Disclaimer: I don't own them (but I'd sure like to - hint hint)

Author's Notes: This is probably the last in the stony creek series, but theres some other stuff on the way.
BTW the hotmail addy is the only one that will work now - btopenworld is no longer open

Story Notes: No spoilers - although the person who told me to lay of Ray K - your wish is my command <heh heh>

This story is a sequel to: family at stony creek

Chapter Nine

I bite back a moan of pure, sensual pleasure as I stroke deeply into Ray's sweet body. He's spooned in front of me, our bodies tangled together on our sides as I rock myself deeper and deeper into his willing flesh. Our hands are wrapped around his erect dick, stroking in time with my thrusts. Ray is voicing his pleasure in soft voiced cries, telling me how good he feels, how much he loves me.

Ribbons of pleasure are wrapping their way around my body, making my limbs heavy and slow as my lover shivers in my warm embrace. He stills his body for a long moment and we balance on our sides, letting it draw out, letting the seconds pass in aching delight. Ray turns his head towards me for the sweetest of kisses, warm lips and soft skin brushing and clinging.

"Ben love," he arches his body, driving back against me, and I can hold still no longer, moving urgently against him as he moans and thrusts back onto my impaling dick. His voice rises in joy and he grips me tightly. Warm seed spills over our hands as he comes and I feel his passage spasm and grip me tightly, pulling my own orgasm from my body. We cry out in one voice, words of love and praise.

Ray shudders a final time and then falls limply to the bed, moaning in displeasure when I disengage from his body. I kiss the back of his neck and move to pull him close. He turns in my arms, snuggling into my body, breathing in gasps as we ride the afterglow towards sleep. My last action of the night is to pull the covers over us - we'll worry about changing the linen tomorrow.

Only when he's totally limp in my arms does Diefenbaker enter the room, leaping up to lie along Ray's back. We've fought the nightmares off these last few months, our touch and voices sufficient talismans against the terrible memories and phantoms that haunt our beloved mates sleep.

We wake in a sticky tangle in the morning.

"Good morning Ben love," Ray snuggles closer to me, rolling us on the bed until he is sprawled on top of me, "Did you sleep as well as I did?"

He sounds proud - and he should be. In the beginning night terrors and panic attacks turned sleep into a torture course for the both of us - Ray's screams woke us all. Then we would spend the rest of the night riding out the panic, trying to relax him enough to resume the needed sleep. Now we deal with a few waking moments, usually my touch or warmth will send him safely back to sleep.

"I did," I confirm and he gives me a firm kiss to distract me from his hands, which are sneaking down to my nipples and morning erection.

"Ray," I sigh in token protest - my lover won't let me out of bed until we've both been satisfied - that is something I have some to relish since I first moved to Stony Creek and found my hearts desire. Ray's tongue is my mouth - to muffle further protests I suspect, and I arch into his weight as he caresses a nipple and glides his erection along mine.

Before I know it he has a finger deep inside me, using the discarded tube from last night, while he suckles at my groin, his warm tongue bathing everything in delicious moisture. My next coherent thought comes as he pulls three fingers from my body and rolls me over, a cushion at my hips to prop me up. It seems like only minutes later that I climax hard while his dick jerks and shoots deep inside my body as I moan and writhe in sheer pleasure.

When I can think again I am lying sprawled over his body, kissing him gently while his seed trickles from me. Diefenbaker is on the bed as well, sitting up beside us with a puzzled expression on his face. The alarm goes off and Ray's hand arcs out to slap it off.

"Sorry Ben love," he tells me, "Time to get up."

He kisses me soundly for good measure and I sit up reluctantly. Stevens has gone out on long-range patrol and will be absent for at least a week, so I am the only representative of the RCMP in town. It will not do to be late, so I prise myself away from my lover and head for the shower. Diefenbaker snuggles down in my spot and I quell a surge of jealousy. It is not becoming to envy my wolf for staying in bed with my partner. I am a grown man, and I can share.

Our morning routine is a comfort and we meet again over the breakfast table.

"What's on your slate for today?" Ray smiles over his chocolate-laced coffee. He bought me a teapot for my birthday - one that rests in the matching cup when not in use, a clever little contrivance that I use at the least excuse.

"Licence inspections," I reply, "And the office hours of course. Mary Sue is going to be in the office all day - she has become quite adept at finding me to pass on messages."

"I'm heading out to the Riley place. They've got a seized engine or something and the rest of their machines need to be looked over. I'll be out there all day, and maybe late coming back," Ray grins down at Dief and reaches to ruffle his fur, "You be good today, Dief."

Dief gives him a mildly insulted look and sniffs while Ray gets up and kisses me goodbye.

"Be careful," I tell him somewhat redundantly. Ray is quite capable, "Are you taking the dogs?"

"Yeah," he puts his cup away, comes back for a lingering kiss and tears himself away. It's always like this in the morning - we're both reluctant to let the other one out of sight. Even if we've argued we part reluctantly. The door closes behind him and I sigh, echoed by Dief.

Knowing that Ray will be home late gives me little incentive to be home early. I stay late at the post, working on a few of the minor maintenance chores. With the post a man down there is always something to be done to maintain it in pristine condition. Head Office has had no luck locating someone who is willing to transfer out to our remote location permanently and I have made it clear that I will not readily accept temporary placements. Stony Creek is not a violent town, nor is the Territory especially dangerous, but the instability caused by a stream of temporary assignments is not what the town deserves. If Head Office insists, I will of course take a temporary constable on. So far they have not.

Though it is late, the door is not locked and Ray walks in without knocking, expecting to see me, smiling when he does. He is glowing with good health; only the slightest hesitation mars his step as he moves over to my desk. He comes around to where I am watching him with a smile and drops his arm around my shoulder. He nuzzles into my hair and kisses my ear and neck, one hand reaching down to caress my chest. I lean into his warmth hungrily and he chuckles, kissing his way to my mouth and taking it tenderly. The brass I am polishing falls to the desk with a clunk.

"What are ya still doing out here?" he scolds lightly, "Home was cold and dark."

He kisses the corner of my mouth and bends to greet Diefenbaker. I struggle to control the desire he has awakened and Ray gives me a little smile in apology. Neither one of us is so unprofessional to contemplate acting on our love in the post.

"Why didn't ya drag him home, buddy?" he asks my wolf, and Dief whines at him. Ray laughs and ruffles the silver fur his hands are buried in before straightening again. He has gained a little more weight and at my request his hair is once more spiked in the old Chicago style. He looks wonderful to my unbiased eyes. Even Sasha Rose is relaxing her campaign to feed him up - she no longer tries to force third helpings of dinner on him. Seconds are still mandatory.

"Come on Ben love," he tells me kindly, recalling me from my thoughts, "Put that away now and come home for dinner. I've got a stew heating on the stove."

I pack up as requested while Dief and Ray watch from the door. Dief is leaning against Ray quite hard and Ray is absently running his hands through Dief's fur, both enjoying the touch and time together. My lupine partner is very protective of Ray - when the three of us are inside together it is most likely that Dief will be resting on Ray's leg or feet.

We walk home in silence - content with each other as we move through the first snow of the season. Ray has finished with his building contracts for the summer - always a boom time for extensions as the `winter crop' of babies demand more space. Now he will be travelling around the territory, sometimes for days at a time as he performs the round of winter machine maintenance. The cabin is lit up; sending welcome light out onto the path and the warmth from the fire greets me as I open the door. Dief heads straight for the fireplace and his accustomed spot beside it. I catch Ray sneering at him about survival instincts and chuckle. The smell of the stew on the stove makes my mouth water and Ray goes to check if it's ready yet.

There is mail on the table - Ray has opened it already, so I ignore it in favour of setting the table. He would have said if there was anything urgent, so whatever is there can wait for breakfast tomorrow.

It seems funny to have settled into such a domestic routine. We discuss the bills and correspondence over breakfast as well as our plans for the day. We discuss our plans for the future over dinner - holidays and additions to our home. So far, Ray's parents have not accepted our invitation to spend Christmas with us. The apparent rejection hurts Ray, though he doesn't say anything to me directly. As Christmas is only a month away it is unlikely that they will come.

Should it just be the two of us I am afraid that Ray will have to spend Christmas with me at the post, as Stevens will want to spend it with his family in Ottawa. I remember Ray telling me about his first Christmas here - he also spent it at the post, working on the engines there and later taking the dogs out. I hope that I can provide him with a suitably distracting alternative.

Dinner is quiet and we clean up the kitchen in harmony before collapsing together on the couch. I read with my head in Ray's lap while he watches the Chicago hockey team and sips from a cup of coffee. Later we retire for the night, snuggling close together and tangling our limbs. Ray makes no offer of sex and I am content to hold him close. He is relaxed enough to allow the stump of his leg to touch me, and I treasure the gift of his acceptance. He will let me see him naked now, without flinching or cringing, though he still won't let me touch his leg apart from the inevitable brushes when we are making love or asleep. Dief sighs in contentment at Ray's back and I allow the sounds of my family lull me to sleep.

Chapter Ten

I wake up before Ben does and slide out of his arms with care. He stirs a little and I make what he once called `the toilet grunt'. He settles and I pull on the coat hanger before visiting the bathroom and getting dressed. As quietly as I can I go and put the coffee on, waiting impatiently for the stuff to brew, wanting it ready before the sun comes up. It's not usual for me to wake this early, but I want to talk to Ben about an idea I've had and I also want to watch the sunrise with him.

Coffee brewed and poured, I put on my coat and scarf and gloves and step into my mukluks - I'm still too thin to fight the cold and while Ben mightn't notice it, the winter is definitely catching us up - then go and wake my lover.

"Ray?" his voice is little boy confused and I grin down at him, "Is something wrong?"

"Nope," I cave, leaning down to kiss him awake properly, evading a sneaking hand that tries to pull me back into bed, "C'mon Ben love - I want to watch the sunrise with you."

That gets his attention and he gets up, pulling on the clothes I pass to him, and his jacket as well. I make him sit on a blanket on the steps and sit behind him, my thighs around his hips and my chest on his back. I lean in, a nice solid weight that warms us both and we sip our coffee as the sun breaks over the horizon and slowly floods the valley that Stony Creek nestles in.

We're silent, but it's the kind of contented silence that seems loud and warm. Ben is a wonderful weight in front of me, still smelling of sleep and coffee. I nuzzle into his hair after a while and he captures my hands.

"This was a lovely idea Ray," Frase sighs, "Thank you."

"Not too sappy?" I tease his ear with my lips lightly, and he bends his neck in encouragement.

"Not at all," he replies. Dief comes back from whatever he was doing in the woods and sits on Frase's feet with a contented sigh. I chuckle and stop the nuzzling, choosing now to bring up my idea.

"We got a letter from Turnbull yesterday," I tell my lover, "He's got leave time over Christmas, but will probably try to trade it with one of the Constables at the Consulate. He's got nowhere to go. The thing is, he's got so much accumulated that Inspector Thatcher has to send him off no matter what."

"You want to invite him here?" Frase is no dummy - I've never forgotten that. He has a sharp mind and good instincts. It's what made him the perfect partner in Chicago, despite the loony things he'd sometimes do.

"Uh hum," I confirm, "I was thinking. That time that he had to come and rescue us? When he was out in the wilderness and doing his thing? That was the only time I saw him really happy. He's miserable at the Consulate - and he hates the work, you can tell. I don't know why he can't get a post out where he'd be happy, but I was thinking. What if we put him up at the post with Stevens and we see how he handles Stony Creek for his leave time? It's a month and a half, because he's not taking it in Chicago. If he fits in, you could maybe offer him the third position."

I sit quietly after that, letting Frase stew it over. This is what I love about our relationship. We can make suggestions to each other without worrying too much about the other person's response. If Ben turns my idea down, he'll at least tell me why. I know he won't be angry with me for suggesting it, just like he knows I won't be angry if he turns me down. We learnt back in Chicago when we were just friends that sometimes we had to tell each other no. We're adults and we can handle it. I needn't worry about spoiling the peace and contentment of the sunrise either - Frase is a loose bundle of muscles between my thighs. He's not offended by my suggestion for what is essentially his command - I'm not a threat to his authority.

"Stevens is aware of our relationship," Frase says after a while, "Though officially he is not. Constable Turnbull would also come to realise how things stand between us."

"Would he have a problem with that?" I ask, accepting the news about Stevens without a quiver. We're not blatant in public, but if you know us well enough you can see how we feel. Steve Stevens is a good friend of mine - he was long before Frase came to town and he's no dummy either.

"I don't believe so," Frase muses, "It is a worthy endeavour, Ray. I shall issue the invitation to Turnbull this morning at the post."

He takes a breath and I let go, feeling him ready to get up. Dief grumbles as his pillow is moved and Frase turns to pull me up as well. I stand and he kisses me deeply, sending a strong jolt to my cock. I moan into his mouth and we stumble inside for our morning nookie, eager for each other's hands and mouth. We don't make it to the bed.

The honeymoon is so not over yet.

We're not the only people who have visitors for Christmas. Sasha Rose tells me that her youngest daughter Amy is coming to visit for a few months while I'm fixing the motor in her storage refrigerator. I grin up at her from my position on the floor and wiggle my eyebrows.

"A family Christmas for you then," I tell her, "Mr Rose had better be polishing up his shotgun. If she's anything like you they'll be queuing around the block."

"Oh you," Sasha takes a swipe at me and I duck, complaining about brutality. She's grinning at me though and asks what Turnbull is like. That's a tricky question. In Chicago he was inept and unhappy - in the wilderness for that short time he was competent and relaxed. I try to explain that I knew him mostly when he was homesick and that I have a feeling that he'll be different out here.

"You and the Sergeant are thinking to recruit him," Sasha leans against the wall and I shrug, working at a particularly stubborn fastening to get the cover plate back on, "Well, well. I always knew the Sergeant was a go getter."

It feels weird to hear Frase called that. He has a name and most of the people in town prefer to use that instead of his rank. I get up from the floor and start the freezer up. The motor comes to life sweetly and I grin at my customer.

"All done," I tell her, "I'll send yer my bill."

She snorts at that - I haven't charged her for my services since I got here - and I collect my tools and clean up a little. Mr Rose is in the store proper, serving Mrs Harvey as she completes her pre-winter stockpile shopping. I start hauling boxes out to her truck, and her kids quit messing around in the street to go help. Five teenagers and a nine-year-old form an experienced box chain. I shake my head - the winters out here sure were long and cold. Mr Rose joins in the box chain, and the truck is soon loaded to the max. We cover the food up with tarps and the kids tumble in with their mom.

"Ray, can you fit me into your schedule this week? Tom wants everything checked before winter really hits us," she asks through the open window while her kids settle and bicker lightly. I grin and nod, promising to be there on Wednesday. The Harvey family is a way out of town and often get cut off from civilisation in the big snowfalls. Tom Harvey is some Internet guru that works from home - he came up here on a holiday with his folks, and fell in love. They got married pretty quickly and he settled right on into the town. Some people just aren't city folk and he's one that proves it - city bred though he is.

I head over to the post and say hello to Steve on my way through to the garage. The people at Head Office sent up a couple of second hand snow mobiles a few weeks ago and they need some work before I'll let Frase use them. Being such a small post means we occasionally get the short end of the stick when it comes to new equipment. The fact that we've got two dog teams here also reduced the need for vehicles that could cope with a deep snow fall. Mary Sue brings me a coffee a while later and we chat about this and that. She and Steve are becoming quite the item here, and I'm betting it won't be long before we hear the ringing of wedding bells.

The first signs of trouble came from the weather. It snowed pretty heavily Tuesday night and it took me a while to get to the Harvey place. Their house is made from the rocks that gave Stony Creek its name, and stands out darkly against the snow. The Harvey's greeted me happily enough and I stowed the dogs out of the cold wind that was cutting down from the pass.

"Man it's cold!" I chuckle and accept the coffee that Annie offers. Tom and Annie are sitting opposite me at the huge kitchen table that Annie made for them from a tree that fell across the drive. I rub a thumb along the edge of the table to feel the gritty texture and grin across at her.

"This is one fine piece of work, Annie," I tell her, "You've some skill there."

"Thanks Ray," she grins back, "I had some help from Henry - he's looking to make a living out of it one day."

Henry is nine and thin and scrappy. His glasses are nearly as thick as mine and yet he doesn't have the picked on `cringe' that I wore at that age. Maybe it's the whole `we're Canadian - we're polite' thing going for him, or maybe it's because the local school is run by a very strict and wily old man that has seen and done it all before.

"Well if he's half as good as you I'll have to watch out for competition," I reply easily, "I am the local handy man come builder."

We all chuckle and shoot the breeze and I let them lead up to whatever is burning on the tip of their tongues to ask. While the Harvey's are great people, I've never been real friendly with them because we just don't run across each other that much outside of work. Either I was fixing something for them or they were in town.

"Ray, we've got a request for you," Tom said after a moment, "Jenny is coming up to the end of her schooling and looking for a profession to enter."

"Uh huh," I nod encouragingly, getting an inkling of where this is going.

"She wants to do an apprenticeship in motor mechanics and maybe get a job in the city over the pass, but she needs someone to teach her. We've looked into the whole thing and the theoretical side can be done online - she can learn and attend cyber classes and all that on the net, but she needs someone to do the practical stuff with her," Tom continued, and I shake my head, pushing the coffee cup aside.

"I'm not an accredited teacher, Tom, hell, my credentials as a mechanic are pretty slim. I did get the certification so I could work on the RCMP machinery, but..."

"Ray, we asked them about that too," Annie interrupted, "You don't have to be a teacher, you just need to have the certification and then make sure she learns to do a specific set of skills to a good standard. The final assessment will be done on campus - Jenny will have to go in for that - and the school will want to talk to you about what you think."

I lean back and fold my hands, staring down at them, thinking hard. If Jenny said she wanted to do this she'd be serious and work hard. I didn't even need to worry about training my own competition. Tom and Annie and would have made sure that Jenny knew that there was no work available close to home and set her up to move to where the work was when she was done. Don't get me wrong - if she wanted to be the town mechanic bad enough she could do it by putting me out of business, but there was not enough work for two mechanics in town. Most the folk around here know enough for light maintenance and easy repairs but for the major stuff and yearly overhauls they came to me. You couldn't live out here without knowing the basics in an emergency and Jenny was the one who did the light maintenance on her parent's machines.

"Ok," I nod sharply, hoping I don't end up regretting this, "When do we start and do I need to fill in any forms?"

Annie's face lights up and I grin back at her while Tom called Jenny in from wherever she'd been waiting. They had paperwork and stuff ready for me and I read it over carefully before signing. Then I look over at Jenny and tell her to get her coat.

"We'll start here today and tomorrow I'll swing by here on my way to the Elroy's place, but you know that you'll need to get into town every day from now on. Maybe you can find a room or something in town? I can't come get you every day and your folks will need the dogs for the family."

"I know, I'm going to board with Mary Sue and her folks," Jenny nods, her eyes shining. It will be the furthest she's been from home since she was born, and I hide a grin. You can see that she's itching to get out and start her own life.

In the machinery shed I hand her my spare work gloves and start her off checking that the brakes are on everything and the keys are out of the ignition. I start giving her basic safety instructions as I check over each engine - stuff like where to put your hands, what to avoid, how to access the tricky bits of the machinery safely and comfortably.

"You never want to be leaning full stretch across an engine, ok?" I warn her, "It's a sure fire way to have an accident. Walking around may take a little more time, but in the end it's worth it."

"But if the engine's not turned on," she protests and I straighten up, glaring the old cop glare at her and knocking the inspection panel which slams down heavily with a loud clang that rings through the shed. She jumps and straightens in response to the glare and I hide a grin - the old glare still has it. And if that's what it takes to knock the typical teenage `I know what I'm doing' attitude out of her then that's what she'll get. She won't have an accident on my watch if I can possibly help it.

"At full stretch that would crush your skull like a rotten egg," I tell her, "Don't be sloppy - accidents can happen in any number of ways."

She nods and I pull the hatch open again, latching it in place.

"We'll need to fix that latch too," I tell her and go back to what I was doing. Here starteth the lesson.

The second sign of trouble was not Turnbull's acceptance of the invitation, or even the fact that he brought his leave forward to be here sooner. Steve had come back early to spend some of his leave time with Mary Sue, which meant that Turnbull would meet the man off duty and Fraser was going to be manning the office alone once his external duties were completed for the day in an effort to give them more time together. It might not be standard procedure from the manual, but Ben knew how hard it was to love someone and not be with them - we both did. Steve's early return wasn't a sign of trouble either - in the end the fact that there were three Mountie's on hand to deal with things made life a lot easier.

The second sign was the case that crossed Fraser's desk two days before Turnbull arrived. It was a kidnapping case - someone had the American ambassador's daughter and all posts were put on alert. The fact that we were practically on the other side of the country - you couldn't get much further north than we were - hadn't dissuaded RCMP Headquarters from sending us the full details and alerts.

"Ya think they'll come this far out?" I asked Frase over dinner as I read the details. That was also probably against SOP but long time habits were hard to break. We share the casework together, always had. It felt good to me that he still valued my opinion despite the damage. Tracking poaching rings and such like was different from detecting in Chicago, but the old brain still works and so does the partnership.

"It seems very unlikely, Ray," Frase conceded, "However, we will be alert."

I sit back, dinner finished and leer at him.

"How alert?" I ask and a faintly worried expression crosses his face as I get up and stump around the table, pulling his chair out and getting in between his legs. He's wearing heavy denim and wool and smells incredibly good. I kneel and rub my palms over his thighs and they widen even more for me, so eager for my touch.

"Hmm? If I do this will it distract you?" I ask, rubbing hypnotically, staring up into his face, and looking him over carefully. He's controlling his breathing, looking down solemnly and shakes his head. I swallow a victorious grin. He'll play along!

"No, that's not distracting at all," he tells me in a tight voice. I nod and run my fingers over his belly and up his chest, rubbing, stroking with slow even rhythm. His breath hitches and he curls and uncurls his hands at his side, trying not to grab on. Frase loves to play with my hair when I'm down here like this and it's gotta be bugging him that he can't. I send my hands down slowly again, feeling him up, getting a healthy expression of interest from his trapped dick. I rub him until he's pushing his hips into my hand and breathing heavily.

"Still with me, big guy?" I tease him and play with his jeans, undoing them and dipping my hands inside for my prize, "Am I bothering you?"

"Not at all, Ray," he's working hard to keep his voice steady, but his thighs are shaking in the seat and his face is flushed. I grin goofily at him and lean forward to taste my prize. There's a knock on the door. Ben growls and slumps in his chair, his eyes begging me to do something, anything. I zip him up real careful and get up, tugging at my shirt a little to cover up. At my gestures he stumbles out to the bathroom and I take a deep breath, ruffling my hands through my hair as I head for the door. Satisfied that I don't look like I was trying to swallow Ben cock first in the dining room I open the door and let Steve in.

"What's wrong, Steve?" I ask, looking over the uniform and the serious looking gear that he's carrying. Whatever it is, it's official. The guys that live on post are on twenty-four hour duty. Fraser has been worried that Steve never gets a break and I know it's only a matter of time before he starts spending the night there to give his subordinates a break.

"Those American climbers that went through here last week have been sighted on a ledge, waving a distress signal," Steve tells me and the phone rings as Sergeant `ears like a bat' Fraser calls that he is getting changed. It's Sasha Rose on the phone and she's telling me that Turnbull is at the store - having arrived a day earlier than we expected. Frase emerges from the bedroom, looking as calm and unruffled as ever and I call him over to the phone, letting him know that Turnbull has arrived.

Frase organises Turnbull to man the post tomorrow and tells him that I'll be out in the morning to introduce him to Mary Sue. If he and Steve take a sled each tonight they can be out there by morning and assess the situation. Steve has already alerted the rescue chopper - just in case they can't deal with the emergency themselves. If everything goes to plan they can be back by tomorrow night.

"Be careful," I say as they head out the door. Steve has Chicago and the team at the ready and it only takes a few minutes for them to hitch up Frase's dogs with Dief in the lead. Frase nods at me and I nod back, wishing that I could go. I hate being left behind, but even if there would be room for me on the way back the fact is that I couldn't climb that well even before I lost my leg.

I ask Frase for the use of a snow mobile tomorrow and he gives his permission with a nod. Jenny and I are headed down into the valley and we'd originally planned to take the dogs. Frase steps to the back of the sleds and gives it a push, calling his usual command:

"Lets go guys."

They move out swiftly. I watch them out of sight and then go back inside to clean up the leftovers of dinner. I'm not looking forward to spending the night alone. Turnbull - nut that he is - will probably be at the post by dawn and I decide to go in and keep him company. Jenny meets me at the post each morning, coming in with Mary Sue, so I`ll be cutting down my commute time.

Plan made, I check that the fire is safe and go to bed.

Chapter Eleven

Running a sled at night takes a lot of concentration, and all thoughts of pleasure with my lover are put aside as we rush through the cold night air. I have come to the happy conclusion that no matter how long Ray and I love each other; the level of desire and love we feel for each other can only grow stronger with each passing day. Ray complements me in a way that no other has before - my weaknesses and his strengths mesh to make us a unique whole. We were both new to male sex, though Ray had researched and experimented on himself. It had never occurred to me to do so when I finally admitted to my feelings for Ray - it was easier to deny that side of my life entirely than to complicate things with wishful experiments. Ray is a much braver and stronger man than I.

Stevens is just behind me, his team running quietly and smoothly. In the past six months - in fact since my arrival - Stevens has slowly yet surely broadened his skill base. I am also coming to see him as a valuable friend, though my friendship with him will always be illuminated by the gratitude I have for his care of Ray. Their friendship saved a part of Ray that loneliness would have slowly killed.

The sleds move out of the shadow of the mountain to our left and I direct my thoughts to the job at hand, reviewing the information I have and readying possible future actions

The American climbers that came through Stony Creek last week were experienced in their sport - at least that was what their references and permits said. It was a husband and wife team and they spent a few days in town planning their climb of Hardship Rock - a huge slab of granite that arches into the sky halfway along Stony Pass. Their equipment was all professional and they knew the `lingo' of the climbing community. Any doubts I have about their skill comes more from their attitude to the people I police, and the town that I protect. They were what Ray calls `ugly Americans' loud, opinionated and bigoted. Nothing was good enough, even though they had encountered no difficulties at all in procuring their supplies, directions and permits for the hunting weapons they were carrying. The weapons were not a part of the usual climbers rigueur, but they intended to stay out on the mountain for quite some time and would need to hunt to supplement their diet. They also had fishing permits.

Sasha Rose didn't really take to the couple, but that may have been due to their reaction to Ray. My man had entered the store in search of his new apprentice Jenny, and the woman - her name was also Jenny - had fawned and gushed, making a lot of noise and fuss around him. Sasha Rose had reported that Ray was uncomfortable - I took that to mean mortified - and things had only gotten worse when the insensitive woman asked for his autograph. At this point Ray had visibly restrained himself from whatever impulse was acting upon him and left, pushing out of the corner he'd been backed into. He came home late that night, withdrawn and upset. The nightmares had struck with a vengeance and we'd ended up on the sofa together, watching television with Dief at our feet.

No one at Stony Creek knows the full details of the incident that led to Ray's maiming, not even me. None of us dare to push too hard for the information, and to go behind his back would be a betrayal of the first degree. We content ourselves with the knowledge that Ray has chosen to live his life out in the company of friends he met on the quest and leave it at that.

As we don't get many American tourists through town - we are too far off the beaten track, even for the hunters - this problem has not occurred before. Ray spent a few more days withdrawn from his friends and myself, but once the Americans were gone he soon returned to his tough guy persona. The nightmares were once more held at bay and I hoped we had seen the last of our troubles for a while.

There is a full moon tonight, and it lights our way beautifully. There is a starkness to the shadows and light that is truly enchanting. Ray once told me he wished he were an artist so he could capture the beauty and starkness of the land at night. We were on the quest at the time. Those happy times renew my spirits and I smile a little at the memories before recalling my thoughts again. It seems that no matter what I do, my mind returns to my lover. It's fitting - he is after all, my beginning and end.

As we pass through the Harvey's land I note the landmarks that will keep us oriented. Stevens report to me as we hitched up the team indicated that old Mr Delevan had spotted the Americans. He lives alone in the family home - his wife had died some years ago and his children fled to points south. Sasha Rose calls him regularly on the radio and Ray had been out to see him once or twice over a seized engine. Despite his solitude, Mr Delevan was a hardy and self reliant man. He was observant and stood for no nonsense on or around his land. My dealings with him had always been cordial.

Mr Delevan had reported the emergency signal to be located on a ledge halfway up Hardship Rock. We didn't know if the Americans were climbing up or down the rock, or why they are flying the signal. We should reach the pass before dawn and the Rock by daylight. The dogs would be given a well earned rest and we will be able to assess the situation more clearly.

I slow the sled down to spare the dogs a little and hear Stevens do the same. Chicago and the team still prefer Ray to my Constable but there is nothing I can do about that. They have both tried to convince the team that Stevens is a competent musher, but to no avail. We are coming up to difficult terrain and I push all extraneous thoughts from my mind to concentrate.

With the dogs needs settled, Stevens and I approach the base of the Rock. The emergency signal is clearly visible on the ledge half way up the rock. As we get ready to make our own ascent Jenny starts calling and waving from her ledge, her voice quite anxious and shrill. I call up to reassure her that we are on our way and Stevens begins his ascent. I give him a good lead and then begin my own climb, enjoying the challenge of finding secure holds and challenging this ancient rock. We are able to use the crampons and pitons previous climbers have left behind, wedged into place in a kind of path up the Rock.

A steady half hour of climbing gets us to the ledge.

"Oh thank god," Jenny gushed, "It's Peter - he's stuck. We dropped a piton down a crack behind a dumb rock and it rolled on his arm. I can't get him out!"

Peter looks up wearily and I glance over the evidence of Jenny's attempts to keep him comfortable and get him out. It's obvious that they erected a shelter over him at night, but the tent poles are broken, used as levers in an attempt to get the rock off his arm.

"Are you in any pain?" I ask as I squirm for position and look at the way the rock has pinned him in place. There seems to be plenty of room there, it has simply caught him in place.

"No, it's not on my arm, just too narrow to get the damn thing out," Peter tells me, "Originally I was on my knees facing it as I reached in. I guess I knocked it off balance. I've got enough room to move my fingers and I was able to turn around so I can sit down. I just can't pull it out."

"Ahh," I murmur and lean back, looking the rock over and then stepping to the edge of the ledge and looking at where the dogs are. I don't want to risk any manoeuvres that could send this rock over the ledge to land on them - even near them is too risky.

"Stevens, we need to move the dogs first - if this goes it could hit them," I look over at my constable who is already belaying the rope he carried up, preparatory to abseiling back to the ground, "Bring up the crowbar as well, or tie it to the bottom of the rope and I'll pull it up."

"Understood," Stevens nods and steps back over the edge, making a smooth descent. I turn and look at the two Americans. They are huddled together, but seem to be in good shape.

"Would you like some water? Or food?" I offer and they both accept water from my canteen. They sit quietly as I ready the ledge for our efforts and Jenny gets up to prepare their equipment as well. There is no sign of the rifle or fishing gear that they came out with. The rifle would have made a very effective lever, and also assist them in attracting attention. I had seen the harness that would attach it to their climbing packs...

"We left the Jeep further up the pass," Jenny seems to read my mind, "We were going to head back there and do some hunting before travelling further up the pass."

I nod and turn as Stevens clears the ledge, the crowbar secured by a trailing line. We clear debris away from the bottom of the boulder and I check that there is no snow or other things prone to avalanches triggered by sound in the area.

"Very well," I turn to Jenny, "Constable Stevens and myself will move the boulder forward. You will assist Peter in moving sideways along the ledge, freeing his arm and pulling him to safety. As soon as you are clear we will release the boulder."

"I'll shout when we're clear," she promises and takes hold of Peter's free shoulder and parka. Stevens and I spend a few minutes securing our footing and lever, then I count to three and we apply a steady strain.

The heavy boulder quakes and grates, then shifts forward oh so slowly. Peter heaves and Jenny pulls, scrambling and tripping backwards, pulling her husband with her. They go down in a tangle of arms and legs, close to the edge and off balance.

"Yes!" she shouts and we ease off the strain, the boulder teetering slowly before settling with a crunch in its former position. Stevens whirls and grabs for the couple, steadying them before they can topple off the edge and I grab him, unwilling to lose my subordinate and friend if the Americans should fall after all. For a long moment we are all poised and then it is over and the Americans are safely away from the edge.

I move to inspect the trapped arm, and find it bruised and stiff, but otherwise seemingly unharmed. I secure it in a brace anyway and together Stevens and I lower the Americans to the valley floor before Stevens follows them. I unhook the ropes and climb down carefully.

When I reach the bottom the dogs are ready with the couple and their gear settled in the sleds for the journey home.

We reach Stony Creek at midnight. There is a light on in the clinic's window and Stevens takes Peter and his wife in while I take the dogs to the post. It doesn't take them long to get settled and I emerge from the garage as Stevens crosses the road from the clinic.

"They'll stay the night there, but Nurse Fry doesn't think there's any serious injury," Stevens tells me wearily. I nod and think about home.

Unfortunately, the late hour and the paperwork are against me. I head into the post and start the work now, with the idea that tomorrow I will come in a little later than usual. Some sleep is in order, and as much as I want to be at home with Ray I know that I am too tired to walk there tonight. Driving in a vehicle is also not an option - my fatigue precludes it.

Paperwork finished and put into Mary Sue's tray for the morning I take a spare bunk in the barracks, rolling in a blanket with Diefenbaker at my feet. It seems that I've only just closed my eyes when the sounds of Mary Sue entering the post wake me. The four hours of sleep that I've had are enough to get me home to Ray and I get up, slipping my boots back on and heading for the cabin. I've left a note in her tray to tell her I'll be in later. Turnbull will be able to manage until I return, and Stevens is still on leave.

It's not until I reach our front door that I realise there was no sign of Turnbull at the post. Perhaps he'd spent the night with Ray - they had a friendship of sorts in Chicago. I push the door open quietly so as not to disturb my lover.

The coat rack is empty and the cabin is cold. My gut clenches most unpleasantly as Dief whines. I go to check the ashes in the fireplace and find them cool - there's been no fire there since the night I left with Stevens. I look around for a note or a sign, anything to tell me where Ray has gone. Nothing.

"Dief!" I call and head back to the post double time. Mary Sue might have an idea where Ray went - if he'd been called out to a machine repair he'd have called Jenny to accompany him or inform her that he'd be out of town. I still feel the flush of pride that Ray was asked to take on an apprentice.

Turnbull may also have a clue to Ray's whereabouts. For that matter he may well have dropped a message on my desk that - in my fatigue last night - I missed. Mary Sue jumps to her feet as I enter the post, dropping the phone that she had to her ear and hurrying to my side.

"Sergeant Fraser! Thank heavens! I thought I'd missed you!" she cries and grabs a file from the desk next to hers - the spare desk that we were accustomed to using for storage. It will be Turnbull's if he decides to take up a post with us here.

"Where is Ray?" I ask and she hands the file over.

"With Constable Turnbull, sir," she tells me, "They've gone after the kidnappers."

"Kidnappers?" I mumble, the icy feeling growing worse with each moment. Turnbull is competent, but he is not me - Ray and I can read each other's signals with ease, second guessing the other with almost telepathic accuracy.

"The people who kidnapped little Penny Armstrong - the American Ambassador's daughter," she replies and I sit down to read through the file, trying to make sense of her words and the contents.

The picture emerges rapidly. Ray must have come into town the night I left to greet Turnbull and make sure he was comfortable for the night. Whilst they were in the post they received, or discovered the new all points bulletin that Headquarters had faxed through.

In it, there was a more detailed description of the people suspected of involvement in the kidnapping that was rapidly turning into a nightmare for the authorities in Toronto. The FBI were pushing for further involvement outside their jurisdiction and...

I hauled my thoughts back to the post and kept reading grimly. Ray had recognised two of the descriptions as Jenny and Peter Waters. He and Turnbull had hauled out the maps of the area and they'd gone through Mary Sue's files for the latest reports of illegal trappers and seasonal travellers - people who were strangers to the area, passing through with as little contact with the community as possible. We kept track of these people due to their tendency to pilfering.

Ray and Turnbull had deduced that Jenny and Peter were acting as a distraction for us while their associates passed through our territory. They had also deduced that the couple would have left some arms and supplies for their compatriots.

Using the information at the post and their not inconsiderable knowledge of criminals and their habits, Turnbull and Ray had isolated the area where Penny Armstrong was being held and headed on out that morning to rescue her. They had dispatched their suspicions to the correct authorities and also informed Mary Sue of their intentions. A quick check of the armoury showed that Turnbull, at least, was armed. Mary Sue told me that they had borrowed her father's dogs and Ray was driving.

"Constable Stevens?" I ask, looking up.

"He's gone to the clinic to secure the Waters. I woke him when I came in this morning. He told me to call you at the cabin, and went to the clinic right away. I was trying again when you came in," Mary Sue's eyes are worried, but her report is succinct. She has regained her control and I nod to her in thanks.

"I am going to assist Constable Stevens," I tell her, "Contact Headquarters again, find out why there has been no response from them. If you get no satisfaction there, contact Sergeant Frobisher and fill him in on the situation. Act upon whatever he tells you to do."

"Yes, sir," she nods and heads for her desk as I walk out the door.

At the clinic, Stevens is standing quietly outside the door to Peter Waters room. He nods when he sees me and we knock, going in together. I stay by the door and he moves to stand at the window, blocking off their escape. Jenny and Peter are looking back and forth at us, tense and hostile.

When I explain I am taking them into protective custody they make a break for the door and window respectively. It is a moment's work to subdue Peter, who is hampered by his lack of clothing and the precautionary brace fitted to his wrist. Jenny struggled with Stevens quite fiercely and he was forced to strike at her in self-defence. I make a mental note to reassure him later and we take them to the cells at the post, wrapping Peter in a blanket for the trip outside.

"There is a small detachment on the way, sir," Mary Sue informs me when the prisoners are secured in separate quarters, "What will I tell them when they get here?"

No fool she - I'm going after Ray, and Stevens will not look kindly on orders to remain behind. Mary Sue is safe enough in the post, and I will instruct her to have her father come over to assist with the prisoners. I issue my instructions and we head out to the garage. The dogs are tired but we cannot risk the snowmobiles.

I mix the two teams, choosing the fittest of each. Chicago will take the position of lead dog, leaving Diefenbaker free to run alongside. I have a feeling my lupine partner will be needed in other capacities today.

Stevens returns from the armoury with sufficient weaponry and additional first aid supplies. He takes his place upon the sled and we are off, running as fast as we possibly can. Ray has twenty-four hours on us and I am afraid that we will arrive too late.

We find Ray's borrowed team hidden under an evergreen. It has fallen in one of the winter storms, leaning crazily to the left. Enough of its roots remained intact to ensure its survival, so the tree is growing almost sideways. The lower branches, combined with their covering of snow, make for a perfect hiding place for the dogs and sled. Ray and Turnbull have left them hitched to the sled - for a quick getaway perhaps - but they are settled with tallow and greet us quietly. I leave Stevens to settle our team - he also leaves them in the harness and uses some of the tallow still on Ray's sled to feed our team - while I scout the area.

Turnbull has led the way forward; Ray is stepping in his tracks. The signs are obvious to me, though an inexperienced tracker will not be able to tell the correct number of people walking this way. They deduced that their quarry was headed for an abandoned mineshaft called, rather romantically `Hopes Dreams and Wishes'. Unfortunately that's all the miners ever had - the rather small vein of ore ran out quickly and they never found anything else out there. It is an oddity now - sealed up for the most part, though the owners - descendents of the original miners - come out from Quebec now and then to inspect it. They are city folk and ill at ease out here. Their visits are always short.

There are definite signs that the mine is now in use - though there are very few facilities there. The miners actually built into the side of the mountain, hollowing out accommodation for themselves and putting a cabin front over the entrance to their small houses. The cabins are a historical curiosity and have been listed for preservation. Now and then we get some archaeologists, the occasional geologist or mineralogy students out here to look at them or the mine.

It seems that this is what the kidnappers are trying to pass themselves off as - there are a few vehicles with a school crest on the side parked to one side, though I don't recognise the name of the school and one of the crests is crooked. All is still and I have lost the tracks I was following. There is no sign of Turnbull or Ray, or anyone else for that matter.

Stevens joins me in concealment and I give him time to make his own observations, knowing that the four hours of sleep I had are not enough to combat the tiredness that is dulling my faculties a little. Diefenbaker is at my side, also surveying the area and I wish that his hearing was up to scratch. It would reassure me greatly if he could hear Ray's voice - dogs hearing being much sharper than our own. I debate unhitching Chicago, then reject the idea - there is no predicting what the dog will do if it thinks its handler is in danger. Despite the fact that he officially belongs to the RCMP, Chicago has taken to Ray rather powerfully.

I spare a moment to consider the little girl and hope that whatever trauma she has endured, the men who took her have at least kept her warm and fed.

"It appears deserted," Stevens whispers in my ear and I nod. We both know that appearances are often deceiving and I decide to try and get a little closer. There is an outcrop of rocks that will give me sufficient cover and let me get closer to the vehicles. I indicate my intentions to Stevens and he brings his rifle up to provide me with protection.

Before I can do more than ease myself back a little, preparatory to circling behind Stevens on my way to the rocks there is a sharp crack, a muffled roar and a great gout of flame roars out of the mouth of the mine shaft. The concussion knocks me down, and presses Stevens and Dief to the ground. Part of the hillside slips a little, sinking down as the mineshaft collapses and subsides.

Two men come running out of the furthest cabin. They shout and scream for a moment before heading for the mineshaft. Stevens is up in a flash, shouting for them to halt, firing a round into the ground at their feet. I am on my feet and circling immediately, getting behind them and disarming them before securing their wrists and pushing them into the tree line.

"Yer too late, Mountie's," on man sneers, "Yer mates were in that mine, along with Penny. I dunno what they did, but no one gets out of an explosion like that."

"And how many of your people went with them?" Stevens hisses, red faced and furious. I put a numb hand on his shoulder, not wanting him to jeopardise the arrest with an inopportune remark. Ray and Turnbull rescued Penny, at least, though they were discovered. Unfortunately, the evidence against the surviving kidnappers - gloating remarks aside - is now buried in that mine with...I shut my eyes and then turn to glare pure murder at our prisoners.

The rest of me is frozen in grief. Diefenbaker throws his head back and howls, a lonely, torn sound that my heart is echoing.

Chapter Thirteen

When the dishes are done I grab my coat and scarf and head into town. Turnbull has had a long trip and the least I can do is to go down and make sure that he's comfortable and settled for the night. Frase offered him a bed in the house with us or a bunk at the post and Turnbull chose the post, saying that he didn't want to put us to any bother.

I figure that as long as he's happy - and I'll offer him a bed at the house again tonight - it doesn't matter where he sleeps. In a way, putting him up at the post is a good idea - he and Steve should get to know each other before we offer Turnbull the posting.

Turnbull is still at Sasha's house when I get there. He came in with Amy Rose and is trying to get away to give her parents some time with their child, but Sasha is having none of it, insisting he stay for a decent meal before heading to the post. I arrive in time to be roped into the argument, though I manage to squirm out of the meal for myself - citing the stew dinner I had with my Ben.

Amy Rose is not what I expected at all, with a spiky, multicoloured hairdo, a lot of piercings in her ear, one in her nose and one in her eyebrow. She looks like a tropical fish in a goldfish bowl, and when I come in she's displaying her latest tattoo, on her left hip. Turnbull is looking flustered - both from the hospitality debate and the bare skin on display, and he cottons on to me with relief.

The Roses feed us - I'm forced into eating a small serving 'to be polite', damn that woman's devious - and I walk him to the post as soon as it's polite to do so. I close the door to the barracks firmly and then grin over at him.

"So, Turnbull, it's good to see ya. How was the trip?" I ask and he smiles back. He's got a glint in his eyes that I never saw in Chicago - Stony Creek is already working its magic on him.

"Very enjoyable. I had ample opportunity to observe the country as I came in. I must say, Ray that you live in a beautiful spot."

I had made it clear that he was to call me by my first name now - we were both of us off duty and friends - and he had not forgotten once since I made the request. I was still calling him Turnbull, though, and that seemed wrong to me. If we were going to be friendly, last names wouldn't do. However, calling him Renfield was just weird - didn't Canadian's call their boys normal names? And could I really talk with my name being what it was?

"Look, I can't keep calling you Turnbull - that's not buddies. You got another name I can call you?" I sigh, stirring the stove to get the heat going and then checking the furnace as well. Steve used both - though the furnace was mainly turned on for the cells. They kept it at a low temperature to stop the pipes from freezing and keep the chill off the unused rooms.

"Ummm," Turnbull shoots me a very shy look and I grin at him in encouragement. He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders, preparing himself for a refusal. I get the feeling he is about to ask me to call him something he's wished for but never had. I make a mental note not to laugh or insult him in any way when he finally spits it out.

"I've always wanted to be called Renf," Turnbull confesses to me and I nod, looking at my boots for a moment before grinning at him in reassurance. I guess he didn't have many buddies that would give him a nickname like that. At least people called me `Ray' when I asked them to, well, except for Vecchio...

"Sure, Renf," I gesture to the kitchen that allows access to the post, "You want some tea? Steve got some of Sasha Roses good fruitcake yesterday for the post. She feeds him three times a week - I'm sure he won't mind sharing."

"That would be very welcome," Turnbull says in a soft voice and I gimp out to the kitchen, giving him time to get it back together. He joins me after a minute and we sit at the table while he tells me about Chicago and the Consulate.

I'm getting ready to go when I hear the fax machine in the post go off. Turnbull follows me as I gimp on in and pull out the logbook and a pen. I jot the details down from the front cover while Turnbull sits on the edge of the nearest desk to read through the details of the fax. It's an all points bulletin and when I ask about it - making it clear that I already know about the kidnapping and the details sent to the post - he hands it over for me to read page by page.

When I get to the last two descriptions my alarms all go off.

"Damn, Renf, this sounds just like the couple that Ben and Steve have gone to rescue," I tell him and he frowns at me. I shift uneasily.

"Look, they're American and the woman - her name is Jenny Waters - recognised me from the mess in Chicago. They've got a whole bunch of hunting permits and weapons, but they're here to climb rocks and mountains. They said the permits were so they could supplement their rations. Maybe the reason she made such a fuss about recognising me was to get me off balance and not thinking about if I'd seen her before. We musta run across each other in Chicago or something."

I go and dig out the post's copies of the permits and the list of weaponry they were carrying. Turnbull goes over it with a frown and then looks up at me.

"This seems excessive, even for Americans," he tells me and then blushes. I laugh and clap him on the shoulder, shaking my head. In a way he just complemented me - I know he didn't mean me in that statement. He gets it back together and I pull out a map of the area, showing him where they were going and where Frase is headed.

"It is possible that the kidnappers are headed this way and the Waters couple are attempting to distract Sergeant Fraser and Constable Stevens while they travel," Turnbull admits, "There have been vague reports from the intelligence branch of sightings in this general area."

"And I bet they were discounted, because no one thought they'd come this far out. What are they ransoming the kid for?" I nod; poring over the map, looking for a place these guys could hole up without being spotted easily.

"They are trying to influence a trade deal between our countries," Turnbull sighed, "But as you know, America will not negotiate with terrorists, no matter the cause."

"That's right. They'll just take the kids dad off the job," I nod and Turnbull leans over the map with me.

"What do you think is their likely destination, should they be in this area?" Turnbull asks after a moment and I grin. He's willing to play my hunch for now. It won't hurt for us to go have a look around and if nothing comes of it then we've at least eliminated the territory out here.

"Well, they need shelter - they can't expect to keep the kid locked up in a tent," I tell him and he nods.

"Penny Armstrong is only six, but in my experience children at that age can be quite resourceful," he agrees and I bight my lip. The poor kid must be scared spitless. It's been almost a week since she was taken.

"Yeah, Renf, but if she runs away out here there's no chance for her - she won't know how to survive the wilds, even assuming she doesn't freeze to death in the first coupla hours," I tell him, and then point to the map, "Look, there are two places they can be, and one of them is a fairly outside chance. The old Demeter homestead - it's burned out but the barns and sheds are still intact - or the Hopes Dreams and Wishes mine. There's plenty of shelter there and it's more defensible. I think the mine is more likely - it's in better condition, and closer to the area where the Waters were climbing. If they were scouting the area for the rest of the gang they'd have been more likely to find the mine than the homestead."

"Very well," Turnbull nods, "I will just compose a quick fax to headquarters, detailing our suspicions. We should also leave a message for the Sergeant."

"I'll do that. We can call Mary Sue as well; let her know what's going on. She'll have to man the post alone today," I nod, looking out at the street, which is slowly brightening with the dawn's first light. I'll also have to let Jenny know to call our clients for the day and reschedule with them. With a bit of luck the girls will spend the day at the post together - we don't like leaving Mary Sue without back up.

Mary Sue's dad lends us his dogs when he hears what we're doing and agrees to keep an eye on the post and his daughter unofficially. We don't want to use machines that will advertise our location to our quarry. And I've been in Canada too long if I'm thinkin' things like that.

I pack Turnbull in as passenger, because the dogs know me better than him. I've raced against this team once or twice in friendly competition, and taken care of them while the family was away for Mary Sue's surgery and later for a holiday they all took to give themselves a chance to get their heads around what had happened.

We get there by mid-afternoon. If things are going ok for Ben and Steve they'll be heading back from their rescue by now. I push him from my mind, though I'm wishing with all my heart he was beside me right now. Turnbull and I have never been in action together like this - and I'm worried that the leg will slow me down as well. I'm in the best shape of my life, though, and I'll have to be smart about what I take on.

We hide the dogs under a weird tree, and after a moments thought we leave them in the traces instead of untying them like we normally would. I get them settled with a bit of tallow each and hope they'll be quiet. We've got the sled concealed and pointing back toward Stony Creek, so if we have to make a break for it we're at least pointing in the right direction.

I step in Turnbull's tracks on the way to the mine and bingo - there are our suspects. They've got a couple of vehicles with a fake school crest on the side. On the way here I told Turnbull what I knew about the mine and its layout. I've been there once to rescue a couple of geologists who broke down and they showed me around a little. I know there's no one supposed to be there now - the rules say that the schools have to inform the post of their presence each time - should there be an emergency out there the guys on post know what to expect and who to look for.

Careful surveillance tells us that the kid is in a little hut all on her own inside the mine. It used to house explosives and isn't really heated, though it's out of the weather at least. There's a generator chugging away in the entrance and I hope that means she's got a light and a heater.

We decide to wait until it's dark to make our move. With luck once they've fed the kid they'll leave her alone for the night and we can break her out of there and be gone before they realise we were there. Turnbull's armed and we decide that I'll go in for Penny while he covers me. We spend the last of the daylight edging slowly into an outcrop that is the closest cover to the mines entrance.

The temperature drops sharply when the sun goes down and I hand Turnbull some of the pemmican that I brought with me. We'll need the fuel to fight the cold and keep our energy reserves up. When my watch face - which is luminous thank god - shows it's seven there's some activity as a guy takes a lantern over to the mine. He's carrying a bowl and has a thermos tucked under his arm - Penny's dinner I hope. Twenty minutes later he comes back, and the bowl is empty so we figure she's been fed and it's safe to try and get her out.

"Cover me Renf," I pat his arm and gimp as quickly and quietly as I can into the mine. Sure enough there's a light on in there, one of those bulbs-on-a-flex that people buy to put in their workshops. It's got a handgrip and a wire frame around the bulb. The tiny shed is lit by it, and I pull my utility knife out of my pocket, heading for the lock. On the walls beside the shed are old candles and lanterns - abandoned by various people over the years.

"Penny?" I whisper, "My name is Ray Kowalski. Can you hear me honey?"

She whimpers a little and I make a shushing noise as I break the lock and push the door open. She's curled up in a corner, filthy and cold despite the fact that she's wearing jeans and a parka - I remember that she was taken on her way to school, so she'd have been wearing a coat that would keep her warm on the walk from the car to the school. There's a blanket on the floor under her - a good thick one thank god - and nothing else. The light from the bulb outside would only have filtered in a little from the cracks in this old shed.

I take the time to kneel down as best I can - it's not smooth, but I don't want to scare her any more than she already is - and smile at her. If I go in there and grab her she'll most probably scream and we don't need the complications.

"It's ok, honey. I'm here with the Mountie's. We're going to take you somewhere warm and safe and call your dad - I promise," I make my voice soft and warm, and she shifts a little to get a better look at me. I take a chance and put my hand out a little, not close enough to grab her, but reaching out.

"Are you hurt?" I ask gently and she shakes her head. She comes a little closer and I smile at her, encouragingly. She's one brave little kid, that's for sure - at her age I'd probably have been bawling and carrying on in this situation.

"You promise to take me home?" she asks, her brown eyes swimming with tears and I nod, not moving to grab her when she comes in range.

"I promise," I tell her, and she takes my hand. I squeeze it - her fingers are freezing - and lurch up onto my feet. I reach over and grab the blanket, folding it so I can wrap it around her snugly, and then pick her up. She's too cold to move quickly now, and a part of me just wants to hold and rock her until the shivers of cold and fear are all gone.

"Ray!" Turnbull appears suddenly, "We've got company!"

Penny makes a frightened noise and clings to my neck with surprising strength. Turnbull is surveying the area, grabbing candles and closing the shed door, the rife stowed over his shoulder. I'm already heading deeper into the mine - Turnbull wouldn't have come in like this if he thought we could get out, and there was no time now to look for a better hiding place.

"Shhh, Penny. This is Constable Renfield Turnbull of the RCMP, a good friend of mine. Renf, what now?" I glance over my shoulder quickly. Turnbull is walking almost backwards, covering us.

"Get deeper into the tunnel and light a candle," he whispers urgently and I nod grimly. The candle won't be too bright if I shelter it with my body and we'll be at least able to see what's right in front of us.

The shouts of Penny's angry guard echo around us and she buries her face in my neck, tears wetting my skin. I kiss her hair absently, too worried about walking into a wall or pit to take the time for more. Turnbull tugs me to a stop and lights a candle for me. The gloom recedes enough for me to see a bit better and I jiggle Penny a bit to get her attention.

"Hold the candle for me honey," I whisper, "I need to guide Renf along."

She takes the candle, holding it carefully while I latch a hand in Turnbull's jacket, leading him along as he walks backward to cover our escape. If we get caught, he'll have to shoot first and ask questions later. Our progress is painfully slow, but I have a plan. We need to find the tunnel I was in the last time I was here. It had a ventilation shaft that was fairly steep, but narrow like a chimney. The other two should be able to manage it no problem, and once out, Turnbull and the kid can go for help.

After what seems like eternity, but is only a couple of hours we reach the ventilation shaft. The candle flickers wildly and almost goes out before I turn us enough to shelter it from the air current. Our pursuers have been dogging us on and off all this time, their shouts echoing through the mine as they call for Penny angrily. I'm not sure if they think she escaped on her own or if they know she has help. Either way we need to get out as quickly as we can now.

On the plus side, between the blanket and my body heat Penny has warmed up and stopped shaking, though she is still scared.

"Where are we?" Turnbull also feels the air current and takes his eyes off the way we came long enough to glance around.

"At the bottom of a ventilation shaft. It slopes enough that it might be possible to climb out," I whisper back, "It's narrow like a chimney."

"Excellent," Turnbull shoulders the rifle and moves quickly to examine the sides of the shaft, taking the candle and shielding it while he sticks his head and shoulders inside.

"I'll go first," he turns back to look at me, "Pass Miss Penny up to me once I am steady and then we'll pull you up too."

"Renf, I can't. My leg won't let me..." I choke to a stop when Penny tightens her grip even more - for a kid she's got one hell of a grip - and Turnbull glares at me in a most impolite fashion.

"No one gets left behind," he tells me, "You will be able to manage this climb. You need to brace your feet on one side of the shaft and your back on the other. Then use your arms to help lever your back up as you walk along the side of the shaft."

I frown, and then flinch when a shout echoes particularly loudly. They're getting close and I know the other two won't go if I don't agree to try this. I nod and Turnbull sticks the candle in a handy niche. I watch closely as he pulls himself up and in, the rifle scraping a little until he gets it positioned just right.

"Ok, honey girl, you've been real brave so far and now it's time to trust me again. Renf will keep you perfectly safe, I promise and when we're out we'll head for home, ok?" I kiss the dirty face and Penny gives me a tiny smile.

"Ok," she whispers. I have to take the blanket off her - it's too bulky for Turnbull to manage on top of her weight - but I wrap her in my scarf. I give her another kiss and a hug then boost her up. She scrabbles for a grip, trying to help and together we get her settled, clinging to Turnbull and giving him a little smile. They're practically nose-to-nose there.

"...blow the place!..."

The words echo around me and I stiffen. I don't know if that's a threat or if someone is shouting at an incompetent idiot. I have a vague memory that there is an old cache of explosives here - left behind a long time ago by students who had permission to try and open up an old passage, I think. Either way I don't want to find out, and I grab the candle. It flickers wildly as I scramble for a hold, but by some miracle it doesn't go out and once inside the shaft the air currents are blocked enough by my body to keep it alight. We had to light a new one just before we got to the shaft, so it's still long enough not to burn me when I hold it in my teeth.

The stiffness of my fake ankle makes things pretty difficult for the first ten minutes until I get a rhythm going; and then it's just a long time of strain. I don't want to crowd Turnbull, but at the same time we need to be close to let the light benefit us both. Penny is whispering encouragement to the man carrying her - it makes my heart warm. She's such a brave kid. The fake leg slips now and then - it's hard not being able to adjust the angle of my foot to the wall and my knee and thigh are screaming in pain in very short order as they do all the work.

About the time I want to just give up and slide back down the shaft, Turnbull stops. I hear him whisper to Penny about lying flat on the ground and being very still and then he's boosting her up, up, and out. He follows in short order and I blow the candle out with my nose before following, sliding oh so gratefully to the ground once I'm out. Now I know why the Pope kisses the ground when he gets off a plane.

The blanket that I stuffed inside my jacket is real warm from all this exercise and I wrap Penny in it again, praising her bravery and courage in a soft voice before picking her up and hustling with Turnbull into the cover of some nearby trees. We keep going up the hill a bit until we come to a lucky snow covered tree. Between the covering of snow on the lower branches and the snow bank around it we find a natural snow cave - the perfect place to shelter for a moment and plan our next move.

Just as we get settled the ground shakes, there's a loud groan and long rumble and then the world settles down again. Penny is clinging to me with arms and legs, her face buried in my neck once more, and Turnbull looks around in consternation.

"That felt like a landslip," he tells me and I frown. The ground here should be pretty hard - what with the frost and all - not the right consistency for a landslide. I rock Penny gently, rubbing her back through the blanket. We've lit the last candle that Turnbull grabbed - thank god for waterproof matches and belt pouches - and the snow cave is well lit.

"There was some yelling about blowing the place...maybe they found an old cache of explosives. That stuff gets unstable if it's old, doesn't it?" I ask Turnbull and he nods. He's as grimy as Penny and looks exhausted. I don't blame him - we've been up a very long time now, and the shaft was gruelling.

"We need to rest for a moment, recover our strength. Then we need to get back to the dogs," he tells me and I nod, reaching for the last of the pemmican. I persuade Penny to eat a bit too and she lets go enough so that I can cradle her in my lap. She falls asleep as soon as the last swallow is gone and I grin at Turnbull.

"A brave young lady," he whispers, "She encouraged me towards the end - despite her fears."

"I heard, champ," I tease and he flushes a little, smiling back. We decide to give it another hour and then move out.

We wake Penny and crawl out very carefully. There's no sign of our perps and a part of me hopes they went up with the mine. This time Turnbull leads the way, and I walk in his footprints again with Penny in my arms. He is on the alert, and when we get near the shaft he stops dead.

There was indeed a landslip - we'll have to detour around it to be safe - and I shake my head in amazement. Penny looks at me with astonished eyes and I pull a face for her, earning a little giggle. Turnbull smiles at her and moves off again, leading us down to safety.

It's nearly noon when we finally get to where the dogs are hidden. Not a good time for a clandestine escape, but at least we'll be undercover if we have to wait until it's dark for our escape. The snow around the tree is disturbed, though, and Turnbull freezes in concern.

"There's someone here," he whispers. I frown and look at the tree, then nod. There's been another sled here; it's gone under the tree with ours. Friend or foe? Hard to say from here, though I'm hoping the dogs are ok.

"I can't tell if they've taken the dogs or not," I whisper and Turnbull shakes his head. Penny has fallen asleep in my arms - she's exhausted and I don't want to wake her to more fear. Turnbull's been helping me check that she's ok - not cold or anything. With a gesture he tells me to wait here, and slips away to check.

After a coupla minutes I hear the all clear - a soft hoot that could have been an owl if there were any out this way. I heft the sleeping girl in my arms and slip as quietly as I can from our cover to the relative safety of the team.

"Hey! Chicago! Nanuk!" I whisper as I put Penny down on the sled, "Renf, this is the post's team. Fraser's here!"

I'm covering Penny with the extra blanket we brought and the tarp that the passenger travels under as I greet part of my team and part of Fraser's. The dogs must have been dead tired for him to mix the teams like this. Which also means that Dief is here somewhere - with Chicago in the lead traces, Fraser would have been using Dief to scout ahead, possibly to check our trail.

I let Chicago out of the traces and send him off to find Fraser. It's the safest way to let my lover know we're here without tipping our hand to Penny's kidnappers. They're not woodsmen - any glimpse they get of Chicago will probably make them think wolf not dog.

Turnbull has established himself a lookout in the rear of our shelter, the end facing the mine. I break into the supplies we left on the shed and hand him some juice and trail mix. We both really need something more substantial than that now, but it will have to wait until we get a sit rep from Fraser. I don't want to blow our cover by starting up a fire.

Penny stirs a little and then sits up. She looks for me and gets up, stumbling to my side trailing the blanket. I settle her in my lap with a kiss to the temple and fish out another juice for her. Nanuk comes close and I introduce them, telling Penny we'll be riding with the dogs' home as soon as our friends get here.

"Diefenbaker," Turnbull says, and I urge Penny up off my lap to get up. I've barely taken a step to the edge of the shelter when the wolf knocks me flat, sitting on my and licking, whining and yelping incoherently.

"Dief!" I splutter, "Calm down will ya!"

Penny is giggling and I hear Turnbull snicker in amusement. I guess the wolf met up with Chicago before Frase did and hightailed it here. Frase is gonna have something to say about that. I get him off me and ruffle his fur for a minute before getting up again.

"Ray!" Frase's cry echoes through the trees and I frown. There's an edge to his voice I don't like and I step out of the shelter, gimping towards my running man. He's... aw god he's crying as he runs, a desperate glint to his eyes as I put my arms out to him. I go down again, this time under Fraser. He's holding me and kissing me frantically, sobbing and crying. Incoherent words bubble out of him and I hold tight, wrapping my good leg over his and squeezing him hard until he falls silent.

What little I did hear chills me to the core. He saw the mine go up, and the two people that weren't in there told him that I was...he thought I was dead.

"Aw Ben love. I'm so sorry," I whisper, "I was on the mountain when the mine went up. I'm so sorry I scared you lover."

Dief has joined the pile and my ribs are about to protest when Fraser gets up, wiping his eyes rather shamefacedly and sniffing defiantly. He pulls me up when I hold a hand out and I refuse to let go when I'm upright. I lead him into the shelter to say hello to Turnbull and meet little Penny, reflecting that after that little display Turnbull should be in no doubt about his bosses relationship with me.

Chicago returns to the shelter and I put the harness back on him. I pack Turnbull and Penny onto my sled while Fraser readies his team and we head on out to the mine and the detachment that arrived not long after the explosion. Stevens greets us enthusiastically while Fraser calls off the search for our bodies, though they'll have to keep excavating for the rest of the criminals.

The Inspector in charge of the detachment agrees that we should get Penny back to the clinic at Stony Creek. Steve takes charge of the team I borrowed and Frase packs me onto his sled. Penny insists on riding with me now that I'm a passenger too, and I snuggle her in.

Once she's asleep I free an arm and twist it around to put my hand over Frase's as he drives us home.

Chapter Fourteen

Penny's folks are going to fly up in their private plane - with plenty of private guards and a private doctor as well - so by the time we've got her cleaned up, checked out at the clinic, fed a decent meal and asleep in the spare room they'll be at the door, anxious to have their baby back.

She won't let me out of her sight when we get the to clinic - even when the nurses take her clothes off to check her over. Sasha had dug up some of Amy's old clothes, and once it was clear the kid had decided to stick with her buddy Ray, she came up to the cabin with us to help out.

While Fraser sits on the closed toilet - he won't let me out of his sight either - and Dief lays across the doorway, I supervised Penny in the bath. Lots of hot water and plenty of concealing bubbles courtesy of some shampoo added in while the water was running and the rubber duck from my desk in the 2-7 adds the finishing touches. We get her laughing again - the fear in her eyes and the tension in her muscles draining away the longer she is in the warmth - and then Frase holds out a towel while I lift her out.

Sasha has warmed the sweats she'd found for Penny in front of the fire and cooked a meal for us all as well. Turnbull is with Mr Rose and Amy, getting similar treatment I assume, and I make a mental note to give him a call when Penny is asleep.

Sasha gives us all seconds, and then I take Penny into the spare room for a nap. We've been informed of her parents ETA, so I promise her that when she wakes up there will be a great surprise for her and she drifts off to sleep holding my hand. Dief snuck in just as I get her settled and gets up on the bed, guarding her. She puts a hand in his fur too, and I wink at him. I know exactly how comforting he can be.

It takes me a while to get lose, but eventually I manage it and trudge out into the kitchen. Frase and Sasha are sitting on the couch together with the TV on low, and she is holding his hand. I put in a quick call to Turnbull and then go to join them.

There are tear tracks on my lovers face and his breathing is a bit unsteady. I glance at my Canadian mother, and then sit beside my man, putting my arms around him and kissing his temple tenderly.

"I am so sorry I scared ya like that Ben love," I whisper in his ear, "I would never leave you like that. You know I'll wait for ya."

He sobs and buries his face in my neck, just where Penny had. I rock him and kiss his hair until his body relaxes against me. Sasha smiles approval and I smile back, glad that she could be so accepting of our love. We sit together for a while, not really watching the TV until Frase stirs against me. I kiss him again for good measure and get a squeeze in reply.

"You need a shower," his voice is muffled, but normal. I snort and whap his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, so do you. Come on, you can check to make sure I wash behind my ears," I leer and get up, pulling him after me. Sasha snorts in an entirely different, yet meaningful way, and turns the volume up on the TV a bit. I blush at the implication and pull my lover into the bathroom.

We close the door and I peel out of my clothes, a bit damp from where Penny has splashed me during her bath and a lot dirty from the last few days. I need a shave, and start that job first, Frase at my side. We've perfected the art of shaving and showering together, though I have plans for the shower that don't involve cleanliness.

The last of the bristles gone, I turn on the water, get the temperature just right and pull Ben in with me. He grabs the soap and a rag and starts washing me gently, taking his time to ensure I am super clean. I'm leaning up against him, co-operating when he needs me to move and just basking in the love he is always giving me so freely.

Then it's my turn and I linger over his hot spots, rubbing and stroking suggestively. He's half hard by the time I get to that part of him, and I snicker a little, washing until he's hard and rocking his dick in my hand. I leave that bit of him alone and clean the rest of him, giving his scalp a massage as I do his hair. He is pretty relaxed when I get finished and I kiss him thoroughly.

"If I remember right we were interrupted," I whisper in his ear and before he can grab me I'm on my knees, sucking and licking enthusiastically, worshiping his cock as only a life mate can. He jams his hand in his mouth to muffle his moans and it doesn't take long before I'm swallowing his gift.

He sinks to the shower floor and kisses me hard, pulling me into his lap and reaching for my aching cock. I sigh and give myself over to the pleasure he's offering me, kissing him over and over, breathing `I love you' into his mouth whenever we break for air, letting my pleasure spill over so gently it brings tears to my eyes.

Penny's folks wake her up and she cries a little in her mother's arms, hanging onto her dad's hand and sniffling in that cute way kids have. Her mom persuades her to let the doctor look at her and her dad comes out to the living room with us. Frase is in uniform once more and sitting apart from me in a very proper manner - the furthest he's been from me since we got back.

I'm wearing my new jeans and a knitted sweater, but I refuse to dress up in my own home. Sasha is in the kitchen again, this time making breakfast and I get chased out of my own kitchen when I go to try and help. Turnbull turns up with the extra supplies she called the store for - he's wearing a uniform that I think he borrowed from Steve and I'm glad for the reinforcements. The guys that are currently standing around the wall watching us like we're about to attack their boss are unnerving me.

Frase and Turnbull start telling the Ambassador what happened with me chipping in now and then. I'm next to him on the couch with Dief sulking at my feet because the doctor kicked him out. We're getting to the airshaft when Penny starts shouting in the spare room. Before we can even get up the door opens and she appears, dragging the doctor over to the couch, her cheeks flushed with temper.

"There!" she drops his hand and glares, "Ray had an adventure too!"

"What's up honey?" I ask, grinning. Frase has relaxed already, probably figuring out what's going on. Penny frowns, her eyes bright with temper and tears.

"You have to get checked out too. The nurses at the clinic didn't look after you, and Dr Mike says that he doesn't have to either!" she stamps her foot and I pull her into my lap, dropping a kiss on her temple like I always do, even though I haven't known her that long. She leans into me and Turnbull takes her hand, sitting beside me on the couch.

"I'm ok, honey, I didn't need the nurses to look me over," I rub her back. If she's well enough for a tantrum then she's ok, and I'm kinda glad to see it.

"But your leg is sore! You limp!" she protests and puts her face in my neck. I rub her back and sigh a little. I didn't want to get into this with her, but I guess that she has to know about the stump if she's going to calm down.

"Penny, I was a cop back in Chicago a little while ago. A bit more than a year, actually," I look at Frase in astonishment. Has it really been a year already?

"So?" she leans back to look at me. I pull a face and get a reluctant smile. Turnbull has a hand on my shoulder now, and Fraser is standing close by, smiling his support.

"I got hurt on my very last case, honey. My leg was hurt pretty bad and that's why I walk the way I do. The nurses know all about it, so they didn't have to check," I give her the broad truth, hoping...

"How bad?" she asks and I sigh, hopes dashed.

"I've only got one whole leg left, honey - you're sitting on it. The other one stops at the knee," I can't help the blush and she stares at me with wide eyes. Yeah, I'm a damaged freak, honey. Don't hate me, ok?

"But you carried me and climbed up the shaft!" she protests, "Wow! That's pretty cool!"

"Cool?" I ask, confused. Freakish, yes, but cool? I shake my head and decide not to try and figure her out.

"Very cool," Turnbull chimes in and I give him the evil eye a little. Not that he's bothered; he grins and tips his head at me. I roll my eyes and look at my lover, who is beaming at me.

"Breakfast!" Sasha calls, just in the nick of time and I put Penny on her feet. She grabs my hand and pulls me to the table, Frase and her parents chuckling behind us. I guess she's like this all the time then. God help the guy that marries her.

We see the back of Penny and her folks after a couple of days. The Ambassador and his wife are very eflu...ellu...vocal about how thankful they are for all we did. Turnbull and Fraser and Stevens will probably get a medal or something out of all this. I'm hoping that if Turnbull decides to stay with us he'll be able to trade on this to smooth the way.

Steve and Renf both offer to man the post for the day after they leave and Fraser thanks them kindly, accepts with alacrity and shuffles me off to the cabin. I barely have the breath to ask what the hurry is, and Dief runs ahead, scooting inside the minute the door is opened. It's a good thing he does too.

Frase kicks the door closed, grabs me, throws me over his shoulder and carries me into the bedroom, throwing me onto the bed. I'm laughing so hard I'm practically crying here and he strips, his face alight with amusement, love and unbridled lust. He grabs me and strips me as well. It's not until hours later that I realise he's taken my leg off, touched the stump of what was my right leg and I didn't freak.

Then he's on me, kissing my mouth, my face, his hot skin rubbing over mine in an electric charge that shocks right through my body, ricocheting through me and lodging in my cock. I harden against him and he smiles tenderly, before latching onto my neck and sucking, the sting telling me he's left a passion mark there for anyone to see.

I moan loudly and start rubbing against him. His beautiful cock is rubbing against mine and I need more, running my hands over his shoulders and back greedily. He growls and grabs my hands before I can grab his ass and pins them over my head.

"Mine," he growls. My cock hardens even more and I shudder in desire. I've never been possessed before and it feels good. He's staking his claim after he gave me up for dead at the mine, and I want to give him what he needs. Later I'll do a little staking of my own.

"Yours," I agree, "Love you Ben."

"Yes," he lowers his head and starts sniffing and licking and nibbling. I'm so turned on I can't see straight as he finds a nipple and settles in for some serious teasing. He roams over my chest and belly, skips my cock completely - earning a very unmanly whine - and sucks on my thighs and knees before heading up again to chew on my hips.

About the time I'm about to go crazy with desire and all kinds of neat stuff, he flips me over and starts on my back. I'm so hot for him that I'm begging him shamelessly to touch me, let me come. My dick is bursting, dripping for him.

He ignores me, licking his way oh so excruciatingly slowly down my back. He nibbles his way all over my ass cheeks, holding me down while he does so I can't rub against the sheets and get some relief. Then he parts the flesh there and dives in.

I feel his tongue against my hole and start screaming, my fingers wrapping around the top of the mattress. I feel the sadistic bastard smiling against my ass as he opens me with long slow licks that have the top of my head floating off into the atmosphere.

When it comes back he's deep inside me, hitting my happy button with each stroke. He's pounding me, my hips held up in his hands as he thrusts into me so hard the whole bed shakes. I start howling again as the pleasure builds once more. My cock is throbbing in time with each thrust.

Ben is grunting above me, totally gone. I buck against him, riding hard on his cock and his hands tighten in response. I'll have finger shaped bruises there tomorrow and I don't care. This feels so good it should be illegal, and probably is. He's totally gone, cave-Mountie and I'm loving every second of it.

He growls and then screams, his hips bucking out of control as he comes, taking me with him for the second time. I float away to a very happy place for a long time.

When I get back I feel like I ruptured something when I came, but I've got my man on my chest, snuggling and dopey so that's ok. I grunt to let him know I'm alive and sink a hand into his hair, fingers stroking restlessly. I've got no idea what the time is, or even what day it is - hell I'm lucky to know my name at the moment.

"I love you," it's the most important thing to me that he knows this, that he understands that I'm not going anywhere without him. As incredible as the sex is when he's reclaiming my skinny butt, I don't ever want him to feel that afraid ever again. I scared him when he first heard about my accident, and the mine hasn't helped with the abandonment issues left over from his childhood. That's ok, though. We've got the rest of our lives to work on this.

"...grmph lvvvvph ootwhhh..."

I think, translated from post mind-blowing sex, that was I love you too. I grin stupidly up at the ceiling and just float along with him for a while. Ray Kowalski this is your life.

I sure am one lucky bastard.

-end-

End crisis at stony creek by shedoc: shedoc10@hotmail.com

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