Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:12:54 -0700
From: PapaWereBear <papawerebear69@yahoo.com>
Subject: Tucker's Cub

Tucker's Cub?
By Papa Werebear

This is (obviously) a work of fiction, and no real persons or events are
depicted. As in my other werebear stories, safe sex practices are not
depicted; but in real life, get tested and always play safe. If you have
comments, you can contact the author: PapaWereBear papawerebear69@yahoo.com

- - -

At eighteen I wanted to leave this little town, I wanted to get as far from
it as I possibly could.  Problem was, I didn't have any money and no
prospects of earning any to leave.  Little towns like this are bigger on
population than they are on available jobs.

The fact that everyone at school had found out I was gay when Randy Weimar
broke into my locker stole my journal, made copies of the most
incriminating pages and posted them on the bulletin boards for everyone to
see didn't help.  I'd thought that keeping a journal in a backpack in my
locker would be relatively safe; nothing online or in a computer to hack.
Of course, he claimed he 'found' it, and he did get a slap on the wrist
from the principal; but who's going to really punish the guy who could lead
the team to the all-state finals over some fag?  Once it got out, even
though I was as good an athlete as Randy, suddenly my performance on the
field, track or court wasn't quite good enough.  Coach was homophobic and
everyone knew it.  Randy was his golden haired boy and now, I was out.  I
figured Randy would probably go far in politics someday.

That wasn't all.  The summer after Randy outed me, I applied for a job at
the local grocery store where I'd worked the year before and was turned
down.  I applied at many different places in town and was met with
rejection each time.  I could hear doors slamming on me and I knew why.
After all, who are the good 'Christian' store owners going to hire to scoop
ice cream, bag groceries or flip burgers; me or the all American hetero
kid?  Yeah, even now there are still places in this country where the boss
can decide he doesn't want to hire you simply because you're gay.  God
knows, you might infect his entire shop with your homosexuality or
something.

I suppose I was lucky to not get bashed as many do, but I was a big kid for
my age, as big as a full grown man and that still earned a little respect.
The fact that I'd been practicing martial arts since I was thirteen also
helped.  I suppose no one wanted to get their ass kicked by a fag, but the
jeers while well out of arm's reach didn't do anything positive for my
self-esteem.

Mom was sympathetic, dad was much less so.  I guess in the back of his mind
he'd written me off years ago when I'd showed interest in men and asked
him, in my naive pre-adolescent way, why I couldn't grow up and marry a
man.  I got a very serious talk about what was right and what was wrong and
how I was supposed to behave and that I wasn't to talk to anyone about this
sort of thing because it was evil and wrong.  I suppose it would have
helped if I weren't an only child and the only prospect of the 'family
name' living on.

So I had decided that if I was ever going to be anything more than a floor
sweeper I'd probably have to move somewhere else, but to do that you have
to have some sort of means to accomplish it.

College was out, too expensive for me.  I'd considered a military career as
a means to that end, but now that was impossible.  All it would take would
be a peek at my school records or inquiries to teachers or peers and they'd
reject me.  If there's one truism in life it is this: life is supremely
unfair.  I had that drilled into my head since I was old enough to speak,
it was like a mantra in our house repeated daily by my mother.

In little towns in the middle of our great country not only is there little
opportunity for employment much of the time, but there is also very little
to do in the off time.  Witness the popularity of alcohol, sex and drugs;
especially the nasty, relatively inexpensive stuff like meth in these
little slices of Americana.

I wasn't interested in alcohol, at least not beer.  Sex? Well, what was
available was not to my liking.  Even if there were guys available, I
prefer big hairy guys, Bears!  Drugs; no thank you!  I'd seen what they did
to people around me.  The tweakers were perhaps ten years older than me and
they already looked used up; and though I personally don't have a problem
with people using pot, it just wasn't my idea of fun.  Kids I knew who used
it were just so obsessed with it.  It was like it's all they wanted to do.
I didn't want to become that distracted.

So out of sheer boredom I started hanging around in the woods near one of
the local truck stops.  I started was spending time climbing the trees,
making a small camp and just generally hanging out where I wouldn't be
bothered.

I'd been doing this for about a month, sometimes sleeping overnight in my
little dome tent.  My folks weren't that concerned, I was after all almost
a man and knew how to defend myself.  On one of those nights I was awakened
by the sound of someone or something moving around in the woods.  I heard
someone or something grunting.  I quietly unzipped my tent and peered out
but saw nothing.  I heard a branch snap like it had been stepped on and a
rather loud burp and some more grunting.  Then there was a splashing sound
and I realized it was most likely some guy taking a piss.  I got out of the
tent and climbed over the little mound of earth between me and the sound,
not more than thirty feet away.  Hearing another loud burp, I hid behind a
tree that didn't completely conceal me.

There in the moonlight, I saw... well at first I thought I saw a bear; but
realized what I was looking at was a man, a very big white guy pissing on a
tree.  He had to be six-nine and at least 3 foot wide.  He was huge!  His
arms and legs were thick with muscle.  He was wearing a black tank top and
what looked like a black leather head wraps like bikers wear.  Other than
that he wore jeans and boots of some sort.  I saw him from the side, though
there wasn't much moonlight reflecting from his exposed skin due to just
how incredibly hairy he was.  His exposed arms were dark with the amount of
hair on them and his face was covered by a thick bushy beard that went very
high up his cheeks.  I guessed his hair color was black, but in that light
it could have been brown.  He growled out, "Fuck that feels good!" as he
continued to piss.

What I could see of his cock was that even flaccid it was pretty large.  I
immediately got a hard on, looking at this man.  It was like I had filled
out an order and someone had delivered my idea of the ideal man.  He hadn't
given any indication that he'd seen or heard me as he continued to piss.
Finally he finished up, tucked himself away and zipped up.  He turned and I
thought he'd leave but he pulled something out of his back pocket and sat
on a nearby rock.  Immediately I knew what it was when he raised it to his
mouth, bit, spit and then raised a lighter to it.  He puffed the cigar into
life, took it out of his mouth and blew on the end a few times, then puffed
on it again.  His back was turned to me, I watched as he gazed up at the
stars and enjoyed his cigar.

Without realizing it, I began rubbing my crotch through my shorts, just
watching this gorgeous Bear.  I was leaking heavily.

I swear I made absolutely no sound and was quite startled and somewhat
embarrassed when he said, half turning his head but not looking at me, "So
boy?  You gonna hide behind that tree all night or are you gonna come over
here and be sociable and visit for awhile?"

I didn't answer, I was too frightened.

"C'mon now son, cat got your tongue?  I ain't gonna hurt you, come sit on
this here rock and talk to ol' Bear Tucker." he rumbled in his bass voice.

I answered, "How long did you know I was here?"

He blew a big jet of smoke and said, "Just 'bout half way through my piss."
He took the cigar, flicked ashes off the end and put it back in his mouth,
never turning to look at me.

Cautiously I approached.  I moved over to the rock and sat. He turned to
face me and God but he was handsome in the moonlight, puffing on his cigar.
Up close I could see he had a silver patch of beard at his chin.  It
glinted in the moonlight.

"So," he asked, "what are you doin' hidin' in the woods in the middle of
the night?  You homeless or somthin'?"

"No, I was just camped here.  I like to get away from my folks."  I said.

"I see...  What's your name?"

"Josh.  Josh Sparks."

"How old are you, son?" he looked me square in the eye, assessing me.

"Eighteen." I said simply.

"Damn!  You're big for eighteen!" he said and I felt a rush of pride.
Somehow, he made me feel good just in the way he said it, "Now, I'm gonna
take a big guess here by what I observe just looking at you, and say that
you're probably a man who appreciates other men.  Am I right?"

"Wuh... N-no!" I said, lying.

"No?" he said, puffing on his cigar.  "Hmmm... well I guess I was wrong
then."

For some reason, I couldn't just leave it at that.  I bowed my head and
said, "Yes... yes I do appreciate other men."

I felt his big paw on my shoulder, it startled me.  I looked right into his
eyes and saw no hint of malice, no look of scorn.

"'s'OK son, they don't call me Bear Tucker for nothin'" a grin split his
dark beard. "You ever been with a man?"

"No." I said.

"Would you like to?  'Cause if you would, I'd be glad to be your first.  I
promise I'll take it slow and easy."  he said.

"I don't know."  I was frightened by the offer.  It was a big step to take.

"Well, you don't have to if you don't want."  he said.

He rose and I stood too.  He offered his huge paw to shake and I took it.
He drew me into a hug and it was the most wonderful hug I'd yet had in my
life and then released me.

"If you change your mind, I'm in the white cab with the bear logo on the
door, it says Tucker Trucking, Inc. below that.  I own my own rig.  I'm
leaving early in the morning, but if you are still unsure after that and
might want to, I come by this place about once a month, 'bout this time.
If you see my truck in the lot, come an' knock, you're welcome to spend
time with me," he said.

He turned and began walking toward the truck stop, cigar smoke curling
behind him in the moonlight as he went.

"By the way, how did you know?"  I asked before he got too far.

He stopped, turned and said, "The big wet spot and the huge boner you had,
and still have, kinda clued me in, son"

I self consciously covered my front with my hands and he chuckled, a deep
rich sound "That and the fact that you stood there a good while just
watching a big fat ol' bear takin' a piss.  Remember, if you're
interested..." he turned letting it trail off and continued walking toward
the lot.

I turned and went back to my tent.  I lay there for a good hour, listening
to the woods, the wind through the trees, hoping I might hear him come
back, but he never did.  I slept and in the morning I woke with the sun.

I got out of my tent and made my way to the edge of the woods near the lot.
I looked through the chain link fence that separated the lot from the wild
parcel of wooded land.  I searched the lot and saw no white truck for
awhile.  Finally I spotted one, pulling out onto the highway, but it wasn't
Tucker's truck.  I felt sad that I'd missed the opportunity I had.  I went
back to my camp and packed it up to go home, but while I was packing down I
became more and more hopeful that I'd meet with Bear Tucker again.

It was a month later, almost to the day.  It was early fall and colder in
the evenings now.  I'd been coming to the edge of the woods and checking
for Tucker's truck the last three nights.  I'd popped through the cut hole
in the chain link fence a couple of times, looked around the lot and went
in to the diner and grabbed a Coke or something to look around and see if I
could spot him; but though there were some fine looking bearish men there,
none of them was Bear Tucker.

It was just after sunset and again, there was a full moon rising in the
sky, just like last month.  I walked through the woods and as I approached
the little hill I'd climbed over that night, I smelled cigar smoke.  I
crested the hillock and there, sitting on that same rock, dressed just as
he was a month before was Tucker, puffing on a nub of a cigar looking in
the direction in which I'd come.

He smiled, "Well hello son!"

Something about him calling me 'son' just felt right, better than when my
own father said it.

"Hello," I said in return and went to sit beside the big man.  He was so
furry and in the light that was left in the sky I could see that there were
tats on his thick furry arms.

"I guess you're here because you've considered my offer," Bear said as he
drew the last drag on his cigar nub and then crushed it beneath his heel.

"I have, but I want to ask you something," I said.

"Ask away, Joshua," he said and I was determined to say everything without
stopping until I got it out.

"I've thought about this since you left last month.  I don't belong here
and I feel like I don't belong anywhere.  From the time I was in second
grade I've felt like I was always on the outside looking in.  I tried to
fit in, but I just never did.  I know you're the first man who has ever
offered to make love with me and perhaps I'm being foolish, but I believe
in love at first sight.  Perhaps it's stupid and dangerous, but the way I
feel, I'd almost rather die than just keep on living the way I am.  When I
saw you, under the moon, I was so captivated by you.  I felt a charge, like
electricity running through me and I've never felt that before.  I'm not
sure, but I think you were offering me more than just sex.  I think you
were offering a relationship.  Were you?"  I asked, and hoped.

"Yes, I was offering you more.  I think I know what you mean too.  When I
was young, I never fit in either.  What I am offering you is a life... one
much different than what you've known or would have ever guessed, but I
want, no... I need you to tell me first.  I must hear you ask it, because
there are things you must know if you are goin' where I think you're goin'"
he said.

"All right, then I'll ask it."  I paused, I trembled not only from the
cold, but from the anticipation.  Bear put a great paw on my shoulder and I
looked him square in the eyes.  "Will you take me away with you, to live
with you?  Will you be my lover, my husband... my mate?" I asked and I
couldn't keep the trembling out of my voice when I said it.  I was excited
and a bit frightened too.  Change is always frightening.

Bear looked away for a moment, thoughtful; and then he looked back, deep
into my eyes.  His voice rumbled softly, "The last young man to ask me that
did so some seventy years ago," Bear said.

"But..." I began and he hushed me with a finger to his lips.

"He's all grown up, got a Cub of his own now.  He and his Cub come home to
see his Papa occasionally and we all have a good time; but he's a Papa now
and things are different between us in a way and that is completely
natural.  But really, we're not Papa and Cub anymore, we're more like two
Papas.  I miss having that Cub and Bear relationship, I miss having someone
in my bed too; but mostly, I miss the comforting closeness that comes when
a couple shares their lives with each other.  We Bears can be solitary
creatures, but it is nice to have someone too.  Anyway, I have something I
must show you, and a decision you must make.  I feel I already know the
answer, it's written in your scent."  He paused.  "But it must be made by
you and only after you have what you need to know to make that decision.
So, follow me back to my rig, it's time," Bear said and began walking back
toward the distant parking lot.

It was perhaps fifteen minutes later when we reached the edge of the lot.
It was full dark now and his white rig was parked near the chain link
fence.  The lot was mostly empty, though that could change in a matter of
an hour or so.  Tucker was a huge man, and just barely squeezed through the
cut opening in the fence; I opened it wider for him to get through.  I
followed with less difficulty, but my large frame still made in necessary
to be careful not to snag myself on the edges.

We approached the cab, he opened it and stood aside to let me in.  I
stepped up and he helped by placing his huge hairy paw on my ass, pushing
me up.

"Go on back to the sleeper," he said and I went between the two seats and
on back.

Bear shut and locked the door.  He pulled the curtain around the front of
the cab, blocking out he view into the cab.  He hit a switch and the cab's
sleeper was lit up.  The interior, this man's home, smelled like Bear.  It
was a manly scent, a musky male scent.  It wasn't a stink, it wasn't a
locker room smell but it was sorta comforting, too; and I didn't know why.

There were some dirty clothes in a open weave nylon bag, a couple of copies
of U.S. (Ursine Stud) Magazine on the floor and an ashtray with a couple of
cigar stubs in it.  His laptop lay closed on his bed.

"Well this is it, home sweet home!  It's not pretty, but it's comfortable."
he said.

"I think it's just fine." I said and he smiled.

"Let's get a little more comfortable," he said.  He took the black leather
biker style head wrap off revealing his male pattern bald head, the fringe
of hair braided into a pony tail behind.  I found the look incredibly sexy.
He then pulled off his black tank top.  His torso was covered in the same
thickness of fur he had on his shoulders and arms, unbroken by bare skin
from his neck to his waist.  I following suit, pulling off my ball cap and
T-shirt.  I wasn't hairy like Bear, I had some blond hair on my chest, some
on my belly, but I only had a little hair on my face that I kept shaved
because I couldn't grow a beard.

He reached over and rubbed my chest, letting the light covering of golden
hair pass through his thick, furry fingers.  I reached over and ran my
hands over his chest.  His fur was soft and warm.  He pulled me into a hug
and before I could say anything, he put his lips on mine and I opened to
him.  His tongue probed and I sucked on it.  He tasted of coffee and
cigars.  My hands explored his torso and he rubbed his furry chest against
my relatively naked one.  I was so hard, and I felt his hard-on with my own
through our pants.  He pulled his pelvis to mine and I pressed my lips
against his left nipple and suckled on it.  He threw his head back and
moaned.  His nipple became harder in my mouth and I teased the other one
with my hand.  He began humping, pulling me tight against him.  I was
leaking heavily.

He suddenly looked down and pulled me away from his nipple.  He looked at
me through a daze I'm sure I mirrored and he said huskily, "No... I must
show you first.  No matter how much I want it now."

He sat and pulled off his boots and socks, then stood, unfastening his
silver bear buckle belt and unzipping his jeans.  He dropped his pants and
revealed his lower half.  His thick muscular legs were as thickly furred as
his chest and it ran all the way down to the tops of his feet which were
also furry.  Even the tops of his toes were furry.  Bear's cock wasn't
extremely long, probably somewhere around eight to ten inches I'd guess,
but it was thick and meaty looking, veins bulged around it; and I could see
the foreskin hadn't completely retreated from the head which was leaking
with precum.  It proudly sat atop two hen's egg sized balls.  It twitched
once and a thick bead of clear male nectar pulsed from the end and ran down
the underside.  I looked up into bearded face and he beamed with obvious
pride.

"I never get tired of that look, no matter how many men's faces I've seen
it on, it's always wonderful to see," he said.  "Now, it's your turn."

I quickly pulled out of my tennis shoes, leaving them tied.  I pulled off
my socks and quickly dropped my pants.

I was fully erect now and my cut cock was standing proud and tall.  I'd
never had anything to compare myself to until now and this time, it was
Bear's turn to have a look on his face.  He smiled broadly and lustfully.

"Son, that ain't no cock to be worried about."  he said, "You must be close
to as big as I am."  He reached out and took it in his warm furry paw and
stroked it.  "It's a bit thinner than my own, but damn, absolutely nothing
to be worried about!"  I blushed.  "Sit back now, on the bed and watch."
And with that he began to stretch and flex.  I watched the muscles move
beneath his pelt.  He had some good padding on him, but the larger muscles
even still showed through both that padding and the pelt.  He looked into
my eyes and said, "I want you to know, right now, you have nothing to fear
from me.  No matter what you see, you have no need to be afraid.  I will
not harm you in the slightest." His voice grew deeper as he spoke and my
eyes locked with his. Then I looked at his body and saw that he'd grown
even hairier.

His muscles had grown larger and his body was beginning to morph and bulge
into a different shape.  Fine hair began to grow on his forehead and upper
cheeks, darkening and lengthening, his ears grew furry and began to migrate
up his head.  He let out a soft growl and I recoiled a bit.

"Go on son... pet my face, touch me as I change, explore the Bear." he
said, his cock was pointing right at me now, silver threads of clear precum
dripping from it.

I reached out and began petting his changing face.  His thick black and
silver beard began to meld into his body fur and his face began to push out
into a Bear's muzzle, fangs growing out, hands and feet becoming clawed.
He hunched over as his shoulders rotated somewhat forward and a huge
muscular hump grew between them as he took on full grizzly form.  He bent
forward and licked my lips with his tongue.

I should have run.  I should have screamed.  This was unbelievable and I
felt like my mind would unhinge, but it didn't.  He made soft wuffling
sounds, grunted and then nuzzled my body with his furry face.  He began
suckling my cock and immediately I arched back and moaned in pure pleasure.
His tongue worked over my cock with the most expert skill... not that I
would have known if it hadn't, being that this was the first mouth to ever
take my cock.  He made a humming type noise, one that soothed me and calmed
my nerves as he suckled.  He grunted in pleasure as his long tongue worked
my cock and snaked out to lick my balls.  It wasn't too long before I shot
the biggest load I'd yet shot in my life.  His musky smell of Bear had done
something to me, had driven my lust to new peaks and now, releasing into
him I damn near passed out from the intense pleasure.  My head spun and for
a few minutes I new nothing except thrusting into his suckling maw.

When I came out of my orgasmic daze, Bear sat on his haunches, his head
cocked sideways, looking at me.  I smiled at him and he snorted and licked
his chops.  He yawned and then climbed onto the bed over me.  He lay down
between me and the wall and pulled me into his body.  I adjusted so that my
ass crack cradled his still hard, leaking cock.  It was warm in the
sleeper, his ursine body threw off a lot of heat and I was sweating.  I lay
there and he licked me, like a Bear licking his Cub.  As we cooled down I
began to doze and the lights, probably set on some sort of time,r dimmed
and went out.  Soon, I was asleep.

Hours later, in the middle of the night, I awoke.  Bear lay behind me
still, but he was no longer in his grizzly form.  His muscular tattooed
arms cradled me against his hairy chest.  He snored softly.  His cock had
gone soft, but it still nestled between my cheeks.  Though there were no
covers on us, but I was very warm lying with Bear.  I feel back into sleep
for a few minutes and then Bear stirred and woke.

"So Josh... 'suppose you're up for all of this after all?"  he said, and
the movement of his beard on the back of my neck tickled me.  I shuddered
and giggled a bit at the feel of it.

"If I have sex with you, I become like you, don't I?"  I asked.

"Yes," he said.  There was a pause of at least two minutes where I said
nothing and just listened to Bear breathing The wind outside had kicked up
and was blowing about, whistling around the cab in the darkness.

"I could deal with that," I said.  "Being what you are doesn't scare me, it
doesn't repulse me.  I always was different from everyone else, now I'll
just have someone to share being different with."

I rolled over and found Bear's bearded face.  I stroked the beard gently,
lovingly.  "Will I grow a beard like yours?  Will I have a soft, thick pelt
too?"

"Oh yes, my Cub.  You will change.  You will grow to resemble me in many
ways.  Living together, you will pick up my mannerisms and I, yours; and
soon, anyone seeing us will think that we're either married or related,
depending on how open their minds are.  None will suspect we are Werebears
but our own kind.  You will have a large, loosely connected family.  Many
uncles, cousins and brothers.  A score or more of lovers and fuck-buddies,
and of course me, your Papa... and someday, you may grow up and leave me
and have a Cub or Cubs of your own... but I would not mourn that any more
than I mourn the other Cubs whom I have raised leaving.  It is just a part
of how we Werebears are.  Who knows?  Perhaps we will be one of the rare
few who do not split up over the long course of our lives.  We will see."

I lay there, thinking about all of this.  Bear was as lonely as I and had
said nothing of it to influence me.  Now, neither of us would be.

"Please, Papa," calling him that for the first time then, "plant your seed
in me, I want to be a Bear, like you."

Bear pulled me into a passionate kiss and then broke it, "Are you sure?
After this, you can't go back.  All that you were until now will not exist,
you will have to take on a new name and you'll change.  What has happened
up to this point will not change you, you can leave now, if you like."  He
waited for an answer.

"How could I turn back now?  How could I walk away from what you offer me.
Do it, Papa; make me like you are," I said and I hoped my voice resonated
with the conviction that was in my heart.

"Thank you, Cub." was all he said and then he moved down my body, kissing
all the way.  He spread my legs and tongued my hole, wetting it.  Soon, his
meaty finger was inside, working me open, then two, then eventually four,
spreading my ass ring open.  He reached over and hit a button that turned
the dome light on.  It grew from dim to bright again and I saw him for the
first time since he'd changed.  His beard was longer than earlier by what
seemed about two to three inches, he seemed a bit leaner than before and
his muscles were pumped.

"I wanted you to be able to see me while we fucked," he said.  He grabbed a
bottle of lube from a drawer under the bed.  He lubed his cock up, squeezed
some out onto my ass and worked it in and with that done pointed the head
of his cock at my ass and began to gently lean into me.  His head passed
through the ring slowly.  There was pain, of course, and a fullness; but
soon my ass was gripping his cock, embracing it like an old friend.

When he was all the way in, he just lay atop me.  We kissed while my body
got used to the intruder within it.  After awhile, he began to thrust,
gently at first, then with more vigor, pulling out further, pushing in
harder.  He growled and my cock twitched.  He began to bite me gently
around the shoulders and upper arms as he fucked.  I began thrusting back
and this made him even more wild.

"Gonna fuck you good, Cub!"  he said in his gravelly voice.  "Gonna make
you mine.  Gonna put me in you and make a Bear outta you!"

"Oh Papa!" was all I could say before he roared and shot into me.  He came
with such force, his thrusts so powerful, that he was pushing me into the
wall.  I raised my arms and pushed back to give my head and neck some room
and in so doing drove his cock completely into me.  He threw his head back
and roared again.  He panted heavily, looked down at me and covered me in
his sweaty, furry, musky Bearness.  We kissed with him still inside of me,
and soon he was again snoring softly I wrapped my arms around my love and,
as the lights dimmed once again, I slept.

In the morning I awoke in the cab by myself.  It wasn't long, however,
until Bear came back in.  He carried two 'to go' bags of food.

He handed me a bag with two large breakfast burritos and a couple orders of
hash browns.  He handed me a cup of coffee.

"I didn't know what you took in yours, so I got some sugar and cream too,"
he said, handing me those things.  "Sorry we couldn't go in to the
restaurant Cub, but we're going to have to do this sort of thing for meals
until you start looking a little different.  I don't want a posse coming
for me looking for you, and if we're seen together this close to home it
would be trouble.  So, it's just better if you lay low for awhile."

"How long until I start looking different?"  I asked.

"A few months."  I gave him a look and he laughed, "Don't worry, you won't
be locked up in this cab that long.  I actually do have a house I live in
and there's nothing saying you can't come out of the cab at night and no
one's going to pay attention to you sitting in the front seat while we're
on the road.  It won't be that long, Cub," he said and reached over and
gave me a kiss.

We ate, I dressed, and soon we were on the road.  My life on the road for
the first month or so was pretty secluded.

I had been reported missing a few days after we were on the road.  I
watched the broadcast on the cab's TV and it was hard seeing my mom plead
for information about where I was.  I cried, thinking about her never
knowing what happened to me... I was an only child, after all, I was glad I
had made my decision and gone through with it..  My Dad said nothing to the
reporters except, "Please leave us alone."  He was stone-faced in the
background while my mom cried.

I stayed in the back of the truck when we approached a stop for fuel and
food.  I used rest stop bathrooms and those at the truck stops at night;
and when we got to Papa's place in Oregon, my life was a lot more free.
His place was in a very rural area and I didn't need to worry about being
seen.  After the second month my appearance had changed considerably.  My
beard was full and thick and the hair on my head, face and body had
darkened into a deep chestnut brown.  Papa cut everything that was still
blond off.  I had much more chest and belly hair and my arms and legs had
grown thicker hair too.  I was already man-sized when I'd met Bear and now,
with the working out and the changes, I looked like a pro-football lineman.
My face broadened some and my features changed a little too.  I still
looked like me, but about five years older and perhaps with a little of
Papa's heritage thrown into my mix.  My eyes became brown like his and the
shape of the sockets around them changed so that they looked like his.

We hit the road again, this time I dressed in his clothes, rode up front,
stopped at the places he did and ate with him in the diners.  No one would
have recognized me as the old Josh.  Papa's friends were working on
identity papers for me and soon I had a new name, 'Josh Hamlin'.

At around four months since I'd left home with Bear, we went back home to
Oregon.  It was there in the woods one night I changed for the first time
with Papa nearby to watch over me.

Life isn't perfect now, but it's a whole lot better.

We stopped by the little town where I grew up about three years after I'd
left.  Just for fun, Bear and I went back through that tear in the chain
link, back to the spot where we'd met.

We got to kissin' and pawing each other and then a light fell on us.

A local cop had caught us while we were making out.  What we did, with him,
well... that, as they say, is another story.