Part One

Tom

The woods were lovely; dark and deep. That was how the poem began, wasn't it? It had been years since Jared had last read anything by Frost, and pushed aside the urge to wrack his memory for the full verse.

The woods were dark and deep alright, but he'd be cold in the grave before he called them lovely.

Sinister perhaps, or really fucking creepy.

The fact that he was chasing a pick-axe wielding psychopath didn't really help.

As he was playing out the opening of a slasher movie, Jared surveyed the surrounding terrain. He was trained for this; had extensive experience in running around like a moron and actually seeking danger out.

The thrill of adrenaline that pumped through his system gave him the kind of high he had always craved. It was almost enough to make him reckless. That was why he had joined the military: to control that idiotic urge to jump off the cliff feet first without checking to see what was waiting for him at the bottom.

He drew on that training. It kept him calm, focused, even as his heart rate spiked and his vision honed.

There was no sound around him but his own breathing.

That was a bad sign. Woods were often described as silent places, when in reality they were anything but. Too many creatures called the trees their home. There should have been rustling leaves, the chirrup of crickets, the hoot of owls.

Nothing.

Only silence.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He wouldn't say he was scared. Even now, after he had seen what Tom had done to all those people, he felt only the anticipation of a well matched fight.

There was that stupidity again. Apparently the Army hadn't beaten it out of him completely.

They had come to Lake Tahoe five days previous; it seemed like a whole lot longer. A serial killer had been terrorizing the busy tourist center, and at the request of a particularly wealthy hotel owner, Jared and Tom had been sent to the ski-resort.

The thought behind the move was that in order to catch a serial killer, you needed another serial killer.

Jared had tried pointing out the numerous flaws in that plan. He'd gone so far as to cite from world renowned psychologists, draw diagrams, and even quote from 'Freddy Vs Jason'.

Apparently the folks in charge had faith in Jared's abilities to keep tabs on a man who had murdered more than two dozen people. More faith than he had in himself.

Nothing moved in the dark. The wind was particularly still that night. Jared hoped it would mean he would have time to be alerted to any movement surrounding him. It also meant that he had to be twice as careful himself.

Out of the two of them, Tom was far more proficient a hunter.

He'd proved it by finding their serial killer only two days in. Jared had almost thought he was a regular guy up until that moment. Tom had been quiet, but smart and genuinely kind in his interactions.

Until he had ripped their killer's heart out with a hammer, a chisel and his own bare hands.

Jared had seen some twisted shit in his time, but that was up there with the sickest of them.

Understandably, Tom had expressed no desire to be carted back with Jared once the job had been done. He'd slammed Jared's head against the bathroom mirror so hard Jared still felt the effects three days later.

Why Tom hadn't killed him, Jared didn't know.

He'd certainly not spared anyone else the nicety.

Since skipping Jared's charge, he'd worked his way through nine people. The first two with whatever implements he had found close by, the rest with his signature pickaxe.

There was one weapon Jared had no experience with whatsoever.

To say Jared's boss had been pissed would be putting it lightly.

The retrieval team that had been sent out to assist Jared in bringing Tom back in had orders to shoot if necessary.

Jared had never once heard of such an order being issued.

A sudden sound came from close by; Jared had been standing still too long.

He ducked instinctively as the axe hurtled overhead and buried itself in the bark of the tree behind him. He expected Tom to turn and run.

Jared prayed to God he wouldn't.

If he did, he'd eventually run into the Retrieval Team, and he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Jared might be intent on bringing Tom home, but he'd be damned before he let anyone hurt him.

He was almost thankful then when the whole weight of Tom's body collided with his chest. That feeling lasted all of a heartbeat. As he raised his arms to defend himself, Tom dropped a fist low. The sudden flare of pain from Jared's bruised kidney stunned him long enough for Tom to get in a second blow, this time to the throat.

Jared couldn't remember the last time he had lost a fight so quickly.

Unable to draw in a breath, he couldn't speak the words he needed to siphon Tom's rage. The leaves rustled around them as the skirmish took itself to the ground. Jared could not make full use of the long limbs that normally gave him such an edge. Too close, Tom was able to land knees and fists against Jared's undefended torso. The only defense left to Jared was an aggressive counter attack.

He brought the curve of his brow down against Tom's skull. The blow stunned them both.

Jared recovered first.

Tom might have out-matched him physically, but he still had the upper hand. "Stop." He said, as firmly as he could with a bruised throat and barely enough oxygen in his lungs. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Just like that, Tom stopped. He sat back on his heels and appraised Jared with bruised eyes. He looked like an escapee from Hell: half feral, half wary.

He didn't apologize, nor make any move to help Jared regain his footing and his pride. He simply stayed where he was, a pale face in the abstract patterns of moonlight and shadow.

He stayed that way until the sounds returned to the woods; the team that had been sent to wrap things up circled the both of them and approached cautiously.

Jared had recovered enough to be in place when the closest commando fired a dart into Tom's throat. He caught his charge under the arms and settled him back down into the sheet of leaves that covered the ground. Tom continued to stare at him after the drug began to take effect. Even as his eyelids drooped and his head began to nod he struggled to keep his eyes on Jared's face.

"It's alright." Jared soothed away non-existent fears. "I'll protect you."

Tom nodded once, and slid under.

Charlie

Two years earlier

"So, what do you think?" Genevieve Cortese turned on her expensive heels to fix Jared with a calculating look. He had tried sizing her up the minute they had shaken hands; he'd had no luck. She kept her cards to her chest, but was quietly confident in her whole manner. There was an air of arrogance in the way she asked the question which, whilst probably justified, only served to drive Jared's back up.

"Honestly?" He looked around the building, impressed, but trying to hide it. The tour had taken over an hour to do properly, and he was in no doubt that there were places he wouldn't be allowed to see until after he had signed a contract with them. "It's impressive. Creepy," The addition was almost a physical compulsion, "but impressive."

Genevieve smiled and beckoned him closer to the edge of the balcony. From there they could see most of the common areas. The teak wood designs reminded Jared of his time in Nepal, though the layout and excessive use of water in the design spoke of an architect who had studied Feng Shui.

They lent against the metal railings. Jared would have to admit that the whole complex was beautiful. Oddly peaceful. It wasn't as sinister as he was expecting, unlike Genevieve's smile.

"You say creepy like what we do here is something illegal. Or immoral."

"Erasing people's memories and turning them in to walking ghosts is not exactly what I call practicing the moral high ground." Jared admitted candidly. The whole process went against scientific ethics, something that even a layman such as Jared understood.

Genevieve's smile didn't slip a notch at all. "We don't erase memories, Mr. Padalecki, we remove them. All our Active's personalities are carefully stored on file until the time comes when their contract is due for renewal. Then we just imprint the original data the way we would with any assignment."

"No harm, no foul." Jared said dryly, wondering how easy it was for her to think of these things in such a simple, black and white way. Such views were dominant in the military, where things were a matter of life and death. It felt strange seeing them in practice on such a cosmetic level.

"Exactly. Come now, I want you to meet Charlie." She led him to the curved staircase. Jared hesitated. Being headhunted was flattering, no question, and the amount of money they had offered him was obscene, but Jared couldn't bring himself to follow her down the steps. The milling people waiting below were more intimidating to him than the streets of Kashmir.

Genevieve looked over her shoulder and smiled benignly. "Don't tell me you aren't curious."

That got him. He was.

The whole program was as intriguing as it was morally questionable. It went above the lighthearted debates he had with his brother and sister over GM crops and gene splicing. Megan had come to him one morning and laid out a heated argument about how science was slowly 'fucking the world to hell and back.' Jared had scolded her for her language and not thought much more about it.

He was a soldier, not a great thinker. Science intrigued him, but he knew little about it.

Too little to be comfortable in an environment that turned every known fact about human behavior on its head.

Still, what did they say about curiosity?

Jared followed, the first step he took onto the staircase feeling like one towards the gallows.

Genevieve reached the floor first, and immediately crossed the room to the point where a low, rippling brook had been built to link the fountain in the center with the pool, just out of sight.

She stopped behind the figure of a man, sat cross-legged by the edge. Jared saw his fingers trailing in the water and frowned.

"Charlie, I'd like you to meet someone." Genevieve said, no-nonsense, but gentle, in a tone quite unlike the one she had been using with Jared.

The man by the edge looked up curiously. Jared had to move out from behind Genevieve to see him properly, and nearly tripped into the water.

Charlie was smiling up at him with none of the social filters that people in the real world had built. There were no expectations, desires or questions in his eyes, just innocence and honesty. "Hi."

Jared tripped over his tongue. He looked over at Genevieve. This was the man he was supposed to be taking care of?

The arrogance was back in her expression. She'd obviously known that Jared would take one look at her charge, his...Charlie, and be unable to form a coherent word.

Charlie was...well beautiful didn't seem to cover it.

"Are you my new friend?" Charlie asked him, blinking with lashes that were too long.

"I-I guess so."

"I like new friends." Charlie uncurled his legs. Jared offered his hand, and after staring at it for a minute, Charlie took it.

"Charlie, this is Jared." Genevieve introduced, stepping in when it became obvious that Jared was clearly unable to conduct himself in an appropriate manner.

Charlie was probably around six foot and in peak physical condition. Jared stared into his open, unguarded eyes, and was reminded of his brother's son. Callum was two years old. His childish innocence was to be expected. Jared looked around the room. There were a dozen more Dolls -Actives, he reminded himself - all who wandered around like beautiful zombies.

Genevieve took Charlie's elbow and smiled sweetly at him. "Why don't you go for a run, Charlie? You like running."

Charlie seemed to think about it before nodding. "Bye Jared." He even waved as he left.

Jared stared after him. "He's like a child." He whispered, unable to believe that any science which could create that could be used for the benefit of society.

Genevieve nodded. "Essentially, yes." She tipped her head towards the staircase, and Jared followed her lead until they were once more standing on the balcony. They could see Charlie on one of the treadmills, the same serene expression on his face as he ran.

"I can see why you have such tight security." He mused, unable to tear his eyes away from the man who might one day be his to take care of.

"We have to take every precaution with our Actives." Genevieve agreed. "In their blank states they are no less helpless than infants. That is why it is so important that we assign suitable handlers. You would be responsible for Charlie's safety in the field, and for his comfort and stability here."

"They don't leave the facility like this?" Jared couldn't see how letting someone as vulnerable as Charlie out into the real world would work. He'd be eaten alive.

"Of course not." Genevieve shook her head and led the way to the elevator. "They do not leave the house without being Imprinted. Whilst out there they are as capable of social interaction as any regular man or woman. More so in many cases."

Jared thought about that as they rode the elevator to the penthouse office. Once inside, Jared was offered cool water and coffee, both of which he turned down.

Genevieve's position within the company was clear from the size and layout of the room. It was bigger than Jared's whole apartment. Hell, it was bigger than three of Jared's apartments. Clean lines and smooth modern decor centered around an elevated platform which looked over the beach and out to sea. The room had three glass walls, and incomparable views of the city. It was as beautiful as everything else in the house.

Crossing to a bureau by the far wall, Genevieve beckoned him to sit in one of the suede covered armchairs. She wrote something down on the back of a white napkin and handed it to Jared before taking a seat opposite him. "Before we discuss terms, I think you should be aware of just how generous we are willing to be." She motioned to the napkin with her hand.

Jared turned it over and had to blink in order to count the number of zeros. "I-"

Words failed him, but Genevieve didn't seem at all put off by the astronomical figure she had just written down. "You come very highly recommended, Jared. Your character references are glowing."

"You spoke to my colleagues?"

"And friends."

Jared wasn't sure he liked that. He'd always tried to keep his home and his work lives separate whilst in the army, and he had intended civvy-street to be no different.

"We do our homework. We wouldn't have invited you here if we didn't think you would take our offer."

"Look, this is very...generous of you," He stumbled over the word. Generous was too loose a word. "But I think maybe I should sleep on it."

"Yes or no, Jared. One word. Charlie is two months into a three year contract. As his handler you simply need to see him through to the end of his term, at which point you will be free to take on another agent, or retire."

Jared swallowed and looked down at the figure on the napkin. "All this for less than three years work?"

"That's your annual salary. Minus any bonuses, of course."

Holy crap.

Genevieve's predatory smile was back. "Three years, and you will be able to retire with a nest-egg bigger than you could ever comfortably spend. Not," she raised a bottle of water to her lips and took a purposefully slow sip, "that this is an easy job. Charlie is shaping up to be one of our most popular Actives.

It would be an interesting three years, that was for sure.

How could he turn it down?

He couldn't really. A lifetime in the army wouldn't have earned him a fraction of what they were willing to pay him per year. He could make sure his momma was taken care of, and never have to worry about money again his whole life.

He nodded. "Is there anything I should know?"

Genevieve sat back in her chair, satisfied, and nodded.

"Charlie is one of our foremost Actives. He is already very popular, and our client list includes everyone from sports stars to politicians. As such, discretion is your greatest asset."

"All due respect, but I come from the United States Military. Discretion is my middle name."

Genevieve nodded her head. "I know. That was one of your biggest selling points. I'll be frank with you, Jared, the first man we had lined up to care for Charlie was unable to come to terms with the objectives of his task. You must protect Charlie as if he was your own child, but at all times it is important to remember that your behavior should be strictly professional."

"Understood." Jared agreed. Professional was one thing he could be.

Genevieve smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, or a very attractive one, but Jared found himself responding none the less.

_______________________________________

Castle Hill Retirement Village was one of the most desired housing complexes for the over 65 living in the greater Los Angeles area. It had been the number one recommended care home from more than a dozen medical professionals, and the only place Jared would allow his momma to live.

She'd been admitted to hospital whilst he had been on his second tour. The news came in right before he had been sent out on a patrol that had killed two of his squad and left him with a nine inch scar down his left calf. As soon as he had been given the all clear to fly he had boarded a C130 with a hundred and three Delta Force boys, landing in Germany, where the Red Cross had handled his transfer flight to Houston.

By the time he had reached the hospital his momma had been in an impersonal hospital bed for three days, scared and alone.

The news hadn't been good. The doctor had diagnosed an Ischemic Stroke. She had lost the ability to move, or talk, and a crueler fate Jared couldn't have wished on anyone. It had been impossible not to cry at the sight of her, but the moment she laid eyes on Jared there had been such happiness there that it had left Jared humbled.

A military lawyer had been able to get him out of service with an honorable discharge, but he had forfeited his military pension and his service medical plan.

He could see in her face the frustration she felt as Jared battled with lawyers and doctors alike to get the best treatment. Castle Hill cost him twice what he paid on his own rent, even with the money he had made by selling the family house. 24 hour care was expensive. He had toyed with becoming her carer himself, but as the only living relative his momma had, he couldn't afford not to work.

That would change now. Three years with the Mayfair Group, and he would have enough money to take care of them both.

With that in mind, he kept a smile on his face as he entered the tastefully designed sun lounge. Mary, the day nurse, looked up at him and smiled as he approached with a fist full of pink and yellow tulips.

"Morning Sunshine." She smiled, reaching up on her tiptoes to ruffle his hair. Jared weathered the affection with grace.

"How is she?" He asked, looking over Mary's shoulder to the back of his momma's favorite chair.

More professional now, Mary smiled at him. "Her night wasn't great, but she has had a good day. She likes the sun."

That had been another point in Castle Hill's favor. The humidity of Houston wasn't good for her, but here in LA she could still enjoy the bright sunshine.

He nodded and moved around her.

The sun deck looked out over a colorful garden. His momma had been a huge gardener before the stroke, and Jared recognized a few of the more common plants that spilled out over the low stone dividers.

"Hey momma." Jared set the flowers down on her lap so the petals touched her fingers. The seat besides her was positioned in her line of sight, and after pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, he perched precariously on the edge of it. "I brought you tulips." he said, sating the obvious and loving the way it brought a spark of amusement to her eyes. "Mary said you had a good day."

It had been hard, learning how to talk to her, not at her. They'd both had a pretty steep learning curve. Sometimes Jared felt his momma had more grace in her little finger than he did in his whole giant body. "I found a job." He announced. "It's different," he chuckled. Major understatement. "But it pays well, momma. Really well."

He didn't need to hear her voice to know the question running through her head. "It's legal." He grinned around the half-truth. "And I keep my clothes on." That look of amusement was back. Goddamn, he loved his momma. "It will be good for us." he wondered if she knew just how much it was costing him to cover her stay at Castle Hill. Probably.

Mary came over to put the tulips in water, and Jared turned the conversation to the latest news coverage, at peace in the colorful garden and at his momma's side.

_______________________________________

Gabe Tigerman was without question the strangest man Jared had ever met. "Here, take this, learn your lines and wow the crowd." He bounced over to Jared, stuffed a sheet of paper under his nose and hopped back over to an impressive looking collection of computer terminals.

"Uuh..." Jared looked down at the paper in his hand.

Thankfully it had no more zeros on it. His heart was still recovering from the shock Genevieve had given him.

Instead there were half a dozen lines, some with his name in parentheticals at the start.

He had signed on the dotted line an hour earlier, only to be told that his background checks had already been carried out to the highest level, and he would be starting right away.

He wasn't sure exactly what that entailed until he was hustled into an office he had not been shown on the tour, and introduced to Gabe.

Gabe, who was apparently the brains behind the whole mind wiping, brain scrambling software that made Jared's new job even possible.

In the center of the room was a bed that looked like a cross between a dentist's chair and something out of a bizarre sci-fi movie. Jared had skirted around it, scared he would be asked to sit.

Gabe, after trying to break his fingers during their initial handshake, had zipped around the room, tapping on keyboards, and occasionally shooting Jared looks of deep distrust.

"We had some...issues, shall we say, with some of our previous handlers." Genevieve astutely picked up on the attitude of her head scientist and explained it to Jared. "Gabe is rather fond of Charlie, aren't you Gabe?"

Gabe muttered under his breath and pounded on the clear digital screen that was fixed in front of him. "Charlie's special."

On cue, the glass door opened and one of the medical handlers showed a docile Charlie into the room. He had changed from the black and white clothes he had been in when he and Jared had met, and wore navy blue work out pants and a dove grey t-shirt.

He looked soft and warm. Jared had to remind himself that he wasn't thinking about a kitten or a teddy bear, but a living, breathing person. "Good morning Charlie." Gabe's prickly demeanor melted instantly in the face of the Active. He held out a hand and beckoned Charlie over.

Jared stood on the sidelines and watched as Charlie took a seat in the creepy chair. "Hi Jared." He smiled benignly, and Jared found himself waving back.

He turned to Genevieve. "Will this hurt him?"

Gabe was the one who answered. "Not at all. It's just like a scratch, isn't that right Charlie?" Charlie blinked at him. Flustered, Gabe continued, reaching around to tap something into his screen. "Not that you remember, but yeah. Scratch." He looked impatiently at Jared. "Come on then!"

Jared couldn't take his eyes off Charlie as the Active laid back calmly and waited for further instructions. "What do I need to do?"

"Just read from the script, okay? Not difficult." Gabe responded with a snap that was smothered by a smile. Charlie's head tipped to one side and he blinked up at the scientist. "You want a new friend, don't you Charlie?"

"I like new friends." Charlie said the same words he had spoken earlier, and Jared felt his spine straighten, as if a cold hand had been pressed against his back. It wasn't natural, those bland reactions.

"Well Jared here is going to be your best friend from now on. That's nice, isn't it?"

"That's nice." Charlie agreed, looking back at Jared. "Will he run with me?"

The question seemed rather earnest in comparison to Charlie's other responses, and Jared nodded. "Sure I will."

"Take his hand." Gabe instructed. The chair began to recline and Jared hastily looked between Charlie and Gabe. It didn't seem right, initiating physical contact with someone who had no choice in the matter. "It will help with the process. Physical and cognitive stimulus combined is more effective than either alone. Just the hand, mind you." Gabe added, looking at Jared as if he expected him to cop a grope as soon as his back was turned.

Charlie's hand curled around his, and the beatific expression remained as the chair fixed itself in a horizontal position.

Blue lights lit around Charlie's head, turning his skin into a ghostly array of shimmering colors. Gabe nodded at Jared encouragingly.

Reading from the script in his hand, Jared looked Charlie squarely in the eye and recited. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Charlie needed no further prompting to respond. "You'll protect me."

A lump formed in Jared's throat. He hastily squashed it down. "Do you trust me?"

Charlie didn't so much as blink. He stared at Jared like he was trying to see into his soul. A tiny nod, and his answer, "Always."

No one had ever put such blind faith in him. He had never been so responsible for another life. In the Army it had been his job to watch his buddies' backs, but they had always been capable of returning the same support. He wondered if this was what it felt to have a child. It was a silly comparison to make: Charlie was probably older than he was.

The blue lights suddenly grew brighter, and Charlie's eyes screwed up, as if he were in pain.

"You said it wouldn't hurt him!" Jared shouted, not letting go of Charlie's hand. He closed his other hand, still clutching the script, over the fingers entwined with his, hoping that the trust Charlie had just placed in him was well deserved, and his touch could maybe ease some of the pain.

"He's not hurting, it is just intense." Gabe reassured him, not looking at either Jared, or Charlie, but at his computers. "And don't shout; you'll scare him."

As abruptly as it began, the blue light faded. The chair moved back into an upright position, and Charlie blinked away the lines of discomfort. "Did I fall asleep?" He asked, looking at Jared with such a confused expression it was hard not to reach out and try to comfort him.

"Just for a few minutes." Genevieve said, moving closer now the job was done. "Why don't you go for a swim, wake yourself up a little?"

Charlie nodded as if the idea satisfied him. "I like swimming."

"Is that a normal reaction?" He asked Gabe, frowning.

"Normal compared to what? He has no personality, how should he react?" Gabe hissed under his breath, his eyes not leaving Charlie's face.

Jared didn't know how to answer Gabe's question, the awkwardness of Charlie's behavior making him twitchy. "I guess."

"You are now the most important person in Charlie's life, Jared." Genevieve said as she came to stand besides Jared. She was tiny, Jared noticed, but her whole personality made her seem six feet taller.

Jared looked back down at the wide green eyes that stared up at him. Charlie smiled, like a child who had spotted something pretty that they wanted to play with.

Instincts told Jared to reach out and pet his head, or bake him cookies.

He'd broken up with has last girlfriend because she wanted kids, and he hadn't, yet here he was, with a six foot tall child hanging on his every word.

"I'll go for my swim." Charlie said serenely.

Jared swallowed his nerves. "Mind if I join you?"

Charlie blinked, as if he wasn't sure why Jared had even asked. "You are free to do so."

Jared took that to be a positive response.

CJ



Jared had been given a week to learn the ropes. He'd expected much of that time to be spent building a bond with his charge, but Charlie had immediately responded to him with trust and obedience. It was a little disconcerting to say the least.

He spent a few hours a day with Charlie, swimming and running in the mornings, and painting in the afternoon. Charlie never really painted anything in particular. His attempts were childlike and indefinable, but he approached the paints with gusto. He was never shy when he presented Jared with his results, but Jared felt the need to praise him anyway.

The majority of his day was spent with Gabe. The scientist deemed it necessary to give Jared a crash course in all that was undertaken by The Mayfair Group. He was more patient than Jared had expected him to be as he explained the neurological science that made the Imprinting process work.

Jared studiously applied himself to everything he was learning. He was already trained in defense combat and battlefield triage. Protecting Charlie on a job was not something either he, or Genevieve felt he needed to work on. It was everything else.

There had been no recorded cases of an Imprint going wrong, but Jared learned how to handle each of the many hypothetical scenarios Gabe calculated.

It was only when he came to applying them on Charlie that Jared fully comprehended the miracle of science that they were creating.

A week into his employment, he was called to Gabe's office an hour earlier than usual. Charlie had been instructed to accompany him, and Jared's curiosity spiked despite itself.

"Good morning Charlie." Gabe ignored Jared completely in favor of the Active. "How are you feeling?"

Charlie smiled sweetly. "I am well, thank you."

The pride Jared felt at hearing Charlie's good manners was completely absurd.

"Are you ready for your treatment?" Gabe asked, stepping back and beckoning Charlie towards the chair in the center of the room.

Charlie continued to smile. "I like my treatments."

'Treatment' was the euphemism Gabe had created for 'Imprinting'. It had sounded silly when Gabe had been explaining it earlier in the week, but when Jared thought about it, 'treatment' sounded a whole lot less scary than 'imprinting'.

Jared stood back and watched as Gabe loaded a print into the computer. Charlie settled back in the chair as the process began.

It was shorter than Jared expected.

Charlie tensed for ten seconds before his body slumped against the padding. The light that had lit during their first process was colored white, and it hurt to look at directly.

Less than twenty seconds, and it was over.

The chair righted itself and Charlie sat up. "Hello CJ, how do you feel?"

_______________________________________

"You should have seen it, momma!" Jared whispered in excitement. "He was CJ! I mean...Christ - sorry." He winced at the scolding look that crossed her eyes. "Sorry, but it was unbelievable! I don't think I really believed it was possible, you know?"

He was babbling, but he had always told his momma everything. The confidentiality clause he had signed for Genevieve didn't stand up against the fact that there was literally no one his momma could repeat anything Jared said to.

"He wasn't even surprised to find himself there! I mean, Gabe just patted him on the head and we went to the mall!" CJ had been far more knowledgeable about fashion than anyone Jared had ever hung out with. It had been a test run, and a fun one. There had been no other clients, and no task to perform other than window shopping. Jared had bought them both an ice cream, and CJ had flirted with him over a bowl of Pistachio Swirl.

"And then I just had to tell him it was time for his treatment again, and he was fine with it! Like we weren't about to just zap him with Lord knows what and wipe his brain clean!"

The look in his momma's eyes was unmistakable. "Oh momma, no. It's okay. It doesn't hurt them, and they volunteer for it. It's not a bad thing, promise."

Jared wasn't sure he believed that, but he would force himself to, for her sake.

Alec

Four days later, and they had their first client.

Ames White was a bookie, and a name Jared recognized from nights out in LA whilst on shore leave. White ran one of the biggest boxing rings in the city, and had made a name for himself by showcasing some of the biggest names in the business.

He looked nothing like Jared imagined he would.

"I need the best you've got." White announced without hesitation. He had the clean cut businessman look about him. If Jared was going to form an opinion on the man based on only sixty seconds of acquaintance, he'd go out on a limb and say he didn't like White at all.

Genevieve was sitting in the chair opposite him, her clean, impersonal desk a barrier between client and professional. "We provide nothing but."

"You don't understand." White looked a little desperate and that only made Jared dislike him all the more. "I need someone who can beat Billy 'The Bronco" Steeves." He said the name like it meant something. "I'm set to lose a fortune if this asshole wins the title."

"I thought a businessman like you would know better than to bet on an apposing fighter." Genevieve said, her voice like vinegar.

White's expression curdled.

"As I am sure you understand, Mr. White, our Actives don't come cheap."

"I'd rather pay through the nose now than lose everything I've got!" White barked.

Genevieve pushed a napkin across the desk, much as she had done with Jared.

From his position by the window, Jared watched as White's expression turned from shock to outrage. "This is crazy. You can't seriously expect me to give you this."

Genevieve was nothing if not a consummate sales woman. "Like you said, pay now, or pay later. Your choice, Mr. White."

Jared had to fight to keep his smirk from showing as White's shoulders slumped.

_______________________________________

Gabe called him into his office later that afternoon.

Genevieve had gone over the requirements of the job once the money had been wired into the company account. White had been very specific about the details.

He needed a fighter who could beat the current champion, but he had to be more than just a thug. White needed a showman, someone who could win the crowd, as well as the match.

Genevieve had passed the details on to Gabe, and the scientist had pulled out all the stops in creating Alec.

Alec was a composite of imprints. Gabe had covered the process in Jared's training, and it had been one of the most fascinating topics they had covered.

Alec was part actor, part boxer, part cage fighter and part talk show host. It was a bizarre mix, but according to Gabe, it would work.

Jared reserved his opinion.

The process worked as smoothly as it did with CJ.

Charlie blinked, and then a wide, roguish smile spread across his mouth. "Did I fall asleep?"

Unlike the way Charlie and CJ said the words, there was a sexual presence to everything Alec said.

He hopped from the chair, spry and lose limbed before rubbing up against Jared like a cat in heat. "Tell me you've got something fun for me to do tonight." He huffed, his green eyes inviting in a way Charlie's never were.

"I'm sure we'll find a way to keep you entertained." Jared promised him, indulgently smiling as Alec clapped his hands gleefully.

In the changing rooms of White's club, Alec was as free with showing off his nakedness as Charlie was. He stripped and wandered up and down the benches, bouncing from foot to foot as he sprayed on deodorant and applied gel to his hair. "So, what's the crowd like?" He asked, finally climbing into a pair of silky boxing pants.

"Aren't you more concerned with the competition?" Jared asked wryly from his position by the door. He had a gun under his jacket, and another in a holster around his ankle.

Alec's grin was bright and arrogant. "You think I'll lose?"

"I think you should hold off on the victory dance." Jared countered diplomatically.

Alec waved a hand as if to say that's stupid and checked his hair in the mirror. "So. Crowd." He looked back over his shoulder. "Any hot chicks?"

Watching Alec primp and preen, Jared was uncomfortably reminded of a large peacock.

He wondered how on earth the kid would last five seconds in the ring, let alone defeat a national champion.

"The ring girl has a pretty good rack." Alec continued with a lopsided smirk. "Think she'll do a little private wrist work with me after the match?"

Jared's nose wrinkled. "Keep your dick in your pants, Rocky." He nudged Alec towards the doors. Beyond them was the loud crash of a thousand voices. Alec bounced from foot to foot.

"I fuckin' love my job." He muttered under his breath.

The doors opened, and Jared was momentarily blinded by the bright lights that suddenly streamed into the locker room. By the time he had recovered, Alec was already bouncing into the ring. He was grinning widely, no mouth guard in place, and Jared spared a second to think of how monumentally pissed Gabe would be if anything happened to Alec's face.

He made it to the side just as the bell rung, ready to offer words of advice.

He needn't have rushed. A second, and Alec's opponent was lying face first in the center of the ring. The crowd, slow to react, suddenly went wild.

Jared stared, and Alec pranced around with that cocky grin of his.

The ring girl was obviously as interested in Alec as he was in her breasts.

The rest of the night followed in a similar fashion.

One by one, Alec cut his way through the list of contenders. A list that rapidly shrunk in size, until only Billy 'The Bronco" Steeves remained.

Up in the VIP booth, Ames White watched the proceedings with a look of immense satisfaction. Alec had outdone himself in every match, and showed no signs of slowing down. He had occasionally strayed close enough to Jared to snag his water bottle and a towel, but most of the time between the matches was spent smiling at the ring girl and her ample breasts.

Jared had to admit that he was impressed. Alec was every bit the showman Gabe had designed him to be. The crowd was in love with the pretty boy superstar as much as Alec was in love with the limelight.

"Havin' fun yet, slick?" Alec bounced over to Jared's side and snatched up his bottle. "Gonna admit how awesome I am?" He threw Jared a wink before emptying the rest of the water bottle over his head.

It might have been just an attempt to cool himself down, but the whole act was caught on camera and played in high-def for the whole audience to see.

"You've not won yet." It was hard not to buy into the kid's hype.

"No, but I will."

With that promise, Alec was sauntering back into the ring. He rolled his shoulders and threw out some swings to keep his body moving. The crowd loved it.

The noise grew. Alec looked up in confusion; he wasn't being any more awesome than usual.

The cameras caught Billy 'The Bronco" Steeves as he entered the area. Flanked by an entourage of adoring minions, Steeves was the polar opposite of Alec. He was thicker, darker, uglier. Meaner Jared added mentally.

Maybe even better.

He wasn't the showman Alec was, but the crowd fawned on him. Like the Gladiators of the Roman Empire, only the most brutal and the most ruthless won the love of the plebs.

Jared turned his attention back to Alec.

His charge was grinning like the cat who got the canary. If he saw the scowl Steeves was sending in his direction he wasn't intimidated by it.

Not for the first time, Jared wondered if he was going to be taking Alec out on a stretcher.

The ring girl blew Alec a kiss that he caught and pocketed. Jared felt his knuckles ache as he clutched at the side of the ring. Steeves charged through the barriers, howling like a banshee, and threw himself at Alec, seconds before the bell rang.

The Champ obviously didn't like having his title threatened by an upstart brat like Alec.

Jared could hardly blame him; Alec was as annoying as he was brilliant.

Alec ducked under Steeves' charge and danced around him in a wide circle. Three more preliminary attempts to knock Alec from the ring were followed by the side-step dance of two warriors sniffing out weakness in their opponent.

Alec's cocky grin didn't slip a notch. He waited for Steeves to make the first move each time, evading or dodging instead of throwing back a blow.

Alec was investing more in understanding Steeves' style. Evading a blow was easier than blocking it, and it had the benefit of attacking Steeves' confidence. Each missed attack was a blow to Steeves' pride.

Jared watched Alec's lips shape around taunting words edged with a smile. He didn't think it was possible to goad a champion so easily, but Alec didn't seem to have any trouble finding Steeves' buttons and pressing them mercilessly.

Alec was playing with Steeves.

He was humiliating him.

Up in the VIP seating, White's expression was a picture of satisfaction.

Genevieve promised perfection; she had anticipated a need that had not even been expressed. White was going to get his victory for a cost. Alec was throwing in public humiliation for free.

It was incredible to watch, but something uneasy settled in Jared's stomach.

Alec fought like no one else he had ever seen, but he was enjoying the slaughter too much for Jared's comfort.

A sharp uppercut, and Steeves went flying. He landed on his back, utterly defeated, and the crowd went wild.

Jared lost track of him as the awards were handed out. Alec had stayed in the ring long enough to accept the winner's prize before throwing a finger at the camera, jumping out of the ring, and planting a kiss on the delighted ring girl.

Jared wasn't sure letting Alec screw his way through the entertainment staff was part of the job but hell, the guy deserved to let off a little steam.

He was considering hanging back and letting Alec have some fun when it occurred to him that he was thinking of Alec as a complete person and not just a shadow of personality that was currently housed in the mind of the sweetest, gentlest person Jared knew.

He pictured the scene in his mind, substituting Alec for Charlie, and felt his indignation rise.

Absolutely not.

Charlie was to have nothing to do with that kind of woman; she'd eat him alive!

He elbowed his way though camera crews and reporters. Everyone wanted to know who Alec was and where he had come from. He would let Genevieve deal with that.

Questions were fired at him from every angle, and by the time he had fought his way free, Alec was nowhere in sight.

Jared had to stamp down on his panic. It wasn't Charlie he had lost in the masses of people. It was Alec, who wasn't helpless by any stretch of the imagination.

After checking the locker rooms and conference center, Jared ventured up the staircase towards the VIP rooms.

He found Alec in the center box, balls deep in the ring girl.

She was making the kind of noises Jared associated with low budget porn movies. It would have been funny, something he might have mocked Alec for if they had been friends, but Ames White's presence threw Jared off kilter.

The only thing that kept him from charging into the room was the fact that Alec seemed to be enjoying himself.

White was behind him, his hands on Alec's narrow hips.

Jared had no orders for this. His client was having sex with his Active.

His Active was having sex with some random girl he'd picked up.

There had been no mention of threesomes in Jared's contract!

He wasn't completely naive.

Fulfilling fantasies was what The Mayfair Group did. It didn't take a genius to understand that in the grand scheme of things, most fantasies were sexual.

He'd simply not been expecting sex on this job.

He decided to stay in the shadows, just in case things got out of hand.

Alec panted heavier than he had done in the ring, every thrust of his body bringing him pleasure in one way or another. White had his hands in Alec's short, sweat damp hair. He sucked at Alec's throat, drawing marks into skin that Jared could see even from his place in the dark.

Waiting felt like eternity.

Eventually White came, cleaning up and dressing himself with shaky hands even as Alec took the girl for round two. He left after throwing down a handful of bills - for Alec or the girl, Jared wasn't sure.

"You want to join me?" Alec called out as soon as White was gone.

Jared moved out of the shadows, perturbed that Alec had noticed him, despite considerable distractions. "I'll pass, thank you."

"You don't mind Jared joinin' us, do you sweetheart?" Alec asked the girl he had wrapped around him like a koala. She shook her head rapidly, a string of 'oh God' tumbling from her lips. Bubblegum pink lipstick had smudged across her cheek, and Alec looked up with a smug look of I told you so.

Jared would say one thing for Alec: his stamina was impressive. Jared was exhausted just from watching him.

The girl came just before Alec did; Jared was pleased to see Alec was wearing a condom. She slumped down against the nearest support, wild hair and shaking limbs, practically sobbing when Alec dropped to his knees between her thighs.

Seeing that Alec put as much of himself into sex as he did into a fight, Jared took a hasty step forward. "It's time for your treatment!" He rushed, one hand extended.

Gabe had told him that the words were the best way to break an Active from their activities without resorting to the safe words that they had previously programmed. They were the same with all Actives, and signaled the end of an assignment.

Alec looked up from between the girl's legs. "Okay." He shrugged, and stood. He looked around the room, a curious expression on his face. "Have you seen my clothes?"

_______________________________________



Jared

"You should have seen it, momma!" Jared shook his head in amazement. He had brought her a bunch of daffodils tied with a pink ribbon. Mary had put them in a vase right in the center of the deck table. "He was amazing! I have never seen anyone fight like that, and it's Charlie! Charlie wouldn't hurt a fly!"

He smiled wistfully.

"You'd like him, I think." Jared smiled to himself, his eyes on her still, expressionless face. "Charlie, I mean. He's like a kid. Only not. Like no kid I've ever seen. He's just so open and innocent about everything. The other day he asked me if Butterflies like being brightly colored. I mean what was I supposed to tell him?"

A hint of amusement in her eyes, and Jared pouted. "Don't laugh at me, momma. It's not funny! It isn't! I'm not fit for kids! I killed my goldfish, remember? How am I supposed to look after him?"

He knew exactly what she'd say if she could. "I know, I know momma. I gotta be responsible. But if you could just see him. They don't make pretty like that anymore."

He wasn't about to go into details of Alec's extra curricular activities with her, but he could see the interest in her eyes.

"I should bring you a picture one day." He grinned. He reached into his pocket and withdrew one of the paintings Charlie had completed for him. "He did this for you. I told him that my momma liked flowers. He said he likes flowers too and painted you this."

He held the paper up for her to see. It was bright and bold - abstract was too kind a term for the mess of colors Charlie had used to create his garden.

"You want me to pin it in your room?" He asked.

The smile in her eyes was the best answer he could have gotten.

Charlie

Jared found Charlie getting a check up from Dr. Saunders. The elderly man was almost as fond of Charlie as Gabe was and gave him a grape flavored lollipop after completing his checks.

"Good as ever, aren't you Charlie?" The doctor praised, patting Charlie's knee.

Jared undid the wrapper for Charlie, who smiled toothily and said, "I try to be my best." Jared handed him the candy. "Thank you, Jared."

It was impossible not to reach over and ruffle Charlie's hair. "How about you finish that up and we go for a swim?"

"I like swimming." Charlie said thoughtfully, the words slightly distorted around the candy.

They wandered around until Charlie's tongue was purple and the candy was gone. Jared had his swimming trunks under his suit and stripped down at the edge of the pool as Charlie emerged from the changing room.

The Actives were all beautiful, and in public they would have gotten a fair amount of attention wandering around in the bathing suits they were provided with. Charlie slipped into the water and immediately started doing laps.

Jared watched him for ten minutes, his feet hanging over the edge of the pool. Charlie cut through the water with smooth, economic movements, and Alec's stamina didn't seem such a wonder in the face of all the exercise Charlie got.

On lap fifty, Jared kicked water up into Charlie's face. The motion knocked Charlie off course and he surfaced, spluttering.

The look of complete confusion on his face made Jared smile. He slid into the water and batted a handful at the back of Charlie's head.

"Is this how you swim?" He asked curiously, making his own attempt at creating waves in the water.

"This is how I play." Jared smiled.

Charlie made an abortive attempt to splash around in the water, a shy half smile breaking across his face when he managed to hit Jared with his attempt.

"It's fun." Jared grinned, spitting out a mouthful of chlorine.

"Fun." Charlie echoed, head tilted to one side. "I like fun."

Tom

"Right," Jared grunted, blinking furiously as Dr Saunders shone a light in his eye. "Remind me to tell Gabe 'I told you so'."

Charlie sat on the edge of the examination table, his ankles cross and his hands in his lap. He looked to be the perfect picture of innocence, and the last person who would be caught chasing Jared through the woods with a pickaxe.

The drugs that had been used to subdue him until his Wipe had worn off, but it had left Jared with a very tired, clingy Active on his hands.

Normally he wouldn't have minded too much, but he wasn't unconvinced Tom had broken one of his ribs when he had tackled him.

"Are you hurt?" Charlie asked, not sympathetic, but curious.

Still, Jared lied to him, a smile cast over his shoulder that he hoped was reassuring. "I'm good, kiddo. How's your head?"

Charlie never saw the need to lie or make light of his injuries. When hurt, he responded in a way that said he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "I'm dizzy." He said simply. "The world is moving."

"That's why you're staying in here for a little while." Dr Saunders soothed him. "So we can keep an eye on you."

"Am I not my best any more?"

Charlie sounded almost heartbroken by the very idea.

"You're perfect." Jared told him, ignoring the queer look the doctor sent his way.

"Honestly, sending him out in that state?" Jared held still as Saunders dabbed at the cuts on his arms and neck - souvenirs from violent tree branches. "It's a miracle he didn't kill you!"

"I killed you?" Charlie frowned, clearly not following the conversation he was privy to. Jared shot the good doctor a malicious glare and pulled away from his ministrations.

"Do I look dead to you?" He asked Charlie as he took a seat besides him and drapped an arm over his back.

Wide, beguiling eyes looked up at him, stealing all his attention. "You are breathing." Charlie observed.

"So not dead."

"That's good." Charlie declared sweetly. "I wouldn't like it if you were dead."

"No?" Jared grinned and ruffled Charlie's hair before scootching back over to the doctor. "That's good to know.

Read part two of five plus epilogue of SplashPink's Stained Glass Masquerade (A J2 Dollhouse!AU)