Main Characters: Chris and Vin

Notes: This ficlet is based upon the fanon background that Vin Tanner is claustrophobic and was abused as a child in the foster care system. My gratitude to Sue Necessary for providing this bit of M7 myth through her wonderful stories!

Webmaster Note This story was previously hosted at another website and was moved to blackraptor in July 2012.

The bust had gone down letter-perfect, Team Seven of Denver's ATF bringing down the bad guys with far less struggle than even they expected. As they were shuttling the group into the 'wagon for transport, six of the magnificent seven realized that they were missing someone.

“Where's Vin?” Chris tried to keep the fear out of his voice as he scanned the big warehouse for signs of his life partner.

“Last check in, he was on the roof and said he was gonna check out some movement on the top floor,” JD supplied.

“Tanner, report,” Larabee barked into his mike, one hand pressing the earpiece against his ear. He waited a beat then said again, “Tanner, report.”

Then a faint sound, coming from above them rather than from their equipment, announced the whereabouts of the team sharpshooter.

“GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE!”

“Shit,” the blond growled. Already running toward the staircase, he called over his shoulder, “Josiah, with me. The rest of you start clean-up.”

Somewhere above them, Vin Tanner was trapped.

A trapped Tanner meant the chances of his claustrophobia being triggered were very good.

That meant panic.

Chris knew that, if his fears were realized, Vin would be a mess. The last thing his young lover would need in that scenario would be an audience. But he would need Chris. And Chris might need help. As Josiah was aware of the depth of their relationship, Larabee would be able to give himself to the Texan as much as he needed. As much as he deserved.

Reaching the top floor, guns drawn the two agents stayed on the alert. As far as they knew, the entire building was secure, but if Tanner had been trapped, there could still be someone on the loose.

Surveying the area with a slow scan, Chris found no sign of trouble. Then the sound of pounding came to the two men, and they finally located the source. A long beam had been shoved or had fallen across a heavy, metal door, its ends wedged at a slant, against the ceiling and floor. Despite the thickness of the door and the weight of the beam, both quivered as the closure was battered from inside.

“Ah, hell,” Larabee cursed. “Josiah, you go check the rest of the floor, I'll take care of this.”

“You got it, boss,” the older man agreed, stealing down the hallway. He would bow to the other man's knowledge of his partner's state of mind. If Chris needed him, he'd call.

Stepping across to the barred door, the team leader heard something snap beneath his foot. Looking down, he saw the mangled remains of Tanner's earpiece and mike. 'Another expense request', he thought distractedly, with a sigh. Reaching the door, he called out, loud enough to be heard over the panicked storm on the other side. “VIN! IT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA GET YOU OUT! VIN! CALM DOWN!”

After several repetitions of his directions, the storm quieted. After another minute, he heard, “Chris?”

“It's me, pard. I'm gonna get you out of there, okay?”

A beat, and then, “'Kay.”

Larabee shoved at the beam, finally dislodging it with his shoulder after several long minutes. As it clattered woodenly to the floor, he heard a soft, “Chris?”

“Right here pard, right here.” Then he looked to see that the beam had damaged the door handle. “Ah, shit.”

“Ch-Chris?” Panic rose again in the soft drawl.

“It's okay Vin, just a little setback.”

“Setback?”

“Vin, are you sitting down?”

“Sit… sittin'?”

“Pard, sit down, okay?”

Another beat, and then, “'kay.”

“All right, now, close your eyes.”

”Chris? I… I cain't… Chris?”

“Close your eyes, Vin,” he whispered, his forehead pressed against the door.

Finally, “'kay.”

“Okay. Now, I want you to listen to me, just listen to my voice. I want you to picture our place… our place in the woods. Can you do that?”

“Chris, I… Chris, please let me out,” the voice coming through the door sounded very young, and very vulnerable, and Larabee's heart broke.

“The door's jammed, Junior.”

“Oh God!” Tanner cried.

“Sh. Listen to me… listen!” Chris called to him, fighting to make himself heard through the panic he could feel like a living entity. “I'm going to get you out, Vin, I swear. Now, listen to me… follow my words… it's going to be fine.”

“'Kay,” the timid voice pledged.

As he yanked and pulled at the damaged door, Larabee kept up a steady stream of words, carrying his panicked partner away to the place they had claimed as theirs. Together, they traveled to the little clearing near his ranch where they had spent many love-filled days curled in one another's arms. As he recounted time that Vin's strong-willed horse, Peso, had interrupted their love making, he heard a soft chuckle.

And the door surrendered its hold.

Pulling the heavy door open, Chris peered into the small space beyond, lit only by the faint daylight that crept into the building. The room, a closet, was just deep enough to accommodate the width of a utility shelf, and wide enough to allow a narrow passage between two units.

In the middle of that tiny walkway was his life partner.

Vin sat, his body folded tightly around itself. His knees were drawn up beneath his chin, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. He was rocking with quick, fevered actions. Loose waves of chestnut hair hid most of the handsome features, but Chris could see that the young man's blue eyes were squeezed shut.

“Vin?”

The young man's head turned, face toward him and eyes still shut. Chris could see blood drying along the finely chiseled features from a cut on Tanner's forehead. Kneeling at the threshold, he asked softly, “did you hit your head?”

“No… some… someone come up on me, clocked me a good 'n.” The chestnut brows furrowed. Then he realized that the other man couldn't know about the gash on his head if the door was still between them. Slowly he squinted open an eye. Seeing light, he opened both eyes, his vision filled with the wondrous sight of his lover.

“Chris,” he breathed.

Smiling gently, Larabee said, “It's okay now, you're free.”

Tanner stopped rocking, but then began to tremble. By the time Larabee slid across the short space between them, the lean body was shaking hard. He wrapped his arms around the tightly wound man, and felt his partner melt against him. Chris held the limp body, one arm around Vin's shoulders, a hand gently stroking the sweat-matted hair. He leaned his head against the tousled head, whispering softly.

“It's okay, Vin, I've got you. You're safe now, pard, the door's open. Come on, you wanna get out of here?” Unable to voice his wishes, the younger man nodded vigorously. The blond stood, pulling the quivering frame up with him.

As they both gained their feet, Tanner's legs gave way, the traumatized man staying upright only by the strong arms around him. Leaning heavily against his lover, he fought to regain some sense of control. Taking a ragged breath, he murmured, “'m sorry.”

“Sh. You're fine. Can you walk if I help you?”

“Wan… wan' outta here.”

Shifting his hold so that they could both walk, Larabee guided the younger man from the tiny prison. As they stepped out into the wide hall, he saw Josiah just exiting a door at the far end of the hall. The profiler gave the team leader a thumb's up, indicating the floor was clear.

Sanchez watched his two friends appear at the other end of the hall. He saw that Chris was supporting most of Vin's weight, and that the long-haired man stumbled every step or so. His head was resting against Larabee's shoulder, hands wound tightly through the blond's shirt. He knew immediately that Tanner's phobia about closed places had the man in a full-blown panic. Watching Vin's legs give out and Chris carefully guiding him to the floor, Sanchez went into action. Turning, he began ripping the boards loose that covered the big window at the end of the hall.

Larabee looked up at the sounds from down the hallway and saw what Sanchez was doing. With a grateful smile and nod of his head, he coaxed Tanner around until his partner was facing in that direction. The team leader watched as he registered the sunshine and felt the breeze against his clammy flesh. Slowly he began to calm.

The two men sat there in the middle of the litter strewn hallway for sometime. Chris' arms stayed wrapped around the shivering body that, finally, rested against him. The younger man's breathing slowed and the tremors that had wracked his body eventually ceased. With a sigh, he relaxed, his head cradled against Larabee's shoulder.

Running his fingers through the chestnut curls, Chris said softly, “you okay?”

“Just… tired, now,” Vin responded.

Sanchez had come to join them, kneeling next to the pair. Reaching out, he tentatively squeezed a narrow shoulder. He smiled compassionately as haunted blue eyes focused on him. “You look like you could use a hot bath and a warm bed as soon as you get that gash cared for.”

Nodding, Tanner whispered once more, “'m sorry.”

“Vin, you don't have a damned thing to apologize for,” Chris argued.

“”M bein' a damn fool, freakin' out over somethin' stupid like that.”

“Son, you weren't freaking out over anything stupid.”

“Don't see none a y'all goin' ape shit cause y' got locked in a fuckin' closet.” Anger was quickly replacing fear. A good sign.

“I don't think it was this closet that you were 'going ape shit' about,” Josiah said evenly. Looking deeply into the frowning face, he said, “It was the closet that haunts you from your childhood.” They had all heard bits and pieces of Tanner's childhood as a ward of the state of Texas. It had not been pleasant. One home in particular had been the source of many of the young man's nightmares. His foster father had all too frequently beaten the small child, and used his fear of closed places to discipline him. He hadn't been the only monster in Vin's past, but he was among the worst.

Chris felt the body in his arms go rigid, and tenderly stroked a hand down the tense back. “He's right, and you know it.”

Sighing deeply, the young agent said, “sons a bitches. When 'r they gonna leave me th' fuck alone?”

Wincing at the washed out, exhausted sound of his partner's voice, Larabee said, “I don't know, but you know I'll be right here whenever the fucking bastards come at you again. They can't get to you anymore, Vin, not without going through me.”

Slowly the his head moved, and Tanner looked up into the older man's face. Smiling when he saw the conviction in the handsome face, the said, “then reckon I'm 'bout as safe as I can be.”

“You'd better believe it,” Larabee said with a smile. He ran a thumb over the broad lips, then reached down and kissed the sensual mouth. Moving back, he continued. “Well, if you're ready to go, let's get you checked out so I can take you home to that hot bath and warm bed.”

Laughing when he took in the expression on Chris' face, the sharpshooter looked over at Josiah. “Thanks fer givin' him the idea. Reckon I'm gonna have t' put up with him molly-coddlin' me, now.”

“Nothing wrong with that once in a while,” Sanchez responded, his deep voice booming as he rose and offered his hand to the young man.

Accepting the proffered hand, Vin allowed himself to be lifted to his feet. Then he was couched between the other two and helped downstairs, the others moving slowly to accommodate his still-weak legs. On the ground floor, they met up with the other four members of the team, waiting patiently for their teammates to return. Leaving the others to manage the details of wrapping up the investigation, Chris took his partner to the hospital.

~o~

He was x-rayed, his wound cleaned and stitched, given pain medications and released. Helping him into the cab of the black Ram, Chris took his partner home to the ranch. It had once been his ranch, but now it was theirs. He noticed that Tanner kept finding reasons to touch him, or be close, but didn't comment on it. Vin needed reassurance that he was, indeed, safe.

Arriving at the big, rambling ranch house, Larabee escorted the injured man inside, guiding him to the master bathroom. A short time later the room was filled with thick steam, while Tanner soaked in that hot tub.

Eventually the water, and the air, cooled. Chris led him into the master bedroom, pulling back the big bed's blankets and coaxing Vin beneath them.

“It's awful lonesome in here,” Tanner said softly, blue eyes looking up at the blond with the barest hint of panic in their depths.

“Reckon I'll just have to do something about that, then,” Larabee agreed. “Let me go take care of things real quick. I'll bring us some dinner in here, that sound okay?”

Grinning, his mouth turned up with a faintly cocky twitch, “y' ever know me t' turn down food?”

Less than an hour later, their light dinner finished, Vin once more curled up against Chris. “Y' know, maybe bein' molly-coddled ain't the worse thing in the world.”

“Yeah?” The blond responded, gently brushing though the long hair. “Well, don't get too used to it.”

“I'll try not to,” Tanner said as he broke into a broad yawn. The trauma of the day, helped by the pain medication and his lover's ministrations, quickly overtook him.

Chris felt the lanky body relax, and soon the young man was snoring softly. He kept his arms around Vin, stroking his back and arms each time the younger man jerked or flinched in his sleep. He knew the nightmares Tanner would have during the weeks to come only too well. He had lived them with his partner all too often in the past. Time and again, he cursed the monsters who had given those nightmares to the man who had claimed his heart.

Finally Larabee drifted to sleep as well, his lover still curled against him. He knew the dreams he would have, the nightmares that would recount his partner's misery. Dreams of ripping the evil monster of Tanner's childhood limb from limb; of shooting, stabbing, or beating him to death. None of it would take Vin's pain away, but at least it gave him a strange sense of peace.

Tomorrow they would face another day together.

The End

Comments to: lara_mee@yahoo.com
May, 2004