Fic: 'Richardson, Or Thereabouts' (3/3)
Part 1 | Part 2
***
“If we don’t get out of bed soon, Chris is going to come knocking on our door,” Jensen says. He’s curled up with Jared again, staring at the digital clock on the bedside table, willing time to stop - so far, it’s not working too well.
“Knowing him, he’ll break down the door.”
“Just so he can get a look at us, lying here naked.”
“Then I’ll have to kill him because no one gets to see you naked except for me.”
“Guess we need to get up then.”
“Not yet,” Jared grumbles, pulling Jensen tighter to his side.
If he leaves it up to Jared, Jensen’s pretty sure they’ll spend the rest of their lives in this bed. So, he has to be the strong one. He untangles himself and turns to put his feet on the floor. Instantly, Jared’s arms circle his waist.
“Come on, just a little longer. Bet we can get one more round in before we’re stuck sleeping in the van for who knows how many nights.”
Chuckling, Jensen shakes his head. The man’s got a good point, but it’s getting late. “I’m not risking that pervert breaking in and seeing anything. If you want him looking at your naked ass…well…that’s tough shit. I’m not going to let that happen. Get dressed.” He reaches back to slap Jared on the ass, then pulls away again.
Jensen doesn’t let himself look back at the bed because he knows what he’ll see and there’s only so much temptation anyone can withstand.
***
When they open the motel door, the van is right there with Chris and Steve leaning against the front fender, smirking. Jensen tries his best not to think about the two of them spending the night with their ears pressed against Jared and Jensen’s motel room - he may get sick if he does.
Chris hands a coffee to Jensen and tosses a snack cake before saying, “Get your asses in the van. We’re late.”
Steve hands a similar breakfast to Jared, then climbs into the driver’s seat.
Jensen’s a little shocked. He figured Chris would be a little more…invasive, which makes him wonder if Chris really did spend his night eavesdropping on them.
As if reading his thoughts, Chris winks.
***
“When is the tour going to be over?” Jared asks when they’re back on the road.
“Last night was the halfway mark,” Steve answers.
“Yep,” Chris nods. “Just three more weeks, then we’re heading back home.” He doesn’t ask what Jensen knows he’s thinking. What are Jared and Jensen going to do then?
Jared’s wondering the same thing; he’s slowly chewing his gummi bears, gaze focused on the passing scenery.
Hmm. Something occurs to Jensen. It could work. But he needs a map and a list of the rest of the cities on the tour. “Hey Chris, let me see your map.”
“What do you need it for?”
“Just let me see it, asshole.”
It’s slapped into his face.
Jensen unfolds it, then digs through the closest bag - Jared’s - for a pen. He comes up with a pink marker, and Jensen really doesn’t want to know. Lucky for him, all the cities are already marked on the map, along with dates for shows. And right smack-dab between two cities they’re singing at, is the base where he’d been kept all those weeks. Hell, this actually might work. He just wishes he’d been awake when Jeff got him out of there. Oh well. Looks like Jared and Jensen might have to stumble around a bit trying to find their way into the base and to Jeff. But they can do it. As long as Steve and Chris can keep the guards occupied, they can do this.
Well, it’s a shot. And it’s their only shot.
Ten days. He’s got ten days.
***
There’s no show that night, but they end up in a bar anyway, drinking and talking and just getting out of that damn van. However, Jared has other plans. He takes Jensen’s hand and pulls him outside towards their temporary home.
“Steve and Chris will be in there for hours.” Jared says it with a wicked smile. “Since I don’t see another motel room anywhere in our future, we might as well take advantage of a little alone time.”
It’s official: Jared is a genius.
***
Jared’s an asshole. He’s sucking at the skin just below Jensen’s ear and Jensen can almost feel the blood vessels breaking. Feel the blood rushing to the surface to mark him. And that must be exactly what Jared is thinking because he immediately growls, “Mine.”
That’s really hotter than it has any right to be. Jensen thrusts into Jared’s hand, stifling a moan behind gritted teeth.
“No, let me hear you.” He licks the hickey he just made. “I want to hear you.”
“Please. Just…finish it.”
The asshole chuckles - chuckles - and shakes his head. “Not until I hear some decent pleading from you.”
He knows his eyes are wide and pitiful, so he turns them on Jared, full force.
Now he’s smiling wide enough for his dimples to flash. “Not good enough.”
“Pleasepleaseplease. I’m. So close. Please.”
Jared purses his lips in thought. What does the guy want? Jensen’s on the edge and Jared demands an eloquent speech?
Jensen must be suffering enough because Jared moves his thumb to the head of Jensen’s cock and rubs firmly, then gives one more tug and Jensen’s done.
***
“Come on, Jen,” Jared pleads, using his puppy eyes to their fullest.
Turning away, Jensen replies, “No.”
“But it was fun, right? And I let you come.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Please?”
He can’t resist that tone. Grumbling, he turns back towards Jared. There’s a pretty impressive tent in his jeans, and Jensen considers making him work for it like he made Jensen work for his. But they’re probably running out of time since Jared took so long to get Jensen off. Steve and Chris could come back any minute. Jared really is an asshole.
He gets on his knees over Jared’s legs, then slowly opens his jeans and pulls Jared out. He’s pretty big, but Jensen thinks he can handle it. He opens his mouth and descends.
Jensen is too nice for his own good.
***
Curled up together, half asleep, Jensen says, “I think I might have a way to get into the base and help Jeff.”
That gets Jared’s undivided attention. “What is it?”
Jensen pushes up so he can look Jared in the face. “The tour. We’re going to pass by the base in a week and a half.”
“Well, that gets us close, but that doesn’t get us in.”
“What if Chris and Steve dropped us off somewhere close by, then kept driving ‘til they get to the base? What if they have car trouble? What if they attract the guards’ attention? They won’t get in trouble - the guards won’t suspect a thing. Chris and Steve have the perfect alibi. They really are on tour. The base is on the way. No reason to suspect they’re a distraction, but still reason to watch them while they’re so close.”
“Then while the guards are paying attention to Chris and Steve, we sneak on the base? Then what?”
Sighing, Jensen shrugs. “After that, we’re just going to have to look. I have no idea where they’d be keeping Jeff, but I’m pretty sure they’d keep him near where they kept me. I just have to find the building.” Tell him. Tell him! Dammit, Jared needs to know! “There’s something else.”
Jared frowns. “I don’t like that tone. Or the expression on your face. What’s going on?”
He needs to take a breath. “My ship. I have to get my ship.”
Blink. “…I thought you were going to stay here. With me.”
“I am,” he rushes to assure Jared. “But I can’t let them keep my ship. There’s too much information in the computer system. If they ever got it working again, they’d know where I’m from. How to get there. How to find my people here.”
“There’s more of you here?” Yeah, Jared must not have thought of that before; he looks more than a little shocked.
Jensen’s told Jared so much. Probably too much. But he loves the guy. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” He breathes for a few minutes. “Okay, um. How are we going to get a ship out of there?”
“I don’t know. Hell, it might already be too late, but I have to try. If nothing else, we can just rip the computer out of the cockpit.”
“Are you sure the ship is there?”
“It’s where they had me. Makes sense that they would keep the ship there too.”
“But you escaped. And they know that Jeff helped you escape; they might know that he came to see you. In their position, I’d move the ship to some place more secure.”
Damn. Jared has a point. Shit shit shit. Jensen pushes himself off of Jared and rolls over to lie on his back. “Like where?”
“Area 51?”
“Funny. I can’t randomly search every place I come across.” His hands scrub over his face. What is he going to do now? No. He’s acting like the ship is already moved. Jensen still has to check. He has to be sure. “I’m still going to look for it when we’re in there. Once we have Jeff he can tell me where to look. Then the two of you can get out of there and meet up with Steve and Chris.”
Jared props himself up on his elbow. “And what about you?”
“I’ll meet up with you guys once I have the computer or I know for sure that the ship is gone.”
Shaking his head, Jared argues, “No way. I’m not leaving you in there alone. Both of us go get Jeff, then all of us look for your ship.”
“Don’t you want to get Jeff out of there safely?”
“Yes, but not at the risk of losing you. We’re all looking for your ship.”
This is a bad idea. Jensen knows it’s a bad idea. One wrong move. One mistake and all three of them will be locked away for good. Jared will be locked away for good. And when the hell did that idea start hurting more than Jensen getting put back in that cell?
He really does love the sasquatch.
Laughing, he shakes his head. “Okay. We stick together while we’re in there. Deal?”
“Deal.” And Jared’s beaming at him again with those dimples and those sparkling eyes. Eyes that are taking on a more devious glint as they approach. With a wag of his eyebrows, Jared’s mouth descends on Jensen’s collarbone, and starts sucking again.
Oh hell.
***
Jensen’s not really surprised at the reaction he gets from Chris and Steve when he tells them his plan. He’s been around them enough the past few weeks to know that next to nothing fazes these two guys. It’s a little unsettling, yet it makes Jensen smile. Well, that smile could be due to the obvious pain they’re both in from their hangovers. Whatever.
“So what exactly do you need us to do?” Steve asks over his coffee. Beside him, Chris is leaning back in the diner booth with black sunglasses covering his closed eyes - Jensen’s almost positive he’s awake.
Jared answers the question between bites of pancakes because Jensen is too wrapped up in his coffee. “We need you to drop us off, then fake a car problem once you get close enough to be a potential threat to the security of the base.”
“Hmm.”
Without moving, Chris asks, “That it?”
“That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“And just what is the rest?” Chris finally lifts his head.
Jared turns to Jensen to silently ask permission to divulge all of Jensen’s secrets. Hell. No. But Steve and Chris are good guys, even if Chris is a fucking pervert. He can give them a little at least. “We’re going to get Jeff out of there. He’s in trouble because of me, and I can’t let him suffer in there just for helping me. It’s not right.”
“Your buddy, Jeff Morgan?” Steve asks Jared, who nods in response. “Okay. Count us in.”
***
It’s important that they keep going as always. Nothing different. No freak-outs as they get closer to the base day by day. Jensen starts getting nervous again, but it’s not only over singing. Don’t get him wrong, now that they’re inching towards the base, he’s constantly terrified that a uniform will walk into whatever bar they’re playing at and take him in. However, the upcoming rescue operation is also making him pace back and forth in the men’s room or in back alleys between sets. Jared does his best to calm Jensen down, but the guy is nervous too.
To be fair, Jared is trying really hard to hide it, but Jensen can see it in the little tells. The way Jared bites his lower lip when he has a minute to think. The way he’ll wring his hands if he’s not holding Jensen’s. The way he clings to Jensen at night like he’s afraid that if he lets go for an instant, Jensen will disappear. The slight desperation in the kisses they share, or the compulsive need to mark Jensen as his, all his. If Jensen were into psychology, he might read into that as Jared’s way of telling the Air Force that they can’t take Jensen away from him. But Jensen’s not into psychology, so he passes it off as Jared being a possessive ass.
***
Two days before they reach the base, it happens.
Just before they go on, a man walks in. He’s not wearing a uniform, but Jensen knows. He’s been trained to recognize the traits. The short hair. The hard edge. The way the guy stands. Moves. He screams Air Force.
And Jensen does the only thing he can think of. He grabs Jared and tries to get them out of there as fast as he can without anyone noticing.
He doesn’t do that great of a job.
***
Outside in the alley, a hand on Jensen’s shoulder stops his retreat; he turns, ready to fight his way out. He realizes it’s Chris’s hand on his shoulder just before his fist makes contact with Chris’s jaw, and he’s able to stop the collision.
“What’s up your ass, son?” Chris asks. He may be glaring, but Jensen couldn’t care less right now.
“Air Force is in there,” Jensen nods towards the backdoor to the bar just behind Chris. “Jared and I have to get out of here before he sees.”
“You sure, Jen?” Jared asks.
“I know how to spot them.”
“How many?”
“One guy that I saw. Could be more waiting outside.”
“Or could be just the one,” Steve offers.
Chris nods in agreement. “Odds are he’s just here to have a good time. He ain’t here to bring you in.”
“I can’t take the risk. I’m not going back in that bar, and neither is Jared.”
Eyes narrowed, Chris sucks on his teeth. “Fine. Steve and I will go back in there and do the show. You two hide out in the van - make sure no one sees you.” Without waiting for a response, Chris throws an arm around Steve and leads him back inside.
Jensen still has adrenaline coursing through his blood; he’s too wired to just go back to the van and sit there.
As always, Jared knows what to do. He nudges Jensen towards the van and immediately starts stripping him once the door is closed. Jared doesn’t give Jensen an instant to protest. His mouth is already roaming over the exposed skin. Licking. Sucking. Nipping. Laving. Kissing. Nibbling.
Jensen’s on his back, his chest heaving as Jared’s lips finally descend on his erection. The moist heat closing around him. Drawing a guttural moan from his throat. He has to fight the urge to thrust up because choking would kinda kill the mood, but it’s a near thing.
Jared makes him beg for it again, but this time, Jensen doesn’t mind. He needs this. He needs to work for it. To get his mind off of the Airman listening to Steve and Chris singing a hundred yards away. And when Jared’s throat closes around him, Jensen can’t stop himself anymore. His hips surge forward and he spills down Jared’s throat.
Overall, it’s a pretty nice way to burn off the adrenaline high.
***
Hours later, Chris and Steve come out and report that nothing happened. Usual show, minus their backup singer. False alarm. Basically everything Jensen wants to hear.
It doesn’t comfort him.
***
“Okay, you two know what to do?” Jensen asks.
Steve turns in the driver’s seat and nods. Chris flips him off.
Good enough for Jensen. He jumps out of the van with Jared, then leans in to repeat his instructions one more time. “You two make a ruckus. Then in two hours, we meet you a mile south of here. If we’re not there by then, take off. Don’t risk getting caught. We’ll get word to you we’re safe. Now go.” And he slams the door shut.
Turning to Jared - dressed head to toe in black, just like Jensen - he notices the tense posture. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You ready?”
“No.”
He nods because that one isn’t really a shock. “Okay, let’s go.”
***
It’s pitch black out as they creep towards the base, keeping low and quiet. Both of those last two seem difficult to Jared seeing as a.) the guy’s a sasquatch, and b.) the guy’s a klutz. But by some miracle, they get to the fence without being noticed. Now comes the hard part.
Jensen scans the distance, searching for the guards, and he doesn’t find them. Hopefully they’re already hovering over Chris and Steve, calling in to verify the veracity of Chris and Steve’s story.
It’s now or never.
Pulling out the wire cutters Chris had in his bag - again, there’s some things Jensen just doesn’t want to know - and cuts through the metal fence. He tries to keep the hole small, but he has to keep in mind that Jared will have to fit through it, which means it’s got to be a good size. Jensen finds a happy medium since it’s not the whole fence and Jared can still fit - it works.
Now they have to get across the parking lot to the nearest building.
Jensen reaches around to the back of Jared’s neck and pulls him in for one quick taste of his mouth, licking his way back out. He pulls back, eyes fixated on the spit-shine of Jared’s lips, and forces himself to direct his attention back to the matter at hand.
Turning back towards the building, he commands, “Run!” They keep low and stay as close to the few cars as possible. Jensen doesn’t think about how many buildings there are. Too many to search, he knows. But most of them look like hangars, and he’s positive he’d been in an actual building - probably one with a basement since he was sure his cell was below ground judging by the fact they had to take stairs up to get out. That had to narrow the field at least a little.
When they reach the first building, they throw their backs to it and inch along until they find a door. Jensen listens, but can’t hear anything. Opening it just a crack, he looks inside. It looks clear - not that that really means anything - and they have to get out of the open. He reaches back to grab Jared then drags the giant indoors with him.
“Is this where they kept you?” Jared whispers.
Jensen has absolutely no idea. Again, he wishes he had been awake when Jeff got him out of here. “Probably not. Too close to the edge. They would have kept me closer to the center of the base. Harder to get out without being discovered,” he whispers back.
No harm in checking this building though. As he leads them down the corridor, he keeps an eye out for a stairwell. The only one he finds goes up. Can’t be the place.
Jensen ducks down beside a window, trying to catch a quick glimpse of the next building. There’s a row of hangars lined up to the north and another building about 100 yards to the west. The problem is that there is absolutely nothing between the two buildings. No cover and not a lot of shadows. Shit.
He alerts Jared to the problem, then signs for Jared to keep low but stay fast. Jensen finds their way to a doorway and it’s a straight shot across the clearing to the next building’s door. They can do this. He opens the door, and takes off as fast as he can, keeping an eye out for any unwanted guests.
Checking the new door, he opens it, then ducks in just as Jared catches up with him. This door opens to a stairwell - again, it only leads up - and all the doors leading further into the building are locked from the other side.
“We’ve got to go out the way we came,” Jensen whispers. “Can’t go through this building.”
Jared nods, then opens the door to the outside without checking to see if it’s clear first.
This is going to be a long night.
***
The fifth building, Jensen finds a stairwell that goes down. It’s a little redundant since Jared’s been silent the last two buildings, but Jensen gestures for Jared to be quiet, then tiptoes down the steps.
This is it. Jensen can feel it. Everything is so eerily familiar that this has to be the place that he was kept. He just prays this is where Jeff is too.
They get to the bottom floor and creep through the halls, listening at every door. A few have voices - none of them Jeff’s. Most are quiet, and all of those are empty.
If they don’t find Jeff soon, they’re going to have to give up because there’s just no way they can keep sneaking in these buildings without being caught. And seconds before Jensen decides to pull Jared out of there and tell him just that, he hears Jeff’s voice.
It’s coming from a room two doors down. He’s shouting something, but no one is answering him.
Jensen doesn’t like it, but they can’t stay out in the hallway. He cracks open the door and sees no one in the dark room. Pulling Jared inside, he closes the door behind them.
They’re standing in an observation room, and through the looking glass is Jeff. In a room identical to Jensen’s cell.
He darts forward to open the door to the cell and let Jeff out.
Jeff? Doesn’t look happy. “What are you doing here? Get out of here! You’ll get caught again!”
“We came to rescue you,” Jared says.
Yeah, still not appearing happy. “What were you thinking?” Jeff turns to Jensen. “You let him come with you?”
“Hey,” Jared complains, “he didn’t let me do anything. I can make my own decisions!”
This is going nowhere fast. “Shut up. Both of you,” Jensen orders. “We’re getting out of here. Right after you tell me where my ship is.”
“Hangar 12.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here. Now be quiet.”
***
It takes them longer to get to Hangar 12 than Jensen would like, but they’ve got to be careful, especially now that they have Jeff. But by another miracle, they make it.
It’s just not what Jensen wants to see.
For starters, there are no guards. Jensen’s pretty sure that if his ship is in there, there’d be at least one guard outside. That realization makes a knot of dread form in his stomach.
Still gotta check it out though.
Jensen manages to talk Jared and Jeff into staying under cover while he checks it out. He runs across the clearing to the door and can’t even make himself wait to check the coast before he opens it.
All his worst fears are realized.
It’s empty.
***
“Where’s my ship?” Jensen asks no one in particular. “Where’s my ship?!?”
“Jensen,” Jared tries to placate Jensen before he has a meltdown, “we talked about this. We knew it was a possibility. Now we’ve got to get out of here before we’re all caught.”
Jeff nods. “Jared’s right. We’ve been lucky thus far, no need to push it.”
Jensen numbly nods and follows where Jeff leads. The rest is a blur. All he can think about is his ship. He has no idea where it is. What if they got it running again? What if they are trying to fly it right now? What if they’re downloading all the data from the computer as he ducks through a new hole in the fence?
He’s going to be sick again.
***
Jensen doesn’t say anything as they make their way south. They’re probably going to be a little late for their rendezvous with Steve and Chris, but he’s got a feeling they’re still going to be there and they are.
He doesn’t really pay attention to the words said around him. A few times the others glance in his direction, but he ignores them. He’s got such bigger problems, it’s not even funny. Eventually, Steve and Chris get back in the van and everyone looks like they’re about to load up when an idea hits.
“Where did I crash?”
Jared is surprised, but Jeff simply stares at him.
“Where did I crash, Jeff? I need to know exactly.”
“About a hundred miles west of here. Can’t miss it; you burned up half a square mile of woods.”
“Are we going to run into any trouble if we go there?”
“It’s cordoned off with tape, but there are no guards anymore. Reported it as a crashed test plane.”
One hundred miles. They’re going to need a ride. He throws a hopeful smile towards the front seat at Steve and Chris. “Mind a little detour on the way to the next gig?”
“It’s only a two hour drive to the next city and we don’t have to be there ‘til tomorrow night. We can afford the time,” Steve grins.
Nodding, he turns to Jared. “Okay.”
***
“What did they do to you?” Jared asks Jeff as quietly as he can, but Jensen can still hear.
Jensen can’t see Jeff’s expression since it’s still so dark outside and consequently, too dark in the van, but he can tell by the sudden tension that Jeff doesn’t want to talk about it.
“They wanted to know where Jensen was,” he finally answers, but his voice sounds off. Distant.
It’s that tone that makes Jensen bumble his way to the center of attention in a manner - he hopes - doesn’t give away that he was listening.
Once Jensen has Jared suitably distracted, Jeff offers Jensen his first real smile of the night, and Jensen returns it.
***
“I don’t see how this is going to help, Jen,” Jared mutters as he jumps out of Steve’s van at the edge of the woods where Jensen crashed.
Jensen nods at Chris, Steve, and Jeff. “Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate everything y’all did. But you gotta keep moving.”
“Sure you want us to leave you here?” Jeff asks. “You’ll be stuck on foot.”
“Don’t worry about us. Jared and I will catch up with you later.” Then he closes the van door and finally answers Jared’s question, “I had my beacon on.”
“And that means?” He starts walking into the woods beside Jensen. Thankfully, it’s easier to find their way through the brush since the sun is starting to come up.
“While I was going down, I was broadcasting my coordinates. There’s a chance that someone heard me and came.”
Jared immediately stops. “You. You said you were staying here.”
“I am staying here. But I have to see if someone came to help.”
“Why?”
“I can warn them that my ship was taken.” It takes a minute, but Jensen manages to get Jared moving by grabbing his hand and pulling him along. Neither one of them lets go once Jared is moving alongside Jensen again.
“So. I might meet more aliens?” He sounds painfully excited.
Jensen isn’t even going to turn and address that.
***
Jeff was right. Jensen couldn’t miss this if he tried.
Standing at the edge of the enormous burn patch - just beyond the tape that cordoned off the entire area - Jensen focuses on the crater about a hundred feet away. How did they pass this off without implicating UFOs? No simple test plane could have made a crater that big.
“Wondered when you’d show up,” a male voice calls from behind him.
Jared’s hand squeezes his, and Jensen knows he’s worried. Scared that they’ve been caught. But Jensen’s grinning as he releases Jared’s hand and turns to see a familiar bald head. “Mike. Tom,” he says as another guy, tall with wavy black hair and blue eyes, steps out from behind a tree to join the first.
The three of them come together, hugging and slapping each other on the backs.
“We were worried about you,” Tom says.
“Yeah, Jenny, we picked up the beacon, but when we got here. Nada. Figured the government muscled in.”
“We tried to track the beacon, but it was shut off at impact. We think it was probably destroyed. Couldn’t find you anywhere, so we’ve been hiding out here in the hopes of finding you. Or at least getting a clue as to where you were.”
Jensen nods. “Yeah, Air Force shot me down, then took me in. Had me underground for weeks. A friend got me out and took me to Jared,” he says, gesturing for Jared to come closer. “This is Jared over here. Got me back on my feet and hasn’t let me out of his sight since.”
Tom smiles up at the sasquatch. “Then we should thank you,” he offers his hand.
Jared looks a little wary, but shakes it. “My pleasure.”
“Listen,” Jensen sighs. “They’ve got my ship. I tried to get it back, but I don’t know where they took it.”
“Is it intact?” Mike asks, all businesslike.
“Not sure. Have to assume that it is.”
Mike and Tom share a look, then nod. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“Thanks. And if nothing else, just warn the others that the government may be onto them.”
“We all know how to take care of ourselves.” Immediately, Mike’s all grins again. “So, Jenny, ready to go home?”
Jensen can see Jared shift out of the corner of his eye. If he’s honest with himself, he’d love to go home. He misses it. But he knows he’d miss Jared more. He could always take Jared back there, but he doesn’t think Jared would like it. He wouldn’t fit in. As much as it pains him to think of staying here the rest of his life, he’s not really got a choice. He shakes his head. “Nah. I’m staying.”
“Going native?” Mike’s actually smirking at Jared, leering at him, and Jensen’s fists clench automatically.
“Something like that.”
“Well,” Tom interjects, stepping between Mike and Jensen, “you shouldn’t stay in the area if the Air Force is looking for you. We can give you a lift somewhere, if you want.”
“In a space ship?”
There goes Jared’s excited tone again, and Jensen can’t find it in his heart to deny Jared anything that gets a response like that. “Sure. That’d be great.”
***
“Oh wow!” Jared is practically vibrating beside Jensen as they’re dropped off in Vancouver, Canada. “That was awesome!”
One side of his lips quirked up, Jensen replies, “Glad you liked it. Don’t get used to it, though. Remember, I lost my ship.”
“But. We flew! In space! Near the speed of light!”
“Only for a split second, and just so you’d stop bugging them.”
“But we did it! I take it back. You’re totally not a lame alien.”
“Thanks. Now, we need to contact Chris and the others to let them know we’re okay. And we need to get in touch with Chad and arrange for the dogs to be picked up. Then we need to take care of your house and find some place up here to stay while the heat dies down.”
“We can worry about all that later.” He reaches out to pull Jensen to him. “First, I have to ask you a question.”
“What’s that?”
“Where are you from? Really.”
He grins. “Richardson.” A quick kiss, then he shrugs, “Or thereabouts.”
end
***
“If we don’t get out of bed soon, Chris is going to come knocking on our door,” Jensen says. He’s curled up with Jared again, staring at the digital clock on the bedside table, willing time to stop - so far, it’s not working too well.
“Knowing him, he’ll break down the door.”
“Just so he can get a look at us, lying here naked.”
“Then I’ll have to kill him because no one gets to see you naked except for me.”
“Guess we need to get up then.”
“Not yet,” Jared grumbles, pulling Jensen tighter to his side.
If he leaves it up to Jared, Jensen’s pretty sure they’ll spend the rest of their lives in this bed. So, he has to be the strong one. He untangles himself and turns to put his feet on the floor. Instantly, Jared’s arms circle his waist.
“Come on, just a little longer. Bet we can get one more round in before we’re stuck sleeping in the van for who knows how many nights.”
Chuckling, Jensen shakes his head. The man’s got a good point, but it’s getting late. “I’m not risking that pervert breaking in and seeing anything. If you want him looking at your naked ass…well…that’s tough shit. I’m not going to let that happen. Get dressed.” He reaches back to slap Jared on the ass, then pulls away again.
Jensen doesn’t let himself look back at the bed because he knows what he’ll see and there’s only so much temptation anyone can withstand.
***
When they open the motel door, the van is right there with Chris and Steve leaning against the front fender, smirking. Jensen tries his best not to think about the two of them spending the night with their ears pressed against Jared and Jensen’s motel room - he may get sick if he does.
Chris hands a coffee to Jensen and tosses a snack cake before saying, “Get your asses in the van. We’re late.”
Steve hands a similar breakfast to Jared, then climbs into the driver’s seat.
Jensen’s a little shocked. He figured Chris would be a little more…invasive, which makes him wonder if Chris really did spend his night eavesdropping on them.
As if reading his thoughts, Chris winks.
***
“When is the tour going to be over?” Jared asks when they’re back on the road.
“Last night was the halfway mark,” Steve answers.
“Yep,” Chris nods. “Just three more weeks, then we’re heading back home.” He doesn’t ask what Jensen knows he’s thinking. What are Jared and Jensen going to do then?
Jared’s wondering the same thing; he’s slowly chewing his gummi bears, gaze focused on the passing scenery.
Hmm. Something occurs to Jensen. It could work. But he needs a map and a list of the rest of the cities on the tour. “Hey Chris, let me see your map.”
“What do you need it for?”
“Just let me see it, asshole.”
It’s slapped into his face.
Jensen unfolds it, then digs through the closest bag - Jared’s - for a pen. He comes up with a pink marker, and Jensen really doesn’t want to know. Lucky for him, all the cities are already marked on the map, along with dates for shows. And right smack-dab between two cities they’re singing at, is the base where he’d been kept all those weeks. Hell, this actually might work. He just wishes he’d been awake when Jeff got him out of there. Oh well. Looks like Jared and Jensen might have to stumble around a bit trying to find their way into the base and to Jeff. But they can do it. As long as Steve and Chris can keep the guards occupied, they can do this.
Well, it’s a shot. And it’s their only shot.
Ten days. He’s got ten days.
***
There’s no show that night, but they end up in a bar anyway, drinking and talking and just getting out of that damn van. However, Jared has other plans. He takes Jensen’s hand and pulls him outside towards their temporary home.
“Steve and Chris will be in there for hours.” Jared says it with a wicked smile. “Since I don’t see another motel room anywhere in our future, we might as well take advantage of a little alone time.”
It’s official: Jared is a genius.
***
Jared’s an asshole. He’s sucking at the skin just below Jensen’s ear and Jensen can almost feel the blood vessels breaking. Feel the blood rushing to the surface to mark him. And that must be exactly what Jared is thinking because he immediately growls, “Mine.”
That’s really hotter than it has any right to be. Jensen thrusts into Jared’s hand, stifling a moan behind gritted teeth.
“No, let me hear you.” He licks the hickey he just made. “I want to hear you.”
“Please. Just…finish it.”
The asshole chuckles - chuckles - and shakes his head. “Not until I hear some decent pleading from you.”
He knows his eyes are wide and pitiful, so he turns them on Jared, full force.
Now he’s smiling wide enough for his dimples to flash. “Not good enough.”
“Pleasepleaseplease. I’m. So close. Please.”
Jared purses his lips in thought. What does the guy want? Jensen’s on the edge and Jared demands an eloquent speech?
Jensen must be suffering enough because Jared moves his thumb to the head of Jensen’s cock and rubs firmly, then gives one more tug and Jensen’s done.
***
“Come on, Jen,” Jared pleads, using his puppy eyes to their fullest.
Turning away, Jensen replies, “No.”
“But it was fun, right? And I let you come.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Please?”
He can’t resist that tone. Grumbling, he turns back towards Jared. There’s a pretty impressive tent in his jeans, and Jensen considers making him work for it like he made Jensen work for his. But they’re probably running out of time since Jared took so long to get Jensen off. Steve and Chris could come back any minute. Jared really is an asshole.
He gets on his knees over Jared’s legs, then slowly opens his jeans and pulls Jared out. He’s pretty big, but Jensen thinks he can handle it. He opens his mouth and descends.
Jensen is too nice for his own good.
***
Curled up together, half asleep, Jensen says, “I think I might have a way to get into the base and help Jeff.”
That gets Jared’s undivided attention. “What is it?”
Jensen pushes up so he can look Jared in the face. “The tour. We’re going to pass by the base in a week and a half.”
“Well, that gets us close, but that doesn’t get us in.”
“What if Chris and Steve dropped us off somewhere close by, then kept driving ‘til they get to the base? What if they have car trouble? What if they attract the guards’ attention? They won’t get in trouble - the guards won’t suspect a thing. Chris and Steve have the perfect alibi. They really are on tour. The base is on the way. No reason to suspect they’re a distraction, but still reason to watch them while they’re so close.”
“Then while the guards are paying attention to Chris and Steve, we sneak on the base? Then what?”
Sighing, Jensen shrugs. “After that, we’re just going to have to look. I have no idea where they’d be keeping Jeff, but I’m pretty sure they’d keep him near where they kept me. I just have to find the building.” Tell him. Tell him! Dammit, Jared needs to know! “There’s something else.”
Jared frowns. “I don’t like that tone. Or the expression on your face. What’s going on?”
He needs to take a breath. “My ship. I have to get my ship.”
Blink. “…I thought you were going to stay here. With me.”
“I am,” he rushes to assure Jared. “But I can’t let them keep my ship. There’s too much information in the computer system. If they ever got it working again, they’d know where I’m from. How to get there. How to find my people here.”
“There’s more of you here?” Yeah, Jared must not have thought of that before; he looks more than a little shocked.
Jensen’s told Jared so much. Probably too much. But he loves the guy. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” He breathes for a few minutes. “Okay, um. How are we going to get a ship out of there?”
“I don’t know. Hell, it might already be too late, but I have to try. If nothing else, we can just rip the computer out of the cockpit.”
“Are you sure the ship is there?”
“It’s where they had me. Makes sense that they would keep the ship there too.”
“But you escaped. And they know that Jeff helped you escape; they might know that he came to see you. In their position, I’d move the ship to some place more secure.”
Damn. Jared has a point. Shit shit shit. Jensen pushes himself off of Jared and rolls over to lie on his back. “Like where?”
“Area 51?”
“Funny. I can’t randomly search every place I come across.” His hands scrub over his face. What is he going to do now? No. He’s acting like the ship is already moved. Jensen still has to check. He has to be sure. “I’m still going to look for it when we’re in there. Once we have Jeff he can tell me where to look. Then the two of you can get out of there and meet up with Steve and Chris.”
Jared props himself up on his elbow. “And what about you?”
“I’ll meet up with you guys once I have the computer or I know for sure that the ship is gone.”
Shaking his head, Jared argues, “No way. I’m not leaving you in there alone. Both of us go get Jeff, then all of us look for your ship.”
“Don’t you want to get Jeff out of there safely?”
“Yes, but not at the risk of losing you. We’re all looking for your ship.”
This is a bad idea. Jensen knows it’s a bad idea. One wrong move. One mistake and all three of them will be locked away for good. Jared will be locked away for good. And when the hell did that idea start hurting more than Jensen getting put back in that cell?
He really does love the sasquatch.
Laughing, he shakes his head. “Okay. We stick together while we’re in there. Deal?”
“Deal.” And Jared’s beaming at him again with those dimples and those sparkling eyes. Eyes that are taking on a more devious glint as they approach. With a wag of his eyebrows, Jared’s mouth descends on Jensen’s collarbone, and starts sucking again.
Oh hell.
***
Jensen’s not really surprised at the reaction he gets from Chris and Steve when he tells them his plan. He’s been around them enough the past few weeks to know that next to nothing fazes these two guys. It’s a little unsettling, yet it makes Jensen smile. Well, that smile could be due to the obvious pain they’re both in from their hangovers. Whatever.
“So what exactly do you need us to do?” Steve asks over his coffee. Beside him, Chris is leaning back in the diner booth with black sunglasses covering his closed eyes - Jensen’s almost positive he’s awake.
Jared answers the question between bites of pancakes because Jensen is too wrapped up in his coffee. “We need you to drop us off, then fake a car problem once you get close enough to be a potential threat to the security of the base.”
“Hmm.”
Without moving, Chris asks, “That it?”
“That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“And just what is the rest?” Chris finally lifts his head.
Jared turns to Jensen to silently ask permission to divulge all of Jensen’s secrets. Hell. No. But Steve and Chris are good guys, even if Chris is a fucking pervert. He can give them a little at least. “We’re going to get Jeff out of there. He’s in trouble because of me, and I can’t let him suffer in there just for helping me. It’s not right.”
“Your buddy, Jeff Morgan?” Steve asks Jared, who nods in response. “Okay. Count us in.”
***
It’s important that they keep going as always. Nothing different. No freak-outs as they get closer to the base day by day. Jensen starts getting nervous again, but it’s not only over singing. Don’t get him wrong, now that they’re inching towards the base, he’s constantly terrified that a uniform will walk into whatever bar they’re playing at and take him in. However, the upcoming rescue operation is also making him pace back and forth in the men’s room or in back alleys between sets. Jared does his best to calm Jensen down, but the guy is nervous too.
To be fair, Jared is trying really hard to hide it, but Jensen can see it in the little tells. The way Jared bites his lower lip when he has a minute to think. The way he’ll wring his hands if he’s not holding Jensen’s. The way he clings to Jensen at night like he’s afraid that if he lets go for an instant, Jensen will disappear. The slight desperation in the kisses they share, or the compulsive need to mark Jensen as his, all his. If Jensen were into psychology, he might read into that as Jared’s way of telling the Air Force that they can’t take Jensen away from him. But Jensen’s not into psychology, so he passes it off as Jared being a possessive ass.
***
Two days before they reach the base, it happens.
Just before they go on, a man walks in. He’s not wearing a uniform, but Jensen knows. He’s been trained to recognize the traits. The short hair. The hard edge. The way the guy stands. Moves. He screams Air Force.
And Jensen does the only thing he can think of. He grabs Jared and tries to get them out of there as fast as he can without anyone noticing.
He doesn’t do that great of a job.
***
Outside in the alley, a hand on Jensen’s shoulder stops his retreat; he turns, ready to fight his way out. He realizes it’s Chris’s hand on his shoulder just before his fist makes contact with Chris’s jaw, and he’s able to stop the collision.
“What’s up your ass, son?” Chris asks. He may be glaring, but Jensen couldn’t care less right now.
“Air Force is in there,” Jensen nods towards the backdoor to the bar just behind Chris. “Jared and I have to get out of here before he sees.”
“You sure, Jen?” Jared asks.
“I know how to spot them.”
“How many?”
“One guy that I saw. Could be more waiting outside.”
“Or could be just the one,” Steve offers.
Chris nods in agreement. “Odds are he’s just here to have a good time. He ain’t here to bring you in.”
“I can’t take the risk. I’m not going back in that bar, and neither is Jared.”
Eyes narrowed, Chris sucks on his teeth. “Fine. Steve and I will go back in there and do the show. You two hide out in the van - make sure no one sees you.” Without waiting for a response, Chris throws an arm around Steve and leads him back inside.
Jensen still has adrenaline coursing through his blood; he’s too wired to just go back to the van and sit there.
As always, Jared knows what to do. He nudges Jensen towards the van and immediately starts stripping him once the door is closed. Jared doesn’t give Jensen an instant to protest. His mouth is already roaming over the exposed skin. Licking. Sucking. Nipping. Laving. Kissing. Nibbling.
Jensen’s on his back, his chest heaving as Jared’s lips finally descend on his erection. The moist heat closing around him. Drawing a guttural moan from his throat. He has to fight the urge to thrust up because choking would kinda kill the mood, but it’s a near thing.
Jared makes him beg for it again, but this time, Jensen doesn’t mind. He needs this. He needs to work for it. To get his mind off of the Airman listening to Steve and Chris singing a hundred yards away. And when Jared’s throat closes around him, Jensen can’t stop himself anymore. His hips surge forward and he spills down Jared’s throat.
Overall, it’s a pretty nice way to burn off the adrenaline high.
***
Hours later, Chris and Steve come out and report that nothing happened. Usual show, minus their backup singer. False alarm. Basically everything Jensen wants to hear.
It doesn’t comfort him.
***
“Okay, you two know what to do?” Jensen asks.
Steve turns in the driver’s seat and nods. Chris flips him off.
Good enough for Jensen. He jumps out of the van with Jared, then leans in to repeat his instructions one more time. “You two make a ruckus. Then in two hours, we meet you a mile south of here. If we’re not there by then, take off. Don’t risk getting caught. We’ll get word to you we’re safe. Now go.” And he slams the door shut.
Turning to Jared - dressed head to toe in black, just like Jensen - he notices the tense posture. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You ready?”
“No.”
He nods because that one isn’t really a shock. “Okay, let’s go.”
***
It’s pitch black out as they creep towards the base, keeping low and quiet. Both of those last two seem difficult to Jared seeing as a.) the guy’s a sasquatch, and b.) the guy’s a klutz. But by some miracle, they get to the fence without being noticed. Now comes the hard part.
Jensen scans the distance, searching for the guards, and he doesn’t find them. Hopefully they’re already hovering over Chris and Steve, calling in to verify the veracity of Chris and Steve’s story.
It’s now or never.
Pulling out the wire cutters Chris had in his bag - again, there’s some things Jensen just doesn’t want to know - and cuts through the metal fence. He tries to keep the hole small, but he has to keep in mind that Jared will have to fit through it, which means it’s got to be a good size. Jensen finds a happy medium since it’s not the whole fence and Jared can still fit - it works.
Now they have to get across the parking lot to the nearest building.
Jensen reaches around to the back of Jared’s neck and pulls him in for one quick taste of his mouth, licking his way back out. He pulls back, eyes fixated on the spit-shine of Jared’s lips, and forces himself to direct his attention back to the matter at hand.
Turning back towards the building, he commands, “Run!” They keep low and stay as close to the few cars as possible. Jensen doesn’t think about how many buildings there are. Too many to search, he knows. But most of them look like hangars, and he’s positive he’d been in an actual building - probably one with a basement since he was sure his cell was below ground judging by the fact they had to take stairs up to get out. That had to narrow the field at least a little.
When they reach the first building, they throw their backs to it and inch along until they find a door. Jensen listens, but can’t hear anything. Opening it just a crack, he looks inside. It looks clear - not that that really means anything - and they have to get out of the open. He reaches back to grab Jared then drags the giant indoors with him.
“Is this where they kept you?” Jared whispers.
Jensen has absolutely no idea. Again, he wishes he had been awake when Jeff got him out of here. “Probably not. Too close to the edge. They would have kept me closer to the center of the base. Harder to get out without being discovered,” he whispers back.
No harm in checking this building though. As he leads them down the corridor, he keeps an eye out for a stairwell. The only one he finds goes up. Can’t be the place.
Jensen ducks down beside a window, trying to catch a quick glimpse of the next building. There’s a row of hangars lined up to the north and another building about 100 yards to the west. The problem is that there is absolutely nothing between the two buildings. No cover and not a lot of shadows. Shit.
He alerts Jared to the problem, then signs for Jared to keep low but stay fast. Jensen finds their way to a doorway and it’s a straight shot across the clearing to the next building’s door. They can do this. He opens the door, and takes off as fast as he can, keeping an eye out for any unwanted guests.
Checking the new door, he opens it, then ducks in just as Jared catches up with him. This door opens to a stairwell - again, it only leads up - and all the doors leading further into the building are locked from the other side.
“We’ve got to go out the way we came,” Jensen whispers. “Can’t go through this building.”
Jared nods, then opens the door to the outside without checking to see if it’s clear first.
This is going to be a long night.
***
The fifth building, Jensen finds a stairwell that goes down. It’s a little redundant since Jared’s been silent the last two buildings, but Jensen gestures for Jared to be quiet, then tiptoes down the steps.
This is it. Jensen can feel it. Everything is so eerily familiar that this has to be the place that he was kept. He just prays this is where Jeff is too.
They get to the bottom floor and creep through the halls, listening at every door. A few have voices - none of them Jeff’s. Most are quiet, and all of those are empty.
If they don’t find Jeff soon, they’re going to have to give up because there’s just no way they can keep sneaking in these buildings without being caught. And seconds before Jensen decides to pull Jared out of there and tell him just that, he hears Jeff’s voice.
It’s coming from a room two doors down. He’s shouting something, but no one is answering him.
Jensen doesn’t like it, but they can’t stay out in the hallway. He cracks open the door and sees no one in the dark room. Pulling Jared inside, he closes the door behind them.
They’re standing in an observation room, and through the looking glass is Jeff. In a room identical to Jensen’s cell.
He darts forward to open the door to the cell and let Jeff out.
Jeff? Doesn’t look happy. “What are you doing here? Get out of here! You’ll get caught again!”
“We came to rescue you,” Jared says.
Yeah, still not appearing happy. “What were you thinking?” Jeff turns to Jensen. “You let him come with you?”
“Hey,” Jared complains, “he didn’t let me do anything. I can make my own decisions!”
This is going nowhere fast. “Shut up. Both of you,” Jensen orders. “We’re getting out of here. Right after you tell me where my ship is.”
“Hangar 12.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here. Now be quiet.”
***
It takes them longer to get to Hangar 12 than Jensen would like, but they’ve got to be careful, especially now that they have Jeff. But by another miracle, they make it.
It’s just not what Jensen wants to see.
For starters, there are no guards. Jensen’s pretty sure that if his ship is in there, there’d be at least one guard outside. That realization makes a knot of dread form in his stomach.
Still gotta check it out though.
Jensen manages to talk Jared and Jeff into staying under cover while he checks it out. He runs across the clearing to the door and can’t even make himself wait to check the coast before he opens it.
All his worst fears are realized.
It’s empty.
***
“Where’s my ship?” Jensen asks no one in particular. “Where’s my ship?!?”
“Jensen,” Jared tries to placate Jensen before he has a meltdown, “we talked about this. We knew it was a possibility. Now we’ve got to get out of here before we’re all caught.”
Jeff nods. “Jared’s right. We’ve been lucky thus far, no need to push it.”
Jensen numbly nods and follows where Jeff leads. The rest is a blur. All he can think about is his ship. He has no idea where it is. What if they got it running again? What if they are trying to fly it right now? What if they’re downloading all the data from the computer as he ducks through a new hole in the fence?
He’s going to be sick again.
***
Jensen doesn’t say anything as they make their way south. They’re probably going to be a little late for their rendezvous with Steve and Chris, but he’s got a feeling they’re still going to be there and they are.
He doesn’t really pay attention to the words said around him. A few times the others glance in his direction, but he ignores them. He’s got such bigger problems, it’s not even funny. Eventually, Steve and Chris get back in the van and everyone looks like they’re about to load up when an idea hits.
“Where did I crash?”
Jared is surprised, but Jeff simply stares at him.
“Where did I crash, Jeff? I need to know exactly.”
“About a hundred miles west of here. Can’t miss it; you burned up half a square mile of woods.”
“Are we going to run into any trouble if we go there?”
“It’s cordoned off with tape, but there are no guards anymore. Reported it as a crashed test plane.”
One hundred miles. They’re going to need a ride. He throws a hopeful smile towards the front seat at Steve and Chris. “Mind a little detour on the way to the next gig?”
“It’s only a two hour drive to the next city and we don’t have to be there ‘til tomorrow night. We can afford the time,” Steve grins.
Nodding, he turns to Jared. “Okay.”
***
“What did they do to you?” Jared asks Jeff as quietly as he can, but Jensen can still hear.
Jensen can’t see Jeff’s expression since it’s still so dark outside and consequently, too dark in the van, but he can tell by the sudden tension that Jeff doesn’t want to talk about it.
“They wanted to know where Jensen was,” he finally answers, but his voice sounds off. Distant.
It’s that tone that makes Jensen bumble his way to the center of attention in a manner - he hopes - doesn’t give away that he was listening.
Once Jensen has Jared suitably distracted, Jeff offers Jensen his first real smile of the night, and Jensen returns it.
***
“I don’t see how this is going to help, Jen,” Jared mutters as he jumps out of Steve’s van at the edge of the woods where Jensen crashed.
Jensen nods at Chris, Steve, and Jeff. “Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate everything y’all did. But you gotta keep moving.”
“Sure you want us to leave you here?” Jeff asks. “You’ll be stuck on foot.”
“Don’t worry about us. Jared and I will catch up with you later.” Then he closes the van door and finally answers Jared’s question, “I had my beacon on.”
“And that means?” He starts walking into the woods beside Jensen. Thankfully, it’s easier to find their way through the brush since the sun is starting to come up.
“While I was going down, I was broadcasting my coordinates. There’s a chance that someone heard me and came.”
Jared immediately stops. “You. You said you were staying here.”
“I am staying here. But I have to see if someone came to help.”
“Why?”
“I can warn them that my ship was taken.” It takes a minute, but Jensen manages to get Jared moving by grabbing his hand and pulling him along. Neither one of them lets go once Jared is moving alongside Jensen again.
“So. I might meet more aliens?” He sounds painfully excited.
Jensen isn’t even going to turn and address that.
***
Jeff was right. Jensen couldn’t miss this if he tried.
Standing at the edge of the enormous burn patch - just beyond the tape that cordoned off the entire area - Jensen focuses on the crater about a hundred feet away. How did they pass this off without implicating UFOs? No simple test plane could have made a crater that big.
“Wondered when you’d show up,” a male voice calls from behind him.
Jared’s hand squeezes his, and Jensen knows he’s worried. Scared that they’ve been caught. But Jensen’s grinning as he releases Jared’s hand and turns to see a familiar bald head. “Mike. Tom,” he says as another guy, tall with wavy black hair and blue eyes, steps out from behind a tree to join the first.
The three of them come together, hugging and slapping each other on the backs.
“We were worried about you,” Tom says.
“Yeah, Jenny, we picked up the beacon, but when we got here. Nada. Figured the government muscled in.”
“We tried to track the beacon, but it was shut off at impact. We think it was probably destroyed. Couldn’t find you anywhere, so we’ve been hiding out here in the hopes of finding you. Or at least getting a clue as to where you were.”
Jensen nods. “Yeah, Air Force shot me down, then took me in. Had me underground for weeks. A friend got me out and took me to Jared,” he says, gesturing for Jared to come closer. “This is Jared over here. Got me back on my feet and hasn’t let me out of his sight since.”
Tom smiles up at the sasquatch. “Then we should thank you,” he offers his hand.
Jared looks a little wary, but shakes it. “My pleasure.”
“Listen,” Jensen sighs. “They’ve got my ship. I tried to get it back, but I don’t know where they took it.”
“Is it intact?” Mike asks, all businesslike.
“Not sure. Have to assume that it is.”
Mike and Tom share a look, then nod. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“Thanks. And if nothing else, just warn the others that the government may be onto them.”
“We all know how to take care of ourselves.” Immediately, Mike’s all grins again. “So, Jenny, ready to go home?”
Jensen can see Jared shift out of the corner of his eye. If he’s honest with himself, he’d love to go home. He misses it. But he knows he’d miss Jared more. He could always take Jared back there, but he doesn’t think Jared would like it. He wouldn’t fit in. As much as it pains him to think of staying here the rest of his life, he’s not really got a choice. He shakes his head. “Nah. I’m staying.”
“Going native?” Mike’s actually smirking at Jared, leering at him, and Jensen’s fists clench automatically.
“Something like that.”
“Well,” Tom interjects, stepping between Mike and Jensen, “you shouldn’t stay in the area if the Air Force is looking for you. We can give you a lift somewhere, if you want.”
“In a space ship?”
There goes Jared’s excited tone again, and Jensen can’t find it in his heart to deny Jared anything that gets a response like that. “Sure. That’d be great.”
***
“Oh wow!” Jared is practically vibrating beside Jensen as they’re dropped off in Vancouver, Canada. “That was awesome!”
One side of his lips quirked up, Jensen replies, “Glad you liked it. Don’t get used to it, though. Remember, I lost my ship.”
“But. We flew! In space! Near the speed of light!”
“Only for a split second, and just so you’d stop bugging them.”
“But we did it! I take it back. You’re totally not a lame alien.”
“Thanks. Now, we need to contact Chris and the others to let them know we’re okay. And we need to get in touch with Chad and arrange for the dogs to be picked up. Then we need to take care of your house and find some place up here to stay while the heat dies down.”
“We can worry about all that later.” He reaches out to pull Jensen to him. “First, I have to ask you a question.”
“What’s that?”
“Where are you from? Really.”
He grins. “Richardson.” A quick kiss, then he shrugs, “Or thereabouts.”
end