WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT AND MENTION OF UNDERAGE SEXUAL CONTENT. IMPLIED ABUSE.

16 YEARS AGO
The blonde girl had tears streaming down her face and held the small bundle close to her chest. She didn't want to hand her child over, but she knew she had too… she couldn't raise this child on her own. At seventeen she was a child herself and she didn't had the money to raise him. And it wasn't like the government was jumping to help her out.

Beside her age and not having enough money, she was on her own as well. She didn't had a husband, or a boyfriend, nor had any family left. All that was not an ideal situation to raise a child in and she thought that what she was about to do, was the only way for her son to get the life she wanted for him.

The woman, Catrina Tregor, stood impatiently with her arms stretched out; ready to take over the baby. But Ygraine wasn't ready, she already cared too much for the child in her arms. But she also knew in the back of her head that there was no other option left. If there had been, she would've taken it a long time ago.

Ygraine pressed a soft kiss on top of her sleeping son's head and with pain in her heart handed her son over to Catrina. She felt sick and stumbled away after one long look at her son, but she stopped and turned around when she felt the object in the pocket of her coat. It was a locket with her picture and a picture of her son's father. It was the man she loved, but who had left her; saying that he didn't had anything to offer her. But his love for her would be enough for her.

Still he had left, and a month after he had left, she had found out that she was pregnant.

"Please, give this to Arthur when he's old enough." Ygraine begged, holding out the locket. The woman tore it out of her hands and nodded with irritation.

Ygraine held her hand out to touch her baby one last time, but drew it back at the last second. She needed to detach herself from her child, or else this moment would become even harder than it already was. She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned away - trying her best to ignore the loud wail from her son that suddenly burst through the small apartment.

She needed air, it was just all too much for her. The door to outside couldn't open fast enough and she just ran. Ran until she couldn't anymore. Ygraine stopped when she reached the open road. Cars zoomed past her and it was just so easy to just take a step forward and let herself run over, because what else was there to live for right now. But she stopped herself from doing so, telling herself that maybe one day her son would return to her again.

Ygraine started to walk on the sidewalk, but the memory of handing over her son kept replaying over and over into her head and it made her feel sick. She began to cry once more and felt lightheaded by the decision she had just made and she was certain that it would haunt her life forever. That was the last thing she remembered thinking about, before everything went black in front of her eyes.

~oOoOo~

CURRENT TIME
Arthur, or Rascal as most of the people if not everyone called him, walked aimlessly around the city. What else was there to do for him? Yeah, he could earn money just like Catrina told him too, "or else don't bother coming back." Arthur snorted. Like it was easy in this economy to find a job, let alone get one. Heck, probably ninety per cent of the population was looking for a job and a sixteen year old with no education apart from primary school wasn't exactly a catch, was it?

Arthur took a drag from the fag he had nicked off the guy he had just blew in the alley for a few measly quid. At least he could sleep in the house now and make Catrina happy with the few Pounds he earned… the bitch. He had earned it himself after all.

But that was his life for you. If he earned some money that day, he was allowed to get in the house and get warm. Or well, warmth was given to him in the form of the tattered blanket that he had since he was about six years old, because Catrina wasn't one to spend money on heating bills... or een on him. No, if he managed to scrape some money together, he had to hand it all over to her and then she would go out and get booze and cigarettes and only the bare life essentials. Hell, in this point of his life, he would be happy if there would be a can of tomato beans waiting for him, but he didn't want to be too hopeful.

Arthur rounded the corner to his apartment building and saw his neighbour boy Owain putting away the trash. "Hey," Arthur said, flicking the cigarette on the street. "Wanna do something?"

"No, sorry." Owain said. "Got a major test to study for and mum will go berserk if I fail it. Sorry." Owain said again. Arthur waved his hand in the air like it was no big deal, while, in fact, it did feel like a big deal to him. It was like Owain had everything and he had nothing. But he couldn't blame Owain for that, it wouldn't be fair.

Arthur chose to shrug instead. "Don't worry about it. Good luck with the test."

"Thanks mate." Owain clapped Arthur on the shoulder and disappeared back into the house. Some days, Arthur would stand in front of the house and catch some of the family times Owain had with his parents and his two other siblings. He was jealous, yes, but happy for his best friend nonetheless.

Arthur sighed when he heard the tower clock chime to signal it was six pm. He didn't had anything to do now, and he was starting to freeze from the cold weather that had set in just a few days ago. He actually needed a new jacket, but he wouldn't dare to say that to Catrina, she might throw him out of the house all together after a speech of how abysmal her life was nearly forty years ago. He would like to avoid that, thank you very much.

His hand dug into his pocket and he felt his key and the few coins he had earned the last three days. It was barely seven Pounds, but it might be enough to get him something to eat. And he was in desperate need for something to eat and a warm place to sleep, because he's certain that he can't spent another night sleeping on the streets. It would surely kill him!

With as little noise as possible, he climbed the stairs of the building and put the key into the lock when he found the right door. When he opened it, there was laughter coming out of the living room. Catrina was probably be entertaining some men to gain some money herself. God, he hoped she hadn't noticed that he was in, or else she might drag him out to perform. She had forced him to perform for her company since he was fourteen and his body had started to change and he hated that act even more than the sex he had to do afterwards.

Arthur slipped into his small room. It looked more like a closet than anything else, but it was his personal space and that was good enough for him. He didn't had a bed, just a few yoga matts type of thing stacked onto each other and there was a small cushion that you would normally find as a decoration on a couch, but it was now doubling as his pillow. Lastly, there was a wobbly chair standing in the corner.

Arthur placed the few coins under his pillow, so he wouldn't lose them. He would give them to Catrina in the morning.

"Oh Rascal…"

Arthur's face fell when he heard Catrina's overly sweet voice calling him. She must've heard him enter the house, because she only used that voice whenever there were 'guests' over and she wanted something from him. He swallowed and got up, there was no point at going against her because she would have her ways to let him listen.

When he entered the living room, there were three pairs of eyes looking at him. One pair belonged to Catrina, but the other two he didn't know and he had a feeling what he had to do now.

"There you are." Catrina smiled lewdly to him as she got up and went to stand behind him with one hand on his shoulder, gripping it tight. She was a tall woman, about as tall as him, but she had far more power over him than he had over her.

"I would like you to meet our guests." She held her hand out to the two gentlemen. "Jonas and Alined."

Arthur saw the two men stare at him almost predatorily. He wasn't perhaps built too athletic, he was bordering thinness with just a few muscles here and there, but he knew he had some good looks. His strong jaw, blonde hair and baby blue eyes always gave him that boy-ish look that many of Catrina's clients desired. These two obviously weren't any different.

"Now," Catrina said, tightening her grip to the point Arthur knew it would leave a mark. "Why don't you entertain them while I refill their glasses." She let go of his shoulder and walked in front of him, looking deep into his eyes with a warning glare. Arthur could only nod and began to take off his shirt and move his hips as soon as Catrina left the room.

The two men smirked and gave each other a nod. They popped their buttons and opened their legs to accommodate themselves better. Arthur tried his best to ignore it and continued stripping until he was as naked as the day he was born. He was never aroused when he had to do these kinds of things, and that was obvious from the state of his still limp cock. He continued to swing his hips sensually and simultaneously gave his cock a few tugs, hoping that it would come at least half mast, because Catrina wouldn't be happy if he would be staying flaccid. Her customers always paid her less because of that.

He nearly cried when the ministrations he did to himself worked, just in time before one of the guys beckoned him forward with two fingers. When he was standing in front of the man, he smiled coyly. That smile fell and he had to keep himself from squeaking when the man pulled at his arm and he fell down on his knees in the V the man had created with his legs. He looked up and saw the man nod his head towards his cock straining against the zipper of his jeans. "Go on." The man urged and Arthur didn't had any other choice but the pull down the zipper and take the man's cock out of his pants and into his mouth. He heard the man sigh in contentment as he put more effort into his sucking.

"God Jonas, he looks too good not to share." Arthur heard the other man say. That must be Alined then, Arthur thought. He could actually care less about the two men their names, he only cared to get them off as soon as possible, so he could get back to his room. Arthur heard the other man's zipper being lowered as well and then felt two hand roaming over his arse and pulling his cheeks apart. "Hmm, lovely." Arthur heard Alined say and felt his hole being intruded by the man's dry finger. He had to keep himself from grunting by the sudden pain.

He tried to relax his muscles as much as he could and to lick and suck the head of the cock in his mouth as convincing as possible. Fingers of Jonas' hand twined into his hair and tightened at the back of his head. Then Jonas slammed his hips forward at the same time as Alined slammed his cock into his arse. Tears sprang into his eyes and he felt like being suffocated from the front and torn apart from the back. But he still had to continue, no matter what he felt. He pushed back against Alined to meet his thrusts and hoped by doing so that the cock into his throat would get free and that he could breathe again.

He was being pummelled between the two men for at least the next two minutes and he tried every trick in his book to get them off as quickly as he possible could. He succeeded with one last swirl of his tongue and finally felt Jonas tense up. He waited for the cum to be shot into his mouth and simultaneously kept meeting Alined's thrusts until he felt Alined finally still as well.

"Now, now boys." Catrina laughed when she entered the room and saw the scene in front of her. "Did you start the fun without me?" Arthur would glare at her if he could. She would always do this to him when he was at the house (he didn't saw it as his home) and she had customers over. She would make him take the load off (quite literally) and then she would give the clients plenty of alcohol so they would usually be too worn to go for a second round; leaving her with the money and she didn't had to do anything for it.

Arthur was relieved when both men pulled out and he could get up and get away as quickly as possible. He had picked up his few clothings from the floor and was nearly at the door when he was yanked back by Catrina. "Oh, oh. Little Rascal isn't finished yet. Now let our guests see what you can." She said, and Arthur could hear the smirk in her voice. He looked down and saw that he was hard. It happened sometimes, not because he was aroused by what he did, but because the person taking him from behind would hit his prostate gland over and over. Normally he would take care of it in his room, or he would just wait until it went away, but on some nights, Catrina liked to be cruel.

Catrina pinned his back against her chest so he would had to face the two men, who found their own seat again. She wound her arm around his chest, making it difficult for him to move, and her other hand snaked down his side and towards his cock. He let his head hang in shame and just let what was happening wash over him. It didn't took Catrina long before she got him cumming, and he was shooting long stripes of white onto the floor. He knew he had to clean that up in the morning.

Both men applauded when she was done milking him and she held her hand up for him to lick it clean. He felt disgusted, but had no other choice.

"Now, get off." Catrina snarled low into his ear and pushed him towards the door.

"I don't know why he's called Rascal, Fuck toy would be a better name for him!" Arthur heard one of the two men say. "We're definitely coming back for him again!"

Arthur sobbed as he heard that. Why did his life had to become like this?

He opened the door to his room and found a lit candle with a can of beans sitting next to it. Apparently he had done well enough this night for Catrina to congratulate him with food and light. He nearly scoffed at the thought.

Before he would begin on the beans, he got a tatty old towel from the chair and sat down on the makeshift bed and began to clean himself to his best ability. Despite doing the best he could, he still felt dirty. Perhaps he could clean himself tomorrow at the Salvation's Army, but even that place was filled with creeps that only saw him as their fuck toy.

He sighed and took the can of beans into hand and began eating them. He soon found out that they were still cold, but nearly anything would've tasted good at this point. He was famished after living nearly three days on some stale bread that he got out of a bakery's dumpster.

~oOoOo~

Arthur found himself wandering around the streets once more. As soon as the light hit the small window in his room, Catrina entered his room and demanded the money he had made yesterday. As soon as he had given that, she had made him clean the floor in the living room and then threw him out.

He found the chance to clean himself into a communion centre and felt a little bit better about himself again.

But now he had to fill the next give or take fourteen hours until he was able to go to sleep again, whether it be in Catrina's house or on the streets. This was his life for the past years; get up, find work, get to sleep, repeat.

Arthur kicked a small rock with his foot as he continued to walk down the street. Some days he would wonder about who his parents were and why they had given them up, but in the end it didn't matter to him. They didn't want him, so he didn't want them.

"Hey, Rascal."

Arthur stopped and looked when he heard the voice and the whistle that followed. It was a familiar one, but not necessarily one he liked to hear, because he already knew where it would lead up to. He put on his smile though and turned to the man who had called him, well something like that.

Tristan stood with his back against the wall and his hands were into his pockets - he jerked his head to the nearby alleyway. Tristan was about thirty (Arthur thinks) and wasn't exactly an ugly man, but wasn't an overly handsome one either. He would never fall for someone like him. Tristan was one of Arthur's regulars and he was also one of the few who always gave him a good sum of money. In spite of all that, Arthur still hated to have sex for money.

But now, Arthur just dutifully nodded his head and wrapped the thin jacket even tighter around his body to shield off the colder Autumn weather as he followed the man into the alley. At least with the money he would get from whatever Tristan wanted this time, he would be able to sleep inside.

"Just a quickie." Tristan whispered when they were in the back of the alley and behind the dumpster. He was already starting to unbutton Arthur's jeans and pulling down the zipper of his own jeans. Arthur turned around when his jeans fell down his ankles and he bent a bit forward, so Tristan would have better access. At least Tristan always took his time to prepare Arthur enough, even though his spit was the only lubricant he used.

He was still a bit sore from last night, and bit his bottom lip when Tristan's first finger entered him. He didn't let Tristan know though, he might not go through with it and then he would lose his income for the day.

Luckily, Tristan held his word and had made it a quick one. He then cleaned Arthur and himself, pulled Arthur's jeans up and gave him thirty Pounds. Ten more than he would usually give for a quickie. Arthur looked at Tristan, his eyes clearly questioning why the extra, and Tristan only shook his head and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder before walking away. Arthur stared in disbelieve to all that money. He could give Catrina the twenty and keep the tenner himself, she would never know!

Already feeling a bit better of himself, Arthur walked out the alley a few minutes after Tristan to keep suspicion away from him (he had been nearly been arrested one time, but managed to get away). He couldn't help but smile and felt himself as rich as the Queen with the ten Pounds at his disposal. There was only one downfall; he needed to spent it all today, or Catrina would take it from him as well. It almost felt like a crime to spent so much money in one day, but he rather spent it on himself then to give it to Catrina.

First, he would buy a good hot meal and would determine later on what he would spend the rest of the money on.

~oOoOo~

It was ten o'clock in the evening before Arthur trotted back to the house. He still had twenty-two Pounds left, and had stuffed himself with some fresh fruits from the supermarket and a fish 'n chips from the local store. He felt more complete than he had been feeling in a while and wasn't even afraid to what Catrina would throw into his face once he would be back at the house again.

He turned the corner and frowned when he saw an ambulance standing in front of the apartment building. Perhaps their old neighbour had broken something again, it wasn't that unfamiliar. He walked up the stairs, and dug into his pockets for his keys. But when he reached his floor his frown deepened when he saw the door already opened.

With caution he entered and was met with medical staff crowding the small apartment. They all turned to look at him with a grim expression and it just made him more confused and more determined to find out what was going on. There was a paramedic walking towards him and was ushering him towards Catrina's room; something that was off limits for him. He wanted to dug his heels, but the paramedic kept pushing him forwards. When they came nearer, he could hear some bits of the conversation that went on inside, because the door was open.

"Ma'am, your back is broken on two places as are three of your ribs which are causing your struggled breathing and perhaps have even punctured your lung. We need to take you to the hospital as soon as possible, or else you could die."

"No." Arthur heard Catrina say determinedly, and he was finally pushed into the room by the paramedic. He wanted to immediately turn around, but before he could escape the room, Catrina's voice got to him first.

"Arthur."

He slowly turned around, facing his guardian. He swallowed, because he hadn't been called that way for many years. Long enough to forget the exact date.

"Leave us alone." Catrina gasped for air and the medical staff were reluctant, but could only obey her wish. When they were alone, Catrina motioned Arthur over with a weak hand. "Come my boy." She whispered and Arthur complied. When he deemed himself close enough, he got the money out of his pockets and put it on the nightstand before taking a step back. He saw her looking at him with some emotion he couldn't decipher and he didn't know how to react, so he nodded to the money. "The money I earned today."

Catrina started crying. "Oh my boy, I'm so sorry!"

Arthur frowned for the third time that night. Catrina never, but he means never, apologized for anything. She would always blame him, even if it wasn't his fault. "Miss Tregor?" Arthur questioned soft. He didn't know what exactly had happened for her to be injured like the way she was, but he could take a guess. Most of her clients were to some extent friendly, but there were a few rotten apples in the mix who acted like she was only a meat suit that could be used like the client wanted.

In spite of that, Catrina never sent away a man if she could earn a quid of him. She usually wouldn't think about what kind of consequences might occur, she only cared for the money she would earn.

But it seemed that it went too far today.

Arthur took a seat next to the bed. He had never really liked Catrina, and she wasn't always nice to him, but she was all he got in this world and he couldn't lose her as well. "Miss Tregor, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do," Catrina whispered, fighting the urge to cough. "I haven't been good to you, and now it'll be too late to make things right."

"Miss Tregor –"

"No, shh." Catrina inhaled wheezily, but it was too much and she went into a coughing fit. Arthur could only watch helplessly. When the coughing died down she breathed shallowly. "I need to give you something."

Arthur's eyebrows rose in slight shock. He never had gotten something without having to give something in return.

She pointed towards the shabby looking cabinet in the corner of the room. "It's in the top drawer of that cabinet." She winced when the movement was too much for her sore ribs. Arthur first looked at his guardian, but then got up and walked up to the cabinet. "It's a small box." Catrina said.

Arthur came back with a small silver box in his hands, he showed it to Catrina who nodded. "Open it." She whispered.

Arthur opened the box, revealing a silver necklace with locket. "That," Catrina inhaled shallowly. "is a locket with your parents' pictures." Catrina explained slowly and Arthur opened it. He had never seen any kind of picture from his parents, never even heard something about them apart from the fact that they had given him away.

"Your mother gave it to me, the day she handed you over to me. I don't know much about her though. She was young when she got you, but didn't had enough money to raise you. She had beautiful hands and could play piano very well, but she didn't had a career in it and earned very little with the few performances she did do. You were only a few days old when she had brought you to me because she didn't want to put you in foster care. She wanted a better life for you and thought that I was able to give you that." There were a few tears now trickling down her face and that was probably the most emotion Arthur had ever seen from his guardian. "I'm so sorry. I failed you." Catrina mumbled.

Arthur looked down at the necklace again; he looked a lot like his mother. Then his eyes went to the other portrait, the one of his father. Catrina noticed and began explaining the best way she could. She felt herself fading away, but she wanted to give Arthur all the information she had about his parents so he could find them.

"I don't know much about your father." Arthur looked up to her. "Only, that your mother and he were together for only a short period of time before he went to America."

"America?" Arthur repeated, brows pinched together.

"America." Catrina confirmed soft. "He wanted to see if he had more chance in getting a better job there. " Catrina was silent for a moment, before telling, "Your mother never told him she was pregnant."

Arthur felt an angry flash going through him. His mother never told his father about him, of course his father had never tried to find him then!

"Ygraine du Bois." Catrina continued and Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts. "That's your mother's name. Remember that name and find her. She's your mother after all."

Arthur began to scowl. "She can drop dead." Arthur replied monotonously and Catrina grabbed his hand. "Don't say that, she didn't had a choice."

Arthur wanted to say she did, but he didn't want to argue with Catrina while she was in this state. He knew she didn't had long anymore, her eyes were already starting to get unfocused, but he knew she wouldn't want to go to the hospital, she was scared of them. (He had overheard her saying that once to one of her 'guests', Catrina didn't know he had heard it as well).

"Forgive me, Arthur." Catrina gasped for air. "Forgive me."

That was the last thing Arthur heard Catrina say before she released her last breath. There was a small tear trickling down his cheek. The woman who he had known since he was little, and the only parent figure he had known in his life was gone and now he was alone and had nowhere to go. He couldn't stay in the house, he had no money to pay the rent.

Arthur wiped the tear away, gripped the locket tightly in his hand and ran out of the house.

To Be Continued.