A Chance Encounter

by Jason Finigan

This story is set in an alternate reality, and assumes the technology and capabilities of this reality's 23rd century are present in modern-day society.

Portions of this story contain copyrighted characters from other authors. The characters from the following stories are used with permission: A New Day "Dawns © GunRunner; One Door Closes, Frontier, and A New Door Opens © MultiMapper; Sentenced to Life © JeffP; Enterprise Tour and Enterprise Tour: The Early Years © Greybear; Memories: Down Under © Boi From Aus; Ark © Akeentia; and Out Of The Past © DarkStar. The following characters are used with permission: Mark Owens © Slash; Johnny Carter © ND from his story Nick and Ashley.

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

THIS STORY IS COPYRIGHT © 2007-2008 BY JASON FINIGAN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTION FOR COMMERCIAL GAIN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, POSTING ON SITES OR NEWSGROUPS, DISTRIBUTION AS PARTS OR IN BOOK FORM (EITHER AS A WHOLE OR PART OF A COMPILATION) WITH OR WITHOUT A FEE, OR DISTRIBUTION ON CD, DVD, OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA; WITH OR WITHOUT A FEE, IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S WRITTEN CONSENT. YOU MAY DOWNLOAD ONE (1) COPY OF THIS STORY FOR PERSONAL USE; ANY AND ALL COMMERCIAL USE EXCEPTING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS REQUIRES THE AUTHORS WRITTEN CONSENT. THE AUTHOR MAY BE CONTACTED AT: jasonfinigan@yahoo.com.

From the last chapter:

"Better make that quick, dear," Lorn whispered to her. She smiled and nodded her head before heading into the house. A minute later she came back out with two glasses of ice in her hands. Lorn took one from her and moved over to Jack, while Lizzie walked over to Dale. At the same time they pulled at the collars of both men's shirts and poured the ice down their banks.

The results were instant, the two men immediately waking up from their trance, and yelling out loud in surprise.

"What was that for, Lorn?" Jack demanded, once he had managed to get all the ice out of his shirt.

"I don't think we all want to stand out here while you two lovebirds stare at each other all night," Lorn laughed.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jack asked, which was echoed by Dale.

"Face it, Jack," Paula laughed. "You found the man of your dreams. Now hurry up and kiss already. I'm getting hungry."

Jack and Dale blushed at the same time and looked back at one another. At first I didn't think they were going to, until at last Dale moved forward and began to kiss Jack lightly. Emotion soon took over, and before long they were kissing one another passionately in front of everyone, their arms wrapped one another in one of the longest, most loving kisses I had ever seen.

Terry and I joined in the cheers around us, as everyone basked in the light of new love. Even though Dale was a number of years older than Jack, I could tell by how they looked at each other that age was definitely not going to be an issue. You just knew that this was going to be a relationship to last a very long time.

Chapter 17

"Could you pass the potatoes please, Dad?" I asked my father.

We were sitting at the dining room table, which was huge. I don't think I'd ever seen one this big. Even with everyone sitting at it, there was still more than enough room for more people. Lets see, there was myself and Terry, his sister Emily, Sam and her parents, Uncle Darryl and Uncle Tim, my parents of course, Terry's uncle Dale, Jake, Paula, and finally there was Lorn and his wife, Lizzie. Seventeen people all sitting around a table that had to seat at least twenty. The dining room itself was so big that even with the huge table in it, there was more than enough room for everyone to move about in it. In fact, at the end of the room, near the windows there sat a couple of chairs and some tables with lamps on them. Inside the tables, I could see each had a rack which contained several magazines and books. Along the two long walls sat various elaborate cabinets. Each one was lighted, and contained some pretty ornate dinnerware. Everything in the room gave off an air of tradition, as if each and every item within it was passed down from one generation to the next. The furniture certainly looked as though it was made many years before I was born, and yet each and every single piece was well looked after and appeared to be just as it had been the day it was made.

If there is one thing I was going to suggest the next time we had a large gathering like this, it would be to not have Jack and Dale sit beside each other at the table. At least, not until they can stop going all googly-eyed at each other. While most of us had either eaten a good portion of the food that we'd put on our plates, theirs looked to have been barely picked at. I was seriously going to suggest sending their food to Africa or something. Why let good food go to waste when these two obviously had other things on their minds? Still, watching them was definitely the social highlight of the evening. At least for me that is. I think whatever it was that those two had was catching, as more often than not I spied the same kind of looks in Terry's eyes while he was staring at me. Those eyes of his drew me in like they always do. A guy could get lost in those eyes, so full of love they were, and all of it for me. I could feel myself starting to blush, but I didn't care, choosing instead to bask in the warmth that was his love for me. God, listen to me. Sitting here at the table getting all mushy when there's food to be eaten. But those eyes...

"… Maybe sometime tomorrow, Jack could take everyone out to see Powder tomorrow." I heard someone say, which miraculously drew me back to the here and now.

"That sounds like an excellent idea Lorn," my father said. "I know for a fact that Emily is looking forward to seeing her again. She was upset the last time because she didn't get to say goodbye."

"Well then, that sounds like a plan to me. Jack..." Lizzie said, turning her attention to Jack.

"Oh Jack!" Tim called out loudly, stifling a laugh as he saw the looks Jack and Dale were still giving one another.

"Lizzie, we need more ice in here," Lorn said, shaking his head.

"Oh shush," Lizzie admonished him, playfully slapping the backside of his head as she stood up from her chair and walked behind him on her way to where Jack and Dale were sitting.

"Hey, Tim. If they keep that up, do you think we'll need to feed them intravenously so they don't starve to death?" my father joked.

"Nah. I think Lizzie's got a way to snap them out of it," Tim laughed.

He was right. Seconds after Lizzie leaned over to whisper into Jack's ear, he shuddered once and blinked a couple times before a sour expression formed on his face.

"Lizzie, that is just wrong!" Jack protested, shivering noticeably.

"Huh what?" Dale said, snapping out of the trans he had been in.

"I should have bet money," whined Darryl which set off another round of laughter from the adults at the table.

"You two love birds have all evening to get acquainted. Think the two of you could join the rest of us for a while longer?"

"Uh, yes, Lizzie," Jack said, now blushing from all the attention everyone was giving them.

"Daddy, is Uncle Dale in love?" Emily asked innocently. Did you know that an innocent comment from a nine year old girl could make a grown man's face turn as red as a radish? I didn't. Just goes to show you that you don't learn everything in school.

"It looks like it, honey," David said. "Now, eat your brussels sprouts."

"But I don't like them," Emily complained, making the universal face of a kid not liking a particular food.

"Have you tried them?" Kathy asked.

"No," Emily admitted.

"Then how do you know if you don't like them?"

Well that got her, but I knew a comment that would get her to eat them for sure.

"Hey, Emily," I called out to her.

"Yeah?" she answered, looking over at me.

"I bet you Powder likes brussels sprouts," I said, winking at her.

"Oh," Emily said, thinking about what I had said to her for a couple seconds before she tentatively poked one with her fork and brought it to her mouth. I guess she liked them after all because she didn't waste much time afterward devouring the rest of them.

"Babe, are there any more in the bowl over there?" I asked Terry, who had a shocked look on his face.

"Um, oh... yeah. There's about half a bowl left. Why?"

"Because I think your sister is going to want some more," I laughed lightly.

"I can't believe it," Terry said.

"What's that, Babe?"

"She's actually eating them."

"Yep. Can you pass me the bowl please?"

"Yeah, sure," he said absently, passing the bowl of brussels sprouts over to me while watching his sister eat the ones on her plate with relish.

"Here's some more if you want some, Emily," I told her, placing the bowl down in front of her.

"What about Powder?" she asked, looking back up at me.

"Don't worry about her, she has her own burssels sprouts," I told her.

"Oh. Okay then," she said, and looking up to her mother who had pretty much the same look on her face as Terry did, just nodded her head to let her know she could have some more if she wanted.

"Simon, how did you do that?" David asked me, with a surprised grin on his face.

"Well, I know how much she loves Powder, so I just guessed that if Powder liked something that we eat, maybe she would as well," I said, still not knowing what the big deal was.

"She rarely touches green vegetables," Kathy said.

"Guess she just need the right incentive to try them," Lizzie said after sitting back down in her seat.

"Anyways. Back to what we were talking about earlier, Jack, how about showing the kids how Powder is doing tomorrow morning?" Lorn asked.

"Sure. That shouldn't be a problem. If everyone is up and ready by nine, they can come with me when I go to feed them," Jack said.

"Sounds like a plan. The kids are generally early risers anyways," David said.

"Except Simon and Terry," my mother pointed out. "Getting a teenager to wake up early in the morning during summer holidays is next to impossible."

"Mom!" I complained.

"Somehow I doubt it's the waking up part that is the problem," Tim snickered. Oh God, now it was our turn. I could feel my blush starting.

"Now, Tim. You behave," Darryl said, playfully slapping the back of Tim's head. "Besides, I recall you were just as bad when we first got together, and you were older than they were." That comment had all of us laughing now, and it was Tim's turn to turn red.

"Mr. Pascal?"

"Yes, Terry," Lorn answered looking up at him.

"You wouldn't happen to have a pool around here would you?"

"As a matter of fact we do. It's behind the house next to the barn."

"Good," Terry said satisfactorily.

"Why'd you ask, Babe?"

"Because if Uncle Tim keeps making fun of us, he might just have to go for a swim," he whispered into my ear. That suggestion, of course, made me laugh, and laugh hard. It wouldn't have been a problem though except for the fact that I had just taken a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

It was all I could do to stop myself from making a huge mess. Covering my mouth with my hand, I started to cough as some of the potatoes went down the wrong way. It took me a few seconds to recover, grabbing the glass of pop that was in front of me, and drinking some to try and wash down some of the potato.

"You okay there, Simon?" my father asked me.

"Yeah, Dad. Terry just said something funny just as I put some food into my mouth."

"What did he say?" my mother asked.

I giggled a bit before answering, looking over at Terry who still had a mischievous grin on his face. "He said that if Uncle Tim kept on picking on people, that we might just have to throw him in the pool to get back at him." I then started laughing again, which was accompanied by everyone else at the table.

"Now why didn't I think of that?" my father asked. "I wish our parents had a pool. It definitely could have come in handy when we were growing up."

"As I seem to recall, Craig. You got your fair share of practical jokes in yourself," Tim pointed out, glaring at his husband who was barely managing to contain his laughter.

"Yes, but you deserved it," my father countered back.

"Boys, boys. No fighting at the table, or there'll be no desert for you," Lizzie admonished them. Now that alone was enough to make everyone crack up laughing again. I don't think I've ever recalled when we'd had a dinner this relaxing and fun. It was like everything that had been happening was put behind us, at least for now. And you know, I was not going to knock it. I was going to enjoy it to the fullest.

"So, how is Powder doing, Jack?" Tim asked, trying to bring some sense of normality back to the dinner table.

"Actually, she's doing real well, Tim. After you left, Powder was busy getting re-acquainted with her herd, which was pretty remarkable to witness. The alpha-male instantly became protective of her, and made sure the mother and daughter were left alone by the others. It is so amazing to see how many animals exhibit parenting characteristics which are similar to humans."

"That's not too surprising to me," Paula spoke up. "I've witnessed the mating and rearing behavior of several species of birds and have noted how the roles of the mother and father are so similar to our own. Only, I think the birds are smarter than we are."

"How do you mean?" Kathy asked.

"Well. Take the average household with two children for instance. Assuming one child is male and the other is female, generally, the female child will go to the mother more often than the father, and the same is true of the male child going to the father. Whether it is intentional or not, it just seems to be the accepted way in which our society was built. There's definite rules of behavior that is expected of both males and females within a family."

"Except, it used to be that the wife was the one to stay at home, and the husband was the one to earn the money for his family," my mother pointed out.

"Yes. And that's why I think the birds I have witness are better at parenthood than humans can be. They don't have any distinct separation of roles. The mother and father both are responsible for rearing the child, for collecting food, and for teaching them. There are times when you will see the father sitting on the eggs to keep them warm while the mother goes out to hunt for food. And that happens just as often as when the father has to hunt for food."

"Those roles in society are changing, however," my mother said.

"Which is why I think that we are encountering more conflict within families. Most children are brought up to believe in the roles of a man and a woman in a relationship. It was taught to them by their parents, who learned it from their parents, and who learned it from their parents. Things have drastically altered now, where the woman is expected to earn an income for the household as well. And lets face it, there are some in society who are resistant to that kind of change, and will react negatively to it."

"You're speaking of domestic violence," my father said.

"Yes," Paula confirmed.

"I think you're right about that," Darryl said. "One of the things about being a teacher, is that you get to see many of our children interacting with one another. You get to see first hand how parents are raising their children. There is a lot you can tell about a parent from the way their children behave in school."

"You raise an interesting point, Darryl. And for the most part I agree with you. But I think society as a whole has to take some responsibility for how our children are raised. Even in schools, there are certain things males are expected to accomplish and things that girls are expected to do as well," Dale said.

"Well, you'll get no argument from me on that one," Darryl agreed.

"Uncle Tim, one thing I noticed is how there are many different groups of kids at our school. I mean, there are the kids who are popular, the kids who are geeks or nerds, and also the group of kids who belong to some of the school's sports teams, like football."

"Those are called cliques, Terry, which are generally what most people will automatically gravitate towards at various stages of their lives. Especially when they're younger."

"But why? That's what I don't understand. I used to have friends who were on the baseball team, and also some friends who belonged to the chess club."

"Used to. And why do you think that they are no longer your friends?" Darryl asked.

"Because they found out I was gay, even before I could accept it myself I guess," Terry said, looking down at his plate, and poking some of the food remaining on his plate with his fork.

"Being gay is nothing to be ashamed of, Terry. I know for a fact, just by looking at you, that you're happier now that you can accept that you're gay and have found a wonderful boyfriend like Simon," Darryl said.

"Yeah, I am," Terry replied, looking over at me, and smiling.

"So there you go," Darryl said. "They couldn't accept that about you, and you found out who your friends really were. Were they really your friends, they would still be your friends. You've come to see that true friendship is forever, and those that stop being our friends, weren't really our friends to begin with."

"Don't forget, Terry, that you have a large family right now, and every one of us loves you very much. Not because you're gay, not because of what you've done in school, but rather because of who you are," David told him.

"I love you all too, Dad," Terry said.

"Not as much as I love you, Babe," I whispered before giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, save the mushy mushy for after dinner you two," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes at us. She was smiling when she said it though. "I think it's time for desert."

"Mmm, desert!" I said, licking my lips.

"I think someone likes that idea, Lizzie," Lorn said, chuckling.

"Oh shush, and you don't?" Lizzie replied, shaking her head. Standing up from the table, she collected her plate and made her way to the kitchen.

"If you are all done, take your plates to the kitchen, and we'll get the table ready for desert," Lorn said, standing up from the table himself. None of us had to be told twice, and almost in unison, we each stood up, plate in hand, and made our way towards the kitchen, depositing our dishes onto the counter.

"So what you do think, Babe? Is Sam going to like Powder?" Terry asked me on our way back to the table.

"Definitely. She's always had an interest in animals. I think it'd be really neat to see her reaction to an albino deer."

"Probably would look much like mine did," Terry giggled.

"Probably," I agreed. "But just think of it this way. If she's anything like Emily is, she's going to fall in love with Powder right off the bat."

"You know, I'm still kind of sorry that Emily didn't get to say good bye to Powder the first time."

"Not going to happen this time, Babe," I told him.

"Nope, definitely not. Look at those two," Terry said, nodding his head in Sam and Emily's direction. The two of them were giggling, and I even saw Emily making some rudimentary signs with her hands.

"Looks like Sam's teaching Emily how to talk to her," I said.

"That didn't take long."

"Nope. I'm glad. In all the time I've known Sam, she's always been sad because she wasn't able to have many friends. I just wish there was something that could be done sooner to help her with her heart condition," I said.

"Well, I'm sure it'll get fixed soon enough," Terry told me.

"It will if my father has anything to say with it."

"Well is everyone ready for desert then?" Lizzie asked, which made us focus our attention back towards her.

"Stop teasing them, Lizzie," Lorn said, shaking his head at her. "You're almost as bad as your sister."

"I had a good teacher," Lizzie said proudly.

"You did indeed," Lorn said, chuckling to himself. "Come on, lets go," he said, leading his wife out of the dining room and back into the kitchen. Seconds later, the two of them returned, carrying with them several small desert plates and bowls. After placing a set in front of each of us, including their own seats, they returned to the kitchen. A couple minutes later they walked back into the dining room, but this time in their hands they had a huge cake and several buckets of ice cream.

"Damn, Lorn, where'd you get this cake?" Darryl asked, his eyes wide open in surprise at the sight before him.

"From the baker in town of course," Lorn replied. "When you guys called saying you'd be coming up, Lizzie had me go to town to get some groceries. Well, the bakery had this large cake on display, and I just had to pick it up."

"I don't think we'll be able to eat it all," David said.

"Don't be too sure of that," my mother told him, looking over at Terry and me, and Sam and Emily. I'm sure she could tell the four of us were planning our own strategy of attack to devour the cake ourselves.

So big was the cake that it wasn't able to be placed in the middle of the table. Instead, it had to have been placed at the end where no one was sitting. It also happened to be the end that was closest to Terry, Sam, Emily and me. From the sheer size of it, it had to have been almost three feet in diameter, and consist of at least three different layers. The entire cake was covered in a thick chocolate, with an intricate flower design on top done with a variety of colours of icing. It almost looked as though someone was trying to paint a landscape on top of it there were so many flowers. Overall, the whole thing made my mouth water, and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it. Lizzie took a large knife that she had brought out with the cake, and started to cut out a slice.

"Hand me your plates, dear," Lizzie said to Sam and Emily, which they did, their eyes not once leaving the cake. On each plate, Lizzie placed a fair sized portion, then handed them back to the girls. She then had Terry and me hand her our plates, putting the same sized portions on each before handing them back to us.

Eventually everyone at the table had their own piece, and some had also taken a few scoops of the ice cream onto their plates as well. Terry and I had some of the Butterscotch Ripple ice cream since it was the bucket that was closest to us. Sam and Emily decided to have some of the chocolate ice cream. One thing was for certain, Sam and Emily were definitely going to be hyper during the evening. There's no way a kid their age could consume that much chocolate and not be.

* * *

Lorn's Wildlife Preserve, Flamborough, Ontario
Wednesday, June 30th, 2004, 7:27pm.

Dinner was over, and we had all just finished desert. Everyone had decided to retreat into the living room, which was just as large as the dining room. There were two large sectional couches in the room, and a couple of love seats which provided ample room for everyone to sit in. That is, except for Sam and Emily that is who were sitting on the floor looking over some of the books that Sam had brought with her. Even though those two were sitting on the floor they were definitely hyper. Each of them giggling, and pointing things out in the books, some times getting up to show their parents what they were laughing about before sitting back down. I could tell that both Mr. And Mrs. McKendrick were concerned about their daughter, especially because of her heart condition, but at the same time they were thrilled by the sight of their daughter laughing and having a good time with a friend. It had been so long since they heard their daughter laugh like that.

"Tell me, Craig. How did you and your family manage to get into the mess you're in?" Lorn asked.

"Well, that's a long story actually, Lorn. I guess it began at Algonquin Provincial Park where my wife and I went up to camp last weekend with Simon. It was not a trip that Simon was looking forward to, owing to the experience that he had the last time we went camping. I have to confess that my wife and I weren't always there for our son as much as we should have. But we're certainly making up for it now. One of the things my wife and I wanted to do was to show Simon that we wanted to be a part of his life again, and that we were going to make sure things were different.

"I guess it was on Friday night, after we had set up camp that Simon literally bumped into Terry. I guess it was then that they started to hit it of with each other, even if it was only for a brief moment. The next morning we were introduced to Terry who joined us for breakfast before we all headed over to Terry's campsite where he was camping with his parents and Emily.

"The boys, David, and I decided to go do a little fishing leaving the girls to go swimming or whatever it was they wanted to do while we were away. Along the way, David and I noticed how close Terry and Simon were becoming. It was actually quite funny, like watching two lost friends suddenly get reacquainted. There was no competition between them, or anything like what you'd expect between two teenaged boys. They were just like best buddies who complimented one another in pretty much every way.

"By the time we were finished fishing, it was obvious to David and me that there was something more than just friendship between the two of them. Though I doubt at the time that those two actually knew it themselves. I guess it was one of those things you just had to watch in order to see.

"The girls had started packing up David's campsite as she had offered to share our campsite since theirs was out in the open and it was really hot out. The boys helped take down the tents and afterwards moved everything to our campsite. We only had to set up two of the tents for them as it was decided that Terry would share Simon's which was large enough for two people. During the evening their tent became really quiet, and we went to check on the boys to find them fast asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms. If there was any doubt to us before, it was brushed aside now. There was no way any of us could mistake the obvious signs of two boys in love.

"Sunday morning, the boys woke up and made their way to the bathrooms before breakfast. It was there that they publicly shared their affection for one another, though they thought it was in private, by kissing one another. A man was in the bathroom at the time, witnessed them kissing, and used a derogatory name to describe their behavior before storming out. The boys came back to camp in obvious distress, and it took some prodding to get them to reveal to us what had happened.

"We had to decide then and there to let them know we knew about them being boyfriends, even though it was obvious from the beginning that they were frightened. Pretty soon they accepted that we were okay with them being boyfriends and would love them and support them no matter what.

"It was then that we learned what had happened in the bathroom, and when we ourselves came face to face with the man they encountered. He was accompanied by a park ranger, and was making claim that our boys were having sex in the bathroom, which of course they were not. It soon became obvious to the park ranger that the man was obviously over-exaggerating what happened, and dismissed his complaint, warning him that he would be evicted from the park if he caused another disturbance. The man, who we later learned was named Frank Powell, stormed off and as far as we were concerned, that was that. Still, we kept a closer eye on the boys because we didn't want to run into another situation like we had."

"I knew I should have warned you not to ask a question like that," my mother said to Lorn, interrupting my father's narrative.

"Shush, dear," my father said, chuckling lightly at my mother's sarcastic comment.

"No, it's okay, really. I find all of this fascinating," Lizzie said. "Please continue, Craig."

"Well, while we were there, David and Kathy told us that they were looking for a place to live in Burlington, since it would be closer to David's new job at Hunter Consulting, which is a computer consulting firm. Actually, we met the owner just the other day. Any ways, it was suggested that since they had most of the packing done already, that Terry could stay with us so he could be with Simon. There was no way either of us wanted to see these two have to say good bye to each other after having found one another.

"Once we had everything packed up, we made our way back to the parking lot, and we all left. Along the way back, a deer ran out in front of the car, and I barely managed to stop in time before hitting it. Actually I think I did nudge it a little as it had fallen down. That deer turned out to be Powder.

"Simon, like his uncle, was always good with animals, so I found a blanket, wrapped up the deer in it, and handed it to Simon. David and Kathy had been talking up to that point about staying with us until the move happened, and David brought it up with me, mentioning also that he wanted to see that Powder was going to be okay. My wife and I thought it was a great idea, and we certainly had enough space to fit everyone since our house is a four level home including the basement.

"Together we drove back to our house, where Powder seemed to fit right in. Especially with Emily. Those two were practically glued together. In fact, the boys, Emily and Powder ended up sleeping downstairs in the basement that night. It's a finished basement, and has a large sofa bed that would fit all of them."

"Didn't you have any concerns about Emily sleeping with the boys?" Lizzie asked.

"No, not at all. In fact, I was more concerned about Powder and whether or not we'd be dealing with deer droppings in the morning. As it happened, she didn't make any kind of mess at all, instead I think she slept all night long in bed with the boys and Emily," my father answered for her.

"So I guess that is when Tim got involved then," Lorn said.

"Yes. That morning, Craig called me to explain what had happened and asked if I could come over to check on Powder to make sure she was okay. I learned quite a bit that day and was both surprised and pleased to learn that my nephew actually had a boyfriend," Tim said, which made both Terry and me blush from the compliment he'd given us.

"I showed up with Darryl, and took Simon with me to get Powder checked out. Craig had left my old office at the house just the way it was so I didn't have to worry about not having a suitable are in which to do the examination. Once that was done we all sat down to figure out what to do next, and then I remembered this place and how perfect it would be for Powder to grow up here."

"Okay, so you brought her here, and then went back to Burlington," Lorn said, attempting to get my father or someone to hurry up and explain how we'd come to be in the mess we were in now.

"Well, with as many people that were staying at the home as we did, we had to figure out some sleeping arrangements, and it was then that the boys ended up moving to the upstairs room which I had in fact built for Simon a couple years back, though he didn't know I had. I'd forgotten all about my plans for that room when work started taking up more of my time and Anna's.

"When they were cleaning out that room with Kathy's and Emily's help, the boys noticed someone standing outside our home and called Kathy over to let her know about him. She looked out the window and saw the man standing there on the sidewalk, and rushed out of the room to call me on my cell phone since I had left earlier with David to do some shopping. She also told Tim and Darryl about the man, and they left the house to confront him. Before they could however, the man got into his car and sped off. They were able to, however, get a description of the man, and his license plate number. The police were called and we filled out a police report, with them telling us that they'd check into the matter for us.

"The next day, we were going to have a party for Powder, so we were busy trying to get everything organized, and I was sent out to buy a few things. Actually, I think I was sent out to buy most of Burlington for this party," my father said.

"Watch it, buster," my mother told him, giving him, what was commonly referred to in our house, the look.

My father cleared his throat, pointedly looking away from my mother before continuing his narration. "Anyways, before I had a chance to go out, there was a comotion across the street. Several people with banners were making their way towards our house, and in the lead was the man the boys had seen watching the house. In fact the exact same man who had yelled at the boys at the park. One Frank Powell. As it turned out, he was a former Baptist minister before he was fired from the church. Apparently he held some very bigoted views that were too extreme even for the Baptist church. We learned this from the police officer who was called immediately upon seeing the group of people coming towards us.

"What the officer did next was a shock to all of us. She went out there to confront the man and his protesters with Simon and Terry. The man began spewing forth a bunch of religious crap about how homosexuality was an abomination and how people like our sons shouldn't be allowed to be here.

"The boys didn't let him get far though, and threw verses from the bible back at the man, specifically ones that condone slavery, prohibit the eating of pork, and wearing cloth made from two different materials. It was probably the most astonishing thing we had heard ever. And believe me, given the situation I thought it was hilarious."

"You weren't the only one, dear," my mother commented, hiding with her hand a smile that had formed on her face.

"Yes, well, after that the officer arrested Frank Powell for inciting hatred and holding an illegal demonstration on public property," my father continued.

"I bet that felt good, boys," Lorn said to us.

"Uh huh. It was funny the way his face turned all red," I agreed, laughing with Terry at the memory.

"Unfortunately, that wasn't the last we heard of him," my father said. "The next day, sometime in the afternoon after we had come back from visiting the Mapleview Center, we found a Summons car in our driveway. The officer handed me an envelope in which was a summons to appear for a hear regarding a lawsuit being filed against the boys and us for religious discrimination, defamation of character, and harassment," my father finished.

"And that's why you've had to come here?" Lizzie asked. "Because of that man?"

"Not directly, no. Our lawyer he felt that Mr. Powell is the sort of person who seeks publicity and felt that it would be only a matter of time before the media was contacted. The last thing my family needs is to be hounded by the press because this man cannot accept the fact that he was in the wrong. So our lawyer recommended that we find some place to stay where the media wouldn't be able to reach us," my father explained.

"Damn, it's people like that that really burn my britches!" Lorn exclaimed.

"You're not wearing britches, dear," Lizzie pointed out calmly.

"Wha..." Lorn started, turning to face his wife.

"Damn, Lizzie, you're good!" Darryl laughed.

"Why thank you, Darryl. Once my husband starts on a tirade, there's almost no stopping him."

"That's not true," Lorn retorted with the most innocent look on his face he could muster up.

"Don't even try that one on me, mister," Lizzie sighed. "See what I have to put up with?"

"Yeah, but you love me, dear," Lorn said.

"God help me, I do," Lizzie admitted, reluctantly smiling up at him.

"Well. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready for bed," Tim announced, standing up.

"That sounds like a good idea," my mother said. "Lizzie, would you be able to show the kids where they're sleeping tonight?"

"Of course, dear. Come on boys, Sam, Emily," Lizzie said, standing up and pointedly looking at Sam so she could see that she was being called.

The four of us stood up, giving all the adults hugs and saying goodnight before heading up the stairs, with Lizzie leading the way. Terry and I were shown the first room on the right at the top of the stairs. We both gave Sam and Emily hugs and saying good night to them before walking into the room and closing the door. Terry turned on the light, and then joined me on the bed where we both lay down.

"God, what a day," I said, blowing the air out of my lungs in a long sigh.

"You're telling me, Babe. What a prick that guy is," Terry said, referring of course to Frank Powell.

"I know. Don't worry though, my dad's lawyer is really good, and if anyone is able to help us out, it's him."

"Quite frankly, I'm surprised that the lawsuit was actually allowed," Terry said.

"I guess he must have found a sympathetic judge or a really good lawyer."

"That's okay, we'll just show him that he can't pick on two teenaged gay boys."

"Yep," I agreed.

"Babe?" Terry questioned, reaching up with his hand to lightly touch the side of my face.

"Mhmm?" I answered him back, looking into his beautiful eyes.

"Turn off the lights," Terry whispered. From the way he spoke to me, I knew what it was that Terry wanted. Without a moment's hesitation, I hurried to turn off the lights and climbed back into bed, pressing my body up against his and wrapping my arms around him. Moments later, the only sound that could be heard in the room for the next hour and a half was the sound of heavy breathing, ending finally by two long satisfied moans.

* * *

Lorn's Wildlife Preserve, Flamborough, Ontario
Thursday, July 1st, 2004, 7:05am.

"Up and at 'em boys," a voice said through the closed door, instantly waking us up with a start. "Time for breakfast."

"Oh, man, I hate it when my mom does that," I groan, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"You and me both," Terry groaned into his pillow.

"I guess we should get up. I don't want to miss out on breakfast," I said.

"No, you're right there," Terry said, rolling over onto his side.

"Last night..." I started.

"Shh," he said, putting his finger to my lips. "I know, Babe. Last night was amazing."

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," he replied back, leaning forward and giving me a long, loving kiss which left me breathless.

The moment was spoiled however by the urgent attention a part of my lower anatomy demanded. "God, I hate mornings," I said, jumping out of bed.

"Mmm, from this angle, I think mornings are great!" Terry commented, staring at the tent that was showing in my boxers.

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts, cause I gotta go!" I giggled, hurrying to pull up my pants from yesterday before rushing out of the room.

"Oh I will!" Terry called out after me.

While I was taking care of my morning business in the bathroom, Terry came up behind me and enveloped me in his arms.

"I like this," I cooed.

"You and me both, Babe."

I finished with my business, after which Terry let me go so I could wash my hands in the sink. I looked over at him as he took care of his own business and I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was to have found him. So loving, and sweet, and if last night was any indication of our future together, so very good in bed.

Not a word was spoken between us the rest of the time in the bathroom. Just two people in love looking at one another and enjoying this time together. If there was any such thing as heaven, I think this was it; loving and living with the best boyfriend I could ever have.

The two of us took our time in the bathroom, brushing our teeth and brushing our hair before heading back to the bathroom. I helped Terry straighten out the bed before we picked out some new clothes for us to wear. Once we were both dressed, we left the room, and made our way down the stairs and into the kitchen where I could see Lorn and Lizzie busily making breakfast. We said good morning, to let them know we were awake, getting a couple of smiles from them before we went into the dining room where everyone else was, except for Sam and Emily.

"Mom, where's Sam and Emily?" I asked her.

"They're getting dressed, honey. Would you like some Orange Juice?"

"Yes, please."

"What about you Terry?" she asked him.

"Yes please, Mom," he said with a smile, calling my mother his mom for the first time I think.

"If I only knew how easy it was to get another son..." my mother joked.

"Mom!" I complained, rolling my eyes at her. Mothers can be so silly at times. The two of us sat down just as Sam and Emily came into the room.

"Hey, Sis. Hey, Sam," Terry said, looking at them.

"Hey, Terry," Emily said, giving her brother a quick hug. Sam of course didn't say anything, but she did give a hug to Terry, smiling at him once she let him go. They both gave me a hug as well, and took their seats. I guess my mother had heard them coming down the stairs as she had poured their glasses full of orange juice as well.

It wasn't long after that breakfast was served. And what a breakfast it was. I had no idea how long they had been up making breakfast for everyone, but I could imagine it had been a while. There was toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, a platter of sliced vegetables, and even several plates of varies different types of sliced meat. All in all, it was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. And not just because of the food, but because it was a breakfast with the entire family. There wasn't a care in the world while we sat at the table. It was just us enjoying each other's company and a great meal at the same time. It was perfect. But leave it to Tim to inject some smart-alec comment into the conversation at the table.

"So, by the sounds of things last night, the two of you had good night, Simon."

"Oh Gawd," I said, my face blushing a deep red which I tried to hide with my hands.

"Tim!" my father admonished, though I could tell it was only half-heartedly.

"What?" Tim asked innocently.

"You are so incorrigible, dear," Darryl said, laughing out loud.

"At any rate, are you girls anxious to see Powder this morning?" Jack asked them.

"Uh huh! We get to see her today?" Emily asked excitedly.

"Yep. Right after breakfast I'll take you all to go see her," Jack promised.

"Cool. I can't wait to see her again," Emily said. Sam had a smile on her face and she was nodding her head with excitement.

"Don't rush your breakfast though," Kathy told her. When you're finished you need to have a shower."

"Can Sam be with me?" Emily asked hopefully, which shocked most of the adults at the table.

"I guess so, but wouldn't you rather take your shower alone?" David asked her.

"Well, it'd be quicker if we had our shower together wouldn't it?" Emily asked.

"She's got a point," Mrs. McKendrick said.

"You don't mind?" Kathy asked.

"No, not at all. I think it's perfectly normal for them to want to shower together sometimes. When I was growing up, I used to have a bath or shower with my friends as well. It's no different than taking a shower after going swimming," Mrs. McKendrick explained.

"I guess I didn't think of it that way," Kathy said. "You girls can shower together, but you have to promise no playing around. We don't need water being splashed all over the floor."

"Mom, I'm not a little kid any more," Emily pouted, as only a nine year old girl could pout. It was quite funny to see, and I only barely managed to stop myself from laughing at the sight. Terry wasn't so successful.

"I guess that means we get to shower together as well," I suggested quietly to him.

"Not you two. You're taking your showers separately," my mother said with finality.

"But, Mom!" I protested.

"Not buts, mister. We let the two of you in that shower together and you'd end up in there forever," she finished. That comment caused a whole new round of laughter by the adults followed quickly by two blushing teenaged boys.

* * *

About an hour after breakfast, the girls had finished their joint shower, and Terry and I had finished our separate ones. We were all standing outside with the other adults, waiting for Jack to get everything ready that he needed. While he was doing that, Terry and I were talking quietly about last night after we had gone to bed.

It was, in a single word, amazing. The feelings we shared together were the most intense I've ever felt before in my life. Every move, every touch only helped to solidify our love for one another. Although I could not see his eyes in the dark, I could feel the love he had for me, and it made me want to give him all the love I had for him right then and there. And give it we both did. Our passions grew and grew with each passing moment until we both climaxed at the end, our love for each other exploding with a force unlike anything either of us had experienced before. In the end, we were left breathless from the effort, and yet filled with peace and contentment. It was a special night for the both of us. The first of many yet to come I knew.

A loud clanging sound coming from the barn ended our conversation, making us look over to the barn. From the door emerged Jack, carrying in his hands several large buckets, and one which was being dragged by his left foot. His face was red from embarrassment for I'm sure he knew exactly what it must look like to everyone else to see him coming out of the barn like that. Dale rushed over to help him, freeing his foot from the bucket, and taking a few from him to lighten the load somewhat.

"You know, Jack. You could have asked me for help," he said.

"I know. I'm just used to doing this on my own," Jack replied.

"Anything we can do to help, Jack?" I asked when Terry and I ran up to him.

"No, that's okay, boys. I think Dale will be all the help I'll need," Jack answered.

"Okay."

With Dale's help, Jack managed to fill the buckets with the feed he used for the deer which was located in a small shed next to the barn. Once they were all filled, they walked towards the enclosure where the deer were located, the rest of us following behind. The rest of us except the girls that is. Since Emily already knew where the enclosure was, she and Sam were walking ahead of the rest. I know how she felt, because I was feeling it too. Until that moment I hadn't realized just how much I missed Powder. I wanted Emily and Sam to have this time, though. As much as I missed Powder, I knew that Emily had an even closer connection.

At the enclosure, Jack put down the buckets he was carrying, and took out a key from his pocket. He inserted it into the lock that held the gates together, turning it until the lock disengaged and he was able to swing the gate open. Lifting up the buckets, he led us all into the enclosure, making sure the gate was closed and locked behind us.

There were several deer standing off in the distance. The enclosure itself was quite large, so it wasn't possible to see the whole thing, but I did see some deer coming out of the trees, watching us. Jack and Dale began to fill up the troughs that lined the wall of the enclosure. I understood now why he needed that many buckets. The two troughs were huge, easily the length of a kitchen table and almost as wide. Each one was sitting on the ground and came up to Jack's knees. Each corner was slightly tapered inwards, which reminded me of some of the plant boxes my mother used in her garden back home.

More and more deer were emerging from the trees, until at last I saw her. There was no mistaking her. Pure white surrounded by a sea of light brown, she was. She stood by her mother, looking to me as though she was more steady on her legs than she had been when we first met her.

The large buck that I had seen when I first brought Powder with me could be seen in front of all the other deer. Ever so slowly he advanced towards us, followed cautiously by the rest of the heard. Silently I wished for Powder to run towards us, but I knew it wasn't going to happen. Even with the time she spent with us, I knew she was still a wild deer. This is where she belonged. Here is where I knew she'd be happy. At least I knew we'd get to see her still, and watch her grow up to the beautiful deer we knew she'd become.

They were only a few feet away from us now. Emily was definitely starting to get antsy, held back only by her mother. Sam, for the most part, was amazed, at least that's what the expression on her face told me. She wasn't trying to rush forward like Emily was, but at the same time I could tell that she was anxious to pet the white deer that was steadily coming towards us.

Powder had grown since last we saw her. Not much, to be sure, but grown none the less. Her hair was more bright than it had been before, and looked to be even softer. It was obvious that she was getting stronger and making up for the lost nourishment that she had missed those days apart from her mother.

Slowly, and with some trepidation, Powder walked ahead of her mother, making her way towards us. I could see her eyes moving back and forth between us. But I also saw recognition in those eyes of hers. The closer she came to me, the more I knew that she remembered me. Until at last, her nose was pressed up against my hand. Gently, I moved my hand along the side of her face until it was touching the back of her neck. Not waiting a second more, I wrapped my other arm around her, falling to my knees as I enveloped her in a hug, tears running down my eyes from the intense emotions I felt upon being able to hold her once more.

For a few minutes we were motionless. Just two long lost friends reunited. The tears that fell from my eyes were happy ones, relief upon seeing Powder once more and knowing that she was doing well. Her mother hadn't moved and inch, but was watching us with a knowing look. Let no one ever tell me that these creatures cannot feel love, or know a friend. They're wrong. Powder and her mother are proof that they do.

Emily walked up beside me, Sam accompanying her. I almost didn't notice her until she placed a hand on my shoulder. Looking up at her, I nodded my head and let Powder go. It was time for Emily to get reunited as well.

And get reunited they did. Emily was now openly crying with her arms around Powder's neck. Powder, for her part, was rubbing the side of her face against Emily's shoulders. That connection they had... it was still there. The two of them had a bond that I could never have with her. I was like Powder's parent, but Emily was so much more. She was like a sister and a best friend. The one person she could play with.

Reluctantly, Emily let Powder go, but I could see that Powder was pressing up against her still. Sam moved closer, reaching out with her hand to touch Powder. It was one of those moments where you hold your breath, hoping that this new person would be accepted into the family. I shouldn't have worried though, for Powder soon began to rub her face up against Sam's hand, making Sam smile with glee. Up to that point, I don't think Sam had ever touched a wild animal before in her life, and I could practically feel the joy that filled her heart as the two of them touched one another.

Powder lowered her head slightly, allowing Sam to pet the top of her head, her own tears flowing from her face as she felt this wonderful creature before her let itself be touched. For a brief time, Sam's open palm rested firmly on the top of Powder's head when suddenly she jerked her hand back in shock, a look of surprise appearing on her face for a split second.

What happened next, I will never forget in my life, nor do I think anyone else will. I felt something touch my mind, and then I heard a soft voice in my head say, 'Oh, Wow!'

Sam then promptly passed out, caught just in time by her mother who's eyes were both wide with shock and fear. There was no mistaking it. It was undeniable. The voice in my head was that of a little girl, a voice that could only have come from Sam. Somehow.

Editor's Notes:

I really liked this chapter. What is going on with Sam? Did Powder have something to do with that, and is Sam alright? I know I am ready for another chapter as soon as possible, to see what happens next.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Review Notes:

Darryl's right another wondeful chapter Jay and you've left me wanting more as well. I can't wait to see chapter 18 and find out what's going to happen next.

DS