DoubleTake

"What're you thinking?" He looked over to the rental car's passenger seat, his normally laid-back and self-assured lover sitting almost primly. The perpetual motion of long hair was stilled and hands stayed close to jean clad legs. His pale blue eyes reflected back from the rearview mirror.

"So, you told your brother about me? It's not going to be a problem, you know, us? Because, I'd spring for a hotel room..."

"It's okay." Mack rubbed Bruce's shoulder as he pulled the rental into the parking lot. "Just no fucking in the living room." He pretended to ignore the whispered 'kitchen?' "Come on." Mack opened his door and waited for Bruce to do the same before getting out.


"Jim?" Blair knew Jim was keeping a secret, and from how anxious he was getting, the moment of revelation was fast approaching. Before he could say anything more, Jim was headed for the door.

Mack smiled lopsidedly as the door opened. "Jim, this is Bruce." When the stare lasted a bit too long, Mack searched for Blair. A zone-out was the last thing Mack had thought about. Apparently Jim hadn't bothered to tell the younger man about the visit. Blair would've been right there otherwise, instead of still in the kitchen.

Bruce blinked at Jim. *Identical.* Before he could ask Mack why he hadn't mentioned they were visiting his twin brother, he spotted the other man in the room. "Blair?!" Somehow he had figured they just looked similar. Now Bruce searched for any way they were different.

Jim still staring, Mack pushed Bruce into the apartment and locked the door. "Um..." Maybe he should have been more forthcoming in the letters. "Jim?"

Jim pulled his eyes away and turned to Mack. "You only mentioned you'd found someone. Not that..." He looked just like Blair. Same long hair, same blue eyes... "Bruce, you said?" Jim looked away from his twin and offered his hand.

"So he'd just come back from visiting the two of you?" Bruce thought back to when he'd first met Mack in an airport. "You're the other Sentinel." Mack had been left for his twin?

"Huh!?" Blair came over to stand next to Jim. And stare wide-eyed at his doppelganger. It was almost like looking at himself in the mirror. Almost. "Mack." He blinked his eyes a few times before turning to Mack. "Who is this? What's going on? Jim..." From there Blair's thoughts became too jumbled for speech.

"Bruce, meet Blair." The two hearts were beating out a rapid tattoo. "He knows, that... " Mack rocked his hand back and forth between Blair and himself.

"What else?" Jim could hear Mack getting ready to prevaricate. Jim put a soothing hand at the small of Blair's back, willing him to calm down. From the similar pace of Bruce's pulse, Jim could conclude some of this was a surprise.

Mack looked contrite before he wagged a finger between Jim and Blair. "and that you two were friends first."

"How much? He clearly knows you're a Sentinel." Blair shrugged away from from Jim's calming trace of circles.

"You're Jim's Guide."

"He'd have to tell him." "I had to tell him." Jim and Mack turned from Blair to look at each other.

Mack broke first. "So, how are you two?"

"Okay. You?" Jim shifted a little. A second Blair was a little disconcerting. He shook himself out of it.


"So, did you tell Stephen yet?" Mack looked past his brother into the kitchen where Blair and Bruce were chatting like long-lost friends.

"About Blair and me? Yeah, we came clean awhile ago. Not sure what he's going to think when he sees Bruce." It had taken Stephen aback, at first. That went without saying. After the shock wore off he was fine with it. That Mack had a matching lover... That was strange even for Jim.

"It's not like he has to." He laughed at Jim's expression. "Any more than Blair has to meet my sister. Come on, it isn't like I'm going to become a big part of Stephen's life."

"What?!" Feeling eyes on him Bruce turned around. *At the same time?* Blair hadn't said it, but his silences were loud. So that was how Jim got Blair away from Mack. The mere thought was making Bruce a bit warm. All that muscle... *Mack's senses, times two...*

Mack and Jim looked at Bruce. Who looked back at them a little oddly, and gave off the scent of arousal.

"Um. Was it good?" He turned back to Blair. *What was it like?* He'd have to ask his mirror image when their lovers weren't around.


Jim looked at Blair where he belonged, in their bed. Stripping, Jim slid in next to him. It was amazing how tiring talking to the two men had been. Maybe it was because Bruce looked so much like Blair. His mouth connected with the juncture between neck and shoulder, sucking hard on the flesh.

"Oh." Blair arched up, welding him to the larger man. Bringing their hardening cocks together, making him thrash and grind. A few moments later he stopped.

"Blair..."

"He can hear us."

"Got his own." Silencing Blair in his most favorite way, he thrust his hand out and into the drawer. Finding the tube, he opened it and snatched at one of Blair's hands. Squeezing out some of the gel, he pushed the digit into himself. *So good.* He rode the finger, then two as Blair caught up. An eternity later he grabbed the wrist. "Third one."


"Mack?" He had just been holding him tight, scenting him and so teasingly rubbing his hard chest against Bruce's back. Now, the strong hands were stroking his thighs. "Better be serious." He gasped as his balls were clasped.

Mack rocked his cock against his bedmate. "That serious enough?" He laughed at the strangled noises. He pulled the lube out from under the pillow where he'd stashed it when he'd stowed their gear. "I'm going to fuck you so long." He whispered it into the skin behind his lover's ear. Then his finger was deep in Bruce's hot body. He swirled and pumped the probing intruder, before pushing a second inside.

He could hear what was going on upstairs. Just as Jim could probably hear them. Feeling Bruce loosening, he put the third finger in, spreading them as he pulled and pushed them out and in. Then he was slicking himself and plunging into the velvet heat.


Jim rocked on the three fingers working his ass, sparking against his prostate. He was scrambling for the lube when his hand was caught. Then the gel was piling into his hand, his hand being wrapped around Blair's cock. His lover bucked, the heat radiating off him, quickly burning through the no longer cool gel. Giving a last few pumps to the hardness in his grasp, he pulled the hand from his ass. And sank down against Blair's balls.

Mack was right; Jim could hear the pair below. The crinkly sound of chest hair against fingerpads and nails. Slick friction and soft moans. Suggestive was too mild of a word for the sounds coming from the small room. Jim swept his eyes over Blair, bringing together sight, sound, smell and touch. He stroked the chest under him as he raised himself before impaling back down. Jim smiled at how lost Blair was beneath him. Stoking it, he then leaned forward, kissing deeply as his cock jumped on the furred stomach.

Mack thrust into Bruce from behind, both half-kneeling, half-crouching on the bed. At least it wasn't the same cramped bed from the last trip. That one would have been shaking and jangling loudly even without sentinel senses. As it was, there'd be no mistakes for Jim as to what was going on, just as Mack could hear the creaks and groans of the bed upstairs. His ass spasmed hungrily as he listened to Blair's cock slick-slide.

"Yeah." Bruce arched into the thrusts, hands kneading the powerful thighs. He thrashed as the large hands rubbed his front, and Mack kissed and gnawed his neck and shoulder blades. "Tuh... tuh..."

"Uh uh." Mack did ghost one hand over the soft belly, carefully avoiding the drooling, swaying, jutting length. Either Bruce would break down and stroke himself, or come without it.

"Me... mea...nie." His hands slid to clutch Mack's ass, welding him even more closely to his own.

"Jim?"

"M'okay." It had just been such a Blair thing to say that his breath caught on it. He reared back. "More than 'kay." He pulled up just enough to move, but still keep his cock on Blair. He was getting closer, taking in Blair deeper, harder, faster.

He could hear Mack slamming downstairs. Jim rammed down on Blair, cock jumping at the memory of being in Blair. Strong fingers were working his chest as he fucked himself, and then he was coming.

Mack erupted. Coming to on his side, he thought for a moment he should pull out and receive Bruce. As his hands moved to give him leverage he found it was too late for that. He smoothed the slickness around, nuzzling into the sweaty neck. Content, he drifted into sleep.


"Oh, man!" Blair woke up with Jim pinning him to the bed, head turned towards him. Shifting, he realized he was still partly buried in his lover and not just under him. "Jim, honey, need to wake up. Got no leverage here, and I've got to get up."

"You've got it up." He smiled stupidly, nibbling on the nearby flesh.

"Good one, Shecky. Tell that to Conan on my bladder." With that Jim pulled free, and he was halfway down the stairs before remembering their guests. Sitting eating breakfast. At least he was limp enough when he got to the bathroom to go.

Bruce couldn't help giggling. He was thrown deeper into his mirth as Mack's twin followed with a robe, looking well-fucked. And ready for more. "You could hear them, last night?" He watched his lover nod. "What about now?"

"Not listening." The shower went on, and he couldn't very well ignore that. "It bother you?"

"He could hear us, too." For that matter, could right now. Bruce clammed up. Of course it didn't last long. He flushed with the possibilities. "Mack?"

"Expect so." He drained his glass. "Should I get us a hotel room?"

"If you two don't mind, makes me no difference. Still no sex in the kitchen?"

Mack just smiled at his guide. The phone rang, and thinking nothing of it, answered. "Hello?"

"Jim. Look, I know I gave you some time off, and I wouldn't ask this, but forensics can't find much... Just bring Sandburg and do your thing and then you can head off for your camping trip or whatever." With that, Simon hung up.

Mack looked at the phone strangely and put it back in the cradle.

"Who was that?" Jim, still damp and wearing a towel, regarded his twin.

"Is there somebody that knows?" He watched Jim tense up. "Said forensics couldn't find..."

"Simon." Blair smiled. "That's Jim's captain. Yeah, he knows. Well, not everything." He waved his hands meaningfully.

"Captain?!" Bruce looked back at the three staring at him. "Just exactly what do you do for a living?"

"He's a cop, like Mack." Blair looked over at his look alike. Whose eyes were about to pop out of his skull. "What?"

"Just." He had to drink something. "When Mack explained things..." He just couldn't image Blair following a cop, joined at the hip. *I'm a Guide.* Bruce didn't follow Mack everywhere. *Did Blair?* Mack made it sound that way. He'd never let on the other Sentinel was a cop. *What else aren't you telling me?*

Before Jim could tap his brother, Mack was at his lover's side. Right, he could hear the speeding heartbeat, too.

"What's wrong?" Blair tried to whisper it just for Jim.

"Hush, Beau." Mack stroked Bruce's hands clasped to his face. "It's okay."


"Yes, Chief?" He knew his partner wanted to say something. Had since before they got into the truck. Somehow Blair had stayed quiet. "I haven't been able to hear them for four traffic lights."

Blair let out a breath. "Isn't it kinda... Spooky?" He thought back to Bruce's reaction. "Why do you think he took you being a cop that way?"

"You're the guide. What would your reaction be?" Jim started the turn for the station garage. He'd heard a little bit of it on the way out. "He knows about the zone-outs. How you help me with them."

"He's not Mack's partner." Somehow even during their conversation about the radio station, it hadn't occur... "Shit. He just got broadsided. Man, that would scare me. Thinking I failed you."

"Calm down. You know, for all the 'throwback' crap, I think you're doing a good primitive imitation. 'Not me venting fear vibes." He pulled into the garage, showing his picture ID.

They exited the elevator by Major Crimes, and Jim pushed through the door, heading straight for Simon's office. Knocking, he pushed it open before the 'enter' could be voiced. A cart with vcr and tv was at one side of Bank's desk.

"I see you're in a hurry. New fishing spot?" Simon got up from his desk and picked up a videotape. "Security camera. Better than most, color, but still grainy. And the perps are wearing masks during most of it." He looked over at Sandburg. "Guess there's no point in me offering you a way out?" Seeing no contradiction, he slipped the tape in.

Jim had to rewind the tape several times, each viewing just a little worse as he became inured to some of the violence only to notice more. "There." He stilled the frame. It just looked like a standard beach ball. "The leader's about to take off his mask." Jim pressed the play button. Sure enough, there was a tiny image of a face reflected back. He hit stop and eject, handing over the remote.

"I'll get Imaging to work on it." Banks pulled out the tape. "How should I say we noticed it?"

"'Kid' watches too much X-Files." Jim got up and left, Blair following.


"Shit!" As soon as he heard the beginning of the message being left on the machine, he hoped Mack didn't pick up this time. He pounded up the stairs, Blair frantically following. "...Jimmy, you know the number." With that, J. William Ellison hung up.

Ellison threw the door open, wondering where Mack and Bruce were until he got a whiff coming from the bathroom. Certainly explained why his twin didn't get the phone. He started to delete the tape.

"Jim!" Blair looked in confusion, chest still heaving in exertion. He hit the 'play' button. First several messages for himself played, before the one he figured this was all about.

"Jimmy, this is your father. I thought, maybe... that we could try, catch up. I did a lot of things wrong. Can't change them, but I want to stop... following you in the newspaper. Call me,... Jimmy, you know the number."

"Guess I was wrong." Mack stood there, damp and wearing just a towel. He'd assumed their father was dead, and Jim had let him.

"He just had a case." Blair tried to explain how Jim had finally been forced to speak to his dad. "A serial killer popped back up out of his past, except he couldn't remember. Needed things from the house..."

"Did you ask him? Even cross your mind?"

"I had a job to do. And a killer to stop."

"Mack?" A very muzzy, post-coital Bruce came out dripping, looking quite abandoned as he held the two towels. "What's wrong?"


"Man." Bruce finally got the short version, after tag-team sentinel histrionics. Mack had mostly calmed down about Jim's omission. Jim on the other hand was still bristling about the phone call. "And you don't know why you were split up?" He looked to his lover. "Why didn't you ask your mom?"

"'Hi mom, I met my twin shagging his roommate. When were you going to mention I was adopted? Pass the green beans.'" Mack dropped on the couch. "I don't really want to bring it up without knowing why I wasn't told. 'Not like I'm not old enough. Couple of times over at least."

"Mack. Don't you think maybe it wasn't the right time? Hell, I haven't been able to get Jim to go see his father since he saved his life."

"I'm still in the room." He looked around at the men in the room. "Fine, let's go ask him right now. Come on, Mack." He grabbed his jacket, opened the door and started for the stairs.

Mack hurried after him.


"Jim." Mack had sat quietly in the truck but he sensed they were getting close. The cab was ripe with mounting tension. "Do you really want to do this?" He looked at the vehicle. "Don't they pay you better than this?"

"Had to shoot out the tires on my Expedition. The insurance company wasn't happy." He navigated the streets leading to his father's house. "We're here." Palming the keys from the ignition, he jumped out.

Mack followed, trying to distance himself from the hayseed pickup in the tony neighborhood. The sound of the knocker on the door made him race up the walk. An older man opened the door.

"Jimmy." The slightly forced smile was replaced by wide eyes as he saw the man behind his son. He stumbled back, holding onto the door, opening it wider. He quickly started gathering his composure. "Found another reason to see me."

"What was it? Twins were too freakish?" The words were dropped without even a raised voice. "Anything else you were ashamed about? What other skeletons am I going to trip over?"

"Jimmy..." He looked over to the other man, a more relaxed version of his eldest son. "It wasn't like that." He walked over to a chair and eased himself down. "So, where are you from?" He looked over his other son, who took a seat.

"You don't know? I live in Hawaii now." He looked between Jim and this man that was their father.

"A nice place. Which island?"

"What was it like then? What made the mighty Joseph Ellison divest himself of some of his..." Jim stopped himself, remembering Mack at the last moment.

"We were so young. Still in school. I was. She'd had to withdraw when we found out... you know. And then you were born. Both of you." Ellison Sr. leaned back into the chair, smiling at the remembered images.

"Didn't anybody wonder what happened to the other baby?" Jim knew that Ellisons could be cold, but this would have even astonished Carolyn. "How I'd had a brother and then didn't?!"

Ellison Sr. sat up straight, the reverie burnt away. "It wasn't until Stephen was on the way my mother relented. She'd been opposed to our marriage and Father followed her lead. Didn't approve of the match. Can't recall what Uncle was doing. Wasn't back until spring. So no, nobody knew. Can you give me some time before you let Stephen in on this?"

"He already knows." Mack couldn't quite understand. "If you don't know where I went, how did I get there?"

"I presume she took you. I don't really know. She took that to her grave. We didn't talk about it. I didn't even know which... I'd half expected she'd given up Jimmy. Until I heard her cooing 'Jamie' over and over one night, rocking him." He looked up at his son. At Jim. "She loved you. Just that you had my name. It... would have served me right. I was so stupid." Spent, he seemed to crumple in the chair. He looked over at his other son. "Did they do a good job? Better than I did?"


Blair was at Jim's side as soon as he came through the door. Mack headed straight for Bruce.

"How did it go?" He rubbed at Jim's back and chest, willing him to react, to permit whatever emotions to surface. "What did you find out?" Jim scented him and smoothed his hands over him before shrugging Blair off and heading upstairs.

"Mack?" Bruce wondered what had happened to the 'no fucking in the living room' rule. Mack was making a good case for fucking him senseless, doing just about everything short of putting his hands down Bruce's pants. *Not that there's room.*

"She knew." Mack wrapped around his lover, resting his head on the dark curls. "She took me and never told him. And he didn't ask."

Blair pulled himself out of inaction and went upstairs. Jim was sitting on the bed, feet square on the floor, arms on his legs, as if some artisan carved him according to Egyptian canon. Blair gently joined him on the bed. "Can you talk about it?"

"How could she? I loved her and she got rid of one. She chose. Not him. Why? How did she choose?" Jim had to stop as the tears choked his voice. Impassive, they rolled down his cheeks. His mother couldn't have done this. She wouldn't have done this. *She left you.* She'd died and left them with their father. Hid Mack and left them with their father. Which one did she love more? How dare she die on him? Take the answers with her?

"It's okay." Blair had worked his way into Jim's arms, rather against his chest, rubbing his back, stroking his head as the bigger man finally started to sob. "That's right." He kept up the words of comfort as he was pressed onto the bed.

"Tell me from the top." Bruce was fighting the arousal Mack was encouraging. "Come on. You like to give it to me." His lover groaned.

"My mother, Jim's mother... Our mother. She was the one that, I don't know, she didn't give him any details. He thought we were too much for her to handle and she carried it out... She never told him where I was."

"Maybe she was afraid what he'd do?" Bruce started pulling Mack back to the small room. "You said no fucking in the living room. We both know where this train is heading." They tumbled into the room, clothing falling faster as they went.

"Mack?" Bruce tried to catch his lover's eyes as he was stroked slowly over his whole body. Down his chest, around his sides and butt, up his back, down his arms and legs. As Mack made another circuit, Bruce caught his eyes. As face followed hands they sank into the bed, slowly making love.

"Jim?" Blair squeaked as his crotch was massaged. Slowly, his clothes were worked away, fingers stroking over his flesh. Tracing his jaw, rubbing his nipples. Then Jim's hand was wrapping around him, pumping his cock. Blair ignored as he arched that Jim was still completely dressed. Ignored that only Jim's hands and mouth were having any of the fun.

Worked almost to the breaking point again and again, he could feel Jim's erection burning through his pants on his naked thigh. He tried to order the clothes off but he was too far gone. Blair screamed as he fragmented, spilling over the clasped hand.

"Guess we're not the only one's having fun." Bruce, snuggled in tighter to his bedwarmer. It wasn't long before he dozed off.

Mack on the other hand had to consciously not listen in on the room above.

"Jim. Jim, follow my voice." Blair tried all of his guide tactics. This was scaring him; not only had his sentinel zoned, but he hadn't come, and he wasn't responding. Blair undid the pants, the slick cock nearly leaping from its confinement. Still no reaction. Licking his hand, he took the solid organ into his grasp. Slowly the hips started rocking in time with his grip. He paused. They stopped. He tried the voice again, willing Jim to come back. Frantic, Blair resumed the pressure, fucking his fist until Jim's seed dripped over his knuckles.

Jim looked down. Then he had an armful of heaving Blair. He found the cum-coated hand and rubbed it. "Hey."

Blair pushed up off the shirted chest. "Don't patronize me." He unbuttoned the shirt, his anger rising. "Take off your pants."

Jim got off the bed, stripping down, including pulling off the white socks. "Huh?" He sat back down.

"Damn you!" Blair could see Jim react as he smelled the shaking hand. Blair dragged his hands over the chiseled chest, pushing the bigger man down. "Don't run from me. And damn well don't fuck me to do it!" He ground against Jim a few times before storming downstairs.


Even Bruce had been able to hear most of Blair's side of the fight. And it didn't take heightened senses to notice Mack's reaction as Blair stalked loudly to the bathroom. He smiled at his lover. "It's okay." He rubbed Mack's chest, conscious of another hard muscle lower down. Bruce lay there quietly for a moment. "What's taking him so long?" He whispered the words, looking meaningfully at the ceiling.

Mack waited. And waited. He dipped his hearing into the bathroom. "Go and talk to him before he gets prune skin. A few beats later, he could hear Jim come down the stairs, pants rustling. "Think we can go out in public without a shower?" He locked eyes with Bruce. They melded together as silently as they could.

Knock-knock. "Can we talk?" Jim waited by the bathroom door.

"I can." The water still flowed around him, slower as he didn't want to use all the hot water. The door creaked slowly open.

"I deserved that. Look, I didn't purposely, consciously, use you to zone-out. I'm sorry. G-d, you smell good." "Flattery isn't getting you anywhere." His voice almost told another story. Was veering that way, but hadn't reached that point yet.

"Upstairs. You smelled and sounded so good. Safe." Jim shook himself. "I just kinda got lost."

Blair pulled back the curtain. "Got lost?"

"It was like I was following it and then crawled inside." Jim pushed off the shower. Grabbing the towel, he helped Blair from the shower and started to dry him. "Didn't want to come back out."

Blair grabbed one of the hands and reached up to cup a cheek. "Jim. You've got to talk to me. That wasn't a normal zone. I need to be able to find you."

"I won't do it again." Jim looked at the hot blue eyes. "I'll try not to have it happen again." He started to towel down Blair again, searching for permission. He sighed when it was granted.


Their sentinels gone to the gym, Blair and Bruce were left in the loft. "So, what was it like?" Bruce looked at his counterpart. "With bothof them."

Blair glared back at his reflection. They might look alike and sound alike but they held themselves completely differently. *And this was Mack'sGuide?* He thought Jim was stretching on that one.

"Just wondered." Bruce smiled and got off the couch. "How did it happen? Jim doesn't strike me as very experimental."

"Umh." *Desperation. Guilt.* "How did you two get together?"

"I tumbled him into his bed. I was staying at his place; long story. He was still pining for you, growling at my girlfriends."

Blair's eyes got wide at the first statement. "Pining? What do you mean pining?" Before Blair could wait for an answer the thought of Bruce making time with women under Mack's nose hit him. "What were you thinking!? Parading them through?"

"Not that he was a Sentinel. I didn't even know about Sentinels then. You still love him, don't you?"

"Why were you staying at his place? I mean, mine got blown-up..."

"Blown-up?! How'd an apartment get blown up?"

"I had a drug-lab for neighbors. I didn't know. Hell, Jim didn't know. Guess he couldn't smell it over Larry."

Bruce's eyes went real big.

"A Barbary ape. A research subject. Why were you living with Mack?" He waited for half a beat. "You ran into him in an airport on his way from here!?"

"Just a job offer. He ran into me. Thought I was you. Wasn't real happy when he figured out I wasn't. You did him, didn't you?" And Jim let him. Them.

"What happen, you get bored?" Blair noticed that Bruce was looking back at him confused. "'Said you tumbled him. Were you?" Blair flopped his hand from side to side. "Before?"

"No. You?" Bruce stared at Blair. "I wanted what you left." Bruce let Blair stew in the words for a moment. "What are your dreams like?" Blair looked back at him confused. "The spirit dreams? Like I see a coyote..."

"You have a spirit guide?"

"and Mack has a cougar... You haven't had them?"

"Mack never mentioned... Jim didn't mention Mack mentioning... Jim says he sees a panther, a black jaguar."

"That shifts into him. But you haven't seen it?"

"Uh, no. You have one too?"

Just then Mack and Jim returned. "What were you two talking about?"

"Sex." He'd been trying to work back to that. And his dreams, with the cougar anyway, were very erotic.

That answer seemed to take Jim aback.

"Bruce." Mack looked over at his twin, shaking his head and trying to hide his smile. "Whatcha' expect? Literature?"

"Somewhere here I've got the kama sutra. Different side of Burton..."

"Blair... I don't want to know. Just as long as it isn't in the dis." Jim took out the sweaty clothes from the sportsbag and ran them to the hamper.

"Think we can borrow him?" Bruce quickly figured out he'd said it outloud. He smiled in his best 'I dropped the cookie jar, don't hate me' plea. Blair had gotten the sandwich treatment, Bruce was sure. The thought of Mack getting double barreled was hot. *Unless Jim wants to play?* He looked straight at Mack's twin.

"What a joker." Mack didn't like the scent coming off his lover. He did, but not in this context. Jim couldn't help smelling it either. Mack draped an arm around Bruce none too smoothly.


"You're thinking about it." Jim kept hearing Bruce's words over and over. He'd been that close to bundling his brother off to a hotel. The thought of Simon finding 'Jim' and 'Blair'...

"Jim... Okay, but that doesn't mean I'm considering it. Doing it, considering doing it, I mean. Haven't you ever thought of something you wouldn't do?" He looked at Jim questioningly. Two sentinels were so intense. *What would it be like for a sentinel?* "Like you haven't. Having two of me," Blair traced fingers down the smooth, hard body. His.

"I haven't."

"You're lying." Blair smiled into Jim's skin and flopped an arm over the defined chest. "It's okay."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Mack looked up at the ceiling. There was nothing for it, he could only yell so quietly and still have Bruce hear it.

"Just that it would be hot. You want it. Doesn't bother me." Bruce leaned back on his arms. "Come on."

"That's not what really interests you." He climbed onto the bed, carefully not touching Bruce, while getting into his space.

"Why not? Sure, it would be bitchin', but it's not going to happen."

"But he'd lend out Blair?" Mack breathed along Bruce's skin, still not touching.

"He could watch. Sure he likes to watch. You like to listen, don't you?" He sucked in his breath as Mack pulled his boxers down. He rocked his hips, trying to draw Mack's attention.

Mack scented Bruce completely, from the soles of the firm feet to the crown of his beautiful head. He returned to the groin for a second whiff.

Jim leaned into action, plundering Blair's mouth deeply, hands kneading the thick hair. The little shit, Bruce, was smooth-talking from his bed with Mack. The nerve after his little 'thinking out loud' pitch. Releasing Blair's lips, he suckled the tempting neck and shoulders, sliding hands over the beautiful chest, hair scraping his hands like a stick against a fence.

"Yes!" Bruce arched into Mack's consuming mouth, cock buried in the wet dark. He snaked his legs over his lover's shoulders, encouraging Mack with guiding thighs on his head. "Somebody... needs to... Touch me." He moved his own hands to comply, his tongue dripping with description.

Mack caught the hands before they reached their destination. Mute, he pulled Bruce's hands down on either side, wrists clamped in palms.

Blair was flipped onto his stomach, Jim straddling him with knees outside hips and feet inside ankles, shins pinning his calves. The large hands coursed over his body, cupping each swell of muscle across his back, kneading his butt. After a seeming eternity, a slick finger honed through his center, until it was easily two and then three.

With a smooth shift Jim plumbed into him, length driving deep. Blair keened at the slide over his prostate. Over and over the constant pleasure thrummed through him with each strong stroke. His back bowed against Jim's greater mass which kept him from rearing up, unable to relieve his straining cock.

Jim snuck one and then a second hand under Blair, teasing nipples and surrounding flesh, before locking his hands over the square shoulders.

Bruce was on fire. Mack's mouth on and around his cock, hands locked over his wrists, the rest of his skin sensitized and unsated. He bounced his heels futilely on the broad back, moaning directions while sent higher and higher. Flexing his feet, he stroked the sheening flesh.

Jim jerked into Blair, flailing as his slow rhythm was shattered by the sounds coming from the small room below. Shoving deep one last time, he rolled with his orgasm, spilling up into Blair lying on his chest.

Whose own was soon spattered, as were Jim's arms.

Mack swallowed, crawling up Bruce, causing aftershocks as he nosed the neglected chest. Smiling dangerously, he latched his mouth tightly to Bruce's, lying down sticky chest to hairy one.


"You'll be at the university late tonight?" Jim didn't like the idea of Blair alone in the loft with Mack and Bruce. Didn't like himself for the distrust. _Hated_ that a stake-out even raised a possibility of an opportunity; Simon sometimes had lousy timing calling on their friendship. Staff shortage was staff shortage and Jim was unfortunate enough to be taking his days off in town.

"I could meet you..." Eventually. Blair had a very long list of things to do.

"Bad enough I have to go. You get your work done."


Jim listened as he came into the loft. He was in comparatively good condition. Trust this to be the one stakeout that didn't involve the cold, bad coffee or inadequate facilities. He'd even gotten some sleep, in a bed, a fresh-made, comfortable, abnormally normal bed. *How do I keep Blair from finding out?* He smiled as he heard the familiar heartbeat under the spray of the shower. Walking to the bathroom, and carefully slipping inside, Jim stripped down and slid in behind his lover. Wet Blair was his favorite bath toy.

"Umm." He leaned into the firm mass behind him, lolling his wet hair against the supportive shoulder and making pleasure sounds as the lathered hands moved over his flesh. Lips firmly worked over his neck, as his chest was kneaded, carded and massaged, hands slipping lower to rub thighs and buttocks. The cock at his back burned hard, until it traced imperfectly down his leg, as the mouth worked down his back and kissed along the junction between back and hip, back and butt. Then his lover was before him, nibbling his inner thighs while gently toying with his balls before sliding his hand further back.

Finger pressed to his lover's entrance, kissing his way to the glorious cock, Jim was momentarily sidetracked by conversation. "Morning, Mack." "Hi, Blair." *Hi,_Blair_?* Jim looked up, eye to blind eye, bolting from the bathroom, naked and wet.

"Mack!" The aroused Bruce looked out the door at the wet trail, only to see his lover dressed. And dry. Breathing heavy, he just stood as Mack shut off the water, pulled him out and patted him dry. His hands latched on the large head. "Finish..." Bruce directed Mack closer to the twitching cock. "Yes!" He leaned back as the hot slickness swiped over him, and then the even wetter mouth engulfed him. Mack's big hands on his ass kept Bruce from building up too much momentum, while still allowing him to thrust.

"Jim?" Blair watched as his stark naked and drenched partner nearly bowled him over running to their room. He climbed the stairs hurriedly after him. "What's going on?" *Oh, shit.* Bruce was in the shower.... Blair closed his eyes. Jim loved taking him in the shower, blowing him before pumping him full. *How far did you get?* When Jim didn't answer him from the bed, where he was lying, Blair lay down behind him, water soaking into the sweat shorts and shirt he'd just thrown on before going downstairs.

The satisfied howl echoed around the bathroom and out into the loft and upstairs. Blair held on tighter as Jim started to shake. "Everything's okay."


Blair softly descended the stairs, Jim having found refuge in sleep. Part of him had wanted to stay wrapped around Jim. He needed to find out a way to make things right, and first, he needed the facts.

"Don't we sound different, smell different?" They were sitting on the couch, clothed thighs touching. Bruce looked away from Mack at the footsteps. "He doesn't much like surprises, does he?"

"No." Blair recalled another 'surprise' Jim had gotten in a Hawaii hotel room. He'd internalize this as a betrayal. *His betrayal.* Of Mack, again. And of Blair. "Mack... You aren't going to hold this against him?"

"Bruce?" Seeing nothing beyond mock anger for the cock-tease and turn-tail, he shook his head. "Shoe on the other foot." Jim should have been more cautious; Bruce also should have checked who was climbing in with him. And know Mack would have asked, what with Blair about. Apparently Jim noticed something was odd before going too far.

He turned to his lover. "You were using whatever was in there?" His nose suggested that much but he asked anyway. Bruce shrugged. "Looks like a duck and smells like a duck it should be a duck."

Blair laughed. "Oh, man."

"Jim, come on down. Remember, I can hear you." Mack looked up.

After a few minutes Ellison walked down the stairs, the mixture of little boy shame and soldier bravado especially incongruous. He took his position by Blair, standing almost at attention, but stroking a loose tendril of Blair's hair.

"You know, you should finish what you start." Bruce regarded the stares from Mack and Blair. "I was primed and dangerous. Should always be disarmed first." He smiled at his detective. "Luckily there was another officer on the scene."

"Honest mistake, Jim." There was a long pause after Mack's words as no one could think of anything to say.

"You can borrow him." Jim remained impassive as the rest reacted.

"What?!" He could not believe the words that had just came out of his sentinel's mouth. Blair looked up, Jim rubbing his fingers together, as if he was trying to remember the dropped lock. Blair was still in shock as the next words hit.

"You want to. They want to." *I owe you.*

"Jim..." Blair tried to think of some way to scale the rebuilt walls.

"I'm going to get some air. I'll be back in few." With that he was grabbing his coat and keys and out the door.


As Jim returned to the loft something was, off. He tried to figure it out as he climbed the stairs, incapable of waiting for the elevator. Even as he opened the door, he was still puzzling over it.

"Hey, just in time. Food is almost ready but you have time for a shower. I set some clothes out for you." Blair went back to culinary pursuits.

"Blair?"

"Yeah. Go on."

As he showered in the freshly scrubbed bathroom, Jim pieced together the work that had been done and couldn't see where the time had come from. Clean and comfortably dressed, he came out and was seated. "Where did you get time...?" Jim pointed around.

"Teamwork. Blair's a good taskmaster." Mack brought one of the serving dishes over to the table. "Did you really think we'd do it like that?"

Jim looked at the other three, perplexed.

"Eat up." Blair kept an eye on his lover during the meal, seeing him relax more as it wore on.

The clean-up done, and Jim not holding onto anything breakable, Blair laid it out. "You can take it back. None of us expects this. Don't do this as some sort of sacrifice. Otherwise... we want you to watch."

Jim was visibly shocked. His jaw slacked and his eyes opened fully.

"What's it going to be?" Mack lobbed the words out, casually turning away.


Jim took his seat, placed as far from the bed as possible. It took awhile for the other three to get upstairs. Part of him, a large part of him in fact, couldn't quite believe he was going to watch. He couldn't back away. He'd taken so much from Mack.

Bruce was toying with Mack from the get go. Blair looked at Jim questioningly; he gave Blair a warm smile. Blair smiled back and leaned into Mack, caressing hands smoothing over the firm planes.

Then Blair and Bruce were striping Mack, kissing his chest and back, fingers dragging over his skin as two groins ground into his legs. Mack tried to get his lovers undressed, pulling out shirt tails, tearing at buttons as they came into reach.

The twisting mass tumbled into the bed still more than half -dressed. Mack struggled through the kissing, nipple sucking and general writhing-humping to get the tag-team down to bare flesh. Partway there, they finally started helping, shirts flopping to the floor and catching on the bed, unable to join their kin. Mack was so occupied that he didn't notice his pants being undone until hands were digging under him to pull them off. Grabbing first one and then the other, he rubbed a big hand over their crotches, popping a top button or two. Jeans slid down, and then boxers revealed round globes, with peeks of other shapes teasing.

Mack sprawled, naked with two gloriously nude Bruce-Blairs teasing every inch of his flesh. Latching his lips onto anything that came into reach, his hips rocked and bucked, while he tried to become as enfolded as possible.

Then they were both stroking his cock, one's left above the other's right, pumping as if of one mind. Mack stilled at the onslaught, the inches in their grip his only reality.

Bruce released, smoothing his hands up his lover, drawing his body along the hard planes until he was sitting high on Mack's chest. Then he leaned forward, pressing his tip against the closed mouth, parting the lips.

Jim shifted, his cock hard in his sweats. He swallowed a moan as two asses dominated his view, as one man pumped down and the other went down. He was completely unprepared for the new bottle of lube that was tossed onto Mack's chest, or the sight of Mack finger-fucking the ass fucking his face.

When the bottle was tossed further down the bed and fingers delved into Mack, Jim's control snapped. Hand diving past the elastic he grabbed himself in one hand, while the other clutched at his chest, snagging nipples through the tee.

Mack was gone. Throat full, cock surrounded, ass stroked and fingers buried, his world was completely one of sensation. He arched instinctively as the mouth drew away and barely noticed his nose being pinched before the hot cock left his mouth void. Focused on the fingers still in his ass, he didn't notice the ass pulling away from his hand. He pumped into the slick, massaging hand as he was rolled over. Pressed against the body under him, he rammed in deep. He was only half aware of the length filling him as a separate sensation.

Bruce stretched as two rhythms thrummed through him, Mack's heavy beat deep within, and the back-beat undercurrent of Blair's thrusts as they reverberated out from Mack. It was too much and not enough. Unable to move, his cock was left to the friction of the sheets instead of a wet, rough tongue. No hair or velvet rubbed his nipples. Teeth scored down his nape, neck and shoulders, while hands stroked and pumped along his arms and tangled in his hair.

Blair fucked. His hips pulled up as far as possible and slammed down. Pistoning with a smack each time against the hard ass, chest skidded across the broad back. Tight hot wet satin squeezed him with each thrust, each plunge and pulled slickly at his flesh as he drew back before filling the channel again.

Mack was unraveling, spinning inside out. Pushing hard back and rocking forward he could feel himself disintegrating, the pulsating waves around his cock amplified by those radiating from his prostrate. Then he exploded.

He opened his eyes. Looking at the jungle foliage, he tried to think. It was difficult as his throat swallowed, desperate for a cock not there and his ass spasmed hungrily. Surprisingly, he wasn't hard. He looked down and seeing the greasepaint and camos, realized he was bare chested. He hadn't noticed with the heat.

He turned, still crouched, towards the noise. At first all he saw was the swaying leaves, then two blue eyes were burning from the shadow. Resigned to patience, he waited for the cat.

A red cat. *Cougar.* He looked around, searching for an explanation for such a strange beast. For once his panther would be welcome.

"I think I'm offended."

Jim spun around, face to his own face with his morphed spirit-guide.

"After everything, this is what it takes." The spirit-guide looked down, somewhat disdainfully, at the other cat, which looked up smugly before licking a paw to groom. "Open yourself. The Guide can't accept what you won't give."

Jim's eyes snapped open. Nostrils flaring, he surveyed the sex-laden room. He was half-aware that his shirt had fallen to the floor and his cock was still tapping against his stomach.

"Jim?" Having rolled away from Mack, Blair was lonely in the big, full bed. Their room almost completely dark, he was having to trust Jim was there. Still there. "Jim?"

"Yeah, Angel." Jim gently cleaned Blair's lax groin, tossing the wipe into the garbage.

"I'm..."

"My Angel." He slipped into bed next to his lover, wrapping an arm over his furry chest. "Love you." He nuzzled into the warm neck.

"Jim..." Blair felt behind him, his hand tracing... He turned his head. "You haven't?" He started digging around, careful not to bump into the pair on the other side of the bed. His hand was stilled by strong fingers interlacing with his own. "Did you find it? Tell me that you found it." Even in the urgency, his voice stayed a whisper. "Jim!"

"What?" Jim mumbled the whisper from a tasty spot of his lover's neck.

"Find the lube." He pushed back against the sweats-covered length. "Before I end up waking them."

"What?!" Jim looked at his twin, who apparently hadn't heard his exclamation. He dropped further into a whisper. "What?"

"Lube." Blair pulled up his knees. "Lube."

"Blair..." Jim's unloved cock was making itself known as his lover was spread out. Rising up on his knees, he looked around. Jim pulled up Blair, who looked back with fiery eyes burning into his own. Then he was slipping the sweatpants past his cock, and tossing them off the bed before tangling his hands in the dark curls. Guiding the head down.

The needy cock plunged in deep, filling Blair's mouth and going further into his throat, Jim working the length in and out, holding Blair in place. The same steady slide continued, until his completion spilled, and Jim started to sag, balanced on Blair.

Gently pulling his lips down the shaft as he slipped it out, Blair laid Jim down and planted a languid kiss on his lips. Which became a slow duel of tongues as they drifted to sleep.


Mack was waking to a rational impossibility, of being both cheek-to-cheek and groin-to-groin with Bruce. It felt wonderful as he rubbed behinds and rocked forward. Teasing the points of interest before him, he started a slow loving.

This was definitely a good way to wake up, the most cognizant part of Blair's mind declaimed. Nice and toasty, Jim kissing him and trailing down his neck and shoulders, pumping their morning erections together. The feeling of being between an immovable object and an irresistible force was stronger this morning. Very sexy.

The easy passion of the four men built until it was a raging storm crashing from one side of the bed to the other and back again. Finally, the tsunami of their orgasms slammed hard. Leaving them beached.

"Need a shower. Anyone care to join me?" Bruce tried to get free of the big hands holding him.

"We're going to have to talk about your mouth."

"Jim?" Blair turned his head towards the voice.

"Over here." Jim tipped Blair back to face him.

"Oh, man." His butt burned where it contacted Mack, yet there wasn't room to move away.

"Come on. I stink. Sticky too."

Mack made a show of his greater strength for a minute or two longer. "I better escort you." He got them both out of the bed and looked back. "You mind if we take first shower?"

"He's right. You stink." Jim waved them off. The whole bedroom smelled; laundry would have to be done soon. "Blair?" He whispered, figuring Mack would have his hands full and wouldn't listen in if he could help it.

"I don't get how calm you are." His hands went back to his under-appreciated butt. "I liked it. Being fucked against him." He rubbed his ass some more, arching back into his hands. "How does it feel, knowing I'm such a..."

Jim held the finger against the stilled lips for a few moments. "Warm, passionate, alive, loving... Help me out here. Sexy, caring..." Jim slid his hands over Blair's butt, caressing the twin mounds. "I love you. Somehow, I've figured out that unless I drive you away, you won't leave me. Do you know how that makes me feel? Wonderful. And it's scary."

Blair stared back.

"Because then it really would be my fault. You've taught me that my dad was wrong, even that I didn't fail my men. I've done my share of stupid things, building walls, striking out at people before I could be hurt. But with you, that would be the only reason I'd lose you. And I can't stand to lose you."

"You've got me." Blair pulled Jim closer.


"What did you think you were doing?" Mack toed in towards Bruce, water sluicing over their chests.

"Hey! Tell me last night wasn't hot. Come on, I was just playing." Bruce pushed against his lover's chest. Only to start rubbing the heels around. "Though, I wouldn't be opposed to being the meat in a Mack sandwich."

"I'll give you meat." He latched onto the lips, stealing any other words. "Now, let's get washed up so they can have their turn." He did his best to lather Bruce without revving him up too much.


It was an awkward mid-morning that was interrupted by the phone's ringer. Looking at Jim, Blair picked it up. "Hello?"

"Blair, Stephen here. Are my brothers there? Um, Dad came and saw me..."

"Yeah, they're both here." Blair looked behind him. "It's for you." Handing it to Jim, he added, "for both of you."

"Stephen?" He listened to his brother talk about their dad coming over. "Yeah, said he wanted time to talk to you."

"Can you two come over here? Feels funny, talking on the phone about this when we're all in town."

"We'll be there in a bit. Yeah, you too." Jim hung up. "Blair, you can figure out something to do while we're gone? This may take awhile."

"Sure. Have a good time, too, you know?"

"Gottcha, Chief." Jim leaned in for a deep kiss. He leaned in, pressing together their foreheads. Then he was out the door, Mack handing him his coat.

After a half hour or so, Blair turned to Bruce. "So, what do you really want?"

"Huh?"

"Don't tell me you got a sudden urge to share Mack."

"What's it like, between them...?"

An answer was almost on Blair's lips. "You want Jim."

"I want the experience. Tell me it wasn't like having two Jims." He saw no disagreement. "Well, for me it'd be two Macks. You've still got this little piece of him. Didn't know what it was, but it's those memories."

Blair stared back.


Stephen showed the two men into his home. Gone were some of the pieces of furniture too reminiscent of every hotel he stayed in.

"What did he try to tell you?" Jim had caught their father off-guard; with time to think he might have come up with a more polished story.

"Jim. Mack, sit down." He pointed over to one of the most casual sitting areas the large living room was now broken into. "I'm not going to defend him. But I want you to listen to his side. Jim, have you ever seen the wedding photos?"

Jim smiled. "You know I have. Mama was very proud of them."

"Didn't you ever wonder why there weren't any attendant pictures? Pictures from the reception?"

Jim's face turned to thought. "No. It's been a long time. But I remember the dress."

Mack looked between the other two men. "I'm starting to feel left out of the loop."

"Sorry, Mack." Stephen got up from the couch and brought back an old album. He turned past the first few leaves. "That's Mom."

Mack took hold of the book, taking in the details as only a sentinel could. It made the couture dress his ex-wife wore look like a rag. Nothing on this dress was extraneous; the different laces and whatnot were all balanced. When he sensed Jim getting a touch frantic, Mack looked up. "She looks like me." He turned a bit more to Jim, still looking at Stephen. "Like us."

"That kind of hit me. Afterwards... Dad ordered all her things away. Even that was locked up. He got it out after you two left." There were only two times he could remember his father crying. When Dad came over to explain was one. The other time was after all the military people had left, and he thought he was alone at his eldest's grave. An empty grave.

"Everything is in storage. Blair would probably like to see it; apparently everythingwent." Stephen barely remembered anything from that time. He'd come home and half of it was gone. Furniture, pictures, anything and everything that said 'mom'.

He got up to look over Mack's shoulder. "She does." He looked between his twin brothers. "I'd just remembered her as beautiful." He went back over to his seat, giving Jim a shoulder squeeze on the way. "Turns out there wasn't a photographer. Dad had by that time been cut off, left with enough money to finish school on. The wedding photos were from the deposit; he thinks mom had arranged that, as he should've had to forfeit it. It was all a shock, going from wealth to not exactly poverty; Grandmother after all didn't have a frugal bone in her body."

Mack looked at them blankly.

"She was from old money. With tastes to match. Grampa, or rather Uncle, was new money. A very convenient combination in the 30's."

Mack's question was clear on his face.

"Dad wasn't too happy when Uncle started sharing his stories of rum-running."

Mack started laughing. Hard. Settling down, he explained. "Holli, our pathologist, will believe that one.

Jim started chuckling.

"Now I'm the one out in the cold."

"Sorry." Jim more or less got control of himself. "That still doesn't explain what he was thinking. I can't believe it was that bad."

"No. They were living in the cottage, and his allowance could easily support two. Modestly. He'd never seen a woman handle her own children without help. With Grandmother that was probably a good thing..."

"But he couldn't afford a maid. He made Mom choose because he couldn't afford a maid!"

"It was harder then. No disposable diapers, I don't know what else. He didn't think two babies were do-able, not without a staff."

"What did Mom think? What did she think?!"

Mack grabbed his twin, restraining him. Finally, he was able to work Jim back into his chair.

"We'll never know. But consider this. She was far from home. Between Dad's pride and the time, she didn't have girlfriends that could help. It probably was overwhelming with one. Let alone two. Maybe she believed him. Maybe she knew he couldn't handle it. Like I said, I don't condone it. I know for a fact if he'd just asked Uncle, he'd have had anything."

"He wouldn't do that."

"No, he wouldn't." Ellison pride was the only thing that surpassed the Ellison coldness.

"I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"Dad always thought his father was a bit soft. Too much under his wife's thumb. Uncle, on the other hand was a real man. Even if he didn't stay on the right side of the law to make his fortune."

"But?" He could feel there was something else they weren't telling.

Jim and Stephen exchanged glances. Stephen steered the conversation away.


Blair couldn't believe this. "It wasn't like that. I thought Mack was Jim, and then Jim showed up, and next thing I knew there was this territorial thing going on and I was the territory." His memory was drifting back.

"I'm still upset about the other day in the shower."

"Don't you pull that!"

"I am. Getting me worked up like that and then running; could have given me a phobia."

"More like blue balls. Not that Mack wouldn't have you back in the pink."

"And you didn't like being the territory?"

"I didn't say that." Blair plopped onto the couch. "Look, I care about Mack. But it was Jim I went to bed with; Mack who thought he was Jim. When Jim showed up... Until he decided he wanted that... I couldn't stay with both of them."

"Didn't keep you from having both of them. Mack knew you'd leave."

Blair closed his eyes, the images playing over the lids. He opened them and turned to Bruce. "Yeah, I suppose he did, once Jim showed." Blair redirected the conversation. "I don't want you manipulating Jim. Or hurting Mack. Got that?"

"Okay."


"What are you thinking?" Bruce rolled over, bodily facing Mack.

"Is it terrible for me to be glad I was the one..." The words trailed off as he still didn't know how he got from the cottage with baby Jim and into the arms of his mom.

Bruce rubbed the bare chest.

"That a 'yes' or a 'no'?" Mack fell in with the kiss, pulling away as he heard Bruce start to get breathless.

"Sounds like there shouldn't have been a choice. Think your mom knows more?"

"How I got there. Even if it wasn't direct."

"And you haven't asked..."

Mack looked at his lover and lay his head on the furry chest.


Blair rolled over, instinctively seeking warmth. He awoke when he found only more cold bed. Gathering the blankets, he peered down to the living room. *On the balcony.* Wondering why Jim needed to contemplate in the cold when they had a fireplace, Blair put on his robe and went downstairs.

"Jim? Come on, Honey. At least step inside?" Blair didn't expect the sudden grab and for a second thought it was payback on the endearment. Until Jim leaned in to smell his scalp and traced long-fingered hands up and down his back. He just managed to turn the handle on the door as they pushed back into the living room.

Bruce was heading back from the bathroom when he saw the pair, consumed. He headed carefully towards the guest room even as he was getting hard. Bruce passed the door, continuing towards the distracted pair.

Mack cracked open the door, looking for his lover. He could smell that Bruce was turned on, yet hadn't sprung. Then he saw why.

Bruce turned to find Mack staring right at him, halfway towards the still unaware couple. He stepped back only to see his lover making a shooing gesture. Then his frown was met with a one-sided smile. Bruce turned back to Jim and Blair.

Some part of Jim's brain registered the increased heat and pressure against his back without any corresponding loss of heat from the front. Whatever part it was clearly wasn't communicating with other centers. At least not higher ones. None, one, and many seemed to be its counting system for the hands that scrambled against and across him. Then he was moving, climbing, pushing, dragging and falling. Skin against skin was good.

Mack had followed the party upstairs, taking the chair at the far side of the room. He was a little surprised that Jim hadn't shaken off Bruce. Then again, Bruce was nothing if not persuasive.

Bruce worked over the broad expanse of back, suckling, kissing, kneading, and stroking, before surging over a side.

Blair and Bruce poured over Jim, skirting past each other effortlessly as they laved and lavished nearly every inch.

Mack shifted in his seat as Blair and Bruce both homed in on Jim's cock, working their way up and down, around and around, sharing it like two kids with a popsicle between them.

Jim opened his eyes as his hips tried to thrust into the maddening wet heat. They went unbelievably wide at the sight of two mouths, two Blairs working him, four hands holding him still. And then he was engulfed by one.

He was shocked as the mouth pulled back and the other went down. Gripping the chair, Mack was ready to come just from the show of Bruce and Blair swapping Jim's cock.

Jim felt the hands on him and shifted onto his knees. Hands stroked over his chest and back, mouths following. Kissing, he felt the cool finger dip into him, open him for two, three fingers. As he moaned, hands pushed at his shoulders and at his ass. Crouched, he was doubly penetrated, nose wedged tight against wiry hair, heavy balls slapping against his own.

Blair and Bruce thrust into Jim's ass and mouth, hands pushing towards and away as they pumped.

Mack was losing it. The alternating pounding and sawing, the scents, sounds, the terry robe on his sensitized flesh, the memory of taste gripped him, ripped through him as he finally brought his fingers to his chest.

Jim was long gone before his orgasm seared through him, followed by liquid fire. He didn't really feel the withdrawal, noticing it more as being rolled on his back and a mouth plundering his ravished one.


Blair looked around the woods. Unlike any forest near Cascade, the trees were oak and others. Eventually, the oaks would take over. There was a noise and he turned. *Wolf?!*

The wolf shifted, taking human shape. Blair's shape.

"Whoa."

"Thinking that only Sentinels have spirit guides?"

"Um, no. Bruce mentioned a coyote." Blair looked behind him and sat down, a little quickly, on a fallen tree. "Just that, man. You'd think I'd have seen you by now, you know?" He looked at the wolf-him. "Is that a wool sweater?"

The spirit-guide looked down and smiled pleasantly. "When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

"I wasn't ready? No, I was more than ready for some guidance. Trust me."

"Trust yourself." The spirit-image sat down straddling the log. "You're his guide. When did you finally start believing that?"

Blair thought about the thesis he'd stopped working on and the new dissertation he was secretly writing.

"He's part of you. You tried avoiding that, staying the outsider even in the thick of it. Would I really have been welcome when you were still working?"

Blair chewed on that. "No. And now?"

"Theologically unsupported visions don't impact 'transgressive subcultural group maintenance of societal norms'."

Blair stared.

"Though you better put more of Jim in. And yourself. People will decide you're hiding something." He swung his leg back over the fallen tree. "They call it participant-observer ethnography for a reason."

Blair looked back quizzically. The wolf started reforming, retaining the mirthful smile until the end. Then, it bounded off into the woods.


Jim woke up with a start and looked to either side. His head dropped back to the pillow. He could still taste it in his mouth and feel a general slickness in his ass. Then a tongue was probing past his lips, stealing his breath.

"Blair?" He asked as the mouth to his right pulled back.

The head on his left side rose. "Yeah?"

Jim closed his eyes and his head rolled back. Then a hand was on his right cheek. When he looked he saw sparkling cobalt.

Blair leaned in and kissed Jim slowly, creeping over him until he was resting on solid sentinel.

Bruce felt himself being pulled away and carted down the stairs, his back still bonded to Mack's chest. "Was it good for you?" He hiccupped as his balls were pulled and clutched.

He groaned in pleasure as teeth nibbled neck and hot water sprayed down his front. Lathered, he was held tight, Mack scorching his back while the big hand pumped him. Writhing, Bruce pleaded. "Put it in me. Fill me up. Fucking fuck me." He stopped as a hand stroked down his cleft. Moaned as the shaft rode between his cheeks, not diving inside.

Mack jacked Bruce mercilessly, taking him just to the brink and then veering away, over and over, cock throbbing between slicked globes. Finally, they spilled, the water washing it away.

"Jim?" Other than the hands tangling through his hair and skimming his back, his lover wasn't responding, despite both of their erections.

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

"Jim..." Had he misjudged that badly?

"I don't think about guys. Just you. And... I liked it. Blair. I..."

"Hush, Honey." Blair traced over Jim's face. "He does look just like me."

"But..."

"You find me attractive? Jim, chill. At least some of that is physical, right?"

"Yeah..." Jim started rubbing Blair's butt.

"Partly, you like having sex with me for characteristics Bruce shares. It'd be weird if..." A thumb stopped his sentence mid-stream.

"Blair..." "How's it different? Or are you afraid to confront it, when Mack and..." Two fingers stopped him this time.

"You... have a had a... Bruce... I..." Jim was relieved when Blair concluded the attempted sentence. Their kiss was slow and gentle.

"Had sex at the same time as we did." There, it was said. "Speaking of," Blair rocked against Jim. Their lengths sliding together. "Can we?"

Jim's hips answered for him as they careened together.


The rest of the morning passed as a blur. Blair and Jim came down and showered together. Bruce pouted. Food was eaten by various people. Eventually, everyone drifted into the living room together.

"So, here we are." Blair was almost convinced the words echoed.

"Maybe this visit wasn't a good idea." Mack offered.

"I'm glad you came. Both of you." Jim looked at Mack and Bruce.

"Really?"

"Me too." Blair smiled. "Now I don't have to worry about him so much." He tilted his head towards Mack.

"Thanks, Chief." He noticed Jim's jaw jump. "I'm thinking that maybe we should go to the next leg of this trip a little early."

"You don't have to do that." "

Where you going?" Blair inquired.

"Home to see Mom. His mom..." Bruce gave up and shrugged.

"Are you..."

"First I want to see how Bruce goes down." Mack started crimsoning as Bruce waggled his brows.

Jim laughed. Blair looked at him askance. Somehow, he found that even funnier. "I think... that's been... demonstrated... this trip."

Bruce first watched in shock and then smiled at the hysterical tough guy. Whose mouth he'd fucked last night. As he tried to readjust himself discreetly, he waited for the boom to lower. Two sentinels would not miss this.

Blair noticed the stillness first. Then, that Jim and Mack were focusing on something. Finally, what they were focused on. Bruce. Or at least whatever pheromones where pouring off him.

Jim spared a glance to Blair and started growling at Mack. A civilized part of him waited for his lover to drag him away.

"You still want it?" Blair's words cut through everything else in the room. Jim and Mack both looked over at him, whatever primal drive banked for a moment, while Bruce stared.

"Do you?" The words were softer. He got a nod in return. "Mack? Jim?"

Mack didn't give away much at all. Jim looked searchingly over to Blair.

"It's okay. If you want to..." Jim seemed to judge him, measuring if he was being honest.

Then the two sentinels pounced. Pinning Bruce between them, they first went for the back of his neck, carefully moving the long hair aside. Caressing, they started undoing the smaller man's clothes. Piece by piece they were falling away.

"Upstairs." Blair followed the triad.


Bruce was going insane. Mouths and fingers were everywhere; finally naked, he was pressed between two equally naked, very built... They moved around him, working their way side to side, up and down, back and front. Nothing was this intense. And then it was more.

Blair watched as Jim's and Mack's hands traced over Bruce's balls and erection. Rolling them in the sacs, and anointing fluid from the slit down the shaft. Then they radiated out, stroking the furred chest, thighs, arms and legs, plus anything else. Bruce was turned over and over, from one side to the other several times as if they couldn't pick their favorite spot or were afraid of missing a patch.

Bruce felt them rolling him until he was weighted down on one chest, hard length drilling up into his groin while another burned along his back. Hands pulling his cheeks apart as other hands teased the seam. Spiraled into him, swirling coolness into his burning core.

Blair watched as Mack eased in with a smooth glide, watched the rise and fall of the powerful ass. Focused on the muscles rippling with movement, he didn't even notice his fingers unzipping his fly and shoving the top of his boxers down past his weeping cock.

He was being seared. Each stroke pushed him up along the hard chest under him, only to be dragged back, sliding his cock against the matching one of the cock in his ass. Teeth and lips worked an almost complete sphere, his scalp cradled and caressed in lieu. Thoroughly engulfed. Then the rush streamed into him, out of him. Bursting apart, radiating, pulsating.

Blair pinched off his own orgasm and worked his way over to the wrecked bed. Shaking off his bunched up pants, he climbed over Jim, gasping as he pushed into the hot mouth. With a shudder Blair sprawled face first at Jim's groin.

Jim opened his eyes. He only vaguely recalled his lips being parted. Turning his eyes from the butt, he saw, *Bruce?* with Mack behind him. Lifting Blair's hips carefully, he freed his head. Nipping at the soft flesh, he rubbed the mounds.

"Uarh." Blair tried to push up. "Man." He was tight-glued; his nipples stung a little from his attempt.

"Jim?" Bruce tried to figure out what was wrong with the picture and then just went ahead with his original intention. At about the same time he could taste the kiss, Jim got into it and thrust his fingers into Bruce's hair.

Mack rifled through the nightstand and pulled out what he was looking for. Used, he threw the wet wipe into the trash and then extricated his lover. Covering him, he settled into a long kiss. Sitting up, Mack noticed Blair and Jim hadn't moved. "Problem?"

"Whatdaya think?" Blair lay his head on Jim's thigh. "Glued together."

"Hang tight." Escorting Bruce downstairs, Mack grabbed a washcloth and got it hot and sudsy, and ran it back upstairs. All the while Blair muttering. Mack answered. "And, it is too funny."


The rest of the afternoon was ordinary enough. Mack called to change Bruce's and his flight. They'd be leaving shortly, going overnight.

"Are you sure? Stephen didn't really get much chance..."

"We've all got a lot to handle. I'll call, let you know we got in."

"Mack just wants to get me away."

"Think your mom's going to be understanding?" Blair looked over from the kitchen.

"Hoping. You take care." Impulsively, Mack leaned down to give Blair a kiss on the cheek. "You too." He stood back after the handshake and shoulder slap.

Bruce slipped in and planted a kiss on Jim. Firmly on the lips, deepening it until he had to drop off for air. He waved to Blair as Mack hustled him towards the door.

finis

Sequel