YDWYHTD
Chap. 59
by: Tee and Dani (This part by Tee)
rated:  R
(c) 1999 - it's ours.  You take & we'll lock you in  a room with Britney
Spears for an hour.


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

It was so dark where he was now.  It was almost like he was in a tunnel.
"Hello!", he called out. The noise echoed.  It was so hollow here.

He didn't know where she had come from but suddenly she stepped out of the
darkness to stand in front of him. She smiled, "Hello again, Kevin.  I knew
you'd come back to me."

The skin had begun rotting from her bones.  She stood before him half
skelton, half human.  No, that's not right.  She was never human.  She was
the devil. She was evil. She was hell.

He just stared at her dumb-founded.  He couldn't believe she had the nerve
to show herself once again. How dare her!

This ended here and now.

His fist balled up and he swung with all his might.  The punch connected
with her jaw.  She tried to scream but no sound came out.

Kevin watched as she shattered before his eyes.  It seemed as though her
bones became disconnected from their joints one by one and fell to the
ground, shattering on impact.

Kevin jerked and bit his lip so hard it drew blood to stifle his own scream.
He shook his head to clear the cob webs and looked around trying to get his
barrings.  He realized he was in the hotel room.  He didn't remember coming
back to the hotel.  The last thing he remembered was being at his mother's
and his mother throwing him out of her house and her life.

Tears began to slid down his cheeks.  He looked down and saw a blond head
laying on his lap.

"Nick?"

No response.

"Nick?"  This time louder and he shook his shoulders trying to stir him.

Still no response.

Kevin gently lifted Nick's head up and turned his face towards him.

Blue eyes were staring straight ahead.  No blinking.  Not seeing anything.

"Nick, dammit, look at me.  Please look at me.  I'm here. Come on baby focus
and look at me."

******

I heard my name being called.  At least I think I did.  It's dark here where
I am. And cold.  Maybe I'm hearing things.

No.  I heard my name again.  I don't think I want to be Nick anymore.  I
don't want to be anybody anymore.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder shaking me.  Then there were fingers under
my chin.  Then there were hands holding my head up.  Thumbs were brushing
across my cheeks.

Kevin.

It was Kevin.  Was it really him?

*********
Kevin saw Nick's eyelids flutter.  Nick blinked rapidly a couple of times
and then his blue eyes focused on Kevin.

"Kev?"

Kevin cried, "I'm here, Nickers.  I'm here."

"You came back.  I wasn't going to let you leave me again.  I was going with
you."

Kevin began kissing me all over my face.  "I know, Nick. But we belong here
together.  Where we can laugh and love."

He was crying harder and harder with every word he spoke.

"Where we can deal with our hurt and pain.  It's so cold in that  dark
place. To cold.  Too fuckin' cold.  I don't want to be there."

I don't how but I managed to get us both to the bed.  My own tears mixed
with Kevin's as I held him close to me as possible.

We cried that night. We cried for all the pain and torture we both had
suffered at Stefaine and Frank's hands.  We cried for the family we had
lost. We cried for our lost innocense.  We cried for the love we shared the
made us misfits to the rest of the world.

Finally there were no more tears to cry.


Brian found us that way the next morning.  Kevin and I had not moved a
muscle all night. We hadn't slept a wink.

Brian said, "Our flight for Orlando leaves in 3 hours."

I said, "Thanks, Bri."

He sat a couple of bags down on the nightstand and said, "There's a
McDonalds right down the street so I hit it for breakfast.  I'm sure neither
of you have an appetite but it's there if you want to try and eat."

He turned to go.

I said, "You don't have to go, Bri."

He turned back and said, "You guys need time alone to get yourselves
together and all.  I'll be down in my room.  Come on down whenever you feel
like it."

Kevin said, "I love you too, Brian."

Brian just smiled and left.

It was slow going for Kevin and I to untangle ourselves from one another.
Muscles were very stiff and limbs were alseep.  But about 10 minutes later
we were sitting up in bed and I was dispensing the food.  We had a couple of
Egg McMuffins a piece and some coffee.

Kevin willingly took the coffee but the food sat in his lap.

I started making airplane noises.  He jerked his head head up and looked at
me.

"Nick, you wouldn't dare."

"Just try me buster."

He looked at me and then down at his food.

"Alright, alright.  I'll eat.", he grumbled.

He took a big bite and looked back at me.  "Happy now?"

"Yes, I am and don't talk with your mouth full.  It's not polite, Bumpkin."

He chuckled a little bit.  Yes, he actually chuckled!  That made me feel
better knowing I could make him laugh still.  I had the urge to get up and
do the turtle dance of joy but I didn't want to press my luck.

We ate.  Not really talking.  The occasional something here and there.

Then the food was all gone.  The coffee disappeared.  Guess we were hungry
after all.

I got up off the bed and said, "I'm going to take a shower. Wanna join me
babe?"

Kevin smiled but shook his head.  "As tempting as that is, I'm gonna decline
this time.  Can I get a rain check for when we get back home?"

I grinned, "You bet."

He lay there and watched me gather my clothes and head towards the bathroom.

"Nick?"

I turned and looked at him.  "Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know you do.  I love you too."

*************
When I came out of the bathroom 10 minutes later, Kevin was sitting on the
side of the bed staring at the phone, the receiver in his hands.

Gently I took the phone out of his grasp and hung it up.

He said, "I called to tell her I was still in town.  I thought things might
look different to her in the morning light. She hung up as soon as she
realized it was me."

I pulled him to me, his head lay against my stomach, his arms wrapped around
my waist.

I stroked his hair and said, "Bumpkin, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, so am I, Nick. But it's her loss. She won't get to see first hand how
happy you make me. She won't see me get married or see her grandchildren.
Thank God you have a big family.  Our kids will get enough attention from
them to make up for the lack of it on my side of the family."

I kissed the top of his head and said, "Yes, my family will definitely spoil
our children rotten.  Now, you sexy thang, why don't you go get a shower so
we can get out of this hell hole?"

Thirty minutes later we had our bags and were knocking on Brian's room door.
He opened the door, cell phone plastered to his ear.

He said, "Yeah, he just walked in.  Hold on."

He handed the phone to Kevin, who reluctantly took it wondering who the hell
it was.

Jerald said, "Hey, baby bro.  Tim is on the line with us."

Tim said, "Hey Boo."

Kevin's voice was barely a whisper as he said, "If you guys want to chew me
out, I'm not up for it.  Just tell me you don't want to see me again and let
me get on with my life."

Tim said, "No, no, Kev.  You are my little brother and there is no way I
could turn my back on  you.  As long as you have found someone who loves you
and adores you, it doesn't matter if it's a guy, girl, or whoever.  Kev, you
deserve to have someone who worships the ground you walk on."

JErald said, "Kev, what Tim just said goes for me too.  I love you, Boo.
And you can tell Nick if he doesn't treat you right I will knee him in the
nuts and kick his ass."

Brian and I had been standing to the side quietly talking amongst ourselves.
Our heads jerked up when Kevin's laughter rang through the room.  I smiled.
Tim and Jerald were okay with this. Thank God.  Kevin had them and Brian.
He still had a family.  No, it wasn't the same as having one's parents
support you but at least it was something.

It was nearly 20 minutes later when Kevin finally hung up.  He handed Brian
his phone back and said to me, "Jerald said you better treat me right or
else."

Ahh, Jerald - the ever practical joker of the Richardson clan.  I smirked,
"Or else what?"

"Or else he's going to knee you in the nuts and kick your ass."

I cracked up laughing.  So did Brian.  Kevin grinned.

I said, "Well, he doesn't have anything to worry about there. But just to
keep him happy I guess I will have to pay you lots of extra special
attention, huh?"

Kevin wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him.  "Sounds good
to me.", he said before softly kissing me.

We got caught up in the kiss.  We forgot where we were for a moment.  When
Brian cleared his throat we both jumped about a foot high off the floor.

I grinned, "Sorry about that, Bri.  I hope we didn't embarrass you."

He said, "No, not really.  It's just kinda weird but I'll get use to it in
time."

Kevin said, "Can we go ahead and leave?  I have a stop I want to make before
going to the airport."

Me and Brian were in agreement so we gathered our stuff up and headed out.

I was the designated driver today.  Kevin sat up front with me. Brian rode
in the back.  Kevin gave me directions - having me turn this way and that
way.

When we came to a cemetery some 15 minutes later I knew why we were there.
We all got out of the car.  Brian and I followed behind Kevin.

He stopped at a marble headstone that read, "Jerald Richardson - Beloved
Husband and Father."  There was an angel with it's wings spread wide
engraved in the marble on either side of the headstone.

Kevin knelt down and ran his hand over the cool marble, his fingers tracing
over the letters of his father's name.

"Hey, pop.  It's me, Kev.  I came home for a quick visit and there was no
way I could leave without seeing you.  We have a lot to catch up on.  I miss
you terribly."

Brian and I stood quietly behind Kevin as she talked to his father, telling
him everything that had happened with Stefanie and Frank.  Then with me.
And finally his mother."

I heard Brian sniffling beside me.  I just closed my eyes and listened to
Kevin talk.

Then I felt Kevin take my hand and pull me towards him.

"Daddy, this is the famous Nick that you've heard about all these years.
He's grown from that bratty kid I use to always complain about to a fine
young man, hasn't he?  I think you'd really like him.  He loves to fish
almost as much as you.  Actually I think he was a fish in another life.  And
he says I was a turtle in my previous life."

I smiled and squeezed Kevin's hand.

"Daddy, I know all this has been a shock for you. But Nick and I love each
other and we belong together, no matter what mama or anyone else says about
it.  Please be happy for me - for us.  I wish there was some way you could
let me know you are alright with this."

This is going to sound like something out of a movie but I swear to you it
happened.  The air had been dry and still.  Suddenly a strong cool breeze
blew over the three of us.  It was soothing and the air became so crisp it
was refreshing to breathe.  And as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

The three of us just looked at one another wide-eyed.  Maybe that was just
one of those fluke things that happend.  Maybe not.

Kevin said, "Thank you, daddy.  I love you."  He then turned to me and Brian
and said, "Let's go home."