Little by little, I'm moving stuff over. This one is being revamped. Thanks for reading!

Jim trudged wearily toward his truck. All of the sudden it felt as if he was crossing some expansive wasteland. The Expedition seemed too far away in the half empty underground lot of the Cascade Police Department. He sighed, willing his tired limbs to move.

Head too weighty for his shoulders, it drooped forward as he plodded along. Despair and concern dragged at him like an anchor and he was tired of treading water. It had been an extremely long and stressful week, culminating in a car chase through downtown Cascade at eleven the previous evening.

Jim had spent all day tying up loose ends and finishing up the paperwork associated with the case. The tediousness of the activity only served to remind him that Blair had not been at the station to help him. The younger man always managed to brighten a dull day just by the sheer force of his personality and his infectious enthusiasm. Thinking of what he had been missing all day left Jim aching for the comforts of home.

Finally reaching his truck, Jim eased himself into the driver's seat. Instead of turning the ignition right away, he sat in contemplation. This last case kept playing in his head frame by frame like an old home movie. Jim was helpless to turn it off. Over and over, he saw the case take its toll on Blair, feeling the helplessness again. Unable to stop himself, Jim tuned into the memories and fell back into the past.

Jim woke up with a start. Glancing at the clock, he realized that despite the fact that his alarm hadn't gone off it was time to get up. Swinging himself out of bed, he mumbled something about the "Monday morning blues", wishing he hadn't stayed at Simon's for that last hand at poker. Not only did he lose his winnings, but sleep came later than expected.

Sighing, he was reaching for his blue jeans on the way toward the bathroom when the tingling started. At first, only a mild awareness, it started at his fingertips before working its way up his arms. The sensation reached his chest and he felt his muscles tighten in apprehension.

Uncertain as to what it meant, Jim took deep, even breaths in an effort to calm himself like Blair had shown him. The troubled feeling subsided and Jim dressed for work. Dismissing his momentary unease as a product of lack of sleep, he made his way downstairs.

Seeing his roommate, the feeling Jim had experienced came crashing through him, jamming every receptor in his body. It overloaded his senses and he nearly zoned. Bringing himself back from the edge of darkness, Jim knew. The clarity of the thought sent him closer to the man who usually clung to him like a second shadow.

Blair was sitting at the kitchen table, totally absorbed in the essay he was reading. Absently, he toyed with his teacup. Unaware that Jim stood a few feet from him, frozen in shock, the anthropologist scribbled a note in the margin of the paper he was grading.

When Jim spoke quietly in the silence, it had the effect of a firecracker. "Don't go to the university today, Blair."

The younger man jerked his head up in surprise, sending waves of curls dancing in all directions. The tea in his cup sloshed over the edge. Licking the wetness from his fingers, he was thankful that the liquid had cooled since he had heated it almost twenty minutes ago. Scalding oneself was not a great way to start a Monday morning, or any morning for that matter.

Grabbing a towel to wipe up the spilled beverage from the table, he turned deep blue eyes on his partner. "Geez, man, you scared me. I didn't even see you there."

"You're not going to the university," Jim repeated, unaware that his simple statement had turned into a command that would be obeyed.

Blair's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Huh? Not go to the university?" He shook his head. "I have to, man. I've got office hours later this morning and I'm giving a lecture this afternoon."

Jim grabbed the younger man's arm as Blair turned to deposit his cup in the sink. "You're with me today, Chief. You can just forget about the university." The detective didn't care that he was practically growling nor did he care that he sounded like a militant dictator. Deep in his gut he knew that Blair needed to stay with him that day and he intended to follow his instinct.

"Excuse me?" Blair tried to shake free from the implacable grip on his arm. What has gotten into you?"

The detective didn't loosen his hold. "Call the university. Tell them you won't be coming in today. You're ill, there was an emergency. Something like that. Emergency is good. Not that far from the truth."

Blair couldn't contain his incredulity any longer. "What are you talking about, Jim? What emergency?"

The intensity of Jim's gaze pierced through Blair and he gulped. Something was definitely going on here. Finally the older man spoke, "Blair, I can't allow you to go to the university. Not today. You need to stay with me. Close."

Very much aware of the hand that still gripped his arm, Blair nevertheless had to disagree. "Sorry, Jim, you know I can't hang out with you all day. Especially on Mondays. I've got a ton of stuff to do at the university. Come on, man, it's not like you've ever had to face a Monday alone. You've done it since the beginning of the semester."

"Blair--"

"I'll compromise, Jim," Blair interrupted. "I'll finish as soon as I can and meet you at the station. Deal?"

Instead of calmly accepting this plan, Jim's other hand grabbed Blair's other arm. The younger man was trapped in an unyielding grip. "You're not listening, Chief. You are not—repeat—not going anywhere near the university. You're not leaving my side. Now, go. Call them and explain."

Blair backed up as Jim released his arms, his own temper flaring. "Explain what, exactly? You're not helping me out here, Jim. I can't just shirk my responsibilities just because you say so."

Jim took a deep, shuddering breath and wanted to grab Blair again--shake some sense into him. "Look," he said in a quiet voice, "I know I'm not making any sense, but it's really important that you don't go there today, Chief."

In the face of Jim's anguish, Blair's anger vanished. Concerned he asked, "What is it, Jim? Explain it to me."

The detective rubbed the lower half of his face, trying to find the best way to start. Leveling a gaze at his partner, he said simply, "I have a bad feeling, that's all."

Blair's brows knitted in concentration. "A feeling? What kind of feeling, Jim?"

The older man shrugged helplessly as he thought of Blair hurt or worse. "I can't explain it, Chief. It's--I just woke up with this nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know it has something to do with you. Don't ask me how, I just do."

Blair nodded, unaware of the thoughts traveling through Jim's mind. "Okay, so maybe we're dealing with a sixth sense. Your first five are enhanced, why not that one?" He was in full teacher mode, examining all the angles, trying to get to the heart of the meaning of Jim's feeling.

"I don't know what we're dealing with. I just know that I have to listen to my gut on this, Chief. You cannot go to the university today." Jim walked into the living room.

Blair followed him, his eyes alight with excitement. This was new territory and he couldn't wait to explore. "Did you have a vision? Could you see into the future? Was I hurt? What?"

Jim spun to face him and Blair backed up slightly. "Listen, Blair, it was just a feeling. Call it a detective's instinct if you want to, but no, I did not have a vision. As for you being hurt, I don't know." More than likely it had to do with his friend's well-being. He couldn't shake the pain that had clutched at his heart earlier that morning. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Please, Chief, for once just do as I tell you. Trust me."

Blair's elation at a new scientific breakthrough in his research faded as he realized the depth of emotion emanating from Jim. The detective was worried to the point of physical distress. He couldn't stand to see his Sentinel in any pain, especially if he was the cause of it. He reached forward and laid a gentle hand on Jim's arm, his eyes full of understanding and shared sentiment. Blair cared for Jim, too. "I trust you, big guy." The soft-spoken words were full of conviction. "I always have and I always will. If you have a feeling that I shouldn't go to the university then I won't."

Jim stared at him for a moment before smiling slightly. The uneasy feeling abated to a dull prickling. He'd still have to look out for his partner. "Thanks, Chief. Means a lot to me that you trust me."

"I do, man, I do." Blair moved away. "Let me grab my backpack and call George, my office assistant. He can cancel my office hours and my lecture."

Jim nodded and Blair left him standing in the living room.

TBC