Chapter 22- I REMEMBER YOU

Lyrics as sung by Skid Row

Lyric 1: Woke up to the sound of pouring rain/ The wind would whisper and I'd think of you/ And all the tears you cried, that called my name/ And when you needed me I came through/ I paint a picture of the days gone by/ When love went blind and you would make me see/ I'd stare a lifetime into your eyes/ So that I knew that you were there for me/ Time after time you there for me

Lyric 2: We spent the summer with the top rolled down/ Wished ever after would be like this/ You said I love you babe, without a sound/ I said I'd give my life for just one kiss/ I'd live for your smile and die for your kiss/ Remember yesterday, walking hand in hand/ Love letters in the sand, I remember you/ Through the sleepless nights through every endless day/ I'd want to hear you say, I remember you/ We've had our share of hard times/ But that's the price we paid/ And through it all we kept the promise that we made/ I swear you'll never be lonely

Woke up to the sound of pouring rain/ Washed away a dream of you/ But nothing else could ever take you away/ 'Cause you'll always be my dream come true/ Oh my darling, I love you/ Remember yesterday, walking hand in hand/ Love letters in the sand, I remember you/ Through the sleepless nights through every endless day/ I'd want to hear you say, I remember you

Written by David Michael Sabo, Rachel Bolan Southworth

• Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, BMG Rights Management US, LLC

Justin

I can't fucking believe they're back! FINALLY! I've prayed, cried, and crucified myself because I couldn't remember the single most important night of my life. It took a lot of time; a lot of tears, fears, and stupid mistakes. But finally I have the one thing that makes me complete.

Well, one of the TWO things that will, at any rate. The other thing- the PERSON- which makes me whole is sitting in the back seat of this magnificent car, as our chauffeurs for the evening navigate their way through traffic on the way to our temporary lodgings. I'm exhausted, and my brain feels like it grew feet and ran a marathon of its own accord. But fuck it all! Because I'll be damned if I'm going to sleep right now.

I want to celebrate the way we should have been able to on that long ago night, where I was robbed of something extremely precious and priceless to me. I want to show Brian with everything I have, that the look in his eyes was all I needed. All I've ever needed from him. Oh my God, I remember! I can't help but vibrate with happiness at remembering everything.

I wouldn't even trade the memories of the accompanying pain, or weeks of agonizing and painstaking treatments to regain a vital portion of myself. And even as my thoughts race and vie for the top spot in my head, I'm relishing the fact that I feel like a fucking cliche right now. I feel like Sleeping Beauty being kissed by the prince in some fairy tale of old. I...

"When?" Brian's question halts my racing thoughts. I don't have to wonder what he's asking me.

"I think... No, I know now that I started remembering the events leading up to the prom, some weeks ago. Although I wasn't sure what they were, until tonight. It was like I was missing one final piece of a puzzle needed to complete the images flashing around in my head."

"And tonight, how? What triggered the full memory?"

"You kissed me."

He's puzzled by the simplicity of that statement. "I kiss you all the time. How was tonight any different?"

"You kissed me the same way you did at the Jeep that night. Tentative, like you were asking for my permission, and then pressing a barely there kiss that left me wanting. Then a deeper embrace, that spoke of promise. You never kissed me that way before, and haven't since... until tonight. Oh my God Brian, I remember! Even unconscious I could feel you; you never left me." 

I could see the way my words were affecting him, and I knew I should stop but... "I also have another memory. One that happened later when you came to Mom's condo, and we were tossing the ball back and forth. Brian, why didn't you tell me- remind me- that you were honoring my mother's wishes? I remember feeling so angry and helpless, filled with such rage because you didn't want to see me. Why not just tell me, Brian?"

I see him take a deep breath, and I know he's weighing his words to me out very carefully. I've watched him do that many, many times with me after the bashing, even though I didn't know why. The thing I know about Brian is that he can be brutally honest and deliberately cruel. And he was... Sometimes to the point where I wasn't sure if I wanted to run away or jump from the roof; whether I wanted to stay and fight with him or retreat into myself until I could process what I was feeling.

I was so broken and fucked up in so many ways that I felt like a human Humpty Dumpty after his fall.

But the times when he weighed his words before speaking them- no matter how true they were- was always heavy handed, with a liberal dose of caring to temper the effect. In his way, he tried to make it easy and, at least, moderately palatable before I shut down and shut him out again. There was a hardcore delivery of the facts for me to either take or leave. But also, a subtle soft touch to take the edge off his words. I realize I am glad he is employing that same method with me now, especially when my emotions are coming undone as I continue to weave together the tapestries of our broken pasts.

It's more than I could have ever asked for, or expected with the rawness of the emotions Brian must also be feeling right now.

"Justin, as broken as you were physically, is how bent out of shape Jennifer was emotionally at the time." He can see me getting ready to protest, but in classic Kinney fashion he quells the attempt. "Hear me out before you get the underwear you're not wearing in a twist."

His tongue automatically caresses the inside of his cheek, and I feel some of the tension ebb in the wake of Brian's cleverly delivered quip. I laugh, because the bottom line is that I do want to know. I think I need to know how it came about that Mom changed her mind about letting me be with Brian... And what ultimately changed his. "Fine, Mr. Kinney. I will listen to you, and then we're going to talk about what you can do with my non-existent underwear. Deal?"

"I like the way you think, Sunshine." He smiles at me, and I can honestly say that Brian is the most stunning man I have ever seen in my life.

In a land of movie stars, to me no one shines brighter next to him. I think even Connor got that memo tonight... Or at least, I hope he did. Because really, there is absolutely no competition to be had. Brian wins; he always will when it comes to me.

But right now, I need him to explain the rest of this quandary to me.

He begins again, "So your mother, along with the rest of the hetero-loving public and a few A-gays like Bellweather, held me up to public scrutiny for attending your prom. Of course, no one could possibly hold me accountable more than I did myself. That said, when you came out of the hospital and found me at Woody's, I knew that I would do whatever it took for you to get back to the kid I... knew. The way you were in the bar that night really put things into perspective for me of just how close you had come to... Let's just say that even then, you were an overcast spring day- refreshing to see but with such an enormous cloud covering up the brilliance all of Liberty knew lay dormant underneath. Like your mom, I would have done anything to see your natural zest for life returned to you, no matter what I had to do to make that happen."

"Including not seeing me?"

"Especially not seeing you, Sunshine."

"But you were at the hospital every night." He startles and looks at me as if he never expected that to be revealed. "Remember, I heard you and Mom talking on the porch. Just before she asked you to return me to her and never see me again, she divulged your secret of being there with me every night."

"I... I..."

"No, Brian. No excuses, no apologies, and no regrets, right? So tell me..."

He sighs, a bit exasperated with the whole conversation. But I know the exact moment of when he registers just how important it is for me to hear the answer. "I wanted to come in. I really did, but a part of me felt that you didn't need me. Your mom and Daph were there every day, as well as other family members, dropping in and out of the room."

"But if you didn't want me to acknowledge you, why did you come in the first place, Brian?"

He raked one of his hands through the brunet locks, and I feel the barest sensation of it through my own fingers as if I did it instead. "The reason was that I didn't want anyone else to know I was there. It had nothing to do with my reputation on Liberty, the way everyone assumed. You were lying there in a coma. So in truth, I could give a dose of fuck all about my reputation, or what people thought they knew about us. All that really mattered was that if anything was to happen to you while your mom and Daphne weren't around,  I had to be the person who took care of you. For me, there couldn't be any other way."

I think maybe I've fallen a little bit more in love with Brian just now. And I need to show him.

Arriving back at the house, we left Gene and Alphonse to take care of the car while we raced upstairs. Kissing and tugging at each other's clothing, I decided that I didn't want this to be as rushed as it often was when our emotions ran high. I tilted my head back, forcing Brian into the here-and-now. His hazel eyes opened, sparkling and dazed. I regarded him again, remembering all that Brian has given me since the night we met and I couldn't contain what I wanted for even a second more.

Swallowing hard, I begin to tell Brian, "If this is going to be my fantasy come to life, I want to make love to you. I would want to show you exactly what you meant to me that long-ago night, so newly remembered. If this were my dream come to life, you would allow me to show you what I've always seen in you; how much I've only wanted to keep you safe, and make you feel as cherished as you should feel all the time. Let me, Brian? Please? I- I need to do the one thing that we should have been able to do when completing the best night of my life. You are my someone, Brian- my person- and it's time that you know that from me in more than just words."

I could see the effect my words had on the man before me. Watched as the eyes I'd drawn and adored more than once, fought the increase in moisture. Brian would never shed the tears, but it didn't stop them from trying for freedom anyway. The carefully erected walls that kept everyone at bay, including me, were now opened to only me. I wouldn't take Brian's gift to me for granted...

Not this time, not ever again.

Disregarding any other words that may have surfaced in this moment between him and me, I put my thoughts into action. Brian didn't stop me as I reached up and brought his head down as I stood on tiptoe to meet his lips. He was allowing me to take the lead, and I wasn't going to squander the opportunity. I continued to divest him of his clothes as we continued to kiss. At 5‘9, I took advantage of my diminutive height to bathe his neck with my tongue, unerringly finding the spots on that warm column of flesh that made Brian squirm and gasp; the spots that had him clawing the scruff of my own neck to hold me still or bring me closer.

Moving Brian back towards the bed, I laid him down, quickly getting off of him to finish undressing. Taking my time, I watched the emotions cross his face: awe, impatience, lust, and another emotion that he would not name but knew it was there all the same. Brian loved me. And it was never more evident than right now, while I'm standing naked- in all facets- before him.  

"Lie back and let me love you for a change," I instructed him, the gentleness I feel for this man coloring my voice.

He complied, although I could tell his hands were itching to take control. Contrary to popular belief, I have topped Brian before. The first time came as a complete shock. It came about because Brian had wanted to devirginize me in all facets. I knew that he was planning to teach me the art of topping for my eighteenth birthday, but I had never imagined he would use himself as my subject.

I was expecting a trick, but Brian, who brushed it off as no big deal, said that every top-in-training should have an experienced bottom his first time. But since he couldn't imagine Emmett signing on for the challenge, he was filling in. I recovered from the surprise pretty quickly when he said that I should do all the things to him I loved when he did them to me, and he would tell me if he didn't like it. It was a night that I would never forget when I had Brian exploding like the finest champagne being popped. He'd told me that I was a natural, and from then on, Brian was the only one allowed into my ass.

Like Brian, I fucked everything that moved, but I was only fucked by the person who meant the most to me in the entire world.

The second rounds- grouped together by circumstances- of me topping Brian came after the bashing when I couldn't stand to be fucked, but needed sex all the same. Brian willingly, and without complaint, offered himself to me over and over again until the night of Gus' birthday party, when I remembered what happened in the parking garage. I told him that I wanted him inside me, and he asked me if I was sure. We both thought of the time right after I came to live with him when I wanted to with my whole heart, but couldn't and stopped him. He told me that it was okay, but it really wasn't.

Chris Hobbs had broken something inside me, that I didn't think would ever be repaired. So for me to be able to accept Brian into my body again- to have the man I loved make love to me again- was a very big deal. The last time I topped Brian was in an effort to show my independence and equality with him. It was the morning after that fucker Sapperstein's party, where I was almost gang-banged. Well I can't say that I wasn't warned, even if Brian didn't come straight out and tell me. Instead, he offered for $5000 for the graphic I was working on.

God I was so fucking stubborn and determined to do it on my own. I should have realized even then that Brian considered me his partner. Not a boyfriend, but a partner, even if he never said the words. Instead of noticing his actions, Michael's litany of 'Brian doesn't do boyfriends' kept going round and round in my head, beginning my headlong spiral into fuckery. The night after Sap's party, I decided that having my independence and proving Brian's closest friends wrong almost came at too great a cost.

So I accepted his offer of paying for PIFA, but not without having a contract between us. I knew Brian wasn't happy, and would try to find a way to circumvent it. But I wasn't going to budge. Still won't, but as a way to seal the deal, I'd given Brian a ride which had him clawing at the sheets, and biting into the pillow to keep from screaming. Tonight though, I want to hear him loud and clear.

I want him to finally hear me.

To that end, I set about accomplishing that goal. Grabbing the lube and condoms, then lying down on top of Brian, I resume my efforts to make Brian see himself as I see him. I caress him from head-to-toe. There is no question that Brian Kinney is a beautiful man, but to me, he's also a living work of art. The velvet of his skin over the steel of his muscles, just takes my breath away every time.

I lean again to take possession of his soft supple lips again, this time not waiting but demanding entry. Tangling my tongue with his, I pull the most erotic sounds from him as I plunge in and out of his mouth, the way I intend to do his body in a few short minutes. Brian responds in kind, dueling with me for dominance before he surrenders the hot cavern to my will. As soon as I feel his surrender I begin my explorations in earnest, beginning with his neck. Allowing my tongue to dictate where it wants to go, it finds Brian's most sensitive spot, laving in alternating rhythms of fast and slow.

I don't even have to look up to know that Brian's expressive eyes are fighting the war between closing or staying open.

The little hitch of his breath, tells me the exact moment when he's given up fighting against himself and my amorous attentions. My tongue revels in Brian's taste, the slight saltiness of his skin combined with the essence that is pure Brian is completely addictive, and all I want to do is savor him like the finest wine. Bypassing his sensitive nipples, which I know will have him cumming in an instant, I zero in on the pillar of pleasure standing proudly at attention, begging to be kissed. Engulfing him fully, I feel Brian's body bow before me while listening to the gasp of gratification dance through the air. Looking up from my place at his midsection, I am once again struck by the sensual stunning beauty of Brian Kinney.

It dawns on me again, that no matter how many men have been where I am right now, none of them have ever been able to give Brian what I do. Nor would he have allowed them to. That thought emboldens me as I begin to kiss, lick, and suck the instrument which has brought me so much pleasure countless times. Before long, I feel the tell-tale change within him, telling me that he is close, so I stop, waiting for him to calm down. I'm determined that my possession of this gorgeous man will not end quickly.

When I feel his subtle squirm of discontent, I begin making love to his cock again. After edging him for a time, I know I need to move on as well. My dick is leaking in anticipation and getting harder by the minute, as I listen to the moans and groans of the man writhing beneath me. This is what I've missed: the abandon, the awareness, and the excitement of being in close proximity to the first and only man to have my heart. Detaching my lips from his cock, I quickly rise and pull Brian's legs over my shoulders before he has a chance to protest.

I lav his jewels one by one before moving my tongue behind them to his perineum. Brian has always loved it when I run my tongue up and down the almost imperceptible seam there, which is almost like an ‘X' that marks the spot of where his prostate lies within him. I give that sensitive area the attention it deserves, preparing Brian in earnest. God, I love the sounds he's making as the tip of my tongue finally reaches where he and I want it most. As vulnerable as I know Brian feels right now, he's willing himself not to hide from me.

I pull back to look at the winking hole that is the entry to my own personal paradise, coated in my saliva and urging me onward. Lowering myself again, I begin to rim Brian, wanting him to enjoy it as much as I do when he does this to me. I feel him relax under my ministrations, a loud whimper renting the air in an otherwise silent room. I point my tongue and enter before resuming ringing it around the rim again. I can hear the sexual torment I'm putting him through, even as I know he's enjoying himself.

"J-Justin... fuck me already!"

I smile against his skin before responding, "You're ready, huh?"

"Stop playing, before..."

His threat is cut off by my lubed finger entering him. In and out, I slowly push my forefinger before adding the middle finger to join the party. When I feel him push back against my marauding digits, I add a third and then my fourth. Brian is extremely tight and whereas I'm a half inch shorter than he is- cock wise- I'm pretty fucking thick. As impatient as he is, Brian knows that if he wants to be able to walk at all tomorrow, he has to allow me this time to prep him properly.

At his last plaintive plea, I sheath my dick making sure to apply a little extra lube to myself, and move into position to breach him. Pushing inside of Brian, it's fucking hard not to want to ram into him. He's so fucking tight even after prep that his ass hugs my cock to perfection, as if my length and width was made to fill this part of him. I stop and give him time to adjust before continuing my forward progress to seat myself fully inside of him. Even through the layer of latex between us, I can feel his heat beckoning me, tempting me to go ham and pound into the man beneath me.

As many men as I've been with, no one has, or will ever- affect me like this. The effort to stay still is straining my muscles, in untold ways. But I wait for the slap on my flank, telling me that he's okay for me to progress. Finally I feel Brian's signal and as he pushes up to meet me, we both exhale a sigh while the thought ‘HOME' hammers through my brain. Yeah, Brian is home to me!

I begin moving shallowly within him, still giving him time to get used to me inside of him. His long legs draped over my shoulders squeeze in, allowing him the leverage to move against me. I can't help the sob that I release, feeling him clench and release me as we fall into an easy rhythm that is solely our own. I feel myself swipe his prostate, causing both of us pant in pleasure. The sensation is sharp and poignant all at the same time, as if we've been waiting for this forever.

And maybe we have.

As the feelings of what I feel for him surface after months of suppression, my movements become more passionate and a little disjointed. I couldn't get close enough, couldn't move fast enough; just couldn't get enough! He feels the urgency clamoring within me and responds in kind, bringing our lips together so that we are touching in all the places that matter. I feel a surge of renewed strength and power, as I continue to move within him. Holding onto his shoulders, I move more forcefully into him.

His lips detach from mine long enough to say ‘yes' before settling into the exchange again. Our breaths, grunts, and groans mingle as we continue our foray into this unknown territory mentally, physically, and emotionally. I feel the tears falling from my closed eyes, wetting his face even as we continue to kiss. Just before I have a chance to gather myself, I feel the small tremor rock Brian's core; my own quiver answering his.

"Cum with me, Brian," I murmur against his lips, before sealing them to mine again.

Swallowing his sounds of satisfaction, I feel them breach a part of my soul I've kept hidden, even from myself in this last year. Brian pulls me tighter against him as I feel his release coating our chests. I'm right behind him, riding the waves of his culmination as his ass massages my climax out of me. Moving my lips from his, I bury my face in his neck, inhaling his scent and reassuring myself that this was not a dream; that this entire day and night was indeed real. As I pull out, I feel him shift beneath me as I remove his legs from my shoulders, bringing us even closer.

Instead of moving away or telling me to get off of him, he holds me tighter. His body is quaking beneath mine, and I know it's not from the aftershocks of orgasm, even though we are both still experiencing those. I decide to give him his own minute to compose himself. I may have lived without all of my memories intact, but Brian has lived with them. He needs his time, just as I need mine.

After a time of just lying there, the cooling endorphins engulfing us creating a cloud of post-coital bliss, I know that I have to clean us up before we end up stuck together in a negative, non-life-affirming way. I remove the condom and with a slight giggle at that thought, as I go into the bathroom getting the necessary tools to clean us off. Brian is already almost asleep, but fully wakes again as I first clean the salt stains from his relaxed and beautiful face, before moving downward to take care of the rest of him. After I perform the same ablutions for myself, I climb into bed beside him. I can't help but stare down into the eyes I've spent too many recent nights dreaming about, instead of looking into.

I lean down to place a singular heartfelt kiss on his upturned lips. "Thank you, Brian."

"For what?"

"For never leaving me alone; for saving me in too many ways to count. But most of all, for never giving up on me."

"Sunshine..."

"No, Brian. I mean it. Others may not see you clearly, but I do. I always have, even if I didn't remember it. So thank you for being the man you are, even if sometimes you are hard and uncompromising. It takes someone like you to deal with a man like me, even when I forget who I am sometimes."

Brian didn't say anything after that, but I know that he understood me. I watched as he drifted off to sleep with a ghost of a smile on his lips, knowing that I had put it there. I waited a little while longer, making sure that he was sleeping deeply before getting out of bed. Donning the silk robe Brian must have bought for our stay in Malibu, I go through the sliding doors on the other side of the room. Stepping through, once again I am amazed at the beauty of the shore, this time with the moonlight glistening onto the blue waters.

It's time to do what I've avoided doing these last few days. It's time to decide what I want for the rest of my life... And I finally feel I can do that now.

George and Malcolm's Beach house in the evening

Brian

I don't know what prompted me to wake up, only that the sheets where Justin was supposed to be lying asleep were cold. I move to get out of bed, wincing as I feel the pleasurable soreness in my ass. I can't remember the last time Justin fucked me like that. Perhaps he never had. He was both forceful and tender at the same time, pouring all he was into every movement.

Yeah... I read him loud and clear; I can only hope that he heard me as well.

He remembers. As quiet as it's kept, I do pray sometimes. And I remember praying that night that he would live. Over the last year, I've prayed that he would remember or that I would forget. But mostly, I've prayed that he would forgive me.

I remember him telling me, on a number of occasions, that none of what happened at his prom was my fault. Based on all Daphne has told me about the other bouts of contention between Justin and that little bastard- and Justin's actions tonight- I can finally let go of the guilt that has hounded me everyday for the past year and a half. There was something freeing about letting Justin have his way with me tonight. It was almost like the cloud that has been hovering over both of us has finally lifted. And although I would probably never tell him, or let him into my ass again too soon, I don't regret a moment of it.

As I have Justin's heart, he has mine... all of it.

Coming out of the bathroom, I spot Justin through the gauze curtains that are blowing in the sea-salt breeze coming through the open terrace doors. Donning my own robe, I go to join him. I pause in the doorway, and allow my eyes to drink in his beauty. The creaminess of his skin reflected in the moonlight begs for me to touch it; his hair being gently lifted and released make me remember what those strands of gold feel like when they caress my face whenever I pull him close. His brow is furrowed in thought, and I think it's time to find out what decisions he's making.

Sliding into the lounge seat behind him, I kiss his ear and say, "Penny for your thoughts and a nickel for your kiss."

He smiles at me, turning his head to look at me. "My kisses are free, but only for you."

I bend my head, allowing our lips to connect immediately. Kissing Justin is an event all its own; one that I never tire, or get bored of. Pulling back I whisper, "So, what about your thoughts? What are those going to cost me?"

"A willing ear maybe?"

"Definitely." We're both silent for a time, each wrapped up in our own thoughts. It really is peaceful here, without being interrupted every five minutes with some problem that I just have to fix. "So what has you so still and silent?"

"I received a job offer in New York, but I'm not taking it."

"Why not? I remember when I wanted to go there."

"Yeah, I remember that too, but I'm glad you didn't go."

"If I had then maybe..."

Justin knew exactly where my thoughts had taken me. "No, Brian, it still may have happened. Actually looking back, in all probability, it still would have. Hobbs spent senior year, after the locker room incident, tormenting me. It didn't help that things had gotten worse the night he came to Liberty Avenue, after I had been suspended because of him. Things between him and I would have come to a head eventually. Who knows? Maybe I would have been the one to snap."

"You're not like that."

"I could have been. One thing this whole thing has taught me is that I had a lot of rage built up, even back then. I guess everyone possesses the ability to become a homicidal maniac at some point. The only thing that separates us from the criminals is the willingness to commit the crime, and endure the punishment."

Okay, so that was a bit unnerving. But I guess he's right, to an extent. I can't tell anyone how many times over the years, I've felt like choking the life out of Michael and Lindsay for the things they've done. Their latest fuck-up is only one example in a list about eighty miles long, for each of them. But it was time to get this conversation back on track.

"What will not accepting the job offer mean for you?"

"Well that's the thing... I would love to work for that company, but I don't want to move to New York to do it. I've been doing freelance work for them for quite awhile now, so they know my work is good. I was only considering the move to make a clean break from the Pitts, and everyone in it."

"So do you think they will still want to work with you, if you turn them down now?"

"That I don't know, but I'm still not taking the job. There's too much else going on. Because of Michael and Lindsay's bullshit, I... I could be a father."

"But we don't know that, Justin."

"But you could be a father three times over. You'll need the help."

"So you're willing to sacrifice your career to play family man? No fucking way!"

"It isn't your decision."

And what could I say to that except that he's right? "Justin..."

"No, Brian. Besides, I want... I want..."

"What?"

"I want my home back."

"You have one remember? The tiny one that can move with you anywhere."

"That's just geography, Brian. I want us, wherever life takes us. That's what I want, Brian."

"You're sure?"

"I thought we already established that I am. Okay, so what do we do when we get back to the Pitts? I mean this has been... Well it's been nice."

"It has."

"So how do we keep this between us, Brian? I don't want people crawling all over us, injecting their ideals and unwarranted opinions into our relationship again."

"Let me think on it and we'll figure it out, together."

"You mean, you want this as much as I do?"

"I thought we already established that I did."

"Cute, Brian... real cute, stealing my words as your own."

"Well if it fits..."

"So first things first, we get through Carnivale this weekend."

"When are you due back in LA after that?"

"Not until the week after next. Why?"

I didn't want to tell him what I was thinking, so I just said, "Let me see if I can talk to our fairy godfathers first, and then I'll tell you."

Whatever he saw in my eyes must have been okay, because he stood up and reached down to pull me with him. "Come on, Mr. Kinney. It's time for bed."

"But I'm not sleepy."

"I'm exhausted, but before I fall into oblivion, I owe you a ride to within an inch of your fucking life."

Now what fool would turn down an incentive like that?