Broken Angel 3/?
Title: Broken Angel 3/?
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Word Count: ~3200
Rating/Warnings: NC-17 for violence, sexual situations, and references to non-con(but nothing graphic)
A/N: This story is based off a prompt by the amazing imogen_lily . Thank you so much for the gorgeous banner and for letting me play with this idea! I appreciate all the help sweetie!!!
Summary: Senator Fred Lehne has been brutally attacking, raping, and murdering young men for over a decade, but always evades arrest thanks to his money and power. He has everyone fooled, except one team of detectives headed by Captain Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his protege Jensen Ackles. When things become worse, Morgan goes to FBI agents Misha Collins and Jim Beaver for help. They offer it in the form of Jared Padalecki, hotshot profiler who also happens to be Jensen's boyfriend. But there is more Jared...he also happens to be the only surviving victim of Lehne's...
Dr. Padalecki’s heart plummeted at the sight of the boy lying on his table. He always hated seeing someone so young ended up in his morgue. But whenever one of these boys ended up on his morgue, it was especially hard.
His eyes scanned the battered, pale body until the came to a stop at the chest. The grotesque, blood rimmed lily stared back at him, practically mocking him. He closed his eyes, willing his memories and guilt to go away once more…
“Baby you should eat something,” his mother’s soft voice echoed through the otherwise silent kitchen.
Jared sat at the table, pushing around the food on his plate with little interest in actually eating it. “Not hungry, mom,” he whispered.
Sherry sighed and walked back over to her middle son. She reached up and gently moved his bangs away from his eyes. The bruises and cuts stood out against his otherwise pale skin. She couldn’t help but think of how young her sixteen your old looked like this. A baggy hoodie covered the various bandages that swathed his chest, arms, and back. Comfortable, long basketball shorts covered the ones wrapped around his legs. His crutches sat against the table at his side.
“You have to eat sometime, Jay. I know you don’t want to, but you’re losing too much weight sweetie.” She saw the guilt cloud his eyes, and she hated to do this to him. Yet she had to…
“Hey!” The front door slammed behind her oldest while he shouted and walked into the house. Jared visibly flinched at the sudden loud noises.
“Just Jeff,” Sherry soothed, running her fingers over his messy hair. She felt him nod and lean into her hand ever so slightly.
Jeff came bounding into the room full of energy and excitement over something. Although Sherry was happy to see her son having a good day, she wasn’t too pleased with the fact that he was ignoring how loud noises still startled his younger brother. She sent him a warning glance, hoping he would take the hint to calm down. He didn’t.
“Mom! Jay!” Jeff rushed towards the table, grabbing an apple from the counter as he moved towards them. “Where’s everybody else? I have got to tell you guys something!”
“Keep your voice down, Jeff…no need to shout. We’re right here,” Sherry chastised. “Meg is at a friend’s house and your dad had to work late tonight.”
“Damn…I wanted to tell you guys all together! I guess I’ll just have to tell them later!” Jeff was practically bouncing with excitement, which made Sherry smile despite herself. Jared, on the other hand, was just trying to show some interest.
“Go on then…what’s your big news hun?”
“So,” Jeff started, “I went to work after class…and guess who was there?!?”
Jared wanted to cringe, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.
“Come on Jay! Guess!”
“Just tell us,” Sherry said, saving Jared.
“Fine,” Jeff huffed. “So I went into the campaign office and Lehne himself was in there!”
At that, Jared couldn’t help the involuntary shiver that ran down his spine. He was just thankful that Jeff was too carried away to notice it.
“I got to show him the new polls and everything during the meeting! Me! He was so impressed that he said he couldn’t wait until I could be on his main team when I graduate. I of course had to tell him that I wasn’t in political science, that I was premed and all. He didn’t care! He said he wanted me on his staff as possibly a health care advisor! Can you believe it?!? I mean, he even said he’d help me pay for med school so that he could get me on his team quicker!”
“He did?” Sherry said. She had noticed the shift in Jared’s already somber mood and couldn’t figure out the cause. But she couldn’t work up the energy to be as excited for Jeff when she was so worried for her other boy.
“It was amazing! I mean, he’s amazing! I always knew I picked the right guy to work for!”
Jared couldn’t help but scoff and mumble under his breath. He didn’t mean to…he was just getting annoyed.
“What was that Jared?”
“Didn’t say anything,” Jared replied. He wanted to sound normal, however his voice came out a little bitter and frustrated.
“No, you said something. What was it?” Now Jeff was getting mad…which only succeeded in making Jared angrier. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. It didn’t help. “Jared, what?!?”
“Jeff-“ Sherry tried to warn.
“I said that he isn’t that great,” Jared muttered, interrupting his mom.
Anger flashed on Jeff’s face for a moment. “Jared, what the hell man? This guy is offering to pay for my school and you are saying that he isn’t that great?!?”
“Jeff,” Sherry said, “calm down. I don’t think your brother meant anything by-“
“Then what did you mean?” Jeff snapped.
“Nothing Jeff…”
“God, Jay. I get that you are going through a lot right now. And I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve to get mugged like that. But I sure as hell don’t deserve you to treat me like you’ve been treating me either…you could at least be happy for me! I came here with good news about Senator Lehne-“
“Y-you act like he’s God’s gift to Texas…”
“Well, he sure has done a lot for us! He’s offering to put me through school and give me a job afterwards! Mom and dad didn’t have to pay for my books because I got a job with him this semester! Megan got into that art program because of his recommendation! You wouldn’t be going to your nice private school if it weren’t for-“
“If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be hurt!” Jared barked at his brother. “If he hadn’t attacked me I wouldn’t be sitting here afraid of ever going back outside. If it wasn’t sure him I wouldn’t have been r-ra-“ Jared cut himself off before he said the word; he couldn’t say it. His family didn’t know about that. They didn’t know about any of that…and he’d just told them. He wasn’t supposed to tell them…
Jeff and Sherry both looked shocked at Jared’s outburst. It was more words than he had spoken in weeks.
“Baby…”
“Jay…”
Jared jumped up from the chair and stumbled out of the room. He forgot his crutches, but he didn’t care. He had to get away. He had just told them…he wasn’t supposed to have told them! His injured leg threatened to give out from underneath him as he rushed towards his room. The only thing keeping him upright was the adrenaline and need to get away from his family.
He finally made it to his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him. He threw the lock into place and collapsed on his bed. Everything hurt…his leg, his chest…his head. The unplanned explanation from moments earlier replayed over and over in his mind.
He wasn’t supposed to tell…
The tears came next, and he let them fall uninhibited. They soaked his pillow as he tried to burrow into it, all the while wishing the bed would just swallow him whole and hide him forever.
“Jay,” his brother softly called from the other side of the locked door. His voice was followed by gentle knocks to the wooden surface. Jared just lay there and ignored it. He couldn’t face anyone…not now that they knew. He wasn’t supposed to tell them. They would be in danger all because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He choked on another sob.
“Sshh.” He felt a hand slowly rub at his bandaged back. He startled at the touch and at the sound of a voice so close to his side. “Just me kiddo,” Jeff soothed. “Just me.” He continued to rub his baby brother’s back. “You’re ok…”
“How’d you get in?” Jared’s voice was shaky and slightly muffled by his pillow. But Jeff heard nonetheless.
“Stole one of Meg’s hair pins. I…I didn’t want you to be by yourself.”
Jared didn’t reply. Tears continued to course down his face. He soon felt Jeff’s fingers carefully smooth them away from his blotchy cheeks.
“Don’t cry Jay. God…I’m so sorry. If I’d known…I should’ve…”
“Nothing you could’ve done.”
“God, I introduced you to him.” Jeff looked as if he was going to be sick.
“He had already approached me…b-before you introduced us. Had…h-hit on me.”
Jared felt Jeff’s hand tense up against his back. “I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t want you to. Y-you were happy with y-your job. I f-figured he was h-harmless,” Jared replied, choking on the words as more tears started to flow once again.
“Come here.” Jeff climbed onto the bed and carefully pulled Jared into his arms. Jared went willingly, for the first time since the attack. “Sshh…he’s not going to hurt you again.”
“Said he’d hurt you all…”
“He what?!?” Jared flinched at the loud question. “Sorry Jay…”
“He…he said he’d hurt you all if I told that it was him.”
“Not gonna happen. He’s not touching us, especially you, again.” Jeff tightened his hold on Jared. In doing so, he noticed a small patch of red on Jared’s leg. “You’re bleedin’ kiddo. Let me take a look.” He felt Jared stiffen as his hands roamed down to the ugly wound. “It’s ok. Just me little brother.” Jeff pulled the shorts up so that he could see Jared’s thigh. He then unwound the gauze from the leg so that he could inspect the stitches. “Doesn’t look like you popped any. Must’ve just put too much strain on it. We’ll have to change the bandage and clean it up some though.”
Jeff’s eyes then traveled up the rest of Jared’s exposed thigh. He could see bruises and cuts that went further and further up towards Jared’s core.
“Jare…did he…well…God did he r-“
“Yes,” Jared said brokenly. “He did.”
Jeff only nodded, not knowing what else to really say to that. Nothing could change it or make it better.
“I-it could’ve been worse. He was interrupted. Some car passed by…he thought it was a cop so he stopped and got out to check around. I ran…”
“God, I’m so sorry, Jared.” Jeff leaned down and placed a kiss on his brother’s head. “Not gonna let him touch you again. You’re safe now. Always will be.”
“Jeff…”
“Jeff? You with me? Hey!”
Jeff startled as he was drawn out of his thoughts. He blinked, realizing he was still in his morgue and he had Jensen standing beside him.
“Hey, Jen…sorry…spaced out for a minute there.”
“Can see that. You ok?”
“Yeah,” Jeff replied. “Just sick of seeing these boys end up on my table you know? Wish we could catch the bastard.
“Makes two of us,” Jensen sighed. “So have you got anything new from him?”
“Not really,” Jeff huffed. “Same wounds…same torture…clean as always.”
“Damn it! Was hoping we’d have something new.”
“Me too…”
Jensen shifted anxiously beside his boyfriend’s brother. “So I guess you know that Jare got brought in on this huh?”
Jeff tried to calm the flash of anger and worry that went through him at that. “Yeah…”
“I don’t like it.”
“Makes two of us there too.” Jeff began to move around the body in front of him, inspecting it another time in hopes of new clues.
“He handled the briefing well…at least ‘til that son of a bitch Ross started running his damn mouth.”
Jeff didn’t bother looking up from his inspection.
“You already knew that though didn’t you?”
Jeff glanced up at Jensen. “Kid’s in my office. He came in freaking…tired himself out. Last I checked he was pretty much asleep.”
“Thanks,” Jensen smiled sadly. He patted Jeff on the shoulder and headed towards the closed office door. It creaked as it opened, stirring Jared from his sleep. “Hey babe,” Jensen said tenderly. He crossed the small distance between he door and the couch so that he could sit next to Jared.
“Hey,” Jared groggily muttered as he tried to push himself up off the cushions.
Jensen smoothed Jared’s unruly hair out of his face before leaning in to give him a kiss on the forehead. “You ok?”
“Yeah.” Jared rubbed his hand over his sore eyes. “Just lost it on Ross. I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that. If I hadn’t had that dream this morning I-“
“Sshh…Ross was being an asshole. He shouldn’t have said that to you, and he knows it.”
“Still…I should’ve been professional about it. I saw those pictures and then had to hear him say that…I lost it.”
“Jay, babe, you know this isn’t the guy that hurt you right? I mean…I know it’s hard to see all that when it hits so close to home. But just remember that it isn’t the same as yours. Your safe…” Jensen pulled Jared up into his arms and hugged him.
“Yeah…I know,” Jared lied. He couldn’t tell Jensen the truth.
*********
“You stupid stubborn son of a bitch!” JD was pissed…to say the least…and all his anger was currently directed at the cause of it. Detective Ross sat slumped in the seat in front of JD’s desk. JD couldn’t sit still, not when he was this upset.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Ross mumbled. He honestly was sorry for what he had said to the kid.
“Bringing Jared…Dr. Padalecki…in on this case was ultimately my decision. I was advised to, but I made the final call on it! Acting the way you did was disrespectful to him, and showed a lack of respect towards my decisions!”
“I know, captain. I shouldn’t have acted that way.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t have! The kid hates people knowing about all that shit and you got him to confess to a whole room full of people…half of which he didn’t know!”
Ross hung his head in shame.
“I thought you knew better than this! You’ve been apart of this department for years and you know better!”
“I know sir…”
“I should-“ JD was interrupted by the knocking at his office door. It slowly creaked open to reveal a reluctant looking Jared. “Jare, come on in. Ross was just leaving…weren’t you?”
Ross nodded his head and stood up. He began to make his way out of the office, but Jared stopped him.
“You-“
“I’m sorry Dr. Padalecki. I was out of line back there and-“
“Yeah, you were,” Jared said quietly. “I’m used to being told I’m too young for this job…just never been pushed that far.”
“I shouldn’t have-“
“You shouldn’t have. But you did. So let’s just get back to work.” With that Jared gave JD a glance and exited the office.
Ross just stared at the door Jared had left through. A rough squeeze to his shoulder from JD finally drew him out of his thoughts.
“You heard the man. Let’s get to work…”
JD and Ross headed back to the conference room. Jared and Jensen had already made their way into the space. Jensen just glared at Ross as the older man took his seat as the other end of the long table. The looks Danneel, Christian, and Jim sent him may not have been as harsh as Jensen’s, but they weren’t far from it.
“We ready to get back to work?” Jim snapped, still sending a heated look in Ross’s direction.
“Yes,” JD replied quickly. “We are. Now-“
“Excuse me,” Jeff said through the cracked door. “I finished the autopsy and figured you’d want to see it right away.”
“Yes, thank you Dr. Padalecki.” JD took the files from Jeff’s hands and offered him to take a seat. “Why don’t you join us and discuss what you found?”
“Of course, sir,” Jeff said as he moved to take an empty seat beside Jared. He really hated that his brother was working on this case, but it was impossible to talk Jared out of something once he was set on going through with it.
“Did the victim’s body give us anything new?”
“Not really,” Jeff sighed. “Greg Hodge died from blood loss after experiencing extensive trauma. He suffered various external as well as internal injuries before his body could no longer take the torture.”
“Nothing odd or different?” Danneel asked hopefully.
“Afraid not. He matches the type, as I’m sure Jared’s already pointed out. He was young and talented. Beautiful…built the way Lehne likes his victims. Nothing new. Were a few signs of struggle, indicating he had fought back. But I couldn’t find any evidence to link it back to Lehne. Sorry guys.”
“You did what you could,” Jensen sighed. “So what now? We’ve got another kid…who’s the newest in a long list of kids just like him. What the hell are we gonna do to stop this?”
“Can’t we go through his team to get to him?” JD asked.
“Doubt it,” Jared sadly replied. “His lawyer, Kurt Fuller, always pulls him out of the messes he gets into. Considering he owns a couple vacation homes out in California and drives around in a Mercedes…I’m guessing he’s compensated for his actions. Mark Pellegrino seems to be in the same situation. He’s listed on the pay role as Lehne’s assistant, but the guys most likely is just around to scope out targets and assist with Lehne’s…extracurricular activities.”
“So all his employees are paid to keep him out of jail?” Chris asked with disgust in his voice.
“More or less.”
“What about this girl…Lauren Cohan. She’s listed on his pay roll as well,” Danneel interjected as she pulled some of the papers in the file out towards her.
“His secretary,” Jared answered. “Doesn’t talk about him much either. Not sure…he might pay her to keep her mouth shut. Could be threatening her. No one’s ever gotten her to talk. That much is certain.”
“So we try to get her to,” Jensen barked.
“Don’t think it’ll work. Worth a shot, but she’s never cracked.”
“Jared’s right,” JD interrupted somberly. “We’re not getting to him through his workers. We’ve gotta find another way…”
“We need to find a way to draw Lehne in and then catch him,” Jared muttered.
“How,” Jim asked with interest. “You mean bait him?”
“Yeah…”
“We could have an undercover agent go in…as long as we had the team there at the ready,” JD added.
Jared nodded.
“We don’t have anybody that matches Lehne’s type,” Christian said. “Lehne’s never broken pattern. He goes for this type of boy, every damn time.”
“We’ll have to find someone…maybe bring them in from another team,” Jensen offered.
“Maybe we don’t have to,” one of the rookies…Aaron, Jensen thought…interrupted. His gaze flickered over Jared briefly. “Jared…I mean Dr. Padalecki, you fit the type. And you obviously know this case as much JD and Jim. Why not have you go undercover?”
Jensen saw red at the rookie’s words. “No way in hell is Jared doing that!”
“I agree!” Jeff replied. “He’s not doing that.”
“Boys,” JD warned. “Aaron, we appreciate the input but I’m not sure that’s best for-“
“I’ll do it,” Jared mumbled quietly.
Next Chapter -->
Masterpost