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The Jamie Series #22 A Young Sentinel.
Jamie crawled along the stone balcony on his belly, wriggling around the corner and onto the stone roof top. "I'm getting my shirt dirty," he whispered over his shoulder. "Dad's gonna kill me." "Will you forget your shirt," Sean hissed. "We are on a mission here." "I know, I know," Jamie returned, dragging himself to the edge of the roof and peering over into the alley below. The university building was only about three stories high so the vista wasn't that vast. "You were right, we can see okay from up here." "Cool," Sean whispered, joining him. He stuck his head through the stone balustrade and craned his neck to get a good view. "Get back in here," Jamie admonished, dragging the nine year old back onto the roof top by the seat of his long baggy shorts. "If you fall on your head, Dana will kill me." "Stop talking like you're my babysitter, Jamie," Sean said in annoyance. "Shh," Jamie said quickly. "Someone's coming." The door to the alley was opening and a lady in a pink apron was walking out carrying two big plastic bags. "It's Mrs. Cliff," Sean confirmed. He looked speculative. "What did she have for lunch?" "What does that matter?" Jamie asked in exasperation. Sean looked offended. "It might be important." He looked down at the hapless Mrs. Cliff darkly. "For all you know she's behind all this." "You're still mad because she chased you out of her cleaning closet with a broom." Sean poked out a tongue still stained blue from his popsicle. "If you can't tell what she had for lunch, Jamie, just say so." Jamie crossed his eyes and huffed a sigh. "All right, slave driver. I don't know who died and made you think you were the boss of me." He looked down at the lady dumping the bags in the big plastic bin and narrowed his eyes. "Tuna sandwiches," he said. "With mayonnaise." "Hmm," Sean looked suspicious. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Jamie looked smug and Sean huffed a sigh. "All right, I'll admit Mrs. Cliff probably isn't selling drugs, but she's still pretty suspicious." "You can't stand anyone who doesn't fall for your Taggert charm." Jamie flicked back his long reddish plait and winked one jade green eye. "You must admit, it's rare." "There's a car coming," Jamie murmured. The two boys ducked down and watched as a dark-grey van swept up to the back door and sat purring in the alley. The front door opened and a young woman in a short skirt climbed out. She walked briskly to the back door, slipping inside with ease. "Now that's suspicious," Sean said curiously. "Just don't ask me what she had for lunch," Jamie whispered. "She stinks of perfume. I'm surprised you can't smell it from here." "Is there anyone else in the van?" Jamie frowned, concentrating hard. "Shh."
Sean stayed silent, dividing his attention between the car and his young partner. "We have to get down to the alley," Jamie said quietly, backing up and shinnying down to the little roof’s doors. Sean followed him without a word. Once down the roof stairs they ran down to the ground floor, emerging breathless out of the front door. Sean could bear the mystery of their actions no longer. "What's up?" "They're talking about a little kid," Jamie panted. "I can't tell exactly what's going on, but it doesn't sound good." "But what do you want to do?" Sean asked as they flattened themselves against the wall and peered around the corner of the building. Jamie was concentrating on the back of the van, studying the doors. The engine was still purring gently and there were two men sitting in the front seat. "They are going back to some warehouse," Jamie reported. "They say there's a little girl there whose mother is dead in the bathtub." "They said that?" Sean whispered, eyes wide. He clutched Jamie's arm and dragged him back around to face him. "Jamie, are you kidding?" he asked seriously, staring into his friend's wide brown eyes. Jamie met his gaze squarely. "They said she overdosed. And now the little kid is alone." He stopped and looked uneasy. "I didn't really understand what they said next, but I think she's in danger." Sean's skin had paled until his usually invisible freckles showed clearly. "Man, I don't like this. I prefer pretend drug gangs." Jamie was listening hard again and Sean fell silent, too used to his friend's uncanny abilities to think anything of it. He waited until Jamie's eyes came back into focus before pressing him. "Do you have your phone? We should call my dad." Jamie fished in his pocket and pulled out the small mobile phone. "I think we should phone my dad first," he began, and then stopped. "She's coming back," he said urgently. "There's no time. I'm gonna get into the back of the van. You call my dad." "Forget it," Sean said emphatically. "We stick together." Jamie gritted his teeth and then looked toward the van. "I told Dana we wouldn't leave the building," he said quickly. "Then we're already in trouble," Sean pointed out. Jamie peered around the corner and made his decision. "Okay, let's go." He crouched low and ran over to the back of the van, waiting until Sean was pressed up behind him before grasping the handle and pulling the door open. After a quick glimpse inside he scrambled in and reached out a hand for Sean. The younger boy stood staring at him uncertainly. "Are you sure, Jamie?" Jamie opened his mouth to answer but at that moment the front door slammed and the van's engine revved. Decision made for him, Sean leapt up into the van and pulled the door closed. "What's in here?" Sean whispered into Jamie's ear. Jamie sniffed. "Laundry," he guessed, wrinkling his nose. "Gross." Jamie pulled out his phone again. He stared at it for a second and then stared at Sean in the dim light. "What do I tell him?" "Tell him what you told me," Sean advised. "About the kid being in danger." "He's gonna kill me," Jamie predicted. He flipped open the phone and then flipped it shut again. "What now?" Jamie scrambled over a bag of laundry and pulled out a cloth bag. He tugged open the tied top and peered in at the contents. "I don't believe it," he said in shock. "What is it?" Sean looked inside curiously at the pile of white plastic bags. "Is that laundry powder?" "It's cocaine," Jamie said in a stunned tone. "I smelled it." "How do you know what cocaine smells like?" Sean asked curiously. Jamie looked enigmatic. "I don't tell you everything." "Since when?" Sean retorted. "Don’t sniff so closely!" he said in an alarmed voice as Jamie jostled the bag. "It’s sealed up pretty tight." The van jerked as it drove over a bump and then the boys could clearly feel it slowing down. "Come on," Jamie whispered, pulling Sean to the back of the van, pulling some bags over the younger boy before burying himself under more bags. The front doors of the van opened and then silence fell. "It's okay," Jamie said finally. "They've gone inside. Let's get out of here." The doors opened easily under his hands and the two boys climbed out and looked around. They were in another alley, but this one was very different from the tidy university building. This alley was cluttered with battered old trash cans and pallets. Broken shop dummies littered the area, scarred pink forms flung haphazardly in corners, their ruined limbs pointing to the sky. Sean took in their surroundings and shivered. "Where are we?" Jamie looked around them and then up at the crack of sky visible between the buildings. He focused on a nearby tower for a moment. "We're downtown," he reported. "I can see the Garrison Building. And I can smell the waterfront." "Can we call your dad now? We can tell him about the drugs." Jamie flipped open the phone. It rang for long seconds. "Ellison." "Hey, Dad." "Jamie," his father greeted him. "What's up, son?" "Um, Sean and I went to the university with Dana." "That's nice, I hope you're behaving for her." There were sounds in the background and Jim put his hand over the phone for a moment. Jamie could hear him speaking to Nicholas, one of the detectives. "Just tell him," Sean hissed, tugging on Jamie's arm. "Tell me what, Jamie?" Jim said suspiciously. "Well, dad, we were playing at Wilson Hall, pretending to look for drug smugglers." "Yes?" "And we found a van with drugs in the back of it." Jamie grimaced as he heard his dad suppress a laugh. "That's great, son. Hope you got the license plate number." "WLM 342," Jamie said tersely. "But it doesn't matter, Dad, because Sean and I stowed away in the back of the van." "What?" Jim said in disbelief. "You what?" "We had to, dad, there's a little girl in danger. I had to help her." "Jamie, tell me you're pulling your dad's leg?" Jim said, not sounding very hopefully. Jamie wished fervently for just one moment that he was. "Sorry, dad. We are in an alley downtown, it's near the waterfront, and it's a warehouse with a bunch of broken shop-window dummies outside it." "All right, Jamie, we will talk about this later. Right now I want you to get behind something and hide, okay? Do you hear me?" "Yes, dad," Jamie said miserably. "Jamie, you take care of Sean, all right?" Jim finished. Jim looked over at his friends anxious face. "Yes, dad." "Is he coming?" Sean asked hopefully. Jamie hung up the phone and then grabbed Sean's bright T-shirt. He hauled him behind one of the huge trash bins. "Of course," he retorted. "He told you to take care of me, didn't he?" Sean accused. "What, you the sentinel now?" "I don't have to be a sentinel to know everyone treats me like a baby," Sean said gloomily. He collapsed onto the dirty concrete, curling his long skinny legs up under him. "I wish I was the older one." Jamie sat down next to him, wrapping one arm around the younger boy's narrow shoulders. "Never gonna happen, bud," he teased. Sean shrugged off the leather-clad arm and punched his friend in the arm. "This isn't gonna help, you know. They just started trusting us again after that last time." Jamie looked indignant. "That wasn't our fault," he began hotly before shushing Sean quickly. "They're coming," he whispered, kneeling up and peering around the dumpster. A man and the woman from the university appeared. They climbed into the van, started it up and began pulling away. "There goes our evidence," Jamie said gloomily. "What a disaster." The warehouse doors stood open and from within Jamie could hear distant voices. He focused on them automatically. A man spoke roughly, followed by a child crying. "It's the little girl," Jamie said, rising to his knees. "She's crying." Sean grabbed Jamie's leather jacket and held on tight. "What are you doing? Your dad said to wait here." "She's crying, Sean," Jamie said urgently. Sean stared into the young sentinel's eyes. "Jamie," he appealed. "Remember what Uncle Blair said? You can't save the whole world." Jamie looked back into his friend’s eyes, seeing the love and concern there, remembering the day his dad had held him tightly while he cried. Blair's own tears had dripped down onto his hands while he whispered into his son’s ear. Sometimes even a sentinel has to accept it, piglet. You can't save the whole world. "I know I can't," Jamie murmured. He looked towards the warehouse, hearing the little girl's quiet sobbing with his sentinel sense. "But I can help her." Sean clutched his friend's sleeve a moment longer. He stared into Jamie’s eyes and then slowly released his grip. "Then I guess I'm coming with you," he said quietly. Jamie nodded just once before leading the way across the alley and through the warehouse door. "There's only one man here," he whispered close to his friend's ear. "But I think he's the most dangerous one. I'm gonna go for the girl, I need you to create a diversion." He patted Sean's arm and then slipped away. "How?" Sean hissed after him. Jamie turned and winked. "You'll think of something. Oh, and Sean?" "What?" "Keep your head down, bud." He flitted around the outside of the big space, smiling as Sean muttered complaints behind him. His smile faded as he approached the offices at the back of the warehouse. The little girl's sobs could be heard clearly now, as could the angry shouting voice of the man on the phone. "If you come after six, I won't be here!" he yelled. "All you'll find will be this little bitch's corpse. That might happen anyway if she doesn't shut the fuck up!" Jamie winced as the man's voice rose in volume. He focused on the window of the office, zooming in on the man banging the receiver down on the phone and standing up. "I told you to shut up," he cursed, raising a hand high. Just then, the warehouse lights flickered off and the whole area was plunged into darkness. "Excellent, Sean," Jamie praised under his breath. The man turned and peered into the warehouse, obviously waiting for his eyes to adjust to what little light was filtering in through the high dingy windows. Jamie slipped closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the little girl still out of his sight beneath the office windows. "Myer?" the man called. "Louisa? Is that you?" Eyes adjusting easily, Jamie spotted a wrench on a crate and lifted it, throwing it towards the other side of the warehouse. He winced when it clattered against something breakable and smashed with a loud crash. The man drew a gun out of his jacket and cautiously left the office. Jamie cursed silently when he saw the weapon, already hearing his dad's major freak-out in his head. Drugs and men with guns. Oh yeah, this was going to be a doozy. Tuning out the child's crying for a moment, Jamie focused on Sean's heartbeat, as well known to him as his own. The young sentinel sighed in relief when he located his guide’s strong life force, back out in the alley. He went deeper for just a moment, finally picking up the distant wail of a siren. His dad was on his way. The man was hugging the walls, heading carefully towards the red herring Jamie had tossed against the wall, and the boy seized the opportunity to slip up the stairs and into the office. The little girl was still crying, knuckles rubbing at her swollen eyes, tangled hair around her face. She was dressed in a stained pink track suit and looked about five. "Hey, it's okay," Jamie whispered, dropping to his knees next to her. "I'm Jamie. I'm your friend." The child didn't even glance his way. Still rocking and crying she rubbed her eyes and clutched a worn stuffed toy under one arm. Jamie instinctively laid a light hand on the little girl’s head and she started in fear. Looking up, she dropped her hands and peered at him through swollen eyes. "It's okay," Jamie said again. He smoothed a straight black wing of hair off of her little round face and smiled into her almond-shaped eyes. "My name is Jamie and I'm here to help you. What's your name?" "Ming," she lisped, with a hiccupping sob. "Well, Ming, I don’t like it here, do you?" She shook her head an emphatic no. "Want to come with me now?" The little girl tearfully considered the out thrust arms for a moment before nodding and climbing to her feet. She wrapped her arms around Jamie's neck and the boy stood, grimacing under her weight. He considered himself pretty strong for eleven, but there was no way he was going to be able to carry her far. Outside cars were pulling up, sirens switched off, and Jamie looked around urgently for a way out. The cavalry had arrived, but this wasn't over yet. Sure enough, the young sentinel could hear the footsteps of the man with the gun, stumbling and cursing through the warehouse as he made his way back to the office. There was no time to go back down the stairs so Jamie used his sentinel sight to track his way through the dusty old offices that stretched back into the building. He found the back door and he struggled with the girl’s weight, freeing one hand and twisting the handle. He almost sobbed as it refused to turn under his hand. It was locked. The man was on the stairs and Jamie backed into the corner of the dark office, the child curled around him like a koala bear. He wondered how long he could hide from the angry man when suddenly, the warehouse was again bathed in light and loud voices were all around him. The back door burst open and Uncle Joel stood there, his father behind him. Blair pushed past Joel and rushed toward Jamie, grasping his shoulder and running anxious eyes up and down him. "Are you all right?" "Yes, dad," Jamie said gratefully, patting the little girl on the back. "We're okay." "Thank god," Blair swore, tugging him into his arms. "Now I get to kill you myself." "Sean is out front," Joel told him sternly. "I know, sir," Jamie said meekly. "Hmm, I suppose you do," the captain said before stomping away. "You are so in trouble," Blair whispered, arm around Jamie's shoulders. "But who is this?" "Her name is Ming," Jamie said. As Joel called back the all clear his dad led him to the front office and pushed him towards a chair. He sat down gratefully. "She was in trouble, dad. I had to help her." Blair stroked back a black wing of hair, smiling reassuringly into the little girl’s face when she peeked out from Jamie's shoulder at him. "I suppose you did," he said. He sounded a little sad. Jim was striding through the warehouse, eyes scanning every square inch of the place as he climbed the stairs into the office. "Are you all right?" he asked, although it was obvious he knew the answer. "He's fine," Blair answered. "Jim, can I talk to you for a minute?" "Don't bother, Chief," Jim bit out. "I don't want to hear it. This was not a fledgling trying out his wings. We have an armed criminal out there and a van full of drugs out on the highway. The boys could have been killed." "I am not trying to run interference here, Jim," Blair interrupted. "Just trying to get you to cool down before you say something you might regret later." "If you tell me to take a deep breath," Jim began warningly. Jamie stood up. "I know it was a dumb thing to do," he said loudly. His fathers turned and stared at him. "I shouldn't have put Sean at risk and I'm sorry." "And putting yourself at risk?" Jim thundered. Heads down in the warehouse turned and looked up at them. One of them was Sean's. He was leaning against his dad's side, under his strong arm. He looked up at the offices, searching for Jamie's gaze. The young sentinel met his look across the distance and felt himself calm. "I had to help her," he said simply. "Because I could." Jim opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly seemed lost for words. He threw up his hands and stomped away. Jamie felt tears come to his eyes and he blinked rapidly, not wanting Blair to see. More than anything he hated to disappoint his dads, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t think of anything he could have done differently. The next few minutes were a blur. Uncle Simon showed up in his big car, talking to his dads and now again shooting him piercing looks. A lady policeman appeared and tried to pry Ming out of his arms, but the little girl only wailed and clung tighter. "She only trusts me," Jamie explained. "It’s all right." Jim was at the door of the office and he nodded at the lady. "We’ll let her calm down a bit." The officer nodded and disappeared down the steps. His dad sat down next to him, sighing as he leaned forward and rubbed his eyes. "Jamie, you are making me old before my time." Jamie could tell his dad was no longer angry, but there was a sad disappointment in his face that made the young lad feel all squirmy inside. He wanted to cry again but swallowed his tears. It was important he make his dad understand. "I heard them talking about Ming, Dad. Saying bad things about her. I knew I had to help her." "I understand that, son. I really do. I know your instinct is to help those who need it. But that’s my job too. Right?" Jamie nodded, knowing that he and his father were alike in ways hardly anyone in the world could understand. They understood each other better then anyone. They were two of a kind. "You should have called me," Jim said sternly. "You had the license plate number of the car, you should have called me." "But what if it had been a fake plate? Or a stolen car? What if they had her locked up somewhere and they wouldn’t tell you where?" Jamie listed all the things that had run through his mind as he tuned in on the men’s conversations from the rooftop. His dad was staring at him in surprise. "I couldn’t take that chance with her life, dad," Jamie said earnestly, trying to make himself understood. Ming shifted in his arms and he patted her back again, feeling her utter trust soaking into him, giving him strength, just as Sean’s reassuring look had given him strength minutes earlier. "As soon as they started talking about her I knew it was my job to save her. Don’t you ever feel things like that?" Jim was staring at him, mouth opening and closing silently. "Jamie, you’re eleven years old," he said finally. Jamie didn’t feel that this was the time to mention that he was nearly twelve. "And Sean is only nine." "I thought about leaving him behind, dad," Jamie said truthfully. "But I was afraid he would get into more trouble trying to find me. Besides," he felt compelled to add. "I needed him. He’s my partner." Jim shook his head. "We are going to talk about this, young man," he said finally. "Tonight. And we are going to make up a set of rules about this no matter how long it takes, understand?" "Yes, dad," Jamie promised. "And you are going to abide by them, right?" Ming sat back, knuckling her eyes and peering at Jamie shyly. "Yes, Dad," Jamie said absently, pushing back her black hair. "Jamie," she lisped, smiling just a little. "Oh, what’s the use," Jim sighed. He climbed to his feet. "This is not over," he promised, and then held out one hand. "Come on, let’s take your charge somewhere they can check her over." Jamie deposited Ming on the ground and took her little hand and then his dad’s big hand, standing in between them. "Yes, dad." 000 Two of A Kind. Blair made his way up the stairs and down the hall to Jamie’s den, as he liked to call it. The boy was fiercely territorial about his own space, one of the reasons he and Jim had invested in this house a few years back. The door to the large room was wide open and Blair paused in the doorway, watching his son perform a skilled kata. Dressed in his gi, black belt wrapped double around his sturdy waist, Jamie looked cool and competent as he swung around on one leg, kicking into the air with controlled force. Watching him, Blair felt a small pang for the past. How quickly he had grown! Where was that tiny boy who used to gurgle his name and wrap chubby arms around his neck? Jamie caught a glimpse of him in the doorway and faltered to a stop, staring over at him silently. Blair’s pang for the past faded under the onslaught of those wide sad eyes, shiny with tears. Jamie might not be a baby any more, but he still needed his dad. Wordlessly Blair opened his arms and Jamie flew towards him, arms wrapping around his waist. "It’s okay," Blair murmured, absorbing the boy’s impact, holding him against his heart, just as he had done for the past ten years. "I’m sorry," Jamie muttered tearfully. "I didn’t mean to let you both down." "You didn’t let us down," Blair assured him. Jamie pulled back, knuckling his eyes. "Yes, I did," he insisted. "I disappointed you and now dad won’t talk to me." Fresh tears welled in his eyes. "I have never seen him so mad before," he finished with a whispered sob. "Oh, Jamie," Blair sighed. He tucked his son under his arm and led him to the wide bed, neatly made and scattered with cushions. "Sit down, piglet, we have to talk." Jamie sniffed and smiled weakly. "Don’t call me piglet," he said, the old joke familiar between them. "Sorry," Blair returned, unable to resist dropping a small kiss on a snub nose. It as a sign of how upset the boy was that he didn’t object. "First of all, Jamie, you didn’t disappoint us. We understand why you did what you did." "But you’re still mad at me," Jamie accepted. Blair groped for words, knowing how important it was that he get this right. Not for the first time he wished for a young-sentinel guide book, something written somewhere that would tell him how to do this. "I guess so," he said honestly, at last. "I guess we are angry. But mostly it’s an anger born of fear." Remembering Jim’s terrified face as he relayed the news Jamie had delivered over the cell phone earlier that day, Blair shivered. "We could have lost you today," he whispered. "But, Ming," Jamie said miserably. "You saved Ming’s life," Blair agreed. "But the risk was too great, son. To yourself and Sean." Jamie hung his head and studied the dangling ends of his black belt minutely. "I shouldn’t have got in the back of the van," he said softly. "No, you shouldn’t have," Blair agreed, one hand stroking soft brown waves. He lifted his son’s chin with gentle fingers and looked into big sad eyes. "Remember what I told you? You can’t save everyone, son." "I saved her," Jamie said firmly, eyes shining. "But I risked Sean’s life to do it. And mine too." He frowned and then looked expectantly towards his door, eyes wide and worried. Blair turned too, just as Jim arrived. The older man’s jaw was tight, his eyes shaded. Inwardly Blair sighed. "And that risk was unacceptable," Jim said. "Yes, dad. Sorry, dad," Jamie murmured, hanging his head again. Jim’s eyes met Blair’s across the space between them, and Blair huffed a soft sigh of relief as he saw the rueful acceptance in them. Jim crossed the room and sat on the other side of their son. "But I understand why you did it, Jamie. Who understands better than me?" Jamie turned and peered hopefully up into his father’s eyes. "Cos we’re two of a kind, dad?" Jim laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. "Yeah, two of a kind. I understand why this happened, and I understand that this kind of thing might happen again. Your daddy and I just need to know you won’t take these kinds of risks again, Son." Jamie nodded. "I know, dad. It’s just… I was going to stay hidden like you said, like Sean said. But when I heard her cry, I just couldn’t. I just couldn’t." Jim sighed. "You’re going to have to learn to, Jamie. One day, when you’re a man, you’ll make your own decisions, just as you did today. And Sean will make his own decisions about whether to follow you. But until then, you will follow our rules. Understand?" The boy nodded miserably, and over his head Jim met Blair’s eyes again. The younger man nodded, feeling pride well within him at how well Jim was handling this. He knew his partner’s first urge had been to yell until his eyes bugged out. "Are you still mad at me?" Jamie ventured. Jim reached out and gathered their son up, sitting him on his lap, tucking his umber head into the curve of his neck. "I’m still scared," Jim admitted. "But I’m not mad any more. I just… Jamie, your daddy and I don’t want you to have to make decisions like this. At your age you should be enjoying your life, not worrying about saving other peoples lives. We just want you to have a normal childhood." "Like you did, dad?" Jamie said innocently, wide brown eyes studying him with trust. Blair saw Jim draw in a breath, his broad chest expanding and contracting. Leaning against him, Jamie rode it out like a wave. "Like I did?" Jim repeated on a breath. "No, not quite." He smiled, tousling Jamie’s hair, and Jamie smiled tentatively up at him. "I guess there’s no such thing as a normal childhood," Jim conceded. "You are a sentinel, Jamie. Or you will be one day. A sentinel of a great city. You just have to survive long enough to get out there and do what you were born to do." "In any way you choose to do it," Blair added. "So," Jim finished, standing up and letting Jamie slip to his feet. "We go over the rules, right? All of them." Jamie groaned under his breath. "Yes, dad," he said obediently. Blair winked at him and the boy stifled a giggle. "Can I phone Sean first?" "If your Uncle Joel and Aunt Angie let you talk to him," Jim said sternly. "I have the feeling he’s hearing some stern lectures himself tonight." Jamie looked contrite. "I’ll tell them it was my fault," he said. "I don’t think Sean would thank you for taking the heat for him," Blair said, with the knowledge born of long experience. "But you may take some heat from your aunt and uncle. Don’t be surprised if you two don’t get to spend any time together for a while." "But we were going to visit Ming at the home tomorrow," Jamie protested. He closed his mouth when his dad looked at him sternly. "Take the consequences of your actions, son," Jim said firmly. "Yes, sir," Jamie said. "Have your shower and make your phone call," Blair ordered, ruffling his son’s hair. "We’ll be waiting downstairs with some cocoa." Jamie disappeared into his bathroom, leaving the two men alone. "I’m too old for this," Jim muttered. "I thought you handled that perfectly," Blair said, wrapping an arm around his love’s waist comfortingly. "My first urge was to spank, you know that, don’t you." "You’ve never laid a hand on that boy." Jim ran a hand through his hair. "Today was the day to start," he muttered. Blair laughed and began to lead Jim out of the room. "He’s okay, Jim. We got through this, we’ll get through the rest." "The rest," Jim repeated weakly. "How long ‘til he’s eighteen?" "You think it will end when he’s eighteen?" Blair hooted. "Twenty-one?" Jim ventured. "Dream on, buddy." Jim stopped Blair on the stairs, growing serious again. "If it’s a choice between the way he is at eleven, and the way I was at the same age, then I have to choose the way he is, Blair." "Me too," Blair agreed. Drawing Blair close, Jim hugged him, right there on the stairs. "Mmm," Blair hummed, rubbing his cheek against his lover’s. "What’s this for?" "Being here." "Always." The End. |
