Follow The Stars Home: Prodigal Son - Part 2

When the cab dropped Caleb and Mark off at the Marina, Mark stopped on the boardwalk. Caleb waited silently, wishing he could take away some of his lover's pain. After a moment Mark said, "Why don't you head on down to the boat. I'm going to take a walk."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I won't be gone long. I just need to do some thinking."

"All right. I should have dinner ready in an hour or so."

Mark nodded starting to turn away, but stopped, "Thank you, Caleb."

"You're welcome."

With another nod he continued along the boardwalk. Caleb watched him go with a sigh. He hoped David and Dianne came the next day, but at the same time he hoped they wouldn't. He was afraid of what they might say to Mark. Not that he wouldn't be there to pick up the pieces again. Though, to be completely honest, he couldn't really blame them for their bad opinion of Mark. They didn't know him the way he did. He hoped that they would try to.

Forty-five minutes later Caleb was stirring the pasta when Mark came into the cabin. One glance at him and Caleb lowered the burner to a bare simmer and dumped the vegetables back into the cooler before moving to take his lover in his arms. Mark clung to Caleb, holding him so tightly he could barely breathe. When Mark buried his face in the crook of Caleb's neck he could feel tears.

"It's all right, love. Everything will be all right," Caleb crooned reassuringly.

Heaving a ragged sigh, Mark lifted his head to stare into the Southerner's deep green eyes. Finding whatever it was he was looking for, he sealed his lips over Caleb's. It was a raw, hungry, passionate kiss. Caleb clenched his hands in Mark's coat as his mouth was ravaged. Mark pulled away slightly, but only to nip and lick and suck on Caleb's lower lip, producing a ragged groan from the Southerner.

Finally he rested his forehead against Caleb's, his hands loosely cupping Caleb's face, their panting breaths mingling together. Mark shuddered ever so slightly and smiled when Caleb automatically held him tighter. "Make love to me, Caleb?"

"You have but to ask," he answered, swallowing thickly.

"Thought I just did?"

"Smart-ass," Caleb grinned, pressing a soft kiss to Mark's lips as he helped him slip off his coat.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," Mark answered with his own grin, sliding his hands beneath Caleb's sweatshirt so he could slide it up and off of his lover.

"That I do," he murmured raining kisses upon each inch of flesh he uncovered as he undid the buttons of Mark's dress shirt. At the waistband of the slacks Caleb dropped to his knees, his fingers quickly undoing the buckle and the zipper. He pushed the slacks down to puddle on the floor while he pressed his face against the straining bulge in Mark's jockeys.

Mark's hands dropped down to tangle in Caleb's hair. He watched with hooded eyes as his lover, the man he loved more than anything in this world, mouthed his erection through the thin cotton material. He groaned deep in his throat at the feel of the wet heat sucking on his engorged flesh, yet not actually touching it. He whimpered when Caleb pulled away, and that whimper became a moan when Caleb pulled down his jockeys and took his cock in his mouth.

Caleb put his hands on Mark's waist to keep him from thrusting, loving the way he could turn his lover into an incoherent mess so easily. He alternated between long, slow licks along the entire shaft to sucking on just the flared head. Soon he began deep-throating him, taking in Mark's entire length before letting it slide out of his mouth until he reached the head. He would catch the ridge with his teeth and lave the tip with his tongue, wringing hoarse whimpers and groans from Mark before starting all over again.

When he could stand it no more Mark pulled Caleb up in front of him and took his lips in a rough, passion-filled kiss. He could taste traces of himself on his lover's lips and it made him even harder. Pulling away, he whispered, "I want you inside me when I come."

Caleb stared at Mark for a brief moment, his eyes bright with desire. With a ragged moan he captured Mark's lips once more, exploring every inch of his sweet mouth with his tongue, as he walked them to their bunk. Mark sat down on the edge, his hands going to the button and zipper of Caleb's jeans while pressed wet kisses to the muscular chest before him. They quickly rid Caleb of his jeans and boxers, and then Mark was taking Caleb's stiff manhood into his mouth, sucking on him lightly. Just when Caleb thought he would go mad from the sweet torture Mark pulled away and scooted further back on the bunk, his legs falling open wantonly.

"Take me, my love."

With a mock growl Caleb pounced on him, kissing him passionately. One hand fumbled on the small shelf above the bunk for the lube while the other gripped Mark's hip, holding him tightly as he rocked against him. Finally getting a hold of the lube, Caleb moaned when Mark wrapped his legs around his waist, settling him more securely against him. Caleb slicked up a couple of fingers and slipped them between them to Mark's tight opening. As he breached the tight ring of muscle he closed his mouth over a taut nipple making Mark pant and writhe from the pleasure of it. He continued to lick and nip and suck and generally torture the hard nubs while he quickly stretched and prepared Mark. Caleb grinned when Mark cried out, arching his back, at the feel of Caleb's fingers brushing over his prostate.

Satisfied that Mark was ready, Caleb withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his cock. Bringing his lips down over Mark's in yet another passionate kiss, Caleb pushed into him. Once they were fully joined he paused; savoring the feel of Mark wrapped around him. He pressed soft, lazy kisses along Mark's throat, dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base, then moving up with broad strokes of his tongue until he reached Mark's earlobe. He nipped it before taking it into his mouth to suckle on it.

"Please!" Mark groaned hoarsely, his fingers digging into Caleb's backside, trying to draw him deeper into his body.

Caleb relented and began a steady rhythm. Mark gasped and moaned as each thrust rubbed against that pleasure spot. He loved the slow way Caleb made love to him, steadily building up the pleasure, but at the same time he felt like he was being tortured to death by not being allowed to come. Soon Caleb began to speed up his rhythm. It became shorter, harder, bringing him impossibly deeper. With each thrust Caleb slammed against Mark's prostate making him howl from the pleasure.

Mark felt as if he were being eaten alive as Caleb's lips moved voraciously over his skin, leaving no place untouched on his shoulders, neck and face. Then a hot, moist hand wrapped around his throbbing shaft, jerking him off with hard strokes, and he gave up any attempt at thinking. He was racing towards the cliff's edge and suddenly he was flying. Every nerve ending was on fire with a pleasure so intense Mark was certain he'd died and gone to heaven. He didn't hear himself hoarsely wailing Caleb's name. He didn't feel Caleb's teeth sink into the flesh between his shoulder and neck. Didn't feel Caleb stiffen above him and pump his hot seed into him. Mark didn't even feel his own release as it coated both their chests. He simply let the waves of pleasure carry him into oblivion.

Some time later Caleb came to. Realizing he'd passed out on top of Mark, he gently shifted them so they were now mostly on their sides. Mark was still out cold, though Caleb wasn't entirely surprised what with him smothering him. He gently ran his fingers over his lover's face, tracing its' contours lovingly. He smiled when Mark made a contented noise and snuggled closer. After another moment of just watching him sleep, Caleb slipped out of the bunk. He turned the stove completely off and wet a hand towel with warm water. He quickly cleaned himself off and rinsed the towel. Returning to the bunk, he found Mark watching him, a content smile on his face.

"How're you doing?" Caleb asked getting back into the bunk.

"Fine," Mark answered, the fingers of his left hand drawing lazy patterns on Caleb's chest while the Southerner gently washed him off. Once Caleb was finished, Mark took the towel and tossed it on the floor. He wrapped his arms around Caleb's waist and laid his head on his chest, his favorite position for sleeping or even just relaxing with his handsome Southerner. Caleb pulled the sheets up over them.

"Mmm," Mark murmured. "Now I'm even better."

Caleb pressed a kiss to his sweat-dampened hair. "Good."

Several minutes passed quietly as they lay there just holding each other. Finally Caleb broke the silence, "I don't know what you had planned for tomorrow when David and Dianne come by, but I don't think it would be a good idea to tell them about us, at least not yet."

Mark propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at him. "Not that I'm agreeing or disagreeing but can I ask why you think that?"

"I think," Caleb answered, running his fingers up and down Mark's arms, "that tomorrow should be about you and them and Julia. It shouldn't become about you and me and their reaction to our relationship."

"You're right," Mark agreed, laying his head back down, "it's just...I don't want to hide you. You're a part of my life and I want them to know about that."

"I don't want you to have to hide me either, Mark. I just feel tomorrow is the wrong time for you to say, By the way I'm bisexual and the man living with me on the boat here is my lover. Let them deal with one thing at a time."

"I know, though it would almost be worth it just to see the look on David's face. I can just see him all bug-eyed and open mouth like a fish."

"Mark," Caleb mock growled. Mark couldn't help snickering.

"Don't worry. I promise I'll be good."

"That's all I wanted to hear."

"Really?" Mark asked, moving so that he was now kneeling between Caleb's legs, his arms braced on the pillows on either side of Caleb. "You don't want me to be naughty at all?"

"Well, maybe just a little," Caleb grinned, holding up his fingers to indicate how much.

"That's what I thought," Mark smiled before lying down on top of Caleb and capturing his lips for a kiss.

**********

It was just about noon the next day by the time they finished cleaning and airing the cabin, and gathering up all the dirty laundry. Caleb could tell Mark was worried about David and Dianne's visit. The taller man was always a bit anal about keeping the cabin and the wheelhouse clean, but he was really throwing himself into it today. Caleb even had to drag him out of their tiny bathroom before he passed out from the cleaning fumes. Finally there wasn't much else for Mark to clean other than the pans Caleb had lunch cooking in.

"I'm going to head to the grocery store to pick up some stuff and drop off our list for the trip." Caleb said as he shrugged on his coat. "You know what to do about lunch, right?"

"I'm not completely helpless in the kitchen," Mark grumbled good-naturedly, following his lover up onto deck.

"Uh-huh. Let the meat simmer in the sauce for another thirty minutes, then turn the burner down to low. Put the water on to boil. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes to cook. Okay?"

"Yes, Emeril. I've got it," Mark laughed when Caleb eyed him warily. "I've got it."

"Fine," Caleb said uncertainly. Mark in the kitchen tended to be a disaster. "I shouldn't be gone more than twenty minutes. Maybe half an hour."

"Will you just go?"

"All right. All right. I'm going."

He'd only just stepped off the boat when Mark called out, "And only one box of Twinkies, Caleb."

"What?" the Southerner demanded, turning back to face him. He didn't notice the couple coming down the gangway towards them. "One box? That won't last more than two days. Five boxes."

"Oh no. Not on your life. One box. I'm not sitting through another storm with you hyped up on sugar and nowhere to go. One box, Caleb."

"But, Mark," he whined.

"Don't but me. One."

"All right. How about four?"

Mark just looked at him.

"Two?" Caleb pleaded.

"Two, that's it. Now get going."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Caleb grinned snapping off a salute. He turned to go and found Dianne and David watching him curiously. He smiled and looked back to the boat. Mark had just disappeared inside. "Hey, Mark!"

"Yeah?" He stuck his head back out the door. "What'd you forget?"

"Nothing. They're here." Caleb grinned at the sudden look of panic that crossed his lover's face. Then it was gone and Mark smiled brightly at him as he crossed to the side of the boat. "Dianne, David, you came!"

"Yes, well," David said, glancing at Dianne then back to Mark, "we thought it was time we all talked."

"Yeah, it is," Mark answered quietly.

"I'm gonna get going, Mark. I'll be back in half an hour," Caleb said, breaking the sudden silence.

"What? Yeah, okay. And I promise I won't burn lunch."

"Better not." Caleb nodded to David and Dianne before hurrying down the dock to the gangway. David and Dianne watched him go before turning back to Mark with openly curious looks.

"Caleb Standish," Mark answered, gesturing for them to come aboard. "He's First Mate. Second and Third too," Mark grinned. "We work the boat by ourselves."

"Really?" Dianne looked over the large boat and the massive net attached to the winch.

"Is that usual?" David asked, suddenly worried that his little brother might be taking unnecessary risks with his life.

Mark shrugged. "Most haulers crew three or four guys. Until I hired Caleb I worked the boat myself. Couple of times I hired some others but I was usually ready to toss 'em overboard after one trip. Me and Caleb worked well together so I hired him on permanent."

"How long ago was that?" Dianne asked, wondering if he was responsible for Mark's change in attitude towards Julia.

"Three years ago just about," Mark ducked his head. "Just after... uh, here, why don't we go inside? It's a little chilly out here, and Caleb'll kill me if I let lunch burn."

They followed him into the deck level cabin and saw that it was used mostly for storage. He led them down a narrow staircase into a cubicle of a room. Pointing to the door to the right and a little behind the stairs, Mark said, "That door'll take you to the refrigerator units, the engines, and the main hold where we sort out everything. Through here is the main cabin where we live."

"We live?" David asked.

"Yeah," Mark answered, opening the door. "Neither of us ever really felt the need for a permanent place on land so we live on the boat. Except for during the winter storms. Then we rent an apartment in Hawaii. Suits both of us fine. Can I take your coats?"

They slipped off their coats silently as they looked around the homey area. To the right of where they stood was a small bathroom. On the left was a table with a booth seat lining the two walls. They could smell meat and tomato sauce simmering in the pot when Mark lifted the lid to stir it. Across from the kitchen area was an entertainment/storage unit. It held a 25" TV and VCR, several books and videos in racks built to prevent them from falling off in rough seas. Past that was two sets of double bunks across from each other, though the top bunks had both been turned into storage cabinets. Mark moved to another closet. When he opened it they could see dry-cleaning storage bags hanging. Noticing their looks he said, "Our good clothes. Suits, that type of thing."

They nodded and continued to look around what was obviously a cozy little home for the two men.

"You want anything to drink?" Mark asked stepping up to the small refrigerator.

"What have you got?" David stepped up behind him to look over his shoulder. He was curious to see if Mark was at least eating healthy.

Dianne paid little attention to them as she stood in front of the cabinet door covered in photos. Each one had been laminated before being tacked to the door. She was surprised to see a copy of the picture from Julia's sixth birthday party. It was her, Julia, David, and Amy. Hannah must have given it to Mark. There was a picture of her and Mark and David just before she'd married Mark. She stared in confusion for a moment at a picture of two Caleb's, then she realized Caleb was a twin. There were subtle differences once you looked for them. One was a little tanner, his hair a lighter shade, most likely from constant exposure to the sun. The other had a gold-capped tooth that showed when he grinned like he was in the picture. The other half-dozen or so pictures were 'vacation' shots of Mark and/or Caleb.

"Dianne?"

"Hmm? What?" She turned to look at the two brothers who stood watching her.

"I asked if lemonade was okay with you?" David said.

"Yeah, that's fine. I was just looking at the pictures. Did Hannah send you this?" She asked pointing to the one of Julia's birthday party.

"Yeah. About a year ago when I first started writing her. I didn't want to intrude or anything on you guys so I asked her not to tell you."

Dianne nodded, then pointed to the picture of Caleb and his twin. "He has a twin brother?"

"Ezra. Last Caleb heard he was working out of Denver."

"You two are close?" She asked, running her fingers over one of the pictures of both of them, watching his reaction.

"Yeah." Mark shrugged. "Hard not to be when you're with a person 24/7 and no way of escaping short of shoving them overboard. He's a good guy. They had it kind of rough as kids, but they got through it together. They don't see each other that often but they try to write." He gestured for them to sit as he sat down at the table.

"I thought all you manly fisherman drank beer?" Dianne teased noticing he was drinking lemonade as well.

Mark shook his head. "It's been just shy of two years now since the last time I had a drink."

"You're a... or, I guess, were an alcoholic?" David asked in surprise. He knew Mark had always enjoyed having a beer but he'd never known him to drink to excess.

"Not quite. I was definitely headed that way. Caleb finally got tired of it and talked some sense into me."

"How'd he do that?" David was well aware of just how stubborn his younger brother could be.

Mark remained silent for a moment, his gaze moving to the wall of pictures. Finally, "He handed me a gun and said if I wanted to kill myself I should just do it because he wasn't going to sit there and watch me do it slowly with alcohol poisoning."

They weren't sure what shocked them more; that Mark might have actually contemplated suicide or that a man he claimed was a friend had actually said that to him.

"I realized at that point what I'd been doing and made the decision to turn my life around. It was time to atone for all the screw-ups in my life."

"You didn't find God or something did you?" David asked suspiciously.

Mark burst out laughing, "Hell, no. No, I just... It was time to grow up and realize the world didn't revolve around me and my self-pity. I wanted to apologize for everything I put you through, Dianne. Everything I put both of you through."

"And Julia?" Dianne asked softly.

"Julia," Mark sighed. "We should never have had her." He held up a hand when he saw the immediate outrage on their faces. "We, you and I, Dianne, should never have had children, should never have been married. You should have been with David from the start. I did, I still do, love you, Dianne, but we weren't meant to be together. I also came to love Julia through Hannah's letters, and I'm certain now that I'm not meant to be a father. I couldn't love her the way she deserved to be and to just sit there and wait for her to die..."

Rising to his feet, Mark went to the refrigerator and poured himself more lemonade. Unable to face them yet he checked the time and stirred the meat and sauce some more. He pulled out another pot, filled it with water, and set it to boil. Out of things to do he glanced at them quickly before dropping his gaze to the floor again.

Dianne looked at David who nodded and squeezed her hand. Getting up, she moved to stand in front of her ex-husband.

"I wish things could have been different between us, Mark, but they weren't. Julia was a blessing. A beautiful, loving child whom deserved to be loved in return. I can't forget that you turned your back on us, on her. But I can try to forgive. I know you're afraid of loving someone only to have them die," Dianne paused, one hand reaching up to gently cup his cheek. "That's part of life, Mark. Nothing can change that. Shutting yourself away from everyone, closing off your heart, is just going to leave you lonely. David and I will always be here for you, but you have to take the first steps."

"I know. I'm so sorry, Dianne, for the pain I've caused you. The pain I've caused both of you," Mark said, lifting his head so he could meet David's gaze.

For a moment David just stared at his brother. Mark, the stoic one, the one who hadn't shed a tear since the day their brother Neil died, stood weeping unashamedly. Stepping forward, he took his little brother in his arms and did something he should have done all those years ago. He whispered, "It'll be alright, Mark. Everything's going to be alright."

They all knew things were not magically okay between them, but it was a start. A sudden rapping on the upper wall had them jumping in surprise. Mark smiled sheepishly as he wiped away the tears.

"Caleb's back with groceries. I need to go give him a hand."

"I'll help," David offered, brushing at the tears on his own face. They both looked to Dianne who'd moved over to the stove.

"I'll stay here and make sure your lunch doesn't burn," she smiled teasingly. Mark grinned back and headed out the door, David following behind him.

Topside, Caleb had just finished transferring the ten bags of groceries from the fish cart to the deck when the two brothers emerged. Caleb watched them tensely for a moment until Mark flashed his 'everything's good' smile. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Caleb, this is my brother David. David, this is my partner Caleb." Mark looked through the bags while they shook hands. "You gave Anna the list and told her we needed it by Friday, right?"

"Yes, Mark," Caleb answered patiently. He understood his lover was probably still nervous. "She said we could pick it up any time after one."

"Good. Hey, what's this?" Mark held up a six-pack of Jell-O pudding snacks.

"Those would be pudding snacks."

David looked from Caleb's smirk to Mark's upraised eyebrow, wondering what he was missing.

"Didn't I tell you not to buy a lot of sugar-filled snacks?"

"No," Caleb drawled, the smirk broadening. "You told me I could only get two boxes of Twinkies. Those are sugar-free anyway."

"Learn how to read, Caleb. They say fat-free."

"Fat-free, sugar-free. Same difference. Hey, at least they're healthy for you."

"David, you're a doctor. Tell him these aren't good for him," Mark turned to his brother. Caleb also watched him expectantly, waiting to hear what he said.

"Well, it's not the healthiest of foods," David replied, a little hesitant.

Mark grinned triumphantly.

"But it's a lot better than most of the other processed snack foods out there. I frequently recommend it to my kids' parents as an alternative."

It was Caleb's turn to grin triumphantly as he took the snack pack and dropped it back into the bag. "It stays. Thanks, Doc."

Mark tried to glare at David, but couldn't quite manage it. Caleb just continued to grin as he moved past them to take four bags down to the cabin.

"It'll be all your fault if I kill him during the next storm," Mark said, wagging his finger at David before grabbing four more grocery bags. David grabbed the last two and followed Mark into the cabin.

"Is he really that bad?"

"Not really," Mark answered. "It's just we got stuck in a three day storm last trip, with nothing to do but sit around playing cards, watch video tapes, and eat. By the time the third day rolled around he was bouncing off the walls on a sugar-high not even a 5 year old could match." He didn't mention that they'd worked off Caleb's surplus of energy with some of the wildest continuous sex Mark had ever had.

In the cabin they found Dianne helping Caleb sort through and put away the groceries. The extra meat and freezable items Mark took and stored in one of the ice filled fish holds. Lunch was ready by the time they were done.

"Well, I guess we should be leaving now," Dianne said, glancing at David. "Let you eat before it gets cold."

Mark looked to Caleb who nodded, his lips quirking in a slight smile. "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

"I made extra," Caleb added. "I had kind of assumed you would be joining us."

"If you're sure?" David asked.

"We're sure," Caleb confirmed.

Lunch passed quickly as they talked of inconsequential things. Mostly about Mark and David's pleasanter memories of their childhood. Dianne told Caleb about her father and how he taught her to be a carpenter. Mark managed to coax Caleb into telling the story about how he and his brother managed to convince one of their Aunts that they stayed with that they were actually triplets. 'Micah' was the one always pulling pranks and stealing cookies. They had the poor woman so frazzled she finally got a hold of Maude and demanded she come pick up her three terrors.

"Maude couldn't understand why Aunt Gertie kept ranting about our brother Micah. Maude did finally figure out what was going on." Caleb frowned down at his cup a moment before rising to his feet and clearing away the lunch dishes.

Wondering at Caleb's sudden change in mood, David decided it would probably be a good idea for him and Dianne to leave. He'd seen the way Caleb cared for Mark, the way he made sure Mark ate enough, and the easy relationship the two men had. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a rift between them because of the rift between himself, Dianne, and Mark. Glancing at his watch, he said, "Lunch was delicious, Caleb. I'm afraid we have to go now though. I have a couple of patients I need to see at the hospital."

"Okay," Mark nodded. "I'll walk you out."

They all rose from the table, but Dianne hesitated, glancing at Caleb watching them. "Why don't you two go on ahead? I'd like to talk to Caleb for a moment."

"Why?" Mark started to ask but stopped at the shake of his lover's head.

"Go on. It's all right."

"It was nice meeting you, Caleb," David said, holding out his hand.

Caleb shook it. "It was good to meet you too."

David nodded then left with Mark. Dianne watched Caleb for a moment as he went back to cleaning the dishes. Finally she said, "You care about him a great deal, don't you?"

Putting down the dish he'd just picked up, Caleb looked at her. "Yes. He's my best friend."

Dianne looked down at her hands for a moment then brought her gaze back up to look him straight in the eyes. "Watch over him, please?"

Caleb just stared at her, uncertain of what she was trying to say.

"Mark puts on a good show of being strong, of being someone to lean on when things get tough, but he's not. He needs someone to lean on, someone to watch over him, worry about him."

"I already do," Caleb answered, his gaze drifting away to stare at nothing for a moment before flicking back to Dianne. "I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. We may not always know that reason, and we sure as hell won't always like that reason, but it's there. I won't let Mark be hurt again."

Dianne nodded. "Thank you."

Caleb watched her leave, staring at the empty doorway for a moment before heading topside as well. Leaning against the doorjamb, Caleb watched Mark say goodbye. He saw the look of surprise and mild apprehension cross Mark's face when Dianne handed him a pale pink stationary envelope. Another couple of minutes and they were gone, walking up the gangway to the upper dock. When Mark continued to stand there Caleb called out softly, "Mark?"

"Hmm? Oh, right," Mark muttered, realizing how long he'd been standing there. He walked over to where Caleb was standing then stopped again.

Caleb glanced at the envelope in Mark's hand then back up at his face. Mark was still staring down. "What is it?"

"A letter," Mark paused, lifting a hand to rub uncertainly at the back of his neck, "from Julia."

"Your daughter, Julia? I thought..."

"Dianne said that Amy, the girl who helped her with Julia, seemed to share a bond with her, with Julia. She always seemed to know exactly what Julia was trying to say. Amy wrote the letter for Julia."

Looking down at the pale pink envelope, Caleb wondered how something so innocent looking had the potential to do so much damage. Gently grasping Mark's arm, Caleb pulled him into the cabin and pushed him towards the stairs. "Why don't you take it downstairs to read? I still have some dishes to clean, but I'm sure I can find something up here to do if you want to be alone?"

Mark shook his head, his voice little more than a whisper. "No. I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be. You won't ever be alone again, love." Caleb hugged him briefly before steering him once more down the stairs.

Down in the cabin Mark sat on their bunk while Caleb finished cleaning up after lunch. He stared at the envelope for several long minutes before opening it with trembling hands. He pulled out the folded sheet of paper and opened them to stare at the neat, childish handwriting. Taking a deep breath, he began to read.

Caleb tried to give Mark some privacy as he read but couldn't help the surreptitious looks to check on him, to make sure he was alright. He'd done the same with his brother on more than one occasion, until the day Ezra had yelled at him. Reminded him that their mother was still alive, he couldn't replace her and to stop trying. That had been shortly before that fateful Spring Break trip and he'd left. Caleb had begun to distance himself from Ezra then, not wanting to 'smother' him with his protectiveness. Ezra, being Ezra, had pretended like the argument never happened, though he also began to close himself off from Caleb. He hadn't actually seen his brother in person since the day he walked away from Browns College. Caleb missed his brother greatly and the infrequent letters weren't enough anymore. He wondered if Mark would mind going to visit Ezra with him for one of the holidays.

Mark.

Guiltily, Caleb turned to look at his lover. Tears were streaming unchecked down his face. Caleb waited until Mark put down the letter to move to his side.

"Mark?" He said gently.

Mark looked up and saw the concern, the love, and the need to comfort in his lover's eyes. He moved over so Caleb could join him on the bunk. Once he was settled Mark lay back against him and handed over the letter. Closing his eyes, he snuggled deeper into Caleb's tight embrace, soaking up his strength and love.

Caleb just held Mark for a moment, pressing his cheek against the top of Mark's head, inhaling deeply. After a moment he began to read.

Dear Daddy,

I know you are my real daddy and not David. Grammy told me. I wanted to thank you for all the postcards you sent me. They are my favoritest things. They let me see other places even though I can't go there. I asked why you don't visit me. She told me that some times when people don't know how to deal with some thing they run away from it. I forgive you for not being able to stay. I wish I had been born normal so that you could have stayed and we could have been a real family. I love you and hope you are happy where ever you are.

Love,
Julia

Caleb blinked back a few tears of his own as he hugged his lover tighter. He searched for something to say but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't sound like a platitude. So he just held Mark and waited.

"She died thinking I didn't love her."

"No. She knew. If she didn't know then, she knows now. There are no secrets, no misunderstandings in Heaven," Caleb said softly.

"Really?" Mark glanced up at him.

"Um-hmm. She knows you love her, that you always will."

"I hope so," Mark murmured, beginning to drift to sleep in Caleb's warm embrace, worn out by the day's events.

"She does," Caleb reassured him, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.

"Caleb?"

"Yes, love?"

"How long has it been since you saw your brother?"

"Too long," Caleb sighed. "Far too long."

"You should go see him. Maybe over the winter."

"Maybe, but only if you come with me."

"Okay," Mark agreed, his eyes closing as he finally fell asleep. Caleb continued to hold him content to watch his lover sleep.

Fini

To be followed by Double, Double, Toil & Trouble

**********