It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Sentinel and guide had slept in, had a long breakfast where they indulged in their favourite food and were now busy with paper work. Jim was reading the morning paper and Blair was going through the papers he needed to fill out to take care of the repayment of his student loans.

The knock at the door was very soft and hesitant. Too soft for Blair, but Jim heard it and opened the door. On the doorstep stood an older couple, both looking vaguely familiar. The tall woman smiled at him and suddenly, without any doubt, he knew who she was.

Blair looked up from his work and saw Jim standing at the door, staring at a good-looking woman in her late fifties or maybe early sixties. He could have been a marble statue for his lack of movement and emotion.

“Jim, are you okay? I’m sorry, I am Blair Sandburg.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Grace Greenwood and this is my husband Benjamin. Can we come in?”

Jim shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts. Then he stepped aside, letting the visitors in. He closed the door behind them, still mute. Blair looked worriedly at his roommate. Jim was pale and looked as if he was barely able to control his emotions.

“Mom.”

The sentinel only said this one word, but the reactions were spectacular. Blair was stunned; after a few moments he came back to himself and remembered to close his mouth. The tall woman, Jim’s mother, rushed over to her son and hugged him tightly.

“God, Jimmy, I’ve missed you so much. I thought you were dead! To see you again! Jimmy, my Jimmy!”

Jim didn’t answer. He was too overwhelmed. He shot a glance to his guide, silently asking for help. Blair shook himself out of his rigidity. He led the man to the couch, and then addressed his partner’s mother who still embraced Jim.

“Why don’t we sit down for a moment? Can we offer you something to drink?”

She finally released her son and went to the couch to sit down beside her husband. Jim went to the kitchen to get whatever they wanted to drink and, most important, to think.

“Coffee would be nice, thank you.”

Blair looked at Jim who was already preparing the coffee maker. The older man nodded gratefully at his roommate and searched for another task to busy himself.

“So, Mrs. Greenwood, where have you been? Why did you think Jim was dead?”

“Benjamin and me, we moved to Great Britain. When I finally had control over my senses, we came back to the States and I searched for my sons. Steven didn’t want to see me and Jim was reported dead. They told me he died on a mission in Peru. We went back to Great Britain until last year, when we moved to Springfield. I didn’t hear any news about you until we saw your press conference.”

Jim clenched his jaw. His relationship to Steven had improved since he met him at the racetrack. Why had his younger brother never told him that his mother searched for him? Then he noticed Blair’s guarded expression and the wetness in the younger man’s eyes. That damned press conference again! He went back to friend and laid his arm around Blair’s shoulders.

“We know that your dissertation was not fraudulent. My wife has heightened senses, too. You did a very brave thing.”

Jim smiled at his mother’s husband thankfully. The four weeks since the press conference had been very hard for Blair and he had lost many friends over it. Everyone who suspected or knew the truth was dangerous for the sentinel, but good for Blair’s self-confidence.

“Thank you. I just wish I wouldn’t have written the stupid thing. It endangered Jim and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“Forget it already, Chief. You forgave Naomi, now forgive yourself.”

“What did Naomi have to do with it?”

Blair frowned at Benjamin Greenwood. The older man sounded almost as if he knew his mother. Grace intercepted quickly, trying to lighten the mood.

“The coffee is ready.”

“Right.”

Jim gathered all necessary items quickly and went back to his visitors. The next minutes were filled with supplying all of them with a cup of coffee and that gave them all an opportunity to think. Then Jim took a deep breath and addressed his mother.

“So, mom, you have the senses, too? How do you deal with them?”

“In the beginning it was really hard. I was still married to your father and the problems I had with my senses were one of the main reasons why the marriage failed. After the divorce I spent a long time in a psychiatric hospital. Benjamin was a doctor there. He discovered my true condition and helped me ever since. We were kind of shocked when we found out that his son does the same for you.”

“What do you mean, his son?”

“Well, when I saw the first pictures of the press conference I called Ben and told him that man could be his son; they looked so very much alike. Ben had long hair when I met him and Blair looked so much like him. And then Ben told me that he knew a Naomi Sandburg about thirty years ago. And then we did a bit of research and the name of Blair’s mother was indeed Naomi. We’re quite sure Benjamin is Blair’s father.”

Blair was stunned and confused like hell. Father? After all this years of wondering and searching his father showed up at his doorstep? Married to the mother of his best friend? It was too much. He jumped up, grabbed his coat and rushed out. In the staircase he recognized his rude behaviour and stopped, but he couldn’t force himself to go back.

“Jim, man, tell them I’m sorry. I just need a little time. I’ll be back later, okay?”

Then he continued his way out, walking very fast, trying to numb his mind. His father. He had tried so many times to get an answer from Naomi. How could it be that this man was sure to be his father when Naomi had always told him she didn’t know?

Jim smiled apologetically at his guests.

“That was a bit too much for him. He needs to process and will be back when he’s ready. So, Benjamin, how can you be so sure? Blair told me that Naomi didn’t know who Blair’s father was.”

“I did the math. Naomi and I had been exclusive in the time in question. I have no doubt that Blair is my son and Naomi should know that, too.”

“Did you part in anger? Was there a reason why she wouldn’t want Blair to know?”

“No, nothing like that. We had no fight or anything like that. One day she simply disappeared and I never heard from her again. She didn’t tell me that she was pregnant. So, no, I’ve got no idea why she didn’t tell him.”

While Jim was talking to his mother and her husband Blair was hurrying through the streets. He didn’t walk in one particular direction but after a while he noticed that he was nearby the seaside park. The park was a special place for him, so he hurried to get there. It started to rain, but his favorite place, a bench under a huge oak tree, would offer him enough shelter from the weather. He had spent much time there, looking at the ocean and thinking.

Stopping at his usual place, he sat down and stared at the water. The sound of the raindrops hitting the leaves above him, together with the soft waves of the sea, calmed him down. But it didn’t succeed in clearing his thoughts.

Why did Naomi keep Greenwood as a secret? Did she? Was this man his father? Was the ability to be a guide as genetically predetermined as being a sentinel? If that man was his father. Maybe he should go back and listen to Greenwood. And then talk to Naomi. What was the worst thing that could happen?

The worst thing would be if Jim reacted to his mother like he did to Barnes. Or if the Greenwoods had some kind of hidden agenda. If that was the case, he should go back to the loft as soon as possible. He jumped to his feet and left his shelter, well knowing that he would be drenched to the skin at the time he arrived home.

After just a few steps, a small movement beside the narrow path made him hesitate. He looked around, but didn’t see what had grabbed his attention. Just as he turned around, he saw the motion again. There. A tiny, very wet, red and white kitten was hiding under a rhododendron. The animal looked as pathetic as he felt.

With a quick grab, he captured the little animal and scooped it up and, after a deep breath, placed it under his shirt to warm the kitten with his body heat. He shuddered as the cold and wet fur made contact with his warm chest. Slowly the animal slid down to his belly, leaving a wet trail. He sped up again, wanting nothing more then to reach a warm place for his trembling passenger and himself. But even hurrying, he moved very carefully; he had a baby to protect. When he finally moved into Prospect Avenue he was thoroughly soaked and shivered harder than the tiny bundle under his shirt.

Jim was standing at the balcony and saw his roommate arrive. Sandburg moved funny, fast but gingerly, as if he walked on eggshells. Hopefully the young man didn’t injure himself on his flight. The kid was drenched, so he filled the water kettle for a tea. Jim opened the door before Blair could knock.

“What kind of tea do you want, Chief?”

“What?”

“To warm up? What kind of tea?”

“Oh… Peppermint, with a lot of sugar.”

“Peppermint it is. You should take a shower first.”

“Yes, mom.”

He rushed into the bathroom, leaving a muddy trail behind him. Wow! Two sentinels in the apartment and nobody noticed his blind passenger. He removed the kitten. Miraculously the animal was dry, even though he felt wet all over. With a towel he created a cozy nest for his charge in the sink. Then he shed his soggy clothes and took his shower.

The head of the kitten appeared over the rim of the sink, watching his guardian angel getting even wetter. Blair noticed the intense gaze.

“Hey, no peeping!”

A high-pitched meow answered him. That small creature had a surprisingly loud voice. Well, he never wanted to keep his guest a secret from his roommate, so he took it as a good sign. The kitten continued his scrutiny. Blair laughed.

“So, peeping Tom, what do you think? Did I pass your inspection?”

Another loud answer from his watcher. The small cat began to explore the sink on wobbly little legs. Blair finished his shower and dried himself quickly. He grabbed the animal before it managed to fall out of his nest like a baby bird. The kitten looked clean enough, so he placed it under his bathrobe. He moved out of the bathroom, accepted the mug from his roommate and stopped to take a few sips.

The visitors were sitting on the couch, obviously trying to be very self-absorbed to let them have their privacy.

“Hey, Chief, how comes you smell like a wet cat?”

“Maybe because I have a wet cat under my bathrobe?”

“Oh…- Is that a new fashion trend? Wearing pets?”

“No. Actually, I’m trying to be a trendsetter. Besides, the cat is perfectly dry. Wanna see it?”

“Sure.”

Blair took the protesting animal out of his robe and handed it to Jim. The sentinel was stunned. He thought his roommate had been kidding. Apparently, he just became co owner of a squirmy, tiny and very cute kitten with a red and white fur, a very red nose and a too big voice for such a small being.

“Hey, Jim, take care of our additional guest while I dress, okay?”

“Sure.”

Sandburg disappeared into his room and left Jim with a handful of cat. Okay, this day was definitely interesting. First his mother and Sandburg’s father appeared out of nowhere and now they had a pet. What could possibly be next?

He went to his other two guests to introduce the new arrival. The kitten had accepted Jim’s touch but hissed at the other two guests as they tried to pet it.

“Seems like our houseguest doesn’t have the best manners.”

Blair came out of his room, toweling his hair. The tiny animal cradled to Jim’s broad chest was an absolutely adorable sight. He grinned at his roommate. Where was the camera when you needed it?

“Jim, that kitten has the best manners. You have to introduce him to our guests.”

“Her, Chief. The kitten is a she.”

“Crap. I wanted to call her Tom. That animal is a peeping Tom if I ever saw one.”

“What about Tomato? The color is right.”

“Very funny, Jim. Okay. Kitten, these are Grace and Benjamin Greenwood. No more hissing, okay?”

Benjamin dared to touch the kitten again. This time, the animal behaved. Grace petted the kitten too, enjoying the feeling of the silky fur. Jim handed the cat back to Blair, went into the kitchen, and reheated the rest of Blair’s tea in the microwave.

Blair sat down opposite to the Greenwoods. Jim behaved normal, even a bit mellower. That left the danger of a hidden agenda of the pair.

“How sure are you? That you are my father, I mean.”

“Quite sure. Naomi and I were together for eight months. When I saw her last she must have been in the third month. Not that I suspected anything like that. Well, she did put on a bit of weight but she had been too skinny before, so I didn’t think much of it. I’m pretty sure there was no other man and we do look quite alike, don’t you think so?”

Blair studied the older man’s face while he absently petted the kitten. Curly hair, a bit darker that his, and blue eyes like the ones he saw in the mirror. The forehead resembled his, but the rest of the face was different. Benjamin was about the same height and build. Okay, the man could be his father.

“I guess you could say I look a bit like you. I better call Naomi to hear what she has to say about it.”

Jim moved back again and handed him the mug. He took a sip, then remembered his duty as step mom of a helpless baby-cat and decided to call his friend Cathy for advice. Cathy was studying veterinary medicine and would surly know what to do. Especially what to feed such a little one.

He finished his tea and went to the phone. On his way, he tucked the little animal back under his shirt, where she curled up and fell asleep. He was lucky that Cathy was at home and promised to drop by with the necessarily utensils for a successful kitten-care within an hour. He thanked her and dialed Naomi’s number. She was at home, too. He took the phone into his room to talk to her privately. After the usual small talk, he came to the important question.

“Mom, do you know a Benjamin Greenwood?”

A slight pause.

“Why do you ask, Sweetie?”

“Well, I met him today and he told me you were friends. Good friends.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Is he my father?”

No answer.

“Naomi?”

“Yes, Blair, he is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Did you two have a fight? Did he treat you badly?”

“No, nothing like that. He was a good person. I just didn’t want to have to share you with anybody. Not even your father. I know I was selfish. I was so thrilled when the doctor told me I was pregnant. I just wanted to have a little time for myself to process it and simply didn’t go back to him. Do you think you can forgive me?”

“Sure, Mom. Do you have a Problem if I get to know him better?”

“No, not at all. Fate wanted you to meet him. I’m glad for you.”

“Thank you, Mom. I’ll call you again next week, okay? Then we can talk some more about it.”

“That’s a good idea, Honey. Bye.”

“Bye, Mom. I love you.”

“Love you too, Baby.”

Wow. What a day. He moved back into the living room. Three people looked questioningly at him. The sentinels had respected his private sphere. He grinned at them.

“Well, Dad, do I have any siblings?”

“Yes, actually, both of you have a half sister. Her name is Lily. She is fifteen. She wanted to come with us, but she has a hockey match today and she’s the captain of the team so she couldn’t skip it.”

Blair’s and Jim’s jaws dropped. Benjamin was smiling, but didn’t look like he was kidding. Blair raked his fingers through his curls. Jim looked at his mother, searching for assistance. She only smiled at her son and nodded.

“Wow. Wow, I always wanted to have a younger sister. Is she, I mean, a sentinel? And not a word Jim, I don’t ask as a scientist, I ask as a big brother. Wow. I’m a big brother. Way cool.”

Grace laughed aloud. She was so relieved that the two men took the news so well. Blair was so much like Lily, maybe that was the reason why she liked him immediately. Or it was his resemblance to Benjamin.

“No, Blair, she is not. No one was happier than me to learn that. She comes after his father. And she’s a lot like you, Blair, from what I’ve seen since we’re here. She was a miracle; I would never have thought to get pregnant again at my age. Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of her vacation. She could be in Cascade around noon if you would like to see her.”

“That’s no question! Of course, we want to see her! Jim, tell your mother that we’re dying to see our little sister!”

“He’s right, Mom. God, I don’t know what to say, a sister! Do you have a picture?”

She opened her purse and took out a few laminated photographs. A few of them she laid aside and Jim saw children’s pictures of Steven and himself and even a picture of Blair; a snapshot from his press conference, taken from the TV screen. She handed Jim the rest of the pictures. They showed a cute girl with blond curls and dark blue eyes in different ages. 

Blair jumped up, intending to grab the pictures but a paw full of tiny claws reminded him of the subtenant in his shirt. He stroked soothingly over the bulge in his shirt. Jim smirked. His partner looked like a pregnant woman petting her tummy. Blair saw his expression and stuck his tongue out at his friend. Jim laughed even harder and didn’t pay much attention to the pictures.

His roommate used the opportunity and snatched them out of Jim’s hand. Blair moved away with his prize and studied them intently, dodging all of his partner’s efforts to get them back.

“Please, Blair, have mercy! I’m a respected and admired detective; think what it does to my reputation when they find out that I can’t beat a pregnant man!”

“Why, Jim, I hope you would never beat someone who’s pregnant, whether female or male!”

“I walked right into that one, didn’t I, Chief?”

“Yep. And I didn’t even say anything about police brutality. Come on, worship my self-control!”

“I am unworthy to walk on the same ground, oh godlike one!”

Benjamin was unable to contain his laughter any longer and soon they were all breaking up with laughter. Jim was even happier to see the tears of merriment in Blair’s eyes. The younger man didn’t have much reason to be happy during the last four weeks. And even before all the problems with the dissertation, he had been in a bad mood. Jim knew that he was the main reason for that.

The resurrection of his partner had shaken his whole existence. The colliding of the spirit animals, his reaction to Barnes, the way Blair described his flaws in his paper, all that had disturbed him deeply. Since all these occurrences were connected to the younger man, he sought his distance and hurt him deeply. A person as emotional as Blair took a shouting match better than being ignored or kept distant.

Blair’s press conference had been another turning point for Jim. His friend had given up his entire life for him! He tried to help him after that, but now Blair didn’t trust him anymore. The detective was well aware that the only thing that kept his roommate from leaving was the shortness of money and his pride, which kept him from accepting Naomi’s money. Within the four weeks, he had gained most of Blair’s trust back, especially when he accepted his friend’s decision not to go to the police academy. At least not yet.

Blair noticed Jim’s introspection, moved behind him and laid his hand on his shoulder. The sentinel looked up at his standing guide from his sitting position. Somehow fitting, him looking up at his friend.

The Greenwood prepared to leave with the promise to return the next evening with their daughter. Jim’s mother hugged both of them, Blair keeping his belly at distance to keep the kitten from being crushed. Benjamin shook hands with Jim then embraced his son for the first time. It was a bit awkward with the cat under the shirt and both of them insecure about their place in the other man’s life. When Benjamin released his son, he noticed the bright smile on his son’s face and a hint of tears in the blue eyes. He could not believe his luck that his offspring turned out to be such a brilliant and loyal man.

Jim noticed the proud expression in Benjamin’s face when he left and was very happy for his friend. Every man would be proud to be Blair’s father, like he was proud to be his friend. His head was spinning. So, what had happened today? His long-lost mother showed up again, Blair met his father the first time in his life, they got a pet and finally, his roommate and him where now virtually family and had a sister. And all that happened in – what had it been – four hours? Four hours had turned his life upside down.

Blair sighed deeply and sat down on the couch. He started to giggle when the kitten purred and tickled his skin.

“You know that old Chinese course: May you live in interesting times? I think someone cursed us.”

“Do you think what happened today was a bad thing?”

“No, Jim, that’s not what I’m saying. Just that all of it was a bit much, you know?”

“That it was. How is your baby doing?”

“Sleeping, purring and tickling. What to carry her for a while?”

“And wake her up? I don’t think so, Chief. You keep your baby and I prepare lunch.”

“Okay. Be sure to make something light. It’s a bit late already.”

“Well, I’m quite hungry. We can skip dinner and have a big lunch.”

“Okay, sounds good. Go on, James, prepare the lunch.”

The older man snorted and went to work. Blair made himself comfortable and stroked the tiny animal under his shirt lightly. All the excitement of the day had left him drained and he wanted nothing more than sleep, but he had to wait for Cathy. He knew if he went to sleep now, he wouldn’t wake up when she arrived.

Jim grinned. His roommate had finally lost the battle against his exhaustion. The student was snoring softly, but was lying uncharacteristically still on his back, protecting the tiny animal.

The sentinel heard a light step in the staircase and went to the door. When the movement stopped before the loft door, he opened. He held his finger to his lips in a silencing gesture when he led her inside. She saw Blair lying on the couch and noticed the movement under his shirt. She whispered to Jim.

“Does he host an alien or is that his little guest?”

“Well, what do you think?”

“With Blair, everything is possible. Okay, I will explain everything necessary to you and you will tell him when he wakes up, okay?”

He nodded and they moved to the kitchen table, where they conferred in a hushed tone.

Blair’s woke up from a very strange sensation. Little paws massaged his belly rhythmically, first one paw giving pressure and piercing his skin with five needle-sharp claws, then the other one. If not for the acupuncture, it would have felt nice.

”Ow, stop that! I know that you are hungry but –ow! Jim, stop laughing and help me!”

”I don’t know, Chief. It’s kind of funny.”

”Okay, it is. How long did I sleep? Did I miss Cathy? Will she come back? I have no idea what to feed my little torturer.”

”Relax already! You slept for two hours, you missed her, she won’t come back because she explained everything important to me and here is the bottle for your baby, prepared and waiting, you just have to get it into her, okay?”

”Okay, sorry for the drama. You know that I’m not at my best after getting up.”

He fished for the cat that still mistreated his skin, wincing when a claw found a sensitive spot. Jim was enjoying the show entirely too much, but Blair was in no position to seek revenge from his stepbrother. Wow, now he had a big brother and a little sister. Too bad that he lost so many friends over his dissertation; he’d like to brag with his new family.

Finally, he gripped the animal and took her out of her warm nest. She took the bottle like a pro and emptied it. Then he set her into the litter box Jim had shown him with a comment whose duty it was to keep it clean. Sure, he could understand that a hypersensitive nose might have problems in that department, but Jim had the advantage that he could dial down the smell. Still, Jim had not protested against her staying at the loft and that was enough for now.

”Hey, Blair, what do you think, eating our lunch for dinner? Cathy came before I started cooking and than I decided to wait for you to wake up.”

”That sounds good. I could eat.”

With a very loud meow, the kitten demanded to get back into her cozy nest. Blair sighed, scooped her up and set her back under his shirt. I t didn’t take long for her to fall asleep and Blair used her undisturbed sleep as an excuse to let Jim do all the preparations. The sentinel grumbled half-heartedly. He was glad that the animal had a fixation on his roommate and not on him.

During the dinner, Jim repeated Cathy’s instructions. Blair listened carefully. When it was time to go to bed, Blair encountered another problem. What should he do with his kitten, where should she sleep? He solved the problem instructing the sentinel to listen for the slightest sound of distress from the animal and made her a cozy nest beside his pillow. She barely stirred when he transferred her from her favorite location to her sleeping place.

Blair had problems to find sleep this evening. He was excited about his sister’s visit and worried about his pet. After a lot of tossing and turning, he finally fell asleep.

Jim was the first to wake up and went downstairs to look after the little animal. When he opened the door to Blair’s room, he had to suppress his laughter and fetched his camera. The kitten had obviously decided that her sleeping place wasn’t warm enough and was now laying stretched out over Blair’s neck. Thankfully, she was little and didn’t weight much. He shot a few pictures. The flashlight woke both sleepers. The cat began to purr while Blair blinked and wondered about the strange sensation.

”Wha’,” Blair muttered drowsily.

”Morning, Chief. Nice scarf you have there.”

The younger man was still half asleep. He groped blindly for his neck and encountered warm fur.

”What are you doing there, Tom?”

”Forgot already” She’s a girl.”

”So?”

”A girl named Tom?”

”Why not?”

”Sure, a guy with the name Blair would name a female cat Tom. That’s just consequent.”

”Okay, you win. Find a better name.”

”Tomato?”

”I said a better name!”

”Okay, let me think about it at work. You know that you have to clean the loft before our sister arrives?”

”Can’t you ask Simon for a day off? I’m sure he’ll understand the situation.”

”I’m sure he would but I have to meet Agent Walters this morning. I will be back at noon to admire all your hard work.”

The younger man sighed. Being jobless sucked big time. Finally, he nodded and started to set the breakfast table. He felt like a homemaker after four weeks of staying almost entirely at home. But it was his own fault; he was just too cowardly to show his face at the street after the mess he created. He was still amazed how easily he had stormed out the day before; usually it wasn’t that easy for him anymore. But he had been lucky. The bad weather had kept most people at home, so he didn’t meet anyone.

Jim scrutinized his friend. He could feel that Blair was depressed, but didn’t see any reason. Surely he should be excited to meet his little sister? After all that time the young man was still a riddle for him.

Blair felt the sentinel’s anger. Just great, now he had managed to piss Jim off. He should really get a grip on his feelings.

The breakfast was tense with both men not wanting the other to sense the mood. When Jim left for work, he asked Blair to get groceries. Blair winced inwardly. Another trip to meet the nice people of Cascade. It was not as if he met resentment every time he left the loft, but it happened often enough even after four weeks after the fact. He took it as punishment for his stupidity but it still hurt. No, he didn’t want to deal with the reactions to him today. He would get the groceries delivered as he had for the last three weeks. Later, maybe tomorrow, he would go out, leave the safety of the loft and actually talk to someone, not pass the other people with his head down. He thought about cutting his hair. It would alter his appearance enough; certainly, he wouldn’t be as easily recognizable. But enough with the whining; time to clear Jim’s home. The work would keep his mind off the unpleasant thoughts.

Jim headed to work, still angry. What was wrong with Sandburg? Did he resent not being an only child any longer? It simply made no sense. He shrugged it off, time to concentrate on the work.

He returned home at eleven a.m., stopping at the convenience store. Blair had been unreliable lately and forgot to buy certain things or brought the wrong blends. Today everything had to be perfect. His own little sister! An incredible thought.

Blair was standing on the balcony to look out for his father. Jim was the first to arrive. Blair frowned when he saw the sentinel carrying bags. Shit. The delivery service had screwed his order a few times. This time everything was right, though. Still no sign of the Greenwoods. God, he was so nervous. Who knew how his sister would react to the fraud that was her brother. He rushed to the door to take the bags form Jim.

The loft was spotless, even to the inspection of a sentinel. Even the windowpanes blinked. Jim was very satisfied with his roommate’s efforts and wasn’t sparing with praise. Blair gave a shaky smile in return, almost bursting with nervousness.

They were still in the process of unpacking the bags when the Greenwoods arrived. Jim opened the door, grinning broadly. Blair was staying behind, swallowing nervously, wishing to be invisible. He was suddenly terrified. What if she didn’t like him? He wasn’t sure if he could deal with rejection right now. He was rooted to the spot while Jim greeted his guests and showed them inside. His eyes were glued to the curly-haired girl. She was truly beautiful; the pictures didn’t do her justice. She was bouncing slightly, studying the loft and it’s inhabitants. When Blair made no move to meet her, she quickly went over and hugged him.

”Hi, I am Lily. It’s so great to meet you! I always wanted to have a big brother and mommy always told me I had two much older brothers but I didn’t know about you. So, I intend to learn all about my mysterious big brother during my holidays. I saw your press conference and that was such a brave thing to do! I want to be like you when I’m grown up. Oh sorry, did I talk too much again? Daddy always says I chatter more than a magpie. He told me you had a little kitten. Can I see it?”

She looked at him with her head tilted, smiling broadly. Blair laughed loud. She was so adorable. And all his fears had been in vain. She liked him! She really liked him.             

”Sure you can. She’s in my room, occupying the only sunny spot. Come on, that way.”

He led her into his room where she crouched down beside his bed, where the animal was lying on his pillow. She caressed the kitten with her fingertips, laughing when the tiny head shot up at the disturbance.

”She is so nice. And your room is really cool. That mask over there, where is it from? You could wear it on Halloween; it looks somewhat scary. But really cool. My friend Melissa has her whole room full of Barbie dolls and that’s really scary, I mean all this pink, truly frightening.”

Blair laughed. The still nameless kitten began to purr and presented her belly for a thorough petting. Lily complied and laughed softly when the cat grabbed her hand and licked one of her fingers clean before biting into it.

”Ow! Hey brother, stop laughing and protect me! Your vicious beast attacked me!”

”Oh, sorry for that. You think you will survive your grave injuries?”

”Barely. I need a big hug from my big brother to get better.”

”That I can do.”

He embraced her, closing his eyes and fighting the urge to cry. All the emotions he had kept inside for more than a month attempted to break through his carefully built walls. When he finally released her he saw that the wetness in her eyes mirrored his own.

”I’m so glad that you like me, Blair. I saw you in the TV and you were so strong and brave and I thought maybe you wouldn’t like me because I’m nothing special, just plain old me.”

”You’re very special to me, Lily. My own little sister that’s like, so cool. How long can you stay here? I would like to spend a lot of time with you. And your parents, of course.”

”I have two weeks until I have to be back at school. But if I pester mom and daddy long enough, maybe I can convince them to move to Cascade. We could see each other every day, then.”

”I could always move to Springfield. Maybe I could find a job there if I’m lucky.”

Oh, damn. He hadn’t wanted to mention that. She looked at him strangely, frowned and then he saw comprehension dawning in her eyes. She began to blink to fight back her tears.

”I’m sorry, Blair. Daddy told me that you lost your job. That is all so unfair! You did nothing wrong.”

”That’s life, sis. I wrote that damn thing and now I have to pay for that. But it has a good side, too. Now I have two weeks that I can spend with you and don’t have to worry about getting the days off.”

”Okay,” came the subdued reply. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, before trying to smile again. It was a strained smile but she continued in a much stronger voice.

”Okay. Let’s leave that dangerous animal alone and go back before mom starts a search party. By the way, what’s her name? Conan or Attila?”

”She doesn’t have one, yet. Why don’t you give her a name? Jim and I can’t agree on one.”

She cocked her head to the side, thinking a moment before she smiled brilliantly.

”Blaily. I think it sounds nice.”

Blaily. The first four letters from his name and the last two from hers. And she was right; he liked the way the name sounded.

”What about Baily? It’s a little less obvious and easier to pronounce.”

He winked at her and she blushed. Busted. She should have known that he was smart enough to look through it. Lily grinned sheepishly and nodded.

”Cool. Okay, ready to face the family?”

He gave a curt nod and took her hand to lead her back into the living room. Jim grinned when they came back. It was funny how the girl had fixated on Blair. He was a little bit jealous, but then, he had a brother to grow up with and for Blair having a sibling was something new. So he didn’t begrudge the younger man her attention.

”So, how do you like Blair’s baby? You should see him carrying her in his shirt, it’s really cute.”

”She is adorable, but she bit me. First, she liked my finger clean and then – snap! Vicious little beast! We named her, by the way. Her name is now Baily Sandburg. How do you like it?”

”Baily? I admit it is better than Tom, but I still think we should have named her Tomato.”

She looked at him with an incredulous look, her expression showing that she doubted his sanity. Jim grinned, winking at her. Lily grinned back, before turning around and addressing the whole family.

”Gentlemen, Lady, I’m starving. What do you think about a visit to Wonderburger’s?”

”Oh gee, she’s an Ellison after all. Jim, I won’t complain about your eating habits ever again. It’s genetic.”

Jim grinned at his roommate. Blair was relaxed again, so it had just been nervousness about the visit of his new family.

”Wonderburger sounds perfect right now. Thank you, Lily; my personal dietician threatens me with bodily harm if I indulge myself too often.”

”Do not!” Blair piped in.

”Do too. Now shut up and let’s get our grease-level up.”

He gave Blair a playful swat at the head when the young man shuddered theatrically. Lily grinned at their antics, but gave them a shove in the direction of the door when they made no attempt to move. Jim smirked when he heard her stomach growl. Time to feed the girl.

During the meal, Jim and Lily philosophized about the perfect burger while Blair and Benjamin both shivered secretly. It gave them a perfect conversation topic, both preferring healthy meals but eating junk food occasionally if the mood struck. The two burger-addicts made a few comments about the health-freaks while Grace stayed impartial. All in all, a perfect family meal.

They left the grease pit and Lily decided they had to see the harbor. What else could they do than comply? That girl had the air of a drill sergeant. Jim shuddered at the thought of her being his commanding officer. Truly frightening. The girl spent the rest of the afternoon to run them ragged until the adults gave up and called it a day. Jim and Blair accompanied their family to the hotel and Blair excused himself to head back to the loft and take care of the kitten. Jim ate dinner with the Greenwoods. The teenager was chattering, full of energy, and the adults tried to keep their eyes open. After the dinner, Grace took Jim aside to talk to him until he went home two hours later.

Blair arrived home shaking. He had never been that afraid in his whole life. The afternoon had been the pure hell for him. All the time he had waited for someone to recognize him, to humiliate him in front of his family. There had been no comments; there never had been any when he was in company so far. He cradled his kitten to his chest, fighting the urge to cry or shout in anger. Craving the contact, he put the animal under his shirt when he started to prepare Baily’s dinner. He fed the cat and fell asleep on the couch. Blair woke up when Jim arrived home, gave Baily another snack and went to bed.

Jim watched his friend carefully while Blair fed the cat. His mother had got him thinking. She had told him how bad his friend looked, how tense he had been over the afternoon and how his heard had speed up as soon as the came near another person. He thought back and cursed silently. How could he have missed all the signs? Blair looked normal to the casual watcher, but when he made use of his heightened senses he could see through the façade, see all the hurt behind the blue eyes. And he could recall all the signs of anxiety he hadn’t paid any attention to during their walk. Now he only had to find a way to help his friend. He didn’t come up with any ideas and went to sleep frustrated.

The next morning both of them were in a bad mood, and both of them tried to hide the feelings. They spoke mainly about the cat, if the talked at all. Only when Jim told Blair that he had taken the rest of the week off and that their family would come and have breakfast with them at the loft, Blair started to smile and this time the smile was genuine. So, it wasn’t the confrontation with his father and his family that caused the problems.

A knock at the door startled Jim out of his thoughts. Who was that? It was too early for the Greenwoods. He shot a questioning glance to his roommate, who shrugged. Jim opened the door and saw a brightly smiling Naomi Sandburg, Charlie Spring in tow. Blair rushed towards the door, hugged his mother, and bid them in. Even Charlie got a hug from the excited young man. Jim hugged Naomi too, but Charlie only got a firm handshake from the detective.

”Mom! I’m so glad to see you! I have a little sister! And a kitten named Baily. And do you want to know the wildest thing? Dad is married to Jim’s mother, so now we are family! Will you stay for breakfast, you could see Lily, our little sister and get to know Jim’s mom.”

Jim put his hand over Blair’s mouth to stop the flood of words for a moment.

”Hello Naomi, Charlie, nice to see you again! Did you eat already? We’ll have breakfast in half an hour and you’re more than welcome to join us.”

”Thank you, Jim, nice to see you, too. And yes, we’d like to stay and have breakfast with you. I’d like to see Benjamin again and see how he’s changed. And, Jim? I think you can release my son now.”

Jim cast a look at his roommate and grinned. Blair looked ready to chew his way through Jim’s hand. He quickly released his friend and retreated hastily to avoid a possible act of revenge. But Blair ignored them and led the pair to the couch where they chatted while Jim prepared the meal.

At the knock at the door Blair looked up guiltily for having Jim left to do all the work. But the sentinel only smiled reassuringly and opened the door. Lily dashed in excitedly and headed directly for Blair.

”Blair, Blair; guess what? We have great news!”

She noticed the visitors and stopped abruptly. Quickly, she straightened her clothes and hair and smiled shyly at the pair.

”Lily, this is my mom and her friend Charlie. Mom, this is Lily, my little sister.”

”Nice to meet you, Lily. Blair told me a lot about you. Oh Benjamin, I’m glad to have a chance to apologize. There are no excuses; I should have told you about Blair. Please forgive me, Benny. And you must be Jim’s mother. I’m Naomi, and this is Charlie, a friend of mine. I’m so glad to see you.”

”I’m Grace. It’s nice to see you, too. You did a great job with your son; Blair is such a wonderful person.”

”Thank you so much, Grace. Blair has a generous soul and forgave me for the many mistakes I made.”

Naomi opened her bag and took out a big box and handed it to Benjamin.

”These are all photos I have from Blair. I wrote on the back when they were made and what happened in Blair’s life at that time. You can keep them, Benny. I have copies. No protest, Blair. He is your father and has to know all the embarrassing details.”

”Well, you shared them with Jim already, so please, go on. Who needs dignity anyway?”

Blair’s banter was so much like it had been before the dissertation affair and Jim noticed for the first time how long Blair had already put up this mask to hide his true feelings behind. Maybe his mother’s idea wasn’t so bad after all. The day before, he had argued with her, but now he could see her point. All concerned persons were present, only Charlie was in the way. If he could convince the psychic to leave, they could discuss his mother’s plan and make things better for Blair. Charlie seemed to read his thoughts. He stood up and told them that he had to leave to meet an old friend. At the door, he whispered at a level that was inaudible for normal ears: “It is a good plan and it will work, trust me. Take care of your guide, sentinel. You should know by now how special he is.” He winked at Jim and left quickly.

Jim was tense during the meal as were Grace, Lily and Benjamin. Blair and Naomi puzzled about the strange behavior, Naomi trying her best to put their minds at ease with telling strange tales of her travels around the world. When they finished eating, Jim cleared his throat and, after a quick eye contact with his mother, looked into his guides eyes.

”Blair, mom came up with an idea yesterday and I think it is a good one. Please listen to her, okay?”

”Sure, Jim.”

He looked at Grace with curiosity, as did Naomi. She smiled at him and Lily beside her practically vibrated with excitement.

”Well, Blair, I think the publishers and the university shouldn’t get away with what they did to you. They acted unprofessional and that should be punished or they will do that again to another one. So, what I think we should do is giving another press conference, stating that your dissertation wasn’t about Jim but about me. The part they published was from a chapter where you described how a sentinel would act as a protector in the modern society, compared with the role of ancient sentinels. You just used the idea what could have happened if Jim would have inherited the sentinel abilities from me, using actual data you gathered from testing my abilities. I think you should sue them and get your life and your reputation back.”

Blair thought about it, many different emotions flickering over his expressive face. Gratitude, doubt, fear, sorrow and finally, uncertainty.

”I don’t know, Grace. There are many problems with that. First, they might still have a copy of my dissertation and than they would be able to tell that it wasn’t about you. Second, it would focus the attention back at Jim and that could interfere with his job again. Thirdly, It would get you into the spotlight. Who knows what kind of persons would be interested in you. Believe me, we made bad experiences already with a rogue CIA-agent. And it could also draw attention on Lily, and I’m not ready to risk that! You and your entire family could become lab rats in a government facility. I’m not willing to take that kind of risk with your life.”

Blair jumped up and started to pace the loft, muttering to himself. Finally, he stopped.

”I’m very grateful, Grace. It means a lot to me that you are willing to do that for me. But I can’t accept it, sorry.”

”Blair, sweety, think about it again. The publisher has no copy anymore; I know that for sure. Jim can surely deal with a bit of attention or he wouldn’t have agreed to the plan. And for your other concerns, I think publicity is the best way to keep them out of danger. Grace is not young enough to be of interest for them and if you make sure that no child of hers inherited the sentinel abilities why should they bother to, well, to bother them? It is a great opportunity for you and I think you should take it. And I don’t say that just to reduce my guilt. I know that it is my fault that your life was ruined. Please, Blair, don’t miss that chance. You deserve it.”

Blair started to shake his head, so Jim spoke up.

”Naomi is right, Chief. And if she can’t convince you, when Charlie left he said that this plan would work out. Seems he had another hit. This is our chance, Blair. It will work, trust me.”

”You know, Jim, coming from you these are the two most scary words in the world.”

Jim grinned. He had heard the acceptance in Blair’s voice. This would work out, he would make sure of that. And these four weeks of hell had a good side, too. He would never distrust his guide again. Blair had proved himself beyond any doubt. He was special, indeed. He would probably be the only sentinel in history who had a guide with a doctor title. Beside his mother, of course. They were surely living in interesting times, but it were good times as well.

- End -


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