Harbor of My Heart

Fanfiction
Title:	Harbor of My Heart
Author(s):	Romslinger
Date(s):
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Sentinel
Relationship(s):
External Links:	Harbor of My Heart on AO3 (locked to registered users)
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Harbor of My Heart is a Jim/Blair story by Romslinger.

Summary

"What if Jim remained in the Army and Blair made a much different career choice after a personal tragedy?"

Reactions and Reviews

Blair is a detective, and Jim is a soldier on the run from an army hospital that was conducting tests on his Sentinel abilities, who cares for orphaned twin girls. When danger finds Jim again, he has to face it and protect himself for the sake of those he loves. This story was very heart-warming. The only thing that 'bothered' me was that Blair topped right off the bat. I could have handled it further down the line, but it was very sudden....

In this AU novella, Romslinger presents the reader with a different world whose protagonists still feel achingly familiar. Jim, homeless, lives on the streets and takes care of two little girls, while Blair, a cop, is curious, caring and eager to help. When their paths cross, they feel drawn to each other - Jim senses his Guide, and Blair is attracted to mystery of the proud, yet vulnerable man. Romslinger is very adept at keeping the balance between the emotionally charged moments and the plot, and despite the high content of angst and romance never looses focus. Her Jim, though lost and hurting, is still so much the Sentinel we know, and Blair's care and protectiveness also read true of what we know of his character.

I've always had a major jones for homeless fics, probably because by their very nature they satisfy all of my biggest kinks: first time, h/c, trust issues. Not to mention the fact that they're usually all pretty long (you can't go from homeless to perfect happiness in a thousand words or less). Harbor of My Heart is not just a homeless fic, it's a *brilliant* homeless fic. Jim's on the run from the military and, being the protector Sentinel he is, he's found his own little tribe to take care of on the streets. Blair is a cop, having stumbled into the profession after Naomi was murdered by a serial killer. They meet during the course of an arson investigation and it's just as wonderful as you would expect (trust issues! government conspiracy! sex!) Even the kids (usually a huge squick for me) are well done, cute but heartbreakingly mature from struggling to survive while living on the streets. In fact, I liked them so much that when Romslinger posted her homeless!Blair fic a few months ago, I was disappointed by the fact that there wasn't a kid in sight. Now *that* is a recommendation.

This AU reverses the usual cliche of Jim saving Blair from a life on the streets, and does it in a very touching, believable way. Too many times in AU's the author takes for granted the fact that Jim and Blair will have a relationship, and neglects to properly develop their bond. Not so here. Everything in this story comes together, smooth as silk.

Take your time for this one: Romslinger's Harbor of my Heart is a whopping 472k long, but worth every minute you spend on it. These Jim and Blair are so wonderfully crafted I fell in love with them the minute I started reading. Simply wonderful.

It's an AU where Blair is the cop who comes to the aid of a homeless man who is looking after his very young, unofficially adopted 'nieces', and finds himself completely drawn into their lives. The 'known' characters are totally recognizeable, the OCs well drawn; and while I don't in general particularly like stories where the guys are loooking after children, the twin girls are not cute. We never forget how young they are, but they're mature for their age without being precocious - in other words, the sort of kids who give children a good name.