TIME MACHINE EPILOGUE
And then something broke within Ben, as suddenly he remembered everything.
"DYLAN!"
A woman, determined not to be cheated of her chance of an autograph, deliberately stood in front of him as he tried to go down the steps. Big Mac could see Ben's urgency and gently but firmly blocked the woman's way, allowing Ben to hurry down the steps.
"How rude!" the woman sniffed.
"In case you don't get it, lady, he has somewhere else to be, and you've been standing there for ages so let it pass, okay?" Big Mac had only known Ben a while but liked him.
Ben flagged down a taxi and pointed to the vehicle just ahead of them.
"Follow that taxi-" and then, being Ben, he added:
"Please?"
"There's no need to give yourself a heart attack mate" the driver said cheerfully, "In this traffic you'll have no problem keeping up with them."
Then he looked warily at Ben:
"I don't want to be funny but… you're not a stalker, are you?"
"I promise you if they're not happy to see me I'll leave them alone and get right back in here."
They wearily climbed the steps to the hotel, cheering themselves up as best they could. Lily wasn't sure what was happening but knew they'd been – not snubbed, more not recognised – by the singer. She sensed their communal misery and was planning to treat the adults to brandy and Lucius to a children's cocktail to cheer them.
Duncan Disorderly was on reception, and "Fairy Tale of New York" was playing.
Ethan sang "You're a bum, you're a punk, you're an old slut on junk", deliberately looking at him.
Anything to take that lost look from Dylan's face.
Suddenly Dylan felt the talisman glowing, definitely glowing.
And heard the familiar, beloved voice behind him:
"Dylan! Lucius!"
Ben ran to them and swept them both up into his arms. Dylan stroked Ben's face, and snuggled closer, happy to feel the beat of Ben's living heart.
Lucius snuggled in too, relieved that all his prayers to the Gods had been answered.
Ben suddenly gasped: "Oh God, the poor taxi driver" and went running for the exit again. Dylan ran after him, almost like a nervous puppy, scared in case Ben disappeared again.
"Sorry, mate!" Ben said, giving the driver the most generous tip he'd ever received. The driver drove away grinning.
Poor Ethan, not sure how Ben would react to him after their argument, hovered nervously.
"Come here, a**hole" Ben told him, and hugged him.
Then the entire group, Lily included, began to waltz round the foyer to the final chimes of "Fairy Tale of New York".
They'd missed Christmas but New Year was going to be a brilliant one.
The first of many.
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