Fic: Niuatoputapu

[i_o_r_h_a_e_l]

Title: Niuatoputapu
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Set in the 1950s. Jensen is a missionary sent to Niuatoputapu, one of the most remote islands of the Tongan Islands. He gets a companion, Lecki, a construction worker who becomes the only white guy besides Jensen on the island. Leaving a fiancée back home, Jensen soon finds out that the news of her marrying another man is the least thing he should worry about.
AN: Written for j2_everafter based on the movie The Other Side of Heaven. Btw, I’m not informed of the religious matters of this movie enough and I’m not going to address any religious vs. gay issues in this fic. All I care about is J2.
Credits:
- Awesome beta by layne67
- Official art by talulababy
- Letters and unofficial art by ala_tariel
- Plots and lines from The Other Side of Heaven, the Screenplay









Jensen licks his lips, tasting the rain moisture there. His whole body is drenched from the heavy rain. He looks warily as two Fijian customs officers come towards him, both of them under the comfort of their huge umbrellas that protect their government-issued skirts.

“Stop right there! You are not on our list.”

Jensen hesitates. Behind him, the captain of the boat that has taken him all the way from New Zealand steps forward impatiently.

“Get off my boat, mate. Your tickey ends here.”

Faltering slightly, Jensen continues to trudge down the gangplank toward the wharf area, one hand clutching his black bag and the other his trumpet case. But the officers stop him again.

“You are illegal here.”

Jensen turns around to look at the boat captain, feeling uncertain.

“Piss on your bleedin’ list! The boy gets off!”

Jensen takes a tentative step towards land but the custom officers block him still.

“I will be arresting him,” one of the officers says.

“That’s his problem,” the captain growls, and before Jensen can do anything else, the captain throws his other bags onto the wharf. “Step off the plank, mate, or I’ll have to push you."

Jensen's at a complete loss now. He's been sailing far from home for months and he won't admit defeat. He's not going back, not that the captain's letting him back on the boat anyway. The officers are now brandishing their batons. So not looking good, he thinks as he looks from the officers back to the captain then down at the dark water beneath him.

Suddenly the plank begins to move, towed by the boat as it pulls away from the wharf.

“Put that on your bloody list!” the captain yells as the gangplank draws closer and closer to the end of the wharf.

Making up his mind, Jensen jumps from the plank just as it falls off the wharf and swings down to the side of the ship with a loud bang. The captain gives a finger to the customs officers as Jensen turns to face them.

“You are under arrest,” says the officer flatly.

~~~

Jensen walks in the pounding rain as the officers lead him to what looks like an impound shack. He's shoved inside, landing himself among chunks of pungent copra and dried whale meat. There are several pigs around him as well as a cow. His bags, including his trumpet case, are thrown in behind him, the officers slamming and locking the door.

Jensen slumps down in despair when he suddenly hears the lock turning in the door and it opens a crack. A head appears. It's one of the officers who arrested him just now.

“I will try to help,” he says, grinning.

"Thank you," he starts to say but the door closes with a thud even before he’s done saying it. Jensen looks around in dismay at his surroundings, taking off his soaked clothes, changing into a dry shirt and pants from his bag.

The rain continues to fall outside and while it’s dark and damp - and smells, Jensen feels grateful that he at least has shelter. He looks past the piles of copra to the brown eyes of the cow and the three pigs that have been squealing for some time but have now fallen asleep, much to his relief.

He smiles a little as he reaches for his trumpet case. Jensen takes out his trumpet, smoothes it over, and begins to play. Tentatively at first, then more confidently as he grows bolder. The pigs have woken up, oink-ing restlessly but they calm down after a while. Jensen stands up and he begins to dance around playing his trumpet. It’s only for an audience of three pigs and one cow, but he’s actually starting to enjoy himself.

He doesn't hear the door opening and when he looks up, he sees the officer who has promised to get help for him. There are two white missionaries with him and they're regarding him with amusement.

“Elder Louie Armstrong?” says one of the missionaries.

Jensen grins at him.

~~~

“You know, I know a girl. No, no, I know many girls. I can introduce you to them."

Jensen stares at the sailor, Swede, who's taking him to Tonga from Fiji on his lumber freighter. He shakes his head, smiling.

“No, one girl is enough for me. She’s waiting for me back home.”

Jensen feels like laughing when Swede turns his back on him. He probably has lost Swede's respect, saying what he said.

The journey takes a week and Jensen is glad that the long days and nights haven't turned out too badly between him and Swede. After the sailor ties up the boat at the harbor, Jensen gives him a hug before heading ashore.

“Thank you,” he says. “You’re a good man.”

“Anytime you need a girl, Mr. Ackles.”

“Jensen.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Jensen looks around him. There is no one in sight although the mission has promised that someone would come to pick him up. But at least this time no one is threatening to throw him into the sea or put him under arrest. Jensen counts his blessing. He lowers himself down, careful not to dirty his suit, and sits on the dock with his feet dangling over the water.

Suddenly a black sedan pulls up behind him and an elderly man gets out. Jensen jumps to his feet immediately.

“Ackles? Elder Jensen Ackles?”

“Yes, sir. That’s me.”

The mission's president, Mr. Coombs, takes Jensen’s hand and shakes it heartily.

“Where on earth have you been?”

~~~

President Coombs keeps on talking as he drives Jensen across town but Jensen hardly hears him. Jensen's distracted by the exotic sights and sounds of Nuku-alofa - bicycle vendors, horse-drawn carts, sidewalk bazaars. Everything is so colourful and new to him.

“I have prayed long and hard on your assignment. I think I have just the place for you. Niuatoputapu,” President Coombs says.

“New…what?”

“It’s a small island, eight hundred miles from here. There are no white people, and no one speaks a lick of English.”

Jensen doesn’t know what to make of it.

“Sounds…great,” he says tentatively.

"You have two tasks," the president says as he parks the car and turns to Jensen for emphasis. “Learn the language, and build the kingdom. Any questions?”

Jensen looks out of the window. They’ve stopped near what looks like a construction site.

“No. I mean yes. Will ... will I have any ... assistant there?"

President Coombs smiles and gets out of the car. Jensen follows suit.

“Lecki!” President Coombs calls out.

Jensen turns towards the direction the President's looking at and sees a very good-looking man in his mid-twenties, perfectly tanned, hair curling below his ears, straddling two ceiling beams on the second story of a cement block building. He's holding a long, heavy-looking beam in his muscular arms, and wears a floral-patterned skirt around his waist.

Lecki looks down on hearing his name called, lays the beam down and leaps to a nearby coconut tree. He shimmies down the tree effortlessly and trots over to Jensen and the President. Jensen draws in a breath involuntarily. Lecki smells of the sun and sweet coconut tree.

“Lecki, meet your new companion, Elder Jensen Ackles,” says President Coombs.

Lecki turns to Jensen with a warm, bright smile and Jensen can’t help but notice the man's dimples.

“Welcome, Kolipoki!” Lecki says and he pulls Jensen into a Tongan embrace and kisses him on both his cheeks.

Startled, Jensen instinctively jerks back but Lecki grips his shoulders firmly. He has huge hands, Jensen thinks faintly.

“I have been praying for you.” The dimples appear again and Jensen doesn't understand why his knees suddenly feel weak.

“Kolipoki?” he asks feebly.

~~~

Jensen has never thought that being on a mission means getting up close and personal with animals as well. He's on a small steamboat en route to the extremely remote island of Niuatoputapu and he's sharing a narrow, foul-smelling copra boat-deck with a number of pigs, goats, chickens and a few dozens other passengers. And on top of all that, the heat is unbearable. Jensen is sweaty, exhausted, continuously thirsty and he's sure that he smells just as bad as his fellow passengers. There's not enough water for everyone and he hasn't done more than brush his teeth in the mornings. He hasn't shaved for the past eight days he was on the boat, too beat to pick up a razor even if he had enough water.

He's now lying on a pallet of copra, sleeping, or trying to sleep when Lecki shakes his shoulder.

“Elder! Kolipoki! Your journey is over!”

Jensen groans and stirs.

“The island - it’s here!”

Jensen opens his eyes and studies Lecki for a moment before rising unsteadily to his feet. He makes his way across the crowded deck and leans on the railing, looking across the water towards the distant shoreline which is getting nearer by the minute. It's beautiful, the beach crescent-shaped with white sands and palm trees waving in the winds. He feels Lecki by his side and he speaks without turning.

“When are you going to call me ‘Jensen’?”

~~~

As Jensen and Lecki head towards the shore in a small dinghy, Falehau beach, as Lecki has told him, dozens of natives descend on the beach, most of them dressed in white uniforms. Jensen jumps off the dinghy and walks briskly up to the man Lecki pointed out to him as the Governor, extending his hand.

“Elder Jensen Ackles. Thank you so much for having me here, sir," Jensen says, smiling at the dour-looking man, wishing he could have freshened up before meeting the Governor.

To his dismay, the governor disregards his outstretched hand and says disdainfully, “Koehâ oku ke ‘i heni ai!?”

Jensen’s jaw goes slack. He doesn’t have a clue what the Governor is saying but there's no escaping the negative vibe from the man. He turns and heads back to the dinghy where the natives are unloading mail and other provisions.

Everyone stops talking as he arrives. Jensen turns to Lecki.

“What is it? What?”

A woman shouts at them, “Palangi!”

And another woman. “Ko e têvolo!”

A young boy runs up to Jensen, pinches his arm and runs back chattering to the crowd.
“Ngâvaivai hangê ha ki’i pêpeé!”

A man says, “Ko e ki’i pêpê pâlangi.”

Alarmed, Jensen asks Lecki, “What are they saying?”

Lecki smiles, hands him his trumpet and hefts Jensen's trunk onto his shoulder like it weighs nothing.

“They are saying you are white and soft,” says Lecki.

Fuming slightly, Jensen says nothing as he follows Lecki up the beach. Lecki shrugs off his offer to help and laughs.

“They’re right. You are.”

Jensen looks around him as he trudges behind Lecki. The island looks very backward, much more so than the other places Jensen has been to so far. The children are mostly naked, all the men are shirtless and the women are carrying baskets atop their heads.

“Why isn’t there anybody meeting us here? Where’s the Branch President?”

“I must go find them,” says Lecki. “I will be back shortly.”

He puts down the trunk and walks off, leaving Jensen by himself. He looks around warily, swatting at a swarm of mosquitoes. From down at the shore, the chatter of the natives continues.

“Ko e palangi fakatupu kovi! Foki ki homou fonuá!” screams a woman.

Jensen longs to be called Kolipoki.

~~~

Jensen and Lecki are housed in two separate huts in a compound in a village called Vaipoa. It's morning and for the first time in days Jensen has the luxury of a bath. Unfortunately for poor Elder Ackles, the galvanized tub which belongs to the Branch President called Kelepi, is situated right in the middle of the compound. And right at this moment, Jensen is surrounded by children coming from all directions, all wanting to watch him take his bath.

Alas, the children aren't just watching him. They poke at Jensen, pinching him, pointing and laughing. Jensen tries in vain to get them to leave but fails. He looks around and calls out.

“Lecki!”

Lecki emerges from his hut and he immediately breaks out laughing when he sees Jensen crouching in the tub, surrounded by dozens of chattering children.

Kelepi also steps out of his fale, followed by his large, toothless wife, Asi. He helps Lecki to chase the children away, shaking his head and grinning. Lecki hands Jensen his towel, spreading it wide for Jensen to step into, wrapping it around him. Jensen looks up, the word thanks dying in his mouth when he sees Lecki staring at him, neither smile nor dimple adorning his face this time and for no apparent reason, Jensen shivers.

~~~

Mosquitoes and the heat are Jensen's main problems. It seems like he's constantly swatting about him and it puzzles him how the island people can go about comfortably without wearing proper clothes. And the skirts! Jensen shudders at the thought of having mosquitoes and God knows what else crawling up under the skirts, biting their thighs and nether regions.

Jensen's finding it hard to breathe, let alone trying to make sense of the Bible written in the Tongan language. It's sweltering and it's stuffy and he's getting very frustrated with the world at large, but mostly with himself.

He scratches irritably at his arms and neck, grumbling under his breath. Lecki looks up from the scriptures he’s been studying.

“You should stop that. You’d bleed and the blood will invite rats into the house and they’re going to attack you when you sleep.”

Jensen stops immediately. First mosquitoes now rats? He takes a deep, calming breath and forces himself to think of the missionaries from centuries ago when they had to face much bigger problems than mere mosquitoes and rats. He has it easy now, considering everything and he's determined to stop feeling sorry for himself.

Kelepi appears suddenly, motioning for Lecki to come with him. Lecki leaves the room with him, returning a few minutes later.

“The Branch President would like you to speak to the members this Tuesday,” Lecki says.

"Tuesday?" He's not squeaking, not at all. "That's two days away, Lecki, how can I address them if I don't know the language?" Jensen's getting frustrated again, positive thoughts all but forgotten.

Lecki is nothing but calm and confident.

“He says we will pray for you. Very hard.”

Jensen looks at him helplessly, uttering only one word.

“Huh.”

~~~

Word has gotten out that the palangi will speak on Tuesday - which is today - and a congregation of forty or so natives sits on primitive wooden benches in the compound of Vaipoa Chapel, waiting for the sermon in nervous anticipation.

Even more nervous is Jensen who's sitting at the front of the group. Lecki puts an arm reassuringly around Jensen's shoulders and he takes some comfort from the solid feel of Lecki sitting close next to him. Lecki will be there to help with the translation. Jensen's still nervous though and he wills his heart to slow down.

Standing in front of the congregation, Kelepi ends his opening speech and gestures for Jensen to come forward.

“Te tau fanongo he taimí ni ki hotau tokoua palangi, ko Kolipoki,” he says. We will now hear from our palangi brother, Kolipoki.

“We will now hear from Elder Kolipoki,” Lecki whispers in Jensen’s ear.

Kelepi continues, “Neongo pe ko e hâ e me’a te ne lea ‘aki, kamokamo pê homou ‘ulú mo ‘ai ke hangê ‘oku mou tokanga ki aí.” No matter what he says, nod your heads and act interested.

“It will be a great talk,” translates Lecki.

Lecki gives Jensen a slight push and he stands and turns around to look apprehensively at his flock. Kelepi's wife smiles encouragingly at him. Jensen clears his throat and swats at mosquitoes buzzing at the back of his neck.

Then he starts.

“’Oku, ah, ou fakamâlo ke tu’u atu ‘I homou ‘aó he ‘ahó in. Talu pê mei he’eku… mei he’eku kei… hangê ha fale kau kau pe.”

I, uh, am very grateful to stand before you today. Ever since I was a little boy, I have wanted to grow up and serve as one of the Lord’s… one of the Lord’s… outhouses.

Kelepi and Lecki exchange mortified looks. The congregation however, just smiles and nods.

“Na’e fa’a pehê mai ‘e he’eku fa’eé kiate au, ‘E tamasi’I, ‘o ka ke ka tupu hake, ‘e me’a ngâue ‘aki koe ‘e he ‘Eikí. Te ne ‘ave koe ki ha feitu ‘u ‘a ia ‘e fie ma’u ai ‘e he kakaí ha fale kau kau hangêko koé.”

My mother used to say to me, Son, when you grow up, the Lord is going to use you. He will send you far away to a place where the people need an outhouse just like you.

A woman sitting next to Asi, Kelepi's wife, makes a muffled sound that suspiciously seems like laughter which quickly turns into a coughing fit. Jensen, meanwhile, is picking up steam.

“Pea ‘oku tui ko ‘eku pôpoaki ia kiate kimoutolu taki taha he ‘aho ní. Ko e hâ kuo fili ai ‘e he ‘Eiki ha fale kau kau ke ha’u mei ‘Amelika, kea hili ía, ‘oku ‘i he loto ‘oe took taha kotoa pê ‘ia te kimoutolu ke mou hook koe fale kau kau?”

And I suppose that’s my message to each of you today. Why has the Lord chosen to send an outhouse all the way from America when each and every one of you is capable of being your own outhouse?

And that's when everybody begins laughing, starting with the woman next to Asi. They laugh and laugh and they can't seem to stop. Kelepi stands up.

“Mou fakalongolongo! Mou ‘ofa ‘i he faifekaú!” he cries out. Quiet! Be kind to the elder!

Jensen flushes.

“What did I say? What?”

Lecki looks at Kelepi, shaking his head. Unfortunately the woman next to Asi yells out.

“Elder Outhouse!”

Bam!

Asi has backhanded the woman, sending her head over heels to the ground and that makes the congregation laughs even harder. Jensen turns to Lecki, mortified.

“Did I say that?”

Lecki doesn't answer him but his expression says everything and Jensen wishes he were dead. And just when Jensen thinks there's no end to his humiliation, a bell starts ringing in the distance. A man is shouting, “Seilo! Seilo, seilo!”

The crowd is suddenly quiet and they look expectantly towards Kelepi who nods at them. They rush out of the compound along with Kelepi and Jensen is left alone with Lecki.

"That's the boat," Lecki says hesitantly to Jensen who ignores him and disappears into Kelepi's fale without another word, his back straight and tense.

~~~

Jensen kneels in prayer on a small dune in the middle of a lagoon. He prays and he prays for God's help in learning the language of the island, tears flowing freely down his face. He doesn't hear Lecki running towards him, barely hears him when Lecki softly says his name, ‘Kolipoki.’ Lecki must have been to his hut and found him missing, searched for him. Jensen has never gone anywhere without Lecki, the poor boy must have been worried when he found Jensen gone. But Jensen ignores him as he continues with his prayers.

Jensen finally finishes and opens the two Bibles he has with him, one in Tongan and the other in English. He reads a verse from the English one, repeating it in Tongan from the other Bible.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. I he kamata ‘angá na’e fakatupu ‘e he ‘Otuá ‘a e langi moe mâmani. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Pea na’e folofola a’e Otuá, ke maama, pea na’ e maama ia.”

Jensen turns the page. And the next. And the next. Not once does he acknowledge Lecki's presence, not even when Lecki goes off and comes back with a mosquito net and some wooden planks, erecting a make-shift tent around Jensen to protect him from the mosquitoes swarming around him. He's not even aware that Lecki has placed a stack of letters on the ground next to him. He reads and he reads from the Bibles, learning the language, and he continues reading when the sun recedes and is replaced by the moon. There's a kerosene lantern near him now, put there by Lecki, but Jensen's not aware of that either.

Four more days pass without Jensen shifting from his spot. Lecki checks on Jensen several times a day, most of the time he comes alone, but occasionally Kelepi and his wife come with him. Food and water brought and replaced, barely touched, lantern lit and put out. And Jensen continues to read. Watching from afar, Lecki bows his head to pray for Jensen.

~~~

The next morning Lecki awakens with a start. With his heart in his mouth, he sees Jensen slumped on the ground, no longer reading or praying. He jumps up and rushes to Jensen, crouching down fearfully by his side.

"Jensen?"

Jensen opens his eyes a fraction just as Lecki is about to cradle him in his arms.

“E, masi’i! Na’á ke ‘i fê ai pê ‘I he ngaahi ‘aho ke ‘enĺ?”

Hey, man! Where have you been the last four days?

Lecki laughs out loud, happy and relieved. "Jensen! You scared me!"

“‘Oku totonu ke ke manavahê, ‘I ho’ o ta’e tokanga pehê mai kiate aú! Eteu lava ‘o kai ha puaka ‘e tolu ‘I hoku fiekaia ko eni!”

You ought to be scared, ignoring me like that! I’m hungry enough to eat three pigs!

Lecki doesn't answer him. He simply puts his arms around Jensen, hugging him close to his chest as he continues to laugh.

As for Jensen, he simply can't stop smiling.

Because Lecki has just called him Jensen.

He hugs Lecki back, inhaling the warm and earthy smell of the man, thankful to have Lecki with him.

~~~

Jensen tries to get up on his feet but his knees buckle under him. He's weak, four days with hardly any food taking its toll.

“Jensen, don't,” Lecki says. “Allow me.” And just like that, and despite Jensen's frantic protests, he heaves Jensen up easily into his arms, one arm under Jensen's back and the other under his knees. "You're as light as a feather, Kolipoki."

"No more Jensen?" his tone is teasing but Jensen feels oddly disappointed.

Lecki laughs but he doesn't answer him. Instead he says, "You have letters from home." He nods towards the letters lying unopened on the ground.

Jensen reaches down to get the letters, holding them close to his heart. Letter from home, He doesn't realize until now how much he misses his home. And Joanna. He closes his eyes.

"Your girl?" Lecki asks quietly.

Without waiting for an answer, Lecki rises up with Jensen in his arms, and starts walking back to the village, neither of them saying anything, each wrapped in his own thoughts.

~~~

Lecki puts Jensen down when they reach Jensen's hut. They look at each other silently for what seems like eternity before Jensen says simply, "My fiancée."

Jensen swallows and continues gruffly, his voice catching in his throat, "Thank you very much for being there for me, Lecki. You're a good man.”

"It's my job," Lecki says, waving his hand dismissively. “Enjoy the letters, and your breakfast.” He turns around, heading towards his own hut.

Is it just Jensen's imagination but has he just seen a hint of sadness in Lecki's eyes? Gazing at Lecki's retreating back, Jensen realizes that he doesn't even know what Lecki's last name is.

~~~

He walks into his hut, shuffling through the letters in his hands. He picks out a long, blue envelope, putting the rest on the table, smiling at the familiar, slanting handwriting on it. He slits it open, taking out the single white paper from inside it. He starts to read, his eyes widening as he does so. He's no longer smiling.

"No," he whispers and sinks into a chair.

That morning the sounds of trumpet can be heard coming from his hut, the notes dejected and sad.

~~~

The next several weeks find Jensen busy with missionary work. With Lecki always by his side, Jensen has grown more confident in communicating with the people of the island. Lecki never asks Jensen again about his girlfriend and Jensen doesn't say anything about her either because really, what is there to tell? Still, he can't forget the sad expression that he thought he saw on Lecki's face the other day, can't help feeling bad about it, so one day he gives Lecki a pair of sunglasses he got from home. And Lecki has worn it every single day since then.

Once Jensen and Lecki (with sunglasses on) come upon an old man hauling buckets of water to his garden. Lecki takes over and heads off with the buckets to do the old man's work while Jensen preaches to the wrinkly man as they continue to walk on the narrow lane. Jensen is touched when the old man gets teary, praising him on his fluency in the Tongan language.

Then there is this young man, Finau, whom Jensen met a few weeks before by the seashore. Jensen and Lecki (sunglasses perched on top of his head) are teaching him the Bible and Finau is clearly taken with Jensen and the way he's talking to him in Tongan. He always try to be around them, helping them with whatever needs to be done

Like today for instance, Lecki and Finau have just finished putting up a fence around a villager's hut. Lecki motions to Jensen, who opens up the gate as Finau crawls under the hut's raise floor, screaming and waving his arms. Half a dozen pigs squeal out from under the house, followed by several squawking chickens. Lecki chases them out of the gate and Jensen slams it shut behind them. Lecki, Jensen, and Finau look at each other, grinning, a job well-done.

Jensen's having a good time and he's happy. He'd rather not think of anything else at this moment in time.

~~~

Jensen and Lecki are studying their scriptures the next day when they suddenly hear cries and shouts from the distance. They look at each other and together they get out of the fale to see what the commotion is all about.

A man comes running into the compound carrying a little boy in his arms. Jensen knows him. It's Kuli and his eight-year-old son, Nuku. Nuku’s mother and siblings are running close behind Kuli along with several other people including Finau. Kuli runs up to Jensen and Lecki, putting his son's small, limp body into Jensen's arms.

"He fell from a mango tree and hit his head on the ground,” Kuli says. “Please. Take him. Bless him. Bring him back to me."

Jensen looks at Nuku in dismay. “He… he’s dead.”

"That I do not know. What I do know is I want him well again, and you have the power to do it.”

Jensen looks helplessly towards Lecki who looks back at him just as helplessly.

“Maybe the Branch President… look! Here he comes!”

Sure enough, Kelepi rushes up, having heard of the noise from his garden. He looks briefly at the boy and nods at Jensen.

“Anoint him.”

Breathing deeply to calm himself, Jensen lays the boy down gently on the porch. He checks again for signs of life but there is still none. Lecki has gone off to get the oil for Jensen and he's now back with a bottle of it. Jensen hesitates only for a second before opening the bottle, pouring a small amount of the oil onto the boy's forehead. He then places both his hands on Nuku's forehead, rubbing the oil in. Jensen closes his eyes.

“Nuku Fili Semani, by virtue of God’s holy priesthood, I anoint you with this oil, which has been consecrated for the healing of the sick. I do it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Everyone there echoes an amen and Kelepi moves to stand in front of Jensen. He lays his hands on the boy's head and he recites,

“Nuku Fili Semani, I lay my hands upon your head and seal the anointing you have received. I bless you, little Nuku, that you will come back to us and our little island. We love you. We need you. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

The blessing over, Jensen looks down at they boy half-expecting him to start breathing again but sees nothing. Kelepi speaks, "Take the boy into your hut. Exercise your faith. It will be according to God’s will.”

No breathing, no heartbeat, no movement from the boy. Jensen grapples with Kelepi’s request when Kuli steps forward.

“We’ll wait right here,” he says fervently. “As long as it takes. Just bring back my boy.”

Jensen doesn't answer. He goes into his fale with Lecki behind him carrying the lifeless body of Nuku.

Jensen lays the little boy gently down on the mat-covered floor with Lecki looking on anxiously. Jensen bends down and places an ear over the boy’s mouth. No sound of breathing. Then he feels for pulse and lays a hand on the boy’s chest. Nothing. Jensen draws a deep breath, his heart clenching in worry. He bows his head to pray.

Jensen prays silently. He prays with all his heart for divine interventions and inspirations, and minutes pass by when he suddenly opens his eyes. He has received his answer.

He rolls the boy onto his stomach, and places both hands on either side of his rib cage. As he presses in with his hand, he whispers,

“Out goes the bad air…”

He releases his hands.

“…In comes the good.”

He pushes down again.

“Out goes the bad air, in comes the good.”

Jensen moves faster, his hands pressing in more and more forcefully and he speaks louder.

“Out goes the bad air, in comes the good! Out goes the bad air…”

Suddenly there is movement from the child - a muscle spasm, or is it just Jensen’s imagination?

“…In comes the good,” he continues.

The boy vomits suddenly, spewing out half-digested mango pieces halfway across the floor.

Jensen doesn’t stop.

“Out goes the bad air!”

Lecki's up and cleaning the mess now while Jensen rolls the boy over, clears his mouth, and bends down again to listen for breathing. He thinks he sees something, and looks down at the boy's chest. There is a slight rising and falling. He lays the boy back down on his side and he starts to rub the boy's back in time with his shallow breathing.

“Out goes the bad air, in comes the good.”

Time passes and Jensen works on tirelessly as Nuku's family and friends wait outside, huddling around a fire in the light of early dawn. They start singing a slow hymn for their ailing brother and son, Abide With Me, ‘Tis Eventide, the haunting melody motivating Jensen to work on ceaselessly. Dawn turns into morning and morning turns into evening.

O Savior, stay this night with me
Behold, ‘tis eventide.
O Savior, stay this night with me
Behold, ‘tis eventide.

The singing eventually stops but not Jensen.

“Out…in. Out…in. Out…in.”

~~~

Jensen sits, leaning against the wall of the hut. He's exhausted. Lecki is dozing, his mouth open, snoring slightly. Jensen watches the little boy, sees the distinct rise and fall of his abdomen. He's breathing. Clearly, without a doubt, the boy is alive.

Dawn breaks outside the hut. Birds sing and sunlight flutters across the boy’s face as a breeze blows through the coconut frond blinds. The boy stirs. His eyes open and he looks around the room before asking, "Where am I?"

Jensen doesn't answer him. He smiles at the boy tiredly before nudging Lecki awake. He goes to Nuku and lifts him into his arms, bringing him outside the hut, to his family.

They're outside, sleeping, except for Nuku's mother who looks up, her eyes wide, as Jensen walks to her with Nuku in his arms. She cries out in joy, stirring the others awake.

“Ah, Nuku!”

“My boy!” Kuli cries.

Jensen hands Nuku to Kuli who takes him from Jensen with trembling arms.

“Here is your son. He is all right.” Jensen says, smiling.

Tears are flowing freely down the old man's face. Jensen turns to Lecki, close to tears himself and Lecki takes Jensen's hand in his, squeezing it. Jensen lets him, feeling warm all over.

“Thank you, Kolipoki,” Kuli sobs. “I knew you could do it.”

"It wasn't me," Jensen says firmly. "Nuku's alive with God's blessings."

“Papa!”

“My son!”

Family and friends gather around the boy. Jensen looks on, smiling when he suddenly sways. Exhaustion hits him full force and with his guard down, everything that he has been repressing for the last few days hits him all at once.

“Jensen, what’s wrong?”

Lecki looks alarmed and he puts his arm around Jensen, steadying him. Jensen shakes his head.

“No, I -”

“Jensen, you look so pale!”

“I’m just tired…”

Jensen suddenly feels cold. That letter.

“Jensen?”

Joanna's words seem to dance before his eyes.




Jensen doesn’t get that. Deal, what deal?




Lecki's leading him back into the fale with Jensen leaning into his side, Lecki's arm still around him.




Jensen fumbles for Lecki's hands.

“Easy, Jensen. I’ve got you.”






Jensen looks up at Lecki, feeling lost and miserable. How could she say that to him?

"Lecki, what have I done wrong?"

~~~

Lecki helps Jensen lie down on his bed, arranging the pillows around him, pulling down the mosquito net to drape over the bed. He slips back inside to sit at the foot of the bed, cross-legged.

“What is wrong with you, Kolipoki?" he asks quietly. "You've just brought a boy back to life, you should be ecstatic."

"The boy was still alive. I couldn't have - "

“No, Kolipoki,” Lecki says. “That was you. Your hands. Your hard work.”

“And God.”

“And God,” Lecki agrees.

“God gave me His blessings to do that.”

“He always does.”

"Then why - why did the woman I love leave me just because I choose to serve Him? Why did He let that happen?"

"Your fiancée?" Lecki asks carefully.

"She accepted his proposal. She’s leaving me.” Jensen’s eyes flutter close but he struggles to keep them open. His voice is getting fainter, fatigue clearly written across his face. "She said I'll probably marry a local princess ... she doesn’t believe that my love - will endure. She doesn’t believe in our love, in me..."

Jensen turns on his side, pulling his knees up to his chest. For the first time since he arrived on the island, he feels his faith wavering. And it's not because of the endless ocean or the threats of malaria and deaths but it's he himself, and his fear of being alone. And Jensen is angry, and ashamed. Because he should never have felt that way when he's among these people who love him as much as he loves them. And Lecki, kind and patient Lecki, who's always looking out for him, taking care of him.

"You should rest, Kolipoki," Lecki's voice is soft but Jensen hears him well enough through the doubt and shame clouding his mind.

As he drifts off to sleep, he feels a pair of strong hands on his feet, rubbing and kneading his aching muscles there, and it feels good. His sleep-addled mind whispers to him that he should feel awkward at the intimacy of it but all he's aware of is a sense of comfort and safety. And Lecki.

"Please call me Jensen," is the last thing he remembers saying before sleep finally claims him.

~~~

Unfortunately for Jensen, what he did to the boy, the miracle of him bringing Nuku back to life as claimed by the villagers, doesn't sit well with the island's Governor. He accuses Jensen of preaching false doctrine and thus should not be allowed to continue with his work. And the islanders have been banned from going to Jensen for lessons and sermons.

Kelepi tells Jensen to cool it off for a while, to give time for the Governor to accept the miracle for what it was. Kelepi himself is grateful and happy with what Jensen has done but the word of the Governor is law here and there is nothing he can do.

Lecki is another matter though.

“But you didn’t do anything wrong. Why should you stop teaching?” the young man is clearly upset.

“They might forbid me to preach but they don’t tell me not to visit people, do they?”

“I don’t think they do,” Kelepi replies slowly.

“Then everything is all right.” Jensen says, smiling beatifically as Kelepi and Lecki exchange worried looks.

"Yes, everything is going to be alright," Jensen repeats to himself under his breath.

~~~

“Jensen, you shouldn’t go alone,” Lecki says as he fusses with Jensen's tie, his suit.

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“It’s dangerous out there for you. Didn’t you hear the rumours that the Governor has been asking his people to rough up the white man, the palangi - you?"

"Yes, I did," Jensen says easily. "You want to come along, too? The invitation's only for me but I'm sure the Minister won't mind an extra person coming to his formal dinner."

Lecki huffs.

“Just promise me that you will be careful.”

"Yes, Mother," Jensen says, his laughter cut short when Lecki unexpectedly pulls him into his arms, hugging him tightly until he can't breath, his face pressed into Lecki's strong, firm chest.

"Wha - what?" Jensen stammers, shocked, struggling to free himself from Lecki.

But Lecki refuses to let go and he keeps on hugging Jensen, finally letting him go after what seems like hours. He pushes Jensen towards the door.

“Go now. But don’t come home too late, okay?”

~~~

Jensen bids farewell to the minister’s family after thanking them for the wonderful dinner. And it was indeed wonderful, the octopus and the snails and a few other dishes Jensen refused to identify but delicious nonetheless. He pats his full stomach, wincing slightly at the thought of the long walk home alone.

The night is dark with very little moonlight. Jensen starts to walk, his strides going faster and faster, his heart jumping at the sounds of owls hooting and animals in the bushes. He looks around him warily as he walks, remembering what Lecki has told him about the Governor.

He tells himself that he's worrying unnecessarily, that Lecki's concern is unfounded and the rumours are just that, rumours. And that's when he suddenly finds himself surrounded by men, about eight of them, all of them taller and heavier-built than him. And all of them are armed - broken bottles, rocks, clubs, ropes. Jensen stops in his track, looking at the men around him, fear clutching at his heart.

"What do you want?" he asks guardedly.

No one answers but they're circling him now, brandishing their weapons. The air is thick with tension, the night silent.

“Man, you’ll get nothing out of this. Just -”

“We want you, white man!” one of them cried out as they all surge towards him.

And Jensen feels completely helpless, one surrounded by many, unarmed. He raises both hands in surrender, thinking that he's probably going to die tonight at the hands of these thugs, beaten to pulps when suddenly -

CRASH!

A man comes charging out of the jungle behind them, a scythe in hand. “Leave the Mormon to me!”

Lecki?

The men around Jensen turns towards the newcomer and in the confusion he finds himself grabbed and pulled away from his would-be attackers.

“He’s mine!” The man with the scythe snarls, pushing Jensen behind him as he starts to swing his scythe wildly around. And yes, it is Lecki, tall and huge and furious, and he looks frightening as he advances towards the men fearlessly. The men take one look at Lecki and as one they turn tail and run without a backward glance.

"Keep going," Lecki tells him, gripping his arm, pushing him forward, hurrying him along. He sees Lecki looking behind them from time to time, scanning the area, making sure they're not being followed.

“Stop,” Jensen clutches at Lecki's shirt, gasping, trying to get some air into his lungs.

“You okay?” asks Lecki.

“Yeah. God. Yeah.” Jensen rubs his face with a hand. “Oh God. What was that? What were they going to do to me?”

“I don’t know, Jensen. But one thing’s for sure.”

“What is that?”

“You’re not going anywhere alone ever again.”

Jensen doesn't answer him. He's still shaking slightly. His life has never been threatened before, at least not by another human being. To say that he was terrified is an understatement. And he can see now that Lecki has been scared, too.

All right," he agrees. “But how did you…”

“Not now,” Lecki cuts him off. “Let’s get you home first.”

~~~

Lecki follows Jensen into his hut and bolts the door behind him, adding more knots to it for added measure. He lights up a kerosene lantern, keeping the flame low. He stops Jensen when he goes to light a second one.

"Don't," Lecki says. "You're not supposed to be here tonight."

Jensen shudders at the implication of Lecki's words.

“So what are we going to do now?” he asks helplessly.

Lecki replies immediately, “You sleep, I'll keep guard.”

Jensen opens his mouth to protest but Lecki cuts him off, "Please, Jensen. It’s no use for us both to stay awake.”

“But you need to sleep, too.”

Lecki nods. “I will. I’ll wake you up after several hours.”

"Alright," Jensen grudgingly agrees. "Ah, Lecki. Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Lecki stares at him. His face looks dark and brooding in the flickering light from the lantern.

“Why do you have such faith in me? Why didn’t you do what the governor has ordered, get rid of me, the white man? I mean, you’re from this island, too, aren’t you?"

Lecki looks at Jensen. There's a flash of hurt on his face, and something else which Jensen doesn't quite understand.

"You don't get it, do you, Jensen? You don't get it at all." Lecki stands up abruptly, slamming back his chair against the wall. "And you know nothing about me, nothing. I'm my own man and I don't follow orders."

He unbolts the door and dashes out into the darkness before Jensen can stop him.

"Lecki!” Jensen shouts and he does what he hardly ever does. He swears. “Come back here, damn it!”

~~~

Jensen doesn't dare sleep for the rest of the night. He bolts the door and pushes a table against it. He's scared but as dawn breaks he realizes something that he shouldn't have forgotten in the first place. God will always protect him, he must always have faith in Him. Jensen drops to his knees, rosary clutched in both hands, closes his eyes, and begins to pray.

~~~

There's no sight and sound of Lecki the next day but Jensen is grateful that Kelepi is still around. He's not going to tell Kelepi anything about what happened the night before but he does need to talk to him. About Lecki.

“Kelepi, who is Lecki?”

“He’s - you know what he is. You went to his workplace.”

"No, I mean, who he really is. Is he from Niuatoputapu? He seems to know everybody here."

Kelepi shakes his head.

“He’s not from here. He’s from the big island. But his job with the missionary brings him here a lot.”

“I see,” Jensen contemplates, chewing his bottom lip. “Is he a Tongan?”

“What?” Kelepi bursts out laughing, looking at Jensen as if he grew a pair. “Are you blind, son? Does he look Tongan to you?”

Jensen blinks. “Maybe…not.”

"No, Lecki's not a local. His father was from Poland and his mom Germany. They were missionaries.”

“But he doesn’t look…”

"White, you mean?" Kelepi smiles fondly. "Years spent under the sun, mingling with the island people, he’s more Tongan than most of us combined together.”

“And his parents? Are they here with him? I mean on the big island?”

Kelepi's cheery, good mood turns glum.

“There was a storm. Tropical, huge, evil one, on this island. Killed all the missionaries and many, many people.”

“On this island?” Jensen’s breath catches. “But little Lecki was safe?”

“They never brought their baby here. Someone would take care of him on the big island and he was brought up in an orphanage after he lost his parents.”

"Oh."

“Don’t worry. That was long time ago. He's his own man now and he has probably forgotten his past. And he's strong, in his body and in his mind."

Jensen's not going to argue about that last part but he somehow doubts that Lecki has forgotten about his childhood, or his parents.

“By the way, Lecki is not his real name. That's just what the island people call him."

"May I know what his real name is?"

"It's Jared. Jared Padalecki. They shortened his last name and simply called him Lecki. It sounds more Tongan that way, and it's easier to pronounce."

"Jared," Jensen says the name softly, savouring it. “I like it.” Though it feels a bit strange after knowing him as Lecki for so long.

Laughing, Kelepi says, “I wonder if he remembers that name, though, after so long.”

They look up when suddenly there's a commotion coming from the direction of the beach.

“Seilo! Seilo!”

“A boat is coming!”

Several children come running through their compound, crying out excitedly, “A big, beautiful, white boat!”

“From New Zealand!”

“What’s happening?” asks Jensen. He has seen nothing but the mail boat for months. He turns to Kelepi and is surprised to see him looking perturbed.

Jensen joins the others in going to the beach though he still keeps his distance form the rest. Children are playing in the water while the adults are standing around, admiring a beautiful yacht that has dropped anchor inside their little cove. White sides gleam, brass fittings sparkle and Jensen can see red carpets on the inside of the yacht. The villagers whisper to each other as the crew lowers a white dinghy down onto the water. A man, presumably the owner of the yacht, stands on the deck wearing pleated khakis with suspenders over a tank top undershirt.

“They will want girls,” says Kelepi grimly, startling Jensen as he suddenly stands beside him.

Jensen sees the Governor walking towards the approaching dinghy and he suddenly feels uneasy. He watches as the man talks to the two crew members while the yatch owner looks on from the deck, his eyes going from person to person, lingering on the women especially.

That's when he turns and sees Jensen, and he can't seem to take his eyes away from him. Jensen looks away, feeling oddly repulsed and he retreats up the beach a little, half-expecting Lecki - or Jared - to be there.

The crew members are removing more cases of liquor from the yacht to the beach when the owner motions them to come to him. Jensen frowns when he sees the yacht owner pointing to him and he moves back even further, only to bump into someone’s chest.

“Huh?”

Jensen's first thought is that it's Lecki but unfortunately it's not. One look at the man's face and Jensen knows he's one of the thugs from the previous night. And he's not alone.

“Hey!” shouts Kelepi as the man grabs Jensen, seizing him by the arms and pushing him towards the dinghy. He sees Kelepi coming to help him but the other men shoved him away, sending him sprawling face-down on the beach.

“No! What’re you doing?!” Jensen twists and turns but the man holding him is too strong for him. He strains his neck, shouting for help but no one moves. He continues to struggle as he starts praying.

He's passed on to the crew waiting by the dinghy, kicking and screaming. He thinks he sees someone rushing towards the boat, crying out his name. Lecki. He struggles even more violently, trying to get away from the men holding him. That's when he feels a white-hot pain on the side of his head. He's thrown into the dinghy, hitting his head hard against its bottom.

Jensen remembers nothing more.

~~~

Jensen is awakened by someone slapping lightly on his cheek. He winces at the pain throbbing in his head, blinks his eyes open and squints at the bright light. He blurrily makes out a shape of a man before him.

“Wakey, wakey, mate.”

Jensen scrambles up, or he tries to. His wrists are bound behind his back and he's quite unable to sit up. He glares at the man, the yacht owner, who's now standing at the foot of the bed, just looking at him.

“Untie me.”

The man chuckles but much to Jensen's relief he stops staring at him.

“I have never seen a man as pretty as you.” He motions for his men standing at the doorway and they come to Jensen, pulling him up to his feet.

Jensen struggles but with his hands bound tightly behind his back there's nothing much he can do. He stumbles as two men dragged him out of the cabin and into another room, shoving him facedown onto a huge bed. He twists around and sees the yacht owner stepping into the room, closing the door behind him. Jensen's now alone with the man who's grinning at Jensen lewdly.

“I want to taste those lips.”

Jensen shudders at the smirk, the hunger, the pure lust in that voice. He’s got to get out of here.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

“In the name of Jesus Christ, you do not want to do this.”

The yacht owner laughs out loud and long, his head thrown back.

“Yes, laugh before you die, you scum.” says a voice from the door.

The man stops laughing immediately, twisting around to face the door. Jensen's breath hitches.

“Don’t move.” To Jensen, Lecki nods. “Can you stand up?”

“Y-yes.”

Jensen struggles to his feet while Lecki presses the edge of the scythe to the yacht owner's neck, nicking into the skin. Grabbing the man's hair, Lecki shoves the man face first into the bed, immobilizing him with a knee to the small of his back.

“Don’t ever think to move,” he says again, reaching one-handed for Jensen’s bound hands, his other hand still holding the scythe against the man's neck. He loosens the knots around Jensen's wrists, freeing him, using the rope to bind the man's hands instead.

Jensen rubs at his sore wrists.

“Did - did you…?”

“I took some of them down but I’m not sure how many more are outside.”

The yacht owner growls at them, his voice muffled, his face still pressed into the bed, “You’ll never get out of here alive.”

"Shut up! Jensen, find some cloth. We need to gag him."

Jensen quickly looks around and sees a length of black silk on the nightstand beside the bed. Feeling slightly nauseous thinking that the black silk might have been meant for him originally, he passes it to Lecki.

Done securing the man, Lecki straightens up and turns to Jensen. He cups his face with both his hands, studying Jensen.

“You alright?” Lecki says softly.

“I am,” he says hoarsely. “Th-thank you.”

"Come on then, let's get out of here," Lecki says with his hand around Jensen's elbow.

~~~

Jensen walks slowly along the side of the yacht, leaning a little into Lecki who keeps his hold on Jensen's elbow. Despite what he told Lecki, he's really not alright. His head feels heavy and he's feeling sick though that is probably partly due to them being on the swaying yacht.

“You’re still with me?” Lecki asks him, concern in his voice.

“Yes. Don't worry about me."

“Finau is waiting down there with a boat.”

“How about - the governor?”

“You don’t think about him, okay? Told everything to Kelepi and he took care of things.”

Jensen takes a long, shuddering breath.

“Lecki,” he says, “I want to apologize… I didn’t mean-”

“Never mind that now, Jensen. We should get out of here first.”

“Yes,of course, Jared.”

Lecki gives a start, looking down at Jensen with unreadable eyes as Jensen looks back at him.

~~~

Jensen sits on the rock by the shore, lost in thoughts as he gazes at the sea, his eyes squinting in the fading sun. He has refused when Lecki suggested Jensen to go back home with him. Jensen knew Lecki wanted to talk to him, Jensen calling him Jared for one. But Jensen's not ready to talk to Lecki about those things when his mind is heavy with what had just happened, and what could have happened, to him.

If Lecki hadn't come when he did, he would have been -- Jensen can't even think of that word - by the yacht owner, his sordid, evil desire. Jensen shudders.

The sound of the wind increases and Lecki, who's sitting in the shade of a nearby coconut palm some distance away, looks up and around him. He turns and heads towards Jensen.

"Jensen, we must go now," he says abruptly.

“We just got here.”

“The air is heavy.”

“It’s always heavy,” Jensen says as he looks questioningly at Lecki.

“Not like this. We must find a place to hide.”

“Hide?”

Lecki's voice grows urgent as he grabs at Jensen's arm. “We must go now!”

Jensen gets up immediately, sensing the fear in Lecki's voice. He hurries along with Lecki's hand still on his arm and they're almost running now.

“Where are we going?” Jensen shouts above the rising wind.

“The old well!”

No sooner has Lecki said that the skies open above them. Rain lashes heavily down and streaks of lightning chase each other across the sky, each followed immediately by ear-splitting rumbles of thunder. Trees swayed and branches start flying towards them.

“Don’t stop!” Lecki screams when Jensen stumbles and he pulls Jensen up roughly.

They're approaching an outbuilding when they see it suddenly getting caught in a whirlwind. Its tin roofing peels off, hurtling directly towards them.

Jensen shouts, “Look out!” He tackles Lecki down into the ground, covering the other man with his body. The tin sheet flies immediately overhead, cutting a swath through the bush behind them before embedding itself into a tree.

Jensen pulls Lecki out of the mud and they continue running. They come across a little girl lying on the ground and Lecki throws her over his shoulder. They keep running.

The wind howls around them, and Jensen and Lecki struggle on as the heavy rain pelts mercilessly on them. Jensen can hardly see in front of him but Lecki seems to know his way. It feels like forever before they finally stumble over the well. Lecki lifts up the iron covering of the well and pushes Jensen ahead of him. There's an iron ladder on the side of the well and they make their way carefully down it, the little girl holding on tightly to Lecki. The well is not very deep and they reach the bottom soon enough. Jensen turns and sees about twenty or so people crammed into the small space.

“Lita?” A man pushes forward.

The girl Lecki saved cries out, "Papa!"

Lecki puts her down gently and she runs into her father's arms. Outside the sounds of destruction grow louder. Lecki and Jensen look at each other grimly.

~~~

The next morning Jensen and Lecki emerge out of the shelter followed by the others. The wind is gone, the storm is past. They gaze around them in dismay, looking at the destruction that is Niuatoputapu. Uprooted trees are everywhere, debris and dead animals lay strewn all over the place, houses and huts are leveled to the ground. Everything is a wreck.

Jensen and Lecki make their way to their fale where they find Kalepi sitting by himself in the ruins of his compound. He looks confused and lost.

“Asi. Where is Asi?” Jensen asks with trepidation.

Kelepi looks up. “Looking for you,” he says blankly.

Jensen and Lecki immediately start for their own compound where they find Asi tearing feverishly through the remains of their fale, tears running down her face.

“Kolipoki, my son. Lecki, where are you?”

“We are here, Asi.”

Asi stops and turns around slowly. She looks like she has just heard the voice of an angel, relief and pure happiness written clearly all over her face as she runs into Jensen's arms.

“Oh, Kolipoki,” she weeps. “You are safe. Lecki saved you?”

“He did, Asi, he did," Jensen says as he rubs her back soothingly. Looking up at Lecki, he adds, “He always does.”

~~~

Jensen joins the islanders in cleaning up the island and he helps in organizing groups to find food. What little food they find, mostly fruits, are gathered in the center of the compound and shared among the villagers.

In the meantime, Lecki helps with the repairs and building of homes. He works hard, almost non-stop but Jensen is always there to make sure he eats and drinks and rests. And Lecki always has a smile for Jensen whenever he comes with whatever food and drink he can find for Lecki. And Jensen almost always will turn away, feeling oddly shy by the warmth he sees in Lecki's eyes.

They share their food sometimes, and Jensen will say grace before they eat. And Lecki will insist on taking the smaller portion despite Jensen's protests, saying that Jensen needs the food more since he's so thin. Jensen loves the easy familiarity between them, and he always looks forward to the time when he's alone with Lecki.

And this afternoon, he just can't seem to stop looking at Lecki, and Lecki can't seem to take his eyes off Jensen either.

“Think the boat will really be here in two weeks?” he asks after a while.

“I don’t know, Kolipoki. I don’t know.”

~~~

But weeks pass and still there is no sign of the boat. Jensen, along with a few dozens others, have fallen ill, and there's not enough medicine to go around. Quinine especially is in short supply and as luck would have it, Jensen has got the malaria. He gets more and more weak each day though he still insists on getting up and doing his share of the work, much to Lecki's consternation. Until one day when he simply collapses, lying on his mattress shaking and sweating with fever but feeling so cold inside.

Lecki stays with him in their shelter. He takes Jensen's hand in his.

“How are you feeling?”

Jensen answers, “Dizzy,” he whispers. “Cold.”

Lecki tucks the thin blanket under Jensen's chin. He wipes Jensen's sweat-dampened face with a piece of clean rag, grimacing as he does so. His hand feels warm and comforting to Jensen.

“Lecki, w-want to talk. Just in case I’m… I don’t-”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

Lecki sighs, "That was a long time ago, Jensen. I'm alright now."

"And I'm sorry about what I said to you that night after the attack. That was uncalled for. I shouldn't have said that."

Lecki smiles crookedly at Jensen, "You're forgiven. Anything else?"

Jensen smiles back weakly at Lecki. There is silence for a while. Jensen’s eyes drift shut but he struggles to keep awake. He is not quite done yet.

“Can I call you Jared?”

Jensen feels rather than sees Lecki smiling, his hand warm and soothing on his chilled face, “You can call me anything you want, Jensen.” He closes his eyes, gradually dozing off.

“Hey, Jensen?”

It was just a whisper but Jensen hears him.

“Y-yes?”

“You must promise me you will be all right. You just have to hang on. The boat will come and you will be alright." There's a tremor in Lecki's voice now.

“Jared?”

“Just promise me, Jensen. I'm not going to lose anyone I care about to the storm again. Not now, not ever."

Jensen lies still, fully awake now, his dizziness and discomfort momentarily forgotten.

“Promise me. Please,” Lecki pleads, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“I promise.”

They're looking at each other when Jensen begins to shake and shiver again. Jared shifts, lifting up Jensen's blanket a little. "I hope you don't mind?" he asks softly, his meaning clear in his eyes.

Jensen moves to the side wordlessly. He's not thinking much beyond Lecki, and Jared. He sighs as Jared lies down beside him, pulling him close.

"I'll keep you warm, Jensen," Jared whispers, his breath kitten-soft against Jensen's temple.

Jensen huddles in closer, burying his face into the crook of Jared's neck, breathing in the scent of the man beside him. He feels safe, and warm. With Jared by his side, he'll never feel cold again.

“Promise me you’ll never leave me,” Jensen murmurs, half asleep.

Jared presses his chin atop his head.

“I won’t ever.”

~ Fin




Niuatoputapu Soundtrack - Download here

1. Abide With Me, ‘Tis Eventide by Mormon Tabernacle Choir
2. Amazing Grace by Leann Rimes
3. Cinema Paradiso by Chris Botti (Jensen’s heart breaks.)
4. Happy Trumpeter by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra (Jensen plays trumpet in front of the chickens, cows, and pigs.)