Title: Coming Home

By BlueSky

Fandom: The Sentinel

Pairing: Jim/Blair

Note: This is a part of a story that will not leave me alone. It takes place after The Sentinel Too part 2. The Coming home. So much was not talked about, glossed over.

Feedback: I need feedback to know if It is a wast of time, or if I should go on with it.

Spoilers: A missing part from Sentinel Too Part 2 .

By Bluesky

He was there in the jungles, holding the bow, shooting the wolf, watching it as it turned into Blair, a cold horror filling his soul. He woke with a start. Blair was to his right, his head on his shoulder, mouth opened in a slight wheeze snore.

Conner was on his left, head pillowed on the window, her breath making a steamy path that evaporated each time she breathe in, then reappearing when she breath out. It took a moment for him to link the dull growling noise to her snoring. She had not snored like that when she was in the church, or in the Jungle. Must have something to do with being up right in a plane, and not sleeping for 28 HR strait But she was safe, Blair was safe.

He closed his eyes and thought about Alex, Hell that was not even her real name. But that didn't matter. A pang of grief and loss. He had wanted to save her. Needed to save her. Incacha had warned him about .. about rogue sentinels. Memories of his time with him came back, teaching, warning of how an unguided sentinel could be lost in the visions. That a shaman was needed
to go on that vision quest.

Vision. It had been her vision. Somehow he had been seeing what she saw, their vision was as one. That is why he thought that he was going to kill Blair. She had been planing on killing him all along. She had been tuned into the mystical so much more than he had. The paintings on her walls, faint flickering of dreams that he refused to remember, triggers of things from his time with the chopeck. How the hell did she know so much? The eye of the temple. It was hard to look at it for long. It was like a exposed secret or nerve, not meant to be put on such casual display. He had scanned the room looking over the art, grudging admitting to her talent, and the insight that he did not have, that he had pushed away.

Jim sighed and turned to the sleeping Blair beside him. Megan was still asleep on the window seat Blair mumbled something on Jim's shoulder, His breath still a bit raspy from his ... ordeal in the fountain. He could not say the word dead to himself, yet.. .. Worried he locked on to the sound of
his partner's heart beat, reassuring himself that he was okay ... he fell into the pattern of Blair's beating heart. It was his world. He zoned on it.

"You okay, Jim? " Simon looked with concern at Jim. Simon's long arm tapping him on the top of his head.

Jim turned his attention to Simon the end, his long legs trailing out into the isle. He was awake, looking at Jim, too uncomfortable to sleep, and having had the advantage of not trekking through the Jungle for days.

"You okay, Jim? " Simon looked with concern at Jim.

"Ya, just a bit cramped. Chief here is sort of drooling on me, and Conner is snoring to shake apart the plane. How long till we land?"

"About a hour. You were asleep when the hostess came by. I snagged you some OJ. . And carrot juice for hairboy and tomato for Conner. Got some vodka if you want it. Just in case."

Thanks.. Just This is okay right now for me." Jim accepted the small bottle of OJ, and drained it in a single swallow. "Bathroom?"

Simon moved out of his seat, and Jim slid past the sleeping Blair, who took being rearranged with sleepy good humor, his head tilting back, he started to snore.

Tiny bathrooms. Feeling trapped like at the temple in the stone pool. he finished as quick as he could. By the time he got back to his seat Megan was awake, and scooting past Blair, giving his hair a friendly ruffle, She looked at Jim for a moment, a weary smile on her face.

Jim returned it. "Down to the right. watch your head. No pun intended."

Megan failed to raise to the bait, and headed on her quest.

Jim resisted the urge to use he sentinel hearing to trail her down the plane. He did watch, standing till she returned, easing out his kinked back, his tight limbs, stretching as much as he could. He felt a twinge of compassion for Simon. His tall frame, head near brushing the overhead. Simon never one to suffer in silence, moaned softy as a joint. popped in his back as he twisted a bit.

"I am getting too old for this." Simon slumped back into his seat after conner and Jim settled them self's. Blair slipped through this. Manhandled back and forth and arranged to his seat companions satisfaction.

"I think that I can use my frequent flyers miles to get a good hotel. We are going to have to stay over I am afraid for like 9 hours before our connecting flight. Have always fancied seeing the lay of the land, but for all of me, I want a hot bath and a cool lump free bed." Megan fluffed her way too thin pillow and curled up on her window looking out at the sea.

"I'm with you on that." Blair piped up, blinking sleepily. "Ah, Simon, do you mind? That last Mocha Latte is sort of banging on my bladder."

"Not again. Sigh." Simon stood up, and let Blair scurry to the head. "You know Jim, that's not a half bad Idea. We have been running under the gun for weeks now. I feel like I could use a vacation."

"I know the feeling Sir. I wish that we could. I'm afraid that with the trip, air fare, what not, my credit card is about maxed out. I was planning on taking a second mortgage out on the loft to pay this off. I don't know how Blair made his airfare."

"I'm afraid that was a bit of my doing. The hospital released him into my care, and well, he was going to sell his car to do it." Megan hesitated. "And I had all this unused miles, and a bit of savings. I mean, I just couldn't let him run off after you alone. They had to give him oxygen on the plane over, you know. I don't think that he is up for much of world whirl wind tour. He's all tuckered out."

"I might have know, Conner." Jim said this blandly, still mixed feelings about Blair risking his life to be with him.

"He would have gone without me. I was just looking out for his best interests. Sandy's my friend. Just having a look out for him."

Jim sighed, rubbing at his too tight Jaw. "I know. Trying to stop Blair from doing something is next to impossible."

Simon gave a low chuckle. "Seems to me that we owe a debt of gratitude to Blair and Megan. I am wondering what sort of pay back we can do for them. I'm thinking of personally not reprimanding them when we get back."

"How very generous of you, Captain." Her dry voice dripped of sarcasm. "But I have a bit squirreled away in my tucker bag. Perhaps we could at least get a good meal and some comfortable place to bunker down in, see some of the more relaxing sights."

"I am so down with that!" Blair popped up at that moment, looking much more chipper than he had been." Naomi and I used to stay at this great little hostel on the outside of town, was like this re vamped church, built into a grotto, it looked out over this garden that was..."

"Easy Marco Polo. I know that sounds like fun, but I don't think that your up to reliving your misspent childhood, especially in some rundown ruin that has never heard of running water. I just left primitive, and for once, I'm with Conner. The idea of some shut eye in a place were we can get a mint on your pillow, decent coffee and no hot and cold running lizards"

Blair nodded, a mixture of disappointment and relief on his face. Despite his just wakening, he looked haggard, worn. despite his attempt at enthusiasm. "Your probably right there Jim." He pushed past Simon, and fell into his seat with a oooff.

Deplaning was uneventful, but for one of the flight attendents . Pressing her phone number on Blair, some mutual flirting resulting in a windfall of salted nuts and crackers. Blair cheerfully munched, grudgingly sharing around his bounty with his equally hungry companions, after a few muttered threats and a light tap on the back of his head by Jim.

Simon consulted his map. "Food, Hotel, Close by, sleep. We have a little over nine hours before we have to be back here to make our connection. We have two choices, lets make our calls."

Ten minutes later, it was narrowed down to one choice, and sad to say, one vacancy. A sweet, two beds and fold out couch. The shuttle to it was leaving now! It was voted to take there chances with the hotel restaurant, a brunch buffet that would still be open by the time they got there, and registered.

"I am starved. This better be worth it. " Simon grabed a plate, paused, and waved Conner ahead of him, smiling galently."After you.."

"Well thank you." Conner gathered two plates, and proceded through the line, loading up on meat and vegies.

Blair and Jim looked at the heap on her plates, and snickered. For a moment they clowned, "After you.. Oh no after you .." " After you...But hunger was too strong of a call. Blair silently reproched Jim at his taking of a pertcualy fat and suger ladened treat. Jim shrugged, and loaded more green
stuff on his plate.

They found a table near the window, and chowed down, The waiter coming and taking drink orders, Wine and coffee, bottled water all around.

"Never been much for sea food." Megan took another bite of her prime rib.

Jim cracked a King Crab leg. "Not a lot of meat, but worth it to fill out the meal."

Blair had gotten a sizable amount of food, and made some impressive inroads, but it was clear that he was slowing down, fatigue catching up with him. "Hey, Guys, I think that I'm going to head up to the room, grab a shower. Makes sense, you know. That way we won't be tripping over each other."

"Sure Sandy. See you later."

"Later Chief." Jim smiled, watching as Blair snagged a role, stuffed with some left over food. Strictly speaking, it was not allowed. But it would be tossed any way.

"Think that he's okay?" Simon looked after the retreating figure.

"He's good. Just jet lag." Jim watched till Blair was out of sight. Both Simon and Conner could tell that Jim was tracking him with his hearing long after.

"Check please?" Asked Conner. She signed it to the room. "Think that he's asleep?"

Jim got a distant look on his face. "Yes,"

"Then I think that we should turn in also." Conner suppressed a yawn, unsuccessfully.

"You go ahead up. Jim and I need to talk for a bit." Simon was firm.

"Yes, sir. I have dibs on a bed. You guys sus it out what ever way you have to. Looks like we are going to be at least sharing a room Jumbo.." She teased Jim gently, as she left to find her much needed sleep.

A moment of silence hung between them. "You wanted to talk, Sir?" Jim was not looking forward to this. He looked into his coffee mug, as if there were some answers held with in its murky deeps.

END PART 1
TBC