Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 06:23:18 -0800 (PST) From: Snqdemon Subject: Saving Alex -- Chapter 1 (M/b, fondling, no sex) WARNING: This story is technically a novella, and while it does contain some erotic and sexual scenes including some sexual scenes involving men and minor boys, it is not my intent that this story be considered erotic. However, I chose to include this subject in order to portray the ruthlessness of some of the characters. If this offends you, then I recommend you not read further. Any similarity to individuals, living or dead, is entirely accidental. Certain buildings, places, and historical sites have been included in this story in order to set the place or mood of a particular scene. No persons, places, and businesses are in any way affiliated to myself, or to this story. The story is copyrighted under the pseudonym, Snwdemon. A copy has been placed in the Nifty archives for your enjoyment. Feel free to post it to appropriate newsgroups or send it to your friends. The story cannot be used to derive monetary gain. It cannot be placed in archives that require payment for access, or printed and distributed in any form that requires payment. THE NIFTY ARCHIVE: The Nifty Archive needs your support. If you enjoy reading this story, please remember it is available only because of the Nifty Archive. Instructions are provided on the Nifty home page for how to provide support. FINAL WARNING: If you are under the age of 18, if this material is illegal in your place of residence, or if man-boy relationships aren't your thing, then exit now and save yourself from a life of sin! Author's Note: Hello everyone. I've taken a break for a bit from my other stories for the moment. The reason why is because this storyline came to me suddenly, and I could not let it slip away. Most writers will understand this, because there will be weeks when they just draw a blank. They will work on their stories and write, then discard it and start anew with a completely different storyline. Then they will discard that also because, to them, it will not fit with their intended plot. However, there are also moments when a story idea will hit them, it will consume all of their thoughts, and we can't write it fast enough to keep pace with our inspiration. This is what has happened to me. I have already written the next chapters for "Playing the game," and "Who will catch my fall," and I have discarded them four times already. When this happens, I usually just step back and leave the stories alone because I know that after a little separation from them I will become inspired once more and finish them. This new story will take my mind off those stories until the next parts hit me just as this story line did. Therefore, I apologize for the delays in those stories, but I hope that you enjoy this story in the mean time. Now let me get to some good news. Simon has completed his latest round of chemo, and all of his test results appear to be showing that he is once more in remission. We are all keeping our fingers, and toes too, crossed that this is true and that he will remain in remission. It is not uncommon for him to have relapses, but as long as the doctors continue to treat it aggressively, children with Hodgkin's disease cancer have a 95% recovery rate. Even if the cancer is in its advanced stages, there is still a 60% to 80% survival rate. Compared to the survival rates from 1980, children with early stage Hodgkin's disease had a survival rate of only 40%. In addition, children with advanced stages of the disease only had a 15% to 20% survival rate. These dramatic increases in the survival rates are due to, for the most part, the research done at St. Jude's Children's Research hospital. I have seen them in action personally, and it is truly a gift from God for all children. I recently made a very large donation, and I have set up a trust fund that will provide $25,000 annually for research to cure Hodgkin's disease, and other lymphoma and leukemia cancers. So next time you want to donate money to help children, please consider this wonderful place for that donation. Thanks again to everyone who has responded to my stories, and who have sent their prayers and wishes for my son Simon's recovery. God Bless everybody. Damion. 'Saving Alex' by Snwdemon My thanks to "E.D., BenBear, and Miguel Sanchez" for proofing this chapter. Preface: I am a Psychologist with certifications in Clinical, Child, and Forensic Psychology, which is why I chose to be a criminal profiler. I have been with the FBI for the last 15 years, and I am regarded well by my peers for my expertise in the field of Psychology. While I analyze all types of cases, my expertise is most evident in cases involving a child. Whether that child is the suspect or the victim, it has always been in these cases where I do my best work. My boss, who I also consider a close personal friend, tells others that I was born to be a prominent Child Psychologist because I chose to never grow up myself. He got this impression from my youthful physical appearance and attitude. Being Hispanic from Indian descent, and also because I am quite small physically, being only 5' 3", I am easily mistaken for a teenager or a man in his early twenties even though I am twice that age. His view of my attitude comes from the endless comical remarks that I interject into any conversation when the topic is about something serious (dull and boring to me). This humor is not because I take these cases lightly, but as my way of dealing with the often grotesque details and horrible nature of the crimes. It is my release so I can go home and live a normal life every day without having to haul the emotional baggage with me that these cases have. However, he knows I am a very serious person who is dedicated to my work, and I am relentless in pursuing a case when a child is involved. He also knows that my often easy going attitude can change in a blink of an eye when a child is victimized, and I can see the whole picture when a child is the criminal. Away from work, where we can be more open and relaxed, he says the two words which describe me best are passionate, and compassionate. I am 45 years old and I finally married five years ago. I waited to marry so late in my life because I have always considered myself gay since I was 12 years old. Although I have had a few long term relationships with men in my life, my wife is the only female I have ever been in love with. When my wife came into my life five years ago, she not only made me question my sexuality, but also brought Allejandro and me together. To this day, I can honestly say she is the only woman I have ever been sexually attracted to. While I have never considered myself to be a boylover either, when Allejandro came into my life, it made me question that aspect of my sexuality also. His case begins after the birth of my son, when an ATF drug bust went bad and the Columbian cartel committed a series of reprisals upon the people and families of those involved. At the time, I did not know that this case, or this particular boy, would alter my destiny so profoundly. However, if I had the option of changing things in the past, I would not do so. The reason why is this; while I lost some people who were very dear to me, it also brought me Allejandro. So let us go back to the beginning^Å Chapter 1: June 14, 1999 It was late, and I was tired. Today had been a scorcher, well into the nineties. I had the A/C on high while I listened to Real McCoy on the radio as I maneuvered my RX-7 through evening traffic in Washington, DC. I had stayed late at Quantico, Virginia finishing up two homicide case profiles that some local Sheriff had requested because he thought they might be related. They were not related, or even closely related for that matter. However, to a rural area Sheriff, if two murders occur involving a gun, to them the cases are related. I put in my analysis that the cases were not related since the evidence and motive of each crime was completely different. I finished my analysis of the cases, including my professional opinion of who the suspect(s) may be, and the type of people the detectives should be concentrating their efforts on. I turned onto M street and couldn't believe my luck. There was an open parking space right in front of Mercando's so I pulled in and shut off the engine. I dropped a quarter into the meter before going inside. Mr. Mercando met me as I came in the door, and embraced me before ushering me towards the back. "Mejo, it's nice to see you Patricio (Pa-tree-see-o), how is Luna and the baby doing?" "Hola Papa," I replied returning his embrace then letting him guide me. "Luna is well, but she wants some of Mama's enchiladas and tamales for dinner, and your grandson is growing like a weed too. I am sorry that she was unable to come and see both of you tonight Papa." "No, no, she should not be out so soon after the birth. She is a tiny girl, and the pregnancy was hard for her. She needs time to rest and regain her strength. Come, I will have Connie put together a feast for both of you. We have both missed you, and Connie was beginning to worry." "You are right Papa, Luna still tires easy, but she loves being a mother. That reminds me, Patricio's christening and baptismal is Sunday right after mass. This will not be a problem for you?" I asked him. Luna and I decided to ask them to be Patricio's Godparents. With our faith, this honor comes with many responsibilities. Including that if anything should happen to us, they would take custody and raise our son. "No Mejo, it is no problem. I cannot tell you how happy you made us when you asked us to be the Godparents. This will truly make him our grandson now." Mr. Mercando said as he led me to the kitchen while his face beamed with a warm smile. The Mercando's are like parents to my wife Luna and I. I met them the week after I met my wife Luna. With no family here in the US, the Mercando's had unofficially adopted Luna as their own daughter. I had just moved into my newly renovated Row house just off M street in the Georgetown section of DC. She was an exchange student at Georgetown, and I fell in love the first time I saw her. I was finishing up my Master's Degree in Psychology when we met. I had to do some research for my term paper in the library, and walked right into this angel from heaven. She did not speak much English and was having some trouble telling the librarian what she needed. Being fluent in French, English and my native language Spanish, I somehow found myself offering to translate for her. She quickly thanked me and told me what she was looking for, which I translated to the librarian. The librarian gave her the information on where to locate the books she needed, and we both went to one of the open tables and sat down. I could not stop staring at her because she was so beautiful. It was also quite obvious that she felt the same about me because we sat for over an hour just gazing at each other. I don't think we muttered 10 words to each other during this time, but I finally found my voice enough to ask where she was staying. She told me that she was staying with the Mercando's while she attended Georgetown. We ended up talking for hours after that, only stopping when the library closed, so I made a date with her. Right at the start, I informed her about my being gay, but I also told her that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever met. She told me that she did not believe there was such a thing as being gay because people love people, and if a person makes that person happy, then gender should not matter. I also explained that while I was born in the US, my parents were Mexican citizens with green cards. So when I met Mr. Mercando I was used to the overbearing, protective demeanor he had for Luna. Basically, he told me that if I did not behave like a complete gentleman with her, that he would tie a very complicated knot in my penis. He sounded just like my father, but I must have impressed him enough for him to allow Luna to go out with me. We were married 11 months later, and he gave her away at our wedding. Since then we have had a close family-like relationship with them. Now we finally have our son, which is a relief to all of us. We have been trying to have a child since we were married five year ago. It wasn't until 14 months ago I found out I have a very low sperm count. We had come to the point of trying invitro fertilization when, to both of our surprise, Luna turned up pregnant after the initial invitro testing. The next nine months were the happiest in my life as both of us, along with the Mercando's, prepared for the birth of my son Patricio Jr. Now I never get any sleep since Patricio Jr., or Junior, has discovered his lungs. However, no matter how many sleepless nights, being peed on, or spit up on, I am in heaven. The Mercando's were there with us throughout Luna's pregnancy and delivery. Then for the first two months after my son's birth until we both adjusted to this new tiny person who altered our lives. Now with my son approaching six months old, the Mercando's have been busy of late because of their nephew Allejandro, and have been unable to come by our house for the last couple of months. From what little I had been told, he was sent up here from Columbia to attend school. He is a very handsome 11 year old boy with delicate features and slim build although he is quite small for his age. He was sitting at a table off to the side of the kitchen when his uncle guided me through the door. He smiled at me when he saw me and I smiled and waved at him before turning my attention to Mrs. Mercando. "Look Mama, our Mejo has stopped by," Mr. Mercando announced as we entered the kitchen. "Patricio! How are you and Luna doing, and how is my grandson? I was going to stop by to check on you this week since it has been weeks now." She said before embracing and kissing me. "Hola mama, your grandson and Luna are doing well. We have missed you both, and Luna wants you to come to dinner this weekend after Patricio's christening. You know you are always welcome in our home." I told her as I embraced her and then kissed her hands. This is the formal greeting Hispanics do because it shows our love and respect to our parents. I am Mexican, while Luna and the Mercandos are Columbian. However, most Mexican and South Americans are very religious and devoted to the Catholic faith. The gesture of kissing someone's palms comes from that faith. Even though the Mercandos were not related to me by either blood or law, but by our faith, they were Luna's family now because they had taken Luna into their home as their own. I discovered after we were married that Luna had taken the exchange opportunity because a rebel faction had murdered her family. She was spared because she was away at the University at the time. When she found out about the attack, she knew they would be coming for her so she fled here under the Student Exchange program. Now with no family alive, the Mercandos were now her family, and because of our faith, I also considered them to be her family, and now my family as well. I am happy to do this since my own parents had passed away right before I completed my Bachelor's degree in Forensic Psychology. However, I would soon discover the truth about the Mercando's and my wife, and how that truth would send my entire life spinning out of control. "Come Patricio, and sit down. You can tell us how our grandson and Luna are doing." Mr. Mercando said while offering me a chair. I started to decline and told them I needed to go feed the meter outside, but Papa insisted. "Allejandro, go and put this on the meter," he said while handing him an out of order sign. "Yes Poppi," Allejandro replied with a smile in a soft high pitched voice as he took the sign and scampered out of the room. I watched him as he left thinking that he couldn't weigh more than 60 lbs. He was quite small for his age, looking more like an 8 yr old than an 11 yr old. My thoughts were interrupted though when Mama started setting bowls and plates onto the table. "Mama, I was going to take dinner home for Luna and me," I said. She just waved her hand in a shooing motion to me. "Nonsense, you will eat now, and I will send Allejandro with you to take dinner to Luna. Now tell me everything," she said. A big smile came across my face before I spoke. "Ok Mama, but let me call Luna first." I told her. I went out into the front of the store and used the phone behind the counter next to the register. I dialed my home number, but got a tone that resembled a busy signal, but it usually meant there was trouble with the phone line. I thought about trying to call her on her cell phone, but I decided not to since Luna always kept it turned off when she was at home. Instead, I returned to the kitchen, and sat down at the table and waited until Mama joined me. "Oh Mama, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am right now. All of the years of waiting, and through all of the disappointments, they have all been washed away. Patricio has fulfilled our entire dreams mama. He is growing like a weed, and he has already grown to 22 inches and weighs 16 lbs. And Luna, she becomes more beautiful to me everyday now." I told her while she nodded knowingly. While I had never told them about my sexual preference, Mrs. Mercando knew but never made an issue about it. She just told me that God always has a reason for who we are. She also told me that what I had done in the past was my business, but now that I was married, I had to keep faith in my vows, which I did. She just patted my hands and smiled before getting up and setting the food out to heat up. The Mercando's own a specialty store that is part general store, and part deli. The difference was they supplied the growing Hispanic neighborhood with traditional South American, and Mexican food items and merchandise that were not readily available. It was one of my favorite places to be because Mrs. Mercando's tamales reminded me so much of my own mother's cooking. At that moment, Allejandro came back in and finished setting the places at the table. I got up to help, but was shooed back to my seat by Mama. She loved to fuss over Luna and me, just as a mother hen will fuss over her chicks. He quickly finished and sat down beside me at the table. He was always quiet, and while I was familiar with his situation of being here, I realized I hardly knew anything about him other than that. Remembering he was from Columbia, I did not know how well he spoke English, so I asked him if he preferred Spanish. "No, I like English," he said although his accent was quite clear. "So how is school? Are you getting along ok Allejandro?" I asked with friendly concern. "Yes, and please call me Alex. School is good, and all of the Sisters like me. I have made some friends, but some of the boys don't like me though." He said with a slight blush along with a shy smile. While I am normally not attracted to young boys, I realized that Alex was stunningly beautiful. He was almost pretty like a girl, with the only difference being his haircut and clothes. I could easily picture him with longer hair in a dress, and could see that nobody would know that he was a boy unless they actually checked him physically for gender. I immediately understood his answer to my questions. Because with his looks, the nuns, and probably the priests too, would like him, and that his natural beauty would cause jealousy with some of his peers. From what Luna had told me, Alex was here on a special student exchange program in the Catholic Church, which is why he was attending St. Joseph's Catholic school. "Are they doing anything bad to you, or hurting you in some way?" I asked him. His blush deepened with embarrassment as he looked down before he lifted his head and met my gaze with his emerald eyes. "Sometimes some of them do bad things to me, like pushing me down or making fun of me, but the teachers stop them, and they get into trouble most of the time." He said in a quiet high pitched voice that was like music while averting his eyes away from mine and fidgeting. I knew that he was part of the choir at school because Luna made me go to their spring concert. Alex was one of their soprano leads, and he had such control of his voice and pitch that it made him stand out from the others. "Is that all they do? Just push you around and tease you?" I asked him gently. I know some people think I am nosy sometimes with the way I switch back and forth between my profession and my normal self. However, it is not because I am nosy, but because I care and want to help. Being a trained psychologist, I can tell from a person's body language when someone, especially a child, is not being completely truthful with me. I could see that Alex was not telling me everything because of his body language, and this only piqued my interest to discover what he was hiding. "Mostly^Åexcept," he looked at the Mercando's as they prepared the food and then back to me with pleading eyes. I understood and leaned closer to him so they would not hear, and he spoke in a voice just barely above a whisper as he blushed a deep red. "This one older boy and his friends pulled down my shorts in the locker room the other day and made fun of my^Åum^Åhow do you say it^Åpeni?" "Penis is how you say it, and what did they say about your penis?" I asked him quietly. I could see that he was embarrassed, and I was about to tell him that it was ok not to answer when he spoke again. "They said it was tiny. That if it was any smaller that I would be a girl," he said in a shameful whisper. Remembering my own fears of inadequacy about my own development when I was his age, I knew that he needed reassurance that he was normal. So I looked at him nodded my head while holding my finger to my mouth. I then looked over at Mrs. Mercando and said as I stood up. I also indicated that Alex should stand up too, which he did. "Mama, Alex wants to show me something he's working on in school, we will be right back." I told her and she acknowledged us with a nod before I ushered Alex out of the room. He took me up the back stairway to the apartment above the store and to his room where I had him close the door. I sat down on his bed and motioned him to sit beside me which he did. "Now we can speak privately without them hearing. So tell me, did what those boys said upset you?" I asked him gently, and he looked down at his feet and nodded while blushing with embarrassment once more. I waited patiently, and could see the different emotions that he was struggling with at the moment. When he finally looked up at me, he had tears in his eyes. "Is their something wrong with me Uncle Patricio? Do I really look like a girl?" He asked in a quivering voice as his tears spilled down his face. I just opened my arms and he quickly embraced me and buried his face into my chest as his wracking sobs began. I just sat there embracing him, and rubbing his back as his fears spilled out. Coming here was a big change for him, and I knew that it was hard for him to understand the other kids because English was not his native language. Therefore, he had to take everything said to him seriously so he could not tell if these children were teasing him, or telling him the truth. After a few minutes, he was able to regain control of his emotions and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. I handed him my handkerchief and had him blow his nose before having him stand in front of me. "Now you listen to me Alex, there is nothing wrong with you, and do not ever believe that there is. Everybody looks different, and while some boys are muscular, others are very handsome like you are. However, just because you are handsome does not make you any different from other boys. Those boys are probably just jealous of you, so they try to find faults in you so they can justify their own faults. They probably cannot sing as good as you can, nor are they as handsome as you are to the girls either. Therefore, to make themselves feel better, they tease you and say things to make you feel ashamed. Do not believe what they say because it is not true, and do not be ashamed of yourself either." I explained to him while I wiped away his tears. He nodded as he met my gaze for a moment, then his shoulders slumped as he looked downward again. "But it is true though, it is tiny like they said." He said in a soft, dejected tone of voice. I reached out and gently raised his head until he met my gaze. "Well you let me be the judge of that ok? While I work for the FBI, I am also a doctor, so I know what the truth is about how the human body develops. I won't lie to you, and I will tell you if it is too small." I said in a reassuring tone to him. He thought about it for a moment before a look of hope came onto his face and he nodded while taking a step backwards and undid his belt and jeans shorts. He paused for a moment and looked at me as he slipped his thumbs into the elastic band of his Hanes underwear. "You promise not to laugh^Ålike they did?" He asked shyly. "I promise, now show me," I answered him and he nibbled on his bottom lip for a moment as he worked up his courage. He then gave his trust to me, and took a deep breath before quickly pushing his pants and underwear down past his knees and standing up straight while lifting his t-shirt up to his armpits. I could clearly see his naked body from his slender chest down to his skinny knees. My breath was literally taken away because his body was just as beautiful as his face was. He was golden brown from head to toes with no tan lines anywhere, and he was circumcised too. This caused me to frown with thought about it because circumcisions were not very popular in South American countries. Of course, he took my expression as confirmation of his fears and he began to blush red with embarrassment while his lower lip began to tremble. He started to cover his penis in shame with one hand, but I caught hold of his wrist and stopped him. I realized what was happening immediately and spoke quickly to stop it. "No, I promised to tell you the truth, and the truth is that you are the most beautiful boy I have ever seen." I said and he gave me a small frown, but there was also a glimmer of hope too. "But I saw your face though, you think it is tiny like they said" he said accusingly but he did not try to cover his nakedness as he looked at me with a questioning look. "No I don't, I know I frowned but it was not because I saw anything wrong with you. I frowned because you are circumcised is all, which is unusual since you come from Columbia. As for your penis, it is perfect, and for a boy your age and physical size, your penis is a good sized one for a boy like you. The rest of you is also perfect, not to skinny, and not to fat, but you can answer me as to why I do not see any tan lines on your butt or around your penis." I told him as I held him gently by his waist as he continued to hold up his t-shirt to his chest. "You don't think it's too small? My Mama said that when I was born that the skin was still attached to my...Um^Åcajones, but I think you say it differently, but that is why I am circumcised." He explained with a small smile. "We call them balls, or nuts, but the medical name for them is testicles or testes. You just remember balls ok. As for what your mother told you, you were born with a condition called a webbed penis. It just means that the foreskin of your penis is still attached to your scrotum, or sac ok. It is not an uncommon occurrence, and is one of the reasons boys are circumcised here in this country. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with you though." I explained to him while he lifted his penis revealing the tiny suture scars on the underside of his penis and along the center of his scrotum. He listened as I explained things to him before letting go of his penis and standing up straight again. His pants and white cotton briefs had now slipped down to his ankles while he continued to stand with his t-shirt raised almost to his chin. Just to emphasize my point, I looked at his penis again. His entire midsection was the same golden brown including his two inch flaccid penis. The only exception was the pink head that was surrounded by a brown frilly collar, and his golf ball sized sac that was a darker brown which is typical in Hispanics. "No, it is not too small, it is just right for you." I said as I slid my right hand over and cupped his small sac before gently squeezing the head of his penis with my forefinger and thumb. Alex gave a little squeak when I did this, and his penis sprang to life, quickly reaching its full three inch length when hard. Alex blushed embarrassingly as he quickly covered the purplish head with his hand. I gently pulled his hand away so that he hard penis remained exposed. "No, don't be embarrassed Alex. This is what is supposed to happen. There isn't anything for you to be ashamed of because it's beautiful, just like the rest of you. Now look, does it look tiny to you?" I asked him as he continued to blush. He looked at me, then down at his stiff cocklet, which was about the length and thickness of my index finger. "No, I guess not," he answered with another blush before he looked at me and asked as he raised his t-shirt up to his chin, "You really think I'm beautiful^Åincluding my penis?" "Yes I do, you are a very beautiful boy, and physically perfect too. I think that is why those other boys said those mean things about you. Don't ever believe them or anyone else who tells you differently because you really are very beautiful." He hesitated for just a moment before jumping into my embrace and propelling me backward a bit. I hugged him close as I pulled him into my lap as he clung tightly to my neck. I could make out the muffled sobs of relief coming from him as I started to gently caress his bare back from his slim shoulders to his silky smooth bottom. It took another few minutes for his crying to stop, and him to relax again. When he was finished, I wiped his eyes and asked if he was ok. "Yeah, I'm ok now. Thanks Uncle Patricio. Ever since it happened, I've been thinking that something was wrong with me, but now I know they were lying to me." Alex said softly as he leaned against my chest. "Well, like I said, I am not an expert, but I cannot see anything wrong with you. I just see a very beautiful young boy who seems to spend a lot of time out in the sun naked." I told him as I tickled his ribs which got me squeals of giggles. I sat him up and looked at him. "Come on, lets get you dressed before we are missed." "Ok, and thanks again." Alex said with a final quick hug and kiss, on my cheek before he stood up and let me pull up his white briefs and then his denim shorts. Once he was fully dressed again, I stood him in front of me once more. "Now listen to me, those boys are all physically bigger than you are, so it is only good reasoning that their penises will also be bigger than yours is. Also, because they are physically bigger and older, they will also be more developed than you are. Everybody develops differently, and a lot of that depends on a person's heritage. They are probably white or black, and either come from European heritage, or African heritage. You are Hispanic, and also Indian like myself, and just like you, I am not very tall or muscular either. That is also because of our heritage, so you will not develop the same as those other boys, and it will take you longer to develop physically than they will. I am forty years old, but many people believe I am only twenty something. So pay them no mind when they say things like that to you because the truth is you are Hispanic, so be proud of that. They may tease you, but once they see that their words don't hurt you, they will stop because if they don't, it may look like they are trying to hide something about themselves. Most of all, just ask yourself what the girls think of you. They probably go all gooey when they see you don't they?" I explained to him, and he blushed and nodded as he giggled when I spoke about the girls. "Well yeah, all of the girls do like me. They are always fighting over who will be my partner in choir practice." He said with a pretty little blush. I just nodded knowingly and then we heard them calling us. "Papa is calling us, so we better get down there. If you ever need to talk about anything, you can always come talk to me. I will understand, and maybe I can help too." I said reassuringly to him. He nodded and smiled at me before blushing prettily and turning his attention to Papa as he came up the stairs. "So what are you two doing, telling secrets?" Papa asked us, and Allejandro smiled and shook his head. "No, just talking about school is all Poppi, some boys were bothering me and said some bad things about me that I didn't understand. But Uncle Patricio explained everything to me." he answered with a musical laugh that could warm anyone's heart. "Well muchacho, he is the right man to talk to about those kinds of things. He is very smart, and hungry too! Come now, dinner is ready." Papa said with a laugh as he put his arm around Alex's shoulders and led us downstairs. When we came back into the kitchen, Alex went and sat at the table while Mama gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek. She kept her voice low when she spoke so Alex wouldn't hear. "You fixed everything with Allejandro?" She asked in a whisper. I nodded to her. "Yes Mama, I think I fixed things. Allejandro is a very beautiful boy and a bit small for his age. Some of the boys at his school have been teasing him because of those things. However, I believe I relieved his worries, and I told him how to deal with the other boys too. Now let's eat and not talk about this anymore. I do not want Allejandro to be embarrassed because we are talking about him." I quietly explained as I hugged her again. Mama just smiled warmly and nodded before shooing me towards the table. I sat down next to Alex, and looked at him with a slight nod to let him know that I did not betray his confidence. He relaxed then and smiled. As Mama and Papa brought the food to the table, Alex reverted back to his normal carefree and happy go lucky self. I could easily see why many of the nuns, teachers, and the kids liked him. With his carefree spirit, and happy go lucky attitude, almost everyone who meets him comes under his spell. Just as moths are drawn to light, the people around him could not help but like him. I also realized Alex was totally innocent of many of the things in this world, such as crimes and being a victim that most American children know about. Therefore, I decided to warn Mama and Papa about this so they could take the proper precautions. While innocence is a very special gift God gives to children, it is also lost quickly. That forces the child to change, for better or worse depending on their experience. I could see Alex had somehow managed to remain sheltered enough to keep his innocence intact, but I knew that here in D.C. people would take advantage of his innocence. I also knew summer break was coming and I was wondering what he would be doing. "So when is your last day at school before the break Alex?" I asked him as I passed him a bowl of Menudo. "Today was our last day. School starts again at the end of August." He answered as he took the bowl, and then passed his plate to Mama. She started fixing his plate while he took a couple of tortillas. "I was hoping maybe he could spend some time with you Mejo. You and Luna are planning to go to the beach so maybe you could take Allejandro with you when you go?" Mama said to me. "That was before your grandson arrived. Luna has already decided not to go, but I was planning on taking a week or two to go hiking. Luna could stay with you, and Allejandro could come with me if he wants to." I told her, and she nodded before handing Allejandro's plate back to him. I looked at him to see what he thought about my idea. "I've never been hiking before Uncle Patricio. What do we do?" He asked with an inquisitive look on his face. "Well, hiking is a camping trip in the mountains. You carry all of your supplies in a backpack and you follow a trail. It's not easy, but to me it is a wonderful experience. If you would like, we can go on an overnight camping trip Friday so you can see what the hiking trip will be like." I explained to him. He got a small smile on his face with a surprised expression. "Really, we can go this weekend?" He said in an excited voice as he looked at me then at Papa. "Can I go Poppi, please?" "Yes you can go, but I want you to listen to Patricio, and if you give him any trouble he will spank you, then I will too once you come back. Do you understand?" Papa said with his gruff voice and stern expression. However, I could clearly see the softer expression he was trying to hide on his face as he looked at Alex. "I will Poppi, I promise," Allejandro said eagerly before jumping up and hugging Papa. "Thank you Poppi, I will be good." He said as he hugged and kissed him with an ecstatic grin on his face. Papa laughed and hugged him back before telling him to sit and finish his dinner. For the rest of the meal, Alex chattered happily with me about where we would be going and what we would do. All too soon though, dinner was over. Mama had prepared a large basket for Luna and me, and she told Alex to come with me and help out around the house. I told him that if he wanted to spend the night, he could. Therefore, he scampered off up the stairs to get his things. He was back in a flash with his gym bag, and I kissed and hugged mama. We said our goodbyes, and I carried the food out to the car while Alex followed. We put everything into the back seat, and Alex got into the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. "This is a kewl car Uncle Patricio." He said with an expression of wonder on his face as he surveyed the interior. I know it is a man thing, but it is a beautiful sight to watch a young boy as he sits inside a muscle car. I got into the bucket seat and started it up. I revved the rotary engine so it sounded like a jet firing up its afterburners. I watched Alex grab his knees and press his legs together as he laughed when I did this. I knew well the feeling he was experiencing. When a young boy first experiences the feel and vibrations of the raw power of a muscle car, it is almost like an orgasm. Smiling at him, I leaned over and spoke loud enough to be heard over the scream of the engine. "You like that huh?" I asked him. "Yeah, how fast does it go?" He said with barely contained excitement. "Let's find out," I said as I put on my seatbelt and pulled away from the curb. I went down a few blocks until I came to one side street that I knew was one of the popular "drag" streets in Georgetown. I turned onto it and stopped, then I revved the engine a couple of times before popping the clutch and peeling out. We quickly accelerated up to 90 mph and Alex gave a nervous but excited little "eek," and giggles as he pressed his legs together more. I knew without looking that he had a hard-on at this moment, and it made me smile. After going almost half a mile, I slowed down to the speed limit before turning onto the street where I lived. I pulled up in front of it and shut the engine off. I watched casually as Alex unconsciously squeezed his hard cocklet and rearranged it before opening his door and getting out. "That was so kewl!" He exclaimed as he came around and hugged me. "Well I cannot do that very often or I would lose my license. Come on, let's get the food inside before it gets cold." I told him before reaching into the back seat and retrieving my briefcase, his bag, and the food basket. I carried my briefcase while Alex carried the food and his bag. He followed me up the steps to the front door where I stopped. I had started to take out my keys when I noticed the front door was slightly ajar and the lock was broken. This immediately sent up warning flags to me and I stopped Alex and motioned him to be quiet. I quickly ushered him back to the car and opened my briefcase. I took out my service weapon and cell phone before dialing 911. "911, do you have an emergency?" The emergency dispatcher asked. "Yes, this is Special Agent Ramirez with the FBI. I just arrived to my home and the door was open. It appears that the door was forced or broken open. My wife and newborn son should be inside." I explained in a worried but professional tone. I gave her my address and she then switched me to the Metro Police dispatch supervisor. The supervisor knew who I was since I had worked with him before, and I quickly explained the situation again to him. "Patrick, do not go into the house, I am sending police and rescue units there now, and you wait for them. I am also contacting Quantico and informing them of the situation." He told me knowing what I was planning. "Alright, but hurry please. My wife and son are in there and could be hurt." I said emphatically to him. I do not know how I kept myself from rushing into the house, but I had an eerie feeling that something bad had happened to Luna. The wait seemed like forever, but in reality, it was just a few minutes before two Metro police cruisers pulled up in front. Four officers got out, three men and one female officer, and came over to me. "I'm Officer Kendricks, We will go and secure the house, but you will remain here with patrolman Yates, understood?" The senior officer told me and indicating the female cop. I started to argue with him when my supervisor pulled up. Bill came over quickly and took me aside. "I know you are worried Pat, but let them do their jobs. Now come over to my car and wait. This is not a request, but an order." He said in an all business tone of voice as he escorted Alex and me over to his car. The Metro cops then went up the steps and into my home. After a few minutes, Officer Yates came out of the front carrying my son who was bawling his head off. I rushed over to her and took him from her, and started cooing to him to quiet him down. He was soaking wet, and she had picked up his care bag and handed it to me. I took it and started changing him on the hood of my car while she explained that he was in his crib and it appeared that he was not disturbed by the intruders. I asked her about my wife, but she said she didn't know because she brought him to me. Our master bedroom is on the third floor while the nursery is on the second floor. I finished changing Patricio, and he quieted down immediately. I handed him to Alex and began to pace nervously when Patrolman Yates's radio came alive. "House is secure, we have one injured female adult. Go ahead and send the paramedics up here." It said. "Copy that, is it ok to send the husband up with the paramedics?" Officer Yates asked. "Yes, send him up because she is asking for him. Let him know that this is an assault." The officer said again on the radio. Officer Yates then indicated for me to go on up, and I rushed up the front stairs just as another officer started stringing police tape on the door. I quickly went up to our bedroom with the paramedics following me. As I entered the room, I could see Luna on the floor next to the bed. She was almost completely naked, and I knew that she had been beaten and raped. Her face was bloody and swollen, and my tears were streaming down my face as I knelt beside her. "Oh Princess, I am here now. I will take care of everything," I said as I cradled her head in my arms. She was softly crying and hugged me as tightly as she could. "Where is Patrick? Is he alright?" She asked me. She could only open one eye due to the swelling. Seeing her like this was tearing out my heart, and I tried to comfort her as best as I could. "Yes honey, he is fine, they did not hurt him, but try not to move because you are hurt badly. Who did this to you, can you tell me that?" I asked her as I gently kissed her forehead. She seemed to be on the verge of passing out again when she answered. "You have to keep Allejandro safe. He is my brother, and our father is coming for him. Please keep him safe," she begged me before passing out again. This news shocked me, and left me with dozens more questions, but they would have to wait. At the moment, my only concern was for her and her safety right now. "I promise honey, I will protect all of you. Just rest and save your strength, I will take care of everything. I love you Luna, you are my guiding light through the darkness." I told her gently as I kissed her again. I then moved out of the way so the paramedics could tend to her. It took me a couple of minutes to get myself under control again. Then I switched to my all business mode, and surveyed the room. I could see that Luna had put up one hell of a fight. One of her attackers had sprayed the slogan "MS-13" on the wall. It was the gang logo of one of the most notorious South American gangs in the D.C. area. Under the slogan was scrawled "For Juanita." Just then, my boss Bill came into the room followed by Alex. He saw Luna and cried out as he ran to her, crashing down onto his knees beside her. "Meadmana, no! Don't leave me! Please wake up!" He cried out in heart wrenching sobs as I grabbed him and pulled him back. He began to struggle to get free as I picked him up and smothered him in my embrace as I backed away from where they were tending to Luna. "Let me go! She is my sister," he said through his tears as he fought to free himself. I hugged him tightly and stopped his flailing arms. He struggled for a moment before giving up. He quickly turned and embraced me as he cried into my chest. "I know, she told me. She is my wife as well as your sister, and she will be ok. However, we have to let the medics do their job and get her to the hospital. I will take care of you like she asked, but I need you to tell me the truth ok. Now calm down, and don't worry. Luna will be alright." I said softly to him as I felt his small body shake violently with fear and worry. The paramedics had already gotten Luna ready for transport, and they stood and with the help of two other officers, they carried her litter down stairs to the gurney, then to the ambulance. I picked Alex up into my arms and stood, and then I went over to my boss, and my friend Bill. Of all the people I work with, he was one of the few people who knew that my position was merely a front. Yes, I was a Psychologist, and that is where my professional history ended. Anyone who did a background check on me would find all of this information concerning my career as a Forensic Psychologist. However, Bill knew otherwise and he regarded me with a critical stare when I approached him. "I do not know everything Bill, but this has something to do with my wife's family back in Columbia. Alex is her brother, which is something I didn't know either until just now. He is Allejandro Cruz, and Luna told me I had to keep him safe. So I can only guess he was the intended target for this, or they both were^ÅI just don't know. I need to know everything you can get me about this MS-13 gang." I told him, and I could feel the anger building inside me like a raging inferno. "Be careful Pat, or you may end up in the middle of a gang war with them." He cautioned me as he watched for my response. He knew the look on my face, and knew my rage was building. He also knew that whomever I chose to vent that rage would regret it. "They got more than a war when they assaulted my family, they got a blood feud. They don't know the kind of war I am going to bring on them, and God help them when I come. Just get me that information please. I'm going to take Alex and my son home now, then I'm going to see Luna. I want 24/7 protection on her to ensure her safety." I told him in a deadly serious tone of voice. "I will make it happen. You know that we cannot openly support you in this, but you just tell me what you need and I will get it alright." Bill told me, and I fully understood his meaning. If any of this got into the news, the agency will play dumb and deny any involvement. However, I was not just a Criminal Profiler, but also one of their best Covert Operatives. Bill just looked into my eyes, and he could see the inferno behind them. Whoever had done this to my family would now pay, probably with their lives. However, they were not through yet because the other shoe was about to fall. End Chapter 1 Please send all responses to snwdemon@yahoo.com but flames will be ignored. Please include the word NOSPAM somewhere in the subject line in order to get past my spam filters. Also let me know if you would like me to continue this story.