Love's Forbearance

Sentinel Fanfiction
Title:	Love's Forbearance
Author(s):	Arianna
Date(s):
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Sentinel
External Links:	online here
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Love's Forbearance is a Sentinel story by Arianna.

It is a response fic to Five in the Stink by Polly Bywater.

Reactions and Reviews

Some time ago Polly B wrote a story in which Jim and Blair got together and Jim cheated on Blair. This story is a sequel to that, in response to a challenge asking for a sequel that could realistically lead from the end of Polly B's story to a happy ending for Jim and Blair. Lots and lots and *lots* of angst and anger and eventually forgiveness ensue.

I am not a huge fan of infidelity fic, mainly because most infidelity fanfic is shallow and often violently character-bashing and because the infidelity is usually portrayed as overwhelmingly romantic, rather than a cruel act of partner betrayal. Not so with Love's Forbearance. While the very nature of the challenge ensures that this story has a happy ending, it's not an easy road to get there. Jim, especially, has to face down a lot of personal demons about how he views love and why he is so inclined to hurt the people he loves. At the same time, Blair has to acknowledge and accept the fact that no relationship fails entirely because of one person and that his own behavior over the years has enabled Jim's repression and his appalling personal skills when it comes to love.

If you're looking for fluff or an easy fix-it for infidelity, this is not the fic for you. However, if you're interested in a serious, realistic look at how infidelity can nearly break a relationship and how much work it really takes to overcome and forgive such a huge betrayal, you should definitely give this story a try.