testdog65 (testdog65) wrote in qaf_challenges, @ 2007-04-14 17:09:00 |
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Original poster: _alicesprings
Title: Rule the World with Love
Written By: puddle_jumper2
Timeline: AU after 110
Rating: R
What if: Justin went to New York in episode 110 and Brian went looking for him but never found him… what happened as time went on…
Warnings: WIP. Angst, h/c, mentions of abuse
Summary: I need to love you with an iron fist, I need to love you with a secret list, I need to love you til you don't exist, and rule the world with love…
Author's Notes: Okay, the title and the summary come from the Barenaked Ladies song “Rule the World with Love” off their new album “Barenaked Ladies are Me”. This is going to be a work in progress and I am posting part 1 for the challenge. Hopefully enough people will like it and will want me to continue…
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(2000 – NYC)
“Damnit!” Brian yelled, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Michael looked at him curiously. “He hasn’t used my credit card yet. I can’t find him if he doesn’t use the damn card he stole from me.”
“So, what, we’re going to stay here until he does?” Michael asked, whining slightly as he was prone to do in such situations. Brian raised a brow at him slightly then turned away from him, his mind running a million miles a minute. If only he’d gone after Justin before all this had happened. If only he hadn’t kicked him out after the burglary. Justin had not meant for it to happen but Brian being Brian had been pissed and had taken it out on the closest person and that had been Justin.
“I’m taking you and the other’s back to the Pitts and then I’ll come back and scour this whole damn city until I find him,” Brian said, making up his mind as he turned back towards Michael. “Let’s find Theordore and Emmett and get moving.”
“It’s not that important, Bri,” Michael said as they walked towards the jeep. “For the past couple of months we’ve been trying to get him to leave us alone. Maybe he finally took the hint and we don’t have to deal with him anymore.” Brian didn’t say a word as they approached the jeep. He got inside and let Michael fill in Theodore and Emmett.
The drive back to Pittsburgh was somewhat somber; even Emmett was quiet. As they reached Liberty Avenue, Brian pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the credit card company once more.
“This is Brian Kinney. Have there been any charges to my card yet?” He pulled in front of the diner and put the jeep in park. “I see. Well, could you please notify me the moment anything shows up? Thank you.” He dropped the phone onto the dashboard then turned to Michael. “I think this is your stop, Mikey. You and the rest of the gang.” Emmett and Ted climbed out of the jeep but Michael watched Brian carefully.
“You’re going back there, aren’t you?” Brian sighed softly.
“Not tonight, no, but as soon as my card has been used, I’m going. I made a mistake. Lindsey was right.”
“About what?” Michael asked almost angrily.
“Justin is irreplaceable,” Brian whispered softly. “Now, get out.” Michael slowly slid out of the jeep and had barely hit the sidewalk good before Brian took off into the night. Michael turned to Emmett and Ted.
“Give him a couple of days and he’ll be back to normal,” he said as he walked into the diner. Ted and Emmett watched the jeep speed away then Emmett turned to Ted.
“I don’t think he’ll ever be normal as long as Justin isn’t here to watch over him…”
That night, Brian stood by the large window inside the loft, cigarette in hand, looking out over the city and wondering if he’d ever see Justin again…
And in a small, rundown motel in New York City, Justin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping he’d find someway back to Brian once he made himself important enough for Brian to finally notice.
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(One Year Later)
Every Friday, just like clockwork for the past six months, the door to Brian’s office would open and Cynthia would walk in carrying a small floral arrangement, a card and a magazine. The floral arrangement never changed; one white rose and one red rose among baby’s breath and greenery in a clear crystal vase tied with a rainbow colored ribbon. The front of the card always had a sunset or a sunrise and the inside of the card always held the same words. Today was no different. Brian took the card and opened it, reading over the now memorized words:
‘Is it enough…’
Setting the card aside, Brian watched Cynthia set the flowers on the credenza and then hand him the magazine before turning and leaving him alone once more. Brian opened the art magazine to the pre-marked page and leaned back in his chair as he read the marked article.
‘Art critics and fans alike were duly impressed with the newest offerings by the young up and coming artist, Justin Taylor. The eighteen year old artist is likened to such artists as Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Hopper, but also has a style all his own. His latest work, entitled, ‘Wishful Thinking”, has critics wagging their tongues…’
Brian turned the page, finding a picture of the newest painting and sighed softly.
He reached up with his free hand and trailed his fingers down the picture. He was surprised, after a moment, to feel tears on his face. He closed the magazine and opened his bottom desk drawer, setting the magazine on top of the others within. Closing the drawer, he picked up the telephone and dialed a number he knew by heart.
“This is American Express. How may I direct your call?”
“I need to check my account transactions, please,” Brian said quietly.
“Of course, Sir. Just one moment. And your name?”
“Brian Kinney.” There was silence for a moment.
“There was a payment made to the account that posted two days ago. It was the full amount of the card balance.”
“I see. Thank you.” Brian hung up before the operator could ask him anything else. Justin had never once used the card in a year and yet, two days ago, he’d paid off the entire balance.
Is it enough…
Brian sighed softly as he looked back over at the flowers on the credenza. It was enough, but he had no way of telling that to Justin.
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(Two years after Justin left)
The flowers, card and magazine had stopped coming abruptly six weeks ago. Brian was worried. He still had no way to contact Justin and the last magazine that came had said that Justin Taylor would be showing pieces of his newest collection at a show in Washington, DC over the holiday weekend. Brian had heard nothing from him since. Frowning slightly, Brian decided it was time to take matters into his own hands.
“Cynthia!” he bellowed loudly. The blond haired assistant came into the office, staring at him curiously. “Get me a flight to DC tonight if possible. Then arrange for a flight in two days from DC to New York and three days after that back here. I’ll call you if there’s any change in that.”
“Can I ask why we’re going on this little excursion?” Brian picked up the most recent magazine he had which had Justin’s picture on the front cover and tossed it to her.
“That’s why.” Cynthia looked at the cover and her eyes went wide in surprise. “What?” Cynthia looked over at her boss.
“Do you know Justin Taylor?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah, why?”
“He had a show in DC a little over a month ago. The show closed three weeks ago and Justin was attacked on his way home from the museum.” Brian felt his heart catch in his throat.
“How… how do you know this?” Brian asked quietly.
“My brother is a security guard at the museum.” Cynthia walked over and dropped the magazine onto Brian’s desk. “He’s at Bethesda Hospital. I’ll book your flight and get you a driver to take you there. I’ll find you a hotel close by, too.” Cynthia turned and left the office. Brian stood to follow her, cell phone already in hand.
“I’m going home to pack. Forget the flight to New York. Get me a flight to DC, open end return, with two seats coming home.” Cynthia nodded as Brian walked out towards the elevator, already dialing a phone number he knew by heart. “I need to talk to Dr. Bruckner, please.”
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“Good evening and welcome aboard Liberty Air Flight 2305 bound for Washington, DC. As we taxi to the runway, please turn your attention to your flight attendant for instructions…” Brian sighed heavily and turned his head slightly to look at the man sitting next to him. He’d met Dr. Ben Bruckner a year ago at the White Party and both of them had enjoyed themselves immensely. Ben had met Michael and few months later and both he and Brian had kept it to themselves how they’d originally met. Now Ben and Michael were living together and Brian liked him much better than good ol’ Doctor Dave who had, thankfully stayed in Seatlle. Ben had a degree in psychology as well as literature and was a teacher at the local college. Brian had a feeling he might be of some help in getting Justin back home where he belonged.
Ben half listened to the flight attendant, having flown more than his fair share in his days. He was a little worried about going off and leaving Michael and Hunter to their own devices but he figured he had to leave them alone at some point. This was as good a point as any. Michael and Brian’s friendship was strained to say the least these days and Ben had never been quite sure why; until the phone call four hours earlier. When he’d gotten off the phone with Brian, Michael had been standing there and had launched into an all out tirade of why Ben didn’t need to go anywhere with Brian, especially not to Washington and especially not after one stupid kid named Justin Taylor.
“He’s not a kid anymore, Michael. From what I understand he’s a premier artist all in his own right. If Brian wants to go after him, then let him go. What’s the big deal?”
“Well, the age difference for one and the fact that Brian Kinney doesn’t run after anyone. Ever.” Ben sighed and walked over to Michael, placing his hands on Michael’s arms.
“Are you upset that he’s going after Justin or that he never came after you?”
That had pretty much ended the conversation and Michael had slammed out of the apartment saying he’d call Ben later. Now, as Ben sat next to Brian on the airline bound for DC, he wondered if he should have called Michael earlier.
“Don’t worry about Mikey,” Brian said, pulling Ben out of his thoughts. The older man turned and looked at Brian almost sheepishly. “He’ll get over himself and he’ll be just fine again once you come back home to him. You’ll see.”
“He often says the same about you. Why the falling out, Brian? What pushed the two of you apart?” The plane began it’s ascent and Brian sighed heavily.
“Two years ago, about three months after I first met Justin, Justin left the loft and forgot to set the alarm. Someone broke into the loft and stole almost everything. I was livid. Michael was with me when we got there and Justin was there with the police. After Michael left, Justin and I argued and I threw him out. The next day I learned that he’d run away to New York, with my credit card. So, I grabbed Michael, Ted and Emmett and away we went to New York to find him. Only, he never used my credit card so I never could find out where he was staying.” Brian stopped a moment and glanced out the window of the first class section where he and Ben were seated.
“What happened then?” Ben asked softly.
“I drove us all back to Pittsburgh. Michael thought that was the end of it, that Justin was gone and everyone could just go back to their lives. But I told him he was wrong. That I had learned the hard way that Justin was irreplaceable. I was going to find him and I was going to bring him home.” He turned back towards Ben and Ben saw the pain in his eyes. “I didn’t find him in time, though. Now he’s lying in some hospital, in who knows what condition, and he’s alone. And somehow I know it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault, Brian,” Ben said quietly. “Whoever did this to Justin, they are the ones at fault. We’ll get him home and then we’ll go from there, okay?” Brian nodded but Ben wasn’t so sure he’d heard him. The rest of the flight was made in silence until the plane landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport. They debarked the plane and entered the terminal to find a man holding a sign with Brian’s name on it. They walked over to him and Brian pulled out his wallet, flashing his i.d. at the man.
“Welcome to Washington, Mr. Kinney. Dr. Bruckner. If you’ll come with me, I’ll deliver you both to the hospital.”
“Thanks,” Ben answered, noting that Brian was looking a little peaked. He took Brian’s arm and moved them to follow the driver. They walked in silence until they reached the limo that was waiting outside. Brian and Ben slid into the backseat and the driver took his place in the front. The silence continued as the driver pulled out into traffic and began the drive to Bethesda Hospital. Brian reached into the briefcase he was carrying and handed some papers to Ben.
“I have his advanced directive and a copy of a letter we both signed right after he moved in with me, just before the break in. I know, he’s not a minor anymore, but I thought I should bring it just in case.” Ben nodded, looked over the papers then handed them back.
“Good idea. Since we don’t know how badly he was injured it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Brian nodded and looked out the window. Ben sighed softly and leaned back in the seat. A few minutes later, they had arrived at Bethesda hospital and the limo pulled up to the front entrance. Ben slid out, Brian right behind him, and the two men walked into the hospital and towards the admissions desk.
“I’m Brian Kinney. This is Dr. Ben Bruckner. We’re here to see a patient named Justin Taylor.” The woman at the desk raised a brow slightly then typed away into her computer for the information.
“Yes,” she said, smiling slightly up at them. “I have a note here from his doctor saying that you’d be arriving tonight. Mr. Taylor is on the third floor in the critical care wing. His doctor is Dr. Chappel. He’s should still be in the building. I’ll page him and have him meet you both there.”
“Thank you,” Brian answered as he and Ben turned and walked towards the elevator. The doors opened and they stepped inside. Ben pushed the button for the third floor and the doors closed. They rode in silence until the doors opened. For a moment, Brian wasn’t sure he could move, but Ben touched his arm and Brian nodded, stepping out of the elevator with Ben next to him. They approached the nurse’s station and Ben stepped forward.
“Hi,” he said with a smile as one of the nurses looked up at him. “We’re looking for Justin Taylor’s room. I’m Dr. Bruckner and this is Mr. Kinney.” The nurse looked down at her notes then back up at Ben and Brian.
“He’s just down the hall in room 4. He was awake a little while ago but the physical therapist just left so he may have fallen asleep. You’re welcome to go on down there, though.”
“Thanks,” Ben answered. He’d seen Brian flinch at the mention of a physical therapist. He pulled Brian away and stepped closer to him. “Brian, do you want me to go down there first and see how he is?” Brian could have easily said yes and taken the coward’s way out, but he slowly shook his head.
“No,” he answered quietly. “I owe it to him to go down there and see for myself what all of this has done to him.” Ben nodded slowly and they were just about to walk down the hall when a young man in a white coat approached them, having just exited from Justin’s room.
“I’m Dr. Christopher Chappel,” he said, holding out his hand. “You must be Dr. Bruckner and Mr. Kinney.” Brian took his hand then released it to Ben.
“I’m Brian and this is Ben, a friend of mine from back home. We didn’t know this had happened until today. How bad is he?”
“Well, considering what happened, he’s a very lucky young man.” He led them into the small waiting area and they all sat down. “Justin was apparently walking back to his hotel when he was attacked. He was struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat and then left for dead. And dead he may very well have been if a cab driver hadn’t seen the whole thing happen. He called 911 and we got Justin here very quickly. He was in a coma for two weeks but has since regained full consciousness.”
“We heard he was seeing a physical therapist,” Ben said quietly, all the while watching Brian’s complexion seep from tan to white.
“Yes,” Dr. Chappel answered. “I’m afraid the injury has left Justin with a minimal amount of brain damage and loss of motor skills on the right side of his body, particularly in his arm and hand. He can speak, but not without stuttering. He can write but not without his hand cramping up on him and his arm muscles going into painful spasms. Now, in time, it’s quite possible he will be able to move past those things and continue to lead a very fulfilling and productive life.”
“When…” Brian choked back the tears in his throat and tried again. “When can we take him home?”
“I’d like to keep him a couple more days but I think he could be moved by the end of the week, provided you find him a therapist for his physical impairment as well as his speech and, most assuredly, you’ll need to find him a psychological therapist.”
“I’m a psychologist,” Ben interjected. “As for the other two things, I’m sure we’ll have no trouble finding someone to help him.”
“I’d like to go see him,” Brian said, standing slowly. Chappel and Ben stood as well.
“Of course. He’s in room four, just down the hall. Try not to over excite him. It causes more difficulty in his speaking.” Brian nodded and left the waiting room to walk the short distance to Justin’s room. He peeked through the door and noticed the lights were turned down a little so as not to be too bright for the boy. Tapping on the door softly, Brian waited until he heard Justin’s “come in” before slowly opening the door and stepping into the room.
“Hey, Sonnyboy,” Brian said softly, moving closer when Justin’s eyes widened in surprise. “I hope you don’t mind the visit.” Brian saw the tears in Justin’s eyes spill over onto his face and he wasn’t sure if Justin was upset about seeing him or relieved.
“You… you came…” Justin managed to get out slowly and Brian quickly walked over and gathered the boy into his arms and held him tightly, sitting on the bed so he could be close to him.
“Of course I came. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” He brushed his hands through what was left of Justin’s beautiful blond locks and fought back his own tears.
“En..enough..?” Justin asked brokenly. Brian’s tears broke free and he leaned back, framing Justin’s face with his hands, kissing the boy softly on the lips.
“More than enough. I want you to come home.” Justin nodded slowly and buried his face into Brian’s chest once more, his hands grasping at Brian’s shirt tightly.
“Yes.”
End part 1