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: I would like to give credit where credit is due, to my betas - Mary and Bobbie - for their fabulous help.

Rating: NC-17 / FRAO

Summary: When yet another woman breaks Jim's heart, Blair is there to pick up the pieces.

Part 1: Picking Up the Pieces

Blair couldn't stand to see Jim this way. Laura, Emily... even Carolyn - Jim seemed to have this way about him that attracted the wrong women... women that ultimately ended up breaking his heart. Margaret was the latest. Blair had introduced Jim to her while they were involved with the Golden drug case. Worried about matchmaking two good friends, Blair had been pleased to see that they got along very well. They'd been dating for six months and things were beginning to look serious, at least from Jim's point of view.

Blair remembered vividly the night Jim had come home from seeing Margaret, his face aglow with that special look. He had told Blair that he'd made a decision. He was going to ask Margaret to marry him.

Unexpectedly, Blair had felt his heart plummet to his stomach. He had been happy to see the two of them together, happy to see the culmination of his handiwork. But in the end, he realized that Jim's happiness would mean losing him forever, and a part of Blair had wanted to keep Jim for himself.

But now... Jim sat on the couch with his head in his hands. Men like Jim didn't cry, but that didn't mean they didn't hurt. Blair came to sit next to his friend, wrapping a consoling arm around Jim's shoulders.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Jim said gruffly. "Frankly, I'd rather be left alone right now."

"She said no?" Blair spoke softly, as he eyed the velvet ring box on the coffee table.

"I couldn't go through with it -" Jim looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. "We broke up."

"Oh, man. I'm sorry, Jim." Blair rubbed Jim's back in soothing circles. "I feel like it's my fault... I'm the one who set you two up."

"It's not your fault, Sandburg," Jim growled. "It was my decision not to see her anymore." He stood up abruptly, breaking contact with Blair and heading toward the kitchen, reaching into the refrigerator to grab a beer.

"Do you want me to go take a walk for an hour or two?" Blair stood and made his way toward the door.

"No, don't; please... just... don't talk. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Okay." Blair watched as Jim made his way back to the couch and picked up the remote, turning on the TV. He started back across the room, but instead of taking his place on the couch next to Jim, he continued on to his bedroom, closing the doors behind him.

@>-->--<--<@

Blair sat in the relative quiet of his room. He'd picked up a book to read, but found he couldn't concentrate. Jim was out there - alone and hurting - and Blair wanted nothing more than to make him feel better, somehow.

His heart ached for his best friend. Over the past year and a half, Blair had fallen in love. It had started as a fascination with his Holy Grail and had progressed through friendship and partnership to something more. He never questioned the whispers of his heart, even though he'd never given it to a man before. He had kept his feelings locked inside, afraid to say anything, afraid of the potential rejection.

He peeked through the windows of his room to the main living room where Jim sat, nursing his beer and watching basketball. He didn't deserve to be alone like that, didn't deserve the misery. Whether or not it was true, Blair felt partially responsible for Jim's current emotional state.

He walked back over to his bed and sat down on the colorful Peruvian blanket, elbows on knees, his chin resting on his hands. He never should have tried to play matchmaker; never should have set Jim up with Margaret. She was a wonderful woman, no doubt, but she was an academic like Blair - not really Jim's type.

Not really Jim's type.... The thought echoed in his mind. And just what was Jim's type? He seemed to fall repeatedly for the wrong women; but then, Blair's own track record hadn't been much better. Maybe there was a reason - a reason Blair hadn't wanted to admit to himself until now.

He squeezed his legs together to stop the insistent ache in his groin. Just thinking about Jim made him hard, which was more than any woman had done for him recently. When was it, exactly, that he had fallen in love with his male roommate? When had he realized that, from his point of view, at least, it had become more than simple friendship?

Blair shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. He wasn't gay; Jim wasn't gay. So why did he feel this way and what could make the aching stop? He rubbed the heel of his hand over his rock-hard cock and then had to stifle the moan that issued from his lips. Jim would hear...

@>-->--<--<@

Jim's mind was only partially on the basketball game. More than half of his attention was focused on the small bedroom occupied by his roommate and partner. There was a reason he couldn't go through with proposing to Margaret, and it sat in that bedroom behind closed doors.

Jim knew his friend was a ladies' man, but he couldn't help fantasizing what it would be like to hold Blair, to kiss him, to gently make love to him. He'd never told Blair he was bi-sexual; hadn't wanted to scare away the best thing that had ever happened to him. Jim's senses could be a blessing or a curse - he'd often smelled sex on his partner, but he'd never smelled another man, only women.

Blair was young, much younger than Jim, and was a sexual butterfly, flitting from flower to flower; never staying long, never committing. What would a good looking kid like that ever see in a crusty old ex-Army Ranger turned police detective?

Sighing, Jim took another swig of his beer and belched quietly. This wasn't working; living this lie, this deception. Eventually something would give, and when it did, he risked losing it all - risked losing the only person that had ever really mattered in his life.

He got up to take the empty beer bottle into the kitchen. As he passed near Blair's bedroom door, he could smell the faint aroma of arousal, could hear the soft scratch of fabric against flesh. And then music to his ears - the low sound of a moan, quickly cut off. He walked over to the door and hesitated, his hand out to turn the knob. After a moment, he turned away, heading back over to the couch and flopping down on the cushions.

As he tried to get interested in the game again, he let his hand slip inside his pants and grasp the pulsing column of flesh that longed to be buried somewhere tight and hot and dark...

@>-->--<--<@

This wasn't working. This just wasn't working. Blair sighed and tipped over to lie down. He tried closing his eyes, but the mental picture of Jim out there on the couch, suffering, wouldn't go away. It was his fault for introducing Jim to Margaret in the first place, so it was his duty to try and fix things. Jim would just have to listen, he had to.

Pushing himself back to a sitting position, Blair ran a hand through the tangle of long curls before taking a deep breath and heaving himself to his feet. He walked across the small room, hesitating at the door before finally turning the knob and walking through. Cautiously, he approached the couch and the man seated there.

"Hey, Jim. How're you doing?"

"Hmmm?" Jim turned to look at Blair, smiling up at the rumpled young man. "I'm doing better," he said. Oh yeah, a whole lot better now that I've changed into a dry pair of jeans, he thought.

"Mind if I join you? I'll try to be quiet," Blair promised, coming to stand in front of the couch. He waited, nervously, for the invitation.

Jim snorted with laughter, the thought of Blair being quiet tickling his sense of humor. It was the first time he'd smiled all day. Patting the cushion beside him, he nodded. "It's your home, too."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, each pretending to watch the final quarter of the game. Blair finally turned to Jim, drawing one leg up under himself. "Look, Jim. I'm sorry. I know I promised I wouldn't keep apologizing, but you know... this really is all my fault. If there's anything I can do -"

The offer was more than Jim could stand in his current emotional state. He couldn't keep living like this: desiring his friend, his partner, his roommate. If he was wrong, Blair would get up and storm out of here, coming back to pack his things sometime when Jim was away at work. But if he was right - if what he had smelled and heard meant what he hoped - well, it was worth the risk to finally know, once and for all.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "There is something you could do. Kiss me." Jim held his breath, waiting as he watched Blair's shocked expression remold itself into one of pure joy.

@>-->--<--<@

He couldn't believe his ears. Blair's heart nearly stopped at Jim's soft words, then began beating again at a frantic pace. A smile curved his lips as his body warmed with a sudden new rush of blood. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jim's. Tentative at first, the kiss became bolder when Jim responded by kissing back. He pulled his legs up onto the couch and practically crawled into Jim's lap. His hands came up to caress the stubbled cheeks, as his tongue probed for entrance. Jim's mouth opened and Blair found himself falling into an abyss of pure bliss. Their tongues danced together - tasting, sensing each other. Blair pressed closer, moaning his pleasure, letting his hardening cock press into Jim's stomach. They didn't part until each had run out of breath.

Part 2: Putting the Pieces Back Together

Jim pushed Blair back to arm's length, reestablishing a modicum of personal space between them.

"Do you realize what we just did?" Jim asked, his voice gruff with emotion. He gave Blair's shoulders a gentle shake. "Do you know?"

Blair nodded mutely, his heart sinking. He had been foolish to think Jim would really want him. Sadly, he wondered if he'd ruined the only chance he would ever have.

Jim's countenance softened and he pulled Blair back into his lap. "Are you sure this is what you want? Because if you say yes, there's no going back."

Blair swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Had he misinterpreted Jim's action? Did he really, perhaps, want Blair after all? "W-What do you mean?"

"Do you know why all my relationships with women were doomed to failure?" Jim asked. When Blair quietly shook his head, Jim explained. "It's because since you came into my life, I haven't wanted anyone else."

Blair attempted to wipe the astonishment from his face. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Because, Einstein, I thought you were only into women," said Jim. "I didn't want to take the chance and scare you off. If I couldn't have you as a lover, I wanted you here as a friend."

"You wouldn't have scared me off," Blair replied softly.

"But I didn't know. I didn't know you swung both ways."

Blair smiled softly. "I don't. At least, I didn't... until now." A light blush colored his cheeks as he continued. "You were my Holy Grail, man. How could I not fall in love with you?"

Jim pulled away, his face turning hard. "That's all I am to you; your 'Holy Grail', a research subject?"

"No, no! You've got it all wrong!" Blair protested, resting his palms on Jim's chest. "When I first met you, yeah. I had stars in my eyes and that's all I saw. But I got to know you - the real you - and that's the man I grew to love and admire. Your senses could disappear tomorrow, and I'd still love you."

Gathering Blair into his arms, Jim buried his face in the fragrant curls. "I'm such a messed up piece of shit. I don't know why you'd want me."

Blair tilted his head up to get a good look at Jim's clear, blue eyes. "You're kidding, right? Jim, you're gorgeous - tall, muscular, athletic. You're intelligent, well read, easy to talk with. You protect me, shelter me... love me. What's not to love? On the other hand, I'm short, have long hair, talk too much. It's a wonder you can put up with someone so different."

"Not so different," said Jim, now stroking his hand down the silken wisps of hair. "We have more in common than you might think. You're strong and resourceful, witty, funny... sometimes a pain in the ass -"

Blair groaned, his mind taking Jim's last phrase far differently than his friend had intended. A virgin to male sex, Blair imagined what it would be like to have Jim inside him, to be bound as one body with this man he loved. He'd endure any discomfort to feel that incredible oneness. His cock throbbed with need as he considered the possibility of sharing Jim's bed, Jim's body, and Jim's life.

"Chief?" Jim looked down into Blair's intense blue eyes with concern. "Are you all right?" He could smell the arousal wafting up between them. Some was his own scent, some was the musk of his soon-to-be lover; or so he hoped.

"I-I'm fine," Blair muttered, trying to pull himself back together. "So, what do you suppose we should do next? I mean, we're doing this, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Jim sighed. "We're doing this." He pulled Blair to him for another kiss, his tongue exploring Blair's mouth while his hand tugged on the zipper of Blair's jeans, pulling it down and slipping inside to caress the firm column of flesh it found there.

Blair moaned and shifted his position on Jim's lap to give his partner easier access to his aching cock. He was the one to finally break the kiss, letting his head fall back as he gasped in great gulps of air. He ground against the hand on his cock, urging more pressure, more friction.

Suddenly, the hand was gone, and Blair found himself struggling to rid himself of the encumbering jeans. Two pairs of hands scrabbled at their clothing, finally tugging it off and tossing it to the floor in complete abandon. Blair was pushed down onto his back on the couch, his arms pinned over his head and Jim straddling his hips. A shiver of anticipation traveled down Blair's spine and he held his breath, waiting for Jim's next move.

He didn't have long to wait. Jim leaned down, capturing his mouth again in a hungry kiss that quickly traveled to the pulse point on Blair's neck and across his shoulder, ending in a gentle bite of claiming. His breath was quickly expelled with a gasp of surprise as Jim's lips teased at a taut nipple, sucking and nipping the firm flesh and sending frissons of arousal straight to Blair's already straining cock.

Groaning, Blair shifted his hips, raising them off the cushions in the hope of finding relief against Jim's hard body. Instead, he found his arms released and his hips pinned beneath the strong hands.

"God, Jim, get it on with it," Blair pleaded, reaching to touch himself and relieve the growing tension.

Jim batted his hand away and grinned at him. "Don't be in such a hurry," he admonished, burying his face between his lover's legs.

Blair felt a tongue flit out and tease his hole, circling the tight muscle before probing gently for entry. Blair let out a groan at the sensation, his head dropping back to the couch as his body went limp. Jim's talented mouth moved to his inner thighs, kissing and sucking the tender flesh before taking a testicle and rolling it around his tongue. Blair's hand again went to his cock, almost of its own volition, only to be batted away once more.

The amorous torture continued as Jim gave his attention to both testicles before moving up Blair's body to dip his tongue into the recess of Blair's navel and then leave a wet trail back to his nipples and his mouth.

As the kiss deepened, Blair ground his cock against Jim's hard member, moaning into Jim's mouth as his hands scrabbled for purchase in the short hair. His arousal was building quickly, and Blair wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to hold out before his orgasm claimed him.

As if reading Blair's mind, Jim finished the kiss and slid back down the slender body to take the straining cockhead between his lips. His tongue swirled around the swollen glans, tasting the droplets of pre-cum that had pearled there.

Blair's fingers dug into the cushions, seeking purchase as the young man fought to withhold his spiraling climax. Jim's mouth had enveloped more of his cock, sliding down the hard column, licking and teasing gently with his teeth. Blair shuddered, his imminent orgasm racking his tense muscles.

As Jim continued to suck, Blair cried out, "God, Jim! I-I can't h-hold... I'm coming!" His body convulsed, shooting pulses of warm semen down his lover's throat. Jim swallowed the offering eagerly, not allowing a single drop to escape his lips.

When it was over, Blair collapsed, feeling spent and satisfied. A small grin curved his sated lips. "That - that was transcendent!" He reached up to let his fingers gently caress Jim's cheek. "I had no idea -" He shook his head slowly from side to side.

Jim slipped off the couch and offered Blair a hand. "It's not over yet, Chief." He pulled Blair up and led him to the stairs.

Blair looked up toward Jim's bed and his heart started to thunder as his knees grew weak. Jim turned and stared at him with his incredible blue eyes. "You all right, Sandburg?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just..." Blair's voice trailed off as he looked back up the stairs at the bed. "I mean, that's your bedroom, man; your bed."

"Can you think of a better place?" Jim asked, smiling and tugging gently on Blair's hand. He led the way up the stairs, with Blair clinging to the rail for support. Once at the top, Jim lowered Blair to the mattress and climbed on to lie beside him. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, a little." Blair nodded. "I-It's my first time with a man."

"We don't have to do this right now, if you're not ready," Jim explained. "I'll be truthful. I want you, Blair. I've wanted you for a long time. But I've waited this long, I can wait longer, now that I know we're really together."

Blair let a tentative hand ghost over the long, hard shaft of Jim's cock. "It's so big. I wonder... I mean... how can it fit...? I-I know that it can," he rushed on, "it's just... how?"

"Let me show you," Jim suggested, reaching into the night stand drawer for a tube of lubricant. "Roll over."

Blair hesitated a moment and then rolled so that he was facing away from Jim. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stretch you," explained Jim. "We don't have to go all the way," he reiterated, "but this will help prepare you."

"O-Okay." Blair fell silent and concentrated on controlling his breathing to help himself relax. A finger coated with cool gel touched his anus, probing gently for entrance. He gasped when it slipped inside and wiggled around, coating the lining of his rectum with the lube.

"How does that feel?" Jim asked, pulling his finger out to the first knuckle and then pushing it back in.

"Not so bad," Blair admitted. "Kind of strange, but it doesn't hurt."

"How about this?" Jim pulled his finger out and returned with two, heavily lubed.

Blair's breath caught in his chest for a moment and a shiver racked his body. "It's okay." His voice was small and tight.

"You need to relax, Babe," Jim coaxed. "It hurts a little at first, but it goes away."

"It burns," Blair admitted, "right around my hole."

"That's because the muscle isn't used to being stretched like this," Jim explained. "You'll get used to it. Do you want me to stop now?"

Blair shook his head. "'s not so bad," he whispered. And, truly, it wasn't. Despite the slight discomfort, there was something amazing about having Jim within him, even if it was only his fingers. Blair didn't want the sensation to end. "Don't stop."

With his free hand, Jim began stroking Blair's shoulder and arm in a soothing, repetitive rhythm. As he did, he slowly pistoned and rotated his fingers, forcing the tight muscle to stretch even further. "I love you, Blair." Jim bent to press a kiss against a bare shoulder as he pushed all the way in with his two fingers.

Blair moaned but made no move to pull away. When Jim began to pepper his shoulder and neck with quick, sweet kisses, Blair turned his head upward, offering his mouth.

Jim took the cue, pressing his lips against Blair's, running his tongue around his lover's mouth as he continued to stretch the now-relaxing muscle in Blair's ass.

As he began to unwind, Blair felt his arousal begin to spiral upward once more. He was being tenderly assaulted from both ends, and while the sensation was pleasant, he found that he was beginning to hunger for more.

"Want you," he gasped when Jim's kiss moved from his mouth to his jaw and down his neck. "Need you inside me. I want us to be one."

Jim slowly removed his fingers, satisfied that if this was what Blair wanted, he was now properly prepared. "Are you sure?"

Blair nodded, rolling over onto his back. "But I want to be able to see you," he said. "I want to see in your eyes how much you love me."

"Oh, God, Babe," Jim moaned, shifting into position between Blair's bent knees and coating his cock with lube. "I love you so damn much - there just aren't words to describe it."

Hooking his elbows underneath Blair's knees, he lifted his lover enough to align his cock with the prepared hole. As his cock breached the loosened muscle, he bent over and captured Blair's mouth once more, swallowing the surprised cry of discomfort.

Pausing with only his glans inside his lover's body, Jim deepened the kiss, taking Blair's mind away from the ramrod entering his ass. Slowly, Blair began to relax again, and Jim slipped a little deeper forcing a moan that combined pleasure and pain from his lover. As he continued to ease his way further into Blair's body, he licked a nipple, laving it with his tongue before nipping lightly at the raised flesh with his teeth. Blair squirmed beneath him, inadvertently driving Jim deeper.

Finally, Jim's balls slapped up against Blair's ass and he realized his cock was fully sheathed in the tight, hot tunnel. Raising his head to look at his lover, he began a slow, methodical withdrawal, before pressing back in with equal slowness, setting up a smooth, gentle, pistoning action.

After a few thrusts, Blair smiled up at him and gasped, "Harder; take me harder."

"You sure?" Jim questioned, uncertain as to how fast he should move.

Blair nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. God, it feels so good! I never thought -" He paused as Jim began thrusting faster, taking his breath away momentarily. "I love you so much, too."

Jim curled his fingers around Blair's stiffening cock and starting stroking the smooth flesh to the rhythm of his thrusts. He looked down upon his lover. Blair's face was flushed and perspiration made him glow in the dim light. His hair fanned out on the pillow like an auburn halo, his full lips slightly parted, his eyes closed in bliss. To Jim, he looked almost angelic.

Blair's cock began to pulse in Jim's hand, throbbing with the beat of his heart. His eyes flew open and Jim could see the deep, deep blue of passion burning brightly. Gasping for breath, his fists balled tightly in the sheets, Blair managed to rasp out. "Can't hold it... Can't... Gonna come, Jim!" Arching his back, Blair stiffened, crying out as his orgasm swept through him for a second time in less than thirty minutes. "Jiiiiim!"

As Blair sprayed his cum over Jim's hand, Jim thrust harder and faster, feeling his own climax nearing. Blair's muscles spasmed around him, squeezing Jim's cock and milking his orgasm from him. A final thrust buried him deep within his lover as his cock pumped cum, filling Blair with his seed.

The two men collapsed in exhaustion from their mutual climax. Jim pulled out slowly and rolled off Blair, pulling him into an embrace and softly kissing the swollen lips.

Blair blinked up at Jim, fighting the post-coital lethargy, and smiled. "That was beautiful, man. Beautiful."

Jim smiled and reached out to brush away a stray lock of hair that was plastered across Blair's cheek. "Just like you," he said softly.

Finally succumbing to the deep need for renewal, Blair closed his eyes and curled up against Jim's chest to sleep off the effects of their lovemaking.

@>-->--<--<@

The next morning, Blair awoke to the sound of the shower and Jim humming a love song. Grinning, he threw back the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed, but when he tried to get up, he groaned and sat back down quickly.

The sound of the shower stopped and the bathroom door opened. Soon, Blair heard the sound of bare feet on the stairs and looked up to see Jim, wrapped in a towel, standing in front of him, dripping on the floor.

"You're dripping on the floor," Blair pointed out, grinning foolishly at his lover.

"I didn't know you were awake," Jim said, offering a hand to help Blair off the bed. "You're going to be a little sore for a day or two, I imagine."

"A little?" Blair said, shuffling to the stairs and leaning heavily against Jim on the way down.

"A nice, hot shower will help take care of that," said Jim. "I was just getting started..."

"You've been in there nearly fifteen minutes already," Blair replied, catching Jim's fib. "You must be nearly finished."

"Not with you, I'm not," Jim shot back, helping Blair into the tub and turning on the hot water.

As the water sluiced over his aching body, Blair sighed. Jim pulled him into an embrace and held Blair under the soothing spray for several minutes, before soaping his hands and beginning a gentle scrubbing of his lover's body. Blair tilted his head back, letting the water soak into his hair as Jim's hands massaged him, cleaning away the evidence of their lovemaking and helping his knotted muscles to relax.

As Jim's hands reached his groin, Blair could feel his morning arousal returning. Gentle fingers cleaned his hole and massaged his balls before wrapping around his growing erection and stroking. Blair leaned into Jim, letting the taller, stronger man support his weight as he closed his eyes and moaned his delight. With his back to Jim's chest, Blair was able to lean his head back and rest it on Jim's shoulder as his lover pulled harder on his cock, forcing his orgasm to bubble up inside and overflow, wringing from Blair a cry of sheer delight.

Jim chuckled and finished washing Blair's groin. "Did that help you forget about your ass?"

"What ass?" Blair turned to give Jim a cocky grin. When Jim squeezed hard on a butt cheek, Blair yelped. "Shit, Jim! That hurt!"

"C'mon, Smart Ass, we need to hurry before we run out of hot water," Jim said, pouring shampoo into his palm and applying it to Blair's hair.

Closing his eyes once more and humming some tuneless melody, Blair allowed Jim to wash and rinse his hair, and then to wrap him in a warm terry towel.

Jim quickly dried off and slipped into his robe. "I'll go make breakfast while you finish up in here."

Before Blair could say anything, Jim was gone. Toweling his hair dry, Blair then wiped the steam from the mirror and began his morning shaving routine. When he was finished, he grabbed his robe and headed out to the kitchen, where a meal of pancakes and sausage awaited him.

Jim sat a large, steaming cup of coffee in front of Blair and watched as his lover's eyes lit up. "I know you're not worth shit in the morning until you've had your caffeine," he said, sitting down opposite Blair at the table.

They ate in relative silence, each thinking about the night before and the implications to their relationship. When breakfast was finished and they were taking their dishes to the sink, Jim spoke. "I'd like a chance to talk with you about last night," he said softly.

Alarm bells immediately went off in Blair's head and his eyes grew round. Shit, maybe this sex thing was going to blow up in his face after all. "A-All right. Sure. How about tonight? I'll get home from Rainier by five."

"How about now?" Jim suggested, steering Blair over to the couch.

"Okay. Sure, why not?" Blair babbled, sitting down next to Jim. "Look," he began. "Just because we did it doesn't mean there has to be any strings attached. I'm good with the concept of a buddy fuck."

Jim studied him with serious blue eyes. "Well, I'm not." He watched as Blair's expression fluctuated between fear and hope. "Last night meant something to me. I love you, Blair. I've loved you for months now. I want us to be a couple - monogamous. Can you do that?"

Blair's expression continued to flicker for a few seconds, and then his mouth set in a firm line. "I'm not the dog you think I am," he said softly. "If it looked like I humped every table leg that came along, it's only because I hadn't found the right table." He grinned sheepishly. "I love you, too, Jim. I've got no problem being only yours."

Jim's face visibly relaxed and he smiled. "That's all I needed to hear." He gathered Blair into an embrace and pressed his lips against the willing mouth. No more broken heart; no more empty dreams. That was all in the past, and he held his future in his arms.

@>-->--<--<@

Title song performed by the BeeGees.

How can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again