Nothing Changes like Time

Chapter 3

A/N: thanks for your reviews! It's so uplifting getting them!!! Especially when they say they like Jack and Doug together.... Sam: I loved the little news flash! I really had no idea; I have just been following the one gay couple and the one lesbian couple (who got married in Canada) here in Australia...lol... nervous laugh . A whole two couples... hmmmm... and I'm sorry about the changing scene thing...I had little asterixis but they don't seem to have appeared, so I'll fix it. Sorry again. Thanks to Michael, your review was lovely! I hope you stick around for more!! Phil...what are you doing reading Dawson's Creek fanfics? You're so much of an O.C makes vomiting action girl...I advise you read no further. Kim...thanks also for the review, as I said to Sam...there will be improvements in scene changes. ENJOY!!

Recap...

He was brought out of his trance by the ringing phone, hopeful that it was Jack. He bounced over to the coffee table.

"Hello?"

"I knew you'd be there."

"Where else would I be?" Tobey asked, not sure whether he was supposed to be happy that Gareth had tracked him down in only a day and a half.

"Well, I tried a few places before Capeside," Gareth said. "I guess you want some distance."

"Yeah, don't you? I though you would."

"Ouch."

"You can't deny the truth behind it."

Gareth chuckled quietly, fondly, "You always were one for the theatrics. It must have taken you a long time to get there."

"I guess," Tobey said. He wanted so much to just forgive Gareth, but he wanted to draw it out and make Gareth experience what he was... if he was feeling hurt anymore. "Did you want something?"

"Other than to know where my husband nicked off to? No, not really." he said. "Come back home. You don't really expect me to have to pay for these long distance phone calls again do you?"

"I'm not really expecting you to call everyday," Tobey retorted. "This is a good opportunity for us to spend some time apart for a bit—to sort some things out, don't you think?"

"Not really. I think the longer we stay apart, the more damage will be done to our relationship."

"I think you're wrong. And I think that we need a cool down period. Or—you need a cool down period."

"This is as much you're fault as it is mine!"

What did he just say? Tobey though. "I'm—cold? Right?" he managed to say in a voice contorted with anger.

He hung up and threw the phone violently into the couch.

"This feels strange—distant déjà vu," Jack said walking up the porch stairs of the Barrett house.

"Good or bad?" Tobey said, as he closed the door behind them and then led Jack through to the kitchen. "Drink?"

"Yeah, thanks, um...good, I mean the bad didn't start til Boston."

"Right. I haven't got much," Tobey said inspecting the fridge. "Beer, orange juice, water..."

"You needn't say more, beer is fine."

Tobey laughed and took two beers out of the fridge, opened them and handed one to Jack. They sat down at the stool at the island bench.

"So, tell me everything," Jack started and took a swig, "Where do you live? What do you do? How long have you known Gareth?"

"You're lucky I have a high attention span," Tobey smiled. "I actually live in Canada with Gareth, who I met at a business convention, he's an IT manager and I'm a marketing executive...we hit it off pretty quickly and I applied for a job up there and before we knew it were...married."

"What's Gareth like?" Jack asked. Not that it really mattered, he'd never meet the guy anyway... he needed reassurance that Tobey was with a nice guy...or something...

"Gareth..."Tobey paused to think. "He's one of those guys who you think is the biggest arrogant ass-hole, they just exude this light of pretentiousness...but you talk to them and you realise that your preconceived ideas were all wrong and that...you're suddenly inexplicably drawn to them."

So he really is just an ass-hole, Jack though.

"Then why are you here if he's so great?"

"I never said he was great," Tobey replied.

"Ok, I'll try the direct approach, what are you doing here?"

"It's complicated, actually, really complicated," he sighed. "He thinks I'm cold and distant."

"Is that true?" Jack asked, "I mean, do you think you're like that?"

Tobey paused. "There's some truth in that."

"That's why you're here?"

"Not exactly. It's a...factor, supposedly."

"Straight up Tobey, what happened?" Jack said directly, there was no point to continue beating around the bush.

"He slept with someone else," Tobey said quickly and put his beer down on the bench. "Repeatedly."

Jack didn't know what to say so he stayed silent, hoping Tobey would go on.

"For the past 2 months things at work were getting really stressful so I started having long nights at work and we hardly saw each other. That's another thing that contributed I guess...I became so involved in work I forgot about him. And things with his family got to breaking point after the 4th of July when his dad got drunk and abusive and hit him..." he trailed off. "So I tried to avoid him and I spent more and more time at work and for the past 2 months he's been seeing someone else and blames it on me."

Tobey stared at Jack who looked really pensive. He had his eyebrows knotted and he stared at Tobey with a sort of pity crossed with raw sympathy.

"How did everything in the world get so screwed up?" Jack muttered quietly after a while. "You're not cold."

"Unfortunately the most reliable source has spoken and decided that it was worth having a meaningless fuck everyday--," he stopped and squeezed his eyes shut. "But I don't know if it was everyday...it could have been less...it could have been more. I don't know who the guy is...was...I don't even know that while I'm here, getting away from Gareth again, if he's missing me or if he really cares or if he sees it as another opportunity to get on with his promiscuity." Tobey looked over at Jack. "I'm sorry. It doesn't matter."

"Don't be sorry," Jack said a little more emphatically than he meant. "Of course it matters. Just, try not to assume the worst until it's been confirmed. And don't get caught up on thinking about all the things that will make you weak, because you need to be strong to keep you're marriage."

Tobey glanced up at Jack innocently. "When did you get so insightful?"

"I think it kicked in after Jen...passed away," he said. "Someone has to carry the banner."

There was a silence that passed over the boys as the looked at each other, nothing much more to say. Jack looked at his watch. "I have to get back to Doug, he's cooking dinner tonight," he smiled to himself. "Bit by bit he's leaning culinary abilities. We'll invite you over one night when I can watch over to see that nothing gets burned."

"OK," Tobey said and walked Jack to the front door. "Hey Jack, thanks for coming."

"No problem. If ever you need anything," Jack said and stepped forward and hugged Tobey tightly. "You know my phone number," he whispered, let got and walked out of the house.

Tobey closed the door and lent against it. God, Jack has changed so much inside but...everything he remembered physically was still exactly the same.

He walked up stairs into his old bedroom and found the photo album he was pouring over just the other day. All the old pictures of him and Jack, at the prom, hanging around at the house, around the streets at Capeside...

Then there were the framed pictures on the living room mantle of his wedding to Gareth...and for that tiny moment, he had no idea why his heart beat faster when he laid eyes on the picture of Jack and himself sharing a kiss at the Leery Christmas party.

"This is actually quite good," Jack said and smiled at the look of anticipation on Doug's face. "I mean, I wouldn't feed it to Amy but..."

Doug laughed and started his own serve. "Why thank you sweetheart, your kind words do wonders for my soul," he paused and Jack chuckled softly.

"Well, I invited Tobey over for dinner one night so practise makes perfect."

"Oh, how did it go?" Doug asked taking a sip of wine.

"He's a bit of a mess," Jack started, "it's not easy, he really thinks its all his fault, I mean, he makes it sound like this Gareth is the bad guy, but I know he thinks its him that made this Gareth sleep around."

Doug looked up. "Slept around? Ouch."

"Yeah, I know."

"For how long?"

"Two months," Jack said seriously. "I don't even know why Tobey is still tossing up the decision of staying or leaving. I think that this Gareth doesn't deserve Tobey—"

"Was there a reason? Or did he just decide to..." Doug asked; the rational thinking one in the relation always became apparent in moments like these.

"Tobey's been bogged down at work and this Gareth's family has issues with them..."

"I'm sure his birth certificate doesn't say 'this Gareth,' or does it?" Doug asked with a smirk.

"Doug, if I'm letting my bias show, I'm terribly sorry," Jack replied sarcastically, getting up and taking his empty bowl to the kitchen.

"Don't get catty, Jack," Doug said finishing up and joining him. "It's... amusing. You're getting really defensive of a guy you inadvertently dumped and left on a street corner waiting for a taxi to leave..."

"Who told you that?"

"One of your friends happens to be my little brother," Doug said, placing the two plates in the dishwasher as Jack resigned from duties and sat on the bench and watched Doug.

"It wasn't a corner," Jack said. "But who really cares. And how do I really know? Jen told me but I could have been mistaken..." he mumbled and drifted off.

Doug stopped and stepped in front of him and ran his hands up Jack's thighs. "Hey," he purred, "I think it's nice, that you're being a real friend to Tobey. It shows what a sweet person you are." Doug reached his hand out and hooked it around the back of Jack's neck and kissed his lips quickly. "I'm blessed to be with you."

He walked back to the table and started clearing it as Jack continued to watch and think.

"I just think that I'd like the same..." he searched for a word, "vehement support, if you and I were to break up. I couldn't imagine how I'd be; I don't wish it on anyone. But I'd defiantly want someone to be there and just listen... do you get what I'm saying?"

"Of course I do," Doug said. "Did you finish marking the year 8 creative essays?"

"Huh?" Jack asked, clearly thrown by the question. "That doesn't even register on the topic radar."

"Oh, I know," Doug said. "Sorry, it must have been subliminal."

Bullshit, Doug though as he moved to take Amy off to bed. That was the only thing on your mind. You just want him to stop talking about Tobey... He shook his head and heaved Amy into his arms.

"No—I haven't," Jack said slipping off the bench. "Do you want me to take her? I'll mark them while I wait."

"Yeah, thanks Jack," he said and passed their sleepy child over to his lover. "I'll bring your briefcase in to you."

"Thanks."

A/N: thanks ever so for all of your reviews!!!! Is this chapter better??? as in scene things? i hope it worked!!! No REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!

Rock on, Phoenix

xxx