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This page last viewed: 2017-02-26 and has been viewed 1388 times
Rating R
Summary: Happy belated Halloween
Warning: Language
Thank you so much Indigo for correcting my mistakes!!
"You're sure you want me to drop you off here?"
"Yes, Face, for the last time I want you to pull over and let me out."
"Hannibal, you do know that I'm dropping you off in the middle of nowhere." Face looked around at the darkening forest of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
"I do know that," Hannibal stated as he opened the car door and grabbed his pack. "And in three days I'm going to meet you at the Samoa Cookhouse for breakfast so you better bring your wallet."
"You're sure you don't want me to come? I could park the car in one of the visitor centers and..."
"Face, you're not dressed to be out in the wilderness overnight let alone for three days." Hannibal closed the car door as he looked the younger man up and down in his three piece suit and Italian loafers. "Not that you don't look good," he winked before standing up to shoulder his pack. "Besides I don't have enough supplies for the two of us."
"We could find a nice hotel..."
"Tem, you hate camping when we have all the comforts," Hannibal reached back into the car and placed his hand on the younger man's cheek. "And I know how much you hate survival training so be happy I'm not dragging your skinny butt out in the dirt and mud with me." With that he gave the blonde's face a light slap before standing up. "Now get going before all the best hotel rooms are booked."
"I already have my room booked and paid for, thank you." Face put the car in drive. "And I hope the mosquitoes have fun biting your old ass."
"If they don't then you can when we meet up, now get out of here kid, that's an order."
"Yes, Sir," Face shook his head as he started the car moving down the narrow dirt path back towards the main road. He couldn't understand what had gotten into his colonel; ever since they had gotten back from their last mission Hannibal had insisted on going into the woods to do survival training every month. At first Face had just chalked it up to Hannibal trying to work through the mistakes he'd made in his planning which had led to his and Murdock's injuries, but he wasn't so sure now.
Face shook his head as he turned on the headlights to help ward off some of the impending darkness. To say that John "Hannibal" Smith was a complicated man was a vast understatement. Reaching over he turned on the car's stereo and shook his head again; a complicated man with lousy taste in music. He ejected the cassette tape from the radio and started scanning through the channels after a few moments he gave up and turned it off.
As he rounded a sharp turn he was shocked and surprised to see a large black animal with amber eyes staring right at him. Face spun the wheel to the right to avoid the animal, just as he thought he had everything under control the car's right tires lost their purchase on the dirt road, slid down an embankment and rolled over before coming to rest in a stand of trees.
Face wasn't sure how much time had passed when he came to but the moon was full in the sky and he had a brutal headache. He had to blink his eyes several time to clear the red haze clouding his vision but even as the blurriness cleared things still seemed off to him. It took him a few more minutes to realize that most of his confusion was due to the fact he was hanging upside down from his seatbelt.
"Son of a bitch," Face grumbled as he tried to get his fingers to deploy the release button; with a loud click the latch released dumping him on the ceiling of the automobile. "Damn it! Mother Fu..." the string of expletives filled the night air until the pain of being dropped from ceiling of the car subsided.
Face lay on the ceiling for several minutes trying to catch his breath and to analyze just how much trouble he was in. He was in the middle of nowhere in a wrecked...Face raised his head and looked through the blood splattered windshield at the front tires sticking straight up in the night sky....make that destroyed car. No one but Hannibal knew that he was out there and the colonel wouldn't start looking for him until he didn't show up to their designated rendezvous point in three days. He was dressed in a suit with dress shoes, no survival gear and didn't know if Hannibal had an emergency kit in the trunk of his car.
Face waited another second before he started to assess his physical injuries. From his earlier fight with the seat belt he knew that his left shoulder was most likely dislocated and when he tried to take a deep breath and had to stop when a stabbing pain shot through his chest he figured that he might have a few cracked or even broken ribs. Either way he needed to confirm how bad his chest was damaged before he made any future plans.
Carefully he shifted his position so he could run his hands over his chest and hissed when he was halfway down his ribcage. As much as he didn't want to, he pressed just a little harder and while it hurt like hell he was happy when nothing moved. With trembling fingers he opened the buttons on his shirt to reveal a long red line across the center of his chest leading down his abdomen to his stomach.
Pulling the waist band of his pants back just a bit he noticed the same red line running across his lap and over one hip. While the seat belt had clearly saved his life it had done its fair share of damage too. After buttoning his shirt back up Face stretched out his legs and while there was some stiffness it was nothing that he couldn't deal with. Now he thought as he looked over at the rear view mirror laying just a few inches away, the most important thing.
Picking up the mirror he took a deep breath and looked in it to see how bad the damage to his face was. There was dried blood covering most of the left side of his face and hair from a long cut that ran across the lower part of his throat which he assumed had come from the shoulder strap of the seatbelt. As Face looked more closely in the mirror he noticed that there were a large bump on his forehead which could explain a lot of his nausea; there was also a multitude of scrapes, scratches and freshly forming bruises but nothing that he believed would cause permeant scaring. He sighed in relief as he leaned his head back against the door post; at least he would be able to remain on the team, if he could get back to the team that was.
Before he did anything however he had to get his left shoulder back into its socket. Sitting up straight he slowly began to lift his arm up and rotate his elbow out; as the pain increased he continued to push his elbow further out until there was a sickening pop. All at once Face's brain was flooded with blinding pain and aching relief as his shoulder went back into its socket. Soaked with sweat and panting for breath Face leaned back against the door post and closed his eyes, he just needed a minute to recover he told himself, just a minute.
When he woke again it was darker than before, the air was cooler and a light mist was falling from the sky. Slowly and carefully Face made his way over to the driver side door and with some effort managed to shove it open. He crawled out onto the ground and started to curse again as mud soaked through his pant legs. Climbing to his feet Face looked up the embankment the car had slid down and determined that there was no way he was going to be able to climb up it. As he continued to survey the area around him and the car he realized with a growing dread in the pit of his stomach that his only real option was to go deeper into the woods and hope that he came to a road or a stream that he could follow out.
Moving back to the car Face tried to get into the trunk but there was no way he could pry it open with the damage done to the vehicle. Crawling back inside the car he opened the glove box and dug through the contents finding: two Cuban cigars, an old Bic lighter, a utility knife, a box of.45 ammo, a couple of maps and the car's owner's manual.
Face pulled the seat belt out as far as it would go before cutting it off the pulley with the knife. Next he cut the driver's seat cover at the base and pulled it off so that it made a bag. He cut two slits a few inches from the opening and ran the seat belt strap through the holes before putting a knot in the ends to make a carry bag. He put the cigars in his jacket pocket, the lighter and knife in his pants pocket while the ammo, maps and cigars went into the bag. Scrounging around the car he found an empty soda can and a few empty cigarette packs, it appeared that he and Hannibal were going to have to have another long talk about the colonel's smoking habits. It was only fair that if he had to give up the cancer sticks in the name of health and physical well-being then so was everyone else.
Finding nothing else of value in the car Face grabbed the rear view mirror and shoved it in the bag before trying one last time to access the trunk though the passenger compartment. After ten minutes of cutting tearing and ripping at the seat covers and encountering more seat springs and wiring than the thought was possible to put in a car he gave up.
His head was now pounding with his heart beat and the light nausea he had first experienced had intensified tenfold. However if he had to deal with the nausea and the headache verses the pain in his shoulder he believed that he would take the headache and nausea any day. Grabbing the back seatbelt Face cut the strap off and tied it at the ends to make an impromptu support sling for his left arm. Deciding that there was nothing else he could scavenge from Hannibal's now deceased automobile he started out into the woods. If Face had seen the glowing amber eyes watching him depart the relative safety of the destroyed automobile he might have reconsidered his plan to walk deeper into nowhere.
***
"Damn it!" Face's voice echoed through the trees, sending nesting birds scattering into the night sky. While the full moon allowed him to see relatively well and avoid large branches and limbs it did little to help illuminate the smaller roots and twigs which were major trip hazards. Now as he lay on the soaking wet ground he started to wonder if perhaps he shouldn't have waited for daylight before starting out on his little hike.
Face lay on the ground for a moment longer before slowly climbing to his feet. He thought about dusting off the front of his suit jacket but decided that there wasn't any use, he was soaked to the bone due to the now steady downpour that started about a half hour after he made his way into the woods. He'd tripped and fallen so many times cutting his hands and clothes that he'd lost count.
"Do me a favor Face, run me up to the mountains Face, it will only take a few hours Face. It's not like I ask that much from you Face." Face griped as he slowly got back to his feet and started walking again. "I swear I'm going to change my name, phone number and address and not tell a fucking soul where I went. BA can drive your ass out to the middle of nowhere whenever you feel the need to commune with nature; how about that Colonel?" Face yelled as loud as he could into the darkness.
The only thing that answered him was a howl of an angry animal and the rustling of some underbrush a few feet away.
"And you can find someone else's dreams to haunt." Face grabbed a rock off the ground and threw it as hard as he could at the bushes. Whatever was hiding in them decided that it didn't want any part of his anger and scampered further back into the woods. "That's what I thought."
Face knew why he was angry and he knew it was irrational, there were some things in life that never changed and he shouldn't expect them to. . It was very rare that Hannibal ever said "Thank You. " He could probably count the number of times the old man had thanked him on one hand. So he shouldn't have been surprised when he'd dropped all of his plans once the colonel had called and asked for a ride into the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and then left him with nothing more than a smack on the cheek for his troubles. Yet it did make him angry; it pissed him off. If BA had been the one to bring the colonel out in the middle of no-fucking-where he would have thanked the big guy numerous times, but not him; hardly ever him.
"Joke's on you Hannibal, wait until you see your car, I wish BA all the luck in the world when it comes to fixing it." He laughed then rubbed his ribs as the movement shot pain through them. "And don't even ask me to scam you a new one because it's not going to happen you ingrate."
As Face continued to hike through the woods he kept up the conversation with himself and the more he ranted the more his anger built. When he tripped over another root and fell in the mud an hour later he just laid there and cursed until the tears began to flow.
"Just once would it hurt you to acknowledge something I've done for you...that I'm more to you than some fuck toy....that you love me?"
Face let the tears flow as his anger leached from his body with every drop that fell. For years the two of them had played a game of cat and mouse, a long lingering look here, a sly smile there, a gentle touch but it had never been more than that until a few months ago.
The two had been going over a plan when the older man had leaned over and kissed the side of his neck behind his ear. When he'd turned to look at Hannibal he had just smiled and winked at him. Over the next couple of weeks the older man's touches became more prevalent.
Face closed his eyes as he remembered the morning when he was standing at the kitchen sink drinking a cup of coffee when Hannibal came up behind him and started nuzzling and nipping at the back of his neck. At first he'd pushed the Colonel away and told him no, that it was a bad idea and Hannibal had backed away. However a few days later he'd been sitting on the couch watching TV when Hannibal had sat down right beside him their bodies touching. When he had tried to move away Hannibal had wrapped his arm around his shoulders and kept him close.
"What's wrong kid; why are you fighting what we both want?"
"Because I know what will happen once you get what you want."
"Do you think I would do that to you?"
"You wouldn't be the first to say one thing and do another." He'd tried to get up and leave but Hannibal had pulled him back down and kept his arm around his shoulder.
"Relax and watch the movie kid, I'm not going to attack you."
So they had sat on the couch and watched the movie together and when it was over Hannibal had kissed him before leaving him at his bedroom door. With great reluctance Face had let the older man get closer and closer to him until he had finally given in. Their first time together had been hard and rough with Hannibal taking him from behind while he was on all fours in the middle of his bed. Afterwards however there had been a tenderness that he had never experienced before. Hannibal had pulled him as close to his body as physically possible before wrapping his arms and legs around him while kissing and nuzzling the back of his neck.
As time went by their physical relationship continued to develop but emotionally they never seemed to get any closer, it always seemed as if Hannibal was keeping him at arm's length. When Face decided that he'd had enough and started to date other people Hannibal always seemed to find a way to get in the middle of his relationship until eventually the girl would dump him. Face just couldn't understand why Hannibal wouldn't move their relationship forward or let him go. Now as he lay in the mud emotionally and physically spent he wondered if it was even worth going back to the team. He was sure that both BA and Murdock felt he was nothing more than a whore for sleeping with their colonel and the way Hannibal was treating him he was sure the older man felt the exactly same way.
Face lay in the mud for a long time as he struggled to get his emotions under control, only looking up when he heard a rustle in the woods a low growl a few feet away from him. As he stared into the darkness he saw a pair of amber eyes staring back at him. Slowly he pushed himself into a kneeling position, never taking his eyes off the glowing ones in front of him.
Wanting to put some distance between himself and the animal Face began to move backwards on his knees; however as he started to back up the creature moved forward. As it advanced on him Face could make out a long black muzzle which was full of sharp teeth which were being bared at him.
"If you're looking for Red Riding Hood she went the other way towards Grandma's house." Face offered a faint smile as he reached in the bag for the knife; his eyes never leaving the amber ones. "She's got a pretty big lead on you but I'm sure if you leave now you can meet up wi..." Before he could finish his sentence the beast lunged at him slamming him hard against a tree causing his head to bounce against the trunk; just before everything went dark he saw a flash of silver.
"Is this night ever going to fucking end?" Face started to sit up when a surge of nausea overtook him and it was everything he could do to turn sideways before he threw up all over himself. As the second wave hit him he felt a gentle pressure on his shoulder, when he was finally able to look up found a pair of beautiful blue eyes looking back at him.
"Thanks," he croaked out as he tried to focus his vision but everything kept swimming in and out. "You have no idea how glad I am..." he stopped as he reached out to touch the older man but felt fur instead of skin.
"What the fuck...?" He jerked his hand back the sudden movement causing his vision to gray and his eyes to roll up in the back of his head as he passed out yet again.
As Templeton Peck woke he wasn't sure what was rubbing against the side of his face but it wasn't completely unpleasant, almost like a warm wet washcloth. Slowly and with more effort than it should have taken Face pried his eyes open. When he turned his head to the side the warm wet feeling slid up his cheek and across his nose. It took him a moment to realize that what he was feeling was a tongue right before it slid across his cheek and right eye.
"So is this a good thing or bad?" Face asked as he brought his hand up to fend off the attacking tongue. "I'm guessing since I still have my face you don't plan on eating me... yet."
In response to his comment a large paw landed on his upper shoulder while another hit him in the chest forcing him flat on the ground. Looking up he saw a black nose, attached to a long sliver muzzle with bright blue eyes shining down at him.
"You don't plan on eating me do you?" The large silver wolf hovering over him broke out into a toothy grin right before it licked up the side of his neck.
"I'm going to take that as a yes because I really can't take any more bad news tonight." Face reached up to push the wolf off him but it didn't budge an inch. "Really buddy, you're killing me, you weigh a fucking ton."
When the animal only tilted his head Face sighed.
"Seriously it's been a crappy night; I've wrecked my friend's car, busted a few ribs, dislocated a shoulder and bounced my head off too many objects to count. So unless you plan on killing me, move."
To Face's surprise the wolf shifted off of him and began nuzzling his neck where the seatbelt had cut him then it continued sniffing down his chest and abdomen before looking up at him with what appeared to be worried eyes. It moved one of its huge paws back to his chest and started to pull at the opening of his shirt.
"Hey, do you mind? The damn thing is shredded enough." Face grabbed the animal's paw but quickly let go when it narrowed its eyes and growled at him, showing a very sharp set of teeth.
"Shit." Face took in a quick breath then moaned as pain flared through his battered ribs from the sudden intake of air. Instantly the wolf was on top of him tearing the remaining buttons off. Its cold wet nose pressed into his abdomen before moving up his chest causing him to shiver. The wolf continued to sniff him for several more minutes before it looked at him and whimpered.
"It's not that bad, my head hurts more than my ribs."
The wolf crooked its head to the side and before Face could think he found himself pinned to the ground again with the wolves paws on his shoulder as it sniffed at his head.
"Get off me you big lug, you're worse than Hannibal." Face shoved at the wolf which continued to ignore him until Face pushed him off using all his strength. When the wolf turned and growled at him Face only frowned at it as he rubbed the back of his head while sitting up. "If you're going to eat me then get on with it, otherwise shut up."
The wolf continued to stare at him for a few moments before it shook its head and moved back to sit beside him.
"Well as much as I'd love to sit here and talk with you I need to get moving." Face climbed to his feet and staggered a few steps and almost fell when the wolf grabbed his jacket steadying him. "Thanks." Face rubbed his head as he waited for the nausea to pass. Once Face was sure that he had his balance he leaned over and picked up the bag he had made before putting his arm back into the make shift sling.
"Guess it's time to get moving, thanks for your help." He offered the wolf a quick smile before he started walking again. He only made it about fifteen feet when the animal moved in front of him blocking his way. "Look buddy I appreciate everything you've done for me but... hey stop it." Face tried to step back when the wolf grabbed his jacked and pulled him the other way.
"I said stop!" Face yelled as he managed to get free. "I'm going this way."
Face only took three steps before the animal moved in front of him and started snarling and snapping his jaws forcing him to take a step back to keep from being bitten.
"Alright, maybe your way is better." He held up his good hand in surrender.
The wolf snorted at him once before turning its back to him and started walking into the woods with Face behind him. While he didn't want to admit he was wrong to an animal the trail that the silver wolf had chosen was a lot easier to navigate. Face followed the wolf for a long time before he finally had to sit down, exhausted and in overwhelming pain; finding a relatively dry spot on the forest floor Face lowered himself to the ground. He looked down at his watch to see what time it was when he noticed for the first time it was broken; pulling his knees up to his chest, crossing his arms over them and rested his head on his arms as the tears started to flow once more.
He sat there for several minutes when he felt the wolf's nose nudge his elbow; he ignored it at first but eventually lifted his head at its insistent prodding.
"Go and find yourself a girlfriend, I'm done for the night." Face rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before laying his head back down on his arms; he only had his head down a few moments when the wolf started pawing at his arm.
"Why don't you take a hint and leave!" Face yelled as he shoved against the animal but kept his head turned so he could see the wolf. "I'm tired...can't you understand that?"
The wolf took a step closer to him and stared into his eyes before rubbing the side of his face with its own. "I'm just tired." Face sighed as he laid his cheek against the furry one.
The wolf let him rest for a few minutes before it backed up and started pacing back and forth, when Face didn't move it started pulling at his jacket. Slowly and wearily Face climbed to his feet, stumbling twice before regaining his balance and followed the wolf. They walked a while longer and just when Face didn't think he could take another step the wolf stopped outside a small cave with a stone overhang.
"Oh God, thank you," Face stepped out of the rain for the first time since leaving the wrecked car. As he sat down on the stone floor the wolf came up beside him and shook itself off covering him in water droplets.
"Asshole," Face looked over at the wolf where it sat grinning at him. Slowly a tired smile pulled at the corners of his own lips and Face shook his own head covering the wolf with water. His victory was short lived when this vision swam but for just a moment he caught the animal's surprised look.
"I don't suppose you have any dry firewood around?" Face looked out at the dark forest, now that he was sitting still and not moving he was becoming cold and starting to shiver. He was surprised when the wolf nodded its head at him and moved to the back of the cave before coming back with a few sticks in its mouth. Face watched in amazement as the wolf made several trips back and forth bringing back various sizes and amounts of wood. It took Face a few minutes to get over his amazement about what was happening but then he decided that he was most likely still hanging upside down in the wrecked car and if this was all just a hallucination he might as well go along with it. There were worse ways he could spend his last few hours on earth than having a huge silver wolf bringing him firewood in a cave.
When there was a small pile of wood at the front of the cave Face pulled off his jacket and vest reaching into the makeshift bag he pulled out the utility knife and shredded the cotton liner of the vest. With trembling fingers he placed the cotton on the bottom then piled smaller twigs on top of it, after saying a quick prayer he took out the lighter and attempted to start the fire. It took three times before the cotton caught fire but once it did the small pieces of wood started to burn as well. Carefully Face fed the fire larger and large pieces of wood until he had a roaring fire at the front of the cave.
Balling his jacket up into a pillow Face laid down a safe distance away from the flames and closed his eyes only to open them when he felt something press up against his back. He started to turn his head but stopped when the wolf rested its own head across his neck.
"I guess I really need to say thank you." Face reached up to scratch the wolf behind its left ear; in response the wolf licked the side of his face.
"I'm sorry about earlier," Face sighed as he looked at his broken watch. "My lover gave me this watch a few years ago when we were in Vietnam. It's the only thing he's ever given me..." Face wiped the moisture away from his eyes as he pulled the watch off to look at the shattered glass. "He tells me that we belong together..." Face's anger flared again and he threw the watch across the cave then wiped his eyes again before scratching the wolf's ear again. "Enough about me, so how is your night?"
The wolf gave a slight whine before scooting a little closer to Face, one large paw coming up to rest on his shoulder.
"That bad huh?" Face chuckled. "Well buddy if I should die of a brain hemorrhage or wake up and you're gone it's been nice knowing you." Face closed his eyes and in a matter of seconds he was sound asleep and as he drifted further into sleep the wolf moved its body as close to him as possible sharing as much of its body warmth as it could.
While Face slept its keen eyes scanned the woods outside of the cave yet before it could see the danger it heard it. As the underbrush started to move the silver wolf issued a low growl in warning to the yet unseen intruder. In response to its warning a large black wolf with amber eye stepped out of the woods and up to the very edge of the cave. The silver wolf rose to its feet and moved to stand over the top of Face, its lips pulled back as a snarl emerged from deep in its chest.
As the black wolf started to take another step forward the silver wolf lunged at it, grabbing it by the throat, the force of its forward momentum carrying them both into the woods. The struggle between the two was brief as the silver wolf easily forced the black one to submit to it. The two continued to snarl at one another for several minutes before the black wolf slinked back into the woods. After the sliver wolf was sure the threat had gone it took up its position back behind Face with its head once again resting on his neck. It moved its paw back onto his shoulder when a pack of wolves started to howl in the distance.
***
When Face woke the next morning he was stiff, sore and aching all over. If someone had asked him where he hurt it would have been easier for him to tell them where he didn't. As he opened his eyes he was hoping to find that the previous night had all been nothing more than a nightmare but when he rolled over he came face to face with the silver haired, blue eyed wolf.
"How was your night?" Face asked the animal as he sat up as he ran a shaky hand through his hair. The wolf in response to his question let out a soft whine and moved to the mouth of the cave before coming back to stand in front of him.
"I don't suppose you ordered room service?"
The wolf whined again before moving back to the front of the cave then turned around to look at Face.
"I'm guessing you want to get moving." Face shook his head as he shoved the remains of his vest in this pack before standing up to follow the wolf to the front of the cave. Looking at the ground Face noticed the different size paw prints and he turned to his traveling companion. "I see we had visitors last night."
The wolf looked up at Face then back at the woods before it walked into the forest.
At the start of the morning Face had been moving slow due to his injuries and the stiffness from sleeping on the ground however after an hour he was able to quicken his pace and the two were making good time. By late afternoon however Face began to slow back down and no amount of whimpering, or growling on the wolf's part could get him to move any faster. When they came to a small stream around four that afternoon Face had to stop, his muscles were cramping so bad that every step was pure agony.
Reaching into the bag Face pulled out the soda can and filled it full of water so that he could drink his fill. He knew that he should boil it to be safe but at this point he was to tired and thirsty to care. Plus the way his silver haired companion was acting he knew they needed to get moving again.
"I'm going to be honest with you buddy, I don't know how much further I can go today." Face admitted as he climbed to his feet and staggered a few steps before regaining his balance. "I'm about spent."
In response to his statement the wolf moved back to his side and nuzzled against his leg for a moment before grabbing the edge of his jacket with its teeth and tugged him along.
"You're worse that a certain colonel I know." Face sighed as he allowed the animal to lead him across the stream and into an open field.
The sun had been down for hours when the wolf finally stopped and allowed Face to sit down in a small clearing with several down logs around the perimeter to protect him from the wind. Not that the lieutenant hadn't tried several times that afternoon and evening to stop walking. Not long after their break by the stream Face's pace started to slow until it was everything he could do to put one foot in front of the other. Yet no matter how many times he tried to stop the wolf would prod, nudge or pull at him until he moved just a little bit further down the path it had chosen.
As Face sat on the ground he knew that he should gather wood to build a fire for protection and warmth. He knew that he should scavenge the area to see if there was anything he could eat or find out if there was water he could drink but he couldn't do it. Now that he was down there was no way he would be able to get back up on his feet again, his body just didn't have the energy or strength to move.
Turning onto his side Face closed his eyes then opened then again when he felt the wolf nudge his shoulder; opening his eyes he noticed that the wolf had several pieces of wood in its mouth. Face started to reach up to touch the wolf's head but dropped his arm as the muscles in his shoulder started to lock up.
"I'm sorry buddy, I can't do it." The wolf nudged him again, but Face just shook his head as he rolled over and closed his eyes, falling asleep in seconds.
The silver wolf paced back and forth for several minutes before it made its decision, with one last look over at Face it took off into the woods running as fast as it could for several miles. The silver wolf came into a small outcrop of rocks, as it entered the clearing half a dozen wolves approached it, each lowering their heads in submission to their alpha male. As the silver wolf moved further into the den more wolves came out to greet him, once most of them were gathered around him he started growling low in its throat. It had just finished when the black wolf with amber eyes emerged from a dug out area, its ears flattened to its head and teeth bared as it approached the silver wolf.
Like the night before the silver wolf advanced on the black wolf forcing it to take a step back to keep from being run over, unable to stand its ground the black wolf lunged for the silver wolf's throat. The black wolf managed to get a grip on the silver wolf's throat, though its advantage was short lived when the silver wolf used its greater size and strength to break free and attack the black wolf. All the others watched as wolves watched as the two battled for the leadership of the pack. The battle for dominance lasted for only a short time but when it was over both animals were bloody and battered.
***
When Face woke the next morning he was surprisingly warm considering he's slept on the mud covered ground with no fire or covering. Like the night before he woke with the feeling of soft warm fur lying across his neck.
"Hey buddy," Face reached up and scratched the wolf behind the ear. "Glad you decided to stay with me for another night."
Face started to sit up when the silver wolf placed its paw over his shoulder preventing him from moving.
"Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to lie here for a little longer, but I need to get moving. That is assuming we've been going in a direction that will take me towards civilization." As Face tried to sit up he realized that his body from the waist down was pinned to the ground. Fighting down his rising panic Face looked down towards his legs to see several wolves lying across him. Face swallowed hard as he looked around seeing several other gray wolves surrounding him. At the very edge of the clearing was the black wolf, its amber eyes staring directly at him, its ears flat and a snarl on its lips.
"I don't think your friend cares for me."
The silver wolf snorted as it stood up and issued a quick growl in the black wolf's direction; the black wolf quickly dropped its head as it scurried into the undergrowth. Once the black wolf left, the silver wolf licked the side of Peck's face before moving back enough to allow him to sit up
"You have a hell of a way to influence others." Face turned to look at the silver wolf and noticed that there was blood on its neck and under its right eye.
"You alright?" Face reached up to touch the silver wolf but it backed away from him and gave a quick bark to the other wolves which quickly moved off Face allowing him to slowly climb to his feet.
"I see this care and concern for injuries is a one way street." Face frowned as he started to stretch his limbs, he was stiff and sore but after a few minutes he was ready to move.
Like the previous day the hike was a long and hard one and there were times when Face would take a break he wasn't sure if he would be able to get back up. Each and every time the silver wolf would coax him to his feet while the other wolves seemed to encourage him along. The sun was just starting to go down when Face stepped out of the woods and onto pavement for the first time since he had wrecked the car two days earlier. He looked up and down the road not sure which way to go when several of the gray wolves walked up to the silver one. They growled at each other for a few moments when the silver wolf turned to Face and nudged him until he started walking south.
Face walked for almost a mile before he saw a sign reading William Z. Hegy Memorial Highway and he almost wept with tears when he realized that he was on the road that would lead him to his rendezvous location with Hannibal. He walked for another mile before a pick-up truck pulled up beside him and the driver leaned out the window.
"You look like you've been chewed up and spit out boy."
"It's been a long couple of days." Face nodded. "I wrecked my car in the forest and had to hike out."
"Shit, you're lucky to be alive."
"Tell me about it, you wouldn't be willing to give me a ride to the Carter House in Eureka would you?"
"Sure son, climb in." The driver motioned to the passenger's side of the truck.
"Thank you," Face turned to look at the silver wolf but it was gone along with all the others. He sighed as he climbed into the cab of the pick-up wondering not for the first time if the animal had been nothing but a figment created by his injuries and damaged brain. As the truck started to pull back onto the road he could have sworn that he heard howling deep in the woods and every now and then he would see a flash of silver.
It was almost midnight when the driver dropped him off at the steps of the inn. Face had offered the man named Bob money for the ride but the driver had just shook his head and wished him well.
For as long as he lived Face would never forget the look on the desk clerk's face when he walked through the doors of the Carter House Inn. The Carter house was high end hotel that offered only the best accommodations and special in house services for those that want to be pampered. Face had planned on spending the three days he was waiting on Hannibal to relax and enjoy all of the Carter house's services. Now however all he wanted was a shower and a clean bed.
Walking through the front door Face went to the front desk and rang the bell. A woman walked around the corner and her mouth dropped so far open it almost touched her chin, her eyes going wide. Face thought it would be comical if it wasn't for the fact that he was the one causing her shock.
"I would like a room."
"Sir perhaps you might want to try one of the franchise hotels in town, our rates are..."
"I would like a room in the Carter House, preferable 506 the Library Suite if it is available since that is the one I reserved."
"Sir that room costs..."
"When I reserved it a week ago the cost was $385.00 a night." Face reached into his tattered jacket and pulled out his wallet and produced his ID, a credit card in that name and nine hundred dollars in large bills. I paid for three nights in advance and I'm sure that I won't get two nights back since that is your policy for not canceling a week in advance. I would like to pay for the room in cash, but you are more than welcome to run the credit card for a deposit if you like."
"Sir, I'm not sure..."
"Look," Face leaned forward to look at the name tag on the red head's chest. "Becky, I had a reservation here for three days but I had an accident and wrecked my car. I've just spent the last two days hiking through the woods to get here. I lucked out and a ranger picked me up just a little while ago, he's going to have my car pulled out of the middle of nowhere so it will no longer pollute this lovely habitat he's even going to be nice enough to send me the bill which I am sure will be twice the normal rate." Face waved his arms around him. "In fact he was such a great guy he even wrote me a ticket for reckless driving; now you are going to tell me that you don't have a room when I know I have at least one day left on my reservation which I already paid for and I have already seen that well over half of your parking lot is empty."
"I'm so sorry...oh my....I'm..." Becky the hotel clerk stammered as she quickly went to her computer. "Room 506 is available and I can even give you a discount....you poor thing..."
"Thank you." Face offered her a tired smile as he waited for the desk clerk to fill out his registration before handing him his room key.
"Is there anything else I can do for you? The kitchen is closed but I'm sure I can find something for you."
"I appreciate your offer but all I really want is to get out of these disgusting clothes and to sleep for the next two days. If a man by the name of Smith should come looking for me, tell him to call one of his other associates to take him home." That said he turned on his heels and headed towards his suite a smile on his face, the best cons were always a mixture of the truth and lies.
The moment Face entered room 506 also known as the Library Suite Face went straight to the master bedroom stripped off all his clothes and laid down in the middle of the king size bed. In less than a minute his breathing had evened out and he was fast asleep.
***
He woke later to the feeling of something warm and wet traveling across his forehead and down his cheek. For a brief moment he thought that he was back in the woods and the wolf was licking his face yet again. Upon opening his eyes however he was shocked to see Hannibal sitting on the bed with a wash cloth and a basin of water beside him on the night stand.
"Hannibal?" Face rolled over onto his back to get a better view of the older man. "How?"
"Do you think that I'm incapable of finding you?" Hannibal smiled as he brushed a lock of dirty hair out of the younger man's eyes.
"When?"
"About an hour ago."
"Why are you cleaning me?"
"You're a mess kid; I just thought you might want to get cleaned up before..."
"I know I'm a mess," Face sat up as he shoved Hannibal away from him before standing up. "And do you know why I'm a mess, because I wrecked your car right after I dropped you off! I rolled it down an embankment and had to walk here because some wild animal thought it would be fun to run out in front of me!" Turning his back on Hannibal, Face stormed out of the bedroom.
"Face, where are you going?"
"To take a shower and if you want to go back to LA, I suggest you find a rental car company in walking distance."
Before Hannibal could say another word Face was out of the room with the door slamming behind him.
As Face stood in the shower with hot water pouring over his head he wondered why he was so mad at Hannibal. It wasn't Hannibal's fault he had wrecked the car, all the older man had done was ask him to drop him off in the woods. He was the one who hadn't been paying attention, he was the one who rolled the car down a ravine and he was the one that screwed up just like always.
"Face; you okay kid? You've been in here for a while."
"Yeah," Face nodded, "Just tired, hungry and sore. I'll be out in a few minutes." He reached down and grabbed a bar of soap when the shower curtain opened and Hannibal stepped in behind him. Reaching around him Hannibal removed the soap from his hands and put it back down on the holder.
"I'm not in the mood for sex Hannibal." Face started to step forward but Hannibal stopped him with an arm around his waist.
"I'm not here for sex kid; I'm here to take care of you."
"You are going to take care of me?" Face laughed then groaned as Hannibal's large hands slid into his hair and began massaging his tender scalp. Twenty minutes later Hannibal help him out of the shower and back into the master bedroom where the older man had stripped off the dirty duvet and turned down the blanket and sheet.
"I'm going to go out and get us something to eat and run one quick errand; it shouldn't take me more than an hour." Hannibal explained as he pulled the blanket and sheet up to Face's shoulders. "Try to get some rest until I get back okay."
Before Face could say anything Hannibal kissed him on the forehead and was out the door. Face looked at the closed door for several minutes wondering what the hell was going on with his colonel.
When Face woke again the room was dark.
"Back in an hour my ass." Face gripped as he sat up in bed.
"Sorry kid, I couldn't wake you," Hannibal moved from the chair by the window to the bed. "You looked so peaceful." Sitting down on the side of the bed he ran a finger down Face's cheek. "Hungry?"
"Starved,"
"Good, I have a table reserved especially for you." Hannibal smiled as he rose, allowing Face to get out of the bed.
Face frowned when he realized that he was going to have to wear his dirty and torn clothes to dinner. As he started to look around the room for his pants Hannibal moved behind him sliding a white robe up his arms and over his shoulders. Stepping around in front of him Hannibal tied the robe closed before sliding his arm around Face's waist and guiding him into the second bedroom.
Face only took a few steps into the other room when he stopped dead in his tracks. Looking around the he saw a roaring fire in the fireplace with roses on the mantel and a bottle of champagne with two glasses on the nightstand. Where the second couch was supposed to be there was a table with two chairs and several domed covered plates and another bottle of champagne chilling.
"Okay who are you and where is Hannibal Smith?" Face turned to look at the older man.
Hannibal only shook his head as he guided Face to the table, pulled out the chair for him.
"Sit down kid, you dinner's getting cold." Removing the domes Hannibal uncovered a plate of salmon with fresh asparagus and a lemon butter sauce on the side.
Face waited until Hannibal sat down before he picked up his fork and started eating. While Face had been hungry he only finished half his meal before he placed his napkin on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"Why Hannibal?"
"Why what kid?"
"Don't play games with me, why all of this?" Face waved his hand around the room.
Hannibal sat his fork down beside his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an object which he held out to Face.
"Because I've been a complete fool and I want to make things right between us before I lose you."
Face looked down at Hannibal's outstretched hand and his heart almost stopped when he saw his watch.
"How?" Face's eyes darted for his watch to the older man's face. "I threw it...." Face shook his head again. The more he'd thought about the events that had unfolded in the woods from the safety of his hotel room the more he'd convinced himself he had been delusional but if Hannibal had the watch then that meant certain events had happened. "I don't understand..." Face stammered, his breathing becoming labored as he tried to make sense of everything that had happened.
"Face, you need to breathe kid," Hannibal quickly moved out of his seat and in front of the younger man. "Tem, come on baby breathe." Pulling Face out of the chair Hannibal wrapped his arms around him before placing one hand on the back of Face's neck forcing his head to his shoulder while the other rubbed hand moved to rub his back. "Breathe, sweetheart."
When Face started to sag against him, Hannibal scooped him up into his arms and carried him to the bed. As Face started to get his breathing under control he looked up at Hannibal and for the first time he noticed several puncture wounds on his neck and a cut under his right eye. Reaching up he touched the healing wound on the older man's cheekbone but was stopped as he stared into the older man's blue eyes.
"It's alright kid, I promise not to bite."
"I don't understand."
"You weren't supposed to find out." Hannibal offered him a sad smile as he took Face's hand in his own bigger ones so that he could kiss it.
"What are you?"
"I'm a shape shifter."
"Is that like a werewolf or something?"
"No, it's a lot different." Hannibal removed one of his hands from his grip on Face's and started to stroke his hair. "When I turn into a wolf the only thing that changes is my physical body. Mentally I'm still me, I know exactly who I am and what is happening around me."
"But the moon makes you change?"
"No, I can change at will. The only reason that I didn't change back when I found you was because it takes so much energy. If I would have turned back into human form so soon after turning into a wolf I wouldn't have been of any use to you." Hannibal closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry kid; I'll pack up and leave."
Hannibal started to get up but Face grabbed a hold of his shirt preventing him from standing.
"I didn't ask you to leave." Face reached up to touch the side of Hannibal's face. "I just need an explanation."
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything."
"That could take a while."
"The bed's real comfortable." Face scooted over giving Hannibal a place to lie down.
Once Hannibal was propped up against the head board Face moved back against his body, lifting his arm Hannibal allowed Face to rest his head on his chest before wrapping that arm back around Face's shoulder.
"I was born this way; it seems that I come from a long line of shape shifters." Hannibal started. "The first time I found out I could become a wolf I was ten years old. I was camping with my father and he decided that I needed to know about this unique family trait. I can tell you it was the most exciting and frightening time of my life. When I became a teenage I went through a phase of trying to deny what I was but by the time I reached my twenties I realized it was a blessing instead of a curse. Though I promised myself that I would never marry or have children, I didn't think it would be fair to my partner to have to deal with this."
"Is that's why you decided to date me, so you wouldn't have to worry about children." Face closed his eyes but not before Hannibal saw the tears appear.
"No Tem, no, look at me." Hannibal reached under Face's chin forcing his head up. "I love you kid, god, I love you so much and I almost made the biggest mistake of my entire life by keeping you at a distance. I was so afraid that if you ever found out what I was you would leave me."
"I love you John." Face whispered as the first tear rolled down his cheek. "I thought that you didn't care about me."
"I know and I'm sorry." Hannibal leaned down to kiss Face. "I promise I'm going to make it up to you."
Face laid his head back down on Hannibal's chest and listened to the older man's heartbeat when a thought occurred to him.
"If you don't have to change then why have you been coming out to the woods so often? Who were the other wolves?"
"Would you believe a family reunion?"
"You're kidding me?" Face looked up at Hannibal not sure if the other man was being serious.
"My father is getting older and he wants me to take charge of the family pack. So over the last couple of months various relatives have been coming in from all over the world to meet me and because of the accident they got to meet you. And before you start worrying they all approve of you."
"Whoever the black wolf was didn't. That wouldn't be your mother or father would it?"
"No, that would be a young lady that thinks she has a chance to become my wife and a future alpha of the pack and there is no chance in hell of that ever happening." Hannibal leaned forward to gently kiss Face. "You are my mate for as long as you will have me."
"I'm not going anywhere, unless you piss me off again and then I'll call the dog pound."
"Smart ass kid," Hannibal growled as he gently rolled Face onto his back before leaning down to kiss him again. "You just wait until you're not so banged up."
"Just what do you have planned Colonel?" Face reached up to run his hands over Hannibal's chest.
"I plan to show you exactly why I'm the alpha of our pack." Hannibal smiled.
"We've done it doggy style before remember." Face chuckled. "You're going to have to find a new position is you want to impress me."
"Oh what I have planned is far worse than a new sexual position, you're going to meet the in-laws; in human form."
"Please tell me this is all a dream and I'm hanging upside down by the seat belt in your car." Face moaned at the thought of meeting his lover's family.
"Now who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" Hannibal laughed as he leaned forward to capture Face's mouth in a mind blowing kiss.
End.
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