Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:30:15 EDT From: Andichan@aol.com Subject: 'Life starts with love. Part 4. Normal disclaimers apply. This stoy contains some sexual activity between an adult and a minor. If you find such material offensive or if it is ellegal for you to access such material, please leave now. andichan@aol.com The phone in the interview room buzzed and CI Clarke answered. "Ok Mary, I'll come over in a couple of moments just as soon as I'm done here." Putting the reciever down, CI Clarke spoke to me. "Right Mr Morrell. Thanks for being so helpful. We will go over your car first so you can leave as soon as possible however if you could stay away from your house until such time as I call you, I have your mobile number, that would be much appreciated. We will be very carefull not to get your niegbour's tongues wagging and will be as quick as we can to avoid as much inconvenience to you as possible but at the same time we have to be thorough. I've got to go and have a chat with Mary Arnold, The WPC and young Ryan now but I'll get an officer to show you where the canteen is. Cold comfort waiting here!" "Thanks for that. When can I see Ryan?" "Well Social services are with him as we speak. They may well want to talk to you as well and from there on in, it's out of my hands. You'll have to speak to them." Five minuits later a young uniformed officer walked into the room. "Mr Morrell? I've a coupon for food in the resturant for you. Would you like to follow me please?" Time dragged on and I was starting to get really frightened. I had been given access to the canteen but to get out you had to have a swipe card which I didn't have. I'd eaten and had a glass of coke, all on the coupon but no-one came for me. I was just about to quiz somebody about my plight when CI Clarke came through the door and sat down at my table. "Hello Mr Morrell. Sorry to keep you hanging about but we have to be thourough you understand. Your car is clean but we expected that. Your keys. You can leave as and when you're ready. Thanks for all your help." "For someone who is being helpful, I feel really intimidated by all this and by the way, I'm going nowhere until I know that Ryan is ok. Do I make myself understood?!" "Yes. I'm very sorry. This has turned out to be bigger than just a drug / alcohol induced traffic accident and I've been otherwise occupied. Let me make a call." "Ok Mr Morrell. I'm going to take you up to Social Services. They will want to interview you but don't worry about it. The older woman is a bitch but has a heart of gold really, the younger one is just a trainee. I believe you will be able to see Ryan. Sorry. We get it wrong sometimes when it comes to emotional stuff. Seen too much and maybe too much to keep me objective." A short walk into another interview room and two women, well actually one hag and a rather tasty young girl were sitting at the table in front of me. "Sit down Mr Morrell if you would," said the hag. "Sorry to hear about your wife. Iv'e some very serious issues to talk to you about now." I smallowed hard. Not because I was bothered about the outcome so much but because at that moment I would have given the earth to reach over the table and throttle her! Insensitive bitch!! "I won't beat about the bush Mr Morrell? Whilst it's a bit sneaky, your interview with Sam Clarke was monitored and vidio'd by us. All of it. You have rights under caution but as you were not, as I say under caution, we are allowed under the Child Protection Act 1998 to do absolutly that. Further, this was also monitored by two phycologists. One trained in physical behaviour and the other in voice and speech anomolies. You understand that we know more about you than you do." "If you indeed have that right, then so be it. I don't believe I've anything, past, present and future to be ashamed of. Go on?" Did I detect the beginnings of a smile from her? "Statement. We do not allow custody of children to single males, never mind the circumstances. That boy should not be any different and should be fostered." "THAT BOY!!" I almost lost control. Evil old bat! I want to kill now!! "THAT BOY'S NAME IS RYAN! DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT!" I paused to regain some composure. "My appologies." I said. Taking a deep breath, I continued. "See it this way. I understand that for the safety and welfare of kids, you have to have a set of regulations by which to work but also, isn't there a procedure to asess the child and the best way to address his or her needs and how to best achieve it, -- almost if that best way is to bend the rules? If I've learn't nothing else during my life, I have learnt to accept that nothing is black or white and at times, there is a need to be flexable, to think laterally almost! Heck! I'm sorry but I DO have his welfare at heart?" Now the hag smiled! "Mr Morrell! You hit all the buttons! Think about what I said to you. 'We do not allow'. Did I say ever? He has a great bond with you and we've checked you out. You better believe it. We've been through your life with a fine tooth combe and you are right for the boy, sorry, Ryan. You can take him home and look after him for now however we will be keeping tabs on you and him to see how things pan out. If things work out over the next year or so and if you wish, you could apply for adoption and, as I say, if everything checks out, as a department we would not put up any objections. Remember however We WILL be keeping an eye on you. We've never allowed this before ever so this is something of a first!" The tears were rolling down my face. Never in my life had I felt so emotional! Then Ryan stepped through the door. Wrenching his hand from the WPC, he ran to me and hugged me so hard I thought I was going to pass out. The hag had a wall-to-wall smile on her face. "Take Ryan home Mr Morrell! That sight has melted this hard proffesional old heart! Be happy together and do the best by him, won't you." "I love him! Of course I will!" That was all I could manage to say as we walked out into the afternoon sun,-- to the car onwards to OUR home. A call had come through from CI Clarke and I was to meet him at my house so we drove directly home. "A good result for you two I see!" "Oh yes. Just the best thankyou. How about you?" "Nothing Mr Morrell. Clean as a whistle which is more than can be said for 'down the road', if you get me?" "Hang on just a moment. Ryan? How about you go inside and put the TV on. Mr Clarke and I need to talk.OK?" "OK. I'm gone!" Ryan scurried off into the house. "True smack house that. More dope than you could shake a stick at. Filthy dirty, smells like a whore house and worse, we've found the remains of a body in the out-house. Now I shouldn't be telling you this so for fucks sake don't you even think about mentioning it. Christ. I've only put it out to HQ ten bloody minuits ago!" "No one will hear it from me, I promise but why are you telling me in the first place?" "Don't know. Well I do! You seem like an ok guy. Fuck! If that old bag from the social thinks you're ok? Well! Your lad is going to see so much fucking police activity around his mothers house in the next few days, likely or not he will freak out! You must know! Either to try and shield him from it or to make up some explanation for it. Understand?" "Yeah. I understand fully." I replied. "Maybe it'll help me understand him better too." "Right ok Mr Morrell. Got to go but take good care of the boy and you know numbers if you need our help." We shook hands and CI Clarke called his driver and they were gone. I wandered into the house to find Ryan fast asleep on the sofa, shoes and socks kicked off and gently snoring! 'Not goin to wake him now,' I thought. Been a long and emotionally stressful day! I poured myself a very large gin and tonic. I'm not a heavy drinker but right now I needed to think objectively and as my mind was going nineteen to the dozen, I seriously needed to calm down. Poor kid! He must have been really knackered! The television hadn't been turned on and no sign of the fridge having been raided. 'Your lad' CI Clarke had said. What a responsibility! I can and I bloody well will rise to that challenge! I lay back and let the gin do it's work, relaxing my poor aching head, allowing me to think of the future and all the things I had to set in place. Eventually Ryan came out of his slumber enough for me to persuade him off to bed. "Come on little man. We've both had a long, tiring day. Bed time now, ok?" "You comming too?" "Not right now mate but I won't be that far behind you. I'm blitzed as well but I've some stuff to do first. Want a shower or a bath tonight?" "Eh Eh! Had one last night. I just want to go to bed." "Go clean your teeth and get in. I'll look in on you once you're tucked up. K?" "'K Pete." I gave Ryan ten or so before I went to check on him. He wasn't in his room but was snuggly under the duvet in my bed! Little sod! I thought about getting him up and moving him into the room that I'd shown him into before but the soft heart I've got, coupled with the stress of the day made me dismiss it. "Tomorrow we talk about this," I muttered under my breath. An hour and a half later and another large gin and tonic, my notes were made. Schooling. Holiday time now but to be sorted soon. Register with a doctor. My GP is a mate of mine and whilst I know his practice is officially full, he may just make an exeption in this instance. Dentist. Hmm! Difficult! I can't get an NHS dentist locally! Shit! I'll have to pay for Ryan. Keep on top of the work and it should be ok. Got to talk to him about school! Where does he go? Perhaps teach him at home? No! He needs to interact with other kids of his own age. Fucking-hell! I'm the worlds worst sportsman as well and if for no other reason, he should be in a school system, even just to keep him fit! I showered and headed off to bed. Ryan hadn't moved. I slipped under the duvet and turned off the light. I was nine parts asleep when Ryan turned over and spooned up to me. I'm sure he was still asleep but now, I wasn't! God damn it! The little shit was turning me on, and he was asleep! No idea what he was doing to me and I'm not attracted to boys! Normally. By God he had a hold on me in more ways than one. I tried hard to wrench myself away from him but every time I moved, he held on to me tighter. No good fighting it. Go to sleep! 'Please God let me sleep!' andichan@aol.com OK! So it's not a quick 'feel, suck and poke' story. I'm not sorry for that. Please stick with it. It does get better. Please send your comments, -- good, bad or otherwise. Thankyou.