Master, my Master | boyxboy | [alternate happy ending]

*NEW* XXVI - This Is Love

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Once the sound of the horse's hooves and the crunching of the wheels finally came to a stop, Eli heard the handler up top begin his descent. The red-haired boy sat up, his movement stirring Jasper from sleep and the Master sat up as well. When the door opened, the handler Alfar gestured with a bow of his head, and said, "We have arrived, my Lord."

Eli stepped out of the coach first, assisting Jasper first, and then jostled Silas' shoulder to wake him. The tired boy seemed disoriented for a moment before he was lent a helping hand, and was guided out of the rear of the coach.

The world was still under the cover of night, but here they were upon the new lands owned exclusively by Jasper and Jasper alone. This would be home, their safe place, their sanctuary, and it was truly a magnificent place. At night, the sheer extravagance of it all couldn't be appreciated, but still Silas was blown away by the beauty of it all. The bricks of the outside walls were copper red, the trim white, and the lands were gardened wonderfully. Under the sun, he was sure everything was even more exquisite. To think Jasper had the kind of money to live in such a place, Silas began to feel a lot more overwhelmed, like it should be considered a crime for someone like him to be here.

After Alfar began to take the coach around back to put the horses away, Jasper looped his arm with Eli's and they started for the steps to the entry door. When they noticed Silas wasn't following, the pair stopped and looked back at him. The dark-haired boy turned his thumbs together before glancing up at the two a small distance before him. "I - I will see myself away," he said, addressing Jasper, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but-."

"Nonsense," the Master stated, "You haven't anywhere to go, any means to put yourself in a secure place. Come inside and we will discuss your future in the morning. For now, rest here. I welcome you."

With a nod, the boy followed and soon they were inside the manor. Darcy had made certain the doors were unlocked for when Jasper returned.

Upon entering the massive foyer, Jasper looked up at the top of the left curve of the double staircase only to stop when he noticed something that warmed his heart. At the top, his wife and Juliette were together, huddled under a thin, shared pink blanket. The two were dressed in white nightgowns, their hair was undone, and Jasper wondered how long they'd been sleeping there. Darcy had her shoulder leaned against the railing of the stairs as Juliette was curled against her shoulder.

"Oh, dear," Jasper let out a tired chuckle, "They must have been so worried."

Climbing the stairs, the three boys made it to the top, and when Jasper gently touched the back of his knuckles down Darcy's face, she slowly awoke and looked up into the familiar pair of blue eyes looking down at her.

It seemed to take a moment for her to understand what was going on, but when she finally registered that it truly was Jasper standing before her, she shot up, startling Juliette and quickly as ever wrapped the Master up in her arms. "Oh, god," her voice shook and she suddenly began to cry, "Jasper I've been so worried that-."

At last seeing Eli just a couple steps behind her husband, Lady Darcy released Jasper and cupped her hands over her mouth. All this time, she'd been so afraid that the journey to rescue Eli would have ended in vain, that Jasper would have come home alone and broken. But, here Jasper was, here Eli was, and seeing that nearly made her heart want to explode in relief. "Thank god," she cried into her hands, "I'm so relieved."

Silent though she was, Juliette's eyes watered and quiet tears rinsed down her cheeks. Looking toward Eli, she moved down a couple steps toward him and wrapped her arms around the tops of his shoulders.