The Vastavian Circle

by Alobear

Blair takes on an undercover assignment to prove himself as a cop - set after the end of the show. Pairings: Slash - Jim/Blair

The Vastavian Circle

by Aloysius

Summary: Blair takes an undercover assignment to prove himself as a cop.

Disclaimer: We all know they're not mine, dammit.

Pairings: Slash - Jim/Blair

Author's Note: This one's for Alyjude, who waited eight months for it. Thanks for dragging me back to the wonderful world of Jim'n'Blair, sweetie! Thanks must also go to Catspaw for the cheerleading, Dangermouse for the dire threats, and all three of these wonderful women for the beta. Ladies, you rock!

XXXXX

Ringing. There was a ringing in his head, dragging him up out of the comfort of slumber into the world of wakefulness. Blair fought the encroachment of awareness into his sleep-befuddled mind, pulling the covers up around his ears to muffle the insistent sound. It didn't work, and the knowledge that the ringing was coming from the telephone gradually asserted itself, convincing him that he ought to get up and answer it. Just as he was psyching himself up to face the world, though, the ringing suddenly stopped and the merciful silence that ensued prompted a relieved sigh from Blair as he snuggled back down in the bed.

Downstairs, Jim listened as he was told he and his partner were needed at the station. Giving Simon a brief acknowledgement, he switched off the phone and headed back up to the bedroom. The sight as he reached the top of the stairs made Jim smile. He had only left the bed a few moments before, but the covers were already scrunched up entirely on Blair's side, rolled tightly around the bed's sole remaining occupant. The only physical sign of the younger man was his hair, sticking out of the top of the bundle in the wild curls that Jim so loved to touch.

The Sentinel gave in to that desire now, burying his right hand deep in the thick hair and revelling in the feel of it on his sensitive skin. Every part of Blair was a sensory wet dream, from the springy curls Jim was even now caressing, right down to the stubby toes Jim had been known to suck on occasion. Jim figured that, in the months since they had moved beyond friendship, he must have touched, stroked, kissed and tasted every inch of his Guide several times over, but he could never get enough. Just the thought of Blair's compact and naked body beneath the sheets sent most of the blood in Jim's upper body rushing southwards, but now was not the time to indulge in sensual exploration. Jim had a much more difficult task facing him - getting Blair out of bed.

Moving his hand down to the top of the bedcovers, Jim tugged at them slightly, attempting to expose Blair's face to the light of the morning.

"Sandburg!" he called firmly. "Up and at 'em!"

"Gmpfl..." came the incomprehensible but clearly reluctant response from the lump that was his Guide. The only movement Blair made was to shift his head further down under the sheets.

"Come on, Chief!" Jim tried again. "Time to go to work!"

Nothing.

Realising that vocal tactics were unlikely to produce results, Jim went on the offensive. With lightning speed, he reached both hands underneath Blair's body, grabbed hold of the opposite side of the quilt and yanked it forcefully towards him. It unravelled rapidly from around Blair, and the young anthropologist rolled out from his self-styled cocoon with a startled yelp. Coming to rest flat on his back on the opposite side of the bed, Blair glared up at his attacker with venom, now completely awake.

"Jesus, Jim!" he exclaimed, staring daggers. "Was that really necessary?"

Jim looked down at him, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Well, I would have gone for the arousal approach," he revealed teasingly, "but you didn't exactly give me much skin to work with." He ran his gaze appreciatively over his lover's newly exposed body. "Now, though, it's an entirely different matter..."

From his vantage point on the bed, Blair saw Jim's whole body tense before the spring, and then he was suddenly smothered in enthusiastic Sentinel. Jim rained kisses down on his neck and shoulders and Blair automatically brought his arms up to caress Jim's strong back.

"Now this is more like it," Blair grinned, as Jim's lips worked their way down his body. "You can feel free to wake me up like this any time!"

He felt his cock twitch in anticipation as the kisses drew nearer, and his smile widened at the thought of where Jim was headed. Then, the sensation of Jim's lips on his skin stopped abruptly as Jim broke off his attentions and stood up again.

"Simon wants us at the station," the Sentinel announced. "I'm first in the shower."

With that, Jim turned and disappeared back down the stairs, leaving a breathless and frustrated Blair lying alone in the bed once more. It was going to be a long day.

XXXXX

Throughout the ride to the station, Blair kept what he hoped would be seen as a stony silence, in order to convey to Jim his annoyance at the Sentinel's earlier antics. However, he rather got the impression that Jim was enjoying the reprieve from his usual chatter and, by the time they pulled into the Cascade PD parking garage, his curiosity got the better of him.

"So, what brings us here at this godforsaken hour on our day off?" Blair finally asked as they made their way to the elevator.

"Simon didn't really say," came the infuriating reply. Then Jim added, "He did mention that it was specifically you he needed, rather than me, though."

"Really!" Blair exclaimed, more than surprised at that statement. Although he had been working as an official police officer for several months now, his status as merely 'Jim's partner' hadn't really changed since his days as an observer. He didn't mind that since he knew his role as Guide to Jim's Sentinel was far more important than anything else, but it was nice to be needed in his own right for once.

On entering the bullpen, the two men went straight to Simon's office, stopping briefly to drop off their jackets and nod a greeting to their fellow detectives along the way. There were two men Blair didn't recognise in with Simon, but their Captain waved them inside, rising from behind his desk as they entered.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Simon began. "I'm sorry to drag you in on your day off. I'd like you to meet Detectives Charles and Robinson from the Narcotics Division." He turned to the two men he had just introduced and identified his own officers. "Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg."

Blair raised a hand in greeting and smiled at the Narcotics officers, but he noticed that Jim remained silent and tense at his side.

"What's this all about, Simon?" Jim asked, his tone wary.

Rather than answering the question, Simon directed one of his own at Blair. "What do you know about cults, Sandburg?"

Surprised by the topic, but ever eager to share his knowledge, Blair responded immediately. "Well, that all depends on what you mean by the term 'cult', Captain. There is no generally accepted, current definition for the word 'cult'. I mean, it's originally derived from the Latin noun 'cultus', which is related to the verb 'colere', meaning 'to worship', so the term can actually be used to describe any group of religious believers. Obviously, in more common usage, it refers to small, spiritually innovative groups, often existing in a state of tension with the predominant religion in the area, but these groups don't always live up to the negative connotations generally ascribed to them by the media. For example..."

Jim rolled his eyes at Simon, who threw back one of his sarcastic smiles before throwing up his hands and calling out, "Hold it, Sandburg!"

Blair stopped mid-sentence, freezing in place and glancing over at the imposing figure of his Captain.

"Let me rephrase my question before we all drown in the flow of your lecture on semantics," Simon continued. The two Narcotics officers looked both stunned at Blair's volubility and relieved that it had been cut short. "What do you know about the Vastavian Circle?" Blair opened his mouth to answer, but Simon quickly stipulated, "Just the basics, please - we don't have all day."

Not in the least abashed by the implied criticism, Blair grinned and began again. "Well, for a start, I'd categorise it more as a commune than a cult, since there's no proclaimed deity involved..." Blair noticed the glower darkening Simon's features, and brought himself up short again. "The basics, right..." he said with a nervous chuckle. He finally restricted himself to bullet points, counting them of on his fingers as he went along.

"Set up maybe a year ago by a guy called Enrique Vastav. Compound just outside the city limits to the east. Focus on freedom from societal restrictions and big on spirituality and emotional bonding. They tend to recruit among the underprivileged youth in the poorer parts of town."

When it became evident that Blair had run down for the time being, Jim demanded again, "What's this all about, Simon?"

As before, Simon deflected the question, this time turning to the two other cops in the room. "Detective Charles - if you would care to explain?"

The older of the two Narcotics officers cleared his throat and, with a wary glance at the still tense Jim, addressed himself primarily to Blair.

"There's a new designer drug on the market that we've been tracking for the past six months, and new information has recently come to light that leads us to believe that the source is the Vastavian Circle."

"So, you want me to help you out on some background info or something, a profile on the commune sub-culture, something like that?" Blair guessed.

Next to him, he could feel Jim bristling into Blessed Protector mode as Detective Robinson shook his head and spoke up for the first time. "Not exactly," he said, "though it is your anthropological expertise that brings us to Major Crimes. What we really need is for someone to infiltrate the Circle and collect the evidence we'll need to implicate its leader, and we were hoping..."

"No," Jim stated decisively, cutting him off before he could voice their request. "Absolutely not." The big detective turned to Simon in his indignation. "I can't believe you'd even consider letting them do this, Simon - what were you thinking?"

Simon's expression hardened and he leaned forwards, his hands flat on his desk. "I was thinking that this actually has very little to do with you, Detective," he replied, his tone steely, and his formality emphasising that Jim had overstepped the bounds of their working relationship in front of officers from a different division.

Blair could tell that Simon's anger wasn't having any effect on Jim's protective vibe, and he knew he'd have to intervene before things got ugly. He stepped forward between the two Alpha Males, effectively breaking their stand-off by drawing their eyes to him. However, he didn't actually acknowledge either of them in the process, instead focusing his attention on Charles and Robinson.

"If I could have copies of whatever information you've compiled and then take some time to think it over?" he asked them in a deliberately reasonable tone.

With a smile at the young man standing before him, Detective Charles nodded, clearly relieved to hear a voice of calm in the tense atmosphere. "Of course, Detective Sandburg," Charles replied, motioning to his partner, who immediately handed over the file he had been clutching all along. "Take the rest of the day, and perhaps we could meet again tomorrow to discuss your thoughts on the case and go through any questions you might have?"

"Sure," Blair grinned, accepting the documents gladly. "I'll have a decision for you by 9am tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks," Charles concluded. "I appreciate you letting us stop by, Captain Banks. Detective Ellison," he nodded to Jim before leading Robinson out of the office and through the Major Crimes bullpen to the elevators.

As soon as they were out of sight, Simon rounded on Jim. "I will not have you being insubordinate in front of other officers!" he reprimanded. "I don't care what your personal feelings may be about my decisions, but this is my department and I'll run it as I see fit! A fact that has worked in your favour on more than one occasion, I might add."

Jim held up his hands. "I apologise Captain, but surely you agree that Blair..."

At that point, the object of their argument decided it was time to voice his own opinion. "Blair is quite capable of making his own decisions, thank you very much," he stated firmly, causing Jim to turn and stare at him in surprise. "Uh, Captain? Since I've got some reading to do, and it is still officially our day off, with your permission, I'll head home and get started."

"By all means, Sandburg," Simon consented. "Let me know what you decide, and I'll see you tomorrow morning. You too, Jim," he added, still a little irritably. "I'm guessing you two have some talking to do."

XXXXX

The trip home was as silent as the trip out, this time with Jim being the instigator. Blair chose to wait until they got back to the loft to address the issue, deciding it was better not to start what would probably be a blazing row while his partner was driving. Upon their arrival, however, Jim pre-empted him, not giving him the chance to start the discussion. The minute the loft door closed behind Blair, the big detective spun round to face him, one finger pointing directly at Blair.

"You're not doing this, Chief, and that's final." The tone brooked no argument, but that had never stopped Blair in the past, and this time was no different.

"Where do you get off telling me what I can and can't do?" he countered. "Simon was right - this really isn't any of your business, Jim."

"Anything that involves your safety is my business," Jim shot back, his gaze never wavering from Blair's face.

"It's not like I haven't done undercover work before," Blair pointed out. "There was the auto theft case, that prison thing with Cassie, not to mention the time I posed as tutor to that mobster's son."

"Don't remind me," Jim groaned, then continued, "but your stint at Conover nearly got your killed, and I was with you for the other two, watching your back. You'd be completely on your own for this one - I can't let you do it."

Knowing that getting angry wasn't the way to talk Jim round, Blair tried another tactic. He stepped closer and reached up to lay one hand against Jim's cheek.

"This Blessed Protector thing is all well and good, but you don't own me," he said, the softness of his tone taking the sting out of the words. "You have to remember that I'm a cop now too, and you've got to let me do my job."

Jim placed his hand over Blair's and closed his eyes briefly as he leaned into his lover's caress.

"But everything's different now," he said quietly. "You're not just my Guide any more, Chief. You're my life. I can't lose you."

Blair smiled at the love in the other man's eyes, coming to a greater understanding of Jim's reaction. Their relationship was almost as new as Blair's badge, having arisen out of the aftermath of the Press Conference. If Blair had thought that his graduation from the Police Academy would diminish Jim's instinctive need to protect him all the time, then he had been sorely disappointed, since their progression from friends into lovers had send Jim into nearly permanent Blessed Protector overdrive.

Smiling up at his Sentinel, the younger man leaned in and planted the softest of kisses on Jim's still tense lips.

"I haven't decided to do this yet, man," he said. "Let me at least read the file, and then we'll talk about it some more, okay?"

Jim reluctantly agreed, physically backing off to allow Blair his space, showing his partner that he was prepared to waive interference for the time being. Blair was grateful for the reprieve, though he knew the discussion was far from over. The problem was that Blair's current feelings about the assignment were rather mixed, making him more susceptible to giving in to Jim's adamance.

He was thrilled to be approached by another division of the Cascade PD, and the idea of being able to examine the social dynamics of a group like the Vastavian Circle from within was a fascinating one. However, it was true that he relied very heavily on Jim for protection and he wasn't ashamed to admit that solo undercover work was a very unnerving prospect. That said, it was the perfect opportunity to prove himself, and perhaps move out slightly from Jim's shadow, earning some respect as a cop in his own right.

With all these thoughts running through his mind, Blair settled down to read the information Narcotics had gathered so far. Predictably, the majority of the file was taken up by the details of the drug and its distribution, with a sketchy profile of Enrique Vastav tacked on the end. There was little concrete information about the Circle, and Blair was left little the wiser about the nature of the undertaking set before him.

During his perusal of the file, Blair kept part of his attention on Jim. The Sentinel wandered up to their bedroom briefly before coming back down and heading into the kitchen, and then making his way over to the couch. Each time he passed Blair, he reached out to touch him in some way - squeezing his shoulder or ruffling his hair - as if reassuring himself that the younger man was still there. Blair found the possessive attention both endearing and infuriating. It reinforced the fact that he was loved and cherished, but is also made him feel almost like a treasured pet rather than an equal member of the relationship.

Once he had finished reading, Blair looked up to see Jim seated on the couch, making no attempt to hide the fact that he was waiting for the younger man. Blair rose swiftly from his chair, crossed the space between them and made a possessive move of his own, straddling Jim and pinning him securely to the couch. He laid his hands on Jim's shoulders and looked deep into the troubled blue eyes.

"Now," he said firmly, "are you going to talk about this rationally, or am I going to have to get cross with you?"

"So, you've decided you're going to do it, then?" Jim replied despondently.

"I'm going to need a lot more information before I make a final decision but, yes, I think I probably have."

Blair saw Jim's jaw clench briefly, then relax, and he knew the Sentinel wasn't going to make a fuss.

"One question," Jim said quietly, and Blair nodded for him to continue. "Why does it have to be you? The guys in Narcotics go undercover to make drug busts all the time - it's what they're trained for. Why do they need you?"

"This isn't like a normal bust, Jim," Blair explained. "They're used to posing as dealers or buyers, blending in with the criminal element. This case needs someone to join the Circle, and I'm exactly the kind of person the recruiters would go for. Add to that my expertise in sub-cultures and alternative lifestyles, and I'm perfect for the job."

"Even if you do say so yourself," Jim quipped with a grin. The he sighed. "Simon once told me I was taking my 'big brother' role too far, and that I should let you live your own life and make your own mistakes." His expression was serious again as he continued, "I don't like it, Chief, but if it's what you want to do, I won't stand in your way."

"Thanks, man," Blair replied sincerely, then laughed. "Big brother, eh? Boy, am I ever glad you gave that one up!" With that, he leaned in for a kiss, but Jim pushed him back.

"I bet you think you've got me entirely at your mercy, here, don't you, Chief?"

Blair grinned at him. "Yep! And we've got some unfinished business from this morning..."

"Oh really! That's what you think, is it?"

Before Blair could respond, Jim wrapped his arms around him and twisted abruptly so that Blair was suddenly on his back on the couch, with the larger man lying full length on top of him. Jim leaned in and kissed him, hard. "You were saying?"

Blair's answering smile was full of cunning. "Oh, I've got you exactly where I want you, man, believe me."

XXXXX

The following morning saw the two men back at the station, ready for their meeting with Charles and Robinson. There had been a brief discussion over whether Jim should attend, but they had quickly agreed that it would be a good idea for him to be involved as much as possible, for the peace of mind of all concerned.

The two Narcotics officers were awaiting them in the briefing room with Simon, their expressions expectant. Blair noted with amusement that Robinson paled slightly when he saw that Jim was there. He hoped Jim would remember his non-interference policy and allow Blair to control the meeting himself. It was important to him that everyone, Jim included, knew that this was his decision alone, and that he wasn't a rebellious teenager needing permission to leave the house without his guardian. He took charge straight away by preceding Jim into the room and greeting the other three men cordially.

"Captain, Detectives."

"Glad you could make it, Detective Sandburg," Charles responded warmly, offering his hand.

Blair shook it firmly, at the same time requesting, "Blair, please."

"In that case, call me David," Charles replied immediately.

"Bryce," Robinson revealed, as he took his turn to shake Blair's hand.

"Alright, gentlemen," Simon broke in. "Now we've got the pleasantries out of the way, let's get down to business."

All five men sat down, and Simon continued, "Before we start, I just want to make it clear that there's no pressure on you to take part in this operation, Sandburg. No-one's going to think any less of you if you decide you'd rather play a purely advisory role."

"Thanks, Captain," Blair said with a smile. "I appreciate that. But I'm willing to give it a shot."

There were smiles all round at this pronouncement; proud from Simon, pleased from Charles and Robinson, and somewhat forced from Jim. Blair just hoped the nervousness didn't show in his own.

XXXXX

Three days later, Blair wandered through a busy market in downtown Cascade, wondering what had possessed him to agree to this crazy scheme.

"Willing to give it a shot," he muttered to himself darkly. "Shot is exactly what I'm gonna be if this goes wrong."

Just two hours before, he'd been making love to Jim in their big, safe bed at the loft, and now he was on his way to join the cult of a major drug dealer. At least he could never say his life was boring.

Obviously, joining the Vastavian Circle wasn't going to be as simple as walking up to the gates of the compound and asking to be let in. Considering that it wasn't a genuine spiritual commune, but rather an elaborate front for a criminal operation, that kind of approach would more than likely arouse suspicion. Successful infiltration of the Circle, Blair had been informed, would require that he be approached and lured in, which was why he was at the market. His hair loose around his shoulders, wearing torn jeans and a patchwork coat that, according to Jim, made him look ten years younger, Blair looked fairly out of place. He just hoped it was in a 'lost soul' kind of way, rather than an 'undercover cop' kind of way.

After he had agreed to go along with the operation, Jim had expressed some concern that Blair might be recognised as someone attached to the Police Department, because of the dissertation press conference. The possibility had been discussed, but it had eventually been decided that enough time had passed to make it unlikely that anyone would remember Blair's face from such brief exposure on television. Besides, neither the leaders nor the followers of the Circle were the kind of people who would be interested in an admission of fraud from a doctoral student at Rainier. Jim's last objection had thus been quashed, leaving Charles and Robinson to outline their plan.

It was likely that it would be several days before he was taken to the compound, if he was approached at all, and it was necessary that any minor investigation backed up his cover story. So, that morning, Blair had moved out of the loft and into a cheap motel, taking with him only the barest essentials. Leaving had reminded him painfully of the last time, when Alex Barnes had sent Jim into a territorial rage and Blair had come home one day to find all his belongings packed up into boxes. The memory had obviously reared up for Jim, too, since the Sentinel had gathered Blair to him at the moment of departure, holding him close and murmuring reassurances meant for both of them.

And so Blair was out on his own in the world again. However, the danger of his undertaking was countered by the knowledge that Jim was out there somewhere, watching over him in the way only a Sentinel could. It was too risky for Blair to wear any kind of a wire so, officially, he had worked out a simple series of signals with the Narcotics officers, in order to communicate his progress. Unofficially, Jim would be watching his every move and listening for any sign that Blair was in trouble.

Blair and Simon had convinced the Narcotics Division to let Jim take part in the surveillance side of the operation, and knowing that Jim was out there made Blair feel a hell of a lot better.

He meandered through the varied stalls of the market, seemingly not taking much notice of his surroundings, but in actuality scanning the area carefully for his target destination. This was where the Circle did a lot of its recruiting, sending out its more attractive members to sell flowers or vegetables grown in the grounds of the compound - and more importantly to sell friendship and hope to those most likely to buy.

Blair was practising his best trudge, trying to exude a lack of purpose, while really he was intensely focused on his objective. It wasn't long before he spotted what he was looking for - a small group of young people, dressed in simple homespun clothing, who were approaching the customers of the market with bunches of brightly-coloured flowers. Blair recognised one of the girls from a picture in the file he had been given, so he knew he had found the Circle recruiters. They had a tiny stall near the edge of the market, and Blair wandered slowly over to a bench opposite, and sat down to wait.

On the roof of a nearby building, Jim looked down on the market, his gaze carefully fixed on the diminutive figure of his partner. He had eagerly volunteered to keep an eye on Blair during this first stage of the operation and had chosen his location carefully so as to secure the best view.

Knowing that Jim would be using his Sentinel abilities, and concerned about the possibility of zone-outs in Blair's absence, Simon had assigned Megan to go with him and look out for him. So now Megan crouched on the rooftop next to Jim, looking down on the scene through binoculars that Jim obviously didn't need.

Blair had seated himself on a bench near to where the cult members were peddling their wares. He had one foot tucked up on the bench in front of him, and he rested his head on his knee, wrapping his arms around his leg. He looked so young and vulnerable and alone that Jim felt his heart constrict at the sight of him, then silently congratulated Blair on the success of the image he was presenting. Despite his tendency towards over-protectiveness, Jim knew that underneath that nave exterior was a strong, capable and independent man, of whom Jim was immensely proud.

It wasn't long before one of the flower-selling girls split off from the group and approached Blair. She was slim and attractive, with long honey-blonde hair and fresh features - the perfect snare for a lonely and insecure young man. Jim extended his hearing so that he could listen in on what was said.

"You look like you could use a friend," the girl began, her tone soft and sincere.

Blair didn't look up, simply replying in a weary tone, "I'm afraid I don't have any money."

From his vantage point, Jim saw the girl's face split into a surprisingly sweet smile. Either she was an excellent actress, or she really believed in whatever bullshit she was about to start spouting. Jim wasn't sure which option was worse.

"Friendship shouldn't come with a price tag," the girl said, "unless it's merely to hope for equal friendship offered in return."

At this, Blair did look up, but his expression was uncertain. Now there was a good actor, Jim thought. But then, he wasn't surprised, since Blair had been pretending to be somebody else the very first time they'd met.

The young anthropologist - Jim still thought of him that way, rather than as a fellow cop - didn't say anything, maintaining his scepticism, but giving the girl an opening to continue through the establishment of eye contact.

"May I sit?" she asked, gesturing at the empty space beside him.

"I don't own the bench," Blair replied, but his tone was slightly friendlier than before.

She sat, turning so that she could look at him next to her. Blair merely dropped his chin onto his knee and went back to staring into space.

After a moment, the girl said, "It's a cold day to be sitting here all alone."

"But I'm not alone, am I?" Blair responded to the bait, twisting his head to meet the girl's earnest gaze and offering up a shy smile.

"No," she agreed, "you're not. Not any more." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, then extended one slender hand. "I'm Ailsa."

Blair took her hand in his, and his smile widened to the full wattage that always made Jim's heart rate increase when it was directed at him, and always made him tense up slightly when it wasn't.

"Blair," he revealed simply.

They'd decided he should use his real first name, so as to prevent possible slip-ups, and use a false surname only if it became necessary. Blair had said that many cults didn't insist that new member reveal their full identity, since most were offering an opportunity to escape the past and start a new life. Jim had pointed out that this wasn't just any cult, so a fake identity had been created for Blair in case it was needed.

"What were you thinking about so hard before I came over, Blair?" Ailsa asked quietly.

Blair's smile faded and he sighed, turning away from her again. "Just trying to find a direction, I guess."

"Don't you have anywhere to go?"

Blair seemed to consider the question for a moment. 'Don't rush it,' Jim urged silently. It was important not to arouse suspicion by seeming too eager to go along with her.

"Well, the whole world's out there to choose from," Blair told her, "but nowhere's standing out at the moment."

"There's no-one waiting for you to come home to them?"

Jim was beginning to think that Ailsa really was sincere, since there was no hint of calculation in her words, only sympathy.

Blair responded with a short, hollow laugh and a smile that did nothing to dispel the sadness in his eyes. Jim knew that look well enough. He could surely testify to the fact that even the hardest of hearts was no match for Blair Sandburg in need. He remembered only too clearly how a reluctant offer to house a homeless Blair for a week had led to a four year co-habitation and eventually a relationship he hoped would last many more years than that.

Blair was talking again. "I was so sure I could make it on my own, so convinced I could find something to make my life meaningful..." He trailed off and gave that hollow laugh again. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I must sound so pathetic."

Now Ailsa reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "Not at all," she reassured him. "I understand what you're saying far better than you know. But Blair, it doesn't have to be so hard - sharing your experiences with others can give life meaning you never knew it had."

Uncertainty gradually clouded Blair's features again as she spoke, and he drew his arm out of her grasp.

"Maybe," he said, shifting slightly on the bench. "It's been nice talking to you, Ailsa, but I have to go now."

Jim thought that Ailsa looked genuinely upset by Blair's sudden retreat, but she masked it with another smile.

"Well, maybe we'll see each other again, Blair," she said hopefully. "Remember what I said - there are friends here for you if you want them."

Blair got up then, turned and looked down at her. "Yeah, thanks," he mumbled shyly. With that, he began to make his way slowly back through the market on the way to his motel.

Jim tracked Blair's progress through the busy stalls and crowds of people, keeping his gaze locked on the younger man long after he was out of the Circle recruiters' sight. He felt a hand on his arm and brought himself back to his immediate surroundings to find Megan looking at him worriedly.

Jim smiled at her reassuringly, surprisingly glad of her presence. He brought his radio up to his mouth and reported quietly, "Contact had been made. Stage One complete."

After a couple of seconds, Detective Charles' voice responded, "Roger that. Come on back to the station."

As they made their way to the stairs that would lead them back down to street level, Megan commented, "You've got an excellent partner there, Jim. Sandy's a credit to the squad - I'm glad he decided to join the force."

"No argument from me," Jim replied with a smile, then added seriously, "I just hope he'd not in over his head on this one."

Megan laid one hand on his shoulder. "He'll be okay. He's got us backing him up."

XXXXX

Later that evening, Jim sat alone on his couch, contemplating how empty the loft seemed without Blair in it. He remembered how reluctant he'd been to give up his solitude when Blair asked to move in, and how annoying all the noise and mess had been at the beginning. The noise and mess had diminished very little over the intervening years, and the annoyance was still there, too, but it had all been overshadowed by an acceptance of who Blair was, and of just how much he added to Jim's life. Sure, he played weird music and always left the bathroom looking like a bomb site, but that was just part and parcel of the whole Blair package, Sandburg Zone included.

Without him, Jim felt incomplete and, in the knowledge that Blair's absence could well be extended, the silence of the loft was oppressive.

The sudden shrill tone of the telephone snapped Jim out of his reverie, and he reached eagerly for the handset. His hope was rewarded by the sound of Blair's familiar voice at the other end.

"Hey Jim, how's it going?"

"Quiet, without you here," Jim found himself admitting, than moved swiftly on. "You did good today, Chief."

"Really?" He could hear the pleasure in Blair's voice at his approval, and it made him smile.

"Yes, really. So, what's your next move?"

"I figured I'd wait a day before going back," Blair told him. "I don't want to look too eager, and it's not as if they're going anywhere."

"Sounds like a good plan," Jim confirmed. "What do you make of this Ailsa?"

"She seemed sincere. Whatever Vastav's real intentions are, I think he's got most of his followers pretty well convinced by the Circle front."

"Yeah, that was my take on it, too," Jim agreed, "but I don't know whether that's good or bad from our point of view. Just be careful, okay, Chief?"

"Don't worry, man," Blair reassured him. "I'm always careful. I'd better go."

"I love you."

"I know." The words were tender. "And I love you."

The line went dead and Jim was left looking down at the disconnected phone in his hand.

XXXXX

Blair spent a quiet day keeping his cover intact and not venturing anywhere near the Cascade Police Department. He didn't think any of the Circle would be checking up on him after only one short conversation with Ailsa, but he decided there was no point in taking unnecessary chances.

It was strange having free time and nobody with whom to spend it. Over the course of his life, Blair had rarely been alone, finding it easy to make friends, and generally not being single for long. However, none of his previous relationships had lasted long and he had never really been that close to any of the people in his life, except Naomi, although even she had never been around for long periods at a time. It was only in the last few years that Blair's life had shifted from containing lots of casual acquaintances to focusing almost exclusively on one person - Jim. While it was true that he counted Simon, Megan, Joel, Rafe and H as good friends and colleagues, the nature of his bond with Jim transcended anything he had ever felt before, and left little room in his heart for anyone else.

The intensity of their relationship had scared him to begin with. It had taken a long time for him to acknowledge the depth of his feelings, as it had for Jim, unaccustomed as they both were to commitment. But, as their other liaisons had dwindled and they had begun to spend nearly every waking moment in each other's company, it had become more and more difficult to ignore the inevitable result of their combined friendship and Sentinel/Guide bond. The revelation and subsequent consummation of their mutual feelings had been mind-blowing and, now, the protective circle of Jim's embrace felt more like home to Blair than anywhere else on Earth.

Obviously, they spent time apart - their relationship wasn't so claustrophobic as to prevent that - but it was strange to be in the same city but not able to see Jim. Forced separation was always harder to bear than chosen solitude, no matter how brief a time it lasted.

The following day, Blair made his way through the market again, this time moving purposefully towards the far end, where the Circle's stall awaited him. He slowed as he approached his destination, his progress becoming halting and hesitant, as if he were having second thoughts about where he was going. A couple of stalls away, he stopped altogether, turning to the side and hovering next to a table that was displaying cheap jewellery. Blair fingered the chains hanging from a stand nervously, stealing frequent glances over at where the Circle members clustered together in the late afternoon sun.

Ailsa was there, looking just as disarmingly happy and innocent as she had the time before. Blair found himself studying her and her friends with interest, trying to discover just from looking at them how they had come to the life they were living. His opinion that most of them did not know about the criminal intentions of their leader hadn't changed, and he wondered what impact that would have on the operation.

On the one hand, the majority of the Circle members would not be suspicious of newcomers, making his infiltration easier but, on the other hand, it made for an awful lot of innocent people who could get in the way if things went bad. In addition, if they were devoted to Vastav and willing to follow his directives almost blindly, which was more than possible, then any attempt to shut down the Circle had a good chance of turning very ugly indeed.

Lost for a moment in his inner musings, Blair didn't notice Ailsa break away from the group and approach him. Her hand on his arm made him jump, and he smiled up at her, trying to appear embarrassed by his nerves.

"Hi, Blair!" she said brightly, dismissing his nervousness with a warm smile of her own. "I wondered if we'd see you back here." She didn't give him a chance to stumble over some excuse as to why he was there, simply making the assumption that he'd come to take her up on her offer of friendship. Taking his arm in hers, she guided him towards the Circle stall. "Let me introduce you to the others."

Happy just to follow along, Blair answered, "Sure. I'd like that."

Up on the nearby roof, Jim was back in his previous position, watching the scene through police issue binoculars. It was really strange, using the visual aid instead of his own naturally enhanced sight, but necessary, since Bryce Robinson had accompanied him this time, instead of Megan. He had still extended his hearing so as to listen in on Blair's conversation, but kept his sight dialled down, thus also reducing the risk of a zone-out in front of the other detective.

He listened carefully as Blair was introduced to the rest of the group, filing away the details of each member to report to Simon later. There was Jenny, a slight, dark girl with exotic features and olive skin. Then there was Catrina, who had cropped red hair and a knowing smile. Lastly, the two male members of the group - Graham, who was curly-haired with a cherubic face, and Matt, a tall, black kid with classic features and a killer body. They were all extremely attractive, and their diversity would appeal to almost every taste. A very carefully selected group of recruiters, Jim concluded.

The redhead immediately latched onto Blair's arm and tugged him behind the stall, almost out of Jim's eyeline. "We're nearly done for the day," she announced brightly. "If you want, you can hang out with us until then. We're meeting up with some other friends for a party later. Wanna come?"

Jim couldn't help smiling as the normally confident Blair turned hesitantly back to Ailsa and said, "What kind of a party?"

"Nothing too heavy - don't worry," she said reassuringly, throwing a brief glare in Catrina's direction. "Usually, we just get together somewhere and talk. Some of us like to practise meditation, but there's often music and some dancing - whatever you like, really."

Jim noted that Ailsa seemed more in favour of the meditation and talking, and he was pleased to hear Blair confirm that he had realised the same thing.

"Sounds good," Blair said with a slightly more relaxed smile. "I've always wanted to try meditation. Maybe you could teach me."

"I'd like that," Ailsa replied sincerely, and Catrina released her hold on Blair's arm. After the brief and subtle battle for the newcomer's attention, it became clear that Ailsa's prior claim had not been seriously contested by Catrina's attempt to cut in.

Jim became aware that Detective Robinson was trying to get his attention. Forcing himself back to his immediate surroundings, he lowered the binoculars and turned to face the other man. Robinson was standing right next to him, his expression vaguely concerned.

Guessing the problem, Jim pasted a reassuring smile on his face and said, "Sorry - I was concentrating on Blair. I guess I didn't hear you."

"That's okay," Robinson replied. "I know how tough it is to let your partner go undercover without you. I just said it looks like Blair's going really well. I'm impressed at how quickly he's managed to get in with the group."

"Yeah," Jim agreed, "though I think the party tonight will be the first real test."

"What party?"

Jim immediately realised his mistake, but managed to cover it smoothly. "I can lip-read," he lied. "Obviously, I couldn't make out every word, since they're not all facing this way, but I gather they're having some sort of get-together tonight, and Blair's going along. Most likely, it's the first proper stage of the recruitment process, before they move into the commune itself. From what Blair's told me about how these things work, I gather there'll probably be a few others there that the recruiters have picked up in the last few days. It's good timing on our part."

"Lip-reading, huh?" Robinson repeated. "Must be a useful skill to have in this job."

Jim just smiled in response, then turned his attention back to the scene in the market below. He watched and listened for several more minutes, while the recruiters tried to get to know Blair better. Then they decided it was time to pack up for the day, and soon Jim had to watch as Blair followed them out of the market and away from his protection.

Now Blair was truly on his own.

XXXXX

As he made his way out of the marketplace, surrounded by the five Circle recruiters, Blair found himself thinking that the path he was now pretending to follow could easily have been a real life choice a few years before. The role he was now playing was an exaggerated version of his younger self when he'd first arrived in Cascade as a teenager to take up his studies at Rainier. The nomadic and varied lifestyle he had hitherto experienced with Naomi had made him very open-minded about spirituality, so the idea of a religious commune wouldn't have seemed too strange. In addition to that, the combination of his people-loving character and a largely solitary childhood had left him craving friends in an environment where those around him were several years older and had little time for an attention-seeking prodigy.

Had a friendly, attractive girl approached that lonely teenager, offering friendship and fulfilment, Blair wondered if he would have had the emotional strength to resist her. Of course, in the months before he met Jim, the prospect of a party attended by a whole lot of undoubtedly beautiful young people would have been tempting for entirely different reasons. Detaching himself briefly from the seriousness of his purpose and situation, Blair was amused by the fact that such an occasion should arise not only when he was officially on duty but also at a time when he found himself in a committed relationship. Not that he would ever remotely consider cheating on Jim, but he realised that it wasn't only his acting skills that were going to be put to the test.

Blair soon discovered that their destination wasn't the Circle compound, but rather a ramshackle, sprawling house not too far from the market. This would be the half-way house of the recruitment process - not so intense that the newcomers would be scared off, but intimate enough to encourage them to integrate more fully with their newfound Circle member friends.

His own small group was greeted warmly at the door by a man who looked to be closer to Blair's real age than his assumed one. He welcomed Blair with a wide smile, but there was a slight hardness around his eyes that made Blair uneasy.

As the five recruiters and Blair followed him into the house, Ailsa leaned in close and whispered in Blair's ear, "That's Ryan. He looks after us when we stay here." He noticed that her tone when she said the man's name was almost reverential, and carefully catalogued it in his memory as the first indication of influential leadership in his experience of the Circle. Anyone who was set above the others in this kind of environment was likely to have more information about what went on in the upper echelons of the group, and this was someone well worth watching closely.

They were led into a large downstairs room, furnished cosily with old couches and lots of big cushions on the floor. Seated all around the room were about fifteen young people, a little less than half of whom were wearing the simple clothing that marked them as Circle members. They were interspersed with what Blair assumed must be the other potential new recruits and he noted with interest the seemingly casual way that Catrina, Graham, Jenny and Matt chose their seats, while Ailsa guided him over to a couple of spare cushions in one corner.

By the time Ryan took his place, standing at the far end of the room, each visitor had an attentive Circle member of the opposite sex seated next to them. It reminded Blair of the buddy system that the university used when prospective students came for their interviews. The purpose in both situations was to make the visitors feel at ease and welcomed, while at the same time allowing the organising body to keep tabs on them and feed them positive information.

When Ryan raised his hands, all the Circle members immediately fell silent and turned to face him, causing the newcomers to do the same.

"Don't worry," he said with a charming smile, "I'm not going to bore you with a huge speech or anything. I'd just like to welcome you all to the house tonight. I'm glad to see so many new faces, and I hope you all have a good time. We've set up some music in the next room for dancing, there are refreshments upstairs, and I'll be leading some meditation later on for anyone who's interested. Regardless of where this evening may lead you, you will always be welcome in this house if you are in need of a friend or a place to stay. For now, just relax and get to know one another. Let this night be a haven from the troubles of the outside world, and let us show you how much better life can be if you have people with whom to share it."

And so ended the first official Circle recruitment speech of the evening, Blair thought, suppressing a wry smile. The expressions of his fellow recruits ranged from excited, through relaxed to varying levels of nervousness and unease.

Ryan made his way through the crowd and vanished into another room, from which music emerged not long afterwards. Several pairs got up and followed, and Blair wasn't surprised to see Catrina among them. He was impressed by the intelligence of the setup, which seemed somehow more calculated than the sincerely religious fringe groups he had come across before. What worried him was how the police operation would affect, and be affected by, all these innocent young people, who were bound up in the Circle and yet not a conscious part of its dark centre.

He turned back to find Ailsa sitting very close to him, a relaxed smile on her pretty face. He smiled back, then asked innocently, "Is this where you live?"

"No," she replied, "but Ryan lives here, and there are always some of us here at any given time. We stay here when it's our turn to work in the market, but there wouldn't be room for us all to live here at the same time."

"All of you?" Blair was interested to see how she would answer questions about the Circle at this early stage. "How many of there are you? And, if you don't live here, where do you live?"

Instead of responding to his question, Ailsa pushed herself to her feet, then extended a hand. "Why don't we go and get a drink?" she said. "Then we can settle down and talk some more."

Not wanting to jeopardise their bond by pushing her too hard, Blair nodded readily and took her hand, allowing her to pull him up to stand next to her. Keeping his hand gently clasped in her own, Ailsa led him out into the hall and, from there, up the stairs. They joined some of the others in another room, which had tables set up at either end, one holding trays of snacks, the other an array of different fruit juices in jugs. Alcohol was not on the agenda, it seemed.

With the knowledge that the mastermind behind this party was a drug dealer, Blair was slightly suspicious of the refreshments, and decided to avoid consuming anything as much as possible. He preceded Ailsa to the drinks table, throwing an enquiry of, "Juice?" over his shoulder before reaching for two plastic cups.

"Orange for me, please," she replied with a pleased smile at his gallantry.

Blair reached for the appropriate jug and filled one of the cups, handing it to Ailsa and then turning back to the table. Blocking his actions from the view of those in the room, he filled his own cup half full, then pretended to drink from it before turning around again.

It seemed that Ailsa wasn't interested in sharing Blair with anyone else, since she immediately headed back to the door after checking that he was following her. She led him across the landing and into yet another room, this one completely bare except for a luxurious, thick-pile carpet. Even the windows of the room were covered, light being provided by a single bulb in the centre of the ceiling, which was muted by an upward-facing shade.

Ailsa circled round Blair, her arms wide and a beatific smile on her face. "This is the meditation room," she informed him. Then she crossed to the far side and sat down, her back to the windows. With a little jerk of her head and a pat on the carpet next to her with her free hand, she invited him to join her, which he did.

Still feigning ignorance, and picking up on Ailsa's obvious enthusiasm for meditation, Blair continued to draw her out by asking, "Why is it so bare?"

"The lack of any distraction helps us to focus our minds and find the centre within ourselves, shutting out the influences of the outside world." She sounded as if she was quoting someone, which, Blair surmised, she probably was.

"Wow," he said, letting some admiration creep into his voice, "that sounds really cool."

Ailsa drained her cup and beamed happily at him. It was then that Blair noticed her pupils were dilated and that her gaze was beginning to seem slightly glazed. It seemed he'd been right not to partake of the refreshments, though he thought it unlikely that they would have been laced with the drug the Narcotics Division suspected Vastav of dealing. It would be a waste of expensive product to use it on the kids that made up his cover; whatever was in the juice was probably just a relaxant to put the new recruits at ease and make them more impressionable.

Blair played up to the situation, smiling dreamily back at his assigned recruiter. In response, she scooted closer to him and took both his hands in her own.

"You have to clear your mind," she continued, looking deep into his eyes, "and try to free yourself from the physical and emotional constraints of your surroundings." Her eyes closed and her voice took on an impassioned tone. "When you seek enlightenment, nothing matters but the purity of your inner core, and nothing can stand between that and the spiritual energy of the universe."

It was clear that Ailsa believed absolutely in what she was saying, and Blair was about to ask for a lesson in enlightenment, when a voice from the doorway interrupted them.

"Starting without me?" The words were gentle, but Blair heard a slight edge of something darker behind them and he looked up to see Ryan entering the room.

Ailsa opened her eyes again, turned and grinned up at the older man. "Blair wanted to know about meditation, so I was just introducing him to some of the ideas you and the others teach us."

Ryan crossed the room and squatted down next to them, casting an appraising glance over Blair before saying casually, "You've found yourself a good teacher. Ailsa is one of my best students. The path to enlightenment isn't an easy one, but she's well on her way."

Helped by some mind-altering drugs, Blair thought cynically, but kept his expression carefully schooled. There was something about this Ryan guy that set all the hairs on the back of his neck on end, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Ailsa, on the other hand, gazed at Ryan in open admiration, obviously extremely pleased by his words of praise.

Several more of the young men and women of the Circle had started filtering into the room by this stage, accompanied by their charges, and Blair noted that they all looked under the influence of whatever was in the fruit juice. Ryan got to his feet and moved to the head of the room, gesturing for the youngsters to take seats on the floor. Once everyone was settled, he shut the door, effectively blocking the noise from the music still playing downstairs.

"Meditation is a tool we use to bring us closer to both ourselves and each other," he began, raking his intense gaze over all the upturned faces before him. "It helps us to forget the troubles of the outside world and find peace and communion within our own minds and hearts. If you are prepared to give of yourself with an open mind, you will discover that letting others into your heart can ease your burdens and show you meaning of enlightenment."

His opening speech apparently over, Ryan joined his 'students' on the floor and gestured for them to form a circle, joining hands with those who sat on either side of them. Blair shifted position with the others, and found himself seated between Ailsa and Jenny, the dark-haired girl from the market. They each took one of his hands with a smile before turning their focus back to their mentor.

"Now close your eyes, breathe deeply and clear your minds of everything but the sound of my voice and the connection you have made with those around you. Nothing can harm you in this room - there is no pain, there is no sorrow, there is only love and togetherness."

There was a brief moment of silence, then Ryan spoke again, his voice soft and his words chanting.

"The Circle enfolds us, the Circle protects us, we are the Circle." A pause, then the same three phrases again. "The Circle enfolds us, the Circle protects us, we are the Circle." On the third repetition, several other voices joined in with the chant and soon the whole group was saying it as one, Blair included.

This was the first mention of the Circle he had heard so far in the process of his recruitment, and it was a subtle one, slipped into the meditation chant without explanation, and seemingly completely innocuous. Blair was impressed by the slow but steady influence that was being exerted over the new recruits, and was struck again by how carefully constructed and calculating the whole thing seemed. That was when he realised what bothered him so much about Ryan. In contrast to Ailsa's absolute conviction, Ryan was playing a role, using the vulnerability of these young people to trick them into thinking they had found somewhere to belong, while in reality they were being sucked into something dark and dangerous against their will.

The heartlessness of the set-up sickened Blair and he had difficulty keeping up the Circle mantra for a moment. He suddenly felt very alone in his knowledge of what was really going on here, and he hoped he would be able to wrap up his investigation quickly so that he wouldn't have to keep up his pretence of gullibility too long.

XXXXX

Much later, after the meditation session had finished and the evening had turned more towards conversation than partying, Blair started to make the motions of leaving. He had learned a great deal about how the recruitment system worked and had discovered his first clues that all was not what it seemed beneath the cult exterior of the Vastavian Circle. That in itself wasn't overly important information to be reported back to Major Crimes, but Blair wanted the chance to speak to Jim again.

However, it turned out that Ailsa had other ideas. When he told her it was time for him to go, she presented him with a face full of disappointment and said, "There's no reason for you to leave, Blair. You can stay the night here if you like." As she spoke the words, her fingers climbed their way up his arm and twirled one of his curls before falling back down into her lap.

Blair played his shyness card one more time, dropping his gaze and pretending to be flustered by the attention. "B-but I haven't got anything to sleep in," he murmured hesitantly, inwardly amused by his own act. He thought Jim would probably laugh himself silly if Blair tried this tactic at home; it wasn't usually in his nature to be submissive.

Ailsa just smiled. "That's no problem," she told him, blowing Blair's excuse straight out of the water. "We've got plenty of spare clothes here. Why go back to a lonely motel room when you can stay here with us? Come on, it'll be fun!"

There wasn't much Blair could do except agree, and he mentally said goodbye to his last opportunity to hear his lover's voice before the undercover operation began in earnest. He allowed Ailsa to pull him to his feet, then followed her meekly as she led him deeper into the house.

XXXXX

Back at the precinct, Jim was taking his frustration out on the floor of Simon's office, pacing backwards and forwards like a caged panther.

"How could they have lost him?" he demanded for what Simon was sure was about the fifteenth time. "Don't they realise how much danger he's in? If his cover gets blown, he's dead, Simon! Vastav isn't the type to be lenient if he discovers a spy in his midst."

Simon tried to calm his top detective, knowing as he did that it was an exercise in futility. "Jim, Sandburg knows how to take care of himself - I'm sure he's fine. And we've got people watching the motel and the compound round the clock. He's got to show up at one of those places sooner or later. I admit the surveillance team dropped the ball on keeping track of him after he left the market, but we'll find him, don't worry."

Rather than calming Jim down, Simon's words seemed to have the opposite effect, as the Sentinel spun round to face his captain, fury shining in his blue eyes. "Dropped the ball?" he exclaimed. "This is Blair's life we're talking about, Simon, not some nickel and dime bust!" Jim's anger then turned inward. "I knew this was a bad idea. I should never have let him do this - it's way too dangerous."

"It was Sandburg's decision, not yours, Jim," Simon pointed out, though he was feeling more than a little guilty about the situation himself, so he wasn't sure how he was going to make Jim feel any better. "The kid's got guts, and he's one of the most capable officers in this department - hell, in any department. You can't keep him wrapped up in cotton wool the whole time. He deserves the chance to show us what he can do, without you acting like his shadow for once."

All the fight suddenly went out of Jim, and he sank down into a chair, looking up at Simon with a desperate expression. "It's not that I don't respect his abilities as a cop, Simon. I do. I know he's more than up to this assignment, and I know I can be an overbearing prick at times, but dammit - he's my partner and I should be there to back him up!"

Simon reached out and placed one hand on Jim's shoulder, feeling the tense muscles beneath the material of his shirt.

"I know, Jim," he commiserated. "And you will be. As soon as we find him, I'll make sure you get to lead the surveillance team. Charles and Robinson won't have a leg to stand on after the fiasco this afternoon - they'll have to let you take over on my say-so. Now, go home and try to get some rest. You won't do Sandburg any good if you're exhausted. I'll call you the minute we hear anything."

Jim dragged himself wearily to his feet. "Thanks, Simon," he muttered and headed back out into the bullpen.

Simon watched him go, and hoped he'd sounded more confident than he'd felt when he said Blair would be alright. The truth was, he was just as worried about the junior detective as Jim, but he knew he had to keep up a reassuring front, or he wouldn't be able to stop Jim from completely flying off the handle. Simon had a feeling it was going to be a very long few days until this operation was over.

XXXXX

The following morning, Blair woke to find himself sprawled on a mat on the floor of a room, surrounded by semi-clad people. All the recruiters and about half of their charges had ended up staying the night at the house, making it fairly crowded. Blair wondered how things would proceed from there. It was quite obvious that, now the Circle effectively had its claws in him, it would be difficult for him to get away without ruining the interested act he was putting on.

He didn't have to wonder long. After a simple breakfast, which Blair assumed wouldn't be drugged, Ailsa took him aside and informed him, "We're heading back to the compound where we all live this morning. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," Blair replied readily, pleased that things were proceeding as expected again, but also slightly annoyed that he wasn't going to be able to report in before entering the Circle compound. He tried one last attempt to get some time on his own. "I ought to settle my bill at the motel first, though. I don't want the manager throwing out my stuff."

Once again, Ailsa had the perfect answer to stop him getting away from her. "I'll come with you," she suggested instantly. "Hang on a sec, and I'll ask Ryan if we can borrow one of the cars." She bounced off in search of her mentor, long hair swinging behind her. Blair couldn't help but admire her tenacity, even as he was cursing it; she certainly took her role as a Circle recruiter seriously.

Within minutes, Ailsa had secured Ryan's permission to escort Blair back to his motel, and they were both ensconsed in the back seat of a battered old car, driven by Graham, the black kid Blair had met in the market the day before. Graham's recruit had declined the invitation to stay over at the house, so he was free to act as chauffeur for Blair and Ailsa. It seemed Blair now had two recruiters and they used the journey to good effect, regaling him with enthusiastic tales of life within the Circle, making it all sound like a grand adventure. Blair just hoped their innocence would survive whatever ending his presence brought about.

XXXXX

Jim had gone home as per Simon's instructions, but his sleep had been fitful and he woke early. Throwing on some clothes, he decided to head over to the motel where Blair had been staying for the last few days. He figured that was the most likely place for his partner to turn up and he wanted to be in a good position to pick up the surveillance that had failed so spectacularly the day before.

His hunch turned out to be right on the money; just as he was pulling up across the street from the motel, he spotted Blair getting out of a car with Ailsa and heading inside. Jim mentally heaved a huge sigh of relief at seeing his lover alive and well, and was determined not to let Blair out of his range of sight or hearing for the rest of the operation if he could help it. He then grabbed his cell phone and called Simon.

"Sandburg just showed up back at the motel, but he's got company," he reported.

"I know, Jim," came the gruff reply. "Robinson is in a room across the street and he just checked in. Why don't you hook up with him and keep tabs on Sandburg together?"

"Sounds like a plan," Jim replied evenly, though really he didn't relish the thought of Robinson's company. He wanted to be able to keep a much closer watch on Blair than he would be able to reveal to the Narcotics officer. "Tell him I'm just outside. And tell him what I say goes from here on in."

"Will do." Jim heard the wry amusement in Simon's tone, and was glad his captain was so understanding of his feelings in this case. Not for the first time, he thought how lucky he was to have a friend and superior like Simon.

A couple of minutes later, Detective Robinson emerged from a building two doors up from where Jim had parked, and got into the passenger side of the truck.

"Morning, Detective," he said with forced cheerfulness. "I was just about to call you." Jim could sense the apprehension rolling off the younger man, and decided to take pity on him. They had found Blair and things were now proceeding to plan, so he saw no real reason to antagonise the situation further by maintaining his anger. If they were going to work together to back Blair up on this assignment, it was important that they remained on as good terms as possible.

"Don't worry, Robinson," he said, "I'm not going to bite your head off. Let's just get this show back on the road, shall we?"

The other detective relaxed marginally and offered up a hesitant smile. Then he gestured at the entrance to the motel. "Hey, look. They're coming out."

Jim turned his attention back to the scene across the street and saw Blair and Ailsa getting back into the car. Blair had a bag with him that he hadn't been carrying on his way in.

"Sandburg's picked up his stuff," Jim pointed out. "My guess is they're on their way to the Circle compound. Looks like he's in."

He waited until the car had pulled away from the motel, then started up his truck and followed at a distance. He was determined not to lose Blair again, and he didn't think the Circle recruiters would be looking out for people following them, but it always paid to be careful. Besides, he'd be able to track the car easily enough without even being able to see it.

Once again, Jim's prediction proved correct as the car led them out of the city and towards where they knew the Circle compound to be. As soon as it became obvious where they were headed, Jim dropped back even further. The roads in the area weren't busy and he wanted to avoid raising suspicion as much as possible.

The Circle compound was situated in the remains of an abandoned farm, providing a large main house and outbuildings in several acres of land. A chain link fence had been erected around the site, and there was only one entrance, which housed a guard post that was occupied twenty-four hours a day. The surveillance team had set up what was essentially a hide of the kind used by bird-watchers, and that was positioned in a cluster of trees just outside the fence. It afforded a view of the main house and the courtyard in front of it, as well as overlooking the gate.

Detective Charles had also set up a base camp further out in the forest, where he could oversee the operation. This was where Jim headed, at Robinson's direction. They found Charles checking over the communications equipment, and reported Blair's reappearance at the motel to him.

"My men just spotted him arriving with the girl a few moments ago," Charles told them in return. "A large group turned up earlier, and I admit we were a bit worried that Detective Sandburg wasn't with them. I'm glad he's alright." The older detective fixed his gaze steadily on Jim. "I heard from Captain Banks last night, and I understand that neither of you are particularly pleased with the way things went yesterday afternoon. I apologise for that. How do you want to proceed?"

Jim was grateful for Charles' co-operation and said so, effectively demonstrating that past mistakes had been forgotten. "I'd like to find out as much as I can about the layout of that place and how many people Vastav has in there," he then continued, all business. "No matter what happens, we're likely going to have to go in at some point and it would be good to know what we're up against."

Charles gestured for Jim to follow him. In the biggest of the tents they had set up there was a large table, upon which a model of the compound had pride of place. Charles explained all the information they had gathered.

"The main house is where the recruiters and new members live. I concur with your assessment that they don't know of Vastav's criminal activities and are there merely as a front. In the event of an assault on the compound, they are a completely unknown factor. We have no way of knowing how they will react to us if we go in there - as far as we can tell, they're not armed, but they could cause a considerable hindrance if they don't submit peacefully. The last thing we want is a massacre of innocent teenagers, so we'll have to proceed carefully."

Jim nodded his agreement. "What about Vastav and his men?"

Pointing at two of the outbuildings, Charles continued, "We believe their base of operations is here. Vastav himself lives separately from the members of his supposed cult, protected by his lieutenants. This smaller building is most likely the drug lab. Most of the cult members are not allowed in there, but there is a small group who spend the majority of their time there. Occasionally, another group will arrive from outside to make deliveries there and at other times they'll take boxes away and return the next day empty-handed."

"What kind of numbers are we talking?"

"The normal cult members number about thirty, including the new ones that arrived first thing this morning. Then there's Vastav and his two right-hand men. After that, there are three who work in what we think is the drug lab, the two that man the gate, and a group of three or four who come and go a lot with the deliveries."

"So that's a maximum of twelve hostiles, and thirty unknowns," Jim mused. "I guess all we can do for now is wait and watch for a signal from Sandburg."

XXXXX

After Ailsa had persuaded him to give up his room at the motel, Blair settled into life at the Circle compound. The routine wasn't particularly exciting, consisting mainly of tending both animals and plants, and engaging in spiritual discussions or meditation sessions with the other members in between. He spent time with Ailsa when she was there, but there was no sign that she was looking for anything more than simple friendship, for which Blair was profoundly grateful. He wasn't sure how he would have handled it if she'd started making advances, and was glad he didn't have to find out.

Vastav was somewhat of an enigma to the members of his cult, a charismatic leader who very occasionally made impassioned speeches about togetherness to the assembled members in the courtyard, but never interacted with them on a personal level. They were all in awe of him, believing him to be much too involved in his search for enlightenment to be able to spend time with them. Blair, of course, knew that he was actually much too busy with his drug business to be bothered with the innocent dupes that shielded him from the authorities.

Apart from figuring out a way to find out what went on in the two buildings the cult members were forbidden to enter, the biggest challenge Blair faced was avoiding the presumably drugged fruit juice that made an appearance shortly before the daily meditation. He still wasn't sure exactly what was in it, but he assumed that it was what kept the cult members docile and less likely to ask questions about what was happening behind the scenes of the Circle. It was clear from several careful conversations he instigated that none of them knew anything about possibly illegal activities that might be going on and, after two days, Blair knew he would have to change tactics if he was going to get the evidence the police needed to justify a raid on the compound.

It was early evening on his second day there and he had just given the pre-arranged signal that everything was okay but that he had no new developments. As he was making his way back towards the main house to join the others for their evening meal, Blair heard a vehicle approaching. He knew that all the recruiters were currently at the compound, so it couldn't be them returning for the night. Stopping on the pretense of needing to tie his shoe, Blair knelt down and waited for the vehicle to come into view, so he could see who it was. He hoped this would the break he needed; if it was Vastav's men coming to make a delivery or to pick up drugs for distribution, he might be able to see or hear enough to bring the surveillance team in at last.

A truck came around the trees into the central courtyard, pulling to a stop outside the smaller of the outbuildings, about thirty feet from where Blair was crouching. There were two men in the cab, but it was the sight of the one standing up in the back of the truck that made Blair's blood run cold. It was Karl Stevens, a past student of his at Rainier who had been expelled from the university on charges of drug dealing, based on information provided by Blair himself.

He hadn't been in the file the Narcotics Division had provided on Vastav's men, but Blair didn't have time to worry about that now. He glanced around, noting that he was completely exposed in the centre of the courtyard, with no cover within easy distance. Keeping his head down, Blair turned his body slightly away from the truck and kept fiddling with his shoe, hoping to be able to watch the men without drawing attention to himself. He spoke under his breath, hoping also that Jim was within range and listening.

"Jim, the guy in the back of the truck that's just arrived used to be one of my students. His name is Karl Stevens. I busted him for dealing on campus, so he can identify me and he's got a grudge. If he sticks around, it'll only be a matter of time before he spots me, so I'm going on the offensive to try and get the evidence we need tonight. It'd be good to know you've got some back-up ready for if things turn nasty."

Meanwhile, the three men had transferred several large boxes from the back of the truck into the smaller of the outbuildings. Once they had finished, they came back out and headed over to Vastav's living quarters, joined by two others who had evidently been inside the other building. None of them even glanced in Blair's direction, obviously completely at ease within the compound. Blair decided this was the best chance he was going to get; it looked like Vastav's men were gathering for some kind of meeting, hopefully leaving whatever had been delivered unattended. If he could get into the building and find out what was in the boxes, he could bring the whole operation to a conclusion then and there.

Waiting a few more moments to check that nobody was lagging behind, Blair then rose to his feet and made his way hurriedly over to the building. Predictably, the door was locked, so he circled around it to check out his options. He found a small window in the wall furthest from the other building, but that was also tightly sealed. Taking a chance, Blair struck the window with his elbow, shielding his face with the other hand. The glass shattered and he stood, his heart in his mouth, for several seconds, but nobody came to investigate the noise. Once he had cleared the broken shards from the frame, Blair hoisted himself up over the sill and dropped down inside the building.

He glanced round the room he was in, and spotted the boxes stacked neatly in the corner. Crossing quickly over to them, Blair lifted the lid of one of them to see some kind of chemicals packed carefully inside. He was about to check some of the others when he heard the sound of someone else in the building. Blair shoved the lid of the box back down and ducked behind a desk just in time to avoid being seen by the man who opened the door and entered the room. He watched as jean-clad legs walked up to chair and an arm reached for a jacket that lay across the back of it. Suddenly, the arm froze mid-movement, and the man tensed. The the feet turned and headed towards the window, which was just behind the desk. There was nowhere for Blair to go and the next thing he knew, a rough hand had grabbed hold of his hair and was pulling him out from his hiding place. He was yanked unceremoniously to his feet and found himself face to face with Karl Stevens.

"Well, well, well," Stevens said, an ugly smile marring his quite handsome features. "Blair Sandburg - this is a surprise. What the hell are you doing snooping around in here?"

Blair figured that trying to claim innocence was unlikely to work considering the circumstances, but Stevens didn't seem to expect a reply anyway. The grip on his hair tightened painfully, and Stevens called over his shoulder, "Hey, Pete, come in here! I think I might have caught me a spy!"

One of the men who had been with Stevens in the truck jogged into the room, his face grim.

"What's going on, Karl?" he asked.

"When I came in to get my jacket, I noticed that the window was broken and found this guy hiding under the desk," Stevens replied. "I know him. He was the TA that got me kicked out of Rainier. Then he got kicked out himself last year - I remember there was a big press conference about it. He used to work part time with the police and last I heard he was going to become a cop."

"Let's take him to Vastav," the other man suggested, then headed back outside, Stevens dragging Blair along behind him.

As they came back out into the courtyard, Blair spotted Ailsa coming down the steps in front of the main house. She saw him immediately and started to jog over to them.

"Blair!" she called out. "I was looking for you." She noticed how Stevens had hold of his hair, and stopped short, her face registering surprise. "What's going on?" she asked.

Stevens answered her. "He's a cop! He's here spying on us!"

Blair decided he might as well at least try to defend himself, though he didn't think it was going to work. "I got done for fraud at the university, man," he told Stevens. "The cops didn't want me after that - they kicked me out too. Besides, what would cops want with a place like this anyway? You think they want to learn how to meditate? God only knows they could do with finding the path to enlightenment but I can't see that happening, can you? I was just curious to know what was in that building," he said, the excuse sounding lame even to him. He turned his attention to Ailsa, hoping to get some support from her. "You've got to believe me. The cops didn't want me. Nobody wanted me. Why would I do something for people that don't want me around?"

Several of the other cult members had come out of the house to see what was going on and were now standing on the front steps, watching the scene unfold. Blair could see the Stevens' companion eyeing them warily; then he issued an instruction to the third new arrival, who was standing by the truck.

"Matty, get Vastav out here. This could turn into a problem."

Ailsa looked confused. Her eyes told Blair that she wanted to believe him, but the accusations from Stevens had obviously unsettled her. Hoping the hesitation would buy him more time, Blair carried on, focusing all his attention on her and ignoring Stevens completely.

"You saw that I didn't have anywhere to go and you offered me friendship. You have no idea how much that meant to me. Don't give up on me now, Ailsa, please."

Stevens shook him roughly and hissed, "Shut up, cop!" Then he called out to the cult members assembled on the steps. "The cops have sent a spy in to spread lies about our great leader! I caught him in Vastav's private shrine, probably planting something incriminating. The authorities have always been against Vastav's teachings, and now they're trying to break us apart. We can't let them destroy what we've built here!"

As he watched the faces of the cult members change from confusion to anger at Stevens' words, Blair knew he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of the situation, so he decided to make a break for it. He tried to yank his arm out of the younger man's grip, but Stevens was strong and held onto him tightly. Then he produced a hand gun from under his shirt and jabbed it into Blair's side to stop him struggling, though he was careful to conceal it from the spectators. It had the desired effect, and Blair stopped his attempts to get away. Now, all he could do was hope that Jim was on his way.

XXXXX

From his position in the 'hide', Jim had indeed heard what Blair had said about Stevens, and had immediately relayed it to Detective Charles back at the base camp, pretending that he had recognised Stevens himself. He had requested that Charles bring the rest of the men, explaining that Blair's cover was no longer safe and that his partner planned to up the ante before the operation got blown.

Jim then concentrated all his attention back on Blair, tracking his progress as the younger man gained entry to the suspected drug lab. By the time Jim spotted Stevens heading back into the building, the rest of Charles' unit were in position.

When Steven came back out with Blair in his custody, Jim leapt into action. After entering the compound through a section of the fence they had cut previously for use in just such an emergency, Jim co-ordinated his team of officers in their infiltration of enemy territory. He sent two of them to apprehend the guard at the gate so as to avoid the possibility of anyone coming up on them from behind. The rest followed him to the main courtyard. His sharp sight alerted him to the fact that Stevens had a gun on Blair, and he also noticed several more men coming out of the larger outbuilding, Vastav among them. They did not appear to be armed at first glance, but Jim could see the tell-tale bulges of concealed weapons beneath their clothes.

He gestured for half the men with him to circle round the other side of the house, then crept slowly forwards, keeping to the bushes as much as was possible. All his thoughts about what a bad idea it had been to let Blair take on this assignment had been pushed to the back of his mind as irrelevant to the situation in hand, and all of his energy was focused on getting his Guide out of that situation in the most expedient way possible.

Once he knew that everyone was in position, Jim stepped calmly round the corner of the main house, aimed his gun right at Stevens' head and shouted, "Cascade PD! Drop the weapon and put your hands in the air!"

Several of his men copied his actions, until there was one covering each of the armed men in the courtyard, and two keeping an eye on the cult members, just in case. The rest stayed under cover, also bringing their weapons to bear, but keeping their true numbers hidden so as to give them the advantage.

Predictably, Stevens failed to follow Jim's instructions, instead shifting his grip on Blair to snake his arm around the detective's neck and bringing his gun up to point at the side of Blair's head. "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him!" he shouted, and started backing up towards the truck.

Then, several things happened all at once.

Vastav, who had been watching the scene unfold, evidently decided he'd rather take his chances on escaping than face time in prison and started to reach for the gun he had stuck in his belt. The police officer covering him yelled at him to freeze, but Vastav ignored him, taking hold of his weapon and pulling it free from his clothing. Left with no other choice, the officer aimed his own gun and fired off a round. What he didn't notice was that Ailsa, who had moved towards her spiritual leader at his appearance in the courtyard, had seen his intentions and, with a scream of "No!", launched herself into the line of fire. The bullet caught her on the left side and she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Blair took the opportunity of the distraction to land a vicious elbow in Stevens' side. The other man cried out and loosened his grip on Blair, who twisted free and wrested the gun from Stevens' grasp, prisoner turning into captor in a matter of seconds.

Meanwhile, one of the hidden police officers had broken cover to apprehend Vastav before he could get a shot off, and the others had moved forwards to secure their own prisoners. Three more joined the two covering the cult members, but they made no moves to cause trouble, instead huddling together on the steps of the house in fear and bewilderment.

The situation was soon fully under control, and Jim used his radio to call for an ambulance before crossing the courtyard to where Blair had Stevens on the ground.

"You okay?" he asked softly, his eyes conveying everything that his words could not.

Blair gazed steadily back at him. "Yeah, thanks."

Jim knew they'd have to wait until later to talk properly, but indulged in a brief squeeze of Blair's arm to let him know how relieved he was that his lover was okay. Blair offered up a small smile in return, but was then distracted by a low moan from the direction of the fallen Ailsa. Relinquishing control of Stevens to Jim, he sped to the girl's side and knelt down next to her, carefully turning her over.

From his vantage point several feet away, Jim could still see and hear everything that happened. Blair immediately put pressure on the wound in Ailsa's shoulder, eliciting another moan from her.

"It's okay, help's on the way. You're going to be fine," Blair murmured reassuringly.

In response, Ailsa glared up at him and spat directly in his face. "I thought you were one of us," she hissed, venom dripping from her tone.

Blair flinched physically from the attack, and Jim clearly saw the shock and anguish in his face at Ailsa's words. The situation might have been resolved, but it seemed the repercussions of Blair's time in the Circle would continue to affect all concerned for some time to come.

XXXXX

Later that night, Jim and Blair finally arrived back at the loft. They had let the Narcotics Division take charge of searching the compound and processing all the prisoners, but they had still had to file their reports with Simon before they were allowed home. Blair had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the whole evening, and Jim knew that Ailsa's reaction was weighing heavily on his mind.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Jim turned and gathered Blair in his arms. "I'm glad you're safe," he said. He felt Blair's arms come up around his back.

"Me too, man," Blair agreed. "When Stevens dragged me out from under that desk, I thought I was a goner."

Then he pulled out of the embrace and threw himself wearily down onto the couch. "What'll happen to the cult members?" he asked, his expression serious.

Jim crossed the room and sat down next to him. "They'll all get checked out at the hospital, and Social Services will try and trace their families, but most of them are over eighteen, so they don't have to stay in care."

"You should have seen their faces when Stevens told them I was a cop," Blair said quietly. "They all hated me so much." He turned his face to look at Jim, and Jim saw the despair in his eyes. "As far as they're concerned, I just destroyed their lives."

Jim took hold of Blair's arms and looked deep into his eyes. "What you did is exactly the opposite," he stated. "They may hate you now, but somewhere down the line they'll start thanking their lucky stars that you came along and stopped what Vastav was doing. He was manipulating their innocence to protect himself. That whole cult was a sham, and you stopped it before anyone got hurt. You should be proud of yourself, Chief - I know I am."

Blair managed a smile at that. "Thanks, Jim. I know you're right really, it's just hard not to feel like I betrayed them, especially Ailsa."

"I know," Jim said softly, then teased gently, "So, had enough of solo undercover for a while, have you?"

Blair's smile widened. "Enough for a lifetime," he replied. "Next time I decide to go play hero on my own, just say no, okay?"

"I believe I tried that," Jim protested, "and it didn't make a whole lot of difference, as I recall."

"Well, that's because I'm completely in control of this relationship, man," Blair teased back. "I've got you exactly where I want you."

"Oh, really?" Jim said. Then he repeated his actions from a few days before, pushing Blair down on the couch and pinning him with his body. "Exactly, eh?"

Blair grinned up at him as he leaned in for a kiss. "Yeah, exactly."

---

THE END