Brian had no idea how long he stood staring at the beautiful image, one that he somehow knew he would never forget. He was captivated, in a total state of heart-pounding awe and astonishment. He blinked in an attempt to pull his gaze free. He couldn't do it. He was absolutely mesmerized by the perfection of the blond image. Brian shook his head as he felt himself being pulled in deeper.

Fuck. What was happening to him? He was Brian Kinney. This sort of thing didn't happen to him. Whatever this was. His eyes trailed down to where he quickly determined a nameplate once rested. Why was it gone?

One question kept reverberating in his head - who is he? At once he had a sobering thought. He was in an area of the hotel named - Hall of History - everything displayed appeared to be from another time. Only one answer made sense. This man lived a long time ago, in a time where he hadn't existed. Brian found himself instantly saddened by the knowledge... and yet, his interest remained as ardent as when he'd first felt pulled to the portrait. He had to know more about him. In fact, he wanted to know everything about this man. As he forced himself away from the vision of sheer perfection, Brian forgot his hunger entirely as he walked out to find the helpful employee that could have been here when this beautiful man had stayed here.

Taking the steps in front of the hotel in an urgent manner, Brian shouted out - "Arthur!"

"Yes, Mr. Kinney?" Arthur asked, pausing his steps to look at him.

"The Hall of History, there was a photograph... a young man. There wasn't a nameplate..." Brian spoke in an excited rush, inwardly shuddering at how unlike himself he was sounding.

Arthur nodded in what was instant understanding. "Yes. Justin Taylor. He was quite a famous actor in his day. He starred in a play in the hotel theater."

Brian moved closer, his interest continuing to be piqued. "Did you say theater?"

While continuing his tasks, Arthur answered, "Yes. Down by the lake."

"Really. How long ago was that?" Brian asked, continuing to be intrigued.

Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment. "That would be 1937."

"1937?" Brian echoed. Fuck. He definitely wasn't from this time... or anything even close. Why was he so obsessed with this young man that would surely be dead by now?

Shaking his head in disbelief he returned inside the hotel, on all counts feeling as if he were losing his mind. He returned to his room hoping he could push aside the writer's block that had been plaguing him; not really surprised when he found his new location hadn't changed that. His mind continued to be overwhelmed with visions of that photograph. Justin Taylor, Arthur had told him. He closed his eyes as he pulled that face into complete focus. That sweet smile affected him the most. It was playful and yet filled with so much emotion. Brian wasn't certain he could identify it, but if he was to hazard a guess, he would call it loving. Brian shuddered anew. Love? What the fuck did he know about love? More importantly, he would have loved to know who young Justin had been thinking of when that picture had been taken.

He opened the stopwatch that he continued to carry with him. Brian didn't understand that either. That frail old man had lingered in his mind for years now. Often he wondered what had happened to him, along with wondering who that man was. Realistically, he knew that man had to be dead by now. It had been years since their encounter... and the man had been so old then. He frowned as a sense of loss and profound sadness overcame him with that thought. Dragging a hand through his hair, he decided he was well and truly fucked up. None of this made any sense... and it went against how he lived his life. Replacing the watch, Brian went back downstairs, telling himself he had no real destination in mind; in his heart knowing that was anything but the truth.

Brian was unaware of how little or how much time had passed until he was before that mesmerizing portrait again. His eyes caressed the young man's every feature, his astonishment continuing to grow. "What is it about you, Justin Taylor? Granted you are amazingly beautiful. But I've had many beautiful men. What makes you so special?" Once more, Brian forced himself to move away from the portrait, his steps carrying him to the hotel restaurant. He laughed to himself. Perhaps hunger had affected his powers of reasoning. He took a seat in the elegant dining room, hoping that repairing that problem would make whatever presently afflicted him go away.

Later that night, Brian's sleep was restless; dreams that seemed endless and heartbreakingly overwhelming him, on awakening feeling his body shaking in the aftermath... sweat rolling down his spine. What the fuck? Brian slowly sat up, trying to assimilate what had happened in his dream, only to find it had evaporated into thin air. Shaking his head as he lowered his feet to the floor, he decided he was undoubtedly going out of his mind. Determining this little jaunt hadn't done anything to improve his writer's block, Brian began to throw his clothing into his suitcase, moving in the direction of the shower to get cleaned up... deciding he would soon put the mystery of the Grand Hotel far behind him.

Brian's mind directed him to move toward the front desk and complete his check-out process, but his body willed otherwise. Within moments he found himself once again standing before the magnetic photograph of Justin Taylor; no other description seemed more apt. Each time he gazed into those deep, and seemingly endless blue eyes he felt magnetized. Brian scowled. Hell. I sound like a fucking lesbian now. Shaking his head in disgust, he pushed away from the portrait, but not before his eyes drank him in one last time. "Beautiful," Brian whispered hollowly... almost achingly, as his footsteps carried him away from the enticing vision, and off toward putting this unforgettable day and night far from his thoughts.

His bags had been loaded into his car, and waiting by the hotel entrance when he had to see the photograph again. It was then that he realized he couldn't leave yet. There was something he needed to do, although he didn't know what that was, just knew that he had to learn more about this man that lived so long ago. "Arthur? Can you take my bags back up to my room... and tell me how to find the nearest library?"

"In town right past the church," Arthur answered, scratching his head in bewilderment as Brian drove off without a backward glance.

Brian couldn't slow his speed in the small drive. He felt he was on the precipice of something significant. There had to be information in that library. He only hoped that something hadn't happened to what remained of a time so very long ago.

After a brief moment of charming one of the librarians into digging through the archives, Brian had a place to start. He opened the last magazine to the article on Justin Taylor. Smiling, Brian studied it... a gasp of awareness escaping as his eyes fell on the photograph on the adjoining page. It's not possible, he thought. How can this be? His eyes remained fixated on the photo of the old man, the same old man that had placed the stopwatch in his hand over six years ago, with the whispered plea, ‘Come back to me.' He looked beneath the photo to the caption, his heart quickly beginning to thunder in his chest. Brian read it over and over again.

This was the last photograph taken of Justin Taylor.

Brian sat back in his chair, a sense of déjà vu overwhelming him. He smiled softly... almost a contented smile. It all made sense now. At least regarding the man with the stopwatch. Had they known each other in another life? Fuck. He didn't believe in such superstitious nonsense. Brian knew one thing - if it resulted in him knowing the younger version of Justin, he would believe. Having read the article, Brian followed his next lead... one that provided him with much more detailed information. He found the man who had been Justin's valet, one that had virtually an unlimited supply of knowledge of young Justin Taylor.

He learned so much during that time. The Justin in the photograph had been happy and carefree... later to turn bitter and sad. What had provoked that change? Brian kneeled in front of the model of the hotel that Justin had commissioned to be designed. He had never viewed something fashioned down to the most precise detail. What amazed him the most was the music that played when the top flipped open. He didn't really know the music, he only knew it to be a tune that had played in his mind off and on again for years now. Brian knew then that no simple closure would be found in his investigation into the past. All this had done was pull him deeper to the alluring blond. A man he was never destined to know. That fact saddened him more than anything had ever done.

What astounded him the most was the book that he found lying on the mantel. It was written by one of his former college professors. A man that he'd always found to be more than slightly eccentric, but a man that he had always felt to have amassed a great amount of knowledge over his years. He smiled when he looked at the book - Travels Through Time. He informed Justin's former valet that Professor Finney had been his mentor for a time. He was shocked to be told that Justin had read this book numerous times. His heart thundered in his chest. Could it be possible? Brian wondered. Was time travel possible? Fuck. He knew he was losing his mind now. The very thought of entertaining such an idea and pursuing such a course of action further was beyond ludicrous... yet, it was an action he knew he was going to take.

A short time later, Brian found himself deep in conversation with his old professor - Dr. Gerard Finney. He was fascinated with what the professor had to say. He left there with the impression that time travel was infinitely possible... yet very difficult to achieve. One thing was to his advantage... he was motivated. At this moment, there was nothing he wanted to do more than meet Justin Taylor. If he could accomplish that, he would go through any ritual to cross the barrier of time.

Brian quickly moved through the town, gathering everything he would need to transform his image to that of Justin's time. His determination was absolute. "Tomorrow we will meet, Justin Taylor. I will find a way to reorder time, and discover just what makes you so special." Brian's vow was fervent, his intentions never more sincere. This needed to work. It had to work. Nothing could stop him from knowing this young man. Absolutely nothing...

TBC