A Chance Encounter
By Jason Finigan

This story is completely fictional. Any similarities to any persons or events, past or present are purely coincidental. This story may contain scenes which involve sexual situations. If this type of material is offensive to you, or it is not legal for you to be reading this type of material, please do not read any further. This story is copyright © 2007 by Jason. Please do not copy this story for distribution or post on any online server without the author's permission. Please send all your comments to: greywolf_0173@hotmail.com, or jasonfinigan@yahoo.com You can also visit my site at: www.jasonfinigan.net. Thanks and enjoy the story.

Chapter 7

"Hello Lorn? Yeah, it's me Tim. How are you doing?" Tim asked into the phone.

"Hey Tim. Pretty good. You?" Lorn Pascal replied.

"Oh not too bad. Listen. I have a case for you."

"Tim, you always have a case for me. What is it this time, another squirrel?" Lorn asked jokingly.

"Ha ha. Very funny wise ass. No, this one is unique. I have an abandoned fawn here."

"How'd you end up with one of those in Burlington?" Lorn asked, becoming serious.

"Actually, it was found near Algonquin Park. Relatives of mine were returning from a weekend camp at the park when they found her."

"Is she healthy?" Lorn asked.

"I've checked her over, and she seems okay. She is slightly undernourished, but otherwise seems healthy. There is one other thing Lorn."

"Oh?"

"She's an albino."

"An albino!" Lorn exclaimed loudly, making Tim hold the phone away from his ear.

"Yeah, and watch the ears will ya?" Tim said

"Sorry. Damn man, that is one rare animal."

"I know. The family is concerned for her well being. If she were found in the wild, you know what that would mean for her."

"Shit, yeah, I do. She would make some hunter a very rich man."

"Precisely. That's something that we want to avoid. Provincial laws forbid them from raising the fawn themselves, and you were the first person I thought of who could properly care for her."

"You know I will Tim. You didn't even have to ask. We have plenty of room, and we have a staff member who is experienced in caring for and treating wild deer."

"You will be able to keep her safe?"

"Of course. We have round the clock security, and the deer paddocks cover a few square acres so she would have plenty of room to roam around, with lots of cover for protection."

"That's excellent Lorn," Tim said. "One other thing. The family would like to be able to visit her on a regular basis. They've named her Powder."

"Powder huh? That's a pretty good name for her. That shouldn't be a problem Tim, though they would have to make arrangements with my assistant beforehand."

"I've told them as such. When would you be able to take her in?"

"Actually, we are ready now. Why don't you bring her by some time in the afternoon. Say around four o'clock."

"That should be fine Lorn. We'll be there. Thanks a lot."

"Hah, with everything you've done for the animal's here, it's the least we can do for you."

"Any time Lorn. See you soon."

"Bye," Lorn said, and hung up the phone.

"Well?" I asked Tim when he had hung up on our end.

"He'll take in Powder, and you'll be able to see her when you want to," he said.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, giving Terry a huge hug. We both had smiles on our faces.

"But we have to get a move on. He's expecting us to be there this afternoon," Tim said.

"Oh," I answered. This was the one thing that I didn't expect. I thought we'd have some more time with her, but it looks like that wasn't going to be the case. I looked outside where Emily was playing with Powder. The two of them had become really close in the last couple days. Seeing Powder play in the back yard with Terry's sister made me smile, but then I knew that it couldn't last.

I could feel a tear forming in my eye, and I did nothing to stop it, feeling it roll down the side of my face. Terry saw the tear fall, and pulled me into a hug. Until now, I hadn't realized how attached I had become to Powder. She was like my own child in a way, and I was being forced to send her away to live someplace else.

"It's going to be okay babe, " Terry said, as I finally let go and began to sob onto his shoulder. "You'll get to see her again."

"It won't be the same though. I'm going to miss her," I cried

"I know. We all are. She helped bring everybody together though. We owe her so much. She's really very special to all of us."

"Simon, why don't you go outside and get Powder," my father said softly.

"Okay Dad," I said, Terry let me go, and let me wipe away the rest of my tears. "Your shirt is all wet babe."

"It's okay babe, it'll dry," Terry said. Grabbing a hold of my hand, we walked to the back door and he opened it. Emily was sitting on the grass now, beside Powder. I could tell she had heard us, as her head perked up and was now looking in our direction, watching as Terry and I together came down the stairs from the porch.

It was almost as if she knew that we were sending her away. Instead of getting up like she usually did when I approached her. She almost seemed to sink lower into the ground. Seeing her like that really made me want to change my mind, but I knew I couldn't. She couldn't stay with us, no matter how much I wanted her to.

Emily didn't really know what was going on, and neither Terry nor I said anything to her. Instead, I went up to Powder, and carefully picked her up, holding her close to me, and showing her that I really loved her. I felt her nose press up against me, almost as if she was telling me she understood. She was the most remarkable animal I had ever seen.

No, she wasn't an animal. She was a part of our family. I wouldn't have it any other way, and silently I promised her that I would never leave her, that somehow I would come to see her every day. Emily was looking up at me, then looked over at her brother.

"What's going on Terry? Why do you both look sad?" she asked.

"We found a new home for Powder, and it's time for her to go there," Terry said.

"No, I want Powder to stay here!" Emily cried, standing up. She moved towards Powder and me, but Terry stopped her.

"We can't keep her Emily. It's against the law," Terry said.

"Well it's a stupid law!" Emily cried, and fell into her brother's arms, crying into his chest.

"I know sis. I know," Terry said softly, rubbing her back.

With Powder in my arms, I made my way towards the porch. At the stairs, I climbed each step, until I had reached the top, each one feeling as if I had climbed a hundred steps. She wasn't heavy, but the weight of the loss I was feeling was enough to make it seem as if both she and I together were twice as heavy.

Uncle Tim was standing at the back door, holding it open for us. When Terry and Emily had followed me into the house, he closed the door, and walked with us to the front door.

"Just put her in the back seat of the car, Simon;" Tim told me, opening the front door. "The door's unlocked."

"Okay Uncle Tim," I replied.

The three of us, Terry, Emily and I walked out of the house towards Uncle Tim's car. It was actually an SUV, so it was large enough for all of us to fit into the back seat comfortably.

Terry opened the door, and he and Emily climbed inside. Emily wanted to hold Powder in the car, but Terry told her that I was going to. Truthfully, I don't think I would have, even if I wanted her to. I knew that the entire trip up to Flamborough, I was going to be holding her, and looking at her. She was my baby, as far as I was concerned, the first one who looked up to me, and actually needed me to take care of her.

Uncle Tim got into the car, along with my father. "Emily, did your mom say you could come with us?" my father asked.

"No, but I'm going with Powder," she said with a determined look on her face.

"It's okay with me, but you should go and ask your mother."

"Don't worry Craig, she can go with you," Kathy said, coming up to my father's window. "Next time little miss, you ask your father or me before you go anywhere," she said into the car to her daughter.

"Okay Mom," Emily said, looking down to her feet. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are baby," Kathy said. "You be good."

"I will Mom," Emily replied. Uncle Tim then started the engine, and pulled out of the driveway.

Not very much was said on the way to the animal preserve run by Uncle Tim's client. Most of the way there, I didn't even pay much attention to my boyfriend. All I could do was sit in the back seat beside him with Powder sitting on my lap. She kept looking up at me with those sad red eyes of hers. On some level I knew that she was aware that I was going to be leaving her. Abandoning her as it were, just like her mother did.

So many conflicting emotions kept going through me. I had a very strong urge to just tell Uncle Tim to turn the car around and head back, on the other I was happy for her, that she'd be in a place where she would be able to run and play with other deer.

Uncle Tim said that the place we were going to had someone who knew how to look after deer. I hope he was right. If anything were to happen to Powder, I would be a mess. In the short time that we had found each other, for that is how I looked at it, we had grown a bond between us that I knew could never die. It was a chance encounter, one that changed my outlook on life, and I think making me a better person.

Before the camping trip, I was selfish. Only caring about what I wanted. I thought that because my parents didn't pay much attention to me, that I had to do whatever I could to get their attention. I guess in a way it worked, but looking back on it, there was no denying that I could have handled things better, with more dignity.

Thankfully, I met Terry. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I began that day thinking that it was just going to be another boring camping trip, with my parents dragging me around to do God only knows what. But then I found out why my parents had brought me there, and I realized that they really did love me, and that they would be there for me. It also gave me the chance to admit to myself who I really was. I had known all along, since grade school that I was gay. But I never truly accepted it. Terry changed all that. I fell in love with him, and the more I tried to fight how I felt, the more strongly I loved him, until I could no longer deny it.

He and I became boyfriends that weekend. We spent the last night together in the tent, wrapped up in each other's arms. Waking up beside him made me want to wake up every morning with him in my arms.

The trip home brought me to where I am now. I know what I want, I am determined to go out and make it happen. I hadn't told anyone yet, but I decided what I want to do with my life. I want to become a veterinarian, just like my Uncle Tim. The day we found Powder made me realize how much I cared about animals, and how much I couldn't stand to see them hurt. The place where we were taking her promises to make her life much better than what she would have had in the wild. I only hoped she comes to understand why I'm doing what I am right now.

Bringing her to a place that has all the facilities necessary to care for sick and abandoned animals is the best thing for her. I will always come and see her. It doesn't matter if I have school, or work, or anything else. I will always make the time to come see Powder.

"We're here guys," Tim announced, stopping the car in front of a large farm house. The whole house was painted white, and except for the red brick chimney that climbed up the side of the house between two upper floor side windows, was entirely white. Actually, it reminded me of the house I had seen in the movie The Amityville Horror. Although that house was shaped a little differently, it nonetheless had the same look to it, the same characteristics, right down to the eye like windows on either side of the chimney.

Where it did differ though, was in the windows and door. They were open and inviting. The ones on the house in the movie were small, and seemed more like prison windows than those belonging to a house while the front door had a faded glass window in it. The front of the house was shaded from the sun by cozy front porch on which was a large wooden and cast iron bench, a food and water dish beside the bench, as well as several fold up tables along the side railing of the porch.

All in all I thought that the home looked very warm and inviting. A perfect place for a family to live out of the hurried rush of city life and away from the throngs of people that made a city seem so congested.

An older gentleman and a woman who obviously looked like his wife came out of the house to greet us. Uncle Tim and my father got out of the car as did Terry and Emily, leaving me the only person still inside the car. Truth was, I was trying to prolong my time with Powder. Everyone was outside talking to each other, obviously waiting for me to get out. I finally decided that I couldn't put this off any longer, and reached over to the door handle, and opened the door. With Powder still in my arms, I climbed out, and held her close to me as I walked over to the rest of them, standing beside Terry.

"Ah, Lorn? This here's Simon, and the little one he's holding protectively is Powder," Uncle Tim said, pointing us out to the older gentleman.

"Oh she is so adorable!" the woman said, walking around to where I was standing and leaning in close to get a better look at Powder. She did so slowly however, so as to not frighten the young fawn. Powder was clearly not happy with the whole situation, and I didn't blame her one bit.

"She is going to be really happy here, I can promise you that. We just had several deer brought in that were in bad shape. Actually, we were hoping you could take a look at them Tim, one of them looks like it had given birth several days ago, but there was no sign of a fawn when she was found."

"Of course I will Lorn," Tim said, going back to the car and opening the trunk to grab his bag. Once he had the bag in hand, he came back to the rest of us and Lorn led us over to a large fenced in area, and to a gate that was locked.

"This place looks like a jail rather than a preserve," my father commented, looking at the tall wired fence with the barbed wire running across the top.

"Yes, it seems like it, however that's part of our security. Because these animals are regarded as game animals, during hunting season, there have been people trying to enter the property to hunt several of the deer we have here," Lorn said, taking out a set of keys and looking for the one that would open the locked gate.

"That's just cruel!" I exclaimed. "Why would anyone want to do that?"

"Well, mostly it's lazy drunks who try. They've had their licenses taken from them so can't drive anywhere else, but still want to do some hunting. We've had to charge three people so far with trespassing and unlawfully carrying a weapon onto private property. That's why we've had this fence installed, and hired a top notch security company to make sure that instances like that never happen again. Since we've done this, we haven't had a single case of one of our animals being threatened. We've actually begun proceedings with the provincial government to turn part of this preserve into a wildlife center, where people can come in and view the animals in as natural an environment as possible, while still serving our primary purpose which is to treat lost and abandoned animals before releasing them back into the wild," Lorn said.

"Yes, and my husband is so good at it too," Lizzie said, holding onto Lorn's shoulder.

"Oh shush honey. You know you do a wonderful job with the birds," Lorn said, blushing slightly.

"You've started to take in avians as well?" Tim asked.

"Yes we have. I know you don't treat birds Tim, but don't worry. I've found someone who's really good with them, and she's in fact asked to join the staff on a permanent basis. I'm actually considering her request."

"Who is she?" Tim asked.

"She's actually a colleague of yours, Doctor Paula Edelmira," Lorn said.

"Oh yes! I remember her. I heard that she was working to become an avian veterinarian."

"Well she succeeded," a young female's voice said from behind us. We all turned to see a young latino woman with long black flowing hair, wearing a loose white shirt and blue jeans walking towards us.

"Paula!" Tim said excitedly, running up to her. He tried to give her a hug, but she stopped him.

"Not so fast Tim. You owe me for that stunt you pulled!" she said, scowling at Tim.

"What do you mean Paula? What stunt?" Tim asked confused.

"You know which stunt. The one in which you snuck off and married your boyfriend without inviting your best friend to the wedding." As soon as I heard that, and seeing how she was standing, looking up at Tim with her arms folded across her chest I almost laughed. She looked so imposing like that, even though she was a good foot shorter than him, and Tim looked like he was getting a talking to by and older sister or a mother. Terry obviously was having a hard time containing his laughter too since I saw him duck and turn back around quickly, a quick chuckle escaping his lips.

Finally none of us could take the sight anymore and we all began to laugh uncontrollably, causing Tim to blush furiously, and sputter in a meager attempt to defend himself.

"But Paula, I did send you the invitation!" Tim finally managed to spit out.

"No you didn't. I never received it."

"Well of course you didn't. Your invitation came back to us undeliverable because at that time you had moved and didn't tell us where you had moved to, and the school wouldn't tell us because of privacy reasons."

"Oh damn," Paula said, suddenly embarrassed. "I knew you and Darryl were getting married, and I forgot to leave a note with the office to tell them to forward my new address to you. Shit, I'm so sorry Tim," Paula said, blushing as deeply as Tim had only moments earlier.

"No, it's me that's sorry. Darryl and I would have loved it if you were there at our wedding. It was so very beautiful," Tim said.

"Why don't you come home with us when we're finished here," my father suggested to Paula. "Darryl's at our house right now and Tim and he are staying with us for the night. Actually, my son's boyfriend's family is staying with us as well."

"Oh? Your son has a boyfriend does he?" Paula asked.

"Yep. This is Terry, my boyfriend," I said. Nodding my head at Terry.

"Nice to meet you Terry," Paula said, walking up to Terry and shaking his hand.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you too Ms. Edelmira," Terry said.

"Oh please just call me Paula. I never did like my last name," she said.

"Okay," Terry replied. "We'll just have to find you a gorgeous hunk to marry so you can change it."

"Knowing how you pick your boyfriend here, I think I'll take you up on that offer," she said.

"Well, I don't think you'll want to meet them the way we met. As I remember it, it was a jarring experience!" I said laughing.

"That's only because you walked into me and fell on your butt babe," Terry shot back.

"Well I wouldn't have if a tree wasn't standing in my path," I laughed.

"Not my fault if I'm all buff and sexy," Terry said, suddenly striking several strong man poses.

"Oh would you two lovebirds cut it out? You're embarrassing our hosts," my father said, rolling his eyes at us.

"Not at all!" Lizzie said, looking at Terry and me. "We have no problems with those two being in love. Actually it kind of reminds me of how Lorn and I first met all those years ago."

"You've got that right dear," Lorn said smiling.

"He was a freshmen in college and he was the geek type. You know, ugly round glasses, loads of books in his arms, and generally looking like he was so into school that he couldn't have been very much involved with any sort of physical activity other than reading. Well one day he was hurrying across the campus while I was with several of my friends sitting on the grass and talking about the usual: boys. Well, I don't know how it happened, but one minute I was talking to my friends, and the next this geek trips over my outstretched legs, his books flying from his arms, and lands on the grass beside me. Well, to make a long story short..."

"Too late," Lorn interrupts.

"My friends were all laughing at him," she said, pointedly ignoring his comment. "and I was about to, when I saw something in his eyes that showed how hurt and embarrassed he was. I have to confess it was his sad eyes that drew me in, and I fell in love with him instantly. A couple weeks later he got the nerve to sit down beside me during a free period, and he asked me out on a date. We went dancing, and then he took me to a nice little restaurant. He was the perfect gentleman. He never asked for anything for himself, only wishing me to enjoy myself. And enjoy myself I did, from that first date to the day we married, and finally to now. He may be an old goof sometimes, and he still sometimes trips over things, but I still love him deeply."

"Well, I was a sucker for a beautiful lady like you. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined myself lucky enough to find someone like you. You're right, I was a geek in school. Still am sometimes. Though it's because of you I grew up quickly, and I learned a lot from you, especially how to let go. I may have had to work harder to maintain my grades in school because I spent so much time with you, but it was all worth it because I was with you."

"Thanks dear, I love you. Even if you are a geek," Lizzie said.

"I love you too dear, and you are still the same stunning woman I married all those years ago," Lorn said, leaning over to give her a kiss on her lips.

We all stood there looking at them. I could tell, just from the looks on their faces, that Tim wanted to quickly get back to Darryl, and my father definitely wanted to return to my mother. I had Terry with me, and I was happy he was. My eyes began to water as I looked over at him, seeing him look at me with tears in his eyes as well. If It wasn't for the fact that I had Powder in my arms, I would have pulled him into a hug right then and given him the biggest hug I could. Somehow just hearing about the love Lizzie and Lorn had for each other reminded me of just how much I loved Terry.

"We had better get this done and over with then," Lorn said finally. He found the key to unlock the gate, and led us all into the enclosure before closing and re-locking it. Leading us further into the preserve, we saw various large enclosures that contained various types of birds and small animals.

"Why aren't these animals allowed to run around like the deer are?" Terry asked.

"Well, most of the birds here are recovering from sickness or broken wings. They stay in here for their own protection until they are well enough to be released to the wild. The same goes for the rabbits and groundhogs and such that we treat here as well. If we let them run around loose, there's no way they'd be able to survive on their own. So we keep them here temporarily. Funny thing is, even when we do release them, several of them return here on their own. Like any other wildlife that comes through here, we treat them the same and feed them just as if we were caring for them," Lorn answered.

"You have a very special place here," my father told him.

"Thank you. We're very proud of everything we've been able to accomplish," Lizzie replied.

"And here we are," Lorn said, walking up to a small enclosure that was made up of a wooden fence. It was high enough off the ground to prevent any of the animals from escaping the enclosure, but it was still short enough that people could see into it and at the animals without anything hampering their view. Inside the enclosure I could see a number of grown deer, and I could also see what Lorn was talking about with regards to on of them looking like it had recently given birth.

Inside the enclosure was a young man who was gently touching and mingling with the deer who didn't seem to mind his presence. He saw us standing outside, and left the herd, walking towards us. He was in his twenties at least, had long brown hair that was covered by a cowboy type hat, and wore a plaid work shirt with worn jeans. His face was really appealing to me, and I thought right away that he might be gay, an opinion I kept to myself of course.

"Hey Lorn, Lizzie, Paula," the young man said in an almost angelic voice.

"Jack, let me introduce you to Craig, Emily, Terry, and his boyfriend Simon," Lorn said.

"Boyfriend huh? Well congrats to you all," Jack said, smiling at Terry and me.

"Thanks," Terry and I said together.

"And this is Powder," Lorn said, suggesting that I show him Powder, which I did.

"Oh my gosh, she is gorgeous!" he exclaimed. "She'll fit right in. I know it."

"They won't reject her because she's an albino?" I asked?

"No, you don't have to worry about that. I don't know why this little one here got separated from her mother, but deer do not see colour the way we do. For the most part, they're colour blind, like some people are. They rely mostly on the scent and sound of the things around them to distinguish between a non threatening situation, and a threatening one," Jack said.

"How is it that you are able to get so close to them?" Terry asked.

"Well that's simple, Terry. This material I am wearing has been infused with a chemical that gives off the scent a deer would make. I know you can smell it faintly yourselves, but to a deer, it's a very powerful smell, and they recognize it. As a result, they see me as being a part of the herd, so I'm accepted.

"Oh wow," I said.

"What about Powder here," my father asked. "Won't she be seen as an intruder?"

"No. You see, deer look after their young much like humans do, with the fawns following their mothers everywhere until they're old enough to go out on their own. Mostly, the fawns simply stay with the herd, increasing it's numbers. Occasionally the herds intermix and are accepted though not often without some sort of challenge by the dominant buck. This little girl, being a fawn will be accepted into the herd without question because of her age. What's surprising is that most deer will look after the fawn of another if that mother was killed, or was separated from the rest of the herd. Where was this little one found?"

"Actually we found her coming back from Algonquin Park," my father answered.

"That's strange," Jack said.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"You see that herd over there?" Jack asked, pointing over at the deer that he had just left."

"Yeah," I answered.

"Well, those were rescued around the Algonquin park area. And that one over there? She has definitely given birth within the last week."

"Oh wow! Do you think she could be Powder's mother?" I asked him.

"It's a distinct possibility. What do you say we find out?" he suggested.

"Okay. How?"

"Well, I'll need you to come in with me. Don't worry. They won't hurt you. Since you'll be with me, they won't see you as a threat. Come inside," he said, walking over to the gate and opening it up for me.

"Dad?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Go ahead son, just be careful, and do everything Jack says." Then to Jack he asked, "You will make sure he'll be alright won't you?"

"Of course. I won't let anything happen to him, you have my word," Jack assured my father.

I walked through the gate with Powder in my arms and waited until Jack had closed it again. He then pointed me in the direction of the herd, and together we walked closer to the deer. A couple of them took notice of our advance, and stopped what they were doing to look at us. One of those that stopped was the one who looked as if she had given birth. Both her ears rotated forward in our direction, and Powder began to make some noises in my arms.

Her sounds attracted the attention of the other deer, and the large buck approached us. I was suddenly afraid as this powerful looking animal approached me.

"Don't be afraid Simon," Jack assured me. "He's not going to do anything with Powder in your arms. Just let him come up to you and check you over."

I did as Jack suggested and stood my ground as the buck sniffed me and Powder. Without realizing it, I shifted Powder's weight onto one arm and held out my hand to the buck. The buck sniffed my hand, and was apparently satisfied that I meant no harm to him or his herd.

"Okay, now slowly walk over to that mother over there. She's definitely interested in Powder, and she's definitely getting antsy in your arms," Jack said.

"I know, she's getting hard to hold in place," I told him.

"You want me to take her?" he asked.

"No, it's okay. I've got her." With Jack walking slightly behind me, and with the buck watching me carefully, I approached the mother. She took a few steps towards me, and I slowly lowered Powder onto the ground. She was still wrapped in the blanket I had used in the car, and I had to help her out of it despite her struggles to get out on her own. Her cries continued until I finally was able to unwrap her from the blanket. The moment she was free, she struggled to stand up, and then almost ran to the mother. Even though she was still a little unsteady on her feet, she never hesitated as she swiftly ran towards her.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw what happened next, and I would hear it from Terry later on what he had seen also. As soon as Powder reached the mother, she was immediately checked over and licked by the mother. Powder didn't waste any time and went immediately for the mother's utters, drawing in her mother's milk for the first time in days.

The sight before me was so moving, and so beautiful, I couldn't help but begin to cry. I collapsed onto the ground, landing on my butt as I watched mother and daughter reunited.

"My God, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Jack said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"It is. I can't believe that that deer you found was Powder's mother. I'm so happy, for the both of them. I'm going to miss her so much, but now I'm happy to see that she found her mother again." I said, trying to wipe away my tears.

"Go ahead and cry Simon. It's a very special moment. Not many people get to see something like this," Jack said, kneeling beside me and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It is. It's perfect!" I said, and sat there watching as the Powder we found and came to love nursed with her mother, and was surrounded by the other deer, accepted back within the herd. Together with family.