This story contains sex between minor boys and teen-agers. If such things offend you, or you are not at least 18 years of age, then please don't read on. This story is not true, but who knows, maybe some day it will be.
CHAPTER 45
Healing and Thinking
by Douglas DD When Douglas woke up he felt pain all through his side. He tried looking for Scooter, but it hurt to even move his head. He moaned, rolled over and saw his lover. Douglas untied his feet, crawled over and untied Scooter's hands and feet. He could see that Scooter was still unconscious. He lay down next to him, put his arm around him, and fell asleep.
When he woke up again he saw that Scooter was awake and looking at him. He was running his hand through Douglas's hair.
"Hi, my love," Douglas said.
"I love you," Scooter mumbled through his swollen lips.
`Think it my love. Think it,' Douglas told Scooter.
`I love you.'
`I love you, Scooter. God, do I love you. You saved me.'
`You saved me! You kept him off me. If he had done....that....I....I'
`Don't even think about it love. He didn't do it to you He never went that far. But my pain went away. Did you do that? Did you take it away?'
`Yes'.
`Where did it go?
Scooter's mind went quiet, but Douglas saw tears in his love's bruised eyes. `My love. You felt it yourself?'
"Yes."
Douglas started to hug Scooter, then he moaned with pain. "Well, you didn't take it that time."
Douglas smiled and Scooter started to, but he stopped because it hurt too much. The two boys just lay there facing each other and loving each other. They didn't move for what seemed like forever. At the moment their entire universe was in that cave.
`Scooter?'
`Yes, my sweetums?'
`I wasn't going to try to save him.'
`I know.'
I hated him.'
`I know. I felt it. It was part of all your pain.'
`I'm sorry.'
`It's okay. I love you.'
They went back into their love trance. Douglas wished he could hug his sweet love. He just lay there instead, using his index finger to trace circles around Scooter's nipples.
`Scooter, did you...did you...you know...give like a mental command?'
`I don't understand.'
`Did you command me to save Robert Charles? I hated him. I wanted him to die, but I tried to save him instead.'
`No. I never did that. I don't know if I can even. Whatever you did came from your own heart.'
`Did you take away my hate when you took my pain?'
`Douglas. You're thinking too much. You know you could never let somebody just die, even somebody as evil as Robert Charles. Then you would be just like he is.'
Another long pause as Douglas rubbed his finger all along his lover's body.
`Scooter?'
`Yes, my love?'
`I love you, Scooter.'
`I love you, Douglas.'
`It's cold in here.'
`I know. There are blankets in one of the saddle bags. Let's go out and get them.'
They got up off of the hard ground. Douglas moaned with the pain. It hurt him to even walk.
`Stay here love. I'll go get them,' Scooter told him.
`Be careful, my love.'
Scooter took the flashlight and left. Douglas still had the light of the lantern, but after Scooter left it suddenly seemed too quiet and too dark. He could hear his heart thumping in his chest. Then the quiet was broken by a noise coming at him. He hoped it was Scooter. His heart thumped faster, but he could see the light coming at him. He knew it was his lover. Soon the light arrived, with Scooter carrying two blankets. Douglas found himself shivering. The Hakaan custom of being naked wasn't always a good one.
"The unicorns seem okay. It's dark out. We can go when it gets light."
"Scooter, I don't know if I can."
"What do you mean?"
`My side hurts. I mean bad. You might have taken away the pain, but I think when I tried to pull RC up I injured myself worse. I don't know if I can get up on a unicorn. I don't know if I can ride it even if I can.'
`Then what should we do love? I don't think anybody knows we're here except RC's two friends. We have get back on our own.'
Douglas knew Scooter was right. He needed to test himself, so he could leave with Scooter when it got light out. He tried standing up. He felt a sharp pain in his side and he couldn't breathe. He sat back down. Scooter started to hug him and then stopped. He knew if he did Douglas's ribs would hurt like his own face hurt. He wanted to smile, but he knew his face would hurt even more, and he had to fight the smile. About all the two boys could do was share a light kiss on the lips.
They decided that Scooter would ride back to the valley and get help while Douglas stayed in the cave. Scooter was an experienced rider, while Douglas was not. Even if Douglas had been healthy, Scooter would be able to travel faster. There was food, water, and two blankets there. Scooter had the computer cards that Robert Charles had stolen from the flyer.
`It shouldn't take much more than a day, love.'
`I'll miss you.'
They both tried sleeping, but the pain from their injuries made it too difficult to do. They thought about sex, but they were hurting too much to do more than think about it..
Scooter woke up suddenly.
`Douglas, wake up.'
Douglas's eyes flew open. `What? What's wrong?'
`I think it's time for me to go.'
`How do you know?'
`I just know. I love you, sweetums.'
`I love you, my sweetness.'
Scooter turned on the flashlight next to him, then turned on the lantern. He gave Douglas a light kiss with his swollen lips and headed up the passage to the entrance of the cave.
Douglas was all alone. He almost hoped it was still dark out, so Scooter would come back. But he soon realized that wasn't going to happen. Well, if anything happened, the other unicorn was out there. He always had a way out. He was sure he could get on it if he had to. He turned off the lantern to save the battery.
He wished he had a book. He wished the pain in his side would quit. He wished he was safe at home with his parents. He felt one of his bruised ribs and the pain was so bad he stopped. He was sure it was broken. He tried fighting the pain but he couldn't. He put his mind on other things.
He thought of his old home on Earth. He wished he could be playing baseball right then. He remembered being seventh grade president, and getting elected school president the next year. In a way he wished he never got elected. Then people would never have thought he was some kind of leader and he wouldn't be all alone and naked under a blanket in a dark and cold cave. He felt his mind drift off into sleep. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ He heard a noise and jerked awake. It sounded like rocks falling. It was dark. He tried reaching for the lantern or the laser gun. He couldn't find them. The noise was coming from the drop off. It was completely dark, as only a cave can be, but he could sense something move over there. He heard more rocks fall, and heard them crash against the sides of the cliff, the sounds echoing through the cave.
Whatever it was came closer. He could hear breathing, feel it close to him. Something touched him. The lantern suddenly lit up and the light showed a face. Robert Charles! He could see Robert Charles had a huge boner, bigger than he had ever remembered.
"Thank God for hidden ledges, Dougie. Now it's time for me to finish you. Time for me to rape your tight faggot ass, then throw you over the side far enough that you won't hit anything but bottom."
He looked at Robert Charles's huge erection.
"You let go of me Douglas. You wanted me to die. I felt your hands let go! Now you pay you sissy faggot!"
He knelt down between Douglas's legs, his face lit and full of evil. He took his cock and rammed it into Douglas's ass as hard as he could, shoving it in all the way.
Douglas let out a scream that filled the entire cave. The pain was bigger than anything he had ever felt in his life as Robert Charles's huge boner started tearing his guts up.
"Douglas! Douglas! Hey, calm down. It's okay. It's okay, buddy"
Douglas looked up at the face looking at him. It wasn't Robert Charles at all, it was Mike.
"Mike?" he choked out. "Where is Robert Charles? What happened to him?"
"No Robert Charles here. Just you. I think you were having a bad dream."
"Yeah. But it sure seemed real."
"Speaking of Robert Charles. Where is he? Where is Scooter?"
"Didn't you see him? I mean didn't he bring you here?"
"No. Douglas, what's going on?"
Douglas told Mike about the kidnapping. He told them about the trip to the cave and about Robert Charles's attack on him on Scooter, about how Robert Charles tried to rape Scooter, about the fight, and about Robert Charles going over the side. He didn't mention how Scooter took his pain for himself, or about his own hatred for Robert Charles.
"I tried to save him, Mike, but it hurt too much to hold on to him. I lost my hold on him and he fell."
"Well, he got more than he deserved then," came a voice in the dark. "I don't know if I would have even bothered. I would have let his ass go." It was Alex. "He was scum. He deserved to die."
"I feel the same way," Mike said. "I would never have tried."
"That's not true. You both would have tried something and you know it," Douglas protested. "He might have been evil, but if we don't try saving him then we're as bad as he is." For a moment Douglas actually believed it. Did he really let go because all of the pain came back to him, or did he let go because deep inside he wanted to see Robert Charles die?
Alex and Mike said nothing, but they knew Douglas was right. As evil as Robert Charles was, they couldn't let him just die.
"How did you find me? I mean I know it wasn't Scooter who brought you here."
"Well, the two Shkah kids Robert Charles knew found out Robert Charles had killed the two guards where you and Scooter were staying. Robert Charles lied to him when he said he had the gun on stun. The big kid, Vordkan, or something, turned himself and the other kid in. He told where you were. Looks like even Shkah kids can have a conscience."
"But how did you get here so fast?"
"The flyer. Quan, the Chief Engineer, knows his stuff. He took some spare parts from the spare shuttle, got some computer chips, made some new cards, put Alex in the pilot's seat, and here we are."
"Alex flew the flyer? Awesome."
"It was nothing compared to the shuttle. The regular pilots were both an hour or so away, so we figured, what the hell, let's go now. We knew every second counted. We were worried big time. We were afraid of what he would do to you."
"He was crazy. He lost touch with reality. We got lucky."
"It was more than luck," Mike said. "You guys did it together. Good and love defeated evil."
Douglas didn't think it was that easy, but he let it go. He did know that without Scooter's mental help he never would have made it. They did indeed do it together. "We need to find Scooter now."
"That should be no problem," Alex said. "We know where he is going. We'll find him fast."
They walked up the path out of the cavern. Doug stopped and looked back into the darkness. A chill went down his spine. Somehow it seemed extra cold back there in the darkness.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It didn't take long to find Scooter. He was driving his unicorn at a quick gallop over the plateau, kicking up a dust trail that made him easy to spot from the flyer. Scooter was surprised and happy to see the flyer. He had been petty tired and his face was hurting. They loaded Scooter into the flyer, and Jeremy, who had come along for the ride and to help with muscle if they needed it, said he would ride the unicorn back. He and Brett had been doing a lot of unicorn riding where they were staying, and he said he was confident he would ride the unicorn back to the valley.
Scooter told him what direction to go, and said to make sure he had plenty of daylight when he went down the trail. He remembered how scary it was going up the trail in the dark. The unicorns were sure footed, but the trail was narrow and steep. Jeremy said he remembered their trip down it when they discovered the valley and that he would be very careful. Still, Scooter worried about it and knew he wouldn't feel good until Jeremy made it down into the valley.
Alex flew the flyer back to the airport. He and Mike told Scooter about Vordkan and Orzano turning themselves in and telling where Robert Charles had taken him and Douglas.
"So, in the end RC even lost his Shkah friends. He died without a single friend," Scooter said. "That is sad. That is very, very sad. He could have been a somebody, and he died being a nobody."
The flyer landed at the airport and Scooter and Douglas were taken to the hospital. Doctor Mandor and Doctor Kallama helped fix them up. Douglas had three broken ribs, and Scooter had a couple of loose teeth and some bruises and cuts, but nothing serious. He was told his jaw would be very sore for a few days. It was milk shakes for him until it felt better. Kallama sent Scooter to a dentist to check out the teeth. One thing about the Hakaanen, even with all their problems, their doctors, medicine and hospitals were great.
But even in the medical field, things were wearing out. The Hakaanen knew that for them to survive on Inferno, the round eared boys would have to make it to Hakaan, and hope the planet had recovered and was able to send things back to Inferno.
That was the big reason the Governor was helping them. He figured if he sent the round ears to Hakaan he wasn't going to be risking the lives of any of the Hakaanen. He hoped, of course, that the round ears wouldn't get sick, but if they did, at least they weren't Hakaanen. He even had a plan to have the round ears stay in space long enough to discover if they would catch it, but that plan didn't work. Now they were back and healthy.
Mayor Andorn agreed the round ears were the ones who would have to save them, but he hated to see them go. They had become very special to so many of the Hakaanen, including himself. Bandar was very fond of Douglas, Scooter, Mike, and Alex. Enghar and little Mattoo were Meshannas. He knew, hovever, they all needed to go together, because they had families, and parents, and their own world, which he hoped they could return to after they arrived at Hakaan. First, they needed to find out if the starship could even make it back. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Two weeks had passed since the tragedy in the cave. Douglas's ribs were sore, but healing nicely. The black and blue was almost all gone from Scooter's face, and all the swelling was gone. Matthew was finally out of his leg cast and Travis's arm was in a soft cast. Everybody and everything was healing, including the shuttle. The landing gear was repaired. Petras had everything ready.
All of the data downloaded from the "Paxton" showed the starship had the fuel and the air to make it to Hakaan. The navigation system was set for the return trip. All they had to do was load it up with food and water, start the rockets and then the warp drive, and they would be heading for Hakaan.
They had all been taking lessons on running the starship. Scooter still had to do a lot of translating, but it also helped that Orzano was available too. It was decided that since he was a young boy and had helped to rescue Douglas and Scooter, if he helped the round ears get to the ship and on their way to Hakaan then they would drop all of the charges against him.
They were set to leave in two days. The shuttle was being loaded and double checked. The boys quit going to school and started preparing for the trip to Hakaan. That night each boy had his own thoughts about leaving Inferno, and about what was going to happen to their lives. Jeremy Jeremy lay looking at the ceiling, his lover cuddled in next to him. He hadn't seen his parents since he was 11. He wondered if they knew anything about what happened to him. If the "Starkeeper" ever made it to Alpha Orion IV, they would know he was missing with the rest of the boys. But if it never made it back, then it would just be another mystery spaceship. He remembered being poor. He remembered the day his parents left, saying they would send for him as soon as they could. He remembered the day they sent the money so he could join them. He knew they got paid for having a kid on the planet, but they didn't want Jeremy to be there until they could give him the best.
He missed Brian. His little "brother" was his lover too. But, he found something even better on the trip. Brett. He hugged Brett tightly. They would be together, no matter where they went. He would have to tell his parents about his being in love. But that would be okay, he was sure. He missed them so much, but he never wanted to be separated from his lover. Brett Brett had fallen asleep snuggled up against Jeremy. His last thoughts were of his father and his brother and how much he missed them both. Like everybody else, he wasn't sure if his father ever reached safety, but he knew he needed to find out. And if his family was safe, that was who he wanted to be with. And no matter what, he wanted Jeremy to be with him. And he wanted to be with his new brother, Douglas. Most of all, right now, he wanted his father. He had forgotten how lonely it was without him. Now they had a chance to go home.
Brett was put in charge of the environmental system. He had to learn about water and air and wastes and how to keep the whole system balanced. It was the hardest thing he ever had to learn, but he felt like he could do it. As long as it all stayed balanced he would be fine. And he had Jeremy to help fix things if they went wrong.
Brett smiled as he fell asleep next to Jeremy. Jim Jim spent the two weeks learning what he could about engineering from Chief Engineer Quan. He was shown how to take care of minor problems. Jeremy and Travis all were with him as he learned, but it was Jim who was going to be the Chief Engineer going back. They all tried to talk the Chief Engineer into going back with them, but like so many Hakaanen he was afraid of the plague. He knew when he got there he would have to go to the planet or meet other Hakaanen. He also figured that since no Hakaanen ship had visited Inferno in 25 years, if he went to Hakaan he probably could never return to Inferno. So he spent hours with the boys showing them what they needed to know to keep the starship running.
"The ship will pretty much run itself," he told them.
"What if something major happens?" Jim asked.
"Then you will need a trained Chief Engineer."
"But we won't have one," Travis protested.
"I know," Quan replied.
That made everything sound a bit more frightening. They listened and wrote notes and hit the books harder to make sure nothing major happened. Because if something did happen, they knew they would be stranded in space and everything they had done would be for nothing.
Jim also helped the Chief Engineer. He told him what he knew about his mother's Terraforming machines. Chief Engineer Quan was very interested, because he by saw using some of her ideas he could do the same things he was doing using fewer machines. Which meant fewer machines would wear out and he would have more spare parts to use when they did.
Jim missed his mother and her love and the things she taught him. And he missed learning things about science. He was becoming more and more sure that he wanted to have a career in space. He once thought he wanted to do what his mother did, but that meant being on a planet. And Jim could see that he loved space. He loved machines and science. Chief Engineer Quan told Jim once while they were doing the engineering lessons, that he had what it took to be a Chief Engineer and if he wanted to stay on Inferno he would train him to replace him on the machinery someday.
But Jim wanted to be the best. He wanted to be to explore space. And that meant returning home. Travis Travis worked with Jim on learning Engineering. He also learned more about navigation from another retired spaceman. He learned about piloting. And he spent every minute he could with Ryan.
He didn't really miss his family. They never really did much together. And he had forgotten all about Kaylin, his old girl friend. All he thought about now was Ryan. No matter what happened he didn't ever want to be separated from him. If he had a choice in life it would be to be with Ryan. If that meant staying on Inferno, that was fine with him. He knew a lot of the boys missed their families, and that all of them would have to pull together to fly the starship. Being with his parents wouldn't be a bad thing as long as Ryan was around. Ryan Ryan got some lessons on piloting and navigating too. Someone had to be on the bridge at all times. Ryan was being trained to be one of them.
He didn't want to go back. His parents meant nothing to him, and he meant nothing to them. He was extra money to them, nothing else. He pretty much hated them. He liked his Hakaanen guardians and the kids he met in school. Guys like Bandar and Hajo were really special. He would love to just stay here and help settle the planet with his Haakenen friends and with his lover Travis.He sometimes daydreamed about Travis and him becoming the first all Earthboy Mehsanna. But he knew that couldn't happen. Douglas had told them all how much each of them was needed to get the "Paxton" back to Hakaan. He also knew that some of his friends wanted to go home in the worst way.
While staying on Inferno seemed nice in a lot of ways, they had all made it together this far. Douglas was right, this wasn't the time to split up. They had one more thing left to do, and that was to get the boys who wanted it back to their families. After that, who knew what would happen? If only he could live with Travis forever, he could take anything. Drew and Drake Drew and Drake missed home more than anybody. They were just ten when they got separated from the "Starkeeper." Their family was close and they missed their parents and their brother a great deal. They were constantly homesick, and all of the boys gave them extra attention to help them. Their older brother Jordan was already on Alpha Orion IV waiting for them. They loved their brother too. They were at least happy they had each other. They now made love to each other every night and had a feeling when they got home they probably never would again, but alone on a strange planet it just seemed like it was the right thing to do.
Drew still hung around with his big "brother" Ryan. But they never did any sex. They just talked and stayed together doing nothing. Sometimes they went riding. When Drew got really down and lonely, Ryan always had a hug and a sweet thing to say to make him feel better, just like Jason did.
Even the young twins had a job to train for. They learned how to read the environmental control panel, which they would have to check it a few times a day. Matthew was learning with them. If they saw something wrong, then they would call Brett, who was learning to make adjustments when things got out of balance, which happened on any ship. As long as there were no serious malfunctions, they felt like they could all handle the system. They just had to learn how to correct the little things. The three young boys were pleased to get some responsibility, and they were ready to take it seriously.
Nobody wanted to leave Inferno more than the twins did. They would do anything anybody wanted to get to Jason, and to their parents, if they were still alive.
Alex and Stevie Like the twins the two brothers were close. The difference was, while the twins enjoying sex together, they both felt it was something they did because they only had each other. For Alex and Stevie it was totally different. They had been having sex since they were little. It was an important part of their love, and had been since they were seven and nine. When they learned that their fun was really sex, it became an important part of how they felt for each other. Now they couldn't imagine being without it. They loved each other as much as two brothers ever could.
Even having their own boyfriends they didn't stop making love to each other. Mike and Jim, their boyfriends, knew and understood. The brothers sometimes wondered if that created a barrier between them and their boyfriends, but they also knew they couldn't give each other up. The bond that was made between them the two years they lived with their uncle and his abuse was too strong for their own bond to ever be broken, even by their love for someone else.
Alex and Stevie really had nothing to go back for. A step dad who they heard was nice, but they hardly knew, and a mother they'd seen only twice in the last few years. There was excitement and challenge on Inferno. Plus they had made such good friends with the Hakaanen around them. Alex realized that as little as he knew about piloting a starship, he was the only person who could come close to piloting the "Paxton" and getting them back. He loved his friends more than he loved Inferno and the Hakaan. The boys he and Stevie had survived with were their real family.
Alex was learning what he could about piloting a starship from Roobine and the retired navigator. Roobine said he didn't know much about it, but had studied it some back when he was in the Space Academy. He wanted to live on a planet, however, and went into shuttle flying. Alex and Roobine made up some after what had happened after the last shuttle flight. But it was more as teacher and student, and not as friends. Roobine was a good teacher though, and Alex was a good student. What Roobine didn't know, he got on the computer data base and found out.
Stevie was there too. He would be the copilot again. They both had a couple of lessons on Engineering, too, along with navigation. Jim, Travis, and Jeremy learned a little about piloting and navigation. They all were spending time from early morning until close to bed learning what they needed to know. They all knew it wasn't even close to being enough. What they knew was enough to get them by, if everything worked perfectly.
Mike Mike was in charge of all the little things it took to keep a ship going, food being his specialty, of course. Communications was another area. He also got into navigating with Ryan and learned how to find things even in warp space. He also was going to do some piloting, but he wasn't really excited about that. He liked taking care of the little things that needed to be done just to keep everything going. He had a long list of things he needed to check on, the microwaves being at the top of the list.
Mike loved Alex. He was a best friend and a lover. At times Mike got a little jealous of Stevie, but usually he understood how important the brothers were to each other. Mike had Brad waiting for him on Alpha Orion IV, if he got there safely. But no matter what, with or without Stevie, he knew he needed Alex to be a part of his life.
He knew Alex and Stevie really wanted to stay on Inferno, and they were going back because it was the only way to get the boys home who wanted to go home. He knew how much all of them, the whole group, loved each other. They were family, and each of them was close in some way. Whether they left on the starship or stayed on Inferno, he knew it was something they would do together as a family. Scooter The decision between Inferno and leaving was easy for Scooter. He wanted to go back. He knew that was where Douglas was leading them. And where Douglas led, he would follow.
Besides, he missed his dad. He and his dad were close. He had to find out if he survived whatever happened to the "Starkeeper". That meant going on the starship.
He also knew when they got there, if his dad survived he would be back on Earth. Douglas's parents were going to live on AO IV. He knew he never wanted be separated from his lover, even for the short time they were apart after the thing with Robert Charles. He understood that Douglas had to lead them back. It was why they chose him as their leader. He knew he was going back with dread in his heart, because he didn't see how he and Douglas could stay together when they got back if their parents were still alive. Even if they weren't, what would happen to them then? Kallama and his partner loved them and had made them a home. Scooter wondered if he wanted to leave something that was comfortable to face the unknown again. Matthew Matthew went through the motions learning about checking the environmental controls. He went through the motions of telling how excited he was to go back. What did he have to go back to? His parents never paid attention to him. They loved his sister best. They ignored him, and on the "Starduster" it was worse. They would leave to gamble and drink and tell him not to leave the cabin. Then they never were around, so he finally just left and nobody ever missed him. Here on Inferno he had somebody he loved more than anything he could think of. Enghar was his Meshanna. Enghar was his world and his life. And Enghar's parents treated him like he was their own son. He knew how to speak Hakaan. Inferno was the best home he ever had.
But Doug had told them all about being family. He told then how they would stick together and get everybody back to Earth or on to Alpha Orion IV. They had come this far as a family, and they would finish their journey as a family.
Matthew thought about how he got to the big valley. It was different from the way everybody else got there. He was close to dead and was brought to the valley to be healed and loved by Enghar and his family. They were his family now. He loved the "Starkeeper" boys with all his heart, but he had found his own family on Inferno. Matthew was only eleven, howver, and was afraid to hurt anybody's feelings by saying he didn't want to go with them. Douglas had a way of convincing people, and he convinced Matthew that going on the starship with the rest of them was the best thing to do. Most of the others convinced him of the same thing. He would be sad about leaving, but he would do it because everybody said it was the right thing to do. He remembered a talk he had with Mike a couple of days ago that was a little different from the rest. He was at Mike's house. Alex was there taking a nap. Stevie and Jim were downstairs trying to figure out what a Hakaan vid was about.
"How's my little brother?" Mike asked.
"I dunno. Okay, I guess."
"Something you need to talk about?"
"Huh? No. I'm okay I said."
"Well, it sounds like there is something bothering you. And I think you should tell your big brother donkey what it is."
Matthew sat on Mike's bed next to him. He snuggled up close and Mike put his arm around him. Matthew had walked there slowly. His cast was gone but his leg was still weak and he needed to exercise it. Mike held Matthew tight. He had forgotten what a little boy his little "brother" was. Matthew had been so strong it was easy to forget he was just a little eleven year old boy. Mike rubbed his shoulder and held the little boy close.
"Come on, Mattoo. Tell me what it is."
Matthew smiled when Mike used his Hakaan name. Matthew leaned hard against Mike, loving the feel of his big warm body and his strong arm around him.
"I don't want to go." Matthew put his head against Mike's chest. Mike could feel his chest getting wet from the little boy's tears.
"Don't want to go where?"
"On the starship. To wherever it is going. I want to stay here."
"I understand how you feel. But you belong with us. We're human, we're your own kind. I know you love Enghar, but Douglas promised he would return us all to our own families. That is what his responsibilityh is, and that is where you belong, with your mom and dad."
"I hate them."
"No, you don't. You're just remembering the bad things. They're still your family."
"My family is here. Enghar's family is my family now."
"Douglas has to get you back. Think of how it would look if they all get back and he has to tell your mom and dad he left you behind on a strange planet."
"He can tell them I'm dead. Because they're dead to me. And it would hardly be a lie, because I shouldve died in the desert, but I got lucky and was found."
"You know that's not true, my sweet Mattoo. They're your parents and your family. Douglas is right. You have to go back with us."
This wasn't what Matthew wanted to hear. "But everybody says that the 'Starkeeper' might not have ever made it back. So it might all be for nothing."
"But we have to try," Mike told him.
Suddenly the body on the bed across from them turned over. "Matthew, I'm going to tell you what works for me. More than doing what everybody says I should do. Follow your heart. Do what your heart tells you. You can't go wrong. Look inside yourself and follow your heart. That will be the decision that makes you happy."
Alex rolled back over and faced the wall.
"What do you think, Mike?"
"I listen to Alex a lot. I think you should go with us. I think it's the right thing to do. But Alex has a point."
"It's all so confusing. I just wish I knew what to do."
"Well, I know you will do the right thing. And no matter what you decide I will love you and be behind you and with you."
"Well, if I stay, you can't be with me can you?"
"No. I guess not little brother. And that's another thing to think about. You will be the only Earthling on this planet. Which might make you very very lonely."
He hugged Matthew. Matthew looked up at him. Mike saw his sweet face and felt his own heart thumping in his chest. The two boys stared at each other. Mike saw Matthew give a little nod yes, and he bent down and put his lips on Matthew's. Mike loved how soft and sweet the kiss was, and soon was on his back with Matthew on top of him, both of them hugging and kissing. They were incredibly hard. Matthew started rubbing off against Mike, humping against Mike's much bigger cock. Mike loved feeling the smooth, soft, warm, totally hairless skin of Matthew against him. He felt Matthew's hard firm butt as the boy humped up and down against him. It didn't take long for Matthew to shiver and shake with a dry cum as Mike shot his load over the smooth skin of the little boy, covering him with sticky white fluid. They fell asleep that way, Matthew on top of Mike, sticking together.
Alex fell asleep after they did and after jerking off. He was smiling. Enghar Enghar knew he was going to lose his Meshanna. He had been afraid of it before, but now he knew it. He had made a mistake. Mycroff should have been his Meshanna, not Mattoo. Mattoo was going to leave with the round ears and he would be left behind without a Meshanna. He knew all the talk that Meshannas were never separated, but it was all just talk. They never had light years between them like he and Mattoo would. Two nights ago, Mattoo stayed at Mike's all night without asking ahead of time. He knew they were having sex, which was okay with him, but he also knew that Mike was special to Mattoo and that Mike was talking him into going on the starship. Enghar had cried himself to sleep that night, feeling utterly alone and lost. Somebody with a Meshanna should never feel alone. He believed that night that making Mattoo his Meshanna had been a mistake. The priest was right. Only Hakaanen can be another Hakaanen's Meshanna.
When he woke up the bed was still empty. He went into the kitchen. His dad was just finishing breakfast.
"Mattoo never came home," Enghar said.
"He called after you went to bed. He stayed at Meekes. He should be home soon."
"He's going back with his friends."
"I'm sure he is, son."
Enghar started crying again. Damn, he thought, why do I keep crying?
"I thought he loved me. He's my Meshanna."
Enghar's father put his arm around him and gave him a big hug. "He does love you, son. And he is your Meshanna."
"But he's leaving me."
"My Meshanna lives at the other end of the valley," his father reminded him.
"But that's different. You see him sometimes. You even have....," He wanted to say have sex with him, which was okay, but for some reason it seemed strange to tell his dad that, since he was one of the few Hakaanen who lived with his child's mother.
Enghar's father kept back a smile. He knew what Enghar was about to say. He worked hard to keep his face serious, because he knew this was very serious for Enghar.
"Son, Mattoo is your Meshanna, no matter where you are and no matter where he is. You went through the ceremony."
"But I want one I can be with. I should have picked Mycroff!" Enghar cried.
The doctor hugged his son closer. "No, son, you picked the boy your heart told you to pick. You picked well. Mattoo is a good person. He has become your brother and my son, but he needs to be with his own kind. You knew that could happen when you picked him. Don't blame him for doing what you knew he probably would do."
Enghar sniffled. "I love him so much, dad. I can't lose him. I just can't!"
"He is getting the chance to see his real family again."
"We're his family! He hates them! He told me he did! Why should he go back to them when he has us?"
"Because, they are his family, son. Like them or not like them, they are his real family. And Dooglass promised to bring them all back to their real families. Dooglass is right, he has to go where he belongs. He can't go leaving anybody behind."
Enghar went back to his room. He was disappointed in his dad and angry at him. He had hoped his dad would be on his side and find some way to make Mattoo stay. Now he knew there was no way. Tomorrow his Meshanna would be gone for good. Douglas Douglas hoped that everything was ready. He had worked hard keeping things organized. As Captain of the ship, Alex would be in charge of running the ship when they left, but Douglas was still the leader of the group. Alex's decisions on running the ship were final. Douglas would deal with the people end. In a way Alex was the pilot, and Douglas really the captain.
He knew everybody was ready to leave Inferno. They had made friends and family there, but the Earth boys, the round ears, were family, too. They all loved each other. He had promised himself and the group he would return them ALL home. Even though home was a long way away, it was a lot closer now then when he made the promise. He had no idea how he would do it then, and it looked like they had no chance of even getting close. Now it looked different. They had a starship and they had a chance to get back to their real families.
Matthew was the one who was a problem. He had found his Hakaan family in a different way then the rest of them, and Enghar was his Meshanna. Douglas felt responsible for getting Matthew back to his parents even though he knew Matthew didn't care much for them. That didn't matter, they were still his parents. He was responsible for getting their son Matthew back to them. He'd promised himself to get everyone back and he was going to do it. It wasn't up to him to decide who liked whom. It was his job to get them all back safely. That was it.
He'd already lost two boys. One he could have saved by paying more attention to him, and that was Jordan. Maybe the other one would be alive if Douglas hadn't decided to run for leader. Robert Charles would be their leader now. But if he had been their leader, they never would have left the "Moonduster". They would probably all be dead in the desert now.
He wasn't going to lose a third boy. He had almost lost Matthew once and it wouldn't happen again. He got Mike to help him talk Matthew into making the right decision. Mike was Matthew's big "brother". He would come through. Besides, maybe, if they made it, Matthew could come back and visit Enghar, his Meshanna.
Douglas had watched as everybody learned the jobs they would have on the "Paxton". It was not going to be an easy trip, but then not much of this journey had been easy. Staying here, however, was death in almost the same way as staying on the "Moonduster" was. The Hakaanen on Inferno were dying. Their way of life was slowly ending. Douglas realized that the voyage was not only to find a way back to their own families and home, but it was also the last hope the Hakaanen on Inferno had to save their way of life. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The day before leaving was spent loading the "Survivor" with everything each of them owned, which wasn't much. Mostly their packs and some of the stuff they collected on Inferno.
Matthew felt a couple of tears drop down his cheek when he packed away the beautiful robe he wore for the Meshanna ceremony. He loved Enghar so much, but Mike and Douglas both said this was the right thing to do. Alex said to follow his heart. His heart said to stay here with Enghar and his family. The right thing was to go with his own friends and back to his family, but that was not what he really wanted. He had been raised to do the right thing, and that was what he would do. The right thing.
A wagon stopped by carrying all the boys' belongings. Matthew threw his in. Enghar was in school. Matthew went into the house and lay naked on Enghar's bed. He fell asleep until he was shaken awake by a hand. He looked up and saw his lovef, his Meshanna, his Enghar.
Enghar took off his necklace, his belt, and his shoes, which was all he was wearing. He got into bed next to Matthew and hugged him hard and long. They kissed deep with open mouths and flicking tongues, their suddenly hard cocklets rubbing against each other. Matthew rubbed Enghar's beautiful golden mane, making him shiver and moan. Soon, Matthew was entering his lover, putting his hard smooth dick into Enghar's smooth butt and working a slow rhythm. Even though he wasn't very big he was able to rub his dick across Enghar's sweet spot, giving him total pleasure.
Their sweaty bodies shook. The two young boys were close to climax. Their high pitched moans increased. Enghar's body arched up against Matthew and his dick jerked and spasmed, small drops of clear cum shot to his nipples, then on his belly, into his belly button, and one dripping down his dick to his hairless pubic area. The orgasm squeezed his butt against Enghar's thrusting dick and he came with a squeal, filling Enghar with his own clear boy semen. Then he collapsed on top of Enghar and they fell asleep in each other's arms. All of their love making took place without a word between them. Enghar kissed Matthew awake just before supper.
"I love you, Mattoo."
"I love you, Enghar."
"Then why do you have to go? Why can't you stay?"
"Because it's the right thing to do." Matthew was saying what Douglas and Mike had said to him.
"But how can leaving me be the right thing to do?" Enghar cried. "I love you!"
"I love you." He kissed Enghar, but couldn't think of anything to say because he didn't know the answer to Enghar's question. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It was early morning. The sun was just rising. Alex was in the cockpit of the "Survivor" going through the checklist with Stevie, and on the radio with Roobine.
Outside the boys were saying good-bye. There were a lot of tears. They didn't realize how emotional it was going to be leaving the planet that had come close to killing them, and then had become their home. At one time they hated the planet and it's awful heat. Now they were leaving what was starting to become a home for them. Douglas looked around him, wondering if he made the right choice to persuade the boys to all leave. He never had any doubt about leaving the "Moonduster". Staying in the desert would have meant slow death. He had nagging doubts about leaving Inferno. He wasn't sure it was a good decision, however the decsion had been made. They were going to go.
Bandar and Hajo hugged Scooter, Mike, and Douglas. Everybody hugged their friends and the families they stayed with. The doctor was hugging everybody, and so was the new Governor, Governor Andorn. Kallama was there to see them off. The whole school they attended was there, students and teachers. Modar, their own teacher, gave them all big hugs, with a special one for Matthew. Matthew hugged the doctor and his wife, then gave Enghar a huge special hug. Enghar had seen Mycroff looking at him with a look that said, You blew it. You could've had me for life, and instead you picked a round ear who doesn't love you or understand you.
Matthew couldn't let Enghar go. Both boys were sobbing. Douglas came over and gently took Matthew's arm.
"Don't go, Mattoo," Enghar whispered. "Please don't go. I love you. I need you. You're my Meshanna."
"And you are mine, my love. You need to understand. I have to do this. You're my soul mate. You know I have to go."
"No, I don't know!" Enghar screamed. "I don't understand it! It's not right!"
Douglas led Matthew up the stairs into the shuttle. Bandar followed him inside and went to the cockpit. He tapped Alex on the shoulder. Alex got up and let Bandar give him a big hug.
"Ost lesha drey," Bandar told him.
"I love you," Alex said back. Bandar left the cockpit, waved at the boys seated in the shuttle, and walked down the stairs.
The shuttle was going to be left in orbit. The Hakaan wouldn't need it except for parts, and if they were that desperate to tear it apart the end was probably close anyway.
The stairs were pulled away. Matthew sat by a window looking at the crowd, trying to pick out Enghar through his tears. He saw him, waving at the shuttle. Alex released the brakes and started to taxi the shuttle north to the end of the runway. Alex and Stevie went through the final checklist. The cabin was quiet, except for Matthew's sobs. On the ground, Enghar buried his face in his dad's chest and started sobbing. He couldn't watch the shuttle leave. He couldn't watch his Matthew leave him forever.
NEXT CHAPTER 46 Take Off
AUTHORS NOTE: The fate of Matthew was one of the toughest decisions I had to make writing The Survivors. I knew that Matt had to live after the boys left him behind in the desert. I knew RC would have to die at some point. Jordan's fate was a difficult decision. When I was at that point in the story, it was actually RC who was going to die at first. Poor Matthew. He is caught in the middle between his love for Enghar and his duty to his friends and "family." In fact, his fate really appears to be out of his hands. Or does it? The next chapter is finished, and is currently being proofread by my wonderful friends Scooter The Real and Robin. If all goes well, it should be posted within a couple of days of this one. I have received some great e-mails from you readers while posting The Survivors, making a friend of Jevic, author of The Watchers. (If you haven't read it yet, so so, you will not be disappointed.) So while you can't change Matthew's fate, it would be interesting to read what some of you think Matthew's fate should be at this point. On the other hand, it might be more interesting to read what you think after the next chapter. :-) Thanks for reading.
Douglas
Constructive comments are welcomed. E-mail me, Douglas DD, at TheHakaanen@Hotmail.com