A/N: Yay! Spring Break so I can update again! Thanks to Evix, SyFyDiva, Cryss'BTRusher, and BTR'slovesong, for reviewing the last chapter. Also to the folks still putting alerts and tags on this! I love you guys!
Farmer Slate passed the stables, to check on Carlos at the chicken coop. Logan was inside, whistling softly to himself as he groomed his favorite horse. James loved the shiny black horse named Ebony, but he preferred the soft brown female pony, who he always teased looked just like James. She was the one that always greeted him when he entered. She nuzzled into his hand and neck when he brushed her. The farmer stopped to watch from outside. He stood cloaked in the shadows of dusk, unbeknownst to the boy.
He was struck by how much Logan resembled Ross, in the low light of the stable lanterns. Ross had also adored spending time with the horses, and preferred it above all other farm chores. For a fleeting moment, he could almost believe that it was Ross, humming and stroking the horse's long mane contentedly. His heart ached with remorse, and something else...a growing restlessness from deep within him. He searched the depths of his mind, willing less painful thoughts to reside there.
Logan ceased humming, and looked up. The farmer took a step back, further enveloping himself in secrecy. The boy seemed to sense that he was being watched, but returned to his whistling, and kissed the horse named Meadow on her snout. The farmer heard from Irene, about the punishment that he'd received that week, and he was pleased that she had not let him get away with bad behavior. He thought back to how it had taken weeks for Logan to no longer cower away from him when he came near, after he had punished him. He had that frightened look to him, again.
There was a new restlessness growing within the boy, as well, he thought to himself as he walked on. He seemed to be growing stronger when it came to dealing with his peers, but he was getting weaker when it came to dealing with adults and authority. Hopefully, he was finally learning that he was not the 'all-knowing' that he once believed himself to be. He was so much like Ross, but the discipline he was receiving at Slate's Acres, was finally working."
He neared the chicken coop to check on Carlos. He figured that the typically happy-go-lucky boy, was probably beside himself with loneliness, by now. He couldn't help but smile when he heard him belting out a song as he approached.
Probably trying to keep himself company, he thought. However, he became miffed, when he saw Carlos' silhouette through the chicken coop window. He was clearly seated at a table as he crooned. Why wasn't the boy busy cleaning as he'd been ordered?
Angry now, the farmer burst into the coop. Carlos screamed at the top of his lungs in terror, leaping from the stool where he sat scraping the grime from the tabletop with a blade. He spun around with the blade in hand, raised as a weapon to defend himself against the intruder.
Another scream escaped him, when the blade sliced into the tender palm of his hand, and began to release a flow of dripping blood. Carlos held up the shaking hand in horror, staring up at the farmer in shock. He began to bawl.
"Good Lord, boy! What have you done?" he asked, feeling as if perhaps he had been a tad too quick to jump to conclusions.
"I-I thought that you were a killer...or a-a ghost, or something," Carlos answered truthfully, between sobs.
"Now, why on earth would I be a ghost? There are no such thing as ghosts, boy!" the farmer scolded. He took his handkerchief from his pocket. Carlos squealed in panic, as he looked down at the slit hand.
"Now, don't look!" the farmer warned, as he wrapped it tightly around the wound to stop the rapid flow of blood. It was too late however, and Carlos began to wail loudly. "It's okay! It's okay!" the farmer soothed. "Let's get you to Anna, and she'll fix you right up."
"I won't need stitches, will I?" Carlos asked with wide, brown eyes.
The farmer perused the puppy dog-like face of the small dark-haired boy, and sighed. He noted the way that his lower lip quivered, and that the tears seemed to be limitless. He was certain that the boy would need stitches from the looks of the cut, but he chose to be vague.
"I'm sure that Anna will do whatever is necessary, to make it all better," he reassured him. "Let's see what needs to be done."
"O-Okay," Carlos whimpered. He let the large farmer steer him out, and back to the farmhouse. The closer they got, the harder Carlos cried. Finally, the farmer could take no more blubbering, and picked the boy up in his arms. He just wanted to get him inside, and out of his hair as soon as possible. Carlos flailed when he realized that they were about to enter the house.
"I don't want stitches!" he screamed.
"What is wrong, dear?" Anna called, racing to see what was wrong with the boy.
"He cut himself with a dirty blade, and we need to get it cleaned, and stit-taken care of immediately," the farmer corrected, deciding not to mention stitches.
He set Carlos down on the kitchen chair. "I'll go get the first-aid," Anna said, quickly exiting.
"Now, just calm down," he told Carlos. "You'll do fine, okay?"
Carlos shook his head adamantly. "I don't want stitches!" he insisted.
Boy, this was turning out to be quite the evening, the farmer thought to himself. "What would you do if you were hurt playing hockey?" he asked.
"That's different," Carlos explained.
Anna returned, and removed the bloodied rag from his hand. She was shocked to see the depth of the cut, but was pleased that it was not longer in length. It would require less stitches.
"Carlos, do you want to come and lie down for me, while I fix this?" Anna asked.
"What are you going to dooooo!" Carlos wailed louder.
"Um...I'm going to head back out, and check on the other boys," the farmer said, not wanting to deal with what was surely coming next. Anna nodded understandingly.
xxx
Kendall planted his feet firmly on the ground, and snatched his hands away from the man. The migrant worker looked around, quickly scanning the area, before grabbing his wrists once more.
"Let me go, I'm not coming with you!" Kendall cried.
The man released a loud hacking cough, making Kendall jump a foot in the air. "You afraid of me, little boy?" he asked, ogling him up and down.
Kendall stared at the ground. "I just want to be left alone, now," he practically whispered.
"Well guess what? You got the wish," he said, pointing around himself in a circle, demonstratively.
Kendall looked around, to find that the other men had somehow left the orchard, leaving him alone with the stranger. He recoiled from the man.
"Oh! It m-must be time to go now, then!" he exclaimed. The man stood straighter, blocking the nervous boy's path, with his chest. The stance that the man had taken, sent shivers down Kendall's spine.
"Not so fast, Blondie. I need to give you another lesson...in how to reap juiciest fruits," he cackled suggestively.
Kendall swallowed. "I have to get back for dinner! They'll be expecting me and-"
"Not for another half-hour," he interrupted, his jaw clenched. He was becoming increasingly desperate to have the blond boy. "You not going anywhere, little boy."
He gripped Kendall by the arm, and began to drag him away, again. Kendall tried to free himself from the man's grasp, but he was overpowered by the sheer brawn that the man possessed.
"W-Where are we going?" Kendall sputtered meekly.
"Just over, here," the man replied, looking around once more, just to be certain that they had not been seen. He shoved him toward an old wooden structure, hidden behind some trees.
"N-N-NO!" Kendall protested, trying his best to break away.
"SHHHH!" the angry man hissed. "QUIET, GRINGO!"
He clamped one calloused hand over his mouth, and the other roughly around his thin mid-section, lifting him easily off the ground. He walked quickly with the boy, and forced him through the door, ruthlessly flinging him to the ground. Spraining his wrist on impact, Kendall yelped, and scooted backward from where he sprawled out before him. Around, was nothing but earth, discarded cups, and ground-out brown cigarettes. It was clearly a make-shift resting place for the workers.
The dark-skinned male latched the door behind him, and stalked up to the terrified blond boy. He fell heavily on top of Kendall's lean form, pinning him to the ground under his weight. His hands groped him roughly while he warned him to keep quiet. Kendall whimpered, and writhed beneath his sweaty attacker. The man was panting heavily, and the trapped boy was panting back with fear.
"Yeah...that's it! Pant for me, little boy!" he croaked. Kendall wriggled his hips as hard as he could.
"I said stop fighting, you little stallion!" the man spat out thickly, obviously enjoying the struggle that Kendall was putting up, as he ground his hips down more forcefully. The worker was panting even harder now, his tobacco-reeking breath hot upon his ear. He gripped the boy's trembling chiseled chin, and forced him to look at him with his pale green eyes. They met the lustful black ones of the grunting migrant, and he captured both of Kendall's wrists in one wide hand, twisting them painfully over his head.
He felt utterly helpless as the man sunk his yellowed teeth into the tender flesh of his delicate throat. "Owwwww" Kendall whimpered. "Hurts...you're hurting me!"
"Yeah...you like that, baby boy?" he asked.
"No! Stop!" Kendall begged, but received another painful nip.
"Mmmm...so pretty," he murmured, making Kendall's stomach wrench in disgust. The man's mouth came down hard on his, and he forced his tongue in between his teeth, and down the back of his throat. Kendall shook his head from side to side, desperately trying to avoid the assault to his mouth, but he did not have the strength to overtake the muscled man.
Gagging, Kendall bit down on the intrusive tongue that threatened to choke him, causing the man to momentarily release him. He cupped his injured mouth, and Kendall seized the opportunity to claw at the man's cheek, drawing blood. He began to squirm away.
The leering man caught him by the ankles, and drug him to a corner of the shack. He slapped him hard across the cheek, making it burn like fire. Kendall screamed out in pain, earning him a second powerful slap. Delirious from the blows, he lay limp and breathless. He watched with trepidation as the man ceremoniously removed his sweat-soaked handkerchief from around his neck, and painfully wrenched his hands back over his head. He tied them together, then to a slat of wood.
"Now watcha' gonna' do, little boy?" he asked with menace, wiping the blood from his cheek. His chest heaved with misguided desire, as well as from the exertion of taming the wild boy.
"P-Please don't hurt me," Kendall pleaded, his big green eyes releasing streams of tears that left tracks down his dusty cheeks.
"You a bad boy!" the man scolded.. He ripped the flannel shirt from his lean, trembling body, and undid the buckles of the overalls.
Kendall moaned pitifully when the unyielding hands yanked at the overalls, and slid them down below his hips. He forced his thighs apart, and whistled appreciatively. Kendall groaned when the man brought a knee up between his legs, brutally slamming into him.
"Now, you be good boy and enjoy this, Goldilocks!" he cackled sadistically. Kendall began to sob, as the man's hand snaked up, and worked its way between his legs. He made a last desperate attempt to emit a worthy scream, but hardly any sound at all escaped his clenched throat.
"WHAT IN THE LORD'S NAME, IS GOING ON HERE?" a voice boomed.
Neither Kendall nor his attacker, had ever heard the door being jimmied open. Kendall's entire body released, as he shook violently with relief, and began to sob harder. The man reluctantly leaped up from his place between Kendall's long legs, and backed away from the farmer.
"This is no what you think!" he cried out in broken English, one hand holding up his undone trousers, the other raised in self-defense.
The farmer closed the door behind him, and walked to within an inch of the molester. "You disgust me. How could you force yourself on this boy?"
"I sorry!" the man snarled back. "but he was..." The man was realizing that there was no way to blame the bound boy, still hanging by his restraints.
"There is nothing that you can say to justify...this!" Farmer Slate roared, looking over at the shaking boy.
"It not what you think, Senor!" he cried.
"OH REALLY? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE FORCING YOURSELF ON MY BOY! WHY IS HE BOUND?" Farmer Slate grated out between gritted teeth, his face purple with rage.
"N-N-NO!" The guilt-ridden man stammered, and licked his lips."Please don't turn me in! I-I have nowhere to go!"
Farmer Slate removed his barn jacket and tossed it over Kendall's lower half, attempting to protect his modesty, as he laid there helplessly, still tied to the board. He realized that the shifty-eyed man was eying the door, probably contemplating flight, and that he likely carried a switch blade on his person. Most of the orchard workers did to cut down the fruit more easily. The last thing he needed was for this to turn into a knife-wielding confrontation with the criminal.
"Don't even think about it!" the farmer warned, eerily calm now.
The panic-stricken male raised both hands up. "I no do nothing!" he cried, feigning innocence. "Senor Slate! I do anything you say! They send me to prison if I go back to Mexico!" he pleaded.
"They don't deserve your wretched arse there, either! You should be hung from a tree, for what you were trying to do to this boy. Why shouldn't I have you hauled off to jail?"
"I have young son, too! Please! He need me!" the man continued.
"You're nothing but a disgrace to him, then!" The farmer sneered. "Would you want this done to him?"
"God, no!" the worker cried. "I not had a woman in three years now...I not think clearly!"
"You speak to God? Why haven't you taken another wife?" the farmer asked, glaring at the pathetic pedophile.
The man thrust his forearm into view, for him to see the rose tattoo, and the name Maria. "She die, and leave me alone! I no look at another woman, ever! She only one!"
"Do you think that she would want this, instead? She would want you to take a young boy's innocence, and not find real love again?"
"I'm sorry, Mister Slate, Senor! I done wrong! Please give me one more chance!"
"No. This is between you and God now, Jose Gutierrez. I expect you to repent, and plead for forgiveness for your sins," Farmer Slate said quietly. The farmer had always had the uncanny ability to recollect names, often amazing his teachers as a lad, and he was pleased that this man's name had come to him easily. He recognized the tattoo.
The man was shocked. He didn't expect him to know his name considering the number of men under his hire. He nodded emphatically.
"Y-Y-Yes Senor, Sir," he stammered.
Farmer Slate wanted nothing more than to have the man arrested, but he simply feared the consequences. He would have to testify in court, and Kendall would have to, as well. He knew that he had employed many workers with seedy backgrounds, and the attention would only cause a thorough investigation to ensue. The boys would surely be taken from his custody.
"I want you off my land by midnight. Take your meager belongings, and get out! Don't even think about resurfacing in the migrant program, ever again. There are plenty of good men who appreciate my charity, and who work here to support their families...not to prey on little boys," he said, opening the shack door, and stepping aside to let the perpetrator pass.
The man nodded gratefully, then sped to the open door, disappearing into the darkness like a caged wild animal, released and set free. The farmer heaved a heavy sigh, and knelt by the still sobbing boy.
"There, there, you're safe now," he soothed, as he untied his raw wrists from the slat. He leaned down and re-dressed the trembling boy gently, before scooping him up into his steady arms. He held him firmly against his broad chest. Wrapping the barn jacket around the slender boy for warmth, he carried him out into the chilly, night air.
Kendall sniffled, and buried his face deeper into the breadth of the man who carried him securely away from the nightmare, protecting his innocence. He took in the strong earthy scent of his rescuer. He smelled of salt and earth. He could not fathom that this could be the same man who had beaten Logan so savagely in front of all of them, only months before. The man who he felt nothing but apprehension for, was now his savior, and he didn't want to let him go. He imagined that this is what it must feel like to have a daddy present, to wrap you in his arms, when you're scared.
The farmer responded to the neediness of the boy by tucking him snugly under his chin, and soothing him with reassuring words, as he made his way to the farmhouse.
"He did not get to take from you what he set out to take, and don't you ever forget that, okay?" he said to the sniffling boy. Kendall looked up and nodded, his eyes shining with tears, and buried his face deeper into the farmer's broad chest.
Farmer Slate was thankful that the perpetrator had not succeeded in raping him, but he was also pleased that he was now deemed the boy's hero. The young teen was taught a major life-lesson, the farmer thought to himself, inwardly satisfied. He was not too big for his britches, now. He had been taken down a notch.
xxx
The boys were all back inside the farmhouse. The traumatized boy was laid on the settee to be looked over by Anna, who comforted him and asked no questions about the ordeal. She figured that he would speak when he was ready. When the farmer tried to separate himself from the boy, he protested, even surprising Anna.
"No! No! Don't leave me!" Kendall pleaded.
She was not certain what had transpired that evening, but she was beginning to draw reasonable conclusions of her own.
"Just make sure that he gets a nice warm bath, and has someone with him at all times," the farmer told her, before turning to leave.
"I will take the best care of him," Anna promised.
She could not find any visible injuries on him, like the one that Carlos had bore earlier, but he was hurting nonetheless. His little tear-streaked face, was drawn into a perpetual pout, and his eyes were like that of a deer's in bright light. His shirt was tattered, his overalls muddy, and his wrists were bruised and rubbed raw. She looked at the farmer one last time before he left, with a questioning look in her eyes. He gave her a curt shake of his head, allowing her to exhale a sigh of relief.
The sick person who tried to hurt this sweet boy, had not succeeded in finishing, she realized. He was going to need all of his brothers close to him tonight, and indefinitely until the horrendous memories began to fade. It had to be something that occurred in that orchard, she scoffed to herself, as she helped him to his bath. She had been immediately fearful, when she heard that Kendall was sent there to work...alone, She was right.
Mr. Slate should have known better! Or did he? She cursed herself for thinking such thoughts, and turned her attention back to the boys. One who was still crying and clutching his newly stitched hand, and the other who stood before her, whimpering in fear.
Even the other two had her befuddled that evening. Logan had been pouty since Monday, and avoided all eye-contact, while the other had come back from working in the pasture, with swollen eyes and red cheeks.
The boys were staring at Kendall with great concern, as he entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. They figured that the farmer had likely beaten him for some reason or another, but they couldn't figure out why he had clung to him when he tried to leave.
Anna sensed that she was certainly going to have her hands full with the four boys that evening. It was like raising her own boys all over again, only she had been so much younger, then.
xxx
Finally, back in their room, Anna noticed that James was now sniffling from under his blanket.
"What is the matter, love?" she asked, as she turned down Kendall's bed for him. James did not answer, but merely sniffled louder. She sighed.
"I don't want to go back to school, ever!" he finally blurted out.
Logan stood at the foot of his bed, studying his blond friend across the way. He hated how broken and sad he looked. Kendall swallowed when he saw Logan gazing over, and looked down at his slipper-clad feet. Without saying a word, he shook off the slippers and climbed into his bed, tears falling once again. Anna kissed him on the forehead and walked over to James.
"But, James dear, tomorrow is Sunday, and you won't have to go to school tomorrow," she soothed, pulling the cover down and stroking his soft brown hair.
"Kendall, what's wrong?" Logan asked from his own bed. He could make out a bruise on Kendall's cheek now. Kendall began to cry harder and covered his face.
"He just needs his rest, dear. He'll speak when he is ready, won't you love?" Anna asked gently.
"B-But I have to go back, after tomorrow, and Miss Irene will punish me like she did Logan!" James cried out, completely wrapped up in his own fears.
Logan winced when he heard the words that they had sworn never to utter. He slid down lower in his bed and raised his covers, only his dark brown eyes peeking over. The dark eyes shot James an angry look.
"What's this, dear?" she asked, turning to look at the wide-eyed brunet.
"J-a-a-ames!" Logan whined in defeat.
"Sorry, Logan," James muttered, his pout falling further.
Carlos sat up."Yeah!" he chimed in naively. "She paddled Logan for throwing a tantrum in class..." he trailed off, when he saw the 'dagger-eyes' that Logan was giving him.
"Aw, Poor love," she said to Logan, who was now sitting up, arms crossed, still giving Carlos the scornful stare.
"S-Sorry, Logan," Carlos apologized in a tiny voice. He felt like a heel for spilling the beans. Anna laughed softly to herself.
"Did all of that happen, Logan my love?" she asked. Logan nodded sheepishly, and diverted his gaze away from her.
"Poor boy," she cooed.
Logan was not ready to forgive James, nor Carlos. The painfully embarrassing memory was still forefront in his mind, and they had promised him that they would not tell Anna.
She caught him out of the corner of her eye, just as he thrust out his tongue at the remorseful boys, finishing with a defiant pout plastered upon his face.
She went to him and pulled the covers away from his small form. He looked up at her with wide brown eyes, as she folded her arms back at him, and gave him a stern look.
"There is no need to be bratty. They meant no harm," she reprimanded. Logan let his arms fall to his sides, as he hung his head in shame.
"Now, I want you to forgive your brothers for simply telling the truth, and apologize for being so naughty," she demanded.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, to both James and Carlos.
She reached for his hand and pulled him from his bed, surprising him. He looked even more shocked, when she continued to lecture him.
"There is one thing that I never stood for with my sons, and I won't stand for it with you boys. That is, that we don't stay angry with one another before retiring, and we never blame one another for speaking the truth, no matter what the repercussions."
Logan's chin trembled. He couldn't tolerate her being angry or disappointed in him. "Now, go give your brothers a forgiving, goodnight hug," she urged, guiding him to James first. He obeyed while she watched and waited. He then hugged Carlos, who clung to his neck like a chimpanzee. He hugged him back, then struggled to free himself.
"What's wrong, Logie?" Carlos wailed sadly, still clinging to his friend's neck.
"Nothing!" Logan rasped. "I just can't breathe!" Anna laughed.
"Come on, back to bed with you then," she said, giving him an affectionate slap on the bottom, as she turned him around, and guided him back to his own bed. To her shock and dismay, she noticed that he was crying now. She found it difficult to believe that she could have been the cause.
"What on earth-" she began, amazed at how overly sensitive and difficult the boys were being that evening. "Why are you crying now, love?" she asked in bewilderment.
His little shoulders shook when she pulled him into a hug. "I-I'm s-sorry!" he sobbed.
"I'm not mad at you, sweetheart," she said, rubbing his back. "Is there a full moon tonight, boys?" she asked in exasperation.
"Anna, my hand hurts!" Carlos suddenly whined from his bed, "and Logan's still mad at me, I can tell!" he bawled.
Poor Kendall looked pitiful, silently watching the scene unfold, his face bathed in tears. Logan was still squeaking like a puppy who had just been swatted with a rolled-up newspaper, and James was still sniffling and moaning from where he lay. Anna spun around in dismay. Now, all four boys were crying to some degree or another.
"What? Boys, boys, boys!" she said as authoritatively as possible, trying to regain some form of control in the declining situation. She did not think that she could take much more of their tears.
She gave Carlos another dose of aspirin, and put a fresh ice pack on his hand, wrapping it in a towel. She tucked each one back into his bed. They still did not stop fussing. She clapped her hands forcefully to gain their attention.
"Listen! Here's what we are going to do, boys!" she announced from the center of the room, raising her voice over their cries."James, you get into bed with Kendall and comfort one another. Logan get into bed with Carlos, and prove to him that you are no longer angry."
The boys reluctantly picked up their things, and did what they were asked to do. Carlos wrapped his arm snugly around Logan. "I'm sorry, Logie!" he cried.
"I know. It's okay. I'm sorry too, Carlitos," he said, choking up a bit with guilt.
James cradled Kendall in his arms, now realizing that his friend had gone through something far greater than what he was fearing. He could feel it in the tenseness of his body, and hear it in the shudder of his breath. He didn't know what it was, but he would wait until he was ready to tell him. Kendall's eyes leaked on his friend's warm chest. He curled into him, and closed his puffy eyes.
"It's okay Kendall. I'm here, and I'm going to hold you all night long, okay?" James said, his own fears pushed aside, as he found himself only wanting to comfort at the moment. Kendall nodded, and immediately fell into a deep, exhausted slumber.
The other two boys were drifting off as well, Carlos already snoring softly as he held onto Logan happily. Logan wondered one last time what had happened to Kendall, before giving in and finally hugging Carlos back.
"Good night, sweet boys," Anna whispered into the darkness.
Please R/R! The story is winding down, well after a few more crazy chaps, and I need to know who cares! Since I get loads and loads of followers but scarcely any reviews to use as feedback! JK about the who cares, truth is I love the reviews way too much...
