Ring in Mine

Ring in Mine

Kim Terry

Thank your for the emails. I appreciate even a short, "I'm reading your story," goes a long way.

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All rights are reserved to the author except those given to Nifty to publish and archive this work. Please do not repost without permission of the author.

(If there are errors I do apologize up front. I find proofreading is a lot like steam cleaning your carpet. It doesn't matter how many times you go over something you still find another error or two.)

Note: Due to many requests for more information about John and Marty, the other two victims in chapter 34, After the epilogue this story will continue with two or possibly three short stories exploring how these characters came to be in that dark situation and how they coped with the experience.

There is a chapter that I deleted from the story and no longer belongs in the narrative. One of my friends says it is really hot. I will trying posting it if I can get it to work.

Kim

Ring in Mine: Chapter 47: Epilogue

We were twins with separate fathers. I slowly lost some animosity toward Bruce. He was treating the love of my life with respect. I can't say I liked him but I didn't actively hate him.

Mom turned out to be pregnant. We knew whose it was, but we weren't telling Bruce. My mom had only had one fertile dick in her that matched the timing. No, it wasn't mine but Brett's. There would be no three armed kids in this family. Mom was ecstatic. Even Bruce seemed happy to have another chance as a father.

Jerry and I came to a meeting of the minds as far as sex with others. If we were both in agreement we would include them in our love making. I am sure Professor James White remembered the first time we double teamed him in his office.

James was sitting behind his desk. We came in unannounced one night after the late lab. Jerry started with James's mouth while I took care of his zipper. He shot his first load with Jerry sucking his dick while I ate his ass. We didn't give him a breather but kept working until we were rewarded with a miraculous re-erection. The dead did rise again. Jerry had won the toss in the hall. Tails. It was his tail that would take James's big dick. I slipped behind James and slid into him. We twins were holding still making James do all the work.

Right after mom's divorce became final, mom married Bruce. He had promised to continue to support Jerry's education. He suggested I quit working and let him support me. I refused. I was proud to be doing this on my own. That which wasn't accepted couldn't be taken away. I did appreciate the health insurance when they took care of my face over spring break. I started the new quarter in bandages.

Jerry was surprised when they came off. For people who noticed, I had a mole on the bridge of my nose. I had asked the surgeon to remove it. I wanted to be the mirror image of my brother. The bandages were removed and Jerry noticed the missing mole at once. We didn't point it out to anyone.

Danielle noticed the mole almost as quickly as Jerry. She had another way of telling us apart. Jerry's ampallang was lower and farther forward than mine. Not many people got the chance to see that difference.

During spring break Danielle went on vacation with her family; I was getting my face fixed. Jerry was home with Bruce and mom. We separately all came to the same conclusion. We were miserable without the other two. The first night back Brett had to ask us to hold it down a bit or Doc and he would come join us. I'm not sure if what happened was what they expected. Three naked young adults crawled into the big king bed with them.

The next morning we woke to the phone ringing.

"Is this Brett? This is Todd, Bobby's artist friend. Did you see the news last night?" Brett answered that he had. A drunk driver behind the wheel of a small propane delivery truck had plowed headfirst into another car in the canyon going about 80 miles an hour, resulting in a raging fireball. The fire was so hot that there was little left of either driver.

"I thought you should know that Samuel was in the other car. He has been living here over the break. Samuel had no family that claimed him. I know he would want you to have anything of Christopher's"

There were a lot of tears as we brought the few boxes that were the only physical evidence of his short life. Doc and Brett weren't up to going through the boxes yet. There was only a memorial service. Samuel's few remaining ashes were added to Christopher's urn.

Danielle started spending almost as much time at the Johnson's as Jerry and I.

Danielle, Jerry and I became an unstoppable team when it came to making films. Jerry had a real flair at script writing. Danielle was a great producer/director. I was best at camerawork and editing. We shifted our schedules to have our film classes together. I continued my jobs as teaching assistant for the hottest two professors on campus.

Things got hectic in April and May. Brett was having the huge bonus space over the garage remodeled. It was all a secret and we were allowed nowhere near the construction zone. Materials were always delivered while we were at school.

As the regular year's classes wound down, news reached us of our attackers plea bargain. The district attorney felt with the case being so tied up in religious beliefs he would never get a jury to side with four gay boys, especially based on only one person's testimony. They ended up with time served, probation and community service. At least the cops lost their jobs.

Skip and Jessica got married just as school got out. They took over Danielle's apartment when the roommates all moved out. They had extensive training in the diversity of love making. It was a class we had enjoyed teaching. It was usually held in the basement. Doc and Brett occasionally attended a refresher course.

Doc didn't seem to mind the nude workouts and showers in the morning. It was tight on the mornings we had five in the shower.

God was still an important part of all our lives. We attended church with the Johnsons. The congregation slowly became accustomed to having us here. Since Jerry and I were pretty much identical we took turns introducing Danielle as our fiancé. We hadn't figured out how we were going to legally make it work yet. Two weeks after spring break we asked Danielle to marry us.

The week after Skip's wedding a morning came without the construction team. Brett suggested that we spend a weekend with Grams and Papa. We had met them other places for part of a day. It was only Jerry that had spent overnight with his dad.

Doc started me on anxiety pills three days before the visit. Just as Chris had promised me, Jerry's only memories were from the film, easily pushed aside. They were my cross to bear and if it saved Jerry the pain and nightmares I endured, it was worth the price.

I am embarrassed to say that the night before we left, my partners couldn't find me. As good as my life had become, I often still depended upon the lie. Everything wasn't alright. Geo did what he could to help but there were times I just couldn't handle things.

Jerry was the one to find me, my head on my knees in the far corner of my closet. My body shook in a terror that was more than real to me. Danielle opened her mouth to say something but had gotten no further than `Bobby' when Jerry put his fingers to her lips. He pulled the blanket and pillows from the bed. The two loves of my life, the reasons I didn't end it that day on the library roof, settled in on either side of me. Neither tried to tell me I was being stupid or silly. I heard Jerry softly remind her of the movie.

"For us it was a movie, something that happened to someone else. Bobby remembers it all and it started when my evil step sister left those scars."

I think that was when she understood the depths of my fears. She leaned in and kissed my cheek.

"Bobby you are and have always been loved." Danielle whispered. Something about her simple phrase settled my torn soul enough to fall asleep.

Instead of my usual nightmares, I was at the mouth of a dark cave. I wasn't looking into the cave but at a path that led further from the darkness. The sound of distant surf filled my ears. I walked the path under a canopy of growth that grew thinner the farther I travelled. I left the darkness far behind. I stepped out onto a beach of pure white sand ending in an ocean so blue it put the beautiful azure sky to shame. Down the beach were two swinging hammocks. I ran toward this destination. I noticed in one hammock Samuel lay with his arm behind Chris.

"We've been waiting for you. Before I forget be sure mom finds the pale blue box in my stuff." Samuel instructed.

"You've handled things as well as can be expected. You have had an impact on the lives of people you don't even know, but they know of you." Chris explained. "The three of you are going to make a difference in the world. For now take a hammock and rest."

Getting in the hammock was an ordeal. Settled in I realized I wasn't alone. I couldn't see who was cradling me in his arms.

"Little brother I think it is time I lift some of this burden from your shoulders." I looked down at the hand resting on my chest. I knew the mark's I would find. I closed my eyes in a blissfully peaceful sleep in the arms of a loving older brother.

I'm not sure how long we had slept in the closet. I woke my partners.

"Let's go to bed." I suggested.

Friday night we slept at Grams in my attic garret. Much of my fear was gone, but I wouldn't go into the first floor bedroom. It was great spending time with my three grandparents. When we arrived LeRoy tried to excuse himself.

"Don't you step any closer to that door!" I was being forceful in my demand. I stepped over to him and took his face into my hands and gave this dear old man a kiss that should have stopped his heart. It nearly stopped mine.

"With the three of us you have nothing to hide." I announced. I could tell LeRoy was uncomfortable sitting at the dinner table. Grams and Danielle decided that we would watch a romantic comedy that was on TV. We sat on the loveseat with Danielle in the middle. The grandparents sat on the couch with Papa in the middle.

Danielle decided we would play the kissing game. She explained it to the responsible adults. I kissed Danielle first. Danielle kissed Jerry second. Jerry kissed me third. These weren't little pecks on the cheeks. These were games of toe curling tonsil tag.

By the fourth kiss Papa felt comfortable kissing LeRoy with an audience. It was a great kiss. Danielle got up during commercial and kissed each of the gentlemen in a chaste granddaughter type kiss.

"That's what I want to see. The three of you love each other. At least with us don't be afraid to show it." She returned to the couch and placed her hands in our crotches. She didn't just lay them there. She was going to maximize the tents in the basketball shorts we were wearing commando. I wasn't too sure about Grams seeing me hard. Then I remembered she had already seen it that way and she was cool about it.

The next kiss we made a three way kiss. With her hands in our laps we were totally carried away. I stole a glance at Papa. They were matching us tongue for tongue. Commercial break ended the current kisses. LeRoy and Papa were showing the same problem we were. I was glad we could make them feel comfortable enough to show their deep love for each other. When everyone came back from commercial/bathroom/snack break Grams sat in the middle. She was copying Danielle's example of hand placement.

"Bobby, Papa and Leroy were talking in the kitchen. I have told them about the ring in your dick. Would you mind showing them. Jerry and I each stood in front of our audience and dropped our shorts to the floor. Our hard cocks proudly displaying the rings and barbells.

"You can touch them." Jerry offered. They reached out and slid the barbells back and forth. They played with the rings. LeRoy licked his lips looking at mine.

"LeRoy, you may do it if you want." He looked up into my eyes and I smiled and nodded. Taking me up on the offer he slid my dick between his lips. He used his tongue to play with first the ring and then the barbell. He moved beyond exploration and swallowed the whole thing. I looked at Papa. Jerry was getting the same treatment. Danielle came over and stood before Grams.

"Do you feel left out?" Danielle pulled Grams to her feet removed the underwear under her house dress and set her back down. "Have you ever had a woman down there?" Grams shook her head. Danielle demonstrated her talents for Grams. From her sounds she was enjoying Danielle's efforts. Listening to Grams sent me over the edge. LeRoy wasn't going to waste a drop. Jerry wasn't far behind.

"If you don't mind I think we are tired. We will see you in the morning." Grams took her men by the hand and headed for their bedroom. Someone was going to be happy tonight. I know up in the attic we were. It wasn't something that would probably ever happen again, but it had the desired effect. The next morning they were relaxed in their affections. LeRoy kissed Papa at the table and then Grams.

"You planned this didn't you?" Grams accused. "You wanted us to be able to be ourselves when you visited?" Grams was looking from face to face trying to find the guilty party. Danielle finally confessed. Everyone admitted it had the desired effect.

Tonight we were staying at Jerry's house. I had often slept there before all of this. Maybe I could do it again. I was on a hair trigger, any gay bashing and I was ready to leave. My partners could decide if they came with me.

At the dinner table Danielle sat next to mom. I sat next to Jerry. This was my first time on Bruce's turf and I wasn't comfortable. I was here for Jerry. It was good to see my mom, but my fear of Bruce overshadowed everything. I was afraid to show affection for anyone. Bruce said something that I didn't catch. Mom shook her head and glared at her husband. Jerry put his hand on my leg and I push back so hard my chair fell backward. I excused myself to clean up the glass of water I dumped all over me. I had no intention of returning to the table.

"What's wrong with Bobby?" Bruce asked.

"I'm not sure. He was fine earlier." Jerry answered.

"Sometimes men are so stupid." Danielle said to Marie. "Bruce, Bobby associates you with everything bad that has happened since Christmas and looking at your track record I can understand why." Danielle looked directly at Jerry. "He is only here because you asked him to. He is afraid to show any affection for anyone for fear your dad will attack him again."

"Do you want to know his biggest fear." She aimed this last statement at the remaining men at the table. "That Bruce will ask you to choose and Bobby will be out in the cold again."

"Jerry is my son." Bruce began.

"Dad shut up." Jerry looked at Danielle.

"Go find him. Prove to him that you love him. You know that he loves you more than life itself." Danielle suggested

"Jerry is a man he has nothing to prove." Bruce announced. Danielle slapped him.

"Go!" She ordered. Jerry ran from the room. Bruce was about to say something when Marie threatened to slap him again.

"If they come back to the table, I hope Jerry kisses my son to show who he chooses and he had better come back or you will be on the couch tonight. I can make do with a vibrator or better yet I could borrow Danielle for an hour or two." Marie pointed out her husband's options. "And the comment about Danielle marrying Jerry so any children could be born in the church was out of line."

Bruce stood up and left the table. He found Jerry comforting his brother. Jerry sat on the floor, Bobby's head against his chest. He silently stood there and watched his son caressing Bobby's back and hair as the young man sobbed. Somehow he had caused this. He remembered all the fun times the three of them had as they grew up: the camping trips, teaching them to ride a bike, the fun days just playing with his boys. He burst with pride when Bobby won swimming trophy after swimming trophy.

Bruce remembered the anger when Bobby came to play and saw the bruises left by the man intrusted with the care of his son. Then he remembered the bruises he had left by not holding Jan accountable for beating Bobby with that steel yardstick leaving physical scars that would fade with time along with the emotional scars that never would. The phrase cocksucking faggot' and the punch to the gut of an already injured boy. Bobby lying on the ground. He clearly remembered Bobby's last words before he passed out from blood loss. Don't let him near me. I don't want to die." Had Bobby really been that afraid of him.

`Lord, what have I done?' Bruce prayed.

`As you have asked so you shall be given.'

Bruce relived the beating, the torture, the multiple times Bruce had forced Jerry to choose him rather than his brother. He felt the joy of having Bruce as his real father and then the despair of abandonment.

`I cannot bear this please no more.'

`But your son carries this cross on his own and you chose to drive the nails through his hands.'

Then Bruce heard Bobby's prayer when his memories of the reprogramming came back.

`Lord, may I carry this burden for both of us. Please don't let Jerry remember.'

`How could I not grant his fervent prayer, based not on lust but on a pure love.'

`Please forgive me. What can I do?"

`The Lord's forgiveness is a given. This cross will not be lifted from your shoulders until you gain Bobby's forgiveness.'

The world came back into focus. He realized a miraculous transformation on his part wouldn't be accepted. He was going to have to earn this. Bruce got on his knees and Jerry's eyes met his.

"I am so sorry Jerry. I know I am going to have to earn both of your trusts again and I really don't know how." Bruce said between the tears.

"To start, think before you open your damn mouth. I think you taught me that." Bruce realized the truth of what his son accused him of.

"Jerry, if Bobby is uncomfortable being here, maybe you should take him back to his Grams. Maybe overnight is too much too soon." Bruce offered a suggestion.

"But dad I want to spend time with you!" Jerry looked again at his brother/lover. "With both of you!"

"Jerry, I want to spend time with both of my sons, but I have a lot of bridges that need to be rebuilt with your brother. I have ripped them down and burned the timbers." Bruce confessed.

"Take Bobby where he is safe. May I come to church with you tomorrow?" Bruce asked.

Bobby wasn't up to returning to the table. His sons and their girlfriend returned to Grams' house for the night. Good to her word Bruce slept on the couch. Marie didn't actually use the vibrator but she made sure Bruce heard it.

Church started on a strained note. Bruce wanted to sit with a son on each side, but I wasn't going to let anyone come between me and my brother. Bruce had to be content to sit next to Danielle. Bruce had a chance to make great strides forward on his path of redemption during the break between meetings.

"You're that gay kid on the news. Why are you here? You do know you are going straight to hell. That should be new doing anything STRAIGHT in your twisted life."

"I am sorry you are so misinformed. You are not to talk to my son that way. He is a child of a loving and caring God. If God has issues with my son, the two of them will work it out. God did not make you my son's keeper." Bruce had not been particularly quiet in his response.

I stood in a daze. Bruce defended me. He really had defended me.

The leader of the congregation came to put in his two bits worth, but Bruce didn't give him a chance.

"Brother," not giving the leader the dignity of his title, "before you say anything remember what I am and that you have an expired registration and a broken taillight. He without sin, you know how it goes." He turned and walked away.

Bruce had defended me twice. That deserved at least a hug. I wrapped his arms around my current champion.

"Thank you." I said quietly. Bruce was in seventh heaven. He knew he wasn't out of the woods, but his son had hugged him and said thank you. Marie's smile could have lit the room without the use of electricity.

After church Grams had invited everyone over for dinner. Papa met us at the door and wouldn't let us in. He pointed to three gloves and a baseball.

"We will call you when it's dinner." He announced. We used to play catch all the time. When things got busy in high school not so much. Jerry was a star on the high school team. Throwing the baseball was simple. It was pointless and like so many pointless things we had fun.

Dinner was a quiet affair, almost as if everyone seemed reluctant to break the fragile truce that had started developing last night. I finally broke the ice and flipped the elephant in the room the finger.

"Bruce, thank you for standing up for me at church. I get that a lot, not people standing up for me, but getting beaten down because of who or what they think I am."

"I wanted to tell her that her son had shagged all the cheerleaders and half the football squad." Jerry piped in. "Well they shagged him." Bruce looked at Jerry with shocked eyes.

"Dad, I said football team. I have better taste than that and from what I've seen in the showers he's only this long hard." Jerry held up his fingers about three inches apart. Papa and LeRoy thought it was hilarious.

"You don't need length to catch." Papa added to the conversation. Everyone but Bruce was laughing. I knew what question he was going to ask. Jerry must have figured it out to.

"Dad, before you ask, I've known I was gay since jr high gym glass. Guys were so much more interesting than girls. My first time doing anything with a guy was my junior year and as much as everyone wants to know the details, they aren't for the dinner table." Jerry explained. Bruce looked at me.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking. I didn't think of guys that way until last Thanksgiving. I like it both ways. " I leaned over and gave Danielle a kiss on the cheek.

"Dad, Bobby didn't make me gay, if anything he opened my eyes to the wonders of straight sex." His kiss with Danielle got wolf whistles from all three grandparents.

We had given Bruce something to ponder.

"What did you do in high school?" Danielle asked me before anyone else could.

"I swam and avoided getting hit by my dad. Most of the time I swam with a t shirt on so not to show the bruises. Practicing with all that drag is part of the reason I was so fast in competitions. I was a total virgin until Thanksgiving and before anyone asks my first time with a woman was a favor." I looked around the table and knew I wasn't going to get away with only that much of an explanation about the favor. "Her husband was sterile and I looked like I could have been family. The baby will be here in a few months, most people don't know but I have it on good authority she is carrying twins."

Jerry was dying to say something. I shook my head no. He nodded his head yes. I shook my head no. The family was watching us like a tennis match.

"Go ahead, tell them." I said in defeat.

"Bobby is the father..."

"The sperm donor, Brad's the father." I interrupted.

"You ruined it. Now they know." Jerry looked crestfallen.

"You can tell them the other thing about Brad." Jerry looked at me surprised. "Not that, the jewelry thing."

"Sue asked Bobby to put a ring in his dick like ours." He looked happy again. "Dad, I'm sure he'll do yours if you ask him nicely."

Bruce's eyes crossed and a hand went below the table.

"It doesn't hurt that much. Now the barbell that is a different story." Bruce looked like he was ready to throw up.

"Give the poor man a chance to breathe and let's have some pie." Grams announced.

After dinner Papa brought out the monopoly board. The women wisely chose to do anything else but play monopoly. Papa and Jerry were ruthless. I was the first to run out of money. As always it came down to Papa and Jerry. Years ago it was decided that when it got down to two they had 30 minutes and then the one with the most value won the game.

When time was up Papa had the most money, but Jerry had the most value because of the properties he owned. For the last 30 minutes Jerry cheated every time he could get away with it. But, Papa was cheating too. It wasn't until the 15 minute point I realized that Bruce had his arm around my shoulder. We had sat like this many times watching the masters swindle and cheat each other. I could have moved but it brought back memories of good times.

The women returned during the counting of the money. Mom noticed Bruce and I. I winked and she didn't say a thing. When Jerry won without thinking I rewarded him with a kiss. LeRoy consoled Papa in the same way. Danielle and Gram turned it into two, three way kisses. Mom was smiling and Bruce was trying to figure the whole thing out.

Jerry headed for the bathroom. I followed.

"Would like to sleep in your own bed tonight?" I asked.

"Not if you aren't in it." Jerry answered.

I kept it together throughout the night. It helped to be the center of a love sandwich.

Bruce made his special pancakes and eggs that I had eaten after so many sleepovers. He said the blessing on the food and included Danielle and I when it came for asking for the Lord's protection. We all cleaned up. Bruce had to get to work and we needed to get back to Logan. I was working in the Media Lab for the summer. Jerry and Danielle with the help of our Logan parents had jobs on campus too.

When we got to the Johnson's all of Jerry's things were missing from our shared bedroom, even Danielle's things she kept there. My TV was gone. Everything was gone from my room too.

More than a little disturbed we went to Danielle's apartment. All of her stuff was gone, replaced by Skip's and Jessica's. Neither of them were there to explain. The phone rang.

"Bobby, I need you to hurry home. I think we have been robbed." Brett sounded frantic.

We hopped into the car and hurried home. No one was there. We heard a muffled call for help. There at the door to the space over the garage we found Brett duct taped. After we freed him he announced.

They have Doc in there. He pointed at the door. We cautiously entered. The space was totally transformed. It was an open concept studio apartment. People popped up from hiding places around the room.

"Surprise!" We turned to look at Brett.

Since you three are starting your family Doc and I thought if you had your own place, you might stick around.

It was one big space with a corner taken out for the bathroom and walkin closet. The centerpiece of the bathroom was a shower with two heads, a handheld and a stationary. It was big enough for a small party. There was a three sink vanity. Somebody thought it was funny to have his, his and hers towels hanging on the bar. The toilet was in it's own enclosed space.

The kitchen fit into one corner in an L shape. It wasn't big but it had everything we would need. There was a sitting space with a couch, my TV and a stereo. Then there was the king bed.

On the wall hung art from more than one artist that Jerry and I posed for. I think my favorite was one that included all three of us. We had never posed together. Danielle explained that Todd had approached her about posing for a present for her boys.

There was a poster for an famous film festival. Looking at it closely it listed some of the films that would be premiered at the festival. Our documentary was listed with an accompanying art show. I looked at Todd.

"It's art from the young guy that was with you that weekend. It was something Geo and the kid's doctor had put together." Todd explained. It would be good to see how he was coping.

The festival was only an hour away from Bruce's. We could stay with our parents for that week.

Most everyone had brought some type of house warming present. The biggest surprise was a large manila folder presented by Paul. Inside were six pairs of documents. All signed they would give each of us financial and medical power of attorney for the others. It was almost like being married. The most important part was being able to make medical decisions for our pseudo spouses. The upside was since we were still legally single we didn't have to worry about Health Insurance. We could stay on our parents insurance.

It was with great pride that the three of us and a young man named John walked up to the podium to receive the acclaim of filmmakers with far more experience than we for our film. We looked out at the table where our family sat, Dad 1 (Brett), Doc, Mom, Dad 2 (Bruce, I could actually bring myself to call him dad), Papa, Grams and LeRoy. Danielle's and John's mother's and father filled out our guest list.

Danielle was getting domestic. She was thinking of putting school on hold and starting our family. Maybe Bruce was right. If Jerry were the one to make it official with Danielle the children could be born as members of the church. We are going to have to talk about that. Doc says we will have a built in pediatrician and baby sitter.

Though this story is finished. It in some ways will continue in John's story. (The young boy from Chapter 34.) It will be posted as additional chapters to this story.

If you would like me to drop you a note when it begins posting, just ask. I would appreciate hearing from you. ringinmine@yahoo.com