Title: Keep What You Catch

Author: Angelee

Fandom:  The Sentinel

Pairing:  Jim/Blair

Rating:  Adult

Summary:  Another Sentinel trying to catch a Guide story.  I know, I know- there must be like a zillion Sentinel trying to catch a Guide stories.  I just had to write one, too.  Sorry.

Beta:  By my sister Anna.  All remaining errors are mine-with apologies.

 

Keep What You Catch

 

The time-2050.  The world had gone to hell in a hand basket.  Country fought against country.  Rendering most of the planet useless.  Sending its people into the past.  All or most modern advances gone as never having been.

 

Yet many countries had not learned their lessons.   Continuing to fight against one another as if the planet had not been almost dissipated to a wasteland.  Causing the reemergence of a warrior of the past.  Long thought to be forgotten-The Sentinel.  Protector of the people.

 

With all senses heightened way above the normal human.  He or she a valuable asset to the governments who could afford their exorbitant price. 

 

So valuable were they that their every need was met willing.  Yet for all their value there was a need that could not be met.  Many died because of it.  The Sentinel could not function without the stabilizing influence of a Guide.  Someone to ground their senses before they became so entangled in them it costed them their very lives.

 

Guides were rarer than the Sentinel themselves.  Leading to many bloody, damaging fights when one was caught.  Many a Sentinel had died in their unending quest for a guide.

 

Here begins our story.

 

“Come with me,” the man growled softly.

 

The curly-haired man moved away cautiously.  “Like hell, I will.”

 

“I won’t hurt you,” The tall, muscular man told him reassuringly.

 

“Ha, I’ve heard that one before.”

 

“Please, I need a Guide.”

 

The curly-haired man with the wide blue eyes continued to edge away.  “Have you thought to advertise in the Sunday paper?”

 

“You *are* my guide,” the tall man said firmly.

 

“The fuck you say.”

 

Stone cold blue eyes looked at him from an angular face.  Frowning he turned around  and growled angrily at the other Sentinels aiming to make this slight man theirs.

 

“Back.  He’s mine.”

 

“So says you,” A tall, dark-skinned man named Simon told him scornfully.

 

“I saw him first,” The man told him.  “I will kill you if you touch him.”

 

“You can certainly try,” Simon told him advancing, clearly not afraid.

 

The curly-haired man looked at the two squaring off over him.  Suddenly joined by two more.  Another dark-skinned man dressed in a wild Hawaiian shirt and another who looked liked he’d just stepped off the cover of a magazine.

 

“Wow!  I never get any attention and now all of a sudden I’m more popular than a nudie magazine centerfold.”

 

The tall, blue-eyed man turned toward him placing himself in a defensive position, between the curly-haired man and the other advancing Sentinels.

 

“Please, won’t you be my Guide?”  he asked softly.  “Say you’ll be mine and they’ll leave you alone.”

 

“But, I don’t want to be a Guide.” 

 

“Why? You’ll be treated well and all your needs met.”

 

“That’s fine and good.  But I only like answering to myself.  Not having to rely on anyone or having anyone relying on me.  I do thank you for the offer though.”

 

The blue-eyes man moved closer to the curly-headed man who backed away slowly.  “You have no choice,” He was told calmly.

 

The curly-headed man smiled.  “Stay there.  Don’t come any closer,” He warned softly.  “There are always choices.  What’s your name, Sentinel?”

 

“Jim Ellison.  Yours?”

 

“Blair Jacob Sandburg.  Nice to meet you, Jim Ellison.”

 

Jim almost smiled.  “Think so?”

 

Blair returned it, crinkling his pert little nose.  “Sure.  Be better if I wasn’t being fought over like I was the last bone on the planet and you all were a bunch of really hungry dogs.”

 

“Yes, I am sorry about that.  I’d like to make it up to you.  How about we start over?  Let’s shake on it,” Jim said, offering his hand.  Ever so slowly advancing for every step Blair took back.

 

“I must look really stupid.  I’m not shaking your hand, man.  It’s not because I wanna be rude or anything. But, if I shook your hand you’d be all over me like a flea on a dog.”

 

“You have a thing for dogs don’t you, Chief?”  Jim asked, offering his hand again.

 

“Yeah, well always wanted one, but my mom and me moved a lot.  So I never got one.”

 

“Take my hand, Blair and I’ll get you a dog,” Jim offered coaxingly.

 

Blair felt something against his back.  *Damn a wall.* Jim was close.  The others advancing as well.  This was going to get ugly.  Real ugly, real quick.

 

“Okay, Jim.  I’ll shake your hand,” Blair told him.

 

Jim smiled at him.  What annoyed the curly-haired man the most was it could have been called a smirk more than a smile.

 

Blair offered his hand to Jim at the same time with his other hand reached deep into the pocket of the jacket he wore.  Bringing it quickly to his mouth he blew into it with every ounce of air in his lungs.   Never happier at keeping the charm his mom had given him than now.

 

Their fingertips met for an instant as the dog whistle sent all four Sentinels to their knees in pain.

 

Blair sighed regretfully.  “It was nice meeting you, Jim Ellison.  But I don’t want to be a Guide.  I want to be free,” Blair said as he ran as if the very devil was after him.

 

***

 

Blair sighed softly.  Freedom sure was a pain in the buns to maintain.  Since his run-in with the Sentinels he’d had to stay one step ahead of them.  Well actually not them-just one.  One very, handsome, blue-eyed Jim Ellison.

 

He’d gotten close several times, but Blair using ingenuity and cunning had managed to maintain his freedom, but only just.

 

He’d done his research at the Rainier University library.  Learning that they were after him-or rather Jim Ellison was after him because of the way he smelled.  That and the distinctive beating of his heart.  The heartbeat he could understand, but the way a person smelled?  His research led to the discovery of pheromones and what it meant in the Sentinel world.  It all boiled down to the fact that-Jim liked the way he smelled.  *Really* liked the way he smelled. 

 

He cursed himself three kinds of fool when he discovered that by letting their fingers touch, even though it was just for a moment it’d allowed Jim access to his scent.  Now the Sentinel could track him better than the bloodhounds of old.

 

Blair had smiled at that.  There he was going on about dogs again.  Jim was right about that. He was dog obsessed.  He vowed when he was settled someplace safe he’d get himself a dog.

 

He had plenty of money for running.  His mother now deceased had seen to it that her only son would need for nothing.  He had money stashed in different account, in different names all over what remained of the world. 

 

He had an idea where the money had come from, but had not questioned it to closely.  What did it matter anyway.  Blessing his mother’s foresight as he now ran from the Sentinels.  Ran from Jim Ellison.

 

He changed clothes as often as he could.  Used the stinkiest cologne he could find. One that made even his nose run.  So he could just imagine what it did to a Sentinel’s delicate noggin. He changed shampoos, soaps and deodorant often.  The cologne alone would send any hunting Sentinel into sneezing fits if they got to close.  But Blair needed to be sure they wouldn’t be able to track him.

 

To his surprise it worked. Or so he thought. Distracted by his Sentinel research he didn’t see Jim Ellison descending on him at the library until it was almost too late.  The Sentinel started sneezing hard enough to burst a blood vessel.

 

“B…lair, w…wait,” Jim pleaded, in between violent sneezes.

 

The curly-haired man stopped reluctantly.  Looking at the man reaching for him.

 

“P…please.”  Sneeze.

 

“What?”  Blair asked curiously.  Yet moving away from the reaching hand.

 

“I…I… n…need…”  Sneeze.

 

“What?”

 

Jim reached for Blair almost desperately.  “Y…you.”  Sneeze, sneeze.

 

Blair easily side-stepped, with the Sentinel nonstop sneezing and all.  “No, I don’t think so.”

 

“P…please, B...Bair.  L…let m…me.” Sneeze.  “Let me h…hold …” Sneeze.  “Y…you.  T…that’s a…all…”  Sneeze.  “I…I’m a…asking,” Sneeze.  Jim told him, rubbing his runny nose with the back of his hand.

 

Blair’s blue eyes widened in astonishment.  “Ha!  You really must think I’m stupid or a real idiot.  The minute I let you touch me, I’ll never be free.”

 

Jim sneezed again.  “W…what t…the h…hell a…are y…you w…wearing?”

 

Blair smiled at him.  “Like it?   Made it myself. Works good, huh?”

 

“Smells worse than shit,” Jim told him, rubbing his nose again.

 

The Sentinel searched his pocket. “Here,” Blair said, tossing him a handkerchief.

 

“Thanks.  You could have just handed it to me you know.  How rude.”

 

“What and let you within grabbing distance of me?  Nope.  Don’t think so.  We’ll stick to helpfully rude for now.”

 

“Your quarter, Junior.”

 

“Hmm, thanks.  I’ll just go now.  It was nice seeing you again.  Be well.”

 

“No.  Blair.  Wait.”

 

Blair turned back to him once again.  “Look, man-don’t try anything.”

 

Jim gave him a tight smile.   “Or what, the dog whistle?”

 

Blair returned the smile, patting his jacket pocket.  “You know it, man.”

 

“I just wanna talk.”

 

Blair leaned against the nearest wall.  “Okay-talk.”

 

Jim rubbed his watery eyes.  “Why won’t you be my Guide?”

 

“I already told you why.”

 

“That’s not good enough.”

 

“It’s the only answer you’re gonna get,” Blair told him quietly.

 

“I’m not a bad person.”

 

“Never said you were.”

 

Jim sat a small distance away from Blair.  Close enough  to where he could feel as well as hear the man’s heartbeat, letting it calm his shattered senses.  Now going even more haywire due to Blair’s really nasty cologne.  He tried for the moment to ignore the noxious odor coming off his Guide.

 

“Do you have another handkerchief?”

 

Blair searched his pockets.  “Hey, you’re in luck.  Sure do.  How did that happen?  And it’s even clean.”  He gingerly handed it to the Sentinel.  “I won’t be rude this time.  Just don’t try and touch me.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Jim reached over and even with his promise their fingertips gently touched.  Sending a sharp bolt of electricity thru both of them.

 

“Goddamn it, Jim.  I told you not to touch me,” Blair hissed, pulling his hand back violently.

 

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Jim told him, inspecting his tingling fingers.

 

“You sure as hell did,” Blair accused, blue eyes flashing angrily.

 

“Well not intentionally.  It was an accident.”

 

“Like hell.”

 

“Hey, don’t hate me cause I’m a Sentinel.”

 

Blair sighed softly.  “I don’t hate you, man.”

 

“It sure seems like it from where I’m sitting,” Jim told him sadly.

 

Blair went to his knees in front of the distraught man.  “I don’t hate you.  In another life, another time I think we could be friends.”

 

“But not now?  Because I’m a Sentinel?”

 

“Well…yeah,” Blair admitted reluctantly.  He sat heavily on the floor.  “Yeah, because you’re a Sentinel.”

 

“See-you hate me.”

 

“No, man.  I don’t hate you.  Quit doing that.”

 

Jim lifted hurt, red-rimmed eyes toward Blair.  “What?”

 

“You’re trying to gain sympathy for the poor, old, misunderstood Sentinel.”

 

“Hey, I’m not that old.  And is it working?”  He asked, with a small smile.

 

Blair returned it.  “Hmm, yeah.  Maybe just a little.”

 

“Good.  Please, can we talk your misgivings about being my Guide?”

 

“Hmm, okay.  Just don’t try and touch me.”

 

“Alright.  Dinner?”  Jim offered hopefully.

 

Big blue eyes narrowed in distrust.  “I don’t know.”

 

Jim gave him a small smile.  “I promise not to touch you.  I swear.  Even with everything in me screaming for me to, I won’t touch you.”

 

Blair frowned at him.  “Is this some sort of weird Sentinel mating ritual?”

 

“Yup, it’s called the Sentinel woos the ever-so-reluctant Guide.”

 

Blair smiled at him.  “Oh-okay in that case I better get changed to look my best.  So you can give it your best shot.” He rose to his feet followed by the Sentinel.  He looked up at Jim’s hopeful face.  “It’s all about trust. Mine, yours, ours. Blair reached out his hand stopping inches from the Sentinel who’d raised his as well.  “I promise to give you the chance you’re asking for and you must promise me not to try and bond me no matter what happens,” He told Jim softly.

 

The Sentinel moved his hand closer to Blair’s.  The curly haired man shook it. Trust starts now.

 

“How am I suppose to do that when everything in me is screaming to touch you?  To pull you to me and never let go?   How, Blair, how?”  Jim asked pleadingly, his blue eyes sad.  Even just like this,” he said moving his hand over Blair’s, but not touching.  “I feel the pull, the need.  It’s like a hunger only you can feed.  It hurts to be so close to you and not take you for my very own.”

 

Blair’s hand shook violently.  “I’m sorry, man.  I never meant to do this to you.”

 

Jim wiped at his eyes with his free hand.  “You didn’t do anything,” he replied tiredly.  “Being close to you eases the hunger slightly, but it makes it worse when I’m away from you.  It hurts.  I’m sorry I’m so needy.”

 

“The way of the Sentinel, man.  Do you want to go with me back to my apartment so I can shower and change?”

 

The Sentinel looked at him so hopefully it broke Blair’s heart.  “You’ll trust me enough to take me home with you?”

 

“I wouldn’t exactly say that, but we gotta start somewhere, right?”

 

“Yes.  I promise not to touch you, Blair.  On my honor as a Sentinel,” Jim told him, following along side Blair happily.

 

Blair turned his head to look at Jim.  “Hmm, that may not be a good example.” 

 

“How about I cross my heart and hope to die.”

 

“Good enough.”

 

***

 

Blair’s apartment reflected the curly-haired man.  Bright and sunny with lots of windows. One wall held a floor to ceiling bookshelf packed with books.

 

“Make yourself at home.  Let me just shower off the stink.  Help yourself to a soda or beer.  There’s also bottles of water.  I’ll be right back.”

 

Jim made himself comfortable on the couch after helping himself to a bottle of water.  He sighed tiredly, laying his head against the comfortable couch closed his eyes.

 

Next thing he realized was that there was an appetizing aroma tickling his nose and making his stomach rumble hungrily.  He opened his eyes to find Blair across from him, sitting on the coffee table.  The curly haired man was smiling at him happily.

 

“By the rumbling your tummy’s doing, I guess you’re hungry.  You fell asleep, so I decided to cook.  How does fried chicken sound?”

 

Jim smiled at Blair, fighting to keep from reaching over and pulling the curly-haired man to him.  “Like heaven.  I haven’t been eating all that well.”

 

Blair looked at him worriedly.  “Why?” Jim looked away, unable to meet his eyes.  “Why?”  he repeated.

 

“I’ve had other needs,” Jim whispered, still unwilling to look at Blair.

 

“That weren’t being met?”

 

“No,” Jim startling blue eyes looked at him, before quickly flickering away.

 

“Is it that bad?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Talk to me, Jim,” Blair softly coaxed.

 

Jim laid his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. “I hurt all the time now.  It’s like when you’re getting a cold and your body hurts all over.”  Jim opened his eyes and look into Blair’s.  “I hurt,” he said so softly, Blair had to strain to hear.

 

“And all it would take is for me to reach across and touch you to make you feel better?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Can I touch you right now to ease your pain without making a major commitment?”  Blair asked, eyeing the hurting man on the couch.  Wanting to help, but not wanting to get caught in something he couldn’t get out of.

 

“I don’t know.  We can try, but if you touch me now I may not be able to let you go,” Jim answered truthfully.

 

“Do you want to try?”  Blair offered.  “I can’t give you a commitment, but I want to help.”

 

“Alright,” Jim replied, sitting up.  He wasn’t getting everything he wanted, but what Blair was offering was something.  Grateful that he was getting this much as he eyed the nervous man.

 

Blair reached out his left hand, it was met by Jim’s right.  Their finger’s tangling.  They then did the same with their other hand.

 

Suddenly Jim gasped as he was overcome by a surge of healing energy.  He could almost see it swirled around their intertwined fingers.  The Sentinel trembled.  It felt good, so good.  It was something he could very well get use to. 

 

He eyed Blair as the curly-haired man looked at their joined hands in astonishment.  How was he suppose to give this up?  He moaned as Blair’s healing energy continued to flow into him.  He felt his eyes fill with tears.

 

“Blair,” He whispered reverently.  “Oh, God, Blair.”

 

“Good?”  Blair asked him, smiling.

 

“Oh, yes,” Jim whispered hoarsely.  “More?”

 

“As much as you need.  It’s not hurting me in the least.  Feels kinda good.  I’m tingling all over.”

 

“Me too.” 

 

Blair tried to pull one of his hands free of Jim’s, smiling at him when the Sentinel held onto it tightly.  “Relax. I’m not going anywhere.  I want to try something. Can I have my hand?”

 

“O…okay.”

 

Blair moved his hand over Jim.  His smile intensifying when an arc of blue light came out of his forefinger and gently caressed the back of the Sentinel’s hand.  Making Jim gasp at the sensation.

 

 “Wow. That is so cool,” He said, softly.  Making his hand into a fist as if gathering energy, he opened it. Smiling when he noticed that his hand was glowing.  The glow the prettiest color of blue.

 

Blair looked over at Jim who was watching the glowing hand in fascination.  Reaching out he very gently caressed the Sentinel’s face with it.  Watching those beautiful blue eyes widen in surprise. Before closing with a soft sigh and leaning back against the couch.  It would seem that Jim was placing himself in Blair’s care.

 

The curly haired man cupped Jim’s face gently, stroking the angular face very gently with his thumb.  Before going down to caress his neck, spending time running his finger back and forth over the strongly beating pulse.

 

“Jim?” Blue eyes opened to look at him dazedly.  “Can I?”  Blair asked fingering the first button on the Sentinel’s black and white flannel shirt.

 

“A…anything.  Anything you want.”

 

Blair opened the flannel shirt, spreading it wide, admiring the corded abdomen.  He cupped Jim’s neck before taking his still glowing hand lower running it over the Sentinel’s chest.

 

Jim arched into it.  It felt so good.  He moaned softly when Blair stroked over his heart.  He’d never known what he was missing.  It felt so good.  It reached deep within him giving the Sentinel wave after wave of healing energy.

 

“Is this okay?  Want me to keep going?”

 

“More.  Oh, God-more,” Jim pleaded, softly.  “That feel’s so…”

 

“Cool?”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

Blair continued to gently caress Jim’s chest.  Smiling when the Sentinel began to quietly purr.  Remembering something Jim had said he pulled his hand away.

 

Jim opened his eyes.  “Why’d you stop?”  he asked in disappointment.

 

“You need to eat and we need to take this slow.”

 

“Blair, please…”

 

“Later, eat first.  Talk second and then you get more of the blue…whatever it is.”

 

Blair?”  Jim asked as he rose unsteadily from the couch.

 

The curly-haired man turned to look at him as he led them into the kitchen.  “What?”

 

“Now that you caught me will you keep me?”

 

Blair smiled up at him.  “I didn’t really catch you.  You sort of fell into my lap.  But maybe.  Are you housebroken?”

 

Jim sat in the chair the curly-haired man indicated.  “Yup.  Go on the newspaper and everything.”

 

“Yeah? Then maybe I will keep you after all.  I mean now that you let me catch you and all, I can hardly toss you back.”

 

Jim gave him a hopeful smile.  “I’m yours?”  he asked softly, desperately needing reassurance.  “I want to be yours.  Please?”

 

Blair offered the Sentinel his hand.  “Alright.  I can’t exactly throw you back now, can I?”

 

“No?”

 

“Nope.  For good or bad you’re mine now.”

 

Jim looked down at their tangled finger.  “I’m glad, so very glad.”