"Stained Glass Love" chapter 2

[candygramme]

The panel slowly began to take shape, and as Jensen and his team worked, he became more and more excited to see it completed. They had been hard at work for several hours on their fourth day of the mermaid design when there was suddenly a commotion right outside on the doorstep.

Instantly recognizing the voice of the newcomer, Ty was swift to make himself scarce, disappearing into the bathroom, while Traci, who had an armful of ruby colored glass, was a little slower to escape and made for Jensen's sleeping area, pulling the curtain closed so she wasn't visible.

"Cowards," hissed Jensen as the two of them scattered. Leaving the piece he was grinding, he went to open the door and came face to face with his mother, who was red in the face and looking utterly horrified.

"That cat!" she said, and presumably figured that Jensen would be able to fill in the rest of her sentence. She was not wrong.

"What's she done now?" Jensen stepped aside to allow her to enter, looking around to see if he could spot the culprit but failing to see her. His mother sailed in and instantly commandeered the only chair, the one beside his computer, sitting herself down and planting her bag down beside her on the floor.

"It... it had something horrible in its mouth. I think it was a rat. It wanted me to touch it!" The indignation in Donna Ackles's voice as she described the incident was enough to make him suppress a smile.

"Mom, she's a girl, not an it. She's not just a cat, she's royalty." He grinned as he saw his offending pet sneak in through the door, which he'd left ajar for that purpose. "Could've been a rat. Lots of rats around here."

Donna huffed. "I really don't see why you have to set yourself up in this horrible part of town. There are so many nice workshops you could've rented."

"Yeah, mom, but I could afford this one, and besides, I have Cat to keep me rat free, and she's really good at it. She catches tons of free protein for me. You should be happy."

For a moment, she stared at him, open mouthed in horror, but belatedly she realized that he was teasing her and reached to punch his arm. "You haven't even given the creature a name? That's not kind."

"Yeah, I have." Jensen was grinning by now. "She's Cat. If you must know, that's short for Her Majesty Czarina Catherine II. Did you just come for the wildlife, or is there something you need?"

Appearing to remember the purpose of her visit, Donna nodded. "If you must know, your father is going to be away the week of September 16th, and that's a bother. We've been invited to the big arts auction that's being held at the historic Garden Inn, and I really want to go, although I expect that's why Alan's decided to make himself scarce!"

Jensen thought that he could see what she was after, and his heart sank, but he smiled politely and awaited what she would say next. Knowing with dreadful certainty what it was going to be.

"I can't go on my own. What would people think?" She shook her head. "It's no use. You'll have to escort me."

"Mom!" Jensen backed up a little, frowning. "You know I hate those things. They expect me to chat and be friendly..."

"Nonsense! You'll come with me and be nice. I'll get you a tux. It'll be fun for you, and a really good meal, too. The Creative America people don't stint for that kind of thing. They'll put on a really good spread." She gave him a look that dared him to argue, and Jensen knew better than to do so once his mom had set her mind to something.

"What was the date again?" he asked her, meekly.

"September 16th, so it's about two weeks away." She seemed to think that it was a done deal and bent to collect her large purse. At that moment, Cat, who had been awaiting her opportunity, appeared from the shadows with a large snake wriggling in her mouth.

"Oh, my GOD!" Donna shrieked at the squirming creature. "Take it away! It's poisonous!" Picking up the purse she clutched it to her bosom as if it would shield her from any snake attack that might be in her future.



"Nonsense!" Jensen crooned softly at Cat and relieved her of the snake. "It's just a western rat snake. They aren't venomous. I guess she brought it in to show you that we won't ever have a rodent problem here." He trotted to the door and lowered the snake onto the ground, watching as it writhed away into the grass, seemingly unharmed. He watched it go and then turned back to pick up his pet and fondle her ears. "Good girl, Cat. Keeping us rodent free."

Slipping her hand into her bag, Donna fumbled for her car keys, but shrieked as she withdrew the carcass of what was undeniably the rat from earlier, with which Cat had obligingly presented her. Tottering to her feet, she flung it onto the design table, where it lay among the pieces of glass. "I'll see you on the 12th for a tuxedo fitting. I want you looking presentable at the party," she announced and staggered away from the evidence of feline duplicity, breathing rapidly.

Jensen was still at the door and he watched as his mother, her cool facade back in place, fumbled in her pocket to find an embroidered white handkerchief which she used to fish out her car keys. She meticulously wiped them clean and dumped the presumably tainted handkerchief into the bag, which she held at arm's length as she sidled towards the door.

"Bye, momma." Jensen held the door for her and bent to kiss her cheek as she passed.

Nonchalantly reaching for the dead rodent after she left, Jensen crossed to the trash and disposed of it, then called, "You can come out now, you miserable cowards!"

As first Traci, then Ty crept out of hiding, flushed with laughter, while Jensen petted his cat and surreptitiously fed her a couple of treats.



The meetings had been profitable, and Jared was well pleased with his visit to the New York office. He was due to return to Austin the following morning, but right now he was out, art hunting. The auction fundraiser was only just over a week away, and he was still seeking items that might raise funds for his charity and elevate his auction. He really needed it to make a splash and become an event that collectors would flock to whenever it was held. Several of his clients from New York had pledged their support, and one of them had introduced him to the sculptor, Kiki Smith*.

Modern sculpture wasn't something he knew much about, but he had been filled in about the artist by Curtis, the office manager of the New York office and was excited when she invited the two of them to view some of her work.

Jared had gone into their meeting unsure of what he would find, and he was very pleasantly surprised at the scope and variety of her work. He had been very taken with a wooden carving she had done, named Woman on Pyre*, and when she offered him one of the bronzes that had been cast from the statue, he jumped at the chance, although it would be impossible to take it with him on the plane. Finally, he canceled the flight with the commercial airline and had Alex arrange for a private charter flight to take them and his trophy back to Austin.

He'd picked up several smaller items while in New York, and was at last sure that there would be enough items available to excite even the most jaundiced art collector, and knew that if the bidding didn't go high enough for his new bronze, he would buy it himself. So it was that he was full of excitement for the coming event as he stepped on board the private jet with his secretary and all their luggage the following day.



Arriving back at his apartment at last, Jared was elated to be back home. He tossed his keys into the bowl on the side table in the hallway and went to flop down on his couch. Sinking into the plush cushions, he gave a contented sigh and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table, arms spread out on the backrest. Happy with his success in New York, he leaned his head back, only to jump up again at the sound of the doorbell. It took only seconds to determine that his statue had arrived, and he pushed the button on his phone to grant access, then stood bouncing on his toes as he waited for them to arrive. When the elevator pinged and opened to reveal the two men he'd employed to deliver his little statue, bearing the wooden crate between them, he was quick to usher them in.

"Just set it down over there," he said, indicating a corner beside his bookshelves. "Thank you for your help."

He tipped the two of them and watched as they returned to the elevator and left him to gloat over his prize. Standing over the crate for a moment, he studied it, enjoying the sight of it finally in his home, and then went to find a screwdriver with which to prize open the crate and reveal the 'Woman on Pyre'.

"Hello, beautiful," he murmured, hauling her out with a grunt from the packing peanuts which had cushioned her journey. "I really don't want to give you up..." As he was speaking he carried her over to set her on the coffee table, and was just setting her down with a groan of relief when his phone rang.

"Jared? Welcome home!" It was Kim, the assistant who took care of his apartment and generally made sure that his needs were catered for.

"Thanks, Kim. Glad to be back. It was a good trip, but you know I can only go a couple of days without seeing your pretty smile." He flung himself back onto the couch and stretched out full length, gazing at the statue as he spoke.

"Yeah, yeah! Twenty years ago you'd have been at my feet, begging me for love," she replied. "Too bad you missed that."

"You know you're the only woman for me," he said. "What's new and exciting?"

"Well, I left dinner in the fridge for you." Kim sounded amused. "Don't take the foil off it, just heat the oven to 350 F and put it in for 25 minutes. Then you can remove the foil and think of me."

"Oh, that's awesome! Thank you." Jared paused for a moment as he headed for the kitchen to find the dish she'd mentioned. "Oh, before I forget. Where's the newspapers from the last couple of days?"

"The newspapers?" She sounded a little confused. "I put them in the recycling. I'm sorry. Did you need them for something?" There was a pause, and then she seemed to think of something. "What did you get up to in New York? Are we going to read about you in the gossip column? Do tell." Her glee came across even through the phone. "I can still remember your trip to France, to the Salon International de l'Alimentation Paris*, when you spent three days munching your way through all the culinary exhibits with that hot food artist. The exhibit manager just about had a nervous breakdown, because the art was destroyed."

Jared's heart sank a little, his mind filled with images of the full lips and anime eyes, skin dappled with the jewel colors reflected through the church windows. It would be hard to find him again if he didn't even know his name, but he'd do it somehow. "No, no scandal this time. Just an article I wanted to read. What day is the recycling collected?"

"Wednesdays, I think. Sorry, Jared. I didn't know you wanted me to keep them."

"That's okay," he said. "I was late getting up the other morning and didn't have time to even think about saving them. Not your fault."

"Well, if you need any more of them saved, just let me know. I'll be in tomorrow. Enjoy your dinner."

With that, she hung up, leaving Jared to his thoughts.



Jensen knew when he was outwitted. He loved his mom, but he had a stubborn streak that really didn't want to give in to her without a fight. His mother was probably the only person in the world who could make him do things he absolutely didn't want to do, and she was darned good at it. However that didn't mean he was going to give in gracefully, so on the morning of the 12th he was fully prepared to be as annoying as possible when she came to pick him up and take him for a tux fitting.

Fancy clothes were just not Jensen's style. He liked his well-worn, comfortable jeans and ragged T-shirts, and he didn't see much value in rubbing shoulders with high society, either. His mom, on the other hand, loved the Austin art scene, with its showings and events, and while she hoped that her talented son would someday take his place there, she also knew the value of a handsome escort among the artsy crowd. She had determined to press Jensen into service to boost her image in whatever way he could, and as she waited for her son to drag himself reluctantly away from his current commission she was full of glee at the thought of making him the very picture of beauty she knew he could be.

Of course he had a three day growth of whiskers on his chin, when he finally joined her, and his hair looked to her as if squirrels had nested in it. However, she knew that on this unprepossessing canvas she could create a thing of beauty. The first thing would be to get him measured up for the suit.

"Oh, good Lord, Jensen, you look like an unmade bed," she grumbled as he slouched toward her.

"Yeah, well, vanity is one of the seven deadly sins, mom," he said, giving her his sweetest smile.

"Not to worry. We'll make a silk purse out of you, no problem," she replied, smiling back at him and looking so like him that it was evident that she was his mother. He melted a little.

"Damn it, mama! If you really have to drag me away from my work at a crucial moment, I guess you'd better have your fun. We're just about to start wiring the glass together, and Ty doesn't have much experience. I need to be there."

"Oh, baby, it will still all be there when you get back." As Jensen stepped into her car she nodded in satisfaction. He was captured! "How's that dreadful creature of yours? Has she brought home any more wildlife?"

"Hey! Cat's a mighty huntress. Don't be hating on her." He flashed her a boyish grin. "She brought me a frog yesterday. Heaven knows where she got it from. Traci was very impressed. I think she was considering kissing it to see if it turned into a prince."



"Really?" She quirked an eyebrow at him as she steered her BMW onto Mesa Drive. "I didn't think Traci was particularly interested in princes."

"Mother!" Jensen sounded shocked.

"Oh, come now, darling!" Donna Ackles laughed heartily. "Even I've noticed that she's not interested in either Ty or you, and I don't believe there's a girl out there who wouldn't want to flirt with you at least a little bit unless she was gay."

"That's 'cause you love me, mom. You're prejudiced."

"That's as may be, but you're a very handsome boy. Don't sell yourself short." She turned into the parking lot behind Oscar's the tailors and parked beside an SUV.

"I don't intend to sell myself at all," he growled. "And there's nothing wrong with being gay."

She fell silent as they entered the store, but was soon happily watching her son as he tried on different tuxedos, finally settling on a very handsome, charcoal gray, slim-fitting one. There was a small argument about whether Jensen would wear a bow tie, and after a moment Donna decided to cut her losses and allow that an open collared white shirt would be permissible for the event. Nevertheless, she was looking exceptionally pleased as she walked around Jensen, inspecting him from every angle.

Dropping her credit card onto the desk, Donna indicated that the suit and shirt be wrapped for her and instructed Jensen to go and change back into his ratty jeans. "Now we need shoes," she said, indicating his canvas runners with the hole in the toe. "I don't suppose you have a pair of black shoes? No. Of course you don't." She sighed, shaking her head as she watched him go back into the changing room. "Children!"

By the time she returned Jensen to A Touch of Glass, he had resorted to monosyllables, anxious to get back to his creation. He very courteously invited her to come in for a coffee and to possibly meet the frog, but when she rolled her eyes at him and declined with thanks, he didn't look even slightly saddened by it.

"No, darling. I'll let you get on with your whatever-it-is you need to do and see you on Saturday afternoon. I'll pick you up at about three o'clock. You can get dressed at the house." She let out a ladylike squeal. "Oh, baby, we'll have so much fun!"

There was no acceptable response to that, so Jensen planted a kiss on her cheek and took his leave, reflecting that maybe making his mom happy was worth it after all.



Jared was up before dawn the day of the auction and had arrived at the venue long before any of the committee.

He'd brought a dozen breakfast burritos with him to feed volunteers, but since he'd already eaten three, he figured it would serve the others right if they missed out. He was about to start on number four when Alex arrived with a large container of Starbucks coffee. Jared, who had convinced himself that he was the only one who cared about his foundation and the event, breathed a sigh of relief. Alex, his faithful secretary, would take things into his capable hands, and it would be successful.

"Morning, Mr. Calvert!" Jared resisted hugging the man for fear of spilling the coffee he'd brought, but he was so happy and relieved to see Alex that he was in danger of giving him a raise there and then. "I see you brought the important stuff."

"Coffee oils the wheels of trade," announced Alex with a grin. "The van with all the auction items will be arriving in the next few minutes, so we can get going. Catering said they'd be here to get prep done at around 2pm, and they are extremely glad that they can do all the cooking here. Chef Ortega* will be here at noon with a cleaning crew." He smirked and handed Jared the chai he'd brought him, knowing that Jared didn't drink coffee.

At that moment, the truck bearing the precious items for auction arrived, and Mark Sheppard, who had been in charge of collecting them, hopped out of the cab. All three of them set to, ferrying the items to the room where they would be displayed. Not all of them were objets d'art. A good many of the stores in Austin had donated items for the event, and Jared was overjoyed to see how much had been acquired.

“People are so incredibly generous," he murmured to Mark, thumbing through a first edition copy of 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.'

"Oh yes." Sheppard gave a piratical grin. "Sam Ferris contributed that one. She wanted to make sure she made more money than Alaina with her item. Frankly, I wouldn't mind buying it myself. My daughter would love it."

Jared nodded. "She'd love it, I'm sure. I'm not a big TS Eliot fan. If it's poetry about cats, I'm more into Don Marquis, myself, but that book must be worth a pretty penny."

"You're right there." Alex joined the group. "I went through all the evaluations I could find for the art stuff, and the only copy of that book I could find online was priced at $1,100.00."

"You're kidding!" Jared gave it a closer look. "Oh, wow. That's great." He looked around at the collection of stuff that was on display. "I can't believe the generosity of people. Look! The local travel agency gave a holiday to Machu Picchu as a prize. It's amazing."

"We've done pretty well all round. The tables alone have raised over $30,000." Mark snickered. "We could all go to Machu Picchu on that!"

"Wash your mouth out with soap," said Jared with a frown. He stood back to survey the display. "Well, I don't think there's much more we three can do. I guess the others will decorate the main hall. I know Alaina had a florist in tow last time I spoke to her."

"Yeah. I have to get the truck back to U-haul," said Mark. "So I'll see you later for the show." He was just taking his leave when Alaina and Samantha arrived with a small, dark haired lady who was introduced as Genevieve. She had undertaken to do the flowers for the tables, and had with her a vast array of cut glass bowls and vases. Jared and Alex hastily made themselves scarce and went to make sure that security would be available for the auction room.

They were leaving as Rob, the last member of the committee, arrived bearing the programs for the event. Jared paused to take a look at the programs, which had been beautifully printed from his own design and featured the menu for the evening as well as all the items on offer at the auction. It also listed all the volunteers and donors who had given their services to make the event go with a bang, and Jared put one in his pocket as a keepsake before making his way out to where Alex was waiting for him.

It was happening. His first big event for the foundation that was his cherished baby was happening! Jared had a huge bubble of something in his stomach. He couldn't be sure if it was anticipation or terror. Now all he could do was wait.



Saturday dawned, hot and oppressive. Donna had collected her son at 3 pm precisely, and despite his renewed grumbling she was bearing him back to the Ackles house in triumph. She was feeling very smug, having arranged for her hairdresser and a local stylist to be there, more for Jensen than for her. If he thought he was getting away with his hair looking like a haystack, he could think again.

Thrust into a chair and forced to endure the styling and cutting of his hair was really annoying, although Jensen, who was used to hacking off hair that got in his eyes and otherwise ignoring it completely, secretly thought that the results were quite spiffy, although nothing would induce him to voice his opinion to his mother.

He permitted the stylist to shave him after threatening him with bodily harm if there was any sign of blood at the end of the ordeal, but drew the line at makeup, or anything more than a little moisturizer following the shave, resorting to baring his teeth and doing a creditable Tarzan impression to chase the poor man away when he waved eyeliner in his general direction.

Eventually he was left in peace to sit in the kitchen with his mom, enjoying the fact that nobody was trying to do anything to his face any more.

"Well, darling, you look very nice. I knew you'd clean up well," announced Donna, gazing at him from a number of different angles and then nodding in satisfaction.

"Anyone would think you were going to sell me," said Jensen, smirking. "That's it, isn't it? You're going to white slave me. How much will you get for me, I wonder? Should've done it ten years ago; you'd definitely have gotten more."

"Don't be silly, child! If I were to sell you, who would take care of me in my old age?" She punched him lightly on the shoulder, and he obligingly clutched it, falling back as if mortally wounded.

"What's Dad going to be doing? He's supposed to be the one who takes care of you, isn't he?" Jensen raised his eyebrows in delicate inquiry.

"I expect he'll be in Vegas, playing poker with his buddies. That's where he is most of the time," she said and gave a heartfelt sigh. Grinning, Jensen patted her on her perfectly coiffed head.

"Better keep on my good side then," he said. "I don't put out on the first date." He rose to his feet and in doing so caught sight of the cork board on the corner where she usually hung recipes and household tips she would put in her scrapbook later. Just at that moment, there was only one thing pinned up there - a newspaper clipping that had his face on it. "Hey, what's this?" he asked.




"That's something important to me," she replied, flushing slightly. "I collect anything and everything important about my children, and especially when they make the press like that." She rose to stand beside him and he put his arm around her. "I was so proud of you for doing the work for that lovely church window and then waiving any fee. You are a wonderful man, and I think you're incredibly talented."

"Aww." For a moment, Jensen seemed lost for words. "I have to admit that I did it as a PR thing. I'm not quite as magnanimous as you think. See, I figure I'm just starting up the business with very little capital after finally getting out of school and paying off my student loans. I thought that getting into the paper would be a good way of gaining publicity without having to pay for it." He smiled. "It worked, too. Got a couple of orders out of it. The one we're finishing up now for the swimming pool down in Houston will put us in the black straight away."

"Why, Jensen, I'm even more proud of you. Not just beauty, but brains too, not to mention talent!" Donna giggled. "So come on. Let's get ready. Tonight's a night for celebrating. We'll have champagne and mingle with the fancy folk. Who knows? We might find you another couple of orders."



The event was due to kick off at 7:30pm, and at 7, Jared and Mark were already on site, dressed in their formal wear and making sure that everything was in order. Mark had picked up the auctioneer who would be running the auction itself, and Jared had checked in with the kitchen before being chased away by the chef for attempting to filch little tastes of whatever was lying around. Now he was pacing, fiddling with the four-leaved clover cufflinks he'd bought himself when he'd made his first million.

The rooms had been beautifully decorated with spectacular flower arrangements, and a chamber quartet who had been hired to provide background music were warming up, tuning their instruments and discussing what they would play. Alaina and Samantha were dressed up to the nines and currently sat outside the venue, waiting to check in the attendees.

Jared made his way into the room where the auction items were on display and checked with the security guard who had been keeping an eye on things. He found himself engrossed in a discussion about whether Marvel or DC had the best superheroes, and by the time he realized that it was time for the event to begin, people were already coming to inspect the items on offer at the auction, and the show was most definitely on the road.

Making his excuses quickly, he hurried out of the display room and over to where Mark and Rob were exchanging pleasantries with a distinguished looking gentleman with white hair.

"Ah, Jared, you know Mayor Watson, I believe," said Mark at his most urbane.

"Mayor, absolutely!" Jared shook the mayor's hand and gave Mark a quick moue of apology over his shoulder as he did so. "Thank you so much for coming. I hope you enjoy the evening. We've got a lot of really exciting things planned for it."

Rob, who had been helping to hand out champagne flutes to the arriving guests, offered one to Jared and then turned away to greet more newcomers, while Jared led the mayor and his wife over to their table at the front of the stage.

He was just taking his leave when two newly arrived guests appeared at the table across the aisle, and he heard a deep voice say, "Look, mom, here we are. This is our table."

"Wonderful, darling. I 'll leave my wrap and gloves here, and we'll go and examine the stuff they're auctioning off, shall we?"

Something about the back of the lady's escort's head looked familiar, and a shock traveled down Jared's spine as the man turned around, laughing. He was here! He, the one he desperately wanted to find, was right here at Jared's event, and what an amazing piece of luck that was! The mayor was saying something to him about the event, and he truly hadn't understood a word. Blushing, Jared bent to ask him to repeat himself and mentally chastised himself for his lack of attention. After all, the newcomer wouldn't be making himself scarce until at least after dinner.

Nevertheless, he watched his object of desire as he offered his arm to his mother and the two of them made their way into the room to study the items that would be auctioned off later. As several other guests joined the mayor at his table, Jared hurried over to pick up the name tag at the mystery man's place setting, but all it actually said was "Mr. A. Ackles." He didn't have time to check the name on what was apparently his mother's card before Alaina was at his shoulder.

"Everyone is here now. How long do you want to give them before we serve dinner?"

"Good question. I'll go and check with the chef." Jared looked at his watch, and noted that it was a little after 8pm. "I'm guessing we should get them all seated pretty soon."

With that, he headed to the kitchen.

Chef Ortega was hopping up and down as Jared entered the kitchen. "We must begin," he shouted. "All is ready."

The wait staff were standing ready, and the first course of brie and pear tartlets was sent on its way, followed by Chef's instructions to 'be careful and don't destroy my image.' Jared thanked him and left to return to his own table. Once the meal was being served there would be a few minutes for Jared to get his head together, and possibly ask what the elusive Mr. A. Ackles' first name might be.



Gazing at the art and other delightful items on display, Jensen wished he could afford to buy something for his mother, and even more that he could buy the beautifully carved little Jade Maitreya Buddha for himself. Surreptitiously, he rubbed the little statue's belly and jumped back when his mom hissed at him to stop before they were arrested and thrown out.

"See anything you like?" he asked her as they wandered back to their table, just as their appetizers were being delivered. Others were drifting back to the table too, and soon all six seats had been filled and wait staff were circulating to offer wine.

"Oh, all of it," announced Donna, graciously accepting a half glass of white, since she was driving. Jensen, under no such sanction, chose the red and sipped it happily. "I especially love the statue of the woman on the pyre. It's way out of my price range of course, but I thought it was an incredible symbol of the times, and the way women are being treated."

"Yeah, I think you're right," responded Jensen, who had finished his tart and was looking around for more. "Especially here in Texas."

The meal progressed. Each dish was delicious, and Jensen, used to cans of cold beans and packets of ramen, ate heartily, savoring every bite. When finally coffee was served along with dessert, people began to circulate, table hopping as dishes were being cleared and the preparation for the auction began.

Jared had made his way around the hall to where Jensen and his mom sat. Jensen was still nibbling on the cheesecake his mother had passed over to him after he'd finished his own, and so he was happily munching as Jared, who had been casting covetous glances at him, appeared at their table.

"Good evening, Mrs. Ackles. Jared Padalecki. I'm so glad you accepted my invitation and are here tonight," said Jared. Smiling, he extended his hand in greeting, then gestured to the chair next to her. "May I?" he asked at his most urbane, before sitting down and saying in a conversational tone as his eyes darted briefly to her son, "Mrs. Ackles, I hope you are enjoying yourself so far."

"Oh, you must call me Donna, my dear." Donna smiled back, flirtatiously. "And this is my son, Jensen. He's an artist, you know."

Jensen, who hadn't really been paying much attention to their conversation, swallowed his last bite of the cheesecake and finally turned to face them. Jared smiled what he hoped was his most devastating smile and held out his hand once more.

"I think I saw you at the unveiling of the church window a few weeks ago. It's been beautifully repaired," he enthused. Jensen shook his hand briefly before letting it go.

"Thank you." Jensen nodded, but offered no further conversation. He merely threw his mother an apologetic smile for his rudeness. The corners of Donna's mouth twitched as she watched the exchange between the two men. It was plain to see that one party was clearly interested, while the other was coy. Reluctantly, Jared turned back to Donna, just as Mark tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Padalecki, we should get started on the auction now, or everyone will be asleep. Are you going to introduce the Foundation and do the speech?" Mark's smirk made it obvious that he thought he was cock-blocking his friend, but Jared nodded.

"I guess I should go get the auction started now." Rising to his feet Jared took his leave. "It was good to meet you, Donna.” He said goodbye and handed Jensen his card. "If you ever need anything, give me a call. The foundation is all about supporting artists. My home number is on the back," he said and then went off to prepare the crowd to spend as much money as they could. After speaking a little about his foundation, he introduced the auctioneer, and the bidding was suddenly underway for the first item, a pretty water color that had been donated by the mayor's wife.

Jensen had seen Jared Padalecki around, heard the rumors about his many dalliances, and thought that he was good looking but obviously full of himself. He'd realized very quickly in their brief conversation that Jared was interested in him, but he was definitely not going to be taking him up on his invitation to call. There was no way he would ever be another notch on any playboy's bedpost. That was for damned sure. He slid the card into his jacket pocket and forgot about the encounter.

The auction was moving briskly. Jensen was feeling really drowsy, having eaten far more than usual - not to mention drinking several glasses of really good wine. Just at that moment, a whopping $6,000 was bid for a cat book, and the auctioneer was already announcing the next art item as he felt himself slip away. He woke to find the place in an uproar as bidding was underway for the bronze Woman on Pyre. The price was escalating rapidly as a bidding war began between two men towards the back of the room.

"What's going on?" he asked Donna.

"Hush! Apparently they're terrible rivals, and according to what Elizabeth here said, they hate each other," she told him "It's quite exciting. I thought it would go for around $200.00, but it's already up to $500,00, and they're still going. My goodness!"

Jensen looked around, trying to spot the bidders. One was a tall man who had been very handsome but was beginning to show the effects of overly good living. The other was hidden behind one of the tables full of diners and not currently visible.

Finally, as the bidding reached $2010.00, the statue was knocked down, and the person he could see was declared the winner, while everyone applauded. "Sold to Mr Haydn-Jones," announced the auctioneer, and as his opponent rose to his feet, Jensen could see that it was Mark, the man who had sent Jared off to start the auction earlier.

"Oh, right," said Donna. "I think they are in rival law firms. Still, it's a win for the charity, isn't it?"

"I think so." The woman called Elizabeth made a grimace of poor taste. "Professional rivalry taken to extremes isn't a good look for them, though."

The drowsiness had returned, and Jensen's attention waned as the string quartet returned to the stage and people were called up to redeem the items they had won. He was astonished when his mother rose to go and pick something up.

"You bought something?" he asked as she returned to the table. "How did I not know that?"

"You were sleeping," she said with a laugh. "Snoring disgracefully too. Still, I bought it for you, darling. Here. It's to bring you luck. You rub his tummy every day, and good things will come to you."

She put the little green buddha Jensen had admired onto the table in front of him, and he smiled, suddenly wide awake again. "Oh, wow, thanks, mom!"

"Well, I think you deserve it for putting up with me and giving me your company tonight," she said, beginning to gather her things together and rising from her seat. "And I suspect we should be going. It looks as though the party is coming to an end."

Indeed, people were beginning to drift out in ones and twos as successful bidders gathered their prizes. Together, the two of them made their way to the back of the hall where Samantha and Mark were thanking people for their attendance and promising a newsletter regarding the proceeds from the auction. Jared came hurrying over to the door too as they approached.

"Donna, Jensen, I'm so glad you came tonight. Thank you for your support. I hope to see you again, very soon."

"We have to thank you for inviting us, Jared. Excellent food and an exciting auction with such competitive bidding. It was a very entertaining evening," Donna said with a smile as she took his hand in farewell. "I'm sure we'll meet again, won't we, Jensen?" She hooked her arm around her son and surreptitiously pinched his side.

""Pretty sure we will," said Jensen, startling a little at his mother's treatment. "That dinner was certainly something to remember." There was little else to say, and after a brief silence Jared said goodbye and they parted company.

Jensen fell silent as they left the hall and headed out into the night. It was raining a little, and both of them picked up their pace as they headed for Donna's car. "He's a big phony, mom," he told her as they reached it and were out of the rain at last. "He fancies himself as a Casanova. I hate that kind of guy."

"Nonsense. He was just being nice." Donna gave him a mock severe look and put the car into drive. "And he's very handsome."

"Be that as it may." Jensen rolled his eyes. "I think he's a little young for you, although all those millions might help."

"Oh, you!" She slapped his arm as he chuckled.

The drive back to Jensen's workshop took only a few minutes, and as Jensen turned to thank his mother for the amazing evening, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. The door that he'd securely locked when he'd left that afternoon now stood wide, and a chill ran down his back. "Mom, please don't drive off just yet. There's something wrong. Wait for a minute, while I go see what's going on."

He stepped out of the car and went to see just what had transpired. Standing in the doorway, he tried to switch on the light, but it wouldn't turn on. Pulling out his phone he engaged the flashlight and peered around at a sea of devastation. His almost completed window for the sports center was smashed to pieces. The furnace had been overturned. All the cooling racks had been thrown down, and their contents littered the floor. He heard his mother's footsteps approaching and felt very much like a little boy needing comfort.

"Oh, my God," she said. "I'll call the police."

As he went deeper into the room, a dark shape lying behind the furnace revealed itself to be Ty. He'd been hit on the head and lay sprawled, still clutching the butane torch he'd obviously been using to wire the segments of glass together. Trembling, Jensen bent to feel if he had a pulse. It was there, but very faint.

Donna was on the phone speaking to emergency services, and Jensen called out that they would need an ambulance as well.

There was a little wailing sound, and from the alcove where he slept crawled a bedraggled little bundle of fur. "Oh, no, Cat? Please don't you be hurt, too." He gathered her up in his arms, and held her, forgetting the handsome white shirt and silk jacket he was wearing.

"Mom! Mom, it's all gone. What do I do now?"



Masterpost