Disclaimer: The Sentinel and its characters belong to Pet Fly and Paramount. The Family and Adam Black belong to DL Witherspoon. This story was written in her universe for her and is posted with her kind permission.Authors Notes: D.L., Forgive me, but someone had to tell Adam that James is a Sentinel. I've always thought that James should have stopped Blair's research. The story is set soon after James and Blair left to review the troops in "Flux".
Warnings: Occasional bad language, dumb humor, and amateurish writing.
***** Blair stared at the bound volume in his hands and knew that he had done the right thing. He had to finish his doctorate, but he knew that he couldn't write his dissertation on Jim or any other living Sentinel. He remembered his initial resistance to the Family's role in policing science. Blair had thought that he'd come to terms with James and had embraced the Family. Yet, he'd continued to work on his own dissertation on Sentinels. And Jim hadn't stopped him.
Three months ago Blair had gathered all his data together and had a private meeting with Adam.
"I want your honest opinion on some research on human genetics," he'd begun. Adam had studied the information, getting steadily grimmer with each notebook.
"Where did you get this information?"
"It's my research."
"What? On whom? You spend all your time with the El...Shit! Blair! This isn't about James?"
"I met Jim during the Switchman case. He was have trouble with his senses. He's had heightened senses all his life, but he's repressed them or the memory of them for much of his life because of his Dad's attitude toward them. I've been studying Sentinels since I was a teenager. When I learned of Jim through a nurse I was tutoring, I arranged a meeting. Jim listened to me and we started working on controlling his senses and using them in his police work. In the beginning it was sort of a deal between us. My help for his agreement to be a subject for my dissertation. Adam, I can't use this information in a dissertation. James should have stopped my research as soon as he learned about it!"
"James never reacts to you the way he would to anyone else. What do you plan to do?"
"Confront James. The Sentinel has been compartmentalized for far too long. He needs to tell his Family who he is. The Sentinel Research becomes a classified Family Project. I have nearly completed work on a study of the police as a closed society that I intend to submit as my dissertation. I have already cleared the topic with my committee at Rainier. They were pleased with the introductory chapter and the outlines I sent them."
"If the research is as thorough as the Sentinel research, I'll be eager to read the paper, little brother."
****** James was torn between choking the life out of Adam and tossing Blair out a window.
"How could you tell him without coming to me first, Chief?"
"You act as if the Sentinel is something you have to hide from the Family. Just as you had to hide the Family from me. Adam's only question about the whole Sentinel issue has been why you let my research go on so long. He hasn't questioned what you can do or how you do it. His only interest has been your protection. Not from what people might think, but from what unscrupulous researchers might do to you and others like you."
"You don't think that he considers you one of those unscrupulous researchers?"
Adam snorted.
"I think he should sell you to the highest bidder and get some Hollywood stud to play me in the movie version of your life. I figure that we'll get enough for a pint of Cherry Garcia each." It was worth the pole-axed expression on James' face. "I trust Blair with your life, Elder. I was jealous of him when we first met, but I quickly learned that he was necessary to you. After reading his research, I know why. You are damned lucky, brother. Blair's work is brilliant, but he recognizes the inherent danger in exposing you to the general public. He wants his research to come under Family control for your protection."
"What about Blair's doctorate?"
"Not a problem. The closed society dissertation is already in rough draft. Rainier has my introductory chapter and chapter outlines. I should have the finished product in about three months," Blair assured James.
"With Family resources and his doctorate, Blair can start producing papers on heightened senses that will help others like you, James."
"What about my weaknesses?"
"I'm sure we can convince Blair to leave out the fact that Sentinels can be such dickheads."
"You've got this all worked out."
"Not quite. Who's going to tell Father?"
***** Blair's dissertation, "Closed Ranks -- A Study of the Subculture of Law Enforcement," was finished. It had been defended, accepted and published. The leather bound volume represented the end of his time at Rainier. He was free to devote his entire time to James and the Family.
The End.