David and Neds story - The Right Guide 2
Jul. 18th, 2005 07:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dimity_bluePart 2
As soon as David had been fed enough to satisfy his Sentinel, the pair of them headed for the apartment that he shared with three other students. To David's delight, his Sentinel had insisted, not that he'd put up any kind of a fight, on having his Guide move into his spare room. Therefore, they were going to collect his things before contacting the Guide School and updating them on David's new situation.
David hugged himself happily as he sat beside Sentinel Edwards in the car. He was bonded, and his Sentinel wanted to be with him! And once his stuff was packed away into the spare room, they were going to make arrangements to go away for their bonding week.
He grinned. Just last night, he'd been on the verge of quitting the Guide School and going off to get a job anywhere he could, and now...he was a bonded Guide. He just hoped that he wouldn't disappoint his Sentinel in any way.
"You're looking happy." Sentinel Edwards sounded fairly happy himself, and David's grin got bigger.
"I am happy."
A smile was thrown his way before his Sentinel turned his attention back to the road in front of them. "Good."
Once at the apartment, David's happiness dimmed a lot as he saw the usual messy state of the sitting room. Trying desperately to ignore the scattered beer cans and overflowing ashtrays, he led his Sentinel to his neat room, and pulled out his suitcase and began packing. He didn't have a huge amount of things, but they'd need boxes to move his books and other stuff.
Evidently Sentinel Edwards had come to the same conclusion. "There was a store a few doors up." He eyed David, his reluctance to leave him alone communicating itself, then, "I'll go and see if they have any spare boxes we can use." His eyes flickered over the suitcase and David's small wardrobe. "Fit whatever you can in the case, and I'll be back as quickly as I can be."
"Yes, Neds." His eyes followed the Sentinel to the front door, then David determinedly turned his attention back to packing. Sentinel Edwards was only going to the corner store, he'd be back soon and David wanted to be ready to go as quickly as possible.
"Is Edwards sick of the sight of you already then?"
David's head jerked up and he stared at the Guide in the doorway. Dexter. He started to reply, his stomach clenching with nerves, but Dexter continued, smoothly talking over him.
"I guess he realised what a mistake he made last night. Or maybe he's just using you as an interim Guide; someone pathetic who can pull him out a zone when he needs it, but isn't strong enough to be Guide Prime," Dexter sneered at him, his grey eyes blazing with the hatred that was smashing against David's mental barriers. "As soon as he's made Sentinel Prime, he'll dump you - get the bond broken and find a real Guide to help him." Contemptuously, he flicked some of David's clothing onto the floor, and leaned over the bed. "You'd be better off leaving him now."
David's fury rose. Sentinel Edwards was his Sentinel, and he didn't give a damn what Dexter did or said. "I -"
The rest of David's statement was lost as Sentinel Edwards burst through the door, grabbed Dexter by the scruff of his neck and hurled him from the room.
For once, Dexter's poise abandoned him as he scrambled to his feet, his face white and his mouth gaping.
"Sentinel -"
David was ignored as Sentinel Edwards stalked towards the other Guide, a loud growl rumbling in his throat.
Gulping, David forced himself to approach the furious Sentinel, knowing it was his duty to calm him down.
"Never threaten my Guide."
All of Sentinel Edwards' attention appeared to be on Dexter, and David stretched out a trembling hand to his Sentinel's shoulder then yelped as a hand reached back, grabbed him, and tucked him firmly in place behind the Sentinel.
"Come near my Guide again, and I'll make mincemeat of you." The voice was quiet, the tone low, but David had never heard a more threatening sound.
From where he was, David couldn't see what was going on, but the front door banged shut, and he guessed that Dexter had left. Not that he blamed him for that.
There was silence for a few seconds as David shook in his Sentinel's hold, then he was pulled around to the front and hugged tightly, before a heavy hand ran over him.
"Are you hurt? Did you touch you?"
David shook his head hastily, not trusting himself to speak.
"Good." The hand ran over his shoulders again, then rubbed his back. "It's all right, David, just relax."
Taking a deep breath, David did, letting his fear drain away. Neds hadn't been angry at him at all, he'd protected him. His heart, lonely and abused for so long, filled with warmth, then unholy glee filled him as he thought of Dexter's undignified scramble and a huge grin settled on his face. "I don't think I'll be seeing him again!" he crowed.
"You better hadn't," Neds warned him. "And if you do, you'll tell me. Understand?"
David's grin remained firmly in place. "Yes, Neds."
~'~
Edwards smiled down into his Guide's face. The smell of fear had faded, and Edwards wondered what kind of upbringing David had had. It was obvious that he hadn't expected his Sentinel to protect him, and that he'd thought Edwards' anger would be turned against him. Well, they were going away for their bonding week and then, Edwards swore to himself, making sure to show no hint of his determination, his Guide would know exactly how important he was to his Sentinel.
~'~
Once back at his Sentinel's apartment, David unpacked his stuff and put it all away while Edwards made lunch. As he hung up his clothing, David reflected that Neds had a real 'feed the Guide' attitude, and he hoped it calmed down a little before he started bursting out of his clothes. He normally made do with a sandwich for lunch but from the sounds, and the smells, of it, Neds was determined to make a full meal yet again. And his breakfast had been big enough to feed two people - or one Guide, if you were a Sentinel, obviously.
His suitcase was emptied, then repacked with enough stuff for a week, the boxes emptied and broken down to be put out with the trash, and David reached for his backpack. He wanted to take his notes and his sketchbook and pencils, but the majority of his books could be left behind. Opening the flap, he was surprised to find a dark blue jacket tucked inside, and even more surprised when he pulled it out and discovered that it wasn't his. Holding it up against himself, he judged that it was far too big for him, in fact, it looked to be more Neds' size. But how on earth did Neds' jacket get inside his backpack?
Draping it over his arm, he headed towards the kitchen. If it was Neds' jacket, he'd want it back.
"Neds?"
"All unpacked?"
"Almost, but...I found this in my backpack." David held out the jacket and was surprised to see a flush of colour appear on Neds' face.
"Thank you." Neds took the jacket and disappeared into his bedroom with it, before coming back empty handed and continuing to cook their lunch.
Seeing as Neds considered the subject closed, David didn't feel that he could really say anything about it, so he retreated to his bedroom and finished unpacking his backpack. As he checked through his books to see which were his and which had to be returned to the library, he inhaled, taking comfort in the smell of his Sentinel which lingered in his -
He frowned and stared down at his backpack. His backpack which smelt of Neds.
Doubtfully, he reached for his 'General Hints and Tips on Sentinels' book and started flicking through it. He really couldn't remember anything about Sentinels having the need to scent-mark their Guides' backpacks but maybe he'd missed it. Somehow.
"David! Lunch is ready!"
Abandoning his brief search for information, he gave his backpack a doubtful look and went to eat lunch. Maybe he'd be able to ask Neds about it one day.
~'~
"Fishing?" David's eyes opened wide as he looked up from his lunch.
"If you hate the idea, we can go somewhere else," Edwards offered, wanting his Guide to enjoy their bonding week.
"No!"
The reply was far too quick, and Edwards' eyes narrowed as he looked at his Guide.
Finally, with a blush, David admitted, "I've never fished before."
"Well, you don't have to fish, if you don't want to. You can sit on the bank and read, or sketch." He grinned at the look of surprise; did David think he hadn't noticed the sketchpad and pencils? "But if you want to, I'll teach you."
There was another blush, a pleased one this time. "If you don't mind."
Edwards smiled reassuringly. "Of course I don't mind. Now, eat up. We've got a lot to do this afternoon."
~'~
The first course of action was to phone the Guide School and tell them that David was bonded and wouldn't be returning, and David frowned at Neds' chilly accents as he spoke with Dean Edwards' secretary. He knew that Neds and Dean Edwards weren't related, but he'd thought that any Sentinel would be polite, at the very least, towards the dean of the Guide School and her secretary. Instead, hostility was radiating off Neds.
Fortunately, that phone call was a short, if terse, one, and the next was far longer and far friendlier too, as Neds phoned his aunt who owned a cabin that Neds swore would be perfect for their bonding week.
Naturally, Neds had to tell his aunt why he wanted to use the cabin on such short notice, and David was able to hear the verbal explosion of delight on the other end of the phone line when Neds' announced that he was bonded.
Finally, Neds looked over at him, and muttered, "She's a little excitable," before attempting to stem the flood of joy that was threatening to overwhelm them. It took a solemn promise that he would take his Guide to meet them all before Neds was able to get off the phone. At last, he put the receiver down and turned to face David, wiping his forehead as he did so.
"And you can take that grin off your face," Neds said, as David tried to stifle his laughter at the sound of the big ex-Marine trying to deal with his joyful aunt. "You'll have to meet them all. Knowing my aunt, she's phoning all of my relatives right now to organise a family get together."
David's laughter ended abruptly at the thought. What if they didn't like him?
"Don't worry." A quick one-armed hug gave him reassurance. "They've been dropping hints about me bonding for years. My cousin even attempted to set me up with a Guide once." He shuddered.
David squashed the little spurt of jealousy that surged up in him at the thought of Neds bonding to someone else. "What happened?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.
From the gleam in Neds' eyes though, he'd felt the jealousy. "She had a voice like nails on a chalkboard. My cousin apologised, promised to never try that again, and spent the next year sending me flyers about mixers in different Guide Schools." The arm tightened then relaxed. "Now stop worrying - they'll adore you!"
~'~
As David's family were wealthy Bostonians, he was used to 'rustic' cabins that were luxurious in the extreme, however, as he was more used to living in the real world than the majority of his family, he was well aware that rustic cabins weren't always that well-fitted. Therefore, he was prepared for Neds' aunt's cabin to be anything from a one-room shack to a fifteen bedroom, nine bathroom 'cabin' that could sleep thirty...if people were prepared to double up.
He was also keeping his fingers crossed that the place had indoor plumbing.
He needn't have worried. The cabin was far more like his family's 'back to the basics' cabin than he'd hoped - although it didn't boast fifteen bedrooms. There was indoor plumbing though, with a choice of full bathroom or half-sized shower room.
"Like it?"
David grinned up at Neds. "It's wonderful."
Their bonding week was wonderful too and, David thought, on their last day at the cabin, that he could honestly say he'd never had a happier time. He now knew how to fish, although he had to admit that he wasn't particularly good at it. In the end, he'd left the fishing to Neds and spent most of his time sketching and reading. At first he'd been shy about showing his sketches to Neds, but his Sentinel had insisted and, upon seeing them, had said that David ought to consider art school.
Personally, David suspected that Neds was rather biased. The Sentinel seemed to think that his Guide was wonderful and, although David was far more relaxed around Neds than he had been in the beginning, he couldn't help but wonder when Neds would realise exactly how ordinary David was.
Packing his pencils and sketch pad away, he sighed, and gnawed at his lip nervously. They were going back to Cascade and all too soon he'd be plunged into meeting the Clan, meeting Neds' family and even, David worried at his lip even more at the thought, taking Neds to meet his own family.
Sighing again, he buried his face in the jacket Neds had wrapped around him after a sharp wind blew up halfway through the day, and took comfort in the scent that clung to it. Even if Neds did come to the conclusion that David was not the Guide for him, at least he'd had this week.
Pushing down his insecurities, he straightened and took a deep breath. Maybe it would be okay. After all, Neds had chosen to bond with him in the first place.
~'~
As Edwards moved past his Guide's bedroom door to collect his things from the bathroom, he paused and listened. David was sighing again. Shaking his head, he went into the bathroom. He didn't know who'd done such a number on David's confidence - although he could guess, and David's family along with Dexter Pierson were high on his list of suspects - but he wished he could have half an hour alone with them. The Sentinel within him was furious and Edwards was having a hard time reining his baser side in.
At first, the week had gone dazzlingly well. It was only when thoughts of returning to Cascade had surfaced in David's mind that fear had crept in, leading the Guide to doubt, once more, his place in his Sentinel's life.
Holding his toothbrush in a far tighter grip than was necessary, Edwards glared into the distance. David's insecurities were a foe that they would vanquish together, no matter how long it took. In the meantime....
The Sentinel smiled and dropped his toothbrush in the basin. Time for a spot of bonding.
Stalking back into the hallway, he knocked on David's door softly. "David? Have you finished packing?"
The door opened, and David nodded before looking back at the bed. "There's only this jacket of yours lef...." His words trailed off as he looked at his Sentinel.
Edwards smiled then moved forward. "I'm so glad." Pushing his Guide over to the bed, he settled them both down on it then began exploring his neck, delighting in the linkage scent that was instantly released. No matter how nervous David himself was, the Guide had no doubts as to where he belonged. His mind flickered back to the jacket that was being crushed underneath them and he smiled again. "You can wear it on the way home."
~'~
The next day saw David wearing one of Neds' sweatshirts too. After all, it was rather cold, and David's shirt wasn't going to keep him warm, Neds explained as he helped David roll up the overlong sleeves.
"I could wear a sweater." David glanced down at the overlarge sweatshirt, then lifted his chin as Neds tugged the collar into place.
"You're wearing this now, there's no point in changing." Briefly ruffling David's hair, he added, "Let's go. We don't want to be late."
David glanced at the clock but forbore to comment. Maybe the traffic was particularly bad at this time of day.
Reaching the police station, he couldn't help but feel excited as Neds' drove his car into the underground garage. He'd never even visited a police station before and now he was going to be working in one. Getting out of the car, he gazed around. He'd never seen so many police cars in his life - and they had their own gas pump.
"This way, David."
Neds' hand on his arm pulled him in close, and led him to an elevator.
"We'll have to get your paperwork sorted out first - and your ID." Neds grinned down at him and added, "We don't want anyone assuming you're a criminal on the run."
"I don't look like a criminal!" David protested.
"Oh, I don't know." Neds' grin got bigger as he trailed a finger over David's face. "You look like a hardened gangster to me."
David could feel himself blushing, even as he grinned.
"In fact..." Neds leaned in close and whispered, "I bet you've seen 'The Godfather' at least three times!"
David couldn't help it, he laughed.
Stepping out of the elevator, they ran straight into large man and a short, maiden-aunt looking lady. David's eyes widened slightly as he realised that the lady was the Sentinel, and he gazed up at the tallest Guide he'd ever seen. The guy had to be as tall as Neds!
"Good morning, Sentinel Prime. You're early."
A flush crept into Neds' face as David gazed at him. He'd thought they'd be early too.
"The traffic was lighter than I expected. Doctor Harvey, Jon, this is my Guide, David. David, this is Sentinel Doctor Harvey and her Guide, Jon."
"I heard that you'd bonded. Congratulations. Guide Prime, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"D-Doctor Harvey. Jon." David was startled at the title; he'd completely forgotten about Neds being promoted, and his surprise deepened when both the Sentinel and Guide dipped their heads towards him, although the huge Guide followed it up with a friendly smile.
"We'll be in the break room at ten," Neds put in.
"We'll be there, Sentinel Prime. As, I am sure, will be the rest of the Clan."
"I count on it."
Neds' tone was rather formal and David wondered what on earth was so important. Oh well, he guessed he'd find out sooner or later.
"We'll see you then. Sentinel Prime, Guide Prime." The Sentinel smiled kindly at David, then the pair of them moved on.
As soon as the elevator doors shut behind them, Neds led the way to a small office where a harassed secretary was trying to empty her intray.
"Vera?"
"Sentinel Edwards." Sighing, she dumped the pile of papers back in her intray and turned to smile at the pair of them. "You need the paperwork for your Guide." It wasn't a question.
By the time the forms were filled in, David's photo was taken, and a temporary ID issued and pinned to the sweatshirt by Neds, it was almost half past nine. Leaving Vera to get back to her intray which now boasted an even higher pile of papers than before, David followed Neds back down the corridor, keeping close behind him.
"Now, if we can find Ellison, I'll introduce you - ah, there he is."
David's peered over Neds' shoulder then ducked back a little as they approached a tall, military looking man with short dark hair who turned to greet them.
"Edwards, I heard you coming a mile away."
"With that kind of hearing, you could be a Sentinel," Neds replied, his tone serious.
"I don't think I could take the hassle." A rueful grin flashed out.
"I'm sure you'd manage somehow, Ellison." Turning, Neds tugged David forward. It wasn't until he introduced them that the Senior Sentinel Prime turned his attention to David.
David wasn't surprised - he'd noticed that Doctor Harvey hadn't acknowledged him until Neds had introduced them. It was one of the things he remembered clearly from an early course: a Sentinel will not acknowledge a bonded Guide until the Guide's Sentinel shows that he or she may speak to the Guide. He was surprised that even the Senior Sentinel Prime followed that rule, although maybe it was better for the Clan that he did.
"Guide Prime."
A piercing blue gaze rested on him and David hastily inclined his head, staring at the Senior Sentinel Prime's shoes. "Senior Sentinel Prime."
"He's far more polite than you ever were, Edwards."
At the humorous tone, David raised his head slightly to find the Senior Sentinel Prime smiling at him.
"Give me time; we've only been bonded a week," Neds retorted.
The smile widened into a grin. "Don't let him corrupt you, David. We're hoping you'll be able to reform him."
"I'm a lost cause, Ellison."
"Don't we know it - damn!" At the high-pitched beeping, Ellison yanked his pager from his belt. "I'll see you in the break room at ten. David."
As he left, David frowned. There it was again, ten o'clock in the break room. He hastily hid his frown as Neds turned to face him, a reassuring smile on his face. The worried frown returned, and David felt his stomach muscles clench with nervousness. He didn't feel any better either when Neds rested his hands on his shoulders, and deliberately projected calm and security through the link towards him.
"As you're the Guide Prime, you have to meet all of the Sentinels and Guides," he explained. "Informally, we'll do it today in the break room, although Ellison will organise a Clan gathering so they can meet you officially and confirm my status as Sentinel Prime." The hands tightened slightly as Neds continued, "And, as you're Guide Prime, you have to be scented by all the Sentinels in the Clan."
Instinctively, David tried to step backwards but Neds' hands held him still.
"It's just a formality and I'll be with you the whole time. Once it's done, it's done. It's so that they can recognise your scent if they need to."
"B-but -"
"You're the Guide Prime, David; you're important to the Clan. If something happens and they need to find you, they'll know your scent."
Neds' tone was firm and David knew he had no choice - not that he would have fought his Sentinel on it anyway. An arm slipped around his shoulders, and Neds walked him down the corridor.
"Just relax. It's not that bad and it'll be over before you know it."
Entering the break room, David flicked a glance over the room and gulped. The place was packed with Sentinels and, he hoped, Guides. If they were all Sentinels and they were all going to scent him, he'd have a panic attack.
Naturally, the Senior Sentinel Prime was the first to approach. Neds was behind him so David couldn't step back, although he tried instinctively and, foiled, he stiffened in place.
"Just relax, David. You'll be fine," Sentinel Ellison murmured as he leaned in to scent him lightly. He straightened and smiled slightly. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"
Trying desperately to bring his nerves under control, David shook his head.
"Good." As he moved past them, David heard him add, "Nice sweatshirt, Edwards."
Distracted, David glanced down at the shirt, then gasped as he realised why Neds had insisted he wear it. It was another mark of 'ownership', if it could be called that - although David was quite sure that Sentinels saw it that way, no matter how much they insisted that Sentinels and Guides bonded equally. Feeling oddly reassured, David leaned against Neds and relaxed as the next Sentinel approached. No, this wasn't too bad, after all.
~'~
After a few days, David found his feet in the PD and the Clan. Everyone was nice enough, and even those people he didn't particularly care for were polite to him. Of course, he suspected that was because Neds would hand them their heads on a plate if they dared to upset his Guide.
For the first time in his life, David was protected, valued, and his confidence started to soar as a result. He was still dreading meeting Neds' family...and taking Neds to meet his own, but in Neds' workplace he seemed to have found his own little niche where he belonged.
He was determinedly clinging to that feeling as he and Neds left for Boston on Saturday morning.
Part 3.
As soon as David had been fed enough to satisfy his Sentinel, the pair of them headed for the apartment that he shared with three other students. To David's delight, his Sentinel had insisted, not that he'd put up any kind of a fight, on having his Guide move into his spare room. Therefore, they were going to collect his things before contacting the Guide School and updating them on David's new situation.
David hugged himself happily as he sat beside Sentinel Edwards in the car. He was bonded, and his Sentinel wanted to be with him! And once his stuff was packed away into the spare room, they were going to make arrangements to go away for their bonding week.
He grinned. Just last night, he'd been on the verge of quitting the Guide School and going off to get a job anywhere he could, and now...he was a bonded Guide. He just hoped that he wouldn't disappoint his Sentinel in any way.
"You're looking happy." Sentinel Edwards sounded fairly happy himself, and David's grin got bigger.
"I am happy."
A smile was thrown his way before his Sentinel turned his attention back to the road in front of them. "Good."
Once at the apartment, David's happiness dimmed a lot as he saw the usual messy state of the sitting room. Trying desperately to ignore the scattered beer cans and overflowing ashtrays, he led his Sentinel to his neat room, and pulled out his suitcase and began packing. He didn't have a huge amount of things, but they'd need boxes to move his books and other stuff.
Evidently Sentinel Edwards had come to the same conclusion. "There was a store a few doors up." He eyed David, his reluctance to leave him alone communicating itself, then, "I'll go and see if they have any spare boxes we can use." His eyes flickered over the suitcase and David's small wardrobe. "Fit whatever you can in the case, and I'll be back as quickly as I can be."
"Yes, Neds." His eyes followed the Sentinel to the front door, then David determinedly turned his attention back to packing. Sentinel Edwards was only going to the corner store, he'd be back soon and David wanted to be ready to go as quickly as possible.
"Is Edwards sick of the sight of you already then?"
David's head jerked up and he stared at the Guide in the doorway. Dexter. He started to reply, his stomach clenching with nerves, but Dexter continued, smoothly talking over him.
"I guess he realised what a mistake he made last night. Or maybe he's just using you as an interim Guide; someone pathetic who can pull him out a zone when he needs it, but isn't strong enough to be Guide Prime," Dexter sneered at him, his grey eyes blazing with the hatred that was smashing against David's mental barriers. "As soon as he's made Sentinel Prime, he'll dump you - get the bond broken and find a real Guide to help him." Contemptuously, he flicked some of David's clothing onto the floor, and leaned over the bed. "You'd be better off leaving him now."
David's fury rose. Sentinel Edwards was his Sentinel, and he didn't give a damn what Dexter did or said. "I -"
The rest of David's statement was lost as Sentinel Edwards burst through the door, grabbed Dexter by the scruff of his neck and hurled him from the room.
For once, Dexter's poise abandoned him as he scrambled to his feet, his face white and his mouth gaping.
"Sentinel -"
David was ignored as Sentinel Edwards stalked towards the other Guide, a loud growl rumbling in his throat.
Gulping, David forced himself to approach the furious Sentinel, knowing it was his duty to calm him down.
"Never threaten my Guide."
All of Sentinel Edwards' attention appeared to be on Dexter, and David stretched out a trembling hand to his Sentinel's shoulder then yelped as a hand reached back, grabbed him, and tucked him firmly in place behind the Sentinel.
"Come near my Guide again, and I'll make mincemeat of you." The voice was quiet, the tone low, but David had never heard a more threatening sound.
From where he was, David couldn't see what was going on, but the front door banged shut, and he guessed that Dexter had left. Not that he blamed him for that.
There was silence for a few seconds as David shook in his Sentinel's hold, then he was pulled around to the front and hugged tightly, before a heavy hand ran over him.
"Are you hurt? Did you touch you?"
David shook his head hastily, not trusting himself to speak.
"Good." The hand ran over his shoulders again, then rubbed his back. "It's all right, David, just relax."
Taking a deep breath, David did, letting his fear drain away. Neds hadn't been angry at him at all, he'd protected him. His heart, lonely and abused for so long, filled with warmth, then unholy glee filled him as he thought of Dexter's undignified scramble and a huge grin settled on his face. "I don't think I'll be seeing him again!" he crowed.
"You better hadn't," Neds warned him. "And if you do, you'll tell me. Understand?"
David's grin remained firmly in place. "Yes, Neds."
~'~
Edwards smiled down into his Guide's face. The smell of fear had faded, and Edwards wondered what kind of upbringing David had had. It was obvious that he hadn't expected his Sentinel to protect him, and that he'd thought Edwards' anger would be turned against him. Well, they were going away for their bonding week and then, Edwards swore to himself, making sure to show no hint of his determination, his Guide would know exactly how important he was to his Sentinel.
~'~
Once back at his Sentinel's apartment, David unpacked his stuff and put it all away while Edwards made lunch. As he hung up his clothing, David reflected that Neds had a real 'feed the Guide' attitude, and he hoped it calmed down a little before he started bursting out of his clothes. He normally made do with a sandwich for lunch but from the sounds, and the smells, of it, Neds was determined to make a full meal yet again. And his breakfast had been big enough to feed two people - or one Guide, if you were a Sentinel, obviously.
His suitcase was emptied, then repacked with enough stuff for a week, the boxes emptied and broken down to be put out with the trash, and David reached for his backpack. He wanted to take his notes and his sketchbook and pencils, but the majority of his books could be left behind. Opening the flap, he was surprised to find a dark blue jacket tucked inside, and even more surprised when he pulled it out and discovered that it wasn't his. Holding it up against himself, he judged that it was far too big for him, in fact, it looked to be more Neds' size. But how on earth did Neds' jacket get inside his backpack?
Draping it over his arm, he headed towards the kitchen. If it was Neds' jacket, he'd want it back.
"Neds?"
"All unpacked?"
"Almost, but...I found this in my backpack." David held out the jacket and was surprised to see a flush of colour appear on Neds' face.
"Thank you." Neds took the jacket and disappeared into his bedroom with it, before coming back empty handed and continuing to cook their lunch.
Seeing as Neds considered the subject closed, David didn't feel that he could really say anything about it, so he retreated to his bedroom and finished unpacking his backpack. As he checked through his books to see which were his and which had to be returned to the library, he inhaled, taking comfort in the smell of his Sentinel which lingered in his -
He frowned and stared down at his backpack. His backpack which smelt of Neds.
Doubtfully, he reached for his 'General Hints and Tips on Sentinels' book and started flicking through it. He really couldn't remember anything about Sentinels having the need to scent-mark their Guides' backpacks but maybe he'd missed it. Somehow.
"David! Lunch is ready!"
Abandoning his brief search for information, he gave his backpack a doubtful look and went to eat lunch. Maybe he'd be able to ask Neds about it one day.
~'~
"Fishing?" David's eyes opened wide as he looked up from his lunch.
"If you hate the idea, we can go somewhere else," Edwards offered, wanting his Guide to enjoy their bonding week.
"No!"
The reply was far too quick, and Edwards' eyes narrowed as he looked at his Guide.
Finally, with a blush, David admitted, "I've never fished before."
"Well, you don't have to fish, if you don't want to. You can sit on the bank and read, or sketch." He grinned at the look of surprise; did David think he hadn't noticed the sketchpad and pencils? "But if you want to, I'll teach you."
There was another blush, a pleased one this time. "If you don't mind."
Edwards smiled reassuringly. "Of course I don't mind. Now, eat up. We've got a lot to do this afternoon."
~'~
The first course of action was to phone the Guide School and tell them that David was bonded and wouldn't be returning, and David frowned at Neds' chilly accents as he spoke with Dean Edwards' secretary. He knew that Neds and Dean Edwards weren't related, but he'd thought that any Sentinel would be polite, at the very least, towards the dean of the Guide School and her secretary. Instead, hostility was radiating off Neds.
Fortunately, that phone call was a short, if terse, one, and the next was far longer and far friendlier too, as Neds phoned his aunt who owned a cabin that Neds swore would be perfect for their bonding week.
Naturally, Neds had to tell his aunt why he wanted to use the cabin on such short notice, and David was able to hear the verbal explosion of delight on the other end of the phone line when Neds' announced that he was bonded.
Finally, Neds looked over at him, and muttered, "She's a little excitable," before attempting to stem the flood of joy that was threatening to overwhelm them. It took a solemn promise that he would take his Guide to meet them all before Neds was able to get off the phone. At last, he put the receiver down and turned to face David, wiping his forehead as he did so.
"And you can take that grin off your face," Neds said, as David tried to stifle his laughter at the sound of the big ex-Marine trying to deal with his joyful aunt. "You'll have to meet them all. Knowing my aunt, she's phoning all of my relatives right now to organise a family get together."
David's laughter ended abruptly at the thought. What if they didn't like him?
"Don't worry." A quick one-armed hug gave him reassurance. "They've been dropping hints about me bonding for years. My cousin even attempted to set me up with a Guide once." He shuddered.
David squashed the little spurt of jealousy that surged up in him at the thought of Neds bonding to someone else. "What happened?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.
From the gleam in Neds' eyes though, he'd felt the jealousy. "She had a voice like nails on a chalkboard. My cousin apologised, promised to never try that again, and spent the next year sending me flyers about mixers in different Guide Schools." The arm tightened then relaxed. "Now stop worrying - they'll adore you!"
~'~
As David's family were wealthy Bostonians, he was used to 'rustic' cabins that were luxurious in the extreme, however, as he was more used to living in the real world than the majority of his family, he was well aware that rustic cabins weren't always that well-fitted. Therefore, he was prepared for Neds' aunt's cabin to be anything from a one-room shack to a fifteen bedroom, nine bathroom 'cabin' that could sleep thirty...if people were prepared to double up.
He was also keeping his fingers crossed that the place had indoor plumbing.
He needn't have worried. The cabin was far more like his family's 'back to the basics' cabin than he'd hoped - although it didn't boast fifteen bedrooms. There was indoor plumbing though, with a choice of full bathroom or half-sized shower room.
"Like it?"
David grinned up at Neds. "It's wonderful."
Their bonding week was wonderful too and, David thought, on their last day at the cabin, that he could honestly say he'd never had a happier time. He now knew how to fish, although he had to admit that he wasn't particularly good at it. In the end, he'd left the fishing to Neds and spent most of his time sketching and reading. At first he'd been shy about showing his sketches to Neds, but his Sentinel had insisted and, upon seeing them, had said that David ought to consider art school.
Personally, David suspected that Neds was rather biased. The Sentinel seemed to think that his Guide was wonderful and, although David was far more relaxed around Neds than he had been in the beginning, he couldn't help but wonder when Neds would realise exactly how ordinary David was.
Packing his pencils and sketch pad away, he sighed, and gnawed at his lip nervously. They were going back to Cascade and all too soon he'd be plunged into meeting the Clan, meeting Neds' family and even, David worried at his lip even more at the thought, taking Neds to meet his own family.
Sighing again, he buried his face in the jacket Neds had wrapped around him after a sharp wind blew up halfway through the day, and took comfort in the scent that clung to it. Even if Neds did come to the conclusion that David was not the Guide for him, at least he'd had this week.
Pushing down his insecurities, he straightened and took a deep breath. Maybe it would be okay. After all, Neds had chosen to bond with him in the first place.
~'~
As Edwards moved past his Guide's bedroom door to collect his things from the bathroom, he paused and listened. David was sighing again. Shaking his head, he went into the bathroom. He didn't know who'd done such a number on David's confidence - although he could guess, and David's family along with Dexter Pierson were high on his list of suspects - but he wished he could have half an hour alone with them. The Sentinel within him was furious and Edwards was having a hard time reining his baser side in.
At first, the week had gone dazzlingly well. It was only when thoughts of returning to Cascade had surfaced in David's mind that fear had crept in, leading the Guide to doubt, once more, his place in his Sentinel's life.
Holding his toothbrush in a far tighter grip than was necessary, Edwards glared into the distance. David's insecurities were a foe that they would vanquish together, no matter how long it took. In the meantime....
The Sentinel smiled and dropped his toothbrush in the basin. Time for a spot of bonding.
Stalking back into the hallway, he knocked on David's door softly. "David? Have you finished packing?"
The door opened, and David nodded before looking back at the bed. "There's only this jacket of yours lef...." His words trailed off as he looked at his Sentinel.
Edwards smiled then moved forward. "I'm so glad." Pushing his Guide over to the bed, he settled them both down on it then began exploring his neck, delighting in the linkage scent that was instantly released. No matter how nervous David himself was, the Guide had no doubts as to where he belonged. His mind flickered back to the jacket that was being crushed underneath them and he smiled again. "You can wear it on the way home."
~'~
The next day saw David wearing one of Neds' sweatshirts too. After all, it was rather cold, and David's shirt wasn't going to keep him warm, Neds explained as he helped David roll up the overlong sleeves.
"I could wear a sweater." David glanced down at the overlarge sweatshirt, then lifted his chin as Neds tugged the collar into place.
"You're wearing this now, there's no point in changing." Briefly ruffling David's hair, he added, "Let's go. We don't want to be late."
David glanced at the clock but forbore to comment. Maybe the traffic was particularly bad at this time of day.
Reaching the police station, he couldn't help but feel excited as Neds' drove his car into the underground garage. He'd never even visited a police station before and now he was going to be working in one. Getting out of the car, he gazed around. He'd never seen so many police cars in his life - and they had their own gas pump.
"This way, David."
Neds' hand on his arm pulled him in close, and led him to an elevator.
"We'll have to get your paperwork sorted out first - and your ID." Neds grinned down at him and added, "We don't want anyone assuming you're a criminal on the run."
"I don't look like a criminal!" David protested.
"Oh, I don't know." Neds' grin got bigger as he trailed a finger over David's face. "You look like a hardened gangster to me."
David could feel himself blushing, even as he grinned.
"In fact..." Neds leaned in close and whispered, "I bet you've seen 'The Godfather' at least three times!"
David couldn't help it, he laughed.
Stepping out of the elevator, they ran straight into large man and a short, maiden-aunt looking lady. David's eyes widened slightly as he realised that the lady was the Sentinel, and he gazed up at the tallest Guide he'd ever seen. The guy had to be as tall as Neds!
"Good morning, Sentinel Prime. You're early."
A flush crept into Neds' face as David gazed at him. He'd thought they'd be early too.
"The traffic was lighter than I expected. Doctor Harvey, Jon, this is my Guide, David. David, this is Sentinel Doctor Harvey and her Guide, Jon."
"I heard that you'd bonded. Congratulations. Guide Prime, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"D-Doctor Harvey. Jon." David was startled at the title; he'd completely forgotten about Neds being promoted, and his surprise deepened when both the Sentinel and Guide dipped their heads towards him, although the huge Guide followed it up with a friendly smile.
"We'll be in the break room at ten," Neds put in.
"We'll be there, Sentinel Prime. As, I am sure, will be the rest of the Clan."
"I count on it."
Neds' tone was rather formal and David wondered what on earth was so important. Oh well, he guessed he'd find out sooner or later.
"We'll see you then. Sentinel Prime, Guide Prime." The Sentinel smiled kindly at David, then the pair of them moved on.
As soon as the elevator doors shut behind them, Neds led the way to a small office where a harassed secretary was trying to empty her intray.
"Vera?"
"Sentinel Edwards." Sighing, she dumped the pile of papers back in her intray and turned to smile at the pair of them. "You need the paperwork for your Guide." It wasn't a question.
By the time the forms were filled in, David's photo was taken, and a temporary ID issued and pinned to the sweatshirt by Neds, it was almost half past nine. Leaving Vera to get back to her intray which now boasted an even higher pile of papers than before, David followed Neds back down the corridor, keeping close behind him.
"Now, if we can find Ellison, I'll introduce you - ah, there he is."
David's peered over Neds' shoulder then ducked back a little as they approached a tall, military looking man with short dark hair who turned to greet them.
"Edwards, I heard you coming a mile away."
"With that kind of hearing, you could be a Sentinel," Neds replied, his tone serious.
"I don't think I could take the hassle." A rueful grin flashed out.
"I'm sure you'd manage somehow, Ellison." Turning, Neds tugged David forward. It wasn't until he introduced them that the Senior Sentinel Prime turned his attention to David.
David wasn't surprised - he'd noticed that Doctor Harvey hadn't acknowledged him until Neds had introduced them. It was one of the things he remembered clearly from an early course: a Sentinel will not acknowledge a bonded Guide until the Guide's Sentinel shows that he or she may speak to the Guide. He was surprised that even the Senior Sentinel Prime followed that rule, although maybe it was better for the Clan that he did.
"Guide Prime."
A piercing blue gaze rested on him and David hastily inclined his head, staring at the Senior Sentinel Prime's shoes. "Senior Sentinel Prime."
"He's far more polite than you ever were, Edwards."
At the humorous tone, David raised his head slightly to find the Senior Sentinel Prime smiling at him.
"Give me time; we've only been bonded a week," Neds retorted.
The smile widened into a grin. "Don't let him corrupt you, David. We're hoping you'll be able to reform him."
"I'm a lost cause, Ellison."
"Don't we know it - damn!" At the high-pitched beeping, Ellison yanked his pager from his belt. "I'll see you in the break room at ten. David."
As he left, David frowned. There it was again, ten o'clock in the break room. He hastily hid his frown as Neds turned to face him, a reassuring smile on his face. The worried frown returned, and David felt his stomach muscles clench with nervousness. He didn't feel any better either when Neds rested his hands on his shoulders, and deliberately projected calm and security through the link towards him.
"As you're the Guide Prime, you have to meet all of the Sentinels and Guides," he explained. "Informally, we'll do it today in the break room, although Ellison will organise a Clan gathering so they can meet you officially and confirm my status as Sentinel Prime." The hands tightened slightly as Neds continued, "And, as you're Guide Prime, you have to be scented by all the Sentinels in the Clan."
Instinctively, David tried to step backwards but Neds' hands held him still.
"It's just a formality and I'll be with you the whole time. Once it's done, it's done. It's so that they can recognise your scent if they need to."
"B-but -"
"You're the Guide Prime, David; you're important to the Clan. If something happens and they need to find you, they'll know your scent."
Neds' tone was firm and David knew he had no choice - not that he would have fought his Sentinel on it anyway. An arm slipped around his shoulders, and Neds walked him down the corridor.
"Just relax. It's not that bad and it'll be over before you know it."
Entering the break room, David flicked a glance over the room and gulped. The place was packed with Sentinels and, he hoped, Guides. If they were all Sentinels and they were all going to scent him, he'd have a panic attack.
Naturally, the Senior Sentinel Prime was the first to approach. Neds was behind him so David couldn't step back, although he tried instinctively and, foiled, he stiffened in place.
"Just relax, David. You'll be fine," Sentinel Ellison murmured as he leaned in to scent him lightly. He straightened and smiled slightly. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"
Trying desperately to bring his nerves under control, David shook his head.
"Good." As he moved past them, David heard him add, "Nice sweatshirt, Edwards."
Distracted, David glanced down at the shirt, then gasped as he realised why Neds had insisted he wear it. It was another mark of 'ownership', if it could be called that - although David was quite sure that Sentinels saw it that way, no matter how much they insisted that Sentinels and Guides bonded equally. Feeling oddly reassured, David leaned against Neds and relaxed as the next Sentinel approached. No, this wasn't too bad, after all.
~'~
After a few days, David found his feet in the PD and the Clan. Everyone was nice enough, and even those people he didn't particularly care for were polite to him. Of course, he suspected that was because Neds would hand them their heads on a plate if they dared to upset his Guide.
For the first time in his life, David was protected, valued, and his confidence started to soar as a result. He was still dreading meeting Neds' family...and taking Neds to meet his own, but in Neds' workplace he seemed to have found his own little niche where he belonged.
He was determinedly clinging to that feeling as he and Neds left for Boston on Saturday morning.
Part 3.