Sentinel fic - Corners of His Mind - part 2

[dimity_blue]

Part 1.

Wrapping his arms around himself in an effort to stop shaking, Blair allowed Jim to direct him back into the side entrance with a heavy hand on his shoulder. Inwardly, he was furious with himself for over-reacting, yet again, to something so innocuous as the sight of a police officer, but he was also feeling incredibly resentful at being pushed around from pillar to post with no say in where he was going. Jim's hand was still on his shoulder, and while the contact warmed him, he didn't want the comfort being offered by a total stranger. He also had no idea how to respond to it. How well did this guy know him anyway? You could work with someone and not know them at all, but this guy was acting as if they were best friends...or family. And judging from the way Jim was interacting with the others, he wasn't that touchy-feely a kind of guy. Glancing up at the tall shadow hovering over him, Blair wondered exactly how close they were then dismissed it. He knew where his interests lay, and he couldn't see himself swapping teams for anyone, let alone a military type. Which left him with the question: why was this guy so...protective of him? Albeit in a very overbearing way that Blair felt he could well do without.

~'~

Damn and blast! How the hell did Ellison know I was about to shoot his precious partner? I had him in my sights - there was no way I could fail! And all I hit was a car window. Ellison, you're a pain in the ass.

I have to admit though, the look of panic on Sandburg's face was pretty damn funny - sending that strippagram cop in was one of my better ideas, I do believe. Who says I don't have a sense of humour? I guessed he'd have an extreme reaction to it judging by the way he reacted to Banks' badge. Pity Ellison had to catch up with him just as I was ready to shoot him.

I could get the address of the safe house from the police computer but that kind of information is password protected and accessing it would lead directly back to me. I've stayed alive and out of jail because I'm not stupid, and using the department computer system would be very stupid. It wouldn't be my first choice but I guess I'll have to follow one of our brilliant detectives and let them lead me to the safe house. It's more risky, of course, as it gives Sandburg more time to remember, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I've gained a lot from my liaison with Danny Morello and his pathetic thugs and I don't intend to lose it.

I could tell Morello and let him deal with it - I'm sure he'd be more than willing to protect his direct line into the police department - but that would show him that I made a mistake. And I don't make mistakes.

~'~

"Wait here." Leaving the other three behind, Simon stalked towards the exit of the hospital, his dark eyes scanning the reception area as he went. There was no sign of any uniformed cop, with or without a boom box, and there was no sign of Rafe either. Stepping outside, Simon looked around carefully. Rafe was there, pushing a handcuffed and very unhappy looking cop into the back of his car. Simon grinned. He was looking forward to interrogating that prisoner himself.

He waited until Rafe's car was out of sight then returned to the hospital corridor. Looking at Blair's face he could tell that the kid was uncomfortable with the level of protection being forced upon him but, as none of them wanted to lose him, he was just going to have to put up with it. Hopefully his memory would return soon and then life could get back to normal...or as normal as life ever got with one over-protective Sentinel and his trouble-magnet of a Guide around.

For a second Simon mused on that thought. Was that why Blair had ended up being a Sentinel's Guide? Had the Fates decided that he'd need someone around who had the ability to pull him out of whatever trouble his natural curiosity would get him into? Realising that he was wondering about a variation on that age old question 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?', Simon shook the thought from him. He really wasn't comfortable dwelling on what these two were; he was just glad whatever they were worked so well. Or at least, had worked until the kid's memory disappeared.

That jagged little thought made his voice more brusque than normal. "He's gone. Let's get going." Keeping slightly ahead of the threesome, Simon made sure that he was in front of Sandburg the whole time. If someone wanted to take the kid out, they'd have to go through him to get to him. Even though he'd never admit it, not even under torture, Simon had a sneaking affection for the normally exuberant grad student who was right now walking dolefully behind him. He was conscious of an urge to wrap an arm around Blair's shoulders and tell him that everything would be all right, but he repressed it. The kid wasn't his kid, although he sometimes seemed not much older than Daryl, and right now, there was no way Sandburg would accept that kind of approach from him - not that Simon was into being demonstrative with long-haired students who stole his coffee when they thought they could get away with it.

~'~

Settling himself into the back of the car, Blair sighed for what felt like the fifteenth time that day. Simon seemed to be rather annoyed that this whole thing was taking up his time. Undoubtedly, he had far more important things to do, and Blair would have been only too glad to see the back of him...and the other two. After one quick glance around the car, Blair's eyes dropped to the backpack he was holding as a barrier between himself and the, again his mind skittered away from the word 'cops', men surrounding him. Suddenly realising that their attention, for the first time since he'd left his hospital room, wasn't riveted upon him, he cautiously looked around again. He saw that they were checking out the area for anyone who might be trying to silence him, and his mind flew through the possibilities. Someone had already tried that day, and failed; it was doubtful that they'd have had a chance to set up a second attempt already. His breathing quickened as he realised that this might be his only chance to get away - he had no doubts that escaping from their safe house would be well nigh impossible - and his hand shot towards the door handle and yanked at it, with him rolling from the car as the door opened. As he rolled, he shoved his backpack towards the man at his side, knowing that it would stop him from grabbing for his shoulder.

Blair knew that his manoeuvre with the backpack had only gained him half a minute at best, but his mind was clear and he was sure he could out-think the guys behind him. All he had to do was get out of sight long enough for them to have to start searching for him. Once he'd done that, he could make his way to the edge of the parking lot and be gone before they realised it. He wasn't planning on disappearing forever, but he needed time to get his head together and he wanted peace in which to do it, without having one, two or three people breathing down his neck as they tried to keep him safe. He was sure he could disappear enough for the killer to be unable to find him - he just had to lose the guys pursuing him first.

Reaching the mass of parked cars, Sandburg ran haphazardly through them, turning left or right at whim - his only objective right now was keeping his distance from his pursuers. With a few cars between them, he made his move. Making a feint to the left, he ducked and scuttled to the right, threading his way between cars. He could feel the ache in his hip building but he ignored it. He could rest it later.

~'~

Looking up from the ignition, Simon realised that they'd lost the kid, again. His side mirror showed Sandburg's rapidly disappearing back, and a slam of the door from the other side told him that Jim was already out of the car and after him. Exchanging a glance with Brown, Simon waited until the detective had joined the pursuit, then he started the car, did an illegal u-turn, and drove off after his men, muttering a mantra of his own that promised death and destruction to Sandburg.

~'~

Jim cursed as he found his hands full of backpack and not full of Sandburg, and, throwing the ill-treated backpack on the seat, he leapt from the car. He ran, with Brown behind him, as Sandburg disappeared into the maze of cars and vanished out of sight.

Brown stopped for a second then continued running, obviously hoping that luck would bring him to their objective, but Jim never hesitated. Following Sandburg's heartbeat like a tracking device, he made his way closer and closer to his Guide, a grim smile on his face. Ironically, the very thing that was making Sandburg run from them - his memory loss - was obscuring the fact that running wasn't going to be enough to keep his Sentinel from finding him.

His smile growing, Jim rounded a car just behind Sandburg, his tread silent as he neared his prey. He stooped suddenly and straightened, his arms wrapped around Blair's chest, pinning the Guide's arms to his sides.

"Relax, Sandburg, it's me."

~'~

Blair gasped as he felt a pair of arms snake around him and grasp him tightly, lifting him from his stooped position. His breath caught in his throat at the taunting remark and, not surprisingly, he refused to relax. His feet flailed, trying desperately to find a foothold to push against to throw Jim off balance, but he might as well have saved his efforts as he was half-carried, half-dragged back to the car, with Jim's arms still clamped around him.

His face was flushed with exertion, and humiliation. Bad enough that he'd been caught - but being practically carried back to the car was more than he could bear. Gritting his teeth, he forced a, "Put me down," out between them.

His order was obeyed - once the car had been reached. Avoiding his eyes, the other detective opened the back door for them, then retreated to the other side of the car and got in, plainly not wanting to add to Blair's embarrassment.

"Get in."

The heavy hand on his shoulder gave him no choice, and Blair sank into the car.

Giving him no chance to try to escape again, Jim added, "Move over."

Silently, Blair picked up his backpack and slid over the seat into the other corner as Jim joined him on the backseat. As soon as the door slammed shut, there was a 'thunk' as Simon hit the central locking button. Turning in his seat, Simon glared at the recalcitrant witness and asked, "Are we ready to go now?"

Blair's gaze avoided his, and Simon turned back, anger written on every inch of his face.

The drive to the safe house was completed in silence.

~'~

Once inside the safe house, Simon rounded on the younger man, his fury still very much in evidence. "You listen to me, Sandburg, while you're in my custody you will not, repeat not, attempt to escape. I don't know what you thought you were doing but you could have ended up being killed! You are a material witness and you will do as you are told! Do you understand me?" The last sentence was bellowed in Simon's usual way.

Blair flinched as he muttered, "Got it." If he really knew this guy, (which he wasn't convinced about because, really, how much could they possibly have in common?), he hoped the guy didn't normally act like this around him. He was a heart attack waiting to happen.

"I can't hear you, Sandburg!" The tone was a warning to at least sound cooperative.

"I understand."

"I hope you do!" There was a sigh, then the man's voice dropped back to a quieter register, "Brown and Ellison are staying with you for the first shift. H., Joel will be here at ten tonight then you can head off home. Jim, will you be all right staying until tomorrow?"

"I'm not going anywhere, sir."

"That's what I suspected." He turned towards the door, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, Ellison."

"Sir?"

"Keep him," one long finger pointed at Sandburg's chest, "out of trouble."

"I'll do my best, sir."

There was a hint of amusement in Jim's tone and Blair scowled, caught on the raw by it. He'd been looking after himself long enough to know that he didn't need someone looking over his shoulder all the time - he was quite capable of keeping himself out of trouble, thank you very much.

The door shut behind Simon, and Blair glanced around as Ellison watched him go from the window.

"C'mon, Hairboy, Jim brought some of that tea you like. I'll show you where the kitchen is."

"Hairboy?"

"Yeah...that's what I call you."

"I know you?" Blair was honestly surprised. How many of these guys did he know?

"Yeah. You partner Jim, he works in Major Crime and so do I. You know me."

"P-partner?" His voice went up as he repeated the word.

"Well, you're a...uh....." A panicked look crossed Brown's face.

"You're a police observer, Chief. Remember I said we both work for the police? You ride with me."

Blair practically spun on the spot to stare at the other man as he suddenly remembered Jim's statement from the day before. He'd forgotten about it after finding out about that missing year. "A...observer?" He missed out the 'p' word on purpose, his heart skipping a beat. "I work in Major Crime?"

Jim grinned. "As a volunteer. You don't get paid for it."

"But...what...why?" The last word was almost wailed in his confusion.

"You're doin' your thesis on closed societies in the uh...force," Brown told him, skipping a word in his turn.

Blair didn't assume he was referring to the Star Wars force, but he was still stunned. When had he changed his thesis?

"H., why don't you make tea and I'll show Sandburg where he's sleeping?"

"Sure, Jim."

"This way, Darwin."

~'~

Jim led the way upstairs, considering exactly what to say. He should have guessed he'd end up having to tell Sandburg the truth; he'd just hoped it wouldn't be this soon. Opening the bedroom door, he ushered Blair in, then shut it carefully behind them. He really didn't want Henri to overhear if Sandburg got excited.

Sandburg's attention, however, was on the duffle bag that was in the middle of one of the beds. "That's mine!"

"Yeah, I packed it for you and Simon dropped it off this morning. We didn't think you'd want to wear those clothes all the time you're here."

"How...you have a key to the warehouse?"

"The warehouse?" Jim looked confused, then he realised. "You moved out of the warehouse months ago, Chief. There was a drugs lab next door and it blew up." Grinning at Blair's stunned face he added, "It's kind of hard to live in a place without a roof and with half the walls missing."

"Yeah...it would be."

Anticipating the next question, Jim continued, "You rent a room from me. I have an apartment over on Prospect."

"I...I live with you?" Astonishment coloured every word.

"Yes, you live with me."

Blair sank down to sit on the bed, confusion evident on his face. "I guess a lot of things have changed." He sounded lost.

Jim took a seat on the other bed. "We'd already started working together when the warehouse blew up. I had a spare room, you had a Barbary Ape; it seemed like fate."

There was a snort of laughter. "A Barbary Ape?"

"His name was Larry. You were writing a paper on how violence on TV affected him. After he trashed the loft twice, you decided it was affecting him just fine and gave him back to his owners." Jim grinned again.

"I'm not surprised!" Blair grinned in his turn, then it faded. "I just can't believe I work with...you. I-I can't believe I changed my thesis!"

"You didn't."

"But...."

"Officially, your thesis is on closed societies within the police force. In reality, you're still writing about Sentinels."

"I don't understand."

Jim took a deep breath. He never thought he'd have to tell Sandburg what he was - after all, Sandburg had known before he did. "I'm a Sentinel."

Blair's eyes widened. Surprise filled his face, followed by joy then by excitement. "You're a...I found you!"

Jim nodded. "Persistent, aren't you?" He could see the cogs turning in the kid's mind.

"So that's why! No one else knows!"

"Only Simon. We had to tell him to get him to agree to you riding with me."

"You're a Sentinel. You're really a Sentinel!" His voice dropped to a whisper as his hand stretched out to touch Jim gently on the shoulder, as if afraid he was going to disappear. "This is...awesome!" The excitement poured back into his voice.

"Just remember: no one else knows. So don't mention it in front of Henri."

"That's cool, man, I can understand that. I mean, people would treat you differently, and with you being a cop and all, you don't wanna tell the 'criminal element' about the edge you've got! You're a walking crime lab!"

Jim grinned widely. Trust Sandburg. His reluctance to say any word related to the police had vanished in the light of his excitement, and the Sentinel realised that he had no need to worry. This Sandburg would protect his secret just as much as the other Sandburg had.

"Oh man! This is the greatest!"

Jim sat back and watched as Blair paced between the beds, his hands flying with his words as he babbled about Sentinels, zone-outs, senses, and the dreaded 't' word: tests. Finally, Jim interrupted. "Yes, you've done tests - thousands of the things!"

Sandburg turned to stare at him, his eyes the brightest that Jim had seen them since before he woke up in that hospital bed with no memory of Jim, his Sentinel, or their friendship.

The grin on Blair's face was huge, then it disappeared as a wistful look entered his eyes. "I wish I could remember, man. I really do."

"You will. Just give it a bit of time." Jim stood up and stretched. "Now let's get downstairs and see if H. has managed to make a decent cup of tea with some of that herbal stuff you drink. With your luck, he's probably put milk into it."

~'~

Fortunately for the tea, H. was still at the 'check the label and hope for instructions' stage, and he cheerfully admitted that he hadn't been sure what to add to it, so he figured he'd wait until they came down and let Blair make his own. Blair hid his smile as he moved to take control of the teabags. Then, with a serious look on his face, but gleam of humour in his eyes, he carefully took them through an impromptu lesson on how to make a cup of herbal tea. Looking at the glazed looks on Jim and H.'s faces, he curtailed his lecture on the long history of tea and let them take their cups of coffee in peace.

Brown grimaced as he headed for the sitting room, his cup clutched protectively to him. "I'm so glad Hairboy remembered how to make tea, Jim," he muttered.

"I'm just hoping he doesn't remember any more of the history of tea," Jim replied, the glazed look still firmly in place.

Blair grinned as he followed them out. If the conversation lagged, he still had a few hundred years of tea history to tell them, but he suspected that once they knew, they'd never let it lag that much.

~'~

It was a few minutes before ten that Joel arrived, saving Henri from any risk of hearing more about tea. Blair grinned as he noticed the speed at which Henri said his goodbyes and left - he guessed the detective really hadn't wanted to hear the rest of that lecture.

Looking at his new babysitter, Blair held out his hand politely. "Hi, I'm Blair Sandburg."

"Sorry, Chief. This is Captain Joel Taggart."

Joel smiled as he shook his hand. "Just call me Joel. How are you feeling, son?"

"I uh...I guess you know me too, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. We've worked together."

Blair shook his head. "Man, I've gotta..." His voice trailed off, then he continued, "I'll make some tea." He shook his head again as he went into the kitchen, hoping he hadn't turned red with embarrassment. He felt like an idiot every time he met yet another person who seemed to know him perfectly well while he couldn't remember them at all.

"How's he doing, Jim?"

The voice of the dark man was filled with concern, and Blair paused, eavesdropping shamelessly.

"He's okay, Joel. I think it just catches him on the hop every time he realises he doesn't know who we are."

'Understatement of the year, man!' Blair thought. He hated this. He hated feeling out of control and lost in a life he didn't know any more. Taking a deep breath as he filled the kettle with water, he tried to calm his nerves, reflecting that he must have done something right to have found his Sentinel. That bubble of excitement filled him again. He'd done it; he'd found his Sentinel. He grinned as he put the coffee pot on.

Pulling out the silverware drawer, he grabbed for a spoon for his tea, his mind filled with ideas for tests. He knew he'd probably done a ton of tests before, but he couldn't remember them...maybe he'd made notes - he would have made notes, wouldn't he? He'd have to try to remember to ask Jim if he had made notes about what tests they'd done and when. Suddenly he froze. Tests.

His mind whirled dizzyingly as a memory floated to the surface. As if it was happening right at that moment, he could see Jim complaining about tests as he fed part of his unhealthy hotdog to a dog in the park they liked to go to. The sun was bright in his eyes as he tried to convince Jim that tests were necessary and didn't he gain from them in the end? For a second he wondered why Jim bothered fighting him on this issue, he always won. The Sentinel would listen to his Guide, no matter how much the man complained.

Through the roaring in his ears he heard Jim's voice shouting him, and Blair slid down to sit on the floor, his body shaking as a year's worth of memories surfaced and took their place in the kaleidoscope of his life. Suddenly the colours flowed together and the shattered mosaic became a recognisable pattern. He remembered, of course he remembered, how could he have forgotten? His old memory slotted smoothly into place, the strains and stresses of the past day and a half disappearing from sight.

Blair blinked a few times as his sight returned to normal and the dizziness faded. He slumped against the cupboard door as he stared frowningly at the hand Jim was waving in his face.

"Chief, are you with me? How many fingers?"

"Three." Blair shook his head, wondering why he sounded so breathless. He also couldn't think why he'd turned so dizzy. "There's nothing wrong with my head."

"That makes a change. C'mon, up you get."

Regaining his feet and rubbing at his oddly aching hip, Blair made to stagger towards the couches, then stopped as he met an unexpected wall. "Jim? When did we get an extra wall put in the loft?" Looking at it, he was surprised; he really didn't think Jim was the type to go for flowery wallpaper.

"The loft? Blair, we're in the safe house, remember?"

Turning to look into Joel's concerned face, Blair let his gaze sweep over the totally unfamiliar kitchen. "Safe house? Why are we in a safe house?!"

He watched as the two detectives exchanged looks.

"Chief," Jim sounded cautious, which was never a good sign, "what date is it today?"

"March 19th, Jim, and that doesn't explain this kitchen!"

~'~

"Banks!" Simon glared at the wall as he answered his phone. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep for awhile - didn't people have anything better to do than phone him up?

"Simon, it's Jim."

"Hey, Jim. How's the kid doing?" Simon's tone softened a little, but not too much. He didn't want people to think that he actually liked Sandburg.

"He's fine. Sort of."

"Care to explain that, Detective?"

"He's got most of his memory back."

Simon removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. "Don't tell me, he doesn't remember the actual shooting."

"He doesn't remember much of that day at all. He remembers getting to Rainier in the morning, but that's it. And he doesn't remember anything about waking up in hospital."

Simon put his glasses back on and glared at the offending wall again, his concern growing. "Is that usual?"

"I phoned the hospital and checked with them. While they wouldn't have expected something like this, anything's possible where the memory's concerned."

"Great!" Simon was less than thrilled. "So we have no idea if he'll remember anything about that day at all? Hang on a second, Jim." He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "What can I do for you, Tony?"

"I was just wondering how Sandburg's doing, Captain."

"He's okay. He doesn't remember the shooting yet though."

Tony nodded, his grief evident. "Okay. Thanks, Captain."

Simon waited until the door shut then turned back to the conversation. "How's the kid feeling, Jim?"

"He's fine. He's planning on reading up on amnesia."

"Only Sandburg." Simon sighed. Next thing you knew, the kid would probably be writing a paper on it and insist on questioning them all to get their viewpoints.

"He's asking Joel now what it was like meeting a friend with amnesia."

Simon stared at the phone for a second wondering if he'd spoken out loud or if Jim was reading minds now. "Just make sure he doesn't try interrogating me."

"I'll try to hold him off, sir."

"You do that, Detective."

~'~

So Sandburg's still in the dark, huh? Lucky me. Of course, I can't be sure how long my luck's gonna hold out. Fortunately for me, Banks is such a conscientious captain, that I know he'll be going over there to see how Sandburg is in person. For some reason he considers that guy to be one of his men. Sandburg isn't even a cop, for God's sake, he's just a grad student! But there he is, swanning around in Major Crime like he actually belongs there. Little punk!

What with High and Mighty Ellison and Captains Taggart and Banks falling all over themselves to kiss his ass, it's only a matter of time before he ends up as Chief of Police!

Okay, Tony, keep calm. Sandburg isn't going to end up as anything but dead and buried, with all his fine police friends mourning their loss.

Banks will go either tonight or tomorrow to see how that worthless piece of shit is, so all I have to do is follow him, then "bang bang, you're dead, Sandburg".

~'~

"Simon's here." Jim stayed in place by the window as Joel headed towards the door.

"Cool!" Blair looked up from the couch, a plate of toasted bagel balanced on one knee, a notebook and pen on the other. "I can ask him some questions."

"Not a good idea, Chief." There was a gleam of mischief in Jim's eyes that Blair caught easily.

"Aww, man, you warned him."

"I have to. He's my boss, remember?"

Blair was still chuckling to himself as he put his notebook and pen down. He could wait until he was out of the safe house before questioning Simon. Maybe he'd do it over the phone for safety's sake.

Joel waited until Simon was almost at the door before opening it, then closed it as quickly as he could. "Hey, Simon."

"Joel, Jim. How are you doing, Sandburg?"

"Fine, Simon, just...fine." The smile faded from Blair's face and he tilted his head slightly, chasing the elusive memory.

"Chief?"

"Something wrong, Blair?"

"No...it's just...." Blair shut his eyes, a frown on his face. It was there, he knew it, but what was it?

"Well, I just thought I'd call in and see if you were all right."

Simon sounded concerned, and Blair knew that if he opened his eyes he'd catch the three of them watching him with similar looks on their faces.

"Yeah, thanks, Simon." Opening his eyes, Blair put his plate down so he could stand up and move away from the tall man looming over him. He wasn't hungry any more, his stomach was churning too much for that. Stepping out of Simon's personal space, he shook slightly. He'd had a panic attack at some point, he knew that; he'd panicked because the cop was standing over him, too close, too....

"Sandburg?!"

He gasped, veering back to avoid Simon's outstretched hand. The two halves of his memory met and clashed, fighting to integrate themselves into one existence. Memories of emotions flashed through him: joy at realising he'd found his Sentinel, terror at seeing the boom box carrying officer, panic at having a cop standing over him, shock at seeing the car that was about to hit him, and horror at seeing a young cop's brains splattered across a piece of waste ground. "Oh my God, oh my God!" Hands grabbed for him and he swung away, his chest heaving as he tried to breathe. "He shot him!"

"Chief!"

Two hands grasped his upper arms firmly, holding him in place as the memories threatened to split his mind in two again. Frantically he stared up into Jim's face, trying to tell him before it was all gone again. "He shot him! 'Time's up, partner', then he shot him!"

"Who shot him?" Simon was there, closer than before, his dark face filled with worry even as his voice demanded an answer.

"The cop!"

"Yeah, Sandburg, we know." Jim's voice had a reassuring tone. "You saw a cop get shot. But who shot him?"

Blair practically danced on the spot in spite of Jim's hold. Didn't they understand? "The cop!"

"Blair...."

"The cop shot the cop! 'Time's up, partner', then he shot him!" His hands grabbed at the backs of Jim's arms as he tried to shake the bigger man into listening to him. "The cop shot the cop!"

"Oh dear Lord." Simon's voice was quiet but horrified.

"Allerton? Chief, was it Tony Allerton?"

Blair shrugged, or tried to, Jim was still holding him too tightly. "I don't know his name!"

Jim's tone turned soothing. "Okay, okay. Shh, it's okay."

Joel looked confused. "But why would Tony shoot his own partner?"

Blair shrugged again. He knew what he'd seen, now that he remembered it, but he didn't have any other answers.

Jim's head tilted and he released Blair to move away towards the window. "Could Tony find out where this safe house is?"

Simon nodded. "Easily. If he was willing to look it up on the computer system."

"I just heard a car door. I think he's here." Jim stepped back from the window and his arm snapped out to latch onto Blair's arm and yank him forwards into the protection of his own personal space.

"Damn!" Simon grabbed for his cell phone and hurriedly dialled. "Jim, you take Blair upstairs. Joel and I will cover the doors down here." Leaving the front door to Joel, he headed towards the back, barking a demand for back up into his phone as he went.

"Sir -"

Simon didn't even glance their way. "Do it, Jim."

Pushed by an unhappy Jim towards the stairs, Blair went blindly, almost stumbling on the bottom step. Everything was happening too fast, he didn't have time to put it all into place. He really needed to process things and right now wasn't a good time. He guessed Jim wouldn't be too happy if he started meditating either.

~'~

Simon ignored Jim's unhappiness at his orders. If Allerton did come through those doors while Jim was downstairs, they'd have no chance of taking the bent cop alive as Jim would kill him in order to protect his partner. Simon shook his head. That wasn't what he had a problem with. It was the strong suspicion that the Sentinel would kill Allerton in order to avenge the attack upon his Guide that was unsettling him. The police captain took a deep breath. There were times when he really, really hated knowing things about Sentinels and Guides.

He found a secure spot that afforded him some shelter while giving him a clear shot at anyone coming through the back door and waited. With any luck the back up he'd called for would arrive in time to put Tony off, if anything would put Tony off. Dear Lord, the man must have been mad to shoot his own partner, to say nothing of this vendetta against Sandburg. And if Jim was right and Tony was outside waiting to attack a safe house which contained three cops and a police observer, well, Simon could only think that the man had gone totally insane.

~'~

Okay, Tony, this is it. I haven't had a rush like this since I faced down my first perp. Course, back then, I was squeaky clean and totally believed in the 'them and us' mentality. Now I know it's not like that at all. It's just about power. Those who have it and those who don't. Jesus, look at me. I'm getting philosophical in my old age!

Fortunately for me, our high and mighty detectives would never think that someone would tail them - I mean, they're cops, for Christ's sake! They'd know if any perp was following along just waiting for the opportunity to put a few holes in their pet observer. Sure, course they would. And that's why I'm outside and they're inside, probably drinking coffee and patting Sandburg on the head.

That little punk. If anyone had to witness Brad's shooting, I'm glad it was him. Who the hell does he think he is? He's no one, a nothing. Just a brain trust on legs and yet he's off working with a cop who's driven off more partners than I've had hot dinners. Fucking punk! Fucking shit-faced little bastard! This is going to be pure pleasure, even if I do have to go through three cops to get to him.

~'~

Taking a deep breath, Simon tried to calm the beating of his heart. If there was one thing he hated, it was waiting for a perp to make his move. A perp. Simon thanked God that Allerton wasn't one of his team. Seeing a cop go wrong was bad enough without it being someone you'd personally worked with, relied upon to watch your back. Someone whose life you would have defended with your own. He hated bent cops, hated the feelings they engendered - the trust they eroded. If you couldn't trust one of your own, who could you trust?

A sound from the back yard caught his attention and yanked him out of his own mini zone-out. Shaking the pointless thoughts from him, he concentrated. It looked like this was it.

For a few seconds there was nothing then, with a suddenness that would have made Simon jump if he hadn't been waiting for just such a move, the back door was kicked in and a blur rolled through the doorway and away to one side. Simon fired. He knew from the grunt that he'd hit the killer, but he had no idea where he'd hit him. Allerton had been moving too fast for Simon to take careful aim.

"Give it up, Tony. It's over."

Movement behind him told Simon that Joel had hurried over to back him up, taking a position that still allowed him to watch the front door in case Tony had brought back up with him.

There was silence apart from the noisy sound of Tony's breathing, then a laugh floated through to the waiting cops. "I guess the kid got his memory back then, huh?"

"Yeah, he did. He knew it was you."

Another laugh. "I'm impressed. I didn't think Sandburg could tell us uniformed cops apart."

"It's better to never underestimate Sandburg, Tony." In spite of himself, there was a hint of sympathy in Simon's voice. Tony was trapped and Simon couldn't see any way that this would end well.

"Score one for the geeks, huh?" Tony's voice sounded tired. "Who'd have thought it? One day, they'll be running the world."

A hitch in his breathing showed that his wound was paining him, although neither of the listening cops had any way to tell how serious it was.

"So what now, Banks? You expecting me to throw down my gun and come out with my hands up?"

"You will if you're wise, Tony. There's no way out."

Another breath, another hitch. "Ask anyone who knows me, wisdom has never been one of my virtues."

"Don't do this, Tony." Joel's voice was almost pleading. "Just throw down your gun."

"And what? You'll make a deal for me?" Tony laughed, sounding almost genuinely amused. "I killed a cop, Cap'n Taggart," his biting tone changed to regret, "I killed a good cop. No amount of plea bargaining is gonna change that." There was a sigh and silence for a few seconds.

Simon wracked his brain for some argument that would persuade Allerton to give himself up. He couldn't think of one. And he was damn sure Allerton couldn't think of one either.

"Well, procrastination was never appealing. This is where I'm supposed to say something witty, right?"

"Don't do it, Tony."

Simon's order was ignored. "If I'd guessed this was how it was gonna end, I would have taken the time to think up a good epitaph for myself. They always do it in the movies."

"Tony -"

"Say hi to Sandburg for me."

~'~

"Jim? What's going on?" Forced down between the beds by his Sentinel, Blair was wishing that his hearing was as enhanced as that belonging to a certain someone he knew.

"He's in the kitchen. Simon's got him pinned down, he's trying to talk him out."

"Are Simon and Joel okay?"

"There was only one gunshot. I'd guess that was from Simon."

Blair started to get to his feet.

"Stay down, Chief."

"But he's no threat now."

The blue eyes that turned to meet his had the intensity of lasers. "We don't know if he has back up. Stay down."

Blair subsided reluctantly. He hated this. He hated hiding upstairs while two friends he cared about were putting their lives at risk protecting him. He had no idea how Jim felt right now. The protector in him would be screaming to be down there, in the thick of it, not hiding upstairs ready to protect only if the first line of defence fell. Agitatedly, he listened to the silence. "Jim?"

"They're still talking."

Taking a calming breath, Blair tried to centre himself then gave it up as a bad job. He'd have to meditate for hours to process this one. His leg jiggled impatiently. Glancing over at Jim he noticed the battle ready stance the man had taken. He knew without a doubt that if anyone came through that door unannounced, the well-trained ex-soldier was ready to burst into violent action to protect his charge.

"Sandburg, stop fidgeting."

Blair stilled, biting his lip. The waiting was almost unbearable. His thoughts ran on as his mind tried to analyse everything within reach, put it all into some kind of perspective that could make some kind of sense of it all.

The second gunshot made him jump, and without even thinking about it, he got to his feet. Only Jim's quick actions stopped him from reaching the door, one arm snapping out to push him back.

"Get down and stay there!"

"But Simon, Joel -"

"Can take care of themselves. Get down, Sandburg."

Despite his own wishes, Blair found himself back on the floor between the beds, one firm hand in the middle of his back keeping him there. Realising that he was stopping Jim from doing his job, putting them both at risk if Allerton came through the door, he gave in. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm down." While he would never forgive himself if anything had happened to Simon and Joel, losing Jim would kill him.

The hand left him and Jim silently turned back to the door. Agonised seconds stretched out into minutes then, "Jim, Blair!"

Blair sighed with relief. Joel was okay, at least, and the tone in his voice didn't suggest that Simon was anything but alright as well.

"Allerton's dead and back up's here. You can come down."

Blair scrambled to his feet, not surprised when Jim pulled him behind his back before opening the door slightly. It wasn't until Jim had checked out the stairs and the hall that he opened the door wider and allowed Blair to follow him out.

Simon met them at the bottom of the stairs. "There's no sign of anyone else. Looks like Allerton was working alone."

~'~

Jim nodded. "Stay here." Giving Simon a glance that clearly said, 'mind Sandburg for me', he headed towards the kitchen. He needed to see for himself that the threat had been neutralised, one way or another.

It gave Jim quite a jolt to see the body in the same corner of the kitchen that Blair had been sitting in after his memory returned; but instead of one dazed partner, leaning against the kitchen cupboards, there was one dead cop, his body sprawled on the floor, a pool of blood under his head.

Allerton's gun was on the floor, not far from the dead man's hand, and the Sentinel listened carefully to make sure that there was no heartbeat, no risk of the man reaching for the weapon that lay so near to hand.

"It was suicide, Jim. He knew there was no way out." Joel gestured helplessly. "He shot himself rather than give himself up."

Jim nodded. He was glad the son of a bitch was dead. He wasn't sure whether it was the cop in him or the tribal protector, but either way he felt personally offended by bent cops. Instead of upholding the law, protecting the tribe, they took for themselves. He glared down at Allerton's body. He was no loss.

He left the kitchen and returned to the hallway where Simon and Sandburg were still waiting.

Simon glanced at him, but left the subject of Allerton alone. "If you're ready I'll drive you and Sandburg back to the loft. You can come into the station this afternoon and make your statements then."

Sandburg's face was filled with concern. "You okay, Jim?"

Jim nodded. "Let's go." Sandburg looked like he had a thousand questions to ask, but he didn't ask them. Jim guessed he'd take the opportunity to corner him in the loft and bombard him with them then. Casually draping his arm across the kid's shoulders, he steered him through the front door, following Simon out to his car. "Sandburg?"

"Yeah, Jim?"

"Are you likely to do another runner from Simon's car?"

Blair chuckled. "I'd forgotten about that, man. No, I think I can manage to stay in the car this time."

He tightened his arm briefly, giving his friend a one-armed hug. "Good. I'd hate to have to chase you again."

~finis~
21st September 2004

Comments

[nerthus.livejournal.com]

Poor Jim, trying to keep hold of his slippery, panicked guide!! Wow, I haven't thought too much about TS fandom lately, I only have the official season 1 dvd set and my old episodes were all on vhs tapes, which I no longer have a vcr and my tapes are long gone, sigh...so I have no idea where to get downloads or dvd copies of the other seasons. Sure would be nice to see the other seasons again. I know once in a blue moon Sify channel repeats them, but I don't have a dvr and am usually at work when they air them. I guess since it's been so long it doesn't seem likely that the remaining seasons will ever be officially released on dvd, sigh.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I wish they'd release the other seasons too. It's such a shame they haven't. :o(