The artery pulsed weakly in the boy's throat, but he showed no sign of letting go. Paul backed away finally, leaving so he wouldn't have to watch any more of it. The two on the bed never noticed; the boy wrapped his thin arms around his partner and continued to hold his chin high.

"No, I can't take any more." Jesse extracted himself from the embrace and pulled the young man into a sitting position. "I've taken too much already Andrew." He looked up, glancing towards the door, and winced. "Will you be okay if I take you home?"

The boy shook his head. "He's gonna be mad at me. I don't want to go home. He'll hurt me if you bring me there."

Jesse thought for a moment. "Is there some other place that you can stay? I'd offer a room here, but I think that would only make Derek even more angry if he found out." He helped the boy out of bed and dressed him in quick, though gentle, movements.

"Can you get me a hotel room? I could show him the slip and he might actually believe that I slept alone. He could even ask the people at the hotel if he wanted to." Andrew looked up at the Kindred hopefully and brushed his fingertips over the freshly healed wound.

"You should get away from him, you know. It isn't right for him to scare you like this. He shouldn't be hurting you." He sighed and looked towards the door again. "I'll give you money for a hotel and cab. Derek won't know you were here. But...I wish that you wouldn't go back to him. You deserve better; you deserve someone who loves you and will treat you right." Jesse sighed again and caught the boy's hand, "Promise me that you'll come to me if he hurts you again? I want to help you. I can do more than you realize and all you need to do is ask."

Andrew nodded weakly, "Okay. I promise," he whispered.

*

Paul hugged his Sire tightly, "If you ever hit me I don't know what I'd do. I want to say that I'd leave or do anything to defend myself, but I don't think that I could. Of course, it it's not something I really have to worry about since you aren't the type. You seem more likely to be abused."

Jesse started leading Paul back to the house, more subdued since the cab had left, "That is true. Suneyva forced me out of a relationship about forty years ago. She even made us move across the country so that I couldn't go back to him. I loved him, though looking back I can see how stupid I was. I don't know what made him seem so attractive; maybe the world looks different when you have a black eye. Maybe his masculinity; I have never really had that. I hate it. It isn't my fault."

"I know, and believe me; I know how frustrating roles can be to someone who isn't interested in them." He shut the door carefully and looked to Jesse again. "There is a little time before dawn; we could check the news or talk to Suneyva and Julianna if you wanted to."

Jesse smiled broadly, not showing fang, "I have a better idea. We could curl up in bed and talk about what we want to do tomorrow night. I like being able to spend time alone with you and we haven't done anything like that in a long time. Unless you really want to watch television?"

"Everything pales in comparison with spending time with you in bed." Paul took the steps two at a time, wasting not a moment in getting to Jesse's rooms.

*

Andrew found the two young Kindred at Illusions a few weeks later. Jesse and Paul only had to take one look at the young Kine before rushing him upstairs. Jesse locked the door and got the young man to lay down while Paul got some medical supplies ready.

"You need to leave him Andrew. If you love him you should know that if he ever hurts you again I'm going to kill him. He doesn't deserve you and you should be treated a hell of a lot better. Leave him, now."

The boy flinched away from Paul's ministrations, "I know I should, but I can't. I need him."

"No. You don't need to get beaten up, or to be told that you're stupid or worthless...you told me what he was doing and I think that it was a way to ask for help. I want to help you Andrew, I really do. I could help you start all over again in any city you wanted; I know people who could help you find a place to live and a job. If you accepted this offer it could all be arranged before tomorrow morning." Jesse grabbed the boy's hand. "Please say that you'll accept this?"

"I'm scared, I don't think that I could start all over again. I don't want to be alone." He tried to sit up and Jesse stopped him so that Paul could continue cleaning the scratches on his shoulder.

"But you don't have to be alone, you would make friends and I could see to it that you are kept safe for a while at least. There are cities that have a much better gay community that this with more support. You wouldn't have the chance to be lonely if you tried. You need to get away from Derek now, while you still can." Jesse took a bandage out and handed it to his Childe.

"You'll help me?" Andrew winced as they put ice against his upper thigh. "Could I go to San Francisco? He might not be able to find me there...if he looked for me."

"I know someone in San Francisco, I'll cal them tonight after we take you home to the Zoo with us. You can stay with us until you leave and we'll get your things from the apartment. I won't let him hurt you again, not ever." Jesse paused and looked into Paul's eyes. "Why don't you go down to the stage and sit with Julianna for a few minutes. We'll be right down, okay Andrew?"

The boy stood with some help and left quietly, leaving the two Kindred in the darkened room.

"You are so much like Suneyva; wanting to help all the children. I wish that I was more like that. You do good deeds Jesse, you change lives." Paul took his Sire's hand and pulled him off the bed, "Let's go and finish this one tonight."

Jesse followed closely, pausing with Paul on the balcony to look down at Andrew, "Not all of this can be finished tonight." He caught Paul's eye. "Derek is not going to harm another young boy. Not ever again."

*

the end

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