Nick sat in Mark's room silently, still there from the night before. Mark awoke, looking over at him. "You're still here?" Mark said.

"Always" he said. "I couldn't just leave. I wasn't going to." Nick paused. "Umm... Michael was in before, he went to get in touch with everyone from the Center. They're gonna be coming down to see you."

"How long... have I actually been in here?" Mark said. "Out of it."

"Two weeks." Nick said. He watched Mark sigh. "But you're up now, you're awake and you're talking so that's good."

Mark laughed, shaking his head. "When did you become such an optimist?"

Nick smiled. "After you showed me how easy it was." Mark laughed. "You know us dumb jocks." Nick continued. "We can't grasp something unless you shove it in our faces."

"You are not... a dumb jock." Mark said. "You are the furthest thing from it. You proved that."

"Yeah real well" Nick said sarcastically. "Shooting myself up proved to be a real smart move."

"You kicked it," Mark said. "You know how much courage that took?"

"It's not like I did it alone" Nick said, fingering through his hair. "I would have never been able to do it if I didn't have you there."

"I didn't do anything..."

"You saved my life," Nick said. "Mark... you saved my life." He smiled down at him, still tunneling gently through his hair. "I'm so glad you're OK." He leaned his head down, kissing him softly. Mark suddenly brought up his good arm, hand rested on the back of Nick's head, deepening the kiss, getting completely caught up in it.

"Oh... my God."

Nick's heart stopped. He knew the voice. He quickly spun to look at the door. He couldn't say a word, staring at Shannon who now stood in the doorway in shock.

"Oh my God" Shannon said again. "I'll... I'll come back. This is a bad... I'll come back..."

"Shannon" Nick said. "Shannon wait, wait OK," he jumped up going after her. "Shannon!"

>>>>>>

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

"We need to talk." James said.

Eric closed his office door, looking at the expression on James' face. "Do I need to sit?" Eric asked. "James?"

"I would," he said. Eric remained standing. James sighed. "He called again."

"James... you know that's just Dad's way to try to get us to cancel this wedding."

"You haven't said a word to your father in years. He wouldn't even know if you got back from Iraq in one piece if it wasn't for your sister. But he finds it necessary to worry about this wedding, to make a point in seeing that we don't do this. I can't take this anymore, Eric."

"It's not going to stop," Eric said. "If it's not my Dad, it's going to be somebody else. Not everyone is like Marcie."

"Yeah well... I don't know if I can handle it anymore. I know that you want a relationship with your family, Eric. Your whole family and there is only one thing standing in the way of that. Me."

"No" he said. "Don't say that. You know that my father is opposed to the whole idea of me being gay."

"But he didn't threaten to disown you until he found out you were going to marry me. At least before that you always had the option of going home."

"You're not making any sense." Eric said. "I thought we were passed all of this. I want my brothers and my Dad to be a part of this but if they can't accept it, then that's the way it has to be. You're my family too now." he paused. "Unless... you're not happy. James..."

"I don't think I can do this Eric." he said. Eric sat now. "I don't think I can go through with this wedding."

"All we have to do is give it time..."

James shook his head. "It's not going to work, Eric. Nothing's ever gonna change. Nobody would ever look at us as a normal couple."

"Who decides what's normal?" Eric said. "Did he talk to you? Did my Dad say something to you that made you..."

"He didn't say anything," James said. "I've been thinking about this for a long time."

"And you just decided to tell me now?"

"My agency's transferring me to New York. The van will be by this afternoon to pick up my things. I'm sorry Eric."

"That's it?" Eric said. "After two years, that's all you can say is you're sorry?"

"It has to be this way. I can't..."

"You can't handle it." Eric said. "What do you plan on going back into the closet now too? It's safer that way, right?" Eric shook his head. "I thought I knew you better than that, James."

James sighed. "I guess you were wrong," he said softly. They were both silent for a moment before James started to move towards the door. "Goodbye Eric."

Eric watched him go, pain wrenching his body. After a moment he picked up the phone. "Kelsey..." he said to the secretary. "Do me a favor OK, reschedule the rest of my appointments for the week..." he sniffled "And- book me a ticket to Pennsylvania through Pine Valley Airport. I need to go to Llanview."