You Can Find Anything 10/?

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EARLY THAT AFTERNOON:

Sitting cross-legged and twirling a leaf in her fingers, Naomi gazed at the field of wildflowers and grass through half-open eyes and sighed heavily. Fatigue and melancholy weighed her down, and the argument she'd been having with her animal spirit didn't make her feel any lighter or any more willing to rise to her feet and concede to Aurelia's insistent demands. When the mare spoke again, Naomi glowered up at her, crumpled the leaf and began to shred it.

//// Naomi.... you cannot stay here. This is not your place. \\\\

//// I can't go back. I won't. \\\\

//// Your son and your Sentinel need you, Naomi. You need them even more. It's time to take your place in the ancient line. \\\\

//// Don't you understand? I failed the test... I'm not strong enough to be Peter's Guide. \\\\

//// You did not fail. You did precisely what was asked of you. You made the necessary sacrifice to see your Sentinel to the end of his journey. The act you are now contemplating, however.... it is not sacrifice. \\\\

//// I'm tired. I gave him all I had. I need to rest.... \\\\

//// No. You must not allow your fear and self-doubt to overwhelm you, Naomi Sandburg. The bond is formed, but it must be continually reinforced. Without you at his side, Peter will not survive. This is a critical time for you both. \\\\

//// You're saying if I let go.... Peter will die? \\\\

//// Perhaps. Or simply lose touch with reality. It has happened many times to Sentinels abandoned by their bonded Guides. \\\\

//// I... I have no idea what I'm doing. Blair had studied, he knew exactly what to do to help Jim.... \\\\

//// Granted, your son understood far more than most Guides at the time of bonding, but "exactly what to do" are not the words I would use at all. You know very well that their first few months together were difficult. Blair's enthusiasm met Jim's taciturnity and skepticism and....\\\\

//// Ka-boom. Head on collision, big fireball. I know. I'm sorry, Aurelia, but I can't help it if I'm frightened. I don't have Blair's knowledge.... his experience..... \\\\

//// Of course you do, just as Peter will have Jim's. Did you believe the two of them would simply walk away and leave you and your Sentinel to find your way alone? \\\\

//// No.... I just thought.... they have jobs, lives of their own.... \\\\

//// So does Peter. \\\\ Aurelia reminded her, lowering her nose for a brief, comforting nuzzle against Naomi's cheek. //// You have made your sacrifice, Naomi. Now the men in your life will do what is required of them. Come. It is time to awaken and lift at least one burden from your son's heart. \\\\

//// Alright. \\\\ Naomi replied, finally standing. She patted and stroked Aurelia's neck gently, using the connection to calm herself. //// If I need you, how do I find you? \\\\

//// The farewell scene at the end of "E.T." says it better than I can. Peace to you, Naomi..... \\\\

//// "E.T." ? What in the world is that supposed to mean....\\\\

Before she could cajole a straight answer out of the silver mare, the meadow dissolved and cool darkness curled around Naomi. As she slowly labored to regain consciousness, the sounds of the dojo gradually began to reach her ears, enticing her to open her eyes a little. Caine was at her side in a moment.

"Welcome back. Your journey was longer than expected."

"Y-you ever try to argue with a female horse?" she rasped, coughing slightly and trying to sit up. "I thought camels were the most stubborn beasts on earth...."

"Be still. You must rest."

"I've been resting. I need to see Peter...."

"He is well. You are not." Caine informed her. Concerned, she lay back down.

"What? I don't understand. What happened?"

"Your.... heart was strained. You will recover fully, but you must remain still."

"Yes. I can see how...."

Noticing Caine staring at her curiously, Naomi left the sentence unfinished. "Could I have a cup of tea?"

"Of course. Rest. I will return."

Naomi watched him go, then sat up again, laying both hands over her face. Despite Aurelia's assurances, she feared the weight that had been placed on her shoulders would prove to be too much. Though she tried to suppress it, a quiet sob escaped her, resulting in three men rushing to kneel or crouch beside her. Sensing she was no longer alone, she pulled her hands away from her eyes and the sob transformed into a laugh.

"Mom?! Thank God.... are you hurt? Are you in pain?"

"Naomi, are you alright?" Jim echoed, one hand on her arm, the other on Blair's shoulder. The smaller man had been deeply asleep, but somehow his mother's cry had reached him where he ran and played with Lobo and Blair had woken instantly.

"I'll be fine. Not in the next five minutes, but...."

"That's okay. As long as you're awake and talking to me, that's all I need right now...." he told her tearfully, hugging her. "I thought I lost you...."

"I'm tough, Blair. You know that. You won't lose me, honey, not anytime soon."

Out of the corner of her eye, Naomi saw Peter staring at her in wonder. Gently she extricated herself from her son's embrace and turned to the neophyte Sentinel, taking his hand. "It wasn't a nightmare or a fever dream, Peter. I'm real. All of it was real."

"I know. I can't wrap my head completely around it yet.... but I know I didn't make it all up."

"Give it time." Jim counseled. "Being what we are.... it's a process. You've got a lot of territory to cover, but you don't have to step off just yet, okay? Relax and catch your breath."

"We? We who?"

"Sentinels and Guides."

"Sentinel? What the hell's a Sentinel?"

"Later. Naomi needs to take it easy and the rest of us need to eat."

"I agree." Caine intoned, re-entering the small space with Naomi's tea. He handed it to her then turned to his son. "Take the others and go out to dinner. I will look after Naomi until you return. And Peter..."

"Yeah?"

"Telephone Mary Margaret before you leave."

"Skelany been buggin' the livin' hell outta you, has she?" Peter asked with a grin.

"Something like that." Caine confirmed. "We both worry about you doing foolish things. With good reason."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pop."

"Your confidence does not need my support. Go."

"Okay, okay. How would you guys feel about a couple thick porterhouse steaks with huge potatoes on the side, loaded with sour cream and bacon?"

"Sounds about right for a barbarian." Jim joked. "Blair?"

"I did promise Lobo I'd eat the minute I got up. I don't think he understands me going veggie so much, though."

"Lobo?" Peter asked

"Another topic for after dinner. Food first, deep philosophical discussion later."

"Yeah, but...."

The other two over-ruled him and, once his phone call was completed, ushered Peter out of the dojo and into a cab.

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TWO HOURS LATER

"That was awesome, Pete. They do a fantastic steak here." Jim commented, tossing his napkin onto his plate.

"Yeah. The veggie lasagna was terrific too. I'm gonna have to try that combo of bok choy and eggplant at home. Maybe add some cloud's ear mushrooms instead of the shitake...." Blair added.

"Not in my kitchen."

" *Our* kitchen...."

"One a'these days you need to write your own book. ' Don't Cry If It Blows Up: Surviving Disasters in Experimental Health Food '. "

"Watch it...."

"Guys.... we, uh... we should get back... see how Naomi's doing." Peter suggested through his laughter.

"Yeah. We've got some talking to do too." Jim reminded them.

"I haven't had dessert yet." Blair complained.

"I'll get you an organic, soy-milk ice cream cone on the way back, Darwin. Let's go." Jim teased.

"Very funny, Jim, but you know damn well it wouldn't hurt you to cut some of the fat out of your diet...." Blair countered, grabbing his jacket off the chair and striding after the other two, who walked several feet ahead.

"Does he do that kinda thing to you all the time?"

"Every chance he gets."

"And Naomi taught him to eat like that?"

"Uh-huh." Jim replied with a grin.

"Man. Pop's already on my back night an' day about my diet. I don't care who Naomi's supposed to be. Maybe she saved my life, but if she touches my stash of Doritos and Ben and Jerry's.... I'll have to hurt her."

Jim's only reply was a booming laugh.

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An hour later, the three men sat talking together on the floor in the main room of the dojo. After reassuring Blair myriad times that she would survive if he wasn't two inches from her side, Naomi had settled into a normal sleep. Caine had gone into his own quarters to rest as well, leaving only Blair, Jim and Peter awake.

So far the effort to convince Peter of his new status was proceeding very slowly, but he was finally beginning to accept what had happened to him and understand that his life would never again be what it was. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the change.

"It won't be the last one, trust me." Jim laughed. "You've got a lot to learn and even more to adjust to, but you can do it."

"I'm not half as sure as you are. I mean.... it's been less than a year since my father and I found each other again. I'm still feelin' my way back into his world.... tryin' to figure out how to be his son an' not lose what I've built with my adoptive dad. I don't know if I can handle this... Sentinel thing at the same time. Plus my work schedule is hell sometimes...."

"Hey, you think we don't know?" Blair chimed in. "I'm working on my doctorate at college, student teaching, working with Jim to help him through all his Sentinel stuff, plus I'm with him at the station as often as I can be. And my relationship with Naomi has never been lollipops and roses, man. My dad.... I never even knew who my dad was."

Peter looked curiously at Jim.

"Not yet. Maybe after I know you a few years you'll get the map to my family dynamic. As for the rest.... it is what it is. Besides Blair, only my Captain and one other detective know what I can do. Having to keep who and what I am hidden from everybody I work with, dealing with new sides to my power when they come up, keeping my emotions and my instincts in balance.... it's not what you'd call a walk in the park on a sunny day. Let's just say that between Blair and me, we've pretty much blown away the accepted definition of what's humanly possible."

Peter lowered his head for a moment, deep in thought, then raised and shook it, grinning lightly.

"Okay... overload on the horizon. I've absorbed about as much as I can for tonight." He said, standing and stretching. "Tell my father I went back to my place, wouldya? I may not see him for a couple days. I need to be by myself.... let everything filter."

"Sure, man. We get that. We've been through it." Blair told him, rising too and shaking Peter's hand. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. After work probably. About six.""

"Hope so." Jim added, moving slowly onto his feet as Peter walked out. He then looked to Blair, who had a strangely sad expression on his face. "What is it, Chief?"

"There's so much I wanna be able to tell them.... to warn them about."

"Like?"

"Don't set up a pattern of letting him blow off the training. It's too important and it may save both your lives down the road. Keep him in the world 'cause Sentinels can get too much in into their own heads and it's not always good for them. Then there's, ' Hey, Naomi. There's gonna come a time, probably a couple years down the road, when Peter pushes you away and acts like he can't stand to be around you anymore. You'll think he's being an oblivious jerk, but he doesn't mean it. It's a time of testing and you need to see it through together or neither one of you will make it out the other side.' Stuff like that."

The older man winced and grasped Blair's shoulders tightly. Jim knew precisely what Blair was describing and it was acutely painful to still hear so much tension and buried anguish in his young Guide's voice over an incident that was many months behind them. Jim knew that eventually all the sludge would come out and be dealt with, but at that moment neither of them were quite ready, so he let it go.

"You can't. Whatever their trials are.... they have to get through 'em on their own. That's how it works. Their bond has to be strong enough to handle anything. Like ours is."

Blair sighed deeply.

"Let's leave Caine a note with Peter's message and head back to the hotel, okay?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

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TBC.........