Date: Sun, 07 Oct 2001 19:05:28 -0400 From: Tom Cup <tom_cup@hotmail.com> Subject: Kevin - Series Chapter 18 The Lion of Bolognia -- Kevin Part 2 by Tom Cup Copyright 2000, 2001 by the Paratwa Partnership: A Colorado Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, except in the case of reviews, without written permission from the Paratwa Partnership, Inc, 354 Plateau Drive, Florissant, CO 80816 This is a fictional story involving youth/youth or adult/youth sexual relationships. If this type of material offends you, please do not read any further. This material is intended for mature adult audiences. Names, characters, locations and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. ************************************************************************ This story is part of the Tom Cup Library Please visit the member's area of the Tom Cup Library for Chapter 9 of The Lion of Bolognia (Kevin Chapter 23); Chapter 27 of "Calvin"; Chapter 12 of "Angel"; "David's Christmas Present" (Revised with new additions and chapters by Tom Cup); Chapters 6 of "A Place Called Home"; Chapter 2 of "In Memory of Steve". Also available Tommy -- The Return -- Chapter 2, "Stephen Miller's Journal" Chapter 1; "The Day My Life Began" and many more series and short stories! Once again, thank you for your support, and as always, your e-mail is much appreciated. ************************************************************************ To support this and other stories by Tom Cup, join the Tom Cup Library at: http://tomcup.iscool.net *********************************************************************** The Lion of Bolognia Chapter 4 Kevin Chapter 18 By Tom Cup Antonio got out of the bed and put on his robe. Tony watched him as he walked to the door and stopped before turning to face him. There were tears in his eyes and the pained expression was clearly written on his face. "Vincent is my father," he whispered. "Yes." Antonio opened the door and left. He found Marie in the library. She knew instinctively that he now knew the truth but waited for him to speak. This was the day she had feared the most. Over the years she had seen Tony's and Antonio's love grow for each other. She knew that they had also indulged in physical closeness but had been silent hoping that it would make this day easier for them both. Now she was unsure if it mattered as she saw the anguish and confusion in her son's face. "Why didn't you tell me?" Antonio choked. "It was not for me to tell." "You're my mother. He's my father and you think I had no right to know?" "Antonio," she whispered moving toward him, "It was the Lion's orders. As much as I wanted to tell you, I could not. You are not blind. You know this." Antonio did not answer. He simply tuned to leave the room. "Antonio," Marie asked, "What will you do?" "Go to see my father," he answered. Tony wiped the tear from Kevin's eye and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Why did you have to tell us that story?" Kevin asked. "Because others already knew it. It was only a matter of time before Antonio learned the truth." "I don't understand." "Yes, my son, you do." Kevin nodded. He thought back to the times he had spent with Antonio. Antonio had known also that in part Kevin had taken a place within the family that had once been his. Now it was clear what the adoption had meant. It was clear that in Tony and Marie's adoption of him as their son he had become the legitimate Bolognia heir. Antonio would not be the next Lion. This was what Vincent had meant. ***** Vincent slowly opened the door to let Antonio enter. He led the boy into his sitting room and offered him something to drink. Antonio declined. "So the day has come. I suppose you have questions." "Why didn't you tell me." "I am loyal to your father." "He's not my father!" screamed Antonio. "Then who is if he is not?" Vincent asked cocking his head. "You are. He told me." Vincent laughed, "What do you expect from me? Am I to now claim you as my own and oppose the Lion? No, I will not do this. Go home Antonio." "He made you give up everything: me, my mother." "He gave me my life! Do not be foolish boy. Over the years he has made sure I would see you both, be near you both. He has shown his love to me in thousands of ways you could not begin to imagine. Today I stand as the very arm of the Lion. Do you really not understand? When anyone wishes to see the Lion, they see me. It is rare that your father sees anyone. For all intents and purposes he has given me everything that my family wanted." "Everything but us," Antonio whispered. "Hasn't he? He has told you the truth but this is one favor I will not take. It would destroy this family. I will not do this." "What will happen to me?" "Ah, that is the real question isn't it? It is true you will not be the next Lion. That honor will pass to the cub. Antonio, you will live a long life free from the worries of this... this business. Tony has given you something neither of us ever had: freedom. By any count, you are a wealthy young man. You will inherit all I have when the time comes and Tony will insure you continue to receive a stipend from the Bolognia holdings. What more can you ask?" "I could ask to be with my real father." "Why? What good would it do? No, I did not understand at the time he gave the order but it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us. I saw my son grow up loved and happy. No one ever thought to harm you because you are Bolognia. Go home Antonio. Go home." ***** Kevin sat in the kitchen looking and at the plate of food in front of him. He felt Marie's hand gently brush his hair. He looked up and smiled at her. "Are you angry?" she asked. "No, I know why you did it." "Why?" "To protect Antonio." "That was part of the reason, yes. I also did it because I truly love you." "I will be in danger for the rest of my life," Kevin answered. "Do you remember when I asked you not to hurt my brother or my son?" "Yes." "Do you also remember that I said then that you were stronger in many ways than them both?" Kevin nodded. "What did you think I meant?" "I don't know." "Your life made you cunning and resourceful. Tony learned these things after my parents were killed. Antonio has never fully learned them. But you little one, know the cruelty of this life better than all of us. It is this knowledge that will serve you well when the time comes." "Is that all," Kevin asked. "No, you also know kindness and mercy." "What about love? I know love too." "Yes, I know. It is your most endearing quality. It also will serve you well." "Antonio will never forgive me," Kevin whispered. "He will in time." ***** Vincent rose to answer the knock on the door leaving Antonio to think about what he was saying to him. He wasn't surprised to see William. He nodded and returned to the sitting room. "Let's go," he said to Antonio. "Where?" Antonio asked a bit startled. "The Lion wishes to see us." ***** Tony turned to Marie as she entered his room. The weariness showed over his entire body. He smiled at her and that smile showed both his regret and love for her. She walked toward him, hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek. "Will you leave me now?" he asked. "Where would I go?" Tony's was fully of grief. He shook his head forcing himself to say what he thought he would never say, "You are free to go to him Marie. I know you have never stopped loving him." "He will not have me," Marie stated, "You have never understood, have you? Even after all these years." Tony dismissed everyone and sat with Vincent, Antonio, Kevin and Marie. Antonio would not make eye contact with him or Kevin. Vincent seemed nervous though he tried to hide the fact. Marie sat as majestic as ever. Even Tony seemed unsure about the meeting. Kevin simply observed them all. "So, the day has come," Tony said, "What will you do Vincent?" "I am yours as always," Vincent replied causing Antonio to give him a sharp look. "I've made a mess of things," Tony stated. Vincent allowed himself to laugh, "No, you have done the best you could." "Marie says you will not have her. She has told me I have not understood things but will not tell me what I have missed." Vincent looked nervously at Marie and then at Kevin and Antonio before looking again at Tony. "There are no secrets between any of us seated here," Tony told him. "Then I say again," Vincent said, "I am yours as I have always been." "Don't you see Tony? Vincent never stopped loving you," Marie stated, "How could he? You thought because he loved me that somehow he stopped loving you but I knew that he could never love me as he loved you." She turned to Antonio, "You are angry that we did not tell you your father was alive. You think that somehow you and I were cheated. We were not. Vincent and I came to understand long ago that even if we had married, and moved from here, he would have eventually left to be near Tony. Your father loves Tony; always has and always will." "Just like I love you," Kevin said to Antonio. Antonio's eyes filled with tears as he began to see the bigger picture. "You were still wrong," he said to Tony, "Whether you denied my father, my mom, or yourself, you still made him live as a monk all these years and you lied to me." "Why do you persist in making him into something he is not," Vincent asked, "We have all made mistakes. I am told that you know all that is to know about my feelings for your uncle but I do not think you do. So let me tell you again, I love him more than I love myself. I have waited for this day for one reason so that I could at last tell him one thing; that I would wait till hell freezes to have his love again." He got up and kneeled before Tony wrapping his arm around his lap. "I have never stopped loving you." "Why did you not tell me before?" "Would you have listened?" Marie stood and motioned for Antonio and Kevin to follow her. They left Tony and Vincent together both weeping in the other's arms. She closed the door and turned to the boys. "Once my mother told Tony not to be what he was not," she said, "He did not follow that advice. Will you?" Kevin turned to Antonio. "I love you," he said, "Please don't be mad at me anymore." Antonio began to cry. "What about you mom?" he asked. Marie smiled, "I'll do as I have always done. I will continue to run the family until it is time for someone else to do it." Send comments to: tom_cup@hotmail.com To support these writings, please go to: http://tomcup.isCool.net or http://www.boyztown.net