Blair sat on the seawall, enjoying the light breeze as he gazed out onto the bay.  It was quiet today, a beautiful clear day in Cascade, and there were few students on the Rainier campus on a Saturday morning.  That was why he had come today, to have a little space and privacy, as well as to check his department mailbox.  He'd submitted the introductory chapter of his thesis to his dissertation committee three days ago, and it was probably too early to expect anything, but he couldn't help but be nervous and impatient awaiting their first official comments.

He glanced up as a seagull wheeled nearby and screeched loudly, probably looking for a handout.  Sorry, buddy, he thought, nothing here to share.  He had left the loft in a hurry this morning, deciding that he would grab a little time alone while Jim was at CPD for a couple of hours catching up on paperwork.  Jim and the rest of the department had been drafted to assist in providing "essential services" during the city employees' strike last week, so now that the strike was over they had a backlog of cases to work on and reports to complete.

As much as he enjoyed living at the loft with Jim, it was trying at times.  Especially for someone who had often traveled alone, usually had an office alone, and would rather rent a cold and rat-infested warehouse by himself than share a nicer apartment with roommates to make ends meet.  Not that he was antisocial, far from it, but being alone was not the same as being lonely, most of the time.  Despite the many moments of comfortable camaraderie that he shared with Jim at home, and the security of the feeling that he had a *real* home, there were also times when some personal space and complete freedom to be himself would have been welcome.

Jim's taking the thesis chapter from the desk drawer and reading it, without Blair's knowledge or permission, had been a surprise.  Blair had always trusted Jim to respect the need to keep his research findings secret from the subject of that research, Jim, until the study was completed.  He felt surprised, and, yes, a little hurt that Jim had violated Blair's trust in him, and had apparently not trusted Blair's promise to let Jim read the dissertation before it was submitted.  Jim's angry response to the content of the chapter had also been a bit of a surprise, although if he was honest with himself, it made a lot of sense in relation to what he had learned about sentinel behavior, at least this sentinel's behavior.

Blair pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself as the breeze off of the water picked up a little.  Things between he and Jim had gotten more or less back to normal, although he was careful not to mention his thesis around Jim for the time being.  He mused over his planned outline for the next chapter and worried about Jim's reaction to it as he casually glanced around him, his eyes coming to rest on a small Japanese maple not far away.  The small tree was dying, a large number of the leaves brown, dry and withering.  It had been one of his favorites, its uniquely colored leaves a vivid change from the year-round green of the typical tree and shrub on campus.

A small wave of sadness washed over him at the thought of the loss, almost as if he was losing a friend.  A cloud drifted in, blocking the warm rays of the sun, and Blair felt a sudden shiver and stood, zipping his jacket the rest of the way closed.  The sick tree, the muted sunlight, and the freshening breeze struck a chord within him, and he felt an odd sensation in his stomach, as if they were signs or portents of something more.  Change was in the air.

He walked back toward his car, his favorite spot somehow less appealing, and he shivered again as he climbed in to drive back to the loft.

THE END