The vain attempt by Brian and Justin to keep their upcoming commitment ceremony a quiet affair had proven to be wildly unsuccessful. The movie, however, had proven to be just the opposite, which was to blame in large part for the couple's failure to keep their nuptials secret. The publicity that Brian had worked so hard to attain for the movie spilled over into the private lives of the participants in the making of the film once it had become clear that they had a real hit on their hands. Word of mouth had been tremendous, and in no time theaters were clamoring to get in on a piece of the action. Then the tabloids kicked in with one expose' after another about the lives of the actors and actresses in the movie. Even the creators of the comic book the movie was based on did not go untouched.

Michael found the attention of the press to be a lot more intrusive than he had expected and had retreated as much as possible from the public eye, avoiding any further press junkets for the film. Lindsay had done pretty much the same. Brian, as the ad man for the movie, would have been ignored completely if not for his relationship with one of the lead actors. Luckily he had enough experience in the media world to know how to handle the pressure, even relishing the attention to a certain degree. Justin seemed to take the attention in stride. He was far too happy planning his upcoming nuptials with the love of his life to care about any stories the tabloids put out. After reading about his father in one rag, including how the man had allegedly tried to kill his own son, Justin just quit reading any more items and simply ignored the press whenever they milled about him trying to get statements.

Brian had hired a couple of burly bodyguards that Monty recommended to keep Justin safe, but the fact that Justin never gave the press any juicy stories to print led to smaller and smaller paparazzi and newsmen surrounding him. Eventually Brian let the guards go per Justin's request. It had been a little over a month since the film's release and it was still raking in the big bucks. There had even been talk of a sequel, but Justin made it clear that he wouldn't be interested. He had school to think about. He now knew exactly what he wanted in life and acting wasn't it. He wanted to be an artist, and he wanted Brian. With that, he had everything that mattered to him.

The plans for the commitment ceremony had moved ahead steadily and the big day was soon only days away. The ceremony would be held at Gee's Britin in the large open garden. The property was gated so that uninvited guests could be kept out, and huge white tents would be set up over most of the garden which would eliminate prying eyes from above. The house itself would serve perfectly as a place for the most important friends and family to stay after the ceremony and reception, which would probably last way into the night. The couple planned on slipping away sometime during the party and heading for a small airfield nearby where a private plane, that one of Brian's best clients had offered use of, would be waiting to take them to a small private island off the coast of Connecticut. There they would indulge in the age old custom of honeymooning.

Not a single person in their small circle of friends and family was sorry to see how far the relationship had developed between Brian and Justin. The minute they came back from the back office at the Premier night party for 'Rage', after Brian had proposed to Justin, there was not a soul who couldn't see that something had changed. Justin had been almost giddy and neither man could seem to take their eyes off each other. It had taken only a tiny bit of cajoling to get Justin to open up to his mother and Daphne. The sound of Daphne's screeching approval could even be heard over the loud din of the Babylon music. Word had spread like wildfire. Some still found it hard to believe that Brian Kinney, the former Stud of Liberty Avenue, was actually going to settle down with a lifetime partner, but they were happy for him. It would give a few up-and-comers a chance at his title.

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

The big day finally arrived. Things had been hectic but running smoothly for such a long time since the Premier that Brian and Justin couldn't believe their luck. The gods were definitely smiling down on them. There had been the usual crowd of fans who had fallen madly in love with the young actor and his handsome older boyfriend thanks to the release of the movie, but for the most part the women (by far the young actor's biggest fan base) and gay men were totally respectful of the couple's privacy and only asked for autographs when the occasion was appropriate. There were the usual haters, but they seemed to limit themselves to nasty emails and letters, which Brian had hired a mail sorter to eliminate so that Justin never even saw them. They were few anyway. Brian half expected to get an email or letter from Craig Taylor but thankfully it never happened. It looked like the man was too busy avoiding the long arm of the law to worry about his son's existence. At least that was what Brian hoped for.

On this most important day of his life, Brian had gone into his office early in the morning to clear up any last minute tasks that needed to be done. The place was deserted. All his employees were home getting ready to drive to the wedding at Gee's Britin. Brian left sticky notes for each employee reminding them of their duties while he and Justin were away on their trip for the next couple of weeks. He made it clear that he didn't want to be disturbed about anything unless it was a matter of life and death. He smiled to himself when he ended up back at his desk to pick up his keys. There was a large photo of him with his arms around Justin sitting on his desk. He picked the photo up and grinned.

"Well kid, you're going to make an honest man of me today. I just hope I'll always be able to live up to what you deserve and expect of me."

He let his thumb gently rub the photoed cheek of his lover and quietly laughed. Justin had stayed with Jennifer last night because the young man had suddenly gone traditional and told Brian he had to wait for the honeymoon to sleep with him again. Brian had spent the night longing for Justin in his arms. He discovered that he didn't sleep well without the beautiful blond's body next to his and the sound of his muted snore close by. Jennifer and Molly would drive Justin to Gee's Britin and Brian would go straight there from the office. He didn't need to get anything else done since the clothing and rings were waiting at the estate.

Brian checked his watch to see how much time he had before he needed to get on the road to the estate. He had just enough time to check on Justin. He quickly punched in the 1 on his speed dial and pressed send. Justin answered after a long wait.

"What took you so long Sunshine?"

"I...uhh, I...I'm sorry Brian. I..uhhh, I was distracted. What did you need?"

There was an abruptness in Justin's voice that Brian had never heard before. Maybe the kid was just nervous. After all, it was his big day too and maybe he was the one getting pre-wedding jitters. Brian knew everyone expected him to feel that way, but no one considered that it might be Justin who would feel it.

"Is everything okay kiddo? You sound a little freaked. Not having second thoughts, are we?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Justin answered a bit too abruptly. "Look, Brian, you're going straight out to the estate, right?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

"Good! Ummm, Mom is going to be bringing me out soon. I'll see you there. Look, I've gotta go. And Brian..."

"Yes?"

"Brian, I love you. Don't ever forget that."

"I know Justin. I love you too."

The phone suddenly went dead. Brian stood staring at the instrument in his hand. Something was wrong. Just as he was about to call Justin back, the phone rang in his hand. He answered quickly and heard Jennifer's concerned voice. He knew it. Something was wrong with Justin and Jenn was about to tell him what it was.

"Brian, is that you?"

"Of course it is. So what's going on Jenn?"

"I was about to ask you that question. I got a call from Justin just a short time ago and he told me to go on to the estate without him. He said he'd be coming with you. I guess that's okay, but he sounded so funny I thought I'd double check with you before leaving. So what made you change your minds?"

"Whoa, wait a minute. What are you talking about, Jenn? Isn't Justin there with you right now?"

"Of course not. He went back to the loft to get something important he forgot. He called and told me that you were there and that you guys decided to drive to the estate together. Wait, are you saying he isn't with you?"

"No, he's not. Something's really wrong. I knew he sounded funny on the phone. I just called and he said you were bringing him to the estate as planned."

"Oh God, Brian. You don't think....?"

"He was too eager to get me off the phone and make sure I was going straight to the estate. Look, Jenn, don't panic. I'm going to check this out. I know who to call. Stay by the phone and I'll get right back to you." He could hear Jenn's choked voice cracking as she promised to wait. "It'll be fine. I promise. Just let me find out what's going on."

Jenn agreed and Brian hung up quickly. A sense of overwhelming fear and panic threatened to set in, but he forced himself to remain calm. He speed-dialed a call to Monty who said he'd take care of things, and Brian headed for his jeep like a man possessed. The loft was only a seven minute drive from the office but Brian broke every record getting to the loft in less than half that time. He saw no sign of anything out of the ordinary as he walked silently up the back stairs to the top floor. There was a fire escape out the window at the end of a very short hall next to the large metal door of the apartment. Brian sensed it would be wiser for him to use that than just opening up his front door.

He raised the window as quietly as possible and stepped out onto the fire escape. It wrapped around the side of the building and the walkway led to his main window from the living room. Brian inched noiselessly along the grating and peered in from the corner of the window. His heart gave a painful thump when he clearly saw two figures standing in his living room. Neither was looking in Brian's direction as they faced each other. Brian could see the gun being held, by what looked to be an elderly gray-haired man, on the younger man who seemed to stand even taller and straighter than the stranger who had at least five inches on him.

Brian would have broken the glass of the window with his bare hands if the sound of tires screeching didn't reach him from below. He looked down sharply and saw Monty and another large man rushing around the corner of the building. He stepped back and grabbed his cell from his pocket. He speed-dialed Monty again and the man answered immediately. Brian told him to look up and they waved to each other. Brian quickly informed his friend of what he saw inside the loft. Monty ordered him to meet him at the loft door. Brian hurried back inside and was joined by Monty and his companion in a matter of seconds. The men quickly strategized, and a plan was formed. The cops had been called, but they were notoriously slow to respond to calls from this part of town. There was no time to lose.

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

Justin was still shaking inside, but he'd be damned if he'd let his father see it. The thought of Brian walking in the door of the loft to be greeted by an insane Craig was almost more than Justin could stand. He prayed that he had convinced Brian not to come back to the loft. It was up to Justin to deal with his father on his own. He wasn't too sure his dad wouldn't use the gun on him, but he had had plenty of chances up till now and nothing had happened. Hopefully he could finally get through to his dad, although he barely recognized this man as the one who had raised him all those years. He hadn't even recognized his dad at first when he opened the door to leave the loft and found the man waiting for him with the gun pointed right at his stomach. It took a second to see that it was his own father under a gray-haired wig, but his lined face made him look so much older even without the wig. Craig had obviously had a hard time living life on the run.

Craig had forced Justin back into the loft and locked the door behind him. He spent the rest of the time, until Brian's phone call came, trying to get his father to listen to reason. Craig Taylor was too far gone to make any headway with that tactic. The man had convinced himself that he could get his son to drop this whole marriage idea and come away with him where they could start a new life as a devoted father and son...maybe even start up a whole new business. Craig would find a real nice girl for his son to marry and they could give him adorable grandchildren. They might even send for Molly later when the time was right.

No matter what Justin said, Craig didn't seem to hear it. Justin was only genuinely scared once, when he made the mistake of declaring his love for Brian, which agitated his father even more. The man pointed the gun at Justin's head and said he'd rather see his only son dead than with 'that pervert'. Justin was finally able to calm his dad enough for him to lower the gun again, but he refused to put it down. Justin began to worry, as the time dragged on, that his mother would come to find him since he was taking so long to return to her, so he made a quick call and gave her a lie in order to get her and Molly to leave town. That done, he contemplated his next move just as the phone rang and he warned his dad that they'd come looking for him if he didn't answer. The man reluctantly agreed and Justin did his best to get Brian to leave town too. He prayed he'd been successful.

Now he stood in front of his dad and made one last attempt to get through to him. If it didn't work, he had no idea what he was going to do next. It was at that moment that the glass shattered in the front window of the apartment. His father swung around to face the window and fired off a shot wildly. It was at that exact moment that the door slid open rapidly, thanks to Brian's key, and two men rushed into the room.

Monty reached Craig first and knocked the gun from his hand before he could fire a second shot. The big man who had broken the window climbed in gingerly and joined Monty, who had knocked Craig to the floor. Brian had rushed straight for Justin and thrown a protective arm around his lover, shielding him from any harm. The couple heard Monty order Craig not to move a muscle. They turned and saw Craig lying on the floor, his wig all askew. He looked liked the truly pathetic creature he had become. Brian didn't know whether to pity him or kick him.

Just then the sound of sirens could be heard through the shattered glass of the window. All of a sudden, Craig jumped up unexpectedly and started to sprint for the open front door. He hadn't taken more than three steps when Brian tackled him from behind. They fell heavily to the floor and began rolling back and forth. Somehow Brian ended up on top of Craig with his hands around the man's throat. He could no longer see straight. All he knew was that the threat to Justin had to be eliminated and he squeezed even harder. Suddenly he felt hands pulling on his shoulders and arms and Justin's voice pleading...

"Stop Brian, please! He's not worth it! Don't do it! He'll never hurt us again! I can't lose you! We're getting married... remember? Please let him go... now!"

Brian slowly relaxed his grip. Craig began to cough wildly as his starved lungs sought more oxygen. Brian finally let go and got off the distressed man. Monty and his companion moved in quickly to check on Craig just as the police came storming through the door. Monty, who knew several of the officers, quickly explained who the red-faced man on the ground was, and the police wasted no time forcing an unsteady Craig to his feet and handcuffed him. As he was being led from the loft he turned his watery eyes on his son with a pleading look. Justin turned his back and let Brian enfold him in his arms again.

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

Once the cops had taken Craig Taylor away and out of their lives for good, Brian and Justin sat in the loft and tried to gather their thoughts. Monty and his friend waited patiently nearby for word of what they wanted to do next. Monty couldn't help wondering whether he would be going out to Gee's Britin for a wedding or not. He should have known better. After a very brief debate, the couple agreed that there was no way Craig was going to spoil this most important day for them. Brian turned to Monty.

"Don't you need to be heading home and getting changed, my friend?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," he laughed, winking at the couple. "C'mon Robin, looks like Batman has a wedding to go to for his friend, Rage."

A few well placed and important calls, first to Jennifer and then to the rest of the family of friends, and Brian and Justin were on their way to Gee's Britin. The ceremony was everything a couple could wish for. The love was so strong it could be felt like a physical force by every member of the wedding party and guests. Sometime during the festivities after the wedding, Brian and Justin slipped away in the back of a flower shop van. They were driven to the airstrip where their private plane awaited. Not a single guest or paparazzi had a clue that the couple were gone as the plane climbed into the night sky.

Hours later, Brian and Justin lay together in their first bed as a married couple and shared their joy in being one in every way that was now possible for two men in love with one another. If the time ever came that their State would allow a legal marriage rather than partnership, they would do that too, but for now they felt as married as one could ever feel in this lifetime. They made love with an intensity that made a mockery of Craig Taylor's hatred. Even when they fell asleep with exhaustion from their repeated orgasms they continued to make love to each other in their sleep... touching each other softly as if reassuring themselves that they were still one with each other and keeping that contact throughout the night. The sun shone bright in the island air the next morning, but not as bright as the future for one Mr. Brian Kinney, ad man, and Mr. Justin Taylor, artist and ex-actor.

The End