If I could just have one last dance with you...

So, second chapter of my ongoing story, hope you enjoy! Reviews much appreciated x

Disclaimer: I do not own Queer as Folk or any of the characters, they belong to Showtime and Cowlip.

Warnings: Slash, some strong language, homophobia and in this chapter some upsetting scenes.

Chapter two: Don't drift away from me

Jennifer Taylor walked into the hospital for what must have been the hundredth time in three days, her eyes red raw. She walked through the hospital and passed a waiting room she had never been in before. She did a double take as she recognised a familiar face. She hid in the doorway and saw Brian, Brian Kinney, he was sat with his hands knotted in his hair and his eyes on the floor. Jennifer felt an unfamiliar pinch on her heart seeing him like this. She couldn't claim to know Brian very well, as even during their brief meetings, Jennifer had always been hostile at best. But Brian had definitely given off a very dominant, confident vibe. Unforgiving, insubordinate, in control. Jennifer new the type. But now he looked so...vulnerable. Jennifer realised that she may have to rethink a few things.

Jennifer caught sight of a near by nurse and walked up to her.

"Excuse me, Nurse-" Jennifer asked, "but, how long has that man been here?" She indicated to him.

"Who? Brian?" Said the Nurse. "He's a sweetheart, isn't he? Been here three full days."

Jennifer blinked a few times. "Full?"

The Nurse nodded. "Yep. He just sits there, staring into space, but I don't think he's seeing anything." The Nurse smiled sadly. "I think he's just waiting to see if Justin is gonna be okay."

Jennifer felt the tears pricking her eyes. "You 'no, I used to think that that man was taking advantage of my son. God I was wrong."

Brian heard the footsteps but he didn't bother to look up, it was only when someone sat down next to him that he lifted his eyes off of the ground.

"I didn't expect you to be here." Jennifer admitted. Brian looked briefly up at Justin's mother.

"Why not? Justin is my partner." It was the first time Brian had spoken in a long time, and it shocked him how dead his voice sounded, but what also shocked him were the words that came out of his mouth. He hadn't been planning on saying it, it just came out. He and Justin were partners...he liked the sound of that.

Jennifer cleared her throat. "I had know idea your...relationship...with Justin was so...so..."

"Loving?" Brian finished off for her, meeting her eyes.

"Yes." Jennifer nodded.

"No-" began Brian, looking back at the floor. "neither did I."

Jennifer chose to ignore that comment and build up the courage to ask Brian the question she had been waiting to ask him for three days. Part of her was dying to know the answer, but another part of her didn't want to make Brian relive the events that were obviously causing him so much distress.

"What happened, Brian?" What really happened?"

Brian sighed and rubbed his eyes, he knew this question would be coming sooner or later from someone or other, but Brian hadn't bargained on telling Jennifer Taylor how he'd seen her baby boy being beaten with a baseball bat; the same son who was currently lying unconscious in one of these rooms fighting for his life. Brian pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind before they overwhelmed him, he tried to focus on Jennifer.

"I, err...I went to his prom-" Brian began, seeing the images flash before his eyes as he told them. "-and I, I asked him to dance with me..."

Jennifer nodded. "Daphne said you had the entire floor to yourselves."

"We did." Brian laughed slightly, caught in the memory. "Then we went out to the parking lot..." Jennifer could see Brian's eyes darken. "Justin was walking away-" Brian continued, "and I saw Hobbs come up behind him..." he felt his eyes welling up. "I...I tried to run after him but...but Justin was too far away...!"

"Brian..." began Jennifer softly.

"Then he swung..." Continued Brian, he couldn't go on, the image of Justin and that bat crystal clear, burned into his memory like Brian was now branded with it, and if only he could transfer that image to Jennifer...

He buried his head in his hands, maybe, just maybe if he made it dark enough, all the pain would go away.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Taylor-" began Brian, furiously scrubbing at his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect him."

"Now-hold on," began Jennifer. "Whatever that, that animal did, this was not, your fault." Brian looked up at her and smiled slightly. "And it's Jennifer," she clarified, and her and Brian shared a laugh.

"When he...when he gets out-" began Brian tentatively, "I want to look after him, I want to help you look after him."

"I'm sure Justin wouldn't have it any other way."

"Look, Jennifer, Justin and I aren't the best of couples, I know that, but...I care about him, and...I wanna do everything I can to make this work."

"Brian," began Jennifer, "if this is how you deal with your...boyfriend...being attacked, then for what it's worth, I'm glad my son fell in love with you."

"It's worth a lot," Brian told her.

As Brian and Jennifer sat there smiling at each other, they both knew a friendship was being born.

Brian's lip began to tremble at his next question. "Can I see him?"

The Nurse silently held the door open for Brian and Jennifer and they both entered the room slowly, even though it tore Jennifer's heart open, she was used to what Justin looked like, but for Brian, it was a total shock to his already frazzled system.

"Oh...God..." Brian choked out. Justin lay on a cold white hospital bed, wired up to an offensively large breathing apparatus with a thick, white bandage rapped around the majority of his head. Brian's breathing was shaky and he fought to keep his body still.

"Any change?" Jennifer asked the Nurse.

"Well," she began, walking up to Jennifer. The two women were talking but Brian couldn't hear them, all he could hear was his own heartbeat, thudding uncontrollably in his chest, and all he could see was Sunshine, his Sunshine. He walked slowly and cautiously over to Justin and sat by his bed, he couldn't stop staring at Justin's closed eyes, just willing them to open. This is all my fault. He repeated to himself, fighting off the tears.

Then, gently, ever so gently, Brian slowly reached out and ran a slender finger tenderly down the side of Justin's cheek, ghosting over the skin. He just wanted to touch him, feel him, even if it was only for one last time.

Then, Justin moved, his whole body arched weakly into Brian's hand. Brian looked at Justin's face and was confused to see Justin was still very much unconscious.

Jennifer's brow furrowed in confusion. "He's never done that before," she said, "not when I've touched him."

Understanding, Brian looked over Justin lovingly. "You know I'm here, don't you?" He asked softly, voice barely above a whisper. Even in this state, the fact that Justin wanted him above everyone else still managed to set his whole body on fire.

"I love you, Sunshine-" Brian admitted truthfully, effortlessly, "-and when you wake up, you're gonna know that." That's a promise, Brian Kinney.

"If he wakes up, honey." Said the Nurse gently.

"He will." Brian said. "If I've learned anything about Justin over the last year, it's that he's a persistent little kid," he laughed slightly. "He always finds a way to sneak in under the wire."

"Well, I hope you're right, honey, I really do." Said the Nurse genuinely.

"What are his chances?" Asked Jennifer in a throaty voice.

"At this point, 50:50-" the Nurse continued, "-we will need to run several..." she and Jennifer began to talk again and Brian began to stroke Justin's exposed hair softly.

"Don't drift away from me, Sunshine," he began softly, "I'm not gonna let you drift away."