Title:  Homeward Bound 2

Author:  Angelee

Fandom:  The Sentinel/Blade Trinity/Stargate Atlantis

Pairing:  No new ones to report.

Summary:

Beta:  By Bobbie.  With much thanks.  All remaining errors are my own.  With apologies.

 

Homeward Bound 2

 

“Daddy?”

 

William looked over at his son, while keeping an eye on the road.  “Yes, Blair?”

 

“I luv you.”

 

William felt his eyes fill with tears.  He blinked them away, or tried to.  “I…I love you too, son.”

 

“This be fun,” Blair told him, nodded enthusiastically, his curly hair bouncing all over his face. 

 

Time for another haircut, William thought idly.   “Yes, I suppose saving the known and unknown universe is kind of fun.”

 

“It was a heck of a lot of fun,” Rafe chirped in from the back.  “I didn’t know we had it in us.”

 

William chuckled softly.  “I don’t think anyone did, but all of you boys are amazing. Just amazing.”

 

A long silence.  “Daddy?”

 

“Yes, son?”

 

“I tink you amazin’.”

 

William was stunned speechless for a moment.  “Son…”

 

“You da bestest Daddy in the whole wide world.  Da universe even.”

 

William blinked rapidly.  He didn’t need to get them in a wreck because he felt like crying.  “I love you, son.”

 

Blair bounced happily. “Thank you, Daddy.”

 

“For what?”

Fors loving me.”

 

“Oh, God, Blair.”  William blinked the tears that still continued to threaten.  “Loving you, my son, has always been easy. It has been my pleasure and great joy to have you in my life.  You are my son and will always have a place in my life and in my heart.”

 

“Truly?”  Blair asked, turning to face him, as much as the seatbelt would allow. 

 

“Yes, son.”

 

Blair nodded.  “Das good.  Daddy?”

 

“Yes, son?”

 

“I gots to pee.”

 

From the back seat came peals of laughter.  “That figures.  One of the cutest scenes to ever hit this family and Blair has to ruin it by needing to pee.  Ow!   Jim that hurt!”

 

“It was supposed to, ass.  Leave Blair alone or I will hurt you.”

 

“You just did.”

 

“Boys, settle.  We’ll stop at the next gas station, Blair.  Can you wait just a little while longer or do you need to go now?  I can stop and you can go behind a bush.”

 

Blair turned to look at William in horror.  “Daddy, der be  snakes out there.  Dis the desert.”

 

William chuckled.  “So it is. Can you wait, then?”

 

I’s wait.  No want to get bit in the buns by a big, bad snake.”

 

Laughter filled the car.

 

Blair was carefully set free of the seatbelt by his Sentinel once they reached the nearest gas station and ever so gently picked up and place on his own two feet.  They both turned to watch the two other cars containing the rest of their family and friends.

 

Rodney got out of the car he was sharing with Simon, John, Lee and Michael.  “I don’t want to go all the way to Cascade in this car.  There’s absolutely no room,” he turned to glare at Michael.  “Someone with big muscles keeps squashing me.”

 

Michael rolled his eyes at him.  “I told you there wasn’t any room for your computer, and besides, should you be using that in a moving car?”

 

“I’m doing equations that might someday save the universe.”

 

Steven came up to where they were all standing.  “Or make someone a great cup of coffee.  Besides, we already saved the universe.”

 

Rodney turned to glare at him, but was suddenly waylaid by a thought.  “Coffee.  Oh, god, I could really use one and a donut.  Yes, a doughnut.”

 

Blair offered his hand to his waiting Sentinel.  “Bathroom, please.”

 

Jim smiled down at him.  “My polite Guide.  Bathroom it is.”

 

Blair stopped moving, turning back toward the others.  “See spot next to daddy?”  he asked the them.

 

“Yeah,” Rafe replied warily, as the others nodded just as warily.

 

“Mine.  Any one try and take, I hurt,” with that, he bounced off to the bathroom with Jim.

 

Rafe looked at Steven.  “Does he mean it?”  He asked uneasily.

 

Steven smiled.  “Hell, yeah.”

 

“Can he really hurt us?  He’s a tiny munchkin.”

 

“He might be tiny, but he packs a mean punch.”

 

Rafe nodded.  “True.  Better not mess with him.  Wanna go get something to snack on while we’re on the road?”

 

“Yeah, I could do with a soda and some chips.”

 

“Me too.  So …”

 

Steven held the door open to the gas station/convenience store.  “So….what?”

 

“Are you looking forward to going home?”

 

Steven shrugged.  “I guess.  Want Coke or Dr. Pepper?”

 

“Coke.  God, not the extra jumbo size!  Your Dad’ll kill us if we have to stop at every rest stop and gas station from here to Cascade.”

 

Steven reached for the next smaller size.  “You’re right.”  He turned to watch Jim and Blair walk in, the little Guide in his Sentinel’s arms.  “Jim, soda?”  he asked his brother.

 

Jim looked at his little Guide, who frowned at him.  “Nope. Hmm, fruit juice or water?” 

 

“Water.”

 

Jim smiled at him, kissing Blair’s forehead.  “Water it is.  Do you want some fruit?  It looks good.”

 

Orange, please.”

 

“You got it.”

 

Steven glanced at Rafe.  “Is someone as small as Blair supposed to be a health nut?”

 

Rafe shrugged.  “He’s Blair.  Nothing would surprise me about Blair.  Maybe we should be eating healthier, too.”

 

They stared at the soda machine, and then they both looked at Blair, who was now carrying small boxes of raisins.  They looked at Jim, who scowled at them.

 

“What?”  He asked menacingly.

 

“N…nothing.”  Rafe replied, very much intimated by the scowl.

 

“What’s the matter, Watchman?  Do you feel like a sissy for carrying around a girly box of raisins?”  Steven asked, not in the least bit threatened by his brother.

 

“Don’t poke the Sentinel,” Rafe hissed at him.

 

“Why?”

 

Rafe moved from one foot to the other nervously.  “Because if the Sentinel gets mad, the Guide gets even.”

 

Steven looked over at Blair, whose big blue eyes were literally throwing off sparks.  “Wow, that’s a new one,” he said, with awe.  “Cool.”

 

“Yeah, it is, but it sure is scary.”

 

“Pick on Jim some more; let’s see what happens.”

 

Rafe shook his head adamantly.  “Fuck no.  You do it.”  He glared at Steven.  “Besides, why does it have to be me?”

 

“Because Blair likes me and I want to see what he can do.”

 

“Blair likes me too. At least, I think he does.”  He replied hesitantly.   He turned to the little Guide.  “You do like me, right-Blair?”

 

Blair nodded his curly head enthusiastically. “Yups, but not when yous pick on my Sentinel.  No like so much then.”

 

“Yeah, and Rafe was really picking on him.”

 

Rafe turned to Steven.  “Shut up, asshole.  What are you trying to do, get me killed?”  He hissed angrily.

 

Steven looked at him unrepentantly. “I want to see what he can do.  He might have developed a new power or something.”

 

“Then you pick on Jim. I’m not going to be turned into a crispy critter to satisfy your morbid curiosity.”

 

Steven watched as Jim got his little Guide’s attention, leading him away with a final glare at them both.  “Shit, too late.”  He turned to Rafe.  Wuss.”

 

“Ass.  You’ve gone and hurt my feelings now,” Rafe told him, bottom lip trembling slightly.  “You’re always doing that.”

 

Steven rolled his eyes.  “Oh, brother.  Would an Icee make you feel better?”

 

“Yeah, a big one.  Plus a bag of chips and some candy.  Maybe some of the same kind of raisins Blair had.”

 

Steven shook his head.  “Damn.  I wonder if it’s too late to get Blair back here.”

 

Rafe sighed happily.  “Yup.  Jim’s already buckling him in.  Can I have an orange, too?” he asked hopefully.

 

Steven place a hand in the middle of the Sentinel’s back.  “Yeah, Rafe get whatever you want.  You deserve it,” he replied, rubbing his hand back and forth.  “You deserve it and more.  You all do.”