His flat seemed so empty now that Nick wasn't coming around. Stephen wasn't sure he could take much more of this. Every breath he took, reminded him that he had screwed up and pissed off the best friend he ever had. The best friend he ever hoped to have. He was such an idiot. So stupid it was, and it cost him the most important thing he in his life, Nick.
When he thought back he realized in the beginning he had been hers first. He had been a naïve kid back then, awe stricken by Helen Cutter. He was her student, and she taught him more things than just what was in the classroom. She broke rules by sleeping with him. But then she always liked to break rules. And vows, like the ones she had exchanged with Nick three years earlier. For the first time in his life, Stephen let emotions rule his actions, and he found himself sleeping with Helen. Not once but twice. Hell, now that he thinks back, she wasn't even that good. But she was his first and you never forget your first. The rush of power he felt when he was with her was more than he could take. So he gave in and now eight years later he is paying the price.
After the second time he slept with her, Helen pulled away. She told him she was busy, after all she had a husband and teaching position that had to come first. She just didn't have any time for him besides, she had had a weak moment. Now that her senses were clear again, she could see how much she had to lose if her fling with Stephen continued. She even patted his face and said she knew he was man enough to understand and to let her go. She told him that he needed to go to a bar and met a nice girl. As if any girl could compare to her. As much as it killed him, he let her go. But damn it hurt.
It was hard to sit in class and watch her flirt with other guys and to hear all the things that were being said about her. He wondered how her husband could live with it, or if he was really as stuck in the past as much as Helen said he was. Finally Stephen had enough. He transferred out of Helen's class and found himself in her husband's class. It was a mistake at first, he meant to go get it straightened out. But before he knew it, he was caught up in Nick Cutter's aura just like he had been in Helen's. He soon found out though, that Nick was so much a better person than Helen could ever be. He found himself thirsting for the long ago past, and for all Nick could teach him. Helen became just a flitting thought that he would shove away whenever she appeared in his mind. When the news went out that Nick was looking for a lab assistant, Stephen applied. He was pleasantly surprised when he got it.
Nick and him were still feeling each other out, when two months after he took the job Helen disappeared. Her disappearance was what really brought them together and cemented there relationship. Stephen did everything he could think of to help Nick through this very painful time. He walked the forest for hours with Nick looking for clues. He made sure Nick ate once in a while and to sleep every few days. The day that Nick found out they were giving up on finding Helen, he went on the a drinking binge that scared Stephen. It was horrible to watch, and Stephen wondered at that time how someone could care so much about another human and hurt so bad when they were gone. Now he knew. Stephen helped Nick home and to bed that night. The next day Nick was able to shake off Helen enough to pick up the pieces and go on with his life. With Stephen there to help him every step of the way. They grew closer and closer everyday.
A couple of summers after Helen disappeared, they had the chance to go to South America and help look for ancient fossils in a now dried up lake. While there, a panther killed a child from a nearby village. The animal had been wounded but the hunters from the village were unable to track it. Stephen volunteered to help. Nick didn't know about this outdoorsy part of Stephen. Watching Stephen track that animal was pure poetry. Stephen was relentless in his hunt. Stephen didn't know it but Nick wondered what it would be like to have Stephen's total focus on him, instead of a wounded animal. Sometimes he would stop and just stand, turning his head this way and that way. Then like a shot he would be off again. When Stephen and Nick caught up to the animal ten days later, no one else had managed to stay up with them. Stephen took careful aim at the animal and just as it was about to leap, and killed it. Afterwards Stephen said he really hated killing, but he was a crack shot and an animal that tasted human blood once, would carve it from then on. When the village heard that Stephen had dispatched the animal they threw him a party and named him Mighty Hunter. Stephen hated that part but Nick couldn't resist teasing him with it every now and then.
It was shortly after this that Nick revealed to Stephen he didn't love Helen. He hadn't loved her for some time. Her disappearance though did intrigue him. Stephen was just getting ready to tell Nick about him sleeping with Helen but then Nick continued. He also told Stephen that until he knew that Helen was dead for sure, or she returned and they went there separate ways legally, he would not allow himself to get into a relationship. Stephen knew that Nick was honorable like that. So he bit his tounge and didn't say anything. In this matter Stephen was truly a coward. He didn't want to lose Nick, ever.
After that grand adventure they managed to go to other areas of the world during there breaks. They spent one month hiking through the mountains of New Zealand. One month they went to Australlia and checked out the place. The best time they both thought though was the Great Wall of China. It was just so big!!!
Then that fateful day rolled around. That day Nick and him were coming back from a month in Egypt. They were discussing it when they heard a "Professor Cutter, Professor Cutter." A young student ran up to them and said he was named Conner Temple. He followed them into Nick's office/lab and before Stephen knew it, the kid mentioned Helen's name. Stephen held his breath until Nick responded, in a very polite way Stephen thought. But the icing on the cake was when the kid said the monster had been sighted in the Forest of Dean. Without hesitation Stephen raised his head from what he was examining and looked at Nick. Then he told Nick that if they left now they could be at the Forest of Dean by lunch. And they were off, with Conner tagging behind.
When they got there, they knew this was different. Stephen immediately knew that Nick was thinking this might hold the clue to Helen's disappearance. He asked Nick if he was thinking about Helen. When Nick replied in a affirmative way, Stephen couldn't help but snap off "But it doesn't explain why she didn't come back."
Later Stephen and Nick went different ways and Stephen found himself in the forest tracking something big with Conner. Stephen finally found a good footprint and from that Conner was able to tell it was a fast dangerous big animal they were tracking. And the Conner called him Mighty Hunter. Damn he was never going to get away from that.
To make a story short, Steven saved the day and destroyed the animal and there vehicle in the process. The government was brought abroad, another person joined them, a sweet girl named Abby. Gateways to other worlds were discovered and the adventure was on.
Until the day Helen showed up. Steven wishes she would have died during the eight years she was gone. He could see her now, with all blinders off. She was a manipulative bitch who only used people, she didn't have a caring bone in her body. And the more Nick pushed her away the more she worked harder into ensnaring him again. Then Nick let Helen know he was interested in someone else. And Helen blew up. She said all sorts of mean things to Nick, and then she calmly said, "I'd rather take Stephen anyway. Did he ever tell you that he and slept together way back when?" She turned to Stephen waved at him and said, "See you soon lover." Then she went through the anomaoly and was gone once again.
Nick just stared at Stephen with disappointment and hurt that Stephen finally looked away. Then Nick just walked away and he hadn't talked to Stephen since. In fact hardly anyone from the team would look or talk to him. Stephen knew they weren't calling him on all the cases, only the ones where he was really needed. It was hurting him so much. It was eating him alive.
Then his phone rang. He answered it still caught up in the past. It was Conner on the other end of the line. He told Stephen a anomaoly had opened and Nick and Captain Ryan went through. A little while later Captain Ryan crawled back. He had been shot, and was dying. But he was able to tell that Helen Cutter had shot him and taken Nick. "Please Stephen, please come help. We need you to find Nick before Helen does something to him." Stephen didn't even hang up the phone he just flew out the door.
When he got to the site, everyone was standing around looking hurt, bewildered, very much in pain. Lester met Stephen at his vehicle. He handed Stephen a couple of weapons with a bag full of ammunition. He instructed Stephen very clearly and very quietly to bring Nick back and to make sure Helen would trouble them no more. Stephen totally understood what Lester meant, so he took the equipment and flew through the anomaly. He was able to follow Captain Ryan's blood trail with no problem. Another reason to make sure Helen paid, Steven thought. He didn't know Captain Ryan well but he had been a good man.
It got a more difficult after he reached the place where the shooting happened and he lost the blood trail. Helen knew how to hide her tracks and she did it very well. But Stephen was better. Any time he got stuck, he would just close his eyes and turn around until he could sense what way Nick had gone. He could track Nick anywhere he thought.
When he finally came upon them, Nick was laying at Helen's feet. Stephen couldn't tell if Nick was dead or alive, he was too far away to see. He started praying with all his might, that Nick was still alive. Then he raised his weapon, aimed at Helen, and made a slight noise to draw her attention. When she turned around, she seemed surprise to see him. But she instantly masked that and smiled at him. Then Stephen looked her in the eye and said, "You end today." And he shot her, emptying the clip in her body.
He threw down his weapon and ran to Nick. Nick was still breathing thank goodness. He picked him up and headed back to the anomaoly. Thank goodness he ran into some soldiers half way back. Nick was heavy and he was tired.
When they got back through the anomaoly, Conner started to run over to him to ask him what happened or what it had been like, but Stephen just waved him off. He walked by Lester and nodded, then he got into his vehicle. He sat there watching them work on Nick. When the ambulance left taking Nick to help, Steven left too. And came home to his lonely big place, where Nick's precense was probably going to be only a memory.
He called the hospital a few times to check on Nick. He was glad his old friend was recovering from Helen's abuse. But deep down he knew the damage had been done, him and Nick were a thing of the past. He sent a message to Lester he was done. Lester understood and he got no more phone calls from the ARC. He never answered his phone even though it rang several times.
A week later he went into the lab, to clear out all his stuff. He had already resigned his job, where he was going he did not know. He just knew he had to find somewhere where he could escape the memory of Nick. Sometimes he wished he had stayed in the anomaoly. Maybe he would have died there and then this pain would be over.
Just as he was putting the last piece in his bag he heard, "What the hell do you think you are doing? And why?" Stephen turned to look at his friend, the man that had taught him so much. The man he admired more than anyone else in the world. The man he loved with all his heart and being. The man he had hoped someday to spend the rest of his life with. He couldn't speak, all he could do was stare and soak up the last look he was going to have of Nick Cutter. And Nick stared at him just as intensely. How long that would have continued no one knew. Conner came running in and broke the spell. Nick without breaking his glance with Stephen calmly asked Connor to leave and shut the door behind him. Conner did both.
Stephen hefted his bag and without saying a word, he slowly started to walk up to the door. Just before he opened the door he heard say, "Did you love her that much Stephen that you have to leave me?" Stephen spun around. "Love her, Love her," he shouted. "I never loved Helen. I thought I did once, but how could I love Helen with you in my heart. Nick are the one that could never forget her. Or forgive me for sleeping with her." They starred at each other a few more seconds. Then Nick said. "She left my heart shortly after you entered it. With you in my heart there was no space for her. When she told me she slept with me, it hurt Stephen. It really hurt. I have wanted to sleep with you for years, why did you think I tried to find her so bad? I wanted to be free, so I could be with you. Forgive you Stephen, there is no need. I realized while I was with Helen there was nothing to forgive. All that mattered was you, and how much I hurt thinking you would never know how I felt about you. When I got back I wanted tried to reach out, to tell you, but you never came to the hospital. You never answered my phone calls. All I could think about is that you loved her and not me. And you blamed me for having to shoot her. But I could feel you slipping away and I knew I had to talk to you anyway I could. I escaped from the hospital early this morning and have been looking for you every sense. Finally I tried your trick, stop, shut eyes, and turn away. And you pulled me here Stephen. Your love pulled me here. I know what you done to Helen Stephen, and it doesn't bother me one bit. I wish I had had the courage to do it a long time ago."
Stephen was stareing at Nick. He was trying to get his mind wrapped around what Nick was saying. Could it really be true? Or was his mind just hearing what he had so longed wanted to hear.
Then Nick said very lovingly, "Now get your butt down here and let me so you how much you mean to me." Stephen dropped his bag, turned and locked the door and then flew down the steps to Nick. His friend, his lover, his partner for the rest of his life.