ATF Alternate Universe
PART ONE
JD peered at the clock on his computer anxiously. "Five o'clock," he muttered under his breath. "Five o'clock and nobody's said anything about it being my birthday." His eyes threatened to mist over as he glanced at Buck, self-absorbed in reading a case file. Yeah, probably got a girlie magazine in there, nice show Buck, Chris isn't stupid, he snorted bitterly to himself. Thinking about the leader of the seven then, he looked over at Chris's office, watching as Chris and Vin, who leaned casually against the door jamb, were laughing at some private joke.. He thought these six men were his family, and no one even remembered his birthday. He shut off his computer, feeling lower than low."Ready to go Buck?" he asked quietly. Buck had driven them both into work today, as he often did.
"Aw, shoot kid, sorry. I forgot."
"You did?" JD asked eagerly. He remembered! He remembered that he forgot my birthday! JD thought happily to himself.
"Yeah kid, sorry, I forgot that I told Chris I'd help him with some paperwork on that Johnson case. It needs to be on the commissioner's desk on Monday and Chris asked me to stick around tonight and help him on it."
"Oh." He looked at Buck, then back down at his desk as his face grew hot. "Want some help?" he offered.
"Nah, we've got in under control. Think you can find another ride home?"
"Yeah, sure," JD responded in a slightly choked voice.
"I'll take ya home JD," Vin piped in with his hoarse drawl.
"You will?" JD said hopefully.
"Yeah, sure," Vin replied. "You ready now?"
"Yep, let me get my stuff." He looked around the room sadly. Nobody even looked his way. "See you guys on Monday," he said, trying to keep the quaver out of his voice.
"See ya JD," Nathan responded laconically.
"Don't wait up for me kid," Buck said with a grin.
Josiah waved, Chris nodded and Ezra was engrossed in his computer, not even seeming to notice Vin's and JD's departure.
Settled in the Jeep, JD sighed deeply.
"What's on your mind kid?" Vin asked softly.
"Nothing Vin, i-it's nothing," he stammered.
"Didn't sound like nothin' to me, kid," Vin pressed.
"I ain't a kid! I'm 24 today!" JD bit out.
"Today? You sayin' today's your birthday?" Vin asked, ignoring JD sharp tone and giving him a small smile.
"Yeah, it is, what about it," JD asked defensively.
"Well, why ain't we out celebratin'?" Vin said.
"'Cause nobody remembered. Not even Buck!" JD shouted back, turning his face away from Vin's to watch the road as a few angry tears leaked from his eyes.
Shit! Vin cursed to himself. This has been goin' on long enough! He could see it was tearing JD up to think that nobody remembered his birthday, when in fact, they were planning a surprise party for him later tonight. It had been Buck's idea for them all to act like they had forgotten about it, but Vin couldn't keep up the charade for much longer. It was killing him to see how upset JD was about it. He had been told to keep JD busy for about two hours after work, then drive him home, where the rest of the team was setting up the party. JD had been so upset about everybody forgetting his birthday, he hadn't even noticed Vin was driving them out into the country. Vin figured he'd come clean with JD, they'd stop at a roadside diner for some dinner and a birthday drink, and then head back to civilization, and the surprise party. He was going to tell him right now.
"JD," he said, turning toward the younger man.
"What?" JD asked, stubbornly keeping his face turned away from Vin's.
"Look at me," Vin said, still not watching the road, looking at JD instead.
"Oh all right," JD huffed, then saw something strange out of the corner of his eye. "Look out Vin!"
"Jesus!" Vin yelled, trying to steer the Jeep away from the large hole in the road. He wrenched the steering wheel sharply, but was unable to keep his front tire from dipping into the hole. Both men heard the blowout a split-second before the Jeep lurched to the side. Vin lost control of the Jeep as it bounced off the road and down the embankment, coming to a stop on its side in the middle of some heavy brush.
"JD, you all right?" Vin called anxiously as he pulled himself from the Jeep.
"Yeah, I'm fine," JD replied shakily as Vin reached him.
"Your lip's bleedin'," Vin said.
"So's your head," JD replied.
"You okay except for that?"
"Yeah, I think so. How 'bout you?"
"Yeah, just a little shaky. How that hell did that happen?" Vin asked.
"Big hole in the road. You were looking at me, so I guess you missed it," JD answered back.
Vin nodded, mad at himself, berating himself silently. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Good one Tanner! Middle of nowhere, flat tire, no spare.
He turned to the younger man sheepishly. "Got your cell phone? Mine's in my jacket that I left at home today."
JD nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tried dialing Buck, then Chris, then the office. No answer. He was going to dial for AAA road service, but then his cell phone died.
"No answer at work Vin, and my phone just died. Guess it needs charging."
"Damn! We're gonna have to hoof it."
"How come? Can't we just change the tire?"
"Sorry JD, I don't have a spare. I just had a flat a couple days ago, ran over some broken glass. Meant to get another spare, but you know with that Vargas case and all, I've been real busy. Was gonna get another one tomorrow."
"Some birthday," JD said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry JD," Vin apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean for things to happen this way." He turned back to the Jeep and staggered.
"Vin!" JD shouted, coming up behind him. "You're not all right! Sit down!"
"No, no, I'm fine JD," Vin protested. But truthfully, he did feel bad. Everything had been spinning crazily ever since his head had cracked against the steering wheel, when the Jeep had left the road. But he was going to get JD out of here and to his surprise party. He owed it to JD, after screwing up so badly.
He tried to move again, but sank back weakly against JD as the earth tilted. "Maybe I'll sit for a minute, JD," he relented.
JD eased him down to the ground, then sat down next to him, shivering.
"You cold?" Vin said.
"A little," JD admitted.
"Come here," Vin said, lifting his arm.
JD hesitated briefly, then slid over right next to Vin. The older man put his arm around JD loosely.
"It'll keep us both warm," Vin said reassuringly. JD was able to make out the sharpshooter's wry smile in the fading light.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Vin trying to get his bearings, and hoping his head would stop spinning so he could lead them out of there. A series of shivers racked JD's body just then.
"We knew it was your birthday," Vin blurted out, hoping to keep the younger man's mind off the cold with some conversation.
"What?" JD replied in confusion.
"We knew," Vin repeated. "Buck's idea to act like we didn't. There's a surprise party for ya tonight. I'm supposed to take ya there, 'cept I messed things up. I'm sorry JD, it's all my fault," he finished sadly.
A blast of cold air blew into them, and both men shivered repeatedly
"No it isn't Vin," JD said, now putting his arm around Vin's waist to press them even closer together against the biting wind. Despite the cold, he began to noticed how good Vin smelled. Fresh, clean, like the mountains. He leaned closer to the sharpshooter and inhaled deeply, a strange warmth spreading throughout his body. Before he knew it, his head was resting on Vin's shoulder. "Mmmm...." he murmured, closing his eyes.
+ + + + + + +
"Wha....JD....?" Vin mumbled sleepily, lifting his head up from his chest, and looking down into JD's sleeping face, frowning at the trickle of dried blood on his lips and chin.
"JD?" he whispered, suddenly giving into the urge to stroke JD's face softly. "Wake up JD?"
"Vin?" JD said, slightly startled. "W-where are we?"
"Still stranded, JD. We've gotta get outta here, c'mon."
Vin stood up shakily, and JD hurried up, then steadied him. "Vin, lean on me, I'll help you. We'll get out of here, soon, I know it."
"Thanks JD," Vin said gratefully. His head still pounded and walking straight by himself would have been hard. Thank God for the kid.
JD strained his eyes in the darkness as they walked. Vin looked too, but mostly he just tried to stay on his feet. They practically stumbled into the tiny shack before they saw it, blending into the brush and trees as it was. JD helped Vin inside the ramshackle building and shut the tattered door tightly.
"This should do us 'til morning, don't ya think Vin? Then we can get to the road and figure out where we are. And somebody's bound to come along then, right?"
"Yeah sure, JD," Vin said as he felt around in the darkness. His hands closed in on a candle, and he felt gingerly around it, rewarded when his fingers landed on a book of matches. "Well, that's better," he sighed, lighting the candle.
JD's youthful face was illuminated by the flame. Vin stared at it, enraptured. JD looked so, so young, but there was something else. Something he had never noticed before. Vin caught his breath as desire surged in his loins.
"You okay Vin? There's a bed over here, maybe you should lay down," JD's concerned voice floated in his ears.
"Yeah....lay down...good idea," Vin replied thickly.
"Here, I'll help you," JD said, guiding Vin over to the bed, after sweeping it off first, checking for bugs or small animals.
He settled Vin onto the small, bare mattress.
"Will you lay down with me?" Vin asked unsteadily. "It's cold," he lied. He just wanted to feel JD next to him. It seemed like he had wanted that for a long time, but just hadn't known it until now.
PART TWO
"Uh, sure," JD answered, trying to sound casual. He was excited about the thought of being close to Vin once again, breathing in his scent, hugging his lean body to his. He climbed onto the little bed next to Vin."Ow!" Vin yelped as JD's elbow cracked against his bruised temple. "Watch it," he said crossly.
"Sorry Vin, didn't mean it," JD said contritely. "Here, let me take a look." He held the candle up to Vin's wounded head and examined the area with gentle fingers. Vin groaned as JD probed the large bump and deep gash, trying to pull away.
"Don't move around Vin, I'm almost finished," JD coaxed, resting one hand on the sharpshooter's chest to still him.
He finished his ministrations with a silent sigh, and jammed the candle into a large crack in the table near the bed, managing to still keep it lit as he moved it. He really needed to get Vin to a doctor to have his head looked at, but knew it was too dangerous in the dark, with only a single candle to light their way. There was too much brush and debris around, and either one of them could fall and injure themselves worse. Then they'd never be able to get out of here.
"JD?"
The soft voice roused him and he looked over at the injured man, noticing his hand still rested on his chest. He lifted his hand up, and Vin grabbed it tightly.
"No, don't leave me," Vin whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere Vin," JD reassured quietly.
"Where are we?" Vin asked in a puzzled voice.
"In some shack we found in the trees, remember?"
"How'd we get here?" Vin questioned.
"We walked, after the jeep went off the road, Vin," JD responded worriedly.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Vin replied. "I forgot for a minute, sorry."
"It's okay Vin, don't worry about it." He suddenly found himself stroking Vin's face, trying to soothe the older man.
Vin burrowed closely against JD, leaning into his hand. "Feels real good, JD, thanks," he sighed.
"You're welcome," JD whispered, then to his surprise, leaned over and kissed Vin lightly on the lips.
Vin parted his lips, inviting JD inside. The younger man pushed into the soft, welcoming mouth with his tongue, exploring tentatively. Vin's tongue met JD's cautiously, and soon the kiss deepened to become a passionate embrace. JD rubbed his growing erection against Vin's own hardening length. The older man whimpered with desire and pulled JD on top of him.
"Vin....Vin, what are we doing?" JD panted.
"I don't know JD....but it feels real good," Vin replied.
"Yeah, it does," JD agreed, and started unbuttoning Vin's shirt. He helped the sharpshooter sit up, and stripped his jacket off of him, then Vin's shirt. He laid Vin back on the bed, straddling him as he removed his own shirt. Then he leaned down and unzipped Vin's jeans, freeing his rampant cock from the confining cloth. Unable to resist a feel, he wrapped a hand around the thickened flesh.
"JD!" Vin cried out in shock at the younger man's touch. Soon his surprise turned into passionate cries of pleasure as JD ran his hand up and down his stiffened flesh. "Oh...God, that... feels so good. Don't stop...please, don't stop," Vin begged.
JD had no intention of stopping. Seeing Vin's passion flushed face in the faint candlelight excited him beyond his wildest dreams. Still pulling and stroking Vin's cock with one hand, he maneuvered around until he was able to free his own erection from his pants, yanking them and his boxer shorts down and off himself frantically.
"Vin? You ever done anything like this before?" JD asked huskily, as he continued to slowly caress the older man's cock.
"No, never did nothin' like this," Vin answered as he reached out for JD's swollen member. "You wanna stop?"
"Oh...oh...no," JD panted, as Vin slid a callused hand up and down his length. "I don't wanna stop. What about you?" he gulped, secretly hoping Vin wanted to keep going just as much as he did.
"Me neither," Vin agreed hoarsely, pulling JD's head down close to his again, planting a hot, lusty kiss on JD's plump lips.
The two men began to thrust harder into the hands working their erections, moaning into each other's mouths as they pumped vigorously.
"JD...oh....oh..." Vin groaned as his cock twitched, and his seed began to pour out, coating his and JD's hand with the milky fluid.
"Vin...yes....yes...." JD cried out, his own hot essence flowing over the older man's, as he joined Vin in achieving ecstasy.
They laid back on the tiny bed, spent, breathing harshly. After several minutes, reality intruded abruptly, once again. JD realized how much his torn lip was stinging from the kisses he had shared with Vin. Vin's head began to throb in earnest. Using napkins JD found in his coat pocket, they cleaned themselves up quickly, then dressed, and settled in to get a few hours rest before daylight. They slept closely, curled around each other, content. Cautious of his own injured mouth, JD pressed a light kiss on Vin's brow, carefully avoiding the huge lump, then drifted off to sleep as he listened to Vin's soft breathing.
+ + + + + + +
JD opened his eyes as the gloom in the dilapidated building began to fade to with coming dawn. He felt the unmistakable warmth of a body next to him, and turned to see Vin, sleeping soundly on his side, facing him. He could now easily make out the huge gash and purple lump marring most of the sleeping man's forehead. Clotted blood matted his golden brown hair, making it stick to the side of his face. He shuddered at the amount of blood. Vin needed a hospital now.
"Vin?" he called softly, gently shaking the younger man awake.
"JD? Wh...Where are we?" Vin asked with confusion as his eyes slowly focused on his friend's face, hovering anxiously over his.
"C'mon Vin, we're getting out of here. Think you can walk okay?"
"Sure I can walk, JD," Vin frowned, scrambling out of the bed. He wavered slightly, and JD caught him quickly.
"Okay Vin, take it slow, I'll hold on to you for a while." The lust and passion JD had felt toward the sharpshooter last night had now been replaced by concern and brotherly affection. Looking at Vin, so pale and shaky, sex was now the last thing on the younger man's mind. But it had been different last night, for both of them. Now, he had to get Vin to safety.
JD led Vin out of the shack carefully, and helped him stay upright as they slowly picked their way through the dense bushes and trees, toward what he hoped was the road. The walked for several minutes before Vin began to falter. JD shouldered more of the sharpshooter's weight and struggled onward. He tasted the coppery tang of blood, knowing that his split lip had reopened, feeling the warmth of the blood as it flowed down his chin. But he pressed on. .Finally, they reached the road. JD got his bearings and began walking back in the direction of the Jeep.
+ + + + + + +
Chris snapped the phone up before the first ring had even finished. "Larabee!"
"Agent Larabee? This is Deputy Smith of the Greeley County Sheriff's Department. Do you know a Vin Tanner?"
Chris's heart dropped and his stomach lurched at the Deputy's words. He could barely force out the words to respond to the lawman. "Yes, Vin Tanner is a member of my team, Deputy, and he and another agent, JD Dunne, are missing," he managed to say calmly.
"Found Tanner's jeep wrecked off the side of a road out here. Ran the tags, and tried to call him.. Couldn't reach him, and did some checking. Found out he was ATF, and got sent your way."
"I'm coming up there Deputy. Where can I find the jeep?"
The deputy gave him directions and Chris hung up the phone. He ran to the couch and shook Buck awake. "Buck, a deputy from Greeley county just called. They found Vin's jeep," he related grimly.
"Let's go," Buck said tersely.
The two men, along with the rest of the team had searched for hours last night after Vin and JD failed to appear. They had exhausted every possible lead, and Chris and Buck decided to head back to the ranch until daylight, figuring they'd start their search again. They ran to the Ram and headed out.
+ + + + + + +
An hour later, they pulled up to the site of the Jeep wreck. Two policemen stood by the side of the road as a wrecker pulled the jeep out of the woods.
"I'm Agent Larabee, this is Agent Wilmington," Chris said as he approached the officers. "Is one of you Deputy Smith?"
"I am," one of the men said, coming forward to shake Chris and Buck's hands. "Found your friends, about half a mile from here. They holed up in an old shack most of the night. Took 'em to Greeley General. One of 'em had a real bad head wound, other one didn't look so bad."
"Which was to the hospital?" Chris asked with a dry mouth.
The deputy directed them to the hospital and Chris and Buck headed for the hospital quickly, both men lost in their own thoughts. They arrived at the small hospital a short time later and rushed in.
"Looking for Vin Tanner and JD Dunne!" Chris and Buck shouted in unison at the front desk.
"They're in the treatment area right now, but you gentlemen can't go in..." the nurse started to say, then realized she was speaking to empty air, as the two ATF agents ran to find their friends.
They burst into the room, seeing JD, sitting on a table, holding an ice-pack up to his mouth. Then looking across the room, they saw Vin lying on a table with a doctor and nurse leaning over him.
"JD! You all right?" Buck boomed, hurrying to the younger man's side, capturing him in a huge bear hug.
"I'm fine Buck, my lip just hurts," JD replied. "Vin's the one that's hurt."
"How is he, JD?" Chris asked in a low voice.
"He's getting some stitches and they took x-rays," JD answered. "We were driving and...."
"Don't worry about that now, JD," Chris said. "We'll talk about it later when you two are feeling better. Right now, I wanna check on Vin. You just sit tight."
Chris walked quietly over to the bed, catching the eye of the nurse.
"I'm Chris Larabee, that's my agent, Vin Tanner, you're working on," he said by way of introduction.
"I'm Judy, and this is Doctor Nance," the nurse replied kindly.
"How is he?" Chris asked worriedly.
"He's going to be just fine," Dr. Nance answered, as she finished up with the last stitch. She turned to look at Chris with a smile. "He's got a mild concussion, and needed about 10 stitches to close a deep gash, but I don't foresee any complications, and expect him to make a full recovery."
"Great, thanks doctor," Chris said with relief. Then he glanced across the room. "What about JD?"
Dr. Nance turned to the nurse. "Judy, will you finish up with Mr. Tanner, please? There's still a lot of blood in his hair. Go ahead and give him a full sponge bath, if you don't mind."
"Yes doctor," nurse Judy said, and began to undress Vin for his bath.
"Mr. Larabee," Doctor Nance said, gesturing for Chris to walk with her over to JD.
"How are you feeling Mr. Dunne?" Dr. Nance asked with concern. "Is the ice pack helping?"
"Sure is doctor, thanks," JD said, smiling at his pretty physician, then coughed suddenly, several times.
"I don't like the sound of that," Dr. Nance said, frowning slightly. She pulled her stethoscope out of one of her lab coat pockets. "I want to listen to your chest, Mr. Dunne, sounds like you might have some congestion. Let's remove your shirt."
She helped JD removed the garment, then pressed the stethoscope to JD's back. "Breathe deeply....uh-huh....now cough....okay, again. Thank you, all finished."
"He gonna be okay doc?" Buck asked anxiously.
"Yes, I think he's just getting a cold," Dr. Nance assured. "But he does need to be cleaned up, too. Both of them are filthy, from tramping out in those woods." She looked across the room at her nurse, who had pulled the curtain as she busily bathed Vin.
"T-that's all right doctor, I can do it myself," JD stammered with embarrassment.
"Now Mr. Dunne, I assure you, there's no need for embarrassment."
JD looked at Buck and Chris pleadingly. Buck chuckled. "Sorry kid, Chris and I have to make arrangements for Vin's jeep to get fixed. And we need to check in with the Sheriff's office. We'll see you in a little while. Meantime, looks like you're in good hands." He winked at Doctor Nance, who smiled back, and the two men left the room.
+ + + + + + +
Three hours later, two very clean and sleepy young men arrived at the ranch house, along with Chris and Buck.
"You've got yours?" Buck asked Chris as he helped JD from the Ram.
"Yeah, I can handle Vin, I think he'll sleep the rest of the day. And if he gives me any trouble, I can always threaten him with another sponge bath," he laughed to Buck.
"Ha, Ha," Vin said sarcastically, as he shuffled into the house, led by Chris.
He turned back to JD as he reached the door. "Thanks JD, for takin' care of me last night. I don't really remember a whole lot about it, but thanks for takin' care of me."
JD smiled wistfully. Whatever had passed between them last night was gone, but he had the memories, and knew that he had done his best to keep Vin safe and well all through that long night.
THE END
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