Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 00:47:02 -0600 From: Robert Just Robert Subject: The Family-Chapters 1 and 2 The following story has been transposed from a story I wrote several years ago in long hand. This story blends sci-fi with boy love and is set in the not too distant future. The truth endures, regardless of era or technology. Disclaimer: This story depicts consensual sexual acts between males of various ages, including minors. If stories of this nature offend you, or if you are under 18 years of age, or if reading such stories is illegal in your location...please leave now. The author retains all rights to this story and it should not be reproduced for monetary gain or mass distribution without the author's permission. Nifty needs your support. Keep the archive alive...give generously. As always comments are welcome Kewl_dad_1@msn.com the family Chapter 1 arrival A cold blinding wind blew hard in Cory's face as he stumbled through the snow covered streets. His tattered clothing did little to block out the harsh winder weather here. He had always hated the cold, and snow was something he had seen only once or twice on Earth. Now he found himself stranded on this cold desolate planet where snow and cold were almost all there was. But, he reasoned that anything was better than being in the work gangs on Earth. Two years of hard labor and cruel treatment had been enough for him. He seized the first opportunity to get off Earth. Only a few hours ago he had crept through the shadows of the supply ship he had stowed away on. For six days he had managed to elude the small crew, finding enough food and water to survive the short trip at warp speed. He had no idea where in the galaxy he was, and right now all he wanted to do was find a warm place to stay and maybe a little food. A hover car moved up slowly behind Cory, it's lights reflecting on the thick blanket of snow. It was the ideal craft for weather like this since it's anti-grav units required no physical contact with the surface it glided over. The car stopped abruptly beside Cory and the window slowly slid open. Inside Cory could see a man, his face dimly lit by the dashboard's instrument lights. "Need a ride?" The man asked in a kind voice. Cory was unsure what to do. He hadn't traveled all this way to be offed by the first stranger he met. On the other hand he was likely to freeze to death if he didn't get in out of the weather soon. He decided he could handle a deranged killer easier than the weather. "Yes sir; if it's no trouble." Cory said meekly. "Hop in." The man said opening the passenger side door. Cory slid in beside the man and the seat belt adjusted around him automatically. The car was very luxurious and quite expensive looking, and Cory guessed the man must be wealthy. "You must be half frozen on a night like this. Where are you headed?" The man asked glancing at the disheveled boy sitting beside him. "I'm not quite sure." Cory stammered. "I just arrived here tonight. I'm looking for work and a place to stay." He added hopefully. "I see. What kind of work can you do?" "Anything, really; I'm very strong and smart too." Cory said smiling nervously. "I catch on real quick." "You look strong enough. A little lean maybe, but nothing a good meal or two won't fix." The man said eying the boy critically. "How old are you?" "Eleven sir; almost twelve." "And you're alone? No parents?" The man asked with disbelief. "My parents died in the war sir." Just me and...I..." "Yes, go on." "I guess I can tell you the whole thing." Cory found himself trusting the man though he didn't know why. "Please go on." "I was in a work gang for two years back on Earth. I stowed away on a supply ship and here I am, wherever this is." "You mean you don't even know where you are?" The man asked chuckling softly. "No, I guess I really didn't care where I wound up as long as I was free." Cory admitted. "Well, you couldn't have wound up in a better place. You're on Kronos." The man explained. Cory knew all about Kronos. It was a sort of stop over for this end of the galaxy. It's biggest drawback was it's nine months of winter but, it was home to millions of people from all over the known galaxy. It was a rich planet, trade being the backbone of it's economy but, it was best known for it's freedom. There were few restrictions here, but despite that it was a peaceful planet. The murder rate here was the lowest in the galaxy and violent crimes such as rape were almost unheard of. Sex was so free and open that it was almost impossible for anyone to have trouble acquiring it. "I've heard about Kronos; it's a good place." Toby said smiling. "Sure is. Why don't you come home with me for now? I live on the lake, over there." He said pointing to an ice covered body of water a short distance away. "Sure, why not?" Cory knew he should be more cautious but somehow he knew things would be alright. Besides, he told himself, he could handle himself if things turned bad. The hover car was warm and Cory began to feel drowsy. He missed the next few words the man spoke. "So, how about it?" The asked, turning to stare at Cory with a questioning look. "Huh?" Cory replied realizing he had missed an important question. "I said, how about staying with me awhile, until you get things sorted out." The man said with warmth in his voice that Cory could not deny. Cory thought for a split second before deciding it was more than he had hoped for, a warm place to stay and food and maybe more, if this stranger was good at his word. "Uh..I guess, that would be okay...sure." The trip took less than five minutes, the last few hundred yards being over the frozen lake. As they sat down on the landing platform Cory could see a small domed building to the right. "Is this your house?" Cory asked incredulously. "Well, it's the parking lot anyway." The man said. "The rest is below the lake." Suddenly the platform began a slow decent as Cory felt a rush of fear sweep over him. When he realized what was happening his fears were lessened but he still had an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. When the car finally came to rest one floor below it was scooted off by a robot attendant and the platform rose back to its' former position. They were now in a well lit garage. Another hover car sat a few feet away. It was larger and less sporty, the modern version of a mini-van; from the days when cars still had wheels. "Come on, I'll show you around." The man said to Cory as he climbed out. "Oh, by the way; I'm Richard. My friends call me Ricky." "I'm Cory." Cory said timidly. "I don't have any friends, but I guess if I did they'd call me...Cory." He smiled at the man as if he were quite clever. Cory followed Ricky as he showed him around the garage. It was all very impressive to an eleven year old who had never seen much beyond the work camp back on Earth. "Everything I need is here. There's enough food and power to last 5 years if needed. I only have to go into town when I need something special. I even conduct my business from here, well not here exactly. I have an office over there." He said pointing straight ahead. "Is there a house?" Cory asked innocently. "I'll say. Come on, I'll show you and introduce you to the others." "The others?" Cory asked with confusion. "Yeah, come on." Ricky said, not bothering to explain. They stepped into an elevator and Cory guessed they must have traveled down at least four stories. When the door finally opened they stepped out into a hallway with a marble floor. "Come on, down here." Ricky said leading him into a small room with the same marble floor. "Take off your shoes and socks please." Ricky said motioning him to one of several chairs in the room. Cory obeyed and Ricky removed his own as well. "There's no need for shoes inside." Ricky explained. "The floors are warmed from beneath and the carpet is very soft and thick. Ricky led Cory through the only other door in the room, and beyond it was a smaller room with smooth metal walls and a cold cement floor. A drain was located in the center of the floor and several chutes were set in the walls. Cory was curious but not alarmed; Ricky seemed to have a soothing effect on him. "I know this will sound strange." Ricky began. "But, in order to keep my inside quarters clean and germ free, we must remove our clothing here and shower before entering. "Here?" Cory asked with sudden alarm. "Here; just stick your clothes down one of the chutes located on the wall. Cory dully obeyed. He'd come this far and he didn't want to offend the man. Such things were not unheard of. Ricky stripped quickly and shoved his clothes in the chute nearest him. Cory couldn't help but notice the way Ricky was looking at him as he stripped, but he tried not to think about it. He found himself instead looking at Ricky's smooth, almost hairless body. The man was muscular and quite attractive and Cory guessed he was in his early twenties. Cory was not body conscious; he had been subjected to many strip-downs as a slave. He had just recently begun to reach puberty, and a fine sprinkling of hair surrounded his growing organ. Ricky pressed a spot on the wall and suddenly hidden sprinklers came to life, showering them with a cascade of warm water. The warm spray felt invigorating to Cory who had not had a decent bath or shower for a very long time. Ricky produced a sponge from a slot in the wall and handed it to Cory. It contained a gentle anti-bacterial soap which left Cory's skin tingling but soft. When they were both thoroughly clean Ricky turned off the shower and suddenly blast of warm air began pulsing across their bodies, drying them quickly. Clean and dry, they stepped into the next room. Here there were closets containing all sizes and types of male clothing. Ricky chose a long t-shirt and soft fleece pants. At first Cory was unsure what to wear, then he saw a pair of shorts that reminded him of a pair he had owned when he was younger, still living with his parents. He pulled them on and marveled at how good they felt. He topped them with a baseball style shirt. He smiled as Ricky caught his eye. "They look good on ya, buddy. Follow me." Ricky led Corey into the next room which was bathed in warm light, almost giving the impression of sunlight. As Ricky had said the carpet was warm and soft. Cory had never known such comfort. This room was circular with three doors set into the wall an equal distance apart. "Come on; let's see if the boys are in the rec room." Ricky led Cory through the door to their right and into a long narrow room filled with all sorts of game machines, pool tables and other amusements. Four or five boys were milling about engaged in various games and they looked up at Cory as he and Ricky entered. "Hey guys, meet Cory." "Hey, Ricky did you bring my cookies?" One of the boys yelled from the back of the room. "Yes, Tum Tum. I brought your Oreos." "Cool, hi Cory." The boy replied before going about his business. "That's Tommy, I call him Tum Tum cause he likes to eat." Ricky said referring to the boy who had just spoken. "That's Rob, over there's Peter and that's Doug. Oh, and Dominic in the corner. "Hi." Cory said trying to appear friendly. "You gonna join us?" Peter asked suddenly. "Cory just got here guys; don't bother him with twenty questions, okay?" Right now we're gonna to get something to eat. See you guys later." They mumbled goodbyes and Ricky led Cory back out into the circular room and through another doorway. They stepped out into a long hallway and following it to the end; they entered a large area which contained a kitchen and dining area. "You're probably hungry. How about a sandwich and some soup?" Ricky asked starting toward the huge refrigerator. "Yeah, thanks. I can't remember when I ate last." Cory sat down and awhile later Ricky brought him a roast beef sandwich and a steaming bowl of thick vegetable soup. Cory dived in and was amazed at how good it tasted. For desert Ricky offered Cory a slice of chocolate cake with real ice cream on the side. Cory felt full and satisfied when he had downed the last crumb and washed it down with a cold glass of real milk. "Thanks!" Cory said wiping his mouth. "You're nice. I haven't had real food in a long time." "Stay with me and you'll eat like that very day." Ricky said gazing into Cory's eyes. "What's the catch?" Cory asked with sudden mistrust. "No catch. Let me tell you a little about myself; then you can decide." Ricky said sitting down across the table from Cory. Cory shrugged. "Sure go ahead." "When I was younger, about your age." Ricky began. "My folks and I moved here to Kronos. I wasn't too crazy about the idea at the time. I hated leaving all my friends and the cozy life we had on Earth but, to my father it was a chance in a lifetime. Within a year he'd gained great wealth and our lives changed forever." "Where are your folks now?" Cory asked with sudden interest. "Oh, they live on the other side of town. My dad's retired now, I run the business and occasionally I go to him for advice." "So, what's all this got to do with me?" "Hold on, I'll get to that." Ricky gently scolded. He sighed heavily and checked the boy's face before going on. "My life growing up was so lonely, so devoid of companionship and I vowed I'd never be alone again. I was 18 when I moved into this place and I immediately began looking for others to share it with me. I find I like guys around to share my life with." "Who are they?" Cory asked. "Kids like you. Out of luck, out of pocket, drifters in a wayward world. Not one of them had a home or a family. They're my family now. This is their home for as long as they choose to stay." "How many are there?" "Usually around 6 or 8, sometimes they come and they go. There are no strings attached, if they want to go, then they go. I'm careful who I choose and so far I've been right." "This sounds too good to be true." Cory said admitting his doubts. "Yeah, I guess it does. I tell you what; stay awhile, talk to the others, check it out. If you like it then stay. If you don't I'll take you anywhere you want to go on the planet and give you some credits to get your started." "Okay." Cory agreed. "I'm really tired. Is there some place I can sleep." "Oh, buddy...I'm sorry. I forgot. You must be worn out by now. Come on, follow me." Ricky led Cory to a bedroom next to the dining area. It was small but well furnished and very cozy. It had a full sized bed, a dresser and a desk. On the desk was a computer console and monitor. Ricky turned down the bed and Cory snuggled down into the softness of the beddings. Ricky pulled the covers up over Cory and tousled his hair. "Goodnight, little buddy. See ya in the morning." "Goodnight." Cory answered softly. The way Ricky had tousled his hair had reminded him of his father. He had often tucked Cory into bed at night. He had never been afraid to show is affection. Cory cried as he thought of his father and mother but soon he was fast asleep. THE FAMILY CHAPTER TWO INVESTIGATION Morning came quickly and Ricky woke Cory around sunup. "Hey, bud. Breakfast is served or you can sleep in and eat later. It's your choice, like I said; no strings." "No, I'll eat now. I'm starved. I'll be right there. Uh..where's the bathroom?' "Over there." Ricky said pointing to a door at one end of the room. "See ya in the dining room in a few minutes." When Cory entered the dining area everyone stopped eating long enough to greet him, and Cory sheepishly returned their greetings. He dived into what he perceived to be the biggest breakfast buffet he had ever seen. He ate like a pig but, so did the others so he didn't feel bad. Soon, silverware down, they began visiting among themselves. "So Cory; have you decided to stay?" One of the boys asked. "Uh, I don't know. It seems okay." "Okay? It's great!" Tommie said excitedly. "I lost my family, my home and was almost dead when Ricky found me. He's been great. I love him a lot, heck we all do." "Yeah, let's all hear it for Ricky." Peter added." Hip, hip, hooray." "Please boys, you're making me sick." Ricky said with a grin. "Leave poor Cory alone. He can decide on his own, he's a smart kid." "Come on Cory, we can talk while we clear." Tommy said standing up. "Peter and Dominic have dishes today." In addition to the boys Cory had met earlier, there were two others, Mark and Todd. They were younger than the others, and appeared to be about Cory's age. They didn't talk as much and they kept looking at Cory in a peculiar way, at least that is how it seemed to Cory. He dismissed it as shyness and tried to be friendly. Tommie talked endlessly as they cleared the mass of dishes and uneaten food from the huge table. He detailed his hard troubled existence and expressed his happiness at being taken in by Ricky. "How long have you been here?" Cory asked curiously. "About a year now. I was twelve when Ricky found me lying in an alley on "Pleasure Strip". He brought me here and took care of me. I was pretty sick for a week or so. When I got better I told Ricky I'd do anything to repay him. All he wanted was for me to stay." "And you did." Cory said stating the obvious. "Easiest choice I ever had to make." Tommy said thoughtfully. "But, you can leave anytime you want to?" "Sure, but I don't want to. But, I could leave right now and Ricky would take me anywhere I wanted to go and set me up." "Yeah, he told me the same thing." Cory said with obvious skepticism. "It's true. Just last month one of us, a kid named Ted, decided to leave. We flew him to the city and Ricky set him up in an apartment. He comes by every now and then just to visit, but we all miss him a lot." "There's just one thing bothering me." Cory said in a low even voice. "I mean..he's a guy..and well you're all guys. Is he gay? Not that I care. I've done some stuff before; I mean I'm not innocent. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive in the work camps." Cory said sadly. "I really don't think I should answer for Ricky. Go ask him. Just remember, Ricky loves all of us and we love him. That's all that matters here. You can stay and share all this with us or walk away. Personally I hope you stay, I kinda like you already." Tommie said blushing. "He nervously patted Cory on the shoulder before adding. "I gotta go now, I'll see ya later. Just think about what I said, okay?" "Okay, bye Tommy. I'll see ya later, oh..and thanks." "Talk to Peter and Dominic, they've been here longer than me." Tommie added as he headed out the door. Cory sat for a moment before rising and locating the two boys loading a giant dishwasher in the kitchen. "Hi." Peter said. "What's up?" "Tell me something; is all this for real?" Cory asked suddenly. "You mean Ricky and this place? Yeah, it's real. Let me tell you how I got here." Peter said with sudden seriousness. "Oh, boy. Here he goes." Dominic laughed. "Shut up. The kid wants to know." "Go on." Cory said looking at both boys with serious eyes. "I was ten when my mom and I came here, to Kronos I mean. She worked the clubs on "Pleasure Strip". I never knew my old man. I started hanging out with the bad boys and I got into trouble. Just about that time my mom got killed in a gun fight at one of the clubs. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." "I'm sorry man." Cory said suddenly thinking of his own loss and how painful that had been. "It's okay. I loved my mom and I don't blame her for what she did, she was just doing the best she could but, I'm better off now. Anyway; Ricky was a friend of the cop that busted me. Ricky offered to take me in and they released me into his custody. He offered to take care of me and help me to straighten out my life. I went because I had nowhere else to go. I hurt so bad I didn't care where I was." Peter said looking very sad and small. "I know how you felt. I've been there too." Cory added. "Anyway; I was a smart mouthed eleven year old ex-hood when Ricky took me in. Six months later I was okay, more than okay; I was great. I'm fifteen now and I aint never leaving." "How about you?" Cory asked turning to Dominic. "My story's not so traumatic. Rick adopted me from an orphanage on Toros. I was okay there and all but, I really wanted a family. I got that here." Dominic was smiling as he looked into Cory's eyes and Cory sense the happiness in the boy. "How come there are no girls here, only guys?" Cory asked suddenly. "Think about it. You know how much trouble girls can cause?" Peter said rolling his eyes back in his head. "Yeah, I guess." Cory admitted. He considered his own experiences with girls in the past to have been less than ideal. "I asked Tommy if Ricky was gay but, he wouldn't tell me. Is he?" Cory suddenly blurted out. "Whoa, I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole." Peter said stubbornly. "Ask Ricky. He'll tell you. But, if you're afraid he's gonna rape you or anything; you're way off. He's the nicest person you'll ever know." Cory left Dominic and Peter and looked for the two younger boys he had met at breakfast. He found them in the game room playing air hockey. "Hi guys." Cory said as he approached. "I'll play the winner." "Okay, that will be me." Todd said as he scored another point. "Maybe not asswipe." His brother replied laughing. "How old are you guys?" "I'm eleven, Mark's ten." Todd said biting his lip as he made a bank shot off the side of the table. "Damn." Mark swore as his brother scored yet another point. "How'd you guys get here?" Cory asked curiously. "We're brothers you know? Our dad sold us to the slave market, but Ricky saw us and bought us and set us free. Only thing is we had nowhere to go and he offered to let us stay here. I'm telling you that so you don't think he owns us or anything. Besides slavery is illegal on Kronos." Todd said not missing a stroke with his paddle as he fended off his brother's offense. "We hate our dad." Mark said suddenly looking angry. Suddenly he scored a point on his older brother. "Do you guys like it here?" "Hell, yes. We can do just about anything we want to here." Todd said loudly. "As long as we don't break the rules." Mark added. "The rules?" Cory asked with sudden interest. "Yeah, the rules. You'll learn em if you stay." Mark replied. "One more question? Does Ricky ever mess with you guys?" "Huh?" Mark asked suddenly taking his attention from the game, allowing Todd to score once more. "Never mind." I changed my mind about the game, see ya guys later." Cory said retreating quickly. Cory talked with everyone and finally he sought out Ricky. He found him in the garage waxing the air car. "Hi, can I help?" Cory asked approaching slowly. "Sure, grab a rag. Circular motions, okay?" Ricky said making a circle with his hand. "So did you get a chance to talk to the others?" "Yeah, that's why I'm here. Everyone seems to like it here. They are all crazy about you. They talk about you like you were a God." "Not a God, just High Priest." "Huh?" Cory asked suddenly very confused. "Didn't they tell you?" "Tell me what?" "That this place is a temple. We are all believers. I'm the High Priest and the others are my flock, my family. We love and worship life together." "So; this is like a religion?" Cory said finally beginning to understand. "In a way, yes. Ricky said stopping to explain. "It occurred to me one day that there was too much hate in the world. Even in the best religion there is ignorance and hate and intolerance. I wondered what would happen if you took young people like you and taught them to love and not to hate. I started with a single individual and now I have seven, eight if you count Ted." "The kid who left?" "Yeah, I have a feeling he will be back soon. We all miss him a lot, we all love him." "You use that word a lot, heck so do the others." Cory said frowning. "It's how we feel. It's what our whole life is based on. If we can't love we can't be loved, and everyone wants love. From the moment we're born until the day we die we seek love." A quiet peace had come over Ricky suddenly as if he trying to express his innermost feelings. "How do you know you love me or that I'll love you?" Cory asked defiantly. "Because it's as natural as life itself. Someone your age hasn't truly learned to hate yet. No matter what you've been through I feel like you are a child at heart." Ricky said smiling; his smile seemed to melt most of Cory's doubts. "What about you? You're old enough to hate." "True, and I could have, but my folks gave me so much love I didn't know what hate was. That is not until I got out on my own." "When you moved out?" "That was the most difficult thing I ever did. At first I was okay, then I realized the world, not just Kronos, but everywhere was a sad place. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could change it. I decided most adults were too far gone to change, but with kids I had a chance. I had to get to them before they were too old to change." Ricky explained. "Why only boys?" "I know what you think. I've been told about your questions. Before I go into that I'll tell you how I got started." He paused and laid down his rag and was leaning against the hover car now. "I was just eighteen when I set out on my own. I never had a lot of friends, but the ones I had were good ones. A friend of mine named Mike became a cop here on Kronos. He worked with troubled youths mostly and steered one of those boys my way. I helped him get his life together and somewhere along the way he changed. He started accepting love and loving in return. I saw the change in him and I knew I was onto something good." "Was that Peter?" "Yeah, Peter has been my inspiration for all this. He's my best friend in the whole world. I love him more each day." Ricky said with sudden emotion. "But, you still haven't told me...why no girls?" "Okay, first of all I'm very uncomfortable with girls, and truthfully I think most guys are too. Secondly, I didn't know how to deal with their problems. They're special creatures. Don't get me wrong. Some day I hope to have men, women, boys and girls..whole families.. sharing our philosophy of love. But, for now I have to go with what I know best, boys." "What about sex?" "What about it?" "Don't the older boys want to have sex...I mean with girls?" Cory asked blushing. "I guess you'd have to ask them about what they want. As for me; I'm gay." "You're gay?" Cory asked almost without emotion. "Yeah, are you shocked? I figured you knew already. I just wanted to be honest. If my being gay makes a difference then you're not seeing what we're trying to do here." "I'm not saying I care, cause I don't. It doesn't make any difference to me, but what if one of the boys wanted a girl for sex? What would you do?" "Well, probably give him a condom and a private room. There are no rules about sex here, only about loving and treating each other right." "So this isn't just a setup to get boys for you?" "For sex? If that's all I wanted I could just pay them and be done with it. There's not one of these boys, you included, who wouldn't turn a trick for the right price. I want more than sex out of life. I want love and friendship and that wonderful feeling of making a difference in someone's life. I'm no going to lie to you though; I've had sex with all but the two younger boys. But, no one was forced or intimidated. Now I know that back on Earth what I'm doing would be illegal, I'd be a pervert and the good citizens would want to put me away. But, out here in the outer worlds, sex is a different thing. Being gay is no big deal. Boys are considered perfect partners because they are soft and loveable. Women are sometimes scarce or hard to come by. The miners on Glory VII have only a few women at their disposal. They share them to breed children and the children are used for sex. I know some things sound worse than others but, what I'm doing is a whole lot better than most. "Why do you think I'd do it for money?" Cory asked without emotion. "Don't get me wrong, it doesn't make you bad or weak. It's the survival instinct in you. I know you didn't make it this far by playing by the rules. It's a shame life forces you to make those kinds of choices but, the blunt truth is we'd all do anything to survive. Take Mark and Todd, the two brothers. When I found them they were naked, starved and battered but, they were still fighting to survive. The fire still burned in their eyes. They'd been through more in two years than most people go through in their whole life. The had sold their young bodies many times to survive. It's one reason I won't approach them about sex. They need time to heal, to learn that sex doesn't have to be bad or hurt. Sex should be good and involve love or at least mutual respect. And most of all, sex should be fun for both partners. Until a person can have fun and give fun, sex is something else." "I don't know much about sex but, I guess you're right. I did do it once for money. I was so hungry I would have done anything." Cory said sadly. "Was it fun or pleasant?" Ricky asked with interest. "Huh? It was okay, I guess. The man just played with me then rubbed himself on my butt. He zipped up and left, he never said a word." "See, that's what I mean. I doubt he had fun either. To him it was a power thing, or just a need to get off." Ricky said thoughtfully. "I could never pay someone." "But, what about all of this?" Cory said spreading his arms to indicate what he meant. "You think I'm paying these boys to stay here? Ask em; anyone of em. They stay cause they want to. They love me and I love them and I let them know it every day. But, if they want to leave, they will have my blessings and my help." "But, don't they feel, you know, like they owe you...sex..I mean?" "Believe me I'd know if anyone of them felt that way and I'd back off." "Did Ted leave because of that?" "Good question. Ted had a real hard time at first. I was very careful not to push him about sex. He was raped by his stepfather over and over for several years before he finally ran away. To Ted sex is a painful and sad experience. I told him he could live here forever and never have to worry about sex but, he decided he needed some time away. He's coming to visit tomorrow. Maybe you'd like to talk to him." Ricky said smiling as if the thoughts of Ted's visit had brought him sudden happiness. "Yeah, sure." Cory said trying to digest all he had been told. "Come on, it's getting late and I'm hungry. Let's go grab the others. Mark and Todd are cooking tonight." Ricky slipped an arm around Cory's shoulder. Cory found the show of affection genuine and accepted it as such. As they entered the hallway, Peter joined them. "So little brother; ready to join us?" We all really like you and we need another pair of hands around here. Ricky is such a slave driver." "I haven't decided yet." Cory said thoughtfully. "Well, come on then. Let's eat and after dinner we'll go swimming." Cory followed Peter down to the dining room where the others were already seated. Mark and Todd were busy cooking hamburgers on a huge commercial grill. Cory offered to help but, the two stubbornly refused. They obviously were proud to make the meal and felt they needed no help. The burgers were delicious, Cory conceded, and he was stuffed by the time desert, an ice cream sundae was served. Everyone helped clear and clean up and soon Peter led everyone to the pool. The pool was probably the most spectacular thing Cory had seen since his arrival. It was huge, larger than Olympic size he was told, and occupied the entire room. There were low diving boards, high diving boards and a slide. Several pool side chairs were placed around the edge and a bathroom was set into the wall at one end. But, the most amazing thing was the lighting. A multitude of sun lamps shown down from the high ceiling, giving the illusion of natural sunlight. It was beautiful. The room and the water were heated to an ideal temperature making it a perfect place to swim or to lounge in the artificial sunlight. "I...don't have a swimsuit." Cory stammered. "A swimsuit? Who needs a swimsuit silly? It's perfect here and private, just us boys here. Ever been skinny dipping?" Peter was busily undressing as he spoke and with his last words he dove into the blue water, a tan blur of flesh. Cory had no skin modesty; after all he had been a slave. He quickly stripped his clothes off and dived into the blue water and began splashing about with the others. Everyone was in the pool now, everyone that was except Ricky. Ricky sat in a chair at one end of the pool, bare chested but still wearing his cotton shorts. He smiled occasionally as he watched the boys frolic in the warm water. Cory caught his eye as he climbed out near him and Ricky smiled warmly. Cory smiled back and quickly climbed the ladder to the high diving board. He saw Ricky watching him closely as he jumped into the pool in an almost perfect swan dive. Presently Peter swam up beside Cory and blew a mouthful of water at him. "Does Ricky like to swim?" Cory asked Peter as he retaliated with frenzied splashing. "Sure, he's an expert diver. But, sometimes he just likes to watch. It really makes him happy just to watch us have fun." "You really like him a lot, don't you?" "Like him? Yeah, I guess you could say that. Hell, I love him, and he loves me. We all love him. He's the only person who ever loved me back. He loves us in a kind of way that's hard to explain. He doesn't ask us to do anything; he just loves us for who we are." Peter had turned serious but as he explained his face grew gentle and his eyes sparkled with emotion. "Yeah, I think I see. I'm just not sure. The sex thing bothers me a lot." Cory admitted with embarrassment. "Oh, that. It's no big deal. If you don't like, don't do it. Me I like it, so do the others. But, Ricky doesn't make anyone do it. You can still be part of all this, no sex, as long as you learn to love and be loved. That's the only real rule here." Peter seemed older than Cory knew him to be. He seemed suddenly wise beyond his years and his words were comforting to Cory in a way he could not explain. He guessed that deep inside he wanted to find a reason to stay. In the short time he had been here he had found something that appealed to him in a way nothing ever had. Maybe it was the promise of love, or of family. Whatever it was it was desirable. "I guess I'm in then." He suddenly said smiling up at Peter who floated near him. Peter's eyes lit up and he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Hey, everyone...listen up! Cory has decided to join us." Cory floated red faced as everyone swam to him and one by one patted him on the back and hugged him. His embarrassment grew; he had never had another boy hug him before. In fact besides his parents, he could not remember anyone ever hugging him. Ricky looked directly at Cory and catching his eye he smiled. "Welcome little brother. Tonight we welcome another into our flock. At midnight we shall have the ceremony. Peter, Dominic help Cory prepare. The rest of you gather around, we have much to do." End of Parts 1-2...let me know what you think...three is ready to go when you want it...love ya all...thanks for your emails. A special thanks to my best bud Kelly and to August for their constant words of encouragement and love.