I apologize if the description of the Tofino area sounds like a travelogue. Tourism is very important to this part of Canada and even clerks in a store have a role to play in helping tourists in the area. It seemed plausible that Bucky and Natalie's orientation would include a quick touristy introduction to the area. If you ever have a chance to visit that part of Vancouver Island it is very beautiful country.
*************************
The tour of the region was as spectacular as Marty promised. First they walked over to the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse, just a few blocks away from their house. Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the lighthouse, a short squat square building with a red cupola on top was set in the rock of the coastline. It was after high tide but the spray from the waves hitting the rock still flew well over the building and onto the trail they were on. Marty explained how the ocean on this part of the island was part of the graveyard of the Pacific because of the hidden reefs of rock, much of it volcanic in origin that hid below the surface of the water. They walked the portion of the Wild Pacific Trail that was nearest the lighthouse and saw trees that were sculpted by high winds and water. The lookouts that they came across looked out over either wild water or calm coves but it gave them a sense of exhilaration and wonder at the wild beauty.
After walking back to the house they got in the mini van and Marty drove down to the dock where he pointed out all the fishing boats. It was a small craft harbour but there was also a 200 passenger ferry and cargo vessel that made a round trip with Port Alberni further inland every day. Marty explained that the area was quite closed off from the rest of the island until the 1960s when people, mainly hippies looking for unspoiled nature, started driving in on the logging roads that crisscrossed the middle of the island to get to the west coast. It was many years before a highway was built but once it was the number of tourists exploded as word of mouth about the area reached everywhere. What was once a logging, whaling and fishing area now relied mostly on tourism for its economy.
They stopped a few kilometres down the road at the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre and he led them a short way down the South Beach Trail. It was a small beach but Marty pointed out that it had a special feeling with three large rocks seeming to guard it. The beach surface itself was quite soft.
"Today's a good day," he said. "On a stormy day you can't get anywhere near here as the water comes all the way and the waves are higher than the rocks. Erin and I come here for picnics in the summer."
By this time Natalie was holding hands with Bucky and seemed to be really enjoying the admittedly spectacular scenery. Even though it was December it was green, although Marty said they had sometimes experienced heavy snow as well. If the sun was out and winds down it could get quite warm for the season. They returned to the car and Marty drove to Long Beach where out in the distance they could see surfers.
"Isn't it a bit cold for surfing?" asked Natalie.
"For you or me, yeah," said Marty. "But a lot of these people are locals who have surfed here since they were kids. They have antifreeze in their veins. They wear two wetsuits as well. They love the sport so much they don't let the cold stop them."
Marty checked the time and said they had to get a move on. He drove straight to Tofino, a trip that took about 20 minutes. He stopped at a place to pick up some live crabs for dinner.
"You will love these Dungeness crabs," he said. "They're good and with you being new it's nice to treat you."
Then he drove through the village itself, explaining it had about 2000 permanent residents but hundreds of thousands of people would come during the summer. He pointed out the clothing store that Natalie would work in, the Tofino Co-op store, assorted restaurants and art galleries. On the way back he stopped on the highway at a place called Tacofino for some tacos for lunch. When their order was ready they sat outside on the community tables to eat them. He had fish tacos, while Bucky had beef and Natalie had chicken. When she bit into hers Natalie's face broke open into a huge smile.
"Damn, these are good," she said. "Who knew?"
"This place is famous," said Marty. "People come to stay here just for this place. That's why we're showing you so much. Once you start working here you become part of this area. People will ask questions and you need to know the answers."
"I saw a lot of tsunami evacuation route signs," said Bucky. "Should we be concerned?"
"I never say never," said Marty. "I think I've experienced one alert my whole time here, but we didn't get anything of consequence. That lighthouse in Ucluelet was destroyed early in the 1900s by a tsunami. It's just something you accept as part of living here."
On the ride back Marty pointed out a few other things that were of interest but said they would have lots of time to see them depending on how long their stay was. Just before they got back to the house he stopped at the Co-Op Store in Ucluelet and they quickly went in to pick up some things for supper. This would be where Bucky would work and he got a feel for the place, meeting his supervisor in the process. They helped carry the purchase out to the car.
Once they were back at the house Marty took the crab and put them in the refrigerator. He set up a propane single burner stove on a picnic table outside as he planned to cook the crab out there to keep the smell out of the house. In the house the three of them prepared vegetables for roasting and homemade fries that they would use a deep fryer for. Marty whipped up some dipping sauces for the crab. They were ready to cook when it was time and he suggested they watch a movie, pulling out a DVD of Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo in the time before they started supper. Bucky was all for it but Natalie was ambivalent. She told them to go ahead as she was going to find some music for her playlist. All during the movie both men made comments about certain actors and things the film did right or wrong. When it was over Marty said he was quite pleased to have another cinephile to discuss movies with then went to the kitchen to fill a pot with water for the crab.
He also filled up a couple of large buckets with cold water, one to stop the crabs from cooking and the other to rinse them when they were being cleaned. He took several cookie sheets out for a surface to work on and serve the crab when it was done. He put Bucky in charge of the french fries and Natalie in charge of the vegetables.
By the time everything was ready the entire household were hanging around the kitchen asking when dinner would be ready. When it finally was served there was only the sound of sighs and moans at how good the crab was. Bucky, having lived in New York most of his life had eaten a lot of seafood but even he was impressed by the sweetness of the crab and said so. There were no leftovers but there was a lot to clean up. Marty said those who cook don't clean so the three of them retired to the living room. The hockey game, Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings, was put on and the instruction on how to be more Canadian began for Bucky and Natalie. When Natalie started yawning during the second intermission of the hockey game Bucky asked if she wanted to go to bed. She nodded and they said their good nights. Tierney followed them and stopped at their bedroom door.
"Here is the card for our crisis counsellor," he said to Natalie. "She will be in her Ucluelet office tomorrow and can fit you in for an hour. I'll drive you. I gave her the briefest description of your PTSD. You can tell her the rest. Good luck and I hope it helps."
"Thanks John," said Natalie. "I appreciate you seeing to this right away."
"We've all been there in one way or another," he said. "Stressful times. Goodnight."
They brushed their teeth, got undressed and into pyjamas. Bucky got in first and turned off his light. He watched as Natalie sat on the edge of the bed before getting in. She turned off her light and snuggled into his arms.
"What is it?" Bucky asked quietly.
"They're nice," she said. "These people, in the house. They're just nice. It feels good to be with decent people who don't try to manipulate you or dominate you. They seem to care and they respect our privacy. Thank you for reaching out on my behalf. You care, too."
"I care because I love you," he replied. "I want you to be happy. The day before Thanksgiving I woke up from a nightmare and looked in the bathroom mirror and thought about what a fucking life I had. Then I met you and now I don't want to be without you because you make my life better. I'm a better man with you."
She hesitated for a moment then looked at him. "I love you, too, Bucky," she whispered.
Smiling she kissed him lovingly. Lightly she took his hand and placed it on her breast. He smiled and gently caressed it for a few minutes. Then he stopped and said "goodnight beautiful", kissing her after he said it. They lay there being lulled to sleep by the distant sounds of the ocean filtering through their window.
The next morning was foggy and overcast. Marty and Erin were going for a walk by the lighthouse before breakfast and asked if they wanted to come as it would look completely different in the mist. They were right. To both of them the fog seemed to transform the trail and surrounding forest into something mystical. They could still hear the ocean, calmer on this day, but they could also hear the sounds of drops of water dripping from the trees as the fog condensed on the branches. They held hands and breathed in the calmness that enveloped them like a soft blanket.
"It's so beautiful here," whispered Natalie. "I don't want to speak in a normal voice. It's so quiet and yet I can hear so much when I listen."
Bucky held her on the path and kissed her softly. It was true, as he felt it as well. Erin and Marty gave them privacy but stayed close enough to see them. As they approached the couple Marty looked at his wife and smiled.
"I think they've been caught up in the magic," he said just loudly enough for them to hear. "That's the look I had the first time I walked in the fog here."
"How long have you been here?" asked Bucky. "Or am I allowed to know."
"Four years for me," said Marty. "Erin came three years ago. I proposed to her on a morning just like this. We want to start a family soon so this will likely be our last year on this assignment. We'll go to a new detachment and I'll put the uniform back on again."
"It's beautiful country," said Bucky. "I'm glad we're here."
Marty and Erin nodded and turned back to the path leading Bucky and Natalie back to the house where the other two were just finishing up preparing breakfast. As they sat at the breakfast table Tierney said they were taking a float plane to the hot springs so they needed to be at the store to buy swimwear as soon as it opened.
"You'll love the hot springs," gushed Erin. "Talk about a magical place. Why the float plane?"
Tierney looked at Natalie with a look that said it was her choice to reveal why or not. "I experienced a bit of PTSD our first night here," she said. "It overwhelmed me and John set up time with a counsellor today. It's related to why we're both here so I can't really discuss it with you."
Erin took Natalie's hand and looked into her eyes then smiled. "Okay, you take care of you," she said encouragingly.
Ninety minutes later they were at the float plane dock in Tofino, each with a swim suit, towel, bottle of water and snacks, waiting to board with John Tierney. Natalie had some trepidation as they boarded along with another couple but Tierney assured her that the pilots were all experienced at water takeoffs and landings. If there were any whales they would do a quick circle around them so they could be seen from the air before dropping them off at Hot Springs Cove.
"We have a half hour hike on a boardwalk after but you'll love the hot springs," said Tierney. "This is another must do for the tourists."
They were given headphones but it was still loud in the airplane's cabin. Surprisingly it was a very smooth takeoff and they were soon overhead and could see the full peninsula as well as many islands below them as the fog had dissipated. About five minutes into the flight the pilot banked and did a tight circle. Tierney pointed out the window and they looked down to see several orcas in the ocean below them. Neither had ever seen one in the wild and both were pretty excited when they saw them from the air. After a few more minutes the pilot returned to his course and soon he was making a smooth landing in a narrow cove then taxiing up to a dock set beside a forest of tall green cedar trees. They got out onto the dock and Tierney started walking on the boardwalk. They could hear the float plane take off a few minutes later.
"He'll be back in a couple of hours," said Tierney.
After a mile walk in the beautiful temperate rain forest they came to a rocky opening that looked out over the sea. There was steam coming from the water and Tierney explained the hot springs started just where the boardwalk crossed over a hot stream of water heated geothermally. This water then spilled out into a series of pools, each one a little cooler than the previous one until the ones closest to the ocean were cooled by the ocean water that splashed into them. They changed in the change rooms and put their clothes into their daypacks, bringing their towels and wearing water shoes. Carefully they climbed down the slippery rocks. Bucky was going to go into the top pool but Tierney shook his head saying it was too hot and to come down a couple of pools. They stepped into the third pool and were amazed at the heat still in the water. They and the other couple were the only ones there but Tierney said it would get busier once the boat tours arrived. For a half hour they had the place to themselves and then it was a steady stream of people arriving and cramming into the small pools. Finally Tierney said he had enough and they climbed back up, waited to use the change rooms and then made their way back to the docks where they sat and ate their snacks. Bucky read the signs at the dock about the history of the area and was amazed that the hot springs had been used by the First Nations peoples for thousands of years. As they waited, still warm from their time in the hot pools Tierney looked at them.
"Do you think you're ready to begin working tomorrow?" he asked them. "You don't have to but you're going to have to take the plunge sooner or later."
"I'm ready," said Bucky. "Can't wait to get my hands on some produce."
"How will I work around my counselling sessions?" asked Natalie.
"You talk to Dr. Singh about that," said Tierney. "She's here three days a week for the locals. She's pretty used to working around schedules."
They heard the sound of the float plane arriving and it pulled up to the dock, letting off more hot springs visitors. They boarded and were soon on their way back to Tofino. By the time they got back to the house it was almost time for Natalie's session. Tierney dropped her off and returned. He sat at the kitchen table doing paperwork so Bucky went out and cut more wood, trying to keep himself busy so he wouldn't worry about Natalie. He was so caught up in it that he didn't notice her coming into the yard from around the front of the house until she called him by name. He looked up and she ran to him.
"Baby, are you okay?" he asked as he held her in his arms while she buried her face into his shoulder.
She nodded and he realized she just wanted to be held. Tierney's face appeared briefly in the kitchen window but he turned away and gave them their privacy. Bucky stroked her hair and rubbed her back until he felt the tension ease in her body. Eventually she lifted her face to his and kissed him.
"I'm okay," she finally whispered. "I repressed a lot since it happened. Then I repressed more from when he took me and beat me. It finally came out in bed with you which was just bad timing, I guess. You know from dealing with it that it's going to take time. I don't know when we can make love but that's my goal. I want you Bucky."
"I know, I want you, too," he whispered back. "However long it takes, I'll wait. What can I do to help you?"
"Just what you've been doing," she said. "She wants me to journal my feelings and fears. She did tell me some things about our cases with Tierney's permission. My 911 trick at the Philadelphia warehouse resulted in the arrest of all of them. Rumlow is behind bars waiting for his trial on Amber's killing. Pierce was released on a million dollars bail but the Marshals took the recordings you made and they've been accepted as evidence against him. The military are investigating his actions and have publicly said your dishonourable discharge will be overturned. They're going to compensate you for your imprisonment and for the discharge. Steve found a very high profile lawyer to represent you in your absence. Sam has disappeared. They're looking for him in the New Orleans area."
"I'm more concerned about you," said Bucky. "I won't care about any of that until you're better."
She kissed him again and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her head on his shoulder before breaking away.
"I'm going in," she said. "John picked up a journal for me. I guess PTSD is nothing new for the Mounties. I'm going to start writing in it. I love you Bucky...sorry, Ben."
"I love you Natalie / Hannah," he smiled back. "I'm going to stack this wood then I'll come in."
She pulled away but he held onto her hand for several seconds more until their fingers separated. He turned his attention back to the scattered pieces of wood on the grass and began picking them up to stack on the woodpile. He was ready to work and was looking forward to a real job, even if it was working in a supermarket.
Marty was working at the theatre that night so he was already gone before dinner. Tierney told Erin and Paul that both Natalie and Bucky would be working the next day. Erin would drive herself and Natalie, after dropping off Paul and Bucky. After helping clean up the dinner dishes they both sat down to learn more about the jobs and their duties. Tierney gave them their Social Insurance cards and advised them to memorize the numbers, then he gave them their provincial health care cards.
"You'll need to have all that on the employee record," he said.
"Are these fake?" asked Bucky.
"No, they are real," said Tierney. "You'll be paying taxes, having money deducted for Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, everything a normal citizen gets deducted, you will as well. As far as the province and the country are concerned you are citizens. Do you both drive?" They both nodded. "You'll have to get a learner's permit first so I'll pick up some driver's handbooks for you to study. There is a licensing office here, it's part of an insurance office so when you're ready to get your driver's licenses we can book the test."
"Will you always be with us when we go out?" asked Natalie.
"Usually," said Tierney, "especially in these first few weeks as you get acclimated. Once you've been here a while we'll give you more leeway. We haven't lost a witness yet."
That night in bed, before they fell asleep Bucky and Natalie talked about finally beginning to assume their new identities. She was worried about saying something that would expose her. Bucky did his best to calm her fears but it was hard as he felt the same way, that something said innocently would spiral into exposing their true identities. That night Natalie woke him up and asked him to hold her as she had a disturbing dream. She dreamed that she was walking on the trail by the lighthouse and came around a corner to face Brock Rumlow. She tried to pass him but he blocked the trail. So she turned around but when she turned another corner he was there, blocking the trail again. She had ended the dream herself by jumping up into the air but looked down and saw the two Brock Rumlow's watching her to see where she landed.
"I think you should write that down," suggested Bucky. "Could be important."
He watched her as she turned on the light, picked up the journal and wrote it down. Then, when she was finished and turned out the light he put his arms around her and they held each other close while he stroked her back until they both fell asleep again.
The next day went as well as could be expected. Both started at their jobs, filling in all the required paperwork and getting an orientation from their undercover RCMP partner. For Bucky it was easy work but it was never ending. From stocking shelves, to receiving stock, to running out in the rain to corral shopping carts and return them to the inside of the store kept him pretty busy. Some of the older locals made a fuss over him as the new guy and asked him how a guy from New York ended up in Ucluelet, recognizing his accent. He just told them about falling in love with a good Canadian girl and becoming a citizen which pleased them to no end. There were a few encounters with love struck teenagers, as his blue eyes were pretty distinctive and appealing, as was his smile. For Natalie her day was slower and they used the time to pull out display cases, cleaning the floor and dusting the higher spots and lighting fixtures from a step ladder. She did find some nice things on the clearance rack, a very soft men's sweater that Erin suggested would be a good Christmas present for Ben. She put it aside and Erin said she would talk to Tierney about an advance on her paycheque that would let her buy it. She reminded Natalie that they would likely have to set up a bank account as well but now that they had their Social Insurance numbers it wouldn't take long. By the time it came to close the store Natalie was ready to go back to the house and curl up in front of a fire with a glass of wine.
In honour of their first full working day they had Chinese food delivered and everyone relaxed in the living room with a plate as Tierney built up a nice fire. Erin reminded him about the bank accounts and if both Bucky and Natalie could get an advance on their pay so they could buy a Christmas present for each other. He agreed then asked who was going to decorate this year? The next day, Saturday, was two weeks before Christmas. Marty said he would pull the decorations out of storage and put the tree up if someone else could decorate it once they got home from work. He looked at Bucky and Natalie when he said it.
"I guess we're decorating, then," said Bucky, laughing.
He was about to say it was Natalie's birthday on Christmas Day but when he saw her face he stopped himself and sought out Tierney later.
"Hannah was born Christmas Day but her twin was born on Boxing Day," he said quietly. "Her twin is the one who was killed."
"Shit," muttered Tierney. "We usually make a big deal about the day because we're all away from our families so we're family for each other."
"I don't want you to say anything if you can help it," said Bucky. "She knows it's an important day for the others but she'll probably want a lot of alone time on that day and the day after, and I'll have to support her."
"I'll take care of it," said Tierney. "This is going to be tough for her regardless."
Bucky said he was going to bed and Natalie followed him. The others stayed up. Natalie didn't cry but she was quiet and withdrawn. She sat on the bed seemingly unable to decide what to do next.
"Do you trust me?" asked Bucky.
Natalie nodded. He asked her to take her top and bra off and lay stomach side down on the bed. He went into the bathroom while she did that and came out with some body lotion with lavender in it. Straddling the back of her legs he poured some lotion into his hand and warmed it up before smoothing it on her back. Then he gently rubbed it into her back while also massaging her shoulder muscles. He could tell by her breathing that it felt good as she occasionally let a deep breath go. When he finished her back he asked for her feet and did some gentle reflexology on the soles of her feet, pressing firmly into the balls of her feet. Then he gently massaged her toes. After he was done he leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her shoulder and told her to relax while he got ready for bed. She took him at his word, laying flat on her stomach with her head turned to one side and her eyes closed. Bucky kneeled at the side of the bed after he had changed and brushed his teeth. Her face was turned and he watched her wordlessly. She lazily opened her eyes and gave him a soft smile.
"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That felt wonderful."
"My pleasure," he replied. "I'll give you privacy to put your pyjamas on."
"No," she said softly. "Take your shirt off and just hold me so I can feel your skin on mine."
Bucky peeled off his shirt and laid next to Natalie as she switched to her side. Gently he enclosed her with his arms and held her close to his chest while she embraced him in return. With his upper hand he caressed her hair and ran his hand down her back while looking her in the eyes. They intertwined their legs and just gently touched, feeling the warmth of each other. Eventually her hand came to his cheek and she tentatively kissed him, exploring his tongue gently with hers. He followed her lead, letting her set the pace and found himself enjoying the slow sensuality of it. When she finally pulled away signalling she was done he smiled.
"That felt pretty good," he said, tracing the outside of her face with his fingertips. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she replied in a soft, small voice, and got up to change into her night clothes.
She didn't cover herself up, letting Bucky see her mostly unclothed, as she took her jeans off, all while she maintained eye contact. Then she pulled on a sleep nightshirt, brushed her teeth, and got into bed beside him. As she snuggled into him, after turning off the light, she positioned his hand so it was on her breasts. He kissed her, said goodnight and they both slept the best sleep either of them had for a week.