The Apprentice

by Sahypo

Chapter 42

Sharon returned to an empty house after work Friday afternoon, and put the paperwork she picked up at the courthouse in an envelope, and left it on Kurt's bed before scrounging up some dinner. During the day, she met with an associate who would be meeting with Kurt, and gave her a verbal account of events from the day she picked Nicky up at school after the altercation, until the present time. The psychiatrist listened intently, and thanked Sharon for the written notes and observations she made of Kurt. At the end of the meeting, Doctor Miller felt that she had a good idea of where to start with Kurt, and an appointment was set. Kurt would come in two afternoons next week, if he agreed to see Doctor Miller, and two times a week after that.

The boys returned late Saturday evening, and were bushed after the long day on the train, and the almost three hour trip home. The first order of business was showers followed by dumping the duffel bags in the wash machine. The same ritual was repeated at the Daniel's residence, Sean having gone to his house to shower and sleep.

Nicky and Kurt doubled up in the shower, because neither of them wanted to wait for one. Once done, they went to their rooms to put on briefs. Nicky finished first, and looked in on his brother, who was still in the buff.

Kurt found the envelope on his bed and pulled the forms out. He broke out into a smile, as Nicky leaned over to see what he had.

"What's that, love letters from Chloe?" he cackled.

"Yeah....Dear Sexy Stud-Bunny!" Kurt quipped.

"Oh, Bull! She didn't.......You butt plug!" Nicky chirped as he saw the letter head from the county court.

Kurt giggled at his younger brother's irritation. Nicky was getting way too much mileage out of the whole Chloe thing, and Kurt wondered how bad it would get if he actually began seeing the girl...

"Petition for change of legal name..." Nicky read aloud over Kurt's shoulder. "Dude, that's what you want, right?" Nicky asked, and Kurt nodded, snapping the waistband of his briefs..

"Yes, it is...I gotta do something."

Kurt left the forms on the bed and left the room, to find Sharon watching TV on the couch. He sat down next to her and gave her a hug. Nicky followed, and sat next to Kurt.

"Thanks, Mom."

"You got it, baby. Get those filled out, and I'll drop them off Monday. How was the trip?"

"Oh that was awesome. They had us doing all sorts of stuff the whole time. We each had a turn starting and stopping, and I got soaked filling the tender."

"Tender?"

"Yeah that tank thing hooked up behind the engine, that's the tender where the water and the fuel goes."

"I see. Did you have a good time too, Nicky?"

"Yeah! I got to light the fire. Sean drove first, then we all did. There sure was a lot of stuff to put grease and oil on, too."

"So did they make you kids shovel the coal?"

"Oh, no, Mom. It runs on oil now." Nicky explained, deadly serious. Sharon chuckled. She knew that if any shoveling had gone on, both of them would have been asleep by now. Her boys were definitely not used to manual labor. As it was, they were both yawning, and Sharon chased them off to bed. She was not going to be able to budge them if they fell asleep on the couch.

"You guys can tell me all about it in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, Mom." Nicky said, standing and moving over to his mother for a good night kiss. Kurt, still sitting next to Sharon, hugged her again and laid his face on her shoulder. She turned her head and gave his wet hair a smooch, then it was off to bed for both of them. They both drifted quickly into a deep sleep.

Kurt was trapped in a long, dimly lit corridor that was endless. There were no doors on either side, and the lights were turning off behind him as he ran down the passage. No matter how fast he ran, he never found a door. If he stopped, fists began to beat down on him from behind. Finally, he had to stop. He could run no further. As he did, the beating began and he screamed. He was on the floor on his knees, and something unseen handcuffed him, as he guarded his head against the fists. He screamed and cried as the blows continued to rain down...

Nicky was sure that he had heard something, something that had wakened him. He oriented to his own room, and recalled the train trip the previous day, then he heard it again. Grunts and groans and movement from Kurt's room. He had heard the noises before, and got up and went to his brother's room.

Kurt lay in bed in a fetal position, making small, incoherent noises, bucking and twitching. Nicky put his hand on Kurt's head and whispered

"Nicky's here, Kurt. Go to sleep...go to sleep."

Suddenly, a boy's hand protruded through the floor tiles, and grasped Kurt's hands by the handcuff chain, and pulled Kurt through the floor of the corridor. He and Nicky were standing naked in the woods behind the Shangri-La trailer park. It was a warm, bright sunny day in the woods, and birds sang. Nicky held Kurt's hand, and the handcuffs had disappeared. This was a place Kurt often went to escape his mother, and sometimes the other boys would be in the woods, smoking pot and doing other things that demanded privacy. Kurt did not recognize Nicky, and heard his voice ask the boy

"Who are you?"

"Go to sleep...go to sleep" The boy replied, as he walked away from Kurt, then slowly disappeared. Kurt gazed up through the treetops for a moment, before his eyes closed.

Sitting on the bed, Nicky felt Kurt grab his hand, and mumble something that Nicky couldn't catch. Several moments later, Kurt's grip on Nicky relaxed, and he began to snore in a steady rhythm. Nicky rolled the covers back and scooted Kurt's thin frame to one side of the bed and climbed in with his brother. He was used to this ritual, having done it numerous times since Kurt arrived, but much less frequently of late. It had been two weeks since Kurt had an episode, and Nicky wondered if it wasn't connected to the forms on Kurt's dresser.

In the morning, the boys got up and took a shower. Nicky was curious if Kurt could tell him anything about the dream. Kurt was aware that he had experienced a nightmare, because he had woken up with Nicky.

"What happened in your dream, Kurt?" Nicky asked as he scrubbed between Kurt's shoulder blades.

"Umm, the usual...running...getting kicked and beat up when I stop running...then your hand comes out of the floor and grabs me, and jerks my ass through the floor tile....don't know how you do that."

"It's a dream, Kurt...you can do anything in a dream. So...what happens after I drag you through the floor?"

"Umm, we're back at the trailer park, in the woods, and that's about it." Kurt said, as he turned around and gently turned Nicky so he could scrub the younger boy's back.

"Am I with you in the woods?"

"Uh-huh"

"What happens there?"

"The dream pretty much ends. I lay down and go to sleep"

"This might sound like a weird question, but when does the dream take place?"

"Huh? At night, when I'm in bed, dummy."

"No, I mean like, um, in relation to now, can you tell when this dream takes place...like in history, I guess."

"Oh, yeah, I get it...well, the trailer is still there and stuff, so I guess this is before I came here, if that makes any sense."

"Okay....mmm, that feels good." Nicky purred as Kurt ran soapy hands up and down his back. Nicky leaned against the wall of the shower enclosure, as Kurt began to pay attention to Nicky's front side and both boys became aroused. Kurt grasped Nicky's circumcised tumescence and began to stroke, as Nicky reached behind and returned the favor for Kurt.

Later, at breakfast, Nicky mentioned Kurt's nightmare, and Sharon asked Kurt to describe what happened in his dream. He related that he had this dream often, but less frequently lately. Sharon listened closely and something Kurt said stuck with her.

"Kurt, you said Nicky was always in the dream, but the two of you always wind up in the woods behind your mothers' trailer, right?"

"Yeah... always"

"But Nicky has never been in those woods. In your dream, do you know it's Nicky, or is he just a boy in your dream?"

"Um, like how did you know that?" Kurt asked, startled.

"Know what, honey?"

"In the dream, I always ask Nicky who he is, because I don't know him in the dream."

"You mean you don't know him yet, Kurt."

"Huh? I'm lost here..."

"The dream is taking place before you came here, in your mind, Kurt. You ask Nicky who he is, because in your dream, you still live in the trailer...does that make sense?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah...I get it now...that's weird. Why is -...?"

"Post-traumatic stress, Kurt. Your subconscious is still sorting out what happened to you. You should tell Doctor Miller about the dreams. It's important, okay?"

"I will, no worries."

"You'll meet her on Tuesday, after school."

"H-Her?" Kurt seemed startled.

"Uh-huh. Doctor Miller is a she..." Sharon informed him. "Is that going to be an issue, sweety?"

"Umm, not really...I guess...I suppose we see how it goes, right?"

"Kurt, you have to make a bond with your therapist...if Doctor Miller isn't the one you can be completely open with, we'll find someone else. She knows it has to be this way and won't be offended if you would rather see a male therapist."

Kurt sat for a few seconds, then replied "No....you said I shouldn't punish Chloe for what my mother did...I'm really trying to live to that...I'll give this Doc a chance, too."

"We just want you to get the most out of this."

"Me too."

Tuesday afternoon came and Kurt waited for Sharon in front of the school, rather than riding the bus home with Nicky and Timmy. They rode in silence to Sharon's building, and Sharon decided not to disturb Kurt's thoughts, whatever they may be at the moment. They walked inside, and Sharon guided Kurt to Lisa Miller's office, where they found the door partially open. Sharon knocked gently, and was answered by

"Come on in!"

Doctor Miller was a petite blonde in her early forties who dressed smartly. If one didn't know better, you could take her for a realtor or high end new car salesperson. She stood and walked around her desk to greet Kurt and Sharon, and the three of them sat down in the chairs in front of her desk. There was a coffee table with a box of tissues, and a small wet bar on the wall where she kept a coffee brewer, and a small refrigerator.

"Lisa, I would like you to meet Kurt Aaron"

"Kurt, it's a pleasure" Doctor Miller said, taking the boys hands in hers. "Can I offer either of you something to drink?"

The both shook their heads, and Doctor Miller began.

"Kurt, have you ever done counseling or therapy in the past?" Another head shake.

"Okay, that's fine. As your therapist, I work for you. Whatever you tell me in session is privileged and confidential. I cannot discuss these things with anyone, ever. Not even the lovely and wonderful Miss Sharon here." She chuckled.

"Just like a lawyer? I saw that on TV" Kurt replied softly.

"Yes, exactly. The only way I can help you is if you are completely open and honest with me. If you aren't, you won't reap the full benefit of the time we spend here. Does that make sense?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Would you like to get started?"

"Umm, sure." Kurt nodded. Sharon took her cue to head for the door, and said "I'll come get you in about an hour, Kurt."

"Thanks" the boy replied.

Doctor Miller took one of the chairs at the coffee table, and motioned Kurt to one of the others. She had read all of Sharon's notes and observations, and was familiar with the chronology of Kurt's stay with the Jarvis's, including the night Sharon held him while he cried on Isaac's patio, his fear of females, and the nightmares.

She led off by asking Kurt general questions most of which to him seemed unrelated to anything in particular, and at times more personal than he was willing to discuss. Assured that nothing he said would be used to hurt him, he began to open up.

Doctor Miller asked Kurt if he had ever refused to answer questions for his mother, and was that ever a choice he had.

"No...She'd slap the living shit out of me for that...oh, sorry...can I say that?"

Kurt did not know that Doctor Miller had seen the photographs of Kurt taken by Isaac that first night at Timmy's house. She had seen what slapping "the shit out of me" constituted.

"Of course...it's fine, Kurt. Do you feel forced to answer questions now?"

"Umm, not really. It's just that I hope you don't get a bad impression or something."

"Kurt, this isn't about me, or my impressions. This is about getting our arms around things you want to work on. It's not my job to judge you one way or the other. My job is to help and guide you through this process."

At the end of the session he decided that he would stay with Doctor Miller for the time being. He teared up several times during the session when things became overwhelming, but Doctor Miller would pause and redirect to keep Kurt engaged. Soon their time was at an end, and Doctor Miller opened the door and greeted Sharon.

"I think we ran a little long. I hope that didn't upset your schedule."

"Oh, not at all. We were done for the day after Kurt's session anyway. Thanks, Lisa"

"Not at all...See you Thursday, then Kurt?"

"Yup" Kurt nodded.

Sharon and Kurt walked out to the car, and Sharon asked

"Well, how do you feel?"

"Nervous at first, but now relieved. I told her some bad stuff and she was cool with it. I like her."

"Good...I'll never ask you about what you talk about in there, but you know Jerry and I will talk to you about anything, anytime you need us."

"Uh, yeah, I know..." Kurt replied, in a tone that implied that she had said something obvious.

"Oh?" Sharon turned, surprised at Kurt's response.

"Well, um, you know the night Nicky showed you guys my sketches..."

"Sure, I remember."

"Jerry talked to me later on about them."

"Did he ask you if you were gay because all the pictures were boys, Kurt?"

"He already figured that out, actually."

"I thought you said you were interested in Chloe."

"Well, yeah, after she kissed me and stuff."

Sharon grinned widely "And stuff? Just what all did happen with her, huh?"

Kurt blushed scarlet and smiled "Nothin'. We were driving and she pulled over and laid one on me, and it was kinda embarrassing. This little kid was watching and..." Kurt shook his head as his neck and cheeks turned scarlet.

"Sounds pretty awful, Romeo." Sharon teased. "Listen. At your age it's pretty normal to be confused about things. This is all going to sort itself out."

"I hope so. Are you mad at me?"

"What makes you think I would be mad at you, honey?"

"You know, the gay thing."

"Kurt...I'm...uh, no...It doesn't matter to us if you are. But tell me this; do you spend time thinking about Chloe?"

"Well, um, yeah, some I guess."

"Do you think about seeing her again?"

"Yes"

"I would keep an open mind, and see what happens. I'm not convinced that you're gay. The way you looked after we left Jimmy's tells me you were interested in her."

"I guess so..." Kurt mumbled, his head down in thought.

"Honey...what I want you to understand is that you don't have to hide anything from Jerry, Nicky or me. You don't choose to be gay or straight and we would never want you to feel that you had to try to be something you aren't. Okay?"

Kurt looked at Sharon and nodded as they walked up to the car.

Back at the house, Nicky was quick to "jump" Kurt at the door as he came in.

"Hey, did the guy hypnotize you and make you bark like a dog?" Nicky teased.

"No, and he is a she." Kurt replied.

"A transvesticle? For real?" Nicky gaped.

"That's transvestite...you complete dork!" Kurt replied, as Nicky dissolved in cackles of laughter.

Kurt knew his buttons were being pushed, and he could take the ribbing now with some amusement. Sharon gave her son a withering glare, and Nicky knew he had to stop.

"It's homework time you guys, until supper's on" Jerry decreed. The boys retreated to Nicky's room to take care of this chore, and Nicky wasn't ready to let go of Kurt so easy.

"So, like did this doctor drip water on your head and stuff?" Nicky asked.

"Where do you...You watch too many old movies" Kurt replied. "and what the hell is a transvesticle?"

"Couldn't remember transvestite, so I made it up...and, uh, I watch the same movies you do, cause we usually watch movies together, remember?" Nicky grinned. "So, what was it like, Kurt?"

"What?"

"Aaarrrgghhh! Therapy, damn it!" Nicky said, as Kurt grinned back.

"We talked. She asked me questions about stuff, and I'm supposed to answer as honestly as I can. It's not that complicated."

"So did you?"

"Did I what? Answer honestly?" Nicky nodded.

"Sure...It only hurts me if I don't. She's there to help me, so if I hold back it won't work." Kurt explained as he pulled off his school clothes. In a moment, he was sitting on Nicky's bed in his briefs, going through his back pack searching for his assignments. Nicky had been undressed since they came in the room, and sat in his desk chair in his briefs.

"It's always best to be honest." Nicky stated, as he flipped pages in his earth sciences book.

"Always?" Kurt replied, and Nicky nodded.

"Yup"

"Umm, ok, let's say your kid has cancer and is going to no shit die from it. Do you tell him?" Kurt asked.

Nicky looked up from his book at Kurt. "What makes you think the kid doesn't already know? You would know if it was something totally bad, you just would."

"You would tell him"

"I wouldn't necessarily tell him, but I wouldn't lie to him if he asked." Nicky replied.

"Would you lie to me if it made me feel better about something?" Kurt asked.

"No...That would be disrespectful to you...like I thought you couldn't handle something, or had to be protected from the truth. I would be pissed if anyone did that to me. Um, is this about anything going on or something? Are we good?"

"Huh, oh yeah...we're great, sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like that. It's just that we were on the subject."

Nicky went back to his book and didn't say anything for a few minutes. Without looking up, he said

"I always wanted a brother, and maybe I would have gotten one I wouldn't have been close to. Instead, I got my best friend too."

He read on for another minute, and turned to see a tear rolling down Kurt's cheek. Concerned, he swiveled around in the chair

"Hey, you all right?" He got up and sat next to Kurt on the bed and put an arm around the teenager.

Kurt didn't say anything. He just embraced Nicky and the two sat there on the bed for several minutes.

"I'm your best friend?" he said finally.

"Bssst! You're it!" Nicky said, poking Kurt in the crotch playfully, as he jumped off the bed. "Yes, you big dipstick, you are!"

"Ooof!" Kurt puffed as his genitals were poked. "Hey, be careful of my future children, there!" he joked.

"Yeah, you better save those for Chloe!" Nicky chirped, as he sprang back into the chair.

Kurt jumped off the bed and put Nicky in a headlock with his left arm as the pre-teen sat in the desk chair,. With his right hand he groped Nicky's crotch and gave his package a few light squeezes. Nicky fought valiantly as hard as he could while giggling, as Kurt blew in Nicky's ear, tickling his neck. Kurt got the impression that Nicky was allowing this...He was gaining strength and muscle mass lately, and was capable of escaping Kurt's hold if he wanted to.

"God, you just won't let that go, will you?" Kurt asked in exasperation as he nibbled Nicky's earlobe and shook the lump in the boy's briefs.

"Nope, and I want video when you guys do it!" Nicky squeaked, before shrieking in laughter. The noise brought a knock at the door.

"Are you two all right in there?" Sharon asked through the door.

"Yes, Kurt is beating me up and neutering me!" Nicky screamed.

"That's one less thing on my mind then, thanks!" Sharon said.

"You're supposed to save me, mother!" Nicky protested as both boys giggled.

"You're on your own, son. Dinner's on in five, guys." Sharon said before she went back to the kitchen.

By this time, Nicky had used his weight advantage to get out of the chair, and the boys went to the floor as they continued to wrestle. It felt good to get physical with each other after a day spent sitting in school, and the two friends giggled and laughed as they took turns trying to pin each other.

"Do I want to ask?" Jerry commented as he looked in through the open door. The boys had been too busy to notice that they had an audience, and Nicky was sitting on Kurt on the floor, facing the door pinning Kurt's shoulders.

Nicky looked up, realizing a moment later that he had a full erection tenting his briefs...

"Dinner's on guys" Jerry said, then left. Kurt was on his back facing Nicky, and looked up to see Jerry backing out the door with a smirk on his face.

"I'm pretty sure he saw that, dude." Kurt said.

"Me too. Shit happens" Nicky remarked, not the least bit flustered. After putting their shorts on, the boys sat down to dinner and Kurt told Jerry about his session with Doctor Miller.

"I'm sure this will do you a world of good, son." Jerry said.

Sharon remembered what she needed to tell Kurt.

"Oh, by the way, Kurt, we are going to see the head of the art department at City College Friday afternoon after school."

"Okay. So basically I ride the bus home just tomorrow, then."

"Correct...Doctor Miller on Thursday, and this Pyotr...can't remember the last name without my notes... Friday. Make sure you get your sketch books out Friday morning."

"I'll give them to you after eating."

"Good deal".

The next two days went by quickly, Kurt and Doctor Miller spent some time exploring Kurt's dreams and sleep patterns. She took copious notes during the session, and spent most of the time listening. Kurt was in a mood to talk and felt like unburdening himself. They discussed what the meaning might be for several features of the dreams, fantastic elements like passing through solid floors, how Kurt comes to be inside a hallway with no end and no doors in the first place, and why he and Nicky are always nude in the dream.

Doctor Miller thought that the dream symbolized rescue from an intolerable existence, with extraordinary external assistance. Nudity in Kurt's dream is symbolic of vulnerability not only for Kurt, but Nicky as well. They let each other into their lives, accepting all the risks that go along with that.

Friday afternoon arrived, and Kurt waited for Sharon to pick him up at the curb. He was a bit apprehensive, concerned that his sketches would prompt questions that he wasn't eager to answer, or that whoever he was meeting would form impressions that Kurt wasn't sure would be positive...

After a brief trip across the edge of town, they arrived at the City College main campus and found the Arts and Humanities buildings. After asking directions, they were soon standing outside an office belonging to Pyotr Calcesciu, who was the art department dean. Suddenly, a small balding man in his early sixties barreled past them and hurried into the office, and began rifling through a desk drawer.

"Damn it! There they are!" the man said, snatching a pair of bifocals out of the drawer. He put them on, and looked up at Kurt and Sharon, as if he had not noticed them standing there as he rushed in.

"Oh! May I help you?" the man asked in a faint strange accent.

"We have an appointment with Dean Cals..." Sharon started, mangling the Romanian surname.

"I am Pyotr, ya!, and you must be Mrs. Jarvis?"

"Yes, and this is Kurt." The professor shook their hands and Calcesciu looked at Kurt.

"Good! Good! A past student of mine told me about you, and said you might come to visit...I am glad you are here. Come please and sit." He said, ushering Kurt and Sharon into chairs in the small office.

"I understand that you have a portfolio of your work?" Kurt nodded as Sharon handed the sketch books to the professor. He opened one, and the surprise was evident on his face.

"Oh...my...this is...very impressive work....very impressive, indeed." He said as he leafed through pages. He studied the sketches on each page, and after ten minutes of viewing without saying anything, he came across Kurt's nudes.

"You have an amazing grasp of anatomy and light young man. Have you had any training?"

"Uh, no, Sir..."

"Did these boys model for you?" the professor asked, not once looking up from the art.

"Um, no... I drew all those from memory...Sir."

"Incredible...I have never seen anything like this quality of work from an artist so young. How old are you, Kurt?"

"Thirteen, Sir"

"I must make a suggestion to you, young man. You are strongly urged to sign and date your work...It will be important to establish your copyright in the future. I can tell you that if this is your work, you should have no difficulty getting into any art program in the state university system, probably with a full scholarship. I would certainly sponsor your application. In the meantime, until you are ready to apply, you might wish to attend weekend workshops or summer classes. They carry credit hours of course"

"You say Kurt would receive credits for this? That would transfer when he did apply to the university?" Sharon asked.

"Yes" Calcesciu confirmed. "The weekend workshops carry one hour credit, and the summer courses three credit hours."

"Hmmm. What is the schedule?" Sharon wondered.

"They meet, uh, Tuesday and Thursday evening from seven to eight thirty, or Monday, Wednesday and Fridays seven to eight...depends on the course, three hours a week either way. The workshops on Saturdays are ten to noon. The time is more flexible in a workshop, because people are actually working on art and may need time to finish a task. Let me give you a schedule and class catalog. Take it with you and see if you find anything you would like to do."

Calcesciu gave Kurt a small book and several pages stapled together. "I hope you come to nurture your creative instinct with us, Kurt." He handed the sketch books back to Kurt, and asked if they had other questions.

"Would it be possible to visit during the workshop and see what goes on?" Kurt wondered.

"Come with me, and I will show you, but yes, you could come and do workshop on a Saturday if you like."

Calcesciu led them down the hall and around a corner to a set of double doors about halfway down the corridor. The entered a large room with a high ceiling and a wall of windows along the outside wall of the building which let in natural daylight. The space was packed with easels and covered canvases, tables with clay sculptures and busts, various pieces of furniture from various eras, shelving full of pots, urns, vases and amphora. Unfinished sculpture, a miniature set of carved wood cathedral doors, boxes of plastic fruit and vegetables...

"For composing still life art and photographs" Pyotr offered, anticipating the question.

"Yes, Sir...we did that in art class a little..." Kurt murmured as his eyes roamed the clutter. In the distance across the room, racks of miniature buildings, bridges, towers. There were rolled up canvases painted like sky, or city skylines, small towns, prairies and deserts.

"Theater department" Pyotr said. "The students build sets, paint backdrops, and so on. A lot of the students are double majoring in theater production and art."

Kurt nodded and grinned at this and whispered "Cool!"

After touring the campus and getting to know each other a bit better, Pyotr decided to take Sharon and Kurt back to his office. After sitting down, he looked over at Kurt and said

"Young man, you have a remarkable gift. If you decide to come and create art with us, you will not only learn and gain a great deal from the university experience, but you will enrich the lives of those around you as well. Should I find myself in a position to mentor and guide you, I will do what I can to open doors of opportunity and discovery for you."

Pyotr stood and moved to a copy machine in the corner of the office.

"May I make copies of some of these for department purposes, Kurt? They won't be published, or used without attribution."

"Um, what does that mean, exactly?" Kurt asked.

"It means that you will be acknowledged as the artist, or author of these works, and that I promise not to publish or distribute them for commercial purposes or profit."

"Um, sure...go ahead."

"Thank you, Kurt". Pyotr closed the cover and copied the village scene, some of Kurt's watch guts sketches, and the nude of Nicky. Some of Kurt's landscape studies went on the glass, and when Pyotr had all the copies he wanted, he turned them over and asked Kurt to sign and date the sheets.

"Call me during the week if you would like to visit a workshop on a Saturday" Pyotr said.

Kurt nodded "Yes, Sir. That would be great."

"Bring your sketching supplies...and we start at ten sharp, ya?"

"Yes, Sir"

"Mr. Calcesciu...Hasn't the term already started?" Sharon asked.

"We are about halfway through the present term...So if Kurt wants to enroll in a class, he would have to wait until the next term begins, true...But we can still throw in a freebie on Saturday" he grinned, and Kurt smiled back.

Timmy had continued to help Wesley keep up with his classes until several weeks back, when Wesley returned to school. Lately he had been helping Dennis and Debbie unpack and get the house in order, which had been a slow process since they were all busy.

Donnie and Dwayne had begged Timmy to stay with them, and Timmy had agreed to spend nights with the Kanes after popping home to do homework with Sean. Sean sometimes tagged along to spend the evening at the Kanes, before walking the six blocks back to his house.

Timmy and Sean played Frisbee with the little brothers until it began to get dark, and Debby called them inside for lasagna, Timmy's favorite. Sean left after dinner; it was never hard to convince him to stay and eat, after all. He left right after, and it was time for the little boys to get ready for bed.

"Timmy, would you....Mom? Can Timmy make me and Dwayne a bubble bath?"

"It's up to Timmy if he wants to or not." Debbie reminded the boys.

"Um, sure...Yeah, I'll make you guys one." Timmy agreed and the siblings cheered.

"But then it's time for bed, you two." Dennis said, opening a cold can of beer.

"Okay, Daddy." The boys said in unison and nodded.

Timmy and the boys got up from the table and the little ones began to pull shirts off, followed by socks as they hopped and slid down the hallway toward the bathroom.

"Thanks, Timmy" Debbie said. "You boys get those things in the hamper!"

"Yes, Momma" Donnie replied.

"You're welcome" Timmy replied, heading down the hall.

Once in the bathroom, two naked boys stood and watched as Timmy turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, asking the boys if the water was to their liking;

"Can you make it hotter, Timmy?" Donnie asked.

"Yeah, more hotterer" Dwayne agreed, and Timmy chuckled at the new word as he boosted the hot tap a bit.

The boys tested the water again and pronounced their approval, then watched as Timmy poured bubble bath into the water and a thick layer of suds formed. Neither of the smaller boys could resist getting into the tub and kicking the foam around, before sitting in the tub facing each other.

"Get in with us, Timmy!" Dwayne pleaded

"Yeah!" Donnie chimed in.

"Guys, we can't all fit." Timmy said. "You guys can play in the bubbles for a while, then we'll take a shower and wash your hair and get the bubble soap off before bed." Timmy sat on the toilet lid for a few minutes watching his brothers until he was sure neither would drown, and got up to talk to Dennis. He briefly described the railroad museum and the machine shop that Gene and Glen operated and told Dennis what Glen had offered if Timmy committed the time over the upcoming summer. Dennis listened patiently and asked Timmy what his impressions were.

"Well, I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to go learn that stuff just anywhere, and I bet they don't take just anybody, either." Timmy replied.

"Probably not...I wonder how many boys have actually asked them to take them on as an apprentice." Dennis said. "And...learning how to do things by hand is experience a lot of the younger guys in my shop don't get anymore. They go to school and learn to program, and never run manual machines."

Timmy and Dennis sat in silence for a few moments, then Timmy got up and said "I'm gonna check on those two in the tub, Dad." as he walked away.

He peeked in on Donnie and Dwayne, and saw Dwayne pouring water on his brother's head from an empty shampoo bottle, as they both giggled their heads off.

Returning to Dennis, Timmy sat back down at the table, and Dennis looked over and began to speak.

"Let me have Gene's number and I'll give him and Pat a call tomorrow. If you do this, we'll have to set some things up. You'll have to stay there because it's too far, so there are some legal things to discuss."

"I know, Dad. Pat will have to do the medical power of attorney, guardianship stuff..." Timmy replied. "Isaac did all that when I moved in with him to cover all the bases."

Dennis nodded. "Exactly, son. Well, let's see what Glen says when we talk to him."

"Thanks, Dad" Timmy said. "I better go and.."

"Yeah, and don't let them wheedle you, they're experts!" Dennis laughed.

Timmy returned to the bathroom to find the brothers in the tub trying to bury each other in bubbles. Timmy laughed as he got on his knees and leaned over the edge of the tub and let his little brothers pack his hair with handfuls of bubbles.

Timmy found the sensation strange, as he wondered what it would have been like to share a bubble bath with a brother. After letting Donny and Dwayne have their fun for several minutes, Timmy was pretty much soaked.

Calling a halt to the proceedings, he said

"Okay, dudes. I think it's time for bed. Let's drain this water and get rinsed off. The little boys sat down in the tub to watch the water flow out, although they could only see it through small holes in the bubbles.

While the water drained, Timmy got undressed and pulled the shower curtain closed. He turned the water on, and the boys shrieked as cold water came out of the shower head.

"Timmeeeee! Dwayne howled "It's COLD!"

"Give it a second, it will warm up" the almost teenager replied, chuckling to himself.

Timmy stuck his hand in the curtain and tested the water, and began dialing back the heat as the pipes warmed up again.

"How's that?" he asked.

Of course, Donny said it was too warm, and Dwayne wanted it hotter. Timmy shrugged and left the temperature as set. If neither one was totally delighted, it was probably a good compromise...

He got in the shower with the boys, who were staring at their older half brother. Timmy didn't give them much time to dwell on things, telling them to stand under the spray and get their hair wet. He popped the shampoo open and put some on each brother's head and told Donny to work the shampoo into his scalp as he attended to Dwayne. After the boys rinsed their hair, it was a game of brotherly grab ass as they soaped each other's back. Several minutes later, they were done, and Timmy had them get out and dry off.

"Aren't you gonna get out too?" Donny wondered.

"In a couple minutes...Do you guys get read to before bed?" Timmy asked.

"Yeah"

"Okay, pick a book out and we'll read it when I get done."

The two small boys squealed in delight and ran to their room in the buff. Timmy now had enough room in the bathtub to finish his shower without cracking his half brothers with an elbow or knee, and finished his shower. He put on a pair of shorts and went to the boys room to find two naked small boys sitting on one of the beds waiting for him. Dwayne held out a book to Timmy, and said

"It's marked where we stopped."

"Okay" Timmy muttered, as he opened the book and flitted through the pages until he came across a gum wrapper smashed between the pages.

"There! That's it!" Donny said, full of excitement. Timmy began reading the story to the boys, who snuggled up close on either side of their older half brother. Dennis peeked in and smiled at Timmy.

"I see you tamed the naked natives" he said, and Timmy chuckled, before continuing the story. After about twenty minutes, two sets of small eyes were finding it hard to stay open, and Timmy decided to insert the gum wrapper where he stopped.

"We'll do more tomorrow night, little dudes. Good night you two. Want me to tuck you in?"

"Timmy? Umm, can we sleep uh, in your, um, with you tonight?" Dwayne asked.

"Yeah, can we?" Donny wondered. Both boys looked right into Timmy's eyes.

"You guys don't wet the bed, do you?" Timmy asked, and Donny rolled his eyes.

"We're not kids, you know!" Donny protested, and Timmy laughed.

Dwayne began to giggle and said "We are too!" and smacked his brother on the shoulder. This demanded immediate retaliation, and in a split second, Timmy found himself in the middle of a sibling wrestling match.

"Whoa! Dudes, don't beat up your big brother!" Timmy said as he found strategic openings to initiate sneak tickle attacks on the naked combatants, catching armpits and ribs causing the boys to squirm and screech and giggle.

"You guys have to promise to go right to sleep, no messing around" Timmy said. He had no hope of getting any sleep at all with two small boys thrashing around all night.

"We promise" Donny said most solemnly. Dwayne nodded.

"Is this what you wear to bed?" Timmy asked, and the boys nodded. "Usually" Donny replied.

"Okay, let's go then" Timmy said, herding the boys out toward the guest room, that Debbie had set up for Timmy's overnight visits. Grabbing the boy's pillows off their beds, Timmy followed them down the hall.

The guest room bed would be tight, but two small boys and a 13 year old just fit. Dwayne and Donny were eager to snuggle up to Timmy and take advantage of his body heat, but Timmy knew that would last a few minutes before they got too hot.

In a matter of minutes, both brothers were asleep and snoring lightly. Debbie popped in, curious because the boys beds were unoccupied.

"Timmy? Are you awake?" she whispered. Timmy opened his eyes.

"Are they in here with you?"

"Uh huh, they're asleep" he replied.

"Good night then"

"G'nite" Timmy replied and closed his eyes as Debbie closed the door, plunging the room into darkness.

Timmy turned his back to the boys, and felt one of them roll into him and snuggle him from behind. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he felt one or both of them pushing the cover off the bed. Surprisingly, there was very little moving around as the little brothers were sound sleepers, and Timmy got a passable night's sleep.

Both children woke up before Timmy, and as he gained consciousness, he became aware of giggling, and a pulling sensation on his foreskin. The boys couldn't resist the temptation Timmy's morning erection offered, and were taking turns poking and pinching at it.

"Are you two having fun?" Timmy groaned as he rolled onto his stomach, denying the predators their prize. This didn't deter the pair, who jammed their hands under Timmy, causing him to flinch and yelp bringing howls of glee from the boys. As one brother rooted around to get to Timmy's penis, the other was working his ribs, and Timmy began to laugh and giggle.

"STOP! You little creeps!" Timmy squealed as the brothers giggled and kept up the onslaught. "Don't you turds have cartoons to watch or something?"

Suddenly, the boys stopped tickling Timmy, jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Puzzled, Timmy sat up and looked over at the door to the room as the sounds of bladder relief could be heard. The boys didn't return, and Timmy got up to use the bathroom. He passed Donnie's room and saw the boys sitting on the bed watching TV with the sound low.

Kurt couldn't sleep very well, so he had gotten up in the middle of the night and taken his paperwork to the kitchen table to fill it out. Basically, since Kurt is a minor, the Jarvis's have to petition the court on his behalf. The only thing Kurt was required to do legally was to consent to the name change in writing. Kurt wrote out about fifteen versions of his statement before he decided to just keep things short and simple.

Suddenly, Kurt felt exhausted like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The fact that it was 3:45 in the morning probably had much more to do with it. He left the note on the table and went back to his room and fell into bed. He did not dream. Tomorrow would be Monday and Sharon would take the papers to the courthouse.

Kurt had asked to go with Sharon in the morning, and arrive at school late. Sharon thought this would be a good idea, especially if Kurt was needed. As it turns out, it was a good decision, since Kurt's little note wasn't legally valid. The clerk explained that Kurt's signature had to be notarized and witnessed, and seeing the crestfallen look on his face, took the time to type up a statement with Kurt's words, notarized it and had two other office workers witness the document.

Kurt couldn't have been more pleased and thanked the woman effusively for being so helpful. The next open call in court was in ten days, and the clerk explained that Kurt would answer some questions and a family law judge would decide the matter at that time.

Dennis called Pat and Glen in the morning and discussed Timmy's request to volunteer at the museum at the end of the school year. It was agreed that Timmy would receive room and board at Glen's house in return for his labor as an apprentice. Pat would draw up a contract that documented the arrangement, and wrote out a release of liability and a medical power of attorney in case of accident or injury. Timmy was covered as a dependent on Pat's medical insurance, and when it was time to drop Timmy off, he and Glen would notarize hard copies.

Ten days went by slowly for Kurt. He was at once anxious and apprehensive at the approaching court date, but mainly impatient to get this over with, so he could move on. There was very little Sean, Timmy and Nicky could do to make him feel better except put up with him in the meantime.

Kurt, Nicky, Timmy, Sean, Jerry and Sharon sat in the jury assembly hall in the courthouse waiting to be called before the magistrate. Juries were assembled in the huge room two days each week, and on the other three days open call, traffic court and civil wedding ceremonies were held here.

After almost two hours, Kurt's name was called and the group made their way to the front of the room.

Kurt was surprised to find that the jurist was a young Asian woman with a warm smile.

"Mister Aaron? Are all these people with you?" she began

"Yes, ma'am" Kurt replied. "My support team!" the judge chuckled at this.

"Awesome! I see from your petition that you wish to change your name to Gentry from Aaron, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"And, I see that you have signed your consent to have your guardians petition the court on your behalf..." the judge murmured as she scanned through the petition, silently processing the part about the mother's incarceration and renunciation of parental rights...There was always a story behind those who stood before her, and often the story wasn't pretty or happy.

"And Gentry is ...?"

"Um, my biological father's family name, ma'am."

"Okay...Now...You understand that you still must honor any legal obligations or debts you had as Kurt Aaron"

"Yes, ma'am"

"And that you retain all rights that you had as Kurt Aaron as well."

"Yes, ma'am".

Of course, Kurt had no debts or obligations, and certainly stood to inherit nothing from his mother, so these concerns had no relevance in his life.

"Good. The court hereby grants the petitioner's request for name change of a minor, Kurt Eugene Aaron, who now shall be known as Kurt Eugene Gentry."

"Thank you, your honor" Sharon said, as she herded the jubilant boys off to the side so the next case could come forward. Kurt was too excited to speak at the moment, and the magistrate chuckled.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She asked, as Kurt shook his head and managed to say

"No, Ma'am!"

The clerk handed Kurt some paperwork that he would need to process his name change with the school district, and any other entities where he was known as Kurt Aaron.

"I guess I have to work on a new signature now!" He quipped.