Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/642791.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Supernatural_RPF
  Relationship:
      Jensen_Ackles/Jared_Padalecki, Jensen_Ackles/Others, Jensen_Ackles/
      Michael_Weatherly
  Character:
      Jensen_Ackles, Jared_Padalecki, Michael_Weatherly, Lauren_Cohan, others_-
      Character
  Additional Tags:
      bottom!Jensen, top!Jared, Age_flip, Age_Difference, protitution, Rimming,
      Lap_Sex, set_in_Victorian_England
  Collections:
      Sinful_Desire
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-01-17 Completed: 2013-06-20 Chapters: 18/18 Words: 27231
****** Needs Must When the Devil Drives. ******
by Saltandburnboys
Summary
     Jensen was sold to Miss Cohan at the age of eight to settle his
     family’s debts, and is eagerly awaiting his day of release when he
     finally turns twenty one. But one night a new customer buys his time
     and gives Jensen hope that he maybe won’t have to wait as long as he
     thought to get out of this hell.
Notes
     Disclaimer- Clearly this is an AU story; none of this ever happened.
     I do not own any of the actors in this story, especially not Jared or
     Jensen, they all belong to themselves. Jared and Jensen are not in a
     relationship, have never been and have no desire to be in a
     relationship; they are both happily married and not to each other
     which is awesome for both of them. With babies now!! J Michael
     Weatherly and Lauren Cohan are not the assholes I make them in this
     story; I’m sure they are both awesome in real life. No money was made
     from this story.
      
     Set in London around 1850 – I’m terrible with period writing so I
     used modern speech – if this is massively jarring, let me know, but
     the prompt kind of needed to be set back in the old days, I think.
      
     Author’s note: This is based on the spn_kink meme prompt:
      
     Basically, it's the Victorian era (or whatever era writer wants) and
     Jensen is a prostitute in a brothel (past non-con, hurt!Jensen). No
     younger than 15, please.
     Jared is a businessman who takes to staying the night at that brothel
     when he is in the city. He and Jensen get to know each other a bit
     and he learns Jensen was sold into servitude for 6, 8 however many
     years to pay off his family's debts.
     Jared wants to help Jensen and get him out of there but there is
     nothing he can do since there are x number of years still left on
     Jensen's contract.
     Instead, he takes to caring for the young boy whenever he is there.
     For example, if a john has been too rough with Jensen, he'll buy his
     services for 2 days and spend them tending to him. Whoever runs the
     brothel is displeased with their growing relationship, as Jensen
     brings in a lot of money and she/he hoped to keep Jensen after his
     contract was over, but won't turn down a paying customer.
     Sex can be h/c or kinky (rimming, and lapsex are my only requests)
     but writer can add whatever they want.
      
     This story will fill my ‘slavery’ square on my h/c bingo card.
      
     A/N2: I’m really not sure if this is any good at all; it feels like
     ages since I’ve written anything and my period writing is pretty
     crappy. Please tell me if you guys think it’s completely awful and
     I’ll rehash it but I really wanted to post something so…here it is… :
     -S
***** Chapter 1 *****
 
 
Needs_Must_When_the_Devil_Drives.
 
Jared couldn’t quite believe it but he was well and truly lost.  He hadn’t seen
a single building or street or shop front that he recognised in the last two
hours and he, honestly, had no idea how this had happened.  He’d grown up here,
for God’s sake, how could he possibly be lost?  Sure, he hadn’t been home in a
couple of years but, still, how could the city have changed that much?
 
Jared turned the corner, groaning when he saw the grimy ‘Tooley Street’ sign
for the third time that evening, and slammed his bag down on the floor.  It was
late and he was tired, and he just wanted to get some sleep.  He was sure that
if it hadn’t been the middle of the night, he would’ve have been able to find
his way back to his hotel but, as it was, he resigned himself to fact that he
wouldn’t see the place again until tomorrow. 
 
Jared looked around, grimacing at the peeling paint and dirty windows
surrounding him; this really wasn’t a part of London someone of his standing
should ever have wandered into.  But it wasn’t like Jared had many options now
so he would just have to make do.  He spied a little tavern tucked away at the
end of the street and made his way towards it; Jared was sure he would at least
find a bed there and, hopefully, a very strong whisky. 
 
Jared pulled his jacket close against the biting wind as his long legs quickly
ate up the cobbled street beneath his feet.  Soon enough, he reached the inn
but before he opened the door, Jared paused to stare up at the building’s
chipped and discoloured facade and the old, weather beaten sign swinging above
his head.  He could only hope that the place was better kept on the inside than
it was on the outside; taking a deep breath, Jared let himself in the door. 
 
The tavern was hardly better lit than the street outside, but that wasn’t
wholly unexpected given the lateness of the hour so Jared quickly made his way
up the bar to ask for a room. 
 
‘Of course, Sir, we’ve got everything you might possibly want here.’  Jared
frowned at the girl’s provocative tone as he handed over his bag, but she was
gone before he could say anything.  Not a moment later, another girl had taken
her place behind the bar so Jared just shrugged off the encounter and ordered a
drink.   In all honesty, as long as he got a room he couldn’t care less about
how inappropriate the staff were.  As soon as his whisky hit the bar top, Jared
slid some coins to the new serving girl, picked up his drink and strode over to
a chair in the corner; he was sure his room would be ready soon but, even so,
he’d much rather sit comfortably in a chair than try to perch on a stool while
he waited.  
 
It wasn’t until Jared had settled back in the chair and his eyes had adjusted
to the dark room that the first serving girl’s behaviour started to make a
little more sense.  Now, he could plainly see a girl straddling the lap of an
older gentleman at the other end of the room and another knelt between a young
man’s legs not two feet from his left.  Jared turned his attention back to his
drink and finished it off in one; he might be the black horse of his family,
but this was going a little far, even for him. 
 
So despite his tiredness and the fact he’d already given over his things, Jared
hastily made his way to the door; it would do his reputation no good to be
found in a place like this.  But just as his fingertips touched the doorknob,
there was a sharp cry behind him.  Jared whirled round and saw a boy sprawled
on the floor, his hand held to his cheek as he stared up at the angry looking
gentleman standing over him.  When it looked like the man was going to strike
the boy again, Jared stepped forwards and grabbed the man’s arm, pulling it
behind his back. 
 
And suddenly, everything in the inn, in the brothel, stopped, and all eyes
turned to him.  Including those of the boy on the floor - wide and green
and…stunning.  ‘Get the hell of me!’ His captive yelled, struggling against
Jared’s hold, but Jared wasn’t a small man by any means and it wasn’t hard for
him to keep the man at bay.  ‘Are you insane?’
 
‘Me?  No.  You, though, I’m not so sure,’ Jared replied as he looked down at
quickly reddening hand mark on the boy’s cheek.  He wrenched the man’s arm
higher on his back at the sight and asked in as civil a tone as he could
manage, ‘Now, if I let you go, are you going to attack the boy again?’
 
‘What the fuck do you care?  He’s a whore, he’s nobody…’
 
Jared’s grip tightened and he was tempted, just for a moment, to break the
man’s arm and show the brute first-hand what it was like when someone stronger
used their power against him.  However, before he’d decided what he was going
to do, a small hand came to rest on his arm, ‘Sir, you need to let Lord
Weatherly go now.’
 
Jared frowned as he looked down at the petite woman standing by his side.  It
was obvious from her appearance and the way she carried herself that she was
the Madam of the house.  Jared thought she might have been a beauty once upon a
time, but now too many layers of make up and too hard eyes ruined any residual
prettiness she might still possess.  ‘Excuse me?’
 
‘You need to let him go.  Lord Weatherly’s bought Jensen for the night and it’s
none of your business how my customers want to spend their time.’ 
 
Jared stared at the woman in disbelief; surely she must care for the boy more
than that?  The lad couldn’t have been more than seventeen years old, and, in a
place like this, he needed someone to look out for him.  But as his eyes
drifted back to the boy, still sprawled on the floor, Jared could plainly see
the bruises that marred his fair skin – hand prints around his neck, rope burns
around his wrists and probably a multitude of marks hidden under the boy’s
clothes where Jared couldn’t see.  ‘I’ll pay double.’  The woman’s eyes
widened, ‘For the boy,’ he clarified, ‘whatever Lord Weatherly’s paid for him,
I’ll double it.’
 
The woman’s eyes turned calculating and a slight smile pulled at her blood red
lips, ‘Of course, Lord…’
 
‘Winchester, Samuel Winchester,’ Jared lied; he really didn’t need to bring the
name of Padalecki into any more disrepute.
 
‘As you wish, Lord Winchester.  A room will be made available for you once
you’ve settled your bill for Jensen,’ the woman said, sending a subtle nod to
the girl behind the bar.
 
‘Now, wait just a minute,’ Lord Weatherly began, ‘I’ve paid for that boy, I
booked him weeks ago, and I’m not leaving here until I get my money’s worth.’
 
‘Well, Sir, if you would like to top Lord Winchester’s offer, I’m sure we could
work something out,’ the Madam replied serenely and Jared couldn’t help but
feel a little sick at how comfortable she was with selling the young boy,
Jensen,to the highest bidder.
 
‘I shouldn’t have to, he’s mine, I’ve been using him for years,’ Lord Weatherly
ranted and that was what finally convinced Jared to let the man go, unable to
endure touching him any longer.  Years?  Jesus, how old had Jensen been when
he’d started working here?  And using him, like Jensen was some kind of…some
sort of toy?  Any residual doubts Jared might still have had about buying the
boy for the night flew out the window at that; there was no way he was leaving
him alone with this asshole.
 
But the Madam didn’t look at all moved by the Lord’s angry protestations;
instead, she began to move away.  ‘Don’t walk away from me, Miss Cohan,’ the
second Lord Weatherly touched her arm, three large men emerged from the shadows
and pulled him back.  Jared wondered bitterly where they’d been when the Lord
had been assaulting the boy on the floor.  Lord Weatherly instantly deflated,
obviously realising that he wasn’t going to get his way tonight unless he
played the Madam’s game, ‘Fine, I’ll pay whatever you want.  Just send the boy
up to my room.’
 
The Madam’s eyes flickered to Jared, clearly expecting a counter offer from
him, and while he was sickened to be drawn into such a cruel and heartless
game, he answered nonetheless, ‘Believe me, I can top anything Lord Weatherly’s
willing to pay for the boy.’
 
He risked a glance at Jensen then, where the boy was just staring up at them
all with wide, terrified eyes and Jared’s heart clenched painfully in his
chest.      
 
‘So what shall we say, gentlemen, twenty pounds for the night?’ 
 
Jared’s eyebrows rose at the amount and Weatherly spluttered with indignation;
it was a horrifically high price to charge in a brothel, but Jared was more
than prepared to pay it.  From the irate look on Lord Weatherly’s face, though,
Jared hazarded a guess that the other man was not.  ‘That’s outrageous, I’m not
paying that kind of money for a gutter whore like him.’
 
Jared didn’t miss the way the boy flinched, and he glared at the Lord for a
moment before he turned to the Madam, ‘Well, I am.’  He passed a twenty pound
note to the small woman and tried to ignore the look of glee on her face as she
snatched it away and stuffed it down her chest. 
 
‘Thank you, Sir.’  Her eyes drifted to Jensen, ‘Jenny, take Lord Winchester
upstairs and show him how very grateful you are for his generosity.’
 
Jensen was on his feet in an instant, his hand finding Jared’s and pulling him
out of the main room and towards a flight of stairs.  As he followed the boy,
Jared felt a twinge of unease; he really wasn’t all that sure of what he was
supposed to do now.  He’d never hired a prostitute before, and in the front
room, he hadn’t really been thinking of anything past keeping Lord Weatherly
away from the boy.
 
He took a deep breath, consoling himself with the knowledge that at least he’d
done that; whatever happened tonight, it couldn’t be worse than leaving Jensen
with that terrible man…right?
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Two. *****
Chapter Notes
     So here’s the next chapter…hope you guys like it ‘cause it’s super
     cheesy and probably crap but here it is anyway…
Chapter_Two.
 
Jared let himself be guided into a small room off the stairs.  Inside, there
was a large bed, decked out with expensive silk sheets and plush pillows, but
the rest of the room was pretty much in disrepair.  The oval mirror hanging
above the dressing table was cracked, one of the doors was hanging off the
wardrobe, and Jared was sure that the wooden slat covering the broken window
wasn’t enough to keep the cold wind out at night. 
 
His attention was taken away from the sorry state of the room, though, when
Jensen stepped in front of him.  The boy looked up at him with those wide,
bambi eyes and asked, ‘What do you want, Sir?  I can do anything for you.’  To
his shame, Jared hardened at the smooth, seductive tone of the boy’s voice.  It
was wrong, Jared knew it; that bedroom voice, that seductive smile, didn’t
belong to this angelic face but he couldn’t help his body’s reaction.  ‘Come
with me.’  Jensen took Jared’s hand again and led him to the bed, gently
pushing him down to sit on the edge. 
 
Jared watched, transfixed, as the boy stripped down; he watched as the thin
cloth pants dropped to the floor, followed by the loose white shirt until the
boy stood naked before him.  And he was beautiful, worth every penny Jared had
paid and more - the perfect mix of innocence and sin and Jared suddenly
understood why Weatherly had been so desperate to have him. 
 
Jared was lost in the face of such devastating beauty; every thought in his
head flew away as though they’d never been there as Jensen moved to straddle
his lap.  Jared moaned as Jensen’s bare ass rubbed against his still pants-
covered erection, and his hands came up to grasp at Jensen’s back almost
unconsciously; he couldn’t help tracing his fingers across the smooth skin,
letting them glide along the sensuous curve of the boy’s spine.
 
Jensen arched into Jared’s touch, grinding down into the tall man’s lap and
kissing along his jaw.  Jared took one hand off Jensen’s back and dropped it
into the boy’s lap to tug at his erection; he was a generous lover, always had
been, and he wanted Jensen to enjoy this as much as he did.  But his fingers
didn’t meet hard flesh like he expected and when Jared looked between them to
find out why, he saw that Jensen’s cock was soft, lying flaccid against his
thigh, completely unaroused by what they were doing. 
 
And that brought Jared back down to earth like a kick in the stomach; what the
hell was he doing?  He pushed Jensen roughly off his lap, regretting the action
instantly when he heard the boy’s bare ass collide hard with the floor.   ‘I’m
sorry,’ he said, reaching out to pull Jensen up; he wasn’t sure whether he was
apologising for pushing the boy or for forgetting the real reason that he’d
bought Jensen for the night.  It was probably a little of both.
 
But Jensen didn’t look angry or hurt; he just stared at Jared, his expression a
little lost, ‘It’s alright.  Did you not want it like that?  I could lie on the
bed,’ the boy gestured to the mattress, ‘and you could…’
 
‘No! No,’ Jared said quickly, interrupting the boy; he really didn’t need that
image in his head when he was already having a hard time controlling his
urges.  ‘I thought we could, maybe, just get some sleep.’
 
Jensen looked confused at that, ‘Sleep?’
 
‘Yes,’ Jared replied, taking off his jacket and laying it on the bed so he
wouldn’t have to look at the boy as he continued, ‘I’ve had a long day and I
could really use a few hours of peaceful sleep.’  Not to mention that Jared was
pretty sure Jensen hadn’t slept a night unmolested in years, and the boy
definitely looked like he needed it. 
 
‘You just want to sleep?’  Jensen asked again, his expression even more
confused than before. 
 
‘Yes,’ Jared confirmed, taking off his shirt and pants and moving to the side
of the bed. 
 
Before he could get under the covers, though, Jensen was standing next to him,
‘I…could…I could get someone else for you, if this isn’t what you want?’
 
Jensen was still naked and Jared had to force himself to keep his eyes trained
on the boy’s face as he replied, ‘No, I don’t want anyone else.  You’re
perfect.’
 
‘Then why..?’  Jensen shook his head, ‘Why won’t you let me…I can…I can do it;
I promise I’m good at it.’
 
Jared gave the boy a sad smile, reaching up to cup his cheek, ‘I don’t doubt
that, Jensen.  But you need to sleep.’  He pulled away and slid under the
covers.  Jensen stared at him for a long moment, clearly unsure as to what to
do, so Jared scooted over and lifted up the sheets.  Jensen took a tentative
step forwards and then slipped under them as well. 
 
The boy lay stiffly in the bed and Jared turned on his side to watch him,
‘Sleep, Jensen.’  He reached over and laid a hand on Jensen’s shoulder,
squeezing gently, ‘Sleep.’  With one last worried look at Jared, Jensen closed
his eyes, and not more than a minute had passed before the boy was asleep.
 
Jared smiled, glad that he could give Jensen this, as he too drifted off to
sleep.
 
NEXT.
 
 
***** Chapter Three. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: this is a terribly short chapter, I know; I’m going to try and
     get the next one up by the end of the day! Even so, I hope you guys
     like this one…
 
Chapter_Three.
 
More asleep than awake, Jared shifted on the mattress, groaning loudly at the
lingering memory of warm, wet suction on his cock.  He could almost feel that
amazing mouth still on him, those hands still resting on his thighs, that
wicked tongue still licking the head of…
 
Jared’s eyes sprang open and he found Jensen knelt between his legs, his mouth
wrapped around Jared’s hard cock.  ‘Jensen!’  Jensen looked up at him, through
those long, dark lashes, and Jared couldn’t help the thrill of arousal that
coursed through him at the sight…Jesus,the boy could tempt a saint to sin. ‘No,
Jensen, stop!’ he forced out as he pushed Jensen away. 
 
Jensen was gone immediately, and not just off Jared’s cock, but off the bed
completely; he was standing at the other end of the room before he finally
stopped moving.  ‘I’m sorry, sir, I just…you were moaning my name and…and I
felt you and…and you were hard and I just…I thought that’s what you wanted…I’m
so sorry…please don’t tell Miss Cohen…I’m sorry…’
 
Jared pulled the sheets over himself again, biting back a groan as the silk
rubbed against his still hard dick, ‘Come over here, Jensen.’  And the boy did,
his eyes wary and his shoulders hunched over like he expected to be hit.  God,
how had someone so innocent ended up in a place like this?  ‘It’s alright, you
just startled me that’s all.  No-one’s going to be telling Miss Cohen anything,
okay.’
 
And Jensen looked so relieved, so grateful, that Jared just wanted to pull him
into his arms and never let go.  Jensen bit his lip, ‘I can…do you want me to
finish that for you?’  And fuck, Jared did; the enticing picture Jensen made,
standing there with those red swollen lips and that shy blush dusting his pale
cheeks, was almost enough to make Jared say yes.  Almost.   
 
But he knew that wouldn’t have been right.  Jensen didn’t want to do this; he
was only offering because he thought it was what Jared wanted so, after a
moment, Jared shook his head.  He wouldn’t be like all those other men; those
men who had taken something from Jensen that they had no right to, no matter
how much money they’d paid for him.  Jensen was a person, not a possession, and
even if Jared was the only one who treated him as such, it was still one person
more than Jensen had had before.
 
Jensen stared at him, his eyes wide with something that looked terribly like
awe, before he moved towards the bed; he stopped right in front of Jared,
leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, ‘Thank you, Lord Winchester.’
 
As he pulled away, Jared caught Jensen’s cheek in his hand, and stared into the
boy’s green eyes, ‘Jared; my name’s Jared Padalecki.’
 
Jensen smiled, a soft smile that so different from the one he’d given Jared the
night before, ‘Thank you, Jared.’
 
And with that, Jensen disappeared into the small bathroom off his room, leaving
Jared to get dressed and make his exit.
 
NEXT.
 
***** Chapter Four. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: I’m not sure if I hate this chapter or not but I felt we needed
     a bit of a look into Jensen’s mind here. I wanted to go into a little
     of his background as well so…I don’t know…
      
     HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAN WINCHESTER!!! (I’m so sad, I know!)
Chapter_Four.
 
Jensen.
 
Jensen had never seen an angel before, never even believed in them before he’d
met Lord Padalecki…Jared.  But now he did.  No-one had ever treated Jensen the
way Jared had; the man had touched him like Jensen was something precious
instead of something filthy; like someone who deserved to be loved, not
scorned.
 
Of course, Jensen knew that Jared would never return to the brothel, but that
didn’t mean he couldn’t dream about the man.  And he did; every night when
someone hurt him, when someone held him down and forced him to do what they
wanted, Jensen just held on to the memory that there was someone out there who
didn’t think that he was completely worthless, someone who saw him as more than
the used up whore he’d become.  
 
‘Jensen!’  Jensen startled at Miss Cohen’s yell, cruelly torn from his thoughts
of Jared, and quickly sprinted across the landing to her room.  He knocked once
before being granted entry; he kept his eyes lowered, like she’d taught him, as
he made his way across the room to her bed.  ‘Lord Weatherly will be here in an
hour to see you, Jensen.’  Jensen frowned; it was only four o’clock in the
afternoon, his clients never came to the brothel before dark.  ‘He needed a
little while to calm down after his last visit and he wants to make up the time
with you tonight.’
 
Jensen gulped; that wasn’t good...not good at all.  Lord Weatherly was rough at
the best of times, so Jensen could only imagine all the ways the man planned to
make him pay for the humiliation he’d suffered two weeks ago. 
 
Jensen forced himself to stay still and not turn his face away as Miss Cohen
ran her fingers lightly over his lips.  ‘Now go and make yourself pretty,
Jenny; can’t afford for Lord Weatherly to lose interest in you now, can we?’ 
 
God, if only,Jensen thought bitterly before he nodded and went back to his room
to do as she’d said. 
 
****
 
Jensen closed the door quietly, his stomach roiling with nerves as he thought
about the night he had ahead of him.  Before he knew what he was doing, Jensen
was striding over to his dressing table and pulling open the drawer.  He lifted
out the only thing in there, a single sheet of yellowed paper, and quickly read
over the familiar faded words on it. 
 
Three more years.  He only had three more years left before Miss Cohen let him
go and he could make a fresh start - get a job that didn’t involve letting
people hurt him and have a life of his own.  Jensen ran his fingers across his
parents’ signatures, like he had a thousand times before, feeling that old,
familiar sadness wash over him.  Had he really been that dispensable?  That
easy to give up for a measly hundred pounds?
 
Jensen had been at the brothel since he was eight years old, young enough that
he could barely even remember his parents’ faces.  He dreamed of them
sometimes, though; he dreamed that his mother had his green eyes and that his
father had dark blonde hair like his own.  Of course, Jensen knew that none of
that was likely to be true, that the faces he saw in his dreams were probably
nothing like the faces his parents really had.  He knew that it was just
something his mind had conjured up so he wouldn’t feel so lost…so alone;
something to give him comfort in the cold and brutal world he lived in. 
Unfortunately, the comfort their faces provided had lessened with every passing
year, with every year they hadn’t come for him.
 
He’d started off just cleaning the rooms, helping out in the kitchen, doing
pretty much all the menial tasks that no-one else had wanted to do.  He’d
thought back then that Miss Cohen was sending money to his parents for the work
he was doing…that this was simply a job like any other.  It wasn’t until the
week of his tenth birthday that he’d been well and truly disabused of that
notion.  Miss Cohen had handed him over to one of the older men at the bar and
sent him upstairs with no warnings at all about what to expect.
 
Had Jensen known what the man had wanted, he would’ve fought harder, done
something…not that it would’ve made much of a difference.  Jensen had been
bought and paid for; he hadn’t had a chance of getting through that night with
his virginity still intact.  He’d cried the whole time, begging his mother and
father to save him, begging the man to stop…begging God just to let him die. 
 
But none of that had happened so the next day Jensen had snuck out, bruised and
sore, with a few things packed in a small bag over his shoulder.  He’d been
determined to find his parents and tell them what Miss Cohen had made him do. 
 
One of Miss Cohen’s men had stopped him before he’d even gotten one foot out
the door, of course, and that…that had been when the Madam had shown him the
contract.  Told him that his parents had sold him to pay off the debt they owed
her and that his contract lasted until he turned twenty one. 
 
Jensen had just sat there in shock as Miss Cohen had gone on to explain, in
great detail, what would happen if Jensen ever tried to run away again…what
she’d do to his family.  Safe to say, Jensen had never tried to escape again. 
His family might’ve rejected him, might not have wanted him anymore, but he
still loved them, and he wasn’t about to let anything happen to them because of
him.   
 
Lord Weatherly had visited the brothel for the first time shortly before
Jensen’s twelfth birthday; the man had taken one look at him and dragged him
upstairs.   Jensen hated him more than any of his other clients; while they all
treated him like the cheap whore he was, Lord Weatherly was different.  He
seemed to delight in causing Jensen pain, making him bleed, and Jensen dreaded
every session they had together.     
 
Jensen placed the contract carefully back in the drawer and sat down on the
rickety chair in front of the dressing table.  Just three more years.  He
looked up into the broken mirror on the wall and wondered if there would be
anything left of him in three years’ time…if Jensen Ackles would even still
exist once the contract ended. 
 
As he stared at his cracked reflection, Jensen couldn’t help but think that the
answer was probably no. 
 
NEXT.
 
***** Chapter Five. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N2: Another short chapter, I know, but I’m at work so I should
     really go and do some work now. I’ll try and get the next chapter up
     tonight if I’m not too tired. Hope you guys like this one though… :-S
Chapter_Five.
 
Jared.
 
Jared couldn’t explain it, couldn’t explain why he was back at here, given how
he now knew what the place really was and what being seen here could do to his
reputation.  But he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in two weeks just
thinking about the brothel, about Jensen; he just needed to make sure the boy
was okay then he’d be able to move on.  He was sure of it. 
 
Mostly. 
 
Jared was just about to open the front door when a hand grabbed his arm and
pulled him into the alleyway next to the building, ‘What the hell?  Get off
me!’  He ripped his arm away, glaring at his assailant, only to realise that it
was one of the girls that worked for Miss Cohen, ‘Is there something I can do
for you, miss?’
 
‘You’re the man who helped Jensen the other night, right?’  He nodded and she
quickly added, ‘And you’re here to see him again?’
 
‘Yes, but I don’t quite understand what that has to do with you,’ Jared
replied, his suspicions growing; the girl asked too many questions for his
liking, and questions never led to anything good, especially in a place like
this.
 
‘Well, Miss Cohen’s booked him to see Lord Weatherly tonight so she won’t let
you see him if you go in that way.’  Jared slumped back against the wall,
disappointment hitting him harder than he would’ve expected.  ‘But, I can help
you; I can let you in the back door so you can see him first if you want.’
 
And that offer did nothing to dispel Jared’s suspicions; he couldn’t see any
reason why this girl would help him and he really wasn’t in the mood for any
tricks tonight, ‘Why would you do that?  Why would you help me?’
 
She smiled at him then and Jared realised for the first time that, under all
the make-up and tattered clothes, she was a terribly beautiful girl; sad and
lost, but beautiful nonetheless, ‘Because he’s told me about you, about what
you did.  And when he talks about you, he almost seems happy and you did that. 
It doesn’t last long, of course, nothing ever does here, but you…you make it
better for him so…’ she shrugged and looked away.
 
Jared placed a hand on her cheek and lifted her face to his, ‘Thank you; I’m
glad he has at least one friend in there.’
 
Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at him, ‘I can’t protect him;
not from her and not from any of the men she gives him too, but I try to put
him back together again when they’re done with him.’  She placed a hand on
Jared’s chest, her slender fingers gripping his shirt, ‘But it’s getting
harder, Lord Winchester, he’s dying in there and I’m…I’m not he even sees it
anymore.  Every day he shines just a little less brightly, and I don’t…I can’t
stop it but maybe…maybe you can.’  She let go of his shirt then, smoothing it
back down.  ‘Come on, I’ll take you up to his room; you don’t have much time
before Lord Weatherly arrives. 
 
The red headed girl led Jared through the back door of the house and up the
rickety staircase.  He tried to be as quiet as possible as to not alert anyone
to his presence, but, in the end, it didn’t even matter since they didn’t meet
a single soul on their way up to Jensen’s room; Jared assumed that the rest of
the girls and guys were getting themselves ready for the night.  ‘Here we
are.’  She came to a stop outside the worn looking door Jared recognised from
his first night here. 
 
Just as she turned to leave, Jared caught her hand, ‘Wait, what’s your name? 
Just so I know who I’m indebted too.’
 
‘My name’s Danneel, but you don’t owe me anything, Sir; just…just be good to
him and that’s all the thanks I need.’  And then she was gone, her red dress
trailing after her down the dimly lit corridor. 
 
NEXT.
 
 
***** Chapter Six. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N1: I meant to get this up two days ago but it got really late and
     I can’t edit when I’m starting to feel tired – writing at 3 in the
     morning, yes, editing, no! So sorry about the delay and I really,
     really, hope it’s worth the wait (fair warning; it’s probably not but
     it’s the best I can do!) Not sure about the sex – not really my
     strong point but at least it filled some requirements of the OP’s
     request; not that I ever expect them to read this – the OP’s of the
     prompts I steal never seem to, lol!
      
     A/N2: Lol, had to look up 1850’s trousers and see if they had zippers
     or buttons – Wikipedia said they did have flies so I went with that.
Chapter_Six.
 
Still a little wary of disturbing one of the other brothel workers, or worse,
Miss Cohen, Jared decided it was best not to knock before he let himself into
Jensen’s room. 
 
None of the candles were lit inside the room, but the sun was just setting
outside the window, providing enough light to bathe the room in a soft glow. 
The faint luminescence masked some of the room’s shabbiness and made it seem
warmer, almost welcoming.  Or perhaps that was just the knowledge that Jensen
was somewhere inside. 
 
It wasn’t until Jared’s eyes had taken in the whole room that he realised
Jensen wasn’t there; a little confused, he stepped away from the door and moved
further inside.  He’d just made it to the bed when he heard someone singing;
the voice was soft, barely audible even in the silence of the room, but Jared
knew, without a doubt, that it was Jensen.  He sat down on the bed, listening
to the hushed melody as he waited for Jensen to come into the bedroom. 
 
Jared knew that he should leave; clearly, the boy was alright; if he was
singing and bathing then he had to be alright…but what if…no, Jared had to see
Jensen for himself.  He knew he wouldn’t feel comforted until he saw the boy,
whole and unharmed, before he left.  It would only take a second after all. 
 
It wasn’t long before Jared heard the sloshing of bath water and the sound of
Jensen climbing out of the tub; he rested his hands on his thighs, not sure
what to do with them, as he waited for Jensen to join him.  He absolutely
wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted him as Jensen strode across the room
to the small wardrobe next to the window; he clearly hadn’t seen Jared in the
low light of the room since he was completely bare and still singing softly
under his breath. 
 
And he was stunning.
 
Jared had thought that maybe his mind had exaggerated Jensen’s beauty, painted
him as some almost ethereal creature, simply because Jared couldn’t have him. 
But looking at Jensen now, Jared realised that his mind hadn’t lied, hadn’t
exaggerated a single thing about the boy; he really was as breathtakingly
perfect as Jared remembered, and Jared couldn’t help but stare at him in
wonder. 
 
He must’ve made some sort of noise because just as Jensen pulled open the
wardrobe door, he glanced over his shoulder at the bed; the boy startled when
he saw Jared sitting there and quickly grabbed a shirt to cover himself.  An
adorable blush rose to his cheeks as he stuttered, ‘My Lord, I didn’t
expect...I mean, Miss Cohen didn’t say you required my services this evening.’
 
Jared raised his hands in what he hoped was an unthreatening gesture as he
replied, ‘I don’t, Jensen; I just came to see if you were alright.  Miss Cohen
doesn’t even know I’m here; your friend Danneel let me in.’
 
Jensen was silent long enough for Jared to think that he might’ve said the
wrong thing, but before he could try to explain himself better, the boy asked
in a hushed voice, ‘You just came to see if I was okay?’  Jared nodded.  ‘You
didn’t come here for sex or a dance or anything like that?’  Jared shook his
head.  Jensen let out a disbelieving laugh, his lips curving up into a genuine
smile, ‘Are you even real?  Are you sure I didn’t just dream you up or
something?’
 
Jared patted his chest once.  ‘Feels real to me,’ he said with a grin.
 
Jensen’s smile changed then, becoming softer, more intimate, as he crossed the
room to the bed.  He stopped right in front of Jared and placed his hand on
Jared’s chest, right over his heart.  ‘You feel pretty real to me too,’ Jensen
said, his voice low and his eyes heated.  The boy’s hand moved to the buttons
of Jared’s shirt, his deft fingers flicking them open one by one. 
 
Jared grabbed Jensen’s wrist the moment he realised what the boy was doing,
what he was offering, because while Jared wanted that more than anything, he
wasn’t going to take it when Jensen was only doing it as some sort of screwed
up payment for his kindness.  If Jensen didn’t want this, then Jared didn’t
want it either.  ‘No, you don’t have to do this, not for me.’
 
‘I know.’  Jensen dropped the shirt he’d been using to cover himself and
climbed gracefully onto Jared’s lap.  ‘And that’s why I want to.  No one has
ever given me the choice before; no one has ever treated me as anything but a
whore.  But you…you’re different, and, even if I only get to have this once,
please let me have it with you.’
 
Jared looked up at the naked boy in his lap, at his pleading green eyes blown
almost black with lust, ‘God yes, Jensen; of course, anything you want.’ 
 
Jensen immediately reached into Jared’s lap, working the fly of his pants open
and delving into Jared’s underwear to pull his cock free.  He was already hard,
had been since he’d sat down on the bed, the thought of Jensen in the bath more
than enough to have him straining in his undergarments. 
 
Jensen pushed off Jared’s lap then and crawled across the bed to grab something
from the top of the nightstand, inadvertently giving Jared a most enticing view
of his round, pert ass.  Jared closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he
tried not to come from that sight alone.  It was difficult to say the least. 
He opened his eyes again just in time to see Jensen climb back onto his lap and
settle comfortably on his thighs. 
 
‘Is this hard for you, my Lord?’ the boy asked lightly, a playful grin on his
beautiful face as he bounced once on Jared’s lap and, just like that, Jared’s
control broke; he reached up, wrapped a hand around Jensen’s neck and pulled
him down into a kiss.  Jensen gasped against Jared’s mouth, clearly surprised
by the move, and Jared couldn’t deny the smug satisfaction he felt at that; for
once, he wasn’t the one left feeling off balance by all this.    
 
When they finally parted, Jared kept Jensen close, their foreheads resting
against one another as he whispered against the boy’s lips, ‘You have no idea.’
 
Jensen laughed, the sound light and carefree in a way that Jared was sure
Jensen rarely was, ‘I think I have some idea, Sir.’
 
Jared’s witty retort got stuck in his throat as Jensen rose up on his knees,
dipped his fingers in the bottle from the nightstand and reached behind
himself.  The way Jensen’s breath hitched as his fingers breached his body was,
without a doubt, the sexiest thing Jared had ever heard and he was sure that it
would feature as the soundtrack to many of his solo fantasies for years to
come. 
 
Jared dropped his hands to Jensen’s hips as he watched the boy work himself
open, his eyes transfixed by the erotic mix of pleasure and pain playing out on
the boy’s face.  It was addictive and mesmerising and Jared wasn’t sure that he
would be able to look away even if he wanted to; it was as though Jensen had
cast a spell on him, and now the only thing Jared could think about was the boy
seated on his lap.
 
Jared wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Jensen finally removed his
fingers from his ass and curled them around Jared’s cock.  His chest felt
tight, anticipation and excitement and desperation all warring for dominance,
as the boy swept his oiled fingers down his hardened shaft once and lined it up
with his slick, open hole.
 
But before Jensen could slide down, before the boy could take him inside, there
was one last thing Jared that had to do; he tightened his grip on Jensen’s hips
and stilled the boy’s movements.  Jensen looked at him questioningly and Jared
was sure that he saw a hint of fear in the boy’s eyes, ‘Are you sure?  Are you
sure you want this and that you’re not just doing it because I want to?’
 
The fear melted away at his words, replaced by something warm and almost
reverent as Jensen replied, ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my
life.’  And with that, the boy rocked down onto Jared’s erection, gasping a
little at the sudden stretch but not stopping until he was sat back on Jared’s
lap with his face pressed into Jared’s neck.
 
Jared closed his eyes, trying to get himself back under control; the tight,
warm heat of the boy’s body was almost enough to push him to completion before
they’d even started.  They stayed like that for several moments; their bodies
pressed tightly together as they each adjusted to the feel of the other. 
 
It was Jensen who eventually broke the silence, whispering a hushed curse into
Jared’s skin.
 
‘Are you okay?’   Jared asked, wrapping his arms up around Jensen to hold him
close.  He could feel the boy shaking, his whole body vibrating against
Jared’s, and Jared wasn’t sure what to do.  If Jensen needed to, they’d stop
this right then…Jared would do whatever Jensen wanted, whatever he needed to
feel safe.
 
The silence continued, and Jared was just about to lift Jensen off his lap and
call the whole thing off when the boy breathed against his neck, ‘Yes.  It’s
just…it’s never felt like this…it’s just I…’ he paused, swallowing loud enough
for Jared to hear, ‘I feel whole for the first time since I came here…for the
first time in years.’
 
Jared smiled as he realised that Jensen wasn’t afraid, that he wasn’t in pain;
he was just overwhelmed and Jared could more than relate.  He tightened his
arms around the boy as he replied, ‘I know exactly what you mean.’  It was
true; Jared had been drifting for years, always feeling like something in his
life was missing; he’d just never imagined he’d find that something living in a
downtrodden brothel ten miles from his childhood home. 
 
But he was glad that he had because Jensen was right; Jared did feel whole,
complete, in a way that he never had before.  This was what he’d spent his
entire life searching for and, now that he’d found it, he never intended to let
it go.
 
Jensen pulled back then, sitting up straight in Jared’s lap; the boy’s face was
flushed and his eyes were bright and he was so fucking beautiful, it almost
hurt to look at him.  Jared’s hands stayed loosely curled around Jensen’s hips
as the boy rose up, his eyes staring into Jared’s, and dropped back down. 
Jared couldn’t bite back the groan that slipped past his lips as Jensen’s ass
slapped against thighs, couldn’t help the way his fingers tightened on the pale
skin of the boy’s hips as he urged him up again. 
 
Jensen found his rhythm after that; slowly sliding up and down Jared’s cock
with his plush bottom lip caught between his teeth and his eyes still boring
into Jared’s.  The image of Jensen riding him, of that tight, lithe body
bouncing in his lap, was one that Jared knew would be burned into his mind
until the day he died. 
 
The flush on the boy’s cheeks had deepened and his body was covered in a light
sheen of sweat as he changed the angle of his descent slightly.  Jared knew the
instant Jensen found that special place inside him; the boy’s eyes all but
rolled back in his head and his hand shot up to grip Jared’s shoulder tight
enough to bruise. 
 
Jensen increased the speed of his hips, keeping them at that new angle, as he
rocked his body down faster and faster and Jared was all but lost in a sea of
lust and arousal and perfect, perfect heat.  He couldn’t help the way he pushed
at Jensen’s hips as the boy lifted up or the way he slammed the boy back down
onto his cock; couldn’t help it when every time Jensen sank down now, every
time Jared pounded into that pleasurable spot, he let out this breathless
little gasp.  A breathless little gasp that Jared needed to hear more than he
needed air right then.  
 
All too soon, Jared felt heat pooling low in his stomach and he knew that he
wasn’t going to last much longer.  It didn’t matter though, because from the
way Jensen’s eyes fluttered every time he sank down, from the desperation
colouring his every movement, Jared could tell the boy was close as well. 
 
So the next time Jensen rocked down onto him, Jared seized the boy’s face and
crashed their lips together.  Jensen came with a cry, the sound muffled by
Jared’s mouth, and coated their stomachs with his release.  And that, that
quiet sound of pleasure, coupled with the tight, clutching heat of the boy’s
channel was enough to send Jared tumbling over the edge as well.
 
It took a moment for Jared to come down back down to earth after that, not
unsurprisingly since he didn’t think he’d ever come so hard in his life, but
once he had, he lifted Jensen’s sweaty body off his own and laid him down on
the bed.  Jared then took a moment to shove the messy sheets aside before
stretching out next to him, his head propped up on his hand at he looked at the
boy.
 
‘That’s the first time I’ve ever done that because I wanted to,’ Jensen
whispered, his words laced with wonder as he stared into Jared’s eyes. 
 
Jared reached out and to cup Jensen’s cheek, ‘I’m sorry; this is not the way
your life should’ve played out.’  He kissed Jensen chastely on the forehead, ‘I
wish this had been your first time; that your first intimate experience with
someone else happened because you wanted it and not because someone made you do
it.’  Jensen’s eyes dropped then, his dark lashes fanning over his cheeks, and
it wasn’t long before a tear slipped down the boy’s face.  Jared brushed it
away with a gentle swipe of his thumb, ‘If I could turn back the clock, baby, I
would.’
 
Jensen sniffed once before taking hold of Jared’s hand and pulling it to his
chest; the boy looked up at him then, his eyes wet, ‘I know you would but that
isn’t possib…’
 
Jensen was interrupted by the door slamming open and Danneel rushing inside,
‘Jen, Lord Weatherly will be here any minute; you need to get ready.’  She
sounded panicked and looked even worse; from the way Jensen paled at the
reminder, Jared couldn’t blame her.  ‘You need to leave now, Jared,’ her eyes
darted nervously to the door, ‘I’ll take you out the back way again; no one
need know you were ever here.’   
 
But suddenly, Jared didn’t want to leave; he didn’t want to leave Jensen with
that bastard…didn’t want to leave Jensen, period.  ‘No, I’m not leaving,’ he
said as he sat up in the bed, ‘I’m not leaving without Jensen.’  Danneel’s eyes
widened but Jared ignored her in favour of turning to the boy next to him, ‘I
want you to come with me.’
 
Jensen shook his head, his face angled away from Jared as he moved to get out
of the bed, ‘I can’t.’
 
‘You can; I’ll take care of you, I promise,’ Jared insisted, following Jensen
out of the bed in spite of his nudity; he had more important things to worry
about right then than his modesty. 
 
‘No, I can’t,’ Jensen repeated, still with his back to Jared.  ‘I can’t explain
it right now but I need you to go; I need you leave, Jared.’  Jared’s mouth
dropped open in shock; what was Jensen talking about?  He was just about to
protest, to say that under no circumstances was he going to leave, when the boy
turned to him, his eyes wide and desperate, and whispered, ‘Please, do this for
me; if you truly care for me, you’ll do this.’
 
Jared’s shoulders slumped; he did care for Jensen and if this was really what
the boy wanted, then Jared would obey.  He wasn’t happy about it and it didn’t
mean that he wouldn’t be back the very next day to demand an explanation for
all this.   Whatever it was, whatever reason Jensen thought he couldn’t leave
here, Jared was sure he could sort it out.
 
Mind made up, Jared strode across the room and pulled the boy into a kiss;
Jensen pressed his body close and Jared deepened the kiss, desperate to leave a
part of himself with Jensen even after he was gone.  Even after the boy gave
himself to Lord Weatherly.  He cupped Jensen’s cheek, the gesture meant to be
both possessive and comforting, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow.’
 
Jensen nodded but he wouldn’t meet Jared’s eyes and Jared just knew what the
boy was thinking; he was thinking that Jared wouldn’t return, that he’d gotten
what he wanted and now he was done.  Well, the boy couldn’t have been more
wrong and Jared was going to prove it to him.  ‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ he
repeated firmly, pressing another kiss to Jensen’s lips.  With that, he
released the boy and turned to follow Danneel out the door.
 
Just one day and he’d be back; just one day and then he’d take Jensen away from
all this and the boy would never have to be afraid again.
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Seven. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N1: Sorry for the wait; I have no excuse except that RL has been a
     bit crazy this week. I really hope the update is worth it (probably
     not but never mind)…here it is!
      
     A/N2: This chapter is a bit graphic so if you’re squeamish, please,
     please, check the warnings first! xx
Chapter_Seven.
 
Jensen sat on the edge of his bed, freshly washed and dressed only in the green
silken robe Lord Weatherly had given him for his sixteenth birthday.  He knew
the man liked to see him wearing it, and Jensen hoped that that would be enough
to make the Lord forget about the other night. 
 
His skin tingled slightly from where he’d quickly washed himself in the
bathroom; from where he’d scrubbed the smell of Jared from his body and the
tear tracks from his face. 
 
Jensen had wanted so badly to take Jared up on his offer, to run away with him
and never look back…but he couldn’t, not while Miss Cohen still held the
contact over him.  The Madam had made it abundantly clear the pain she’d rain
down on Jensen’s family if he even thought about running away a second time…so
no matter how much he might want to leave, it just wasn’t going to happen.
 
Jensen had long ago accepted that his life wasn’t some fairy tale; he’d
accepted that Prince Charming wasn’t coming to rescue him.  And, Jared, well,
he had all the makings of the Prince Charming Jensen had always dreamed of but
didn’t deserve.  Heroes don’t rescue people like him, heroes don’t rescue
people who don’t deserve to be saved, and it was only a matter of time before
Jared saw Jensen for what he really was - a damaged, sullied whore not worth a
damn – and abandoned him.  Hell, he probably already had; Jared must’ve
realised it by now, he must’ve realised that Jensen didn’t deserve his help. 
Yes, Jared was gone and he wasn’t coming back.
 
And, honestly, Jensen couldn’t blame him. 
 
Jensen took a deep breath, blinking the fresh tears away, and sat up straight
on the bed.  Even if it hadn’t been real, even if Jensen hadn’t found that
soul-defining love all the books wrote about, that didn’t mean he couldn’t keep
the fantasy, the dream of Jared, in his head.  Keep it with him in a way that
he couldn’t keep the man himself.
 
He scrubbed a hand down his face, hoping Lord Weatherly wouldn’t notice the
freshness of the marks on his skin; when the man booked him, no-one else was
allowed to touch Jensen that night. 
 
Jensen tried to keep his breathing steady as he heard the man’s heavy footsteps
on the staircase and he was doing a pretty good job of it, right up until the
door opened and Lord Weatherly strode into room. 
 
The man looked angry, his mouth set in a tight line and his expression grim,
but Jensen had been right; no-one could’ve missed the flash of possessive heat
in the Lord’s eyes when he’d caught sight of the robe.  The man crossed the
room in three long strides, grabbed Jensen by the arm and dragged him to his
feet.  Jensen hesitated for a moment, unsure as to what the man wanted, before
sliding slowly to his knees.
 
A strong hand shot out and gripped his arm to stop his descent, however, and
Lord Weatherly hauled him over to the side of the bed.   The world tilted on
its axis as Jensen was manhandled onto the man’s lap, his stomach lying on the
Lord’s thighs and his feet barely touching the ground.  Jensen just about
stopped himself before he tried to push up and away; if this was what the Lord
wanted, then Jensen would obey.  It would only be worse if he didn’t.  So he
settled into position, despite every instinct in his body yelling at him to
run. 
 
His stomach churned nervously as he forced himself to stay still, to lie
submissively over the man’s lap.  They’d never done this before and Jensen
didn’t like the idea of the Lord trying anything new when he was so angry; the
man’s games were sadistic enough without adding his obvious fury to the mix.  
 
Jensen heard the door open and he tried to look over his shoulder to see who it
was, but Lord Weatherly dropped a hand onto the back of his neck and held him
down.  ‘Now, Jenny, before we start anything tonight, I need to get something
straight with you.  I know what happened last time wasn’t completely your
fault, but you have to understand that I can’t let it happen again.’  Jensen
tensed in the man’s hold, his shoulders bunching and his hands curling into
fists…he really didn’t like the sound of that.  Lord Weatherly stroked what was
probably meant to be a soothing hand down his spine but the touch was nothing
but chilling to Jensen.  ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ve found a way to make
sure that no-one ever forgets who you belong to again.’
 
Wait, what? 
 
Jensen might be a whore but he didn’t belong to Lord Weatherly; if anything, he
belonged to Miss Cohen and that was only until he turned twenty one.  Jensen
tried to get up then; something really wasn’t right…he…he had to put a stop to
this. 
 
‘Stay down, whore,’ the Lord hissed; the touch that had been loving turned
cruel as the man’s hand pressed down into the centre of his back, pinning him
over the Lord’s lap.  No matter how much he struggled, Jensen couldn’t get any
leverage to push up; he couldn’t even get his damn feet to touch the ground,
not perched over the man’s lap like he was.  ‘Right, Paul, can you get that
ready for me please.’  Jensen felt something cool wipe over his shoulder and he
tried to pull away again; what the hell was going on?  ‘Thank you, you can
leave now; I’ll call you when it’s done.’           
 
When what was done?
 
Jensen didn’t have long to wonder, though, because not a moment later,
something burning hot was pressed against the skin of his shoulder.  He cried
out, squirming in Lord Weatherly’s lap…trying to get away from the searing
pain.  Immediately, something rough covered his mouth and nose, something sweet
smelling that made his head spin; Jensen tried to turn away, tried to breathe,
but Lord Weatherly’s hand just followed him. 
 
Long, painful minutes passed and Jensen’s eyes grew heavy, his limbs stopped
obeying his commands and sagged lifeless at his sides.  Barely conscious,
Jensen only just caught the ‘Perfect’ whispered above him before he slipped
into darkness. 
 
****
 
When Jensen woke up again, he was lying on his stomach with his arms stretched
out in front of him.  His head felt heavy where it was pressed into his pillow
and he had to blink several times to clear his vision.
 
When he could finally see, though, Jensen almost wished that he could go back
to sleep; his wrists were tied to the frame of his bed, and the dull,
scratching pain he felt around his ankles told him that his legs were similarly
bound.  He was splayed out like a pinned butterfly on a board…exposed; trapped;
vulnerable.  
 
Panic coursed through Jensen’s veins, burning away the last remnants of the
drug from his system and leaving him wide awake and alert.  He needed to get
free, right now…
 
The moment he pulled at the bounds, though, searing pain shot down his arm and
back, so intense that he almost passed out again.  Body shaking, Jensen craned
his neck round to look at his shoulder; he promptly tore his face away again
the moment he caught sight of the angry red and black ‘W’ marring his skin.  It
was…it was a brand.  Lord Weatherly’s fucking initial burned into his
skin…forever. 
 
Jensen resumed his struggles, ignoring the pain slicing through his skin; he
needed to get away, he needed…‘Calm down, Jenny; you’re not going anywhere. 
Now that I’ve taken care of that little problem, we need to deal with your
punishment.’
 
Punishment?  Burning his flesh hadn’t been punishment enough? 
 
Jensen was still reeling from the sight of the brand on his shoulder when the
first strike fell across his back; he couldn’t swallow down the pained cry that
escaped him as the man’s belt buckle dug deeply into his skin.  By the forth
strike, Jensen could feel blood trickling down his sides onto the bed sheets. 
Tears blurred his vision, falling thick and fast down his cheeks; he couldn’t
breathe, he couldn’t think…he felt like he was dying. 
 
And for the first time in his life, Jensen prayed for Death to take him.
 
NEXT.
 
***** Chapter Eight. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: Another pathetically short chapter – I know how irritating that
     is. :-S I promise to try and get the next bit up today.
Chapter_Eight.
 
Jared pulled the lapels of his jacket up higher around his neck; half against
the cold, half to obscure his face.  He knew he shouldn’t be back here; if
anyone saw him, he’d be ruined…he’d lose everything. 
 
But none of that mattered because Jared had made a promise; he’d made a promise
to a sad, beautiful boy and come Hell or high water, Jared was going to keep
it.
 
Before the brothel door had even closed behind him, Jared’s eyes were searching
the room for Jensen.  He frowned when he realised the boy wasn’t there…that
left only one place for Jensen to be.  His eyes drifted to the stairs leading
to the rooms upstairs and his jaw tightened; someone was with Jensen, someone
who wasn’t him. 
 
Jared knew it was crazy to be so caught up in someone he barely knew, but,
honestly, he couldn’t help it; there was just something about the boy that
called to him.  He’d never felt like this about anyone, never had such an
overwhelming urge to protect and care for another human being in his life. 
 
‘Back again, Lord Winchester?’  Jared startled at the words and turned to find
the formidable Miss Cohen standing next to him. 
 
‘It appears so,’ he replied curtly, his tone barely civil.  If there was
someone to blame for Jensen’s defilement, it was the tiny woman standing next
to him, and Jared would never forget that.  Nor forgive it.  ‘Is Jensen here?’
he asked mildly, aiming for nonchalance despite his eagerness to see the boy;
he didn’t particularly want to alert the Madam to the depth of his feelings for
Jensen, especially not when his bank account was still reeling from the hit it
had taken last week.
 
‘He’s unavailable tonight, Sir.  Maybe I could find someone else for you; Sandy
is one of my most popular girls,’ the woman nodded towards one of the girls
behind the bar.  When Jared didn’t even turn his head to look, Miss Cohen
added, ‘Or Katie, she’s very experienced and…’
 
‘No,’ Jared cut her off, his voice pitched low, barely more than a growl.  ‘I
only want to see Jensen.’
 
The Madam’s eyes narrowed, ‘Well, as I’ve already told you, Lord Winchester,
Jensen is unavailable for the night.’  She took his arm and led him to a chair,
‘Why not have a drink and see if my girls can’t change your mind?’  With that,
she pushed him down into the chair and a moment later, a glass of neat whisky
was set on the table in front of him. 
 
Jared didn’t want the drink, but he downed the liquor anyway in the hope that
it would calm the bitter jealousy churning in his gut.  It didn’t. 
 
As he looked around the room, his eyes fell on a familiar face, Danneel, and he
subtly nodded to the girl.  She brought him over another glass of whisky, but
instead of placing it on the table like a normal serving girl would, she
pressed the glass into his hand and leaned in close, ‘He’s not in with
anyone.’  Jared frowned in confusion, ‘Jensen.  He’s not in with anyone.  Lord
Weatherly came to see him last night after you left and…’ Jared heard her
swallow, ‘he’s hurt.  It must be bad; Miss Cohen never lets us have a night off
unless it’s really serious and…and we could all hear him.’ 
 
Jared could hear the tears in her voice as she pleaded, ‘Get him away from
here; take him away with you.  Please, before it’s too late.’  She pulled away
then, shooting a furtive look around the room.  Jared couldn’t fault her for
being nervous; he was pretty sure Miss Cohen wouldn’t appreciate Danneel
telling him all that, and he was terribly grateful that she’d taken the risk
for him…for Jensen.  Before Danneel could walk away, Jared grabbed her hand and
squeezed it tightly, hoping she understood what her help meant to him. 
 
He quickly drained his second glass of whisky, placed enough money down on the
table to pay for the two drinks, and made his way to the door.  Jensen was hurt
and Jared was going to take care of him, whether Miss Cohen liked it or not.
 
NEXT.
 
***** Chapter Nine. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: This chapter’s a little longer and I hope it’s what you guys
     have been waiting for! Lol, I had to check when light bulbs became
     common in households…this is why historical fics are so interesting
     to write! FYI, they apparently didn’t become common until the 1900s
     so that’s why Jensen’s room doesn’t have any…God, that was probably
     really boring but never mind…here’s the chapter…
Chapter_Nine.
 
Jared finally managed to haul himself up onto the balcony, his arms aching with
the exertion; it had been a long time since he’d last scaled a drainpipe, and
he’d grown an awful lot since then.  Once he was upright again, Jared quickly
made sure that no-one had seen him before he opened the glass door to Jensen’s
room and slipped inside. 
 
The room was dark and cold, easily as chilled as the night outside, and Jared
couldn’t help but wonder if the lack of a fire was some sort of sick punishment
for Jensen’s inability to work that night.  Of course, the boy could’ve simply
fallen asleep before he’d had the chance to light it, but from what little
Jared knew of the woman downstairs, he had a sinking feeling that that wasn’t
the case. 
 
Jared made his way over to the fireplace and took out a box of matches from his
pocket; it took a moment for the wood to catch light, but soon the room was
filled with a dull amber glow.  Jared then used the newly kindled fire to light
the candles dotted around the room until he could see as clearly as he’d been
able to the other night.  Although, once he caught sight of Jensen, he almost
wanted to snuff all the candles out again. 
 
The boy was lying face down on the bed, his body completely bare and his hands
and feet tied to the metal frame.  The image was most definitely something that
that would haunt Jared till the end of his days, but it wasn’t what had his
stomach rebelling and almost sending his dinner back up.  No, it was the angry
lash marks scoring the boy’s back, the raw, blackened skin on his shoulder, the
blood staining Jensen’s once white sheets that had Jared shaking with horror. 
He leaned in closer, almost gagging at the acrid smell of burnt flesh…
 
Jared quickly covered his mouth in shock when he saw the ornate ‘W’ etched into
the boy’s skin.  Oh my god…
 
Jensen shivered beneath Jared’s gaze, and it was only then that Jared noticed
how flushed Jensen’s skin was under his injuries. 
 
‘Jen?’ Jared whispered as he took a step forwards and laid a hand on the back
of the boy’s neck; the skin was blisteringly hot to the touch…fuck, Jensen was
burning up.  Jared bent down to take a closer look at the…the brand on Jensen’s
shoulder, his jaw clenching almost painfully at the sight of the red, swollen
skin.  Jared didn’t have a lot of experience with things like this, but he knew
infection when he saw it.  He quickly walked round to the other side of the bed
so that he could see Jensen’s face; it was half hidden in his pillow, but, even
so, there was no way Jared that could’ve missed the sickly flush on the boy’s
cheeks or the sweat beading on his brow. 
 
God, how long had Jensen been like this? 
 
‘Jen?’ Jared said again, reaching out this time to brush his thumb across the
boy’s damp cheek.  Jensen’s eyes slowly flickered open, glazed and unfocused as
they stared up at Jared.  ‘Hey there, it’s me, it’s Jared.’
 
Jared could’ve sworn he saw a smile tug at Jensen’s lips then.  ‘You…you came
back,’ Jensen whispered, his words heavily slurred by the fever, ‘My…angel.’
 
Jared’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest; if anyone deserved an angel, it
was Jensen…he just didn’t think he was up to the challenge.  If he had been,
then this would never have happened; he wouldn’t have let it. 
 
Jared took a deep breath, now wasn’t the time to think about that; he could
beat himself up later but right now, Jensen needed his help, ‘Yeah, I came back
and I’m going to take care of you, alright?  It’s going to be okay.’  Jensen
nodded sleepily at him, burying his face further into the pillow.  
 
Obviously, the first thing Jared needed to do was untie the boy, so he reached
over and undid the knots binding Jensen to the bed.  His jaw clenched as he
pulled the rope away to reveal the torn, abraded skin around Jensen’s wrists
and ankles.  The boy had clearly fought against the ropes, against his captor,
and it hadn’t meant a damn thing because no-one had come to help him; they’d
just left him here with that…that animal.
 
Jared ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down enough so
that he could work out what he needed to do next.  He remembered one of the
family maids burning her hand pretty badly when he was a kid; if memory served,
the cook had cleaned the wound thoroughly with water from the kitchen before
bandaging it up and sending the girl on her way.  Well, that’s where he’d start
anyway; once the burn was taken care of, then Jared could try and do something
about the boy’s fever and the lash marks on his back. 
 
‘Okay, right…so…water,’ Jared nodded to himself, picking up an empty whisky
glass from the bedside table and striding towards the bathroom.  He washed the
glass out several times in the small basin before filling it to the brim with
cold water.  Now, Jared just needed something to actually clean the burn with. 
He looked around the bathroom but the only thing remotely suitable was the
small, dirty towel lying on the floor next to the tub.  However, it was obvious
that the towel hadn’t been laundered in quite some time, if ever, and there was
no way that Jared was putting that anywhere near Jensen’s wound. 
 
Seeing no other option, Jared took off his jacket and placed it over the edge
of the tub.  He then proceeded to rip off the sleeve of his shirt; it was
nowhere near clean enough for this, but it was certainly better than the dirty
rag Jensen apparently used as a towel.
 
Jared rinsed the cotton under the tap, trying to make it as clean as possible,
before he grabbed the glass of water and returned to the bedroom.  Jensen was
exactly where he’d left him, his arms and legs still splayed across the bed,
and it didn’t take a genius to work out why Lord Weatherly had tied the boy
down like that.  Jared shook his head in an effort to clear away the violent,
disgusting images that bombarded his brain; he needed to focus, and thinking
about Lord Weatherly wasn’t going to help that at all…he could beat the bastard
bloody once Jensen was better.
 
Jared took a seat on the bed next to Jensen’s branded shoulder.  ‘Jensen, this
is probably going to hurt; I’m sorry, but I need to do it, okay,’ he explained
quietly as he dipped the cotton into the water.  Jared then placed the cloth
gently on the swollen wound; he heard a sharp intake of breath from Jensen, and
the boy instantly tried to move away.  But Jared didn’t let him; he placed a
tender but restraining hand on Jensen’s unharmed shoulder and held him still. 
‘Shhh, this’ll be over soon then it’ll feel better, I promise.’
 
Jensen didn’t say anything in response, but he didn’t try to pull away again
when Jared began to wipe at the dried blood and pus on his shoulder. 
 
By the time Jared had finished, Jensen was shaking with more than just his
fever; tiny sobs shook his thin frame and Jared hadn’t even started on his back
yet.  Jared placed a gentle hand on Jensen’s neck, rubbing his thumb across the
smooth skin, ‘Well done, Jen, you did great.  I just need to clean up your back
now.’  Jensen shook his head weakly from side to side, the movement barely
there, but Jared understood what he meant - Jensen had had enough.  Jared
swallowed painfully, his throat tight as he added, ‘I have to, baby,’ or you
might die.  And that just was not an option. 
 
Jared stood up to get a clean glass of water from the bathroom; honestly, it
was more to give Jensen a few minutes of peace before he started again, than
because the water was actually dirty.  When he returned, Jared ripped another
piece of cloth from his shirt, sat back down and began to gently drag the
cotton across the wounds.  ‘You know, I didn’t even mean to come in here that
first night; I was lost and I thought this was an inn.  Then I saw Lord
Weatherly hit you and something inside me, I don’t know, it just…snapped and I
couldn’t let him have you.  I just wanted to protect you…I want to protect
you.’  Jensen flinched when the cloth swept over a particularly deep cut, and
Jared stroked a comforting hand through the boy’s hair once before continuing. 
‘I know that’s strange; I hardly even know you, and you definitely don’t know
me, but…but something changed for me that night and I just…I’m so sorry I
wasn’t here for you this time.  But I promise I’ll get you out of here, Jen, I
promise.’ 
 
No matter what it took or what it cost him, Jared was going to save Jensen, if
it was the last thing he did.
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Ten. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: I’m so sorry this is so late…I’ve been working on a spn_kinkmeme
     fill this week and it got a little away from me. Sorry. Hope this is
     worth the stupidly long wait! :-S xx
Chapter_Ten.
 
Jensen woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door.  Loudly.  He blinked
his eyes open and groaned in discomfort; his head was pounding and his body
ached everywhere.  God, it felt like he’d been trampled by a stampede...twice. 
 
Jensen swallowed, wincing at his sore throat, and fumbled for the glass of
water on his nightstand.  He didn’t remember putting it there; Miss Cohen
must’ve done it for him after Lord Weatherly had left.  The kind gesture was
completely out of character for the Madam, of course, but Jensen wasn’t going
to complain.  And he certainly wasn’t going to complain about the fire he could
hear the crackling away in the corner…maybe Miss Cohen had taken pity on him
for once? 
 
There was another knock and Jensen made to get up to answer it; his body had
barely even left the mattress when blinding pain sliced across his back and
forced him back onto the bed, heaving in deep, shuddering breaths as he lay
back down.  Jensen looked over his shoulder to try to assess the damage Lord
Weatherly had done to him, and almost fell off the bed in surprise.
 
On the other side of the bed was Jared.  Asleep next to him.  Hazy memories
from the night before came back to him as Jensen stared at the man in
disbelief…Jared cleaning his wounds, stroking his face, placing a cool cloth on
his forehead. 
 
‘Open the damn door, Jensen, or I’ll have Mark break it down.’
 
Crap.  Ignoring the pain in his back, Jensen turned over and shook Jared
roughly, ‘Wake up, Jared, you need to go; they can’t find you here!’
 
‘Wha…?’  Jared looked up at him, still half asleep, and Jensen tried not to get
distracted by how good the man looked in the soft light shining through the
window.
 
‘You need to leave,’ Jensen hissed, pushing at the older man’s shoulder.  Jared
couldn’t be found in here; Miss Cohen would have him arrested for trespassing
and Jared would get into trouble and his family would find out that he’d spent
the night with a whore and…
 
‘Jensen!’ 
 
That shrill shout seemed to wake Jared up completely and the man sprung up from
the bed as if it were on fire; unfortunately, though, he didn’t make his way to
balcony like Jensen had hoped, no, Jared just winked at him and jumped into the
wardrobe. 
 
Realising that there wasn’t time now to get Jared out of the room before Miss
Cohen broke down his door, Jensen forced himself to get up and see what the
woman wanted.  Miss Cohen’s angry glare met him on the other side of the wood,
and Jensen wanted nothing more than to slam the door back in her face after
what she’d let Lord Weatherly do to him.  ‘So you are still alive then?’
 
‘No thanks to you,’ he snapped, instantly regretting it when her hand landed on
his cheek with a painful slap. 
 
‘Don’t you back talk to me, boy; remember who keeps a roof over your sorry ass,
remember who keeps you fed.’  Jensen bit back the multitude of unkind things he
could say about her ‘hospitality’; he needed her gone as soon as possible so he
could get rid of Jared before anyone found out that the older man was there -
mouthing off at her certainly wasn’t going to help with that.  ‘You lit the
fire?’  She levelled him with a look that bordered on wrathful, ‘Who said you
could light the fire?’
 
‘I don’t…I didn’t…’ shit, shit, shit, ‘Lord Weatherly…he must’ve lit it to heat
up the irons.’  Jensen felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of the brand
on his shoulder, the mark he’d wear for the rest of his goddamn life.  He just
about managed to swallow it back down before he added, ‘I fell asleep
after…after he left.  I’ll put it out now.’ 
 
He turned to walk towards the hearth, ignoring the pounding in his head and the
fire that was already eating its way across his back.  Before he’d taken more
than two steps, though, Miss Cohen grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him
back.  He wobbled slightly, fighting the urge to pass out as she twisted his
throbbing shoulder to get a look at the brand, ‘Huh, it’s bigger than I thought
it would be; should’ve charged him more.’
 
Or maybe you shouldn’t have let him fucking burn it into my shoulder at all. 
Jensen only just about kept the angry words from spilling out of his mouth;
they were dangerous and he’d already given Miss Cohen enough back chat for
today.  ‘Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Cohen?’  He asked,
trying not to squirm as her nails dug into the sensitive skin around the
brand.  He was already starting to feel lightheaded and he needed to get Jared
out of there before he passed out again.       
      
‘I’m just here to tell you that Lord Weatherly wanted to see you again
tonight.’  Jensen felt all the blood run from his face; he really couldn’t
handle another session with the Lord so soon after the last one…physically or
mentally.  ‘But I told him that you were still recovering and booked an
appointment for tomorrow evening instead.  Make sure you’re better by then.’ 
With that, the Madam turned and disappeared down the corridor.
 
Jensen closed the door behind her in disbelief; had Miss Cohen really just
implied that this was his fault? 
 
A wave of nausea washed over him then and he had to grab the door knob to keep
from falling; he closed his eyes and took deep breaths until he felt steady
enough to let go again.  His back felt raw, flayed, and the burn on his
shoulder…well, Jensen could hardly even bring himself to think about that.
 
‘Jensen.’ 
 
Jensen startled at the deep voice and let his forehead fall against the cool
wood. ‘You need to go, Jared, you can’t be found here,’ he said quietly,
suddenly feeling so very, very tired. 
 
He felt Jared step up behind him, the man close enough that his breath ghosted
across Jensen’s neck, ‘I am going now.’  Jensen’s stomach dropped in
disappointment even though he’d told Jared to go, even though it was for the
best, because a part of him, a very large part of him, wanted to beg Jared to
stay…wanted everything Jared had said to him last night to be true.  ‘And
you’re coming with me.’
 
Jensen blinked in surprise because he couldn’t possibly have heard that right,
‘What?’
 
‘I’m leaving and you’re coming with me,’ Jared repeated simply, turning Jensen
round so they were facing each other.  Jared’s large hand came up to cup his
cheek, and it took everything in Jensen not to lean into the touch because, as
truly wonderful as that sounded, he already knew he couldn’t have it.  And it
was breaking his heart.  ‘I’m taking you away from here.’
 
Jensen shook his head, ‘I can’t.’  He pulled away, ignoring the hurt look on
Jared’s face as he did so, ‘You don’t know anything about me, I…I have
responsibilities…I can’t just leave.’
 
‘Why the hell not?  You don’t owe that bitch anything.’   Jared grabbed
Jensen’s arm, careful to avoid the burned skin, ‘Look what she let him do to
you.’
 
Jensen looked down at Jared’s hand on his arm, ‘I know, but…but I have to
stay…my family…’
 
Jared’s eyes widened in horror, ‘Your family?  They’re here too?’
 
Jensen bit his lip; he really didn’t want to tell Jared about the contract,
about his family giving him away.  If even his own mother and father thought he
was all but worthless, why would anyone else think differently?  But looking up
into Jared’s worried gaze, Jensen knew that he had to; otherwise, he was sure
the man would tear through the brothel looking for brothers and sisters who
weren’t there, ‘Miss Cohen...my family owed her money they didn’t have so
they…made a deal.’
 
Jared frowned for a moment before realisation filled his eyes.  ‘Your family
sold you to a whore house?’ he asked in disbelief.  ‘For how much?’
 
‘A hundred pounds,’ Jensen answered, a shamed blush heating his cheeks.  ‘But
it’s not for forever,’ he added quietly, like somehow that made the whole thing
better.
 
Jared’s hand tightened on his arm, ‘How long was it for, Jensen?
 
‘Only until I turn twenty one,’ he replied, his eyes dropping to the floor.
 
Jensen flinched at Jared’s harsh bark of laughter; it was a bitter, angry sound
that didn’t suit the man at all, ‘Only until you turn twenty one.  Right, no
time at all then!  And how old were you when they sold you, Jensen?  Fourteen? 
Fifteen?’
 
‘Eight,’ Jensen whispered, his eyes filling with tears as the familiar rush of
humiliation burned through him the way it always did when he thought about
this.  And this was so much worse; having all of his wretched past laid out in
front of the only man in years who had treated him like a person and not just a
whore. 
 
‘Eight years old?’  Jared asked, his own voice hushed and his face pale. 
Jensen nodded and he felt the first tear run down his cheek.  ‘Oh my god,’ and
then Jensen was being pulled into Jared’s embrace, one large hand settling on
the back of his head where it rested against the Lord’s chest and the other
cradling his hip.  ‘I’m so sorry, Jensen.  I’m so sorry that happened to you.’
 
Jensen stood frozen in Jared’s arms; he didn’t know how to react.  No-one had
ever apologised for what had happened to him, no-one had ever lamented the loss
of his childhood, his innocence.  And it had never felt so good to just be held
by anyone before…he never wanted Jared to let him go. 
 
A loud shout followed by the sound of something breaking outside his room
brought Jensen crashing back to the present.  Back to reality and back to his
life.  And as much as he wanted Jared to be a part of that life, he knew the
man couldn’t ever be; not just because Jensen was bound to Miss Cohen until he
turned 21, but because he and Jared came from two completely different worlds. 
They’d never be able to be together; even if Jared waited three years for
Jensen to be freed, Jensen would still have nothing to offer him. 
 
With that sobering thought, Jensen pulled away, wiping his eyes on the back of
his hands, ‘You really need to go.  Miss Cohen won’t be happy if she finds you
up here.’
 
Jared snorted, ‘Believe me, Jensen, Miss Cohen doesn’t scare me.’
 
Jensen looked up at Jared then, his eyes serious, ‘She should.  She knows a lot
of powerful people, Jared, and you don’t want any of them to know you were
here.  Know why you were here.  She’ll ruin everything for you if you get in
her way.’
 
‘I don’t care,’ Jared said forcefully, stepping towards Jensen again. 
 
But Jensen moved back, staying out of range, ‘You should.  If you were thinking
clearly, you would care.  You could lose everything.  And for what?  Some cheap
whore you’ve known for less than two weeks?’  Jensen shook his head, ‘That’s
crazy.’
 
Jared smiled at him, that warm smile that made Jensen’s insides flutter
alarmingly, ‘Well, then call me crazy because this is what I want.’  When the
man stepped closer this time, Jensen didn’t, couldn’t, pull away.  ‘You’re what
I want.  I can’t explain it but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. 
And it scares the hell out of me, but not because of Miss Cohen and certainly
not because of what my family might think, but because you might say no. 
Because you might ask me to leave and never come back and I would; I’d do
anything you asked of me, Jen.  But…’ Jared took a deep breath, ‘but I hope you
don’t because…because I think I’ve fallen in love with you.’  And before Jensen
could protest or refute the claim, Jared leaned down and kissed him.
 
Jensen didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to think; how was it possible
that this wonderful, perfect man wanted him?  How could Jared see past
everything?  See past all the damaged, broken parts of Jensen and see anything
worth loving?  ‘You love me?’  Jensen whispered as soon as Jared pulled away,
his voice shaking.
 
Jared smiled, cupping Jensen’s face in his hands, ‘I do.’  The older man
pressed a kiss to Jensen’s forehead; a sweet, protective gesture that made
Jensen’s heart skip a beat in his chest.  ‘And I meant what I said; I’m going
to take you away from here.’  Jensen shook his head, ready to argue again; his
family…he couldn’t leave until their debt was paid, but Jared just held up his
hand, ‘I’ll buy your contract from Miss Cohen; I’ll pay off your family’s
debt.  Trust me, she’ll be more than happy with the offer I’m going to make
her, and then she’ll have no reason to go after your family.’
 
Jensen stared up at Jared in shock, ‘I…I…’ don’t know what to say; I don’t know
how to thank you.
 
‘I love you too.’  It was all Jensen could come up with, and he hoped that
Jared understood what it meant for him to say those words.  Jensen hadn’t loved
anyone in a long time and trusting Jared wasn’t something that came easily to
him, not after the life he’d led. 
 
Jared’s thumb stroked tenderly across his cheek.  ‘I know,’ he said before
leaning in to steal another kiss.  ‘Right, I need to go and get the money
together for Miss Cohen but I’ll be back tonight.  Did I hear rightly? Lord
Weatherly’s not coming here again until tomorrow?’  Jensen nodded.  ‘Okay, I’ll
have you well away from this place before then.’ 
With that, Jared turned on his heel and made his way over to the balcony; the
man was almost at the door when, much to Jensen’s surprise, he suddenly whirled
around and marched right back over to him. The man took hold of Jensen’s hand
and slid a very expensive-looking silver ring onto his finger before Jensen
could stop him. ‘I want you to take this, Jensen.’ Jensen immediately opened
his mouth to protest but Jared just placed a finger against his lips to silence
him. ‘It’s a gift, from me to you, to show you how much you mean to me. You’ve
given me so much; I want to give you something too.’ Jensen stared up at the
man in disbelief. Jared had given him enough already; he’d given Jensen his
life back, given him a future he’d never dared to dream of…Jared had given him
everything. He didn’t get the chance to say any of that though because Jared
was already striding back across the room. Jensen had to curl his hands into
fists, relishing the way Jared’s ring dug into his palm, to keep from reaching
out and pulling the man back to him. He watched Jared walk over to the balcony
and, with one last look at Jensen and a whispered, ‘I’ll be back for you, I
promise,’ Jared opened the door and disappeared into the night.
 
Jensen sat down on his bed and thought over what had just happened…in a few
short hours he’d be free.  He’d be free and with Jared, and he’d finally get
his happily ever after.  In that moment, Jensen truly believed the last ten
years of pain had been worth it since they’d brought him to Jared. 
 
Smiling, Jensen got up and began to pack his meagre things; it would be hours
before Jared came back for him but Jensen wanted to be ready, wanted to see his
packed bag on the bed and know that Jared was coming for him.  His back and
shoulder throbbed as he moved around the room, but Jensen just breathed through
the pain and thought…soon.
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Eleven. *****
 
Chapter_Eleven.
 
Jared was knee deep in paperwork, rifling through his accounts and bank
statements, when his mother walked into his study.   He didn’t even look up as
she began wittering on about lunch dates and tea parties and all manner of
things he had no interest in discussing.  Especially not right then, when time
was of the essence. 
 
‘Jared!’
 
‘What?!’ he all but yelled in frustration; his mother looked somewhat less than
impressed with his tone, but Jared couldn’t bring himself give a rat’s ass
about that.  He needed to work out how much money he could drum up in the next
few hours to buy Jensen’s contract; he was sure that Miss Cohen would only
accept cash for the boy, and Jared didn’t have nearly enough at the house to
satisfy such a money hungry bitch.  The problem was, not all of Jared’s money
was kept in the same place and only a fraction of it was still in London – he
needed to make sure that he had enough in his account before he set off for the
bank to extract it.  Otherwise, he’d have to resort to calling in a few
favours, and all of that took time.  Time Jared just didn’t have. 
 
So, all in all, dealing with his mother wasn’t exactly high on his list of
priorities right then.
 
‘I was just going to ask what on earth you think you’re doing?  Miss Cortese
has been waiting downstairs for you for almost an hour.’  His mother’s tone was
curt and disapproving but that wasn’t anything new.  Jared was well used to her
disappointment by now – three years she’d been trying to get him to marry, and
he’d never shown the slightest interest in any of the girls the woman had
thrown his way.  No-one had ever meant anything more than a quick romp between
the sheets to Jared…until Jensen, and now the boy was all he could think
about. 
 
‘I really don’t have time to see Miss Cortese today, mother,’ Jared said as he
searched for the provisional contract he’d already drawn up for the
transaction.  He really needed Chad, his solicitor, to look it over before he
made his offer; the contract had to be airtight to ensure Miss Cohen never
bothered Jensen or his family ever again. 
 
‘You should make time, Jared.  Miss Cortese is such a sweet girl; she’s perfect
for you, and you’re going to lose her if you carry on like this.’
 
‘I guess that’s just a risk I’m going to have to take then,’ Jared replied
absently as he placed the contract on his desk and began to read it over one
last time, pausing every now and then to correct anything that looked awry.
 
‘No, you’re not!  I won’t allow it!’ Jared almost put his pen through the paper
at the sound of his mother’s angry shout; as it was, he left a rather large ink
blot right in the centre.  Jared stared at his mother in shock; he’d never once
heard the woman raise her voice before.  Had he not been so stunned by her
outburst, he was sure he would’ve been angry about the stain. 
 
Before Jared could say anything to placate her, his mother continued,
thankfully using her typical, quieter tone of voice once more, ‘You need a
wife, Jared; you’re more than old enough to be married by now and it’s starting
to look strange that you don’t have one.  People are beginning to talk, and I
don’t like what they’re saying about you…about us.’
 
‘And what are they saying, mother?’  Jared laid his pen down and fixed his
mother with a cool glare of his own; he was perfectly aware of where this
conversation was going and what people might be saying about him.  He’d never
made his sexual preferences public, but Jared was by no means a virgin and he’d
had lovers of both sexes over the years; it was entirely possible that someone
might have seen him with a young man or two, despite his discretion. 
 
‘That…that you’re a…that you aren’t looking to take a wife at all,’ his mother
answered pointedly. 
 
And Jared had finally had enough; enough of the constant nagging, enough of the
endless parade of desperate young ladies, enough of all his mother’s damn
expectations and judgements.  If the woman couldn’t love him for who he was,
then maybe it was time he moved on.  ‘Well, as it happens, for once your
gossiping friends are absolutely right.  I’m not looking to take a wife and I
never will be because, mother, I’ve already found the person I’m going to spend
the rest of my life with,’ a smile lit up his mother’s face for just a moment
before he added, ‘and his name is Jensen.’
 
The woman’s rouged lips instantly dropped open in shock and she whispered in a
horrified voice, ‘You don’t…you can’t possibly mean that, Jared.’
 
‘I do,’ Jared answered simply, pressing his seal to the back of his letter for
Chad and ringing the bell for one of the servants.  Chad didn’t live too far
away; if the servant left now, his friend should get the message within the
hour and should easily make it to the brothel in time to meet Jared there.   In
the meantime, Jared would visit the bank and make sure he had the funds he
needed. 
 
‘But…but what will people say?’ his mother asked, her voice a troubling mix of
disbelief, panic and fear and, in that moment, Jared felt truly sorry for her. 
Sorry that she really thought the idle gossip of some small minded people was
more important than her son’s happiness…more important than love.
 
‘I don’t know, mother, and I don’t care.’  He handed the letter to the servant
that entered his study.  ‘Look, I want you to be happy about this; I want you
to meet Jensen but if you can’t, then I understand.  But you should know that
I’m not giving him up, not ever, so if you change your mind, we’ll be at The
Lakewood Estate.’  Grabbing everything he needed for the bank, Jared leaned
down and kissed the woman’s cheek, ‘Goodbye, mother.’ 
 
And with that, he left his childhood home, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time
he’d be welcome within its walls.
NEXT.
***** Chapter Twelve. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: Sorry this update took so long; I just have hardly time at the
     moment to do any writing. I’m beta-ing this week which always takes
     me freaking ages and RL just doesn’t seem to understand my writing
     needs! Plus, I’ve got a couple of anon fills going on spnkink_meme
     which I’m enjoying but are taking up some time as well. Sorry, sorry,
     sorry.
Chapter_Twelve.
 
Jensen.
 
Jensen tore round the room throwing everything he owned into his small bag; it
wasn’t much but it was his.  He threw the green robe onto the fire, taking
great pleasure in watching the hideous thing burn.  
 
‘And I’d always thought that looked so good on you.  Well, no matter, I’ll just
have to buy you a new one.’  Jensen spun round to find Lord Weatherly standing
in the doorway to his room.  Miss Cohen was by his side, a cruel smirk twisting
her pretty face, and Jensen insides instantly turned to ice at the sight of
it. 
 
‘No, you can keep your robes and your gifts and all your filthy money.  You
will never lay a hand on me again, either of you; Jared’s coming back here
tonight to buy out my contract and…and we’re going to leave and I’m never going
to have to see the two of you ever again.’
 
‘Oh no, really?’  Miss Cohen replied, her voice dripping with a false innocence
that immediately had Jensen on edge.  ‘If only I’d known that earlier, I would
never have done it.’
 
Jensen took a step back, dread settling like a dead weight in his stomach,
‘Done what?’
 
‘Sold your contract to Lord Weatherly, of course.’  Jensen’s mouth fell open. 
No.  ‘You know, you really should be grateful, Jensen; Lord Weatherly’s assured
me that he’s going to take very good care of you.’
 
Jensen shook his head, backing up until his body hit the wall behind him, ‘You
can’t…you can’t do this; I didn’t agree to this, you have no right.’
 
‘Oh, sweetheart, it’s just so cute that you think your opinion actually
matters.  The Madam strode across the room and grabbed his chin, ‘You’re
nothing, Jensen, less than nothing.  Your parents sold you to me, I own you.’ 
She smirked, ‘Or, I did.’
 
‘And now you’re mine,’ Lord Weatherly added as he walked into the room, flanked
by two of Miss Cohen’s goons.
 
‘No!  I’m not going with you!’  Jensen shoved Miss Cohen away and made a run
for the balcony; he’d barely even gotten halfway there before he was tackled to
the floor.  He struggled against the weight on his back, clawing at the
floorboards in an effort to get away.  ‘No! Get off me! You can’t do this!’
 
‘It’s already done,’ Miss Cohen whispered cruelly in his ear.  ‘Sweet dreams,
darling.’  Jensen turned terrified eyes on his former mistress as one of the
goons shoved something over his mouth and nose; he stared desperately at her,
begging for help, until the darkness finally took him.   
 
****
 
Jared.
 
‘Chad!’ Jared called as he watched his friend step out of a hired carriage in
front of the brothel.  He ran over and pulled the man into a hug; it had been
far too long since he’d seen his friend. He just wished their reunion had been
under better circumstances.  ‘Thank you for coming on such short notice. 
Here’s the contract I drew up for Jensen.’  He handed the sheets over to Chad
to look over.
 
It wasn’t long before the man nodded, clearly satisfied with Jared’s work, and
handed the contract back.  ‘That should be fine; I can’t see a way Miss
Cohen’ll be able to get around those terms.  Now, come on, let’s go get your
boy and then we can discuss what you owe me for being such an awesome friend.’ 
Jared rolled his eyes and led the way into the brothel.
 
The place looked just the same as it had the first night Jared had mistakenly
wandered in there; that felt vaguely wrong to him considering how much had
changed since then, how much Jared had changed.  He strode over to the girl at
the bar, smiling as he asked, ‘Good evening, could I speak to Miss Cohen
please?’  The girl nodded and took off in the direction of the Madam’s
office.   
 
Not a minute later, the woman in question walked out into the room and Jared
signalled for her to join him.  He began as soon as she sat down, ‘Miss Cohen,
I’ve come to buy Jensen’s contract from you.’  He handed the new contract over,
along with the money he’d procured from the bank.  ‘There’s a thousand pounds
there; that should be more than enough to settle Jensen’s family’s debt.  All
you need to do is sign these papers and I’ll take Jensen off your hands.’
 
A sad frown graced the woman’s painted features as she shook her head and
immediately placed the money and the contract back in his hands, ‘I’m terribly
sorry, Lord Winchester, but Jensen’s gone.  He ran away in the middle of night
and I have no idea where he went.’
 
Jared stared at her in stunned disbelief, ‘No, that can’t be true.  He knew I
was coming back for him.  I told him.’  His eyes narrowed in suspicion, ‘Don’t
lie to me, Miss Cohen, I’ll tear this place apart if I have to.’  He reached
out to grab her arm, ‘Now tell me where he is.’
 
The woman tried to pull away, but Jared just tightened his grip; he wasn’t
losing Jensen; not when he was this close, not after everything.  ‘I told you,
I don’t know.  Believe me, Lord Winchester, if Jensen were still here, he’d be
working.  You can go and check his room if you must, but I can assure you that
he’s not there.’  She looked pointedly down at his hand and added, ‘Now, if
you’d kindly unhand me, I’d be more than happy to show you myself.’
 
Jared reluctantly let go, his mind in turmoil; he didn’t understand how this
had all gone so dreadfully wrong.  Miss Cohen was right; if Jensen were still
in the brothel, he’d either be down here in the bar working or upstairs in his
room.  And he clearly wasn’t in the bar, and if…if he wasn’t in his room like
Miss Cohen claimed, then maybe he really had run away.  Maybe he hadn’t wanted
to be with Jared after all…
 
Jared shook his head, clearing it of those dark thoughts; either way, he had to
know for sure, and that meant checking the boy’s room himself.  He cleared his
throat, ‘I’d like to check his room, please.’
 
‘As you wish, Sir,’ the Madam nodded and turned to lead the way up to Jensen’s
room.
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Thirteen. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N – IMPORTANT AUTHOR’S NOTE – Um, I’ve made a slight change to
     chapter ten - basically because I’m an idiot! I wrote the later
     chapters before I wrote that one and something has to happen in
     chapter ten for something else to happen in this chapter! I’m so so
     so sorry; it’s not a big change – basically, Jared just gives Jensen
     his signet ring at the end of the chapter before he leaves. It’s all
     schmoopy and cheesy and really not all that good so you don’t have to
     go and read the slight change I made at the end of the chapter.
     Really not worth it.
      
     I’m just letting you guys know so you’re not all really confused in
     this chapter. Sorry, I think I’ve told you all many, many times that
     I’m an idiot…
      
     Also, I’m hoping to get another couple of chapters out over the next
     few days because I’m not back to work till Friday! Yay! And, I’ve
     finally gotten this all written now (I was having a little trouble
     rounding it off but I had a spark of inspiration at work the other
     day and got it written and hopefully it’s not too awful!) Anyway,
     enough rambling; here’s the next chapter and I promise more soon.
     Over and out! xx
Chapter_Thirteen.
 
A quick scan of the small room was more than enough to tell Jared that Jensen
wasn’t there; the fire wasn’t lit and the candles were all extinguished,
leaving the room in near darkness. ‘I told you, sir, he’s not here.’
 
‘Thank you, Miss Cohen, I’ll call you if I need anything,’ Jared said curtly in
response, effectively dismissing the Madam from his presence. Fortunately, the
woman seemed to understand that Jared was in no mood to be trifled with and
quickly left the room without further argument.
 
‘What’s going on, Jay? Where is he?’ Chad asked as soon as the door closed
behind Miss Cohen; he sounded about as confused as Jared felt.
 
‘I don’t know. ..I told him to wait. I thought he wanted…’ Jared trailed off as
he stepped further into the room. He quickly lit the candles mounted on the
walls and gave the room another once over, his stomach dropping further as his
eyes confirmed what his mind already suspected. Everything that Jared had
assumed belonged Jensen’s was gone - the two books on the dressing table, the
soft blanket that covered the end of the bed, the shirts and pants hanging in
the wardrobe - and while it hadn’t been much, every item was conspicuous in its
absence.
 
It looked like Jensen really had run away and Jared didn’t have a cat in hell’s
chance of finding him now. Not that Jensen seemed all that interested in being
found.
 
Sighing bitterly, Jared sat down on the bed; he couldn’t believe it, couldn’t
believe he’d been taken in by the boy so easily. What else had been a lie? Had
Jensen’s family really sold him? Had the boy really been working here since the
age of eight or had Jensen simply made all that up to pull at Jared’s
heartstrings…or, more accurately, his purse strings. Jared couldn’t help but
wonder how many other men Jensen had told his sob story to, how many others
he’d conned out of expensive trinkets? Hell, for all Jared knew, Jensen had
consented to Lord Weatherly’s rough treatment of him, had maybe even gotten
paid extra for it, and then used the wounds to gain Jared’s sympathy
afterwards. Maybe he’d just pretended to be sick when Jared had found
him…maybe…urghh…maybe none of it had been real!
 
But it had worked. Jared had fallen for the Jensen’s story, hook, line and
sinker, and had given the boy a priceless family heirloom. And the worst of it
was that Jared couldn’t even bring to blame Jensen for that, for the kid
wanting to get out and make a better life for himself than this, but he could
blame the boy for pretending to have feelings for him. He could hate Jensen for
that, because Jared would’ve helped him regardless; Jensen didn’t need to make
Jared fall in love with him to get his help.
 
Steeling his battered heart, Jared stood up and strode towards the door, eager
to get out of that hellhole as quickly as possible. However, before he’d gone
more than two steps, he tripped over something on the floor and almost turned
his ankle. Frowning, Jared stopped and picked the offending object up…it was
his signet ring, the ring he’d given Jensen. What on earth was it doing on the
floor? Why hadn’t Jensen taken it with him? Hadn’t that been the whole point of
all this?
 
More than a little confused by the unexpected reappearance of his ring, Jared
pocketed the silver band and dropped to his knees to get a closer look at the
place where it had been lying. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched when he
noticed several long, faint gouges marring the wood like…like someone had
dragged their fingernails across it. As he leaned closer, Jared saw something
else too, something dark and wet-looking, and before he could stop himself, he
reached out to touch it. He let out a harsh curse when his fingers came back
stained red…stained with blood.
 
Jensen’s blood.
 
‘Fuck!’ Chad hissed as he knelt down next to Jared, his eyes locked on the
smear of blood as well. ‘What the hell is that?’
 
‘I don’t think Jensen ran, Chad; I think he was taken. Miss Cohen must’ve found
out about this somehow, found out that I planned to take Jensen away. It can’t
be a coincidence that she chose tonight to get rid of him, not after all these
years…it just can’t be.’ Jared’s gaze flickered to the bed, to the place where
Jensen had been whipped to within an inch of his life and branded like an
animal. His hands balled into fists at his sides, ‘But at least I have a pretty
good idea who she’s given him to.’ He stood up, wiping his bloody hand on his
pants, ‘You still got your carriage outside?’ Chad nodded. ‘Good, ‘cause we’re
going to need it.’ And with that, Jared walked out of Jensen’s room and down
the long wooden staircase to the bar.
 
‘For what?’ Chad asked once they'd made it outside.
 
Jared came to a stop next to the carriage, his mouth set in determined line as
he answered, ‘To go find Jensen and bring him home.’
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Fourteen. *****
Chapter_Fourteen.
 
Jensen pulled the soft sheets more tightly around him and buried his face in
his pillow as he desperately clung to the last vestiges of sleep. It was no
use, though; consciousness tugged relentlessly at his tired mind, inching him
closer and closer to wakefulness, even as he fought against it. Reality slowly
filtered back in, and Jensen finally twigged that the pillow he was clutching
in his arms wasn’t his pillow at all, and the bed he was lying on wasn’t his
either. The memory of the night before slammed into him - Lord Weatherly, the
kidnap, the drugs - and his eyes sprang open. He struggled to sit up, ignoring
the protests of his bruised body, so he could get a good look around the room
and maybe try to figure out where the hell he was.
 
It was sparsely decorated with just the bed he was lying on, a dresser on the
other side of the room and a wardrobe against the wall. Jensen couldn’t help
the shiver of unease that ran down his spine as he realised how eerily similar
this room was to the one he’d had at the brothel. It was almost as if Lord
Weatherly had used Jensen’s room as a model…but to what end? To ensure that
Jensen understood his place, his role, in the Lord’s household? If that was
indeed the reason, then the man needn’t have bothered; Jensen was under no
illusions as to why he’d been brought here.
 
He moved to the edge of the bed, more than a little surprised that he was still
wearing the clothes he’d been dressed in the night before. Surprised and
grateful. He was just about to stand up when his eyes caught on something lying
across the end of the bed, something that turned his stomach. Jensen swallowed
down the bile that rose to his throat and immediately looked away from the
stretch of green silk; if the near identical room hadn’t been enough to hammer
home his new ‘position’, the robe definitely would’ve done it.
 
Shoving down the panic that was quickly rising (trapped, trapped, trapped) and
threatening to overwhelm him, Jensen pushed up from the bed and dashed over to
the door. With Lord Weatherly gone, he knew this was likely going to be his
only chance to escape. He pulled frantically at the door knob a couple of times
before he realised how fruitless, not to mention stupid, an endeavour it was.
Of course, Lord Weatherly had locked him in.
 
Well aware of his distinct lack of options, Jensen did the only thing he could
think of; he backed up a little and threw himself bodily against the door. He
slammed his good shoulder into the solid wood again and again, but the door
didn’t budge, not even an inch, and when Jensen finally stood back, the wood
was still depressingly intact.
 
His earlier panic came back in full force then, clawing and tearing at him like
a physical being and leaving him close to collapse…
 
He couldn’t get out, couldn’t escape, couldn’t get away…and no-one but Miss
Cohen knew where he was.
 
He grabbed at the wall next to him in an effort to stay upright when his
disjointed, terrified thoughts suddenly shifted to Jared.
 
Jared who had probably gone to the brothel and found Jensen’s room empty, and
thought…thought what? What had Miss Cohen told the older man? That Jensen had
run off? That he’d died of his injuries? That his family had finally come for
him?
 
And had Jared believed her?
 
Maybe…
 
Probably.
 
Miss Cohen could be very convincing when she wanted to be; lying was second
nature to her and she’d spent years perfecting the art. Yes, Jared probably
hadn’t suspected a thing…had probably believed whatever wild story she’d come
up with to explain Jensen’s disappearance. Not that Jared would’ve needed all
that much convincing, Jensen was sure. The man must’ve realised by now how much
easier his life would be without Jensen in it. Fuck, he’d probably been
relieved to find out that Jensen was gone and that he was off the hook.
 
Jensen stumbled back to the bed, wiping away the tear that ran down his cheek
as he all but collapsed down onto the mattress; Jared might not need Jensen in
his life but Jensen needed him.
 
With tear filled eyes, he looked down at the ring Jared had given him, but it
wasn’t on his finger. Jensen let out a startled gasp, jumped off the bed and
began rummaging through the sheets to see if it had fallen off whilst he’d been
asleep. When he didn’t find it, Jensen dropped to his knees to look under the
bed and check the floor surrounding it.
 
‘Well, that’s a nice sight to be greeted with.’ Jensen spun round, still on his
knees, to see Lord Weatherly closing the previously locked door behind himself.
 
Jensen was on his feet in an instant, grabbing at the lapels of the man’s suit
and demanding, ‘Where is it? What did you do with it? It’s mine! Give it back!’
 
Lord Weatherly’s eyes were wide and shocked as he shoved Jensen away from him.
The gesture only served to fuel the anger already burning hot in Jensen’s gut
and he immediately launched himself forwards again, eager to harm the smug
bastard in front of him in any way that he could. Before he could get his hands
on the man, however, Lord Weatherly reached out and dug his fingers into the
damaged skin of Jensen’s shoulder. Twisting and tearing at the near open wound.
Jensen’s world tilted dangerously, his stomach churning and his legs almost
giving way, at the pain; he could barely even hear the man’s words over the
thunderous pounding of blood in his ears. ‘Calm the hell down. Right. Now.’
 
The order was completely redundant; Jensen had stopped struggling the instant
Lord Weatherly had touched the brand on his shoulder. Even so, the man didn’t
let go, didn’t loosen his brutal grip as he continued, ‘Good, that’s better.
Now, if you’re looking for your things, I threw them out,’ Jensen’s eyes
widened in horror in spite of the pain…Jared’s ring. ‘Those mangy rags weren’t
fit to clean a toilet, let alone cloth my boy.’
 
With the intense pain flooding through his body, Jensen’s mind took a moment to
realise that Lord Weatherly hadn’t mentioned the ring. And surely he would’ve
if he’d taken it? If nothing else, the Lord would’ve been angry about Jensen
wearing another man’s ring.
 
So where was it?
 
Was it lost? Had Miss Cohen taken it? Jensen’s heart clenched painfully in his
chest; that thought hurt more than his burned shoulder and flayed back
combined. Hadn’t it been enough that that woman had taken his childhood, his
innocence, now she had to take the one thing Jensen truly cared about as well?
The one thing that proved he’d mattered to someone, even if it had only been
for a short while?
 
Another tear rolled unbidden down his cheek, and a calloused thumb quickly
followed to wipe it away. Jensen let out a noise of disgust and jerked out of
reach; he didn’t want Lord Weatherly touching him, no matter how innocent the
touch might be. ‘I don’t understand why you’re fighting this, Jenny? Now you
won’t have to deal with any of those nasty men touching you. It’ll just be you
and me, always.’ Even with his face averted, Jensen could hear the fondness in
the man’s voice. Like…like they were lovers; like Jensen had chosen to be here,
chosen Lord Weatherly.
 
Which was so fucking ridiculous, Jensen couldn’t help the bitter laugh that
escaped his lips. ‘Well, excuse me from not being overly excited by that
concept.’ He turned to face the man then, meeting his eyes defiantly in a way
he never would’ve dared to back at the brothel. Back when Miss Cohen still held
so much over his head and this man was paying for his time. Because here, Lord
Weatherly wasn’t Jensen’s client; here, the man was his kidnapper and jailor
and Jensen had no absolutely problem telling him exactly what he really thought
of him. ‘Considering you were by far the nastiest of them all.’
 
The blow to his cheek shouldn’t have caught Jensen by surprise - he should’ve
expected it really - but it did, and it sent him tumbling to the floor. ‘You
ungrateful little bitch, do you have any idea how much I paid for you?’
 
Jensen looked up at the man, his cheek burning from the slap, and forced a
smirk onto his face, ‘Too fucking much considering that I’m never going to let
you touch me.’ He got to his feet, squaring his shoulders as he added, ‘If you
even lay a finger on me, I’ll kill you.’
 
The cruel laugh that Lord Weatherly let out in response made Jensen’s blood run
cold, ‘Oh, you can try, Sweetheart, but you’ll learn soon enough that I always
get what I want.’ He took a step forwards, the smile on his face turning dark,
‘And I really, really don’t like being disobeyed.’
 
A lightning-fast hand closed around Jensen’s throat quicker than he could see,
squeezing brutally and cutting off his air. Jensen clawed desperately at the
man’s fingers but they just tightened around his neck, feeling perilously close
to snapping it. ‘Maybe I should show you just how much I don’t like it right
now; what do you think?’
 
Jensen frantically shook his head, trying to blink away the black dots forming
at the edges of his vision. He felt the darkness pulling him down and he tried
to fight it – the last time he’d passed out in the presence of a pissed off
Lord Weatherly, Jensen had ended up being beaten so badly he’d wanted to die.
He didn’t see this ending any differently, and he very much wanted to avoid a
repeat of that nightmare. Not only because he’d barely even begun to heal after
his last lashing, but because this time, there would be no Jared to put him
back together once Lord Weatherly was done with him.
 
But, despite his struggles, it wasn’t long before the world finally tumbled
away and took Jensen with it.
 
NEXT.
***** Chapter Fifteen. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: I know you guys are probably all really annoyed that this has
     taken me so long, but RL has been a bit of a bitch lately and I find
     it seriously difficult to write when I feel crappy. Not that that’s
     an adequate excuse, it’s just the reason. So sorry about that.
     Anywho…here’s the next chapter…nearly done now – no doubt you’re all
     thinking ‘thank fuck for that…’
Chapter_Fifteen.
 
‘Wait! Lord Winchester, wait!’
 
Jared stopped, his foot on the step of the carriage, and looked over his
shoulder; his eyes widened in surprise when he saw who’d called him, ‘Danneel?
What is it?’
 
‘I want to come with you to get Jensen,’ she answered, a little breathless from
running over to him. ‘That’s where you’re going, isn’t it? I heard them drag
him off but I couldn’t stop them, and…and I had no way of getting in touch with
you.’ She turned to look up at the brothel then, her eyes filled with dread,
‘And I don’t want to stay here alone. She knows that I helped you…that I helped
Jensen.’ Jared watched her lick her lips, the action nervous and self-
conscious, before she added in a hushed whisper, ‘I understand that I have no
right to ask this of you, Lord Winchester, but please take me with you…please
don’t leave me here.’
 
The naked desperation in her voice damn near broke Jared’s heart and with a sad
smile, he quickly reached out and took her trembling hands in his, ‘Of course,
I’ll take you with me, Danneel.’ There was no question about it; for all the
kindness she’d shown Jensen, he would do anything that she asked. ‘Come on,’
Jared said, getting down off the step and helping Danneel into the carriage,
before he climbed in himself.
 
Chad was already inside waiting for him, and at the man’s enquiring look, Jared
introduced the two of them, ‘Danneel, this is Chad, an old buddy of mine, and
Chad, this is Danneel, a friend of Jensen’s.’
 
Chad took the girl’s hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it, ‘It’s a pleasure,
ma’am.’
 
Ma’am? Jared raised an incredulous eyebrow at his friend; Chad wasn’t that
polite to anyone, and he’d certainly never called any woman under the age of
fifty ‘ma’am’ before, not within Jared’s hearing anyway. The uncharacteristic
use of manners made sense though when Jared noticed the adoring, almost awed,
look on the man’s face. He fought back a smug grin as he stared at his best
friend. It seemed that someone had finally caught Chad’s eye and, while
surprised, Jared couldn’t blame him; Danneel was a stunning woman and in any
other circumstances, she would’ve had men lining up to marry her.
 
It thrilled Jared to no end to see his friend struck so suddenly and
unexpectedly by Cupid’s arrow, given the man’s general disdain for the concept
of true love and romance of any kind. Yet, despite his amusement, Jared’s heart
warmed to see an answering blush on Danneel’s cheeks, happy that Chad’s
affections were obviously not unreturned and that perhaps, this was not just
his and Jensen’s love story anymore.
 
He didn’t say anything about it, though, as Chad released Danneel’s hand and
settled back in his seat. His friend didn’t need him to play matchmaker; the
man was more than capable of wooing Danneel himself. He was already half way
there by the looks of things so, instead, Jared steered the conversation back
to its original course, ‘And since we’re going to be friends as well, you
should probably know that my name isn’t Winchester, it’s Padalecki. But I’d
like it if you would call me Jared.’
 
Danneel nodded as though she’d expected as much and Jared wondered for a brief
moment if Jensen had told the girl his real name. He dismissed the idea almost
instantly though; Jensen wouldn’t have done that. The boy had always been far
more concerned about Jared’s reputation than Jared himself, so the likelihood
that he’d shared his true identity seemed unlikely. It was more probable that
Danneel was used to her clients not giving their real names, hiding their lives
from her, and that she’d assumed that Jared would be no different. Lost in his
musings, Jared almost missed her quiet question, ‘I suppose this means you want
to know who I am? How I ended up with Miss Cohen?’
 
‘No,’ he said immediately, with a firm shake of his head. It was painfully
clear from her hesitant voice, from the shame colouring her words, that she
didn’t want to tell her story and Jared wouldn’t dream of asking her to. Some
things were just too difficult, too private, to share with a stranger and after
hearing about Jensen’s tragic past, Jared understood that better than ever.
 
Evidently, Danneel hadn’t expected his blunt refusal, had maybe thought that
he’d demand to know everything about her now, because her eyes narrowed as she
stared at him from across the carriage, surprise and suspicion whirling in
their depths. ‘It’s not my business, Danneel,’ he explained with a shrug, ‘and
I’m not going to force you to tell me anything you don’t want to share just
because I’m doing you a favour. You were there for Jensen when I wasn’t, and I
can’t even begin to repay you for that. This,’ he gestured to the carriage, ‘me
taking you away from that terrible place, is nothing compared to what you did
for him all these years.’
 
‘I didn’t do it fo-ʼ
 
‘I know,’ Jared interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her needless protest;
he knew full well that there had been nothing but good intentions behind her
actions. She’d been looking out for Jensen long before Jared had come on to the
scene, and even if that hadn’t been the case, Jared would’ve known how much she
cared about the boy simply from the way she spoke of him. ‘But that doesn’t
mean I can’t be grateful for what you did. Besides, I need all the help I can
get to take Lord Weatherly down.’ His mouth curved into an evil grin, ‘You
think that might be something you’re interested in?’
 
Danneel’s gave him a mischievous smile of her own in response, ‘You bet your
ass it is.’
 
****
 
By the time they finally reached Lord Weatherly’s country estate, it was nearly
ten o’clock and bleak, inky darkness had enveloped the carriage on all of the
sides, leaving its occupants sombre and on edge.
 
Anxiety thrummed through Jared’s veins and, unwilling to wait a moment longer
than necessary, he was out of the carriage before it had even come to a stop.
He strode up to the elaborately carved front door of Lord Weatherly’s house,
took a deep breath in a vain attempt to steady his racing heart, and knocked
twice on the wood.
 
It wasn’t long before the door opened and a small, weasly-looking man squinted
up at Jared from the threshold of the house. Danneel and Chad had joined him
now, and were standing just behind Jared as the man addressed him, ‘How may I
help you, Sir?’
 
‘I’m here to see Lord Weatherly,’ Jared replied curtly, letting his tone convey
just how unwilling he was to leave without seeing the man.
 
‘I’m afraid Lord Weatherly isn’t here at the moment, Sir. He’s in town on
business until next month,’ the manservant answered, his eyes dropping to the
floor as he spoke.
 
Fuck.
 
Jared hadn’t expected that. He’d been sure that Lord Weatherly would bring
Jensen back to his family home instead of keeping him in town. There was no way
Jared would be able to find Jensen if the man hadn’t done that; Lord Weatherly
could literally be holding Jensen captive anywhere in London.
 
It was over. Jared had failed.
 
His heart felt like it was shrinking in his chest, folding in on itself under
the weight of his loss, and he really needed to get away from there before he
broke down completely and made a fool of himself…or before he died of a broken
heart, which felt like very real possibility right then. But just as Jared
turned to leave, Danneel whispered discreetly in his ear, ‘He’s lying.’
 
Jared’s head shot up, his heart stuttering back to life, as he narrowed his
eyes at the man standing in front of him. He didn’t know what Danneel had seen
but he wasn’t about to question her, not when she’d spent her whole life in the
company of thieves and liars. And if the manservant was lying, then the chances
were that Jensen was here, trapped somewhere in this house and still within
Jared’s reach.
 
Jared grabbed onto that tiny shred of hope with both hands, holding it close,
adamant not to let it go until he absolutely had to, until he’d proven beyond
any shadow of a doubt that Jensen wasn’t there. And he’d search every last
corner of Lord Weatherly’s estate to do that. That in mind, Jared pushed past
the manservant into the house, ‘In that case, would you send a telegram to him
about my arrival please. I’ll wait here until he returns; I’m sure that’ll be
alright.’
 
‘No, Sir, I can’t…you can’t…,’ the man stammered nervously and in the light of
the hallway, Jared could see the sweat beading on his skin…maybe Danneel was
right, maybe the man was lying. ‘Lord Weatherly doesn’t like guests.’
 
‘I’m more of a friend than a guest really. Let’s just say Lord Weatherly and I
have something very important in common,’ he added with a grim smile. ‘Unless,
of course, there’s some reason that I can’t stay here?’ He took a step towards
the short man then, towering over him as he asked in a hard voice, ‘Is there,
man? Is there a reason?’
 
‘I…I…’ the man stared up at Jared, panic in his eyes as he searched for a
believable lie that would make Jared leave; eventually, though, his shoulders
slumped in defeat when he obviously couldn’t think of one. ‘No, of course not,
Lord…’
 
‘Winchester,’ Jared said with confidence as he moved out of the hallway and
into the main house, giving the place a subtle once over. Unfortunately, there
was nothing that seemed out of place, nothing that pointed to where Jensen
might be being held. Naturally, he hadn’t expected it to be that easy or for
Lord Weatherly to be that sloppy, but even so, the lack of clues was
disappointing. He had no choice, therefore, but to carry on with his plan.
‘I’ll need a room for my man and his wife as well; next to my own would be
preferable.’ With that, Jared passed his coat to the manservant, hoping the
gesture would be interpreted as the dismissal it was. Thankfully, the flustered
little man took it as such and scurried off with Jared’s coat slung over his
arm. Jared watched him go, sure that the man’s haste to comply had been more
out of eagerness to tell Lord Weatherly about their arrival than any real to
desire to give Jared and his friends some privacy.
 
‘So what now?’ Chad asked, stepping up beside Jared.
 
‘Now, we go back outside.’ At his friend’s confused look, Jared continued,
‘Look, this house is pretty big, not to mention that there’s got to be half a
dozen outhouses and miles of grounds surrounding the manor…we haven’t got a
hope in hell of finding Jensen before Lord Weatherly moves him someplace else
if we start searching every room. They’ll probably be long gone before we find
the right one.’ Chad and Danneel nodded in agreement, ‘So I say we use the best
lead we’ve got - Lord Weatherly himself. If Danneel’s right, the fucker’s in
here somewhere with Jensen, and since I strongly suspect that we’re the only
other people here, us and that manservant, he’ll be set up in the only occupied
room in the house. So…we go outside and see which window’s lit up and then
trace it back to the room they’re in.’
 
Chad’s expression turned doubtful, and rightfully so if Jared was honest; it
wasn’t a great plan but it was the best he’d been able to come up with in the
short time he'd had since his original plan had fallen through. Lord Weatherly
hiding away like this had come as a bit of a surprise; Jared had kind of hoped
to confront the man as soon as he arrived and make him confess to where he was
keeping Jensen. As that hadn't happened, Jared had been forced to make some
quick, and somewhat less than satisfactory, revisions to his rescue ploy. ‘But
what if he’s not here, Jay? What if he really is in town like his man said?’
 
Jared clenched his jaw, not wanting to entertain that idea in the slightest,
‘Well, let’s just pray that he’s not.’ Jared caught the worried look exchanged
between Chad and Danneel, and his stomach did a nervous little flip of its own.
God, if this didn’t work, he really didn’t know what he was going to do. Sure,
he had money, but so did Lord Weatherly, and Jared couldn’t help but think if
he didn’t find Jensen soon, then the other man would take the boy so far out of
his grasp that Jared would never be able to find him.
 
And, no question, if that happened, Jensen wouldn’t be the only one who was
lost…Jared would be damned as well.
 
NEXT.
***** Chaptr Sixteen. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: Right, nearly there guys, so close to the end. (If anyone’s
     still with me ) God, did I enjoy writing this scene *evil grin*.
     Hope you guys like it!! By the way, I think ‘scarpered’ is a very
     British word so for everyone else, it just means he ran away. I just
     couldn’t help using such an awesomely amazing word. I love it and
     I’ve never had the chance to use it before so sorry about that! xx
Chapter_Sixteen.
 
Jensen shook his head and tried to twist away as Lord Weatherly lit the candle
in his hand, but the ropes around his wrists and ankles held him down. Held him
laid out for the man to do whatever he wanted to him. And he had. Jensen’s skin
was littered with burns and bruises, covered with patches of red tender skin,
and Jensen tried very hard not to think about how torn up he felt every time he
shifted on the mattress below him. Clearly, now that Jensen was ‘legally’ his
property, Lord Weatherly wasn’t so concerned about damaging him.
 
Jensen stared at the first drop of wax, barely breathing, as it slid down the
side of the candle. Just as it neared the base, Jensen screwed his eyes up
tight, preparing for the blistering pain as it hit his bare skin, but the pain
never came. Instead, there was a sharp knock on the door and Jensen opened his
eyes in surprise; he couldn’t help but let out a relieved breath when Lord
Weatherly cursed and blew the candle out. ‘Be right back, sweetheart,’ the man
said, stroking his thumb across Jensen’s naked ankle. Jensen shot him a hate
filled glare and tried to kick the Lord’s hand away, despite the bonds, but the
bastard merely chuckled and walked over to the door.
 
Once Lord Weatherly had unlocked it, he opened the door just a sliver, but it
was enough for Jensen to see the person on the other side. The caller was
unknown to him and, if the lecherous way the guy was staring at him was
anything to go by, Jensen thought it was fairly safe to assume that he wasn’t
going to help him. So he just laid back on the bed and tried to ignore the
hungry eyes he felt roaming over his naked body.
 
‘WHAT!?’ Lord Weatherly’s angry shout had Jensen’s head whipping back round to
look at the two men. The man at the door was no longer looking at him, the
leering grin long gone from his face, as he cowered in the doorway. ‘What do
you mean he’s here?’
 
Who? Who was here?
 
Whoever it was, it sure sounded like Lord Weatherly didn’t want them here so…so
maybe they’d help Jensen, maybe this mystery person would save him…
 
Jensen immediately started pulling at his restraints, screaming into the gag in
his mouth and making as much noise as he possibly could. Hopefully, the person
would hear him and come looking before Lord Weatherly managed to send them on
their way.
 
Lord Weatherly was by his side in an instant, slapping him hard across the
face, but Jensen didn’t stop his struggles. He couldn’t, not when this was
probably his last chance to get away. The Lord climbed on top of him then and
Jensen tried to buck him off, thrashing and squirming beneath him…he needed to
get free…he just needed to find whomever had come to the house…he needed to…
 
Lord Weatherly’s hand closed over his nose and lips, pressing the gag more
firmly into Jensen’s mouth and down his throat. Panicked, he looked up into the
Lord’s face, at the fury twisting his features, and for the first time since
he’d met the man, Jensen actually feared for his life. Feared that perhaps Lord
Weatherly was scared enough of this mystery person to kill Jensen to hide what
he’d done? No…no…please no…
 
Not like this…
 
Jensen tried to turn away, tried to breathe, but he couldn’t, and his chest was
getting tighter and tighter, his throat burning with the need for oxygen, his
eyes streaming…he was dying…he was dying and…and he’d never get to see Jared
ever again…
 
Jensen’s struggles weakened, the world fading away and taking him with it, when
suddenly, he could breathe again. The weight on his chest was gone and the gag
was being ripped from his mouth. He coughed and spluttered, his body shaking
violently as he drew in breath after frantic breath. ‘Shhh, Jen, calm down,
deep breaths.’
 
Jensen looked up in confusion because he knew that voice; he just didn’t know
what that voice was doing here. ‘Danni?’ he croaked as the girl leaned down and
started to untie the ropes around his wrists and ankles. ‘Danni?’ he said
again, barely able to believe what he was seeing.
 
His friend smiled at him as she gently pulled his arms away from the headboard
and placed them by his sides. ‘Yeah, honey, it’s me. We came to save you,’
Danneel said, her hands massaging his aching muscles.
 
‘We?’ Jensen asked, frowning. What did she mean by ‘we’...?
 
Then he heard it – flesh hitting flesh, pained grunts filling the air, and he
turned his gaze to the other side of the room.
 
Jared
 
Jared was there and he had Lord Weatherly pressed up against the wall as he
landed blow after blow to the man’s abdomen.
 
Jensen stared on in disbelief…Jared had come for him.
 
Jared.
 
‘Jared!’
 
Of course, Jared knew the first rule of fighting was to not take your eyes off
your opponent but he couldn’t help it; it was like his body was hardwired to
give Jensen whatever he wanted. So he looked over his shoulder for just a
second, just to get a quick look at the boy, but it was enough for Lord
Weatherly to catch him off guard with a knee to the stomach. Groaning in pain,
Jared lost his grip on the other man, and received a harsh blow to the temple
for it.
 
The next thing he knew, he was the one up against the wall, with Lord
Weatherly’s arm wedged against his throat. ‘This is for humiliating me in front
of all my friends,’ the man hissed as he pressed his arm harder against Jared’s
neck, ‘and this is for trying to take something that doesn’t belon-ʼ
 
Lord Weatherly let go of Jared with a yelp, his hands coming up to clutch at
his shoulder instead. Jared only caught a glimpse of Jensen and the poker
gripped in his hand before Lord Weatherly snatched the weapon away. ‘NO!’ Jared
shouted, launching himself towards them, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop the
man from bringing the poker down on Jensen’s head. The boy dropped to the floor
like a sack of bricks, blood trickling down from his hairline and staining his
pale cheek.
 
Jared stared at Jensen for a moment, at the boy’s tiny broken body, before he
let out an almost feral growl and barrelled towards Lord Weatherly. He seized
the man in an iron grip and dragged him against his chest, before wrapping an
arm around his throat. ‘That boy never belonged to you, nor did he belong Miss
Cohen.’ Jared tightened his hold as he continued, ‘You might’ve bought his
body, branded yourself into his skin, but his soul was never yours…because
that’s not something you can buy; it has to be given willingly. And it has
been, to me.’ Jared quickly grabbed the bottle of chloroform from his pocket,
unscrewed the lid, and upended it over his shirt sleeve. As soon as the
material was drenched, Jared smashed it against Lord Weatherly’s face, a sense
of smug satisfaction burning in his belly at the poetic justice of it all. The
man in his grasp had used this very poison to cause so much suffering, and now
Jared was going to return the favour, with interest.
 
Lord Weatherly clawed at his arm, trying to get away, but Jared just squeezed
harder, letting all the anger and hate he felt towards the man bleed into his
hold. Soon enough, the man’s struggles tapered off and he slumped in Jared’s
arms.
 
Jared immediately let him go, not wanting to touch the bastard any longer than
was absolutely necessary, and quickly moved away. He didn’t even look round
when he heard the body hit the floor with a dull thud; he only had eyes for one
person in that room right then, and it certainly wasn’t Lord Weatherly.
 
Jared knelt down by Danneel’s side, looking at where she had Jensen’s head
cradled in her lap. The boy looked terribly pale and so still, lying
there…almost like he was…
 
‘Danneel…’ he choked out, the word a question and a plea all at once.
 
‘He’s alive,’ she said, her voice soft as she ran a hand through Jensen’s
sweat-darkened hair. ‘He’s battered and more than a little bruised, Jared, but
he’s alive. He’s lived through worse than this.’ Jared all but collapsed onto
the floor next to them, relieved tears springing to his eyes. Thank God.
 
‘I can’t believe he did that,’ he said, shaking his head, not sure whether he
should be angry or proud of the boy lying in front of him. ‘Lord Weatherly
could’ve killed him.’
 
‘Well, people do stupid things when they’re in love.’ Danneel quirked an
eyebrow at him, ‘Don’t they, Jared?’
 
Jared looked around the dishevelled room, at the unconscious Lord sprawled out
on the floor, and couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Yeah, I guess they do. Do you think
he-ʼ
 
The end of Jared’s question was lost in the flurry of Chad throwing the door
open and bursting into the room. ‘The manservant got away but I don’t think
he’s gonna be much of a problem; he took one look at me and scarpered, the
fucking coward. My guess is, he’s not got any loyalty to this asshole outside
of being paid to keep the guy’s dirty secrets.’ Chad tilted his head to the
side, looking down at Lord Weatherly as he added, ‘Huh, I’m kind of sad I
missed this; I really wanted to punch the fucker in his smug face.’
 
Jared laughed as he stood up and clapped his friend on the back, ‘Don’t worry,
Chad, Lord Weatherly’s gonna get what he deserves, and more.’
 
Mischief sparkled in Chad’s eye as he asked, ‘Sounds good to me. So what are
you going to do with him?’
 
Jared didn’t answer; he just looked down at Lord Weatherly and grinned.
 
NEXT.
***** ChapterSeventeen. *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N: Just one more chapter to go now, guys, and that’s pretty much
     just my porny happy ending. Well, here’s the next little bit which
     wraps up a few loose ends.... xx
Chapter_Seventeen.

Lord_Weatherly.


Lord Weatherly slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright morning light
shining in through his office window.  He leaned forwards with a groan,
cradling his head in his hands and willing the painful thumping in his skull to
stop.  What the hell had happened last night? 


Unsurprisingly, it took a few moments for Lord Weatherly’s muddled brain to
realise that the hammering wasn’t actually in his head; no, it was coming from
the door of his office.  Jesus, it sounded like a herd of damn elephants was
trying to break in.  Frowning, Lord Weatherly stood up and made his way over to
open the door, but as he reached out to turn the key, he froze.  His hands were
covered in blood.


Lord Weatherly gasped as he looked down at his clothes in horror; those, too,
were drenched in blood.  He spun round to look at his office, eyes widening as
he took in the blood splattered across the walls…the blood sprayed across his
desk…the blood dripping from his letter opener.  It was everywhere.


What…what was going on…?


Lord Weatherly didn’t have much time to wonder about it, though, before the
door crashed open and four policemen barrelled in.  He instantly found himself
bent over his blood soaked desk as his hands were dragged roughly behind his
back and handcuffed.


‘Lord Michael Manning Weatherly, you are under arrest for the murder of Lord
Samuel Winchester on the night of January 31st 1852,’ the man holding Lord
Weatherly down droned in his ear.


‘Wait, what?  Lord…Lord Winchester?  I didn’t kill that asshole; he…he attacked
me…you’re making a terrible mistake…’


But no-one was listening to his protests; instead, Lord Weatherly was dragged
from his mansion and towards the police carriage parked outside his front
door.  Before he was pushed inside, though, Lord Weatherly’s eyes landed on a
man he’d never seen before, but who was undoubtedly the companion of Lord
Winchester that his manservant had warned him about. The girl standing at the
stranger’s side confirmed his suspicions because Lord Weatherly definitely
recognised her, the little whore.  Anger flared inside him, burning hot as he
spat, ‘It’s them; they did this!  They framed me!’  The whore turned her tear
stained face into the man’s shoulder at Lord Weatherly’s shouts, and the man
placed his arms around her in an act of comfort so convincing that had Lord
Weatherly not known they were lying, he would very well have believed it
himself.


But that was all it was, an act; they’d fucking set him up.  ‘You’ll pay for
this, both of you,’ he growled as he fought against the policeman’s hold. 
Winchester’s man looked at him then, an evil smirk on his face, just as the
policeman gave Lord Weatherly a particularly hard shove into the carriage.


‘Get your goddamned hands off me,’ he hissed.  ‘Do you even know who I am?  I’m
a Lord, for Christ’s sake; you can’t treat me like this.’


The policeman climbed into the carriage after Lord Weatherly, taking a seat
opposite him and answering his protest in a tone that the Lord felt bordered on
disrespectful, ‘Unfortunately, Sir, your case has been given priority status;
you’ll be up in front of the judge before nightfall. ’


‘What?’ Lord Weatherly choked out.  ‘But…but I need to contact my lawyer! This
is absurd!’


‘A lawyer has already been appointed to defend you but, if I might be candid,
Sir, the evidence against you and Miss Cohen is pretty damning.’     


‘Evidence?  What evidence?  And what the hell does that harpy have to do with
anything?’ Lord Weatherly asked, panic really starting to set in now; the
situation had gone far beyond ridiculous and had charged right on into
terrifying.


He scowled when the young man stared pointedly at his blood stained clothes,
but forced himself to remain quiet as the policeman answered his question,
‘Well, asidefrom the state of your clothes and your office and the bloody
letter opener on your desk, we have several witnesses who claim that Lord
Winchester came to stay here last night.  Miss Harris and Mr Murray have said
that you and Lord Winchester fought when he arrived, that you made threats
against his life, and that when they woke up this morning, their friend was
missing.  Add to that the letter on your desk from Miss Lauren Cohen asking for
you to get rid of Lord Winchester, and the Crown has a very strong case against
you.’  The man paused for a moment before adding, ‘It also doesn’t help that
Lord Winchester was a special friend of Lord Padalecki.’


Lord Weatherly felt the blood drain from his face so quickly, he was genuinely
afraid that he might pass out.  He’d never met Lord Padalecki, since the man
worked abroad, but Lord Weatherly had certainly heard his name and he knew how
much influence the man held in the city.  He also knew how many friends the
Lord had, and just how important those friends were.  Fuck, he was screwed.


‘But…but there’s no body,’ Lord Weatherly snarled, waving his shackled fists at
the officer.  ‘If I killed him, where’s his damn body?’


‘Well, we found drag marks down by the river; that’s the best place on the
property to dump a body, I figure…or at least that’s what my Sergeant said,’
the young man shrugged and turned to look out the window, obviously deeming the
conversation over and Lord Weatherly’s fate all but decided.  Clearly, no-one
was going to believe him, let alone give him the chance to tell his side of the
story.  Oh god... 


Lord Weatherly clenched his fists as rage and fear and hate swept through his
veins.  That boy…this was all that boy’s fault; Lord Weatherly wished he’d
never laid eyes on him…that fucking whore had ruined everything.  And
Winchester.  God, in that moment, Lord Weatherly wished he truly had slit the
bastard’s throat; at least then he’d have some company on the ride down to
hell. 


NEXT.
***** Chapter Eighteen. *****
Chapter Notes
     It’s finally done! I’m so so sorry it has taken me so long to get
     this out but I’ve been having some real problems with my back and
     neck and shoulders and pretty much every-freaking-thing connected to
     them! Not that that’s a good excuse (I’m probably just being a wuss
     anyway) but it’s really difficult to write when I’m in so much pain.
     So that’s my reason for being so tardy with this; good or bad, there
     it is.
     Anywho, this is the last chapter for this one and it’s pretty much
     just porn. Now, guys, please remember that porn really isn’t my forte
     so please don’t expect too much with this one. Also, this has got
     rimming in it (the prompter specifically asked for this) so if
     anyone’s squicked by that, maybe this chapter isn’t for you. Enjoy!
Chapter_Eighteen.

Jared.

It had been a hard two weeks, filled with pain and uncertainty, but it was
finally over.  Lord Weatherly had met the hangman’s noose, and Miss Cohen was
currently aboard a ship sailing to some faraway land, destined to spend the
rest of her miserable life there with no hope of ever returning to the
civilised world.  Personally, Jared felt that she should’ve joined Lord
Weatherly in his gruesome fate, but in the end, it didn’t really make much of a
difference.  The only thing that mattered was that neither of them would ever
be able to hurt Jensen again.


‘Don’t take it off just yet,’ Jared said as he helped Jensen down from the
carriage, smiling at the little huff of frustration the boy let out in
response.  He couldn’t really blame Jensen for being impatient; the journey to
get them here had been a long one, and Jared had kept the boy blindfolded for
nearly half of it in an effort to preserve his surprise.  He wanted Jensen’s
first time seeing this place to be memorable and something he would keep with
him forever.


Now they were finally here, though, Jared’s fingers itched to remove the
blindfold covering Jensen’s eyes.  But he couldn’t…not yet, so he carefully
guided the boy through the flourishing gardens until they stood in front of
Jared’s favourite place in the whole world – Lakewood Manor.  After finding
Jensen and falling in love with him, Jared had decided that he would return to
England for good, and that this would be the place where he’d spend the rest of
his life.  Hopefully, with Jensen by his side.  ‘Okay, I’m going to take the
blindfold off now.’


Jared heard Jensen’s breath hitch as he pulled the silk away.  ‘You live here?’


‘We live here,’ Jared answered, wrapping his arms around Jensen’s waist and
pulling him back against his chest.


Jensen tensed in his arms and Jared tightened his hold slightly, certain he
knew exactly what Jensen was about to say.  He was sadly proven right when
Jensen quietly asked, ‘Jared, I don’t…are you sur-ʼ


‘Yes.  For the hundredth time, yes.’  Jared turned Jensen in his arms.  ‘And my
answer will always be yes.  No matter what happens, no matter if we fight or
get mad at one another, my answer will always be yes.’


Jared leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jensen’s slightly parted lips,
revelling in the fact that he would be the only person to do that from now on. 
Here, he would be able to protect Jensen, keep him safe like he’d wanted to
from the moment he laid eyes on him. 


When they parted, Jared nosed at Jensen’s jaw, taking a moment to breathe in
the boy’s scent, before he whispered in his ear, ‘Would you like to see the
rest of the house, Jensen?’  The boy nodded against Jared’s shoulder. 


‘How about we start with the bedroom?’ Jared asked, kissing the soft skin
behind Jensen’s ear (and thoroughly enjoying the shiver it sent down Jensen’s
spine.)  ‘Would you like that, baby?’  The boy had barely finished nodding
before Jared hoisted him up, chuckling quietly at Jensen’s indignant squawk,
and carried him inside. 


‘You know, that really wasn’t necessary,’ Jensen griped from his new position
in Jared’s arms, but he didn’t sound nearly as put out as Jared thought he was
probably trying to sound.


‘Necessary?  No,’ Jared replied as he nuzzled into Jensen’s hair.  ‘Hot? 
Definitely.’  Jensen squirmed slightly at that, his cheeks flushing a delicious
pink as he turned his face away, and Jared couldn’t help but grin at the shy
gesture; apparently, he wasn’t the only one who found this insanely hot. 
‘Anyway, it’s symbolic.’


Jensen pulled back a little to look Jared in the face then as he asked,
‘Symbolic?’


‘Well, if you’re going to my husband, it’s only right that I carry over the
threshold the first time we enter our new home,’ Jared replied, trying to sound
confident, even though he wasn’t absolutely sure that Jensen would say yes. 
The boy was safe now, after all; he didn’t need Jared’s help anymore.  He could
go out and live the life he should’ve lived in the first place, free and
unmolested.  Jared just hoped, prayed, that Jensen felt the same way he did.


‘Husband?’ Jensen asked, his voice so quiet that Jared couldn’t even begin to
work out how Jensen felt about the idea.  Was it too much?  Was it too soon?
 Did Jensen want to enjoy his new found freedom, experience all the things he’d
missed out on, without being tied down?


Jared nodded, stopping just outside the bedroom; he wasn’t about to walk
through the door and take that final step, when everything was still so
uncertain between them.  If Jensen didn’t want this one hundred percent, then
Jared would let him go…even if it would break his heart to do so. 


‘You want me to be your husband?’ Jensen asked again, his voice a little
stronger this time but his tone still not giving anything away.  Jared nodded a
second time, his stomach twisting itself in knots as he waited for Jensen’s
response.  ‘Oh God,’ Jensen choked out, his voice utterly wrecked, and Jared
was positive that it was going to be a no, but before he could take the offer
back…before he could tell the boy that it was okay to say no, Jensen’s lips
crashed into his own.


It took a moment for Jared to realise that this was Jensen’s answer.  This was
Jensen saying yes to becoming his husband; yes to spending the rest of his life
with Jared. 


And just like that, all of his doubts vanished, leaving Jared feeling giddy and
so damn relieved he couldn’t help the huff of laughter that left his lips as he
pressed Jensen up against the wall next to them and kissed him.  Long, languid
moments passed, and soon the relief faded away, turning the kiss into something
more, something deeper. 


Jared brought his hands up to cradle the boy’s face as he deepened the kiss,
putting everything he felt for Jensen into each brush of their lips, into every
swirl of his tongue.  When they finally broke apart an eternity later, Jared
rested his forehead against Jensen’s, feeling breathless and overwhelmed but
more content than he could ever remember feeling.     


Jensen was the one to break the silence between them, each word breathed
against Jared’s lips, ‘You really are my angel.’  He shook his head.  ‘I can’t
believe you still want me…after everything.  I can’t believe that someone like
you,someone with all this, could want someone like m-ʼ


Jared cut him off with another kiss, unable to listen to Jensen doubting
himself a moment longer.  ‘I’m not an angel,’ he said, pulling back and looking
the boy in the eye.  ‘Far from it in fact.  If I were, then I wouldn’t want
this.  I’d want you to go out and see the world, see everything you haven’t had
the chance to see…but I don’t.  I want you with me, more than anything, and I
know that makes me a terrible person, but I just…I can’t imagine my life
without you now.’  Jared sighed, running a hand down Jensen’s face as he added,
‘And, just for the record, Jen…there hasn’t been a second since we met that
I’ve not wanted you.’


Jensen placed his hand over Jared’s then, holding it against his cheek as he
stared up at him.  His expression was so open, so honest, that Jared could’ve
sworn he could see into the boy’s very soul right then, and everything he saw
shining there was mirrored perfectly in his own.  ‘Well, that’s lucky then
because I can’t imagine my life without you either.  I don’t want to see any of
those things if you’re not by my side; I’d rather die than lose you now.’ 
Jensen turned his head slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Jared’s palm as he
whispered, ‘Take me to bed, Jared.  Take me to bed and make me yours.’  Heated
green eyes suddenly met Jared’s gaze, ‘Only yours…forever, Jared, please…’


That desperate plea echoing in his ears, Jared tore Jensen away from the wall,
kicked the bedroom door open and all but tossed the boy onto the bed.  He
looked down at Jensen for a moment, sprawled across the navy sheets, his heart
pounding so hard in his chest that it drowned out every other sound in the
room.  Unable to wait minute longer with that sinful temptation spread out in
front of him, Jared quickly descended upon the boy, pulling at his clothes and
underwear until Jensen lay naked and perfect beneath him.   All that flawless
pale skin, so soft against Jared’s lips as he pressed gentle kisses to the
boy’s neck…chest…shoulders.  ‘Turn over for me,’ he breathed into Jensen’s ear
and the boy obeyed, presenting his pert round ass and sensuously curved back to
Jared and his eager eyes. 


Jared couldn’t keep from reaching out, from running his fingers over the smooth
skin and squeezing the globes in his hands.  Jensen shivered, the shudder
visible as it ran up his spine, and it took an extraordinary amount of
restraint on Jared’s part to pull away and strip off his own clothes.  He
wanted so badly to be buried deep inside that tight little body, but he knew
that that wouldn’t do at all.  Not tonight.  This moment was special; it was
the beginning of their lives together and Jared wasn’t going to rush it.  He
was going to make this night one Jensen would remember for the rest of his
life. 


Now naked, Jared climbed back onto the bed, laying a hand on Jensen’s side and
nudging him forwards slightly, ‘Move up the bed for me a little and put your
head on the pillow.’  The boy quickly complied, his eagerness showing in every
movement of his lithe body as he wriggled upwards so that his head almost
touched the headboard. 


Jared leaned down to press a tender kiss to the top of Jensen's spine, smiling
against the boy’s skin when Jensen let out a soft gasp at the touch of Jared’s
lips.  He couldn’t help kissing his way down the perfect curve of the boy’s
back, not when Jensen kept making those delicious shocked little noises every
time Jared’s lips grazed his skin.  Kissing Jensen, touching him, was more
exhilarating than any drug Jared had ever experienced; it was addictive, all
consuming, amping up Jared’s arousal and hunger with every hit he took.


With one last kiss to Jensen’s tailbone, Jared gripped the round flesh of
Jensen’s ass and pulled the cheeks apart to press a kiss to that special place
hidden between them. It had been a long time since Jared had done this, but he
knew it would drive Jensen crazy, and the prospect of having the boy mindless
and desperate beneath him was just too tempting to pass up. 


He felt Jensen tense, his body jolting slightly as Jared’s lips touched his
hole, ‘Jared?’  The boy sounded confused, like he had no idea what Jared was
going to do to him and, given his history, he probably didn’t.  But that was
okay because Jared was going to take care of him…he was going to show Jensen
just how amazing sex could be with someone you loved.   


‘Shhh,’ Jared soothed as he stroked the back of Jensen’s thigh.  ‘You’ll love
it, trust me, but if you want me to stop at any time, just say so, okay?’


He waited for Jensen to nod into the pillow before pulling the boy’s cheeks
apart again and licking a long, wet line from Jensen’s balls to the top of his
ass.  The reaction was instantaneous; Jensen’s body arched off the bed, his
hands gripping the sheets tightly as he moaned, ‘Jared…’ The word was
breathless, shocked…turned on, so Jared grinned and licked him again.  ‘Oh
God…’


He licked right across Jensen’s hole, pushing his tongue in slightly and
lapping at the tight puckered skin over and over again.  ‘Jesus…what are you…oh
my God…’ Jensen was rolling his hips now, pressing his ass back against Jared’s
face in a wordless plea for more, and Jared was more than happy to oblige.   He
stabbed his tongue past the first ring of muscle and licked deep into Jensen’s
body.


And just like that, Jensen’s whole body tensed, his ass clamping down on
Jared’s tongue as he cried out and slumped back onto the bed.


Was that?  Had Jensen just…had he just come from Jared’s tongue in his ass?


Jared pressed another gentle kiss to the bottom of Jensen’s spine, stroking
over the skin there as Jensen turned to look over his shoulder at him.  All the
pride Jared felt from making Jensen come untouched disappeared at the wary look
on the boy’s face.  Jared licked lips uncertainly, getting an echo of Jensen’s
musky taste, as he asked, ‘You okay, baby?’


Jared’s worry intensified as he watched the nervous swallow Jensen made before
he answered in a dangerously quiet voice, ‘I…I’m sorry, that’s…that’s never
happened to me before.  It was just…you were just…it felt so good…and I just
couldn’t stop myself…’


Jared sighed in relief and dropped down onto the bed next to Jensen, thankful
that nothing was actually wrong.  The boy’s concerns were completely unfounded
and Jared didn’t hesitate to tell him so, ‘Don’t apologise, sweetheart; that
was, without a doubt, the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.’


‘Really?’ Jensen asked, a shy smile curving his lips.


‘Really,’ Jared confirmed as he trailed his finger down Jensen’s spine and
between the boy’s cheeks.  Jensen’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch and
Jared leaned forward to whisper, ‘You want some more, baby?’


Jensen nodded, catching his kiss swollen bottom lip between his teeth as he
opened his eyes again and said, ‘I want you inside me.’


‘Fuck!’ Jared cursed as the words sent blood rushing to his already painfully
hard cock, the sensation almost ending the night embarrassingly early.  ‘Jesus,
Jen, you can’t say stuff like that.’


‘What?’ Jensen asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief and unbridled heat.
 ‘That I want you inside me?  That I want you so deep inside me that I can
almost taste you?  That I want you come in me, mark me up as yours inside and
out?  I can’t say stuff like that?’


Fucking hell. 


That was it…Jared felt his already tenuous control finally snap as the last
word left Jensen’s lips.  With an almost feral growl, he pushed Jensen onto his
back and climbed on top of him, dropping down at the last moment to plant a
hard kiss on the boy’s smiling lips.  Jensen moaned and reached up to grab at
Jared’s back, his fingers digging into the muscles of the Jared’s shoulders and
sending hot sparks of arousal coursing through his body.  Jared pulled back,
looking down at the boy, ‘The things I want to do to you...’


And Jensen just stared right back, his lips shining and slick, ‘Then do them,
Jared.  I want you to…I want everything.’


Wholly and completely in agreement with that plan, Jared grabbed the small vial
of oil sitting on the nightstand and inched his way down Jensen’s body again. 
Placing a chaste kiss on the inside of Jensen’s thigh, he coated two fingers in
oil and pressed them against Jensen’s already loosened hole. 


As they disappeared inside, Jared took Jensen’s cock in his mouth, gagging a
little when Jensen thrust up in surprise.  ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry…’ the boy
babbled above him, but Jared just pressed his fingers in further, searching for
that special spot.  A strangled gasp less than a minute later told him that
he’d found it, and Jared stroked over the bundle of nerves again as he sucked
on the sensitive head of Jensen’s cock, pushing the boy to the limit of
pleasure and beyond…and loving every second of it, loving every sound that
escaped Jensen’s gorgeous mouth. 


‘Oh god…Jared…Jared…please…that’s enough, I need you…I don’t want to come again
without you inside me…’ 


Jared immediately pulled off Jensen’s cock, but left his fingers in the boy’s
ass as he continued to stroke his insides, opening him up and watching the
waves of pleasure play out across Jensen’s beautiful features.  He wondered
once again how he could ever have lived without this?  Jensen’s green eyes
opened suddenly, staring up at him desperately, ‘Please, Jared, now…’


And Jared just didn’t have it in him to deny Jensen anymore, not that he really
wanted to.  He quickly slipped his slick fingers free, swept them down his cock
once, and lined himself up with the boy’s lubed hole.  ‘I love you,’ he
breathed against Jensen’s lips.  ‘Always.’  And he pushed inside. 


Jensen’s hands came up to grip his shoulders again as Jared slid inside,
burying himself completely in one hard thrust.  It was so hot, so tight - like
Jensen’s body had been made just for him, fitting around him perfectly like no
one else’s ever had.  ‘I love you too,’ Jensen whispered, his eyes bright and
his voice shaky as he stared up at Jared.  Jared could understand, could feel
the tumult of his own emotions swirling inside his chest.  ‘Move, Jared, please
move.’


Jared nodded, resting his cheek against Jensen’s as he pulled out and thrust
back in.  Jensen’s short, breathless cries every time Jared’s cock thrust
against his prostate urged Jared on…made him snap his hips forward harder and
harder, desperate to hear that sound again…desperate to feel Jensen clench
around him when he hit that special spot.  He felt the boy’s hands tighten on
his shoulders as he increased his pace, his own fingers clutching at the pillow
on either side of Jensen’s head. 


‘Jared…’ Jensen gasped out suddenly, his body clamping down on Jared so tightly
that Jared’s vision whited out for a moment before he flooded Jensen’s insides
with his own release.


As he came back to himself, Jared nuzzled against Jensen’s neck, ‘You alright?’


Jensen squirmed beneath him, turning his head slightly to the side and letting
Jared press a kiss to his lips.  ‘I’m amazing,’ he sighed, a lazy but utterly
content smile on his face. 


‘In every way,’ Jared added with a smile as he rolled off Jensen and tugged the
covers over both of them.  ‘And we’re going to be amazing together,’ he said,
pulling Jensen close.  ‘For the rest of our lives.’


‘You promise?’ Jensen asked, resting his head on Jared’s shoulder and closing
his eyes.


Jared smiled and ran a hand through Jensen’s messy hair, ‘I promise.  Now go to
sleep; we’ve got all the time in the world to be together so get some rest.’  
By the time Jared had finished speaking, Jensen was already asleep, so Jared
just settled down himself and closed his own eyes, safe in the knowledge that
he had found his other half and that they had their whole lives ahead of them.
An eternity to spend together…to love one another to the fullest, and nothing
would ever keep them apart again.


THE END.       

Thank you all so much, you guys; you’re support has been amazing and
wonderful.  Thank you for all of your great comments (and all the kudos for
those over at AO3) – they mean the absolute world to me! J
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!