Date: 11 Oct 99 03:30:03
From: rimshot@planetaccess.com
Subject: The truth about Caymen part 3

I am very sorry to have put this chapter of The Truth about Caymen on hold
for so long.  I appreciate all of the notes that I've gotten asking if I've
died.  I haven't.  As usual, please send me any notes or comments Dan

rimshot@planetaccess.com


The Truth about Caymen Part 3


	Caymen leaned back and planted his feet on the cliff face, dangling
from the nylon cord that served as a safety line.  He looked up at Merit's
ass, made somewhat rounder by the climbing harness he wore, and fought the
urge to goose him with his thumb.  Instead, he reached up and gently guided
Merit's left foot to a toehold that had been just out of reach, receiving a
grunted thanks in return.

	They hung together in the open air about sixty five feet up.  The
rock face, a rather mediocre climb, was serving as Merit's third actual
climb in his life.  Caymen took a swallow of water from an aluminum bottle
and fastened it back to his belt.  Baggy, suspended in a hammock like pack
around his waist poked her head out, glanced up at Merit, then pulled back
into the pack, bored with the length of time she'd been forced to ride.
They rarely took this long on a climb.

	Merit gritted his teeth and pulled himself up a few more hard won
inches, drenched in sweat and shaking.  With a last push he reached the top
edge of the cliff and hoisted himself up and over.  He collapsed onto his
back and panted, watching with some irritation as Caymen seemed to
effortlessly climb right up behind him, not even winded.

	"You did a hell of a lot better than you did in Logan Canyon,"
Caymen said, handing the water bottle to Merit and sitting cross-legged at
his side.  He freed Baggy and pulled a small bowl out of the pack.  Merit
poured water in it, then drank deeply.  Baggy lapped quietly, then made her
way to the bushes to explore.

	"I damned near fell until you put my foot up."  Merit wheezed in
self-disgust.  "I had this beautiful mental image of myself sailing past
you on the way down, landing in the middle of the car."

	"You did fall at Logan, and you didn't fall here.  Am I missing
something, or is that an improvement?"  Caymen took sandwiches out of the
pack and chuckled, holding them up for Merit to see.  One had been torn
open, the bologna and cheese nibbled and apparently found wanting.  "I'll
finish Baggy's."  He said, handing the intact sandwich to Merit.

	"Does she literally go where you go?"  Merit asked around a
mouthful.  "I have to admit, I thought you were high when you said she went
climbing."

	"She's gone with me since I started three years ago.  She used to
just ride my shoulders, but she almost fell once.  I made her the pack
after that."

	"Don't you think it's a bit, oh I don't know, bazaar to drag your
house cat up the side of a cliff?"  Merit opened his eyes wide and raised
his eyebrows causing Caymen to laugh out loud.  "I mean I don't know for
sure, but I don't recall meeting anyone before that did that."

	Caymen smiled and brushed his bangs aside.  "You never had anyone
touch your mind before either, and you didn't bitch about that."

	"I was not bitching, I was discussing your state of mental decay
and the welfare of your feline companion."  Merit stroked Baggy's head and
was rewarded with a dry raspy lick on his hand.  "Actually, I can't imagine
you separated from her for very long.  She would die of heart break."

	"She wouldn't like it, but she'd be OK."  Caymen repacked the items
into Baggy's pack and stood up, offering a hand to Merit.  "Are you ready
to go down?"

	"Yeah, where's the trail?"  Merit glanced around, then looked into
Caymen's eyes.  Amusement stared back, and Caymen pointed to the ropes and
the side of the rock face.  Merit's face paled.  "Oh, hell no.  I know
you're full of shit on this one, big guy.  I am not climbing down that
miserable damned rock."

	"The idea is to rappel.  You know, like I showed you in Logan?"
Caymen adjusted his harness and picked up the rope, locking it into the
ring on his waist.

	"Cay, that was fifteen feet.  If I fell it would hurt, but I would
live through it."  Merit glanced over the edge and swallowed hard.  "That's
fifty feet, with nothing to break the critical velocity."

	"More like sixty five or seventy."  Caymen moved behind Merit and
adjusted his harness, then attached his rope.  When he finished, he wrapped
his arms around Merit's chest and laid his head on his shoulder.  "I would
hardly put you or Baggy in a position that I thought was going to get you
hurt, would I?  You can do this, just like last time, and I'll be right
there with you."

	"You really piss me off sometimes."  Merit grumbled.  Baggy jumped
into Caymen's arms and swarmed into her pack.  After some rearranging, her
head popped out and she seemed to be winking at him as if to say `come on,
you can do it!'.  He wiped his sweaty hands on his shirt and pulled his
gloves on, feeling a thousand butterflies break dancing in his stomach.

	Caymen wrapped the rope around his waist with one hand and trailed
it out with the other, slowly backing towards the ledge.  With a vicious
smile, he launched himself vertically out into the air and disappeared,
causing Merit's knees to go weak.  His mind tried to tell him that Cay was
fine, that he had stopped only a few feet down to wait.  His subconscious
however played a slow motion video of Caymen cartwheeling to the canyon
floor.

	"Come on, tough guy!"  Caymen's shout interrupted his movie.  He
shook his head to clear it, then backed to the edge.  Merit took two deep
breaths, closed his eyes, and then pushed himself out into the big wide
open, feeling the line whiz through his gloves.  Panicking, he broke the
fall and slammed into the rock, nearly taking his wind.  He opened his eyes
and looked up, embarrassed to see that he had only descended about five
feet.

	"I told you to keep your eyes open."  Caymen tisked, not meaning
any sarcasm.  "Now get your feet against the rock and remember to take
small drops.  That way it's easier to stop."  He demonstrated, stopping
about twenty feet below.  "Now take it easy and come down to where I am."

	They managed to make it down in five hops.  Merit even landed on
his feet, which boosted his pride a little.  Caymen smiled, absolutely
glowing at his pupil, and opened the link they shared, allowing his
feelings to wash over Merit.

	"God, I needed that."  Merit gasped, hugging Caymen and kissing
him.  After a moment Caymen pushed him away gently.

	"We need to get going.  Grandma is expecting us home by six to meet
my uncle."  Caymen tugged the end of the rope they hadn't used and was
rewarded with the knot coming loose.  He did the same for Merit's line.
They carefully wound the cords to keep them from kinking, then took off the
harnesses and put everything into Merit's El Camino.

	"Have you ever met your uncle before?"  Merit started the truck and
pulled onto the road.  Baggy crawled up on the little ledge behind the seat
and stretched out.

	"I don't think so.  I don't think he could come to my dad's
funeral.  Something about some surgery or something."  Caymen drained half
of a fresh water bottle then handed it to Merit.  "My cousin Darius is
coming, too.  He's a year older than I am."

	"Your family has a thing for names, don't they?  Dare-Ee-us?"

	"What do you mean?"

	Merit shook his head with a slight smile on his lips.  "Caymen,
Deidre, Darius.  There just interesting, that's all."

	"Well now let me see, Mr. Merit Cheyenne Carter, who has a name
thing going on?"  Caymen smirked, stroking Baggy.  "He goes by Dare, by the
way."

	"That's not fair.  If you hadn't heard my mother pissed off at me,
you wouldn't have a clue what my full name was."  Merit shot an indignant
glance, then corrected the truck back towards the middle of the road.

"Besides, if you like that his full name is Garrison Darius McCandles.
He's actually very cool."

	"You know him better than your uncle I take it."

	Caymen nodded and looked out the window.  "He used to come and stay
with my parents for a few weeks each summer.  He was here just before they
died about four years ago.  I still email him.  I think you'll like him."

	"Well let me tell you this, Caymen Andrew McCandles.  I hope they
aren't here long, cause I like having all your time to myself."

	Deidre shooed them up the stairs the minute they walked in the
house, irritably swatting at them for being late.  Merit was first into the
shower, then dressed in a crisp white T-shirt, sleeveless V-neck sweater,
khakis, and sandals.  Caymen chose a polo shirt, dockers, and boat shoes.
They heard voices in the living room as they made their way down the
stairs.

	Caymen smiled as a rush of emotions filled his head, and the
flicker of a long lost friend touched his mind.  He had felt Dare in the
back of his mind for the last hour, and as he reached the foot of the
stairs his cousin blossomed into his head, a tumble of memories and secrets
between kids, summer sun, and forgotten fun.  He flung his arms around
Dare.

	Merit was shocked.  Caymen, who rarely showed emotions on the
outside, had grabbed the younger of their visitors in a hug that made him a
bit envious.  He was further shocked at the resemblance between Caymen and
Dare.  Darius was maybe an inch taller, and his ponytail a few inches
shorter, but they were incredibly alike in looks and features.  Merit
couldn't keep from staring at them as introductions were made, although he
tried his damnedest not to be rude.

	"I'm very pleased to meet you."  Dare held out his hand to Merit in
a firm but non-aggressive handshake.  "Caymen thinks very highly of you."

	"I wasn't aware I was a topic for conversation."  Merit said, taken
back.

	"You weren't."  Caymen grinned, tapping the side of his head with
his finger.

	"Oh, shit.  Another mind reader."  Merit sighed, then half
heartedly joined in with them as they laughed.  Just what he needed.  A
cousin that knew everything without being told.  He suddenly felt violated,
even though in his heart he knew Caymen, his Cay, would never say or do
anything to hurt him.  It just felt funny to have someone know everything
without asking, that's all.

	Dare's father, Marrin McCandles, did not fit the picture at all.
He looked to be about mid fifties, balding, and very thin.  He was brusque
when introduced, and his Scottish accent was severe, all most to the point
of not being understandable.  Dare's on the other hand was more British,
with softer edges and very non-invasive.

	They sat down in the dining room, which was a seldom-used room, and
had steaks and trimmings prepared by Deidre.  The conversation, which was
mostly about the difference between English and American society (the
colonies had none according to Marrin) and the state of family affairs.

	Caymen seemed shocked and upset as his uncle and grandmother
discussed the family estate, finding out that there was a huge fortune
behind the McCandles name.  He hadn't known this, and took Merit's hand
under the table.  He knew his father had left a lot of money for he and his
grandmother, including the house, but the numbers his uncle was spewing
were astronomical.

	Dare caught his eye and winked, and a calm settled into his mind.
Merit felt Caymen's hand slacken and glanced at his face, then over at
Dare.  Dare raised his glass to Merit with a knowing smile, then went back
to listening to his father.

	Merit was confused, and admittedly a little jealous.  He couldn't
figure out why, but it bothered him that there was a link going on and he
wasn't part of it.  That caused his immediate embarrassment.  It was
selfish and petty, and shame washed over him.

	`Knock it off.  You're broadcasting like a damned radio' Caymen
send to him, humor laced with affection surrounding the silent
communication.  He glanced up at Cay and smiled, chagrined.

	`Not to mention embarrassing Caymen' Merit realized that the last
had come from Darius.  His face flashed red as a mental laugh like chimes
went through his head.

	`Sorry' He sent back, hoping that they both got it.

	Deidre sighed and tapped her glass with a knife to get their
attention.  "Children, I would appreciate it if you would excuse yourselves
and go terrorize the cat or something.  We can hardly concentrate."  Her
tone made it quite clear that they had been intercepted, and that they
needed to be else where.  With mumbled apologies, they stood up to leave.
"Caymen, Darius, you will not pick on Merit again, is that clear?"

	"Yes, Ma'am."

	"Yes, Grandmother."

	"It's hard enough to take you two at face value, let alone when you
behave like carnival freaks.  Caymen, take the boys to the mall or the
cinema.  Marrin and I will need a couple of hours, please."

	Caymen stopped on the way out to feed Baggy, then grabbed his car
keys.  They piled in the Cougar, Dare taking the back seat, and headed out
with no particular destination in mind.

	"Does everyone in your family do the head talk thing?"  Merit asked
Caymen, but directed it towards them both.

	"Only about half," Dare answered, his accent velvety.  "The rest
are simple mortals that haven't a clue."
	Caymen laughed, surprised at Dare's blunt sarcasm but feeling
nostalgic about their summers together.  "We're mortals too, you idiot."
He said, looking in the mirror and seeing the humor in Dare's eyes.

	"Speak for yourself, Cay, I intend to out live you."

	Merit shook his head and rolled his eyes.  "Great.  The whole
fucking lot of them thinks their comedians."

	"Speaking of funny stories, Cay, when did you decide you were a
lad's man."  Dare asked.  There was no sound of judgment in his tone, no
reproach.  Just curiosity.  Caymen had been bracing himself for the
inevitable, yet found the answer difficult.

	"Jesus, is there anything about us that didn't get printed in the
paper or aired on CNN?"  Merit asked hotly, burning a glare at Caymen.

	"I can't hide anything from Dare, Merit.  Who do you think taught
me what I've been teaching you?"

	Merit sighed and slid down in the seat.  "Just fucking great."

	"Easy, friend.  I don't mean trouble."  Dare patted Merit's
shoulder between the seats.  "Cay and I are close, that's all.  I'm glad to
see him acting so happy.  He seemed almost completely lost when Andrew
died."

	"You quit coming after that."  Caymen said quietly.  He felt Dare's
other hand on his cheek.

	"I was at school, Cay.  I couldn't come like I used to."

	They pulled into a park and got out, making their way towards the
swings and such.  Merit sat down near a tree and leaned against it, unaware
that he had separated himself from them a little.  The sun was nearly down,
and there were no clouds.  His mind wandered towards the camping trips and
he wished they were on one now.

	"I'm glad you're here, Dare."  Caymen sat in a swing, followed by
his cousin.  "What brings you guys across the big puddle?  I don't think
Marrin came for the company."

	Darius chuckled.  "He has business in California.  I asked if I
could stay with you and grandma for the week he was there."

	Merit listened while they chatted and caught up.  He began to feel
a bit foolish as he saw how close they were.  The jealousy trickled away,
and he started to think that he kind of liked Dare.  He seemed very
genuine, and was damned good looking, almost a carbon copy of Caymen.
Without realizing, his eyes trailed over the handsome Englishman's face,
muscular chest, and lingered near his fly.

	"Thanks."  Dare said.  Merit realized after a second that Darius
was talking to him, and he felt his face color red again.

	"Jesus, I wish you two would stop doing that.  I like to think once
in awhile, and you're fucking me up."  He grumbled, then stood up and moved
to sit near the swing set.  Caymen ran his fingers through Merit's hair
lightly, causing him to sag against Caymen's leg.  "Now that I like."

	"Cay," Darius said after some time, interrupting the quiet.  "Can I
tell you something that will be a bit of a shock?"

	"You can tell me whatever you want.  You know that."

	"I am not Marrin's son."

	Caymen straightened, meeting Dare's eyes.  "How did you find this
out?"

	Darius leaned forward on his knees and looked at the ground.  "I
went to the doctor a few years ago for a virus from school.  He went out of
the room and I was idly looking at my chart."  He clasped his hands
together, then looked up.  "It had my birth certificate in it, or a copy
anyway."

	"What did it say?  Are we still related?"  Caymen was concerned,
and accidentally pulled Merit's hair.  "Oh, shit!  I'm sorry!"

	"Caymen, isn't it obvious?"  Merit said, leaning forward.  "Look at
Dare and tell me who you see."

	"I see my dad."  Caymen whispered.  His mind played memories for
him of his father's face, of the three of them together during Darius'
visits, and it sank in, all most overwhelming him.  "Oh my god."

	Dare nodded.  "My mother is married to Marrin.  Yours died with
Andrew."

	"You mean dad had an affair with your mom?"  Caymen blinked rapidly
as the ramifications settled in.

	"Just before he met your mother."

	Caymen's heart raced.  If this meant what he thought it did, he was
looking at his half brother.  He looked hard at Dare's face, and it was
definitely the face of his father.  He swallowed hard.  This was not what
he expected to learn.  On the other hand, it was like he always knew.

	"Well that answers a lot of questions."  Merit said, looking from
one to the other.  "Like how you got in my head so easy."

	"I'm really sorry, Merit.  I had to know more about the person who
had my brother's heart."  Dare said soothingly.  "I try to never invade
people's heads, but you were so loud in mine that I couldn't help it."

	"We should be getting back."  Caymen stood up and pulled Merit to
his feet.  "Your fath….I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."  Caymen fumbled.
"Marrin is getting ready to leave."

	"Is he telling you to come back?"  Merit asked.

	"Marrin is dark."  Dare informed them, wrapping his arm around
Merit on one side and Caymen on the other.  "I can't see that he has any
gifts at all.  It makes him insanely jealous of those of us that do.  He
has thrown tantrums that have destroyed entire rooms in his house."

	"Why doesn't he have the gifts?"  Merit asked, climbing into the
back of the Cougar.

	"I can't say.  It skips people in every generation, usually because
the parent that married into the family has dominant genes or something,
but Marrin and Caymen's father had the same parents, and Andrew was very
talented.  So is Caymen."

	"What about you?"  Caymen asked.  He pulled away from the curb and
pointed the hood towards home.  "I don't even know if Dad would have told
me about it if you hadn't started to teach me."

	Dare smiled slightly, but his face looked more sad than anything
else.  "He taught me everything he could, but I don't think he wanted us to
know.  I started learning on my own by accident, so he would make trips to
Scotland just to work with me.  I don't think you and I were supposed to
play those games when I visited.  It always upset him."

	"You don't know why?"

	Dare looked at Caymen and shook his head, then put his hand on
Caymen's thigh.  "All I know is I felt like he was protecting you from
something."  To Caymen's mind, he silently sent `speak only audibly, and
don't send anything.  Marrin is not dark.'

	The physical touch between them made the message clear, like Darius
had spoken.  Caymen glanced over at his brother and nodded, feeling the
hairs on his neck raise up.  `We felt you and Merit communicating.  I think
that's why we're here.'  Dare removed his hand and turned to the back seat.
"So, Merit.  You heard about me.  Tell me about you."

	"Caymen could hear them, but tuned them out, digesting what he'd
learned.  His grandmother had acted stressed, which was very unusual, and
now his best friend and cousin turned out to be his brother, and was
warning him not to touch minds because of an uncle he had never actually
met.  For some reason, he felt that his dreams of the black mist was
related, but couldn't tell why.

	Merit had to leave when they reached the house.  His school
registered tomorrow, and his class started at nine am.  He glanced at
Darius, then kissed Caymen, flicking his tongue into the other's mouth.  He
could tell Caymen had been embarrassed, but was relieved that he found it
exciting and wasn't angry about the public display.  `Behave!' he sent
back, and Merit grinned and hopped in his truck.

	"I'm almost jealous."  Dare said quietly, standing next to Caymen
and waving as Merit drove away.

	"Why do you say that?  Caymen picked up his cat and lead towards
the house.  He could feel confusion and a little frustration coming from
Dare, and realized that his brother's barriers weren't hold up to the usual
standard.

	"Nothing."  Dare said, trying to close his mind up.  They entered
the living room and found a note.  Marrin had left for his hotel, and he
would pick Darius up in eight days.  Grandmother had gone to bed.  Darius
could feel the tension in the note and handed it to Caymen, watching his
jaw tighten.

	"Something's fucked up here."  Caymen whispered.  "This doesn't
feel right."

	"Let's continue up stairs.  Do I get my usual room?"  Dare started
up the stairs and chuckled as Baggy flew past.

	"Uh , actually your room doesn't exist anymore.  We had the wall
taken out to make mine bigger.  Sorry."  Caymen followed and leaned in to
turn on the light.

	"That's cool.  I wanted to spend time with you.  This will be just
like our sleep out used to be."  Dare was surprised to find his suitcases
already near the closet.  "I would guess that grandmother had decided for
us."  Caymen helped him make room in the closet and they put his clothing
away.

	Caymen showed Dare where the bathroom was now, and where towels and
such were, then yawned hugely.  He pulled off his shirt and sat down on his
bed, pulling at his shoes.  He realized after a moment that Dare was very
quiet, and he glanced over his shoulder.  "What's wrong, aren't you tired?"

	"I was going to find some blankets to make my bed."  Dare said, a
funny look on his face.

	"On the floor?  In eight days you won't be able to stand up.
What's wrong with the bed?"  Caymen patted his queen-sized bed, wondering
what the problem was.

	"I sleep in the nude, Cay.  I didn't want to make you
uncomfortable."

	"So do I. And I seriously doubt that you would ever make me
uncomfortable."  Caymen bent to pull off his socks.  "Suit yourself,
though.  It's your back."

	Darius sat down on the other side and quietly started to undress.
Caymen turned on the lamp on his side, then got up and turned off the
light.  Darius got under the covers, and Caymen pulled off his pants and
put them in the hamper.  He had on the blue bikini briefs that Merit had
given him, and he peeled those off too.

	"You've certainly filled out from the skinny thirteen year old I
remember."  Dare quipped, watching as Caymen got under the covers and
turned out the light.

	"I climb a lot."  Caymen said as he adjusted the pillows.  "You
always looked like a god to me.  I wanted to be just like you."  He
chuckled.  "Of course I didn't know that we shared genes at the time."

	"I envy you."  Darius said at length.  "Do you love Merit?  He
seems very nice."

	"I don't know for sure.  I think I do."  Caymen was surprised by
the question and reviewed his memories.  "Have you ever been with a…you
know, with…?"

	"With another guy?"  Dare finished the thought, aware of the
contact between their thighs.  "No.  I did it with a girl, but it wasn't
very satisfying."

	"I'm sorry."  Caymen couldn't tell what Dare was thinking, but for
some reason he was suddenly aroused.  It was embarrassing, and it was
wrong, but he had always found Dare attractive, even when they were
younger, and now with him so close…..

	"What's it like?"  Darius whispered.  Similar feelings ran through
his mind, but there was a line of guilt to go with it because he now knew
Caymen was his little brother.

	"It's… uh, it's good."  Caymen wanted to touch, to open his mind
to Darius.  He fought the idea and was about to turn over when he felt Dare
touch his arm.  The link started immediately, and they could feel each
other try to pull away, but it wasn't possible.

	Caymen knew at once that Darius was also gay, and that he had found
Merit very attractive.  He also knew the pain of Darius keeping his secret
all this time.  He felt a solitary tear slide down his cheek from the
emotional overload, and without thinking he stroked Dare's cheek.

	"Oh Cay," Darius pulled the hand away gently.  "I don't know if
that's a good idea.  We're brothers."

	Caymen smiled in the dark and put his hand on Dare's chest, feeling
the taught muscles.  "You can't get me pregnant, Dare.  I don't think
there's a problem."  His heart pounded, and he felt powerful for initiating
the actions.  A ripple of quicksilver laughter came through the link, and
Darius leaned in and kissed Caymen.

	`I wanted you to do that forever.'

	`Don't send, talk.'

	"Sorry."  Caymen whispered, trailing his hand down and finding Dare
as hard as a rock.  Dare gasped, and Caymen tunneled under the covers,
using his hands to explore the smoothness of Dare's body and limbs.

	Dare felt Caymen's lips surround him, and he shuddered, feeling
electric sparks fly up his spine.  He had dreamt of this moment,
fantasizing about seeing Caymen's beautiful body, but never thought it
would come true.  Caymen began to move up and down on him, and he tightly
grabbed the headboard, desperately trying to hold still.  Caymen's tongue
flicked at him, and he groaned in pleasure.  The fire in his gut began to
burn, then caused his stomach to crunch tight.  His toes curled almost
painfully, and though he held as long as he could, he erupted into Caymen's
mouth, wave after powerful wave sweeping through his body.

	After sucking the very last bit over energy out of him, Cay slid up
beside him and kissed him, sharing a musky flavor with his tongue.  It only
took a second to realize that the flavor was him, and Dare found that very
erotic.  He touched Caymen, finding that they were almost identical in
sizes of their penises.  He began to stroke Caymen, and was rewarded with
him rolling onto his back and moaning.

	As with himself, Caymen soon began to try and curl into a sitting
position, and Dare held him down, running his tongue over Cay's chest and
nipping his nipples.  Caymen's stomach tightened, and Dare heard him grunt,
then watched as semen shot up and out, nearly hitting the headboard.  No
small amount, either.  Pump after pump landed on Caymen's chest and abs,
and when he was finished, they rolled together, spreading it over both
their bodies.

	They were asleep almost at once, entangled in each other's arms.
Any residual guilt or negative feelings were gone, and they slept as one.


* * * *


This story line was suggested by Brody, who emailed me constantly.  Tell me
what you think, won't you?  The address is at the top of the page.

Rimshot