Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2021 19:05:13 +0000 (UTC) From: Albert Collins Subject: You were there - part 38 Disclaimer: This is a romantic love story about love between young adolescent boys. There are some explicit sex scenes in the story but they are not the main focus of the story. So if you are looking for a story with a lot of explicit sex action, you are in the wrong place. If you like to read a sappy romantic tory with occasional kinky sex scenes, then please sit back and enjoy! Thanks again to all those who wrote with comments, encouragement and feedback! Of course, as usual, comments and constructive criticism are welcome! albert.c87@yahoo.com ******************************************* You were there -- Part 38 Luke flung open the door and they saw Toby standing in his PJs and slippers on the doorstep, shivering and shifting from one foot to the other nervously. "Toby?" Luke exclaimed in shock. "Toby, buddy, what are you doing here?!" "It's Yasha," Toby replied in a panicked voice. "He's run away. I can't find him anywhere." "Whadya mean," Luke stared at Toby groggily in disbelief. "What do you mean, he run away? He can hardly walk!" "I donno," Toby was almost crying. "He didn't wanna talk in the evening ... I mean, even more than usual. And then when I woke up to pee just now, I look at Yasha's bed -- and he's not there!" Toby looked at Luke and Diego with eyes full of tears. "Toby, did he take his crutches with him?" Diego inquired gently as he squeezed Toby's shoulder for comfort. "And did you call Mr Frank?" "No, his crutches, they were on the floor. But he's got his special boot thing with him, that was gone," Toby explained. "And I ... Sorry, I didn't call no-one. I just came here." Toby looked up at Luke pleadingly. "Come here, Toby, buddy," Luke took Toby in his arms as Toby sniffled in his shoulder. Luke gave Diego a panicked look. Diego got out his phone: "I'll call Mr Frank." Luke managed a small encouraging smile. Diego took a deep breath and dialed Frank's number. He spoke with Frank briefly while Luke sat on his bed, cradling Toby on his lap. "Well?" Luke's voice still held a note of panic. "Mr Frank told us to stay put here," Diego replied trying to stay calm. "Keep Toby here too. He's coming over shortly." Diego sat on the bed next to Luke and wrapped his arm around Luke's shoulder. He felt Luke's body trembling with anxiety. In about 15 minutes the door opened and Frank and Margie walked in. "Oh, Toby, sweetheart, come here!" Margie opened her arms and Toby jumped up and dove into her warm embrace. "Now, Toby, buddy, listen," Frank gently put his hand on Toby's shoulder. "You're sure Yasha said nothing earlier in the evening about what he wanted to do? Where he might go?" "No, nothing, Mr Frank, I swear!" Toby lifted his tear-streaked face. "Yasha was really really grumpy last night, din't wanna talk ... I tried to cheer him up ... But he didn't even wanna play chess." Toby looked down guiltily. "All right, Toby, all right," Frank reassured, "it'll be all right. Margie will take you back to you room and stay with you for a while." Margie led the still sniffling Toby away. "What now, Mr Frank?" Luke just noticed a large bag that Frank put on the floor. "Now we go look for Yasha," Frank replied quietly. "I already called the police and the game wardens. Frank, Mark and Rose are coming too. Warden Mitchell says they are bringing their special equipment but it's too dark to use it now. They gotta wait until morning." "Special equipment?" Luke wondered. "Whadaya mean?" "Their diving suits. For the pond," Frank sighed and rubbed his forehead. "NO!!" Luke almost screamed. "Luke, kid, you gotta pull yourself together," Frank stopped him curtly. "That is, if you wanna help. And we do need your help now." "Of course we wanna help Mr Frank," Diego hugged Luke who was still shaking. "What do you want us to do?" "Good, good," Frank sat on Diego's bed. "The police will be searching outside of Green Oaks. But they asked us to help with searching inside the Green Oaks, including the forest, since we know the area so well. I'm gonna use you two, Ritchie and Rafael. Gregg, Mark and Rose will be here soon. The wardens will help us." Frank gave Luke a sidelong glance: "Luke, are you sure you are up to it?" "It's my fault," Luke stared into the floor with an ashen expression on his face. "It's my fucking fault that Yasha's run away." "No, Luke, it is not," Frank started retorting. "Yeah, it is!" Luke cut him off. "You told us to look after Yasha, didn't you? And we said we would. But we were too busy with our own dumb problems to take care of him. And now ..." Luke turned to Frank. His strong face, usually so happy, was distorted by pain and shame and his green eyes were filled with tears. Diego, who was sitting next to Luke further away from Frank, hugged Luke from the back swaying him gently and put his chin on Luke's shoulder. "Luke, boy, you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders," Frank added with a sigh. "You're just a kid." Luke shook his head and stared down at the floor. "And you did help Yasha, trust me, you both did, you and Diego," Frank continued. "I saw how he took to the both of you. Started coming out of his shell a bit." Frank sighed again. "He was talking to the counselor too. I thought it was working ..., " Frank continued wistfully. "But these things take time. And don't always move in a straight line. Sometimes there's a zigzag. That's what we've got now. We'll just have to see how big it is ..." "So what are we waiting for?" Luke jumped up with a sudden determination. "We gotta go find Yasha!" "We are waiting for the others to get here," Frank explained patiently. "I told you, I called up our the Green Oaks counsellors, Gregg, Mark and Rose, who live pretty close, and they should get here real soon. Then you can go." "Whadya mean 'you can go'?" Luke demanded. "You're coming with us, aren't you, Mr Frank?" "I wish I could, kid, believe you me, I wish, I could," Frank sighed. "But I've got to hold the fort here. More police and the game wardens are coming soon. I think they're bringing some police dogs too. They'll probably will want to talk to Toby again. I'll be needed here ..." "Okay, I get it, Mr Frank," Luke admitted, "but when can we go?" "In a few minutes," Frank replied. "You boys get dressed, get your small backpacks, some water and a bit of food. I'll wait for you outside. Oh yeah, and you'll also need these." He took two large dark green flashlights from his bag and handed them to Luke. "Whoa, these are heavy!" Luke exclaimed taking the flashlights. "But Mr Frank, me and Diego, we've already gotten our flashlights." "Not like these ones, you don't," Frank retorted. "These are industrial strength torches. At maximum setting you can see their beams several miles away. Be careful with them." Luke turned on one of the torches and immediately rotated its sleeve to the maximum setting. The room got illuminated by a blindingly bright light. "Wow!" Diego covered his eyes. "You weren't kidding." "No, I wasn't," Frank confirmed. "Luke, turn it off, please, it's not a toy. Like I said, be careful with these." Frank left the room and Luke and Diego started frantically getting dressed. "I think we should take our own flashlights too, just in case," Diego suggested. "The ones Mr Frank brought can really make you go blind." "Yeah, sure, Diego, good idea," Luke agreed. "Don't forget to take some water. And a first aid kit." "Right," Diego responded briefly. "Let's hope we won't need it," he noted to himself mentally. "Let's hope ..." His thought trailed off. He looked up at Luke with worry. Luke's face showed a mixture of fear and determination. In a few more minutes the boys tumbled down the stairs of their cottage. Frank was waiting outside. Ritchie, Rafael, Gregg, Mark and Rose were already there too. "You're late," Ritchie whispered to Luke and Diego. "Ritchie, man, don't you start with me now!" Luke hissed back at him tensely. "All right, all right, let's go, everybody!" Frank commanded. "I'm coming with you to the boat pier. I think the wardens should be waiting for us there." As they were walking down the hill towards the pond below, Ritchie turned on his torch to the maximum setting and started waving it around. "Wow, that's so cool!" he exclaimed. "It's like I can see a mile away now." "Ritchie, come on, turn it down," Frank chided him. "I told you, this torch isn't a toy. And don't point it at people. I don't want you guys to go blind." Ritchie complied grumbling something. When they reached the water they saw bright lights and a group of five people below who were standing next to an ATV. Diego realized they were game wardens. One of them stepped forward and Diego recognized warden Mitchell. "Mitchell, buddy, I'm glad you're here," Frank greeted him, "although I wish it were under better circumstances." "Likewise," Mitchell shook Frank's hand. "We checked the pier. All the row-boats are here and accounted for." Mitchell pointed towards the pier. "Oh, thank god!" Frank exclaimed in relief. Diego, who was holding hands with Luke, felt Luke grip on his hand tighten. "That what I think it is?" Frank inquired, gesturing towards several bags lying on the ground next to the other wardens. "Ah, that?" Mitchell replied hemming uncomfortably. "Yeah, that's some diving equipment we brought, in case we need it later. Can't use it now anyway, as it's too dark ... Well, hopefully we won't need it, of course ..." Luke's hand gripped Diego's arm again. Diego silently hugged Luke, whose body was trembling. "So, what's the plan now?" Mark asked. "What do we do?" "Ah, yes, the plan," Mitchell started explaining. "A public alert for Yasha has already been issued. There'll be a lot more police and volunteers coming soon, maybe 30-40 minutes from now. We'll mostly use them to search outside of Green Oaks. We'll use the wardens and you guys to search inside." Mitchell paused and pointed again at the boats: "I figure the wardens will take the boats now to the other side of the pond to start looking there. I think you guys should split up in two groups, one taking the eastern side of the forest and the other the western side. We'll have more wardens coming soon to help you, and probably add some volunteers as well. Frank, you okay with that?" "Yes, sure, Mitchell, that sounds good," Frank agreed. "Mark, Rose, please take the eastern side for now. Gregg, take the boys and start looking along the western side. I have to get back to base now to keep the fort there. I think the police will be bringing a K9 soon. I'll try to check in with you guys as often as I can." "I'll be coming back with you for now, Frank," Mitchell commented. "The wardens are also trying to get a K9 from Concord, and I'll need to coordinate with the new arrivals." "Everybody, be safe and godspeed!" he turned to the group. Frank and Mitchell went back up the hill towards the main Green Oaks complex. Gregg and the boys turned right and started walking slowing along the shore, lighting the way with their new torches. They heard a soft splash of the oars as the boats carrying the wardens cast off from the pier. The night sky was covered by dense clouds and it was extremely dark, with almost no stars visible in the sky and hardly any moonlight. Diego noticed that Luke kept glancing anxiously at the pond to their left. He gently rubbed Luke's hand. "Do you see anything, Mr Gregg?" Ritchie inquired, peering at the ground illuminated by the bright light of his torch. "Does it look like Yasha was here?" "It's really hard to tell," Gregg commented, "this path is too dry and well worn out. Some marks here look like they might be from his boot, but I'm not sure. I hope that once we get to the forest, the ground will get damper and it'll be easier to see footprints." "We should hurry up," Luke suggested after looking at the marks on the ground that Gregg noted. "Need to get to the forest faster." Nobody objected and they picked up the speed. Diego realized that it was colder than he expected and that she should have dressed more warmly than a t-shirt. He shivered and shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "Here, babe, put this on," Luke got out a sweatshirt from his backpack and handed it to Diego. "Ah, thanks, Luke," Diego accepted the shirt gratefully, "but what about you?" "I'm fine, my body's like a furnace, you say it yourself all the time," Luke countered. "Besides, I've got a long-sleeved shirt on already!" Diego stopped arguing and put on Luke's sweatshirt. Most of the way along the shore proceeded in silence. Several bright flashlight beams jumped left and right illuminating the way. The sounds of the pond were still hushed. Walking at a brisk pace with no breaks the group reached the edge of the forest sooner than they expected. "Mr Gregg, do you see any bootprints now?" Rafael wondered. They examined the ground along the path again. "Hmmm," Gregg mused pensively. "The ground still looks pretty hard here. And it's covered with grass now. Guess we have to keep walking." Luke groaned audibly in frustration. They moved into the forest and the already dark August night got even darker. Just as they entered the Green Oaks forest, the phone in Gregg's pocket buzzed and he pulled it out. "A text from Frank," he commented, reading the message. "What does he say, Mr Gregg? Did they find Yasha?!" Luke inquired hopefully. "No, not yet," Gregg put the phone away. "Says the police dog they normally use got injured and isn't available. They're getting another one but it'll take longer." "Shit!" Luke shouted out exasperatedly. Gregg threw Luke a disapproving glance but didn't correct him. After about five minutes the group reached a fork in the path. The main, bigger, branch veered to the left, while a smaller one split off to the right. "Now, that's a conundrum," Gregg scratched his chin as they stopped as the fork. "Not sure what we should do ..." He moved the beam of his torch along the ground looking for tracks. "Damn, no signs ..." "We should split up," Luke suggested decisively. "We can cover more ground this way." "I donno if I like this idea, Luke," Gregg sounded doubtful. "I'm the only adult here and I hate leaving any of you boys by yourselves, especially at night. You might get lost." "No way, Mr Gregg!" Luke countered with conviction. "You know me, right? I know these woods like the back of hand, honest! I couldn't get lost here, even with my eyes closed. Me and Diego will take the right branch. You, Ritchie and Rafael take the left one." "Well ...," Gregg hesitated as his glance shifted between Luke and Diego. "All right, we'll do it your way. But Luke, you gotta text me every twenty minutes or so to make sure you guys are okay." "Sure thing, no problem, Mr Gregg!" Luke exclaimed excitedly. "You don't have to worry about us! Come on, Diego!" Luke grabbed Diego's hand and pulled him towards the right branch of the path. "Oh, I regret it already. Boys, be careful!" Gregg called after them. "Luke, are you sure it's a good idea?" Diego queried after a couple of minutes. "I mean us going alone like that?" He moved the beam of his flashlight in a wide semicircle. The shadows of densely packed trees danced mysteriously around them. "Sure I'm sure," Luke replied confidently. "They'd only slow us down. We've gotta hurry! We've gotta find Yasha!" Luke pressed ahead along the narrow path with Diego following him. Diego tried to absorb the sensations of the night forrest surrounding them but he was finding that they were moving too quickly for him to concentrate on anything. Even the chirping songs of the frogs sounded fleeting and indistinct. Diego started slowing down and falling behind Luke who was still walking at brisk pace. The Green Oaks forest felt quite unlike the night after Jerome showed up. The sky was cloudy and the wood was much darker but it was more than that. There was something else. Something felt different. It wasn't like the forest was hostile or threatening. But somehow, every step Diego took along the footpath felt heavier, more difficult. Something wasn't right. The forest was pushing back. They were going the wrong way! Diego stopped in his tracks. "Diego, man, what are you doing?" Luke turned around and glared at Diego in annoyance. "Come on, we gotta go!" "No, we don't," Diego replied quietly but firmly. "Not that way." "What? Dude, what are you talking about?!" Luke stomped the ground with his foot. "We're going the wrong way," Diego repeated with conviction. "I can feel it. I don't know how but ... I know." He looked up at Luke with a subdued but determined glance. Luke stared Diego in the eyes for a few seconds and his face changed. "Okay," Luke walked back to Diego and took his arm. "Okay. Good. We were going the wrong way. Which way should we go?" "Umm," Diego looked around uncertainly. "Come on, Diego, babe, concentrate," Luke urged him. "I know you can do it!" Luke smiled at Diego reassuringly. Even in the darkness of the gloomy cloudy night Diego could see Luke's eyes flash with bright green light. Diego closed his eyes and inhaled the air. He tried to concentrate on the sounds and smells of the woods around them. "Well? Which way is it?" Luke's voice interrupted impatiently. "Luke, please!" Diego chided him. "I need to focus. And could you turn your flashlight off? It's kinda distracting." "Ah, sorry," Luke apologized. "Yeah, sure, here you go." Luke turned off his flashlight, plunging them into darkness, as Diego had already turned off his. The moon was barely peaking from behind the clouds and the deep shadows of the trees around them shimmered mysteriously in the cool night air. Diego could just see Luke's eyes and teeth sparkling in the dark. Diego closed his eyes again and tried to clear his mind focusing it on again on the whispering forest. The summer was ending. He could sense the trees starting to shed their leaves, smell them beginning to coat the forest floor. Myriads of creatures were getting ready for the winter. The forest was getting ready for a long rest. But not yet. Not just yet. The stiffness of the way ahead, he could still feel it, pushing back strangely against his mind. There's got to be a better way to go. Where is it? There! There was something, behind them, to the right. The air there felt more open somehow, less stiff. "That way!" Diego opened his eyes, turned on his flashlight and pointed. "I think ..." He gave Luke a shy smile. "There's my sweet elf-boyfriend!" Luke hugged Diego and kissed him on the lips softly. "Okay, let's go." "Yeah," Diego smiled with relief, "yeah, let's go." They turned around and started heading away from the path into the woods in the north-western direction. Both boys changed the settings on their torches to a brighter beam. "Should we text Mr Gregg?" Diego suggested. "I mean that we moved off the main path?" "Nah, let's not spook him yet," Luke reflected. "I'd rather not have to explain to him why," he added with a giggle. "Yeah," Diego agreed, "I guess you're right." The boys moved cautiously through the dark forest. "Think Yasha was here?" Luke wondered. "Don't know," Diego replied uncertainly. "I can barely see my feet. I certainly hope so." "You elf-boy senses don't tell you for sure?" Luke quipped with a chuckle. "It doesn't work like a radar, Luke," Diego retorted. "Sometimes I feel something, sometimes I don't. I'm still hoping that it's not all just me being mental ..." "No, it's not," Luke reassured as he reached out and tapped Diego's shoulder. "You're doing good, babe." Luke could sense Diego smiling in the dark. "I think we're going towards the same creek where we met the shrew," Diego commented as he stepped on a twig that cracked loudly. "That's right, dude, and we're pretty close to the same spot too," Luke confirmed. "Might even meet the little guy again. Shrews, they don't really sleep at night. Just kinda take naps throughout the day, I think." "I hope we find Yasha first," Diego mused quietly. "Yeah, me too," Luke's voice turned serious. The boys continued in silence for a few minutes. Soon they could hear the quiet murmur of the creek up ahead behind a patch of dense trees and bushes. As they struggled through the brambles, Luke and Diego emerged into the narrow grove enclosing the creek. The sky has gotten slightly brighter with a slice of the moon shining from behind a large sprawling cloud. Luke moved around the beam of his light and called loudly: "Yasha! Yasha, little dude, are you here! Yasha, where are you?!" No reply came. "Shit! Do you see him, Diego?" Luke turned to Diego. "Wait ...," Diego hesitated as the beam of his torch moved further downstream. "Wait ..." The torch in Diego's hand stopped and froze. About seventy feet away north from them along the creek they saw a small figure huddled by the water. Diego and Luke almost instantly recognized who it was. "Yasha!!" they shouted simultaneously. The boys run along the bank of the creek as fast they could as their feet hit the soggy leafy ground. Diego felt that his heart was pounding wildly and blood rushed to his head. "Oh, my god, Yasha!" Luke exclaimed as they reached the younger boy. Yasha was sitting on a small boulder right by the water. He has taken off the walking boot from his right foot and the boot lay on the ground a few feet away. Yasha's right foot was submerged in the water. He still said nothing and has not turned his head, staring blankly into the water in front of him. "Yasha," Diego put his hand gently on Yasha's shoulder, "Yasha, what happened? Are you okay? Why did you run off?" Yasha still didn't respond but Diego felt him flinch slightly under his touch. Luke and Diego exchanged worried looks and Luke opened his mouth preparing to say something. At that moment Yasha finally spoke, in a low, crackling voice: "How could they do it? How could they leave me like this? How could they ..." His voice trailed off. Diego and Luke crouched on either side from Yasha. "I'm sorry about your folks, Yasha," Luke said gently. He wrapped his arm around the younger boy's shoulders. "I know it stinks. It's unfair. It shouldn't have happened." "How could they just ... leave me like that?" Yasha repeated with bitterness building up in his voice. "They didn't care ..." "No, Yasha, they cared, I'm sure they did," Diego countered softly as he took Yasha's hand. "But adults, sometimes they get too caught up in their own problems, their own fights," Luke continued. "They sorta forget that they care about us. But they still do." "They never even let me have a cat," Yasha added with tears building up in his voice. "Mom made me give away a kitten I found. He looked a bit like Roxie. I named him Thunder. He meowed really loud. Mom said he was a distraction. She made me give him away!" "I'm really sorry, Yasha, I wish you'd told us," Luke squeezed Yasha's shoulders and exchanged quick glances with Diego. "But you've got Roxie now. We all do. And you can play with her as much as ..." "I still miss them so-o-o much!" Yasha interrupted Luke. "Even dad. Even after he ... I just ..." Yasha choked off. Suddenly he emitted a loud desperate wail, almost a shriek, lunged at Luke and buried his face in Luke's chest. The sound, the loudest Diego ever heard Yasha make, run through the quiet night forest and woke the birds on the surrounded trees, who flew away noisily. Yasha's body convulsed and he started sobbing uncontrollably. Luke held him tight, and rocked Yasha's body gently. "Sshh, Yasha, shhh-h, little, buddy, it's okay," Luke cooed softly, "just let it out. I've got you. We've got you. Shhh-hh." Diego reached out and rubbed Yasha's back comfortingly. Luke cradled Yasha tighter and kissed the top of his head while Yasha continued sobbing into his T-shirt. Diego blinked hard and realized that he was crying. He looked at Luke's face and saw that Luke was crying too. Diego moved closer and hugged Yasha from the behind, with the younger boy being enveloped in Luke's and Diego's embrace as a protective cocoon. Diego could feel that Yasha's body was still quaking and trembling like a leaf but he was gradually calming down and his breathing slowed. Luke and Diego released Yasha. He wiped his tears and smiled weakly. "Yasha, little dude, are you hurt? How's your foot?" Luke asked gently. "Umm, I think I busted it up pretty good," Yasha sniffled. "It hurts a lot when I step on it. I was walking real fast ... I'm a moron ..." "No, Yasha, you're not!" Luke retorted sharply. "But listen, we have to get you out of here." "Diego, could you call Mr Gregg?" Luke turned to Diego. "We gotta tell him what happened. That we found Yasha." "Oh, yeah, sure thing," Diego stirred from his semi-trance state. He stepped away, got out his phone and started a call. "Here, Yasha, drink this," Luke handed Yasha a water bottle that he got from his backpack. Even in the dark, with the spotty light of his flashlight, Luke could see that Yasha was dirty, disheveled and his arms and legs were covered with scapes. Yasha accepted the bottle gratefully and made several long gulps. "Listen, Yasha, I think we've got to put your boot back on your foot," Luke suggested. "Can't leave it here. It's too big to fit in our backpacks. Too hard to carry it as we'll be carrying you. Are you okay with that? Or does it hurt too much?" "Umm, I think I'll be be okay," Yasha hesitated. "My foot isn't too bad when I don't step on it. We should try." "Good deal, buddy!" Luke gave Yasha a quick hug. "I'll go and get it." As Luke was bringing back Yasha's boot, he listened to fragments of Diego's conversation with Gregg on the phone. "Yeah, yeah, he's okay," Diego spoke into the phone. "No, we're not lost. ... I don't think we're lost. ... A signal? ... Okay ..." "Luke, he wants us to signal where we are with our flashlights," Diego explained to Luke. "At maximum setting." Luke and Diego set their torches at maximum brightness and pointed them straight up into the sky, swaying the beams slowly. "Whoa," Yasha commented. "That's really bright!" "Hello, Mr Gregg?" Diego picked up the phone again. "Can you see it?" "He can see it! " Diego confirmed excitedly. "He can see our beams!" "Cool," Luke chuckled. "Tell him we are bringing Yasha to the main path. Diego finished talking with Gregg, closed his phone and rejoined Luke and Yasha. "Okay, buddy, I'm gonna try to put this boot back on your foot," Luke warn. "Ready?" "Uh-uh," Yasha nodded. Diego held Yasha's leg and Luke carefully fitted the boot back on it. Yasha winced in pain a couple of times but didn't cry out. "Great job, buddy!" Luke complimented as he secured the boot on Yasha's leg. Diego noticed that Yasha, who was wearing a thin t-shirt, was still shivering frequently. "Here, Yasha, put this on," Diego peel off Luke's sweatshirt and helped Yasha put it on. "Okay, Yasha, ready to go home?" Luke asked with a smile. "Yeah, I think so," Yasha agreed timidly. Luke and Diego stood on either side from Yasha and lifted him up from the boulder as he wrapped his arms around their necks. They slowly started moving away from the creek with Yasha hopping on his good leg. "Luke, I'm sorry I called you Sponge Bob," Yasha commented as they were getting through the thicket. "What?" Luke asked, perplexed. "When we just met," Yasha explained. "The day I got to Green Oaks. I think you're really nice ... And I really like your hugs." "Yasha, you don't realize what you've just done," Diego chuckled. "You're gonna get smothered now, he-he!" "Yasha, buddy, don't you listen to my meanie boyfriend," Luke parried, stopping for a moment. "If you want hugs, you've got them baby, any time you like!" Luke demonstrated his point by giving Yasha a warm embrace. "See what you started," Diego chuckled again as he tousled Yasha's hair. "That's okay, I don't mind," Yasha giggled softly. "Oh my god, Yasha, did you just giggle?!" Luke exclaimed. "Come on, dude, do it again!" "Umm, sorry Luke, I donno how to do it on purpose," Yasha apologized bashfully. "That's okay, buddy, that's perfectly all right," Luke gave Yasha another hug. "It was great to hear you do that, though." Luke and Diego exchanged beaming smiles that shone almost as brightly as their torches. They picked up Yasha again and continued their slow trek throw the night forest, with Luke steering the course. "Ah, Luke, you sure we're going the right way?" Diego inquired anxiously after a couple of minutes. "That doesn't look like the way we got here. I told Mr Gregg that we weren't lost. Are we?" "Relax, baby, relax," Luke reassured him. "No, we're not lost. We're taking a shortcut. This way is much closer to the main path, maybe 100 feet at most. We should be there soon, trust me." "Okay," Diego still sounded slightly dubious. "Yasha trusts me, don't you, Yasha, boy?" Luke quipped. "Yes, sure, Luke," Yasha held on to Luke tighter. "I know you'll take care of me." "See!" Luke ribbed Diego. "Sure, Yasha, in fact, I think we're pretty close already ..." "Hey, I see lights ahead to the right!" Diego exclaimed excitedly. "Right, I see them too!" Luke agreed. "Mr Gregg!! Ritchie! Rafael! Hey! We're here!!" he shouted loudly and directed the beam of his torch towards the lights. "Luke? Diego? Yasha? That you boys there?" they heard Gregg's voice respond ahead. "Yeah, we're here! W're coming to you!" Luke shouted back, elated. "Be careful, don't rush!" Gregg's voice replied. "We'll wait for you here!" Luke and Diego tried to pick up the speed a bit mindful not to let Yasha fall. In a few minutes they reached the main path and saw Gregg, Ritchie and Rafael huddled together, waiting anxiously. "Oh, my god, Yasha, thank god, you're all right!" Gregg stepped forward towards Yasha and hugged him. "We've been so-o-o worried about you!" "I know, I'm sorry, Mr Gregg," Yasha sniffled, "I've been such a dummy ..." "That's all right, Yasha, that's all right, kid," Gregg consoled him. "We're gonna talk about it later. Right now we need to get you back to Green Oaks and to a hospital. Diego tells me that you busted up your leg pretty good?" "I'm sorry, Mr Gregg, I wasn't thinking," Yasha looked down. "I was walking so fast ..." "Can you walk on it all?" Gregg inquired with concern. "Yeah, a bit," Yasha confirmed. "But it really hurts when I do." "Well, at the hospital they'll figure out what's what," Gregg suggested. "Now we need to get going. I already called ahead and they'll be waiting for us." Yasha lifted his arms and Luke and Diego, stepping on either side of him, lifted him up. "So, how did you guys find him?" Ritchie inquired as the group set out along the path leading out of the forest. "You were somewhere way way off." Luke felt Diego tense up on the other side from Yasha. "Oh, you know me I'm a regular Natty Bumppo in these parts," Luke remarked lightly. "I wanted to check out one of the creeks. And that's where we found Yasha!" Gregg gave Luke and Diego a wistful look. "Natty who?" Ritchie repeated blankly. "Oh, my god, Ritchie, you've got to be kidding me!" Luke chided. "You haven't heard of the 'The Last of the Mohicans'? I think we've watched it on DVD. Anyway, I'll give you the book ..." "Ah, so, this Nutty guy, he was an Indian?" Ritchie wondered. "Oh, my god!" Luke slapped his forehead with his free hand but Diego gave him a relaxed smile. The air has gotten cooler but the weather improved. The clouds gave way to a clear sky and the moon was shining brightly above their heads, cheering their journey back with its quiet silvery light. Diego inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp smells of a summer night in the woods. He thought that he heard Yasha also taking a deep breath next to him. "How're you feeling, Yasha?" Diego inquired gently. "Is everything okay?" "Yeah, yeah," Yasha reassured as he looked around with increasing curiosity. "It's sorta nice out here. I don't think I've ever been in a forest at night before. Or really anywhere at night, outside the house ..." "Well, Yasha, little dude," Luke chimed in. "I promise, when your foot gets better, we're gonna take you for a proper night camp out around here." "Assuming of course, Mr Gregg approves," he added hastily. "We'll have to see but perhaps something could be arranged," Gregg replied enigmatically. Luke and Diego felt Yasha clutching their shoulders a little tighter. "I think I hear something," Rafael noted. "Up ahead." "Oh yeah, yeah," Ritchie agreed, "I hear it too!" The approaching noise of an engine has gotten louder and soon they were blinded by the bright light of headlights as well. An ATV pulled up next to them. It was warden Mitchell. "Hi, guys!" Mitchell greeted them as he turned off the motor and the lights. "Glad I've found you! And real glad to see you've found Yasha!" "Oh, hi, warden Mitchell!" Luke greeted him back. "Nice ride! What are you doing here?" "What do yo think?" Mitchell chuckled. "I'm here to take Yasha back to Green Oaks." He pointed to the back seat. "There'll be an ambulance there waiting to take him to a hospital." "We are not coming with you?" Diego asked in a disappointed voice. "No, sorry, as you can see there's only room here for me and Yasha," Mitchell explained. "But I'm sure we'll catch up later." Gregg gave a confirming nod. Luke and Diego carefully transferred Yasha on the ATV, where he was seated behind warden Mitchell. Yasha also got a safety helmet for the ride back. "Thanks, guys," he waved back at the group. "Sorry that I made such a mess!" Mitchell started up his ATV and drove away. "We'll see you at the hospital, Yasha, little dude!" Luke shouted after him. "And be careful!" The lights of the ATV quickly disappeared behinds the curves of the winding forest pathway. "So, guys, did Yasha tell you what this was all about?" Rafael inquired as they resumed walking towards Green Oaks. "What happened?" "Ummm ...," Luke hesitated and looked up questioningly at Gregg. "It's okay, Luke, you can tell them," Gregg interjected. "Green Oaks is a small place and everybody is gonna find out anyway." "Well, he was really upset about his parents," Luke began explaining. "But I think what really set him off was that thing with his kitten, Thunder." "A kitten? You are fu.. freaking kidding me, right?" Ritchie smirked. "No, I'm not," Luke snapped back. "Turns out, Yasha, when he was younger, found this kitten, who sorta looked like Roxie. He called him Thunder. But his mom wouldn't let Yasha keep him. Made him give Thunder away. Said he was a distraction from his studies or something ... And today it all kinda came back. Yasha was really bummed out about it." Luke shot Ritchie a sharp look and Ritchie remained silent. "Damn," Gregg scratched his chin. "Damn! I should have seen it. I should have realized it was a traumatic event coming through. I thought he just had a difficult time expressing his emotions. That he needed a bit of time by himself to calm down. Damn, I should have seen it!" "And by the traumatic event you mean ...?" Diego didn't finish his question. "Mostly this episode with Thunder that Luke just told us about, yes," Gregg confirmed. "Although, probably, what happened with Yasha's parents got superimposed on top of that and made things worse." "A kitten, Mr Gregg, really?" Ritchie sounded skeptical. "Yes, Ritchie, really," Gregg confirmed. "Something like that can really traumatize a kid, stay with you. It doesn't sound the same as losing your parents, and of course it's not. But still ... I guess Roxie's arrival today really brought it all back for Yasha ..." Gregg hit the ground with the toe of his shoe in frustration and Diego almost smiled, recognizing a familiar gesture. "Well, some fine counsellor I am," Gregg continued. "I really screwed up on this one, and it definitely goes on my wall of shame." "I think it's pretty cool what you're saying, Mr Gregg," Luke commented earnestly. "What, it's cool that I screwed up and Yasha run away?" Gregg chuckled ruefully. "No, that's not what I mean," Luke explained hastily. "I mean it's cool that you can admit you screwed up. In my experience, most adults wouldn't do that, not in front of the kids. They'll pretend that they are -- what's the word, Diego?" "Infallible," Diego suggested. "Well, I think we've established pretty conclusively that I'm not infallible," Gregg shook his head. "Yeah, but like I said, I think it's cool that you can admit that," Luke pressed his point, "especially to us." "Thank you, Luke," Gregg replied wryly, "although I confess that I would have preferred to really be infallible." They all shared a friendly laugh. "If you were infallible, Mr Gregg, you would not be able to learn anything," Luke retorted. "Luke, kid, are you sure you are only 12?" Gregg chuckled again. "Come on, Mr Gregg, don't encourage him," Ritchie protested. "Luke's head is already way too big as it is!" Everybody laughed again. Ritchie and Rafael moved a bit further ahead along the path talking to each other, while Luke, Diego and Gregg hung slightly back. "Mr Gregg," Diego wondered quietly, "what's gonna happen to Yasha now? I don't mean his leg ..." "Well, Diego," Gregg responded pensively, "Yasha is gonna start getting better. And I don't mean just his leg. In fact, I think he already has." Gregg gave Luke and Diego a wistful look. "I don't know what happened between the three of you by that creek. But I could tell that when we saw him just now, Yasha was already a different boy. I think something real good and real important happened. Some barrier inside him was broken. I guess the two of you are responsible." Luke and Diego exchanged quick smiles but didn't reply. "And now we have to keep helping him," Gregg continued. "You mean help him become a real boy?" Luke suggested. "Like Pinocchio?" "Yeah, sort of," Gregg considered. "But not quite. Yasha is a real boy already. I guess, help him be a real boy. Bring out the real boy that's inside him." "Mr Gregg," Luke declared confidently, "me and Diego, we are your guys! This job is right down our alley. We helped Fidget how to be a bear. And now we're gonna help Yasha to be a boy!" "Oh, good grief!" Gregg chuckled wryly as Diego covered his face with his palms. "Luke, you know what I think?" Diego asked after a pause. "What?" Luke replied in a slightly defensive tone. "We should ask Mr Frank to let us go visit Fidget," Diego expounded, "before the school starts next week." "Now, there's a great idea, Diego!" Luke agreed enthusiastically. "We'll make sure that Yasha is okay. And then we go visit Fidget!" ***************