Title: Since you're Gone
Author: TWBasketcase
Rated: T for drug use, language, and sexuality
Chapter Summary: Eddie and Allison chat during work, while Andy gets a very angry visitor - John Bender.
A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! I can be bad for that sometimes. I hope you enjoy the latest installment.

Chapter 10 - Poison

June 11, 1988

"So how is the new place going?" Allison sat perched on a stool behind the desk at Speed City Records bored out of her skull. Anytime there was a warm, sunny day the place was pretty dead.

Eddie - who was equally as bored - sat next to her on the counter. "It's going; I still have to get settled in though. I still find it a bit disturbing that I'm so close to work. It feels like I never leave this place!" He waved his arms animatedly.

Allison rolled her eyes and leaned back on the two back legs of the stool. "Well you are right upstairs."

He laughed. "Don't remind me, honey." He hopped down off the desk, his head full of dreadlocks bouncing in the process. "I can't even believe how slow it is in here today! I could've just slept in!"

Allison perked an eyebrow at him. "Late night again?" She knew that Eddie was still spending a lot of his time at Roscoe's since he and Michael had broken up. He had been pretty tight lipped about it, in her opinion. He would mention that he had gone there, but didn't say much else. She knew that it wasn't any of her business, but she was curious to know whether or not he had met anyone yet.

He nodded, but didn't look at her. "Yeah, I was bored so I went to the bar." He folded his arms and stared off out the window.

She let the stool drop back down on the floor and she cleared her throat. "Anything interesting happen?" Once again, he didn't look at her.

"Not much. I just got wasted. I almost got into a fight with a girl." His voice was monotonous, but his choice of words was enough to make her laugh.

"What do you mean you almost got into a fight with a girl?" She shook her long hair from her face and smiled at him. "You couldn't kick the shit out of a wet paper bag."

He finally turned around and gave her a mock glare. "She was this big butchy girl. She got upset with me when I mentioned that I would win the wet t-shirt contest before she ever would."

Allison bit back a laugh. "Did you?"

He perked an eyebrow. "Did I what?"

"Did you win the wet t-shirt contest?" She got such a kick out of him sometimes.

He grinned. "I got kicked out of the bar before I got the chance too. You should have seen her, her boobs hung so low you could play soccer with 'em. I'm way better looking." He held his hair up in a formal-do type manner and pretended to pose for her. "Don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, I would pay big money to see you in a wet t-shirt, Eddie. In fact, I'll probably be dreaming about it tonight."

He dropped his hair and waved his hand. "My ass you will be; not with that big sexy man you have lying next to you. I don't know how you don't melt, honey."

Allison grinned at the thought. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that." The two stopped to swoon for a few moments before she spoke up again. "Did I tell you what he did?"

He perked an eyebrow. "No, but I swear to god if it's juicy and you didn't tell me sooner, I will have to get in a cat fight with you too!"

"He asked me to marry him!"

"You bitch!" He yelled at her, giving her a small slap on the arm. "How could you hide that from me?" He wrapped her into a tight hug. "This is so awesome, Ally!"

A small smile tugged at her lips. "I know. I'm happy."

He returned her smile. "I'm glad that you are because you deserve it. Oh, and I totally shot dibs on DJ'ing your wedding."

Allison shrugged. "I'm sure that can be arranged." They sat in a companionable silence for a few moments. Allison was still having trouble letting it all sink in that she was going to marry Andy. Five years ago, she never would have guessed that a beautiful, strong man would be asking her to spend the rest of her life with him. It was all so surreal to her. Four years of long and patient waiting had finally paid off.

"So how long ago did this happen?" Eddie asked. Allison cringed.

"Uh…almost two weeks ago?"

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" He shrieked at her. Now she was in for it.

"Sorry?" She laughed. He threw an empty cardboard box at her and placed his hands on his hips.

"Now that's just rude. Here I am thinking we're good friends too."

"Stop being such a drama queen!" Allison said, throwing the box at him in a laughing fit. He only smiled and lifted his eyebrow in challenge.

"That is who I am, and you will never change me!" He stuck out his tongue at her immaturely and folded his arms over his chest.

"Would it make you feel any better if I asked you to be the flower girl?" She bit her lip and watched him innocently.

He scoffed. "Now that is such an insult to my gender, and my pride! And my ego!"

Allison only laughed harder at him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. He continued ranting playfully, until she looked back up at him. "Well? Do you?"

He eyed her, and sized her up. "Can I wear a dress?"

"So when can I start?" Andy asked with his interests peaked. He had been on the phone with The Chicago Tribune for about twenty minutes setting up details for his new job. He had initially sent Allison his resume, portfolio, and other required information, and she had dropped it off for him. They had conducted a long distance interview over the phone a few weeks before he had come home, and they were just now applying the finishing details.

"Monday sounds great." He smiled into the receiver and looked at the clock. "Sure, 8 a.m. is not a problem at all. It was great talking with you again." He paused a moment and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, I will see you then. Have a good one…yes…good-bye." He put down the receiver and cracked a huge grin; he was finally getting on his feet, and he felt proud of himself.

He walked into his bedroom and started going through his suitcases to finish unpacking all of his clothes. He had been back for nearly two weeks and he still barely made a dent in his unpacking. He had been so preoccupied with catching up with everyone - and settling in - that he barely worked on his apartment.

He was having mixed reactions about being home; things were certainly different from before he had left. Of course there was the obvious fact that everyone had grown up and had more responsibilities, but that wasn't what was bugging him. It seemed as though he carried tension wherever he went; it was almost as if he were the topic of gossip and talk amongst those he spent his time with - including his friends and his family.

Things had been nice in Vancouver because he could be who he wanted to be, and he had no problems with anyone. All of his classmates were friendly and personable, and there wasn't very much drama with the exception of people getting bad grades and having a little too much fun at dorm parties. University life was very easy going for the most part, and he had to get readjusted to the faster paced, uptight lifestyle of Illinois again.

His family was up into his business a lot. His little brothers constantly wanted to spend time with him - which wouldn't be such an annoyance if they weren't calling him every single day. His mother was constantly prodding about the engagement, and getting his aunts and her friends to join her. He had met with his father once since his return, and didn't get very far with him besides their regular arguing and banter.

He fared no better with his friends. John had been breathing down his neck like a rabid dog since he had returned. He figured John was suspicious of him - which made Andy just a little uneasy considering John's close relationship with the others. However, all Andy wanted to do was put his past and his mistakes behind him. He wasn't pleased with what he had done, but he didn't want to be treated like a murderer because of it. He was still the same person that he was four and a half years ago, and it bothered him that John didn't see that. It was obvious that Andy had missed a lot since he had left; the relationships between the other members of the Breakfast Club had grown so tight-knit over the years that it made Andy very envious.

He still loved them more than any other friends he had before, yet he now felt like an outsider to a group that he had originally been part of.

He fared no better with Claire and Michelle. Although they were still welcoming him back with open arms - and at least treating him with some respect - they were still watching him like a hawk. He was unsure of their behavior completely; he had no idea what was going on with them, but he didn't like it. Brian and Allison seemed to be the only ones genuinely happy that he was back, and that bothered him a bit. Not only did he want to get on his feet and get his life in order, he wanted his friends back. No matter how fun Vancouver was, he missed them dearly.

It upset him that he was a stranger to the Breakfast Club.

He sighed and through his clothing back into his suitcase; he lost his motivation to get anything done that afternoon. It was Saturday afternoon, and he figured that there had to be a good movie on the television; that's all Saturday was good for, wasn't it?

He sulked out into the living room and sat on his couch, but before he could even turn the television on, there was a knock on his door. For a moment, he contemplated not even answering it. Allison was at work, and Brian was visiting with his grandparents, so it was probably someone he didn't want to see anyway. His blue eyes moved down to the remote control in his hand, and he decided to turn the television on.

"And for our four o'clock movie special today we will be featuring: The Karate Kid!" Andrew snorted in spite of himself; the movie was something that he and Brian had gone to see during his senior year of high school. They had gotten a real kick out of it.

The knocking on the door came again. "Open up Sporto! I can hear your TV, you dick weed!"

Andrew perked an eyebrow up at that. Why the hell would Bender have been at his door? He grudgingly placed the remote control back on the coffee table and walked the ten or so steps to the front door of his apartment. He slid the chain from the lock and opened the door for Bender to come in.

"What's going on, John?" Andy asked; he had absolutely no idea why John would want to come and see him.

John didn't even take his shoes off; instead he marched right into the living room and stood in the middle of the floor with his arms crossed. "I should be asking you that question."

Andy's eyebrows furrowed. "I have no fucking clue what you are talking about…"

John took a few menacing steps towards him and pointed a finger at him. "You know damn well what I'm talking about and we're gonna talk about this once and for all."

Andy's anger began to get the better of him. "You aren't going to march your fucking way into my home and demand me to talk about anything! If you're going to be an asshole, you can just leave please!"

John just glared as he rolled his eyes at him. "You are so pathetic, Sporto. You act all innocent and fucking stupid when we both know that you are neither. So why don't you - for once in your stupid life - act like the big man that you always act like are, and just come out and say it to me!" He inched closer towards Andy. "I'm not going to let you fuck her around, so out with it!"

"I think you should go," Andy spun on his heel and opened up the door for John. Of course, being the stubborn idiot that he was, stood right in his place and just challenged Andy with his eyes. After a few moments of the boys simply glaring at each other, Andy slammed the door closed and let his arms fall to his sides dejectedly. He walked back to his couch, and watched the Karate Kid around Bender's side.

John angrily slammed a fist at the side panel on the TV, causing it to turn off. Andy's eyes rose and met his and he simply stared at him. John's top lip twitched in anger, and Andrew saw nothing but disgust in the older boy's eyes.

"I wanna know why you got her hopes up."

"I love her!" Andrew nearly screamed at him. "I would never just get her hopes up."

Bender looked completely unfazed. "Then why did your stupid ass ask her to marry you? Answer me that, you piece of shit!"

"Because I want to spend my fucking life with her! I would do anything - anything - to be with her!" Andrew was getting extremely angry, and he knew at any moment he would lose his patience with him. It wasn't a feeling that he was unfamiliar with when it came to Bender.

"You would do anything for her?" He asked incredulously.

Andrew stared at him with cold eyes. "Anything."

"Even fuck another chick behind her unknowing, innocent little back? Wow that sounds like a fucking fairy tale moment if you ask me." John's eyes were pooling with anger and accusation.

Andrew, on the other hand, felt like he had just been punched in the gut - worse, like his nuts had been ripped off and shoved down his throat. "Wh-what did you say?"

Triumph began to appear in John's eyes and he moved in for the kill. "Not calling for weeks on end, always being busy, coming home with hickeys on your neck…now I would think you were rolling around with another girl, and not a vacuum cleaner. Of course, it could be another guy too. So what is it?"

Andrew's mouth went completely dry, and for the first time in his entire life he had felt so ashamed with himself, that he couldn't look another person in the eye. He stood from his seat and grabbed his forehead with his hands. "No…you're not doing this to me…"

John grabbed him by the arm and shoved him roughly into the wall behind him. "NO! You are not doing 'this' to her! Now out with it, you piece of shit! You porked someone else, didn't you? Then you came back and dipped your filthy cock back into your girlfriend who waited for you to come home like some lost little puppy!"

"Who are you to talk? I remember that you did the same thing to Claire in high school, you fucking hypocrite! You are no better than me!" Andrew breathed heavily. (1)

John closed his mouth and stared at Andy. "Only I told her the truth. You just sit back and hide it."

Andy shook his head angrily. "This is none of your fucking business. You have no right to be sticking your huge nose where it doesn't belong. Back off, Bender, I'll do what I need to do."

Bender perked an eyebrow. "Is that what you think?"

Andrew glared dangerously at him. "I don't think, I know!" He grabbed John by the collar and pushed him away from him. "Now get the fuck out of here before I have to beat your ass again!"

John straightened out his shirt. "You know, it sickens me that all those people - that fucking breakfast club, or whatever the fuck - they think that you are some perfect hero, you know that? They talk about you like you are some fucking big shot hero, or god or something," He shook his hair from his face and straightened his posture. "But I know better. I always knew better. You don't give a shit about anyone else but yourself."

Andrew softened considerably at this; he was almost sure that he felt his heart break into a million pieces. "Listen, John - I…"

He raised a hand as he began to walk backwards towards the door. "Save it, sport. You weren't the one who watched her for four years waiting for you. I heard her cry at night. I saw her sulk when you never called or came home. You aren't going to fuck her around anymore."

"Bender…" Andy was almost pleading with him. The look in the eyes of one John Bender no longer showed anger or frustration; it was pure disgust.

He opened up the door and kept his eyes glued on Andy's. "They may see you as the fuckin' untouchable hero, but just remember - Sporto - who was the one who was there for them all along. You aren't going to come waltzing back into our lives and fuck everything up."

"I'm sorry…"

"Go fuck yourself," and with that, John slammed the door behind him and left. The cat was out of the bag and Andy had never felt worse in his life.

He had no idea what to do; all he knew was that he had to take a long time to think… and hard.

TBC

(1) - In 'basket case' chapter 13.

A/N1: I have two new one shots for you guys to check out. The first one is rated M (so you will have to adjust the filter settings) and it's an Allison and Andy piece. The second one is even more angsty (if that is possible) and it features the three boys. Check them out, I tried my best with them, I promise!

A/N 2: And there you have it! A bit intense, I know, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Also, you guys are killing me here! I get over 300 hits a chapter, and only 4-6 reviews? Come on now:D I give you a big smile, and in return, you can push the button down there, okay? It won't come up and bite you, you know! Go on, give it a try!