The Holiday by katef, illustrated by PattRose

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Jim Ellison looked over at the young man sitting beside him in the truck’s passenger seat with fond exasperation. It seemed like the further they drew away from Cascade, the more excited and talkative his young Guide became, until he was certain that any time now, Blair would start with, “Are we nearly there yet?”

Smiling to himself, he gave himself a quick high five to see the positive results of his planning, and briefly thought about the previous few weeks, and the circumstances leading up to this trip.

Previously:

About three weeks previously, just before Rainier University’s long summer break, Blair had fallen victim to Jim’s father William Ellison’s machinations in an attempt by the older Ellison to break Jim’s bond with an ‘unsuitable nobody’ of a Guide, and win him back to his ‘rightful’ place on the Board of Ellison Enterprises. Needless to say, the plot had been foiled, but not before Blair had been accidentally injured at his Sentinel’s own hands –; an incident which had filled Jim with guilt and self-loathing –; but over the intervening weeks the pair had worked through their feelings and fought hard to re-establish their mutual love and respect.

Jim was filled with awe and love at his young Guide’s courage and resilience, particularly in view of his traumatic recent past, and the depths of Blair’s adoration and commitment never failed to humble him and make him all the more determined to cherish and protect the young man to the fullest extent of his ability.

As Blair’s injured hands had healed, and the pair had slowly recovered their equilibrium, Jim had thrilled the young man by planning a proper two week holiday for them, seeing as he had plenty of leave accumulated, and with the blessing of their Captain, Simon Banks.

After a rocky start, Simon had come to appreciate the new Guide’s value, both as Jim’s partner, and also as the Major Crimes Unit’s unofficial mascot. Although totally unaware of his role, said ‘mascot’ had quite unwittingly proved to be of immense value both as a morale booster, and also as a focus which drew the whole department closer together as a tight and smoothly functioning team, deeply protective of their own Sentinel / Guide pair. However, Jim was well aware that should he, or any other member of MCU, try to explain the phenomenon to Blair, the young man would simply have blushed in confusion and denied the assertion, being completely unable to comprehend a situation where he could be of importance to anyone, except, maybe, to his Sentinel on occasions when they were out in the field.

Jim recalled Blair’s astonished and joyful reaction when he explained how, with the help of his brother Steven - now unexpectedly the new CEO of Ellison Enterprises - he had found a great cabin on the shores of Lake Chelan which he had been able to rent at minimum cost for two weeks. Although it should only be a drive of 3 hours or so from Cascade, he proposed that they take their time over the road trip, taking a much more ‘scenic’ route and stopping overnight on the way. His idea was for them both to basically chill out, soak up the peace and quiet of the spectacular scenery and enjoy any available activity as the mood took them.

Once there, however, Jim fondly hoped that they would be indulging in plenty of fishing, since the Manson Bay area was well known for trout and bass, and he looked forward to teaching his young partner the finer points of angling.

Blair’s beautiful eyes had grown wide with wonder as Jim had drawn him down onto the sofa, arranging the slender body on his lap as he outlined the plans for the trip, punctuating his sentences with nibbles to the curl-covered ear and any areas of tempting throat which were in range of his questing mouth.

As he finished speaking, Blair had pulled away a little to look into his Sentinel’s face, and Jim had smiled to see the emotions chasing one another across the expressive face. Awe and amazement swiftly followed by blinding happiness were written large, and Blair’s eyes had grown shiny with unshed tears of joy before he had thrown both arms around Jim’s neck, crying, “Oh Jim, thank you, thank you! Love you so much! It’ll be wonderful, I know it! A whole two weeks away together...I can’t believe it!”

Although more than happy with his lover’s ecstatic reaction, Jim had been a little bemused that such a simple thing as a shared holiday could cause so much excitement until Blair had explained that it would be the first real holiday he had ever had. Although he and Naomi had travelled widely to many interesting places in his globe-trotting youth, they had never indulged in an actual ‘holiday’, as everywhere they had landed up had simply been another stop in his Mom’s endless quest for spiritual enlightenment, or else the latest in her apparently insatiable search for love (without commitment, of course).

Even in places as diverse as Big Sur or Tibet, there was never any opportunity to simply relax and enjoy, since the basic necessities of settling in to yet another temporary lifestyle took priority, and Blair had always had to struggle to find time to juggle his share of chores at the same time as soaking up as much cultural information as possible and trying to take full advantage of any intermittent opportunities for schooling should they come his way.

Fighting hard not to let his negative emotions spoil Blair’s happiness, Jim found himself once again filled with anger at Naomi’s thoughtless and self-centred lifestyle and its effects on her beautiful son, even if Blair persisted in claiming that it had been a good childhood, filled with the opportunity of seeing more of the world in a few short years than most people got to see in a whole lifetime.

Knowing that they would have to agree to disagree on the subject of Blair’s Mom, Jim had simply smiled again and cuddled his lover close until grumbling tummies had indicated that it was time for dinner.

*

The following weeks had flown by as the pair worked hard to clear Jim’s outstanding case load at the PD, and Blair had managed to do a little more of his own work on his laptop once the stitches in his hands had been removed. He didn’t go back to Rainier, though, having already decided to take a break until September. He concentrated instead on working on improving his manual dexterity, and also helping Jim type up his reports. That particular exercise proved to be good physical therapy in itself as well as being much appreciated by his Sentinel, who was still less than comfortable with, or even interested in, developing his own IT skills.

*

Finally, Friday dawned, and as lunchtime approached, Jim and Blair were winding up a last bit of paperwork before leaving the bullpen, having already agreed with Simon that they could finish early in order to get their preparations for the trip underway. Blair was growing more and more excited, positively glowing with happiness and eager anticipation as the morning wore on. He was completely unaware as to how his joy was affecting the rest of the unit as he smiled and bounced while helping Jim (and anyone else who could get away with securing his amiable cooperation when Jim’s attention was distracted).

Simon, who had been having a few minutes’ conversation with Jim in his office before the Sentinel gathered up his Guide to leave, stopped in the doorway and smiled as he ushered Jim out, nodding and grinning at the scene before them.

Jim, following the direction of his glance, was filled with a warmth he could never remember feeling before his unconventional young guide had entered his life. Folding his arms over his chest, he smiled and stood alongside Simon for a few moments, watching the detectives present - Rafe, H, Joel and Megan amongst others, plus a few uniforms - who all seemed to almost orbit the shyly smiling young man in their midst, patting him when they were in range, and chatting and joking in a friendly manner while he cheerfully helped out with any odd tasks at their request.

The entire bullpen seemed to have taken on a lightness of spirit and optimism seldom witnessed at the end of a long and gruelling week, and the almost festive atmosphere was undoubtedly down to Jim’s Guide.

Jim’s smile widened even further as Rhonda, Simon’s much-prized secretary, sailed out of her small side office clutching a file her boss had requested, only to make a small detour to where Blair was standing at a filing cabinet. She paused for a moment to have a friendly word and pat his cheek before leaving the blushing young man to make her way to Simon to hand over the file.

Simon’s grin was huge as he took the papers, nodding his thanks to Rhonda as he slapped Jim amicably on the shoulder.

“Go on, Jim, take him home. You may as well get going. The kid’s going to make his face ache with so much smiling! Go, enjoy your break!”

“Anything you say, sir!” replied Jim smartly. “Thanks Simon, Rhonda. See you in two weeks’ time!”

So saying, he moved back towards his desk, gathering up an armful of happy Guide on his way, to make quick work of tidying up their shared workspace.

Tucking Blair snugly into his side, Jim strode to the doors, waving and calling out their cheerful goodbyes and leaving a trail of smiling farewells and cries of ‘see you soon’ in their wake.

Finally alone in the elevator, they rode down to the parking garage, Jim taking advantage of the privacy to indulge in a few gentle kisses which had the effect of quieting his excitedly bouncing Guide for a few minutes until they reached the truck, where, once seated in the passenger seat, Blair began to bounce again.

Thinking to himself that the youngster resembled nothing so much as an eager puppy, Jim knew that a year or so ago he would have been hard put to not snap irritably at such behaviour. Now, however, he simply grinned indulgently, and, reaching over to clamp a large hand on the nearest bouncing thigh he said laughingly, “Down boy! You’re going to wear yourself out before we’ve even set off!”

Blair froze for a second, then, quickly realising that Jim was only joking, he relaxed instantly. Blushing slightly, he murmured contritely, “Sorry, man! I don’t mean to be a pest. I’m just so excited...!”

“You don’t say, babe!” came the laughing reply, as Jim was quick to reassure him. “I think we’re both in for a great time, so it’s fine to get into the holiday mood!”

He was rewarded with another beaming smile, and they set off for 852 Prospect to grab a quick shower and change of clothes before loading up the truck and heading east for the first part of their road trip.

*

Present:

As it was still early in the evening when they had finally set out, Jim was taking his time and endeavouring to take as many scenic detours as he could fit in before the gathering dark forced them to seek out a motel in which to spend the night.

Blair was enchanted with the views from the points his Sentinel chose to stop at en route, admitting that it had been a while since he had had the opportunity just to look and enjoy rather than rushing from one activity to another. He leaned back contentedly against Jim’s broad chest, revelling in the strong arms encircling him and Jim’s warm breath in his ear as he whispered sweet nothings or informative comments as appropriate.

Eventually, Jim pulled up in front of the office of a pleasant looking motel, leaving Blair in the truck as he went inside to book a double room for them. He knew that the young Guide was still apprehensive about meeting strangers, even though Blair was at pains to impress upon his Sentinel that it wasn’t because he was worried or ashamed of their partnership. Jim, easily discerning his Guide’s sincerity through their shared link, understood only too well that the reasons behind Blair’s shyness were nearly all centred on the young empath’s general lack of self-confidence. He therefore didn’t push the issue, simply booking a room at the far end of the block, well away from the road and from prying eyes.

While in the office, he asked the pleasant young man at the desk about nearby restaurants, and was recommended to try a small, family-run place just a mile or so down the road which served hot meals until 9.30pm.

Seeing as it was 8.15pm already by the time they had parked up outside their room, Jim suggested that they settle in quickly and go out more or less immediately to make sure of securing a hot meal.

Happy to agree, Blair quickly made use of the small but scrupulously clean bathroom, and helped Jim put their small overnight bags in the closet.

Back in the truck again, they soon located the restaurant, which turned out to be a cottage style building, freshly painted in brown, green and cream to blend in with the surrounding forest scenery, and offering home-cooked meals prepared by the owner’s wife while he and his daughter tended the bar and waited tables. Jim and Blair were pleasantly surprised by the cosy and informal interior, which, although fairly small, was well patronised even at the comparatively late hour. They were quickly shown to a small corner table where they could enjoy a modicum of privacy and also surreptitiously watch the folks in the rest of the dining room.

Ordering a beer for them both, Jim went for the home-made burger with everything, smirking at his Guide’s slight frown of disapproval, while Blair chose the warm chicken salad.

While they waited for the meals to arrive, Jim picked up his beer and clinked it against Blair’s as he proposed a toast of ‘happy holidays’. His Guide giggled and smiled widely, thoroughly enjoying their first night of freedom, and approving of the small but overt indication of Jim’s willingness to relax into the mood.

When the food arrived, they found it to be well-prepared, tasty and plentiful, so they tucked right in with gusto, pausing every so often to make appreciative comments. Not surprisingly, Jim inhaled his burger fairly quickly, so he sat back to watch Blair steadily work his way through the salad, smiling contentedly at the evidence of Blair’s reawakened appetite. Although the young man still had a tendency to forget food when he was upset or stressed in any way, he had put on some much-needed weight under Jim’s care, and was altogether healthier looking, even if his slender frame was never likely to be more than adequately well-covered.

The only thing that had the potential to spoil a good evening happened out of Blair’s earshot, for which Jim was very glad.

Sentinel hearing was easily able to pick up on a whispered conversation taking place at a table in the opposite corner, where three men, obviously locals, were commenting none-too-sympathetically on the pair of strangers who had encroached on their ‘turf’.

The youngest looking one, a scruffy, spotty and red-haired individual, snuck a quick glance in Jim and Blair’s direction before hissing, “I’m tellin’ you, they’s queer! That big dude’s just got to be the kid’s ‘Daddy’! They’d better not be staying hereabouts!”

An older guy, with greying, reddish hair and similar features which suggested that he was probably the other’s father, replied, “Keep your voice down, Jess! They’ll hear you! It ain’t worth the bother if they’s just passing through!”

The third man, a small, balding guy sporting thick-lensed spectacles and wearing faded dungarees, spotted Jim’s glare in their direction and whispered urgently, “Shut up! The big guy can hear you!”

At the disbelieving glares of his companions, he added, “I’m telling you, he can hear you! I bet they’s one of those Sentinel pairs we’ve been hearing so much about on the news! Shut up before he comes over. I don’t care if they’s fags, he looks mean!”

Dropping their gazes, all three concentrated on finishing their beers before settling the check and beating a hasty retreat, leaving the restaurant owner looking after them with a puzzled expression on his face.

Blair, who had been concentrating on his rather tasty chicken, suddenly felt a ‘ping’, like a ‘disturbance in the Force’ as he and Jim jokingly called it. Glancing up at Jim with an eyebrow raised in enquiry, he was reassured by his Sentinel’s grin and affirmation that there was nothing wrong. Not having heard the conversation in question, Blair readily accepted Jim’s word, while his Sentinel did an outstanding job of squashing his instinctive aggressive response, knowing that it would only upset Blair and taint the rest of the holiday.

Once the locals had left, Jim was able to relax his stance, certain now that there was no other threat to his Guide either in the restaurant or outside, and schooled himself to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Another beer each and two coffees later, Blair suddenly yawned widely, shooting an apologetic look at his Sentinel. Jim was already aware of the young man’s exhaustion, and was merely amazed at how long his Guide had managed to actually stay alert considering all the bouncing he’d been doing that day.

“Time for bed, Junior!” he said with a smile, and tossing a more than adequate amount of bills on the table to cover the check, he steered his rapidly wilting lover out to the truck to return to the motel for a cuddle in a really quite comfortable queen-sized bed.

*

The following morning, Sentinel and Guide woke rested and refreshed, and ready to continue their trip to Lake Chelan, which was less than two hours away despite the ‘scenic’ detours.

After a leisurely shared shower, which both of them thoroughly enjoyed, they packed up the few items from their overnight bags and drove round to the office to settle up. With Blair remaining in the truck as usual, Jim entered the office to pay the bill, and also passed on his thanks for the dinner recommendation. The young receptionist smiled readily, and handed over Jim’s change, saying cheerfully, “No problem, man. Joe’s is a real good local place, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s open for breakfast too, if you’ve a mind. Have a nice day, now!”

Taking advantage of the advice, Jim and Blair enjoyed a hearty breakfast which would set them up for the day, as Jim intended to take his time driving to the cabin.

As the cabin itself was in a secluded area served by local roads which were little more than tracks, he wanted to stop by the more populous places first in order to stock up on fresh produce so they wouldn’t need to use the nearest town’s general stores any more than necessary. He had been told that the cabin would have full amenities, and would have already have been stocked with basic provisions, but it was always an entertainment in itself doing food shopping with Blair. Jim was therefore perfectly happy to wander round the supermarket, watching the antics of his Guide who was definitely in hyper mode that morning.

A couple of hours later, Jim pulled up outside an impressive wooden cabin. Built in a large, secluded clearing in a forested area adjoining the beach, it was conveniently placed for the fishing grounds in the Manson area.

Blair’s face was alight with amazement, and his jaw dropped at the first view of the ‘cabin’. He turned his awe-struck gaze on his Sentinel as he murmured breathlessly, “And this is a CABIN? Gods, Jim, it’s big enough to house three families!”

“Yeah, OK, kid –; it’s fairly big, I’ll grant you, but for Steven and his friends, this is a shack, believe me!”

Chuckling merrily, his Guide replied, “OK, Jim. I guess I ought to be really offended, and Naomi’d have a cow, but, you know what? I think it’s great! And it’s all ours for two weeks! I love you, man!”

Climbing out of the truck, both men stood back a little to admire the two-storey house which was built rustic-style out of solid timber. A short flight of steps led up to a veranda which obviously ran around the house, widening at the back to form a large deck which overlooked the lake and provided stunning scenic views.

Inside, the great room had a huge stone fireplace and comfortable, solid furnishings, and was adjoined by a ‘kitchenette’ which was twice the size of the one in the loft, and which also included a dining area with a great view of the lake through a large picture window.

Outside, they were pleased to find a large gas BBQ and several chairs and loungers from which they would be able to admire the sunsets from across the lake.

Having thoroughly explored the first floor, Blair ran upstairs to stop short at the door of what was obviously the master suite.

“Oh my! Jim, come look at this!” he whispered in hushed tones, taking in the scene before him with round eyes.

Coming up to stand behind him, Jim agreed, “It’s quite something, Chief. I knew Steven’s friends didn’t exactly slum it out here in the wilds, but I could live with this sort of ‘rusticity’ permanently.”

The bedroom itself was beautifully appointed and contained a huge king sized bed which was on a raised platform so that the occupants could take full advantage of the spectacular view from an enormous picture window which also opened out onto a sizable balcony. The adjoining en suite bathroom had a walk-in shower big enough for at least two persons, and a large corner whirlpool bath which had Jim’s imagination running riot with thoughts of what he and Blair could get up to while using it.

A cursory check round the rest of the floor revealed another two comfortable guest bedrooms with an adjoining shared bathroom.

Thoroughly satisfied with their temporary accommodation, they went back down to unpack first the groceries and then their bags before grabbing a quick sandwich lunch.

*

After lunch they explored the large back lot which consisted of an acre or so of cleared woodland which stretched down to the lake’s edge, and had been left as grass studded with wild flowers. A sturdy dock had been erected on the shoreline, and Jim grinned in delight to see a small motor boat berthed there, which would be perfect for fishing out on the lake.

Hugging his Guide to him, he said, “If you don’t mind, Chief, I’d like to do a little fishing from the dock, as it’s too good an opportunity to miss. I don’t want to do much else today –; certainly not take the boat out, as we’ve had quite a busy day, and we’ve got plenty of time to organise other activities. Is there anything you’d like to do instead?”

“No, Jim, that’s fine,” replied his lover with a gentle smile. “I think I just want to read a bit, or get the laptop out and just sit out on the deck for a while. You go ahead and fish –; perhaps you can catch supper?”

“Don’t know about that, baby, but I can try!” and with that they returned to the house where Jim collected his fishing gear, and Blair grabbed his backpack to get out some books and his beloved laptop.

Settling himself on the deck, Blair was thrilled to find that there was a wireless broadband connection despite the relatively isolated location, so he immediately began to surf for information about the Lake Chelan area, particularly fishing grounds and stores for Jim.

Jim smiled at the young man’s enthusiastic discovery, thinking to himself that he wasn’t surprised at the amenities available, since it was inconceivable that any of Steven’s high-powered business friends would cut themselves off from the outside world even during vacation time.

A few hours later, Blair had finished his surfing and had fallen asleep in one of the comfortable loungers. Jim, having surprised himself by catching a decent sized trout in a reasonably short time, packed up his gear for now and took the fish back to show his lover before cleaning it ready for supper. He suspected that Blair would like to prepare their meal now his hands were better, as the young man loved to cook, and Jim was always appreciative of the tasty results.

Smiling at the sight that greeted him as he climbed up to the deck, Jim put down the fishing gear and took the trout through to the kitchen before returning to gently wake his Guide who was snuggled up fast asleep with his glasses askew on his nose, and a large notebook open and resting on his chest.

“Hey, babe,” said Jim softly, gently shaking the young man’s shoulder. “You ready for some supper? I did what you said and caught it for you!”

Blinking blearily up at him for a few seconds, Blair smiled and replied, “Really? Cool! Do you want me to cook it for us?”

Removing the glasses from his lover’s nose, Jim leaned down to steal a kiss before replying, “I hoped you were going to say that, Chief. I’m kind of glad you’re back to doing most of the cooking again. It’s so much more interesting than the stuff I can be bothered to do. I’ll do the clean-up, though!”

“Done!” Blair chortled with a cheeky grin. “One trout à la Sandburg coming up!” and he sat up to go to the kitchen, but not before indulging in a few minutes of mutually satisfying cuddling.

*

Later that evening, having enjoyed a simple but tasty meal of Blair’s specially seasoned grilled trout with baked potatoes and salad, the two men retired to the deck with a beer apiece to watch the sunset over the lake. Pulling Blair down to share the large lounger, Jim cuddled the young man close to counter the slight chill that was coming off the water as the night drew in, knowing that his Guide was perennially susceptible to cold, even in Washington State summer evenings.

“End of a perfect day, eh, Chief?” murmured Jim, nibbling the tempting soft skin behind Blair’s ear.

Shivering in pleasure rather than chill, Blair replied with a slight catch in his voice. “Yes, Jim. It’s been everything I could have wanted, and it’s only the first day! I’ve pulled up some information about fishing grounds and other activities for you, and there’s plenty to see and do. Thank you so much for the idea, Jim. Love you so much...!”

Conversation became redundant after that, as Jim took advantage of his Guide’s nearness to touch and stroke the pliant body in his arms until by mutual consent they were lured back inside by the promise of greater warmth now the night-time temperature was falling fast. Quickly locking up the house for the night, they retired to the huge master bedroom.

Having gently removed Blair’s clothing, Jim wrapped him in a fluffy robe before steering his partner towards the plush bathroom, where he began to run water into the enormous whirlpool tub. Stripping off his own clothes, he tested the water, then helped his smiling Guide into the tub, climbing in himself before switching on the bubbles.

“Ah, yes, this is the life!” he murmured, relaxing into the bubbling heat. “I could really get used to this decadence! How about you, baby? Or does this offend your sensitivities too?” he added, with a playful grin.

Smiling widely, Blair replied, “I know I really ought to dislike it...and like I said, Naomi would not be happy if she could see me now...but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying this. I’ve never been in one of these before. It’s really relaxing, isn’t it?”

“Sure is, and conveniently set up too...” replied Jim with a leer, and he tugged his unresisting Guide over to sit on his lap to continue where they left off on the lounger.

*

The next day dawned bright and clear, and Jim, waking early as was his custom, enjoyed the breathtaking view from the huge window. Looking down at his still deeply sleeping Guide, who was snuggled up close as usual, he smiled contentedly and relaxed again. There was no hurry to get up, and that meant that he could indulge himself freely in the luxury of being able to hold Blair’s beloved body close and focus on the young man with all his senses such that he was fully grounded and every sense became ultra sharp and clear.

Protected from the risk of zoning by the input from his Guide’s presence, he gazed out of the window and threw out his vision as far as he could, picking out the individual colours on the feathers of an eagle in the far distance, and watching a deer on the farther shore cautiously approaching the water’s edge to take a drink.

At moments like these, he truly appreciated his gifts, and was equally grateful for the young man in his arms whose own empathy and guiding abilities enabled Jim to utilise his senses to their full potential.

As the change in the beloved heartbeat signalled that his Guide and lover was close to waking, Jim smiled down at the curly head tucked into his shoulder, and dropped a kiss on its crown.

“Hey, baby, did you sleep well?” he asked, even though he already knew that Blair’s sleep had been deep and undisturbed following their prolonged love-making session the previous evening.

“Uh hmmmmm...” came the drowsy reply, as Blair opened one eye and then settled his face back into place on Jim’s broad and comfortable shoulder.

“Come on, babe, time’s awastin’!” chuckled Jim, gently lifting the smaller body up to lie fully on top of him, so he could be nose-to-nose with the sleep-soft, adorable face. Cupping Blair’s cheeks in his large hands, he kissed the succulent mouth above his, and ran his hands down the slender body to rest on the slim hips before sliding round to caress the rounded buttocks through Blair’s thin boxers.

“Hmmmmm...” murmured Blair again, this time decidedly less sleepily, and he returned the kiss enthusiastically before nuzzling his face against Jim’s like a kitten.

“Couldn’t agree more –; very ‘hmmmmmm’ indeed!” growled a now fully aroused Jim, who proceeded to show the younger man just how much he was appreciated.

*

Some while later, after indulging in a luxurious shared shower in the large, walk-in shower stall, the two men made their way downstairs, still wrapped in their robes, to have a leisurely breakfast of toast, eggs and coffee, which they ate on the deck.

Knowing that Jim would be wanting to indulge in as much fishing as possible, Blair diffidently suggested that perhaps they could go on one of the lake’s boat tours to get the lie of the land (and the lake) and enjoy a bit of exploring in a completely relaxed manner.

“Great idea, Chief!” replied Jim. “I suspect you’ve already pulled up some details off the tourist web pages on your laptop, haven’t you?”

Blushing, Blair nodded, and, with noticeably growing enthusiasm, opened his notebook where he had jotted down the relevant information, since he didn’t have access to a printer.

Choosing a trip which seemed to best meet their needs and which departed at a time most convenient for them, they dressed casually and climbed into the truck to drive to the landing stage in Chelan.

*

Parking up in Chelan, they booked their boat tour tickets, then, having an hour or so to spare before sailing, they took the opportunity to explore a little of the town.

While they wandered unhurriedly around the area, Jim was quick to notice that, even though he had Blair tucked protectively into his side as usual, there were very few indignant or appraising glances thrown their way, most people appearing to be completely blasé about the couple, Sentinel / Guide pairing or not.

Relaxing in the knowledge that there seemed to be no threat to his Guide, Jim was quite happy to board the cruise vessel with his mate, where he suggested to Blair that they go up to the open top deck to make the most of the sight-seeing opportunity; an idea that met with the young man’s enthusiastic approval.

They thoroughly enjoyed the leisurely trip, taking in the sights, and moving hand in hand from one side of the boat to the other as appropriate to get the best views. Jim identified quiet areas which promised good fishing, and Blair simply took in everything while basking in the comfort of his Sentinel’s company and undivided attention.

When the cruise ship finally returned to its berth, they decided to grab a light lunch at one of the lakeside restaurants, finding one which served delicious and wholesome home-made soups and a variety of salads.

After a little more exploring, Jim suggested they take a leisurely drive back, detouring via a particularly interesting-looking bait and tackle shop - in Jim’s opinion, at least - which Blair had obligingly identified on the Chelan tourist website.

Happily browsing round the well-stocked store, Jim was aware of the friendly store manager chatting to Blair, who was relaxing visibly in the calming atmosphere of the area. Grinning to himself as he heard his young Guide explaining how the only fishing he had done had been with a Cree fishing spear, he checked out the extensive stock of rods searching for one which would suit his lover, as he was looking forward with happy anticipation to teaching the young man to fish in a more conventional manner.

Calling Blair over to him, he took down a suitable-looking rod, which he held out to his Guide.

“How about this one, babe? I think this is the right sort for you to start with. Just hold it like this...” he said, demonstrating for Blair’s benefit before handing it over for his Guide to take.

“Oh Jim, are you sure? I can pay you back soon, when my Guide fee comes in,” Blair replied, looking worriedly up at the taller man.

“No, Chief,” came the gentle but firm response. “Your Guide stipend just about covers your basics, so I don’t expect you to be buying this sort of thing for yourself, even with Eli’s monthly payments to you as his Research Assistant. This is as much for my benefit as yours, babe, ‘cos I’m really looking forward to teaching you to fish without a fishing spear! The fish’ll be falling into the net laughing if you use one of those!”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” laughed his Guide. “I’ll have you know that I was getting pretty good with it until we had to move on...” and his voice tailed off a little sadly as he recalled yet another uprooting as Naomi’s wanderlust had kicked in.

Not wanting to let Blair dwell on the unhappy thoughts, Jim slung an arm around his shoulders and steered him to the checkout where he purchased the rod along with other bits and pieces, including some extra waders in Blair’s size.

Blair was soon bouncing again as they loaded the purchases into the truck, to drive home to change so they could get in a little practice before supper time.

*

Soon they had reached the cabin where they unloaded their new kit, and went in to change into appropriate fishing gear for a little practice on the dock. Wearing his new waders, and with his curls tucked under a totally outrageous fishing hat, Blair looked eager and happy to begin his new learning experience.

Jim couldn’t help but smile fondly at him, saying, “Come on then, Junior, fish are a callin’ to us!” and they settled themselves on the dock for Blair’s first lesson.

It wasn’t long before Jim was forced to admit that the young man seemed to be a natural, having caught his first good-sized trout within the first hour.

Not to be outdone, Jim soon followed suit, and after a while longer during which they both relaxed into the peace and calm of the activity, they returned to the house where Jim offered to clean the fish as long as Blair agreed to cook it for supper again –; a suggestion with which Blair was happy to agree.

*

The next few days passed in the same peaceful manner, with the pair enjoying a variety of gentle and enjoyable pastimes (including plenty more fishing) as they took the small boat out several times, and Blair grew pretty proficient at snaring his share of fish suppers. They did eat out on occasion, usually at cosy and welcoming places well off the beaten track, but in general they preferred to eat in the comfort of the cabin, either out in the fresh air on the deck or in the intimacy of the well-furnished interior.

When he tired of fishing, Blair caught up on his reading, and they both enjoyed the opportunity to walk and do plenty of sight-seeing.

One day, Blair had shyly confessed to really enjoying horse riding, so they spent an enjoyable day trail riding at a ranch not too far from the lake. Jim was impressed by his lover’s skill on a horse despite the fact that Blair had had little opportunity to indulge in the sport. In fact, he was surprised at how much he enjoyed the day also, as it had been many years since he had ridden regularly, and that had been European style rather than Western as this was. It was plain for all to see how much his young Guide loved the gentle animals, and he spent as much time as he could get away with simply petting and fussing with them.

The only thing that Blair didn’t want to do was to pursue any public water sports. Although he and Jim frequently took the opportunity to sunbathe and swim in the refreshing waters of the lake on their doorstep, Blair was far too conscious of the scarring on his back and limbs to be seen in public wearing nothing but swim shorts.

Jim, knowing how sensitive the young man was in that respect, didn’t push him at all, simply enjoying the soft skin when it was on display, and doing his utmost to show Blair that the scarring did nothing to diminish his love and respect where his Guide was concerned. He was pleased to see that this approach seemed to work wonders in making his lover less shy and reticent in his Sentinel’s company at least, so that by the end of the holiday Blair’s skin had begun to take on a healthy and most attractive tan.

Needless to say, the nights following these activities were spent in protracted love-making, with Jim doing his utmost to pamper and cherish his Guide, and with Blair worshipping his Sentinel with all the love and care of which he was capable. Since this was a whole lot, they awoke each morning feeling an ever-growing strengthening both in respect of their bond and in their commitment to one another.

Sadly, however, their holiday time drew to a close, and they had to pack up their things and load up the truck in preparation for an early morning departure.

After a final breakfast on the deck, Blair turned to Jim and enfolded him in a spontaneous hug, saying, “Thank you for a really wonderful holiday, Jim. I’ve loved every minute, and I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I only hope that, in the days to come, I can live up to your expectations and we can keep building on this relationship, because nothing means more to me than you.”

“Hey, baby,” replied Jim, warmed to his core by Blair’s heartfelt statement. “It’s been no more than you –; what we both –; deserve! I love you, Chief, and I’ll never stop being grateful that we’re bonded. Everything from now on can only get better!”

And Blair believed him.

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