Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 11:51:28 -0500
From: fsw99 <fsw99@pop.mindspring.com>
Subject: Chapter 65 - The End of One Big Happy Family

Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual
acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over,

**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,

**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

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comments or advice may be sent to me at fsw99@mindspring.com.

			    Chapter Sixty Five

"We have to keep touring. We aren't just doing this for ourselves. We are
helping gay kids all over the country with the publicity we are
generating. We can't let them down. The Gay Free Zone club is catching on
nationwide. We can't stop that from happening," Isaiah added.

"I agree," Robbie said.

"Me, too," Ed added, looking at Phill.

"I do, too, I guess." Phill paused, then said, "There is just one
complication. I don't love Robbie any more. I love someone else."

Jason and I just stared at him with our mouths open. Then we looked around
at the three others.  Ed was blushing. Robbie and Isaiah were looking at
each other, but didn't seem shocked at all.

Robbie finally looked over at Phill, and Phill said, "I'm sorry,
Robbie. But I know this isn't much of a surprise. After all, we have been
talking about breaking up for a couple of weeks. I don't know how it
happened, but I fell in love with Ed. I'm sorry, Isaiah. Neither of us knew
how to tell either of you, but I guess this is as good a way as any."

"Both of us could kind of see it coming, so we aren't surprised. Robbie and
I think we might love each other, too," Isaiah said.

"What the Hell is going on here?" I asked, shocked. "This isn't a car lot,
where you trade in your old model for a new one."

"We know, Stan. Isaiah and I are going to take it really slow. Both of us
are used to sleeping with someone, so we want to share a room together. If
we decide we want have sex together, it will be after we get to know each
other better. We have been friends for a long time, but we want to get lots
closer before we decide anything," Robbie said.

I turned to Phill and Ed. "What about you two?"

"We are the same way. I don't know what it is about Ed, but I really do
love him. Both of us will quit the band if anything gets in the way of us
being together. We really want to get married before we have sex. We want
to make a lifetime commitment to each other," Phill said.

"Is that what you want too, Ed?" I asked.

"Yes, Dad, it is. I thought I really loved Isaiah, but we just kind of got
tired of each other. When Phill and I first started talking about all of
our troubles, I felt I could tell him anything. I have never felt like that
with anyone, even Isaiah. We didn't fall in love immediately, it was more
gradual, but I do know that I love him, and want to be with him for the
rest of my life," Ed answered.

"OK, you know I don't try to run any of your lives, this has just shocked
me, you know?" I said.

"We all understand. That is why none of us wanted to tell anyone. But, you
asked, so I thought this was as good a time as any. I guess we had better
tell the others as well," Phill said.

"You had, if you are planning to start sleeping together. I don't think you
could exactly keep this a secret for very long. Someone else seeing you
coming out of your room together in the morning might start to ask
questions very quickly. Are all four of you sure about this?" I asked.

"Yes," all four answered.

"OK, I guess two of you might as well go and get packed and move into the
other room. I will call the rest of the boys and have a meeting before you
get finished. Then, you come in and we will all discuss it, OK?" I asked.

SHIT!!! I hated this, but what could I do????? Nothing!!! It was their
lives. If this is what they had all decided, I had to support them, whether
I wanted too or not.

They all left, and I looked to Jason for support. He seemed to understand
immediately, and came over and gave me a hug. We just held each other for a
long time, then I went to call the boys to come to our room. I knew this
was going to be hard.

All the guys took it better than I did. They all seemed to know it was
coming. I wondered why Jason and I didn't see it, like they did. They were
relieved that the four boys had paired up once again, and would not be on
their own. Nothing with the band would change, and they thought that life
would continue on as before.

I guess I am a romantic. I believe in falling in love and staying together
forever. I took it harder than anyone else. Everything worked out
fine. Better than before, even. There were no more fights. Phill, Robbie,
Ed, and Isaiah, if anything, became closer friends. They were all
happy. They liked the relationship that they were in lots better. Why
didn't I think everything was better? I should be happy for them, right? I
knew everything doesn't stay the same forever. But, for some reason, I just
felt like something special had been changed, and I wasn't sure that it had
been changed for the better. But, it had been changed forever, so I had
better get used to the idea.

(Sorry, guys!!! And one girl!! Hehehe I know this change was confusing, but
it is IMPORTANT!!  More to come on the real reason soon!!! Sorry!!! Have to
keep reading to find out!!!)

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

The tour was a smashing success. We sold out everywhere within an hour. The
magic of Ticket Master!!! Our CD had gone to number one in the country. So
had `Coming To Get You` as a single. We were already underway with contract
negotiations for another tour for Europe, where the CD was also selling
extremely well. We were also thinking of a tour next year as headliners.
We would miss ZZ Top, but it was time to move on. Maybe Matt and Mike could
find us another young group that could back us up.

We needed a break, though. We had only two more concert dates, and would be
home for at least two months. Jimmy and Brian wanted to spend some time
finishing writing the music for the next CD. They had written some during
the time on the road, but with school work and fatigue, they really hadn't
gotten a lot done. The second CD is really the key to whether a band will
have lasting success or not, and we all knew it.

WE had a real highlight during the last concert performance. We had done
like Billy Gibbons had asked, and learned `Free Bird`, by Lynyrd
Skynyrd. Billy always played the end solo, and got a big kick out of it. ZZ
Top and Skynyrd were old friends, and had toured together more than once.

(Hehehehe Saw them together last year. 6th row!!! ZZ Top blew the new
Skynyrd band AWAY!!  My son caught a cap worn my one of the Skynyrd
guitarists on stage, and still has it. Goldberg hat, if you can believe
that!!!  Skynyrd is my favorite band of all time. Have seen them 12 times.
3rd row for the first live recording. 1st row for the reunion tour live
recording. That should give you a BIG hint where I live if you are a
Skynyrd fan!!! They SUCK now!!! They were really GREAT once, before the
plane crash. They were about to be the next super-group!!! Long time
ago. Sorry, I am OLD!!! hehhehe)

Gary Rossington is the lead guitar player for Skynyrd. He came down for our
last concert appearance of the tour and played the lead solo during the
slow beginning before the main solo that Billy was playing. Gary came in
towards the end, and jammed with Billy as the song reached it's
conclusion. The house was really rocking at the end. We used that to close
the show. Nothing we could have played would have improved that ending. ZZ
Top wouldn't come out for a while, either. The crowd wasn't ready for
anything else right now. (See ZZ Top backing up Deep Purple earlier!!!
hehehe)

(Soapbox time!! Rossington is a GREAT guitarist!!! Top 5 of all time to
me!!! This is my DAMN STORY, and I will tell you what I think!!
Hehehehehe!!!!

Top 5!!!!

#1 Got to be Jimi Hendrix!! Any man who can play a guitar behind his head,
and with his teeth, has to be #1. I just hate he is a Brit!!! For you,
Phill!!!

#2 Duane Almond Right before his death, he was better than Hendrix. Buy
`Live at Filmore East`!!! Lots of critics say this is the best live CD of
all time!!!  Never tried to play behind his head or with his teeth,
though!!! That impresses me, for some reason. Hehehehe

#3 Rossington. He has more range, and different styles than anyone alive!!!

#4 Angus, from AC/DC. Maybe, he should be higher. I have never seen anyone
continue to play with one hand like he can. He is unbelievable! They are an
older band, but sounded just as good as their records this year. Unlike
Skynyrd!!!!

#5 Billy Gibbons. He has unlimited range on his solos. All he needed was a
bass player like Dusty Hill to keep up with him to make the big time.

#6 I know, top 5, right? Eric Clapton. Real name is Eric Clap!!!! Another
Brit!!! I would change that last name, too, if I was him. He can really
play, when he wants to. He mostly does slow stuff now. Waste of talent!!!

Sorry for the interruption in the story!!! Think of this as a commercial!!!
Better than buy this brand of dog food!!! hehehehehe)

The last concert was in Los Angeles, so we were already home. Of course, we
had no place to go.  Nate's family was in my old house. I had started
construction of a new house, but it wasn't ready yet. 15 acres in the
mountains way above LA. It cost me a fortune!!! Good thing my most recent
book was really selling well. The house was nearly finished, but still had
about 2 weeks before we could finally move in.

We had rented a house temporarily before we could move in. It wasn't very
big, but Tim and Tom moved back home to be with their parents. Phill and Ed
also spent a lot of nights there with them.  Robbie and Isaiah spent lots
of nights with each of their parents. Isaiah's Mom had decided to move her
mother down with them here, so she never moved.

Brian and Nate had to tell their parents that they were also gay, and we
all had them over to my temporary house to discuss what had happened. Both
sets of parents took the news really well, and acted more like they had
another new son than anything else. Everyone was relieved.  Especially
Nate, who looked like he would have a permanent skin tone of BLUSH!!!

Keith, Mark, Alex, Martin, Matt and Mike had attended the last
concert. After we all had time to relax and come down from the tour high,
we all got together at my rented house for a cook out. I wondered if Keith
and his cousins would even eat a hamburger off my grill. This wasn't
exactly what they were used to, but what the Hell, they were guests in my
house, and they would eat what I served!! (Hey, guys, you do eat hamburgers
like REAL teenagers, don't you??? - hehehe)

They did eat, and actually came back for seconds. Matt and Mike ate at
least three huge hamburgers each. How they ate that much and still stayed
skinny was beyond me. Everyone seemed really stuffed when we were finally
finished.

We all gathered in the small den. It was really difficult, with the number
of people in the room.  It was kind of funny seeing Keith, Mark, Martin,
and Alex sitting on the floor next to Matt and Mike. I knew they weren't
exactly used to this, but they took it well. We had boys sitting on the
floor all over the den.

We all explained what we had been through on the tour, and the change with
Phill, Ed, Isaiah, and Robbie. The other six looked pretty shocked.

Phill tried to explain. "I know this seems really strange. None of us
thought this would happen, but it did. Ed and I haven't even done anything
yet. We are saving ourselves until we get married.  We want to do it
soon. We know we really love each other. It is really hard to explain. We
just feel something deep inside. We want to be together for the rest of our
lives."

Keith got a little spark in his eyes as a thought hit his head. "When are
you going to get married?"

"We haven't decided. We want Stan to perform the ceremony. He is going to
buy our rings this week. That we have settled on. Where and when we
haven't," Phill replied.

"You know how you used to get so mad at me when I tried to do something
nice for you? If you would let me do one more thing for you, I think I can
solve the whole issue. You know all of us are out of class after next week
for the summer, don't you?" Keith asked.

"Yeah," Phill answered warily.

"Well, I have a really good idea about where you should get married. Will
you let me do one more thing for you without yelling at me?" Keith asked,
smiling.

"I guess so," Phill answered, still not sure.

"OK, let me tell you what I have in mind," Keith said, smiling and nodding
to his cousins. They already knew what he was thinking. They had already
talked about visiting their Grandfather when school was finished.

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

We were all excited about the trip. None of us had ever been anywhere like
where we were going.  Packing was pretty simple, and we all combined into
as few bags as we could get away with.

It was finally time to leave for the airport, and we happily pilled into
the two vehicles and drove off.

Keith, Mark, Alex, Martin, Matt and Mike all met us at the airport. Our
passports were examined and our luggage scanned, then loaded into the
Ericson's private jet. It didn't take but a few minutes for us to get
authorization for take off, and we were all in the air, headed for Nassau
in the Bahamas.

We were all excited, and didn't mind the long plane ride. It didn't seem
like as long as it actually was, and we were cleared for landing. We all
got off the plane and went through customs and then our luggage was loaded
onto Keith's, Mark's and Alex's Grandfather's boat. It would take us about
45 minutes by boat to reach the Ericson's private island.

Keith had called him and asked if he minded if they brought guests with
him. He explained about Phill and Ed wanting to get married, and how he
knew of a place in the center of the small island that would be perfect for
the ceremony. His Grandfather, being a romantic, had agreed quickly.
Keith, Mark, and Alex had agreed to come back later in the summer to stay
with him again, and he had agreed for them to have time to spend with their
guests instead of him on this trip.

We all came in and met Keith's Grandfather. He was extremely nice and
gracious to us. He seemed grateful to have so many guests in his
house. Living on a small island can be lonely, I guess. Beautiful, but
lonely.

We were all shown to our rooms. There wasn't a huge staff here like at
Alex's, and we were much more at home immediately. We all changed into
bathing suits, and met at the beach. Phill and Ed had waited a long time
for this, and didn't want to wait any longer. They wanted to be married
RIGHT NOW!!!

When everyone was together, we walked to a spot out of site from the house,
and everyone stripped off their bathing suits. Phill and Ed wanted a nude
wedding, and everyone had agreed. I was kind of self conscious, but
everyone else seemed to take it pretty well. OK, Jason and I were self
conscious. He still had problems showering in the gym. But, he was
constantly losing weight, which was good!! Maybe he would get over his
shyness soon.

Martin, Tim, and Tom all eyed each other immediately. They had become big
friends on the plane, and now looked like they had even more plans in the
future. As we all walked off towards the center of the island, they all
held hands, with Martin in the middle. Phill and Ed held hands as they
walked. Jason and I did too, as I carried a package in my other hand.

Phill carried a basket in his right hand. Ed carried a cooler in his
left. All of this had been planned out well in advance by Keith. Keith and
his cousins had played this game on this island before.

Phill's basket had blankets, some sun screen, and a new tube of KY
Jelly. Ed's cooler had drinks and plenty of fresh sandwiches. The weather
here is warm at night, and they were planning to sleep out under the stars.

We hiked thru the jungle slowly. We all had on sandals and nothing else, so
you couldn't exactly burst through all the foliage.

The island wasn't huge, so we quickly got to our location. The mountain
that had formed in the center of the island wasn't large, nothing like the
Na Poli cliffs on Kauai in Hawaii. But, it did have a nice waterfall that
came down into a crystal clear pool. There was a natural cave directly
behind it, and Keith had decided that this would be a perfect place for the
wedding ceremony.  And he was right.

We all ducked under the waterfall, each of us getting a little wet. We left
the cooler, basket, and our sandals outside. We were all totally naked
now. Keith, Mark, and Alex had all brought lots of candles and a
lighter. Also a camera to take pictures of the wedding.

Phill and Ed walked near the waterfall and turned and faced us. They had
asked me to marry them, so I faced them and started. I had planed on making
this as simple as I could. I wasn't exactly a preacher.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to unite Phill and Ed in Holy
Matrimony. Phill, do you take Ed to be your husband, for richer or poorer,
for better or worse, in sickness or in health?"

"I do," he said.

"Ed, do you take Phill to be your husband, for richer or poorer, for better
or worse, in sickness or in health? Remember, this counts mental illness,"
I kidded.

"Hey, this is my wedding," Phill complained. He hadn't thought my comment
was funny at a time like this. I guess he was right.

"I do," Ed said.

I handed each a silver wedding ring from the box I had carried with
me. "Phill, place this ring on Ed's left hand and repeat after me. With
this ring, I thee wed."

Phill did, and said "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Ed, if you will do the same for Phill, please. With this ring, I thee
wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," Ed said.

"I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may both kiss your husband,"
I said. They did, and we all showered them with rice that Isaiah had
carried with him. We all then walked out of the cave, through the
waterfall, and put our sandals back on.

Not much was said. Nothing needed to be said. We had all watched something
really beautiful and special.

We made out way to the beach. We turned left. Phill and Ed turned right. We
all turned around just as they were about to round the bend of the island.
They were holding hands and running very fast for their honeymoon
destination. We wouldn't see them again until after lunch the next day.

(Phill and Ed really are married. I married them in a 3 way chat room on
September 5th. The words in the story are as close to what I really said as
I can remember, even the crack about mental illness. Phill really didn't
like that comment, and did say what I reported in the story. The ring scene
I made up. I did buy them matching wedding rings and had them mailed to
Phill, but they have not been able to get together yet so they can each
begin to wear them. Phill's is inscribed "Ed and Phill 9/5/00". Ed's is
inscribed "Phill and Ed 9/5/00".

They really love each other, but are having a little trouble right now. I
am trying to help, but don't know how good a job I am doing. I think I just
made things worse, because they broke up on 10/30. I talked to Phill about
taking out this part and keeping him with Robbie, but I just can't do it. I
really hope you two get back together soon, and writing this extra
paragraph is my way of apologizing if I did ANYTHING that hurt your chances
of staying together. Yeah, you live a long way apart, but if you really
love each other like I think you do, you can work out any problems you
might have. And, I will stay out of it like I promised.

 Guys, I love you and always will! - Stan)

Comments can be sent to me at fsw99@mindspring.com.