Beyond the End (Sentinel story)

This article is about the Jim/Blair fanfic. You may be looking for the webcomic Beyond the End by DuskDragonXIII.

Jim/Blair Fanfiction
Title:	Beyond the End
Author(s):	Katrina Bowen
Date(s):	5 October 1997
Length:	20,968 words
Genre:	Slash, Alternate Universe
Fandom:	The Sentinel
External Links:	Beyond the End at AO3
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Beyond the End is a Jim/Blair story by Katrina Bowen. It was originally posted to 852 Prospect and later imported to AO3.

Summary: "Four years after being stranded in the jungles of Peru, James Ellison must come to the rescue of a pair of stranded anthropologists."

Reactions and Reviews

Unlike Pros, TS isn't particularly known for its AUs. There are a few good ones floating around, though. I've already mention Susan Foster's GDP universe. This world is quite different. Imagine that Jim and Blair met while Jim was stranded in Peru. As in canon, Blair is an anthropology graduate student. In this story, he and the man he was studying with are captured by the Direma, the people for whom Jim acts as guardian. The Direma are in the midst of a dispute with their neighbors and don't trust the newcomers. Fearing for the tribe's safety, its elders want to execute the two academics. Jim steps in and offers to take responsibility. The only way the Direma will allow this is if Jim "claims" Blair as his. This, of course, entails sex. This is a marvelous adventure/romance, featuring two lead characters who will be very recognizable to fans of canon. It's just that their paths cross at a different time. I love this one.

Early college era Blair is on a two-man expedition that goes horribly awry when the expedition leader tells the pilot to go off course and then, well, the plane goes down. Oh, and then they get taken captive by some local natives. Fortunately for Blair, the tribe's guardian happens to be a white man who talks them out of killing Blair. Unfortunately, the only way to make that happen is for Blair to become the man's (for want of a better word) wife. Angst ensues.

First I should note that the author's notes state that this fic is a sequel to another story called In the Jungle. Actually this fic is a very expanded version of In the Jungle and not only do you not have to have read ItJ to know what's going on, I would recommend that you not read it. Otherwise you're going to be both confused and spoiled.

That said, this is a great AU, especially for those who like to see alternatives on how Jim and Blair might have met. Certainly the beginning is not auspicious (Tribal Natives/Aliens/Magic/Science Made Them Do It being a euphamism for dub/non-con), but I really like the way that Blair and, especially, Jim handle the situation and I really, really like the way that there are lasting consequences. Blair doesn't immediately fall in love with Jim and he doesn't immediately recover from what is, in essence forced sex. On the other hand, he is resiliant and adaptive and Jim is honorable and caring and their friendship and eventual relationship is slow-building and wonderfully believable and I just want to hug them both to death. An interesting, well-done, and plausible varation on the '_____ made them do it' genre.

I enjoyed this AU immensely. Blair meets Jim in the jungle while doing a little research there, and becomes a captive of the tribe Jim is protecting. As time progresses, he becomes a valued member of their extended family, and a relationship develops between Jim and Blair. It's well-written, it's believable, and I love the way she writes Jim -- a hundred percent he-man, few words, but still waters running deep. A wonderful story.

Jim meets Blair in the forests of Peru. As he's saving his life. R: I've read this story WAY before I started my fic rec, but I'm glad that I stumbled onto it again. This story involves Blair on an expedition in South America. He and his companion are captured by warriors from a village, one of whom happens to be a blue-eyed sentinel. In order to stay alive, Jim gives Blair the option of sleeping with him and becoming essentially his property. While Blair tries to make a place for himself in the village, his companion isn't so compliant and all hell breaks loose.

AU. Jim never made it out of Peru and Blair is stranded by an plane crash in the jungle. While Blair is forced to have sex with Jim in order to be accepted by the tribe, Blair's professor becomes increasingly unhinged and a danger to all... This is a well-constructed and fascinating AU peopled with an absolutely fabulous characterisation of Jim and Blair. The OC's are well-rounded and the depiction of tribal life and Blair's experiences are extremely interesting.