Jim raced up the stairs of the warehouse, speaking into his cel phone as he went.

"Ellison here, Captain. Lash has been eliminated, I'm on my way up to check on Sandburg now. You'd better get an ambulance over here, sir. It looked like Blair got quite a mouthful of that sedative."

Jim tucked the phone into his coat and ran down the short corridor to the lair. He stood in the doorway at the top of the stairs for a moment, really noticing the eerie details of the room for the first time. Then his eyes settled on the limp figure in the dentist's chair.

"Blair!" Jim ran down the stairs, avoiding the broken one, and crossed to stand over his partner. Tentatively he reached out and slapped at Blair's cheek. The young man flinched slightly, and moaned. Jim gently pressed two fingers to Blair's pulse, and found it to be steady, but a little slow. The affects of the sedative Lash had poured into him, no doubt.

Jim took hold of Blair's shoulders and shook him a little. "Chief? Chief, c'mon now, wake up so we can get out of here...," Jim reached down to inspect the heavy restraints around Blair's wrists. They seemed to be locked and unlocked with a key.

The Sentinel turned and scanned the dimly lit room, and spotted a small, rusty key amidst the clutter on Lash's work table. Jim moved to retrieve the key, then began to quickly remove the restraints holding Blair to the dentist's chair.

Jim had just dropped the last of the chains to the floor, when the small figure in the chair came alive. Blair's blue eyes went wide as he regained consciousness, and he began to thrash about, trying to fight off the hands he could feel grabbing his upper arms.

"Unnnnnngh!" Blair growled, struggling to sit up in the chair. He didn't know how he'd gotten free of the chains, but right now he didn't really care. Blindly, he swung his clenched fists around, and smiled in satisfaction as he connected with a human body.

{Take that you head case!} Blair thought madly. He leapt out of the chair and tried to run, but his feet became entangled in the pile of chains on the floor, and he went sprawling.

Jim moaned and held a hand to his throbbing jaw where the kid had belted him. He'd have to congratulate Blair later; the blow had nearly knocked him senseless!

Jim looked up, and winced as Blair tripped and fell to the floor with a thud. Jim rushed over and knelt beside the young man, who was flailing about on his belly, trying to kick free of the chains.

Blair kicked as he felt hands on his back. "NOOOO!" he wailed. Lash wasn't going to win! He wasn't going to kill him! Blair rolled onto his back, fists and feet flying as he struggled to protect himself from the madman, who was now wrapping strong arms around him, and whispering his name.

Jim enveloped Blair in his arms as the young man continued to thrash about. "Easy Blair... easy Blair...," Jim said, over and over. The desperate struggles began to ebb, and Jim carefully released his young partner.

Blair stopped fighting as his mind suddenly registered the voice in his ears. It wasn't Lash. It was a familiar voice. A friend's voice. It was Jim.

"Jim...?" Came the breathless whisper.

Ellison sat back, resting his hands on Blair's shoulders as the young man sat up, looking around. The poor kid was as white as a sheet, and trembling like a leaf. Jim reached out his hand, intending to brush the hair out of Blair's eyes. He drew back when the young man flinched away from his touch. Jim smiled reassuringly as the frightened blue eyes settled on his.

"It's OK, Chief, it's me," Jim said gently.

Blair stared. It was Jim. Jim was here. Jim was here, he was out of the chair, and Lash was nowhere in sight. Blair began to shake harder, and then Jim confirmed the hope that was building within Blair's soul.

"It's over, Blair," said the Sentinel. Jim watched as Blair stared at him for a moment longer. Then, something seemed to let go inside the young man, and he lurched forward to bury himself in Jim's arms. Jim wrapped his big arms tightly around the slim, shaking figure and held him close, pulling Blair onto his lap.

Blair closed his eyes as tears began to slip down his cheeks. He wound his arms around Jim's neck, pressing his face into the sturdy shoulder hidden under the layer of Kevlar. A moment later, he felt Jim's big, warm hand against the back of his head, tousling his curls as the low, gentle voice whispered to him.

"Shhhh..., it's OK Blair, he's gone," Jim breathed, rocking as Blair tried to snuggle closer still. Jim tried to wrap his whole body around Blair, to form a cloak of warmth and safety. He rubbed his fingers through the dark hair on the back of Blair's head as the young man sobbed quietly into his shoulder.

"That's it.... Everything's all right," Jim said softly. "Shh, shhhh.... I'm here now.... Jim's here.... Nobody's gonna hurt you.... I won't let anybody hurt you,"

They stayed like that for long minutes, rocking together as Jim continued the litany of soothing words. At last, Blair's sobs dwindled down to simple tears, and he pulled back slightly to look up into Jim's eyes. The flushed lips moved, but no sound emerged. Jim leaned closer, and Blair cleared his throat before trying again to speak.

"Thank you," came the hoarse, faint voice. Blair blinked up at Jim as the big man gently smiled down at him.

"You're welcome," Jim said softly. He closed his eyes and sighed as Blair laid his head on his shoulder. Jim let go of Blair with one arm to struggle out of his Kevlar vest. He laid it aside, and then followed suit with his coat, smiling as Blair used one hand to help, keeping the other arm clenched tight around Jim's neck.

Blair closed his eyes as a wave of exhaustion mixed with relief washed over him. He felt Jim bundling him up in the bulky Cascade PD jacket, and obediently allowed his arms to be guided into the sleeves. He opened his eyes and looked around briefly, catching a glimpse of that damned dentist's chair. He squeezed his eyes shut with a whimper, and snuggled against Jim again.

Jim finished wrapping Blair in his coat, then quickly hugged the young man to his chest again as Blair made another fearful little sound. "It's OK," he murmured. Jim rocked Blair for a minute more, then pulled back to speak to him.

"You gonna make it?" Jim asked softly.

Blair thought about it for a long time, looking inward. Then he looked up at his friend and slowly nodded, sniffling. He closed his eyes again as he felt one of Jim's arms slip under his knees. Then the voice spoke low in his ear, and Blair could hear the smile there.

"C'mon buddy.... Let's get you home," Jim said. He gathered his exhausted partner into his arms and got to his feet, turning to head up the stairs that led out.

Blair didn't protest as he felt Jim lift him. He squeezed his arms around Jim's neck as the big man carried him effortlessly across the lair, hands lost within the long sleeves of Jim's big jacket. The residual heat of Jim's body on the fabric made Blair feel warm all over. His head was suddenly too heavy to hold up, and as Jim started up the stairs, Blair laid his cheek down on the detective's broad shoulder. He was asleep before they reached the top.

Jim looked down with a grin as he heard a tiny snore; Blair had fallen asleep in his arms. The Sentinel sighed as he reached the top of the stairs and headed toward the exit, where he could hear the ambulance pulling up. It suddenly dawned on him just how close this had been, how very near he had come to losing his best friend and partner to that psycho.

"You're safe, Blair," Jim whispered, in reassurance to himself as much as to his sleeping passenger. "You'll always be safe with me, I promise." Jim leaned down and punctuated the vow by touching his lips to Blair's forehead. Then he continued down the hall, out of the warehouse, and on with the rest of his life.