, sweet dutiful Guide with the Senior Sentinel Prime. Putting a forbidding expression on his face, he strode purposefully towards the police tape, clipping his ID badge on his belt.

The young patrolman manning the tapped off area, snapped to attention as Edwards approached. He looked like he wanted to salute the ex-Marine. Edwards gave him a nod of acknowledgement before ducking beneath the tape. Holding the tape up, he waited for David to slip under the barrier before dialing his hearing up till he caught the sound of Blair Sandburg's voice.

~That's it Jim, filter out the sun, what can you see? ~

The Senior Guide Prime was speaking in low measured tones, leading his Sentinel through the potential sensory minefield that the busy crime scene presented. Knowing that David would be on his heels, Edwards began to wend his way through the crowd to where he'd pinpointed Blair's voice. By rights of the chain of command, he should have been seeking out Falks but Clan business came first.

Jim Ellison was standing near the open door of the car, which had been involved in the traffic stop. His head was lifted, eagle eyes focused up towards a building north of their position. Blair stood just to Jim's left one hand on his shoulder his other hand held up over his own eyes like a makeshift visor. Sentinel and Guide were working the crime scene together, their pose classic through the ages.

Not wishing to disturb the Senior Pair, Edwards stopped a few feet away standing in respectful silence intending to wait for his clan leaders to pause in their long range investigation. However, the anxiousness, which had assaulted him when he'd stepped out of the car, came back and Edwards soon found himself angling till he faced 180 degrees opposite of Jim and Blair. His eyes lifted of their own accord towards the building south of where they stood and he zeroed his vision in, searching for hints of a gun muzzle or the flash of a scope lens. Instinct demanded that he guard the Dark Pair's back.

Edwards felt David's hand anchor against his shoulder as his Guide stepped up seamlessly connecting to him without a word and steadying his senses, allowing the Sentinel to focus his sight even tighter. The Senior Guide was still speaking in low tones to his Sentinel, so David remained silent as a gesture of respect towards Sandburg.

Edwards was unfazed by his Guide's silence. Though he adored his Guide's voice, he and David had worked together long enough that unless the Sentinel tipped into a shocked zone the Guide's presence, scent, physical and mental touch were anchor enough.

Thus connected, Edwards opened himself up further; hearing and scent added to sight. He could almost swear that there was a familiar scent being carried on the air, a scent that he hadn't detected in almost a decade. It took a bit of effort to dial away the sound of angry motorists and the smell of vehicle exhaust but David was there gently redirecting the distracting noises scents and sights, helping the Sentinel sharpen his focus.

'What would I do without him?' A part of Edwards's mind tossed the question out and for a moment the Sentinel found himself remembering what it was like before his Guide had come into his life.

~~~~~ FlashBack~~~~~

He'd just gotten out of the Marine Corp. Edwards told himself that it was just coincidence that his honorable discharge had coincided with the increasing frequency of his sensory spikes. He'd gone into the Marine Corp at 17, served on missions that were not spoken about in polite company, earned the level of First Lieutenant and been discharged at age 26.

Edwards currently had an application pending with the Boston SWAT unit but a friend inside the system had clued him in to the fact that his application was going to be held up in 'pending' until he bonded. Edwards had almost dropped the endeavor altogether. He was not keen on the idea of bonding. He'd been identified as a Sentinel not long after entering the Corp. Along with Basic, he'd taken the GDP training and he'd found the idea of, in essence, 'owning' another human being distasteful. Also, he was a practical man. He hadn't been able to keep a relationship with a woman going for longer then 6 months at a stretch and here they were, trying to tell him that he would 'bond' with someone for life?

Since his senses had still been in the awakening stages, there had been little pressure to form a bond at that time. He'd gone to a couple of mixers, leaving within an hour of arriving, feeling slightly begrimed. Soon enough, Basic had turned into Special Ops training and the Sentinel part of his life had taken a backseat to the Marine.

Now, the Sentinel part was taking over the driver's seat and there was nothing Edwards could do to stop it. He'd ducked destiny for as long as he could gracefully manage. It was time to face the music.

Standing by the doorway of the conference room the Boston GDP rented for their largest Sentinel/Guide mixer to date, Edwards nursed a glass of filtered water. He'd been at the mixer for almost an hour and had yet to find anyone he was interested in talking to. None of the Guides present caused any sort of reaction in him, and Edwards was feeling penned-in by the crowd. Besides, his senses were starting to spike and he was growing acutely uncomfortable.

The water was specially prepared for unbonded Sentinels with sensory input issues but Edwards could suddenly taste the charcoal left behind by the filtering system and he was fighting the urge to be sick to his stomach. Turning to tip the contents of the glass into a handy potted plant, Edwards found the stench coming off the flowers on the plant overwhelming.

Reeling back, the glass dropped from his suddenly numb hand, shattering on the floor with a sound akin to a landmine going off right in front of his face. A small sliver of glass jumped up off the floor and impacted with Edwards's right hand, the limb suddenly going from numb to agonizing. Voices became meaningless noises that grew unbearable as they came closer.

The still logical part of Edwards' mind recognized that GDP personnel were trying to come to his aid but he was starting to spiral down into a primal response to sensory overload. Wheeling around, Edwards dove for the doorway wanting only to get away from the unbearable sensations assaulting him. Eyes closed against light that was too bright, he didn't see the slender figure trying to enter the door at the same time he was trying to exit.

"Oof!" Came a soft, melodious voice, completely at odds to the cacophony of sound Edwards was trying to flee.

Hands, gentle, gentle hands caught the Sentinel's arms, steadying his balance and wiping away the burning agony of the glass shard embedded in his skin. The warm slightly spicy scent of bergamot and coriander filled his nostrils, blotting out the sickeningly sweet smell of the flowers and the stench of body odor filling the room.

Edwards froze in place, focusing all his attention on the rich, masculine scent. Then the voice, that wonderful sweet, elegantly accented tenor spoke again. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

Without opening his eyes, Edwards reached up with frantic hands, touching the unseen face, threading his fingers through silky, slightly curly hair.

"Um?" The voice sounded unsure, confused and Edwards growled low in his throat, tightening his hold on the unseen Guide.

~Guide! ~ The Sentinel's instincts screamed at him. ~My Guide! MINE! ~

"Mine!" Edwards ground out, his hands dropping to grip the Guide's shoulders.

In response to the Sentinel's possessive declaration and grasp, Edwards picked up the sweet scent of an unbonded Guide reacting to an unbonded Sentinel's claim.

"Claim and Mark, Guide." Edwards' hands were dropping down along slender arms, continuing the imprinting motion.

"Claim an.. And Mar…mark, Sentinel."

Edwards had never heard sweeter words spoken. Lunging against his Guide, 'HIS' Guide, he tried to press the smaller man down, but the slighter body showed a remarkably wiry strength as the Guide resisted. Edwards snarled angrily but his Guide's hands were touching him, coaxing him to move, fluttering against his biceps.

Somehow, between the GDP personnel and the unseen Guide they managed to get the bonding pair to one of the private bonding rooms just off the main banquet hall. Once in the room the Guide had fallen back onto the platform, spinning around onto his stomach, presenting himself for his Sentinel's imprinting.

Edwards had careened into the platform, barking his shins painfully against the floor as he remembered at the last second not to crush the smaller body beneath his own powerful form. The Guide's unique scent flooded Edwards' senses and he felt the warm flicker of his Guide's mind open up to his questing touch.

His only impression as he fell into the mental embrace, was of youth, than Edwards lost all sense of self as he connected and bonded for the first time in his life.

Time lost all meaning as his mind and soul merged with his Guide. When Edwards finally came back to his own body, he was surprised to find himself sprawled out on his back half on the platform half off. For a moment, he was completely disoriented. Then a shy tug at the back of his mind snapped everything into place.

Guide.

Bonded.

He'd found his Guide.

Bonded to his Guide.

He was bonded.

Opening his eyes, Edwards found the room dark but with an ease he'd never know before, he quickly sharpened his sight, focusing his gaze down towards the bundle of warmth curled on his chest. Dark wavy hair met his questing gaze. His sense of touch was already confirming what he could remember, his Guide was male and the scent of bergamot and coriander was strong in the air, wonderfully soothing.

His Guide's heartbeat filled his ears. The most comforting sound he could ever remember hearing. No child consciously remembers the sound of their mother's heartbeat from the womb but Edwards couldn't imagine that it had brought him any greater comfort then the sound echoing in his head at that moment.

From the tempo of the heart rate as well as the younger man's respiration, Edwards knew his Guide was awake. Reaching up he caught the other man's chin and slowly lifted his Guide's eyes up to meet his own. Sooty lashes framed large, intelligent eyes the most amazing shade of emerald, in a face that was achingly young.

'Oh my g… he can't be older then sixteen.' Edwards thought in horror.

Full lips twitched in a shy smile and the musical voice Edwards could still hear echoing in his heart, whispered. "Actually, I'm 19. David, David Sutherland."

Edwards opened his mouth, than gave a little cough, before he answered in a voice that was hoarse and full of gravel. "Edwards."

Winged brows, a shade darker then the wavy hair that topped his Guide's head, lifted in an inquiring manner. Edwards, swallowed and slide his hand around the back of his Guide's neck, coaxing the younger man to lay back down on the pillow of his chest, tucking him up under his chin.

"We'll talk about the first name later."

~~~~~ End FlashBack~~~~~

To his everlasting credit, David had kept a straight face when he'd later learned about Edwards' first name, Clements. That had been a little shy of seven years ago. Edwards made a mental note to start making anniversary preparations when they'd finally put down the perp taking sniper shots at them.

For the time being, the Sentinel made a final sweep of the buildings in the surrounding area then dialed his senses back towards normal. Giving his head a shake to knock the cobwebs free, he turned and looked towards Ellison and Sandburg.

Ellison was frowning darkly, his blue eyes snapping with energy as he also dialed his senses back to a normal range.

"Nothing, Chief. I can't pick up a damn thing!" Ellison's frustration was a nearly physical thing and Edwards couldn't help shifting his body so he stood directly between the flustered Dark Sentinel and David.

The slight movement caught Ellison's attention and the senior Sentinel turned to address his second in command directly.

"Hey, Edwards. I didn't hear you come up."

Edwards bowed his head. "I am honored." Honored that Jim Ellison felt comfortable enough with the SWAT Sentinel that he would automatically filter out his approach, even with his Guide nearby. It showed a remarkable amount of trust: a trust that Edwards guarded fiercely.

Ellison responded to the formal words by nodding with the regal dignity of his spirit animal. Now situated just slightly behind his Sentinel, Blair rolled his eyes and swatted lightly at the broad shoulder that blocked his view.

"If you two are finished with the display of alpha male respect… Jim, you're scaring David."

Jim blinked and rocked forward on the balls of his feet. The slight advantage he had in height over Edwards allowed him to peer over the other Sentinel's shoulder at the small form of the Senior Guide Prime Apparent. Large, green eyes, pupils a little enlarged from the strain of grounding a working Sentinel, peered back at him from just behind the SWAT officer's broad back. Though Jim couldn't see the lower half of David's face, it was impossible to miss the pluckish wink the young Guide sent his clan leader's way.

Satisfied that David was not truly cowering in terror behind Edwards, Jim settled back on his heels and snorted delicately.

"Chief, you're mistake fear for a healthy sense of self-preservation and a remarkable respect for his poor Sentinel's nerves."

Blair's snort was less dignified.

Edwards quickly dialed down his hearing. He didn't want to inadvertently catch the comeback the Dark Guide was delivering to his partner. As he turned his head to the left, to study more of the scene, Edwards felt his Guide's hand flutter in a few short jerky motions across his shoulder.

"Dave?" He whispered, curbing the urge to duck away from his Guide's needful touch.

"I'm alright. There's just… everyone is…" David found it hard to finish the sentence.

Edwards understood without needing his Guide to spell it out for him. Emotions were running strong, even his own. This was the third cop killing in four weeks. Cascade's finest were running high on tempers and low on patience, a deadly cocktail for a Guide. Between his Sentinel and the emotions coming from the people in the immediate vicinity, David had to have his hands full, so to speak.

This was one of the primary reasons the other Sentinel/Guide pairs were being kept away from the scenes during the initial investigations. It had caused quite a debate within the Panther Clan but in the end the Senior Guide Prime's decision, backed by his Sentinel, had been law. The Dark Pair would be the primary investigators on site, with the second in command Sentinel Prime and his Guide, providing backup.

Edwards was torn. As a Sentinel, and Ellison's second in command, he belonged at his Clan leader's back, but instinct was screaming at him to protect the Guide. Not just 'the' Guide, 'his' Guide. Edwards had seen the Dark Guide in action often enough that he had no concerns about Sandburg's ability to take care of himself, but David was a different story.

There were times, late at night when David was sound asleep, that Edwards lay awake and cursed his career choice. At first, he hadn't been able to imagine any other sort of life. A Sentinel's job was to protect the tribe. In this day and age that meant police or fire department. Either job was high risk and his Marine training had made police the logical choice. But now, especially after meeting Doctor Harvey, Edwards had begun to doubt himself.

David had never through word or deed, showed any unhappiness with his Sentinel's career. The young Guide followed Edwards with a devotion that could only partly be contributed to training. The genuine adoration, affection and love that Edwards found in his Guide was not something that could be taught. It spoke volumes of the younger man's gentle spirit that even beneath the humiliating, trying conditions that David had lived through, he never expressed any regret for the cards life dealt him.

His Guide's sensitive spirit was the very thing that had his Sentinel worried. What good was it for Edwards to protect David's physical body while letting his emotional soul suffer? How was that protecting the Guide?

"Neds?" David's voice was pitched to carry to Edwards' ears only, a hint of concern lacing the Guide's voice.

"Hm? Nothing, Dave I was just thinking. Come on, let's get to work."

Edwards quickly checked the position of his Clan leader, then sent his hearing outwards searching for Falks. Secure in the knowledge that for the moment, Ellison needed no one but Sandburg, Edwards turned to the right and headed for the impromptu command center set up by the SWAT Unit.

"Yes, I want every rooftop within that radius checked. No, I do not think it is impossible that our perp made the shot from over 1500 yards out, this guy might be a lunatic but he's a damn good shot! Now, stop jawing at me and get to earning your damn paycheck!" Falks' voice rose to a dull roar on the last two sentences, a sure sign that the SWAT commander was seriously perturbed.

Unaffected by his commanding officer's obvious temper, Edwards walked up to the city map that was taped up on the side of the SWAT unit.

"Ah, nice of you to join us Sentinel Edwards are you done kowtowing to Ellison?" Though the words sounded snide and the tone derisive, Edwards and Falks had reached an understanding. When it came to Sentinel business, Edwards would do what he needed to do and Falks would cope.

Edwards reached up and tapped the map, ignoring Falks' question, asking instead. "You really believe this guy has a 1500-2000 yard shot capability?"

Falks walked up on Edwards' right side, keeping well away from the silent young man standing just behind the Sentinel's left shoulder. For one, Falks understood that Edwards would inflict bodily harm upon him the likes of which he'd never known, and besides, Falks genuinely liked David and would never forgive himself if he caused the Guide distress.

"Yes, Edwards I do. The shots he's taking, he's playing with us. Most shooters would aim for the head, certain kill no chance of a vest stopping the bullet, either that or they'd use cop killers. This guy isn't doing either of those things. He knows he can make these trick shots and he's doing it."

"You don't pick up skills like that shooting cans in your backyard." Edwards murmured.

"Nope."

"And you can't pick up a gun that will fire those sorts of distances at your local Wal-Mart either."

"Correct, but with the right training…"

"You could refit a gun you bought at your local Wal-Mart." Edwards exhaled as a possible lead slipped away.

"And this perp's going to have that training."

"We assume."

"Well, right now we don't have much else to work with." Falks snapped. "Anyway, if you're just going to stand there an analyze all the evidence we don't have, go talk to Ellison, he's running the investigation. Just tell me so I can cost out your salary to Major Crimes and stop paying you on my budget."

Military training helped Edwards curb the urge to roll his eyes. Stepping away from the map he bowed his head slightly towards Falks, acknowledging his commander's point.

"Where would you like me sir? Command or field?"

Falks exhaled, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he contemplated his choices. "Ah, hell, command. Everybody's so keyed up I'm afraid they'll open fire on a rat if it startles them. See what you can do to keep these yahoos vigilant but reasonable."

Edwards snorted as he reached for a walkie-talkie. "Just call me the Miracle Worker."

"No, I'm calling you responsible. Now, I've got to go talk to the Mayor, unless you'd like to switch?"

"Oh, hell no."

"Didn't think so."

With a nod to David, Falks stalked off towards the limo that was pulling up just outside the police barrier. Edwards looked over his shoulder at his Guide.

"How's your walking on water?"

"Just don't ask me to tango."

"Wouldn't dream of it, partner. I've seen you dance with the vacuum."

Somehow, the Guide's instep found the back of the Sentinel's heel once again. Edwards forced himself to ignore the unapologetic little 'oops' that echoed, Sentinel soft, behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David stood just behind his Sentinel trying not to fall asleep in the short time it took Edwards to unlock their front door. Usually the multiple locks on the door helped David feel secure in the apartment but on this particular evening, he would have gladly traded them for one simple barrier.

Finally, Edwards swung the door open, stepping aside so he could herd his sleepy Guide into their home. The Sentinel didn't need hyper acute senses to spot David's half closed eyes. David was almost asleep on his feet. It was late but not that late.

Concerned, Edwards followed his Guide, closing the front door and catching the younger man's arm, pulling him back around till they were standing face to face.

"David, are you feeling alright?"

The young Guide opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a giant yawn. Giving his head a shake, David blinked blearily up into the worried brown eyes of his Sentinel. Smiling, he reached up and patted Edwards' broad chest.

"Yeah, just tired. I think I need to eat something."

Edwards frowned. "Hold still."

David stood square arms slightly out to the side and waited patiently as his Sentinel threw a full sensory net over him. Strong hands, starting at the top of his head, danced lightly down across his shoulders, arms, up over his ribcage, back and torso. Edwards held his head cocked slightly to the side, undoubtedly listening to the very movement of the blood through his Guide's veins. Nostrils flared as the Sentinel searched for any unfamiliar scents and David had to wonder if Edwards could see right through his very skin with his sight dialed up.

Once again, Edwards could find no physical abnormality with his Guide. Yet, once again, something niggled at the back of his mind, telling him that all was not as it should be. Dropping his hands away from David, Edwards exhaled around a small growl.

"Nothing."

"Ah, should there be something?" David asked.

"I don't know, you tell me." Edwards found himself snapping at his Guide.

David regarded his Sentinel warily, confusion warring with hurt in his eyes.

Immediately, Edwards felt like a heel. Reaching out, he cupped the side of David's face with his right hand, lifting the younger man's chin so David's gaze couldn't slip down to their shoes. Taking a step closer, he pressed right into the younger man's space.

"You were like this after that long week, last month. I couldn't get you to wake up David. It scared the hell out of me. What's going on? Talk to me, kiddo."

Long week… last month, David felt his eyes widen and his breath caught in his chest. The first time he'd set up the double barriers and maintained them for an extended period of time. He could remember being so totally exhausted that he'd barely made it through the bonding with his Sentinel. He hadn't had need of the internal shielding for any length of time since then, until today.

Edwards watched as a series of emotions danced across his Guide's expressive features. David was a horrible liar. His face was too open and even if he did manage to get a lie out, he inevitable felt guilty within two hours and fessed up on his own. In turn, his Guide looked puzzled, then horrified and finally regretful.

"Dave?" Edwards whispered gently, stroking his thumb across the young Guide's high cheekbone.

For a moment, David considered trying to come up with an explanation but his Sentinel's softly spoken request dashed all thoughts of obfuscating out of his head.

"Ca… can we sit down? Please?"

Edwards studied the Guide's face for another moment, than he nodded and lowered his hand. Sliding his arm around the smaller man's shoulders, Edwards pulling him in close. He could feel small tremors wracking David's body, his Guide's obvious distress pushing him towards Blessed Protector mode.

Choosing the couch, Edwards settled against one corner and pulled David in close against his body. With nary a peep of protest, David settled next to the older man, pressing his head against the Sentinel's chest, his own upper body curling up into Edwards' lap.

Edwards' concern slipped into serious anxiousness and he found himself reaching up to card his fingers through his Guide's hair in a nervous gesture that greatly resembled the way David had stroked his shoulder earlier that day. Edwards bit his lower lip to keep from pressuring the younger man, determined to wait until David was ready to speak.

David was trying to find the best way to explain what he'd been doing but in the end, there was simply no easy way to broach the subject. Closing his eyes, he pressed his face against the warm cotton of Edwards' shirt, listening to his partner's heartbeat for a long moment, gaining courage just from the older man's presence. Keeping his eyes closed, one hand wrapped around Edwards hip, fingers loosely curled into the belt loops of the older man's trousers, David started to talk.

"When I was a child, I felt things." David began.

Edwards' fingers paused in their stroking and he opened his mouth to point out that David was an empath and that it would make sense that he'd feel things but he closed his teeth with a soft snap, letting his Guide set the pace.

David smiled sadly and closed his hand against Edwards hip, silently thanking him for the understanding. "I know. I'm a Guide. I should feel things, but this was beyond that. As a Guide, my neural pathways are genetically designed to be receptive to the emotions of my Sentinel and my tribe but this… is something different. When I'm in close proximity to a person or people, it's like I soak up their thoughts and moods; even their expectations. It's like an enormous pressure pushing against me, causing me to react to things that aren't readily apparent to those around me."

Edwards frowned, desperate to comprehend what his Guide was saying, but having a hard time wrapping his mind around the words. He lowered his head, pressing his face against the top of David's hair.

Aware, without comment that Edwards wasn't quite connecting with his explanation, David chewed on his lower lip for a moment, than tried another tact.

"All right… let's talk about auras."

Edwards groaned softly. He had a hard time with his Guide's attachment to meditation and the metaphysical. By nature he was a practical person, who liked to deal with the tangible.

David chuckled softly. "I know Neds, but humor me."

When the Sentinel lapsed into obedient silence, David continued.

"Let's just say that everyone has an aura. Now, usually when you say aura, people think of colors but for my example, we'll use sounds. When people are happy, their auras have a light soothing sound, when they are angry, it's harsh, when they argue it's discordant… and so on. Now, Guide empathy causes me to be sensitive to those sounds, which we're used to dealing with but… every sound also has a vibration which isn't heard so much as 'felt'."

"Vibrations?"

"Yes, the actual waves that produce the sounds."

"And you're saying you're sensitive to these waves, as well as the sounds?"

"Well… at first I just thought it was something every Guide had to deal with. I mean we all have to deal with keeping other people's stray thoughts and emotions at bay as well as filtering our Sentinel's emotions but, I've been watching Blair and the others and…" David paused, flustered.

"And what, Dave?" Edwards gently prompted, his voice muffled by his Guide's hair.

"Well, Blair always seems so… invigorated when he works with people, I began to wonder if the constant fatigue I felt after being around anyone other then you for an extended period of time was normal."

"Wait a minute." Edwards sat up and pulled his Guide around until the young man rested with his back across the Sentinel's thighs, looking up at the older man.

"Are you telling me that these past seven years, being around other people for extended periods of time has caused you to feel fatigue and you haven't said anything? I haven't 'felt' anything?"

Sensing the Sentinel's growing distress, David reached up and laid his hand over Edwards' heart. "For most of my life, it's been so minor, truthfully, I never realized it, not until I consciously thought about it. It's only gotten… more intense since we've come to Cascade, since we've met and linked with the Dark Pair. I'm guessing that Blair's strength has helped raise my level of sensitivity, to you and… this other stimuli."

Edwards frowned darkly and lay his head back against the couch, once again cursing himself and his job.

David didn't need empathy to feel his soul-mate's distress. Lifting his hand higher, he cradled the side of Edwards face, stroking his fingers along the older man's hairline.

"I don't… I can't regret anything that has allowed me to have a deeper connection with my Sentinel. Don't ask me to. Please?"

Edwards took a long deep breath, grasping on to the initial disquiet he'd felt from his Guide's revelation and then releasing it as he exhaled out. Sitting up, he caught David's hand, threading the smaller fingers through his own.

David gave the calloused fingers a squeeze and took a breath of his own before continuing. "Long story short… it has been getting harder and harder to cope with being around people for extended periods of time, so I started to do some research, trying to find out what was wrong with me."

"Nothing!" Edwards snapped without thinking.

"Shh, easy Neds, just… let me get through this alright?" David pitched his voice down, not quite the Guide tone but very close.

Edwards nodded.

"Okay. My thinking was to find a way to supplement my barriers. Try to filter out the added stimuli. I spent some time pouring over the texts that Blair has and talking to Blair, not directly about this but what he knew about Sentinel and Guides. In the end, I found references to something called, double shielding. It's a second set of shields, consciously erected and maintained by the Guide."

"Oh, David." Edwards blanched as he imagined what would happen if the GDP ever found out about a Guide reading up on such a subject.

David sat up, turning around on the couch so he faced his Sentinel directly. "No, no… they're nothing like the shields that you help me maintain. They're specifically designed and woven consciously by the Guide to filter intense outside stimuli. The Sentinel/Guide bond is… it's a part of me Neds. I'm as connected to you as I am to my own thoughts."

Even with his Guide's reassurance, Edwards couldn't shake the sick feeling in his stomach. "David…"

David spoke quickly, trying to get his Sentinel to understand. "I can't even maintain them for that long. A month ago was the first time I'd ever tried to erect them. It was the only way I could think to protect you."

"Protect me?!"

"Yes." The young Guide cried. "Neds, I was loosing it. People's emotions, their expectations, their moods, the precinct was a pressure cooker. You and Umbrek were heading towards a confrontation, the unit was stressed and frustrated and they didn't understand what was going on, everybody was rabidly emotional and I couldn't fix it, I couldn't control it, I… I… I couldn't help you!"

Edwards felt his heart slam into his chest as he watched his Guide become increasingly frantic. Sitting forward, he caught David's head gently, bracketing the younger man's face between his large palms.

"Shh… shhs, easy kiddo, easy. Breathe for me, that's it, deep breath, it's okay, just breathe Dave."

David choked on a couple of breaths causing them to sound like sobs, than he swallowed a couple of times before looking up into his Sentinel's face.

"I'm sorry, Sentinel… I'm sorry." The Guide whispered in a tight, strained voice.

The large, tear-filled green eyes, coupled with the younger man's obvious battle to keep back tears, broke Edwards' heart. Sliding his hands down across David's shoulders, he pulled his Guide into a tight embrace, curling himself around the smaller body in a gesture that was both protective and possessive.

"It's alright, Dave… link."

"Sen..Sentinel?"

"Protect and serve, Guide… link." The worried Sentinel growled affectionately. Edwards knew he was holding his breath but was powerless to do anything about it until he felt the tug at the back of his mind that signified his Guide's touch.

"Serve and Protect, Sentinel." David whispered, letting his head drop on Edwards's shoulder.

Edwards uttered a low groan of relief before turning and burying his face against the soft skin of the younger man's exposed neck. Now, at least he had some idea of what was happening with his beloved Guide. He didn't know what to do about it but he knew whom to turn to for help. First, though, he needed to connect with his Guide, stabilize the younger man and reassure himself that his Guide was safe in his arms.

Then, he would call Ellison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blair looked up over the screen of his laptop and watched his restless Sentinel pace back and forth. Jim had been pacing steadily since Sentinel Prime Edwards' phone call half an hour earlier and Blair was hard pressed to decide if Jim was nervous about having another Sentinel near his inner sanctum or if the phone call itself had Jim wound up.

"What did Edwards say?"

"Hmm?"

"On the phone James, you know that annoying piece of plastic that goes ring a ling? What did Edwards want?"

Jim paused in mid-step, blinking at his Guide, then shrugged. "He didn't say." With that pithy response he resumed his pacing.

'Must be a territorial thing.'

"Why couldn't we have met down at the station?"

"Edwards said it was Clan business."

"Clan business?" Blair frowned and quickly closed out what he was working on.

"Well, he said it was personal."

Blair whistled softly. Edwards was one of the most independent Sentinels in the Clan, almost as independent as Jim himself. The SWAT officer handled personal issues with only two people, himself and his Guide.

"Is David alright?" Blair asked standing to join his Sentinel in his pacing.

"He didn't..."

"Say. Yes, I'm getting the picture that he didn't say much. What did you two do, grunt at each other? Okay, let's try it this way, what did Edwards have to…"

Blair never got a chance to finish the question as Jim suddenly swung around and stalked towards the front door, yanking it open just as Edwards and David stepped off the elevator.

As Blair watched from just behind Jim, Edwards walked up towards the door, keeping himself between his Guide and the other Sentinel. When he was about four feet from the doorway, Edwards stopped and dropped to one knee. Behind him, David followed suit. Both men bowed their heads, exposing their necks in a gesture of submission and trust to the Clan leader.

"Senior Sentinel Prime. I apologize for requesting an audience within the privacy of your living quarters but the need is dire. On behalf of my Guide and for myself I require the counsel of yourself and the Senior Guide Prime."

To Blair, the formality sounded a tad over the top but the Dark Guide was pleased, and most importantly appeased, by the other Sentinel's show of respect.

Obviously the Dark Sentinel felt the same way, because after a moment's hesitation, Jim stepped forward and motioned for Edwards to rise.

"Please… come in, you have me worried, Edwards." Jim growled.

Edwards rose smoothly to his feet, turning to offer David a hand. The small Guide stood and scooted nervously in behind his Sentinel.

Blair felt a twinge of confusion as he watched David's submissive attitude. As soon as the pair cleared the doorway, he stepped forward and reached out, intending to draw his peer out from behind Edwards and show the other man that the loft was a place where Guide and Sentinel were equal.

His head ducked down, David didn't catch Blair's intention until it was too late.

"No!" David tried to shy away but Blair had already caught his wrist.

Turning quickly, Edwards reached to remove Blair's hand from David's wrist, but a low growl from the larger Sentinel behind him froze him in mid-motion. Helpless to stop what was happening, Edwards winced as he watched Blair lock in to David's riotous emotions.

Blair reeled back from the onslaught of sensations rolling off the other Guide. Totally at odds with David's usual, calm good-natured demeanor, the Guide Prime was ground zero for an almost debilitating amount of fear, confusion, anxiety and self-loathing.

The Dark Guide came quickly to the fore. He was not longer appeased. Releasing David, Blair snarled as he turned and in one smooth motion, let fly with a right hook that threw Edwards up against the doorjamb.

"What have you done!" Dark Guide ground out as he moved to pounce on the fallen Sentinel.

Blair punching Edwards shook David out of his momentary paralysis and he ran forward, throwing himself between the Dark Guide and his own Sentinel.

"No, Senior, please. That's what we're here to talk about. Please hear us out." David's eyes were locked on Blair but he gave Jim a quick imploring look.

The Sentinel in Jim could not help but respond to the distress that rolled off the Guide Prime of his clan. Stepping towards Blair, he laid a hand on his Guide's shoulder, speaking in a low but commanding tone. "Chief, put him back in the box. Let's hear what they have to say."

The Dark Guide gave another low growl but Blair had gotten pretty good at controlling the more primal side of his nature. It helped that Edwards stayed perfectly still, and David's obvious anxiousness called to the nurturing side of Blair Sandburg. Uncurling his fists, Blair dropped out of the fighting stance the Dark Guide had adopted and held up his hands.

"Tea?" He offered. It was lame but he just couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Um… maybe some decaf?" David answered a thread of hope in his tone.

"Yeah." Blair grinned a little, coaxing an answering grin out of the tense Guide Prime as David acknowledged the inadvertent joke on the situation.

Over the pot of tea, David explained the situation to his Clan leaders. Edwards paced just behind the chair where his Guide sat, a silent but watchful presence. Blair, watching the fretful Sentinel, realized this was one of the first times he'd seen Edwards show that much emotion in public. Tension and concern radiated off the older man.

As David finally fell silent, Blair chewed on his lower lip in a pensive manner. "So, what you're saying, it's like being in a cold winter with a high wind? You can layer up against the cold but the wind just cuts right through you all the same?"

David seemed to give Blair's analogy some thought and then nodded. "You mean a 'lazy wind'? Yes, it's very much like that."

Blair sat quietly for a few more seconds, than suddenly jumped to his feet. "Wait a minute. David, do you know what your spirit animal is?" Blair bounced on the balls of his feet, looking at the other Guide with laser like blue eyes.

Blinking, slightly confused, David looked from Edwards to Jim then back to Blair before answering hesitantly. "Ah, wolf."

"Wolf?" Jim asked sharply but Blair snapped his fingers, looking like David had given the correct answer to a study question,

"Yes! Of course, that's got to be it."

Three sets of eyes fixed on the Senior Guide Prime, but Blair ignored them as he turned and dashed into his room, muttering something about the Keyshund text.

Edwards moved up behind the chair and laid his hand on David's shoulder. Though their bonding had helped steady his Guide, the young man was still echoing waves of stress. David turned his head slightly until he could lay his cheek against the Sentinel's knuckles.

Sensitive to his SIC's unease at public displays of need, Jim turned his head politely away, staring instead into the black cavern of chaos that had swallowed his own Guide.

"AH HAH!"

Came a triumphant cry, followed by a bouncing Sandburg as the TA careened back into the living room.

"How you find anything, Darwin…" Jim muttered earning a dismissive snort from Blair as the Guide threw himself back down on the couch.

"Okay. First, David, I apologize for not giving you this when you came asking me about barriers. Keyshund focuses mainly on Dark Pairs and I was still working with it myself. Also, she doesn't really talk about barriers per se..."

David blinked and straightened as he tried to keep up with the rapid-fire speech pattern coming from Sandburg.

Blair took a deep breath and forced himself to slow down. "I'm sorry, but this is really fascinating."

"Only if we can understand you, Chief." Jim intoned dryly.

Blair shot his Sentinel a glare but was careful to take another deep breath before he started to speak.

"Alright, as we already know having a clan of Sentinel/Guide pairs within a tribe requires a delicate balance. Territory issues and the like need to be dealt with as well as hierarchy. Now, amongst the Sentinels, well it's pretty straightforward. You go Neanderthal on each other and whoever is strongest, best able to protect the tribe, is Senior."

Both Sentinels looked a little wounded at being called Neanderthals but Blair just gave them a look of 'get over your selves'.

"However, in the Guide's case we go with our Sentinels. If a Sentinel takes the position of Senior Sentinel Prime or Sentinel Prime over other Sentinels, then their Guide steps into the corresponding position, whether we want to or not. It's our duty."

"But the strongest Guide, may not be with the strongest Sentinel, is that where you're going with this?" Edwards frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at Sandburg.

"Well, for the most part, a Sentinel who is strong enough to be Prime and Senior is going to have an equally strong Guide by default. It gets particularly sticky when a Dark Pair is involved. Edwards, you're strong and David is strong, you were able to hold your territory in Boston without any challenges and no one in Cascade, not even Sentinel Niven, has indicated any desire to challenge for your position as Jim's SIC."

Edwards gave a slow nod, though he looked a tad uncomfortable at the talk of challenges and Niven.

"If it weren't for the fact that Jim is a Dark Sentinel…"

"Let's not go there." Edwards quickly interrupted, giving Ellison a wary look.

"Okay, fair enough. The point is, a Dark Pair upsets the natural Sentinel hierarchy. By their very existence they are going to be the alpha pair in any Clan. No one but another Dark Pair can stand against them. So, what happens to the Primes within that Clan? I mean, in any other Clan, the Primes would be the alphas but with a Dark Pair in position, that can't happen."

Blair reached forward and flipped carefully through the text on the table in front of him, looking for something. Giving a nod as he found the page he was after, he gently pressed the book open so it lay flat and continued.

"Now, Keyshund speculates that Dark Pairs were drawn to areas of extreme strife and instability. Where they were needed most. Primes, were drawn to Dark Pairs in those areas because, well a Dark Pair can't be on guard all the time, they need strong, reliable back-up."

"Instead of too many cooks, there is more then enough trouble to go around? Is that what you're saying Chief?"

"Yes, exactly."

"I'm sorry, Blair but what does this have to do with me?" David asked the question softly.

Blair looked over at the other young man and noted how tired David's usually bright green eyes appeared. Licking his lips Blair smiled gently.

"I'm sorry David, its just… really interesting stuff, we'll have to talk about it later. To condense it down, in any other setting, you and Edwards would be a Prime, alpha pair. In fact, you were in Boston. Here in Cascade, with Jim and I being a Dark Pair and you two as the recognized seconds, you've taken on the role of the beta. If we further believe that this was all destined out, well it makes sense that your spirit animal is a wolf, like mine."

David lifted his hand and rubbed at his temple. "O-kay… but how does that explain the heightened sensitivity?"

"Well, as a beta, part of your responsibility becomes keeping harmony within the pack, or in this case within the Clan. You've got to recognize and diffuse trouble before it can harm the Clan's working relationship. In fact, it's vital. Keyshund studied a clan that was almost a mirror for our own Clan. There was a Dark Pair, two sets of Primes, one that functioned in the role of SIC to the Dark Pair and one whose sole focus was the health of the tribe and clan, just like Doctor Harvey and Jon. Then there were numerous Sentinel/Guide pairs and a healthy number of unbonded Sentinel and Guides coming up through the ranks. Again, Keyshund was focusing mainly on the Dark Pair but she did make mention of the Senior Guide Prime Apparent. Here, let me just read what she wrote."

Picking up the book, Blair cleared his throat, than began to read. " 'I've observed that Karoush' that would be you David, 'Karoush, is very observant. At first I thought she was shy, almost fragile. Her Sentinel is very protective of her and does not let anyone, even other Sentinels or Guides, close unless he absolutely has to. The only two allowed to approach Karoush without fear of immediate retribution, are Berha and Telafee.' Those are the Dark Pair: Telafee was a Dark Guide. 'Upon further observation and questioning with Telafee, I've learned that Karoush is extremely sensitive to the needs of the tribe and the clan. According to Telafee, Karoush is almost always aware of the emotional and mental state of those around her. Karoush is constantly processing this information and using it to diffuse possible confrontations and to intercede before certain situations get beyond control. It is my belief that as Telafee's second in command, the ability to sense such minute changes coupled with the young woman's unique skills to handle these situations is invaluable to the Clan, the Tribe and the Dark Pair. It frees Telafee from the burden of trying to keep order within the Clan and be Guide to Berha, which as I have stated before, is a full time job.'"

Blair closed the text and looked over at David. "We're talking about almost the exact same situation here. David, you're the only one of us who is always aware of how the rest of us are feeling. We Guides get caught up in our own little worlds, with just ourselves and our Sentinels, but you, keep track of all of us, while at the same time supporting Edwards. It stands to reason that nature would equip you accordingly for that purpose."

David sat back and regarded Blair with a dubious expression. "I don't know Blair…"

Blair smiled. "David, you said it yourself. This… hyper-sensitivity has gotten more pronounced since you came to Cascade, since you became beta to a Dark Guide."

"Then… could this also be happening to Jon?"

Blair blew out a gusty breath, puffing at the stray strands of hair that had escaped his tight ponytail. "He hasn't said anything but his role in the Clan is different then yours. That could be a very telling factor."

Edwards listened to the exchange with a growing sense of unease. All he could hear was that once again, his choice in the direction of their lives was having a negative effect on his Guide. Running a restless hand over his short-cropped hair he grasped the back of his neck tightly before interrupting.

"Alright, this is all fascinating, I'm sure, but what do we do about it, how do we stop it?"

Blair blinked owlishly at Edwards. "Stop it? Why would we want to?"

"Because it's exhausting him!" Edwards snarled.

Jim stood up quickly, giving his second in command a hard glare. "Edwards, I understand that you're stressed but no one speaks to Blair in that tone of voice." The Senior Sentinel Prime's own tone was ice cold, liberally laced with a military edge that brought Edwards immediately to attention.

"It's okay Big Guy, he's right. I was being insensitive and only looking at it academically. David, I'm sorry." Blair apologized to the other Guide.

David had turned in the chair, reaching out to stroke his hand fretfully across Edwards' forearm. "I understand Blair and now that you've explained this… scenario out to me, I agree with you, we shouldn't stop it. It seems to serve a purpose. But, I still need some way to control it."

"Well, I think you were on the right track."

"The double shielding? But… that can't be right, I mean the GDP…"

"David, screw the GDP!" Blair's growl sounded suspiciously like the Dark Guide. "Again, you've answered your own question. The interior shields you erect can't interfere with your connection to your Sentinel and that is all that matters."

"But, if I have those shields in place, then how can I perform my function within the Clan?"

"You don't keep them up all the time, right?"

"Ah, no."

"So far you've only felt the need to erect them in a few situations, times when you've feared that if you grew over burdened by the emotions and needs of those around you, you'd fail your Sentinel, right?"

David gave a little nod, lowering his hand from Edwards' forearm before sitting forward, focused on what Blair was saying.

"What do you do the rest of the time?"

"Um, well… I just let it wash over me and I try not to let it distract me from whatever I'm doing."

"And that works?"

"For the most part, unless someone is feeling particularly strongly about something, or I'm closed in a small space with people. Then it gets a lot more intense."

Blair chewed on his lower lip for a long time, staring down at the hardwood floors of the loft, as his quicksilver brain worked through multiple theories. Clapping his hands together, he threw himself back against the couch and smiled towards David.

"The double-shielding is the answer. We've just got to make certain that you've got the proper control."

David sucked on a tooth, not completely convinced and Edwards gave his head a hard shake.

"No, that can't be the answer. With all due respect, Senior, these secondary shields are a hazard to my Guide's physical health."

"Uh, in what way?"

"They knock him out, he's practically collapsed after maintaining them."

Blair sat forward, frowning. Linking his hands between his knees he looked at Jim for a moment, then at David.

"Is this true David?"

David sat silent.

"Dave?" Edwards prompted softly, laying a supportive hand on his Guide's shoulder.

Looking up into his Sentinel's concerned brown eyes; David reached over and grasped the older man's wrist. He spoke so softly that Jim had to dial his hearing up a notch and Blair was straining to catch what David said.

"It's a catch-22."

"What do you mean, kiddo?" Edwards finally relaxed his tense posture and knelt down beside his Guide's chair, looking up into David's face.

"Right now, when I go extended periods of time in public without the shields I'm just as tired but I'm also stressed out and crabby. I need to get back to the apartment for some private time."

David lowered his eyes, plucking at a loose thread on his Sentinel's sleeve before whispering. "If… when it's been really bad… I feel like… well like I need to get away from everybody, even from you."

Edwards froze and Blair held his breath, then the SWAT officer reached up and touched the back of David's neck, drawing the younger man forward until their foreheads rested against each other.

"Days when you go to your room?"

"Yes." David whispered miserably.

Communication between Sentinel and Guide then moved beyond the vocal range. Watching his SIC with his Guide, Jim felt the need to move over and sit beside Blair. Blair drew his eyes off Edwards and David, turning to give Ellison a soft smile before he sank against the older man's side.

For almost half an hour the loft was devoid of voices. Somewhere the tick of the stove clock could be heard, marking off the minutes as they passed in companionable silence. A deep breath from Edwards marked the end of the quiet moment as the Sentinel Prime drew back from his Guide and turned intense brown eyes towards the Senior Guide Prime of Cascade.

"Can you help him with these shields?"

Blair sat up and away from Jim, meeting Edwards gaze directly. "Yes, Sentinel Prime. I can help him. I will help him."

The last sentence sounded suspiciously like the Dark Guide's tone. Blair could feel the lethal side of his personality stirring. A Guide of his clan was suffering and that was something the Dark Guide would not tolerate.

Responding to the formal words, Edwards bowed his head towards Blair. "Very well. I entrust my Guide's health unto you, Senior Guide Prime Sandburg."

"I accept your trust humbly, Sentinel Prime and will protect him while he is in my care." Blair spoke with formal sobriety.

"He will be as my own, Sentinel Edwards." Jim continued his own tone low and formal.

For his own part, David rested his head against Edwards' biceps, content to let the words flow over him. His trust in his Sentinel was unwavering and his belief in the Senior Guide Prime complete. It was not in his nature to keep secrets from people he trusted and cared for. He already felt extraordinarily better for having shared his burden with his Sentinel and with his clan leaders.

They would make it all right. David held faith in all three of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following weeks that passed did so swiftly and were eventful. During the day, the Panther Clan hunted the man who threatened the warriors of the tribe with a single mindedness that left much of the Cascade police department in awe. Jim and Blair spearheaded the investigation while Edwards and David worked to ensure the safety of every officer on the street. Roger and Tina supported the investigation while Lisa and Karl worked closely with Edwards. The four Sentinel/Guide pairs functioned seamlessly; information to one partnership was knowledge shared to all.

At night, David worked with Blair. The two Guides spent hours in the meditative state. Edwards tried his best to stay out of the way, but he simply could not make himself walk away from David, even when the young Guide was tucked safely away in the loft.

Jim, showing remarkable sensitivity to his SIC's stress, started to coax Edwards out to a local pool hall. Sometimes the two Sentinels played pool, sometimes they talked about the case, and sometimes they just talked.

Though Jim was older then Edwards, the Boston Sentinel had been on-line and bonded longer then Jim, and though reluctant to speak of private matters between himself and his Guide, was willing to share some of his practical experiences with his clan leader. The two men also shared a military history, which offered them a common subject upon which to speak and after an initial awkwardness they found a certain level of companionship in their friendship.

Back in the safety of the loft, Blair and David found an equally comfortable friendship. Though their personalities were vastly different and they seemed to share less in common than their Sentinels, Blair discovered the strength of will that David masked beneath his dutifulness. Blair came to understand that David was devoted to Edwards, not just because the GDP deemed that a Guide was subject to his Sentinel, but because Edwards was Edwards. David had unshakable faith in his Sentinel and the purpose he and his Sentinel served in the world around them. It was this faith that had seen David through some of the harder times in his life.

Within the spirit world, the Dark Guide was also pleased with his beta. Blair found remarkable strength and control within David's mind. David was already so good at deflecting confrontational situations before they exploded that his empathic abilities were rarely tested but Blair quickly recognized that Karl, Jon or Tina would be in trouble if they ever challenged the Senior Guide Prime Apparent directly. The Dark Guide appreciated this balance of strength tempered by commitment to the clan's welfare within his beta.

Rather then cause friction, the strengthened bond between the four men helped stabilize the clan as a whole. Totally focused on the outside threat, the Panther clan soon began to close in on its elusive prey.

It was a throwaway comment, made by Lisa that started Edwards thinking.

"This guy cleans up so thoroughly, I bet he spit shines his shoes."

The other Sentinel had been grousing about the lack of evidence at a crime scene, but the statement had stuck with Edwards. As the Sentinel Prime thought about it, he began to believe that they were dealing with someone who was ex-military. That night while David and Blair were busy in the loft, Edwards brought up his thoughts with Ellison.

"Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing." Ellison said, settling back in the booth the two Sentinels had appropriated for the evening.

"I've also been thinking about this guy's profile Jim. He's methodical, thorough; he collects intel before he makes a move. These aren't random acts, he's scoped out the area, chosen a particular target, then set himself up in the best position to strike."

"But there isn't any connection to the officers he's taken down. Different precincts, different ages, sexes, they all kept their noses clean, two were lifetime street beat and one was a rising star. There is no noticeable geographical pattern either. If he's stalking cops, he doesn't seem to care who or where."

"Well, I'm sure he cares, but probably only in so much as not getting caught." Edwards growled softly, taking a sip from his bottle of water.

Both Sentinels fell silent. They were men who were comfortable in quiet and time spent together had alleviated the need for inane small talk.

Picking up the beer he was enjoying, Jim pressed the bottle against his lips but spoke before taking a swallow.

"There is one commonality."

"Us." Edwards answered readily, proving that his mind had also been working on the case.

"At least, now."

"Mm… true. SWAT wasn't called in on the first or second shooting. We came in on the third."

"The rest of Clan came in on the fourth."

Edwards turned about in his seat and looked at Ellison. "Where are you going with this Jim?"

Jim pulled his eyes off the jukebox in the corner of the room and turned to meet Edwards's eyes.

"Hear me out."

Edwards nodded.

"What we're saying is this guy is a planner. He thinks everything through, plans it down to the smallest detail."

"Right."

"So, what if his plan is larger then the sum of its parts."

"You mean, what if the killings are not his ultimate goal?"

"Right, they're a means to an end."

"Drawing us out."

Jim nodded. "It's a classic military pattern. If you can't get to your subject directly…"

"Threaten something that will draw him out in the open…"

"Then neutralize."

Edwards whistled softly and sat back tapping his long fingers against the side of water bottle. "All right. So lets assume it's us he wants. Is it just one of us, or the whole clan?"

Jim exhaled and laid his head back against his seat. "I don't know. It's just something I've been thinking about. This is a man who knows his prey. He's got these attacks timed down to the minute and he's long gone by the time we arrive on the scene."

Edwards rotated the bottle of water in his hand, focusing his sense of touch on the cool drops of condensation that lined the outside of the plastic.

"Not to mention the fact that four sentinels have been unable to nail down any specific clues. Everything we've picked up has either been so generic it could have been left by anyone or the crime scene has been deliberately muddled to the point that we're nearly zoning every time we work it."

"Which brings me back to my earlier statement. This guy knows his prey and he obviously knows a hell of a lot about sentinels. Hell, he's almost got a guide's working knowledge, not only of our strength and weaknesses but the quickest, most effective ways to navigate around them. I don't know about you, Sentinel but I don't 'like' feeling hunted."

Something dangerous moved behind Ellison's blue eyes as he spoke.

Edwards drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He could feel something trying to connect in his mind but every time he focused on it, it slipped away. "We've determined that he usually takes 10 days between one shooting and the next, right?"

"MmHmm."

"So, we assume that he spends at least 10 days scooping out his next target."

Seeing where Edwards was going, Jim sat forward, blue eyes snapping thoughtfully. "Or, he spends 10 days setting up his next target after having already pinpointed the target."

Edwards nodded. "Either way, he's had 3 situations in which to take you out and he hasn't. If he was after the whole clan, then taking you out would be the logical first step."

Jim snorted and slammed his beer bottle down. "What about any of this is logical, Edwards?"

Edwards splayed his fingers in a way meant to soothe his agitated clan leader. "Well, so far he's actually been very logical for a homicidal killer."

"Point taken."

Edwards reached up and grasped the back of his neck with both hands. "We're still making some pretty large leaps of logic."

"Are you accusing us of being more illogical then some madman?" Jim growled.

Edwards looked up at the Senior Sentinel Prime and make a soft tucking noise with his tongue.

After a beat, Jim nodded and seemed to deflate. "Yeah, guess we are."

Once more, both men fell silent. The crack of pool balls and the laughter of the other customers in the pool hall filled the quiet air between them.

Edwards released the death grip he had on his own neck and smacked his open palms down on the table. "You know, something about this whole situation feels familiar, but I just can't pinpoint why."

"Something from your days in the Marines?" Ellison asked. The two men had shared enough stories to realize that each of them had a few sealed missions in their files.

Edwards frowned, obviously trying to recall a memory that was eluding him.

"I … don't know. There is just something, like I'm missing something that I shouldn't be."

Exhaling in frustration the Sentinel Prime snatched up his water bottle and squeezed the rest of the liquid down his throat.

Recognizing the tension in Edwards and feeling a similar need for his own Guide; Jim drained the last of his beer and stood.

"Come on, I think Blair said something about sharing a new tofu recipe with David and if it's the one I think it is we'd better head him off at the pass."

Edwards nodded, leaving his empty bottle on the table and following his clan leader out the door. The two Sentinels walked silently back to 852 Prospect, each man lost in his own thoughts.

As they stepped off the elevator, sensitive noses picked up the scent of frying tofu. Ellison winced and muttered.

"Too late. I apologize now."

Caught up in the sickening feeling that he was missing something vital to the investigation, Edwards barely acknowledged Jim's attempt at humor. Instead, as soon as the other Sentinel had the door to the loft open, he moved into the kitchen and began to herd his Guide away from the stove.

"Hey there." David chirped happily. "Blair's been showing me a new…"

The young Guide's voice drifted off as he looked up into his Sentinel's face. Blinking once, David reached back and began to untie the apron that was wrapped around his slender waist.

"You'll have to show me the rest of it later Blair."

Blair, also looking at Edwards, gave a nod. "Sure, anytime David." The Senior Guide Prime then moved back up against the refrigerator as Edwards shooed David towards the front door.

Standing by the door, Jim held David's coat out towards the younger man, careful not to touch him. The need to bond was an almost palatable force coming off Edwards and Jim didn't want to risk a misunderstanding with his highly agitated SIC.

David gave Jim a shy smile as he accepted his coat, offering his goodnights as Edwards grasped him firmly by the elbow and escorted him out the door.

As the door closed behind them, Blair looked over at Jim.

"What was that about, Big Guy?"

"Something in the past, tweaking the present, Junior." Jim gave Blair a meaningful look and the Guide nodded with unspoken understanding.

"Tofu?"

"Will it get me out of my soy shake tomorrow morning?"

"No."

"Damn."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the drive home, Edwards remained perfectly silent, moving in quick jerky motions that spoke of intense physical control. David watched his partner worriedly, keeping quiet and very close to his Sentinel, trying to minimize the strain the older man was obviously feeling.

Edwards kept a tight rein on himself but he was tense until he got his Guide safely into the apartment. Locking the door behind him, Edwards turned and grasped David's shoulders, tugging the younger man's jacket down and off even as he pushed David back through the short hallway.

Without the benefit of Sentinel vision to assist him, David had to rely upon his memory of every nook and cranny of the territory he shared with his Sentinel. Skirting around a hallway table, David backed towards the living room.

Growling softly, Edwards tugged his Guide around and changed their direction.

David blinked in surprise but didn't protest as Edwards pushed him into the older man's bedroom. Something had his Sentinel wound up and at that moment all David wanted was to alleviate the older man's distress.

Though Edwards was usually very controlled in public, or perhaps because of it, he was extremely intense within the bond.

David rode the storm with a calm serenity that belied his young age. Embracing his Sentinel without question and helping the older man find his emotional, mental and sensory center.

In the hours that followed, Edwards sat up against the headboard, his Guide curled up against his chest. As his Sentinel stroked strong fingers through his hair, the Guide allowed himself to drift in the state somewhere between wakefulness and the first hints of sleep.

Edwards remained wide-awake. Within the sanctity of the bond, in the few minutes when the connection with his Guide had allowed the Sentinel to cut through the murky haze of memories desperately forgotten, he'd touched upon the source of his unease.

A ghost from Edwards's past whom fit the profile of their killer. A man who had the skills, the knowledge, and thanks to Edwards, the motive, to be performing these heinous acts.

'But he's dead. I know he's dead.'

Edwards lay his head back against the wooden frame of his bed. In his arms, still sensitive to his Sentinel's needs, the Guide stirred making a sleepy noise of concern.

"Shh, go to sleep kiddo. Go to sleep." Edwards's deep voice was little more then a rumble against David's ear, but the tired Guide relaxed obediently.

Contentment flooded Edwards as his senses picked up the telling signs of his Guide slipping into sleep. David's heart rate slowed, his breathing became deep and even and yes… he began to drool on his Sentinel's favorite flannel shirt.

For a moment, Edwards allowed himself to focus solely on the young man using him as a pillow. At these moments, in the quiet of night when both of them were safe, uninjured and just, 'together', all was right with Edward's world. Sometimes he wanted to just run away with his Guide and live the moments forever, but he realized that it was the challenges of the life they faced together that made these moments so special.

Anchoring himself to the simple joy of holding his Guide, Edwards let his mind move away from the comfort found in the present, back to the horrors that lingered in his past. He owed it to himself, David, the clan, and the people of Cascade, to find the courage to face down his ghosts.

One of which might be responsible for the nightmare they were currently living through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next three days passed in growing tension as the police waited for the next attack, and the investigators rushed to prevent it. Then the call that everybody was dreading came across the airwaves. Two patrol officers were pinned down under fire from above.

Answering the call immediately, the Cascade SWAT unit arrived first on the scene. Traveling with the SWAT team, already outfitted in vests, Edwards and David jumped out of the still moving SWAT unit, just to the right of the pinned patrol officer's position. They were down in the warehouse district of the city, the shots coming from a three-story warehouse that sat along some abandoned train tracks. The patrol officers had been responding to reports of some transients using a condemned warehouse as shelter.

Though this was the first time they'd caught the perp in the act and everyone was keen to get a crack at him, discipline was tight within the ranks. Things were being done strictly by the numbers, with Edwards, as the ranking officer on the scene, giving all the orders. They had never been able to get this close to the sniper's position before, but then again, they'd never been able to close in while shots were still being fired. Only the minute possibility that there might be innocents in the warehouse kept the warriors of Cascade from returning fire.

Edwards took cover behind a gutted old Nova, David right behind him hand on the Sentinel's shoulder. Edwards dialed up his sight, flicking his gaze from window to window, trying to catch sight of the perp. Seeing nothing, at first, Edwards ground his teeth together. He couldn't stand the thought that they'd possibly missed again. He was reaching to dial up his hearing, as a secondary check, when a flicker of movement caught his attention.

Head snapping around, eyes focusing eagle swift towards one of the lower level windows, Edwards saw him. A man, dressed in black was calmly fitting the pieces of a long-range weapon into a case. As Edwards shifted in his crouch, the man in the building stood up and looked right at him. Dead, black eyes stared at Edwards, unblinking and a hard, scared face broke into a cruel grin.

Edwards felt his heart grow cold as he recognized the man smiling malevolently at him. His ghost, his very much alive ghost, was beaconing through the window to him.

"Oh hell… you were dead."

"Sentinel?" David asked softly

Without looking back, Edwards reached up and pushed David's hand gently away from him. "Stay here Dave."

His eyes never leaving the man in the window, Edwards broke from the cover of the Nova and dashed towards the building.

Stunned, David blinked and watched his Sentinel's retreating back. Edwards occasionally left David behind, if the level of danger was unacceptable to the Sentinel, but those times were few and far between. Scooting around towards the back of the car, David peered past the bumper, watching Edwards disappear into the warehouse.

The call had come in so fast that the Guide Prime hadn't had time to erect his secondary shields before he'd been linking up with his Sentinel and jumping in the back of the SWAT unit. Now, open and disconnected from his Sentinel, David could feel the pressure of the emotions echoing around him. Biting his lip, he began to weave the secondary shields, pushing all the excess mental noise back but as he reached inwards a wave of triumph, laced with pure malice slammed into him.

Crying out from the intensity, David fell back on his butt, cradling his head in his hands. Gasping for breath he looked up towards the warehouse. His secondary shields completely disrupted, David was open to the intense emotions pouring off his Sentinel and the other man within the warehouse. Without knowing how he knew, David realized that Edwards was in serious danger. The predator within that warehouse was not the hunted but the hunter and Edwards had just walked into a carefully laid trap.

"Neds." David whispered desperately.

Scrambling to his feet, the young Guide bolted from the cover of the car towards the warehouse. Heedless of his own safety, he ignored the startled cry of the police officers behind him, not stopping his headlong rush until his hands were tearing open the door in the side of the building.

The inside of the warehouse was dark and dusty, a Sentinel's nightmare. Long forgotten crates and equipment stood in the center of the first floor. The top two floors were made up of balconies that ringed the building and lead to small offices. The main center of the warehouse was open from floor to ceiling, allowing the filthy skylights in the ceiling to send down shafts of intermittent sunlight but the building as a whole was mostly in shadows.

Licking his lips nervously, David let his eyes adjust to the dim light, then began to look around for his Sentinel. A crash, somewhere to his left, sent the Guide ducking to the right behind a forklift. Grasping the rusted metal frame, David hunkered down and tried to visually find his Sentinel, but Edwards was stalking the other man in the building, David could feel the older man's intense focus, the borderline bloodlust his Sentinel was experiencing at being so close to his prey.

But there was another, equally strong set of emotions bombarding the young Guide. A dark, twisted malevolence that was filled with hatred, insanity and above it all, the driving urge for destruction, was in the building with them, also stalking.

David bit his lip until he tasted blood, desperately pushing the taint of the 'other's emotions out of his mind and focusing on the bright, burning light that was Edwards. He didn't dare call out to his Sentinel. Edwards would not be able to answer him without giving away his position. Besides, David could feel the intensity with which his Sentinel hunted. Edwards had his senses open, using sight, hearing and scent. A shout from his Guide would throw him into a Blessed Protector state and possibly leave him open to attack from the other hunter.

For a brief flash, David felt an overwhelming sense of pride for the level of control Edwards exhibited over his senses. Edwards could go short periods of time without direct physical contact with his Guide, and still work his senses without fear of a zone out. It was something the two men had worked long and hard on, and David was glad to see it was time well spent. The Guide's momentary reflection came to an abrupt halt as a flash of movement just in front of him drew his attention back to the dangerous situation he and his Sentinel were in.

He didn't see where it came from, but all of a sudden a small gray cylinder fell from the air into the middle of the floor, it rolled a short distance, then sat for a second. Between the blink of his eye, suddenly the warehouse was filled with a blinding light, and an intense sulfuric odor.

Thrown back by the shock of the intense explosion of light, David smacked into the ground unable to stifle a small cry. Flat on his back, reeling from the bright light, the Guide was almost overwhelmed by the distress that echoed down the link from his Sentinel.

"Neds." David whispered desperately, instinct driving him to his feet over his body's protests.

The suffering coming from his overloaded partner drew the young man unerringly across the floor of the warehouse towards a stack of crates. Weaving unsteadily through the maze, he found Edwards down on the ground, staring blankly overhead in a full shock zone.

Throwing himself down by his prostrate Sentinel, David grasped Edwards shoulder with one hand, the other reaching up to cup the Sentinel's face, turning fixed, staring eyes towards him.

"Neds, Neds… I'm here, I'm right here. Ah, drat it look at you. Neds, come on now hear my voice partner, dial it down." David's voice was hoarse as a result of the smoke drifting through the building, but the soothing cadence echoed across the bond, calling to the injured Sentinel.

Edwards blinked, but his pupils were still fixed and dilated. The zone was a bad one. David reached and grasped Edwards's hand, lifting it up and pressing it against his chest. Taking a breath he was about to launch into a steady stream of conversation, hoping to draw his Sentinel back with voice, heartbeat and link but a shout interrupted his concentration.

"I bet you're not feeling too good right now Lt. Edwards? Did you like my little surprise? I made it just for you. Just had to get you close enough to use it. A white noise generator, a few flash pots to mimic the gun, you didn't know which way to turn did you? That's what you need me, why you've always needed me. Now… where are you?"

It was the first time the perp had spoken, and David blanched as he quickly realized two things. The man in the building was targeting Edwards, and knew enough about Sentinels to have incapacitated Edwards completely.

David froze for a moment then instincts, genetically stored within every Guide, kicked into gear. David reached down and grabbed the gun that lay in Edwards' lax fingers. Tucking it into his own waistband, he scooted around until he could grasp Edwards by the shoulders and began to drag the larger man further into the shadows behind the crates.

Backed up against the wall, a set of crates made a perfect 'U' shape with the open end of the 'U' up against the warehouse wall. It took a little bit of finesse but David swiftly got the zoned Sentinel into the relative cover provided by the crates.

With his Sentinel hidden from danger for the moment, David moved quickly and silently away from Edwards's position. Not stopping until he was well away from where he'd hidden the SWAT officer, David paused by a broken down ditch witch. Peering around the corner of the earthmover he caught sight of the man threatening his partner.

David Sutherland was a peaceable, good-natured, forgiving soul, but this person was a threat to the man who meant more then life to the young Guide. That threat needed to be eliminated, no questions asked. Pulling the automatic out of his waistband, David checked to make sure the safety was off, than grasped the grip in both hands.

Edwards had insisted on David knowing at least basic gun safety, but he had never encouraged David to get out on the practice range. David, who had no use for guns, had been fine with this. However, now he wished he'd insisted on knowing a little more then how to check if the safety was off.

'I can't hit him, I don't have a chance of hitting him.' David lowered the gun, stifling a whimper.

He had to do something! Mind racing furiously, David turned the gun over in his hand quickly unloading the clip and the round that Edwards always kept in the chamber. Sliding the ammo onto the seat of the earthmover, David hefted the gun and threw it with all his strength across the warehouse, away from Edwards.

The hunter turned quickly, the silhouette of a handgun in his profile. David swallowed and thought about the police officers outside the building. Without Ellison, or one of the other Sentinels of the clan to alert them to the trouble within, they would be holding their position until they received word from Edwards. David didn't dare try to get back to the radio on Edwards's shoulder, but if he could lead the perp out of the building, away from Edwards, to the other warriors…

Yes! That was what he had to do.

Breaking cover, David dashed across the open floor of the warehouse, skidding to a stop beneath one of the beams of sunlight falling from the skylight above. His shoes squeaked on the dusty concrete floor, drawing the hunter's attention.

For a split second in time, their eyes met. In that moment, the hunter recognized the Guide and the Guide recognized the hunter. He'd seen a picture of the man, laughing, arm flung across Edwards' shoulder as the two men hammed it up for the camera.

"You… you're…" David began only to cut off as the gun in the man's hand came up to aim towards his head.

"Usurper!" The hunter snarled, pulling the trigger on the silenced weapon.

Ducking instinctively, David felt the hot bullet whiz past his right ear. Spinning on his toes, the young Guide dashed towards the far end of the building, the hunter close on his heels.

But he'd misjudged the distance.

He was within ten feet of the door when the hunter tackled him from behind. David had no chance against the heavy body that slammed into his lower back and sent him crashing into the concrete.

Having the wind knocked out of him was not the problem. The direct physical contact, which forced contact to a mind that wanted his beloved Sentinel dead, caused the Guide to scream in agony.

"You little bastard!" The man ground out, reaching and grabbing David's jaw with a cruel hand, driving every dark, twist thought in his mind down the connection he'd forced with the young empath.

Writhing wildly, David's slender body found the strength to throw the trained ex-military man off to the side, but the damage was done. The agony of the alien emotions tearing through his mind drove the Guide helplessly down into empathic shock.

The hunter snarled and quickly lunged to grab the Guide again, but before his hands could close on the exposed neck, an enraged bellow drew his attention to his right. The hunter had just enough time to register Edwards' face before the Sentinel was on him. The force of the impact carrying both men nearly eight feet across the warehouse floor, away from the prone Guide.

David could hear only a roaring in his ears. He felt like he was falling through the open sky, plummeting into a dark abyss that had no bottom. Screaming soundlessly, David flailed desperately for something to grab on to. The part of his mind that was always linked to Edwards was sending urgent messages that the Sentinel needed him, but the thread that connected him to the life-giving link, was just out of his grasp.

'Erect your shields.' The echo of the Dark Guide's voice snarled somewhere within David's mind. It was a tone that demanding immediately obedience.

David responded trying to began the complex weave. The pain and the shock made it difficult for him to concentrate. His neural pathways felt like they were on fire and it was almost impossible to figure out which emotions were his and which belonged to the two men battling just beyond him.

But the long night hours of training paid off. David focused on the tenuous link to his Sentinel, holding on to all the love he felt for the other man, knowing beyond a doubt that it was his emotion, belonging to no one else. Using that one emotion as an anchor, David threw out the first thread, feeling it take hold within the reality that was his own mind. With the first thread in place, the Guide quickly began to weave the shields into a dense net.

David jolted as he slammed into the net. The net bent but held. It snapped back, throwing him up towards his surface emotions. Forcing down panic as he passed through the hatred and insanity that remained from when the hunter touched him, David reached up and grasped the link to his Sentinel.

Lost in a Blessed Protector killing rage, Edwards had ex-Marine Gunnery Sergeant Victor Whillet on the ground and was methodically beating the man to death.

The door, two feet away, swung open letting in light and the tall form of Jim Ellison.

"Edwards!" Ellison bellowed.

Edwards paused, fist cocked and raised, ready to deliver a bone shattering punch. But it was not Ellison's shout that caused the furious Sentinel to stop. There, at the back of his mind, the link tugged again. Eyes still blinded from the photo grenade Edwards pinpointed his Guide's accelerated heart rate and turned in the younger man's direction.

"Dave?"

Ellison stood in the doorway, one arm slung out, holding Blair and the rest of the officers who were behind them back away from the scene. The Senior Guide Prime ducked his head beneath his Sentinel's forearm, getting a direct view of the scene, but didn't move to interfere.

David was fighting his way to his feet, eyes still dazed from the effects of the physical and mental attack he'd endured. Focusing on Edwards those same dazed eyes widened as he got a good look at his Sentinel.

The older man was staring in his direction with the fixed expression of someone who could not see. His face and upper chest were covered in blood from where he had broken Whillet's nose and torn the skin of the other man's face. The raised fist glistened with gore made up of blood and small flecks of bone.

David blinked, fighting back the tears that flooded his eyes, looking at his desperate Sentinel. "I'm all right Neds, I'm right here. Let him go."

Edwards, lost in his primal nature, growled low in his throat. It was his right to destroy the one who had harmed his Guide, who would have killed his Guide. Edwards didn't give a rat's ass about the fact that Whillet had been after him, but by attacking David, the man had signed his own death warrant.

David didn't need the link to feel the killing rage in his partner. All he had to do was look at Edwards's face. Taking an unsteady step towards the Sentinel he kept his voice low and soft.

"I'm all right, but I need your help." He'd heard Blair use the same words when Ellison was out of control, and he could only hope they would work with Edwards.

Members of the SWAT team, lead by Paris, were flooding the warehouse from the other direction. Coming upon the unfolding scene, Paris held up her arm and flared her hand, calling for an immediate halt and complete silence.

"Dave?" Edwards' voice was little more then a snarl.

"Yes, I'm here… I'm right here." David took another hesitant step, almost loosing his balance.

Though Edwards couldn't see his Guide, some sense imparted the knowledge of the younger man's unstable attempt to walk towards him. Whillet was released and forgotten as Edwards threw himself across the couple of feet that separated him from his Guide.

As quickly as it had come, the adrenaline left Edwards body, leaving him unable to stand up. Still he reached and caught David around the waist, holding the younger man up on his feet.

David flung his arms around Edwards shoulders, leaning against the older man, even as he took Edwards weight against his own body. Grasping the Sentinel's vest with one hand, he closed the other over the back of Edwards' head holding the older man against his torso.

Blind and shaky from the zone, without the adrenaline rush provided by the BP mode to sustain him, Edwards collapsed against the comfort of his Guide. For Edwards the only sound was that of his Guide's heart, the only scent in the air, his Guide's. The only touch was that of his Guide. Edwards was completely unaware of their audience. Wrapping his arms tightly around David's waist, he clung to the back of his Guide's shirt, pressing his ear tightly against the comforting heartbeat, feeling it anchor him as David's touch soothed away the lingering rage and pain.

Still in the doorway, Ellison took his eyes off Edwards and sent a silent command to Lisa. The female Sentinel didn't need details. She turned and ordered the men following her back out the way they'd come. Without looking over his shoulder Jim, spoke almost silently to Niven who stood just behind him.

"No one comes in until I give the all clear."

"Understood."

Orders given, Ellison and Sandburg stepped through the entrance, closing the door behind them. The need of Sentinel and Guide was not something for idle spectators, especially the intensely private pair currently holding each other up in the middle of the floor. The clan leaders would stand guard until Edwards and David had stabilized each other then they would get down to the business of arresting a man wanted by every cop in Cascade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doctor Harvey had put her foot down. Edwards was spending the night in the hospital. The blinding effects of the photo grenade had started to wear off as soon as Edwards had been in direct physical contact with David, but Harvey was still concerned about the length of time Edwards had been zoned. The shock of the zone and the fact that he'd come out of it on his own due to a BP adrenaline rush also had her concerned, and she wanted him within easy reach.

Edwards had complained at the top of his lungs but a soft-spoken order from Ellison had put an end to any and all protests.

Though everybody within the clan was interested to hear about Whillet, they were also sensitive to the stress and strain that Edwards and David had been through. Taking up guarding positions just outside their injured clan member's room, they had left the Dark Pair alone with Edwards and David for the debriefing.

David was sitting on the edge of the bed, running his hand in long soothing strokes along Edwards' forearm. Jim stood at the end of the bed, with Blair standing between Jim and David.

"Whillet was the gunnery sergeant in my unit. He wasn't a Guide, but he helped me with my senses. He was fascinated with the idea of Sentinels and Guides and often said that he wanted to be a Guide. But he simply wasn't an empath. At first it didn't seem that big a deal, but as I got to know him, well… he wasn't the most stable personality in the world. Things were heading towards a crisis point when we were sent out on a mission."

Edwards paused for a moment, indulging an urge to touch his Guide's hand before continuing.

"I can't go into detail about the mission, but during it Victor took four rounds to the chest. We'd had a fight just before the shit came down and as he died, he said I had purposefully let him be shot."

Again, Edwards paused, his face haunted. As someone who had lead and lost men under his command, Jim remained respectfully silent, letting Edwards work his way through the shadows of his memories.

"Anyway, I thought he was dead. My… senses must have been haywire and I didn't realize it. One minute I heard his heartbeat, the next I didn't. We were still under heavy fire and… I thought he was dead. We had no choice, we had wounded and…" Edwards stopped then started again. "Well, suffice to say we could not carry a dead body with us."

"He was left behind." Jim spoke the words he knew Edwards couldn't.

Edwards closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded.

Blair watched a tear trickle down David's cheek as the young Guide reacted to the intense emotional pain coming from his Sentinel. Reaching out, he touched the other Guide's elbow sending waves of comfort across the contact.

David, still sensitive from the mental attack he'd suffered at the hands of Whillet startled gently, but quickly controlled his response and smiled weakly towards Blair.

"Thanks." he whispered.

Jim studied Edwards closely. He saw how the other Sentinel had barely contained the natural reaction to push Blair away from David. The Blessed Protector mode was still keen within Edwards and instinct was running strong between the injured pair. It was taking a lot out of them both having anyone within such close proximity. Even their clan leaders were intruders at this time.

"All right, the rest can wait for tomorrow." Jim took a step away from the bed towards the door.

Blair looked at Jim with a puzzled expression, but his face quickly smoothed out as he realized what Jim had sensed.

"We'll be just outside the door, if you need us." Blair smiled reassuringly to David.

By the door, Jim nodded his agreement with Blair's promise. "Yes, only Doctor Harvey will come through these doors. I'd try to give you complete privacy Edwards but even I won't try to stop her."

Edwards relaxed enough to chuckle and share an expression of complete understanding with Jim. Doctor Harvey brooked no interference when it came to the health and treatment of the members of the Panther Clan. Edwards shared a small smile with Ellison, then the Dark Pair made their exit and he was blessedly alone with his Guide for the first time all day.

For a moment, Sentinel and Guide regarded each other with twin expressions of 'everybody is really gone?' Then Edwards lifted the arm that wasn't hooked up to an IV.

"Come here, you." His voice was a soft whisper, coaxing his tired Guide onto the narrow bed with him.

David hesitated, shooting a wary look over his shoulder towards the door, than looking back towards his Sentinel.

Edwards interpreted the look and gave a small nod. "It's all right, Jim will keep any spectators out and Harvey…" Edwards shrugged and repeated his invitation. "Come on."

Not needing to be asked a third time, David kicked off his shoes and crawled carefully up onto the hospital bed. Wriggling around the metal bars that bracketed the head of the bed, he settled down on his side curled up against the warm comfort of his Sentinel.

As his Guide got settled, Edwards lowered his arm tucking the younger man up close to his side. A gentle touch to the back of David's neck guided the other man's head up under Edwards's chin.

David carefully threw his arm over Edwards' torso and exhaled with relief as they curled seamlessly into each other. The blankets on the bed still separated them but from a physical standpoint it was now difficult to figure out where Sentinel started and Guide ended.

"Comfy?" Edwards asked, amusement lacing his voice.

"MmmHmm." David answered readily, his eyes closing as with each breath more and more tension leaked out of his muscles.

Edwards began to slowly card his fingers through his Guide's hair. David had reached a hand out and was petting it lightly along Edwards's biceps careful not to interfere with the IV lines running into the older man's hand.

For a long hour, Sentinel and Guide were content to hold each other, soaking up the soothing presence of their partner and soul mate. As the night grew deeper, it was Edwards who broke the companionable silence that had fallen over the room.

"Sometimes, around this time of night, I get to thinking about buying a cabin somewhere in the mountains of Canada and moving."

The Sentinel's voice was barely over a whisper, but David, still wide-awake, heard every spoken word. As well as the unspoken thoughts his Sentinel was trying to share.

"I like Cascade, Neds." David responded softly.

The fingers stroking through his hair, paused for a moment, then continued their tender ministrations.

"It would be nice up in the mountains. Lots of trails to bike on, no one within miles…"

No one to hurt his Guide. No deranged killers wielding guns or knives. No gang-bangers with weapons older then they were, shooting up the streets to prove how macho they were. Far out of reach of the old ghosts that haunted the Sentinel's past. Far away from people simply going about their daily business who still posed a threat to his Guide's well-being and happiness, and far away from the GDP.

David dropped his hand away from Edwards's arm and wrapped the older man's torso in a loose embrace.

"You'd be bored out of your mind within a week."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Neds, you can't even take a vacation for longer then a week at a stretch."

"This would be different."

David shifted about until he could lift his head and look up into his Sentinel's eyes. He smiled affectionately at the older man.

"No, it wouldn't. Neds, you're hardwired to protect the tribe. You've sworn your allegiance to Jim Ellison and the Panther Clan of Cascade. I've sworn my allegiance to you. Where you go, I go. Your decisions are my decisions, but if you want to hear it from my lips, I'm very, very happy with the decision you made regarding Cascade. I'm happy here Sentinel, and I don't need to be anywhere else. I have you, I have our clan, and I have our tribe. My life is full and I couldn't ask for better. Do you hear me, Sentinel?"

Edwards couldn't help the smile that grew on his lips. At times even he forgot the strength of will, fortitude and faith that ran through his Guide. Luckily David was rather adept at reminding his Sentinel, forcefully if need be, of those facts at just the right times.

Edwards reached up and tickled the tip of his Guide's nose. "All right, kiddo you made your point."

David gave a firm little nod and flopped back down on his Sentinel's chest, making a production out of 'fluffing' up his pillow.

Edwards chuckled softly as his Guide nested about. Once the smaller man was comfortable again, Edwards wrapped his arms tightly around David. There was one last troubling thought he needed to air before he could relax enough to sleep.

"Whillet is going to talk about what he did to you. The GDP is going to want to know how you kept from going into empathic shock under such circumstances."

"I know."

"And?"

"Blair and I will take care of it."

"Dave…"

"Neds…"

"David…what are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep now."

"David we need…"

"To sleep now, Sentinel. Tomorrow will sort itself out."

There was a moment of complete quiet in the room, then Edwards's voice could be heard.

"Is that some sort of metaphysical…"

"Sleeping… I'm sleeping."

There was a moment of silence, then Edwards's low chuckle echoed about the room, mixing with the soft lighter laughter of his Guide.