Sex, Lies and Video Tape

by MsDubstep

Alan's twin sister visits, and Denny takes an immediate liking to her, much to Alan's chagrin. Is it just brotherly protectiveness or something else boiling his blood? Yes,like my other BL fics, there's SLASH. Co-written with Denny Cranes Ghostwriter.

Title: Sex, Lies and Videotape
Authors: Desala and Mr. Denny Crane's Ghostwriter
Emails: and denny_
Permission to archive: Yes, please email for permission
Fandom(s): Boston Legal
Genre (general, hetero or slash): hetero and slash
Pairing/Characters: Denny/Other; Alan/Denny
Rating: M
Warnings: none

Notes: This story was written a loonnngg time ago. It's still not finished but I found it recently and thought I would share the first part with you all. The second part I'm working on as we speak. It's been a while since I've shared a fic anyway, so this is long over due. I just want to thank Denny Crane's Ghostwriter for stirring up the pot of mischief that was possible for this story! You go girl!

Acknowledgments: Denny Crane. Alan Shore. Donnie Crane. (Hey, wait, where did HE come from?)

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

It was a serene morning at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt. And it usually was quiet in the mornings. Well, most of the time. Except for the catfights, or the sound of various things crashing onto the floor coming from the clumsy Ailene Cooper's office, or one of Denny's guns accidentally going off. Well, you get the picture.

Denny and Alan were spending this peaceful morning on Denny's balcony, as they sometimes did when they had nothing to do. Well, when Denny had nothing to do.

"You know, Denny…." Alan began, breaking the quiet for just a moment. "When you had remarked to Courtney Reese that you could deal with her being a man in disguise, it got me thinking…."

Denny snorted. "Is that why I see extra smoke in the air?"

Alan chuckled. "Can I finish?"

Denny gestured for him to do so. Alan smirked at him. Alan could never pretend not to be amused by the lighter side of Denny's many quirks.

"I was going to say….I wonder if we'd still be friends if I was a woman. Or would you try to get me into bed?"

Denny scrunched his nose and looked at Alan all funny. "I have never in my life pictured you as a woman. Ever."

Alan shrugged. "Just a thought."

A few moments later the two men heard the distinct sound of heels walking towards the office. Denny turned around and saw a brown haired, tall woman in a dark business suit strutting down the hall, passing Denny's office. Denny made an intrigued noise, making Alan turn around as well.

"Well I'll be…."Alan muttered, and went toward the woman, grinning. "Alex!" he called cheerfully.

The woman called Alex turned around and grinned back, walking toward him and hugging him. "Hey bro, how have you been?"

Alan and Alex let go and smiled at each other. "I've been great. How's law school coming?"

"I finally finished!" Alex said, bouncing on her heels excitedly. "I passed my bar exam last week, I came to tell you."

Alan beamed. "Fantastic! We should go to dinner to celebrate."

Denny came beside Alan, staring lecherously at Alex. "You're Alan's sister?"

"His twin, yes." Alex replied, nodding, smiling.

"Mmmm, I take my last comment back, Alan. "Denny said. "You'd look pretty damn good if you were a woman."

"I'm not sure whether to be flattered or not. Denny, care to join us?"

"Absolutely," he breathed, quite obviously taken with Alex.

"Alex, this is Denny Crane, senior partner here at Crane, Poole and Schmidt."

"Pleased to meet you. You're rather a legend," she said, holding out her hand.

"I know," he replied, taking her hand and gallantly kissing the back of it. "Shall we?" He held out his arm and Alex took it. Alan had a bemused look on his face as they left.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Precisely one hour later, Alan strode into Denny's office, intent upon going over a witness's testimony from a case they were chairing together. The trial was to begin the following Monday, and Alan wanted to make sure they were in accordance on their strategy.

He fully expected Denny to be at his desk. He wasn't. He heard voices and a familiar laugh and looked up toward the double doors. There, sitting in the chair on the left was Denny. And in the chair on the right…Alan's chair…was Alex. Alan frowned and strode out onto the balcony.

"Denny, we have work to do."

Denny finished laughing about whatever they'd been laughing about. "I don't want to work," he said with a wave of his hand.

"You never told me you had such a charming friend, Alan."

Alan stared at her a moment. "Denny," he said, never taking his eyes from Alex, "this is not a request. We…have…work…to…do."

"Still such a stick in the mud, little brother?"

"Little?" Denny asked as he and Alex rose to their feet.

"Yes, Denny. I'm a full four minutes younger than my sister."

"That wasn't the 'little' I was talking about, Alan."

Alan's face grew hard as Denny's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "And how, exactly, would you know how big it is?"

"Oh, God, don't tell me you're into that incest stuff. Even I draw the line somewhere," Denny moaned, shaking his head.

"Certainly not," Alex said as she continued staring her brother down. "Though there are other things worth mentioning."

"Cut scene, exit stage left," Alan said briskly, taking her by the arm and none-too-gently escorting her into Denny's office and then out into the corridor.

"Why, Alan, do you mean to tell me you've never told your best friend about…James?"

"No reason to. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do actually work here."

"Very well," she replied, nose in the air in mirror of Alan's smugness. "I shall settle myself into the Hilton. Pick me up for dinner at eight."

"Must I?"

"Oh, I'd be happy to go alone with Denny if you're inclined to stay home."

Alan opened his mouth, completely intent on saying, 'My home is Denny's home,' but then thought the better of letting his sister in on that particular secret. Instead, he just said, "And keep your trap shut about James or I'll quote from your diary, seventh grade, entry date September—"

"All right, all right." Alex turned to go. "Tell me one more thing, Alan, dear. Is Denny…involved with anyone?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

She shrugged. "I happen to find him very charming, Alan. Very charming indeed."

Oh, dear God, Alan thought as she walked away.

When a gravelly voice said in his ear, "God, she's sexy," he jumped and turned. "You know, I never pictured you having a sister that good-looking."

"She's my twin, Denny, what exactly did you expect? She's like me, only in heels."

Shirley breezed past them. "Now there's a thought," she interrupted.

"She single?"

"I don't know."

"She good in bed?"

"Denny…she's my sister."

"Mm," he growled.

Alan grabbed the sleeve of Denny's jacket and dragged him back to his office. "Let's get this over with."

"Alan, I'm not having sex with you." Denny sat down behind his desk, a thoughtful look on his face. "Your sister, however…"

"That's disgusting."

"Not to me. She's a woman. And a good-looking one, too."

"Denny, she's my twin." Alan got a devilish gleam in his eyes. "Does that mean you think I'm good-looking?"

"You're a man."

"Thank you for noticing, but that didn't answer my question."

"You know, if I married Alex, you'd be my brother-in-law."

"Marry her? You don't even know her!"

"What's to know? She's just like you, isn't she?"

Alan opened his mouth to answer, but then the full force of Denny's words sank in and all he could do was smile.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Alan picked Alex up at five minutes before eight that evening, still a bit miffed at Alex for mentioning James. He assumed she would have forgotten all about him by now, but to Alan's dismay, she hadn't. Alan had tried so hard to push him out of his mind all the years before, and he had succeeded, until now...

Alan had met James his last year of law school. He was Alex's tall, handsome, yet quiet and reserved boyfriend she met when she was in the same college studying Political Science. They had been dating for a month until Alex and James had run into Alan at a nightclub one night. James' eyes had seemed to light up at first glance of Alan, and they had surprisingly established a mutual respect, perhaps an instant bond with each other.

Alan had been more surprised when James started calling him to hang out more often, or study at each other's dorm room. But Alan had appreciated James' friendship, and that friendship was getting better each day.

Alex, however, did not appreciate her brother hanging out with her boyfriend almost more than she did, and would often tell Alan to back off, and even threatened one night to break up with James if he didn't stop hanging out with Alan.

That's when James had finally had enough, and knocked on Alan's door one night, drunk and depressed that he and Alex were on the verge of breaking up. Alan had dutifully comforted his friend. They'd hung out in his dorm room, watching a movie, drinking beer in the common room of his dorm.

That was the night James had confessed his true feelings to Alan, that he was in love with him. At hearing those words coming out of James' mouth, he just stared at him, mouth agape, not knowing what to say, and when words finally came to him, he didn't get to say them because James pressed his lips to Alan's in a soft kiss. Alan just sat there, frozen, not knowing what to do, and James got the hint. He pulled away, an awkward look on his face. They had an awkward, yet necessary conversation. Alan was not attracted to James that way, and even if he was, James was still Alex's boyfriend. James just nodded, and the night went quiet. He soon fell asleep on the floor; Alan turned off the movie and went to sleep.

The next morning, James was gone. He had snuck out of Alan's room before Alan woke up. Ever since that day Alan had tried to reconcile the friendship, but James refused to, saying that the night he kissed Alan ruined that friendship, and no matter how many times Alan had tried to reassure him, it never worked.

Alan had accepted this, however begrudgingly, and moved on with his life. He'd thought everything was fine from that moment on, until Alex had found out about the kiss.

Apparently, Alan's roommate, a film major, had left his video camera on while he was sleeping, and had recorded the whole incident. Soon, this tape was the conversation topic of almost the entire student body, and Alan's reputation was from then on tarnished. And as far as Alex was concerned, that was enough payback Alan deserved to get. She'd smirk every time a student would call him a 'faggot', or some other derogatory name. And when Alan finally had enough of it all, he confronted Alex. The fight that ensued was not pretty in the very least.

Oh sure, they had reconciled before Alan graduated that year. That year, Alex had also gotten kicked out of college for allegedly participating in a hate crime against 3 gay men. She was found innocent in court, but Alan never had any concrete evidence that she was truly innocent. Now that they both had something hanging over their heads, it was time to let their differences be pushed aside. And that was that. The hate crime or the incident with James was never mentioned again.

So why, after almost 25 years is Alex mentioning this? In front of Denny, no less? Well, Denny didn't know about it now, and as long as Alan lived, Denny would never know.

Now, as Alex and Alan were sitting quietly in this semi-crowded Indian restaurant, Alex poked Alan in the shoulder.

"Why so quiet?"

"Just thinking." Alan replied.

"About?" Alex prodded.

Alan sighed. "Can I please keep one thought to myself?"

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Someone's snippy this evening."

"Well, if you hadn't mentioned that incident with James earlier, I'd be a bit more cheery." Alan said, matching Alex's glare.

"Come now, surely you can't be sore about him still."

"Why would you even bring it up, Alex? And in front of Denny, no less?"

"Bring what up in front of me?" came a familiar voice from behind him. Alan felt Denny's hand trail across the back of his chair and he stiffened ever-so-slightly. He watched as Denny bowed to Alex and kissed the back of her hand. "Miss Shore," he said, ever the debonair Lothario.

"Mr. Crane, I'm so pleased you could make it. I was never so disappointed as when my brother showed up alone."

"Well, given the choice between me and him," Denny said, eyes twinkling.

"We were just talking about history," Alex said as Denny seated himself opposite her, side-by-side with Alan.

"I bet you have some really good stories about this one."

"Oh, I do, Mr. Crane."

"Please. Call me Denny."

"Of course, Denny. Tell me, what's it like working with this oddity known as my brother?"

"Well, we're both oddities so I guess in a way we cancel each other out," Denny replied, smiling fondly at Alan. "I can't believe you have such a ravishing sister."

Alex smiled as Alan just looked at Denny. Finally the waiter came and orders were placed. Glasses of wine were drank and refilled and the rest of dinner unfolded with no incident, no dreadful stories from the past and more heavy flirting from both Denny and Alex than Alan thought he'd ever seen in his life.

It made him nauseous.

He excused himself to the bathroom, returning to find that Denny and Alex were ready to leave. "We're going dancing," Alex said. "Would you like to join us?"

"You should, Alan, you're a helluva dancer."

"I've always found dancing in triangle formation to be awkward at best," he replied stiffly. "I'll just head home." He felt Alex's eyes on him as he turned to leave. Why the hell was he acting like a jealous schoolboy? The reason why suddenly grabbed his arm as he was making his way out the restaurant's front doors.

"Alan, are you all right? You don't…mind…me going dancing with your sister…do you?"

"Denny, you and she are both adults. You can do whatever you want. After all, I've no hold over either of you." Alan looked him in the eyes only briefly. "Have I." It wasn't a question. He turned as the valet brought his car around, and didn't look back as he got into the driver's seat and sped away.

Denny stood on the sidewalk for a few moments, staring after his friend and housemate in confusion. Alex soon joined him. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Mm," he replied, nodding absently. "Alex, is your brother…I mean, is he…you know."

"No, I don't know. Is he what?"

Denny's limo appeared in front of them and Denny sighed. "Never mind," he said. "Let's go dancing."

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Denny finally arrived back home at midnight that night. When he came in, Alan was watching a movie in the living room. He looked up at Denny briefly as he put his coat on the rack, but went back to watching the TV.

Denny wasn't phased by Alan's dismissiveness, in fact he looked elated as he plopped down on the couch next to Alan.

"Your sister's one hell of a dancer." Denny said, grinning.

Alan looked at him. "And what else did you and Alex do on your little outing?"

Denny blinked. "Well, we had a few drinks and then I had my limo drive her back to her hotel room."

Alan tilted his head slightly. "And that's all?"

Denny frowned. "What's with you, man? Is it that time of the month already?"

Alan sighed. "The thought of my best friend with my sister bothers me a bit, I'll admit that."

"I haven't slept with her, if that's what you meant." Denny said. "You don't want me to sleep with her?"

"That's not my decision, Denny. If both of you consent to sex eventually, I have no control over that, we're all adults." Alan replied. "But if you hurt her in any way, that will bother me a lot more."

Denny's face softened. "Alan, if it really bothers you….I won't ruin what we have with what may or may not be a romp with Alex. You're important too."

Alan smiled just a little. As flattered as Alan was that Denny didn't want to ruin their friendship, he couldn't deny Denny or Alex the chance to be happy. They seemed very, very fond of each other. And as much as Alan was fond of Denny, Alan was not the one Denny wanted. Alan would just have to deal with the disappointment.

"If you and Alex want to be with each other, I have no right to take that away, regardless of how I feel about it." Alan said, looking Denny straight in the eye.

Denny smiled and clapped Alan on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Alan Shore. A good man."

Alan smirked. "I try not to make a habit of it, but for you I make an exception."

Denny gave him a dismissive hand wave. "Enough with the mush, I'm going to bed. You coming?"

'I wish….' Alan thought.

"In a little while," he said.

Denny got up, yawning, and headed toward the bedroom. "Night, Alan."

"Goodnight." Alan said quietly. Denny disappeared into the hall, and Alan turned off the TV and sat back on the couch, sighing. He wondered how awkward he'd feel around Denny now. Considering how Alan felt for him.

It had come to him suddenly about two weeks ago. He was having another restless night while Denny was on a business trip, leaving Alan to sleep alone and think about him. And it occurred to Alan why he thought about Denny so much. He had begun to fall in love with him. But why Denny, he had asked himself. He was 30 years older; he had an almost annoying love for guns, not to mention he was often arrogant, rude, tactless and insensitive. The question plagued his mind for a week. Why Denny? Why him?

A week later, he was able to think of an answer to the daunting question. Denny was a free spirit. He had a healthy lack of inhibition, and he was never afraid to speak his mind. Denny never played any mind games with Alan, or with anyone for that matter. What you saw was what you'd get.

Alan was also incredibly comfortable with him. It was the reason why Denny was the very first person he asked to sleep next to him at night to guard him against leaping out the window due to his night terrors. Denny was fiercely protective of people he cared about, Alan realized this when Denny shot a man who tried to kill him. That was also another thing he liked about Denny. Despite being a bit stubborn sometimes, he never stopped caring about Alan, and he showed it more with his actions than his words, which was what mattered the most.

Denny would make a good lover, despite his need to have sex with anything that has a pair of breasts. Although Alan wouldn't mind if Denny had sex with other women, just as long as he never stopped loving Alan.

But that would never happen, for the simple fact that Denny was the most heterosexual man Alan had ever met. Well, besides Paul. Still, Denny would never want him. Simply because he was a man. And he was interested in Alan's sister, which Alan thought extremely ironic. He silently cursed himself for being a fraternal male twin instead of a female. Not only would he and Denny had already slept with each other (well, slept together in a sexual manner) but Alan would already know Denny's intentions. Sure Denny would want to have sex with Alan if he was a woman, but would he want to love him?

It didn't matter now, though. Fate had cruelly made Alan and Alex who they were, and the future lay ahead of them. A fairly happy one for Alex and Denny, and a fairly dismal one for Alan. He again sighed and frowned at the blank television.

Alan decided he was going to sleep on the couch that night.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Denny grumbled and snorted a bit, rolling over from his back to his left side. But instead of being stopped in mid-motion like he was on most nights, he rolled completely over onto his stomach, startling him awake. He forced his eyes open and tried to figure out what was different.

He was in bed.

He was in the middle of the bed.

He was…

Denny sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. He was alone. Frowning, he rose and made a pit-stop in the bathroom to relieve himself before moving down the hall. He peeked into the bedroom next door to his. Sometimes Alan would move over there if, as he put it, Denny's pig noises hogged the room.

He opened the door, but the room was empty. Frowning, he turned to go down the steps. As they brought him down into the foyer, he heard a sound he couldn't quite place. Stepping onto the cold tile floor, he listened a little harder. It was coming from the living room.

He walked in, feet sinking into the plush carpeting, and his frown deepened. There, flopped on the couch with one arm and one leg hanging off, was Alan. He was snoring a little, but that wasn't all. He was talking.

Denny had known him to talk in his sleep from time to time, but the words had mostly been unintelligible, or Denny had been too sleepy to focus well enough to hear anything more than just mumbo-jumbo. Now, however, awake enough from searching for his bed-mate, he not only heard the words, he understood them.

"Find…no…can't…James…but Alex…no…"

Denny moved closer and sat down in a wing chair merely a foot from where Alan's head hung precariously on the edge of the sofa.

"She didn't…you don't know…James, she didn't…no…no…"

Whatever it was, it was clear to Denny that Alan was having some sort of nightmare. His face and bared torso were covered with a thin sheen of sweat. He moved restlessly; a couple of times Denny fully expected him to go ass-over-head onto the floor.

"Won't let you…James…"

Who was this James? He seemed unpleasant at best, and suddenly Denny felt something rise in him. What was it? Anger? Anger at what?

"Please don't…she didn't do it…"

Anger at James. Anger for whatever memory it was that was causing Alan to have this nightmare. Torturing his subconscious enough to keep him here on the sofa instead of in bed with Denny where he belonged. The thought startled Denny out of his reverie and his eyes widened as he leaned back in the chair. Where he belonged?

How are you supposed to court a woman when you think her brother's the one that belongs in your bed?

It was true enough. And yet he didn't mean belonging as in belonging. He meant it as…Denny scratched the stubble on his face. What did he mean it as?

Alan continued to toss a bit, but the clarity of his words had turned to muttered nonsense now. Denny found he couldn't take his eyes off him, and that disturbed him. But he couldn't force himself to look away. And yet for the moment his eyes weren't actually seeing the man stretched out on the sofa. Instead they were turned inward, searching…seeking the truth…unwilling to find it yet compelled to do so.

It felt like he was walking down a path. A path inside his mind that he hadn't walked in more years than he could count. There were strange doors on both sides, and as he came upon each one he stopped and stared at it, but knew somehow the door wasn't right. And so he kept going until at last there was a door that was different. It was covered with grime and decades of dust. It was bound with chains thicker than those covering Jacob Marley, and padlocks that would put a dungeon master to shame. He approached the door, knowing it was the right one. But how to unlock it?

"Denny?"

Denny's eyes widened. Alan? Alan was behind the door?

"Denny."

It couldn't be.

"Denny!"

Denny jumped, nearly falling out of the chair as he came back to the here and now. He stared at Alan, who was still lying there on the sofa, but whose eyes were now open.

"You're awake."

"Yes. Are you okay, what are you doing down here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

Alan shrugged. "Did you roll over onto your stomach again?"

"Yes," Denny groused, rising to his feet. "Damned uncomfortable."

"I'll buy you a body pillow."

"Don't need a damn body pillow. Already got one. Now, come on."

Alan wanted to say no. He wanted to say, How are you ever going to sleep with Alex if her brother's lying right there with you? He wanted to tell him that if he was going to pursue a relationship with his sister, he would need to move back to his hotel room. He wanted to say all these things and more, but Denny stood there with an almost puppy dog-like pathetic look on his face and Alan knew he couldn't say no.

At least, not tonight.

He smiled and rose to his feet. "Okay, Denny. I'm your body pillow. Let's go to bed."

Denny nodded curtly and headed for the staircase. A pained look crossed Alan's face, but only fleetingly. He had one more night in Denny Crane's bed. He wasn't about to spoil it by thinking about tomorrow. Or about his sister. Or about anything but soothing pig sounds and rhythmic snoring.

He would think about reality in the morning.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL

Denny's rough slumber was officially interrupted at 7:30 AM that morning when his alarm rudely awoke him. Denny groaned and rolled over to Alan's usual side of the bed, frowning sleepily when he found Alan still was not there. Denny had half expected Alan to be already awake when 7 am rolled around, but it still gave Denny a strange, sad feeling in his gut seeing that Alan was not next to him, waking up slowly next to him and giving him a sleepy half smile like he sometimes did.

Denny grunted in dismay and got up out of bed. He trudged, still half asleep, down the stairs and went into the living room. Alan was awake, still in his crumpled up, slept-in pants and dress shirt, but bare foot. He was sitting up on the couch and watching the news. Alan apparently had been too out of it last night to even bother to change into his PJs.

"Mornin'." Denny said, plopping down next to Alan.

"Good morning….how did you sleep?" Alan replied.

"Fine." Denny said instantly. 'You liar….' Denny's inner voice told him as the weather forecast suddenly became very interesting.

"I didn't disturb you too much last night?" Alan asked.

"No." Denny said, inwardly cringing.

"Good." Alan turned his attention back to the weather forecast.

The two men watched television and drank coffee in silence for quite a while. Alan didn't even look at Denny for the entire news cast, and Denny wondered what the hell was going on his weird little head now.

About 5 minutes after the news ended, Alan shut off the TV, and got up to go upstairs, presumably to shower and put on clean clothes before work, but he stopped in his tracks. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he turned to Denny.

"I've been doing a bit of thinking….so of course, if you smell smoke, that's just me, I didn't burn anything in the kitchen." Alan quipped, giving out an empty laugh, but his half smile quickly faded as his thoughtful expression turned to something more like troubled, and Denny frowned.

"What is it?" he asked.

Alan licked his lips and sat back down on the couch, smoothing back his hair. "Well, seeing that you plan on bedding Alex sometime soon, I think it's best if I move out of the house and back into my hotel room….I know you would have kicked me out anyway, so….I figured I'd take some initiative and just kick myself out."

Denny blinked. "I…wouldn't have kicked you out. I mean, you could still stay in the guest room. This is your place too, you know."

"I know, but the fact that you and Alex are going to be sleeping together makes me uncomfortable enough as it is, but if I were to walk in and hear you and her….engaging….I'd go a little crazy."

"You could always join us." Denny said.

"Denny!" Alan said, a clearly disgusted look on his face.

"Err…right." Denny mumbled, coughing. "Sorry…look Alan, you don't have to move out. We can work out something. I can go to her house." Denny's heart started to sink. He just couldn't picture living here without Alan anymore. Maybe it was some sort of strange co-dependence that he'd developed with him, but the thought of him not around made Denny sad, which in turn made him very confused. He still had to make Alan stay somehow, nonetheless.

Alan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Denny. It's just for the best. As much as I deeply appreciated you letting me stay here….I think it's time for me to move on."

Denny's heart felt like it had shattered. Why was he feeling like this in the first place? No doubt, he wanted Alex. Badly. But it felt like it was ruining his friendship with Alan in the process.

"Alan….we're still…you know, friends, aren't we?" he asked, feeling very unsure at that moment.

Alan gave him his best reassuring smile and nodded. "Of course we're still the best of friends. I don't think that will change. But I need to give you and Alex some space, and by living here, I restrict that space. This is the only way I see this working out." Alan looked down for a moment, licked his lips, then looked back up at Denny. "I hope you'll understand."

Denny nodded numbly. It was no use trying to convince him now. As stubborn as Alan was…well, OK, as stubborn as they both were, they'd probably end up in an argument, and that was never good.

Alan squeezed his shoulder, gave him another small smile and started upstairs. Denny stared after him much like a sad little puppy, not wanting his companion to leave his side. Alan was leaving, but not his side. Just the warm, cozy house and back into the heart of Boston, all alone again in a lonely hotel room. Denny felt rather sad for Alan as well as himself. Didn't Alan know that Denny's house would be more inviting, more like a home than any hotel room would be?

But this was Alan's decision. And maybe it was for the best, as Alan said. Denny would just have to get used to the way things were before Alan moved.

Denny wrinkled his nose. 'You're such a fucking sap,' he scolded himself as he slumped back on the couch.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Everyone from the first junior associated located near the elevator, to the receptionist behind the front desk, to the scads of paralegals, admins and associates filling the corridors to Brad and Shirley who were standing not far from Denny's office noted the duo entering side-by-side were more than just a little muted. In fact, they were downright somber. Shirley left Brad and followed Denny into his office, while Alan parted ways and went to his own office.

"Denny?"

Denny held up a hand to silence her as he picked up his ringing phone. "Denny Crane." He listened for a moment, face brightening. "Why, yes, Alex, that can be arranged." Just as suddenly his face fell. "No, I don't think he'll be joining us." More moments as he listened. "Yes, okay. Swing by, we'll try the Indian place down the street. Okay, Alex. Bye."

Denny seemed to hesitate, as though trying to pull himself together, before turning his attention to Shirley. "Whatever it is you want, you're welcome to stay for breakfast. It should be here in a few minutes."

"I already ate. Is everything okay?"

"Of course it is. I'm having lunch with a beautiful woman."

"You don't seem as pleased about that as you ought to."

"That's just your imagination," Denny said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Either that or you're jealous."

"I don't think I'm the one who's jealous."

Denny looked at her sharply. Shirley held her hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, fine, I won't get involved. Just…" Shirley took a deep breath as she turned to go. "Don't give up the apple for the apple pie. What's sweeter and more tempting isn't always what's best for you."

Denny stared after her as she exited, trying desperately to figure out what the hell she'd just said.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

The morning passed without incident. Denny and Brad met with some new clients for the first time while Alan spent the morning in court arguing a case against a local furniture manufacturer for a couple whose bed had broken while they were having sex, breaking the woman's leg and the man's arm. Normally these were the kinds of cases that warmed Alan's cockles, as he might have put it, but today the fun seemed to have gone out of it, as though what had at first seemed to be a juice T-bone steak had overnight turned into a hollowed-out bone.

Alan knew what the problem was, of course, as he made his way back to Crane, Poole and Schmidt. No chance to dwell on it, however, as his cell phone rang. He whipped it out and flipped it open. "Shore."

"Right back at you, bro."

"Hi, Alex. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"Just leaving the courthouse. I was in trial this morning, have to be back again this afternoon."

"Oh, then you'll have time for lunch!"

"With you, sure. You want to meet me somewhere?"

"Well, Denny and I were going to try an Indian restaurant down the street. I'm just entering your building now."

Alan's face fell as he got into his car. Lunch with the two of them was not something he felt up to, especially having to appear in court again this afternoon. "You know what, Alex, I was just going to have lunch at my desk. I have a little research to do for this afternoon, so I can't really afford to lose the time."

"Since when does work come before family?"

Since you broke the two apart for me, he thought. Aloud, he said, "Oh, come on, Alex, you know how court cases are. I have a lot to prepare." She didn't respond. "I'll see you later on, maybe we can have dinner?" He bit his lip. "Alone?"

"But I was going to—look, I'm getting into the elevator now, I'll lose the signal. I'll call you this evening."

Alan closed his cell phone and sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd tried fooling himself into believing it was. Because tonight, dinner with Alex or no, he'd be going back to an empty hotel room for the first time in so many months he'd lost count. For the first time he'd be sleeping alone, if you didn't count the couch last night. He'd seen the way Denny had looked at Alex. And he couldn't deny him what his heart wanted. Alan sighed as he started the car.

Couldn't deny his best friend happiness even if it meant Alan himself would never share Denny Crane's bed again.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Later that evening, Alan and Alex met for dinner. Alex was in a chipper mood when she arrived, but Alan wasn't. Alex noticed and after several minutes of silence, wasn't about to let Alan's foul mood go unchecked.

"Alright, what's with the mood this time, Alan?" Alex said with a frown on her face. "Last time we went to dinner, you were acting all moody…..what's been with you?"

"I'm not moody, Alex." Alan said. "Just thinking."

"About?" Alex prompted.

Alan felt his body tense. 'Here we go….' Alan thought, as he knew what he was about to tell Alex would not please her in the least.

"I feel a bit apprehensive about you and Denny."

Alex gave him a confused look. "What about Denny and I?"

"Well, you two seem interested in each other, don't you?" Alan asked.

Alex smiled at this. "We certainly are. In fact, he wants to see me again tomorrow night. He's so charming. And funny as well! He had me laughing almost the whole way through lunch today. And not to mention he's so handsome…." Alex sighed happily.

Alan's appetite all of a sudden diminished. He tried to squash the urge to vomit by drinking a bit of his ice water. Alex's overly dramatic swooning over a man she had just met the other night was off-putting at best.

"He definitely has his quirks." Alan remarked dryly. Alex's smile faded.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. "He hasn't said anything bad about me, has he?"

"I didn't mean anything by that, Alex," Alan said exasperatedly. "He has said nothing but good things about you, I can assure you."

Alex grinned wide. "Oh, good. I was afraid I hadn't made a good impression."

"You have."

"Then what's got you all twisted up in a knot?" Alex asked.

Alan sipped his ice water again, once more trying to ease the unpleasant feeling in his gut.

"Well, Denny's a very good friend of mine." Alan began. "But…I don't know if Denny understands my apprehension fully, but I sincerely hope he has the best intentions for you in mind."

Alex smirked. "You're worried he just wants a quick screw?" she laughed and shook her head. "Alan, I know his type. If he just wanted to screw me and run, he would have done that last night. Denny Crane goes for what he wants, and I know he's interested in me." She frowned slightly. "Did he say something different to you?"

"He is definitely attracted to you," Alan replied, the unpleasant feeling in his gut becoming less than easy to ignore. "But to what extent, I'm not quite sure."

"Well, he seemed to be more than sexually attracted to me today, and last night," Alex said. She touched Alan's hand and smiled at him tenderly. "I know as my brother, you have the instinct to protect my virtue or whatever, but it's been almost 2 years since the divorce. I've made it. I'm a big girl, so don't get all stressed over this."

'Easy for you to say…' Alan thought.

"I'll make it easy on both of us and drop the subject before things become too mushy for my taste, "Alan quipped. He licked his lips and looked at her with a serious expression. "Be careful."

'Both you and Denny…'

Alex laughed. "I will, OK?"

Alan nodded and sat back in his chair. He sighed quietly. It was out of his hands now. All he could do was watch and just deal.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Alan turned the key in the lock and opened the door. More than ever it smelled like a hotel room, the scent of cleaning products and standard fabric softener assaulting him as he stepped inside. He flipped on a light and looked around. The room was just as he'd left it so long ago…lifetimes ago, it seemed. It was cold. Impersonal. Gone were the wild pictures of Denny's younger days. Gone was the enlarged photo of the two of them at Nimmo with one-and-a-half fish. Gone were a lifetime of Marine and attorney memories that usually adorned the walls and bookshelves.

Gone was any trace of Denny Crane.

Alan sighed as the door swung slowly closed beside him. Rather than worry about unpacking his clothes and putting them away, he simply dropped the bags in the small foyer and moved to the bar, pouring a vodka and drinking it straight, then pouring another. He looked at the bed. It seemed so empty. Here he would be alone tonight. He absentmindedly walked around checking the locks on the windows, simultaneously finishing his second vodka.

When he went to pour the third, he knew he was in trouble. If he kept drinking like this he'd have a hangover the likes of which would make him nearly useless in court the next day, and in spite of the doldrums of his case he did need to be relatively alert. But Alan felt compelled to drown it out…the loneliness that was already engulfing him, the ache in his chest that returned with a vengeance…the indescribable feeling of desertion.

He drained another glass and poured some more. Images of Denny and Alex floated through his mind. Maybe Denny really was falling in love with her, and she with him. Maybe their relationship would be a success and they'd get married. He pictured Alex as she'd been in her gorgeous wedding gown for her one and only marriage to date. God, she'd been beautiful. Her wavy hair; her large, blue eyes; the smile that spoke of complete and utter joy. And then he saw her groom, only this time it wasn't David Rudin. This time, it was Denny Crane.

Alan remembered what Denny had looked like in a tux from his marriage to Bev. And he saw himself, too, standing there at Denny's side as his best man. Overjoyed at Denny's happiness but all too soon as they said their I do's realizing what it really meant. He downed the glass of vodka in one gulp. And then the picture in his mind twisted and morphed until it was he standing opposite Denny rather than Bev. His eyes widened, it was like watching a movie as it played out before him.

"Mr. Crane, if you will."

"I, Denny, take thee, Alan to be my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before."

Alan saw his eyes glistening.

"I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together."

He saw Denny grin widely.

"I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

"Now, Mr. Shore, it's your turn."

Alan saw himself putting a gold band on Denny's ring finger and closed his eyes against the images and words that would not leave him.

"I, Alan, take thee, Denny, to be my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow."

They both knew what it meant, and he watched as Denny's eyes, too, filled with tears.

"I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

Somehow at that moment, all Alan could see were their hands joined together, bands sparkling in the candles surrounding them. He couldn't even see the priest or judge or whomever was performing the ceremony; nor could he see who, if anyone, was in attendance. There was nothing and no one but he and Denny together in the eyes of whatever force existed, pledging their lives and love forever.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of the State of Massachusetts, I now pronounce Denny Crane and Alan Shore, married. You may seal the union."

Alan's heart started pounding in his chest as Denny leaned in, eyes closing. He could almost feel the heat of the other man's breath on his face as their lips grew closer and closer…

"Alan…"

Even during a kiss, Denny had to talk.

"Alan?"

Why didn't he just shut up and kiss him?

"Alan!"

Alan's eyes opened wide and he jumped to his feet, heart threatening to escape through his ribcage. It took him a moment to realize he was no longer alone, and another moment to realize it was Denny standing before him. He looked suspiciously around, wondering if he'd see a justice of the peace or candles. He looked down at Denny's hand, but there was no ring. Nor on his own. Had he fallen asleep or something?

"Alan, are you all right? What are you doing sleeping upright in this chair? You'll get a kink in your neck."

With that, Denny moved behind the chair and removed Alan's suit jacket. Hands on his shoulders, he guided Alan back down into the chair and began kneading his neck. Alan stiffened under the touch, still reeling from the intensity of his vision.

"Wow, you're tight. Have a bad day in court? Is that why I didn't see you on the balcony tonight?"

Alan didn't trust himself to speak. He still couldn't get the image of the two of them getting married out of his mind, couldn't stop hearing the words tumbling around over and over in his head. And so he just shook his head no and for the moment relaxed enough to start enjoying the backrub.

Denny did this frequently, his way of being close to Alan, Alan had always guessed, without being obvious about it. Backrubs are often given in the military to help keep the soldiers in shape…brother helping out brother…no big deal to a man. But to Alan they had always held deep significance. Denny would touch him, almost intimately sometimes, because Alan always seemed wound tighter than a drum. Yet after what he'd just witnessed, his mind let the strong fingers now almost caressing his neck take his thoughts somewhere that was not safe. Not here. Not now.

Alan wrenched away and came to his feet, turning and looking at Denny's surprised face apologetically. Denny frowned. "Did I hurt you?"

Alan closed his eyes. Not yet, he thought. "I'm just…I'm tired. Did you need something?"

Denny circled around the chair to stand in front of him, frown deepening. "Yes, the company of my best friend. I missed that tonight. And…" Denny shrugged. "The house seems so empty."

"You mean Alex isn't there?"

"What? No. No, she's not. She's staying here, actually, three floors up."

"Oh."

"You didn't know that?"

Alan shrugged. "I guess I didn't ask her where she was staying."

"Alan, are you sure you're okay? You don't look so good. And you smell like the Smirnoff factory."

Alan's head was swimming, whether because of the vodka, the dream or Denny's close proximity, he couldn't tell. Suddenly his stomach lurched and he took off at a dead run for the bathroom. Within seconds his entire dinner had been expelled into the toilet and he found himself far less nauseous but no less dizzy as he flushed the toilet and gripped the edge of the sink. Slowly he brushed his teeth, wondering if Denny had left while he puked.

But he emerged to find a bottle of water being held out to him along with two aspirins. "Take these, they'll help. You want me to get you to bed?"

No, Alan didn't want Denny to help him anything. Especially not anywhere near a bed. But after taking the aspirin and draining half the bottle of water, he took a step and nearly fell into the wall. Denny's strong arms caught him.

"Okay, soldier, that's it. We're getting you to bed."

Alan tried to launch some sort of protest but it died on his lips as he leaned on Denny. The older man sat him down on the bed and proceeded to remove his shoes and socks. He then loosened Alan's tie and pulled it off over his head. Next was his light blue dress shirt, which he knelt in front of him and began to unbutton one button at a time. Alan stared at him through a haze of mixed desire and uncertainty as the fingers deftly did away with the buttons and removed his shirt.

"Lay down," Denny ordered.

Alan complied, scooting up until his head was on a pillow. Denny undid Alan's belt buckle and Alan felt his cock twitch as Denny unhooked and unzipped the slacks, then slowly began inching them down his hips. His face reddened as he felt his erection grow beneath his boxers, which left nothing to the imagination. He watched as Denny pulled the pants off the ends of his feet and placed them on the bed, then returned to sit at Alan's side. He saw Denny's eyes stray to his cock and licked his lips, wishing for all the world Denny would reach out and take him in his hand. Just once.

"Alan, you need some sleep, you've got court tomorrow."

"What about you?" Alan managed to squeak out.

"I don't have anything pressing in the morning other than being here to make sure you get your ass out of bed on time. So I'll be back at seven. Okay?"

"You going to Alex?" Alan wanted to kick himself for sounding like a petulant child.

"I was going to, yes." Denny looked away for a moment. "I'm not going to hurt her, Alan. I would never do that to her." He looked back down at Alan's half-closed eyes. "Or to you."

Alan nodded and closed his eyes against the pain. Denny wasn't intentionally hurting him, no, and he knew Denny never would, just as he said. But unintentionally? Alan rolled over, facing away from Denny as he fought against the scene of he and Denny exchanging vows. Now the scene changed again, and it was Alex in Alan's place, dressed in the tux he'd been wearing and saying the words he'd been saying.

He felt Denny's hand on his arm. "Good night, Alan." He couldn't respond. He just couldn't get any words to come. Denny's hand left him and he felt the bed move as Denny rose to his feet. Sounds of him moving through the hotel room. The door opening. The soft hiss as it swung closed. The click as it locked. And Denny was gone.

Alan's heart felt like it was going to fall apart. His voice, when it came, was barely a whisper. "To cherish you for as long as we both shall live." He took a deep breath, fighting the sob that threatened to escape. "Oh, God…"

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

The next morning at the office, pretty much everyone at the firm knew that Alan was not at his snarky, sarcastic best. At the staff meeting, he didn't make one snide remark. He just sat there, barely listening to anything anyone said. Not even to Brad, who always tended to irritate him.

But, what was most worrisome is that he didn't even look at Denny. Not once.

Shirley seemed to be the only person who was concerned about this. If she was completely honest with herself, Alan and Denny's antics, and Alan's snide back and forth banter with Brad, were some of the things that kept the office interesting. Oh, there was no doubt that some measure of decorum was needed in order to keep a law firm under control, but when Alan or Denny made some of the remarks they made, she just had to smile.

She concluded by the end of the staff meeting that Denny and Alan must have had another spat. This was a rare thing, but it happened, and she wouldn't get involved.

Brad came up to him after the staff meeting, with a curious smirk. He placed his hand over Alan's forehead. "Feelin' OK, sport?"

Alan didn't even smirk back, as he usually did. He just narrowed his eyes at Brad. "I'm feeling just super. Take your empty concern elsewhere, please."

Brad blinked and raised his eyebrows, clearly taken aback. He withdrew his hand quickly. "What's with you?"

Alan continued to glare at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The staff members who were lingering in the conference room chatting after the meeting were silent now, and looking at Alan. Alan looked around, immediately noticing the silence. 'The man never loses his perception, even when moody.' Shirley dryly thought.

Alan then walked out of the room, not saying another word. Shirley turned to Paul, who was still in the room.

Paul shook his head. "Leave him alone. If this involves Denny, you'd best let him deal with it on his own; God knows what's wrong with them now."

A young junior associate snickered, picking up her briefcase. "Awww. Denny and Alan are having another lover's quarrel."

Paul and Brad rolled their eyes and left the conference room. The rest of the staff that attended the staff meeting soon followed. Shirley slowly waltzed out of the conference room, thinking.

Normally, Shirley would just brush this off as just a 'lover's quarrel', as most of the imaginative young associates liked to call it these days. But if she was honest with herself, she was pretty nosy, especially when it came to Denny. She'd known the man 30 years, and they never kept secrets from each other. Not without some measure of prodding from Shirley. Shirley decided that's what she was going to do. Alan and Denny had been acting weird around each other for days. She just couldn't stand around and let that happen. Besides, whenever Denny was moody, he just sat around his office and played with his paintball guns. Shirley was not going to be calling the window man to clean the paint off again.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

There was a knock at the door. Alan looked up and inwardly groaned.

"Alan?"

"Yes, Denny."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, now if you'll excuse me…" Alan made a great show of shuffling papers and opening a folder, pretending none-too-convincingly that he was reviewing a case file.

"No, I won't excuse you. You're not acting like yourself and I want to know what's wrong."

Alan looked at him and leaned back in his chair. He knew in his head that he was acting like an idiotic child, but he couldn't help how he felt. He couldn't help the memory of his dream burned into his mind's eye. Even now looking at Denny he pictured him in his tux, smiling, holding a gold ring out to him, and his heart seemed to break all over again.

"It's nothing, Denny, why don't you just go have breakfast with Alex."

"How did you know she was here?"

"She's here?"

"Yes. She's waiting in my office so we can have breakfast together, I'm having it brought in."

Alan closed his eyes. So often it had been he and Denny to sit in Denny's office and have the catered breakfast, if not eat at home before coming in. Slowly but surely, Alex was taking his place at Denny's side.

"Alan, are you jealous?"

"Jealous? What the hell would I be jealous of? It's not like we were ever lovers."

Denny narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you sound like a woman scorned?"

"Denny, I think you should just leave it. Go to your office, go to my sister, have your fun."

"My fun? You think I'm not serious about Alex, is that it?"

"Denny, you were deadly serious about Bev and you couldn't even stay faithful to her for one day." The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them, not just for their hurtful effect but for the fact that what had happened with Bev had nothing to do with why he felt the way he did.

"Are you judging me? You've never judged me. That's one of the things I've always…liked about you."

"I'm not judging you, I'm simply stating fact."

"So you think I'll do the same to Alex."

Alan shrugged. "I don't have a crystal ball."

Denny moved forward, coming to stand directly across the desk from him. "Alan, are you sure this is about my history of infidelity?"

"What the hell else would it be about?" Alan countered, rising to his feet. Neither of them noticed Shirley standing in the door. "You don't own me and I don't own you. You've fallen in love with my sister, what of it? Why should it bother me? Why should I care? If you're happy, I'm happy."

"That's bullshit and you know it. You really think I'm going to hurt her, don't you? You don't trust me with her."

Alan closed his eyes and shook his head. "This isn't about whether or not you'll hurt her, Denny."

"Then for God's sake, man, what is it about? What the hell is eating you?" Alan opened his eyes. It was almost painful to look into Denny's now. "It's about being replaced. Isn't it? You think…" Denny snapped his fingers. "You think I'm going for Alex because she looks so much like you but is a woman!"

"Is that why you're going after her?"

"How dare you! I like Alex because she's Alex, not because she looks almost exactly like you!"

"Fine. Then go, get married, have babies. Be happy, Denny. Because whatever else, I truly do desire that for you."

"But you want me to just be happy with you." Alan didn't respond. "I told you, we bat for the same team, Alan. It'll never happen."

"It doesn't need to now. You've got the best of both worlds, don't you? A female me." Alan waved his hand at Denny and sat back down again. "Just go."

"Don't dismiss me, I'm not through yet."

"Yes, you are. You're doing what you need to do. I'll do what I need to do."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"None of your business."

"Since when are you none of my business?"

Alan snapped to his feet again. "Since you started sleeping with my twin sister!"

"I don't have to justify my actions to you!"

"No, that's right, you don't! So why don't you just get the hell out of my office!"

"I put you here, Alan. I took you in when you needed help!"

"I'm a damn good lawyer, I don't need charity. Yours or anyone else's."

"You seemed to when you begged Ellenor Frutt for a job."

Now Alan was seething, forgetting that mere moments ago he was picturing Denny's wedding gear. "What is it with you, Denny? What do you want me to say? What are you trying to get out of me?"

"The old Alan that I know! You act like I've thrown you over for another woman—"

"You have! My own sister!"

"Alan, for God's sake, did you think anything was ever going to happen between us? I mean…like that?"

"I guess love is blind."

"I don't understand you," Denny said, shaking his head. "I don't think I ever did."

With that, he turned and stalked out of Alan's office, heading the opposite direction from where Shirley had flattened herself up against the wall, not seeing her or knowing she'd been there listening. Shirley waited all of a minute before scooting quietly into Alan's office and closing the door.

"Now what do you want?"

"I want to know if you're okay."

"Do I look okay?"

"Alan, I've known Denny a long, long time."

"I'm aware of that."

"I've also known you for a few years now." Alan looked up at her. "Talk to me, Alan. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Alan…"

"Stop prying, Shirley, it's none of your concern."

"It is if the best team of lawyers in Boston isn't working as a well-oiled machine."

"We're no longer a team, Shirley. You may as well get used to it."

"Because of your sister?"

Alan glared at her. "Were you eavesdropping, Shirley? How utterly beneath you."

"I didn't have to eavesdrop, Alan, half the floor probably overheard you." She sat down in one of his chairs. "Talk to me."

"No."

Shirley studied him, then nodded her head slowly. "You're in love with him." Off Alan's startled look, she continued. "Aren't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"And don't lie to me. I know that look, Alan. I've seen it in many an eye for Denny Crane, my own included."

"You're off your rocker."

"Does he know?"

"There's nothing to know."

"You've never told him how you feel."

"He's my friend. Was my friend."

"You've been in love with him almost from the start."

"He's a man."

"And that doesn't make a damn bit of difference to you."

"It does to him."

"A-ha! So I'm right! You are in love with him!"

"Shirley," Alan said warningly, "you're walking on dangerous ground."

"Why? There's nothing wrong with being in love with him."

"I am not in love with him!"

"And I'm not Schmidt."

Alan sighed, rose to his feet and began to pace. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"The truth. You have to admit it. Not just to me, but to yourself."

"There's nothing to admit. You couldn't be further from the truth."

"Then why would his involvement with your sister bother you so much?"

"I'm afraid he'll hurt her."

"Lame."

"I'm overprotective."

"You're a liar. And a fool."

"Shirley, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" she asked, rising to her feet and approaching him. "You don't have adoration in your eyes every time you look at him?"

"I respect and admire the man he has been and the man he is."

"You don't wish every night you're sleeping in his bed that he'd turn and take you in his arms?"

Alan felt his face grow hot. "I don't sleep in his bed."

"You don't hope and pray that someday he'll turn to you, tell you he loves you and kiss the living shit out of you?"

"Stop it."

"You aren't glad he and Bev didn't stay married?"

"Shirley…"

"You don't want to make mad, passionate love to him?"

"Dammit, Shirley, stop!"

"No."

"Get out."

"Say it."

"There's nothing to say."

"Say it, Alan. You want him."

"No."

"You need him."

"No!"

"You're in love with him!"

Alan whirled on her, face completely red and looking like he was scared out of his wits. "All right, okay? All right! I'm in love with him! Is that what you wanted me to say? Are you happy now? Fuck!" He turned away from her again and tried desperately to compose himself.

Shirley placed a hand on his arm. "You had to admit it."

"Why? What the hell difference does it make? He wouldn't take me that way if I were the last person on Earth. He's got my sister now."

"What he wants is you."

"Please, you know damn well he doesn't swing that way."

"I know when Denny loves with his whole heart. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. And he loves you."

"Not in that way."

"Do you know that for sure?"

"If he did, why would he be sleeping with my sister?"

"Because it's a female you. He can justify it based on her gender."

"She's nothing like me. And we should not be having this conversation."

"Alan, I won't tell anyone. I promise I won't, it's not my place to. But I think you should tell Denny how you really feel about him before this thing with your sister goes any further."

"I can't. You know I can't."

Shirley squeezed his arm. "In spite of my misgivings about you on more than one occasion, I do care, Alan. I know what it's like to lose the love of your life. To have your heart broken and there's nothing you can do about it."

Alan wouldn't look at her.

"But you can do something about this. Tell him. He might surprise you."

She squeezed his arm once more and left. Alan watched the door close behind her and took a deep breath, trying desperately to compose himself. What had he just done? Admitted to Shirley Schmidt that he was in love with the senior partner of the firm. He groaned. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Alex, meanwhile, stood just at the end of the hall, her eyes wide, her hand over her mouth. She was shaking, and her mind was racing. She heard every word that was exchanged between Shirley and Alan.

Alan was in love with Denny. She should have known. It was why he was acting so moody around her and Denny lately.

How could she have been so naïve? But the fact that she had the information , now that she was over the shock, disgusted her. Homosexuality disgusted her, and she would never understand or condone it.

The fact that her own brother with in love with a man was abhorrent, and she needed to stop this madness. She was a fool to think that Alan wouldn't try to steal her boyfriends again. The rumors that Alan was a man-whore were clearly correct, even though at first she didn't pay attention to them. Now she knew that she needed to.

She'd have lunch with Denny, and then she'd drive home. She regretted having to do this, but it was the only way to rein Alan in.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Denny got home at 9 that night, feeling a little bit better than he had that morning because Alex had kept him company for a good chunk of the day, but he was still a bit sore about how Alan was acting. Why couldn't Alan just be happy for him? He was happy when Denny and Bev got married. The only reason that Alan was acting like a hurt puppy was because he felt he was being replaced.

Denny had always tried to be a faithful friend to Alan, no matter what. Denny knew how much Alex meant to Alan, she was his only sister after all. Frankly, Denny was hurt and angry that Alan was acting like this, acting like he would play with both Alex and Alan's hearts and drop them like a hot potato. Well, if Alan was going to act that way, maybe the two of them shouldn't talk for a while until Alan came to his senses.

He looked in his mailbox for today's mail. Light bill, water bill, junk mail….and a mysterious package. It didn't have a return address on the envelope; it just said 'To Denny'.

Denny blinked in confusion. This package looked quite suspicious. He hoped it wasn't a bomb. He had received death threats in the mail before, but this one would top them all. If it was, indeed, a death threat.

He sniffed the package cautiously. Smelled like paper to him, nothing more. He then shook it, hoping it wouldn't explode in his face. It didn't thankfully. It was just a regular package, however mysterious. A normal man wouldn't take such precautions with things like this, but Denny Crane was not a normal man. He was hated as much as he was loved. Therefore, the risks were higher.

Feeling more at ease, he went into his rather large and luxurious house, and started for the parlor to open his package.

His housekeeper, Kristina, was walking down the stairs just then, and she smiled at him, putting down the duster and walking towards him. "Evening, Denny."

"Kristina." Denny greeted, nodding.

"I've got everything done. I was about to head out for the night." Kristina said. "How was work?"

Denny shifted uncomfortably, feeling he had a knot tightening in his chest thinking about what happened with Alan. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kristina nodded, a sympathetic look on her face. She'd been Denny's housekeeper for a year and a half, and she knew his moods by now. She never tried to pry anything out of him if he was upset. She gestured toward the package in his hand, obviously changing the subject. "Is that a gift?"

Denny pursed his lips. "I'm not sure. It doesn't say who it's from."

"Maybe it's another secret admirer." Kristina said, grinning teasingly.

Denny gave out a small laugh. "Maybe."

Just then, his cell phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and checked the ID. It was Alex. Denny's face brightened, and he flipped open his phone.

"Hey, Alex."

"Hey, babe." Alex's soothing and sexy voice purred on the other end of the line. "How are you feeling?"

Denny smiled. "A little better. How about yourself?"

And as Alex and Denny continued chatting away, Denny had absently set the package down on a chair and walked upstairs to his bedroom, forgetting all about it. At least for tonight.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

The next morning, after Denny woke up, showered, primped, etc, he was just about to head out the door (he was running a little late) when he had remembered his package that was sitting on the couch. He had grabbed it and ran out the door. He was surprised that he even remembered it was there, considering he was in such a hurry. That, and of course, the mad cow.

Now, it was almost noon, and he had a free moment in his office. The mysterious package was on a shelf. Denny got up and opened it. Inside was an un-labeled videotape. It looked pretty old from its appearance, and as he popped it into his VCR, he wondered if it would work.

It did work, and on Denny's plasma screen TV were two young men, sitting in what appeared to be a living room, or a dormitory common room. One man was taller than the other. The taller man had blond hair and a thin face, and he had a slim figure. The shorter man had brown hair, and was more built. Denny's heart did a flip flop when he got a look at the other young man's eyes. They looked awful familiar, how deep they were, how long his eyelashes were. Denny shook that thought out of his head. It couldn't be Alan.

The two young men were silent as they were watching TV, and didn't talk for almost 20 minutes. Denny was starting to wonder why this had been recorded, and why it had been sent to him in the first place. But after a while, the two men began to talk. The brown haired man spoke first.

"Well, you seem calmer now," he said.

The blonde sighed and turned to the other man. "Yeah, I am…..I've been doing more thinking than I've been watching the movie."

The brown haired man looked at the blonde inquisitively. "Oh?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah….I was doing a lot of thinking about Alex. And I realized…my feelings for her never ran that deep."

Denny's heart again leapt at the mention of that name. This was getting a little creepy. Surely Alan was not on that tape, and the blonde man could not be talking about Denny's Alex. He hoped.

The brown-haired man's expression changed to surprise. "Wow….I don't get it. You two were always together."

"Oh come on, Alan," the blonde said with a derisive snort. "You think Alex would allow me to spend more time with anyone else than her?"

Denny was starting to get a very weird feeling, but tried desperately to ignore it. Maybe there were a lot of men named Alan who had deep, soulful eyes and full, soft looking lips in this country. There had to be. Denny shifted in his chair and continued watching the tape with wary curiosity.

The man called Alan nodded. "Yes. She was rather protective of you, wasn't she?"

The blonde smiled with what seemed like satisfaction. "Yeah, well she doesn't need to protect me anymore. I can hang out with whoever I want now."

Alan smiled at him and leaned back on the couch. The feeling of familiarity kept coming back to him the more he watched this tape.

'OK, I know for a damn fact there are more people who smile as sexy as Alan does.' Denny blinked in surprise at his own revealing thoughts. 'Sexy?'

The blonde's voice made Denny jump, and his head jerked back to the TV screen, watching this scene play out before him like a train wreck no one could ever turn away from.

"That's why I like hanging out with you." The blonde said, turning to Alan, looking him straight in the eye. "You don't care who I hang out with."

Denny noticed the blonde was moving closer to Alan. Alan didn't pull back from him, but he looked at his friend with a puzzled expression.

"You are such a caring and understanding man," the blonde continued. "I'd rather be with you."

This time, Alan did pull back a little, though it was barely noticeable to Denny. It didn't even register with the blonde as he moved closer still. His hand brushed Alan's knee, and Alan started to look kind of freaked out.

"James?"

The man now known as James touched Alan's face. "It's true. I would rather be around such a wonderful person like you. I don't know what I ever saw in Alexandra Shore."

Denny stared at the screen in utter shock, and he started to put two and two together. This couldn't have been a coincidence. That man was talking about the woman whom Denny was currently seeing. Someone acquainted to Alex must have sent this tape to him. But the person who sent it was still a mystery.

Alan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm flattered, James, but-"

His protest was cut off as his lips were crushed in a kiss by James. Alan's eyes went wide, but he remained frozen. Denny couldn't believe that Alan didn't pull back right away. James's hands went to Alan's face, and that's when Alan started kissing him back. Denny stared at the screen in awe. The way Alan kissed, so soft, so gentle, the shape of his lips pressed against James', made Denny long for those kind of kisses again. It made him wish Alan would kiss him like that.

Denny shook off his arousal and quickly turned the TV off. He couldn't believe everything he just saw. He tried to deny that he had just seen young Alan kissing Alex's ex-boyfriend. Even though Alan and the man on the tape looked almost exactly alike, and he heard the name Alexandra Shore…..

Denny quickly shook the thoughts from his head and decided to take a walk. He wasn't terribly busy right now, and he needed to clear his head. He got up from his chair and turned around. And as he looked in front of him, Denny realized that he had all the evidence he needed to prove that video tape was intended for him to see, and that the people involved were the same people Denny knew.

Because standing in the doorway, looking absolutely horrified was Alan Shore.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Denny watched as Alan crossed his massive office, shoulders slumped, hands in his pockets, and plopped into one of Denny's guest chairs. Long moments passed in which neither said a word, Alan looking at the floor and Denny staring at Alan. He knew from the look on Alan's face that yes, this definitely was a tape of the man in his younger years and it made his stomach churn, but he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Alan?"

Alan's mouth opened, but no sound emerged. Instead, it closed again as he shook his head and continued looking at the floor.

"Alan, did you send this to me?" There was no response. "Alan, why? Did you want me to see this for some reason?"

"I didn't even know it still existed, Denny."

The words were spoken so softly Denny barely heard them. "So that was you with…Alex's boyfriend?"

"It was a long time ago."

"I can see that, but…where did it come from?"

"How did you get it?"

"It came to my home in an unmarked package. Alan, what's going on?"

"I don't know."

"Look at me." Alan didn't comply, face turning redder by the second. "Alan, dammit!" Denny crossed to him, put his fist under his chin and forced his friend's face up. "Look at me!"

"Why? You'll just hate me now."

"You think I'll hate you because twenty years ago someone videotaped you having sex with another man?"

Alan simply nodded and pulled his head away. He rose to his feet and sent a sad look Denny's way. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He turned to leave, but Denny got in his way.

"No way. You're not leaving until I find out who sent me that tape and why. You think somebody's trying to blackmail you?"

"I don't know why they would, honestly. It's not like I've ever really hidden my odd proclivities."

"That's true enough. And it's not like I didn't know you were a weirdo, so why do you think I'd feel any differently about you after seeing that?" That brought another thought to Denny's mind. "For that matter, why would anyone else think…if the intent here was to turn you and I against one another or to…I don't know…break up our friendship, maybe? Someone here at the office?"

Alan simply shrugged, but Denny knew instinctively he was hiding something.

"Out with it, Shore. Who sent me that goddamn tape?"

"No, Denny."

"You know. I know you know. Now tell me!" he said, forcefully grabbing Alan's biceps and shaking him a little.

"I won't do that!"

"Why? If you know, if someone's trying to hurt you, why won't you tell me? Who could you be protect-?" Denny stopped in mid-sentence. There was only one person other than Denny himself that he thought Alan would do this for. "Alex?"

Alan swallowed hard and turned away.

"Alan, why would Alex have sent that to me? What could she possibly hope to accomplish?"

"Denny, I don't want to hurt you or her. She may be a bitch, but she's my sister. My twin sister, and God help me, I love her."

"So do I, Alan. I love both of you."

He turned, eyes wide. "What did you say?"

"She sent me that…because she sees you as…as a threat!" Denny exclaimed as he worked it through in his own mind. "She sent me the tape because she doesn't know I already know how strange you are!"

"That's comforting."

Denny's face twisted angrily. "Damn her! How could she do this? She's your sister!"

"Evidently she wants you all to herself."

"She had me all to herself! I was going to marry her!"

"You were?" Alan asked incredulously.

"For God's sake, yes, I…I'd been thinking of proposing, I was…and then she goes and does this…tries to hurt you…no. Goddamn her!"

Denny turned and practically ran out of his office. It took a moment for Alan to collect himself enough to realize what was happening. He ran down the hall. "Denny!" he called out, ignoring the stares of those Crane, Poole and Schmidt employees who were not yet used to their antics. "Denny, wait!"

But the elevator doors had closed, carrying Denny away.

"Where would Alex be?" Alan said to himself as he jabbed the call button. He dialed his hotel and asked the clerk for her room, but it rang and rang and finally went to voice mail. He then hung up and tried her cell phone, but it was off, going directly into voice mail. "Where would she be right now?" he wondered as he stepped onto the elevator and pushed the Lobby button. "She sent this to Denny. She must have known he hadn't seen it yet, I overheard him talking to her this morning…so that means she must figure he's going to watch it at some point today and she…well…if it were me, I'd…" Alan snapped his fingers. "I'd be waiting back at his place!"

Alan raced out to his car and within seconds was on his way to Denny's.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

Denny screeched his Mercedes to a halt in his front half-circle driveway. He raced up the stairs and through the unlocked door, breathing heavily from his race. "Alex?" he called out. "Alex, are you here?"

At the top of the steps she appeared wearing a silk Japanese-style bathrobe and very clearly nothing beneath it. She moved cat-like down the circular staircase and smiled when she saw the effect her appearance was having on her intended. "Why, Denny, what are you doing home in the middle of the day? You haven't given me a chance to get your surprise ready for you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He grabbed her arms and pulled them away, pushing her back slightly. "I think you've already delivered your surprise," he growled.

"Whatever are you talking about?" she frowned.

"I would never have believed it of you. I would never have believed you'd hurt anyone like that, but your own brother?"

"My brother? What the hell does Alan have to do with anything?"

"Plenty!" Denny barked. "Damn you, Alex, how could you?"

"How could I what? You'd better tell me what the hell you're talking about!"

"The videotape. You sent it here. You were hoping I'd watch it last night, weren't you, that's why you called me this morning? But you realized I hadn't and so you've been waiting here, waiting for me to come back railing about how disgusting your brother is. Isn't that it?"

"Tape?"

"Don't you dare try to outfox Denny Crane, Alex. You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Why the hell do you care so much about him, Denny? Alan's never been a true friend to anybody, and even when he has, he's hurt them. Is that what you want happening to you? To have him hurt you? Leave you as soon as the going gets rough?"

"He wouldn't do that."

"Oh, no? He'll steal my boyfriend right out from under my nose, another man, for God's sake! He'll completely ignore his own mother's funeral. His wife dies under, shall we say, mysterious circumstances. He gets work with Ellenor and winds up hurting her and the firm she works for! And then he cozies up to you because you're Denny Crane! You think he's your friend? He's not! He's using you, just like he uses everyone!"

"And you thought to save me from being used? From being hurt? Is that it?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Alex purred, wrapping her arms around his neck once more. "I love you, Denny. I don't want anything or anyone standing in our way. I know my brother a lot better than you do, and he's trouble, Denny. Trouble with a capital T."

She moved in to kiss him, but Denny once again pushed her away. "I don't believe you."

"What?"

"I have an instinct about people. That's what's made me the best trial attorney in Boston…hell, in the whole country! How do I know your designs aren't on my money, my reputation? How do I know you're not just trying to get Alan out of the picture so he can't foil your plans?"

"How can you think that of me? No amount of money is worth putting up with a pompous, self-righteous ass!" Alex yelled as Denny's jaw dropped. "I love you, Denny, damn you!"

Alex huffed back up the stairs, but had only made it halfway when Alan burst through the front door and skidded to a halt next to Denny. She whirled on them. "And the puppy dog flies to side of his master!" she spat.

"Alex, why?" Alan asked quietly, ignoring Denny's stare. "Why did you do this? You didn't need to. I had backed away. I was leaving you two alone, letting you have what you wanted without interfering. Why did you send him that tape?"

Alex stalked back down the steps until she was standing nose-to-nose with her twin. "You may have backed off, but he hadn't!" she replied, jerking a thumb in Denny's direction. "You've been a threat all along, Alan, whether you realized it or not."

"How? Denny doesn't swing my way, how could I possibly be a threat to your relationship?"

"He may not swing your way sexually, bro, but every woman knows what 'that look' means and he had it every time he laid eyes on you, every time he talked about you. When you were fighting, he was depressed. When you made up, he was ecstatic. Every moment of our time together was tainted by you, Alan. You!"

Alan looked at Denny, who had turned beet red. Their eyes met. "That's not possible," Alan breathed. "We're just friends. Companions."

"You are so fucking stupid!" Alex cried. "Both of you! Damn you, Alan, you took my boyfriend all those years ago, I wasn't about to let you have Denny!"

"I can't have him," Alan replied sadly. "I already told you, Alex, he doesn't swing that way and he never will."

"Why don't you let me decide which way I swing," Denny interrupted. "And you," he said to Alex menacingly, "I don't care if you are Alan's twin sister…nobody hurts the people I love like this and gets away with it."

"Are you threatening me, counselor?"

"I'm telling you to get out of my house or you'll be up against so many charges you'll never see the light of day when I get through with you in court."

"You can't do this!" she hissed.

"And you can't hurt the one person who's shown more affection for me than anyone else in my life combined and think you're going to get away with it, Alex Shore. Now get out of my sight and so help me if that tape winds up anywhere other than an incinerator, you will pay. Dearly."

"Fuck you," she growled, running back up the stairs. Moments later she reappeared with her clothes slung over one arm and hurried back down the steps. She walked up to Denny and slapped him hard on the cheek. Alan reached out and grabbed her forearm as she went to do the same to him. "Let go of me!"

"Alex, please…" Alan begged. "You're my only family left. I love you."

"That may very well be," she said softly, her arm dropping to her side. "But you love him more." She shook her head and snorted. "Imaging the tongue-wagging if Boston were to find out their two most prominent attorneys from the city's most prominent firm were together."

"Alex, get out of my house," Denny growled, rubbing his cheek. "I don't care what Alan does about you, but I never want to see you again. Nobody hurts him like that and remains anywhere within my sphere. Nobody."

"Ha!" she barked, heading for the door. She whirled on them one last time. "You're just as in love with Alan as he is with you!" she spat. With that, she turned and stalked out the door. "Good riddance, faggots!" she cried. They heard her car door slam, heard the engine rev up, and heard her peal out of the driveway.

The silence that remained was deafening. Alan glanced nervously at Denny, who looked right back at him. "I'm sorry, Denny, I thought…I thought she'd changed. I just wanted you to be happy."

"Well," Denny said, shaking his head, "it seems like every time I try to find a woman to make me happy it all goes up in smoke." He half-smiled, nodding toward the kitchen. "Maybe I should just stick with you."

"What about what she told you? About me hurting people everywhere I go?"

"You've never hurt me, Alan, and it's been three years we've known each other. On the contrary," he said quietly as they moved into the kitchen, "I'm the one who's hurt you repeatedly. But you stuck beside me anyway."

Alan shrugged. "Puppy dog, I guess."

"Maybe," Denny replied as he poured them each a glass of scotch on the rocks. "But I've always been fond of puppies, myself." He handed Alan his drink and the men downed them in one gulp. Denny re-poured.

"So…does this mean you don't think I'm disgusting? The tape, I mean."

"I already knew you were disgusting, Alan," Denny said jokingly. "But I love you anyway. Always have." He handed Alan back the refilled glass. "Now drink up."

"She hurt you, didn't she?"

"The only way your sister hurt me was by trying to hurt you."

"I'm actually…not sure how to respond to that."

"Then don't. Move back in here where you belong and we'll pretend Alexandra Shore never happened."

"But what about -?"

"The tape will be destroyed," Denny replied, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. "And as for what was on it…"

Denny recalled the soft lips, Alan kissing James…the longer, soft hair he'd had in his youth…the large, blue eyes which were still the same, now looking intently at him. Pills apparently weren't necessary because that scene of those soft lips touching James' repeating over and over in his mind seemed to be doing the trick. But what would he do about it? He was so much older than Alan…old and fat…James had been a good-looking man, much like Denny in his younger days.

"Denny? Are you okay?"

"That tape," Denny replied, his voice low and gravelly. "The way you kissed him…"

Alan's eyes widened. "You…liked it?"

Denny barked out a laugh. "I don't think Alex will ever realize it, but she actually did you a favor by showing me that tape, Alan."

"She…did?"

"Yes," Denny replied, moving out from behind the bar. He set his own glass down, then took Alan's and deposited it on the counter. "Because all I can think about right now is finding out how that felt. How it feels."

Alan's breath came quickly, his heart pounding through his chest as Denny came to stand face-to-face with him. "At least let me give it a try," Denny whispered. "After all, it was your sister that put me through all this."

"And…what, that means I owe you?"

"Damn right."

Alan didn't hesitate any longer. He put one hand on the back of Denny's head, fingers splaying out through the salt-and-pepper hair. He pulled him close until they could feel each other's hot breath. "You're sure."

"Just do it," Denny said, his hands raising to Alan's shoulders. "Kiss me, Alan."

Alan leaned in and did just that. And five minutes later, when they finally came up for air, Denny had a broad grin on his face. "Yes," he croaked, "Alex definitely did you a favor." He took Alan's hand. "Come on."

When Denny started leading him up the steps, Alan's eyes widened. It couldn't be. Could it? And when he led Alan into his master bedroom and peeled off his tie and shirt, Alan knew for certain that it not only could be happening…it was. He took Denny in his arms and kissed him thoroughly, his mouth moving down Denny's neck, back up to his ear. The older man moaned and Alan closed his eyes as his dream finally began coming true.

"Thank you, Alex," he whispered as he moved to take Denny's tee shirt off.

"What was that?" Denny asked as the shirt was tossed on the floor.

"Nothing, Denny. Nothing ever again but me…and you."

"I'll be the judge of that, Alan Shore," Denny said. "Now take your damn clothes off."

"Yes, sir!" Alan grinned as he began removing his suit.

The two fell into bed and Alan was amazed at how adept Denny was with another man. He made a mental note to cross-examine Denny one more time with regards to his sexual history, but the mental note was forgotten when Denny took hold of his cock and began pumping it. Alan moaned. All he could feel was Denny. All he could smell was Denny. All he could hear was Denny. And in his heart, he felt love for only Denny.

And from the look in Denny's hazel eyes, Alan knew without a doubt that Denny felt it right back. Nobody would ever come between them again. Not even the female version of Alan himself.

"Denny?"

"Mm?" Denny mumbled as his mouth lowered onto Alan's cock.

"Were you with Alex just because she was a female me? I mean, because it was more socially acceptable to be with her than with a man?"

"That's too deep for me to think about," Denny replied as Alan groaned under his ministrations. "But there's something else deep I'm very interested in exploring."

And if anyone had been within earshot, they would've heard Alan cry out, Denny chuckle, Alan moan and Denny groan. Alex had come and gone, but Alan…and Denny…would always be there. Regardless of sex…regardless of lies…regardless of videotape. And long into the afternoon and evening, they proved it…over and over and over again.

~BL~BL~BL~BL~BL~

A tiny red light blinked from behind the waffle-weave closet doors in Denny's bedroom. A faint whirring filled the mostly empty closet but could not be heard outside its darkness. And a two-inch camera lens focused upon the lavish bed, recording every movement, every sound, every single thing happening upon that bed. Recording the moment for posterity…for history…for later pornographic viewing by the participants. And maybe someday, for someone else to see…

In a nondescript rented room, someone else was watching. Brow furrowed, she whispered, "Now this could be useful someday." Full lips grinned. "You just watch it, Denny Crane. This isn't over yet. Not by a longshot." Her grin widened. "And Alan's days are now numbered."

From behind her a man appeared. In his hand he held a gun, which he loaded and then cocked. "What's next?" he asked.

"Nothing yet, Jorge," she purred. "The timing has to be right. Just be patient." She turned back to the monitor, face distorted in disgust. "Nobody puts one over on Alexandra Shore. Not even the great Denny Crane."