Kokopelli's Flute

Sorry this one was so long in coming. Let me know if it was worth the wait, ok?

Kokopelli’s Flute, by Hellborne (the_ferret_mom@yahoo.com)
Pirates of the Caribbean –NC-17/XXX

Copyright: Characters, not mine, See the Mouse. Story, mine, but I make no money. He does, but not on this.

Typing convention. / is used for thoughts.

Beta: The greatest, most humble, modest, and oh so magnificent BetaGoddess, Pendragginink! I can’t say enough wonderful things about you!!!

Summary: In 21st century Las Vegas, Will needs help. Jack is just the one to help him.

Notes: Remember, your reviews are the ONLY payment that I receive for this. Your comments and critiques are the only way I can improve. So please review so that I can actually figure out how I’m doing!

A/N: In case you don’t know: “dark” refers to a live show’s day off.

* - * - * - *

Chapter 3 – Inferno

Click.

Jacob shut off the phone and turned to Billy. “Well, that didn’t take very long. Caesar’s is renegotiating the contract. They now want me dark on Wednesdays instead of Sundays, but now I’ll have two shows each on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, three shows on Saturdays, and one show each on Mondays and Tuesdays. Of course, almost doubling the number of shows and inconveniencing my class schedules also more than doubles my salary again...so how could I refuse? I’ve got the Apache, Shawnee and Sioux teachers lined up. This will let me hire them and get all the materials they need and then some.” He grinned. “We’ll finally get ahead and start putting the extra money away for the coming years. And they say it’s somehow because of the encores. People just can’t believe it till they see me in the suit.”

“Well, you’re definitely a hit. Oh, while you were on Jacque’s phone, you got a call from your manager. Something about a documentary.”

“Billy, remind me again how many hours are in a day and how many of me there are?”

Billy grinned. “I know, Jacob. But she said that ninety percent of it would just be following you around. You’d only need to give a little interview time for details before and after, then like a day or two to do the voice over. Oh...Tanya said they were offering five hundred thousand dollars for the one hour documentary.”

Jacob drew a deep breath. “All right. What the hell, it’s for the school.” He grabbed the house phone and called Tanya: his older sister, manager, confidant, and personal assistant to accept the offer. “Damn!” I’d better get downstairs and open the shop. I’ve got three language lessons to teach today, and ending out with a Shawnee lesson for me tonight. I’ll have to reschedule everyone for Wednesdays from now on.” He smiled sheepishly at Billy. “Do I give you enough time nowadays? It seems to me that I haven’t given you the time of day for months.”

“Yes, you have. Other than your day off, I get most of your days, and all of the time after the show. And I agree with you that the kids need the money.”

“You’re just too good to me.” Jacob kissed Billy on the shoulder and walked downstairs to open the store.

* - * - *

Billy woke with a start. He thought he’d heard something downstairs...

/Must be Jacob taking the stuff he was working on down to the shop./

He rolled over...onto Jacob. “Oh...sorry...G’night Jacob.”

Jacob let out a soft snore as an answer.

Billy rolled off the bed onto his feet, put on his robe and went down the stairs to the store. In the three years they’d been together, the shop had never been broken into, so he didn’t even think to bring Jacob’s gun downstairs with him. As he opened the “Janitor’s Closet” door into the back of the store and tiptoed forward, he thought he could make out two silhouettes in the dark near the register. He knew there wasn’t any money in the till, so he turned on the light to try to scare them into leaving. One of them bolted, throwing a bottle at the center table. The other drew a gun, aimed at Billy and fired, hitting him in the chest, knocking him across the room to land on the floor in front of the door to the apartment.

Jacob heard the gunshot and sat bolt upright. Then he heard several things break downstairs. He fairly flew out of bed, tossed on his robe as he grabbed his pistol, his keys, and Jacque’s cell phone and ran downstairs dialing 911 on his way. The door seemed to be braced, and he could smell smoke coming through the cracks around the door. The small man hurled himself at the door, forcing it open a couple of inches, slammed into it a few more times, inching it open just a bit further each time till he could squeeze through. The door brace was Billy; he was in a heap, but still breathing, but barely, and erratically. The front of the store was completely ablaze. Jacob grabbed Billy by the shoulders and got him out the back door, laying him down near the sweat lodge. Finally, he heard the sirens as he saw flames coming out the bedroom windows.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Jacob cradled Billy’s head and shoulders in his arms and waited, stroking his hair and singing softly in Cherokee. He heard someone calling from the gate. “We’re back here! My roommate’s been shot!”

The gate flew open and a couple of EMTs ran to them and started quickly examining Billy. Two more arrived with a gurney. As soon as they got Billy strapped in, they left, telling Jacob he should follow them to the UMC Trauma Unit as soon as he could.

Jacob was in shock. He sat there with his mouth open as they took his lover away. A few minutes later, a fireman walked through the gate and helped Jacob to his feet. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to get out of the danger area.” He guided a numb Jacob out to the carport at the side of the shop, where Billy’s truck was located. Jacob could see the outside of the wall next to the truck starting to smolder. “Ma’am, you need to move this truck before the fire burns it up.”

Jacob blinked. “I can’t drive.” He looked at the fireman. “Can someone please move it for me?”

“I’m sorry—er—sir. We’re not allowed to, and by the time a tow truck could get here, I’m afraid it’ll be burned up. I’m very sorry.”

Jacob pulled his keys and Jacque’s cell phone out of his robe’s pocket. He unlocked the driver’s side of the truck and climbed in, looking at all the gauges. He put the key into the ignition and turned it. Nothing. He tried turning it the other way. The truck lurched forward. /Ok. How did Billy do this?/ He remembered... /Push on a pedal with my left foot. Put the shifter into the area in the middle. Put my right foot on the long pedal. Turn the key...to the right./ The car started and Jacob smiled. /Now...Reverse...oh yea...jerk it to the left, say “shit”, and jerk it left and down./ The car began backing...quickly. “SHIIIIT!” When almost out of the parking lot driveway, he panicked and turned off the ignition. The truck stopped. Jacob stepped out, shaking. “Never again!” He took his place sitting behind the fire line, head in his hands.

* - * - *

“Mr. Littlebird?” Jacob looked up to see a policeman. “We caught the two people who we think shot your roommate and started the fire.”

“Uh huh?”

“And I put in a call to UMC. They’re operating on your friend. I can drive you there if you’d like.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Making sure his robe was closed, Jacob got up and followed the officer to his car. On the way to the hospital, Jacob finally got his sense of awareness back, and picked up Jacque’s phone. “Tanya, I need some favors.” Pause. “Yeah, I know it’s the middle of the night...please...this is an emergency. I need two private guards to go down to the shop immediately and watch it. It’s presently burning.” Pause. “Yes, burning. Then I need you to contact Caesar’s and cancel tomorrow night and Tuesday night’s shows. Tell them my house is burning down and my roommate’s been shot.” Pause. “Yes, shot. Tell them if they don’t want to believe it that they can probably watch the news in the morning and catch the whole thing. I’m on my way to UMC now. Billy’s in surgery.” He hung up as he got out of the police car. “Thank you.” Jacob ran inside to the information desk and asked where they had Billy Thompson.

“William Thompson...he’s in surgery right now.”

Jacob had never tried to take advantage of being a celebrity before, but this time he couldn’t stop himself. Look...I’m Jacob Littlebird. I need Billy upgraded to a private room.”

Looking at him closely, the lady smiled slightly. “Oh, yes! I’ve seen your show at Caesar’s many times! You’re fantastic! So William Thompson is YOUR Billy. I’m SO sorry! But with gunshot wounds, they always transfer the patient to the ICU. You can wait in the ICU waiting room if you wish. Sixth floor.”

“Thank you...and thanks for the compliment.” He headed for the elevator.

Once Jacob stepped out of the elevator, he picked up the house phone and had the operator dial his manager again. “Hi Tanya. I need you grab me a thousand dollars from safe number seven and to run over to Wal-Mart and pick up an entire outfit for me in my size, plus a pair of PJs in Billy’s. Oh...sneakers too.” Pause. “Everything was in the house. I’m down at UMC now in the ICU waiting room in nothing but my robe. I feel like a midget flasher.” Pause. “You’re a doll, Sis. Oh, and arrange with Caesar’s for Billy and me to stay there till the house is rebuilt as part of the contract.” Pause. “I know you. You’ll have them begging to give us a suite. I just want a non-smoking room with a king-sized bed, ok? Have them make it a handicap room. Billy was shot in the chest, so I don’t know if he’ll need a wheelchair when he gets out or not.” Pause. “Ok. I’ll see you in a bit. Just bring all the clothes to the ICU waiting room.”

He sat in a chair and waited. About two hours later, Tanya walked in with a Wal-Mart bag and tossed it to Jacob, who caught it as he stood and rushed into the restroom without a word. When he emerged, he looked much more like himself. “Thank you, Sis.” He stood on his tiptoes to kiss her on the cheek.

She kissed him on the forehead and hugged him hard, a worried look on her face. “How’s Billy?”

Returning the hug and stepping away, Jacob looked at Tanya, a tear in one eye. “He’s still in surgery. I want to wait till he’s awake before we do the errands.”

Tanya nodded. “I agree.” She tipped his head up and looked him in the eyes. “He’ll be all right, Jacob. I can feel it, ok?”

Jacob nodded. “I’m sure he will be, but I’m still worried. I mean...he was shot in the chest, Tanya. What if it hit him in the heart? He’s the only person...” His throat caught and he looked away. “I love him, Sis. I’ve dreamed of him since I was twelve.”

“I remember. And you drew him and painted him for thirteen years before you met him. Jacob, I know he’s literally your dream come true, but trust in him not to leave you.”

Jacob smiled sheepishly. “I do. I’m just a worry wart when it comes to my Billy.”

At that moment, two orderlies wheeled an unconscious Billy and a bunch of complicated machines past them into the ICU. Jacob rushed to the entrance and was met by a nurse. “He’s still asleep from the anesthesia. I’ll come and get you as soon as he shows signs of consciousness.”

Disappointed and anxious, Jacob nodded. “Thank you. But is he going to be ok? May I speak to the doctor?”

“I don’t know his condition other than it’s not critical, which is good. The doctor should be along shortly. You should be able to speak to him then.”

Jacob walked back to his seat, plopped himself into a chair and let out a soft string of Cherokee.

Tanya walked over and put a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Jacob, cussing about it won’t help the doctor get here any quicker. Now try to relax.”

“You relax. My Billy is in intensive care, and everything I have to show for the last six years is burning to the ground.”

“Billy’s alive, and he WILL be fine. The money and important papers are in fireproof safes around the house. Almost everything else is replaceable and insured.”

“I can’t replace the Turner.”

“That painting you did with the carving of the ship? You painted it. You can paint another one. Besides, you don’t even know what condition the apartment is in. All you know is that the store was burning when you left.”

Jacob saw a doctor heading into the ICU and bounced up and stopped him. “Doc, how is William Thompson?”

The doctor looked Jacob up and down. “Are you family?”

“We’re domestic partners, which is as close as this state allows?”

Looking at a pad on his clipboard, the doctor nodded. “Your name?”

“Jacob Littlebird.”

“Ah yes. Mr. Littlebird. Your partner sustained a gunshot wound to the chest subsequent with a collapsed lung; so he’ll be in the ICU for at LEAST a couple of days, if not longer. We repaired the lung, but he’ll be on a respirator at least till he wakes up.”

“Will he be all right?”

“I can’t guarantee anything. We’ve done the best we can, and he’s responding well. But with bullet wounds, it can be especially tricky, which is why he’s in the ICU. That way, if he does show signs that the trauma may have been more than we’d thought, he’ll have the emergency team here on site to deal with it.”

“But will he live?”

“Let me put it to you this way. He responded well to the surgery. At this point, only time will tell. If he lives through the next forty-eight hours, he should be fine.”

“So you’re not sure.”

“There are no absolutes with gunshot wounds. I’ve seen children live with bullets that lodged in the heart. And I’ve seen men in the prime of life die from the trauma caused by a .22 caliber bullet in the shoulder. Every case is different. I’m sorry I can’t give you any better news.”

“Do you have an idea of when he might wake up?”

“Well, he was unconscious when they brought him in...the anesthesia should be wearing off shortly, so that’s up to your partner.”

Jacob physically drooped. “Oh. Thank you, doctor.” He turned away and walked back to his chair, cussing in Cherokee again.

Tanya sat next to him and put her arm around his shoulders, squeezing. #He wasn’t much of a help, was he?#

#No. He has got to be the least helpful doctor I’ve ever spoken to.#

#Maybe one of the nurses would be more forthcoming?#

#I’ll ask.#

#Well, turn on some of that Littlebird charm you usually ooze.#

Nodding, Jacob made his way to the entrance of the ICU. He could see Billy lying there motionless...hooked up to gods knew what all. As he stepped into the room, he noticed that the nurses’ shift must have changed, as the nurse that had made him wait before had been replaced. Then he noticed by whom she had been replaced. He blushed at the memory, though it had happened two years before.

“Mr. Littlebird! How have you been doing?” It was the nurse who had walked in on them last time.

“My Gods! It’s been forever and I’m STILL blushing from it.”

She laughed. Jacob noticed that her badge said “Mary.” “Don’t worry. I’ve ‘forgotten all about it’. I saw them bring Billy in. Jesus! What exactly happened? Who shot him?”

“I guess he heard something downstairs and went down to check it out without the gun. Then again, I haven’t really taught him how to shoot. That’s just one thing that’s going to change ASAP. He WILL live, won’t he?”

“Unless something goes dreadfully wrong, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Jacob smiled. “Thank you for telling me. The doctor wouldn’t tell me either way.”

“The trauma doctors almost never want to give any information either way because they don’t want to bring someone’s hopes up in case something DOES go wrong. But I wouldn’t worry if I were you. Billy’s vitals are fantastic for what happened to him, and I heard the operation was positively textbook.”

At seeing some movement from Billy, Jacob rushed to him, followed closely by Mary. Billy’s eyes were crossed, but wide open in panic and he was starting to thrash his arms that were tied to boards, trying to get to the tube that was down his throat.

Mary hit a button above Billy’s head. “Quiet down, Billy and I’ll turn up the oxygen to a more comfortable level till the doctor gets here.” She turned up the breathing machine just a bit. “Is that better?”

Billy nodded, his body relaxing, his eyes closed. The nurse untied his wrists from the boards.

Jacob took his hand and squeezed gently. “Billy, when you get out of here, we’re going on a short trip to Massachusetts and then a hell of a honeymoon at Caesar’s. I love you, and I want you to marry me.”

Opening one eye, Billy looked at Jacob and nodded, tears forming in his eyes as he feebly squeezed Jacob’s hand.

Jacob retreated a few feet as the doctor arrived, ready to leave if there was an emergency.

The doctor removed the breathing tube and watched the machines for a minute, then turned to Billy. “Try not to move very much. How do you feel?”

Billy smiled feebly, his voice scratchy and weak. “Congratulate me. I’m getting married!”

“You’re leaving your domestic partner?” The doctor kept watching the machines while Billy spoke.

“No. When I get out of here, Jacob and I are going to Massachusetts and getting married!”

“Well, Mr. Thompson. Congratulations on that, and congratulations for breathing on your own. Not that there was much danger otherwise, but it’s always nice to see it happen the way we want it to.”

“So when do I go home?”

The doctor laughed. “You’re on painkillers right now or you wouldn’t even be asking anything about going home. You’ll be staying here in the ICU for a couple of days at least; till that drainage tube comes out. After the tube comes out, you’ll be in a hospital room recovering for at least four to six days. I don’t take chances with bullet wounds, so lie back and just relax. And don’t move around too much.”

Jacob stepped up. “So he’ll be out of here in a week and a half or so?”

“If all goes well, it could be that little, but it may be longer, depending on how that tube drains.” The doctor gave Billy a quick once over and left.

“Jacob, what did the robbers get?”

Jacob smiled at his wounded lover. /He gets shot in the chest and his first question to me is about the shop. You just can’t help but love him!/ “Don’t worry, my love. They took nothing that can’t be replaced. You just relax and take a good long nap. I have some errands to do, but I’ll be back tonight, ok?”

“Jacob, my chest is starting to hurt.”

“I think that’s normal. After all, that’s where you were shot.” He walked to where Mary had retreated; they kept their voices low as they spoke to each other. “His chest is starting to hurt.”

“Thanks Jacob. I’ll get him some morphine for his drip. That’ll help him sleep as well. Oh...I like your sneakers.” She giggled slightly.

Jacob took a look at them. They were Spiderman 2 light-ups. “Thanks. My sister brought them to me and now I’m going to kill her for it.” He chuckled. “Anyway, I have a couple of errands I need to do. When is visiting over?”

“Well, it never closes up here, but you can only stay five minutes an hour. The patients need their rest.”

“Thanks, Mary. I’ll be back tonight.” He made his way out into the waiting area and lightly kicked the back of Tanya’s chair. “Thanks for the kid’s shoes.”

Tanya grinned. “Well, the adult shoes in your size were ugly, and I figured you kind of needed something to smile about, so I got those for you.”

Jacob smiled. “Billy woke up and they removed the breathing tube. I think he’ll be fine. Tanya...when Billy gets out of the hospital, you’ll want to pack for a one-day trip to Massachusetts. We’re getting married.”

Tanya squealed, threw her arms around her younger brother and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. “It’s about time! I thought you’d have gone and done it by now! Oh, congratulations, Jacob! So...are you taking his last name or is he taking yours?”

Jacob was taken aback. “I’m not really sure. He’s welcome to become Billy Littlebird, but I can’t really change mine...everyone knows my name now. But if he doesn’t want to change his name, I guess we can both just stay with our own names. Hell, Tanya, why’d you take your husband’s name anyway? When I was a kid, you always said you wouldn’t give up being Tanya Littlebird if your life depended on it. What happened?”

“I fell in love. When you fall in love, you tend to change. That’s all I can figure out. Well, let’s get going. You’ll need your policy number to get the insurance rolling.”

“Oh, I know that by heart. Let’s get to the shop and see what’s still there. I need what’s in the safes ASAP.”

They left the hospital, got into Tanya’s car, and Jacob was already dialing his insurance agent as they drove away.

* - * - *

As they pulled up to the smoking heap of ash and rubble that used to be his home, Jacob surveyed the damage. One of the guards Tanya had hired stopped them till they explained who were. Billy’s truck appeared fine. The fire department’s arson investigator was rummaging around where the front of the shop used to be. From where Jacob was, he could see that the garden was half burned, but the sweat lodge and adobe oven were both completely untouched. His face gaunt, Jacob stepped into the rubble area. “So...what happened?”

“Are you the owner?”

“Yes, I’m Jacob Littlebird. Did ANYTHING survive?”

“Not much at all. I’ve discovered six safes and one painting...that’s about it.”

“Painting?”

“Yes. It was strange to say the least. You’d think both the canvas and the paint were made of asbestos and then some. The frame was almost completely burned, but the portrait itself...is in perfect condition.” He walked to a pile of burned items and picked up what appeared to be a white towel. He turned it around in his hands so that Jacob could see it; there was Will Turner, looking serenely at him with the shadow of Jack Sparrow watching over him, as Jacob liked to think of it.

“My gods...it survived.” His voice was barely a whisper.

“Just don’t ask me how.”

Jacob took the canvas and stared as he rolled it up. “May I have my safes?”

“I do hate to ask this, especially after seeing all this destruction, but can you prove they’re yours?”

“My IDs all burned with the apartment, unless my wallet is under the rubble somewhere, but would being able to open all of them count?”

“I’d say so. Are there any identifying papers in any of them?”

Jacob snapped his fingers. “Of course! I’ll just open the ‘Important Papers’ safe first!” He looked around and passed up two safes to go to a third. “This is the one.” He twirled the dial faster than any stranger could and opened the safe. He pulled out some papers and handed them to the fire inspector. The first was his birth certificate, the second was the title to the property, and the third was his contract with Caesar’s.

Impressed, the inspector returned the items. “Now I recognize you! I’ve seen the billboards for over a year now, but I just didn’t expect you to look like you do.”

Jacob grinned. “Yeah. Anyone who hasn’t seen the show would have a tough time recognizing me like this. Heck...some folks that see the show every week have a problem spotting me on the street...for which I’m very grateful. Tell you what...what’s your name and I’ll leave it with the concierge at the desk. You and your family can come on down on your day off.”

“I’m afraid I can’t accept bribes.”

“No...it’s not a bribe. I’ll give you a complete inventory of what’s in each safe and anything else we find...you verify EVERYTHING. I’m not into bad karma, and cheating people brings majorly bad karma no matter how you look at it. No, this is for all the work you’re doing and my thanks for doing it.”

“I really can’t accept presents.”

“Ok, I’ll figure it out.” He took everything out of the safe and inventoried it onto a pad of paper the inspector handed him. The inspector initialed every line as being accurate. Then Jacob refilled the safe and had the guards take it to the rear of Billy’s truck.

They went through the other safes, though all but one of them were much easier to inventory, as four of them were filled with money. $20,000, $300,000, $250,000, and $457,642 were all counted and verified. The final safe was filled with jewelry: Jacob’s, Billy’s, and Jacque’s, who took up the lioness’ share of the space. As the final safe was loaded onto Bill’s truck, Jacob noticed something sticking out of a soggy pile of steaming rubble. He picked it up, shook it and wiped it off; it was a simple, old, brown leather wallet. “This is Billy Thompson’s wallet. He was the man who was shot. It should have between seven hundred and a thousand dollars in it, plus his ID.” He opened the wallet and counted the eight hundred and ninety-two dollars. “I’ll take it to him.”

Jacob spent considerable time prodding through the areas he expected to find things as they had fallen in the fire. Tanya had parked her car next door as they intended to take the safes away in Billy’s truck. The two guards had already left and they were just getting into the truck when a car drove up and parked; a man carrying a clipboard got out. Jacob got out of the truck and hailed him.

“Mr. Littlebird? I’m the inspector from State Farm. I take it you wish to report a total loss?”

Not quite. The officer from the fire department has a list of the stuff I’ve found in the rubble. You’ll be very happy to know that the safes with the money, important papers and jewelry were completely intact and the contents untouched, along with my partner’s wallet and the painting you have in your inventory labeled “Turner”, though the frame was destroyed. So you’ll find that the loss is about a third lower than you probably expected.” He gave the inspector Jacque’s phone number. “Call me if you find anything else worth salvaging and I’ll come and get it. The store inventory list is over at Tanya Pulaski’s house...I can either fax it to you or bring it down to the office later. Jacque’s costumes were all at Caesar’s, so there were only a couple of dresses left here...I’m not worried about them. Now, MY wardrobe and Billy’s wardrobe...all we were left with were the robes we were wearing, but Billy’s robe was ruined after he was shot in the chest. Oh, and Jacque’s cell phone is fine, along with the .45.”

“Ok, I’ve got it. I’ll call you if I find anything.”

“Thanks.” Jacob started to get into the truck as Channel Five News arrived. He sighed and went to meet with them.

* - * - *

It was close to midnight when Jacob and Tanya walked back into the ICU waiting room. Tanya sat down while Jacob walked into the ICU, saw Billy sleeping and went over to the nurse. “I’m Jacob Littlebird, William Thompson’s domestic partner. How’s he doing?”

“Hello Mr. Littlebird.” She grinned. “After the rumor Billy has been passing around, I believe congratulations are in order.”

Jacob smiled. “Then I guess he still accepts. Yeah, we’re getting married as soon as this ordeal is over. So...how is he?”

“Actually, he was trying to stay awake to see you tonight, but the doctor’s orders said he had to go to sleep at eleven, so we gave him a sedative and a painkiller. He’s been doing great, though. The lung seems to be draining well. He’s a very strong-willed individual, and you definitely gave him something to live for.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about him if I were you.”

“Painkiller?”

“Not a very strong one. Just a 7.5mg Lortab. He’s doing surprisingly well.”

“Thank you.” Jacob turned to where Billy was sleeping and noticed the television. He frowned. “Did he watch any TV tonight?”

“Yes, though not for very long...maybe an hour or so. He was watching the news when I came onto my shift.”

“How did he react to it?”

“Actually, I was watching it with him when they covered the fire and interviewed you. He seemed quite distraught at first, and I had to hold his hand and keep calming him down, but once he saw your interview, he settled down. He said that you didn’t look upset about the fire...merely upset about him being shot. I purposefully didn’t tell him that you could be in shock or remind him of how good an actor you are.” She examined Jacob’s eyes. “You don’t look like you’re in shock, but you should see a doctor just in case.”

“I’m not in shock. Haven’t been since this morning just after I had to move his truck. Panic tends to whip me out of shock rather quickly.” He grinned. “I don’t drive for a reason, believe me. Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t remind him that I act, because I was telling the truth.”

“But everything was destroyed!”

“Not the most important things. Billy was injured but he’ll be fine, there was one portrait that I have that we both love, and a few other things like Jacque’s jewelry all made it. We’re alive, which is the most important thing...though I’m still anxious about Billy.”

The nurse took Jacob by the hand and led him over to Billy’s bed. Billy was hooked up to a bunch of monitors, but he was smiling gently in his sleep. “He’s had that smile on his face all night except for during the news. You see? He’s going to be fine. The amount of painkiller he had wouldn’t be enough to stop extreme pain, so if there were anything wrong, he wouldn’t be smiling; he’d definitely show it.”

Jacob leaned over his sleeping lover and kissed him. “I love you.” Jacob’s voice was a gentle whisper.

Billy’s smile grew slightly as he mumbled, “I love you too,” in his sleep.

Smiling, Jacob straightened up and had the nurse walk him to the ICU’s entrance. “What time do you think he’ll be waking up?”

“Not before six a.m., but there’s no telling after that. That’s when the sedative should be wearing off.”

“Could you leave a note for the next shift to let me in so that I can be with him when he wakes up?”

“Sure. There won’t be any problems with that unless his condition goes critical.”

“I understand. Thank you for being with Billy for the newscast. I’d hoped he wouldn’t have seen it...that I could break the news to him myself after he felt better.” Jacob left the ICU, tapped Tanya on the shoulder, and headed out.

* - * - *

“I’m sorry, Jacob.” Billy was almost in tears.

“For what? You’re alive; that’s all I care about.”

“For my not stopping the burglars.”

Jacob smiled. “Billy, my love, the police said they weren’t burglars. They found them with a white supremacist gang. Apparently, burning us down was their initiation. The D.A. is going to try to get it counted as a hate crime. And you DID stop them, my love. Had it not been for you surprising them, we’d both have been burned alive. You’re a hero, and I’ll never forget that and neither should you.” He kissed Billy chastely on the upper lip. “So, how are you feeling?”

“A lot better. It doesn’t hurt nearly so much to breathe.”

Jacob looked at the drainage tube. It barely had anything in it, and what it did have was clear. “Maybe they’ll let you go to a room soon. You’re too boring to be in the ICU.” He smiled.

“Actually, I was thinking that very thing.” Jacob turned and saw Dr. Lovitz. “By the look of all the charts, I’d say Billy is doing far better than expected. This afternoon, I’ll go in and remove the drainage tube, and he’ll be in his own, private room soon after that. So you can stop being a ‘mother hen’, Jacob. Go get some sleep.” He wrote out a prescription and handed it to him. “This will give you a few hours of needed sleep. After I saw you on the news, I knew you wouldn’t be sleeping until Billy gets out.”

“So he’ll be getting out soon?” Jacob looked hopeful and expectant, like a dog waiting for a ball to be thrown.

“Not necessarily, Jacob. Remember, we’re talking about a bullet wound. Give it time to heal in the hospital, or he may have to return with complications.”

Jacob’s entire demeanor drooped. Billy giggled. “Jacob, don’t worry. I’ll be home in no time. By the way, just where IS home right now?”

Jacob smiled. “Caesar’s. They gave us a two bedroom suite. I don’t know why...I only asked for a non-smoking room with a king.”

The nurse walked in and interrupted them. “I’m sorry, Mr. Littlebird. Time’s up.” Jacob shrugged. “I guess I have to wait an hour to talk to you some more, Billy.”

Dr. Lovitz grinned. “Go take a nap. When you get back this afternoon, you can see Billy for a lot longer...in his own, private room.”

Billy smiled. “I’ll see you this evening, ok, Jacob?”

“Ok. I love you.” He kissed Billy and left.

* - * - *

“Well, I found out why Caesar’s gave us a two bedroom suite.”

Billy was smiling. Other than just a bit of pain from where the drainage tube had been removed, he was feeling quite good. Of course, that was due in part by the Lortabs they still kept him on, but all in all, he felt much better. “Oh? Why?”

“For the bodyguard. Caesar’s said it was the only way they could keep us insured. Something about ‘high risk lifestyles’. Anyway, when we rebuild, they’ll foot the bill for the addition to house him. He’s out at the nurse’s station, reading the newspaper. They decided he’d also be my chauffeur, so when you get out, we’ll be riding in style.”

“Why? Does he have a limo?”

“Nope.” Jacob grinned. “A Hummer.”

Billy laughed. “Jacob, how is it that you can’t drive, anyway?”

Jacob looked sheepish. “I tried. I really did. But cars intimidate me. I can ride a horse. I can ride a bicycle if it doesn’t have a motor. I have no problems sailing a boat, or even steering a yacht. Heck, I even have a pilot’s license for a single engine plane and a Lear Jet. But I just don’t get along with those darned automobiles.” He shrugged.

“They’re still showing clips of the fire on the news. They keep making a nice ruckus about it being your house. Oh, and they mentioned some kind of documentary on you and the school. So...when did you film a documentary?”

Surprised, Jacob frowned. “Never. I guess Tanya had better call them in the morning and get the details. I’ll do it if they donate enough money to the school. Oh, the insurance adjuster said to go ahead and start replacing the house. I’ve got an architect working on it. Per the adjuster, the architect is drawing up plans for an exact replacement so that I can get an estimate on replacement costs for State Farm, and the plans for the actual new building, including Jim’s room. I think it’s time for an upgrade.” He grinned. “Oh...I bought the two properties next door to add to the acreage for what I want.”

“Who’s Jim?”

“The bodyguard. Jim Norris. Confidentially, I don’t like him.”

“The feeling is mutual, Mr. Littlebird, but I shall do my best to protect you and your...er...partner.” The bodyguard stood in the doorway. He was tall; probably six feet four inches, though not very muscular-looking. His face was a mask of propriety with an aristocratic nose; his hair neatly trimmed.

“Linda at Caesar’s says he’s the best, but warned me that he’s a bit of a homophobe.”

Jim drew himself up to his full height. “I’m not a homophobe. I just don’t approve of the gay lifestyle. However, as long as you don’t try to include me in your ‘antics’, we’ll have no problems.” Jim walked in and offered his hand to Billy. “Nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Thompson.”

“Call me Billy. And don’t worry. We don’t include anyone in on our ‘antics’ as you called them...though we’ve never had anyone in the apartment to avoid before.” Jim nodded and found a chair.

Jacob hit himself in the head with his palm. “By the way, Billy, you’ll have a couple of visitors tomorrow. One is the police detective to find out what you remember about that night, and the other is Armand...he wants new measurements for your new suit. After all, we’re NOT getting married in blue jeans.”

Billy giggled. “You could always wear one of Jacque’s dresses.”

Jacob grinned. “Somehow, I don’t think that’ll go over very well at the airport. Besides...I always dreamed of being married in a suit.”

“Ok. I’m easy.”

“Only to me, my love. Only to me.” They both laughed.

* - * - *

“God I’m grateful to be out of the hospital!” Billy grinned.

Jacob smiled as he helped Billy into the back seat of the hummer. “Me too, but I still think you need to take it easy for about a week before we put you on an airplane.”

“But Jacob, I want to get married tonight!”

Jacob kissed him. “One week. Dr. Lovitz said to wait a week. Hey, you’ll enjoy the week. You can run down to the casino and gamble, eat at any of the restaurants, get room service...whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about opening the shop or anything.”

Billy waited till Jacob went around the car and climbed in with him. “Jacob, I LIKE opening the store. I’m going to be bored to tears.”

“No you won’t. You can come down and watch me rehearse. We’re changing a few numbers in the show.”

When they reached Caesar’s, Jacob helped Billy to their suite, sat him on the couch in the living room, and turned on the sixty-five inch HDTV. “I bought this the other day and had Caesar’s set us up with a small dish on the balcony so that we’d have all your channels.” He pointed to a door to the left. “That’s Jim’s room. Don’t go in there unless it’s an emergency. He likes his privacy...a LOT.” He pointed to a door to the right. “That’s our room. There are two bathrooms; one off each bedroom. Ours has a hot tub that you can’t use until after the wedding. That’s when Dr. Lovitz will give you his blessing to get wet. In the meantime, you can use the shower next to the hot tub if you wear the bandages I bought for you. Or...” Jacob leered at him. “You can always let me give you a sponge bath.”

Billy grinned. “I’ll take sponge bath for five-hundred, Alex.”

Jacob laughed.

* - * - *

The week went by WAY too slowly for Billy. He gave up watching television after the first day, and went down to the casino out of sheer boredom. He found a very interesting looking nickel slot machine called “X Marks the Spot,” and found that it played music reminiscent of the Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean, so he got a slot club card and put a hundred dollar bill into the machine. By the end of the day, he’d lost close to eight hundred dollars. After promising himself he wouldn’t do that again, he went to watch Jacque’s show.

When Jacque noticed Billy in the audience, she announced that her fiancé was in the audience and that they were getting married at the end of the week. When Jacob came out for his nightly combination encore/question and answer cession, the most popular questions were where he and Billy were going to get married, what Jacque’s new name would be, and Jacob’s plans for rebuilding the shop. Throughout the show, Jim sat quietly at Billy’s table, sipping tea.

After Jacob finished the encore, he received a standing ovation that refused to die down until he promised to do another song. He spoke quietly to the bandleader for a moment, who nodded, and then stepped back out center stage accompanied by a tall man who resembled Jacob, but in a rugged way. His hair was cut much the same way as Jacob’s, and he walked gracefully to center stage carrying a long wooden flute.

Jacob was beaming. “I’d like to introduce you to the man who you heard earlier playing the flute with me in ‘Indian Reservation’. We’ve played flute together since I learned the flute as a small boy. My brother, Daniel Littlebird.” Applause. “We’ve been working on what we’re about to play for a long time now, and you’ll be the first audience to hear it beyond family.” Applause.

Both men raised their flutes to their lips. The music was astounding. Daniel started with his larger flute, starting low both in tone and volume, setting the mood, and when Jacob joined him with the smaller flute, the audience was completely entranced. The music spoke of fields, woods, animals, and peace. It brought up pictures in the mind of a people who hunted and fished and lived in harmony with their surroundings. No other instrument joined them, and by the time they were finished, there was not a dry eye in the house. They received thunderous applause, causing both men to blush.

After the show, Billy was tired and in pain, so Jacob and Jim helped him up the elevator and into the bedroom. As soon as Jim left for his own room, Jacob undressed Billy and put him to bed. Billy neglected to tell Jacob about the money he’d lost.

* - * - *

And so the week went, Jacob going out and doing errands, then going straight to the hall for rehearsals, and Billy watching television till he couldn’t bear it, then going down to the casino and gambling. Sometimes he’d win, but often he’d just play that same machine until he was out of money, generally eight or nine hundred dollars a day. He felt guilty, since it was Jacob’s money, but for some reason, playing that machine gave him a good feeling inside. So he kept playing, and didn’t tell Jacob about it.

At the end of the week, Jacob was starting to suspect something was wrong. He’d looked in the “mad money” safe they’d brought with them to the hotel, and found close to six thousand dollars missing of the $20,000 that he kept in it. He found Billy in the shower, getting ready for his doctor’s appointment. “Billy, do you have any idea what happened to the mad money in the safe? There’s about six thousand dollars missing.”

Billy looked guilty. “I spent it. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you when the shop re-opens...I promise.”

Jacob looked at him seriously. “I don’t care that the money is gone, Billy. I’m just curious as to where it went. Down payment on your own hummer? I noticed you liked Jim’s.”

Billy’s head drooped. “No...there’s this machine...called ‘X Marks the Spot’. I tried it out the first day I went out. I don’t know how it happened, but by the time the show was ready to start, I’d spent eight hundred dollars.”

“All right, that’s no problem. I’ve dumped money in those one-armed bandits before. But how did eight hundred turn into six thousand?”

“I promised myself the first day that I wouldn’t do it again, but the music from the machine invades my sleep...I’ve spent anywhere from six hundred to a thousand a day since then. I’m sorry, Jacob. I won’t do it again...I promise!”

Jacob looked at Billy with pity in his eyes. “I’ve seen this happen before, Billy. It’s not fair the way the machines sound so interesting, but some people just can’t handle it. I guess you’re one of those people. I’ll get a pamphlet for Gambler’s Anonymous for you tonight. I don’t have a problem with you spending the money, but living with the guilt you’re feeling is horrible.” He pulled a thousand dollars out of his wallet and handed it to Billy. “I want you to go ahead and play this today. It’s the last of your gambling, Ok?”

“But Jacob...won’t this make it worse?”

“Call it a farewell party. I’ve known several people in G.A., and they told me that a final farewell to gambling KNOWING that it’s their last can help them to stay away from it...with help from G.A., of course. So call this a gift from me to you.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“No, I love you...and we’re taking off right after the show tonight for Massachusetts, so be at the show, ok?”

Billy smiled. “You got it.” He finished his shower and got dressed as Jacob headed out with Jim to his various errands of the day.

* - * - *

“I now pronounce you man and husband. You may kiss each other.”

Billy took Jacob in his arms and kissed him passionately, which Jacob returned wholeheartedly, to the wild applause of Jacob’s mother, brothers and sister, Billy’s mother, and the many couples waiting their turn. Billy swept Jacob off his feet, and with Jacob protesting all the way, carried him out of the hall followed by their relatives and Jim.

Billy deposited Jacob in the limousine waiting for them and called out to their relatives to follow them in the other limo. “The nicest restaurant in the city, please.” Jim climbed in and the limo took off, followed by the other one.

* - * - *

“Billy tells me that you’re a performer.”

Jacob blushed. “Yes, Mrs. Thompson...I’m a Las Vegas headliner at Caesar’s Palace. I have a show called ‘Resistance’.”

“So you sing?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Call me mom.”

Jacob smiled. “Yes, Mom. I sing, dance, and play the flute. My brother Daniel is in the show too.” He nodded at Daniel, who smiled.

“You really must sing for me. I love good music. Too bad the airlines don’t allow metal through the gates or you could have brought your flute.”

“Actually, Mrs....er...Mom, I did bring my flute. You see, it’s made of wood. Daniel too. If you’d like, we could play a song for you once we get you back to your hotel room.”

“I do wish you’d have brought some photos though.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t think to pack any.”

Billy grinned. “I did.” He pulled out his wallet to the quiet snort of Daniel trying to suppress a giggle and the dirty look from Jacob. “Here mom. I took these about a month ago.” He handed his mother several photographs of Jacqueline Loon during the show.

“My, what a lovely lady. Do you perform with her, Jacob?”

Jacob blushed. “You could say that, ma’a—Mom. You see, that IS me onstage.”

“But you look like a woman in these pictures.”

“Yes, ma’am. My stage name is Jacqueline Loon.”

“But here’s one in a very nice suit.”

“I do the encore as myself.”

“So you sing like a woman till the end, then sing as yourself?”

“No, Mom. I only sing in Jacque’s voice. My own voice isn’t even worth a shower song. Billy compares it to a Budweiser Frog.”

The whole group laughed. Daniel nodded. “I’d say Billy was complimenting you, Jacob!” They all laughed again.

“You see, Mom? Without Jacque and her voice, I’d be nothing more than a short owner of a curio shop.”

Billy pulled Jacob over and kissed him. “You’re FAR more than that, Jacob...Jacque or no.”

Lillian Thompson smiled. “Well, if Billy loves you as much as he seems to, you must be something very special.”

Jacob blushed. “Billy, you’ve been telling your mother fibs.”

Billy nipped him on the nose. “I only tell my mom the truth. You ARE special.” He turned to his mother. “Mom, Jacob can read the future just from holding your hand.”

“Only sometimes, really.”

“Oh, Jacob. Tell Mom about her future.” He signaled Jacob to go to Mrs. Thompson. Jacob’s family looked on, all looking worried.

Tanya spoke up. “Honest, Mrs. Thompson. Jacob’s abilities can’t usually be called upon on cue, as it were. They tend to come and go.”

Billy frowned. “Nonsense. Jacob is the greatest fortune teller in the world.”

Jacob looked nervous. “Billy, I really don’t think I should try tonight. I’ve had a lot to drink.”

Billy’s mother nodded. “Billy, if Jacob doesn’t want to, don’t force him.”

Billy looked Jacob in the eye. “Why wouldn’t you want to read my mother’s future?”

“I don’t feel good, Billy. I think I drank too much. You know, ‘Indians and Firewater’? Bad mix.” He grinned, sheepishly. “Perhaps when we have your mother over for Christmas. The new house will be finished...I’ll feel a lot better then.”

The meal went by rather pleasantly after that, though Billy couldn’t figure out what had happened to Jacob, as he’d always been happy to read someone’s future, whether he’d get paid for it or not.

When they brought Mrs. Thompson back to her hotel room, Jacob and Daniel played their duet. Mrs. Thompson loved it. She gave both men a hug, which made both of them stiffen. She thought maybe they weren’t used to being hugged.

Before they left to head back to the airport, Jacob shooed everyone out of the room but him and Billy’s mom. “Mom, tell me the truth. When was the last time you’ve gone to the doctor?”

“About a year ago. I have no need for them.”

“You have need for one, Mom. You’re coming with us to Las Vegas, and you’re going to my doctor. I’m going to get you the best care money can buy, because I’m not going to let Billy lose his mother so early.”

“Jacob, what are you talking about?”

“You’ve been short of breath...weak...you’ve had chest pain that isn’t heart, but isn’t good. Yet you’ve stayed away from the doctor because you’re afraid of what he’ll say. Mom, it’s lung cancer. But it’s curable. I want you to know that. But if you don’t have it taken care of within the next month, you’ll be dead the month after. I don’t want that to happen when you can have many more years of happiness.”

“I’m not going to go through all that chemo therapy.”

“It’s not that kind of cancer, Mom. It’s a tumor in the lower part of your right lung. They’ll take it out with no problems.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Tanya lied...she felt it too, but not anything about it being curable, and she’s always been one to balk at giving people bad news, which is why she’s my manager instead of a fortune teller. I wasn’t sure myself till you gave me that hug.”

“That’s impossible. Fortune tellers are all shams.”

“Then you don’t believe me?”

“Billy must have told you about my little problem.”

“It’s not a ‘little problem’, and no, he didn’t tell me anything. I can tell you anything you wish to know about yourself, past or present to prove what I can do.” He took her hand between his.

“Ok, what number, word, and color am I thinking of?”

“That’s a trick question, Mom.”

“Then you can’t do it?”

“Oh, I can do it. You’ve changed the color three times though...from yellow to orange to purple. The number started out as eighty-seven, but it turned into five, which is the most common number anyone ever thinks about. The word is lavender, thought of by you to try to confuse me just in case I could really do it. Mrs. Thompson, as long as I’m in physical contact with a person, I can read their past, present, and future, along with their actual thoughts. And you don’t have to worry about Billy, Mom. I make enough to support us easily, along with a school on the reservation, my own family, and from now on, you. I’m a multi-millionaire, though I don’t like to even think about that much money, who tries to live on what he makes out of a small Native American curio and alternate religion shop. My ‘side job’ is as a female impersonator with a penchant for rebellion through music, and it makes me a little over a million dollars a year, of which most, if not all of it, goes to the Yv-Wi school so that the Native children will grow up with a heritage other than that which the Euro government wants them to have. And I love Billy so much that if he were to leave me, I’d give him everything we own and just start over. Now, please don’t refuse me. I’ll send Leonard to make the arrangements to have your things moved to Las Vegas, ok?”

Mrs. Thompson shook her head, smiling. “You ARE something else, Jacob. You’ve thought of everything...there’s nothing I can protest without looking mean and stubborn. All right. But where will I stay? Your home was burned to the ground.”

“We’re living in a two-bedroom suite at Caesar’s Palace for now, but I’m sure they’ll upgrade us to the presidential suite...that has four bedrooms and a large living room and kitchen. Billy will have you to keep him company while I get the errands done and rehearse. He’s been going completely stir crazy without the shop. So let’s get your things packed, and I’ll get the plane ticket switched for you.” She handed him the ticket and her house and car keys, and went to pack her things. Jacob went to the door and opened it, finding Daniel waiting with a worried look on his face. “She’s coming with us, so don’t worry.” He pushed past Daniel to Leonard and put his hand on his shoulder, dropping the keys in his hand. Leonard nodded and walked off. Jacob took hold of Billy and gave him a kiss. “Darling, Mom’s coming to live with us. Isn’t that great?”

“I thought Mom liked South Carolina.”

“She does.” Jacob put on his best Marlon Brando imitation. “But I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.” They both laughed.

* - * - *

Upon their arrival back in Las Vegas, there was a crowd of well-wishers waiting for them, throwing rice, confetti, and hundreds of flowers and screaming their congratulations to the newlyweds. When they arrived back at Caesar’s, the manager brought Jacob eight keys. “These four are copies of the front door key, and each of these go to one of the bedrooms in the suite. Everything has been moved for you already, so don’t worry about having to go to the old room at all. Just drop the keys to the old rooms off when you have a chance.”

Jacob smiled and took the keys, heading up to the presidential suite. As they entered, they were almost blinded by all of the balloons and flowers waiting in the living room. Billy lifted Jacob and carried him over the threshold, though Jacob insisted upon being put down as soon as they were inside. “I swear, Billy, I’m not your wife. You carried me last time...I should have carried YOU this time!”

“As if you could, Jacob. I outweigh you by sixty pounds.”

“And?”

“And you can’t lift me.” Billy looked smug.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. “Oh REALLY.” He grabbed Billy and lifted him up, and, though he had to put him over his shoulder, he did make it to the master bedroom and carry him in, tossing him gently on the bed. He grinned, breathless. “I can lift you.”

“I love you, you idiot. Don’t do that again. You make your money on your feet. I don’t want you throwing your back just to prove a point.”

“Yes, mother.”

“Speaking of mother...”

They both went out to the living room, smiling, grabbed Mrs. Thompson’s bags and brought them to one of the empty rooms. Once Jacob knew which key it was, he handed it to her. “This is your private room. If you don’t want visitors, just close the door. Nobody has a key but you right now, though Jim will have a key as soon as I see the manager again. Jim is the bodyguard, so he needs one, but don’t worry. Unless you scream, he won’t be coming in.”

After handing out the keys, Jacob headed downstairs with the old room keys.

* - * - *

That night’s show was the best Jacob could remember. He had three encores, and introduced his “mother-in-law” and “new husband” to the audience to a standing ovation and feeling like he was being buried in all the roses thrown. Once the show was over, he was stopped from leaving the stage by a throng of reporters and fans, so he had a short, impromptu press conference. After the press left, he had to sign many autographs for his fans, and finally made his way out of the theater with his new family and old, and was met in the garage by Greg Hampton, Jacque’s favorite reporter. “Jacob, may I talk to you?”

“Sure, Greg. We were just going out to dinner. You hungry?”

Greg grinned. “Always, though more for news than food usually.”

“Ok.” He turned to Billy. “Darling, I’ll ride with Greg and see what’s up, ok? Take your mom to Ruth's Chris. We’ll meet you there. Tanya? Let Daniel drive your car. You come with us.” They shifted to the cars they were riding in and drove out.

“Jacob, I want to be the one to do that documentary on you and the school. We can pay you five hundred thousand dollars to follow you around for a couple of weeks and have you come into the studio and do the voiceover one day. You’re welcome to dump any parts that you don’t approve of...it’ll be your baby. What do you think?”

“Well, since nobody’s offered me more...” He looked at Tanya, who shook her head in agreement. “I’ll be happy to. You, at least, I can trust to keep it positive. So when do you want to start?”

“Tomorrow morning. I’ll be going with you everywhere and taping everything you’ll let me tape.”

“Bring a case of No-Doze. I don’t sleep much. Seven a.m. is when I start, so if you come by the suite around six forty-five, you can even get me eating breakfast if you want. But no way are you following me into the shower.” He grinned.

Greg laughed. “Don’t worry. No nudity for THIS documentary. Maybe next time.” All three laughed.

Tanya stopped laughing first. “You’ll need to give him a million to get his pants off.” They all laughed again, Jacob blushing slightly at the thought.

They arrived at the restaurant and went in. Jacob walked up to Arthur, the 'maitre d'. “Good evening, Arthur. Party of seven tonight.”

Arthur smiled. “Certainly, Mr. Littlebird.” He led them to a large table. Jacob helped seat Mrs. Thompson while Billy helped Tanya into her chair, then the men sat down. They ordered, and Jacob announced the plan for the documentary.

Billy giggled. “So, will this be a twenty-four hour a day documentary?”

Greg smiled. “No...what you two lovebirds do at night is no one’s business but your own.”

“You should have started it tonight when we got off the plane.” Jacob jabbed Billy lightly in the shoulder.

“Actually, I did...though it’ll only become part of the documentary with your permission...otherwise it’ll be part of my personal Jacque collection.”

Billy looked at him. “You’re more than a reporter, aren’t you, Greg?”

Now it was Greg’s turn to blush. “Yes...I admit I was infatuated with Jacque before Jacob was ‘outed’. But I’m still quite a fan.”

Jacob smiled and patted his cheek. “Yes, Greg here asked Jacque out at least once a week. He was always quite the gentleman when I turned him down.”

“Actually, I thought you didn’t find me attractive. But I’m nothing if not persistent.”

“No, my dear. You are extremely attractive. I just didn’t want you to wake up in ‘The Crying Game’.”

Greg grinned, blushing. “I can just imagine.”

Dinner was delicious as usual, and the conversation stayed at a personable level, with Greg asking Daniel a few questions about how he got into the business, how long he’d played the flute, etc. Then he asked Daniel if he and the rest of the family would be in the documentary, to which Jacob answered that they’d all be delighted to, as his brother and sister nodded.

* - * - *

6:45 a.m.

Jacob answered the door to the suite in jeans and tee shirt, to have Greg and a cameraman enter with a steady-cam. Jim watched from a chair in the dining room as the cameraman took light level measurements and made some adjustments to his camera. Jacob made some coffee and offered some to the two visitors, then got to work on his and Jim’s breakfast as the camera started tracking his movements.

After breakfast, all four men left, getting into Jim’s hummer to go on various errands.

* - * - *

Billy woke to a knock at the door. He walked out of his and Jacob’s room and answered it; it was his and his mother’s breakfast, with a dozen red roses and a dozen yellow roses arriving with it. He let the man bring it in and set it up in the dining room. He tipped him twenty dollars, waited for the man to leave, then grabbed a tray, put his mother’s food on it, picked it up along with the dozen yellow roses and went to her door, knocked, and entered. His mom sat up in the bed, smoothing the covers so that he could put the tray on her lap. She oohed at the roses. Billy said they were from Jacob and Mrs. Thompson smiled. “He knew I loved yellow roses, didn’t he?”

“He did hold your hand, right?”

“Yes. He’s a very special man, Billy. I’m proud to have him as a son-in-law.”

Billy smiled. “I thought you would be. So what were you and he talking about in private? He wouldn’t tell me...he said it was yours to tell if you wished.”

“He told me he loved me, and that’s all I’ll say on the matter.”

Billy frowned. “Ok. I’m sure you have your reasons for keeping your fortune away from your only child.” He sniffed. “I mean, I’d want to know if there were something wrong...” He sniffed again.

Lillian tittered. “Oh, Billy...Jacob’s the performer...you’re the HAM.” They both laughed.

“Oh...Mom, Jacob said you would be needing a lift to Dr. Lovitz’s office for a checkup.”

/That Jacob. He’s a doll. He thought of everything, and didn’t let on to poor Billy./ “Yes, Billy. I have a two o’clock appointment. Jacob made it for me yesterday. He also put me on the insurance, somehow. He said something about me being his ‘personal masseuse if anybody asks.”

“That’s Jacob...he’s put you on his payroll. Until we got married, I was his gentleman’s gentleman. I still dress him...just now I do it for free...” He snickered. “No problem about getting to the doctor. Oh, Mom? This is Las Vegas...if you want to do anything, just let me know. Any show, restaurant, casino...I can get you there. Jacob and I always have ‘mad money’ on us, so whatever you want, just let me know.”

* - * - *

“Jacob, I wanted you to know, you were right. Dr. Lovitz took an x-ray of my lungs, and he said it’s a tumor exactly where you said it would be. He doesn’t know if it’s benign or malignant, but I’m sure you’re right on that part too. Anyway, he’s set me up for surgery this coming up Monday. He said if it’s benign, it’s an easy fix. About a week in the hospital and I should be fine.”

Jacob took her by the hands and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “See? You’re going to be fine.” He frowned. “Billy offered to take you to a casino?” She nodded. “If you do go to one with him, don’t let him gamble. He’s got a bit of a problem with that.”

“He must have picked that up from his father. His dad was a big gambler. We NEVER had money because of it. We lost the house, three cars, the television...it was horrible. I’m glad you caught it so early.”

Jacob grinned. “Yeah, me too. He’d gone through less than half of the mad money, but I noticed and asked him what he’d bought. When he told me he’d gambled it, and how sorry he was, I knew there was a problem. But don’t worry. I don’t think he COULD gamble away the house or anything. Unbeknownst to him, I’ve alerted the casinos around the area. They’ll escort him out if he tries to sit at a slot machine or gamble at the tables. If there’s one thing I do have, it’s connections in this town.” He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to her. “Now, this is your phone.” He told her the number and she wrote it down. “Billy has one too.” She wrote down that number as well, along with Jacob’s, his mom’s, Tanya’s, Daniel’s, Leonard’s, and Jacque’s, just in case she went out without the phone, since Jacob had previously programmed them into the phone.

“Why a separate phone number for Jacque? Isn’t that you too?”

“Yes, but that way I know ahead of time what the call is about. Before people knew who Jacque was, I’d answer that one with Jacque’s voice. I still do, half the time...out of habit.”

Lillian grinned. “I’ll remember that.”

“I’ve given everyone in the family your cell number, so now we can all communicate. Oh...there’s a GPS tracking device in the phone, just in case something horrible happens. It’s come in handy before. If you know you’re in trouble, just dial anyone in the family and hit pound. They know how to track it. It’s also come in handy to find a lost phone.” They both giggled.

“I really want to thank you Jacob...for everything.”

Jacob kissed her on the cheek again. “My pleasure, Mom.” He looked at his watch. “Heck. I’ve got rehearsals. I’d better run. Bye Mom! I’ll see you at the show if you feel like coming.”

“I’ll be there with bells on!” Jacob left, meeting Greg and his cameraman at the bedroom door.

* - * - *

The surgery was successful, and as Dr. Lovitz said, Lillian was out of the hospital a week after the surgery. That evening, she was alone, sitting on the sofa in the living room, when Leonard, Jacob’s oldest brother, walked in. “Mrs. Thompson? I’ve got everything from the house in storage, but what do you want done with the car? It barely made it here, so I wouldn’t suggest driving it. The mechanic said he could probably fix it...for about twice what it’s worth. Do you have very much sentiment toward the car?”

“Not really. I guess I’m bus-bound then.”

“Not if I know Jacob. Just tell him what kind of car you want and I can guarantee that it’ll be waiting for you in your favorite color by tomorrow evening.”

“No. He’s just too good. I don’t want to burden him.”

“But Mrs. Thompson...”

“Lillian.”

“But Lillian...Jacob honestly gets off on giving things to the people he loves. And believe me...you’re pretty high up on the list, Billy being right at the top. Just tell him what your favorite car and favorite color are. He’ll go out of his way to feel good about getting you just what you want. Don’t think it’s altruism; he doesn’t believe in it. It really does make him feel good. You see, when he was little, we lived on the reservation...in basically a broken down shack. Technically, I guess you could say we were homeless, because the place was condemned, but the tribal leaders never enforced it because nobody had money to live properly. He’d make all kinds of things and give them as presents to the other kids around the neighborhood and watch them smile and play with them and laugh with them...he learned how to make them laugh, make them happy the ‘old way’, and never strayed from that. Now that he has money, he feels guilty about it. You should see the reservation. He’s actually rebuilt all of the condemned buildings there, and sold them to the people who had lived in them before...for pennies on the dollar of what it cost to rebuild them, and if they can’t afford it, he has them pay in dinner for their neighbors...which he pays for. The school he owns is better than the best schools in Summerlin, which is the rich neighborhood around here, and we all teach various native languages there. Don’t let him down. Tell him what kind and color car you want, and remember to like it when you see it.”

Lillian was in tears. “I didn’t know. Ok. I’ll tell him.” She gave Leonard a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for bringing my things out here.”

“Happy to do it. The family...hell, the whole TRIBE gets off on seeing Jacob happy...and Billy’s made him happier than any one or any thing in his life.” He kissed her cheek and left.

* - * - *

The cameras were rolling, the tribal leaders from the reservation were standing tall, proud of the new five-story Native American Center that Jacob had had built. The ribbon was cut, and the public allowed in. The news crews from all four major stations were there, along with Greg and his cameraman, who had a guided tour before the ceremony and was now just getting the public’s reaction. The center was a hit; historical items loaned from the tribal leaders, mock-ups of how the various tribes of the area lived before the “white man” came, etc., each tribe having its own private area. All kinds of books, pamphlets, photographs, and Native American souvenirs were available in the gift shop on the first floor. Next door, connected to the Center, was a small occult shop, also five stories tall. After the public and the news crews were given the tour of the four floors given to the center, one of the newsmen spoke up. “Hey, Jacob, you’ve only got four floors dedicated to the center, but I definitely noticed five stories on the outside. What’s on the fifth floor?”

“Storage.”

“You used to live above the shop before it burned down. So does ‘storage’ mean that it’s your new apartment?”

“Storage means storage.”

“Then where will you and your husband live?”

“Not far away. I still want to be close to the Center. And the shop.”

“So you won’t be above the shop, either? I noticed it’s as tall as the Center.”

Jacob laughed. “No...the shop will be separate from the Center in some ways, but My brothers and I, along with several other people, will still be teaching various native languages there. The second through fourth floors are dedicated to classrooms. There was never enough room in the old shop.”

“What about the sweat lodge that used to be out back?”

“It’s still there, actually. It’s one of the only things that didn’t burn, along with the oven we heat the stones in.”

The public toured the occult shop. Again, the fifth floor was labeled “storage.”

“Jacob, I noticed there is only one of you, and now you have two buildings to take care of.”

“Actually, there are two of us, but I’ve hired Grendle, a local priestess, to run the shop, along with a couple people from her coven. Various historians from the reservation are helping as tour guides, and I have a sweet little old lady I call E-tsi, along with some of her friends, to run the Center’s gift shop, which will be open from ten in the morning to eight at night.”

One of the newsmen looked thoughtful for a moment. “Isn’t ‘E-tsi’ Cherokee for ‘mother’?”

“Very good! Yes, she’s my mom, matriarch of my family, and a chieftess of our tribe. I thought it only fitting that she look after the Center along with some of the other chieftesses.”

“She’s a chieftess? Does that not mean that your sister Tanya is a chieftess too?”

“Yes, and she does her duties admirably. But here in the twenty-first century, there are cell phones, and there isn’t as much need to meet and discuss, so Tanya also has my time to be my manager.”

The questions went on for a while, then finally, the press left. Greg and his cameraman got great photos of the crowd and the news crews. “Jacob, I think you’re going to love all the footage we’ve got for that documentary. I’ll get it all pasted together for you by Wednesday and bring it over. You decide what to keep and what to toss, and then we’ll get to work on the voiceover.”

“Sounds good. Do you and Eddie want to come up for a drink to celebrate?”

“Sure!”

The three men walked into the occult shop to the back, where they got into the elevator. Jacob pulled out his key and used it to unlock the penthouse. “Remember, this is a HOUSE...about three blocks from here.”

Greg laughed. “You can trust me, Jacob. Eddie, too.” They got out of the elevator to what looked like a back yard, complete with grass, a swimming pool, and a jacuzzi, surrounded by walls high enough to make it look like part of the building. There was also a door that looked like it went to an extra elevator in the back of the building.

Jacob grinned. “Fireman’s pole...for emergencies.” Beyond the yard, still on top of the building, there was a wall with a typical “front door” on it. To its left, there was a large, sliding glass door with drapes blocking the view of the inside. Jacob unlocked the front door and they all went in. The rest of the family was waiting in the living room: Lillian, Billy, Tanya, Leonard and Daniel, along with Jim. All but Jim had goblets of wine in their hands, obviously waiting for Jacob, because Billy and Daniel brought over goblets for everyone and as soon as Eddie was ready with the camera, Jacob made a toast. “To the success of the reservation, the tribe, and the family through the Center and the shop.” They all drank, Eddie last, after putting the camera down when all the others were finished.

Leonard and Daniel kept standing. Leonard spoke up. “I’d better get going. It’s almost time for class.”

Daniel said, “I’ve got some errands to run, Jacob. I’ll see you at rehearsal.” Jacob nodded, and the men left.

Jacob looked at Lillian, a sad look on his face. “Mom, you’re not happy. Why?”

Lillian smiled. “Oh, I’m happy, believe me. But it’s all so MUCH! I’m not used to having so much. Now that I’m feeling better, I think I’d like to be out on my own again. I mean, you’ve bought me a new car, and everything you could think of that would make me happy! But I’m just being a burden now and you know it.”

“Mom, that’s not true and you know it. You keep Billy company, and you KNOW how much I appreciate THAT. But you do need a place of your own.”

“Now that I’m better I can go get a job around here and go out on my own.”

“Nonsense, Mom. You only have to get a job if you WANT one. You’re my personal masseuse, remember? I’ll just start paying you properly, that’s all.”

“Jacob, I refuse to be a burden, and that would make me MORE of one. And you and Billy need some time alone...without ME; without your BODYGUARD. Alone. Together.”

Jacob smiled. “We have plenty of time alone, mom...behind closed doors. And this place is big enough that everyone has his or her own private space, able to lock out the rest of the world. But you DEFINITELY need your own home...so I’ll go out and find one for you that would suit you. Or would you like to come with me and pick it out yourself?”

“I trust your judgment, Jacob. You seem to know me better than I know myself.”

Jacob shrugged. “It comes with the territory of being a fortune teller. I tend to concentrate on NOT reading Billy so that he can have a bit of personal privacy. Took a while, but I'm used to it now.”

Tanya smiled. “Mom, you come with us and help pick the place out. It’ll give you a better look at the city, and we can have lunch somewhere Jacob would never think of...I’m hungry for Boulder Station’s buffet.”

Lillian grinned. “That sounds wonderful. Ok. What about Billy?”

Billy laughed. “Oh, I’ll be coming too. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Mom.”

Glen rose, signaling Eddie to do the same. “We’d better get going. I have a LOT of editing to do. See you Wednesday, Jacob!” They left.

* - * - *

“It’s beautiful, Jacob...but it’s so fancy! And the neighborhood is so nice. Are you sure it isn’t too expensive?”

“I’m sure, Mom.” He turned to the realtor. “She’ll take it.”

“I’ll just have to run a credit check...”

“No need. I’m paying for it in cash.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t trust banks.”

“I see. Ok, then...let’s go back to my office and we’ll get the paperwork filled out. Escrow will be done in thirty days, and she can move in on October sixteenth.”

“Good.” They bundled into the cars and went back to the realty office.

* - * - *

“Billy, you know I love your mother, but she’s a lot happier on her own. At least she accepted the wages I offered her. I’d hate to see her go out and work...I saw nothing but heartbreak there.”

“In what way?”

“Oh. I saw her married to a man who beat her...and she was too ashamed to say anything about it. I don’t want her to go through that heartbreak and pain.”

“So why not just warn her?”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. He was a good-looking man and a complete gentleman. She’d have thought I was crazy.”

“So what’s she going to do all day?”

“Anything she wants, really, but she’ll be having lunch with you every day, and keep you from gambling.”

“Good. Because those meetings are boring.”

“Well, you still need to go to the meetings, but take her with you...maybe that’ll help.”

“Jacob, why couldn’t you have put me in charge of the shop?”

Jacob sympathized. “When it was a mixed shop, you were fine. But now it’s heavy-duty occult. You’d be lost in there now. Hell, I’D be lost in there other than the herbs, candles, and the oils. I’ve got Grendle ordering the stock, and anything else having to do with the magick end of things. And since you’re LEARNING Cherokee, you can’t exactly teach it. But don’t worry. If you want a curio shop or something, just tell me what you want and I’ll start it up for you. So far, everything I’ve started has done extremely well, not counting the fire. So you tell me what you want, and I’ll make it work for you. I’m kinda bored during the day anyway now that the building is finished.”

“How about an Art Exhibit? We could start with your paintings. They’re beautiful, and I think they’d sell.”

Jacob smiled. “The ONE painting is beautiful, but that’s because of the subject matter.” He looked over at the Turner. “You know that Bootstrap saved that one from the fire.”

“I figured, but I didn’t know for sure.”

“I’m glad you made a whole apartment for Jim. He drives me crazy...it’s obvious that he doesn’t like us. He never smiles; he’s always just sitting there staring at everyone.”

Jacob smiled tenderly. “That’s his job, darling. To stare at everyone and everything and find any threats. But you’re right; he doesn’t like us. But he’d still lay his life down to keep someone from killing us.”

“And you know this how?”

“It’s his job. I interviewed him while you were still in the hospital. Actually, Jim can deal with just about anything, including people having an orgy in front of him. He’s guarded boxers, actors, politicians...he’s a definite conservative, but he was the governor’s bodyguard for six months till he made it into office and didn’t need one anymore. Believe me, I spoke to the governor, and he was VERY pleased with Jim’s work. When I asked him if he thought Jim could deal with a gay couple, he was adamant that Jim could handle absolutely ANYTHING.”

Did he have a chance to see Jim in action?”

“Yes. There was an attempt on his life while he was running for office. Jim handled it so discreetly and quickly that it didn’t even hit the news. So I trust Jim with my life, and you should too. And he’s not nearly so stuck up as he acts...when he drives me around, we crack jokes, have lunch, and even took in a movie once. He’s heavily into comedies...especially older ones. He’s a big fan of the Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin.”

“I’d have never figured on that from HIM.”

“Yeah. And when we’d go to lunch, I found out he loves curry, so we’ve been eating Thai, Indian, and Middle Eastern. He LOVED Marrakech. You should have him drive you around some day...he’s got instructions to keep you away from gambling, so whatever you want to do is fine. Or we can all go together...but remember, we’ve got to give him a legitimate reason to have fun, or he just plain won’t. He seems to think it’s against the rules.”

“How about Tuesday night we all fly out to Los Angeles on the Red-Eye and hit Disneyland next Wednesday.?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Something that’ll let you really feel like a kid again.” Jacob kissed Billy on the nose. “Me too. Ok. Disneyland it is. But let’s bring Mom, ok? I think she’ll enjoy that too. We’ll eat at Club 33 for dinner and watch the boats go by from the balcony.”

“What’s Club 33?”

Jacob giggled. “Oh...I forgot you wouldn’t know. It’s the private club that overlooks the Blue Bayou and Pirates of the Caribbean. Great food...and a lot of fun. I’ve been a member since about a year before you came into my life. Your mom and Jim will BOTH get kicks out of it. Maybe we’ll hit a few places on Thursday before we have to get back for the show. You’ll love the Hollywood Wax Museum.

“Sounds good.” Billy picked up Jacob and carried him outside to the pool.

Jacob looked down and saw water below him. “And what do you think you’re doing? These are new shoes.” He giggled.

“Then I guess I’ll have to remove them.” Billy tugged off Jacob’s shoes and tossed them to the side. Socks followed, then Jacob’s shirt, pants, and underwear.

“Hey, your mom might come out here and have a cardiac!”

“Nah. I saw her carrying a nightcap into her room. She won’t be up until morning.”

Jacob unbuttoned Billy’s shirt, leaned in and took a nipple between his teeth, lightly grinding them to stimulate him. Billy moaned, toed off his shoes and jumped in, still holding Jacob. Jacob’s face was still shocked when they hit the water.

He came up for air in the four and a half foot deep pool, sputtering, his long, silky hair floating around him in a black cloud. “That wasn’t fair. You’re still dressed!”

Billy held up his pants and briefs. “No I’m not.” He threw them and the socks onto the deck, and grabbed Jacob, who wrapped his legs around Billy’s waist.

Jacob sucked gently on the tip of Billy’s nose. “I’ve always loved this position.” He reached beneath him, making sure that Billy was hard, positioning it at his opening, and pushing himself down on it with no preparation. He groaned. “Oh God I love you!”

Billy held Jacob under his bum and started raising and lowering him, propelling his cock into his loving husband gently but steadily, making Jacob’s nipples harden.

Jacob threw his head back and closed his eyes, his mouth open in pleasure.

“God, Jacob, you’re beautiful!” Billy bent his head forward to kiss and nibble at the base of Jacob’s neck, moving a bit faster in his lust. “Oh God! Jacob...Oh God!” He moved faster and faster, his eyes closed and he plunged his manhood deep into Jacob’s tight entrance.

Jacob leaned back a bit and reached between them to hold himself, eyes still closed, fondling the tip but nothing else. He tickled himself under the foreskin and drew his fingernail across the slit, screamed softly and started cumming, a white, milky fluid flowing out of his manhood, clouding the view if either of them were watching. Billy felt the muscle around his length tighten further, plunged home and came hard, filling Jacob completely.

Jacob lifted off of Billy’s member as he swam backwards a few feet and smiled. “So...how do you like the new house?”

Billy grinned. “I love it. There’s room for everyone to spread out and be on their own, and room for us to be alone when we want...like now.”

Jacob suddenly blushed. “Not quite, darling. Your mother happened to peek out a couple of minutes ago...”

Billy panicked. “Mom? How did she take it?”

“Like a trooper...some kind of thoughts about ‘newlyweds’ filtered out and she left.”

“Jacob, why didn’t you tell me that mom had lung cancer?”

“Because it was up to her to tell you. I don’t rat on people, Billy. Fortune tellers...real ones...either pretend they’re fake or pretty much become shut-ins so that they don’t learn things they don’t want to.”

“You’re a public figure, Jacob.”

“Yes, but until I was ‘outed’ I was also a VERY private person. Jacque was the outgoing one. I was non-descript...a non-entity. I really liked it that way.” He swam in and hugged Billy close. “I would have liked to keep my husband to myself...not introduce him to the world as a ‘gay couple’.” He gently took hold of Billy’s manhood and mumbled, “float.”

Billy leaned backward and began to float on his back, and Jacob took his member in his mouth, sucking it back to fullness. He breathed a sigh of contentment as his length stiffened to the ministrations of his loving husband.

Jacob worshipped the velvety shaft until he tasted pearls of precum, then plunged Will's manhood down his throat, swallowing again and again around it, his left hand moving to caress Billy's nipples; his right hand toying with the writhing man's entrance, sending the tip of his finger in and pulling it out again.

Bill moaned so loudly that Jacob was afraid the neighbors would think the place was haunted already. He backed off of Billy till only the tip was in his mouth and nipped it. "Not so loud, my love! I don't want the neighbors to know we live here yet!" He liked the vein on the underside of Billy's cock from the tip all the way down to his balls, then sucked one of them in his mouth while at the same time sending his finger all the way into Billy's entrance, curling it slightly to massage that little tangle of love nerves that made Billy give up total control to Jacob.

For the first time, as soon as he felt Billy lose control, Jacob seized it, letting Billy's spirit float on currents of the ether. He kept a tether on his spirit lest it float away and not return. He allowed the pleasure to build, then joined him in the spirit world, sending wave upon wave of pleasure into his lover; letting the pleasure he sent wash back over him as Billy added to it. Finally, their spirits coalesced into a single fountain of pleasure engulfing both men. Jacob willed the pleasure higher and higher, adding so much love that he thought his spirit would burst.

As the love reached the heights the pleasure had gotten to, Jacob focused on the physical world, shoving Billy back into his body forcibly and falling back into his own. Both men began cumming uncontrollably; Jacob into the water in a dense cloud; Billy in a fountain of continual cream.

Both men collapsed underwater, Jacob breaking the surface first, hauling Billy up and dragging both of them to the pool steps, holding Billy's head on his lap to keep the larger man from drowning. When Billy woke up, he moved up onto the step next to Jacob and kissed the half conscious Native American gently. "That was incredible, Jacob! How did you do that?"

Jacob focused on Billy's face, kissed his nose and smiled. "Trade secret. Actually, I'd never done that quite that way before. But I think that from now on, if we do that again, it won't be in the pool."

Billy nodded. "I agree." He scooped Jacob up into his arms and walked them into their apartment, laying him gently on the bed and climbing in next to him, becoming almost a second skin for his husband. "I love you, Jacob. So much I'm bursting with it."

Jacob smiled. "Side effect, my darling. But oh, what a wonderful side effect. I hope it never leaves." He kissed Billy chastely. "Good night, my love."

"Good night, Jacob."

* - * - *

TBC

Now, let's hear from you to tell me how I'm doing, eh? There's no way I can figure out how badly I might be screwing up if I don't hear from people! Push the REVIW button and let me know!