Chapter 27 – In the News Part 2

Emmett and Marc stood and watched as Justin paced around the back room of the studio of News Now.

Emmett leaned in closer to Marc, "Do you think he'll calm down before the show?"

Marc flashed a grin as Justin ran his hand through his hair yet again. "No. I don't think he's going to calm down until Brian gets here."

Justin jumped as a blonde in a sleek business suit came around the corner. She struggled not to laugh, her brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Justin," the reporter called out softly, "relax. I'm just going to ask you a few questions, you'll answer – that's all there is to it. We do have a small surprise for you, but I'm sure you'll like it."

Justin shot her a dirty look, "A surprise? That's supposed to help me relax? Thanks a lot, Alicia."

"Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. You'll do fine. I watched your earlier press conference and you were brilliant. So relax, we'll be on in about ten minutes." She moved around the corner and back onto the set.

Marc took Justin by the hand and led him to a chair. "Here, why don't you sit down and let me give you a massage to take out some of the tension." He began to massage Justin's temples, lightly. As his hands moved down from the temple to the neck, he began frowning. "God, your right side is tight. I've never felt anything like it." Marc moved both hands to Justin's right side, massaging from the temple, to the neck and down the right arm to Justin's hand.

"Yeah, I've been really tight since the interview with Lieutenant Medina. I can barely draw," Justin sighed as Marc's hands worked their magic. "Now that I know you can do this, I'll be bugging you a lot more. That feels incredible."

"Years as a professional athlete have taught me a thing or two," Marc responded. "It's no problem at all – call anytime."

"I thought it was probably your time spent with all those psychic healers," Emmett commented.

Marc flashed him an easy smile, "That doesn't hurt. But in this case, it's mostly hours of professional massage and chiropractic care after injuries."

Justin's phone vibrated. Picking it up, he glanced at the name, "Hey, Eric, what's up?"

"Professor Lantin needs me to come into the university right away. He sounded pretty anxious. I won't be able to let your friends in."

Justin sighed in resignation, knowing how important the visit with the professor would be. "Don't worry about it. Emmett and I will figure something out." After hanging up, Justin turned to Emmett, "The professor wants to see Eric at the university right away."

Emmett grinned happily, "Good news. He'll hear about the position before the weekend."

"Not such good news, remember Aiden and Aileen?" Justin pointed out.

"They accepted your invitation?"

Justin gave a bright smile as he nodded. "They're dropping by the house to meet Brian. Just a quick visit to start."

"You're not planning to just spring them on Brian, are you?" Emmett's obvious horror at the possibility made Justin chuckle.

"It was tempting, but I wouldn't do that to him," Justin responded. "I told him about meeting them and he made a snide comment about my not being able to keep my nose out of his business. We talked and he agreed to meet them." Justin gave a wicked little grin, "I didn't mention how much he and Aiden look alike, though. They're coming by the house after the interview for a quick hello. Would you mind going and letting them into the house? Eric was supposed to, but he's off to school."

"But your interview…" Emmett started then shrugged his shoulders at Justin's pleading look. "Well, I guess we can't leave them standing on the sidewalk."

"Thanks, Em. I really want this first meeting to go well."

"Well, speak of the devil…" Emmett said, looking at the door where Brian, Lindsay and a very tired looking Gus had just entered, "Or is it speak of the queen in this case," he added with a quick grin at Justin, indicating Brian's mood. "I'll see you back at the house."

As Emmett walked by Brian, he paused to cheerily announce, "Remember, Brian. It takes forty-two muscles to make your face frown and only twenty-two to make a smile. Smiling's easier and doesn't give you wrinkles."

Brian glared at Emmett before responding flatly, "You're right. And it only takes four muscles to deck you. That'd make me smile." He took a single step toward Emmett.

"Whoops!" Emmett laughed as he backed rapidly away, "I'm going to be leaving now. See you all later."

Gus waved good-bye to Emmett and launched himself across the room for a hug from Justin.

"Hi, Gus," Justin looked across the room at Brian as he picked up Gus, took in his harried look and started laughing, "Bad flight, dear?" he asked.

"Next time you book something we all have to fly in for, convince her to fly first class, would you?" Brian shot Lindsay a nasty look. "There's not enough room for Gus in those seats."

Lindsay shook her head, "It was like flying with two babies. I'll take first class next time just to shut you up. And there was plenty of room for Gus, he was fine."

"Gus wasn't really the problem. It was the brat in the seat behind mine who kicked me for three hours."

"If you'd asked his mother politely to stop him instead of threatening to put his head down the toilet, she might have helped you," Lindsay shot back, getting irritated.

Marc broke up the argument by talking to Gus. "Hi, I'm Marc, a friend of your dad's. Did you know I play in the NHL?" At Gus' look of interest, Marc glanced up at Lindsay, "Why don't I take this little guy outside for some road hockey? I noticed a dead end in the back. I've got a couple of kid sticks in my van."

"Thank you, Marc. He's developed a love of hockey, living in Canada," Lindsay said with a heartfelt smile. She'd heard favorable reviews of Marc from several sources. "If he doesn't get to move around before dinner, he's going to be terrible."

"We'll be just outside." Marc took Gus' hand and headed for the door.

Justin was chuckling as he walked over to Brian, pulling his head down for an extremely passionate, distracting kiss. "I'm glad you're here." He glanced over at Lindsay, "You, too."

Brian took a good look at Justin, "Christ, Justin. Have I taught you nothing?" Brian reached out and straightened Justin's hair.

A brunette head came around the corner, "We're ready to start, Mr. Taylor."

Justin gave a deep swallow, looked around and said, "Wish me luck."

Lindsay simply murmured good luck, but Brian shook his head. "You don't need it. You'll be fine. Just remember - humor, sympathy and romance for this audience segment."

Justin flashed Brian a huge smile as he headed around the corner to the stage. Lindsay and Brian followed to watch from the sidelines.

The interview started with some standard introductions, discussion of Justin's show, footage from the aftermath of the bombing. After some questions about the bombing, they showed a newscast discussing Chris Hobbs getting community service after the bashing.

"How do you feel about that verdict after every thing that's happened since," Alicia asked Justin.

"Saddened that people died who didn't need to. Chris Hobbs should have been in jail." Justin smiled softly, "I'm also hopeful that in the future, people who commit acts of violence will be handled more appropriately, regardless of who the victim is. We all know that Hobbs got community service instead of jail time because the judge didn't approve of me. The result of that sentencing strategy is bombs going off in our communities. Violence is violence."

Another newscast was shown discussing the judge's problem with glue and toilet seats, "What did you think about what happened to the judge the following week?"

Justin laughed softly, "I'll admit it – I'm human. I don't wish the judge any harm, but that incident brightened a really bad time in my life. I don't know who did it, but I can assure you that if I did, I wouldn't have turned them in."

Alicia smiled in response, "I mentioned before the show that I had a surprise for you. I understand that you still don't remember the night of the bashing."

"No, I don't. I've lost almost a week out of my life. The doctors aren't sure if I'll ever get it all back. I haven't given up hope, though. About a week ago a few of the memories did come back."

"How did that feel? Getting some of it back."

"Painful, mostly." Justin gave a rueful grin. "The memories were accompanied by one heck of a headache and my wrist is still tight. After I recovered, I was happy to have the memories back."

"Your wrist?"

"It's a residual effect of the bashing. My right hand still has pain and muscle spasms. Remembering seemed to intensity it for a while."

"Well, here's our surprise. A young man in your class, Kurt Benning, contacted our Pittsburgh affiliate after the word got out about Chris Hobbs' arrest. Do you remember him?"

"Sure, nice guy. He always had a camera with him. He was as obsessed with photography and film as I was with art."

"He took some amazing video footage on the night of the prom, which he sold to us. With our equipment we were able to touch it up a bit, dub in the music and come up with something to help give you back a bit of that night."

At Alicia's nod, the lights around the studio dimmed and the large video screen came alive. The music started, a Latin number that sounded vaguely familiar, the video closed in on Daphne and him dancing. Justin smiled softly - they looked like they were having fun.

A moment later, the camera angle changed to show the entry to the ballroom and Brian coming through the doors. As Brian paused, the enhanced picture zoomed in on his face, looking slightly lost in the crowd.

The footage continued but Justin began to find it hard to focus on the picture. His mind overlaid the images with new ones, at slightly different angles, the music offset just a bit. As the images showed Brian reaching Daphne and Justin, Justin started to hear a conversation only shown but not heard on the video he was watching.

His own voice, gently teasing, "I thought you said you wouldn't be caught dead in a room full of eighteen years olds."

Brian's voice, "I thought I'd recapture my lost youth." Brian leaning down to give Daphne a light kiss, "You look hot, Daphne. I'd fuck you."

Daphne, a bit flustered, but rising to the challenge, "You, too, Brian."

"Do you mind if I borrow your date?" Justin could see Daphne shaking her head on the screen. Then he could feel her touch on his arm. His head was starting to ache. Reaching his hand up to his throbbing temple, Justin continued to watch as he and Brian cut through the crowd.

Brian's smiling face overlay the image of the back of his head on the television screen as they stood at the front of the stage. The sound of The Drifters filled his ears. Justin saw Brian's mischievous grin, daring Justin to join in the fun. Just before they started to move, he saw Brian's lips move, mouthing the words "I love you".

The studio faded from Justin's vision as his mind shifted fully into the past - reliving the emotions and movement of the night five years earlier. As the music filled his ears, Justin could feel his body swaying, see Brian's face filling his vision, feel the echoes of the love he knew Brian shared with him. For just a moment, Chris Hobbs' hate-filled visage filled his mind before it shifted back to Brian. He could feel himself turning his way across the dance floor. He could feel Brian lifting him, spinning him and then he felt Brian's kiss - one of the best ever. He followed Brian from the ballroom to the parking lot, talking and laughing, wishing they could leave, knowing he couldn't strand Daphne at the prom. Justin kissed Brian goodnight, promising to meet him later. As he walked away, the happiest he had ever been, he heard Brian's voice scream his name. Turning, he saw the flash as a bat descended and everything went black.

On stage, a smiling Alicia turned to Justin as the footage stopping as Brian led Justin off the dance floor. "Well, Justin, what did you think of our surprise? Bring back any memories?" Getting no response from Justin as he stared at things she couldn't see, she tried to get his attention, "Justin. Is everything okay?"

Justin's eyes rolled up in his head as he slid, boneless to the ground.

"Justin!" Brian yelled as he ran across the floor to his lover. Collapsing to the ground beside Justin, Brian picked him up and gently put Justin's head on his lap. "Christ, not again!"

Lindsay rushed over and knelt beside Brian, her hand on his shoulder.

Alicia looked up at the people standing stunned around the scene, "Call 911. We need to get him to a hospital."

"No." Justin's weak voice was the most beautiful thing Brian had ever heard. "No hospitals. I hate them."

"Like I give a fuck," Brian muttered. "You're going."

"Brian!" Justin's voice got stronger, "I'm okay. I'm not going to the hospital." Looking Brian in the eye, a firm, "Let me up," garnered Justin a couple of swear words accompanied by a helping hand as he and Brian got up.

"Justin, are you sure you're okay?" Lindsay moved with Justin as he sat back down, Brian hovering over him. "You're pale as a ghost."

"My head feels like it just got hit with a baseball bat, but other than that – I'm okay." Justin attempted a smile, gingerly holding his head, wincing with every movement. "Anybody got an aspirin?"

One of the assistants, a petite, slightly chubby brunette in her early twenties, reached into a monstrous purple handbag and pulled out a bottle. "Here, I've got some Tylenol."

Justin grimaced as he refused, "Thanks, but I'm allergic. It'll have to be aspirin."

The young lady tilted her head slightly, "But nobody's allergic to Tylenol. It's what they give you when you're allergic to everything else."

Brian chuckled softly as Justin gave him a rueful grin. Brian responded, "He is allergic to everything else. Codeine's the worst, right, Sunshine?" Brian looked at Alicia and quipped, "We keep that on the top shelf."

Justin winced, not sure which was worse, the pounding in his head, the use of the nickname on air or the repeat of the old joke. He decided to get a bit of his own back. "We gave them a prom they'll never forget, didn't we?"

Brian paled as he heard words he'd forgotten ever saying, words he knew he'd never repeated. "You remember." Brian held himself perfectly still, "You remember the prom."

Justin got up, walked a few steps to Brian and put a hand on his partner's shoulder, looking into his eyes. "Yeah, I remember the prom."

Brian's eyes closed for a moment, shielding himself against the emotion in Justin's eyes. After a moment, he pulled Justin into a tight embrace, "And you're okay?"

Justin's slightly muffled voice came through the Armani overcoat, "I'm okay." He leaned back and looked Brian in the eye, "But you've got some explaining to do. Why did it take five years to say it again?"

"I…" Brian swallowed, staring into Justin's patient blue eyes, at a loss for words.

Justin shook his head at Brian's inability to respond. He already knew why. He decided to let Brian off the hook for now. "We'll talk later."

"Is that a threat?" Brian quipped, relieved.

"A promise." Justin moved into Brian's arms, holding him for all he was worth.

Alicia allowed the moment to go on for a bit before clearing her throat, "Guys. You do remember you're live?"

Justin gave a slight laugh, his headache already fading away, as he pulled away from Brian. Brian stepped back, unaware that the producer was keeping a camera on him. For a brief moment, naked emotion swirled in his eyes as he looked at Justin. Justin held Brian's gaze as he went back to his chair beside Alicia. He flashed a brilliant smile, "I have to say, that definitely caught me by surprise."

"I'm sorry," she said. "If we'd known the effect that video would have on you, we would never have just dumped it on you like that."

"I'm not sorry," Justin grinned happily. "The headache's already fading, I've got my memory back and my hand doesn't …" Justin stopped, stunned as he stared down at his right hand in wonder.

"Justin!" Brian interjected sharply, "What's wrong?"

Justin tilted his head to the side and moved his right hand in front of his face, flexing it experimentally. "Nothing." He looked at Brian in shock. "My hand doesn't hurt."

"At all?" Brian stared at Justin's hand. Justin's hand always hurt, at best a residual ache when he flexed it, at worst, cramps that wouldn't allow him to function. Although he could paint and sketch in fine detail, most of his work was abstract to avoid the pain that accompanied detailed work.

"Oh, my God," Lindsay said as she took off behind the set.

Alicia's question of "What's happening?" didn't get answered as Lindsay came back around the corner, Justin's sketchbook and pencils in hand.

Justin took them, swallowing hard, just staring at the pad.

"There's only one way to find out, Justin," Brian said softly.

Lindsay nodded her agreement, "Try it and see."

Silence reigned on the set as Justin flipped open the sketchbook, the crew understanding that something momentous was happening without having a clue as to what that was.

Justin glanced briefly up at Brian's face then started to sketch. Within minutes, a detailed sketch of Brian's face appeared on the sketchpad. Justin started to smile. As she watched, tears began to leak down Lindsay's face and she began to smile. Brian's eyes took on the sheen of unshed tears. As he finished the quick sketch, Justin looked up into Brian's eyes as he stood in front of him.

"Well," Brian asked, "What's the verdict?"

"It didn't hurt at all." Justin's voice cracked, "It felt like it used to." Justin started to laugh, his delight producing contagious smiles throughout the room. "I drew that without any pain."

Brian burst out laughing, grabbed Justin out of the chair, the sketchpad flying away, quickly forgotten. Brian's mouth descended and Justin felt the studio fade away again as he gave himself up into the kiss.