Opposites Attract 

 

     Disclaimer: The main characters are not mine, this is an amateur effort written purely for the fun of it, and no money has exchanged hands, and it is not intended to breach the copyright of Paramount and Pet Fly Productions.

 

     And thanks to my beta reader  for her patience and help.

 

     This story is AU and set in the near future.

 

     Rating PG at the moment but could become PG13 later  

 

     Opposites Attract 

 

     Part One - The Beginning  

 

     The city of Cascade was one of the few havens in a country ravished by lawlessness and violence.  Rainier University had pioneered the study on Sentinels in the late 20th century, and this work had paved the way for the scientific selection of would-be Guides and Sentinels, and through that the numbers had increased.  Now, Rainier was recognized as the Center for Sentinel Studies.

 

     :For Blair Sandburg, the exact moment that he became partners with Jim Ellison would always stick out in his memory.  Ellison was not, on appearances, the type of person he would share anything with, they where like chalk and cheese.  Yet, in one incident, he had felt the link like a warming current that wrapped round them, and it was obvious Ellison had felt it.  Glancing across at his sentinel, Blair allowed his mind to take him back to the beginning, bringing Ellison's experiences into play with his own.  

 

***

 

     It was funny how one moment can define your whole life, and one factor can be that moment.  Blair had been running late for class, juggling a backpack and books, when he had tried to save time by cutting through the transportation area to get to the Anthropology Department at Hargrove Hall.  Too late he had seen the guards with the older, bigger man between them.  The man's attention had suddenly swung to him, and he had been nailed by vivid blue eyes to the spot, books falling to the ground from nerveless fingers.  Like a rush of blood to the head, the enveloping warmth had gone over him, and he had instinctively known he was facing an unbonded sentinel.  Only he was no longer unbonded.  As if everything at that moment telescoped for Blair, he was falling, all other things around him no longer mattered, except for the pair of icy blue eyes that stabbed at him like icicles.  Blair snapped back to the real world as he heard a muttered comment, short, sharp and obscene.  He turned to find one of the trainers standing there, the man's face livid.

 

     "Blair, my office," he snarled the words.  He then turned to the guards.  "Take him," indicating Ellison with a nod of his head, "to the medical secure unit, and lock him down."  He glared at Blair, adding, "And you will come with me now."  When he noticed that Blair had not moved, the trainer grabbed Blair's arm, getting into his face to re-enforce the command.

 

     The Sentinel reacted with an almost feral scream, as his knee caught one of the guards in the groin.  The man gave a yell of agony, as he doubled over, then was caught by a blow to the back of his neck, going down as if he had been pole-axed.  The second guard attempted to restrain the sentinel, and a roundhouse blow took him down.  The Sentinel's hand went behind his back, and the trainer saw the glint of the knife.  He realized his hold on Blair at the same time Blair was already pulling free.  He fell forward abruptly and the sentinel suddenly caught hold of him.  Pulling the smaller, younger man behind him, the sentinel shielded him from the guards that where heading towards them.

 

     The wave of protectiveness that had rolled over the sentinel, the moment they had made contact, was so sharp, it was almost painful.  He knew without knowing how, that he would die to protect the young life that he shielded now.  The young man's hand rested on his shoulder, his voice was low, the tone soothing.

 

     "It's okay, no one is going to stop us.  I know you have to protect me, but no-one here is going to hurt me.  It's all right."  The young man's hand traveled down the sentinel's arm, keeping contact with a light touch.  Long, slim fingers encircled his wrist and then there was light pressure on the palm.

 

     "Give me the knife." 

 

     There was a hesitation, and then the sentinel laid the knife into Blair's hand.

 

     Senses overloaded on his guide, the sentinel was then hit from behind, brought down hard.  The last thing he heard before it all went black was the young man yelling at them to let him go.

 

***

 

     The talk with the trainer had been none too pleasant.  Then there had been the Council to deal with, but he had stood firm with the trainer and would do so again with the council. 

 

     So far Blair had been unable to bond with a sentinel.  They thought that at 25, he was still too young to do so.  They liked their guides to be older than the sentinels.  He had been told he was a strong guide.  He had known with an almost spiritual conviction his sentinel was out there somewhere.  Then, when he had seen the older man, he had felt the bond become solid, and the feeling of becoming whole.  Yes, it was early days, but already it was a strong feeling that would only grow stronger with each physical contact with his sentinel.  Now, these people where trying to stop him going to his sentinel.  His heart had leapt at those two words, "his sentinel", the man had needed his help.  He could feel the pain and anger radiating from him, just before he had been hit.

 

     The oak door to the study opened slowly.  In front of him was half of the senior training faculty.  Of that, a quarter of them wore the gray diagonal stripes on the cuff that showed they had once been sentinels guides.  The others he recognized from various courses he had attended during the four years of training he had received to qualify as a guide. 

 

     The council chair was Dr. Merryweather.  He was leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced. "Sandburg, this is serious.  I have read your record, you joined the university at the age of 17, much too young in my opinion, but others recognized your natural talent, and that you would become a strong guide.  You graduated top of your year, and it was recommended that you carry on with post graduate courses.  You have even been granted the tenure of Training Assistant, but now all of this is wasted.  Dr. Thorpe has said that you appear to offer no resistance to the bonding with this rogue sentinel.  Now, Dr. Thorpe, can this bonding be broken?"

 

     The trainer shook his head slowly.  "I felt the vibes.  It happened so fast, before I could react. they had made the bond, and it is very strong. even after this very short contact.  To try and force them apart now…" he trailed off. 

 

     Dr. Cusack spoke up.  She was the only woman on the panel, and Blair was one of her favorite students, she had taken this unorthodox young man under her wing.  "so one of our best guides is now connected to this rogue sentinel.  So who exactly is he?"

 

     The trainer gave a dry, slightly nervous cough.  "We have a slight problem there.  His names James Ellison, he's a headhunter.  He started getting erratic, more psychotic and paranoid than the creatures usually are.  A visiting doctor discovered his senses were hypersensitive and had him shipped here for help.  The only trouble was the doctor was less than truthful."  He ground to a halt.

 

     Dr. Merryweather tersely prompted, "Carry on."  

 

     "Ellison was under arrest on the outer rim.  He put a psychiatrist and orderly in the hospital, they're still in traction, and nearly killed a guard when he was trying to escape.  The man should have been heavily sedated for transportation to Rainier, but the doctor didn't want to risk killing him through a reaction to drugs, he had no idea what his allergies would be in this new state.  He thought Ellison had calmed down, accepted the need for him to come here, so didn't recommend that the guards keep him cuffed, so they uncuffed him, they thought he would feel less threatened this way."

 

     Dr. Merryweather grated out, loudly, "The man is a headhunter, and they wanted him not to feel threatened, what the hell did they think they were dealing with?"

 

     Blair cut in.  "A man who was in pain and hurting.  He would never have hurt the guards if they hadn't been ordered to take him away from me, he was just trying to get to me.  He doesn't understand and at this moment, he is running on pure instinct," he paused to let that sink in, "and you all know how dangerous an instinct driven sentinel can be."

 

     He left the words hanging in the air as he looked round at the faces of the Council members.

 

     The Council Chairman looked round and ordered him to wait outside.  From the other side of the oak door, he could hear raised voices.  What he would not have given for sentinel hearing.

 

     Finally the door opened and he was called in.  During his time at the university, Blair had gotten good at reading panels, but this one, he could see no clue as to what they where going to say.

 

     Dr. Merryweather was not pleased, his whole body language screamed that.  "We have discussed all the relevant facts, and it is clear the bond, although sudden, and with no preparation made on either side, is strong.  Therefore, you are bonded with this rogue sentinel for life.  Your task will not be as easy one, Sandburg.  Unlike some of the latent sentinels that come here, the doctor's report shows that he has no interest in being trained, and sees the bonding as a form of," he paused and moved the report pages across the desk, "a form of slavery, reducing them to no more than 'seeing-eye dogs'.  The man has a major attitude problem, and he is also a trained killer.  His service record shows that he was a Black Angel in covert operations, before leaving to become a headhunter.  His record since then shows he has had more lethal force incidents logged against his name than any of the others in his department.  Even his fellow hunters are frightened of him."  Merryweather paused then conceded, "Though they do respect him.  His temper is legend among them.  The psychiatrist's report indicates that he represses emotions to an extent that even the psychic analyst could not breach them.  His emotions are closed off.  That, Mr. Sandburg, is your sentinel.  Dr. Cusack will be your senior advisor, and I suggest that you use her experience."  He closed the file with a sharp click.  "Normally, Mr. Sandburg, the joining of a Guide and Sentinel is one for rejoicing, but I find no joy here.  Finally, you will be suspended for three weeks without pay for the breach of protocol."  He got to his feet at that point and swept out of the room.  Blair stood there almost shell shocked.

 

     Cusack gathered up the file and laid a gentle hand on Blair's arm.  "It's what you have always wanted Blair, right from the very start.  It's a great responsibility, but you are intelligent, and caring, and you will, if you give yourself a chance, be a good guide.  Always remember that a sentinel is a person first and never last."  She handed him the file.  "And my door is always open."  

 

***

 

     In the small cupboard that he called an office, he carefully spread out the file in front of him.  His fingers traced the photograph of his sentinel.  Now he had a name: James Ellison.  In front of him was the man's life, laid out in black and white.  The 18 months of isolation when he had been solo tracking some gunrunners through one of the red zones, this was a classic type of event that would bring the latent sentinel abilities online.  The senses appear to have gone off line when he returned to the city, and then his behavior had started to become erratic.  Previously, Ellison had been bumped from one department to another.  All said how good he was, but the captains had been unable to stomach his attitude, until he had met Captain Simon Banks, who had taken him on and settled him in the 27th Zone Security Unit.  He had been on loan to another zone when the senses had caused the captain there to call in the doctor. 

 

     He closed the file and headed towards the medical unit.  The university didn't have any specially built holding cells, but the medical unit did have a secure area for holding violent patients.  An over loaded sentinel could do a lot of damage.

 

***

 

     Blair approached the medical unit, he needed to make contact, re-enforce the connection with his sentinel.  The good news was that Ellison was from Cascade and had lived his whole life there except for his time as a Black Angel.  Therefore his sentinel's territory would more likely be Cascade.  So Blair would be able to keep on with his tenure with Rainier University, though it would mean an end to expeditions, as he would be unable to leave the sentinel for the months or more needed, but he might be able to keep working as a Training Associate, and finish his Ph.D.  His steps became lighter, as he processed the information.

 

     Due to Ellison being a rogue sentinel, and unpredictable, he was being held in the secure unit.  Jim Ellison sat on the bed.  He had spent the last hour going over the room with a fine tooth comb.  He had located the security camera and audio mikes, now all he needed was a distraction and he was out of here.  He knew Captain Banks would never have gone along with this imprisonment, and the sooner he spoke to him, the sooner this mess could be sorted out.  He rubbed a hand along the side of his head, and winced, Simon always said he had a hard head, and now it had finally worked in his favor.  He gave a wry smile.

 

     Suddenly his head twitched to one side.  There was that noise again, a regular thumping.  He carefully stretched out his hearing, and found it was getting louder by the minute.  It picked up speed as it got closer.  The voices of the guards sounded distorted: "Name?"  "Blair Sandburg, Ellison's Guide."  The words burned in his mind.  Ellison's jaw tightened, he had had time to think it through, this reaction to the kid, it had caught him by surprise.  It had almost been as if he had been watching someone else, but that was going to stop now.  He might need the kid, correction, he didn't need this wet behind the ears kid, a few pointers and he was out of here.  He made the mistake of not pulling back, and soon felt himself falling in a void of shifting images and sensations, as he zoned, he lost control of his tactile senses. 

 

     The voice was too loud, he clasped his hands over his ears, the man's smell was overwhelming, and when he was touched it was as if sandpaper had been drawn over his skin.  He came out of the zone out, and struck hard at the person holding him, causing him the pain.  His fist connected with a sickening thud.  Blair was unconscious when he hit the floor.  The sound of the body hitting the floor finished snapping him out, and a sickening feeling swept through him.  He bent swiftly to check the younger man out.  His heart beat was strong, but already the bruising was starting to come out on his cheek and jaw, he could feel the heat from the bruising.  The pounding of boots as the guards approached the room alerted him, and he was ready for them.  Ellison left the room a few minutes later, walking casually towards the exit and freedom.

 

***

 

     Dr. Jane Cusack waved Blair to a seat.  She was satisfied that the ER staff had let him out, and he hadn't made an escape from the facility, his dislike of hospitals and medical units was well known.  Now she wanted to know what happened.  She allowed him time to collect his thoughts. 

 

     "I entered the room, Ellison appeared to have zoned.  I tried voice contact, and when that failed I put a hand on him, and he came out of it."  Blair shrugged.  "The next thing I know, a fist is coming at me.  I don't even remember hitting the floor."

 

     *Poor Blair, you gain and lose a sentinel in one day, that must be some kind of record.*  Aloud, she said, "After you were knocked out, Ellison took out the two security guards that were coming to your aid.  It's interesting that Ellison did not kill them, actually it's more surprising given his record and his views on guides that he placed you on the bed in the recovery position.  He may have hit you, but he certainly didn't want to risk you choking to death.  The fact that a sentinel has attacked a guide is rare."

 

     "Jane, he didn't know it was me.  He was lashing out, he was frightened, I am sure of that.  I have to go and find him, and re-inforce the bond."  Desperation showed in his voice.  His body language showed that he wanted out of there.  Jane relented and shuffled the papers.

 

     "Go and find your sentinel, Blair, but," the one word caused him to halt in mid-stride, "bear in mind he could be a Dark Sentinel.  They are rare, but Ellison has many of the characteristics of them.  The provisional tests show that he's going to be a very strong sentinel, the speed of the bonding is another pointer to this condition.  Also he used physical violence on you.  I have a couple of texts that might help you."  Gratefully the new guide accepted the folders and stowed them in the backpack.

 

***

 

     Blair soon found himself standing outside Police Headquarters.  The name was sculpted in stone, the new glass and metal structure had been grafted onto the old, as though symbolizing what the security forces where trying to do - create a new beginning out of the decay of the old order.  Blair shook his head, He definitely had to give the anthropology books a miss for a while, he was starting to think like one. 

 

     The officer on duty at the main desk looked Blair up and down, in a critical manner.  What he saw was a young man, mid twenties, with torn jeans, multicolored shirt and a long black coat, and hiking boots, with a backpack thrown over one shoulder.  "And you want to see Captain Banks Department 51."

 

     Blair took a mental deep breath.  "Yes."  The man was driving him up the wall, he had gone through this routine four times already, it was getting stale and he was getting nowhere.  "Tell Captain Banks it's about Lieutenant James Ellison, he's a headhunter."  By the look he got from the officer at the desk he had just made a mistake calling them headhunters.  He plowed on.  "He's missing, and I know where he is, think that will get his attention?"  He allowed his sarcasm to show through.  Blair heard the lift bell go and turned towards it.  When he turned back he was looking down the barrel of a gun, and another officer materialized almost from thin air.  He was slammed against the wall, his feet roughly knocked apart, and he was frisked.  The backpack was pushed through the scanner and only then did the gun move from him. He has manhandled as he was pulled into the lift, and taken to the seventh floor, the home of Department 51.

 

     As the lift door opened, two large men took hold of him and frog-marched him through the double doors into the bull pen.  The place was busy, and they stopped to look at him.  The looks they shot him were all hostile. 

 

     Finally, he was pulled into the office of Simon Banks.  He was a big man, bigger than his Sentinel.  "Sit."  His keepers pushed him down, and handed his ID to the Captain.  "Blair Sandburg, BA, MA, Rainier University Department of Sentinel Studies."  He tossed the ID back so it landed in front of Blair. "So, Mr. Sandburg, what do you know about Lieutenant Ellison?"

 

     "Lieutenant Ellison is a latent sentinel."  If he wanted a reaction, he was disappointed.

 

     "Carry on."  The captain's voice was level  

 

     "He came on-line while working in the Zone.  He was found to have hypersenses and was shipped to the University early this morning."

 

     "And Jim's still there," Banks jumped in.  To the dark man flanking Blair he said, "Henri, I want you and Rafe over to the university now, if they…"

 

     "He's not there, he escaped four hours ago," Blair interrupted.

 

     "So where is he?" Simon demanded.

 

     "That's why I'm here, Captain, if Ellison calls in, he needs to contact me."

 

     "And why should he do that, kid?" Simon asked.

 

     "I am his guide."

 

     Banks grabbed Blair, hauling the smaller man out of the chair, and shook him.  "You little bastard, you bonded with him!  He didn't need a guide, and if he did, it wasn't some skinny little grad student!"  Each word he said was punctuated with a shake. 

 

     Blair clawed at his hand.  "Let me go."  He staggered a little, catching himself as he was pushed away.  "The sentinel/guide bond, it's nothing we can control, it happened." 

 

     "Then tell me, guide," Simon made the name sound like an insult, "why, when he had blocked your kind for so long, he let you in?"

 

     Blair ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes.  "He must have subconsciously needed a guide, and we just clicked."  The younger man was all too aware of how lame it sounded.

 

     Simon caught Blair's arm and pulled him none too gently to the large glass window to the bull pen.  "You never answered my question, kid, why pick you when he could have had any of them as his guide?"  

 

     "They're not guides, Captain, they're cops.  It takes training to be able to handle a sentinel, so they can refine their senses.  You need knowledge of sentinel medicine, and more important, you need a connection.  We bonded."

 

     "And you think you can control James Ellison?"  The captain laughed, it was deep and rumbling.  "You think you can do that, kid?" 

 

     "The name's Blair Sandburg, not kid, and yes, I think I can."  Then he added, "Face it, Captain, I am the only game in town.  Now, any idea where he would go?"

 

     "Jim is covert ops, and if he wants to disappear, he's got the connection and means to do so."

 

     "But Ellison will stay around the city.  If I am correct, this is his territory and he would not leave that for any reason.  Sentinels are creatures of habit, they have territories and they guard the boundaries, protecting them from any challengers."

 

     "Jim's not a creature, he's a cop, Mr. Sandburg."  Simon looked at Blair again critically.  His mind was screaming at him to have the kid carted away as a freak, perhaps running a drug test while he was at it.  He would not last ten minutes with Jim Ellison, the Lieutenant would toss him out of the window in five.  But they needed to find Jim, and do it quickly.  Something was very wrong, and it was not going to get

better until they got to the bottom of it.  Like it or not, the kid, Blair, was a factor in it.

 

     Simon's thoughts were interrupted by the telephone.  He released the kid and scooped up the phone.  "Banks."  He snarled the name. 

 

     "Captain, it's Ellison."

 

     Banks had to stop himself saying the man's name.  "What do you need?"

 

     "The Doctor had me shipped to Rainier, instead of the Cascade Hospital.  I got out, but they're looking for me."

 

     "We need to meet.  5 o'clock at Hudson and Main."  

 

     Jim was about to reply when he heard the noise again, the thumping.  He pulled back, the last thing he needed was to zone out now.  "Sandburg, long haired kid, is he there?"  

 

     "Yes.  How did you…?"

 

     "I can hear his heartbeat, did he tell you we're bonded?"

 

     "Yes."  Banks allowed his hostile glance to fall on Blair.  "But we'll deal with it."  He turned his attention back fully to the phone. 

 

     "Keep the kid out of the way, while we deal with it."

 

     "I can put him in holding," Simon volunteered. 

 

     "No," Jim snapped, "not that, just hold him in the interrogation room."

 

     "Okay, Jim, okay.  Thanks.  See you at five."  Simon returned the phone to the cradle, and turned to the grad student, only he wasn't there.  "Dammit!" Simon swore, then yelled, "Henri, in here, now!"  He pulled one of his cigars out, he had the feeling he was going to need it. 

 

***

 

     Blair's breath was burning in his lungs as he took the stairs down two at a time.  He couldn't wait for the lift, he had to get out, the captain was talking to Ellison, you didn't need to be a genius to know that, and that Ellison would want him stashed away and kept as far away from him as possible, and that, Lieutenant Ellison, was not going to happen.

 

     If he was Banks, he would have tried to take him out of circulation, and the quickest way to do that was to post an APB on him and the car.  So with some reluctance he left it behind him, he had 50 minutes to get to the meeting.  He dug his hand in his pocket, and frowned, his wallet was still on Banks table, but he just had enough money to meet the bus fare.  The bus driver gave him a funny look as he boarded.  He was all too aware that the bruising on his face was now out in full color. 

 

     He shifted slightly to look out of the window, to partly hide the damage from the other passengers, and quickly ran through what he knew.  First, Banks had no idea that Ellison had been med-evaced to Rainier, in fact, they where treating his disappearance as sinister.  He had been at crossed lines with them, he had thought that the university would have notified the police of Ellison's escape and requested a medical APB.  Ellison had bonded, but they hadn't completed the process, and until then the circle was not complete.  So what the hell was going on?? 

 

     Secondly Banks knew that Ellison was a sentinel, and they had been covering for him, to prevent him having to go to the university for bonding, and no doubt they had been acting as temporary guides for him, as the need arose.  If Ellison was partly on-line he could have used his senses to some extent.  They would have been cutting in and out on him, but the chance of a zone out would be low, because of the lack of focus, but now…now he was a full sentinel, those amateur guides would prove fatal to him.  Didn't those idiots realize that he could go into a zone out, and in the worse case he could actually stop breathing, or go so deep he would be comatose, lost for ever in the zone out?  He had to complete the full bonding, and get Ellison to see sense. 

 

     Also, from what he had heard, Ellison had been building an emotional barrier up to block any possible attempts at bonding, but he must have had a strong emotional shell to start with.  He shook his head, he really needed to read through the Dark Sentinel casebook.  It was a very rare condition, and only two had been reported, and the details where sketchy, but any information was a help.  He was jerked out of his line of thought by the bus pulling up. 

 

     Blair grabbed his backpack and piled off the bus.  With a quick glance at his watch, he had about ten minutes to the meet, and two blocks to cross to get there.  The area was a bad one, and he pulled the backpack a little tighter over his shoulder. 

 

***

 

     Simon checked the time for the third time in as many minutes.  He jumped when Jim came up behind him.  How the hell could a man Jim's size move so softly?  It must be a sentinel thing.  Somehow that made him feel happier. 

 

     "Okay Jim, what's going on?  That little hippie freak was in my office saying that he's your guide? What happened, I thought you could block them?" 

 

     "I could, but somehow he got through, I didn't have a chance to block him."  Jim shrugged . 

 

     "This bonding thing, what…"  Simon trailed off, almost embarrassed. 

 

     Jim's smile was one of amusement.  "Simon, it's okay.  It's not as if you're asking about my sex life."

 

     "Well, you hear things about guides, I mean, they're touchy feely all the time, it's not natural."

 

     Jim shook his head.  "The nearest I can describe, it was like a static electric charge running through me.  It was like I was watching someone else.  Also there was a feeling of…"  He trailed off.  "It was like I used to feel for Steven at the start, before dad forced us apart."  The memories were too painful.  Simon laid a hand on his arm.  It was a quick clumsy gesture, but one which was acknowledged, as Jim added, "There was a need to protect the kid."

 

     "Is there a way to dump the kid, you know, unbond you?"

 

     "No, but I figure in a few months, I'll get a handle on these senses, and I can get rid of him.  I am no ones lap dog, and certainly not his."  There was a venom in Jim's words which would have had any one in the office hurrying for cover.  When Jim Ellison had that tone, all sensible people headed for the storm shelters. 

 

     Whatever Jim was about to say was forgotten as Simon saw the way he cocked his head to one side. He recognized it as the familiar listening position.

 

     There it was again, the thumping noise, speeded up, but it was there and getting closer. 

 

     "Jim?" 

 

     He realized that Simon was looking at him in a concerned way.  "The kid's here.  I thought you were taking care of him."  It was almost a accusation. 

 

     "That kid's harder to pin down than the perps, he got past us, at the station."

 

     "Let's make this fast, Simon, the doctor that fast tracked me to Rainier was Dr. Westermann, he had all the paperwork ready to go, as if he knew something was going to happen…" He ground to a halt.  "The bastard set me off, got me to zone."

 

     "What!"

 

     "It's not important in itself, but someone wanted me at Rainier University, and not through the usual channels, and made sure that no one knew about it.  But there are enough sentinels around, so what's special about me?"

 

     "We'll sort this out, Jim.  I've sent Henri and Rafe out to the university today, they haven't reported back yet, but maybe they have some answers.  In the meantime, keep a low profile.  Rainier has not requested a medical APB on you, but it's not to say that someone isn't looking for you.  I'll have Rhonda run a search on Dr. Westermann, see just what we can turn up."  He pushed his cell phone in Jim's hand.   "Use this to contact me, and keep in touch."

 

     Jim was looking off into the dark.  "Do a search on the kid, and lock him up if you can get him.  He's part of this and I want to know how he fits in with it all."

 

***

 

     Blair had ground to a halt, as he saw Jim disappear into the dark.  Banks was there, he was blocking the grad student's way.  The impulse to get to his sentinel was so strong he nearly risked being seen, then he pushed it back, and back tracked the way he had come.  All he could do now was make his way back to the warehouse.  He started on the long walk back. 

 

     He was within a block of home, when the two men who had watched him go past pushed themselves away from the wall.  The smaller younger man was the perfect target, they could have some fun with him first and any money would be a bonus.  The coarse remarks went back and forth between the two men as they made their plans to jump their target.  They never saw the darker shadow detach itself.  A few minutes later, it carried on it's way, stalking it's prey, leaving the men on the ground, without even a backward glance to see if they where still breathing. 

 

     Blair felt a shudder go through his body, for the third time that evening.  He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.  He hugged the backpack closer to him, and speeded up his pace.  It was with relief that he entered the warehouse.  It was bitter cold, the three gas heaters were unable to warm anything like enough of the living space to make much of a dent on the temperature.  He pulled on another layer of clothes, flinching as he heard one of the rat traps go off in the far region of the warehouse. 

 

     He reached into a food safe and pulled out a caddy of his herbal teas, then turned and automatically took a step back.  He found himself looking straight at Jim Ellison.  His eyes were ice cold , blue chips, but there was something in them, he didn't understand.  one hand still clutching the tea caddy, with the other he reached out to his sentinel.

 

     Jim knocked the hand away hard.  Blair took a deep breath, he was looking at an instinct driven sentinel.  The man that was trying to avoid him had been replaced by the pure sentinel.  He was all too aware that the big man could break him in half.  He eased back away from him, when Jim's hand suddenly lashed out, catching him by the front of his clothes, and hauled him upwards and towards him.  With his other hand he batted away the caddy, then he slammed him down on the over stuffed sofa, winding his free hand into Blair's long hair, pinning him down.  The other hand moved up and pinned his throat.  Jim could now feeling the heart beat drumming through his fingers. 

 

     Blair tried to sit up, but the pressure increased.  He bit back a cry of pain.  Blair's mind screamed that it was not supposed to be like this, they had bonded but final meshing was not supposed to be like this, it was a two way process.  Ellison was a dark sentinel, he knew that with sudden clarity.  They wanted a completely submissive guide.  He would not be that.  He reached a hand up to press against Jim's heart, groaning as Jim's hand wrapped itself tighter in his hair, as his sentinel lent closer, instinctually opening his senses up, to drink in the smell of his guide. 

 

     "No."  He forced the word through the pain.  "Not like this.  Jim, please."  His sentinel stopped, the head tilting slightly as if he was pulling back from somewhere.  He would not be submissive, that was almost his mantra. 

 

     Jim could suddenly smell the fear rolling off the younger man, he could feel the warmth of the bruising under his fingers where he held the man's throat.  He released his hold on the hair, allowed his sensitive fingers to move lightly over the younger man's face.  He could detect a scar, long faded, along the jaw line, the small healed cut from shaving. 

 

     Slowly but surely, Blair reached his hand up, running it up Jim's arm, all the time keeping eye contact with his sentinel, then he moved his hand across his chest to his heart, and rested the palm against it.  He knew that the sentinel would feel the warmth against him.  When the sentinel made no attempt to hit it away, he started with his other hand, running it up the arm, and then up the shoulder to his face.  Concentrating, he willed the connection between them, the pheromones were released, he saw the sentinel inhale deeply, drawing them in, the chemistry in the brain changed, the final part of the bonding was completed, between them. 

 

     Blair's body relaxed, his hand moved again, gently stroking, reassuring him.  He watched his sentinel's reaction, Jim's expression hadn't changed in those few minutes. 

 

     Suddenly he jerked back from the younger man, looking around him as if he was lost.  Jim's anger flared, partly out of fear, he wasn't sure what had happened.  He only vaguely remembered getting here, it was almost as if he was a passenger along for the ride.  He took it out on the only other person there.  He pulled back from the grad student. 

 

     "This is getting old very quickly, Sandburg, I, I don't know what your plans are but they don't include me."

 

     "But they do, man, we're joined, bonded, meshed now, you need me to help you."

 

     "I don't need you, kid, I managed without you before, and I don't need you now."

 

     Blair pulled himself up.  "You're on-line now, and too much input and you can zone.  Those amateurs can't help you, I can."  Jim turned away from him.  His guide caught his arm and hung on.  "You're rare, man, you're a dark sentinel, a real throw back to an…" he trailed off as Jim swung round, the anger was written right across his face.  He swallowed, his other hand coming up, palm out to try and calm his sentinel.  "You're an earlier type of sentinel, they're stronger, faster than the others.  There are only a handful of case histories. You're unique man."

 

     "So what aren't you telling me, Sandburg, your heart just spiked."  He glanced down at his guide's hand, then back to his face.

 

     The younger man released his hold.  "Dark Sentinels have a need for total control over their guide, where as normal," he hesitate over the word, seeing something flit across Jim's face that he could not identify, "sentinels have the control in the hands of their guides, they allow them to keep order from…"

 

     Jim cut him off.  "So I am some kind of control freak, is that it, kid, and yet you still wanted to complete the bonding?"

 

     "Yes."  He tugged at Jim's shirt.  "You're mine, my sentinel.  The holy grail, a dark sentinel."   His voice was excited, he was all but bouncing.  Jim shushed him, his head turning again.  Blair dropped his voice to the guide tone.  "Stretch your hearing, to that first noise, I am here."

 

     Jim found that he followed the voice, reaching out more than he had ever tried to before.  The voice was male.  "You're sure that they're both in there?"

 

     "Yes."

 

     "Okay, we go in carefully.  You have the darts ready, we need them both alive, and unharmed, remember Ellison was a Black Angel."

 

     The sentinel pulled back, he looked round.  "Any other way out of here, kid?"

 

     "There's a back…"

 

     Jim cut him off.  "Any others?"

 

     "No.  What's wrong?"

 

     "Those steps, where are they to?"

 

     "The roof."

 

     Jim grabbed his arm and hauled him to the steps.  Blair attempted to pull free.  "I don't have time for this, Sandburg, there's people out there with dart guns, I'd rather not hang around to find out what they want, so get going."  The trapdoor was stiff, but was not match for a sentinel driven by the impulse to protect his guide, and get out to safety, it opened with a crash.  They crossed the roof, until they reached the edge, there was a six foot gap to the next warehouse.  He saw the color drain from Sandburg's face.  "An easy jump." 

 

     "I can't."  He backed away from the edge of the warehouse.  "I'll wait here, man."  He pulled away from Jim as he put a hand out to him.  "I don't like heights." 

 

     Jim cocked his head slightly.  They were in the warehouse now, it wouldn't be long before they made it up the steps.  "Sandburg, I'll jump and then you follow."

 

     "I can't make it."

 

     "I'll catch you.  Sandburg, I am your sentinel, I won't allow you to be harmed, you have to trust me."  He got a nervous nod in return.  Jim cleared it easy, then he turned back, one foot braced on the ledge, his arms held out ready.  "Come on, kid."  He could hear them on the steps.  "Now!"  The younger man took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on his sentinel, he ran, and jumped, clearing it, but all the same Jim gathered him in, pulling him close.  Jim encouraged him on the way across that roof to the next one.  There was a metal ladder attached to the side, Jim swung out and over, pausing only to help his younger guide down over the lip and safely onto the first rung, then they were down, and lost into the darkness of the night. 

 

     It was only when he was satisfied that they were safe did the sentinel slow the pace, and allow Blair to catch his breath.  "One question, kid.  How come, I was keeping my distance from you, yet I ended up at your place?"

 

     "Instinct.  When we first met, we bonded, it was a deep bonding, but neither of us was ready for it. You tried to protect me from the guards, you remember that?"  He was reassured to get the nod from his sentinel.  "Right, well, on an instinctive level, you had to get to me.  Logically you wanted to stay clear of me, but the sentinel drive was too strong." 

 

     "What did you do back at the warehouse?"

 

     Blair detected the warning tone in his sentinel's voice.  "Normally when sentinel and guide are brought together, both are prepared for bonding, and if it takes place then the next stage is when you," he trailed off, "in lay mans terms, you mesh, become in synch with each other.  The guide's job is to complete the bonding.  With our training we can," he trailed off, not knowing how his sentinel was going to take the next piece of information.  It would be different with a trained from birth sentinel, they were brought up, taught the process, how a guide fitted into their working lives.  Ellison would not understand, and a dark sentinel would not like it , the loss of control. 

 

     "You were saying, kid?" 

 

     "The guide releases pheromones which the sentinel detects, inhales and it changes him or her, it's a chemical reaction, and the bonding is complete."  Ellison just looked at him, turned and then walked away.  Blair hurried after him.  "It's a natural reaction…"

 

     "Shut up, don't say another word. You have to shut up, or god help me, I will do it for you."  Blair lapsed into silence, but kept pace with him, this was his sentinel and he wasn't going to lose him.  Finally, Jim swung round on him.  "So why can't I hear your heart beat, the damn things been driving me crazy since this morning." 

 

     "The bonding was not complete, it would be a reflex action on the part of the sentinel, so they could find their guide.  When you sent out a sensor net, you could find me, you would not even know you were doing it, it was subconscious.  Now place your hand here," he indicated over his heart, "this will keep you anchored until you can start some lessons."  He added quickly, "You have to learn to control your senses, I can do that for you."

 

     Jim hesitated and did what he was told, he flinched slightly as Sandburg's hand pressed against his shoulder again.  "Okay, now open up your senses, just the hearing first.  Picture a dial, starting at 0 then going up to 10.  Move it up slowly until you can hear my heart beat."

 

     "I can hear it."

 

     "Now another dial, this one for your sense of smell.  Tell me what you can smell, filter out the smells around you concentrate on me."

 

     "Shampoo, some sort of herbal stuff, deodorant , stale cigarette smoke."

 

     "You're doing great, that's from when I was on the bus.  Try again."  His sentinels nose twitched, as if trying to identify a smell, a scent, his eyes flew open, he was smelling the scent of his guide, it was a musk mixed with a warm white chocolate smell.  "Now, Jim, settle the dials back to normal."  Blair hoped that Jim never found out what he had just done was imprint his scent on his sentinel, filling another part of the bonding.  "All you have to do now is think about finding me, and your senses will do the rest.  He shrugged away from the hand, he wasn't a tactile person, and he remembered what Simon had said.