crack_van | National Security by Saraid (NC17)

Hi, I'm Gilly and I'm supposed to be driving the van for The Sentinel this month. A noxious combo of severe RL issues and an attack of tonsillitis currently laying me low means I'm off to a pretty late start. Sorry about that; I'll be posting a rec a day from now on to catch up - starting with Saraid's magnificent 'Panther Tales'.

Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim and Blair
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Saraid's fanfiction

Why this must be read:
I love a good AU; the more extraordinary and angsty the better, and this is, imo, one of the strangest and angstiest out there. Jim and Blair have been abducted, tortured and escaped. Both are severely damaged, Blair especially is a weird shadow of his former self. Working together, they use their Sentinel-Guide link as high-paid mercenaries for hire as they search for the ones who destroyed their lives.

The CIA man sat back and gazed at them speculatively. "Excuse me, but this is making me somewhat uncomfortable. Could you at least tell me what role he plays in this?"

The elegant hands fluttered over the broad shoulders as the younger man shifted his weight restlessly behind the older.

"You can call him Chief." Panther said. "Let's just say that he's my focus."

"So he will go with us."

"Or the deal's off." Panther said flatly.

"I can handle it." stepping to the side slightly, the CIA director changed his angle so he could see the man better.

Extending his hand, the he smiled at the smaller man as gently as he could, as if he were one of his own children. "I'm Mike Cullen. Thank you for helping us." he said.

The hand on Panther's back clutched at the drape of the long black trench, knuckles whitening with the force of it.

The face tilted, looking not at Cullen's, but Panther's, eyes.

The mercenary nodded but spoke quietly. "Only if you want to."

Feeling slightly silly holding his hand in midair, Cullen decided to give it a minute as the younger man apparently thought it over. Then he reached and grasped Cullen's hand and shook it firmly. His hand was small but strong, and felt chilled even in the comfortable temperature of the room.

He looked into Cullen's face, but no expression showed on his own. The eyes were completely hidden in mirrored wrap-around sunglasses. Withdrawing his hand, he moved so that he was again out of sight, the first time Cullen had noticed him doing it deliberately. Panther followed the movement, shielding him.

When Cullen looked back at the mercenary, the man was staring at him and he had to suppress a gasp. The sky-blue eyes were as hard as flint and his expression was clearly threatening.

"I've been honored, I realize that," Cullen said with sincerity. He truly felt that way. After a moment the stoic face softened and he briefly saw the love hidden there before it shuttered closed again. "Shall we make our preparations?"

Intense and beautifully bizarre; National Security is the first in a series of stories in which Jim and Blair’s tragic story unfolds like a flower.

National Security
The Panther Tales series.

National Security by Saraid (NC17)

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