True Minds

Fanfiction
Title:	True Minds
Author(s):	Lanning Cook
Date(s):	1999
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Sentinel
Relationship(s):
External Links:	online here
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True Minds is a Jim/Blair story by Lanning Cook.

Series

• True Minds
• Little Company
• Many Waters

Reactions and Reviews

(the reason that I made this list): Someone from Jim's past comes to him for help. R: think that this is my favorite TS story, or, at least, it's a draw between NR by Saul. It was intense. I literally had to look away and I was screaming at the screen "NOOOO! BLAIR! X0" And it was hilarious; Simon's humor at the precinct had my sides splitting, and nearly had me wetting myself.

I just adore the way Lanning Cook writes the boys. They're so sweet (be warned--I can take a certain measure of sweetness in The Sentinel) together and the dialogue is amazing. This story is the first of a trilogy set right after the events in Sentinel Too. Blair is recovering after his near drowning and Jim may never be the same again. Each has fallen head over heels for the other, yet each is afraid of upsetting their hard won equalibrium. That's all forgotten, however, when they get plunged into a case that hits too close to home and puts both men in terrible danger. You'll see a rape warning tagged to this story. I urge you to forge ahead anyway. Things don't play out quite the way you think they might. Lanning Cook is superb.

Any story that starts out with a Shakespeare quote is one I am going to read. Especially, one from my favorite Shakespeare poem. It's a SenToo make the boys deal with their shit kindof story. I wouldn't call it a fixit, so that was as close as I could come. An old foe and trying to help a woman in a bad marriage get out lead to trouble for the boys and help them express what they feel for one another. What a shock, do you see a trend, something bad happens and they finally say I love you. If bad shit happening to the guys caused that, they'd be saying I love you everyday. But enough with my little rant, back to the story rec. This one it great. The Sentinel fandom has some of the best writers in it. I think they demand it of one another. Lanning is no exception. This story is beautifully crafted, with a good plot, vivid descriptions, and wonderful characterizations. She seems to quote Shakespeare in alot of her stories. Being an English nerd who got Shakespeare too, I feel a kinship with that. A great read here, that leaves you wanting more, luckily there is more.

Post Alex, Jim and Blair are settling back into something resembling their normal life, when Blair has to go and get himself involved with (i.e., try to help) the local mobster's battered wife. Of course (of *course*), they are both also struggling with their respective feelings for each other, much to Simon's chagrin. And, on top of all of that, one of the more psychotic people Jim has ever put behind bars is out -- and working for the evil, wife-beating mobster. Because this is The Sentinel, everything goes to hell, sooner rather than later.

There are a few cliches here (I swear, if I have to read one more variation on "oh, woe is me, because I'm in love with my heterosexual partner" -- immediately followed by the other guy thinking *the exact same thing* -- I'm going to scream), but they don't take away from a rollicking story populated with interesting OCs and supported by an engaging plot. Want a little old-fashioned angst? How about some Blair (and Jim!) kidnapping? Maybe a little BPS (Blessed Protector Syndrome)? If so, this story's for you!

BTW, this is only the first of a trilogy. I'm not recommending the other two, because they deal with subjects I have absolutely no interest in (i.e., Don't Ask, Don't Tell and gay bashing) so I didn't finish reading them. For those who want to read further, I've included links below. Read at your own risk.

Blair finds himself at odds with an enemy from Jim's past. Filled with plenty of yummy angst, cool action, hot sex, and a touch of deliciously chilling noncon issues, this fic is one long, fun ride from start to finish.

Lanning's a great storyteller, and in "True Minds," Jim and Blair are on the case, helping the battered wife of a Cascade crime boss, facing some of the worst danger of their lives. At the same time, they're dealing with the aftermath of the near death at the fountain and untangling their feelings for each other. It's a long, involving read that will have you primed for the two sequels Little Company and Many Waters.

In True Minds, Jim and Blair help the battered wife of an organized crime boss and end up in the most dangerous situation of their lives. In Little Company, the guys desperately search for an innocent child before her deranged father can kill her. Both stories are fast-paced, with original and interesting cases and a sensitive treatment of domestic violence, as well as nice J/B interaction.

I started reading Sentinel slash before I had even seen the show. It had been cancelled on both UPN and the Sci-Fi channel by then. They had been showing reruns of it on the Sci-Fi channel, but literally the day I started reading Sen fanfic they stopped for a while. I fell in love with the fandom and characters anyway, and since the Sci-Fi channel has now been rerunning the show M-F I haven't missed an ep and am loving (as well as taping) every minute of it.

Some of my favorite Sentinel stories of late, that come to mind are *True Minds* and *Little Company* by Lanning Cook. Lanning is a terrific writer and the stories them selves are just wonderful. Both stories get there names from quotes by Shakespeare. True Minds is actually from one of my favorite poems Shakespeare's Sonnet 110 and Little Company derives it's title from a line in a Midsummer Night's Dream. I love that. Both are rated NC-17 and the pairing is J/B.

In *True Minds* a student of Blair's is in an abusive marriage with a man who it turns out is a major mob boss that the cops have been looking to bust for some time now. Along the way Jim and Blair are trying to deal with the events from S2P2 and find a way to reveal their feelings for one another. While, a recently parolled con Jim busted, who is now working for the mob boss in question, is out to get a little revenge on Jim through hurting Blair.

Warnings for violence and rape/non-con in this one.