To Serve and Protect II
 A Change of Venue

By: BJ Williams
(© 2013-2014 by the author)
Edited by: Gerry Young

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Introduction of the Characters

Andrew Butler, 35, and life partner with…

Michael Brady, 35, and Andy’s Neanderthal man.

David, age 20 is Michael’s biological son from a past adventure when he was 13 and a foster child at the girl’s parent’s house.

Thomas Sullivan, 52, is life partner to…

Dr. Aaron Smyth, 49, head of the Medical Center of Vermont

Shane and Adam Sullivan-Smyth, age 18, are identical twins that Thomas and Aaron adopted because they were orphaned.

Jonathon Davis, 20, son of Billy Davis

Theodore (Teddy) Vandercamp, 29, Andy’s neighbor and pretending boyfriend 

Chapter 1 

Ten years later…

It was strange, the way life could move along according to a set of coincidental circumstances. Andy hadn’t been thinking about the past at all, just thrusting an old book back into the bookcase when the photo album suddenly seemed to fall as if pushed out by some unseen force.

“This damn bookcase is just too jammed, that’s all,” Andy said, but all the same, it seemed strange to him when, of all the albums that could have fallen out, it had to be that one.

He didn’t want to open it at first. It had been ten years since he had seen him, since he had changed his own life so radically, and yet the pain remained. Something nostalgic, something so strong, it hurt all over again.

“It had been right … the breakup; there had been no recourse,” he whispered. “Put it back … it’s that simple,” he told himself, but simple it wasn’t, and he slowly opened it to the first page.

It was a rare picture of Michael, one that someone had taken of him before he ran away from home. He had to be all of fifteen or sixteen, standing with hands on his hips as he posed for the camera. He was already acquiring that long, lean, yet well-muscled build which was to become part of the man. The photo was black and white; somehow Andy could still see the magic in his amber eyes … and that face. Firm chin, high cheekbones, which were strong as the chin and handsomely configured. His face hadn’t changed, well, Andy didn’t think it had … oh hell, he knew it hadn’t, no matter how he lied.

He flipped the page. There he was with Michael, both of them in their dress uniforms, and he ran a finger along the side of the picture, almost as if he could touch the past by doing so. They had been so handsome then, both of them. Michael was tall and extremely handsome; Andy with his blonde hair and amber eyes aglow like fire with excitement.

He flipped another page; there they were with Thom and Aaron, who had just met when the picture had been taken. Andy remembered that picture; he’d just been released from the hospital after his attack from the Riverfront Strangler. He saw the scar on his neck and quickly closed the album. A photo fell from the album and Andy leaned over to retrieve it.

“Our last Christmas together,” he whispered.

It was the only photo that had been in color. Michael was dressed as Santa ... a sexy Santa, with a suit that showed the best of his assets … his body. The coat was open and it allowed Michael’s chiseled abdomen and pecks to be exposed. Andy ran his eyes down the photo and paused at the pants, tight, showing off his manhood that seemed strained against the fabric.

“Enough … I’ve buried all those feelings and I refuse to relive them,” he said as he slid the picture into the album and shoved it back into the bookcase.

He had been in for the night, so he slipped out of his jeans and shirt and sat down on the deck in his boxer briefs. He had just kicked up his feet when his phone rang. Andy hesitated.

‘Do I really want to talk to anyone,’  he asked himself as he looked at the caller ID.

“Great, Gossip Gurdy,” he said, using a name that he had tagged his neighbor Teddy with.

“Pick up the phone, Andy; I know you’re there because I see your lights on through the trees. I don’t care how busy you are … that’s it, you either pick up or I’ll be right over,” his friend Teddy said.

“Hello, Teddy,” Andy finally said.

“It’s about time, dammit; you were beginning to worry me.”

“I’m sorry; I was relaxing on the deck and I’m not in the mood for gossip, Teddy.”

“Well, sunshine, what I got to tell you is fact; I saw it on the internet. But if you aren’t interested…”

“And you believe everything you read on there?” he said. “So why did you call me?”

“Oh my God, Andy, you really haven’t heard have you?” he excitedly asked. “The movie is why; they want you and Michael for the movie,” he said and Andy felt as if his heart stopped for several breaths.

“What movie?” he asked cautiously.

“You’re kidding me, right? It’s all over the television as well as the internet,” he explained. “They even have a picture of you and Michael when you were partners.”

‘I’ll sue if they have my picture posted on the internet,’  he thought.

“Ok, Teddy, how about you start at the beginning and bring me up to speed.”

“Fine, but I still cannot believe that you haven’t heard about this yet. It’s all…”

“Teddy, please…”

“Oh, all right,” he said taking a deep breath. “Well, according to a brief that I saw online, you know those little tidbits that…”

“Are you going to tell me or do I have to hang up and go find it myself, online?”

“Oh, sorry, but this is such big news … right, the story. Well, you see, this big Hollywood studio approached the mayor of Springfield about doing a movie based on the Riverfront Strangler case and they said that you and Michael were to be in it.”

“Me? I never heard about this movie before you just told me, and even if I had, the answer would be no.”

“Are you insane Andy, think about the money; they are going to pay each of you more than you could possibly earn in a lifetime as a cop.”

“I don’t need the money. Besides, if this is legit, why wasn’t I asked instead of hearing it second hand from you?”

“Listen, sunshine, I do nothing second hand, and as for why you weren’t asked, because they probably don’t know where you live,” he ranted on and on about all the benefits of doing the movie, which included getting Michael back.

“Here’s a news flash and you can quote me, Teddy. Michael does not want me back, because he knows where I live and he’s never once come after me. So can we drop it?”

“I’m surprised that Jonathon never told you, because he’s known about it. Andy, Jonathon was the one who told me all about the movie and where to find it on the net.”

‘My own son knew about the movie and I had to hear about it from the town gossip,’ Andy thought and jumped when he heard someone pounding on his front door.

“I’ll be right back, someone is trying to break down my door,” Andy said, thankful to get away from Teddy.

“I’ll wait,” Teddy said.

“It’s probably Jonathon … and he forgot his key,” he explained as the pounding grew louder.

“True, but you’d best make sure, because life can be dangerous, even here in the Champlain islands. If it’s trouble, yell; I’ll phone the police,” he told him.

“I’ll call back if I need help,” Andy sighed.

“Don’t you dare try to get rid of me. I’m telling you…”

“Don’t tell me! Fine, I’ll set the phone on the desk so you can listen,” he told Teddy and hurried to the front door.

He knew it had to be Jonathon, because the kid was always forgetting to grab his house key. He got to the front door; he didn’t pause, but threw the door open, ready to read Jonathon the riot act about being a responsible young man.

He paused, his mouth open in mid-yell, but there was no one there. He stepped outside and looked in both directions “Jonathon?” he called out … nothing. He walked to the corner of the house where a path led down to the lake and the back deck. No one was there.

“Hmmm,” he muttered and headed back to the front door, which he had left wide open.

He stepped into house and was about to pick up the phone, when he heard a shuffling sound coming from the deck. He panicked, he knew it wasn’t Jonathon, because he would have stood at the front door for eternity pounding, rather than walk around to the lake side of the house. It wasn’t that he was afraid, because he was a cop, but still, he knew whoever had been pounding on his front door, had moved around to the back.

He couldn’t go for his gun; it was in the bedroom and to get there from where he stood, meant that he would have to pass in front of the door that led to the deck. He glanced around quickly for something … anything that he could use as a weapon.

“Great, it’s just my luck that everything I could use is either in the living room or bedroom,” he grumbled.

Then he spotted his mother’s urn, which held her ashes. “I’m sorry mom, but you always said that you would do anything to protect me, so here goes…”

He crept silently from the kitchen into the dining room and paused when a shadow moved in the living room. He pushed himself back against the wall and waited with glass urn raised over his head; he was ready to strike. He nearly gasped when he saw the shadow stop at the doorway to the dining room.

‘That’s it buster … a couple of more steps,’  he thought, able and ready to dispense justice to whoever it was.

The intruder stepped through the door into the dining room and right beside Andy. Andy crashed the urn down on Michael, sending ashes and glass all over the intruder, as well as himself. The figure fell to the floor moaning but not unconscious. Andy yelled and leaped upon the man and began pounding him.

“Andy stop … ouch … it’s me … oomph … Michael,” he stammered out.

“Michael! … What the hell are you doing here and in my house?”

“Our house, remember, or did you remove my name from the deed?”

“No, but that’s not the point; what are you doing here,” he asked, straddling Michael.

With his mother’s ashes covering his face, Michael looked like a specter. Andy relaxed and Michael took full advantage of it, by heaving him off and quickly standing to his feet. Andy let out a loud scream as he went crashing against the wall.

“I’ll kill you … you bastard,” he screamed and hurried to his feet.

“You nearly did already,” Michael told him, with his fists raised and ready for Andy’s next assault.

“Again I’ll ask — why you are here?”

“I already told you — I came to see you, Andy.”

“What for, you never once in the past ten years ever once called me, much less made an effort to come see me. So why now?” he asked.

Michael lowered his arms to his side and gazed at Andy. Even covered in slivers of glass and ashes, he looked fantastic in just his briefs. Andy noticed that Michael was staring at him and it made him nervous.

Different; he was a little different, subtly changed with time, but it was him. He was there, after all this time, all the years of silence; Michael was standing just feet from him. His fists went up, protectively, “If you take one more step near me, I swear it’ll be your last,” Andy threatened.

“Will you calm down, I am not here to hurt you. I just want us to talk,” he said as he brushed the glass and ashes from hair and shoulders. “What the hell was in that jar?” he asked.

“Mom … it was her ashes,” he mused.

“Well, it figures; she never did like me,” Michael stated coldly. “Dammit, Andy, I didn’t think you’d be exactly pleased to see me, but was this really necessary?”

“Believe it or not Michael, I am pleased to see you … but the thing is, I thought you were a burglar. I didn’t hit you on purpose; I thought I was hitting him … the burglar.”

“Him?” he asked.

“Dammit, Michael, are you that much of a dunce … I thought I was hitting a burglar, not you.”

“What burglar … it’s just you and me?” he asked a bit puzzled.

“You, you big lug, I thought you were the burglar that I hit. I can see that you are still slow on the uptake,” he added, thus drawing first blood.

“It wasn’t that I misunderstood you, but with your record for lying…”

“How dare you come into my house after all these years and insult me. I want you gone … now!” he yelled.

“Sorry, but you did take the first jab at me.”

“I don’t care who did what; I want you gone, Michael.”

“Little has changed,” he murmured smiling.

“I’ll admit that there had been times, numerous times in my life with you when I did want to crack you over the head, but this wasn’t one of them. I thought you were a robber … a murderer … rapist … or worse … all three of them.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you Andy, but my life hasn’t gone downhill yet. I pounded on your door and when you didn’t answer, I walked around to the lake side and came in by the deck.”

He winced, touching a sore spot on his head.

“Dammit!” he murmured again, gritting his teeth and turning away from Andy, pacing to get a grasp on his temper.

His footsteps took him back to the front door and he spun again, jaw set hard, eyes glittering. “Alright, we’ll start over! Andy, it’s damned nice to see you; may I come in?”

‘Is he kidding?’ Andy thought; ‘Come in, he’s still shaking, just beginning to accept the fact that he’s going to live.’  Michael had been out of his life for years, and he wasn’t ready to have him slip back into it tonight, and scaring him half to death in the bargain.

“NO!” he snapped and slammed the door in his face, still completely unnerved. He hadn’t meant to slam it; yes, he did, it was just that…

With the door closed, Andy could still see him clearly in his mind’s eye. As tall and straight as ever, a few more lines in his face … character … but he was still damn handsome. His hair longish, curling around his neck and Andy remembered what it had felt like to fist his fingers in that rich hair. And then there had been those eyes … as sharp and bright as ever, and he seemed, if anything, a little slimmer, more muscular than he had been when Andy had last seen him. He wore dark jeans, a pastel yellow silk shirt with casual ease. He was still wearing that cologne, the one that Michael knew drove Andy crazy with desire.

‘It’s a nightmare … I must be dreaming,’  he pinched his arm to wake himself up, but no, he was still wrapped in the nightmare. ‘I’m not ready for this … for him, not ready for any of it.’

He drew the door back open a bit, Michael hadn’t moved, but stood there staring at him with a brow arched. “Sorry … instinct,” he told him.

“Like the crack on the head?” he asked politely.

“Michael, honest to God, I was terrified and thought someone had broken in here while I was outside.”

“What were you doing outside … and with your damn door open?”

“I was looking for the person that had tried to break down my door.”

“That was me … and I was not trying to break down the fucking door.”

“If it was you, then where were you?”

“I already told you, I gave up on the front door and walked around to the deck and the back door. When I entered, I saw the front door wide open and no sign of you … Andy, you’ve got to be more careful, even out here in the sticks.”

“South Hero is not the sticks; well, ok, maybe it is, but the thing is, I’m very careful; after all, I managed to raise Jonathon … alone … and I still managed to incapacitate you,” he said with a wry smile.

“But you left the door open while you went to investigate,” he scolded.

“I won’t be doing that again, because God knows what kind of trash might walk in,” he looked directly at Michael as he spoke.

“Andy, please, can I come in? I need to talk with you.”

“You have my number and I have a … oh shit, Teddy,” Andy said and rushed over to the table where he had left the phone. “Hello, Teddy?” The line was dead.

“Please … allow me to come in and talk with you?” Andy inhaled sharply.

‘Oh God, Michael looked like a million dollars with his jeans and shirt, while I look like some bargain basement pick up, with my boxer briefs and covered in ashes,’  he thought.

“Michael, it’s after midnight, I wasn’t expecting you, I haven’t seen you in ten years, and you just scared me half to death, but please, Michael, do come in.” Michael arched a brow at Andy’s sarcasm, but stepped past him, choosing not to respond to it.

He didn’t touch him, but Andy could almost feel him as he moved by. He breathed in Michael’s scent; he recognized that scent, that subtle cologne that somehow still managed to tantalize him. Michael hadn’t changed it; why should he? Certain things about Michael were set.

Andy had known him for years; they had only been strangers for the past ten years and certain things didn’t change. He drank his coffee black with one spoon of sugar, he preferred beer to wine, and his favorite food was everything Italian.

Andy closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as Michael walked by. He wasn’t just stepping past him, Michael was stepping back into his life and … God help him … he didn’t know if he could bear it … the good … and the bad.

“Please, sit down,” he invited dryly and Michael sat on the edge of the sofa … watching Andy. “Since you’re here, may I offer you anything?”

“Yeah, a beer … no, wait; let’s take a ride and find a bar where we can talk.”

“Michael, this is Vermont, not Springfield, our sidewalks are pulled up at dusk,” he mused. “I’ll get you that beer,” he said and walked off.

“I came to talk with you … honest, Andy.”

“Like I said before, I have a telephone, so you could have called.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah, and you just bashed me on the head before you slammed the door in my face.”

“I didn’t mean to hit you; well, I did, but not you … I thought you were a burglar.”

“Then did you mean to slam the door?”

“Instinct, right?” he taunted softly.

“Alright, but if I had called, you would have hung up on me and Jonathon would keep on telling me that you were out or some other lie that you would have him spin.”

Andy grimaced, Michael still remembered his ways.

“You could have warned me you were coming.”

“And you’d have left town.”

“We have written upon occasion.”

“This is important, Andy.”

“To you it is.”

“Yeah, to me, and our children,” he took a different approach.

“Are you alone in Vermont,” he made sure that he hadn’t given him a literal way out by saying town.

A slow smile crept onto his lips, “Why, do you have room for two on your sofa?”

“Not on your life, and by the way, there isn’t room for one on it. There’s a motel just down the road,” he quickly said.

“I’m alone, Andy, I have been for years.”

“Right and I play second base for the New York Yankees,” he sarcastically shot back.

“Alright, so I have had a fling here and there, which I’m sure that you have also.”

There is was, he admitted to casual sex with others.

“Contrary to what you may think, I have not been so free with other men as you have.”

“Oh, since Billy, is that what you’re saying?”

“How dare you, Michael Brady, come into my house and drag up the past with your stale accusations,” he snapped, stood and with a finger aimed at the door, he shouted, “Get out … now!” he ordered.

It was hard to take a handsome man seriously, when that hunk of male flesh stood before you in just his briefs.

“I’m truly sorry Andy; I wasn’t trying to wage war again. It’s just that I sometimes wonder if you hadn’t tossed us away because you…”

“Because I what, Michael … lied? Is that what you wanted to say?”

“Why didn’t you trust me, Andy?”

“YOU ... why didn’t I trust you? Please don’t make me laugh, it was you who refused to trust me,” he shouted up at Michael, who had stood and turned to look down at him.

Oh, God, he was so handsome to Andy when he was riled, but Andy would be damned if he was going to let Michael know it.

‘No, no, no!’ Andy chastised himself firmly. ‘Michael is no longer a part of my life.’

Andy noticed that Michael’s shirt had opened up, exposing a well-defined chest and a lush carpet of hair. It was true, Michael was no longer a part of his life, but what had gone wrong between them had never been physical. Andy didn’t want to let himself remember just how good sex had been with Michael, not now.

Maybe he’d been alone too long, or maybe he’d taken ‘responsible’ relationships too far, and maybe that was why intimate details were then springing unbidden into his mind. Yet more of those came to him. Memories of closeness … after intimate details, like waking together, being held…

‘Quit it, Andy, or else you’ll be hurt all over again,’ he hissed to himself, but it was too late, he already hurt just seeing him again.

“Andy, Andy!”

His name was shouted in a deep, male voice. Footsteps came tearing into the house.

“Hey!” That voice was Teddy’s, baritone, startled, and outraged voice that was both furious and defensive.

His movements were a blur, it had all happened so quickly that Andy let out a shriek, startled and alarmed. He’d been caught naked except for his briefs, which did little to hide what was beneath the taught fabric. His fear quickly faded as the blur cleared and two men hit the floor, Teddy having tackled…

Michael.

“Wait, wait,” Andy yelled, making a mad dash to pull Teddy from Michael.

Teddy was honed to perfection … his daily workouts at the local gym showed. He was as tall as Michael, extremely well-built and he was sinfully handsome.

Michael was about to take a swing and he grated as Andy caught his arm with his hand, trying to pull him away from Teddy.

“What the fuck, Andy, this guy just came bursting into the house!” Michael yelled as he looked with a demonic glare at Teddy.

“Michael, it’s all right!” With a great deal of effort, Andy managed to drag Michael from Teddy.

“What’s going on, Andy? Jonathon is right behind me; he’s called the police!” Teddy said indignantly.

As he straightened his ruffled clothes, Teddy took a long, hard look at Michael, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Oh shit … you’re Andy’s ex … Michael Brady,” he exclaimed and offered a hand to Michael. “Sorry; I am so sorry. We were on the phone talking, you see, Andy and I. When Andy didn’t get back to me, I thought he’d been attacked when I heard something crash.”

Andy winced. He’d forgotten that Teddy had been listening on the line, and now, both men were standing in his living room and he was nearly naked.

“Andy, who is this … this person,” he angrily asked, having ignored the offered hand.

Who is Teddy? A lifesaver, at this particular moment, Andy decided.

“I’m Theodore Vandercamp, Andy’s neighbor,” Teddy arrogantly said as well as angered.

Teddy had once shown sexual interest in Andy, but Andy had quickly dispelled it. Now they were simply friends and Andy clutched Teddy’s arm, having lost all semblance of dignity.

“He’s my very special friend, Michael, and I’ll have you show him some respect,” he said and then, turned to Teddy. “I’m so sorry, darling, I was just so startled to see Michael that I forgot the phone…”

“Dad … are you … Michael?” Jonathon asked, shocked to see him standing there.

“I’m fine and I have had enough excitement to last me a life time. I am going to take a shower and then go to bed,” he said, turned and quickly walked away.

“The hell he’s going to bed without talking with me first,” an angry Michael cursed a few minutes later.

“I’d give him a moment or two before approaching him,” Jonathon said. “He’s meaner than a bear woken from hibernation when he’s in that mood.”

“Well, kid, I’ve had an urn crashed over my head, a door slammed in my face and then I was tackled by … by whoever this buffoon is. He is going to talk to me and then, he can go to bed.”

Michael stormed away with Jonathon and Teddy trailing him ... not because they thought that Michael would hurt him, but they wanted to see how Andy would react.

Michael stormed into what had once been their bedroom and found Andy naked with a towel in his hand. Turning every shade of red in the spectrum, Andy flushed as he quickly tried to cover his nakedness.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Michael reminded him.

“And nothing you have seen in a long, long time,” he reminded Michael.

Michael shrugged and his smile deepened. “Things don’t seem to have changed much.”

“Oh, but things have!” he assured him. “Michael, will you please get out of here!”

“I…” both he and Andy recognized that sound… it was a police radio and it was coming from outside the bedroom door.

“The police!” they both said in unison and Andy wondered what else could happen to humiliate him.

“Hey, in there, what’s going on?” a husky man’s voice asked.

“I’ll handle it,” Michael decided.

“It’s my house and if anyone handles it, it’ll be me,” he said but Michael was not having Andy, parading around naked.

“Sit,” he said as if Andy had been a golden retriever and gave him a slight shove, causing Andy to fall to the bed and yelling for help.

When the officers crashed through the locked bedroom door with guns drawn, Michael spun around, taking the towel that had gotten caught on his arm, with him. Teddy and Jonathon were behind them, both trying to explain, but so incoherently that nothing was clear to the police, other than Andy was being attacked by Michael.

The two officers, who were convinced that Andy was in grave danger, grabbed Michael and slammed him up against the wall with an arm pulled behind his back.

“Assume the position guy,” one cop ordered as he kicked apart Michael’s feet.

While he cuffed Michael and then frisked him, his partner was helping a naked Andy up from the bed.

“We got a call from your son saying that an intruder was attacking you, Andy,” he explained to Andy, who had given up trying to be modest, until the officer gazed down at his manhood. “Ah … you might want to cover that up,” he casually said, not to Andy’s face, but to his groin and with a smile.

Andy saw the towel lying on the floor; he grabbed it and wrapped it around his waist. His eyes caught those of Teddy and Jonathon, both had been gazing at his naked body as well.

“Out … you and you, out of my bedroom now,” Andy shouted at Teddy and Jonathon, who abruptly turned and hurried away, but not so fast that Andy hadn’t heard one of them remark, “Damn! Even soft it’s humongous…” but they had moved on and Andy missed the rest of the comment.

Andy turned to the cops, carefully holding his towel around him; he’d had about all that he could take for one evening.

“Harold, Frank … you both know me, and I can assure you that this man has done nothing to me, other than humiliate me tonight. So, if you please don’t mind, can you also leave?”

“I guess so, Andy, but are you sure? We can run him in?” Frank asked as Harold released Michael.

‘Wouldn’t that cool his heels,’ Michael thought with a grin.

“I’m sure, Frank; he’s a cop as well, in Springfield, Massachusetts.”

“Now I recognize you,” Harold said to Michael. “You’re that cop … the one that those fancy movie guys want to do a movie about some serial killer,” he said as he had an epiphany.

“Guilty,” Michael smiled as he rubbed his wrists.

“Are you going to do the movie, Andy,” Frank asked.

“No. Now will you both please leave so I can get dressed?” a frustrated Andy asked.

With Michael between them, Michael ushered them out of the room.

“Take your shower, stud, and I’ll see you downstairs,” he said before he pulled what was left of the door closed behind him.

“Grrrrrr,” Andy growled as he stomped his way to the bathroom.

To be continued…

Posted: 11/22/13