InsaneJournal

A Helping Hand part 5,6,7,8/8
FIVE

Jim wandered leisurely through the forest near his cabin. What had felt like despair and fear such a short time ago had turned into hope and a new appreciation for life. And all because he had befriended a fugitive. He smiled as he thought about the interesting young man sharing his home.

Blair had insisted on officially hiring Jim as his bodyguard, of course he wouldn’t be able to pay him until he collected his inheritance, but Jim could name his own price. Blair didn’t care about the money; he just wanted to stay alive. Jim didn’t care about the money either. He wasn’t sure where this feeling of protectiveness came from but he was determined to keep his new friend safe and he didn’t need to be paid to do it.

Blair had been delighted when he plugged in his laptop and found that it was undamaged. He was even more delighted when Jim mentioned that he had internet access from his satellite dish. After a quick check of his email and a disappointed sigh at no messages from his mother, Blair got to work searching for everything he could find about heightened senses. It took him a couple of days before he was able to provide Jim with the little bit of information he had found, mainly because he kept nodding off in the middle of his searches.

When he mentioned that he didn’t know why he kept falling asleep, Jim merely shrugged and said, “You were out there alone and what sleep you got probably wasn’t very restful. Now you know you have someone to keep watch over you and it’s safe to let your guard down. You’re just making up for lost time.”

“It feels good to know someone is keeping watch.” Blair smiled shyly and Jim couldn’t help thinking that he wanted to see that smile more often.

They had carefully gone over the meager information and quickly discovered that while there were plenty of examples of what the sentinel used his senses for, there was nothing to tell them how he controlled them other than the passing mention of a companion who helped him.

Blair groaned in frustration. “The sentinel had to have had a way to control his senses; otherwise he would have been of no use to the tribe. When the input got too intense he must have had a way to turn it all down.”

“Turn it down?” Jim asked. “You mean like with some sort of a dial?”

“That’s it! A dial! What a great idea!” Blair actually bounced in his seat with excitement at the suggestion.

Jim still didn’t know what had possessed him to pull up his shirt and examine his chest. “I don’t see anything that looks like a dial.” He made pretend twisting motions over first one nipple then the other and sadly shook his head. “Sorry, nothing that works like a dial.”

Blair looked shocked then began laughing so hard he could barely get words out. “Not on the outside of you, you doofus.”

Oh yeah. He liked the sound of Blair’s laughter. Definitely looking forward to hearing more of it.

When they finally calmed down Blair began to explain about visualization techniques, breathing exercises and meditation and damned if they didn’t work. With Blair’s careful guidance Jim was able to picture a dial in his mind and use it to adjust his senses one by one until everything felt normal again.

The following days were spent getting familiar with using a dial to control his senses and the evenings were spent learning more about each other. Blair talked about his unconventional mother and his nomadic childhood which ended when he entered the university at the age of sixteen. Jim reciprocated by telling of his overly strict father who had driven him to leave home and join the army.
Blair told tales about the expeditions he had gone on and Jim mentioned the time he had spent in Peru after his helicopter had been shot down. Although he didn’t remember a lot about that time, he thought that maybe his senses had been heightened while he was there.

“Well, heightened senses are genetic,” Blair reflected, “so you’ve had them your whole life. Sounds like they were dormant most of the time. You must have had some control over them if you used them in Peru.”

Jim considered this for a moment then suddenly remembered. “The tribe that I lived with, their shaman Incacha helped me when I used them.”

“He was your companion. How cool.”

“But why would they be normal between the time I got back and now?” Jim wondered.

“Maybe they’re only on-line when you have a companion or you’ll soon be meeting someone who will become your companion.”

“Maybe,” Jim agreed and regarded Blair thoughtfully.

“What?” Blair asked as he noticed the way Jim was looking at him.

Jim shrugged. “I don’t get it. I haven’t talked about half this stuff with people I’ve known for years yet I’ve only known you for a couple of days and I’m telling you my life story.”

“I know what you mean,” Blair grinned. “Maybe we were friends in a former life and that’s why we’re comfortable telling each other personal things.”

“I don’t believe in reincarnation, but then I didn’t believe heightened senses were possible either.”

Jim was startled out of his reverie by what sounded like a wolf’s howl though he knew there were no wolves in this part of the forest. Jim cautiously extended his hearing and began to filter out sounds the way Blair had taught him to. He smiled as he picked up the sound of Blair puttering around in the cabin then pushed his hearing out a little further. His smile died as he picked up the sound of a car engine, an engine he had heard before. An engine that belonged to the car owned by Simon Banks.

“Aw hell,” he muttered as he hurried toward home, hoping to get back to the cabin and get Blair out of sight before Simon could arrive.
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Blair was thinking about making sandwiches for lunch as he stepped out of the bathroom and almost collided with a tall African American man.

“Who are you?” the big man demanded.

“Who are you?” Blair countered and hoped he sounded braver than he felt. He’d only caught a glimpse of Jim’s captain as he drove away after his last visit but he was pretty sure that’s who he was facing now.

“I’m Captain Simon Banks, Cascade Police, Ellison’s boss and friend. Now I believe I asked you a question.”

Blair almost took a step back as Simon loomed over him but halted as his nervousness suddenly vanished. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the belligerent man facing him. “You know, that’s very interesting that you describe yourself as Jim’s captain first and his friend second. Of course that really shouldn’t surprise me, considering how you talked to him the last time you were here.”

Simon blinked at the unexpected response. He was accustomed to using his size and authority to intimidate others when necessary but this long-haired kid in the faded jeans and too-large t-shirt merely stared at him disapprovingly. He was further amazed when the kid stepped into his personal space and poked him in the chest.

“Yeah, I heard what you said to him and the tone of voice you used and believe me, that didn’t sound like any friend I’d want to hang around with. He tried to tell you about the problems he was having but you really didn’t want to hear it. A friend would have listened and taken him seriously. A friend would have shown some concern and sympathy for him. That’s not what I heard from you. You gave him the old brush-off. Instead of trying to understand what your ‘friend’ was going through and helping him, you practically called him a coward. What has to happen before you take him seriously? Does he have to have one of his spells in the middle of a shoot-out and get himself killed? Or worse, in his mind, get his fellow officers killed? What would you say then? ‘Oh, sorry Jim. I guess you really do have a problem.’”

As Blair stepped back to catch his breath, it occurred to him that he might have gone too far berating a man big enough to easily snap him in half like a twig. And judging by the look on that man’s face he was about ready to do just that.

Simon scowled and rested his hand on his holster. “Who the hell are you, you little punk. I’ve a good mind to arrest you for breaking and entering. God knows what you’ve done to Jim.”

Blair’s eyes widened as he held up his empty hands. “Whoa, Joe Friday! Unarmed civilian here!”

Both men jumped as the door slammed open and Jim strode angrily into the room. “Back off, Simon,” Jim snarled at his captain as he stepped protectively in front of Blair and put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “You all right, Chief?”

“Yeah, Jim. I’m sorry.” Blair sighed.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone.” Jim frowned at Simon. “You have no right to treat a guest in my home like some kind of perp. What are you doing here anyway? Don’t tell me it’s been two weeks already.”

“Close enough,” Simon answered. To say he was confused by his detective’s reaction to his presence was putting it mildly. He’d seen Jim turn that icy look on plenty of prisoners in the interrogation room but he’d never had it aimed at himself until now.

“You’ve wasted another trip, Simon. I’m still not ready to come back and the way I feel right now retirement is sounding better and better.”

“Talk to him, man,” Blair murmured. “Some day you may want to go back and burning bridges is never a good idea.”

Jim considered this for a moment then nodded. “Sit down, Simon. We need to talk.”

“What the hell is going on, Jim? Who is this kid?” Simon never could rest until he’d solved a puzzle and this was definitely a puzzle in need of solving. His voice of authority had always made an impression on his detective in the past but Jim was almost treating him like a stranger. He made note of the brief touches the two exchanged and the way Jim’s expression softened as he looked at the kid and wondered how long Jim had known him and what kind of relationship they had.

“I tried to tell you what was going on the last time you were here.” Jim drew Blair down beside him on the couch and nodded for Simon to take one of the chairs. “But you didn’t really want to hear it. I’ve learned that I have what’s known as heightened senses, all five of them. They were on-line when I was in Peru and I was able to use them there. Then they went back to normal until the Switchman case. I didn’t remember much from my time in Peru, that’s why I didn’t understand what was happening to me.”

“You said the doctors told you that nothing was wrong with you,” Simon frowned.

“That’s right,” Blair stated. “There’s nothing wrong with Jim. Heightened senses are genetic. Whether on-line or off, they’re perfectly normal for him.”

Simon glared at Blair suspiciously. “We still haven’t been introduced.”

Jim leaned forward partially blocking Simon’s view. “This is my friend BJ. He helped me figure out what was going on with my senses and he’s working with me on getting some control over them.”

“Does BJ have a last name?”

“Why?” Jim challenged. “So you can run him through the PD database and find out if he’s a criminal? He’s no criminal, Simon.”

“Could have fooled me with the attitude he was giving me before you came in.”

“I heard the entire conversation, captain first, friend second. I heard BJ sticking up for me. That’s what friends do and I won’t make him apologize for it.”

Jim’s defiant words made Simon uncomfortable and he found himself unable to maintain eye contact, not sure whether he should be embarrassed or annoyed that Jim had heard.

The resulting tense silence was broken by Blair’s voice. “How far from the cabin were you?”

“I don’t know,” Jim shrugged. “Couple thousand yards maybe.”

“Wow, you’re really getting the hang of it. But you still need to be careful extending your senses when you’re alone,” Blair cautioned.

“I was,” Jim reassured him. “I had a rough piece of bark in my hand. The sharp texture kept me grounded.”

“Very good!” Blair’s smile showed he clearly approved of Jim’s resourceful thinking as he patted him on the shoulder.

Simon watched with amazement as the expression on Jim’s face went from proud to pleased at the younger man’s praise and could only think of a dog being patted on its head by its owner after the successful completion of a new trick. Was this his bad-assed detective who was secretly referred to by his colleagues as ‘Iceberg Ellison’? Jim and Blair continued to grin at each other until Simon cleared his throat as a reminder that they weren’t alone.

“So what the hell are heightened senses?” he grumbled.

The two exchanged glances and Jim gave a slight nod. Blair explained about Dr. Stoddard’s lecture and his belief that if the gene for one or two heightened senses still existed then the gene for all five must still be out there too. He followed that with the results of his own research on the internet and what he had learned about ancient sentinels.

Jim took over the mini-lecture by detailing the various exercises Blair had developed for helping him control his senses and the progress that had been made. Seeing the skeptical look on his boss’s face he proceeded to give a demonstration. Once he was sure that Simon was beginning to believe them, he concluded by stating that while he was getting a handle on things he wasn’t confident enough yet to return to the city and his job.

Simon looked at them both thoughtfully. “If all this is true, then these senses should be a big help in solving crimes.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Blair enthused. “He’ll be like a walking organic crime lab and a human lie detector. Once he has full control there’ll be no stopping him.”

“You’ve got a lot of confidence in me, Chief.”

“Look at the progress you’ve made already and it’s only been a couple of weeks.”

“I’ve had you to act as my companion and help me.”

“We’ll find you a suitable companion helper. Someone on the force,” Simon stressed and glanced pointedly at Blair.

“Not just anyone can be a companion, Simon,” Jim frowned. As far as he was concerned, he had found his companion and he wasn’t willing to accept any substitutes. “We didn’t tell you yet about the downside of heightened senses. Like the sensory spikes I have when there’s too much input or it’s too intense. I can’t function when I’m doubled over in agony because suddenly lights are too bright or sounds are too loud or I smell something that makes me gag. I told you I was having spells where I lost time. BJ says those are called zone-outs when I concentrate so much on one sense that I lose track of everything else. If any of those things occur at the wrong time, one of my fellow officers could end up dead and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”

“And that’s why Jim doesn’t want to come back to work yet,” Blair interrupted. “Sure he’s made a lot of progress in a short time, but he still has a ways to go before he has full control. I know I’d be scared to death if my senses started going wonky on me and I didn’t know how to get them back to normal. At least Jim knows what’s going on now and what to do about it but he still needs a lot more practice both in extending them and in bringing them back under control.”

“That’s why it’s important that I have the right companion to help me,” Jim emphasized. “It can’t be somebody off the street corner. He has to have the right sounding voice to talk me through the spikes and bring me back from a zone. He needs to be compassionate enough to not make me feel like these spells are my fault. He needs to have enough empathy to understand what I’m going through.”

Simon shook his head in resignation. “How much time do you think you’ll need before you have enough control to do your job?”

“Couple of months at least,” Jim shrugged and glanced at the young man seated beside him who nodded in agreement.

“Fine,” Simon sighed in defeat. “You’ve got enough unused vacation days to cover another couple of months. But I expect you to keep me updated on your progress.”
Jim smiled. “Thanks, Simon. I appreciate your help and I promise to keep in touch.”

The two men were saying their final good-byes at the door when Blair jumped up from the couch with a loud gasp.

“Oh, man. I just thought of something else. You’ll need to be careful of who knows about Jim’s senses. If the criminals find out he has an edge they might try to take him out by using his senses against him.”

Both stared at him blankly for a moment until Jim ran his hand over his hair and groaned. “Shit. Now that you mention it, I worked covert ops long enough to know that something like this might catch the government’s interest. He’s right, Simon. You can’t let anyone else know.”

“Don’t worry, Jim. I won’t betray your confidence.” Simon sent another pointed look in Blair’s direction then clapped Jim on the back. “We’ll get everything worked out.”

Simon opened his car door then turned and pointed a finger at Blair.

“And you, BJ with no last name. If I find out you’re running some kind of scam on Jim, there won’t be enough left of you to put on trial for fraud.”

“Congratulations. You’re starting to sound like a friend,” Blair nodded approvingly.

Simon harrumphed in disgust and climbed into his car.

As they watched the captain’s car disappear down the road, Blair softly chuckled, “Man, I don’t think he likes me very much.”

“What’s not to like?” Jim grinned and wrapped his arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. “You’re handsome, intelligent, compassionate, understanding, and brave enough to speak your mind.”

Blair flushed at the compliment. “Yeah, well, Simon didn’t seem to appreciate hearing me speaking my mind.”

“He also didn’t appreciate the lack of information about you,” Jim smirked and shrugged dismissively. “He’ll get over it. He might not have liked having to be reminded of the definition of a friend, but he’s a good man. Once he has a chance to think about it, he’ll do the right thing. So what do you say, my faithful companion. Shall we have lunch?”

“I’m with you, Kemosabe,” Blair laughed and followed his sentinel into the cabin.
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SIX

Jim stood in the front yard and practiced extending and pulling back his senses along with the other daily ingenious exercises Blair had developed for using them. Blair stood beside him, watching him closely and occasionally touching his arm or back whenever it looked like Jim was beginning to lose himself in the sense he was concentrating on. Jim actually looked forward to these practice sessions and secretly enjoyed the knowledge that during them he had Blair’s full attention.

“What do you hear?” Blair quietly asked.

Jim tilted his head slightly and listened carefully. Wind in the treetops. Bird song. A small animal rustling in the undergrowth. And a soft rhythmic thumping that he had come to know so well over the past weeks. It was the last sound that he heard as he drifted off to sleep at night and the first sound that he listened for when he wakened.

“I hear your heartbeat.”

“Really? Man, that’s so cool,” Blair grinned then quickly added, “I mean as long as my pulse doesn’t start annoying you.”

“Actually, it’s rather soothing. So’s your voice for that matter.”

Blair smiled shyly. “I’m glad you think so. You’re doing good with identifying and filtering out sounds until you get to the one you want to hear. Let’s try scent.”

Jim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Pine trees. Wild flowers. A skunk was wandering around out there but was far enough away to not worry about. And something very pleasant. He sought out the origin of that enticing odor and realized it was coming from right beside him. Jim leaned close enough to bury his nose in Blair’s hair and inhaled deeply. He tilted Blair’s head to the side so he could pursue that wonderful scent down the younger man’s neck to a place just below his ear. He gave in to a sudden impulse to taste and ran his tongue over the spot. He groaned as a marvelous flavor exploded across his taste buds and he slowly began to move his lips along the firm jaw searching for more.

“Um, Jim. What are you doing?” He barely registered the timid question as his tongue brushed over Blair’s lips.

“I’m not sure,” he whispered and silenced any further questions with a gentle kiss that left them both slightly breathless.

Blair sighed regretfully. “I - I don’t think this is a good idea right now considering how long we’ve both been out in the woods alone.”

Jim felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on his head as the quiet words registered. He suddenly realized what he’d been doing and quickly stepped away from Blair. “You’re right. This is a bad idea. I’m just – gonna – take a walk.” Jim strode off into the forest before Blair could say anything else.

Blair flopped down on the step. What was going on? One minute Jim’s kissing him and the next he’s taking off like demons are chasing him. There was no use pretending that he hadn’t enjoyed that kiss and he sure hadn’t tried to avoid it. Hell, Jim was a handsome man and he’d often found himself trying not to stare at the powerful muscles that rippled as a shirtless Jim chopped wood. Was he falling for the big guy or had he just been alone too long?

He leaned his head on his hand and stared glumly in the direction Jim had gone as he sighed and answered his own question. “Oh, man. You are so screwed.”
---------------
As soon as he was out of sight Jim halted his hasty retreat and parked himself on a fallen log. He kept his hearing tuned to the cabin fearing that he’d hear the sounds of Blair packing and was temporarily relieved to find that all was quiet so far.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Ellison? How could you be so stupid? Oh God, what have I done?” he silently berated himself.

He had given in to an impulse which would probably drive the young man away. Just the thought that he’d never see that smile or hear that laughter again gave him a sharp pain in his stomach. He realized that what he felt was more than just a physical attraction.

It had been a long time since he’d felt anything more than a vague interest in another man. He’d indulged himself a few times when he worked vice, always careful that his fellow officers only knew about the women he equally enjoyed dating. That had ended when he transferred to the Major Crimes unit, partially because he didn’t think his new colleagues would approve and he wanted to fit in, but mostly because he just hadn’t met any men he really wanted to sleep with. Then he met and married Caroline and life was great until she decided that she could do better than him.

After the divorce he wasn’t very interested in men or women. Until he found a certain bedraggled kid in the woods. Blair was strikingly handsome with eyes so blue, Jim felt he could sink in them and never come out again. A well-proportioned body and a smile that could light up a room. Yeah, he was physically attracted, only a blind man wouldn’t be.

But it was more than that. Blair didn’t bat an eye when he described his symptoms. He didn’t tell him to take a couple aspirin and get back to work or imply that he was a coward or crazy. No, Blair got right down to the business of finding a solution. Blair understood him the way that no one else had even tried to.

Several times he had noticed Blair covertly watching him as he worked around the cabin. He had enough experience to know when someone was admiring the view. He picked up more than one hint that his new friend might be interested in more than just helping with Jim’s senses. Jim didn’t know where that kiss had come from but he hadn’t given a thought to the idea that the recipient might not be all that receptive. He had been so sure that Blair was attracted to him the same way.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Ellison,” he ridiculed himself. “Just because the kid enjoys window shopping doesn’t mean he actually wants to buy anything.”

Might as well face the music and see how much damage had been done. He stood and reluctantly headed back.
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Jim cautiously approached Blair who was sitting with his elbows on his knees and chin resting on his hands staring off into space. When he showed no acknowledgement of Jim’s presence, Jim cleared his throat and quietly said “Hi.”

“Not yet. Thinkin’ about it.”

Jim blinked at the unusual answer then feeling a little bolder at the lack of hostility ventured, “You look like you’re deep in thought.”

“Pondering the mysteries of life,” Blair replied absently and patted the step beside him until Jim sat down, careful not to sit too close. “Like why do drive through ATMs have Braille on them? Did you ever wonder about that? I mean, it’s not like a blind person will be behind the wheel. At least I don’t think they issue driver’s licenses to blind people.”

“Not that I’m aware of.” Jim was glad that Blair was talking to him even if it did seem to be a strange conversation.

“See, that’s one of life’s mysteries,” Blair continued. “Ranks right up there with the way my life’s been going lately. Man, I’ve had weird things happen to me but nothing like what’s been going on since I got that letter. Makes me feel like life is one big joke and I’m the only one who doesn’t get the punch line.”

“I know that feeling,” Jim agreed.

“There are times when I feel like I can’t take any more and I just want to give out with the old primal scream. Naomi says nothing makes a stressed out soul feel better.” He turned to Jim. “That’s what I was doing when you found me, you know.”

“And did it make you feel better?”

“Nah. It just gave me a sore throat,” Blair smiled ruefully.

They sat quietly for a moment until Jim got up enough nerve to bring up what had happened between them.

“Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I don’t know what came over me. You smelled so good and all of a sudden it was like something took over and I just had to taste you and fill my senses with you.”

“You mean like you wanted to imprint me on your senses?” Blair considered that possibility.

“Yeah,” Jim realized. “I’m sorry. I won’t let that happen again.”

“Damn, it was probably all just a sentinel thing.” Blair wasn’t sure how to feel about that thought but knowing Jim was uncomfortable, he hastened to reassure the other man. “It’s all right Jim. I think I might understand what was going on. I’ll bet the ancient sentinels imprinted their companions on all five of their senses. It would make it easier for him to locate the companion when he needed to. He could listen for the sound of his voice or heartbeat or even follow his scent when necessary. I’m really not upset with you.”

“You have no idea how relieved that makes me,” Jim smiled and visibly relaxed.

“Did you imprint Incacha?” Blair wondered.

Jim thought for a moment before replying. “I spent a lot of time with him and I could locate him anywhere so I guess I must have imprinted him without realizing it.”

“Definitely a sentinel thing,” Blair thought and was surprised by how disappointed he felt.

Jim fidgeted a little as if he had more on his mind but he wasn’t sure how to say it. Finally he took a deep breath.

“There’s something else I need to tell you. I discovered early on that I liked men as much as I liked women though I’ve tended to stick pretty much with women after I became a cop. You’re the first guy I’ve felt any attraction for since before I was married.”

“You’re married?”

“Divorced. Some times things don’t work out. No matter how hard you try.”

Blair pondered this revelation then asked, “Were you attracted to Incacha?”

Jim shook his head. “Our relationship never went in that direction. He helped me use my senses and that’s all he did. I considered him a good friend and I was very relaxed and comfortable around the man, but I had no desire to sleep with him. I have to be honest, Blair. I am attracted to you and I would like us to be more than friends.”

“It’s more than just a sentinel thing.” Blair was suddenly delighted with that thought.
“Well I don’t have a problem with your sexual orientation. I’m on friendly terms with a couple of guys who are gay and I’ve been hit on by guys and wondered what it would be like but I was never attracted to anyone enough to satisfy my curiosity.”

“Oh,” Jim sounded worried that he might have pushed things too far. “You’re right. Taking our relationship beyond friendship is a bad idea. I won’t bring it up again.”

“No, no, I didn’t say it was a bad idea.” Blair hurried to explain. “I just think this is bad timing. I mean here I am hiding out afraid for my life and you offer me your protection. Here you are having trouble with your senses and I offer to help you with them. I’m grateful for your protection, you’re grateful for my help. Believe me, I think you’re a very handsome man with the kind of body I’d always wished I had and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you, Jim. But I’d like us to be more than just a fling because of gratitude or curiosity.”

“I don’t want just a fling either,” Jim nodded in understanding.

“I just think we need to be sure that we’re getting together for the right reasons and not because we’ve been alone in the woods too long and our hormones are getting carried away. I really do like you Jim. When I desperately needed a friend, there you were offering to help with no strings attached. Most of the people I know are fair-weather friends. You know the kind? They tell you to let them know if you ever need help, then when you’re down on your luck they suddenly have a gazillion excuses for why they can’t help you. Why do you think I was sleeping in that homeless shelter after my place burned down?”

“If I’d known you then, you wouldn’t have been sleeping in a homeless shelter. You wouldn’t have been living in a drafty old warehouse to begin with.” Jim frowned at the thought of Blair having no one to help him.

“You’re very protective,” Blair chuckled. “Look at the way you jumped on Simon for threatening to arrest me.”

Jim shook his head in confusion. “I don’t understand it and I can’t explain it but I have this overwhelming need to keep you safe. I’ve felt this way since the moment I met you.”

“I think protectiveness is part of being a sentinel, you know, taking care of the members of your tribe and especially the one who helps you use your senses. Oh, wow. I guess this means I’m your companion.” Blair grinned then grimaced as a new thought occurred to him. “Oh man. Simon is not gonna be happy.”

“Tough. He’ll just have to get over it,” Jim smirked.

The two sat in companionable silence for a while and enjoyed the peacefulness of the forest until Blair gently nudged Jim and quietly asked, “Are we okay, Jim?”

“Yeah,” Jim answered. “We’re okay. I’m just wondering where we go from here.”

“I think our main priority is to get your senses under control. At the rate you’re improving you should be able to adjust the input automatically before too much longer. Our time should be spent practicing with that dial until you can use it without consciously thinking about it. I mean, I’m safe at the moment. I’m keeping a low profile and no one except Simon knows I’m here. We need to put off thinking about anything else until my birthday’s out of the way.”

“That makes sense, Chief. I’m glad to see that you’re more than just a pretty face. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

“So can we just be friends for now?” Blair asked and held out his hand.

“Friends,” Jim agreed as he took Blair’s hand. “With potential.”
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SEVEN



Blair had just finished folding the last of the clean laundry when he saw Jim’s truck pull into the yard. His surprise at seeing Jim back from town so soon quickly turned into concern as he watched the other man jump out and run toward the cabin.

Jim was hardly in the door when he began shouting orders as he headed for the bedroom.

“Get your things packed. We’re leaving. Move it.”

Bewildered, Blair trailed after him and stopped in the bedroom doorway to watch Jim drag out two large suitcases and begin to throw clothes into them.

“What’s going on, Jim? What’s happened?”

“No time to explain. Get packed. We have to leave now. Let’s go! Move! Move!”

Blair tried hard not to panic as he frantically shoved his clothes into his backpack. While he unplugged and packed his laptop, he could hear Jim in the bathroom collecting personal items. As he gathered up his notes and checked to be sure he hadn’t missed any, Jim hurried out the door with the two large bags which he tossed into the truck.

Jim reentered the cabin and began packing perishables in his cooler. Blair set his backpack beside the door and turned worried eyes to his friend.

“Jim, please. What’s happening?”

“Two big guys were showing your picture around town. We have to get out of here before someone remembers you bought camping supplies there.”

“Oh my God,” Blair gasped and ran to make sure windows were closed and that he hadn’t overlooked any of his belongings. By the time he was finished, Jim had placed the cooler and his backpack in the truck and was returning to lock up.

“Get in the truck, down on the floor and stay out of sight,” Jim ordered as they passed each other.

Blair barely had time to follow those instructions before Jim climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the cabin. When they reached town Jim carefully looked around and smiled grimly when he spotted the gray SUV parked in the same place he had last seen it.

“Good, they’re still in town. Stay down,” he admonished as his passenger tried to peek out the window. “Was that the store where you bought your camping gear?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, don’t panic,” Jim soothed. “Number one you haven’t been back to town since?”

“No, I stayed away from people and I left the trail before I got to the campgrounds. I made sure no one saw me when I did.”

“Good. Number two the picture they’re showing is your University I.D. You had short hair and it’s grown quite a bit in the last few months. It changes your appearance just enough to make you harder to recognize unless someone looks close.”

“How do you know it was my University I.D.?” Blair wondered. “I never showed that to you. When did you see it?”

“Um, the first night you were at my place.” Jim squirmed guiltily. “You were in the shower and I... sorta looked through your backpack.”

“You what?”

“Hey, I’m a cop, you were acting suspicious. Haven’t you ever heard of probable cause?”

“So you knew my name before you gave me the third degree? Oh, man!” Blair huffed in disgust.

“Are you mad at me?” Jim asked quietly.

“No point being mad at you now.” Blair shook his head and sighed. “Man, good thing I didn’t plan on a life of crime. I sure wouldn’t get far without being caught.”

After a few miles, Jim was sure they weren’t being followed and he allowed Blair to get up on the seat. Blair hooked his seatbelt and found he had so many questions he wasn’t sure which one to ask first.

“So what were they saying about me?” he finally wondered.

“One of them claims you’re his step-brother,” Jim answered. “According to him, you had a fight with your mother a couple of months ago and took off. Now he’s being the noble step-son and trying to track you down to make her happy. He’s even offering a reward for any information that helps him find you.”

“That’s crap,” Blair frowned indignantly. “No way is Naomi the marrying kind especially after what happened with my father. You don’t believe him, do you?”

“Of course I don’t. That’s why we took off like we did. I didn’t want to take any chances that they might wander up near the cabin and spot you there.”

Blair watched the scenery go by for a moment before he asked, “So where are we going?”

“Back to my place in Cascade. Hopefully they won’t be able to follow you there.”

They rode a couple more miles before Blair broke the silence. “I don’t understand. Why would they be looking for me in a tiny little town like that?”

Jim shrugged. “Apparently they didn’t think you were bright enough to leave the city so they’d confined their searching to Seattle until they happened to meet a truck driver who remembered giving you a ride.”

“Oh, man. That trucker was driving all the way to New York. I was hoping that by the time he got back to Seattle he’d have forgotten all about me.”

“Face it, Chief,” Jim smirked. “You’re unforgettable.”

“Yeah. Lucky me.”
------------------
As they approached Cascade, Jim cleared his throat to get Blair’s attention.

“I want to call Simon and have him meet us at the loft. I think it’s time to let him know what’s going on with you. We might need some back-up if those goons manage to follow us.”

“Do you think Simon will believe my story?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Jim wondered.

“Maybe because he definitely doesn’t like me? He already thinks I’m some sort of con man.”

“He only met you once.”

“You thought I was a criminal at first. Why did you believe me?”

“I could hear your heartbeat,” Jim admitted. “It was a little fast because you were upset but it held steady through your whole story. What? You did call me a human lie detector.”

“Wow, you really are good.” Blair’s pleased smile showed how impressed he was.

Jim shrugged modestly. “So, is it okay with you if I tell Simon your story?”

“You’re the bodyguard. Do whatever you think is needed.”

“We might end up having to set a trap for them and possibly using you as bait though I’d really hate to do that.”

“I trust you Jim. I know you won’t let anything happen to me if you can help it. Do whatever you feel is necessary to get them off my back.”

Jim felt humbled by his friend’s trust in him and was even more determined to keep him safe.

Shortly after crossing the city limits, Blair noticed that Jim was frowning and he was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white.

“Jim, what’s wrong?” he asked.

Jim grimaced. “I’d forgotten how noisy and smelly Cascade was. That’s why I left in the first place.”

“Pull over and we’ll adjust your dials,” Blair instructed. “I should have thought about this. You’ve been living in the forest where the air is clean and it’s quiet. We just need to get you acclimated to the city again.”

“That simple, huh?” Jim inquired skeptically but did as he was told. With Blair’s help he was able to adjust his senses until he was comfortable again. They continued on with Jim pulling over every few blocks to make further adjustments until they arrived at his home on Prospect.
------------------
“Can’t you just keep them away from me until after my birthday?”

Simon had arrived at the loft shortly after they did and had quietly listened to Blair’s story. He wasn’t sure if he believed it or not but it was clear that Ellison did and he was not a man with a reputation for being gullible. Besides, Jim had never looked healthier so it was obvious that whatever mumbo-jumbo the kid had used on him had done him no harm. Best of all he now knew the kid’s full name and could run a make on him. All this made Simon feel generous.

“We need to catch them and find out who hired them,” he patiently explained.

“Why?” Blair questioned. “After I collect my inheritance there won’t be any point in killing me. Mom is my beneficiary and everything I own would go to her.”

“And if she died before you collect?”

“You think someone’s out there trying to kill her? Good luck. She moves around so much I have trouble tracking her down even in the best of times.”

“How’d your father find you?” Jim asked.

“His lawyer said he hired a private investigator who located Naomi…. Shit.”

“Exactly. If his P.I. found her, how do we know that someone else’s hasn’t found her by now? Have you heard from her recently?”

“Not since I got the letter and she told me to go to the reading of the will. I tried to call her afterwards but I was told that she’d taken off for parts unknown to ‘cleanse her aura’. I tried to find her after the warehouse burned down but no one knew where she’d gone so I left messages with Moonbeam and Sunflower that I needed to talk to her.”

“Moonbeam and Sunflower?” Simon smirked in disbelief.

“What can I say, man?” Blair shrugged. “Long live the sixties. Anyway I sent her an email then all hell broke loose and I ended up in the woods with no internet until Jim took me to his cabin. I sent her a couple more emails from there but she hasn’t answered any of them. She could be anywhere at this point. God, what if something’s happened to her?”

“No news is good news. Let’s keep a good thought, Chief.” Jim squeezed his shoulder in sympathy. “Damn that woman. What kind of a mother takes off and leaves her kid to deal with a mess like this on his own?” One look at the scowl on Simon’s face told him that his captain was having the same thoughts.

After agreeing to meet at the station in the morning to check mug books and make further plans, they bid Simon good night.
---------------------------


EIGHT


At first Jim wasn’t sure what had woken him; then he realized that he was hearing Blair’s racing heartbeat. Before he had a chance to investigate, he heard Blair cross the room below and rush breathlessly up the stairs only to halt at the top and look around in confusion as if he wasn’t sure how he’d gotten there.

“Hey, are you all right?” Jim asked quietly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. Sorry.” Blair self-consciously turned to leave.

“It’s okay, Chief. You’re allowed to be in my bedroom,” Jim hastened to reassure him. Even in the darkened room, Jim could see the younger man was shivering so he lifted the corner of his blankets in invitation. “You look cold. Come get warm.”

Blair hesitated then slipped under the covers to lie beside Jim.

“Nightmare?” Jim inquired gently.

“Yeah,” came the quiet reply.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

Jim considered his shaky bedmate and wished there was something he could do to comfort him. Then a distant memory came to him of himself as a young child suffering from his own night-terrors.

“When I was little and had a nightmare, my mom would give me a hug. Would you like a hug?”

Blair nodded and moved into Jim’s welcoming embrace. They lay quietly for a few minutes and he could feel Blair slowly relax.

“I dreamed I was in the warehouse where I lived,” Blair whispered softly. “It was on fire and the smoke was so thick I couldn’t find my way out and I couldn’t breathe. I heard a voice telling me that it was time for me to die and then it started laughing. I was so scared.” His voice broke and Jim could feel the dampness of tears on his chest. “Why are they doing this to me? I don’t even know them.”

Jim held him tighter and murmured soothingly, “You’re safe now. Nobody’s going to hurt you. I won’t let them.” Finally Blair calmed enough to slip into sleep.

Jim’s thoughts kept him awake. It had been a long time since he’d held someone as they slept and it felt good. The two had managed to stick to their friends only decision and regardless of their flirting and exchange of innuendos they had continued to sleep apart, Jim in his bed and Blair on the couch. Jim had tried his best to move beyond the touches he needed to stay grounded as he practiced with his senses but Blair would only smile ruefully and remind him of their priorities. He knew the attraction was mutual for he often caught the scent of Blair’s arousal in spite of his damn ‘first things first’ attitude.

Jim suddenly realized that what he was feeling was way beyond lust and physical attraction. Maybe it was a good thing that Blair had stopped him after that one kiss. As a result, they had taken the time to get to know each other and Jim had discovered that the younger man really was more than a pretty face. He had a quirky sense of humor and a head full of knowledge about any subject Jim could think of. He found himself truly enjoying Blair’s company and couldn’t imagine life without it.

“So this is what love feels like,” Jim thought to himself and decided he liked the feeling which made him think of a new problem. Once Blair collected his inheritance he would be a very wealthy young man. He could go wherever he wanted and with his looks he could have whoever he wanted. Jim needed to figure out something that would make a grad student want to stay with a cop.
------------------
During breakfast the next morning, Blair started to speak several times and stopped himself. Finally as they were cleaning up the dishes, he sighed and quietly said, “Thanks for last night. I know I came across like a spineless goober.”

“You’re definitely not spineless,” Jim disagreed. “You got yourself out of a burning building, you got away from two guys intent on murdering you, and you lived off the land alone for how long? That’s pretty brave in my book.”

“I crawled into your bed like a little kid afraid of the dark.” Blair’s self-disgust was evident.

“I’d say you have a good reason for having nightmares and there’s nothing wrong in taking a little comfort when it’s offered,” he was reassured. “Besides, you’re always welcome in my bed. I liked waking up next to you, even if all we did was sleep.”

“I liked waking up next to you too,” Blair smiled shyly.

“Are you really going to make me wait until it’s your birthday before I get more than a kiss? How much longer ?” Jim mock-whined.

“Four more days. You’ll survive.”

“Four more nights,” Jim put on his most dejected look trying for sympathy but the amused expression on Blair’s face told him that he wasn’t falling for it. He decided to change tactics and his voice became sultry as he drew Blair close and wrapped his arms around him. “Are you sure we still have to wait? I’d really love to imprint you on all my senses.”

Blair let himself be held for a moment then regretfully stepped back and sternly shook his finger at the larger man. “Remember our priorities, Ellison,” he reprimanded him then sighed deeply. “Damn, it’s hard to say no to you.”

“Good,” Jim leered and wiggled his eyebrows. “My plan’s working.”

The two grinned at each other until Blair finally said, “Speaking of working, somebody’s waiting for us at the station.”
------------------
As expected, Simon had mug books waiting for them along with some other information.

“There was a missing persons report filed on you about three and a half months ago.” Simon consulted his notes. “You were reported missing by a Felicia Mathers. According to her, you had suffered a head injury just before you disappeared and were confused. She didn’t want anyone to approach you, just notify her of your whereabouts and she would handle it from there.”

“I’ll bet she would,” Blair snorted and shook his head.

“You know her?”

“My cousin. She’s the one who made the comment about me not making it to my next birthday.”

“What else did you find out, Simon?” Jim asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Come on. We know you ran Blair through the data base the minute you found out his real name. He’s clean, isn’t he?” Jim stated smugly.

“Yeah, he’s clean,” Simon answered grudgingly. “Not even a damn parking ticket.”

“I’m sorry, Simon,” Blair said sweetly. “We could always pretend I have a criminal record if it would make you feel better.”

Jim hustled him out the door before Simon’s look of outrage could get any worse. “Come on, Chief. Mug books are waiting.”

Simon scowled at the retreating backs of the snickering pair as they headed for the conference room.

“Smart assed long-haired neo-hippie flower child,” he grumbled then shook his head in annoyance and decided he deserved a cigar.
------------------
It was just after lunchtime when Blair spotted the mug shot of the man who had wielded the baseball bat. About an hour later he recognized the man who had threatened him with the knife. Both men had done time for petty crimes. Jim quickly confirmed that these were the two who had been showing Blair’s picture around and they took the information to Simon.

Simon had gotten over his irritation and had already made some plans.

“We’re going to put you in a safe house.” He held up his hand to forestall any arguments. “Let me finish, Detective. There will be round-the-clock surveillance. I’m going to call Ms. Mathers and tell her that Sandburg is known to be living at that address. Then we wait. If those two show up we’ll have a pretty good idea who told them where to go. Once we have them in custody we shouldn’t have any problem getting them to roll over on whoever hired them.”

“I want Sandburg someplace safe away from the action,” Jim objected.

“Jim, I have to be there. If they check out the address and I’m nowhere to be seen they might not fall for it. And besides, you need to catch them in the act in order to arrest them.” Blair sighed and shrugged. “I get that you don’t like the idea of using me for bait; hell, I’m not enthused about it. But I know you’ll be near-by keeping me safe and besides, I’ll be surrounded by cops. I don’t see any other solution.”

Faced with his companion’s trust in him, Jim grudgingly gave in.
-----------------
The capture of the bad guys was rather anticlimactic, Blair considered to himself as he stood behind the one-way mirror with Jim and Simon and watched Detectives Rafe and Brown conduct their interrogation of the man who had menaced him with the bat.

The two thugs had walked right into the trap set up by Jim and Captain Banks. They were so confident of their success that it was almost too easy for Blair to get them to admit to the two attempts they had made on his life in Seattle. They were even happy to tell him how much money they were being paid to ensure he didn’t make it to his next birthday, never realizing that their every word was being recorded by the police surveillance unit set up outside the safe house.

When the police burst in, they calmly surrendered, certain that they would only be charged with breaking and entering and quickly out on bail. Blair was sorry that they didn’t resist arrest. He would have enjoyed a little payback for the aggravation they had caused him. He had to admit though; the looks on their faces were priceless when they were told that the cops had the whole conversation on tape.

Now all that was needed was the name of the person who had hired them. He returned his attention to the room on the other side of the mirror.

“You and your buddy are going down for attempted murder and the person who hired you is going free. No matter what you were told, you won’t get a penny for this deal,” Rafe frowned at the prisoner.

“You’re wrong. She promised she’d take care of us if we got caught.” The thug was trying for a show of bravado, but Jim could see the minute twitches that gave away his unease.

“Right,” Brown snorted derisively. “You really think ‘she’ is gonna give a damn about you when you’re sitting in prison? Uh, uh, my man. She’s gonna be walking around free, laughing about what fools you were to believe her.”

“Give us her name and we’ll see what kind of a deal we can get for you,” Rafe urged. “Wouldn’t you like to know that she’s sitting in prison too?”

“Come on,” Jim whispered. “We’ve got a good idea who hired you. Just say her name.”

As if he had heard, the prisoner scowled and resentfully complied.

“Felicia Mathers, the bitch. Talked to us like we were dirt. Let’s see if she’s still so high and mighty when she gets put away.”

Simon wasted no time calling the Seattle police and filling them in on the case. He requested the arrest of Felicia Mathers for conspiracy to commit murder. A few hours later, he received a call from his Seattle counterpart to inform him that Ms. Mathers had been apprehended at her family’s home and placed under arrest.

She reportedly threw quite a temper tantrum, screaming that the money should have been hers. She hadn’t spent all that time being nice to that nasty old man just to have some trailer trash bastard come along and take it away from her. Her parents and brother had been appalled at her confession; apparently they were too well-bred to stoop to something as low-class as murder.

With Felicia and her hit men behind bars, it was finally safe for Blair to return to Seattle and collect his inheritance.
--------------------------------------------


EPILOGUE


True to his word, Jim personally escorted Blair to the lawyer’s office and remained beside him as he signed papers and took care of his business. The only disagreement came when Blair requested that the lawyer give Jim twenty thousand dollars for acting as his bodyguard and Jim promptly refused to accept it.

“Felicia was going to give those two men twenty thousand dollars to kill me. Why shouldn’t I give you the same amount for keeping me alive?” Blair reasoned. “It’s not like I can’t afford it.”

“I don’t want your money, Sandburg. I told you that when we met,” Jim answered gruffly. “All this time I was nothing more than a bodyguard,” he thought and felt almost painfully disappointed.

“But you deserve it, Jim. I’m sitting here now because you earned every penny of it.”

“I don’t want it.”

After deciding that he’d listened long enough, the lawyer suggested that Jim accept the money and donate it to the Police Benevolent Society or The Widows and Orphans Fund and they moved on to other business until finally the last paper was signed and the pair was able to leave the office.

They stopped on the sidewalk outside and Jim turned to Blair. “I guess this is it. You’ve got your inheritance, the lawyer’s making all the arrangements to pay off your bills and set up bank accounts for you. Looks like you’re all set. Happy birthday, Chief.”

Blair held out his hand. “Thanks for being there to help me when I needed it.”

“Thanks for your help. I should be able to manage my senses okay now and I told Simon I’d be back at work on Monday.” Jim returned the handshake and felt strangely reluctant to release the other man’s hand. He swallowed. “So, now that you’re rich have you made any plans?”

“I’m going to find a place to live and I’m going to get my doctorate,” Blair stated decisively.

“Well good.” “Someplace in Seattle,” Jim thought glumly but put on a cheerful face anyway. “That’s good.”

“I hear that Rainier University in Cascade has a pretty good anthropology program,” Blair spoke seriously. “And since I’ve got a very special friend who lives in Cascade, and since I definitely want to see a lot more of this friend, I’ve decided to transfer there for my degree.”

“Sounds good.” Jim began to smile then looked thoughtful. “Of course, you’ll need somewhere to stay while you’re looking for a place to live.”

“Hey you’ve got a spare room. How about I stay there?” Blair asked hopefully.

“I don’t know about that.” Jim pretended to consider the request.

“Oh come on, just for a week. One week should be all I need.” Blair turned his most pleading look on his friend.

Jim narrowed his eyes and tried his best to look stern. “A lot can happen in a week,” he warned.

“That’s what I’m counting on.” Blair started toward the truck then looked over his shoulder at Jim, gave him a definite ‘come-hither’ look and winked.

“Oh yeah, Chief.” Jim grinned and in three long strides, caught up and draped his arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. “Me too.”

Blair snickered at a sudden thought.

“Oh, Man. Simon is really not gonna be happy.”