DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never were, never will be.  Jim, Blair, Alex and various members of the Cascade PD belong to Petfly Productions, while the Cascade Clan, Neds, David and several other Sentinels and Guides belong to Susan Foster.  There are some original characters scattered around the place too.  They're mine, as is the story.

THANKS: First of all, thanks to Kim who bid on this story at the Moonridge auction and who waited, ever so patiently, while I took my time finishing it.  She also kindly agreed to let me share this without waiting a whole month.  Thanks, Kim!  Secondly, thanks to Susan who invented the Cascade Clan and their universe and who doesn't object when I refuse to play with the GDP (because they don't play nicely!), and to Eileen, as she and Susan host my AU fic for me on their wonderful site.  Thirdly, thanks to Nancy who encouraged me endlessly and who stopped me from having any of the characters use British slang.  And lastly, thanks to Georgie, who beta-read this for me, despite not being a Sentinel fan.

Dedicated to Kim, my Moonridge winner

On the Run

by Arnie

Huddling down in the corner of the café booth, Blair wrapped his hands around the coffee cup and relished the warmth he could feel seeping into his frozen fingers.  Being on the run in the middle of a Cascade winter was no joke.  Especially when the one you were on the run from was a psychotic Sentinel named Alex Barnes.

Once he'd finally stopped shivering, Blair leaned his head against the back of his seat and debated what the hell he was going to do now.

All the aces were in Alex's hand.  She had a lot more money than he did, and her hired musclemen meant that if she got anywhere near him, she'd have no trouble in keeping hold of him.  Whereas he...he had just over forty dollars and his ingenuity to keep him going.  With Alex on his tail, he couldn't go home, he couldn't go to Rainier and he couldn't get to his car.

He also had his Guide-strength empathy.

Of course, that was part of the problem.  If he hadn't been a Guide, Alex wouldn't have been interested in him.  But if he could find a stronger Sentinel, someone to protect him, she wouldn't be able to bond with him.  For a moment, he indulged himself in his daydreams, allowing himself to imagine the strong Sentinel who'd be his, all his, and who'd defend him from psychos like Alex.

Then reality came crashing back in.  The only result any bonding he took part in would have was his Sentinel's death.  Alex was not the type to give up easily, and 'fair play' was an ideal that other people strived for, most certainly not one an international weapons trafficker like Alex believed in.

If Blair bonded to anyone and Alex found out, his Sentinel's days could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Which left him exactly where he was now: alone, nearly broke, with only himself to rely on.

"You finished?"

Jarred out of his reverie, Blair blinked up at the tired-looking waitress.  Draining his cup, he handed it to her.  "I am now.  Thanks."  Making his way to the exit, he huddled his coat around him before pushing open the door and stepping out into the cold, wet night.

It was late.  It was time he found somewhere to sleep.

~'~

"C'mon, Benny, don't do this to me."  Jim made sure to keep his voice light, fully in keeping with the persona he'd adopted while undercover.

"I'm tellin' ya, Cyrus, they think somethin's fishy, an' so do I."  Benny's hand, the one with the gun in it, trembled.

"Haven't I been looking after you?  Who realised when you were sick and got you to a doctor in time?"  If Jim couldn't talk Benny down, it'd blow the whole operation - to say nothing of what a bullet would do to Jim personally.

The hand trembled even more, and Jim kept part of his attention on it.  The way Benny's hand was shaking, if that gun had a light trigger, it wouldn't take much more to set it off.

Benny licked his lips nervously.  "That's - that's 'cause you're a Sentinel.  I should've listened to my instincts.  I knew there was somethin' wrong with ya the minute I saw ya.  Sentinels don't deal in drugs."

Jim shrugged.  "You need to stop listening to the propaganda, Benny.  We're human, like everyone else.  Just because some do-gooder Sentinels choose to act like Supermen, doesn't mean the rest of us aren't going to look after number one.  Drugs bring in the money, so drugs are what I deal in." 

"So...so...what about that guy today?  The one who said you're a cop?  How ya gonna explain that one away, huh?"

"I was a cop...until they caught me dealing under the table.  Cops don't like it when you tip the bad guys off that there's going to be a raid."  Jim smiled at Benny.  "So, now I work for the bad guys all the time."

The trembling calmed slightly.  "You're not shittin' me?"

"Benny, think about it.  If I were a cop, would I have wasted that cop on the docks?  Even for the sake of being undercover, cops try not to kill each other.  It looks bad on the report afterwards."  And if Rafe hadn't been wearing his Kevlar, Jim would have tracked him down in the afterlife and kicked his ass for him.

"Yeah."  Benny took a few deep breaths.  "Yeah.  Ya shot that cop.  Ya saved my life."

"That's right, Benny.  I saved your life."

"Yeah."  A grin, partially filled with badly stained teeth, was flashed at him.  "Shit.  I'm sorry, Cyrus, I - I just...ya just know too much about cops."

"I do know too much about cops.  That's how I stay ahead of them all the time."  Jim smiled back at Benny, watching the tension slowly drain away.  He'd convinced him, for now.  But the sooner they caught up with the suppliers behind this drug ring, the better.  And if the others were getting suspicious...  Jim made sure that none of his unease was showing but, the sooner this charade was brought to an end, the happier he'd be.  As Benny's gun moved to point to the floor, Jim stepped forward and slipped it out of his hand.  "Benny, how about you don't play with guns when you're playing with the merchandise?"

Benny wiped at his forehead, removing some of the sweat that had gathered.  "Yeah.  Stupid mistake."  He flashed another grin that was singularly lacking in charm.  "The guys'd be pissed if I blew away our contact, huh?"

"Not to mention that I wouldn't be too happy myself," Jim pointed out.  It wasn't just for his own sake that Jim was giving Benny a warning; the addict was becoming a liability, and Matthews, Benny's boss, didn't like liabilities.  Even Benny being Matthews' cousin wouldn't save his life if the boss made an executive decision to 'downsize' him.

"Hey, Cyrus, this bum with you?"

Jim turned to stare at the damp figure Henderson was shaking.

"Look, man, I was just trying to find somewhere to get out of the rain."

As Jim paced towards him, the kid, the Guide, continued to talk.

"But if you guys are hanging out here, that's cool.  I'll find somewhere else."

Inhaling, Jim realised that the kid wasn't as homeless as he was pretending but that didn't matter right now as the glorious scent of his unbonded Guide called to him.  Stretching out his hand, he grabbed the kid's collar, and growled at Henderson until the dimwit realised and let go.

As Jim shoved Benny's gun at Henderson, and pulled his Guide forward, the scent of fear increased, and the kid's voice rose a couple of tones.  "Hey, man, I - I don't mind moving on; I'm not that keen on warehouses anyway!"

"I didn't know ya were bonded!"  Benny came ambling up beside them.  "Ya never said -"

Jim turned his head and growled at him, and Benny seemed to catch on.

"Oh, you're not."  His foul grin appeared again.  "Hey, Henderson," he slapped the heavily-muscled guy on the arm, apparently not noticing the glare of anger he got in reply, "ya just found Cyrus' Guide for 'im."

As the figure tucked into Jim's side stiffened, Henderson's small, beady eyes stared at them for a moment, then, "Just make sure to keep him out of our way and away from the stuff."  Grabbing Benny by the scruff of his neck, he hauled him towards the door.

"Aww, I wanted to stay an' watch!"

"I told you not to bug Cyrus, Benny.  He's one of us - he proved that when he wasted that cop.  But right now, he's a Sentinel with a Guide.  We're better off out the way."  The door banged as Henderson kicked it open.  "Now stop whining."

Jim continued to listen carefully until he heard Henderson throw Benny into the truck and drive off, then he turned his attention back to his Guide.  "What's your name, Chief?"  As the kid shook his head, and tried to wriggle free, Jim added, keeping his voice quietly reassuring, "It's okay.  I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know that, man!"  The shaking in the kid's voice suggested otherwise.  "You're a Sentinel."

"That's right.  And you're a Guide."

"Look, I was just looking for somewhere to stay, okay?  I'm not looking to bond, so just back off!"

As the kid tried to break free, Jim tightened his grasp around his Guide's waist.  "Just keep calm, Chief.  I'd take good care of you.  You wouldn't have to worry about the likes of Henderson."  It was just Jim's luck that he had to find his Guide while he was undercover.  If the kid had any kind of moral code, he'd turn Jim down flat, and the Sentinel couldn't accept that.

~'~

Blair wasn't normally superstitious, but he was beginning to think he'd broken a few mirrors and stepped on some black cats while walking under ladders.  His luck wasn't normally this bad.

Okay, if he was honest, this guy, Cyrus, being a Sentinel was fortunate...sort of.  If he hadn't been, Blair suspected he'd be floating face down in the harbour by now.  On the other hand, the Sentinel was now refusing to let Blair go.  And, while the thought of a big, Blair glanced up, really big and well-muscled, over-protective Sentinel was appealing, unless Blair was mistaken, the guy was a drug dealer.

"You're making a mistake, man!"  Blair pushed harder, struggling to break away from the tight hold, then he relaxed slightly as Cyrus loosened his grip around Blair's waist, and let him back off a step or two.

"And how's that, Chief?"

"I've already got one psycho Sentinel after me, and compared to her, you're small potatoes."

As fury tightened the face of the Sentinel in front of him, Blair stepped back again, holding up his hands placatingly.  "Hey, I'm sure in drug dealing circles, you're the man to go to, but she's a gun runner.  I think you're a little out of your league here."

A sudden gleam of amusement appeared in Cyrus' blue eyes.  "You think I'm out-ranked by some two-bit gun runner?"

"Well...."  Blair wondered how exactly to put this.  Somehow, gun running seemed a step up from drug pushing, but he was quite sure the drug dealer in front of him would take offence at that notion.

"Save it, Chief."  A heavy hand latched onto his arm.  "You need a place to stay, I've got a place to stay.  You're a Guide," a feral smile lit up the man's face, "I'm a Sentinel.  Seems like a match made in heaven to me."

As Blair was pulled forward, he hit out, rabbit-punching Cyrus in the ribs, and stamping on his foot.  Twisting free, he fled towards the doorway, throwing himself through it and running out into the rain.

The thin drizzle that had caused him to duck inside the warehouse earlier, had worsened into a steady downpour that was making it difficult to see.  Nevertheless, Blair continued, blinking to try to clear his vision as he ran blindly into the night.

Pounding footsteps behind him warned him that the Sentinel was closing in on him, and he tried to speed up, then cried out as his foot caught on something and he fell.  Ignoring the throbbing in his ankle and the stinging in his palms, Blair began to push himself upright, then he yelled out as strong hands lifted him.

"Calm down, Chief, I'm not going to hurt you."

With Cyrus' arm clamped around his waist and his back held tightly against Cyrus' chest, Blair's feet were barely touching the ground, so it seemed to be an easy matter for the Sentinel to carry him off.  They came to a halt, and Blair realised that he could see the rain pinging off the roof of a truck of some kind.  His indignation rose as the Sentinel held him in place with one arm and unlocked the door.  He managed to slap the door half-shut once, but Cyrus merely twisted to one side and yanked the door back open, before turning back and swinging Blair into the passenger seat.

"Knock it off, Chief - I won't tell you again!"  And the door slammed shut.

In the midst of his annoyance, Blair was mildly pleased to note that Cyrus had sounded a bit breathless; at least it wasn't as easy to kidnap Blair as the Sentinel was making it seem.

Glaring through the window at Cyrus, Blair bided his time.  If Cyrus wanted to get in the truck, he'd have to move away from the door and, when he did, Blair planned on getting out of there.  Assuming his ankle would hold up, that was.  He winced as he wriggled his foot slightly, feeling his ankle protest the movement.  He just hoped it would bear his weight; he doubted he'd get far if he had to hop his way to freedom. 

The rain was lessening now and he could see that Cyrus was making a phone call.  Great.  With Blair's luck he was probably calling for reinforcements.

~'~

Turning his collar up to keep his neck warm against the wind, Jim leaned against the truck door and waited.  Edwards was on his way and once he was here, he could take charge of Jim's Guide until this operation was over.  If the damn kid hadn't made a break for it and, from the looks of things, damaged his ankle, Jim would have been able to phone Edwards from inside the warehouse - and they both could have stayed dry until the Sentinel Prime arrived.  Then again, if the kid hadn't hurt his ankle, Jim would have given in to his Sentinel side and taken his Guide to his place to bond.  But, with his Guide incapacitated, there was no way Jim could risk having him around Matthews and his cronies.

On the plus side, that damaged ankle would make it easier for Edwards to keep hold of the kid until Jim could bring this suddenly-inconvenient undercover op to an end.

Jim wiped the wet from his face, ignoring the rain that instantly took its place.  Did he have good timing, or what?

The sound of an engine caught his attention and he turned, staring through the rain.  The headlights of the approaching car switched off, and then the car slid to a halt.

The driver's door opened and shut, the inside light illuminating Edwards' Guide for a brief moment, and a dark figure approached.  "Nice night for it," Edwards said, conversationally.

Jim could see the smirk on the Sentinel Prime's face.  "Last I heard, controlling the weather wasn't one of my duties."  Stepping away from the truck door, he swung it open.  "Your ride's here, Chief."

"What?!"

"Relax.  This is a friend of mine; he's going to look after you until I'm finished here."  Reaching in, Jim slid his arms around his Guide and hauled him out, the kid fighting him every inch of the way.

"Do you need a hand, S -" Edwards paused, then continued, "Cyrus?"

"Just grab the door."  Ignoring the kid's struggles and protests, Jim got him over to Edwards' car and managed to get him in the back seat, sliding half in himself so he could talk to his Guide.  Grabbing the kid's chin, he held the face still until he got his attention.  "Edwards is a good guy.  He won't let anything happen to you, and he'll explain everything.  Okay?"

His Guide's frantic breathing finally slowed, and he nodded.

"Good."  Jim was positive the kid was only playing along, but Edwards would keep hold of him.  Getting out, he turned to his second-in-command and ordered, "Don't lose him."

Edwards bowed his head.

"He said there's another Sentinel after him - a gun runner.  See what you can find out.  And he tripped and fell.  I think he hurt his ankle and probably his hands too."

"I'll check him over."

"Thanks."  Jim leaned back into the car and fastened his Guide's seatbelt.  "Be good, Chief."  He gave a nod to David, then shut the door and backed off as Edwards got in, hit the central-locking, and started the engine.

Letting Edwards take his Guide away was one of the hardest things Jim had ever done, but the only way to keep the kid safe was to keep him well out of the way until after this damned operation was over.

~'~

The warmth of the car reached him, and Blair shivered suddenly, somehow more aware of how his damp clothes were clinging.  He hated being cold and he hated being wet and, right now, he was both.

The Guide in the front passenger seat turned and, Blair thought, though he couldn't be sure, smiled at him.  However, there was no mistaking the warm friendliness he was picking up from the other Guide.

"Hi!  I'm David, this is my Sentinel, Neds."

Friendly was right; it was bubbling up in the guy's tone.  "Hi," Blair replied, warily.  They were friends of the drug dealing Cyrus, therefore they weren't friends of his.  Or law-abiding either, if it came to that.

"What's your name?"

Blair debated internally whether or not to answer that, then finally shrugged.  What did it matter anyway?  "Blair."

"As soon as we get home, you can get changed.  You must be soaked."

"Uh...yeah."  Just a bit.  "Th-that'd be good, thanks."

"It won't be long now."

True to David's word, it was only a few minutes later that Edwards pulled into an underground garage.

The engine went quiet, and Edwards clicked on the inside light, then turned in his seat to look at Blair.  As the Sentinel seemed to consider him, Blair shrank back in his seat, wondering if this was when he found out it was all some kind of trick and Cyrus wanted Edwards to dispose of the body.  If the door hadn't been locked, he would have taken his chances with his ankle and made a break for it.

"I'll explain everything later," Edwards told Blair, "but, for now, you need to know one thing."  He held out his hand, a police badge clasped firmly in it.  "I'm a cop."

Blair stared at the badge, his mind going in circles.  How the hell could this guy be a cop?  Cyrus was a drug dealer and Edwards was his friend -

"I'm not a dirty cop, Blair.  You're safe.  Nothing's going to happen to you."

"What - how -"

"I'll explain everything later.  For now, let's get you upstairs."

His mind still whirling with a dozen unanswered questions, Blair didn't even bother protesting as Edwards helped him out of the car and along towards the elevator.  His ankle was still hurting, and the brief moment when he'd rested it on the ground had convinced him that walking on it would be painful and slow going.  To make it worse, the coldness of the garage was reminding him of exactly how cold and damp he was, and he'd started shivering again.  With a flash of annoyance, he suspected that it must look as though they were bringing home a stray.

As the doors to the elevator slid open, Edwards told him, "You'll feel better once you've had a bath and warmed up."

Blair glanced up into the concerned brown eyes, and then down, feeling a flush cover his face.  Once they were inside, he leaned away from them against the wall, wrapping his arms around himself, and gritting his teeth to stop them from chattering.

A few floors up and the elevator doors opened, exposing a lushly carpeted hallway that gave a hint as to how expensive these apartments were.  Blair almost felt guilty for dripping on the carpet but he shrugged it off.  He hadn't asked them to bring him here.

David unlocked a door, and Blair's estimate of the monthly rent rose as he saw the size of the place.  The feeling of heated air on his face was bliss though, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment to focus on the luxurious feeling.

A few minutes later, he was standing in a warm bathroom.  Once he had his balance, Edwards let go of him, leaned over to put the plug in the bath, and turned the hot water on.  Reaching out, Blair touched the towel rail.  It was heated, and the towels that were waiting were thoroughly warmed.

"There's plenty of hot water."

Blair's attention jerked back to the Sentinel in front of him, and he gulped, subconsciously pressing himself against the wall.  Cop or not, he still didn't know this guy.

"If you sit on the edge of the bath and slide in, you should be able to manage by yourself, but David and I will be right through there if you need any help."  Edwards' voice was calm, although Blair knew he'd picked up on his sudden panic.  "I'll get you something to wear afterwards - something of David's should fit you well enough."

"O-okay."  He watched the Sentinel go, and pressed himself closer to the towel rail, sliding his hands underneath the hot towels to lightly touch the rail itself.  A knock at the door warned him the Sentinel was back, and he turned and put his back to the wall again as Edwards came in, a pile of clothing in his arms.

Dropping the clothes on the lid of the laundry hamper, Edwards gave him a smile.  "Why don't you take a seat and I'll check your hands and ankle before you have a bath?"  As Blair paused, uncertainly, he added, "Come on.  It'll be easier for me to get that sneaker off without hurting you."

Reluctantly, Blair hopped over and sat down.  He could tell the Sentinel and Guide didn't have any bad intentions towards him, but they were associating with a drug dealer, so how trustworthy could they possibly be?  And how could Edwards be a cop and be friends with a drug dealer if he wasn't a dirty cop?!

"Just relax."  There was a hint of a chiding tone in the voice.  "We're not going to hurt you."

Blair gazed doubtfully at the top of Edwards' head as his hands were examined, one finger trailing gently over the grit that was embedded in his palms.

"All that should come out while you're soaking.  If it doesn't, I'll get the rest out.  They'll be fine, though.  Okay, let's see your ankle."  His sneaker was unlaced and carefully worked off his foot, the sock following it a few seconds later.  "Your feet are freezing," Edwards informed him.

"Yeah."  Blair had known that.  "It's cold outside."  He winced as the ankle was gently manipulated.

"Sorry."  Edwards got to his feet.  "It's slightly sprained but there's nothing broken, and the tendons seem to be fine.  If you keep off it for the next couple of days, it should be okay to walk on by Friday, although I'll strap it up to give it some support."  As Blair opened his mouth to contest the assumption that he'd even be here on Friday, Edwards added, "Remember, just give a shout if you need anything."  There was a friendly pat to his shoulder, and then the door closed behind the Sentinel.

Blair eyed the back of the door nervously; there wasn't any way to lock it.  His gaze moved from the door to the bath.  The steam that was rising was alluring, and the temptation to be really clean again was too much to resist.  Firmly reminding himself that the guy was a cop and he really hadn't picked up on any other intentions from him - and some were easier to pick up than others - Blair turned on the cold tap and started stripping off.

As soon as the bath was at the right temperature, he turned off the taps then hopped to the end.  Getting in posed a very minor problem, and he really didn't want to think about the mess he would probably create getting out but, as he slid into the wonderfully warm water and felt his skin goose bump in reaction, he didn't care.  He was warm.

~'~

Edwards shut the bathroom door behind him and held a finger to his lips to quiet the multitude of questions David had ready for him.  Wrapping an arm around his Guide's shoulders, he steered him to the couch and sat him down.

"Well, what's up?"  Edwards kept his voice quiet and knew David would do the same.

"Did Sentinel Ellison say why we can't tell anyone he's here?"

Edwards nodded.  "Apparently, there's another Sentinel who's chasing him."

David shook his head.  "I don't understand why that's a problem.  Sentinel Ellison's the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade!"

"The other Sentinel is an international gun runner."  As David's jaw dropped, Edwards could practically see the questions forming on the edge of his tongue.  "I don't have any more details than that, David; we'll have to wait until Blair comes out.  I should imagine that Ellison's worried about this other Sentinel finding out Blair's here, so we can't say a word about him to anyone."

David's eyes were as big as saucers, but he nodded.  "I won't say anything."  He frowned, a hint of distress colouring his scent and asked, "Do you think that's why he's homeless?"

"I don't think he's actually homeless but, if the other Sentinel knows where he lives, he won't be able to go home."

The frown deepened, as did the smell of David's unhappiness, as he snuggled closer to Edwards.  "I'd hate to not be able to come home."

Edwards smiled and gave him a one-armed hug.  "That'll never happen."

It was another twenty minutes before the quiet in the room was disrupted by the gurgling of the pipes as the bath began to empty.  Lifting David from where he'd fallen asleep curled up against his side, Edwards laid him on the couch and tucked a cushion underneath his head.  David would probably wake up once Blair was out of the bathroom.

Glancing at the clock, Edwards yawned and stretched, then headed towards the kitchen.  He was positive Blair would appreciate a hot drink after his bath, and possibly something light to eat too.

~'~

Blair had expected to feel chilled once he got out of the bath, but the room was warm and the hot towels from the heated rail were bliss against his skin.  He had definitely had enough of being cold.

Once he was dressed, he looked around the bathroom.  If he had a choice, he'd really rather stay here than go out and face the Sentinel and Guide who were waiting for him.  However, he didn't, so he opened the door and hopped out, his chin held high.

As he'd suspected would happen, the Sentinel was waiting for him.

"I'm just making some cocoa; would you like some?"

Blair nodded.  "Great.  Thanks, man."

"Good.  Let's get you in the sitting room."

As Edwards moved to help him, Blair held up his hands hurriedly.  "I can manage, thanks!"

There was a pause, then, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure."  For a moment, Blair was positive that the Sentinel was going to sweep him off his feet and carry him into the sitting room, then he stepped back and gestured for Blair to precede him.  Blair realised that that was all the concession he was going to get; obviously Edwards wasn't going to leave him alone in case he fell.  He felt pretty stupid hopping, but his ankle wasn't up to walking and if it came down to a choice between hopping or being helped by the Sentinel, he'd take looking stupid any day of the week.

"Hey, you're out of the bathroom."  David blinked sleepily at him over the back of the couch, then yawned widely.

Blair clenched his jaw as a massive yawn threatened to burst forth in return.  When the urge was gone, he glanced at the clock and got a shock as he realised the time.  Now that he was thoroughly warm, he could feel the tiredness creeping over him, and gazing at David, as the other Guide tried to wake himself up, wasn't helping.  "I didn't realise it was so late.  Sorry."

"Don't worry about it.  David's an early bird."

Edwards' hand on his elbow urged him towards one of the armchairs, and Blair sank into the seat with a sigh of relief, then blushed as Edwards fetched a low footstool and propped his ankle up on it.  He couldn't remember the last time someone tried to coddle him this much; even Naomi -

"Blair, do you want anything to eat?"

Blair blinked up at Edwards as his mind fuzzily worked out what he'd been asked.  "I'm good, thanks."

Edwards smiled.  "I'll finish making the cocoa then."

He was back a few minutes later to hand out steaming mugs of cocoa, then settled back with his own next to David.

Blair watched them over the edge of his mug as he sipped.  He'd never had a chance to see a Sentinel and Guide 'at home', as it were, and his anthropological mind was curious - well, as much as it could be with the intense need for sleep that was tugging at him.

David, despite there being a stranger in their home, was leaning cosily against his Sentinel, his eyes at half-mast, and his mug resting on his knee.

"Blair?"

Dragging his eyes from the other Guide, Blair looked at Edwards.  "Hmm?"  He blinked as the sleepiness of his voice occurred to him, and opened his mouth to try again.

"I was going to explain everything tonight, but I think you're too tired to take it in.  I'll explain in the morning, okay?"

Blair nodded, even that movement an effort.

"Okay."  Edwards smiled, apparently finding Blair's tiredness amusing.  "We changed the beds this morning, so you can sleep in David's room."  Putting his own mug down, he removed the mug from David's lax hands and stood up, one hand keeping his Guide in place.  "I'll just put sleepyhead to bed, then show you where it is."

"Okay."

Blair watched, his eyes sliding further shut, as the Sentinel shook David's shoulder, then gave up and lifted his Guide from the couch.  David muttered something, then put his head on Edwards' shoulder.

"It's all right, David, go back to sleep."

As Edwards carried David out, Blair blinked, determinedly forcing himself into a more awake state.  There was no way he was having Edwards carry him to bed, although he didn't doubt that the muscular Sentinel could do it.  Putting the mug on the coffee table, he pushed himself into a standing position.  There was no way he'd fall asleep standing up.

If Edwards realised why Blair was standing when he returned, he didn't say a word, merely taking one of Blair's elbows in a firm grip and helping him down the hall.  This time, Blair didn't bother protesting.  If he'd tried to go anywhere on his own, he was positive he would have ended up flat on his face.

~'~

Jim threw back the covers and got out of bed, scratching at the back of his neck irritably.  His nerves were stretched as taut as wire, and he knew why.

His Guide wasn't with him.

Annoyed at himself, the situation, and his Sentinel side, he kicked the bedside table then stalked off to shower.

If only the kid hadn't hurt his ankle, he could have had him here, safe at his side -

Jim shook his head.  The kid was safer away from Matthews, Henderson and their kind and while Jim's Sentinel side was severely tempted to abandon the operation and go storming off to Edwards' territory to reclaim his Guide, he was also aware that getting this pipeline of drugs shut down was necessary to help protect the tribe, and his Guide.

And the sooner the supply was shut down, the sooner the Sentinel could get his Guide.

As the warm water rained down on him, the drops seemed to beat out a mocking rhythm and Jim hurriedly pulled himself back from the edge of a zone.

Damn, he hadn't zoned on water since he was first fully online.  Fortunately, the water in his hot water tank had run out, and the sudden icy shower had brought him back.

Slamming the water off, Jim grabbed the towel and quickly dried himself off, then threw his clothes on.  First, he'd phone Edwards to see if his Sentinel Prime had discovered the kid's name, then he'd phone Simon to arrange a meeting.  The sooner he updated the police captain on the situation, the better.

~'~

Edwards paused as he passed the door to David's room and listened.  As he'd thought, Blair was still asleep.  The kid had been dead on his feet by the time they'd reached the bedroom, and hadn't even reacted to having his hands checked over again before being tucked in.

Now all Edwards had to do was to phone personnel to tell them he wouldn't be in until next week and let Dr. Harvey know that if the Clan needed anything, he was at home.

Thinking of the Clan reminded him that he needed to question Blair about this other Sentinel, the gun runner.  The Clan would protect their Senior Sentinel and Senior Guide Prime, but the sooner this other Sentinel was out of the picture, the better it would be for all concerned.

However, he'd have to get Blair to trust him first.  Hopefully, explaining that Cyrus-the-drug-dealer was actually Detective Jim Ellison, Senior Sentinel Prime of the Cascade Clan, would go a long way to reassuring the kid that he truly was safe.

~'~

"Jim, what aren't you telling me?"  Simon watched as Jim glanced around again.  The Sentinel was being even more cautious than usual, and Simon's Ellison-radar was pinging.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

Looking his best detective up and down, Simon shook his head.  Ellison was in pure deny-everything mode.  "There's something going on that you're not telling me about.  First of all, you call this meeting out of the blue, then you say the operation has to come to an end.  I've never known you hurry an undercover op along before.  What's going on?"  Suddenly worried, he moved closer to his friend.  "Are you in trouble?  Do they suspect anything?"

Jim shook his head.  "It's nothing like that, Simon."

"Then what is it?"

There was the sound of Jim grinding his teeth together, then, "I've found my Guide."

"What?!"  Simon flinched at the loudness of his own voice, then repeated, much more quietly, "What?  Jim, if he's a drug pusher -"

"He's nothing like that, sir!  Henderson caught him trying to sneak into one of the warehouses to shelter.  He's on the run."

"From the police?!"  This just got better and better.

Jim shook his head.  "From another Sentinel.  I don't want him mentioned in any official reports, Simon - he has nothing to do with the case."

Simon nodded slowly.  He didn't understand the Sentinel/Guide relationship but, having seen various Sentinels go primal when their Guides were threatened, he knew that anything that could remotely endanger the Guide was a bad idea.  "That shouldn't be a problem, so long as you're sure he's not connected -"

"He's not."

Backing off at the growl in Jim's voice, Simon continued, "So, what is the problem?  You're the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade.  I don't see why another Sentinel would get in your way."

"The other Sentinel is a gun runner."

Simon's jaw dropped.  What the hell was it with Ellison and his complications?  "Is nothing ever easy for you?  I swear, Ellison, you do this on purpose!"

"I didn't do this one on purpose, Simon.  And I don't have any details."

There was a pause as Jim eyed him carefully, as if weighing him up.  Just as Simon was about to point out that they'd been friends for years, and if that wasn't good enough, Ellison could take a running jump, Jim continued.

"Edwards is looking after him at the moment - and that's just between you and me."

"He called in this morning and took some personal days."  Simon shrugged.  "I assumed that David was sick."

Jim shook his head.  "He's minding Blair for me.  I asked him to find out what Blair knows about this other Sentinel."

"You want me to make enquiries?"

"Strictly on the QT."

"I can do that.  I'll phone Edwards after I get back to the office."  Getting back to the purpose of their meeting, Simon asked, "Are you any closer to finding out who the supplier is?"

"I don't know."  Jim shrugged.  "Benny might know, but Henderson keeps a close eye on him."

"I'm not surprised."

"Neither am I.  If he says anything, I'll let you know."

"Okay.  I'll look into that other matter."  As Jim turned away, Simon added, "Be careful."

He was surprised at the smile on Jim's face as he glanced back.  "Gotta be.  I've got a Guide to bond with."

~'~

"He's what?!"  Blair stared at the Sentinel and Guide on the other side of the table.  This was great, just great.  The drug dealing Cyrus of the night before was not a drug dealer - which was fine, Blair was happy about that.  It was the fact that 'Cyrus' was Jim Ellison, a cop and the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade, which was concerning him.

If there was any scalp Alex would love to hang from her belt, it had to be that one.

Blair saw the look Edwards and David exchanged, and started talking before they could explain it to him again.

"I can't bond with him!  Look...Alex, the gun runner who's after me?  She'd just love to take down someone like him.  She hates cops anyway, and a cop who's the number one Sentinel in Cascade -"

"Calm down, Blair."  Edwards sounded reassuring, but he obviously had no idea who they'd be dealing with.

"You don't get it, man!  Alex won't think twice about killing him and if he bonds with me, he's a dead man."  Blair looked at them despairingly.  They were so convinced of their Clan's ability to defend their Senior Prime that they weren't about to listen to him.

"Everything will be all right, Blair."  Edwards grabbed his hand, his thumb rubbing across the back of it, and Blair felt the reassurance and protection the Sentinel was projecting to him.  "We can stop Alex.  But you need to tell us everything you know about her."

Pulling his hand free, Blair folded his arms and thought it over.  It couldn't do any harm to tell them what he knew.  Maybe they could stop her - they were cops, after all; they had to be interested in arresting her because of her weapons trafficking, and the same went for the rest of the Cascade police force.  Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind; he'd tell them everything he knew because he really had nothing to lose by co-operating.  And if they couldn't stop her?  Well, he'd escaped from one Sentinel before - a psycho one at that.  How difficult could it be to avoid bonding with this one?

~'~

"Hey, Cyrus."

Jim glanced up as Benny came up to him.  "Hey, Benny."

"I - I wanted to apologise for last night."  He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve.  "I was a bit out of it an' I uh..."  He shrugged, then bounced on the spot a little.  "I can't believe I accused ya of bein' a cop.  I mean, ya saved my life, right?"  He rubbed his nose on his sleeve again, then tucked his hands into his pockets.  If he was doing it in an attempt to stop fidgeting, it failed.

"You all right?"  Jim looked at him in concern.  There was an unhealthy sheen to the kid's face.

"Yeah!"  Benny rubbed his hands on the sides of his jeans, then tucked them back into his pockets.  "Carl told me to lay off the stuff until we've finished makin' this deal with you."  He grinned.  "If we can go national, we'll be big, man!"  His grin faded.  "I - I mean, I don't wanna screw up Carl's chances here, ya know?  Ya - ya wouldn't go makin' a deal with someone else just 'cause o' what I did, would ya, Cyrus?"

Jim shook his head.  "No, Benny.  I'm not going to drop Carl because of last night."

"Good."  Benny's unlovely smile appeared for a moment, then disappeared as he leaned in to murmur, "Ya know, I can kinda see Carl's point.  I was out of it last night, and this is serious business, ya know?"

"I know, Benny."  Jim ignored the urge to lean back until Benny's breath was out of his face, instead turning down his sense of smell.

"But!"  Benny straightened up, much to Jim's relief, and waved a finger in his face instead.  "I am the one who made contact with the man first, so Carl should know that I'm not gonna screw this up for him.  He's...he's just bein' a prick."  With that, he nodded, then fidgeted his way across the warehouse to where the bags of stuff lay, all ready to be shipped off to Jim's 'extensive contacts'.

Jim watched him stroke a bag lovingly, the longing evident in every fibre of his being.  It looked like Jim was right and Benny was the easiest way to find out who this 'man' was.

Assuming Jim could get the information from him before Benny's need for drugs overcame whatever common sense he had left.

~'~

The phone rang and Edwards grabbed it before it could disturb Blair.  "Edwards."  He eyed the kid as he answered and kept his voice quiet, hoping he wouldn't wake him.  It was obvious that Blair was catching up on his sleep after a couple of nights spent sleeping rough.

"This is Banks."

"Captain."  Edwards kept his voice neutral.  It didn't seem likely that the captain would phone him to check up on him, but it was possible Ellison had contacted him.

"I spoke to Ellison this morning.  He asked me to make enquiries about a gun runner and said you'd have the details."

"Yes, I do, sir."  Getting up, Edwards made his way into the kitchen and shut the door.  Now he could talk without waking Blair.  "Her name's Alex Barnes, although...the person I got this from -"

"It's okay, he told me about Blair."

Well, that made it easier.  "Okay.  Blair said that he thinks she uses the name Alicia Bannister too."

"One or two 'n's?"  He could hear Banks writing as he spoke.

"No idea, sir."

"Okay, I'll check both."

"She's about five foot nine, blonde, blue-eyed.  David made a sketch of her this morning and I'll fax it over to you once we're finished.  Blair's sure he heard her refer to a contact as Carlos, and thinks the surname was Rodriguez.  She's also working with two musclemen, but he suspects they're just hired hands."

"Not main players?"

Edwards shook his head automatically.  "He said they don't have the brains for it.  He only got their first names, Dmitri and Kev, but he got the impression they've worked together before.  They knew each other better than they knew Barnes."

"Descriptions?"

"Dmitri's about five foot ten, heavy set with dark hair and eyes.  But you can't miss him; he's covered in tattoos."

"Any particular designs?"

"According to Blair, you name it; he's got it.  One that stood out in particular was the snake tattooed around his neck."  Personally, Edwards thought tattoos were stupid - especially for criminals.  Criminals didn't want to be identified, yet some of them went out of their way to make themselves stand out in a crowd.  "Kev wasn't quite so noticeable.  An inch or two taller, with dark hair and blue eyes, and one pierced ear.  It was one of those earrings that makes the hole bigger - you know the kind I mean?"

"I've seen them."  Edwards could practically hear Banks shudder.  "Okay.  Anything else?"

"Barnes is driving an SUV."

Banks groaned.  "They're common enough.  Don't tell me: black, blue, green?"

"Dark blue - but it's not quite that bad, sir; it was rental, a fairly new one."

"I don't suppose the kid could save me the trouble and give me the licence plate?"

"Sorry, sir, no can do."  Edwards grinned.  "If he remembers anything more, I'll let you know."

"Okay."  There was a pause for a moment, then Banks asked, "What's the kid like?"

"Determined, stubborn, pain in the ass."

Banks laughed slightly.  "Sounds like he's perfect for Ellison.  Okay, I'll get back to you when I know anything."

"Yes, sir."  Putting the phone down, Edwards went back into the sitting room and leaned over the back of David's chair.  "What are you up to now?"

David grinned, tilting his sketchpad so Edwards could see it clearly.  "I think Sentinel Ellison will like this."

Looking at the page which showed a detailed sketch of a sleeping Blair, Edwards grinned in reply.  "Yeah, I think he'll love it."

~'~

By the time Blair woke up, Edwards and David were making lunch.  Naturally, the Sentinel realised he was awake and came out to see if he needed any help.

"I'm good, man.  Thanks.  I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay, Blair."  Edwards patted him on the shoulder again, then left.

As he got up and limped towards the bathroom, Blair wondered if it was just Edwards or if all Sentinels were touchy-feely around Guides.  He'd noticed that Edwards couldn't seem to keep his hands off David, and David was just the same with Edwards.  If they stood or sat next to each other, it'd only take a few seconds before the Guide would lean into the Sentinel, and only a few more before the Sentinel's arm would be around the Guide's shoulders.

Blair closed the bathroom door behind him and leaned against it.  If they could stop Alex....

Well, if they could stop Alex, he wouldn't actually need to bond.  Although, he could, if he wanted to.

Would Cyrus...Jim be like that with him?  Constantly connecting, being there - ready and willing to watch his back, no matter what was going on?

Not that Blair needed protecting, of course...well, apart from Alex.  He was quite capable of standing on his own two feet and taking care of himself.  He'd had to be.  Once he'd gone off to Rainier at sixteen, he'd been on his own.  Naomi would have stayed, if he'd asked her to, but Cascade didn't appeal to her and she'd just been invited on a retreat, so she'd gone.

It had all been for the best, anyway.  He'd learned to look after himself then.  Thrown in at the deep end, it had been a sink or swim situation, and he'd learned to swim with the best.  Blair knew he could be proud of himself for that.

It was just...sometimes...he wondered what it would be like to know that he could rely on someone, if he wanted to.  If he had to.  Someone who'd always be there for him.

Like Edwards - Neds - with David.

Shoving back the wave of melancholy that swept over him, Blair straightened up and moved towards the toilet.  In any case, it was all hypothetical.  Alex had been in the gun-running business for a while now, and she'd obviously learned to swim with the sharks.  Even with the best will in the world, he couldn't see the Cascade Clan or the Cascade PD bringing her down.

~'~

"You okay, Benny?"  Jim didn't need his Sentinel vision to pick up on the junkie's shakes.

Benny blinked at him, his eyes unfocussed.  "We goin' somewhere, Cyrus?" he asked, jerkily.

Sitting down next to him, Jim shook his head.  "We're not going anywhere, Benny.  You can take it easy."  Looking at the kid, pity filling his heart, Jim hardened his resolve.  Benny wasn't the only addict in Cascade, and with the pipeline wide open, the amount of users would grow.

"O-okay."  Benny took a slurp of his coffee, his hand shaking as he raised the cup.  He didn't seem to notice as he spilled part of it down himself.  Lowering the cup, he leaned over to Jim and whispered, "I thought we were going to see the man, but Carl didn't want me along."  The flicker of hurt in his eyes was easily seen.

"You'd be bored, Benny."  Jim shrugged.  "I hate those kind of meetings myself.  They spend hours talking about numbers."

Benny gave a half-laugh.  "That's Jacobs to a 't'!  He's just like Carl.  They...they get along great."

"See?  Let them talk numbers.  Who wants to listen to them anyway?"

"I guess."  Benny shrugged slightly, his shoulders barely moving except for his tremors.  Sighing, he added, "I used to talk to Andy...Andrew.  But...Paul...Jacobs, that is...he - he didn't like me talking to Andrew.  Said it was bad for production, whatever that meant."  He aimed the cup at his mouth again, and half missed.  "Oops."

"Hey, no worries."  Jim handed over some tissues.  "We all have accidents."

Mopping himself up, Benny gazed blearily in Jim's direction.  "I liked Andy.  I like you too, Cyrus."  His eyes slid to the sealed cases that contained his heart's desire.

Jim patted his shoulder and got up.  "I know, Benny.  I like you too."

~'~

Glaring at the wall as he was, once again, interrupted, Simon grabbed for the phone and growled, "Banks," down the receiver.  Whoever it was, it had better be important; Simon had far better things to do than sit around answering phones.

"It's Ellison."

Simon sighed in relief, then snapped, "It's about damn time!"

"I'm sorry about that, sir.  I've been following up a couple of leads and I think I have something."

Jim wasn't sorry, Simon could tell that.  The Sentinel would do whatever he had to do to protect the tribe, and sticking to the rules and keeping in touch weren't important.  "What have you got?"

"Paul Jacobs.  According to Benny, Matthews left to have a meeting with him and a guy called Andrew.  From what Benny said, it sounds like Jacobs runs the business side of things while Andrew is the one cooking up the stuff."

Simon nearly snapped his pen with the shock.  "You think you've found the one who invented Golden?!"

"If what Benny said is true, yes, sir."

Well, there was the rub; Benny was a user.  But it was still worth looking into.  "All right.  I'll see if I can track this Jacobs down."

"Yes, sir.  I managed to get a glance at some of Matthews' papers and I got a name too - I think it's a business name.  Bio-Helix."

Simon nodded as he wrote it down.  "Okay, got it.  If Jacobs is connected with Bio-Helix, he shouldn't be hard to find."

"That's what I thought."  There was a pause then, "Any news on Barnes?"

Sighing, Simon wished that he had good news for the Sentinel.  "She's definitely Alicia Bannister, and we think we've got a lead on Carlos Rodriguez."

"We?"

"Jim, the Feds are involved.  I pulled up her file and it set a whole pile of alarm bells ringing."

"Damn!"

"On the plus side, they're not interested in how we got this information.  I claimed it was an anonymous tip off, and they haven't said a word about it since."

Jim paused.  "Do you believe that they're not interested?"

"I don't know.  I'm leaving it alone unless they say something."

"Good idea, sir."

"In any case, they're not acting interested.  All they're bothered about is catching Barnes."  Simon listened as the Sentinel ground his teeth.

Finally, "Is that all?"

"Not quite.  Barnes' hired muscles turned up dead."  Simon waited but, for once, Jim was silent.  "She probably killed them as soon as Bl...our anonymous caller got away from her."  Privately, Simon thought that Jim needed to stop grinding his teeth; his dental bills had to be enormous.  However, the Senior Sentinel Prime probably wouldn't listen to Simon's dental advice right now.

"I don't think she's planning on leaving town, Captain."

"Neither do I.  The Feds think that they're closing in on Rodriguez though.  Once they have him, with any luck, we can use him to find Barnes."

"Sir, with all due respect, the Feds couldn't find their asses using both hands and a GPS tracking system."

"I know that, Jim, but they do have resources we don't."

There was another frustrated sigh, then Jim said, "All right.  But if they start asking questions -"

"They won't get any answers," Simon interrupted, reassuringly, hoping it was enough to keep the Sentinel calm.  "No one in the office knows where the tip came from."

"All right."  Jim's frustration could be clearly heard.  "I'll be in touch if I hear anything more."

"Jim?  If this information leads us to whoever's behind Golden, we should be able to shut down the operation from that end, so watch your back."

"Yes, sir."

~'~

Slapping his cell phone shut, Jim glared at the ocean in front of him.  He'd known it was risky having Simon check up on Barnes but he'd figured it was worth the risk.  However, if he'd known the Feds had flagged her file, he would have left the situation in limbo until he was off this operation and able to protect his Guide himself.

Glancing around again, and cautiously extending his senses to make sure that no one was eavesdropping on him, he opened his cell phone and dialled Edwards' number.  Now that the Feds were sniffing around, it was more important than ever that Blair be kept out of sight.  The Feds had more resources, it was true, but they also had a far higher potential for screwing things up.

~'~

Blair looked up as the phone rang, then glanced over at David as Neds answered it.  Maybe it was because the phone was by the Sentinel's chair, but he'd noticed that it was always Neds who got to the phone first.

"Edwards."

If Blair hadn't been watching so closely, he would have missed the way the Sentinel Prime stiffened, however, he couldn't have missed the way David's attention snapped from the TV to his Sentinel.

"Got it."  Neds put the phone down, and Blair's unease grew as a reassuring smile was directed at him and his fellow Guide.  "There's nothing to worry about.  It looks as if Ellison's undercover operation might be ending soon."

Blair frowned.  Neds was hiding something, he was sure of it.  And even if he wasn't, the fact that Ellison would soon be free to turn his attention to Blair was definitely something to worry about.

As Neds settled back next to David and turned his attention back to the TV, Blair watched the muscle flexing in the Sentinel's jaw.  Oh yeah, Neds was worried about something all right, and Blair would have bet all the money he had that it concerned him.

~'~

Jim shut his phone once more and shoved it back into his pocket, allowing his dissatisfaction to surface.  He should be there, safeguarding his Guide instead of relying upon his Sentinel Prime to do it for him.  Oh, Edwards would keep Blair safe and out of sight, Jim had no doubts about that.  Even if Blair weren't slated to be the next Senior Guide Prime, Edwards would have done it because Blair was a Guide who was in danger.  But the Sentinel within Jim was furious that he was forced to step back and let someone else do his job.  His job, with his Guide.

Gritting his teeth, Jim stalked back to the truck and got in, taking a petty delight in slamming the door loudly.  He wasn't due at the warehouse until the next day, which meant that he got to kick his heels doing nothing in particular until then.  As Jim Ellison, there were plenty of things - bonding included - that he could have done.  As Cyrus, he guessed sitting in 'his' apartment and watching TV was the best he could hope for.

What the hell did drug dealers do in their off-time anyway?!

~'~

"Night, Blair."

"Night, Neds."  The light clicked off and Blair turned on his side, listening carefully as the door shut quietly and Neds' footsteps could be heard retreating up the hall to the other bedroom.  The other door shut and Blair sighed, rolling onto his back again and staring up into the darkness.

What had Jim said to Neds to make him so uneasy?

Neds hadn't said another word about the phone call but Blair had been able to tell that he was on edge all evening.  David had known it too, and Neds had barely been able to take a step without David right there beside him.  Not that the Sentinel had objected.

Regardless of Neds' relaxed attitude to David dogging his footsteps, that still left the question of the phone call.  And the only answer Blair could come up with was: it was something to do with Alex, and it wasn't good news.

Blair flexed his ankle slightly, wincing as it twinged in reply.  There was no help for it.  Bad news about Alex meant that he had to run.  Now, before it was too late.

He just hoped that Neds would be sleeping deeply enough for Blair to get out of the apartment without waking him.  Even with two good ankles and the best will in the world, there was no way Blair would be able to get past Neds if the Sentinel Prime woke up.

Well, he'd just have to wait a couple of hours before making his move.  Blair tugged the covers up to his chin and revelled in the cosiness, deciding that he'd better make the most of being warm while he could.

Jerking his eyes open, Blair stared at the LED on David's alarm and scowled as he realised he'd fallen asleep.  He should have expected that.

He pushed back the covers and got out of bed, keeping his movements as quiet as possible, then he grabbed for his clothes and pulled them on in the dark.  It wasn't until he was almost fully dressed that he realised he hadn't seen his sneakers since he'd taken them off in the bathroom the day before.

The best he could hope for was that they were underneath the bed but seeing them would be another problem.  Limping to the door, Blair slid his hands along the wall until he felt the light switch, then held his breath as he slowly eased the switch on.

Light flooded the room and there was still no sound from the bedroom next door.  Sighing with relief, Blair ducked his head to look under the bed.

He was out of luck.

Blair resisted the urge to kick something.  One, it would hurt, and two, it would wake Neds for sure.  Gnawing on his lip, Blair pondered his next move.  He couldn't leave without shoes.  His eyes fell on the wardrobe and he smiled.  Even if his sneakers weren't in there, David's shoes should be.  He just hoped David wouldn't mind too much when he found out that Blair had stolen a pair of his shoes.

Unfortunately for Blair, one glance inside the wardrobe showed that wherever David kept his shoes, it wasn't in the wardrobe.

There was nothing for it; he was going to have to check the coat closet to see if his shoes - or any shoes - were there.

He eyed the light switch thoughtfully, then decided that he'd have to risk it and leave it on.  There was no way he'd be able to find his shoes in the dark, and turning on the sitting room light would be far more likely to disturb someone.

Placing his hand on the door handle, Blair turned it slowly, ears straining for any hint of a sound.  Finally, it was fully turned and Blair pulled the door open.

Then promptly let go of the handle and squawked with shock as he stared up into Neds' face.

"Going somewhere?"

"J-Jesus, man, you nearly scared the life out of me!"

"Shhh, David's still asleep."

Blair gulped for air as he tried to calm himself.  His heart felt like it was going to beat its way out of his chest.  As Neds' hand on his shoulder steered him back towards the bed, Blair demanded, "How the hell did you know?  I was so quiet!"

"I was listening to your heartbeat."

For a moment, Blair stared down at his chest, then he turned and glared up at the Sentinel.  "Don't you ever sleep?!"

"Sure I do.  I was asleep when you woke me.  Get undressed."

"No."  Ignoring the increased throbbing in his ankle, Blair gritted his teeth and stared defiantly at Neds.  "I'm leaving."  Furiously, he tried to brush past the Sentinel, only to be pushed back and set on the bed, Neds' hands on his shoulders keeping him there.

"What's wrong?"

Blair could feel the Sentinel's concern but blocked it out, and shrugged, trying to dislodge the grip on his shoulders.  "What's wrong?!  You tell me!" he retorted.  "You're the one who had that phone call from Jim!  What's Alex done now?!"

"Alex?!"  Neds looked confused, then shook his head.  "The phone call wasn't about Barnes."

"Then why did it get you worried?!"

Neds sighed, and sat down on the bed next to Blair, one arm wrapped firmly around his shoulders.  "The Feds are looking for Barnes too, and Ellison phoned me to warn me.  He doesn't want the Feds to know about you; he doesn't trust them."

Blair knew it was the truth.  But still, he shook his head.  "I'm going to have to go in the end, man."  Raising his head, he looked Neds in the eye.  "You guys won't be able to stop her."  He shrugged again, trying to shake free of Neds' warm hold.

"Blair, you let us worry about Barnes."  Neds stood.  "Now get undressed.  It's the middle of the night and I need my sleep."

~'~

Once Blair was in bed, and the room had been stripped of anything resembling trousers, Edwards dumped the clothes on a chair in his room and got back into his own bed.

"What was he doing?"

Unsurprisingly, David was awake.  Surprisingly, he was still in bed and hadn't followed Edwards into the other bedroom to see what was going on for himself.

"Leaving."

"In the middle of the night?!"

"Shhh!"  Edwards had no doubt that Blair's indignation would grow if he realised that David and Edwards were talking about him.

"Sorry."  David snuggled down again, warm against his side, then gave a smothered laugh.  "I would have loved to have seen his face when he opened the door to find you there."

Edwards grinned in the darkness at the memory; Blair's face had been a picture.  His amusement faded suddenly as he reflected that, while the Guide's concern for Ellison was a good thing, his determination to protect the Sentinel by leaving wasn't.

David pressed closer suddenly.  "It'll be all right, Neds.  Didn't Sentinel Ellison say that the case is almost over?"

"Yes.  Yes, it is."  Edwards nodded, and put his arm around his Guide.  God knew what he'd do if he ever lost David.  And God knew what he would have done if he'd lost David before they'd bonded.

"Then it'll be fine.  As soon as Sentinel Ellison doesn't have to be undercover, he'll come here and bond with Blair."  Satisfaction radiated from the Guide.  "And then, the Clan will catch Alex, and Sentinel Ellison and Blair will be happy."

Edwards frowned.  "Why are you so concerned with Ellison's happiness?"

"He's the Senior Sentinel Prime," David replied, matter-of-factly.

The Sentinel Prime had to admit that it was a very good answer, and it was probably true but....

Rolling slightly, he pinned his Guide in place and lowered his head to growl softly, "You let me worry about other Sentinels; you can worry about other Guides."

There was a moment's disbelieving silence then David snorted with laughter.  "You're jealous!"

The Sentinel's head lunged down as he bit into his Guide's throat, and David's startled cry turned into a moan as the scent of bonding filled the air.

Finally, Edwards raised his head and said, firmly, "Just making sure you know where you belong.  That's all."

~'~

Back at the beach again, this time in the cold light of a wintry morning, Jim hit the numbers on his cell phone and waited until Simon answered.  "This is Cyrus."

"We got 'em."  Jim could hear the smile in Simon's voice.  "Bio-Helix is a business.  Seems the owners, Paul Jacobs and Andrew Kaminski had some dealings with the Government a few years ago, until the business went belly up.  However, their security clearances weren't cancelled, so they were still able to use Government contacts to get the supplies they needed to make the drugs."

Jim sighed.  "Typical."  Bureaucracy at its best.

"We'll be moving in on your side of things at eleven.  That's the same time that Bio-Helix is being raided, so watch your back.  It doesn't take much for these things to go wrong and if anyone jumps the gun, Matthews could be tipped off before we move in."

"I'll be careful, Simon," Jim promised.

"You better be.  I wanna meet this Guide who's got you all wound up."

Jim grinned as Simon hung up.  One more day at most, then he could claim his Guide.

Leaving the beach, Jim got in his truck and headed for the warehouse, tapping out a rhythm to the music on the radio.  Today was going to be a good day; he could feel it.

His good mood lasted until he got to the warehouse.

"Henderson."

"Cyrus."

Jim stopped as he smelt blood on the man.  "What have you done?"

The reptilian eyes blinked at him while Henderson thought.

"I can smell blood," Jim explained.  "What have you done?"

"Oh."  Henderson shrugged, a slight hint of regret in his face.  "The boss decided that Benny was a liability."  He shrugged again.  "I made it quick; I mean, I liked the guy.  Just wish he coulda kept his hands off the stuff."

Jim glared at the back of Henderson's head.  So that was it.  Nice epitaph for poor Benny.

~'~

A couple of hours passed with Jim keeping a discreet eye on his watch.  Finally, he heard the sounds of vehicles pulling up a short distance away, followed by the sounds of booted feet stealthily approaching the warehouse.

Sliding behind some packing cases, Jim pulled his gun and double-checked that it was loaded.  It was showtime.

~'~

As the doors were yanked open, Simon bellowed, "Freeze, Cascade PD!"

For a brief moment, the figures were frozen, giving a weird tableau effect, then, naturally, people started moving.  As the drug pushers dived for cover, Simon and his team scattered to vantage points that offered protection, and within seconds the air was ringing with the sound of gunfire.

As two officers went down, the bullets hopefully stopped by the thick Kevlar they were wearing, Simon signalled to Brown to cover him, and ducked to the left, intending to get around behind the perps and outflank them.  His determination turned to astonishment as he all but fell over a prone figure, face down on the floor, the hands neatly held behind the back with a plastic tie.

"What the -"  Kneeling, Simon checked the man over.  The guy was out cold.

Something light bounced off his head, and Simon looked up to see Jim, plastic ties in hand, beckoning him on.  Grabbing the plastic tie from the floor, Simon followed him, then joined in ambushing the drug dealers from behind.  With two of them, it was even easier to take the perps down, and it wasn't long before the remaining few drug pushers gave up.

By the time they'd finished rounding up the last of them, Simon was thankful to note that he hadn't lost any of his men on this end of the operation, although several of them would be sporting impressive bruises from where their Kevlar saved their lives.  One of those was Rafe, who could add the bruises he picked up this day to the ones he received not so long ago when Jim shot him.

Looking around, Simon ignored the glare the unwounded drug dealers were sending Jim's way and demanded, "Where's Matthews?"

"He'll be in his office, won't he, Henderson?"  Grabbing a large, thick-necked individual by the collar, Jim pulled him forward.

"And where's his office?" Simon asked.

The guy spat at his feet.  "Like I'd tell you, pig!"

Jim smiled, with a hint of the feral hunter.  "We don't need you to tell us, Henderson.  Matthews isn't that good at covering his tracks."  He shoved Henderson back towards the uniformed cops who were escorting the criminals out to be loaded into police vans.  "By the way," Jim hooked a handgun by the corner of the plastic evidence bag and held it up, "when we find Benny Carson's body, this will be the murder weapon."  His hard eyes settled on Henderson, and Simon thanked God the Sentinel was on their side.  "Won't it, Henderson?"

~'~

As Jim had said, Matthews wasn't that hard to find, and Jim took a certain satisfaction in slapping the cuffs on the smartly-dressed would-be drugs lord himself.  As he hauled Matthews out to the police car, Jim ignored the threats that spilled from the irate man.

Placing one hand on Matthews' head, Jim shoved just enough to get the criminal into the car.

"This is police brutality!" Matthews shrieked, having obviously never been on the receiving end of police brutality.

Jim leaned into the car.  "Save it for the judge."  Then he slammed the door.  Getting into his truck, the Sentinel smiled.  It was over.  It was finally over.  Now all he had to do was give Simon his report, and get to Edwards' apartment to claim his Guide.

He hoped his captain would be content with the shortened version of events.

~'~

Blair barely noticed as the doorbell rang and Neds got up to answer it.  A quiet, "David!" got his attention though, and he frowned as his fellow Guide disappeared out of sight.  There was a murmur of voices, then the front door shut.

Tilting his head got him nowhere, so Blair leaned over in his seat to peer around the corner of the wall, then straightened up with a jerk as Cyrus - Ellison - appeared.

"Afternoon, Chief."

Pushing himself up, Blair hobbled around the armchair, making sure to keep it between him and the Sentinel.

"Hey!  Ellison!"  Blair forced a smile onto his face though his mind was racing with strategies and options, and he was uncomfortably aware that he was practically out of both.  "How's the undercover operation going?"

"Jim.  Call me Jim."  The Sentinel smiled at him.  "And the undercover op's finished, so why don't you sit down before you fall down?"

Blair's breath caught in his throat.  "It's finished?"

"That's right, Chief."  Cyrus...Jim - whatever - leaned against the back of the couch and regarded Blair thoughtfully.  "I know that Edwards explained everything to you."

"Yeah!  You're a cop.  There are Feds."  Blair glanced around frantically, a hint of panic nibbling at the edges of his control.  "Talking of Neds... where is he?  And David?"

"They went out."  Jim smiled again as he straightened and came towards Blair's armchair; his movements slow and careful.

"Out," Blair echoed, blankly.  He gave a half-laugh.  "You know, man, I-I think I'd be insulted if I went to visit friends and they went out when I got there."

"Well, I didn't come to visit them."

A large hand stretched out towards Blair's hair, and he jerked his head to one side, evading the touch.  "Right!  You er..."  Taking a breath to calm himself, Blair decided to go for it.  "Look, man, I really think this is a mistake."

"A mistake."  Jim raised his eyebrows as he repeated the words, keeping up his cautious approach.

As the Sentinel rounded the corner of the armchair, Blair did a mix of a hop and a hobble to keep his distance.  "Yeah, a mistake.  See...Alex, she's -"  He paused.  "Did you just growl at me?"

Jim nodded, a predatory smile on his face.  "She's a rogue Sentinel, Guide.  Don't say her name."

"Oh."  For a moment, Blair considered asking whether it was the fact that she was rogue or the fact that she was another Sentinel that Jim was objecting to, but then he let it go.  It really wasn't important right now, anyway.  "Well...she's never going to give up, Jim.  If you bond with me, she'll kill you - it's as simple as that."

"She can try."

Blair did another hop-hobble, then yelped as the Sentinel's hand latched onto his arm.

"Let's sit down while we discuss this.  You need to be off that ankle."

Given no choice, Blair allowed himself to be seated on the couch, the Sentinel close beside him.  As the flicker of the beckoning bond warmed the edges of his barriers, Blair's fingers curled with the need to reach out, to accept, to welcome, and he bit his lip firmly, using the pain to drive back the want.  Bonding with Jim, with any Sentinel, would only get him killed.

"Look, man, A -" Blair swallowed the rest of the word, ignoring the amused glint in Jim's eyes.  "She's never going to let me go.  If I stay in Cascade, she'll stay in Cascade and she'll kill you to get to me!"

As the Sentinel leaned in slightly, the Guide's need grew and he pushed himself back into the corner of the couch, striving to avoid any contact.

"She's not going to get to me or to you, Chief, I swear it."

As the Sentinel's fingers played with the Guide's hair, Blair could feel the warmth from the hand and had to fight to stop himself from turning his face towards it.

"And even if the worst happens," the Sentinel went on, his voice low and almost hypnotic, "Edwards will protect you.  The Clan won't let her get near you.  Now or ever."

Blair twitched his head to one side but the Sentinel's hand followed and settled on his shoulder, the thumb rubbing up and down his neck soothingly.  "No -"

"I'll keep you safe, Blair.  You can trust me."

~'~

The Sentinel smiled as he saw a dazed look enter Blair's eyes.  All resistance was gone now as the Guide went into bonding heat.  He wrapped his arms around his Guide and grinned as the smaller hands tugged at his shoulders, urging him on.  The Sentinel growled with triumph as the heavy head fell back, and his Guide's throat was bared.

The scent of another Sentinel mingled with the scent of bonding, and the Sentinel growled again.  Edwards.

Pulling back from the lure of his Guide's scent, Jim glanced around.  Edwards' sitting room.  Damn.  Where -

David's bedroom.  While the Sentinel Prime would be pissed at his Senior for bonding with Blair in David's bedroom, he'd be infuriated if he came back to find his sitting room had been used instead - well, he would be once he'd recovered from the bonding heat the scent would send him into.  In any case, Edwards had kind of given permission by leaving Jim with Blair anyway.

Dismissing the sideline thought on Sentinel etiquette that was distracting him from the extremely important matter in hand, the Sentinel scooped his Guide up, fighting the gnawing need to simply claim him where they sat, and headed for the bedrooms.

Finding David's was an easy matter of following Blair's scent, and within seconds the door was kicked shut behind them.  The Sentinel Prime's scent was less evident in here, although still present, but the Senior Sentinel Prime filtered it out and concentrated on the luscious scent of bonding that was calling to him.

Laying his Guide down, the Sentinel noticed the glazed look beginning to clear slightly as the blue eyes became more aware, but the Guide remained pliant, not protesting as the Sentinel pinned him in place.  Hands trembling, the Sentinel moved to push his Guide's head back, then growled with a feral pleasure as his Guide willingly exposed his own neck, tilting his head back with a faint moan.

That was all the encouragement the Sentinel needed, and his head lunged down to bite into the soft flesh and mark his Guide as claimed.  As his teeth bit down, his Guide's barriers exploded, and the Sentinel swooped in, invading, dominating, claiming every millimetre, and using his own mental shields to protect his Guide.  His Guide's memories flashed past, names and faces tumbling wildly, and the Sentinel gentled his invasion, feeling the bond lock into place, irrevocably linking them.

Lifting his head, the Sentinel smiled in triumph.  "Claimed and marked, Guide."

The eyelids fluttered, dazed blue eyes looked up at him.  The mouth opened to return the vow, then the eyelids slid shut once more.

~'~

Opening his eyes, Jim realised that it was an hour or so later.  Frowning, he lifted his head and listened carefully.  Edwards and David were back.

Jim slid his arm free from underneath his Guide, and took a moment to soothe him back to sleep before heading towards the door.  Opening it, he came face to face with Edwards, and sidestepped to hide his Guide from view as the Sentinel Prime's gaze narrowed then his nostrils flared.

"You claimed him."  It wasn't a question.

"It was time."  It wasn't much of an apology but it was all Edwards was going to get.

A slight nod showed that the apology was accepted, then Edwards turned to glare at his own Guide as he approached them.

"Is Blair asleep?"  For a moment, David's bemused gaze moved from one Sentinel to the other, then he added, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Neds?"

"See you later, Ellison."  Grabbing his Guide by one arm, Edwards stalked off down the hall to another doorway.

As the door slammed shut behind them, Jim heard David give a startled yelp and he grinned.  Looked like Edwards would be busy for a while.

~'~

Blair forced his eyes open as he heard the slam of a door.  Jim couldn't have left him - they'd just bonded.

As that thought sank in, Blair's eyes opened wider and he stared at the ceiling then at the Sentinel looming over him.  "We're bonded."

"Got it in one, Chief."  The Sentinel smirked at him, smug satisfaction radiating from him.

Blinking, Blair forced the tiredness back.  He'd...they'd screwed up, he knew that.  Now he had to convince the Sentinel of it.

"Blair?"  The smirk disappeared and a frown took its place as the Sentinel's warm hand cupped his face.  "What's wrong?"

Blair shook his head and pushed the hand away.  "Alex is going to kill you, man, don't you get that?"  Ignoring the annoyance he could feel through their bond, Blair forced himself into a sitting position, feeling his arms shake with fatigue.  "She's not going to let me go, Jim, and you're the only one standing between her and the bond she wants."

The anger dissipated as the Sentinel pushed him flat on the bed.  "Go back to sleep."  As Blair tried to protest, Jim kept on talking.  "You're too tired to think straight."  Settling down next to him, Jim threw an arm over Blair, holding him in place.  "Shhhh."  Warming reassurance flooded along the link.

Blair tried to twist free as exhaustion nibbled at the edges of his consciousness.  "Jiiim -"

"We'll talk later.  Now go to sleep."

His need for sleep was too much to resist and Blair let go then fell back into the encroaching darkness.

~'~

Tightening his arm slightly as his Guide gave in to his need for sleep, Jim rested his head on the pillow.  Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scent of his sleeping Guide and smiled with contentment.  No matter what Blair said or did, they were bonded.  That fact couldn't be changed.

As for Barnes....

The Sentinel forced down the urge to growl at the thought of that Sentinel's determination to claim his Guide.  She wasn't going to be allowed near Blair.  Even if something happened to Jim, the rest of the Clan would stand between her and the Guide she wanted.  But, for Jim and Blair to move on with their lives, they needed to rid themselves of her spectre.

Grinding his teeth, Jim faced the fact that he had no confidence in the Feds - not that it was news to anyone.  It was possible that the Feds might catch Barnes, but it was far more likely that she'd have them chasing their tails for months.

However...Jim had what she wanted.

His eyes rested on the dark mass of curly hair.

He had what she'd kill to get.  And while the Sentinel would not, could not, use his Guide as bait, he could use himself.  The only way for Barnes to bond with Blair was for Jim to die.

Jim smiled as he rested his cheek against his Guide's hair.  He'd be the bait; he'd draw her out.

And then he'd kill the bitch.

~'~

"You've gotta be kidding me!"  Blair stared at his monumentally stupid and suicidal Sentinel.

"Not kidding you, Chief."  Even if Blair couldn't feel it, satisfaction was written all over the Sentinel's face.  "Barnes wants you, and she knows - or she'll soon know - that she'll have to go through me to get to you."

"And you're just going to sit there and let her take pot-shots at you."

Jim nodded, a half-smile on his face.  "Something like that."  He glanced around.  "Is this all the stuff you've got?"

Blair ignored the small pile of clothes the Sentinel was frowning over.  Most of it was David's anyway.  "Jim, she'll know it's a trap.  If you use me as the bait -"  He shut up as the Sentinel swung towards him, fury ripping through his weakened barriers.

"We're not going to use you as bait, Sandburg!  Get that into your thick skull right now!"

"She won't go for it, Jim," Blair insisted.  "She'll know there's something wrong.  If we've just bonded -"

"We did just bond, Chief, remember?"  Jim trailed a finger over the bite mark on Blair's neck then leaned in slightly, flicking a glance at the bed Blair was sitting on.  "Or do you want me to remind you when, where and how?"

Blair felt his face redden.  "I remember."  Oh boy, did he remember!  "But she won't buy it unless I'm by your side!"

As Jim threw up his hands and turned away, Blair got up, limped past him and stood in his way.

"We've just bonded so we'll have to be together!"

"Edwards will be with you; he'll shield you!"

Blair didn't doubt that.  There was no way Jim would leave him alone and vulnerable, regardless of what the separation would do to the Sentinel.  In any case, it didn't matter; Blair had to be with Jim to convince Alex they were bonded; convince her she had to make a move.  "And because we're not together, she'll know it's a trap!"

"Blair!"  Jim's hands settled on his shoulders and held him still.  "I'm not putting you in danger.  You'll be in the Sentinel suite with Edwards and David."  His grip gentled slightly, one thumb rubbing gently across his collarbone.  "I can't risk losing you."

"But I'm supposed to risk losing you."  Fear for his Sentinel settled like a hard, cold stone in Blair's chest.

"You're not going to lose me, Sandburg."

Blair wished he could believe that.

"Now let's get your stuff together and go.  The sooner we do this, the better."

~'~

It didn't take long to pack what little clothing Blair had and Jim frowned over it again before a thought occurred to him.  "Chief, where do you live?"

The blank look on his Guide's face at the sudden change in subject amused Jim but he kept his face straight and made a note of the address, raising his eyebrows over the fact that it was obviously a warehouse.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Once we're in the Sentinel suite, I'll send a couple of Sentinels to collect some of your things.  Let me know if there's anything you want in particular."

Blair's face lit up.  "My backpack, man!  It's got my laptop in it.  I had to leave it behind when Alex came through the door..."  His voice trailed off suddenly and he looked down at the floor.  "She could have trashed the place, I guess."

Jim sat on the bed next to him and rubbed one shoulder comfortingly.  "She might have been more interested in getting hold of you, Chief.  But I'll tell them to check the place over, see what damage she might have done."  Forget the couple of Sentinels.  If there were any chance of Barnes being around, Jim was taking a team there himself.

"It's uh...not very tidy, Jim."  Blair's face reddened.

Shaking the slumped shoulder slightly, Jim replied, "Then we'll blame that on Barnes."

He won a slight smile in return, then it faded as Blair chewed thoughtfully on the corner of his lip.

"What are you thinking?"

Blair looked up and smiled winningly.  "My ankle's almost all right now; I could go myself, if you'll give me a ride."

Jim shook his head and got up.  "No."

"But -"

"No."  There was no way his Guide was going anywhere where Barnes might have been and might still be.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"No."  Jim smiled and shook his head again, enjoying the annoyed look his Guide threw him.

"You're a jerk, Jim, you know that?"

Jim nodded.  "Yeah."

~'~

Moving Blair to the Sentinel suite was easily done, although leaving him there, under the protection of Edwards, Doctor Harvey, and several other Sentinels was much harder for Jim.  It didn't help that Blair didn't seem to see why he had to be left behind either.

Glaring down at Blair as he sat on the bed, Jim folded his arms and said, firmly, "It could be dangerous, Sandburg.  You're not going."

Disbelief seemed to rob Blair of speech for a few seconds and Jim turned towards the door.

"You're risking me by going!"

Jim turned back.  "What?"

"If you..." Blair's hands waved in the air for a moment before he finally continued, "die then I'll be left bondless; vulnerable!  What's going to happen to me then?!"

At his glance, Edwards and David left the room, and Jim knelt by the bed.  "I'm not going to die, Chief."

"You don't know that, Jim.  At least if I go with you -"

"No."

Blair gave a strangled groan and fell flat across the bed before sitting up again.  "What is it with you and the 'no'?!"

"It's a word, Sandburg.  And I get the impression I'll be using it a lot from now on."  Jim stood up.  "Edwards will shield you while I'm gone.  Nothing is going to happen to you -"

"It's not me I'm worried about, you jerk!"

Jim smiled.  "I know that.  But nothing's going to happen to me either.  You stay here, be good.  And I'll be back with your stuff soon."

As Jim moved away, Blair's hand latched onto his sleeve and clung on.  "Jim, the stuff isn't important; I can do without it!"

Removing the grip on his sleeve, Jim shook his head.  "I have to go, Chief.  If she's there, this will all be over quickly."  He could smell the fear on his Guide but refused to give in to the need to comfort him.  "I have to go."

"Jim!"

He ignored the shout and dived through the doorway.  Glaring at his second in command, Jim ordered, "Stop him," then continued down the corridor, resolutely dialling down his hearing.  The sooner he went, the sooner he'd be back.

~'~

As Jim lunged through the door, Blair pushed himself up.  That damned Sentinel wasn't going anywhere without him; he hadn't bonded with a Sentinel just to be treated like spun glass.  He limped forward, intent on following, then stopped as Neds and David came in, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Neds -"

"Just sit down, Blair.  He'll be back soon."

Blair could feel Neds' shields wrapping around his mind, protecting him as his own Sentinel's shields faltered around him and died away.  Shutting his eyes and shaking his head, he concentrated on pushing the barriers away.  He didn't want this alien touch; he wanted, he needed his own Sentinel.

"Sit down, Blair."

Firm hands forced him back onto the bed and he shook his head again, still struggling to escape mentally as his body tightened with resistance.

"David, lie down on the other side."

Beside him the bed dipped, then he was being pushed and pulled, rolled onto his side against his will as warm bodies settled either side of him, their hands and arms holding him in place.  Forcing his eyes open, Blair stared into David's concerned face, feeling Neds' arm tighten around him even as those damned unwanted barriers tightened and held, defending him against all.

"It's all right, Blair."

David's voice was soft and Blair could feel the echo of his concern filtering through David's bond with Neds.  For a moment, Blair allowed himself to experience what was happening instead of fighting to push it away.  He could feel their bond, almost see it as it wrapped warmly around him, drawing him in; protecting him.

Willing himself to pull back, Blair fought against the barriers again, gritting his teeth and mentally pushing with all his might.  Damn it, he was stronger than this!  But he'd just bonded - a fact that Jim knew very well - which meant that he was weakened.  Groaning with the effort as he strove to break free, Blair felt the sweat break out on his forehead.  This wasn't his bond, and sure as hell wasn't his Sentinel, but no matter how hard he tried, the shields remained in place.

"Just relax, Blair," Neds' breath was warm on the back of his neck.  "Ellison will be back soon."

~'~

Unfortunately for the Cascade Clan, there was no sign of Barnes when they reached Blair's address, however Blair's fears were confirmed: balked of her prey, Barnes had taken her frustration out on his belongings.

"It's all trashed."

Jim nodded at Pais as she stood over the remains of a laptop.  "I don't think she left anything undamaged," he replied.

"His clothes look okay."  Milano picked up a shirt by its collar, then let go of it again, wiping his hand on his shirt hurriedly.  "It's uh...."

Making his way over, Jim stopped a few feet away.  He didn't need to get any closer to realise that the bitch's scent was all over Blair's clothing.  "Start searching.  See if there's anything to be saved."  If there was anything, they'd find it but, looking around at the devastation, Jim doubted if Blair would have much left of his former life.

Leaving the majority of his team behind, Jim returned to the Sentinel suite taking two Sentinels and their Guides back with him.  While he, personally, didn't feel the need for any bodyguards of his own, he knew better than to bother arguing with his Clan over that one.  It wasn't only the Senior Guide Prime who had to put up with unwanted protection.

As he opened the door and stepped into the room he and Blair were sharing, Edwards rolled from the bed and sat up.

"Welcome back."  Standing, Edwards held out his hand and helped David scramble off the bed, as Blair slowly rolled onto his back.  "Senior Sentinel Prime