Sentinel fic - One Good Turn, part 2

[dimity_blue]

Part 1.

"So how are we going to find this guy?"

Brad smiled at his best friend as they fastened their seatbelts and waited for his dad's private plane to take off. "That's simple, Andy. The Cascade Clan are bound to want to pick him up. You don't make fools of a Clan and get away with it Scot free. All we have to do is wait for them to find him and, once he's released, pick him up ourselves."

Andy grinned. "And then...."

"And then let the fun begin."

~'~

When the sun rose over soggy Cascade and broke through the clouds to illuminate the dingy road he lived on, Blair was still buried, fathoms deep, in sleep. It wasn't until the clock's hands had crept past ten o'clock that he surfaced, his bladder demanding that he get up and move now. Rolling from his bed, he staggered up and into the bathroom, scrubbing the sleep from his face as he went.

Half an hour later, cleaner, and considerably more awake, he came out, his skin goose-bumping in the cool morning air. He dressed hurriedly and shivered his way into the kitchen for a toasted bagel and some tea, then took them to the couch so he could watch the morning news.

Mr. Dupres was still ducking the Bismarck reporters on his way to the airport, while the Cascade reporters seemed annoyed that they weren't able to reach the Senior Sentinel Prime. However, the Bismarck reporters had managed to get a brief clip of Brad Ventriss the day before and Blair looked with interest at the scummy playboy as he headed into his father's office without offering a comment. He looked spoilt, to Blair's biased eyes. Selfish too. Taking his plate back to the kitchen and dumping it in the sink, Blair reflected that he was glad Marianne wouldn't have to deal with him. God knew how he'd treat any Guide who was unfortunate enough to end up bonded to him.

Glancing at the clock, he decided that he'd given Matt plenty of time to recover from his sudden alcoholic binge the night before, and he grabbed his jacket and backpack. Time to go visiting.

The Volvo started easily for once, and he headed off down the street, vaguely noticing the blue and white truck parked nearby. The clean condition of it sank in, and he did a small double-take. While trucks weren't unusual in this neck of the woods, few of them were in good condition and even fewer were well-washed. He shook his head and dismissed it from his thoughts. Maybe the owner was a neat-freak. Who knew?

By the time Blair reached Ric and Matt's apartment, he was grinning again. Marianne was safe and he didn't have to worry about spending hours on a plane with Mr. Dupres and a load of Sentinels and Guides. Today was definitely a better day than yesterday.

Parking and locking up quickly, he headed up the path, a smile still on his face. He was about to reach for the intercom buzzer when he realised someone was behind him and he turned, ready to let whoever it was go first. If they lived there, they'd probably just let him in and save him buzzing up. The words died on his lips as he realised that he knew the guy standing there.

"We meet again, Miss Dupres."

Horrified, he stared up into the Senior Sentinel Prime's intent blue eyes.

~'~

Jim smiled as he inhaled that delicious scent again and gazed down into his Guide's appalled face. For a few seconds, there was silence, then Sandburg started talking.

"Hey, man, I'm really sorry about bringing heat down on the Clan - that was never my intention."

Sandburg stepped backwards as Jim moved forwards, and his words sped up. As he listened, Jim wondered how on earth the kid had managed to keep silent all the while he was in that robe and veil get up. Apparently, animatedly talking was his Guide's natural state.

"It's just that Marianne really didn't want to bond with that guy. I know someone who knows him and, believe me, you wouldn't want to see any Guide in his hands."

Actually, Jim would agree with that. He'd been less than impressed with his brief encounter with Brad Ventriss. The Sentinel was weak and, Jim suspected, spiteful.

"Anyway, so that was why I did it." Sandburg seemed to realise that he was out of space to retreat into, and an annoyed look crossed his face. "Look, I'm sorry if you're pissed off but I did what I had to to help a friend, okay?"

"I understand that," Jim admitted.

"Oh." Sandburg glanced around and gave the spare five inches between them a meaningful stare. "Then what's your problem?"

Jim inhaled, delighting once more in his Guide's scent. "There's a bonding suite in the Cascade P.D. with your name on it." Jim would have preferred to take his Guide to the Sentinel Suite at City Hall, but the P.D. was much, much closer and he really didn't want to wait.

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not gonna bond with Brad Ventriss!"

He grinned, he couldn't help it. "Relax, Chief, I'm not suggesting you do."

"Then who...you?!"

Jim smiled and leaned in closer, then took a step back as Blair shoved him away, angrily.

"Knock it off, man! I'm not about to bond with you!"

"Yes, you are, Sandburg."

"Get real, Ellison! What did you do to come up with that crazy idea? Feed the inner kitty catnip?"

Stinking of anger, the Guide tried to push his way past the Sentinel, but Jim brought him to a standstill by grabbing hold of him. "We're going to the P.D.," he told him, firmly.

Ignoring the litany of complaints and curses, the Sentinel manhandled his Guide down the path to where some of his Clan were waiting. Throwing an order over his shoulder for Sandburg's car to be left at the loft and his truck to be driven to the P.D., he dragged his Guide over to Edwards' car and managed to get them both inside without releasing the firm grip he had on the kid.

"Edwards."

In the driver's seat, Edwards turned his head to listen.

"Get us to the P.D." He got a nod and returned to holding onto his Guide. "Give it up, Sandburg."

~'~

Trapped in the back of Edwards' car with a Sentinel who was determined to bond with him, Blair continued to fight. It wasn't, as Ellison undoubtedly assumed, aimless struggling; he had a vial of concentrated sage in his jeans' pocket which he always carried in case of emergences - and if anything qualified as an emergency, this did. Unfortunately, Ellison was holding onto that wrist and there was no way he could get the vial out using his other hand.

Finally, he stopped struggling, accepting that, for now, he wasn't going to able to get his wrist free. Hoping to lull the Sentinel into a false sense of security, he slumped against the back seat and glowered sulkily at him.

"Relax, Chief," Ellison said, attempting to sound reassuring. "It'll be over soon."

Determinedly, Blair kept his mouth shut and slouched further into his corner. He could feel the slight strain on his arm as it was held tightly by the Sentinel, and hoped the Sentinel would feel it too. Whether he did or not, Blair couldn't tell, but the grip loosened slightly, then, as they turned into an underground garage, his wrist was released.

The grip on the front of his jacket hadn't eased up, but Blair wasn't worried about that one. With any luck, the Sentinel would be too affected once Blair smashed the vial to keep hold of him. He hoped.

As Ellison glanced away, Blair grabbed the vial firmly. The car came to a halt and he acted. Raising his hand up, he threw the vial down with all his might, then grabbed for the door handle as the concentrated sage filled the car. He knew that the Sentinels wouldn't have any long-lasting ill-effects from it, but it would keep them busy for a little while.

He slammed the car door shut behind him and fled for the exit, ignoring the muffled shouts as he went.

~'~

Coughing wildly as the sage filled the car, Jim instinctively let go of the jacket and reached for the door handle. He had to get out of there. The door gave way and Jim fell gratefully into the fresh air, gulping in lungfuls to clear the taste of sage. Lying on the concrete floor, he was uncomfortably aware that Edwards was lying on his legs but he couldn't raise the energy to protest.

He'd had his Guide. He'd had his Guide in his hands - and now he was gone. The Sentinel growled quietly. His Guide would be found. No matter where Sandburg ran to, he couldn't keep out of sight permanently, and sooner or later....

"Jim? Are you all right?"

Looking up, he realised that they had an audience of concerned policemen, including his boss, and that Doctor Harvey, the Clan doctor, was heading their way with her Guide hot on her heels.

"I'm fine, Simon, Doctor Harvey." He coughed again, and sat up, pushing Edwards off his legs. "Sandburg used sage on us, that's all."

"That's all?" Edwards, his own Guide anxiously trying to help him, raised his head and glared at the Senior Sentinel Prime. "Your Guide is a sneaky little smartass. Sir."

"I agree with that, Edwards." Jim got to his feet and offered his second in command a helping hand up. "C'mon, we've got one sneaky little smartass to find."

~'~

Seeing as Jim was not only the Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade and the Northern Territories but also a police detective, he had advantages the ordinary Sentinel on the street did not have. An APB was issued, and flags attached to all of Sandburg's credit cards and bank accounts. If the kid used any of them, Jim would know within five minutes. The Clan spread out around Cascade, covering all of Sandburg's known haunts, plus the bus and train stations.

"He's got to go to ground somewhere," Edwards commented, his eyes fixed on a detailed map of Cascade.

"Libraries, cinemas, cafes. Anywhere someone can sit for a long time without drawing attention to themselves." Jim's face was grimmer now. If Sandburg had enough cash on him to avoid using his cards or bank accounts, they could be in for a long wait and the Sentinel had little patience at the best of times. "If he's sensible, he'll wait until dark."

"That won't stop us."

"But it will lessen the chance of the police picking him up."

"Maybe." Edwards shook his head. "There's no way we can cover all of these places."

"We don't have to, sir."

All three of them looked up as Sentinel Pais and her Guide, Karl, came into the room.

"Karl and I were checking all the local buses and one of the drivers remembered picking him up today not far from the P.D."

Jim relaxed slightly. At least the bus gave them a starting point. "Did he remember where he dropped him?"

"Yes, sir." Lisa reached out and pointed to a busy cross section of the city. "Guide Sandburg left the bus at the corner of Howard and Sixth."

~'~

When he first ran, Blair had no idea where he was going. His only thought had been to get away and stay away. A few hours' later, after one long bus ride and a not very lengthy, ducking down alleyways, run, he sat huddled in the corner of a cafe. And he still had no idea where he was going.

His car was at 'the loft', wherever the hell that was, and the train and bus stations were out as Ellison was a cop as well as a Sentinel and would, Blair was sure, have put out an APB on him. Unfortunately, that meant that he had to keep off the streets until it was dark enough to move around safely.

Going home was out of the question as he realised that Ellison probably had his address - Ric and Matt's too, so seeking refuge there was an impossibility as well. Fortunately, he had plenty of friends who'd give him a couch to sleep on for the night, although how long he'd have to stay out of sight, he didn't know.

Sighing, Blair laid his head against the back of his grimy seat and ignored the anthropology journal he'd been pretending to read for the past few hours. It would be dusk soon and, once it was, he could go.

~'~

Finally, Blair shut his book and stopped pretending to be engrossed in it. He was glad it was winter, otherwise he would have been stuck there until late evening while he waited for the sun to set. It was dark enough now and he really didn't want to be wandering around in the pitch black so, slipping the journal into his backpack, he dug out his wallet and headed towards the counter.

It wasn't until he opened his wallet to pull out some bills, that he discovered he had a problem. Mentally slapping his forehead, he remembered that he'd intended to go to the ATM after he'd visited Ric and Matt...and well, his afternoon hadn't exactly gone to plan.

Summoning up his most charming smile, he leaned over the counter slightly and asked, "I'm sorry, do you take credit cards?" The look the girl gave him said it all and he cringed. "I meant to go to the ATM this afternoon and uh...kinda got sidetracked. I only have a few cents in my wallet."

Wordlessly, the girl held out her hand and he blushingly gave her the card. Thank God he'd had a dollar in his jeans' pocket earlier or he would have had to walk - or run - all the way from the P.D. He signed the receipt, not commenting on the healthy tip she'd added to his bill, and tucked his card back into his wallet before ducking out of the doorway.

Once outside, Blair realised that he wasn't exactly sure where he was. He knew he'd taken a few turns off thriving Howard Street before finding himself in this rather rundown area. Shrugging, he decided to try to find his way back to Howard Street. He'd be able to find his way to any number of his friends' places from there.

Accordingly, he crossed over the road and headed up the street. Footsteps made him pause and he stared around, nervously. He wasn't normally the kind of guy to get spooked by shadows but considering the kind of day he'd had, it wasn't shadows he was nervous about.

Cautiously, he lowered his barriers and stretched out with his mind, trying to feel if there was anyone around. His eyes widened suddenly as he picked up a very definite someone - a Sentinel, and he fled in the opposite direction.

As all of his attention was on the Sentinel following him, he didn't realise there was anyone else there until he, quite literally, ran into them. He jerked back, gasping an apology, then tried to wrench himself away as the big unknown guy facing him grabbed his jacket and yanked him forward.

"Hello, Blair Sandburg," the man muttered, his beer-laden breath making Blair's stomach muscles clench.

"I-I don't -"

"Know me? No, but I'm gonna know you. And so is he."

Blair shook his head and tried to step backwards. "Look, man, I think you're making a mistake." He turned his head quickly as his backpack was pulled from his shoulder, a muffled thump telling him it had been dropped on the ground. With a shock, he realised that the Sentinel was behind him, and started struggling harder. While Ellison's determination to claim had been hard to handle, the feelings he was getting from these two guys were making his stomach churn.

He opened his mouth to yell for help, but the sound was cut off by a large, hot hand, while a bony body pressed against his back. Between the two of them, he was hustled into a nearby alleyway and shoved face first against the wall; the hand that was wrapped around his mouth was the only thing that stopped him from banging his head.

"Don't hurt him too much, Andy." The weasly voice came from the side, so didn't belong to the larger guy who was now leaning against his back, almost casually ignoring Blair's frantic struggling. "I don't want him marked when I take my Guide back home to meet my dad."

"You sure about this, Brad? We could just have our fun now and leave him in the alleyway."

Brad? Ventriss? Blair tried to talk, desperately, but the hand wasn't moving.

"I think he recognises me." Brad sounded pleased. "Well, the slave should always recognise his master." The Sentinel leaned in and blew in Blair's face, smiling as he flinched. "And soon he'll learn who the master is in this relationship. You didn't notice us following you from the cop shop, did you, Blair? I think you need someone to look out for you, to take care of you. And that someone is going to be me." A finger traced over the part of Blair's face that wasn't covered by the hand or pressed against the wall. "But for now, we're all going to have a lot of fun. Andy, I'll let you go first; after all, I've got a whole lifetime to enjoy him."

Andy chuckled; his breath wafting against Blair's ear. "Can you reach his belt?"

"Not without scraping my hands on the wall. Naughty, naughty, Blair. The wall isn't going to save you."

"It might not, but I will." The growl that came from behind them sounded barely human, but the words were distinct.

For a moment, the three of them froze, then Blair was thrown to one side as Andy turned to deal with the intruder.

Suddenly free, but confused as hell, Blair fell over a trashcan and landed in a heap on the ground. Scrambling away, he scooted backwards on his backside, just trying to get some distance from the fight that was brewing only a few feet from him.

~'~

The smell of his Guide's fear was infuriating the Sentinel as he stared at the two men who had dared to attack Sandburg. A glance to one side showed him that four of his Clan were already approaching his Guide and would protect him, allowing the Senior Sentinel Prime to keep his attention on the two violators in front of him.

Jim recognised one of them as a Sentinel. Brad Ventriss. Denied the Guide he thought of as his, he must have decided to take his revenge upon the one who helped her escape. Jim had disliked him upon sight and considered him to be a weak Sentinel who should be culled from the herd. And he had chosen to trespass upon the Senior Sentinel Prime's territory in order to attack a Guide - a Guide who was to be claimed by the Senior Sentinel Prime himself. Hatred filled him for this predator who preferred to prey upon the innocent instead of protecting the tribe, and the emotion was heightened by the fading scent of lust upon the two men.

His voice was raw with the anger within him as the Senior Sentinel Prime demanded of the other Sentinel, "Are you claiming the Guide?" He hoped that the Sentinel would say yes - if so, he would kill him in combat and claim the Guide as his own. If not, the Sentinel would be turned over to the Clan and be dealt with according to their laws for the attempted violation.

The excited gleam that lit up the other Sentinel's face could be seen by all the Sentinels present, and it heightened the tension that was filling the alleyway. "Yeah, I am. He's my Guide - I found him first and I claim him."

Even though the Senior Sentinel Prime knew that Ventriss had not found Sandburg first, he was more than willing to use that as an excuse to deal with him. "Then I challenge your right to bond."

A hint of uncertainty crossed Ventriss' face and he glanced towards his larger, non-Sentinel companion. "Get him!"

The other, apparently eager to engage in a fight, grinned stupidly and moved forward.

The Sentinel regarded him with disdain. This was no fighter; the alcohol he'd imbibed was slowing down his reflexes and he would be an easy assailant to defeat. Clan justice would be enough for this one.

As the other stepped towards him, fists waving slowly in the air, Jim gathered his strength and threw one punch towards the man's face. It connected solidly and there was a satisfying crack as the man's nose broke. It was followed by a thud as the man collided with the wall and slid down it to lie with the rest of the trash.

The lesser opponent defeated, the Sentinel's attention snapped back to the challenger for his bond to his Guide. Ventriss was looking distinctly uneasy as his gaze flickered from the downed man to the feral Sentinel.

Finally, he shrugged. "Okay, what do I care? The Guide's yours."

The Senior Sentinel Prime smiled. Did Ventriss really think that was how it worked? "The challenge has been given and accepted. Defend yourself."

Shock and fear took over from the uncertainty, then anger and determination filled his face. Ventriss nodded. "If that's the way you want it!"

His hands came up to a defensive position and the Senior Sentinel Prime was pleased to see that Ventriss had studied fighting a little. It would make defeating him that much more satsifying.

They circled for a few moments, each of them weighing up their opponent, looking for weaknesses. Then Jim attacked. He feinted to the right and, as Ventriss moved to block him, contemptuously batted him across the face from the left.

Ventriss stepped back quickly. The mark on his face was reddening rapidly as he licked at his lip. First blood had been drawn.

Smiling in return, the Senior Sentinel Prime waited until Ventriss attacked, fury driving his movements, but each of his attempts were blocked or brushed aside by the stronger Sentinel as he took his time playing with Ventriss. The Senior Sentinel Prime was determined that Ventriss would suffer until the end for the assault upon his Guide.

Finally, Ventriss rallied and tried a final attack, throwing himself at the other Sentinel. The Senior Sentinel Prime caught him easily, and yanked his head back until the lesser Sentinel was bent like a bow. "This is for my Guide," he snarled into the upturned, bloody face. Then, with a quick jerk of his hands, he snapped the violator's neck and discarded the body.

Throwing his head back, the Senior Sentinel Prime roared in triumph. The challenge had been met and the Guide was his.

~'~

When the shadows surrounded him, Blair scrambled up and tried to back away, unsure, due to the deepening darkness, if they were friend or foe, and unwilling to wait around to find out. Unfortunately, they were between him and anywhere he could go.

"It's all right, Blair. No one is going to hurt you." The shortest shadow among them reached out a hand, her voice calm and reassuring, but withdrew the hand when he flinched.

"You're safe now," another one chimed in, his deep voice a melodic counterpoint to the female's.

"Look, I don't know what you want but -" He stared over at the other group as a body hit the wall and slid to the ground.

"The Senior Sentinel Prime will deal with them, Blair," the man said, firmly. "It's all right."

Blair's pounding heartbeat sped up at that. The Senior Sentinel Prime was the one who saved him? He guessed he should be grateful to the guy but he had an idea what the Sentinel would expect in return. And right now, he really wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Just take a few deep breaths, and calm down."

He stared at the woman as she moved in closer again, barely noticing as her hand rubbed his arm gently, then turned his gaze back to the others, watching as best he could.

Two of the figures, Ellison and Ventriss, he guessed, were fighting now. And, from what he could see, the shorter one was taking the worst of it. Well, he wasn't surprised; Ellison looked like a guy who could take care of himself. A sneaky little voice inside him added, 'And his Guide,' but he ignored it.

Finally, the fight came to an end, and the shorter figure was caught and bent backwards at a spine-damaging angle. A harsh voice, barely recognisable, snarled, "This is for my Guide," and Blair cringed as the snap of breaking bones met his ears. The roar of a triumphant Sentinel quickly followed and he shrank back against the wall, wishing, not for the first time that night, that he could melt into it and disappear.

With the other Sentinel dead, the victorious Sentinel now had time to pay attention to him, and Blair shrank back even more as he approached. The ones who had been surrounding him stepped out of the way and Ellison reached for him. For a few seconds, Blair panicked that the guy was going to do the same thing to him, but the hands that held onto him were gentle, although firm, as he was pulled forward and hugged to the Sentinel.

One arm held him tightly while the other hand ran over him, checking for injuries. Then the scrapes on his hands and face, that he'd received when Andy threw him to one side, were gently checked over. Now that his attention had been brought to them, they began to sting; stupidly annoying when his head was filled with confusion.

~'~

Satisfied that his Guide was relatively unharmed, the Sentinel turned his head and growled, "Edwards."

"Senior Sentinel Prime?"

"I'm taking my Guide to City Hall. Have the other violator taken to the P.D. and held there. He'll face the Clan tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

Holding Sandburg tightly, Jim steered them both in the direction of Howard Street, his Clan surrounding them protectively. When the call had come in about the kid's credit card, he and the majority of his Clan had already been searching Howard Street, Sixth Street and any roads leading off them for any sign of his Guide. It was fortunate for Sandburg that they had.

Now his Guide was safe, although badly shocked. For a moment, as the Sentinel had reached for him to check him over, the Guide's vital signs had rocketed, showing his fear. He was calmer now, despite the tension that was keeping his body rigid. Sandburg was not actively struggling, yet, but he was resisting his Sentinel's hold; his body language betraying his desire to escape. However, his Guide would learn that he could not run.

Once their vehicles were reached, Jim handed over his truck keys to Sentinel Niven and guided the kid towards the back of Sentinel Harvey's car. He opened the door for him then paused.

"Blair?" He had to repeat himself a couple of times before the dazed eyes turned up to meet his. "Do you have any more sage on you?"

The question took a few moments to sink in, then Sandburg shook his head.

The drive to City Hall was a short one and Jim was glad. He wanted to get his Guide somewhere safe.

It wasn't until they had reached the Sentinel Suite and Jim had shown Sandburg to the room they'd be sleeping in that night, that he fetched his Guide's backpack and handed it over, asking quietly, "Anything in there I should be worried about?"

Sandburg looked up, confusion on his face.

"Have you got any other herbs tucked away in there?"

Once again, it took a short while for the question to be understood, then the kid shook his head again.

Letting the subject go, Jim nodded towards the door. "Why don't you grab a shower? I'll rustle up some spare clothes for you and something to eat."

Sandburg nodded after a few seconds and turned towards the door, taking his backpack with him. It wasn't until he got to the door that he seemed to realise it was still in his hand and he gazed at it for a moment before placing it one of the beds.

Shaking his head slightly, Jim opened the door into the corridor and gave his orders to the Sentinel and Guide on duty there. Hopefully, a warm shower, some hot food and clean clothes would restore his Guide. At least a little.

Returning to the room, Jim realised that the shower was still off and he couldn't hear any sounds from his Guide at all. Knocking on the door gently, he pushed it open and glanced in. "Chief?"

As though he'd been in his own version of a zone-out, Sandburg seemed to jerk back to awareness and he turned. "Shower. Yeah. Got it."

"Okay. Shout if you need anything."

"Okay."

Jim shut the door again and listened as Sandburg finally started getting undressed. Well, he'd managed to speak; that was an improvement. The Sentinel forced down his desire to claim his Guide. It was going to be a long night.

~'~

Blinking his eyes slowly, Blair gazed into the darkness. He was in bed. His eyes shot fully open as he suddenly registered that the heaviness across his side was an arm. It tightened and he panicked. With a shove and a roll he was free, and on the floor. A thud from the other side of the bed told him that so was his attacker.

Even as he thought the name 'Ventriss', his memory caught up with him and he yanked his legs free of the tangled bedclothes and scrambled to his feet.

"Sandburg?"

"You were in bed with me!"

"Relax. I was on the bed; you were in it." There was a pause and Jim continued, his voice good-humoured, "Now let me turn on the light before you do any more damage."

"Don't forget to d -" Blair bit off the rest of the word. He was not this guy's Guide.

"Thanks, Chief."

Jim's voice sounded even more smugly pleased and, when the light clicked on and Blair's vision cleared, he was not surprised to see a triumphant smile on the Sentinel's face.

Ignoring the smile, Blair pointed to the other bed. "There are two beds, you know!"

"I know. I was sleeping in the other when you had a nightmare."

"Oh." Blair had a vague flash of darkness and struggling and Ventriss' voice hissing in his ear before comfort and safety had defeated the terror. He shook his head and shrugged. "Well...thanks...I guess."

"You're welcome. I guess."

The Sentinel was smirking again and Blair scowled at him before heading for the bathroom, only just resisting the urge to slam the door.

With the door between them, Blair rubbed his hands over his face, then stopped as the smell of the antiseptic hit him. Glancing at his hands, then his face in the mirror, Blair thought back. The Sentinel had been surprisingly gentle as he'd applied the antiseptic earlier. After his shower, Blair had felt...he guessed detached was the only word for it. Ellison had insisted that he ate, then applied the antiseptic, and practically put him to bed.

Blair shook off the memory of the Sentinel's kindness - it really wasn't important that Ellison had taken care of him. He could take care of himself. Mostly.

His mind shuddered away from those frantic moments in the alleyway.

Blair closed his eyes and concentrated on dragging his attention back to the matter in hand. What was he going to do now? Taking a deep breath, he closed the lid of the toilet seat and sat down to think.

Ellison had defeated Ventriss.

Blair refused to think about the fact that Ellison had killed Ventriss. He really didn't want to go there.

So...Ellison had defeated Ventriss. Of course, in the Sentinel's eyes, that meant that he'd 'won' the Guide. Blair really didn't see it that way. The problem would be to convince Ellison of that.

Problem number two: If he couldn't convince Ellison, how the hell was he going to get out of there unbonded? He had no actual problem with Ellison himself - he seemed like a nice enough guy, and he was definitely a huge improvement on Ventriss. But bonding was so... final. While the bond could be broken in the beginning, it was usually for life. And the longer the bond, the stronger it was.

"Chief? You all right in there?"

"Yeah! I'll be out in a minute." Standing up, he lifted the lid and did his business, then flushed. If there had been a window, he would have taken his chances imitating a human fly on the side of the building...possibly. It would have depended on how high up they were; he and heights were not meant to be friends. With his hands washed and dried, he took a deep breath and opened the door. Ellison wasn't likely to try to bond with him tonight...was he?

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Blair avoided his gaze as he looked at his freshly-remade bed. It wasn't helping that Ellison kept on being nice to him. "Thanks." He waved a hand at the bed and hoped Ellison understood.

"No problem, Chief. You want to get in so that I can turn out the light?"

"Sure!" Blair dived under his covers and tensed as the light clicked off and Ellison moved across the room. He almost melted with relief as he heard the Sentinel get into the other bed.

"Night, Chief. Sleep well."

"Night, Ellison."

The smile was back in Ellison's voice as he answered, "Call me Jim."

~'~

From Jim's point of view, the next day was almost guaranteed to go badly where his budding relationship with his Guide was concerned. For a start, Sandburg was going to find out that he wasn't allowed to leave until after they were bonded - although Jim was pretty sure the kid would figure that one out for himself, assuming he hadn't already.

Secondly, Sandburg's other attacker was being brought to the Sentinel Suite to face Clan justice. The Sentinel's jaw clenched. The one who had attacked his Guide would be punished and deservedly so.

He eyed the bathroom door which blocked his view of his Guide. Sandburg seemed the type to argue against the punishment. However, as none of the Guides would be present due to the overpowering emotions involved in bringing an attempted violator in to face justice, it was possible that Sandburg would not find out. Possible, but not probable, human nature being what it was. The Sentinels who were present would tell their Guides and the Guides would talk among themselves. And Sandburg wasn't stupid; he had to know that his other attacker would be punished.

Jim eyed the bathroom door again. If, or when, Sandburg found out, he'd deal with it. In the meantime....

"Sandburg! Your breakfast is getting cold!"

"I'll be right there."

Jim shook his head. Maybe it was all the hair, but Sandburg was taking longer than his ex-wife to get ready.

Finally, the door opened and he emerged, rubbing his hair vigorously to dry it off.

Refusing to give in to the urge to recommend a haircut, Jim told him, "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I ordered scrambled eggs, toast and coffee."

"That's great. Thanks," Sandburg replied, a lack of enthusiasm easily heard in his voice, dropping the damp towel on the bed.

As he sat down at the table, Jim got up and put the towel back in the bathroom, making a mental note as he did so about introducing his Guide to house rules after their bonding.

When he sat back down again, he noticed that the kid was looking rather nervous. "Something wrong with your eggs?"

"No, no! They're fine. Thanks." Sandburg prodded his eggs again.

"Okay, Chief, spit it out."

He raised his eyebrows. "Spit what out?"

"Whatever it is that's bugging you." Jim sat back and regarded his Guide-to-be thoughtfully.

"Nothing's -"

"Sentinel, remember?"

Sandburg's vital signs went nuts. "How can I forget?"

Jim grinned. He knew what the problem was now. "Relax, Chief. I wasn't planning on bonding today."

"You weren't?!"

"Well, not unless you're up for it." Jim waited a beat then drained his cup. "Anyway, I've got things to do. If you need anything, just ask. Sentinel Niven and Tina will be on duty outside the door."

"Gee. Thanks."

"Seeya later, Chief."

"Yeah."

As the door shut behind him, Jim heard a muttered, "I don't doubt that."

~'~

Left alone, Blair explored his prison-cell-in-all-but-name; he was determined to distract himself from thinking about the Sentinel and thinking of a way to escape was a good start, to his mind. He hadn't really been in any kind of condition to notice much the night before, and having to have breakfast with a Sentinel who was planning on bonding with him (even if it wasn't today) had kind of kept his attention on the situation at hand. However, there really wasn't that much to explore.

Having given the room a thorough once-over, Blair opened the door, not surprised to find a Sentinel and Guide waiting for him.

"Do you need anything, Blair?"

Blair smiled at, he presumed, Sentinel Niven. "A ton of sage?" he asked, innocently.

He got a flicker of a smile in return. "I'm afraid we're out of sage."

"Pity. I know a great organic health food store that'll deliver though."

"Sorry."

"Okay, thanks." Blair shut the door and muttered, "It was worth a try," then yanked the door back open as a roar of voices got his attention.

The smile had gone from Sentinel Niven's face, and he had one arm wrapped tightly around his pale-faced Guide. "Please stay inside, Blair."

"What was that?" Blair stared down the hallway as the roar sounded again, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up at the primal sound. "What's going on?"

He was firmly pushed backwards into the room, Sentinel Niven following him in, bringing his Guide with him.

"Andrew Lipton has been brought in to face the Clan," Sentinel Niven said shortly, dipping his head to scent at his Guide's neck.

"Who?" Blair asked, his mind distracted by the way Tina visibly calmed down, leaning into her Sentinel instead of clinging to him desperately.

For a moment Blair wondered what it was like, then his attention snapped back to the Sentinel as he replied, "Your attacker."

Blair's jaw dropped as he realised that he'd forgotten what Ellison had said about bringing the other guy to face the Clan. His thoughts skittered about, as he tried to avoid thinking about what was happening in the room where the Sentinels were screaming. Surely they weren't going to kill him? Blair backed up to his bed and sat down, his emotions churning. While one part of him hoped they'd rip the guy apart for what he had been about to do, the other part of him, the saner part, did not want the guy killed like Ventriss had been. Okay, Ventriss had deserved it - and if he'd hurt Marianne, Blair would have been hard pressed not to off the guy himself - but...killing him was so barbaric. He looked up, staring, almost fascinated, at the kindly Sentinel in front of him, wondering if he'd be howling for revenge like the others if he hadn't been put on duty in the hallway. Finally, he asked, "What are they going to do to him?"

There was a second's pause then Sentinel Niven answered smoothly, "I don't know."

Blair knew he was lying.

"They won't kill him, if that's what you're worrying about. If the Senior Sentinel Prime were going to sentence him to death, he would have killed him in the alleyway."

Like Ventriss.

Gathering himself together as best he could, Blair answered, "Thank you," and was proud of the fact that his voice didn't shake.

By the time the door opened again, Blair had argued himself around in a circle and was back at his original not-really-in-favour/half-against state, although he was aware that he had no idea what he was half-against as he didn't know what Ellison was doing to Lipton. When Ellison finally came back in, Blair was almost startled to see that he looked exactly the same as he had when he left.

"Niven, Tina."

The pair stood and acknowledged their leader, but the Sentinel continued, "Could I have a word, please, Senior Sentinel Prime?"

"Of course."

As Tina made to follow him, Sentinel Niven turned back slightly and murmured, "Please stay here, Tina."

She looked surprised, but stepped back immediately then, as the door closed, moved over to sit by Blair on his bed.

"It's all right, you know," she said, her hand resting on his arm.

He could feel the sympathy flowing from her but shut his mind to it. He didn't want her sympathy, didn't want to be here, and he didn't want to be thinking about what Ellison had done.

Her hand moved away but she stayed where she was. "He had to punish Lipton - he was going to rape you."

Blair opened his mouth to speak but she talked over him.

"Sentinels protect Guides. And they'll punish anyone who tries to harm a Guide. It's what they do. They need us and if we're threatened then they're threatened. Self-preservation is - is...."

"One of the most powerful urges we have," Blair supplied when words seemed to fail her.

"Yes. Add to that a kind of...well, it's not mother-love, but the urge to protect is there. You put them together and Sentinels can't help but protect Guides. And if that means stopping someone who'd hurt us, well, they'll do it!"

"I guess. It's just...."

"A shock when you first see the reality of it."

"Yeah! I mean, last night Brad Ventriss was - was..." Blair stumbled over this words, then continued, "and then he was dead!"

"Brad Ventriss was a Sentinel too," Tina reminded him. "But instead of protecting Guides, he was trying to hurt one - no Sentinel would stand aside and see that happen. If the Senior Sentinel Prime hadn't killed him, one of the others would have, and then they would have challenged the Senior Sentinel Prime for his position because he failed to protect the tribe and the Clan."

He looked up, startled, at that.

"Remember? Sentinels need Guides. You threaten us; you threaten them."

Blair really couldn't understand that. "Ellison seems to be doing okay without one," he retorted.

"For now."

"For now? He's fine! You've seen him!"

She stared at him, consternation on her face, then demanded, "Blair, how much do you know about the Sentinel/Guide bond?"

He shrugged. "The same as everyone else, I guess."

"Well, think on this: if a Sentinel doesn't bond, sooner or later his senses become too much for him and they overload. And when that happens, the Sentinel either kills himself or ends up in a psychiatric ward. And that's if he doesn't fall into a zone out and die because he's in too deep to find his way out again."

He gazed at her, not quite believing what she was saying. "But he's fine!"

"For now," she repeated, then patted him on the shoulder. "Just think about it for a while."

~'~

Blair thought about it, then thought some more. He wasn't even halfway through thinking when the two Sentinels returned, and Sentinel Niven and Tina left.

"How are you doing, Chief?"

He looked up, startled. "Fine!"

"Okay." As the Sentinel moved towards him, Blair leaned back to avoid him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?" Blair took a breath, aware that he was talking too quickly. "I was just wondering -" He stopped, not sure if he really wanted to ask the question.

Ellison sat down on the other bed. "Wondering what, Chief?"

Blair looked at him, then looked away. 'I'm wondering if you killed Andrew Lipton in cold blood.' He looked back at the waiting Sentinel. He didn't look any different from the guy who'd soothed his nightmares the night before - and then remade his bed for him - but Blair was almost afraid to ask in case he had killed Lipton without a second thought. Killing Ventriss, Blair could almost, now, understand that - the urge to protect a threatened Guide and to remove a rogue Sentinel had driven Ellison to destroy the Sentinel once and for all. But, if he'd killed Lipton, it would have been in the cold light of day.

"Sandburg?"

"What did you do to Lipton?" The words were almost blurted out as they forced their way past his fear of the answer.

"Does it matter?" Ellison's voice was detached and flatly disinterested.

"Yes!" Blair pushed himself to his feet and stood over the Sentinel. "Yes, it matters! What did you do to him?"

The Sentinel stood up, his jaw clenching, and Blair took a step back and waited.

Finally the Sentinel answered, "I flogged him."

For a moment, the words didn't quite make sense, then their meaning sank in. "You whipped him?!"

The muscle at the corner of his jaw flexed again, and Blair stared at it, wondering if it was always such a barometer of the man's mood.

"Yes, Sandburg, I whipped him."

"And...and...just what? Threw him out into the street?"

"Doctor Harvey and Karl have taken him to hospital." The muscle was flexing again.

"Well, that's big of you!" Blair shut up as the man grabbed him and shook him slightly.

"Look, Sandburg, he was going to rape you. No one violates a Guide, no one."

"But...whipping?! Jim," Blair put his hands on the Sentinel's arms and felt him relax slightly. "I don't have a problem with him being punished - but why not through the courts, put him in jail?!"

"Because this was a Clan matter. And this is how we do things." The Sentinel stared down at him, his jaw working overtime as Blair pulled away.

"But it's so...archaic!"

"Calm down, Sandburg." Jim's hands were back on his shoulders, holding him still this time.

Blair tried to shrug them off. The warmth was alluring and Blair felt annoyed with himself for wanting to accept the comfort being offered. Why couldn't Jim see how over the top his reaction had been? "Why whip him? Why not something else?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know!" He tried harder to move the hands but Jim tightened his grip and refused to be budged.

"Well, until you do, why don't we stick with what works? He'll never lay a hand on another Guide."

Blair shook his head. "I'm amazed you didn't chop off his hands and have done with it!"

Jim's eyes were rapidly turning icy. "His back will heal. Amputated hands wouldn't."

"And why would that stop you?"

There was a few seconds' pause as Blair regretted what he'd said and Jim's hands tightened with anger.

"I'm sor -"

"If that's what you really think of Sentinels, then maybe this is a mistake." He let go of Blair and stepped back.

Blair didn't even stop to analyse the wrenching sense of loss he was feeling. "A mistake? What's a mistake?"

"Us. Bonding." The muscle was flexing again.

"Y-you don't wanna bond with me? But you need me!"

The glare intensified. "Make no mistake, Sandburg, I don't need anyone!"

"But...Tina -"

"Tina made a mistake."

"It seems like everyone's making mistakes today!" Blair retorted furiously. Damned stupid Sentinel. Okay, He'd been out of line with that comment, but he had tried to apologise. And now that he was changing his mind and thinking maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be too bad to be bonded to Jim - after all, the guy had a sense of humour and, for some reason that he didn't even want to think about, it just felt right to consider being bonded to him - Jim was acting like he didn't even want him!

"Well, this is one I'm not making - you're free to go." Jim grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open. "Show Sandburg out!" he snapped as he stalked past the waiting Sentinel and Guide.

"Senior -"

"Wait a minute!" Blair stalked after him, fuming. The guy had no right to go chasing him around Cascade, save him from a rogue Sentinel, whip the other guy who was going to rape him (and Blair was sure he'd come to terms with that, sooner or later) and then walk off refusing to bond with him. "Stubborn, self-sufficient, son of a bitch!"

Jim stopped and turned around. "What did you just say?"

"Stubborn, self-sufficient, son of a BITCH!" Blair repeated, getting into his Sentinel's face.

The muscle flexed wildly. "Get out while you still can."

"Bite me, Ellison."

The glare narrowed. "Wh-"

"Bite. Me." Blair was determined they were going to bond now if he had to drag the Sentinel into the bonding suite himself. "You know you want to - so give it your best shot. And then I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"You and whose army, Sandburg?"

"Don't need an army, Ellison. I can take you on any day of the week!"

"Well, let's see then, shall we?" Jim growled, grabbing his arm and yanking him towards a nearby door.

Blair allowed himself to be chucked into the bonding suite and waited, foot tapping, while his Sentinel locked the door.

"Okay, now what?" Blair demanded.

"Lie down."

"Fine!" Blair flopped down on the bonding platform and tilted his head back. And waited. Finally, he raised his head and glared at the Sentinel who was standing with his arms folded. "What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"

The Sentinel shook his head and settled down on the bonding platform next to him. "Why are you doing this, Chief?"

"Because there's nothing on the TV. Now get on with it before I die of old age!"

"Fine!" Jim snapped, leaning over him and holding him in place.

Blair stared up at the ceiling. Stubborn, pain in the ass of a Sentinel. And damned Sentinel Clan with their archaic ideas of punishme -

Teeth scraped across his Adam's apple and he lost the thought as a flush of heat spread through him, clouding his mind and making his toes curl.

"Not so talkative now, are you, Chief?" the Sentinel murmured.

Blair tried to speak but all that came out was a repetitive, "Uh," sound that turned into a quiet wail as the Sentinel bit into his throat. He tilted his head back even more as endorphins rushed through his bloodstream and exploded into his brain, shattering his mental barriers.

~'~

The Sentinel growled as he shoved his way through the remnants of his Guide's barriers and invaded his mind. His anger was gone now, and he was determined to claim his Guide beyond any doubt. No one would challenge their bond.

His Guide was gasping as thoughts and memories were exchanged, and the Sentinel gentled his touch, not wanting to hurt his Guide, in spite of the earlier jibing. Scenting harshly at his Guide's neck, the Sentinel smiled as the hand that had been pulling at his shoulder relaxed its grip and fell back to the bonding platform, and his Guide slipped into unconsciousness.

Restraining the urge to roar with triumph, the Sentinel turned his Guide on his side, and spooned up behind him, snuffling at his hair possessively. The Guide was his.

~'~

Edwards put the phone down and tightened his arm around his Guide. All of the Guides had been clingy, for want of a better word, since Lipton was punished.

None of the Sentinels were surprised. Having a Guide violator, even an attempted one, in the Sentinel Suite had raised all their hackles, and the man had been lucky to escape with his life. Of course, Lipton had not considered himself lucky. He'd spent the first few minutes of his punishment screaming that he was going to kill the Senior Sentinel Prime, then the remaining minutes simply screaming.

Not that any of the Guides would have been able to hear his screaming over the roaring of the Sentinels as their Senior Sentinel Prime punished the one who had attacked his Guide.

Edwards tightened his arm again, then relaxed it slightly. Flogging Lipton would send a message to all that violating Guides would not be tolerated. His anger filled him once more and he pushed it down ruthlessly. His Guide was already nervy enough.

"Neds?"

He took a deep breath and kept his voice calm, "Yes, David?"

"Was it bad news?"

Edwards had to think for moment before he remembered the phone call from Captain Banks he'd just taken. "Nothing that the Senior Sentinel Prime can't handle." If Mayor Cartwright, Gregory Dupres and Norman Ventriss thought they'd get to question Ellison's Guide about what happened in the alleyway, they'd soon find that they were mistaken. There had been more than enough Sentinels present to bear witness that the fight had been a fair one. Ventriss was just going to have to deal with the loss of his rapist son, and he'd soon find that relying on his high-powered friends or the media to put pressure on the Cascade Clan was a mistake.

Pushing the thoughts away from him, he concentrated on his Guide. "C'mon, David, we're going to bond."

~'~

This time when Blair woke up to find an arm draped possessively over him, he knew whose it was. And he knew what he'd done.

"So. You regretting it yet, Sandburg?"

Blair shrugged sleepily, his eyes still closed. "Not unless you are."

The arm tightened then relaxed. "I think I can manage to live with it."

He smiled, hearing the teasing tone in his Sentinel's voice. "Good, because I'm not going anywhere."

A knock at the door interrupted them and Jim groaned. "It looks like I'm going somewhere though."

Blair stayed where he was as Jim pushed himself up off the bonding platform and went to the door, then smiled as the door was opened approximately two inches with Jim's body blocking the view of whoever was out there.

A quiet murmur was all he could hear of the conversation, and his eyes slid shut again as sleep tugged at him.

"Chief?"

Forcing his eyes open, Blair looked up.

"Stay here. I won't be long."

Blair frowned, pushing the fog of tiredness away and trying to raise enough energy to get up. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just stay here."

There was something wrong, he knew it. Even ignoring the feelings he was picking up, he would have been able to tell from Jim's face - that muscle was flexing again. He managed to sit up and started a protest, "But -"

"No. Stay here."

The door shut behind him and Blair flopped back on the platform, feeling rather like a bride whose husband has gone fishing on the first day of their honeymoon.

~'~

"Senior Sentinel Prime." Mayor Julius Cartwright was, as always, a busy man but this kind of outrage required his personal attention. Especially as his friends and very important business associates were involved.

"Mayor Cartwright. What brings you here?"

Julius was rather taken aback at that. Surely the Senior Sentinel Prime knew of this terrible occurrence? Drawing himself up to his full height, he intoned impressively, "We are here because of the murder of Mr. Ventriss' son!" One hand gracefully indicated the grieving father at his side.

While not looking shocked, Ellison did raise his eyebrows. "Murder?"

To Julius' intense surprise, it appeared that the Senior Sentinel Prime was not aware of this horrible event. It was fortunate that they had insisted upon seeing him. Briefly, he wondered if the Sentinel were losing his touch and hoped that Sentinel Prime Edwards would be easier to deal with.

"Yes!" Norman's voice shook with his emotion. "Bradley was murdered by an out of control Sentinel - left to die in an alleyway. And all because some Guide claims that Bradley was attacking him. Which is something we all know to be untrue!"

"Do we?"

"Bradley was a Sentinel!" Norman retorted. "He would never have hurt any Guide. Not even one who was attempting to lead him on!"

"So you're saying that this Guide -"

"Must have been working as a prostitute!"

Julius tsked and shook his head. After years of successfully dealing with the Clan he knew that criticising a Guide, even one like this, was a mistake. Fortunately, before he had to speak, Gregory stepped in.

"We don't know that for sure!" Gregory was looking uncomfortable as he shook his head at Norman. "It could simply have been a misunderstanding - but to say that Brad was attempting to attack the Guide is, obviously, ridiculous."

The Senior Sentinel Prime's voice was harsh as he replied, "And yet the Sentinels present will all bear witness to the attempted violation of the Guide."

Julius felt his eyes bulge with shock. Attempted violation? Ellison was making it sound as though he was siding with the Guide's ludicrous version of the event.

"They're lying!" Norman snapped and Julius murmured his agreement. "It's obvious that this Guide has...has colluded with them in some way in an attempt to make himself look like the victim! I demand we see this Guide - and the Sentinel who murdered my son."

"My Guide is resting and will not be disturbed." Ellison replied, even more to Julius' shock. Ellison had bonded with this Guide? "And I am the one who defended my Guide and punished the one who was attempting to violate him."

Julius began to suspect that he'd made a mistake in bringing Norman to see Ellison. He took a step back, subtly signifying that this debacle had little to do with him.

Norman was looking rather white. "You -"

"I defended my Guide. Your son was killed in a fair fight and my Clan will bear witness to that." Ellison's hand snapped out and he took the file Edwards held ready. "Your son, Mr. Ventriss, had been accused of rape on more than one occasion."

Julius tsked again and felt the sweat break out on his forehead. Ventriss had failed to mention that when he insisted that his son had been foully murdered.

"Those allegations were totally false!"

"It's true that Ventriss was never put on trial but it certainly shows that his reputation would bear out my Guide's allegations, even if there weren't several Sentinels and Guides able to corroborate his story." Ellison's glare became grimmer and Julius was glad that he was not on the receiving end of it. "In short, sir, your son attacked my Guide and was killed for it. He was not murdered."

"I demand to speak to the G -"

"I'm sure that we do not wish to cause the Senior Sentinel Prime's Guide any more distress," Julius interrupted, determined to shut Ventriss up before he got them all killed. "It's obvious that a mistake was made." He was glad to see that Gregory was nodding in agreement; it must have occurred to him too that they were in over their heads on this one. Regrettable though Brad's death was, Ventriss would just have to come to terms with it. "And now, we've taken up far too much of your valuable time, Senior Sentinel Prime. My congratulations on your bonding."

"Congratulations?!" Ventriss appeared to choke on the word. "He's bonded to that -"

"Naturally, it is a matter for celebration when the Senior Sentinel Prime bonds." Julius glared at Ventriss, wishing he'd take the hint and shut up about the Guide. With a trickle of unease, Julius realised that he could not even depend upon his status to save him if the Senior Sentinel Prime chose to go primal over the insults offered to his Guide. One of the first things he'd learned in office was that insulting a bonded Guide was a big mistake - and insulting the Sentinel Guide Prime had to be an even bigger one. Glancing over his shoulder at the Sentinels present, Julius gulped. Ellison was looking like a large cat who was more than capable of defending his cub and the other Sentinels weren't looking much more civilised. "Well," he continued, "I think we've taken up more than enough of the Senior Sentinel Prime's time."

"Yes, I agree," Gregory chimed in. He glanced at his watch. "Is that the time? I have a business meeting to get to -"

"Don't you want to see your daughter?" The glint in the Senior Sentinel Prime's eye was unnerving and Julius was more than relieved that he didn't have a daughter who was a Guide.

Gregory looked trapped for a second, his eyes betraying his fear of being cut out from the herd and left to deal with a bunch of predators, then he reasserted his dignity. "Naturally, I'll be only too pleased to see Marianne. And her Sentinel, of course. I'd like to offer them my congratulations."

Ellison glanced over his shoulder. "Edwards."

"This way, Mr. Dupres."

"Well! We need to uh..." Julius glanced around. Ventriss was grinding his teeth but he was, for now, staying silent, thank God. "We'll wait for Gregory downstairs." Leading the way out, Julius sighed with relief as the elevator doors slid shut.

"Juli -"

"Not a word, Norman!" Julius was furious. If he'd had any idea about Brad Ventriss' past he would never have agreed to confront the Senior Sentinel Prime like that. Pulling out his handkerchief, he mopped his forehead. He'd give Gregory fifteen minutes. If he wasn't out by then, he was on his own.

~'~

Jim smiled as the mayor scuttled off to the elevator with Ventriss in tow. From the amount of sweat that had popped into view on the politician's forehead, he'd been regretting coming to the Sentinel Suite for the past five minutes. He'd certainly stank enough of fear.

Shaking his head, the Sentinel went back to the bonding suite. He had his Guide to deal with.

Naturally, Sandburg was still awake when Jim got into the bonding suite, although his eyes were clouded with tiredness and his speech was slightly slurred.

"Everything all right, man?"

"It's fine, Chief." Curling up around his Guide, the Sentinel allowed himself to relax. "Go back to sleep."

"What was wrong?"

"I'll explain later."

"But if it was important -"

"It's been dealt with now. Go to sleep." He smiled as his Guide finally gave in and slid back into unconsciousness, then frowned. He hoped Sandburg wasn't going to be this stubborn all the time.

Part 3.