Jim ducked into an office and cocked his head to one side.  There were sirens, helicopters, and closer to him, voices coming down the hall.  He pressed his ear to the door.

 

"Chase."  Yes, finally.  He opened the door just a crack.  Rose passed by first.  Then Jim saw her.  She was supporting Chase.  He thought that when he saw her again, he might feel some of the same feelings as before, either the stifling territorialism or the overwhelming lust, but he felt neither.  She turned as he opened the door and their eyes met.  Something was different about her.

 

"Damn it, Ellison, I nearly shot you!"  Chase broke him out of the near zone.

 

"Sorry."

 

"Rose says that Baker has an emergency exit out of here."

 

"Let's move then."  Jim stepped fully into the hall.  Barnes was still looking at him.  Then one hand fluttered down to her abdomen.  Jim opened his mouth to say something, but found that he did not really know what to say to her.

 

She said nothing, just transferred the hand back to Chase and continued to help him as they started moving again.

 

"He's awfully quiet," Jim whispered, nodding toward Rose.

 

"I told him I'd shoot him if he didn't shut up.  Maybe he finally got the message."

 

Rose only glanced back, giving them both a dirty look, before turning away.

 

A familiar feeling swept over Jim then.  He stopped Chase.  "Wait.  What the hell is that?"

 

"What's what?"

 

Then it clicked.  "Blair.  Blair's here.  He's in the building.  I can feel him close by.  What the—"

 

Chase slapped in the head.  "You always could, idiot, if you had let yourself.  Where is he?"

 

"Heading this way, I think.  Feels like he's getting closer anyway."

 

"Use your senses.  Is he alone, or is he bringing the cavalry?"

 

"But he lost—"

 

"Shut up!" both of them snapped.

 

Jim smiled.  "The cavalry.  There are helicopters and cars outside too."

 

"Yeah, heard them.  Anybody hurt?  Can you tell?"

 

"I can smell blood."  Jim nodded.  "It's not Blair.  I can tell that much.  That's all."

 

"Move, Rose."  Chase shoved the man with the M-16.

 

"Baker is here, you know."

 

"Yeah, he said so."  Chase indicated Rose.

 

Jim looked at Barnes who was still eerily silent.  Her complete attention was on Chase.  "Did you do it?"

 

"Not yet.  Came really close but dumbass there got in the way."  He motioned to Rose with the gun.  "Look, I'm as surprised as you about her.  She was completely catatonic until just a few minutes ago."

 

"Well, I think she's made her choice."

 

"Really?"  Chase stopped and looked him in the face.

 

"Yeah, really."

 

An almost smile ghosted across Chase's face, then was gone.  "We have to get out of here.  Then I can deal with this."  He started moving again.

 

Jim followed, his heart in his throat and mixed emotions rumbling through his brain like a herd of buffalo.  As they came to the center of the building, however, time seemed to stop as Jim caught sight of his guide.

 

"Jim!" Simon shouted.

 

But Jim could not look away from Blair.  Around him, greetings were shouted.  Pete and Riviera went to take Chase from Barnes, only to have her growl at them.  Still, Jim stared at Blair, who seemed just as transfixed.  Volumes were spoken without words.  There was so much still between them; some of it pulling them together, but some of it still pushing them apart.  Simon was talking to him.  Someone slapped him on the back.  He blinked and the connection was broken, causing a flash of real pain to sear through his body.

 

"There's another exit?  Damn it!  That means Baker could be long gone!"  Pete grabbed Rose and shook him.  "Where?"

 

"Down the elevator to the basement.  It's a tunnel to the storage building."

 

"What fucking elevator?  The plans didn't mention a fucking elevator!  Never mind.  Son of a bitch!  Let's move, people.  Baker absolutely must not get away from us.  Kit, you okay with her?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Good.  Rose, that elevator, now."

 

Jim looked back to where Blair had been, but he was not there anymore.  He quickly sought him out again.  He was with Alex Morrow.  At least he would be safe with him.  Jim decided to deal with something easier.  "Rafe, you okay?"

 

"Making it, Jim.  Thanks."  The younger detective smiled through the pain.

 

The elevator was not far.  Rose led them around the reception area to a hidden area behind it.  There was the elevator.  They would have missed it entirely.  Pete tossed Rose into the car and they all followed him in.  Once in the basement, they hurried into the tunnel.  At the end of it was a ladder.  Pete started up it, but Jim grabbed his pants leg.  He put a finger to his lips to stop the question.

 

"They're up there," he told him.

 

"Baker?"

 

"And several guards.  They're trying to figure out how to get past the feds."

"How close are they to the door?"

 

The fact that Blair had spoken to him shocked him for a split second, and he could not seem to answer.  "They're not near our door, Chief."  The nickname, slipped out and he waited for the rebuke.  It did not come.  Instead, he asked another question.

 

"If we surprise them, can we take 'em?"

 

"Maybe.  I'd say there are at least six guards and Baker."

 

"We have them outnumbered."

 

He turned to Pete.  "We have two injured and one that is still not quite in this reality.  That sort of negates out number advantage."

 

"We have to do something.  If Baker gets out of here, he will come after us with everything he's got.  If we live through it, you may find yourself right back in a cell.  That what you want?  We cannot take the chance that he'll escape.  I like Chad Ryan.  He's a friend, but the vast majority of the feds I've met, I wouldn't trust to help me across an empty street in Backwater, U.S.A. without getting me run down by the one and only working motor vehicle in town!"

 

Jim put his hand over Pete's mouth.  "I get the point."

 

Pete pulled his hand away.  "Where exactly are they?"

 

Jim listened for a moment.  "To the left of us, maybe 500 feet max."

 

"That close? Oh well.  Rafe, you stay here.  Kit, same for you."

 

"No.  I can still shoot, Pete.  My ankle doesn't affect my aim."

 

"Oh, and the ladder is certainly no obstacle.  You gonna fly up there?  Stay here, Kit.  That's an order.  I'm up first."

 

"I'm right behind you."  Jim checked his weapon then turned to look at Blair again.  "Will you stay here?"

 

"No."  It was a simple, firm answer, and Jim realized that he had no right to push. 

 

"Be careful."

 

Blair nodded.

 

"Alex?"  Chase's voice made both of them turn.

 

"What?" Alex Morrow glared at him.

 

"Not you.  Alex?"  Barnes was moving toward Blair.  Jim's hands itched to pull him away, but he could not seem to breathe, much less move.

 

She raised one hand to Blair's face.  Blair flinched and tried to lean away from her, but she managed to touch his jaw.  Chase limped over to them.  She turned away and took Chase in her arms again.  Jim realized that she was, in her own way, apologizing.

 

The tense moment was over and once again, Pete started up the ladder.

 

"They're getting ready to leave," Jim told him.  "They're going to try to get to Baker's car and go through the fence."

 

Pete nodded and lifted the door above his head just a bit and peeked through the crack.  He closed it.  "They're facing away.  Now or never.  We ready?"

 

"Go."  Simon assured him.

 

Very slowly, Pete lifted the door again.  Below him on the ladder, Jim prayed that the hinges would not squeak.  They did not and Pete silently rolled into the room.  Jim followed.  Pete had gone left and was hidden behind some boxes.  Jim went right.  Simon was next.  One by one, they took up positions behind Baker and his men.

 

Later, Jim would scold himself for not considering Rose a threat any longer.  The man shouted a warning to Baker just as Brown cleared the hole in the floor.  Below, he heard Chase's stolen M-16 fire.  Robert Rose would never bother any of them again.  But Jim had bigger problems at the moment as Baker and the guards turned on them.

 

Kit heard the firefight break out over his head as he kicked Rose's dead body.  He had warned the man.  Alex was rubbing off on him.  He glanced behind him to locate the other Alex, the woman he was going to guide, but she was not where he had left her.

 

"Fuck!"  He looked up.  There, on the ladder.  "Alex, no!"  He tried to pull her down, but he missed the hem of her scrubs as she continued to climb.  He looked at Rafe.  The man was getting weak from blood loss.  He would be no help.  Swearing, he threw the strap of the M-16 over his head and started up the ladder himself.

 

"Wait," Rafe called.

 

"Can't.  She's gonna get killed!"  It was hard with a cast, but he struggled up the ladder.  He had to protect her.

 

 

Baker was still trying to get away, he and his men making it out of the building, forcing Pete to follow.  He did not have to look back to know that he was not alone as he made his way out.  There were a few trees and a couple of small trailers to take cover behind.  He got off a shot just as one of the men left his cover.  He went down.  Jim got another one.  Two down, five to go.  Four, as Banks got another.  Pete could see a couple of the feds racing to help them.  Baker was caught between the two groups.  This was almost over.  Pete saw the knowledge in Baker's eyes as the man stepped out of his cover.  Was he surrendering?  But Baker looked away from Pete and Pete followed his gaze.

 

"No!"  Pete could see his target.  "Kit!  Get down!"  Why the hell had he not stayed below?  Then he saw why.  Alex Barnes was a few feet to Kit's left.  He was trying to catch up to her.  Pete saw Baker raise the gun. "Oh god."  Pete took aim, but Baker dived for cover just as his gun went off.  Pete's bullet hit the tree Baker ducked behind.  Pete forced himself to turn and look, fearing that his friend was dead.  But he was not dead.  Kit was pulling himself from under the prone figure of Alex Barnes.

 

"Kit!"  Pete stumbled to them, feeling the heat of a bullet pass by his head even as he reached them.  He grabbed them both and dragged them back into the storage building.  To Pete's amazement, Kit pulled the woman into his arms and rocked her gently.

 

"Why?" he asked her.

 

"My guide," she whispered as one blood red hand reached up to touch his long black hair.  "Had to protect my guide."  Her hand dropped.

 

Pete had never seen Kit Chase cry before.  He looked down at the woman's wound, somehow the sight of it less disturbing than the sight of tears on Kit's face.  She was gone.

 

"If only I'd found her years ago, Pete."

 

Pete put one hand on Kit's shoulder.  Kit looked at him, his face and hair streaked with blood and tears.  "Stay here. Okay?"

 

Kit nodded and Pete left him there, grieving a murderess he had hardly known.

 

Why would they not just give up?  Blair could not understand it.  They were pinned down, surrounded on all sides now and still they fought.  Fanaticism, that was the only explanation.  He watched as another of Baker's men went down.  He was not sure who fired the shot, but he did know it did not come from him.  He had stopped firing.  Somehow, it did not seem right to fire on people who were so hopelessly outnumbered and apparently too stupid to just surrender.

 

To make matters worse, he had seen Alex Barnes get shot.  He had watched her throw herself in front of Kit to save him.  One part of his mind was fascinated by the sacrifice.  Why would a woman who had killed, had been willing to kill so many more, suddenly put herself in the path of a bullet for a stranger.  Another part of his mind rejoiced for her redemption, while still another protested that she could not be redeemed after the things she had done.  And what about the baby?  Jim's baby.  He wiped impatiently at the tears that welled up in his eyes.

 

He hazarded a glance to Jim's last location.  There he was, sentinel and cop, one in determination to end this threat once and for all.  He should be at Jim's side.  A sentinel needed a guide to watch his back.  Could he still be Jim's guide?  After all they had done to each other, could they fix what they had broken?  Blair stared at the gun battle going on around him for a moment.  Another man went down.  The last remaining guard dropped his gun and held up his hands.  But where was Baker?

 

"Give it up, Baker!"  That was Pete's voice.  Blair could see him crouched next to one of the trailers.  "There's no way you're getting out of here!"

 

Blair sighed in relief as a gun came flying out from behind a tree.  It was over.  He stood and moved toward Jim.  He had to find out if their friendship could be salvaged.  He saw Baker step out and the feds began rushing forward to take him.  But just as he was about to turn his attention back to Jim, he caught a glimpse of sunlight on metal.  "Gun!"

 

Jim saw Blair coming toward him.  He turned to smile at his guide.  Now, they could really talk.  But then Blair yelled about a gun.  Jim spun, ready to face the threat, but the world seemed to slow down.

 

Baker screamed something about sentinels and raised his weapon, leveling it at Jim.  Then he could no longer see Baker as someone stepped in front of him.

 

"Blair!" The gunshot echoed in Jim's head as Blair's body jerked with the impact of the bullet.  Jim caught him and they fell together.  Then the world clicked back into real time.  Jim watched as Alex Morrow emptied his 9mm into Baker's body.  Pete called to Morrow frantically, but the man did not seem to hear.  As Baker's body hit the dirt, Morrow looked at Jim, his face tight and cold.

 

Jim sent the man silent thanks and held Blair closer.

 

"Jim?"

 

His name, his first name spoken by the most important person in his life, was bittersweet music.  "Chief, why did you do that?"

 

"Had to.  Jim, I'm tired of fighting.  It hurts too much.  Can we fix it?  I just want to come home."

 

"Then you come home, buddy.  Come home, Blair."

 

Blair's eyes closed, but Jim could see that he was just tired and in pain.  He was going to be okay.  He looked around them at the destruction.  Everyone stood as if shell-shocked.  No one quite knew what to do, it seemed.

 

"We have an ambulance on the premises."

 

"Get it back here then."  Jim did not even bother to look at Chad Ryan as he spoke.

 

Jesse Riviera ran past him, back into the building.  He was checking on Chase.  Then it hit him.  Alex Barnes.  Pete was standing over him.  He looked up.  "Barnes?"

 

"Sorry, Jim."

 

Jim nodded.  Maybe it would matter later.  Right now, the only person who mattered was in his arms.

 

"How is he?" Pete asked.

 

"He'll be okay.  Caught him high since Baker was aiming at me."

 

Pete grinned.  "Might be the first time in his life he'll be thankful that he's short."

 

Morrow picked up a gun from the ground a few feet away and Jim realized that it must have Blair's.  Morrow shook his head and Jim sighed.

 

Kit tapped his unbroken foot impatiently.  He was fine, but Pete had insisted that his ankle get x-rayed again to make sure it was set right.  He had sent Jess to get him a Dr. Pepper and he was beginning to believe the guy got lost.  The exam room door opened.

 

"About time."

 

"Didn't know I was expected.  I'd have come sooner."

 

Kit jerked his head up.  He chuckled a little.  "You weren't expected, Ellison.  You don't happen to have my Dr. Pepper, do you?"

 

"Nope, sorry.  How're you doing?"

 

"I'm fine, damn it!  I tried to tell Pete that, but he's stubborn as hell!"

 

"Birds of a feather, Chase."

 

"Screw you," he remarked, but he was smiling.  Ellison was right.  He and Pete deserved one another.  "How's Blair?"

 

"In surgery, but he'll be fine.  Bullet tore up some muscle and bruised his lung, but didn't go in.  Rafe's going to be okay too.  That bullet went all the way through.  They're fixing him up, giving him some blood."

 

"That's good."

 

There was a long moment of silence which both of them tried to break at the some time.  Kit deferred to Ellison.

 

"I'm sorry about Barnes."

 

Kit's heart flipped.  "I'm sorry about your baby."

 

"Well, I'm not sure how I feel about that right now.  Don't think I'm ready to deal with that one."

 

"When you are, let somebody help, okay?"

 

"Yeah, okay.  What about you?  You were ready to be her guide.  How are you—"

 

Kit held up one hand to stop him.  "You know, it's funny.  I was so sure I'd never want to be a guide, but there was this need that I could fill, and I couldn't help but want to fill it.  I'd like to say it was just the baby, but it wasn't.  And she wanted me.  She called me her guide before she died.  Now, god, Ellison, I'm so glad I didn't do it.  She's gone.  She's dead.  Do you realize what that would have meant for me if I had gone through with it?  I would have done it too.  I was so close.  If Rose hadn't interrupted…  No offense, man, but I hope I never come into contact with another sentinel.  Fucks with my head too much."  Something occurred to him.  "Oh, man, Alex.  Has anybody talked to Alex?"

 

"Pete's with the feds.  Jesse's been with you.  I don't think so."

 

"Find him.  Is he here?  Did he know about Barnes and the baby?"

 

"Yeah, apparently they all knew."

 

"Find him now."

 

"Why?"

 

"I really shouldn't tell you this, but his wife died in a firefight."

 

"Pete told me.  What's the problem?"

 

"Did Pete tell you his wife was pregnant?  I might be overreacting, but he doesn't handle things like this very well sometimes.  Find him for me please?"

 

"Jesus, okay.  I'm not good at emotional stuff."

 

Kit glared at the man.  "You're better at it than you think.  Just go."

 

Ellison went to the door then turned to look at him again.  "I'm still not sure I like you, Chase, but you've earned my respect.  Thanks for everything."

 

"Back at cha, exactly, man.  Go."  He waved him out.

 

Jim found Alex Morrow outside the hospital, leaning against the wall near the ER entrance.

 

"Hi."

 

"Hi yourself."  Morrow just stared through him.

 

"Chase is worried about you."

 

"Is he now?  Tell you, did he?"

 

"I already knew some of it."

 

"I'm okay with Barnes actually.  She was a victim and she died.  It's horrible and it's sad, but she was not Eliza.  No confusion there."

 

"Then what?  Something's up."  Jim leaned on the wall near him.

 

"This is up."  Morrow pulled a 9mm from the back of his belt and held it out to Jim.  "This is the gun I gave Blair."

 

Jim took it.  "Yeah. I know."

 

"Do you?  Do you know?  At first, I thought he would be okay.  He was there with us, but then at the end, he—he dropped this gun.  He could have shot Baker and ended it, but he didn't.  It was not his first instinct.  Taking the bullet was his instinct.  Damn it!  Gun in his hand, an open shot any novice could make, and he drops the gun and takes the fucking bullet!  Do you know what that means, Ellison?  Do you really?"  Jim closed his eyes as Morrow's voice grew louder and louder, more and more agitated, his fists beating the wall behind him.  "He is not a merc, Ellison!  He will never be a merc!  You have to be able to pull that fucking trigger.  You have to shoot first, ask questions if they live!  As a matter of fact, fuck the questions if it means you live!  He doesn't belong in the agency, Ellison!  He won't survive!"

 

"I know."

 

"Good!"  Morrow pushed off the wall and moved to stand in front of Jim.  "The gun will always be his last resort if he even considers it an option in the first place.  Blair is a good man.  I have no doubt that he would watch my back in a fight.  But I want an extra weapon at my back, not a shield!  He'd protect me, or you, or anyone for that matter, but with his life, not with a gun, and that is unacceptable to me.  Oddly enough, and this may sound strange, but his instincts would make him a damn fine cop.  One that would die young, but a good one nonetheless.  But he shouldn't have to be a cop.  He should do what he was meant to do.  He's so like Kit in so many ways.  The only major differences being that Kit does have a much stronger survival instinct and the will to kill if he has to.  But the heart is the same.  It will be up to you to protect him if he stays in your life.  Can you?  Will you?"

 

"I will certainly try."

 

"It won't be easy, you know.  He'll make it damn hard because he doesn't think he needs protecting."

 

"I know."  Jim looked up at the blue sky.  "Not to be an ass, but why do you care?"

 

Morrow raised an eyebrow at him.  "I told you, I was you once.  So sure I didn't need anyone.  Until I didn't have anyone.  It was a hard lesson.  I told you, I didn't have the chance to get back what I lost, but you did.  And here it is.  Are you going to take it?"

 

"He said he wants to come home."

 

"Well, just don't expect him tomorrow.  It may be what he wants, but he's not ready yet.  I know.  He's torn between what he wants and the fear that if he gives in to what he wants he'll be a doormat under your feet.  You're going to have to prove yourself, Ellison.  You're going to have to change and you're going to have to work to win his trust."

 

"I figured as much."

 

"But he will be back, Jim.  If you let him know that he is wanted and appreciated.  And trusted."

 

Jim nodded.

 

"Don't fuck this up, Ellison."

 

"I won't.  Not this time."

 

"You'd better not."  Morrow walked away from him.

 

Jim watched the white fluffy clouds move across the blue field of the sky above him.  He was not sure how long he had been there, sifting through his emotions and thoughts, before Simon joined him.

 

"The feds are happy, despite Baker's demise.  They've rounded up the whole lot of people and all the files from Millennium and frozen all of the Coalition's assets.  They'll have to sort out the guilty from the innocent for a while.  I don't envy them that task.  Devereaux seems to think the Freedom Coalition won't recover from this bust.  So much for the bad guys.  As for the good guys, Rafe's all sewn up and floating on happy juice.  Brown and Taggert went for food.  I told them to get you something greasy and bad for you.  Connor is actually flirting with that fed, Ryan.  And Devereaux seems quite put out by that."

 

"Did Chase get his Dr. Pepper?"

 

Simon grinned.  "Yes, he finally did.  Riviera had met some cute little nurse at the vending machines.  So, how are you holding up?"

 

"I'll live."

 

"Good, glad to hear it."

 

"You told the others?"

 

"About your senses?  Yeah.  They deserved to know the truth, Jim.  Fact is they were not all that shocked."

 

"Guess they didn't make detective for nothing, huh?"

 

"Guess not."

 

"Thanks for coming for me, Simon."

 

"Had to.  Your paperwork's not done."

 

Jim chuckled.  "You're all heart."

 

Simon's face got serious again.  "So what happens now?"

 

"I don't know.  That's up to Blair."

 

"Well, you obviously got your senses back."

 

"Yeah."

 

"So you need Sandburg back."

 

"Like I said, it's up to Blair.  We have a lot to work out, and we'll do it his way, at his pace."

 

"You've come a long way, Jim."

 

"I'll figure out is that's an insult or a compliment when I'm not so damned tired, Simon."