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MICHAEL


Ben is not looking at me, but is looking furious. “You fucked him?!” I hiss.


“No.” He replies shortly as he scans the crowd, trying to locate them.


“He fu...fucked you?!” I gasp.


“Keep your voice down!” He growls. “Yes, yes he did.”


“But you-you’re my husband and a top!”


“I wasn’t your husband then and I was versatile. Now, I need to have a talk with…”


“No! Fuck that and fuck him, which you claim you didn’t! You and I need to go home and you are telling me every fucking thing you two did!”


“Michael, is this absolutely necessary?!”


“If you want to stay in the house, let alone the bed, then yes! It is absolutely necessary!”


EMMETT


“Please tell me the only part of him that was stiff as his stance now is the only one that mattered?”


“Yep.” Brian smirks and clinks my glass. “I tied him up.”


“I suspect that the rope was a lot more fun than the collar and lead that the Novotnys are dragging him around by. I can’t believe how much he’s changed! Kiki was saying there was a guy almost on the cusp of dragging him into Meathook just to beat some sense into him!” I roll my eyes and then look at Brian. “Come on, finish that up. You are staying at Ted’s tonight.”


“Why?” He frowns, but finishing off his drink.


They won’t look for you there. Chances are that on the way home, Michael has bitched and whined to his mother, who will no doubt make her way to the loft. Do you have the energy or patience to deal with her?”


“Good point and no. I really don’t.”


“There you go. You’ve had enough honesty for one day.” I laugh. “You don’t need to be dealing with the reaction of Debbie with her head going one way and her wig going the other!”


GRANTHAM


I hiccup and pull on my jacket. I head out of Woody’s and spot Kinney. That fucking bastard Kinney! Fucking bitch Cynthia! Almost lost my job today because of them! If he could only have seen my fucking vision, it would’ve been fine. But no, it had to fucking be camouflaged. I’ll fix him and fucking Finch too! He had no right to ream me out like that...


Start of flashback

KINNETIC - 7PM


GRANTHAM


“But I told you three times not to change the shading to purple!” Finch yells at me. “I was at home on my day off when I was called by an irate Brian Kinney and told to get here before seven as he needed me to speak, yet again, to you!”


“I know, but hear me out. I thought it would work if it was kind of iridescent, which was what I was aiming for. If Kinney had let me…”


Mr Kinney wanted what he asked for and that’s what you should’ve given him! Now this, coupled with the staring contest you have going with Cynthia’s chest, leaves me no option but to put you on a warning. Another word will have you fired!” He growls at me. “Now I am going home to my upset husband and ruined dinner! I suggest you go and join your colleagues for a drink, though I doubt they would welcome you. Or go home and think about how you can do better tomorrow!”

End of flashback


DINER - EARLY MORNING


DELORES


Oh, there seems to be trouble in the Novotny-Bruckner household. That’s the second time, he’s yanked his hand out of reach.


“Morning, Ms Crowhurst.” Debs sniffs as she comes in and starts to walk passed me.


“Mrs Novotny.” I return sweetly. “Did you have a pleasant evening?”


“It improved as the evening wore on.” She replies, narrowing her eyes.


“Good to hear. Though the same can’t seemingly be said for your son and his husband.” I nod my head in their direction and she frowns. “Been like that since they got here. I do hope they kiss and make up soon, such a sweet couple.”


DEBS


Oh for fuck sake, now what’s happened?! I quickly make my way to hang up my coat and grab some coffee. “Talk quickly!” I order as I notice the snarking look she gives me.


“Ben cheated on me with Brian!” Michael looks tearfully at me. “Can you believe that?!”


The jug crashes to the floor and I glare at my soon to be ex son-in-law.


“For fuck sake, Michael…” Ben growls and runs his fingers roughly through his hair.


“Well that’s what you did!”


“When?” I demand. “When did you, you bastard, cheat on my son?! And with Brian, of all people! You know how he...when?!”


“White Party, 8 years ago.” Delores comes up with a mop and bucket, then she puts the dustpan and brush on the seat next to Michael.


“Wait when?! 8 years ago? Eight years...how the hell did he cheat on you when he didn’t even know you?!”


“Thank you!” Ben snaps.


“But when you met Brian, you should’ve told me then!”


“Shouldn’t you be stopping them?” I hear someone ask Delores.


“Oh no honey, we’re quiet! Let’s sit back and enjoy the show.” She sniggers.


“If anyone should've said anything, it should’ve been Brian.” Ben declares. “He’s your best friend. It was his responsibility to…”


“Was it rape?” Kiki hisses from the counter and the diner goes silent.


“No, of course not! Brian would never do such a thing!” Ben exclaims, his face twisted in disgust at the very idea.


“So two consenting adults at a dessert fuckfest got together and did what they wanted; no regrets, no foul. How is it any different to you having boyfriends or one night stands before you met Ben, Michael?”


“He’s my best friend! And he fucked my husband!”


“You got crabs at the last White Party you went to.” Kiki interrupts. “On the first night.”


“Kiki!” Michael wails horrified. “Who the fuck told you that?!”


“Your mother. And Lamont after he got them from you. He, unlike some, didn’t fuck anyone or get fucked by them after he found out. He came straight home, fuming about irresponsible people. So tell me who is worse? You, for knowingly passing on a disease? Or them for keeping quiet so as to not hurt your feelings, knowing how irrational you can get?!”


“You did what?!” Ben hisses and stands up. “Jesus, you are such a fucking hypocrite!” He throws some money on the counter and storms out.


“Thank you, Kiki!” Michael snarls at her and runs after Ben, shouting his name.


“You’re welcome! Anytime you need the truth told about yourself, let me know!”


I don’t say a word as I look at the mess, which yet again, Brian has left me to clear up!


KINNETIC - FOUR DAYS LATER


CYNTHIA’S OFFICE


CYNTHIA


We have mostly, as an office, been sick. Violently and horribly sick! I have been trying to find out the source of it. Luckily Brian, Ted and I were out this week doing pitches, so we weren’t affected.


“Oh fuck me!” I hear a groan and poke my head out just in time to see Murph, running to the bathroom.


I look back at the tech guy. “How long until this fucking thing is done?!” I growl.


“Two minutes.” He smiles nervously.


“30 seconds!” I retort.


When I first got the call from Shelley, our receptionist about problems with sickness, we were in Utah pitching to ArchDemon. But we never told anybody that because it was such a top secret and important pitch. As far as everyone was concerned, we were brainstorming and were not to be disturbed. So to all intents and purposes, we were in the office. It was when they were pitching to Woolstone and nobody was sick on the day that I began to smell a rat. The only person who wasn’t as sick as everyone else was Grantham. Murph got through the pitch, but was ill the next day. I told IT to monitor every staff communal area, especially the kitchen.


“Okay we’re all set, Ms Moore.”


“Run the feed.” I order and we watch nothing out of the ordinary so far. I smile as Justin comes in and sets up the coffee machines. “Not a word to anybody, okay? He’s an absolute sweetheart.”


“He’s more than that; he’s a hero!” I frown at him. “We have a hot chocolate setting on them!”


“Pause that!” I demand and dash to my machine and sure enough there’s a hot chocolate setting and pods…and a note: only just discovered it. This the cup to be used! Yours CG.



I make myself a cup and we continue to watch. “Grantham!” We both growl as we watch him mess with the food, each and every day, especially the food for Brian and I, except the day of the pitch! We switch off when the door is swung open without knocking, but sigh in relief when it’s Brian.


“Anything?!” He barks.


“Grantham. He’s been sick, but not as sick as everyone else. Just enough to fly under the fucking radar!” I explain pacing.


“Oh, has he now? Well that is going to fucking change!”


“No, we can’t knowingly do that. He’d sue the shit out of us!”


“So what can we do?” He demands.


“Just fire him. But let everyone else know what he’s done, so they can deal with him in their own way.”


BOARDROOM - AN HOUR LATER


TED


We are at half strength, but those who can Skype into the meeting are doing so. We have got a watertight case against him and once we were in the boardroom, IT locked him out of the system and Finch took great pleasure in clearing his desk!


“Right ladies and gentlemen, thank you to those who have remained in person. We do appreciate it. So as far as signing contracts, we have secured Woolstone and ArchDemon, both for 5 years with an option to renew in 3, so well done. And the floor is yours, Cynthia.”


“Thank you, Ted. So with regards to this bug that has been plaguing Kinnetic, we have found the source. Please watch the screen…” As everyone watches, the evil looks and murmurings abound. “...so needless to say, Mr Grantham or should I say Mr Bug, you have been squished, terminated or in layman’s terms fucking fired! Those of you who wish to extract your pound of flesh from Mr Grantham, we will be more than happy to help with any legal fees you may incur. Get that fucker out of our building!”


“You asshole Grantham!” Someone screams. “I missed my kid’s birthday because I had to stay in a hotel, just in case I gave him whatever the fuck I had!”


“I was sick too! Kinney hates me and…”


“I could’ve had you fired numerous times recently…” Brian coldly interrupts as he strides in glaring at him. “...but you were too close to the Bellrush account for me to chance that. Now that is over and you have signed a new NDA, this is no longer an issue. Also, your poisoning of the staff has been reported to the police. Those would be the people waiting over there in the very real police uniforms. Officers, he’s all yours!”


As he is dragged, screaming and swearing out, all eyes turn to us. “Right, so we are going to shut the place down for the next four days to get it cleaned thoroughly. Please forward all medical bills to Cynthia and we will pay them. Now get out and get better!” Brian orders.


JUSTIN’S CUBICLE - AN HOUR LATER


My eyelids hurt. I know I should be going home, but I know I saw that picture for the pitch somewhere. I keep clicking back on screen after screen. I feel my head start to swim, but I just have to find it!


“Mr Slim, what the fuck are you still doing here?”


I look up and see at least three of Mr Kinney. “Brandy pitch. Must find picture.” I mumble.


“No, must go home and rest.” He orders and starts to pack up my things and shut down my screen and then I see it.


“Wait! Stop! There...the dog...please save the dog!” I mutter and try to stop one of the Kinneys from closing down the screen.


“Jesus, you are burning up! Cynthia!” He bellows and I wince at the loud ringing in my ears.


“Save the dog!” I insist and then collapse in a heap at his feet.


“Mr Slim, don’t you close your eyes... don’t you dare close those eyes!” I hear him yelling as I start to fade into darkness.


NOVOTNY-BRUCKNER HOUSEHOLD - EVENING


MICHAEL


It’s been four days since Ben has spoken to me. This is all Brian’s fucking fault! He didn’t have to say anything! Once again, I look to the window and once again, Ben is not coming up the path.


PRECINCT 57 - SAME TIME


CARL HORVATH’S OFFICE


CARL


I blink twice. Yep, it’s definitely him. I wave him into the seat and wait for him to speak. He clears his throat.


“Why are you and Brian still friends?”


“Because we are. Now, if that’s all…”


“I just don’t understand how you can be after you and Debs split up. So how?”


“Nope. Not going to give you more things to twist around and beat him over the head with. Now if that was what this recon mission was about, consider it aborted. Now excuse me, I have five minutes till the end of my shift and I want to use them in better company...yeah even murderers because at least their intent is obvious from the outset!”


“What is that supposed to mean?!”


“You befriended him and then became just like them. That’s what it’s supposed to mean!” I snarl finally able to vent my frustrations in my domain. “Here you were, nice as pie and then you changed when you married Michael. You became a bigger and even more pious version of him! And he was so fucking disappointed; we both were!”


“Disappointed?” He looks...well, he looks crestfallen.


“Yeah. I know about you two at the White Party. He got drunk on sake and told me, said you were one hell of a lay, said you stayed up all night just talking about shit and sharing a blunt, once he got you untied...like I said, he was smashed on sake. Made me promise to not to say anything to Debs because he knew she would tell Michael to split you up.”


“Split us…”


“She never wanted you to marry Michael. It was always Brian! That’s who she wants for Michael and that’s why we broke up. Because I told her flat out that Brian, for all his faults, is too good for her son!”


“So what does that make me? Just a fuck for Brian and a what for Michael?” He snaps.


“You are a nothing to them! Don’t you get it? The only person that Debs wants for his wallet is Brian. You can’t provide that and even if you had your health, you don’t have the one thing that Debs and Michael need to keep you in line...you don’t have a sense of shared history...or to give it their way of looking at it, a sense of shame. You don’t, nor have you ever really needed them. They have always thrown it in his face that without them, he wouldn’t have survived. But the thing is he would’ve, and they knew that! It might have taken him longer, but he would’ve gotten here.”


“I can’t reconcile the people, the person that I married being so…”


“How many times a day did you hear about Debs patching Brian up? How many times did you hear about Michael letting him in at night after his dad had beaten him up?”


“A lot.” He mutters.


“When you are an abuse victim, God he hates that word, but when you are what he is and someone threatens to take away the only love you know…”


“Christ.” He mutters. “How do I fix this?”


“What do you want to fix more? Your marriage or you? Because they are mutually exclusive.”


“What do you mean?”


“Ben, I was wrong. You are exactly the same as Brian. They have abused you, too.”


“They have?”


“Think about it. Aren’t I wonderful for allowing you to marry my son? Isn’t he wonderful, caring and magnanimous to love you despite your potentially deadly mistake? Now sit there, be quiet, and do as you are told, or speak what I want you to or…”


“He would run to his fantasy life and make it a reality.” He slumps back in the chair. “He gave a guy an STD.”


“Lamont, yeah she told me.” I shake my head. “Just because the illness doesn’t kill you, doesn’t make it okay to pass it on.”


We sit in silence for a few minutes before he starts to grin. “So he said I was a good fuck?”


“No, he said lay. He didn’t fuck you, he laid you. Apparently, there’s a difference.” I chuckle.


“What?”


“Something about knots and wriggling!” I smirk and I have never seen Ben go that red!


ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL - TWO HOURS LATER


JUSTIN’S ROOM


JUSTIN


How can I be making that noise...that godawful noise? It takes two attempts, but I manage to open my eyes and look around. Hospital, I am in the hospital.


“Justin!” Cynthia is at my side in seconds when I turn my head to her. “How you feeling?”


“What happened?”


“You reacted worse than most to what Grantham did. But they flushed out the toxins and you’re going to be fine. Now let me get a doctor, once you have finished the water.”


I sip slowly and gratefully. “What’s that noise?”


“He’s snoring.” She jerks her head towards the back wall and there is Mr Kinney, flat on his back on a cot with his mouth open, snoring.


“What a handsome devil.” I giggle after I hand her back the empty cup.


“Okay, getting a doctor now.” She says quietly and closes the door behind her.


I peer across at him and he is now making a lot of noise. “Mr Kinney!” I call out between gales. “Please turn onto your side!” He continues to snore. Huffing crossly, I slowly get up and make my way across to him with every intention of waking him up, but then I see it. Resting on his chest is a piece of paper with the dog I found, with the word perfect written on it.


 

And that’s when I get the blanket to cover him up and go back to bed.

Chapter End Notes:

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