Lifeblood
Summary: Jim has finally learned to listen to his visions. Especially when they come in full technicolor.
Warning: This is a semi, quasi-crossover with BtVs. At least by email. So, not really. But, kind of...
Originally written as Dues on the SentinelAngst Mailing List
May 2001
From: [email protected]
RE: Shaman Studies
I recently saw some information on your website that cited the volume WC Demonology and Human Response. I thought this reference book wasn't supposed to exist outside the Vatican Library, and definitely wasn't available except by Papal decree or some such order. Man, I am so excited! I have to know: Do you have access to this book? If so, I would love to make arrangements to see it, as I believe there might be some information in it that may be pertinent to my Shamanic studies.
Please let me know if you can help me. Thanks in advance,
Blair Sandburg
From: [email protected]
RE: you e-mail attached
Dear Blair,
Really? I didn't know the book was only in the Vatican! Boy, you should have seen Giles's face when I told him about your e-mail. I didn't know he could turn that color of mad. He made me take down all my reference citations, mumbling something about irresponsible dissemination of esoteric lore to the uninformed. I think he was afraid the priest police were going to come get me or something. Anyway, I checked you out (hope you don't mind) and Giles is slightly less cranky with me now. Seems he's familiar with some articles you published. And he said your Master's Thesis was quite intriguing. You'll have to tell me sometime what it's about; I'm dying to know what that look on his face meant. When I asked , he made this mysterious comment about there being more than one kind of guardian to humanity in the world.
Giles says you can come visit and study the book if you'd like. Feel honored, he doesn't let just anyone look at his library. BTW, due to certain...bad elements...in our town, he's invited you to stay at his place while you're here. Take him up on it, you really don't want to stay at the Sunnydale Motor Lodge. Trust me.
Willow
P.S. Oops, almost forgot! That Rupert Giles, 908-555-1056
P.P.S. Oh, and we're in Sunnydale, California. You're in Cascade, Washington, right? So we're just a bit down the coast from you.
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"Sandburg, I'm going with you, and that's final!"
Blair bounced up the stairs behind Jim Ellison, mumbling under his breath about overprotective Sentinels and their proclivity for ruining other people's fun. He knew his sharp-eared friend could hear him quite well, which was why he was doing it.
Jim knew Blair knew he could hear him, which was why he had dialed down his hearing right after making his pronouncement. He also knew the complaints would become audible after they were behind the closed door of the loft, so he would take his break from the Sandburg lecture mode where he could.
"Man, I'm going to do research for a few days. You know, an activity that involves sitting in a chair, reading, writer's cramp from taking notes, massive injections of caffeine...and NO DANGER!"
Blair stood back as Jim let them into the loft, then stripped off his jacket and hooked it haphazardly on the the coat rack, tossing his backpack down on the floor in the same general vicinity.
Ellison cuffed his partner gently across the back of the head, then shrugged off his coat and hung it up neatly, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation as he rescued Blair's slipping outerwear. Leaning down, he snagged the pack and tucked it away. No need to invite disaster to innocent passing feet. Like his.
"Chief, I know you. There's no such place in the world. Danger follows you around like stink on a skunk."
Nodding significantly toward the misty rain visible through the balcony doors, Blair slipped out of his shoulder holster and handed it to Jim with the air of someone disposing of something vaguely distasteful. "Oh, come on, Jim. Library, books, California sunshine. This is my dream vacation. Imagine, I'll be *warm*." The lust in his voice was almost visible. "Warm, man, and *dry*. Did I mention *dry*?" I haven't been warm and dry since...when was the last time?"
Jim watched as Blair headed over to the refrigerator to gather ingredients for dinner. He absently unclipped his gun from the back of his belt and placed both of their weapons in a drawer, then sauntered over to the calendar . Flipping through the pages casually, Jim announced, "Sorry, Sandburg, this calendar only goes back 12 months. Can't help you. And I am going."
Blair sighed as he began setting food on the counter. "Okay, okay. But I get dibs on the bed. You'll have to take the couch. Mr. Giles said it folds out into a double."
"Son of a...you knew all along I'd insist on coming!"
Blair grinned as he began chopping vegetables. "Of course, Jim. I really did enjoy listening to you talk me into it, though."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim tossed restlessly, sheets tangling around his sweat-slick body. The blue haze of his dream world couldn't disguise the bright red river of blood flowing sluggishly across the rough ground toward him. As he stared in sick fascination at the coppery stream, he felt himself slip into the gray blankness of a zone, something that had never happened to his sleeping mind.
The scream of his panther snapped him back into focus, and he tore his eyes away from the blood to find his spirit guide pacing back and forth near a stand of trees at the beginning of the obscene trickle of blood. Jim followed the sinuous black form as it led him through the uneven tangle of undergrowth. His stomach twisted into a ball of fear as his sense of unease grew. He ran faster and faster, trying to catch the black flashes of tail, of fur, of golden eyes shining through the bluish darkness.
Eventually, he realized he was no longer running. His breath rasped harshly in his ears as even the blue light faded away, leaving him in a still and silent world of darkness. Nothing but the sound of his exhausted lungs existed; even the air he strained to suck in could not be felt against the bareness of his naked torso. Alone, so alone... He spun, frantic, staining to hear, to see, to smell, to feel anything in the oppressive and empty cloak of endless night.
His foot caught on something, and he looked down, screaming as his world flared into horrifying blood-tinged light.
At his feet lay Blair, blue eyes filmed over and staring sightlessly above the bloody ruin of his ripped-out throat, arms still clasped protectively around a leather-bound book.
A low growl came from the hyena circling behind the motionless body of the grey wolf lying under Blair --*was* Blair! --, gore dripping from his mmuzzle, snapping as he attempted to move past the golden lioness that was suddenly standing before Jim and Blair, barring the scavenger from his kill.
"Nooooooo!"
Jim jerked awake, rolling out of bed and running down the stairs in an instinctive rush to his Guide. Jumping the final 4 stairs, he flung open the doors into Blair's room.
"Ow!"
The crack of a door hitting Blair's head snapped him out of his panic, and Jim looked down to see Sandburg sitting on the floor with a good-sized lump already appearing on his forehead.
"Jim, what the hell is up with you, man? I was just on my way to wake you up, you were screaming in your sleep."
Adrenaline rush fading, Jim slid down the doorjamb and collapsed next to Blair with a shudder.
"Chief, there is no way in hell we're going anywhere near Sunnydale, California. Not now, not ever."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: [email protected]
RE: your last e-mail
Blair,
I'm sorry to hear you won't be able to make the trip to Sunnydale. I looked through the book for you and have attached the pages I think you'd be interested in.
No, I didn't laugh when you wrote why you weren't coming. I have a friend who has had some experience with dreams coming true. I thought the imagery you described was really cool. I'm pretty sure I know who the lioness is, and the hyena...well, let's just say there's a lot of hyena types in our town. Don't worry, the lioness can handle the situation.
Stay in touch and let me know if there's anything I can help with. I live for research! LOL,
Willow
Fin