First Day

First Day - Angelee

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Part of the Bonded in Love series. Takes up right after The Littlest Guide.

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"Hi. I Blair. Who you?" The littlest guide the planet had ever seen asked of Steven, Jim's younger brother.

Blair looked over at Steven with wide, innocent blue eyes. Shyness not a word in this two year old's vocabulary. "Hello." He said, offering his hand.

It had been decided that Blair would move in with Jim and his family. Since right after signing the paperwork for Blair-Naomi Sandburg had disappeared. Without a sign... without a word. She had simply walked out on her little boy.

As far as Jim was concerned, good riddance. She had tried to take his little Guide. That was something he would never allow. He may only be ten, but he would die to keep Blair by his side. There was no forgiveness or understanding in his heart for someone trying to take his Guide.

So now Jim held Blair tightly in his arms introducing him to his brother and his new home. Steven would be moved out of the bedroom he and Jim shared and Blair would move in. From now on this cute little two year old would be the center of Jim's life.

"That's not what I said..." Before Jim could finish the sentence he could smell the scent. "No, Blair, you don't have to do that." He protested weakly.

Blair moved his head to the side demandingly. Jim had no choice. He sniffed at Blair's neck hungrily, keening softly as Blair began releasing the bonding scent.

He could feel little hands holding his head against a warmly scented neck. It felt good... so good. Love-Blair was offering him pure unadulterated love. Yet it was starting to bother Jim that Blair was releasing the scent wherever and whenever the hell he felt like it.

Slowly he pulled away. "Demanding little shit, aren't you?" He asked the tiny boy he still held close. Before he knew what happened, little teeth bit his nose-hard.

"I bite." A curly head nodded. "I bite again. No cuss. Blair no like." He was told disapprovingly.

Steven who'd been watching the whole thing broke out in laughter. "Oh, man-this is just too funny."

"Laugh it up, asshole. I wasn't cussing at you, Blair." He told his little guide hurriedly when Blair made a disapproving noise. "I was cussing at Steven."

"Okay. I'm sorry." Jim replied meekly. That caused Steven to break out in a fresh peal of laughter.

Jim eyed his brother from behind Blair's little body. Mouthing silently "There, asshole."

The curly little head turned toward Jim, blue eyes narrowing. "No hear anything." he said, frowning at the extremely innocent look his Sentinel was giving him.

Before Blair could reply the Ellison's housekeeper Sally walked into the room. "So this is Blair." She said walking up to the little boy who suddenly, oddly enough, turned extremely shy, pushing into Jim's body in an attempt to hide.

Wide blue eyes looked at Sally from under a wild mane of curly hair. "Hi." he said softly.

"Hello, Blair." Sally told him, instantly taken with the baby. "I hear you're coming to live with us."

"Yes. Jim need me." Blair told her. Straightening up in Jim's arms. "I guide." he said proudly. "I Jim guide. See." He showed her his Batman band aid. "I test and everything." He frowned slightly. "Test hurt." he added, pouting slightly.

"Yes. Lots. That okay though. I got candy for owie. Jim lick off face like kitty cat."

Blair nodded solemnly. "Yup. It tickle. I Guide now. Jim Guide." Blair's eyes grew impossibly larger. "Lot's people hospital. Fight for Jim. No let. Jim mine. Huh, Jim?"

Blair shook his head. "No need. Steven keep bed. I Guide I sleep wiff my Sentinel."

"Yes, I guess it is." William agreed, smiling. "Jim-Blair needs clothes. All he has is what he has on." He looked at the child in Jim's arms. "Want to go shopping, Blair?"

Shopping with Blair turned out to be an experience none of the Ellisons were expecting. Blair, having wiggled free of his Sentinel's arms, calmly walked the aisles, carefully choosing each and every garment as if it were a world altering decision; always seeking Jim's final approval before going on to the next item.

With the clothing issue taken care of, William wanted to get the little Guide a few nonessentials like toys. Thinking perhaps now Blair would show his true age going after everything he saw. Proven wrong as Blair just as carefully went up and down the toy aisles before finally settling for a black fuzzy panther and a wolf. Having made his decision, nothing the three Ellisons said or did would get Blair to add more toys to the cart.

Blair was turning out to be an unusual little boy acting far older than his two years and more than a match for strong-willed Jim.

As a treat, William decided to take them all out to dinner and ice cream after. For the first time since he'd chosen Jim as his Sentinel he wasn't in Jim's arms, but in his own chair. An intense look on his little face as he checked Jim's plate making sure there was nothing on it that would make his Sentinel sick.

Jim had tried giving his Guide attitude. All his ten year old arrogance coming to the forefront, trying to overwhelm Blair with it. All the little Guide had to do was turn those big, blue eyes toward Jim and growl. It wasn't even a loud growl. A tiny rumble from that little throat and Jim had become the meekest of Sentinels, allowing Blair to continue his careful inspection of his food. It was the funniest thing William had ever seen.

Getting ice cream had turned into something else entirely. Something William would not like repeating again any time soon. Jim had zoned on the ice crystals that lined the giant freezers as he was about to help Blair chose ice cream from the many flavors the store had to offer.

It had frightened the hell out of William and Steven when all of a sudden Jim straightened, blue eyes glazed and distant. Laughter dying on his lips.

They watched in stunned fascination as the world's smallest Guide brought the youngest Sentinel ever known out of his first zone. They weren't the only ones watching. Silently, everyone in the store watched as, with the gentlest strokes of his little hands and softly spoken words, Blair brought Jim back.

Still in Jim's arms, unafraid of having his Sentinel drop him. Knowing instinctively what had to be done and doing it. Finally, when Jim had returned from wherever he'd gone, Blair had released pheromones to center a badly shaken Jim in the here and now.

Nothing had ever frightened William as much as watching his son laughing one moment, frozen stiff as a statue the next. Yet Blair had taken it all in stride. He was an unusual and very special little boy William mused to himself as he made a final check on his three boys before turning in.

True to his word Blair was in Jim's bed. Sentinel and Guide tightly curled around each other, Jim holding Blair tightly to him.

Turning off the lights William noted that in his tiny little hands Blair held the panther close.