The Order

Disoriented, Lane nearly fell over as he appeared in an alley. As his senses settled, the first thing that hit him was a horrid, rancid smell. Glancing around, he stood next to a large dumpster full of rotting seafood at the rear entrance of a restaurant.

Cold outside, a heavy mist hung over the area, and his breath fogged as he exhaled. His clothing was warm against the chill weather, so at least he was comfortable.

The doc said he wouldn’t have his powers, but he instinctively cast his mind out attempting to scan people around him… and felt nothing. In Taliesin’s construct, his mind was closed.

Fuck, it’s been a while. This is going to take getting used to.

Moving out of the alley, he emerged on the sidewalk of a busy street, glad to be away from the smell. Cars sat jammed bumper to bumper, but the mist was so thick he could only see a few in either direction. Horns honked further down the street, but the fog dampened the sound. A newspaper machine sat on the curb; it was the Savannah Tribune, and the date on the front page read December 5, 2012.

So… he was in Savannah, GA.  That made sense, as Bryan was raised by his grandparents in Savannah until they passed away just before he graduated high school and joined the Navy. At least Bryan started out there, probably the very spot Lane appeared moments ago, but there was no telling how much time had already passed for Bryan since he entered the construct.

It dawned on Lane that no matter how long Bryan had been there, to him, the construct was his life and all he ever knew.  Even if he had only been there a day, in his mind it was his entire life …a life without Lane.

Don’t go there, Lane. Don’t go there. Focus on Bry and getting him out of here.

Alright, where to start? Think, Lane!

Hungry, he checked his wallet, finding a few hundred dollars in cash and a credit card with the name Don Elenburg on it.

Well, the doc said he would most likely not be himself, at least not the Bryan I know. If he’s Don here, then I’m Jim, although this is from a time in his life before we met. I’d better go with Jim to be safe. It’s been so long since we’ve gone by our original names, this will be tough.

Making his way to a waterfront café, Lane got something to eat and before leaving asked the waitress for directions to the closest library. It was a bit of a walk, but he didn’t want to waste what little money he had on a cab.  He also wanted to keep his interaction with people in the construct to a minimum. The doc said there would be traps, and he didn’t want to inadvertently trip one.

Once in the Library, Lane found what he was looking for - High School Annuals from the local schools. It didn’t take long to find Don’s senior portrait, and finding a pencil and paper he sketched a mug shot of Don using the picture as a foundation. 

Altering Don’s features, Lane aged him until he was the Bryan Lane was used to seeing every day. Seeing Bryan’s face so clearly in his mind brought everything to the surface, and while his face hardened in determination, his eyes remained bright.

Taliesin, I’m going to kick your fuckin ass for this.

Curious, before Lane left the library, he wanted to test a theory. Picking a random book off a shelf, the pages were blank. Looking at a few more showed the same result. Eventually, some books looked complete. A few of them he knew Bryan read, but many he knew Bryan hadn’t. It seemed that if Bryan or Taliesin had ever read a book, it was there.

Interesting.

He was getting a feel for the construct to better navigate it and maybe even take advantage of how it worked. Lane loved video games and approached the construct as an elaborate computer simulation. If he figured out the rules, he could beat it.

<><> 

Drunk, Don sat in his small apartment, mindlessly staring at the walls, his vacant, bloodshot eyes expressing the emptiness in him. The little stray kitten he picked up kneaded its paws into his stomach, purring loudly. Petting it absentmindedly, he took comfort in its warm, soft body.

His life had been a downward spiral since his grandparents died a few years ago. After leaving Savannah and wandering from place to place, he finally ended up in New York City, hoping such a big place would help him find what was missing. The problem was he didn’t know what was missing. A gaping hole existed in his heart, getting bigger as time passed. He knew he had happy times with his grandparents, but he could no longer recall them, or any time he had been happy. 

Don picked up the stray kitten because it needed his help. He found it out in the cold, nearly starved, and nursed it back to health. Naming it Tack, the tiny kitten seemed to need him as much as he needed it. Taking care of it gave him a responsibility to another living creature, something to latch onto, at least for a while.

Don didn’t have to be back at the docks until early the next morning and knew if he stayed in the apartment, he would keep drinking until he passed out. So, changing clothes, he decided to head to the gym.

Maybe he could find someone to spar with or even make a few extra bucks boxing. Don was a big man, strong, fast, and agile.  He could lose himself in a fight, his mind slipping into neutral while in the ring, and not feel any emotional pain until after the match was over and he had either won or lost.

“Alright, Little Buddy, I need to get up. You gonna be okay while I go beat somebody up?”

Picking up the kitten, he held it close to his face, and one of its little paws pushed against his nose.  His little body vibrating, Don held him so his feet dangled with his pink tummy exposed and leaned in to kiss his soft belly.

The only feeling in his heart was for the little kitten, and the barest hint of a smile crossed Don’s face. He hoped Tack was enough to keep him going a little longer. He didn’t know why, other than giving up wasn’t in his nature, yet the sadness ate at him more every day, and there wasn’t much left to hang onto.

Setting Tack down, Don threw a small ball of tinfoil he had crumpled up as a toy, and the tiny kitten took off like a little white bullet, batting it around. 

<><>  

Lane made a list in his head of everything Bryan ever talked about doing after high school before joining the Navy. In the construct, Bryan was Don Elenburg, and Taliesin created the construct from Bryan’s early memories and experiences to make it more real and believable.  Bryan’s mind filled in the details; the world was essentially created by Bryan for Bryan, with Taliesin’s parameters.

Shit, Taliesin could teach Brad a thing or two. The complexity and detail here are incredible.

It took Lane a few days to piece things together, and was disappointed when he discovered Don no longer lived in Savannah. Putting his investigative skills to good use, Lane tracked everything about Don’s life before he left the city. Following Bryan’s history, Don’s grandparents passed away a few years before.

The first significant divergence he discovered was that instead of joining the Navy, Don went to work for the Georgia Port Authority in the shipyards. He also joined a local gym and took up boxing.

Neither of those facts was a huge surprise; Bryan loved the water and had been a champion boxer in the Navy before the program. There were enough similarities in Don’s and Bryan’s behavior, Lane didn’t have much difficulty in tracking him. The only way to rescue Bryan was to find Don, so he left Savannah in search of his best friend and lover.

It was difficult, perhaps the most challenging thing Lane ever had to do, but he kept himself focused. He hadn’t been apart from Bryan for more than a day in nearly twenty years, accustomed to being in his mind and heart.  Bryan was a rock he relied on, his presence peaceful, warm, and gentle when they merged… so solid. Bryan’s soul felt like his body and Lane missed that connection even more; his soul craved it. The absence of Bryan’s unshakable manliness, his essence, left a hole in Lane nothing could fill.

Lane realized his artistic side made him a little intense, but Bryan totally accepted that part of him, encouraging and loving him like no one ever had. Best friends from the first time they met, the two men ‘got’ each other.

Lane missed touching him, and thinking about all Bryan’s post workout exams got him hard.  He longed for Bryan’s weight on top of him and wrapping his arms around Bryan’s heavy shoulders while they made love, or if they were just horny and needing to get off…

Lane caught himself before his thoughts spiraled out of control.  He couldn’t slip up and go down that path, or he would fall apart. Compartmentalizing his feelings, he focused on his task.

As the weeks went by, Lane got lonelier. He managed to follow Don’s trail to Maine. Don developed a pattern of stopping every few weeks, sometimes for a month or two, to get a job and save up money before moving on.  His love of the ocean kept him on the coast, and in Maine, Don worked on a shrimp boat the entire last season.

The Captain tried convincing Don to stay on permanently, even offering him a place to live.  Questioning the man, he said Don seemed troubled, describing him as quiet and lonely and keeping to himself. Lane was sure he had hopes of Don becoming a suitable husband for one of his daughters, and that thought brought a brief smile to Lane’s face.

Fat chance!

The comments about Don looking troubled and lonely concerned him. Taliesin didn’t know he and Bryan shared a soul, and within the construct Don had no knowledge of Lane. If Don felt the same separation but didn’t have the knowledge or memories of their relationship to hold on to... Lane didn’t want to think about it. His heart ached, thinking about Bryan alone and isolated.

Fuck, Bry, I miss you so much. I love you so much it hurts, man. Please hold on… you have to hold on. I’m going to find you no matter what, and we’re going to figure out how to get out of this place.

<><> 

That night Lane tossed and turned for hours, but once sleep finally claimed him, his Avatar came to life, glowing softly, and he dreamed…

<> 

The sun shone so brightly through the branches of the tree, he could barely see when he looked up. The air hot and humid, sweat trickled down his bare torso, and a thick, swampy odor permeated the area.  Gnats swarmed around him, and no matter how often he waved them off, they were back in seconds.

His muscles flexed and rippled with the effort of digging a hole under a massive oak tree. A breeze picked up, soothing his sweaty skin. The blade of the shovel struck something metal, and reaching down, he brushed the dirt away with his hands.

A rusty old lunch box sat in the hole, uncovered by his efforts. It looked familiar… the characters on it must have been from a TV show he watched as a kid. Ten men resembling Navy SEALS were on some kind of mission taking out a bad guy. Their faces, even as cartoons, seemed oddly familiar. One of the characters even looked like him.

Something in the lunchbox rattled loudly when he picked it up. Along with the breeze, he heard small tinkling sounds. Looking up amidst the thick clumps of Spanish moss scattered across the branches, he noticed dozens of objects hanging from limbs. Images filled his mind as he looked at them… the horn from his first bike… the little black Mustang from his Hot Wheels collection… the GI Joe with Kung-Fu Grip. Memories came with each object, filling the emptiness in him and making him feel good inside. A picture of a handsome man playing a guitar caught his attention. The man was smiling at whoever took the picture… smiling at me?

The dream shifted to a small apartment with Don and a tiny white kitten.

Don lived in a shabby little efficiency apartment, but neat and organized just the way Bryan would keep it. Don had a black eye, and his nose was taped like it had been broken. Restless, he paced about, occasionally taking swigs from a bottle of cheap Bourbon in his hand.

It was cold outside, but the apartment was sweltering. Outside, the windows had ice on the edges, but the inside dripped with condensation. Don was in his underpants, his body covered with a thick layer of sweat. Bruises covered his ribs and other areas on his big muscled body. His cheeks were wet with tears, and his eyes red and puffy.

Picking up the kitten, he held it close to his face, rubbing his broken nose against its little pink one.

His breath catching, he said, “I’m sorry. The landlady will find you and take good care of you. I left a note and money for food.”

Setting the kitten down he picked up a little foil ball, tossing it across the room. The kitten ran off to attack it, batting it around the floor.

The kitten, so white it almost glowed, looked oddly out of place in the small dingy apartment. It stopped batting the foil ball and looked at Don. No longer purring, it sat still, facing Don, staring intently. Its eyes turned from their usual bluish-gray to dark brown, and large teardrops formed at the edges of its big brown eyes, dripping onto the floor.

Don stepped onto a chair in the middle of the room. A rope hung from an exposed water pipe, and putting it around his neck, he moved his feet off the chair…. 

<> 

A sudden noise woke Lane up. He wasn’t sure if it was a loud crack of thunder or the sound of the chair hitting the floor in his dream. The last vestiges of the dream gripped him, and he shook, drenched in sweat. Moving to the sink, he splashed cold water on his face and realized his neck hurt. Glancing in the mirror, he saw rope burns.

Usually, when he was upset by a dream, Bryan was there to comfort him. They would talk about it, often merging to share the experience even if it was bad. Bryan’s absence was a blow, and Lane’s eyes teared up from a momentary crack in his resolve. Ken’s words and conviction drove them out, but each time he suppressed his feelings it was more difficult, and Ken’s words further away.

Fuck Bry… you’ve got to hold on. I can’t be too late. Move your ass, Lane! You’re running out of time!

His body was tight with emotion; fear for Bryan, frustration with himself, and anxiety over his dream.

The apartment in his dream… the way Don organized everything… it made him miss all the little things about Bryan he had come to love over the years - the way Bryan folded his socks into little balls, lining them up in his drawer, the way he arranged food in the freezer, or the flowers in his garden. Lowering his head, he sighed, eyes dry, but his soul crying.

God, Bry, I miss you so much.

Taliesin was a cruel man. Even if the doctor and Albrecht hadn’t told Lane, he would have figured it out. The design and intent of the construct were emotionally hard and draining. Incessantly pushing his mind towards dark thoughts, Lane was sure that even if he had said ‘yes' and met Taliesin’s demands, Bryan would never have escaped.

Bereft of music, Lane found it a challenge to remember songs and words he had known his whole life, yet like Brad and the other mentalists, his memory was perfect. Taliesin stripped away music, another thing in that awful place that would make things bearable.

Lane’s unconscious mind incessantly fought against it, but the construct was sharp and subtle, and Lane feared over time he wouldn’t remember that part of himself. If he had his powers, he would shred the place inside out… and sighed heavily, knowing he couldn’t without killing Bryan. His frustration over that fact made it worse, and it wore on him.

The doctor shared Taliesin’s story with them and at first, Lane felt sorry for him. As nephilim, Lane and his brothers were immortal, perceiving time differently than humans. If they didn’t, Bill would have gone insane while trapped in his own mind.

Without that advantage, the power and longevity the Gift bestowed on Taliesin made him unstable. Lane felt sorry for him until he started thinking about the cruelty of the construct and what it was doing to him and Bryan, and wondered about all the people Taliesin had hurt over the years in his cruelty.

Those thoughts sustained his anger, which along with his love of Bryan, kept him going. Lane wasn’t sure what he would do to Taliesin once he caught up with him. There would be a reckoning of some kind, but Lane didn’t like the thoughts running through his mind. Hunger for revenge and a keen desire to make Taliesin suffer for his actions made Lane physically ill, and his dislike for Taliesin grew even stronger for making him feel that way.

Lane struggled to find unconditional love for Taliesin. Maybe once everything was over, and he and Bryan safe… Lane hoped he could be the better man and forgive Taliesin, but not yet.

Truly frightened for Bryan after his dream, Lane knew the emptiness in Don was driving him into a deep depression, and he had to find Don before he hung himself.

Even though it was the middle of the night, he dressed and left, needing to push harder and find Don.

Pieces of the dream were still unclear, but his first priority was finding Don, and then he could focus on the rest of it. 

<><> 

Four weeks later Lane found himself in the New York shipping yards. After leaving Maine, Don doubled back, making his way to New York. Lane discovered Don worked at the shipyards, but it was a massive operation and the closer he got to Don the harder it was to get information. People were suspicious and evasive in their answers and quickly turned hostile if he was too direct with his questions.

Lane found himself running for his life after showing his drawing of Don to one of the dock workers. The man turned violent, even calling on some of his nearby buddies to try and beat Lane up. He managed to escape, but it was a close call.

He also found the gym where Don worked out and boxed, but Don wasn’t there when he checked. He discovered Don’s co-workers at the docks and the guys at the gym referred to him as ‘Big D.’

His intuitive sense of running out of time was more powerful than ever, and Lane experienced a nerve-wracking sense of desperation. He missed Don at the docks and the gym and didn’t know where he lived. He could wait until morning when Don showed up for work, but the urgency was too overpowering.

Standing outside the gym, Lane paced, frantic and not knowing what to do next.  

Focus, Lane. Stop being a pussy, and use your head, damn it! He needs you!

A loud noise inside the gym shook Lane out of his thoughts. Glancing through the window he saw a young kid mopping the floor, who must have knocked over something heavy to make such a racket. An idea popped into Lane’s head, but he knew he would have to be careful. Looking in a nearby trash can, he found a scrap of paper and folded it up.

Going inside, Lane asked, “Hey kid, what’s your name?”

Looking at him suspiciously, the kid answered, “Phillip.”

“You want to make an easy twenty bucks?”

“What I gotta do?”

“You know Big D that works out here, right?”

“Yeah, everybody knows him.”

“You know where he lives, right?”

Lane pushed things with that question, and the kid’s face turned stony which was a bad sign.

“Look, kid, I don’t care where he lives. I watched him earlier, sparring in the ring. He’s got some talent, and I can get him on a ticket. I need you to take him a message. I’ll give you twenty bucks, but I mean now, not tomorrow.”

“I’ll do it for fifty.”

“Fifty? You’ve got to be shitting me! Look, Big D owes me twenty bucks. I’ll give you thirty, and you get the rest from him when you get there. How about that?”

Phillip put his mop down and grabbed the piece of paper from Lane. Lane pulled the cash from his wallet, and Phillip snatched it out of his hand and took off.

Between their SEAL training and all the years in the security firm, Lane and the entire team were experts at surveillance and tailing people, and he had no trouble following Phillip while staying out of sight.

It turned out Don lived in an old rundown brownstone building only a few blocks from the gym. Waiting until Phillip left to avoid any trouble, Lane needed to get to Don’s apartment without being seen, or he was pretty sure it would cause some sort of reaction.

Phillip was only in the building a few minutes before he ran out and took off back towards the gym. He didn’t look happy, and Lane grinned. Not knowing anything about the twenty bucks, Don probably blew the kid off.

Going in the front entrance to the building, Lane checked the mailboxes and saw a ‘D Elenburg’ on the third floor.  His heart nearly stopped when he saw Don’s name. He was about to see Bryan for the first time in months as he perceived time in the construct.

Taking a deep breath, Lane forced himself to focus and stay calm. Cautiously, he moved up the stairs, ready to get out of sight if anyone suddenly showed up. The sound of a baby crying and a TV blaring on the second floor covered any noise he made. He tried to be quiet, but his footsteps sounded loud on the old wooden floor creaking under his weight. After what seemed like forever, he stood at the door to Bryan’s… Don’s apartment.

Fuck, what am I going to say? Hi Don, I’m your lover in the real world… you don’t know me, but I’m here to rescue you?

Putting his ear to the door, Lane listened, his palms sweaty and stomach knotted. He heard movement, but as he raised his hand to knock there was a loud thump, and the sound echoed in his mind. In his dream, it was the sound of the chair falling over as Don hung himself.

Trying the doorknob, it was locked. His heart about to burst in his chest, Lane’s anxiety suddenly became unbearable.

Something was wrong.

Stepping back, he kicked the door open and his vision filled with Don hanging from a pipe across the ceiling, swaying back and forth with an extension cord wrapped around his neck.

“no... no… no… no… No… No… NO… NO!!”

<><> 

Life finally became unbearable. Don went through the motions of living, of going to work and the gym, but he was an empty shell of a man. To his co-workers he seemed distracted and withdrawn, but no one cared. He had no connection to anyone; Taliesin designed the construct to be that way.

Occasionally he dreamed of being happy, but when he woke he couldn’t remember much other than vague feelings of being content and fulfilled… which made him feel emptier when he was awake.

In his dreams he wasn’t alone… there was someone… whoever it was felt right. In his dream’s hands touched him, a man’s hands, stirring feelings in him and unimaginable pleasure in his body. Sometimes he heard singing… a beautiful voice, just for him. It was torture. The dreams teased and taunted him, and he wanted them to go away or stay asleep forever and live in them.

When Don got home that night, he lay down on the couch.  His big frame was too tall for it, and his feet hung over the edge. Tack curled up on his shoulder under his chin, purring softly. The warmth and softness of his little body were a comfort.

Phillip, the kid from the gym, showed up with some story about a promoter who said Don owed him twenty bucks. He wasn’t in the mood, and Phillip was a bratty kid, so Don sent him packing.

Restless and tired, Don couldn’t sleep. Tack protested when he got up to turn on the TV. Gilligan’s Island was on. Going into the kitchen, he looked in the cabinets for some Bourbon but only found an empty bottle. Tack rubbed his ankles wanting food, moving between his feet in a figure eight, purring so loudly Don wondered why the walls weren’t shaking.

On TV, the Skipper said, “… I don’t know, Little Buddy!”

Don froze, and the words ‘Little Buddy’ echoed in his mind.  A sudden feeling of separation and despair hit him so intensely he nearly fell over.  He used that term with Tack all the time, and Don had no idea why the words affected him, but they shattered the last of his resolve.

Moving like an automaton, Don picked up his satchel from work and took out an extension cord he borrowed, realizing in the back of his mind he brought it home for the sole purpose of hanging himself. He didn’t remember writing the note that fell on the floor when he pulled the cord out.

Tack frantically tried to get his attention, even clawing his way up Don’s pants leg. Don’s big hands gently grabbed Tack’s little body and held him up to his face.

His eyes wet, he kissed Tack’s pink potbelly and said, “I’m sorry. The landlady will find you and take good care of you. I left a note and money for food.”

Picking up the little foil ball, Don tossed it, and Tack ran off batting it around the floor.

An exposed water pipe ran across the ceiling of his apartment, and Don made a noose out of the extension cord, slinging it over the pipe. Securing the cord, he anchored the other end to the radiator by the window and pulled out a chair from the kitchen table, placing it under the noose.

Don wanted to say something but realized he had nothing to say.  There was no one to listen even if he did. If there was a God, he wasn’t paying attention. The man from his dreams wasn’t there. His parents, grandparents, and foster parents were gone, and Tack wasn’t enough anymore.

Looking around the room, Don hoped for a sign, but the empty apartment stared back, encouraging his action. He heard the baby crying downstairs and the TV that never went silent, but nothing that changed his mind. The empty silence in his heart was deafening, drowning him.

Fuck it.

Dropping his full weight on the cord, he kicked the chair over so he couldn’t chicken out.

His neck popped painfully but didn’t snap. A muscular man, his neck thick and powerful, his body instinctively tensed. His face turned purple and he couldn’t breathe and hoped it would be over quickly.

He had only been hanging a few seconds when the door burst open, and a man rushed into the room. He was the most handsome man Don had ever laid eyes on, the man from his dreams! Their eyes met as Don’s vision spiraled into blackness.

As Don lost consciousness, the man shouted, “no...no… no… no… No… No… NO… NO!!” 

<><> 

Lane was frantic at the sight of Don swaying, not even struggling. Running over as fast as he could he grabbed Don’s legs, lifting him up. In the construct Don’s body weight was normal, and although he was a big strong man, Lane was just as strong. The problem was, Lane couldn’t hold Don and cut the cord at the same time.

Cursing, Lane stopped abruptly when he saw the knot tying the cord to the radiator. He couldn’t believe it! Bracing himself for the effort, Lane supported Don’s body weight with one arm and shoulder while yanking the extension cord with his other hand. Don used a hitch knot, and when Lane pulled the cord it released immediately, sending Don’s weight down all at once. Lane caught him as best he could, but they both went down in a heap.

Lane loosened the cord around Don’s neck as quickly as he could. It had dug deeply into his neck, and Don was unconscious. His neck wasn’t broken, but there could be significant damage.

Fuck! Bry, you have to be okay!

Between the heat of the apartment, the adrenaline rush, and his anxiety over Don’s condition, Lane sweated. He also breathed hard from the effort of holding Don up and breaking down the door. His heart racing, holding Don’s face in his hands, Lane probed his neck, checking for visible damage.

Red and chaffed from the cord, Don’s neck showed the same marks Lane had after his dream, but no other visible damage. Pulling Don up, Lane cradled him so Don’s head and torso rested against his chest. Wrapping his arms around Don, Lane held him, savoring the fact that after months of separation Bryan was alive and in his arms again.

Inhaling, he smelled the familiar scent of his lover, relishing the feel of his skin and body.  Everything he missed so badly was back… except the love and the connection to the other half of his soul.

Yeah… well, it’s a start.  First things first.

An unexpected tug from Lane’s Avatar caught him off guard, and he closed his eyes, hugging Don tighter. Letting his instincts take over, his Avatar reacted to Don’s injuries, and Lane’s hands started glowing softly.  Almost like a Ouija Board, his Avatar guided his hands without his conscious control, moving to wherever there was damage.   

The drain was incredible; without their energy centers open and unable to draw power from any music in the construct, the energy to heal Don came directly from him. Lane didn’t know how he accessed his Avatar when other than dreaming his powers had not worked since he arrived in the construct, but he didn’t question it.

Lane was about to pass out when the energy drain lessened. Opening his eyes, the kitten from his dream stood on Don’s chest, kneading its little paws into Don’s shirt. Stunned when the kitten’s eyes shifted from blue-grey to dark brown, he stared into his own eyes. The kitten was so white it practically glowed, and its paws were definitely glowing as they kneaded and pushed into Don’s chest, sending tendrils of white energy into his body.

As exhausted as he was, Lane needed to get Don into bed. The kitten jumped off Don’s chest when Lane moved to get up, putting Don over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  Severely drained, he stumbled into the small bedroom and managed to get Don undressed and in bed. The redness around his neck was gone, and as far as Lane could tell any other damage was healed.

Lane couldn’t see their energy flows, but he trusted his Avatar healed the worst of the damage and hopefully all of it.

Shit, that took a lot out of me.

Once Don was settled, Tack curled up on his shoulder against his neck and went to sleep, purring loudly. His eyes were blue-grey again, and once again he seemed like a normal kitten.

Unable to help himself, Lane brushed his fingers over Don’s face, taking in the features he missed seeing and touching every day. Caressing Don’s forehead and running his fingers through his short hair brought tears to his eyes.

He found Don, and they were together again. That was a start. He would deal with Don’s emotional state when he woke up. Hopefully, now that they were together, things would be better, but Lane knew Bryan, as Don, would not recognize him.

Now he had to gain Don’s trust and figure out how to get them out of the construct. 

<><> 

As tired as he was, Lane couldn’t afford to be sloppy. Leaving the bedroom, he went out and closed the front door, bolting it shut.  The frame had some damage from kicking it open, but it locked securely.

Starving after the energy expenditure, he checked the refrigerator.  Opening the door revealed half a loaf of slightly stale wheat bread, a jar of crunchy peanut butter, and grape jelly, Bryan’s favorites. The milk was on the verge of going bad, but it was ice cold, so he made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and drank a glass of milk.

Moving back to Don, Lane set a chair beside the bed and took one of Don’s hands, holding it tightly.  Closing his eyes, the warmth and comfort of their hands touching ran through him. Falling asleep in the chair holding Don’s hand, he dreamed of the tree and digging up the lunch box again. 

<><> 

Lane woke with a start when Don shifted on the bed. Don’s eyes opened slowly, looking at the man sitting beside him.

Staring at Lane in that quiet, observant way Bryan had, Don finally asked, “Who the fuck are you?”

There was something in Don’s eyes… not exactly recognition but something. Lane hoped for more.

Staring back, it took Lane a few seconds to find his voice.

“My name’s Jim. Jim Barton.”

“I didn’t ask your name, fucker. I asked who you are.”

The sad, guarded look in Don’s eyes was killing him.

“That’s complicated, Don. If I tell you, there’s no way you’ll believe me, at least not right away.”

The tension between the two men was palpable. Something stirred in Don, but it was so far down he wasn’t sure what it was. The man at his bedside was the most incredibly handsome man Don had ever laid his eyes on. He was a total stranger, but Don felt a connection deep within himself. His body had never reacted that way to anyone else before, except in his dreams. He was so hard it hurt.

Glancing down, Lane couldn’t help but see the tented sheet.  It was impossible to miss.

“You’re not alone anymore, Don. I know for the last few years you’ve felt that way, but you aren’t anymore. I’m here now.”

Taking a chance, Lane placed his hand on Don’s bare chest over his heart. The heat of his skin affected Lane, and he hoped his touch would ignite the feelings he wanted in his lover. Lane wanted Don to feel his touch; he wanted Bryan to feel his touch, but knew that wasn’t possible in this place.

“The hole in your heart isn’t real. You’ve felt this way far too long, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I’ve been searching for you for a long time, and I got here as soon as I could.”

As Lane spoke, his hand slowly moved, lightly rubbing Don’s chest and upper shoulders. Don was tense, and in the heat of the room he started sweating again. Lane felt tremors running through Don’s body, but he wasn’t sure if it was excitement, anxiety, or something else.

He missed their connection and kept trying to open their hearts and minds and bring them together, but every time he slammed into a wall and the pain of their separation.

Don reached for his hand with a panicked look in his eyes, and Lane wasn’t sure what he was going to do. His body tensed like he was going to throw a punch.

“Shhhhh, I’m not going to hurt you, Don. I want to make you feel good. I want to make you feel alive again. Let me help you.”

Don lowered his hand and Lane extended his touch, covering more of Don’s bare torso. His touch feather-light, almost hypnotic, Don seemed helpless against it. Don yearned for another man’s touch for so long, but there was always a barrier that kept him from acting on his desires. The stranger - what was his name? Jim? - Jim’s hand left a trail of fire across his skin, shattering those barriers.

Don’s big arms stayed at his side, powerless. Lowering the sheets Lane exposed Don’s erection, throbbing with every beat of his heart.  A steady stream of precum ran down from the head, and Lane wrapped his hand around it, using his thumb to run slow circles around the frenulum.

When Jim’s hand wrapped around him, Don sucked in his breath and closed his eyes, lost in the sensation. Feelings shut away years ago rushed to the surface, confusing him because rather than a new sensation, Jim’s touch seemed more like a memory.  He had never seen Jim before or felt a touch like his, and the impossibility of the memory unnerved him.

“Can I make you feel good, Don? You need to tell me.”

Don’s deep voice barely a whisper, he choked out, “Fuck, yeah.”

Lane stood up, stripping off his shirt, and Don’s eyes raked over his muscular frame, his face and body flushed red with desire.

“I’m the piece missing from your life, Don. I’ve missed you so much I can hardly stand it. I have the same hole in my heart as you.”

Don whispered again, “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the other half of your soul.”

Lane touched Don in all the places and all the ways he knew Bryan liked. In the construct, Don didn’t seem to have much experience with another man, possibly none. Lane hoped Taliesin hadn’t stripped that out of him... maybe he couldn’t.

Lane moved agonizingly slow, wanting Don to feel his touch, hoping to spark a memory. Lane also wanted it for himself… he missed touching Bryan and wanted to comfort the man he loved, who hurt so bad he tried to kill himself. Lane felt responsible because of his connection to Taliesin; Bryan was collateral damage in Taliesin’s mad scheme.

Eventually, Lane made his way down, and using the same feather-light touch, started caressing Don’s erection.  Lane stared, mesmerized at the sight of Bryan in his hand after all their time apart, and for the first time since he entered the construct, his mischievous grin appeared.

Paralyzed with pleasure, Don’s breath came in ragged gasps.  When Lane leaned over and took Don into his mouth, the eruption started and the orgasm wracked Don’s body.  Every muscle in his body flexed and tightened, and his skin shone with sweat.

Keeping Don in his mouth, Lane swallowed everything while his hands moved to caress Don’s chest, knowing it would intensify his orgasm.  Even though he didn’t expect the strength boost at taking Don’s load, he was still disappointed.  It would have made things so much easier!

Don never went soft and Lane sat up, continuing to rub Don’s chest, letting him recover and wrap his mind around what just happened. Once his breathing was back to normal, a funny look crossed Don’s face.

Putting a finger up to Don’s lips, Lane said, “Don’t ask any questions right now, Don. Just go with what your body is telling you. Trust me, I only want what’s best for you.”

Standing, Lane shed his pants, exposing his own excitement. Once naked, he climbed on top of Don and lowered himself, keeping eye contact the entire time.  A blissful look came over Don’s face as he entered the warmest, softest, tightest ass that ever existed.  Lane went slow, getting reacquainted with Bryan’s size and fullness before starting to move up and down.

He kept things slow, giving Don time to get used to the sensation, but it didn’t take long for Don to flip them over and take things up a notch.

They spent the entire night making love, and the longer they were together, the less alone Don felt. Jim filled him with what he needed… the touch that had been missing, and more importantly, the love. The dry well of loneliness inside him slowly filled with the love of the man he was destined to be with… the other half of his soul.

<><> 

Don woke first. It took him a second to realize what happened wasn’t a dream, and the man in bed with him was real. Smelling the sheets, besides the obvious, Don wondered why he felt so different, and it took a few minutes to sink in. He felt more alive than he could ever remember, except in his dreams.

Tack was curled up in his usual spot on his shoulder, and most of Jim’s body draped over him, his arms and legs wrapped around him. The comfort of their naked bodies was unimaginable to Don, and he stared openly at Jim’s handsome features, relaxed in sleep, taking in every minute detail of his body.

Purring loudly, his tiny warm body snuggled against Don, Tack started cleaning himself, ignoring the stranger in bed with them.

Don wanted to touch Jim, to run his hands over his body, through the light dusting of hair on his chest, and across the stubble on his cheek, but he hesitated... he didn’t know the etiquette behind touching another man. Shy, he didn’t want to overstep his bounds.

Fuck, I don’t even know what the bounds are. Where the hell did you come from, Jim? I feel like I’ve known you forever, but I’ve never seen you before yesterday. How the fuck can that be?

Don’s movement woke Jim, and he stretched, hugging them tighter together, and Don took advantage, putting his arms around Jim. Jim’s warm, soft dick rested against his leg… well, it was soft a few seconds ago!

Looking into Don’s eyes, Lane smiled sleepily.

They rested in silence, each wrapped in his thoughts while Lane’s hands wandered. He noticed the look on Don’s face, it was the look Bryan always had when he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure about himself.

“Go ahead, Don. Touch me wherever, however, and whenever you want. You never need to ask. I want to feel your hands on me.”

Taking him at his word, Don’s hands tentatively began to explore Jim’s body. In seconds, Lane was fully hard, and he grinned.

“See? I told you.”

Sheepishly grinning back, his own erection pressed against Lane, the familiarity of its warmth and firmness exhilarating. They continued fondling and caressing one another for a few minutes until Don couldn’t hold back and grunted as a powerful orgasm hit him. Still hair-triggered himself after their long separation, seeing Don’s reaction sent Lane over the edge, too. The intense, spontaneous eruption caught both of them by surprise.

When it was over, Lane leaned forward and started a kiss, wrapping his arms around his lover. The kiss lasted a few minutes before Don pulled back and maneuvered Lane on top of him. He liked the weight of another man on him, and he wrapped his legs around Lane’s waist and his arms around Lane’s shoulders.

Letting Don move at his own pace, Lane was patient, remaining quiet while thinking about how to proceed. How much could he tell Don and keep his trust?

After a while they rolled apart, and Don sat up on the edge of the bed.

“I wasn’t sure you were real. The way things have been going, I thought I really killed myself and you were an angel.”

Lane scooted over, rubbing Don’s back.

Fuck, I’ve missed touching him like this!

“Truth is stranger than fiction, Don. I’m real, but we have to be very careful now. I need you to trust me, and it might be hard. The first thing is you can’t tell anyone about me.”

“Why? I don’t like lying.”

“Don, I don’t know how much to tell you. I’m here to rescue you, but the only way I can do that is if no one knows I’m here. I think people will start acting strangely now, especially after last night. It’ll be more dangerous from here on out.”

“What do you mean, rescue me? From what? Dangerous, how?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure if any of your friends see me, they’ll want to hurt me, maybe even kill me.”

“No way! You don’t know my buds at the dock. They can be rough around the edges, but they’d never hurt you.”

“Please, Don, this is important. I need you to come with me. We need to leave, and it has to be in secret.  We don’t have a lot of time. After last night I hope you trust me.”

“Jim… fuck! Last night was the best, most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. I didn’t know I could feel this way about anybody. I don’t know how to say it… I’m not good with words.”

Sitting up, Lane continued running his hands over Don’s muscled back and kissed his shoulder.

“Then say it with your body.”

Lane put a hand under Don’s chin, turning his face until they looked into each other’s eyes. Leaning forward, he started another kiss. Don hesitated the barest fraction of a second before opening his mouth to let Lane’s tongue in. The kiss was awkward at first, but hot and passionate. Don twisted his body as they kissed, wrapping his arms around Lane, and both of them were hard again in seconds.

A loud knock on the door startled them, and they pulled apart.

Lane whispered, “Please, Don. No one can know I’m here.”

“Alright. Stay here.”

Throwing on a pair of jeans, Don went shirtless to the door.

“Who is it?”

“Hey, Big D, open up, bro! It’s Benny!”

Unlocking the door, before he could say anything, Benny, Dutch, and Grant, three of his co-workers from the docks, barged into his living room.

“What the fuck, guys? What are you doing here?”

“You okay, D?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“Phillip said some guy was asking about you at the gym last night. He said the guy looked like trouble. We just wanna make sure our boy’s okay, ya know?”

“What? You sissies think I can’t take care of myself?”

Just then, a deep-throated growl came out of Tack, who stood on the couch with his back arched and tail fluffed out, hissing and spitting at the three men.

Benny laughed, but there was no humor in his eyes.

“Ferocious little bugger ya got there, D. Keep yer pussy on a leash.”

Dutch and Grant went into the kitchen, ignoring Tack and looking around.

“So, no one’s here? You all by your lonesome?”

“What’s it to you, guys? I don’t need a babysitter.”

“We’re just checking on our boy. We’d hate it if something happened to ya, ya know?”

“I’m fine, fuckers. I had a lady friend over last night. She just went to the store to get some stuff to make breakfast. She’s gonna be back any minute, so you guys need to get out of here. I’m calling in sick today. Tell Briggs for me.”

“Damn, Big D! Callin’ in sick to shag a chick. Proud of ya, brother. If that dude comes and gives you any trouble, you’ll call me, right?”

“Sure, Benny. If there’s anything left of him after I kick his ass.”

“That’s my boy!”

“Now you fuckers get out of here! I don’t want you scaring off my girl.”

It was apparent they were stalling, and Don pushed hard to get them out.

As soon as the door shut, Don bolted it and put up the chain. He went back to his bedroom as Lane emerged from the closet, now dressed much to Don’s disappointment. Holding up a finger, Lane indicated quiet.

Moving to the window facing the street but keeping to the side, Lane spotted them immediately. Dutch and Grant had taken up spots to watch the entrance to the building. He was sure Benny was either in the hall or near the staircase.

Lane knew it was only a matter of time before they came back, and his gut told him next time they would be more forceful. In the construct, without Bryan’s strength or his own powers, they were vulnerable to being hurt or killed.

Their eyes met, and Lane’s full mischievous grin was back.

“Don, could you put a shirt on? I’m not going to be able to keep my head on straight if you don’t.”

Don got the barest hint of a smile on his face, blushing as he went to his bedroom and put on a t-shirt. Seeing the smile on Jim’s face brought back the memory of the picture hanging from the tree in his dream, and it sent a warm feeling through him. He liked it.

When he came back out, they sat on the couch next to one another, their legs touching.

“So what the fuck’s going on, Jim? None of this makes any sense. Yesterday I was about to do myself in, then you bust in my place, and now I feel better than I’ve felt in years. My buddies out there are acting all weird. You said you were here to rescue me. From what?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Lane wasn’t sure how much he should try to explain.

“Don, before I say too much, I need to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“How long have you had that kitten?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Not long, maybe three or four months.”

“Don, it’s a kitten. It can’t be that old.”

It dawned on Lane that the kitten's appearance coincided with his arrival in the construct.

Looking confused, Don shook his head slightly and blinked.

“You’re right, he has to be older… look at him, though.”

As if on cue, Tack jumped onto Don’s shoulder, batting his earlobe.

A funny look crossed Don’s face, his eyes went out of focus, and his voice was low, almost like he was talking to himself.

“His name’s Tack, and he’s my Little Buddy. He was in bad shape when I found him, but it turns out he saved me. We saved each other.”

Lane’s heart leapt in his chest when Don called the kitten ‘Tack’ and his ‘Little Buddy.’ Tack was Lane’s first call sign in the Navy, and hearing Don refer to the kitten as his Little Buddy took his breath away. He had his suspicions as to what Tack was, which is why he asked the question.

Lane managed to hold himself together so far but wasn’t prepared for that revelation, and his eyes watered.

Letting out a “Fuck!” he doubled over on the couch, putting his head between his knees.

A ball of icy fire hit his stomach as the emotions he kept in check broke through for a moment.

“Jim!? What?”

Don didn’t know what to do, so he put his arm around Jim and pulled him close. Something he said upset Jim, and he felt responsible even though he didn’t have a clue what it was.

Lane grabbed Don and hugged him, squeezing with all his strength until Don was afraid his ribs were about to crack.

Grabbing his arms, Don said, “Whoa, Jim, I need to breathe!”

“Sorry, Don, for a second… shit, I just forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

After a long pause, Lane said quietly and sadly, “How things are supposed to be.”

Don didn’t know what to say, so he kept silent. After a short awkward silence, he asked, “So what else, Jim? You said questions.”

Don didn’t know what to do to make Jim feel better, so he kept rubbing his back and shoulders.

Sniffing, Lane swiped the tears out of his eyes and pulled himself together.

“Who taught you the knot you used on the extension cord?”

“A while back, I was in Maine before I came back down here. I worked on a shrimp boat, and one of the guys taught me how to tie that knot. He said it would save my life one day and made me use it all the time. The funny thing is, once the Captain saw me using it, he flipped out and put me back on nets full time.”

“What was the guy’s name that taught you the knot?”

“Everybody called him Uri.”

“Alright… that’s interesting. I’m sure that broke some kind of rule, but it makes sense. Don, I need you to think carefully before you answer my next question.”

Lane paused, looking deep into Don’s green eyes, and after a minute he quietly asked, “Does your life seem right to you? Does this place seem right to you?”

Don’s handsome brow furrowed, and the faraway look came back to his eyes. He was silent a moment while he thought about Jim’s question, struggling to focus like he fought against a fog, but the more he thought about his life, the more it didn’t make sense, and a single tear fell down his cheek.

His reply barely audible, he whispered, “No….”

Gently squeezing Don’s shoulder, Lane continued, asking, “Okay… do I feel right to you? Does the connection we have, even though you just met me, seem right to you?”

Again, Don’s reply was barely audible.

“Yeah… more than any fucking thing in my life, Jim. How can that be? I just met you, but for the first time I can remember I don’t feel alone.”

Lane knew they were running out of time, but he still pulled Don into a tight hug. Their arms went around each other and they held each other for a few seconds.

“I have one more question, Don. I need to know if you remember having any strange dreams.”

“All my dreams are weird, Jim. Most of them aren’t happy, and I try not to remember them.”

“It’s important, Don. Do you remember one about a big tree and digging up an old lunchbox? Please try, it’s important.”

“How the fuck could you know that? I had a dream like that a lot when I was a kid. Jim, what the fuck’s going on?”

“Don… we’re running out of time. I can’t explain any more right now, but I promise I’ll tell you more as soon as we’re safe. We have to leave now, and you won’t be coming back. We have to find the tree in your dream. Your buddies out there are going to try and stop us. They’ll probably try to kill me.”

“Jim, no way! I told you they aren’t like that.”

“Don, trust me. They aren’t who or what you think they are.”

Cupping Don’s face in his hands, Lane looked directly into his eyes.

“Please trust me on this, Don. What do you have to lose? Yesterday you were ready to throw all this away. Come with me, and I promise we can be happy together. You probably don’t believe me, but I felt as empty without you as you did without me. You won’t believe how happy we can be together.”

“Where the fuck did you come from, Jim? How are you making me feel this way?”

Lane grinned, saying, “Trade secret, bud. You’ll understand soon enough if we make it out of here. We need to travel light so just take a few clothes. It’s going to be risky, but you’ll need to hit an ATM and pull out as much cash as you can for spending money. No credit cards from here on out.”

Lane wasn’t sure if they could be traced using Don’s credit cards. Taliesin’s construct was incredibly detailed, and with Bryan’s knowledge of electronic surveillance in the Navy and their security firm, the construct might draw from his experience to track them.

“So, where are we going?”

“Savannah. The tree in your dream had Spanish moss all over it.”

“I still don’t know how you know what was in my dream.”

With his best disarming grin, Lane said, “At the risk of sounding totally cheesy, I’m the man of your dreams, so why wouldn’t I know?”

Don groaned in mock horror and said, “God, you’re a nerd, aren’t you?”

Lane couldn’t help but laugh and said, “You don’t know the half of it.”

While they talked, Don put some clothes into his gym bag.

“Alright, we need to get out of here without your buddies out there catching us. They’re already suspicious of me. We need to get to an ATM and then head out of town. I’m not sure how people will react to me outside this area. Once we get out of the city, we might get lucky and no one will give us any trouble, but there’s no way to be sure. While we’re in public, we need to stick together but not look like we’re together. I’m going to trick your buddies into thinking we went out through the window in your bedroom. While they’re running around, we’re going to leave through the front door. I need you to get out of sight for a few minutes… get in the shower.”

Don looked uncertain.

“Don… trust me, please. I’ve done things like this before. If you have any doubts you better say so now because once we’re on the run, there’s no turning back for either of us.”

Putting his hands on Don’s shoulders, Lane looked in Don’s eyes.  It hurt not seeing what he was used to, but there was a glimmer, and that would have to be enough for now.

“Please, Don. Trust me so we can be together. I only want us to be together. I hope you do too.”

Staring back into Lane’s dark brown eyes, the love he saw there startled him… he felt it when they made love the night before, but to see it so raw and right in front of him… it was for him and only him. It was liberating and frightening, even humbling, but at the same time, it made his life seem that much more depressing.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Smiling, Lane squeezed his shoulders.

“You got it. Now get in the shower and wait until I call you.”

Don did as he was told, going into the bathroom and hiding in the shower. He heard the front door open and a few seconds later, Benny, Grant, and Dutch started yelling. After a short commotion, everything went quiet.

Don was getting worried when Lane’s head finally popped around the shower curtain with a smile on his face. His hair disheveled, he looked cuter than ever. He also wore different clothes.

“Come on, ‘ya big lug. Let’s blow this pop stand.”

As soon as they got onto the street, Don stopped, saying, “Fuck! I forgot about Tack!”

To keep his face hidden, Lane had his hoodie pulled up.  It was cold and windy out, so it didn’t look suspicious.

Getting close to Don and keeping his voice low, he said, “Don, don’t worry about Tack. He’s going to be fine. Trust me on this. We can’t go back now, or we’ll risk getting caught.”

“They’ll hurt him! I know they will. I saw the way Benny looked at him.”

“No, they won’t. Tack isn’t there anymore.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s safe, Don. I’m not lying … I’ll never lie to you. We’ve never lied to each other. Tack is safe, and you’ll see him again. I promise. Now let’s go.”

Don didn’t look convinced but turned to follow Lane, making it to an ATM while Lane stayed out of sight. 

<><> 

By nightfall they were out of town, hidden in the woods a few miles off the road.  Hiking until Lane was sure the tree cover would keep anyone from seeing a small fire, he got one going. They would have to sleep on the ground, but the next day he planned to get them backpacks, sleeping bags, and a tent. Chiding himself for not thinking of the supply issue beforehand, he was so thrilled to be with Bryan he didn’t get upset about it and let it go.

Don stayed quiet throughout the day, and Lane gave him his space. He kept making eye contact, and every time he did Lane smiled at him. Lane used the time to think about the tree in his dream and the lunchbox. Those images were vital to getting them out of the construct. He wasn’t sure what Taliesin had done, but he would figure it out. Later that night, close to the fire, Lane moved close, sitting behind Don and wrapping his arms and legs around him.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I think so. This is all so fucked up I don’t understand it.”

Taking Lane’s hands in his, he said, “But this… this I can deal with. It feels real.”

Grinning, Lane lowered his hands, rubbing Don’s crotch as he said, “Let’s see how real I can make you feel.”

Don was instantly hard, and Lane unzipped his jeans, freeing his erection.

“Let me take care of you, big guy. You’ve been without for way too long.”

Lane’s hands felt like magic, and Don moaned. 

“Fuck Jim, that feels so good.”

“Yeah, I have talented hands and fingers. All those years of playing the guitar and piano have to be good for something.”

“You play?”

“A little. Right now, I want to play with this.”

With that, Lane picked up his pace and in a few minutes, Don tensed as he came. Lane aimed it away to get as little on his pants as he could.

Don kept still while catching his breath.

Trying not to push but still make things as good as possible, Lane knew Don wasn’t a talker, and sometimes he had to pull stuff out of him.

“What are you thinking?”

“I want to make you feel as good as you make me, but I don’t know how.”

“Can I tell you a secret, Don? You make me the happiest man in the world just by being with you like this. You can do whatever you want to me. I’ll love it no matter what because it’s you; your hands, your body, your mind.”

Don turned around so they faced each other. Not saying anything, he unbuckled Lane’s belt and unzipped his jeans. Lane was already hard and had been ever since he sat down.

Lane’s breath caught when Don’s hands wrapped around him, and his eyes closed in pleasure as he let Don explore at his own pace. A minute later, Don took most of Lane’s length into his warm mouth.

The release Lane needed came quickly, and before he could warn Don, he came in his mouth. Swallowing it all, Don continued sucking until Lane was soft.

Don looked up hesitantly, and when Lane opened his eyes a smile lit up his face. Don’s heart leapt at that smile. Lane pulled him up, and they kissed and cuddled by the warmth of the fire until they fell asleep. 

<> 

Lane woke with a start to see Gabriel sitting by the small fire with a guitar in his lap, idly strumming a few chords.

“Hello, Lane.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I should ask you that. You brought me here. I wasn’t allowed to come on my own, the rules don’t allow it. Taliesin isn’t The Enemy, and my protection over you is only against Them, and even then only in certain circumstances. I’m not allowed to intervene against Taliesin.”

“So, you can’t help me?”

“Not directly, but we can talk. You’re dreaming inside Taliesin’s construct. The brief time I’m here will be barely measurable in the physical realm.”

The chords Gabriel strummed stirred something in Lane.

“I miss music almost as much as I miss Bryan. Taliesin stripped this place of music.”

“He has, but not out of you. Your Avatar is the key to that, Lane. Bryan’s, too. Taliesin didn’t know about your Avatars and couldn’t account for them when he created this place. You’re smart, Lane. You’ve felt the cruelty of this place, but you’re stronger and smarter than he is. You have all the information you need.”

“Of course, it would be too easy for you just to tell me.”

Gabriel laughed and said, “Of course. I’ve already said more than I should.”

“Is Uriel still here?”

“No, he took great risk intervening as he did and is under intense scrutiny. I am too for that matter, so I should go. I won’t be able to come back even if you call me again. Believe in yourself, Lane, and trust in your Avatar. It is a part of you, and it will help.”

“Thank you… Grandfather? Is that the right word for it?”

“So, you know? Yes, I am your Grandfather.”

“I figured it out. I was already suspicious when you said you knew my family and wanted to be the one to teach me how to listen. Michael’s comment to Ken made it obvious. Plus, it feels right. I’m not bragging, but not many people play better than I do, and you put me to shame.”

Gabriel smiled, genuinely pleased with Lane’s realization.

“I’ve had a few more years of practice. I look forward to a time when we can play together again. For now, goodbye Lane, and be careful.”

<> 

Lane woke up. The fire was out, it was cold, and Don spooned against him for warmth. It was still pre-dawn and quiet, and he fell back asleep in Don’s arms.

<><> 

The next day was nearly a disaster. Don’s disappearance activated a trap in the construct causing everyone, everywhere, to look for him. If it wasn’t so serious, Lane would have laughed; the entire affair looked like a scene out of Jim Carey’s The Truman Show.

In the next town they went to a sporting goods store to buy a tent, sleeping bags, and supplies, but the store clerk recognized Don and slipped away to call the police. Lane picked up on the clerk’s odd behavior when he tried too hard to delay them from leaving. The harder Lane pushed, the more things spun out of control, and the clerk, joined by the other patrons, converged on Lane and Don, trying to detain them until the police arrived.

Knowing they weren’t real, Lane didn’t worry about hurting them and snapped the neck of the store clerk with a roundhouse kick. Before he finished knocking out the others, the clerk’s head snapped back into place and he stood up.

Don freaked out seeing Jim actually kill someone, but was even more freaked out when the store clerk got back up!

Sighing in frustration, Lane exclaimed, “Are you fucking shitting me?!”

Before the clerk stood all the way up, Lane broke his neck again.

“Don, they’re going to wear us out if this keeps up. I’ll keep these guys down. There are rolls of plastic and duct tape on the hardware aisle. Get some, and we’ll tie them up.”

Once he had them secure, Lane made sure they overheard him talking to Don about heading west and then up into Canada. Hopefully, that would throw them off the trail, at least for a while. It was a simple ruse, but he hoped it would work.

They managed to exit the store and hide just as the police roared up to the storefront.

Lane decided the only safe way to travel was on foot and off-road. His intuition told him it was too risky to steal a car and drive. He thought about motorcycles since they could wear helmets and keep their faces covered but had the same feeling. He didn’t understand why, but the doctor always told him to trust his gut.

<><><> 

That night they snuck back to town and broke into the store, taking the supplies they needed.  Lane tried to convince him not to worry, but Don left cash on the counter anyway.

In the Navy, Bryan had been exceptionally good at doctoring MREs to make them taste better, and over the years Lane learned most of his tricks even though he rarely used them. There was little point because Bryan was so much better at it. In the construct, cooking was another part of Bryan Taliesin stripped away, so Lane took care of their meals. Later that night in their camp, Don was impressed at how good the food tasted.

“Jim, where did you learn to fight like that? I’m good in the ring, but you could kick my ass.”

“Don, you won’t believe this right now, but I don’t hold a candle to you. When we get out of here, you’ll be able to kick my ass into next week without breaking a sweat.”

“No way!”

“Yes, way! You also taught me everything I know about cooking.”

Chuckling, Don said, “Fuck, now I know you’re lying! I can’t even boil water.”

“You can’t here. It’s just another fucking reason to get out of this place. I miss your cooking. I miss a lot of things. I’ll never take your cooking for granted ever again. Promise.”

After eating, Don was impressed at how quickly and efficiently Jim cleaned and packed their plates and cooking gear.

“How did you learn to do all this, Jim? You said you’d tell me more when we were safe.”

“Yeah, I did, didn’t I? I’m still not sure how much to say. I want more than anything to tell you everything, but you’ll think I’m crazy, and I don’t want to risk losing you again.”

“After what’s already happened, I don’t see how it could get any crazier. When those guys in the store kept coming at you… I’ve never seen anything like that. My world is turning upside down, and the only thing that makes sense is you and me.”

Sitting a few feet apart, leaning against a fallen tree, Lane held his arms out in an invitation.

“Come over here, Don.”

Spreading his legs, Lane patted the ground in front of him. Don moved over, reclining against him, and Lane’s arms immediately went around him, holding him tight.

“Fuck, this feels good, Jim. You feel good. You can be the craziest fucker on the planet, but if you keep your arms around me, I’ll believe anything you tell me.”

The sensation of Don against him was difficult because Lane couldn’t let himself get distracted. Ken's words about staying focused and not letting his guard down constantly echoed in the back of his mind. He had to stay strong to rescue Bryan and get them both out of the construct safely.

Lane inhaled, and smelling them both he sighed heavily. After hiking and sweating the last few days, neither had showered. They weren’t entirely rank, but smelling Don reminded him of working out and running missions together. The memories bittersweet, Lanes mind went back to his favorite times with Bryan.

Don had his head tilted back, resting on Lane’s chest and shoulder, and a tear hit his cheek. It was cloudy and could start raining, so at first, he thought it was a drop of rain, but glancing up, the firelight highlighted a tear trail on Lane’s cheek.

Looking around with a worried expression on his face, he asked, “Jim, what’s wrong?”

His voice thick with emotion, Lane’s words were almost a whisper.

“I’ve missed you so much, Bry. I’m sorry, but sitting here with you like this is reminding me of so many things. I just let my head get away from me for a sec. I can’t afford to do that until we’re out of this place. I'm all right.”

“You just called me Bry. Is that my real name? Is Jim your real name?”

“Actually, it is, but I haven’t gone by Jim in a long time, and you haven’t gone by Don in years either.”

“So, who are we?”

“We’re us. That’s all that matters. Our names aren’t important.”

“But I want to know what you call me. I like the sound of Bry. The way you say it…”

“I think we need to stick with Don and Jim.”

Don kept quiet a moment pondering everything, not just since Jim showed up but his life before. When Jim asked him if his life felt right, he said no. His life was a dark, foggy place before Jim showed up, and now he felt more awake, more alive than ever. His brain seemed to be working again. He wanted to hear the sound of his name; the name Jim knew him by.

“Bryan.”

As soon as his name passed his lips, searing pain ripped through his mind, and he jerked forward, holding his head in his hands.

“Fuck!”

“Don!? What’s wrong!?”

“My head! It hurts!”

“Don’t think about your other name! Forget it! You’re Don here, and we need to stick with that!”

Pulling Don back against him, Lane rubbed his temples while brushing the hair back off his forehead.

His voice quiet and soothing, Lane said, “Relax, Don. Don’t think about it. Still your mind.”

Internally, Lane was furious at how Taliesin made sure Bryan didn’t exist there.

Unexpectedly, Lane’s Avatar came to life, reacting and tugging at his mind. It wasn’t only responding to Don’s physical pain; it was reacting to something in Lane as well. A song came to him, fighting its way into his conscious mind. The construct stripped music from this world, but Gabriel told Lane that there was no way Taliesin could remove it from him.

Closing his eyes, Lane listened inside himself. An image filled his thoughts of Brad and Ken’s backyard, and him playing his guitar at one of their get-togethers singing a song from his ‘Bryan List.'

Starting to hum, his voice quiet at first, after a few bars something in Lane pushed back against Taliesin’s restrictions.

As Lane sang his voice became clearer, and strength unlocked within him as his love for Bryan and music filled him up. Greatly subdued compared to what he was used to, it was still a balm to his soul.

His hands glowed softly, and small tendrils of light seeped from his fingertips, soaking into Don’s temples and washing away his pain. Don’s breath caught from an emotional rush he was unprepared for.

His feelings for Jim were already strong, but what Don felt was much more powerful. It wasn’t just his love for Jim, it was also Jim’s love for him. Something in him, some small window, opened, driving out the pain in his head. The image of a tree came to mind, and a lunchbox, and he smelled something musty, old, and leathery... the feelings and memories were powerful.

Don was overwhelmed. Jim’s hands, touching him and washing away the pain, brought about a depth of emotion he didn’t know was possible. For the briefest moment, almost too fast to see, a brilliant golden light appeared under his shirt.

When the song ended things returned to normal, and once again they were just two men embracing. Sitting in silence, each enjoyed the presence and feel of the other.

Don finally broke the silence, saying, “I don’t understand what happened, but fuck you sing good, Jim. I want to hear more.”

Lane chuckled and said, “Not tonight, bud. I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

“What you made me feel…”

“What we feel for each other, Don. I felt it too…”

“Fuck… I want it. I want it bad. I want it to be like that all the time.”

“If we get out of here, not only will it be like that all the time, it’ll be a thousand times better.”

“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Let’s get some sleep and make an early start.”

Now that they had a tent and sleeping bags Lane didn’t think anything about stripping down naked when it was time to go to bed. Zipping the two sleeping bags together, he made one large bed for both of them.

Grinning when he realized the situation, Don was naked in no time. The emotions still fresh between them after Lane’s song, they spent hours making love before falling asleep.

The next morning Don woke first, so comfortable against Lane’s warm body, he didn’t want to get up. Something was different, and in his sleep-fogged mind it took a minute to register.

Tack was curled up under his chin, purring loudly. Don's eyes opened wide in disbelief, and he woke Lane out of a sound sleep with his exclamation.

“Tack! Holy shit, how’d you get here!?”

Lane wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Tack and put his head back down, saying sleepily, “I told you not to worry about him. I figured he’d show up sooner or later.”

Don pulled Lane closer with one arm and pet the kitten with his other hand.

“Where’d you go, boy?”

With all the weirdness of the last few days, Don wouldn’t have been surprised if Tack answered him, but he continued cleaning himself, ignoring Don’s question.

Leaning his head back Don closed his eyes, losing himself in the feelings running through him. Resettling himself, Lane propped his head up on one hand, while his other hand roamed over Don’s chest and shoulders, moving around Tack’s soft little body.

Both men leaned forward and started a kiss, their passion building quickly as it intensified.

Looking directly into Don’s eyes, Lane said quietly but intently, “I love you.”

Returning Lane’s stare, just as intently, Don started to say, “I lo...” but Lane held his finger up to his lips.

“Shhhhh, I know you do, Don, but don’t say it. I know you want to, and I want to hear it so bad I could scream, but don’t say it out loud.”

Scowling, frustrated, Don knew Jim was right after what happened when he said his real name.

“Who did this to me? To us?”

“I don’t think I should say his name either but I know who he is, and when we get out of here and things are back to normal, I’m gonna find him and make him pay.”

“There may not be enough of him left for you, Jim. I’m starting to get an idea of what’s been taken from me. I owe you big time for being here. The longer I’m with you, the more I realize that.”

Sniffing, Don swiped at the tears in his eyes.

“Fuck! I need to buy stock in Kleenex from all this crying.”

Laughing, Lane said, “Yeah, you’ve said that before. If we come across a campground with showers or a laundry room, we need to take advantage. We both stink and need to wash our clothes and sleeping bags.”

<><> 

Even though Lane and Don were in superb physical shape, they weren’t making good time. Staying off-road and out of sight severely hampered their progress.

Lane still didn’t feel safe about traveling by car or motorcycle, but he was a good sailor, and Don had some boating skills after working on the shrimp boat in Maine, so he decided to steal a sailboat.

It was winter, and numerous marinas harbored winterized boats that wouldn’t be missed. Lane and Don had become quite adept at breaking into grocery and sporting goods stores for clothes and supplies; stealing a boat wouldn’t be any different.

By dawn the following morning they were miles away from New York, headed south along the coast. They happened upon a beautiful 48-foot sailboat named Coastal Dreams, and Lane found the name appropriate. They stocked up on food and enough supplies to last them until they reached Savannah.

Being together on the boat was the best time of Don’s life. Lane coached him on his rusty sailing skills, and they took turns cooking. They were in their own little world, but Lane was careful not to fall into that trap. In fact, he was sure their contentment was a ruse to lull him into wanting to stay with Don.

Every night he sang to Don before bed, and each night the music came more easily and the effects lasted longer. Through the music, their emotional connection reopened for a short time, and they made passionate love to one another before falling asleep.

The first night, exhausted but thoroughly sated, with Don’s arms around him, Lane dreamed.

<> 

Looking down, he held a broken key. It appeared old, like a large iron skeleton key, but it was split in two. On further inspection, it wasn’t split, it was torn. He could tell where the metal snapped, leaving jagged edges. Two halves… 

<> 

… The sun shone so brightly through the branches of the tree, he could barely see when he looked up. The air hot and humid, sweat trickled down his bare torso, and a thick, swampy odor permeated the area.  Gnats swarmed around him, and no matter how often he waved them off, they were back in seconds.

His muscles flexed and rippled with the effort of digging a hole under a massive oak tree. A breeze picked up, soothing his sweaty skin. The blade of the shovel struck something metal, and reaching down, he brushed the dirt away with his hands.

A rusty old lunch box sat in the hole, uncovered by his efforts. It looked familiar… the characters on it must have been from a TV show he watched as a kid. Ten men resembling Navy SEALS were on some kind of mission taking out a bad guy. Their faces, even as cartoons, seemed oddly familiar. One of the characters even looked like him.

Something in the lunchbox rattled loudly when he picked it up. Along with the breeze, he heard small tinkling sounds. Looking up amidst the thick clumps of Spanish moss scattered across the branches, he noticed dozens of objects hanging from limbs. Images filled his mind as he looked at them… the horn from his first bike… the little black Mustang from his hot wheels collection… the GI Joe with Kung-Fu Grip. Memories came with each object, filling the emptiness in him and making him feel good inside. A picture of a handsome man playing a guitar caught his attention. The man was smiling at whoever took the picture… smiling at me?

Looking at the lunchbox in his big dirty hand, he tried pulling the clasp back with his thumb, but it was rusted shut and didn’t move. Using both hands to try and pry it open, he still couldn’t…

<> 

…Running for his life, his breath came in ragged gasps. He managed to pull away from the crowd but knew they would catch him soon.

Fuck, why didn’t I see this coming? I should have known! Bry… God, I’m going to miss you! I don’t know what’s going to happen… we’re immortal, but our bodies can die. I hope we can figure out a way to at least talk to one another.

Tears streamed down his face, and his emotional pain was gut-wrenching, but there was no other way. Taliesin fucked things up royally for both of them, and he didn’t even do it on purpose. Lane was sure of that. He didn’t know about their souls; Gabriel and the doc both said so.

A shout in the distance told him the crowd spotted Don near the tree. He wasn’t afraid to die but was terrified of he and Bryan never being together again. There was no other way he could see… instead of both of them dying in the construct, at least one of them would live, and he would make sure it was Bryan.

I love you, Bry. More than anything. Goodbye.

He wanted so badly for Bryan to hear his thoughts and feel the love he had for him one last time.

Stepping out from where he hid, Lane shouted, “Okay, you fuckers! I’m the one you want! Come and get me!”

A cry of recognition went up, and the crowd roared, turning like a wave towards Lane. Running a little farther down the road, they quickly surrounded him, piling on top of him, pulling him down and pummeling his body. He was dead in less than a minute, torn apart by the crazed mob…

<> 

Lane woke with a start. Don stirred slightly, pulling him closer and resettling the blanket over their shoulders. The sound of water lapping against the bottom of the boat sent Don back to sleep in seconds.

Lane stayed awake against Don’s warm body, his eyes filled with tears as he realized what had to happen. In the dream, he regretted his inability to share his thoughts and feelings with Don, but now he was glad he couldn’t. There was no way Don would let him do what he needed if he knew. 

<><>  

By boat, they made it to Savannah in a little over a week. Lane kept them far enough offshore to avoid being seen from the coast, and they never saw another boat.

“Alright, Don, we’re close. We need to find the tree you dreamed about.”

“I know where it is.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. It’s on Wilmington Island. My grandparents showed me a house there when I was a kid. They said that’s where I was born.”

“Okay, well that’s a start. Don, I’m not sure what’s going to happen when we get there. You’ll need to dig up that lunchbox and get it open. We won’t know until we get there, but I have a feeling that place is going to be heavily guarded.”

Don gave him the shrewd look Bryan always did when he thought Lane was pulling something over on him.

“What are you not telling me?”

“There’s a tree where we come from that’s special; special to you, and us, and the entire world. This place is built from your memories, so I don’t think it’s any coincidence a tree will hold the key to breaking out of this place. I’m not sure what’s going to happen to you when we get close. Maybe nothing, but whatever happens, you have to find that lunchbox and get it open. That’s all I know. I’ll get you there, but the rest will be up to you.”

Lying to Don was painful, but he didn’t know what else to do. He remembered his promise about never lying to Don

…I’m not lying … I’ll never lie to you. We’ve never lied to each other…

Lane’s own words tore at him. He had never broken a promise to Bryan and felt like he crossed a line, committing an irrevocable act that could never be undone. His only consolation was that it was Don and not Bryan, but the comfort was meager.

Every night they were on the boat Lane had the same dream. It took him a few days, but he figured out what the key represented and what he would have to do to make it whole. The lunchbox wouldn’t open until the key was whole, and Lane only knew one way to make that happen. 

<><>  

The Savannah coastline was so densely populated Lane decided to go ashore further north, and they ended up just south of Beaufort, SC about 0300. There, they broke into a store for supplies and stole a car. Wilmington Island wasn’t far, and Lane felt driving worth the risk to get there as quickly as possible. An inordinate number of people were out and about for the middle of the night, and caution made him drive further out than he originally intended.

The Savannah weather was much warmer than New York, and even in the middle of the night it was warm and muggy.

Needing to ditch the car, Lane rigged it to drive off the road into the swampy mud of a small inlet. With the tide low the vehicle sank deep into the mud, so by the time the water came in the car should be covered.

As much as Lane tried to hide his feelings, Don knew something was going on and asked, “Jim, what’s wrong. You’ve been getting quieter all week.”

“It’s nothing, Don, just nerves. We’re close to getting out of here, and we only have one shot at this. I always get this way before a mission.”

“Come here.”

It was awkward with their packs on, but Don pulled him into a hug.

“I know I can’t say it, but I want you to know it.”

Kissing Lane’s rough cheek, Don held him tightly for nearly a minute, and it took everything Lane had to keep himself together.

“Thanks, Don. I love you, too. You don’t know how badly I want to hear you say it. I will soon enough if things go according to plan. We need to get close and find a place to hole up so I can do some recon, then we’ll make a plan and blow this pop stand.”

Again, Lane hated lying but felt he had no choice. Bryan had to get out of the construct. With the situation, Lane better understood Brad’s decision all those months ago to sacrifice himself for Ken, only he didn’t see a way out for himself. Of the two of them, Bryan was more important; he was the protector of the tree and the creature hidden beneath the valley.

I love you so much, Bry. Once you’re out of this place, I know you’ll remember how much. That will have to be enough.

<><> 

Don had a good memory and took them directly to the little house, located in a small neighborhood just off the town square. A huge oak tree stood in the backyard covered with Spanish moss, and Lane recognized it immediately from his dream. A small church sat half a block away, unlocked, so they went inside and took off their gear.

Lane pulled out an entrenching tool they stole from one of the sporting goods stores, unfolding it and locking the blade in place before handing it to Don. Nervous, Don tried to hide it, and Lane put a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Don? Ready?”

“Jim… my life sucked before you. That’s all I know or care about. Even if you are fucked in the head and this is all some sick joke, I’m still happier than I’ve ever been. I don’t think you’re crazy, I trust you, and I want us to be together. I want it bad, and I’m ready.”

Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Lane braced himself for what was about to happen.

“Okay, I’m going to slip out and take a look around. Sit tight and be ready to move as soon as I get back. If anyone shows up, knock them out. There’s rope and duct tape in my pack.”

Don nodded, and Lane went through the building and out the back door.

The sun was just coming up, with the sky turning lighter by the minute. It was already eighty degrees and getting warmer. The humidity was thick in the air. Lane was stunned by how many people milled about, like zombies from The Walking Dead, just standing or aimlessly milling about. It was obvious they were programmed to protect the tree.

Lane took his time scouting the area, counting over fifty people within a block of the tree and probably more nearby.

Fuck you, Taliesin. Even if you didn’t dick us over on purpose, you still wanted to screw Bryan and not let him out of here. I so wish I was the one that was gonna find you and kick your ass. You screwed yourself over too, you son of a bitch… when I’m gone, there’s no one alive who can receive that Gift inside of you. You’re stuck with it.

Lane plotted the best course to lead everybody away from the tree and give Don the time he needed. He would have to improvise heavily once things started and do whatever necessary to keep them away from Don and give him time to dig up the lunchbox.

<><> 

Making his way back to the church, Lane stifled a laugh. A priest, tied up with duct tape over his mouth lay on the floor with Tack sitting on his chest. 

“Alright, Don. It’s now or never big guy. I’m going to cause a diversion. When the coast is clear, take off like a bat out of hell for the backyard and find that lunchbox. When you get it bring it back here. We have to be close when you open it. If anyone tries to stop you, you know what you have to do. Remember, they aren’t real people, so you aren’t killing anyone.” 

<><>  

As soon as events started and their adrenaline kicked in, time began moving in slow motion. Lane stepped out into the street in plain sight of everyone.

Whistling loudly, he shouted, “Okay, you fuckers! I’m the one you want! Come and get me!”

Taking off towards the house, everyone shouted, running after him, but Lane was fast, in great shape, and easily stayed in front of them.

Don’s stomach twisted in knots as he watched Lane step out and shout.  Literally everyone reacted, proving how unnatural the entire situation was. Waiting a few seconds to make sure the coast was clear, Don took off as fast as he could towards the little house where his life began.

The tree was huge, and he stopped when he reached the base of the trunk. Eerily quiet, the only sound was his harsh breathing. Looking up, the sun shone so brightly through the branches he could hardly see. A gentle breeze caused the Spanish moss to sway gently, and Don heard chimes high up in the branches. Looking up, dozens of objects hung from the limbs clinking together in the breeze.

The dream from his childhood came to his mind, fresh and present, and he recognized each object. The memories they invoked captivated him, a trap set by Taliesin to stop him should he make it that far.

His mind started processing the memories tied to each object. He remembered playing with his GI Joe doll… the big one, not the smaller, later ones… it had real fuzz for hair and had a button on his back to make his fist squeeze with the ‘Kung-Fu’ grip. He saw the horn from his first bike, remembering the first time he rode it after the training wheels came off…

While standing entranced, a man tackled him, nearly knocking the breath out of him. They wrestled, and the man tore Don’s t-shirt trying to keep hold of him. Lane said the people weren’t real, but Don couldn’t bring himself to kill anyone; he just didn’t have it in him.

Punching the man, Don knocked him out cold and stripped him of his belt, using it to bind his hands behind his back before he regained consciousness. Don removed his t-shirt, shredded in the tussle, wadding it up and sticking it in the man’s mouth so he couldn’t call for help.

Picking up the entrenching tool, Don shook his head to focus. He wanted to look up at the objects but knew Jim was running for his life and didn’t have much time.

Between the heat, humidity, and nervousness, he sweated heavily. Gnats swarmed around his face. He wasn’t sure where to start digging and began to panic.

A glimmer of light in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Turning to look, a strange, brightly colored pattern in the bark glowed with a warm, beautiful light, shining down on the dirt.  His shoulder suddenly felt hot and he glanced down, surprised to see a tattoo on the ball of his shoulder matching the symbol on the tree.

Something inside of him tugged at his mind. Suddenly, he Understood where to dig. The effects of the construct, the subtle push towards loneliness and depression, and the distractions of the objects stopped.

The ground wasn’t hard, and Don was a strong man. Churning through the dirt quickly, in less than a minute he heard the clank of metal as the entrenching tool hit the lunchbox.

Scooping away the loose dirt, he grabbed the lunchbox, holding it in his hands, staring at it. It was real!  Everything matched the scene from his dream; the ten men, all part of a Navy SEAL Team, taking out a bad guy. He saw the character that looked like him, and he was stunned that Jim was there too. Even as a caricature, he recognized Jim’s handsome face.

He didn’t recognize the other men, but Jim referred to them on occasion. He should know them. Seeing the lunchbox from his dream, holding it in his hands after everything Jim told him… it drove home how wrong his world was. The only truth he knew at the moment was his love for Jim and knowing they belonged together.

Something in the box rattled around when he picked it up. The clasp was old and rusted shut, but he didn’t try to open it yet. Jim said they had to be close.

Shouts and screams in the distance brought him back to himself, and Don took off running as fast as he could back to the front porch of the church.

His lungs on fire by the time he made it back, he saw Jim turn the corner half a block down, running for his life. There must have been over a hundred people after him. Don held the box over his head so Jim could see he had it.

<><> 

Lane was in great shape, but running at full speed, dodging, and shaking off several close calls had him winded. As he turned the corner back towards the church, he saw Don on the porch holding the lunchbox up.

So many thoughts ran through Lane’s mind… How much he loved Bryan, Brad, Ken, and all his brothers… How much he loved the doctor and had come to love Albrecht. He only just met Gabriel and was looking forward to getting to know him better. He would miss Bryan’s deep voice and their lazy days relaxing together with Bryan in his garden and Lane playing for him. Their hot, sweaty nights, their minds and hearts one, sending their souls out into creation to listen and fly together... There was no better place than resting in Bryan’s mind, heart, and soul; it was where he was meant to be… the only place he wanted to be.

He loved his life and what it had become, and the things he and his buddies could now do.  He felt cheated by having to give it up but had no regrets about his decision to save Bryan. With Bryan’s soul intact, Lane hoped he would find the strength to go on without him. He knew Ken and Brad and the others would help him.

Sprinting in front of the crowd to give himself a few seconds leeway, Lane abruptly stopped.

His face wet with tears, he made eye contact with Don and shouted, “My name is Lane! I love you, Bryan! I always will!”

He turned to face the crowd as they caught up with him. Fortunately, he was knocked out quickly and didn’t feel much pain. They pummeled him, kicking viciously, and in seconds most of his limbs were broken. The crowd didn’t stop until the last breath left his body.

<><> 

Don couldn’t believe it. Jim could easily have made it to him, but he stopped. It all happened so fast, he didn’t have time to react. As soon as he realized Jim meant to die, grief so powerful he couldn’t move welled up inside him. Falling to his knees, the lunchbox still in his hands, his throat closed and he couldn’t breathe. A cold knot of terror hit him so hard it paralyzed him, and his eyes filled with hot tears.

The sky clear and bright, a gentle breeze blew, and the morning was beautiful. The scene was surreal as Don watched, unable to move. Quiet fell as the crowd stopped moving, and Don knew Lane was dead.

After a brief moment, people started moving again as if waking up. One of them saw Don on the porch and started to point, but an explosion of light and a trumpet blast broke through the sky, shaking the world.

The sound went through his body, and he covered his ears. In every corner of the construct windows shattered from the sound of Gabriel’s horn, blown in anger and grief at Lane’s sacrifice.

The explosion blew the crowd away from Lane’s body. As he lay still, his body lifeless, an orb of light lifted out of his chest. It was beautiful, hovering for a brief second before floating over to Don. He stared at it, mesmerized, as it approached. Without stopping it entered his chest, and he felt… something… fill him up. The lunchbox in his hands popped open, and glancing down he saw an old skeleton key. It was the key from Lane’s dream, but whole and intact, the two halves of Bryan’s soul back together.

In the smallest of moments, Bryan came back to himself, remembering his entire life, except Lane was no longer in him. The part of Lane that had always been with him, the other half of his soul, was absent. Taliesin’s trap stripped it out of him, and now Lane lay dead, his soul gone.

Even as Bryan screamed out his rage and loss, the world unraveled around him.

<><><> 

Bryan woke with a cry, scaring the doctor half to death.

“LANE!”

The pain in his voice heartbreaking, he threw himself on Lane’s lifeless body. The cardiac arrest alarm went off, and the doctor saw the flat line moving across Lane’s monitor.

The doctor’s face a mask of shock, he whispered, “Oh, my poor boy…”

Tears of grief appeared in the doctor’s eyes, and he nearly fell over, stunned at the realization of what just occurred.

Hysterical, Bryan sobbed uncontrollably, nearly incoherent.

He kept repeating, “No… no… no… why’d you do it?! You fucker! How could you?!”

Albrecht sensed Aaron’s grief from the other room and sent a thought to Brad immediately. Within a minute everyone appeared in the lab. Brad, Darren, Bill, and Loy looked rough; teleporting everyone there as quickly as possible pushed them hard.

They had waited days for some sign of Lane and Bryan waking up. When they appeared and saw Bryan, but felt Lane’s absence along with his lifeless body, it was like a part of them was missing. They were all stunned, caught off guard from the sudden, unexpected loss.

The first thing Ken did was grab Bryan. None of them knew what to say. There were no words that could express the abrupt emptiness in them and what Bryan was going through. Brad pulled Bryan into their hearts and minds to feel their love and support, and his anguish nearly overwhelmed them.

As soon as Bryan entered the link, it was apparent why he was so grief-stricken. On top of Lane’s death, Bryan’s soul was intact. Both halves were in him, and the half that was Lane was missing. None of them were prepared for that. Not only was Lane dead, but half of his soul that was normally a part of Bryan was gone.

How could that have happened? One by one, their arms went around Bryan as he cried, shaking with grief. None of them had ever seen Bryan in such a state. He always seemed so solid and unshakable.

Minutes passed as they stayed together where their souls were one, supporting Bryan and coming to grips with everything. In that place where their souls were one, none of them knew how long they stayed together before finally pulling apart.

The hour of their grief felt like an eternity, none of them knowing what to say or do, other than to be together.

<>  

Bryan’s voice was barely audible when he looked at them, his voice practically begging, “Guys… what am I going to do?”

Startling all of them, a ball of light appeared in the room, quickly growing into the form of Uriel. In his hands, he held a small white kitten.

Immediately after, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael appeared, and Michael shouted, “Uriel, no! It is forbidden!”

Turning to face Michael, Uriel’s voice steady and defiant, he said, “Death is my province Michael, not yours! There is no precedent for this. My attempt to carry Lane Home failed. It is for me to decide how to proceed, not you.”

It was apparent an argument was taking place, and the archangels appeared in the middle of it.

Seeing the kitten, Bryan’s throat nearly closed again.

“Tack? How?”

Michael interjected, pointing at Tack.

“He should not be here!”

Brad, Bill, and Darren sensed something odd about the kitten, but Loy sensed it more acutely than any of them. As the steward of the animal kingdom, his Avatar tied him to all creatures of the world, knowing them intimately.

Looking at Tack he said, “That’s not a kitten.”

Bryan’s voice cracked, and he was barely able to say, “It’s Lane.”

Raphael spoke, “Yes. It is the part of Lane stripped out of you when you entered Taliesin’s fabricated world.”

Uriel responded, “It is my province to convey the souls of those who die to the next phase of their existence. I have never attempted to carry an incomplete soul Home before. I was forbidden to enter the Gates with only this part.”

Michael sounded shocked, “You were forbidden?”

“Yes, brother, I was forbidden.”

The doctor sounded urgent, asking, “Where is the other half?”

“It is safe, but not here. The part I hold in my hands is a manifestation from the fabricated world Bryan and Lane were trapped in. For now, they remain separated.”

Gabriel, silent until that moment, looked at Uriel, and in a pleading voice, said, “Brother, please...”

Looking at Bryan, Uriel knelt beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“It pains me to see you so grief-stricken.”

Glowing, Uriel’s hand reached inside Bryan’s chest. When he pulled his hand back, it contained half of Bryan’s soul.

Bryan’s eyes widened in shock, and he almost collapsed. Tack frantically wiggled, writhing in Uriel’s hand, desperate to get to Bryan. Releasing the kitten, it leapt, transforming into a beautiful ball of light and disappearing into Bryan’s chest.

Bryan’s eyes closed as Lane’s presence once again resided within him, relishing the awareness that at least a part of Lane was once more inside him. As one, Brad, Ken, and all the guys were affected by everything happening to Bryan, feeling the physical effects in Bryan and the pain in his heart.

Standing, Uriel walked to Lane’s body, one hand cupping the half of Bryan’s soul he just extracted. Holding his other hand out palm up, the other half of Lane’s soul appeared.

Looking at Michael, he said, “Your concerns are unfounded, brother. These two souls are destined to be together. I can feel it. Even now they are drawn to one another. Observe.”

Lowering his hands, the two souls floated in front of him. Once released, they moved towards each other, and in a small flash, melded back into a single soul, beautiful to behold.  It’s light and warmth breathtaking, full of laughter and music, familiar to all of them; it was Lane, their brother.

Cupping his hand under the merged soul, Uriel held it close to his face.

“Return to your body with my blessing.”

Blowing softly, he sent the soul back to Lane’s body.

All eyes riveted on Lane, none of them dared believe what was happening. For the last hour Lane was gone, and they hung on the hope at what they were witness to.

Drifting over, the soul bobbed briefly above the center of Lane’s chest before lowering into his body. Waiting for some sign, he remained still, the waveform showing his heartbeat on the monitor still flat.

The seconds stretched out and seemed an eternity.  The absolute silence filling the room was deafening. Suddenly the heart monitor beeped, and it seemed so loud they nearly jumped out of their skin.

Tears streamed down the faces of every man, including the doctor and Albrecht. Lifting Bryan to his feet, Ken moved him to Lane’s bedside, where Lane’s chest slowly rose and fell once again.

Bryan pulled Lane against him, burying his face against Lane’s neck, his body shaking with silent sobs. His face purple from the strain and intensity of his emotions, he could hardly see through the thickness of the tears in his eyes, and he sweated from the emotional turmoil.

Lane’s arms slowly rose, reaching around Bryan in a hug. Groggy, like he was having a hard time waking up, Lane’s consciousness sluggishly re-entered the link.

His hands shifted from Bryan’s back to cup his face. Terribly weak, he gripped Bryan’s face as tightly as he could and pulled him close so their noses touched.

In a quiet voice, he smiled and said, “Hey, Bry.”

Bryan’s deep voice was so thick with emotion he could barely talk.

“Fuck, Lane, I thought you were gone. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“Shhhh, Bry, it’s okay. I’m here. We’re together, and that’s all that matters.”

Lane wiped the tears out of Bryan’s eyes and brushed the hair back off his sweaty forehead while he spoke.

Shit, I’ve never been so tired. I’m as weak as a kitten…

Bryan choked when he laughed at Lane’s comment. The humor hit so unexpectedly in the mix of all the other emotions, but it drove home Lane was back and it made him cry even harder.

Lane could barely open his and Bryan’s energy centers but he managed it, and they delved into one another, their souls clinging to one another. It was apparent to Bryan right away how drained Lane was, and it was frightening how fragile his existence was at that moment.

When Lane joined them as one, his diminished light brightened, and he was overwhelmed by the love not only from Bryan but from all of them. He didn’t expect their loss to be so profound, and the thought in the back of his mind about only being a battery for the team finally snapped. Lane accepted and was uplifted by that revelation.

In a matter of seconds, he was fully restored. Bryan was as well, and they went so deep in each other time stopped moving.  The conversations that followed seemed to happen simultaneously, but each one of his brothers expressed to Lane, beyond any doubt, what he meant to them.  Once the initial expressions were made, major shit hanging occurred over his surprise at their reaction to his death.

Aside from their relief and gratitude at having Lane and Bryan back with them, it was a shock to discover that Gabriel was Lane’s ethereal grandfather, and Uriel Bryan’s.

Brad sent them back to their bodies, and Lane sat up, refreshed and restored. Tears covering his face, he was reluctant to let go of Bryan, but stood and moved to Gabriel.

Smiling, he said, “Hello, Grandfather.”

Gabriel, the relief in his voice evident, said, “Hello, Lane. I was genuinely frightened for you. I’m very proud of you and your actions, but please don’t do that again.”

Lane put his arms around Gabriel, hugging him. Lane didn’t mention his thanks for their conversation in the construct. He knew Gabriel wasn’t supposed to have been there and didn’t want to cause him any trouble.

Michael’s face darkened when Lane called Gabriel grandfather.

In a droll voice, Gabriel said, “He figured it out on his own, Michael. I told you he was smart.”

Lane moved to Uriel, hugging him as well.

“Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. I didn’t expect to make it, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Bryan hugged Uriel as well.

“Thanks.”

Bryan expressed his gratitude through the strength of his hug, and when Uriel and Bryan parted, Lane moved back to Bryan, putting an arm around him, needing to feel him.

“So, grandfather, I figured out you and Uriel. I’m pretty sure I figured out that Raphael and Michael belong with Brad and Ken. Are the rest of these ladies related to one of you four?”

“No, there are others of our kin from whom the rest of your brothers are descended. I am sure one day you will meet them. They are busy fulfilling their tasks as we fulfill ours.”

Michael interjected, “Tasks to which we must return. Come, brothers.”

Michael made eye contact with Ken, nodding in recognition, and Ken was sure he saw the corners of Michael’s mouth rise in a slight smile.

With that, the four archangels transformed into balls of light and disappeared.

<> 

With the abrupt departure of the archangels, the room fell quiet again.

After a few seconds, the doctor broke the silence, “Lane, Bryan, I want to give you both a full exam before you leave. Everyone else, please leave the room. There will be enough time to visit after.”

Ken piped up, “Alright, ladies, you heard the doc. Let’s give ’em some space.”

A line formed as each of their brothers hugged Lane and Bryan before leaving the room, but continued holding them in their minds and hearts, reluctant to let him out of their sight.

The first thing the doctor did was pull Lane into a tight embrace. The doctor rarely cried but had tears in his eyes as he said, “My dear boy, you gave me a fright. I do not know what I would have done if you left us.”

Releasing Lane, he embraced Bryan, “You too, Bryan. You are my sons, and I could not bear to lose either of you.”

“I know you want to examine us doc, but everything’s fine. The guys gave me a recharge, and I looked at our energy centers in the flows. We’re both as good as new, better even.”

“Very well, then. You are making me obsolete!”

“Never, doc. Never, ever think that. Think of it as us giving you more time with Albrecht, or to tinker with your new computers. You won’t have to spend so much time keeping us ticking.”

“Doc.”

The tone of Bryan’s voice made both Lane and the doctor look at him.

“Where’s Taliesin?”

The abrupt change in Bryan’s mood caught everyone in the link by surprise. The gentle giant they knew was not only angry, he was furious.

“I do not know at this moment, Bryan. Albrecht and I can force him to come to us if need be.”

“Call him. Get his ass here. I want to talk to him.”

“I will, Bryan, but not today. I promise you it will be soon, but not now. For today, and the next few days, you two need to be alone or with your brothers. You have been through so much, it breaks my heart for both of you. Be together and rest yourselves.”

With a firm squeeze of their shoulders expressing his love for them, the doctor left the room, shutting the door behind him.

<><><> 

Lane kept Bryan and himself in the link with everybody but pulled back so they were only on the surface, enough to talk if needed and to maintain the connectedness they found so comforting and relied on.

The two men looked at one another. Bryan was still in his boxers and nothing else. Lane was shirtless but wore sweatpants, his chest still showing red circles from the ECG pads.

I need to feel you, Bry.

Lowering his head, Bryan’s shoulders hunched as he started crying again. Seeing Lane in front of him, alive and breathing, caused a torrent of thoughts and emotions. Dropping to his knees, his body flushed with tension.

Lane quickly moved to him, knowing Bryan needed to get the emotions out of his system. Kneeling, Lane wrapped his arms around Bryan, pulling his head against his chest. Bryan's skin felt hot to the touch, and he was sweating again. Lane desperately wanted Bryan to understand why he did what he did, and his mental voice trembled.

I’m here, Bry. I’m sorry, man, but I didn’t know what else to do. I love you more than anything, but when I realized there was no way to open that box without the part of you that was in me… it was the only thing I could think of to do. I had to make sure you got out.

Fucker! How could you do that!? I don’t want to live without you! Haven’t you figured that out? You should just have let us both die!

Don’t say that, Bry! Fuck, don’t say that. I had to make sure you lived. I had to. I didn’t know what else to do. You’re the protector of the tree and Leroy…You had to survive! I’m sorry.

While they talked, Lane’s hands moved over Bryan’s body, trying to soothe and wash away the tension. With their connection so deep Bryan’s pain hurt Lane, tearing at him, and he realized he made the wrong decision.  He should have let them both die, and they could have gone to Heaven together. Everything in Lane was evident to Bryan as well, and he felt terrible being such a source of pain to the man he loved.

Fuck. We have to let it go, Lane. There is no blame; there can’t be. You did what you did because you love me. I get that, you little shit. I can’t be mad at you for that.

Staring into one another’s eyes, after a minute they both smiled.

You know I can’t stay mad at you when you smile like that, you little fucker.

Lane’s desperation to save Bryan was clear. Being one, being each other, there were no secrets. The fact Lane let himself be killed to save Bryan was as infuriating as it was overwhelming… and humbling.

It only took the blink of an eye for them to process everything between them. The bottom line was that they loved one another so deeply, so thoroughly, that nothing else mattered. Forgiveness and unconditional love were at the heart of all of it, along with redemption.

Pure, unselfish, unconditional love transcended their transgressions.

Both of them had the same thought in the back of their minds at the same time.

We should talk to Ken and Brad about this. They went through this already.

Staying in one another for what seemed like hours, when they came back up there was still some discomfort. As usual, the deep emotional intimacy of such sharing invoked the desire for physical intimacy.

Make love to me, Bry. I need to feel you in me.

They spent the next hour wrapped in each other's arms, striving to maintain as much physical contact as possible. Once Bryan’s mind was fully open and Lane physically charged up, the power they generated radiated like a hot fire for miles over the city. Afterward, in a hot, sweaty heap, holding and resting in each other, the healing began.

Reluctantly pulling apart, they dressed, not bothering to shower. The plan was to go home and continue their lovemaking, but as they left the room, Brad and Ken stood waiting for them with huge smiles on their faces.

Ken: You horndogs! You just lit up half the city. I bet you nine months from now, there are gonna be a bazillion babies born because of you two.

Blushing, Lane and Bryan laughed, and Brad and Ken hugged them again.

Brad: Damn, guys, you gave us a scare.

Ken: Do you know how hard it would be to get someone else to do the cookin’ at our parties? You know I’ll burn everythin’! Or take care of the music? Brad’s taste in music sucks! You two are irreplaceable!

The smile on his face covered his anxiety over almost losing two of his closest friends. Ken used humor to hide his emotions, but they knew him well and realized how shaken he was over almost losing them.

Brad: Hey guys, don’t feel any pressure if you just want to take off and be alone, but we’re starving and figured you are too. Do you want to grab something to eat with us on your way home? If you’d rather just be by yourselves, you know we more than understand.

What do you think, Bry?

Yeah, don’t tell Loy, but I could chew a fucking horse right now. We’re going to be busy all night so we should stop somewhere, but we should shower first if we’re going out.

Actually, guys, don’t worry about it. We’ll go wherever you want, and I’ll handle everything. I’ve been practicing. Check this out.

With a small surge of power from Brad their vision shifted slightly, and suddenly each wore a tuxedo with their favorite cologne. Blurring again, they were all in swim trunks and sunglasses, smelling of coconut oil.

Lane: That’s badass, Brad! I need to learn how to do that!

It’s super easy once you get the hang of it. It’s basically an external construct. Your ability to summon instruments gave me the idea. So anyway, don’t worry about how we look. Let’s hit your favorite spot and fill you up.

Ken: Oh yeah, guys, we got your car here.

Pulling their car keys out of his pocket, he tossed them to Lane.

Lane: Thanks, fellas. Okay, Bry, where do you feel like eating?

Bryan: Pampas. I haven’t been there in YEARS!

For Bryan, it was no exaggeration, and they laughed, happy he was able to put some humor into what was still a traumatic experience.

Lane: Well, that was easy. Damn, Pampas sounds good.

Bryan: I told you I was hungry.

Lane: Okay, BK, we’ll meet you guys there. Warp speed because I can hear his stomach rumbling already.

<><><> 

Usually, Brad wouldn’t use his powers selfishly, but when they arrived at the restaurant the wait was nearly two hours. In less than ten minutes, they were seated.

They were perfect, and people all over the restaurant stared. Since their initial awakening, all the guys had a natural charisma tied to their nephilim heritage. Filling out their clothes perfectly, their deeply tanned skin flawless, they had the perfect amount of unshaven scruff to knock their looks into the following week.

Starting off with mini empanadas around the table, they followed by devouring a 24oz bone-in ribeye with garlic steak fries and then ordered another round. Brad had to alter the perceptions of the wait staff to draw less attention to how much food they ate. They finished with white chocolate volcano cakes. Even Ken and Bryan were stuffed by the time they finished.

While drinking coffee after dessert, Brad pulled them more deeply together. They stayed connected through dinner but kept things light for surface thoughts and feelings, and Ken masterfully kept the conversation casual, not touching on anything serious. A short, awkward silence came after the last coffee refill, and Brad decided it was time to address the obvious.

Alright, guys. Ken and I pretty much know what you just went through. I thought about a long speech and the right thing to say but think I have a better idea. Will you merge with us now? If you’d rather wait, I understand, just know that we’re here and ready to help whenever you’re comfortable.

Bryan and Lane looked at one another, and taking each other’s hand, they held out their other hands for Brad and Ken, forming a circle. Brad was surprised when Lane took over and brought them together.

Guys, this time I want to take you where Bry and I go.

With his thought, Lane took their souls far out into creation. Bryan invoked his Avatar and Ken’s automatically synchronized, increasing its potency. Ken was always aware of it on the surface but never so strongly, and Brad was in awe of what he felt.

Through Bryan’s Avatar, life energy throughout creation flowed through them. Lane listened, and the music behind that life channeled into them. The part of Lane’s Avatar that Brad now shared magnified it, allowing him to experience the music as Lane did. Ken and Brad saw reality through the eyes and souls of their brothers, and they were in awe.

As friends and brothers, they joined as couples first and then together, wrapping each other in their minds, hearts, and souls. Brad and Ken brought Lane and Bryan in and let them relive their entire experience of Ken’s abduction, the creature, and the sacrifices they made for one another. They relived the thoughts and emotions together, and Lane and Bryan shared their experiences in Taliesin’s construct.

Having merged so often, they knew and were aware of all of it, but this time they went deeper, becoming each other and focusing on the specific events and accompanying emotions.

The harshness of the truth, but also the beauty, cut them deeply.  Naked to one another in every way, they wept and held each other through every trial and painful experience, every thought and memory, sometimes unable to do more than just be present and supportive and understanding of each other.

The compassion and empathy of Brad’s Avatar, magnified by Lane’s, helped them work through everything. In the end, there was no blame, resentment, or anger. With the love they shared and the soul bonds that tied them together, how could there be?

Everything they felt for one another was reinforced through their experience. In hours, or perhaps days, that only took a few seconds in the physical realm, they worked through everything together. It wasn’t easy, but their love for each other shone all the brighter in the end.

Through the process, Brad and Lane kept them shielded so their emotions wouldn’t spill out and affect the people around them.

When they returned to themselves, their eyes were bright with unshed tears.

Bryan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and chuckled to himself.

You sissy fuckers. I love you guys.

Ken: I’m proud of you two. Somethin’ like this could’a torn you apart.

Lane: Naw, we’re in it for the long haul. There might be a few bumps in the road, but I’m spending as much of eternity as I can with this big lug, and nothing’s going to stop me. Thanks for sharing with us, guys.

Ken: We love you guys; you know that.

There was a short pause, and Ken thought: I want you two to take a few weeks off and relax.

Bryan: I got an idea. I think everyone could use a break and have a little fun. Now that Darren and these other yahoos can teleport us easier, I want to take everyone to the tree to see Leroy. We can camp and hang out there for a while.

Ken: Shit, Bry, that sounds great! I’ve been wantin’ ‘ta do somethin’ with all of us besides a backyard party, and that would be perfect. Speakin’ of parties, we still have everythin’ for the last one, and the food’s gonna go bad if we don’t use it. How about we go ahead and cookout tomorrow at our place with everybody and then we can make plans for the campin’ trip.

Brad: I’m not saying this to put a damper on anything, but I think we need to resolve the issue with Taliesin before we take a trip. I’m guessing the doc and Albrecht already have something in mind so we can find out tomorrow. I don’t like the idea of him running around loose, and we need to get that girl out from under his control.

Ken, Bryan, and Lane all looked at Brad, and in unison thought:

Buzzkill!

They all laughed, including Brad.

Ken: Okay, guys, sorry ‘ta bust this up, but every time I get inside that sexy head of B’s it makes me horny. I need ‘ta get him home pronto!

Brad settled the tab, and they went out to the parking lot where they hugged each other goodnight, holding each other tighter and longer than usual.

Once in their cars, Brad dropped the illusion and they were once again in their shorts and t-shirts.

‘Night, you two! Sleep tight!

In their car, Bryan looked at Lane with a twinkle in his green eyes.

Sleep, hell. I’m with Ken. Nothing makes me hornier than being in your head.

Reaching over, Lane put his hand on Bryan’s crotch and grinned, hitting the accelerator. He made it home in record time, covering up his speed with two different highway patrol officers, sure Ken and Brad and the doc would understand.

<><><> 

 When The Master discovered Michael and the archangels moved his body forward in time, he was beyond furious. By the time he located his body, their rituals were complete, and the new warriors of The Order were fully awake and far more powerful. They also bore the protection of the trees! Magic removed from the world two thousand years ago was back and part of their defense!

He would have to be more careful moving forward but remained confident of their defeat. Patient and cunning, his rule over the physical realm was secure. It was time to prove them vulnerable, and turn the love they felt for each other into a weapon. Their hearts, grown so big, he would fill with agony and despair, and make them beg for an end to their suffering.

He had tracked their movements for nearly two decades. The Order thought one of their high-ranking leaders defected, but in truth he was captured and tortured until he betrayed Aaron Thomas’s plan. Always clever, the doctor masked most of his intentions from his superiors, so The Master hadn’t discovered everything, but he knew enough.

His minions tracked everyone they came into contact with. The young boy Drew and his mother Liz Hastings, Taggart Keenan the war veteran amputee, Henry Ross one of his own servants, and Greg Rawlins the man who almost killed himself and would have if they had not intervened. All these people he kept track of, even Sally Bisel, their secretary from the security firm. He knew where they were, and they would be key in his plan to fill the hearts of his enemies with despair and agony.

Your grasp is slipping.

His blood ran cold at the sound of that voice.  The Dark One hadn’t spoken to him directly in nearly a thousand years. His presence, the malevolence and power that accompanied his voice, was a pressure on The Master’s black soul that wanted to crush him. As powerful as the Master was, The Dark One could strike him down with a thought. The Curse would keep him alive, but the evil behind that voice could make him yearn for death.

I granted you dominion over this realm to do my bidding, but I begin to have doubts.

Never! I will crush them, and once vanquished, we will rule unopposed.

Do not make me intervene. If I do, it will not go well for you.

The presence of The Dark One withdrew, and the pressure on The Master’s mind went with it. Releasing the breath he held, he sat back in his throne, continuing to formulate his plan.