Legacy (Sentinel story)

Sentinel Fanfiction
Title:	Legacy
Author(s):	Jane Davitt
Date(s):	2009
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Sentinel
External Links:	online here
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Legacy is a Sentinel story by Jane Davitt.

Reactions and Reviews

I read this story yesterday when [livejournal.com profile] janedavitt posted it to her journal. I love Jane's work in general; she's one of those writers I tend to make space to read no matter how busy my life is. As for this latest fic... wow, am still reeling from it a day later. I simply can't get it out of my head.

Legacy was written for carodee who made donations to Moonridge in return for people writing stories to her prompt. She wanted prison fic, in which Jim and Blair were guilty of the crimes of which they were convicted. It had to include a shower scene where one of them is looking on as the other proves who he belongs to. The end result is, predictably, well written - this is Jane, after all. It is also a very adult tale, so please make sure you look at the warnings before you read (although I urge you not to be put off by them - although it contains dark themes, this is a truly amazing story).

It is an incredibly powerful tale, full of extremes of emotion. This is a grown-up version of Jim and Blair; men who will do what they have to do to survive, no matter how much their actions have the potential to damage them deep inside. There is no fainting wallflower of a Blair to be found in this story, but rather one who lives every day with the difficult choices he's been forced to make, yet is a survivor nevertheless. He exploits his knowledge of social structures and uses his intelligence to carve out a niche for himself which, while far from pleasant, at least keeps him alive. But he's dying by degrees, until Jim arrives in the prison. And Jim proves to be just what he needed all along, in ways that Blair could never have imagined.

I will not reveal more about the plot, except to note that despite the anguish and darkness, there's plenty of hope. Angst abounds - oh boy, does it ever, my stomach still hurts from feeling their pain. But there is beauty and tenderness too, and a deep, vibrant connection which takes your breath away. I was literally speechless after I finished reading it, it affected me that much. I love 'rescue' fic at the best of times, and though the rescue here is unconventional and fraught with danger, it really works for me.

This story goes straight on my re-read-often list.