Nate Mentor

Pelion's Promise

Chapter 1

Brian

It was a warm day in early October, and my best friend was trying his hardest to kill me. Admittedly, I was doing the same to him, for much the same reason.

Perhaps I should explain. My name is Brian, Brian Chiron, although that is not the name I was born with. The story of how I earned a new name, a new family, and a new home is quite involved, but if you are interested, my Dad arranged with a friend of his to put it online, under the name Pelion's Legacy.

(My brother Jason's idea, to be honest. I would have much preferred something much more poetic, like "Lost Souls Found").

Of course, if you are reading this, you probably already know all about that, but one does have to take these situations into account.

In any case, one of the things my Dad can do is fight, having learned a special style from an old Greek man before I was even born. And he taught it to my brother, myself, and my best friend Dominic Grimaldi. Over time, we'd mastered the basics, and Dad finally decided to let us spar.

Dominic threw his whole heart into the idea, just like he does with everything, and I was his favorite partner. What he lacked in agility, he often made up for in sheer enthusiasm, and hence, we were actually a fair challenge for each other.  On this particular Sunday afternoon, we were at our best, as, clad in matching black shorts, we circled each other, trying to score a point.

First Circuit blurred into Third, to counter some steps from the Ninth. Our bodies slipped against each other, slick with sweat in the warm sun. My brother Jason cheered us on, supporting both sides equally as we fought to our utmost. Dad just watched, in that way he had. Even when he looked like he wasn't paying attention, he never missed a thing.

About fighting anyway. He had a few blind spots about us.

These days, I wore my blond hair short, but Dominic insisted on keeping his shaggy reddish-brown mop long. While it looked good on him, it also tended to get in his eyes, requiring him to pause occasionally to sweep it back. That was my opening.

As he swept his hand back over his eyes, I slipped my right foot between his legs, and hooked his ankle. My leg pulled one way, my arms pushed another, and he went down on his backside, bouncing on the padded mat.

"No fair!" he shouted. "I wasn't ready!"

Dad spoke up. "You should have been. Fourth Circuit has a counter for that."

I grinned. "Does that mean?"

"You may chastise him at will, son," Dad replied, a smile flickering across his lips. He and Jason stood up and walked to the house. Dominic's eyes opened wide, and he tried to scoot away. But I was too fast for him, and arms outstretched, I pounced on him.

"Zo!" I commanded in what was admittedly a poor German accent. "Ve haf caught you now. Und now, it is time…"

I sat on his hips, and raised my hands like claws. "For ze TICKLE TORTURE!"

I mercilessly attacked him, hands roaming across his chest and sides. He tried to resist, but was soon letting out peals of high-pitched laughter, and I had to join in. We continued in this vein for some time, switching places as we tired, until we were as limp as dishrags.

Dom lay on top of me, panting. He brought his face close to mine, so close I could smell his breath.

"I like it when you do that, amico. I could do that forever."

I looked him in the eyes. "Did you let me win?"

"Mayyybe!" he replied, giving me a peck on the cheek. "I'm not telling."

I swatted him on the behind, and he clambered to his feet. "Come on, let's hit the showers. You have to go home soon."

"Wanna do it together?" he grinned, eyes sparkling.

I shook my head, standing. "You're too stinky to share a shower with."

Dominic stuck out his tongue at me, and ran to the house.

An hour later, Dominic's parents had picked him up, and I walked into our game room, drying my hair. Jason sat in his favorite chair with a book on his lap (looked like Sherlock Holmes), but he wasn't reading it. Instead, he was staring out the window, lost in thought.

"What's up, bro?" I asked.

He turned to me. "Do you know what today is?"

I thought for a bit. "Sunday? Leif Erickson Day? The last warm day of the year?"

He shook his head. "One year ago today, Dad found me on the streets."

"Really?" Jason never talked about those days, but I always hoped he would someday. Doctor Deacon says it's never a good idea to bottle bad memories up.

"Yeah, it was a hard time for me."

Jason (Flashback)

My tummy was growling again. The food trucks had been by with egg sammiches and milk, but I ate it too fast and got sick. The older kids said they'd be back around noon, but it hurt so bad.

At least it wasn't raining. My first night in the park, I got soaked, and felt icky for the next few days. Today it was warm, and felt kinda nice. Except for my tummy. I sat by the fountain, trying to look like I belonged. Some kids were out riding their bikes and skateboards, and I just watched them, wondering what it felt like to be so free.

A shadow fell over me, and I looked up. It was one of the older boys, the one everyone called Squick. He had long black hair, and always wore a heavy jeans jacket. Most of us were afraid of him.

"Hey, new kid. Wassup?"  He plopped down beside me, and looked at me kinda funny. "You eat yet?"

I shook my head miserably. "I threw up. My stomach hurts."

He patted me on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll get you something to eat. Then maybe you can do something for me?"

I shrugged. "I guess. What did you have in mind?"

He got that funny look again. "I have a friend, a grownup. He likes taking pictures of cute boys like you."

I tried to smile. "You think I'm cute?"

He nodded. "Oh yes. Wassy will love you. And if you do the really special photos, we can make even mo-"

"Squicky, Squicky, Squicky," a voice came from behind me. "What did I tell you about catching fish in the park? This one is too small, I think you should throw him back."

Squick looked up, and his face got mad. "Tinker, this is none of your business. I'm just doing a favor for my friend here."

I turned, and saw a girl I'd never seen before. She had spiky blue hair, and a lot of earrings. She was wearing a faded T-shirt, shots, and these spiky straps around her neck and wrists.

"I know the kind of favors you offer, Squicky. And this kid deserves better than that. Buzz off."

Squick got in her face. "You going to make me?"

"Yeah, I think I am." She touched him with something in her hand, and he got all twitchy.

"Pocket stun gun," she smiled, holding up a small tube. "Don't leave home without it."

She had a nice smile, and the kindest eyes I'd ever seen.

"Let's go, short stuff. I know a diner that likes to give out samples of pie. No strings attached."

I took her hand, and for the first time in a long while, I felt safe.

Brian

Jason's voice grew quieter. "Tinker was good to me, and showed me the ropes. Then she said she had to go. Other kids needed her help too."

He fell silent.

"Talk to me, bro," I murmured.

"I think about her, sometimes. What she did for me, and for other kids. It's a lot like what Dad did for us."

"What do you mean?"

He just sat there for a while, deep in thought. Finally, he spoke. "We have it pretty good, right?"

"Better than a lot of kids, I'd say."

"Yeah. But there are a lot of kids out there who don't have any of this stuff. We both came through the system, and we both saw kids who never got adopted."

I nodded.

"And none of them deserved it. People say they care, but except for folks like Dad and Tinker, all they really want to do is give away money, so they can feel better about themselves."

"True, but what can we do about it? We're still just kids."

Jason took a deep breath. "Yeah, but look at all we have, and all we can do! It's gotta be good for something, right?"

I scratched my head, a little baffled. "What do you mean, bro?"

Jason swallowed, and the words came tumbling out.

"I think we should get all the kids like you and me together an' let them move in with us. Dad can teach them the stuff he's taught us, 'specially with the lab'rinth. Then they would be, um. What's the word? Self-confederate?"

"Self-confident?" I chimed in.

"Yeah, self-confident. They wouldn't be scared, and could take care of themselves."

I gave him a hug. "I wish we could, bro, but that's impossible. Even if we all shared one bed, we could only fit maybe six more kids in the house. And maybe another 20 or so in the bungalows, if we fixed them up. There are a lot more kids like us out there. More than we can count."

Jason looked at me, his face more serious than I'd ever seen it. "There has to be something we can do! It's not fair! We shouldn't be the only ones who are happy!"

"There's one thing we can always do."

He looked up. "Talk to Dad?"

"Talk to Dad. Let's go."

He wiped away his tears, and we trooped across the house to Dad's study. The door was closed, so I tapped on the frame.

"Come in, boys!" he called through the door. We walked in together.

Dad was sitting at his desk, drinking a glass of tea. "What's up, boys?"

Jason turned to me and I nodded at him.

"Dad, Bri and I have been talking, an' we have an idea for you…"

Dad listened carefully as Jason explained his idea, without interrupting or looking distracted.

"… and then everyone could be as happy as we are." Jason concluded.

Dad looked at us for a long time, studying our faces for something. Then he opened his arms for a hug. Jason and I were glad to oblige him.

He held us for a long time, longer than I could remember him doing it before.

"I'm proud of you both," he whispered. It almost sounded like he was about to cry. We were about to cry too.

He let us go, and helped us stand. "The Ancient Greeks taught that agape, or charity, was the highest form of love. And you've shown me that you are capable of that love. No father could be happier."

But then he frowned. "Your idea could never work, however. We don't have nearly enough room to help everyone who needs it, and even if we did have room, I could never teach so many, even with your help."

Jason looked at me, and I shrugged. His face fell.

"But Dad, can't we do something? So many kids need help!"

Dad nodded. "I think, perhaps, we can. It will take a lot of hard work, but if we can't bring them all here, we'll just have to bring Pelion to them."

Chapter 2

Coyote

My name is not Coyote. Nor is it Michael Smith, Frank Meyers, or (according to my latest passport) Cole Phillips. That's rather the point.  I can be anyone, anywhere. You could walk past me in the street, and never even blink. I have spent YEARS crafting my ability to be forgettable, in the service of the Hunt.

And I truly enjoy my work. Some operatives have private lives, spouses and families. Between missions, they go to their homes, and pretend for a while that they are something other than trained warriors.

I, on the other hand, don't need to pretend. I know what I am, and am content with it. When I finish a mission, I never look back, but always forward, to the next challenge, the next role.

It had been several weeks since my last infiltration, and the extended downtime was getting somewhat irksome, particularly as there were several long-term guests at this particular seaside resort who insisted on playing matchmaker between myself and various female (and in one particularly progressive case, male) relatives.

Hence, when the larger than average shadow blocked me from the Baltic sun, I was less upset than eager.

"Welcome to Sevastopol, Mountain." I stated, not even looking up from my book.

The Master of the Hunt eased his massive bulk into the next deck chair over.

"Excellent work on the Kiev op, Coyote. The client was so pleased, he offered a bonus, and even a contract for a retainer."

"Which you, of course, turned down." I replied, finally looking up.

"Of course," Mountain replied dryly. "The only reason we accepted work for him was the nature of the operation. We cannot afford to be associated with his regular business."

"It was a fairly simple recovery job," I stated. "They were not prepared for an assault."

"Agreed. But between this job and Maui, word has gone out that we are open to these kinds of ronin activities. Given the state of business these days, I see no problem with that."

I thought back. "Maui. The Chiron job. The local talent showed promise."

"Indeed. The target is winding his way through the court system as we speak, and they expect a verdict any day now."

I shrugged. The mission was over, and what happened afterwards was not my concern. "What is the next mission?"

Mountain looked at me, and almost looked disappointed. I didn't know why, since my performance had been flawless as far as I knew. "The mission. Always the mission with you, my friend."

He heaved up to his feet. "This is a special job, one suited to your talents. Chiron is starting up a major project, a network of shelters for traumatized youth. Apparently one of his sons came up with the idea."

I blinked at him. "This does not seem tactically significant. How are we involved?"

Mountain smiled. "Officially, we are not. But there are elements of both the private and public sector who might feel such a network would disrupt their own businesses."

"Perhaps." I admitted. "But I fail to see how we could assist."

"WE cannot." Mountain agreed. "This is not an enemy one merely shoots. But YOU can. I am assigning you the task of shadowing them, and ensuring that the wheels turn smoothly."

"The client?" I asked.

"No client. He may no longer be the Horseman but The Hunt protects their own."

I nodded. It was time to go to work.

Brian

I love my Dad. He took our wild idea, spun it around, polished it up. and turned it into something that actually made SENSE. When he explained the shelter idea to Jason & me, my brother quivered with enthusiasm, ready to go out and get new students right away.

But it was not that easy. As Dad explained it, there was a lot of work to do. We couldn't just pull people off the streets, teach them some martial arts and turn them loose. The first thing we had to do was figure out how to pay for it, and to get the state government to give us permission.

And that meant a lot of phone calls, a lot of e-mails, and a lot of waiting.

About a month after we started planning the network, Deputy Hama… Hamill… Deputy Doug came by for a visit, one Monday. Dad shook his hand , and Jason gave him a friendly hug in greeting. But he wasn't in a friendly mood.

We walked into the living room, and Deputy Doug sat down, placing his hat on his knee.

"John," he began, "It's almost over."

"The trial? I've been so busy, I haven't really been paying attention. Particularly after the DA said the boys didn't need to testify." Dad admitted.

"There's a reason for that, which is also the reason why the trial has not been covered by the press. " the deputy replied. "After he surrendered to us, we were able to raid a storage locker he'd rented under a false name."

He looked up, suddenly young. "There were boxes and boxes of material there. Photographs and DVDs. Some of them were merely black-market contraband, but the others."

He looked at me, and I knew what he was asking. I nodded to him. "It's okay, Deputy Doug. You can tell him."

"Rogers recorded his 'special sessions' with over 3 dozen boys."

He shuddered. "Brian was in some of them."

Dad looked at him sharply. "I want to see them."

The deputy shook his head. "No. Believe me. You don't. I only saw a couple of minutes of one session, and that was too much."

He looked at me. "You are a tremendously strong young man, Brian. Your father should be very proud."

I bowed my head. "Thank you, Deputy Doug. But I couldn't have done it without my family."

Jason walked over and gave me a hug. Dad looked at the deputy.

"I'll take your word for it. Douglas," he finally replied. "But only for Brian's sake."

The deputy nodded, continuing to speak. "It's for his sake, and Jason's, that I've come to visit. The judge has announced that he's made his decision, but he wants to hold off on announcing it for a few days."

"Why?" I asked, my voice a bit shrill "Is there a problem?"

"Far from it, Brian. The judge is offering Rogers' victims a chance to speak before sentencing. It's called a Victim Impact Statement. Both you and Jason are included."

"I've heard of this before, and you don't have to do it in person." Dad chimed in,"You don't even have to do it in person. Videotaped statements are allowed."

Jason and I looked at each other, searching each other's faces for answers, answers we didn't have. Finally, he shrugged.

"Yeah, I think I do wanna tell him something. Even if it's just to tell him he can go f-"

"Jason!" Dad commanded.

"Um… go fly away in a hot air balloon?" Jason continued, trying to look innocent, and failing miserably.

Dad shrugged, and turned to me. "Brian? Are you up for this? It's OK if you don't want to."

I thought back to my last session with Doctor Jerome. We'd spoken for a long time about the need to make a clean break from the past, and let go of the shadows. He'd said it was all about "closure."

"I don't want to, Dad… but I think I need to. I need to look him in the eyes, and…"

Words failed me. Dad stood, walked over, and sat beside me, arm on my shoulder.

"I can't say I understand what you went through, son. But if you need to do this, we'll be behind you all the way."

I turned, and wrapped him in the tightest hug I could manage.

"Thanks, Dad."

Two nights later, I sat in my room, and tossed another sheet of crumpled paper at the trash can. The words simply didn't want to come. After all he put me through, I couldn't encapsulate the fear, the anger, the sadness. There was a knock at my door.

"Come in." I said, voice a bit shaky. Jason walked in, face serious.

"You OK, Bri? Dad was about to put in a movie, and…"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not, bro. I have been trying to write my statement ever since dinner, and I don't know what to say. There's so much to put in it…."

Jason walked over and gave me a quick cuddle. "I have an idea, if you want it."

"Hit me." I replied. Naturally, he took a swing, which I blocked like I always did. Then he told me his idea, and a slow smile grew on my face.

The following morning, we dressed our best, and Dad drove us to the courthouse. The courtroom was crowded, but we had reserved seats in the observation gallery. I could not help but notice there were a large number of young boys and teens with blond hair and haunted looks sitting with us. A murmur grew in the crowd as a team of deputies marched a man in under tight guard.

Doctor Rogers looked even worse than he had when he was arrested. He'd lost a lot of weight, and his once professionally styled hair was clipped to a plain crewcut. The biggest shock was his eyes. He looked hunted, broken, lost.

I was glad. And based on the whispers from the other boys in the gallery, so were they.

The bailiff stood.

"All rise. This court is now in session. The Honorable Enrique Salazar presiding."

The judge, a middle aged man with a bushy mustache, sat at the bench. "Please, be seated."

He looked over the courtroom, in particularly the gallery. Then he turned to face Doctor Rogers, and his face turned sour.

"We all know why we are here, and I see no reason to delay further. Will the defendant please stand?"

Rogers did so, eyes distant.

"In light of the overwhelming preponderance of evidence received by this court in the matter of California vs .Brittan Endicott Rogers, this court has reached this verdict. The charges against you and their verdicts are:

Counts One through Twenty-seven: Engaging in sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child who is 10 years of age or younger. GUILTY AS CHARGED

Counts Twenty-eight through Thirty-seven: Engaging in sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child between the ages of 11 and 14. GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Counts Thirty-eight through Seventy-four: Sexual Exploitation of a child under the age f 18. GUILTY AS CHARGED.

With each verdict, Rogers flinched. Each statement was like a nail in his coffin, sealing his doom.

Finally, after the long litany of charges, including fleeing prosecution and attempted kidnapping, the judge stopped.

"Before I give you your sentence, there are two minor matters to resolve. First, based on the evidence presented, I would like it entered into the record that you are, without a doubt, the most sickening defendant it has ever been my displeasure to try, and the fact that I share a species with such an individual makes me feel unclean."

He turned to the gallery. "Secondly, per California Penal Code 1191, several of your victims have been invited to make statements. You may now begin."

One by one, the men and boy were called down to speak. Some were angry. Some forgiving. Some choked up. Several broke down. A pair of twins, only a few years older than me, stood together and simply wished he would burn in hell. Our turn was coming up soon.

"Jason Quinn Chiron. Please approach the bench."

Jason stood. "Yer Honor? Can my brother and I give our bits together?"

He looked at the list. "This would be Brian John Chiron?"

"Yessir." Jason replied.

"As he was next anyway, I'll allow it. Both of you, please come here."

We stepped down from the gallery, and walked to the stand.

"Please have a seat and say your pieces, boys. You are not under oath."

I nodded, sitting down. "Thank you your Honor. I won't be long."

Jason cleared his throat, and looked at Doctor Rogers.

"You probably don't even remember me." he began, voice firm. "I was just a tagalong, a boy too young for the other foster kids to hang out with. You never even touched me, maybe because I wasn't cute enough for you."

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I was just lucky. But even when you ignored me, I believed in you. You were the adult. The one who was supposed to help us grow up."

"Then, one day, I finally found a friend. And you tore us apart." He put his right arm around my shoulders. I used my left to return the favor.

"Look at me!" he shouted. "Look at US! We're better than friends, now. We're brothers, and part of a REAL family. We have a dad who cares about us, and who has taught us to take care of ourselves."

Jason's face broke into a smile. "After all you did to us, in the end you failed. You tried to separate us, but we're closer than you can ever dream."

We hugged, like the brothers we were. Jason turned to me, and said, "OK, Brian. It's your turn."

I stared at the eyes of the man who called me his angel, but treated me like dirt. Slowly, with careful precision, I reached my hand out to him, palm up. He leaned forward, an odd hunger in his eyes.

Then I bent my hand inward with perfect grace, and gave him "the finger". He dropped into his chair, mouth open in shock.

The gallery broke into cheers and applause. The judge banged his gavel.

"The court will come to order!"

I stood, and sketched a short bow. "Thank you, your honor. That's enough for me."

Jason and I walked back to the gallery, a family to the end.

The judge put down his gavel, and tried to conceal a slight smile. "As there are no more statements prepared, it is my distinct pleasure to sentence you. You have been found guilty of all counts against you. Your sentences are as follows:

Counts one through twenty-seven: Twenty-five years. Sentences to be served consecutively…"

As he continued, I tried to keep a running tally of how many years he'd be in prison, but I lost count. In any case, he would never be able to hurt a kid again.

That worked for me.

On the drive home, my heart felt lighter than it had in months, and all I could think about was calling Dominic and telling him what had happened. But when we walked into Pelion, all my energy left in a rush, and the only thing that remained on my mind was sleep.

"Dad?" I yawned. "Can we skip dinner?"

He looked at me as I wobbled on my feet. "Go rest son. You've earned it."

My dreams that night were so very sweet.

A few days later, Dad called us into his study. "Boys, I have some news. There's an organization that may help us secure funding and resources for the shelters. And one of the men behind it lives not too far away. I'd like us all to go to meet him."

I shrugged. "It could be interesting. Bro?"

"If he can help, I wanna meet him. What's his name, Dad?"

"Johnson. Matt Johnson. I'll call him in the morning."

Chapter 3

Matt Johnson

I'd been sitting at my desk thinking about what could be done to expand our efforts. Until now, we've been waiting for others to come to us, but the other day, James came to see me.

"Matt," he'd said to me, "What we've been doing is great, but there are so many out there who need our help!"

I shrugged. "I know, James, but we really don't have the resources available to go out looking."

"I think if we, meaning you, look hard enough you'll find something. Or, it might just drop into your lap. Just give it some thought, okay?"

James had come so far in the last year or so. He'd taken the money he got in his settlement and had used it to set up the foundation. Since then, things had grown, and we were being contacted daily by others wishing to help. I was brought out of my reverie by the ringing of the phone.

"Opportunity for Fairness Foundation, Matthew Johnson speaking."

"Mr. Johnson, my name is John Chiron."

I'd heard the name, but couldn't remember where. He said he, or more accurately, his sons, had come up with an idea that could be mutually beneficial to our work. He asked for a meeting. I invited him and his sons to come by the house the following Saturday. I guess I'll see.

Brian

The weather was getting a bit cooler, so when we prepared to leave, Dad suggested a loose shirt and shorts for our wardrobe. We piled into the car (Jason in the front seat, me in the back) and hit the road.

As we drove down to Venice Beach, Dad explained more to us about the guy we were going to meet.

"He's made quite a name for himself in a very short time." he began, shouting a bit over the wind. "He's become quite the crusader for helping gay men adopt children."

"Kinda like you did with us?" Jason murmured. He couldn't tell, but I saw Dad stiffen, just a bit.

"Something like that, yes. Except these men don't have friends like Rock or Deputy Doug. So OFF helps them out."

I leaned forward so Dad could hear me. "OFF?"

"The Opportunity For Fairness Foundation. A friend of one of his adopted sons came up with the idea, but he's still a major part of it." he replied. "In fact, he's the director."

Dad focused on the road. "Now, this part of the route requires some attention, so settle down and let me drive."

I leaned back in the seat, and thought back to one of my former group homes. All the kids knew the guy who ran it was gay, but he never laid a finger on any of us. If it hadn't been for his getting sick, I probably would have stayed there, instead of getting moved into Dr. Rogers claws.

He was probably the nicest foster parent I ever had, at least until Dad found me.

"Cool!" Jason suddenly shouted. I looked up and saw we were parking in front of a true beach house. Instead of a long walk to the beach, like we had at Pelion, the house was literally ON the beach. You could reach the sand with a poorly-made paper airplane.

An oldish-looking guy was standing out front waiting for us. Next to him stood a friendly looking teenager in a yellow tank top and jeans. The man smiled broadly, and reached out a hand.

"Mr. Chiron?" he asked. "I'm Matt Johnson, and this is my son's friend James. He was the founder of the Opportunity for Fairness Foundation."

Dad shook his hand. "Please, call me John."

"Only if you call me Matt." Mr. Johnson replied.

Dad grinned, in that way he had. "Negotiating already? Matt, these are my boys: Jason."

My brother stuck out his hand. "Nice too meet you, sir!"

Mr. Johnson laughed, and shook his hand "I can't remember when someone last called me sir."

"And Brian." I put my hands in my pockets and nodded in greeting.

"Good to meet you both. Please, come inside. Your father has told me something of your ideas, but James and I would like to hear it from you."

He lead us inside, and into a cozy living room. "Would you like something to drink? Some lemonade, perhaps?"

Against my will, my stomach rumbled.

Mr. Johnson laughed. "Lemonade it is."

A short time later, Dad and Jason were deep into their plan for the new shelter.

"Mr. Chiron, I will leave you in the good hands of my Foundation Director, I am afraid I must be going. It was a distinct pleasure to have met you. I do believe we have a basis for doing some mutually beneficial work together." James said offering his hand to shake.

After shaking all of our hands, James walked out onto the deck and into the arms of an older teen. They left together walking down the boardwalk hand-in-hand. Dad looked at Mr. Johnson, a question in his eyes.

"That was James' husband, Tom. Yes, they're really legally married. James was the victim of a rather severe car versus pedestrian accident. The person who hit him didn't survive, but he was a very wealthy man. James took the settlement he received and funded the beginnings of this foundation. He and Tom went to Hawaii where they could be married." Matt explained.

"Mr. Chiron… I'm sorry, John. Are you aware that the major thrust of our foundation is assisting in adoptions?"

"I am, but I also know that you own several buildings which are currently unused, and could converted into sanctuaries for homeless or runaway kids." Dad explained. "Furthermore, having a working relationship between our organizations could help in finding permanent homes for them."

After a while, Dad and Mr Johnson started talking really technical details, while Jason and I sat on the couch and tried to look interested. Jason's eyes started to glaze over.

I cleared my throat. They all looked over.

"Dad? Can Jason and I go walk on the beach?"

Dad looked over. "We're going to be here a while longer, but I don't want you going too far."

"They can hang out on the deck," Matt suggested. "My sons and their friends use it to people-watch all the time."

I threw him a grateful look, and he smiled conspiratorially, and mouthed the words "been there."

Dad nodded. "I'll call you in when we're finished. Have fun."

Jason was out the door before he finished talking. After a quick, "Thanks, Dad!" I joined him.

We sat in some wooden chairs and watched the world go by. There were a lot of different kinds of people at the beach that day, despite the changing seasons. A few couples, a fair number of families, and one old guy who probably could have used a larger sized swimsuit.

(Jason and I both shuddered when he walked by).

I was looking out over the water, watching the seagulls, when Jason pulled at my arm.

"Hey Bri, check those two out!" He pointed down the beach to a pair of very fit older boys, both in snug speedos, walking hand in hand. "Do you think they're, you know…"

"Gay?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I shrugged. "They could be. "

"They look cool, anyway. I almost bought one of those suits, once…"

His face turned thoughtful. I shrugged again, and went back to counting sea birds.

The boys walked closer, and drifted towards the house. I poked Jason in the arm, and he looked up. We sat up, and one of the boys said. "Who the heck are you?"

Jason jumped in to respond. "Hi! I'm Jason Chiron, and this is my brother Brian. Do you know Mr. Johnson?"

One of the boys looked at us, a slightly naughty grin on his face. With a smile he said, "I think so, I'm Cole Johnson, and this is my life-mate, Devon Williams."

"Oh! You must be one of the kids he 'dopted!" Jason replied. "We're 'dopted too. Our Dad is talking to yours about this idea I had."

"I am one of them. Devon isn't, the other is my brother Michael, but he's not at home. You guys want a drink? I was just gonna go get Dev and me a coke." Cole said.

Jason shrugged. "Your dad gave us some lemonade before, so I'm OK. Bri?"

"Um…" I found it hard to speak. I had never seen two strangers so downright comfortable with their bodies. "I'm OK, I guess, but I wouldn't mind getting out of the sun."

Devon looked at me, and I thought he could sense my discomfort, and probably the quick glances I'd made at their suits.. "Sure, we can go chill in our room," he said with a smile.

"That's be cool!" Jason chimed in. "Do you guys play games?"

Devon looked at Cole and they both grinned, Cole said, "Yeah, but I don't think they're the kind of games you're talking about."

Jason wrinkled his forehead and was about to answer, until I interrupted. "They aren't talking about an Xbox, bro."

Jason's face cleared. "Ohhhh!!!!"

I rolled my eyes. Jason was a year older than I, but in some ways, he was a bit clueless.

We followed the boys to their room. Our eyes bugged out at the posters of boys (and men) in speedos on the walls. I could feel my cheeks burning, and a quick glance showed Jason's were doing the same.

"So, um…" he began. "You really like speedos I guess."

Devon smiled, "Yeah, actually. It was a speedo that got us together. And it was also a speedo that got Cole to be able to be with his dad. So they're pretty important to us. Plus, guys look kind of hot in them, don't you think?""

"I um…" Jason was coming close to complete vocabulary failure, so I chimed in.

"We tend to wear trunks and boxers around the house." I remarked. "I don't really like showing too much skin. Not after… well, let's just say I have issues."

Devon gave me another of those empathetic looks. "No probs, dude. I just thought you'd probably look good in one. You are a pretty cute guy. Before you jump to the wrong idea. I got Cole and he has me. We have no desire for anyone else. I was just trying to compliment you on being good looking. When you get older you'll be a definite hottie."

Jason suddenly grinned. "Bri isn't on the market anyway."

I looked at him with some confusion. "Well, I am just a kid."

Cole looked at Jason and said, "You said you almost bought one. Wanna see what you would look like wearing one? You can try on one of my old ones. If you like it, I'll give it to you. It's too small for me now."

"Could I?" Jason asked. "I gotta admit, I've been curious how they feel. What about you, Bri?"

I shook my head. "I think I'll just watch. I… I don't think I'm ready to be that open."

Devon picked up on my fear. "Brian. If you are worried about changing in front of us, I will give you one to try on. You can go into the bathroom and put it on in privacy. If you don't want anyone to see you, you can change back before you come back out."

Cole then went to a drawer and pulled out his electric blue speedo and handed it to Jason. Then, he then went to another bureau and pulled out a fancy-looking speedo with an island sunset design. "This suit is Devon's. It's way too small for Devon now, and I think it would fit you perfectly." He laid the speedo on the bed.

"Cool!" Jason shouted, and immediately began shucking his clothes. I reached out to the suit, but stopped. Already half-naked, Jason saw my reluctance and walked over.

He bent over and whispered "I bet Dom would like it."

I turned to him. "You think?"

Jason just nodded, so I took the plunge. I picked up the speedo and went to the bathroom. It was surprisingly large for a house this size, and I had plenty of room to move.

I stripped naked, and carefully folded my clothes, before looking at my reflection in the full-wall mirror. It's not something I had cause to do very often, so what I saw surprised me a little. A summer of outdoor exercise had given me some pretty good muscles, and a slight tan. The orange of the suit would go pretty well with that.

I bent over, and pulled on the suit. Then I looked back in the mirror, turning one way and then the other.

What do you know, I DID look sort of cute.

"Hey Bri, are you going to come out?" Jason called.

I stared at the boy in the mirror, and we both took deep breaths before nodding. "Be right out!"

I opened the door, and Jason was waiting, a smile on his face. "Way to go, Bri! I knew you could do it!"

Simultaneously, Cole and Devon let out a slight gasp. "Dude, you look fantastic!"

I blushed, again, but managed a slight bow. "Thank you. It feels… interesting."

Cole turned to me and said, "I don't know what you were worried about. You are a definite hottie now, you will be way more so when you get older. If you have someone he, or she, is really lucky."

My face grew serious. "The last person outside my family who saw me this naked was the guy who molested me."

Devon's expression changed to one of almost pain. "I'm sorry, Brian. I didn't know. If I had, I wouldn't have pushed you. But you do look good. And you are definitely safe here."

I nodded. "I know. But it's still difficult to trust. It was months before I could undress in front of Jason. I'm getting help, but some days are harder than others."

Jason walked over and gave me a quick cuddle. "I'm still your big brother, Bri. And I think I can take 'em."

I grinned wanly. "That probably won't be needed, but thanks bro."

I turned to Devon. "Where'd you get a suit like this anyway? They are usually pretty plain."

Devon looked at me and got a little far-away look in his eyes. "When I was almost 13 I was walking through the mall. I saw a shop that sold Speedos. I looked at them and was like… okay, these are kinda cool. The sales guy saw me looking and told me he had some custom speedos in the back and asked if I wanted to see them. I saw this one and it just called out to me so I bought it. It's a one-of-a-kind. There aren't any others exactly like it. I was wearing it the first day I met Matt, Cole's new dad. Brian. Do you like it?"

"It feels…" I tried to frame my thoughts. "It feels right. Almost like I was meant to wear it."

Devon smiled. "That's how I felt too. I know how hard it was for you to even try it on. Would you do me a favor?"

I looked at him carefully for any signs of deceit, and then nodded. "Sure!"

Devon continued. "If you and your brother would allow us to, Cole and I would feel honored if you accepted them as gifts. They no longer fit us, and as you said, I get the feeling that they were meant to be yours also."

"B-but, I couldn't!" I stammered.

Devon looked into my eyes, I could see his emotion… "It would mean a lot to us, Brian, please do us this honor."

I looked at Jason, who nodded. "The honor is ours. But now what do we do?"

Jason's mouth grew in a slow smile. "Bri? I have another brilliant idea."

Matt

John and I had been talking for a while, trading stories about our children, when Cole and Devon walked in, stopping at the entryway to the room. They tried to appear casual, but I knew them well enough to know they were up to something.

"Hi dad!" Cole called out. "Who is this?"

"This is John Chiron. He's here on Foundation business. John, this is my adopted son Cole, and his life-partner Devon."

John nodded a brief greeting, and remarked "I have two adopted sons of my own. You may have seen them outside." He picked up his lemonade and took a swig.

Cole and Devon shared a look, and nodded. "You mean these two?"

Cole went to the left, Devon to the right. Behind them, John's sons stood, clad only in tight speedos. I heard John spit out his drink, and start coughing. I was stunned myself.

The contrast between the two boys was like night and day. Jason, with his crooked grin and freckles, looked like the Greek God of Mischief in his electric blue suit. When he saw his father's reaction, he grinned even wider, and began posing like a miniature bodybuilder.

Brian, on the other hand, just stood there, wearing Devon's special speedo. This had to be important to Devon. Brian was standing with his right hand was covering his crotch, while the other clutched his right elbow. He looked less the god then a young fawn, graceful but ready to run at the slightest sound.

Devon walked over, and began to whisper in Brian's ear. While I could not make out the words, I recognized their tone. And slowly, carefully, Brian let his arms relax, and just stood there, a living statue of innocent youth.

The universe held it's breath. And then, without saying a word, John stood, walked over, and wrapped him in a surprisingly gentle hug. He stepped back, and said, "This is a big step for you. I'm proud of you."

Brian blushed from his head to his toes. Jason wormed between them, giving his brother a hug of his own, and both Cole and Devon kissed him on the cheeks. I went back to what John had told me earlier, and realized what a milestone I'd just witnessed. My eyes grew a little wet.

"Matt?" John asked, voice thick with emotion. "Mind if we continue our discussions another time?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. I would like to invite you back for a barbecue sometime, we can continue then.."

John nodded. "I think we would all enjoy that. Come on, boys, let's get ready to go."

Jason's face fell. "Awww… but I wanted to try on some more speedos! We could put on a fashion show!"

John rolled his eyes, and swatted Jason lightly on the rear. "Go on, the both of you, get changed. We've had enough of a show for one day."

Jason ran from the room, with the other boys walking behind him.

Brian

Jason was chattering a mile a minute as we returned to the bedroom to change.

"I got him! I finally got him!" he cheered.

Cole looked at him, baffled.

"Last year, Dad & I went on a trip to a hotel, 'member Bri?"

I nodded. That weekend was one that was seared into my mind, in the best possible way.

"Dad wanted to teach me how to swim, but I didn't have a suit… he pretended I had to skinny-dip!"

The older boys chuckled at this.

"I finally got even. He spurted water all over the room!"

Carefree to the last, Jason stripped off the speedo and tossed it carelessly on the floor as he began rummaging for his clothes.

I, on the other hand, carefully removed Devon's speedo, and walked over to him.

"Thank you for this, Devon." I reached out and gave him a hug, and a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey! " Cole shouted, "Don't I get a kiss too?"

Jason, clad only in his boxers and one sock, walked over and gave him a sloppy one on the lips. "Better?"

Cole grinned, ruffling his hair. "Much."

As we made ready to leave, the entire group came out to say goodbye. I promised Devon that I would keep in touch, and he gave me a farewell hug. It felt good.

On the drive home, Jason kept teasing Dad about his spit-take. Finally, Dad cracked, and said "Yes, son, you 'got me good', as they say. But there's a price to pay for your misdeeds."

He leaned over, and whispered something in Jason's ear. And miracle of miracles, Jason actually stopped talking!

Eyes wide, he looked at Dad. Dad just nodded. Jason turned around, leaned over the back seat and said "Bri! Guess what!"

"What?"

 "We're goin' to DISNEYLAND!"

Author's Note: Matt, James, Cole, and Devon are from the story Speedo Boys, by Hermes. Thanks, my friend, for letting them come visit.

Chapter 4

Dominic Grimaldi

When Brian told me that we were all going to Disneyland, I got so excited I couldn't sit still! And when he said we were going for Halloween, I knew I had to find the perfect costume!

I could be anyone! A cowboy, an Indian, a doctor, a policeman, a knight, or even a superhero!  There were so many choices, I was getting dizzy! Mama and Papa tried to help me decide, but I wanted it to be just right. Finally, Grampa Rock and Nonna Carla came to the rescue. They made me a real soldier outfit, complete with my name on it and everything! I loved it so much that I slept in it for a week!

It was getting closer and closer to the day of the trip, and I was getting more and more excited every day. The night before we were leaving, I packed my bag before dinner, took a quick bath, and went to bed at 7:30, just so tomorrow would come faster. It didn't quite work the way I wanted. I stared at the ceiling, but I couldn't fall asleep. All I could think about was all the fun I would have with Brian and the others.

Some time during the night, I fell asleep. I don't know when, because I was asleep. Duh!

Morning came, and Papa had to wake me up out of this cool dream. I don't remember all of it, but I was really warm and cozy. I wanted to stay like that forever.

"Dominic!" Papa shouted. "Non vuoi andare a Disneyland?"

I sat up really fast, and grabbed my little bag. Papa started to laugh, and I realized I was still in my underwear. My cheeks burned as I went to my chair and got my clothes.

After breakfast, I sat on the curb at the end of the driveway, bouncing up and down, until Zio John's car pulled up.

Brian

Dominic was so excited when he clambered into the car that he was almost vibrating. I could feel his rapid pulse where his leg touched mine in the back seat, and, purely by instinct, I moved my arm so he could move in closer.

In a way, it was odd that we had not done Disneyland before, given that we were less than 40 miles away. But our lives had been fairly weird over the past year, and it never really seemed like an option. But things had finally calmed down, and Dad always did enjoy his little surprises.

After a brief drive, we pulled up to the Disneyland Hotel. While we could have simply visited during the day, Dad insisted that we should have, as he put it, "the full Disney ziteguyst," whatever that was, and had burrowed into his savings to book us a special room.

After checking in, we took the elevator to the 11th floor, and followed Dad to our room. Before he opened the door, Dad turned to us and grinned, looking almost as young as Dominic.

Welcome to the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, boys!"

It was, without a doubt, the coolest room I had ever been in. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, a lounge area, and a great view. For the next 12 minutes, Dad was fending off grateful hugs and kisses from Jason & Dominic.

OK, so maybe I slipped a hug or two in there as well. But you're only a kid once, right?

Once we settled in, we changed into our "ride clothes," which were much like our regular clothes, but included our swimsuits under our shorts. As I pulled on my speedo, I remembered Devon's words, and promised silently to keep them in my heart.

The park was already open when we arrived, and the lines were pretty long. Actually, they were VERY long, and after a while, I could feel Dominic fidgeting beside me. The wait was worth it, as we had a whole day of fun stuff. Two in particular stuck in my mind:

One of the first things we did was visit Tomorrowland, and a show called the Jedi Training Academy. The hosts pulled a bunch of kids from the audience to become apprentices, and Jason was one of them.

They passed out brown bathrobes and toy lightsabers, and the host began his spiel. It was pretty cheesy, really, and he kept cracking bad jokes, despite the utter lack of laughter from the audience.

But Jason looked like he was having fun, and we all cheered him along, so it was still fun. Then the stormtroopers arrived and "secured the area" for a guy in a pretty good Vader costume, who spouted off pre-recorded dialogue.

I looked over at Jason in his "training position," and could see, even from this distance, that he was up to something. When the host called him up to defeat Vader, he tried to give Jason directions, but things didn't go quite as planned.

Rather than simple "cut left! cut right!" Jason slipped into a modified 4th Circuit sequence, bobbing and weaving as the poor actor playing Vader tried to keep up. Finally, he hooked "Vader" behind the knee and pulled, dumping him on the ground.

"All too easy." Jason intoned, a wide grin on his face. He tossed the saber to the now baffled host, shucked off his robe, and sauntered over to us, to the cheers and merriment of the crowd.

The other memorable attraction was Splash Mountain. The lines for it were the longest of all, but Jason, Dominic, and I were insistent on going on the ride. So after lunch, while Dad watched from the ground (holding our shorts & shoes) we began the long wait.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, it was our turn. Dominic and I squeezed into the front seat, while Jason sat behind us, sharing with a kid named James we'd met in line. If you know the ride, you know the inevitable outcome, which are a bunch of soaking wet kids. What I didn't know is they took photos as you splashed. At the exit booth, they offered us a look at the snapshot. Dominic and I looked so happy together, that I had to buy a copy. (Jason had his eyes closed and his mouth open. He looked like a fish).

I still have that photo today.

As the day wore on, our energy level dropped to almost nothing, and rather than dragging me from ride to ride, Dominic began to slump against my side. Finally, Dad decreed that we should return to the hotel and rest up.

In the room, Dominic stumbled straight toward the bed and thumped face-forward on top of the covers. I sat down beside him, and stroked his hair

"You okay there, Dominic?"

"Sono stanco," he muttered, face buried in a pillow, "And my feet hurt."

I lay down beside him, stroking his back. "Mine too, amico. But now we can rela…"

"Hey Bri! Dom! Food's here!" Jason shouted.

My eyes popped open.  Dominic and I were tangled together, and the sun was lower in the sky. As Dominic rubbed his eyes awake, Jason wandered into the room.

"Dad's ordered some pizza from room service. We were going to ask you what you wanted, but you were both out like a light. So we ordered 5 Classic Pepperoni Pizzas. We each get one!"

At the mention of food, my stomach joined the rest of me in waking up, and we all walked to the dining area. After dinner, we all unpacked our costumes.

Dad pulled out this reddish-brown jacket with a weird white strap on one shoulder. When I asked him what he was supposed to be, he just shook his head and said "Now, I feel old."

Dominic wore a soldier outfit, and I have to admit, he looked really cute in it, even if his hair was about 3 inches too long for regulation.

Jason wore a padded Green Lantern costume, complete with light-up ring, although he tended to leave off the mask

And I had this rather nifty pirate costume, with a long coat and hat, that I'd found online.

Night fell, and we stepped out of the room, ready for "Mickey's Halloween Party!" The streets of the park were full of people in costume, both professional and visitors. The park had also set up these "treat stations" where we could get candy, and other snacks.

After about the 5th station, all of us (except for Dad) were starting to get a bit hyper, running around and pointing out cool stuff. Finally, Dad called our names, and commanded us to sit for a bit.

My heart was pounding, and I had a difficult time keeping still. Jason was much the same. As for Dominic….

Dominic?

DOMINIC!

Dominic

Candy! Candy! Candy! This was so much fun!

I heard Zio John call my name, but I could smell cookies. Warm cookies. I love cookies.

I ran towards the smell, and 5 cookies later, I had a happy tummy.

Then I went back to where we were, and started looking for Brian and the others. It was getting dark, but there were a lot of lights, and I could see a pirate and a Lanterna Verde down the street.

I took a deep breath and started to run. As I got closer, I jumped up and hugged the pirate around the neck. He turned around. It wasn't Brian.

"What the fu-"

Grey Taylor

To this day, I'm not entirely sure how I got conned into agreeing to this vacation. Not only was I paying for six of us to fly to California, but then I found myself walking the streets of Disneyland, dressed in a Batman costume. The fact that Nicky looked fantastic in his killer Robin costume, however, was pretty much worth every penny and bit of grief. Especially that green speedo.

I was walking behind Nicholas, enjoying the view. Behind me, I could hear Eli and Kyle chattering incessantly. Noah and Landon were off doing their own thing, but we all had phones, and I trusted them to be back in the hotel before the park closed.

Suddenly, I heard a great commotion behind me, with Eli's distinct voice suddenly becoming louder than everyone else's. Nicky and I both snapped around to see Eli wrestling a soldier boy to the ground.

"Eli!" I shouted, running over. "What are you doing?"

Eli shifted his weight until he was sitting on the strange boy's chest. "This kid just attacked me! I was just defendin' myself!"

"Well he's not attacking you now, so get off of him," I ordered.

Eli stood up, and the kid backed up against a wall, eyes wide with fear. Nicholas walked over and squatted down. "Are you okay?" he whispered gently.

"Dove la mia famiglia? Voglio il mio cugino Brian!" the boy shouted.

Nicholas looked at me, eyes confused. "What did he say?"

"Um." Kyle cleared his throat. "He's speaking in Italian. He's asking about his family, and his cousin Brian, I think."

Eli stared at his best friend. "Since when do you speak Italian?"

Kyle shrugged. "When I was a kid, I had an Italian babysitter. She taught me a little bit."

"Help me talk to him," Nicky suggested. "Maybe we can help!"

Together, they were able to work out the boy's name (Dominic) and who he was with (his uncle and cousins). The next step seemed clear.

"Okay, boys, you wait here, and I'll go get park security. We'll have this kid hooked up with his uncle in no time."

I heard a snort behind me. I turned to see a young woman with short blue hair and a ripped denim jacket leaning against a lamppost.

"There's a much faster way." she remarked.

Dominic

I looked up at the new lady. She was kind of scary looking, but then she smiled, and I knew she was OK.

"Hey, short stuff." she said to me. "You OK now?"

I nodded, although I felt like I could start crying any minute.

"I'm going to help you out. My fairy godmother bit for the day."

"Like Tinkerbell?" I asked.

She got the funniest look in her eyes. "You could say that. Come with me, and we're going to call your folks."

"How? I don't know my zio's phone number!" I whimpered.

She smiled again. "Who said anything about a phone?"

She took my hand and we walked over to a big metal pole with a box on it. She took out a wrench and opened it up. There were all sorts of wires and things in it.

"Easy as pie." she said, and pulled some stuff from her pockets, and started fiddling with the wires.  After a bit, she held out her hand to me, and there was a little grey disk in it, hooked up to the box.

"OK, short stuff. When I tell you to, I want you to call to your family, and tell them where you are."

Jason

Brian was absolutely frantic, and sat chewing his knuckles. I tried to calm him down, while Dad spoke to the Park security.

All of a sudden, there was a loud squealing noise, and we heard Dom's voice over the park PA system.

"BRIAN?"

Brian looked up.

"I'M OK. I'M OVER BY THE… UH… SUNGLASS ICON. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU HERE."

Brian looked over at Dad, who nodded. We were off like a shot.

Brian:

As soon as Dominic saw me, he ran over, almost knocking me down. Then, I gave him the biggest hug ever, one he returned with interest. Finally, we separated, although I kept a tight grip on Dominic's hand.

Dad walked up to the oldest person in the group, who was wearing a Batman costume. "Thanks for watching out for Dominic, friend. My name is John Chiron."

"Grey Taylor." They shook hands. "But we only helped calm him down. This girl did all the real work."

"What girl?" Dad asked.

Mr. Taylor looked around. "Funny, she was right here," he shrugged.

There was a brief lull in the conversation, as we tried to figure out what to say next. I couldn't believe it, but two of the Taylor kids had the same costumes Jason and I were wearing. But the other pirate did not look like he was in a happy mood.

"Are we done yet?" he growled, taking off his fancy hat. "The parade will be starting soon!"

Jason started to get the weirdest look on his face, as Mr. Taylor turned and said, "Eli, calm down. There's plenty of time."

"Sorry, Grey," he muttered.

Jason's forehead wrinkled. "Eli? As in LordEli357?"

Eli's jaw dropped. "How'd you know that handle? I haven't used it since I was, like, ten!"

Jason's face matched his. "I'm Argonaut123! You sent me your pic once, remember?"

"No freakin' way!" Eli shouted. He was all smiles then, running to Jason and hugging him tightly.

They immediately started chatting about old times. Bowing to the inevitable, Dad invited Mr. Taylor to watch the parade with us, an offer he gladly accepted. Two older boys, dressed as Jedi Knights, joined us, and we had a great time.

After the parade, we were all exhausted, Dominic doubly so. We traded e-mail addresses with the Taylors, and Jason and Eli promised to keep in touch. Then we headed back to the room, to wash up and get ready for bed before the fireworks started.

Jason was monopolizing the shower, so Dominic asked Dad if he could use his bathtub. Dad nodded, before retiring to the lounge with a cup of tea. I sat on the bed and waited my turn.

"Brian?" Dominic called. "Can you come in? Please?"

His voice was so plaintive, I could not resist. I slowly opened the door to see Dominic safely soaking in the tub.

"What's up, Dominic?"

"Can you wash my hair for me? I'm tired." he asked, pleadingly.

It seemed harmless enough, so I shrugged. "Okay. Come closer so I can reach you."

Dominic giggled. "Not like that, silly. Get in the tub!"

I stopped. "One second!"

I ran to the room and changed into my speedo. Then I headed back. Dom moved over to give me room, and then he sat between my legs as I lathered him up. As my fingers ran through his hair, he leaned back against me and sighed with pleasure. "That's so nice…"

I had to admit, it felt very relaxing. After I rinsed him off, we just sat there as the water cooled.

"C'mon, guys!" Jason shouted. "It's starting!"

We pulled on robes, and walked over to the balcony, basking in the glow of the Magic Kingdom.

Author's Note: The Taylor clan are the creations of Matt Caper, and appear with his permission. Thanks, Matt. A deal's a deal.

Chapter 5

Deputy Sheriff Douglas Hämäläinen

At precisely 8:36 AM on December 26, I parked my automobile in front of Pelion, the residence that John Chiron had purchased for himself and his adopted children. Since the Rogers trial, I had become somewhat fond of said children, and often found reason to stop by, even though their home was technically out of my jurisdiction.

On this particular occasion, however, I needed no excuse, as I was not on duty, and had been given leave in exchange for working on the holiday itself (an adventure in and of itself, but one out of the scope of this document). I picked up the small package from the seat beside me, checked my jacket pocket, and walked to the door.

From prior experience, I knew that John had installed a fairly comprehensive security package, going as far away as Maui to purchase the required components. I also knew (although John was not aware of my knowledge) that some of the measures he implemented were slightly beyond what might be considered legal. Knowing what I knew about his younger son Brian, and the experiences he'd gone through, I decided that a certain amount of leeway was justifiable.

In any case, by the time I approached the door, I could already hear footsteps approaching on the other side. Ringing the bell (a rather old-fashioned chime based on Big Ben) was merely a formality, one which I dutifully performed.

The door opened, and Jason, Chiron's elder boy, stood at the entry. The sound of a Christmas carols, being played well on an acoustic guitar, filled the air behind him.

"Deputy Doug! Hi!" he replied, a wide smile on his face. "Hevye Yo Loua".

"And a Hyvää Joulua to you too, young man." I replied. His pronunciation was imperfect, but I could not fault his enthusiasm. "May I enter?"

"Of course!" he replied. "Dad! Deputy Doug is here!"

I ducked into the foyer, as his adopted father walked in, limping on a cane. I glanced at the support briefly, but John caught the glimpse anyway.

"A legacy of our mutual acquaintance, Dr. Rogers. It aches a bit when the weather is cool." he explained.

He reached out his free hand, and I shook it firmly. "Merry Christmas. I assume Jason's new skill in linguistics is your doing?"

He laughed. "My doing, but his idea. But please, come sit in the living room."

I nodded in acquiescence, and followed him into the common area. There, the source of the music became apparent, as his other son Brian was seated on the couch, intently playing his guitar while another boy, who I recalled was named Dominic (the grandson of Dr. Rocco Grimaldi), sat at his feet, listening with rapt attention. Brian glanced up as I entered the room, and immediately stopped playing.

"Please do not stop on my account." I intoned. "Your playing has quite improved, Brian."

Brian bowed his head, an affectation of his father's. "Thank you, Deputy Doug, but my fingers were getting tired, so I was planning to stop at the end of the song in any case. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, young man."

Brian set aside his instrument, and I suppressed a grin as young Dominic immediately squeezed in beside him on the couch.

"And one for you as well, Dominic." I added.

Dominic smiled, "Grazie, signore."

John motioned to a chair, and I sat down. He carefully lowered himself into his usual seat, as Jason perched on one of it's arms.

"What's in the package, Deputy Doug?" he asked, eyes expectant.

"Something for your father." I replied, passing it over. "It's a new edition of the Kalevala. I recall he mentioned an interest in it at one point."

"So I did," John nodded, opening the package with a certain efficiency. "I should have known you would remember."

"But you didn't get anything for us?" Jason cried. I glanced over at Brian, who showed a slightly more subdued amount of concern. Therefore, I waited for what I considered an appropriate interval, before reaching inside my jacket and withdrawing two long envelopes.

"I do seem to have something. Incredibly, they are labeled with your name and Brian's."

I grinned, as Jason snatched them from my hand. John merely rolled his eyes.

"Cool! Amazon gift cards, for a hundred bucks! Dad, can we be excused?"

"You may, son. But first, there's something you need to do." he replied.

"Oh! Right!" Jason ran over, and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Deputy Doug! Thanks a lot!"

Brian repeated the gesture, with somewhat more reserve. Even Dominic gave me a hug, apparently on sheer principle. Then they all ran upstairs, likely to raid their wish lists. John and I watched them go.

"Your boys are turning into fine young men, John. You must be proud."

He nodded, a wistful look on his face. "I am, but somewhat saddened as well. They had to grow up so fast."

I leaned forward, as he continued.

"You may recall that I grew up in the Northeast. To me, the holidays are supposed to be very different. Snowball fights. Sledding. Hot cocoa in front of a roaring fire. Part of me wishes that I could show them the winters I grew up with, before they are too old to enjoy it."

He fell silent, and something clicked in my head. "John, did I ever tell you about my great-aunt Lempi?"

"Not that I recall, no." he replied, slightly puzzled.

"She owns a small lodge in Park City, Utah. My cousins and I trade off using it on a yearly basis, and this year is my turn."

A light flickered in John's eyes. "Go on…"

"I usually let my turn go unused. It's not as much fun all alone. It would be my honor to pass the turn on to you this year."

John smiled, with genuine warmth. "You are a good friend. That would be wonderful. Shall we tell them the good news?"

I motioned for him to go ahead, and he took a deep breath.

"BOYS! COULD YOU COME DOWN HERE, PLEASE?"

Their footsteps clattered on the stairs, and they soon arrived, Jason ahead of the others.

"What is it, Dad?" Brian asked. He and Dominic were slightly flushed.

"Deputy Doug has kindly offered us the use of a ski lodge in Utah. Would you like to see what real winter is like?"

"COOL!" Jason shouted, giving me another hug. Brian glanced over at his father.

"Could Dominic come?" he asked.

John exchanged a quick glance with Jason. "I think that could be arranged."

"Thanks, Dad. I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

Jason

The next few days were all about preparing. While Dad made reservations, Grandpa Rock took us all shopping for warmer clothes, including heavy coats, gloves, scarves, and these really itchy sweaters.

Dom, of course, twitched with excitement more and more as the day approached. To save time, his parents agreed to let him sleep over the night before we left, and I'm pretty sure he kept Brian up all night.

OK, so I was excited too, but somehow, cuddling in bed with Dad always helped me to relax. It had been like that since the day we met, and time had done nothing to change that.

The day arrived, and we piled into Grandpa Rock's truck for the trip to the airport. Brian was mostly out of it, and slumped against the window, while Dom sat between us, quivering with anticipation. I honestly never worked out where he found the energy.

We made our goodbyes, dropped off our luggage, and headed to our gate. Dad had checked in online before we left, and we all had our boarding passes. Before we headed into the security checkpoint, Dad pulled Brian aside, and passed him a piece of paper.

"Here, son. You might need this." Brian glanced down and nodded.

"What's that for, Dad?" I asked.

"Just something I arranged with some friends in Washington. Call it an insurance policy."

Dom was the first through the gate, having taken some joy in shedding his shoes and belt. I'm not sure, but I think he would have stripped down to his underwear, just for fun. Dad and I soon followed, and found ourselves chasing him across the room, trying to get him to put his shoes back on.

Brian

Dominic was at it again. He was so cute when he was hyper, even without sugar. Actually, I think sugar might have actually helped calm him down. Doctor Jerome mentioned something about that once, in one of our sessions.

I had a little problem at the gate, simply because I was so tired, but the nice lady seemed to understand, and I went through it OK. Afterwards, I sat down and tried to tie my shoes, while Dad and Bri tried to get Dominic's shoes back on.

I blinked blearily, trying to focus on my fingers, when I felt a half-familiar touch on my back, and a quiet voice whispered, "Come with me, angel."

Ohgodohgodohgod… not HIM!

Jason

"NO!" Brian shouted.

Dad and I looked up from our shoe-tying activities, and started to look around. One of the female staffers had her hand on Brian's back, and he was sitting up straight as a board.

Brian

…

Jason

I hadn't seen Dad move that fast since the day our house burned down. He actually VAULTED over the chairs, running at top speed across the room. Dom & I followed as quickly as we could.

Dad glared at the lady, and the expression on his face scared me. "Take. Your. Hands. Off. My. Son. Now!"

His voice was even scarier. The TSA lady immediately backed off.

"Sir! This was merely a random screening. We would have called you before we began, and I didn't think.."

"No. You didn't think." Dad replied, coldly. "Because if you'd been thinking, you would have spoken to my son before touching him, and he would have shown you the special medical pass I arranged for with Washington. Instead, look at what you've done."

She looked down, and saw the blank look on Brian's face, and the blood drained from hers. A funny-looking man with bright red hair and a bushy mustache ran up.

"Agent Cole Phillips. DHS," he announced. "Officer Martinez, stand down, I will take it from here."

She looked up at him, and swallowed. "Yes, sir. Thank you sir."

Dad looked at her, and while his face showed his worry about Brian, his eyes were cold. "I will remember you."

"That will be all, sir." Agent Phillips responded. "Please, do not raise more of a fuss."

He whispered something in Dad's ear, and Dad visibly relaxed, letting Mrs Martinez leave. That's when Dom moved in, holding Brian and whispering quietly in his ear.

Brian

D-Dominic… thank God.

Jason:

Slowly, Brian returned to his senses, and the agent guy escorted us to our gate, and got us on our plane as soon as it docked at the gate. For the entire trip out, Dom held Bri's hand, as he alternately shivered and sweated.

By the time we arrived in Utah, Bri was almost back to normal, although his eyes were a little wild, and Dom refused to leave his side. We found our luggage without incident, and put on our heavy coats. As soon as we stepped outside, the cold struck us like a hammer, and I started to wonder if those itchy sweaters weren't a good idea after all.

Dad started to look around for Deputy Doug's aunt. He'd seen a photo, but it wasn't much to go on. Then I heard a cough behind me. I turned, and found myself face to face with the shortest woman I'd ever seen, dressed in a heavy parka. Her weather-beaten face was crisscrossed with wrinkles, but her eyes sparkled as she smiled.

"You must be Jason. Douglas described you well. Come. Give Aunt Lempi a hug."

I looked up at Dad, who seemed to be at a bit of a loss, and finally shrugged. I stepped into her arms, for s surprisingly fierce hug. Even Grandma Carla didn't hug like that, and she was probably three times this woman's size.

"Such a nice boy." she murmured, letting me go. Then she turned to my brother.

"And that would make you Brian, yes?" She stepped toward him, arms wide.

Dominic stepped between them. "Don't you touch him! I won't let you!"

To my surprise, he slipped into a near perfect second circuit defensive stance. He'd never been that good in training. If he followed through…

"Dominic! Basta!" Dad shouted. Dom stiffened, but stepped back to Brian's side, eyes wary. For his part, Brian looked to be in shock.

Dad bowed to Lempi. "My apologies, Mrs. Hämäläinen. My son has had a difficult day, and Dominic merely wanted to protect him."

She nodded. "Douglas told me something of this. The apologies are mine."

"Particularly to this fierce warrior," she added, looking at Dominic, "I can see how much you care for him."

Dom gazed at her, then nodded firmly, "It's OK. You didn't know."

"Come! The car is waiting!" Lempi called. "Are these your bags?"

Then, she hefted the two largest cases, one in each gloved hand. "Follow me!"

We piled into the car. This time, however, Brian sat between Dom and me, and we did our best to keep him calm. Dad sat in the front seat, talking about our trip out. In the rear-view mirror, I could see that Aunt Lempi was horrified by the events.

By the time we arrived at the lodge, the sun was already setting. Lempi carried our bags in, before shedding her parka. She was even smaller than I thought! Most of her bulk was in her coat, and she was almost as skinny as Dom.

She turned to Dad. "I thought we might have a light supper before bed, but with what you've told me about today, I think it would be best if the boys went straight to sleep. Tomorrow will come soon enough. They will be sleeping in the large room upstairs on the right, with the two beds and the cot. You will take the master suite on the left."

Brian spoke up, suddenly, in a quavering voice. "Where will you be sleeping, Aunt Lempi?"

She looked at him, kindly. "I have a small bedroom on this floor, near the kitchen. It is all I need."

Brian nodded. "W-would…"

He took a deep breath. "Would you like a hug good night?"

Lempi's eyes widened. "Are you sure, child?"

Brian's response was to step closer and give her a hug. The room suddenly felt lighter.

"That's enough now." she murmured, letting him go. "Off to bed with all of you."

We trudged upstairs, and changed into warm pajamas. As I expected, Dom refused to take the cot, but instead climbed into bed beside Brian. As I thumped on top of other bed, the day caught up with me, and I zonked out.

Brian

As Dom and I woke the next morning, the events of the day before felt less like trauma, and more like a rapidly fading nightmare. The absolutely delicious smell of maple syrup wafted from the door made getting up a welcome idea. I leaned over and whispered one word into Dominic's ear.

"Pancakes!"

He was up like a shot, and had his slippers and robe on before I could even clamber out of bed. Looking over to the other bed, I saw that Jason had already gone down.

"Come on!" Dominic shouted, "Or he'll eat it all!"

I pulled on my robe, and we ran downstairs, to see more food than even my bro could eat in one sitting. He was making a pretty good try at it, however, as he delved into a pile of pancakes only slightly smaller than his head, while Dad seemed content with a small stack and his usual tea.

Dominic and I gave Dad a morning hug, and dove in ourselves. The food was fantastic, even better than Grandma Carla's. I'm not too embarrassed to say that we made complete pigs of ourselves, drenching mounds of fluffy cakes in homemade maple syrup and fresh butter. All the while, Aunt Lempi bustled around in her apron, making sure we had plenty of juice and milk.

Eventually, we gave up in defeat, sitting back with full bellies.  Jason burped, causing Dominic and I to break out in giggles.

"Scuse me," he said, blushing furiously. I merely grinned at him.

"Not your best, bro. It lacked both volume and duration."

He tried to look angry, but failed, and soon was laughing with the rest of us. Dad set down his teacup, and flicked his glass with a fingernail, causing a loud "Ping!"

"After you've had a chance to digest," he remarked, "put on your snow clothes and meet me outside in an hour, and I'll help you work some of this off."

Jason and I glanced at each other.

"What are we doin', Dad?" he asked. "We don't have a lab'rinth here or nothin'"

"You'll see." Dad responded, a sly grin on his face.

Eventually, we could move again, and at the appointed time, we pulled on our snow pants and coats, and marched outside. Dad stood in the middle of an open stretch of snow, which reached almost all the way to his knees.

We stood in a line, facing him. He crouched down, and picked up a double handful of snow.

"For those of you that don't know,, this is snow. It's cold, wet, and when the water content is just right, very sticky. In the Arctic, some tribes used to make homes out of it."

His hands swirled around each other in a move I didn't recognize.

"This, on the other hand, is a snowball. And there's only one thing you can do with one of these." His mouth widened into a feral grin.

He looked straight into my eyes. "You throw it."

I immediately ducked, as he threw it. At Jason, catching him right in the face. Jason fell over onto his butt, laughing, and grabbing at the snow for a projectile of his own.

Thus began a complete free-for-all. At first, it was Dad vs. us kids, as we dodged using both our natural instincts and the skills he'd taught us. I even pulled off a pretty cool backflip at one point.. But then, Jason decided that Dominic needed a snow bath, and turned on him. Dominic tried to counter-attack, but ended up hitting me instead. And so it went, until all four of us looked like walking snowmen.

Red with cold, and short of breath, we stumbled back inside, where Aunt Lempi had some hot cocoa with marshmallows waiting. We sat in front of the fireplace, and soaked in the warmth.

"Zio John? Can we do it again after lunch?" Dominic asked.

"I suppose," Dad drawled. "But I noticed a rather steep hill outside, and I thought you might like to try sledding. Unless you are scared to, of course."

Yes, it was a clear attempt at manipulation. It worked, too, as we all immediately accepted his challenge. Hence, a few hours later, we stood at the top of the slope, next to a random assemblage of sleds. Even Aunt Lempi came out to watch.

"OK, boys!" Dad said. "Who wants first crack?"

Jason opened his mouth, but then glanced down the hill and swallowed noisily. "Um…"

"I'll do it." I replied, sounding braver than I felt. Dad pointed at the selection of sleds, and I picked a basic model. We had a brief discussion on the merits of feet-first versus head first, but I decided I wasn't quite that brave, and simply sat down on the sled.

I grabbed the steering system tightly as the others gathered behind me top help push.

"One! Two! THREE!" Dad shouted.

And I was off, soaring down the hillside at terrific speed, heading straight for a bank of snow. I threw the sled into a sharp turn, kicking up a cloud of powder. As I clambered to my feet, knees shaking, I saw Jason headed straight for me on a sled of his own, headfirst. I dragged my sled out of the way, and he plowed straight into the snow drift, blasting a hole in the middle.

"Bro!" I shouted. "Are you all right?"

He climbed out of the bank, dislodging even more snow. "M'okay, Bri. Just a lil' dizzy."

He sat down with a thump, as I dug his sled free. I glanced up the hill to see Dominic holding a round contraption that looked a bit like Captain America's shield. He laid it on the ground, and sat on top, grabbing what looked like two small handles. Dad leaned over him, and he just nodded.

Dad gave him a push, and he soared down the hill like lightning, mouth wide open. I dove to one side, pushing Jason out of the way. He zipped past us, and went right at the gap we'd created, laughing all the way.

On the far side, he hit a small bump and was airborne, leaping over a low wall and onto the frozen lake. His momentum carried him another dozen feet, before he started to spin and slow down.

"That. Was. COOL!" he shouted. Off in the distance, I could hear Dad shouting something. It sounded like "Don't move."

I wasn't sure why, until Dom stood up, and the cracking started. The next thing I knew, he'd dropped straight through the ice with a splash. My mind went white, and I started to run across the ice, and dove straight in.

Cold. Everything was cold. But all I could focus on was the bright red of Dominic's coat, as I reached out and grabbed his arm, and tried to pull him to safety.

Jason

It was the coolest thing I've ever seen, even cooler than the time Dad rescued me from that "wussy" guy. Dad actually tore off his clothes, and wearing only boxers, ran down the hill. Then, he tied a rope around his waist, and dove after Bri and Dom, while Aunt Lempi & I waited. What seemed like hours later, the rope twitched, and I helped her drag them out.

Bri looked all right, just wet and miserable. Dom tho… Dom was shivering like crazy, as he lay on a pile of coats.

Dad put his ear to Dom's chest and nodded at Aunt Lempi. "He's breathing, but his heart beat is erratic. Let's go!"

He scooped Dom up in his arms, and ran to the lodge. I followed close behind, arm around Bri's shoulders. Inside, Dad put Dom on the couch, and ordered us to get out of our wet things. Aunt Lempi helped him undress Dom, who looked a little pale.

"I have seen this before." she announced. "He became cold too quickly. We must warm him up. The best way is for him to share the heat of another."

"What do you mean, Aunt Lempi?" I asked. But it was Dad who answered.

"Skin to skin contact. As much as possible, in as warm a room as possible. There's a wood stove in my bedroom, we'll use that."

"And who will supply the heat?" Aunt Lempi replied.

"I-I will."  Brian whispered from his nest of blankets.

Brian

As Dad carried Dominic upstairs, I stood up, letting the blankets fall, and stripped off what remained of my clothing. By the time I made it upstairs, Dominic was already in bed, and Dad was working on getting a fire started in the stove.

He looked up as I entered, and blinked. Then he nodded and said. "Get into the bed, and try to maintain as much skin contact as possible. I crawled under the covers so that Dominic was spooned against me, and wrapped my arms around his quivering body..

Dad came over. "I wish I had more time to teach you this, but Dom can't afford it. So listen very carefully, Brian."

I turned my head to stare up at him, and he continued. "I want you to try to picture a miniature sun behind your belly button. Feel how warm it is, and let its energy fill your body and pass into his."

I nodded, and he pulled the covers over our heads. My universe contracted, and all I could think about was the shivering boy in my arms. At the edges of my awareness, I could feel Dad tucking the covers tightly around us, but soon that too faded.

I began to picture the sun, just like Dad said, and willed its heat to radiate from my body. Slowly, ever so slowly, I felt the chill leave Dominic's body, and his body relax against my chest. He started to snuggle against me, much like he'd done in past sleepovers.

And then it happened. I felt myself harden, and a wave of pleasure emanated from my groin. Images arose in my mind, of so many things I could do to him. I tried to think of something else. Anything else. But the sensations were too strong.

"This is wrong." I whispered.

"Is it?" a voice responded. I popped my head free of the covers, and saw Devon Williams sitting next to the bed, holding my guitar. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt with the image of the sun on it.

(Did I bring my guitar? I could not remember…)

Devon started to tune the guitar. "I said, is it?"

"Of course it is." I replied. "Dominic is still an innocent, and he trusts me. I would never betray that."

"I know he trusts you. But do you trust him?" Devon countered.

I blinked. "I don't understand."

"Do you trust him to tell you when something feels wrong?"

"How could he know?" I cried. "He has no idea what was done to me. Or what I could do to him."

"And there's your problem." Devon replied. "Don't think in terms of doing things TO him. Think instead of what you can do WITH him. Together."

"I just want to protect him." I murmured. "I just want to keep him safe."

Devon leaned forward. "Why?"

My mouth answered before my brain could stop it. "Because I love him."

Devon broke into a sunny smile that lit up the room. "Was that so hard? Try saying it again."

"I love him. With all my soul, I love him." It was like a weight was lifted from my soul, one I did not even know was there.

Devon stood, revealing a speedo with a dolphin design. "Dominic completes you. He's the other half of your soul. Together, acting with love, you will find perfect harmony."

He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. "Never forget that."

He straightened, and pulled the covers back over my head. I did not hear him leave. I simply lay there, alone with my thoughts, until Dominic began to stir.

"Dominic?" I whispered. "I have something very important to tell you."

"Whuh?" he mumbled. "What is it, Brian?"

I took a deep breath. "I love you, and I want to be with you forever."

Dominic pushed down the covers, and gazed into my eyes.

"Well, DUH! Took you long enough. Can we do more of the Kissing Game now?"

I covered his lips with mine, in response. His tongue dueled with mine, as he wriggled with pleasure.

I broke the kiss. "No more games, my love."

Jason

They'd been up there a long time, and I was startin' to get worried. Aunt Lempi saw me staring up the stairs, and smiled.

"Do not worry, young man. From what your father has told me, your family has much sisu."

"What's that?" I asked.

"There is no word like it in English. It is something like courage, something like willpower. No matter what happens, you keep fighting. And you win."

I nodded. "I think I know what you mean. I only hope Brian figgers that out. He and Dom are very close. And I want them to be happy."

Lempi nodded. "Only time will tell."

Brian

To my delight, Dominic tasted like honey….