The Shape of Things to Come

"Someplace without walls."

Hearing his friend's words and the pain that hid behind them, Blair pulled himself away as Jim stalked through the open gate of the fighting pen. The kind of thing ugly men built to watch animals hurt each other.

But Jim wasn't an animal, nor was the man he'd fought tonight, and that fact had saved them both.

Arms crossed over his chest, worried but not panicked, he watched as Jim left the building and headed for he woods beyond, passing through crowds of policemen without a second glance.

Five hours or so later, Blair was approaching panicked. Simon had given him a ride and dropped him off at the loft. The captain hadn't attempted to apologize or even explain Jim's aberrant behavior. They were both Ellison's friend and they both knew the price of that.

Accepting times like this was just another coin.

Shutting his notebook with more force than necessary, Blair stood, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Jim, man, where are you? You should have been home hours ago."

Beginning to pace nervously, he wondered if he should call Simon. But the captain hadn't called, to check on Jim...so that meant the older man wasn't worried.

Which meant that he wouldn't think Blair should be either.

"Man, I hate it when you do this. *Hate* it."

Taking a deep breath, he slowed his agitated steps and entered the small kitchen, walking to the stove.

"You might still be hungry when you get here, but I can always nuke this." as he spoke he turned off the low flame beneath the simmering pot. The rich smell of slow-cooked chicken and vegetables in thick gravy flowed over him as he lifted the lid and inhaled deeply. Setting the lid on the counter-top, he scooped himself a bowl and took a couple of slices of whole-wheat bread out of the bag. A beer, and he was ready to eat. Settling himself with a clear view of the television, he surfed until he found a Nova rerun on roman coliseums and then watched as he ate, reasonably comfortable, still secure in his belief that Jim would come home eventually.

After eating he stowed the cooled pot in the fridge - there was too much left to put in Tuppwerware, color-coded or not - and took a brief shower. If the smell of the prison was plain to his rather normal nose, it must have been agony to Jim.

Hid friend had done a good job doing a good thing. The kind of thing Jim usually did.

Blair shook his head, realizing that he was standing in front of the mirror in a daze. He was tired, too. And if Jim sought comfort from someone other than his Guide, who was his Guide to object to that? As long as the man was comforted, that was the important part, right?

Unsure why his thoughts were drifting that particular direction, Blair toweled his hair and went to bed.

***

He had been walking for hours.

The quiet darkness of the woods was soothing, restful. Some part of him responded to the sensation of leaves crunching beneath his feet, the safety of boughed canopies arching over his head. Bark was rough beneath his fingers, releasing fragrant sap when he stroked a hand over it, pieces flaking off and floating to the ground in subtle slomo.

He should come here more often. It was good for him, to get away from the city and its millions of sights and sounds and distracting sensations.

This was easy. This was pure.

This was, in the most basic sense, where he belonged.

Where he had been born into his true form.

Surprised to find himself feeling philosophical, he went with it, allowing his thoughts to wander as his feet kept their own time.

Sentinel was his true form. Suppressed by his father's harsh words, beaten down and battered back, it had only revived in the beauty of the Peruvian rainforest.

Now he caught a hint of that beauty in the pine forest he walked through.

It was enough.

***

"H-huh? What?"

Turning his head, one arm out to the side, the other resting on his chest, Blair squinted into the dark of his room.

The noise that had woken him was repeated.

A low, rumbly roar...not threatening, exactly.

And scratching?

"What the heck? Jim?"

Stumbling out of bed, Blair went toward his window, where the noise was coming from. There was a shadow there, black and bulky, unrecognizable against the night shadows that surrounded it.

Stopping, Blair reversed course and went to turn on his desk lamp. If Jim were out in that blackness - for whatever reason - then his eyes would react badly to a sudden bright light. The soft glow of the reading light would be strong enough for Blair to see what was going on.

As soon as the switch turned Blair felt the color drain from his face. He couldn't seem to draw a breath.

Jim wasn't at his window.

It was a panther.

A large, furry, black panther with glowing green eyes that looked at him with such a mixture of affection and longing that he didn't even try to stop himself when he realized that he was opening the window.

With a rumbled purr the animal slunk through, landing on the floor with a hefty thump, and rubbed his big head against Blair's legs, almost knocking him over.

"Hey, hang on here!"

One hand on the wall for balance, the other gently grasping a cocked black ear, Blair went to his knees, face-to-face with the animal.

"What are you doing here? Where's Jim?"

With a swipe of rough tongue, the cat butted him in the face with his broad head.

"You want to be petted?" Trying for shocked and managing stunned, Blair obligingly began scratching behind the ear he held. The purr became louder and steady, a rusty engine working with enthusiasm.

Trying to think, Blair scratched until his fingers cramped. But when he stopped the panther nudged him again, and this time, down on his haunches as he was, Blair sprawled backwards, on his butt.

Immediately the panther was straddling him, big forepaws on either side of Blair's head, tail whipping lazily at his spread legs as he sat between them.

"Oh, no. This is too weird, Jim. I am not going to be a part of this." Almost afraid to provoke the beast, Blair tentatively pushed at its thick-furred chest. Almost reluctantly the animal stepped away from him, but it kept going, slinking into Blair's bed and making itself comfortable, broad head resting on tucked-together paws and blinking calmly at Blair.

"Ooookay." Regaining his feet, Blair studied the situation with his hands on his hips.

"Well, I guess you can't sleep in Jim's bed. Finding a mess of cat hair up there would definitely *not* improve his disposition. "So you can have my bed - just for tonight. I can handle one night on the couch. And when Jim comes home and finds you here, he'll have to deal with you. You're *his* spirit guide, after all."

Grumbling under his breath, Blair took the free pillow and tugged a blanket from beneath the unhelpful feline. "If my back hurts tomorrow, you can bet someone is going to hear about it.... Pausing in the doorway, he stared at the cat.

The cat opened his jaws wide in an intimidating yawn.

Blair stared.

Then the big head settled again to the tidy paws and the big green eyes surveyed the man in the doorway.

It occurred to Blair that the panther looked amused.

That was one thought too many. He beat a hasty retreat to the couch and eventually resumed his interrupted sleep, after ascertaining that Jim was not in the loft.

***

"Hey, Sandburg. What are you doing out here?"

Opening his eyes again, this time with the first lights of dawn coming through the balcony doors, Blair was relieved to see his roommate standing beside the sofa, a blanket wrapped around his waist and trailing behind him.

"Or, maybe this would be a better question: Why are you out here and I'm in *your* bed?"

The irritated words brought Blair completely awake.

"My bed? But there's a - a...!" Biting off the words, as crazy as they sounded in his head now, Blair sat up. "You, um, you came home really late and you were tired." He blurted, making it up as he went along.

The blanket wrapped around Jim's waist was the one he'd left on his bed.

Beneath the reclining big cat.

"Too tired to walk up the stairs?"

Jim didn't sound angry, just annoyed, so Blair answered with a shrug.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea."

Rubbing a hand over his sleep-creased face, Jim mumbled a reply.

"Since I don't even remember, I'll have to take your word for it. Guess I was really exhausted."

Standing, Blair grinned at his friend, burying his concern under a flurry of questions.

"Do you even remember what time you came in? You must have walked all night, man, where did you go? I was starting to get worried so I crashed on the couch, why didn't you call? Have you called Simon to tell him you're okay?" As he spoke he steered his friend toward the bathroom, leaving him at the door with the admonition to 'scrub that prison stink off you and eat something already'. Bemused, Jim let himself be led and directed, and quickly found himself standing alone in the bathroom, Blair's blanket still wrapped around his waist. And nude underneath.

"Blair?" he cracked open the door and shouted into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Jim?" engrossed in six eggs and an oiled pan, Blair just glanced up at him.

"Where are my clothes? They weren't in your room."

"Oh. They smelled really bad, Jim, so I took them down to the dumpster."

"In the middle of the night?"

"You complained about the smell, man. I didn't mind."

"Okay, then. Thanks. It was just that prison-issue stuff, I sure didn't want them."

"I know. Hurry up and come eat. I think Simon is expecting you in this morning."

"Probably has another case all lined up for us."

With a groan Jim closed the door and ditched the blanket, headed for soap and hot water.

****

"Blair Sandburg." Answering his phone with his usual preoccupation, Blair straightened at Jim's voice.

"Hey, Chief. Surprise, Simon doesn't have a case for me. So I'm going to be covering on a Vice stakeout this evening, from 3 to 11. Will you be free to join me?"

Taking a minute to look over his desk, completely covered with books and notes, open and stacked in nothing resembling order, Blair shook his head as he answered.

"I'm caught up in something right now, man. I'd hate to leave it before I figure it out."

"Have it your way, then. I'll probably stop for a beer with the guys afterwards, so don't wait up for me."

"No problem."

Hanging up with a sigh, Blair surveyed his notes again.

Nothing.

He'd found nothing that implied that Sentinels were any form of shapechanger. Not that he would believe it anyhow, there was just no scientific basis for it.

It wasn't *possible*.

But all the information he had pointed to that conclusion.

If you've eliminated every other option and the one that remains is impossible, then it's possible, he misquoted the quote to himself. Where was Occam's Razor when he needed it?

With another sigh he stood and began clearing the mess. What he needed was more empirical data - and the only place he was going to get that was at home, tonight.

After Jim got home.

If it was Jim that came home.

Sure, it might never happen again. He might never see that panther again.

Somehow, he didn't think he was going to be that lucky.

A nap would be just the thing, keep him fresh for the night. To make observation easier.

It had been a while since he allowed himself to imagine Jim sleeping. Nice of fate to legitimize it like this.

***

After a second night on the sofa, Blair was less then than thrilled with this new aspect of his roommate. It was comfortable for snuggling and terrific if you happened to have someone lying on top of you, but it wasn't made for sleeping. Or so his back declared the next morning as he rose early and padded as quietly  as he could back into his own bedroom. Easing the door open, he settled to the floor, eyes on the bed, and prepared to watch.

The whole thing was just too unreal. Too unbelievable.

Too damn X-Files.

Besides the existence of Sentinels, which had ample scientific proof if not popular academic acceptance, Blair Sandburg didn't find himself believing in much that he couldn't study. And test. And retest and check for the validity of those tests...

Shapechanging Sentinels were right out of left field.

As he thought his thoughts, he watched the sunrise, evident in the clean glass of his window. First the sky was black, and then grey, and then, suddenly, rosy pink. And the black-furred mass on his bed stirred. It stretched, head-to-tail, tail-tip twitching with irritation, and then raised its great broad head from their pillow on his paws, and yawned. So widely that he heard the joint pop. And when the yawn was finished there was no panther in Blair's bed.

Only an irritated-looking Jim Ellison, with a muscle in his jaw that twitched like an annoyed cat's tail.

"Sandburg?" Somewhere between a growl and a snarl, the words seemed to surprise

Jim as well. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Chief. Why am I in your bed again?"

"You tell me, man." with a shrug, figuring that if Jim didn't remember coming home he couldn't remember anything else about the night before, Blair lied. "I came home late from the library and here you were." He allowed a touch of concern into his voice, which he was finding hard to control. "Did you hurt yourself or something yesterday?"

"Well, I did overdo the workout a little..." Sitting up and rolling his shoulders, Jim found an obfuscation of his own.

"You were still tired." Blair agreed, climbing to his feet, finding himself surprised that he could stand. It wasn't every day a guy learned that his best friend was a lycanthrope. Or whatever you called it for jungle cats. And how did the spirit-guide aspect of it fit in?

Ignoring his thoughts and the rising tide of worry within him, he went into the kitchen to start coffee, hearing Jim follow him out.

"Take the first shower, Jim, the hot water should help your shoulder."

Ellison's relieved smile would be enough to keep Blair warm through a cold shower, he decided. Of course, a couple of cups of coffee first should help. And then he would hit the libraries. And the occult stores. And maybe track down Mr.Woojani and ask him what he knew about shapechangers. The Japanese apothecary had been very helpful in the past and he never asked questions about why Blair needed some of the stranger things he'd bought for Jim.

Somewhere, there had to be a reference to this. A way Blair could fix it. Because, aside from the agony of sleeping on the couch every night, this was really going to seriously screw Jim up when Blair finally told him.

And he had to tell him. It didn't feel right not to.

'Hey, Jim, have you been craving seafood lately? Maybe Meow Mix?' Not a conversation he was ready to have without more data to back himself up.

Jim emerged form the bathroom in a cloud of steam, grinning at Blair smugly, and climbed the stairs dressed only in a towel.

The younger man gripped the counter and counted to twenty, until he was sure his unwittingly flirting roommate was out of sight, and then returned to his cooking and thinking.

He would find something today. Somewhere.

"You gotta have faith, man." He told himself aloud. "Just gotta have faith."

***

"Jim?"

Sitting up once again in the dark, Blair listened.

The sounds he was hearing had become familiar. The panther - did he need to find something else to call it? If it kept coming around? - was at his window, grumbling as only a cat could.

"Hold your horses, I'm coming." Still wearing a pair of jeans, Blair hurried to the window and opened it. The big cat gave him a head butt as he flowed through and landed on the floor, gazing up at Blair.

"What?" arms crossed over his chest, Blair marveled that he felt so safe in the presence of this deadly animal. "Are you hungry?"

A rumble of agreement and the animal was stalking to the kitchen. Bemused, Blair followed.

The panther stopped in front of the fridge, tail twitching.

Obligingly Blair opened it and watched as the cat sniffed daintily at the offerings.

"You would, wouldn't you." Complaining as the animal made its choice - a package of steak that was emphatically Jim's -Blair took it from him to unwrap the plastic, and then paused.

...I just took meat from his mouth. He let me, but what if he hadn't? I need to be more careful here. Whatever else this guy may be, spirit guide or not, he's still a wild animal. I could lose a hand...

With those thoughts in mind Blair hastily unwrapped the steak and laid it on a plate, setting the plate on the floor. "Unless you'd rather eat it the table?"

There was scorn in those big green eyes, he was sure of it.

"Okay, sorry I said anything. I'm just going to go watch some cable while you eat and then we'll get you settled down to sleep, okay?" Turning his back on the cat, Blair wandered to the couch and picked up the remote. When he was settled, watching the history channel, the panther picked up his steak and padded over to lie at Blair's feet, meat between his paws, gnawing contentedly.

Looking down at him for a minute, Blair smiled.

"Okay, then. We'll watch TV together."

An hour later he'd switched to the learning channel and the panther, steak consumed, was dozing, his big head on the floor and one paw covering Blair's left foot.

"I'm ready for bed, what do you think?" Straightening and stretching, Blair shifted the bare foot to rub at the cat's head. A purr rewarded his efforts. "I do need to call you something, I think. I mean, if you're going to be showing up here regularly. Are you? Can you tell me that? Can you tell me anything?"

Opening his eyes, the cat yawned at him, mocking him.

"That was less than helpful." Blair informed him as he stood, removing his foot, and turned toward his bedroom.

Only to find his way blocked by the panther.

Head low, tail twitching, it opened its mouth in a low warning growl.

"What?" Standing very still, unsure what he'd done to provoke this, Blair spread his hands out to the side. "You want my bed again? Okay, I can do that if I have to. Just let me grab a blanket and a pillow..." His words were cut off by the animal's next action. Angling himself sideways, the panther pressed his body on Blair's legs, forcing him to take a step backwards or stumble. The pressure continued until the anthropologist realized that the cat was pushing him in the direction of the door.

"You need to go out? I don't know if that's such a good idea. I mean, I know you've been out there by yourself before..."

As soon as he said the word 'out' the panther left him and went to the door, rising on his hind legs to rest his paws against it, looking back at Blair over a black shoulder.

Blair checked the clock. It was past 3 a.m. Things should be pretty quiet outside by now.

"Okay." he agreed, afraid but exhilarated at the same time. "We'll go for a walk."

A purr answered that and the cat dropped to all fours, waiting for him. It waited patiently while Blair pulled on several shirts and socks and boots. And then they went outside.

***

Exhausted, Blair fell into his bed. He'd left the cat in the living room, scratching itself on the post in the middle of the room. It was almost 6 a.m and he would have to get up in an hour, he wanted to get what sleep he could. The naps he was managing to catch were going to be the only thing that saved him.

They had prowled the city. There was no other way to put it.

A night person himself, Blair had been charged by the novelty of investigating it with the panther by his side. An excellent companion, the animal had taken turns leading and following.

Avoiding other people had become easy as Blair quickly learned to read his signals, so they had been left alone the entire time. The night, the sky, the cat by his side...there was something primal about it.

Something that fit. The way that being back here in the loft, now, didn't. Blair worried about that silently.

There was no sound, but suddenly he felt the weight of a large body on his bed.

Warm and furry, it pressed against his back and a rough tongue swiped over his neck where the curls parted.

"Oh, man. C'mon, cat, I want to sleep here tonight. Go upstairs or something, okay?"

There was a purr and then the cat settled right up against him and the purr grew louder.

Shit, what will Jim say when he wakes up like this? Aware of his own thoughts, Blair let himself wonder further. What will I do if it is Jim that wakes up next to me when the sun comes up? I've wanted to be close to him for so long...is this wrong?

Will he kill me when he finds out?

Sleep was overwhelming him. His last thought as he slipped into the void was an adamant one.

I have got to tell Jim.

But he didn't. Some instinct warned him and he crawled out of the bed before the panther woke, and was safe in the bathroom when Jim came out of his bedroom, naked as the day he was born.

Blair watched from a crack in the door.

His partner stopped in the living room and looked around, confusion plain on his face. He took a step toward the bathroom and Blair quietly shut the door all the way and went to turn on the hot water for a shower.

By the time he got out Jim, wearing boxers like Blair was, had coffee made and bagels toasting. The older man was standing in front of the fridge, studying the contents, and Blair held his breath.

"Up early this morning, Chief?" Closing the door, Jim reached for the coffee and poured a cup, passing it to Blair.

"Um, yeah. Woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. You know how that goes."

"Yeah." Grabbing the bagels just as they pooped up, Jim slid them onto plates. Handing one to Blair, he sat across from him and started preparing his own. Relieved, Blair picked up a knife and spread strawberry cream cheese over his own. He allowed himself to look at Jim as he did so, always willing to enjoy the sight of his roommate's slick chest, the muscles beautifully defined, a picture of strength and sexuality.

This had been settled long ago, when Blair had first moved in here. He looked and Jim pretended not to notice him looking. The older man was comfortable enough with himself not to mind being discreetly ogled and Blair was careful not to take advantage or do anything more than look a little. Sure, more would have been nice, but it wasn't going to happen, so he'd be happy with what he could get. Jim to look at and women to sleep with. It worked.

"I'm going to take a shower and get into the office early today. You have classes all day, right?"

"Yeah, today's the long day." Blair appreciated the fact that Jim went to the trouble to learn his schedule every semester.

"How is that freshman you were worried about doing?" Remembering several weeks of frustration as he watched a promising student slip further and further behind, and Jim's support of his attempts to help, Blair smiled at him.

"He's much better. The anti-depressant drugs have helped a lot and the counseling he's getting from the student center is helping him decide how he's going to deal with things."

"Isn't twenty a little old to be discovering a sexual orientation?"

"Not if you've suppressed it all your life." Blair shrugged, finishing off the first half of his bagel. "He poured all that energy into schoolwork, but he couldn't keep it up."

"It's too bad it was so hard for him."

"But he's going to be fine." Watching Jim stand, food gone, Blair wondered where this conversation was going. And why Jim hadn't mentioned waking in Blair's bed again.

"I'll pick you up at one and we'll grab a quick lunch, okay?" Jim asked over his shoulder on the way to the shower.

"Yeah, great. I gotta go, that eight o'clock Anth. 101 class is a killer."

***

"Are you with me here Sandburg?

Startling, the captain's voice loud in his ear, Blair jerked his head off the hand that was propping it and stretched his eyes wide.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely here, Captain."

"That's good, because it looked like you were sleeping during my briefing."

Returning to his seat at the head of the table, Simon threw a glance at Jim, who was also watching his partner.

There were three other people in the room, an FBI team and the new forensics person, a mousy little guy called Albert Besson. Mousy, but sharp. Pictures on his desk proved him to be married to an extremely pretty woman and supporting a rather large family that included five children and two elderly grandparents.

Blair had liked him from the moment he arrived. But now he barely returned the sympathetic smile Albert offered, instead leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face briskly with both hands.

"Here, Chief." Jim's voice and a cup of steaming coffee appeared before him. "I think you need this."

"Perhaps Mr. Sandburg should give up co-eds for the duration of this investigation."

The female half of the FBI team spoke sarcastically. Blair had flirted with her briefly upon meeting and then backed off with unflattering speed when Jim had made it clear he didn't appreciate it.

"Agent Ward, Agent Kennan, I'll handle my men. Now tell us again what you want us to do here."

The man, shorter, balding, in a very good suit ignored his partner's words and focused his attention on Jim and Simon.

"You already know the case. After months of effort we've tracked this woman -" he held up the photo again, " - Paula Lindholm, here to Cascade. She's been featured on America's Most Wanted twice now and both times we were interviewed. So we can't watch her."

"She has the child with her?" Jim asked.

"Excuse me, I arrived late." Albert spoke up. "Would you mind going over the case again?"

Kennan frowned but Blair gave a quick summary.

"Six years ago Paula Lindholm, then a college student in New York, was babysitting for Arlene and Bruce Thayer, both professors at the university she attended. The Thayers never returned from their vacation and Paula disappeared with their only child, four-month-old Clark. During the investigation the Thayers' bodies were discovered buried in the woods that surrounded their property and evidence that Paula had murdered them."

"So why don't we just swoop down and grab her?" the scientist asked.

"We don't know if she has the child with her. All we have at this point is a positive Id. on Paula, we need someone to follow her and find out where she lives and who lives with her."

"And the chief sent you here because Jim is the best." Blair piped up again cheerfully, earning another dirty look from Agent Ward.

"Exactly."

"And my job will be to determine the identity of any child she has in her possession." Albert nodded.

"Children change so much - and because he was only an infant there are no dental records. We have the footprints that were recorded in the hospital on file, those should be all you need." Kennan looked hopeful.

"Because of the delicate nature of the case we're trying to keep it very quiet. Our A.D and his boss are the only ones who know we're here. Enough time has passed that Paula may have calmed down some, but every report we have says that she's dangerous and would likely kill the child rather than give him up."

"Why is she so fixated on this kid that she would kill his parents to get him?" Blair asked, his consuming curiosity overruling his common sense briefly. Ward gave him a pitying look but Jim smiled.

"Clark Thayer was adopted at birth. Paula Lindholm gave birth to a baby boy and put him up for adoption at roughly the same time Clark was born. We believe that, suffering from a severe post-partum depression, Paula somehow convinced herself that Clark was the child she reluctantly gave up - her family was very strict and unforgiving - and that she deserved to have him. That he was the only thing that could make her happy, that could love her."

"Is there any chance he *is* hers?" Simon was caught up in the drama.

"No." Kennan spoke decisively. "We traced the adoption of her child. He lives in California, in a very nice family. Paula's fixation on Clark was simply a matter of convenience."

"Okay. So all you want me to do is follow her and collect information." Jim said it slowly.

"Yes. But she can't see you. We've gotten close to her before and she's somehow sensed us and taken the child and run." Ward sounded as if she believed that would happen this time as well. "But we've heard only good things about you, Detective. We believe you can do this."

"Is there a family waiting for Clark? I mean, this is going to mess him up." Blair shifted in his chair, suddenly filled with empathy for the little boy whose life was about to be torn apart.

"Bruce Thayer's sister has been the driving force behind this investigation for six long years. She wants that child home, in the family he was meant for. Without her the case would have probably lost steam a long time ago."

"Man, that's gonna be hard on the kid." Blair muttered to himself. As the room began to clear out, Simon walking out with the feds and Albert trailing along in their wake, lost in his own thoughts, he put his head down on the table, pillowed on crossed arms, and moaned softly.

He was so tired. Every night for the past week and a half he'd spent three or four hours walking the deserted streets of Cascade with the panther by his side. If he tried not to go the panther pawed and nuzzled and pestered him until he got up, unable to rest.

"You okay, Chief?"

Blair opened his eyes to Jim's calm face, watching him from across the table.

And that was another thing. Jim was ignoring it. All of it.

His clothes, missing every morning. Waking naked in Blair's bed on a regular basis,

Blair always up and in the shower when he rose.

The steaks in the refrigerator at night missing the next morning.

There was no way he couldn't be aware of everything. But he didn't say anything, and so Blair didn't either.

But all Blair really wanted to do right now was sleep.

"Just tired, Jim. Not sleeping so well lately."

"I had noticed." Standing, Jim gathered up his coffee cup and file and notebook.

"C'mon, the sooner we track this woman down the sooner you'll be able to get some sleep."

"Yeah. Like that's gonna happen." Muttering after him, Blair rested a minute more and then pulled himself up with a groan.

***

"No, Spirit, go away. I have *got* to get some sleep tonight." Pushing irritably at the big cat, who was beside the couch, pawing at him and nuzzling, Blair didn't raise his voice, but he was insistent. "One night of sleep, that's all I'm asking here." He turned over, face pressed into the back of the couch, and sighed with relief when the animal nudged him gently with its big broad head and then settled to the floor beside him. Purring loudly, it seemed to have given in this time.

The deep rumbly noise was almost a lullaby. Blair had fallen asleep listening to it for two weeks now, beside him on his narrow bed. His decision to sleep on the couch again tonight wasn't based off a repugnance to sleeping with the cat - the world's warmest stuffed toy - but because this morning he had woken up just a little bit late.

Jim had already returned, sleeping sprawled over and around Blair.

Warm and naked and so inviting.

It had taken Blair nearly ten minutes to work himself away from that clinging body.

Ten minutes of heaven and hell as his own body responded to the warmth and closeness and reminded him forcefully of just how many fantasies this man had played a starring role in.

And then he hadn't been able to jerk off in the shower, knowing that Jim would be in there shortly after Blair was. It just wasn't the polite thing to do when your roommate was a Sentinel.

A shape-changing Sentinel cat. Blair corrected himself as he slid into blissful sleep. Can't forget that minor detail...

It was dark and quiet. The loft, lit by the bathroom light, was a oasis of calm. The only sounds that broke the soothing silence were Blair's soft snores and the panther's rustling as he padded quietly around the room, stopping occasionally to nudge and nuzzle the sleeping man.

Turned on his back, Blair was deeply asleep, one arm hanging off the side, the back of his hand resting against the floor. He'd stripped to boxers and a t-shirt. 

After circling the room twice and bounding up to the loft once, the big cat padded back to stand beside the sofa. His eyes glowed in the dim room, bright vibrant green.

Aware of his presence, Blair snorted a little and turned to his side, drawing his knees up halfway and pulling in the hanging arm, curling both hands to his chest.

His curls bounced slightly as he nuzzles his face deeper into the sofa cushions.

The spirit cat started purring. More softly than usual, low in his throat. With another soft sound, almost a meow, it leaned its big broad head in and nudged at Blair's face.

Blair opened his mouth and sighed. A name.

"Jim."

The cat withdrew and gave its head a shake. Then it closed its eyes and sniffed deeply, breathing in Blair's scent. Lifting one paw to the couch, it leaned in closer, scenting up and down the young man's torso, the purr growing louder.

Delicately, the animal scented his entire body. Rising on both paws on the sofa it ducked behind him to get his back, spending longer at his buttocks and thighs, the purr catching and rumbling deeper momentarily. Then he rolled back to go up and over sturdy legs covered with a soft mat of hair, and then he big head came level with Blair's groin.

The beginnings of arousal pulsed there, in a half-hard cock and increased bloodflow.

Settling beside the sofa now, sitting back on his haunches, the cat began to knead the couch cushion with both big paws, purr rumbling softly. His black nose nudged at Blair's cock, covered with the plaid of his boxers, and then repeated the action, harder.

Blair made a small sound and his body relaxed further, legs straightening somewhat.

Taking this as an invitation, the panther nuzzled deeper, pushing the loose limbs further apart, and gently used his flat pink tongue to tug at the fly of the shorts.

"mmmm." Rolling to his back and stretching, Blair displayed himself, still asleep.

The big cat rubbed his head against the exposed torso where the shirt pulled up and climbed onto the couch, settling between Blair's parted legs.

Then he began purring again, paws on the outsides of the sturdy legs, kneading the cushion, and lowered his big head to Blair's crotch again.

The nuzzling soon gave way to licking, and Blair's cock rose, thick and firm, from the fly of his boxers. The only sounds in the loft were the purr of the happy panther and the sleeping man's quiet murmurs and soft sounds of pleasure.

Paws sunk into the couch cushions, legs working as he extended and withdrew his claws lazily, the big animal was close and tight to Blair's body, embracing it. His tongue, wide and flat and pink, curled around the engorged organ and tugged,

sandpaper-rough, drawing a moan from his sleeping victim.

"ooooooh, god..." the moan grew louder, and Blair opened his eyes.

And stared, dark blue becoming bright with fear, eyes growing round, as he stared down at the vision between his legs.

The panther grumbled and then resumed his purr, opening his jaw widely to display rows of sharp teeth, and then reached with his tongue to swipe it over Blair's still-rampant cock, from base to top, the sensation both rough and velvety, bringing a heartfelt gasp and another, more desperate moan.

"Oh, *God*!" Half-rising on his elbows, Blair clenched his hands into fists and tried to talk to the panther. "Hey....Spirit. Oh, god, quit doing that for a minute, would you? Jim will kill me if he ever finds out about this. Unless you are Jim and for some reason you think this is the only way you can have me...oh, man, oh, shit." He panted heavily as the cat ignored his words and kept licking and then gently mouthing the throbbing organ. "I, I, um, kindof need that, oh, man, don't bite, please don't bite..." the whispered prayer became quiet and fervent as the cat tested the skin oh-so-gently with those teeth. Blair twitched convulsively, fear flooding his body. He was aware of the sudden reek of it in the air as he broke out n a sweat, adrenalin sending the message to his body that they were in big trouble here.

With a quick low growl the panther raised a paw and slapped it down on Blair's stomach, making him expel his lungful of air with an 'oof'.

"o-okay." Blair panted, digging his hands into the cushions and clenching handfuls of the thick material. "I'll be still if you promise not to bite. Kay? Okay?" He sounded desperate but his fear was beginning to fade a little. They could communicate, they had before. The panther had never done anything to hurt him.

It felt so good.

With a return of the purr the animal went back to work, long swipes of the rough tongue leaving the delicate flesh tingling as he covered it over and over again.

Letting his head roll back again Blair panted and fought the urge to thrust is hips, his mind filled with disjointed thoughts and worries.

This - oh god - this feels great. I'm letting this *animal* lick my dick, oh my god!

But it's Jim, or at least some supernatural version of him....I've wanted him for so long...

That thought swelled in his mind as his cock swelled even harder under the cat's careful attentions. He had been lusting after Jim, been in love with Jim, so long that he couldn't remember ever feeling anything else.

With a hoarse shout of surprise, Blair pumped his hips into the air and came, cock pressed tightly to the side of the cat's broad face, the animal closing its eyes and purring with apparent pleasure.

Collapsing into an insensinate heap, Blair panted thorough the aftershocks, amazed at the depth of sensation he'd experienced.

Sex was never like this. *Never* felt this good.

He shivered violently as the animal rose over him, sudden terror ripping through him - what did it want?! - that died when the cat began lapping up the spilled semen, purring contentedly.

When it was done it nudged his face, cat-breath making his nose wrinkle. Bringing one hand up, Blair petted between the bright eyes, his mind not quite able to register what had just happened.

The cat nudged his face insistently, cool nose smudging Blair's cheek. He grinned automatically, and then 'oofed' again as it stepped on him on its way back to the floor.

When it closed its jaw around his arm and pulled, he first sat and then stood, letting himself be led to the bedroom, where he stripped off his soiled clothing and dropped into his own bed, barely waiting for the panther to join him before falling swiftly into a calm sleep, the jungle cat curled around him. Or he around it. There was no real way to tell.

Dawn found Blair well-rested and filled with a sense of wellbeing. Disengaging himself from the cat's heavy weight, he gathered his clothes from the night before and Jim's as well, dropped in the bedroom at dusk when his friend had changed there for the first time, with Blair waiting outside the room to take them off of him carefully, the jeans torn in the crotch but mendable.

I need to get him to take an evening shower at just the right time, then we won't have to worry about replacing all these clothes... The hot water pounded down on him and he relaxed into it. Whatever had happened the night before had brought some new sense of peace to him. He didn't feel a need to explain it or rationalize it or even explore it. It just was.

And the way things were - that seemed like enough for now.

***

"Ward, hold off a minute. I think there's something going on in there."

The FBI agent gave Ellison a disbelieving look, subsiding back into the unmarked vehicle they were using for surveillance.

"We're a mile away, cop. Maybe you think too much. I need a cup of coffee." She climbed all the out this time and shut the door with more force than necessary, not quite slamming it.

Left to his own devices, Jim picked up his cellphone. He'd been assigned to this stakeout with no opportunity to tell Blair where he was going to be all night. It was already half-past ten and he figured his partner would be worried about him.

"Jim? Jim, is that you?" The worry came through loud and clear.

"Yeah, Chief, I'm on stakeout with Miss Congeniality. We're watching the apartment complex Paula Lindholm lives in."

"Are you going to be there all night?" The worry increased by several notches and the older man wondered what was upsetting his friend so. Blair's heartrate and respirations were quick and light.

"That's sortof why they call it a stakeout, Sandburg." Answering with grumpy amusement, Jim leaned his head back as he stretched in the car, enjoying the pop and crack of joints and tendons.

"Well tell me where you are, I'll come keep you company."

"Uh-uh, Chief. She may be the only woman in the world who's immune to your many charms, but Ward just does not like you. There are two of us here and I don't think there's any danger. Except of being bored to death."

There was desperation in Blair's voice, but Jim saw Ward coming back, a white paper sack in one hand and two Styrofoam cups in the other.

"Then I'll keep you awake, man. Tell me where you are!"

"Here she comes, Chief. Gotta go. Get some rest."

Closing the phone and cutting the connection, Jim smiled at Ward when she slid back into the car. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but more interesting to look at, and there was no reason not to flirt with her a little, if it made the time pass faster....

Staring at the phone like it had sprouted hands and waved, Blair suddenly dropped it back into the base, letting it bounce before it settled.

What the hell was Jim doing? It was nighttime, he was going to change and Ward would be there to see it, and he might hurt her...!

"Oh, man! This is all my fault." He sat heavily on the couch, mind whirling with images. "I should have told him."

But you didn't. You were too busy fantasizing about him and letting that animal get you off with his wonderful tongue and big soft paws...*that's* why you didn't tell him. Because you would have never felt that again, never touched him again, in any form.

There was no way to find him, Blair knew, but he had to try.

Grabbing his coat and hurrying out the door, he forgot to turn out the lights and left the loft shining brightly.

***

Jim shifted restlessly again. Beside him Ward glanced up from her book. They were watching in one-hour shifts, and she'd chosen to use this hour to read the latest from the Oprah Winfrey book club, something called 'Black and Blue'.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" She said dryly. Her sense of humor had improved somewhat over the past two hours.

"I need to get out and move around." Jim answered, already reaching for the door handle.

"You've only got twenty minutes left, then you can spend an hour walking around."

"I'm sorry, lady, but I have to get out *now*." Unable to understand the desperation that filled him, Jim lurched forward, ignoring her hiss of anger as he wrestled the door open, clumsy.

Suddenly his hands didn't seem to belong to him.

"Don't you pull this shit with me, Ellison. You 'alternative lifestyle' boys know better than to rock the boat."

He slammed the car door, the sound echoing in his suddenly pounding head. When he bent over to stare at her, uncomprehending, he realized that his vision was blurred.

"Huh? Nevermind...I'll be back as soon as I can..." Turning, he began to walk quickly away, but the walk became a jog and the jog became a run and by the time he turned the corner of the nearest alley, there wasn't much of Jim Ellison left.

Within seconds the panther stood there. He looked around casually, then sat and lifted one paw, to begin delicately washing between his toes, pink tongue curling. After a few minutes of this he lifted his head and scented the air. Giving a low growl, the panther hopped to his feet and padded away, through the alley, looking like an animal with a destination.

Afraid to call Simon and ask for directions, Blair stopped at a payphone and called

Jim's cellphone back, realizing that he'd gone off half-cocked.

"Is this Sandburg?" Ward's angry voice barked at him and he flinched.

"Yeah, this is me. What are you doing with Jim's phone?"

Mounting a counter-offense seemed the best defense.

"He left it here when he ran off a half hour ago! What the hell is going on with your partner?" Her anger was equal parts indignation and exasperation.

"He left the cell? Man, he must be feeling worse than I thought." Quickly Blair tired to come up with a plausible obfuscation. "He gets claustrophobic, Ward, has to get out and prowl around sometimes. Tell me where you are and I'll come look for him."

"You want me to give out classified information on a stakeout to an observer?"

"I'm a consultant - and if you weren't there with Jim tonight I would be." He asserted himself insistently. "Don't make me call Captain Banks, lady. He'd be pissed and I wouldn't catch all the fall out."

There was a moment of silence, and then snapped words.

"Tenth and Indiana. Blue Ford Taurus."

Opening his mouth to thank her, Blair was startled by the dial tone that filled his ear. But it didn't matter, he had a place to start looking now.

There was no way in hell he was actually going to join Ward on the stakeout. His job was to find Spirit and get him - and Jim - to safety before dawn, which was thankfully many hours away.

As he got back into the Volvo he tried to remember if he had left the bedroom window open in case the cat headed that way. He thought he had, but if not Spirit would just wait for him on the balcony.

Padding down an alley, the cat paused when it reached a street. A taxi cruised by, slowly, and he lowered his head, growling softly as a cloud of noxious emission passed over him.

The street was empty then and he loped across it casually, stopping at the mouth of the next alley, scenting. There were several newspaper-wrapped bundles sleeping in this one and he picked his way between them carefully, without waking one from the drunken sleep that claimed them all.

He could feel his mate, not far away now, looking for him. Following the feeling with the single-minded sensitivity that only a supernatural cat can achieve, he began to purr, very softly, as if to himself.

Tail lashing lazily from side to side, he padded through the city, green eyes glowing in the yellow light of streetlamps.

Parking the Volvo, Blair locked it up and stood for a moment, studying his surroundings. It wasn't the worst part of town, but it surely wasn't the best either.

The apartment building across the street from him was the one Ward and Ellison were supposed to be watching. He'd parked on the opposite side of Ward's position.

The apartments were okay, but flanked by strip malls and pawn shops and a small park crowded with trees and bushes that made an ideal spot for drug deals and prostitutes.

If I had a gun, I'd carry it here. He thought nervously. Now, if I were a shapechanging spirit guide, where would I be?

The most obvious answer seemed to be the park. Swallowing, Blair used an elastic tie to get his hair out of the way and, zipping his jacket up all the way, stepped past the fence with as much courage as he could muster.

Sniffing at a mess of fast food wrappers, Spirit lifted his head, ears flattening against his curved skull. A low growl rumbled from him, threatening this time, clearly unhappy.

His tail lashed once, then twice, and then he turned quickly, loping back the way he had come, ears still back, snarling a little as he ran.

There were noises in the bushes. Grunting, panting...trying not to hear, Blair walked faster.

Shadowy figures, of men mostly, loomed from the darkness. Sometimes he passed close to them, but, keeping his head down and eyes on the ground, hands fisted in his pockets, he tried to give the impression of a man with a mission and they left him alone.

There was one dark corridor, blocked in by thick bushes on both sides, where he had to brush up against people. Eight or nine men occupied this tunnel, in various stages of undress, the sharp smell of butanol nitrate familiar only from chemistry classes. A hand settled on his ass and gave a firm squeeze. Biting back a yelp, Blair kept walking, doggedly. A confrontation would do him no good here.

He wasn't seeing any sign of the cat. Perhaps he'd gone the wrong way, or it had already headed back for the loft.

As soon as he got to the other side of this park he would find a payphone and call home. Surely the cat knew enough to knock the receiver off the base?

The lope had become a run. With an instinct tuned by ancestral memories, Spirit knew that his mate was in trouble, somewhere, somehow. He just had to get to him in time.

"Hey baby, looking to make some cash?"

Clearing the tree-lined tunnel, Blair thought he was safe - until three men appeared in front of him, just inside the opening in the tall wrought-iron fence that led to the real world.

Stopping, he tilted his head and studied the man that faced him.

This doesn't bode well.

Tall and muscular, all three wore Jags sweatshirts and jeans and boots. And were essentially bald, military-style haircuts leaving them with hair shorter than Jim's.

They were young and the voice that spoke now was mocking.

"We can give you something better than money...how about a face lift?"

Holding up his hands, palms forward, Blair smiled his best lady-killer grin.

"Oh, hey, you've got the wrong idea, guys. I live over there -" he pointed over his shoulder to the apartment building, "- and I'm looking for my cat. He got out tonight." The best lies were always based on truths.

"Your cat. *Riiiight*." A sneer.

"So what kind of cat is he?" They were mocking him now, but he could handle that.

As long as he kept them talking they weren't hurting him.

"A big tomcat. Black, with green eyes."

"What's is name?" The third guy actually sounded interested.

"Spirit."

"How'd he get out?"

"I left the bedroom window open too far."

"Uh-huh. That's the best you can come up with? A cat wouldn't survive ten minutes in the neighborhood. Who ya really looking for?"

They all moved forward. Blair lowered his hands and took a step back, which brought him to the beginning of that tunnel. He didn't want to go in there again.

"I told you."

"You weren't calling him."

"Here kitty kitty kitty."

Closing his eyes briefly, Blair spared a moment to wonder how this had happened. Then he heard the low growl and his eyes snapped open, staring past the three bullies into the darkness of the street beyond.

Bright green eyes glowed, coming closer quickly.

"There he is." His smiled widened until it threatened to split his face.

Another growl came now, louder, and all three men turned their heads to stare.

And scrambled out of the way as Spirit leapt for them, scattering them, landing before Blair, rising on his hind legs to rest big paws on the Guide's shoulders and nuzzle at his face.

Laughing, Blair wrapped both arms around the animal's shoulders and hugged him like he wanted to hug his friend.

"There you are! Bad kitty, scaring me like that." He scolded lovingly, chuckling.

The bashers recovered themselves and Blair grinned at them smugly while Spirit dropped to all fours and lashed his tail, snarling at them while he pressed into Blair's thighs.

"You guys should stay away from here." Blair told them as they stared, stunned and terrified. "We hang out here a lot and he doesn't like strangers."

"I'm calling the cops!" One of them yelled, backing away quickly. Blair laughed louder as they all lost their nerve and broke and ran at the same moment.

"He *is* a cop!" Blair shouted after them, knowing they wouldn't hear him.

Then he dropped to his knees and caressed the broad smooth head.

"I'm going to tell you this morning. We can't go on like this. But I'm going to really miss you, Spirit."

The cat made an objecting noise and licked his face. This made Blair grin again and he stood, one hand resting on the swell of muscles at the base of the cat's neck.

"We'll go around the park this time, what do you say?"

Walking, his hand securely settled in the warm fur, Blair kept up a running conversation, occasionally answered by a low growl or rumble of purr.

"Aw, man. You were wearing those new boots tonight, weren't you? You're not going to be happy about that, Jim. Next time stash your clothes first, man. Have you eaten tonight? I mean, if you killed a rat or something, I don't want to know..."

They made it back to the Volvo and Spirit took the passenger seat happily enough.

Blair called Ward and told her that Jim had come home, feeling ill, and he would tell Captain Banks. She was angrier than ever, but he tuned her out as he drove his partner home and began preparing himself to tell Jim what he needed - what he had a right - to know.

***

No matter where we roam, we always come back here. I wonder if this will be my base for the rest of my life?

Thinking basically random, comforting thoughts, Blair opened the door and hurried to his bedroom, where Spirit was already waiting at the window, tail-tip twitching impatiently. As soon as it was opened the animal flowed through and bumped his head into Blair's belly, making the younger man staggered a step back and reach for the wall.

"Hey, calm down. I'm gonna feed you. Just give me a chance to lock the door and get my shoes off..."

Raising one foot, the cat swatted him firmly with a big paw, claws safely retracted.

The blow caught Blair behind the knees and he fell, toward the bed, arms out to catch himself. Landing with one knee on the floor, he raised up and stared at the cat, fear on his face, but annoyance as well.

"What was that for? I said I was going to feed you..." His words cut off suddenly, Spirit nudging beneath his lowered leg and grasping it gently in his teeth to lift it to the bed as well. "Spirit? Jim?" Blair lay still as the animal slunk onto the bed beside him and began chewing at his shirt. "I'll take it off, don't tear it."

His voice was low now, and rough with expectation. As his fingers undid the buttons his hands shook and he mentally cursed himself.

This is wrong, Blair, and you know it. You're taking advantage of Jim because he doesn't know what he's doing. I have to try to stop him!

After taking off the shirt he sat up, pushing at the cat with both hands, speaking firmly.

"No, Spirit. No. We're - you're not going to do that. We can sleep here, and rest together and I'll pet you, but that's not going to happen this time."

Lowering his head with an amused rumble, Spirit mouthed at Blair's thigh, testing the strength of the denim.

"I mean it. I'll stay up all night, lock myself in the bathroom if I have to." Gently grabbing both erect ears, Blair shook the big head carefully. "I mean *no*."

Pulling back, Spirit sat on his haunches and gave his head a shake, eyes dropping closed for a moment.

Then they opened again and he yawned at Blair, pink tongue curling out to lick at his chops.

Then he stared at Blair, eyes half-lidded, and stretched out on the bed, lowering his head to his crossed paws.

"Good." Blair said, relieved. He lay back down himself, unsnapping his jeans but not removing them, and pulled a blanket over both of them. "This will be okay."

With a purr Spirit rose again and leapt to the floor over Blair's body. Padding to the french doors, he reared up to hit the light switch with a paw, and the room was darkened, but the light was still on in the living room as Blair had left it.

"The front door isn't locked." Blair grinned as the cat looked from the bed to the bright room beyond the door.

With a snort that sounded exactly like Jim Ellison's, the cat twitched his tail once and nudged the french doors almost closed, cutting off the light.

Blair grinned and held up the blanket, relaxing back into the bed as Spirit stretched out again, the warm furry side pressed to Blair's chest.

He was really very tired. All those nights of wandering, plus the adrenalin rush of that scene in the park and the worry...vaguely aware that he was erect, and his erection was pressed firmly into the cat's side, Blair dozed off.

It was a very pleasant feeling.

***

The pleasant feeling lingered. Although it was probable that his erection had faded during the night, it was the fist thing he was aware of when consciousness returned, gradually drawing his restless mind from dreams of dark places and a savior with eyes that changed colors. Green and then blue and then back to bright green again...

His chest was pressed to a warm mass, an arm wrapped tightly around it.

A warm, smooth mass.

The lack of fur registered about the same time his eyes opened.

And blue eyes with an absorbed expression were watching him closely.

Blair's heart leapt into his throat, the weight of it making breathing difficult.

"Jim! Uh, I, um..."

Lifting on his elbow, Blair tried to move away from his friend, his erection shrinking as embarrassment hit and he realized just how intimately they were twined together.

But Jim held on, the arm around Blair's waist tightening and pulling him in closer, until they were back in the same position.

They stared at each other for long moments. Blair was incredibly thankful that he was still wearing his jeans, grateful for the layer of thick denim between them.

At last the older man cleared his throat. His voice was rough when it surfaced.

"I guess there are some things I need to explain."

Seeing the harsh planes of Jim's face soften with sudden shyness, Blair relaxed slightly into the embrace, allowing his cheek to rest, once again, on a broad shoulder.

He sighed when Jim's hand slid up his back to sneak under his hair and lay on his neck.

"That might be good." the words said softly.

"I never thought it would happen again. I thought it was restricted to the jungle. I thought the city, you know, would make it too hard"

"Make what too hard, Jim?" Needing to hear it plainly said.

"The change. It started in Peru - not long after the senses did. Incacha -" Jim gasped as he said the name, " - he said it was my other self."

"The panther."

"Yes." Jim agreed, snuggling him closer, the movement almost convulsive. "Spirit."

"Spirit?!" Blurting the name, Blair jerked back, freeing himself from Jim's embrace, and pressed against the wall, as far away as he could get. "You - you..."

"I knew." Jim closed his eyes and a faint blush rose to stain his cheeks. "It's different, when I'm the panther, but I know what I'm doing."

"So last night -" Biting off the words, Blair held his breath. He could feel the roughness of the wall behind his back, the boards warming from his body. The bed beneath him was slightly too soft and the blankets were twisted into a knot they had kicked to the foot of the bed. Now Blair closed his eyes as well and leaned his head back, welcoming the strength of the wood.

"I don't think much about right and wrong." the man beside him continued. His big hand stretched out toward Blair as his eyes opened. "It's more a matter of instinct. I do what feels right."

"And that - " Blair swallowed and tried again. "*That* felt right?"

"That felt almost perfect."

The words were whispered right next to his ear and Blair's eyes flew open, then crossed briefly as he struggled to focus on Jim's face. They were practically nose-to-nose.

"Almost?" Pleased that his voice didn't squeak, although it shivered a bit, the younger man lifted a hand and placed it on Jim's chest, neither pushing him away nor encouraging him closer.

"Perfect would have been if you could have reciprocated."

"Ji-im." Grinning slowly, Blair swayed forward. "That's disgusting."

"But this -" Jim returned the grin, letting it spread to become a gentle smile, "- will be."

"Will be what, Jim?" Grin fading, Blair parted his licks and the tip of his tongue slipped out to wet them as he relaxed into that sweetness. His world narrowed to the inches between their bodies.

"Perfect." The breath that carried the word washed across his damp lips and then Jim's mouth closed over them.

Blair moaned helplessly, the hand on Jim's chest sliding up to the back of his neck, his other hand reaching to grasp a strong biceps, both pulling Jim closer. Jim's hands came up to frame his face and the kiss deepened.

Their tongues wrapped around each other, Blair began to suckle, drawing a moan from Jim. Leaning carefully, he fell to his side, the older man going down with him, and Blair wrapped both legs around him eagerly.

They kissed and pressed against each other without urgency.

Panting, Blair broke the kiss several times just to stare at Jim, questions in his eyes, worry, trepidation. Each time Jim met the stare with calm and love, the depth of his blue eyes only reassuring.

Then he spoke, trying to answer the questions Blair couldn't find the words to ask.

"Always. The minute I met you. I had forgotten so much about Peru, but never Incacha or what he told me about you." Pressing Blair's face to his neck, Jim continued, one hand on the back of Blair's head and the other stroking up and down his back, from right between the shoulder blades all the way down to the waist of his jeans. Blair shivered and sighed with pleasure. "He told me I would find a man who would lead me safely through hell. A man who was different from all others. A man I would have to love."

"And I'm that man?"

"I've always known that." Pulling Blair up again, Jim gifted him with a rare true smile. "I was just waiting for you to see it my way."

Reaching with a hand that trembled, Blair touched Jim's cheek.

"How - how long would you have waited?"

Jim covered the caressing hand with his own.

"As long as it took. I wasn't suffering, y'know. Since I found you I've been the happiest I've ever been in my life. The panther returning...I couldn't have predicted that."

"It must have been the prison." Blair's heart rate rose with his excitement and Jim grinned to see the light of intellect shining in his darkening eyes. "Being caged and then fighting for your life."

"And as soon as I changed, I wanted to be with you - and finally there didn't seem to be anything separating us."

"What separated us before?" Looking adorably quizzical, Blair leaned in for a soft kiss, gently testing Jim's lips before he gave him a chance to answer.

"Your life. Your future. I didn't want to take things away from you - your freedom, the possibility of family."

"You big stupid cat." Grinning, Blair leaned in and spoke the words over Jim's parted lips. "You *are* my life. My family. Just you and my mom. All I have and all I'll ever need."

"Thank you, God." The words were said as prayerfully as if he'd been in a church, but Jim quickly proved that there was nothing religious about his plans. He rolled them both on the small bed, only his strength and speed keeping them from falling to the floor, and blanketed Blair with his body. "I've been waiting for this for too long, Chief."

"Should I be - *gasp* - worried?" Blair asked as his lover began a thorough inspection of his chest and neck and shoulders.

"Maybe." The teasing tone drew a grin from Blair, followed by another gasp as Jim found the nipple ring and sampled it.

Blair had had lovers bathe him before.

He'd even had one or two who worshiped his body. What Jim was doing went beyond even that. Mere words couldn't describe the level of attention he was engaging.

It seemed that every hair on Blair's chest was individually inspected, licked, and tasted.

Before Jim moved any lower Blair was hard and throbbing and begging for release.

"Jim, Jim, Oh God Jim - more, please, more, lick me suck me..."

The words became a howl that floated in the warm air as his lover raised his head and gave him a measuring stare before ducking down and closing his mouth tightly over the head of Blair's cock, sucking strongly.

Blair's hips came off the bed and Jim's hands were there to catch them, to hold them, big strong hands kneading the muscled flesh eagerly, echoing the panther's responses, while Blair writhed and moaned.

His movements were so enthusiastic that Jim pulled away long enough to warn him.

"Easy there, Chief, I'm going to hurt you."

"No, no, more, please." begging shamelessly Blair arched higher, wrapping his legs around Jim's chest as the older man lay between them.

"You didn't wiggle this much the last time." Jim mock-grumbled, and then grinned as Blair's eyes flew wide and a blush stained already flushed cheeks.

"I was afraid you were gonna bite it off!" He retorted, using his hands to push himself to a sitting position, curling around Jim's head as the man nibbled the head of his straining cock.

"If I ever say I'm going to eat you alive, you should probably worry." twisting his head sideways in the remaining space, Jim grinned at him and then deliberately snaked his tongue out to run around the crown of Blair's cock.

"Do that again." Blair choked out a whisper.

"What?" Still grinning, Jim did. One of the hands on Blair's ass slipped into the crevice between the muscles, a finger searching gently.

A shudder shook Blair.

"yeah..." Half-moan, the whisper was all appreciation. "That."

"And this?" Licking again, Jim raised his head to suck in as much of Blair's cock as he could manage. At the same time he pressed the tip of one finger into the hot hole he found below.

Grabbing Jim's shoulders, Blair hung on. Curled as he was, he couldn't do much more than shudder and moan as Jim carefully worked the finger in deeper and tried to take more of him down his throat.

"Jim. *Jim*!" Blair stiffened, sounding panicked. "I'm - I'm close - I don't - not yet -"

With those words Jim pulled away and Blair fell backwards on the bed, groaning, one arm thrown over his eyes.

His legs were widely spread, cock standing up straight from the nest of curly dark pubic hair, belly concave and moving with his gasping, panting breaths.

"You look like you're ready for something." Jim observed, climbing carefully over him and onto the floor. "Hold that thought."

"I'm going to die." Blair moaned. "And I thought the *cat* was frustrating."

He listened as Jim walked nonchalantly up the stairs. The older man rummaged around a bit and Blair felt his erection throb painfully with need. With his arm still over his eyes, he lowered his other hand and touched himself gingerly. He'd never liked doing this in front of a girl. It was something too private, something he'd never been able to share.

But Jim was still upstairs and he was getting desperate and and and....

With a deeper, rougher moan he ran his fingers down the swollen length. It was still damp, and sticky with Jim's saliva. The sensation shot a thrill through him, making him catch his breath so hard that for a moment he forgot how to breathe.

His cock had been in Jim's mouth. Jim had sucked on his cock.

God, that was hot.

"I'm touching myself." he called, not too loudly.

There was a thump from upstairs, as if something had been dropped.

"I'm thinking about you with my cock in your mouth and I'm touching myself."

Continuing, Blair closed his hand lightly over the length and stroked experimentally, up and down, once. He moaned.

Then the bed bounced, hard, and his hand let go and his arm flailed to the side and he opened his eyes to meet Jim's, inches away.

Jim's blue eyes, with just a hint of bright green at the center.

"I always knew you'd be as pushy in bed as you are in life." his lover said with a grin, leaning forward to rub a cheek to Blair's. They were both bristly and it felt so strange and so good.

Looming over him on all fours, Jim blocked out the light from the living room. Blair grinned back and reached for him.

"I love you," He said, and it was all so simple.

"Me and the cat?" Jim asked, grin still in place, allowing himself to be pulled down until his body touched Blair's everywhere. Their cocks nestled together as if this was an everyday thing.

"You." Blair replied, nuzzling his face into the spot where Jim's neck became Jim's shoulder. "All of you."

"And I love you." the older man sighed softly. His eyes closed and his face clenched briefly, unseen by the man he held.

"Show me." Pushing at him slightly, Blair shifted sideways until he could turn his head to look at Jim's face, serious now, concerned.

"Have you ever had a male lover?"

Blair shook his head.

"Some kid stuff in junior high. Hand jobs. Nothing serious."

"The same for me, but it was in the military." Jim caressed Blair's face tenderly.

"We spent a lot of time alone, on missions. Everyone pretty much agreed that giving a brother a hand wasn't anything to be ashamed of."

"So we're both kinda inexperienced here, huh?" Blair asked, leaning his face into the roughened palm.

"The mechanics aren't that difficult." Jim pecked a kiss on the tip of his nose. "With nearly four college degrees between us I'm betting we can figure it out."

"Then figure quick, catman, 'cause I'm in pain here."

Rocking his hips to bring attention to the pounding erection, Blair delighted in Jim's sudden gasp.

"Just - need to be sure, Chief. That this is what you want. After tonight this is all you're ever going to have." The warning was panted as Jim slid back down Blair's body and one hand went over the side of the bed, searching for a bag dropped there.

Eagerly Blair lifted his legs and settled them over Jim's shoulders.

"Not shy, are you?" Jim quirked a smile, looking up at the vision Blair made. The younger man grinned down at him, a touch nervously, and stretched sinuously, sweat-sheened body rippling as his arms reached out to the sides of the bed.

Jim voiced his appreciation with a low growl that made Blair twitch, cock bouncing.

"I like *that*." Blair announced. "It sounds like you."

"I've never made that sound in bed before, Chief." Jim laid a hand on the quivering stomach while the other slid between the widely parted asscheeks.

"That's because you never made love to me before." Said with absolute certainty, the words were caught and crooked slightly as Jim worked one finger loaded with cool gel into Blair's body.

"Oh, man." He breathed and promptly began panting again.

"Yes, you are. All man, all mine." Taking the head of Blair's cock into his mouth again, Jim set himself to preparing his partner for the next step.

He took his time. There was no hurry. No rush. No place they had to be, no one that was going to interrupt them. This was important enough - sacred enough - that it required that. Despite the teasing and the raw physical pleasure, as undeniable as it was, they both knew there was something serious taking place. Something solemn.

So when Jim finally decided that Blair was ready - three fingers moving easily in the loosened passage, the younger man moaning incoherently and thrusting down on the intruders, back up into Jim's mouth and down again, his cock now a brilliant red, dripping with Jim's saliva and drooling precum that the older man sucked off eagerly - Jim took a few minutes to center himself.

On his knees now, Blair's legs hooked over his shoulders, Blair's ass lying on his thighs, Blair's eyes wide open and staring at him with unconcealed, unimagined hunger, Jim paused.

Two hearts pounded frantically. Two sets of lungs labored like bellows.

Two cocks throbbed and strained and ached.

"We do this together." Jim said softly.

"Everything together, from now on!" Blair gasped a determined response.

"It's going to hurt." Not warning, just stating a fact they had both already accepted.

Jim knew that Blair was prepared for the pain because Blair was strong and could take it. He wished he could do this without the pain, but he knew Blair knew that as well.

So there was nothing left that needed to be said.

Using both hands, he spread Blair's ass wide. The little hole looked so small...defenseless. A movement caught his eyes. Blair's hands fisted in the blankets at his sides and he took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto Jim's face.

"Yes."

With that word Jim lined his cock up and pushed.

"unnnnnnngh." Gritting his teeth, Blair moaned, his body tightening visibly. "Oh,

God."

Jim kept pushing until the head popped through the ring of muscle. He was watching the miraculous sight, his cock going into Blair's body, and missed the grimace that twisted his lover's sweaty face.

Then he glanced up, waiting for a sign, and reached a hand to caress Blair's concave belly, which was trembling with the effort of not moving away from that burning roaring pain.

At last Blair managed a deep breath, and then a nod.

"More."

Steadying himself on the bed with both hands now, Jim pushed in another couple of inches, pushed in until he heard Blair give a strangled gasp of agony, and then paused yet again.

"Almost in, Chief." He offered the comfort of knowledge.

"I - wish I could see it." Jaw locked against the pain, Blair forced the words out.

"As soon as it gets better. I promise. We'll find a way for you to see it." Jim closed his eyes, struggling to control his own reaction. "It's so amazing, Blair. You're amazing."

"Well, I - sortof figured you - would be - too." Gasping out the words, Blair gave him a twisted grin. "But you're just sitting there."

"You're too much." Jim returned the grin but didn't manage to hold it longer than a nanosecond. His hands crept back down to Blair's ass, tracing the point where they were joined. "Give me your hand."

Reaching down, Blair allowed his hand to be taken in Jim's and guided to that point.

He touched lightly over the widely stretched aperture and then went lower to squeeze Jim's balls gently.

"That's so - so - I never thought -"

"Ready for more?" Blair's face had relaxed and his body was softening around Jim's cock, adjusting to the strange girth that invaded it.

"Oh yeah."

Leaning forward, Jim folded Blair up a bit and thrust gently, going all the way home this time. Freezing in place, the younger man's eyes went comically wide and he thrust upwards instinctively.

"oh. oh god. That's wonderful, Jim."

"Is it? It feels pretty good on this end too." Pulling about halfway out Jim thrust in again, still going slowly, aware of the small pained sound Blair made before the pleasure struck.

"Come on, man, I need it." Reaching for Jim's shoulders, Blair used them as leverage to return the thrust with interest.

The resulting rush of pleasure made him shout with joy.

"JIM!"

"That's it, Chief, yeah, baby, come on, go with me..." His words tumbling together like frantic puppies, Jim began pumping in and out of his lover. Within a few thrusts Blair had the rhythm of it and then they were moving together. It was perfect.

Jim was watching Blair's face, the expressions flowing over it; the younger man bit his lip, grunted, groaned, and panted eagerly as he got closer to the summit.

With only a little effort Jim found that he could track the flow of blood as it moved southward, feel the passage he was moving in as it tightened and grew hotter.

Blair's cock was trapped between them and Jim belatedly thought to snake a hand between them and grasp it firmly, pumping it.

"Fuck!" Blair shouted, movement losing all pattern and grace. Now he was thrusting wildly, uncontrolled. "Fuck, fuck! Yeah, Jim, yeah!"

Pulling back and meeting one of Blair's lunges with a hard, deep plunge, Jim was stunned when he saw Blair's eyes roll back in his head as his body arched violently upwards, head going back, hands spasming open on the bed.

If he hadn't recognized the smell and felt the liquid splattering over his hand like hot plasma, he would have been frightened. But seeing Blair come - and knowing that he was the one who had made him come so powerfully - was enough to send Jim spiraling down to his own reward.

***

"I've never seen anything like that." The words broke the stillness left after their breathing had quieted. Jim was curled around Blair, their connection broken earlier when his cock had finally softened and been forced from Blair's body.

His head rested on Blair's chest as he listened to the now calm thud of his heart. The sound was soothing, comforting, more familiar than his own.

"Like what?" Idle hands stroked over his body as far as they could reach, learning it.

"Like you. You gave everything to me. Just opened up and gave it to me."

"That's what a Guide does, Jim. It just took me a while to figure it out." Small, strong hands framed his face and lifted it for a soft, oddly chaste kiss. "If you had told me about Spirit sooner, I might have understood then."

There was no condemnation in the quiet voice.

"I think it worked out exactly the way it was supposed to." Jim stretched and hooked a leg between Blair's. "I certainly can't argue with the results." The older man bent his head to suckle at a stiffened nipple. Blair gasped softly and caught his head, pressing it there.

"Yeah...well, you're not the one who's going to be standing all day tomorrow, catman." He scolded breathlessly.

"But I will be soon." Jim grinned up at him and then rolled off the bed, one foot landing squarely on the discarded tube of lubricant, which squirted half its remaining contents over the wooden floor.

"Yuck." Blair said conversationally, rolling to his stomach and hanging his head off the edge, pillowed on crossed arms, to see what was making Jim frown so soon after their lovemaking.

"You said it." Running a hand down his ridged stomach, Jim felt the stickiness of half-dried semen. "I think we need a shower."

"Will you wash me?" Lolling back again Blair eyed him lazily, one hand tracing behind Jim's. He gasped when the older man lifted it to his mouth and licked the  fingers delicately, and then suckled them into his mouth.

"Eventually." Jim grinned.

***

It was an idyllic time. They both felt it, sequestered in the loft for those few hours of privacy. When it was just them, just love and just new. They bathed and rested and ate and took care of small things around the loft during the day. But the world had to intrude sometime and it did, with a call from Simon on the recently turned-on phone, and a break in the case, only a couple of hours before they were due to return to the stakeout.

Simon was short and sounded irritated.

"We think she's home. At least, a woman matching her description arrived a few minutes ago. She had three kids in tow, Jim."

Cuddling Blair against his chest, both of them in boxers on the couch, enjoying a moment of closeness after the shower and eating, Jim stroked idly through Blair's almost-dry hair.

"Don't do anything until I get there, okay, sir? Sandburg has a few new tricks he'd like me to try."

"As long as we get her and that kid, I don't care if you do backflips naked, Ellison."

The gruff voice was audible to Blair, who covered his mouth with his free hand to smother a giggle. The other was lying between Jim's legs, cupping the soft bulge of his groin through the cotton of his boxers.

"Hold off the feds, Simon."

"I won't promise how long." The captain sounded suspicious. "Twenty minutes, Ellison."

"Yes, sir." Hanging up the phone, Jim looked meaningfully at the hand in his crotch.

"Is that there for a reason?"

"Yeah. I like touching you." Blair gave his soft cock a gentle squeeze. "But we gotta rush if we ain't gonna be late, man."

Jim wasted thirty seconds kissing him before they split up to get dressed.

***

They climbed out of the truck several blocks from the apartment building, meeting the others in an unmarked surveillance van. It was almost dusk.

"Ellison." Ward's face was twisted in a sneer. "Feeling better, I hope?" Watching his detective's face tighten, Simon decided to step in before the fireworks began.

"This isn't the time for that, Agent Ward." he was stern. "Agent Kennedy, what's the situation?"

The male agent rolled his eyes at his partner's hostility and answered in a professional tone.

"The woman tentatively identified as Paula Lindholm entered the apartment leased to a Patty Simger at 7:35 this evening. She was accompanied by three children, all of which appeared to be in the correct age range to be Clark Thayer."

"Decoys?" Blair offered, standing beside Jim, one hand rising to rest on his partner's shoulder.

"Possibly." Kennedy nodded. "We're checking the MEC database, but there must be hundreds of 6-yr-old blond boys listed."

"So we get them all and do DNA testing." Jim said. "How are we going to do it?"

"A frontal assault." Ward said promptly.

"A warrant is on the way." Kennedy added.

"What if she flips out and hurts the kids?" Blair sounded agitated. "She doesn't sound too stable to me."

"I agree with the kid." Simon spoke up almost reluctantly. "Do you have any ideas, Jim?"

Standing beside is partner, not quite touching him, one ear tuned to the reassuring heartbeat, Jim nodded.

"I want to run a quick recon. If I can find a window open or a door unlocked I can duck in and catch her by surprise."

"She's ten stories up, Ellison! What are you going to do, put on a cape and fly?!"

Ward sputtered with indignation.

"Hey!" Simon's bark brought Kennedy's hand up silence his blustering partner.

A silence reigned briefly, and then Simon spoke again.

"Look, lady, I don't know what your problem is with Ellison, but no one is going to talk to one of my officers that way, much less one of my best friends."

Glancing at Jim nervously, Blair relaxed when he saw the small smile playing on his partner's mouth. Jim was content to let Simon defend him.

"You should pick your officers and your *friends* better, Banks." Ward snapped.

"Damned homos are going to destroy our society."

Automatically Blair took a half-step back, and then caught himself and stood firm.

This wasn't the first time that accusation had been aired.

But it was the first time it had been true.

Kennedy snarled something unintelligible at her and she glared at him. But Simon just ignored her, turning to Jim and Blair, essentially turning his back on the federal officers, and spoke to them both.

"You think you can find a way in and surprise her?"

Jim nodded.

"Sandburg will have to go with you, right?" The captain didn't look as happy about this. Jim nodded again. The hand on his shoulder clenched slightly.

"You're got an hour." Simon said. "The warrant should be here by then and we'll move in if you haven't made any progress."

"Sandburg will need a radio."

"I got it." Kennedy dug into a bad and pulled out a headset. "If he wears it under his hair it won't be noticeable."

They all watched as Jim accepted the peace offering and Blair leaned forward, flipping his hair over his face so Jim could fasten the set around the back of his head. He straightened, rubbing at it until it settled into place.

"Comfy?" Jim asked with a grin. Only Blair saw the naughty sparkle in his eye.

"Fine, thanks." He grinned back.

"Get going, you too. Keep the mike low, Sandburg, and only use it in an emergency."

"Yes, sir." responding without a trace of sarcasm, Blair didn't miss Simon's narrowed glance as they turned and began walking quickly toward the building.

They went around it. On the sidewalk Jim turned his attention upwards and focused on the balcony they had identified as Paula Lindholm's. Narrow, just wood with an iron railing, there wasn't room for much more than a bicycle up there.

"Where does she put three kids in that little place?" Blair asked with anger.

"I don't think she really cares if they're comfortable, Chief." Jim answered. "I can see the balcony door, it's open a little ways."

"So you could get in if you could reach it." Studying the building, Blair didn't see anything helpful. "The balconies are too far apart to climb up."

"But that building next door is just the right height." Jim nodded at it and Blair stared.

"And nearly twenty feet away, Jim! What are you thinking?" He covered the mike of the radio with one hand while they discussed.

"It's dark now, Chief. And I'm still me." Gesturing at his fully human self, Jim smiled widely, pleased.

"Hey." Blair's grin was sudden and bright. "I guess you can control it now."

"Now that I have you." Taking Blair's shoulder, Jim led him across the wide street to the next building. It was set back from the road not only by a sidewalk, but a small park-like area as well, contributing to the distance between the buildings.

It was an elderly office building. There were fire escape scaffolds bolted tot he side, all the way up. Reaching, Jim snagged the lowest rung of the ladder and hauled it down. It creaked loudly and Blair winced.

"That's high, dammit." He grumbled.

"C'mon, Chief, I need you up there with me." Jim started climbing steadily.

"I got you, catman. I'm coming." With one last mutter Blair climbed after him.

They were using up their time fast. Each ladder took minutes to climb, and the one on the fourth floor was solidly stuck. They wasted time wresting it down, Jim swearing under his breath.

"Too bad you can't change to a bird and fly, man." Blair was unsympathetic.

"Then how would you get up there?"

"Well, you could be a really big bird, like a Roc or maybe a Griffin. Although Griffins aren't really birds, they're composites of several different animals, lions and eagles and..."

"I think the panther is weird enough, Chief, thanks."

Stopping on the ninth landing, Jim grasped Blair by the shoulders and yanked him close, pulling him off-balance. He kissed him, once, open-mouthed and hungry. "But I'll put up with anything if it means I get to keep you."

He left Blair gaping, turning to climb again.

The tenth-floor landing was slightly below the level of the balcony across the street.

It was completely dark out now and most of the streetlights in this neighborhood were out. Pulling a small flashlight out of his pocket, Blair flickered it over the goal.

"It's a long ways, man. Are you sure you can make it?" He asked Jim doubtfully.

"Yeah." Unbuttoning his shirt, the older man handed it to him. "Tie these around me or something, okay? I'm going to need to change back pretty quick when I get over there."

"You got it." Blair sucked in a breath as Jim's body was reveled. "Man, you *really* got it." he sighed, and this time he wasn't talking about holding the clothes, which he was currently wrapping into a tight bundle, tying them together with the sleeves of Jim's shirt.

"As soon as we get done with this we can go home and I'll give it to you." Naked now, Jim smiled at him warmly and Blair couldn't restrain a grin of anticipation.

"I'm holding you to that." He said as warmth flowed over him with Jim's words.

"Okay, I'm ready." Jim closed his eyes, and concentrated.

Then he opened them again and frowned. "It's not working."

"You're not giving it enough time." Scolding mildly, Blair stepped closer, pressing his body to Jim's softly. "Close your eyes. Feel the spirit of the cat, feel *Spirit* inside you. He's ready to come out, he wants to come out now, Jim..."

With a low moan Jim shifted his stance and then, before Blair's eyes, changed.

Blair was touching him as he took form, his hand felt the change, felt skin grow fur, felt the muscles shift and tense and move...he gasped and stepped back.

The cat stood before him, tail-tip twitching restlessly. He stared at Blair with bright green eyes and yawned widely enough to crack his jaw.

"There's my kitty." Blair grinned and scratched his head. The cat purred roughly.

"You got a job to do, Spirit, get on it."

With a head-butt that almost knocked the human over, the cat walked to the edge of the landing and rose up on his haunches, gazing over the edge. Blair stood beside him and tied the bundle of clothes around his neck with the loop he'd made of the sleeves.

"We'll have to design some sort of pack for this if you want to do it a lot." He commented. Spirit rumbled a purr and then heaved himself to the railing. It was about two inches wide and Blair held his breath as he balanced on it precariously.

"Be careful." he whispered. The cat lashed his tail once, in response to the warning, and then leapt.

Muscles rolled, fur shimmered in a sudden flash of light and the cat flew through the air powered by nothing more than his own beauty.

He landed neatly on the far balcony and sat for a few seconds, waiting to see if anyone had been awakened by the thump. Across the way Blair watched, his little light playing over the darkness, and then Jim changed back. Giving Blair a wave, he began to get dressed again.

Starting down the ladders as quickly as he could, Blair contacted Simon.

"He's in, Simon, and it looks like everyone is still asleep, there shouldn't be any problems..."

"Good job, Sandburg, we'll meet you at the door." The captain sounded both relieved and pleased.

Blair hurried to get down and into the apartment building.

***

"Great job, Ellison." Simon congratulated his friend as the feds drove away with

Paula Lindholm secure in the back of their car. "This should earn us enough brownie points to get through anything that happens now." The bigger man turned a dark brown gaze on Blair, who was sitting on the sidewalk with the three little boys, joining a female uniformed officer in cuddling and comforting them as they waited for the social workers to arrive.

Lindholm had had all of them for three years or more and none remembered their real families or where they had come from, so they were terribly frightened. Jim grinned as the smallest burrowed into Blair's welcoming arms and his partner wrapped him in a hug and rocked him gently.

Jim caught the look and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, as far as I'm concerned. Rumors die eventually if you don't feed them with denials."

They exchanged a glance, and then Jim nodded.

"So, you guys want to go out for a beer after we finish this mess?" Simon asked, turning to lean on his car, pulling a cigar out of the case Darryl had given him.

"Maybe just one." Jim grinned and shit down his sense of smell, letting Blair's heartbeat fill his ears for a few seconds. "We'd like to get home and relax a bit." He leaned next to his captain, who lit the cigar after cutting it.

"You and Sandburg?" The question was casual, but Jim smiled faintly as he answered.

"Yeah, Simon. Me and Sandburg."

He stood in the dark and felt the urge to purr when Blair glanced up and smiled at him over the head of the child he was comforting.

He and Blair were one. So he and the panther were one as well.

For the first time in a long time Jim Ellison was looking forward to the changes to come.

                                          saraid@wf.net