Brian walked into Daphne's apartment and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he handed her the ice cream. "Justin, why don't you sit down and I'll go help Daphne with the ice cream."

"Okay." Justin said as he walked toward the couch. Once Brian and Daphne were out of the room, he casually walked around the living room, hoping to see some familiar items that might jog his memory.

Brian followed Daphne to the kitchen, watching her as she scooped the ice cream into three bowls.

"Brian... What the Fuck? Start talking." Daphne said as she looked at Brian's sad eyes and watched her best friend wander through her living room as if it was the first time he'd been there.

Brian sighed loudly, already tired of explaining the unexplainable. "In a nutshell. Justin was in an accident. The cab he was riding in was hit and he was thrown across the seat, hitting his head. It appears that he's lost six fucking years of memories. He knows who he is and who I am but doesn't know that we're together."

Daphne dropped the ice cream scooper into the sink, emphasizing her alarm. "Shit!! So that's why he's here?"

"Yeah. He got himself into this predicament but I'm not about to leave him in New York without his memories. No telling what he'd do. He might think that.... I'm not going there. Justin's mind is an amazing thing and he twists shit around all the time, even when he's not suffering from a damned head injury."

She gave Brian a hug, which he allowed. "What can I do?"

"I was hoping that hanging with you might jog a few more memories. At least you're smart enough not to let information slide. I can't count on the gang to be so discrete."

"Operation memory is officially launched. Let's go in there. He's probably getting antsy."

Justin looked at the pictures on her wall. She was in some of them, but not all and unfortunately none of them brought a memory to the surface. Looking at her CD's, he saw she had eclectic taste and he recognized a few of the groups like Moby, but again nothing sparked a memory. When Brian and Daphne returned, Justin was holding a picture of himself and Daphne from the prom.

"You looked great," he said to Daphne as she walked into the room.

Watching as he held the picture in his hands, she could see him willing it to yield information. She waited for him to continue, hoping that the picture might spark more memories.

"You were there. I remember. We danced?" He looked at Brian as he asked the question.

"Yes." Brian grabbed his bowl from the coffee table and started eating the cold treat. Brian knew he remembered the Prom; they had talked about it earlier, but he didn't want to push the memory. He wasn't sure if Justin remembered afterward.

"You walked me back to the garage... He hit me. Chris hit me and ...." Visions of the hospital room flashed through his mind. He was in therapy trying to pick up a paperclip. He yelled at the therapist and swiped all the paperclips on the floor. He asked his mom repeatedly where his father was, but she always said he was busy. "You didn't come see me when I was in the hospital," Justin said as he looked at Brian, trying to figure out the turn of events. He racked his brain, but nothing new came. "But you're here now." Justin ate his ice cream, not saying another word.

Brian swallowed the spoonful of ice cream that he had placed in his mouth. Damn, I don't want to go down that road again. How do I explain to him it hurt too much. Will he believe me? He doesn't know that we're together and that we've worked through that bad time. Damn that driver. Couldn't he have hit another car instead of Justin's. "I'm here now."

Justin heard the words and saw the pain on Brian's face. "Why does that bother you? You didn't want to go to the Prom? I remember. You told me you didn't want to spend your evening with a bunch of 18 year olds. Right? You said that, right?"

"Yeah. I said that. You have a phenomenal memory."

Justin laughed. "Well if my memory was so phenomenal, I wouldn't have forgotten the last 6 years." Justin ate a few more bites of ice cream. "Why are you here, Brian. I know I'm not 18 anymore, but...."

"Justin, how long are you staying in town?" Daphne asked, recognizing the tension in the air.

"Hell if I know. Brian and my mom seem to think I need protecting. I can take care of myself. I don't need them," he answered, the venom of his words almost biting Brian.

Brian bristled at the anger in Justin's words. "Justin, we talked about this on the plane. When you regain your memories..."

"Damn it, Brian. I'm not a child and you don't have to placate me. I'm really not sure why you're even here, but I guess we're still friends or something. Otherwise those pictures of Gus, you and me wouldn't be in mom's home. I know you aren't going to fill in the blanks. Just answer me. Do we have more of a history?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for telling me the truth." Justin nodded at Brian, inwardly happy that he at least knew that Brian and him continued on after the Prom. "Daphne, what are you up to these days?"

Daphne gulped down the ice cream that was in her mouth as she scrambled to answer the question. "What do you remember?"

"Daphne, the last thing I remember is the summer after Prom. I missed graduation and when I got out of the hospital you and I went to the tattoo parlor so you could get your tattoo."

"That's your last memory?"

"Yeah. So I know you aren't going to fill me in on six years of activity, but at least you could tell me what you are doing now. Come on, Daph."

She took her empty bowl to the kitchen, sorry that is was empty as now she had nothing to keep her hands busy. She returned with a soda and popped the top. "I'm studying for my licensure exam. I graduated in August and I take my exam in December."

"Licensure for what?" Justin asked. At least someone was willing to talk to him about the present.

"Counseling. I'm a therapist and I want to work with traumatized patients. PTSD is my specialty."

"So you going to practice on me?" Justin half joked.

"No. It wouldn't be ethical since I know you so well. But if you want, I can refer you to someone." Daphne answered, looking at Brian as she spoke. While Justin didn't remember the last six years, her professional goals weren't going to change any of his memories.

Brian nodded at her discreetly, but she saw the acknowledgement.

"We should hang out while you're here. I've missed you."

"That would be great. I'm staying at my mom's. Do you know where that is?"

Daphne looked at Brian for confirmation of this statement and then she realized that if Justin didn't know about them as a couple, it would make sense that he would be at his mom's. Oh how terrible for Brian. He finally gets his shit together and they are working at being a couple and then Justin gets injured and forgets it all.

"Yeah. I've been to your mom's place a lot. She has the best tea. Tell you what. I've got the afternoon free on Wednesday. Why don't I pick you up and we'll go to lunch. Maybe go shopping at the mall or something."

"Ok. I'll see you then." Justin got up and gave Daphne a big hug. "It's late. I guess we better go." He grabbed his coat off the coat rack and looked at Brian.

Brian stood up and went to Daphne as well. He kissed her check and whispered "thank you" to her. "I'll keep in touch."

She smiled at him and whispered back, "We'll fix this. We always do."

They walked to the car in silence. Justin opened the door and got in, buckling his seat belt as he looked at Brian. "Do you think any of that therapist stuff could help me regain my memories?"

Brian didn't like therapists and didn't totally believe in their mumbo jumbo, but if there was a way to "fix" Justin and they had the key, he was willing to try it. "I'm not sure, Sunshine, but we can talk about it."

"You called me Sunshine."

"Yeah I did. Is that okay?"

"It's fine. You call me that a lot. It's a special name. Just like you call Gus "Sonny Boy," Justin said as he was telling Brian a statement rather than a question.

"Right again. Are you remembering other things, Justin?"

Justin leaned back in the car seat and looked out the front window. "No. It just comes to me. I can't push it."

Brian looked at Justin's sweet red mouth and pale skin. Wanting nothing more than to take him back to the Loft and devour his partner, it took all his self restraint to place his hand on Justin's thigh and squeeze. "It will come when it comes." Placing the gear shift in drive, he drove toward Jennifer's condo.

As they drove toward Jennifer's condo, Justin looked at Brian and said, "I remember the Prom, but I know a lot happened after that."

Shit! Justin don't go there. "Yeah."

"My mom asked you not to see me, but then she asked you to take me back."

"Yes," Brian answered. As a man who hated to talk, he knew that he would talk if it would help Justin.

"Why'd you take me back? I need to know. Maybe it will help me remember."

"We're almost to your mom's. We can continue the conversation there if you'd like, but it's late. Do you want to talk about it tomorrow?" Brian asked hoping that Justin would wait till tomorrow and then forget about the subject.

"I took a nap this afternoon. I want to talk now." Justin looked out the window and watched the scenery, trying to imprint landmarks in his brain.

"Ok. I need a smoke before we have this conversation. I'll join you inside in a few," Brian said as he parked the car outside Jennifer's condo.

"I'll have one too," Justin informed him as they walked to the front stoop.

They smoked their cigarettes in silence and then Justin opened the door. He went to the living room, turning on the light by the couch and sat down. Motioning for Brian to sit, Brian chose the chair next to the couch.

"Brian. This is very weird. I remember my senior year when I met you and I remember the Prom and a little while afterward. You're still here. I guess that means something, but I'm not sure what. I know you don't want to tell me everything that happened in the last six years, but will you help me fill in the blanks?"

"Twat. I said I would, but I'm not a Lesbian so don't expect hours of long conversations."

"Fair enough. I'll keep that in mind. Brian Kinney is not a lesbian."

Brian smiled at Justin's joke and waited for Justin to talk.

"I remember the Prom, you showed up, we danced and Chris Hobbs hit me with the bat. I know I was in the hospital for a long time but you didn't come see me. Then I came home and I ended up living with you. I may not have a lot of my memories, but I still have common sense. I don't remember why you didn't come see me. Since I know all the other stuff, it's not really a missing memory."

"You're right; it's not a missing memory. It's not missing because we never talked about it."

"We never talked about it? Well we can talk about it now." Justin said as if his statement would get Brian to talk about something that they never had discussed in the past.

"It happened 6 years ago, Justin," Brian said not wanting to explain to his partner why he did something six years ago. If I'd gone to see Justin in the hospital and told him what he meant to me, it would have spared both of us a lot of heartache. But hindsight is 20/20 and while Justin did not have his memories for most of the last 6 years, justifying to him why I did or didn't do something wasn't going to change their relationship now. Or would it? no regrets, no apologies.

"So. I still want to know," Justin said as he silently hoped that this new information might give him insight into his current life. Obviously Brian was a part of his new life, or current life. He just wanted to understand his place.

Brian stood up and paced the small room, feeling like a caged animal. "I didn't come because I couldn't do anything. No amount of charm or money could make you well and my presence there was not going to make you get better," he said this very softly, hoping that Justin would hear him and accept his response, not continue to grill him.

"But you're here now."

"I'm here now."

"Justin," Jennifer called as she walked down the stairs. "I thought I heard the door open." She bent down to hug him and he allowed it but did not return the hug. "I thought you had him in your car? That was almost two hours ago," she said to Brian. Taking another look at the two men, she realized she had interrupted something. "I'm sorry. I was just worried. I'll leave you two alone."

"It's fine. I was just leaving. I'll see you tomorrow." Brian grabbed his coat and walked out the door. Shit! I don't want to talk about the prom. How do I explain to him that I was a fucking coward, afraid to admit my feelings and afraid that he would die and it would just kill me? How do I explain that we never talked about my absence, even though Jennifer knew I was there? Is it really fair to talk about what happened in the past and my mistakes and what I would do over? Shit! This is so fucking complicated. I'm getting a headache. Thank you Jennifer for interrupting, but if I know Justin, he's like a dog with a buried bone and this won't stay buried.

Jennifer stared at Justin and saw tears in his eyes, but did not say a word.

"Oh Mom. Do you think he'll be back?"

TBC