once upon a yesterday

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::once upon a yesterday- come to me with playthings::

Jesse had his head thrown back, licentiously, and his shirt had been thrown somewhere behind the couch. He was getting cramped in this position, but it made it easier for Raffi to take what he needed. “Oh, God.” Jesse groaned loudly, in discomfort.

“Wait just a moment, baby.” Raffi sighed, happily. “Almost… got it.” Raffi shook with his delight. “Damn, you are beautiful.”

Wesley watched the men with a mixture of morbid fascination and interest. He had never seen a photo shoot before, but he was pretty sure that Raffi was a different kind of photographer. Wesley’s abs were well defined and glinting in the lamp light. His arms and legs were muscled and tan. He was a long, strapping young man… “I know that Amanda’s picture will be put on the cover of Teen Beat, but where are you sending Jesse’s pictures?”

Jesse stretched his legs out, unbuttoned his top button of his pants and flipped on to his stomach, looking back at Raffi and the camera. He pushed his knees into the couch a bit, propping his ass up and showing its round muscular shape just a little better. His sultry expression and half clad form would be perfect for any magazine… having to do with naughty sex and pedophilia.

Wesley’s jaw dropped, slightly, and he let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding.

“He’s beautiful isn’t he?” A sexy female voice whispered in Wesley’s ear.

Wesley looked up at his pretend girlfriend, equally shocked and horrified. Had he been staring that hard?

Amanda chuckled and squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “Come with me and we’ll talk.”

Wesley got up from his seat and followed the young woman into the kitchen of the studio apartment. “What do you want to talk about?” Wesley asked in hushed tones.

Amanda grabbed a Diet Coke out of the fridge and smiled, as she popped the tab. “I don’t know. Whatever you want to talk about.” Amanda took a long drink and sighed, happily. “You want to talk about why Jesse is the way he is?” She asked the young man, quietly.

Wesley didn’t want to admit that his curiosity was getting the best of him, but he also didn’t want to lie to the woman that he was pledging his life to protect. “Actually, that would be helpful, if I have to spend so much time with him.”

Amanda nodded and boosted herself up on the counter. She kicked her legs and sniffed, thoughtfully. “Lets see… Jesse doesn’t remember his dad, except that the guy used to beat him… or maybe that was his series of ‘uncles’.” Amanda said the word like it gave her a bad taste in her mouth. “His mom finally hit the jackpot with my dad.”

Wesley nodded. She had gotten a ready-made family, a good husband, and money, to boot.

Amanda smirked. “I know what you’re thinking. What more could a woman want?” Amanda laughed, when Wesley nodded. “Yeah, well, Michelle wanted to die. She left us and a week later we found out that she ended up over dosing on pills and alcohol, then taking my dad’s favorite handgun and blowing her pretty little face off. My dad didn’t even notice the gun was gone.” Amanda dropped her eyes to the ground and shook her head. “I genuinely liked the woman until she pulled that stunt. She hurt my dad and my brother, all in one go. Jesse was almost fifteen, at the time. Maybe he was, already… I’m not sure.”

Wesley didn’t feel sorry for Jesse, so much as feel sympathy for him. new new what it was like to lose a parent before you ever could develop memories of them. He also remembered the talk he got when his dad had been shot and killed. ‘I’m sorry, son. There is nothing we can do.’ He had been little more than a tyke at the time, but the doctor’s cologne still drifted in and out of his dreams. He remember his grandmother’s haircut, the first night he stayed in his room alone, knowing…

Amanda watched the emotions flit across Wesley’s face, and frowned. “Where did you go?” She took another sip of her Coke. “You went somewhere, for a moment.”

Wesleyok hok his head and smirked. “Don’t know. Guess I was just understanding where your brother came from, a little bit more.”

Amanda shook her head. “You just heard the bare minimum. That boy has been smoking cigarettes, among other things, and drinking hard liquor, since he was eleven. He stopped when his mom and my dad hooked up. My dad explained that those things were unseemly, and that he didn’t want Jesse to hurt himself. Jess was thirteen, and seeking some man’s approval, so he gave in and was clean for two years.”

Wesley added up the years and shook his head. “Until his mom killed herself.”

Amanda nodded. “Yeah. I can’t say I’ve been a good influence. I’ve taken him to clubs that promote sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.”

Wesley nodded absently, as he looked over at Jesse. The boy had kicked one leg off onto the floor and had the other resting up on the back of the couch. He had a wide grin plastered across his face and a look of pure devilment.

Amanda sighed and finished off her Coke. “Come to me with playthings.”

Wesley shot the girl a look. “What?”

“Come to me with playthings.” Amanda pointed at Jesse and giggled. “If my dad hadn’t have adopted him, I would have tried to keep him as a pet. I think that’s why my dad adopted him in the first place, actually.”

Wesley shook his head and glanced back at the young man, lying prone on the couch. “Where will these pictures go? They aren’t going to be distributed to smut magazines, are they?”

“Raffi wouldn’t do that to Jesse. He just wants a pretty boy to put in his portfolio.” Amanda smiled, sweetly, and sighed. “It’s nice that someone cares about Jesse and his welfare, other than my dad and me.” The girl ran her hand over her face and chuckled. “It’s sort of a relief, actually. When you leave us, do you think you could keep in touch with him? He doesn’t have many friends.”

Wesley didn’t even have to think about it. He would check up on the boy, even if Jesse fought it with all of his being.

Amanda watched Wesley closely. “My dad was scared that you would be all over me, you know. I told him that he wouldn’t have to worry about it. He thought that I was implying that I could take care of myself, but I told him… that’s what you were supposed to be here for.” Mandy grabbed Wesley’s hand and squeezed it. “I can tell that you have a good heart and I’m sure that if you sat down and talked with my dad, a while, he would see what I do.”

Wesley looked confused, but said nothing. He just held this strange girl’s hand and squeezed back. After a few seconds, he finally asked. “What do you see?”

The young woman laughed, quietly. “That you are the type of guy that a girl like me would never have to worry about.”

Wesley nodded, without thinking. He wasn’t sure what Amanda was talking about, but he’d probably figure it out, as soon as he could stop worrying about Jesse getting molested by… Raffi. Wesley watched with a snarl, as Raffi walk over to Jesse and sit at the boy’s feet. They were talking about something that made Jesse’s eyes light up and laughter bubble out of him. For some odd reason, Wesley wished he had been the one to make Jesse to react in such a way.

Wesley’s eye narrowed, when he saw Jesse close his eyes and Raffi start to lean over him, in predator-like way. “I think we should leave, now.” Wesley said in a loud, clear voice. “I’ll drive.” Wesley held out his hand and accepted the keys from Amanda, who almost choked with her laughter.

Jesse’s eyes shot open and he pushed Raffi away from him, before stumbling off of the couch. “You need a bigger couch, man. It was starting to get cramped there.” Jesse ran around the couch and grabbed up his shirt, pulling it over his head. “We need to go buy some pot.”

Wesley quirked a brow, but said nothing. He wasn’t supposed to say anything about being a cop, after all.

Amanda chuckled and shook her head. “You’re such a cutup, Jess.”

Jesse realized what he had said and in what company, and blushed. “Yeah… yeah, I’m a regular clown.”

Raffi hugged Amanda and Jesse goodbye, telling them to come by in a week to pick up there copies of the pictures.

Wesley vowed that he would be the only person stepping out of the car on that trip. “Well, Raffi it’s been interesting to meet you and see what you do. Bye.” Wesley turned on his heels and headed for the nearest exit. Moments later he was standing by the Jaguar, devativating the alarm.

“What the hell was that?!” Jesse stomped up to Wesley’s side and pushed him. “Raffi is our friend.”

Wesley stumbled, slightly, but restrained himself from pushing back. He had training to fight and Jesse was just an angry kid. “That guy was not a friend! I have friends and he was just an ogle…er.” Damn it! It hadn’t come out as sensible as it sounded in his head. “He wanted to rape you, while your sister and I watched.” Wesley had stated it calmly and was happy with how serious he made the situation sound.

Jesse nodded with what seemed to be agreement, then stated in an equally calm voice. “You can’t rape the willing, darling, or don’t they teach you that at the precinct?”

Wesley’s eyes opened a little wider but he said nothing in retaliation. He just opened the driver’s side door and growled. “Get in the car.”

Jesse held the door open for his sister and let her get in the back seat. He then slipped in the front seat and sat, staring out the window. He wasn’t sure, but he felt like he was in serious trouble. “Are you about to lecture me?” Jesse just couldn’t drop that petulant attitude. He knew it got him in trouble, but… he was so good at it.

Wesley pulled out of the driveway and grunted. “I’m past lecturing, Jesse. I’m somewhere in between spanking you and just kicking your ass.”

Jesse gasped, silently, and looked over his shoulder at his sister. The girl shrugged and smiled, causing him to wonder. The two of them had been talking, but… about what?

“How old is Raffi? Thirty? Thirty-five?” Wesley didn’t give Amanda or Jesse time to answer. “Have you seen young victims, who have been raped by men of Raffi’s size and stature? I’m not saying Raffi is a brute, and I’m not saying that it wouldn't be great fun to have that type of man screw your brains out, but… I don’t know the guy. I don’t know his past and I don’t know if you understand how serious these older men are about their trysts.”

Jesse looked over at Wesley, shocked into silence. Raffi… screw his brains out? The thought sent shivers of fear down his spine. The guy had always made him a little nervous. He never would stay in the same room as Raffi, unless someone he loved and trusted was nearby.

Wesley took the next left and sighed. He was driving blind. He had no idea where he was going; he just knew he wanted to get there. “I know that you don’t necessarily like me, but you only have to deal with me for two weeks, because after that I have to go to school. I may visit because I like to check up on past cases, but you don’t have to feel obligated to stick around and talk to me.” Wesley took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming the sound of blood that rushed in his ears. “Until then, I will be here and I will keep an eye on your sister. You are welcome to come along and if that is your normal way of things, you should. We have to make this seem natural, even though there is nothing natural about this situation. Do we have an understanding?”

Jesse knew this was all a part of that lecture that Wesley was ‘past’, but he kept that thought to himself. He really wasn’t sure whether Wesley would try to kick his ass, still, or not. Either way, he didn’t want to tempt him.

“Do you understand?” Wesley reiterated, with a tired voice.

Jesse bit his bottom lip and sighed. “I understand. You just… stand for everything that has never helped me in the past. Authority, the Police… God, there were so many times I wished they would do a drug bust on my house, so that I could be placed somewhere that the parents didn’t offer there kids for weed.”

Wesley nodded. “Sometimes I wished that I didn’t have a cop for a dad, because I knew that it meant I had to be good for the rest of my life. He died when I was young, so I didn’t have that worry for long.” Wesley smirked when he thought of Blake and his taunting. “I decided the best way to get my dad back for leaving me, was to do the same thing he did. I decided to become a cop at the age of twelve and I’ve been working as an auxiliary officer for a year, now.”

“Heh… I started smoking weed. Again, that is.” Jesse stayed quiet, listening to the hum of the motor, and then looked over at Wesley, once more. “Thanks for caring.”

Wesley shrugged. “It’s what I do.” The young man threw a glance at his passenger and then smirked. “Next time you decided to take off your shirt and act all seductive, try to make sure it’s toward someone your own age… who doesn’t look like a rapist. I’ll have an easier time dealing with that.”

Jesse chortled and rolled his eyes. “Sure thing.”

“Speaking of getting half naked and seducing people…” Amanda leaned into the front seat, between the two boys. “Let’s go clubbing.”

TBC… maybe.

muse- I really hate you.

george16- What in the world is the problem now?

muse- They aren’t having sweaty fun, yet.

george16- I’m working up to a clubbing scene! Hello!

muse- Don’t be a bitch, Queenie.

george16- *rolls eyes* They can get sweaty at the club. Make you happy?

muse- Make Blake go to the club.

george16- We’ll see.

muse- *growl*

*sigh* Please read and review.