PSL: Moonshine and honey ((For beeboy))

[alittlehinky]

Spring has just begun its work in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. The trees are dotted with bright little green leaves, paler and more golden than they will be in a few weeks, but unfurling bravely in still-chilly air to soak up the sun. The last real frost was only ten days ago, and the mornings are still so cold a person can easily see his breath. Honestly, this is Cricket's favorite time of year, even if his legs ache when he first gets up. It makes starting the fires under the stills a real pleasure, and tending them in the little hollow where the Bondurants have set up is warm and peaceful.

He's got his lunch in a tin bucket with him as he makes his way down the path into the hollow, leg braces clinking softly with every step. Here the forest is dense with brush, and the first wildflowers are starting to bloom; mostly wood sorrel, dandelions and violets. There's a natural rock cleft where the stills are placed, and the Bondurants have built a roof overtop of that, and covered it with moss and sod to create a little shack for their illicit activity. Vines hang down over the entrance to obscure that some, too. The chances of revenue agents finding it are pretty slim. They don't have the time to comb every square inch of mountain in search of these things.

But a person lost in these woods and looking for shelter overnight could certainly stumble across the shack, and it's a much better alternative to sleeping on the forest floor.

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Chapter 2

[alittlehinky]

Howard Bondurant is a visually intimidating kind of man. He's tall, relatively thin but not scrawny; looks like he could throw a punch and really hurt someone if he did. And Cricket's watching him closely when he does show up, making sure he doesn't react badly to the strange child amidst the stills, or the bees hovering about. To the man's credit, he's immediately disinclined to scare a kid so young, and he doesn't seem to give a damn about the bees. Howard has lived through a war and is completely indifferent to the buzzing of any kind of insects.

Cricket explains Hugh as his cousin from up North, making no mention of the bees or that he found him here, but promising Howard he can take care of him and he won't be any trouble. Testing out the story he plans to use in town. Whether Howard actually falls for the cousin part is hard to tell. Sometimes in the bootlegging business, you get told a simple untruth to cover for something that could bring the law down on you, and you accept it politely. Howard seems a little bewildered, but accepts.

After all, his family has known Cricket since the boy was approximately the size of his namesake insect. Cricket wouldn't bring them trouble on purpose, so whatever he's doing with this child, it's probably no big deal, and not Howard's business.

"Reckon you best introduce him to Forrest," he says, "when you leave for the day."

Cricket allows as how that makes sense.

And so, that becomes the plan. He and Hugh split his lunch, sitting outside in the sun since it's warmed up by then, and if there are bees all over him as he eats, Cricket doesn't mind a bit. Then there's another couple hours of work before Howard shoos them off gently.

"You ain't too tired to walk a ways?" Cricket asks Hugh. "'The waystation isn't too far, and Jack or Maggie will drive us home from there, after we talk to Forrest."

[beeboy]

Hugh is admittedly quite nervous when the man shows up -- there's some chance that the people after him have checked with townsfolk, asked about a boy by his description.

Though, there's another chance they haven't. They might want to keep to themselves entirely, and not raise any suspicions. Hugh doesn't know, and can only wait to see how it'll go down. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like Mr. Bondurant has heard about a young runaway delinquent (which is probably how they'd paint him).

He mostly remains quiet when Cricket relays information, fingers fiddling with the sides of his trousers. His bees, picking up on his anxiety, are a bit more buzzy than usual, but don't get up to anything too unordinary.

It goes pretty well, all things considered. Hugh lets himself relax when he eats lunch with Cricket, enjoying lounging out in the sun for a little bit and drifting off again here and there with bees settled on his shirt and latching back onto Cricket to catch some rays as well. It's nice here, compared to England. The sun is.. different. It's like the rays hit you more directly. Being out in it gives him some much-needed energy, and his bees seem happy, too.

Now he's shaking his head at the question, perking up at the thought of a walk and immediately following Cricket along to do just that. Being outside is always fun for Hugh. After a little bit, he realises having a trail of bees following along might register as out of the ordinary for the man they're about to meet with, so he lets the majority of them back into his mouth, a few at a time. There's only a couple left (his best scouts to keep an eye on things) drifting close by.

Seeing all those bees go into him is perhaps even more unsettling to most people than seeing them come out, but the young boy isn't perturbed at all. He even smiles afterwards, and slips his hand into Cricket's to hold onto.

[middle_son]

The long dusty road runs alongside Blackwater pond, from which the Bondurant's waystation gets its name. For all that the name of the pond may be a little menacing, in the spring sunshine it's a pretty spot. There's just enough trees between the pond and the road that they can glimpse the water between clusters of bright green leaves. None of the trees in the area are more than a few decades old, and the ground beneath them is filled with ferns and low shrub this time of year.

Facing this picturesque scene on the other side of the road is a collection of buildings, one two stories high with a covered porch that spans the front, the other three one-story large sheds. A car and a couple of trucks are parked nearby, but it's late morning now and that's when there aren't many customers, if any. Cricket at least will recognize that the vehicles there are only those that belong to the Bondurants and Maggie, a sign that business is quiet right now.

The other sign that business is quiet is Forrest Bondurant himself, sitting on the front porch with the day's mending and a cigar. After a morning spent cooking, in his spare time he likes to sit on the porch to darn socks and patch up holes in his brothers' clothing. From here he can see anyone coming, and enjoy nature while comfortably seated. He's not a domestic-looking type, though, built like a bear in a sweater and with scars on his hands. Forrest looks like a human bull terrier, all shoulders and neck and bred for a fight. He notices people approaching his waystation, and he notices that one of them is just Cricket, but one is Not.

[alittlehinky]

Cricket points out a few of the wildflowers along the trail as they walk, probably for the benefit of Hugh's bees. There's coltsfoot and rhododendron, dandelions and thimbleberries in bloom. And there are almost certainly bees around that are not Hugh's, including bumblebees, big clumsy carpenter bees, and tinier bugs that look like bees, but aren't.

"Hoverfly," Cricket says of one of them. "They'll land on you and drink your sweat, and then follow you around for another taste. Harmless, though."

He kind of likes hoverflies, actually. Sometimes they're decent company when there's no one human around to talk with.

As they get closer to the station, he begins to consider what to tell Hugh about his own bees. Apparently, the boy decides how to handle them before Cricket comes to a conclusion, and he watches with mild, wary curiosity as they fly back down the kid's throat. It's definitely weird. Weirder than watching them come out. He doesn't seem upset, though. Just bemused.

"Were you born with 'em in you?" He asks. "I mean, have they always been there as long as you can remember? Seems like otherwise it'd be hella hard to get used to."

He smiles as he takes Hugh's hand, though. If he's unnerved, he's not unnerved enough to change their plans.

He's relieved to see there are no unfamiliar cars at the Waystation. Forrest is the one that has to be told the truth here, if no one else. He's hoping to catch him in private. "Now," he tells Hugh softly, "Forrest's a little on the scary side, but don't you worry none. He ain't gonna hurt a kid. Or me, either, I reckon. He's always been good to me."

He waves when he sees the older man looking their way. Everything's perfectly normal here, Forrest. Cricket just plucked a kid out of the woods; no big deal.

[beeboy]

"I don't remember much... It wasn't always like this, but I was real little when it happened. I kind of remember my mum being afraid but I don't know if it was of me or for me." It's not said with any sadness. Hugh barely remembers his mother or even what she looks like, just vague snippets of the emotions involved. It wasn't long after that he ended up in the orphanage, and that became his reality. And while he's absolutely comfortable with his situation, he does realise that it's something most people would be adverse to.

He looks around at everything as they walk, tilting his head back to let the sun kiss his face through the trees. Even if it's only Spring and not altogether too warm out yet, he can feel the shift in seasons. It's a good thing he let his bees stretch their wings for a few hours already, so now the ones inside him can take a nap for awhile. The two that are still roaming the area buzz close by when Cricket starts speaking. They've detected Forrest up ahead and are on alert.

Hugh leans closer to listen, chewing on his lip for a moment before giving a nod. He trusts Cricket. It may have only been a few hours of knowing this man, but Hugh likes him, has already attached himself to him. He bumps closer to Cricket when they approach the area, looking curiously around before his eyes settle on the man sitting on the porch. Now that there's no immediate danger of being reported, he's feeling a bit more bold (though he's still sticking to Cricket's side). The young boy smiles, and even calls out to him.

"Hello."

[middle_son]

What the bees will make of Forrest closer up is hard to say, but he takes no notice of them. If you sit on a porch all seasons, you're going to see bugs. He remains settled in his rocker, half an eye on their approach but the other half of his attention on the patch he's sewing onto the elbow of a shirt. He seems almost indifferent to their arrival, but he gives both boys a nod, when Hugh calls out a Hello.

They'll probably need feeding. Forrest is good at feeding people.

When they reach the porch, he rumbles in a low, slightly gravelly mumble, "Mornin'." The glance he gives Cricket is heavy with meaning, but he doesn't bother asking anything like 'who is this' or 'what are you here for?', just gives him the look that says 'You're going to explain yourself, so I'm listening.' Forrest is not one to waste words.

[alittlehinky]

Even if Hugh doesn't say so with sadness, Cricket can't help but squeeze his hand gently as if to reassure him. He remembers his mother, and he remembers losing her, and some days he's still not entirely over it. Hugh is a different person, so he may feel things differently, but Cricket has a tendency to quiet, stolid compassion that will not be denied.

"Sounds like it'd be scary at first," he says of the bees. "But maybe once you get used to 'em it's like having family."

...living in you stomach? Well. It's not a perfect analogy, but he means it kindly.

Coming up to the porch, Cricket studies Forrest's expression. He looks as calm as ever, betraying almost nothing. And Cricket knows perfectly well Forrest wouldn't hurt him, but he's still pretty intimidating sometimes. He's more used to being in his presence with the buffer of Jack there, which helps because Jack Bondurant is always in trouble, and Cricket rarely is, so Forrest's skepticism is usually not directed at him.

But okay. He can handle this.

"This is Hugh, Forrest," he says. "I kinda found him in the woods this mornin'. Reckon I'm planning to take him in. Uh...have you heard of any strangers around here? 'Cause there are some people after him and he don't wanna go back with 'em."

There. That's the important stuff out of the way. He'll just give that a minute to sink in before he broaches the whole 'bees inside him' topic.

[beeboy]

"Oh yes, that's exactly how it is," Hugh nods with a bright grin. "Like family!" The little insects definitely take care of him just as much, and there is something distinctly intelligent about them that goes beyond the average bee's capability. Perhaps it's something magical, or perhaps it's something that can be explained by their connection with the young boy. Either way, they certainly aren't ordinary bees.

And they're very much like family for him. At some point he really does need to sit and have a proper discussion with them about this arrangement, but for now he has to clear things with Cricket's friend -- or, is he his friend, exactly? Hugh watches the interaction between them with his head tilted slightly to one side. The man on the porch is almost like a bear, not just because of his physical stature, but also the way he speaks that single word. He is a bit intimidating, but Hugh keeps smiling all the same.

"Bad people," he adds with a nod, trying to be helpful. "I was hiding in the shack up there when Mr. Cricket found me."

He pauses for a moment, thoughtfully.

"And gave me some food." It seems important to share how much the young man has helped him. As though for emphasis, the two bees buzzing nearby dart around Cricket's head. It's not too out of the ordinary, so Hugh lets them continue that.

[middle_son]

Cricket is, in Forrest's not inaccurate estimation, more mature and responsible than his own kid brother Jack. They may be best friends, but Forrest tends to trust Cricket to be a good mediating influence on his brother's more harebrained ideas. But Cricket is young and Forrest can't help but think of him as still a kid. That he wants to take in an even younger kid is both admirable, and very likely just a little more than he should be responsible for alone.

Forrest considers all of this with a slow nod, gaze shifting from Cricket, to Hugh, and back. "'Spect you'll still be hungry, if y'shared breakfast." That's an offer, fairly clearly. Serving food is 75% of what they do at the waystation.

He sets the mending back in the basket, getting ready to lead them inside for second breakfast. "Ain't seen nobody yet. Haveta' put ears out, but if they ain't from around here y'can bet they won't go unnoticed." This last bit is really said for Hugh's benefit, to hopefully put his mind at ease a little. Cricket already knows that people in Franklin County distrust strangers on principle, and while that might not really apply to a child, it would sure as hell apply to a few adults scouring the neighborhood for somebody. They could easily encounter more than they bargained for, especially if they come around here. Hugh's assessment is not too far off, but an even more accurate one would paint Forrest as a Mama Bear. He is deeply protective of his family, and Cricket is part of that. Maybe somebody under Cricket's wing is, too.

He gets the screen door for them invitingly, and breakfast is over so there's no longer any guests besides them, but the scents of syrup and bacon and coffee still hang on the air.

[alittlehinky]

Bee family. Cricket smiles a little to himself at the thought of that. If they weren't already coming up in front of Forrest, he'd remark on the topic. If he's sort-of adopting Hugh, he's also sort-of adopting his bees. They can talk about that later, though. The important thing now is getting things clear with Forrest.

Technically, Cricket is still a bit of a kid. He's nineteen, and while people can and do get married and have children at his age, he's not exactly wealthy, and he's not the healthiest person, either. But Hugh could do a hell of a lot worse, too, and Cricket knows that as well as anyone.

"You know what, I am a little hungry still," he agrees with a little smile. He already anticipated Forrest would offer to feed them. "Is Miss Maggie here, or...?"

Better if she isn't. He didn't see her car in the lot, so maybe she went to get something. Cricket nudges Hugh ahead of him gently, hoping the two hovering bees will follow him so they don't get shut outside. "Only, Hugh's a little bit different, sir, and I think you're the one I need to talk to about that before anyone else hears it."

That's trust, and respect. If anyone will know what to do to best protect the kid and his bees, it's Forrest.

HOLY... I'm so sorry, you guys. It's been crazy, but I'm slowly trucking along!!

[beeboy]

While he's maintaining a bit of a shy distance, as soon as food's brought up, the boy perks up visibly. He really hasn't gotten enough to eat in a few days, and that combined with running amok in the woods on his own for a few nights has him pretty eager to take Forrest up on that offer.

Which means that when that door's opened, Hugh doesn't need too much coaxing after Cricket gently nudges him. He hesitates only a fraction of a moment or two and then he hops on in — bees in tow.

Hugh's looking around in interest, the shyness seeming to be steadily wearing off in favour of his usual chipper, curious self. It isn't hard to follow the smell of food and he's wandering right on into the kitchen. The two bees are buzzing around more loudly now as they flit around from place to place, exploring this new environment too. So many new places in one day... It's pretty exciting. He reckons the rest'll be waking up soon and want to explore too.

"Do you like bees, Mr. Forrest?" he asks, fueled by the wave of boldness, looking over his shoulder (and way up) at the man, flashing a smile. He's going to let Cricket explain the more complicated parts since he knows the other man, but... there's no harm asking that, right?