Ezra yawned and stretched, keeping his eyes closed as he rolled over to his side. Something tickled his nose and he reached up a hand to brush whatever it was away before it could wake him any further. When his hand brushed against something furry, he set an all time land speed record jumping to his feet.

"Yahh! What the …?!"

Blue. Everything was blue. And not a wall painted kind of blue either, because A: blue paint didn't glow and B: there wasn't a wall anywhere in sight.

"A….jungle? A blue jungle?" Ezra turned around but no matter where he looked, all he saw was trees, shrubs, vines, grass and more trees in a glowing shade of, "Blue?"

Something warm and wet touched his finger tips and once again the young Guide became slightly airborne as he jumped in surprise. Looking down he finally spotted a fox that seemed to be grinning up at him.

"A fox? That's not … wait a minute." Ezra relaxed as he finally figured out the truth. "This must be a dream. I didn't really wake up, I'm still asleep and dreaming. Not my usual style but then things have been a bit strange here lately."

"Yeah, and it just got a whole lot stranger."

Ezra recognized the voice as belonging to Chris Larabee and he looked over to see the man emerge from the jungle closely followed by a large horse. Ezra did a classic double take as he noticed Larabee's all black, gunslinger outfit complete with boots, hat and holstered six-shooter. He couldn't hold back a snicker as he spotted the silver spurs decorating the boot heels. "I have to admit, it does rather suit you. Going to a costume party?"

Chris hooked his thumbs in his belt and cocked his head to one side. "Could ask you the same thing. At least my outfit is actually kind of practical…."

Ezra frowned in confusion and then took the hint and looked down at himself. "Good lord! What am I wearing?"

"Looks like a pretty fancy getup to me. I don't think I've ever seen a real, red velvet jacket before. And that's a nice vest too."

"This….this is ridiculous. I look like a clown. And what is this?" Ezra pulled back the sleeve of his coat to reveal a metal frame strapped to his forearm with a small gun held securely in place.

"Uhm… That would be a derringer."

"A…?"

"Gun."

"What an absurd dream. I actually hope my alarm goes off soon so that I can wake up."

Chris shook his head and moved closer. "This isn't a dream Ezra."

"What? Of course it is a dream. How else do you explain the blue color, the strange clothes and the animals?"

"This is the Sentinel and Guide spirit realm. I came here once with….with Sarah right before our son Adam was born. This is a place our souls can visit in times of need."

Ezra shook his head in denial even as his fists clenched on the lapels of his jacket. "The only need I have is to leave this place."

"Guide, where is your Sentinel?"

A small part of Ezra's mind noted that if he kept jumping like this he should consider trying out for a basketball team. Meanwhile, the rest of his mind was busy taking in the appearance of the Japanese Guide Shaman he'd met briefly right after he and Vin had Bonded.

"I ask you again, where is your Sentinel?"

Ezra frowned in irritation and shrugged his shoulders. "Sleeping in his bed I would assume."

"No, remember this morning?" Chris walked up to stand at the boy's shoulder, his own eyebrows drawn together in thought. "You reached the hospital first. I got there after you and Vin had already been put in a room."

"I… but….when…?" The young Guide shook his head in confusion. Yes, he did remember that. Actually, he remembered waking up with a yell and leaping out of his bed. He knew that something terrible was happening to Vin and that he had to get to him immediately. The trip to the hospital was mostly a chaotic mess of people getting in his way and voices asking him questions he didn't have time to answer. Somehow he'd made it to Vin's side and after that ….after that…

"You fell into a very deep Bond." Miyazaki turned his dark glare to Larabee. "And you joined them. But where is he now, the Sentinel you both strove so hard to rescue?" The silk sleeve of his kimono fell back to his elbow as he gestured to the jungle that surrounded them. "You made this journey together and yet still you are separated. You are bound together and yet you are not truly Bonded."

"Now look," Chris lifted his hands and took a step back from the intimidating Guide. "I am all for Vin and Ezra strengthening their Bond but I'd just as soon be left out of it."

The sharp, hissing ring of a metal blade sliding free of its sheath startled both Chris and Ezra. Miyazaki's movements had been blindingly fast and until that moment, neither had noticed the long sword that hung at his side.

"You are a fool!" The words held the same sharp edge as the sword that now pointed to the Sentinel's throat. "The gods have presented you with a second chance to serve your tribe and clan. But even more than that, they have given you light to replace the darkness that fills your soul. Do not deny the slow death that has stalked you since the day your wife and child died. Here in this place there is only truth and it will be heard."

"Damn you. Damn! You!" Chris' hand fell to his gun and gripped it so tightly his knuckles popped with the strain. "I didn't ask for any of this. No second chances and definitely not to be stuck with two teenagers. I died the day that bomb exploded and all I've asked for ever since is revenge before I go to Hell. If the gods wanted to give me something, why didn't they give me that?"

"And who says that they have not?" Miyazaki moved his sword until it pointed to a barely discernible path through the wall of trees. "There is power here and potential for even greater power at the end of the journey. You have been given new resources, new weapons to aid you in your quest. Use them or not, the choice is yours." The Guide returned his sword to its sheath with a deadly grace that left no question of his complete mastery of the weapon. "But know this Sentinel; there will be no peace for you in either this life or the next if you turn your back on these two boys. Their souls are as ancient as your own and your spiritual paths have crossed many times over the centuries. If you are wise, this will not be the last such encounter."

The Shaman tucked his hands into the sleeves of his kimono and gave Standish one last command. "You have not lost your Sentinel because until now you have never had him. Follow the path and claim that which is yours by right. Only then will your journey truly begin."

A rustle of leaves drew the attention of Chris and Ezra and they both watched as a large, Japanese calico bobtailed cat stalked from the jungle and took its rightful place at the Shaman's side. The leaves moved again and a skittish young cougar followed the cat into the clearing. It tried to go to the Shaman but his spirit guide hissed and drove it back.

"Is that Vin's spirit guide?"

The cougar startled at the sound of Ezra's voice and hunkered close to the ground, its tail pulled in tight to its body.

Ezra looked to the Shaman for confirmation but the man and his guide were gone. He turned to Chris who nodded his head.

"I believe so."

The cat gave a halfhearted growl before slinking off into the jungle, taking the same path that Miyazaki had pointed out, with the other two spirit guides following close behind.

Ezra quickly ran through his options, or rather the lack thereof and finally shrugged his shoulders. "Well then, it would appear that a hike is in order."

Chris bowed his head and sighed in weary resignation. "I am getting way, way too old for this shit."

"Is cursing in this place a good idea?"

The Sentinel stalked toward the path as he answered. "It's a spirit plane, not fucking Disney World; curse, smoke, drink, piss, have sex, it's all been done here at one time or another. Hell, you can even kill and be killed here."

"But you still wake up, right?" Ezra followed Chris into the jungle which turned the light an even deeper shade of blue making it feel like twilight. Making it feel like time was running out.

"Depends. Sometimes what happens here is just a warning; sometimes it's a reflection of what's happening in real life. And sometimes the energies used here actually effect the bodies left behind."

"Effect? You mean like…?"

"Injury or death, those kinds of effects."

"I see." Ezra contemplated this information in silence for several minutes. On the one hand, the knowledge he was acquiring through actual Bonding with a Sentinel was advancing his Guide studies tremendously. On the other hand, a lot of what he was learning was downright terrifying. 'No wonder they don't teach this in school; given a choice, what child in their right mind would want to become a Guide?'

And speaking of knowledge, "Mr. Larabee, I wonder if you could explain something else to me?" Ezra missed the exact wording of Chris' reply as it was somewhat growled but the man's hunched shoulders and quickened pace was answer enough.

"Seeing as how you are constantly disparaging the educational benefits of my school, I would think that you would appreciate this opportunity to enlighten me further as to my duties as a Sentinel's Guide."

Chris didn't slow his pace but he did glance over his shoulder as he answered. "If you drop all the five dollar words you can ask me anything you want. Talking like that might impress your teachers and the other Guides at your school but they do jack for me."

"Hmph." Once again Ezra was torn between grudging respect and head bashing annoyance. Larabee took the direct approach to everything and always gave straight answers. And ever since that first night in the hospital, the young Guide no longer trusted the answers and explanations offered by his teachers. During the last few days Ezra had caught himself making a mental list of questions to ask the Denver Sentinel when they had time alone. 'Well, can't get much more alone than a spirit realm I suppose.'

"Why do I have a gun and why did Shaman Miyazaki have a sword?" asked Ezra.

"Defense."

Ezra rolled his eyes at the one word answer. "Excuse me but the Shaman looked like he was doing much more than simply defending himself. And we're Guides; aren't our Sentinels supposed to be protecting us?"

Chris' pace slowed and after a few moments he gave a small sigh before speaking. "Imagine this; instead of spiking this morning, Vin actually made it out of the hospital and back to the streets. Then before we can find him he Zones while in some back alley. While he's completely helpless a pedophile discovers him and carries him off to a secluded spot where he …."

Chris stopped talking and froze in his tracks when he heard the distinctive metallic 'click' come from behind him. He'd been waiting for just that sound and made sure to keep his movements slow and non -threatening as he turned. "Yeah, some things are just instinctual and it doesn't matter if you're the Sentinel or the Guide."

Ezra stared in disbelief at the gun sitting comfortably in his right hand. "I…I…didn't…"

"It's OK kid." Chris gently eased the gun to the side so it was pointing away from his stomach and then laid a comforting hand on the boy's trembling shoulder. "You did just fine. No harm, no foul."

"But…I could have sh…sh… shot you!"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Remember where we are. Here, let's see if we can figure out how to get this thing back up your sleeve before there's an accident."

It took a few minutes but between the two of them they eventually got it figured out. Chris kept talking the whole time, explaining what had just happened in clear but gentler terms than what he normally used.

"A Bond is a partnership between a Sentinel and Guide. Sure, most of the times the Sentinel is bigger and more aggressive than the Guide but I think that's more about genes than anything else. Sandburg could probably explain it better than me."

"But I can't fight! And I've never fired a gun!"

"Ezra, if Vin ever got into trouble, would you run off and leave him?"

"Never!"

"Well, there you have it."

"Does that mean I have to … learn to fight? And carry a weapon?"

"It wouldn't hurt for you to learn some basic moves. It's a well known fact that all Guides…" Chris had to pause a moment to gently set aside the sudden memory of his wife before continuing, "All Guides are trouble magnets. I imagine that goes double for teenagers."

"Hmmph."

"So yeah, learning to defend yourself is a good idea."

"Would you be willing to teach me?"

"Bad idea. I'm a lousy teacher; no patience whatsoever. Buck, on the other hand, he'd be great." And saying that out loud made Chris realize he was seriously considering taking the two boys back to Denver with him. With a deep sigh, Chris gave Ezra's sleeve a tug and nodded in approval. "There, that's got it. Now, let's go collect Vin so we can get back to the real world. I'm dying for a cup of coffee."

The two started walking again but mention of the 'real world' started Ezra wondering, "What do you suppose is happening with our bodies while we are here? The last thing I remember is grabbing Vin's hand in the hospital room."

"Probably still there, either sitting next to the bed or lying in it."

"You as well?"

"Probably." For some reason Chris felt a sudden desire to kick Buck's ass but shrugged it off as the feeling quickly passed.

A few more minutes of walking in silence brought them at last to a small clearing at the center of which sat a large, flat topped boulder. Ezra recognized instantly the figure sitting atop the stone and started to rush forward but Chris' hand on his arm held him back.

"Not so fast. Take a good look and tell me what you see."

Ezra jerked his arm free in annoyance as he answered. "I see Vin just sitting on a rock without his shirt on. Obviously he's OK and we've been worried for nothing."

"Yeah, now take a deep breath, remember you're a Guide and LOOK at your Sentinel."

Ezra frowned but did as he was told in hopes it would quicken their escape from the weird dreamscape.

"Fine. Vin is sitting perched on a rock with his knees drawn up and his arms wrapped around his legs. He is shirtless but it appears that he is wearing some kind of leather pants and he has a band around his upper left arm. His hair is pulled back with another leather band around his head." Ezra paused in his recitation as he finally grasped Vin's appearance. "Ah, now I see; he's dressed as an American Indian. There, satisfied? Have I passed the test?"

"Not even close kid." Chris shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously prepared to wait as long as it took for Ezra to get it right.

Ezra briefly covered his face with his hands and mumbled a near silent, "Why me?" before focusing his gaze once more on his Sentinel.

'My Sentinel. And I am his Guide. So what should I be seeing as the Guide to a Sentinel?' Ezra decided to start at the top of the silent figure and work his way down. 'Well, his hair does appear a little longer here than in the real world. Ears are normal. I can see every vertebra in his spine as well as each of his ribs.' Ezra made a mental note to himself to make sure Vin was getting plenty to eat. 'Alright, he's too skinny, his hair is longer and he's dressed like a Native American; surely that can't be all I'm supposed to see.' Looking down he noticed for the first time an odd shaped box and a bent stick propped up against the boulder. 'What are… ah, a quiver and a bow. Of course.'

"But where are the arrows and why is there no string on the bow?"

"Good questions. Why don't we go find out?"

Chris' voice startled Ezra out of his intense scrutiny. He hadn't realized he'd asked the question out loud but apparently that was the observation Chris had wanted him to make.

"Certainly but when we get home I think we need make sure he is getting plenty to eat. I don't think his ribs are supposed to show like that."

"Yeah, the senses can real play havoc with your appetite. Not to mention living on the streets. It should get better now that he has you."

Once again Ezra was caught up in a confusing mix of emotions; pride at being a Bonded Guide responsible for the well being of a Sentinel and complete terror for the exact same reason.

Chris led the way around to the front of the stone but a flash of metal caused both to hesitate a split second before approaching the young Sentinel. As they drew closer, Ezra saw that Vin held a very wicked looking blade in his right hand. It's narrow, modern design clashed jarringly with the boy's more primitive garb. And the way he staring fixedly at the blade sent a cold shiver of apprehension up Ezra's spine. And judging by his low growl, Chris wasn't too happy about it either.

"Vin," Ezra paused and cleared his throat as he realized he wasn't really sure what to say. "Ah, I've been looking for you. That is, Chris and I have been looking. For you."

"Well. Ya found me."

"What's with the pig-sticker kid?"

Vin looked up and his blue eyes flashed warningly as he met and held Chris' green glare.

"It's a gift. Old streeter named Mose gave it to me. Said every rat needed a final way out."

"Yeah? Why don't you tell Ezra what that means."

Vin's stare shifted to his Guide and then quickly away as his arms tightened around his knees.

"Not much to tell. On the street you live like a rat. Rats eat what they can find and run from trouble."

"And when they can't run? When they get backed into a corner?"

"They fight until they're free or they're dead."

"Or?"

"Ain't no 'or'. Not for me. Not then. Not now. Not ever."

Chris nodded as he got exactly the answer he was expecting. "Do you understand what he's saying Ezra?"

The young Guide did and he didn't like it one bit. The very thought of Vin taking that knife and… and….

"Give it to me." Ezra's tone of voice made it plain he would brook no argument and he held out his hand expectantly.

"What's it to you?" Vin snarled as he leaped to his feet and held the knife pointed at the pair confronting him. "Why is it any of your business what I do or where I go? Why do you keep pulling me back; showing me stuff I can't have? Why don't you just leave me the hell alone?" The knife wavered and the young Sentinel's voice shook as he blinked to hold back tears. "Why can't you… leave me … alone…again…?"

Ezra was shocked at the unexpected display of emotion. When he visited Vin to renew their Bond each day everything was always 'fine' or 'OK'. There had been no hint of unhappiness or anger; not even through their Bond. "What do you mean, 'stuff you can't have'? What things…"

"Ain't talking about things! I'm talkin' about a place to belong. Friends. Family. People that care..."

"You have a place Vin; with me. I'm your Guide and…"

"Not cause you want to be. I hear'em talking at night when they think I'm asleep or have all those dial things turned down. They all feel sorry for you; giving up everything to save me, the poor homeless kid. The dirty street rat. I even heard one say it would've been better if I'd died, then you'd be free to get a real Sentinel."

A flash of anger at the nameless 'they' made Ezra's hands tighten into fists; but his cheeks also reddened with shame as he remember his own thoughts when first arriving at the hospital. But things were different now and Ezra tried again to make Vin understand. "Well 'they' are idiots. I didn't sacrifice anything and you are not a dirty street rat. As for being a real Sentinel…"

"You are so full of shit! You don't care about me." Vin's mocking laugh rang through the clearing and was echoed by a growl from the cougar at his side. "You think I don't hear it in your voice every time you talk about your fancy school and your Guide friends? When you talk about your plans for practicing law. And don't try to tell me who or what I am; you don't know fuck about me!

"Well who in the hell's fault is that?!" Ezra shouted back as he finally gave in to his own anger, fear and frustration. "When we're together you don't say more than ten words in an hour! I ask you how you're doing and all I get is 'fine' or 'OK'. I talk about myself because you don't give me anything else to talk about. You want to tell me who you are and what you want to do then fine, I'm listening. But don't you stand there and tell me I don't care because damn it I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't care! Now give me the goddamn knife!"

Vin's stared in wide eyed amazement at the panting Guide standing below him. He licked his lips and slowly lowered the knife until it pointed at the stone beneath his feet. "You…you only care 'cause you're Bonded to me."

"Hah! It takes a lot more than a Bond to make me get out of bed before sunrise." Ezra stepped closer to Vin, his gaze never wavering. "It's true; I don't know anything about you but not because I don't want to. I'll listen to anything you have to say. And not because of the Bond. Talk to me. Give me a chance. I promise, I'll listen."

It was the truth; of that the young Sentinel was absolutely certain. There was a lot he didn't know about Ezra but this was one promise he could believe in. Vin dropped his head, giving in to his hopes and desires. It might be a mistake but he was just too tired to fight any longer. And if it was a mistake… there was still the final way out. "I want… I just want a place… to belong. And someone… someone that cares… about me." Dragging his arm across his eyes, the young Sentinel sniffed loudly and fought to rekindle some of his earlier anger to give him the courage to finish speaking aloud the pain in his heart. Meeting Ezra's eyes once more, he forced his voice to be steady. "I want someone that cares about me, Vin Tanner because of who I am; not what. Why did I have to meet you and become a Sentinel before anybody cared whether I lived or died? Why?!"

"I think…" Ezra paused and checked his own feelings carefully before continuing. "I think if I had seen you, before my kidnapping, I would have seen nothing more than a … a dirty, homeless teenager. I would have thought you were totally worthless and ignored you."

The hurt look on Vin's face was terrible and his grip on the knife noticeably tightened. Ezra held up a hand as he hurried to make his point. "But you would have done the same to me. You would have taken one look at my clothes and my friends and decided I was just a rich snob."

Vin thought about that for a moment then ducked his head and gave a small nod. "And spoiled." Looking up, Vin's lips twitched slightly as he added to the description.

"And spoiled." Ezra nodded in agreement.

"And arrogant."

"Yes, thank you. I think I've made my point." Ezra chuffed and shook his head. "Look, the thing is you're just as guilty at jumping to conclusions as I am. And the facts are that neither one of us is worthless and we are both more than just Guide and Sentinel. I think we've let this whole Bonding thing get in the way of actually getting to know each other. And if no one cared about you before you went online as a Sentinel; well, it was because no one really knew you."

"Because no one wanted to."

"Because you hadn't met the right people."

Vin thought of all the people he had met since finding Ezra in the warehouse and what it felt like to be with them. Then he imagined what it would be like to never see them again. Deciding it was worth taking the risk, he nodded and jumped down from his rock, landing lightly on his feet in front of the older boy. Turning the knife over in his hand, he snapped the blade shut and held it out to Ezra. "Guess I don't really need this. Not here anyway."

Ezra solemnly accepted the blade. "Not here and not back in the real world either."

"Yeah, well, reckon we'll have to wait and see about that." Vin turned and looked at Chris who had waited patiently for the two boys to reach an understanding. "Guess we'll be heading back now, huh?"

"Soon; first I've got a few questions I'd like answered."

Vin shrugged his shoulders. "Shoot."

Chris gestured at their surroundings. "You seem to be handling this pretty well. Have you been here before?"

"Once, with my grandfather." Vin smiled wistfully at the memory and reached down to scratch his much calmer cougar spirit guide on the head. "He weren't my real grandfather, but he took me in for a while when I was about ten. He was an Indian living in a shack on a reservation in Livingston, Texas. He brought me here on a spirit walk right before he died."

"He was a Guide?"

"Maybe. He talked about Guardians of the tribe and Shamans. He did tell me I had an animal spirit guide and one day I'd find it. Looks like he was right about that too."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "You should pass that on to Sandburg; I bet he'd have a field day with it."

Vin shrugged his shoulders, "I guess so. Tried talking about it to some social workers once but they just wanted to test me for peyote."

"Yeah, well I think you'll find a more receptive audience now." Frowning, Chris finally asked the question that had been preying on his mind since the moment he'd woken up with an angry horse spirit looming over his bed. "Vin, what were you doing, trying to sneak out of the hospital this morning?"

"Yes, where were you going at such an ungodly hour?"

Shrugging his shoulders again, Vin began toying with a piece of leather fringe as he reluctantly answered both questions. "Was heading back out to the streets. Didn't see Ezra at all the day before so I figured he had those shield things working right and didn't really need me anymore. Didn't want to go to juvie or wherever it is Sentinel minors get put until they age out. And you gave me a twenty dollar bill and that would have kept me fed for a while so... yeah..."

"Twenty...? Vin, did you actually hear what I said when I gave you the money or was that dial turned completely down?"

"I, uhm, might have missed … a word .. or two."

"Or all." Chris shook his head. "I gave you the money and suggested you check out the gift shop in the hospital for something to read or do in case you were getting bored. You're not going to juvenile hall or any other institution. You're a Bonded Sentinel now and even if you weren't..." Chris paused as he shied away from the thought that had suddenly intruded. "Even if you weren't there are people who know you now and care what happens to you, Vin Tanner."

"Look Vin, when we wake up, things will have to be different. You've got a lot to learn and you'll need to spend more time working with Ezra. But that doesn't mean you have to just blindly follow directions. Ask questions and if you hear something that bothers you; tell me or Ezra or Buck or any of the others working with you. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"And don't even think about going off on your own again."

Vin smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, reckon that was a bad idea."

"Bad doesn't even begin to cover it." Chris placed a hand on each boy's shoulder and pulled them closer. "For better or worse, we three are stuck with each other for a while and that means we look out for each other. And looking out for each other means we take care of ourselves because if one of us goes down, he can take the others down with him. That's probably the one big liability in a Bond."

The two boys solemnly nodded their heads in understanding.

"Right, then what say we wake up and get this day really started?"

"Wait." Ezra looked to the rock where the bow and quiver still rested. "What about those?"

Vin walked over and gathered the items up. As he slung the strap for the quiver over his shoulder, arrows with black fletching suddenly appeared. And the bow he clutched in his right hand sported a taught string, ready to be drawn. "Used to be a pretty good shot with a real one of these."

"I'll bet you still are. Maybe you'll get a chance to show us one of these days." Chris smiled as he watched Vin stand straighter and hold his head up proudly. "OK, time to blow this pop stand."

"Yes, and exactly how does one do that?"

"Simple, just open…"

"…your eyes. That's it Ezra, you can do it."

"Huh…wha…?"

"Hmm, not your usual articulate self but all things considered not too bad." Dr. Hanson helped the young man sit up and then held a cup of water to his lips. "Here, drink this and then try talking."

Standish blinked in confusion but did as he was instructed; his gaze darting around the hospital room as he swallowed. "Well, that was easy."

Dr. Hanson gave a small snort of amusement. "If you consider anything about this morning as easy, I'd hate to see what gives you a challenge."

"I meant leaving the jungle. I'd thought it would be a lot more involved." Ezra finally glanced down at the bed he was sitting on and found what he had unconsciously been looking for. Curled up at his side, Vin appeared to be peacefully asleep. "Is he OK?"

"He'll do but don't be surprised if he sleeps for a few more hours. The rest will do him good."

Ezra nodded his understanding as he tugged the covers higher on Vin's shoulder. The doctor turned away from the bed to hide her smile and the embarrassing tears that had unexpectedly appeared. 'First time for everything,' she thought to herself.

"Is Mr. Larabee still here?" Ezra eased off the bed, tucking the loose blanket in as he left.

"Ahem. Yes, he's in the conference room next to my office talking to Shaman Miyazaki."

"Thank you." The young Guide headed for the door but only managed three steps when a faint whimper had him flying back to the bed. "What is it?! What's wrong with him?"

"Shhh, it's alright. He's only reacting to you leaving. He probably has at least two senses latched on to you right now." Dr. Hanson calmed Ezra down even as she firmly steered him to the chair next to the bed. "So actually now is not a good time to leave him alone."

Ezra watched as Vin did appear to settle back into a deep sleep with the closeness of his Guide.

"But, I need to talk to Mr. Larabee. And what about my classes?" Ezra looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already going on noon. Before Dr. Hanson could answer either concern, the door opened admitting Blair Sandburg into the room.

"Oh great! I was hoping you'd be awake." The Senior Guide Prime grinned as he fairly bounced into the room carrying his laptop in one hand and a large, take-out food bag in the other. "Hope you like subs. I thought that would be the safest choice to go with and you don't have to worry about the food getting cold. Jim is getting us some water but if you would rather have a soda just say so; I'm sure he's listening in."

Ezra did a fair impersonation of a deer caught in the headlights but quickly regained his composure. "Water and sandwiches are fine but I was just explaining to the doctor that I really need to …"

"Stay with your Sentinel." Blair finished for him as he set up the food on the rolling table next to the bed. "Yeah, see Shaman Miyazaki kind of pointed out some areas in your training that could use a little improvement."

Dr. Hanson laughed outright at the understatement. "And on that note, I think I'll go check on the patients that really need my attention."

Blair gave a small wave as he finished laying out the food. "See, you and Vin haven't been spending enough time with each other. Normally a newly Bonded Prime pair takes a week or two off to devote themselves to learning everything there is to know about each other while strengthening their Bond."

Ezra accepted his sandwich, nodding his head in agreement. "Yes, the so called 'shake down' period."

"Or honeymoon." Blair laughed at the shocked look on the boy's face. "Relax Ezra, it's just a euphemism. Anyway, the problem is, we were all thinking that we could just wait until Vin was well enough to leave the hospital and then kind of stick you two together somewhere. But despite your ages, you're both Primes and our plan, as it turns out was a very bad one."

Ellison picked that moment to arrive with the bottles of water so further discussion was put on hold until after lunch. Ezra surprised himself by finishing his sandwich before the two men but Blair explained about the energy he actually used while in the Spirit Realm.

"You probably burned more calories there then you would in a forty minute workout. It takes real energy to visit the Spirit Realm and you three were there for a couple of hours."

"Really? It didn't seem like that long." Ezra looked to his sleeping Sentinel as he spoke. "Is he going to be alright? I don't think he had the energy to spare for something like that."

"He's going to be fine; Shaman Miyazaki made sure of that." Ellison gathered up the sandwich wrappers and empty bottles as he spoke. "And speaking of the Shaman, I'd better go check on Denver, he didn't seem too happy when he woke up."

Blair laughed as he opened his laptop. "Not happy? Now that's an understatement."

Remembering back to their encounter with Miyazaki in the Spirit Realm, Ezra frowned in concern. "You don't think he would try and hurt the Shaman, do you?"

"Nope." Jim paused in the open door as he spoke. "Larabee may be a short tempered, stubborn son of a bitch but he's not suicidal."