I don't own it.

Edited: 1Apr19

Chapter 13

Blair turned slowly, wishing with the depths of his heart that he had imagined the voice he just heard, but no. There, sitting casually on the stairs to the sixth floor as though he was visiting an old and good friend was Dr. Hedrick. Blair couldn't seem to find words to speak as he struggled to understand just what the man was doing there, at Jim's apartment.

Dr. Hedrick didn't seem uncomfortable at all in Blair's silence, instead continued on like it was another chat within the college halls. "Fancy finding you here. I knew you had been spending more time with the detective from my inquiries, but I hadn't realized exactly how much until just now."

Inquiries? That wasn't good. "What are you doing here?" Blair blurted out. He almost flinched at the shock in his voice, the utter bafflement of what to do with this unforeseen circumstance. Jim had told him to keep his head in situations like this, told him how far bluffing your way through an unfavorable situation could get you when no salvation seemed possible. He desperately tried to rally the carefully built façade he'd developed to throw others off the track, though this time he wasn't so sure if it would work, not with this man.

"Oh, I came to talk to Detective Ellison, but he doesn't appear to be home," Hedrick said, standing up and sliding his hands into his pockets.

"He had some work to finish up," Blair said with a shrug, "I'll let him know you dropped by." Oh boy, will I let him know.

"I don't mind waiting," Hedrick said in a reassuring tone as he side stepped Blair and moved through the open door before Blair could stop him. "I don't have anything else planned for tonight so my time is free to wait on the Detective. I am quite anxious to speak with him."

"You could always use the phone," Blair muttered, as he stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind them. He had to find a way to make Hedrick leave before Jim got back.

"Some things need to be discussed in person," Hedrick replied amiably. He strolled around the living room taking in the decorations and space with interest. Blair noticed how his eyes lingered on the heavy drapes that framed the windows.

Making a quick sweep of the room, Blair was thankful to see Jim had hidden away all of the white-noise generators. At first, he hadn't understood Jim's need to hide things even in his own home, but now he was grateful for Jim's foresight. No doubt, the man had been planning for a situation exactly like this. Turning back to the doctor, Blair tried to go over everything Jim said he should do when he met Hedrick next. He'd gotten used to covering up at the police station, but those men weren't looking for anything and it was always easier to hide something when no one was looking for it. Dr. Hedrick, Blair could tell from the man's close scrutiny of the apartment, was looking for something, something Blair had inadvertently tipped him off to, unfortunately. That, plus the man's sudden appearance here of all places, had Blair very badly off balance.

But this was Blair's fault. He needed to fix it.

Blair took a silent, deep breath to steal himself before starting. He could either end this now or blow it completely. "Jim is a very private person, he won't appreciate you coming into his home uninvited." He moved to the couch and dropped his backpack down, keeping one eye on the doctor at all times. Act as though nothing is wrong, he recited to himself, don't get too defensive too soon, find an opening for it.

"Luckily, I have a chaperone," Hedrick shot a tight lipped smile at Blair. "Besides, I really am eager to talk to the detective."

"What do you need to talk to Jim about that's so desperate you have to come into his home without his permission?" Blair asked as casually as possible. He turned to face Hedrick, arms crossing over his chest.

Hedrick turned to regard Blair for a moment, as if debating something himself. "I've been looking into that theory you had earlier. It occurred to me that you might have found someone at the police station who fit the bill and let's face it Blair, you have been spending quite a bit of time with Detective Ellison."

"He's my liaison," Blair said with a roll of his eyes, "Of course I spend time with him. That's the point of a liaison. Police stations are closed societies so if I manage to become close to the people I work with there, it means I'm doing my job right, as an anthropologist."

"You have a key to the detective's apartment." Hedrick cocked his head. "That's more than just becoming friends with him."

"My place needs fumigating. I thought it would be interesting to observe a cop's life at home as well as at the office. It's not something specifically mentioned in my study, but no one talks about it in any study, really. I took a chance and asked around. Ellison had a spare room," Blair leaned in with a sly grin, "but don't tell him about the study idea. It took all the cajoling I had to let me crash for a few weeks. Like I said he's very private." Actually, that would be an interesting study, Blair thought briefly, but turned his attention back to Hedrick. If he could keep the doctor's attention on him and the conversation until Jim got back, then he could hand over damage control to someone with more experienced. As long as Hedrick didn't go snooping this was still salvageable.

Hedrick chuckled, "Your secret is safe with me. "According to Captain Banks, you asked for Ellison specifically. Why is that?" the doctor asked. His tone was still amiable but there was something more to it too much like a trap spider waiting for a chance to strike.

"We met in the elevator on the way up," Blair answered honestly. This was an interrogation. It was a pleasant one but he'd seen enough of them at the station to recognize it. He needed to turn the conversation around. "I really can't say when Jim's going to get back. Things were crazy today with one thing after another. When I left, he was still finishing up paper work and might be at it for another couple of hours. It'd be better if you just came back sometime when he was actually home. Set up an appointment to meet him, instead of just showing up out of the blue and uninvited."

Dr. Hedrick wasn't listening. He turned back to the curtains and examined them much closer. He flicked them out and watched the dark shadows they cast on the floor. From the curtains, he turned to the cabinet and before Blair could say another word had the door open and was peering into the contents. Blair scowled at the blatant invasion in privacy, pushing back the memory of his own snooping a couple of weeks previous. The situation had been completely different, after all, Blair said to himself.

Clearly, politeness and distraction were not working. Blair stepped up to the cabinet and snapped the door shut, almost clipping the doctor's nose with the sudden movement. He crossed his arms tight over his chest and tried to make himself look as intimidating as possible, though somehow he felt the effect was not as impressive as when Jim did it.

"Is there a reason why you're searching Jim's private home?" Blair asked with righteous indignation.

"He's a Sentinel, isn't he?" Hedrick said, a gleam of triumph in his eye, "That's why you requested him as a liaison. You could tell there was something different about him."
Blair stiffened at the sudden direction of the conversation, the doctor's accusation making his thought processes skip for a moment. He schooled his features, hopeful he hadn't let anything show, and went back to Jim's advice in his head. The man wouldn't believe an outright lie at this point so Blair figured a half- lie would be the safest course.

"I thought when I first met Jim that he might have some repressed abilities, but it wasn't long before I realized he's not a Sentinel, not really," Blair said, sounding as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. The doctor looked at him with flat, unbelieving expression that flicked back to the cabinet behind Blair. Realizing what Hedrick had seen Blair continued on in an exasperated tone, "Jim has sensitive hearing. Not up to Sentinel standards, but strong enough to give him an edge in the field and also give him migraines." After a brief pause, Blair decided to throw in for good measure, "I'm working on a new theory. I think it's possible Sentinel abilities are becoming increasingly diluted in the population. People are getting one or two of the senses, but not all five, hence our difficulty in finding full blown Sentinels because there just aren't as many anymore. They're not needed as a full package so they're coming out in piecemeal, so to speak."

Blair forced his shoulders to relax, willing himself to look confident and assured in the improvised theory. Actually, it wasn't a bad idea to look into. Hedrick for his part seemed to be considering the idea. He didn't look convinced, but he furrowed his brow in consideration and that was what Blair needed. Just a little bit of doubt could grow and blossom into disbelief. It was like what Jim had said, he didn't need to convince the man right here and now. He just needed to nudge him in the right direction.

"I suppose it's possible," the doctor grudgingly agreed. He turned and paced a few steps away. "I don't believe it, but it is possible. He should still come down and take the tests. It's the best way to know for sure."

"I already gave him a few tests when I first met him and I found exactly what I just told you. His hearing is above average and he has very good eyesight, but not a Sentinel," Blair said with an exaggerated sigh, "Going down to the GSC would be a waste of time. I'll suggest it but I know what he'll say."

"Nonsense, it's standard procedure. Unless," Hedrick paused, turning to Blair again. "You're covering for him, helping him hide. It wouldn't be that surprising, there's a very long waiting list for Guides without a Sentinel. Now you have one all to yourself. Keeping one to yourself without telling anyone would be selfish, don't you think?"

Blair rolled his eyes, channeling his dramatic teenaged self. "Oh come on, paranoia doesn't suit you, Doc." The doctor was skating far too close to the truth for comfort and Blair hoped he was putting on an award winning performance to deter him. Blair was so focused on Dr. Hedrick he didn't notice the door open or the cloud of anger that followed until a loud cough interrupted him. The two turned to find Jim standing in the doorway, a dark, stormy expression on his face to match the anger and fear filling the room like invisible smoke. Blair let out a breath of relief while at the same time feeling his heart sink with dread at Jim finding them in his apartment. Jim would know how to handle the situation better, but Blair didn't even want to think on how it all looked.

Rallying his nerve, Blair stepped forward. "Jim," he said with a strained smile. He cleared his throat before continuing, hoping to head off any unfortunate misunderstandings. "This is Doctor Hedrick. He stopped by unexpectedly just now."

Jim's eyes shifted to the doctor and nodded almost unperceptively. His steady gaze was hardly friendly but there hadn't been any decapitations just yet. Blair took that as a good sign and pressed. "The doctor here thought there was a chance that you could be a Sentinel," Blair tried to chuckle at the ridiculous notion, it came out more nervous than he wanted, "but I explained how only your hearing and maybe sight is above average."

Blair's eyes flicked over to the doctor, hoping his tone was reasonable enough to give the impression that this was normal while also getting the message across to Jim. The frosty glare on Jim's face said he got the message but that he didn't like it one bit. Jim finally stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him though he didn't run through the usual ritual of putting away his keys, jacket, and weapon.

"Yes, Blair was just explaining to me a theory he has about handing down senses in singles or pairs rather than the whole set," Hedrick said casually, if he noticed the tension in the room he didn't let on as he placed both his hands into his pockets again. "Tell me, what do you think about the whole thing, Detective Ellison?"

Blair held his breath before forcing himself to exhale normally, feeling the stress of the situation at hand. Hopefully, Jim had overheard most of their conversation and would be able to reply as though he and Blair had spoken on the subject before now. Jim regarded the doctor with the same cold scowl he gave most people, something Blair realized he hadn't received in a while. The thought warmed his heart, but he didn't have time to dwell on the matter as he studied the two other men in the room.

Looking again at Jim, Blair was relieved to see the detective's ability to control his emotions so well. The man was cold and stiff and scowling, but he was always that way. He had a reputation for being that way on normal days so any tension he now felt could be easily hidden in his normal demeanor. If Blair hadn't known better he would have thought Jim was nothing more than annoyed, perhaps a little angry, at finding an intrusive stranger in his home, but Blair could feel the anger, anxiety, and fear rolling off the man. More than that, Blair knew Jim on a personal level now. He knew even without picking up Jim's emotions that the man's mind was spinning at a million thoughts per second, analyzing the situation, the best approach to take, the dangers and risks with each course of action.

"In all honesty, doctor," Jim said in a measured and deliberate tone void of any emotion, "I've never had much interest in the subject. In fact, I distinctly remember telling Sandburg off for distracting me with his academic rambling."

"That's too bad. It's an interesting proposition, though I don't believe a word of it. You see he's attempting to explain away your exceptional hearing and sight as a singular traits passed down in lieu of an entire set of Senses. He suggests that this might be the cause for the sudden drop in Sentinels in the past two decades."

Jim's eyes shifted over to Blair for a moment before turning back to the doctor.

Hedrick strolled back to the thick curtains that hung over the windows. He fingered the edge, testing the thickness between his fingers as he spoke. "In my professional opinion, though, I find it highly unlikely that a person would receive only one or two senses elevated to the level suggested by your white noise generators so carefully hidden in that cupboard. I would suggest that only one sense has truly surfaced, and the others are still dormant. That…or you are trying to hide your abilities," Hedrick stared at Jim.

"Doctor," Blair admonished with a huff and a deep frown, "I doubt Detective Ellison would actively hide abilities that could help the department. Look at his record! He's given more time to the department than anyone else there. It's clear where his priorities lie."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe a Guide whom appears to have been helping this man hide at least one heightened sense," Hedrick's tone remained polite, though the words took a distinctly snide turn. He turned toward Blair, completely disregarding Jim's presence and continued emphatically, "This man owes it to society to employ his abilities to help others and in return society owes it to him to protect him from the dangers he is vulnerable to because of those abilities."

Blair could see Jim's expression pinch at being spoken about as though he weren't there. He probably would have stiffened even further if his body hadn't already been as tense as a rope.

"There's no law that says a Sentinel has to reveal himself," Blair argued back not sure if he wanted to waste everyone's time arguing about the philosophy of the subject with a man who had already made up his mind. "That's doubly true if a person only has one or two above average senses. It would be a waste of resources having every person that might have better eyesight or hearing or taste or anything come in to take the tests."

Hedrick dismissed the fact with a wave of his hand, "There is no written law, not yet, at least. That will change soon enough when people realize that there are Sentinels hiding themselves among normal people. Think of the risk they're putting themselves to without proper help, and the many public services and professions that need Sentinels but don't have them. When people find out the legislation will go through that much quicker." Hedrick finally looked back to Jim, though clearly still talking to Blair, "But that's a mute point at the moment, we can clear up our disagreement with a few simple tests down at the GSC."

"I think I'll pass," Jim said, a growl underlying his words, "I've got far more important things to do with the little down time I get than come down to your GSC and waste my evening. It's been a day and half as it is so I need you to get out of my home." Jim turned and opened the door for the doctor to leave.

The doctor shook his head as he moved away from the two, "Nonsense, it won't take too long. It's after official hours but there's always staff available for emergencies or these types of situations and that will make it go all the more quickly."

Hedrick turned to the phone placed on one end of the counter. Blair shot Jim a panicked look as the doctor lifted the receiver. Jim held up a hand as he closed the door again, stopping any protests from spilling out of Blair's mouth. In one smooth motion, Jim drew his pistol, stepped up behind Hedrick and clocked the doctor hard across the head.

Blair stood in shock as Doctor Hedrick crashed to the ground, taking the phone and a bowl of fruit with him. Apples rolled across the floor, bumping over the tile with muted thuds. Jim calmly stepped over the body, lifted the phone and replaced it on the cradle, silencing the dial tone in the otherwise quiet apartment.

It took several minutes for Blair to recover from the shock of what had just happened, and even then it was Jim's resigned, "Well, I guess that's that," which fully snapped Blair back to the present. He looked up from the unconscious body, but Jim was already on the stairs and disappearing into his room.

"Jim?" Blair said, glancing one last time at Hedrick before he moved to follow. "What do you mean, 'that's that'? Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" He ran up the stairs stopping in the doorway at the sight of Jim packing. "What are you doing?" he demanded, voice strident as he tried to keep up with events spiraling out of control.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Jim snapped, stuffing some shirts into a duffle, "It's over, I'm out." He threw some jeans and other clothes down on the bed and pulled an already packed military rucksack out from the closet.

Blair shook his head, stubbornly refusing to believe what has happening. "It's not over. We can still work this out. Yeah, it'll be more complicated now that you assaulted Hedrick, but…but we can tell him he tripped or something."

Jim shot him a disbelieving look and continued packing. Angrily, Blair stormed farther into the room blocking Jim from his bag. "I'm sure he won't remember how it actually happened. Then, you can fake the test, fail it on purpose-"

"You can't fake those tests, Blair. A couple years ago you could, but they've gotten too go now at forcing things out of you. I've heard what those tests are like now," Jim almost yelled, staring Blair down, he continued in earnest, "You know you can't fake them. If I go in there to take any test I won't be coming out again." He side stepped around Blair and pulled the bag closer, stuffing in some pants.

"We can talk to Hedrick, explain-" Blair said, more out of desperation than anything else.

Jim paused a moment to ask, "Do you really think that will work?" He turned back to the half packed bag, "I've met people like him before. He's not going to let this go and he's not going to forget it. By all rights, if I really want to keep my life I should just kill him, dispose of the body where no one will find him and pretend like none of this happened."

The blood drained from Blair's face and he stammered, trying to find a response for that.

Shaking his head, Jim reassured him. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill him, but one of us has to go. Since I'm not willing to commit murder to keep this up, it's got to be me."

Blair got angry then, well and truly angry. After weeks of getting to know Jim, slowly earning the man's trust, watching and helping him hide, he'd seen another side, another way to do things. Sentinels didn't have to be frail and vulnerable to the outside world. There was a healthier, stronger partnership available between Sentinels and Guides if they only changed their approach. He was convinced they could improve the way things were, he wasn't sure how but it was worth the try. Now, that opportunity was crumbling before his very eyes.

"So you're just going to give up," Blair said, throwing his hands up as he fumed, "After everything you told me about not flinching and bluffing your way through a bad situation. Everything you've gone through to stay on the force, help people, build a life for yourself…one bump in the road and you're just throwing it all away and running." Blair was yelling by the end of his rant, his breath coming out harsh and fast.

Jim growled. He didn't look at Blair, but retrieved more supplies from his wardrobe, "It's about limits. If you're going to bluff you have to know when your bluff's been called and it's time to throw in your cards. If you're going to lie, you have to know what you're willing to do to preserve that lie. I spent a lot of time thinking about where my line is, what I'm willing to do and not willing to do to keep up my life here in Cascade. Murder is across that line so the only thing left to do is a tactical retreat, not running away."

"Why can't we just tell everyone?" Blair offered, trying to think of any solution to their current problem before Jim had a chance to disappear for good. "He doesn't have the law on his side. We can take him to court, make a big stink about the whole thing to the public. When people know how many Sentinels feel this way, when they know about how Sentinels get treated…" He trailed off, thinking of what Hedrick had said.

Jim echoed his thoughts out loud, "There's no guarantee I'd win. Besides, there might not be a law about Sentinels reporting themselves, but there are regulations about public endangerment on the force, failure to report a medical condition, and any number of other things they could twist to meet the situation. You think I have gone over all of this on my own? You're asking me to be the sacrificial lamb, Sandburg, and I'm not going to do that. Things don't change overnight and I'm not willing to give up the rest of my life for a public awareness stunt that could just as easily backfire."

Blair growled in frustration as he paced across the room, kicking at a t-shirt that dropped on the floor. "This isn't fair! You shouldn't have to do this!"

Everything was going so well and now, in less than an hour, it was all ruined. Jim was leaving, possibly forever, and Blair would be left behind to deal with the fall out. Hedrick would certainly take this as a confirmation of his suspicions. Blair didn't know exactly how it would all play out from there, but he could definitely say it was only going to go downhill.

Still, the thing that struck him the most was the thought of never seeing Jim again. Despite his best efforts and Jim's constant reminders and attempts to keep Blair at arm's length, Blair had grown attached to Jim. He could read Jim better than any other Sentinel he'd ever met and he honestly enjoyed being around the man, even with the temper and harsh attitude sometimes. Looking past the rough exterior, Jim wasn't nearly as cold as he portrayed himself to be and the past two weeks Jim had finally been opening up, albeit slowly. Blair couldn't bear for it all to end so soon.

"Sometimes life isn't fair, Blair," Jim said zipping his bag close. His voice was heavier than Blair had ever heard it and suddenly Blair saw what it might be like for Jim. To work so hard and then have it all crash down for nothing. Under the anger and cold determination was a deep regret and sadness.

Blair made his decision in that moment, nodding to himself, he said, "I'm coming with you."

"What?" Jim asked, turning to look at him in astonishment.

"I'm coming with you," Blair repeated, raising his chin in determination, "You shouldn't have to do this alone. I'm not going to let you do it alone."

Jim let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes and looking tired like Blair hadn't seen before. "Look, Blair… you're a good man. You've had the chance to see both sides of the fence and now you have a chance to do some good in this mess. You're in the system. You can change things for the better. I'm not going to let you ruin that chance by following me off to who-knows-where. I appreciate it, I really do. I appreciate the effort you made for me down there and I think I would even…enjoy having you along, but you can't come with me."

Jim paused a moment, looking as if he wanted to say more but couldn't bring himself to continue. Blair was surprised he'd gotten that much out, considering how reticent Jim could be about sharing his emotions. Jim avoided Blair's eyes the entire time, focusing instead on a point over Blair's shoulder or on the floor between them. The speech only strengthened Blair's resolve, though. He wouldn't let Jim go through this alone.

"I don't care what you say about it, I'm coming," Blair said with a shake of his head. He turned and headed back toward the staircase, "I'll just put some clothes in my backpack. Don't try to sneak out without me, I'll know."

Blair was only half way to the door when he heard Jim say in apology, "Sorry, Chief" and felt a sharp pain in the back of his skull. There was a rush of gravity and then nothing.

TBC…