ATF Universe
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He was surprised to find Buck´s truck parked in the drive when he returned to the ranch since Buck had left with JD just before Vin had left to drive Chris to the airport.When he entered the house, he went straight to the den, raising an eyebrow speculatively at the lanky frame sitting on the sofa. “Buck?” he said simply.
Buck used the remote to turn off the program he´d been watching before turning to Vin. “Thought maybe you´d like to talk for a bit,” he said softly.
“About what?” Vin asked, his expression giving nothing away.
Buck shrugged and leaned back against the couch. “Maybe about whatever´s got you so tied up in knots,” he suggested. He paused for a moment. “I couldn´t help hearing some of what ya said to Chris.”
It shouldn´t have come as a surprise; they hadn´t exactly been whispering. Still, he´d been unprepared for the direct statement and tensed slightly. “What´s said ‘tween me ‘n Chris stays ‘tween me ‘n Chris,” he said quietly. There was no anger or judgement in his voice, only a small hint of warning.
Buck nodded slowly. “Most of the time I´d agree with ya, Vin. But not when I hear what I did today.” He studied the younger man´s uncomfortable stance. “You feelin´ like we treat ya different than we do Chris?” he asked gently.
“You sayin´ it ain´t true?” Vin countered, his eyes flashing with a hint of defiance.
Buck allowed a small smile and shook his head. “No, I guess it is. But maybe not for the reasons you think.”
“You take ta mind readin´ now, Buck?” Vin asked, his tone bordering on angry.
Wilmington chuckled then. “Hell, if I had, I woulda seen this coming long before now.”
The words intrigued Vin just enough to make him take a seat on the opposite end of the sofa from Buck. “Seen what comin´?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
Buck took a deep breath as though measuring his words. “I know now how it must seem to you,” he said. “But I wanna tell you how it is, Vin. If we treat ya different than Chris, it´s because the two of you are different. Chris don´t give a damn what anybody thinks.”
“And ya think I do?” Vin countered, angry again. He didn´t need anyone to tell him what he thought or felt. “Think I give a shit what people like Richards think of me?”
“Maybe not,” Buck replied, holding Vin´s angry gaze with a calm one of his own. “But I know for a fact you give a shit what people think of Chris, and I´ve seen what you´re capable of when it comes to protecting your own.”
“Chris don´t need my protection,” Vin groused, his eyes leaving Buck´s to study the floor at his feet.
“But would that have stopped you from taking Richards´ head off if he´d been directing his comments at Chris?” Buck asked quietly.
Vin didn´t have an answer for that. At least not one he was willing to share at the moment. If Richards had been talking about Chris, he wasn´t exactly sure what he would have done.
“None of us think you are any more affected by that shit than Chris is,” Buck continued, “but sometimes we might expect you to react differently, that´s all. We don´t wanna see you do something you may end up regretting down the road.”
“I ain´t stupid, Buck,” Vin growled, getting to his feet and glaring down at his friend. “Wouldn´t risk Chris´ career over a piece of shit like Paul Richards.”
“I didn´t think you would,” Buck concurred, also rising. “Not for a second.” He gave the younger man a compassionate smile and squeezed one tense shoulder gently. “But you can´t fault your friends for not wanting to see you risk yours either.” He took a moment to study Vin´s expression, seeing the myriad of emotions so close to the surface. “We good?” he asked quietly.
Tanner didn´t answer immediately. The comments Buck had overheard had been made in anger. As much as he appreciated Buck´s attempts to reassure him, it was such a small, insignificant part of what was really bothering him that it was almost comical. But while he might not want to get into the real reasons for his current state of mind, neither did he want Buck or the others to think it was their fault. “Yeah, we´re good,” he finally replied. “´M sorry, Buck.”
“Hell, ain´t nothing to be sorry about, Junior,” Buck smiled in relief. “Just remember, as far as the rest of us are concerned, you and Chris are just two guys in a committed relationship. Don´t matter none what came before. All that matters is you´re happy together and we´re happy for you, OK?”
But Vin knew what came before did matter – it mattered a lot. The thought had plagued him all the way home from the airport.
He realized Buck was looking at him with no small measure of concern and felt a need to put the man´s fears to rest. “OK,” he nodded, dredging up a ghost of a smile. “Thanks.”
“What´re friends for?” Buck shrugged with a relieved smile. “You wanna get some dinner or something?”
Vin shook his head slightly. “Don´t reckon I´d be much company tonight,” he stated truthfully. “Thanks for comin´ out, though, Buck. Ya didn´t have ta drive all the way out here ta say all that, but I ‘preciate it.”
The words struck a chord in Buck´s heart. Sometimes it was obvious that Vin was still overwhelmed by the fact that he had friends who cared. Friends who´d walk into Hell for him, let alone drive a few miles. In response, he captured the startled young man in one of his customary bear hugs. “Anytime, Junior, anytime.” With that, he left the ranch´s lone occupant to his solitude.
+ + + + + + +
By the time Chris called, Vin had eaten a meager dinner and taken care of the stock for the night.
“Hey, Cowboy,” he drawled into the phone upon hearing the blond´s voice. “How´s things in Washington?”
“Cold,” Chris complained miserably. “In more ways than one.”
Vin couldn´t help a small smile. “Well, the quicker ya take care of business there, the quicker you can come home and I can warm ya up.”
“Can´t wait,” Chris sighed. “God, I hate this.”
“Yeah, me too,” Vin said quietly.
The bleak tone set Chris´ senses on alert, but he knew his lover well enough to know that if he wouldn´t talk about it in person, he wasn´t likely to discuss it over the phone. “You sure you´re OK?” he asked anyway, already knowing the answer he´d receive..
Vin didn´t disappoint him. “I´m fine.” After a brief silence, he added, “Reckon I´m kinda tired.”
They´d been up early to search for the perfect tree. Then, with the exertion of chopping it down, getting it into the house, and the activities they´d indulged in afterward, not to mention the drive to the airport and back, it seemed like a convincing enough answer.
Convincing, that is, unless you were as in tune with Vin´s moods as Chris was. As much as he wished he knew what was bothering his lover, he also knew that it would be pointless to press him to divulge anything. Thinking it best to follow Vin´s lead, he breathed a small sigh into the phone. “Yeah, me too. Guess maybe we should both get some sleep. I´ll call you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” Vin murmured. “Sounds good, Cowboy.”
“Love you,” the blonde said softly.
“Love you, too,” Vin replied, unable to resist a small smile. “G´night.”
“Night.”
Vin hung up the phone but let his hand linger on the receiver for a minute. After a glance at the undecorated tree, he picked up the phone again and dialed Josiah´s number. He was never so glad to get an answering machine in his life.
“Hey, ‘Siah,” he drawled reluctantly. “About that thing we was talkin´ about. I´ve …uh… I´ve changed my mind, OK? Just cancel the whole thing and whatever ya do, don´t mention any of it ta Chris. Talk ta ya later.”
He hung up once again and breathed a small sigh of relief and sadness. Had Josiah been home to take the call, he knew he would have had to offer some sort of explanation. He probably still would, but at least he´d been granted a reprieve for the time being.
But now he had another problem. He needed to get a gift for Chris – one that wouldn´t remind him of something he´d once had and lost.
+ + + + + + +
Sunday´s phone call wasn´t much better than the one the night before, both men acutely aware that there was something hanging between them and both trying to pretend it didn´t exist.
“Any plans for the day?” Chris asked after an uncustomarily tense silence.
“Got some things ta do in town,” Vin replied casually. “Not sure how long I´ll be gone. How about you?”
“I´ll probably spend most of the day going over these files,” Chris sighed. “Hearing´s in the morning. Want to make sure everything´s fresh in my mind.”
“Got your flight booked?” Vin asked.
“Travis got me one for 3:00. I´ll be home sometime tomorrow, depending on how badly the holiday traffic screws up the schedules.” His tone dropped to a seductive level as he continued. “We can have a little reunion all to ourselves, then have the guys out on Tuesday after work for that decorating party.”
Vin was silent for a moment. He´d been trying to push all thoughts of Christmas from his mind. He knew he wouldn´t be able to get away with ignoring it altogether though. The best he could hope for was that he´d be able to convince his lover – and himself – that he didn´t need all the trimmings that came with the holiday.
“Reunion sounds good,” he finally said. “Party don´t matter, though. We can do the decoratin´ ourselves. Maybe I´ll get bored and have it done ‘fore ya get here.”
The words only served to add to Chris´ confusion where Vin´s mood was concerned. “What happened to ‘ain´t a party less´n the whole gang´s here´?”
“Don´t need a party, Chris,” Vin said quietly. “The important thing is that we´re together, right? All that other shit don´t mean nothin´.”
Larabee didn´t even have a response for that one. He knew how much the Christmas preparations had meant to Vin. He´d been planning some of them a good month in advance. While the two of them being together was the most important thing, he knew that the other things were important too. How many times had Vin mentioned how nice it would be to have Christmas memories of his own? Now it seemed as though he was throwing it all away and Chris couldn´t figure out why.
“It means something to me,” he finally said evenly. Because I know it means something to you, regardless of what you say.
“I´ll wait then,” Vin acquiesced, “if´n that´s what ya want.”
“What do you want, Vin?” Chris asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. He´d give anything to see what was going on in those big blue eyes at the moment.
“Just want ya home,” the Texan answered. “That´s enough. Nothin´ else matters.”
At any other time, those words would have warmed Chris´ heart, but now they gripped his soul with icy fingers. “Talk to me, pard,” he practically pleaded. “I hate not knowing what´s bothering you.”
Vin took a deep breath. “Ain´t nothin´ botherin´ me, Chris,” he lied for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. “Just take care´a business there and come home, OK?”
“OK,” Chris breathed after a brief silence. “I´ll call you later.”
After they´d said their goodbyes, Vin hung up the phone with a feeling resembling relief.
“Get a grip, Tanner,” he hissed to himself. “It´s gonna be a lot harder to pull off in person if ya don´t.”
“That´s usually the case,” came a voice from the doorway.
Vin whirled to see Buck standing there, a six-pack in his hand. “Glad ta see that knockin´ thing´s workin´ out for ya,” he snapped caustically.
Buck shrugged. “Didn´t see any harm since Chris was outta town,” he replied. “You never seemed to have a problem with it before.”
“Well things change,” Vin retorted. “Try the bell next time, will ya?”
Buck held up one hand in a gesture of surrender. “OK, I´m sorry, I´ll use the bell from now on.” He held up the beer he´d brought. “Just thought maybe you could help me out with these.”
Vin knew the man was only trying to be a good friend, but he wasn´t in the mood for an afternoon of companionship. Besides, he had things to do.
“Sorry, Buck, I was just on my way out.” He knew he was being rude, and quickly offered an explanation. “I´ve still got some shopping to do.”
“For Chris?” Buck asked.
Vin lowered his head uncomfortably. “Yeah.”
“Anything to do with whatever it is you´ll have trouble trying to pull off in person?” Wilmington asked with a mischievous smile. “I could help, you know. I´m pretty good at pulling off all kinds´a things.”
Vin rolled his eyes at the double entendre. “Thanks, but this is something I hafta do myself.”
“In that case, you mind if I hang around a while? Was looking forward to a peaceful afternoon and I ain´t gonna get that in town with JD and Casey there wrapping and carrying on.”
“Suit yourself,” Vin shrugged as he grabbed his coat. “Ain´t for sure how long I´ll be, but you´re welcome to whatever ya want.”
Buck plopped himself down on the sofa and opened one of the beers he´d brought in. “Good luck,” he said, raising the can in a toast before taking a long drink. “Can´t say as I would have guessed you to be a last-minute shopper though, the way you hate crowds and all.”
Vin nearly shuddered at the images Buck´s words brought forth. He did hate crowds, which is why he made it a point to do all of his shopping early. But now that he´d changed his mind about Chris´ major gift, he really didn´t have much choice. “Guess I´ll just hafta take my chances,” he grumbled miserably. “Ya might wanna save me one´a those,” he added, nodding at the six-pack.
“I´ll put one on ice with your name on it,” Buck replied with a grin.
Tanner nodded and headed for the front door with a feeling of dread. This wasn´t going to be anything like the afternoon he´d originally had planned.
Then again, changing his original plans just might be the best gift he could give Chris.
+ + + + + + +
He was slightly annoyed to find Buck still there when he returned hours later. He´d been unable to find anything suitable for Chris´ gift and was already feeling more than a little frustrated. Now he most likely had more questions and friendly advice to look forward too.
He wasn´t in the mood for either.
He was surprised to find his own irritation mirrored in Buck´s eyes when he entered the den where the tall man was waiting.
“Find anything?” Buck asked, a slight edge to his voice.
Vin was taken aback only briefly before he answered in the same tone. “Not yet, but I will. Don´t worry none.”
“Seems I´ve got cause to worry, Junior,” Buck continued. “Josiah called while you were out.”
Vin visibly tensed at that. “What did he say?” he asked.
“Said he wanted to talk to you,” Buck replied, watching Vin through narrowed eyes. “Said you called and put a stop to what you had planned for Chris.”
“Changed my mind s´all,” Vin shrugged. “Weren´t no big deal anyway.”
“Think Chris will see it that way?” Buck asked, still watching Vin carefully.
The Texan looked up to meet Buck´s gaze. “Chris won´t ever know,” he said quietly but with a hint of warning.
Buck´s eyes flashed with anger.
“Josiah told you,” Vin surmised.
“Hell yeah, he told me,” Buck retorted. “Wanted to know what happened that changed your mind. I´d kinda like to know the answer to that one myself.”
“Ain´t none of your business, Buck.”
“The Hell it ain´t,” the ladies´ man countered, getting to his feet. “He´s my friend too, Vin.”
“I know that!” Vin snapped. “You´ve been friends for a long time! You were here when Sarah and Chris decorated their tree every year, and when Adam opened his gifts. I get it!”
Buck´s expression of anger turned to one of confusion. “What?”
Vin took a deep breath. He hadn´t meant to reveal that much. “Never mind,” he sighed wearily. “Maybe you should just go, Buck.”
“Maybe I should, but I ain´t going anywhere. Not until you tell me what this is all about.”
“I don´t owe you any explanations,” Vin said stubbornly. Then, his tone softening somewhat, he added, “Just don´t say nothin´ ta Chris, OK?”
Buck could see the pain and sadness in the other man´s eyes and was even more confused than he had been. “Josiah told me why you wanted to do it,” he said softly. “I know what it would have meant to Chris. You sure you wanna change your mind?” he asked softly.
“It´s for the best,” Vin replied, his eyes pleading for understanding. “Can ya just trust me on that?”
The words had the desired effect.
“All right,” the bigger man sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I think you´re making a mistake, though. Chris would have loved it.”
“Just can´t do that to ‘im,” Vin practically whispered. “Not now.”
“I don´t understand,” Buck said with a shake of his head.
“You don´t hafta understand it, Buck. Just promise me ya won´t say anything.”
He couldn´t resist the silent plea still emanating from those expressive blue eyes. He didn´t know exactly what was going on between his friends, but if Vin was doing what he thought was right for Chris, he had to respect that. “I promise,” he finally said, his tone indicating that it was a promise he hadn´t wanted to make.
“Thanks,” Vin breathed on a sigh of relief.
“Guess I´ll be getting back to town,” Buck announced quietly. “Things should be a little calmer there by now.”
Vin nodded, unable to trust his voice.
Buck reached the door and then turned as though he wanted to say something further. After a moment, he merely shook his head sadly and issued a soft, “Good night.”
“Night,” Vin responded, not moving toward the door himself. Once the other man had left, he went and collapsed on the sofa.
Had he done the right thing?
He thought about all his reasons and was convinced that he´d made the right choice. “Merry Christmas, Chris,” he whispered as the first tears escaped from under his lashes.
+ + + + + + +
When the phone rang, he knew instinctively who was on the other end of the line. It was a warm smile that transformed his features when he heard his lover´s voice.
“Hey, pard,” Chris said.
Vin could almost see a smile matching his own on the handsome face. He might have changed his mind about a few things, but Chris wasn´t one of them – would never be one of them. He only had to make sure their conversation stayed away from the upcoming holiday.
“Hey, yourself, Cowboy,” Vin drawled, leaning back into the corner of the sofa. “How was your day?”
“Boring. The only thing worse than writing out those reports is having to read them over and over again.”
“Well, seems I got outta that p´ticular duty this time,” Vin reminded him. “´Course, I might just go cross-eyed starin´ at them tapes for the next day or so, but I reckon it´s all part of the job.”
“Just take it easy with those eyes,” Chris admonished in a teasing voice. “I happen to like them just the way they are.”
Vin´s smile broadened. This topic he could handle. “´S´at all ya like, Cowboy?” he teased, his tone dropping to a seductive level.
“Well, if I try real hard, I might be able to come up with a couple more things,” Chris played along.
“Maybe ya just need a reminder or two,” Vin chuckled softly. “Close yer eyes and concentrate real hard.” He paused a moment. “Got ‘em closed?”
Chris loved it when Vin was in this particular mood. “Yeah,” he breathed.
Vin leaned back. “Now let´s see… where should we start?”
“At the top,” Chris replied. “Your hair.”
Vin ran his hand obligingly through his shoulder length hair. “Used that shampoo ya like this morning.”
He could hear Chris inhale over the phone.
“The one that smells like a mountain morning,” the blonde breathed.
Vin chuckled again. “Don´t ‘xactly say that on the bottle, but whatever works for ya, cowboy.”
“Oh, it works for me, all right,” Chris replied. “How´s it feel?”
Vin rubbed a strand between his fingers. “Kinda soft, I guess. I reckon it´s a mite tangled just now. Ain´t for sure how that happened.”
Chris could help a small chuff of laughter. Vin´s hair seemed to tangle if you looked at it the wrong way – and he wouldn´t change a strand. “Wish I could work those tangles out for you, pard,” he said wistfully.
“I´m sure I´ll be able to come up with a way ta tangle it all over again once yer home,” Vin said with a wicked smile.
“What else?” Chris asked.
“Well, reckon we done discussed the eyes already,” the Texan mused. He ran one hand over his square jaw. “Didn´t shave this mornin´.”
“Mmmm,” the blonde breathed. He could practically feel the stubble beneath his hand as he imagined stroking his lover´s face.
Vin´s hand moved to his chest. “Reckon I got kinda chilled comin´ in from the barn. Could cut glass with these nipples, Chris.”
“Jesus, Tanner,” Chris gasped.
You´re killing me here.”
“Ain´t at all what I´m tryin´ for,” Vin chuckled. His tone turned from teasing to seductive in a heartbeat. “Touch yerself, Chris. ‘Magine it´s my hands on ya. Can ya feel it?”
“Yeah,” the blonde sighed. “Tell me more, Vin.”
Vin was getting into it as much as Chris by that point, his breathing slightly more ragged as he tried to think of new ways to seduce his lover over the phone. “I can feel your hands on my skin, Chris. Tracin´ nice and slow over my chest, rollin´ my nipples ‘tween your fingers.”
“Yes,” Chris responded with a hitch in his voice. Vin knew that the blonde was putting action to the words, stroking his own chest and imagining Vin´s hands there.
Tanner´s hand slid down his body to begin unfastening the button at his fly. “You´re undoin´ my jeans,” he murmured seductively. “Ya just can´t wait ta get them long fingers wrapped around my dick.”
A soft moan escaped his lips as his hard shaft bobbed free of it´s denim prison. The sound was matched by an arousingly similar one coming from the phone in his hand. “Feel it, Chris? Feel my hands touchin´ ya?”
“I feel it,” Chris gasped into the receiver. “God, Vin, you´re so hard.”
“That I am, cowboy,” Vin groaned, closing his eyes against the sensations building within him. He circled his cock with his fingers and began to stroke slowly. “Yer touch does that ta me every time.”
“Want to taste you, Vin,” Chris rasped. “What do you taste like?”
Vin shuddered slightly at the words and collected a drop of pre-cum on his fingers, raising them to his lips to taste himself. “Sweet,” he murmured. “Kinda salty.”
“Oh yeah,” Chris whispered, his breathing ragged. “Can you feel it, Vin? Can you feel my mouth on you? My lips, my tongue… my teeth.”
Vin wet his fingers and returned them to his twitching cock, his mind conjuring up the memories of what the blonde could do with his mouth. He swirled his fingers around the weeping head, his nails raking gently in a pale imitation of the strong, even teeth of his lover. “Jesus, Chris,” he hissed.
Chris took that as his cue to take over. He was already teetering on the brink from Vin´s teasing game and knew it wouldn´t take much to bring his lover to the point where they could soar over the edge together. “Stroke it, cowboy,” he murmured with a groan. “Like you´re deep inside me. I can feel you, Vin, harder, deeper, faster.”
Vin circled his throbbing cock with his hand, imagining it was the blonde´s tight ass enveloping him as he quickened his strokes. “Chriissss,” he whimpered.
“That´s it,” Chris gasped. “Let go, Vin. Lemme hear you come.”
That did it. Vin shuddered and came in his hand with a long, deep moan.
The sound, as well as the mental image of his lover bringing himself off, was all it took to trigger Chris´ own release. “Oh, God, Vin,” he groaned as his seed pumped into his palm.
Vin fell limply back against the sofa, still panting into the phone as he struggled to regain his composure enough to speak. When he did, it was with a raspy drawl. “Damn, Cowboy,” he breathed. “Over a thousand miles away and you can still push all the right buttons.”
“Works both ways, pard,” Chris chuckled breathlessly into the phone. “Guess we´ve both got some cleaning up to do.”
“Yeah,” Vin drawled wistfully. “Wish we´s doing it together.”
“Me too,” Chris replied softly. “Soon, though, I promise.” While he still didn´t know exactly what was going on with Vin, he was at least mildly reassured to learn that it apparently had nothing to do with his feelings for Chris.
As though on cue, Vin´s voice reaffirmed his thoughts. “Love you, Chris.”
“Love you too,” he responded. “I´ll call you at the office the minute I get out of the courtroom.”
“I´ll be up in surveillance, remember?” Vin said with a mischievous grin. “Goin´ all cross-eyed over them tapes.”
Chris chuckled. “Don´t start that again, Tanner. Don´t think I´m up for another round just yet.”
“No stamina,” Vin clucked, shaking his shaggy head sadly. “That´s yer problem, Larabee.”
“My problem is a mouthy, smart-assed Texan who never knows when to quit,” Chris quipped. His tone softening, he added, “And that´s one problem I never want to solve.”
“Ain´t no solvin´ a problem like that,” Vin teased. “Some things ya just gotta live with.”
“Looking forward to it,” Chris murmured. “Every second.”
“For the rest of our lives,” Vin finished the thought with a gentle smile. “Sounds good, Cowboy.”
“It is good,” Chris assured him. “It´ll always be good as long as we´re together.”
The words sent a warmth through Vin that rivaled that of the fireplace in front of him. “And I plan on us bein´ together a good long while,” he replied. “Soon as you get your ass back here where it belongs.”
Chris had to smile at that. He knew that sometimes the depth of their feelings for one another could still overwhelm his younger lover and at those moments Vin usually tried to add some levity to the conversation.
“Then I´d best get this ass off to bed so I can get this job done tomorrow.”
“Night, Chris,” Vin drawled into the handset. “See ya tomorrow.”
“Night,” the blonde returned. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Vin pushed the button to end the connection and placed the cordless phone on the table beside the sofa. The dull ache of disappointment that had been plaguing him since the previous day was all but gone from his mind.
It didn´t matter that he wouldn´t have the exact Christmas he´d been looking forward to.
He had Chris and that was infinitely more important.
+ + + + + + +
When Chris called the office the next day, Vin was still upstairs looking at surveillance tapes.
“How´d it go?” Buck asked his boss.
“Seemed like the judge wanted to let him out, but after hearing all the facts he finally decided to keep him where he is until the trial,” Chris answered.
“That´s good,” Buck smiled. “At least the trip wasn´t a waste.”
“All the facts were in my written report,” Chris scowled across the miles. “Seems Judge Clayton T. Penbridge prefers to look into a witness´ eyes when they´re testifying.”
Buck heard the bitterness in his friend´s voice and frowned slightly. Chris should be glad Reynolds wasn´t getting out, especially if his testimony was one of the reasons. “Anything else goin´ on we should know about?” he asked.
Chris exhaled loudly into the phone. “Storm came in overnight,” he said dismally. After a brief pause, he added, “They closed the airport two hours ago.”
“Shit,” Buck breathed, involuntarily glancing at the office doors as though expecting to discover that Vin had overheard. “Junior ain´t gonna be too happy ‘bout that.”
“He´s not the only one,” Chris fumed. “I promised him I´d be home today.”
“He´ll understand, Chris,” Buck said, knowing full well that their young friend might, indeed, understand, but that wouldn´t make it any easier having to tell him. “Want me to tell him when he gets back?”
“I wanted to talk to him myself,” Chris sighed. “They´re calling for the storm to let up sometime this afternoon, but…”
“But by the time they catch up on delayed flights,” Buck finished for him. “And with it being the holidays and all.”
“I know,” Chris replied. “May not get out of here until tomorrow, if then.”
“First thing he´s gonna ask when he gets here is whether you called,” Buck pointed out needlessly. “What should I tell him?”
Chris thought about it for a moment. He wouldn´t lie to Vin himself, and he´d be damned if he´d ask Buck to. “Unless he asks specifically about the flight, just tell him about Reynolds and that I´ll try to call him from the airport,” he finally answered. “I´m gonna head over there and see if I can get on an earlier flight once things start moving.”
Buck knew how unlikely that was. With flights being delayed or cancelled, everybody would be scrambling to make other arrangements once the airport was back in business.
“Good luck with that,” Buck said sincerely, though he had his doubts. “I´ll try to keep Vin on an even keel until you call.”
“I´d appreciate that,” Chris replied gratefully. “He´s not himself right now, Buck. Hard to say what could set him off.”
“You being stuck in Washington over Christmas would set him off at the best of times,” Buck pointed out. “But I know what you mean. Something´s gnawin´ at him.”
“He say anything to you?” Chris asked, hoping for a clue as to what was going on in his lover´s head.
“Nothin´ that can´t wait until you´re home,” Buck said, not wanting his friend to worry any more than he already was. “Whatever it is, he´ll work it out.”
“Yeah,” Chris sighed. “That´s what I´m afraid of.”
“Don´t worry, stud,” Buck tried to reassure the other man. “Once you´re home, he´ll be more like his old self.”
Chris tried to draw comfort from those words, but he knew it wasn´t as simple as that. While he didn´t doubt his lover wanted him home, it was obvious there was more going on under that tousled brown hair. “I hope you´re right,” he said quietly.
“He should be down around three,” Buck informed him.
“Tell him I´ll call him later,” Chris repeated his earlier words.
Buck hung up the phone and breathed a heavy sigh.
Suddenly a Merry Christmas depended on a certain blonde team leader getting home in time for the holidays.
+ + + + + + +
When Vin entered the team´s office suite shortly after 3:00, his gaze went immediately to Buck. With the rest of the team downstairs going over reports with Team Three, the mustached agent was the only one in the bullpen. “Chris call?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, a couple´a hours ago,” Wilmington responded. “Said he´d call you back from the airport.”
“Storm interferin´ any with the flights?” the sharpshooter pressed.
Buck took a deep breath. It didn´t surprise him that Vin had been keeping track of the weather in Washington. “Yeah,” he admitted. He might not have volunteered the information, but given a direct question, he wasn´t going to lie. “They had to close the airport this morning.”
“Damn,” Vin cursed quietly.
“Once the flights are moving again, he´s going to try to get one of the first ones out,” Buck offered in an attempt to reassure.
Vin flopped down in his desk chair and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah,” he muttered sarcastically. “I´m sure nobody else´ll think of that.”
“But nobody else has that Larabee glare workin´ for them,” Buck replied, trying to lighten the younger agent´s mood. “Hell, they´ll give him a seat on the first flight out just ta get rid of him.”
Vin couldn´t help a small smile at that. He´d never personally felt intimidated by the look, but he´d seen first hand the effect it had on others. “Reckon ya could be right there.”
Buck was glad to see the smile, but didn´t miss the unhappy look in those emotive blue eyes. “He´ll be back in time for Christmas,” he said softly.
The small smile Vin had been able to manage faded slowly. “Ain´t concerned none ‘bout the date, Bucklin. Just want ‘im home.”
Buck´s eyes flitted to the calendar on Vin´s desk, the one the sharpshooter had decorated with glittering Christmas stickers. The 25th was circled in red marker and had a happy Santa face sticker adorning it. For someone unconcerned with the date, the Texan sure had seemed to be looking forward to it.
Vin tracked his friend´s gaze and upon seeing where it was fixed, proceeded to pick up the calendar and toss it into the wastebasket by his desk.
Buck was about to comment when the phone on Vin´s desk rang.
“Tanner,” he snapped as he picked it up.
“Hey, pard.”
“Chris,” Vin responded. “How´s the flight situation?”
Larabee sighed. “Storm´s stopped, for now at least. They´re hoping to resume flights within the hour.”
“Any idea how long they´ll be backlogged?”
“Hard to tell,” he answered. “But it may not matter. I´ve got a line on a private flight going to DIA as soon as it gets clearance.”
“Private flight?” Vin repeated the words with a small frown.
“Got to talking to this guy in the restaurant here,” Chris explained. “He´s got a small plane headed to Denver and I managed to talk him into taking on a passenger.”
“Talked ‘im inta it, huh?” Vin said with a grin. “No glare needed, I s´pose.”
Chris chuckled. “Nope. Just told him I had to be home with my family for Christmas. Beats the Hell outta me, but it seems people really are nicer this time of the year.”
“Yeah, well, just as long as you get home in one piece, that´s all the matters,” Vin replied in a more serious tone. “Don´t worry none ‘bout Christmas.”
“It´s not Christmas I´m worried about,” Chris told him truthfully.
Tanner had to swallow at that. “When will ya know for sure ‘bout this flight?” he asked, effectively changing the subject.
“I´m keeping my original ticket,” Chris answered. “I´ll take whichever gets me home sooner. The smaller plane will need to make stops but the commercial´s direct.”
“When you´ve got a better idea when you´ll be getting in, let me know,” Vin said. “I´ll be there ta pick ya up.”
“I´ll call as soon as I know for sure,” Chris promised. “Love you.”
“Me too,” Vin replied, soft colour rising in his cheeks. “See ya later.”
He hung up the phone and swiveled his chair to face Buck. “He´s got a line on a private flight to Denver,” he informed the mustached agent. “He´ll take that or the commercial, dependin´ on which gets clearance first.”
“Well, all right then,” Buck responded with a grin. “What´d I tell ya, Junior? He´d be here for Christmas if he had ta crawl on his hands and knees.”
Vin smiled a little but didn´t reply.
“So I guess the decoratin´ party can still go on tomorrow,” Buck announced happily.
“No party, Buck,” Vin said in a quiet but firm voice.
“Aw, Hell, Junior,” the tall man teased with a grin. “We promise ta give ya enough time to get reacquainted first.”
Vin felt the colour rise in his cheeks but wasn´t sure if it was embarrassment or anger. “I said no party.”
Buck´s teasing smile disappeared as he studied the Texan´s expression. “What´s going on, Vin?” he asked finally. “Somethin´ not right with you and Chris?”
“We´re fine,” Vin replied. “Just changed m´mind ‘bout all the Christmas shit, that´s all. Ain´t none of it important.”
“And why´s that all of a sudden?” Buck pressed. “You and JD´ve been bouncing off the walls for weeks. You expect me to believe you don´t care now?”
“Believe what the Hell ya want,” Vin snapped, unwilling to explain his reasoning to Buck. “All I´m sayin´ is there ain´t gonna be no party, got it?”
Buck was getting angry. “Fine. Care to fill me in on any other plans that might´ve changed? Chris´ gift, the party. We still getting together at the ranch Christmas Day? Or is that just a bunch´a shit too?”
Vin knew the other man thought he was being a total jerk, but he knew what was best for Chris. “We want ya all at the ranch for Christmas, Buck,” he said, his tone softer. “Ain´t nothin´ changed ‘bout that.” He paused for a moment. “Less´n ya don´t wanna come now.”
Buck ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Of course we want to come,” he sighed. “Damn, son, I´m like a blind man tryin´ to feel his way around here. Help me out a bit, will ya?”
Vin considered his options. He didn´t want Christmas Day strained because of any harsh feelings between himself and Buck. Chris and Wilmington went back a long way and had spent many happy holidays together.
On the other hand, there was no way he could explain to Buck what he was feeling.
“We want ya ta come,” Vin reiterated sincerely. “Ain´t that all that matters?”
It was an evasive answer at best and Buck´s frustration level hit new heights. But as he looked into the pained expression in those wide blue eyes, he knew he wasn´t going to be getting answers anytime soon.
“We´ll be there,” he finally said, mustering up as much of a smile as he could.
“Thanks, Bucklin,” Vin said with a nod and a smile of relief. “That´ll mean a lot ta both of us.” He could still see concern and frustration in the blue eyes that looked back at him and he felt a stab of guilt, knowing he´d put it there. “Don´t worry,” he said softly. “I know what I´m doing.”
Buck nodded and got to his feet. “Ok, Junior,” he sighed. “I´ll trust that you do.”
Even as he was thinking that the younger man looked worn out, Vin stifled a yawn. “Rough night?” he asked.
“Didn´t sleep too well, but ain´t nothin´ ta worry about,” Vin replied.
“Go home, have a shower and grab a bite to eat,” Buck suggested. “Chris said he´d call when he knew more about the flight. That´ll still give you plenty of time to get to the airport.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Vin, getting to his feet. “I´ll talk to ya tomorrow.” After retrieving his jacket and putting it on, he paused in front of the taller man. “Thanks, Buck,” he said, ducking his head slightly. “I know ya´s just worried about Chris…”
“I worry about you too, Vin,” Buck interrupted softly.
“Yeah, reckon I know that too,” he replied with a shy smile.
It was more personal than they usually got and Buck knew Vin was generally uncomfortable with such declarations. “But if I thought you were gonna hurt him, you know I´d have to shoot you, right?” he teased.
Vin grinned but there was a glint of gratitude in his eyes for the words. “Hell, Bucklin,” he said with a sly wink. “I´d give ya my own gun ta do it.”
And in that one teasing sentence, Buck knew that his oldest friend´s heart was in good hands.
“Think Chris knows how lucky he really is?” he asked, only half teasing.
“I dunno,” Vin replied with a blush, though the sly grin was still there. “But I can have him call ya whenever I think he might need a little remindin´.”
Buck laughed and threw an arm around the younger man´s shoulders as they headed for the door. “You just do that, Junior.”
+ + + + + + +
As Vin stepped out of the shower, he was glad he´d taken Buck´s advice. The kink in his neck he´d acquired from hours of watching surveillance tapes was gone and he´d be able to welcome his lover home in a way befitting his much improved mood.
And he owed that newly improved frame of mind to Buck. In his own way, the ladies´ man loved Chris, too. And just knowing that was a great source of comfort to Vin.
He´d just finished a meal of chili and toast when he heard a car in the driveway. Looking out the window, he was surprised to see not just one, but four. The fact that he recognized them all did little to curb his curiosity and he had the door open before Buck had a chance to try out the bell he´d promised to use.
The look on Wilmington´s face, and the ashen features of JD at his side made his blood run cold.
“What?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Has Chris called?” Buck asked softly.
Vin could only shake his head as the rest of the team joined them at the door.
“Mind if we come in?” Nathan asked as though talking to a skittish child.
Still unable to speak, Vin stood aside and allowed them entrance, taking note of the grim expressions they each wore. Finally, he could take no more. “What?” he asked again. “Tell me.”
The other five men glanced uncomfortably at one another for a moment. “We ain´t sure there´s anything to tell yet, Junior,” Buck hurried to reassure him. “But…”
No, no buts. He didn´t want to hear buts.
“Bucklin?” he rasped, looking for something other than the shock and disbelief he saw in the tall agent´s eyes.
Josiah took a few steps to stand before Vin. “Buck said Chris was trying to get on a private flight from Washington,” he ventured gently.
Again, Vin could only nod.
Josiah hesitated only a moment before continuing. “A small plane went down this afternoon shortly after takeoff from Dulles.” He had to swallow the disbelief his own words caused. “It was destined for Denver.”
Vin merely looked at him, his face betraying nothing for what seemed like hours. “No,” he finally managed, the words accompanied by a fervent shake of his head. “It weren´t Chris.”
“I hope you´re right, son,” Josiah soothed, trying to place a hand on the man´s shoulder only to have it shrugged off quickly. “We just thought we should come out and keep you company until we have more information.”
“Don´t need no more information,” Vin grated, his eyes narrowed in barely controlled anger. “I´m tellin´ ya, it weren´t Chris.”
“Vin,” Buck began, taking a step toward the trembling man.
“Fuck off, Buck!” Vin shouted as the ladies´ man reached out to touch him. “Get the Hell outta here, all´a you!” Without another word, he stormed toward the master bedroom, leaving the other five to flinch as the door was slammed loudly.