Disclaimer: Pet Fly and Paramount own the copyright to The Sentinel and its characters. This piece of fan fiction was written solely for the love of the characters and to share freely with other fans. No profit is being made from the posting of this story.

Acknowledgments: To my intrepid betas, Mary and Bobbie, my many and undying thanks. I also want to give credit for the bulk of the "episode" part of this story to John Vorhaus, who wrote "Second Chance," and to the team of PetFly and Paramount who own the copyright to the script. I have lifted much of the story and dialogue pretty much intact, although I've shortened the timeline and changed a few things around to suit this AU. Mr. Vorhaus deserves 99% of the credit for these scenes, despite my mangling of them. {g} Also, a nod of sincere thanks to Becky, whose transcripts I relied heavily upon to write this story.

Rating: NC/17 -- FRAO

Category: AU, series, episode related

Warnings: m/m, smarm

Summary: Maya comes back into Blair's life and threatens to take him from Jim. When Blair is injured, Jim realizes what he almost lost and takes steps to make sure that everyone knows his feelings for his guide.

Note: Sequel to "Chosen," and "Flight."

"I just have one question," Blair said, as he sat at the dining table in his bathrobe drizzling syrup over his pancakes. "Now that we're attached to the Cascade PD, do I still have to wear the Guide Corps uniform? I mean, that thing makes me feel like I'm walking around naked, even though I'm covered from neck to ankle."

Jim washed his food down with a gulp of coffee and grinned at his partner. "'Fraid so, Chief. You're one of the elite now, and the uniform comes with the job."

"I figured as much," Blair grumbled, attacking his breakfast with a single-minded purpose.

"Better finish up. We don't want to be late for our first day on the new job." Jim stood and took his dishes over to the sink.

"I just got started!" Blair protested through a mouthful of food.

"It's not my fault you chose to sleep in," Jim bantered back with a grin.

"And whose fault was it that I was kept up till all hours of the night while you fucked my brains out?" Blair used his finger to wipe the drop of syrup that had escaped his lips, then sucked it clean while looking at the Sentinel with wide, blue eyes.

Jim grinned and shrugged. "I didn't hear you complaining last night."

"Last night I had my mind on other things," Blair replied, returning the grin. He got up and took his plate to the sink, scraped the leftovers into the disposal, then turned and headed for the stairs to their bedroom. "It won't take me more'n a couple minutes to dress," he called as he took the steps two at a time.

Up in the bedroom, Blair stripped off his robe and wandered, naked, over to the closet where his uniform hung. He removed the Spandex garment and once again marveled at how he could squeeze his body into something that looked like it was made for a 10-year-old boy instead of a fully grown man. The suit left no room for anything other than bare skin. He sat on the bed and began pulling the one-piece garment up his legs, tugging on the material to make it stretch. When he got to his waist, he had to reach in to adjust himself before pulling the uniform up his chest and slipping his arms into the long sleeves. Socks and boots followed quickly, and Blair hurried down the stairs.

"Do you think I need to tie back my hair?"

Jim shook his head. "Leave it loose. I like it that way. If we get an assignment, you can tie it back if it makes you feel more comfortable. Ready?"

Blair smoothed his hands down his sides and over his hips. "Yup, looks like my second skin is in place. Let's roll."

He was stopped short of the front door when Jim grabbed his arm and pulled him into an embrace. A hand came up to stroke over his curls and cup the back of his head, while warm lips caressed his in a gentle kiss.

"I love you, Chief," Jim murmured into Blair's ear before nibbling on the lobe.

Blair shivered with arousal at his lover's voice, before gently pushing Jim away. "Cut it out, man! You know I can't hide my feelings in this catsuit."

Jim's eyes drifted down to the bulge at Blair's groin. The distinct outline of an erect penis greeted his gaze.

"Don't worry about it. You're a Guide; that makes you off limits to anyone but me. Let's go." Jim opened the door and ushered his Guide out in front of him.

+++++

They walked through the double doors of the Major Crime Unit and stood looking over the bullpen. A tall, redheaded man approached with a leering grin, stretching out his hand in greeting.

"You must be the new Sentinel and Guide pair," he said. "My name is Mahoney, Patrick Mahoney; but everybody here just calls me 'Paddy'." His gaze was riveted on Blair's groin, and the slowly receding erection. After shaking Jim's hand, he couldn't help but reach out to caress the intriguing bulge.

Blair pulled away from the unwanted touch, withdrawing behind Jim for protection.

"Hands off, Mahoney," Jim growled. "No one touches a Guide without permission."

The Irishman stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. "So, is it true that when a Sentinel takes a new job or a new Guide, that he publicly fucks the Guide in front of all his coworkers?"

A small crowd had assembled behind Mahoney, and other detectives looked up from their desks in curiosity. Few had seen a functioning Sentinel-Guide pair on the job.

"The Sentinel bonds with the Guide, claims him," Jim agreed with a short nod and lips stretched tight. "It shows the Guide belongs to him, and no other. It puts the Guide off limits."

"So, let's see it," Mahoney said, gesturing toward the attractive Guide.

"Sorry about this, Chief," Jim murmured softly to Blair. "I'd hoped we could avoid this little display."

"You and me both, man," Blair sighed.

Jim cleared his throat and spoke in an authoritative voice. "Strip, Guide!"

Blair took a deep breath to steady his nerves and then began to peel the suit from his shoulders, extracting his arms and rolling it down his chest. When he reached his waist, he cast a glance over his shoulder at Jim, who nodded back grimly. With only a slight hesitation, he pulled the garment past his hips, then shoved it down to his ankles before bending over and presenting himself to his Sentinel.

+++++

Jim had already unbuckled his belt and opened his fly. Oftentimes, a Sentinel would only extract his cock to fuck his Guide, but Jim, sensitive to his partner's feelings, let his own slacks drop to his ankles after taking a tube of lubricant from his pocket. It only took a few strokes of his hand to make him hard. His world had narrowed to the sight of that inviting ass as his need to claim his Guide became uppermost in the Sentinel's mind. He squeezed some of the gel onto his fingers and coated his cock, burying himself in one swift thrust.

+++++

Blair grunted when the large cock entered him and braced his hands on his knees so that the thrusting wouldn't push him over. He closed his eyes to the world around him, allowing himself to know only that he was being claimed, marked by his Sentinel, his lover. Jim's thrusts came faster and Blair felt a hand wrap around his now flaccid penis, trying to stroke it back to life. Unfortunately, this was not an arousing experience for the Guide, and Jim remained unsuccessful in his attempt.

A final thrust buried the hard cock deep inside Blair's body. He grunted again as he felt himself fill with the warm, moist seed, and then sighed as the spent organ was pulled out, leaving him feeling a cool draft from the room's air conditioning.

+++++

Jim tucked himself back into his pants and pulled up the zipper. He reached down to help Blair up, turning his Guide so that Blair's backside was facing the watching audience. "Get dressed now," he said softly, leaning in to press a kiss against Blair's cheek.

"What the hell is going on out here?"

Simon Banks had opened the door to his office when he'd noticed the unusual gathering in the bullpen. "Ellison! Sandburg! My office, now, gentlemen!"

Jim led the way, parting the sea of bodies to make room for him and his Guide to get through. He buckled his belt as he walked, aware that Blair was still virtually naked as he shuffled behind and into the private office.

"What the hell was going on out there?" Simon huffed as the door closed behind the three men. He pointedly kept his gaze on Jim's face, away from the naked Guide who struggled to get the Spandex uniform pulled up over his sweat-damp body.

"I was publicly claiming my Guide," Jim explained calmly. "Now everyone out there knows to keep their hands off Blair."

"It's all right," Blair chimed in, pulling the suit up over his shoulders and wiping his hands down his sides to smooth out the material. "It's a common enough occurrence. You see, a paired Guide is highly valuable..."

"Thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?" Simon said to Jim with a lopsided grin.

"He's right," Jim defended his mate. "Unattached Guides are a dime a dozen, but one that's been chosen by a Sentinel becomes invaluable - damn near irreplaceable."

"The claiming is the Sentinel's way of marking his territory," Blair continued, his animated hands talking right along with him. "It's his way of saying that the Guide is off limits."

"That's all well and good, but I can't have any more displays like that one," said Simon. "It's too disruptive, not to mention there are laws against lewd behavior in public."

"Which don't apply to Sentinels and Guides," Blair piped up again.

Jim shrugged. "He's right, Simon. They don't. If we've been working and I need to reconnect with my Guide, I can take him any time, any where, and no one will think twice about it. That's why I insisted he wear the Guide Corps uniform."

"Well, I'd rather he didn't." Simon scowled and glanced pointedly at Blair. "He might as well be running around naked. I can see his nipples, his navel, the very distinct outline of his... organ." Simon's voice trailed off and he turned his gaze back to Jim.

"Don't worry, Simon," said Blair. "That won't happen again. Not here, at least. It's common practice for a Sentinel to publicly claim his Guide when starting a new job. Everyone now knows that we're a bonded pair. There's no need for any other displays like the one out there." He tipped his head toward the bullpen.

Simon pursed his lips and then nodded tightly. "Why don't the two of you go down to Personnel and get your paperwork started? After that, you can go out on patrol and get yourselves acquainted with the city. When you come into work tomorrow, I may just have an assignment for you."

Jim nodded. "Sounds good to me, Simon. Thanks." He turned and opened the door, ushering Blair out ahead of him. The pair walked the gauntlet, with all eyes on them as they reached the double doors to the unit.

+++++

Once the Sentinel and Guide were out of the bullpen, Simon barked, "Back to work, everybody! We have a city to serve and protect here!"

Heads dropped all over the office, as the detectives got busily back to their work.

+++++

"I didn't mean for that to happen," Jim apologized as he and Blair made their way home that evening, after a full day of familiarizing themselves with the layout of Cascade. "I'd really hoped to avoid it altogether."

"I know," Blair said, turning his gaze from the passing scenery to look at Jim. "I didn't mind, really. I was trained at Rainier, you know. We were taught about the bonding ritual. I half expected it."

"But you didn't deserve it. It's public humiliation, pure and simple."

"It's a Sentinel being a Sentinel, and his Guide being a Guide," Blair said softly. "It's over. We don't have to worry about it anymore, ever again."

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Jim promised as he pulled into his parking spot outside their building.

As the two men exited the truck, a woman's scream rent the quiet of the evening. Jim and Blair quickly spotted the struggle in front of Collette's, the dress shop on the ground floor of their building. They rushed over, with Blair kneeling next to the woman who was now face down on the sidewalk, while Jim ran after the man who had been assaulting her, narrowly missing the perp as he jumped into a waiting van and sped away.

Blair took the woman's shoulders and gently turned her over. "Are you all right, miss?"

The woman moaned and opened her dark eyes to look up at her savior. Blair got a good look at her for the first time. "Maya?" His voice held astonishment and wonder.

+++++

Blair brought a steaming mug of tea over to the dining table where Maya sat and handed it to her. "It's pau d'arco tea. It'll make you feel better."

Maya accepted the cup with a grateful smile. "I didn't expect to see you again in Cascade," she said as she cautiously sipped at the hot liquid.

Blair pulled out a chair next to his ex-fiancée and eased into it. "I didn't know I was coming back," he answered. "Have you been here long? I'd heard that you went back to Chile after we broke up."

"Mmmm... I did. For a little while," she replied with her soft accent that had so captivated Blair the first time he'd heard it. "But after my father was killed by a rival cartel, I heard that they were planning to kidnap me. I tried to contact my Uncle Gustavo, who is the only person I truly trust, but I couldn't find him, so I came back to Cascade."

Jim wandered over to stand behind Blair, laying a protective hand on his Guide's shoulder. "Do you have any idea who the man was that attacked you tonight?"

Maya shook her head. "No. None. Unless the cartel followed me to make good on their threat. I thought they wouldn't be able to find me here."

"We'll take care of you, keep you safe," Blair promised, reaching out to cover Maya's hand with his. "Won't we, Jim?"

"Yeah, sure. You can sleep on the couch tonight," Jim offered. "We'll come up with a permanent arrangement in the morning."

"Thank you," Maya said with a shy grin.

+++++

Blair couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Maya still spun in his head. He was Jim's Guide now, and he loved Jim. But he had loved Maya, too. It was she who had thrown him out, not the other way around. Perhaps he wasn't as over her as he thought.

Peeling the covers back, he slipped out of Jim's warm embrace and padded barefoot down the stairs. Maya was asleep on the couch, an afghan thrown over her to keep her warm. Perching on the arm of the couch, Blair watched her sleep.

Maya snuffled and rolled over, the afghan sliding off to reveal the short, satin nightgown that she wore. Blair got up to retrieve the blanket, covering the girl once more.

"Am I that interesting?" Maya opened her eyes and smiled up at Blair.

Blair returned to his perch on the arm of the couch. "You always were." He paused, gathering his courage. Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the question uppermost in his mind. "I was wondering if you still hate me for leaving you to join the Guide Service? You were pretty angry the day I left."

"Oh, Blair...." Maya sat up, not caring that the afghan fell to the floor again. "I wasn't angry, I was hurt. I loved you... I still love you." She leaned forward to grasp Blair's hand and hold it gently.

"I love you, too," Blair admitted. "It killed me to leave you, but I had to know... I had to know if I was good enough to be chosen by a Sentinel."

"And you were," Maya said, smiling sadly. "You achieved your dream."

"But at what cost?" Blair asked. "I lost the woman I loved."

"You did not lose me," Maya said. "I am here now, with you."

"But I can't..." Blair hesitated, his gaze flicking to the loft bedroom and the Sentinel who slept soundly in their bed. "I'm promised to Jim now. I love him, and he loves me. We can't be married now, Maya."

"Can Guides not have wives as well as Sentinels?" Maya asked, her eyes pleading with Blair.

Blair shook his head. "Some have tried, but it always ends in unhappiness. For a Guide, the Sentinel must come first, even over a spouse. And would you really want to share me sexually with Jim?"

Maya's nose crinkled in disgust, but her tone remained sweet. "I miss you, mi amor. I will do what I have to do to have you with me again."

"I don't think it will work, Maya. I can't. I'm sorry." Blair took his hand back, breaking the contact between him and his ex-fiancée.

"I am sorry, too," Maya said, her lips turning down in a pout.

Blair sighed and stood, stooping to pick up the afghan and handing it to Maya. "Good night."

Maya clutched the blanket to her chest and watched as Blair made his way back up the stairs to join his Sentinel in the bed they shared.

+++++

The next morning, at the safe house, Blair's eyes never left Maya's as Jim introduced the two officers who would be her bodyguards. When Jim turned to leave, Blair hesitated.

"I'll be with you in just a minute, Jim," Blair said. "I need a minute with Maya."

Jim shrugged. "Okay, I'll be out in the truck."

After Jim left, Blair turned to Maya. "I wish we could do more for you."

"It's all right," Maya said with a resigned sigh. "I will be all right. You must go; be with your Sentinel."

Blair hesitated again, this time deciding, and leaned in to give Maya a quick kiss. "I'll see you soon."

"Yes, soon," Maya said, watching as Blair walked out the door.

+++++

Jim and Blair had gone out to breakfast after settling Maya in the safe house. Jim had purposefully avoided talking about Maya during their meal, which had set Blair's nerves on edge. He bounced nervously on the balls of his feet as they approached the truck.

"I know what you're going to say," Blair said as he slipped into the passenger seat of the pickup. "But I'm committed to you now. Whatever feelings I had in the past - or have now - for Maya, they're not important. I'd never leave you to go back to her."

"I know you think that, Chief," Jim said, glancing sadly over at his Guide, "but I don't know. Your heart beats faster when she's around, your breathing gets shallow. Last night, when you came back to bed, the smell of arousal was all over you."

Blair blushed. "I'm sorry. I-I never thought I'd see her again. I didn't think it would be an issue."

"Your unresolved love for her?"

Blair nodded silently before turning to look at Jim. "But I meant what I told her last night. I could never leave you to marry her. I wouldn't."

The two men were so deep in their conversation that they barely noticed when two guns were shoved through the car windows into their faces.

"Get out of the truck," one of their assailants ordered in a heavy Spanish accent.

Slowly, the two men climbed out. As his feet hit the pavement, Jim slammed his door into his attacker, knocking the man down. But before he could get to his gun, another voice made him freeze.

"Stop, or your Guide is dead."

Jim looked up to see that the other man had Blair in a choke hold, the barrel of a gun pressed against his temple. Blair was white as a sheet as he stared at Jim, begging with his eyes for his Sentinel to do something, anything.

"What do you want?" Jim asked, unable to keep a measure of belligerence out of his voice.

"We want you to come with us," the man said, motioning to a black sedan that waited at the curb.

+++++

They were ushered into a warehouse where wrought-iron was worked to create beautiful works of art, and brought into the presence of an older man. Their captors spoke to the man in rapid-fire Spanish. The man holding Jim handed over Jim's wallet.

The older man perused the contents and then looked up at Jim. "So, you are a Sentinel? And this is your Guide, perhaps? No doubt, you were bought and paid for. I will offer you double. Where is Maya Carasco?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Jim spat sharply, angry that he had allowed himself and, more importantly, Blair to be captured.

"You Americans," the older man said, shaking his head. "With you, everything is a pissing contest." He picked up a beautifully wrought piece of iron. "Lovely, isn't it? My cousin made this. He is a true craftsman, wouldn't you agree?" The man paused for an instant, holding the iron for Jim to see. "But even something as hard as iron will bend like clay... when enough heat is applied, eh?" He reached out to pat Blair on the chest. "Take the Guide."

Blair struggled against his captor, his eyes glued to Jim as he was dragged over to a table and his hands forced down in front of him. Another man fired up a torch and waited for instructions. Jim took a deep breath, trying not to think about what they had in mind for Blair, and turned his attention away from his Guide, back to the man in front of him.

"I'll ask you again, Señor. Where is Maya Carasco?"

Jim's eyes danced with a fire of their own. "Hurt him, and you're a dead man," he threatened, not the least bothered by the fact that he was outnumbered four to one.

The older man shrugged. "His fate is up to you, Señor. I would suggest you talk. Your Guide is getting warm."

Jim hazarded another quick glance in Blair's direction, cringing inwardly as the man with the torch brought the fire closer to Blair's outstretched hands.

Blair struggled to pull his hands back, away from the fire that was already making his skin sizzle. "Don't tell him, Jim! Don't say anything!"

Jim weighed his Guide's plea against the danger, and decided to act. He elbowed the man holding the gun on him in the solar plexus and tried to wrest the gun from his grasp. But before he could succeed, the older man pulled a gun and held it to his back.

"Ah, ah, ah, Señor. That is not the way for you to save your precious Guide."

The man Jim had struggled with now held a gun to Jim's chest. "Should I kill him now, Señor Gustavo?"

Blair's head jerked up when he heard the name, all thoughts of the torch brushed aside for the moment. "Gustavo?" he asked, surprised. "Uncle Gustavo?"

The older man looked over at Blair, surprised in his turn. "Only one person calls me Uncle Gustavo," he said, suspicion strong in his voice.

"You're Uncle Gustavo," Blair said more firmly this time. "The one Maya said she trusts."

Gustavo gestured to his men. "Let him go."

Blair was released and he quickly made his way back to Jim's side. Jim wrapped a protective arm around his Guide, pulling Blair in close against his side and doing a brief sensory sweep to make sure that he wasn't hurt.

"So, you have seen her? You know where she is?" Gustavo asked the two men.

Blair nodded, answering before Jim could open his mouth. "Yeah, we've seen her. We're protecting her."

"Ah, please forgive me." Gustavo held out his hand in reconciliation. "My name is Gustavo Alcante. Please, I ask you to take me to Maya."

+++++

Jim and Blair escorted a blindfolded Alcante to the safe house where Maya was being held in protective custody. As they pulled up to the curb, Alcante was allowed to remove the blindfold.

"Sorry about that, but we needed to be certain that the location of this place was kept a secret," Jim explained, getting out of the car.

"I understand," Alcante said, surprisingly cooperative after his earlier belligerence.

Jim took the lead, approaching the front door quietly and with caution. His Sentinel hearing had picked up no heartbeats where there should have been three. "Something's not right," he whispered to Blair, who had come up behind him to ground his senses while he worked. The door to the house was ajar.

"What is it?" Blair whispered back, worried about Maya.

Jim slowly pushed open the door, his gun at the ready. Shielding his Guide, he walked into the house first, scanning the room with sight and hearing before allowing anyone else inside. Finally, he lowered the gun. "We're alone," he said, leading the way in.

On the floor, the two officers who had been set to guard Maya lay dead, and Maya was nowhere to be found.

Gustavo Alcante entered the house after the Sentinel and Guide and stood shaking his head. "I know who did this," he said sadly. "The bullet holes through the hands are his signature. His name is Francisco Rivero - a warlord who once worked with Maya's father. If he has Maya, it's only a matter of time before he kills her."

+++++

"I should have stayed with her," Blair lamented as the crime scene team swarmed the safe house.

Jim wrapped an arm around his Guide and pressed a kiss to his temple, not caring who saw them. "If you'd been there, you would have been killed, too," he said.

"But she was my fiancée. I should have done more to help her," Blair argued stubbornly.

"She left you," Jim reminded him softly. "I'm not saying she didn't deserve the best protection we could give her, but she wasn't your responsibility anymore."

Blair sighed, turning to look at Jim. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

Their conversation was interrupted when they were joined by Simon and Gustavo.

"My major concern at the moment is how they found the safe house," Simon was saying to Maya's uncle. His cell phone rang and he stopped to answer. A moment later, he handed the phone to Blair. "It's for you."

Blair took the phone, looking puzzled. "Hello? This is Sandburg." After a short pause, he responded with a startled voice. "Maya?" His bark of surprise alerted Jim.

"Keep her on the phone, Chief," Jim whispered to Blair, before turning to make a call of his own. "Hello. Yeah. This is Ellison. I need a trace on Simon Banks' cell phone, ASAP!"

"Who took you?" Blair was asking in the background, his tone sounding agitated. "I don't understand. What...? Damn," he said, looking up at Jim. "They hung up."

Jim turned to Simon, disappointed. "They didn't have enough time for the trace."

"What did Maya tell you?" Simon asked Jim's Guide.

"Some guy took the phone from her," Blair explained. "They're holding her for ransom. They'll kill her if we don't get them the account numbers and access codes."

"What account numbers and access codes?" Simon snapped.

"To Maya's father's bank accounts," Blair responded glumly.

"But Hector Carasco is dead!" Jim said. "How can they expect us to get the information?"

"I know this information," Gustavo said calmly, cutting into the conversation. "His money is all in Swiss bank accounts. When he died, he willed the money to me in a trust for Maya."

Blair fidgeted in Jim's embrace. "We're supposed to meet them at Granite Beach Park at noon with the codes, or they'll kill Maya."

+++++

Jim, Blair, and Gustavo sat together on a bench overlooking the water at the beach. They had been there about ten minutes when a black car turned into the parking lot next to them.

"Hey, you think that's them?" Blair asked, standing. Jim and Gustavo rose to stand beside him as three men got out of the car.

"Which one of you is Blair Sandburg?" the lead man asked.

"I am," Blair answered, standing close to Jim for support.

The man looked him over and frowned. "You don't look like so much," he spat.

Jim tensed, and Blair had to grasp his arm, whispering to the Sentinel to calm him down.

"And where did you dig up this old crook?" the man asked, turning to look at Gustavo.

"So help me, Francisco," Gustavo muttered. "If you have hurt Maya..."

"Nothing will happen to her, so long as you came with the codes," Rivero said.

Jim handed him a folded slip of paper. "All right, now tell us where you're holding Maya," he demanded.

"All in good time," Rivero said. "First, we must see if these codes are correct."

"They are correct," Gustavo muttered.

"Maybe we need a little more insurance, eh?" Rivero said, nodding to his men. The two guards moved out, flanking Jim and Gustavo. Rivero stuffed the paper in his pocket and then reached out to grab Blair's arm, yanking the startled Guide toward him and putting a gun to his temple.

"Let him go!" Jim yelled, lunging toward Rivero and his captive. He was stopped by an arm around his throat and a gun pressed into his spine.

Blair's eyes widened as he was dragged toward the car and forced inside. "Jim!"

Jim struggled against the hold of his captor, but wasn't willing to risk Blair's life. As the two men who had been holding him and Gustavo let go to join Rivero, Jim shouted out his encouragement to his Guide. "I'll come for you!"

Jim watched the car pull away, Blair's face in the rear window haunting him. But he couldn't afford to just stand and watch for more than a few brief seconds. Grabbing Gustavo's arm, he guided the man toward the truck and took off in pursuit.

+++++

"We got the codes," Rivero said, walking into the cabin of his luxury yacht.

Maya stretched like a cat waking from a nap and put down the magazine she was reading. She got up and wound herself around Rivero, looking up to him with adoring eyes. "And now we will be rich beyond our wildest imaginings."

"I have given the codes to Pascal. We will know as soon as the banks open in Switzerland if they are correct."

"And if they are not?" Maya's voice was a pouty purr as she traced a finger across Rivero's cheek.

"If they are not, we have a hostage," Rivero replied.

Maya's eyebrows arched. "Oh? We do? And who would that be?"

"The Sentinel's Guide - Sandburg." Rivero studied Maya's face for her reaction. "Does that bother you? He was your fiancé, was he not?"

Maya twisted out of Rivero's embrace. "Was is the operative word," she spat. "It does not matter to me what happens to him. Kill him for all I care."

+++++

Jim had followed the car carrying Blair to an underpass near the river. He had used his hearing to track the music playing in the radio as the car had too large a lead to be seen when it rounded the corners on adjacent streets. And now it was abandoned, with the radio still playing loudly.

As the forensics team went over the car for fingerprints and looked for other clues, Gustavo watched, frowning. "Why do you bother? We know who kidnapped Maya and your Guide - Francisco Rivera. Why dust for prints on a car that most obviously is stolen?"

"We're looking for more than fingerprints," Jim explained, trying to stay calm. "We're looking for any clues that might tell us where they took Blair and Maya. Right now, it's all we have to go on."

"In a few hours," Gustavo said, his voice low and meant for Jim's ears only, "they will know that I faked the codes and they will kill Maya and your precious Blair."

"What the hell?" Jim rounded on the older man, fury flashing across his face. "What do you mean, you gave them fake codes? You risked the life of your niece, of my Guide, for your petty games?"

"It is a lot of money," Gustavo said, shrugging. "I could not let it fall into the hands of the like of Rivera. This money is Maya's when she turns twenty-five."

"So you risked two lives?" Jim was astonished. His heart raced as he thought of the possibility of losing Blair, of losing the most precious person in his life. He would do anything in his power to prevent that, and no one, including Gustavo Alcante, would stand in his way.

Simon walked up to the two feuding men and placed a calming hand on Jim's shoulder. "Señor Alcante," he addressed Gustavo, "perhaps you'd better take a walk; let my detective here calm down a bit."

"Si." Gustavo nodded and walked away.

Jim spun on Simon, seething with anger that was fueled by his fear for his Guide's life. "Why did you do that? Maybe he knows more than he's telling us!" Jim stage whispered to his boss.

"This just came in over the wire," Simon said, handing Jim a piece of paper. "Check it out. We had Interpol do a search on Francisco Rivero. Turns out he's connected to the Carasco cartel. Check out his full name."

Jim studied the paper in his hands. "'Francisco Rivero Alcante.' Alcante?"

Simon nodded. "Rivero is Gustavo Alcante's son."

+++++

Maya entered the engine room of the yacht where Blair was tied to a post, looking a bit the worse for wear from a beating he'd taken in trying to escape.

"I brought you some water," Maya said, opening the bottle and holding it to Blair's lips.

Blair took a few sips, grateful for the moisture for his dry lips and throat. "Maya! You're all right!" He tried to smile, but his split lip made the gesture painful. "I was worried about you."

"Oh, were you?" Maya asked, her voice filled with sarcasm. "Were you worried about me when you ran off to be a Guide? Did you care about my feelings when your Sentinel fucked you? Did you even think about me?"

"Maya! Of course... of course I thought about you! Every day," Blair said, hurt and surprised at the venom in her voice.

"But not enough. Not enough to stay with me." Maya walked over to Blair, facing him, and kneed him in the groin with all her strength. Blair cried out, his knees going weak from the pain. Maya grinned. "That is what I think of you now. I have a man who cares for me, who can provide for me. I no longer need a Sentinel's whore." She turned her back on Blair and stalked out of the room, closing the door and leaving Blair in darkness.

+++++

Back in Simon's office, Jim turned on Gustavo. "So, when were you going to tell us that Francisco is really your son?"

"Yes, you are correct," Gustavo said with a sigh of resignation. "He is my son, but in name only. He is an animal! He knows I love Maya like a daughter. He will destroy her to get at me. Our only hope now to save Maya and your Guide," he said, directing his comments directly to Jim, "is to give him the real access codes."

"Like you should have done in the first place!" Jim exploded. "If you hadn't lied, Blair would be safe, and we'd have Maya back by now."

"Maybe so. Maybe not," Gustavo said, shrugging. "I had to do what I thought was right. I am trying to balance Maya's safety and her inheritance. I made a mistake."

"A mistake that might end up costing two more people their lives," Jim ground out angrily.

"I suggest you two stop arguing and start doing something," said Simon, giving his Sentinel detective a stern look. With a flick of his head, he indicated the men should get out of his office and get back to work.

+++++

Jim was trying to drive and talk on his cell phone at the same time. "Yeah, I've got the codes this time," he said into the phone. Turning to Gustavo, he said, "They want one, now."

"Tell them account number 7-4-6-5-3, code 'Zasulo'," Alcante said.

"Did you hear that?" Jim asked into the phone. A moment later, he nodded. "Slip 24 at the marina? We'll be there in fifteen minutes." He turned the phone off and turned to Alcante. "What is 'Zasulo'?"

"Hector and I chose names of soccer players from our youth," the crusty old mob boss said with a grin. Suddenly, he grabbed at his chest, finding it hard to breathe.

Jim hazarded a glance away from the road to see what was wrong. "What's the matter?"

"I can't breathe. My chest..." Gustavo wheezed.

"Just a moment, I'll pull over," said Jim, fitting action to words. Once they were stopped, he got out of the truck and moved around to the passenger side, helping Gustavo out. "Hang in there. I'm calling an ambulance," he said, pulling out his cell phone once more.

While Jim was distracted with making the call, Gustavo rallied, wrapping an arm around Jim's neck, and taking his gun and phone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jim asked, freeing himself and spinning to face Alcante.

Gustavo shook his head as he watched a car pull up and stop behind Jim's truck. "Just doing what I must."

"Look, Gustavo," Jim said, trying to reason with the man as he watched two armed men approach from the other car. "You should let the police handle this."

"I'm sorry," Alcante said, managing to look as though he was genuinely repentant. "But this is between my son and me. I cannot take any chances where Maya's life is concerned."

"And what about Blair? What about my Guide, Gustavo?" Jim ranted, held back from physically assaulting the old man by one of his guards. "Doesn't his life mean anything? Because it sure the hell does to me!"

"What matters is stopping Francisco," Alcante said. "And getting Maya back safely." He took Jim's car keys and threw them in the grass of the hillside. "We will handle this."

Jim watched as Alcante and his men piled into the car that had followed them and took off. Immediately, he turned his attention to the hill, quickly spotting the keys when a ray of sunlight glinted from the metallic surface. Getting in the truck, he gunned the engine, intent on getting to the marina in time to save Blair before Gustavo's antics got his Guide killed.

+++++

Blair's head jerked up when he heard the creak of the engine room door opening and squinted against the bright sunlight streaming through the crack. Maya entered, holding a gun pointed at him.

"I am sorry," Maya said, her face a cold mask that held no mercy for her ex-lover. "But Francisco says that we no longer have need of a hostage."

"Then just let me go," Blair reasoned. "Take the money and get out of the country. I won't pursue you, and I'll see to it that Jim doesn't either."

"Not good enough," said Maya, unfastening the bonds that held Blair to the post. Pushing the gun into his kidneys, she urged him forward. "Francisco says we can't leave any loose ends, and you're the loosest end of all."

Blair stumbled out on deck, dazzled by the bright light after being kept in the dark for so long. "You're making a mistake," he said, turning his head to look at Maya. The grim look on her face told him that his reasoning wasn't getting through to her. Maya intended to kill him.

+++++

Gustavo stood on the pier, looking up at the yacht as Maya came out on deck with Blair. Rivero appeared on the deck above, a pistol leveled at his father. "I want the rest of the codes now, old man," he growled, squeezing the trigger of the gun threateningly.

"First, I want Maya," Gustavo said, his two men flanking him and holding guns on Francisco in a stand-off.

Francisco shook his head and smiled, coming down to pull Maya into his embrace. "Too late, father/," he spit the word out as though it was bitter on his tongue. "She is with me, willingly."

"Maya, is this so?" Gustavo asked, stunned.

The young woman nodded, her gun never wavering from the small of Blair's back. "We want the codes, Uncle," she said. "Or this miserable excuse for a Guide dies."

Gustavo shrugged. "He is not my concern."

"But he is mine!" Jim said, jumping out of his truck almost before he'd come to a complete stop. Pulling his backup weapon, he aimed it toward Maya, intent on protecting his Guide.

One of Gustavo's guards had peeled away at Jim's arrival, circling around back to pick off the Sentinel. But the hired muscle was no match for sharp ears. Jim dived and rolled as the first shots were fired, managing to get off a round of his own, taking the man out.

The sudden flurry of action and noise prompted Gustavo to get into the fight. He knocked one of Rivero's men into the water and then dropped to the ground, narrowly missing being hit by shots from his own son's gun.

Blair saw his chance and rounded on Maya, fighting her for the gun. Taken by surprise, Maya struggled for possession of the weapon, showing surprising strength for a woman. She wrested the gun from Blair's grasp and swung hard, hitting him in the temple with the butt of the pistol. Blair fell to the deck, sprawled unconscious as the fight continued around him.

Rivero hauled Maya with him back up to the pilot house of the yacht, as Jim came storming up the ramp from the dock. The Sentinel paused to take a quick assessment of his Guide, noting the blood streaming from the wound in Blair's temple, but also sensing a strong, steady heartbeat. Tearing himself away, he went after Rivero and Maya, intent on the woman who had hurt his Guide.

"Stop it right there!" Jim called out, his aim centered on Maya.

Seeing a possible way out, Francisco grabbed Maya, putting his gun to her head. "Come any closer, and the girl dies," he snarled.

"Francisco!" Maya's voice held stunned disbelief as she struggled in his hold. "Let me go, you beast!"

While Francisco was momentarily distracted by the struggling woman, Jim squeezed off a shot, taking Rivero out with a clean shot through the forehead. As he slumped forward, Maya stumbled. Jim rushed up the steps and caught her, happy to put the handcuffs on the bitch who had tried to take Blair from him.

+++++

"It's over now," Simon said, trying to placate the testy Sentinel as Jim watched the paramedics patch the cut on Blair's head. "Rivero's dead, Maya is going to prison, and Gustavo said he's heading back to Chile where he belongs."

"Good riddance!" Jim said fervently. "That family has been nothing but trouble. Hey, how ya feelin'?" he asked, turning his attention to Blair as the paramedic left.

Blair reached up to touch the bandage on his temple and winced. "I've been better. It sure is good to see you, Jim. I was a little worried there for a while."

"What? You thought I wouldn't come for you?" Jim asked, stroking a hand over Blair's head and leaning in to steal a kiss. "Nobody takes my Guide and gets away with it."

"I'll try to remember that next time," Blair said, jumping down from the ambulance and coming to lean heavily against Jim.

"Take him home," Simon said, smiling at his Sentinel and Guide team. "Take a few days off to reconnect."

"Thanks, Simon." Jim wrapped an arm around Blair's waist and gently guided the younger man to the truck.

When they got home, Jim steered Blair toward the stairs.

"No, man. I'm filthy. I can't go to bed like this." Blair turned away and took a wobbly step toward the bathroom.

"You're in no shape to shower alone, either," Jim reminded him. "Besides, I rolled in the dirt some today myself."

+++++

The shower felt warm and soothing on aching muscles, and Blair finally began to relax. He leaned against the cool tiles while Jim gently scrubbed him from head to toe, not missing a spot.

As he pulled Blair away from the wall and began to shampoo the thick mane of hair, Jim cleared his throat. "You know, I've been thinking..."

"That's a dangerous hobby, Jim," Blair quipped, his eyes closed as he leaned against his lover's muscular body.

"Smart ass," Jim snapped back, whacking a well-formed butt cheek before getting back to the pleasant duty of massaging Blair's scalp. "As I was saying... I was worried about you today. Scared to death I could lose you."

"But you didn't," Blair pointed out, his voice a deep purr of satisfaction.

"No, but I could have," Jim said. "That bitch of an ex-fiancée of yours had a gun to your back. She could have pulled the trigger at any time."

"I sort of thought she was gonna," Blair slurred, becoming more relaxed as Jim continued to run his fingers through Blair's long hair.

"Yeah, well, me too," said Jim, turning Blair around to face the shower and rinse the suds from his curls. "And that's what got me thinking. I want us to be more than just Sentinel and Guide."

"We are more," Blair said, rinsing the last of the shampoo from his hair and stepping out of the shower to wrap a warm towel around his waist. "We're a couple. We're lovers. We're bonded for life."

"But I want to make it official," Jim said, putting his hands on Blair's shoulders and looking into the clear blue depths of his lover's eyes. "Will you marry me, Blair Sandburg?"

Blair's jaw dropped and his eyes grew round.

Jim chuckled and with a finger under Blair's chin, pushed his mouth closed. "Better be careful, or you'll catch flies."

"I thought I heard you ask me to marry you," Blair stammered, his eyes shining.

"You heard right." Jim nodded and grinned at the dumbfounded look on his Guide's face. "You know as well as I do that Sentinels and Guides of any gender combination can legally marry. After all, the bond we share is tighter than most marriages."

"But you want a piece of paper...?"

"I want way more than that," Jim said, grinning. "I want rings, flowers, a church, tuxedos - the whole nine yards. I want to say my vows in front of God and all our friends and family. I want the world to know how much I love you."

"Aw, Jim," Blair said, closing his eyes and swooning. "I don't feel so good." He leaned heavily against Jim, wrapping his arms around the Sentinel for support.

"You've had quite a day, Chief," Jim said softly, maneuvering so that he could pick Blair up in his arms and carry him to the stairs. "I think your problem is that you need to bond as badly as I do."

"Mmmm," Blair murmured in agreement, snuggling into Jim's shoulder.

Jim climbed the stairs and placed his precious cargo on the bed. He tugged the towel from around Blair's waist, tucking his Guide under the warmth of the blankets before discarding his own towel to join him.

Blair rolled over to face Jim, burrowing into the warmth of his embrace.

"Feeling any better now?" Jim asked, stroking his fingers through the still-damp curls.

"Need you," was the soft but terse reply. Blair tilted his head to look up at Jim, his eyes full of desire.

"I need you, too. Always," Jim said, leaning in to press his lips against the slightly open mouth. Blair responded, coming to life in Jim's arms as their tongues explored and tasted each other.

Jim rolled Blair onto his back, straddling the slender body while continuing the kiss. He had Blair's arms pinned over his head by the wrists while his Guide squirmed with rising passion at the gentle restraint.

Jim's mouth explored the hollow of Blair's neck beneath his ear before continuing down to suckle on a taut nipple. Blair arched his back into the touch, moaning as Jim bit down lightly on the erect nub, tugging at the flesh with his teeth.

Releasing Blair's wrists, Jim slid down the smooth, hairless body, leaving a damp trail of kisses until he reached his prize: the pulsing column of Blair's shaft. He teased the cock with his tongue, smiling as it jerked and twitched beneath his exploring mouth.

"Aw, God, Jim!" Blair groaned, writhing now with his growing arousal. "Take meeeee..." His words, drawn out in a moan, were cut short when Jim's mouth engulfed his glans.

Concentrating his full attention on the treat, Jim applied suction to the throbbing penis, and felt the quiver of tension in his lover's body as Blair's climax crescendoed to its ultimate end. Jim could hear Blair's cries echoing as if through a tunnel from a great distance, his concentration solely intent on the feel of the pulsing cock in his mouth and the taste of the seed being expelled at a voluminous rate.

"Jim?" The soft voice brought the Sentinel back from his zone-out. He found himself lying with his cheek pressed against the expended cock and sweet semen dribbling from his lips. "Are you okay, man?" Gentle hands lifted his head and blue eyes gazed with concern into his.

"Fine. Never been better," he replied, grinning up at his Guide. "I just didn't realize how badly I needed you."

"You had me worried," Blair said. "Once I came down from the high of that first-class blow job you gave me, I realized that you weren't responding. You zoned on me!"

"Sorry," Jim apologized contritely. He pulled himself up alongside his Guide and rubbed his rock-hard cock against Blair's thigh. He kissed the full lips gently, and then pulled back. "I love you, Chief."

"And I love you," Blair whispered. "Today I thought I might lose you, be taken from you forever. That terrified me, Jim. I couldn't stand the thought of Maya coming between us. I don't know what I ever saw in her. You are my one Sentinel, my soul mate."

"And you're my Guide," Jim said, leaning forward to brush his lips against Blair's. "And what I need more than anything else right now is to complete the bond."

With a small grin, Blair rolled over and presented himself. He didn't need preparation, their bond had seen to that. All he needed was to hear his Sentinel's words, which triggered a reaction in his body, relaxing his hole and preparing him to be taken.

Jim's eyes drooped closed for a brief moment as he took a deep breath, nearly overcome by the emotions this man drew from him. He coated his cock liberally with the lubricating gel and plunged into the eager body, drawing a cry of pleasure from his mate.

Pent up emotions spewed forth as Jim pounded into his Guide, thrusting hard and fast in the ancient dance of the bond. His soul was washed clean of the worry that had plagued it since Blair had been taken from him, and he now claimed what was his. He could hear the grunts and moans of his Guide as he delved deeply into the hot tunnel of his body. Shifting his angle, he reveled in the long, drawn-out cry of ecstasy as he put repeated pressure against Blair's prostate. His Guide was reduced to mewling cries as his second orgasm of the night drained the last of his meager reserves.

Jim plunged deeply one last time, burying himself as he pumped out his essence into the willing body. Wrapping his arm around his Guide, Jim lay quietly, enjoying the afterglow while still joined with his lover. He brushed the wild hair away from the quiet face, smiling at the closed eyes and look of complete contentment on Blair's face. He pressed a final kiss against the injured temple.

"Tomorrow I'll show you just how much you mean to me," Jim whispered, snuggling down to sleep off the ordeal of their day.

+++++

The next day they drove to Tiffany's. Blair's eyes went round again at the sight of the upscale jewelry story. "We can't afford this!" he said, staying in the truck as Jim got out.

"Yes, we can," Jim reminded him. "And I don't intend on sparing any expense. I want everyone to know how much you mean to me." He held the door open and ushered Blair inside.

A man in a black suit and tie came out from behind a display table to greet them. "Welcome, Sentinel and Guide. How may I help you?"

"How does he know what we are?" Blair whispered in a voice only a Sentinel could hear.

Jim grinned and spoke first to the salesman. "We're here to look at wedding bands," he said.

"Right this way. Did you have anything special in mind?"

"I'll know it when I see it," Jim said. "Could we have a few minutes alone to look?"

"Certainly. Just call if you need assistance." The man walked off to greet another customer.

Jim tapped his chest over his heart, drawing Blair's attention to the inconspicuous design stitched into his jacket. "It's the Sentinel insignia. We all wear it," he said, answering Blair's question. "Now, what do you see that you like?"

"It's all beautiful," Blair said, leaning over the display to take a closer look.

"How about these?" Jim suggested, pointing to a pair of brushed platinum bands with an inlaid, channel set, one carat, square diamond. "They're distinctive, classy, but not too gaudy."

"Have you had a peek at the price tag?" Blair hissed. "We could buy a small house."

"A small car, maybe," Jim corrected with a grin. "Look, in a place like this, you don't ask the price, you just tell the man what you want. If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

"I can't afford it!" Blair whispered. "What are we doing here?"

"I'm buying you a ring," Jim said simply, looking up and gesturing to the salesman that they were ready.

"Yes, Sir? Have you found something to your liking?"

"How about these?" Jim asked, pointing to the platinum bands.

The man unlocked the display and slid out the tray, lifting the rings out for the two men to look at up close. "That is a very good choice; distinctive, durable. The princess cut diamond is especially popular with the gents."

"We'll take them... both," Jim said, dropping the rings into the man's hand. "We'll need to have them sized. Make one a nine-and-a-half, and one an eleven."

"Would you like anything else, Sir? Engraving, perhaps?" the salesman asked.

Jim looked at Blair and nodded, smiling at the thought that he'd struck his Guide dumb with the purchase of the rings. "Yes, as a matter of fact. On the inside of the smaller ring, engrave 'Forever yours, Jim' and on the larger one, 'Forever yours, Blair'."

"We can have the rings ready for pickup a week from today. Will that suit you?"

"Yes, that will be fine." Jim nodded and got out his wallet, placing a credit card on the glass display case.

When their transaction was finished, Jim wrapped an arm around Blair's waist and led him outside into the warm sun. "Well, it looks like we have a week to plan the wedding," he said, opening the passenger door for Blair.

"A week isn't very much time," Blair countered, climbing in and waiting until Jim sat beside him. "I need to call Mom and let her know. I'd like to have her stand up with me. Who are you going to ask?"

"I thought maybe Simon. I don't know many people here yet, but Simon has become a close friend." Jim shifted the truck into drive and took off toward home.

"You want the whole nine yards?" Blair asked to confirm Jim's earlier statement. "A reception with a cake, flowers, the works?"

"Sure, why not?" Jim said, smiling. He reached over to lay a hand on Blair's thigh, squeezing the muscle and then sliding up to Blair's crotch, bumping against the growing column of flesh in his Guide's pants. "I want the world to know that you're more than just my Guide. You deserve the extra respect and deference that the marriage will afford you."

"Do I have to change my name?" Blair wondered.

Jim patted his thigh and then released it. "Not if you don't want to," he answered.

"Sandburg-Ellison," Blair murmured, trying the name out on his tongue. "Blair Sandburg-Ellison. I like it." He grinned.

"Just how much do you like it?" Jim asked, grinning back.

Blair smirked and turned his head to look out the passenger side window as he massaged the bulge at his crotch. "Just wait until we get home, and I'll show you how much," he growled.

Oh, God, Jim thought. He'd died and gone to heaven. So this was what it was like to be in love, truly in love. This was what it was like to find the one Guide, your soul mate. This was how it felt to be a fully mated Sentinel: whole, finally whole.

To be continued in "Survival"...