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Lane was disoriented and nearly fell over as he appeared in an alleyway.  He smelled something rancid and glanced around to find he was standing next to a large dumpster full of rotting food.  He was standing near the rear entrance to some type of restaurant.  It was cold outside and misting heavily, and his breath was steaming as he exhaled.  He was wearing warm clothes and a heavy jacket and wool cap, so at least he was warm. 

The doc said he wouldn’t have his powers but instinctively his mind reached out to scan the people around him – and there was nothing.  Inside this Construct his mind was closed just like a normal human.

Fuck, it’s been a while.  This is gonna take some gettin' used to again.

He moved out of the alley and onto the sidewalk of a busy street, glad to get away from the smell of the dumpster.  Cars were congested and backed up; he could hear horns blowing.   He saw a newspaper machine and walked over and looked at the date:  December 5^th, 2012.  It was the Savannah Tribune.  He realized that he was in Savannah, GA. 

That made sense; Bryan was raised by his foster family in Savannah until he graduated from high school and joined the Navy.   So at least Bryan started out here, probably in this very spot, but there was no telling how much time had already passed for him since he entered the Construct. 

That thought struck Lane and he realized it really didn’t matter how long Bryan had been here.  In Bryan’s mind this was his life and all he had ever known, so even if he had really only been here a day, in his memories this place was his entire life…his entire life without Lane.

Don’t go there, Lane.  Don’t go there.  Focus on Bryan and getting him out of here. 

OK, where to start looking?  Think, Lane!

He was hungry and checked his wallet.  He found a few hundred dollars in cash and a credit card.  The name on the credit card was Don Elenburg. Well, the doc said Bryan would most likely not be himself, at least not the Bryan I know.  If he’s Don here then I’m Jim, if he even remembers me at all.  Shit, it’ll be hard to keep the idea of Don and the reality of Bryan separate, but if I think of “Don” as the manifestation in this Construct, and Bryan as the man I know and love, I should be OK.  My head already hurts! 

Lane was wondering about Don’s name being on the credit card instead of his own.  Brad had showed him how to mask his Soul to get into the Construct, so at least for getting into the Construct it thought he was Bryan.  Since his powers didn’t work in here the mask was no longer active and he was back to being Lane, or Jim.  Fuck this is confusing!

 Lane went into one of the water front cafés to get something to eat, and before he left he asked the waitress if she knew how to get to the closest library.  It was a bit of a walk but he didn’t want to waste what money he had on a cab, and he wanted to keep his interaction with people in the Construct to a minimum.   He knew Taliesin had laid traps and he didn’t want to trip one.

He made his way to the library and found what he was looking for: the High School Annuals from the local schools.  It didn’t take long to find Don’s high school senior photograph.  He found a pencil and some paper, and sketched a mug shot of Don using the high school picture as a foundation.  He changed Don’s features, aging him until he was the Bryan that Lane was used to seeing every day.  Seeing Bryan’s face in his mind so clearly brought everything to the surface.  His face hardened in determination, but his eyes were bright.

Taliesin, I’m gonna kick your fuckin’ ass for this.

Before he left the library he wanted to test something.  He picked a random book off the shelf and the pages were blank.  He looked at a few more and they were the same; eventually he found some that looked complete.  Some of them he knew Bryan had read, but a few of them he wasn’t sure about.  It seemed that if Bryan or Taliesin had ever read a book it was here. 

Interesting.

He was trying to get a feel for the Construct so he could navigate it and maybe even take advantage of how it worked.  Lane loved video games and he approached the Construct as an elaborate MMO.  If he could figure out the rules he could beat this place. 

Hell if I can dominate in World of Warcraft I can beat this place.

*******************

Don sat in his small room, his face blank and expressionless; his eyes were red and bloodshot.  He had been drinking heavily and was mindlessly staring at the walls.  The little stray kitten he had picked up was kneading its paws into his stomach while purring loudly; he was petting it absentmindedly with one hand.  He took comfort in the feel of its warm little body in his hand.

He felt so empty.  His life had been on a downward spiral since his foster parents passed away a few years before.  He had wandered from place to place, finally ending up in New York, hoping that such a big city would let him find what he was missing.  The problem was he didn’t know what was missing.  He felt like he had a hole inside him and it seemed to be getting bigger; the sadness and emptiness were getting worse.  It was hard to remember a time when he had been happy.

He picked up the stray kitten because it needed his help; it was about to starve when he found it and nursed it back to health.  He named it Tack, and Tack seemed to need him as much as he needed Tack.  Tack had given him a responsibility to something else; something that he could latch onto, at least for a while.

He didn’t have to be back at the docks for work until early the next morning, and he knew if he stayed in his room he would continue to drink until he passed out.  So he decided to change clothes and go to the gym.  Maybe he could find someone to spar with in the ring.  He had been making a little extra money recently by boxing.  He was a big man, strong, fast, and agile; and he could lose himself in the fight.  He seemed to be able to put his mind in neutral while he was in the ring and he never felt any pain until after the fight was over and he had either won or lost.

“Alright, Tack.  I need to get up, Little Buddy.  You gonna be OK for a bit while I go beat someone up?”

He picked the kitten up and held it close to his face, and one of its little paws pushed out against Don’s nose.   Tack was still purring, his little body vibrating.   He held Tack up so the kitten’s feet were dangling and his little pink tummy was exposed, and Don leaned in and kissed the soft belly.

He got the barest hint of a smile on his handsome face.  The only feeling he had in his heart right now was for the little kitten.  He hoped it was enough to keep him going just a little longer.  He set Tack down and took a small ball of tinfoil he had crumpled up as a toy and tossed it across the room. Tack took off for it like a little white bullet, batting it around. 

*******************

Lane made a list in his head of everything Bryan had ever talked about doing after he got out of high school but before joining the Navy.  In the Construct, Bryan was still Don Elenburg.  Lane was pretty sure that Taliesin would have created the Construct by pulling from Bryan’s early memories and experiences to make it more real and believable.  Bryan’s mind would fill in details – this world was created just for him and mostly by his own mind. 

Shit, I think this guy could even teach Brad a thing or two.  The detail here is amazing. 

It took him a few days to start piecing things together, but Lane soon discovered—and was extremely disheartened by the news—that Don was no longer in Savannah.  He was able to piece together Don’s life in Savannah before he left the city.  Don’s foster parents had passed away a few years before, which would follow from Bryan’s history.  But here, instead of joining the Navy, Don went to work at the ship yards for the Georgia Port Authority.  He had also joined a local gym and taken up boxing.  Lane knew that Bryan had been quite a boxer in the Navy before the Program, so even though his life here diverged, there were still similarities.  Enough, Lane hoped, to allow him to track Don and find him.  So Lane left Savannah in search of Don.  And in finding Don, Lane hoped and prayed, he might be able to restore Bryan.

It was hard, but Lane kept himself focused.  He and Bryan hadn’t been apart for more than a day in such a long time.  He was used to Bryan always being there; a solid presence he relied on just to be there.  He missed being in Bryan’s mind and heart.   Lane understood that his artistic side made him a little intense in some ways, but Bryan totally accepted that part of him and encouraged and loved him like no one ever had before.  They were best friends and had been from the first time they met.  He missed his best friend emotionally, and just as much Lane missed touching and being touched by Bryan.  He found himself getting hard thinking of rubbing Bryan’s thick shoulders and giving him his post-workout massages.

          As the weeks went by Lane got lonelier.  He managed to follow Don’s trail to Maine.  It seemed that Don would stop for a few weeks here or there, or sometimes even for a month or two, get an odd job and save up money before moving on.  He was staying on the coast, which made sense.  In Maine, Don had worked the last shrimp season on a boat.  The owner of the boat had tried to convince Don to stay on for another season, and even offered him a place to live.

          When Lane questioned the man, he said Don seemed troubled.  He described Don as quiet and lonely and said that he kept to himself.  Lane was pretty sure the man had hopes of Don being a suitable husband for one of his daughters.  The thought of that brought a brief smile to Lane’s face: Fat chance!

          It bothered Lane when the man said Don looked troubled.  Taliesin didn’t know that Lane and Bryan shared a Soul.  Within the Construct, Don had no knowledge of Lane, and Lane wasn’t sure how that would affect Don’s mind or emotions.  He was feeling the same separation that Lane was, but he didn’t have the knowledge of their relationship to hold on to.  It made Lane’s heart ache just thinking about Bryan feeling alone and isolated.

          Fuck, Bry, I miss you so much.  I love you so much it hurts, man.  Please hold on… you gotta hold on.  I’m gonna find you no matter what and we’re gonna figure out how to get out of this place.

*******************

That night Lane fell asleep after tossing and turning for hours.  Almost immediately he started to Dream…

The sun was so bright coming through the branches of the tree, he could barely see when he looked up.  It was hot and humid, and he was sweating heavily.  He was wearing shorts and shoes but no shirt.  The air had a strong, swampy smell and it was thick with gnats.

He had a shovel and was digging a hole under a massive old oak tree covered with Spanish moss.  The blade of the shovel hit something metal and he reached down and started to brush the dirt away with his hands.

He uncovered a rusty old lunch box.  It looked familiar… the characters must have been from a show he watched as a kid.  There were ten men that looked like Navy Seals and they were all on some kind of mission, taking out a bad guy.  Their faces, even as cartoons, looked oddly familiar.  One of the characters even looked sort of like him.

He shook the lunchbox and something inside was rattling around.  He heard some small clinking sounds, looked up and noticed hundreds of small objects hanging from the branches of the huge tree.  Images starting to fill his mind as he glanced at them… a horn from his first bike… the little black Mustang from his hot wheels collection… the GI Joe with Kung-Fu Grip.  They made him feel good inside, like they were filling up something that was missing.  There was a picture of this really handsome man playing a guitar.  The man was smiling at whoever took the picture… smiling at me?

The Dream shifted and Lane saw Don in a small apartment with a tiny white kitten. 

It was a shabby little efficiency apartment, but neat and organized, just like Bryan would keep it.  Don had a black eye and his nose was taped like it was broken.  He was restless and pacing about.  He kept taking swigs from a bottle of cheap bourbon in his hand.

It looked cold outside, but the apartment must have been very hot.  The windows were completely frosted over and the panes had ice on the edges outside, but the inside was dripping and covered with condensation.  Don was in his underpants, and his body was covered in sweat.  He had bruises on his ribs and other areas on his big muscled body.  His cheeks were wet with tears and his eyes were red and puffy.

He picked up the kitten and held it up to his face, then rubbed his broken nose against its little pink one.  His breath caught in his chest and he said, “I’m sorry.  The land lady’ll find ya and she’ll take good care of ya.  I left a note and some money for food.”  He set the kitten down and picked up a little foil ball and tossed it across the room.  The kitten ran off to attack it and was batting it around the floor.

The kitten was so white it was almost glowing and looked oddly out of place in the small dingy apartment.  The kitten stopped batting the foil ball around and looked at Don.  It stopped purring and sat up facing Don, staring at him intently.  Its little grey eyes turned from their normal bluish-grey to dark brown and got watery; large teardrops formed at the edges of its big brown eyes and fell onto the floor.

Don stepped up onto a chair that was in the middle of the room. There was a rope hanging from an exposed water pipe.  He put the rope around his neck and moved his feet off the chair….

A loud crack of thunder woke Lane up.  He was drenched in sweat and shaking.  He got up and went to the sink and splashed cold water on his face.

Fuck Bry… you gotta hold on buddy.  I can’t be too late.  Move your ass, Lane!  You’re running out of time!

Lane’s body was taut as a wire.  Emotions were running wild in his mind; fear for Bryan and frustration with himself, anxiety for what he felt was going to happen, and helplessness at not being able to prevent it.

Seeing that apartment in his dream… the way Don had organized everything… it made Lane miss all the little things about his partner he had come to love so much over the years.  Lane thought about the way Bryan folded his socks together into those little balls and then how he lined them up in his drawer, the way he arranged food in the freezer, or the flowers in his garden.   Lane sighed and lowered his head.  He felt himself slipping and steeled himself against the sadness.

Taliesin was a cruel man.  Even if the doctor and Albrecht hadn’t told him so, he would have figured it out by being in this place.  This Construct was designed to be emotionally hard and draining.   It was constantly pushing his mind to go to dark places.  Lane was pretty sure that even if he had said yes and met Taliesin’s demands that Bryan would not have gotten out of this trap.

One thing Lane noticed early on was that this world was devoid of music.  Lane found it difficult to remember songs and words he had known his whole life; and like Brad and the others after the Program his memory was perfect.  Taliesin stripped away music, another thing in this place that he knew might make things bearable.  Lane was fighting, but the Construct was strong and subtle and he was afraid over time he wouldn’t even remember not remembering that part of him.  If he had his powers he would shred this place from the inside out…

Early on, in a small way, Lane felt sorry for Taliesin.  The doctor told all of them of Taliesin’s story.  Lane and the others were Immortal now and their minds adjusted to the way they perceived Time.  If they hadn’t, Bill would have gone insane while he was trapped in his own mind.  Taliesin didn’t have that advantage, and the power and longevity the Gift bestowed on him made him unstable.  Lane felt sorry for him until he started thinking about the cruelty of this place and what it was doing to him and Bryan.  He wondered about all the other people over the years that Taliesin had hurt in his cruelty.

Then Lane got mad.  The anger kept him going, along with his love of Bryan.  He wasn’t sure what he would do to Taliesin once he caught up to him.  There would be a reckoning of some kind.  He didn’t like the thoughts running through his mind; hunger for revenge and a keen desire to make Taliesin suffer like he made Bryan suffer.  Those thoughts made Lane physically ill, and his dislike for Taliesin grew even stronger for making him feel that way.

He was trying hard to find the unconditional love they all were supposed to hold for others, but so far, where Taliesin was concerned he couldn’t find it.  Maybe once this was all over and he and Bryan were safe he could get to that point; he hoped he could be the better man and forgive Taliesin.  But not now.

After his Dream, Lane was scared for Bryan.  He was sure now that the rift Don felt inside of himself was driving him into a deep depression.   Lane had to find him before he hung himself.  If he died in this place Lane was sure that Bryan would die in the real world too.

Even though it was in the middle of the night, Lane got dressed and left.  He had to push harder and find Don.

He wasn’t sure exactly what everything in the Dream meant yet.  The first thing he had to do was find Don; then he could focus on what the rest of it meant.

*******************

It took another four weeks, but Lane found himself in New York at the shipping yards.   After he left Maine, Don doubled back and made his way down to New York.  Lane knew Don was working at the ship yards, but it was a huge operation, and the closer he got to Don the harder it was to get information from people in the Construct.  They were more suspicious and evasive in their answers and they could easily become hostile if he was too direct with his questions. 

Lane found himself having to run when he showed his drawing of Don to one of the dock workers; the man got violent and called on some of his nearby buddies to try and beat Lane up.  He managed to evade them and get away but it was a close call. 

He also found the gym where Don was working out but Don wasn’t there when he checked.  He found out Don’s co-workers at the docks and the guys at the gym referred to him as ‘Big D.’

The feeling that he was running out of time was getting stronger and stronger, and Lane’s sense of desperation was overpowering.  He had missed Don at the docks and at the gym.  He could just wait until the next morning when Don showed up for work but the sense of urgency he felt was almost debilitating.

Lane was standing outside the gym, pacing and frantic, not knowing what he should do next. 

Focus, Lane.  Stop being a pussy and use your head, damn it.  He needs you.

A loud noise from inside the gym shook him out of his thoughts.  There was a young kid cleaning up inside the gym and he must have dropped something heavy to make so much noise.  An idea popped into Lane’s head but he knew he’d have to be careful.  He found a scrap of paper in a nearby trashcan and folded it up.

Lane went back inside and asked, “Hey kid, what’s your name?”

The kid looked at him suspiciously but said, “Phillip.”

“You wanna make an easy twenty bucks?”

“What I gotta do?”

“You know Big D that works out here, right?”

“Yeah, everybody here knows him.”

“You know where he lives right?”

Lane knew he was pushing things with that question.  The kid’s face turned stony which was a bad sign.

“Look, kid, I don’t care where he lives.  He and I were in the ring earlier sparring.  He’s got some talent and I can help get him on a bigger ticket.  I need you to take a message to him for me.  I’ll give you twenty bucks.  But I mean now, not tomorrow.”

“I’ll do it for fifty.”

“Fifty bucks?  You gotta be shittin’ me!  Look, Big D owes me twenty bucks.  I’ll give you thirty and you get the rest from him when you get there.  How about that?”

The kid put his mop down and grabbed the piece of paper from Lane and took off.

Lane and the entire Team were good at surveillance and tailing people from all their years in the security firm.  He had no trouble following Phillip while staying out of sight.

It turned out the apartment Don lived in was only a few blocks from the gym.  It was an old brownstone building, fairly run down.  He waited until Phillip left to avoid any trouble.  Lane needed to get to Don’s apartment with no one seeing him or he was pretty sure it would cause some sort of reaction.

Phillip was only in the building for a few minutes before he came running out and took off back towards the gym.

Lane went in the front entrance to the building and checked the mailboxes; there was a D Elenburg on the third floor.  Lane’s heart started racing; he was about to see Bryan for the first time in months as he perceived time in this place.  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed for his body in the lab, but in here it seemed like an eternity.

Lane forced himself to focus and stay calm.  He went up the stairs cautiously, ready to get out of sight if anyone suddenly showed up.  He could hear a baby crying and someone had a TV blaring on the second floor.  He was trying to be quiet but his footsteps sounded loud on the old wooden flooring as it creaked under his weight.   He finally got to the door.

Fuck, what am I gonna say?  Hi Don, I’m your lover in the real world… you don’t know me but I’m here to rescue you?

He put his ear to the door and listened.  His palms were sweating and his stomach was a knot of fear and anxiety.  He heard someone moving around.  As he raised his hand to knock he heard a loud thump and a chair fall over.

He tried the doorknob and it was locked.  His heart was about to burst in his chest; the anxiety he felt was almost overwhelming.

He stepped back and kicked the door.  It flew open and he saw Don’s body hanging from a pipe across the ceiling; it looked like an extension cord was wrapped around his neck.

“no.. no… no… no… No… No… NO… NO!!”

*******************

Life finally got to be unbearable.  Don went through the motions of going to work and going to the gym but he was shell of a man.  To his co-workers he seemed distracted and withdrawn, but no one cared.  He had no connections with anyone; Taliesin had designed the Construct to be that way. 

Don kept having dreams where he was happy, but when he woke up he couldn’t remember much, other than vague feelings of being content and fulfilled… which made him feel emptier when he woke up. 

In his dreams he wasn’t alone… there was someone… whoever it was felt right; like they belonged together?  In the dreams, he remembered hands touching him, stirring feelings and pleasures inside him.  He heard a man’s voice singing… a beautiful voice and it was just for him.  It was torture.  His memories teased him and taunted him.

When Don got home that night he lay down on the couch.   His big frame barely fit on the couch and his feet hung out over the edge.   Tack curled up on his shoulder and under his chin, purring softly.  The warmth and softness of his little body was comforting.  Just the touch of another living creature helped. 

He was restless and tired but he couldn’t sleep.  Tack protested when he got up to turn on the TV.   Gilligan’s Island was on.  He went into the kitchen and looked in the cabinet for some bourbon, but there was just an empty bottle.  Tack was rubbing against his ankles wanting some food.

He stood frozen in the kitchen.  On the TV he heard the Skipper say, “… I don’t know Little Buddy!”  The words Little Buddy started echoing in his mind over and over and the feeling of separation and despair hit him so hard he nearly fell over. 

Don moved like an automaton; he went over and picked up his satchel from work and took out an extension cord he had borrowed.  He realized in the back of his mind that he brought it home just for what he was about to do.  He didn’t even remember writing the note that fell on the floor when he pulled the cord out of the satchel.

Tack was frantically trying to get his attention, and even started clawing his way up Don’s pant leg.  Don’s big hands gently grabbed Tack’s little body, and held him up to his face.  He kissed Tack’s little pink belly and said, “I’m sorry Little Buddy.  The land lady’ll find ya and she’ll take good care of ya.  I left a note and some money for food.”  He picked up the little foil ball and tossed it, and Tack ran off batting it around the floor.

There was an exposed water pipe running across the ceiling in his apartment.  He made a noose out of the extension cord and slung it over the pipe.  He secured the cord to the pipe and anchored the other end of the cord to the radiator by the window.   He got a chair from the little table in the kitchen and set it under the noose.

Don wanted to say something but there was no one to say anything too.  If there was a God he wasn’t paying any attention.  The man from his dreams wasn’t here.   His parents were gone.  Tack was here but he wasn’t enough anymore.

Fuck it.

Don dropped his full weight on the cord and kicked the chair over so he wouldn’t be able to chicken out.

His neck popped but didn’t snap.  He was a strong man and his neck was thick and powerful and his body instinctively tensed.  He couldn’t breathe; he hoped it would be over quickly.

He had only been hanging for a few seconds when he heard the door break open and saw a man rushing into the room.    He had to be the most handsome man Don had ever laid eyes on.  Their eyes met just as Don’s vision was starting to tunnel down into blackness.  As he was losing consciousness he heard the man shout, “no...no… no… no… No… No… NO… NO!!”

*******************

Lane was frantic when he saw Don hanging.  He wasn’t even struggling.  He ran over as fast as he could and grabbed Don around his legs and lifted him up.  In the Construct, Don’s body weight was normal and although he was a big strong man, Lane was just as strong.   The problem was that Lane couldn’t hold Don up and cut the cord at the same time.

Lane saw the knot Don had used to tie the cord off and he couldn’t believe it.  He braced himself for the effort and with one hand around Don’s legs he reached over with his other hand and yanked at the cord.  Don had used a hitch knot, and when Lane yanked at the cord it released immediately and all Don’s weight came down at once.  Lane caught him as best he could but they both went down in a heap.

Lane loosened the cord as quickly as he could.  Don was unconscious and the cord had dug deeply into his neck.  Don’s neck wasn’t broken but there might be significant damage.

Fuck!  Bry you have to be OK!

Lane was sweating.  The apartment was hot and he was still breathing hard from holding Don up and breaking down the door.  His heart was racing.  He held Don’s face in his hands, gently feeling around and down his neck, checking for any obvious damage. 

Lane pulled Don’s big body up, cradling him so Don’s head and torso were leaning back against his chest.  Lane wrapped his arms around Don and held him tight, relishing briefly the feeling of touching his lover again after months of being by himself.

He felt a tugging inside himself and he closed his eyes, hugging Don tighter.  He let his intuition run; his Avatar was reacting to Don’s injuries.  Lane’s hands started to glow slightly and he let his hands roam over Don’s body wherever his instincts guided him.  The drain was incredible; without their energy centers open and unable to pull any music in this place all the energy to heal Don came directly from him.  Lane didn’t know how he was able to get access to his Avatar, when his powers had not worked so far in the Construct, but he wasn’t about to question it either. 

Lane was about to pass out when he felt a lessening of the drain on him.  He opened his eyes and the kitten was up on Don’s chest kneading its little paws into his shirt.  Lane was stunned; the kitten’s eyes went from blue-grey to dark brown and it was like he was looking into his own eyes.  The kitten was so white it was practically glowing, and its paws were definitely glowing as they kneaded and pushed into Don’s chest, sending out little tendrils of white energy. 

As exhausted as he was, Lane needed to get Don into bed.  The kitten jumped off Don’s chest when Lane started to get up.  Lane got Don into a fireman’s carry and stumbled into the small bedroom, drained almost to passing out.  He managed to get Don undressed and into bed.  The lacerations on his neck were gone, and as far as Lane could tell whatever other damage he did to his neck was healed.

He couldn’t see their energy flows but he trusted his Avatar to heal the worst of the damage and hopefully all of it. 

Shit, that took a lot out of me.

As soon as he had Don settled, the kitten jumped up and curled up under Don’s chin onto his shoulder and went to sleep, purring loudly.  Its eyes were back to their normal blue-grey and it once again seemed like a normal kitten.

Lane couldn’t help it and reached out and ran his fingers gently over Don’s handsome face, taking in the features he missed looking at and touching every day.   He caressed Don’s forehead and brushed the hair back from his forehead.  Lane started to tear up.  He had found Don and they were together again; that was a start.  He would deal with whatever emotional state Don might be in when he woke up.  Hopefully now that they were together things would be better.  But he knew that Bryan, as Don, would not recognize him.  First things first, though.

Now he had to figure out how to get them both out of the Construct. 

*******************

As exhausted as he was he couldn’t afford to get sloppy.  Lane went out and closed the door and bolted it shut.  The frame had some damage that would need fixing.  

He went back to Don’s bedroom and pulled up a chair to the side of the bed, reached down and took one of Don’s big rough hands into his own and held it tight.  He closed his eyes and let the warmth and comfort of that touch run through him.  He fell asleep in the chair, with Don’s hand in his own.  He had the Dream of the tree and digging up the lunch box again.

*******************

Lane woke up with a start when he heard Don shift on the bed.  Don’s eyes opened slowly.  He looked at the man sitting beside him and quietly asked, “Who the fuck are you?”  There was something in his eyes… not exactly recognition but something; Lane was hoping for something more than that.

“My name’s Jim.  Jim Barton.”

“I didn’t ask your name, fucker.  I asked who you are.”

Lane looked into Don’s green eyes.  They were sad and guarded.

“That’s complicated, Don.  If I tell you there’s no way you’ll believe me, at least not right away.”

The tension between the two men was palpable.  Don was feeling something stir inside him but it was so far down he wasn’t sure exactly what it was.  The man sitting at his bedside was the most incredibly handsome man Don had ever laid his eyes on.  He was a total stranger, but Don felt some kind of connection deep down inside himself.  His body had never reacted this way to anyone else before.  His dick was so hard it hurt and it was standing up under the sheets.

Lane glanced down and saw it.

“You’re not alone anymore, Don.  I know for the last few years you’ve felt that way, but you aren’t anymore.  I’m here now.”

Lane took a chance and he put his hand on Don’s chest over his heart.  He felt the heat of Don’s skin and he hoped his touch would help ignite the feelings he wanted in his lover. He wanted Don to feel his touch.  He wanted Bryan to feel his touch, but knew that was not possible in this place.

“The hole you feel inside your heart isn’t real.  You’ve felt this way far too long, bud, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.  I’ve been looking for you for a long time and I got here as soon as I could.”

As Lane was talking, he slowly and gently started rubbing his hand over Don’s chest and upper shoulders.  Don’s body was as taut as a wire and in the heat of the room he was starting to sweat again.  His body was trembling slightly, but Lane wasn’t sure it was excitement or anxiety or something else.  He missed being connected to Bryan’s mind; he kept instinctively trying to bring them together and open their hearts and minds, but every time he slammed into a wall and felt the pain of their separation.

“Shhhhh, I’m not gonna hurt you, Don.  I want to make you feel good.  I want to make you feel alive again.  Let me help you.”

Lane started moving his hand over more of Don’s naked torso.  He was doing it with a feather light touch, almost hypnotic, and Don seemed helpless against it.  Don had longed for another man’s touch for so long but there was always this barrier inside him that he couldn’t explain that kept him from acting on his desires.  This stranger—what was his name? Jim—Jim’s hand was leaving a trail of fire across his skin and everywhere Jim touched was shattering those barriers a little more.

Don’s big arms were powerless and they stayed at his side.   Lane lowered the sheets, exposing Don’s full thick eight inch erection.  It was throbbing with every beat of his heart and a clear drop of precum was leaking from the head.  Lane gently grabbed Don’s erection, wrapping his hand around it and using his thumb to run slow circles around the underside of the head to smear the precum down along the shaft.

Don sucked in his breath and closed his eyes, lost in the sensations.  Feelings he had shut away years ago were starting to resurface.  It was confusing, because rather than being a new sensation it seemed more like something he was remembering, but he had never seen this man or felt a touch like his.

“Can I make you feel good, Don?  You need to tell me.”

Don’s voice was barely a whisper as he said, “Fuck yeah.”

Lane stood up and stripped off his shirt.  Don’s eyes raked over Jim’s muscular frame and his body flushed with desire.

“I’m the piece that’s missing in your life.  I’ve missed you so much I can hardly stand it.  I’ve felt the same thing missing as you.”

Don’s voice was barely a whisper, “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the other half of your Soul.”

Lane kept touching Don in all the ways he knew Bryan liked.  In the Construct, Don obviously didn’t have a lot of experience, maybe no experience, with another man.  Lane hoped that Taliesin hadn’t strip that out of him... maybe he couldn’t.

Lane went agonizingly slow on purpose.  He wanted Don to feel his touch and hopefully it would spark a memory.  He also wanted this for himself… he had missed touching Bryan so much.  He wanted to comfort the man he loved, who was hurting inside right now.  Lane felt responsible because of his connection to Taliesin; Bryan was collateral damage in Taliesin’s mad scheme.

Lane moved his hands down and with one hand he cupped Don’s big balls; he firmly but gently massaged them.  They were tight, indicating how close Don was to shooting.

With his other hand, he started running his finger tip lightly up and down the underside of the shaft and around the head.  The head kept flaring involuntarily when his finger lightly rubbed over the bundle of nerves just below the corona.

Don was paralyzed with pleasure.  His breath was coming in ragged gasps as his entire focus was on the sensations Lane caused him to feel.  When Lane leaned over and took the head of Don’s dick into the heat of his mouth, it pushed Don over the edge and spurt after spurt of hot cum erupted from the head of his dick.  The orgasm wracked his body; he thrust his hips up and arched his back; every muscle in his body was flexed and tight and he was drenched in sweat.

Lane kept Don in his mouth through the orgasm, swallowing everything.  He didn’t expect to feel the normal effects he was used to and he was right.  That would have made things so much easier!  Bryan was always a big shooter, and Don continued to shoot spurt after spurt, filling Lane’s waiting mouth.  Even after he finally stopped shooting, waves of intense pleasure continued to wrack his body as Lane’s tongue and hand continued their ministrations.

Lane finally let go of Don’s big dick, drained now but still hard, and he started rubbing Don’s chest, letting him ride out his orgasm as long as he wanted to.

After a few minutes, when his breathing was almost back to normal, Don got a funny look on his face.  Lane put a finger up to Don’s lips and said, “Don’t ask any questions right now, Don.  Just go with what your body’s tellin’ you.  You can trust me, Don.  I only want what’s best for you.”

Lane stood up and shed his pants, exposing his own hard dick.  Don was still fully hard, and Lane took him back into his mouth, covering his dick liberally with spit.  He didn’t like spit as lube but he knew Don would have a lot of precum once he started and that would make it better for both of them.

He climbed up on top of Don and lowered himself, keeping eye contact with Don the entire time.  Don got a blissful look on his face as his dick disappeared into the warmest, softest, tightest ass that ever existed.  Lane took a minute to get reacquainted with Bryan’s size and fullness and then he proceeded to start moving his ass up and down.

He went slowly again, giving Don some time to get used to the feeling. It didn’t take long before Don moved them over and he proceeded to plow Lane’s ass hard and fast.

They spent the entire night making love, and the more they were together the less alone Don felt.  Jim was filling him up with what he needed… the touch that had been missing and more importantly the love.  The dry well inside him was slowly filling back up with the love of the man he was destined to be with. 

*******************

Don woke up first.  It took him a second to realize he hadn’t been dreaming and the man in bed with him was real.  He felt more alive than he had in years.  Tack was curled up in his usual spot under his chin and on his shoulder. Jim was draped over his body, his big arms and legs wrapped around him.  The comfort of their bodies touching was amazing.   Don stared openly at Jim’s handsome features, relaxed in sleep.  His eyes moved down, taking in every minute detail of Jim’s amazing body.

Tack was purring loudly, his warm little furry body snuggled against Don.  He was cleaning himself.   The fact that a stranger was in bed with him didn’t seem to faze him in the least.  Don wanted to touch Jim; to reach out and run his hands over his body, through the light dusting of hair on his chest, across the stubble on his cheek.  But he was hesitant...  Don didn’t know the etiquette behind touching another man.  He was shy and didn’t want to overstep his bounds. 

Fuck, I don’t even know what the bounds are.   Where the hell did you come from, Jim?  I feel like I’ve known you forever, but I’ve never seen you before yesterday.  How the fuck can that be?

Jim was waking up and he stretched, reaching out and pulling their bodies tighter together.  It felt like pure bliss to have Jim’s naked, warm, hard body against him.  Don awkwardly put his arm around Jim and pulled him closer.

Lane looked deep into Don’s eyes and smiled sleepily.

They lay together in silence, each wrapped up in his own thoughts.  Lane’s hands started wandering over Don’s body.  Don got that look on his face that Bryan always had when he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure about himself.

“Go ahead, Don.  You can touch me wherever and however and whenever you want.  You never need to ask me, bud.  I want to feel your hands on me.” 

Don took him at his word and he let his hands roam over Jim’s body.  Lane got hard almost immediately and he grinned and told him, “See?  I told you.”

Don sheepishly grinned back and Lane could feel Don’s erection pressing against his leg.  The familiarity of its warmth and firmness was exhilarating.  They continued to fondle and caress one another for a few minutes until Don couldn’t hold back and started shooting again.  Lane was still a bit hair triggered himself after their long separation and seeing Don’s hard dick in his hand and feeling the contractions of his orgasm sent Lane over the edge too. 

Lane leaned forward and started a kiss, wrapping his arms around his lover.  The kiss lasted a few minutes before Don pulled back and he maneuvered Lane’s body on top of his own.  He liked feeling the weight of another man on top of him and he wrapped his legs around Lane’s waist and his arms over Lane’s shoulders, holding him tight and pressing their bodies together.

 While they lay there, Lane was thinking about how to proceed.  How much could he tell Don and keep his trust? 

After a while they rolled apart and Don sat up on the edge of the bed.

“I wasn’t sure you were real.  The way things’ve been goin’ I thought I might’a really killed myself and you were an angel.”

Lane scooted over so he could rub Don’s back while he sat on the edge of the bed.

“The truth is stranger than fiction, Don.  I’m real.  But we have to be very careful now.  I need you to trust me and it might be hard.  First thing is you can’t tell anyone about me.”

“Why not?  I don’t like lying.”

“Don, I don’t know how much to tell you, man.  I’m here to rescue you, but the only way I can do that is if no one knows I’m here.  I think people are gonna start acting strangely now, especially after last night.  It’ll be more dangerous from here on out.”

“What do you mean rescue me?  From what? And dangerous how?”

“Well I’m pretty sure that if any of your friends see me they’ll try to hurt me, maybe even kill me.”

“No way.  You don’t know my buds at the dock.  They can be a little rough around the edges but they’d never hurt ya.”

“Please, Don; this is really important.  I’m gonna need you to come with me and we have to get out of here.  It has to be in secret and we don’t have a lot of time.  After last night I hope you feel you can trust me.”

“Jim… fuck!  Last night was the best most amazing fuckin’ thing that’s ever happened to me.  I didn’t know I could feel this way towards anybody.  I don’t know how to say it… I’m not good with words.”

Lane sat up and continued running his hands over Don’s thick muscled back.

“Then say it with your body.”  Lane put his hand around Don’s chin and turned his face around so they were looking into each other’s eyes.  Lane leaned forward and started another kiss.  Don hesitated the barest fraction of a second and then he opened his mouth and let Lane’s tongue in.  The kiss was a little awkward but it was incredibly hot and passionate.    Don turned his body around on the bed as they kissed and wrapped his arms around Lane.  Both of them were hard again in seconds. 

There was a loud knock on the door that startled both of them.

Lane whispered, “Please, Don.  No one can know I’m here.”

“Alright, Jim.  Stay here.”

Don stood up and threw on his jeans and went shirtless to answer the door.

“Who is it?”

“Hey, Big D, open up bro!  It’s Benny!”

Don unlocked the door and before he could say anything Benny, Dutch and Grant, three of his co-workers from the docks, barged into his living room.

“What the fuck, guys?  What’re you doin’ here?”

“You OK, D?”

“Yeah I’m fine.  Why?”

“Phillip said some guy was asking about you at the gym last night.  He said the guy looked like trouble.  We just wanna make sure our boy is OK, ya know?”

“What?  You pussies think I can’t take care of myself?”

Just then they all heard a deep-throated growl from Tack, who was on the couch with his back arched.  He was hissing and spitting at the three men.

Benny looked at Tack and laughed, but Don could tell there was no humor in his eyes.  “Ferocious little bugger ya got there, D.  Keep yer pussy on a leash.”

Dutch and Grant moved over into the kitchen, ignoring Tack.  They were obviously looking around.  “So no one’s here?  You all by your lonesome?”

“What’s it to ya guys?  I don’t need a baby sitter.”

“We’re just checkin’ on our boy.  We’d hate it if something happened to ya, ya know?”

“I’m fine, fuckers.  I had a lady friend over last night.  She just went to the grocery store to get some stuff so we can make breakfast.  She’s gonna be back any minute so you guys need to get outta here.  I’m callin’ in sick today.  Tell Brigs for me.”

“Damn, Big D.  Callin’ in sick to shag a chick.  Proud of ya, brother.  If that dude comes and gives you any trouble you call me right?”

“Sure, Benny.  If there’s anything left of him after I kick his ass.”

“That’s my boy!”

“Now you fuckers get outta here now!  I don’t want you scarin’ off my girl.”

It was obvious they were delaying, but Don pushed hard to get them out.

As soon as the door shut, Don bolted it and put up the chain.  He went back into his bedroom as Lane was coming out of his closet.  He was dressed now, much to Don’s disappointment.  Lane held his finger up to his lips, indicating for Don to be quiet.

Lane went to the window facing the street but kept to the side.  He spotted them immediately; two of the guys had taken up spots to watch the entrance to the building.  He was sure the third one was probably in the hall near the staircase.

Lane was concerned and knew it was only a matter of time before they came back, and he had a gut feeling that next time they would be more forceful.  In the Construct, without Bryan’s strength or his own powers, they were extremely vulnerable to being hurt or killed.

Their eyes met and for the first time in a long while the mischievous grin came back on Lane’s face.

“Don could you put a shirt on, bud?  I’m not gonna be able to keep my head on straight if you don’t.”

Don got the barest hint of a smile on his face.  He actually blushed as he went back to his bedroom and put on a t-shirt.  Seeing the smile on Jim’s face brought back the memory of that picture hanging on the tree, and it sent a warm feeling through his entire body.  He liked it. 

They sat down on the couch next to one another so their legs were touching.

“So what the fuck’s goin’ on, Jim?  Nuthin’ is makin’ any sense.  Yesterday I was about to do myself in and then you bust in my place and now I feel better than I’ve felt in years.  And my buddies out there are actin’ all weird.  You said you were here to rescue me.  From what?”

Lane let out a heavy sigh, not knowing how much he should even try to explain. 

“Don, before I say too much more I need to ask you a few questions.”

          “OK, shoot.”

          “How long have you had that kitten?”

          “Oh hell, I don’t know.  Not long, maybe three or four months.”

          “Don, he’s a kitten.  He can’t be that old.”  It dawned on Lane that the kitten’s appearance most likely coincided with his arrival in the Construct.

Don shook his head slightly and blinked.  “You’re right, he has to be older… look at ‘im, though.”  As if on cue, Tack jumped up onto Don’s heavy shoulder and started to bat at his earlobe.

          Don got a funny look on his face; his eyes went a little out of focus.  His voice was low and it was almost like he was talking to himself, “His name’s Tack and he’s my Little Buddy.  He was in bad shape when I first found him, but it turns out he saved me when he first showed up.  We saved each other.”

Lane’s heart leapt inside his chest when he heard Don call the kitten ‘Tack’ and his ‘Little Buddy.’  Tack was Lane’s first call sign in the Navy, and hearing Don refer to the kitten as his Little Buddy took Lane’s breath away.  He had his suspicions as to what Tack was in this place, which is why he was asking the questions.  He had been holding himself together all this time but he wasn’t prepared for that revelation and his eyes watered up immediately.  He let out a, “Fuck!” and doubled over on the couch, wrapping his arms around himself.  He felt a ball of icy fire in his stomach and his heart as the emotions he had been keeping in check broke through for a minute.

          “Jim!?  What?”  Don didn’t know what to do, so he put his arm around Jim and pulled him close.  Something he said just upset Jim and he felt responsible, even though he didn’t have a clue what it was he said.

          Lane grabbed ahold of Don and hugged him tight, squeezing with all his strength, until Don was afraid that his ribs might be about to pop.   Don had to grab his arms and said, “Whoa bud, I need to breathe!”

          “Sorry Don, for a second… shit I just forgot.”

          “Forgot what?”

          “How things are supposed to be.”  Lane’s voice was quiet and sad.

          Don didn’t know what to say so he kept silent.  After a short awkward silence he asked, “So what else, Jim?  You said questions.”  Don didn’t know what to do to make Jim feel better so he kept rubbing his hands across Jim’s back and shoulders trying to soothe him any way he could.

          Lane sniffed and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. “Who taught you to tie that knot you used on the extension cord?”

          “A while back I was in Maine before I came back down here.  I worked on a shrimp boat and one of the guys taught me how to tie that knot.  He said it would save my life one day and he made me use it all the time.  Funny thing is, once the Captain saw me using it he flipped out and put me back on nets full time.”

          “What was the guy’s name that taught you the knot?”

          “Everybody called him Uri.”

          “Alright… that’s interesting.  I’m sure that broke some kind of rule but it makes sense now.  Don, I need you to think really hard before you answer my next question.”  Lane paused and looked deep into Don’s green eyes.

After a minute he quietly asked, “Does your life seem right to you?  Does this place seem right to you?”

          Don’s handsome brow furrowed and he got that faraway look in his eyes again.  He was silent for a minute as he thought about Jim’s question.  It was a struggle to focus his thoughts, like he was fighting through a fog, but the more he thought about his life the more it didn’t make sense.  A single tear fell down his cheek.  His reply was a barely audible, “No….”

          Lane reached over and squeezed his shoulder and said, “OK… do I feel right to you?  Does the connection we have, even though you just met me, seem right to you?”

          Again his reply was barely audible.  “Yeah… more than any fuckin’ thing in my life so far, Jim.  How can that be?  I just met you, but for the first time I can remember in my entire life I don’t feel alone.”

          Lane knew they were running out of time but he still pulled Don against him in a tight hug.  Their arms wrapped around each other and they held each other tight for a few seconds.

          “I have one more question, Don.  I need to know if you remember having any strange dreams.”

          “All my dreams are weird, Jim.  Most of ‘em aren’t happy so I try not ta remember ‘em.”

          “It’s important, Don.  Do you remember one about a big tree and digging up an old lunchbox?  Try, buddy.”

          “How the fuck could you know that?  I had a dream like that a lot when I was a kid.  Jim, what the fuck’s goin’ on?”

          “OK, Don… we’re runnin’ outta time.  I can’t explain any more right now but I promise I’ll tell you more as soon as we’re safe.  We have to leave now and you won’t be coming back.  We have to find the tree in your dream.  Your buddies out there are gonna try and stop us.  They’ll probably try to kill me.”

          “Jim, no way!  I told ya they aren’t like that.”

          “Don, trust me.  They aren’t who or what you think they are.”  Lane cupped Don’s face in his hands and he stared intently into eyes.  “Please trust me on this, Don.  What do you have to lose?  Yesterday you were ready to throw all this away anyway.  Come with me and I promise we can be happy together.  You probably don’t believe me, but I felt as empty without you as you did without me.  You won’t believe how happy we can be together.”

          “Where the fuck did you come from, Jim?  How are you makin’ me feel this way?”

          Lane grinned and just said, “Trade secret, bud.  You’ll understand soon enough if we make it out of here.  We need to travel light so just take a few clothes.  It’s gonna be chancy but you’ll need to hit an ATM and pull out as much cash as you can for spending money.  No credit cards from here on out.”  Lane wasn’t sure if they could be traced by using one of Don’s credit cards.  Taliesin’s Construct was incredibly detailed and with Bryan’s experience in electronic surveillance in the Navy, the Construct might try to pull from his experience and track them that way. 

          “So where’re we goin’?”

          “Savannah.  The tree in your dream had Spanish moss all over it.”

          “I still don’t know how you know what was in my dream.”

          Lane gave his best disarming grin and said, “At the risk of sounding totally cheesy, Don, I’m the man of your dreams, so why wouldn’t I know?”

          While they were talking, Don was putting some clothes into his gym bag. 

          “Alright, we need to get outta here without your buddies out there seeing us.  They’re already suspicious of me.  And we need to get to an ATM and then head out of town.  I’m not sure how people will react to me outside of this area.  Once we get out of town we might get lucky and no one will give us any trouble, but we can’t be sure.  We need to stick together but not look like we’re together while we’re in public.  Once we get out of the city it should be a lot easier.

          “I’m gonna trick your buddies into thinking we went out through the back window in your bedroom.  While they’re out runnin’ around we’re gonna leave through the front door.  I need you to get out of sight for a few minutes… get in the shower.”

          Don looked at him doubtfully.

          “Don… trust me bud.  I’ve done things like this before.  If you have any doubts you better say so now because once we’re on the run there’s no turning back for either one of us.”

          Lane walked over and put his hands on Don’s heavy shoulders.  He looked into Don’s eyes and it still hurt that he didn’t see what he was used to seeing.  There was a glimmer there, and that would have to be enough for now.

          “Please, Don.  Trust me so we can be together.  I only want us to be together.  I hope you do too.”

          Don stared back into Lane’s dark brown eyes.  The love he saw there startled him… he felt it when they made love the night before, but to see it so raw and right in front of him… it was for him and only him.  It was liberating and frightening, but at the same time it made the rest of the life that much more depressing.

          “Let’s get the fuck outta here, Jim.”

          Lane smiled and squeezed his shoulders and said, “You got it, bud.  Now into the bathroom ‘til I come get you.”

          Don went into the bathroom and got in the shower.  He heard the front door open and a few seconds later he heard Benny’s voice shouting.   He heard Grant and Dutch as well.  The commotion lasted a minute and then everything got quiet.

          He was about to get worried when Lane’s head popped around the shower curtain with a smile on his face.  His hair was a bit disheveled and he looked cuter than ever.  He also was wearing different clothes.

          “Come on ya big lug.  Let’s blow this pop stand.”

          As soon as they got down onto the street Don stopped and let out a, “Fuck!  I forgot about Tack!”

          Lane had his hoodie pulled up to keep his face hidden.  It was still cold and windy out so it didn’t look suspicious.  He got close to Don and kept his voice low, “Don, don’t worry about Tack.  He’s gonna be fine.  Trust me on this, bro.  We can’t go back now or we’ll risk getting caught.”

          “They’ll hurt him!  I know they will.  I saw the way Benny looked at him.”

          “No they won’t, Don.  Tack isn’t there anymore.”

          “Where is he?”

          “He’s safe, Don.  I’m not lying … I’ll never lie to you.  We’ve never lied to each other.  Tack is safe and you’ll see him again.  I promise.  Now let’s go.”

          Don didn’t look completely convinced but he turned and followed Lane.  They made it to an ATM and Lane stayed out of sight. 

*******************

By nightfall they were out of town and hidden off the road in the woods.    Lane’s intuition was telling him to stay out of sight and off the roads, at least for now.  The doc always told him to trust his gut.

          They walked nearly a mile off the road and into the woods.  Lane was pretty sure the tree cover would keep anyone from seeing a small fire, so he got one going.   For that night they would have to sleep on the ground, but the next day they would get some backpacks, sleeping bags and a tent.  Lane chided himself for not thinking of the supply issue beforehand, but he let it go.  He was so thrilled to be with Bryan again he didn’t let himself get upset about it.

          Don had been quiet and Lane was giving him his space.  He kept making eye contact and every time he did, Lane would smile.  Lane kept thinking about the tree in his Dream and the lunchbox.  It was somehow the key to getting them out of there.  He wasn’t sure what Taliesin had done, but he would figure it out. 

          Lane moved over and got behind Don, and wrapped his arms and legs around him. 

          “You doin’ alright, bud?”

          “Yeah, I think so.  This is all so fucked up I don’t understand it.”  He reached down and took Lane’s hands into his own and said, “But this… this I can deal with.  It feels real.”

          Lane grinned and lowered his hands and started rubbing Don’s crotch.  He whispered, “Oh really?  Let’s see how real I can make you feel.”

          Don was hard immediately and Lane unzipped his jeans and pulled his hard-on out.  Don leaned back against him and spread his legs open to give him full access.  He could feel Lane’s erection through his jeans pressing against him from behind. 

          “Let me take care of you, big guy.  You’ve been without for way too long.”  Lane’s hands felt like magic on his dick.

          “Fuck, Jim, that feels so good.”

          “Yeah, I have talented hands and fingers.  All those years of playing the guitar and piano have to be good for something.”

          “You play?”

          “A little.  Right now I want to play with this.”  With that, Lane picked up his pace and in a few minutes Don’s body tensed and he started shooting.  Lane aimed it away to get as little on his pants as he could.

          Don lay back against him until he caught his breath.  He was quiet.

          Lane was trying not to push and make things as good as possible, but he also knew Don wasn’t a talker.  Sometimes you had to pull things out of him.

          “What are you thinking, Don?  Are you OK, bud?”

          “I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel, but I don’t know how.”

          “Can I tell you a secret, Don?  You make me the happiest man in the world.  Just being with you like this is enough for me.  And you can do whatever you want to me.  I’ll love it no matter what because it’s you; your hands, your body, your mind.”

          Don turned around so they were facing each other.  He didn’t say anything but he started unbuckling Lane’s belt and unzipping his jeans.  Lane was already hard and had been ever since he started touching Don.  Lane’s breath caught as he felt Don’s hands touch his dick.  He closed his eyes in pleasure and let Don explore and go at his own pace.  A minute later, he felt Don’s hot breath on the head of his dick just before Don’s warm mouth took in as much of Lane’s length as he could.

          Lane’s body tensed; all the feeling in his body was centered on the head of his dick and Don’s tongue was moving all over it.  The release Lane needed came quickly, and before he could warn Don he started shooting into his mouth.   Don swallowed it all and kept him in his mouth until Lane started to go soft.

          Don looked up at him hesitantly and when Lane opened his eyes a smile lit up his handsome face.  Don’s heart leapt inside his chest at that smile.  Lane pulled him up and they kissed and cuddled by the warmth of the fire until they both fell asleep.

*******************

          Lane woke up with a start and saw Gabriel sitting by the small fire with a guitar in his lap.  He was idly strumming a few chords. 

          “Hello, Lane.”

          “What are you doing here?”

          “I should ask you that.  You brought me here.  I wasn’t allowed to come on my own; the rules don’t allow it.  Taliesin isn’t the Enemy, and my Protection over you is only against Them and only in certain circumstances.  I’m not allowed to intervene against Taliesin.”

          “So you can’t help me?”

          “Not directly.  But we can talk.  You’re Dreaming inside Taliesin’s Construct.  The brief time I’m here will be barely measureable in the Physical Realm.”

          The chords Gabriel strummed stirred something inside of Lane.  “I miss music, almost as much as I miss Bryan.  Taliesin has stripped this place of music.”

          “He has.  But not out of you.  Your Avatar is the key to that, Lane; and Bryan’s.  Taliesin didn’t know about them and couldn’t account for them when he created this place.  You’re smart, Lane.  You’ve felt the cruelty of this place, but you are stronger and smarter than he could possibly imagine.  You have all the information you need.”

          “Of course it would be too easy for you just to tell me.”

          Gabriel laughed and said, “Of course. I’ve already said more than I should.”

          “Is Uriel still here?”

          “No he intervened more than he should have.  He’s under intense scrutiny right now.  I am too, for that matter, so I should be going.  I won’t be able to come back even if you call me again.  Believe in yourself Lane, and trust in yourself and your Avatar.  It is a part of you and it will help.”

          “Thank you… Grandfather…  Is that the right word for it?”

          “So you know?  And yes that is as good a word as any.  Many times removed but yes, ultimately I am your Grandfather. ”

          “I figured it out.  I was already suspicious after I thought about it when you said you knew my family well and wanted to be the one to teach me how to Listen.  Michael’s comment to Ken made it obvious.  Plus it feels right.  And I’m not bragging, but not many people play better than I do and you put me to shame.” 

          Gabriel smiled and seemed genuinely pleased at Lane’s realization.  “I’ve had a few more years of practice.  I look forward to a time when we can play together again.  For now, goodbye Lane, and be careful.”

          Lane woke up.  The camp fire was out and it was cold and Don had his body spooned against Lane’s for warmth.  It was still pre-dawn and quiet.  He went back to sleep in Don’s arms.

*******************

          The next day was almost a disaster.   Don’s disappearance sprang a trap in the Construct and they discovered that nearly everybody was looking for Don.  It was almost like a scene out of Jim Carey’s movie, The Truman Show.

          They went into the next town to get a tent, sleeping bags and supplies, but once the store clerk recognized Don he slipped away for a minute and called the police.  Lane picked up the odd behavior when the store clerk was obviously trying to delay them from leaving the store.   Lane tried to hurry things along so they could get out as quickly as possible but the harder he pushed the more things spun out of control.  The store clerk and some of the patrons in the store actually tried to mob Lane and Don to hold them until the police could get there. 

          Don stared wide-eyed as Lane single handedly fought off the store clerk and the other patrons when they had to run.  Lane didn’t have to be careful not to hurt them since they weren’t real.

          He snapped the neck of the store clerk with a roundhouse kick.  Just as he finished knocking out the other patrons, the store clerk’s head snapped back around and he started to get up.

          Don was freaked out seeing Jim actually kill someone, but he was even more freaked out when the store clerk got back up!

          Lane just said, “Are you fuckin’ shittin’ me?!”

          Before the clerk could get all the way back up Lane broke his neck again.

          “Don, they’re gonna wear us out if this keeps up.  I’ll keep these guys down.  I saw some rolls of plastic and some duct tape over in the hardware aisle.  Get some and we’ll tie ‘em up.”

Once he had them all secure, Lane made sure they overheard him talking to Don about heading West and then up into Canada.  Hopefully that would throw them off the trail at least for a while.  It was a simple ruse but he hoped it would work. 

They managed to get out of the store and out of sight just as the police cars came roaring up to the store.

          Lane decided that, for the foreseeable future, the only safe way to travel was on foot and off-road.  He felt it was too risky to try stealing a car and drive.  He thought about motorcycles since they could wear helmets, but his intuition told him that would be a bad idea.  He didn’t understand why but he went with his gut.

*******************

          That night Lane snuck back to town with Don and they broke into the store, taking the supplies they needed.  Don felt guilty about it but Lane convinced him not to worry.  He left some cash on the counter anyway.

          In the Navy, Bryan was exceptionally good at doctoring up MREs and making them taste great.  Lane had learned most of his tricks over the years even though he rarely used them.  Bryan always did it better and he loved cooking.  When they got back out of town and set up their camp, Don was impressed at how good the food tasted.

          “Jim, where did you learn to fight like that?  I’m good in the ring but you could kick my ass.”

          “Don, you won’t believe this right now but I don’t hold a candle to you.  When we get out of here, you’ll be able to kick my ass into next week without breaking a sweat.”

          “No way!”

          “Yes way!  And you also taught me everything I know about cooking.  You’re a great cook, too.”

          “Fuck, now I know you’re lying!  I can’t even boil water.”

          “You can’t here; just another fuckin’ reason to get out of this place.  I miss your cooking.  I miss a lot of things.  I’ll never take your cooking for granted ever again.  Promise.”

          After they ate they both cleaned up the cooking gear and got it all packed away.  Don was impressed by how quickly and efficiently Jim was able to pack everything.

          “How did you learn to do all this, Jim?  You said you’d tell me more when we got someplace safe.”

          “Yeah I did, didn’t I.  I’m still not sure how much to tell you.  I want more than anything to tell you everything, but you’ll think I’m totally crazy.  I don’t want to risk losing you again.”

          “After what’s already happened I don’t see how it could get any crazier.  When those guys in the store kept coming at you… I’ve never seen anythin’ like that.  My world is turnin’ upside down, Jim, and the only thing that seems to make sense is me ‘n you.”

          Both men were leaning back against a fallen tree a few feet apart.  Lane held his arms out in an invitation for Don to move over closer.

          “Come over here, Don.”

          Lane spread his legs and patted the ground in front of him.  Don went over and sat down between Lane’s legs and leaned back against his body.  Lane wrapped his arms around Don, holding him tight.

          “Fuck, this feels good, Jim.  You feel good.  You can be the craziest fucker on the planet but if you keep your arms around me like this I’ll believe anythin’ you tell me.”

          Feeling Don’s body against him was difficult – he couldn’t let himself get too distracted.  He kept remembering what Ken told him about staying focused and not letting his guard down.  He had to be badass and stay strong to rescue Bryan and get them both out of here safely.  

          Lane took a deep breath and sighed heavily, and when he did he could smell them both; neither one of them had taken a shower in the last few days and they had been hiking and sweating.  They weren’t totally rank but smelling Don like this reminded him of all the times working out and going on missions together with Bryan.  The memories were bittersweet at the moment and his mind started playing back the favorite times he and Bryan had spent together.

          Lane didn’t even realize he was crying.  Don had his head laid back resting on Lane’s chest and shoulder and a tear fell and hit him on the cheek.  At first Don thought it was a single rain drop; it was cloudy and could start raining.  He glanced up and in the firelight he saw the tear trail on Lane’s cheek.

          Concern for Jim flooded to the surface. “Fuck, Jim, what’s wrong?”

          “I’ve missed you so much, Bry.  I’m sorry, but sitting here with you like this is reminding me of so many things; I just let my head get away from me for a sec.  I can’t afford to do that ‘til we’re out of this place for good.  I’m fine, man.”

          “You just called me Bry.  Is that my real name?  Is Jim your real name?”

          “Actually it is but I haven’t gone by Jim in a long time.  And you haven’t gone by Don in years either.”

          “So who are we?”

          “We’re us.  That’s all that really matters.  Our names aren’t important.”

          “But I want to know what you call me.  I like the sound of Bry.  The way you say it…”

          “I think we need to stick with Don and Jim here.”

          Don was quiet for a minute, going over everything that had happened.  Not just when Jim showed up but before that.  When Jim asked him if his life felt right he said no.  It was like his life was a dark foggy place before Jim showed up.  He felt more awake now, and more alive.  His brain seemed to be working again.  He wanted to hear the sound of his name, the name that Jim knew him by.

          “Bryan.”  As soon as he said his name a sharp blinding pain exploded in his head.  He jerked forward, his head in his hands.  He let out a “Fuck!”

          “Don!  What’s wrong!?”

          “Fuck, my head hurts!”

          “Don, don’t think about your other name.  Forget it.  You’re Don here and we need to stick with that.”  Lane pulled Don back against him and started rubbing his temples and forehead, and brushing Don’s hair back gently off his forehead.

          He kept his voice quiet and soothing, “Relax, Don.  Don’t think about it.  Still your mind, bud.”  Inside, Lane was furious; Taliesin had made sure that Bryan didn’t exist here. 

          Lane felt his Avatar reacting and tugging inside him.  It wasn’t just reacting to Don’s physical pain, it was reacting to something in Lane as well.  Lane could hear a song in the back of his mind, fighting to make its way into his conscious mind.  The Construct had stripped music from this world, but Gabriel had told Lane that there was no way Taliesin could have stripped it from him.

          He closed his eyes and listened inside himself.  The image of Brad and Ken’s back yard filled his mind, along with the vision of playing his guitar at one of their get-togethers when he sang one of the songs from his ‘Bryan list’.

          He didn’t realize it, but he started humming the music.  His voice was quiet at first, but with the first few bars of music something inside Lane started pushing back against the restrictions Taliesin put on this place.

If a picture paints a thousand words,
Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show the you I've come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships,
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you,
You're all that's left me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.

If a man could be two places at one time,
I'd be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I'd spend the end with you.
And when the world was through,
Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away.

          As Lane started singing the song his voice got clearer and stronger.  He felt strength unlock inside of him as he let his love for music and his love for Bryan fill him up.  It was greatly subdued compared to what he was used to but it was still like a balm to his Soul.

          As he sang the words, his hands started to glow softly.  Small tendrils of light were coming off his fingertips and soaking into Don’s temples.  The pain Don felt washed away and his breath caught from an emotional rush that he was unprepared for. 

          What Don felt for Jim was already strong, but this was much more powerful.  It wasn’t just his love for Jim he was feeling, it was Jim’s love for him.  Something inside him, some small window, just opened and it drove out the pain in his head.  The image of a Tree came to mind, and the lunchbox, and he smelled something musty and leathery. 

          Don was overwhelmed.  Jim’s hands on his head, touching him and washing away the pain, brought out a depth of feeling he didn’t know was possible.

          As soon as Lane finished the song, things went back to normal, at least as far as normal was concerned in the Construct.  They were just two men holding on to one another again.  They lay in silence for a while, both just enjoying the presence and feel of the other.

          Don finally broke the silence by saying, “I don’t understand what happened, but fuck you sing good, Jim.  I want to hear some more.”

          Lane chuckled and said, “Not tonight, bud.  I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

          “Jim, what you made me feel…”

          “What we feel for each other, Don… I felt it too…”

          “Fuck, I want it. I want it bad. I want it to be like that all the time.”

          “If we get out of here not only will it be all the time, but it’ll be a thousand times better, Don.”

          “Then let’s get the hell outta here.”

          “Let’s get some sleep and make an early start.”

          Now that they had a tent and some sleeping bags, Lane didn’t think anything about stripping down naked when it was time to go to bed.  Don got a huge grin on his face when he realized the situation and was naked in no time.  They were both so horny they spent hours making love together before falling asleep.

          The next morning Don woke up first.  He was so comfortable with the feel of Lane’s body next to his own he didn’t want to get up.  Something else was different and in his sleep fogged mind it took a minute to register.  Tack was curled up under his chin and purring loudly.

          Don eyes were wide in disbelief and he woke Lane out of a sound sleep with his exclamation, “Tack! Holy shit, Little Buddy, how did you get here?”

          Bryan’s exclamation woke Lane up with a start.  He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Tack, and he put his head back down and he said sleepily, “I told you not to worry about him.  I figured he’d show up sooner or later.”

          Don pulled Lane closer against him with one arm and with his other hand he was gently petting Tack.  “Where’d ya go, boy?  How the fuck did ya get here?”

          With all the weirdness of the last few days, Don wouldn’t have been surprised at all if Tack actually answered him, but he continued to purr and he started cleaning himself, ignoring Don’s question.

          Don leaned his head back and closed his eyes, losing himself in the feelings running through his mind.  He felt Lane resettle himself and prop his head up on one of his hands.  Lane’s other hand started roaming over Don’s chest and shoulders, moving around Tack’s soft little body.  His hand started moving down until eventually he found what he was looking for.  Lane took his time and by the time his hand worked its way down, Don’s dick was completely hard and throbbing.  Lane grabbed the shaft and used his thumb to rub the head of his dick, smearing the leaking precum all over.

          Lane’s handsome face was smiling at Don and he shifted his body so Don could feel Lane’s erection pressed against his leg.  Don reached one hand down and grabbed Lane’s hard on.  Lane’s eyes closed briefly in pleasure and he inhaled deeply.

          Lane leaned down and they started kissing softly.  The passion and fire in each of them got hotter and the kiss became more intense.  Their dicks reflected the feelings and became even harder.  They both continued jerking each other off until they both shot within seconds of one another.

          Lane looked intently into Don’s green eyes and he said quietly and intently, “I love you.”

          Don looked back just as intently and he started to say, “I lo...” when Lane held his finger up, “Shhhhh, I know you do, Don.  Don’t say it.  I know you want to and I want to hear it so bad I could scream.  But don’t say it out loud.”

          “Who did this to me?  To us?”

          “I don’t think I should say his name either, but I know who he is.  And when we get outta here and things are back to normal I’m gonna find him and make him pay.”

          “There may not be enough of him left for you, Jim.  I’m startin’ to get a feel for what’s been taken from me.  I owe you big time for being here.  The longer I’m with you the more I realize that.”  Don’s eyes got a little watery as he said that. “Fuck!  I need to buy stock in Kleenex from all this cryin’.”

          Lane laughed and said, “Yeah, you’ve said that before, bud.  If we come across a campground with showers or a laundry room we need to take advantage.  We’re both starting to stink and we need to wash our clothes and the sleeping bags.”

          Just then, Don felt Tack’s rough little tongue licking his stomach and it made him jump in surprise.  Tack was licking up Don’s cum that was dripping down his abs.

          “You perverted little shit!  What’re you doin’?  That tickles!”

          Tack was purring louder than ever.  There was no doubt in Lane’s mind now about what Tack was.  He laughed and shook his head.

*******************

          Even though Lane and Don were both in really good shape they were not making good progress.  Staying off the road and out of sight was hampering their progress.  Lane made a little cubby hole on the top of Don’s backpack for Tack to ride in so Don didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on him.

          Lane still didn’t feel safe about traveling by car or motorcycle.  On the other hand, he was a good sailor and he knew that Don had learned some boating skills when he worked on the shrimp boat up in Maine, so he decided that they would steal a sailboat.

          Since it was winter in the Construct, there were numerous docks with winterized boats that wouldn’t be missed.  Lane and Don had gotten good at breaking into grocery and sporting goods stores for clothes and supplies; stealing a boat wouldn’t be any different. 

          By dawn the next morning they were more than a hundred miles away from New York, south along the coast.  They came upon a beautiful 48-foot sailboat named Coastal Dreams.  Lane found the name appropriate.  They had stocked up on food and he hoped they had enough to last them both until they got to Savannah.

          The week they spent together on the boat was the best time Don could ever remember in his life.  Lane helped coach him on his rusty sailing skills, and they took turns cooking meals.  They were in their own little world and they were together.  Lane was careful not to fall into that trap.   In fact he thought it might be a trap that Taliesin put in just in case Lane made it into the Construct – to lull him into wanting to stay with Don.  The thoughts were so prevalent he was sure that might be the case but he was guarding against it.

          Every night he sang a song to Don before they went to bed and slept together.  Every night he did that it got a little easier, and they felt the effects last a little longer. 

          The first night on the boat, after they made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms, Lane had another Dream.

He saw a broken key.  It looked old, like a large iron skeleton key and it was split in half.  No, it wasn’t split, it was torn.  He could see where the metal had snapped leaving a jagged edge.  Two halves… something about the key was important but it was eluding him... 

…the sun was so bright coming through the branches of the tree, he could barely see when he looked up.  It was hot and humid and he was sweating heavily.  He was wearing shorts and shoes but no shirt.  The air had a strong, swampy smell and it was thick with gnats.

He had a shovel and was digging a hole under a massive old oak tree covered with Spanish moss.  The blade of the shovel hit something metal and he reached down and started to brush the dirt away with his hands.

He uncovered an old rusty lunch box.  It looked familiar… the characters must have been from a show he watched as a kid.  There were ten men that looked like Navy Seals and they were all on some kind of mission and taking out a bad guy.  The faces, even the cartoon versions, looked oddly familiar.  One of the characters even looked sort of like him.

He shook the lunchbox and something inside was rattling around.  He heard some small clinking sounds, and looked up and noticed hundreds of small objects hanging from the branches of the huge tree.  Images began filling his mind as his eyes took in each object… a horn from his first bike… the little black Mustang from his hot wheels collection… the GI Joe with Kung-Fu Grip.  They made him feel good inside, like they were filling him up with something that was missing.  There was a picture of this really handsome man playing a guitar.  He was smiling at whoever took the picture… smiling at me?

He looked down at the lunchbox in his big dirty hands.  The clasp that held it shut was rusted.  He tried to pull it back with his thumb but it didn’t move.  He used both hands to try and pry it open but he couldn’t…

…He was running for his life, his breath coming in ragged gasps.  He managed to get away from them but he was sure they would catch him soon. 

Fuck why didn’t I see this coming?  I should have known!  Bry… I’m gonna miss you buddy!  I don’t know what’s gonna happen… we’re Immortal but our bodies can die.  I hope we can figure out a way to at least talk to one another.

Tears were streaming down Lane’s cheeks.  The emotional pain he felt was gut wrenching but there was no other way.  Taliesin fucked things up royally for both of them and he didn’t even do it on purpose.  Lane was sure of that.  There was no way he could have known about their Souls – Gabriel said so.

He heard a shout in the distance and he knew the crowd spotted Don near the tree.  Lane wasn’t scared about dying but he was terrified of the idea that he and Bryan might never be together again.  There was no other way he could see… instead of both of them dying in this place at least one of them would live and he would make sure it was Bryan.

I love you Bry.  More than anything.  Goodbye bud.

He wanted so badly for Bryan to hear his thoughts and feel the love he had for him, but that didn’t work here.

Lane stepped out from where he was hiding and shouted, “OK, you fuckers!  I’m the one you want!  Come and get me!”

A cry of recognition went up and the crowd started to roar as they all turned like a wave towards Lane.  He ran a little farther down the road and they quickly surrounded him.   They piled on top of him, pulling him down and pummeling his body.  He was dead in less than a minute, his body literally torn apart by the crazed mob…

          Lane woke up with a start and his body was shaking.  Don woke up enough to pull Lane closer against him and pull the blanket up over their shoulders.  The sound of the water lapping against the bottom of the boat sent Don back off to sleep in seconds.

          Lane lay awake, wrapped up by Don’s warm body; his eyes filled with tears, as he realized what the Dream meant.  In the Dream he regretted not being able to share his thoughts and feelings with Don, but now he was glad he couldn’t.  There was no way Don would let him do what he needed to do if he knew. 

*******************

          By water they made it down to Savannah in a little over a week.  They never saw another boat and Lane made sure to keep them far off shore to avoid anyone seeing them from the coast.

          “Alright Don, we’re getting close.  We need to find the tree you dreamed about.”

          “I know where it is.”

“You do?”

          “Yeah.  I’ve been thinkin’ about it a lot.  Wilmington Island.  My foster parents showed me a house there when I was a kid.  They said that’s where I was born.”

          “OK well that’s a start.  Don, I’m not sure what’s gonna to happen when we get there.  You’ll need to dig up that lunchbox and get it open.  We won’t know until we get there, but I have a feeling that place is gonna to be heavily guarded.”

          Don looked at him in that shrewd way that Bryan always did when he thought Lane was trying to pull something over on him. “What’re you not tellin’ me?”

          “There’s a Tree where we come from that’s very special; special to you and to us and to the entire world.  This place is built from your memories.  I don’t think it’s any coincidence that a tree will hold the key to breaking out of this place.  I’m not sure what’s gonna happen to you when we get close; maybe nothing.  But whatever happens you have to find that lunchbox and get it open.  That’s all I know.  I’ll get you there but the rest’ll be up to you.”

          Lying to Don was painful but he didn’t know what else to do.  He remembered his promise about never lying to Don   …I’m not lying … I’ll never lie to you.  We’ve never lied to each other… Hearing his own words in his mind tore him up inside.  He had never broken a promise to Bryan and he felt like he crossed a line; it was an irrevocable action that could never be taken back or undone.  His only consolation was that this was Don and not Bryan, but the comfort was meager.

Every night they were on the boat Lane had the same Dream.  It took him a few days but he figured out what the key represented and what he would have to do to make it whole.  The lunchbox wouldn’t open until the key was whole and Lane only knew one way to make that happen.

*******************

          The coast along Savannah was so heavily populated Lane decided to go ashore a little farther north.  They ended up just south of Beaufort, SC about 3:00 am.  There they broke into a store for supplies and stole a car.  The drive to Wilmington Island wasn’t far and Lane felt it worth the risk to get there as quickly as they could.  Lane noticed an inordinate number of people out and about for the middle of the night.  Caution made him drive farther out and off the road than he originally intended. 

          The weather in Savannah was much warmer than in New York, and even though it was the middle of the night it was in the mid-seventies.  It was going to be a hot day and they both were dressed in shorts and t-shirts.

          They needed to ditch the car, so Lane rigged it to drive off the road and into the swampy mud of a small inlet.  The tide was low and the car sank deep into the mud.  By the time the tide came all the way in the car should be covered. 

          As hard as Lane tried to cover his feelings, Don knew something was going on with him.  As they were getting their backpacks on and Tack settled into his cubby hole so they could head towards town, Don asked him, “Jim, what’s wrong.  You’ve been gettin’ quieter all week.”

          “It’s nothing, Don; just nervous.  We’re so close to getting out of here and we only have one shot at this.  I always used to get this way before a mission when I was in the Navy.”

          “Come here.”

          It was difficult with their packs on but Don pulled Lane into a hug.  “I know I can’t say it but I want you to know it.”  He kissed him on the cheek and held him tight for nearly a minute.  It took everything Lane had to hold himself together.

          “Thanks, bud.  I love you, too.  You don’t know how badly I want to hear you say it with my own ears.  I will soon enough if things go according to plan. We need to get close and then find a place to hole up for a bit so I can do some recon.  Then we’ll make a plan and blow this pop stand.”

          Again, Lane hated lying but he felt he had no choice.  He had to get Bryan out of here.  He understood now the choice that Brad made all those months to sacrifice himself for Ken.  Only he didn’t see a way out for himself.  Of the two of them, Bryan was more important – he was the Protector of the Tree and the creature.

          I love you so much, Bry.  Once you’re out of this place I know you’ll remember how much you mean to me.  That’ll have to be enough.

*******************

          Don’s memory was good and he was able to navigate them to the little house.  It was in a small neighborhood close to the town square.  There was a huge oak tree in the back yard covered with Spanish moss.  About half a block away they found a small church.  It was unlocked and they went inside and took off their gear. 

          Lane pulled out an entrenching tool he had picked up at one of the sporting goods stores they had robbed.  He unfolded it and locked the blade in place and handed it to Don.  It was obvious Don was nervous but he was trying to hide it from Lane.

          “You OK, Don?  You ready?”

          “Jim… my life sucked before you.  That’s all I know or care about.  Even if you are fucked in the head and this is all some insane game, I’m still happier than I’ve ever been.  But I don’t think you’re crazy, and I trust you.  I want us to be together like you talked about.  I want it bad and I’m ready.”

          Lane took a deep breath to help steady his nerves and brace himself for what was about to happen.  “OK.  I’m gonna slip out the back and take a look around.  You sit tight but be ready to move as soon as I get back.  If anyone shows up here before I get back knock ‘em out.  There’s still rope and duct tape in my pack.”

          Don nodded and Lane went through the building and out the back door.

          The sun was just coming up and the sky was turning lighter by the minute.  It was already nearly eighty degrees and getting warmer; the humidity was thick in the air.   Lane was stunned by how many people were out and milling about.  They looked like zombies from The Walking Dead, just standing about or slowly walking around aimlessly.  They were obviously programmed to protect the tree.

          Lane took his time and scouted the entire area.  He counted over fifty people within a block of the tree and he knew there were more close by.

          Fuck you, Taliesin.  Even if you didn’t screw us over on purpose you still wanted to screw Bryan and not let him out of here.  I so wish I was the one that was gonna find you and kick your ass.  You screwed yourself over too, you son of a bitch… when I’m gone there’s no one alive who can receive that Gift inside of you.  You’re gonna be stuck with it.

          Lane plotted out the best course for him to lead everybody away from the tree.  He would probably have to improvise heavily once things started, but he would do whatever he needed to do to keep them all away from Don and give him time to dig up the lunchbox. 

*******************

          He made it back to the church and Don was waiting.  Tack was sitting on top of a priest that Don had tied up; Don had covered his mouth with duct tape to keep him quiet.

          “Alright, Don.  It’s now or never, big guy.  I’m gonna cause a diversion.  Keep an eye out and as soon as the coast is clear you take off like a bat out of hell for the backyard and you find that lunchbox.  When you get it, come back to the porch here before you open it.  We have to be close when you open it.  If anyone tries to stop you, you know what you have to do.”

*******************

To Lane and Don, as soon as things started the world began moving in slow motion.  Lane stepped out onto the street in plain sight of everyone.  He whistled loudly and shouted, “OK, you fuckers!  I’m the one you want!  Come and get me!”  He took off towards the house and everyone started shouting and running after him.  Lane was a fast runner and easily stayed in front of everyone.

Don’s stomach was in knots.  He saw Lane step out and shout and he was amazed at how quickly everyone reacted and started chasing him.  He waited a few extra seconds to make sure the coast was clear and then he took off as fast as he could run towards the little house he was born in.

The tree was huge and as soon as he got to the base of it he stopped.  Everything was so quiet.  He looked up and the sun was shining so brightly through the branches he could hardly see.  A gentle breeze started blowing and the Spanish moss swayed in the wind and Don heard what sounded like chimes up in the branches.  He looked up and he saw dozens of objects hanging from the limbs.  The noise he heard was the sound of them clanking together in the wind.  

Just like in the dream he had as a boy he recognized the objects from his childhood.  He was fascinated and didn’t realize it, but this was another trap Taliesin had set to stop him if he should ever make it this far.

His mind started processing the memories tied to the objects.  He remembered playing with his GI Joe doll… the big one not the smaller later ones… it had real fuzz for hair and had a button on his back you could press to make his fist squeeze into the ‘kung fu’ grip.  He saw the horn from his first bike… he remembered the first time he rode it after the training wheels were taken off…

Out of nowhere a man tackled him and the impact nearly knocked the breath out of him.  They wrestled for a minute and the man tore Don’s t-shirt off trying to keep ahold of him.   Don remembered what Lane said, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill anyone; he just didn’t have that in him.  He knocked the man out cold and used the man’s belt to bind his hands behind his back before he woke back up.  His t-shirt was ripped apart so he wadded it up and stuck it into the man’s mouth so he couldn’t scream for help. 

Don picked up the entrenching tool and he had to shake his head to focus.  He wanted to look up at the objects but he knew Jim was running for his life and he didn’t have much time. 

He was sweating heavily in the heat and humidity and the gnats were swarming around his face. He wasn’t sure where to start digging and he was starting to panic.

A bright light in his peripheral vision caught his attention; it was coming from the tree.  There was a strange pattern in the bark and it was glowing.  The light was warm and comfortable and it shone down on a spot on the dirt.  His shoulder felt itchy and he glanced down and there was a tattoo on his arm that matched the symbol on the tree.

He felt something pulling inside of him.  He didn’t understand it but he knew where to dig.  He felt completely focused now and the distractions of the objects in the tree were gone.

The ground wasn’t hard and Don was a strong man.  He churned through the dirt quickly and in less than a minute he heard the clank of metal as the entrenching tool hit the lunchbox.

He used his hands to scoop away the loose dirt and as soon as he could clearly see the box he grabbed it.  He held it in his hands and looked at it.  He remembered the scene from his dream; the ten men, all part of a Navy Seal Team, were taking out a bad guy.  He saw the character that looked like him and he was stunned that Jim was there too.  Even as a caricature he recognized Jim’s handsome face.  He didn’t recognize any of the other men, but Jim had referred to them on occasion.  He should know them.  Seeing the box, holding it in his hand after seeing it in a dream, and after everything Jim told him… it drove home how wrong everything was.  The only truth he knew right now was that he loved Jim and felt like they belonged together.  

Something inside the box was rattling around as he held it.  The clasp was old and rusted shut but he didn’t try to open it yet.  Jim said they had to be close.

He heard shouts and screaming and the noise brought him back to himself.  He took off as fast as he could run towards the front porch of the church.

His lungs were on fire by the time he was there.  He saw Jim turn the corner about half a block down and he was running for his life.  There must have been over a hundred people after him.  Don held the box up over his head so Jim could see he had it.

*******************

Lane was in great shape but he had been running fast for minutes and had to dodge and shake off a number of close calls.  As he turned the corner back towards the church he saw Don on the porch holding the lunchbox up.

So many thoughts were running through Lane’s mind.  How much he loved Bryan and Brad and Ken and all his brothers; how much he loved the doctor and had come to love Albrecht.  He only just met his grandfather and was looking forward to getting to know him better.  He would miss Bryan’s deep gravelly voice, and the lazy days they spent relaxing together; Bryan in his garden and Lane playing for him.  Their hot sweaty nights together, their minds and hearts merged, sending their Souls out into Creation to Listen and fly together.  There was no place like resting in Bryan’s mind and heart; it was where he was meant to be; the only place he wanted to be.

He loved his life and what it had become.  The things they all could do now were so amazing, and he felt cheated by having to give it up.  But he had no regrets about his decision to save Bryan.  With Bryan’s Soul intact, Lane hoped Bryan would find the strength to keep going without him.  He knew Ken and Brad and the others would help him.

Lane sprinted out in front of the crowd to give himself a few seconds leeway and then he abruptly stopped.  His eyes met Don’s and he shouted, “My name is Lane!  I love you Bryan!  I always will!”

He turned to face the crowd just as they caught up with him.  Fortunately he was knocked out quickly and didn’t feel much pain.  They pummeled and kicked his body viciously.  In seconds most of his limbs were broken.  The crowd stopped as soon as the last breath left his body.

*******************

Don couldn’t believe it.  Jim sprinted out and could easily have made it to him but he just stopped.  It all happened so fast he didn’t have time to move forward.  As soon as he realized that Jim meant to die, the grief welled up inside Don so strongly he couldn’t move.  He fell to his knees, the lunchbox in his big hands.  His throat closed and he couldn’t breathe.  The cold rock of terror and agony hit him so hard it paralyzed him.  His eyes filled with hot tears that started flooding down his cheeks.

          The morning sky was bright and clear.  The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze blowing.  The scene was surreal as Don watched, unable to move.  The crowd had stopped moving and went completely immobile. 

Then they started moving again as if they were waking up.  Just as one of them saw Don on the porch and started to point and shout there was an explosion of light and the sound of a trumpet blast broke through the sky louder than anything Don had ever heard.  He felt the sound through his body and he had to cover his ears.  In every corner of the Construct windows shattered from the sound.

          The trumpet blast blew the crowd away from Lane’s body.  As Lane lay there, his body now lifeless, a ball of light lifted out of his chest.  It was beautiful as it hovered for a brief second and then it starting moving over to Don.  He stared at it, mesmerized, as it approached him.  Without stopping, it floated right into his chest, and he felt… something… fill him up.  The lunchbox popped open in Don’s hands.  He glanced down and saw an old skeleton key.  It was the skeleton key from Lane’s Dream, but it was now whole and intact – the two halves of Bryan’s Soul back together.

          In the smallest of moments Bryan came completely back to himself, remembering his entire life, including his many years with Lane, instantly.  But he didn’t feel Lane.  The part of Lane that had always been with him was gone.  Taliesin’s trap had stripped it out of him, and now Lane lay dead and his Soul was gone.

          Even as Bryan screamed out his rage and agony, trying to express the loss he felt, the world unraveled around him.

*******************

          Bryan woke up with a scream, scaring the doctor half to death. 

          “LANE!”

          The anguish was clear in his voice.  He jumped off the bed dragging all the wires and electrodes connected to his body with him and threw himself on top of Lane’s body; now lifeless.  The heart monitor alarm went off and the doctor saw the flat line going across the screen hooked up to Lane. 

          “Oh my poor boy…”  Tears of grief appeared in the doctor’s eyes and he nearly fell over, dumfounded and stunned that this could be happening.

          Bryan was hysterical; he was sobbing uncontrollably and was nearly incoherent.  He just kept repeating, “No… no… no… why’d you do it?  You fucker!  How could you?”

          Albrecht felt Aaron’s grief from the other room and he sent a thought to Brad immediately.  Within a minute everyone was at the lab; Brad, Darren, Bill and Loy looked rough – to teleport everyone there as quickly as possible they pushed themselves hard. 

The whole Team had been waiting days for some sign of Lane and Bryan waking up, and when they got there and saw and heard Bryan, and then felt Lane’s absence and saw his lifeless body, it was like a part of themselves was missing.  They were all stunned and caught off guard with what was happening.

          The first thing Ken did was grab ahold of Bryan.  None of them knew what to say; there were no words that could express the sudden loss they all felt and what they knew Bryan was going through.  Brad pulled Bryan into their hearts and minds so he could feel their love and support, but the anguish he felt nearly overpowered all of them.

          As soon as Bryan entered the bond, it was apparent to all of them why he was so grief stricken.  On top of Lane’s death, Bryan’s Soul was intact.  Both halves were in him, and the half that was Lane was missing.  None of them were prepared for that.  Not only was Lane dead but the half of his Soul that was normally a part of Bryan was gone.

          How could this have happened?    One by one all of them added their arms around Bryan as he cried, his big body shaking in his grief.  None of them had ever seen Bryan like this before; he always seemed so… solid and unshakable.  Now he was broken and lost…

          Minutes passed as they all cried and clung to one another, not believing what was happening.

          All of them were startled when a ball of light appeared in the room and quickly grew into the form of Uriel.  In his hands he held a small white kitten.

          Immediately, Raphael, Gabriel and Michael appeared as well.

          Michael said, “Uriel, no!  It is forbidden!”

          Uriel turned to face him and his voice was steady and defiant, “Death is my Province, brother, not yours!  There is no precedent for this.  My attempt to carry Lane home failed.  It is for me to decide how to proceed, not you.”

          It was apparent that an argument was taking place and the Arch-Angels appeared in the middle of it.

          Bryan saw the kitten and his throat nearly closed again.  His voice was a whisper but he managed to say, “Tack?  How?”

          Michael interjected, “He should not be here!”

          Brad, Bill and Darren felt something odd about the kitten; Loy felt it more strongly than any of them.  He looked directly at Tack and said, “That’s not a kitten.”

          Bryan’s voice was almost imperceptible as he said, “It’s Lane.”

          Raphael spoke up, “Yes, Bryan, it is.  That is the part of Lane that was stripped out of you when you entered Taliesin’s fabricated world.”

          Uriel responded, “It is my Province to convey the Souls of those who die to the next phase of their existence.  I have never attempted to carry an incomplete Soul home before.  I was forbidden to enter the Gates with only this part.” He motioned at Lane’s lifeless body.

          Michael looked surprised, “You were forbidden?”

          “Yes, brother, I was forbidden.”

          The doctor’s voice sounded urgent and excited and he asked, “Where is the other part of Lane?”

          “It is in my keeping.  The part I hold in my hands is a manifestation from the fabricated world that Bryan and Lane were trapped in.  For now I am keeping them apart.  If I allow them to rejoin I will have no choice but to take Lane home.”

          Gabriel had been silent up until now.  His face was grim and he looked at Uriel and said, “Brother, please...”  He sounded desperate and urgent.

          Uriel looked at Bryan and he knelt down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “It pains me to see you so grief stricken.”  He placed Tack in Bryan’s big hands.  Bryan held Tack’s little warm body against his cheek and Tack started trying to lick at the salty tears running down his face.

          Uriel’s hand started to glow and he moved it down to the center of Bryan’s chest.  He pulled his hand back and as he did a ball of light came out of Bryan and hovered in the air over his hand.

          Bryan’s eyes got wide and he had a shocked look on his face as he fell to his knees.  Tack started to glow and he transformed into a beautiful ball of light that disappeared into Bryan’s chest.

          Bryan closed his eyes tight as he felt Lane’s presence once again inside of him, relishing the awareness that at least a part of Lane was with him again.  Brad and Ken and all the others felt everything that was happening to Bryan through their link.

          Uriel stood up and walked over to the bed where Lane’s body lay.  In one hand he cupped the part of Bryan’s Soul he just pulled out.  The other part of Lane’s Soul he had in his keeping appeared in his other hand.

          Uriel looked at Michael and said, “Your concerns are unfounded, brother.  These two Souls are destined to be together.  I can feel it.  Even now they are pulling towards one another.  Observe.”

          Uriel lowered his hands and the two Souls floated in the air in front of him.  Once he released them they moved towards each other.  As soon as they touched there was small flash of light and they melded back into a single Soul.  It was beautiful to behold; the light and the warmth coming off it was breathtaking.  It was full of laughter and music…they could all hear echoes of its beauty in their Hearts and Minds; it felt familiar to all of them… it was the essence of Lane, their brother.

          Uriel cupped his hand under the merged Soul and brought it close to his face.  He said, “Return to your body with my Blessing” and he blew softly, sending the Soul gently back to Lane’s body.

          Everyone’s eyes were riveted on Lane.  None of them dared to believe what they were seeing.  They didn’t want to believe that Lane was gone, and now they were hanging on the hope of what they were witness to. 

          The Soul drifted over and hovered for a brief second over the center of Lane’s chest before gently lowering into his body.  They waited for some sign but he was still as stone, not breathing.  The heart monitor was still showing a flat line.

          The next few seconds stretched out and seemed like an eternity.  The anxiety they all felt ran rampant through their minds and hearts.  The room was filled with absolute silence and it was deafening.  Suddenly the heart monitor beeped and it seemed so loud it nearly made them all jump out of their skin.

          Tears were streaming down the faces of the entire Team, including the doctor and Albrecht.  Ken lifted Bryan to his feet and moved him over beside the bed Lane was on.  They could see Lane’s chest slowly rising and falling once again.

          Bryan reached down and pulled Lane up and against him, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in Lane’s shoulder.  His whole body was shaking with sobs.  His face was purple from the strain and emotion and he could hardly see for the tears filling his eyes.  He was sweating from the strain and tightness his body felt over his emotional turmoil.

          Lane’s arms slowly moved up and reached around Bryan’s big back in a hug.  He seemed groggy like he was having a hard time waking up.  His consciousness suddenly flooded into the link.

          Lane moved his hands from Bryan’s back and brought them up to cup his face.  He was weak but he gripped Bryan’s face as tightly as he could and pulled him down so their noses were almost touching.  He smiled and in a quiet voice said, “Hey, Bry.”

          “Fuck, Lane I thought you were gone.  I didn’t know what I was gonna do.”

          “Shhhh, Bry, it’s OK.  I’m here.  We’re together and that’s all that matters.”  Lane was wiping the tears out of Bryan’s eyes and brushing the hair back off his forehead soothingly while he was talking.

          Shit, I’ve never felt like this.  I’m so tired…

          Lane could barely open up his and Bryan’s energy centers but he managed it and they delved into one another completely.  It was apparent to Bryan right away how drained Lane was.  It was frightening how fragile his existence was at this moment.

          Brad pulled Ken into himself and all the other couples did the same, and then they all merged together.  Brad controlled the energy flows of the entire Team and they lifted Lane and Bryan up and refilled both of them.  The emotions were all over the map for all of them.  Fear, anxiety and relief; they all sorted through everything among themselves.  Lane was overwhelmed by the love not only from Bryan but for how much everyone cared about him.  He didn’t expect the loss they felt when they thought he was dead to be so profound.  The idea that had been in the back of his mind about only being a battery for the Team finally snapped and he accepted, and was uplifted, by that revelation.

          In a matter of seconds Lane was fully restored.  Bryan was as well, both from the love of his partner and from the support of his brothers. 

          They were all so deep together that time moved slowly, and they stayed together for what seemed like hours before breaking apart.  It was as if the conversations were all happening simultaneously but each and every one of the Team members let Lane know beyond a shadow of a doubt what Lane meant to them.

          Aside from the relief and gratitude they all felt for having Lane and Bryan both back with them, there was shock when they realized that Gabriel was Lane’s ethereal grandfather, and Uriel was Bryan’s. 

          Once they separated from the link, Lane sat up, refreshed and restored.  He had tears streaming down his face. He was reluctant to let go of Bryan but he stood up and moved over to Gabriel.

          He smiled and said, “Hello, Grandfather.”

          Gabriel said, “Hello, Lane.  I was truly frightened for you.  I’m very proud of you and your actions, but please don’t do that again.”

          Lane put his arms around Gabriel and hugged him.  Lane didn’t mention his thanks for their conversation in the Construct.  He knew Gabriel wasn’t supposed to have been there and didn’t want to cause any trouble for him.

          Michael’s face darkened when Lane called Gabriel grandfather.

          Gabriel’s voice was droll and he said, “He figured it out on his own, Michael.  I told you he was smart.”

          Lane moved over to Uriel and hugged him as well.  “Thank you.  I don’t know what else to say.  I didn’t expect to make it and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

          Bryan hugged Uriel as well.  “Thanks.”  Bryan expressed his gratitude in the strength of his hug.

          When Uriel and Bryan parted, Lane moved back over and put his arm around Bryan’s bare shoulders.  He felt the need to touch Bryan’s physical presence and feel the warmth of his skin.

          “So, grandfather, I figured out you and Uriel.  I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out the connection with Raphael and Michael to Brad and Ken.  But are the rest of these ladies related to one of you four?”

          “No, there are others of my kin from whom the rest of your brothers are descended.  Perhaps one day you will meet them.  They are all busy fulfilling their tasks as we fulfill ours.”

          Michael interjected, “Yes.  Tasks to which we must return.  Come, brothers.”  He looked at Ken and gave him a nod of recognition; Ken was sure he saw the corners of Michael’s mouth rise in a slight smile before he vanished.

          With that, the four Arch-Angels turned into small balls of light and disappeared.                                                                                                                                                                           

*******************

          With the abrupt departure of the Arch-Angels the room got quiet.

          The doctor broke the silence, “Lane and Bryan, I want to give you both a full exam before you leave.  Everyone else, please leave the room.  There will be enough time to visit after.”

          Ken piped up, “OK, ladies, you heard the doc.  Let’s give ‘em some space.”

          All the guys formed a line and gave both Lane and Bryan a hug as they left the room.  Even though they all left the room they stayed together in the link.  Lane could feel their reluctance to let him out of their sight so soon after losing him and it made him feel good.

          The first thing the doctor did was move over and grab ahold of Lane and pull him in a tight embrace.  The doctor rarely cried but he had tears in his eyes and he said, “My dear boy, you gave me a fright.  I do not know what I would have done if you left us.”  He moved over and embraced Bryan too, “You too, Bryan.  You are my sons and I could not bear to lose either one of you.”

          “I know you want to examine us doc, but everything’s fine.  When we were all merged and the guys gave me a recharge, I could see our energy centers and the flows; we’re both as good as new; better even.”

          “Very good, then.  You are making me obsolete!”

          “Never doc; never ever think that.  Think of it as us giving you more time with Albrecht, or to tinker with your new computers.  You won’t have to waste so much time keeping us ticking.”

          “Doc.”  The tone of Bryan’s voice made both Lane and the doctor look at him. “Where’s Taliesin?”  The abrupt change in Bryan’s mood caught everyone in the link by surprise.  The gentle giant they all knew was not only angry he was furious.

          “I do not know at this moment, Bryan.  Albrecht and I can find him and force him to come to us if need be.”

          “Call him.  I want to talk to him.”

          “I will, Bryan, but not today.  I promise you it will be very soon, but not now.  For today and the next few days you two need to be alone or with your brothers.  You have both been through so much; it breaks my heart for both of you.  Be together and rest yourselves.”

          The doctor got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

*******************

          Lane kept Bryan and himself in the link with everybody, but he pulled them back up so they were on the surface only; enough to talk if they needed and keep the feeling of connectedness they all had come to find so comforting and to rely on.

          They looked at one another.  Bryan was still in his boxers and nothing else.  Lane reached up and pulled off his own t-shirt and tossed it onto the chair by the door.

          I need to feel you, Bry.

          Bryan lowered his head, his big shoulders hunching and he started to cry again.  Seeing Lane standing there was sending a torrent of thoughts and emotions through Bryan’s mind.  He dropped to his knees, his entire body taut and flushed.

          Lane quickly moved over to him.  He knew he had to let Bryan get this out of his system.  He knelt down and put his arms around Bryan’s heavy shoulders and pulled Bryan’s face against his chest.  Bryan’s skin was almost hot to the touch and he was sweating again from the tension in his body.  Lane was desperate to make Bryan understand and his mental voice trembled.

          I’m here, Bry.  I’m sorry, man, I didn’t know what else to do.  I love you more than anything and when I realized there was no way for you to open that box without the part of you that was in me… it was the only thing I could think of to do.  I had to make sure you got out.

          Fucker!  How could you do that!?  I don’t want to live without you!  Haven’t you figured that out?  You should just have let us both die in there.

          Don’t say that, Bry!  Fuck, don’t say that.  I had to make sure you lived.  I had to.  I didn’t know what else to do. You’re the Protector of the Tree and Leroy…You had to survive!  I’m sorry.

          All the while they were talking, Lane was running his hands over Bryan’s body, trying to soothe him and wash away the tension. 

          With their connection so deep, Lane could feel the pain he caused Bryan and it tore him up.  He realized he made the wrong decision and he should have let them both die.  They could just have gone to Heaven together.

          Bryan was also completely aware of how Lane felt, and he felt horrible for making his best friend feel that way.

          Fuck.  We just have to let it go, Lane.  There is no blame.  You did what you did ‘cause you love me.  I get that, you little shit.  I can’t be mad at you for that.

          They looked into one another’s eyes and after a minute they both smiled.

          Bryan’s deep gravelly voice sounded in Lane’s mind:  You know I can’t stay mad at you when you smile like that, you little fucker.

          Bryan could feel how desperate Lane felt about trying to save him.  They were completely open to one another and fully merged, so there were no secrets.  The fact that Lane let himself be killed to save Bryan was as infuriating as it was overwhelming.

          It only took the blink of an eye for them to process all that went on between them.  The bottom line was that they love one another so deeply and completely that nothing else mattered.  Forgiveness was at the heart of all of it; and redemption.

          Pure, unselfish, unconditional Love transcended all their transgressions.

          Both of them had a thought in the back of their minds at the same time: We should talk to Ken and Brad about this.  They went through this already.

          They stayed in one another for what seemed like hours and when they came back up they felt better, but there was still some discomfort.  As usual, the deep emotional intimacy that such sharing invoked in them heightened the need for physical intimacy.

Make love to me, Bry.  I need to feel you in me.

They spent the next hour wrapped around each other; striving to make as much body contact as possible.  Lane wrapped his legs around Bryan’s waist and his arms around his shoulders like a crab, while Bryan pumped in and out, driving both of them to multiple orgasms.  Only once did they break apart, and it was so Lane could feed Bryan his cum. Once Bryan’s mind was completely open and Lane was charged up, the power they generated radiated out like a hot fire for miles over the city. 

They lay there in a hot sweaty heap, holding onto one another, resting in one another, healing one another; each was a balm to the other.

          They finally pulled apart and got dressed.  They didn’t bother to shower; they were planning on heading home to continue their love making.  As soon as they came out of the room, Brad and Ken were waiting for them and they had huge smiles on their faces. 

          Ken thought:  You horn dogs.  You just lit up half the city.  I bet you nine months from now there are gonna be a bazillion babies born because of you two.

          Bryan and Lane both blushed but laughed.  Brad and Ken both hugged them again.

          Brad thought: Damn, guys, you gave us a scare. 

          Ken thought: And do you know how hard it would be to get someone else to do the cooking at our parties?  Or put on the music?  You two are irreplaceable!  The smile on his face was covering up the anxiety he felt over almost losing two of his closest friends.

          Brad thought: Hey guys, don’t feel any pressure if you just want to take off and be alone, but we’re starving and we figure you are too.  Do you want to grab something to eat with us on your way home?  Seriously, if you’d rather just be by yourselves you know we more than understand.

          What do you think, Bry?

          Yeah, I could chew a fuckin’ horse right now.  And we’re gonna be busy all night so we should stop somewhere.  But we should shower first if we’re goin’ out.

          Actually, guys, don’t worry about it.  We’ll go wherever you want and I’ll handle everything.  I’ve been practicing.  Check this out.

          They all felt a surge from Brad and their vision shifted slightly, and suddenly they were all wearing tuxedos.   They were all clean and each was wearing his favorite cologne.  They blurred again and they were all in swim trunks and sunglasses and smelled like coconut oil.

          Lane thought: That’s badass, Brad!  I need to learn how to do that!

          It’s really not that hard once you get the hang of it. It’s basically an external Construct.  So anyway, don’t worry about how we look.  Let’s hit your favorite spot and fill you up. 

          Ken thought:  Oh yeah, guys, we got your car here.  Ken pulled their car keys out and tossed them over to Lane.

          Thanks fellas.  OK, Bry where do you feel like eating?

          Pampas.  I feel like I haven’t been there for YEARS!  They all laughed as they realized that, for Bryan, it was no exaggeration, but that he was able to put some humor into what was still a traumatic experience.

          Well, that was easy.  Damn, that sounds good.

          I told you I was hungry.

          OK, BK, we’ll meet you guys there.  Warp speed ‘cause I can hear his stomach rumbling already.

*******************

          Normally Brad wouldn’t use his powers for something so selfish, but when they got to Pampas it was packed and the wait for a table was nearly two hours.  In less than 5 minutes they were seated. 

          They were perfect.  People all over the restaurant were staring at them.  Especially after their final Awakening, all the Team had a natural charisma that came as part of their Nephalem Heritage.  Their deeply tanned skin was flawless; they had the perfect amount of unshaven scruff to make them look sexy as hell, and of course they filled out their clothes perfectly, hinting at the amazing bodies underneath.  They were so handsome people couldn’t help but look, and Brad really outdid himself on their attire.

          They started off with mini empanadas around the table and then after each of them devoured a 24oz bone-in ribeye with garlic steak fries they all ordered another round.  Brad had to alter the memories of the wait staff to draw less attention to how much food they ate.  They all finished with white chocolate volcano cakes.  Even Ken and Bryan were stuffed by the time they were finished.

          Once they were drinking coffee after they finished dessert Brad brought them all deeper together.  They had stayed connected all through dinner but kept it just for surface thoughts and feelings.  Ken was masterful in keeping the conversation going and not touching on anything serious.

          There was a short awkward silence after the last coffee refill and Brad decided it was time to address the obvious.

          OK guys.  Ken and I pretty much know what you two just went through.  I thought about a long speech and the right thing to say but think I have a better idea.  Will you merge with us now?  If you’d rather wait, I understand; just know that we’re here and ready to help you whenever you’re comfortable.

          Bryan and Lane looked at one another.  They took each other’s hand and then they held out their hands for Brad and Ken to take, forming a circle.  Brad was surprised when Lane took over and brought them all completely together.

          Guys, this time I want to take you where Bry and I go.

          With that thought, Lane lifted them all up and took them far out into Creation.  Bryan invoked his Avatar and Ken’s joined with it, making it even stronger.  Ken had felt this on the surface before but never this strongly, and Brad was in awe of what he felt.  The living energy of everything in the universe was flowing through them.  Lane Listened and channeled what he heard and filled them all up with the music of the Universe.  The part of Lane’s Avatar that Brad now shared magnified it and he could hear the music as Lane did. Ken and Brad were seeing things through the eyes and Souls of their brothers and they were in awe.

          As friends and brothers they were joined as couples first and then all together; completely in each other’s Minds and Souls.  Brad and Ken brought Lane and Bryan in and let them relive their entire experience with Ken’s abduction, the creature, and the sacrifices they made for one another.  All the thoughts and emotions that they felt, they relived together, and Lane and Bryan shared the entire experience of what happened in Taliesin’s Construct.

          The harshness of the truth, but also its beauty, cut them all deeply.  They wept together and held each other through every trial and painful experience, every thought and memory, sometimes not able to do more than just be present and supportive and understanding of each other.  The Compassion and Empathy of Brad’s Avatar, now magnified by Lane’s, helped them all to understand better and empathize and work through the emotions.  In the end there was no blame or resentment or anger.  With the love they shared and the Soul bonds that tied them together how could there be?  Everything they felt for one another was reinforced through this experience.  It took a while and it wasn’t easy but their love for each other shone all the brighter in the end.

           All this happened in the blink of an eye in the restaurant.  Brad and Lane both had kept them all heavily shielded so their emotions wouldn’t spill out and affect the people around them.

Their eyes were all bright with unshed tears.

Bryan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and laughed to himself as he thought: You sissy fuckers.  I love you guys.

Ken thought: I’m really proud of you two.  Somethin’ like this could’ve torn you apart.

Lane thought: Naw, we’re in it for the long haul.  There might be a few bumps in the road but I’m spending as much of eternity as I can with this big lug and nothin’s gonna stop me. Thanks for sharing with us guys.

Ken thought: We love you guys; you know that.    

There was a short pause and Ken thought: I want you two to take a few weeks off and just relax.

Bryan thought: I have an idea.  I think everyone could use a break and have a little fun.  Now that Darren and these other yahoos can teleport us easier, I want to take everyone to the Tree and see Leroy.  We can take camping gear and hang out there for a while. 

Ken thought; Shit, Bry, that sounds great!  I’ve been wanting to do something with all of us besides just a backyard party and that would be perfect.  Speaking of backyard parties, we still have everything for the last one and the food’s gonna go bad if we don’t use it.  How about we go ahead and cookout tomorrow at our place with everybody and then we can make plans for the camping trip.

Brad thought:  I’m not saying this to put a damper on anything but I think we need to resolve this issue with Taliesin before we take a trip.  I’m guessing the doc and Albrecht already have something in mind, so we can find out tomorrow.  I don’t like the idea of him running around loose right now, and we need to get that girl out from under his control.

Ken, Bryan and Lane all looked at Brad and at the same time thought: Buzzkill!  They all started laughing, Brad included.

          Ken thought: OK, guys, sorry to bust this up but every time I get inside that sexy head of B’s it makes me horny.  I need to get him home pronto!

          Brad settled the tab and they all went out into the parking lot.  They all hugged one last time.

As soon as they got in their cars Brad dropped the illusion and they were back in their shorts and t-shirts.  ‘Night you two!  Sleep tight! 

In their car, Bryan looked over at Lane with a bright twinkle in his green eyes and thought:  Sleep, hell.  I’m with Ken. Nothing makes me hornier than being inside this little fucker’s head. 

Lane reached over and felt Bryan’s erection in his shorts, grinned and hit the accelerator.   He made it home in record time.  He had to cover up his speed with two different highway patrol officers to avoid getting pulled over.  He was sure Ken and Brad and the doc would understand.

*******************

          When the Master discovered that Michael and his cohorts had moved his body forward in Time he was beyond furious.  By the time he located his body and returned to it they had completed their rituals.  The new Warriors of the Order were completely Awake now and far more powerful.   And they now had the Protection of the Trees!

          He would have to be more careful now but he was still confident they could be defeated.  He was patient and cunning and his rule in this Realm was still firm and strong.  It was time to show them they were vulnerable.  He would turn the love they feel for each other that makes them strong into a weapon to defeat them.  Their hearts that have grown so big he will fill with agony and despair.  He will make them beg for an end to their suffering.

          He had been tracking their movements for nearly two decades.  The Order thought that one of their high ranking leaders had defected, but in truth he was captured and tortured until he told the Master everything about Dr. Thomas’s plan.  The doctor was clever and he masked most of his intentions from his superiors, so the Master hadn’t discovered everything, but he now knew enough. 

          He still had minions tracking everyone they had come into contact with.  The small boy Drew and his mother, Tag the war veteran amputee, Henry one of his own lower ranking servants, and Greg the man who almost killed himself and would have if they had not intervened; all these people he kept track of;  even Sally, their secretary from the security firm.  He knew where they were and he knew they would be key in his plan to fill the hearts of his enemies with despair and agony.

          Your grasp is slipping.

          He hadn’t heard that voice in his mind in thousands of years.  He felt the presence that went with it and his blood ran cold.  The malevolence and power of the voice was a pressure on his dark soul; he felt its weight.  As powerful as the Master was, with a thought the voice could strike him down and obliterate him.

          I gave you dominion over this Realm to do my bidding.  I am beginning to have my doubts about you.

          Never!  I will crush them and prove my worth. Once they are gone we will rule unopposed.

          Do not make me intervene.  If I do it will not go well for you.

          The cold voice fell silent and the Master felt the pressure on his mind disappear.  He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair, continuing to formulate his plan.

Ok that’s it for Chapter 14… I hope you enjoyed it! 

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