Justin closed his eyes and laid his head back as Daphne drove home. "Jus, we're here," she said as she gently shook his shoulder.

Opening his eyes, he looked around for a minute to orient himself. "I must have fallen asleep. Sorry, it's been a long few days."

"Don't worry. So, do you need any help getting Brian back home?" She asked as they walked into the apartment.

Justin hung up his coat and went to the kitchen to grab a beer. "He's so stubborn. He told me that he told Cynthia he would be at work on Tuesday. I remember when I got home from the hospital- I slept most of the first day and a half. Yeah, I snuck out to see Brian, but I never told anyone that once I got there, I crashed out on his bed for, like, five hours. That's why he brought me home so late; he didn't want to wake me up."

"I didn't know that." She grabbed a beer and got out the bowl for making popcorn. She motioned at Justin and he nodded his agreement with her choice. "So, what are you going to do about him?"

"Nothing; there's no use arguing with him. I'll just help him in the morning, and we'll see how far he gets. I don't think Cynthia really expects him there. She knows Brian too well."

"It's great that she supports and puts up with him," Daphne observed.

The popcorn finished popping and Justin got out two bowls, parceling the treat out equally. They moved to the living room and sat at opposite ends of the couch, facing each other. He munched in silence for a time and looked around Daphne's apartment.

"Are you going to rent the room?"

"Why?"

"Brian asked me to move in with him. Makes sense, since I'm here to help him. I just wondered if the room would be available if I needed it," Justin explained.

"You told him!" Daphne squealed, almost tipping her bowl of popcorn as she started to raise her arms, but stopping when she remembered the bowl. "How'd he take it?"

Justin grinned as he remembered the conversation. "He said ‘yes' without any argument. It's a little scary, Daphne. He's changed. In a good way, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know- like the kid who is behaving so he can have his favorite toy, but once he gets it back, he reverts back to the same bad behavior."

Daphne nodded her head at the analogy and picked up a few pieces of popcorn that hadn't made it to her mouth, throwing them in the trash. "You don't think he's serious?" Daphne questioned.

Justin placed his bowl of empty popcorn on the table, licking his fingers of the residual butter and salt. "Oh, he's serious. I really think he wants me back, and that he misses me. It's just..."

"Justin Taylor!!! I've never known you to be at a loss for words. Talk to me," Daphne demanded as she watched Justin change positions several times on the couch.

Justin took the empty bowl to the sink and grabbed another beer from the fridge, motioning to Daphne to see if she wanted another.

"Stop stalling," Daphne teased.

Returning to the couch, he began. "I left for New York almost two years ago and things were okay for us. I saw him occasionally; he came to New York a few times, and I came here. Then one day, he pushes me off a cliff- tells me he doesn't want to see me anymore; that we're through. Then, he overdoses and I come back, because he made me his medical proxy. Brian Kinney can really screw with your head." Justin takes his index finger to his head and makes a twirling motion. "Anyway, I come back and he admits he missed me and that he pushed me away because it just got too hard to see me leave." Justin stood up and walked to window, stretching his tired body. Stifling a yawn, he continued, "Now, he's getting out of the hospital, and he tells me ‘Okay' when I tell him I want to come back, make a go of us. That isn't the Brian Kinney I know. He would have said no fucking way, argued incessantly, and THEN maybe gave in when I told him I was staying whether he liked it or not." Justin returned to the couch, grabbing a pillow and holding it to his chest.

"So basically, you're worried because Brian is doing what you want, with no argument?" Daphne summarized. Daphne finished her popcorn and put her bowl on the coffee table. She licked her fingers as Justin had earlier.

"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way. Sounds really silly when you say it that way," Justin admitted.

"It isn't silly. You're afraid he'll change his mind or something else will change," Daphne observed.

"How'd you get so smart?"

"I've known you forever, and I know how you think. I also know Brian has a lot of bad habits, and you're worried about him."

Justin played with the pillow, alternately throwing it up and catching it. "He hasn't had any alcohol or any drugs for a month, but that's because he's been in the hospital. Once he's home, I don't know. I don't expect him to give up either, but it's this huge pink elephant in the room. I can't talk about it, and he won't. I'm afraid it's going to blow up in our faces."

Daphne reached out and hugged him. "He's a grown man, Justin. You can't protect him from himself and if you try, he'll just resent you. Just know that I'll support you whatever happens. And for the record, I think that this time you're both ready to be together." She smiled as she kissed Justin on the cheek. She got up and returned her empty bowl to the kitchen, then proceeded to clean the popcorn popper.

Justin dried the popper and placed the bowls in the dishwasher. "I think I'll shower and go to bed. Can you take me to the hospital tomorrow? Only two more days and your chauffeuring will end. Aren't you happy?"

"I'm happy to take you. But I will be glad to not have to leave an hour early for work so I can get you to the hospital and be on time," Daphne admitted.

"Oh," Justin hung his head in mock sorrow and turned toward the linen closet to grab a towel. Daphne popped him with a dishtowel.

"Be quick in there and don't use all the hot water! There's a movie on Lifetime that I want to watch, and it starts in an hour," Daphne called out as Justin shut the door. Justin took a shower and went to bed.

Justin woke up and stretched, feeling the lingering stiffness in his neck and shoulders. The light seemed off. Looking at the alarm clock by the bed, he realized why. "Shit," Justin muttered as he looked at the clock. "I wanted to go by the loft before I went to the hospital. Now I'll be really late." Justin rubbed his eyes and pulled back the covers.

"Daphne!" he called through the closed door. "We overslept and you need to get up!"

Daphne stumbled to the door of her bedroom and opened it. "Justin, he's going home tomorrow. He doesn't need you there every waking moment," she chastised him. "Go get dressed, we'll eat, and then I'll take you to the hospital.

"Could we stop at the loft before we go to the hospital?"

"Sure. But, I thought you got his mail before you left. Surely, it could wait until Monday when he comes home."

Justin walked into the kitchen, grabbed a glass from the cabinet, and poured some orange juice. After finishing the juice, he placed the glass in the dishwasher. "I'm not worried about the mail. I want to take a good look at the layout. I've never looked at it with the eyes of someone using crutches or a wheelchair. I want to have everything ready for when he comes home," Justin explained.

"Good thinking. You make a great nurse," she said as she play hit him on the arm.

"Gatekeeper. That's Brian's name for me, but I don't know how good I'm going to be at my job since I may need some help to take care of him."

After dressing, the two friends ate a quick breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, then drove to the loft.

As they drove up, Justin eyed the stairs in front of the building. "Damn! There is no ramp, and at least ten stairs. How do they get away with that?"

Daphne parked the car on the street and they walked up to the building. "Calm down. Maybe there is a ramp in the back. Old buildings often don't have ramps in front- the designers thought that it would mar the look of the building," Daphne suggested. They walked to the back of the building, and luckily, there was a ramp. Justin walked up the ramp and tested the electronic button to open the door, but found it wouldn't budge.

"Guess you still have to get buzzed in or have a key. Let me try Brian's key." Inserting the key into the hole, the door opened. "That's better. I guess the building still has to be secure, especially from the back. I wonder if Brian even knows this is here?" he commented. They entered the building, but found themselves in a dark area. "Where the fuck is this? I've never seen this part of the building." Following the dark corridor, they found themselves in the central lobby. "That was majorly creepy. I wouldn't want to have to enter there when it's dark, but I guess it is better than navigating the steps." Justin took a deep breath, relieved to have avoided one hurdle. "Okay, let's go up and take a look. At least I know he can get in the building using the wheelchair if he needs to."

Justin let them into Brian's apartment; the familiar settings took the edge off Justin's anxiety. His breathing became even and his heart slowed down. "Home." He announced, almost forgetting Daphne's presence by his side. He turned towards her and said, "I've been here so many times, and no matter what the circumstance, it always feels like home. I feel more comfortable here than I do anywhere else."

"Hey! What about my place? You've practically lived there for I don't know how long, and every time you get kicked out of here, you find yourself at my doorstep." Daphne remarked, as she walked around the loft, eyeing the furnishings and the view. "It is very ‘Brian.' I can see why he feels so comfortable here. Its clean lines and beautiful furniture ooze the man even in his absence." She ran her hand over a shelf and looked at her finger, surprised to see no dust. "How does he do that? The place hasn't even been lived in for over a month, and it's dust free," Daphne asked, the slight envy evident in her voice.

"He has a cleaning lady, you dope. Brian is a clean freak, and it's a good thing. His cleaning lady found him. If it hadn't been for her...." He cringed, but didn't finish the thought.

He walked into the kitchen, eyeing the space between the island and the counter. "Seems like there will be plenty of maneuvering room in here, whether he's in his chair or using the crutches." Eyeing the computer area, he made his way to that section of the loft. "For once, Brian's minimalist style is a good thing. There really shouldn't be any problems in the loft at all." Turning around he saw the stairs leading to the bedroom. "Oh shit-the bedroom!" he exclaimed. He climbed the few stairs and saw that they were fairly shallow. "There are only three stairs, and they aren't very wide. And no railing... he might have problems getting up these." Looking around the rest of the bedroom, he eyed the door to the bathroom. "That door is pretty narrow. He might have to use the crutches to get to the bathroom. How am I going to help him in the shower?" Justin flashed a memory of the two of them enjoying the warm soapy water, and he soon felt his cock enlarge. Pulling himself from the memory, he walked around the bathroom area. "He can't take a shower with that cast- it would get wet - and there's no tub. I guess it'll be sponge baths for awhile. He isn't going to like that. Shit! How am I going to wash his hair?"

Daphne placed her hand on Justin's arm, pulling him back to the here and now. "Easy, Justin. I think my mom has a shower chair that you can use. You can pull it up to the sink and Brian can lean back, putting his head in the sink. Or you could have him stand at the kitchen sink and you could use the sprayer. This isn't a disaster, so stop queening out," she teased.

"Sorry. I just..."

"Don't worry about it. You have lots of friends that are more than willing to help out. These next few weeks will go by very fast." Daphne looked at her watch. "Look, Justin, I hate to say it but we need to get you to the hospital. I need to meet my friend Jane at the bridal store to pick out bridesmaid dresses, and I'm supposed to be there in a little over an hour."

"Sure. Let me just grab some clothes for Brian to wear home tomorrow, and then we can leave." Justin went to Brian's closet and flipped through the hangers. "Shit. This is one of those times where Brian's wardrobe is a definite disadvantage. I don't see anything that will fit over his cast, and it is too damned cold to bring shorts for him to wear."

"Can't he wear the lounge pants home?" Daphne asked innocently.

"Well, I guess, but Brian is not that casual. He's always bitching when he sees guys wearing those in public."

"He'll get over it. This is not the fashion event of the year," Daphne commented. "Just grab something and let's go."

Justin grabbed a few choices for Brian, then locked the door and set the alarm. They returned to the car, and Daphne drove him to the hospital.

"I can be here by 8:00pm to pick you up. Is that alright?"

"Sure. If it's a problem, I'll call." Justin leaned over and hugged her, and then got out of the car.