You Do What You Have To Do: Chapter 2
****************************
by: Tina and Danielle
Rated: R (adult stuff, ya know?)
copyright: 1999
This part written by : Tina
****************************

Howie met Kasey at Nick's house at a little after 8:30 the next morning. Though he didn't have a key to let themselves in the house, Kasey said that was ok. She wanted to look around outside - peek in windows. That would give her an idea of how to go about handling the sale.

As usual, he was late so by the time that he got there she had already looked around and was waiting for him. He got out of his corvette and walked over to where Kasey was leaning against the side of her converitble.

"Sorry, I'm late, Kasey. Didn't sleep too well last night and when I finally did go to sleep it was time to get up."

Kasey smiled at him and said, "It's ok, Howie. I'm sure we've all had nights like that. Is there anything I can help with?"

She couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and that he seemed sad, so unlike his usual self.

Howie said, "Thanks, Kasey, but I'm fine." There was no way that he could explain that he'd been awake most of the night thinking about two of his best friends and the probable fact that they were gay.

He continued, "So what do you think of this place? Think it can be sold pretty quick."

"Oh yeah. It's a beautiful house. And you said Nick wants to sell everything with the house?"

"Yeah, that's right. He wants a fresh start."

Kasey whistled, "What happened here, Howie? Maybe it's just me but I got chills as I walked around the place. It's like the house has a sense of evil about it."

Howie glanced over at the house and said, "Satan herself walking the floors of that house."

Kasey raised her eyebrow quizzically but she decided not to press the issue right now. "Well, I'll get the house listed today. If you or Nick could get the keys to me ASAP that would be great. And I have a couple of leads on houses that would be right up Nick's ally. I'm going to check them out today. Want me to call you if one of them pans out?"

"Yeah, please do. I'll have my cell with me. I'm gonna be out and about doing things today."

About that time, Howie's cell phone rang. He answered it and AJ said, "Can you come over, D? Brian is on his way. There is something that the three of us need to do and this is as good a time as any."

Howie didn't have to ask what. He knew it was about Nick and Kevin. "I'm on my way, J. Be there in 10."

He hung up and said, "I gotta go, Kasey. Thank you for everything. Call me later and I'll get the house keys to you later today."

"Ok, Howie. Take care." Kasey watched him drive off and then she took one look at the house. She shivered as that feeling of "evilness" washed over her again. She got in her car and quickly left.

****************
Brian's car was already in AJ's driveway when Howie got there. Howie got out and went up to the front door. He didn't bother knocking - just went right on in.

Brian was sitting on the sofa and AJ was sitting on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

AJ said, "Come on in, Howie."

Howie took a seat beside Brian and asked, "What's up? What's all this stuff?", pointing to the newspapers and video tape on the coffee table.

AJ said, "This is the story of Nick, Kevin, and Stefanie. We've never really discussed what happened amongst ourselves. I don't think Kevin and Nick told us everything. I don't know that they can tell us everything. We need to know the whole story in order to help them."

Hours passed as the three men read one newspaper article after another. They cringed everytime they came across Stefanie's smiling face staring up at them from the paper. It was unbelievable at how "normal" she was. She could have been the lady next door, a sister, a girlfriend.

Brian was struggling hard not to cry, "How did this happen? Why did this happen? There was at least a hundred guys in the club that night. Why did she have to pick, Kevin?"

AJ said, "Man, who knows. She could have picked anybody. Hell, she could have picked one of us."

The realization that it could have easily been one of the three of them hit them like a ton of bricks. Brian began to silently cried. Howie put his arm around Brian's shoulders and hugged him, while AJ patted his hand.

After a bit, Brian shrugged off Howie's arm and said, "I'm ok. I can't read anymore. What's on the video tape, AJ?"

Seeing how hard this was on Brian made AJ nervous about showing him the tape. It was hard on all of them but Brian the worst. It was his cousin - his blood and his best friend. The only way this could have gotten any worse for him would have been if this had happened to his parents.

AJ said, "This is from the church. As the SWAT teams was heading there, some local reporters heard the calls going back and forth on the scanner. I think the reporters beat the police there. Are you guys sure you want to watch this?"

Howie shook his head "yes" and all eyes turned to Brian. After a moment he said, "Yeah, I have to see this. I don't want to but I have to."

AJ put the tape in and sat down in the chair. All was quiet as they watched the nightmare unfold on the big tv screen.

The fire. Oh God, that horrible fire. The whole church seemed engulfed in flames. You couldn't even make out the frame of the building because the flames were so high.

"This is what the gates of hell look like," Brian thought to himself as he continued to watch.

Nick's screams filled the air. Those screams of one knowing his life is over, feeling is skin burn and wondering why God hated him so much to let his short life end like this. Kevin's towering frame filled the screen, calling for Nick, trying to pry the hands that were holding back loose so that he could go get Nick.

Then Nick's screams were no more. Kevin fell to his knees. New screams filled the air but this time they came from Kevin. The sounds coming from his sobbing body were like an animal that had been attacked and lay dying.

Brian couldn't take it anymore. He got up and ran down the hall to the bathroom. He fell down to the floor in front of the toilet and began retching.

AJ quietly turned the tv off, tears streaming down his face. He looked at Howie who was crying as well.

Howie tried to say something. His jaw opened and closed a couple of times before he finally found his voice.

"AJ, it's worse than I ever thought. I never imagined this. They both had fought so hard to keep each other alive and at that moment Kevin died thinking Nicky had died."

AJ ran his hands over his face a couple of times and shudder, "Oh God. Oh my fuckin' God."

Howie said, "We've watched this much of the tape. Might as well watch the rest of it."

AJ put the tv back on and the scene picked up with Kevin's sobs. Then Nick came through the fire, resuced by a fire fighter, screaming and fighting to get back in and get to Kevin. But then Kevin had him in his arms, Nick realizing Kevin was ok and collapsing against the older man in relief.

That was the end of the tape and AJ clicked it off.

Howie asked, "What do you think, AJ? Did you see what I saw?"

AJ shook his head, "Yeah, Kevin kissed Nick on the lips. Even if emotions were out of control and things crazy, you don't kiss someone like that unless it means something."

Howie pinched the bridge of his nose to try and relieve the stress that was building, "You're right. But you know something? After seeing this, hell I'm not sure if I ever want to go out with another girl again. They are suppose to be the sweeter, softer species here so how did that bitch manage to do all this?"

AJ sighed, "I don't know. It does make you think twice about who you hook up with. That's for sure. We have to figure out what to do now to help Nick and Kevin get over this and decide if they are really in love or what."

Brian said, "I don't know yet what we should do. I think they need to come to us first. I don't think we should bring it up to them. But whatever happens we stick by them. They think they don't need anyone but themselves now since they got through that ordel alive but they do need us. They have to come to terms with this as much as we do."


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