Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:40:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: JMH <trandar2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Guild/The Son chp #8

   Well folks here's chp 8... the last chp in the prelude section.  I
hope you have enjoyed it so far.  Drop me a line and tell me what you
think so far.

                             JMH

                trandar2002@yahoo.com

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

    Drake knew he was growing... his papa told him so.  But when he awoke
he did not even recognize himself... and that scared him.  His limbs were
long, thick and muscular.  His chest and stomach now had a coat of short,
dark brown, hair.  Even his face, once smooth, felt rough to his own
touch.  For the past few days he had been eager to look at himself in the
mirror, to see how much he had grown.  This time, however, he was too
scared.

     Climbing out of bed, Drake kept his eyes away from the mirror,
walking quickly to the door leading to the hallway.

It had only been two days ago that, having outgrown the crib, Drake had
been given his first bed and his own room.  At first, he had been happy...
that had been before his first night alone.  The room had seemed so dark
and empty.  Drake fearing he would fall out of bed at any moment

     Making his way down the hall, Drake passed by several gray-robed
servants, who stared at the naked man with wide eyes.  Moving faster with
each step, Drake was practically running by the time he burst into his
father's room.

     "Papa!"  Drake shouted, not noticing the strong baritone of his
own voice as he jumped on the bed.

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

     Joshua, who had been peacefully asleep in his husband's arms, felt
as if he had been punched in the stomach as a broad muscular man jumped
on the bed.  He then felt as if he was being squeezed to death, as the
man hugged him tightly.

     "I don't want to grow any more," Joshua heard the man cry.

     "Drake?"  Joshua whispered, not recognizing the young man, but not
knowing who else he could be.

     Joshua wrapped his arms around his son, holding him gently.  "It
will be ok Drake."

     "Drake?"  Vard's sleepy eyes opened.

     Drake turned his grey eyes to face Vard.

     "Looks like our boy has all grown up," Joshua chuckled.

     "I'll say... and into a very handsome man indeed."

     "Handsome?"  Drake asked confused.

     "Yes... you are going to break someone's heart one day," Joshua
said.  He did not want to tell Drake that he looked exactly like a
younger Gerick.

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



     "Star General Felix, how soon till we dock at the floating
palace?"  John asked.  He had not planned on returning back to Wor so
soon, but things on Aquarius were getting worse.

     "Within the hour My Lord," Felix replied.

     "Good," John nodded as he sank into his chair.

     "John, are you feeling alright?"  Ryan, his Protector asked.

     "I wished I could say I was, but you know what has been happening
back home."

     "Aye... I do," Ryan nodded.

     Just a week ago, the Prelate's fanatical Brotherhood had expelled
John from his cliff-side home, stripping him of his gold mask and title.
Such things had happened on other worlds with Falcon tightening his grip
on power, but John had still been surprised when he had been forced to
flee.

     "Any word on my sister?"

     "No John... I'm afraid we still don't know where she is."

     "Damn it!"  John cursed to himself.  His sister had been on
vacation with her husband when the attack came, leaving no time for John
to go searching for her.

     Ryan put a reassuring hand on John's shoulder.   "Do not blame
yourself."

     "How can I not?"  John sighed.  "I should have seen this day
coming... I should have made better plans."

     "Aye... but there was no way you could have known the day the
Prelate would move against you.  Your sister knew the risk of leaving."

     "That she did," John nodded, still not able to forgive himself for
abandoning her on Aquarius.

     "Come John... I know how to make you feel better."  Ryan said as he
lifted his lover out of the chair in which he was slouched.

     "I'm not in the mood," John said, but did not resist as he was
led off the bridge.

     Taken back to his private quarters, John let his protector make love
to him.  It did not take away the young man's growing fear, however.

     "I'm sorry Ryan," John apologized midway into their love making.

     "Shall we stop?"

     Feeling the warm, hard flesh of Ryan's sex against his body, John
shook his head. "Help me forget... even if it is only for a little
while."

     "I will try," Ryan nodded before lifting John up for a long kiss.

     Afterwards, John, emotionally exhausted, fell asleep in his lover's
arms even as the ship was preparing to dock.  And that was how Joshua
found them.

     "Your Grace," Ryan bowed when Joshua, Vard, and a strikingly
handsome young man entered the room.

     "Please, Ryan... lets not fall on formality, not at a time like
this," Joshua insisted.

     "So you know about the fall of Aquarius?"

     "Yes, Felix told us," Vard replied.

     "Then you know we were not able to save Clare?" Ryan asked.

     "Yes," Joshua nodded as he looked down on John sadly.

     "Joshua?"  John's eyes slowly opened.

     "I'm here... you're safe now."

     On seeing his dear friend's face, John broke down and cried,
wrapping his arms around Joshua's neck.  "What am I going to do now?"

     "Everything is going to be all right," Joshua said reassuringly,
even as he was hugged tightly from behind by the man John had not
recognized.

     "Hug!" the man said cheerfully.

     "Joshua... who is this? Another lover?"  John chuckled softly.

     "No..."  Joshua grinned.  "John I would like to reintroduce you to
your nephew.  Drake... don't you remember your uncle John?"

     From the look of shock that formed on both men's faces, Joshua
suddenly realized this was not going to be a warm family reunion.

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

     "He hates me!"  Drake cried on Joshua's bed.

     "He does not hate you.  He..."  Clive tried to comfort.

     "Yes he does... I can feel it," Drake insisted.

     "Drake... no one can know what another person is feeling."

     "I do," Drake maintained.

     "I believe you Drake," Joshua spoke up as he came into the room.

     "Huh?"  Clive asked confused.

     Joshua ignored Clive, and sat down on the bed.  "Drake... what am I
feeling right now?"

     "You feel sad," Drake replied as he rolled over to lie next to his
father.

     "I do... I feel sad that your uncle still feels so much anger
towards you," Joshua nodded, as he wrapped an arm around Drake.

     "I knew it... he hates me."

     "He does not hate you Drake... he hates your father."

     "But you're my father... how can someone hate you?"  Drake asked,
confused.

     "Drake..."  Joshua sighed, not sure how to tell the young man the
truth without hurting him.  From the moment Drake could talk, he had been
calling him papa... even before Joshua had adopted him.

     "You are my papa, aren't you?"  Drake asked with pleading eyes.

     "Yes I am," Joshua nodded, not able to break Drake's heart.
"But there was another person who gave you life... an evil man named
Gerick."

     "I don't understand."

     "I know you don't," Joshua said patiently.  "But you do know
that I love you... and Vard and Clive."

     "I love you too papa... so much that it hurts."

     "I know, and I love you more than anything," Joshua nodded.

     "Even more than me?"  Vard chuckled as he came into the room.

     "I love you so much that it hurts," Joshua replied as his lips met
Vard's.

     "Kiss?"  Drake asked eagerly.



"Of course," both men replied, kissing Drake on each cheek.

     Drake let out a deep laugh, which became uncontrollable when Vard
began tickling his sides.  Soon all three men were rolling over each
other on the large bed until Vard eventually pinned Joshua down.  Drake
watched wide eyed as Vard and his father started to make love, their lips
touching each other's faces while their hands explored their bodies.

     For the first time, Drake felt something stir between his legs,
pressing hard against his pants.  A little scared, he pulled his pants
down to find his manhood erect and sensitive to his touch.  That was when
Joshua caught sight of his son.

     "Vard..."  Joshua said nervously, as he pushed his husband off.

     Vard turned, saw Joshua's moderately hairy son, and laughed.  "He
is a man now," he pointed out to Joshua.

     "He has the soul of a child," Joshua countered.

     Vard... seeing the serious expression on his husband's face, closed
his eyes and nodded.  "You're right, he does."

     Joshua rolled over to where his son was sitting, his pants down to
his knees.  "Come on Drake... you need to keep your clothes on."

     Drake didn't want his clothes on however.  He wanted to do what he
just watched Vard do.

     "Come on Drake," Joshua said more assertively, as he tried to
avoid Drake's kisses and fondling hands.

     Seeing Joshua struggle, Vard moved behind Drake and tackled him.
"Got him."

     Drake... thinking they were playing another game, let out a deep
laugh as he tried to escape Vard's firm hold.  He soon changed his mind,
however, when Vard lifted him off the bed and dragged him back to his
room.

     "Now stay," Vard said firmly.

     "But..."  Drake said confused.

     Vard left the room, but Drake quickly followed, only to find the
door to his father's room closed in his face, followed by the clicking
sound of a lock.

     Never had the door to Joshua's room been locked to him.  Never had
Drake been unable to see his father whenever he wanted to.  Upset, Drake
began to cry as he pounded his fists on the door, the booming sound
echoing throughout the palace.  Eventually, though, he wore himself out,
slumping to the floor where he wept softly till he fell asleep.

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

     It was at the door that Joshua found Drake asleep the next day.
"Wake up Drake."

     Drake slowly opened his eyes.  "Papa?"

     "Shhhh... Vard is still sleeping."

     "Is he still mad at me?"  Drake asked nervously as he stood up.

     "He loves you too much to ever get mad at you."

     "Then why did he..."  Drake was going to ask but was stopped when
Joshua put a finger to his lips.

     "Drake... what am I ever going to do with you," Joshua smiled
fondly.

     "Hug?" the man asked in a deep baritone.

     "Of course," Joshua nodded.

     Drake rested his head on Joshua's chest, his ear listening to the
steady strong beat of his father's heart as he was held.

     Joshua ran his fingers through Drakes short dark brown hair, the man
responding by nuzzling against him.  Joshua felt tears building in his
eyes.  So much had been taken away from Drake... a loving home, his
childhood, and now...  Last night Vard and he had had a long talk about
what was in Drake's best interests.

It had been a long discussion... and, at times, heated.  In the end Joshua
had agreed with Vard's assessment.  With Gerick's `ghost', as they
had agreed to call it, out in the cosmos, hunting both Drake and Joshua,
it was too dangerous for them to remain together.  They were just too big
a target.

Joshua, leading Drake to the bed, had him lay down next to Vard.  Joshua
then climbed on top of Drake, holding him tight.  "Drake... there is
something I have to tell you."

"Yes papa?"  Drake asked... he could see the pain on his father's face,
and he could feel it in his heart as well.  What ever his papa was going
to tell him had to be bad.

"You and I are going to have to be apart for a while."

"I don't understand?"  Drake said, even as his lower lip trembled.  He
did understand; he just didn't want to believe it.

"A very bad person is trying to find you, but I will not let him have
you, my son."

"Gerick?"  Drake asked.

"Yes... Gerick," Joshua nodded.

"But if I am not near you, who will protect me?"

"I am sending Tidal and Austin with you."

"But Tidal is your Protector... who will look after you papa?"

"Vard will," Joshua said reassuringly.

"But..."  Drake pleaded, as he hunted for a reason, any excuse he could
use, to convince his papa not to send him away.

     "You know I love you Drake."

     "Yes..."  Drake replied even as his face became wet with tears.
"And I love you, so much that it..."

     "I know... it hurts," Joshua said as he wiped his son's tears away
with his thumb.

     Not able to hold back any longer Drake began to sob uncontrollably.
"It hurts so much, papa!"

     "I know Drake. I know it does," Joshua cried as well, his tears
falling onto his son's face.  "But we both need to be strong.  Can you
be strong for me Drake?"

     Drake could not believe what was happening, refused to believe it.
The past few weeks had been the happiest in his life.  He thought they
would last forever.  He had believed he would be with his papa until the
end of time.  No matter what Joshua did, Drake refused to be consoled.

     During it all, Vard woke up, dressed, and summoned Tidal and Austin
to him.  After giving them their orders, he could not see any reason for
delay.  "Joshua... it's time."

     "But!"  Joshua protested for he, too, did not want to lose Drake.

     "Joshua... the sooner Drake is gone, the sooner he will be safe,"
Vard said insistently.

     Joshua did not move but continued to hold Drake as tight as his son
was holding on to him.

     "Joshua I promise you.  I will give my life before I let Gerick get
his hands on Drake," Tidal said.

     "Me too..."  Austin agreed, but with some hesitation.

     "Joshua... I am pleading... begging... don't make this harder than it
already is," Vard said, going down on his knees.

     Drake... sensing not just his father's pain, but Vard's as well,
was shaken out of his grief.  He did not want to be the reason behind so
much suffering.  "Papa... don't cry.  I will be ok."

     "Are you sure?"  Joshua asked as he wiped his nose.

     "Yes..."  Drake said, although not very convincingly.

     Joshua suddenly saw the fear and confusion on Drake's face and
realized his own behavior was not making things any easier for his son.
Rolling off, Joshua went to his dresser and picked up his favorite
possession... his blue baseball cap.  Going back to Drake, he put it
firmly on his son's head.

     "But... papa?"  Drake asked confused.

     "I want you to have something to remind you that no matter how far,
or how long we are apart, I am always with you."

     For a while the two men just stared at each other as if trying to
imprint the other man's face in their minds forever.  Eventually Vard
put a hand on Joshua's shoulder.  "It's time Joshua."

     "I know," he nodded, closing his eyes.

     "Drake, go to Austin," Vard said as Joshua buried his face against
his husband's chest.

     Drake, doing as he was told, left Joshua's side, taking Austin's
offered hand.

     "Where should we go?"  Austin asked as he prepared to step into
the Void.

     "Better that we don't know," Vard said, as he rocked Joshua in
his arms, his husband's sobs slowly returning.

     "How will we know when we can come back?"  Tidal asked as he took
Austin's other hand.

     Vard looked down at Joshua, knowing his answer was going to hurt
him.  "Five years... it will take us five more years before the exodus
can begin."

     "Five years then," Tidal nodded.

     "But!"  Joshua heard Drake start to protest... his voice cut off as
Austin drew him into the void.

     "He's gone..."  Joshua whispered after a long silence.

     "I know my love... but he's safe now.  Austin and Tidal will take
care of him."

     "Will I ever see him again?"

     Vard knew better than to lie to Joshua.  "I don't know.  All we
can do is hope for the best."