Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:59:45 EST
From: Jetjt@aol.com
Subject: Super Jeff, Chapter 12

The following story is a work of gay fiction. If the subject matter is
offensive to you or you are too young please exit now. This work is the
property of the author and may not be reproduced without permission. John
Tucker, JETjt@aol.com


					SUPER JEFF

				          Chapter Twelve

JEFF'S POV

What a wonderful night.  I can't imagine being without Chris.  He's become
such a part of my life, a part of me that the thought of ever losing him
would be like cutting off my arm. My heart told me that such a disaster
would be beyond comprehension. I washed the horrible idea from my thoughts
and remembered Chris' sweet face. Again we limited our lovemaking to
kissing, touching, and oral activities. I knew I could be happy with never
going beyond what we were doing, yet the new thing we did made me
wonder. As we took each other in our mouths our fingers penetrated each
others' rectum until we found that special spot that turned up the flame on
our passion to new heights. It was a new sensation, one I'd read about, but
never really believed until I asked Chris to do it to me. He noticed my
reaction at once and later insisted that I try it with him. He enjoyed it
as much as I did.

Sunday morning we got up late, breakfasted, then went again to the golf
course. After an hour on the driving range and putting green we played 18
holes. Chris was a little disappointed since he had three holes where `the
wheels came off' in his playing and the harder he tried, the worse he
played. I slowed down our play, insisting that he take practice swings each
time he went to address the ball. After a hole of mixed shots, his game
came back and he played better than he ever had before. We talked about the
mental aspects of the game and how it was essential that he learn to forget
the last hole and even the previous shot, and to play each shot like it was
a new game. Once he got over his frustration at playing poorly, his game
reflected the lesson that he'd accepted. While the three bad holes had
doomed his score for the round, I more than praised his improved play. He
also had some truly great shots, including one drive that rivaled mine. All
in all it was enough to encourage him. He even told me afterward how happy
he was to have taken up the game.

Since we'd already checked out of our hotel, we debated whether or not to
go back early to camp. We decided instead to take in a movie and dinner
before we returned up the mountain. In the movie we sat in a secluded
section and held hands during the feature. It was the best part of the
show, for me. After a nice dinner at Applebee's we reluctantly drove back
to camp, arriving just before `lights out'.

The guys were happy to see us, which made us both feel good, yet in many
ways I looked forward to the following Saturday when the camp would be
over. We decided that once the campers left, we'd stop on the way back and
spend the night together once again before we took the final leg of our
journey home.

The last week in camp was filled with fun and camaraderie as the final game
competitions were held on the last Wednesday. Even though there was intense
rivalry between the cabins, I was pleased at the way my guys supported
Chris's cabin too. I'm sure they knew of my closeness to Chris and wanted
to please me. They pleased me in more than that way too. We won the games,
and Chris' cabin was a distant second. I was more than happy that Jon and
Ben were voted as team captains. They worked the other guys very hard, yet
encouraged them, rather than criticized them when they didn't do well. It
was especially gratifying the way they praised Sammy. They made sure that
he was included in all the activities and gave him special attention to
prepare him for each event, congratulating him when he did well. I felt
that all three guys developed a bond between them that would last long
beyond camp.

Chris and I didn't have much time together. The morning run now included
virtually the whole camp and our work-out sessions were never
ceasing. Chris and I had to split up the lifting sessions between us, just
to have some time for the guys in our respective cabins. On Friday as the
end of camp drew near there was an assembly inside the multipurpose
building where we ate. Each cabin had to present a skit or performance of
some kind to entertain the others. My group had bugged me about what to do
and I ended up making a few suggestions. I was surprised at their choice,
so I had to go to work right away doing a little arrangement of a song we
were going to do.  The guys all scrounged up the costumes and I worked with
them in a few practice sessions. Some of the skits were really cute,
including Chris' cabin guys who presented a melodrama skit, replete with
costumes and exaggerated lines, resulting in cheers and clapping from the
audience.

Before our turn came, my guys disappeared immediately after the previous
group was finished and quickly donned their costumes, which I'd never
seen. After we were introduced, I got up and said a few words about how I'd
enjoyed the performances so far, encouraging and praising the campers for
their work. Then I sat down at the rickety upright piano in preparation for
our act. I played a quick peppy interlude to give my guys a bit more time
to get ready. At last the curtain parted at the edge and Sammy signaled
that they were in place. I played just long enough for Sammy to get back on
stage with the others.

I began playing the introduction to the performance and the curtain parted,
revealing Ben and Jon at center stage, with the others loosely in a
semi-circle behind them. I cracked up when I saw the costumes. There was
Ben, my black bad-boy, dressed in drag as a woman in a period costume,
holding Jon's hand. Jon who was standing beside `the lady' was the
recipient of his unquestionably ugly girlfriend's attention. The audience
roared and clapped as they saw Ben.

Jon acted out an exaggerated rejection of Ben, dropping the hand of his
`intended lady,' then retreated to the company of the others, as Ben
pretended to weep. As the music reached the lead-in notes, Ben began to
sing. He was accompanied by background singing of oo's and ah's by the
other guys from the cabin as he sang brokenhearted, in a heavy English
accent, the lead-in which told of two lovers, their devotion to each other,
and their plans to be married. The lyrics described how the heroine was
instructed to meet her lover at the church where they would take their
vows. Then Ben feigned surprise as he began the chorus:

"There was I waiting at the church, Waiting at the church, Waiting at the
church, When I found he left me in the lurch, Lo how it did up-set me."
"All at once he sent me round a note, Here's the very note, (taking out a
piece of paper and waving it into the air,) This is what he wrote,
(pretending to read) `I can't get away to marry you today^Å..  My wife^Å
won't let me!"

The audience laughed and clapped their approval as the "choir" sang a
little interlude, then Ben sang the whole chorus again.

As he concluded his performance the audience stamped their approval. Calls
of `encore' were heard as the whole group bowed again and again,
grinning. I had prepared them for this, and we had the encore ready, though
none in our group except Jon and Ben were privy to it.

Jon, who had put on a straw hat during the applause, and removing his tie
and dress shirt which had covered the top of his overalls, stepped forward
as Ben joined the others.

I played a few notes of introduction and Jon began his little song:

"Dirty Lil, Dirty Lil, Lives on top of garbage hill.  Never took a bath,
never will, (he hacked up some phlegm and pretended to spit in time) "Dirty
Lil."


He blushed, and then bowed, as the audience and his fellow campers laughed,
screamed and pounded the floor with their feet.

Before the ovation died down, the group quickly filed off-stage returning
to their seats in the audience.

When all the delightful performances were done, Mr. Jepperson got on the
stage. The youths quieted as he began to speak.

"Campers," he began. "I can never remember in all my many years here, of a
camp that came together like this one. I know that you all competed, but
more importantly, you all became friends. I hope we see every one of you
here again. It's been a pleasure being here with you. Now I'd like to give
out three awards that we give out in each camp. They are for `Best Cabin',
`Best Camper', and `Best Counselor.

"First," he said is the award for `Best Counselor'. I'd like to present
that to one of our newest counselors, Jeff Richards."

I was shocked, but my guys pounded me on the back and clapped with
enthusiasm as I stood during the applause and went to the stage to receive
my award. I smiled, took the award, said a word of thanks, then quickly sat
down to the clapping of the campers.

"Next is the award for the best camper. It's my honor to present this
to^ÅSammy Jones from the Grizzly Bear cabin."

My guys yelled their approval and pounded Sammy on the back while he
blushed and went up to receive his award with the audience showing their
approval. I could quickly see that my guys were hoping for a clean sweep.

"Last is our most prestigious award, that of Best Cabin.  I'm more than
pleased to present that award to^Å The Polar Bears, Chris Taylor,
Counselor."

My guys were crestfallen, yet clapped enthusiastically for their friends in
Chris' cabin. Chris sent Frank Peterson, the captain of their competition
team to lead the whole cabin up to receive their ribbons. Chris followed
the last camper, receiving his own ribbon, and a small plaque for the
cabin. He shook Mr. Jepperson's hand and thanked him. He then followed his
guys to their seats. I saw tears of pride in his eyes as he looked over at
me before sitting down. Damn! I was so, so proud of him!

Mr. Jepperson raised his hands for silence. The room stilled.

"I'd like to say how pleased I am with you all. I hope you've enjoyed your
stay with us. Now if you'd all go out and reassemble at the campfire we'll
have our farewell ceremony along with some camp songs led by Jeff
Richards."

The gathering broke up and my guys again congratulated both me and Sammy.
We thanked them and I gave Sammy a special hug, whispering softly in his
ear how proud I was of him. He beamed at the praise.

As we left the building and headed for the seating logs surrounding the
fire pit where a blazing fire had been started, Ben and Jon stepped over to
walk beside me.

"Congratulations Coach," Jon said. "We knew you were the best. We're proud
of Sammy too. ^Å.Uh^Å we just wanted to say we're sorry."

"Thanks. Sorry for what?" I inquired.

"For making us lose the best cabin award," Ben said. "We know we lost
because of us and our fighting and for my picking on Sammy when we first
got here."

"The award was not important to me," I said. "What is important is that you
rose above your conflicts. You've become leaders and model campers in the
last weeks, and I'm proud of you both. Ben, if there was an award for `Most
Improved Camper,' you'd have won, hands-down."

He choked at the compliment, and muttered "Thanks," before Jon piped up
with, "And he'd have won for `sexiest camper' too!"

I laughed at Ben's obvious embarrassment, giving them both a hug across the
shoulders as we walked and I stage whispered with a laugh, "I think so
too!"

Ben looked at me in surprise and asked, "What about Chris?"

"He's not a camper," I said, quickly thinking of my reply, then once I'd
spoken I added a knowing wink.

"Yeah," Ben smiled in understanding.

"Hey I have to get up and lead this campfire thing," I said releasing my
hold of them. "I'd like to talk to you both in the morning after breakfast
and after you have your things ready for going home."

"Sure Coach," Jon said with a sad smile at the thought of leaving. "We'll
catch up with you then."

"Thanks Coach," Ben added as they stepped away to go to their places around
the fire.

The evening around the campfire passed with stories, songs, and a few words
from Jamie, the Head Counselor. We concluded by singing the camp song, a
slow campfire tune that told of youth, friendships and memories. More than
one eye leaked as the campers and counselors all draped their arms over the
shoulders of their companions on each side, standing around the fire and
swaying back and forth in time as the words softly escaped their
throats. The fire had died down and as if by magic, winked out as the song
ended. Everyone stood still as Jeff prayed aloud.

"Most wonderful God.  We thank You for the time we've had together under
your starry heavens. We thank You too for the fun we've had. Most of all we
thank You for the friendships that we've made while we've been here. Now we
ask that You protect and guide us all through the coming year. Let us not
forget the lessons that we've learned here nor our friends that have become
a part of our hearts. Keep us safe on the road to our homes and to our
families. Amen."

Everyone dropped their arms, and turning, began the walk to the cabins
where they'd spend their last night on the mountain.

CHRIS' POV

I awoke early. It was as if my subconscious mind was reminding me that this
morning would signal the end of our camp experience. I got up, took a quick
pee and shower, then emerging from the bathing area, looked out over my
sleeping cubs. I knew how proud I was of them and of their
accomplishments. I could feel the joy and pride in my heart as my cabin
received the `best cabin' award the previous evening. I thought of Jeff's
silent congratulations as I looked with more than a little sadness at my
guys. It had been a great experience for us all and I was so glad that Jeff
had agreed to come.

The ringing of the large bell from atop the Administration Building
signaled the wake-up call. Groans were heard from within the cabin as the
guys moved, yet still hoped for some more needed sleep. The night before, I
had heard them up talking and laughing into the late hours. I was sure
they'd sleep most of the way home on the buses.

I threw on some clothes, then stepped outside into the cool air of the
morning, knowing that the sun and clear sky indicated a warm day later
on. I looked over at Jeff's cabin just in time to see him emerge dressed in
his running togs and smiling at me. Honestly, the thought of running had
been the farthest thing from my mind. I knew better though than to attempt
opposition. Turning back into the cabin, I headed back toward my room to
change, shouting, "Runners!  Outside in 5 minutes!"

More groans were heard as I entered my quarters and closed the door. Three
minutes later I again emerged, ready to do battle. Most of my group were
either dressing for the run or had already gone outside. I followed them,
surprised at how many of the campers had gathered around Jeff standing over
by the fire pit.

"Glad you could join us," Jeff said to me with a grin.

"I'm a glutton for punishment," I complained as I moved beside him and
began my stretches.

"I'm just a glutton for you," he quietly replied. "I just can't get
enough."

"Tell me that in 10 years," I challenged. "Then I'll know that I've made
you happy."

"I'll remember," Jeff promised. "You can count on me."

By the time we'd finished our chit-chat and a few stretching exercises, the
runners for the day had assembled and prepared themselves for the run. We
took off out toward the road leading to the camp and the route that had
become second nature to us all. Forty minutes later we again were back at
our point of beginning. Covered with sweat, we first caught our breaths
before heading for the showers and then breakfast.

The morning passed quickly as the guys finished their breakfasts, returning
to the cabins to pack their belongings, then clean the cabin in
anticipation of the next group of campers that would arrive the following
day. Part way through the morning I saw Jeff talking to Ben and Jon over by
the fire pit. After several minutes of conversation, they all exchanged
hugs, then returned to their cabin and chores. By 1:15 PM, the campers were
all assembled by their buses awaiting the order to load up their gear and
take their places aboard. Jeff and I circulated, giving each of our campers
a word of encouragement and a warm hug. Soon the buses were opened and the
loading began. At 1:45 the first bus pulled out to the waves of the
counselors and staff. Five minutes later the last bus had disappeared into
the trees.

Somehow I felt that a small part of my life has just been taken from me and
a tear ran down my cheek. Jeff , who had moved to my side as the buses
left, put his arm around me and smiled sympathetically. I noticed that his
eyes too were unusually full of fluid

Mr. Jepperson came up beside Jeff and me as we watched the last bus go.

"I'd like you to come to my office, if you don't mind," Carl requested.

We followed him into the Admin Building and into his office where he closed
the door after we'd entered.

"Take a seat," he offered," as he sat down behind his desk.

We sat down beside each other and looked at our friend, our high school
principal.

"I'd like to thank you both for answering our need," he began. "I had hoped
that the fill-in counselors would be a band-aid to get through the first
camping session. What I got was the whole hospital! I must say that I'm
impressed. Thanks to the both of you, I think this session was the most
successful we've ever had. I can't believe that you got practically the
whole camp into both running and lifting. I was about to give that exercise
equipment away, just to have the space for something that was useful. Now
I'm glad I didn't. A couple of the counselors that will be staying have
offered to take over both programs. I really look forward to school
starting up and working with you both to make the Bulldogs the best school
this year in the L.A. area. All I can say is, `thank you', and here are
your checks."

"Thank you, Mr. Jepperson," I said quickly before Jeff could speak. "I can
see how Jeff got elected to be Student Body President at our school. He has
such wonderful leadership abilities, as do you. I think school this coming
year will reach a new high."

"Thanks, but don't put yourself down Chris," Jepperson replied. "I watched
you during the camp experience. You are no slouch yourself. I know that
you'll be Jeff's right hand man throughout the coming year. I don't know
when I've looked forward to the start of school so much."

"Thanks for the kind words, Carl^Å er^Å I should say, Mr. Jepperson, now
that camp's over," Jeff stammered, offering his hand. "It's been a true
pleasure working with you."

I joined Jeff in the exchange of handshakes, then after a final word of
goodbye and picking up our checks we left the cabin, making the rounds
saying goodbye to the other counselors as well as the camp staff. Thirty
minutes later, our pick-up was packed, the engine started and had begun to
move as we looked back at the camp where we'd had such a rewarding
experience, one that brought us closer to each other as well as teaching us
new lessons in life.

We drove off in silence, letting our thoughts run over the events of the
wonderful previous three weeks. Later as we descended the mountain, I broke
the silence, asking Jeff, "What was the pow-wow with Ben and Jon this
morning?"

"Oh nothing much, I just wanted to talk with them and tell them how proud I
was of them and their accomplishments," he said. "I gave them my phone
number just in case they need us. It turns out that they live close to each
other, but had never met before camp. Just prior to saying goodbye, they
told me that they had become boyfriends. I wished them luck, and they
wished us the same. I sure hope they do alright."

"I'm sure they will," I assured Jeff. "They had a good example for a
counselor."

"Thanks, but that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about their
returning home to their friends and how it will affect their newfound
relationship."

"Do you have their addresses and phone numbers?" I asked. "Maybe we could
go down and spend a day with them before school starts."

"Yes, I'd like that," Jeff replied. "Now, I hope you don't mind but I've
made plans for us this evening."

"No, I don't mind. Where are we going?"

"To Disneyland," he announced.

"Whoopee!" I yipped excitedly. "I've always wanted to go there!"

"You haven't been to Disneyland?" he asked in surprise. "I can't believe
it!"

Visions of my father popped into my head.

"No, my Dad said it was much too expensive and not worth the money."

"Well, I think he's wrong," Jeff replied. "Get ready to be a kid again."

True to his word, Jeff had booked a room only a tram ride away from the
park. I was so excited about the prospects of the following day's visit to
the park I almost forgot to thank Jeff properly. Heh, heh!... I said
almost!  (blush).

The following day was all Jeff had promised. After eating breakfast and
checking out, leaving our luggage in the hotel's baggage room, we took the
tram to the park in time for its opening. We hurried around to a few of
Jeff's favorite rides to avoid the rush that was sure to come later. It was
with wisdom that I let Jeff lead the way. He seemed to know the ins and
outs of the park, making the most of our limited time. By 4 o'clock I was
bushed and ready leave.

"Glad we came?" Jeff asked as we passed through the gates to the tram
station.

"It was great Love," I answered. "Thanks. I'm tired though and will be glad
to get home and take a soak in the hot-tub."

"The folks should be back," Jeff said. "I wonder if they enjoyed
Europe. More than that, I hope they remember their promise for a little
side trip with them this summer."

"I'm sure they won't forget Jeff. They both love you."

"They love you too," Jeff said. "They just don't realize it fully yet."

I laughed.

Picking up our luggage from the hotel, Jeff and I loaded the truck and soon
were on the half-hour trek to Palos Verdes.

The trip was not long and soon our tired bodies were dreaming of the hot
tub in the house that would appear at the top of the next hill. As we
approached, we saw two cars parked in front. They were plain sedans of an
American make, not the fancy cars one would expect in this
neighborhood. Jeff pressed the gate button on the opener he'd clipped to
the visor and the large iron gates began their opening swing. Jeff turned
through the gates and pulled around to the garage where, after opening the
garage door, he backed into the space normally occupied by his Z car.

"Let's go inside and see who's here. Frank can get our luggage later," Jeff
suggested.

"Okay Babe, "I agreed. "I hope it's not formal company. I smell like a
goat."

"Yeah, but you're my goat," Jeff winked.

"You're baaaad," I said imitating a sheep as Jeff reached the door into the
house. He grinned and pushed the lever down, opening the door and holding
it as I entered. Following me, he quickly walked past me into the front
foyer. In the living room he saw two men in suits talking to Frank.

"Hi Frank," Jeff said in greeting. "Are the folks home?"

"Come in Jeff, and you too Chris," Frank answered back without answering
Jeff's question. "You need to meet these gentlemen."

We stepped into the living room with curiosity in our minds.

"You're Jeff Richards?" the first man asked Jeff.

"Yes," was Jeff's simple reply.

"My name is Agent Hardy, and this is Agent Sterling," the man said
extending his hand. "I'm with the State Department, and Agent Sterling is
with Homeland Security."

They each showed him their I.D.'s and gave him their cards.

"This is my brother Chris," he said, nodding toward me. They offered me
their hands to shake, which I took in spite of the strange looks they gave
me.

"What can we do for you?" Jeff asked, puzzled.

"I'm afraid that I have the duty to tell you that your parents are
missing," Agent Hardy reported.

"Missing? Like how missing?" Jeff asked, his face showing alarm.

"They were apparently abducted by terrorists in London, three days ago,"
Agent Sterling said. "We're searching for them, but every effort so far has
turned up blank."

"Have you heard from their abductors?" Jeff asked in shock.

"Not a word," Sterling confided. "We're hoping that we'll hear soon. We've
notified every police agency on the continent in the event that they've
been taken off the Islands. The British are expending every effort and
every clandestine contact to find them, if they're still in Britain."

"You think they've been taken away?" Jeff asked.

"It's more than possible," Hardy responded. "It took nearly a whole day for
them to be reported missing. Then yesterday we got an eye witness who saw
them being manhandled into a car. I hate to say this, but it doesn't look
too hopeful."

"Your sister is being told today too. We're asking that you come to
Washington where the search reports are being centralized."

"Can Chris come too?" Jeff asked.

"We don't have any report of a Chris in our files," Hardy reported.

"Chris is being adopted," Jeff fudged the truth. "I need him with me in any
case."

"Alright," the agent agreed. "Your sister is being brought there too."

"I'm glad," Jeff responded, "even though we're not the best of friends."

"How soon can you be ready?" Hardy asked.

"Would tomorrow morning be too late?" Jeff asked. "We've been away and we
could use a good night's sleep."

"That would be fine," Agent Sterling answered. "We'll pick you up at 8 AM."

"That will be fine," Jeff answered. "If you hear anything in the meantime,
let me know at once."

"We will. We also will have a security agent posted outside your fence. If
you hear anything from the abductors, call immediately."

"Is the guard really necessary?" Jeff asked.

"We hope not," Hardy responded. "We can never be too cautious though."

"I suppose," Jeff agreed reluctantly. "We need to return the pick-up we
borrowed back to its rightful owner. I just thought you should know."

"Just tell the agent out front if you're going to leave," Hardy
advised. "The agent will follow you though, just so you're not
surprised. Don't forget, if anyone contacts you, inform us at once."

"You mean the phones aren't tapped?" Jeff asked.

"Of course they are," Hardy said. "It's all legal of course. We just need
to monitor them to try to find the source of the call but they might try to
call your cell phone."

"I understand," Jeff replied. "You have our complete cooperation."

"Thank you," Hardy said. "We'll leave you now. If we hear of anything we'll
let you know at once."

"Thank you gentlemen," Jeff said standing and shaking their hands once
again.

"We know the way out," Sterling said. "Thanks again."

When they were gone, Jeff slumped down on a sofa.

"I can't believe they're gone," he said shaking his head. "It all seems
unreal."


JEFF's POV

Somehow the realization that my parents have been kidnapped and maybe even
killed refused to register in my mind. Chris had a stricken look on his
face which probably matched mine. I knew that it could be days or even
weeks before we knew for sure what had happened. Until then we could only
go on, the nagging uncertainty haunting our days and nights. I took Chris
in my arms and we shared mutual support. I refused to cry, though my heart
felt full of grief. I know that Chris was afraid to say anything or
speculate as to the fate of our parents, believing, probably correctly,
that it would cause my brave front to crumble. Instead he just held me
saying, "I love you Jeff. We'll get through this together."

I smiled a grim smile at my brave Chris. This was the same guy that only a
month ago was facing an uncertain future and was a basket case. Now he was
a rock. I don't know exactly when and how it happened but I thank the Lord
for him. I knew that he had quickly become attached to my parents, making
them his as well, so I was sure that the brave exterior he was showing hid
the fear and uncertainties he felt within.

"I guess we'd better find Frank," I said. "We need to get settled back in
while we wait for news."

I took his hand while we wandered the house until we found a note. It seems
that after he'd seen us come in and we were introduced to the Agents, he
had quickly stepped out to the grocery to pick up fresh perishables that
he'd let run out or thrown away after we'd left for camp. He said he'd be
back around 5:30. I looked at my watch and saw that it was only a few
minutes before that.

"Frank's at the store," I reported, reading the note. "He should be
returning in a few minutes."

"Did he get our stuff out of the truck?" Chris asked. "If not we could take
care of that for him and put our dirty clothes in the laundry."

"Good idea Babe," I agreed, knowing that keeping busy would help pass the
time away.

I led Chris into the garage where we found that our gear was still in the
pickup. We put our clubs in the garage rack and grabbed our bags, heading
for our rooms. Once there we quickly unloaded our luggage, dumping all the
clothing into the dirty clothes hamper, and putting the toiletries, still
in their small bags, in our baths. After I finished taking my travel bag
off the bed, I set it aside as I knew I'd need it soon to repack. I went
into Chris's room and found that he too had emptied his. I set it down
against the wall to get it out of the way. He came out of the bathroom and
saw me there. We looked in each other's eyes still not knowing exactly what
to say. Finally, taking his hand I said, "Let's go see if Frank is back."

We went downstairs where we found Frank in the kitchen putting away the
groceries he'd just purchased.

"Frank, did the Agents tell you why they were here?" I asked in a soft
voice.

"Yes," he said sadly. "I didn't want to let them in. I told them that you
were expected soon, but that unless I knew what their business was, they'd
have to come back. They asked who I was and after I identified myself, they
told me about your parents. I'm so sorry. Just know that you can depend on
me for anything."

"Thanks Frank, we appreciate your being here for us," I responded.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked.

I looked at Chris. He shook his head `no'.

"We're not hungry just yet," I said. "Maybe you could fix some snacks for
later. We're going to have to leave for Washington D.C. tomorrow
morning. Would you repack for us? The dirty stuff is in the hamper, if you
think we need any of it. I guess we'll need suits too. You can lay out
travel clothes for tomorrow and leave our toiletry bags out too so that
we'll have them when we get ready in the morning. Then if you'd like you
can go to your place. Perhaps we'll know more about the folks in the
morning before we're to leave."

"I'll take care of everything, don't worry about anything here," Frank
promised. "Just do what you need to do."

"Thanks Frank," I said gratefully. "I guess now I'll call Donnie Smith and
see about exchanging vehicles. He probably wants his truck back. We filled
it up with gas before we got back."

"I think that would be wise," Frank agreed. "It's hard to tell how long
you'll be in D.C."

"Come on Babe," I said to Chris. "Let's go into the study and call."

Chris took my hand and we left Frank to his activities. Reaching the room I
sat down at the desk while Chris took one of the chairs across from me.

Pulling out my cell phone I looked up Donnie's number but chose to dial it
up on the desk phone. The phone on the other end rang several times before
it was answered. I recognized the voice of Donnie's father when he said
hello.

"Uh, hello Mr. Smith," I said politely. "This is Jeff Richards. Is Donnie
home? I was hoping that maybe tonight we could trade back vehicles."

There was a long pause before he answered. I wondered if something was
wrong.

"Jeff^Å" he said^Å I could hear sadness in his voice as my name came out
hesitatingly.  "I don't quite know how to tell you this so I guess I'll
have to say it however it comes out^Å.  Last night Donnie was out in your
car with his girlfriend. He was speeding and was involved in a major
accident^Å. They were both killed and your car was totaled."

I gasped as I comprehended what he told me. Chris looked at my shocked
expression and leaned forward in his chair at full attention.

"I'm terribly, terribly sorry, Mr. Smith. Please don't worry about the
car," I offered as I once again gathered my wits. "We'll worry about it
later. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Thanks, but no, Jeff," Mr. Smith said on the verge of tears. "The funeral
will be Thursday. We'll take care of your car after that, though both our
and your insurance companies have been notified already. In the meantime,
just keep Donnie's pickup at your place."

"Thanks, and don't give my car a thought for now," I suggested. "Would you
have someone call my house if there is anything you need. I have to go out
of town for a couple of days so if you'll just have them leave a message it
will be relayed to me."

"I'll do that for sure and I appreciate the offer," Mr. Smith
promised. "Thanks for your condolences Jeff. I know why Donnie thought so
highly of you."

"Thank you Sir," I replied. "I'm so, so sorry about Donnie. He was a good
friend."

"Goodbye Jeff."

"Goodbye Sir," I replied, then hung up the phone.

A torrent of held-back tears cascaded from my eyes as I looked across the
desk at Chris.

		*	*	*	*	*