Sentinel X II: Xavier Does It Again

By: Abelard

abelard950@aol.com

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. I just borrowed them for a while. I promise to return them when I'm done with them.




Sentinel X II: Xavier Does It Again
By Abelard

Detective Jim Ellison got out of his truck in the parking lot of Hargrove Hall. Blair was late. Again. Normally this would have irritated Jim but for some reason, it worried him today. Jim walked towards Blair's office and noticed that Blair's heartbeat was missing. Jim began to jog towards the office as his worry went up another level. Arriving at the office he found the door open and no sign of Blair.

"Blair," Jim called as he took a deep breath. Jim suddenly felt rage as he detected a scent. There were scents in the air that Jim knew and which instantly infuriated him. He growled savagely as he realized that Charles Xavier had ignored his warning.

He'd warned them. He told them what would happen if they bothered him or Blair again. Jim turned and stalked out of the office. He called Simon and asked if he wanted to go visit Darryl in New York. Simon said he would be packed and waiting for Jim at his apartment. Jim said he would be there in about two hours. Jim was furious about this. He knew by the smell in the small office that Blair had been removed from the office in a way that did not involve traditional methods. Something about the smell in the office really sent his senses on edge and touched on the more primal part of his brain.

Jim went to the loft and packed two overnight bags. One was for him the other was for Blair. Jim drove to Simon's where his captain was waiting. Simon got into the car without a word seeing the patented Ellison clenched jaw that signified extreme anger that was bordering on killing fury. Whatever had him angry was in New York or else Jim wouldn't have asked Simon to go visit Darryl with him. Simon remembered that something had happened when Blair had gone to visit Darryl at school a few months ago. Whatever it was had Jim tearing out of the Bull Pen at mock 1 and not returning for two days with Blair in tow and swearing to him that Blair was never leaving the Cascade city limits without him again. Blair had laughed but Simon could tell that Jim was almost serious about it. Whatever had happened had really pissed Jim off.

"Jim," Simon said softly once they were on board a plane to New York. "What is going on? You haven't been this angry about anything since whatever happened a few months ago."

Jim looked at Simon for a long minute before he answered. "Someone disregarded my warning about threatening or borrowing Blair against his wishes ever again. I warned them that there would be consequences. I warned them..." Jim trailed off and sat back to prepare for the battle he was sure was coming. Jim reached along the bond that had been forming steadily since he had met Blair. He was still very uncomfortable with using it but this was an emergency. Also Jim felt guilty about not using it to check on Blair. He figured if he had been paying attention like he was the last time then he would have felt it when Blair was taken.

Simon could see an Ellison Guilt Trip coming on. "Jim," Simon said. "Don't do this. It wasn't your fault so don't start blaming yourself for it."

Jim nodded absently and went back to the bond. He found Blair in the astral jungle they always ended up in. Blair seemed to be okay but he also seemed wired and tense about something. Jim sent an image of the Jaguar coming to the school and breaking the door down and felt Blair relax slightly. Blair's response to the image confirmed to Jim that he was indeed at Xavier's School for the gifted. AGAIN. Jim silently vowed to himself that this would be the last time Xavier screwed with him or his Guide.


XXXX

At Xavier's School for the Gifted, a young woman named Danielle Moonstar stood looking down at the catatonic man that Professor Xavier had had Illyana Rasputin bring here. She couldn't accept what everyone told her about this man, this Blair Sandburg. A white Shaman/Companion; It wasn't possible. In her tradition Guardians were always of tribal peoples as were companions. The White Man couldn't possibly have been blessed by the Spirits the same way her people were and yet everyone from Storm to Wolverine and even Illyana told her that this man glowed with the aura of a very powerful Shaman.

He couldn't be though. She couldn't accept it. She wouldn't accept it. To her the idea of Blair Sandburg being a Shaman simply wasn't true.

"Hey Dani," Sam Guthrie said sitting next to her by the bed. "Any change in him? Everyone said he did this the last time he was sedated too. They said he seemed to able to decide whether or not he would wake up from the mind bolt that put him out."

Dani reached forward still with her angry thoughts running though her mind when suddenly something big and black lunged up between her and Blair. It, when Dani regained her equilibrium and could see it, turned out to be a huge black jaguar. It spat at her in primal fury and its eyes blazed like blue fires at her. It was very angry. She turned again hearing another growl. On the other side of the table stood a silver/white, gray and brown wolf. It stared at her until she shifted back to where she had been watching from when Sam came in.

(Danielle, Sam, ) came the professor's voice in their minds. (Get away from him. The jaguar will rip apart anyone who gets too near. I'm sending Wolverine down now to watch over him. ) Dani and Sam both backed away from the bed. Even though Sam couldn't see what Dani had seen he could almost feel the rage from whatever was there.

A few minutes later, Wolverine arrived in the med-lab/infirmary. He took one look and smiled. Yep, he thought to himself. Ellison is definitely on his way and man is he pissed. Wolverine wondered what Dani had been thinking about Sandburg for the jag to respond like it had. Even if Xavier had been too close to Sandburg it wouldn't have lunged at him the way it lunged at her. Wolverine suspected they would all find out what had caused it before this situation had been dealt with. He and Storm had both warned the professor about taking Sandburg again. They had both tried to make it clear to him that Sandburg couldn't be separated from Ellison for any amount of time and that invading Sandburg's mind again would seriously enrage Ellison. The man was already beyond ticked if the pacing Jaguar was any indication of his mood.

"Go upstairs kids. Especially you Dani, whatever you were thinking when you reached for him you made his protectors here very angry." Wolverine said to them. Dani looked at the two animals that were glaring her out of the room. She tried to touch the Jaguar's mind and was physically shoved out of it. The jaguar growled low and dangerous.

"Out Dani!" Wolverine barked. The jag was about to lunge again and there was no Sandburg to pull it back this time. It had stopped before because it
was warning them away but the anger was more directed now.

Dani retreated after Wolverine's order. She didn't understand. She was from a long line of Shamans. The Spirit Guide shouldn't have refused to let her in. And the rage she felt from it...whoever had made its person angry was in for a lot of trouble.

Dani wandered through the school and up to where Storm was drinking tea in her attic bedroom. Storm looked at her and understood from the look on her face that Dani was troubled.

"Come sit with me, Danielle." She said.

Dani sat next to Storm and looked out the window. There was a sun set on the horizon and Dani watched it. Storm waited until it was dark before she spoke. "Something about Mr. Sandburg disturbs you Danielle," Storm said. "What is it? Why do you fight so hard against accepting what is truth?"

"It can't be true Storm," Dani began. "No white man can be a Shaman and a Companion and no white man can possibly be a Guardian. It simply isn't
possible. My ancestors said that there were no Guardians among the whites and that there never had been and never would be."

"It is true Danielle," Storm told her after a few moments of thought. "I think you need to replay those stories in your head and hear what was really said. If you believe that only your people ever had Guardians and Companions among them then you have become as narrow minded as the people who once mistreated you. Mr. Sandburg is both a Companion and a Shaman. Accept it or be guilty of what you claim all whites are guilty of: Making decisions based solely on the color of the skin."

"How could my beliefs be wrong Storm? They've always been right before..."

"Not always Danielle," Storm corrected gently. "If you are having trouble maybe you should ask your ancestors for guidance. I am sure they would be quite willing to help you find the truth among all the lies you have told yourself over the years."

Dani recognized the rebuke in Storm's words and called her on it. "I have never lied to myself..." She began in a huff.

Storm merely looked at her and she subsided. "You have indeed lied to yourself. You have blamed all of your people's hardships on the white man and that is not true. You have developed prejudices against all white men because of what some narrow minded people did to you in Colorado, you have completely obliterated in your mind the fact that you just tried to reach for Blair Sandburg's mind and so caused Mr. Ellison's Spirit Guide to lunge at you. This you did Danielle and until you accept that you have made many errors in judgment in your life, you will always be less than what your people once were. You must accept that you have been wrong in the past or you prove those same narrow-minded bigots in your past correct. Worse yet, you join them on their level. Think on all that you have said and done in your life Danielle and ask you ancestors for help in discerning truth from falsehood. Only then will you prove yourself worthy of your Grandfather's legacy."

Storm said and turned her back on Dani.

Dani knew a dismissal when she received it and so she wandered down to her bedroom to think things through. She sat on her bed in the lotus position and thought on what Storm had said. Taking a deep breath, Dani slipped into the meditative state that her grand father had taught her so long ago.

XXXXX

"Welcome Granddaughter," a voice Dani had long missed said. Dani realized that she was in a jungle of some kind.

"Grandfather, where are we?" She asked the old Native American man.

"This isn't the mountain forest."

"No Moonstar," he told her calmly. "This is the place where the Sentinel and his Guide can communicate. This is the place where you will learn what you seek to know. Come, I will you show you."

Dani followed him to a clearing where she saw Blair Sandburg seated against a tree. He was meditating and by his feet was the wolf from the infirmary. He was dressed in tribal clothes that she didn't recognize but obviously her grandfather did.

"The clothes that he wears here are of the Chopec of South America. What he wears here are the clothes of a Shaman. They have had Sentinels and Guides among them for many generations. His Sentinel is the man to whom the Jaguar belongs. He is a white man and he is very protective of his Guide or as we called them Companions. Mr. Sandburg does not wish to respond to the professor's calls because he is afraid of what will happen when he wakes up. What he will be confronted with. Wolverine is Like Mr. Ellison: A Sentinel whose tribe is your school. He also Mr. Sandburg's father even though they do not know this yet it will be discovered when Mr. Ellison arrives. You must apologize to them both for Mr. Ellison feels all that his Guide does."

"So he is a Shaman?" Dani asked

"Yes Moonstar, he is." Her grandfather told her. "You may go and speak with him if you wish. He has nothing against you."

Dani walked over to where Blair Sandburg sat against the tree. His eyes opened at her approach and he smiled lopsidedly at her. "Hi," he said. "You must be Danielle. Your grandfather has been telling me about you. Don't worry about the jag, he wont lunge at you again it's just that he gets ultra protective of me when he thinks I'm being threatened."

Dani sat down next to him and watched as Blair unfolded his legs. The wolf lay next to him protectively.

"You want to know how I became a Shaman." Blair said to her.

Dani nodded.

Blair looked at her for a few minutes before he spoke. "Well, I sort of inherited the title when Incacha, the former Chopec Shaman, came to Cascade and was murdered. He passed the Way Of The Shaman on to me and I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do all the time. Your grandfather tells me that I'm supposed to care for my Sentinel and help him protect the tribe. I should warn you, Incacha himself wanted to have it out with you but fortunately, your grandfather convinced him that he would be better to help you understand. Believe me I get why you don't like white men but you need to realize that not all whites are like the red-necks in Colorado."

"I know," Dani said. "I just...It's so hard to let go of the past."

"Tell me something I don't know. But the whole point of maturing is learning to let go of the past. Jim is a master of holding onto the past and boy is he way over protective when it comes to me. He's on his way to the school now with Darryl's father. I hope your professor is ready to face Jim because he is so mad right now."

Dani was shocked back into the physical world by an urgent mind call from the professor to all X-Men or X-Force members currently in residence. It was a warning that they were about to have guests. Dani suspected it was this Jim person. Blair Sandburg's Sentinel.




Part 2

Jim and Simon disembarked from the Plane at JFK airport. Simon had watched Jim go through several phases of anger while in flight. He'd seen Jim get really angry. He'd then seen primal rage and finally, he'd seen the tag the toe, zip the bag type of anger that only ever appeared when Blair was threatened. Simon hoped there would be no murder and that whatever was going on between Jim and Darryl's head master could be resolved with words and not fists. Of course, Simon knew the likelihood of that was almost zilch. Jim was extremely protective of Blair and Simon knew that if anything had happened to Blair then bodies were going to fly. It was late here and Simon was tired but he knew Jim wouldn't stop until he was once again with his Guide. Simon got into the car Jim rented and held on for dear life as Jim headed for the freeway.

As they drove further and further away from the airport, Simon began to suspect that he was no longer looking at Jim Ellison. Simon wasn't sure what
he was looking at was even human. Jim was obviously furious but whom he was angry with was now up for debate. It had at first seemed to be Professor Xavier.

Now it seemed to be just them in general and the words 'Don't touch My Guide. '

Had been said repeatedly. It was almost as if Jim could see what was happening to Blair. It was obvious that whatever was happening had made Jim extremely mad. Simon held on as the car swung into another lane and Jim headed for an exit. Simon didn't know about that exit because he'd only been here once or twice in the last eighteen months and he always took the long way. Simon watched as within a half hour they were in Westchester County and heading into the town of Salem Center. Simon wondered what Jim was following and then changed his mind. It was probably more Sentinel Weirdness.

When they arrived at Xavier's school for The Gifted, Simon watched Jim assume what Blair called his classic listening pose. Simon waited patiently and then felt a shiver of apprehension as Jim's lips pulled back into a feral snarl.

Simon knew that he must have found Blair. Wherever Blair was, it had made Jim very angry. Simon watched as Jim walked up and pounded on the front door.

It was obvious to Simon that it was taking all of Jim's self control not to break the door down. Simon watched as the door opened and the person who opened it stepped back out of Jim's way. She was a beautiful, African woman with white hair and blue eyes. The woman seemed to know exactly what Jim was there for and that getting in his way at this moment could be hazardous to her health.

"We have done him no injury Guardian," she said to Jim.

Jim growled low as if in acknowledgement of her statement. He stalked past her and headed down to the infirmary where he knew Blair was being held in a sedated state. Simon followed and they found a short hairy man standing look down at Blair and gently stroking his hair.

"What is it about you kid that makes me want to protect you?"

Jim inhaled the man's scent to confirm what he had begun to suspect last time. He had heard what Wolverine had whispered and decided to answer his question.

"He's your son Wolverine," Jim said remembering the name that the android had called the man during the fight. "His scent is so close to yours that I almost couldn't tell you apart. Care to explain why he's here again?"

"I went into a berserker rage the other day," Wolverine said tiredly. "The professor had Blair brought here to calm me down. Something happened between Blair and two of our people. I don't know what but your pet nearly took off one of 'em's face. It's been pacing around the lab ever since. It wont let her in the room because of whatever she tried to do. I thought it would try to rip her apart before I ordered her to get out of the room."

"She tried to enter my mind," Jim said coldly. "She thought she could control my Spirit Guide and he responded to her as he responds to any other threat. What is her problem?"

"I don't know Bub," Wolverine said. "But I told her that she had better lose it real quick. Blair is waiting for you to call him I think."

"Wolverine," Jim called.

Logan stopped at the doorway and turned. "Blair needs you and I hate to tell you this but the Chopec said that a Guide could only be bonded to one Sentinel."

"So I'm like you?" Wolverine asked.

Jim nodded and pulled him back to the table. "Blair needs a father. After some of the crap Naomi pulled when he was little he probably wants a dad like you," Jim said.

Wolverine watched as the Spirit Guide sat at Jim's feet and purred. Jim absently scratched its head and turned to the table. He felt along the link until Blair responded to him. Then Jim looked at Wolverine and smiled

"Thanks for watching over my Guide," he said. Jim rubbed the back of his neck absently and then looked at Simon. He growled without knowing why.

"Jim?" Simon said questioningly.

Jim sniffed the air around him for a moment. The growl came again. Lower this time, more menacingly. "There is something...not right here Simon. It's got my senses on full alert."

Simon had long ago suspected that Jim could sense a lot more than just the physical things in life. Simon watched as he turned his attention towards the door as Professor Xavier wheeled into the room. Jim snarled and began to pace around him. Jim bent over and scented Xavier. The snarl became a roar as Jim backed away keeping himself between Blair and Xavier.

"What is it bub?" Wolverine asked.

Jim sniffed again and then put his hand on Blair's forehead. "That isn't you're professor. This is going to sound weird but Right body, wrong mind," Jim told him and stepped forward again.

Wolverine stepped forward and popped his caws. "What'd you do with Chuck and who the heck are you?" Wolverine demanded.

Simon watched as the professor smiled evilly.

Jim stepped forward and went into a defensive position. He stared at the professor and let the panther come to the front of his mind. He knew that whatever was controlling Xavier would sense the difference and he watched the reaction of fear flash across the face of the man.

"I would have no qualms about hurting you," Jim told him. "However, I don't want to start a fight. Answer the questions!"

"I am the Entity," it said. "I have claimed this man as my own."

"Like hell!" Wolverine growled and called for Jean.

Jean Grey appeared after a few minutes. She began to attack The Entity from inside the professor's mind. The Professor himself helped once Jean released him from the mental prison he was in and Blair helped from the Spirit Plain. Jim felt the Jaguar merge with him and his senses suddenly became even more powerful. Powerful enough to let him tell when the Entity was destroyed.

Professor Xavier was checked over and given an all clear by Jean Grey and Jim, the X-Men, the Sentinel, Captain Banks, and Blair after he was woken up, sat at the kitchen table eating lunch. Jim waited until they had all finished eating before he began to ask his questions.

"Why was Blair unconscious again professor?" Jim asked, "And why is his jaw bruised?"

"I think you need to discuss this with Danielle and Bishop. Danielle had a problem when Storm referred to Blair as The Shaman when I asked if anyone knew what to do with Wolverine in his rage."

"Professor, isn't Doctor Connors supposed to give Illyana her last checkup today? Jean asked suddenly remembering about the doctor's appointment that all mutants in the house treated for the Legacy Virus had scheduled for that afternoon.

"Yes he is Jean, what time is he due?" Professor X asked her.

Jean looked at Jim and Blair and Simon who was pacing around the room after listening to the explanation about what Jim had been so angry about a few months ago. Now everyone knew what happened between Professor Xavier and Blair was not the professor's fault but the fault of The Entity. Jim looked at the group of mutants in front of him and asked, "Why is Illyana seeing a Doctor Connors today?"

Jean Grey looked at the professor who nodded that they had the right to know. Jean looked at Simon who was still pacing.

"Captain Banks? Do you want to hear this or visit your son? His last class of the day just ended."

Simon looked at Jim and Blair who were waiting patiently for the explanation and sat down at the table.

"Seeing as how I know Jim and Blair think this is very important, I'll stay and listen. I think Jim wants to stay a few days anyway," Simon said.

Jean nodded and began to tell them about the Legacy Virus and who had finally found a cure for it.

Jim looked up at the end of the explanation and growled. “Someone created a virus that attacks a person's genetic code in an attempt to get rid of mutants but it mutated and started attacking normal humans too? What kind of idiotic bigot would do something like that? Never mind, I know."

"Yes detective Ellison, someone did this and we were losing the battle but Hank McCoy, who will be leading Doctor Connors in a few minutes, went to his friend for help."

A girl with long blond hair suddenly appeared in the kitchen. She pulled a can of soda out of the fridge and then got a glass of ice.

"Illyana," the professor said. "I thought I asked you not teleport into the kitchen when we had guests."

"Sorry sir," the blond girl said. "I didn't realize Mr. Sandburg was awake. Dani is afraid to come down and face his friends and him. Besides, Doc's coming and you know I always make him a glass of soda."

"Yes, I know you always make him a glass of soda. All right Illyana, go greet you're adopted father. I think he's in the house now." The professor said to her.

The girl vanished in a flash of light and Jean looked at Jim and Blair.

"She's excited, ever since Curt cured her of the Legacy Virus and let her adopt him, she always makes sure there is a soda here for him. Curt is missing his right arm."

Jim laughed and sat back at the table. He understood how it was when you found someone who understood you. Jim and Blair looked up at Simon who was pacing again. Simon was looking out the window at a rose bush.

"Simon?" Blair asked softly. "What is it?"

"It's this whole thing Blair," He said to the young observer. "This is the second time you were taken and although we know it wasn't the professor's fault, Jim wants the man who bruised your jaw."

"In that case Simon, Jim should get ready because he's about to come in the door with Illyana and the doctor person who she sort of adopted."

Simon looked up as a large, black man with an M tattooed over his right eye walked into the room with the blond teleporter and a one armed man in blue slacks and a black turtle neck shirt with a lab coat. The right sleeve of the lab coat had been sewn up. Jim growled at the black man and stood. The black man smirked at him thinking Jim would be a kindred spirit by his bearing. Jim met him halfway across the kitchen and put himself between Blair and the black man. Illyana pulled the doctor over to where Blair was sitting with Simon.

"Hi," Blair said to him. "I think we met briefly before my encounter with his fist."

"We did," the doctor replied. "I am the one who made sure you were alright except for the bruise. I was afraid we'd have to call an ambulance if you
didn't wake up soon. I'm Curt Connors by the way."

"Blair Sandburg," Blair replied. "The big, white guy facing off against I think his name is Bishop, is Jim Ellison. This is our captain, Simon Banks."

"My pleasure," Dr. Connors said to him.

Just then there was a loud crash as Bishop went flying across the room. Blair looked at Jim and swallowed thickly.

"Sandburg!!" Simon bellowed. "What's wrong with him?"

"Uh, I think he's turned into his Spirit Guide sir. That isn't a man, that's the panther."

"Great, do we need a leash for him?"

Blair watched as the fighters began to circle each other warily and understood. Jim was pissed.

Simon, Curt, Blair, Illyana, Professor X, and Jean Grey watched as the two men moved in on each other. Jim lunged forward suddenly with a speed and grace most people would never associate with such a tall man. He caught Bishop and tossed him across the room. Bishop kept going however and went out the window Simon had just been looking out and landed in the rose bush.

"Bishop!" a female voice yelled. "Get out of that rose bush and apologize to our guests before you end up in pieces!"



Part: 3

Ororo Munroe, known as Storm, was livid. Bishop had just managed to anger Jim Ellison and they were so closes to having no bloodshed this time. Detective Ellison had just thrown Bishop out of a kitchen window and he had landed in one of her rose bushes. She was not happy.

"Get out of that rose bush and apologize to our guests Bishop," she yelled at him. It was not often they had guests and Bishop was about to
make it a never happen again occurrence. Storm had heard his less than polite remarks about Dr. Connors but the doctor seemed to be content to let it slide.

Whatever he'd said to detective Ellison though had enraged the man. Ororo watched Bishop get to his feet slowly. He seemed disoriented for a moment. He looked up at her as if asking for help.

"You got yourself into this Bishop," she said. "I don't know what you said to that man but you really made him angry with it."

"But Storm," Bishop began.

Storm cut him off with a glare. "Not another word, Bishop," she said. "If Dr. Connors wasn't such a nice man he'd probably have put you out here himself."

Bishop turned and went back in to the kitchen where they found Blair Sandburg trying to coax Detective Ellison back to normal. The big man was still growling savagely. The look he gave Bishop when the man came back in could have killed any normal man. Bishop looked at Ellison and for the first time felt a hint of fear at the purely animal expression on his face.

"I apologize for my comments," Bishop ground out. "It was not my intention to offend you."

Blair watched as Jim glared at him while judging his sincerity. Jim growled something in Chopec and Blair shrugged but nodded.

"Jim says your comments to him about myself and Doctor Connors were the stuff of bigotry and jealousy. He says you must have felt like a fool being proven wrong about the legacy virus by a one armed man. He says a man from an advanced future should surely know not to judge a person by their outward appearances. Jim thinks you'd better go and leave this room and think about what you've been saying and reevaluate it. I'd go if I were you," Blair told him. "Jim is in a mood to rip your head off now."

Bishop left the room quickly and Storm watched as Blair continued to try and talk Jim down. Wolverine came in with a new piece of glass for the window and looked at them. He wondered what had happened to this window that Ellison was very likely responsible for. He also wondered why Bishop had been heading to the boathouse as he came in with the new glass. Wolverine looked at his son and again felt very protective of him. Jim smiled recognizing a parent's need to be near the child. He turned Blair to face Wolverine suddenly. "My Shaman," Jim growled out. "Your sire. He protected you until I could come to get you."

Blair stared at Wolverine in shock. He then looked at Jim in surprise but with absolute trust. "My father Jim?" He asked.

Wolverine nodded and stepped forward. He offered his hand to Blair who reached for him uncertainly.

Wolverine reached out and took Blair's hand. Blair found himself pulled into a hug. Wolverine was just about Blair's height. Blair let Wolverine hold on to him again. The grip was strong and it made him feel loved.

"Yeah kid," Wolverine said softly. "Your father. I never knew but your big friend told me today that our scents match. He said I'm like him."

"You are," Blair said as he vaguely recalled Wolverine scenting him when he arrived before Bishop knocked him out. He smiled at his father as he was hugged nearly to death. Wolverine led him over to the table Jim was now sitting at by Doctor Connors and Illyana. Doctor Connors looked at Jim and smiled tiredly.

"Thank you for your defense of me Mr. Ellison. It was not necessary but I thank you nonetheless. Bishop is not the first person to think I was worthless because of my missing arm."

Jim nodded at him and the snarled towards the door. A Native American woman came in timidly. She looked around the room and her eyes lit on Jim and Blair. She swallowed as she faced them.

"You called me professor?" She asked.

Professor Xavier nodded and gestured for her to come all the way in. "This is Detective Ellison. Mr. Sandburg's partner and I imagine Sentinel?"

Jim nodded and let her approach. "You doubted my Shaman's position, why?" Jim growled out.

Blair now knew what Jim was doing. He had gone from Panther man to primitive Sentinel and he wanted to know why the young Shaman person doubted his Guide's position.

"Jim, it's okay. We discussed this already."

"Not okay until she apologizes to you Chief. She was in the wrong to doubt you and she tried to enter the mind of my Spirit Guide. Such can only be atoned for with an apology to the person who's Animal Spirit she tried to Control."

"Okay Jim. We can deal with this slowly but surely. And right now, I think all three of us are dead on our feet. So I think we should all go to bed and discuss this again in the morning. Okay?"

Jim nodded and yawned.

Even Doctor Connors looked tired. He asked if he might use a phone to call his wife and tell her he wouldn't be home that night.

Professor Xavier led him to one personally.

Soon all of the guests were in bed. Simon was with Darryl, Jim and Blair were together in a double room, and Doctor Connors was by himself. Xavier watched the group knowing that what was happening was a fairly new happening. He had never before had so many people in his house as guests that weren't students before.

XXX

Jim Ellison woke at dawn feeling hung over and exhausted. He felt like his head was made of cotton and like he'd tied on One too Many. Jim felt a
snuffle behind him and looked down. His guide looked up at him sleepily. Jim suddenly remembered what had happened yesterday and he groaned as it just made his headache worse.

"Just tell me one thing Chief," Jim said. "Do I need to look for a new Guide?"

Blair shook his head and stretched.

Jim smiled and pulled his Guide into a hug. "You are never leaving the Cascade City Limits without me again, Chief. This is getting way too weird."

Blair nodded knowing that they had made a few life long friends in the X-Men because they were being very understanding about the kidnapping and assault that had happened twice now. Jim smiled and rolled over. He went back to sleep with Blair pushed behind him on the same bed. Safe or not, Jim would protect the Guide in the strange place. Jim liked this primal thing in some ways. It let him protect Blair with out his babbling Guide protesting about it. Jim smiled as Blair fell asleep again. He hoped that he would feel better when they got home.



End Sentinel X II
To be Continued in Sentinel X III: Father's Love, Sentinel's rage.