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2020-11-05
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Fate and Sacrifice

Summary:

Permission to archive: yes
Fandom: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Characters: Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg
Rating: FRT
Summary: Blair has left Cascade, but is it forever?
Warnings: This is post TSbyBS. Plus, I suck at titles.
Notes: I do not own The Sentinel or any of the characters. This was written for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: Just a quick explanation for those not familiar with The Sentinel. In the final episode, 'The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg', Blair's dissertation is leaked to the press and Jim's abilities are public knowledge. The media hounds both Ellison and Sandburg as they are trying to solve a case. In the end, Blair is offered a chance to become Jim's official partner with the police department, but it's left up in the air. Fanfic writers have come up with all types of scenarios to continue the adventures of Jim and Blair. There seems to be a divide as to whether Blair should become a cop or not. Personally, I can see it either way and have written it as such in various stories. As with most of the episodes, there are many avenues to explore. I'm sure this is more than anyone wanted to know.
A/N #2: I realize I probably rushed the ending. I was fussing with the beginning and that's my excuse :)
Submitted through the CreativeWriting_101 mailing list.

Work Text:

Fate and Sacrifice
by Debbie

Jim Ellison woke from a fitful sleep. He hadn't had a good night's sleep since... well... it had been a long time. He slowly got out of the bed and weaved his way unerringly downstairs to the main room in the apartment. He pointedly avoided looking towards the small room off to the side with the doors firmly closed. He made his way to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and grabbed himself a bottle of water. He looked over at the microwave, noting the digital time display. He sighed. It was 2:30 AM and he was wide awake.

Jim wandered from the kitchen into the living area and over to the balcony windows. The shades were up and Jim looked out on the night. Unconsciously, he let his heightened vision pierce the darkness. He didn't know what he was looking for specifically. Jim stood there for several minutes, and then turned, looking directly at the small room he had successfully avoided earlier. He walked over, opening one of the doors and peered inside.

It was spotless. Not a thing inside the room. Jim had made sure of that after Blair had left. Even thinking about it made Jim cringe. Even after all these years.

It had been seven years this past June. Jim remembered the day with vivid clarity.

~o0o~

SEVEN YEARS PREVIOUS

"I just need to leave, man." Blair finished putting the box in the trunk of his car.

Jim knew Blair was lying. For one thing, he avoided looking at Jim as he spoke. And for another, his heartbeat was pounding like tribal drums.

Jim decided to try once more. "You can stay, Chief. Take as much time as you need to decide what to do and what direction you want to go in." They'd had the same discussion countless times already.

"Nah, Jim. That just wouldn't work. I'm a labeled fraud and liar."

"No one who knows you would call you a fraud or a liar." Jim didn't like Blair's putdowns of himself.

"Well, that's the real problem, then, Jim. The vast majority of the people in Cascade and the surrounding area don't know me. They only know what they see on the news and read in the papers."

"But people at the university..."

"Are the ones who started all of this. I'm just tired, Jim." To illustrate his words, Blair leaned against the side of his car. He still hadn't looked Jim in the eye.

"Where are you going?" Jim's curiosity won out over letting Blair handle this on his own.

"I just thought I'd let the winds carry me wherever. I have a small nest egg of money saved up, thanks to you." Blair did grace Jim with a look then. "I know where the money came from, Jim." Blair pinned him with a knowing stare. "I just wish..." Blair turned away, unwilling to let Jim see the emotions that were on the surface.

But Jim knew they were there. He reached out, tugging on Blair's arm until he was in Jim's arms. Jim hugged Blair, not ashamed that Blair was his friend.

"If you ever need anything..." Jim's voice was thick with his own emotion as he whispered the words into the nearest ear. He hugged Blair a little bit harder, not wanting to let this man out of his life, but at the same time, knowing he had to let go.

Blair only nodded his head and disengaged himself from Jim's hold. "Tell everyone that I'm sorry it came to this. I didn't mean for it all to blow up in the end. You know that, right, Jim?"

"Of course I know that, Blair. Don't ever doubt that. I still wish you would stay and fight. There is a course of action to be taken, both with the university and with that idiot at Berkshire Publishing. He didn't listen when you told him no. There needs to be some accounting here."

"Jim, we've been through this time and time again. It all comes down to that I was the one responsible. I wrote the paper, I kept the notes on the tests I did on your senses, and in the end, I didn't keep it safe from prying eyes. It still surprises me that you'd even want me around after all the attention I inadvertently rained down upon you."

"We had an agreement, Chief. You would write your dissertation in exchange for me letting you tag... er, ride along with me. We discussed this many times. I knew what you were doing. I knew what the end result would be. I knew the score. I can't make you stay against your will. I'd never do that to you."

"I just want you to remember what I told you. Let the others in Major Crime know about your senses. Be honest with them. All of them will help you. And I've given Simon a copy of my dissertation and a list of surefire ways to bring a sentinel out of a zone."

Jim still wanted to continue to plead his case and find a way for Blair to stay. But he didn't do it.

Instead, he used his heightened senses one more time to catalog Blair Sandburg. His sight he used to memorize the hair framing his face, his good looks, and his bright blue eyes that expressed everything. With his smell, Jim caught the mixture of Blair's herbal shampoo and the man's natural musky smell. The smells tied in with Jim's taste as the smells tickled his mouth, exploding into vibrant flavors that stayed for a long time. Jim's hearing picked up on the sound of Blair's heartbeat, steady and persistent, his breathing, calm, deep, and his distinctive voice, uniquely suited to guide a stubborn sentinel. Finally, there was touch, including the silky smooth feel of Blair's hair and the feel of his compact body.

Too soon, Blair got into his car and was gone. There were promises of keeping in touch and of someday returning. Jim didn't quite believe any of it.

~o0o~

After Blair left, Jim let his heightened senses go dormant for the most part, except for those rare times when they would automatically kick in. Most of the time when that happened, there were problems. Only because Jim didn't want to deal with them.

The years had passed with only a handful of contacts with Blair. He never told Jim where he was and there was never any indication that he was willing to return to Cascade.

Jim explained to Simon what had happened and that he didn't need his heightened senses to be a good detective. Simon accepted Jim's decision, but knew Jim missed Blair something fierce, although Jim never admitted as much to Simon or anyone else.

~o0o~

PRESENT DAY

Jim closed the door to the small room, the room that had been Blair's when he lived with Jim in the loft. Jim finished his water and turned to go upstairs. Unexpectantly, the phone rang. Jim made the detour back and picked up the cordless phone.

"Ellison."

"Wow! I didn't think I'd find you awake at 3:00 AM!"

Jim held his breath. It couldn't be, but it sounded like... "Blair?"

"Yeah, man! How are you doing?"

"Uh... why are you calling at 3:00 in the morning?"

"I was wondering... um... "

Jim frowned. Blair was never at a loss for words. "What is it, Sandburg?"

"Is the offer of coming back still valid?"

Jim heard something in Blair's voice. Jim smiled. "Sure, Chief. When can you be here?"

They talked for over two hours, each man catching the other up on the years apart. There was still a lot more to tell. Jim had done things for Blair in regards to the university and the publisher that he hadn't mentioned. That he'd be able to tell Blair in person when he arrived back in Cascade in a week. Jim couldn't keep the smile off his face.

end