Out Of The Past

"Company?" Sammy inquired 

"Yes, two children, from what Vassily said" I told them. 

The boys all looked at each other, and then back to me, before Derek asked "Who are they?" 

"I don't know, we'll find out shortly, as they're on the way up." I told them. 

None of them looked very sure about it, so I quickly said, "They are vouched for by someone who I trust completely, so let's go meet them." 

They still didn't look very sure about it, and I knew they wouldn't be very trusting of new people, but they followed me out to the main room, as the front door opened, and two boys came in, followed by Vassily. 

They stopped just inside the room, looking at us as we looked back at them. 

One was in his mid teens, with chocolate brown hair, and the other looked to be around 10 or 11, with medium blonde hair and piercing gray eyes, which I could see from here, both looking at us, frankly and openly, while I noticed my bunch, were still gazing at them suspiciously.

Vassily apparently decided to beat a hasty retreat, as he simply nodded his head and left, while I observed the standoff for a moment, before walking forward and beginning the introductions.

"I'm Mike Reynolds, and this is my family." I told them, introducing the two boys to the brood.

"I'm Clint, and this is my brother Ian." the older of the two said.

"Welcome but exactly what are you doing here, if I may ask." I asked anyway.

"We have specialized security training, and are here to provide personal protection for you and your family." Clint answered, while I just looked on.

If they had been here, except through the auspices of anyone other than who they were, then I would not have believed them, but with that person vouching for them, I was left with little choice.

What disturbed me though, was watching Sammy and the trinity, along with Peter, stare at them intently, and their expressions were not their usual welcoming selves

I was surprised as they usually were rather friendly but for some reason not this time which worried me.

"Ah, please sit down, and maybe you could explain exactly what you are going to be doing here." I told them, and watched as they took seats across from us, while we sat down as well.

Sammy and the trinity never took their eyes off of the two new boys, as they sat and I watched this development, warily.

We were all looking at each other, and none of us seemed to know what to say, until the boy who had introduced himself as Clint spoke up.

"We are going to be your bodyguards, we will live with you for the time being, and go wherever you may go, staying close to you at all times, in case we are needed." he told us.

"I see, and you have said you have specialized security training?" I asked them.

"Yes we do" he replied, but did not amplify his remark which left me a bit more curious than I was before.

"Could you possibly tell us a little bit about that training?" I asked them, and watched as they quickly looked at each other, before Clint turned back and replied, 

"I'm sorry, but other than we have specialized training from the UFP Cadet program, we are not at liberty to discuss anything further about who we are." he told us.

UFP Cadets, that certainly put a different spin on it, as I looked at them sharply, but it didn't change the fact that I still didn't know anything about them, and I didn't much like it, although being vouched for by that person, did say a great deal to assuage my worries. 

"What's that daddy?" Peter asked, as the others looked on intently, waiting for the answer to that question.

"Its like a police training program for young people." I told them, and got nods and murmurs of "ok" in response. 

Ian then spoke up, "You know who sent us, so that should help with your fears, but we are unable to tell you anything else, right now." he said, very seriously, while I looked on.

"That is the only reason you were allowed in here. I don't like not knowing anything about you, but that person's vouching for you will have to do, I suppose." I told them. But the tone of my voice made it very clear, I didn't much like the circumstances at the moment.

"I understand, Mr. Reynolds, and neither of us blames you for your feelings in the matter, but at the moment, we can't say anything else." Clint stated.

I simply nodded as I heard the phone ring, and got up to answer it, leaving Samantha with the kids.

It was Alan.

"Mike, I have spoken with Bill, and he sent over a bunch of stuff, which I am reviewing right now." he told me, as Sammy walked into the room, and sat down. 

"It looks like a cut and dried case, without any evidence to ever have supported It." he told me.

"Yes, the judge's remarks sum up the case, and we did win a rather large settlement from the county over it as well." I informed him.

"Well, I'm still looking it over, but I don't think we have anything to worry about from the trial, but what they could say now, is a different matter entirely." he said.

"Yes I know. They have had six years to fill those boys' heads with God knows what kind of crap." I said to him.

"That is going to be the problem, Mike, they will have essentially brainwashed those kids, to the point where they truly believe all sorts of things, none of them good for us." Alan said to me.

"What can we do?" I asked.

"That is a problem. They will believe what they are saying, and it might be hard to budge them from their testimony, we will just have to see what happens. I will do the best that I can, but I just don't know." he told me.

"I know you will, Alan, and that's all anyone could ask." I said, reassuringly to him.

"Ok, I will go over the rest of this stuff, and get back to you in a little while." he said. Before cutting the connection, leaving me sitting there thinking, and looking up at Sammy, who was looking back at me, with a strange look on his face.

"What is it son?" I asked him.

He shook his head slightly, as he said "Something about them, dad. I don't trust them. They aren't telling us something." 

I knew by now, not to question him about how he knew, but I did ask, "Do you think they're dangerous to us?" 

He looked at me for a second or two, with a clearly confused expression on his face, as he slowly said, "No, I don't think so dad. I don't know what it is, but they are telling the truth about protecting us, I think, there's just stuff they aren't telling us as well, important stuff." he finished.

"Ok then, but if you or the others see anything that worries you, let me or Samantha know, ok?" I told him.

"Yeah dad, we will. We'll be watching them real close." he said, and the look in his eyes did not portend well, for the two boys, if they turned out not to be what they had represented themselves to be.

"Ok then. There's not much we can do with things as they are at the moment. Watch them, and if anything jumps out at you, yell. Otherwise we'll take our friends word for them. Also, remember that they are in the UFP Cadet program, which says something about their character." I told him.

He just nodded his head, and I got up and came around, bending down and giving him a hug and kiss, telling him softly, "Remember, honey it's going to be alright. Somehow it's going to be alright. We have to keep remembering that." 

"I know, dad, I know." he said, looking up at me, and giving me his patented Sammy smile, which warmed my heart to see, as I gave him another kiss.

We got up and walked back into the other room, and were presented with the same tableau as when I had left. 

The two new boys sitting across from the rest, and just looking at each other.

The new boys, with obvious nervousness, and my bunch with obvious distrust on their faces, staring at each other. 

I knew that for the two new ones, it was going to be a difficult time, because without Sammy and the Trinity trusting them, none of the others would either, as was evidenced by the scene before me, and I knew they didn't.

"Clint and Ian, why don't you go with Sammy, and have him show you where you'll be sleeping." I suggested, trying to break the tension in the room.

I stood and watched as did the others, as Sammy walked off not waiting to see if the newcomers followed or not.

"Uncle Mike, there's something about them." Randy said, as they shook their heads, watching the entrance into the hallway where the three boys had disappeared. "They're not telling us everything." he continued, echoing, from a few moments earlier, what Sammy had said, in the conference room. 

"I know guys. Sammy told me a few minutes ago, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him, the person who recommended them is someone I trust completely, but keep an eye on them, and if you see anything that concerns you, let Samantha or me know immediately." I told them as they nodded their heads. 

---

Meanwhile:

"This is where you will be sleeping." I told them, and realized that I wasn't being very friendly, but there was something about them that I just couldn't figure out, and I didn't like it.

"Thanks Sam." Ian said, as they walked into the room, looking around before turning back to me.

I just looked at them, but still couldn't get anywhere. There was something, hidden, secretive about them. 

I could see their nervousness increasing, but I had to know just who they were, so I asked.

"Who are you?" I said coldly.

I watched as they looked at each other, clearly nervous before Ian turned and said, "We told you, he's Clint and I'm Ian." 

"Who are you?" I said again flatly.

I watched, as once again they looked at each other, only this time, it was Clint who answered, "I don't know what you mean." he told me, looking challengingly at me.

This was pissing me off. I wanted answers, and they weren't giving me any, now they were lying to me.

I moved closer to Clint, stopping directly in front of him, and saying in a very quiet voice,

"Why don't you cut the bullshit, cadet program or not, you're not telling us the truth, and I want to know what you're hiding!" as they continued to look at me, not saying anything.

Fine.

"If you hurt my family, I'll make sure you regret it, big time." I said, trying to put as much menace in my voice as I could.

I was not happy with this, not happy at all, as I turned and headed out of the room.

---

The boys in question watched as Sammy walked stiffly out of the room, and slammed the door behind him, leaving them stunned in his wake.

"What do we do now?" Ian asked Clint.

"I don't know. We can't tell them anything." he told his younger brother.

"I know that, but he suspects something." Ian replied.

"How though?" Clint asked.

"I don't know bro, but he does, and he's kinda pissed." Ian said. 

"Yeah I got that." Clint replied, with some sarcasm in his voice, as Ian gave him a look.

"We have our orders." Clint replied.

"I know but somehow they know and they are mad at us, and it's gonna make things hard." Ian said to his brother.

"Yeah, but we don't have any choice. We'll just have to make do with things as they are. I also don't think they're mad at us, so much as cause we're not telling them all the truth. They don't trust us, because they know that, but I think it's mostly cause they're worried." 

"Yeah, can you blame them?" Ian asked.

"No, little bro, I can't." Clint replied softly, as they both thought about just what these boys had been through recently, and why they were here.

---

I was sitting in the room with the others, and there was a tense quietness that hadn't been broken with the three boy's departure, and wasn't leavened upon their return either.

Sammy came walking back into the room, clearly angry, and with a stormy look on his face, which you rarely saw, but boded ill to whomever it was directed at.

He was going to walk by me, but I stopped him with one word, "Sam?"

He froze as if I had grabbed him, and I called again softly, "Sammy?" 

"Yeah dad," he replied finally.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"No, nothing happened." he replied, in a tone that clearly said something was supposed to have happened that didn't.

"Give them a chance baby boy." I told him softly.

"They're lying to us dad." he said, and that, I knew, made him angrier than just about anything else. 

I had always stressed telling the truth to him, and he had always believed the same, lying was up there on the top of his unforgivable sins list, but I needed him to look at this a little less hot headedly, or someone was going to end up hurt.

"Sammy, I want you to think about something for a minute, ok?" I asked him.

"Ok dad." he replied.

"Have they lied to us, I mean really lied to us?" I asked, and watched as his mouth opened to respond hotly, and then slammed shut as he thought seriously about the question, before he admitted softly "No." 

"Then you believe there are things that they aren't telling us, but they haven't actually lied." I told him.

"I guess," he said, kind of reluctantly, I thought.

"Well then, they are going to be here with us for a while, so it might make sense, if you tried to get along a little bit with them, and keep a watch, like we discussed. If they do something that warrants intervention, then we can take action, but until then, why don't we give them the benefit of the doubt?" I asked him.

He stood thinking for a moment, then let out a soft sigh, and came over to sit down beside me, saying softly 

"Ok, dad I will." 

"Good, thanks baby." I said to him.

About that time, the two boys in question came back out of the hallway, walking into the room, clearly wary of their reception, but bravely going over and sitting down, while Sammy surprised me by getting up and walking over towards them.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but SamSam surprised me yet again, by saying, "I'm sorry for the way I acted." as the boys watched him. It was then I noticed that I wasn't the only one surprised by this turn of events, as both boys' mouths dropped open in shock, before they quickly recovered and looked at one another. 

Clint was the first to respond, by saying, "That's ok, we understand and we don't blame you for being worried about us." as Sammy nodded his head and turned, walking back to me and taking a seat by my side. 

Well, I wouldn't say the cold war was over, but there had certainly been a slight thaw, for the moment at least.

Now everyone was back to staring at each other, at least until Peter surprised everyone by getting up and walking over to them, planting himself in the very startled lap of Ian, who with a surprised look, which quickly turned to one of pleasure, wrapped his arms around the small boy, who was snuggling into his shoulder.

Clint was looking on at this, with the same degree of shock as were my bunch, and I could see that it was kind of hard for Sammy to take this turn of events, not to mention the trinity. 

Once again the phone rang, pulling me from the lesson in youthful social dynamics, and I got up reluctantly, to answer it, hoping they wouldn't kill each other while I was gone. 

I had never seen them react this way before, and it was quite a shock, to say the least. 

"Hello" I answered. 

"Yes Mike, I thought I would add to the matter, by informing you that they are under orders not to discuss themselves with anyone, including you." the voice said.

"I don't much like operating in the dark." I told it plainly, this person, of all people knew this.

"I know Mike, but for now you will be. They are to be trusted, their mission is to protect you and the children, and nothing more and that is all you can be told at this time." it told me.

"Well, it seems I don't have a lot of choice in the matter." I said.

I heard a soft chuckle and then "No, I'm afraid you don't." as the line went dead.

Just peachy.

I started to go back into the room but once again the secure line activated, and I answered it to find Alan again.

"I wanted you to know, that I have reviewed everything, along with some new stuff, the prosecutor is planning on using." he said, pausing as I took a deep breath, and asked him,

"Is it as bad as I feared?" 

"Mike, there's no easy way to put this, other than to say, yes. It's very bad. The children are going to testify that you molested them repeatedly, when they were three and four years old. They have been seeing a psychologist for a number of years, who has helped them 'recover' their memories of their abuse at your hands. What the DA turned over to me; is very detailed, and very graphic, I'm afraid it can't get much worse than this." he said, as I sat there stunned.

I guess that while somehow intellectually, I knew they would have been brainwashed, hearing Alan spell it out hit me, and hit me hard. 

How can you combat something like that? 

The answer was that you couldn't, no one could. 

I was screwed, as were my boys and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it, as I just sat back and let out a deep breath I hadn't even realized I had been holding. 

No matter what Alan did, or how good he was, the boys would by now be completely convinced of the non-existent events actually having happened to them, there would be absolutely no way that he would be able to combat what they would get up on the stand and say.

What they would say would damn me as effectively as if they had a video of it actually happening. 

"Mike, Mike" I heard, as I was brought back to the present, and said "Yes Alan, sorry." 

"Look Mike, I won't sugarcoat this, as you may have guessed by now, there is not a lot I can do about this, when they get on the stand. These boys have been made to truly believe what they are going to say about you. I'm sorry, but the chance of actually shaking their stories is rather small." Alan told me. 

"Yeah, I was just thinking that. God, they must hate me now." I said, sad beyond measure.

"I'm sorry Mike." Alan told me, before saying, "I'll talk to you a bit later." in a sad voice, and closed out the line, leaving me sitting there staring blankly at the wall, until I suddenly had an armful of boy cuddling himself into me, bringing me back from feeling sorry for myself, as I found myself staring into those gold flecked brown pools of his.

"It's going to be ok Dad." he told me, echoing my comments of a short while ago, as I just looked back at him sadly.

How do I tell him that it wasn't? 

It couldn't be.

"Sammy, I just found out something that....that is really not good." I said softly to him.

"What could be so bad, Dad?" he asked, still looking at me.

I took a deep breath and tried to think how to answer this, as I began to explain to him exactly how screwed we or I now was.

"Sammy, my nephews....they...."

"Dad, they know what really happened." Sammy interrupted; telling me in his innocence, as I sadly shook my head.

"Sammy, I know this will be hard for you to understand, but at one time they did but not anymore." I told him.

I held up my hand to forestall any comments, as I continued, "They have been told since they were very small, that they were molested by me. Their mother and what they think of as their father have constantly reinforced this idea of what happened, until they believe it completely." I said.

Stopping him once again, I continued, "Sammy, not only that, they have been going to a psychologist since they were three and four years old, who has helped them 'remember' what I did to them. They believe one hundred percent, and then some, that I actually hurt them. Any other memories they might have had, now are changed to reflect this. It's brainwashing, but the thing is, there is nothing we can do to combat it. They truly believe that it actually happened. They won't be lying up there; they will be convinced they are telling the absolute truth. There is no way that Alan can fight that. I'm sorry, honey" I finally finished, as he buried his head in my shoulder, giving me a hug.

He looked back up at me gazing into my eyes as he said "It's going to be alright Dad, we know you'd never hurt a kid, ever" and I almost cried at the innocence and faith he showed to me then. 

Only a child could have such complete faith that all would turn out right with the world simply because it should. 

It's sad that we seem to lose that somewhere with growing up, truly sad, I thought as I gazed back at him, and he gently kissed me before returning to looking into my eyes.

"It will be Dad." he said softly again.

There wasn't a lot I could say to that, so I elected to simply reply, "I hope so honey, I certainly hope so." 

"Dad, how can they make someone believe something happened when it didn't?" he asked me, clearly puzzled by such a seeming contradiction.

"Well, it depends on the age of the person honey, but essentially they tell the kids over and over again until the kids start believing it. They also get the kids to question every little thing that ever happened to them, with the adult, and paint it in a different light. Eventually, if the person is skilled enough, the kids will at best question all the interactions they ever had with the adult, and most likely believe that they were molested and hurt by that adult." I told him.

He had a puzzled look on his face, and his head was tilted kind of to the side, as he tried to assimilate it, but finally he said, "But how?" 

Oh this was going to be hard, but how do you explain brainwashing to an eleven year old child who has no concept that anyone could be that evil?

"Sammy, as an example, they will take something that is totally innocent, and change it over time, until the child begins to question what he or she had always believed to be true. Once that happens, it becomes much easier for the shrink to convince them that what happened was bad, or that something happened at all." I said.

"But how can anyone get someone to believe something that didn't happen?" he asked, clearly still confused about it.

"Well, let's take something that is very common in our house, as an example, nudity. Now lets add into that at some point, I said yes when you wanted to do something. Now, let's say that it got discovered, and you got to see a shrink to help you deal with being molested. Do you follow me so far?" I asked.

"You wouldn't have been hurting me none," he said. 

"Well, a lot of people think I would be, honey and loving you like that isn't worth the risk of what could happen to you," I said to him sadly.

"Dad, it's my choice to make, and if I am willing to take the risk, then you should be ok with It." he said, dead seriously to me.

"I'm not honey, I'm scared of losing you, and it's not worth it to risk that." I said to him, looking him in the eyes, which were locked with mine.

"It's my choice dad." he said, with finality, and I knew this subject would come up again, as it had in the past. I had hurt him by rejecting him, even though I had tried very hard not to, but he just didn't understand. For all those who say a child can't want to do something, they must not have any of their own, because they definitely know whether they do or not.

Sometimes it sucked to have to be the adult.

"Sammy, going with what I outlined to you, think about this." I said to him,

"It gets discovered, and you go to a shrink. The first thing is going to be you telling him or her, that you wanted it, and liked it right?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I'd tell them the truth." he said, rather indignantly I thought, as I said, "I know that honey." which seemed to calm his fiery expression somewhat.

I could swear those gold flecks glowed at times, as they seemed to swirl in his eyes when he was upset or angry.

"They would take you back to the first day you met me, and how I allowed you to masturbate in front of me. Then they would move forward, and cover every single thing that ever happened between us. The fact that you had your penis out, on that first day. The fact that you were nude with me. The fact that I allowed you in the shower with me. The fact that we washed each other. The fact that you slept and sleep naked with me sometimes. Every little thing they would find, and get you to talk about, and then they would start twisting it, changing it, corrupting it." I told him, before pausing to take a breath.

"You will be going for these sessions once, twice, or even three times a week, and they will come at you over and over again, taking those things and getting you to question them. Did I let you shower with me so you would get comfortable with it, so I could do more one day, and things like that. Why did I let you sleep naked with me? Why did I let you masturbate that day? They will ask you a lot of 'whys' over and over again, until eventually you start asking yourself the same question. Maybe not a lot, and maybe not so you would tell the shrink, but sooner or later you will begin to question it too. Why did he do that? Why didn't he make me get dressed? Why didn't he make me sleep in my own bed? Why didn't he tell me to stop? And on and on. Once you reach that point, they have won, and it's only a matter of time until they have you no longer questioning it, but believing I was setting you up to eventually molest you. From then on it is only a matter of time until you believe that I did molest you, and that you never wanted to do anything from the nudity onward. See it's not the sex that would hurt, it's that eventually they would make you hate me, for ever doing it, and I couldn't take that." I told him, with a sad little smile on my face, as he just looked at me with an expression filled with love, before he leaned forward and gave me another kiss.

"I would never hate you dad, no matter what, never." he told me, and I just pulled him to me, hugging him tightly, and kissing the top of his head. 

"So they get a kid to ask why every little thing ever happened, and once he asks if maybe something was wrong it's kinda easier for him to believe there was?" Sammy asked, with a note of seeking confirmation in it.

"Yes honey, basically. They just suggest until the kid starts wondering and once they get that far, then they continue with that line until they explain to the child that they never actually wanted to do any of it, that no child wants to do any of those things, and the kid keeps wondering if maybe the shrink is right, until they stop wondering and start believing that he's right. These people have years of training on the mind, and how to manipulate it, and they use it very well on young children, to get the desired result." I told him.

"It just seems so...so wrong, dad." Sammy said, perplexed.

"It is honey, but that's the way it is. See another example is let's say I'm in my room changing and you walk in. Now I don't care, and won't say anything, but the shrink will ask why I didn't make you leave, or tell you not to come in my room without knocking. Now this, over time, will make you ask the same questions, only the shrink will be telling you that I did those things for an evil purpose, rather than just not caring. You see what I am talking about?" I asked him.

"Yeah dad, someone should do something to stop that." he said to me.

"Yeah that would be nice, but I don't know what they could do about it. It's quite well entrenched in psychological circles, in the treatment of children." I told him.

"It's still wrong." he said.

"Yeah it is." I replied.

Then he hugged me again, whispering "I still love you dad." in my ear as I heard "We all love you Uncle Mike," and I turned to find everyone standing behind us, watching us.

Sammy pulled his head back, and looked at them, as they looked back, and Kevin stepped forward. 

"We heard what's going on Uncle Mike, and we don't believe it. Sammy's right, everything is going to be alright, and we won't stop loving you, no matter what." as the others nodded their heads. 

I was overwhelmed by their show of support, and they seemed to sense it, as all of a sudden they came forward, and each gave me a hug, and kiss telling me they loved me.

I had tears in my eyes in very short order, as one by one they affirmed their love for me.

Even Yuri gave me a hug and kiss, and whispered in my ear, "You are good man, Mike, I no believe these lies either." before stepping back.

They were all standing around, protectively and looking at me.

"I don't know what else to say, except thank you, and I love all of you too, very much." which seemed to be enough. 

Several of them made it a point to have their hand on me somewhere, a shoulder, an arm, and such, to reassure me, and it was quite welcome, as I sat there for a moment. 

Then I noticed the time, and realized that soon it would begin. 

"Everyone, it will begin soon, so head out and get washed up, and drinks, snacks, or anything else you might need," I told them, as they all scrambled to obey.

The room cleared, but I was surprised to find Yuri standing there looking at me, with a soft smile on his face.

"Yes honey?" I asked him.

"Mike, do not worry, this will all come out well." he said to me softly, causing me to smile. I couldn't tell him the truth again, it hurt so much.

I was surprised when he came over and crawled into my lap, wrapping his arms around me hugging me to him, much as Sammy had done a short while ago, before pulling his head back and looking me in the eyes.

"Mike, I know you would not do things such as that, with child. You showed me that last night. A man who wants to sex a boy would not have stopped at the invitation extended by Chris, last night, he would have, how you say, given such a chance, would not have given it up?" he asked. 

"I would have taken advantage of the situation to touch him." I replied.

"Da," he said. "It is not so bad here in Russia , many boys find love that way, but many more are just with men who want sex, but no more. You would never do that to child, this I know, because you could have last night, and didn't. It was your choice not to do that, and Chris would have let you. He would even have liked it, but you did not, you see?" he asked me.

I smiled down softly and said, "I understand little one, thank you." 

"I had such a man when I was littler, and he loved me very much, but I love him even more." he started telling me, with a sad look in his eyes. "We did some stuff, but he loved me without too, you understand?" he asked, looking at me intently.

"Yes, Yuri I do." I told him softly, and I did.

"I meet Stefan when I was seven, and there was something about him that draw me to him right away. I always at his side, and wanting to be held, and cuddled. He would always be there to hug me, like you are with them. I start spending lot of time with him, and he love me, and I love him. I feel strange things for him, and want to do sex stuff, but he wouldn't for longest time. I think he wanted me to know he loved me without that, and I am glad he wouldn't for so long, now. We did do some stuff, finally, but it was, how you say it, the top of the cake, not the meat of it?" he said looking at me questioningly.

"The icing on the cake, and not the cake." I replied.

"Da, icing." he said, giggling before continuing. "He always tell me he didn't love me for that, but because of me, and that I think was why he wouldn't for so long. I have heard, in your country, people think it is wrong, but I think it is using a child for it without the love, which is wrong." he said, very seriously.

"You are very right, honey." I told him, very right. Too many would use a child and not love him, and that was the biggest problem with it.

"He took me away from the place where I lived, and gave me a home, made sure I went to school, and learned English. He took in several other children, and loved them as well. He didn't do sex stuff with all of us either, as some would think. He just loved us, and if we wanted that kind of love, then he was there, when the time was right." he told me.

I could tell how hard this was for him, and that was confirmed when he said what he did next.

"I love Stefan so much, but he die when I was 11, in automobile accident, I still miss him." he told me, as tears began to run down his face.

"I'm sorry." I said, as I pulled him to me and hugged him tightly.

"So am I, Mike, so am I, he was good man." he said softly, as he sobbed.

"He was like you Mike; I can see it in you. You love the children but not sex stuff, them, you understand?" he said, "You love them no matter what," he told me.

"Yes baby, I understand." I told him, kissing the top of his head, as another sob racked his body. 

"What happened to you when he died, sweetheart?" I asked him gently.

"Stefan make plans in case...in case something happen to him. He not want us back in home for children with none." he said brokenly.

"He make sure we have home. It is not Stefan, but the babushka, she take good care of us, she is kindly woman but...is not Stefan" he ended with another sob. 

I just hugged him to me, and upon hearing something looked up to find Chris sitting there looking at Yuri, with tears in his eyes. 

Behind him were Sammy, the Trinity, and Derek, and all of them looked as if they were close to crying as well. 

I wondered how long they had been there. 

Chris began wheeling himself over to us, and when he got close enough, he placed his good hand on Yuri's head, causing Yuri to look up quickly, and start to turn red with embarrassment as Chris said, 

"I'm really sorry Yuri; your father sounds like he was a wonderful man." 

Yuri didn't say anything for a moment, but then softly said, "He wasn't my father, even though I wish that he could have been." 

I was watching this, and didn't notice Sammy angrily striding over to us, until he said in a voice filled with anger; "HE WAS your father Yuri, even if his sperms didn't make you, don't ever think he wasn't." causing Yuri to sit back in shock.

"Just like Mike is my dad, he was yours, do you understand?" Sammy asked him, softer this time.

"Nyet" he said, shaking his head, and looking from me to Sammy and back again.

"Yuri, I found Sammy, or he found me." I said chuckling, "and he became my son, but I didn't 'make him' as it were," I told him.

"You are not his father?" he asked perplexed.

"Yuri he IS my father, just like Stefan is yours." Sammy told him, gently now. 

Yuri was looking back and forth between us, as the Trinity and the others, now including everyone, walked up to surround us.

"He is my father now too, and his sperms didn't make me either," Brian said. 

"Me too, I never had a daddy that loved me before," Peter added.

"He says we can be his sons too," Derek told him, while Chris nodded at that.

"And he is a second father to us as well," Randy said.

"So just because sperms didn't make you or us, it doesn't mean we can't have a father." Sammy finished off for all of them.

"Mike is my dad, just as much and maybe even more, than if I had been born his kid." Sammy told him, as a look of understanding came across his face, followed by more tears, as he cried and said, "Stefan was my papa in my heart." 

"I am sure from what you have told me that you were his son, in his heart as well." I said gently.

"Da." was his only response, as everyone tried to comfort him, while he cried softly, letting the pain out, he obviously had been holding in.

I was so proud of them once again. They were the best kids in the world.

I noticed Ian and Clint, standing back watching this, and noticed an odd look pass between them, and I could see pain showing in their eyes, which made me wonder what their whole story was. 

Obviously there was one, but I knew I wouldn't be getting it.

"I have to tell you something." Yuri said, from my lap, pulling back from me and looking at all of us, and for some reason I could see fear on his face.

"Alright baby, you can tell us anything." I said, as he looked around at us before looking down at something only he could see.

"I think I, how do you say, am lover of other boys," he said, fearfully, not looking at us as I quickly looked up at the boys, who had shocked expressions on their faces. 

"Do you mean you like little boys, or just other males?" I asked.

"Oh no, not like Stefan, well maybe, I don't know, but I like other boys, you know."

"Alright then the term is gay, honey and you might be, but you might not as well." I told him.

"Gay? But is not word for happy?" he asked me, as I chuckled softly. "Yes it is, the word for happy originally, but now is used to mean homosexual as well." I told him.

"Ah, ok." he said, but he still looked a bit confused about it.

"Well then, yes I am gay, I think." he said, looking back down.

"Yuri, listen to me a moment." I said, reaching up and tugging on his chin, forcing his face up so I could look at him. 

I wouldn't let him drop his face, as I continued, "You may be or you may not be. Boys your age often do things with other boys, but that doesn't mean you are gay. Also because you may have done stuff with Stefan, and liked it doesn't mean you are gay either. Now, if you turn out to be gay, there is nothing wrong with it either, you need to know that. Do you understand?" I asked.

"Da, but you do not understand. I no like girls. Even in the home, where we did stuff together for love you know, it was the only way to have any in that place, we do stuff together to make each other feel." he told me looking at me, hoping for understanding. 

"I not like the girls, it...it disgust me to see and touch them there. I not like at all. Other boys they get hard when they do that, even though they like playing with boys too, but I don't. I did it because it is all we had to give each other, to make it better place. You understand; it was all we could do, so we did, but I not like." He told me, as I said, "Yes honey I understand." 

"So I don't think I will ever like them that way, ever." he finished, and it was a struggle to keep his head up.

"It's ok Yuri; there is nothing wrong with being gay. If you are then you are and you are just as wonderful and special a boy as you were a moment ago before you told us" I said pulling him into a hug and kissing the top of his head before letting him go again.

"Dad's right Yuri, it doesn't bother us if you are or not. We don't really know yet and we might be too, but we know we'll be loved no matter what." Sammy said, as the others chimed in with similar comments, trying to reassure the boy who still looked scared.

It was then I noticed Clint and Ian watching the scene intently, and with a very strange look on their faces, especially Clint's "Did you want to say something boys? It's ok to be gay if that's it." I asked them.

"Ah no." Clint replied, blushing while Ian just smirked at him. "Ah...I uh have a....girlfriend" Clint replied, still red for some reason, while it looked like Ian was about to break out in laughter.

"It's ok Clint, you can have one of those too, we don't mind, it's just as ok being straight, you know." Danny piped up, which got everyone laughing hysterically, especially Ian for some reason, because he fell onto the floor just pointing at a now beet red Clint, whose mouth was opening and closing spasmodically, at a loss for words.

Danny, meanwhile, looked around while laughing with a bewildered look on his face, before asking,

"What?" which set us off again. 

When Ian finally calmed down a little bit he said "This dufus is the only straight brother I got in my family" 

When we finally calmed a bit, a still red Clint was staring at his brother, with daggers emanating from his eyes, which Ian seemed to find quite funny, as I said to Yuri,

"Are you ok now, little one?"

"I think so, now." he said smiling. 

I knew that had to be hard for him, and I understood now, Stefan's reluctance to engage in sexual activity with him for so long. For a child coming from a children's home like that, it was quite common for the children to turn to sex for the physical and emotional affection they weren't getting, but still so desperately needed in their lives. They often then replaced love with sex, in their minds, equating the two and not understanding that they can be loved, without sex being involved. Stefan must have been a remarkable man, to realize this and deny Yuri what the boy thought he had wanted so desperately until he understood what real love was. It had to be very hard on Yuri as well and Stefan had to have been very loving for the boy not to feel rejected, for that was what Yuri would have seen the refusal as being, since he had no other frame of reference. 

It was a very sad reality, of those types of places as I knew all too well, and there were a lot of people out there who would have taken advantage of the young boy, to gratify themselves first and foremost. 

I was very glad that Yuri had found someone who truly loved children, and not just to have sex with them.

"So you live with this woman now?" I asked Yuri.

"Da, the babushka cares for those of us who are left of Stefan's children." Yuri said in a sad voice again.

"What happened?" I asked, softly.

He took a deep breath, and then said, "There were five of us when Stefan dies and Alexei. Two were older and have left home now. Petra, Petra is, how you say, has problems, she never happy with us. Stefan try very hard, but she....she not want to be child" he said before continuing. 

"Stefan found Petra when she was 12, and pregnant with Alexei. He give her a home like he gave us, but from beginning she want sex with us, and with Stefan and he wouldn't do that with her. She not happy at all. She had been alone too long, sex was all she had left, and when Stefan refused her, she became even worse. Alexei was born three years ago, and when he was, she left. She would come home once in a while, when she was in trouble, but not to see her baby, just for money or a place to stay. Then Stefan found her doing drugs, and kicked her out of the house for good. I have seen her once since Stefan dies, and she not even ask about Alexei, she only want money." Yuri finished sadly.

"I'm sorry baby, so sorry." I told him.

"Alexei is one to be sorry, he not have mother who love him." he said softly

"So Stefan kept Alexei?" I asked.

"Da, but Alexei, he is my baby, from beginning, I feed, change diaper and such. Stefan say I am too young, but I love him from the day he was born, and there is something, how do you say, between us, that ties us together. I can't explain, but he is like my son, even though he is not." Yuri said softly.

"It sounds to me as if he IS your son, honey." I said, which caused him to look at me before saying, "I'm just a kid, I cannot have a son." 

"Sure you can, I have three on the way" Clint put in surprising all of us as we looked at him shocked but he just grinned at our expressions.

"It doesn't matter, your age, Yuri, it matters, your heart, and in your heart, is he your son?" I asked him.

"Da, he is my son, then and he calls me papa." he said, blushing slightly.

"That's because you are his papa, so be proud of that." I said, smiling, which earned me one in return.

"That leaves one more," I said.

"Da, that is my brother Nikolai, he is 10, he really misses Stefan, we all do." 

"Kolya had been with Stefan since he was 3, so it was very hard on him, when he died." Yuri said. 

"I think it was very hard on all of you." I told him. 

"Da, I miss them." he said to me.

"So invite them here," Sammy said, as Yuri registered surprise, "I cannot do that." he replied.

"Why not?" Randy asked.

"Well, it would not be right, bringing them here, when I am working here, they would be....they would be kids." he finished lamely, which earned chuckles from all of us, as I said, 

"Well that is good then, since that is what they and you are, after all." 

"You would really allow this?" he asked, in wonder, and before I could answer added "You would allow gay person to stay with your family as well?" 

I was saddened, as I thought that had been addressed already, but wondered if maybe things were not quite as relaxed here as Yuri made them out to be. That, or maybe what was acceptable for children, didn't carry over to teens and adults. 

"Yuri, I will be glad to tell you this as many times as you need me to, it doesn't matter what you may or may not be. It matters what kind of person you are, and I think you are a good person in here." I said, pressing my hand to his chest.

"Get over the sex stuff Yuri, it really don't matter unless we want to do some, of course, but it ain't life just a fun part of it." Randy said, seriously, but it caused chuckles around the group anyway.

Yuri looked around at us, with wonder once again on his face, before a big smile came across it, and he said, "Da, Da, I will call now," and got up running out of the room, before I could tell him about the phone right next to me, but not before he gave me a quick hug.

"I don't know if I told you, but I love you guys' soooooo much." I said to my remaining kids, who just looked at me with smiles on their faces, as Sammy said, "We know, we know." amongst giggles from the others.

Then the blond tornado came running back to the room, saying "Babushka will bring them in one hour to the gates, Alexei has been driving her, how you say, out of her mental capacity to handle?" which got all of us laughing, as Sammy said "He's driving her nuts." 

"Da, nuts, very nuts," he said, giggling which caused the others to giggle as well. 

I called Vassily and advised him of the arrivals, and he said he would be looking out for them, as I hung up the phone, wondering if I had just acquired three more children. This had to stop. I had a large home, but there were limits. God, well I suppose we would have to see what happened. It sounded like Yuri was being well taken care of, even if it was not his father anymore who was doing it. Time would tell I thought, as I looked up to find Sammy looking at me with a smile on his face. 

Oh this was not good.

"No" I mouthed to him, but his smile just got bigger. 

He must think we were related to that poor woman in Florida or something.

About that time the phone rang, and I answered it, to find Alan on the other end "Anytime now, you might want to get ready." he said.

"Alright, thanks." I replied, as I hung up the phone, telling them "Get your seats, everyone, it's about to begin." 

They all scrambled to their places, and donned their headsets, as did I, while I checked the settings on the controls, not wanting anything turned on that shouldn't be.

Moments later, the judge came in, as we all stood saying, "be seated."

We sat.

"Alright people, let's get this going; and Mr. Jennings, please remember what I have told you." Kendall said, looking with clear warning at Jennings, who stood up.

"Yes your honor. At this time, we would like to recall Samuel Patrick Reynolds to the stand," and I watch as Sammy got a shocked look on his face, followed by anger

"Objection" your honor," Alan called.

"Why do you need to bring him back, Mr. Jennings?" Kendall asked.

"I would like to establish a bit of foundation which will be shown to be relevant with the new witnesses, your honor." Jennings stated.

"Very well, I'll allow it. Mr. Reynolds, will you please put Sammy back on the camera?" 

I didn't like this at all, but hit the switches making Sammy live.

"Sammy can you hear me?" the judge asked.

"Yes your honor, I can." Sammy replied.

"Good son, do you understand what is happening now?" he asked.

"Yeah, the dickhead is going to try to get me to say something against my father again." as snickers erupted in court and the judge had to hide his face with his hand while Jennings uttered his favorite word,

"Sammy, I understand this is quite a stressful time for you, but please refrain from calling the...him that, ok?" the judge asked. 

"Yes your honor." he replied and then my heart sank, as he got a smile on his face, and said, "Can I call him an....." but I quickly switched off his mic before anyone else could hear while saying sharply, "No you cannot." which earned me a glare from Sammy, and the judge asking him to repeat himself.

I switched the mic back on and he contritely said "never mind, your honor" but he shot me another look, before settling back in his seat.

Jennings approached the camera and said, "Samuel I want to ask you some simple questions, that for the most part have simple yes or no answers, do you understand me?" 

"Yes" Sam replied.

"Very well. Can you tell me if you ever are nude in your home?" Jennings asked.

Sammy gave him the patented 'stupid adult' look before saying, "Well yeah, you don't take a bath with your clothes on." 

"No, I don't imagine you do, but are you ever nude at any other time?" Jennings asked.

"I guess sometimes, like when I change clothes and stuff." Sammy answered.

"I see, what about other than changing clothes and bathing?" he asked.

"I said yeah sometimes." he replied.

"What times?" 

Sammy frowned "That's none of your business." he said.

"Objection" Alan called, at the same time Jennings was saying, "Your honor."

"Mr. Jennings, is this really necessary?" Kendall asked.

"Yes your honor; goes to show pattern, foundation, past acts, and supportive evidence." Jennings replied.

"Your honor, this is deeply personal and invasive questioning." Alan stated.

Kendall looked pensive for a moment before saying, "Sammy do you feel up to answering questions along these lines?" 

Sammy didn't answer for a moment but finally said, "Yes your honor, you only have something to be afraid of if you done something wrong, so yes."

"Very smart observation, young man. Mr. Jennings, you may proceed, but I will warn you again, tread very carefully."

Jennings didn't answer, but looked at Sammy before saying, "So are you naked at other times?" 

"Yes." Sammy replied.

"Can you tell us what other times you are naked?" Jennings asked.

"When I want to be" Sammy replied.

"When you want to be? So if you want to be at the mall your father allows it?" Jennings asked.

"Are you for real?" Sammy asked, scornfully.

"Oh very real, answer the question." Jennings snapped, while Sammy snapped back "Of course not."

"Ok, then maybe not when you want to be then." Jennings shot back.

Sammy looked at him with a completely disgusted look before saying,"Well maybe that's something you would want to do, but I have never wanted to be naked at a mall before." 

"Objection your honor" Jennings cried as his face went red.

The judge tried very hard to stop laughing, but wasn't entirely successful as he said "Yes Mr. Jennings?" 

"Can you direct the witness not to pontificate." he said.

"Pont who?" Sammy asked, eliciting more snickers from the courtroom, as Kendall looked at Jennings.

"I believe we had this discussion before, about asking questions if you don't know the answer. He answered you Mr. Jennings, and it's not the court's fault if you don't like the answers." the judge told a very mad prosecutor.

"Fine then, Samuel can you tell me if you are ever naked in the presence of your father?" 

"Yes." Sammy replied.

"Yes?" Jennings asked him.

"You deaf too?" Sammy snapped back at him.

"Objection your honor" Alan called.

"Mr. Jennings what is the point? They are father and son, and share a home together it is rather normal to expect that they have seen each other naked, numerous times. This is beginning to look like more of your innuendo to me." Kendall said.

"It is not normal your honor, I have three children ranging in age from 3 to 7 and none of them have ever seen me naked." Jennings replied primly. 

"Really? I find that hard to believe, and a bit sad for your children, but regardless, different parenting styles do not justify what I am hearing so far." Kendall stated.

"Your honor, I am trying to show a grooming process, and making the children comfortable with nudity is part of it." Jennings stated.

"I see, well tread carefully Mr. Jennings, because lots of nudists out there might take exception to where you're going with this." Kendall said while Jennings looked like he swallowed a lemon or something else rather bitter.

"Samuel, you have stated your father allows or encourages you to be naked with him and I wo....."

"He doesn't care but he never made me." Sammy interrupted him.

"Just answer the questions young man." Jennings snapped at him.

"Then stop lying about my dad, and I will." Sammy retorted.

"I am the one asking the questions, and you will answer them." Jennings stated.

"Objection badgering." Alan called out.

"Mr. Jennings, get control of yourself this instant, or he's gone." Kendall barked out clearly angry.

"Fine then. Samuel, you said you get naked with your dad...." Jennings started to say but Sammy interrupted him again. "No I didn't. I said I get naked sometimes, and it is around him sometimes, but I don't get naked WITH him as you are trying to say." 

"Samuel are you ever naked around your father?" 

"Yes." Sammy replied.

"Is he ever naked around you?" Jennings then asked.

"Sometimes." 

"Are you ever naked and together at the same time?" Jennings asked.

"Sometimes." Sammy answered.

"Like when?" Jennings asked next.

"If I take a shower with him," Sammy said.

"You shower with your father, at your age?" Jennings said, snidely.

"Yeah, sometimes." Sammy replied, shrugging his shoulders, as if it was no big deal.

"And you don't think that is wrong?" Jennings asked.

"Why would it be wrong?" Sammy asked him, with a perplexed look on his face.

"I guess that sums it up pretty well." Jennings asked, before he added with a derisive tone, "Tell me does he wash you too?" 

"Objection." Alan called.

"That's it Mr. Jennings, I've had enough of this." Kendall said with anger plain in his voice.

"Don't you think it very strange that an 11 year old and a 35 year old man are showering together, and washing each other's bodies?" Jennings snapped at him

I thought I had seen Kendall mad before, but his face turned to stone, as he said in a deadly cold voice, "Mr. Jennings, I have tolerated all I am going to tolerate from you. No I don't find it strange at all. I have four children, and all of them at times, frequently come into the shower with me, and we wash each other. Are you implying that something untoward automatically happens, in such a situation? Because if you are, I will tell you that it doesn't. Your entire case is built on innuendo so far, and frankly, I am sick of it. Bathing one another is a wonderful bonding experience, and I can assure you that bonding does not equate to sex. This witness is dismissed, and if you try such a stunt again, this trial will be over. Do you understand me?" 

Jennings looked shocked, and muttered, "Yes" through gritted teeth.

"Alright Sammy you may step down, and you will not be recalled." Kendall said, in a much nicer tone of voice that should brook no argument.

"Your honor redirect?" Alan asked.

"Go ahead" Kendall replied.

"Sammy, have you ever had any type of sex with your father?" Alan asked

"No." Sammy replied. 

"Has your father ever had any type of sex with you?" he asked next.

"No." 

"Objection," Jennings called out.

"What now?" Kendall asked. 

"Does the child have any conception of what he just answered?" Jennings asked.

Kendall just looked at him, but finally asked, "Sammy do you know what sex is, and what the questions Mr. Simpson just asked meant?" 

"Yes your honor, I do. He wanted to know if me and dad ever did anything like jacking each other off, or sucking each other, stuff like that." Sammy answered, matter of factly; while Jennings turned red, and snickers erupted in the courtroom.

"Does that answer your question, Mr. Jennings?" Kendall said but Jennings didn't reply just glowered. 

"Anything else Mr. Simpson?" the judge asked, but Alan was shaking his head as he replied, "No your honor, I think that pretty much covered it."

"I think it did too. Sammy, you may step down, and I apologize for your having to undergo this." Kendall told him.

"It's ok your honor, it's not your fault." Sammy said, clearly not saying that he knew exactly whose fault it was.

That person just glared at him.

"Alright Mr. Jennings, you have managed to establish this family sometimes are naked in their home, and they don't have a problem with nudity, so what's next?" Kendall asked, all nicety gone from his voice.

"I would like to call some of the other children at this time." Jennings stated.

"You may like to Mr. Jennings, but you aren't going to." Kendall told him. In no uncertain terms. 

"Your honor, you are deliberately hampering my efforts at...." Jennings started to say but Kendall cut him off.

"Mr. Jennings, you are simply going to bring other children up here, and insinuate more of the same thing. I am not going to tolerate anymore of it. You want them to say they get naked sometimes, then I am sure they will so stipulate. But I will not allow you to keep trying to paint a picture that something improper took place between Mr. Reynolds and them, when I have seen absolutely no evidence to support such an accusation." he told him.

"Fine, then I would like to call Kathleen Reynolds to the stand." Jennings said, clearly furious but dropping that line, at least for now.

"Very well bailiff, would you get Mrs. Reynolds?" Kendall asked.

I watched with trepidation as the bailiff walked to the doors to the courtroom, and called out, "Kathleen Reynolds" and then, as a woman entered and walked up the aisle. She was almost unrecognizable as my sister. 

She had gray in her hair in places, and looked haggard and drawn, but she carried herself regally as she walked up the aisle, and through the swinging doors stating, "It's DeMarco" 

"I beg your pardon?" the judge asked of her, as she approached the witness stand.

"My name it's Kathleen DeMarco, not Reynolds." she stated imperiously, as she seated herself on the stand, to the raised eyebrow of the judge.

"I see," Kendall stated, without further comment. 

"Please make sure your records reflect the correct name." she told him. 

"Oh, I most certainly will." Kendall replied, with an ironic tone to his voice.

"Mrs. DeMarco, can you tell us why you are here today?" Jennings asked.

"To protect other children from what my sick brother did to mine." she stated, while Sammy said "She's full of it." into what I belatedly realized was a still open microphone, and Alan called "Objection your honor."

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To Be Continued ... 

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PLEASE READ MEMORIES PARTS 1 AND 2 THEY WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THIS STORY MUCH BETTER. ALSO READ THE OTHER CSU STORIES. THEY ARE ALL PART OF ONE GREAT FAMILY OF STORIES. Thanks DS