Redemption Chapter 13
“And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” Jensen sighed as he drew the story to a close.
“Say good night, boys,” Jared’s soft voice broke the gentle hush that followed the end of the story.
Jensen chuckled at the staticy sound of enthusiastic kisses being sent over the telephone line. “Good night, Papa Jensen. Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”
“Night, Benji boy,” he smiled, pressing the button to turn off the e-reader in his hand.
Next came shy, more timid kisses. “Good night, Papa Jensen.”
“Good night, Teddy bear. You and your brother be good for Daddy and I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Kay,” Teddy replied, answer slurred around a yawn.
He heard Jared laugh softly and the muted click that indicated that the hands-free had been turned off. “Hey, Deputy?”
“Yeah, Jared?”
“Give me a second, okay?”
“Sure.” Jensen could hear the low sounds of Jared bidding the twins good night and he smiled at the images his mind conjured of Jared pressing tender kisses to their foreheads. He tucked the e-reader back into the side compartment of his suitcase where he’d found it on arriving in Denver three nights earlier. Teddy once told him that ‘Father’ never read to them, hated it when Jared would, and how much Teddy liked that Jensen did. Jensen had forced his lips into a soft smile, glad his boys liked the quiet time they spent together each night, while he silently seethed at the waste of a father Timothy had turned out to be. How could someone have these devilish angels around and not want to constantly spend time with them? How could you not love them? Not want to give them everything and more? Timothy had had them for six years without their bright light affecting him. Jensen had had them for less than six months and already he knew he would never be the same.
Jensen had always wanted children…someday - an abstract date in the future when his life was settled and he’d sowed all his wild oats. It was the only point of contention in his previous relationship with Jared. Jared wanted something more concrete than someday. He knew, more than his job and family, that Jared had stayed in Savannah over that nebulous timeline and Jensen spent the next six years wondering if he’d been more flexible on the issue whether Jared would have followed him to the Windy City. Now, there were times when he was doing something so mundane - tucking the twins in at night, making them breakfast, tying loose shoelaces - and he stopped for a minute awestruck at how paternal it felt, how natural, how right. For someone who swore he wasn’t ready for kids - had given up on the idea completely after Jared - he couldn’t see his life without Jared’s boys…his boys. He knew he wasn’t their blood - that his DNA had nothing to do with the conception of those two exceptional creatures - but in all the ways that counted, they were his sons and he was dead set on proving that nurture was stronger than nature.
He looked over at the small velvet box resting innocuously on the nightstand. If his plans worked out, hopefully, one day he and Jared could give the twins a little brother or sister. When he dreamed of their life together, the image in his mind’s eye was always the same: Jared in his arms, entwined hands winking with matching gold and resting on the full roundness of Jared’s pregnant belly, watching the twins run around the backyard as the strong flutterings of new life nudged against their palms. They’d never discussed marriage or children, not even in the dark quiet of their bedroom, late at night. Jensen knew that Jared had turned down Timothy’s proposals over the years and that the refusals had been more fuel for Timothy’s explosive rage, but he truly hoped that the bastard hadn’t turned Jared off the idea completely. The things that Jensen had rejected a lifetime ago in that seaside town in Georgia were now the very things he was worried he wouldn’t be allowed to have.
“You still there, Deputy?”
“Yeah,” he surfaced from his musings and kneaded his tired eyes with his knuckles.
“You sound exhausted. Long day?”
“It kinda was. I mean, listening about the newest technology is interesting and all, but you can only hear the words ‘latest advancement’ so many times before you want to take your service revolver to yourself.” Jensen stretched out on his bed, staring at the empty spot beside him.
“Nice, Deputy,” Jared admonished, making his way down the stairs.
“Everything okay there? Chris at the house with you?” The frantic call he received from JG and Tom at Christmas about a mysterious, threatening man had been a cold dash of reality. Without hearing the description Jensen had known it was Timothy and from the terrified look on Jared’s face, he’d known it too. He’d held Jared close that night, one hand shushing the frightened whimpers that Jared couldn’t contain and soothing Jared’s shaking body while the other dialed the phone. An hour later, the entire Plains County Sheriff’s Department was scouring every inch of their jurisdiction looking for the man that had dared to threaten the family of one of their own - not one complaining about being called in on Christmas Eve. They didn’t find Timothy that night, his apparent disappearance into the ether doing nothing to allay Jared’s fears or Jensen’s anger. His presence may have been gone, but it was long from forgotten.
By the time Jensen was scheduled to attend the yearly law enforcement convention, two months had passed without further incident. Jared and Jensen weren’t convinced Timothy had given up, it was now more a question of when, not if. The constant state of high alert both men lived with as they waited for the bastard to make his move had Jensen trying to beg off the convention entirely, but Sheriff Jones insisted that the department be represented - citing the impending birth of his granddaughter as his reason for not attending . Jensen argued that his family needed him, going so far as to threaten resignation, and in the end they’d reached a grudging compromise: Jensen would attend and Sheriff Jones would arrange for someone to be at the house with Jared and the kids while Jensen was gone. Chris had offered himself up as bodyguard and Jensen was relieved that his best friend was there protecting his family.
Jensen couldn’t think of anyone better to look after Jared and the kids. Chris didn’t have any real family to speak of. He was an only child and the parents that had been so proud of him for graduating Mercer with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, promptly disowned him when he came out to them less than a year later. The Ackles and Steve were his family now. It was a given that Chris would love Jared and the twins simply because Jensen did - Chris and Jared had been close before - but Jared and Teddy and Benji wormed themselves into the man’s heart all on their own. He treated Jared like a brother and the twins like nephews and Jensen knew Chris would do anything to protect them. Family meant something more when you understood how precious it was.
“Yes, he’s here, but if I have to hear once more about how much he misses Steve, I may need your service revolver.” Jared winked at the broad shouldered man in question as he sat down on the couch.
“That bad, huh?” Jensen chuckled. As much as Chris exuded this tough guy persona, when it came to Steve, he was nothing more than a large ball of fluff.
“You have no idea,” Jared replied with mock seriousness, sticking his tongue out at Chris playfully. “All babysitting and no sex make Chris a very grumpy boy.”
“It’s been three days!” Chris defended.
Jensen was well aware it had been three days, his body itching for Jared like a drug addict needing another fix. You could only get so far with your right hand and your imagination. Sex was a participation sport, after all. “Hey,” Jensen sat up, a thought occurring to him. “What’re you wearing?”
Jared’s brow furrowed at the question and he looked down. “Um, my gray sweatpants and your old Mercer t-shirt. Why?”
“Mmmm,” Jensen hummed. “I love when you wear that shirt. It’s worn so thin, I can see your nipples through it. Makes me want to lean over and lick them, make them pebble up into tight little nubs, bite them just to hear that gaspy noise you make. Would you like that, Jared?”
He could hear the harsh huffs of Jared’s breaths and he smiled. Jared was always a sucker for dirty talk. “Y-yeah,” Jared stammered.
“That’s what I thought,” Jensen purred. “Just lay you out on the couch, licking and sucking those little rosy buds until you’re gasping and squirming. Hook my hands into your sweats and lower them down, kissing each inch as it’s exposed, nibble on those delectable hipbones. Free that beautiful cock of yours so I can put my hot, wet mouth,” he breathed the words, reveling in the broken whimper Jared let out, “on it. Trail my tongue down, give your balls some love so they aren’t jealous. First one then the other before moving down to the real prize. Flick my…”
“Oh my God,” Chris’ shocked voice echoed over the line. There was a scuffle over the phone then Chris voice came through loud and clear. “Stop with the phone sex, Jensen, or at least take it to another room. There are some things I don’t need to see, and Jared all hot and bothered is definitely one of them.”
Jensen could hear Jared sputtering in the background and he couldn’t help himself. The laughter spilled from his lips. “Yeah, yeah,” Jensen managed through his dying chuckles, his erection flagging at being caught. “I promise to be good.”
“Okay then,” Chris conceded, “Now that I’ve mortified your boy, I’ll let him have the phone back.”
Jensen heard some shuffling and then Jared’s muffled, “Oh, God.”
“You forgot he was there, didn’t you?” Jensen asked smugly.
“I had other things on my mind at the time!”
“Sorry, babe. I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.” Jensen’s last word was cut off by a large yawn.
Jared smiled fondly. “Let me let you go so you can get some sleep.”
“That’s probably for the best. There’s this breakfast thing in the morning and a small dog and pony show, then I should be on my way home.”
“Sleep well and drive careful. I love you, Deputy.”
“I will. I love you too, Jared.”
Jensen pressed the button to end the call and rose from the bed, heavily contemplating a quick shower. A knock had him frowning and he made his way to the door, pulling it open to reveal two men in drab suits.
“Deputy Sheriff Ackles?” The shorter of the two fixed Jensen with a serious look.
“Yes?” He answered cautiously, gaze flicking between the two men.
Simultaneously they pulled leather cases from the inside pockets of their suits. With a quick flick of the wrist they opened the cases and flashed their badges, the shiny shields glinted in the overhead lighting of the hallway. “My name is Detective O’Connell, and this is my partner, Detective Gaddis. We need you to come downtown with us for questioning.”
*****
“So judging by the size of the tent you’re pitching, your snooki-ookums is missing you, huh?” Chris leaned his head back on Jared’s shoulder and batted his eyelashes at the younger man.
“I was not pitching a tent!” Jared exclaimed, his hand moving to cover the evidence of his dwindling erection.
Chris rolled his head on Jared’s shoulder and quirked a disbelieving eyebrow, “Jared, it was so big I was worried Boy Scouts would start showing up wanting to camp.”
“That’s…disturbing actually,” Jared grimaced. Laughing, he rolled his eyes and shoved Chris away with a palm to the forehead. “Like you haven’t been pining over your pookie all week.”
“That’s Mr. Pookie to you,” Chris smirked, righting himself. Picking up the remote, he flicked past a few channels before blowing out an irritated breath. “There’s nothing on. What do you normally watch on Thursdays? I’m usually at the bar.”
“We mainly watch whatever’s on the History or Discovery channels,” Jared yawned, not sleeping well for the three days Jensen had been gone was taking its toll, “Only day of the week I care what’s on is Wednesday.”
Chris nodded absently, thumb cycling through the stations faster than before, finally settling on ‘Iron Man’. Tossing the remote on the cushion between them, he sipped his warming beer. “This good?”
“Yeah, I’ve actually never seen it.” Jared shifted into the corner of the couch, tucking his legs under his body.
Chris’ eyes went wide and he choked on his beer. “What do you mean you haven’t seen it? What hole have you been living in?”
Jared stared at the screen, taking in the violence. “Timothy didn’t like going to the movies.”
“Oh, Jared,” Chris voice softened. “I didn’t…” It had never occurred to Chris that Jared would have been with Timothy when the original movie came out.
“It’s okay,” Jared said automatically, emotionlessly. They sat in silence for a few minutes then Jared spoke again, eyes never leaving the television. “Jensen told you why I ran away, didn’t he?” The questions was tentative and curious, not a hint of accusation or anger.
“No,” Chris sat up, “Jensen didn’t tell me a reason. He wouldn’t do that. I just…Well, I went to school with Timothy, too. Remember? I knew what he was like and with how you acted and looked when you arrived…”
“Didn’t take much to figure it out, huh?” Jared looked at him with a blank expression, nodding.
Chris studied his friend for a long moment. Jensen wasn’t the only one with experience in dealing with abuse victims. Jared was healing from whatever Timothy had done to him, but Chris could see the self-doubt that Jared tried to hide from Jensen. “You know it’s not your fault, right?
“Everyone keeps telling me that.” He smiled tightly and turned back to the movie. He huffed a mirthless laugh. “You know, Timothy was extremely jealous. Was convinced that everyone wanted me - the check-out kid at the grocery store, the twins’ preschool teacher, the babysitter, his business associates. If anyone showed me any attention…” Jared trailed off, shaking his head, “it wasn’t good. This guy, Ian something, and I were talking at this stupid party about the movie and I mentioned I wanted to see it. He offered to take me and Timothy heard.” Jared paused, fingers twisting the hem of his borrowed t-shirt. “By the time I was well enough to leave the house again, the movie wasn’t playing in theaters anymore.”
Chris swallowed his anger and horror. “Do you want me to find something else?”
Jared blinked rapidly, coming back from wherever his memories had taken him. Scrunching his eyebrows in confusion, he shook his head. “No. Of course not. I still want to see it.”
Chris considered his friend for a minute, amazed at what Jared had survived. “I won’t let him hurt you again, Jared. You know that, right? Nobody in this town will.” He leaned back on the couch again.
Jared smiled, a small but genuine one, and nodded, turning his attention back to the adventures of Tony Stark.
Sometime later, Chris nudged Jared’s calf with his socked foot, both their feet propped up on the coffee table. “If you were a superhero, which one would you be?”
“I’m clearly not the hero type,” Jared’s eyes went unfocused.
The older man jostled his shoulder. “Come on, man. I’m not going to drop you in radioactive waste or anything. For shits and giggles, who would you be?”
“I’d probably be a lame hero,” Jared smiled, ruefully. “My power would be talking to cockroaches or something and I’d trip on my own cape.” Seeing the protest on Chris’ lips, Jared intercepted with a question of his own. “Who would you be? The Hulk?”
“The Hulk?” Chris frowned.
“Yeah, peaceful and mild-mannered until someone pissed you off.”
Chris shook his head, leaning forward to set his now empty bottle on the coffee table. “Guess that makes Steve Betty Ross?”
“Nah,” Jared disagreed, getting into the game now. “This is the GLAAD version of the Avengers. With all that long, blonde hair, Steve would be Thor.”
Chris threw his head back in laughter, hands clapping out his amusement. “Oh, God. That’s priceless. So that would make Jenny…? Iron Man?” He gestured at the television where Tony Stark was trying to seduce a blonde reporter.
“No,” Jared answered soberly, “Jensen’s not that arrogant. He’d be…” Jared pursed his lips in thought then smiled. “Captain America, all-American superhero with a heart of gold.”
“You are such a sap,” Chris rolled his eyes, the smile in his voice taking the sting out of the comment. “I can see him now. He’d be running around Wowakan saving cats from trees and standing on benches with his hands on his hips.”
“He would look good in the blue spandex, though,” Jared licked his lips at the thought.
“Whoa! Enough of that or I’ll take you outside and hose you down. Anyway, we still haven’t decided who you’d…” His words were cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Frowning at the caller ID, he answered it. “Welling?”
Jared kept his eyes on the television to give Chris a modicum of privacy during his call, but couldn’t help overhearing.
“What?!” Chris sat forward, body tense. “Is he all right?”
Jared turned to face the other man at the alarm he could hear in his voice, eyebrows raised in question.
“That little peckerhead,” Chris grumbled. “Is JG gonna press charges?”
Jared sat up at his friend’s name, worried that Timothy had come back around looking for Jared again. Chris seeing his apprehension waved him off.
“Wait, what?” Chris switched the phone to his other ear and cradled it between his head and shoulder, using his now free hands to tug his boots on. “Why are you arresting him?” Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. “Okay, okay. Shit! Tell him to stay calm and not do anything stupid. I’ll be there…” He trailed off, eyes cutting over to Jared.
Jared was already shaking his head, not fully understanding the situation but knowing that his friends needed Chris to be with them. “Go,” he said forcefully.
Chris hesitated, the war going on behind his eyes evident.
“Go!” Jared repeated, insistently.
Brown eyes filled with appreciation as Chris returned his attention to the man on the other end of the line. “Tom? Yeah, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes tops. Thanks.”
Hanging up the phone, he turned to Jared. “Jared, I’m so sorry. Ed showed up at the FireWater tonight and assaulted JG.”
“Ed? Westwick? That guy that Jensen slept with. He’s in all the time. He’s crude and snotty, but couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I know, right?! Apparently something got into him and he came across the bar at JG. From what Welling said, he got a couple of good punches in before anyone was able to pull him off. Unfortunately for Ed, that person was Tom Hardy.” Chris scrubbed a hand down his face.
“Oh God,” Jared moaned. JG and Tom had been dating since sometime around Christmas and it was no secret that Tom was extremely protective of JG. On the nights that the younger man worked, Tom was always close by, silent and intimidating. He’d become an unofficial bouncer, deterring those that had a mind to get into trouble by his mere presence. “Is Ed still alive?”
“Sounds like what he did to JG pales in comparison to what Tom did to him. Welling said JG’s mainly shook up, a few bruises maybe a concussion. Ed, on the other hand? His nose is definitely broken and possibly his wrist and jaw too. I guess, Tom just wailed on him. It took Welling, Rosenbaum, Steve and Penn to pull him away so he didn’t kill the guy.”
“Did Ed say why he did it? I mean, he really didn’t strike me as the violent type. He always seemed more underhanded than anything.” Jared knew that JG and Ed went to school together and that JG had a low opinion of Ed, but they’d been out of school for a while and Ed was at FireWater almost every night. Why now? Why all the sudden did he decide to attack JG? And why of all things did he do it when JG’s brick shithouse of a boyfriend was standing there?
“Ed’s not talking, although it might be difficult with a broken jaw. JG is pressing charges but so is Ed. Welling and Rosenbaum are down there trying to arrest them and Steve is not happy. They need me to get down there and cool him off before they have to take him in too.” Looking around the house in thought, he flipped his phone back open. “I’m gonna call Alex and Karen to come stay with you.”
“No, you’re not!” Jared grabbed the phone out of his hand. “It’s after ten and you know they’re asleep. Chris, I’ll be fine,” he reassured, biting his lip and forcing more confidence in his voice than he actually felt.
Holding his hand back out for his phone, Chris growled in complaint. “At least let me call Austin.”
“No,” Jared protested again, “Sandy and Milo are babysitting Dalton and Hunter tonight so Austin and Genevieve could have some adult time. I refuse to cockblock Austin over this.” His eyes softened in sincerity, “I promise, Chris. We’ll be fine. I - I have the gun that Jensen left if there’s a problem and the entire Plains County sheriff’s office on speed dial, including the Sheriff. Go,” he made a shooing motion with his hands. “Hulk smash and save Thor’s pretty ass from going to jail.”
Jumping up from the couch, Chris leaned over and pressed a hard kiss to the top of Jared’s head. “I knew there was something I always liked about you.”
Jared rolled his eyes affectionately. Six months ago, he’d have flinched at the contact, flung himself away and hidden in the corner. Now, it was just a part of his life - hugs, kisses, touches - love communicated in ways that didn’t hurt. Jared got up and walked Chris to the door, “Besides the blackmail material I provide you about Jensen?”
“That too,” he smiled, stepping on the porch. “Just so you know, if Jensen kills me, I’m coming back to haunt your ass.”
“Understood,” Jared nodded, “I take full responsibility. Call me and let me know everything turned out all right.”
“Will do. I’ll be back once I get this all straightened out.” Chris bounded down the steps and to his truck parked next to Jared’s. Opening the door, the called back to the other man, “Don’t forget to lock the door.”
“Doing it now,” Jared waved, shutting the door and thumbing the lock into place. Leaning his back against the door, he took a steadying breath. It was the first time he’d been alone in the house since Christmas and the quiet was a little unnerving. Squaring his shoulders, he went back into the living room, deciding to finish the movie before heading up to bed. Timothy had taken six years of his life and Jared refused to let him take another minute.
*****
Jensen tapped his thumbs on the Formica topped table, beating out a rhythm of his own design. He’d been in this interrogation room for the last four hours and had yet to have anyone ask him the first question. Despite the need to call Jared to let him know what had happened and reassure himself that his boyfriend was okay, Jensen had used his one phone call judiciously. Two hundred and forty minutes of looking at gray-green walls and a one way mirror made him want to regret that decision. His head snapped up as the door to the hallway opened and a tall, handsome man with blonde hair and brown eyes entered. His expensive suit concealed an agile body, but couldn’t disguise the natural grace with which the man moved. Jensen stood up and smiled.
“Jake,” he breathed, extending his hand out to the new arrival. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Jensen,” Jake smiled, pulling his friend into a hug. “Of course, I came.” He set his briefcase down on the table and pulled out the chair to sit. Jake Abel owed Jensen a great deal. Their relationship had burned fast and bright, a flash flame of attraction settling into embers of a comfortable friendship that both men cherished. Jensen was one in a handful of people that supported him during his plagiarism hearings at Mercer, loyal and stalwart until the damning gavel pounded out his expulsion. After, when Jake was in the depths of despair, spiraling lower at the idea of his future being snatched away, Jensen was the one that encouraged him to apply to another university and plead his case with their unbiased admissions board. Mrs. Hodges at the University of Georgia was the only one who took the time to hear his side of the story and after some investigating deemed there hadn’t been enough facts to justify his expulsion. She fought for him to the admissions board and eight years later, he graduated as a Bulldog with a law degree.
Jensen took his seat again and rubbed his hands over his weary face. “Do you have any idea what’s going on? Nobody’s said a fucking thing to me.”
Jake’s face became somber and he popped the clasps on his briefcase, lifting the lid to reveal a stack of papers. “Do you remember a case back in Chicago where you arrested a,” he pulled a sheet of paper from the pile, “Mark Pellegrino?”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed for a minute before a smirk spread across his face, “Yeah, guy was a well-to-do mucky-muck down on Michigan Avenue. Liked to spend his free time fucking underage boys then beating the shit out of them. We’d had him under investigation for a while, but couldn’t pin anything on him. The maid found one of the kids tied to the bed, half-dead, and she and her husband, his chauffeur, turned him in. He avoided jail time on the rape and assault charges, said that the boys came with him willingly and the beatings were part of the games they played, and the kids were too scared to say otherwise. The victims wouldn’t testify that they were forced, but did admit to their ages when the acts occurred. It was enough to get him for statutory rape.” Jensen shook his head chagrined. “It was like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.”
Jake nodded, “So you remember the maid and her husband?”
“Yeah. Name was something music related,” he scrunched his forehead in thought. Face smoothing out, he snapped his fingers and pointed at Jake, “Treble. Martha and…” he shook his head.
“David,” Jake supplied.
“That’s it. Martha and David Treble. Nice people, from France or Belgium or something. What does that have to do with any of,” he waved his hand around to encompass the small, dingy room, “this?”
Jake set the paper down and folded his hands on top of it. He leveled Jensen with a serious look. “The Trebles recently came forward, claiming an attack of conscience, with accusations that you coached them through their statements, telling them what to say to ensure an indictment. They stated that you coerced them into testifying to begin with, threatening them with revocation of their work visas if they didn’t cooperate.”
“That’s bullshit!” Jensen jumped to his feet in indignation.
“It gets worse,” Jake pulled another sheet out of his briefcase. “The Chicago PD started nosing around to verify the veracity of the Trebles accusations, their work visas are up for renewal again and there was concern that this was a ploy to guarantee they were extended. They talked to the victims and other witnesses to see if they had similar allegations. Two of the victims, Blaine Phillips and Jesse McArthur, stated that you promised to have their juvenile records expunged if they lied to authorities about the date when their sexual relationship with Mr. Pellegrino started. Supposedly, you advised them to say it was earlier than it was; therefore, making them younger and strengthening the statutory rape case.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Jensen kicked his chair. “I didn’t even know they had juvenile records.”
“Jensen,” Jake started, placating, “Detectives O’Connell and Gaddis are going to be in here soon to ask you a few questions.”
“I know how an interview works, Jake,” Jensen snarled, righting his chair and plopping down on it.
Jake took a deep breath, centering himself so he met Jensen’s aggravation with patience. “Just be your charming self and try to keep the snark in check. They are going to charge you with coercion of a witness, obstruction of justice, falsifying records and blackmail. More than likely you’ll be booked with a bail hearing scheduled for sometime early next week.”
“That’s fucking unacceptable! I didn’t do anything wrong! I have a family I have to get back to. They don’t even know that something has happened.” Jensen’s body was trembling with impotent anger. It was bad enough that people were disparaging his character, but now it was going to keep him from family when they needed him.
“I understand you’re angry, but I need you to calm down. I’ve looked over the statements by the Trebles, Phillips and McArthur. They look pretty iron-clad, but there are some things I want to look into and it’s going to take some time. All we can do is wait for the bail hearing. Just play nice and hopefully by Tuesday you’ll be home.”
“Be straight with me. If somehow they get a conviction, what are we looking at?” He knew that all too often innocent people did guilty time.
There was a hint of sadness on Jake’s face and Jensen felt his stomach clench. “Best case scenario, they take your badge. Worst case, you do time.”
“Fuck!” Jensen covered his face with his hands, running them up until his forehead rested in his palms. He took a calming breath, shoulders rising and falling with the deliberate inhale and exhale. “I need you to call Jared and Chris. Fill them in on what’s happened.”
“Absolutely!” Jake rummaged through his still open briefcase and pulled a pad from one of the pockets. Sliding the pen out of his shirt pocket, he handed it to Jensen. “Write down their numbers and I’ll call them first thing.”
Jensen scribbled the number for his boyfriend and best friend on the pad and shoved it back over to Jake. Jake picked it up, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips up. “You’re with Jared again, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jensen answered, tiredly, fingers kneading the muscles at the base of his skull. “I gotta get home to him Jake. It’s important.”
Jake narrowed his eyes, unused to Jensen pleading. “What’s going on Jensen?”
Jensen laced his fingers together and set his hands on the table. “You know that Jared and I broke up when I moved to Chicago.” He waited for Jake’s nod. Jake hadn’t been around the first time, away in Athens trying to finish his last few years of school, but he’d kept in touch with Jensen. “Well, Jared got mixed up with Timothy after I left.”
Jake pulled back in shock. “How? Why?!”
“Not important,” Jensen answered, “Jared ended up pregnant with twins. He spent six…unpleasant years with Timothy. He finally got away last September.”
“Unpleasant?” Jake repeated questioningly, shivering at the unpleasantness he’d heard about from some of Timothy’s other dates. He’d always been grateful for meeting Jensen when he did and never pursuing anything with Timothy further. Honestly, he believed he’d dodged a bullet there.
“Yeah, pretty much what you’re thinking.” Jensen stared at his hands.
“But he got away, right? He’s safe?” Jake prompted, not understanding why Jensen was still so worried.
“He was until Timothy showed up at the bar where Jared works on Christmas Eve. Jared wasn’t there, but he threatened a few people trying to find out where Jared was.”
“You tried restraining orders? I could draw one up for you,” Jake suggested.
Jensen snorted. “You’ve spent too much time in the courtroom. You know what Timothy is like. Do you honestly think a restraining order is gonna stop him from getting Jared? From hurting him?”
“No, I suppose not. Who’s with him now?”
“Chris.” Jensen blew out a long breath. “Jake, I will do anything,” green eyes glinted with meaning, “to keep Jared safe, but I can’t do that from here. I need to get back home.”
“Okay, Jensen.” Jake put the papers back in his briefcase. “First, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any implied threat in that last statement. Second, let me see what I can do about moving your bail hearing up and start picking apart the prosecution’s case. “
“Thanks, Jake.” Jensen deflated into the chair, the strings keeping him upright cut.
“You’re serious about him?”
Jensen looked up, his features soft and fond. “Picked up my grandfather’s wedding band from the jeweler this afternoon. Had to have it cleaned and resized.”
“Wow,” Jake whistled softly, “I guess that answered that.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m really happy for you, Jensen.”
“What about you, Jake? You happy?”
“I’m good, Jensen. Really good. I’ve got somebody, now. His name’s Tyler Hoechlin and he runs a little coffee shop down the street from my house.” Jake ducked his head and blushed. “We’re not to the picking out rings portion of the relationship yet, but I think he’s my one. My Jared.”
“That’s fantastic. You deserve someone great. How’s about we get this wrapped up so we can both get back to the ones we love?” Jensen clapped his friend on the back.
*****
Jared blinked his tired eyes open, the credits for a movie he didn’t remember watching scrolling up the television screen. He must have fallen asleep. Squinting at the numbers on the DVD player, he was shocked to see that he’d been out for a few hours. Yawning, he fumbled with the remote and turned the television off.
Getting to his feet, he was startled by a firm knock on the door. Snorting, he shuffled his way to the front foyer. Chris always forgot that the extra key was under the porch swing. Half-asleep he opened the front door, another yawn taking him by surprise. Squeezing his eyes closed in the hopes of forcing the sleepiness from them, he opened them with a smart remark ready for his forgetful friend. “I should leave you out here…” His breath caught in his throat and the rest of the sentence died on his tongue. Jared stood frozen in place, eyes glued to the waking nightmare before him.
The tall man smirked and his voice washed over Jared like honeyed poison. “Hi, honey, I’m home.”
A/N 2: Hmmm, Chris as the Hulk, Steve as Thor, Jensen as Captain America and Jared as "clearly not the hero type". Sounds like Imogen and JCRGirl are throwing around ideas for a J2 Avengers fic, doesn't it?
“Say good night, boys,” Jared’s soft voice broke the gentle hush that followed the end of the story.
Jensen chuckled at the staticy sound of enthusiastic kisses being sent over the telephone line. “Good night, Papa Jensen. Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”
“Night, Benji boy,” he smiled, pressing the button to turn off the e-reader in his hand.
Next came shy, more timid kisses. “Good night, Papa Jensen.”
“Good night, Teddy bear. You and your brother be good for Daddy and I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Kay,” Teddy replied, answer slurred around a yawn.
He heard Jared laugh softly and the muted click that indicated that the hands-free had been turned off. “Hey, Deputy?”
“Yeah, Jared?”
“Give me a second, okay?”
“Sure.” Jensen could hear the low sounds of Jared bidding the twins good night and he smiled at the images his mind conjured of Jared pressing tender kisses to their foreheads. He tucked the e-reader back into the side compartment of his suitcase where he’d found it on arriving in Denver three nights earlier. Teddy once told him that ‘Father’ never read to them, hated it when Jared would, and how much Teddy liked that Jensen did. Jensen had forced his lips into a soft smile, glad his boys liked the quiet time they spent together each night, while he silently seethed at the waste of a father Timothy had turned out to be. How could someone have these devilish angels around and not want to constantly spend time with them? How could you not love them? Not want to give them everything and more? Timothy had had them for six years without their bright light affecting him. Jensen had had them for less than six months and already he knew he would never be the same.
Jensen had always wanted children…someday - an abstract date in the future when his life was settled and he’d sowed all his wild oats. It was the only point of contention in his previous relationship with Jared. Jared wanted something more concrete than someday. He knew, more than his job and family, that Jared had stayed in Savannah over that nebulous timeline and Jensen spent the next six years wondering if he’d been more flexible on the issue whether Jared would have followed him to the Windy City. Now, there were times when he was doing something so mundane - tucking the twins in at night, making them breakfast, tying loose shoelaces - and he stopped for a minute awestruck at how paternal it felt, how natural, how right. For someone who swore he wasn’t ready for kids - had given up on the idea completely after Jared - he couldn’t see his life without Jared’s boys…his boys. He knew he wasn’t their blood - that his DNA had nothing to do with the conception of those two exceptional creatures - but in all the ways that counted, they were his sons and he was dead set on proving that nurture was stronger than nature.
He looked over at the small velvet box resting innocuously on the nightstand. If his plans worked out, hopefully, one day he and Jared could give the twins a little brother or sister. When he dreamed of their life together, the image in his mind’s eye was always the same: Jared in his arms, entwined hands winking with matching gold and resting on the full roundness of Jared’s pregnant belly, watching the twins run around the backyard as the strong flutterings of new life nudged against their palms. They’d never discussed marriage or children, not even in the dark quiet of their bedroom, late at night. Jensen knew that Jared had turned down Timothy’s proposals over the years and that the refusals had been more fuel for Timothy’s explosive rage, but he truly hoped that the bastard hadn’t turned Jared off the idea completely. The things that Jensen had rejected a lifetime ago in that seaside town in Georgia were now the very things he was worried he wouldn’t be allowed to have.
“You still there, Deputy?”
“Yeah,” he surfaced from his musings and kneaded his tired eyes with his knuckles.
“You sound exhausted. Long day?”
“It kinda was. I mean, listening about the newest technology is interesting and all, but you can only hear the words ‘latest advancement’ so many times before you want to take your service revolver to yourself.” Jensen stretched out on his bed, staring at the empty spot beside him.
“Nice, Deputy,” Jared admonished, making his way down the stairs.
“Everything okay there? Chris at the house with you?” The frantic call he received from JG and Tom at Christmas about a mysterious, threatening man had been a cold dash of reality. Without hearing the description Jensen had known it was Timothy and from the terrified look on Jared’s face, he’d known it too. He’d held Jared close that night, one hand shushing the frightened whimpers that Jared couldn’t contain and soothing Jared’s shaking body while the other dialed the phone. An hour later, the entire Plains County Sheriff’s Department was scouring every inch of their jurisdiction looking for the man that had dared to threaten the family of one of their own - not one complaining about being called in on Christmas Eve. They didn’t find Timothy that night, his apparent disappearance into the ether doing nothing to allay Jared’s fears or Jensen’s anger. His presence may have been gone, but it was long from forgotten.
By the time Jensen was scheduled to attend the yearly law enforcement convention, two months had passed without further incident. Jared and Jensen weren’t convinced Timothy had given up, it was now more a question of when, not if. The constant state of high alert both men lived with as they waited for the bastard to make his move had Jensen trying to beg off the convention entirely, but Sheriff Jones insisted that the department be represented - citing the impending birth of his granddaughter as his reason for not attending . Jensen argued that his family needed him, going so far as to threaten resignation, and in the end they’d reached a grudging compromise: Jensen would attend and Sheriff Jones would arrange for someone to be at the house with Jared and the kids while Jensen was gone. Chris had offered himself up as bodyguard and Jensen was relieved that his best friend was there protecting his family.
Jensen couldn’t think of anyone better to look after Jared and the kids. Chris didn’t have any real family to speak of. He was an only child and the parents that had been so proud of him for graduating Mercer with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, promptly disowned him when he came out to them less than a year later. The Ackles and Steve were his family now. It was a given that Chris would love Jared and the twins simply because Jensen did - Chris and Jared had been close before - but Jared and Teddy and Benji wormed themselves into the man’s heart all on their own. He treated Jared like a brother and the twins like nephews and Jensen knew Chris would do anything to protect them. Family meant something more when you understood how precious it was.
“Yes, he’s here, but if I have to hear once more about how much he misses Steve, I may need your service revolver.” Jared winked at the broad shouldered man in question as he sat down on the couch.
“That bad, huh?” Jensen chuckled. As much as Chris exuded this tough guy persona, when it came to Steve, he was nothing more than a large ball of fluff.
“You have no idea,” Jared replied with mock seriousness, sticking his tongue out at Chris playfully. “All babysitting and no sex make Chris a very grumpy boy.”
“It’s been three days!” Chris defended.
Jensen was well aware it had been three days, his body itching for Jared like a drug addict needing another fix. You could only get so far with your right hand and your imagination. Sex was a participation sport, after all. “Hey,” Jensen sat up, a thought occurring to him. “What’re you wearing?”
Jared’s brow furrowed at the question and he looked down. “Um, my gray sweatpants and your old Mercer t-shirt. Why?”
“Mmmm,” Jensen hummed. “I love when you wear that shirt. It’s worn so thin, I can see your nipples through it. Makes me want to lean over and lick them, make them pebble up into tight little nubs, bite them just to hear that gaspy noise you make. Would you like that, Jared?”
He could hear the harsh huffs of Jared’s breaths and he smiled. Jared was always a sucker for dirty talk. “Y-yeah,” Jared stammered.
“That’s what I thought,” Jensen purred. “Just lay you out on the couch, licking and sucking those little rosy buds until you’re gasping and squirming. Hook my hands into your sweats and lower them down, kissing each inch as it’s exposed, nibble on those delectable hipbones. Free that beautiful cock of yours so I can put my hot, wet mouth,” he breathed the words, reveling in the broken whimper Jared let out, “on it. Trail my tongue down, give your balls some love so they aren’t jealous. First one then the other before moving down to the real prize. Flick my…”
“Oh my God,” Chris’ shocked voice echoed over the line. There was a scuffle over the phone then Chris voice came through loud and clear. “Stop with the phone sex, Jensen, or at least take it to another room. There are some things I don’t need to see, and Jared all hot and bothered is definitely one of them.”
Jensen could hear Jared sputtering in the background and he couldn’t help himself. The laughter spilled from his lips. “Yeah, yeah,” Jensen managed through his dying chuckles, his erection flagging at being caught. “I promise to be good.”
“Okay then,” Chris conceded, “Now that I’ve mortified your boy, I’ll let him have the phone back.”
Jensen heard some shuffling and then Jared’s muffled, “Oh, God.”
“You forgot he was there, didn’t you?” Jensen asked smugly.
“I had other things on my mind at the time!”
“Sorry, babe. I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.” Jensen’s last word was cut off by a large yawn.
Jared smiled fondly. “Let me let you go so you can get some sleep.”
“That’s probably for the best. There’s this breakfast thing in the morning and a small dog and pony show, then I should be on my way home.”
“Sleep well and drive careful. I love you, Deputy.”
“I will. I love you too, Jared.”
Jensen pressed the button to end the call and rose from the bed, heavily contemplating a quick shower. A knock had him frowning and he made his way to the door, pulling it open to reveal two men in drab suits.
“Deputy Sheriff Ackles?” The shorter of the two fixed Jensen with a serious look.
“Yes?” He answered cautiously, gaze flicking between the two men.
Simultaneously they pulled leather cases from the inside pockets of their suits. With a quick flick of the wrist they opened the cases and flashed their badges, the shiny shields glinted in the overhead lighting of the hallway. “My name is Detective O’Connell, and this is my partner, Detective Gaddis. We need you to come downtown with us for questioning.”
*****
“So judging by the size of the tent you’re pitching, your snooki-ookums is missing you, huh?” Chris leaned his head back on Jared’s shoulder and batted his eyelashes at the younger man.
“I was not pitching a tent!” Jared exclaimed, his hand moving to cover the evidence of his dwindling erection.
Chris rolled his head on Jared’s shoulder and quirked a disbelieving eyebrow, “Jared, it was so big I was worried Boy Scouts would start showing up wanting to camp.”
“That’s…disturbing actually,” Jared grimaced. Laughing, he rolled his eyes and shoved Chris away with a palm to the forehead. “Like you haven’t been pining over your pookie all week.”
“That’s Mr. Pookie to you,” Chris smirked, righting himself. Picking up the remote, he flicked past a few channels before blowing out an irritated breath. “There’s nothing on. What do you normally watch on Thursdays? I’m usually at the bar.”
“We mainly watch whatever’s on the History or Discovery channels,” Jared yawned, not sleeping well for the three days Jensen had been gone was taking its toll, “Only day of the week I care what’s on is Wednesday.”
Chris nodded absently, thumb cycling through the stations faster than before, finally settling on ‘Iron Man’. Tossing the remote on the cushion between them, he sipped his warming beer. “This good?”
“Yeah, I’ve actually never seen it.” Jared shifted into the corner of the couch, tucking his legs under his body.
Chris’ eyes went wide and he choked on his beer. “What do you mean you haven’t seen it? What hole have you been living in?”
Jared stared at the screen, taking in the violence. “Timothy didn’t like going to the movies.”
“Oh, Jared,” Chris voice softened. “I didn’t…” It had never occurred to Chris that Jared would have been with Timothy when the original movie came out.
“It’s okay,” Jared said automatically, emotionlessly. They sat in silence for a few minutes then Jared spoke again, eyes never leaving the television. “Jensen told you why I ran away, didn’t he?” The questions was tentative and curious, not a hint of accusation or anger.
“No,” Chris sat up, “Jensen didn’t tell me a reason. He wouldn’t do that. I just…Well, I went to school with Timothy, too. Remember? I knew what he was like and with how you acted and looked when you arrived…”
“Didn’t take much to figure it out, huh?” Jared looked at him with a blank expression, nodding.
Chris studied his friend for a long moment. Jensen wasn’t the only one with experience in dealing with abuse victims. Jared was healing from whatever Timothy had done to him, but Chris could see the self-doubt that Jared tried to hide from Jensen. “You know it’s not your fault, right?
“Everyone keeps telling me that.” He smiled tightly and turned back to the movie. He huffed a mirthless laugh. “You know, Timothy was extremely jealous. Was convinced that everyone wanted me - the check-out kid at the grocery store, the twins’ preschool teacher, the babysitter, his business associates. If anyone showed me any attention…” Jared trailed off, shaking his head, “it wasn’t good. This guy, Ian something, and I were talking at this stupid party about the movie and I mentioned I wanted to see it. He offered to take me and Timothy heard.” Jared paused, fingers twisting the hem of his borrowed t-shirt. “By the time I was well enough to leave the house again, the movie wasn’t playing in theaters anymore.”
Chris swallowed his anger and horror. “Do you want me to find something else?”
Jared blinked rapidly, coming back from wherever his memories had taken him. Scrunching his eyebrows in confusion, he shook his head. “No. Of course not. I still want to see it.”
Chris considered his friend for a minute, amazed at what Jared had survived. “I won’t let him hurt you again, Jared. You know that, right? Nobody in this town will.” He leaned back on the couch again.
Jared smiled, a small but genuine one, and nodded, turning his attention back to the adventures of Tony Stark.
Sometime later, Chris nudged Jared’s calf with his socked foot, both their feet propped up on the coffee table. “If you were a superhero, which one would you be?”
“I’m clearly not the hero type,” Jared’s eyes went unfocused.
The older man jostled his shoulder. “Come on, man. I’m not going to drop you in radioactive waste or anything. For shits and giggles, who would you be?”
“I’d probably be a lame hero,” Jared smiled, ruefully. “My power would be talking to cockroaches or something and I’d trip on my own cape.” Seeing the protest on Chris’ lips, Jared intercepted with a question of his own. “Who would you be? The Hulk?”
“The Hulk?” Chris frowned.
“Yeah, peaceful and mild-mannered until someone pissed you off.”
Chris shook his head, leaning forward to set his now empty bottle on the coffee table. “Guess that makes Steve Betty Ross?”
“Nah,” Jared disagreed, getting into the game now. “This is the GLAAD version of the Avengers. With all that long, blonde hair, Steve would be Thor.”
Chris threw his head back in laughter, hands clapping out his amusement. “Oh, God. That’s priceless. So that would make Jenny…? Iron Man?” He gestured at the television where Tony Stark was trying to seduce a blonde reporter.
“No,” Jared answered soberly, “Jensen’s not that arrogant. He’d be…” Jared pursed his lips in thought then smiled. “Captain America, all-American superhero with a heart of gold.”
“You are such a sap,” Chris rolled his eyes, the smile in his voice taking the sting out of the comment. “I can see him now. He’d be running around Wowakan saving cats from trees and standing on benches with his hands on his hips.”
“He would look good in the blue spandex, though,” Jared licked his lips at the thought.
“Whoa! Enough of that or I’ll take you outside and hose you down. Anyway, we still haven’t decided who you’d…” His words were cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Frowning at the caller ID, he answered it. “Welling?”
Jared kept his eyes on the television to give Chris a modicum of privacy during his call, but couldn’t help overhearing.
“What?!” Chris sat forward, body tense. “Is he all right?”
Jared turned to face the other man at the alarm he could hear in his voice, eyebrows raised in question.
“That little peckerhead,” Chris grumbled. “Is JG gonna press charges?”
Jared sat up at his friend’s name, worried that Timothy had come back around looking for Jared again. Chris seeing his apprehension waved him off.
“Wait, what?” Chris switched the phone to his other ear and cradled it between his head and shoulder, using his now free hands to tug his boots on. “Why are you arresting him?” Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. “Okay, okay. Shit! Tell him to stay calm and not do anything stupid. I’ll be there…” He trailed off, eyes cutting over to Jared.
Jared was already shaking his head, not fully understanding the situation but knowing that his friends needed Chris to be with them. “Go,” he said forcefully.
Chris hesitated, the war going on behind his eyes evident.
“Go!” Jared repeated, insistently.
Brown eyes filled with appreciation as Chris returned his attention to the man on the other end of the line. “Tom? Yeah, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes tops. Thanks.”
Hanging up the phone, he turned to Jared. “Jared, I’m so sorry. Ed showed up at the FireWater tonight and assaulted JG.”
“Ed? Westwick? That guy that Jensen slept with. He’s in all the time. He’s crude and snotty, but couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I know, right?! Apparently something got into him and he came across the bar at JG. From what Welling said, he got a couple of good punches in before anyone was able to pull him off. Unfortunately for Ed, that person was Tom Hardy.” Chris scrubbed a hand down his face.
“Oh God,” Jared moaned. JG and Tom had been dating since sometime around Christmas and it was no secret that Tom was extremely protective of JG. On the nights that the younger man worked, Tom was always close by, silent and intimidating. He’d become an unofficial bouncer, deterring those that had a mind to get into trouble by his mere presence. “Is Ed still alive?”
“Sounds like what he did to JG pales in comparison to what Tom did to him. Welling said JG’s mainly shook up, a few bruises maybe a concussion. Ed, on the other hand? His nose is definitely broken and possibly his wrist and jaw too. I guess, Tom just wailed on him. It took Welling, Rosenbaum, Steve and Penn to pull him away so he didn’t kill the guy.”
“Did Ed say why he did it? I mean, he really didn’t strike me as the violent type. He always seemed more underhanded than anything.” Jared knew that JG and Ed went to school together and that JG had a low opinion of Ed, but they’d been out of school for a while and Ed was at FireWater almost every night. Why now? Why all the sudden did he decide to attack JG? And why of all things did he do it when JG’s brick shithouse of a boyfriend was standing there?
“Ed’s not talking, although it might be difficult with a broken jaw. JG is pressing charges but so is Ed. Welling and Rosenbaum are down there trying to arrest them and Steve is not happy. They need me to get down there and cool him off before they have to take him in too.” Looking around the house in thought, he flipped his phone back open. “I’m gonna call Alex and Karen to come stay with you.”
“No, you’re not!” Jared grabbed the phone out of his hand. “It’s after ten and you know they’re asleep. Chris, I’ll be fine,” he reassured, biting his lip and forcing more confidence in his voice than he actually felt.
Holding his hand back out for his phone, Chris growled in complaint. “At least let me call Austin.”
“No,” Jared protested again, “Sandy and Milo are babysitting Dalton and Hunter tonight so Austin and Genevieve could have some adult time. I refuse to cockblock Austin over this.” His eyes softened in sincerity, “I promise, Chris. We’ll be fine. I - I have the gun that Jensen left if there’s a problem and the entire Plains County sheriff’s office on speed dial, including the Sheriff. Go,” he made a shooing motion with his hands. “Hulk smash and save Thor’s pretty ass from going to jail.”
Jumping up from the couch, Chris leaned over and pressed a hard kiss to the top of Jared’s head. “I knew there was something I always liked about you.”
Jared rolled his eyes affectionately. Six months ago, he’d have flinched at the contact, flung himself away and hidden in the corner. Now, it was just a part of his life - hugs, kisses, touches - love communicated in ways that didn’t hurt. Jared got up and walked Chris to the door, “Besides the blackmail material I provide you about Jensen?”
“That too,” he smiled, stepping on the porch. “Just so you know, if Jensen kills me, I’m coming back to haunt your ass.”
“Understood,” Jared nodded, “I take full responsibility. Call me and let me know everything turned out all right.”
“Will do. I’ll be back once I get this all straightened out.” Chris bounded down the steps and to his truck parked next to Jared’s. Opening the door, the called back to the other man, “Don’t forget to lock the door.”
“Doing it now,” Jared waved, shutting the door and thumbing the lock into place. Leaning his back against the door, he took a steadying breath. It was the first time he’d been alone in the house since Christmas and the quiet was a little unnerving. Squaring his shoulders, he went back into the living room, deciding to finish the movie before heading up to bed. Timothy had taken six years of his life and Jared refused to let him take another minute.
*****
Jensen tapped his thumbs on the Formica topped table, beating out a rhythm of his own design. He’d been in this interrogation room for the last four hours and had yet to have anyone ask him the first question. Despite the need to call Jared to let him know what had happened and reassure himself that his boyfriend was okay, Jensen had used his one phone call judiciously. Two hundred and forty minutes of looking at gray-green walls and a one way mirror made him want to regret that decision. His head snapped up as the door to the hallway opened and a tall, handsome man with blonde hair and brown eyes entered. His expensive suit concealed an agile body, but couldn’t disguise the natural grace with which the man moved. Jensen stood up and smiled.
“Jake,” he breathed, extending his hand out to the new arrival. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Jensen,” Jake smiled, pulling his friend into a hug. “Of course, I came.” He set his briefcase down on the table and pulled out the chair to sit. Jake Abel owed Jensen a great deal. Their relationship had burned fast and bright, a flash flame of attraction settling into embers of a comfortable friendship that both men cherished. Jensen was one in a handful of people that supported him during his plagiarism hearings at Mercer, loyal and stalwart until the damning gavel pounded out his expulsion. After, when Jake was in the depths of despair, spiraling lower at the idea of his future being snatched away, Jensen was the one that encouraged him to apply to another university and plead his case with their unbiased admissions board. Mrs. Hodges at the University of Georgia was the only one who took the time to hear his side of the story and after some investigating deemed there hadn’t been enough facts to justify his expulsion. She fought for him to the admissions board and eight years later, he graduated as a Bulldog with a law degree.
Jensen took his seat again and rubbed his hands over his weary face. “Do you have any idea what’s going on? Nobody’s said a fucking thing to me.”
Jake’s face became somber and he popped the clasps on his briefcase, lifting the lid to reveal a stack of papers. “Do you remember a case back in Chicago where you arrested a,” he pulled a sheet of paper from the pile, “Mark Pellegrino?”
Jensen’s eyes narrowed for a minute before a smirk spread across his face, “Yeah, guy was a well-to-do mucky-muck down on Michigan Avenue. Liked to spend his free time fucking underage boys then beating the shit out of them. We’d had him under investigation for a while, but couldn’t pin anything on him. The maid found one of the kids tied to the bed, half-dead, and she and her husband, his chauffeur, turned him in. He avoided jail time on the rape and assault charges, said that the boys came with him willingly and the beatings were part of the games they played, and the kids were too scared to say otherwise. The victims wouldn’t testify that they were forced, but did admit to their ages when the acts occurred. It was enough to get him for statutory rape.” Jensen shook his head chagrined. “It was like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.”
Jake nodded, “So you remember the maid and her husband?”
“Yeah. Name was something music related,” he scrunched his forehead in thought. Face smoothing out, he snapped his fingers and pointed at Jake, “Treble. Martha and…” he shook his head.
“David,” Jake supplied.
“That’s it. Martha and David Treble. Nice people, from France or Belgium or something. What does that have to do with any of,” he waved his hand around to encompass the small, dingy room, “this?”
Jake set the paper down and folded his hands on top of it. He leveled Jensen with a serious look. “The Trebles recently came forward, claiming an attack of conscience, with accusations that you coached them through their statements, telling them what to say to ensure an indictment. They stated that you coerced them into testifying to begin with, threatening them with revocation of their work visas if they didn’t cooperate.”
“That’s bullshit!” Jensen jumped to his feet in indignation.
“It gets worse,” Jake pulled another sheet out of his briefcase. “The Chicago PD started nosing around to verify the veracity of the Trebles accusations, their work visas are up for renewal again and there was concern that this was a ploy to guarantee they were extended. They talked to the victims and other witnesses to see if they had similar allegations. Two of the victims, Blaine Phillips and Jesse McArthur, stated that you promised to have their juvenile records expunged if they lied to authorities about the date when their sexual relationship with Mr. Pellegrino started. Supposedly, you advised them to say it was earlier than it was; therefore, making them younger and strengthening the statutory rape case.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Jensen kicked his chair. “I didn’t even know they had juvenile records.”
“Jensen,” Jake started, placating, “Detectives O’Connell and Gaddis are going to be in here soon to ask you a few questions.”
“I know how an interview works, Jake,” Jensen snarled, righting his chair and plopping down on it.
Jake took a deep breath, centering himself so he met Jensen’s aggravation with patience. “Just be your charming self and try to keep the snark in check. They are going to charge you with coercion of a witness, obstruction of justice, falsifying records and blackmail. More than likely you’ll be booked with a bail hearing scheduled for sometime early next week.”
“That’s fucking unacceptable! I didn’t do anything wrong! I have a family I have to get back to. They don’t even know that something has happened.” Jensen’s body was trembling with impotent anger. It was bad enough that people were disparaging his character, but now it was going to keep him from family when they needed him.
“I understand you’re angry, but I need you to calm down. I’ve looked over the statements by the Trebles, Phillips and McArthur. They look pretty iron-clad, but there are some things I want to look into and it’s going to take some time. All we can do is wait for the bail hearing. Just play nice and hopefully by Tuesday you’ll be home.”
“Be straight with me. If somehow they get a conviction, what are we looking at?” He knew that all too often innocent people did guilty time.
There was a hint of sadness on Jake’s face and Jensen felt his stomach clench. “Best case scenario, they take your badge. Worst case, you do time.”
“Fuck!” Jensen covered his face with his hands, running them up until his forehead rested in his palms. He took a calming breath, shoulders rising and falling with the deliberate inhale and exhale. “I need you to call Jared and Chris. Fill them in on what’s happened.”
“Absolutely!” Jake rummaged through his still open briefcase and pulled a pad from one of the pockets. Sliding the pen out of his shirt pocket, he handed it to Jensen. “Write down their numbers and I’ll call them first thing.”
Jensen scribbled the number for his boyfriend and best friend on the pad and shoved it back over to Jake. Jake picked it up, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips up. “You’re with Jared again, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jensen answered, tiredly, fingers kneading the muscles at the base of his skull. “I gotta get home to him Jake. It’s important.”
Jake narrowed his eyes, unused to Jensen pleading. “What’s going on Jensen?”
Jensen laced his fingers together and set his hands on the table. “You know that Jared and I broke up when I moved to Chicago.” He waited for Jake’s nod. Jake hadn’t been around the first time, away in Athens trying to finish his last few years of school, but he’d kept in touch with Jensen. “Well, Jared got mixed up with Timothy after I left.”
Jake pulled back in shock. “How? Why?!”
“Not important,” Jensen answered, “Jared ended up pregnant with twins. He spent six…unpleasant years with Timothy. He finally got away last September.”
“Unpleasant?” Jake repeated questioningly, shivering at the unpleasantness he’d heard about from some of Timothy’s other dates. He’d always been grateful for meeting Jensen when he did and never pursuing anything with Timothy further. Honestly, he believed he’d dodged a bullet there.
“Yeah, pretty much what you’re thinking.” Jensen stared at his hands.
“But he got away, right? He’s safe?” Jake prompted, not understanding why Jensen was still so worried.
“He was until Timothy showed up at the bar where Jared works on Christmas Eve. Jared wasn’t there, but he threatened a few people trying to find out where Jared was.”
“You tried restraining orders? I could draw one up for you,” Jake suggested.
Jensen snorted. “You’ve spent too much time in the courtroom. You know what Timothy is like. Do you honestly think a restraining order is gonna stop him from getting Jared? From hurting him?”
“No, I suppose not. Who’s with him now?”
“Chris.” Jensen blew out a long breath. “Jake, I will do anything,” green eyes glinted with meaning, “to keep Jared safe, but I can’t do that from here. I need to get back home.”
“Okay, Jensen.” Jake put the papers back in his briefcase. “First, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear any implied threat in that last statement. Second, let me see what I can do about moving your bail hearing up and start picking apart the prosecution’s case. “
“Thanks, Jake.” Jensen deflated into the chair, the strings keeping him upright cut.
“You’re serious about him?”
Jensen looked up, his features soft and fond. “Picked up my grandfather’s wedding band from the jeweler this afternoon. Had to have it cleaned and resized.”
“Wow,” Jake whistled softly, “I guess that answered that.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m really happy for you, Jensen.”
“What about you, Jake? You happy?”
“I’m good, Jensen. Really good. I’ve got somebody, now. His name’s Tyler Hoechlin and he runs a little coffee shop down the street from my house.” Jake ducked his head and blushed. “We’re not to the picking out rings portion of the relationship yet, but I think he’s my one. My Jared.”
“That’s fantastic. You deserve someone great. How’s about we get this wrapped up so we can both get back to the ones we love?” Jensen clapped his friend on the back.
*****
Jared blinked his tired eyes open, the credits for a movie he didn’t remember watching scrolling up the television screen. He must have fallen asleep. Squinting at the numbers on the DVD player, he was shocked to see that he’d been out for a few hours. Yawning, he fumbled with the remote and turned the television off.
Getting to his feet, he was startled by a firm knock on the door. Snorting, he shuffled his way to the front foyer. Chris always forgot that the extra key was under the porch swing. Half-asleep he opened the front door, another yawn taking him by surprise. Squeezing his eyes closed in the hopes of forcing the sleepiness from them, he opened them with a smart remark ready for his forgetful friend. “I should leave you out here…” His breath caught in his throat and the rest of the sentence died on his tongue. Jared stood frozen in place, eyes glued to the waking nightmare before him.
The tall man smirked and his voice washed over Jared like honeyed poison. “Hi, honey, I’m home.”
A/N 2: Hmmm, Chris as the Hulk, Steve as Thor, Jensen as Captain America and Jared as "clearly not the hero type". Sounds like Imogen and JCRGirl are throwing around ideas for a J2 Avengers fic, doesn't it?