Snow Falls

by KatBear

Title: Snow Falls
Author: KatBear (katbear@cox.net)
Archive: MA
Category: AR
Rating: PG
Pairing: Q/O (Quilan Finn/Ben Kennan)
Feedback: Appreciated.
Thanks: To the beta readers who made this a better story (Merry Amelie, Temve, Bonny Magret). All mistakes are my own.
Summary: First big snowfall and its aftermath.
Warnings: If male-male relationships bothers you, you shouldn’t be here.
Spoilers: None, alternate reality set in 21st century Earth in fictional part of the western U.S. (Wyoming)
Notes: 1. The primary setting is not based on any actual specific real location or persons but is a composite of possible geography, town features, transplanted state university, etc. 2. The federal agencies mentioned are real but liberties have been taken with some policies, practices and job duties. 3. This is the sixth story in the Master's Voice series.

Master's Voice
MV 2 - Honeymoon
MV 3 - First Session
MV 4 - Morning Blues
MV 5 – Relocation
MV 6 – Snow Falls

Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I'm just playing with them.

Ben yawned as he poured himself a cup of coffee at the stove, then wandered over to sit at the table. He added sugar and stirred as he looked around. "I thought Qui came up for breakfast," he said. "Did he already leave for work?"

"He went to help Rafa clear a path to the carport," said Jane. She pulled a sheet of biscuits from the upper oven.

"But it stopped last night about eight. Is there really that much snow out there?" Ben stood and looked out the kitchen window.

"Must have started again a while ago and it's still coming down pretty heavily," said Qui from the entrance to the laundry room as he and Rafa came in.

"Hey, you should have called me so I could help," replied Ben as he moved to gather plates and silverware to set the table. "I don't have to be at work for another hour and a half."

"Don't worry, there'll be plenty of shoveling to go around later if this keeps up," said Qui. He nodded his thanks as Rafa brought the pots of hot tea and coffee to the table, then poured himself a steaming mug of tea. "This evening we'll probably need to clear out in front of the doors and garage again plus paths to the barn, carport and generator shed."

Jane brought platters of scrambled eggs, fried ham, stewed apples and biscuits to the table as Ben followed with cartons of milk and orange juice, then both sat down as everybody started helping themselves.

"Jane, are you going to be okay to go down to the VA hospital for Veterans Day?" Qui asked as he began eating. "I'm thinking that's at least an hour's drive in good weather."

"Been going there every month for years, good weather and bad; I'm not about to miss a special day for a little snow. Besides, that's not for another three days, so the roads should be clear enough if it stops sometime the next day or two. Don't fret yourself; Liz is driving and their car has four-wheel drive, so we'll be fine as long as we're careful about any ice out there." Jane took a sip of coffee. "I'm more worried about you folks getting out this morning. I'll help Ben with the dishes if you two want to get on the road after you eat."

"That's probably a good idea," said Rafa. She turned to Qui. "I've got all-wheel drive, so I don't mind going down the drive first if you want to follow in your truck."

"Thanks, appreciate that." Qui chewed thoughtfully as he looked out the window, then swallowed. "Ben?"

"Hmm?"

"How were you planning on getting yourself back and forth to work this winter?" Qui's tone was carefully casual.

"On Myrna, of course. How else would I get around?" Ben cut a large piece of ham from the thick slice on his plate and put it in his mouth, oblivious to the sudden silence and the glances the other three occupants of the table were giving each other.

"Ben, I know it's your first winter out here - do you think that's really such a good idea?" asked Qui.

"What?" Ben stopped with a biscuit half way to his mouth, looked around, then slowly put it back down. "Okay, why is everybody looking at me like that?"

"Over the next several months it's going to stay cold and snow fairly often," said Jane. "Sometimes it takes a while to clear even the main roads, let alone the secondary ones. It's not really safe to be out on something like a motorcycle."

"I wouldn't mind dropping you off in the mornings on the days when I have school," offered Rafa.

"Or we do have a bus that swings out this way and runs into town three times in the morning and then back again at the end of the day, if you'd like me to take you to the closest stop down at the corner with Route 14," added Jane. "That's only about a mile and a half so it wouldn't take long and the bus is usually very reliable."

"Look, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," huffed Ben at the perceived insult to the greenhorn city boy. He scowled at the two women. "It does snow in Boston, you know. Snows quite a bit, as a matter of fact."

"Ben, nobody's saying you can't take care of yourself," interjected Qui firmly. "But you are new to the area, and it can be very bloody nasty when the snow gets packed down and ices over. Even trucks with chains can have problems, especially if there's an ice storm or when the snow melts during the day and then freezes at night. We're not living in a big city, and like Jane was saying, it can take a while for roads out this far to get cleared."

"I've seen plenty of snow AND ice. I'm a big boy and I'll handle it." Ben's tone was sharp and as prickly as his pride.

Qui reached over and put a hand over Ben's. "We're only concerned about your safety. If we didn't care about you, we wouldn't be bothering you." He squeezed a little. "So would you please be climbing down from your high horse for a minute and at least listen to what we're trying to say?"

Ben looked around the table, his jaw set and tight. It took a few moments for him to get past his first reaction to Qui's last words and realize that the expressions of his friends and his lover truly did reflect only care and worry.

"Sorry," Ben muttered reluctantly. "Look, it's just snow out there now – it's not that big a deal. I'm taking Myrna in today and I'll see how it goes." He sighed. "I promise I'll be careful, alright?"

"That's all we're asking, Ben," said Qui softly. "Thanks."

"Sure."

The rest of the meal passed quickly and quietly. Ben trailed Rafa and Qui as they went out through the garage, and tapped Qui's arm in the open doorway when Rafa went ahead to the carport to start her Subaru.

"I didn't intend to be an asshole and snap at everybody in there, but you kind of caught me by surprise. That stuff about going out in the snow was the kind of thing my parents used to fuss at me about, or at least my mother and sometimes even my sister did, and I overreacted a bit." Ben looked up at Qui. "I am sorry, and I will be careful."

"Don't worry about it." Qui turned to pull Ben in for a quick hug. "Everybody needs help with different things sometimes, and nobody will be thinking any less of you if you want to find a different way to get around during the winter. We're all just wanting you to be safe." He kissed Ben's forehead and whispered, "I want you to be safe."

"I understand." Ben squeezed Qui before stepping back. "You take care of yourself out there, too."

"I will. Love you." Qui turned to go to his truck.

"Love you, too," called Ben. He waved as Rafa headed down the drive and Qui pulled out to follow her. Ben took a long look at the snow still steadily falling before going back inside to finish cleaning up.

The broad ruts in the alley behind Midway Motorcycles were already filling with new layers of white as Ben carefully pulled into a spot next to the wall. He shook his head and wiped the faceplate of his helmet as he sat for a moment letting Myrna idle. The swirling downpour was light and fluffy, but there had been several inches on the ground by the time Ben left and it had taken longer than usual to get to work. As Jane had predicted, the secondary road where she lived had not been cleared and even close to town there was still snow where it was falling faster than the plows could remove it.

Ben turned the engine off and dismounted, grimacing a bit as he looked down at his slush-covered boots. He retrieved a waterproof cover from a pannier and pulled it over Myrna, then headed for the back door. Ben paused to shake snow off his jacket before removing it and going inside, shivering a bit in the chilly air of the high-ceilinged maintenance bay.

"Good morning, Ben." Frank Mendoza was leaning against the doorway of his office, a cup of coffee in one hand.

"Morning, sir. Anything in particular you want me to get started on?"

"Nothing urgent, get yourself something hot to drink first. Dennis wants to see everybody up front at nine, then after that we need to go to a meeting to talk about the work during the winter season." Frank glanced at the helmet in Ben's hand. "Did you ride your motorcycle in?"

"Yes, sir. It wasn't too bad, just slow slogging in a lot of places and a little hard to get traction sometimes."

"This bit this morning was easy, just light fluff even if there is lots of it, but it's going to be a lot worse when we get packed snow and ice and frozen ruts." Frank shook his head. "Even today it will be a lot rougher heading home; the temperature's supposed to drop at least another ten degrees this afternoon and you may not be able to see some of the slick spots. Much as I love motorcycles, they just aren't intended for the kind of weather you'll see out here once the winter gets serious. Two wheels and the relatively light weight can leave you sliding all over the place."

"I'll be careful until I have a chance to see how it goes, sir," replied Ben.

"Well, alright, but you ought to be looking at some other ways to get in just in case. That's an awful nice bike you've got, Ben, and I'd hate to see either you or it torn up in an accident out there. And don't forget that not only is it harder for the cars and trucks to see you or to stop in time, they aren't going to be expecting to see you in the first place."

"Yes, sir, I'll think about it." Ben nodded and escaped to the employee lounge to put on his coveralls. On the trip in he hadn't felt unduly concerned, even pursing his lips a few times as he remembered what he had finally admitted to himself were gentle proddings at the breakfast table. After all, he knew enough to dress in extra layers under his leathers to protect himself and to keep it slow, steady and smooth to protect Myrna. He didn't believe the weather could really be that much worse than Boston's, but after this second warning from a man he respected for his knowledge about motorcycles, he couldn't escape the doubts starting to creep in about his intention to ride during the entire cold season. He loved his independence, and would only very reluctantly admit even to himself that perhaps he had opted for taking the T or bus far more often than not when the wicked weather of the northeastern winter descended on his hometown.

A few minutes before nine, Ben joined the group gathering in the front showroom. He noticed that it truly was everybody who worked for Midway who was in that day, including all of the admin, sales and support staffers. Ben found a spot along a wall near Frank and waited.

"Okay, folks, thanks for getting together." Dennis Jones, co-owner of Midway, stepped out to the middle of the floor. "I know this is going to be old hat for many of you, but I want to make sure everybody gets this information. Today is the first big snow and this constitutes the start of what I like to call the bad weather season. First thing, everybody needs a new call-in card." Dennis paused while two of the support staffers passed out wallet-size cards. "The phone number in red at the top is the direct status number; it's also been added as an option on the main Midway number if you forget or lose your card. There will be a message posted about whether we are open or closed, or if we're opening late or closing early. We generally take our lead from the university and the mayor's office, but Margaret and I always reserve the right to make the final decision. If we're open, you're expected to make a reasonable effort to get in without putting yourself at undue risk. Any questions so far?"

"Are you going to help set up car pools or emergency rides again this year?" came a voice from the crowd.

"Yes. Nobody who volunteered last year is under any obligation for this year, so we're starting fresh." Dennis gestured to one of the admin staffers. "George is going to put up the map and the sign-up sheets in the employee lounge. Don't forget about the community bulletin boards on the internet; they've got a lot of winter car pools posted if none of our people live near you."

"And there's public transportation in quite a few places, too," Margaret added. "George will be providing a stack of flyers and schedules with the sign-up sheets. When we're open, we need to have people here. Even if there aren't many customers, there's still work to be done."

"Right." Dennis looked around. "Take a look, talk to your friends, make some new friends, and let's all have a safe winter."

Ben waited a moment with Frank as most of the group dispersed, then followed him upstairs to a conference room. Dennis and Margaret were already there; Karen and Tony joined them a few minutes later. Ben took a seat along the wall, not entirely sure why Frank wanted him there, but willing to listen and hopefully learn. And he had to admit to a certain amount of curiosity about what a place like Midway actually did during the winter if nobody was out riding motorcycles.

An hour later Ben was sitting in Frank's office and knew more than he had thought possible about the holiday buying habits of the public, direct advertising, sales techniques and public service rider safety programs as covert advertising, but not nearly as much as he wanted to know about rebuilding and refurbishing.

"I don't mind helping out on the sales floor for the Christmas push like Tony and Karen asked for at the meeting, but I'd sure like to help with those big jobs you were talking about, too, sir," Ben said as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "How much of that kind of work do you normally have?"

"More than you might think, actually." Frank leaned back in his desk chair. "The different seasons have very different rhythms for Midway. You've been through part of the spring and then summer with us – in March things were just heating up when you joined us with people getting itchy from cabin fever. That's when we start seeing a lot of jobs for deferred maintenance, making bikes road-ready, that sort of thing, and sales pick up, too. Summer is always high volume from normal maintenance and sales."

Ben nodded. "So that's why you use most of the extra part-time people in spring and summer?"

"Right. This time of year through early spring we'll have some routine jobs, usually drop-offs, from people who didn't get around to it earlier, and we have a pretty steady core group of customers who'll bring their bikes in for us to prep and store for the winter because they don't have anywhere themselves or a few who spend the winters somewhere else and want to leave their bike with somebody they trust. When Gordy comes in at one, I'll be showing the two of you how to work them up with the pair of bikes that came in yesterday."

"Yes, sir, but what about those other jobs?" persisted Ben. "I've noticed that you've got a huge set of both regular and specialty tools, like a machine or body shop, that I hadn't seen in the other places I've worked."

Frank smiled. "Well, I don't like to blow my own horn, but we do get a fair number of people who come to me for rebuilds, refurbs and mods during the off-season, even a few during the summer."

"Those were the 'special jobs' you were working on personally?"

"Yes." Frank shook his head. "I don't do everything here; for specialized chrome and paint jobs, for example, I usually work with Henrik Tollheimer's people over on Third Street. We're set up to do just about everything else, though, even creating some of our parts if necessary. Of course, I have to fit all that in with the business side of things, like overseeing the regular maintenance, keeping up with demand and cost tracking and projections, new model information and stuff like that. Fortunately Karen's staff does a great job staying on top of the maintenance and customer records and handling the parts and accessories, so I only need to meet with them and Tony occasionally for their side of the business. Between everything, though, I do stay pretty busy."

"So maybe you'd like some help with the bikes, sir?" Ben tried not to look too eager, but he was having a hard time suppressing his excitement at the possibility of doing something that sounded exactly like what he would love to get involved in.

"Hmm, don't know..." Frank frowned, rubbed his hand on his chin. "Aside from helping with the holiday stuff and the other jobs, what I need you to do now is get certified as a safety instructor. Tony and one of his people are certified, but Bobby was our third person until he left to work at Ruger's. Over the next six months we've got commitments to fill for several dates in a joint program with the police department, either here in town or up at the regional airport in their main hangar." He shook his head. "And those special jobs, well, you know that's my name attached to every one of them, so I'm pretty damned particular how those come out."

"Yes, sir, I understand." Ben stared at the floor as he swallowed his disappointment. "I'll be happy to do whatever needs to be done."

"On the other hand, you do have your first six-month review coming up in a few weeks, so if Gordy is working out okay on the routine jobs, and you get your safety instructor certification, if you're still interested maybe we can talk about it then."

Ben looked up to see a smile struggling to break out on Frank's face. "Yes, sir, I'd definitely be interested in talking about it some more."

"There's a lot of basic stuff to learn first, lots of grunt work and fussy little bits," Frank warned. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk. "And if you are serious, I'll want you to work on a welding license, too."

"Yes, sir, I like learning new things, so that's no problem at all." Ben smiled, the eagerness clearly back in his voice.

Frank stood up and went to his bookcase, then pulled out a notebook and handed it to Ben. "Here's a copy of the information you'll need to study for the certification and some practice tests. Make sure you learn all the laws thoroughly and not just the riding techniques – it's a lot more in-depth than what you needed for your driver's license. Let me know when you think you're ready and I'll arrange an appointment for the test."

"Yes, sir, I'll get right on it." Ben stood and tucked the book under his arm. "And I'll be looking forward to the review."

"The only thing I'm promising is to talk, you got that, Ben?" Frank waggled a finger.

"Yes, sir, understood." Ben couldn't keep the grin off his face despite Frank's stern expression.

Frank snorted. "Alright, there's work waiting, so get your butt out on the floor." He waved toward the bay as Ben turned to leave, a smile sneaking onto his lips as he watched his young mechanic leave.

It was almost twelve-thirty by the time Ben finished the few jobs on hand. He stepped out the back door to check the weather; the snow had stopped so he brushed the accumulation off Myrna, but the wind had a definite bite to it even in the shelter of the back alley. The employee lounge was deserted when he went in to eat his lunch, so he took several minutes to study the information about car pools and public transportation. "Just for something to think about," he muttered to himself as he stuffed some flyers in his back pocket. As Jane had mentioned, there was a bus that made it out to their part of the county, but it was the only one. Judging by the map of Midway people who had so far offered or requested car pools, it didn't look like very many of them lived anywhere near enough to Ben's home to make that a reasonable possibility. "Oh hell, it'll be alright," Ben sighed as he sat down to finish his meal. "Myrna and I can handle a little bad weather, dammit. Anyway, it's not like a little digger or two is going to hurt anything."

Gordy Taylor, the current part-time mechanic, came in just before one. After Frank briefed him on the winter weather policies and phone numbers, he spent the next few hours showing Ben and Gordy how to prepare motorcycles for winter storage and then supervising as they worked up the two bikes on hand and stowed them in Midway's warehouse behind the main building. They finished about a quarter to four; Ben prepared to head home while Gordy started the shop cleanup.

"Be careful out there," Frank called as Ben passed his office.

"Yes, sir, sure will." Ben waved as he pulled his helmet on and went out the back door.

Myrna started with only a little coaxing; Ben let her warm up for a few minutes as he adjusted his gear. Ben reached down to pat Myrna as he said, "Come on, my girl, let's head home." They carefully negotiated the ruts in the alley and started down the main street.

This isn't bad at all, thought Ben as he opened the throttle a bit. The road had been cleared and the afternoon traffic seemed to be moving pretty normally. Ben shivered despite the extra sweater and sweatshirt under his leather jacket; the cold air seemed to find every crevice in his clothing.

The road was a little rougher as Ben reached the outskirts of town. Ben concentrated on the surface under his wheels – there was ice and frozen snow where the main road narrowed from four lanes to two, but Ben successfully negotiated the switch without any problems. He was starting to enjoy the challenge and was actually feeling a bit smug about how unnecessary all that fussing over the weather had been.

Ben downshifted as he saw the traffic light at the intersection ahead wink from green to yellow. He carefully eased off the accelerator and applied the brakes, intending to stay well behind the car ahead of him as he began following it over into the right turn lane. He didn't see the large silver sedan roaring up on his left until it was too late.

The angry blaring of a horn and the crunching of frozen snow were the only warnings Ben had of the heavy presence bearing down on him. His attention was jerked away from the path in front of him and he skidded across a large patch of ice. He tried to move Myrna to the side, but there was neither room to accelerate away nor traction enough to stop. Ben's heart raced and time seemed to slow to a crawl as he felt Myrna begin sliding from beneath him – he tried desperately to wrench her around and keep her head up, but the slithering sideways tilt continued inexorably as they headed toward the dirty mounds of frozen rubble along the edge of the icy asphalt.

A sickening crunch brought time screeching back to normal. For a long moment, Ben lay on his side, stunned, one leg caught under his bike. He looked up and blinked as taillights disappeared around the corner. He blinked again and started cursing as he fought to lever Myrna up far enough to pull his leg out, then climbed to his feet, still turning the frigid air even bluer.

Ben pulled his helmet off, looked at Myrna and was suddenly sick to his stomach as he looked at the damage to his beloved bike. Myrna lay on her side, her front fender torn half off, front wheel jammed up against the steel signpost that had left the headlight smashed and dangling. Scratches and gashes marred her finish.

"Oh, god... Myrna..." was Ben's agonized whisper.

A dark blue king cab pickup pulled over onto the side of the road ahead of the downed bike. Ben looked up as two men in parkas got out; the driver was broad-shouldered, a camouflage cap pushed back on his head with graying bangs peeking out under the brim. His companion looked to be in his teens with a decided family resemblance of blunt jaw and dark eyes.

"Ya okay, son?"

Ben had to stop and take stock of his own situation, still heartsick over Myrna's condition. He stretched and shook himself a bit, definitely sore but nothing jumping up and screaming at him.

"I think so, sir," said Ben. "Mostly just banged up here and there."

The man raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the scene. "Don't think ya can say the same about yur motorcycle, I'm afraid."

"I guess you're right." Ben knelt and fingered the damaged headlight, then shook his head mournfully. "I don't think I should try to ride her until I can figure out how bad this front wheel got screwed up."

"Well, let's git her up out of there and see what we've got."

"Thanks, appreciate the help." Ben stood and moved around to Myrna's other side.

Between the three men, they managed to pull the motorcycle back onto the road and upright. The other two then watched as Ben took a closer look at the damage.

"Nope, definitely don't want to risk trying to take her on the road like this," said Ben. He pulled off what was left of the headlight and stowed it in a pannier. "Maybe I could push her back to the shop where I work. I'm sure my boss will let me keep her there and work on her in my spare time."

"Ya work at a garage or somethin'?" asked the older man.

"Sort of, sir. I'm a mechanic at Midway Motorcycles for Frank Mendoza," Ben replied. "I get access to their tools and a discount on parts as part of the employee package."

"Hell, I know Frank real good from the Legion." A big smile lit the man's face. "Ya wouldn't happen to be Ben, would ya?"

"Yes, sir, I'm Ben Kennan."

"Hank Jorgens is the handle and this here's one of my boys, Josh."

Ben shook hands with both men.

"Frank's mentioned ya a couple times, and 'sides that Mattie says yur good people. Don't worry, Ben, we'll git ya back to Midway no problem."

"You know Mattie Trimball, sir?"

"Sure, she's the daughter of my third-youngest sister. Mattie and that pack of brothers of hers is always wanting to come out to the ranch to ride them dirt-bikes of theirs." Hank slapped Ben on the right shoulder. "Damn small world, ain't it?"

"Yes, sir, I guess it is. I really appreciate this."

"Don't worry about it, son. Josh, how 'bout you move them sacks of feed around and make some room."

"Yes, sir, can do." Josh snapped off a smart salute and hopped up into the back of the truck.

"Alrighty, let's git crackin' so we can all git warm again." Hank grinned and joined Ben as they started rolling Myrna toward the truck.

An hour later Frank wiped his hands on a rag and stuck it in a back pocket. "I think that covers most of it, Ben. It's just a first look, of course, but there's probably a good sixty, seventy hours of work and I'm afraid there's some things you'll have to buy like the headlight and parts for the front wheel and brake. Probably going to set you back at least three or four hundred dollars even with the employee discount. You can leave the bike here, of course, to work on it."

His boss's diagnosis confirmed Ben's fears. "Yes, sir, thanks. I guess I'll have to sort out what I need to do and how to pay for the parts." Ben noted Frank's raised eyebrow and answered the unspoken question. "I got that high deductible on the insurance to keep the price down, but I wouldn't make a claim this small anyway."

"Don't worry, I'll help you figure out how to do the repairs if you want," said Frank. "The important thing is that you're okay."

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, Frank, that's some damned nice motorbikes ya got out there." Hank Jorgens charged through the Dutch door to the showroom, a cup of coffee in one hand and waving his free arm as his son trailed behind him. "Mattie didn't tell me ya also sold used bikes, too, though. That guy Tony says ya usually got several out back."

"She was probably more interested in the dirt bikes, I expect," said Frank with a grin. "I didn't think you were interested in any kind of bike."

"Hell, not me, a good horse is more my speed, but Jeff'll be turning sixteen in May and has started layin' out some big hints about a two-wheeler." Hank shook his head. "If it turns out he's serious and willin' to kick in his share of the money, I'd take it kindly if ya could steer him straight about how to ride the damn things and what's the right kind of bike to start on."

"Be happy to. In fact, if both of you would like to stop by sometime this winter we can talk about riding, bikes, the licensing and insurance requirements and anything else you'd like."

"That'd be great, Frank. I owe ya a beer next time I see ya at the Legion hall." Hank slapped Ben on the right shoulder with a big grin. "How ya doing, son? Ya sure looked awful sad out there."

"I'll be fine, sir, thanks." Ben tried to smile, but knew he wasn't doing a very good job of it. "We'll be able to get everything fixed; it will just take a while doing it in my spare time. Frank's going to help me sort out the repairs."

"That's good to hear, son. How ya fixed for getting' home tonight?"

"Um, I'm not sure, sir. There's a bus stop not too far from where I live, but I don't know if I've missed the last bus out or not."

"Whereabouts ya stayin', Ben?" asked Hank.

"I live downcellar at Mrs. Jane Brandon's place, sir." Ben added, "That's on 256 off Route 14."

"If we take the back way home that's not very far out of the way, Pop," said Josh, who had been mostly quiet until now.

"That's a good thought, son," said Hank. He winked as he continued, "I don't reckon it hurts that Lila Frampton lives that way, too."

"No, sir, I guess it wouldn't hurt at all." Josh blushed a little as he smiled.

"Alrighty, then, how 'bout we git going? Ben, ya can ride with us. Frank, thanks for the hospitality and I expect ya'll be seein' Jeff 'n me."

"Looking forward to it, Hank." Frank shook his friend's hand.

Ben was swept along before he had a chance to protest about further imposing on his new acquaintance's hospitality and found himself shrugging into his jacket.

"You can leave your helmet in my office tonight if you want," said Frank. When Ben brought the helmet over, Frank pulled him aside and said softly, "Hank may have some rough edges, but he's good people, Ben, and he'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He loves to talk about his family more than anything, though, so he'll be happy as a clam if you just smile, nod and throw in an occasional compliment, okay?"

"Yes, sir, I understand," Ben replied. "Thanks. For everything."

Ben tucked himself into the back section of the king cab, settling in for the ride home. Hank's heavy truck easily handled the frozen roads. As Frank had predicted, Hank filled the silence with a voluble discourse about his wife and five children, so Ben didn't need to work terribly hard to politely express his admiration of their various accomplishments. It was just as well that Hank did most of the talking; Ben's spirits were low as he couldn't help replaying the crash over and over in his mind.

When they reached Jane's place, Ben insisted on being dropped off at the road, protesting that he was fine and wanted to clear his head a bit. He thanked his rescuers once again before turning up the drive. Ben walked very slowly up the long driveway, his injuries starting to stiffen and ache, barely registering the smoothly plowed surface beneath his feet. By now he just wanted to go down the stairs and hide in the basement, rather than have to face his housemates and explain what had happened despite their earlier cautions.

Luck was not with Ben this night. By the light of the floodlights above the porch, the unmistakable figure of a certain tall ranger was shoveling snow in a path along the side of the house to the front in a smooth, steady rhythm.

"Oh, shit," Ben muttered to himself as he hunched his shoulders up and his neck down. "I don't want to have to talk to anybody right now." He slowed his steps even further, hoping he could slip around to the side door unnoticed after Qui went inside.

Qui reached the end of the path he was clearing, straightened, then started toward the open garage. He stopped partway there and his head came up.

"Ben?" Qui dropped the shovel and strode rapidly toward his lover. "Ben, what happened? Where's Myrna?" He reached Ben and started to put his arms out for a hug.

Ben flinched back and hung his head.

"What's wrong, Ben?" Qui stood with his arms at his sides, but the concern was clear on his face. "Are you alright?"

"I, uh, kind of had a little problem out on the road coming home and ended up taking a digger." Ben bit his lower lip for a moment, sighed. "I had flipped on my directional and was moving over to bang a right onto Macon Road... I guess I didn't see the car coming up behind me and skidded on a patch of ice when it got too close. I lost control and Myrna ended up on her side with her front end jammed into a steel signpost."

"Jaysus, Ben – did you get hurt?" Qui looked Ben up and down.

"Mostly just bruises... my left side took the worst of it." Ben shrugged. "I don't think it's anything major, but it's starting to get sore. Myrna, though..." He had to stop and take a deep breath as he shook his head. "A guy gave us a ride back to Midway in his pickup. She's going to need some part-time work and money for parts to get her back on the road. Frank said I could leave her there to work on her." Ben's shoulders slumped and he hung his head even lower. "God, it was awful. And I feel terrible about it."

"It will be alright, Ben. You'll get Myrna fixed and you came out in one piece." Carefully Qui gathered his despondent mate into his arms. "Let's be getting you inside so you can warm up and eat."

"Not hungry," Ben mumbled into Qui's jacket. "Can't we just go 'round to our own door?"

"Jane and Rafa are worried about you. They'll be wanting to know what happened."

"Please, I'd rather not." Ben tightened his arms around Qui.

"What's wrong, Ben?"

"It's fucking embarrassing." Ben leaned back a little and looked up. "I blew everybody off this morning 'cause I thought I knew better, then I went out and made a horrible mess of things. I feel like I'm crawling back home like a pup with its tail between its legs."

"Ben, they're good people, and they'll not be after shaming you. 'Twas an accident, and accidents happen. It wasn't your fault." Qui ran a gloved finger along Ben's cheek. "If you think you have something you need to be apologizing for, then let them fuss over you a bit. It'll make them feel better, you'll get it over with quickly and we can both get a hot meal in our bellies."

Ben sighed and let his forehead rest against Qui. Silence stretched out in the chill air.

"Ben?" said Qui softly.

"Alright, alright." Ben straightened up, his jaw tight. "Let's go in."

"I can drop you off in the mornings until you sort things out if you like," Rafa said. "I've got early classes, labs or study groups the rest of this week and all next week. After that I'll be going in early for classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays if you'd like to ride along."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Ben asked. "I don't want to put you out if it's not on your way."

"It's not a problem at all. There are several ways to get to the university, so I only need to swing over a block or two," replied Rafa. "It would actually be nice to have some company for part of the trip."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Ben ate the last piece of his cake as he studied the bus schedule lying next to his plate. "I can get the bus home at night, and I'll check into car pools and stuff."

"You make sure you got your cell phone with you, son," said Jane. "If the weather's really nasty in the evening, you call and any of us that are here will be more'n happy to pick you up from the bus stop."

"It's only a mile and a half, ma'am," Ben protested. "I can do that without any problem and I could use the exercise anyway."

"If the weather's bad, you be sensible and call, young man," said Jane sternly. "Got enough gray hairs already without worrying my head about you out there in an ice storm. Now, if you're done with that plate, hand it over."

Ben thought better of continuing his objection when he caught Qui's raised eyebrow and instead opted for a meek, "Yes, ma'am." The twinge in his left shoulder as he passed his plate made him wince.

"And I'll not be hearing any nonsense about chores tonight, either," Jane continued firmly. "Rafa and I will clean up. You need to get some rest. I've got some real nice liniment you can use, too."

"And I've got plenty of the stuff I use on Cel after a hard workout," added Rafa. "She loves it."

"It wouldn't happen to be Tazey's, would it?" Qui had a grin on his face. "I've got a big bottle I was going to use on Ben."

"Of course it's Tazey's, best thing there is for what ails your muscles and joints." Jane had an answering smile and Rafa nodded.

"Wait a minute. What is this stuff if you use it on Cel?" Ben asked, his eyebrows lowered.

"Tazey's Horse Liniment, Finest Formulation West of the Mississippi. Available in all better feed and tack stores." Qui's grin was even wider as he saw the realization sinking into Ben's head. "And in just about every drugstore around these parts."

"You're telling me that you used horse liniment on me the other day?"

"Worked, didn’t it?" rejoined Qui dryly.

"Well... yeah."

"Then don't be knocking it. Just say 'Welcome to the west' and enjoy the results. As you might say – it's wicked pisser stuff." Qui ignored Ben's grimace, still grinning as he turned to Jane. "Dinner was great, as usual. Thanks for taking such good care of us. If you don't mind, Ben and I will be heading downstairs now."

"It's a pleasure having you boys," said Jane. She made a shooing motion. "You just leave things up here to us."

Ben led the way down the stairs to the basement. He heard Qui's bootsteps, then the door closed and the lock clicked.

"Ben?"

"Hmmm?" Ben stopped and stood in the middle of the room, not moving as arms reached around him from behind.

"How are you doing, love?" came the soft whisper in Ben's ear.

"Better than I would have thought." Ben sighed. "I felt pretty miserable and awkward when we first went into the kitchen, but you were right. Jane and Rafa were just worried about me, and they didn't even breathe a single 'I told you so'. In a way, it almost made me feel worse seeing how much they were fussing over me, though... I felt awfully selfish and self-centered because I'd only been thinking about my own feelings." He put his hands on top of Qui's where they rested against his stomach. "I'll try to be better in the future."

"It's alright. It's all just part of living and learning, and nobody thinks worse of you." Qui paused. "I'd like to get some liniment on you before we go to sleep, but can we talk about a few other things for this winter first?"

"Of course." Ben tried a half-hearted grin. "Jesus, I feel like a chowderhead. What else am I probably going to screw up?"

"Now, none of that nonsense." Qui pulled his arms away and stepped around in front of Ben. "I was just wanting to talk about some practicalities. For instance, those hunting boots would be a lot better than your engineer boots for walking and taking the bus, but they probably haven't been treated yet for this season."

"Treated? Do you mean like polishing them?"

"Go get the boots and I'll show you," said Qui. "We can work on those while we chat."

A few minutes later they were sitting at their newspaper-covered table, each with a boot and small rag.

"This stuff is called Snoguard." Qui leaned forward and scooped up a generous dollop from a large tub onto his rag. "It's great because it cleans and waterproofs and will last several months. Work it into the leather and make sure you get all the seams thoroughly."

"Okay." Ben gathered some of the thick white cream and began applying it in a circular motion with his right hand. "I always just used boot polish."

"This is much better for work boots and will keep your feet nice and dry. I've been using it for years." Qui watched Ben a moment before continuing. "I couldn't help noticing you've got a number of welts and scrapes on your leather gear and your engineering boots. If you'd like, when we get some free time I could help you clear those up. We'll need to clean the leather and recondition it. Some of the worst spots we'll be wanting to re-dye before we put the conditioner on. Same with your boots, except we'll finish those off with more Snoguard."

"I'd appreciate the help," said Ben as he concentrated on a side seam. "If I'm going to be taking the bus this winter, I think I'd better wear that nice jacket and snowpants Rafa gave me for my birthday. They should work well for layering over jeans and a couple of shirts."

"Good idea, they looked like they'll keep you warm and dry both."

They worked in silence for a moment. Ben was relying on just his right hand as the ache in his left shoulder and arm grew yet more noticeable.

"Ben, have you done much skiing?" asked Qui.

"Did some downhill on a couple of vacations. Why?"

"I was thinking maybe we could do some cross-country skiing if you wanted to learn. I've got a couple of older pairs stashed at the ranger station and some extra bindings and parts. Wouldn't take me much to cut down a set to fit you." Qui carefully looked down at the leather in his hand as he rubbed in more Snoguard. "'Twould be something we could do together and you'd have another way to get around when the roads are covered."

"Help with the boots is one thing, but I don't want your char-." Ben clamped down the automatic spike of pride and took a deep breath. He stopped what he was doing and looked at Qui. "Sorry. I was about to be a jerk again. I really do need to get over that sort of reaction." He nodded to Qui. "Please allow me to rephrase - I would love to learn how to do cross-country skiing with you, but only if you let me help with whatever work you have to do on the skis."

"Maybe you are getting some humility kicked into you the hard way." Qui smiled. "It's a deal. I'll start getting together what we need and we can figure out a time to get started."

"Okay. Just let me know when you're ready."

They finished the rest of the work quietly, with just an occasional murmur of conversation. Qui insisted on clearing up and sent Ben off to get ready for bed.

In the bathroom Ben was finishing his ablutions; a stab of pain in his left shoulder as he reached for a glass after brushing his teeth led him to carefully peel off his t-shirt. He turned to survey the damage in the mirror, wincing at the sight, then turned back to gaze at his own reflection. Ben leaned forward, forearms resting on the vanity and hands dangling into the sink. He drifted back in time to earlier that day. His unseeing eyes stared back at him as he became caught in an endless loop, his gut twisting as he relived those horrible seconds... the helpless loss of control as Myrna slid from under him... the sounds of metal and leather scraping the frozen rubble... the sudden jolt as they hit the post... the sick horror as he stared at Myrna's mangled front end.

The knocking at the door went unheeded, its increasing urgency ignored. The voice outside was unheard.

The door burst open and Qui stuck his head in. "Ben, are you alright? You've been in here a long time and didn't answer."

"Huh?" Ben blinked, shook his head, then turned.

"Jaysus!" Qui stared for a moment at the rapidly darkening bruises along Ben's left side. "That's more than just a few bumps, Ben!"

"It does seem to be worse than I thought it was," said Ben as he carefully poked a little. "I think I must have jammed or sprained my shoulder. It's starting to hurt a lot."

"We should have been putting ice on that when you first got home, but it's a little late for that now." Qui shook his head. "The liniment will help, but I think you should take some aspirin or something to help with the inflammation. If you're finished, I'll be in shortly."

"Yeah." Ben found the pill bottle, shook out two tablets and washed them down with some water. "Sorry, I didn't mean to space out on you like that."

"Don't worry about it." Qui put toothpaste on his brush and began cleaning his teeth.

Ben went to the bedroom, finished undressing, pulled the covers down and got in bed. He was tired, sore and past caring what other animals Qui's balm was intended for. He relaxed into his pillow and closed his eyes.

"My poor boy," Qui said softly. "You're looking damned beat."

"That's about how I feel." Ben kept his eyes closed as he felt the mattress dip and for the next few minutes as a large hand gently soothed lotion along his left side from his toes up to his stomach.

"If you could turn up on your side, I want to work on that arm and shoulder," murmured Qui.

Ben opened his eyes, looking up into quiet blue eyes and a half-smile. "Sure." He started to roll up, hesitated. "Thanks."

Qui nodded, his smile widening as he poured more liniment into his hand. "Anytime." His smile turned somber as Ben settled on his right side. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, fire away."

"Just how bad is the damage to your motorcycle, Ben?"

His breath caught in his throat as Ben stilled, Myrna's forlorn image flashing across his mind. He sucked in air and held it for a moment, then let it slowly trickle out. He finally answered, "To be honest, it wasn't really nearly as bad as it could have been. Her left side will need body and paint work; the front end will need a new headlight and major repairs to the wheel and brakes as well. Frank took a quick look at her when we got Myrna back to Midway. He thinks we can get her back to new with a lot of elbow grease and three or four hundred dollars for parts."

"That's still a fair bit of hurt for the poor thing," said Qui softly as he carefully massaged generous amounts of liniment into Ben's shoulder. "A fair bit of setback for your savings for college, too, I'm thinking."

"I can handle the work with either going in early or staying late at Midway and Frank's already offered to help if I can't figure out how to do something. She'll be ready by spring." Ben paused, searching for words to discuss what was still a very touchy subject for him. "I'll sort out the money; it's not like I have to come up with all of it right away. Hell, I don't even know yet exactly what Myrna will need or how much it's really going to cost." He felt himself tensing up for what he thought would be the inevitable offer of a loan or outright gift.

What Ben got instead surprised him. Hard fingers dug into his shoulders and neck, firmly kneading away the sudden knots he had inflicted on himself. "Oww," he yelped as a particularly tender spot was assaulted. "What the fuck was that for?"

"For assuming I was going to offer you money, ya bloody eejit. I felt your muscles tighten up as soon as dollar signs entered the conversation – that's not good for your shoulder, so I'm taking care of the problem," said Qui, his tone amused rather than affronted.

"You weren't?" Ben was still a tad suspicious as he turned his head to look up.

"Not bloody likely the way you still snap like a turtle when money comes up," said Qui cheerfully as he dug in a little harder. "I was GOING to suggest that it's not too early to be thinking about potential scholarships you could apply for. And that Rafa might be a good person to talk to since she probably knows a lot about that."

"What?"

Qui leaned down so his face was only six inches above Ben's. "Seeing as how the young lady has a full academic scholarship, and probably applied for a lot of other types last year when she was getting herself ready to try for college?"

"Oh." Ben felt a blush creeping up the back of his neck. "I had forgotten about that. I guess scholarships weren't something I ever had to think about before."

"Always glad to widen your horizons, boyo." Qui slathered a last layer of liniment on Ben's shoulder and arm and worked it in. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically, better. My shoulder still hurts a little." Ben chewed on his lip a moment before continuing. "Emotionally, not so good." He added ruefully, "On a couple of fronts."

"A good night's sleep will help on both counts. I'm thinking we'd best forego any additional strenuous endeavors tonight, though." Qui lightly slapped Ben's rear. "All done with your therapy."

Ben rolled onto his back, too tired for even a mock protest, watching sleepily as Qui wiped his hands, tossed the towel in the general direction of the nightstand and reached to switch off the light. In the sudden darkness he inhaled a deep breath of the minty air wafting off his freshly anointed body. He sighed as he felt his lover settle in.

"You'll likely be stiff in the morning," murmured Qui. "If you're feeling up to it, we can get up a bit early and do an easy Tai Chi routine. Be good for both of us."

"I'd like that, thanks." Ben turned his head and sought out Qui's lips for a chaste kiss. "Have I told you lately how much I love you, Quilan Finn?" he whispered.

"And I love you, too, Ben Kennan." Qui gathered Ben into his arms and held him close as they drifted off to sleep.

finis