The Aftermath

Co-written by Dee, Lou and Jodie

Characters: Lucas/Stewart & Eric/Chandi


Chandi sat gazing into his mug of beer, his thumbs lightly grazing over the condensation on the side while tiny rising bubbles hypnotized him. Hanging out here at the lounge was fast becoming a habit and a subject Eric had already brought up more than once.

Of course this evening could be considered Eric’s fault. After all, the big guy had insisted on going to the bi-weekly meeting of the fund-raising committee for the Lions Club, of which Eric was a member along with Lucas, Kipper, and several other outstanding folks in the community. Chandi had been invited to take part but had turned down the offer. He found the meetings boring and time consuming, especially when a couple of the members could never agree to anything suggested and yet were unable to come up with ideas of their own. Besides, Chandi hated politics. He got enough of that as Chief of Police and wasn’t about to use his spare time playing nice with people who nearly drove him mad.

He glanced at the man sitting beside him and mumbled, “Tell me how we come to find ourselves here yet again, Stewart.” A groan was the only response as his drinking companion put his head down on the bar and closed his eyes. Chandi went back to staring at the bubbles. At least this time Eric couldn’t accuse him of drinking alone.

It had been two weeks since the incident that had forever changed the lives of many; a bank robbery gone bad. Okay, so the perpetrator had been arrested but not before hurting two men, traumatizing countless others, and getting himself shot. Nothing like this had ever happened in Jade Heights before and although all the officers had been through the necessary training for hostage negotiation, one of his men had not been as prepared as the Police Chief would have liked. The worst crimes his officers had dealt with in the past had been disturbances of the peace, driving violations, break and entries, minor drug arrests and the like; never anything so major and it would not be something people got over any time soon.

Chandi had been working in his office, trying to get the coming month’s schedule sorted out when the call of the bank’s silent alarm came in. He and his officers were on the scene in less than ten minutes.

After his failed attempt to rob the bank, the would-be thief had run out the bank door and into an alley at the first sound of the police siren. As luck would have it, the first door he found unlocked had been Stewart’s bakery.

“Maybe it would help to talk about it all, Stewart; right from the beginning. I’m sure any therapist worth his salt would tell you keeping it bottled up, will only make things worse. What do you say, man?” Chandi put his hand on the other man’s shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. “Come on, we’ll move over to a booth where we can have a bit more privacy.”

Stewart wasn’t ready to go home yet. Lucas would still be at his committee meeting and being alone in the house with his thoughts didn’t hold any appeal for Stewart. He told Lucas he would be with Chandi tonight, he just hadn’t said where. Lucas wouldn’t give a second thought to him spending time with Chandi as they occasionally got together on those nights that Lucas and Eric attended the Lions Club meetings.

Nodding his acceptance to the invitation, Stewart lifted his mug and drained the contents before banging it down on the bar and then holding up two fingers to the bartender. If he was going to do this he knew he would need something more to fortify him, he hadn’t even shared his fears with Lucas yet. This would be his third beer and though Lucas never restricted his drinking, he was fairly sure his Top would have a comment or two if he found out he was using it as a crutch, but the beer offered a way to hide from those thoughts that kept haunting him.

He was never successful pushing the memory of that day to the furthest corner of his mind. It was his partner who had been injured in the bank and his employee who had been injured in the bakery. Each night he came home to see the remnants of the scar on Lucas’ face from where he had been hit when the gunman thought Lucas was trying to stop him. Then there was Tony, his employee, who hadn’t yet returned to the bakery as his head injury was more serious.

Stewart shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and picking up the freshly poured beers, he followed Chandi to a booth at the back of the lounge. He placed one of the drinks in front of Chandi and took a seat opposite him.

The two men sat in silence staring at their mugs, not quite willing to look at each other. Finally Chandi broke the silence with a nervous laugh and said, “I suppose since this was my idea, I should go first.”

He took time to gather his thoughts and swallowed a mouthful of beer while taking in his friend’s demeanour and body language. Chandi’s extra training had involved an extensive course in profiling. The fact that he and Stewart had known each other since elementary school helped. Having spent the better part of the evening furtively watching Stewart and coming to the conclusion they were trying to overcome similar hurdles, he felt somewhat comfortable trusting his long-time friend enough to open up to him.

“I’ve tried talking things over with Eric and although he is sympathetic to my rioting emotions, he’s not altogether pleased with how I’m handling them. Just when I think I’ve got a grip on things, my mind dredges up the memories of arriving at the bank and finding Lucas on the floor, his cheek bleeding profusely from a large gash under his left eye. Then finding out the robber had gotten away, only to get word he was holed up in your bakery was just an added glitch to apprehending him. Discovering he’d also attacked Tony made the situation that much grimmer. I can almost understand why one of my men kind of lost it. I’m pretty much able to hold the recollections and mental pictures at bay when I’m busy at work; it’s in the evenings when I’m tired that they resurface with a vengeance. I can barely imagine what you’re going through.” Chandi sighed deeply and went back to toying with the condensation on the side of his mug while waiting for Stewart’s reply.

Stewart looked up in surprise at Chandi’s last words. He hadn’t until this moment given much thought to someone else going through what he was much less understanding how it feels. Hearing that gave him the courage to start talking, even if he couldn’t tell Chandi the more personal side of his feelings.

“Lucas pushes me to talk to him, especially after I wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. It’s always the same nightmare and I’ve told him some of the things that I see, but I don’t want to put all that on him right now. How fair would that be for me to dump all this on him when he has to have his own ghosts. Do you know I haven’t even been back to the bank since it happened; just passing on the way to the bakery brings memories flooding back. I know Luc understands because since I re-opened the shop, he’s been taking the deposits into the bank for me.” Stewart paused for a minute and took a long draw on his beer.

“It’s when I’m in the bakery alone in the mornings or during the slow time after lunch that I have way too much time to think. I should never have left Tony alone in the shop, but it had been rather slow that morning, so I thought I would drop in on Lucas and take over a few treats for their coffee break. I can’t help but wonder if I had stayed would this have turned out differently?” He was secretly hoping Chandi would assure him his presence wouldn’t have made a bit of difference, but deep down he knew that had he been there, there would have been two people to contend with and that piece of scum would probably not have attacked Tony.

With just the briefest of pauses he continued, “And my being at the bank didn’t improve the situation there either.” Stewart swallowed hard on the lump in his throat before he could finish, “Lucas told me to stay in his office, but I didn’t listen. I should have listened! I’m the rea…” He was going to say ‘the reason Lucas had been hit’ but he wasn’t ready to share that information with Chandi just yet. So instead he said, “I honestly don’t know how you do this every day, knowing that something like this could happen again.” Stewart glanced down at his rapidly dwindling beverage and asked, “Are you ready for another?”

“Sure, why not? It’s my treat this time.” Chandi signalled for the waitress and in a matter of minutes two new beers appeared in front of them. Their empty mugs and the money Chandi had put on the table were quickly whisked away. He took another big swallow before looking his friend in the eye and seriously informing him of a few facts. “First off, there’s a very good chance Lucas or someone else would have been hurt regardless of who was there and who wasn’t. The would-be thief was a powder-keg ready to blow at any minute. As for you being at the bakery when the guy showed up, it would probably have involved both you and Tony being injured. The perp had the element of surprise on his side and his increasing rage at having been unsuccessful in robbing the bank, would have made it almost impossible for any untrained people to restrain him or fight him off. We just have to be thankful nothing even more dreadful went down that morning.

Chandi smiled to himself. He was pleased to find that talking with someone on the same page as himself was helping and he hoped Stewart was beginning to feel better for having opened up some as well. He certainly seemed to be, or was it just the beer influencing the slightly more relaxed appearance.

“I can do this every day because it’s my job and I’ve been trained to do it well,” Chandi grinned. “It isn’t walking past the crime scene that bothers me so much as having to deal with Internal Affairs and the Town Council.” He shuddered and momentarily closed his eyes as the grim reminder of having to suspend one of his officers surfaced.

Stewart wanted to believe Chandi; they were the exact words he had wanted to hear. But still there was this nagging voice in his head that kept saying ‘if you’d only stayed at the shop’ that he couldn’t seem to ignore. And then there was the nightmare which never ended the same way as the real robbery. In that terrible dream, instead of hitting Lucas with the gun, the robber fired it at him and it was at that moment each time that he would jerk awake from the nightmare, sweating. Once or twice he had even screamed out Lucas’ name. He would never tell Lucas how the nightmare ended, only that he would wake up when the gunman hit Lucas. And he was angry at Lucas for not taking care of his own safety. He should have given the man what he wanted. After all, the bank was insured and he saw no reason why Lucas would put his life on the line for other people’s property.

Chandi sat watching emotions play over Stewart’s face. He could tell something was really bothering his friend, but as yet Stewart hadn’t said a word, so he tried to draw him out. “Hey, tell me what you’re thinking about.”

Stewart was startled out of his thoughts. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Chandi what was on his mind just now, so instead he picked up on the last thing Chandi said. He had wanted to ask him about it ever since he heard about the investigation and now seemed to be the perfect time. “Chandi, is it standard procedure for an incident involving a shooting to be investigated? I heard a couple of RCMP officers were in town asking a lot of questions. Most of them had to do with how you handled the situation and also about Constable Lambert.”

Chandi wasn’t fooled by the question. He’d been a policeman too long to be taken in by the change of subject. “I’ll answer that question after you tell me what’s really on your mind.”

Stewart frowned. He didn’t like being called a liar, even if it was said nicely. But looking at Chandi’s face, he realized his friend was only trying to help and maybe if he told someone it might make the nightmare go away. He had nothing to lose and Chandi was willing to listen so he decided to give it a try. “I’ve been having a really disturbing nightmare lately. It starts out just like that day. Most of this you already know because it’s what I told you when you took the report after the robbery. I took a tray of croissants and cookies over to the bank. Lucas and I were having a cup of coffee when suddenly he gets up and tells me to stay in his office. He goes over to the teller’s station and I see him approach the man standing there. I couldn’t hear what was said but, when the man turned, I could see he had a gun. By then I had already stepped out of Lucas’ office. The robber starts yelling ‘give me the money’ over and over. Lucas was trying to calm him down and talk him out of doing this. The man is getting more agitated and waving his gun around, and that’s when I yelled for Lucas to just turn over the fuckin’ money. Then Lucas turns around to push me behind him and when he turns back, it happens.” Stewart’s voice had risen a bit and his breathing was heavier as he remembered the end of the dream.

Chandi reached across the table to wrap a hand firmly around his friend’s left wrist and give it a gentle shake. “Hey; easy does it.” When he could see that Stewart was calmer, he continued. “So the gunman hits Lucas; then what?”

Stewart looked up at Chandi. “He doesn’t hit him; he shoots him! I wake up right after I hear the gunshot.” He didn’t say another word. He just picked up his mug and downed the remaining beer in one long drink.

Chandi smiled sadly while shaking his head. “That would never have happened, Stewart,” he assured his friend. “The gun wasn’t loaded. It was rather old and might even prove tricky getting ammo for it. I saw that the second the perp held it up when he came out of the bakery. It’s why I ordered my men to stand down and not to fire. My handling of the situation is not in question; it is Lambert’s failure to follow a direct order that is being investigated. Until the matter is settled, I’ve had to put my newest officer on suspension. God, I hated doing that.” It was this last statement which gave a clearer indication of what was really troubling the Chief of Police. “Some areas of the job are just plain crappy, but I bet the same can be said for any profession,” he muttered before draining his mug and holding it up. “Looks like it’s time for another one, huh?”

With another refill in his hand, Chandi softly inquired, “I take it Lucas knows about the bad dreams, just not all the nitty-gritty details; for instance, possibly the ending, right?”

Stewart needed time to think over what he just heard. This was information he didn’t have and he realized he was feeling considerably better knowing it. “No, and he’s not going to if I have anything to say about it,” he answered jokingly, knowing that was easier said than done.

When Chandi didn’t respond, it suddenly occurred to Stewart that his long-time friend was dealing with a few of his own demons. They had been talking for over an hour, well he had at any rate, and he recognized Chandi had thrown out several hints that something was not right at the station.

“Hey, enough about me already! I never did find out what happened at my shop. Tony doesn’t remember anything after getting hit, so he couldn’t tell me. What I don’t understand, is why you would suspend Brian Lambert. He was only doing his duty after all?”

Chandi shook his head yet again, his expression even sadder than before. “Not exactly, Stewart. I’m afraid Brian stepped a little too far over the line.” He looked somewhat bleary-eyed across the table at the frown of confusion on the other man’s handsome face. Clearing his throat and sitting up a bit straighter, Chandi began to speak in a soft voice. “When we got to the bank and were informed about the perp freaking at the sound of the sirens and taking off, we spread out and initiated a search. As you already know, we ended up chasing him down the alley and into your bakery. Poor Tony didn’t know what hit him, and I don’t know who was more surprised to see the other, the perp or your baking assistant. I think it was just a knee-jerk reaction that had the would-be robber hitting Tony like he did….very much like he did to Lucas, only a great deal harder which resulted in a serious concussion as well as stitches. A centimetre or two closer, and the gun would have hit the temple and then we’d have a case of manslaughter to deal with, along with everything else.”

Chandi threw back a large swallow of beer and almost choked. After wiping his mouth and eyes in an effort to get himself under control, he continued to slowly tell his story. “It took forty-five minutes of negotiations to talk the man into turning himself in. As soon as he walked outside brandishing his gun, I could see through his bluff. It was then Lambert disregarded my command to hold his fire and shot the suspect in the right shoulder. I can understand why it happened; unfortunately Internal Affairs may see things differently. The review board sat today. I did my best to defend my subordinate, explaining that he was young and inexperienced. That he had over-reacted this one time, but still had the potential to become a damn good cop and an asset to any force. Don’t know how much good it did though. So now’s the hardest part…waiting. It could be another week before we learn of the board’s decision as to whether I’ll be firing or re-instating Brian. I am so hoping it is the latter.”

Slumping against the back of the booth, Chandi hastily drained his fifth beer and briefly wondered if he should order a sixth. He decided to wait for his companion to catch up. “By the way, the perp is Daniel LeClair. You’ve heard of him, right? Been in trouble since his early teens; has done two short stretches for petty theft as well as one for break and entry. Guess he decided to go all out and see how good he’d be at armed robbery. He told me he wanted a large enough sum of cash to get out of Jade Heights once and for all. Well, looks like part of the dream is about to come true…the out of town part.”

Chandi couldn’t help but chuckle when Stewart had to spit a mouthful of beer back into his mug to avoid choking while laughing. He watched in amusement as foam oozed from the other man’s nose and mouth.

“I gotta say police weren’t the only ones kept busy that day; paramedics were too and so were medical staff at the hospital. I imagine it will take a while for folks to find something else to talk about. Surely the interest in this horrible event will wane eventually,” Chandi moaned as he lightly raked fingers through the numerous tight braids that covered his head. He stared for a few seconds at the two empty mugs sitting between them and asked in a voice that was slightly slurred, “Got time for another? I jogged here but will probably have to crawl home.” He smiled broadly, showing off some beautiful pearly-whites. “What the heck, I’m game if you are.”

“Yeah, I’ll have another.” Stewart reached in his pocket for some money. “Here, can you get our order while I pay a visit to the men’s room?” As he walked away, he began thinking about what Chandi had said. ‘I jogged here….’ He knew Chandi only ever ran when he was bothered by something or wanted to think. He also appreciated the time and advice his friend had given him this evening. Maybe that’s what Chandi needed too, someone to listen and let him take a turn a getting it all out. He needed to come up with some questions and hope he didn’t end up putting his foot in his mouth.

When Stewart returned, the beers were already waiting. Taking his seat across from his drinking buddy and seeing a distant expression on Chandi’s face, he decided to go straight for the jugular. “Okay, spill it!” He waited for Chandi to respond and when nothing happened he tried again. “Look, I’ve known you practically my whole life. I know why you run and it’s not for the sheer joy of it. So tell me what’s bothering you? Is it the shooting and I don’t mean Brian’s involvement in it, but the actual shooting? We’ve never had anything like that happen here. That couldn’t have been easy to see. Do you think you didn’t do a good enough job talking LeClair out of the bakery? It also couldn’t have been easy being in charge of a hostage situation. You just spent the better part of an hour letting me talk and it helped more than I can say. Now give me a chance to listen to the story from your side.” Stewart hoped that would be enough to get Chandi talking, so he picked up his beer, sat back and waited.

“Sorry, gotta take care of a little business first.” Chandi sent the other man a crooked grin and slid out of the booth. “Don’t let anyone spit in my beer, man.” He swayed off in the direction of the men’s room, chuckling to himself. He had always made it a practice to never over-indulge in public, his cut-off being four beers in the past. Tonight he was drinking as much as he would if at home or at a private party, only there he would have been eating at the same time. “Eric would not be pleased,” he mumbled, for some reason finding the thought a tad amusing.

He was sauntering back five minutes later and saw Stewart was no longer sitting alone. “Shit!” he muttered seeing his and Stewart’s partners sitting at their table, and Eric had the audacity to be drinking Chandi’s beer.

“Ah, look who dropped by for a cold one on their way home from the meeting, Chandi.” Stewart sounded a bit uncertain and looked distinctly uncomfortable wedged in the corner of the booth.

“Hi ya, Eric,” Chandi greeted cheerfully and clumsily dropped down next to the older man. He grinned up at his partner and cheekily hoped he could bluff his way out of this. “Good thing you’re here, cause I’m gonna need a lift home.”

Eric took a long pull of the cold beer; colour briefly infusing his cheeks as he quickly dashed a hand across his froth decorated upper lip. Winking at Chandi’s watchful and apparently rather apprehensive drinking partner who was currently making quick work shredding his beer coaster, Eric relaxed and slung his strong arm over the back of the booth. “I’d hoped you might,” he said with equanimous grace. “I’m pleased to see your running shoes on your feet, not your car keys in your hand.”

Chandi leaned against his partner in an attempt to convey his appreciation for the older man keeping the conversation so natural. He had never so much as hinted at the lifestyle they embraced to anyone, even though he was aware of several couples in town who were in discipline relationships. He didn’t know if he’d ever be ready to talk about it, even to his best friend.

Lucas finished off Stewart’s beer and placed the empty mug on the table. Then he reached over and gently pried the mangled piece of paper out of his partner’s hands. “I think these two young men have had quite enough to drink for one evening, so I’m all for getting out of here and going home.” The tone of his voice left little room for debate.

Stewart wasn’t at all pleased that Lucas had not only confiscated, but actually drank his beer. However, the subtle signs in Lucas’ posture told him this would not be the right time to bring it up. He wasn’t sure if he was in any trouble as this had never been an issue for them before, and he wasn’t willing to bring any on unnecessarily. When Lucas announced they would be leaving, he looked quickly over at Chandi and Eric hoping that they hadn’t picked up on the tone of finality in Lucas’ words. Yes, he definitely bought himself some trouble; he just wasn’t clear on what. Hell, he wasn’t clear on anything. The thought forced a short laugh out of him, which he quickly masked into a cough as he fell into step with Lucas.

Chandi blinked a little in surprise at the sudden departure of the other two men. A slight movement of Eric’s head let him know they’d be doing the same, so he hauled himself out of the booth one more time and followed in Stewart’s wake. He felt the solid, reassuring hand of his partner land on his shoulder and they walked out of the bar together.

The cooler night air hit them, increasing the effects of the beer Chandi and Stewart had consumed. They became even giddier than they already were.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he turned to Eric and held out his hand. “Thanks for the lift to the meeting, Eric. I’ll be taking Stewart home in his car.” He all but had to wrestle the keys out of Stewart’s pocket as the younger man swore he was okay to drive. Lucas knew Stewart was merely trying to maintain his independence in front of his friend, but the older man was having nothing of it.

“We’ll be seeing you guys,” Lucas called out, practically having to force his partner into the passenger seat. He shook his head, shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He stood for a few moments watching Eric steer a somewhat off-balanced Chandi to another car parked a short distance down the street.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On the ride home, Stewart wouldn’t talk to Lucas. He didn’t even look over at him. Lucas had embarrassed him in front of his friend and very possibly given away the fact that Stewart was a Brat, or so his alcohol fogged brain kept telling him. Well if Lucas thought he would win this round, he was mistaken! Stewart had no intention of speaking first. He’d done nothing to warrant being treated that way. Lucas could have at least waited until their friends were gone. Turning his head, he looked out the side window for the remainder of the drive. He was glad it was only a short distance to their home because by the time they got there, he was feeling decidedly ill.

Lucas couldn’t help but smile to himself. So he was being given the silent treatment, huh? That was all right, because he planned to change that once they were home and comfortably seated.

Not deviating from his plan, as soon as they walked through the door, Lucas took Stewart’s hand and gently towed him into living room where he sat them both down on the large sofa. “Looks like you might have over-indulged a bit tonight, love. I know you’re still stressed from the events of a couple of weeks ago and I think before your drinking escalates, we really should discuss it.” He held up his hand when he saw signs of dispute crossing his partner’s handsome young face. “I know, I know; you think we’ve already discussed it into the ground and there’s nothing more to be said. But there is, sweetheart, especially in light of the nightmares continuing.” He nodded his head somewhat sadly before softly admitting, “Yeah, I know you’re still being tormented by them. I just wish you would have been more up front with me.”

“I don’t have a drinking problem if that’s what you’re thinking. I only had a few more than I normally do when I go to the lounge. The only reason I over-indulged, as you put it, was because Chandi and I were talking and just lost track of how many we had,” Stewart responded, not realizing he had given away too much information about the number of times he had been to the bar. “And as for the nightmare, I’ve already told you what happens. There’s no point in continuing to rehash that. Can’t we just forget about it and go to bed? Besides I really think I need something for my stomach. I’m not feeling so good.” He placed his hand over his stomach for added effect. Actually he was feeling much better since getting out of the moving car, but he would do anything not to have this discussion.

“What you need for your stomach is a freer conscious, my love.” Lucas’ raised eyebrow let it be known he wasn’t at all fooled by his partner’s attempt at being evasive. “So, we are going to sit right here until you not only tell me what is really bothering you, but also own up to just how often you’ve paid the lounge a visit over the last couple of weeks.”

Stewart inwardly cursed himself and the beer as he remembered he had handed that information to Lucas. But he wasn’t ready to tell him anything yet. He wanted answers too, and he figured the best defense was a good offense. “Do you really want to know what’s bothering me about that day, Lucas? You put your life on the line to protect money! And it wasn’t even your money, not that that would have made a difference, but every penny of it is insured!” Stewart had jumped up from the sofa and was pacing, his voice rising the angrier he got. “It would all have been replaced, but you can’t be! You might be a Top, Luc, but I don’t think that makes you bullet proof.” Stewart stopped just in front of Lucas, his breathing heavy from his tirade and all the anger he had been holding in. He was a little surprised too, because he hadn’t realized how angry he was about Lucas’ actions until this moment.

Lucas reached up, grabbed his partner’s hand and with one swift yank, had the younger man sitting on his lap. “Deep breaths before you explode, Stewart,” He calmly instructed as he rubbed a soothing hand over his lover’s trembling back. “It wasn’t the money I was trying to protect; it was my staff and the two customers who happened to be present at the time. And even if I say so myself, I did have the situation under control and the agitated man was calming down some. That is, right until the wail of sirens had him going ballistic. Trust me; it was never in the plans for me to be slammed across the face with his weapon. And even at that point, I would have given him what money was available had it been enough to placate him. Unfortunately before I could do so, I was seeing stars and he was running out of the rear entrance of the bank.”

Stewart turned his face into Lucas’ shoulder; his anger and resolve to ‘turn the tables’ dissolving at the reassurances from his partner. He knew he played a part in that scar as well. “Yeah, the sirens and me,” Stewart said as he remembered how he had hurried out of Lucas’ office when he realized what was happening. “I’m so sorry about that. I was afraid and just wanted you to give him the money. I know now I only made things worse,” he sadly confessed as he lightly touched the fading scar on Lucas’ face; tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“It was not your fault, my love. While you may not have helped the situation, you weren’t responsible for its’ escalation. Neither of us has ever faced something like this before and hopefully won’t have to do so again. That said, seeing as you’ve brought up a matter of disobedience we’ve yet to deal with….” Lucas left the rest unsaid and looked somewhat questioningly at his partner. The older man was slowly beginning to suspect this unresolved issue may lie at the core of his Brat’s uncharacteristic behaviour and even possibly the nightmares.

Stewart was surprised. He hadn’t, at the time, thought his actions were disobedient. He had only wanted Lucas out of the line of fire. Thoughts of his own safety flew out the window as he’d watched the man he loved stand up to a gun-wielding criminal. But that is what Lucas had wanted too; his life-partner out of the line of fire. Lucas had told him to stay and he’d disobeyed.

He now knew this was more complicated than just an issue of disobedience. In the short conversation they had since coming home, two of his fears had been put to rest. Even Chandi had told him his fears about the gun being able to fire were wrong. Once he’d made up his mind, he told Lucas everything.

By the time Stewart was finished, Lucas knew about his frequent trips to the lounge, how the nightmare really ended, and even the residual anger he felt about Lucas’ actions that day. Now he sat watching Lucas’ face and hoping he would be forgiven for keeping so much from him.

Lucas sighed as he gazed into his partner’s sad brown eyes. Pulling Stewart’s head down, he dropped a light kiss on it. “So what all this comes down to is you burdening yourself by carrying a load that would have been so much lighter had you shared it with me. It was a load that disturbed your sleep with nightmares and weighed heavily on your mind, causing you to resort to lying and visiting the lounge a little too often. You were somewhat piqued by my actions at the bank and as a result carried on a silent two-week tantrum instead of discussing it all up front. Does that about cover it all, love?” Lucas always strived in situations like this to insure they both understood the reason behind what would take place next.

Stewart didn’t want to answer the question. When put like that, it sounded so much worse than his actual admission. “Yeah, I guess that pretty much covers it,” he reluctantly agreed, knowing he needed to put this all in Lucas’ hands and then accept the absolution that the punishment would bring.

Never one to postpone the inevitable, Lucas lightly patted his Brat’s hip to encourage Stewart to get to his feet. Once the younger man was upright, Lucas unzipped Stewart’s jeans and tugged them along with the boxers down to mid-thigh. Then he assisted him in settling himself face down over the temporarily empty lap.

“We both know why we’re doing this, Stewart, so I see no need to reiterate. It’s time to put this matter to rest once and for all.” That firmly said, Lucas raised his right arm and brought it down with a resounding wallop on Stewart’s vulnerable backside. He set about proficiently spanking every inch of his Brat’s butt, before focusing for several moments on the sit spot and then ending the punishment. His hand was stinging when he finally slipped it under Stewart’s shirt to rhythmically caress his back in an attempt to soothe the sobbing man.

“Shh, love. It’s over now. You’re going to be fine.” Lucas began a litany of words, even knowing his beloved partner wasn’t yet able to hear them.

Stewart calmed down after a couple of minutes and finally pushed to stand up. He carefully pulled his boxers up, but left his jeans pooled at his feet and sat back in Lucas’ lap, making sure not to put too much pressure on his sore and hot backside. He was still sniffling when he laid his head down on Lucas’ shoulder, letting the nearness of his partner comfort him. Finally he lifted his head just enough to look into Lucas’s eyes. “Luc, I’m sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have kept so much from you and I realize now it was a mistake. Do you forgive me?”

“Of course, and I always will just like I expect you to forgive my shortcomings, sweetheart,” Lucas assured his teary-eyed partner with a none-too-gentle hug. He smiled when he felt the man in his arms relax and lay his head back down. They sat there for several minutes as both men dealt with the closure of this matter in their own way.

Not wanting Stewart to fall asleep where they were, Lucas leaned down to remove his Brat’s shoes in order to rid the younger man of his jeans. Next, he teasingly cajoled him onto his feet and up the stairs to the master bedroom. Once in the en suite, Lucas quickly divested Stewart of his shirt, boxers and socks; then lovingly washed his naked Brat’s face and patted it dry.

“Brush your teeth and do whatever else you want to do to get ready for bed, love, while I get undressed,” Lucas instructed, turning Stewart towards the sink.

They both finished their nightly routine about the same time, so Lucas led Stewart into their room and got him settled in their bed. Then he spooned in behind his lover, relishing the feel of skin on skin. He tenderly kissed his lover’s bare shoulders and softly murmured endearments into his ear. He was soon rewarded with the deep sigh followed by light snoring from this man whom he loved with all his heart.

The End

Click here for the continuing story with Eric and Chandi to be found on Lou's and my page.