An ambulance skidded to a stop at the curb as Jim handed the last carjacking thug off to McCaffery. He nodded his thanks to the uniform, then turned to gesture to the medics as they hurried toward him. The moment the perps were secured, the sentinel snapped into search mode, scanning the area for the beloved heartbeat he knew as well as his own. It took only seconds to filter out the background noise and zero in on Blair.

"I'm going in!" Jim called over his shoulder, not waiting to see if he was heard. Then he scrambled past Blair's Volvo and made his way into the dilapidated building, the medical team hot on his heels.

In the sentinel's wake, Simon opened his mouth to call back his detective, to order him to wait for backup. After a beat, his mouth snapped close. What was he thinking? Sandburg had been or still was in danger. There would be no stopping Ellison until the kid was safe.

***

"Sandburg?" Jim whispered, leading with his gun as he made his way quickly but cautiously through the deserted building. The sound of the precious heart was louder now, closer, and now the metallic tang of blood tickled Ellison's nostrils. He swallowed hard as he approached a turn in the hallway; the sounds and smell were coming from around the corner. Not sure he wanted to see what lay ahead, Jim took a deep breath and spun around the corner, gun pointed at the figures on the floor.

"Ahh!"

"Whoa, Chief! Easy!" Jim reholstered his weapon as Blair yelped, scrambling backwards despite the hold he had on the stranger. Ellison stepped aside as the medics quickly pushed past, kneeling beside the wounded man. The chief medic took over for Sandburg, using pressure to try and staunch the pulsating flow of blood, quietly thanking the young man for his help.

Jim hovered nearby, watching over his partner, waiting to see if he was needed. He’d seen the trashed Volvo, and had a pretty good idea of what had happened. A quick scan with his hearing had already told him that the man on the floor had died, and he wondered how much violence his friend had witnessed. He didn't have time to do a more thorough sensory sweep of the area, due to the Blair-shaped projectile hurtling at him.

"JIM!"

He had just secured his weapon when his arms were suddenly and forcefully filled with a trembling anthropologist. Blair ran into his arms, strong, square hands grabbing at the back of Jim's coat, clinging to the larger man like a life preserver. The older man wrapped his arms around his partner, automatically switching into comfort mode as the smaller figure tried to nestle into his chest.

"Shhh... easy now, it's OK." Ellison kept his voice low, gentle, using the soft tones to soothe and calm his frightened partner. What exactly had transpired tonight was still a mystery. But that could wait. For now, Blair was the center of his universe. "Are you hurt, buddy?" he asked, lips pressed against the younger man's temple.

Blair shook his head, tightening his already crushing grip around his partner's waist, trying to block out the memories of the night's events. He could hear the low voices of the medics, and knew that the man he’d found was dead. A heavy twinge of guilt in not being able to do more for the unknown man weighed heavy on Blair’s heart, and he closed his eyes. Warm, thick fingers began to caress his scalp, helping to soothe away the fear, and he let himself melt deeper into the strong, protective embrace.

"It's OK," Jim breathed into the dark curls under his chin. "I'm here now, babe. Everything's fine."

***

Simon coughed as he brushed a cobweb out of his face, following the soft sound of Ellison's voice through the dim hallways. He rounded a corner and found the detective, standing like a statue in the middle of the hallway as the medics worked on the floor. But where was Blair? Puzzled, the captain cocked his head, stepping forward. Jim turned his head and caught his eye, and Simon glanced pointedly around.

"Where's Sandburg?" the older man asked. Jim chuckled quietly at him. "What?" Banks asked, exasperated. Then, the sentinel turned, just slightly, and Simon blinked. "Oh," he said simply.

Blair had pressed himself so tightly to Jim's chest that he all but disappeared in the gaping folds of the larger man's bulky winter coat. Jim's arms wrapped around him added to the concealing cocoon. Swallowing a warm smile, Banks just patted Jim on the shoulder before turning to check with the group on the floor. After confirming that the stranger was dead, Simon sat back on his heels to study his favorite team.

"You got him?" the older man asked, coming to stand at the sentinel's side. Jim nodded, tightening his arms just a little as another visible shudder ran through his young charge's body. Blair tensed only slightly when Banks laid a gentle hand on his back, softly rubbing, brown eyes full of warmth as he gazed fondly at the young man.

"He'll be OK, sir," Ellison murmured quietly. "Why don't you go see about getting Forensics up here to look over the Volvo? There are bound to be slugs for evidence." Jim angled his head toward the exit. As he heard his leader depart, he once again turned his full attention to the young man in his arms.

"What say we get out of here, eh, Chief? Maybe let the nice medics check you over?" Ellison tried to guide his partner in the direction of the exit. But Blair pulled out of his hold and returned to kneel beside the corpse, surrounded by the medical team. They all watched as Blair gently reached down, and brushed the old man's unseeing eyes closed with a soft touch.

“I’m sorry,” Sandburg whispered softly to the unhearing stranger. Jim felt a lump form solidly in his throat at the heartfelt words.

Blair just knelt there for a long time, idly fingering the bloodstained shirt, heedless of the medics as they prepared to move the body. Finally, Jim reached down and took him by the arm, pulling the younger man to his feet and out of the way. Blair did not resist, moving to lean into Jim's body as the larger man wrapped an arm around his shoulders and guided him away.

***

Jim stared as the vision of Molly drew closer... closer.... He felt the feathery brush of lips against his cheek, warm, not cold as he was expecting. Then a soft voice tickled his consciousness, as if whispered inside his head.

"That boy loves you with all his heart, James Ellison. Take care of him."

Then, she faded slowly back into the glass, one last serene smile touching her lips, mirrored by Jim. The sentinel watched her disappear, then turned, reached out, and softly patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Come on, buddy," the big man said, pulling his Guide against him in a one-armed hug. Blair leaned his head on Jim's shoulder, and the sentinel sighed. He angled his head down, brushing his cheek against Sandburg's brow as they started toward the door together.

"Let's go home."

THE END