Now I was debating with myself about whether or not to start this but here it is. Some OCs will be sneaking in at some point in later chapters.

Let the show begin.

1

The Boy

It was a peaceful day in Japan, especially at a therapy ranch on the outskirts of town. A raven haired gold eyed male resided there. He was a counsellor for abused and traumatised children. He was a handsome fellow with his pointy ears, catlike eyes and very pronounced canines that often poked out from under his top lip. Currently no children were at the ranch as it was the man's day off. He was happily whistling a tune while hanging out the laundry, taking full advantage of the early afternoon sun. A knock at the main door was the only thing that could distract him from his chores. Visiting him was a handsome ginger haired male with beautiful green eyes, a dangly earring in both ears made of gold. He wore mainly white. "Brooklyn. How wonderful to see you." "I'm sorry to stop by unannounced, Ray, but I just had to come and see you. You've been quiet for a week." There was a hint of hurt in Brooklyn's voice, making the raven haired Ray feel guilty. "Yeah I'm sorry about that Brooke. I've been working a lot lately and my hours didn't leave me much time to call you. Come on in and I'll pop the kettle on. You just caught me putting the washing out to dry." Brooklyn happily stepped into Ray's home, sitting himself on a large beige fabric sofa, leaning into the big soft cushions. Ray wasn't gone long, returning with two cups of tea. Brooklyn wasted no time with words once Ray sat down, pulling the slender raven haired male into a passionate kiss that he couldn't refuse. How they longed to be together but Ray's profession denied them the desired full on relationship.

Ray had been having an on/off affair with Brooklyn for years shortly after they'd met in university. It had been love at first sight for them both. They would sneak away to somewhere quiet just to be alone together. But now that Ray worked with children he'd be frowned upon by his co-workers if they knew he was gay and having a very intimate affair with another man. Ray knew he should put his love life before his career but Brooklyn would never let him quit. He loved his job too much and had worked so very hard to get to where he stood now. Brooklyn worked to help save endangered animals though he never took part in activities that could see him harmed like a rally or March. He and Ray were both lovers of animals large and small. Ray even helped on occasion with Brooklyn's campaigns. He kept horses on the ranch with some cats and dogs, donkeys too. Sometimes he'd look after strays and find them loving homes. They were both valued members of the community and widely respected for their work. Neither of them were paying attention to the time as Brooklyn started removing Ray's clothes piece by piece and he did the same. Soon they were bare against the sofa, Brooklyn's wide frame under Ray's slightly thinner figure. Brooklyn whimpered a little as Ray prepared to bone him, locking the love drunk redhead in a kiss to stem his cries. First came pain, then pleasure and finally relief. For a moment after the bliss they lay kissing, making sure their lust was fully satisfied. Retreating from his defiled lover, Ray gathered his clothes and ventured to the bathroom, Brooklyn not far behind. Brooklyn succeeded in pinning Ray in the shower, repaying him for the love he'd given. After the second bout of body rush they could hardly breathe as the warm water washed away the ache that took precedence after their sins.

Once clean and having got his breath back, Ray returned to doing his chores, leaving Brooklyn on the sofa to drink his tea. Ray had another visitor just after midday. A strapping blue eyed blonde he recognised as a fellow therapist. "Hey Max. What brings you here?" The broad blonde smiled sweetly, sunlight really highlighting his freckled face. "I just thought I'd pay a visit Ray. Is this a bad time?" "No, not at all. I just finished cleaning up around the place." Ray stepped aside to let Max in and his blue eyes immediately found Brooklyn dozing on the sofa. They'd met a couple of times in the past and so far, Max remained oblivious to the intimacy between the redhead and his raven haired co-worker. "Somebody looks like he's working too hard again." Max's comment earned him a middle finger from Brooklyn until he stretched gladly. Before Max could respond to the insult Ray moved to take Brooklyn's cup. "I think it's time you went home and got some rest, Brooklyn." Ray said softly. Brooklyn's green eyes were pleading but Ray held firm. As far as Max was concerned, Ray and Brooklyn were very close friends. He knew Brooklyn's job was stressful and he visited Ray to unwind with help from the horses. Max sat down as Ray saw Brooklyn to the door. "Call me when you get home, kay? I worry about you." "I'll be fine Ray. Guess I'll see you again soon. I'll try to call before I appear next time." "All right Brooklyn. Go and rest." Max thought nothing of the hug he witnessed. Ray was a very huggable guy even to strangers who didn't know him. And Brooklyn often needed a lot of hugs. Ray didn't close the door until his lover's car was gone from sight. He wondered how long it would be before Max started to suspect something was going on between him and Brooklyn. With no further delays, Ray made Max a drink and one for himself. "Long morning Ray?" Max laughed gently. "Very long. Cleaning this place from top to bottom on my own isn't easy."

Ray's comment bribed a smile from the blonde before his face turned mildly serious. "Ray, I have to ask, for curiosity's sake; is there something going on between you and Brooklyn?" Ray's mouth went deathly dry even though he'd been sipping at his tea. His face drained of colour and Max noticed the clear difference. "I wouldn't think anything less of you Ray, honest. You're a great guy." Ray swallowed the liquid he'd been about to drink, hiding any hint of a lie in his eyes when he faced Max. "What makes you ask such a question Max?" The questioned blonde had to think. Why did he ask? Was he envious of Brooklyn? Worried for his friend even? "Well…it's just that every time I see you with him there's something different about you compared to when you're with other guys. I didn't mean to offend you, Ray." "Well at least you're honest with me. No Max. There's nothing more than friendship between me and Brooklyn. We're just very close." Max looked satisfied with Ray's lie and honestly, the raven haired therapist was relieved and thankful for being a very good liar, especially when it came to his relationship with Brooklyn. Once Max drank his tea Ray took him out to see the horses. Two Australian blue heeler dogs were happily running about in the fields, being mindful of the horses though the tall creatures were not easily spooked. Max left about an hour later, leaving Ray in peace. To drown out the silence Ray put the television on and sat down to read a book, hoping Brooklyn had gotten home okay. It wasn't like him to take over an hour to get to his apartment. 'Maybe he went to the park.' Ray thought to himself, turning the finished page of his fantasy novel. Worry began to eat at Ray when another hour drifted by.

Close to half past three Ray was just about to lose his last shred of sanity when his phone went off on the coffee table. Looking at the screen he saw Brooklyn's name, answering the call immediately. "Brooklyn where are you? It's been three hours since you left me." "Ray, I don't know what to do!" "Calm down and tell me what's going on. Are you at home?" Ray heard Brooklyn heaving for air on the other end of the line, trying to calm himself. "I…I'm by the bridge going over the river. I was about to go home after taking a walk to clear my mind when I found this boy." Ray's heart leapt into his mouth, bolting off the sofa. "Is he breathing?" Outside Ray was calm but on the inside he was panicking fearing for little boy Brooklyn spoke of. "Yes, he's breathing. It looks like he's out cold though. What do I do Ray?" "Well you can't leave him there." Ray paced for a few seconds, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Bring him to my place quickly." "Shouldn't I get him to the hospital? What if his family is looking for him?" "We'll get to that later. Bring the boy here now. I'll have a bed ready for your arrival." The line went dead and Ray sprang into action. He was upstairs in the blink of an eye and sorting the sheets of a child's bed. All Ray could think about was the boy Brooklyn found and how he could've wound up under that bridge. A panicked knock soon came to Ray's door and he ran to answer it. Brooklyn looked no better, hair a wild mess, cheeks streaked with tearstains. Without a word Ray led Brooklyn to the room he'd prepared. The boy was deathly thin and very pale, no older than five or six. He had dirty, matted dual coloured hair of grey and black. His clothes were very torn and Ray was surprised he wasn't naked with how shredded the garments were. Brooklyn stayed with the child as Ray went to fetch some stuff.

Ray worried when the boy did not flinch to the warm wet cloth meeting his icy cold forehead. He checked for a pulse and found a very weak one. Brooklyn could hardly stand the tension as Ray removed the torn shirt but what they saw shocked them. Upon the boy's chest were scars and cuts of varying sizes. Gently rolling the child over, Ray found more vicious injuries on his back. 'What the hell happened to this kid?' This question ran wild circles in Ray's mind as he cleaned and dressed the wounds. Next he checked the legs and they were no better than the upper body. One scar in particular caught Ray's attention, fetching one of many medical books he owned. "Ray?" "Who would be sick enough to put a child so young through an appendectomy? An unofficial one no less." "What?! Are you serious Ray?" "Dead serious Brooklyn. We've got an abused child on our hands. I'll get in touch with my boss and see what he advises. Stay with him in case he wakes up." Brooklyn nodded, tears welling up in his green eyes. It sickened him to know there were people out there willing to harm a poor innocent child like this boy. Ray hadn't been gone long when the boy began to wake. "Ray! He's waking up!" "I'll be right there Brooklyn!" Ray sounded mildly distracted, apparently on the phone to his boss when Brooklyn had called. Crimson eyes creaked open with painful slowness, Brooklyn being the first thing they saw. At first the boy was confused but fear soon took over. He sought to get away from Brooklyn, his tiny heart beating wildly. Ray arrived before Brooklyn could get close. "Brooklyn back off! I know you mean well but stand back. Let him adjust. My boss is on his way over now." Brooklyn knew Ray had not meant to sound harsh but his heart still broke. His lover was far too serious when it came to traumatised children.

Ray kept Brooklyn at a safe distance while the boy cowered in a corner. He couldn't tell whether the child's tears were borne from fear or pain. Ray sent Brooklyn to get the door when somebody could be heard knocking. With Brooklyn gone the child seemed to calm a little. "Hey, it's okay little one. I won't hurt you." Ray deemed it unwise to approach the boy given his current state. Brooklyn returned with a portly man who had white hair a bushy moustache, eyes a soft brown. "Ray what on Earth is happening?" "Mr. Dickenson. I'm sorry to call you from your office so suddenly." "You mentioned a boy over the phone. Is this him?" "Yes. He's not long woken up and is understandably very frightened. I know he should be at the hospital but when Brooklyn told me the boy was out cold I panicked. What if the hospital was too far away?" Ray calmed when Mr. Dickenson set a chubby hand on his tense shoulder. "Calm down Ray. I agree that the hospital would've been more suitable but your judgement has yet to lead you astray. What's the situation?" Ray took a few deep breaths to calm himself before answering, glancing briefly to the frightened child. "Well sir he's covered from head to toe in cuts and scars. It appears whoever harmed him removed his appendix themselves. I can't imagine the pain he must've gone through. Given how visible his bones are, this boy is undernourished." Mr. Dickenson sighed softly, looking to the cowering boy in the corner of the room. "You should take him to the hospital. I'll contact the police and see if they can't find his parents. Until then I want the boy to stay with you, Ray." "Understood sir. Come on, Brooklyn. You're coming with us." Brooklyn had no objections, staying with the boy while Ray let his boss out. He crouched down near the enigmatic child, keeping a small smile on his face.

Ray came back to find Brooklyn slowly reaching out to the child. He had to admit, Brooklyn was a fast learner. Ray observed the boy's behaviour. Of course he tried to shy away but the wall prevented escape. An idea suddenly popped into Ray's head, making his way to the back yard. He came back with one of the shepherd dogs on a leash. "Brooklyn, stand back. Let Zookie through." Brooklyn did as he was told, moving back to a suitable distance. At first the boy was scared of the dog as she sat beside him licking his mucky face, a paw on his knee. After a minute or two he reached out to pet Zookie. Ray craftily tugged on the leash, pulling Zookie toward him slowly so not to alert the boy. By the time Ray's plan came to light, he'd scooped the child into his arms with gentle grace Brooklyn had become accustomed to. Instead of cowering the boy fought to be put down, beating on Ray's chest with whatever strength he had, screaming in a foreign language. It was times like these that Ray was glad he lived outside of town. Ray gently set the boy in the back of his car and Zookie hopped in next to him. So that the boy wouldn't feel too threatened, Brooklyn followed after Ray in his car. Once at the hospital, Ray had to decide how he'd get the boy out of the car. No doubt he'd already be wise to his tricks with Zookie. The loyal dog played her part in keeping the boy distracted while Ray snuck up behind him. Brooklyn went on ahead to fetch a doctor. Once again the boy found out too late that Ray was behind him. Taking the child inside drew a lot of attention. Thankfully Brooklyn had found a doctor that spoke the same language as the wounded kid but this only served to scare him more. Ray and Brooklyn were forced to sit in the waiting while the doctor worked to find out how severely the boy was injured. Mr. Dickenson arrived some twenty minutes later with a police officer.

Surprisingly the doctor was only gone three quarters of an hour, returning covered in bruises and scratches. Ray and Brooklyn were out of their seats faster than lightning. Mr. Dickenson was a little less hasty. "How is he Doc?" "Well Mr. Kon, the boy is very malnourished as I'm sure you could see. I found a few broken bones, mainly ribs and fingers. Where did you find him?" Brooklyn opened his mouth to speak but Ray beat him to it. "Well doctor, Brooklyn found him near the bridge that goes over the river. The boy was out cold but we don't know how long for. What about the appendectomy scar? It doesn't look like it was done at a hospital." The doctor sighed softly, wishing there was some easier way to explain the situation. "Judging by the shade of the scar, his appendix was removed almost three years ago. I'm amazed that he's even alive. We ran some tests and there's no internal bleeding or risk of pneumonia. I advise plenty of bed rest, feed him soft foods or soup." "Did you find out his name?" The doctor shook his head wearily, dashing all hope Ray had. Before he and Brooklyn could see the boy, the police officer had to get the information they needed. With them gone ten minutes later, Ray and Brooklyn were taken to see the boy. His skin was much cleaner, wrapped in fresh white bandages. Currently the boy was sleeping, heavy bags visible under the softly closed lids. "The poor thing." Brooklyn sighed from Ray's side. "Don't worry Brooklyn. He'll be okay." Mr. Dickenson watched with no suspicion as Brooklyn gripped Ray's hand. Ray squeezed back before sitting next to the bed. He gently took the bandaged hand but his touch was enough to rouse the child. If he was in pain, Ray couldn't tell. There was no life visible in the deep crimson pits. Only fear. "Hey. I'm sorry I tricked you with Zookie. She's a good girl."

Ray was very surprised by how calm the boy was about his hand being held. No matter how hard he tried, Ray could not obtain eye contact. "I know you're scared and I don't blame you. Waking up in a strange house with somebody unknown looking down at you. It's a scary thing for all of us." This time Ray got a response in the form of a glare. "I know you can't understand a single word I'm saying, kid. But I want to help you." Ray bolted back when the boy spat at him. He'd be hard to treat, Ray knew that much. "Ray?" "It's fine, Brooklyn. I'm used to this behaviour. Come on, let him rest. He'll need some clothes for his stay with me. Can't have the poor thing walking around in nothing but his skin." Before Ray and Brooklyn could go shopping, Zookie had to be taken home. To save Ray some petrol, Brooklyn drove them to the shopping mall. Being in public meant Brooklyn had to watch where he put his hands. An hour later they left the mall laden with bags. By the time Ray and Brooklyn returned to the hospital, their little John Doe was out of bed on shaky legs. "Hey little man. You're looking better already." Said boy glared at Brooklyn as he got closer. When the child lashed out it was decided that nurses should attempt to dress him. And they succeeded. One even had the cheek to accuse Ray and Brooklyn of harming the boy. Ray was used to such accusations but Brooklyn wasn't and he almost belted the nurse there and then. With the boy dressed it was time to get him to his temporary home with Ray. Once there he was tucked straight into bed and given some chicken soup. Ray had a hard time convincing Brooklyn to go home after everything that had happened but he succeeded eventually. At around nine pm Ray checked on the boy to find he was fast asleep in bed, the bowl empty. 'I'll take care of you, I promise. Nobody will hurt you here.'

And that's chapter one. I'm sorry it's such a short chapter but i was working with limited motivation. Next chapter you'll meet some of the children Ray works with.