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"Project Talos was designed to be given to soldiers on the battlefield to protect them from harm, and give them an edge in combat. It's a suit, made of a flexible breathable membrane composed from a polymorphic alloy. Each individual cell is embedded with an artificial intelligence that interprets the environment around the wearer and predicts where conditions will require them to be protected. When an impact is predicted, the cells harden up to an almost impervious density, redirecting the force of the impact in other directions. If it's necessary, the force can be directed into an offensive strike such as a punch or kick, or it can be converted to energy if the suit is low on power. It enhances the wearer's reaction time and reflexes; it enhances coordination, stamina, muscle movement, and sensory perception. In essence, it enhances the wearer to a superhuman level. The intelligence in the cells links with the central nervous system, and enhances the wearer's brain functions as well. Its ability to predict where a strike or danger will occur is transferred to the wearer as a series of electrical impulses that behave almost like instincts. It's powered by solar energy, and is capable of converting that energy into any other form, including kinetic; it can enhance the power behind a strike exponentially. Additionally, the cells can take on the color and texture of any material, meaning the suit can be used for disguise as well. It can make the user appear to be part of their surroundings, or it can be any article of clothing. It's not perfect though. Since it is connected directly to the user's nervous system, any force that can't be completely redirected or blocked can cause neurological damage as well as physical damage. That is one of the primary reasons it was never approved for mass production. The damage heals, over time – the human body is capable of much more than we give it credit for. If too much damage is suffered over too short a time period, however, it can be fatal. I've measured the suit's limit to be just short of the impact of a bullet fired from a .50 caliber sniper rifle at about 1000 yards. Anything over that, and the damage gets through, albeit in a mitigated state. For this reason, the suit relies primarily on avoiding impacts it determines to be potentially harmful. In addition, because of the nature of the suit, it cannot protect everyplace at once. If multiple threats are detected, more than it is capable of dealing with, it prioritizes, and protects only against the most potentially harmful. The rest get through un-deterred. The threshold is determined by the level of force in the impacts, and the number of impacts, and so far I have not been able to accurately measure its limit in this respect. I've had this division of the company working on improving these flaws since the project was turned down for governmental use. They've made some changes, but haven't been able to improve much on my original design." "Well, what do you think?" I finished up with a chuckle. "I think this is a lot to have kept from me…" she said, with a slight look of disapproval. "I would have told you eventually… if it worked," I said. "If I told you about all my projects that didn't work, you'd never finish reading reports," I continued, laughing. "Well, I understand everything you've told me… my only question is, why am I here?" "You're here to oversee the operation. If something goes wrong, and the suit doesn't sync with my nervous system, I want you there to determine when to pull me out. It may be that it just needs time to work, but if it doesn't sync up correctly within a certain period of time, it can cause serious nerve damage, and possibly death. I don't know what that period of time is, so I want you there to make the call. Also, if it goes wrong and I don't survive, I want you to be ready to take up the reigns and keep things running smoothly in my absence." One of the reasons I appreciate Jennifer so much is her ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. True to form, she reacted positively. "Well sir, if it comes to that, I'll be ready." "Thank you Jennifer." An hour or two passed, and the jet was landing on a runway next to a small building in what looked a lot like the middle of nowhere, and, in fact, was as close to that as it could be. There were no roads nearby, and no cities within 30 miles of it. Apart from the runway, and the small building next to it, there were no outward signs that anything even existed there. The building was small, one room, one story, with no windows, and a single door. From the outside, the building looked abandoned; it was covered from top to bottom with several layers of dirt and grime, and the paint on every surface was peeling. "This is your top secret research facility?" She asked, incredulously. "Seems like a poor place to try to cut the fat off the budget…" Laughing, I replied, "The facility is underground. This part is meant to attract as little attention as possible." As we entered the room, it became apparent that this dingy little abandoned building was anything but. Though little more than a room with a raised platform in the center, it had a completely different feel from its outward appearance. Everything was modern; the walls and surfaces were all made from some metallic substance, and the controls for the platform in the center were a touch screen set into the wall opposite the door. Even the door was not as it appeared… from the outside it looked weathered and beaten down, scarred by the elements and apparently a few stray bullets… but as we entered, instead of swinging open like appearances indicated that it should, it slid aside completely. We stood on the platform and I pressed the control panel, and we began to descend. We were in motion for several minutes, and finally we reached the bottom. We stepped off of the platform and into a bare corridor that, though bereft of any signs of human occupation, was as modern and futuristic looking as the room we had just left. We began to walk down the hallway that we found ourselves in, and soon we approached a closed door that appeared to be a heavy duty deterrent to unauthorized entry. I pressed my thumb against the fingerprint reader mounted on an instrument panel in the wall near the door, and spoke aloud to the air, allowing a microphone to take a sample of my voice for comparison against a recorded sample stored in its database. Satisfied that I was permitted to enter the facility, a light above the instrument panel blinked green, and the door slid open silently. Without comment, we continued through the door, and here, all pretenses at being abandoned were dropped. We had entered a room bustling with activity. Easily twenty or thirty scientists were working at stations scattered all around the room, and at the center was another platform like the one on which we had entered. A very young looking low level technician greeted us as we passed through the door. "Excuse me, but who are you, and who gave you authorization to enter this facility?" He asked with suspicion. "My name is Mike, and I gave me permission to enter," I said, with emphasis on the word 'I'. "I own this facility, and I'm here to speak with the lead technician, and that is all you need to know." "My apologies, sir," He said, with a slight air of sarcasm, "But I can't just take your word for that. How do I know you are who you say you are?" "I'd like to talk to someone in charge please." "You can't just come in here and start making demands. I have to see some proof of your authorization to be here. Show me some identification, or I'll have security escort you out." Laughing at his ignorance, I spoke to the air, ignoring his not-so-subtle request for proof that I was who I said I was. "Moose, are you online here?" "Indeed I am sir. How may I be of service?" Said a voice, booming throughout the entire room via intercom speakers spaced evenly around the walls. I chuckled slightly, at his unnecessary show of theatricality. "Please page Dr. Moira. He'll be expecting my arrival. Tell him I'll meet him at Talos." "Very good sir." Their attention pulled by the loud voice that had echoed through the room moments earlier, all the scientists' eyes were on us as we strode towards the platform in the center. The now sputtering technician followed us, desperately attempting to regain control of the situation. I stopped short of the platform, and turned towards him. "What is your name," I asked. "Justin, sir… Justin Tarrbul," he said, with a much improved attitude. "Well Justin, I must say, I'm less than impressed with your attitude towards a superior. How sad, that you don't even know who you're working for. On the other hand, you do your job well, and I'm glad that you didn't just take my word for it. I'm promoting you; when my jet leaves here to take me back to my office, you will be on it. From now on, you'll work directly for me. I'll figure out what your position is later… for now, you're with me, and I hope that in the future, you'll never again forget who pays your salary." The last bit I said with a smile, letting him know that I wasn't seriously upset with him. "Y- yes sir" was all he could stammer out, as he followed me onto the platform. As I mounted the lift, a previously hidden control panel ascended from the floor atop a telescoping pole. It was clear that Justin had never even seen this control panel, much less suspected its existence. Once again, I placed my thumb on a fingerprint reader, and spoke aloud to verify my identity; when this process was complete, I was permitted to enter a destination into the panel. As we descended once more into the floor, I began to learn a little bit more about Justin. He was young – 16, an intern working during the summer as part of an R.O.P. program. As I continued to learn more about him, I was struck by similarities between his life and my own. Like me, he came from a less than prosperous background, and like me, he had overcome many obstacles on the strength of his determination and his drive to succeed. Our conversation was cut short as we reached our destination. As we stepped off the platform, the lead technician, my favorite of the judges from the competition I won what seemed like another lifetime ago, stepped up and shook my hand. "Mike, it's good to see you again. It's been too long," he began. "It's good to see you too Seamus… and yes… I haven't had much opportunity to check up on you guys lately." Noticing Justin standing behind me, and with an almost unnoticeable look of disapproval, he said "Was Mr. Tarrbul making a nuisance of himself?" "No… quite the contrary. I was impressed with his diligence when I entered the facility… I'm afraid I've elected to steal him away from you." "Well, congratulations Justin. Working for Mike is quite an honor." Directing the rest at me, he continued. "Well, I suppose you'd probably like to see what it is that you've spent so much money having us develop." "Yes. I realize that the message you were sent was somewhat cryptic… but I'm afraid that an emergency has arisen at home, and I'll need to use Talos for its intended purpose sooner than we had originally hoped. Is it ready?" "Well sir, obviously we weren't prepared for your visit. We are still in the process of testing our modifications to it, and working on further improving its performance. Theoretically, it should work… but it's never been tested on a human subject before." "I'm afraid that the circumstances have forced my hand. Are you prepared to activate it right now?" "Yes sir… but I have to warn you that I really don't recommend using it yet. The human nervous system is incredibly complex… if the synchronization is even slightly off..." "I am aware of the risks, Dr. Moira. Jennifer is here to oversee the process, and will represent my wishes while the suit is synchronizing with my body. She will determine when to pull the plug, if it becomes necessary." Eyeing Jennifer apprehensively, Seamus finally acquiesced. "Very well sir. Please follow me." After a short walk, we entered another chamber. This one looked as high-tech and futuristic as the others, filled with equipment whose purpose I could only guess at. At the center of the room was a raised platform, with some sort of amorphous material suspended on a metal framework which bore only the vaguest resemblance to a human form. It seemed to be made of nothing at first, constantly shifting, and resisting attempts to focus on it with the eye. Only by looking past it could I actually see it at all; it seemed to absorb light. Both Justin and Jennifer, who had never seen it before, simply stood and stared, but I turned to Seamus and began asking questions. "How soon can we begin the process? Do I need to prepare myself in any way before hand?" "We can begin right now sir. No preparation is necessary; we can monitor your vitals without needing to hook you up to the equipment. All you need to do is step into it, and it should begin synchronizing with your body. I would recommend that you disrobe first though… it does unpleasant things to clothes when it binds to you." Without speaking, I brazenly took off my clothes, and walked towards the suit. Jennifer averted her gaze, but I observed Justin watching me closely. I noted this, and filed it away in my mind for further consideration, then cleared my thoughts in preparation for what was to come. Stepping into the suit was like nothing I had imagined. I thought it would be similar to walking into a curtain, but in actuality it was more like stepping into a bath where the water is just right. It felt good at first, but quickly what felt like warm water began to feel like thousands of needles stabbing into me. The pain was immense, and I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The needles turned to knives, twisting into my body all over, seeming to completely penetrate my being through and through. I had never before felt a pain so overwhelming. After a while the knives turned to ice, and at once my body felt like I was freezing and burning at the same time. My entire existence was pain; acid ran through my veins, and my bones were razor blades. I lost the ability to see, to hear, and to feel anything but agony. It seemed to me that I was floating; my surroundings left far behind, my only companion this unceasing torture that made up the entirety of my being. This went on for what seemed like an eternity… a thousand lifetimes, followed by a thousand more. Finally, the pain began to ease, and my senses slowly returned to me. Suddenly, I was aware; aware in a manner that I had never before imagined. It was as if all my life I had been blind, and suddenly my sight was restored to me. Jennifer was kneeling by my head, whispering to me to wake up; Seamus was frantically checking his instruments while Justin watched, wide-eyed and horrified. The suit had returned to its initial state of feeling like warm bath water. Brushing away her concern, I picked myself up off the floor and walked past Jennifer, towards Seamus. "Please tell me," I began, "That it won't feel like that every time." Startled, he looked up. "Oh no, not at all. Now that the suit is attuned to your biochemistry, you shouldn't feel any pain when you enter it in the future. You had us worried there for a moment, you know." "How long did that take?" "About twelve minutes. I was absolutely convinced you weren't going to survive that sir. I'm glad you proved me wrong. Why don't you try the suit for a bit. Picture yourself in an outfit, and the suit should become that outfit for you." In my mind, I envisioned myself wearing what I had been wearing when I arrived, and as soon as I thought it, that is what I was wearing. Impressed, I thought of a few other outfits, and again, for each of them, no sooner had I thought it, then it became so. I imagined myself blending into the equipment, and before the thought even finished, I could no longer distinguish between my body and the surrounding environment. Once again impressed, I pictured the suit as a one piece, solid matte black suit, and suddenly I could see myself again. Turning towards Justin, I asked him to hit me, as hard as he could, anywhere he wanted. I could see the doubt in his eyes as he threw a half hearted punch at my face, and was surprised when I didn't feel any impact at all. I could see that he too was surprised, as he punched at my torso, once again with no effect. All doubt was gone from his face, as he launched into a flurry of punches, kicks, knees, and elbow strikes against anyplace he could reach. Tiring of this after a moment or two, I began to effortlessly block, and then evade his blows. Both Seamus and Jennifer watched this with an expression of awe. Finally, exhausted, Justin stopped attempting to hit me, and stepped aside to catch his breath. Seeking to test the suit further, I jumped straight up, and caught hold of a pipe spanning the length of the ceiling, roughly three stories above the platform. I dropped back to the floor, landing on my feet without stumbling, and turned toward Seamus. "How do I take it off?" I asked. "Just imagine yourself stepping out of it, and it should happen." I did so, and as I stepped out of the suit, I experienced a flash of regret as my senses returned to their normal level. The suit, no longer active, dropped to the floor, seeming to form a shapeless puddle of nothing. "How do I transport it?" I asked, as I donned the clothes I had abandoned earlier. "I've designed a special briefcase to hold it sir. Now that it's synced, it will respond to your thoughts in a limited fashion as long as you remain in proximity to it, even though you are not directly connected to it." I pictured the suit being stored in the briefcase, and as I thought it, it became so. As I closed the briefcase, I spoke to Justin. "What you've seen here is beyond the highest level of security clearance you even knew existed, up to this point. There are a total of 22 people within my company that possess this clearance. They are all people that I trust completely. You are now one of those people. For your sake, I hope you never find a reason to violate my trust." I stood up with the briefcase in my hand, and turned toward Seamus. "Thank you very much for your attention in this matter. I would like you to make me three more of these suits. You will have an unlimited budget, and I'd like you and your staff to continue working on improvements. I'm impressed with the progress you've made. I'm reassigning your other projects; after today this will be your focus." "I take it you like your new toy?" He said, smiling. "Yes… I am very pleased. I need to return to my office now; I hope you don't mind the brevity of my visit." "Not at all. I understand from Jennifer that the nature of your emergency is personal… I would never want to stand in your way." "Thank you Seamus, I appreciate that. Expect to hear from me again within the next two days… Until then, you and your staff are on a paid vacation. Consider it your reward for meeting my expectations so spectacularly." "Thank you sir." "We will see ourselves to the exit; I am in somewhat of a hurry." "Alright sir, I'll look forward to hearing from you. Good luck." "Thanks." As I left the room, with Justin and Jennifer walking behind me, I laughed inwardly at the other scientists watching us go. As far as they knew, a stranger had entered the facility, spoken to the air (which had spoken back!), gone to a part of the building none of them knew about, and left with a briefcase and a low level intern. Once we were seated in my jet, Justin caught my attention. "Sir… with your permission?" he began. "What is it?" "I'd like to call my mother and let her know what's been going on. Will I be returning home tonight?" "That's absolutely fine, go ahead. You don't need to ask my permission for things like that. As for where you'll stay tonight, that's up to you. I have rooms in my mansion, or you can commute. I still haven't decided where I want you specifically, so I can't say which is likely to be more convenient for you, but you'll likely be spending a lot of time at my mansion in Ventura, and my office in Los Angeles." "Well sir, in that case, I believe I'll stay in your mansion, if that's ok." Laughing, I said "I already said it was. What is this… earlier, you were only too happy to have security throw me out… now I feel like you won't wipe your nose without my permission." Sheepishly, he said "Sorry sir… I guess I'm kind of in awe… We all knew vaguely who you were, but I didn't picture you to be anything like this… and I never expected to ever talk to you in person." "Well, get used to it. Go make your call." I said that last with a wink, hopefully putting him at ease, and letting him know that he didn't need to be so uptight around me. "Thank you sir," he said, finally cracking a smile. As the jet touched down on the landing strip at my office, I planned the next few steps in the process of retrieving Aaron. Obviously, the top priority was to find out where he is. I couldn't hope to entertain any thoughts of getting him back without knowing where he is. After that, it seemed to be as simple as going there and taking him back. As soon as I exited the jet, my security head was waiting to brief me on the situation. "I'm afraid sir, that we haven't made any progress since you left. I've had agents locating and shaking down possible leads on where they might have disappeared to, with no luck so far. Our contacts within the FBI and the CIA are also looking, but again without any notable progress." "I'm sure you've been doing the best you can Eric, thanks for the update. I'll be in my home office if you need me." As soon as we had stepped off the jet, Jennifer had returned to her station to resume managing all the people I had working on this problem, and as I started towards the parking structure, I remembered Justin, who was standing a little behind me looking lost. Turning towards him, I motioned that he should follow me as I began the walk to my car. When we arrived, I spoke. "You may stay in one of the guest rooms for the time being; when you determine where you'd like to be permanently, let me know and I'll have it arranged. Just for your information, some members of Jennifer's extended family should be arriving today; they'll be staying with us for a few days while they get some issue with the courts settled. For now, I want you to stay in the mansion, but wander around, explore, become familiar with it and the people I have working for me. I'll provide you with an ID badge that will identify you as my attaché, and that will allow you the credibility you need to talk to them. Once this situation is resolved, I'll formally introduce you, and you can begin working more closely with me." "Yes sir." "Do you have any questions for me?" I asked. "Yes sir, many, but I'll wait to ask until I've had time to check things out." "Very good." "Oh, and Justin?" "Yes?" "You don't need to call me sir all the time. You remind me of myself when I was younger, and I like that. I want you to be comfortable with me. I know how hard it is to do the things that you've done; what you have to sacrifice. Feel free to talk to me any time, and if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask." "Thank you si- I mean Mike…" he said, somewhat shyly. "Alright, hop in." As he got in the car, he remarked, "Wow… this is really nice…" "Yeah" I chuckled, "It gets me from A to B." We drove up the 405 northbound, and I watched his face off and on, fading into and out of view as the headlights washed over it. He looked pensive, staring off into nothing. I would have thought he was asleep, but for the fact that every once in a while he would look around at something else, and then return to his silent vigil. Finally, I spoke. "Justin, is everything alright?" Startled, he looked up. "Yeah… everything is fine…" he trailed off. I could sense that he wasn't being honest with me, but I didn't want to push him, so all I said was, "Well, if something comes up, I want you to know you can always talk to me." He didn't respond, but continued to stare off into the darkness. After a time, he broke the silence. "Mike, can I ask you something?" "Absolutely." "How did you do it? I mean, you said I remind you of yourself, well, if that's true, then how did you find the strength to leave everything behind and become what you are now?" "That's an interesting question Justin," I began. "Why do you ask?" "It's… well, it's complicated." "Well, I guess for me, at the time, it didn't seem like I was really leaving anything. I guess I kind of felt like if I had nothing to begin with, how can I leave it behind? And more importantly, how can I ever miss it?" He was silent for several moments. Finally, he asked, almost inaudibly, "Do you still feel that way?" I glanced over at him to find him looking intently at me. His eyes glinted in the light, and I couldn't be sure, but it looked like they were watering. "I'm not sure I have an answer to that. There are days when I wonder about the things I've missed by leading this life; the friendships, the experiences. It's not an easy thing, being surrounded by people who laugh when I make a joke more because I'm their boss than because the joke was funny. You know, I couldn't tell you what I wrote in my Christmas cards to people last year? Not because it's been so long, but because I didn't write them. There are so many I have to send out every year, if I wrote them myself, it would take days. I lead a lonely life Justin. What I gave up wasn't my past; it was one possible future, one possible life. I couldn't tell you if the life I lead now is better than the one I gave up. It has its perks, for sure, but not a day goes by that I don't wonder if it was worth it. What brought all this up? If you don't mind my asking." "No… it's ok.. I just.. well, you remember when I called my mom earlier?" "I do." "Well, she told me she has cancer. I knew she was sick… but I didn't realize it was that bad. She… she just never said anything. She said that the doctors have given her only a few months to live. I guess the cancer is really far progressed. She's selling our house, and she'll be staying in a care center until… until she…" He trailed off here, and I knew that I was correct before, when I thought he may have been crying. I reached over and took his hand in mine silently, and he gripped it tightly while I took stock of where we were. Making a decision, I placed a call to my office. "Moose, please connect me with Jennifer." "One moment please. Connected." "Jennifer, this is Mike. Please give me an update on the status of your investigation." "Regrettably sir, I have no further news to report. Our agents are still scouring the warehouse for any sign of where they might have gone, and I've got people checking with every contact we have looking for information. I promise sir, I'll let you know the moment I have anything to report." "Thank you Jennifer; I know you're doing your best. I'm letting you know that I'm going to make a detour on the way home. Justin and I have some things to talk about. If something comes up, contact me on my cell phone immediately." "Yes sir." As the connection terminated, I placed another call, this time scrambling the signal and disguising its origin and destination. "Dave. It's Mike. I know it's only been a little while, but have you found anything?" "Hi Mike. I don't have anything solid yet, but I've got people looking into a few leads I've found. I'll let you know as soon as I have something real to tell you." "Alright, thanks Dave. I want you to contact me right away if you find something, and you're discretion is appreciated, as always." "Of course. You know I can do the whole shady business routine just as good as you can. Take care of yourself kid," He finished, with a smile in his voice. "Don't call me that Dave. Goodnight." As I finished up my call, I pulled off the freeway. Justin was still trembling and sniffling every few minutes, and he still had a tight hold of my hand. "Where are we going?" he asked. "I think maybe you and I should talk bud. I own a hotel here in Universal City; I was thinking that might be a good place to take a moment. We can just go straight to the mansion if you'd prefer, but I know that as soon as I get there the search for Aaron will consume my attention and my time." "I don't want be a burden sir. You don't have to do this." Laughing, I said, "I don't HAVE to do anything Justin. But I want to do this. You're important to me; I like you a lot. I know that may seem strange, because I haven't known you very long, but I've always been really good at reading people; it doesn't take long for me to figure out whether I'm going to like someone or not. And what did I say about calling me sir?" "Sorry… Mike…" A moment later, he leaned over the armrest between our seats, and, somewhat awkwardly, rested his head against my shoulder. We were stopped at a red light, so I reached across with my other hand and patted his head softly. "It will be ok kid. I promise I'll do whatever I can to make things easier for you and your mom." A few minutes later, we stepped into the lobby of the Hilton. I spoke to the receptionist momentarily, then we got into an elevator and took it to the top floor. I opened the door to one of the penthouse suites, and we entered a very lavish and luxurious room. Soft music was playing, some type of classical piano music, and there was a very comfortable looking couch in the middle, across from a huge television. I sat on the couch, and motioned that Justin should sit next to me. He came and sat on the middle cushion, and stared at the floor silently for a few moments. Finally he looked up at me and spoke. "What do I do?" "What do you mean?" I responded. "Well, part of me wants to drop everything and go take care of her. I feel like it's my responsibility, and I owe it to her. But another part of me resents her for everything I never had; for all the birthdays I never ate cake at, for all the Christmases when Santa 'couldn't find' our house, for every time I didn't eat dinner because there was no food in the house." He was crying in earnest now as he continued. "For all those days and nights when I didn't know where she was or when she was coming home, and she never told me, and all the nights she came home drunk and screamed at me that I'm the reason her life sucks, and dad left her. For all the times when, despite all of this, I held her up because she wasn't strong enough to keep going on her own. I just want to wash my hands of her and be done with it. It's like you said. I'm not leaving anything behind. How can I miss it?" I reached out to him and pulled him into a tight hug, and he buried his head into my shoulder and cried. I rubbed his back slowly, and whispered comforting things to him until he calmed down enough to where I felt I could speak to him again. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that Justin. I can't decide for you what is important to you. Tell me though. In twenty years, when she's gone and you're grown, will you be able to look at yourself in the mirror every day knowing that she died alone, even if she deserved it? This decision is final. This isn't one you can take back, or apologize for later. My mom is still alive, and I've set her up for life. She'll never want for anything material ever again. I haven't spoken to her though, since I was fourteen. I don't regret that decision. But you know what else? There are precious few mirrors in my mansion. Think long and hard about this Justin. Whatever you decide, I'll support you and provide you with anything you need." "Thank you…" he said, his voice cracking slightly as he changed positions on the couch so that his back was to me, and leaned back against me. "Can we… can we stay here for a while?" I could tell that he didn't want this to end. I wondered for a moment how long it had been since he had someone he could trust to take care of him, instead of him being the strong one. With that thought in mind, I reached out and placed my hand on his chest, and held him to me tightly. "Absolutely. We can stay as long as you want." With that, he relaxed and rested his head back against my chest, and reached up and put his hand on top of mine. "Thanks," he whispered. We stayed like that for the next couple hours, with the music playing softly in the background, and me rubbing his chest with one hand, and mindlessly playing with his hair with the other. After a while I slowly got out from under him and up off the couch, then gently lifted him up and carried him into the bedroom. He was small for his age, probably just a few inches taller than five feet, and I'd be surprised if he weighed more than 120 pounds, so lifting him was no challenge at all. I laid him down on the bed, and removed his shirt and pants. "Goodnight Justin," I whispered softly, as I pulled the covers up over him. As I turned out the lights, I heard his voice coming from the bed softly. "Please don't leave me alone…" he whispered. Surprised, I returned to the side of the bed. "What's the matter kid?" I asked. "I don't want to be alone…" Came the reply, his voice trembling as he said it. "Ok bud, I won't leave, I promise. Do you want me to sleep with you?" I asked. I had to strain to hear his response this time. "Y- yes" "Alright, no problem. It's ok kid. Everything will be ok." As I took off my own shirt and pants, I wondered to myself about why he was behaving this way. Then I realized that were our positions reversed, I would most likely respond in a similar way. As I climbed into bed with him, he immediately moved over so that he was laying against me, his back to my front. I wrapped my arm around him and held him gently, rubbing the bare skin of his chest as I whispered to him softly. "It's going to be ok bud. I promise I'll be here with you through this. You're not alone kiddo, and you never will be again. You're safe now, you don't have to worry about a thing." After a while, his breathing grew deeper, and I could tell he had fallen asleep; his head resting on my right arm, and his left hand holding onto mine as I held him to me in a loving embrace. "Goodnight Justin," I whispered, as I kissed him softly on the back of his head. |