Title: Claiming Ritual   
 Author/pseudonym: Candy Apple     
 Rating: E
 Pairings: J/B

 Status: NEW, complete   
 Date: 6-8-98
 Archive: YES
 Archive author: Candy Apple   
 Series/Sequel: Story 5 in the New Beginnings Series

 Disclaimers: Pet Fly owns Jim and Blair and the Sentinel concept.  The
characters belong to them, the story is my idea. :-)

 Notes: Story #5 in the New Beginnings Series.  And yes, they are going
to get physical eventually, but it won't be happening in this story. ;-)

 Summary: Jim and Blair attend their first social occasion since the start of
their new relationship.

 Warnings: Just the usual SPOILERS warning for "Sentinel Too", for
whatever that's worth anymore!


CLAIMING RITUAL

by 

Candy Apple


     "You still feeling all right, Chief?"  Jim returned to the table with
a beer for himself and a tall glass of ice water for Blair.

     "Oh, man, come on.  The doctor never said I couldn't drink."

     "You've had champagne and a beer.  You're not 100% yet. 
Getting drunk isn't going to make you feel better."  Jim settled in at the
table and watched the other party guests dancing.  The banquet room of
the Hillside Inn, one of Cascade's favorite hotels, had been set up with
several small tables along the perimeter, leaving a good area open in the
middle for dancing.  

     Rafe, the guest of honor at this birthday bash, was showing off
his moves to Megan, who seemed to be a more than worthy dance
partner.  Several other detectives from Major Crimes, as well as several
of Rafe's friends and family members, also crowded the dance floor,
occupied the tables and milled around, grazing from the buffet table.

     "So who actually planned this?"  Blair asked, resigned to his ice
water as Jim opened his beer.

     "I think throwing him a party was Connor's idea.  Brown was
her accomplice."

     "Megan?"  Blair watched the couple on the dance floor.  "Isn't
that interesting?"  he commented, grinning and taking another sip of his
water.

     "Okay, Chief, just say it."  

     "What?"  Blair feigned innocence.  "Okay, so I think Megan's
interested.  Why else would she suggest a party like this?"

     "I planned a party for you last year."

     "Yeah, and look at us now."  Blair grinned and flexed his
eyebrows.  His smile faded a little.  "Simon's not happy about us at all. 
You know that, right?"

     "Simon knows we've got an uphill road ahead of us.  I think he's
worried.  And he thinks I'm riding some kind of emotional tide from
your close call that's fucking up my judgement."

     "That's what he said?"  Blair looked troubled.  "Maybe he's
right."

     "Don't ever say that, sweetheart.  He couldn't be more wrong."

     "But you didn't feel this way before it happened.  Hell, you
wanted me *out of your life* before it happened."

     "I explained that.  I never wanted you *gone*.  I didn't know
what I wanted.  Almost losing you just pointed it out to me.  It didn't
make me want something I didn't want all along.  I just needed a wake
up call."
     
     "This is how it's always gonna be for you."  Blair glanced around
the room as most of the other couples migrated to the dance floor to
slow dance.  "Sitting by yourself at a table in the corner with me."  Blair
sighed heavily.  "If you wanna dance with somebody, it's okay.  No
reason for you not to have any fun at all tonight.  I don't mind."

     "You're right."  Jim stood up, and Blair's face fell immediately. 
He hadn't expected Jim to take him up on the offer, and the thought of
his tall, handsome partner slow-dancing body to body with some woman
twisted his chest into a knot that was worse than anything caused by the
nerve gas.  Jim had disappeared into the crowd, just like that.  

     Blair scanned the room for him, miserable not to find him and
yet dreading more *finding* him, and seeing how good he looked paired
up with some curvy female draped all over him.  Finally, he caught sight
of the other man, talking to the DJ who had been providing the dance
music.  The two men spoke a few words, laughed a little, and the man
behind the controls seemed to be searching his repertoire for something
specific.  He showed something to Jim that got a negative response, and
then finally, he came up with something that brought a smile to Ellison's
face.  Jim nodded and then started making his way through the crowd
again.

     //Great.  He probably wanted to hear Santana doing "Black
Magic Woman" or something,// Blair thought dismally, gulping a little
more water and waiting for the change in music--and Jim's selection of a
partner.  He was nothing short of stunned that Jim was making his way
back to the table, and when the song that was playing faded, Jim
reached out a hand toward Blair.

     "This one's for us, sweetheart."  

     Blair accepted the hand a little hesitantly, and was slightly
relieved that the other guests were involved enough in their dancing and
chattering that they didn't really pay any attention to another couple
joining the dancers.  

     "You mind if I lead?"  Jim asked, smiling down at his partner.

     "I think I'd follow you anywhere right about now," Blair said
honestly, his breath catching in his throat as he moved into Jim's arms. 
They were chest to chest, arms in all the proper dance positions.  The
hands that were joined soon moved inward until Jim held Blair's hand
and arm close to his chest.  When Blair finally tuned in to what song
was playing, he pulled even closer to Jim, both thrilled at the gesture
and a little afraid at the same time of what Jim was doing to himself by
claiming his lover publicly.

     The first strains of "Endless Love" put the slow dancers in
motion