Written for: The Crossings Wheel (The third Sentinel Lyric Wheel)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sentinel (or in this case the characters or
concepts of Earth: Final Conflict) or have a claim on the characters or
concepts. We're just borrowing them for a while. I do, however, lay claim to
Danna Gaertner and her background save for any direct connection to EFC.
Rating: PG
Category: AU/Crossover Earth: Final Conflict
Author's Note: This is an AU for both the Sentinel and Earth: Final Conflict in
that a: Jim, Blair & Co are the same age in the EFC world as they would be in
the actual Sentinel Timeline and b: The canon I follow for Earth: Final Conflict
is selective at best. Namely, the 1st season canon is pretty much the only thing
you can depend on. In the 1st season we are led to believe (especially by promos
and some implied comments in the show) that Da'an is the Companion for the
United States not North America as the later seasons state. There are, according
to early promos, supposed to be a Companion for every country on Earth which
would eliminate jealousy and competition for their favor. That no country would
feel left out. Now Da'an may be the North American Companion overall as well as
the US companion but that wasn't the impression *I* personally got. Thus the
Original Character Companion that is mentioned in this story, and will appear in
later stories, is the Canadian Companion. Frankly, for purposes of story, it's
easier this way. As for Liam Kincaid and other sundry characters, I'm not sure
if they'll appear or not. I *know* none of the major characters introduced in
the most recent season will appear for I haven't seen that season so I don't
have any canon on them to work with. Oh yeah, and Boone...*G* Expect him to
stick around for a nice long time.
Summary: The widow of an old friend comes out of the past with an unique offer.
-------------------
Into the Lion's Den
by M. Edison
-------------------
*AC = After Companions
Cascade, Washington State
April 10 3AC*
Major Crime, Cascade Police Department
"I *hate* this, Simon!" Jim Ellison barked in frustration as he paced back and
forth before the Captain's desk.
"I know, Jim." Banks replied patiently, wishing fervently for a cigar. "But
there's nothing we can do. You go near him again and you'll risk violating the
restraining order, which means you'd lose your badge and that'd just be the
start..."
The Sentinel cursed and stalked to the window, staring out at the rain. "Alan
Millgram killed his partner, I *know* it..."
"Knowing it and being able to prove it are two very different things." Simon
sighed ruefully. "And you won't be the one trying. I'm sorry Jim, but you';re off
the case."
And that, as they say, was that.
Another case lost to him...another frustration to carry around, to nurse on the
dark nights. Another lost opportunity...
-----------------------
Two days later...
Sitting at his desk, Jim glared at the computer screen as if he could burn a
hole through simply by staring at it.
"You look like a man in need of a good fight - or heavy medication."
Surprised, Ellison looked up at the tall blonde now standing a few feet away
from him. "Dan?"
Danna Gaertner smiled as she walked over to the detective. "Hey Jim, good to see you."
Standing, Jim moved forward to hug her. "Good to see you too. How long has it been?"
Her smile faded. "Almost eight years....Since Jack's funeral."
Resting a comforting hand on her shoulder, Jim found his thoughts drifting back
to Danna's husband, Jack Macmillian - his demo expert. Jack'd been a real joker,
the guy guaranteed to keep the team's spirits up. The one who'd sworn he'd be an
eternal bachelor. Until, that is, he met Danna when her squadron of F22s flew
cover for one of their missions
A wry smile quirked around Jim's lips as he remembered Jack's unflagging pursuit
of the lady pilot. The smile dimmed slightly as he remembered Jack';s last words
- making him promise to watch out for Danna.
"So, how're you doing?" He questioned, stepping back to give Danna a critical
survey. "Still with the JAG Corps?"
"I'm good." Danna answered, then hesitated. "And not exactly..."
"What do you mean, not exactly?" Now that he thought about it, something was
different about Danna. She seemed weary, stressed, but more than that too. There
was something in her that he couldn't quite pin down.
The tall blonde sighed and looked around. "Got time for lunch?"
----------------------------------------
Harborfront Part
An hour later
"You! A Companion Protector?" Jim stared at Danna in shock - making the blonde
smile.
"Yes, me." Holding her right arm out, she pulled up the sleeve of her coat to
reveal the skrill on her forearm. "Protector to the Canadian Companion, Ja'el."
Ellison shook his head in disbelief. "You're serious...." He chuckled.
"Sandburg's going to kick himself for going to that seminar today - he's
fascinated by the Taelons."
"Sandburg?"
Realizing Danna had never met Blair, or even heard of him, Jim gave her an
edited version of how he'd met his best friend - telling her how Sandburg had
helped him get his head on straight after the SI war, and that they'd become
close friends because of it. Though he knew Danna could probably be trusted with
the Sentinel thing, Jim just didn't want to put more weight on her shoulders;
she seemed to have a lot on her mind as it was. Besides, he couldn't be sure the
Companions wouldn't be interested in his abilities.
There were rumours - rumblings in the intelligence world, according to Jack
Kelso, that the Taelons weren't the magnanimous saviours they purported
themselves to be.
And for those reasons, he wouldn't tell her.
"Well, depending on your response to my offer, your friend may have plenty of
opportunities to explore his fascination." Danna looked over at him with a
speculative expression.
"Offer?" Jim stopped walking and turned to look at her. "What offer?"
"Heard anything lately Jim? About the Taelons?" Danna frowned and hooked a lock
of hair away from her face. "Not everyone is happy about the Taelons being here
and some of them probably work in the military, possibly even for the Taelons -
there aren't many but they're out there. I need a chief of security, Jim, and it
has to be someone I can trust. Someone I'm sure of."
"Me." Jim put forward with a small smile.
"You." The Companion Protector agreed. "I don't expect you to say yes
immediately...take some time to think about it. Our main office is in Ottawa but
you wouldn't need to relocate. I can arrange for a shuttle to transport you to
and from the office, or we can set up a branch office for you in Cascade,
whatever you'd prefer."
"You've obviously done a lot of thinking about this. " The Sentinel paced away
and looked out at the harbor. "What about Sandburg?"
"Your friend, he's an anthropologist right?"
"Yeah."
"I could use him in Interspecies Relations and Ja'el has a great interest in
scholars." Danna paused before continuing. "Jim, I know this is completely out
of the blue but I';ve been debating this for a while now - trying to find the
right person for the job. Every time I eliminated another name off the list I'd
hear Jack in my head, telling me the one person I could always trust was Jim
Ellison. That if I ever needed help, I was supposed to go to you."
Finally Jim turned to look at her, smiling hesitantly. "I can't promise I'll say
yes, Danna but I do promise to at least give it serious thought."
The Companion Protector nodded and pulled a card out of her pocket. "This is my
global number, my home number's on the back as well, whenever you have an answer
or if you have more questions - just give me a call."
---------------------------
When Blair got back to the loft, he found Jim sitting on the couch with a photo
album in his lap. "Hey Jim..." The anthropologist smiled cheerfully as he hung
up his coat. "What's up?"
Ellison looked up at his friend. "A few things. How was the seminar?"
"Pretty good actually. The original speaker had to cancel so the replacement was
a Prof. from the U of T. Stefan Vandrey - he was incredible!"
Walking over to the couch, Blair leaned over to look at the album. "That your team?"
Both knew what team he meant; the team that Jim had taken with him on the
mission that had led to the crash in Peru where his enhanced senses had
resurfaced.
"Yeah, that's them." Jim turned a page and looked at the wedding photo of Jack
and Danna, with himself standing as the best man. "I had a job offer today."
"From who?" Blair asked, flopping down on the couch next to him.
"The Companions - the Canadian Companion to be precise." Jim pointed at Danna';s
picture. "Jack Macmillian's widow, Danna Gaertner, is the protector to the
Canadian Companion. She offered me a job as the security chief for Ja'el."
"You're serious?!" Blair's eyes widened in surprised shock. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it." Jim set the album aside and looked over at his
friend. "She also said there was a job open for you too, if you wanted it. In
Interspecies Relations."
"Me? Working for the Companions? Jim, is this for real?! I mean, is this Danna
completely on the level."
"Yeah, you working for the Companions. But just don't get too excited Chief, I
never said I was going to take the job." Standing, Ellison walked across the
room to where the tv/vid-phone/computer unit was set up in the corner and hit a
few touchpads - calling up the email Jack Kelso had sent him.
"Worried about your abilities?" Blair rose from the couch and walked over to
Jim. "That the Taelons will find out about them?"
"Yeah," Jim gestured to the screen. "Kelso sent me some information - nothing
concrete. Just bits and pieces, but it hints that the Companions aren';t as
angelic as they make themselves out to be."
Blair stood there, reading the information for several long moments. Finally, he
turned to look at his friend. "If any of this is true - its too risky to take
the job. For either one of us."
"Yeah." Thus said, Jim walked away with a troubled look on his face.
Confused, Blair quietly instructed the computer to close the file, before
turning to look at his friend. "So if its too risky, why do I get the feeling
you''re going to take the job anyway?"
Smiling wryly, Jim gestured at the photo album lying on the couch. "When we
crashed in Peru, Jack Macmillian, the teams demo expert, lived a few days longer
than the others. Before he died, he made me promise I'd look out for his wife."
"Danna."
"Yeah, Danna." He sighed heavily. "After I got back we kept in touch for a
while. But as things went, when I joined the police department, she transferred
into JAG. We just fell out of contact. Then the Taelons came and we lost touch
entirely."
"And now she's working for the Taelons and you're feeling guilty?" Blair sat
down on the stairs leading up to Jim's bedroom, watching his friend with a
compassionate gaze. "Am I right?"
"Bang on, for once." Jim flashed a grin at his friend. "And, yeah I am feeling
guilty. I know, intellectually, there's no reason - Dan's a grown woman and a
naval officer. She can take care of herself."
"But try telling the emotional side of you that," Sandburg supplied.
"Exactly. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the feeling Danna's in the
lion's den...and it's my fault she's there." Frustrated, the Sentinel stalked
across the living room to grab a beer out of the fridge. "But, I don't want to
drag you into this with me - it's too risky."
"Jim, if you're going to do this, then there's no way in hell I let you do it alone."
"Chief, my instincts are telling me there's more to this than Danna wanting a security chief."
"Meaning?"
"I know her Blair, Danna Gaertner's never been the type to trust blindly - not
even when it comes to those as apparently genuine as the Taelons. She mentioned
once that she's a firm believer in the saying 'if it looks to good to be
true'....Yet she's working for the Taelons, letting them put this
*thing* on her arm! On top of that, Danna tells me she doesn't want to chose a
security chief from personnel already working for the Companions, because she's
concerned about picking someone with Anti-Taelon sentiments...."
"You think she's got another reason?"
"I don't know..." Jim frowned. "I think so but I'm not sure - which is why I
don't want to drag you into this - if something else is going on, its too dangerous...."
"I don't care if it is or, if it isn't!" Blair argued, jumping to his feet. "If
you think its too risky for Danna to be there alone, then there's no way you can
expect me to let you do alone either. We watch each other's back, Jim! In Major
Crime or working for the Companions. We stand by each other. You know that."
With those words, Blair fell silent - staring steadily at his friend, his gaze
unwavering.
Jim stared back, and there was several long moments, he finally nodded.
"If you stand by me on this Chief, I can't really stop you but promise me, if
things do turn too dangerous...you'll get out..." Jim rested a hand on his
friend's shoulder. "I'll make arrangements - just promise me."
Understanding Jim's concern, Blair nodded.
This decided, Ellison sighed as a strange feeling of relief rushed over him at
having finally made a choice. "I'll let Danna know..."
--------------------
Danna Gaertner's office
Taelon Embassy
Ottawa, Ontario
When the MCI logo replaced Jim Ellison's face, Danna left her office and headed
for her shuttle parked on the roof
Jim and Blair had said yes. They would be commuting to and from Ottawa daily,
working on a more relaxed schedule than most. But the main thing was they'd said
yes.
She didn't know whether to feel guilty or relieved. Relieved that soon she
wouldn't be carrying the burden alone anymore, but guilty because she was
bringing two people, one of which she knew and cared a lot about, into a world
of danger and deception. The kind of danger where you took your life
in your hands every time you went to work.
Sighing, the leader of the Canadian Resistance, and Protector to the Canadian
Companion, got into her personal shuttle. She didn't know how Blair and Jim
would react to the truth, but she did know one thing.
She would protect them from the Taelons no matter what the cost - and there
was *always* a cost.
She wouldn't fail - she couldn't.
Stand by Me
(by: Ben E. King & The Drifters)
When the night has come, and the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we will see
No, I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, oh stand, stand by me...
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sentinel (or in this case the characters or
concepts of Earth: Final Conflict) or have a claim on the characters or
concepts. We're just borrowing them for a while. I do, however, lay claim to
Danna Gaertner and her background save for any direct connection to EFC.
Rating: PG
Category: AU/Crossover Earth: Final Conflict
Author's Note: This is an AU for both the Sentinel and Earth: Final Conflict in
that a: Jim, Blair & Co are the same age in the EFC world as they would be in
the actual Sentinel Timeline and b: The canon I follow for Earth: Final Conflict
is selective at best. Namely, the 1st season canon is pretty much the only thing
you can depend on. In the 1st season we are led to believe (especially by promos
and some implied comments in the show) that Da'an is the Companion for the
United States not North America as the later seasons state. There are, according
to early promos, supposed to be a Companion for every country on Earth which
would eliminate jealousy and competition for their favor. That no country would
feel left out. Now Da'an may be the North American Companion overall as well as
the US companion but that wasn't the impression *I* personally got. Thus the
Original Character Companion that is mentioned in this story, and will appear in
later stories, is the Canadian Companion. Frankly, for purposes of story, it's
easier this way. As for Liam Kincaid and other sundry characters, I'm not sure
if they'll appear or not. I *know* none of the major characters introduced in
the most recent season will appear for I haven't seen that season so I don't
have any canon on them to work with. Oh yeah, and Boone...*G* Expect him to
stick around for a nice long time.
Summary: The widow of an old friend comes out of the past with an unique offer.
-------------------
Into the Lion's Den
by M. Edison
-------------------
*AC = After Companions
Cascade, Washington State
April 10 3AC*
Major Crime, Cascade Police Department
"I *hate* this, Simon!" Jim Ellison barked in frustration as he paced back and
forth before the Captain's desk.
"I know, Jim." Banks replied patiently, wishing fervently for a cigar. "But
there's nothing we can do. You go near him again and you'll risk violating the
restraining order, which means you'd lose your badge and that'd just be the
start..."
The Sentinel cursed and stalked to the window, staring out at the rain. "Alan
Millgram killed his partner, I *know* it..."
"Knowing it and being able to prove it are two very different things." Simon
sighed ruefully. "And you won't be the one trying. I'm sorry Jim, but you';re off
the case."
And that, as they say, was that.
Another case lost to him...another frustration to carry around, to nurse on the
dark nights. Another lost opportunity...
-----------------------
Two days later...
Sitting at his desk, Jim glared at the computer screen as if he could burn a
hole through simply by staring at it.
"You look like a man in need of a good fight - or heavy medication."
Surprised, Ellison looked up at the tall blonde now standing a few feet away
from him. "Dan?"
Danna Gaertner smiled as she walked over to the detective. "Hey Jim, good to see you."
Standing, Jim moved forward to hug her. "Good to see you too. How long has it been?"
Her smile faded. "Almost eight years....Since Jack's funeral."
Resting a comforting hand on her shoulder, Jim found his thoughts drifting back
to Danna's husband, Jack Macmillian - his demo expert. Jack'd been a real joker,
the guy guaranteed to keep the team's spirits up. The one who'd sworn he'd be an
eternal bachelor. Until, that is, he met Danna when her squadron of F22s flew
cover for one of their missions
A wry smile quirked around Jim's lips as he remembered Jack's unflagging pursuit
of the lady pilot. The smile dimmed slightly as he remembered Jack';s last words
- making him promise to watch out for Danna.
"So, how're you doing?" He questioned, stepping back to give Danna a critical
survey. "Still with the JAG Corps?"
"I'm good." Danna answered, then hesitated. "And not exactly..."
"What do you mean, not exactly?" Now that he thought about it, something was
different about Danna. She seemed weary, stressed, but more than that too. There
was something in her that he couldn't quite pin down.
The tall blonde sighed and looked around. "Got time for lunch?"
----------------------------------------
Harborfront Part
An hour later
"You! A Companion Protector?" Jim stared at Danna in shock - making the blonde
smile.
"Yes, me." Holding her right arm out, she pulled up the sleeve of her coat to
reveal the skrill on her forearm. "Protector to the Canadian Companion, Ja'el."
Ellison shook his head in disbelief. "You're serious...." He chuckled.
"Sandburg's going to kick himself for going to that seminar today - he's
fascinated by the Taelons."
"Sandburg?"
Realizing Danna had never met Blair, or even heard of him, Jim gave her an
edited version of how he'd met his best friend - telling her how Sandburg had
helped him get his head on straight after the SI war, and that they'd become
close friends because of it. Though he knew Danna could probably be trusted with
the Sentinel thing, Jim just didn't want to put more weight on her shoulders;
she seemed to have a lot on her mind as it was. Besides, he couldn't be sure the
Companions wouldn't be interested in his abilities.
There were rumours - rumblings in the intelligence world, according to Jack
Kelso, that the Taelons weren't the magnanimous saviours they purported
themselves to be.
And for those reasons, he wouldn't tell her.
"Well, depending on your response to my offer, your friend may have plenty of
opportunities to explore his fascination." Danna looked over at him with a
speculative expression.
"Offer?" Jim stopped walking and turned to look at her. "What offer?"
"Heard anything lately Jim? About the Taelons?" Danna frowned and hooked a lock
of hair away from her face. "Not everyone is happy about the Taelons being here
and some of them probably work in the military, possibly even for the Taelons -
there aren't many but they're out there. I need a chief of security, Jim, and it
has to be someone I can trust. Someone I'm sure of."
"Me." Jim put forward with a small smile.
"You." The Companion Protector agreed. "I don't expect you to say yes
immediately...take some time to think about it. Our main office is in Ottawa but
you wouldn't need to relocate. I can arrange for a shuttle to transport you to
and from the office, or we can set up a branch office for you in Cascade,
whatever you'd prefer."
"You've obviously done a lot of thinking about this. " The Sentinel paced away
and looked out at the harbor. "What about Sandburg?"
"Your friend, he's an anthropologist right?"
"Yeah."
"I could use him in Interspecies Relations and Ja'el has a great interest in
scholars." Danna paused before continuing. "Jim, I know this is completely out
of the blue but I';ve been debating this for a while now - trying to find the
right person for the job. Every time I eliminated another name off the list I'd
hear Jack in my head, telling me the one person I could always trust was Jim
Ellison. That if I ever needed help, I was supposed to go to you."
Finally Jim turned to look at her, smiling hesitantly. "I can't promise I'll say
yes, Danna but I do promise to at least give it serious thought."
The Companion Protector nodded and pulled a card out of her pocket. "This is my
global number, my home number's on the back as well, whenever you have an answer
or if you have more questions - just give me a call."
---------------------------
When Blair got back to the loft, he found Jim sitting on the couch with a photo
album in his lap. "Hey Jim..." The anthropologist smiled cheerfully as he hung
up his coat. "What's up?"
Ellison looked up at his friend. "A few things. How was the seminar?"
"Pretty good actually. The original speaker had to cancel so the replacement was
a Prof. from the U of T. Stefan Vandrey - he was incredible!"
Walking over to the couch, Blair leaned over to look at the album. "That your team?"
Both knew what team he meant; the team that Jim had taken with him on the
mission that had led to the crash in Peru where his enhanced senses had
resurfaced.
"Yeah, that's them." Jim turned a page and looked at the wedding photo of Jack
and Danna, with himself standing as the best man. "I had a job offer today."
"From who?" Blair asked, flopping down on the couch next to him.
"The Companions - the Canadian Companion to be precise." Jim pointed at Danna';s
picture. "Jack Macmillian's widow, Danna Gaertner, is the protector to the
Canadian Companion. She offered me a job as the security chief for Ja'el."
"You're serious?!" Blair's eyes widened in surprised shock. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it." Jim set the album aside and looked over at his
friend. "She also said there was a job open for you too, if you wanted it. In
Interspecies Relations."
"Me? Working for the Companions? Jim, is this for real?! I mean, is this Danna
completely on the level."
"Yeah, you working for the Companions. But just don't get too excited Chief, I
never said I was going to take the job." Standing, Ellison walked across the
room to where the tv/vid-phone/computer unit was set up in the corner and hit a
few touchpads - calling up the email Jack Kelso had sent him.
"Worried about your abilities?" Blair rose from the couch and walked over to
Jim. "That the Taelons will find out about them?"
"Yeah," Jim gestured to the screen. "Kelso sent me some information - nothing
concrete. Just bits and pieces, but it hints that the Companions aren';t as
angelic as they make themselves out to be."
Blair stood there, reading the information for several long moments. Finally, he
turned to look at his friend. "If any of this is true - its too risky to take
the job. For either one of us."
"Yeah." Thus said, Jim walked away with a troubled look on his face.
Confused, Blair quietly instructed the computer to close the file, before
turning to look at his friend. "So if its too risky, why do I get the feeling
you''re going to take the job anyway?"
Smiling wryly, Jim gestured at the photo album lying on the couch. "When we
crashed in Peru, Jack Macmillian, the teams demo expert, lived a few days longer
than the others. Before he died, he made me promise I'd look out for his wife."
"Danna."
"Yeah, Danna." He sighed heavily. "After I got back we kept in touch for a
while. But as things went, when I joined the police department, she transferred
into JAG. We just fell out of contact. Then the Taelons came and we lost touch
entirely."
"And now she's working for the Taelons and you're feeling guilty?" Blair sat
down on the stairs leading up to Jim's bedroom, watching his friend with a
compassionate gaze. "Am I right?"
"Bang on, for once." Jim flashed a grin at his friend. "And, yeah I am feeling
guilty. I know, intellectually, there's no reason - Dan's a grown woman and a
naval officer. She can take care of herself."
"But try telling the emotional side of you that," Sandburg supplied.
"Exactly. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the feeling Danna's in the
lion's den...and it's my fault she's there." Frustrated, the Sentinel stalked
across the living room to grab a beer out of the fridge. "But, I don't want to
drag you into this with me - it's too risky."
"Jim, if you're going to do this, then there's no way in hell I let you do it alone."
"Chief, my instincts are telling me there's more to this than Danna wanting a security chief."
"Meaning?"
"I know her Blair, Danna Gaertner's never been the type to trust blindly - not
even when it comes to those as apparently genuine as the Taelons. She mentioned
once that she's a firm believer in the saying 'if it looks to good to be
true'....Yet she's working for the Taelons, letting them put this
*thing* on her arm! On top of that, Danna tells me she doesn't want to chose a
security chief from personnel already working for the Companions, because she's
concerned about picking someone with Anti-Taelon sentiments...."
"You think she's got another reason?"
"I don't know..." Jim frowned. "I think so but I'm not sure - which is why I
don't want to drag you into this - if something else is going on, its too dangerous...."
"I don't care if it is or, if it isn't!" Blair argued, jumping to his feet. "If
you think its too risky for Danna to be there alone, then there's no way you can
expect me to let you do alone either. We watch each other's back, Jim! In Major
Crime or working for the Companions. We stand by each other. You know that."
With those words, Blair fell silent - staring steadily at his friend, his gaze
unwavering.
Jim stared back, and there was several long moments, he finally nodded.
"If you stand by me on this Chief, I can't really stop you but promise me, if
things do turn too dangerous...you'll get out..." Jim rested a hand on his
friend's shoulder. "I'll make arrangements - just promise me."
Understanding Jim's concern, Blair nodded.
This decided, Ellison sighed as a strange feeling of relief rushed over him at
having finally made a choice. "I'll let Danna know..."
--------------------
Danna Gaertner's office
Taelon Embassy
Ottawa, Ontario
When the MCI logo replaced Jim Ellison's face, Danna left her office and headed
for her shuttle parked on the roof
Jim and Blair had said yes. They would be commuting to and from Ottawa daily,
working on a more relaxed schedule than most. But the main thing was they'd said
yes.
She didn't know whether to feel guilty or relieved. Relieved that soon she
wouldn't be carrying the burden alone anymore, but guilty because she was
bringing two people, one of which she knew and cared a lot about, into a world
of danger and deception. The kind of danger where you took your life
in your hands every time you went to work.
Sighing, the leader of the Canadian Resistance, and Protector to the Canadian
Companion, got into her personal shuttle. She didn't know how Blair and Jim
would react to the truth, but she did know one thing.
She would protect them from the Taelons no matter what the cost - and there
was *always* a cost.
She wouldn't fail - she couldn't.
Stand by Me
(by: Ben E. King & The Drifters)
When the night has come, and the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we will see
No, I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, oh stand, stand by me...