A/N I would like to thank the lovely JustBeAQueen for the amazing job she's doing as my beta. I would also like to thank BritinForever29, koalared, Joanna and qaf love for reviewing this story and giving me their thoughts.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Two

He was allergic to Tylenol.

The words slammed into Brian and he stared at the screen blankly. A year, it had been a year and now he had a lead; he was going to follow it. Turning Brain grabbed his phone on his desk before hitting the button that would connect him directly to Cynthia. His foot tapped against the floor impatiently as it rang for a moment before being picked up.

"I need a flight to the closest airport to," he stopped looking at the computer, "Stratford, Connecticut. I also need a car and a hotel room in the city. I need it done yesterday."

"What Boss? You have a meeting with Brown Athletics tomorrow."

"Cynthia don't argue just do. Reschedule the damn appointment and get me that flight." Brian slammed the phone down before reaching for his briefcase and setting it on the desk opening it. His laptop was tucked safely into its compartment and he grabbed the files from his desk shoving them into the remaining space.

Justin… if the man in the article was him why the hell was he in the woods? How had he gotten there? What had he been doing? More importantly though was where the man had been for the past year. They'd been searching and suddenly the he turns up at the edge of the woods in scrubs of all things?

Brian snapped the briefcase closed before putting on his coat and gloves. He didn't bother shutting down his computer before he left his office heading to Cynthia's desk. Her eyes snapped up when he stopped in front of her desk.

"When's the flight?" Brian shot out the words his voice laced with tension as his hand tightened around the handle of his briefcase. He needed to leave, he couldn't stand still. Anticipation and hope swirled in his stomach like a bitter medicine. There was the chance that this was a wild goose chase, that the man wasn't Justin. But how many people could there be that were allergic to Tylenol?

"Five," Cynthia noted the tension in her boss's body and she locked her computer before standing. "I'll drive you to the airport; you don't have time to park your car and make it through airport security and pickup your ticket." She gathered her coat and slipped it on before snatching her purse. Her movements were clipped and she picked up the phone pushing a button. "I'm driving the boss to the airport Ted, watch over things." The phone was placed back in its cradle and Brian looked at her expectantly.

Brian didn't speak to Cynthia as they made their way through the building and then to Cynthia's car. It was a stereotypical compact, bright silver in color, the kind of car Brian normally wouldn't be caught dead driving. At that moment he didn't care. The doors were unlocked and Brian slid into the seat before buckling his seatbelt.

Should he tell anyone where he was going? Should he tell them that he got a lead-no he would wait until he knew for sure and even then Justin might need space. There was no telling what he had gone through in the past year. Brian felt his heart stop. What if Justin was traumatized, what if he was changed? He flicked his tongue over his lips. It didn't matter. If Justin was sick he would take care of him, just like he did after the bashing. He didn't care if Justin was ill. He had been so scared that he would never see the blond again. So scared that he would never kiss him or hear his voice. God, that was one of the things he missed most-Justin's laugh. It was stupid but Justin's laugh always seemed to embrace his nickname bringing a ray of sunshine with it.

His foot tapped against the floorboard and Cynthia cast him a glance as she headed toward the airport. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She took a turn and tapped her nails against the steering wheel. She'd worked for Brian for years, she'd been with him when he was at the height of his career and when he was at the bottom. She'd left Vanguard to follow him because despite what the man may think, she was the only one who could handle him. She had always been able to take his bullshit and she was loyal to a fault. She'd never seen him this anxious before though. He looked as if he was about to jump out of his skin.

"There's a lead on Justin." Brain shifted his gaze pointedly positioned to the window, he tried to calm down but his foot wouldn't stop tapping and he kept licking his bottom lip in a nervous habit. "Don't tell anyone…tell Theodore that way he doesn't say something stupid." The words were slightly harsh and Brian shot Cynthia a look that made her raise an eyebrow.

"I'll diverge their calls Boss. As far as I'm concerned you're in a business meeting in San Francisco." She turned into the visitor's parking garage quickly finding a space and turning the ignition off. Brian was already out of the car striding toward the elevator. Cynthia scrambled out before locking the doors barely managing to catch the elevator. "The flights in Terminal A, get into the security line and I'll get the ticket."

Nodding Brian headed toward the indicated terminal, the line wove slightly people looking at their watches impatiently. Brian resisted the urge to copy their movements. Outside he was calm and cool but inside he was a bundle of nerves. The line moved forward and he felt the urge for a cigarette to calm his nerves-that or a bottle of Beam. Instead he flexed his hand on the handle of his briefcase.

If Debbie or Jennifer found out that he had a lead and didn't tell them-he would be a dead man. It didn't matter though. He didn't want to get their hopes up and a small bitter part of him enjoyed holding the secret close to his chest. He was the one who had never stopped looking. He was the one who had hired a P.I. to find Justin. He was the one who had lain awake for the past year imagining what Justin could be going through. They had given up. So that small part of him was selfish, wanting Justin all for himself because the others had forgotten about him. Well that wasn't completely true; Honeycut didn't go a week without asking him if he had news. He didn't search though and the one time Brian had asked him why and the man had just smiled and said, 'If anyone can find him Hunny you can. My Aunt Lulu used to say that if too many people go after the honey then the bees will get agitated. I'm telling you someone has him and if it gets obvious that people are looking for him we'll never see him again. So I'll just leave the hunting to you. Besides you're the one he needs.'

"Here's your ticket," Cynthia was in front of him suddenly a plane ticket in her hand, sometime during his thoughts he had moved toward the front of the line. He took the ticket nodding at her, "Good luck Boss," then she was gone leaving him alone. He tucked the ticket into his pocket as he came to the grey plastic bins that he was supposed to place his belongings in. His shoes came off and so did his belt then he stopped for a moment breathing in before slipping the chain from around his neck and placing it in the bin. It was hard for him to take the chain off; it was something that he and Justin had shared, a representation of what they were. Even though they had never worn them Brian felt like it was holding a part of Justin close to him. He'd done the same thing with the scarf that Justin had worn at the prom. The bloody fabric had lain across his neck for ages, a constant reminder of Justin, a piece of him. But where the scarf represented all of his mistakes the rings represented his hope.

Brian stepped through the metal detector and hurriedly grabbed the chain from the bucket slipping it over his head. A tension that had been in his chest eased slightly and he finished getting dressed before grabbing his briefcase and making his way toward the now boarding flight. He glanced down at his ticket praising his luck as he slipped into the boarding line, they were seating his row right now. Brian hated riding in the coach but for once he wasn't going to complain. Cynthia had done her job and had gotten him onto the soonest flight. He was grateful for that at least and the lack of connections was a bonus since he wouldn't have to change flights.

His ticket was taken from him and he made his way into the plane finding his seat and slipping his briefcase under his seat and then Brian fastened the seatbelt. The flight would take an hour, until then he needed to entertain himself. He leaned his head against the window as the other passengers boarded. A punk looking teenager plopped herself into the seat next to him. Brian glanced at her and he couldn't help but smirk. The girl was probably a horror to her parents, bright green painted the ends of her short cropped black hair and her ears were covered in piercings. The girl took out an ipod and slipped the buds in her ears-good it looked like she wouldn't try to talk to him. It was annoying when the person sitting next to you decided that they were your best friend and couldn't take the hint that you really did not want to know about their husband's underwear crisis.

Brian turned his gaze back to the window and slipped his eyes closed. He was so tired. His business hours for Kinnetic held no pattern and he'd been working until eleven or so each night only to wake up at six and start it all over again. The weekends were sacred and reserved for sleeping and looking for possible leads on Justin-not that he didn't take time out of the week to do that. Slowly his breaths evened out and his body relaxed.

The church was dark and people dressed in black lined the rows. Sobs could be heard and there were flowers on some of the rows. Brian stepped forward and was suddenly at the front of the church. A coffin made of deep mahgony was before him. Golden handles ran down the sides of it and white roses created a mattress for it spilling out over the sides. He stepped forward and looked into the coffin-it was empty. There wasn't a body. He leaned forward and examined the coffin closer, white silk coated the insides a small pillow at the top where two rings were laying. They glittered and Brian reached toward them. It was their rings. The wedding bands that they had never worn.

Laughter. Brian's head shot up and he froze. "This was the best night of my life." Justin was standing on the platform behind the coffin his face lit up in a bright smile. A white tux adorned his body and he was playing with the scarf around his neck. The boy rocked back on his heels and tilted his head to the side, he looked like the was seventeen again. His blue eyes were sparkling, the look on his face was akin to the one he'd had during their dance.

"Wha-Justin?" Brian tried to move forward but he couldn't, he was frozen, a shadowy figure moved behind his lover and he tried to call out. His voice was stuck in his throat. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he could only watch and listen. A bat was swung and Justin stumbled forward blood dripping down the side of his face, matting in his hair. Justin stood up straight the smile still on his face as the blood seemed to pour from his body slipping down his neck coating the jacket of his tux and painting the bright white scarf.

"You're the one he trusts." Brian raised a hand wiping the blood from his cheek. Blood? He looked down at his hands, blood caked them and he tried to wipe them on his pants. The blood... it wouldn't come off! His legs were still frozen to the ground and he panicked trying harder to wipe the blood from his hands. It was on his face, hot and slippery. The bat was raised again and Brian struggled to move stumbling as his legs finally obeyed his body. He was running, darting up the stairs. Justin was turned toward him still smiling. "Justin!" The bat was swung and Brain felt a hand wrap around his arm shaking him as the wooden material met with Justin's -

Brian's eyes snapped open and he was met by two green ones. The girl next to him had her hand on his arm and she quickly drew it back. That's right…he was on a plane. It was just a dream. A nightmare that seemed to haunt him when he closed his eyes, another reason he was tired. "Sorry, I mean - yeah, you were having a nightmare. I mean I think you were. You were kinda sweating and mumbling in your sleep. My brother used to have nightmares all the time - used to wake me up. He got sent to some sort of school though, cause my parents said he was sick. It's kinda weird you know a school for sick people and I'm going to shut up now because you look like you're going to kill me and I'm rambling." The girl snapped her mouth closed and looked down a slight blush on her face and Brain shook his head glancing out the window at the nearing airport.

"Thanks." The word was said softly and if you weren't listening it would have been missed. The girl smiled though and nodded. She was quiet the rest of the flight.

Brian ran a hand through his hair as people started to get up and head towards the exit of the plane. Reaching beneath his seat Brian slipped his briefcase out before standing, the girl, whoever she was, was gone. Vaguely he hoped her brother was ok, not that he cared really but she seemed like a nice chick. Shouldering his way into the masses he exited the plane. The airport was small and it didn't take him long to leave it and find his way toward the area where the rental cars were.

"Better have a fuckin GPS." Brain tugged his coat a bit closer and cursed the snow that slicked the sidewalk. Did no one clean these things? He shoved the door to the agency open and a wave of heat hit him. It was a small building. A white counter ran from one wall to the other wall, a light blue trailed down their surfaces. Brian supposed it was to make the place look a little more comfortable. Though how a building with cheap chairs and an obvious smell could be comfortable he had no idea. Brian moved toward the counter coming face to face with a short balding man.

"Yes," the voice was nasally and it had a wheeze behind it. Brian instantly hated the man.

"Brian Kinney, I'm supposed to have a car reserved." He put on his best 'don't fuck with me' look.

"One moment," the man flipped through some papers before pulling out a batch. "I just need you to sign here; the rest of the information has already been filled out." The man wheezed again and started to flip through the papers again. Snagging the pen attached to the counter Brian scrawled his name in the designated spot.

"Here," the papers made their way into Mr. Wheeze's hands and he looked over them before grabbing a set of keys from the desk and handing them to Brian.

"It's number 73," the man gave a snivel and Brian turned away before pushing his way out of the building into the snow. Cars were lined up and despite the number of his car being 73 Brian figured there couldn't of been more than 20. "Seventy three…seventy three…come on seventy…you have got to be fucking kidding me." Brain stopped in front of the horror that was number 73, staring at it in something akin to terror. He was going to kill Cynthia-kill her then burn her body and dance on her ashes. This was just cruel. He had already signed the papers though and like it or not the monster before him was his. That was unless he wanted to refill out all the paperwork, which would mean going back into Mr. Wheeze's office and spending an extended amount of time in it. He'd take the monster.

Brian grimaced as he slipped the keys into the 2000 Volkswagen beetle, the outside was a bright cheery yellow and it made Brian feel as if his masculinity was being challenged. Sure he could see someone like Honeycut in a car like - scratch that, he didn't want to think about Honeycut driving. He entered the mouth of the beast and placed his briefcase on the seat next to him before closing the door. Cynthia could forget her raise, in fact he would raise her a pink slip.

He pushed the key in starting the ignition before his phone started to chime in Cynthia's text messaging sound. Brian tugged the phone from his pocket and hit the ok button letting the message come onto the screen. 'Enjoy your ride.' He was going to fire her.

The "monster" as Brian dubbed it handled pretty well despite its nauseating appearance. The GPS on the dashboard alleviated his agitation slightly as he was lead through the darkening streets of the city. Snow lined the sidewalks and people were bustling on the, warm clothes wrapped around their bodies. Brian ignored them. The hospital loomed into view and he pulled into the parking lot before finding a space.

Brian nearly jumped from the car grabbing his briefcase before locking the yellow fiend. He honestly thought that the car was going to eat his soul - or his sex drive, he was more worried about the latter. Who was going to fuck a man driving a yellow beetle? Ok, so he wasn't having sex but that was beside the point. It was a matter of pride. He turned toward the hospital and felt the familiar tug of worry in his stomach. Justin could be in that hospital. His search could be over. Oh God, please let him be in that hospital.

Brian shifted his briefcase before heading towards the front doors when he reached them they opened with a hiss and he stepped into the linoleum floored building. The walls were white and Brian glanced around spotting the front desk. An attractive woman was typing on the computer her hair twirled up into a bun. "Excuse me," the woman's eyes glanced and she stopped typing. Brian was leaning against the counter a smile on his lips. "I was wondering if you could help me?"

A flush spread across the typist's face and she nodded. "What can I do for you Mr…?

"Kinney."

"Alright Mr. Kinney, what can I do for you," the woman leaned forward slightly, a flirting smile on her lips.

"A patient was brought in here yesterday. He didn't have any sort of identification and was found near the woods, I think he might be a friend of mine." Brian watched as the woman tried to push her cleavage up enticingly.

"Let me check what room he's in. I'm sure the doctor won't mind if you check to see if it's your friend."

Yeah, this woman definitely didn't follow hospital procedures. Brian was eternally grateful. He gave her another smile and the clacking of her computer keys filled their silence.

"Room 508," she smiled before reaching into her purse and pulling out a business card, "feel free to use this at any time." Brian took the card nodding and gave her another smile before turning away. His gaze shifted and he walked to the elevator slipping the card into the trash when he knew the woman couldn't see him. Hitting the button for the elevator he tried to quell the feeling that was rising in him, he would not rush, he would not rush. Where the hell was the elevator? The doors opened with a ping and Brian was inside of the metal box instantly, his finger darted out, slipping across the number five then hitting the close button. He ignored the person calling for the elevator to stop, he was rushing.

A tug at his stomach signaled the elevators movement and a moment later the doors pinged open again releasing him onto the fifth floor. He was not going to run. "508," Brian moved down the hall looking for the number stopping dead when he found it. The curtains were drawn on the small window but the door was open. Shit, he couldn't do this. What if it wasn't Justin? He would have come all this way for nothing. What if Justin hadn't wanted to be found? What if – No, he needed to stop thinking about this. Whatever happened he would deal with it. He took a step forward and stopped again before shaking his head and forcing his legs to move.

The edge of the bed came into view and Brian took a deep breath before entering the room. There was a doctor standing on the side of the bed opposite him. The man on the bed was shaking his head at what the doctor said and then he turned slightly, his face coming into focus. Brian felt as if he had been punched in the gut. All of the air left his body and his blood drummed in his ears. Oh God.

"Justin." The blond seemed to try to move towards him and his mouth opened and formed Brian's name only to have nothing come out.

His Sunshine had no voice.

Coming up in Breaking the Silence

"He broke two noses, cracked someone's ribs and bit into a man's hand so hard that it tore into the muscles."

Brian froze. Justin did what? "What?"

I hope you enjoyed his chapter, please leave a review it gives me inspiration.