CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Oh my God, poor Teddy!" Debbie gasped, staring at the front page of the Tribune.

"It's a horrible photograph," Vic commented, turning the newspaper so that he could get a good look at Ted's white, horrified face being bundled into the back of a police car. "I hope his mother isn't a subscriber.

"Porn King Arrested!" Debbie snorted. "Haven't they got better things to do with their time than chasing people like Ted? What about rapists? What about fucking murderers?"

"Says he's been arrested for corrupting a minor ... seems one of his employees was only seventeen," Vic said, scanning through the report. "I'm surprised Ted made a mistake like that. He's usually so careful with numbers."

"It's that fucking Stockwell, that's what it is!" Debbie cried. "That homophobic bastard won't be happy until he runs us all out of town ... closing everywhere down and denying us our civil rights and arresting honest citizens! Well, we're not going down without a fight!" She thumped her mug down on the table. "We're going to protest ... we're going to raise such a fucking racket Stockwell won't be able to hear himself think! We'll rally everyone at the Diner ... then we'll march. I'll call the papers ... and CBS, too ... we'll show that asshole we're not gonna be pushed around like this!"

Justin buried his face in his coffee mug so she wouldn't see his reaction. Much as he sympathised with Ted's predicament, he was horrified by the idea of having Stockwell's attention drawn anywhere near him. "Will the owner let you close the Diner?" he asked, hoping she hadn't thought of that.

Debbie smiled at him. "No, Sunshine, you can stay and hold the fort with Leo. I don't expect you'll have many customers; they'll all be joining the protest, too. If they know what's good for them, that is."

"Em, I'm so sorry," Justin said, reaching up to hug him. "How's Ted bearing up?"

"I don't know. They haven't released him yet ... Melanie's trying to organise bail." Emmett wiped his eyes and sank dismally onto the nearest stool. "It was just horrible, Baby; our new neighbours had thrown a welcoming party, and I didn't want to go. Sometimes I get these feelings, just like my Aunt Lula used to, and I knew something was going to go wrong!" He waved his handkerchief distractedly. "I thought they weren't going to like us or something ... I never realised the police were going to turn up and arrest Teddy! It was so humiliating for him to be dragged out in handcuffs like that, in front of everybody!"

"What does Mel say, Sweetie?" Deb asked, deserting her duties as Protest Organiser to pour Emmett a strong cup of coffee.

"He could go to jail," Emmett said tearfully. "She says they want to make an example of him ... and even if he doesn't go to jail, they'll close the website and confiscate all his assets, and then there'll be a huge fine and legal fees and we'll have to sell the house to pay for it. Oh, God, I knew everything was going too well! Poor Teddy!"

Debbie patted his shoulder. "You just grab yourself a placard and come and march with the rest of us," she said. "We're going to let Stockwell and his goons know exactly what we think of them!"

"Thank you, Deb, but I have to go home. In case Melanie calls ... or if they release him. I only dropped in to let you know what was going on, on my way back from Vanguard."

"You went to see Brian?" Deb asked.

"Yes, for all the good it did me," Emmett sniffed. "I managed to persuade that cunty bitch of a PA of his to let me in to see him, and I begged. I did, Deb. I threw away my pride and begged him to help Teddy. And do you know what he did?" Emmett squared his shoulders. "He laughed at me. Laughed at us. He said Teddy was a loser who deserved everything he got."

"Oh, Honey," Debbie said, rubbing his back soothingly.

"So I pointed out to him that he wasn't pure as driven snow himself. I said to him, 'How do you think you'd fare now, if you were facing the same harassment charges? Do you think you'd get off today, with Stockwell stirring everyone up against us? You'd lose your job, and you'd be lucky if anyone ever employed you again.'"

"Ha! And it's fucking true," Debbie snorted. "So what did the asshole say to that?"

"He said he didn't know, and he didn't care," Emmett replied. "And then he said he didn't have any more time to waste on me because he had someone 'important' he had to talk to, and that if I didn't leave he'd have security escort me off the premises."

"Why, that miserable piece of shit!" Debbie exclaimed. "Just wait until he shows his face in here again, I'll tear him a new one so big he'll be walking like John Wayne for the rest of his fucking life!"

"Hey, Deb!" Kiki interrupted. "The troops are getting restless. If we don't get our asses in gear the media are gonna get sick of waiting for us!" She waved her placard, emblazoned with Stockwell Sucks in large pink letters.

"Oh sure, Kiki, I'll be right with you." Deb planted a big smacker on Emmett's forehead. "You keep your pecker up, Honey. Ted will come through okay, just you wait." She picked up her own placard and hurried off to head the small but vocal army of demonstrators ready to march on Pittsburgh Police Headquarters.

"What do you mean?" Justin couldn't help himself asking when the Diner was quiet again. "How could Brian help Ted?"

Emmett stared at him. "Because Brian works for Stockwell, of course."

Justin felt all the blood drain from his face. "He what?" he asked faintly.

"He's running Stockwell's election campaign. Why do you think Stockwell's suddenly shot up in the polls? All our clever Mr. Kinney's doing."

"But ..." Justin protested. He felt sick. "How could he?"

"How can such an openly gay man as Brian try to help a homophobe like Jim Stockwell to become Mayor?" Emmett laughed bitterly. "Because it's business, Sweetie. And nothing gets in the way of business, not where Brian's concerned. Stockwell is Brian's ticket out of Pittsburgh."

Oh my God, Justin thought. He knows my name. I told him my fucking name!

Emmett was watching him in some concern. "Are you alright, Baby? You've gone awfully pale, even for you. Here, sit down, let me call Leo."

"No, I'm fine," Justin said, forcing his numb lips to smile and his voice to work normally. "I haven't had lunch yet, is all ... in fact, I think I'll go grab some now, if you're going back home."

"Yes, I need to go. I've been much longer than I said I would, although Mel promised to call as soon as she knew anything ..." Emmett pulled out his cell and peered at it worriedly.

"Then you'd better get going," Justin told him. "You don't want Ted to turn up and you not be there." He took Emmett's arm and walked him to the door. "Now, you give Ted my love, and try not to worry. I'm sure it'll all work out, Em."

"I hope to God you're right, Baby." Emmett gave him a hug and a kiss. "Thank you for being such a good friend."

"No," Justin said, returning the hug and feeling himself begin tearing up. "Thank you, Em. You and Ted. You've been great." He released his grip and managed a cheery smile as Emmett hurried away, waving over his shoulder as he did so. "I won't forget you," he whispered.

Turning, he hurried back into the Diner, taking off his apron as he went. "Leo," he called, "I'm just taking a smoke break."

Leo was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, reading the paper. "Sure thing, kid," he grunted, not even looking up.

Justin grabbed his jacket from the hook on the wall, slipped out into the back alleyway, and ran.

TBC