Title: Starting a New Path

Author: knoteach

Rating: R (nudity)

Feedback: PLEASE!!!!! knoteach102@yahoo.com

Warnings: AU Minor spoilers for Switchman, Night Watch, BMB, Sentinel, too, and Murder 101, and maybe a couple more.

Disclaimer: Not mine. {sniffle, sniffle, sob} They just let me play in their world once in a while.

Uses Challenges:
1st Wave Easy Challenge #2: Jim as a virgin to gay sex.
2nd Wave Easy Challenge #10: A new facet of the Sentinel/Guide relationship makes its appearance in Jim and Blair's lives. What is it?
2nd Wave Easy Challenge #45: You know, I think I've read *one* first time story where Jim was the one on the bottom. Write another one!
2nd Wave Easy Challenge #47: Have the guys spirit animals show up. What do they do?
2nd Wave Easy Challenge #63: Contrary to popular belief, Blair is actually a virgin when it comes to other males. Jim is the first to cause him to want to explore the HoYay. (Henry Jones Jr.)





After three days of running around like mad men, Jim and Blair were enjoying a rare Saturday off. They had both slept in for a change and breakfast had been fresh from the bakery downstairs. Blair watched Jim drinking his coffee; both were relaxing with a second cup of coffee after breakfast.

Jim, a man he was proud to call his friend. A man that he secretly loved with all his heart. After the fiasco with Alex, though, Jim rarely talked to him at all. Blair could understand part of it, Jim had always repressed that which he didn’t want to deal with, and he really did not want to have to deal with that whole mess. This last week with Brad Ventriss had highlighted some of the problems, but they had worked through some of them last night after they had wrapped up everything.

The bottom line, though, was that Jim was his friend, the best friend that he had ever had. He would do anything to protect Jim, even from Blair Sandburg. Which was why he had to do this.

“Jim, if you’ve got a few minutes, there’s something I need to discuss with you.” Jim looked up with a guarded, but curious expression. “It’s about my diss, man.”

Jim sat up straighter, his face shuttered, “Yeah? What ya need, I know Edwards has been pressuring you about it.” Without the diss, there was not reason for Blair to stay around.

“It’s done, and you’re welcome to read it anytime you like, but I won’t be submitting it.”

“What!” Jim said, dropping his coffee mug back to the table with a thump, stunned.

“Man, think about it.” Blair leaned forward, accenting his words with his hands, as always. “Brackett figured you out with just my masters’ thesis and your military records. Megan figured it out from having watched you for a couple months and Burton’s book. I’ve been thinking about it this last couple of weeks, since Alex, and have come to the conclusion that if I submitted that diss, no matter what I do, even if your name is never mentioned, all it would take is one person getting curious and looking in my life to see who might be the Sentinel.

“You’re the only choice, man. I mean, come on, I live here, have for three years now. I ride with you exclusively. If I publish anything, even a short article that says I’ve actually found a Sentinel, I might as well shout from the house tops what you are.” Blair finally stopped, slumped back in his chair, watching as Jim comprehended the situation.

“So, what are you going to do? Your dream was to get your doctorate writing about Sentinels. Are you just going to give that up?” Jim could understand the problem, but people rarely went out of their way for him at all, let alone gave up a life’s dream.

Blair smiled as he replied, “Jim, my dream was to find a Sentinel and get my doctorate. I kind of forgot for a while that I don’t necessarily have to get my doctorate on Sentinels, it would be nice, but not essential. Jim, you are my Sentinel, and my best friend. There’s no way I’m going to take the chance of you being hurt. No way in hell! I can get my doctorate anyway, and I plan to. After the fiasco with Brackett, I started putting together stuff to write the diss on the police department, just in case I couldn’t find a way to keep you safe and publish the other one. After your reaction to those first couple of chapters, I started writing it in earnest. It’s finished, and I can submit it anytime.”

“But what about all your research and all the tests and everything?” Jim asked, cautiously. Blair had worked at this for three years, and Jim didn’t want it all to go to waste.

“I wrote the diss, but I’m not going to submit it. After you’ve read it, you can do whatever you want with it. I was thinking about putting it in a lock box. Just in case anything ever happens to me, you could find someone you trust to be your guide and they would have something to go by.” Blair stated logically.

“So what are you going to do? Go back to teaching full-time? I know you’ve missed going on expeditions.” Jim said flatly, expecting Blair to breeze out of his life, now that the “deal” had been fulfilled.

“No.” Blair stated emphatically. “I told you before, I don’t want to go back to the merry-go-round. As to what I’m going to do, I got sort of a wake up call this last week. Someone told me this week I have gotten too used to the black and white of the police world to be able to function in the gray of University politics. They were right. Besides Chancellor Edwards hates my guts, man. She’d make staying at Rainier hell.

“I’ve been looking into joining the department as a special consultant. Lots of police departments use anthropologists nowadays. I’d probably have to go through the academy, but I can live with that, and Simon wouldn’t have the headaches about my observer status all the time. I’d be back as you full-time partner within six months, if you still want to work with me that is.” Blair added somewhat uncertainly. He was pretty sure that Jim still wanted him as a partner, but he had learned to never assume with him.

“Of course, I still want you to be my partner. No one else will put up with me,” Jim stated with a wide grin. Jim sighed with relief internally, he still had time. Jim had realized he had fallen in love with Blair some time before, but he was as repressed as ever. Jim thought moment, then asked in concern, “You’d do that? I know you hate guns, and what about your hair?” Hope gleamed in Jim’s eyes. Hope that he might be able to keep what he was coming to realize was one of the greatest gifts he had ever been given. His guide. His best friend. His one love.

“I’ve worked with guns before, and according to what I’ve read, as a civilian, I should be able to keep the hair…”

“Whoa…you’ve worked with guns before? When? You said that you didn’t know how to use one.” Jim said suspiciously. Even with the prospect of keeping his partner, he hated the idea that he had been lied to.

“I never said that, all I said was that I didn’t want to carry one, and that I favor gun control. When you’ve been in the military, you develop a lot of respect for guns, Jim, you know that.” Blair pointed out patiently.

“What?” Jim’s confusion was obvious. Blair hadn’t been in the military…..had he?

“I know you heard me tell that pilot I flew in Desert Storm.”

“Yeah, but I thought you were bluffing. You know, obfuscating,” Jim pointed out. The idea that Blair had been in the military did explain some things, like the golden incident and how he held off Sarris on the bus and a couple dozen others, but Jim still was having trouble wrapping his mind around the concept.

“Not with your life on the line like that, no way. I was a chopper pilot assigned to the 101st Airborne. One of the first one’s in, called ourselves the ‘Iraqi speed bumps.’” Blair chuckle wryly. “I went down on my third mission and was in the hospital for months. That’s why I hate riding in choppers now. I never really liked handling weapons, so I went in as a pilot to keep it to a minimum. Worked pretty good until Hussein got to going. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not now.”

“Okay. If you really want to, it would be great to have you around full-time and not have to worry about you eating and sleeping around finals and midterms.” Jim grinned a little. The more he thought about what Blair had suggested, the more he liked the proposed plans. If gave him time to build up his nerve, and keep his partner, but also lightened Sandburg’s load a bit.

“Yeah, and I’ll actually get paid!” Blair grinned whole-heartedly. Sobering, he continued, “Uh, Jim, if you want me to get my own place after I get settled, I’m fine with that. You know, get your space and privacy back.”

“No,” Jim spoke quickly. The last thing he wanted was Blair out of the loft; he wanted Blair more in the loft, as in the loft bedroom. “This is your home. I’m never going to make that mistake again. Now, when can I read this masterpiece of yours?”

Blair smiled, “Right now.” Getting up, Blair went into his room and returned with a disk and his laptop. He handed them to Jim, then walked over to the couch and started reading the journal that had arrived a couple of days before.

Four hours later, Jim walked over, sat down on the couch next to Blair, and handed back the disk. “That’s a beautiful piece of work, Chief. I didn’t read it all; it was a bit technical in spots.”

Blair grinned, “I know. Doctoral dissertations are not meant to be light afternoon reading.”

Taking a deep breath, Jim continued, “You really going to lock that away? For me?”

Compassionate, deep blue eyes met confused, hopeful eyes. “Jim, I told you before, it’s about friendship. And friends protect one another. Just like you try to protect me, I protect you. That’s the way it works. Though I was thinking, in a couple of years or so, if you agree, I might try writing some fiction books on Sentinel cops. I’ve always liked to write, so why not?”

Jim thought a moment, then shrugged, “Maybe, don’t know who would read it, though. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be you, Darwin.” Jim reach over and quickly ruffled Blair’s hair.

“Hey! Lay off the hair,” Blair exclaimed as the two men laughed together. As far as Blair was concerned he was the luckiest man alive.

Jim watched Blair as he turned back to the journal. Just before he turned away, Jim caught a strange expression flicker in his eyes. Recognition flashed through his mind and took his breath away. It was the same expression he wore in unguarded moments when he looked at Blair. “Blair?”

Blair looked back at his sentinel, questioning him with his eyes.

“There’s something else going on here, isn’t there?” Jim whispered, hoping he had seen what he thought he saw. If it wasn’t, this was going to be the biggest mistake of his life.

Blair sudden felt nervous. Had Jim seen something on his face? He was sure Jim would kick him out if he knew. Jim was a straight as a stick. “What do you mean, man?”

Jim eyes searched Blair’s face, making the younger man more and more nervous. Having reached a decision, Jim proceeded with the determination he was famous for. Slowly, Jim leaned forward and pressed his lips against the slightly parted ones of his partner and roommate.

Blair didn’t breathe for a moment, not really believing that this was happening. After a few seconds, Blair felt Jim start to pull away and realized that Jim had taken his stillness for rejection. Eager to dispel that notion, Blair launched himself into Jim’s arms, returning the kiss with a passion that he didn’t know he possessed.

Jim almost groaned aloud when Blair didn’t respond to his kiss. He had blown it now. Blair would definitely leave him. His thought swirled with self recriminations briefly, then his arms were filled with his guide, who seemed intent on sucking his brain out through his mouth. Realizing that Blair had just been stunned, he returned the kiss, sucking a little at Blair’s brain while he was at it.

Breaking apart when their bodies demanded oxygen, Blair and Jim gasped and panted, Blair face pressed into Jim’s shoulder, each man’s hands all over the other.

“Jim, I love you. Love you, so much,” Blair practically begged. “Please, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Blair. Have for a long time. I just didn’t think you…. I mean you always dated girls, so,” Jim trailed off trying to explain why he hadn’t said anything.

“Never wanted a man until you, Jim.” Blair whispered. “But I didn’t think you were into guys either.”

“I’m not,” Jim smiled at Blair’s confused expression. “I’m only into Blair Jacob Sandburg, Guide, Shaman, Police Consultant-to-be, and the best friend a man could have. I wasn’t about to ruin that by offering you something you couldn’t live with.”

Smiling, Blair rested his head against the Sentinel’s chest, half sitting in his lap, happy to just listen to his heart beat. After a few minutes though, Jim started shifting under him and he felt Jim’s cock against his leg. His very large, very hot, very HARD cock. Pulling back and looking up into Jim’s face, he asked, “What say we adjourn this discussion to upstairs?”

Jim smiled and nodded. Standing, Blair shot his soon-to-be lover a sly look. Turning Blair ran up the stairs. Confused Jim followed at a more sedate pace, wondering what was going on inside that beautiful, brilliant head.

By the time Jim got to the top of the stairs Blair was laying in the middle of his king sized bed, bare as the day he was born. He clothes were lying unheeded in a pile at the end of the bed. Gasping, Jim stopped stock still, Blair was even more beautiful that he had imagined, and he had imagined plenty, piecing together the little glimpses he had had through the years.

“See anything you like?” Blair asked seductively. His voice dropped into a husky whisper.

As if sleep walking, Jim stepped forward. Reaching out a hand, Jim firmly clasped Blair’s cock. “This, I like this very much.” With that Jim started stroke Blair slowly and sensuously. After a few seconds of stroking Blair’s erection and listening to him moan in pleasure, Jim stopped and said, “Blair, I’ve never done this before.”

“Me either, but I knew a few guys growing up that were, so I know what goes on. We can find our own way, Jim. Experiment a little, find out what we like.” When Jim just sat beside him, continuing to hold his cock loosely, Blair continued, “Jim, don’t you think you’re a little over dressed for this party?”

Starting, Jim looked down at himself. Looking up, he smiled as he stood and slowly stripped for Blair. By the time he was finished and sat back down on the edge of the bed, Blair was panting with desire. “Blair, I…” Jim faltered slightly. “I want you to fuck me,” he finally blurted out. “I never done this, and I don’t know what to do. At least you know what to do so that you won’t hurt me. I’m afraid that I would hurt you, and I can’t stand that.”

“Thank you, Jim,” Blair beamed. Soon concern colored his voice, “Jim, you do understand that it will hurt a little the first time, right?”

“Yes, I understand that, but I don’t know what I should do to keep it to a minimum, and I learn from example really well.” Jim had a huge leering grin on his face for the last.

Blair smiled back, then beckoned Jim to slide up and lay beside him. “I’ve never done this before either, so I will be feeling my way along. If you don’t like something I’m doing, just tell me and I’ll stop, okay?”

Jim agreed and Blair started their first lesson in male loving. Aside from the small pain when Blair penetrated Jim for the first time, they enjoyed every second of it. When they came, both men could honestly say that it had been the best sex they had ever had. Blair lay half over Jim’s back where they had both collapsed after they orgasm, humming contently. Each thinking vaguely that they should clean up, Blair and Jim dosed off.

Opening his eyes, Jim awoke to the blue jungle. Groaning, Jim wondered what bit of weirdness he had inadvertently stepped into now. Mentally, he swore to himself that he would tell Blair about it as soon as he awoke. Turning to look around, Jim was surprised to see Blair sleeping beside him. That had never happened before.

“Blair?” he asked aloud and was rewarded by seeing Blair’s eyelids flutter open. Blair blinked a little in shock before sitting straight up.

“Jesus, Jim, is this what you were talking about?”

“Yeah. This is the first time you’ve been here, well, here here. Hell, you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. Any idea why?”

“You have finally completed the bond.” A voice from behind them had them scrambling to their feet quickly. Turning they saw a Chopec warrior, Jim recognized him as Incacha as he had first known him year before.

“Incacha, why are we here?” he asked.

“You have completed the bond, and now the Shaman’s abilities will come out. Learn well, young shaman,” Incacha switched his attention for Jim to Blair. “In the time ahead, your spirit guides will be yours to summon. Others won’t be able to see them, but they will help you as you protect the tribe and each other.” Turning back to Jim, he warned, “I have watched you, Enqueri. Many times you have disregarded your shaman’s words. To do so is dangerous, inviting trouble. He will see what your eyes cannot.”

Pausing, Incacha looked at the two young men with pride, “You have done well, my sons. My spirit will watch over you.” With that Incacha faded from view and Blair and Jim returned to the physical world.

Immediately Jim checked on Blair and found him just waking. Glancing at the clock, he found that only fifteen minutes had gone by. “Chief?”

“Wow, that was some dream!” Blair murmured.

“Dream? You mean, Incacha, blue trees, a shaman’s powers coming on-line, that dream?”

“Oh, shit! It was real?” Blair groaned as he buried his head in the pillow.

“Yeah, it was, baby.” Jim sighed. Hearing a noise, Jim shot a glance to the corner of his room. Stunned, he reached a hand over and shook Blair’s shoulder.

“What, Jim?” Blair raised bleary eyes to his lover in concern. Jim’s only answer was pointing finger. In the corner lay Jim’s jaguar and Blair’s wolf, spooned together sleeping.

“OH, MAN!”


END