The Tight Spot, part 5

Bard pulled up the jeep behind the manor house. He wasn't really surprised to see Sebastian waiting on them, even though he should be. Didn't the young master say he was taking Sebastian to rescue kids or something? Hopefully, there wasn't a new batch of silver flatware missing.

After those types of missions Sebastian and the Master took on, it always seemed the silver flatware went missing. He was willing to bet, though, soup would be served, since there would only be spoons found. Thankfully, Master Ceil never got angry or blamed them for the missing silver.

Sebastian walked up and stated, "I see there was an incident."

Bard nodded and looked in the rear seat where Finny was resting his head on Mey-rin's lap while she tried petting his blood matted hair and whispering soothing words to the unconscious boy.

Bard said gruffly, "Yeah, the man was abusing Finny. Stuff happened. Garner is gone."

"His men are gone, too, yes, they are," Mey-rin said in a low tone through gritted teeth. Her brown eyes now had their glasses back in place.

Sebastian lofted Finnian into his arms, the white sheet stained in crimson looked even more dingy in the dusk light. The butler ordered, "Mey-rin, go serve the young master his dinner and tend to him with Tanaka. I have everything ready. Bard, help me get Finnian settled."

Mey-rin looked like she wanted to protest, but nodded and went to the mansion. Bard said, "Trying to protect more female dignity?"

"More like Finny's dignity. Let's get him comfortable."

Bard nodded and followed Sebastian into the communal bathroom in the servants' hall. Sebastian ordered, "Draw warm water so we can bath him."

Bard nodded and concentrated on getting the claw-foot tub full of warm water to comfort Finny and get rid of all that caked-on gore. He glanced over his shoulder once as he was running the bath water and soap. Sebastian was holding Finnian on his lap in a corner of the room.

What unnerved Bard was that he could swear that Sebastian's closed eyelids had a faint glowing red; surely it was a trick of the dusk light coming through the window - at least that was what Bard told himself. He gave an uncomfortable swallow and looked away. Sometimes, every now and then, he suspected Sebastian wasn't natural. This was one of those times, but Sebastian was probably helping Finny somehow. He wasn't going to disturb that.

"All ready!" Bard announced. Sebastian stood and brought Finny over. They took him out of the sheet and lowered him in gently. "How is he?" Bard asked. Something told him that Sebastian now knew things about Finny he didn't know.

"He'll be asleep for a day, so don't worry."

Bard finished helping Sebastian get Finny into the water. "Bard, keep your back to me while I clean him. Tell me, though, what happened."

Sebastian took the middle finger of his left glove in his teeth and started yanking, so Bard turned his back. Bard sat by the door and kept his eyes towards it. "We got in the mansion and I found him in a bedroom. He was naked on the floor. He'd lost his senses. Total shell shock. From what he told me, that man, Garner, was in the middle of molesting him when he snapped. You know... he was forcing things on him he didn't want." Bard gave a frustrated sigh, if only he'd been a little earlier!

Bard then continued, "He'd been beaten with a horsewhip before that. That's what I know. Damn that bastard! Garner got what he deserved, I only wish I was the one to kill that jerk! I wish poor Finny didn't have to carry that, on top of what was done to him."

"What did Finnian do to Garner?"

Bard shivered, lit a cigarette, and took a deep breath. "He ripped the man's head off. Not clean. The spine came out with it. The skull was popped like a grape. Garner's limbs were all gone from the body, and blood was everywhere. Finny tore the man apart, limb from limb.

"You know I was a soldier, and I'm not squeamish, but that was not something I've ever seen. It was a horror show. I never knew..." Bard shivered again and took another drag on his cigarette, "...the kid could do that much. He didn't even know what he'd done. He just looked up at me with these scary, empty eyes. He only said he thought he'd hurt the man. He didn't comprehend he'd killed Garner. I still don't think he does understand he killed Garner. He passed out before he got his wits about him."

Bard could almost hear Sebastian thinking, before the butler responded, "He was under too much stress. He finally understood that he was worth protecting by his own hands. He saw himself only as an expendable tool before; now he understands he's worth more to the Phantomhive household. He now understands he's a pawn of worth. That was something positive that came from that atrocity exhibition. It's a disgusting shame what he went through it, though. This will be a major change for Finnian. You need to stay with him and help him understand that."

Bard nodded firmly. "I will. I'll stay with him tonight."

Sebastian stood from the tub when Bard turned. The butler was pulling on his gloves quickly and getting situated. Bard could see Finny resting peacefully and blood free in the warm bathtub, now.

Sebastian announced, "Finny is all yours for the next few days. Don't worry about anything with him, though. He probably won't clearly remember last night. He'll have flashes of discomfort, but it won't have the power to harm him after a while."

"Thank you for covering," Bard said, as he went to the tub to get Finny out.

"He's a Phantomhive servant. He deserves the best care, since he does give his best for the earl's sake. Rest assured and let him know. The young master knows he was lied to and that his loyalty wasn't really swayed." With that, Sebastian left.

Bard quickly got Finnian out of the tub, dried, and in a fresh sleeping gown. He tucked Finny in his own bed and lowered the lights. He almost went to his own bed, but something told him to stay by the boy. He put a pallet on the floor beside Finny's bed and settled in earlier than usual.

"How is Finny?" Ciel asked, bolting from his desk.

"Fine," Sebastian said. "I was able to calm him about the situation, but he'll still remember it. I don't have the power to alter memories, but I did manage to sooth him."

"Damn!" Ciel took a deep breath, flopped back into his chair, and said, "At least we got some of those children home." He hung his head and took a deeper breath. "I'm not pleased Finnian was harmed, but... to weigh these things out..."

"It is a heavy burden, my lord," Sebastian said. "If Finnian would know that his suffering let five other children go home to their families, don't you think he'd be willing embrace that pain?"

Ciel's spine grew rigid and he nodded. "He would. He has a heart that is kind and tender. I just think it would put a bigger burden on his shoulders if he knew. Let's just keep him in the dark and let him heal without all that complication. Pawns only need to know one step ahead of them."

Sebastian bowed slightly and said, "Yes, my lord."

Bard had dealt with a couple of soldiers with shell-shock. It was always bad. He'd never dealt with another male who had been... assaulted... well... raped... before. He really loved Finny like a kid-brother, so he was torn up. He pressed a cool compresses on the kid's forehead and then it struck him.

"You know, Finny. You so remind me of that comic hero I used to read about. Both of you have all this super strength. I think you'd like to hear his story. He was actually from another planet and ..."

Finny's unconscious body was so calm, and Bard was grateful. Bard continued to tell the tale of America's favorite superhero. Bard was amazed when the clock down the hall struck four in the morning. Was it already that late?

He had enjoyed telling Finny a story, even at the price of some sleep. "Listen, I do have to go to bed."

"Please... here... I trust you... Bard, please..." Finny mumbled, still seeming very drowsy.

Bard was way too tired to argue. He was a little nervous he would startle Finny, but he had to show Finny he could trust older men. He slipped on the narrow bed beside the kid and gently took him in his arms. "You know you're safe with me?"

"Mmm... always," was all Finny said before passing out.

Finny didn't really come around until four the next afternoon. Sebastian brought mint tea and some petit fours. He stayed long enough to make sure Finny hadn't gotten a fever and had rested well. When it was just him and Finny again, Bard felt his face flush.

He rubbed the back of his head self consciously at Finny's wide eyes fixed on him. Even with what had happened yesterday, there was such a trusting purity there. He swallowed a petit four and figured he'd better get this over with. He cleared his throat and then remembered something from last year.

"Finny, do you remember last year when Master Ceil got that white stallion? Do you know why he got that horse?"

Finny shook his head. "I just remember he fought with Master Ceil's mare a lot. He certainly wasn't a nice horse, the way he kept climbing on her. It upset her!"

Bard sighed, now realizing this was going to be harder than he had thought. "Well, you know how she just had a foal?"

Finny's eyes sparkled and he gushed, "He's so cute!"

Now Bard wished he had woken Finny up to watch the foal's birth. That would have made this so much easier. "Well, you see all that fighting wasn't really fighting. He was getting her pregnant. Do you know what pregnant means?"

"I've heard Madam Red mention she work with pregnant ladies." Finny grew serious. "It must be something like a cold only girls catch."

Bard smacked his blazing hot face and sighed. "No, Finny," he said getting slightly peeved. "It's when a lady gets ready to have a baby. The parents, one guy, one lady have sex, that's like what you saw the horses do. The man leaves sperm inside the lady. The sperm then fertilizes the egg inside the lady."

Finny had a blank look for several long, painful minutes. He blinked and then smiled. "Fertilizer makes plants grow."

"Yes!" Bard said thrilled to have a little bit of a break through. "Anyway, the egg grows into a baby in her stomach and then the lady gives birth."

"But sex didn't look nice at all with the horses!"

"Trust me! When it comes to humankind, I can say, it is a rather nice experience. It's pleasant and fun when you find someone you like. You'll start having urges fairly soon, and you'll want to try out being with someone. It's not a bad thing. I just want you to know it's coming. Just wait until you find someone worth your time.

"I know you had that one urge with Angela. It's that same sort of feeling, only you'll feel it more frequently. You can always pleasure yourself until you find someone better than her, more for you. A lot of times it's safer to do it yourself because there's all sorts of diseases out there." Bard sighed and shook his head. He said, "Ain't no shame in it."

"Do it myself?"

Bard cringed. He inhaled and said, "You just put your hand on yourself... you know... down there... and make yourself happy." Then a shiver ran Bardroy's spine at a nightmarish thought! "You only make yourself happy in private! It's not something you do for others to walk in on!"

Then Finny cocked his head in confusion. "How will I know I'm happy?"

"Just try it out at four in the morning in the bathroom sometime and you'll know. Just make sure the door is LOCKED!" Bard groused.

Finny was silent again, Bard started sweating, wondering what was running through the boy's head. "Does everyone have parents?"

"You never knew any parents? Think back when you were little. Don't you remember anyone calling herself your mother? Or a father?" Bard had always assumed Finnian had been a small orphan when he was kidnapped and taken to be an experiment. It made Bard feel bad he hadn't asked these details before now.

Finny shook his head. "I don't remember anyone like that. Just the Wissenschaftler. They were all men, though. There were no ladies. That's why I asked."

"I'm sorry you don't remember anyone."

Finnian then gave him a bright smile. "It's okay. I have you and Mey-rin and everyone here at Phantomhive. And that's super!" Then Finny grew a little sorrowful. "I'm so grateful you came for me. I didn't want to go with Sir Garner, but he told me Master Ciel didn't want me any more."

Bard smirked and gave Finny a pat on his shoulder and a reassuring smile. "Of course I'd come for you. And, Master Ciel wouldn't cast you off. We knew you wouldn't go if it was your choice."

"What were your parents like?" He asked with soft innocence as he set aside his empty tea cup on the nightstand.

"Well, my father was a soldier. He got killed when I was eight, so I didn't know him well. My mother moved us into my grandmother's house, because she kept getting sicker and sicker after my father was gone. She died a year later and my grandmother finished raising me.

"I joined the army, even though she didn't want me to. She was afraid I'd die like my father. It wasn't long after that that she passed away. I was kind of left on my own after that. I have a cousin or two, but none of us are close."

Finny frowned a little, tears formed in his eyes. He flung his arms around Bardroy's shoulders suddenly and started sobbing. He squeezed Bard's neck tightly. "I'm so sorry! Parents seem important, and you lost yours."

Bard got wistful every now and again, but the sting wasn't there like it used to be. He patted Finny's head, smiled, and hugged him back. "Okay, okay. It's fine. I'm fine with it. I have a new home with good friends and a new chance I didn't think I would ever have. I should have been dead that one day, but I'm not. I'm here with a new, fresh chance."

"I'm so glad you weren't killed," Finny whispered and loosened his crushing hug.

Bard caught his breath and gave Finny one more of Sebastian's delicious, little cakes. After some nibbling little cakes, Finny started trembling and wouldn't meet Bard's gaze. He asked softly, in a scared, terrified, confused tone, "Does that mean that Sir Garner thought I was a girl? I don't understand what he did to me."

Bard took a deep breath and said, "Sometimes people of the same sex will mate with each other. It's not common, but it does happen. The mating is a little different than I've described. I had a friend that enjoyed it. He made special friendships with other men. For him, he liked other men. For that man Garner..." Bard felt his teeth grind. "...he forced you, which is never right. If you were a girl, and he did the same thing, it would still be wrong. Even if you choose to be with another guy, it should always be agreed on. Do you understand?"

Finny just nodded. His face took on an expression that Bard had never expected to see on the youngster: melancholy. Finny took the last of the petit fours and said, "Thank you. I understand more."

Bard felt as if he had swallowed iron. There was a part of Finny's innocence he had just sullied. It had to be done, but he still wasn't happy. "Listen, if you ever come to a situation where you need my advice, please ask. I'll talk it out with you, okay?"

Finny nodded and let Bard tuck him back in. It wasn't long before Finny fell back into a deep sleep, and Bard was free to care for himself.

Several months later, he came as a new servant. His name was Snake, and he had several creepy critters with him. Yeah, Bardroy detested that and wanted to napalm everything that came slithering his way, but he wasn't allowed. After a few weeks, he noticed something.

Finny would get into his sleeping clothes, kneel at the dormer window, and stare into the sky with a wistful expression. Finny would draped himself over the sill and would give huge, random sighs. Bard was glancing at the back of Finny's head one night as he rinsed off in the washbasin.

"Alright, what's up with you? You've been wandering around here like you lost a puppy for the last week," Bard said with a smirk that faded when he saw Finny look over his shoulder in a confused expression. Bard pressed, "You really are in a dither. What's wrong?"

"The weather is getting too cold for snakes."

"Yeah, it is rather chilly. Worried about the new kid?"

"A little," Finnian said with a frown. Then his face grew bright. Bard's stomach flopped. Finny had just gotten one of his scary notions in his head. "Why don't you let Snake's friends stay in the kitchen, because it's really warm in there?"

"Not on your life, Finny! I despise snakes! You know that!" Bard snapped. The boy looked deflated so Bard though quickly. "Hey! You have a whole hothouse. Why not use it?"

"Oh yeah! I'll do that!" Finny then scrambled towards the door. He turned and smiled at Bard. "Thanks! I wanted to do something nice for Snake, and you helped."

With that, Finny bolted from the room, leaving Bardroy baffled. He finished cleaning himself and started puzzling over Finnian's sudden changes over the last few weeks. Bard just didn't want to see Finny turn into fool again and get used. Hopefully, Ciel's instincts were spot on and Snake was trustworthy.

End.

At least for this story. I will do an actual Finny/Snake romance off of this one. I just love those two! It just seems like it's so right. The story will be called Mellow Candle after a song on the Weiss Kreuz soundtrack.