Timmy had stopped crying by the time they arrived at Isaac’s, and Isaac lugged Timmy’s duffel into the house and dropped it on the couch. Timmy sat on the other end of the couch and curled into a ball and pressed his face into the crack between the top and bottom cushions. Isaac went to Timmy and put his hand on Timmy’s shoulder.

Timmy unwound and stood up and hugged Isaac….”I’m scared, Isaac…What happens to me now?“

Isaac hugged Timmy back hard, and said to him “ We take this one step at a time for now, little buddy. You don’t need to be scared, nobody is going to hurt you now. As far as what happens, well, I got some ideas to work on, but its all good. Things are going to be a lot better for you now…look at me, Timmy.” Timmy raised his head and looked up into Isaac’s eyes.

“I promise and give you my word that things are going to work out. Do you believe me and trust me?” Isaac asked, maintaining hard eye contact with Timmy.

“Do I really have any choice now?” Timmy asked …Isaac could have mistaken his tone for sarcasm, but Timmy’s face betrayed his real feelings. It was a question asked in defeat…Timmy had basically given up and surrendered emotionally at this point.

“Like I said before, little buddy, you have to choose between working through this, or folding up and letting this destroy you.. Somehow, I don’t believe you will let that happen. I said that I truly admire you…I have seen what you had to deal with, and watched you face those things….I don’t think I have the strength that I have seen in you, Timmy. I know this evening is going to take a long time for you to work through. I know that you can do it, and you will do it. I believe in you, Timmy, without question.”

“Isaac, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for that to sound like I don’t trust you…You’re the only one I do trust.”

“Timmy, I know what you meant. It’s all right. Now, I think we should sort through your things, and get you settled into the other bedroom. Do you want to do this yourself, or can I help?” Isaac asked.

“Do it with me, Isaac, please…“ Timmy begged. After being rejected totally by the man whom he had always assumed was his father, Timmy did not want to be alone this evening. Isaac had planned on the possibility of abandonment issues with his young charge, and anticipated that Timmy would not be using the spare bedroom the first few nights here.

The boys sorted through Timmy’s things, and made a pile of rags, another for good clothing. Isaac noted sizes on the tags on the things Timmy had on, as they seemed to fit okay for now. He knew he would be going to Wal-Mart again with Timmy for more things to wear, but he had a mental list of things that would have to be done before shopping.

He would need to let his parents know about the change in circumstances, and give them a revised budget. He would also need to make some changes in Timmy’s school records, but before he could do that, he needed to execute a guardianship agreement with Jack Tate… He would need a notary, and for that he thought of the young office assistant at the business office of the technical college.

Timmy and Isaac had eaten at the fried chicken place on the way home from the water park, but got in the mood for a snack, and some together time before going to bed, so Isaac made popcorn, and the two curled up on the couch in their underwear. Not long after the ten o’clock news came on, Isaac thought he heard the beginnings of snoring, and saw that Timmy was asleep. He put the empty bowl on the floor and stood up and arranged Timmy so that he could lift him. Isaac carried Timmy to Isaac’s room and put him on the bed.

Once, during the middle of the night, Isaac was wakened by irregular shaking coming from the boy spooned up against his back. As his mind cleared the sleep away, he realized Timmy was crying in his sleep. He rolled over to face Timmy and rubbed his back until he began a steady breathing rhythm again.

Isaac slipped out of bed and turned the computer on. He performed a search for guardianship of a minor for the state of Texas, and read up on what was needed to create a document that would stand up if there was ever a legal challenge. He then found a few of the free legal document sites, and looked at several for his state before choosing the site that seemed to be the closest to what he needed. He saved a file to his hard drive, logged out and got back in bed.

In the morning, Isaac woke first, and got up to relieve his morning wood. He pulled off his briefs, freeing his five inch, thin penis. He wished it were larger sometimes, but at least it appeared to be longer than it really was, because of the lack of girth. As he peed, the stiffness left his erection slowly, and by the time his bladder was empty, he felt presentable to wake Timmy, and tell them he would be out on errands this morning.

“Timmy, wake up, little buddy” Isaac shook Timmy, not too roughly, until he could see his eyes open to tiny slits. “C’mon, I know your eyes are open” He began to tickle Timmy’s nipples and armpits until the eyes opened all the way. “See, I knew you were in there” Isaac teased.

Urrrrhhhghhhh, GOD! What do you want…..? Timmy whined, and stretched and threw the covers off.

“At your service, my son!” Isaac tried to thunder in a deep voice. He also noticed quite a tent in Timmy’s briefs, and a clear imprint of Timmy’s glans and foreskin flap in the fabric.

“ I woke you to tell you I am going out on some errands, and I didn’t want you to wake up alone” Isaac explained.

“Me too, can I take one with you?” Timmy asked with none of the previous hesitations or inhibitions…For Timmy, that was in the past when it came to Isaac. If Isaac was willing to make such a commitment to Timmy, there was no need for the fences and walls he used to protect himself with. He wanted Isaac inside the barriers with him now.

“Let’s do it, little buddy.” Isaac said, standing nude at the foot of the bed looking down at Timmy.

Timmy lifted his legs and pulled his briefs off, exposing his erection to Isaac, as he scratched his scrotum. His penis was broad, and appeared to be wide, but flattened on the top and bottom now, and not round and thick as it had appeared the night Timmy had undressed for Isaac. The organ was about four and a half inches long, and easily half again as wide as Isaac’s member. Isaac could see that there was no urethral rib or swelling running the length of the underside of Timmy’s penis, although his own was quite prominent when Isaac was erect. The split in Timmy’s glans was now splayed open in erection, and Isaac could see a downward bowing along the entire length of Timmy’s organ.

They had read that the curvature was very common in hypospadias, and some boys had bending at the junction of the head and shaft, making the penis look like the head had been “attached” at an angle. Isaac thought it looked more like a cobra. He knew if he continued to enjoy the view, things would begin to happen that he wasn’t planning for at the moment. He turned and walked into the bathroom.

“I guess so, sure” Timmy said, now out of bed and moving toward the bathroom.

“I think that is one of the hottest cocks I have ever seen, Timmy.” Isaac admitted.

“I been thinking about what your penis looked like hard since the night you showed yourself to me for the first time, Timmy…that wasn’t the time to say anything, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head, and I was feeling bad about it.”

“Really….And why do you feel bad? I wonder about yours too. I’ve never seen you hard before.”

“I shouldn’t be thinking’ about your dick, little buddy. I’m supposed to be your big brother from another mother after all. It just feels weird to me.”

“Its, okay with me, Isaac. It feels good that you don’t think its all ugly and stuff.” Timmy assured him. “And its not weird to me that you think about my dick. I think about yours too, you know.”

“Well, we should continue this later. Let’s get cleaned up and go.” Isaac grabbed Timmy’s toothbrush out of the medicine cabinet and put it next to his in the shower.

“Dude, you’re hardly hairy at all, like a Greek statue or something.” Timmy said

“Or something? At least can I be a Greek god?” Isaac teased. He started the shower and got in first, followed by Timmy.

“You’re beautiful, Isaac, like that David guy.” Timmy said, truly appreciating Isaac’s smooth alabaster skin, black hair and blue eyes.

“Well, that’s not Greek, its Italian, but I will take it, thanks” Isaac said smiling at Timmy and shampooing his hair.

Timmy put his head under the water and let the warmth wake him up all the way, as he urinated into the shower drain. His erection slowly subsided as he shampooed his hair, after swapping places with Isaac so Isaac could rinse out the lather on his head. Isaac soaped himself and put soap on Timmy’s back while he was at it. He put the bar down for Timmy, and moments later, felt Timmy’s hand wiping soap on his back.

Timmy watched intently as Isaac pulled his foreskin back and rinsed his penis, then replaced the foreskin over his glans.

“Wow, I have never seen that before you showed me the night we got naked” Timmy said.

They got out of the shower and dried, and began dressing. “Timmy, are there still things of yours over at the other place?” Isaac asked, not wanting to say ’home’ or ’dad’ in that sentence, given what occurred last night.

“Yeah, I did have some things in my room that aren’t in the bag of clothes.” Timmy said.

“We have to go back there?” Timmy asked, a look of disgust and fear on his face.

“I’m going to have Jack sign something for us, and we can get your stuff when we do that. That is the main thing I’m going to try to do today. Look, Timmy, there’s nothing to be afraid of, we’ll go in, do what need to do and split.”

“Then don’t look at him, Timmy. And what the hell do you have to be ashamed of looking at him for? You did nothing wrong at all. He should have a hard time looking at you, little brother.” They both realized in a instant what Isaac had just said.

“If that’s what you want, Timmy, I’m all for it.” Isaac answered. “I do want that..I want that very much, Isaac,” Timmy replied.

“Well, then today is about getting started on that.” Isaac said, sending the computer files to his printer.

Timmy and Isaac stopped in at the IHOP for breakfast before heading to Isaac’s technical college, where he hoped to find Jennifer, the office assistant. He had printed five copies of the guardianship agreement, and now needed the assistance of a notary to witness the signatures. Isaac’s classes were on hiatus for the summer break, although there were summer programs starting next week.

Jennifer was at her desk in the business office and Isaac stood at the counter until she finished the last few words of something she was typing in the computer and came to the counter.

“Can I help you?” She asked. She was sure she had seen Isaac around before, as she knew she would never forget a student this cute. She noticed Timmy goofing off, looking around, and added, “Is he with you?”

“Yes, and yes!” Isaac said, a bit pleased at the little joke he just made. “I need a notary, and this little job isn’t related to college business. I would need to take you with me to get the other signatures, and I am asking if you would be able to do this.”

“What sort of documents are you needing notarized’? Jennifer asked, as Isaac pulled out a folder with the forms inside.

“These are for my little brother here. His dad is no longer able to, or interested in keeping him, and I’m taking him in. I understand you’ll have to do this off the clock after work, and I am willing to pay you for your time as well as whatever fee you charge for the service.” Isaac explained.

“I handle the class scheduling and tuition billing for all you guys.” Jennifer said.

“Tell you what, I have a lunch break at 11:00, and if you can get me back here before 12, we can do it then; is this place far?”

Meanwhile, across town, the medical examiner had heard from the lab in Delaware on the test results on the bones found at the river. The estimated time of burial was from 10 years to 15 years. The case detectives pulled the files from the decade stack that covered those years. There were seven. Across the tab of one of those files was name Tiffany Billings. The detectives split the files up and started running them down again. This time, they would have DNA…If they could find a living relative, it would confirm the identity of the bones. Then the investigation would turn to finding out if what happened to Tiffany Billings was a homicide.

Jack Tate had been living with Tiffany Billings at the time she disappeared, and police had investigated him as a prime suspect in her disappearance. But without a body, and no evidence that she was even dead, the case turned into a dead end. Now Detective Ron Walsh would be looking at Jack again.

He began by running down Tate’s old haunts and stopped in at The Office, a small corner bar a few blocks off downtown. As he stepped in the door, a booming voice called out “Hey, Ronnie! What’s happening?”

William “Big Billy” Henderson had owned and run The Office for almost 30 years. He was a person that the older detectives had introduced Walsh to as a rookie, and twenty one years later, the two men were old friends.

“How are you, Bill?” The men shook hands and took a seat at a table. “Coffee?” Bill asked. “Love some, Bill, thanks”. Bill got up and brought two cups and a carafe back to the table. After they made their cups, Walsh began “Bill, you know Jack Tate, right?”

“Oh sure, he’s here just about any weeknight. A real regular. Usually picks up one of the regular females that come in.”

“Do you remember about ten years ago, he shacked up with a girl who had a baby at the time..”

“I had heard that she started stripping over at a place in Woodward….I also heard that she and Jack had split up and she left him with her kid…after that, I don’t remember hearing much about her.”

“Only that she left him in a hell of a spot with that little boy…He really wanted her to come back and take him with her. I know that much, Ronnie. Things really went downhill for him after he broke his back and became disabled…drank a lot more.” Bill shook his head as he finished.

“Don’t be a stranger, Ronnie,” Bill said as the men stood and shook hands. Walsh now had a bit more to work with. He headed over to Woodward, a small town about 20 miles east.

Isaac and Timmy were back at the college to pick up Jennifer at five minutes to eleven, so Jennifer grabbed her purse and stamps and left the campus with them. The drive to Tate’s house was brief and they chatted about some campus gossip. Timmy was nervous and didn’t say much. Isaac looked back and asked

“It will be okay, we’re going to do this together.” Isaac assured him. Jennifer gave him a questioning look and Isaac said “I’ll run it down for you when we get there”. Jennifer nodded her understanding and they were at their destination in a few minutes more.

Timmy got out of the VW and stood in the yard by a tree and waited. Meanwhile Isaac told Jennifer what was going on, and how Timmy had come home to find his clothes on the porch and a note. Jennifer gasped and said “How on earth do people do things like that?”

Isaac said “I think it was his way of telling us he isn’t capable of caring for Timmy. I’m trying to get Timmy to understand that, and not be bitter. Its going to take a while, but hopefully in a home with love he will make it. Well, I think I‘m ready” and with that, they got out of the car and walked up the steps to the front door. Timmy remained close to the car.

Isaac knocked on Jack’s door, and to his surprise, Jack seemed awake and fairly lucid looking. “Mr. Tate, er, Jack..it’s Isaac Daniels and this is Jennifer.”

“No, Jack, but I need your help, and Timmy came to get some things out of his room that are still here. Is that okay if he gets them?”

Timmy marched up the steps like he was being led to castration, but he went in the house and began his task.

“I just need you to name me as Timmy’s legal guardian, so I can authorize medical attention and register him in school and be an emergency contact, and so on. Jennifer is a notary and will witness our signatures.”

“If you sign these copies, we will do the rest’ Isaac said. At this point, Jennifer took out her logbook and opened it. I just need your printed name and address on this line, here” Jennifer showed Jack, “and signature there, please”, indicating the space to sign. When Jack finished, she showed Isaac the line below the one Jack had used, and indicated the same things to Isaac. Isaac filled in the entries and handed the book back to Jennifer.

“Okay, I just need to see ID for both of you , please“. Isaac and Jack reached for wallets and handed their driver’s licenses to Jennifer. She made some more entries into the book, and put the book away and handed the identifications back to the men. Jack then signed in the places indicated by Isaac on the forms. Isaac signed his spaces, and handed them all to Jennifer, who embossed each sheet with her stamp, and filled in the date and county in the stamp impressions. “That’s it folks.”

“Thank you so much, Jack” Isaac said, handing Jack a finished copy of the document.

“Isaac?” Timmy called from inside the house. “I need a box or something….”

“Yeah if you got like five or six”. Isaac went out to look in the car and found a large Wal-Mart bag they had left in the car. ’Bingo” he said to himself.

Jack had gone into the house and found some bags as well, and they waited while Timmy filled the bags with his little treasures and odds and ends. He gave a few grocery bags of things to Isaac to carry, and toted the large bag stuffed with items.

“Its going to have to be, I suppose” Timmy said. Isaac thought it was sad that everything that proved that Timmy had ever been here fit in those bags.

“I guess we will get out of your hair, Jack” Isaac said, as he rejoined Jennifer on the front porch. They packed the bags in the hatch and got in the car and drove off.

Jennifer put her hand on Isaac’s shoulder and said “It’s on the house Isaac, and thank you for being there for this little boy.”

“Hey, watch it with the little” Timmy protested from the back seat, as they all giggled. When they got back to the college office, Jennifer got out and said,

“Timmy, there is something I need to do, can you step out of the car for a second?” She put her things on top of the car and waited for Timmy to extricate himself from the back seat. She then gave Timmy a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek. She let him go and got her items off the car, and Timmy took her place in the front seat.

Inevitably, the investigation led Detective Walsh back to Jack Tate’s door once again. He had take the original missing persons report almost ten years ago and found Tate still at the same address. He got out of the car and walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

“Come in! I‘m in the kitchen!” Tate called from in the house. Walsh let himself in and found Tate cooking a meal and washing dishes.

“Hello, Mr. Tate, do you remember me? Ron Walsh” he said offering a hand. Tate pulled his hands out of the dishwater and dried them before taking Walsh’s hand. “Yeah, I remember you took Tiffany’s missing person report, sure.”

“There has been a development in the case, Mr. Tate.” Walsh said. “We may have found her.”

“Jesus Chr- alive?” Tate was clearly astounded, and Walsh noted his reaction. People who already knew that a victim was dead rarely reacted that way.

Detective Walsh retrieved his notes from his pocket, and went over a few details with Jack.

“It says here that you reported her missing in April, and never saw her again, correct?”

“Right…but I knew she was still alive in December of that year, because she sent Timmy a present for his second birthday, which is the 4^th of December.” Jack said.

“And it was left on the porch….says here you called the cops and turned it in as evidence in the case….” Walsh asked.

“Yup, but she made no contact with me or Timmy after she disappeared. I can’t prove she left it, but who else would know Timmy’s birthday?

“Jack, you ever here of a strip joint in Woodward called Goldies?” Walsh asked.

“Yeah, a few of my buds from the office told me they seen her there dancing or waiting tables, but she was never there when I went to check on that. I had a nine to five and a kid to raise back then on my own.”

“Never did” Jack said. “I looked for her for three years, detective.” Jack said. Walsh was pretty sure that Jack had had nothing to do with the death of Tiffany Billings, if in fact she was dead. That brought Detective Walsh to the next thing he needed to find out.

“Jack, we don’t have much to go on, but we may be able to get enough DNA to make a match. We are going to need Timmy to help us ID this Jane Doe. Is he around?”

“Funny you should ask that. He just moved out the night before last. Here, I got the paper that says where he is…” taking the guardianship paper off the top of the refrigerator and handing it to Walsh.

Walsh wrote down the address and said “Thank you Mr. Tate, and I am sorry I couldn’t be here to give you good news.” With that he left Jack to his dishes.

Walsh arrived at Isaac’s house ten minutes later, and walked up the driveway and knocked on the door. Isaac answered the door to find a man and badge standing in front of it..

Timmy had padded into the living room in bare feet to stand behind Isaac, and asked “Am I in trouble for something?” looking worried.

Walsh smiled and said, “Oh, no, no, Timmy, not at all. By the way, I am pleased to meet you.” Walsh offered Timmy his hand and Timmy took and returned the shake. Isaac was impressed, to say the least.

Timmy nodded as Walsh continued “I need your help, Timmy. Do you know what DNA is?”

“This is about my mother, isn’t it? You’ve found something and you need my DNA to be sure.” Timmy stated flatly.

“Yes, Timmy. That’s exactly what’s going on.” Walsh told him. “If it is, I am very sorry.”

“It’s okay, Sir. I never knew her…at least if she was dead it would explain why she never came back for me. What do I have to do?”

Walsh reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small kit in a plastic tube. Inside was a cotton swab in a sterile wrapper, and another smaller capped tube. Walsh pulled a pair of evidence gloves from his pocket and put them on.

“Timmy, there is DNA in every cell of your body, and all we have to do is rub this swab inside your cheek. Totally painless.”

Walsh snapped the end of the wrapper containing the swab and Timmy opened his mouth.

Walsh stroked the swab inside Timmy’s cheek, then put the swab in the capped tube “That’s it. Thank you guys.”

“I will definitely be in touch” Walsh said, as he went through the door and drove off.

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The Apprentice

by Sahypo

Chapter 6