Title: Panther & Wolf
Author: Scorpio
Email: LouisdPdL@aol.com
Archive: Yes.
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair (slash)
Rating: PG
Series: Panther & Wolf
Status: complete
Disclaimers: All things Sentinel belong to
Pet Fly Productions and the Sci-Fi Channel. I do not mean to infringe, nor do I
make any money from this.
Warnings: Read Preface, or this might not
make too much sense.
This story is an AU arc. The characters
are all from the Sentinel Canon Universe and they have the same jobs at Major
Crimes and the technology level is still the same. What makes this world so
different is that it assumes that many of our myths/legends/supernatural
happenings as fact. These things are common, simply how life is.
There are three races of humanity in this
AU:
Shapeshifters
They are all born with an animal spirit guide and they take on the ability to
physically transform into that animal shape during puberty. They then settle
into a cycle of shifting that is subject to the 13 lunar months of the year and
automatically shift for an adverage of 2 days. Of course, they also can shift
at will, or can be frightened into shifting as a defense mechanisim. All
shapeshifters must be registered and carry "dog tags" to identify
them while shifted.
There are two classes of Shapeshifters,
Predators and Herd Animals. All predators tend to be either a natural born
Sentinel or a Guide. No other type of Shapeshifter or race of man can be a
Sentinel or Guide. As such, predators are *very* rare and often feared.
Psionicists
They tend to have one or two mental powers in the area of telepathy, empathy,
clairvoyance, etc... While it is normal for them to undergo extreme training
and social conditioning, there is still great debate over the construction of
devises that can limit or control these natural abilities. They are often
feared or revered, depending on the area or the person.
Elementals
The most common of the three races, they each have a limited control over and
compulsion to be near one of the four alchemical elements: fire, air, water or
earth. While an elemental can not create thier element in a place where it does
not exist, they can shape it and move it with thier thougts alone.
List of Characters:
Jim Ellison: (Sentinel) Shapeshifter -
black panther
Blair Sandburg: (Guide) Shapeshifter - wolf
Simon Banks: Psionicist - telepath
Brian Rafe: Elemental - water
Henri Brown: Psionicist - empath
Megan Conner: Psionicist - telekenisis
Joel Taggart: Psionicist - illusionist
Panther
and Wolf
by
Scorpio
Simon Banks hung up the phone and rubbed
his fingertips in circular motions against his temples. His continual headache
was evolving into a migraine. He sighed deeply and rolled his shoulders in an
effort to ease the stress cramped muscles.
Focusing his concentration inward, the
tired telepath slightly relaxed the mental shields he kept in place around his
mind at all times. Careful not to drop all of his shields at once, he released
them one at a time, like peeling an onion. One layer after another.
As each successive shield fell away, so
did the mental strain of maintaining it. The tension began to drain away from
him, even as the low murmur of thoughts grew stronger and stronger. Surrounded
by the many minds in the Cascade P.D. Headquarters, the sound of all those
thoughts was like the dim roar of the crowd at a Jags game. Simon was careful
not to focus on any one mind or any one thought. He just allowed the background
murmur to wash over him in soothing waves. The tension lessened even more,
until his headache was no longer in danger of becoming a migraine.
Just as slowly, the telepath raised his
mental shields once more. One by one, layer by layer. The drone of busy minds
faded away once again. Mentally centered, Simon picked up the receiver of his
phone. With a deep sigh, he dialed the home number to his best detective team.
The Sentinel and the Guide.
...o0O0o...
Blair sat in the corner of the couch,
leaning comfortably against the armrest while reading over a test, red marker
poised in one hand. Jim lay stretched out along the remaining length of the
couch with his big furry head resting in Blair's lap. Blair enjoyed the solid
weight of his mate's head pressing down on his legs, and the loud rumbling purr
was one of the most wonderful sounds he could ever hear. He was finding it
difficult to concentrate on the paper he was grading.
The test wasn't as complex as those he'd
given when he had been teaching undergraduate Anthropology while he was working
on his P.H.D., but it required *some* degree of concentration to teach at the
Police Academy. Even if it was only one class to cover an officer on medical
sabbatical, it was still worth it to Blair.
After Blair had received his P.H.D. in
Anthropology he had immediately entered the Police Academy so that he could be
at his Sentinel's side, like a Guide should. While he truly enjoyed being a
Detective in Major Crimes as Jim's permanent partner, he had really missed
teaching. It felt good to be Detective Sandburg and Doctor Sandburg at the same
time.
With a gentle smile tugging at the corners
of his mouth, Blair began to read the test paper again. Almost absently, his
one hand dropped to trail lightly along Jim's strong jaw and soft furred cheek.
The big cat purred even louder.
The comfortable silence was suddenly
disrupted by the ringing telephone. Blair's head shot up and the tip of Jim's
long sleek tail began to twitch in mild annoyance. For a second, Blair
contemplated letting the machine pick up, but discarded the idea quickly. It
could be important.
With a soft sigh, Blair rubbed the black
panther's soft fur. "Let me up, Big Guy."
With fluid grace, Jim lifted himself off
of Blair and rose to his paws on the couch. Blair watched his lover indulge in
a full body stretch as he walked over to answer the phone. Fur covered muscles
bunched and then lengthened as Jim extended his forelegs out straight before
him. With a flex of tendon his claws emerged from their sheaths and then just
as quickly retracted. Shifting his considerable weight forward, he stretched
out his hind legs and gave vent to a fang baring yawn. Circling the cushions
once to find the sunniest spot, Jim flopped down once more. Blair couldn't help
but admire the majestic beauty so easily contained in such a deadly form. His
fingers ached to stroke the midnight fur once more.
"Sandburg." His voice was
slightly distracted.
"I know this is your day off."
"Oh, hey Simon." Blair
interrupted.
Jim looked up and over towards Blair at
the name. His ears perked forward to listen in on both sides of the
conversation.
"Look, I need you two to come down to
the First National Savings and Loan over on 134th and Jefferson."
"Oh, Simon," Blair said
doubtfully, "um,... Jim's, well,... he's shifted. Full panther mode
man." Blair paused to glance over his shoulder to the clock on the wall.
"He still has almost thirty hours left of his lunar cycle before he can
shift back to human form."
"Damn,... What about you Sandburg?
When are you due to shift?"
"Not till the tail end of next week.
Why?"
"Good. Then *you* can drive. No
danger of shifting behind the wheel. Get Jim over there as soon as you can. I
want you two to do your Sentinel/Guide thing. These bank robbers *have* to be
caught. This is the third hit in as many weeks and the Chief is *not* amused by
our lack of arrests."
"Okay Simon. But I can tell you now,
not too many people are going to be thrilled about Jim being out in public
while shifted. He's a large predator man, and that makes people *real*
nervous."
"I know, I know. It can't be helped.
We need his special,... talents on this one. So get going. Clear?" It
wasn't exactly a question.
"Yes, Simon. We're leaving now."
Blair hung up the phone and sat down to
put on his shoes. He watched Jim get up off the couch and lope upstairs. By the
time Jim came back down, Blair had his shoulder holster and jacket on. Jim
padded over to him and dropped his collar into Blair's outstretched hand. It
was a wide black leather collar that held two metal tags on it. One was
engraved with his full name and his Shapeshifter Registration Number on it. The
other was an exact duplicate of his Detective's Badge. Blair knelt down and
gently clasped the collar around his lover's neck. It would identify him as a
registered Shapeshifter and a Detective with the Cascade P.D. instead of a wild
animal escaped from the Temple of the Cats at the local Zoological Shrine.
With one last lingering touch against the
thick black fur, Blair stood and grabbed the keys from the basket. He opened
the door for Jim and they were on their way.
...o0O0o...
The scene outside the First National
Savings and Loan was the barely contained chaos that Blair had been expecting.
Crowds of spectators vied with media crews for space along the edges of the
police barrier. Uniformed officers worked at crowd control and traffic, while
plain clothes Detectives and Forensics went over the crimes scene with the
proverbial "fine tooth comb".
Blair parked in the nearest free spot and
the two Detectives walked over. Jim paced in a zigzag pattern around Blair as
they steadily moved towards the bank. He knew Jim was worried about being in
public while shifted by the agitated flicks of his long tail and by the nervous
pacing back and forth.
As they moved closer to the bank, Blair
could hear people mutter about the black panther. The words were spoken in
harsh whispers that were clearly audible. The crowd parted, opening a wide
swath of space for Jim.
A uniformed officer manning the barricade
allowed them to pass when Blair flashed his badge and pointed out Jim's hanging
from his thick leather collar. As they walked across the open space directly in
front of the bank, Blair could almost feel the media cameras trained on him and
his partner. It was an eerie and uncomfortable sensation, almost like being
watched through a rifle scope. With an almost physical sense of relief, Blair
walked into the building and out of the view from the crowds.
"Blair! Jim!"
Blair turned at the sound of his name. He
smiled when he saw Janice Miller walking towards them. The petite blonde
shapeshifter was new to Forensics, having transferred here from Chicago. Blair
liked her. A lot. He had no siblings, but if he could have chosen a sister,
Janice Miller would have made the top five list.
Janice brushed one hand from Blair's
shoulder down his arm softly, only to shift it over and trail her fingers
lightly through Jim's silky fur. An unconscious gesture from someone who *knew*
how good it felt to be petted.
"I think you guys should check out
the vault. They burned through the time lock." She pointed to an area
behind the tellers counter that had a set of stairs leading down. "It was
done very fast, yet very cleanly. No explosives."
Blair exchanged a quick look with his
partner. "Lead the way."
...o0O0o...
An hour later, they were stepping out of
the elevator and heading towards the doors to Major Crimes. Even the people
here, officers that knew them, had worked with them for years, gave the big
panther and his partner a wide berth. Blair stifled a sigh. At least in Major
Crimes their co- workers treated them the same, whether they were shifted or
not.
Pushing the door open, Blair allowed
himself the pleasure of admiring Jim's sleek and graceful form. The large
feline rubbed up against his leg with a rumbling purr on his way through the
open door. Blair's electric smile could have powered the whole building.
"Hey Hairboy! S'up Furball?"
"Ya know H, one of these days, you're
going to call him that, and he's going to bite you." Rafe predicted.
"Yeah, and I won't stop him,
either." Blair added with a smirk.
"Hey! I earned the right to call him
that. Last time he shifted, he coughed up a furball the size of a small country
on my kitchen floor!"
Henri had a look of hurt dignity as all of
Major Crimes burst into fits of laughter. Jim's tail began to twitch in
irritation.
"Jim man, it's cool." Blair said
soothingly, while running his fingers in a soft caress along Jim's cheek.
"*Everyone* has to deal with something unpleasant every once in a
while."
Jim leaned his big head into Blair's
touch, but his tail continued to twitch slightly. Most of the guys in Major
Crimes got a huge kick out of the quirks Jim and Blair displayed while shifted.
Jim had a more difficult time dealing with a bruised ego and battered dignity
than Blair, but they both understood. Shapershifters were uncommon, and
predators were down right rare,... so the guys enjoyed the novelty of it. Even
though it was good natured joking and friendly comments, Blair *still*
shuddered at the memory of getting caught chasing his own tail by Joel Taggart.
"Ellison! Sandburg!" Simon's
voice echoed throughout the bullpen.
"Saved by the bellow." Blair
muttered Sentinel soft.
...o0O0o...
Simon sat at his desk signing the last of
his paperwork. His head was pounding a steady rhythm of pain, stress, and a
poor diet. All he wanted was a hot shower, a filling meal, and lots of
uninterrupted sleep.
He wasn't the strongest telepath on the
force, but he *did* have one talent. He could mind speak with shapeshifters
while they were in animal form. It gave him an edge and the only side effects
were a knock-down, drag-out, killer-mutant migraine. Forty-five minutes of
questioning Jim about the bank robbery had left him in bad shape. He *needed*
to get home. He hurriedly set about straightening his desk in preparation to
getting out of the station.
"Finally." He muttered as he
reached over to turn off his desk lamp.
Gathering his keys and a few file folders,
he headed for his office door. Walking into the bullpen, he noticed that Henri
Brown and Brian Rafe were still there, heads tucked together, talking over a
stack of papers spread out across the desk.
Rafe held a glass of water in one hand.
The glass was being held rock steady, but the water was swirling in a miniature
whirlpool, a sure sign that the Water Elemental was agitated.
It took Simon a half minute to recall that
the two men were working on the rash of kidnappings. A bizarre case. Important
figures would disappear for several days and then turn up again intact. Well,
not entirely. Thier minds were wiped clean, with no recollection of who took
them, where they had been, or even how long they had been gone. They're
memories were complete blanks.
Simon walked over to his two detectives.
Slowly, so as not to startle the Water Elemental, Simon placed his hand over
Rafe's on the glass of water. The young detective glanced at the small
whirlpool inside the glass and blushed slightly. He hadn't even been aware that
he was doing it again. Slowly, the churning water stilled.
"Sorry Captain."
"Don't worry about it. Why don't you
two go home. Get some rest."
"Sure Captain." Henri answered.
"We'll get going soon. Just straighten up a bit first. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
Simon didn't want to argue. His head hurt
way too much. Without another word, he turned and strode towards the door.
"Fuck!"
"Captain?" Two voices called in
unison.
"Wha? Oh, sorry. I just remembered I
have to stop over at Daryl's apartment and feed his cat. He's on some trip with
the University."
Simon turned to grin back at the two
detectives.
"You'd think with Jim walking around
here all day being his furry self, I'd have remembered."
Simon left the bullpen to the sounds of
laughter.
...o0O0o...
Jim lounged on the couch with his body
stretched out along the cushions, t.v. remote nestled between his crossed
forepaws. He found his attention being divided between the pre-game show and
the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. Blair was making poached Salmon,
and Jim's stomach growled it's appreciation.
Blair's laughter floated out to him,
"I heard that Big Guy. Don't worry, dinner will be ready soon."
Jim's returning laughter was a rumbling
purr. He turned his head towards the kitchen and watched as Blair started
making a salad. Vegetables were diced and tossed with an efficient skill and
noodles simmered in a sauce that was gently spiced. The heavenly scents
encouraged the purr to grow louder. Yes, his Blair was one hell of a good cook.
An expected sound caught Jim's ear. He
cocked his big head and pivoted his ears forward. Yep, Brian Rafe had just
pulled up outside the building.
Ever since Rafe's parents had died in a
horrible car crash caused by a drunk driver six months ago, his friends in
Major Crimes had been taking turns spending time with him. Not baby-sitting,
per say, but just being there for him when he had needed them the most. Now, it
had become a habit of sorts. Every other Tuesday, case loads permitting, Brian
Rafe ate dinner over at the Ellison/Sandburg residence. All three of them
enjoyed the set-up.
Jim sat there, guarding the t.v. remote
and listening to the sounds of Rafe walking up the three flights of stairs. The
rumbling growl that was his laughter purred out of him again as he heard his
friend complaining loudly about the fact that the elevator was broken,...
again.
When Rafe knocked on the door, Blair
wandered over to answer it with a sauce covered spoon in one hand. Jim tracked
a single drop of the creamy alfredo as it dripped down the spoon and onto his
Guides hand. It was with considerable restraint that hedidn't get up, knock
Blair onto the floor,and lick his hand and the spoon clean. Blair would have
been amused, but Rafewould probably suffer a case of the creeping willies.
Blair opened the door and Brian walked in.
He had a six pack of beer in one hand and a bag with strawberry ice-cream in
the other.
"Hey guys. Dessert is here."
Blair giggled. "Hey man. You
shouldn't announce yourself as dessert to a cat that literally *can* eat you.
He might think you were making a serious offer to be B.B.Q'd."
"Ha! Very funny."
Rafe handed over the bag with the tub of
ice-cream to Blair.
"*That's* the dessert. Not me.
Besides, I know for a fact that Jim would rather eat you."
Jim watched, silently amused at the bright
and deep blush that bloomed across Blair's face. If he could, he would have
blushed himself, especially since he had just been contemplating licking Blair
to within an inch of his life.
After putting away the ice-cream, Blair
handed Rafe one of the beers and shooed him out of the kitchen.
"Go keep the cat company. Just don't
come crying to me if he takes a chunk out of you."
Rafe walked into the living room and sat
down on the other couch. Settling himself, he popped open the beer and looked
at the t.v.
"Cool, the pre-game. Hey Jim, turn up
the volume, huh?"
Jim looked at the remote lying between his
paws. Concentrating, he flexed the tendons in his right foreleg and extended
the claw of one toe out of it's protective sheath. Taking careful aim, Jim held
down the `volume-up' button. Satisfied with the volume change, he relaxed his
muscles and tendons allowing the claw to retract once more.
"Thanks buddy."
Jim gave him the huge "I'm bored,
*how* can you be impressed with such a simple thing." kind of yawn that
*all* cats are so good at. It had a little bit of a different effect than
watching a common house cat do that maneuver. A house cat didn't have inch and
a half long razor sharp fangs. Rafe, however, was unimpressed.
With a snort, Jim turned his attention
back to his beloved Guide and the delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen.
Blair was setting the table now, and the Salmon was calling Jim's name in
several languages at once. He sniffed at the air and his stomach rumbled loudly
once again. Blair heard it and giggled.
Rafe just raised one eyebrow,
"Hungry?"
Loftily ignoring that last remark, Jim
rose from the couch with a sensuous grace that belied his two hundred plus
pounds. Making his way over to the dinner table, he circled Blair once, rubbing
his length against his lover, a loud purr in his throat.
"I love you too, Kitten." Blair
smiled.
Padding over to the covered bench set in
front of his spot at the table, Jim gave a small leap and landed on the soft
cushion. It had taken awhile to find the bench, but it had been worth the look.
It was the perfect height to sit on and be able to reach the table. A lot of people
thought that he and Blair were strange to do it this way, but neither one of
them liked to eat out of bowls off of the floor if they didn't have to.
Just as Rafe was about to sit down at his
spot, Jim heard someone running up the steps. The unknown person's heart was
beating fast, and the stench of fear was getting stronger. He turned his head
towards the door and let loose a snarl that would have made anyone who didn't
know him wet themselves in fear.
With a single leap, Jim positioned himself
in front of the door. The fur along the ruff of his neck was standing up on
end, and a deep warning growl rumbled out of his chest. Rafe didn't hesitate to
act. Pulling his gun out of his holster, he positioned himself on one side of
the door, ready to act as back-up. Blair grabbed his gun and extended one hand
for the doorknob. A quick glance around told him everyone was in position. Jim
nodded his head slightly.
Blair quickly turned the knob and flung
open the door. Sweeping his other arm around, he found himself staring at one
of his old students from Rainer. The young man took one look at the two guns
and the huge jungle cat and let loose a scream.
"Tim!"
Blair pulled up his gun and flicked on the
safety all in one movement. Shoving the weapon into the waistband at the back
of his jeans, he stepped forward into the hall and extended a hand to the
frightened man who had his back pressed tightly to the wall. Seeing where his
ex-students eyes were locked, Blair spoke over his shoulder to Jim and Rafe.
"It's okay guys. This is Timothy
Langford. He was a student of mine a few years back." He spoke to Tim this
time. "History major, right?"
Obviously shaken and more than a little
afraid, Tim nodded his head yes. Glancing around Blair at the man and the huge
panther, Tim pulled him a little closer.
"Doctor Sandburg,... I,... I need to
talk to you. It's going to sound strange, but,... I,..."
Using his "Guide's Voice", Blair
soothed the young man. "Tim, it's okay man. Take a deep breath. Gather
your thoughts. Then tell me. Don't worry if it sounds strange. I do strange
real well." Blair ignored the amused little snort from Jim.
Tim took a deep breath and visually calmed
down. "Okay. Well, I'm,... I'm sort of,... well, clairvoyant. Tonight,
I,... well, I had a vision while walking down the street. It was very scary. I
watched the memory of someone being kidnapped."
At that last comment, Rafe's head shot up
and an intense interest burned in his eyes.
"What did you say?"
PART
FOUR
"Stop! It happened right over
there." Tim's voice was still a little shaky, but it was filled with
certainty.
Blair pulled over to the side of the road
and parked the Volvo. It was a nice neighborhood, one that he had spent much
time in during his undergraduate days. The rent was cheap, the buildings were
clean, and it was close to Rainer campus. It was an area most notable by the
number of college students that lived there.
The three men and the black panther all
got out of the car into the cool evening air. Rafe glanced at Tim quickly and
then motioned Blair aside.
"Hey, I know this guy's your friend
and all,... but, is he for real? I mean, is he really a clairvoyant?"
"I don't know Rafe. I've never been
near him when it happened, so... Look, I know he's a good guy. He's never lied
to me before. Whatever happened really upset him, so I want to find out what.
Even if all I do is make him feel better. Ya know?"
"Yeah. Okay."
"This way."
Tim walked across the street slowly. His
face was one of relaxed openness. It was almost as if he were listening to
something. The young red head, turned his face one way and then the other, as
if he was looking for someone or something. Hesitantly, step by step, he walked
over to stop in front of a parked car.
Suddenly, Tim cried out. Dropping to his
knees, he reached out to steady himself. His right hand came into contact with
the surface of the car next to him and the world dissolved in blue light.
Flash.
Everything was bathed in an eerie blue
light and all other colors were muted. No sound penetrated his ears, and his
skin felt as if it had been swathed in soft cotton. The moon was just rising
over the tenant building and the big black man pulled his car over into the
only free parking spot. He was talking to himself, but Tim could not hear the
words.
Flash.
The black man was struggling with two
other men. They were yelling, but there was no sound. Suddenly, the tall black
man from the car was shoved hard. His body slammed into another car parked
along the narrow street. His head hit the bumper and an object dropped out of
his hand.
Flash.
The two unnamed men were dragging the tall
black man across the empty street. He was alive, but unconscious. His
assailants lifted him up and placed him into the back of a van. A white van
with writing on the side.
Flash.
"Tim! Tim, man. Hear my voice. Come
back to us."
"Doctor Sandburg?"
"Yes Tim. It's me."
Tim turned his face towards Blair. His
green eyes were open wide with fear and he was breathing heavy. He could feel
the tremors coursing through him.
"It happened again. Just,... just
like before."
"What happened Tim?"
"A,... a vision. I saw it happening.
It was like I was there at the time."
"The kidnapping?" Rafe asked.
"Yes." Tim swallowed and visibly
tried to pull himself together. "It happened here. A,... black man was
attacked. He was big, but there were two of them. They pushed him and he
fell."
Tim stood up on shaky legs and Rafe
reached out a hand to steady him. Tim smiled his thanks and then led the
detectives over to the front of the car.
"Here." He pointed at the
bumper. "He hit his head and he dropped something. I'm not sure what it
was, but it was metal,... I think."
The panther sniffed at the bumper and a
little whine escaped his throat. The other two detectives glanced down at him
and then frowned. Blair got on his knees and peered under the car. Something
was there. Pulling an evidence bag out of his pocket, he reached under and
grabbed the object. It was a set of keys.
Rafe and Blair exchanged a long look and
then Rafe turned to the upset young man who was clinging to his arm.
"Tim, did you see where the black man
came from, or where the two men took him?"
Tim glanced around quickly as if looking
for something. Finally he pointed down the street and took off at a fast trot.
"There. That's the car the black man
got out of."
The detectives all caught up with Tim and
stared at the parked car in stunned disbelief for a second. Then the big
panther started to growl and pace around, sniffing at the air. Detective Rafe
pulled out a cell phone and began making an urgent call, taking fast and loud
to whomever was on the other side.
Tim turned to Blair. "You guys
believe me, don't you?"
"Yes Tim. We believe you. That car
belongs to Simon Banks, Captain of Major Crimes with the Cascade P.D."
Blair glanced over at his former student. "Tim, we're going to need you to
make a statement, okay?"
Tim looked uncertain for a moment, then he
nodded. "Yeah, sure thing Doctor Sandburg."
"Oh, and Tim? Call me Blair."
PART
FIVE
Brian Rafe walked into his apartment and
locked the door behind him. It had been a very long night. What had started out
as a friendly evening with Jim and Blair had soon turned into a bizarre
nightmare. It had left him tired, hungry, and feeling out of sorts.
Taking off his jacket and hanging it
haphazardly over the back of a chair, Rafe made his way into the cramped space
he jokingly called a kitchen. The refrigerator yielded sparse and unappetizing
fare. He finally just settled for a bottle of cold beer and bowl of unheated
left-over spaghetti. Sitting down at his newspaper strewn table, Rafe tried to
fill his stomach and quiet the tumbling thoughts in his mind.
First, there was this whole kidnapping
case that he and his partner Henri Brown had been assigned to. It was
frightening, but in an odd way. All the victims had been released, not through
ransom, but by simply appearing somewhere. They were always returned unharmed
physically, the only sign of their plight was missing memories. None of the
victims could recall a single moment of their captivity. They had tried
everything to jog those memories loose. Hypnosis, Empathic links, Telepathic
links, everything. One recovered victim tried a Wiccian meditation ritual to
recover the missing days and could only explain it as a "Light green mist
that smelled like roses."
Now Simon Banks was missing. Henri had
been on the phone almost non-stop trying to track down Simon, but to no avail.
No one seemed to know where he was.
All the evidence found by Jim and gathered
by forensics pointed to a struggle. Simon had put up a fight, but in the end,
he had been taken. The spot on the bumper that Tim had pointed out had blood on
it and there were small traces of the same blood in a trial that led to the
spot Tim said the white van had been. Rafe feared that Simon would also loose
memories, and worse, he feared Simon might be the one to fight back so hard
that he lost his life as well.
That led Rafe's circular thoughts straight
to his only "witness". Timothy Langford. A tall, thin, red-headed
graduate student at Rainer University that majored in World History. One of
Blair's former students. A clairvoyant.
Rafe wasn't quite sure what to think about
Tim Langford. The younger man unsettled him in a way that he couldn't explain.
It wasn't the fact that he was a Psionic. Rafe worked with and was friends with
too many people with those mental gifts to be bothered by them. Hell, his
Captain was a telepath and his partner was an empath. No, it was something
else.
Tim had even offered to work with Rafe and
Henri on the case. He claimed that he had never had visions come to him so
strongly or so clearly before and that he felt he was supposed to help. Rafe
had heard that before, so he excepted it without too many questions. Many
clairvoyants felt compelled to come to the police when they had disturbing
visions of violence. Rafe figured that if *he* saw psychic memories of a
violent crime, he'd feel duty bound to solve it as well. But then again, he was
a cop and solving crimes was his job,... no, his life.
Rafe frowned. That still didn't explain
the odd way he felt around Tim. Mulling it over while he rinsed out his bowl at
the sink, Rafe decided that it wasn't a *bad* feeling he got from Tim, just an
odd one. Something new.
With a sigh, Rafe headed out of the
kitchen and walked to the bathroom. He needed to get ready for bed. It was only
a short time away form when he was due back and the station and it was going to
be a long day again tomorrow.
...o0O0o...
Ra'joul reached out with one strangely
elegant hand and accepted the last neat stack of hundred dollar bills from
Chris "The Vise" Amrock. Placing it neatly in the remaining spot in
the suitcase, he watched his second in command turn off the electronic paper
stacker and tidy up.
Ra'joul suppressed a smirk at the highly
disciplined and frighteningly precise movements. Chris Amrock lived up to his
nickname in a myriad of ways. "The Vise" had the ability to trap a
mind and through sheer force of will alone, shape it to his desire. A chilling
man with no soul. Ra'joul reminded himself once again, that after the contract
with their current employer was fulfilled, he would eliminate Amrock with
extreme prejudice.
A glance to the right showed that the Air
Elemental known only as Karl was almost through cleaning his guns. The quiet
and seemingly shy blonde was obsessed with weapons. He never asked questions,
never needed a reason, he simply followed orders. No order was too violent or
too messy. Ra'joul also knew that Karl was completely loyal to him personally.
Yes, he would keep Karl around a bit longer. The man was a highly effective
weapon, if nothing else.
Ra'joul didn't even have to use his
empathic abilities to know that `Shell was entertaining Tony. It was a given.
Ra'joul could *almost* pity the shape-shifting snake woman for getting mixed up
with the Fire Elemental, but not quite. Ra'joul simply didn't have it in
himself to pity *anyone*.
Tony, a.k.a. Antonio Carrletti, was a mean
tempered man with a violent disposition. He used his gift for fire control with
great accuracy and precision, but he himself was a wild card. Unpredictable.
Ra'joul was still trying to decide if he should also eliminate Tony when the
contract was up. 'Shell would probably be very grateful, but then again, what
did Ra'joul need with the gratitude of a snake?
With a sigh, Ra'joul stood up and smoothed
the lines of his jacket. This was the worst part of the job. He would never
admit it to anyone, but his employer gave him the creeps,... big time.
"I'm going to deliver the money to
"The Man". Ra'joul spoke to Chris, but it was Karl who nodded
acknowledgment.
"If I'm not back by tomorrow,...
leave town."
It wasn't necessary to say that. It was a
given, but Ra'joul wanted to impress on them once again how deadly this portion
of the contract was.
Grabbing the money filled suitcase,
Ra'joul headed towards the door. Stopping briefly in front of Karl, he
whispered, "Keep an eye on lighter-fluid for brains. If he kills 'Shell
with his little games,... Waste him."
Karl nodded his understanding and began to
load his newly cleaned .38 Special. Wishing he could just take the money and
run, Ra'joul headed for his car and a meeting with the most terrifying human
being he had ever had the misfortune to meet.
...o0O0o...
The first thing to register in Blair's
sleep fogged mind was a warm heavy weight pressing down on his chest in a
wonderfully protective way. The second thing to register in Blair's not quite
awake mind was that the warm heavy weight was furry and purring loudly.
Blair felt his smile grow and he reached
up with both hands to run them through the silky fur of his mate. Without
opening his eyes he sought for and found the sensitive spot behind both ears
that Jim loved to have rubbed. The purr got louder and Blair enjoyed the
sensation of the echoed vibrations in his own lightly furred chest.
"Morning Kitten. I love you."
Suddenly, a big wet tongue licked up the
side of his face, soaking him from jawbone to hairline. He erupted in giggles.
Cracking open one bright blue eye, Blair
rubbed and scratched at all of Jim's favorite spots. The huge cat lying on his
chest continued to purr and bathed his face in long lazy licks. Blair giggled
some more.
Silly grin firmly in place Blair grabbed
Jim's furred head and pulled him down until he could bestow a kiss between the
panther's deep blue eyes.
"Jim, I love you more than anything
or anyone in the entire world. I would gladly give up everything I own for your
kisses man. But I am telling you, when it's *my* turn to shift, I am like *so*
going to drool all over you. What do you think of that? Big sloppy Wolf kisses
all over."
He raised one inquiring eyebrow. For an
answer, he got another big sloppy Panther kiss. Blair's giggles echoed throughout
the loft.
part
six
Wrapping one arm around the body of the
panther, Blair rolled over onto his side. With a softly huffed grunt, Jim's
furred body flopped onto the bed next to Blair. Jim, being the shameless cat
that he is, lifted his left foreleg and leaned back. Tipping his large furred
head away, he exposed his neck and chest to his mate in an open invitation to
pet and adore him. This move always worked on Blair, Jim knew he was simply
irresistible.
"Oh, it's like that, I see."
Blair pouted slightly, although his eyes sparkled with mirth. "I'm only
good for a bit of scratching and loving, huh?"
In spite of his pouty lips and humorously
sarcastic words, Blair reached out with his hand and gently stroked it through
the midnight silk on Jim's chest. He was instantly rewarded with a loud
rumbling purr.
Blair continued to lavish tender attention
on Jim. He rubbed and petted and scratched. He made sure to hit all of Jim's
favorite spots at least twice. Behind his ears, under his chin, across the
expanse of his muscled chest, along the edge of his rib cage, and of course, a
gentle sweep of long fingers against the soft fur on his cheeks. Jim's endless
purr of happiness was music to Blair's heart and the endearing way the big cat
rubbed his face into Blair's pillow was adorable.
Blair truly wished that they could just
stay like this the rest of the day. It only took a single glance at the clock
to remind him that they had a full day scheduled and that they needed to get
started on it. Blair leaned into the furred warmth of his Sentinel and wrapped
both arms around him for one last hug before they had to leave their bed.
"Come on Big Guy." He said
scooting towards the edge. "We've got witnesses to interview."
Jim gave vent to a huge bored yawn,
clearly stating what he thought of that idea. Blair chuckled at him.
"I feel the same way Kitten."
With a little shake of his head to clear
the tousled curls out of his face, Blair bounced down the stairs without
putting on any clothes. He headed into the kitchen and poured a bowl of fresh
milk for Jim. He placed it on the table and went back to the refrigerator.
Leaning in to see what he could make for breakfast, he felt warm silky fur
brush up against his leg, followed by a soft purr.
"Hey. How does scrambled eggs and
toast with orange marmalade sound?"
Jim purred a little louder and rubbed up
against his leg once more before walking over to the table and leaping onto the
bench. The black panther looked over his shoulder pointedly and then began
drinking his milk.
Blair grinned. "Okay man. Breakfast
is coming up."
Blair began to quickly set out the things
he needed and then started preparing the simple meal. While he was cooking he
let his mind drift. He hoped that nothing major happened today. He was really
looking forward to spending tonight with Jim. When the moon rose tonight, it
would signal the end of this month's lunar cycle for Jim and he would be able
to shift back into human form.
Not that Blair loved Jim any less when he
was in animal form, no. It's just that there were certain things that he missed
when one of them was shifted. Talking for one. It was very difficult to talk to
someone who lost the ability of human speech. Unless, like Simon, you could
mind speak with shifted shapeshifters. Blair missed not being able to have a
conversation with Jim.
Tonight, Blair wanted to get Jim alone.
Talk for about three hours and then have the rest of the night to spend making
love. He smiled widely at the thought.
Placing the food onto a plate, Blair
walked over to the table where the big cat was sitting. Rubbing one hand down
Jim's broad back, Blair reached around with the other to place the plate on the
table. He grabbed the empty bowl and stood up.
"More milk?"
Jim leaned his big head into Blair and
rubbed his cheek against him. With a rumbling purr, he nodded yes.
"Okay. Then I'm going to jump in the
shower."
Blair refilled the bowl with more milk and
returned it to the table. With a last lingering touch to the silky fur, he
turned and walked to the bathroom, still buck naked. Jim sat there and admired
the view.
...o0O0o...
Henri Brown sat in the break room between
his partner Detective Brian Rafe and the love of his life, Inspector Megan
Conner. Few people knew about his relationship with the Psionic Inspector from
Australia. Only their closest friends, Rafe, Jim and Blair, and their Captain,
Simon Banks were aware of their love.
While it broke his heart not to be able to
declare their love from the highest building, it was a bureaucratic necessity
to be discreet. The Aussey Inspector was only on loan to the Cascape P.D. and
it was a very real threat that her credentials could be pulled and she could be
shipped half way around the world if it was known she had an
"unprofessional" relationship with another officer. Hopefully soon,
that would no longer be a threat to them. Unknown to most, Megan had requested
a permanent transfer and U.S. Citizenship. If granted, they could not only
proclaim their love, but be legally married without jeopardizing either one of
their careers.
Henri looked up and pulled his mind from
his daydreams of wedding the beautiful Inspector Conner at the pitiful sound
escaping from his partners mouth. Henri momentarily wondered if Rafe knew just
how dejected that sigh sounded.
A single glance over at Rafe made him
start to worry a little bit. He was holding a glass of water, like always, but
it was the mini-whirlpool inside the glass that caught his attention. Rafe only
did that when he was upset, usually without being aware of it.
He didn't usually open his mind to others
without asking first, but he knew Rafe wouldn't mind. Even if he somehow found
out. Closing his eyes, Henri allowed himself to relax and open his mind.
It always helped to picture a flower just
ready to bloom. He envisioned the petals opening up and catching the faint
breeze. Silly image yes, but it worked for him
He opened his empathic abilities and the
"breeze" blew in emotions. Sorting through them until he found the
mental signature he knew so well. Focusing of Rafe, Henri let the emotions and
feelings wash over him.
Worry. Anxiety. Loneliness. Nervous
anticipation. Nervous? Anticipation? About what?
Henri pulled back his thoughts just as
slowly and gently as he had let them out. A glance at Rafe showed that he
didn't know what Henri had been up to, but a glance at Megan said that *she*
did. She raised one sculpted eyebrow in question. Henri silently mouthed the
word, "Later." She nodded once, and they went back to waiting.
Waiting on Tim Langford.
END
PART 6