He knew there was something wrong the moment he found himself slipping over the edge, falling into a complete zone-out. And he knew because there was no soothing voice to bring him back, no hand resting gently on his shoulder, no steady heartbeat to help him focus.

Dialing down his hearing took some effort, but he managed to pull himself back in time, before the cacophony of sounds coming from the ER overruled all his other senses. He didn't bother to look around; he knew his partner wouldn't be there. And yet... He was unable to stop himself from reaching out with his senses, from trying to find some trace of his Guide. Nothing. Blair wasn't even in the hospital anymore.

Jim forced his feet to move, to carry him towards a truth he couldn't escape. It was like being on death row. You don't really want to take those final steps, but there is no other way out. He walked through the white corridors, the hospital's staff and patients going by unseen, feeling the numbness growing. He'd expected anger, hatred; not this frightening coldness.

Stepping outside, he glanced around, hoping to find something, anything, that could lead him to his Guide, but knowing there would be nothing.

"James Ellison?" a strange voice called out from nearby.

"Yes?"

A shabby looking teenager approached him hesitantly and handed him a small sheet of paper.

"A woman asked me to give you this."

Knowing who it was from, Jim nodded his thanks as he accepted the piece of paper. Only two words were scribbled on it, but they made him want to rip something apart.

"I WON."

"Now what?" Blair asked when he realized Alex wasn't going to be the first to speak.

"You stay with me," she replied, all her attention focused on driving through Cascade's busy streets. The Dramamine might help soothe her senses, but it made concentration difficult.

"You can't believe it will be that simple?"

Alex shrugged helplessly. "I need you," she whispered.

The softly spoken words made Blair turn in his seat, allowing him his first real look at Barnes. Her hair was longer, cascading down her back, and she'd lost precious weight. But what drew his attention was her face. A deep frown marred the once beautiful features and her lips were compressed into a thin line. Her skin looked clammy and unhealthily pale. She was in pain.

"You can force me to go with you, Alex. But you can't force me to help you. That's not how it works."

"It will have to be this time, Blair. I was wrong that day. I shouldn't have tried to kill you. I let my emotions confuse me. But not anymore; now I understand. You know I noticed you almost immediately that first night at the precinct? I knew there was something different about you, didn't even think twice about going to see you at Rainier. You're the key, Blair. A Sentinel needs a Guide and you're a Guide. You will help me."

"Or?" Blair couldn't keep the challenge from his voice.

"Let's just say that the next time I go after your friends... I won't miss."

There was nothing he could say to that, so he leaned back and remained silent as he gazed out the window of the moving van. Something she'd said came to his mind.

"You're not really a Sentinel," he stated in a surprisingly detached tone.

"What?" she started, her eyes leaving the road for the first time.

"Jim's a Sentinel. You're just someone with enhanced senses. You'll never be a Sentinel, you'll never be like him. Sentinels are meant to protect; you shatter everything you touch."

She gripped the wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.

"That may be," she replied, her voice quivering with suppressed anger. "But all that really matters is that I do have those enhanced senses. And I want them under control! And Blair, you will teach me how to get them under control just like you did with Ellison. Or I won't rest until everything and everyone you hold dear is gone from the face of the earth!"

Blair didn't bother telling her he didn't think it was possible for him to help her. That now that he had bonded with Jim in every possible way, he wouldn't be able to guide any other Sentinels. Even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. And he wondered how long it would be before she realized that and decided to kill him again... For good.

Simon Banks stood beside his son's hospital bed, trying his best to ignore the IV and all the machines hooked up to the most important person in his life.

He rubbed his face wearily. Almost twenty-four hours had gone by since Daryl nearly died. Twenty-four hours of hell. Because no matter how many times the doctors reassured him that the contusions and other injuries his son had sustained weren't serious, the fact was that Daryl had been unconscious since arriving at the hospital. And no matter how stable his vitals were, Simon just wouldn't be able to rest until Daryl opened his eyes and looked at him.

He brushed his son's bruised cheek gently. It wasn't the first time Daryl had gotten caught up in something bad because of Simon's job. But this time... This time it was too close for comfort. Too damn close.

Thankfully, Joel had taken over Major Crime for him, assigning every available cop to the hunt for Alex Barnes. Many more had volunteered after finding out that Sandburg was with her, not caring if they had to pull double shifts in order to keep the search going.

Simon's heart went out to Blair, the friend who was once again giving his life for those he held dear. How long could life keep throwing blow after blow until Blair finally surrendered? Simon didn't know; didn't want to know. But he hoped it wasn't any time soon and not at the hands of that mad woman.

He wondered what Jim would do if something were to happen to Sandburg. The man had been out on the streets since his partner -- his lover -- had gone missing, searching relentlessly for any clues, any leads that would help them find Alex and Blair. Simon knew Jim wouldn't rest until he found Sandburg.

What really had him worried was what would happen when Jim and Barnes met again. Because he had no doubt they would. And he wasn't sure he wanted to be anywhere in the vicinity when it was time for the showdown.

"Dad?"

Simon started at the weak whisper, his gaze focusing on his son. He stared down into eyes clouded with pain.

"Daryl," he whispered gently, taking hold of his son's hand. "How are you feeling, Son?"

"Tired. Thirsty," Daryl replied, swallowing gingerly.

Simon nodded in understanding, unable to say anything else, relief making him giddy.

"I'll get you some ice," he finally said roughly, emotions still too close to the surface.

He left the room, quickly returning with a cup filled with ice chips and a spoon. He scooped a few up and placed them in his son's mouth.

"Where's Mom?" Daryl whispered, after the ache in his throat had eased somewhat.

"She had gone away on an unexpected business trip when I tried to reach her. She'll be here soon."

"What happened?" Daryl asked, his expression one of confusion.

"Let me get a doctor to check you out and then we'll talk, okay?"

"'Kay."

Feeling as if the weight of the world was suddenly off his shoulders, Simon went in search of a doctor. Later on, when he was sure Daryl was out of danger and under police protection, he'd think about joining the hunt for Alex Barnes. He wanted to make sure she paid for everything she'd done. Preferably with her life.

It was mid-morning when Jim arrived at the station. He'd been up all night following leads, hoping that once they found Alex's Shasta Travelmaster they would find the woman... And his lover.

He stalked across the bullpen, nodding at the other cops, grateful for the obvious concern they showed, but unable to say anything in reply. Not yet. Not until Blair was safe and sound and by his side where he belonged.

He saw Joel in Simon's office and entered when Taggert waved him in.

"Anything, Jim?"

"No. All the leads I had turned out to be dead ends. You?"

"I'm waiting for a call from Rafe. There's a possibility we found the RV in one of the parks, but I want to make sure it's the right one first. I sent him and Henri ahead to check it out."

"Um, Joel..." Jim began, wondering how he could mention the fact that Alex would be able to hear them coming without telling him what she was, what they both were.

Joel smiled gently. "It's okay, Jim. I told them to keep their distance. I don't know exactly what happened between the two of you when she first showed up in Cascade, but I would never do anything that might endanger Blair."

Jim knew that no matter how far away Rafe and Henri thought it was safe to be, Alex would still be able to hear them. But he took comfort in knowing that for the time being, Blair would be safe. She needed him alive, as her Guide. She wouldn't risk harming him and losing the only person who could help control her senses.

"Besides," Joel told him, "I love Blair like a son. I wouldn't even be here today if not for him. I owe him big time for helping me with that bomb, Jim. I won't call off the search until we have him back with us."

Jim nodded, a warm feeling spreading over the sense of loss that had filled him since his lover had gone with Alex. He knew how the Major Crime cops felt about Blair, but it felt good to hear the words. And it helped him keep going.

The phone rang and Joel lunged for it before it could ring a second time.

"Taggert."

"Captain, it's Rafe. We have a positive ID on the RV. We talked to some people who saw the woman who drove the trailer here and the description fits Barnes to a 'T'. And they mentioned a longhaired young man. We didn't get too close, so we have no way of knowing if they're there right now. But it's definitely the right one."

"Okay, we're on our way. Don't do anything until we get there, you understand?"

"Right, Captain. But if she leaves or something..."

"Then follow her. Discreetly, Rafe. Otherwise, stay put. Now, what's the park's address?"

Rafe gave him the directions and Joel hung up, turning to Jim, who was already on the way out.

"Let's go. Time to kick some butt!"

As soon as he got out of his truck, Jim knew there was no one inside the Travelmaster. He hadn't really been expecting it to be that easy, but there was a small part of him that had been hoping to hear that precious heartbeat. The heartbeat he was aching to hear and feel again. The one he desperately needed with him.

Because his control was beginning to slip, it was getting harder to use his senses without zoning; the dials weren't working that well anymore. He needed his Guide to keep him centered and he needed his lover to keep him whole.

Trying to control his desperation, Jim watched as Joel, Rafe and Henri began to cautiously approach the RV and joined them. Alex and his partner might not be there, but maybe there was something inside that could help them in their search.

He reached the others just as Henri opened the door to the trailer. It took him a second to realize what the ticking sound meant, but when he did, it chilled the blood in his veins.

"Get away! It's going to blow!"

Used to years of danger and last minute warnings, the other three cops didn't hesitate. They whirled around, running as far away from the RV as they could before the whole world blew up into flames and took them along.

Blair took a deep breath, trying to control the urge to strangle Alex with his bare hands. A week with the woman and he was ready to commit murder.

Somehow, she'd managed to find them a place to stay. It was a secluded mansion outside of Cascade, well away from traffic and the usual buzz of a big city which could drive a Sentinel crazy. Especially an unstable one.

Alex had told him that the owners of the mansion would be away on business for a month, so the two of them would be on their own. How she'd found out such a thing he didn't know -- and he didn't care.

All he cared about was the fact that she was slowly driving him crazy. She wanted to be with him all the time. She said his heartbeat soothed her, so she wouldn't allow him out of her sight. She was always breathing down his neck, following him wherever he went, watching him, even sleeping in the same bed.

There was nothing sexual going on between them; as far as he could tell she wasn't interested. And even if she were, he would've said no. But just touching him seemed to help her control her senses. She would instinctively dial them down whenever he was near.

But all that time, he'd been pretending to help her, biding his time until Jim found them. Never mentioning the dials, or how to piggyback two senses to keep her from zoning when she focused too hard on a single sense.

And he'd kept to himself the knowledge that she wasn't getting any better, that in fact it was the other way around. That her control over her senses was worse and that she was deeply unstable, not just on a sensory level, but on an emotional level as well. And growing more so each passing day. But then... He'd warned her about playing games with a dead man, hadn't he? He had time on his side. She didn't.

Blair's only real worry was Jim. He couldn't sleep at night, wondering how his lover was doing, how he was handling his senses while he was out on the streets. He had no doubt that his Sentinel was out there looking for him, tracking them down.

He had thought about escaping during one of Alex's zone-outs, but there was no way of calling for help. The first thing Alex had done after arriving at the mansion was destroy all the phones -- even her own cellular. And her zone-outs seemed to be further apart than the ones she'd mentioned having before Blair 'joined' her. Even without his help, she'd only zoned twice, and only for a couple of minutes.

Driving out was also out of the question. Alex had gotten rid of the van after they had arrived at the mansion. They had found a car in the mansion garage, but she kept the keys in a combination safe. And obviously she hadn't given him the combination.

Every time he thought up a scenario to overwhelm Barnes and escape, his mind immediately raised some obstacle against making it real. Besides, Alex was smart and resourceful -- not to mention, slippery. He had decided that his best option was to wait until he saw an opening in her defenses. As long as they were 'stranded' in the mansion, away from everything and everyone, escape would be impossible.

He turned his attention back to Alex. She was currently trashing the living room, destroying everything in sight. Because she had failed a simple sensory test. Another one. Touch this time.

Blair had blindfolded her and handed her several pieces of fabric to see if she could tell them apart, if she could name them. That didn't work. Then he'd tried giving her several objects to identify by touch. Some were simple enough, but others were beyond her.

So the insanity bubbling so close to the surface finally erupted, leaving Blair with an extremely mad and enraged woman. Who was nearly impossible to control.

"Alex, it's just a test," he told her wearily for the hundredth time in a week.

"Just a test? Just a test?!" she spat, face flushed with anger. "I failed it, just like I've failed every single one before!"

"You can't expect this to work in just a few days, Alex. It took Jim months to get his senses under control. And he still has problems. You can't rush this, damnit!"

"No... No, that's not it," she whispered. "There's something wrong. It's not working. Nothing you've told me to do is working. Why? Why the hell not?!" she shouted into his face, hands gripping his shirt front.

"You have to calm down, Alex. I..."

"I don't want to calm down! And don't try that bullshit about listening to your voice again! I'm sick of this! I want control!"

"Well, you won't get it by acting crazy, will you?" he snapped back. "Just stop and think for a minute!"

She stood still for so long he thought she'd zoned, until he heard her muttering over and over again. "Think for a minute, think for a minute..."

Alex turned to him, a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Think for a minute..." she said again, then suddenly smiled. "You were right."

"About what?" Blair stared suspiciously at her.

What was going through that weird mind of hers? Could she have finally figured out that he wasn't really helping her at all, just stringing her along? Not a nice thought. Unpredictable as her moods were at the moment, there was no way of telling how she'd react.

"About thinking. I should've thought about this before, I mean, it's so obvious!"

"What is?" Blair asked, a feeling of dread washing over him. Whatever she was up to, it couldn't be good.

"Sentinels are territorial beings, right? They wouldn't share their tribes, villages or whatever they were protecting with others of their kind. Only one Sentinel and Guide were allowed. I remember reading about it after you told me about Sentinels."

"So?"

"So, why would the Temple of the Sentinels have those two pools? I thought it was for two Sentinels, but it doesn't make sense. It would be against their primal instincts to submit to another, against everything a Sentinel stands for. Unless... Unless the pools weren't meant for two Sentinels at all, but for a Sentinel and a Guide. To truly bond them together, to make them stronger. That's it, isn't it?" she sounded almost demented, her eyes shining and feverish.

Blair shook his head, amazed at the level of insanity she could reach.

"You're crazy, Alex," he stated in a flat voice. Nothing he said caused any impact on the woman anyway.

"I don't think so. And I'm going to prove it to you."

"How?" then suddenly it dawned on him. "Oh, no... You're not thinking..."

"We're going back to Sierra Verde, Blair. Just as soon as I get us a couple of fake passports and change my appearance a little. You and I... We're going to be a true Sentinel-Guide team, Blair. This time I know it will work."

Blair glanced around the busy airport terminal, somewhat surprised at his lack of emotion. They were reaching the point of no return. He was at a crossroad, staring at two different paths. He could either remain by Alex's side and take whatever destiny threw their way -- at least until he found a safe way to get away from Alex -- or, he could make his escape now. She wasn't even armed at the moment. It would be easy.

But what would happen if he chose to escape? She would simply follow him and go back to hurting his friends. Even under police protection, they'd be at risk and Alex was crazy enough to wait for as long as it took to catch them off guard. Besides, he knew Jim would eventually find them. And if Alex was arrested -- or killed -- she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore.

He looked at the woman beside him as they moved toward the ticket counter. When Alex had said she was going to change her appearance he hadn't realized just how radical that change would be. She was currently a redhead, with short, boyish hair clinging to her face and highlighting the now wide brown eyes.

They reached the check-in line just as Blair spotted a familiar face: Frank Henderson, one of the new detectives from Major Crime. The cop was with a young woman and seemed to be saying good-bye to her.

Face carefully bland, Blair's mind was working furiously on a plan. He needed Jim to know where he was going, to at least know he and Alex had traveled somewhere. He knew Henderson had been on vacation for the last two weeks and was due back that day. It was also probable that Henderson didn't know what was happening, but if he saw Blair and spoke with the others, with Jim...

Blair kept looking at Henderson until the cop finally turned around and saw him. He recognized Blair and smiled, but the young man turned away. After a few seconds, he looked back at Henderson and saw the confused expression, the frown. The cop instincts coming to the fore.

Blair didn't dare make any signs in case Alex noticed, but he locked gazes with the cop for a long moment. This time when he looked away, it was to glance at Alex. He kept switching his gaze between Henderson and Alex until it was time for them to check-in. He gave the cop a last glance, then handed his passport and his ticket to the airline attendant.

Under the names Amanda Pearl and Robert Dawson, their fake passports passed inspection without a second glance. As soon as they reached Mexico City they would change identities again, but for now they were in the clear. Blair grabbed the bag packed with the few clothes they'd brought and followed Alex to the gate as she wove in and out of the airport crowd. Time to board the plane.

Jim sat dejectedly at his desk looking around the bullpen. It looked like a normal morning at the PD; a couple of cops sitting behind desks typing reports, others talking or laughing together, a perp being dragged off to an interrogation room yelling obscenities for everyone to hear. But there was nothing normal about that day. Or about the nine days before without his partner by his side.

Jim spent half the time feeling his helplessness grow, and the other half feeling ready to break something, snapping at everyone around him. Or zoning. His zone-outs were getting more frequent and more prolonged. If not for Megan and Simon...

They were no closer to finding Alex and Blair's whereabouts than when they'd first begun the search. The Travelmaster had been their last contact with anything related to Barnes. Jim still didn't know if she'd actually missed every single time she went after one of their friends, or she'd been toying with them. But the bomb in the RV hadn't claimed any victims. Joel was a bit worse for wear, but other than that, they were fine.

But no closer to finding Blair.

Frank Henderson walked into the bullpen and came straight to Jim's desk.

"Hey, Ellison! What's the deal with your partner?"

A heavy silence fell over the room at his words, heads turning around to listen to the conversation. Jim blinked up at the other detective.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just saw him at the..."

"You saw Blair? You saw Blair?!" Jim interrupted as he rose from his seat, his larger frame looming over Henderson. "Where? Where, damnit!"

"I saw him at the airport when I went to see my sister off back to Toronto. He was acting really weird!"

"How was he? How did he look?" Jim asked anxiously.

"Tired," Henderson replied after thinking for a moment. "Lost some weight too and looked a bit pale. Other than that he looked fine."

"You said he was acting weird," Henri prompted, crowding the man along with Rafe, Joel, Megan and just about every cop in the bullpen.

"Yeah. He kept looking at me, then would look away, then back again. Or he would look at the redhead with him."

"Redhead?" Megan frowned. "Couldn't be Naomi, so..."

"No, not Naomi. Alex!" Jim growled. "She knows we're searching for her, so she decided on a new look."

"Did Blair look any different? Altered his appearance in any way?" Rafe asked Henderson.

"No."

"Good. Then someone might remember him. Let's go to the airport, we need to find out where they were going."

It was a small crowd that left the precinct and headed to the airport. For the first time in over a week they had a lead. They were back in the game. The dice were rolling again.

An hour later they knew where 'Amanda Pearl' and 'Robert Dawson' were heading: Mexico City.

"I suppose you're going after them?" Joel asked Jim, a knowing smile lighting up his face.

"Yes."

"I'm going too," Megan stated, with Rafe and Henri nodding their agreement.

"So are we," Henri added anyway.

"You don't have to do this, guys."

"Hey!" Megan exclaimed, indignation clear in her tone. "It was my car she blew up!"

"Yeah, and she tried to run me over!" Rafe chimed in.

"And let's not forget my squashed jelly donuts," Henri growled. "I could kill her for that alone!"

Seeing the determined expressions behind the banter, Jim nodded to his friends.

"Okay, you're going too. And... Thanks."

"Sandburg's one of us, Jim." Rafe told him, a serious expression replacing the earlier playfulness. "We want him back too."

"Give me a minute," Joel said, dialing a number on his cell phone and speaking animatedly for a few minutes before hanging up and rejoining the conversation.

"I just spoke with Simon. As of now, the four of you are on vacation for a week. What you choose to do in that time is your choice and your choice alone," he sighed tiredly. "Believe me, both Simon and I would love to join you. But someone has to mind the store and Simon isn't ready to leave Daryl's side just yet."

"How's the kid?" Henri asked.

"Doing okay. He's young and heals fast. He didn't mind going to the safe house, but I think having both his parents under the same roof is proving to be too much even for him. Now, go pack and get ready for the flight. I'll take care of the tickets and anything else you might need. Just make sure you come back in one piece and bring Blair back with you."

Jim's ice blue eyes locked with Taggert's, his expression fierce.

"You can be certain of that."

And Joel was.

Blair wondered what the hell he was doing in his office that early in the morning. The sun wasn't even up yet. And yet there he was, sitting at his desk, trying to figure a way out of the mess he'd gotten himself into. And how he could possibly make it up to Jim for his betrayal with Alex.

His breath suddenly caught in his chest as he watched Alex Barnes walk into his office, a gun in her hand.

"Alex."

She aimed her gun at him and Blair held up his hands in surrender, a sick feeling in his stomach. There would be no way out this time. Jim wouldn't be charging in to the rescue as he had many times before. Not this time.

"If it hadn't been for you, I never would have understood what I really was -- I owe you that," Alex told him. "You want to know how I really got the Sentinel senses? Solitary confinement in prison. I thought I was going crazy. It wasn't until I met you that I realized what I'd become."

"And look how you used this gift." Blair was unable to stop the reply, a feeling of disappointment washing over him. "What a waste."

"This is the one thing I really didn't want to do," Alex said, sadness creeping over her features for a moment. "But I can't leave you alive."

She walked closer to Blair, cocking the gun and he closed his eyes, not wanting to face his own death. He waited for the shot to sound, for the bullet to hit his body, for the terrible pain to strike. But nothing happened.

Taking a chance, Blair opened his eyes and watched as a myriad of emotions moved over Alex's features. Frustration. Pain. Anger. He wondered if she was even aware of what she was feeling.

"I can't..." Alex choked out. "But I have to..."

"Alex..."

"Get up!"

"Alex..." Blair tried again.

"I said, get up!" she shouted, gun once again aimed at his head.

Blair had no choice but to obey. He rose from his desk and moved around it until he was near the door.

"Open it. Move!"

They exited from his office, walking in silence, their footsteps echoing eerily through the deserted corridors.

"Keep moving," she ordered when Blair hesitated.

"Where are we going?"

"I... I need to get out of here. To think... I..." she growled, frustration clear in her voice. "Just move, damn you!"

They left Hargrove Hall, down the stairs until they were near the fountain. It was still early enough in the morning that there was no one around to see them.

"Alex, you don't have to do this. It's not too late to back down, there's still time." She laughed at that, a hollow sound, and Blair turned around to face her. "You don't really want to do this. Jim can help you cut a deal with the PD."

"You're wrong, Blair. It is too late," Alex whispered, a hand caressing his cheek gently. She leaned closer, her lips brushing over his softly. Then the blank expression was back in place. "Turn around."

"Alex..."

"Turn around!"

Left with no choice, knowing there was really no point in trying to fight, Blair turned back to the fountain. His heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was about to leap out from his chest. Blair couldn't help thinking about Jim, about what Jim would feel when his body was found, what would happen to him without someone to help him with his senses. But Jim had Simon to help him with the Sentinel stuff. He wouldn't be alone.

Blair felt Alex moving closer, felt her breath in his ear as she whispered, "I'm sorry..." The air shifted around him, a sharp pain centered in his skull, then the whole world went black.

Blair opened his eyes and found that he was not floating face down in the fountain at Rainier, but was still airborne. On the way to Mexico City. And from there to Sierra Verde via charter.

He closed his eyes again, the remnants from his dream -- his memory -- still playing in his mind. Just what he needed, to start dreaming about that day again.

The nightmare had been a constant in his life since waking in the hospital, knowing that he'd actually died. But time and police work had brought other nightmares to share his dreams, equally filled with pain and death, and this one had begun to fade away.

He looked beside him. Alex had her eyes closed, head leaning back against the seat, but by the white-knuckle grip on the armrest Blair knew she wasn't sleeping either.

He gazed at the cloudy sky outside the small window. He had had a lot of time to think during the last few days about everything that had happened since Alex came into their lives. Enough time to put a few ideas together into a larger picture that he wasn't sure he liked.

When Alex had first shown up in Cascade Jim had wondered about the odds of two Sentinels in the same place, at the same time, both falling in with Blair. That day Blair had dismissed it as fate, synchronicity. But as time had gone by, he'd kept feeling that she was toying with Jim, challenging him. It was like Alex had been challenging Jim to a duel. And what drove two people into a duel? Hatred? A score to settle? Something they both wanted but wouldn't share? Like... A Guide?

Blair had thrown all his thoughts and theories aside when he'd witnessed the way Jim seemed to react around Alex, the way they seemed to be drawn together. The mating instinct had obviously been there. To perpetuate their kind, make an even stronger Sentinel.

But thinking back, maybe Blair hadn't been that far off the mark. Maybe the initial friction between the two Sentinels hadn't been about mating instincts or territorial imperatives. Maybe it had been about him, about the Guide. And neither of them had realized it, caught up as they were in all the emotional stuff. He remembered Alex's reluctance to kill him. A Sentinel was supposed to protect the Guide; that was why it had been so hard.

But in the end, none of it really mattered. Because he didn't want Alex as a Sentinel, he wanted Jim. And he wouldn't give up his silent fight until they were back together.

"You guys have a nice vacation," Joel quipped as he dropped off his fellow officers at the Cascade Airport.

"Geez, Joel, thanks!" Henri grinned. "You're too kind!"

The first flight available for Mexico City left right after lunch, so they'd had enough time to pack, take care of a few loose ends and still grab a bite to eat. Now they were ready to take off.

"I know," Taggert grinned back. "By the way, I called the authorities in Mexico City and Sierra Verde asking for their full cooperation. I think I forgot to mention the part about you guys being on vacation, though," he chuckled. "Anyway, with any luck, by the time you get there they'll have something for you."

"Let's hope so. We could definitely use the extra help," Rafe remarked as they stepped through the automatic doors.

"Well, this is as far as I go," Taggert said. "You're on your own now, people. I have to get back to the station."

"Joel, thank you. For everything," Jim told him, grateful for all his friend had done to help rescue Blair.

Joel nodded, a gentle smile on his face. "Good luck, Jim. Bring him back."

"I will."

With a last wave to the Captain, the four cops headed for the ticket counter, handing over their luggage to be checked. Once they had their boarding passes, they went straight for airport security, showing their badges and bypassing the metal detector. All the while, there was a heavy silence among them, as if they were getting ready for the battle to come, all knowing it wouldn't be easy, but none prepared to back down.

It didn't take long for their flight to be announced. Jim took his seat on the plane and closed his eyes wearily. He missed Blair desperately. The friend, the partner, the lover. He missed the warm smile, the weird sense of humor, the lovemaking... Even the rabbit food, Jim thought with a weak smile.

Jim shook his head. He should've known what was really happening to him and Alex that first time. When he'd been in the Temple of Light, in that pool, and Incacha's spirit had asked what he feared. All he had been able to see was Blair. And all the times he had been close to losing him. That was what he feared. Losing Blair.

But why had he been experiencing that fear? At that moment? With Alex around? He should've realized that behind the attraction, behind whatever mating drive he'd been feeling, another war was being fought.

Jim had been wrong before, when he'd told Blair that Alex was fighting a different war now. It wasn't a different war after all. It was the same one -- a battle over the Guide. Only now there were no distractions. No mating call, so to speak.

Jim was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the plane had started its slow motion onto the runway until the sudden roar of the engines made him wince. He cringed at the noise and felt a gentle touch on his arm.

He turned his head, his eyes locking with Megan's. She was sitting beside him, a concerned expression on her face.

"You okay?"

Jim nodded. He knew she was worried about him, about how the noise from the engines was affecting his senses.

"Yeah."

"No, uh, problems?"

"Everything's fine, Megan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They shared a smile.

"Just checking," she whispered.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, well. Sandy would kick my ass all the way back home if something happened to you. So I better keep an eye on you."

"That's the only reason?"

Megan grinned. "Of course!"

"Right," Jim chuckled.

"Right."

Jim settled back in his seat as the plane took off. The desperation wasn't gone, not by a long shot, but it felt good to have the others around. He would have probably gone mad by then, if not for their friends.

Now he had to concentrate all his energy on going after Alex. And getting his partner back. And this time he wasn't alone.