The Jamie Series #20

Time Will Tell.

by Gillian

Jamie stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he struggled with the laces. Blair manfully resisted going to his aid, fingers itching to help straighten out the knots. Eventually the lad pulled the loop through the gap and tugged it into a drunken bow.

"I did it!" Jamie exclaimed triumphantly.

"Well done!" Blair praised, hugging his son and kissing his shining face. Knowing his duty he examined the bow more closely. "It's perfect," he pronounced.

"I'm gonna show Dad." Jamie raced off, one lace still trailing behind him.

Blair laughed softly under his breath. Jim would now be treated to the sight of Jamie tying the other lace. Sharing parenthood was one of its greatest pleasures.

Later, Blair packed the last of Jamie's lunch in his box and closed the lid tightly. Jim was wiping the counters and Jamie was attempting to dry the last of the breakfast dishes. He rubbed carefully at the frying pan and then slid it up on the bench for his father to hang back up.

"There, that should do you," Blair told him, slipping the lunch box into Jamie's backpack and zipping it closed. "And eat it all this time, okay? Even the apple."

"Okay, Daddy," Jamie said obediently. "Are we going to the street fair with Sean this weekend?"

Jim sighed, but there was a twinkle in his eyes as he ruffled his son's hair. "As we told you the last time you asked, and the time before that, we will go if the weather is nice. Okay?"

"Sean wants to go," Jamie said conversationally, opening his bag and rummaging through it. "He likes the ice cream. But he doesn't like the ginger beer. I like the ginger beer."

Blair listened to the report with curiosity. "Did Sean tell you that, Jamie?"

Jamie nodded, pulling out a scrapbook and ruffling through the pages. "He tells me everything," Jamie reported absently. "We have secrets."

Blair exchanged a look with Jim. Blair sat back onto one of the stools and tugged Jamie until he was standing between his legs. "What sort of secrets, son?" he asked, stroking Jamie's brown hair back from his forehead.

The boy looked uneasy for a moment, and then shrugged. "I don't know," he said uncertainly. "Just stuff."

"Sean is only three, Jamie," Jim said gently. "He doesn't really have that much to say."

"We don't need words to talk, Dad," Jamie said with a big grin. "Sean likes that, he likes it best of all. He likes me best of all, but don't tell the twins, okay?"

Blair opened his mouth to ask another question but a small movement from Jim forestalled him. Trusting his partner's judgment, Blair swallowed the dozens of questions on the tip of his tongue.

They dropped Jamie off at his school, walking him to the door and seeing him into the care of his first grade teacher, Mrs. Monroe. After just two weeks in 'big' school, Jamie was firmly in love with his desk and his lessons. Blair knew Jim gave him the credit for instilling in the boy a love of learning, but in his own opinion it was the result of both their efforts to prepare him for school. Blair's thoughts on his son's education were interrupted by Jim as they drove away.

"Okay, now we can talk. One drawback to having a sentinel son," he joked.

"It was hard enough explaining the white noise generator at night," Blair returned with a wink. "Without us disappearing upstairs to talk about him in the daytime."

Jim nodded, a reminiscent smile on his face. "Don't knock the generators," he ordered. "They are worth every awkward question we get from our inquisitive son."

"The inquisitive he gets from you."

"Not just me," Jim returned. "Those questions this morning were getting awfully close to the bone."

"He raised the subject, Jim," Blair reminded his partner. "I take that to mean he wants to talk about it."

"But only so far. Then he gets that look on his face. I won't push him."

"He's too young to have secrets from us," Blair said, groping to explain how frightened it made him when Jamie grew uneasy.

"He's growing up, beginning to think for himself. He's a smart kid, Blair. When he needs us he knows he can come to us."

"This stuff with Sean worries me," Blair said. "And I know it worries Joel and Angela. As the boys get older it gets more... intense. More noticeable. When Jamie is there Sean doesn't see anyone or anything else."

"And vice versa. Jamie focuses on him to the exclusion of everything else. It's past time we told Joel and Angela about it."

There was silence in the car for a moment as Blair digested this. "Oh, man, I don't look forward to that. How are we going to explain it without sounding crazy?"

"Beats me," Jim said grimly. "I still remember when you told me about this sentinel stuff. You sounded like a nutcase to me, and I was the one it was happening to."

"What do you suppose are these secrets Jamie was talking about?"

Jim shrugged. "Hopefully, just kids stuff. I mean, what else could it be?"

A dozen things came to Blair's mind but he left them unsaid. What was the point in worrying about it?

000

On Saturday morning all their fears seemed overblown and ridiculous. Jamie and Sean greeted each other like long lost friends as usual, but there was nothing sinister about their happy laughter. The twins held their hands as they walked through the closed off street, admiring all the stalls. It was a lovely sunny day.

At lunch they sat in the shade and ate tacos, wiping the dripping sauce from their chins and chatting happily. Jamie and Sean sat together, the older boy helping the younger with the tricky meal. He even held the juice box for Sean as he drank, manipulating the tricky straw for his little friend.

"So, Angela, how's business?" Blair asked, tearing his gaze away from Jamie.

"Good," the redhead answered. "Too good. I just took a job catering for a company downtown. Board meetings and executive dinners. It's a plum job."

"Congratulations," Jim said sincerely. "You deserve it, you've worked hard."

"We had another piece of luck," Joel chimed in. "We finally hired a housekeeper."

"Now that is newsworthy. You've been advertising, what, two months?"

"Longer. Angela has very high standards," Joel said drolly, rolling his eyes.

"That's right, blame me," Angela scolded. "I wasn't the one running background checks on all the applicants on police computers."

"Ixnay!" Joel hissed, winking at his friends. "You want to get me fired?"

"I could support you," Angela said smugly.

"She could too," Joel agreed. "My advice is to marry a wealthy woman and let her keep you in the style to which you are accustomed."

"I'll take that on board," Blair said amiably. Jim winked at him and he repressed the urge to blow a kiss back.

"But tell us about Mrs. Doubtfire?" Jim asked. "What's she like?"

The twins giggled.

"She's no Robin Williams," Joel returned. "But she's a nice lady. Her name is Fontaine, and she's Canadian."

"But we hired her, anyway," Dana smirked, and then exploded into giggles along with her sister.

Angela frowned at her husband. "I know they heard that from you," she said accusingly.

"It was a joke!" Joel defended. He shushed his daughters and ended up tickling them into submission. The girls squealed and wiggled away, demanding shelter behind their mother.

"No Canadian jokes," Angela said sternly. "Mrs. Fontaine is a nice lady and I want her to stay with us for a long time."

"Sean doesn't like her," Jamie interrupted.

The whole group turned to look at him.

"What was that, Jamie?" Joel asked.

Jamie frowned and wrapped an arm around Sean's shoulder. "Sean doesn't like her," he repeated. "He says she's mean."

"Now, Jamie, I'm sure he didn't say any such thing," Angela said gently. "Sean barely met her."

Jamie looked mutinous. "He told me so," the boy said.

"Jamie," Jim warned. "That's enough."

Jamie whispered something in Sean's ear. Sean's face cleared and he stood up. "Ice cream now?" he asked hopefully.

Jim was looking stunned and Blair answered for him. "I think I'm ready for some ice cream myself," he said quickly. "Let's go get some, hmm?"

Angela looked like she wanted to pursue the subject but Joel seemed unconcerned, wrapping up their lunch leftovers and stuffing them into the nearest trash bin. They strolled along to the ice cream van and ordered cones for everyone.

"What's wrong?" Blair asked Jim, the moment he had a chance.

Jim's face was white as he absently licked his cone. "Remind me again that Jamie is only five and Sean is just three," he croaked.

"What?"

"I was listening when Jamie whispered in Sean's ear," Jim said tightly. "He said, 'It's okay, Sean. I'll take care of you.'"

Blair felt a frisson of shock go through him. "He said that?"

Jim nodded. "We need to talk to Jamie, Blair. You were right. I don't want to force him but this is getting out of hand. They're children - Sean is just a baby. I don't want them worrying about things beyond their understanding."

"Jamie has always been mature for his years," Blair said mournfully. "I assume it comes from being able to hear so much around him that was never meant for a child's ears." Blair looked at Jim somberly. "I picture you being just the same at that age."

Jim thought about it for a moment. "Yeah," he agreed. "I was a serious kid. I heard every one of my mom and dad's arguments in way more detail than I wanted. I grew up shielding Steven from the worst of it."

"And that's the kind of role Jamie is assuming now," Blair guessed. "Sean's big brother and protector. Maybe they are even playing out those roles with this babysitter thing. Inventing a threat the way lion cubs will play out hunting and stalking their prey."

Jim was staring at him, and Blair paused defensively. "What?"

"Don't get carried away, Chief, okay? We have enough problems right now."

"Tell me about it," Blair muttered.

000

They waited until after dinner that night to broach the subject with Jamie. The boy was sprawled on the rug scribbling industriously in his drawing book, trademark tongue tip protruding from the corner of his mouth.

Blair came and sat cross-legged on the mat next to his son.

"Hey, Jamie," he began.

The lad looked up, crayon poised.

"You want to put that away for a few minutes? Dad and I need to talk to you."

"Okay," Jamie said obediently. He carefully tucked his crayons into their box and then wriggled over onto Blair's lap. Jim sat down on the rug in his place.

"Jamie," he began. "We want to talk to you about something important. You kind of know what it is already."

Blair sat Jamie on his knee and smiled down into his face. "It's nothing bad, son," he assured him. "In fact it's pretty wonderful."

"Uh-huh," Jamie nodded.

"Remember when you went to school, and we told you about not showing off your special gifts?" Jim asked him.

Jamie nodded. "I can see further than anyone else," he boasted.

"Yes, you can," Blair agreed. "What else can you do, do you remember?"

Jamie thought hard. "I can hear what people are saying when I'm not s'posed to," he recalled.

"That's right," Jim praised. "Do you remember why we told you not to show off about it?"

"Um..." Jamie looked puzzled. "I forget," he said sheepishly.

Blair smiled and beeped his nose. "Because it's not polite to spy on people," he said playfully. He tickled Jamie and cuddled him when he giggled and wiggled. "You remember now?"

Jamie nodded. "Because no one else can do it, it's not fair if I do it all the time," he recalled. "But I don't know why everyone else can't do it? Why is that, Daddy?"

Blair looked at Jim for support. His partner nodded at him.

"Because everyone in the world is different, Jamie," Blair explained gently. "I have long hair and Dad has short hair, you see?" He picked up one curl and then reached out to touch Jim's short locks.

"Uh-huh."

"And Sean and the twins have dark skin and ours is lighter."

"Sean's is like mine," Jamie said happily, holding out his hand.

"That's right. No two people are exactly the same. We are all different."

Jim took over. "And you being able to hear and see better than other people is one of those differences. Do you understand?"

Jamie looked thoughtful. "Is it okay?" he asked.

Blair hugged him close. "It's wonderful," he assured him firmly. "It makes you very special. You know that, don't you?"

Jamie nodded. "I'm a good boy," he said proudly.

"Yes, you are," Jim said, looking right into his eyes and smiling. "You're our best boy, aren't you?" He held out his arms and Jamie crawled into them, wrapping his arms around his father's strong neck. Blair pulled his T-shirt straight at the back and patted him gently.

"There aren't many people as special as you, Jamie," Jim told him. "People who can hear and see and taste and smell the way you can."

Jamie toyed with his father's collar. "Just us, Dad?" he asked.

Jim looked up at Blair in surprise. Speechless, Blair stared back.

"Us?" Jim questioned.

Jamie shrugged. "We can hear best of all, can't we, Dad?"

Blair realized Jim had no idea what to say. Jamie didn't seem to notice his dad's bewilderment, he was content to lean on the broad shoulder next to him and fiddle with the collar.

"Yes," Jim finally managed to choke out. "Just us."

"You're called a sentinel, Jamie," Blair said calmly. "And Dad is a sentinel, too."

"Can you say sentinel, Jamie?" Jim asked.

"Sentinel," Jamie said. "What's that, Dad?"

"It's a person who sees and hears the way we do."

Jamie frowned and then looked uneasy. "Is Sean a sentinel too, Dad?"

Blair hated that look in his son's eyes. He took Jamie's chin gently between his fingers ands turned his face to him. "What's the matter, piglet?" he asked quietly. "What's making you unhappy?"

Jamie's face grew sad. "I miss Sean," he said tearfully. "I want him and he's not here." Crystal tears pooled and spilled down Jamie's downy cheeks. "I can hear him in my head sometimes, but he's far away."

Jim cuddled Jamie to him, distress in his eyes. "I hate this," he said clearly to Blair.

"He's all right, aren't you, piglet?" Blair said bracingly, wrapping one of his arms around his family. "It's okay to cry when you're sad, and you're sad now, aren't you, Jamie?"

Jamie lifted his head and nodded. His cheeks were wet and he sniffed.

"And it's okay to miss Sean," Blair assured him. "I'd miss your Dad if he wasn't here. We will try and make sure you and Sean spend more time together, okay?"

Jamie nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

"But even if we can't, you mustn't be so sad about it. Sean is fine with his mom and dad. They love him very much and they will look after him."

"I look after him, too," Jamie pointed out.

"Yes, you do," Blair agreed. "But when you're not there you can trust his mom and dad to do it. Okay?"

Jim kissed Jamie's wet cheeks. "Okay, piglet?"

"Okay," the boy returned.

"Jamie?" Blair began. Jim shook his head.

"That's enough, Blair," he said bluntly. "Enough for today."

Blair studied the two unhappy faces and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Enough for today. Why don't we all go out and get ice cream?"

Jamie's face brightened immediately. "Ice cream," he agreed.

"Sounds good."

000

"I'm beginning to see my dad's point of view over all this," Jim said to Blair half an hour later over a banana split.

"Just lock it all away you mean?" Blair said reasonably, savoring a spoonful of rich vanilla. "Ignore your instincts, close off the very core of your being?"

Jim smiled wryly. "Well, if you put it like that."

"I do. Jamie has a gift, Jim. It will be a burden sometimes, but it is a gift." Blair broke off when a curious expression crossed his partner's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jim said with a odd laugh. "I agree with you, Chief. I couldn't have said it better myself. It doesn't make it any easier at times like these."

Blair nodded at Jamie who was happily devouring a chocolate sundae. "He's okay, Jim," he said confidently.

"This thing with S-E-A-N," Jim spelled, with a glance at his son. "That is what worries me. Why did this happen? Finding a guide when they are both so young?"

Blair shrugged. "Maybe this is the way it is in a tribal situation, Jim. The way it's meant to be. Maybe you had a guide as a boy? Someone you made a connection with?"

Jim thought hard for long moments. He shook his head. "I may have blocked out a few things, but I'm sure I would have remembered that."

"I thought Bud..." Blair ventured.

Jim shook his head firmly. "No. He was a father figure to me. A mentor, like you said once. But he was not my guide."

"Okay, so maybe if you had had a guide you wouldn't have suppressed your abilities?" Blair supposed. "Maybe S-E-A-N plays a vital role in a young sentinel's development?"

"But what about this stuff about hearing him in his head?" Jim said lowly. "I have had two guides, Blair. You and Incacha. I never heard either of you in my head."

"Well, I think we can take that with a grain of salt, Jim," Blair said thoughtfully. "Jamie is a very little boy, and he's very attached to Se... I mean... You know who I mean. He's very attached to him. Maybe it's his imagination?"

"And maybe it isn't?" Jim said uneasily.

"Maybe," Blair allowed. "Like you said once, we will all learn this together."

"I thought you were the one who said that?"

Blair grinned and snatched the cherry off the banana split.

"You'll pay for that later," Jim promised.

Blair winked saucily, but despite their banter he knew Jim was just as concerned as he was. The first hurdle had been cleared. Jamie was aware that he was different and he was ready to learn. But there was a lot more to come.

000

At 1.00 PM the phone rang in Blair's office, and he answered absently.

"Sandburg."

"Mr. Sandburg? It's Madeline Jones from Layton School."

Blair sat up straight, his heart beginning to pound. "Yes? Is Jamie okay?"

"Not exactly, Mr. Sandburg," Ms. Jones said uncertainly. "He's not hurt," she hurried to explain. "But during recess he just went into hysterics. We have him a little calmer now but he's very distressed."

Blair was already standing, reaching for his coat. "I will be right over," he promised, hanging up the phone and hurrying to his car. He had already dialed Jim's number on his mobile before he remembered his partner was tied up in court all day.

He reached the school in record time and rang the buzzer at the front gate. A private school would not have been Blair's first choice for Jamie, but in the end they had chosen Layton School for Jamie because of its security as well as its excellent academic record. Madeline Jones met him at the front door after he was buzzed through.

"Mr. Sandburg," she said briskly, not wasting any time. "Jamie is in the nurse's office."

"You didn't give him any medication, did you?" Blair asked sharply.

"Of course not," Ms. Jones assured him, leading the way. "We wouldn't do that, anyway, but your instructions were very specific." The principal opened the door marked 'Nurse', and Blair hurried inside.

Jamie was sitting in an armchair, face buried in his upraised knees. As soon as Blair entered the room he looked up.

"Daddy!" He called, scrambling down and running over. "Baby Sean, Daddy! I have to go to Sean!"

Blair gathered his son up and perched him on his hip. "What is it, Jamie?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Now, Daddy," Jamie said urgently. "Baby Sean now!"

"We have no idea what triggered this," Madeline Jones said anxiously. "His teacher said he was playing nicely with his friends and then he suddenly started wailing."

Coming to a sudden decision Blair turned to the door. "I will take care of this," he said firmly. "I'll pick up his things tomorrow."

The principal followed them to the front gate, obviously anxious. Jamie was silent now, clinging grimly to his father's jacket as if someone would try to snatch him away.

"It's all right, Jamie," Blair assured his son as he buckled him into the front seat. "We will get you to Sean."

Blair dialed the phone again as he drove, following his instincts. "Joel?"

"Blair? What's up?"

"Joel, I'm not sure exactly how to say this. Is Sean at home?"

"Sean?" Joel asked in a puzzled tone. "Yes, he's at home with Mrs. Fontaine. What's wrong, Blair?"

Blair took a deep breath. "I need you to trust me on this, Joel, okay? I need you to go home right now. I am on my way there as we speak."

Joel's voice was deadly serious now. "Blair, has there been some kind of threat made against my son?"

Blair shot a look at Jamie sitting next to him. The boy's anxious gaze was fixed firmly on him.

"No, Joel. No threat has been made. But I think there may be trouble. Will you trust me, Joel?"

Joel breathed heavily down the line for long moments. "I trust you, Blair," he said at last. "But I better hear some damn good explanations when I see you."

"Yeah, I hope I have some for you," Blair muttered as he closed up the phone. "Jamie? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I need to look after Sean, Daddy," Jamie said impatiently.

"How do you know, Jamie?" Blair pressed. "How do you know you need to look after him right now?"

Jamie groped for words. "I just know, Daddy," he tried to explain. "Inside my head. Sean is crying."

Later, Blair would tell himself he was too well trained by his sentinel partner when it came to responding instantly to urgency. In hindsight, it seemed amazing to him that he took a five-year-old's anxiety seriously enough to drag Captain Taggert from his police station and worry him. Let alone to kick down the Taggert's front door.

But that is what he did.

With Jamie behind him clutching his coat, Blair made an executive decision. If Sean was having trouble with his 'mean' housekeeper then this was the only way he would be able to catch her in the act. Assuming there was an act to catch. If he was wrong, well, he would apologize and pay for the door. If he was right...

Blair looked down into his son's anxious eyes and crouched, kissing his face. "It's all right, son," he assured him. "Stand back."

Once the lad was out of the way Blair kicked the front door open.

Blair wasted no time once inside the house. Clutching his son's hand he rushed to the living room, pushing open the door. The sight that greeted him was one he would remember all his life.

Sean was lying in front of the television set on the floor. His hands and feet were tied with scarves. The gorge rose in Blair's throat, but he choked it back as Jamie rushed over to his friend, crooning anxiously.

"Oh my god," Blair whispered as he hurried over and crouched down. "Oh, baby. Oh, Sean."

Sean lifted his head as Jamie awkwardly embraced him, his slanted jade eyes swollen and red. "Jamie," he sobbed.

Blair was struggling with the scarves binding the boy's feet when suddenly the door to the kitchen sprang open.

"What the hell is going on here?" A middle-aged woman with gray hair in a stylish bob stood swaying in the doorway.

Jamie put his arms over Sean and literally growled in his throat. This sound coming from his son was enough to turn Blair's horror to blinding rage in a moment. He pulled the scarf free and climbed to his feet, stalking towards the woman.

"What's going on here?!" he roared, shaking the crumpled scarf in her face. "Assault is going on here, you freak!"

The woman clutched her throat. "How dare you burst in here?" she breathed. "Get out at once or I will call the police."

Feeling as if his head was going to explode with rage, Blair clenched his fists. At that moment, Joel spoke from behind him.

"I am the police," he said quietly. Blair swung around to face the captain, seeing the big man's gaze on his son. Joel's eyes widened in horror and then grew as hard and cold as ice. He took one step towards the woman and she fell back, her face whitening.

Blair quickly scooped Sean up and stepped between the policeman and his prey. "Take care of your son, Joel," he said urgently. "Take care of Sean!"

Joel relaxed his big fists and took his son from Blair's arms. He cuddled him close, hands running anxiously over his little body and ending where his wrists were still tied. Jamie pressed close to his side, keeping one hand on Sean's leg.

"Mr. Taggert," the woman said faintly. "This is not what it looks like."

"Shut her up," Joel said in a preoccupied voice, fumbling with a knot.

"I'll call Simon," Blair offered, his heart still pounding in his chest. Joel sat and struggled with his son's bonds, Jamie still pressed against him.

"I didn't hurt him," the woman protested. "I--"

"Shut her up!" Taggert shouted, and Blair grabbed her by one arm and hauled her from the room.

The kitchen TV was blaring and a half full bottle of liquor sat on the table by an empty glass. Blair took this in contemptuously as he dialed the police station. "Simon Banks, please," he requested.

The woman sat at the table with her hands clenched in front of her while Blair completed the call to an appalled Simon.

"I want a lawyer," she muttered.

"I don't care what you want," Blair said callously, hanging up. "You just assaulted the son of a police captain, lady. You will be lucky if they don't lock you up and throw away the key."

The woman stumbled to her feet. "I'm getting out of here," she sobbed.

Blair pushed her back down in the chair and towered over her, clearly smelling the whisky on her breath. "Stay where you are," he said in a deadly tone. "I have been known to punch women when necessary. And right now it wouldn't take much for me to smash your nose all over your face."

The woman seemed to curl into herself. She didn't say another word.

The cops arrived in minutes and Blair gladly turned his charge over to them, anxious to return to his son. Joel was sitting where he had left him, Sean on one knee and Jamie on the other. The older boy was holding Sean's hand.

Blair crouched down next to his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, big guy?"

"I can't believe this," Joel said dully. "I can't believe I let my boy down like this. How long has she been doing this to him?"

"Oh, man," Blair breathed. He perched on the arm of the chair and wrapped an arm around Joel's shoulders. "This is not your fault," he said firmly.

"I checked her out, Blair," Joel told him flatly. "She had references. I checked."

"Joel," Blair said firmly, waiting until the big man was looking at him. "This is not your fault," he said clearly. "Sometimes we just have to trust our children to people. We don't have a choice."

Joel swallowed and nodded. "I've called Sean's doctor; he's coming here. And, Angela..." Joel's voice broke on his wife's name and he buried his face in Sean's red curls.

Blair reached down and lifted Jamie into his arms. The boy clung to Sean's hand for a moment and then surrendered it, cuddling into his father's embrace. Simon walked into the room and Blair turned to him.

"Sandburg," the captain said quietly. "We need to talk."

000

An hour later Blair sat on the patio with Jamie, trying to keep out of the way. The housekeeper was gone, hauled out of the house by the uniformed cops half an hour before. Angela had arrived at the same time as the doctor and they had carried Sean upstairs for a quick examination. The doctor had declared that Sean was unharmed, at least physically.

"Sean?" Jamie asked.

Blair studied his small son's face with a kind of awe. Jamie was five years old, and a little small for his age. His eyes were wide and brown, and his dark skin was still baby soft and smooth. Unruly umber hair tumbled onto his brow and Blair automatically smoothed it back in an old, loving gesture.

"Sean is going to be just fine, thanks to you, Jamie."

"That bad lady is gone," Jamie said in satisfaction.

"Yes, and she's never coming back." Blair stroked his son's round cheek. "Does Sean know that, Jamie? Does he know he's safe now?"

Without hesitation the little lad nodded. "Sean is with his mom and dad," he explained. "He's happy now. Daddy?"

"Yes, son?"

"Why?"

Blair sighed and heaved a long breath. "Oh, Jamie. I don't know why. I wish I could explain it to you."

Jamie looked at his father with innocent eyes.

"I promised you that Sean was being protected, didn't I? How can I make you understand that even grown-ups can't fix everything?" Blair took his son's hands. "All you know is that your guide was in danger, don't you?"

"What's a guide?"

Blair jumped and turned around. Joel was standing in the doorway.

"I..." Blair stuttered.

Joel interrupted him. "I think you and I need to have a long talk," he said somberly. "You and I and Jim and Angela."

"Jim will be here soon," Blair informed him. "Unless you need more time?"

"I need answers, Blair."

000

Angela entered the silent room and sat down next to Joel. "The girls are staying at their friend's house," she explained wearily. "The boys are asleep." She leaned against her husband's strong shoulder. "What a day," she sighed.

"It wasn't your fault," Blair repeated. Jim was sitting next to him on the couch, holding his hand.

"No?" Angela sighed. "Tell that to my guilty conscience, which is telling me that a mother should be at home with her children."

Joel squeezed her hand. "They're my children, too," he said firmly. "And we have only been trying to do our best for them."

"How did she think she would get away with it?" Angela said incredulously. "Either of us could have dropped in anytime during the day and caught her."

"I gather once she had drunk enough she wasn't thinking too clearly," Jim inserted. "She just didn't want to be bothered by an active toddler."

"So she tied him up," Angela moaned, putting her hand over her mouth. "My god. I suppose we're lucky she didn't drug him. You hear such horror stories but you never believe they can happen to you."

"Thank god I didn't walk in and find her," Joel swore, "Or I would have killed her."

"Justifiable homicide," Jim told him. "No court in the country would have convicted you."

"I guess what we want to know now is how you knew to come here, Blair?" Joel asked. "How is it you came here today and kicked my door down?"

"You kicked the door down?" Jim asked in astonishment.

"Not down," Blair said, embarrassed. "Just in." He looked at Joel and Angela, and then at Jim. "It's time to tell you guys just exactly what Jim and I think is going on," he said. "But I can't start with today, we need to go back a little further."

"It starts with me," Jim said, taking over the explanation. "I don't know if you remember, Joel, back during the Switchman case?"

"That's going back a few years now."

"A little over six years. I had some problems with my senses and I needed to take some time off."

"I do remember that," Joel recalled. "Problems with your senses?"

"Blair describes them as 'hyperactive'. It basically means they are more acute than 'normal'." Jim shrugged. "Before I understood what was happening to me, I was pretty scared."

"Describe acute?" Joel demanded shrewdly. Jim looked at Blair speechlessly.

"Roughly ten times as acute as our own, Joel," Blair ventured. "More in optimum conditions. Jim can hear someone in the next room or on the next floor. He can see for a mile if the weather is clear. He can detect substances by scent, and sort though hundreds of different scents to locate or identify." Blair shrugged. "There's more if you want to hear it."

"You have to be joking with this," Joel said faintly.

Jim shook his head. "No joke, Joel."

Angela looked back and forth between the two men. "I don't understand this," she said blankly. "Why are you telling us this nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense," Blair said firmly. "It's perfectly natural."

"Natural?" Joel repeated incredulously, standing up and looming over them. "You're saying you are some kind of super-hero? What does that make Blair? Your sidekick?"

Jim raised an eyebrow at his partner. Blair sighed.

"This is not going well," he muttered. "Look, guys. This is us, okay? Blair and Jim. Friends?"

Joel sat down, looking a little shame-faced. "I'm sorry," he said. "But you've got to admit, this sounds... pretty weird."

"To say the least," Jim acknowledged. "But it isn't weird, Joel. Just rare."

"And for the record, I'm not Jim's sidekick." Blair interjected. "I'm his guide."

"You used that word before," Joel pounced. "You called Sean Jamie's guide. What does it mean?"

"I can only tell you what Blair is to me," Jim said slowly. "He's my connection to the world. When my senses become a burden, when I begin to feel cut off from everything I once took for granted, Blair is there to center and ground me. He sees all this from the outside and so he sees it clearly. He is my... anchor."

Blair felt tears of emotion clog his throat. He squeezed Jim's hand as hard as he could.

"These senses? They're that acute?" Joel asked seriously. Blair sensed he was starting to accept this part of what they were telling him. "I suppose it does explain a lot about your cases over the years," Joel conceded.

Angela was still looking bewildered. "But what does this have to do with Sean?" she beseeched.

"This is where it gets a little strange," Blair returned. "Jamie is like Jim. He has the same acute senses. Burton called them sentinels."

"Sentinels," Angela repeated.

"You think Sean is Jamie's guide, don't you?" Joel asked shrewdly.

"That's crazy," Angela said in a sharp voice. "Sean is just a baby. They don't mean that, Joel." She turned to Jim and Blair. "Do you?"

Blair exchanged a look with Jim. "We don't know, Angela, not for sure. But we have all seen the bond the boys share."

"Right now you know what we know," Jim interjected. "We can only play it by ear from here."

"We can do more than that," Angela said tightly. She stood up and paced across the floor restlessly. "We can nip this in the bud, split them up right now."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Blair said uneasily. "We shouldn't have discussed this tonight," he continued. "Everyone is overwrought."

"Damn right we are," Angela said shrilly. "You tell us this crazy story about our baby and expect us to just accept it? What comes next?" she demanded. "Do you want to arrange a marriage for them?"

Joel jumped up and drew his wife to him. "It's okay, honey," he whispered. "Shh, it's okay."

Blair leaned against Jim's shoulder sadly. He supposed it was too much to hope for, that the Taggerts would just take this all in their stride.

"I'm sorry," Angela said, drawing back from her husband's broad shoulder and wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't have made that last remark."

"We should have saved this discussion for later," Blair said gently.

"That's my fault," Joel said, sitting down and tugging Angela down gently after him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I had to know what brought Blair here today." He turned to Blair. "It was Jamie, wasn't it?"

"He knew Sean was in trouble," Blair said simply. "You might remember that, when all this looks frightening. Jamie feels the need to protect Sean. That can't be a bad thing."

"They are children," Angela protested, eyes still wet. "All this stuff about guides and protecting? It's too much for such little boys. I want my son to have a normal childhood."

"It hasn't been too abnormal so far," Blair pointed out. "Jamie and Sean are normal, happy little boys. Our job as parents is to make sure they continue that way, whatever else happens."

Angela shook her head. "I'm not going to lie to you about this. I don't like the idea that something is happening to my boy that I can't control."

"We can't control everything," Joel reminded her. "We thought we were in control when we hired Fontaine."

"But this bond?" Angela said, turning to her husband. "It's too much for such a little boy to handle. I think we should just try to wean them away from each other now."

"Why?" Blair asked simply. He stood up and crossed the floor, sitting next to Angela. "What have they done to deserve being punished, Angela? And never doubt, it would be punishment to split them up."

"They love each other," Jim said gently. "Is that what you are trying to protect them from?"

Angela opened her mouth and then closed it again.

"Or is it your own fear of the unknown?" Blair asked.

"Or maybe it's the fear that they might really turn out like us?" Jim said, his eyes growing harder. "Because Blair and I are lovers, are you afraid Jamie and Sean's destiny is already mapped out for them?"

Angela blushed slightly. "I suppose I asked for that with my arranged marriage crack," she acknowledged. "And yes, while we are being honest, I will admit I thought of it. It's a cold and hard world out there at the best of times. Allow me to worry about my son becoming more of an outsider than he will be anyway?"

Joel held his wife close. "You don't have to justify yourself to anyone," he said fiercely.

Now it was Jim's turn to blush. "You're right," he said. "I'm sorry, Angela."

Angela studied Jim for long moments, before finally holding out her free hand to him. Jim crossed the room and took her hand, sitting down on the edge of the coffee table.

"Nothing is certain in this world," Blair said softly. "We can't protect our children from the harsher side of life. Our boys will face racism and bigotry. They will face the unreasoning wickedness of some people, and the unthinking hatred of others."

Jim shook his head sadly and squeezed Angela's hand. "We can't even protect them from the grief of loss they would feel if something happened to either of them. But do we really have the right to split them up? I can only tell you what losing Blair would do to me. I don't want to put my son through that."

"Your son is the sentinel," Angela pointed out. "I'm sorry, Jim. I love Jamie, but I have to think of my son now. Do you really think it would affect Sean that much? He's a little boy, and little children forget."

"He is your son, Angela," Blair said pointedly. "You tell us, how would it affect Sean?"

Angela drew in a deep breath. "I think he would cope," she said.

"Do you really?" Joel asked softly. All eyes turned to him. "Do you really, Angie?"

Angela looked at Joel accusingly. "I think I know my son, Joel."

"I know you do," Joel agreed. "But I know what I saw today, love. Jamie protecting Sean as fiercely as any tiger would her cub. Be honest now, if it wasn't for all this sentinel stuff, all you would be feeling now was gratitude. Who knows how long this situation with that mad woman would have gone on without this?"

Angela closed her eyes briefly.

"Jamie saved him," Joel pressed on ruthlessly. "Whatever we decide to do, we must take that into account."

Angela rubbed her brow wearily. "I suppose so," she conceded softly.

"What do you want to do, Joel?" Blair asked, respecting his friend's opinion.

"Play it by ear," the big man suggested. "Monitor the situation closely."

"Which is pretty much what we have been doing since we began to suspect this," Jim added.

"Nice of you to share it with us," Angela said tartly.

"Would you have believed us?" Blair asked simply.

"I'm still not sure I do now," she muttered. "You know what, guys? I need alcohol."

Jim snickered and Joel joined him. Angela stared at them for a long moment and then reluctantly smiled. "And heaps of it," she added.

"Sounds like a plan."

000

Joel carried the beer, leading the way out onto the patio.

"I'll leave the door open in case they wake up," Angela said. She stopped and looked at Jim. "I suppose you would hear them anyway, wouldn't you?" she asked curiously.

Jim nodded. "No problem."

"This could take some getting used to." Angela frowned. "I am just trying to remember if I have whispered anything about you behind your back."

"I don't eavesdrop," Jim informed them. "Unless I'm working on a case or lives are at stake."

"Whew," Joel said, pantomiming relief. He handed out the beers and flicked the lid off his own. Drawing deeply from the bottle, he relaxed back on one of the comfy chairs, groaning out a sigh. "So, that's it, is it?" he asked. "No more surprises to spring on us?"

"There's that whole 'heir to the throne of an alien kingdom' thing," Blair said easily. "But that can wait until they are older."

Angela threw her bottle cap at him. "No joking," she ordered. "I am feeling fragile."

"Sean will be okay," Blair assured her confidently. "He's young and resilient. Jamie assured me he knew the bad lady was gone and that he was safe with you two."

Angela looked surprised and then a little embarrassed. "I have to admit I'm a little..." she trailed off. "It sounds silly," she said self-consciously.

"You mean you're jealous?" Blair ventured.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. Angela nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "You too?"

"Blair?" Jim frowned.

"Yeah, I've been jealous on occasion," Blair admitted. "Jamie and Jim have this whole sentinel thing to share, so I've always been a little left out of that." He shrugged. "Knowing Jamie has this special bond with Sean makes me feel a little further outside. Parents have to stand aside a little as their kids grow up, but I thought I would have my boy to myself a little longer."

"That's it!" Angela said. "That's just what I'm feeling!"

"Then you are both nuts," Jim retorted. "Those little ones still need you both. Never think they don't. This bond may be a bit more than any of us expected, but it doesn't change Jamie and Sean."

"Of course it doesn't!" Joel agreed. "All we have to do is give them a bit more time together. Knowing they will see each other regularly may ease any separation anxiety they might feel."

Blair nodded approvingly. "I agree."

"Maybe you could think about sending Sean to the Layton School when he's ready?" Jim suggested.

"We talked about that before," Joel said with interest, nodding at Angela, who attempted a smile back. "What's it like?"

"We've been really happy with it so far," Jim began eagerly.

Blair sat back and watched his lover and his friends chatting, sensing the atmosphere easing a little as acceptance and curiosity began to win over the fear of the unknown. Angela was far from happy, but Blair was hoping time would tell on this one. Surely once she began to see how positive the boy's relationship was, she would come to terms with it?

Blair shut his mind to any suspicion that the relationship might not always be positive. As always, time, and time alone, would tell.

Epilogue.

"Don't run too far ahead," Jim called.

"Okay." Jamie's voice drifted back to them.

"Can you believe this weather?" Blair said happily, gesturing at the bright blue arc of the sky above them.

"Hmm," Jim grunted. "I still think we should have tried out the batting cages." He mimed swinging a baseball bat.

"Get over it, Jim," Blair said heartlessly. "You and Jamie will have plenty of time to try out his new glove when it's not his day with Sean."

"I guess," Jim conceded. "Besides, at three, Sean has the hand/eye co-ordination of a beanie baby."

Blair patted Jim's arm. "Give it another few years, partner, and we can buy out the sporting store with those kids."

Jim brightened at the thought. "Yeah."

"Dad! Dad!" Jamie yelled. They looked up to see the lad running towards them, little legs pumping. Sean followed close behind, his dark red curls streaming out behind him as he ran.

"What?" Jim said, smiling at the sight.

Jamie skidded to a halt before them. "Dad, there's a red train over there," he panted.

"Twain," Sean agreed, nodding 'til his curls flopped.

Jamie's eyes were wide with wonder. "And people are riding in it," he finished in an awed whisper.

"In it," Sean insisted.

"You're kidding?" Jim opened his own eyes wide.

"Come and see it, Dad," Jamie said, tugging at his father's big hand.

"Come see," Sean added, grabbing the other hand.

Jim allowed himself to be towed away. "Coming?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Right behind you," Blair chuckled.

Later, he sat with the boys while Jim pulled his usual cone duty. Sean sat next to him at a park table, and Jamie took a seat opposite. The older boy was kneeling on his bench seat, elbows on the table as he leaned over, lecturing Sean about the red train.

"Sit down, Jamie," Blair ordered. "Sean was there, he knows about the train."

"I was just remindin' him," Jamie huffed, sitting back down.

Sean crawled up onto Blair's lap and the young man sat him comfortably on one knee. "Twain," the toddler lisped.

"It was a wonderful train, wasn't it?" Blair said, smiling down into his shining green eyes. Unable to resist, he dropped a kiss on a snub, brown nose. "Wuv you," Sean said shyly, resting his forehead against Blair's.

"I love you, too, Sean," Blair said, touched.

"Daddy?" Jamie was leaning against his side. "Can I sit up too?"

"I think there's room," Blair said, lifting Jamie one-handed and perching him on his free knee.

"I have a secret," Jamie said.

Blair obligingly bent his head.

"I love you, too," Jamie whispered.

Blair put his lips to his son's ear. "I love you best of all" he whispered.

Jamie beamed.

"And look." Blair nodded down the path. Jim was approaching, four cones in his hands.

"Ice cream!" Jamie cheered.

"I' cream!" Sean echoed.

Jim handed out the cones to the eager boys and sat next to Blair.

"I have a secret," Blair murmured as the boys tucked in.

"Is it the same as Jamie's secret?" Jim asked, eyes twinkling.

Blair frowned. "Eavesdropper," he accused.

"I didn't know such serious secrets were being bandied about," Jim defended.

Blair grinned and leaned closer, dropping a sly kiss on Jim's ear. "I love you best of all, too."

The End.

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