Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2012 23:54:48 -0700 From: B.E. Kelley Subject: Keys to the Kingdom Ch 10 This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization. This story contains depictions of consensual sexual acts between teenage males. It is intended for mature audiences only. If you find this type of material offensive or if you are under the legal age to read said material; please proceed no further. It takes a while before there is any sex in this story but I think you'll like it. As always comments are welcome but please, be gentle. Please send your comments to: HailCaesar2011@hotmail.com The Keys to the Kingdom Chapter 10: Hope Springs Eternal In this day and age you would think it would be easy to find an address in your own town, unfortunately we were finding this to be difficult. Cam's car doesn't have a GPS and the neighborhood the Petersons lived in was older and many of the addresses painted on the curbs were hard to read. The problem was further complicated by the fact that they lived on Robinson Street and the idiot who had planned this neighborhood had also named Robinson Court, Robinson Drive, Robinson Avenue etc... Every minute that passed was one more that could bring Aiden to a juncture that might well and truly ruin his life forever. Cam and I were both tense we didn't speak much we just scanned the streets looking for the right address or any sign of the boy with the broken arm. An hour into our search we spotted a woman walking her dog and asked her if she'd seen Aiden. She said that she had seen a boy with a broken arm who matched his description then pointed us in the direction she'd seen him heading. Within a few minutes we pulled up in front of a house and found Aiden sitting on the front steps with his head in his hands, the house looked dark and we couldn't tell if he'd been inside already. Cam and I walked up slowly and then I sat down on the steps next to Aiden. He looked up, and when he recognized me, he scooted closer, put his arms around me, rested his head on my shoulder, than continued crying. "Where are the Petersons?" Cam asked gently. "Gone," Aiden sniffled. Cam and I traded a panicked look, were we too late? "Aiden, what do you mean they're gone?" Cam pressed. "They aren't here, the house is empty, they're gone," Aiden answered. Cam and I both breathed a sigh of relief then he sat on the other side of Aiden and we hugged him between us. He was still shaking, like he had been on the couch back in the study, we waited for him to calm down and speak. "The first time it happened was just after I turned 13," Aiden said, "Terry picked me up and took me to a motel to meet a guy he said was his friend, Michelle waited in the car." "Terry and Michelle, you mean the Petersons?" I asked. "Yeah, that's them," Aiden replied. "He made me sit on the man's lap while they talked, I felt really uncomfortable, I didn't know the guy and I was way too big for that and then he started pulling on my zipper," Aiden continued. "I kicked him and was able to get off his lap, I thought Terry would help me but he slapped me so hard I fell down," Aiden took a few seconds to get past the hurt of that memory before continuing. "The man was really angry; he pulled me up by my hair and threw me down on his bed. He pulled my pants down, and then he started sticking it up my butt. It hurt so bad, I was screaming and crying and I couldn't understand why Terry wouldn't help me," Aiden continued. "When it was over, the man gave him some money and we went home. In the car he said that I had to start earning my keep and that if I didn't do what the men he took me too said, that he'd beat me. He said if I ever told anyone they'd sell me to one of these guys and no one would ever see me again. Why did they do that to me?" Aiden collapsed in another round of sobs. I didn't have an answer for him, neither did Cam. We couldn't figure out what would make a person do that to a child. The things Aiden has experienced are so evil and so foul that they defy belief but the evidence of their existence was sitting next to me awash in tears. "Is that why you came here?" Cam asked, "Were you going to do something because of what they did?" "I was angry, I've got this terrible disease now and I'm gonna die because they were greedy and sick and they let all those men do whatever they wanted to me, I wanted to make them pay," spat Aiden. "Killing them wouldn't have done you any good. It might have made you feel better for a minute, that you'd gotten even, but it would just have hurt you more, and you'd have been taken away from us," I offered. "I wasn't going to kill them," Aiden confessed, "I wouldn't even know what to do." "Then what did you come here for?" asked Cam. "I wanted to tell them how shitty they are, what scumbags they are. I can't stand the thought of being sick and just rotting away, I thought if I made them mad enough they'd kill me, finish what they started, maybe then they'd get the death penalty or something," Aiden admitted. "Well if that's the case, I'm sure glad they weren't here," said Cam. "Aiden, you're not going to be sick and rot away," said Cam gently, "you didn't let me finish our conversation before you stormed out of the room." "I've got HIV, isn't that about the worst thing you can get?" asked Aiden. "I admit it is bad but there is a bright side," said Cam, "the doctors caught it early, there are medications that you'll start taking first thing tomorrow but the bottom line is that you're going to be able to have a pretty normal life." "I don't understand, if I have this disease, how can I have a normal life?" Aiden wondered. Cam explained how the disease worked just like he had for me, he explained the pills Aiden would be taking, how he would have to watch his diet and keep up with his exercise but with good medical care he'd lead a normal happy life and that there might very well be a cure within the next decade. "But if that's all true, how come you always see people die from this stuff, on movies and TV how?" Aiden demanded. "Well movies and TV don't always get their facts straight," said Cam, "I won't lie to you Aiden, this isn't a good thing to have by any means, but it can be controlled, you'll have to be very disciplined when it comes to taking your medication and you'll have to be extremely careful any time you get a cut or risk exposing someone to your blood, but we can control this." A sense of relief seemed to wash over Aiden. He wasn't exactly jumping for joy but all the fear he'd built up, thinking he was a goner, started to subside and I could feel the tension in his shoulders easing. We helped Aiden to his feet and headed for the car. As we were getting ready to leave I noticed a for sale sign on the lawn and a quick look through the window showed that the house was empty. We would later learn from Detective Singer that the Petersons had been evicted by their landlord after they'd made bail and were now living in an apartment on the other side of town where their house arrest was being enforced while they waited for trial. As Aiden was buckling up and Cam was starting the car, I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket and wrote down the number for the real estate agent on the for sale sign, I had an idea. While we were gone, Ethan was a wreck, he told Jack and Nicky everything that had happened and they did their best to calm him down but he paced up and down the living room floor until we came home. When we walked in the door Ethan raced over to Aiden and threw his arms around him tightly. "Are you ok?" Ethan asked. "Yeah, I'm ok," Aiden sniffled. "Ethan why don't you take Aiden upstairs so he can clean up a little bit, he's had a hard day," I said. Once they headed up the stairs Jack and Nicky came over to ask what was going on. I told them that we'd discuss everything after dinner but that Cam and I needed a few minutes to talk. I had Jack order up some pizza and gave him my credit card to wait for the delivery boy while Cam and I headed back to the study. "So what do we do now?" I asked Cam. "Well, I'll start him on the medication tomorrow and get him an appointment for a complete physical then..." "No, I mean about the boys, what do we tell them?" I asked. "I'll explain to them just like I did to Aiden, we just have to take precautions and I think our boys are more than capable of following the rules we'll lay down," said Cam. "Ok, and what do you think about what he said about why he went to the Petersons?" I continued. "Bren, he just got some of the worst news a person can get and he didn't have all the facts, he was angry and hurt, that's all," said Cam. "So you don't think he's a danger to the boys or himself?" I followed. "I don't think he would ever do anything to hurt the boys and there is no danger from his illness as long as we follow the rules. As far as to himself; he needs counseling, you have to talk to your dad and get him to recommend a good therapist," Cam responded. "Good, I feel the same way," I agreed. "Ok than, what do you think we should do next?" Cam asked. "I want to adopt him," I stated. "You're sure?" Cam asked. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Until we adopt him he's a ward of the state and I just don't think that's a secure enough future for him. No one can provide him with the expert medical care we can, where else is he going to have a live in doctor to monitor his condition? No, we need to adopt him, that's the only answer," I stated confidently. "I'm so glad you said that," Cam smiled, "I'll call Ted Stevens and have him start the paperwork tomorrow." "Is your dad still golfing buddies with Judge Winters?" I asked. "Yeah, they play at least once a week," answered Cam. "Call your dad in the morning too, see if he can get us a favor, I want this done quickly," I said. "Wow, you are serious about this," Cam grinned. "Cam I'm not going to rest well until I know that this is done. After all that Aiden has been through and all that lies ahead of him, I just want us to give him a good life," I said. Cam agreed with me completely and I hugged him tight, I couldn't ask for a better partner in life and a better father for these boys. We broke our embrace just as the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of dinner. Jack paid the bill with my American Express and took the food into the kitchen while Cam and I went to get Ethan and Aiden. We found the boys in Ethan's room this time. They were sitting on the bed and Ethan was holding Aiden, gently rocking him back and forth. Ethan had helped Aiden wash his face and then they'd settled in his room. They hadn't spoken about what happened, Ethan just offered Aiden his soothing touch and Aiden soaked it all in. We sent Ethan to wash up for dinner and told him we needed a moment to talk to Aiden before we joined the others downstairs. "After dinner we're going to have a discussion with everyone about your condition," Cam explained to Aiden. "Does everyone have to know?" asked Aiden. "I know it's hard for you," I explained, "but the only way everyone is going to be safe is if they know what the situation is." "They're not going to want anything to do with me," Aiden mopped, "everyone's going to be afraid I'm gonna make them sick." "No one's going to think that," said Cam, "I'm going to tell them how this disease works, there's no reason for them to be afraid of you, we just have to take precautions." "After all, you don't want anyone else to get sick, right?" I asked. "Of course not, I'd feel awful," Aiden exclaimed, "maybe it would be better for everyone else if you just sent me away." "We couldn't do that, we'd miss you too much," said Cam, "so would Nicky and Jack. And I don't think Ethan would ever forgive us, I think you know he cares about you rather a lot." "I'd miss all of you too, especially Ethan, he's been so good to me and we have so many things in common," said Aiden, "but I don't know if I could live with myself if any of them got sick because of me." "Let me worry about that," offered Cam, "managing your disease will become routine sooner than you think and you'll go about leading a normal life, just follow the rules and you don't have to worry about making anyone else sick." "Do you think you can do that?" I asked. "Yeah, I mean I don't have any choice," said Aiden, "I don't want to die and I don't want to hurt anyone, I'll have to learn to control this." "We're glad you feel that way because there is something else we wanted to ask you," I said, trading a smile with Cam. Aiden looked at me quizzically. "Aiden, Cam and I would like you to be our son, we'd like to formally adopt you," I explained. "Really," Aiden shouted, "you'd still do that?" "You're disease hasn't changed anything about who you are," I explained, "we think you are a bright, caring, sensitive boy and that you'd make a wonderful addition to our family." "We can give you the best medical treatment," Cam added, "and, well, we think we can give you a pretty good life." "What do you think?" I asked. He threw his arms around the both of us and squeezed tightly before letting go. "This is weird, how can you have the worst day of your life and the best day of your life all at the same time?" said Aiden. "I thought for sure that no one would want me once they found out I was sick," Aiden explained. "Well, we want you, what do you say?" I smiled. "Yes, absolutely, yes, I'd like that very much," Aiden smiled. "Great," Cam exclaimed, "well tell the others the good news after dinner." Aiden hugged us again, then we headed downstairs. The last thing you want to do is leave Nicky alone with a pizza if you expect to get any yourself. When we got to the kitchen the other boys were waiting for us, Ethan and Jack patiently so, Nicky however was looking at the pizza like a rabid wolf looks at a rabbit. Dinner seemed like a return to normalcy. The boys devoured the pizza, the conversation was light and everyone seemed to relax. When the last piece of pizza was gone we cleared the table then took our seats once again for our family meeting. "First I want to say how glad we are to have Aiden back with us tonight," Cam began, "he got some very upsetting news today and just needed to blow off some steam." Aiden blushed a little, as Cam glossed over his mad dash to the Petersons this afternoon. "Aiden got the results of his testing back today and we found out he has HIV," Cam continued. For a moment you could have heard a pin drop. Jack looked pale, Nicky concerned, Ethan like he wanted to cry and Aiden ashamed. "It's ok, there's nothing for you to be ashamed of," I whispered to Aiden, as I put my arm around his shoulder for support. "Is, is he gonna die?" asked Nicky. "No Nicky, he's not going to die," said Cam, "this is a bad disease but as I've explained to Aiden, it can be treated and controlled with medication." "I feel like an asshole asking this, but are we in danger of catching it?" asked Jack. "You don't have to feel bad for asking, it's an honest question. There is no danger as long as we take precautions," said Cam. "HIV is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids," Cam started, "in order to be infected Aiden's blood would have to come into contact with an open sore or wound on your body or through..." "Sex," said Ethan, trading a look with Nicky. "That's right Ethan," said Cam, "it is a sexually transmitted disease and you can catch it from an infected person's semen." Aiden looked embarrassed by that statement, Ethan and Nicky both blushed but Jack seemed oblivious to their reactions. I know it's a sensitive topic but they need the facts. "So does that mean we can't touch Aiden, you know to give him a hug or anything?" asked Nicky. "Of course you can hug him," said Cam, "you can do anything with Aiden that you normally would but you have to be careful." "Careful how?" Nicky asked, still confused. "We'll in your case that means no rough housing," said Cam, "I know you like to wrestle with your brother and Jack but you have to take it easy on Aiden, don't do anything where you might risk scratching him and getting any blood under your fingernails, the smallest amount can be dangerous so it's better to be safe than sorry." "What if he hurts himself?" asked Ethan, "what if we're out running and he falls and skins his knee?" "Don't touch the wound with your bare hands," said Cam, "I'll bring a supply of rubber gloves home from the hospital, I'll have Aiden keep some with him in case he has an accident somewhere, like school, and you boys can take some with you when you go running. I know it's hard and maybe even sounds mean but if Aiden gets hurt like that, you can't touch him without protection." "But...," Ethan began. "No buts," said Aiden, speaking for the first time. "I don't want any of you getting sick because of me; it's bad enough I have this, I don't want any of you to get it too. I'm not a baby I can handle a scrapped knee or whatever, it's not worth it for you to help me without gloves or something," Aiden stated forcefully. That seemed to settle the topic of what to do should Aiden get hurt, at least for the time being. Cam went on to explain that for safety's sake the boys shouldn't share drinks with Aiden, use his tooth brush or razor, that is once he started shaving, or eat off his plate. The odds of contracting HIV from any of the things I mentioned, aside from a razor which could have blood on it, is small, but we weren't taking any chances. Now Cam was focused on keeping Aiden healthy. "HIV is a disease that attacks the immune system," Cam started, "in order for us to keep Aiden healthy we have to limit his exposure to germs." "We keep the house fairly clean and having the housekeeper, when we move, will improve on that," Cam continued, "but each of you are exposed to germs when you go outside, to school or anywhere else. I want you to wash your hands often. If you guys go out to the park, take a bottle of hand sanitizer with you, when you get home from school wash your hands. Don't touch any food without washing your hands first. If you do get sick don't touch Aiden at all, with a weakened immune system diseases like TB and pneumonia are very dangerous for him so we have to limit his exposure." Cam laid down the rest of the rules and the mood was fairly somber. The boys seemed to pay close attention to the things Cam told them and we would reiterate them regularly. Now that this was done it was time to share with them the good news. "There's one more thing we'd like to add before you guys head off to watch TV," I said. "There's a gap in our family and Aiden has agreed to fill it for us by allowing your dad and I to adopt him," I smiled, "so as soon as we can get the paperwork done, Ethan and Nicky you're getting a new brother and Jack a new cousin." The boys were all smiles as they congratulated Aiden. Jack walked over and wanted to be the first to welcome Aiden to the family with a hug but stopped in mid-reach and looked at Cam. "Is it ok?" Jack asked. "It's ok, you can hug him, you're not going to break him," Cam smiled. Jack hugged Aiden, tentatively at first then gave him a good squeeze. Nicky was next, followed by Ethan. I know this is going to be tough for all of us to get used to but I know the boys will adjust. I did however hold Nicky and Ethan back for a moment while Jack went with Aiden to the living room to put on a movie. "What is it daddy?" asked Ethan. "I just wanted to remind you two, no sexual contact with Aiden," I said. "Daddyyyy," Nicky whined, and Ethan blushed. "I know you guys are embarrassed but I have to say these things to remind you because I love you more than life itself and I have to protect you," I explained. "We're not doing anything with Aiden," Ethan explained. "I didn't say you were, this is just one of those better safe than sorry conversations," I added. "Can we go now?" said Nicky. "Beat it," I smirked as, I gave him a slap on the butt. The boys selected a movie and we all sat around to watch it like a nice normal family, you'd never know the kind of day we'd had if you'd been peeking through the window. At bedtime Ethan announced that he'd sleep in Aiden's room tonight, he wanted to be there incase Aiden had a bad dream brought on by the stress of the day. I think, more than anything, he just wanted to show support for his soon to be brother. Ethan waited for Aiden to take his shower then helped him put on his pajamas before jumping in and showering himself. When he finished he got out to dry as Nicky came in and hung up his bathrobe leaving him in just his undies. Ethan looked at Nicky, Nicky smiled back. "Not tonight squirt, I have a headache," teased Ethan. "Oh please, I just came in to take a shower," said Nicky, rolling his eyes. "Oh yeah, that's all?" Ethan asked. "Well, I wanted to make sure you're ok too," Nicky admitted. "Yeah, I'm fine," said Ethan. "Are you sure, I know you really like Aiden a lot, and dad says he's going to be ok, I just don't want you to be sad," said Nicky. Ethan was touched by Nicky's concern. He loved Nicky more than he could ever explain; and it had nothing to do with their experimental love making. The brotherly bond seemed to start growing the day they met and got stronger with each passing day. "Thanks Nicky," said Ethan as he pulled him in for a hug, "you're a great little brother." "I'm cute too," Nicky teased. "Ha, how could I forget that part," Ethan laughed as he gave Nicky's butt a playful grope. "I don't know why that feels good but it sure does," said Nicky who started getting a hardon. "I'm glad you like it, I have plans for that butt," said Ethan giving Nicky's rump a gentle slap. "What plans?" asked Nicky. "You'll have to wait and see," Ethan teased as he headed off to bed. "What a day," said Cam after we'd tucked the boys in and started to get ready for bed. "Yes, this one definitely goes down in the book of bad days," I agreed. "Still, it wasn't all bad," Cam smiled, "we got a new son out of it." "We did, didn't we?" I smiled back. We did indeed have a new son, now all we had to do was make it legal, but that's a project that will wait until morning. After the day we've had, all either of us wanted to do was get to sleep.