Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 15:53:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: JMH <trandar2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: Wedding Ring/Wedding Ring 14

     Well folks it is time for aother chp.  Things are about to get little
rougher between Will and Darren but like all things in life there are good
times and bad times.  It is how we handle them that matters.  Write and
enjoy!

     Same rules apply as before

				    JMH
			   trandar2002@yahoo.com

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

Two months later:

With Jacob's help, Chris got over the death of his brother, but still there
were times when Chris would lock himself in his room to be alone.  Tara
finding herself pregnant again, decided to elope with Thomas as soon as the
test results came in.  They still lived in the house but tended to sit
apart.  Things between Darren and Will grew worse.  Now whenever Darren
tried to sleep with his husband Will would just get up and sleep on the
floor.  Darren also noticed that Will was no longer taking his medications
as the level on the bottles did not seem to change, but instead of being
hyper Will spent most of his time asleep.  A day could not go by without an
argument rising between the two.  Will continued to view himself as a
failure and a bad husband.

Darren had just come back from a job interview.  He didn't need the money
but he did need to do something just to get rid of his jitteriness.  The
interview went well... he would know in a week.  When he arrived at the
house he saw Philip's police car already there.

"Well at least there would be someone cheering for me," Darren said as he
entered the main hall but when he closed the door, the loud conversation
that had been coming from one of the sitting rooms came to a halt.  "What's
up?" Darren said when he saw all eyes on him... all eyes but Will's who was
not present.

"Darren, you need to come with me."  Philip said as he got up.

"What's wrong?  Where's Will."

"Darren... you need to come with me.  We need to see my uncle."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"Will's been arrested... drug charges."

"Drug charges?"

"Yes... he tried to buy from a undercover officer.  When they searched him
they found more drugs on him."

"But Will does not use drugs!"

"That's what I told him!"  Jacob yelled, aiming his anger at Philip.  "This
is a setup!"

"And I keep on telling you Will had been seen buying from several buyers
before he was caught."

"Yeah. right!"

Darren felt light headed, but he had enough of a grip of what had happened
to know that it would be Philip's uncle he would have to see.  "Lets go
Philip."

"Alright."

When they arrived and Judge Kamp's office, Philip was immediately dismissed
leaving only the two men in the room.

"Please have a seat," Mike offered to Darren.  "I need to thank you... you
have been real good to Philip.  I have never seen him this happy."

`He's a real good person.  He deserves a person who can give him all his
love," Darren said as he sat.

"You are doing a good job and anyway who ever gives their whole heart to a
person.  You don't even do that with Will."

"Yes... but I strive for it."

"I know.  I just wish it was with another person, but because of what you
mean to Philip, I offered Will a deal and he accepted it," Mike said as he
slapped down a jewel case on the desk.

Darren picked it up afraid he knew what was inside.  He cracked open the
case, let it slam shut and began to cry."

"As part of the deal he has to go to a drug treatment center in Miami.  He
will be basically under house arrest until he finishes the program.  Then
he as to spend six months in a half way house before he goes on a five-year
probation.  At the very least you will not see him for nearly a year.
That's why he returned that wedding ring to you."

"What would he face if he did not do the deal."

"Five to six years followed by three years of probation.  He could get out
sooner if he behaves but no sooner then 3 years."

"Ok... so I guess I should be happy.  Thank you.  Is he still in jail?"

"No... he already has boarded a van to the rehab center."

"Can I have the number to it?"

"I can give it to you, but part of the program prevents him from having
contact with the outside."

"How long will he be thee?"

"At least thirty days but the program director can keep him there longer.
Depends on how well he progresses."

"Ok... thanks for your help," Darren said despondently as he got up and
left the room.  Outside he collapsed in Philip's arms and cried.

Mike hoped he would not be damned for what he had done.  The "deal" that
Mike had offered Will had in really been designed by Will himself.  Mike
had just wanted to give him probation and use it over Will's head to keep
him out of Philip's way.  So it turned out to be a big surprise when Will
wanted the same thing.  This brought to light what trouble Mike had caused
by making Darren take Philip in.  Two hearts had been broken making Mike
certain that his own nephew would end up heart broken, he especially if the
truth was ever learned.  Will would spend his time in rehab and then
disappear.  That was better then Darren finding out that Will had purposely
gotten caught just to escape love.  Mike took a bullet out of his desk
drawer and threw it into the trash.

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

Two years later:

Jacob had a warm hand wrapped around his waist playing with the short hairs
around his belly button.  It was good having a hubby.  He and Chris had the
ceremony a year ago to this day and they planed to celebrate it in style.
It was also a chance for everyone to get back together.  After Will did not
come back from rehab, everyone slowly drifted away.  The first to go was
Tara and Thomas... feeling the need to set up their own household.  Next
was Philip, who really never lived with them but wanted to set up his own
home away from his uncle.  The last to leave was Darren.  He and Jacob were
still dear friends, but now that Jacob had Chris there was less of a need
for them to turn to each other for emotional support.  So right after the
wedding Darren announced he was moving out.  He did not go far as he moved
into one of the new condos Chris had just finished building.

They really tried to keep in touch, but as they were now living in four
different homes, it was hard for all of them to meet together.  At first
they tired to all have dinner at least three times a week at Chris's place,
but as time passed it turned into once a week and then once a month.  The
only constant person to show up at least twice a week was Darren.  He never
really got over Will running off.  Philip tried to be supportive but as
Darren felt that his friendship with Phil had been one of the reasons for
Will leaving... it was hard for him to be close to him without feeling
guilty.  Still, the two men would spend at least one night in each other's
beds.

If Jacob could have one gift for his wedding anniversary it would be for
Darren to find someone in his life, be it Philip or anyone for that matter,
but Darren remained committed to finding Will.  He had already spent a
fortune on private investigators but still had no luck.  It was as if Will
had disappeared from the face of the earth.

"Morning, babe."  Chris said as Jacob turned to face his lover.

"Morning."

"Ready for the big day?"

Jacob reached into the sheets and grabbed Chris's dick, massaging it.
"Yes... but would you mind if I make it bigger?"

"I think you already working on that," Chris grinned.

After 30 minutes of slow lovemaking the two showered and had a breakfast of
oatmeal and strawberries. Chris was ready to begin the celebrations in
earnest.  Chris told Jacob he wanted to show him the progress of his
building projects and took him on a drive in the jeep all over the old
neighborhood; except now the old neighborhood was being completely rebuilt.
The once block-encompassing estates now were broken down into mixed housing
and community neighborhoods with houses close together and within walking
distance of the parks, restaurants, clubs, and stores that made the place a
close knit community, but that was not where Chris wanted to take Jacob.
Instead he took his back to his old street where Jacob's home had burned
down.  Chris knew that ever since the funeral Jacob had not gone back here.
Houses had been built on both sides where the mansion had been but the site
where it had once stood was still empty.  That was where Chris parked the
car.

"Why are we here?"

"So I can give you this," Chris said as he opened the glove compartment,
taking out an envelope.  As this was their first anniversary "paper" was
the prescribed gift.  Of course just paper would not do for Chris.  Inside
was the deed to the plot of land.

            "What is this?"

            "It's your home back."

            "For this place?"  Jacob said pointing to the empty lot.

            "Yes."

            "What am I suppose to do with it?"

            "Whatever you want with it.  You can sell it or..."

            "Or..."

            "Or we can build a home here... together."

            "But we already have a home."

            "Yeah but its not really a HOME.  It just a collection of
buildings that we used as a home."

            "Well that may be so, but still with this much land we would
still have a very large house."

            "That's the other thing.  I want all of us to be
together... Darren... Tara... Thomas... and even Philip.  Those few months
we were all together were some of the best in my life, but since then I
have felt all of us drifting.

            "You want us all to live together?"

            "Yes."

            "What have the others said?"

            "Have not asked them yet."

            "Then how do you know this will work?"

            "Think about it. Darren is so lonely... why do you think he
comes by so often?  Philip will go wherever Darren is.  Tara does not like
having to be away from John when Darren has him.  Moving in with us would
let her always be with him."

            "You really have figured this out, but it depends a lot on
Darren agreeing to moving in with us."

            "No... it depends on you... if you ask him I am sure he will
agree to it."

            "Ok... so when do I talk to him."

            "Right now... we are going to meet him at the juice bar."

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

            Darren sipped on his wheat grass; carrot, beet, and apple shake
as he waited for Jacob and Chris.  On the table next to him was a brightly
wrapped package holding his gift to the happy couple.  What would have been
his anniversary to Will turned into a weep fest as Darren tried to drink
his sorrows away.  It was hard for him to celebrate with Jacob but he
wanted to be there for his friend.

            Darren continued sucking on his straw trying to imagine it was
a banana shake.  He was now 30 but he worked hard to keep his college form
but his eyes were already developing faint crows feet.

            There was another thing on his mind.  Philip, who had stayed by
his side during the deepest parts of his depression, had asked again if he
could move in with him.  For Darren it was becoming harder and harder to
say no.  Had Philip become a good friend...  but it was the loneliness that
had become the main reason Darren wanted to end his "single hood".  He had
never been by himself.  As soon as he left for college he had been with
Will.  When Will had been in the hospital Darren had had Jacob.  Now he had
no one.  His freezer was full of half eaten food as he still did not know
how to cook just for himself.  When he would visit Chris and Jacob he could
not help himself tidying up the house just to feel useful.

            It was not his job that had given Darren his purpose, but his
feeling needed, but besides his son, he did not feel that anyone really
depended on him.  This need had become a sore point between him and Tara as
he pressed her for more and more time with his son.  These thoughts
continued until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

            "Yes?"

            "Mr. Darren Anderson?"

            "Yes... that's me."

            "I'm with the private investigators who you hired."

            "Which firm?"  Darren said in a bland tone.

            "Johnson and Becker."

            "Oh... the one I hired two months ago.  Do you have news?"

            "Yes... unfortunately."

            "Give it to me."  Darren said as he took in a deep breath and
closed his eyes.

            "I have the sad duty to tell you that Will Fist died three
months ago.  I can take you to his grave if you want."

            T...t...thank you," Darren was able to stammer.

            Darren followed the investigator to a nearby graveyard, which
surprised him.  How could Will have been so close and he not know it?  The
gave was marked by a pink granite stone which only listed Will's name, date
of birth and time of death.

            When he had first saw the stone, Darren had thought he would
try to talk to it but the words just would not come.  Instead, he began to
claw into the earth until the investigator saw a gardener and stopped him.

            "How did he die?"

            "Brain hemorrhage."

            `The old injury?"

            "Yes. It looks like it."

            "Ok... can I be alone for a while."

            "Yes."

            The man walked off while Darren played with the small pile of
dirt and grass he had dug up.  After a long period of thought, Darren
pulled off his wedding ring and buried it in the small hole, covering it
up.  He then took out another ring...Will's ring and placed it on his right
hand.  He then got up... kissed the grave stone and made his way slowly to
his car... head hanging low.  After he had driven off the investigator went
to he grave and dug the ring out, putting it in his pocket.

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

            Jacob, on not finding Darren at the juice bar drove to his
apartment to find his car there.  He knocked on the door and was greeted to
the sight of Darren's face blotchy and wet with tears, a drink in his
hands.  Jacob hugged Darren, took the glass out of his hands and pulled his
friend back to the living room.  Darren, who was already tipsy, was easily
guided to lie down on the sofa.  Jacob went back to the kitchen, poured the
liquor down the sink and replaced it with water.  He then walked back to
Darren and handed him the glass.

            "Ok... now tell me what's wrong," Jacob said in a no nonsense
tone.

            Darren looked into Jacob's eyes but pointed to the papers on
the table.  Jacob picked them up and began reading.  When he got to the
point where the reports told of finding Will's address Jacob stopped
reading.

            "You mean he's this close to us?  Why are you not with him?"

            "Keep on reading."

            "Ok."

            Jacob kept on reading and did not stop until he had read the
last page.  His eyes were watering as he put the papers down and hugged
Darren.  "I'm sorry bro."

            "He was so close and I did not know it," Darren blamed himself.

            "It's not your fault.  Will didn't want to be found.  There was
nothing you could do."

            "Then why did he live so close to me."

            "He probably needed to be able to be close to you."

            "That means he wanted to be with me. I should of done more to
find him."

            "Darren, don't blame yourself."

            "I have no idea what to tell his mother."

            "You need to call her though... it should come from you."

            "Ok."  Darren said as he tried to get up.

            "Wait... I'll get it for you.  I need to make a call anyway.

            "Alright.  Thanks Jacob."

            Jacob went to the kitchen and took the wireless phone off the
charger.  The first person he called was Chris... telling him to get the
guest bed ready.  The next number he called was Philip's cell phone.  It
was off as Philip was on duty but Jacob was able to leave a voice mail
message.

            "Here you go."  Jacob said after he had finished his calls and
brought the phone to Darren.  "I'm going to go back your bags."

            "What?"

            "You're going to move in with us again... no buts."

            "Alright," Darren agreed, knowing better then to argue with him
when he was like this.

            By the time Jacob came back with two loaded suitcases Darren
was saying his final goodbyes to Mrs. Fist.

            "Yes... I know he is still looking out for me.  Thank you for
your prayers.  I wish you would come down and see his grave but I
understand if you can't.  Goodbye."

            "How did it go?"  Jacob asked Darren.

            "Better then I thought.  I was sure she would blame me for her
son's death.  Instead she thanked me for the time we were together and that
Will had been stupid for running off."

            "Well I think that besides you, everyone feels that what Will
did was a mistake," Jacob agreed.

            "Will does not make mistakes," Darren argued. "He was always
deliberate in what he did."

            "Yes, Darren and he chose to give you up.  Why can't you?"
Jacob said a little harsher then he intended and received a very forceful
reply as Darren punched him in the face.

            "Sorry..." Darren apologized.

"Sorry... I deserved that."

"No you didn't."

"You've been drinking... you're under a lot of stress ... and I was being a
jerk."

"Ok... I take two-thirds blame."

"I can live with that," Jacob grinned triggering a chuckle from Darren.
"There... don't you feel better with me as your punching bag?"

"I like you better as a comfort blanket," Darren said as he wrapped his
arms around Jacob giving him a hug while he nuzzled against him.

"I'm a married man now Darren."

"I know..." Darren said sadly.

 One of the things Chris had insisted on was fidelity.  Jacob had at first
thought that would have been a problem for him, but Darren had a long talk
with the two of them and insisted that Jacob follow Chris's wish.  This did
not mean that Jacob and Darren did not miss each other in bed.  Jacob for
one sure did.  Chris only had one mode of love making... hard and
passionate... partly due to his inexperience.  Darren had been a more
flexible lover, for while he could be hard and passionate, he could also be
slow and gentle and a few times comical.  Jacob knew that Chris would never
agree to it but he felt that he could learn a lot from Darren if he would
just agree to sleep with him.

"How are things between you and Philip?" Jacob asked as he gave Darren a
light kiss on the check.

"He still wants us to move in together."

"I think you should... he really cares about you... you know."

"Yes... I don't know why... I don't give him what he really wants."

"But he thinks he will... all of us think he will."

"All of who?"

"Me... Chris... Thomas... even Tara."

"Ya'll gossip about me?"

"We worry about you.  So this is what we are going to do.  You're coming
home with me where I will give you a nice bath and shave."

"Shave?"

"Well I don't think you have been maintaining yourself ... or have you?"
Jacob grinned wickedly.

"No... I guess not.  But what about you and Chris?"

"Do you or I have an orgasm when I'm shaving you?"

"No... too nervous that you might cut something off."

`Then its not sex so it's legal."

"Ok..." Darren replied only half convinced.

"Then after I clean you up, you're going to the guest room and wait for
Philip to come.  Then... and only then will you make passionate love.  But
if you can't get it up with Philip just think about me and Chris getting it
on because that is exactly what we will be doing."

"You like manipulating people," Darren accused.

"Hey... I have years of experience with my sister so you should not be
surprised.

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

During the drive from his apartment to the house, Philip debated between
bringing flowers, wine or a wedding ring to cheer Darren up.
Flowers... well flowers would remind Darren of graves.  Wine... knowing
Darren by this time of day he would be pretty sloshed.  A wedding
ring... that would only remind him of Will and that was something Philip
wanted to avoid at all cost.  So in the end Philip only brought himself.
It was the only thing he could offer Darren.  Darren had money and friends.
He just lacked a lover, which for over two years, Philip had hoped to
become.

 Philip found a note on the front door telling him where to go when he
arrived at Chris's house.  On entering the bedroom he found Darren naked
and spread out asleep on the white bed sheets.  Philip could see Jacob's
handy work as Darren pubes were neatly trimmed.

Philip quietly undressed, not wanting to awaken Darren from his slumber, as
he looked so peaceful with his eyes closed.  Once he was stripped down, he
joined Darren, spooning against him.  Philip grinned when Darren responded
with a deep sigh and snuggling back against his body.  Philip kissed the
back of his neck while his finger's played with the short hairs above
Darren's cock.

Darren, now awake, knew whose arms were around him.  He needed to be fair
with Philip... the man who saved his son's life.  The man who had put up
with his entire mood swings.  The man who still wanted to be his lover.
After losing Tara, Will, and Jacob... Darren needed a lover who wanted to
stay.  While he did not have the same friendship with Philip as he had with
Will and Jacob, Darren was beginning to accept that his lover did not have
to be his best friend.  They had to be good friends but not the very best
friend.  Before Tara, Will and Jacob, his girlfriends had not been his best
friends.  He just guessed that he had gotten used to having the person be
one in the same when he met Jacob and Will had came out to him.  Philip was
willing to love and stay with him... maybe that was the most he could ask
for.

Darren turned his body around to face Philip so he could finally say the
words that Philip had been waiting so long for.  "I love you."

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



At the appointed time the investigator made his way to an airport bar where
his real employer waited.  "Mr. Fist?"

"Kevin... is it done?"

"Yes," He replied.  "Can I have some water?"  He asked the bartender.  As
soon as he had the glass he dropped the ring he carried in it.

"He left my wedding ring?"

"Yes."

"Gosh Darren... why do you have to be so predictable?"  Will grinned.  He
spooned the ring out of the water and examined it.  "Wait a minute... this
is not my ring?"

"It's the only ring he left," Kevin replied.  "Do you know whose ring this
is?"

"Yes... it's Darren's.  I guess he wanted to leave a part of himself with
me."

"Do you want me to try to get your ring back?"

"No... you would have to cut a finger off to get it."

"Well I guess that finishes our business... except payment."

"Yes... here's your check for fifty thousand... five times what Darren paid
you.  You will also receive ten thousand for the next five years just to
keep your mouth shut."

"Thanks... can I ask you where you are going."

"No... lets just say I'm running away."

"So you are leaving the country..."

 Will grinned as he tapped his nose.  He was leaving the country.  Over the
last few months his separation from Darren had grown worse but he felt it
was too late to try to fix things.  How would everyone react to him popping
out of nowhere after being gone for two years?  In the end, Will found that
he had no excuses for his behavior. Now that he was officially dead he
hoped that Darren would move on with his life even though Will knew he
never would himself.  He had spent over half his life in love with Darren.
He did not think time would change that.  After saying his goodbyes to
Kevin, Will made his way to his gate where he boarded a plane for the
Caribbean.