Title: Catching the Stars

Pairing: Pike and Henry (from the movie Big Eden)

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: ~ 3000

Summary: The courtship and evolving relationship between Pike and Henry is told in flashbacks after a horrible incident shakes the foundation of everyone who loves them both. (i.e.: The entire town of Big Eden!) (In my universe the last scene of the movie - the dance and kiss - happened a year later at the annual summer picnic.)

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Friendship

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me - I just play with them a little.

Warnings: Injection of harsh reality into the idyllic world of Big Eden.

PRESENT

"Hey Men!" Dean called from the open door of his truck. He saw Pike looking over the outside of the general store with the boys nervously standing behind him. "What's the word?" He asked after he reached Pike and stood next to him. He scanned the building while he waited for Pike to finish his inspection.

"Looks great." Pike finally said.

Dean heard both boys release a relieved gush of air. It was endearing. Dean turned to Dillan and Eddy and smiled. "It does. I hope you do just as good of a job today at the lumber yard."

"You guys sure you're okay with the plan for today?" Pike asked.

Pike always gave the boys respect. He always gave them a choice. At first Dean wondered if Pike wasn't clear that this was supposed to be about punishment for what the boys had done. But after a couple of weeks of observation, he realized that Pike got it right. It wasn't about punishment at all, it was about showing the boys how to be accountable - teaching the boys that there was more to them than one night of very bad, horrible decisions. Pike was patiently paving the road to redemption for two young boys who had so much to offer the world if they could just get on track.

Dean also realized that he loved Pike and loved the role Pike played in his life - for himself, for Henry, but most of all for his sons...who were circling the tall man like a shark and chanting, 'Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream...'

Pike grinned - obviously amused by his young almost-nephews. He looked at Dean with a sparkle in his eyes. "What do you think?"

"Just one." He said to his young sons authoritatively.

They squealed and ran into the store with gusto. Pike laughed in good nature before slapping Dean on the shoulder with affection. "I better go in and supervise."

Once Pike had disappeared behind the door of his store, Dillan asked, "Your kids love him, don't they?"

The question was unexpected. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he just looked at the boys with his mouth hanging open a little...blinking.

"He always looks so...happy...you know? When they're here, I mean. Like they make his whole day better just for showing up." Eddy added to what his young friend had started.

"Does he?" Dean asked because he didn't know what else to say.

Both boys nodded before Dillan said. "They're lucky."

"Yeah." Eddy agreed. "No one ever looks happy to see me come around."

Dean found it to be a little heart breaking. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, guys. I think we're all a little happier when you're around."

They looked at Dean with disbelief.

"Ben and Andrew love Henry and Pike. They're family. It was hard for them when Pike was...well...they're so young it was hard for them to understand what was happening. The only thing they knew for sure was that Uncle Pike was sad. We told them he had an accident and they were scared, but mostly they just wanted Pike to not be sad." Dean tried to explain without causing the boys to feel too bad about themselves. But he thought it was important that they know how what they did impacted his young sons. "Andrew had nightmares for a while. He would wake up screaming because his Uncle Pike had died. He's a little older than Ben, so he caught on to what was happening more than Ben did. Andrew knew that whatever happened to Uncle Pike was bad and it really scared him."

The boys were looking at their feet.

"But Pike's not sad now - so the boys are much happier. No more nightmares." Dean thought he had said enough. He saw that Eddy and Dillan understood and were sorry - even if they couldn't say it. "Pike always looks happy to see you guys, too. We're all happy to see you guys...so don't sell yourselves short."

They both looked up from the shameful avoidance of eye contact with surprise. Dean could see them both trying to absorb what he had just said. He wondered if this was the first time anyone had actually said something like that to them and the thought made him feel so much empathy for them.

"Let's go get some ice cream before we head out for the day."

FLASHBACK

The sounds of pots and pans and soft-spoken voices were filtering out of the kitchen. Pike couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew they were talking about him.

Everyone was always talking about him.

As if he weren't even in the same room most of the time.

It was just one of the things that he was struggling with since Henry brought him home from the hospital. They all treated him like he was fragile. Broken. Helpless.

He hated it and he loved them for it at the same time.

He look a deep breath, leaned his head to rest on the back of the couch, and closed his eyes. He heard the sound of exaggerated breathing coming from either side of him. He looked down and saw Ben and Andrew mimicking him. They were flanking him, sitting as close as possible - each one holding his hand - Andrew actually held his fingers because a big purple cast prevented anything else.

He felt his throat tighten from emotion before he swallowed the lump and asked through a warm smile. "What are you guys doing?"

"Medicating." Ben answered without opening his eyes.

Andrew opened his just long enough to glare and correct his little brother, "It's MEDITATING."

Ben just shrugged and pulled Pike's hand into his lap.

Once Andrew had settled back into position and closed his eyes he explained. "Uncle Jim said that when you get quiet it's not because your sad - it's because you're meditating. He said that will make you all better faster."

"He did?" Pike wondered why Jim had felt the need to say all of that. He wondered how upsetting all of this was for the boys he had grown to love so much. He wondered if maybe he's been selfish to mope around so much. He wondered if he could possibly love these boys any more than right now in this moment. "So why are you meditating?"

"So you'll get better even faster." Ben explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

And that's when Pike realized he could definitely love these boys even more than he did only seconds before.

He leaned himself back and closed his eyes again, tightening his hold of the two tiny hands he held before he sighed happily. "Thanks guys."

PRESENT

"How'd he do today?" Henry asked Grace quietly so the boy in question wouldn't hear. He was finishing up his sweeping of the classroom floor. "Any trouble?"

"Not at all." Grace said sincerely. "He was a godsend! He's a natural with the little one's and the older kids seem to really like him, too. And look at this." Grace said before pulling a big piece of white paper from underneath a tray of art supplies.

Henry looked at the paper, which was streaked with watercolors. It was abstract but beautiful. "Did Eddy do that?"

"He sure did. He said he was just goofing around. I asked him to help the little ones with their little art projects and...this is what he came up with." Grace looked proud.

"Anything else, Mrs. Cornwell?" Eddy's voice squeaked from pre-teen hormones.

"Now Eddy - what did I tell you? Call me Grace." She combed her fingers through his mop of hair affectionately. "I don't know what I would have done today without you. Thank you." She smiled with sincerity.

Eddy blushed.

It sent a surprising warm feeling of fondness throughout Henry's heart. He was starting to understand that Eddy and Dillan were good kids who did a really bad thing on impulse and adrenaline. Henry was really starting to like them and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"This is really good, Eddy." Henry pointed to the watercolor Grace was still holding.

"You think so?" Eddy said, almost in awe.

Henry saw the admiration in his eyes and it felt good. "Yeah. You should give it a title."

"Title?" Eddy looked bewildered.

Henry nodded. "Yeah. Any great artist titles his work."

Eddy blushed again. "You think I'm an artist?"

"A great artist." Henry affirmed.

He could see Grace smiling in his peripheral vision.

"I...how do I know what to call it?" Eddy asked while he looked at the painting.

"Well...what inspired you?" Henry asked.

Eddy shrugged and looked confused.

Henry rephrased the question. "What were you thinking about when you were painting this?"

Eddy cocked his head and studied the swirls of color. To the untrained eye it would look random - but Henry saw the intent in the brush strokes. "Morning." Eddy finally answered.

"Morning?" Grace asked.

Henry wanted to make a stronger connection. He wanted Eddy to understand what inspiration really means to an artist. Henry felt like a mentor and it like a good feeling. "What about morning - be more specific."

Eddy thought about it for a few minutes. "I guess I mean mornings since I've been here. I like mornings. When we first get to the store, everyone is always so...I don't know...just chilling out and happy. Everyone always asks us how we are and what we did when we got home the day before. Like they really care - I mean, they...you all...listen. Like we matter."

Henry didn't know what to say next. That was not what he expected to hear - at all - and he felt honored.

And proud.

Of Eddy and Dillan. Of himself and the guys. But mostly he felt proud of Pike for being strong enough to create this amazing opportunity for everyone affected by the events of a night that should have never happened to any of them.

"Maybe you should call it 'Validation'." Henry finally found his voice.

Grace gasped in her obvious approval and emotion.

Eddy's brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Henry didn't know how to explain it so he simply said, "Everything you just said...that's what it means."

Grace held it up so they could all look at it from the distance of her outstretched arms. "I think that's perfect." Her voice only warbled a little.

FLASHBACK

"Thanks." Henry sounded like he was barely hanging on as he took the steaming cup of coffee from Grace's hand. It was the first time he had left Pike home alone since he had brought his injured lover home from the hospital. It took a lot of convincing - from Pike - from Grace - from Dean and Anna. He finally agreed. One hour. He would take one hour for himself and then he was heading right back home to take care of Pike.

Pike insisted he didn't need taking car of, but Henry knew better. "Of course you don't. I just need to think you do." Henry had lied just to keep Pike happy.

He sighed and realized that this was the first time he had felt even close to relaxed since the night he found Pike bleeding and unconscious. The realization only made his denial that everyone was right about him needing a little time-off from nurse duty even stronger.

"This is good coffee, Grace." Henry tried to talk about something other than Pike. He found it very difficult to pull off.

Grace just smiled a knowing smile. "It's Widow Thayer's special recipe. She wrote it down for me before she passed."

"What's the secret?" Henry asked - only the tiniest bit interested.

Grace chuckled warmly. "A tiny sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper."

"Pepper?" Henry quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"The pepper was a trick. She was always stingy with her secrets." Grace grabbed Henry's hand as it rested on top of her kitchen table. "It wasn't so good with the pepper."

"I don't think you should assume it was a trick." Henry almost smiled. "I ate her cooking - remember?"

Grace laughed and it sounded like music to Henry's ears. "You might be right about that, Sweetheart. But it's much better without it, wouldn't you agree?"

"I miss her." Henry blurted. "She was...I think she was an angle in disguise."

"Maybe." Grace squeezed Henry's hand again.

"You always knew didn't you?" Henry looked intently at the woman sitting across from him. Grace had always been there it seemed - from when he was just a kid - even before his parents died. Grace was like part of his family and he loved her. "Just like Widow Thayer and Jim...and Sam. You all knew."

"It was hard to miss." Grace explained. "Pike loved you for so long. Since high school - it was plain to see. He never stopped."

"So you knew what you were doing that day - when you practically forced Pike to be meals-on-wheels for Sam and I." It wasn't a question. "You were trying to play matchmaker."

There was a twinkle in her eye. "I wasn't sure you would ever take the bait though. Especially after you found out Dean was back in town."

"I love Dean." Henry admitted. "So much."

"He loves you too." Grace said before she stood to refill their coffee cups.

Henry nodded. "I know. It just took me a lifetime to understand...to get it...you know?" Henry struggled to explain himself.

"Oh Henry..." Grace put the coffee pot down to give both of Henry's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "...your lifetime has just begun."

"How did you know I would love Pike back?" Henry asked. "After almost twenty years of pining after Dean - what made you so sure I would figure it all out and fall in love with Pike?"

"I just knew. Pike's a good man. You're a good man. You are made for each other - like the moon is made for the sun." Grace feathered her fingers across Henry's tired face. "All you needed was a nudge."

"Nudge?" Henry scoffed playfully. "More like a group-shove. Seemed the whole town was in on it by the time I figured it out."

Grace giggled. "The important thing is that you figured it out."

PRESENT

"Where is everybody?" Henry was looking around a very empty general store.

Pike looked up from the book he was reading. "The Peanut Gallery took the boys fishing."

"Where's Jim?" Henry had never seen Pike alone in the store. It was...weird.

Pike put his book down on the counter next to the cash register and walked around to meet Henry in the middle of the store. "He's keeping an eye on the Peanuts while they are keeping an eye on the boys."

"Do you miss me-time-Wednesdays so much that you banished everyone?" Henry smirked.

"We put those on hold while the boys are here - remember?" Pike grinned before pulling Henry into his arms. "I just thought we could use a little time to ourselves."

Then he kissed him. It had been a while since he had kissed his lover in the middle of the day - in the middle of the store. It felt good.

Henry smiled into Pike's lips before ending the kiss - for only long enough to say, "So I guess this is WE-time-Wednesday."

FLASHBACK

It was the first Wednesday he had to himself since Pike returned to his regular schedule.

It was hard - but Henry managed to respect the boundary. It didn't stop him from frantically worrying all day long though.

He knew it was irrational. Pike was fine - better than fine - he was doing great. And since he started back to work - he was happier and happier. So after a few weeks they decided maybe it was time for them to try reinstating the Wednesday ritual. Pike really needed a little space and autonomy - Henry understood that - but it was so hard to let go of his vigil.

But he did it.

And now he was waiting for Pike to walk through the side door. He felt like he had been holding his breath all day. Every time the phone rang he panicked that it would be Jim or Bird telling him that Pike had collapsed or worse.

It was so irrational. He knew it but he couldn't stop it.

Not until he saw Pike walk through the door.

And when he finally did, Henry sighed with relief, took a deep breath, and plastered on his best smile. "You home already?"

Pike smiled fondly before pulling Henry into a tight embrace. "Like you haven't been staring at the clock all day."

"I haven't." Henry tried his best to sound sincere.

"Liar." PIke smirked before kissing Henry senseless. "I missed you too."

TBC