Chapter 32

As it neared the end of the parent's visiting time (they were only staying until early afternoon, as many had a long way to travel home.) Sean stood up. "I'll have to be leaving you I'm afraid." he grinned, "I've got to go pick my boyfriend up from his flight."

Fergie and Tor stood up, deciding silently between themselves to say goodbye to him away from David. The three blokes walked to the car in silence. First Sean hugged Tor, kissing him roughly, "You have fun at this school, and don't spend too much time with that girl." he grinned, they both knew he was joking.

Tor grinned up at his uncle, "Say hi to John from me."

Sean nodded in recognition, before turning to Fergie. "Oh Caley," he sighed, hugging the boy close, "I'm sorry I have to leave you in the hands of the dreaded englishman."

Fergie shrugged, "I'm just glad you came." He looked up at his uncle, a genuine grin on his face. Give my love to John."

Sean laughed, "I love how you two are the same, but so different."

The twins glanced at each other. "The same?" they said in unison, "Nah, we're completely different." Laughing they both hugged Sean. "We're gonna miss you."

Tor gently nudged his uncle, "Have you heard from our dad?" he asked, it was a standard question, that always recieved the same answer

Sean sadly shook his head, "No." Kissing each twin, he got into his car, "Right, now off to see someone really sexy." he grinned.

Fergie rolled his eyes, laughing, "You'll give him our love, won't you?" he reminded.

Sean nodded, "Be good both of you."

The twins grinned, "As if."

"And Tor? Look after him."

Thetwins stood, frozen, holding each other by the hand as the car drove off into the distance. Then, glancing at each other, both terrified of what they knew was about to happen, they walked back towards the rest of the group.

The adults were all stood up, and were mingling.

"I mean," Mrs Gabriel said very loudly to Mrs Richards, "I never wear any nail polish unless it's proffesionally applied."

"I know." Ally's mum sighed, "I always think it's important, no matter how good you are, it's a status thing."

Fergie stood, his nails bitten short though nervousness, waiting, like a kidnap victim attached to a bomb, waiting, hearing the clock tick down, then....BANG. He felt rouch hands on his waist, and swallowed, dreading the next.

"Hello Fergal." David hissed in his ear.

Fergie said nothing, staring at the floor, not caring if anyone was watching or not anymore.

"I wan't something from you."

Fergie felt David's errection pressing into him.

Almost unnoticably, Fergie shook his head, "Please no, not here."

David shrugged, turning away slighlty, "I could wait until I got home, there's always Kathy, or," he grinned an evil malicious grin, "Frankie." He knew that would make Fergie do anything.

"No." Fergie turned to face his step dad, "Not them."

"Well?"

Fergie sighed, and, glancing around to make sure no-one was watching, he grabbed David's hand, "Come with me."

Thump thump thump - the sound of a basketball on tarmac. Ally tried to run past Mikey, but, as always, the taller boy snatched the ball away and started to dribble it down the carpark. Laughing he turned back to Ally, "You're rubbish Ally Richards."

"No fair!" Ally laughed, "If I was playing with anyone else in the world I'd be better than them, it's just you."

Mikey grinned, tossing the basketball over his shoulder, it swished through the net, bouncing back over towards Ally, "I guess I'm just too damned smooth."

As the last of the parents were leaving, Art glanced around, automatically in teacher mode counting children. Someone was missing, he took a more careful look, only one twin was there, but from his distance he couldn't tell which. He took a stab in the dark, "Fergie!" he yelled.

The boy looked up, and when Art beckoned came running over, "I'm Tor actually, what?"

"Where's Fergie then?"

Tor didn't even look around to check his brother was really missing, blushing he gazed at the floor, he knew exactly where Fergie was. "Wait till all the parents have gone," he muttered, refusing to meet Art's eye, "Then we go find him."

Art raised his eyebrown, "But, what if he's hurt?"

Tor laughed bitterly, "What if he's hurt? He is hurt. But we have to wait until they've all gone."

Until all the parents had gone, Art sat, biting his nails, and as the last drove away, he jumped up. "Alright Tor, where is he?"

"This way," Tor had already started to sprint off, "You come, and Seiji, no-one else."

Seiji frowned, not knowing what was going on, but having a fairly good idea, he followed Art and Tor as they ran out past the stable blocks, into a random corner, hidden by a drystone wall.

"Wait here." Tor ordered, dissapearing behind the wall. Sighing, and fighting back tears, he looked at the mess lying on the floor that was his brother. Trying to be practical (and gentle) he knelt down and pulled up Fergie's trousers. "Alright." he said to Art and Seiji, "Now I need your help."

Walking around the wall, Art was utterly shocked at what he saw. Fergie lay, unconcious on the floor, his frail body already black and blue with bruises, the marks of fingernails in his shoulders, blood trickling down from his arm, where the letters TRN were carved.

"We need an ambulance." Art stammered, getting his phone out of his pocket.

To his suprise, Tor didn't object, "I'll call," he said, taking the phone off Art, "You can do first aid and stuff, and Seiji," he looked towards Seiji, who was standing calmly, waiting for instructions, he'd seen stuff far worse than this, "Seiji," Tor blushed slightly, "Can you take a good look at his arm, I need you to remember it, exactly."

Seiji nodded, understanding what Tor really wanted him to do.

Tor felt his heart beating as he hit the 9 key three times, even though he'd done this many times before.

"What service do you require?"

"Ambulance."

He gave the address of the school to the phone operater, telling them his brother had been beaten up and was unconcious. It was all they needed to know, if not the whole truth.

The ambulance seemed to take hours to arrive, when it could only have been minutes. While they were waiting Tor turned to Seiji. "Do you remember it."

Seiji nodded, and Tor rolled up his own sleeve, "Copy it onto me, please."

Seiji nodded, and a flick knife slid out of his arm. Biting his toungue slightly as he concetrated, he was impressed by Tor's bravery, even if it was foolish. The boy barely even flinched as the knife bit into his skin. As he finished Seiji smiled, "There you go."

Tor laughed slighlty, "You should be a tattoo artist." he grinned, trying to lighten the mood, before turning back to his brother.

Turning away from the other two, hoping they wouldn't notice, Seiji flicked his toungue over the blade of his knife, cleaning it of all the blood, sighing softly as the familiar taste filled his mouth.

The ambulence men arrived and lifted Fergie onto a stretcher, "I think we need to give this boy some gas." One of them muttered. He turned to Art, "You his teacher?"

"Yeah."

"We need you to come with us then."

Tor looked up, "Can I come?"

The ambulance man looked at his collegue, "Shouldn't really, but you are his twin, so alright then."

Art turned back to Seiji, "Go and find Andi, and explain, she'll look after you lot."

Once inside the abulance, Tor took Fergie's hand in his own, "It's ok little brother," he muttered in gaelic, "He's gone."

"So," the paramedic turned to Tor and Art, "You gonna tell us what happened then?"

"It was parent's visiting day..." Art started, but was silence by a look from Tor.

"Nothing happened." Tor scowled at the paramedic.

Raised eyebrows, "Nothing?"

Tor nodded, "He walked into a door."

Suddenly Fergie started to mutter, "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Pater noster, qui es in caelis..."

"What's he saying?" Art asked Tor, "Is that Irish?"

Tor laughed, "No, latin, it's his "Our Father", he always says it after he's passed out."

"...sed libera nos a malo. Amen."

Tor grinne as his twin's eyelids fluttered open. "Welcome back to the land of the living Caley." he grinned, squeezing Fergie's hand.

"Ouch." Fergie muttered, grinning.

"He's gone." Tor smiled.

Fergie smiled back, "I'd guessed that."

"Hello there." The paramedic smiled encouraginly, "How are you feeling?"

"Apart from the bruises, the cut on my arm and the two broken ribs? Fine."

The paramedic frowned slightly, "How did you know they were broken."

Fergie laughed again, "I've had broken ribs before."

Before the paramedic could ask anymore questions, the ambulanced stopped outside the hospital doors. The driver jumped out and helped the paramedic carry Fergie, on the stretcher, inside. He was rushed straight through A&E as ambulance patients always are, and into a cubical.

"Right, we're going to move you onto this bed now."

"I'll do it." Fergie muttered, sitting up, gritting his teeth through the pain. Gentley, he slid himself across onto the bed.

"Blimey." The driver sighed, "That's impressive."

"Right!" A nurse walked in, clasping his hands together, "Out, both of you." he laughed to the ambulance guys. Taking the clipboard with Fergie's notes off them. "So, suspected broken ribs ey?" He grinned at Fergie, "Let's get you down to x-ray then."

As they were waiting for the x-ray room to be vacated, the nurse started to chat with Fergie. "My name's Anthony. You're Fergal, right? And what's you're twin called?" he gesured to Tor.

"Tor." Fergie grinned,

"Now Fergal, are you wearing anything metal? I think that metal necklace is going to have to go." Anthony reached forward to undo the necklace.

"No." Fergie said, "Please, let my brother do it."

Anthony shrugged, "Sure. And you're belt too?"

Fergie turned to his twin, "Tor, could you?"

Stepping forward, Tor nodded, and his gentle hands untied the necklace, grinning he tied it round his own neck, "For safe keeping." he grinned, he did the same with Fergie's identity bracelet (which today read 'Torin') And then his nimble fingers undid Fergie's belt, sniggering softly to himself, like that wasn't something he'd done a million times before.

When Fergie was out of x-ray, and back in the cubicle having his ribs (which were broken) strapped up, and his arm put in a sling, (they always do this with broken ribs, although I've never figured why) and his arm bandaged, Anthony asked the dreaded question. "So what did actually happen?"

Much to Art's suprise, Fergie gave exactly the same answer as Tor, "I walked into a door."

Anthony raised his eyebrows incredulously, "A door with fists?"

Fergie laughed, "A door that had had too much to drink."

Anthony understood that he wasn't going to get an answer out of Fergie. "Right." he said, as he straightened up, finishing Fergie's bandages, "Now, just take this painkiller." He handed Fergie a rather large tablet to take, and a glass of water to take it with, before turning to Art. "He'll have to be on either paracetamol or ibuprofen for about a week or so, and he'll be in an awful lot of pain."

"There's one other thing." Art said, glancing at Tor, "Could you just take a look at his arm?"

Anthony frowned, and Tor rolled up his sleeve, to reveal the matching scars. Rolling his eyes, Anthony reached for another dressing, "This one's alot neater though."

Fergie looked over at Tor, for the first time his eyes filled with genuine pain, "TRN - why couldn't you be him," he whispered, echoing David's words as he carved Tor's initials into Fergie's arm.

As soon as Anthony released his arm, Tor walked over and gently hugged his twin, "Love you Caley."

"Love you too."

As they walked outside, slowley as Fergie was very unsteady on his feet, Art reached for his phone to call for a lift, but there was no need, Miss Ellins was sat there in her car, waiting to take them back to school.

They rode back to school, pretty much in silence, Fergie trying to fight against the pain. As they got bac to school, the bell was ringing for the end of the day, 6 o'clock. At the bottom of the stairs, Fergie stumbled slightly, what little energy he had left, almost gone. Art caught him, and, in one smooth movement lifted him up in his arms, carrying him up the stairs. He was shocked, Fergie weighed next to nothing, maybe even less than Seiji did. Outside the dorm, he paused.

"Thanks." Fergie whispered, "But..."

Art understood, he may be battered an bruised, but you had to let a guy keep his pride. He put Fergie down.

Fergi reached out for Tor's hand, "Look after me." he whispered as he pushed open the door. As he stumbled into the dorm, everyone turned to look at him.

"Ohmygosh!" Ash gushed, "Fergie, sweetie are you ok." He jumped to his feet and ran to hug Fergie.

"Gently please." Fergie grinned, "And I'm fine." he lied, and everyone knew he was lying.

Raven climbed down from her bunk, as Tor was gingerly helping his brother to sit down. "Do you want a hot chocolate?" she asked Fergie.

Fergie grinned at her, and nodded, "Thank you."

"Does anyone else want one?"

Most people did, it had been a long day, and so Raven, Nienna and Ash, all went to make hot chocoaltes.

Seiji slipped out of the dorm, tiptoeing down the stairs, out of the boarding house. He shivered as the cold night air hit him, his thin shirt and trousers not offering much protection against the wind. Glancing up towards the window of their dorm, he saw Art, sitting by Fergie's bed. Slipping around the corner of the building he sat against a tree in the orchard, out of the wind. Without thinking, he slid a knife out of his sleeve, pressing the blade to his lips, feeling the frozen metal. Already hating himself for what he was about to do, he slid his sleeves back, frowning as he did so. Trying to ignore the scars covering his arm, he pressed the sharp of the knife against his skin. Tears, rolling down his face as the pain flooded releif, and shame, through his body.

Fergie, wincing, swung his legs out of bed. "Going for a walk." He announced to the world in general.

"Do you want someone to come with you?" Art asked.

Fergie shook his head, "No." Grabbing Tor's jumper, and pulling it over his head, wriggling the arm that wasn't in a sling into the sleeve, he walked out of the dorm. Outside the door, he paused for a second, after a moment's thought, he walked back into the dorm, grabbing his ciggarettes and lighter, he walked back out. Silently, he followed the steps that, only a few minutes earlier had been trod by Seiji. As he walked outside, he winced, the cold wind biting through his jumper and making the pain of his battered body worse. He crept around to the side of the building, he too sliding down to sit out of the wind, against a tree, so intent on what he was about to do, he didn't see Seiji sitting there, blood trickling down his arms.

Fergie sighed, and lit a cigarrette. Taking a deep drag, he smiled faintly. He slipped his arm out of the sling, out from the jumper into the freezing night, and stubbed it out on his arm, wincing as he burnt the skin, and the flesh below it. He scowled slightly, he was in too much pain already for this to have much effect. Shrugging off his doubts, he lit the cigarrette again, and again, after taking a breath, stubbed it out on his arm, screwing the burning end into his skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seiji's eyes widened.

Fergie looked across at him, and smiled wryly, "I know, I know, I shouldn't smoke."

Seiji frowned, "You shouldn't be putting out ciggarettes on your own skin."

Fergie laughed, "Says the boy who's got blood running down his arms, and is holding the knife with its still bloody edge."

"That's, that's different."

"No it's not."

"It helps me. That can't help you."

"Oh fuck off."

Seiji was shocked at the words that came from a normally fairly complacent Fergie. "But, but..." he was lost for words.

"But what? I asked you to fuck off."

Seiji frowned, and headed off, at a stumbling run for the dorm. He arrived, breathless, his own pain forgotten.

"Seiji, baby." Art held out his arms, "Come here."

"No, it's not me," Seiji frowned, unsure of what to say, "It's Fergie."

"Fergie?" Art raised his eyebrows, "What about Fergie."

"The, the," Seiji turned to Tor, "The lighter, the ciggarrettes, his arm."

"Oh." Tor laughed bitterly, "Gone back to doing that has he? Better to leave him, he gets really angry if you try to stop him."

Seiji frowned at Tor, as Art grabbed his arm, and started to bandage it up for him, "Don't you care?"

"'Course I care." Tor looked up, and for the first time, Seiji saw the tears in his eyes, "I care that I've tried for nearly 10 years to stop what happens to him, I've tried to help him, but he wont let me. I care that he puts up with it, for me. I care that he laughs, and pretends it just a joke. I care that he wont let me take away his pain. I care that he's dead inside."

From the doorway, Fergie laughed bitterly. "Dead?" He frowned, "You should care that Seiji has an overactive imagination."

Tor stood up, and walked over to his brother. "I care when you lie to me." He glared at Fergie, "Lemme see."

Fergie shook his head. "Mine."

"You'll get infected, and then you'll die."

For the first time since that morning, Fergie grinned, "Yeah."

"Then I'll die."

Fergie shrugged, "The price to pay for freedom ey?"

"But you haven't......" Tor smiled as he wrapped his arms around his brother, noticing for the first time that Fergie was frozen.

"No. Not yet. For you." Fergie grinned, "And for Frankie."

Art took Seiji by the hand. "Do you want me to stay here tonight? Or you could sleep in my room, or..." Art didn't want to say or we could both sleep seperatly it was something they only did when they were fighting.

"Stay." Seiji smiled, sitting down on his bed, and pulling Art down beside him.

"I've gotta go turn the lights out for the others." Art pulled a sad face, "But I won't be long."

"Mmm, ok." Seiji's face was genuinly downcast, "I'll miss you."

Art lay on the top bunk, staring at the patch of mould on the ceiling, trying to empty his mind of all thought, so he could fall asleep. As he was almost drifting off, he was woken by the locks on the door clanking open, and the door being pushed back.

"Hello Artur." The prison warden grinned.

"Martin." The 19 year old scowled, he hated how Martin always tried to be nice to him

"I've brought you a new cell mate."

Art's scowl deepend. He'd liked being alone, even if it had only been for a few weeks. Since he'd been moved to high security, they'd let him have a room on his own. Now he'd have to share it with someone, probably some paedophile. Relenting slightly, he glanced towards the door, to see who he would be sharing the cell with.

Standing beside Martin, a boy, no more than 14 scowled back at Art with bright green eyes. His face was littered with scars.

Martin smiled, "This is the kid, we've had to move him here, because he's underage, and we want you to look after him."

Art stared at the boy, intruiged by his sullen expression. "If he's underage, why isn't he in a juvenile?"

Martin shrugged, "We weren't told by the authorities. And he doesn't talk."

"What's his name?"

Martin shrugged, as a junior prison officer he wasn't told anything. "No-one knows, we call him Kid." He grinned at Art, "I'll leave you two to get aquainted." Pushing the boy inside the door, he pulled it shut, and locked it, before saying through the grill in the door, "Lights out in a few minutes."

"So.....kid." Art looked over the edge of the bed at the boy who stood on the floor. "I guess you can have the bottom bunk."

The boy shrugged, and flopped down on the bottom bunk, rolling over to face the wall.

For a few minutes, Art had to bear the unbearble akward silence that hung in the air, before, with an almighty clunk, all the lights in the secure unit went out. Art sighed, greatful for the dark, and the sleep that would follow, bringing relief to the boredom of gaol. He started to drift off to sleep, but after a while, he noticed that something was keeping him awake. He concentrated, and listened. Softly, from below him, there was the sound of gentle, stifled, sobs. The poor kid he thought, and then, making a snap decision, he slipped out of bed, climbing down the ladder.

The boy lay, facing the wall, sobs heaving through his tiny frame. Art reached out a gentle hand, and stroked the boys hair.

The kid flinched, but then, turning round to see who was there, he smiled at Art.

With that one grin, Art felt his heart thud to a halt, he'd never seen such a gorgeous, trusting smile in his life. "You alright?" he asked

The kid frowned, and shook his head. He looked up at Art, his eyes begging him, he stretched out his arms to the older boy.

Art smiled, half amused, "You want a hug?"

The kid nodded, moving closer to the wall, to make room for Art on the narrow bed.

Art considered how much trouble he could get into, and then looked at the boy's gorgeous eyes, and perfect body, and gave in. Lying down beside the kid, he wrapped him in his arms. "It's ok you know. I've got you now."

The boy gazed up into his face, and grinned. Slipping one arm around Art's waist, the other reached up, a gentle hand stroking Art's cheek. Smiling again, and not bothering to hide the delight he felt, he closed his eyes, and tenderly kissd Art on the lips.

Art leant back, shocked, but also enchanted by this strange boy. "No." he said firmly. "I don't even know your name."

The boy grinned. "Seiji. And you're Artur, right?"

Art grinned back, "Art. They said you didn't talk."

Seiji let his finger trace Art's lips. "I only talk to gorgeous people. And you're the most gorgeous bloke I've seen in a long time."

Art frowned slightly, "So you're gay?"

Seiji nodded, and then shook his head. "Bi, but that doesn't matter."

"You're far to young to have decided that." Art tried to sound dissaproving, but all the same found his hands reaching for Seiji's waist. "How old are you anyway?"

Seiji blushed slightly, "Promise you wont leap out of bed, or scream or anything. Promise you'll stay here?"

Art nodded.

"Nearly thirteen."

Art frowned again, letting the comment sink in, "So that makes you twelve."

Seiji shrugged, "I know, it's awful, but I won't be this young for long."

"You're far to young for me." Art said, almost to himself.

Seiji smiled again, "But you want me to be old enough for you. Which means you like me, yeah?"

Art gave in to his heart, and let his lips melt into Seiji's, "Yeah, I like you."

Art crept back into the dorm, most of the kids were already in bed, exhausted after the days taumatic events. He flicked out the light switch, and, safely in the dark he undid his tie, pulling his shirt over his head, not bothering to undo the buttons. He took off his belt, dropping it ontop of the rest of his clothes. He climbed into bed, slipping one of his wrist knives under the pillow, smiling as he heard it chink as it Seiji's.

"That's how it should be." Seiji whispered.

Art frowned, not quite understanding.

"Us. Together." Seiji felt his body melt into Art's.

Art smiled, feeling Seiji's bare skin against his own. "Yeah, that's right, us."

Seiji let his finger trace along Art's lips, "You're gorgeous."

Art smiled, a faint memory, from a time long gone, and let his lips melt into Seiji's.

Eagle woke up with a jolt. It was the middle of the night, cold air was blowing in through the open window, the dorm lit only by the pale light og the moon. He heard Matt tossing and turning on the bunk below him. As he looked down the younger boy whimpered slightly, afraid. He was having a nightmare.

Eagle swung his legs out of bed and climbed down the ladder. Sitting on the edge of Matt's bed, he gently shook the boy awake, "Matt, Matty, wake up love."

"What!" Matt sat up with a jerk, making Eagle jump back in suprise. "I, I" he stammered, "I had a bad dream." He stood up, unstead on his legs, his sweat drenched body still shaking with fear. "They," His eyes, filled with sudden tears, locked with Eagle's, "They were trying to kill you." Matt flung his arms around his best friend, "Oh Eagle, I'm so glad you're not dead."

Eagle wrapped his arms around the younger boy, muttering into his hair, "It's ok Matty, I'm here now, Eagle's got you."

For a moment, the two boys stood, frozen, each secretly delighting in the feel of the other's skin against their own. Then, without noticing, they started to move. At first, small movements - Eagle's thumb absentmindedly caressing the back of Matt's neck. But soon they grew - Matt's face nuzzling against Eagle's neck.

Suddenly Eagle felt Matt's hand on the back of his head and the boy's lips against his own. Suprised, but delighted, he kissed Matt back.

For a moment, Matt was in utter ecstasy, the sheer delight of Eagle's lips, the gentle pressure on his own.

Eagle felt his mind go blank, his head fill with swirling colours and shooting stars.

Suddenly, Matt pulled away. Trying to laugh off what he had just done, he rolled his eyes, "I should really know better than to kiss a guy who's gay shouldn't I?" he laughed. "Night Eagle," he grinned, ruffling Eagle's hair, before turning to get back into bed.

Following suit, Eagle too pretendied it was all a joke. "Yeah, night Matt." he laughed, climbing into bed. "Hey Matt..." he grinned, staring at the ceiling. "Will you go out with me?"

There was no reply

"Matt? Oh, must be asleep." Eagle smiled faintly, hugging his covers to him, wishing Matt hadn't been joking, wishing Matt truly loved him.

In the bunk below, Matt lay, pretending to be asleep, his heart turning somersaults. He gave Eagle no reply other than to silently whisper to himself one word - "Yes."

Across the room, Seiji glanced at Art, who too was grinning. Moving his lips to his boyfriends ear, Seiji softly whispered, "I need your help."

Art raised his eyebrows, and Seiji whispered his plan to him