Most of the characters belong to Petfly. Jake and Cherry belong to Aly. Jesse and Thomas belong to me.

A long time ago, Aly wrote me an incredibly nice LoC for one of my stories. It was so nice that I asked if I could bear her children. She said, "Sure." Then asked what sort of child we should have. We decided on a little girl, someone Jake could play with. LOL! I wrote her a few snippets and she told me that I should post them. So I did.to Senad. My computer is acting wonky at the moment, so I thought I should probably post them here before they are lost forever. Think of this series of snippets like Legion's AU of saraid's Panther Tales. (Not that I'm comparing my stories with those, but you get the general gist). My profound thanks go to Aly for allowing me to play in this universe.

SQUICK ALERT!! KID FIC!! KID FIC!! KID FIC!!! Run now!!! Don't whine that you weren't warned!!! Oh, and to add insult to injury . these snippets aren't beta'd either. So there. <snerk>

BEGINNINGS

"Poppy! Poppy!"

Jim Ellison turned from his conversation with Makeba Parmour and watch his excited six-year-old son, Jake, and his best friend, Cherry, run across the playground toward him. "Hey, whelp," he said as they drew closer. "Is something wrong?"

"Cherry says if I find something I can keep it. Is that right?"

"Well, it depends on what it is, sport."

"If I bring it to you, will you tell me if I can keep it or not?"

"Sure thing."

"'kay." With that Jake and Cherry ran back across the playground. Jim chuckled affectionately then turned back to Makeba to finish their conversation.

"Don't laugh. It's true." Makeba chuckled herself, but the merriment died on her lips. "Um... Jim. We seem to have a problem."

Jim turned, following his friend's gaze, and instantly spotted his son, who was struggling to carry a small child in his arms. Cherry was gamely trying to keep up as she dragged a medium-size suitcase behind her.

Moving slowly, so as not to startle the children, Jim closed the distance between them; Cherry's mother a step behind. Seeing his father approach, Jake set the little girl down in front of him, but never took his arms from away from her shoulders.

"Sooooooooo? Can I keep her?"

If the situation wasn't so serious, Jim would have laughed. He knelt down beside the children. The little girl moved even closer to Jake and whimpered. Jim watched as Jake looked down in confusion, then looked up at him with a fierce, protective look filling his features.

Jim reached out slowly and brushed the child's long, straight, black hair away from her dirt-smudged face. "Shhhh, precious. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Jake's daddy." Gray-blue eyes blinked back at him. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Her name's Jessica. She's been living here since her mommy dropped her off. She came with a note." Jake pulled a piece of paper from the child's jacket and handed it to his father.

//Please take care of my precious daughter. Her father is dead. All of my family is dead. When my boyfriend catches me, I will be dead. You may think me heartless, but leaving her is the only way I can save her. When she is old enough to understand, please tell her that I loved her. Her name is Jessica AnnaMarie. She is four and a half years old. Her birthday is on October second.//

Jim swallowed hard as the small face turned trustingly toward him.

"I told her we'd take care of her."

Jim looked at his son, wondering how he was going to explain Child Services to him.

"I need a sister," Jake said quietly, hugging the little girl tighter to him as if sensing Jim's reluctance.

"What...what about Cherry?" Jim smiled, trying to break the increasing tension.

"I'm gonna marry Cherry, silly. You don't marry your sister."

Jessica slowly, tentatively, reached her tiny hand out to touch Jim's cheek, trust shining through her beautiful blue eyes. Jim's heart melted. So this, he mused, was how Blair felt all those many months ago. Jim knew how the system worked, but couldn't deny the ferocious roar that swelled within his breast at the thought of putting this child into the cold, heartless, bureaucratic system.

"So?" Jake demanded.

Jim took the tiny hand in his and tenderly drew the child to him. "We'll see what we can do, Jake. We'll see what we can do."

FAMILY

Blair Sandburg dropped his keys into the familiar old basket and softly shut the door behind him. He rolled his neck, enjoying the relief he felt as each bone popped. He frowned slightly as he pushed himself off the door. Normally, he would be knee deep in family by this time. He looked back toward the parking lot, even though he couldn't see through the closed door. Jim's truck had been in its normal spot, hadn't it? What in the heck was going on?

He moved into the kitchen and found Jim scrubbing the sink as if it were a life or death duty.

"Hey, lover," he greeted quietly, wrapping his arms around the man he loved, laying his cheek on Jim's back.

"Hey yourself." Jim dropped the sponge and rinsed his hands before he turned to give Blair a proper welcome. "How did the meeting with the DA go?"

"I think we have a sound strategy for Monday's trial." Blair gave him an extra squeeze, then released him and headed to the refrigerator for a beer. "Everything okay, babe?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why?"

"It just seems a little quiet around here is all." Raising his voice, he yelled out, "Where's my boy?"

A soft yippee could be heard from the other room, followed by the sound of small feet scurrying down the hallway. Jake flung himself into his father's arms and planted a big wet kiss on Blair's cheek, while at the same time trying to squeeze the stuffing out of his neck.

"So how was your day, Hoss?"

Jake opened his mouth wide to launch into his story, but turned suddenly in Blair's arms to look at Jim. Blair watched as Jim shook his head almost imperceptibly. "Tell you soon. After grown up talk." With that, he planted another kiss on Blair's nose, squiggled to the ground and ran back to his room.

Blair blinked, then frowned. Turning to face his husband, he asked, "Okay, what's going on? I may not be a sentinel, but I sure as heck didn't miss that little by-play between the two of you."

Jim began to scrub the countertops in earnest. "When did you know, Chief? About Jake, that is. When did you feel the connection between the two of you?"

Blair furled his brow slightly, moving onto the barstool before he answered. "Right away, I think. I didn't have any idea where the bond would lead, but I'd have to say that he touched a place within me right off the bat."

"So you pretty much knew from the get-go?"

Blair tried to calm his hammering heart. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Was Jim leaving them? Had he spent so much time with Jake that Jim somehow felt left out of the loop? He could have sworn that Jim loved fatherhood as much as he did, but now... Surely after two years Jim wouldn't just up and leave them. Blair swallowed hard and whispered in a trembling voice, "What are you asking, Jim? Don't you want to be a father anymore?"

Jim looked up abruptly from his scrubbing, surprise coloring his handsome face; then a look of understanding flitted across his features. He put the sponge down and came around the kitchen island and wrapped his arms around his companion.

"I love being a father, Blair. Jake has brought me more happiness than I ever thought possible."

"But..."

Jim put one finger over his lover's lips. "Shhh. Never doubt my love for either one of you." He pressed a soft kiss to the pale forehead, then moved back around the counter and started scrubbing again.

"Then what?"

"Have you ever thought of having more kids?" Jim asked, without looking up.

"Oh, god, you're pregnant." Blair smiled wickedly as his lover's head shot up and their gazes locked.

"Yeah, baby, the rabbit died. Now get serious. Have you ever thought of having more kids?"

Blair wanted to shriek, to demand to know what in the hell was going through Jim's head. He stilled as comprehension came to him in a flash. Jim was talking to him; was, in fact, sharing something very important with him, something which had the power to wound the bigger man's soul. He was trying to communicate, but wasn't sure how to go about it.

"I haven't really given it much thought, to tell you the truth, but ..." He paused as he thought over the possibility, remembering how lonely his own childhood had been. "I think I'd love to have a whole passle of the little critters. Why?" His demons whispered that Jim wanted to have his own child, one of his own blood.

"What do you think about having a little girl?"

Blair closed his eyes, trying to ignore the demons' taunts. "Yeah, a little girl would be fine."

"Between the two of us, we earn more than enough money to raise two kids."

"True."

"And I'm sure Maggie would be willing to watch another child, especially since Jake is in first grade now and she only has him before and after school."

Blair opened his eyes to find his lover staring intently at him.

"Talk all done now?" Jake asked quietly from the hallway.

Blair turned his head, his eyes not leaving Jim's until the last second then brought his full attention to his son. "Not just yet, Hoss."

"But Jessie's hungry."

"Jessie?"

"My new sister." Jake pulled a tiny figure from the hallway into the kitchen.

Blair blinked, positive he was hallucinating. No walking creature could possibly be that small. Big blue eyes blinked up at him. Long black hair, which had recently been washed and brushed until it gleamed, framed a tiny elfin face. The pixie was dressed in one of Jake's tee-shirts, although on her it looked more like a dress.

The little girl moved slowly around Blair then threw herself at Jim, who immediately scooped her up and held her so that she was sitting in mid-air facing Blair. "Jessica, this is Blair. Blair, meet Jessica." Jessica turned and buried her face into Jim's shirt. "Don't be shy, precious. I told you about Blair. Remember? I said he was the funny looking guy who drank seaweed."

The tiny bundle at his chest giggled, then peeked shyly at Blair again.

Blair smiled tenderly at the sight of the tiny face peering at him from behind a curtain of black hair. "I...I have a feeling our conversation wasn't entirely rhetorical."

Jake climbed into the barstool next to him. "I found her at the park, Daddy. Cherry said 'finders keepers, losers weepers' and I asked Poppy and he said it depended on what it was so Cherry and I went back and got her and brought her to Poppy then we brought her home and she was kind of dirty so we gave her a bath and Poppy brushed her hair and then put her in one of my shirts and made us take a nap but I woke up before she did and Poppy said that he had to talk to you before we made any life...changing...decisions...but keeping her isn't life changing, is it, Daddy? After all you kept me and since I found her I think I should be able to keep her. Fair's fair, after all. Don't you think?"

Jim chuckled as he maneuvered the little girl onto his hip. "I think he did that all in one breath."

Blair took a moment to study, really study, his lover. Jim's emotions laid exposed on his face. First and foremost, Blair saw love - love for him and Jake - and love for the tiny creature in his arms. This went beyond a sentinel protecting his tribe, looking out for even the tiniest members. Blair could practically feel the connection between Jim and Jess vibrate, just as his connection with Jake did.

There would be so many obstacles to adopting this child, he couldn't even begin to count them. While Jake's adoption had been relatively easy, he knew that wouldn't be the case with Jessica. Where was the child's family? Would they fight to get her back? What would happen to Jim if they lost her? Could he open his heart to another child? Could he love a daughter as much as he loved his son? Suddenly the questions weren't rhetorical in nature but very real.

He looked again at his lover. Jim wanted this. Jim wanted it more than he could ever admit aloud.

Blair looked over at his son, who was gazing at Jim and Jess with such love and adoration that his face practically glowed. Standing, he walked slowly around the kitchen island and held his hands out to the little girl. Without hesitation she launched herself into his arms.

"Will you be my daddy?" she asked shyly, her face inches away from his.

"I would love to be your daddy, precious," he whispered back.

"Yippee!!" Jake cried out, jumping down from his chair and flinging himself into Jim's arms. "We get to keep her. We get to keep her."

Jim closed the distance between them and enveloped his family in a bear hug, making the children squeal in laughter. "I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do at this instant," he said softly, before gently kissing the tip of his lover's nose. "Or you." He blew a raspberry on Jake's cheek. "Or you," he said before kissing Jessica's forehead.

"It's not going to be easy," Blair said, practically sentinel soft.

"True," Jim agreed quietly, "but I have faith in us."

"So do I, lover. So do I." Leaning back so he could look into the tiny elfling face, he asked with a wicked smile, "Well, now, Miss Jessie, what are you going to cook for dinner tonight?"

BULLIES

"Go away, brat." Tommy Larson sneered as he pushed Jake's nuisance sister down to the ground. Seconds later, he, himself, was on the ground desperately trying to protect his face from his best friend. Minutes later, though it seemed like an eternity, teachers were pulling them apart.

"What's going on here?" Ms. Jones, the playground superintendent, demanded.

"You ever lay a hand on my sister again, Tommy, and it'll be the last thing you ever do with it," Jake Ellison-Sandburg gritted out as he lunged toward him again.

Tommy was never as grateful for a teacher's interference as he was at that moment.

"Jakie," a small voice whispered in the din of voices.

Ten-year-old Jacob stopped his struggles instantly, then turned and knelt beside his sister. "How are you, precious?" he asked in a whisper.

"My knee hurts, Jake. My knee hurts." The little girl gasped in ragged breaths, trying desperately to hold back her tears. Tommy felt like the world's biggest heel. He watched as his friend, a boy he had always considered to be his best friend, though he knew after today that wasn't ever going to be the case again, gently pick up his sister into his arms and carry her toward the nurse's office.

"Tommy Larson, you should be ashamed of yourself," Ms. Jones scolded harshly.

Tommy nodded his head dejectedly, indeed feeling ashamed of himself, knowing he had just lost something precious even if he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Squaring his shoulders, he raced toward the doors which lead into the school, holding one of them open for his friends. The fierce look on Jake's face softened slightly.

"Thank you, Tommy," a soft voice whispered at him.

"Awww, brat," the boy said, blinking back tears as he walked beside his friends. "You always were too fragile."

"You pushed me, Tommy."

"I'm sorry, Jess. I was having a bad day."

"I'm not marrying you anymore, Tommy. Daddy says men who hurt women are the lowest form of life. He says if I let you do it once, you'll do it again."

"No. I swear on my Pokemon collection, I'll never hurt you again."

"Damn straight," Jake growled as they entered the nurse's office.

"Let me make it up to you. Please. Pretty please," Tommy begged, knowing if he didn't make it right, he was going to be extremely lonely in the future.

"I'll think about it," Jessica said as Jake set her down on the vinyl table covered in paper.

Jake turned around and looked at his friend, his gaze practically piercing Tommy's soul. He smiled, almost malevolently. "How about we forgive old Tommy here if he makes his apologies to Pop?"

Tommy gulped loudly. The only people more protective of Jessica than Jake were her fathers. While all of Jake's friends liked their parents, everyone knew better than to try to get away with something in front of Jim Ellison.

"Man enough to face up to your mistakes now, hotshot?" Jake almost sneered.

"Whatever it takes, Jake. Whatever it takes," Tommy whispered and was relieved to see the answering smiles on his friends' faces. Maybe, just maybe, his friendship with these two would survive his idiocy.

LIFE CHANGES

Blair Sandburg let out a long sigh as he walked through the door into his home, happy beyond belief to put his day behind him. He loosened the tie he had put on for Court, but his hand stilled as a loud wail filled the apartment.

"James?" A cold fist of fear squeezed around his stomach as he ran full-tilt toward his daughter's room. "James!"

Jessica Anna Marie Ellison-Sandburg looked up at her father, mortification reddening her cheeks. "Daddy! You...you're home early."

Blair quickly scanned the room to make sure that they were indeed alone and safe. "I got out of court earlier than I thought. Uncle Simon told me to go home," he explained softly as he relaxed and slowly eased himself on to her bed. "What's up, precious?"

His twelve-year-old daughter blinked back at him, opening her mouth several times to speak, but no words actually came out. She finally took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm bleeding, Daddy."

Blair immediately reached for his daughter to look for her wound, then stopped. "Bl...bleeding, bleeding?"

Jess simply nodded at him.

"Congratulations," he squeaked, trying hard not to hyperventilate.

"But I don't want to grow up," she wailed.

Blair chuckled, feeling the ground solidify beneath him as he pulled his daughter into his arms. "You will always be a little girl to your Poppy and I."

"Always?"

He chucked. "Guaranteed."

"Thank God."

"You won't be thanking God for long, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"When you're fifteen and want to date, you're going to have to deal with your Poppa, who will still think of you as his little girl."

Jessica pulled slightly back in his arms. "Oh, daddy, you don't mean..."

"Yeppers. Guaranteed."

Jessica leaned back into his chest. "It's okay. I'm never gonna date anyway."

Blair chuckled. "You wouldn't mind putting that in writing, would you?"

"Oh, man." She groaned as the full implications of her father's words hit her.

"Well, look at it this way. It's years away." Blair laughed as he looked down into the precious blue-gray eyes which blinked up at him. "Years and years and years and years away."

Jessica laughed and pushed her father back, trying to be indignant, but failing miserably.

"You did find everything under the sink, right?" he asked her, sobering slightly. "And you knew how to use... that is...."

"Yes, Daddy, Grammy showed me everything."

"'kay. We're good, then?"

"Better than good."

"We're home," a familiar voice announced from the front room.

"Oh, Jiiimmmmmm," Blair called back, his eyes never leaving his daughter's face. "James has something she wants to share with you." He then deftly jumped off the bed, cackling wickedly, barely avoiding the blow aimed for his arm. He stuck his tongue out at his daughter, then pasted on his most innocent expression and went out to welcome his husband.

"Hi Dad," Jake greeted, planting a quick kiss on his father's cheek.

Swinging an arm around his son, Blair gave him a quick squeeze. "How was basketball practice?"

"We rock. North's going down this weekend." Jake lifted his arms as if accepting the accolades from the crowd who would be watching him and his teammates play on Saturday.

"Don't get cocky."

Jake pantomimed shooting a basket. "Don't need to be cocky cause we have the skill to back the promise."

Blair shook his head with affectionate exasperation as he closed the distance between him and his husband. "Hey, lover," he greeted in a husky whisper, brushing his lips over Jim's, and wrapping his arms around Jim's waist.

"About time you noticed I was in the room," Jim complained, although it was ruined by his chortle of amusement. Wrapping his arms around his shorter mate, he pressed his face into Blair's hair and inhaled deeply. "So how was court?"

"Same old, same old. Peterson will get life. But I don't want to talk shop right now."

"Oh oh. What's up?"

Blair kissed the tip of his lover's nose before stepping out of the older man's embrace. "James has a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" Jim gazed in his lover's face. "Oh god. You're doing that innocent thing again. I hate when you do that."

Blair blinked owlishly. "What innocent thing?"

Jim looked over at his son for support.

"Innocent thing?" Jake responded, blinking just as owlishly as his father.

Jim groaned. "I think I'll go talk to my daughter. At least she loves me." Jim sighed and headed down the hallway, trying to ignore the cackling behind him and the soft slap of a high five.

Jim knocked on the door to his daughter's room, peeking in cautiously. "Hey, James. Your dad said you had a surprise for me?"

Blue-gray eyes blinked owlishly at him, making Jim slowly bang his head against the door.

"Don't do that, Poppy." His daughter jumped up from the bed and put her hand between his head and the door. Taking his hand, she led him to her bed and gently pushed down on his shoulders until he sat on the mattress. Jim smiled at her. Always the caregiver.

"So what's up, precious? You're scaring your old man here," Jim said softly, trying to ignore the growing unease gathering in his stomach as he watched the teenager pace in front of him.

Jessica stopped, turning to face her father and opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again before any words came out. Smiling sadly, she sighed. "Papa ..."

"Yes, hon."

"Dial up your sense of smell and focus on me. Okay?"

Jim looked curiously at his daughter, but did as she had instructed. He smelled the vanilla shampoo she liked so much, with just a waft of Obsession lingering from this morning. She had sloppy joes for lunch and...and... He shook his head in denial, his face searching hers. She nodded back at him, biting her lower lip, waiting for his reaction.

//He stumbled down the dark hallway, not yet awake, simply reacting to the quiet whimpers. "Shhhhh, precious," he soothed as he held the tiny five-year-old in his arms. "Papa's here. Everything's going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything harm my little girl."//

//"You did it, Poppy. You did it. You're my hero!" Tiny arms threw themselves around his neck, covering his cheek in wet slobbering kisses.//

//"You won't love me anymore."

"That's nonsense. You will always be my little girl. Always."//

//"Poppy, look!" Eight-year-old Jess said as she looked up from the adoption decree, which had taken so long to get. "My initials!! They spell James. Just like your name! I really am yours, aren't I?"

"Haven't I been saying ..."

"I know. But, but... this is perfect. Jim and James. Together forever!"

"Hey, what about Jake and I?"

"Oh, Daddy. We'll always be together. All four of us. But from now on, I'm James. Cause Poppy took me from that park so long ago and never let me go. Never gave up."

"Well, I, for one, like it, Sis. But what are your teachers gonna say?"

"I guess I can be Jess at school but I'm gonna be James at home. What do you think? What's wrong, Poppy? Are you sad? Don't cry, Poppy."

"I'm not sad, baby. Never sad. Just happy for my little girl is all. I like James. I think we'll keep it."//

"Congratulations, baby." Jim hesitated. "I guess I won't be able to call you 'baby' anymore."

Jess leaned against her father, her arms going around his shoulders. "Daddy says I'll always be your little girl."

Jim nodded, not trusting himself to speak. His little girl was turning into a woman. His time with her was running out. He wanted to shout at the heavens that it wasn't fair, that he wasn't ready.

"I'm not ready," Jess said quietly, as if reading his mind. "I don't want to be a grown up yet."

"Okay." He smiled, trying to talk past the lump in his throat.

"So am I still your little girl?" she asked anxiously, looking down into his face for reassurance.

Jim gathered his daughter into his arms and held her tight. "You will always be my little girl. Always and forever."

Jessica's fists clenched in the back of his shirt, her breath ragged with unchecked emotions. Jim pulled her into his lap and they sat, drawing warmth and courage from each other, for several minutes before Jessica finally asked, "You will let me date eventually, right? Not right away," she hastened to reassure him. "But eventually."

Jim gave her one last squeeze then put her on her feet and stood. "We'll see."

"Poppy," she said in exasperation, her fists on her hips, a twinkle back in her eye.

"Eventually." He smirked at her as he headed for the door. "When you're thirty."

"Poppy!!" she wailed after him.

He chuckled to himself as he headed toward his bedroom to get out of his work clothes. Shutting the door, he leaned his forehead against the wood surface and let out a long sigh. He turned, but stopped abruptly when he saw his lover in the middle of the room, his arms held open.

"Oh, lover," Blair said quietly. "I was afraid this might be too hard on you."

Jim stumbled forward blindly into the protective arms of his soul-mate, shudders racking his large frame. Blair's hold on him was fierce, keeping him safe from the demons which surrounded him, whispering that his children no longer needed him.

"She will always need you," Blair reassured him quietly. "They both will. You will always be their Poppy."

"I know," Jim said after several moments, letting out a long soul-cleansing breath. "I just wasn't ready for it today."

"Lover, you weren't ever gonna be ready for it," Blair gently teased him.

"True," he said as he stood back and kissed his mate's forehead. "They're both getting so big."

"Jim, you aren't your father and they aren't rebelling. You aren't going to lose them, either of them."

"You'll keep me on the straight and narrow, right so I don't screw this up?"

"Haven't I always?"

"Yes." Jim smiled. "Yes, you have."

"Although I'm tempted to sell tickets when James finally does start to date and you turn into Robert DeNiro on steroids from 'Meet the Family'."

"DeNiro was a wimp in that movie."

Blair laughed and shoved his husband toward the bathroom. "My point exactly."

"I wonder if it's too early to start looking into convents," Jim speculated innocently, enjoying the look of shock on his husband's face as he shut the door.

Father's Day

Blair yawned and stretched as far as he was able within the confines of his husband's arms. He rolled his head back and just drank in the sight of the man who had slept by his side for ten years. He never got tired of waking to the handsome face. True, there might not be as much hair as there once was, but the muscles were just as hard and his eyes were just as blue.

The eyes under consideration fluttered open, instantly searching for his.

"Morning, lover." Blair grinned then kissed the tip of Jim's nose.

Jim just sighed happily and stretched, always keeping one arm around his mate. Finally, when he was all stretched out, he nuzzled Blair's neck and purred. "Mornin'."

"Are you ready to face whatever gastronomical feast awaits us?" Blair teased.

Jim blinked several times. "Wha-what?"

"It's Father's Day, lover."

Jim groaned, then chuckled as he rolled over onto the smaller man and hid his face into the crook of his neck. "Don't make me go out there. I'm begging you."

Blair laughed unsympathetically. "C'mon. You can take it. Be a man."

"Says the non-sentinel in the room." Jim whimpered. "I don't think I can take that choco-strawberry-banana pancake monstrosity again this year."

"Well, if we don't get out of bed soon, they'll bring in the trays again, and I don't want a repeat of two years ago when you spilled juice all over the bed."

"It wasn't my fault. Jess jumped on the bed."

"So get out of bed."

Jim's chest heaved in silent laughter. "We've got great kids."

"We have the best kids."

"They take after their Dad," Jim said quietly, sweetly, as he reached for his lover and graced him with a gentle kiss.

"And their Pop," Blair said when the kiss ended. Rolling from bed, he stood and lumbered toward the bathroom. "Besides, I think they're trying to keep it simple this year."

Jim trundle after him, hoping there weren't too many ways to screw up eggs.

Dressed in sweatpants and robes they looked at each other, squeezed each other hands briefly, and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"Mornin', Jim. Mornin', Blair," greeted fifteen year old Cherry Parmour as she presented each man with a glass of orange juice.

"Morning, Cherry," Jim said giving the teenager a kiss on the forehead.

Blair accepted the orange juice, then kissed her on the nose. "Mornin' Cher."

"Messieurs, you're table is zis way," Thomas Larson said in a dreadful French accent, as he bowed and tried to keep the dish towel on his arm at the same time.

Jim chuckled and ruffled Tom's hair and Blair kissed the boy's forehead as he straightened. "Merci."

"There'll be no mercy for either of you this year." Jacob Michael Sandburg-Ellison laughed as he brought two mugs of steaming hot coffee to the table and kissed both men on the cheek after they sat at the table.

Jim opened his eyes purposefully wide. "Should we try to make a break for it, Chief?"

"Naw," Blair said, trying not to shudder. "We're cops, we can take."

"Are you willing to put a little money on that?" Jessica Anna Marie Ellison-Sandburg asked, waggling her eyebrows as she placed a plate full of perfectly browned toast on the table, then kissed both of her fathers.

Blair laughed. "That's it. I'm not letting Uncle Rafe take you to the horse races anymore."

"And no more poker nights either," Jim added.

"God, Jim, I had no idea we were such bad influences on our children."

"You're not," four voices cried out in protest.

Jim took a sip of juice and chuckled. "They're so easy."

Both men flinched as four different sets of hands whapped them.

"Okay, close your eyes," James commanded. But apparently they didn't comply fast enough because each found a pair of hands over their eyes.

"Do you need help, precious?" Jake asked quietly.

"Got it covered, bro." Feet shuffled and finally there was a thunk as the pan landed on the table.

"We're good. We're good," Tom instantly reassured and the four kids blew out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, on three," Cher said with quiet authority.

"One," Tommy started.

"Two," said Jake.

"Three," Jess whispered and the hands were removed from the men's eyes.

"Happy Father's Day!" all four kids shouted.

Jim and Blair focused in on the pan in front of them. A perfectly golden egg casserole greeted them.

"It looks delicious," Blair said in awe.

"God bless, Home Economics," Jim laughed, ignoring the groans around him.

Jake leaned forward slightly and cut the casserole in pieces as the other three scrambled to bring the rest of the dishes to the table.

"James and Cher made the casserole," Tom volunteered.

"Yeah, but you did the sausage," Jake said, putting some casserole on his Pop's plate.

"You cut up all the fruit," Cher said as handed the bowl of said fruit to Blair.

Blair grinned proudly at the kids. "Sounds like a real team effort."

"It was," said Jake as he served his dad.

After the casserole was served, Jake lifted his orange juice glass and smiled. "I'd like to propose a toast." Everyone else lifted their glasses. "To my fathers, the bravest, most compassionate men on the planet."

"To my dads," James said quietly, "Who taught me everything I know about love and faith."

Cherry cleared her throat. "To Jim and Blair, who have never tried to replace my father, but who have admirably filled his shoes."

Tommy nodded. "To Jim and Blair, who have taught me what it means to be a man."

Blair blinked back bright eyes as he looked into the faces of not only his children, but the children they had through their children. "The Tribe will only grow stronger," he swallowed hard as he looked into the faces filled with love.

"And shall never be diminished," Jim completed for him. The glasses all clinked in the middle of the table. "Let's eat."

"Hey, there are going to be presents, right?" Blair asked innocently.

"Daddy! Blair!" the kids around him groaned.

Blair leaned over and kissed Jim. "Happy Father's Day, beloved."

"Happy Father's Day, babe."

THE DATE

Blair Sandburg was enjoying a quiet moment on his patio beside a small, serene, rock waterfall. Although he had never thought of himself as much of a gardener, he took great pride in maintaining the garden around him. It was his living tribute to Karen Porter, Jake's maternal grandmother, and the woman responsible for making Jake his son. He sent a good thought to the heavens as he remembered the lovely woman who had reached out to him when he had been at the lowest point in his life.

"You're thinking of Grandma Karen, aren't you?" Jessica Anna Marie Ellison-Sandburg, his fifteen year old daughter, asked quietly from the sliding glass door, two glasses of ice tea in her hands.

Blair chuckled. "I was actually. How did you know?"

James handed her father a glass then sat in the lounge chair beside him. "You always get the sweetest smile on your face when you think of her."

"I miss her."

"I wish I had met her. You do such a wonderful job telling Jake about her that I sometimes have to remember I never actually got to meet her."

"She would have adored you."

James took a deep breath, then finally verbalized the question she had wanted to ask for years. "You know, I've always wanted to know why you insisted I call her Grandma?"

"Because she's always been your spiritual grandmother. Karen gave me Jake and, in turn, Jake gave me you." Blair reached out and took his daughter's hand and gently raised it to his lips. "If that's not being a grandmother, I don't know what is."

Continuing to hold his hand, James said quietly, "A spiritual grandmother. I like that."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, each enjoying the serenity of the garden.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, precious?"

"Daddy, Ben Adams has asked me out on a date."

"Oh, he has, has he?"

"It's just a 'dinner and movies' sort of date."

"I knew I should have gotten the 'no dating' thing down in writing when I had my chance."

James laughed as she swatted her father's arm. "So?"

"So?"

"So can I go?"

"What did your Pop have to say about it?"

"I haven't asked him yet."

Blair shifted slightly in his seat to get a better look at his blushing daughter.

"I...I thought I'd...I'd test the waters out with you first."

"And you thought I'd be more receptive to it because...."

She rolled her gaze heavenward. "You're killing me here, Dad."

Blair grinned wickedly for a second then scooted over and pulled his daughter into his lounge chair until she was spooned up against his side.

"Let's see, you're how old?" James poked her father in the ribs. He caught her hand even as he chuckled. "You realize your Pop is going to have a coronary?"

"I know. But seriously, Dad, we're just going out. Ben's a friend. I'm not even sure our going out really qualifies as a date, other than it's just going to be the two of us."

"Precious, when a boy breaks from the herd of the group dating ritual, he's doing it to be more than 'just friends'. That's not to say he's going on the hunt for sex, it's just that he wants to get to know you better."

"So, can he? Get to know me better?"

"How much better is better?"

"Daddy," she whined in exasperation.

Blair chuckled again. "So I don't really need to remind you that your Pop is a sentinel, right?"

James' face turned beet red as she hid her face in his chest and shook her head.

"Okay, as long as we got that little bit of information out of the way, what's the game plan?"

"Well, I was hoping that maybe you could ask Papa for me." Blair opened his mouth to protest, but his daughter laid a hand over his mouth. "I thought maybe you could explain to Pop the benefits of having several hours to yourselves."

Blair opened his mouth again, then closed it and chuckled evilly. "You realize you get your brains from my side of the family?"

James laughed at the old family joke. "And my good looks, my sense of humor and my tendency to get into trouble."

"Well, yes, but let's not remind your Pop of that last one. That is, if you still want to go out on the date?"

James nodded her compliance.

"You realize Ben's going to have to come to the door to pick you up?"

James gulped, but nodded.

"And, you realize that your father is going to growl and make veiled threats about bringing you home on time and keeping his hands to himself?"

James nodded again.

"You think this boy is man enough to run the gauntlet?"

"I hope so. I'd really like for him to be."

"You realize you're going to break Tom's heart?"

"Daddy, Tommy and I are just friends. Best friends. Besides, I got over my crush on him when I was eight. He's more like a brother to me now."

"Yeah, but he's been the only one, so far, brave enough to face your Pop one-on-one."

"True, but it's not like that between us, Daddy."

"Okay. If you say so. I'll ask your father tonight and let you know in the morning."

James leaned up and kissed her father's chin. "You're the best."

"And don't you forget it either." He chuckled as he bent down to kiss her nose. "So, got any homework?"

"It's all done."

"How's the English paper coming?"

"I've got all my cites and the outline done. I figure I'll crank it out this weekend and have Jake look it over Sunday afternoon."

"Good girl."

James sighed happily as she snuggled closer to her father and listened to the beat of his heart and the sounds of the water trickling in the background. Once when she was little, her Pop had told her that whenever she needed to find her center, all she had to do was listen to the beat of her Dad's heart. She had never been disappointed in that advice. She purred happily when his hands gently scratched the back of her head, and hoped that Ben liked her enough to face her fathers. After all, if Tom could do it, surely so could Ben.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!! She's only fifteen, for God's sake!!"

"It's only a burger and a movie."

"That's how it always starts, but one thing leads to another then before you can blink...."

"Jim..."

"Don't you dare 'Jim' me, Sandburg. There's nothing you can say that will make me change my mind." James Ellison growled as he paced back and forth at the end of their bed.

"So saying 'five hours of complete peace and quiet' wouldn't sway you at all?" Blair pointedly did not look at his husband as he sat against the headboard of their bed, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Jim stopped his pacing abruptly and watched his lover run a finger down his opened shirt, only to toy with the button of his jeans. "Where... where will Jake be?"

Blair unzipped his jeans with agonizing slowness. "He and Tom said something about catching a movie themselves."

"The date would only be for five hours?" Jim's mouth grew dry as he watched his lover put his hand down his own pants and gently arch off the headboard.

"Saturday, between three and eight only." Blair splayed his legs open, looking up finally when Jim groaned, their eyes locking, exchanging promises of how their free time could be spent.

"Okay, but I get to intimidate him before they leave, right?" Jim quickly pulled off his own shirt and threw it on the floor.

Blair slid down the bed, one hand running through his hair. "Only two threats: the 'bring her home on time' and the 'I'm a cop' ones."

"How about the 'you touch her, you die' one?"

"Naw." Blair ran a fingertip slowly from his neck to his bellybutton and back up again. "He's not going to try anything on the first date. Save that one for when he thinks he's growing on us. It'll keep him off balance."

Jim nodded as he took off his pants and crawled on top of his lover. "Okay," he whispered into his partner's mouth. Their tongues dueled playfully as Jim wrestled Blair's pants off of him. Aligning their erections he thrust forward once, the friction leaving both of them breathless.

"She put you up to this, didn't she?" Jim asked, thrusting again.

Blair arched upward, his fingers clawing his husband's back. "Of course."

Jim thrust again. "She gets her brains from my side of the family."

"You wish." Blair chuckled, capturing the mouth above his and ravaging it.

"What?" Thomas Larsen gasped, shoving his curly haired friend against the closest locker and holding him in place. "What did you say?"

Jake frowned at Tom as he batted his hands away. "I said James is going on her first date tomorrow. We might even run into them at the movies."

Releasing his friend, Tom slid to the locker beside Jake and banged his head slowly against the metal door. "What...I mean...who's she going with?"

"Ben Adams."

"But he's our age."

"Well, of course, he is. You didn't think she'd date someone younger, did you?"

Tom banged his head a little harder. "This can't be happening."

Jake frowned at his dark haired friend and pushed him into the middle of the hall. "What's wrong with you?"

"This," Tom said, his hands sweeping out before him and gesturing gestured around the hallway, "is all wrong. Very wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's supposed to be going out with me."

"What?"

"She's mine, Jake."

Jake pushed himself off the locker and stood in front of his friend. "Like hell she is."

"You're the only one who currently has a higher claim on her, Jake - well, other than your fathers -- but I'm going to be the man that marries her...eventually," Tom's voice wavered, and he lowered his green eyes.

"God, Thomas. You got it bad," Jake said, not unkindly, to his friend.

Tom grabbed his friend by his flannel shirt. "You gotta help me, Jake. You gotta help me ruin this date."

Jake laughed. "You're nuts."

Tom released him, turned and stomped down the hall.

Jake ran after him, spinning him around to face him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Tom closed his eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I love her, Jake. Always have."

"But..."

"Do NOT bring up the playground incident AGAIN. For Christ's sake that was seven years ago." Tom spun away from Jake and walked several feet down the hallway, before turning back and encroaching on his friend's personal space. "My dad had hit my mom the night before. I don't know why he did it. It just came out of the blue. I was scared. He loved her. I knew he did. I couldn't understand why he did it. I wanted to talk to you about it that day -- to see if, maybe, we could make sense out of what was happening. Then Jess was there being all bouncy and I just lost it. I'm not proud of myself. If I could go back in time and make sure that day never happened I would." Tom dropped his chin to his chest. "Actually, I wouldn't."

"What are you talking about?"

Tom blinked at him. "You don't know, do you?"

Jake shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together.

Tom looked up and down the hallway to make sure no one was close enough to overhear their conversation. "After I talked to your Pop, which I've never forgiven you for, by the way," he grinned at his friend to let him know that he had actually forgiven him, "Your dad pulled me aside and talked to me. I was so upset by that time I just blurted it all out... I told him everything. The next day he visited my folks and talked to them for hours. My dad never hit my mom again. In fact, he made it up to her every day of his life after that, until the day he died."

"Awww, hell, Tom," Jake said quietly, pulling his friend close to him and hugging him tight.

Tom allowed himself a moment's comfort then pushed away, not wanting anyone to see the tender moment, knowing they wouldn't understand.

"Okay, so what's the plan, Pinky?

Tom looked up at his friend, startled.

"Yeah, so I'm a big sap. What of it?" Jake growled at him.

Tom threw his head back and laughed. "We try to take over the world, Brain; just like we do every other day.

"How do I look?" James asked her dad, frowning critically at her dress as she stared into the full-length mirror.

"I think you look gorgeous."

"You always say that, Daddy."

"Cause it's always true."

She twirled and graced him with a huge smile. "Do you think maybe I should wear a shorter skirt?"

"Do you want to go out on a date tonight?" Blair countered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Blair said in a mock serious tone as he picked up a brush, turned her to face the mirror again, and gently began styling her hair, "that if you want to go out on this date today, your Pop better not see your ankles."

Despite herself, James laughed. "He's so old-fashioned."

"Yeah, well, so am I," Blair said quietly as he began to pleat the hair in front of him.

James watched her father's face in the mirror as he tried to keep his roiling emotions from his expressive face. Once he had finished tying off the braid she turned to face him. "Have I thanked you yet for letting me go?"

He grinned at her. "A couple of times."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, precious."

"I would never do anything that would make you ashamed of me."

"Could never happen," Blair whispered, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "So, should we go rescue Ben?"

She chuckled. "Yes, I think we better."

Jim Ellison paced slowly back and forth in front of the couch like a panther waiting for his keeper to open the door of his cage. "What time will you bring her home?

"Between eight and eight fifteen, sir," the thin freckled face boy on the couch squeaked. "We're going to Jose's for dinner and will go to the five thirty movie at the Cinemark. I figure it'll take us about twenty minutes to get here after the movie."

Jim's smile was chilling, doing nothing to comfort the nervous teenager. "I know you know that I don't want to have to come looking for you."

"You won't have to, sir. I swear it."

"And you'll obey all the traffic laws and call if there's any trouble?"

"Yes, sir."

"Cause you know...."

"You're a cop. Yes, sir."

"Hi, Ben," James said happily as she bounced out of the back bedroom.

"Jess, you look beautiful." Ben blanched as he saw Jim frowned. "I mean...er...you look...er... nice."

James scolded her father. "Papa, you've been playing nice, haven't you?"

"Of course. Don't I always?" James tried to blink innocently, but could tell by the twinkle in both his daughter's eye and his husband's that he hadn't quite pulled it off.

James gave him a quick peck on the cheek then bounced to the door. "Have fun tonight."

"Shouldn't that be our line?" Jim asked.

James came back and put her hand on her father's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?" She grinned wickedly then squealed, dodging his attempts to catch her. "Night, Dad. Night, Pop. Don't wait up for us."

Ben's face completely drained of color as he hurried her out the door.

Blair waited a few seconds after the door shut before bursting out in laughter. "Did you see his face? I thought he was going to have a stroke? 'Don't wait up for us,' indeed."

"She's got your sense of humor," Jim purred, stalking toward his mate. "Evil."

Blair batted his eyelashes at his lover in a 'who me' manner, staying out of Jim's reach as he walked around the couch. "So did you get your two threats out?"

Jim chuckled when he realized the chase was on. "He aborted the 'I'm a cop' one, but I didn't mind too much as I had already thrown in the 'you don't want me coming to look for you' one."

Blair gauged the distance between his husband and the hallway. He leapt, but never made his goal as Jim intercepted him. Without ceremony, Jim threw the younger man over his shoulder, grinning as a peal of laughter echoed around the front room.

"Umm...I forgot my shawl," Jess said quietly from the front door.

"Front hall closet," Blair said, hanging upside down from Jim's back.

"Thanks," she called out.

"Home by eight fifteen," Blair reminded her even as Jim headed down the hallway.

Grinning evilly, she called out, "I can't believe you two couldn't wait until we were at least out of the complex," before she slammed the door shut and was gone.

"Really, Jim," Blair snerked. "Where's your self-restraint?"

Jim slapped the perfect rear end by his head and headed into the bedroom.

Tom looked over at Jake and noted the look of mischief in his best friend's blue eyes. Jake's long blond curly hair was pulled back like his dad's. As he followed Ben's Corvette at a discreet distance, Jake had the air of a man on a mission.

Tom moaned. "This is never going to work."

"Sure it is."

"But what if Ben isn't a bigot?"

"He doesn't really have to be a bigot. He's just gotta say the wrong thing. James will take it from there."

"I feel like I'm betraying your fathers somehow."

"Look, they're never going to know about this."

"But what if Jess says something?"

"She's not because it isn't there. You know that. I know that. She knows that. It's only Ben who doesn't know it. Even if she tells, my fathers know it. No one is ever gonna figure it out."

"I don't know, Jake."

"Look, we can back out now if you're uncomfortable. I mean, hell, it's only one date."

Tom growled. "No."

Jake grinned. "You're so predictable."

"Just drive, damn it, and for god's sake, whatever you do, don't lose them."

"Jim! Oh. My. GAWD!! JIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMM!"

*

*

*

"Are you okay, babe?"

*

"Okay? If I was any more okay, I'd be dead."

"Ah, yes. Nice to see I still have it."

"Lover, you never lost it."

"Never, huh?"

"Nope. Never. Now what would you like?"

"Like?"

"Anything you want, beloved. Anything."

"You know, this dating thing might not be too bad after all."

"Come here, you."

Tom leaned against the car door watching his friend study his wristwatch. Of all the friends he had in the world, no one was closer than Jake. Jake had stood by him through the good times and the bad. He had been his strength when his father died. He had been his partner in crime when pulling pranks against their tormentors. He had been the one person he could share all his hopes and dreams with. He wondered if it was normal to lose all one's personal boundaries in a friendship. There were times when he didn't know where he began and Jake ended. But he also knew, he wouldn't change a thing. He pushed himself off the car. "Is it time yet?"

"Yes. Exactly twenty minutes have passed."

"Did we have to give them that much time?"

"Anything shorter, Pinky, and she'll think we followed them."

"But we did follow them, Brain."

"Do you know what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, but where are we going to get a duck and rubber pants on a Saturday?"

Jake blinked at his friend, then burst into laughter. "Come on, Pinky. We have a date to ruin."

"James? What are you doing here?" Jake stopped suddenly beside his sister's table, reaching out to grab Tom, who appeared to be obliviously following their waitress. Jake's hand slid down Tom's arm and gripped his friend's hand.

"Jake?" James blinked up at her brother. "Tommy? What are you doing here?"

Jake pulled his friend closer to his side. "Having lunch. We're going to catch a twilight show later on, but Tom was whining about his stomach."

"Well the boy is even thinner than you, if that's possible," James teased her friend.

"Hey, Ben." Tom acknowledged the competition with an appropriate 'nervous' smile.

The waitress returned. "Will you be joining your friends?"

"Oh no, we don't want to intrude," Tom insisted as he turned to follow the waitress.

"Nonsense," James interrupted. "Pull up a seat. You're in luck, we haven't ordered yet."

Ben started to protest, but thought better of voicing his objections.

Jake made sure he had Tom settled before he sat down. Tom blushed, then gave his friend a brilliant smile. Jake noted Ben's eyes narrowing slightly and had to bite the inside of his lips to prevent a grin from forming. He made a big point of studying the menu. "The peppered beef looks good."

"Don't order that," Tom said, frowning slightly at him. "We're supposed to be sitting together during the movie."

Jake tried to look indignant. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember what happened the last time you ate peppers?"

James chuckled. "I swear, we should have had him declared an experiment in biochemical warfare."

"I wasn't that bad."

Tom and Jess looked at each other, trying to keep straight faces, but failed miserably, snickering and refusing to look at Jake.

"It wasn't that bad, Ben. Honestly."

"Don't let him sugar coat it for you, Ben." Tom laughed.

Jess gasped, her hand reaching out to touch Tom's. "Sugarcoat! Oh my god. Tommy do you remember when Jake...."

Jake gave himself a mental high five. Ben was looking distinctively unhappy. Deciding to push the interloper over the edge, he reached out and tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind Tom's ear. Tom smiled sweetly at him then countered James' memory with one of his own.

Jake cackled inwardly. All was going according to plan.

James, still chuckling, watched her brother and best friend head off to the bathroom. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. She turned toward Ben, but her smile vanished when she looked into his face. "What's wrong, Ben?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing? Something's obviously bothering you."

Ben squirmed for a minute, then sighed. "I thought Jake was dating Cherry?"

"He is. In fact, I think he's been dating her since he was four."

"Then what was all that about?" he asked, waving his hand toward the empty side of the booth.

"All what?"

"Come on, Jesse, you'd have to be blind not to see what was going on."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Ben."

Ben let out an explosive sigh. "They were all over each other!"

James turned in the booth so that her date had her full attention. "In what way?"

"They couldn't keep their hands off each other."

James chuckled, relieved. "Oh that. Don't worry about that. We've always, that is Jake and I, have always been that way. My dads are really touchy-feely people. Hell, Tommy's been part of our family almost as long as Cher has. When it's just the four of us, we don't have many personal boundaries. Sometimes we forget that makes other people nervous."

Ben laughed, blowing out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Well, thank God. I thought for a moment they were poofers."

The smile disappeared from James' face. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know?" Ben said as he held up his hand and let it drop limply.

James blinked in disbelief. "Ben, you do realize that my fathers are...." And she repeated his hand gesture.

"Well, yeah, but they're really cool homos."

"Hey guys," Jake said brightly as he picked up the two tickets from the table. "I think you should let us pay for lunch. I mean, after all, I gathered, after the fact, I'm sorry to say, that this was a date between you two. And here, Tom and I just barge on in. I don't know what we were thinking."

Tom nodded, pulling out his wallet before he slid into the booth. "I totally agree."

"That's unnecessary, Jake. I appreciate the thought though, but I've got it covered." Ben chuckled as he plucked his ticket from his friend's hand.

"James? What's wrong?" Tom asked in genuine concern, reaching over the table to take her hand in his.

Jess turned to face him, unable to speak, her eyes blinking back unshed tears.

"Precious?" Jake asked, his entire attention suddenly focused on his sister. "Are you okay? Did something not sit right with you? I told you not to have the spicy chicken. You've got Pops stomach after all."

Ben turned, his face stricken, confused by the sudden change of emotions in his date.

Jess sat for several minutes, just blinking, embarrassed at being the center of attention. Tom started to withdraw his hand, worried that he might be intruding, but she clutched onto it as if it were a lifeline.

Swallowing hard, never releasing her grip on her friend, she turned and faced her date. "When I was four," she whispered, "I was abandoned in a park by my mother, who was running from an abusive relationship. Jake and Cher found me. My dads, even though they were cops, refused to put me in the system. They've always joked that they kept me because I needed a home and they needed a female touch."

Her voice grew a little stronger and she sat up straighter. "They battled the system for over four years to adopt me. They were asked the most humiliating personal questions, forced to abide by rules that were rarely enforced, just so they could keep me."

Her voice grew louder and she released Tom's hand so she could push Ben from the booth. She stood up, ignoring the stares she was drawing from nearby patrons. "Do you know that my dad was shot twice in the back protecting me and Jake? That twice my fathers have walked into hell to rescue us from kidnappers? Do you have any idea how strong those poofers are? My fathers are the most honorable, most dedicated, most loving men on the planet. And I object to you calling them 'cool homos', you asshole," she shouted, shoving Ben back into the booth, ignoring the random claps from around the restaurant as she storm out the front door.

Ben started to get up to follow her, but Jake quickly blocked his way.

"It's not like that, Jake. You know how cool I think your dads are. Please, you know I didn't mean anything by it," Ben protested.

Jake grabbed Tom by the shoulder and pushed him after his sister, then turned to face his friend. "I know, Ben. I know. It's just that Jess is a little sensitive on this issue sometimes. My dads really have gone through a lot of crap over the years for no other reason than for loving each other."

"I need to apologize."

"I agree," Jake said, but refused to let his friend out of the booth. "But now is not the time. Let me go talk to her, smooth things out. You can talk to her on Monday. She'll be okay by then, I promise. Okay?"

Ben nodded miserably, never realizing his friend had picked up the tab as he left.

"James?" Tom called softly as he came up behind the woman he loved. "Precious?" he dared.

Jess turned and threw herself into his arms. "Oh Tom," she wailed. "I thought... He seemed... How could I have been so wrong?"

Guilt racked the older boy. "You weren't wrong, Jess." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Ben's a really nice guy, but let's face it; he's still a teenager and teenagers say some of the stupidest things."

Jess sniffed and looked up into his face. "You're a teenager."

"Well, yes." He grinned wickedly. "But I'm an exceptional teenager."

"Do you think I overreacted?"

"Yes and no."

"Do you want to explain that decisive answer?"

"Yes and no." He laughed when she smacked him on the chest. "Okay. Yes, I think you overreacted in the sense that I don't really think Ben meant anything by his comments. No, because I think you should always stand for what you believe in - even if you stand alone."

Jess leaned her head back and looked up into his eyes. "Am I alone in this?"

He shook his head, even as his lips neared hers. "No. You will never be alone. I swear it." His lips brushed hers gently. He could taste the salt of her tears, feel the warmth of her cheeks, hear her slight moan. Everything about her was sharper to him and he wondered briefly if this was how Jim lived every day. Tom had known how special James' dads were since he was eleven and had sworn to keep their secret just as their children had.

"Tom?" she whispered as she moved back slightly, the confusion in her voice very evident.

"Hey," Jake said as he jogged up to them. "Is everything okay?"

Jess nodded, although her eyes never left Tom's.

"You want to go home, baby?" Jake asked, wrapping one arm around his sister and the other around his friend, creating a small triangle.

"No. That wouldn't be fair to Dad and Pop. Besides, if I go home early, Pop's gonna go off the deep end wondering what Ben did wrong. If Ben's gonna live to enjoy another day, I think I need to stay out as planned."

"Wanna come see a movie with us?" Jake offered.

"I wouldn't want to --"

"Nonsense," Tom cut her off. "Hell, why don't you try Cher on the cell, J, and we'll call it a double."

"Excellent plan, Pinky." Jake laughed as he whipped his cell phone out and started to dial.

Blair tied his robe closed and shuffled into the living room, yawning and stretching. He walked over to the CD player and pushed it on, smiling as the sounds of light jazz danced around the room. Rolling his shoulders, he shuffled into the kitchen and opened the freezer door. Ben and Jerry's Double Mint Chocolate. Perfect. He pulled it out and shut the door, then shuffled to the utensil drawer and got out a spoon. He looked at the clock as he pulled off the lid. James should be home in fifteen minutes. He wondered if she would try to push the time curfew. Taking a spoonful of ice cream straight from the container, he moaned in pleasure, then moved back into the living room, swaying with the music. No, she'd be home exactly on time, he decided. She was, after all, her Papa's daughter.

Speaking of her Papa, Blair grinned at the memory of their love making. Flexing and stretching, feeling all the small marks which would tell the world he belonged to James Ellison, if they could see them, which they couldn't, thank you very much.

Strong arms enveloped him from behind and he leaned back into his lover's chest. Hands teasingly moved down his arms, and he grinned as he took another spoonful of ice cream and pretended to move it to his mouth, only to slide it into his lover's at the last second.

Jim moaned in appreciation, then slowly turned him until they were face to face. Jim took the carton from his hands and put it on the coffee table, ignoring the raised eyebrow which questioned his sanity as he stood back up. He gently enveloped Blair in his arms and swayed with the music.

Blair sighed happily, laying his head on the chest before him. He and Jim had been together officially for thirteen years, which didn't include the four years prior to that when they lived and worked together. He was stunned by the love he received from Jim on a daily basis. Even when they fought, and lord, did they fight passionately, he never doubted that love. Every day was a blessing, new and exciting, filled with potential as long as he had this man by his side. He prayed that his children would find the same happiness. He knew Jake and Cher would have it. Hadn't they been together for thirteen years themselves? He smiled at that thought. But Jessica, what of their precious James? He wondered if she would ever recognize the enduring love in Tom's eyes.

The door opened quietly and he eyed the clock. Ahhh, and with five minutes to spare even. Jim twirled them and Blair was surprised to see Jake and Cherry and Tom and Jess, but no sign of Ben. The two couples joined them in the living room and started dancing quietly beside them.

Blair could feel Jim start to form the obvious question. Gently, he reached up and pressed his fingers to his lover's lips, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. Jim sighed quietly, but nodded his compliance. For several minutes, they just enjoyed the closeness of their tribe.

"Thank you for salvaging this day, Tom," Jessica said shyly as she stood just outside the front door of her home.

"No thanks are necessary, really. I'm just glad I was there for you."

"You know," she said, closing the distance between them, her eyes never leaving his. "You've always been there for me."

"Always will be, too," he vowed.

She nodded, then stood on her toes and pressed a light kiss to his lips. Tom brought his hands up and gently ran them under her braid, deepening the kiss ever so slightly. They slowly parted as Jake honked the horn from the parking lot.

"Good night, precious," Tom said in a quiet voice, slowly backing away from her, though his eyes never left hers.

"Good night, Tom." She grinned back mischievously. When had he gotten so cute?

Jake and Tom drove in silence. They had spent a half hour at Cherry's after dropping her off, but made their excuses and left soon after.

"So, Pinky?"

"I'd say the plan was a complete success, Brain."

"So why are you so quiet?"

"I feel like I've deceived her and betrayed your dads."

Jake pulled his convertible into Tom's driveway and put the vehicle in park. Turning, he faced his friend. "Do you love her?"

"More than life itself."

"I know." Jake grinned briefly, then grew serious. "You're the only one I'll ever allow to have her."

"Why's that, Jake?"

"I don't know. I do know, however, you two are meant to be together. Even Dad acknowledges that."

"And your Pop?"

"Thomas," Jake said solemnly, "even after you've given him grandchildren, you will never be good enough for his daughter."

Both boys laughed.

"Actually, I think Pop feels the same way. You're the only one he doesn't growl at when kids come around. Somehow I think you slipped in under his radar, sort of like Dad did. Now, that doesn't mean you aren't going to get "the talk" once he puts two and two together."

Tom gulped. "The talk?"

"Get real, Pinky. Once Pop figures out you two are serious, you are so going to get the "touch my daughter and die" speech. In fact, I think he's been perfecting it for years. Just sit back, look suitably submissive, and don't touch her until you're married or it won't be just Pop you have to worry about."

Tom grinned over at his friend. "I love you, you know?"

Jake grinned back at him. "I know. And that's why you never have to feel guilty about what happened today. Sometimes people start to go down the wrong path, and it's our job to make sure they find their way back."

"So we're five by five?"

"Always, man. Always." Each boy clenched one hand into a fist and smacked it into the fist of the other.

"Later, Brain." Tom jumped out of the car. "Hey, Brain, should I call her tomorrow?"

"Nope. Make her wait until Monday."

"You're so evil."

"Yeah? What's your point?" Jake laughed as he backed his car out of the driveway. "She's my little sister, after all. It's my job to torture her."

"And my job to save her."

"You got it so bad, Pinky."

"Yeah, and what's your point?"

James oozed happily back around the door into her home, only to find her Pop wiping a condensation ring off the coffee table.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" she asked, raising an innocent eyebrow.

Jim straightened, after a final wipe. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

"I had a wonderful time." She hummed happily.

"I couldn't help but notice that you came home with the wrong boy."

She moved across the room and kissed her father on the cheek. "You got it all wrong, Pop. I think I came home with the right boy, after all."

The Wedding

Jessica awoke to fingers playing tenderly in her bangs. She knew, without opening her eyes, that Jake was sitting beside her bed, watching her sleep. She blinked her eyes open and spent a moment looking into the gentle face of her brother, who didn't seem to realize she had awakened. His blue eyes were filled with melancholy and a sad, but sweet, smile graced his lips.

"I'm not moving to the moon, you know?" she whispered, not wanting to startle him.

He swallowed hard and whispered back, "I know."

"Then what?" she barely breathed.

"I never really thought I'd have to give you up. After all, Pop said I could keep you." He grinned lopsided at her, trying valiantly to blink back the tears which threatened to spill down his cheeks. "What are you going to do if I tell Thomas that I refuse to relinquish my prior rights?"

"Come here, you." She chuckled softly and pulled him onto the bed, forcing him to lie on top of the covers beside her. "We're going to be living upstairs at the far end of the building. Don't tell me that's too far for you to walk, Jacob Michael Ellison-Sandburg."

Jake tried to smile at her.

"Oh sweetheart," she choked out past the growing lump in her own throat, grabbing her brother and hugging him tight. "I swear, it's just to the other end of the building. That's all. I swear."

Jake nodded on her shoulder. "I love you, James. And if Tommy Larson ever pushes you down again, I swear to God they'll never find his body," Jake whispered fiercely, returning her hug.

James laughed joyfully, pushing her brother off the bed, laughing again as he came sputtering up over the edge. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead and nose. "I love you too, Jake." Then in a more serious tone, she added, "Thank you for keeping me."

"We certainly have been through a lot together, haven't we, squirt?"

"That we have and I wouldn't trade one minute of it, Jacob. Not one single minute," she sobbed, throwing herself into her brother's arms.

"Oh, precious, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Jake crooned as he rocked her back and forth in his arms.

James coughed, laughed and sniffed, trying to pull herself back together again. "Wow, all these emotions and I haven't even been up for five minutes. That's got to be a record even for me." Her brother laughed with her and pulled her close. "How is it out there?" she asked, thrusting her chin toward the hallway.

"Dad's got it fairly together. Pop... well, Pop's being stoic."

Sighing, she pushed herself off the ground and stood. "Oh gawd." Holding her hand out, she helped her brother off the floor. "Please tell me you kept him away from Thomas during the bachelor party last night."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, Dad had it all planned. We all ran interference. Someone was between Tom and Pop the whole night."

"You know, it has to be love, don't you? Who else would brave Captain James Ellison, Mayor Banks, Senator Steven Ellison, Chief of Police Taggart, along with all my other aunts and uncles?"

"Well, you can't doubt Tom for his courage, that's for sure. But you do realize we can only put "the talk" off for so long?"

'I know." Jess laughed. "Believe me, I know. But I want the boy caught, corralled and branded before it happens."

Jake howled with laughter scrambling off the floor toward the door. "I'm telling Dad you said that."

Jess raced past him and slammed the door closed, turning to face her brother's evil grin. "You will do no such thing, Jacob Michael."

"Sure I will."

Whimpering, she rolled her head backward and banged it twice against the door. "Okay, what's it gonna cost me?"

Jake stood, rubbing his chin and looking at the ceiling as if pondering the great mysteries of the universe. "A double batch of your raspberry brownies."

"When I get back from the honeymoon."

"Within forty-eight hours of your return and...."

"And? You're pushing your luck, boyo."

"And...."

"And?"

"I never have to relinquish my rights to you," he said softly, his head down, his face curtained by his long blond curly hair.

Tenderly, she pushed the hair out of his face and behind his ear. "Deal."

He grinned at her, kissed her forehead and moved around her.

"Get a move on. Dad's gonna have breakfast ready in just a few."

"Morning, precious," Blair Sandburg greeted his daughter with a kiss to her cheek as he put the toast on the table. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that I know Poppy didn't stuff Thomas in a crate and ship him to Peru," James said quietly as she snagged a piece of toast and started nibbling on a corner.

Blair chuckled as he went back to the counter for the turkey bacon. "Well, if it's any consolation, I found the shipping label last night and put it out in the trash this morning."

"You're so bad." She laughed, then looked around. "Is he here?"

"Not at the moment. He got called into the office first thing this morning, but he should be back in about a half hour. As soon as breakfast is done, Jake and I are going over to the reception hall and get the volunteers cracking. Pop will be back in time to get you ready and to the church by seven. JAKE...BREAKFAST. Do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really," Jessica said as she got the juice out of the refrigerator and put it on the table. "Thomas said to lay back and take it easy, that he's got it all under control. That is if you all didn't get him too plastered."

"Plastered? Would we do that to our favorite doctor?" Blair blinked owlishly at her.

"Daddy, you didn't!" she gasped.

"Didn't what?" Jake asked as he plopped down to the table.

"Get Thomas plastered," she whimpered, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Why would you think such a thing?" Jake asked in mock outrage. Blink. Blink.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH."

Jake gave his father a high five and they both cackled.

"Daddy..."

"He's fine, baby. I promise." He guided her gently to her chair. "Besides, if we'd gotten him drunk, he wouldn't have been in any sort of shape to dodge your Pop all night long. And where would the fun have been in that?"

"It's true love," she said, banging her head on the table. "It has to be true love."

Blair put his hand between her forehead and the table top. "It is, precious. Trust me, it is."

Jim Ellison closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Feeling the tension slowly drain from his body, he did it again. Opening his eyes, he plastered a smile on his face and unlocked the front door.

"Papa!" came a startled squeak from the front room.

Jim focused on his youngest child, not missing the backpack thrown over her shoulder. "Going somewhere?" he asked quietly.

"I can't do it. I just...I can't do it," she said quietly, her hands nervously pulling at the nylon strap.

Jim stood silently for a moment, afraid that any movement forward would send her fleeing out the back door. "Got any place in mind?"

She shook her head, staring at the ground, unable to meet his eyes.

"Need a ride?"

James' head snapped up, her gaze holding his. She nodded.

Jim held out his arms and she ran into them, hugging him tight. Gently, he guided her out the door he had just came in, making sure he locked the door behind them. They clambered into his Jeep and he started the vehicle, quickly guiding it to the street. They were soon on the highway leading out of town.

Jim listened to his daughter's heartbeat which thundered in her chest, though her face remained calmed. He sighed inwardly wondering if he had done her a grave injustice. She was her father's daughter just as he had been his father's son. While Jake was all passion and fiery ideals like Blair, James tended to keep her emotions close to the vest. He wondered if it had anything to do with the four years it had taken them to get her adoption approved. They had all lived in fear that the papers would never be signed, always afraid something would happen to keep them from being a family.

If it hadn't have been for Blair, Jim knew he wouldn't have survived the nebulous state of waiting. But once they had made the decision to adopt, Blair's faith never wavered; his courage giving Jim the strength to show his daughter the confidence he didn't always feel.

Jim smiled briefly, remembering the first weekend after James' arrival. Both children had been sleeping soundly when Blair had guided him into their room.

"Smell her."

"What?"

"Get down beside the bed and smell her. Imprint her."

Jim remembered the shock he had felt at the command, but obeyed, sniffing the tiny figure as she snuffled in her sleep.

"Taste her cheek."

Jim had almost balked; but again, did as he had been commanded.

"Listen to her heartbeat."

Jim nodded as soon as he found the precious beat.

"Memorize it." When he had nodded, Blair said, "Touch her."

Jim had ghosted his fingers over the tiny cheek, then ran a finger down her little arm and into the hand which seemed no bigger than a doll's.

"Look at her face."

Despite the darkness, Jim had, smiling at the serene face. Blair had left him alone for a moment, then guided him over to Jake and had him repeat the process. When he was done, Blair had nodded once and gone back into the living room. Jim had lingered in the doorway, his gaze moving back and forth between his children. His children.

Jim finally followed his lover back into the other room, but was stopped by the intense figure standing in the center of the room before him. Blair's dark blue eyes seemed deeper somehow as he whispered in an odd accent, "Sen-ti-nel. You have imprinted your tribe onto yourself. A tribe so marked can never be ripped asunder. Have faith."

"Blair?"

"The tribe shall only grow stronger. It shall never be diminished."

Jim had closed the distance between them in time to catch his lover as he stumbled forward. "As I see it, shaman, I still have one more to imprint."

Blair had chuckled sensuously and Jim had had no other choice but to throw his guide over his shoulder and race back toward the bedroom to explore all the various aspects of imprinting.

Jim shook himself from the memory as he pulled the Jeep next to the cabin. James got out quietly and walked to the lake. Jim let her go forward and opened his cell phone to make several calls.

"I'm not going back," James said quietly when she felt her father's presence come up behind her.

"I'm not asking you to go back," her father said just as quietly as he lowered himself onto the end of the dock. He took his time removing his shoes and socks, and dipped his toes in the water.

James paced several feet behind him. "Do you remember the day I got my period?" she whispered the question, knowing it wasn't necessary to shout it.

Jim leaned back against one of the pylons, one foot still dangling in the water while the other one balanced him on the wooden pier. He nodded.

"I was so scared that day. Not of the period itself. God knows Dad pulled out all the charts and books to explain it to me."

Jim smiled gently, forever grateful that his lover had taken on that particular duty, knowing he never would have survived the puberty talk.

"I was scared because I knew I was growing up...really growing up. I knew our time was drawing to a close and..." She stopped, resting the back of her head on her shoulders, looking up into the unusually clear sky, trying to prevent the tears which threatened to overwhelm her. Finally, she took a deep breath and slowly released it. "It seemed like we had fought so long to be a family and getting my period just seemed to emphasize the fact that we had reached some sort of halfway point. I wasn't ready for that."

Jim looked up as his daughter drew closer. "Neither was I."

"And now I'm suppose to get married, move out... move away from the only family I've ever known..." She nudged his leg back into the water and plopped down next to him. "I know I'm twenty-five, but I ask you, is twenty-one years long enough?"

"No." Jim swallowed hard. "It's barely a drop in the bucket."

Pulling off her shoes, she stuck her feet into the cool lake. "My thoughts exactly."

They sat in silence for several minutes, leaning against each other, each lost in their own thoughts.

"The Anjasmayo really isn't that big," Jim said, finally.

"I know," James whispered, laying her head in her father's lap. "It's not the physical distance that concerns me."

Jim ran his fingers through his daughter's long silky black hair, mentally comparing it to the memory of the four year old he used to rock to sleep during thunderstorms. "Do you remember what I told you that day?" he asked quietly. He felt her nod. "What?" he prompted, when she didn't say anything.

"You said I would always be your little girl. Always and ever."

He plaited a section of her hair. "I can't see anything changing on that front."

James rolled onto her back and looked up into her father's face, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "You can't?"

"Nope." He took the end of the braid and brushed the tip of her nose with it.

She smiled, her nose twitching. Then she asked in a more somber tone, "Do you know when I first realized that I really did love him?"

Jim shook his head.

"That Saturday picnic when he came to fess up for pushing me down. I was sitting by the koi pond watching him as he came through the gate. Everyone was there: Uncle Simon, Darryl, Uncle Joel and Aunt Ruth, Uncle Steven, Grandpa Bill, Aunt Megan and Uncle Rafe, Uncle Henry and Aunt Claire, Aunt Rhonda, Uncle Dan and all the screaming kids. He took one look at you and all the blood drained from his face. He actually looked back at the gate once, but then squared his shoulders and walked very slowly toward you. I thought it was the bravest thing I had ever seen."

"So did I, actually." Jim chuckled at the memory. "In fact, as I recall right, that's when he first asked for your hand in marriage."

James chuckled at the memory. "You doubled my age and told him when sixteen years had passed he could ask me directly and not one moment sooner."

"Who'd have thought he'd actually do it?"

"To the day even."

"He's a nice boy... for a doctor."

"Admit it, Papa. You like him."

"Well, he does grow on you... sorta like moss."

"Poppy!" James laughed in outrage as she sat up and pushed her father toward the support log.

Jim grinned wickedly, then said thoughtfully, "I think he treats you gentler than we ever did."

James blinked twice. "He once told me he almost lost the most precious gift in his life and that he would never risk losing it again."

"I knew there was a reason I liked the boy," Jim admitted, finally. Then with a grin, he added, "Beside the fact he's kept his paws to himself so far."

"Papa!!" she shrieked and covered her flame red face with her hands. "Oh God. There are definite drawbacks to being the daughter of a sentinel."

"I guess the talk we had when you were sixteen paid off."

James' head snapped up. "You didn't."

"As your dad would say, 'I so did. It was either that or the convent."

"I'll have you know that I went through a whole identity crisis thing when I was nineteen because I thought...I thought...he wasn't...you know...attracted to me. I can't believe you did THAT!" she shrieked again, lunging forward and trying to push him off the pier.

Jim laughed, wrestling with her until he had her hanging over the side of the pier on her back, head down.

She laughed joyfully. "Poppy. My hair!!"

"I dunno," Jim said, pretending to contemplate the idea for a moment. "I think you could start a whole new wedding trend."

James' peal of laughter echoed around the lake, but stopped suddenly. "Wedding," she said softly. "I'm really going to do it, aren't I? I'm really going to marry him?"

Jim pulled his daughter up until they were sitting nose to nose. "Yeah, you really are going to do it, precious." He hugged her to him. "Have I told you lately how proud your dad and I are of you?" She nodded against his shoulder. "I thought he'd burst with pride when you told us you were going to be a teacher. You're everything we could have ever wanted in a daughter. You made...you made." He stopped to clear his throat. "Each day a joy." Holding her out at arm's length, he whispered, "And you will always be our little girl. Always and ever."

"Oh Papa," she cried as she threw herself back into his arms. "I love you so much."

"As I you, James. As I you." He squeezed her tight, then whispered, "Come on. We got a wedding to make."

"Dad, she'll be here," Jake said in exasperation as his father paced by him for the fiftieth time.

"She better," Blair growled. "After what we spent on the catering alone... If she doesn't show up, you're marrying Tom."

Jake tried not to laugh, but couldn't help himself. "But Dad, what about Cherry?"

"Bah," Blair said waving his hand at his son in a dismissive gesture, ignoring the muffled laughter behind him.

The screeching of tires made Blair look up and sigh with relief. "They're here."

"With twenty minutes to spare even," Jake said, leaning down to whisper in his father's ear from behind.

"Oh hush."

"I'm gonna go wait with Tommy now. Are you going to be okay?" Jake asked quietly.

When his father nodded, Jake placed a kiss on the top of his head and moved off.

Blair watched as his daughter ran up the steps in jean shorts, a blue flannel shirt and a pale blue henley underneath. "Who would've thought I could inspire the latest in spring wedding trends?"

"What? Oh God, Papa said you had the dress!!" James wailed as she looked back at Jim.

"Oh, calm down," Blair said in exasperation, pushing her toward the pastor's study which was doubling as a dressing room. "Of course, I have the dress."

"Daddy," she complained through clenched teeth.

"Like you didn't have that coming, missy. Now scoot. You," he said, piercing his sentinel with a softening gaze, "go make an appearance. Everyone will start relaxing once they see you."

Jim protested. "But we have twenty minutes to spare." The look on his lover's face, however, convinced him that maybe it would a good idea to go greet the guests.

Blair shook his head affectionately after Jim left, turned and entered the study.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" a soft voice asked from the corner of the room. Blair looked up and noticed his daughter shimmying into her slip.

"Naw. Mad would have been ten minutes from now. Livid in fifteen. Furious in twenty. But I had a contingency plan," he informed her as he gently placed a strand of pearls around her neck, pearls which had belonged to Jim's grandmother and had been passed down through the generations waiting for a female Ellison to marry.

"Contingency plan?"

"Yeah," Blair said, tapping her leg and waiting until she lifted it so he could slide on the blue garter belt. "Jake was going to marry Tom."

James tried not to laugh. "But what about Cher?"

"What about Cher? What about Cher?" Blair mimicked, his face scrunched up, which only made his daughter laugh harder. He tapped each foot and slid on a white satin slipper when she raised each one. "There were caterers to worry about. Cherry was on her own."

James was very careful to school her expression as her father helped her into her dress, but couldn't help but smile at him as he inspected all aspects of the simple satin ensemble. "I love you," she said, smiling with affection.

"As well you should. I'm so darn lovable after all." He sighed. "Your Papa's been playing with your hair again, hasn't he?"

"Only a little."

Blair sighed again, then picked up a hairbrush and gently began stroking her hair back, off her face. "Hold this," he said, handing her an elaborate antique fan comb.

"Oh, Daddy, it's beautiful."

"No, it's something new," he snerked behind her as he finished pulling back her hair. "Comb."

She obediently handed him the comb and stood still as he put the finishing touches on her. He came around to face her again.

"Make-up?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? Were we fighting?"

Despite herself she laughed at the old joke. "No. Do I need any, silly?"

He shook his head. His finger trailing down her nose. "You were in the sun today."

"We were at the lake."

"You got a smattering of freckles."

"Should I..."

"No," he said with a sweet smile. "You're tan enough so they won't show up, except at close range, and dark enough so you won't look bleached out in the pictures."

"Where are the flowers?" she asked quietly.

"Naomi has them. She's waiting for us in the reception area."

James nodded.

"James," he said quietly.

"Yeah, Dad."

"I know we discussed having both your Pop and I walk you down the aisle, but I think it would mean so much to him if he were the one to do it."

"But Dad..."

"Please," he said, quieting her with a finger to her lips.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, precious."

James lifted the bottom of her dress and started toward the door, then stopped when she realized they had forgotten the baby's breath to go around the fan in her hair. She turned and was shocked by the incredibly vulnerable look on her father's face. Dropping the bottom of her dress, she walked slowly back to her father.

"You know, all my life you've been the strong one. Pop always tries to be so stoic, but you can always see the vulnerability in him."

Blair smiled at her. "It's what makes him so darn cute."

"Aunt Megan, though, told me that wasn't always the case. She said there was a time when you were the one who was vulnerable and Papa was the strong one."

"Your Papa has always been strong, James."

"I know that, Dad. But it's almost as if by loving us, he has allowed his emotions to seep through. He may be all gruff on the outside like Uncle Simon, but he's an even bigger marshmallow. Always has been."

"So you're getting married and suddenly feeling all brave now, are you?" he teased.

"You see how easily you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Deflect attention."

"I'm not..."

James silence him by putting her index finger to his lips. "Do you know the first time I knew you really and truly loved me?" He shook his head. "When I was six?"

"Six? Oh, precious, I'm so sorry. I never meant..."

"Shhh," she interrupted quietly. "Don't misunderstand me, Daddy. I always knew you loved me, but it wasn't until the first time I was kidnapped..."

Blair closed his eyes and turned his head slightly. "Do you know how many children never have to utter those words?"

James reached out a hand and gently cupped her father's cheek until he looked up at her again. "The first time Jake and I were kidnapped, you looked like a guardian angel coming through the door. Papa looked so primal, a panther on the hunt, but you immediately turned and found us. You scooped both Jake and I up in one fell swoop. I remember Papa yelling that more were coming and to head out the back. I remember almost being to the back of the warehouse when the first bullet caught your kevlar in the back and spun us around, dropping you to your knees. I remember feeling the reverberations as the second bullet hit you. You fell forward, covering our bodies with your own. Then you whispered to Jake that there was an open air duct in the wall and that he was to take us into it. We weren't to come out until Uncle Simon came to get us no matter what we heard. No matter how much you begged." James brought her other hand up to cup her father's cheek. "Then you looked me in the eyes and said, 'Live for me, baby. No matter what happens, live for me.' Then we were running and you were turning and firing, covering us. It was then that I realized you loved me just as much as you loved Jake."

She cleared her throat. "For a long time I wondered why you seemed afraid to openly show me how much you loved me. Don't get me wrong, you showed me every day through your actions. I mean, hell, daddy, I remember playing dolls with you for hours. I remember you teaching me whatever I wanted to learn. I remember the rousing debates you, Jake and I would have over philosophy, the arts; you name it, we argued it. But you always seemed to take a back seat to Papa. I know Papa needs me as much as Jake needs you, but Daddy there's always been enough love enough to go around. You aren't taking anything away from Papa by allowing yourself to show that love in front of him."

"She's right, Chief."

"Jim!" Blair yelped, startled.

Jake proceeded his father into the room and Jim shut the study door behind them. They closed the distance between the rest of their family until they were all standing in a small square.

"So here we are," Jake said quietly.

"Here we are," Jessica smiled, reaching across the square and placing a hand over her brother's heart.

"We've been through so much," Jim said quietly.

"But we've always had faith." Blair smiled at his husband, then at each of his children.

A knock at the door startled them.

"Come on in, Thomas, Cher," Jim called out.

Tommy poked his head into the room. "Are we interrupting?"

"Not at all," Blair said quietly as he held his hands out to the newest members of the family.

"The tribe shall only grow stronger. It shall never be diminished," Jim said quietly as Tom and Cher joined their small circle. Arms entwined behind the backs of the persons closest to them and the group moved in closer until their heads joined in the center of the circle.

"If you lick me, Jim, I'm so out of here," Tom teased.

"Too late, Tom," Cher chuckled. "He imprinted you when we were twelve."

Tommy gasped. "How do you know?"

"Because he did me at the same time."

The groom looked at Jim and shook his head. "You couldn't have known then that we'd end up as part of the family."

Jim grinned at his lover. "Sure I could. A wise shaman told me it would happen."

"The tribe shall only grow stronger," Blair repeated.

"It shall never be diminished," James added quietly.

"It shall only grow stronger," Jake repeated.

"And never be diminished," Tom and Cher intoned solemnly.

Jim looked at each member of his tribe with pride. "The tribe ... will only grow stronger and never be diminished."

And it never was.

End Jake & Jesse by Dolimir: Dolimir@aol.com

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Disclaimer: The Sentinel is owned etc. by Pet Fly, Inc. These pages and the stories on them are not meant to infringe on, nor are they endorsed by, Pet Fly, Inc. and Paramount.