Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 18:59:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Deep Diver <deepdiver_pr@yahoo.com>
Subject: Master and the Mate - Chapter 11

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Mark didn't know what to say, so he just nodded his head in
acceptance. Dominic smiled at him and patted Mark's head, saying. "Good
boy; with me and Ryan as friends you will be OK." Later Dominic sent out
his famous ganolies for desert and watched the expression of delight
flicker across the boy's pained face.


The Master and his Mate - by Deepdiver

CHAPTER 11 - The Tide's Ebb and Flow

Two days later there were a handful of people gathered at the Cypress Hills
Funeral Home attending the double casket service for Mark's parents.
Fr. Matthew Burns was speaking and everyone's eyes were fixed on him as he
aimed his words of consolation at Mark.  He made the point that Faith in
God is a gift which not everyone receives; why this should be so is a
mystery, but those that do receive the gift of faith should be that much
more appreciative of God's generosity and share their faith with those who
have not received it as yet.

"We are not here to judge the deceased, but this occasion is an opportunity
to examine our own lives.  If you have the gift of faith do you live
accordingly?  If these caskets were your own and you were about to face
your maker can you say that your steps during your lifetime brought you
closer to him?  The little I have come to know Mark, tells me that his
parents taught him some wonderful Christian values which is evidenced by
his love and the depth of his loss.  Mark accepts people without prejudice.
He is open to all God's children in ways that many who claim to be
believers do not."

Father Burns paused briefly and looked around, before turning toward Mark
and continuing: "Mark, I feel so honoured to know you; and my prayer today
is that you will be given the gift of faith and that you will accept it
because I know that a friendship with Jesus Christ will be a tremendous
source of comfort to you as you continue to grieve the loss of your
parents.  Please think of me as a friend as well.  Even if you chose not to
join my church, I and my church chose to join you in your pain and wish to
be there for you in any way we can comfort you or help you through this
painful time.  We hope you will be strengthened by choosing to believe that
Jesus who said that He will raise us up as He himself was resurrected."

He concluded the Rite with the traditional prayers and made special efforts
to adapt them to the boy's need and unfamiliarity with them and then stood
next to Mark on the opposite side to Ryan as the caskets were taken from
the viewing room.  Mark thanked the handful of business associates of his
parents and a teacher and a few schoolmates that came as representatives of
his school.  He himself was pretty much in a daze; only half aware of the
many handshakes and words of consolation offered.  In the limo he leaned
his head on Ryan's shoulder and found so much strength from this stranger
who had so quickly become his support.

After the burial, they invited everyone back to Dominic's, where he had
prepared a traditional Italian dinner from antipasto to fruit with nuts,
espresso coffee and pastries.  Ryan spoke with Mark's teacher and promised
to have him back in school within a week or so.  At dinner the adults sat
at one table and Mark sat with his friends from school.  Dominic was a hit
with everyone, but the adults marvelled at how easily he had the younger
crowd literally eating from his hands.  At one point he invited Mark and
his friends back into the kitchen and gave them the grand tour which
concluded with each making their own gnanoli shell and then stuffing them
with the mixture of ricotta cheese and rum or almond flavours.  Mark
himself had almost forgotten his pain and found himself joking and teasing
his classmates as they savoured the experience.  Ryan especially enjoyed
seeing how his friend drew his guests into a close bond and congratulated
himself for having thought to introduce Mark to Dominic.  Suddenly Ryan
felt a pang of sorrow as he remembered Kyle whose own departure had
intensified his yearning for Edwin.  Suddenly Ryan was feeling very much
alone.

Late that afternoon there was a call from the Mayor's office.  It seemed
that the City Council wanted to present Ryan with an award for his heroic
saving of Mark and his attempts to save his parents.  Ryan however,
declined the honour, fearing that doing so might affect Mark negatively.
That night Mark again asked to sleep with Ryan.  They were both so tired
that evening that they retired without waiting up for the news.  If Ryan
had, he would have seen himself and Mark standing outside the Funeral Home
waiting for the caskets to be placed in the limousines.  Bill, who was
alone aboard the 'Mon Cheri' in her berth; was, however, watching the news
and saw Ryan comforting a younger man and wondered why he didn't see Kyle.
Bill knew Kyle was friendly with Kirk and decided to give him a call.

"Hello."  Kirk said on a rare occasion where he answered the phone.
Normally, his daughter would have answered, but tonight she was out
babysitting for a neighbour.

"Hey! Kirk? Its Bill."

"Oh, hi Bill, where are you?"  Kirk said.

"We got in late this afternoon.  We had been up to Cape Cod.  So what's
going on?"  Bill inquired.

"A lot has happened while you were away.  First Kyle broke up with Ryan and
then Ryan was killed in a boating accident."  Kirk said, trying to bring
Bill up to date.

"What?  That can't be right, I just saw Ryan on the Six O'clock News.'"
Bill contradicted Kirk.

"You sure?  You must be confused.  His body was never recovered.  Look for
yourself, the 'Gardie' has been lost, her berth has been empty for days."
Kirk insisted.

Bill began to wonder if he had seen Ryan or not.  "Do you have Kyle's phone
number?"

Kirk gave Bill the number that Kyle had given him and then told Bill that
if he found out anything to call him back.  Bill promised to do so and with
his hand shaking punched into his celphone Kyle's home number.

The phone only rang three times before Kyle answered.  "Kyle here."

"Kyle, its me, Bill."

"Bill where have you been?"  Kyle asked accusingly.

"Oh, the owners took me along and we were up at Cape Cod."  Bill explained.

"I guess you heard.  Ryan was killed in an accident?"  Kyle said sadly.

"Yeah, Kyle, Kirk just told me.  Look I'm alone here on the 'Mon Cheri,'
why don't you come down and spend the night here with me?"  Bill said
pleadingly.

"I'd like that, but I won't be there for a couple of hours.  Do you mind
waiting up?"  Kyle asked.

"Naw, I could sure use the company.  This is all so confusing."  Bill said
sounding depressed.

They hung up and Kyle managed to convince his dad to drive him down to the
Marina, by telling him the 'Mon Cheri' was a huge yacht and that he could
stay over too. He also mentioned that Bill had attempted suicide and it was
Ryan that saved him and now with Ryan's death he was concerned at how Bill
might react.  About an hour and a half later, father and son arrived at the
Marina and after passing the empty berth of the 'Gardie.'  went directly
over to the 'Mon Cheri.'  Bill was waiting for them and he and Kyle fell
into each other's arms and Kyle began to weep again.  Kyle's father felt so
helpless, but was glad to see his son getting some of his pent up grief
out.  He couldn't help notice how strongly these two young studs held onto
one another and how beautiful their bodies looked as they embraced in the
soft electric wharf lights.  When they finally separated Kyle introduced
his dad, Chris, to Bill.  Then they went up and into the main salon of the
yacht.  Bill offered them drinks and Kyle's father took a beer drinking it
from the bottle.

"The usual for me, please" Kyle said.  His dad was surprised to hear his
son even had a drink that he could call the "usual" and even more so when
Bill began to prepare it without even asking him what it was.  Both Bill
and Kyle took their Black Russians and toasted Ryan and explained to Kyle's
father how they had met.  His dad was somewhat in shock as they described
how Kyle had become entangled while climbing towards Bill and how Bill had
wound up rescuing his rescuer!  Finally the conversation came round to Ryan
and Kyle uncomfortably explained how they had a misunderstanding and how
Kyle wound up in jail.  Kyle talked about the events very gingerly not
wanting to let his dad know about their sexual encounters.  Bill caught on
that Chris did not suspect his son's sexual preference.

"Both you and Kirk seem sure that Ryan is dead?  But I could have sworn
that I saw him at the funeral of the survivor's parents standing next to
the kid."  Bill said somewhat confused.

"Yeah, the mind can play those kinds of tricks when somebody close to you
dies; I think I see Kyle's mother all the time."  Chris said.  "I guess we
just want to see them so bad, we wind up imagining them all over the
place."

"Maybe so, but I didn't even know he'd died until I called Kirk and that
was after I saw Ryan on the news."  Bill said, unsure of himself, and
wanting in is heart that Kyle was wrong.

"Well we can settle this easy enough," Chris suggested.  "Why not just turn
on the 11 p.m. news?"

Bill turned on the TV but they had to wait while the commercials and the
national coverage of Bush and his 'Vietnam Plan' for escalating the war in
Iraq aired.

"There he goes again, listening to the Generals, who are all in cahoots
with the companies that manufacture military equipment.  As far as they are
concerned war is good for business.  This country needs to make a law that
any president that declares war has to lead the troops himself into battle,
then things will change fast."  Kyle's father said with conviction.

Both younger men were surprised to hear him voice such adamant anti-war
sentiments.  Finally the shots of the double casket funeral came on and as
the camera panned over the crowd Ryan cane into view.  Kyle couldn't
believe what he was seeing.

"Oh my God, that is my Ryan!  Kyle blurted out.  "Dad you have got to take
me over to his apartment."

"Now?  Its after 11 pm."  Kyle's father protested.

"Please Dad, please I have to see him now."  Kyle begged.

The three made haste to the car and thanks to the hour there was little
traffic so they arrived at Ryan's apartment within the hour.  Ryan was
awoken by the phone and answered feeling somewhat groggy and irritated.
The doorman explained that there were three men down in the lobby wanting
to see him: Kyle, Bill and Kyle's father, Chris.  Even in his dazed state,
hearing Kyle's name got Ryan's heart pumping, and he told the doorman to
send them up.

Ryan was in the bathroom trying to straighten his hair when the doorbell
rang.  He flew to the door and opened it, Kyle flung himself into Ryan's
arms.

"Oh, thank God, you are alive!  I can't believe it."  He began to weep in
Ryan's arms.  "I thought you were dead."  Kyle was saying as Mark came out
of Ryan's bedroom half undressed.

"Is something wrong?"  Mark asked, seeing Kyle weeping in Ryan's arms.

Kyle's eyes opened wide as it dawned on him that this young man had been
sleeping with Ryan.  He pulled away from Ryan in disbelief.  He felt all
torn apart grieving over him and the whole time Ryan had been with a
younger and sexier boy! He thought to himself and feeling a sense of panic
coming over him.

Ryan felt Kyle's body stiffen just before he pulled back.  He took one look
at his face and knew immediately what Kyle was thinking.

"Kyle, take a deep breath.  Remember the pool; its panic that kills.  This
is Mark, it was his parents that died in the accident.  He has no other
family nearby and he is staying with me.  He needs someone, just like Bill
needed someone."  Ryan said, trying to get through to the panic-stricken
young man.

"Ryan we thought you had died too."  Bill said embracing Ryan.

Ryan then shook hands with Kyle's father.

"Chris."  Kyle's father said, introducing himself, as he extended his hand
toward Ryan.

"And this is Mark; Mark this is Kyle, my trainee mate from my yacht, and
someone I am learning to love very deeply.  And this is Bill, another very,
very good friend."

Chris's body now tensed as he heard Ryan say that he loved his son very
deeply.  He suddenly began to understand the very intense feelings that
Kyle had been manifesting these last few days: they were obviously lovers.
Kyle saw the expression on his dad's face.

"Dad, I am sorry if this hurts you, but I love Ryan and he cares for me."
Kyle confessed.

"Hey, what about me? Doesn't anyone love me?'  Bill joked.

Mark was somewhat confused by all that he was observing.  Finally, Chris
began to speak.

"Kyle, are you saying that you love Dr. Loud or are you saying that you and
Ryan are lovers?"

"Dad, I love Ryan, and he cares for me.  I wanted him to love me, but now
it's enough that he cares for me."

"Kyle, I more than care for you.  When you disappeared you left a hole the
size of the Grand Canyon in my heart.  I wasn't ready that day, but now I
can say with all my heart that I love you deeply and never want you to
disappear like that again."  Ryan admitted.

Kyle jumped back into Ryan's arms and kissed him on the neck several times.
"Ryan, I missed you so much and when I thought you were dead, I felt as if
I would die too."

Chris was observing all this and could see that there was a very special
bond between Ryan and his son. He knew instinctively that it was so much
more than just sex.  "Kyle, the only thing that I want for you is to be
happy.  I can see that you both care deeply for one another.  I can see
that you love Ryan as I loved your mom and that Ryan cares for you.  I'm
just glad that you are happy together."

Suddenly, Bill began to cry.  Chris had no idea what he'd said that was so
upsetting to this young man, but he reached over and pulled him into his
arms.  As soon as Bill felt Chris's arms around him, he melted into the
man's comforting embrace.  Then Kyle and Ryan joined them and were
embracing them both.

Practically as one, they all looked over to Mark; who looked so forlorn,
standing dazedly looking on as his mind tried o work out what was going
on. All of them extended their arms to him and he too joined them in what
was to become their first family hug.  After clinging to one another
several minutes they began to undo themselves and took seats around the
room.  Kyle sat next to Ryan with their hands joined.  Chris sat between
Mark and Bill.

"I have a suggestion.  Why don't we all plan to spend the weekend together
and take a small trip on the 'Gardie' so that we can get to know each other
better?"  Ryan said.

Everyone except Bill agreed, and he was simply not sure he would be free.

Mark then said, "If Kyle is Ryan's lover and Ryan is now my dad that makes
Kyle my second dad and you my grandfather?"  He directed his last words
toward Chris who put his arm around him.  "Don't worry granddad, I'm
straight!" Ryan was so taken by the boy's amazing reaction and just beamed
at him.

"So what does that make me?" Bill asked jokingly, "your gay uncle or
something?"

"It makes you one of us."  Ryan said clearly.  That night Kyle and Bill
slept with Ryan in Ryan's bed and Mark slept with Chris on the futon.

Kyle was sandwiched between Ryan and Bill.  Ryan and Kyle were kissing
passionately and Bill was spooning Kyle.

"I can't believe we are naked in bed together with your father in the other
room.  Kyle you are so lucky.  Your dad is amazing."  Bill said somewhat
jealous.

"Kyle, do you think we can trust Bill not to sneak out in the night?"  Ryan
said teasingly.

"I don't know, maybe we should tie him to the bed."  Kyle said, going along
with the joke.  Suddenly Ryan got out of bed, went to his dresser and came
back with wrist and ankle cuffs which he then quickly used to subdue the
hapless Bill while they both began caressing and tickling him.