Taking A Stand

Implements: paddle



There had only a few times when Chase had been as scared as he was now, but 
not many.  He looked at the uniformed man who was offering him a chance to 
make a phone call.  The man didn't scare him; the phone call did. He 
wanted Jason, but perversely he didn't want to call him.  In the end, 
he decided to call Reed.

"Reed, can you come get me?" Chase asked as soon as he heard Reed's voice.

"Chase?" Reed asked.

"Yes, it's me. Will you come get me?" Chase asked again impatiently.

"Where are you?"

"I'm, um." Chase looked at the man sitting at the desk.  The man stared 
back, not offering any help. "I'm in jail."

"Jail!" Reed said. "What's wrong? Are you OK? Is Jason OK?"

"Yes, I'm OK. But could you come pick me up? And, um, bring five thousand?" 

"Five thousand? Chase, what the hell is going on?" Reed's voice 
gained volume. "Where is Jason?"

"Please, Reed! My bail is fifty thousand but I only have to put ten 
percent down.  Please, don't tell Jason! Please!" Chase saw the police 
officer looking at him and pointing to his watch. "Reed, I have to go.  
Just please will you come get me? Gotta go.  Please!"


Chase couldn't keep his leg still as he sat in the small holding cell. His 
leg was jumping up and down, in the way that made Jason tell him to 
quit chasing rabbits. His leg stopped it's bouncing as he jumped up when 
a police officer opened the cell door.

"You've made bail.  Follow me; your personal affects will be returned to you 
at the front desk," The officer recited by rote.

Chase followed, feeling relief wash over him.  Reed had come. Chase 
followed the police officer down a short corridor and through the door 
leading to the reception area. Chase stopped as he saw Jason standing at 
the desk talking of the police man that had allowed Chase to make his 
phone call. If I don't say anything, he'll never know I'm here, Chase 
thought irrationally.  The absurd thoughts continued, he's blind, he'll 
never notice if I just walk right on by.

"Mr. Johnston, please sign for your personal affects," the man at the desk said.

Chase walked over, signed on the appropriate line, and turned to Jason. "I 
was expecting Reed."

"I'm sure you were. He is here, he's out in the car waiting to drive us 
home." When Jason took Chase's arm; Chase knew he wasn't asking to go 
sighted guide.  Jason had one hand on Chase's arm and the other on 
Icon's lead. "Officer, are we done here?"

"Yes, here is your receipt and the citation.  The citation has the court 
date on it," the officer said. Chase took the papers, crumpling them in his hand.

"Thank you. Come on, Chase, let's go."

Chase walked with Jason out the door, and down the street where Reed's SUV 
was parked.  Jason opened the front door, guiding Chase into the seat, 
and closed the door.  Chase kept his head down; he didn't want to meet 
Reed's eyes.  He heard Jason get in the backseat and secure Icon. "Thank 
you, Reed. Would you mind to take us home?"

"Of course." Chase heard the tight politeness in both of their voices. This 
is not good, he thought. I'm stuck between two pissed off tops. The rest of 
the trip was spent in silence. Chase knew once he and Jason were in their 
home, there would be plenty said.

Chase jumped when Reed put his hand on his leg. They were in the 
driveway; Jason was getting out of the backdoor with Icon. "I had to call 
him, Chase. He's your partner; you should have called him first. I think 
that hurt him the most."

Chase felt tears well up in his eyes. "I wasn't thinking," he mumbled.

"Obviously," Jason said, holding the car door open. "Thank you again, Reed, 
for calling me and for the ride. It would have been a nightmare trying to go by bus."

"Sure, Jason, no problem."

Chase felt his arm gripped again as they walked up the sidewalk to the 
front door. As soon as they were inside, Chase watched in frozen suspense 
as Jason took the harness off Icon, putting food and water in the dog's bowls.

"Are you ok?" The concern was unmistakable in Jason's voice.

"Yes, I'm not hurt," Chase quickly reassured his partner.

"Shall we go into your room? I have a feeling that is where we will end up 
no matter where we start." 

Chase didn't put voice to his agreement, just walked into the room and sat 
down on the bed. Jason right behind Chase pulled out the chair, turned it so 
it was facing Chase, and sat down.

"Chase, I'm not sure where to start. But my first question is why didn't 
you call me? Why did you call Reed?" Chase could hear the hurt in 
Jason's voice. "Were you afraid? Afraid I'd hurt you?"

Chase couldn't stand for Jason to think that. "No! No, Jason, I…I just…"

"You just what? Thought Reed could help you better than I could?"

"No! God, Jason, no! I didn't want you to know!  I didn't want you to know 
I'd gotten arrested!" Chase explained.

"You didn't think I would find out? Chase, we don't keep things from 
each other.  The basis of our relationship is trust.  The only way to 
have trust is to have open communication." 

"I know, I know all that," Chase said desperately.  He wanted Jason 
to understand that he did know. "I would have told you once I quit panicking."

"I believe you; I think you would have told me eventually. But the hurt 
is still there, Chase. I don't think you realize the trust you've broken."

Chase dropped his head, tears streaming down his cheeks, and choked out, 
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I trust you, I do!"

"Chase, lift your head. You look a person in the face when you 
apologize; whether they can see you or not."

Chase lifted his face, searching Jason face for any reprieve; finding 
none, more tears flowed. "I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology, but the trust you will have to gain back," 
Jason said. "Now, the obvious question: why were you arrested? The officer 
told me you were charged with willful destruction of property. What 
property? You should have been at work."

"I was," Chase said.

"And?"

"They bought more multigrain chips," Chase said, as if that explained everything.

"Chase," Jason said. Chase could hear the warning loud and clear.

"I told the manager and the snack guy, I don't want multigrain or whole 
grain chips!  I want my old, greasy, bad-for-you chips!  Everything is 
going healthy.  Cookies with fiber, whole grain chips. What's next fish oil 
ice cream?" Chase started slowly then gain steam.

"Chase what do chips have to do with you getting arrested?"

"Well, when I went to unload the delivery, I saw all they had brought was 
the good for you, multigrain chips. I went onto the truck to see if they 
had the other kind. They didn't."

"So, what happened next?"

"I thought I would stage a protest. I refused to leave the truck."

"How did that lead to you getting arrested for destruction of property?" 
Chase was grateful that Jason was helping the conversation along.

"Well, the manager and the snack guy kept telling me to get out, and I 
kept telling them I would get out as soon as they got me my chips. The 
snack guy said they only had brought this kind on the truck.  So, I 
started opening all the bags and dumping them on the floor."

"And they called the police," Jason concluded.

"Yes, the officer said that I was under arrest for the destruction of 
property. I told him I didn't destroy the truck, but I guess the chips were 
the property of the snack guys."

"All of this, over chips?" Chase could hear the bafflement in Jason's voice.

"Yeah," Chase sighed. "The poly sci class I'm taking was talking about how 
we as citizen have a right to stand up for what we believe is right. So, I 
was standing up."

"I think you will be standing up for awhile. You do know why I'm going 
to paddle you, right?" Jason asked. 

Yes, Chase knew exactly why. He and Jason had been together long enough 
for Chase to know that Jason took a hard stand on thinking before 
acting.  Chase figured one day he would learn to think before he acted, 
but that day wasn't today.  He got up and took the paddle out of the 
nightstand drawer. When he had turned around, Jason had already moved to the bed.

"Pants and underwear off," Jason said.

Chase took his bottoms off and moved to stand next to Jason. "I am really 
sorry I didn't call you. I just didn't want you to be disappointed in me."

"I know. I get it, now. But Chase, I want you to know that no matter what 
you can always call me.  I may be mad; I may paddle you, but I will always love you."

Chase's tears were falling before he lay over Jason's lap. He laid his 
torso over the bed, leaving his butt a perfect target for Jason's hand.

"You need to think before you act." Chase heard Jason's statement before 
the first hard swat of his hand was felt. If Jason said anything more, 
Chase didn't hear it over the splat of Jason's hand.

"Ow, sniff, ow!" Chase gripped the bedcover tightly in his fists. 
Then, stiffened as he felt Jason reach for the paddle that lay beside him.

As the paddle smacked down, Chase buried his face in the bedcover, not 
caring that tears, snot, and saliva was being smeared all over it. By the 
time the paddle had stopped, Chase was beyond caring about anything but 
the fire burning on his ass.

Chase lay across Jason and the bed, sobbing his hurt.  Soon he felt 
Jason's hands pulling and twisting him to turn around.

"No, no, I don't want to sit on my butt!"

"Come on, stand up." Chase let Jason pull him into a standing position, 
then clung to him as he accepted the comfort that Jason was now giving. He 
felt Jason's hands rubbing along his back.

"I'm sorry. For everything, I'm sorry," Chase gulped then said forlornly, 
"I lost my job."

"Yes, I'm sure you did," He felt Jason's chest rumble against his face. 
"We'll survive. Come on, let's go cook dinner. Tomorrow I expect you to 
call the manager and the snack company and apologize."

They cooked the dinner together, Chase staying close to Jason the entire 
time. When it came time to sit down for dinner, Chase said, "I think I'll 
eat dinner standing up."

The next morning, Chase decided he would make the required phone call 
standing as his butt was still sore.  He called the store manager on his 
cell phone, wandering aimlessly. "Hi, Mr. Wagner, ummm, this is Chase," 
Chase said nervously when he heard the manager's voice.

"Chase, I hope you aren't calling to ask about your job."

"No, sir. I'm calling to apologize. I'm really sorry I destroyed your 
chips," Chase said.

"Well, thank you Chase. And I've calmed down enough to drop the charges. 
I've talked to the snack company and as long as you are willing to pay for 
all the merchandise."

"Oh, yes, yes! Thank you, Mr. Wagner. I'll pay for everything." After 
the details were worked out, Chase decided to spend the day as productively 
as possible.  He cleaned the house, did the laundry, including the 
bedcover from his room, and had dinner ready when Jason came home.

"So, are you still taking a stand or has your bottom cooled off some?" 
Jason asked as they sat down for dinner.

"No, no more standing, I can feel it, but it's bearable. And if I need to 
take a stand on anything else, I'll do it a little differently. Hey, I 
called Mr. Wagner and apologized.  He's dropping the charges!" Chase told Jason excitedly.

"Well, that's good news," Jason said. 

"I have to pay back what the chips cost but he's gone to the police station 
and got it all taken care of there. Now I just have to find a new job." 

Chase choked as he heard Jason say, "Well, the new health food store is hiring."

The End.