Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

Reeling from Doug Kesterson's revelations regarding Dale's death - and concerned for his own safety - Justin seeks comfort from Brian.  In the meantime, the Walkers receive a surprise visit from someone. 

 

Fifteen Minutes Later...

 

"Craig," Jennifer called to her husband softly as she stood in front of the screen door and peered out into the backyard. She wiped her hands off with the half apron she was wearing, having just finished washing some pots and pans from their lunch earlier.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Come over here," she said as her husband walked over to stand beside her, just in time to see their son walking back toward the house - with the Kinney boy walking beside him with his arm draped around his shoulder.  She couldn't help smiling at the sight.  "It seems we didn't have to worry about Justin going over to the Walker farm after all; apparently Brian had the same idea and took matters into his own hands."

 

Craig grunted beside her; he had long given up on keeping the two boys apart, but the Kinney boy seemed to have a knack for always showing up when Justin needed him. And he had to admit - Justin did seem to rely on Brian when he was most upset, and seemed to draw comfort from him.  He suspected that need was mutual, however, as he watched the two boys approaching.  "Apparently so," he replied dryly as they came closer to the sidewalk.   He opened the creaky screen door as Justin unlatched the back gate, seeing his son hesitate for a moment as he locked eyes with him, before he boldly grasped Brian's hand and proceeded up the stone walk. 

 

"Brian," Craig greeted the other boy quietly as he and his son walked up to him and his wife. 

 

"Mr. Taylor.  Mrs. Taylor," Brian replied politely as he and Justin entered the house; Craig couldn't help noticing how Brian placed a hand almost protectively on Justin's upper back as he guided him into the kitchen. 

 

The two boys sat down next to each other as Jennifer asked, "Brian, I have some iced tea made.  Would you like some?"

 

"That sounds good," Brian decided, still a little sweaty after his trot over to their farm to find Justin. 

 

She nodded as Craig walked over and sat down opposite the two boys.  "Justin?  Craig?" 

 

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," Justin replied gratefully as Craig nodded as indication he would like some, also.  Filling up three tall glasses with ice before pouring the tea from a matching glass pitcher, Jennifer placed them on an oval serving tray, along with a small bowl with some cut lemons and some spoons, before she walked over and placed a glass down in front of each of them, finally choosing to sit down at the end of the table between Craig and her son.

 

"Brian, first of all, let me say how sorry we are about your cousin," Jennifer began, her face full of sympathy.  "Your aunt and uncle must be devastated after hearing the news."

 

Brian's face was grim as he nodded.  "Yes, they are," he verified quietly.  "I mean, it's not like they didn't suspect something already..."

 

"But it's different finding out for sure that it wasn't an accident...isn't it?" Jennifer pressed softly.

 

Brian swallowed as he nodded his head.  "Yeah.  Aunt Sarah's pretty upset about it. And Uncle Will...well, he's just plain angry as hell." 

 

Craig shook his head in disbelief.  "I always knew the Kesterson boy was bad news and easily influenced. But I never in my wildest dreams thought he would ever agree to participate in something like this."

 

Brian nodded as he and Justin exchanged a look between them.  "I know.  The sheriff still doesn't know exactly what happened. But he's promised to find out.  He's trying to work out a deal with the prosecutor to reduce Doug's sentence in exchange for him revealing everything he knows about what happened - and who's behind it." 

 

"A reduced sentence?" Craig growled as Justin's eyes widened slightly in alarm.  "What sort of reduced sentence?  That boy tried to kill my son!" 

 

Brian was quick to explain, "He promised my aunt and uncle that he would still do serious jail time, even if he decides to cooperate.  Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten their okay to try and strike a deal with him."

 

"They agreed to it, then?" Justin asked, a little surprised.

 

Brian nodded.  "Yes.  They decided it was better to find who was behind what happened, instead of going after Doug.   They want to know exactly what happened to Dale that day." 

 

"All of us do," Craig told him tersely.  "Until they're caught, there's always a possibility that Justin may be in danger if they decide they want to finish the job that Kesterson botched."

 

Jennifer sucked in a breath. "Craig..."

 

"It's, true, Jen," her husband persisted as he peered over at her.  He looked over at his son then, clearly seeing the anxiety in his face that echoed Jennifer's.  "Justin, until these other people are identified and caught...I think it's best that you don't race any more at Red Mill - or anywhere else, for that matter.  And I think it's best you stick to the farm, and not go outside our property."

 

Justin's mouth hung open in dismay.  "Dad!" 

 

Craig held up his hand as his son began to protest; he figured he wouldn't like what he had to say.  "Justin, be reasonable!  Surely you can see the reason why you need to stick close to home!  It's just temporary until they find the people who are responsible."

 

His son's eyes flashed.  "How do we even know they're still around?" he countered.  "They may have caught wind that the police are on to them and fled the area. There's a lot more race tracks all over the country besides the one in Lexington." 

 

"We don't know that, Justin," Brian spoke up, sensing his lover's agitation.  "But your father's right." 

 

Justin's mouth hung open; he never thought he would ever hear Brian agreeing with his father, although they were getting along better of late.  "Brian..."

 

"No," Brian gently rebuffed him.  "Your safety is the most important thing.  You need to stay where others can keep an eye on you."  He smiled in amusement as Justin huffed in response.  "I know you don't like that idea," he quickly added as Justin rolled his eyes and his lips pressed together in a pout.  Right then, Brian wanted nothing more than to wipe that pout off with a sound kiss. But he figured Justin's parents might not care for that sort of public display, so he opted instead to try and reason with him.  "But it's only temporary, and it really is the best solution for now."  He turned to Justin's parents to ask, "He can at least come with me back to my aunt and uncle's farm, can't he? And down to the swimming hole?" 

 

"Well..." Jennifer faltered.  She looked at Craig, who nodded curtly.  "I guess that would be okay, as long as you're with him."  Somehow they knew, even with Brian's rather lean build, that he would defend Justin above all else, and they knew their son enjoyed spending time over at the Walker farm.  "But just don't impose on them, Justin.  They may want some privacy right now under the circumstances." 

 

Justin nodded, partially assuaged by his parents actually agreeing to let him spend time with Brian. Suddenly his enforced captivity did not seem quite so bad. 

 

"Do you know when Billy will find out whether or not Doug is going to cooperate?" Craig asked Brian.  "Did he say anything about that?"

 

Brian shook his head.  "All he said was that he was going to talk to both the county prosecutor and the Doc to see if his son would be willing to agree to some kind of deal for less time. But he didn't know how quickly that would happen." 

 

Craig nodded.  "We'll be waiting to see what happens."  He paused.  "Please tell your aunt and uncle to let us know if we can be of any help. And to keep us informed." 

 

Brian nodded back at him.  "I will," he promised.

 

Craig glanced at Jennifer, sensing their conversation was ending for now.  He had said what he needed to say. "Well...I think I'd best get back out to the barn. I have some blades that need sharpening."  He looked over at his son as he scooted back from his seat and rose to stand; he knew his boy well enough to recognize the tiredness in his face, despite his recovering fairly quickly.  "Justin, perhaps you had best go up and rest for a while.  You look tired."

 

Justin looked at him in frustration; the last thing he wanted to do right now with Brian there was go up to his room.  He desperately wanted to be with him.  "I feel fine, Dad," he tried to reassure him.  "Really." 

 

Craig opened his mouth to speak again, only to close it as he looked down at Jennifer, who shook her head slightly as if to say it would be okay.  He cleared his throat.  "One hour," he decided firmly, grudgingly giving in.  "One hour; only if you agree to go up and get some rest afterward." 

 

Justin sighed wearily, but knew it would be a losing battle to argue with him, his mom...and Brian.  "Okay, okay," he grumbled finally. 

 

Both of his parents nodded in satisfaction as Craig told them, "Now that that's settled, I'm going back out to the barn."  Peering thoughtfully over at his son and the other boy for a few moments, he turned and headed out the screen door; his feet echoing on the wooden back porch as he returned to his work.

 

Jennifer gazed over at her son as she, too, rose from her place at the table.  "More tea?" she asked them.  Both boys shook their heads as she began to gather up the glasses and silverware, placing them on the oval serving tray and taking them back over to the sink.  She smiled, her back to them, as she told them, "It's a beautiful day, Justin. Why don't you and Brian enjoy some of this great weather out on the porch?" 

 

Justin and Brian grinned at each other as they, too, scooted back from their seats.  "Good idea, Mom," Justin agreed as they began to shuffle toward the screen door.

 

"Don't forget; one hour," she reminded him as she turned around to stare over at her son and the other boy. 

 

Justin groaned but nodded.  "Okay," he told her as he and Brian finally headed back outside. 

 

Smiling in amusement, Jennifer turned back around to start filling the sink with water. 

 


 

"You really need to get this swing oiled," Brian teased his lover as they swung back and forth slightly in the back porch swing, each motion producing a definite squeak each time.  Unlike a previous moment, this time both boys had automatically sat close to each other on the right side of the swing, their hands instinctively reaching to clasp each other's as soon as they sat down as if they were both seeking some sort of warmth and comfort there. 

 

Justin laid his head against Brian's shoulder as he spoke.  "Brian?"

 

"Hmm?" 

 

"As much as I hate what happened to Dale, I'm glad my brother wasn't involved in what happened to him - or to me." 

 

Brian gazed down at their intertwined fingers as he replied, "Well, your brother can be a real ass sometimes..."

 

"...Most of the time," Justin corrected him wryly. 

 

He could feel Brian's head bobbing minutely up and down in agreement against his own head as he replied, "Yeah, most of the time.  But I'm glad for your sake that he wasn't involved, too."

 

Justin nodded back at him with a soft sigh.  "How did everything get so fucked up?" he lamented.  He raised his head to peer into Brian's eyes.  "If you weren't here...I don't know what I would do," he told him.  He noticed Brian smile back at him softly before his eyes drifted down to his lips, his intention crystal clear and making Justin flush with anticipation.  God, he loved Brian's kisses...

 

"Brian...," he whispered, his eyes large and expressive and his voice inviting. That was all it took for Brian to grasp him firmly by the shoulder with his free hand and capture his lips with his, both boys automatically twisting their bodies for deeper contact as their other hands slid around each other's bodies.  Brian issued some sort of growl as his tongue slid inside Justin's mouth, and he broke contact with Justin's other hand to grip the back of his neck and push their mouths even tighter together.  He could feel his body starting to come alive from their kissing, feeling a hard-on quickly forming as his heart beat furiously.  He also knew at the moment that there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it, either; not like this, even though he could feel Justin's mirrored arousal through the denim of his jeans as they continued to kiss.

 

He heard his lover whimper slightly as he finally broke the kiss off, both of them panting hard by now as they stared into each other's eyes.  At that moment, it was as if rest of the world - all of its troubles, all the noise and everything around them - was totally nonexistent.  "Damn, Justin," he huskily murmured, as he leaned in to press their foreheads together, his hand still gripping the back of Justin's neck.  "I want you so fucking much right now."

 

Justin flushed, heat blooming from his neck up, as he heard Brian's sultry voice and felt his warm breath washing over his skin.  His cock was becoming painfully hard in its restraints as he groaned in unrequited torment.  "God, I want you, too," he responded as he lifted his head to peer into his lover's face, noticing how dark Brian's eyes had become, clearly broadcasting his desire and lust for him.  "Surely there's somewhere..." he whispered hopefully, glancing toward the open door of their barn to ensure that his father wasn't watching them. Despite his father's seemingly grudging acceptance of his and Brian's relationship, he still felt somewhat self-conscious whenever his father was around. 

 

Brian sighed.  "Our options are limited," he told him with regret. 

 

Justin tried to control his rapidly-beating heart to no avail as he insisted, "There has to be some place. Please..." 

 

"Oh, fuck, Justin!" Brian groaned in response to the longing in his voice.  "You're not making this any easier." 

 

Justin could almost see the thought wheels turning in his lover's head as he slowly stroked his fingers over Brian's back, needing more; he desperately needed to feel Brian's body inside him, to feel him taking control of him.  He needed that reassurance, that security even more now. 

 

"We've got less than an hour...and we sure as hell can't go to the stables or the barn," Brian began as Justin's hopes began to rise.  He seemed to hesitate before asking, "Are you sure you're..."

 

"Don't you dare say it, Brian Kinney," Justin immediately warned him as Brian curled his lips under and made a zipping motion across them.  "Not you, too!"

 

Brian grinned as he whispered huskily, "Well, I don't think your parents were worrying about that when they told you to take it easy," causing Justin to blush.  He sighed, still wracking his brain for a solution.  Just looking at Justin was making him so fucking hard, especially after the kiss they had just shared.

 

Still inches away from Brian's face, Justin softly told him, "Brian...Come on; I need you inside me."

 

Brian gripped his lover's shoulders as he replied incredulously, "Shit! Do you think I'm made of stone?"  Justin smiled back at him - shamelessly, Brian thought - before he finally came up with a possible solution. 

 

"Brian," Justin pleaded with him urgently, his eyes lighting up when he noticed a change in Brian's face. 

 

Brian stood up, his decision made, as he pulled Justin up to stand with him.  "Let's go," he urged him as he began to tug him toward the steps.  "Time's a wasting!" he added, echoing one of his uncle's favorite sayings.

 

"Where are we going?" Justin asked as they quickly descended the steps and walked toward the gate as Brian swung it open. 

 

Brian merely smiled mysteriously as he continued to lead Justin away from the house.  "You'll see," was all he would say, making Justin insanely curious.  But Justin didn't care - as long as he got what he wanted: Brian - all of him.

 


 

Ten Minutes Later - Walker Farm

 

"Oh, my God," Justin deadpanned in realization as they approached Brian's intended destination.  "You are not suggesting we fuck in there!"

 

Brian smirked.  "That's exactly what I'm suggesting," he told him.  "Corny, I know," he added, curling his lips under.  "But at least it won't be used until fall...for its intended purpose, anyway."

 

Justin rolled his eyes at the intentional joke as they walked up to the Walker's silo where they normally kept corn stored for the winter as feed for their livestock. It was located next to an old tobacco barn that had long ago been abandoned when the Walkers had decided to start growing other crops. 

 

 

silo

 

 

He stood there, his mouth hanging open in disbelief and his hands on his hips in indignation, as he faced the other boy.  "You are not serious.  There could be rats in there!"

 

Brian grinned as he eliminated the short distance between them, his arms gripping Justin's biceps.  "Don't worry; I'll protect you," he whispered sultrily in his ear before giving the lower lobe a playful nip; he felt Justin's arms slide around his back in acceptance as they embraced, and a soft whimper escape his lips.  "I want you so badly," Brian told him as they finally broke apart slightly.  He lifted Justin's face with his hand under his chin, hypnotized by the bright, blue eyes staring back at him as he felt the evidence of their mutual desire growing between them.  "We don't have much time," he reminded him regretfully.  He would do what Justin wanted - even if it killed him - but he was hoping Justin understood this would be the only option that they had.

 

Justin nodded before gifting him with a shy smile.  "I want you, too," he told him, his decision made.  "So much."

 

Brian licked his lips and nodded back at him, taking his hand to gently pull him toward the weathered, wooden structure.  He had done a little exploring inside the structure about a month before - his curiosity piqued, having never seen a silo before - so he was somewhat familiar with the interior.  It wasn't the most ideal spot for them...but at the moment, he was so painfully hard just by being around Justin, touching and kissing him, that he didn't care.  Glancing around to satisfy himself that no one was observing them, he pushed the door open and motioned for Justin to proceed ahead of him as the younger boy deftly bent down far enough to easily enter through the relatively small opening.  He giggled a few seconds later when he heard Brian say "Ow!" as he smacked his head coming inside and scowled over at him, rubbing the spot on his skull where he had been hit.

 

Unlike most silos, this one was more of an octagonal shape than round, and smelled musty; a shallow layer of corn still lay on the floor from the previous year's harvest. Brian realized it would at least provide them with some sort of cushion against the hard, dirt surface.  A chute up above, along with small windows, provided them with more than enough light to see as they stood facing each other. 

 

"We don't have much time," Brian repeated as Justin nodded in understanding.  The younger boy began to unbutton his shirt, only to have Brian say, "No...let me."  Justin blushed as his hands fell to his sides in acquiescence, his eyes following Brian's every move as his companion began to unbutton his shirt with long-fingered hands.  Once fully open, Brian gently shrugged the shirt off Justin's shoulders and let it drop to the ground before curling his fingers around the waistband of Justin's jeans.  He noticed Justin bite his lip as he unbuttoned the lone button and slowly slid the zipper downward, noticing the prominent bulge through his white briefs.  He swallowed, his desire flaring up, as Justin toed off his sneakers to allow him to pull both the jeans and his briefs down in one motion.  Justin's eyes never left his as he stepped out of his clothes, now only clad in his socks.

 

Brian's eyes couldn't help slowly drifting downward to admire his lover's body - the smooth, fair skin, the slender legs covered with downy hair, the patch of light brown resting above a very impressive cock, until he lifted his eyes to gaze once more into Justin's face.  It wasn't as if Brian hadn't seen it all before, but he was astounded that every time he did, Justin still took his breath away.  "You are so damn beautiful," he murmured; Justin blushed a bright red as Brian's left hand came up to slowly trail a path down his sternum before it slid around his back and pulled them closer together so he could kiss him deeply.  He groaned softly when their cocks rubbed together and he imagined what it would feel like soon when his clothing wasn't a barrier between them.  He reached down to grasp Justin's cock and squeeze it, feeling how hot it felt under his touch, before Justin couldn't take it anymore.

 

"Brian," he gasped, breaking off the kiss and using his own hand to pull Brian's away from his body.  "You...I..." he was having a hard time forming coherent words.  "No..."

 

Brian arched an eyebrow.  "No?" 

 

Justin flushed as he explained, "No, I mean not like that.  I want you; all of you," he explained as Brian nodded.

 

Hurriedly discarding his own clothes now, Brian soon stood proudly before him in all his glory, gratified to see the same look of desire and arousal in Justin's eyes as well.  Taking a moment to kiss him softly again, he gently lowered his lover to the ground, the corn acting like a rural version of a bean bag chair, as he placed Justin on his back.

 

As soon as Justin's body hit the bed of kernels, however, he unexpectedly giggled. 

 

Brian looked at him in amusement.  "What?" he asked.

 

"It tickles," Justin explained as Brian chuckled in realization. "I think I'm going to have kernels up my butt."

 

Brian's eyes raked over the amazing sight in front of him as he told him, "Don't worry; soon you'll have something else up your butt," making Justin's face warm in realization.  He grinned down at him, tongue in cheek, before adding, "Although...you're so hot, I might find popcorn up your ass, too." 

 

Justin giggled again as he imagined THAT particular image.  "Now that WAS corny," he told him, the radiant smile on his face slowly transforming into something more intense as he noticed the look in Brian's eyes; that look that always told him how much he affected him, and how much he wanted him.  "You're the hot one," Justin whispered to him.  He smiled a little nervously then, finding himself a little embarrassed for some reason.

 

Kneeling down to rest on his knees, Brian's eyes darkened as he watched Justin almost shyly open his legs a little further in invitation as he draped his body over his.  Bracing himself on his elbows, he began to kiss his lover anew with even more passion, his hands stroking and caressing every inch of Justin he could reach.  He heard Justin sigh in pleasure as his own hands began a journey of their own, caressing Brian's lightly-muscled upper arms, his chest, and his back before roaming downward to cup his ass. 

 

Now it was Brian's turn to react as he gasped when one of Justin's fingers softly trailed a line between his butt cheeks in a teasing manner.  He pulled back enough to look in the expressive eyes of his lover, marveling at how emboldened he had become; where had the inexperienced boy he had first met gone?  He smiled softly as his lips began a hot, wet path from the cord of Justin's neck, down to his left shoulder and over to his nipple; Justin arched up and moaned softly as Brian's teeth nipped at the aroused nub before licking it with a wash of his tongue.  He soon repeated the same action as he attended to the other nipple before his lips traveled lower, hearing Justin suck in his breath in expectation just before he gave the leaking tip of his shaft a tentative swipe of his tongue, tasting the sweetness and saltiness there. 

 

He felt Justin's hand grasping the hair at the top of his head as he heard his lover softly call out his name, his voice thick with desire.  Brian sped up his actions then, using some of the pre-cum to make his hand slide smoothly up and down Justin's shaft.

 

"Ohhh," was the appreciative response to his actions as Justin's hips rose in an attempt to find greater pleasure.  This was still so new to him; so erotic.  He couldn't get enough of this boy, and what he did to him.  "Brian," he moaned his name again as his hands tightened in Brian's hair.  He knew his self-control and stamina wasn't nearly as strong as Brian's.  "Fuck!  I'm...I'm..." 

 

Brian pulled his lips away from Justin's to briefly speak, his own voice hoarse with desire.  "Let it go, Justin," he commanded him huskily, his voice low and hoarse.  "Come for me."   He knew this was just going to be the beginning, but at least it would take the edge off his younger lover.  He placed his lips back on Justin's cock, driving it even deeper into his mouth as he sucked harder.  By now, Justin's whimpers and moans were getting louder and louder and more frequent as he panted heavily, the sounds echoing off the walls of the silo and amplifying his voice even more as he shamelessly bucked up into Brian's mouth.  As soon as Brian placed a finger at his puckered hole unexpectedly and pushed tentatively inside, however, that was all it took for Justin to explode, his cum spurting down Brian's throat as he screamed out Brian's name.

 

Savoring every drop as he swallowed, Brian licked his lover clean before finally raising his head to peer up into Justin's face, noticing his chest rapidly rising up and down in the midst of his post-climactic state.  His entire body was flushed a slightly darker color, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed in and out and tried furiously to control his heartbeat, his skin warm to the touch.  He was absolutely beautiful, and Brian thrilled to the idea that he was the reason for it.

 

His own cock still neglected and rock hard by now, Brian slowly slid his body upward.  Justin's body was still charged with super sensitivity after Brian's blow job; he gasped as he felt Brian's cock rub against his belly and then his chest before they shared another deep kiss.  Feeling emboldened, Justin reached down to squeeze Brian's cock with his fingers, feeling it heavy and hot to the touch. 

 

Now it was Brian's turn to gasp as he broke off their kiss.  "Justin..." he warned as he pulled back to stare into the deep blue eyes.  "You keep doing that, and it will be over way too soon..."  He reached down to gently but firmly pull his lover's hand away from his cock, receiving a pout in response.  He smiled then.  "Don't worry; you're going to be taking care of my problem right now," he told him.  Sitting up to rest on his knees, he pulled on Justin's arms to make him rise to a sitting position as the blond frowned. 

 

"What...?" 

 

Brian grinned at him. "I think in order to preserve that amazing ass of yours - and not get kernels in places where they best not go - I am going to introduce you to a different way of pleasure." 

 

Justin eyes widened a little anxiously; just what did Brian have in mind?  "What sort of way?" he croaked out, his heart thumping wildly.

 

His fingers caressing Justin's arms to reassure him - although he already knew Justin trusted him - he explained, "Get on your hands and knees. And get ready to go on a hell of a ride," he added with a smile. 

 

Justin's face warmed at the thought as he did as Brian asked, feeling a little ridiculous in his position, but understanding why he was doing it, and what was about to happen. His heart continued to pound in anticipation as Brian crawled over a few feet to retrieve the small tube of lube and a condom from one of his pants pockets. 

 

Arching his eyebrows at the older man, Brian shrugged.  "I didn't know," he explained with a shrug.  "But I was definitely hoping," he admitted with a grin.  Tearing off the top of the package, he donned the condom before positioning himself behind his lover, squirting some of the gel onto his hands and rolling it around to warm it up before pressing one finger inside the first ring of muscle, holding onto Justin's hip with his other hand to steady himself.  He waited for Justin to adjust, feeling him relax a little, before he pressed another finger inside to join the other one, hearing Justin moan at the sensation, then cry out as he hit his sensitive sweet spot. 

 

Instantly, Justin's cock - which was becoming hard again just at the thought of Brian being inside him - grew even harder as a wave of pleasure rushed through him.  "Arrgggh!" was the nonsensical reply.  "Brian...please..." 

 

"Okay, Okay," Brian soothed him as he stroked his hip, wanting nothing more than to fuck Justin senseless at the moment. It was all he could do to control his passion.

 

Justin felt a light touch on one of his butt cheeks as he twisted his head around to ask, "What are you doing?"  His body was chilled slightly now due to the openings near the top of the silo and his lack of undress, so he was more than ready for Brian to warm him up. 

 

He heard Brian chuckle softly.  "Just removing some snap, crackle, and pop from your ass," he teased him as Justin huffed in impatience. 

 

"I don't give a damn about cereal!" Justin growled in agony.  "Brian!"

 

Brian laughed as he smacked him lightly on his left ass cheek.  "Yes, I think you are more than recovered," he decided as Justin huffed in frustration.  "Okay, okay," he told him with a smile, more than willing to prove that theory correct.  He squirted a little more gel into his hand and slathered it up and down his cock before he lined himself up at the inviting entrance and pushed partly inside.  It was so tight, so hot, so indescribably amazing as he wrapped his other arm around Justin's waist to brace himself.  "You feel so fucking good," he told him as he waited for Justin to indicate he was ready for more.  "Okay?" he whispered, feeling the slender body trembling beneath him. 

 

"Yes..." Justin panted, his cock springing more and more to attention.  "Oh..."  He gasped as Brian pulled out a little, only to push back in even deeper.  He started to breathe heavily, partly due to the slight pain, as Brian stilled once more, waiting for another signal to continue. 

 

"More..." Justin whispered greedily after a few moments as Brian tightened his hold on him. 

 

"Brace yourself with your elbows and put your head down," Brian told him, his voice thick with arousal at the sight in front of him.   "Oh...fuck, Justin!" he growled as the other boy did as he was told and he stared at the two perfect globes in front of him.  Holding onto Justin's waist now, Brian knew that he couldn't hold back any longer.  Sliding back out slightly, he thrust deeply inside this time, balls deep, hitting Justin's prostrate and causing the other boy to cry out and shudder with pleasure.  

 

"That's it," Brian instructed him as he began to piston smoothly in and out of the slender body now, grunting slightly at the movement.  His face contorted with rising desire as it ramped up even higher.  He was at the perfect angle now to derive the maximum amount of pleasure for both of them as he continued to plunge in and out of his lover.

 

"Oh..." Justin had never felt Brian so deeply inside his body before; his skin was on fire where Brian's hands were gripping him, and he felt the other boy's lips on his lower back as Brian bestowed a light kiss there.  "Brian," he moaned, reaching down to start stroking his cock.  His body began to instinctively move in rhythm with Brian's to deepen the contact even further, as Brian started to accelerate faster, sensing his own release was pending. 

 

In fact, Brian's heart was beating a mile a minute, sweat pouring off him and hair in his eyes, but he couldn't stop, he didn't dare stop.  This had to be the most amazing sex he had ever had; he marveled at how Justin seemed to know exactly what to do to heighten his pleasure in the simplest of ways, and how their bodies molded together so perfectly.  He knew from the fullness in his balls, and the adrenalin pumping through his veins, that he was about to climax soon.  He began to grunt even louder as their bodies slapped together on each down stroke, and his pace quickened even more. 

 

Justin also began to increase the speed of his own strokes, inadvertently keeping time with Brian's thrusts, as he squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he wasn't going to last much longer.  He could feel Brian panting furiously behind him as he issued occasional grunts of exertion while they continued to rock together.  Finally, Justin felt the eruption coming as he clenched down hard on Brian's cock and cried out his lover's name once more; a few more strokes and Brian, too, exploded with pleasure, his mouth contorting into an open ‘O' shape as he groaned loudly and then filled the condom to capacity. 

 

Both boys fell like a spineless mess down onto the corn bed, Brian lying heavily on top of Justin as they just lay there for a while, too spent to do anything else.  He slowly stroked Justin's upper arms as he lay his chin in the crook of the other boy's neck, his lungs struggling to get some much-needed air as he tried to regain his normal breathing. 

 

Finally, Justin was the first to speak, although his voice sounded a little muffled.  "Brian?"

 

"Hmm?" was the lazy response; Brian felt totally sated at the moment and so...content.  He lifted his head as he waited for Justin to reply.

 

"My face is smushed into the corn," he reported, his chin pressed against the bed of kernels.  "If you don't get off me soon, I'm going to have a checkerboard pattern forever ingrained on one side of my face."

 

Brian laughed as he slid out of Justin, held onto the condom, and flipped over onto his back beside him.  He heard Justin breathing a sigh of relief as he tied off the condom and threw it a few feet away, where it landed near an old, wooden shovel that had been left inside the building from the last harvest.   His head made a soft sort of crunching sound as he turned it to peer over at his flushed lover.  The two of them shared a smile before Brian spoke again.  "That...that was...incredible. Absolutely fucking incredible," he murmured in awe as Justin grinned back at him unashamedly this time.  "You're a natural." He rolled his lips under.  "Now I know what they mean around here when they say Git Along, Little Doggie." He tried to smack Justin on the ass for emphasis, but unfortunately the corn shielded that particular part of his anatomy fairly well, so he smacked the other boy's thigh instead. 

 

Justin giggled as he grabbed a few of the corn kernels and playfully threw them at Brian's chest, causing them to scatter in every direction as they hit the muscled surface. 

 

"Hey! You enjoyed doing it doggie style as much as I did!  Admit it!"

 

Justin laughed out loud then as he turned on his side and braced himself with one elbow to peer over at him in amusement.  "It's not Little Doggie.  It's Little DOGIE." 

 

Brian frowned as his left hand began to play with Justin's damp hair as he twisted a few strands between his fingers.  "Huh?" 

 

Justin grinned.  "A lot of people think the song refers to dogs. But it's actually referring to dogies with a long ‘o'."

 

The two men resembled bookends then as Brian, also, turned on his side to face his lover.  "What the fuck is a dogie?" he asked, his brow furrowing.  His face lit up then as he exclaimed, "I know! It's a cross between a hot dog and a hoagie, right?" 

 

Justin laughed even louder in delight as Brian shrugged his shoulders and playfully grinned back at him. 

 

Damn, Justin was so blindingly beautiful when he smiled like he was doing right now, Brian couldn't help thinking as he stared into his face.  "What?" he asked with an innocent roll of his tongue, thoroughly enjoying this totally irrelevant discussion.

 

"No, you idiot!" Justin told him with a huff.  "A dogie is a motherless calf." 

 

"Ohh...Then why don't they just call them an orphan?"

 

Justin snorted.  "I don't know!"  He shook his head with a smile before it faded somewhat.

 

Brian immediately recognized Justin's change in demeanor.  "What?" he pressed softly, never wanting Justin to look unhappy about anything. 

 

"I'm sure our hour is pretty much up," Justin told him regretfully.  "And I wouldn't put it past my father to come looking for me if I don't get home soon."

 

Brian sighed and then nodded.  "Yeah, I imagine you're right.  The last thing I want to do is get on his bad side. I'm just barely on his good side as it is." 

 

Justin sighed, too, as he leaned over just enough to kiss Brian briefly on the lips.  "I'd better get dressed," he told him as he moved to rise, groaning as the full force of what Brian had just done began to emerge.  "I'm not sure I like this ‘doggie' sex," Justin decided as he placed a hand at the small of his back and arched backward to try and stretch.  "My whole body is sore...and I won't even mention how my ass feels at the moment."

 

Brian rose to join him as he ogled the display in front of him.  "And what a very fine ass it is, Mr. Taylor," he told the other boy as his eyes roamed up and down his lover's body; he noticed that with just a little more encouragement, both he and Justin would be ready to go once again. But he also knew sadly that it wasn't going to happen, at least not today. 

 

"Brian," Justin murmured, his face red as he noticed him leering openly at him. He reached down to pick up his clothes and began to get dressed as Brian reluctantly did the same.

 

Brian gazed over at Justin, offering a soft smile, before the two instinctively came together to embrace. They held each other for several seconds, their arms wrapped tightly around each other's bodies, until they pulled back and kissed.  

 

"I'll walk you back home," Brian told him.

 

Justin shook his head, "That's not necessary," he replied.  "It's just down the road."

 

But Brian would not be dissuaded.  "Don't argue with me.  I'm not letting you walk home alone. Period." 

 

Justin rolled his eyes but nodded in agreement, knowing he wouldn't be able to make Brian change his mind.  Secretly, though, he didn't want to.  He was more than happy to spend as much time with Brian as he could. And the fact that Brian wanted to protect him from any possible further harm just demonstrated to him how much he cared.  "Well, then, you'll have to carry my books, too," he told him with a grin. 

 

Brian shoved him playfully before telling him, "Stand still."

 

"Huh?" Justin frowned as the older boy reached over and plucked some kernels of corn from his blond hair. 

 

"Need to remove the evidence," Brian told him with a grin.  "Who knows? This place may come in handy again."  

 

Just then Justin sneezed.  "I hope not," he told him.  "It's really dusty in here, and with my allergies that's not a good mix."

 

Brian's mouth hung open in realization.  "Shit, Justin! I forgot all about that.  I'm..."

 

"No," Justin told him as he reached his right hand up to rest against Brian's cheek.  "It's not that bad.  And...I don't regret a thing."

 

Brian smiled with a relieved nod, pecking him on the lips before he took the other boy's hand and headed toward the door.  A few minutes later - after he had peeked his head out to make sure no one was around - the couple began their trek back to Windswept Farm.

 


 

Thirty Minutes Earlier...Walker Farm

 

"I hope Brian isn't making a pest of himself over at the Taylor house," Will commented as he took a sip from his coffee mug while he sat at the kitchen table.  "He's been gone an awfully long time." 

 

Sarah huffed at her husband.  "You keep drinking that, Will Walker, and you will be awake most of the night," Sarah cautioned him as she walked over from her place at the oven and placed her uninjured hand on his shoulder.  She knew it was one of his coping mechanisms whenever he was agitated, and he certainly had enough reason to be at the moment.

 

Will sighed as he rubbed his face wearily with his hand.  It wasn't that he was tired especially in the physical sense. But it had been a very long day emotionally, made even more draining by Billy's visit earlier, and now it was all he could think about.  "It doesn't really make anything easier, you know," he quietly spoke up after a few seconds.  "Our son is still dead. There's no way to bring him back."

 

Sarah closed her eyes for just a moment, the grief muted but still ever present as she sat down beside him.  Reaching over to grasp his sleeve, she studied her husband's familiar calloused, wrinkled hands.  "No," she agreed.  "But I have to know what happened, William.  And I thought you wanted that, too," she reminded him.

 

Will cradled his head in his hands as Sarah silently rubbed his back.  He finally lifted his head to stare over at her, his lips pressed tightly together.  "I do," he told her.  "And I want those bastards prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."  He shook his head angrily.  "If it were up to me, I'd string all of them up and hang them from the nearest tree." 

 

"Will...The Lord said that vengeance is his...It's not up to us to..."

 

"I know that, Missy," he told her curtly.  "I'm just saying that would be MY type of ‘justice' for them."  He inhaled a deep breath and let it out as he placed his other hand on top of hers.  "I know Billy's right. I know that the best choice is for the Doc's boy to cooperate and help apprehend the people behind our son's death.  But giving that boy any bit of mercy really leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

 

Sarah eyed her husband carefully, detecting the furrowed lines of worry around his eyes, and the firm set of his jaw.  "I know.  But it's the only way. I think you know that.  And you know the Doc.  If anyone can persuade his son to cooperate and do the right thing, it's him.  You know he'll do his best to try and convince his son that this is the best choice for him.  He no more condones or accepts what he did than WE do."

 

Her husband nodded.  "Yeah.  I only wish it would change the outcome."

 

She pressed her lips together thoughtfully.  "Well, remember it's just not our son at stake here.  There's Justin, too."  She paused.  "He's such a sweet boy. I just couldn't bear it if anything else were to happen to him, too.  So the next time you question whether we're doing the right thing...think of him," she whispered.  "And Brian.  You know how smitten he is with him.  All you have to do is watch how he looks at him, and how he wants to take care of him.  If anything happened to that boy, Brian would be devastated, too."   

 

"I still find it very peculiar," Will stated as he stared straight ahead through the back kitchen window. "This...attraction they have."  He took another deep breath before deciding, "Well, it's not for me to say how someone should feel toward another person - or how they should love." 

 

"Brian's a good boy, Will." 

 

Will nodded before admitting, "Yeah...I never thought they would ever happen."

 

Just then, they heard the crunch of tires approaching.  Will frowned as he asked, "Who could THAT be?"

 

Sarah shook her head.  "Surely it wouldn't be Billy coming back."

 

"Stay there," Will commanded tersely as he pushed back from his seat and walked over to the kitchen window to observe a late-model sedan coming to a stop at the back of the house.  "I don't recognize the car," he told her.  "Don't move," he told her as he walked over to the back door to get a better look.  He stood there until a couple emerged from the car. "Oh, great," he groaned in realization as the car doors slammed.  "Just who we needed to stop by."

 

"Will, who is it?" Sarah asked fretfully. 

 

Her husband turned to peer over her as she heard the metal gate being opened.  "Probably the last people we wanted to see right now," he told her, just before a familiar booming voice called out to him through the screen door.  "How's it going, Willy my boy?"

 

Will stared open-mouthed at the other man.  "Jack.  This is a surprise."

 

"Well...are you going to let us in?" Jack Kinney asked gruffly after a few moments.  "Joan and I have been in that fucking car for hours now." He smirked.  "And I need to take a piss." 

 

"Jack, please," Joan entreated from behind him, her lips pressed together primly like a dried apple doll.  "Your language."

 

Jack rolled his eyes as Will reluctantly opened the door to let them in.  "Well, if it isn't the Missus," Jack drawled as he spied Sarah sitting at the kitchen table.  His eyes narrowed with curiosity as he noticed the makeshift bandage on her arm.  "What the hell happened?" he asked as Joan followed him through the back door.  He turned to Will to ask, "You been smacking her around, Will?  Sometimes, that's the only thing they understand," he told him with a wink as he clapped him on the back in comraderie.

 

Sarah huffed in repulsion as Will quickly moved out of his grasp and corrected him, totally offended that he would even suggest such a thing.  "Don't be ridiculous, Jack!" he growled.  "She burned herself accidentally, that's all." 

 

Joan walked over to her sister.  "What happened to you, Sarah?" Joan probed as she stood looming over her.  It was obvious she wasn't convinced that was true, either. 

 

Sarah could have sworn she could actually smell faint traces of something alcoholic on her sister's breath, but she temporarily pushed that aside.  "William already told you," she told her sister stiffly.  "I spilled some coffee on my arm, and got a minor burn. William took care of it.  It'll be fine."  She paused, her upbringing pressing her to be hospitable to her sister and brother-in-law, despite their brusqueness and insinuations.  "I have some coffee made," she told them quietly.  "Would you like some?"

 

"Sounds good," Jack told her.  He smiled.  "But first I have to visit your indoor outhouse."  He smirked again as he walked down the hall toward the steps to the second floor.

 

Sarah sighed softly; even after all these years, she could barely tolerate the man that her older sister had somehow decided to marry so long ago. Was it possible that she had seen a completely different side to this brash, unlikeable man than the one she always saw whenever she was around him?  "I'll get the coffee," she told her sister.  "Why don't you go make yourself comfortable in the living room?"

 

Will held up his hand toward the living room as he told his wife, "I'll take the tray in, Sarah."  He forced himself to bite his tongue in deference to his wife, but it was all he could do to be civil to Joan.  "We'll be right in."  He gritted his teeth as he added, "Make yourself at home, Joan."  Not that she and Jack wouldn't do that anyway, if previous experience was any indication. During their rare visits, they had practically taken over their home, from eating almost all the food in their pantry and refrigerator, to using their bed upstairs, causing Will and Sarah to sleep on an airbed down in the living room while Dale had still been alive.  Even afterward, they found that they couldn't use their son's room; it was all simply too painful and their emotions too raw.

 

Joan nodded back at them primly as she left the two in the kitchen and headed down the hallway toward the front of the house in the same direction as Jack.

 

"What do you think they're doing here?" Will whispered to his wife as soon as Joan was out of earshot; he was unable to hide his displeasure, now that they were alone.  "This is horrible timing." 

 

Sarah shook her head.  "I don't know.  She didn't tell me they were coming."  She glanced toward the hallway to make sure her sister wasn't lurking nearby.  "We'll just have to make the best of it."

 

Will sighed in resignation before nodding, reaching to place the now-filled mugs of coffee on a metal, oval serving tray. "Well, if it's up to me, they won't be staying very long."  Placing his hand on his wife's shoulder protectively, the two moved to join Joan in the living room.

 


 

Joan glanced up from her place perched on one of their flowered, stuffed chairs as her sister and brother-in-law approached; she put down the magazine she had been leafing through as Will set the serving tray down in front of her on the wooden coffee table.

 

"I see you found a place for our family photos," she told her sister, having noticed several, slightly faded photos of the two of them from when they were younger.  There were also pictures of Sarah and Will in their younger days, along with a few of Dale, all encased in a heavy, thick pane of glass that framed the top of the old-fashioned coffee table.  Underneath the photos Sarah had placed a long, rectangular-shaped doily that she had created several years ago, depicting a rural farm scene with a farmhouse, barn, and silo amongst rolling hills.  Her sister always had been more creative then she, Joan silently fumed, even though she would have never been interested in such mundane tasks.  She took a sip from one of the mugs as Jack's footsteps echoed down the stairs before he appeared in the doorway. 

 

Taking a seat near her in the other chair, he reached for the other mug and took a gulp.  He sighed melodramatically.  "That's much better," he told them.  He looked around the room, filled with crocheted items, china knickknacks, inexpensive painting reproductions, and photographs displayed on the fireplace mantel, along with a wood-carved mantel clock, an antique that Will's grandfather had made by hand and was a cherished memento.  Nothing had really changed since the last time they had visited; well, almost nothing, anyway. He turned to Will to finally focus on the reason for their visit; he figured there was no reason to beat around the bush.  "So, where's our boy, Will?  Out scraping up some more trouble to get into?  I told you that you would have to watch him closely." 

 

Will stared over at his brother-in-law with barely concealed disdain.  "If you must know, Jack, your son is over at the next door neighbor's house." 

 

"Next door neighbor?" He snorted.  "You mean that farmhouse way down at the beginning of the road?"

 

Will nodded.  "That's the one."

 

Jack harrumphed.  "You call that a next door neighbor?  I can reach out and TOUCH my next door neighbor's house; that's how close WE are."

 

Will rubbed the bridge of his nose; it had been a hell of a day, and this unexpected visit was the icing on the cake.  "I ask again, Jack. What are you and Joan doing here?"

 

"What do you think, Will?" Joan spoke up as she put her coffee mug down.  "We're here to see our son. Why else would we be here?" 

 

The Walkers exchanged a glance as Sarah chose to speak up this time.  "You haven't exactly been too communicative with your son up until now," she pointed out.  "No letters, no phone calls - except for that one about a month ago.  So why the interest now?" she asked, her voice clearly broadcasting her disapproval.  She knew that Brian had tried to hide his disappointment regarding their lack of contact or concern, but every time she brought the subject of his parents up and tried to persuade him to call them, he declined, telling her that if they didn't care enough to phone him, then he certainly wasn't going to do it.  He would always act very cavalier about it, but she could still tell somehow that it hurt him to think his parents didn't even try to check up on him.  Silently Sarah had to agree; it was as if Brian didn't even exist, and they had dumped him here and had chosen to forget about him. 

 

"Do we have to have a reason to come and visit our son, Sarah?" Joan asked curtly.  "Do we need your permission?" 

 

"No," she responded, a little flustered.  "Of course not." 

 

"Don't go getting all sassy with my wife, Joan," Will warned the woman sharply, not liking the tone of her voice.  "I think it's a fair question.  You ship your boy off here to avoid embarrassment among your country club set, and then you basically forget about him. He's not even supposed to come off probation until later in the fall. To you, he's practically been non-existent since the day he arrived here. So we want to know what you're doing here."

 

"My attorney got the judge to drop the rest of his probation requirement," was the surprising response from Jack. "So we've come to take him back."

 

Sarah cast an anxious look over at her husband. Brian was happy here; she was sure of it. He had even asked to stay here. What sort of life would he be returning to?  And truthfully, she didn't want him to go. She had come to love her nephew dearly.  She strongly suspected, too, that Brian was in love with a particular boy next door. What would he think about leaving, then?  She knew it would break his spirit - and possibly plunge him back into the dark place from which he had previously emerged. "Why do you want him to come home early?" she couldn't help pressing.  "I thought you considered him an embarrassment more than anything."

 

"Why are you questioning our decision, Sarah?" Joan asked her sister defensively.  "You never questioned me like this before.  He's OUR son. We don't have to answer to you about our parenting decisions." 

 

"I'm glad you remembered he was related to you," Will retorted.  "And I'm glad that Brian's sentence was reduced. But that still doesn't explain why you're here to get him all of a sudden."

 

"It's none of your business," Jack growled defensively, suddenly feeling like he was under a microscope.  "He's been here long enough.  He doesn't belong here, and it's time for him to go home now.  You should be glad we're taking him off your hands." 

 

"So out of the goodness of your heart, you drove all the way down here from Pittsburgh just to come and fetch your boy?  Did you miss him that much, Kinney?" Will growled.  "You could have fooled me." 

 

"I don't have to justify my actions to some country hick like you!" Jack yelled then, growing highly annoyed.  Who did this simpleton think he is?  "Now call over to where our son is, and tell him to get his ass back over here and get packing!" 

 

Sarah looked over at her husband in a panic, her eyes watering. "Will..." she grasped his wrist, begging him with her eyes to do something.  But it turns out she needn't have worried. 

 

Will bristled. "I don't know why you're in such a snit to get your ‘good-for-nothing' son back all of a sudden. But last time I looked, Brian was of legal age. He can make up his own mind."  He thought he saw a worried look pass between Joan and Jack as he wondered just what they were up to.  He didn't buy their ‘loving concern' for their son one bit. 

 

This time when Joan spoke up she sounded decidedly more conciliatory; to Will, especially, her next words rang decidedly hollow.  "He's our only son," Joan said soothingly, sporting a helpless look as she smiled slightly at them.  "And while he's had his share of mischief, we...still love him. And we've missed him, haven't we, Jack?" she asked, peering over meaningfully at her husband. 

 

Jack cleared his throat.  "Uh, yeah," he replied.  "After all, he's my Sonny Boy. The house isn't the same without him.  We thought we could handle not having him with us, but we need him back."

 

"Need him back?" Will pressed. That was an odd way of putting it.

 

"No," Joan instantly corrected Jack, trying to backpedal. "He meant that we want him back.  It's just not the same there without Brian." She stood up then as she turned to her sister, a look of pleading on her face.  "Please, Sarah. Call over to that neighbor's house and ask Brian to come back here so we can see him."

 

"I still don't know..." Sarah answered in indecision. Something just didn't seem right.  Her sister and Jack had never been hesitant about indicating to them how disappointed they had been with Brian, and how he had been nothing but a troublemaker since he had reached puberty.  They had been only too happy to have them take him in, and had wasted no time in shipping him out on the next available bus to avoid embarrassment. So why the urgency to get him back now?

 

She hesitated before telling her sister, "Joan, he's happy here. Really happy.  We wouldn't mind in the least if he stuck around a while longer.  Maybe you could just visit with him, and then let him stay here until the summer is over."

 

Jack shook his head adamantly.  "No, he has to go back with us today."

 

"That's Brian's decision," Will reminded him flatly in irritation as he rose to stand next to his wife.  "Not yours...and not ours. But if he does want to stay, we...wouldn't mind," he told them, a little surprised himself that he felt that way. But the truth was, Brian had changed a great deal since he had first come here. And he was beginning to realize how much he missed having a boy like him around.  It had been so quiet since their son had died, and so empty. But Brian somehow had changed that, and helped to fill that enormous void both he and Sarah had carried in their hearts for so long.  Now the thought of losing him, too, made him feel like they were about to go through that heartache all over again. 

 

"You don't understand!" Jack snapped at him as Joan reached to grasp his arm in an attempt to calm him down.  Or was she trying to keep him from saying something?  "He HAS to go back with us!"

 

"Why, Jack?  I keep asking that question, but you don't seem to want to answer it."  Will folded his arms defiantly. "I think there's more to this than you're telling us. So why don't you just tell us the truth?"

 

"This is getting us fucking nowhere!" Jack snapped, clearly irritated over the other man's audacity.  "Now either bring him back here, or I will go and get him myself!"  He shook his head in disbelief.  "Why you would want to keep him here is beyond me. I have tried to teach him discipline, but he never listens! All he's interested in is causing trouble.  Been that way since he was a little boy, and he'll never change.  So you should be grateful to us that we're taking him off your hands early." 

 

Will's eyes darkened with anger.  "He's changed, Kinney.  He's not like that anymore. He's matured, and he's been a big help to us here."

 

Jack guffawed.  "Bullshit!  He's never going to change!  He's never worked for anything.  He either expects us to hand it to him on a silver platter, or if we can't, he goes out and steals it!  Well, the gravy train is over!  It's time for HIM to help US now!" 

 

Will frowned.  "What are you talking about? Help you how?"

 

Joan peered over at her husband in exasperation, tired of all the parrying.  "Just tell them, Jack."

 

Her husband stared over at her in disbelief.  "No! I thought we had decided that..."

 

"Oh, for God's sake, Jack!  Never mind!"  Joan turned to her sister, clearly frustrated as she explained, "Jack has run up some debt. Some large debt. And we need Brian's help."

 

Will and Sarah looked at each other in confusion before Sarah asked her sister, "How can he help with that?  You want him to get a job?"  Obviously a boy of Brian's age could only hope for a minimum-wage job, or a lower-paying one at best.  How would that really make a difference?

 

Joan replied haughtily,  "Working at some fast food restaurant, or at some convenience store isn't going to do it.  We need his help some other way."  She sighed heavily before she plunged ahead with the rest of her story.  "Do you remember me mentioning Jack's brother Dave to you?"

 

Sarah nodded.  "A little bit. He was a few years older than Jack, right?" 

 

Joan nodded as Jack averted his gaze, suddenly taking an inordinate interest in his coffee as he took a large sip from it.  "Well, turns out he died about two weeks ago from lung cancer." 

 

Sarah's eyes widened in sympathy.  "I'm sorry to hear that." She frowned as Jack snickered in response to her comment.  "Is something wrong?" she asked him.

 

"No reason to be sorry," he told her with contempt.  "He was a pain in the ass to me.  Never gave me any respect.  Thought I was a loser, just because he was such a big shot."

 

Joan explained, "His brother was president of Elson Brothers in New York City for over thirty years."

 

"The department store?" Sarah asked in surprise as Joan nodded.  Even out in the country, everyone was familiar with the big box department store chain that had stores all over the United States.

 

"Yeah. And he saved up a lot of stock over the years in the company, along with a big 401k.  By the time he retired, he had accumulated a lot of wealth," her sister told her.

 

"And he shared none of it with me," Jack interrupted, clearly angry.  "Fucking arrogant prick."

 

"Jack, please!" Joan reprimanded him as Sarah sucked in a breath over the acerbic comment.  Joan glared at him briefly before she explained, "When he died he was a very wealthy man, and he had no wife or children." 

 

Will spoke up then.  "So what does all this have to do with Brian?" 

 

"Well...for some reason, I guess because he never had any children, he took a liking to Brian when he was younger. They used to go on fishing trips together up at some lake in upper New York State every summer."

 

Jack made some sound like he was offended, but Joan ignored him.  "They...lost touch, though, when Dave got transferred to New York City, and we never really heard much from him after that.  Not for the past five years, anyway...not until his attorney called us a couple of days ago to tell us he had died from lung cancer." 

 

"That still must have been a shock," Sarah told her.  

 

"Oh, it was a shock, all right!" Jack spoke up then, his voice hard as steel.  "My dear loving brother left all of his fucking money to Brian!  My son, who never worked a day in his life, and now he's fucking rich! Isn't it a wonderful world?!"  He shook his head in frustration.  "Shit, I need a cigarette," he muttered.  He reached into his pocket to retrieve a pack of smokes, only to have Joan silently stop him with a scathing look.  Rolling his eyes, he nonetheless put them back in his pocket, running his hand in agitation through his cropped hair. 

 

The Walkers stared at each other in shock and disgust. A much clearer picture was now emerging as to the real reason why Jack and Joan had abruptly turned up out of the blue to see their nephew.  "So let me get this straight.  You don't really care at all about being here to check on your son, or his welfare," Will replied, directing his question to Jack.  "You're here because you're in debt, and you think Brian's going to bail you out?  I thought you made good money at the factory."  Sarah had filled him in each time her sister had called, and Joan had often mentioned how well Jack was doing as foreman of the factory where he was employed. He had been there ever since high school, and had developed a rapport with some of the most important members of their community, mainly through his union connections.  In fact, his and Joan's concern about their reputation in the community was a large part of why Brian had wound up here at their farm in the first place.

 

He thought he saw Jack squirm uncomfortably over his statement before his brother-in-law finally replied quietly, "Yeah, I did," his previous bravado suddenly gone.

 

"You did?" Will immediately picked up on that.  "You mean you aren't there anymore? What happened?"

 

Jack fidgeted a little more.  "That doesn't matter," he mumbled, quickly growing uneasy.

 

"I think it does, or you wouldn't be here, would you?" Will wouldn't back down.  "Were you let go?"

 

Joan hastily interjected with a nervous smile, "I'm sure you can understand why Jack doesn't want to talk about that."

 

But Will wasn't in the mood to play games; not after the day he and Sarah had just experienced.  "Just what sort of ‘debt' do you have, Jack?  Mortgage payment?  Household expenses?  A car loan? Or something else?"  Throughout his and Sarah's life together - despite their modest assets and meager savings - Will had strove hard to never be in debt to anyone, so at least what he had was his.

 

"That's not important," Jack insisted, "and it's none of your business, either."

 

But Will was not to be deterred. "You had to have some money saved up."  In fact, he remembered his wife telling him that Joan had gloated about the high-powered lawyer they had secured to keep their son out of jail, and how it had barely made a dent in their savings at the time. So what had happened since then?  All of a sudden, another previous conversation that Sarah had told him about - one in which Joan had confided to her about Jack running up a lot of gambling debt- came to mind, and it was then that he understood everything with crystal-clear clarity.  "Oh, my God," he stated.  "You've finally done it, haven't you?  It's the gambling, isn't it, Jack? That's why you need your son's help so badly."  Apart from his vice of coffee drinking, Will had always staunchly veered away from any other possible vices, such as drinking, smoking - and gambling, so he had a very hard time understanding why someone would practically ruin their life, and resort to desperate means, just to engage in such an unproductive activity.  It made his opinion of his brother-in-law even less than before

 

Joan peered over at her sister with disdain.  "You told him?  How could you?"

 

Sarah stared back at her with resolve.  "I never keep secrets from my husband."  Unlike you, was the silent words left unspoken, but clearly they were understood nonetheless.   

 

"Oh, that's great!" Jack snarled as he glared over at Joan, immediately confirming that Will had been right.  "You couldn't keep your big mouth shut, could you?"  Turning back to Will, he lashed out at him in desperation.  "Look, I didn't come here to be grilled!  This is none of your fucking concern!  He is OUR son, not yours.  Yours is dead, remember? And Brian is NOT going to take his place!"

 

Will's eyes narrowed immediately and his jaw clenched as Sarah gasped at the open hostility in his voice.  "Get out." 

 


 

Unbeknownst to all of them, someone had quietly slipped inside the back screen door several minutes ago.  Having noticed the familiar car outside, Brian had frowned in surprised recognition as he had headed up the steps and went inside, looking around the empty kitchen before he heard heated voices clearly filtering in from the living room down the hall. Now as he stood there, frozen with both a mixture of sorrow for his uncle's death as well as anger over what his father was saying, he found that he couldn't move.

 


 

"What?"  Jack replied in astonishment. 

 

"I said GET OUT."

 

Jack bristled as his face flushed with anger.  "You can't speak to me that way!"

 

"Oh, yes, I can...this is my house.  And you are leaving...NOW."

 

"Fine...as soon as my son comes with me."

 

"Brian isn't going anywhere with you."

 

Jack laughed scornfully.  "You can't tell me what to do with my own son!  Why would you want him anyway?  He's an immature brat who will never amount to anything!"

 

Standing to the left of the hallway in the kitchen, Brian's heart ached as he heard the hateful words spewing out of his father's mouth.  The terrible things that his father was saying about him - and the belief that he wouldn't care - would have been immediately revealed as a lie if anyone could see him at the moment as he blinked back tears and dug his fingers into his palms in anger.

 

"That's where you're wrong," Will told him.  "He's changed.  And he's more of a man than you'll ever be.  Now get out, before I throw you out!" 

 

Jack glared daggers at him as he slowly rose, deciding he could handle retrieving his son on his own.  "Fine," he gritted out as his eyes continued to bore into his.  "I'll just go get him myself." He turned to his wife, who had been sitting there silently, almost too frozen to speak.  He roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her up to stand, making her wince.  "Let's go," he ordered her as he pulled her toward the doorway.  Turning to look at the Walkers, he told them sarcastically, "Thanks for your hospitality.  And don't ever expect us  - or Brian - to come back here again." 

 

"But..." Joan protested, torn between obeying her husband and leaving her sister, who - despite their differences - she still loved. 

 

"I said...Let's GO!" Jack roared as he roughly pulled her along with him.

 

He and a reluctant Joan quickly headed down the hallway as she bit back a scathing remark regarding how her husband had handled things so poorly, before they stopped abruptly when they reached the kitchen and spied their son. Jack's sour, hostile face quickly dissolved into a fake smile as he hurriedly let go of his wife's wrist.  "Sonny Boy!" he cried out as he rushed over to embrace Brian - only to watch as his son immediately shrunk away from him into the corner.

 

"Stay away from me!" Brian shouted, his watery eyes dark with anger and hurt. 

 

"Brian..." Joan pleaded.  "We've come all this way just to see you."

 

"Bullshit!" he snapped as he glared at his father. "I just heard what you said, you bastard.  And the reason why you're really here.  I don't know why you think I would possibly help you after what you just said!  There's no way in HELL that's going to happen!  Go away!"

 

"Now listen here, Sonny Boy, you are still our son...you can't treat us this way," Jack growled.  "We've taken care of you for 19 years; it's time for you to show us a little respect."

 

Brian laughed at the absurdity of that comment.  "Respect?  RESPECT?  You haven't earned any respect!" 

 

Joan tried to reason with her son as she reached out to grasp his sleeve.  "Brian, listen to me! We got the judge to suspend the rest of your probation period! Don't you see? You can come home now!  You don't have to stay here in this backwater town anymore!"

 

Brian pulled his arm away from her.  "I don't know how you got the judge to drop the rest of my probation, but if you're looking for gratitude, you've come to the wrong place!  I don't want to go back! Especially with YOU!" 

 

"Brian, don't be ridiculous!  Will and Sarah, they don't really want you here!  You're just a replacement for their son, that's all. They'll grow tired of you, believe me."

 

"I'll take that chance," Brian told them, a small seed of doubt blooming inside him that perhaps his mother was right; maybe they WERE trying to turn him into a version of their dead son.  But staying here was unquestioningly preferable in any case to going back home with two people who belittled him and only wanted to use him for their own selfish needs.  "You heard Uncle Will. He told you to GET OUT."  He gave his father a shove as he walked past him, noticing for the first time his uncle standing in the hallway just outdside the kitchen, his aunt clutching his uncle's arm.

 

"You heard your son," Will told Jack, the quiet in his voice belying his fury.  "Either you leave now...or I call the sheriff to come out here.  And trust me, he WILL come out here." 

 

Jack glared daggers at his son for several seconds as Brian stood defiantly a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest.  Finally, Jack turned to his wife.  "Let's get out of here," he told her as he headed toward the door.

 

"But what about the money?" Joan cried.  "Without that money, we can't even pay our mortgage!  You've drunk and spent it all away!" 

 

"What do you want me to do, Joan?" Jack snarled.  "I said COME ON."  He looked over at his angry son one last time.  "We don't need you anymore.  You're no longer my son. Don't ever contact us again, or come anywhere near us.  You're dead to us now...just like Dale is to them."  Walking over to the screen door, he flung it open and slammed it behind him, the resulting loud, banging noise making everyone jump slightly.

 

Brian thought he saw just a glimmer of regret on his mother's face before she finally turned and followed her husband outside.   Several seconds later, the sound of the car doors slamming was followed by the motor starting up; ten seconds more, the sound of tires squealing could be heard as Jack turned the car around and proceeded back the way he had come, a cloud of dust rising up in its wake.  Within a few more seconds, only the sound of Brian's labored breathing and the quiet ticking of the kitchen clock over the sink could be heard. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

 

I do apologize for the extremely long delay, but I am very happy to finally provide my readers with an update to this story.  I presently only have two WIPs I am working on, so that will hopefully speed up the updating process going forward. I'd like to thank those who are still reading, and especially for the feedback.

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