Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:55:07 -0600
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: Devil's Gambit 9

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction which will include t/t and
m/m relationships, and probably some sex too.  If it is illegal in your
area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who
you are), stop here.  Otherwise, please enjoy.



			The Devil's Gambit, Chapter 9
				"Moving On"



    Rachael met them at the door with open arms, pulling Tom into a hug.
"How are you, Tom?"

    "Getting better...." he said softly.  Then, withdrawing, "Rachael, this
is my boyfriend, Aiden O'Connel, and these are my new friends, Peter and
David Dawson...."

    Rachael shook hands with Aiden warmly, and gave the brothers big hugs,
whispering in her sweet English accent, "You poor dears," and giving them
each a soft peck on the cheek.  "Come in, come in," she said, leading them
into a house Tom knew well.  It was nearly as large as his own, but newly
built and designed by a top artist for flow and efficiency.  It really was
a marvelous home, with wonderful art gracing the walls.  Alasdair emerged
wearing black pants and a white shirt.

    "Alasdair, you've met Peter and David....  And this is Aiden O'Connel,
my boyfriend...."

    Alasdair stepped forward and took Aiden's hand to shake, smiling.
"It's so nice to meet you, Aiden....  We've been so hoping ... that a new
door would open for Tom...."  Releasing him and motioning everyone to sit,
he asked, "So what do you do, Aiden?"

    "I'm a police officer," he said, simply but proudly.

    "Very good!  So you were able to help with this situation with Peter
and David's parents...."

    "Yes, at first anyway....  It was Tom who broke the case...."

    "What do you mean?"  Aiden explained how the judge had asked Tom's
opinion and how he'd gone back and had the revelation of the bodies.  "So
you mean that ... Dawson was a serial killer?"  Alasdair looked pensive for
a moment.  "You know, when this really hits the news, people are going to
know who you fellows are....  You'll never escape it...."

    "Shit," David muttered.  "Sorry, sir!"

    "You're quite right, my boy," Alasdair said, shooting him a quick
smile.  "Has your mother confessed to her part in all this?"

    "No," Tom answered, "But Jim is going to testify against both his wife
and his oldest son...."

    "Do you think, given the situation, the judge would emancipate David?
He is sixteen, after all, with a home and a school, all guaranteed...."

    "Maybe....  What are you thinking?" Tom asked.

    "It's a more straightforward way of terminating parental rights....
Petition for emancipation, then offer to adopt him....  That would change
his name....  Or he could just change his name if he didn't want to be
adopted...."  Everyone was looking back and forth at everyone else.  None
of them had thought so far ahead or considered what all this would mean for
them.  "Peter, of course, can take any name he likes, and I'd start that
process as soon as possible...."  Alasdair did always have a practical
streak, despite himself, and Tom couldn't help but shake his head.

    "Well, on those cheery notes, can I get anyone a drink?" Rachael asked.
"We've got soda, tea, beer, wine...."

    "I'll take a beer if it's no trouble," Aiden asked.  Peter asked for a
coke.  David stood and offered to help and left the room with Rachael.
Once they were in the kitchen, Rachael mixed her husband and Tom the drinks
they didn't ask for ... she just knew what they liked.

    "So, how are you doing, David?"  He shrugged, with a non-committal
smile.  "You know, I know most of what you went through, if you need or
want to talk....  How's Tom doing?  I really thought he'd die of sadness
for a while...."  She said, glancing out of the corner of her eye, seeing
the surprise on his face.

    "Because of Jamie?" David asked.  She nodded.  "Since I've been there,
he's seemed really happy...."  He told her everything Tom had done for him
and his brother, and all that stuff.  The generosity of it wasn't what
surprised her -- it was Tom's willingness to open himself up to them.  "He
and Aiden are really great...."

    "They got together really fast...."

    "Well, they're good together...."  David said, a surprising note of
defensiveness entering his voice. They took the drinks out and sat with the
rest of the group, joining in the conversation at random.  When the
doorbell rang, they all look surprised, but Alasdair smiled.

    "I thought I'd invite another family from the school, give the young
ones some people to socialize with...."

    "Young ones," Tom snorted, rising to greet the newcomers.  "You're
making us sound far older than you need to, Alasdair!"

    Alasdair walked to the door and jovially welcomed his guests.  "Mr. and
Mrs. Peabody!  Mitch, Peggy!  Come in, come in....  I'd like to introduce
you to one of my closest friends, Professor Tom Corman, and his partner,
Officer Aiden O'Connel....  These fine young gentlemen are David and Peter
Dawson, their wards...."  Alasdair's eyes sparkled as he described them in
terms of a family, however nontraditional.  "Mitch and Peggy Peabody, and
their fine progeny, Catherine, who I believe you met on your visit," he
said with a little wink to David, "and her younger brother Sebastien...."
Hands were shaken all around, and David leaned in to give Catherine a peck
on the cheek, blushing when he realized all eyes were on him.  Little
conversations sprang up as the two families got to know each other.

    Tom noticed that Sebastien, who was perhaps thirteen or a small
fourteen, had wandered off on his own and was browsing the shelves
silently.  The boy had stopped in front of an ornate chess set and was
examining it carefully, when Tom stepped up next to him, startling him
slightly when he asked, "Do you play?"  The boy was silent, but nodded.
"Well, here," he said, making himself at home and lifting the set from its
shelf to place it on a side table, sitting down and inviting the boy to do
the same.  Tom opened, and they played silently for a moment, before Tom
said, "You know, when I was your age, I was very shy....  I missed out on a
lot...."

    "You got over it?" the boy asked in a sweet, slightly higher than
expected voice.

    "No," Tom said, laughing, "but I learned to deal with it....  Little by
little, I made myself go out of my comfort zone, opened up and took a
chance on people....  Most of them aren't as bad as they can seem...."

    "Why were you shy?" Sebastien asked softly, averting his eyes as they
spoke.

    "Does there have to be a reason?"  The boy smiled and shook his head.
"I always was, but my mom died and I had to come to live with my
grandparents when I was about your age....  I really walled myself off
then....  Threw myself into books and things.  I was a great student
... got my Ph.D. at 24...."

    "Cool!"  The boy's brown eyes sparkled when he smiled.  Across the
room, Peggy was casting glances at her son, who was beginning to open up,
to her amazement.

    "Yeah, but I missed out on a lot!  In college, I opened up a lot -- I
was younger than everybody, but people were nice to me....  I spent a year
in France, which is where I met Alasdair ... Dr. Franklin....  He really
helped me learn to be confident...."

    "It's not easy," the boy said, moving his bishop and continuing to
avoid eye contact.

    "No, but it's worth it," Tom answered, countering.

    "I'm littler than the boys," he said, "so I never get picked for teams
-- not that I'd be good anyway -- but I don't feel like I could ever fit
in, anyway....  Being small, having a girly voice, liking books and stuff,
definitely doesn't help...."

    "Well, you definitely can't be someone you're not....  You've got to be
proud of who you are, no matter what, and get confidence from that....
You're a very good chess player ... you're a good strategist and thinker.
Find activities that accentuate that gift...."  The boy nodded, struggling
to think of his next move.  He made a good move, not seeing yet that
whatever move he'd chosen, the game was decided.  In three moves, Tom had
beaten him.

    Sebastien smiled at Tom and held out a hand.  "I haven't lost in a long
time...."

    "You only get better by stretching yourself, playing with someone whose
skill rivals or exceeds your own....  I must say, you proved more of a
challenge than a lot of my fellow professors," he said, putting a hand on
the boy's shoulder, guiding him toward the people.

    He caught David's eye and they boy came over to say hi to Sebastian,
who was clearly intimidated by him.  But David put an arm around his
shoulder and quickly disarmed him, talking about the camping trip and other
stuff.  Apparently Sebastian was a nature guy as well, so they were off on
their own soon, and Peggy approached Tom purposefully.

    "That was amazing," she said quietly, drawing Tom away for what was
clearly a private conversation.

    "Oh?  Your son is good, but he's got a lot of work...."

    She laughed and said, "You know very well that's not what I mean!  My
son is painfully shy....  And now you've got him off chatting with my
daughter's jock boyfriend...."

    "We're a lot alike," Tom said.  Seeing the panic in her eyes rising
uncontrolled, he quickly added, "I was very shy as well, especially after I
lost my parents....  I've recently had a setback on that front, I'm
afraid....  Someone I loved dearly was killed, and I spent most of the last
year locked up at home alone....  But then, that's not important...."

    She nodded, and then looked as if she was thinking better of something
before adding, "Maybe you're alike in other ways too...."

    "Sebastien is young, but who knows?  He just needs to know that, no
matter what, he has your unconditional love and support...."  The woman
nodded.  "I know it must be difficult to consider that ... one's son might
be ... different....  The world can be a hard place....  But you know,
there's nothing wrong with ... being different...."

    Again, she nodded.  Changing the subject, she asked "So, how did you
and Aiden come to have Peter and David?"

    Taking a sip of his drink, he smiled and said, "I'm not sure I should
say....  There are still court issues....  But Peter had been put on the
street by his parents when they found out he was gay....  They cut off his
college money and left him high and dry....  He ended up on the street.
When I found him, he'd been stabbed and was bleeding to death on the
street...."

    "My God!"

    "I kept him alive until the paramedics arrived and I helped nurse him
back to health....  I invited him to come stay with me....  I live in my
grandparent's Victorian that's way too huge for me.  I worked to get him
readmitted to college and I'm going to pay for any of the excess so he can
get a fresh start....  But then we found out he had been ... hurt by his
parents and older brother in other ways, and that he had a little brother,
so Aiden helped organize a raid and we got custody of David transferred
temporarily to Peter....  It looks like that's going to stick as the whole
family seems to be going to jail...."

    "God!  David's so sweet, and Peter seems nice....  They've been through
so much...."

    "Please, don't mention anything to your daughter that David doesn't
tell her....  He will in his own due time, but it's hard to talk about a
lot of what he went through...."  She nodded.

    "How long have you and Aiden been together?"

    Tom smiled wryly and asked, "Care to guess?"

    "A few years?"

    "We met the day I found Peter on the street...."

    "A couple of weeks then?" she asked, surprised.

    "Yep, that's about it...."

    "You seem so ... close...."

    "It's really been love at first sight....  The person I mentioned
losing ... was a young man named Jamie....  He was my whole world ... we
were both attacked in Memphis....  I survived, he didn't, and I never
thought....  But here we are....  I'm madly in love and Aiden is such a
great man...."  Feeling the warmth against his back, Tom leaned back
slightly and felt Aiden's arms close around him.

    "Talking about me then?" he asked with a cocky smile.

    "Just telling Peggy here how we came to be together and to have Peter
and David with us...."

    "Don't give the poor woman a fright ... I think her daughter and David
like each other...."

    "I'm pretty sure they do," Peggy said with a smile.  "Don't worry;
anyone can see they're fine boys with a good home...."

    The dinner was nice, and Tom enjoyed catching up with Rachael and
having Aiden get to know his friends.  They also found that they liked
Mitch and Peggy, though the couple was a decade older.  They seemed quite
comfortable with the younger gay couple, surprisingly enough.  Peggy was a
librarian at the local library, while her husband was an architect with a
prominent firm.  Tom was happy to see that, at the other end of the table,
David was dividing his time between Catherine and Sebastien, and the
younger boy was clearly enjoying the attention.  Tom thought he might have
seen the boy stealing glances at Peter in the odd moment, but filed that
away for later.

    Shortly after dinner, the Peabody family excused themselves, and the
boys helped Rachael straighten up in the kitchen.  Tom and Aiden sat on the
little love seat in the library across from Alasdair, who offered them
drinks.  Tom declined, so Aiden took a drink from the man, and Tom sat by
quietly as his friend and his boyfriend got to know each other better.
After a while Alasdair caught Tom staring off into space with a slight
smile and called him on it.

    "Tom?  Tom, are you still with us?"

    "Hmmm?"  The two laughed at him.  "What?"

    "We seem to have lost you...."

    "Oh, I'm just enjoying a little relaxation with two of my favorite
guys...."

    "Well, we were just comparing notes...."

    "Dangerous," Tom said, with a wry smile.  "In any case...."

    Aiden squeezed Tom and kissed the side of his head unselfconsciously.
Rachael and the boys returned shortly, and soon everybody was looking a
little overdone.

    "It's a school night," Alasdair announced, winking at Tom and Aiden.
"We old fogies need our sleep...."

    On the ride home, David announced that he had invited Sebastien on the
Thanksgiving camping outing.

    "You sure, buddy?  You'll have to look out for him...."

    "I know....  I like him, so it will be fun...."

    "So, what is this camping trip?" Aiden asked, and David excitedly
explained it to him.  "Well, I don't guess I can get off for this one, but
maybe for spring break we could go for a whole week?  Someplace awesome!"
Tom smirked lovingly at his use of the word awesome.  Hearing that made
David's day, because he was still unsure what his situation would be, but
the men seemed pretty sure they would all be together come spring.  Plus a
big camping trip with Tom and Aiden, and maybe even Peter if David worked
on him, sounding like the best thing in the world.

    Back at the house, David and Peter got ready for bed, while Tom went to
his office for a few minutes to print his notes for class for the next
morning.  He found Aiden in bed, sitting up reading and waiting for him.
Tom quickly stripped and slid into bed, resting his head on the man's
chest.

    "Thank you for going tonight...."

    "It was fun....  Rachael's nice, Alasdair's...."

    "What?" Tom asked with a chuckle.

    "Intimidating....  I don't see what you see in me...."

    Tom laughed genuinely, and Aiden looked a little hurt.  "No, baby, I'm
not laughing at you....  I'm just remembering the first time Jamie met
Alasdair....  Alasdair knew we could only be friends -- he was married to
Rachael, who he met shortly after our time in Paris....  But he wasn't
really ready to see me with anyone else....  At heart, he can be a big
baby....  He's getting better....  Afterwards, Jamie was so insecure!  He
went on and on about how I could move on and settle for him after being
with a rich, powerful, beautiful genius like Alasdair....  I laughed then,
too, because ... and I want you to hear me ... Alasdair and I will always
be close, but I would never have been enough for him....  He could never
have been satisfied by our life together....  When I looked at Jamie, and I
could see when he looked at me, I could see to the edges of time....  He
was all I needed, and I was all he needed...."  Taking a break, Tom threw a
leg over Aiden and straddled his lap.  "When I look into your eyes, I see
my future," he whispered.  Aiden leaned in until their lips were barely
touching, their breath warming each other's lips, and Tom could feel the
hardening cock pressing into him.

   "Tom, if I dreamed for a hundred years, I'd never have imagined you...."
After returning his kiss with passion, Tom grinned and reached into the
nightstand and got out the lube, reaching around behind him and smearing
the slippery stuff on Aiden's cock and his crack.  Then he guided the man
home.  Tom put his hands on Aiden's shoulders to support himself and
settled in for a long slow ride, occasionally lowering himself so he could
kiss his man, lick his ear.  After a while, Aiden grabbed his waist firmly
and used his tremendous upper body strength to drive Tom down on his aching
cock.  Tom held on tight as Aiden started to buck, hitting all the right
places.  Tom's orgasm was so powerful, he shot cum in Aiden's face, just as
Aiden shot off inside of Tom.  With a sleepy smile, Tom leaned in and
licked his own cum off Aiden's face before sharing it with him in a kiss.

***

    The next week was remarkably unremarkable.  David was back in school,
and Peter was recuperating at home, reading and thinking about a job.  Some
mornings, when he did not have class, Billy would come by and help him take
his mind off of it before his delivery shift began....

       On Monday, Tom came straight home from school, and sat in his
bedroom alone, staring at the closet he'd promised to clear out.  "Jamie,"
he whispered to himself.  "I know you said it was alright ... but..."  Tom
shook his head and sat contemplating.

       At last, he forced himself to his feet and began removing clothes
from the closet.  Piece after piece of Jamie's favorite clothing reminded
him of the quirky, beautiful style of the young man who'd always walked to
the beat of his own drummer.

       "What's all this?" Peter's soft voice called from the door.

       "Just some old clothes...  Clearing out a closet for Aiden," he
added with a weak smile.

       Peter stepped in and picked up a pair of jeans.  "What are you going
to do with them?"

       "Goodwill, I guess," Tom said.

       "I guess these haven't fit for a while?" Peter mused, having totally
missed what was going on.  "Would you mind if I took some things?  Some of
it's my size, when I gain some more weight back, and it's kind of cool..."

       "Sure," Tom said with raised eyebrows.  "Cheaper than buying you new
clothes, I guess..."

       "Plus, vintage is cool," Peter said, smiling broadly and repressing
a laugh at his own joke.

       "I'll show you vintage, you young whippersnapper," Tom said,
mimicking an old man shaking his cane.  He quickly emptied the clothes from
the closet and told Peter, "Anything you want, it's yours!"

       All told, Peter took about three fourths of the clothes.  He should
have figured Peter would appreciate Jamie's style, Tom thought to himself
with a sad smile.  Tom moved a few things directly to his closet – a
couple of packing boxes he'd never opened after Jamie died, a little wooden
box and a jewelry box, and a really vintage hat Jamie used to wear.  Then
he vacuumed the closet and hanged an air freshener inside.

       When he was alone again, he took out the little jewelry box and put
it on his night stand and lay down on the bed.  He opened it on his lap and
went through the box.  He found some of Jamie's favorite jewelry: a couple
of silver bracelets, as well as a hand-woven friendship bracelet a friend
had made for him at camp when he was fourteen.  Jamie had been madly in
love with the boy – his first serious crush – but the boy was
straight and made a good friend.  Then, there was the platinum ring Tom had
given him when they committed themselves to one another.  The ring had come
home months after the crime, recovered from a pawnbroker and returned to
Tom after some legal wrangling.  There was even a little diamond stud, a
memento of Jaime's teenaged foray into body piercing.  It had made it less
than a month in the boy's belly-button.

       Closing the little box, Tom sat it back on his night stand and
removed the larger wooden, hand-carved box from the closet.  It was the
first time he'd opened the box, and he discovered it held even more
personal tokens: a leather journal, some cards, and some notes and letters
Tom had written to him, especially from their early courtship.  Tom started
to open one of his letters, but he replaced it.  It felt like opening
someone else's mail to him, strangely enough.  He wasn't ready to read the
boy's journal either, so that box too went on the shelf.  The two big boxes
would have to wait.  He didn't have the strength for any more.

       Tom rolled so his back was to the door and cried a little more,
until, despite himself, he fell asleep.

       Aiden arrived at dinner time to find the house surprisingly quiet.
David was sitting on the couch working on homework and Peter was in his
room.  "Hey, buddy," Aiden smiled at David.  "Where's Tom?"

       David nodded toward the bedroom.  "He was asleep when I got home,"
David said quietly.

       Aiden frowned, then patted him on the shoulder and made his way to
the bedroom.  He found a couple of bags of clothes, clearly not a
closet-full, by the door on his way in, and it struck him what Tom had said
he was going to do.

       Quietly, Aiden slipped into the bedroom and changed into some
comfortable clothes before sitting next to Tom and putting a hand on his
shoulder.  "Tom?"

       "Hmmm..." Tom stirred.  "What time is it?" he asked, smiling up at
the man.

       "I just got home," Aiden said.  "Are you alright?"

       "Yeah," Tom said, opening his arms for a hug.  "It was harder than I
thought..."

       "I saw the bags of clothes," Aiden said.  "But what happened to the
rest?  The closet's empty..."

       "A few little things I kept, and Peter liked a lot of it and it's
his size, so I let him take what he wanted..."

       Aiden smiled.  "Are you going to be okay with that when you see him
in one of Jamie's shirts, or outfits?"

       "I think so," Tom said.  "Easier to give it to him than to send it
off to some stranger, anyway..."

       "Do you want to get some dinner?"  Aiden asked.  "Why don't I drive
down to the grocery store and pick something up at the deli?"

       "That would be great...  I don't feel like cooking," Tom said with a
weak smile.

       "Be right back," Aiden said, kissing his forehead.

       He returned half an hour later with rotisserie chicken, potato
salad, baked beans and a few other sides, and they all ate together.

       After dinner, Tom went upstairs to his office and did some of the
work he'd skipped.  Meanwhile, Aiden watched some television with David for
a while, until he got a message on his cell.

       He ran upstairs and found Tom.  "I've got to run back to the
station, Tom!  There's been a break in a case I've been working on..."

       "See you when you get home, if it's not too late," Tom smiled.  "I
had too long of a nap this afternoon!"

       Aiden gave him a big kiss, before hurrying downstairs to grab his
badge and gun.  "Night," he said to David as he ruffled the boy's hair on
his way out.

       "Hey!" David called after him laughing, reaching up to fix his
mussed hair.

       Aiden drove directly to the new crime scene, a Catholic church just
four miles from Tom's house.  He flashed his badge and stepped through the
police cordon.  "Aiden," Jim Reynolds called and motioned him over.

       "It's like the others?" Aiden asked, looking around to make sure no
one heard him.  So far the news had failed to make the connection between
the vandalism at various churches around town, and they wanted to keep it
that way.

       Jim nodded.  "But worse..."

       Inside, Aiden found the church in disarray, blood splattered on the
walls and white marble pillars gaudily.  On the altar, some kind of animal
had been dismembered and disemboweled, its blood collected in the church's
chalice.

       "Officer O'Connel... I think we could handle this one without you,"
Detective Philips laughed as he approached from behind.  "Shouldn't you be
home with your new girlfriend?"

       Man, gossip spreads fast, Aiden thought.  He brushed the comment
off, and he had bent over to look at what looked like a piece of cloth
ripped from someone's clothing, when he felt Philips bump into his ass, no
doubt mimicking a fucking action to the officers around.

       Aiden turned and faced him angrily.  "Watch it, Philips!  There's
some evidence here," he said, pulling on a glove and grabbing a bag for the
cloth.  When Aiden signed the tape sealing the bag, he stormed off to turn
it over to the lab boys.

       Before Philips could walk away snickering, Jim had his night stick
out, pressed against the underside of the detective's chin.  He whispered
menacingly, "You try any shit like that again, Philips, and I'LL file the
sexual harassment charge against you.  Understand me?"  Philips nodded
defiantly, and Jim reminded him, "I cut you a break when I caught you with
that hooker out in Old Towne...  Remember?  Your wife never found out about
that..."  Philips deflated and nodded.  "He's a good kid, so lay the fuck
off..."

       "Sure, Reynolds," Philips nodded, looking somewhat repentant, before
walking away.

       As Aiden returned, he said, under his breath so only Jim could hear,
"You didn't have to do that..."

       "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, O'Connel," the man
said with a fatherly smile.  As they were walking away, he did add, "I know
your father couldn't always show it, but he respected the way you had the
courage...  Well you know.  If he had been here tonight, Philips woulda
been in deep kimchee..."

       ***

       On Tuesday, Tom, Peter, and David met Felicia at Judge Tucker's
courthouse.  After consulting, they went to the courtroom, where the
brothers' parents' lawyers were waiting, their clients present in jailhouse
orange.

    When court was in session, the attorneys for the parents tried to make
a case that Peter was unfit to look after his brother because he was a
homosexual.  "Do you have any evidence that Peter has ever behaved
inappropriately towards his brother?" the judge asked, at last, getting
short with them.

    "It's more of a lifestyle matter, your honor....  Additionally, David
and Peter are being housed by two known homosexuals.  What kind of home is
that for a teenage boy?"

    "Mr. Evans, I ask you again, do you have any reason to suspect
Professor Corman or Officer O'Connel of anything untoward?"

    "No, your honor, but...."

    "However, I have good reason to believe, along with hard evidence to
support, that your clients ritually abused their children, and are
suspected of serial murder....  Additionally, they allowed their older son
to sexually abuse both his brothers for years...."

    Felicia jumped to her feet, seizing the opportunity.  "Your honor, I
would like to adjust my motion.  Rather than seeking custody of David for
Peter, I move that David be emancipated and declared a legal adult...."

    "Young man, you realize that in doing so, you waive all parental
support -- except of course any damages the court may award at a future
date?"

    "Yes, your honor...."

    "How will you support yourself, secure housing for yourself?" the judge
inquired.

    "Your honor, if I may," Tom said, rising to his feet.  "I have secured
David a place in Saint Sebastian's High School....  He was awarded a full
scholarship....  His brother and he are living together, and support one
another educationally.  Both will have a steady income, and I personally
guarantee that he will be taken care of financially until he finishes his
schooling...."

    "If we can get that in writing, Mr. Corman, and I can be assured that
the boy's well-being is secured, there is little reason...."

    "Your honor," Evans exclaimed, rising to his feet.  "This is highly
irregular...."

    "So is this entire situation," Felicia retorted.  "But I have a
completed petition, signed by my client for your consideration, and
Professor Corman is prepared to enter a contractual obligation to secure
the boys' future.  In fact, should you grant his petition, my client
intends to move immediately for a legal change of name, as well...."

    The judge raised her eyebrows questioningly.  "And do you have a name
in mind, young man?"

    "Yes your honor," David said, rising and casting a shy glance at Tom.
He hadn't told anyone.  "David Corman."

    The judge nodded, fighting back the mist that arose in her eyes.  "I'll
consider this matter and rule shortly....  Given the circumstances, and
given David's needs, I'd like to question him in chambers with his
counsel...."  With that, she left.  David's mother glared at him, while his
father stared out the window.  David and Felicia stood to meet the judge in
chambers, but before he left, he gave Tom a big hug.

    "I hope you don't mind?" David asked.  Tom had tears in his eyes and
could only shake his head, no.

    Thirty minutes later, they emerged from the judge's chambers and
Felicia gave Tom a thumbs up.  "We'll have to wait a couple of days for a
ruling I think, but I think it's in the bag...."  Privately, she pulled him
aside and said, "David really loves you, Tom....  You're a little young for
the role, but you're the dad he always wanted, or is it the mom?  In the
meantime, I'll draw up some paperwork for you...."

    Tom nodded, and they all left.  Back at the house, David retreated into
his room to do some homework, and Tom went to Peter's room.  "You didn't
say much today...."

    "Not much to say...."

    "Are you okay with everything that's happening...?  Maybe you wanted to
pick a name with your brother, something you could share...."

    "Maybe," Peter said with a slight smile.  Then he nodded.  "I think
he's decided though....  So ... I suppose, if you don't mind...."

    Tom put an arm around Peter and said, "Welcome to the family...."

    Tom walked up to his office and did some work.  Shortly before Aiden
got home, David stuck his head in the door.  "Can Catherine come over?"

    "Sure...."

    "Good," he said with a grin, "because she's on her way...."

    "Will she stay for dinner?" Tom asked with a smile.

    "If it's not too much trouble...."  Tom nodded and David disappeared.
Later he would see that the boy had run to change.  Catherine arrived and
she and David sat in the living room talking, David telling her about the
court visit and she telling him what he had missed.

    Aiden arrived and waved at them.  "Hi guys!"

    "Hey, Aiden!  Tom's up in the office...."

    "Thanks," he answered with a smile, taking off in that direction.  Tom
was just shutting down his computer when Aiden walked in and walked up
behind him, running his hand down his body, from chest to hips, gently
nibbling on his shoulder.  Tom sighed and melted back into him.

    "How was your day, sweetheart?"

    "Oh, nothing too exciting.  A couple of domestic disturbances, a
teenager shoplifting....  Finished up some stuff on the case from last
night...  You know...."

    "Felicia says that she thinks that the judge will grant David's
emancipation petition....  David told her that he wants to take my last
name...."

    Aiden turned Tom around to face him.  "How do you feel about that?"

    "Great....  Having you and the guys, it's like having a family
again....  Peter was a little surprised though -- he thought they'd talk
about it together...."

    "So what's he going to do?" Aiden asked.

    "They're brother's....  He's going to do the same...."

    Aiden nodded and asked, "So what's for dinner?"

    "I don't know ... we have a guest....  I guess I could make some
spaghetti....  I have a fresh loaf of Italian bread...."

    "Sounds good," Aiden said.  "I'm gonna go change...."  Tom kissed him
deeply and let him go unwillingly.  Aiden smiled and winked as he turned
the corner.

    Tom walked to the living room and asked, "How does spaghetti sound?"

    "Great," David said.  "You need any help?"

    "No, no, you guys hang out...."

    "Thanks for having me, professor...."

    "Tom's fine, Catherine," the man answered, smiling.

    Tom through together a sure-fire spaghetti sauce and put some noodles
on to boil, and heated up the bread.  Soon, the five of them sat down to
dinner.  At one point, Tom asked Catherine, "What do you do in school?
Extra curriculars, clubs?"

    "Oh, I'm editor of the school newsletter, and I'm on the student
council...."

    "Impressive!  Have you thought much about colleges?"

    "Not a lot.  I'd be happy to stay in town, but I'll apply to a few big
name places and see what kinds of scholarships I can get...."

    "Very good...."

    There was more conversation about school and the like, and Catherine
asked David, "Are you going to the Halloween dance at school, David?"

    "I didn't really know about it...."

    "It's a big deal of a costume ball....  If you want to go ... I haven't
accepted any invitations, just in case...."

    David blushed and asked, "Would you ... go with me?"  She nodded and
smiled.  Now that that awkward moment was past, Tom made a mental note to
consider that they had a massively powerful supernatural force after them
and Halloween could present a perfect storm of possibility.  Perhaps he
could get Alasdair to allow him to attend as a chaperon.

    "So, Catherine," he asked, "do you have a costume in mind?  I'll need
to take David to pick up one...."

    "There was a terrific Cleopatra costume I'd love, at the costume shop
on Grand.  There was a Julius Caesar costume with golden crown and
purple-trimmed white tunic....  You'd make a gorgeous Caesar," she said,
smiling at David and making him blush.  And so it went for the rest of the
evening.  Aiden and Peter cleaned up the kitchen, while Tom stretched out
on the couch and David and Catherine cuddled on the love seat.  When they
finished cleaning, Peter went to call Billy and Aiden came and lay down
next to Tom.

    When it was almost ten, Tom said, "David, I'm sure it's about time for
Catherine to get home....  You have school tomorrow...."

    "Oh, my parents are out," the girl said.  "I should have said
something....  They were going to pick me up on their way home.  It
shouldn't be more than thirty minutes...."

    "Oh, okay!  Just didn't want you to miss your curfew...."

    "Speaking of, I have an early morning," Aiden said.  "I'm going to
catch a shower...."

    "I'll be in in a bit," Tom said.  "I want to say hi the Peabodies."
Aiden gave Tom a kiss, chaster in front of company, and walked off, waving
to Catherine.  When her family arrived, Tom went out to greet them.  Even
Sebastien got out to say hello.  Tom invited the whole family to come over
for a barbeque on Sunday, and they accepted.  Back inside, Tom found Aiden
waiting for him in bed, where they cuddled to sleep.


****************************


More to come soon.  If you enjoyed this story, you might consider my other
on-going stories at Nifty, Fantasy/SciFi, Things that Go Bump and A Light
in the Darkness.

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