Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 12:09:27 -0400
From: Chris Johns <chris-johns@hotmail.com>
Subject: Brett and Daniel Pt.1

I have another story in the 'New Love First Love Series' almost
complete. While I finish it and edit it I am posting this story which I
hope you enjoy.

This story is complete and I will post a chapter every few days.

A little historical fact. Villages in old England invariably had a major
landowner and most of the property in the village would be rented from
him. He would be the `Lord of the Manor' and lived in the largest house,
(of course), usually called The Manse, or The Hall. In modern times those
once great houses have either been knocked down or turned into old people's
homes, mostly. Brett's was an exception for the benefit of this story.

This is a love story and is total fiction, but, like any love story the
people in it have their ups and downs that disappoint one another. In the
case of Daniel and Brett the scenarios are more extreme than most
relationships achieve. Raunchy this one isn't although there is of course
some sex. For really raunchy stories email me for the index to my stories
in nifty Prolific Net Authors.

			     Brett and Daniel
				 Chapter 1

Brett held the boy close trying to give him feelings of security. He had
done the same for the last few nights, but the boy sobbed as though his
heart would break until he fell asleep out of pure exhaustion. During the
day he never spoke, but he appeared quite normal apart from that. He
followed Brett around like a little pet dog and helped him with chores and
with his other work. The best thing for Brett was that the boy had started
to eat after the first day and was now looking a lot more together than the
scrawny, cowed animal he had been the night he had found him. Age was still
a question mark, his identity hadn't been confirmed yet even though the
authorities were fairly certain of it. When he had brought the boy home he
was disgusting so Brett had stripped him and put him in a hot bath to
soak. Scoping him out, Brett had assessed him to be seriously
undernourished, and judging by his size only about 11 or 12 years old. The
anomaly though was the fact that he had gone through puberty and had a
reasonable amount of hair under arms and around his genitals. A whisper of
hair on his forearms and lower legs indicated the boy to be mid teens. He
was definitely Anglo Saxon so he couldn't use the criteria that attached to
many boys of Arab or Indian descent, who tended to get hairy earlier.


Working flat out to finish the new altar rails Brett knew he was going to
be here in the church until the small hours of the morning. The vicar had
called in about eight and left supper for him.

"God bless you Brett, I don't know how we would manage without you."

"Not a problem Father, I know how important tomorrow is so I'll finish this
before I leave. I'll turn all the lights off and lock up. I'm sure I'll
miss the early service but I'll try to make matins."

"Thank you Brett, you're a good man."

Brett was pleased, he was a computer nerd who had made a fortune before he
was thirty, had always loved working with wood, and now indulged that love
with a fully equipped workshop where he made beautifully crafted wooden
artefacts. The church had been the biggest beneficiary of his talent, he
had slowly replaced all the wood, the last thing being the beautifully
ornamented rails that surrounded the altar.

He looked at his watch as the final piece of the jigsaw slipped into place
all dowelled and glued. By the time the church opened for the first service
it would all be set. He packed his tools and left them in the vestry to be
collected the next day. Turning out all the lights he locked the doors as
he left and slipped the keys in his pocket for later return.

Instead of leaving by the main drive and gate, Brett turned left and made
his way through the graveyard. By using the back gate he would save a ten
minute walk to his home. He soon learnt the meaning of the expression,
`silent as a graveyard'. It was a little eerie, but there was a moon that
shed enough light to be able to see. Almost to the gate he heard a noise,
off to his right where there was a small copse of trees. He stopped and
heard more clearly the sound of someone crying. Moving quietly towards the
sound what he saw was a small body, sobbing its heart out scrunched up
against a headstone. Moving closer he knelt down close enough to touch
it. He spoke quietly as he reached forward and touched a very thin and bony
shoulder. The face turned to him in shock was a boy, dirty, shivering,
quite small.

"Hello youngster, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home in bed?"

The boy clung to the gravestone as though his life depended on it and
turning his face away continued to sob his heart out.

Brett couldn't leave him there, and despite spending a lot of time during
the last ten years sat at a computer consul, he was tall and well
built. Regular spells in the gym had ensured his body was as good as his
mind. He picked the boy up in his arms, and still speaking gently to him
told him the score.

"I can't leave you out here all night. I'm going to take you to my home and
we'll think about what to do with you in the morning."

Two things immediately became apparent to Brett as he continued his walk
home. The boy was as light as a feather and he stank. He also appeared to
have a bottomless well of tears.

When they arrived home Brett went straight up the stairs to his bathroom,
before puting the boy down. Stood in the light of the bathroom Brett slowly
undressed him telling him what was going to happen.

"I'm going to bath you, find you some sleep wear and take you to bed. In
the morning we'll talk, ok?"

The boy nodded but continued to cry. He was so undernourished he hardly had
the strength to stand. Brett checked the temperature of the water running
into the bath before lifting the boy in and letting him soak. The picture
presented to him was a boy seriously undernourished, no, more than
undernourished, the boy looked starved, about five feet tall with huge
soulful hazel eyes. The shock of hair was filthy and tangled. The face made
Brett gasp. It was angelic, the child was beautiful, in his eyes. He was
like putty in Brett's hands as he made him stand to be washed all over, not
showing any signs of embarrassment when his genitals and bottom were
washed. Brett used the shower head to wash the boy's hair revealing the
true colour, a rich almost blond curly mop. It hung to his shoulders and it
was as soft as silk.

Leaving the boy to soak, Brett stripped and showered before lifting the boy
out and drying him. He found a new toothbrush and watched the boy clean his
teeth while Brett brushed his hair. The sleep shorts Brett found were, of
course, to big, but they had a waist tie so they would stay on. Brett put
his own shorts on before carrying the boy to his bed and climbing in
alongside him.

"Sleep now boy. We'll talk in the morning."

The boy snuggled in close to Brett and finally cried himself to sleep.

The next morning, Brett washed the boy again and took him through to the
kitchen where he asked him what he would like for breakfast. No answer. He
put a glass of orange juice in front of him and he drank, but cereals,
eggs, toast, each plate in turn was ignored. Brett ate and watched. The boy
never let his eyes move from Brett's.

"You have to eat boy. Is there nothing you want?"

The boy just continued to watch.

"My name is Brett, do you have a name?"

The boy nodded but that was as far as Brett got. He settled the boy in the
lounge in front of the TV while he washed the clothes that the boy had
worn. They were hardly worth the effort. They were only fit for the rag bag
really, but there were no others. The boy's trainer's were falling apart
and he had no socks. When he pulled the clothes out of the washing machine
an hour later he was at a loss. They had simply disintegrated.

"I have to go out to buy you some new clothes. Will you promise to stay
here until I get back?"

The boy looked at Brett for ages before eventually nodding his head.

Brett knew he should get someone else to watch the lad or do the shopping,
but he somehow felt that the boy needed to get to know him first. He risked
it. He measured the boy for foot size and clothing, adding a little in
anticipation of him filling out once he had got him to eat. He made a
detour to the graveyard again and found that the headstone the boy had hung
onto was a Maria Duncan, who had died two years ago at the age of 28.

Next stop was the vicar.

"Father, what can you tell me about Maria Duncan. She died about two years
ago and is buried in the graveyard?"

"Ah Brett, a sad case that. You were away at the time and missed all of the
action. The mother died quite suddenly leaving a thirteen year old boy and
a husband. The day after the funeral the husband and boy disappeared. The
house was just left for the owner to sort. The next day the husband was
found in the woods. He had hung himself, we assumed out of grief. Of the
boy there was no sign, and never has been since. There was a major search
for him, but nothing, no trace was ever found. The difficulty was that he
had been home schooled so no one knew him, or would recognise him even if
he were found. Why do you ask?"

"I think I may have found him last night on my way home. He was clinging to
the gravestone and sobbing. It doesn't look as though his clothes have been
washed in years, they just disintegrated when I put them in the machine. He
is also very undernourished to the point of starvation, and he looks about
12 years old."

"Well, it may not be the same boy, this one would be fifteen."

Brett thought about that and realised this boy could easily be 15 judging
by his physical development.

"Father, I'm going to slip into town to buy him some clothes. Do you think
you could contact social services and the police. When I come back we'll
try to discover who he is and what to do with him. He won't speak, by the
way, and he wouldn't eat either."

Brett did as he had planned. The boy looked much better when Brett had
dressed him.

"There we are boy, now you look so good shall we try to find out who you
are?"

A look of fear was the only response Brett got for that. He walked the boy
through to the lounge and sat down with him on his knee.

"We have to let people in authority know you are here and try to find out
who you are. If I were to keep you without their knowledge I would be in
trouble."

Response to that was the boy clinging to Brett like a limpet and starting
to sob again. Brett stood up, the boy on his hip as he walked to the
telephone.

"Father, I'm back at the house, can you bring the people over."

A few minutes later a male and a female police officer were on the doorstep
with the vicar and a woman who was introduced as Ms Willis from social
services.

Brett repeated his story to them while he gently stroked the boy trying to
calm him.

"We'll take him into care Mr. Salmon, the police can take a DNA sample and
get it compared to both parents. We should be able to confirm his identity
then. He'll need a full medical and psychological assessment before we can
decide his future."

"That all sounds very cold Ms. Willis. If he is who you think he is won't
he need someone with him that he feels comfortable with initially?"

"Well, that's not possible Mr. Salmon, we don't have those kind of
resources."

"That sounds more than a little uncaring. Aren't you supposed be helping
him, not driving him deeper into himself?"

"I don't have time for this. The police officers will take the boy now."

The police woman reached for the boy only to be almost blasted out of the
room by the power of his scream, at the same time he almost choked Brett he
was gripping him so hard.

Holding him close Brett talked softly to him explaining what needed to
happen, but all he got was a shake of the head and more tears.

Ms. Willis and the police woman tried to prize the boy from Brett only to
be fought by a demon. Brett couldn't stand this so he moved away from them
and looked appealingly at the vicar.

"Please, Father, the boy feels safe with me. I have nothing pressing to do
can't I remain with him while all the medical stuff is done. He can stay
with me indefinitely if it helps him."

"Out of the question. You're a young, single male. It's more than my job's
worth to leave the boy with you."

"And your job will be perfectly safe if you traumatise this boy beyond any
hopes of recovery, is that it?"

The argument flowed back and forth with Ms. Willis digging her heels in
even harder and hinting at paedophilia until the police constable stepped
in.

"Ms. Willis, I have young children of my own and I don't see your attitude
and stance as being helpful to this boy. I don't know Mr. Salmon, but I can
see the boy has bonded with him. I'm sure that if his medical is fine, and
the vicar will vouch for Mr. Salmon that it would be more beneficial to the
boy to remain here."

Ms. Willis was astounded and after further argument the constable talked to
his boss and wonder of wonders, it was arranged to take this to a
magistrate for a decision.

"Don't be stupid constable, this is Sunday."

"Yes and there is a magistrate on call 24/7. We are going to see her now."

Brett's heart sank. Another woman, there was no chance he would get any
more understanding from her than he had from this social worker.

He could not have been more wrong. The magistrate was very conscious of the
boy's fragile state. After grilling Brett and the vicar she made a decision
that floored the social worker.

"I think the boy should be given into Mr. Salmon's care while everything is
done to find out who he is, and then let the boy see a
psychiatrist. Mr. Salmon, I expect you to return here in one month with the
boy showing signs of improvement that would allow me to continue the
temporary custody order."

Looking down at the boy, she spoke in a soft caressing voice.

"Is that what you want to happen little one?"

The boy looked up at her and stopped crying for the first time in hours
before nodding his head.

It was all worked out with telephone calls that Brett would take the boy to
the hospital on the Monday for a full medical and blood tests and in the
afternoon they would see a child psychiatrist.

At home once again, Brett decided a little blackmail wouldn't hurt at all.

"If I am going to be allowed to keep you I must show that you have improved
in my care. For that to happen you have to look much better than you do
now. That means you have to eat. Will you do that for me?"

The boy looked at Brett and gently nodded his head.

"Come along then, let's see what we can find in the kitchen."

Brett then went through the kitchen pointing at food articles.

"If you like it let me know."

After a series of nods and some head shaking Brett had a pile of food on
the work surface, which in short order, he had turned into a meal, of
sorts. The important thing for Brett was that the boy ate a good quantity
of nutritious food.

"I'm going to be in trouble with the vicar Boy, I haven't been to church
today. Would you come with me to Evensong?"

A very doubtful look came over the boy's face but then he nodded shyly and
moved in close to hug Brett. The hug brought tears to Brett's eyes, he so
wished the boy would talk to him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he
had been going through if he had been living rough and incommunicado for
the last two years. He must have stolen food when he could and not spoken
to anyone in that time. Maybe that was why he wouldn't speak now.

They went to Evensong, much to the pleasure of the vicar, but the boy never
let go of Brett's hand, even for a minute.

Back at the house Brett made a light supper of Farmhouse soup with chunks
of warm crusty bread. The boy ate the lot and drank another glass of
juice. All cleared away and Brett sat the boy down and knelt in front of
him.

"I like having you here with me. I'd like it even more if I had a name to
call you, Boy isn't very personal. Do you know your name?"

The boy nodded.

"Will you tell me then?"

The anguish on the boy's face made Brett gasp and grab hold of the boy in
an all encompassing cuddle.

"It's not important, don't worry about it. We'll be fine as we are."

He felt the boy relax, and then sigh, "Daniel", said so softly Brett hardly
heard it.

Holding Daniel's shoulders and moving him back far enough to look in his
eyes Brett smiled a warm and understanding smile.

"Daniel?"

And the boy nodded.

"That's a very special name, and I bet you haven't said it in a long time,
have you?"

He shook his head.

Brett put out his hand, and with a huge smile on his face said, "I'm Brett
and I'm very pleased to meet you Daniel."

Daniel took the proffered hand and smiled.

Brett wanted to die. The smile lit up the whole room.

"I bought you some pyjamas today Daniel, so tonight, two choices. You can
sleep in your own bedroom or you can snuggle up with me again."

Brett's thinking was that the boy would be feeling very insecure, still, so
he didn't want to exacerbate that feeling by pushing him away.

For the second night Daniel snuggled up close to Brett, but he still cried
himself to sleep.

The next day Brett took Daniel to the hospital. Apart from the
undernourished state of the boy, everything else appeared to be ok. The
results of the blood tests wouldn't be known for a few days though. Next
stop was the child psychiatrist who obviously had some problems because
Daniel wouldn't talk.

"Don't worry about it Doc. He told me his name, we'll explore who he is
using that as a start and I'm sure he will talk to me eventually, won't you
Daniel?"

Daniel looked hard at Brett before nodding his head and then dropping his
eyes. Brett hugged the boy.

"We're going to be ok Doc. I'll talk to you again when Daniel and I are
conversing."

Another squeeze of Daniel's shoulder and the boy looked up at Brett again
and smiled. Brett smiled back and thought, `we'll get there kiddo, believe
me'.

Nothing changed very much for the next few days. Daniel spoke no more but
continued to eat healthily. Brett was delighted, the scrawny look
disappeared and the boy looked more relaxed but he still cried himself to
sleep every night cuddled up to Brett.

During those few days, Daniel helped Brett in his workshop, soon learning
how to use a wood lathe and some of the other wood working tools. Brett
noticed how happy he appeared to be doing things. The next big step Brett
decided to take on his own. He took Daniel back to the grave, carrying with
him a basket of flowers and a small trowel and fork to tidy it up.

"Daniel, is this your mother?"

The boy looked up at Brett and with tears streaming down his face nodded
and said, very quietly, "Yes."  Brett wanted to cry as well. Now he had
some idea of the trauma this boy had been faced with two years ago. What he
did do was kneel beside the boy, take him in his arms and speak.

"I am so sorry for your loss. Now though, do you think your mum would like
her grave to have flowers on it and look neat and tidy?"

Daniel nodded and Brett told him what they were going to do.

"I'll bring some special cleaner next time and we'll make the headstone
look like new. I have some spare turf in the yard, we'll cover your mum
with that and leave a hole near the middle for an urn so that we can put
fresh flowers in whenever we need to. Would you like that?"

Daniel nodded again, then he threw his arms around Brett and kissed him on
the lips.  Brett wanted to die with happiness, the boy was a wonder and his
lips were so soft and inviting.

"Thank you Daniel, that was the best kiss I've ever had."

There were tears in his eyes as he said it and Daniel used a thumb to brush
them away before smiling that beautiful angelic smile that Brett had only
seen a couple of times.

They tidied up the grave that day and when they were back at the house
Brett told Daniel what they were going to do.

"I'm going to `phone that nice constable who helped me to keep you, and
tell him who you are. Then we are going into town to find a beautiful vase
for your mum's flowers, sound good so far?"

Daniel smiled and nodded.

"Can you use a computer Daniel?"

Again Brett got a nod.

"Ok, we are also going to buy you a computer with all the software we need
for you to start your education again. Ok?"

Daniel nodded again.

Stooping down so that he was eye to eye with Daniel, Brett said, "I'm sure
you haven't been doing much talking this last couple of years, but will you
try again now? We can keep it a secret until you are talking easily. I
promise not to tell anyone until you say I can."

The boy smiled and said quite clearly, "Ok Brett."

Brett did the kissing this time.

"I think I'm going to love having you around Little Man, I hope they will
let you stay with me."

Daniel smiled again and hugged Brett. Brett couldn't remember ever being so
happy. He realised he had been almost as lonely as Daniel these last few
years. Daniel felt safe and comfortable with this man so it was easier for
him to begin talking

The vase they bought was very beautiful so Brett also picked up a small bag
of concrete mix.

"This is so nice I think we had better concrete it into the ground or it
will get stolen."

Daniel agreed.

It happened in stages, but by the time old nosy, Ms. Willis, came round to
check on them Daniel was speaking easily again. He wouldn't say anything in
front of her but while she was away with Brett checking his living
conditions he chatted happily to the constable who had attended with her,
the same one who had helped Brett keep him, swearing him to secrecy.

Blood tests were clear, DNA had confirmed his lineage, it was time to go
back to the magistrate. Ms. Willis was floored when Daniel fluently
expressed his desire to remain with Brett.

"Mr. Salmon has bought me a computer and spent hours every day progressing
my education in various subjects. I'm sure that when I go to school I will
be one year behind my peers but I wish to remain with Mr. Salmon when that
happens."

The magistrate grinned at Daniel.

"When are you sixteen Daniel?"

Daniel returned the grin.

"In three more months Ma'am, on November 16th so it would be pointless to
take me away from Brett for that time because when I am sixteen I would
return to him any way."

She looked very serious as she scanned a diary.

"Hmm, this is not something I can rule on so I am going to schedule this
case to be heard before a Circuit Judge on the 17th. November. In the
meantime you can remain in your present location."

Daniel grinned as he looked with a mutual conspiratorial air at the
magistrate. His birthday was the 16th. He now knew he was going to be with
Brett forever. He threw himself into Brett's arms and whispered, "I love
you". Brett teared up and looked at the magistrate who smiled at him and
nodded.

Ms. Willis was furious and the police constable was so pleased he forgot
himself and hugged the two young men as well.

Brett wasn't prepared for what happened when they closed the door of his
house. Daniel threw himself into his arms, again, and reiterated his
courtroom statement.

"I really do love you Brett. I never expected this much happiness in my
life again after my mother died."

Brett couldn't hold it all together. This small bundle of boy had brought
more joy into his life than he could imagine. The tears were testament to
those feelings, but they shocked Daniel.

"I'm sorry Brett, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh God, Daniel, you have no idea do you? I have loved you since I first
washed all the grunge off you in the bath that first night. You are so
beautiful, I would give my life to keep you with me forever."

Daniel beamed. "Does that mean I can stay here forever?"

Brett laughed through his tears.

"Yes my lovely boy, until eternity and beyond."

Other forces were at work though to make sure that was not to happen.



Love and Trauma repeat themselves in part 2.