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Aftershocks	By : Macx Category: S through Z > Tremors Views: 1382 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Tremors, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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- 1-Aftershocks
- 1
Aftershocks

sequel to Cataclysm
Apparently AdultFFNet's latest problems erased a lot of my stories
and part of them, because all of the uploads had been complete. Suddenly
there were a ton of spelling mistakes and so forth, so all stories I could
check have been reuploaded... Sorry for the inconvenience.

Tyler Reed let himself into the bunker like he had done many times before
since Burt had given him the combination to the door lock. The sounds that
greeted him when he stepped inside told him his lover was already up and
about and taking a shower. Since coffee seemed to be ready he poured himself
a mugful and retreated into the 'living room', waiting for Burt to finish.
He let his eyes wander around. Jodi had told him how the bunker had looked
before Burt had been forced to blow it up, and he wondered how his lover
would feel about a little remodeling.

Tyler couldn�t help smirking at the sight of Burt finally leaving the
shower. He had seen the sight times and times before, but he liked to watch
again and again. His lover of close to a year now, Burt Gummer, survivalist
and self-proclaimed antisocial � and far from it � was coming out of the
bedroom. Completely in the nude. Naked from head to toe. Tyler's eyes traveled
up the lean, sinewy figure, smiling to himself. It was a sight he saw whenever
they made love, it was a sight he knew intimately, was familiar with �
every single curve � but it was something special to know that Burt wasn't
aware of his presence and to just� look.

Enjoy the sights.

Enjoy the moment.

Take note of all the little things he had touched and kissed and stroked
over before.

All he loved.

Burt wasn't a model who had just stepped off the cover of GQ � Tyler
wasn't sure anyone on GQ would even touch his body. He wasn't a stud himself.
Burt was� he was the man he loved. It was more than physical attraction
and hey, the physical part was just fine. Very fine indeed. Great, actually.
Tyler didn't need gym-bloated muscles or shoulders the size of a wardrobe.
He liked to wrap his arms around the slender waist, pull the taller man
closer, hook his legs around those narrow hips, and he couldn't get enough
of snuggling into the strong embrace.

Damn, he had it bad.

Really bad.

His eyes fell on the long scar on Burt's right upper arm and he was
pleased to notice that the wound inflicted by a Shrieker was healing well.
It had been only a week since their return from Coronado and the demons
freed there were still hanging around.

Tyler watched Burt walk into the kitchen area and prepare himself some
coffee. Still naked. Still a sight for sore eyes and Tyler wanted nothing
more than to just�

He smiled.

Rising from the easy chair, he padded over to the other man.

Tyler reached out to touch his lover and several things happened at
once.

The coffee cup went flying, shattering into a hundred pieces against
the other wall, with coffee dripping down onto the concrete floor.

Tyler found himself pushed face first into the other wall, the hard
surface scraping over his skin, while his arm was twisted harshly and painfully
up his back.

Before he had time to even yell in protest and pain, a knife's edge
touched his throat and he went completely still.

Harsh breathing sounded in his ears.

"Burt?" he managed.

"Tyler�?" The voice was soft, filled with horror and surprise and�
something Tyler couldn't put a finger on.

The grip loosened, and the knife vanished, a clattering sound on the
floor telling where it had landed.

Tyler turned, rubbing his wrist absentmindedly, rotating his shoulder,
and looked up -- to freeze. Burt�s face was a white mask, shock and horror
written all over it and his eyes were even darker than usual, glued to
the knife on the floor.

�Burt?�

�I never�� Burt croaked, and Tyler noticed he was shivering.

He was still naked, but Tyler doubted it was from cold.

�Burt, what��

But his lover had already turned and walked into the bedroom.

Tyler picked up the knife. It was one of the kitchen knives, the one
Burt used to cut cactus with. Or bread. Or whatever else. It had been lying
on the kitchen counter and it had been the only weapon in reach.

For an attacker.

Him.

Tyler swallowed.

He put it back onto the counter and slowly walked into the bedroom
where Burt was pulling on a long-sleeved shirt with jerky motions.

�Burt? You okay?� he asked softly.

�I�m fine.�

Ouch. That had to hurt. The way his teeth grated, his voice was rough�
the muscles not moving.

Burt rubbed his right arm. When he noticed Tyler�s gaze he stopped.
So it still hurt, huh?

�Don�t look fine to me,� he commented.

Burt pushed past him, growling something indecipherable. Again, Tyler
followed. It was back into the kitchen again, where Gummer made a wide
detour around the knife and picked up a new mug, then filled it with coffee.

His hands were shaking, Reed noticed.

Burt's hands never shook.

"Burt?"

Burt just sipped at his coffee.

�Care to explain what that was?�

�You surprised me.�

Simple as that. Man of many words. Tyler frowned. Uh-huh.

�Yeah, I know. It�s not that I haven�t done that before.�

There had been times in that kitchen when surprising Burt had ended
with one hot encounter.

�Never touch a man like that!� Gummer snapped.

�It�s not that I haven�t done that before, either. Burt, what�s wrong?�
he demanded, coming closer.

And Burt tensed. �I was in thoughts.�

�Yeah, right. Burt, I�ve been here before, I�ve touched you before
without you knowing it, but you never actually attacked me before.�

Burt avoided his eyes.

�Okay, educated guess. I�ve been here before, you�ve never acted like
that, and somehow I believe it wasn�t really you, so what has changed?�
And then, very softly �Does it have anything to do with Coronado?�

Burt flinched visibly and Tyler sighed inwardly. Bingo, he thought.
Not that he was proud of himself having figured that out. Everything that
might be related to Coronado contained pain for either one of them, and
Tyler was tired of hurting � and most definitely tired of seeing his partner
hurt.

�What is it, Burt?�

Gummer shook his head and put the mug down. He ignored the mess close
to the wall and headed for the stairs.

"Burt!" Tyler called, going after him. "Damnit, Gummer!"

He caught up with the other man outside, where he was putting on is
glasses.

"Burt, please!"

"It's nothing, Tyler. Leave it be."

Not this time, Tyler decided. Not another one of those demons that
would come between them, would keep Burt awake at night or drive him into
his moody, brooding silences. They had just gotten their lives back on
an even keel, damnit!

"No, I won't, Gummer! Not this time! Nothing like this will get between
us!"

"It's not," Burt said softly.

"Okay, so what do you call this? You -- running away? Me � wondering
if you just ended this relationship because of some fucked-up mission?"

Burt's eyes widened behind the sunglasses and he shook his head.

"No�"

"Well, feels the way to me!" Tyler snarled. "You keep pushing me away
whenever it involves your past and your demons! You eat it up all inside
and out comes something that nearly kills you! I thought you trusted me,
Burt!"

Burt stared at him for a long time, then smiled sadly. "I do, Tyler.
And I love you. But this�"

"This is something that comes with you, Burt Gummer. The whole damn
package! I want to know. Please?" Tyler pleaded. "Talk to me? You know
it'll help�"

The other man started to walk away and Tyler felt his heart sink. Weeks
of getting back their lives blown to hell � because of� well, because of
what? Because he had touched Burt? Surprised him?

Gummer stopped outside the fence and settled down on the concrete wall.
A smile crossed Reed's face. Well, maybe there was hope. It was their place,
the place where he had sat the time after he had spilled his soul to Burt,
telling him about his past and the real reason he had left the racing circle.
They had sat there numerous times� emotional times� and it was a hint from
Burt that yes, he was about ready to talk. In his own way.

Tyler settled down beside his lover and waited, as he usually did.
Burt was gazing out over the landscape, squinting into the morning sun.

"Burt, why?" he finally prodded.

"As I said, I was in thoughts."

"Very far away, hm? Another time?"

A sharp nod. "A time where you had to be on your toes�"

"Like Coronado."

"In a way, but different still. You had to cover your own back�. always
be prepared� always expect the enemy. After that last mission, I made a
vow to myself. To never again point a weapon at a human being,� he said
after a while, voice level.

O-kay? Tyler kept his silence.

�Today I broke that vow. I held a knife to your throat, Tyler. I could
have�� Burt broke off.

�But you didn�t, Burt. You didn�t. Was that the reason you left the
army? You didn�t want to kill?�

No time like the present to learn a bit more about his lover. He knew
enough already, but sometimes, the parts he didn't know yet came back to
bite them � like right now.

�I didn�t want to kill again, Tyler," Burt corrected him softly. "No
human being -- not ever again.�

So his lover had killed. Well, that wasn�t exactly a surprise, given
his special forces experience and the missions he had been sent on. Tyler
had never really lost much thought about the implications of Burt's special
operations � the ability to kill if necessary.

�It�s not something I like to talk about,� Burt whispered, lowering
his head to stare at the desert floor. He took off his glasses and rubbed
his eyes.

�Yeah, but maybe it�s something you should talk about?� Tyler told
him.

Burt looked at him, and there was something in his eyes, something
old and painful, and it made Tyler want to close the distance, take the
man into his arms and tell him everything would be fine.

�Maybe.�

But obviously it wouldn�t be today.

Silence descended and both men just sat there. The wrist seismos were
silent, and except for the occasional rustle in the near-by brush or a
bird calling, nothing disturbed them.

"You know about my missions," Burt suddenly broke the silence, surprising
his lover. "And mostly they were suicide missions. The last one was to
rescue a rescue team � or so I told you. Honestly, it was to get some men
out of a situation. They had been sent in to stop a kidnapping and had
been caught. Part of my mission was to rescue the team, another to eliminate
the threat the kidnapper posed to this country. Yes,� he nodded at Tyler�s
questioning look, �eliminate the threat by eliminating the man. At all
costs.�

Tyler swallowed. �It was a �?�

�Yes. My orders were clear. It was a hit� an assassination assignment.
Unfortunately I hadn�t been told the complete truth, just ordered to eradicate
a danger. They forgot to tell us we weren�t expected to come back alive.�

Burt�s tone held an acid undertone.

�So� you killed that man?�

Burt nodded.

Oh.

Tyler gazed at the stones lying between his feet.

Oh�

He just couldn't imagine his lover hurting anyone � well, except for
a bunch of Graboids, Shriekers, Assblasters and whatnot Mixmaster creations.

�You know a lot about me," Burt went on. "More than anyone actually.
But you don�t know everything. I� My training involved� sharpshooting.
I was trained to be a sniper. I was trained to kill. From a distance. Just
lie in wait and then� kill."

The words came out like bitten off; sharp and painful. Tyler's eyes
were filled with compassion and shared pain.

"But this time� I used a knife. Later I learned that the man
was nothing but a scapegoat himself.�

Burt broke off, closing his eyes. He was trembling slightly. Tyler
wordlessly rubbed his hand over one tense thigh. There was nothing he could
say or do to undo the pain and the memories. He wished there was.

"It's the past," Burt whispered roughly. "It's been a long time, but�
now it came back. And it hit you."

"No, it didn't," Tyler replied softly. "You didn't hurt me, Burt. And
I know Coronado brought back something awful�"

The dark eyes held such deep pain it nearly choked the younger man.
Those eyes were ancient, had seen so much horror, and he had been forced
to relive it. Burt stood abruptly, startling him.

"Burt�"

"It needs time, Tyler."

Tyler rose as well, wanting nothing more than to embrace his lover,
hold him, protect him. But how could he protect him from something he had
no access to� because it was something horrible from the past, something
that resided in his memories?

"As long as you need � as long as you don't push me away."

Burt smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. Suddenly he closed
the distance and wrapped his arms around the other man, pulling him into
a hug. Tyler was surprised by the move since his lover wasn't prone to
initiating such close physical contact out of nowhere, but he hugged him
back.

"I love you, Tyler," Burt whispered, his voice a bit muffled. "I'd
never hurt you."

"You didn't � and I know you could've, Burt. Stop punishing yourself
for something someone else messed up."

Burt was silent, just holding on, and Tyler was perfectly comfortable
with being held � and holding Burt.

"I� I should check on those geophones," Burt finally murmured, moving
away, though reluctantly.

Tyler looked into the narrow face, took in the expression in those
dark eyes, and he smiled slightly. "Yeah, maybe you should. I got a tour
to run, but� meet you later?"

Burt cupped his face with one hand and kissed him gently. "Affirmative."
* * *
The day was mercifully eventless. A group of eight from San Francisco,
all flashing their camcorders and snapping photos. Then another group booking,
from L.A. this time, raiding Jodi's store afterwards � much to her delight.
Tyler was pleased, but he was still worried, the incident from this morning
replaying in his head. He couldn't talk about it with anyone; he suspected
no one knew about Burt's past � except him now. Tyler knew what this was:
a monumental display of trust. Burt hated to have his personal information
known anywhere, but to give it freely�

Wow, he still thought. Double wow even.

Okay, so they were partners and lovers, but�

And okay, so Tyler knew some stuff already, but�

Burt had trusted him with the knowledge that he had killed people �
by orders of the U.S. of A. He was a sniper, an assassin, had run black
ops, he had killed people� and now he was out here, in Perfection. One
of the five residents, their personal early warning system, paranoid, weapons
expert and� his very own lover.

Somehow, Tyler had a hard time thinking of this man as a killer who
coldly took out whoever he had been sent to kill, someone who could stick
a knife into someone. Burt was the gentlest soul he knew.

Filling up the jeep outside Chang's Market, he looked around to spot
the four-wheel drive truck of Burt's, but no such luck.

"Hey, Jodi?" he called as the store owner came around the back, carrying
a box full of cans. "You seen Burt?"

"No, he hasn't been down today. Something wrong?"

He flashed her a smile. "Nope. He went out to check the geophones and
I think I'll peel him off one now. See ya."

She nodded and disappeared into the store as Tyler got into the car.
He picked up his radio and called his lover.

"Burt, Tyler here, come in."

"Burt here, over."

"What's your twenty?"

"I'm on my way home. ETA one hour."

"Roger that. See you then. Over."

Tyler changed directions and headed for the bunker.
* * *
Burt came in as promised an hour later, covered in dust but looking
a lot less tense than this morning. He smiled at Tyler, who had been patiently
sitting in his truck, feet sticking out to one side. Burt patted the boots
as he passed.

"Everything okay?" Tyler asked as he climbed over the door and jumped
down.

"All geophones are in working order and there was no sign of El Blanco
anywhere nearby. He's been keeping his distance."

"Well, he was gracious enough to show up twice on my tour, so I guess
he felt rather tourist-friendly today."

Burt frowned. "How close?"

"Burt, chill! He was a good distance away, but close enough for everyone
to go home happy with a bag of souvenirs."

The frown stayed and Tyler slipped an arm around the slender waist.
"Hey, you know I won't let anything happen to my 'human cargo', as you
call it. They behave, the worm behaves, I'm happy, Jodi's happy�" Tyler
smiled wryly. "And you're making that face again."

Burt's eyebrows shot up a little.

"You know� that face." Tyler leaned closer, just a breath apart. "The
one that says you don't know whether to kiss me or to kill me. Personally,
I prefer the less messy option."

And with that he sealed their lips together.
* * *
He lay in their shared bed, watching the man he loved sleep. After the
initial kissing session on top of the bunker, both men had gone downstairs,
made dinner, and then watched an old black-and-white movie; something about
Chicago gangs.

Tyler couldn't forget the way Burt had evaded touching the knife, any
knife, while making their dinner, and Tyler had taken over cutting everything
up for their chicken and cactus stew. Burt was still freaked about what
had happened this morning, and Reed had to confess that he was, too. He
wasn't afraid of Burt doing it again; far from it. It was just the sudden
knowledge where it had come from.

They had gone to bed without losing too many words, naturally sliding
together. There had been no hot sex, but just holding his lover, listening
to his breathing evening out and his heart beating under his hand was more
than enough for Tyler. Burt had been so hesitant in touching him, so unsure
about whether or not Tyler actually wanted to spend time with him in close
quarters, in was painful to watch.

Thinking of his choice of words from hours earlier -- the one that
says you don't know whether to kiss me or to kill me � made him wince at
his rather bad choice. Burt had nearly killed him this morning; with a
kitchen knife. His lover had rallied for normality, hadn't even turned
away at the words, but Tyler realized that something deep down inside had
reacted to the teasing; the inappropriate words.

Now, together, Burt asleep, Tyler wondered just how many dark demons
of his lover were still lurking behind that innocent façade.

Who is that man at my side? Who is he really? How many secrets will
still be unveiled? When will it stop?

Snuggling closer to Burt, he wrapped his arms around the slender waist,
feeling Burt move sleepily.

This would take time, Tyler realized. A lot of time and patience. He
had both; time and patience. And he had love. He loved Burt and he would
wait for the man to tell him.
* * *
The next few days passed normally. Tyler was careful not to actually
surprise Burt, without making it too obvious, but he knew his lover noticed.
Finally he cursed himself for making normality so surreal, for acting like
Burt was a fragile man. He wasn't. He didn't need to be treated like a
China doll. They both just needed time.

Working on setting up a radio tower on top of Burt's bunker, Tyler
was suddenly wrapped in a strong embrace and a pair of lips placed a gentle
kiss onto his neck.

"Tyler?"

Whoa!

They were here to work and Burt had never mixed work with fun; well,
mostly.

Tyler leaned back against the taller man. "Hm?"

"You don't have to walk on eggs around me."

"I'm not!" he protested and turned in Gummer's arms. "Well, not any
more," he muttered.

Burt smiled. "I appreciate it, Tyler, but it won't happen again. It
was� a bad memory."

Tyler looked up into those sincere eyes and cupped his lover's neck
with one hand. "It still is. I understand it, Burt. Really. I'm sorry I
behaved like a fool after knowing it. I'm not scared of you; never was,
never will be. I just thought it might make it easier for you."

Burt studied him, then carded his fingers through the longer hair.
Finally he just kissed him, wordlessly but with a lot of passion. Tyler
held on to the older man, giving as good as he got, and he was pleased
to feel the moan rising inside his lover.

"Burt?" he murmured when they parted.

"Hm?"

"Now that I know so much about you� I have a question�"

Burt frowned, but Tyler just gave him a cheeky smile.

"When's your birthday?"
- 1
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Aftershocks