THE CRUCIBLE

Chapter 9

Healing Begins

         The next morning at the Diner, Hunter presented the two Kings with an unpleasant gift.

         "Since you two are finding things so...easy and enjoyable...Let's up the ante, shall we?!"
         He held up two pairs of roller skates.

         "Oh Hunter! Can't you cut us a bit of a break? We didn't mean anything by it yesterday! We only meant we were starting to be a well oiled machine. If you do this thing, it's only going to set us back again!"

         "Yeah! Besides, we thought we worked out a few issues last night!" added Brian.

         But Hunter was pitiless. "We did, if you mean we worked out that I was sorry for tantruming and biting you. But I still am not going to let you coast through this! Life is HARD WORK, not a well oiled machine! Why do you think Debbie bitched and yelled and told people to serve themselves half the time!?"

         The two men shrugged helplessly. "Because...she's Debbie?" Brian asked cluelessly.

         Hunter's face grew blotchy. "It's because she does everything we do, all by herself! Because she can't keep up! And it's time for you to have a taste of that medicine!"

         He thrust the skates at them. "Here! These should fit you! Enjoy your servant's shoes!" he said cuttingly as he threw Justin a furious and disgusted look. He spun on his heel and strode off, tight-assed to the kitchen.

         "I deserved that," Justin said sadly, as he pulled on the skates.

         "No you didn't. We don't deserve any of this. We've apologized over and over. And every time we seem to be making a step forward in the right direction, he takes two steps back. We have to face it Justin. Maybe...maybe there's nothing we can do. I want him so much! But he doesn't want me...either of us...back. And I'm all out of ideas! I just...I just don't know what to do anymore!" He grabbed Justin in a bear hug and silent sobs wracked his body. Justin held him for a long minute.

         "Don't worry Brian! We'll get him! I'll get him for you! I don't know when...I don't know how...but things will start changing right now! And I'll get him for you!" And he kissed his neck and sucked his earlobe comfortingly. Brian gasped in pleasure.

         "God, I want you so bad!" he growled.

         "Tonight!" promised Justin fervently. They kissed deeply, madly, desperately.

         "Oi!! Get to work, wheel jockeys!" yelled Hunter from somewhere.

         And so they did.

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         For the next three days, Brian fell into a kind of decline. He stopped smiling. Ever. He stopped talking unless it was absolutely necessary. When he did talk it was in a dull monotone, devoid of any emotion. Every so often he would pass by Justin and stroke his cheek tenderly with one finger but that was the only PDA he could seem to muster up.

         He worked like a slave. On and on through the day, he never stopped working. He took breaks only when absolutely necessary and ate only twice a day.

         He avoided Hunter as much as possible. He only talked to him when he needed to report something or if there was a problem. And more and more, he found ways to solve the problems himself so he didn't have to go to Hunter at all. He called him sir or Hunter now, in a dull voice. He never tried to call him son anymore. Off work was more of the same, he drove in stony silence, he walked in stony silence, he showered in silence and for the last two days of the challenge, showered alone. He wasn't allowed to fuck there, what was the point? He denied Hunter nothing but only answered yes or no and complied with whatever he wanted. And the fucks before bed were wilder, more desperate, more frenzied than ever, as if all that bottled up energy from the day was being released in the 45 minutes they had free. With all the snarling, nipping and other feral energy, sometimes Justin felt as if he were making love with a big, bad wolf instead of a dark, brooding man with dark brown hair and tortured green eyes the color of a sickly, stormy sea. And Brian screwed him so hard, he felt like Brian was trying to work his way straight through him and rend him in half. Part of him loved it but the other half of him was still sore in the morning.

         On day three, Justin pulled Hunter outside during the morning lull. Everyone was taken care of and Brian was as usual, very carefully mopping the floor in his skates. He had taken to mopping each tile twice and scrubbing very hard, so it took him twice as long but he didn't care anymore. His entire world had greyed out, without color, without happiness, without hope.

         "Hunter, you have to talk to Brian. He's very upset with how you've been treating him...both of us, really!"

         "What are you talking about? These have been the best couple of days of my life! And look at him in there! He's never worked harder!"

         "Don't you see?? Haven't you been watching? That's all he ever does now! He doesn't talk! He doesn't smile! He doesn't eat lunch. He's never happy! Haven't you noticed? Haven't you noticed how he never engages you in conversation anymore? Haven't you noticed, he's given up calling you son!?"

         "Like I said, it's been the best couple of days of my life," repeated Hunter cruelly, "No more bickering that I'm not his son. Maybe he's finally accepted the truth. As for the rest of it, that has nothing to do with me. I can't control his behaviour." He moved to go back inside.

         Justin blocked him and shoved him up against the wall, away from the window and pressed his forearm against his windpipe and leaned in inches away.  He had never been so angry in his life. He could take a lot in this life but mess with his love and his heart, then watch out! He could be a little blond tiger! And now his teeth and claws were out!

         "You ungrateful, sadistic, snot-nosed little shit!" Justin ground out, "What the Hell happened to you? How did you get so cruel?!"

         "What can I say? I learned from the..."

         "Yeah, yeah, yeah! We're horrible! We're monsters! We fucked up! Yeah, we got that! But before that! And after! Haven't we done everything in our power to help you, to provide for you, to transform you into something better than you were!? Come here, you little prick!"

         And Justin grabbed him by the scruff of the collar and skated over with him to the alleyway opening from where they had first heard and then saw him and been propositioned by him.

         "Take a look! Take a good long look at where we found you!" Justin cried, giving him a little shake. Hunter shied away from it and struggled to get away but Justin held him fast. "Can you imagine sitting in that dark recess now? Can you imagine being that dirty boy who sold himself out for 50 and 100 dollars at a time!? Can you?? CAN YOU!!?"

         "No! No! Don't make me go back there! Don't put me back!" wailed Hunter pitifully.

         Justin whirled him around and shoved him up against the wall again. "I would never! And if you'd open your eyes and look, you'd see we're trying to take you away from it, give you a home for as long as you'd like! But you've gotten so cruel, so hard hearted, that I'd wager if you had the chance and means you'd throw either one of US, OR BOTH, into that alley or a pit like it! AS it is, you've put Brian into a pit of despair that rivals this alley! Don't you understand, that you CAN affect his behaviour!? As it is, he's in grieving! He's grieving your loss!"

         "Grieving me? What are you talking about? I'm right here!"

         "He's grieving the loss of you as his son! He told me a couple of days ago, the day you insisted on these skates, in fact, that he didn't know what else to do to reach you! That he was out of ideas! It was then that he went into this grieving behaviour! So, I'm going to tell you some truths and you better damn well listen up! One: You ARE our son! You are my son! And we love you! And we want to provide for you in a home that is beyond you imagination and you might have had a glimpse of when you were there, if you hadn't been so blinded with anger. Do you even remember your bedroom walls?"

         "No," Hunter admitted.

         Justin huffed in anger. "Two: If you are not careful, that life will slip away from you forever! Brian, even now, is engaged in the process of letting go. And trust me, I know Brian now, like I know my own soul! Once he lets go, he will have given you up forever and he will never pick you up again! Be glad you have made arrangements with the Twins, for if he does let go, he will cut all ties, all help, all relationship. He will not require Debbie to help you any more. As far as he is concerned you can go back to the alley from whence you came!"

         "He wouldn't! You wouldn't! You're bluffing! You're just trying to scare me!"

         The blond tiger bared his teeth as he smiled a feral smile of his own. "And is it working? Are you scared, my pet? You should be! For alas, I am NOT bluffing! As it is, I am letting go! And if Brian goes with me, this working class life, this life you are trying to prove to us what a Hell it is, will be your life, forever!

         "You offered me Heaven once before!" Hunter countered, "And you snatched it away! How do I know you won't do the same thing again if I let my guard down!?"

         Justin sighed. "OK. I'm going to say this once more. Once. Then, as far as I'm concerned, it's over, it's past. I'm not saying it again. I'm. Sorry. Sorry. S-O-R-R-Y! I'm sorry for that night and everything we said and did. I'm sorry for servant's shoes. I'm sorry for the stuff about razing houses. So is Brian. You have to know, we would NEVER do such a thing! I'm sorry! NOW...forgiveness is up to you but as for me, I'm forgiving myself. As far as I'm concerned it's over and done with and I'm not apologizing any more! And I'm not wearing these wretched things any more. The challenge was that we would work the Diner for the week and we have and we will. But the agreement didn't say we had to be miserable while doing it and it didn't say we couldn't find a way to do a DAMN GOOD JOB of it while we worked! You're just being vindictive!" He released Hunter at last and skated toward the door. "Oh, and we're knocking off at 3 to go visit the babies! I think we've earned it! You can come with, if you want." He reached the door, opened it. What's it going to be Hunter? Are you with us or against us? Make your choice soon! The window is closing fast!"

         And with that he skated inside and told Brian he could take off the skates. Hunter was left outside, shaking with helpless rage.

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         After a while, Hunter came back in again and stormed through to the back. He gave Justin a kind of ‘Fuck you" look on his way past. His hard, fallow heart would not let him repent. But he didn't mention the skates or pay attention to how well they did their jobs or how much they chose to enjoy them.

         But he began to watch Brian in a covert way more closely. Justin was right. Brian was in a real state, moody, depressed, and silent. Well, more so than usual. He never smiled. He looked no one in the eye. He acted...kind of like how he acted after he had almost succumbed to Red Hood's advances. Hunter remembered how depressed he had felt, how pointless his life had been at that time. He couldn't believe he had caused those feeling to happen in another human being. Oh God, what was that? Was that...guilt? For the first time since...the incident, Hunter had a good long think about Brian and Justin about how they tried to accommodate him as much as possible even to the point of working here. They had fed him. They had bought him new clothes and had even let him pick sometimes. They had not forbidden Debbie from helping him and even praised him on his success. And all he had done, was bitch and yell and complain and be cruel to them and pour cold water on them and such.
            But then that old bitterness, that old anger resurfaced and washed over him like a cold wave. They needed to pay. They WERE paying. And they deserved everything they got. But...but maybe he was going a little too far. He had been pushing Brian a little too hard. There was only so far you could push a person before they pushed back. Maybe this was that point.

         Good! Who cared! Pricks! AHHHHHHH! What was that? Why couldn't he stop this? Why couldn't he let go?

         No! He had to try! Or at least try and say he was sorry for being hard on them for the week.

         "Hey Brian? C'mere a minute?"

         "Brian marched over to the counter in two steps. He sat beside Hunter. "Yes, sir?" he asked dully. His eyes were dull. His face was slack.

         "Hey Bri, forget about this sir stuff willya? You make me feel old. Look, just sit down for a while and rest, OK? How ‘bout a burger? I don't think I've seen you eat lunch in a while."

         "I'm not hungry. If it's all the same to you, s - Hunter, I'd rather just get back to work."

         "Well, just share mine then. Phil! A cheeseburger and fries, please!"

         As Phil complied, Hunter tried to apologise. It was a messed up, half assed apology, but he tried.

         "Look Brian, I know I`ve been hard on you the last little while. I don`t mean to be. I know we`ve tried to work things out and then I spoil it. I just get angry and it comes out all wrong. Arrgh! Even now I can feel it! Makes me think you`re getting what you deserve! I just can`t help it! Ahhh! What`s wrong with me!"

         "Can I go back to work now sir?" Brian asked dully.

         "No, wait! Please!" He grabbed Brian's hand. Brian stilled. "Look! I'm just trying to say...I'm sorry for being rough of you the last week. I'm trying to work through the anger. You did a good job this week."

         "Thank you, s - Hunter. Can I go back to work now?"

         "Are you sure you wouldn't like a bit of my burger?" (which had just come) "Or a fry or two? He waved it tantalizingly in front of his face.

         "No thanks," Brian said in a grey, monotonic voice. He turned away.

         "Justin told me you are going to visit the babies tonight," Hunter said.

         Brian turned back. "Yeah, that's right. So what?"

         "So, I was hoping I could come with you. You said I could see them whenever. So I was hoping I could come along..." He forced the word out. "...Dad."

         Brian stilled and looked deep into his eyes. There was a long moment where there was just silence as the two men looked at each other "I told you, you could come see them anytime you wanted and I meant it. Gus will be glad to see you." He got down off the stool and this time there was nothing he could do to make him stay. Brian pulled his hand out of Hunter's grip. "But don't call me that unless you mean it. I told you, it's all or nothing. So don't force it out like it's fake or a dirty word. Until you can say it for real, don't say it. I guess you're right. I'm not your Dad."

         He lumbered over and picked up the mop again. And now Hunter was grieved because he saw that Justin was right. The window was closing; perhaps it was already closed.

         And then Hunter smiled a little because he remembered from the old days what he would do when he came across a closed and locked window he needed to get into.

         Smash it open with a crowbar.

         "You're right!" he said clearly, "I didn't mean it. Not yet. But I wanted to get your attention. I can't help that it sounds stilted and fake and horrible in my mouth when I say it. I don't know why I can't get over the angry, vengeful feelings I have. But I want to. I want the babies like they're mine! At the beginning of the week I was so blind with grief and hate that I didn't want to be your son any more. I'll be honest. I still don't fully want to. But you finished my challenge and you've learned humility and what hard working people do and I think I can trust that you are not the snobs you portrayed."

         "We're not!" they ground out together.

         "But now I believe you! It took me a long time to get there! And there's still bitterness but at least now, I want to want to become your son again."

         "You want to...want to...What does that even mean!?" Brian shook his head in confusion, "Look Hunter, that's just not good enough! We want you! Period. No more games, we promised and we promise! And it has to be the same in return. But I don't know what to do to get there any more! And I'm too tired and sad to even try!"

         You don't have to try! You don't have to do anything! Just let me do all the trying now. Let me try and get over this bitterness and anger. I can promise that I'll stop fighting you and treating you like shit. I'll try and get past these bad feelings and get back to where we were before. Justin was right. If you really didn't mean that night, then I'll try and pretend it didn't hap...well, I'll try and forg....well, I'll try and ignore it as much as I can, how about that? Look, we'll even knock off early and go right now! Consider the challenge fulfilled! We'll all take the rest of the day off! Try to get re-aquainted! I'm sure this place can survive one little afternoon off!"

         "Really? We're done!? Brian plopped into an empty booth.

         "Really! In fact, I'll finish mopping the floor. You just rest and I'm sorry Brian. I'm sorry for treating you so bad this week and I'm sorry for not recognizing you were so sad these past couple of days." He hugged Brian awkwardly but Brian all of a sudden had become made up of all sorts of sharp angles and he couldn't get a proper hug so eventually he just reached around and patted him awkwardly on the back. He put his untouched cheeseburger and fries in front of him and got to work. In no time he had mopped the floor and had switched the sign to closed.

         In spite of not being hungry, Brian fell onto the food like a starving man. Phil wisely started another round and when that was ready, Hunter served it up. Brian ate that all up too.

         And while he was, all three of them rested in their respective booths. Suddenly, Justin's eyes widened. "Oh no!" he cried, "What about the Twins?!"

         Hunter deflated a little. "Oh yeah. I forgot about them for a few minutes. Oh, and they're due any minute!"

         "Maybe they won't come..." suggested Brian, his mouth still full of burger.

         Right on schedule, the two enormous men in their identical blue suits appeared down the street.

         "Nope, here they come. We'll have to take them. Maybe when they hear about the babies, they'll cut us a break and let us close at 3. Phil, fire up the grill! Phil! Phil!!??"

         But Phil was gone! He had heard ‘knock off early', and ‘rest of the day off'...and ‘rest of the afternoon'...and had made Brian's burgers, wiped up and ditched before they could change their minds.

         Hunter popped up at the pick up window, his eyes panicked. "Phil's gone! Duck! Maybe they won't see you!"

         The Twins were halfway across the parking lot. Justin lay flat on his booth but Brian wasn't quick enough. He turned to look at the Twins and involuntarily met their eyes. They waved.

         "No good. They saw me," Brian said, smiling and waving back.

         "Oh shit! We're screwed!" Hunter started to panic.

         "Now Hunter, don't panic! We'll get through this!" Justin said.

         The Twins were at the door.

         "Battle stations!" Hunter screamed.

         He opened the break in the counter, ran to the door. The Twins were just starting to talk, wondering about the Closed sign when Hunter yanked the door open.

         "Hi Fred! Hi Red! Come on in!"

         "Hi Hunter. Are you closed?"

         "Uh, no! Come on in!" He let the Twins in and the slammed and locked the door quickly. "However, we were hoping to leave early today. We want to go see the babies! So...take it easy on us? Plus, I'll be your chef today."

         "Oh? What happened to Phil?"
         "Oh, well he heard about the babies and taking off early for the day and he sort of...well he...he..."

         "Fucked off?" supplied Brian.

         "Jumped the gun," Hunter said with a bit more tact, "So, it'll just be the lot of us today. It also means we were hoping you'd take it easy on us so we could get out of here by....3 o'clock?"

         "Well, I guess that's do-able. For the babies. Right Red?"

         "Right...For the babies."

         "For me too?" Hunter asked, smiling winsomely.

         "For you too, then," they said

         "And for me too?" asked Brian.

         "OK, for you too," Fred said.

         "And me? How bout for me?" Justin asked meekly. He still knew he was on the outs with them.

          "Hmmpph!" they both crossed their arms. Justin's face fell and he nodded sadly.

         "Now boys! Come along now! Sit here and we'll get you started," said Hunter, guiding them to a booth. "You know, you really can let up on Justin now. He's put in his week and he's done a good job. And he said he was sorry for what he did that day and...and for a lot of other stuff too...and...and I forgive him for it..." (Justin stilled) "So if I can forgive him, can't you guys forgive him too? At least talk to him again?"

         "You have? Are you sure? You guys have made up?" Fred asked.

         "Well, things aren't 100% yet. But I forgive him about the part about...what he said about my job. And besides, like I said, I'd already decided to leave the food industry. So you don't need to be mad at him either."

         "Well, we'll think about it." Was all they'd say, "But we still will only accept our bracelets back from you, the Crown Prince of Liberty Kingdom!"

         "Well....we'll see!" Hunter replied with a wink. The men were surprised. That was the most upbeat answer Hunter had ever given them regarding that subject "Now!" Hunter whipped out his pad and pencil. "What'll you have!?"

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         Well, I can tell you, even with the Remington Twins "taking it easy", feeding them was still a vast undertaking. They ordered drinks and salads and enough food to fill 2 large trays to overfilling.

         Hunter started with drinks and the cold food and quickly chopped and stirred together 2 huge salads. He included lots of vegetables, threw in a bunch of flax seeds and sprinkled it liberally with bran that he could pass off for bacon bits. If they were going to consume all this on his watch, he was going to make DAMN sure it was going to...well, never mind.

         Then he started on the sandwiches and fries and burgers and onion rings and...everything else the twins wanted and soon the grill was full. Eventually all was ready and Hunter served everything up on the proper plates. The huge tray was filled to capacity and all the meat in the orders made it extremely heavy. Justin struggled to lift it and make his walk of shame down the long counter, into the back, back out through the double doors into the Diner and down to the Twins who were about halfway down.

         Normally, Hunter would have watched smugly, his arms crossed, with grim satisfaction. If he could he would have been beating out a somber beat on a slave drum. Part of him still wanted to, part of him screamed, "Make him payyy!!!"
         But now, after his talk with Justin outside and the aggrieved look in Brian's eyes that part of him was tempered with...something else. Something else that thought that maybe they had paid their due. Something that realized he was coming close to losing Brian altogether. Maybe he already had. He hoped not. Hunter looked at sweet, sad Brian and realized, My God! He hoped not! He really hoped he hadn't. He missed Brian. For the first time he tried to think about a life without him around nagging him, trying to call him son, and watching him and Justin making out and picnics and clothes shopping and the babies and...and everything...and all he saw was himself in a grey uniform, in a grey box of a factory, pushing a broom over a never-ending floor. With nobody wanting him, nobody caring if he advanced or was demoted, if he was happy or sad, if he lived or died. No Justin, no Brian, no babies, just a broom and dust going around and around and around until it was time to start again...

         "Justin, wait, hang on a minute! Put it on the counter, wait for me!" Justin complied and Hunter turned off the grill and raced out of the kitchen and behind the counter like the hounds of hell were at his heels.

         Hunter reached Justin and opened the break in the counter rand lifted one side of the tray.

         "Come on," he said, "Help me. We'll do it together."

         Justin frowned at him as if to say, ‘What's the catch?' but Hunter just gave a watery, shy sort of smile and held his end of the tray and gestured with it and waited.

         He did not have to wait long. Justin lifted his end and together they went through the shortcut and served the Twins together. As they thunked the tray down on the table, Justin said softly, "Thank you, Hunter."

         "You're welcome, Justin. Well, I'm going to get busy cleaning the kitchen." He spun on his heel and went back through the break in the counter. As he closed the counter, he snuck a look at Brian. The man's face was impassive. Hunter squelched any disappointed feelings he may have had because he had NOT done any of that for his benefit. He hadn't. Really. But a little reaction of any kind might have been nice. Ah well...

         Hunter filled the sink with soapy water and put the salad dishes and the few glasses that had come back into it. He used a bit of it to soap up the now cool grill. He hummed a little tune that was in his head and scrubbed industriously.

         "Can I help?" a deep voice asked shyly beside him.

         Hunter jumped. It was Brian. He hadn't even heard him come in. "Uhh, sure," he said, "I think I have this grill down but you could start on the dishes and maybe the counters."

         "OK." Brian moved to the sink and started on the glasses. He slowly washed a glass and then suddenly said, "That was a really nice thing you did for Justin back there. Thank you."

         "It was nothing." Suddenly a certain corner of the grill needed extra attention.

         "It was something to me. It's like...well, Hunter did you know Justin has half my heart?"

         "No," Scrub scrub scrub... "What happened? Did you have to have an operation?"

         "No. I mean my other heart...my soul. And hopefully, he feels the same way."

         "Oh...I think I can safely say that he does," Hunter said, scrubbing away.

         "Yes, well, my point is, when you do something nice for him like that, it was like you were doing it for me too.  So thank you...my son." Hunter felt two strong hands on his shoulders and then lift a bit as they reflexively expected Hunter to jerk them away as always.

         But this time Hunter did not jerk away. He stilled and stood stock still, a little afraid, a little curious as to what Brian would do next as he never let him get past this point. He leaned back until he felt Brian's big, strong hands on his shoulders again and then further back until he bumped back against the wall that was his chest.

         "You're welcome, Brian," he said. He did not call him Dad but he did not make the standard denial, ‘I am NOT your son!' either.

         Brian made a sound of supreme contentment and happiness that Hunter was sure would never be uttered if they had not been completely alone. His hands slowly slid down the front of Hunter's chest until they met each other in the center and laced together. He pulled Hunter flush against him and hugged him very hard. He bent down and kissed the young man on his forehead. "Thank you for letting me do this," he said, "I know it must be hard for you."

         "It's getting easier," Hunter said honestly.

         Brian squeezed again and released a bit. "I missed you, Hunter. I still miss you."

         "I know Brian. And I know I've been hard on you. I'm sorry I've been so rough on you. I'm sorry that I wanted you to be miserable while you worked. That wasn't part of the deal. I was just upset that you weren't finding it harder."

         "I know," said Brian.

         Hunter reached up and stroked Brian's big hands with his smaller teenage ones. "If it means anything, I missed you too. If I get angry with you again later, I'll apologize in advance. I still don't have my feelings under control. I don't understand why. But right here, right now, I'm just so grateful. That evening...after you left, I gave up all hope that I'd ever see you, feel you touch me, any way, ever again. I wanted to die."

         "I'm so sorry Hunter," Brian said.

         "Hunter spun in his arm and faced him. Brian's hands were now laced together at the small of his back. Hunter reached behind him and grasped one in each hand. "Don't be sorry," he said in mock sternness, "Just don't do it again. Now go on, get back to work!"

         "Yes SIR!" Brian mock saluted, turned back to the sink and obeyed.

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         Despite their enormous (and yet taking it easy on them) lunch, the Twins were true to their word and done by 3:00 PM. They even helped a bit by taking their dishes to the bussing tray and not lingering over their coffee.

         Everything seemed idyllic. They started to work as a unit again, a real team for the last hour. One would wash, another would gather and the third would serve, although, that one gradually had less and less to do as the Twins were slowly but surely sated.  Then that one helped with washing and kept an ear out in case the Twins should holler but they mostly just talked the most boring shop in the world.

         And then, suddenly, at last, they were done. The grill was clean, the last dish was washed, the last coffee drunk. The Twins were ready to leave and so were they!

         "What shall we do now?" asked Justin excitedly. He was so eager to get out of these four walls now that it was a possibility that he was very nearly stir crazy.

         "Let's just check out of that inn and go to the castle," Hunter suggested. "I want to see Gus and J.R. so much it hurts."

         "OK, sounds good," said Brian, "Is there anything left to be done?"

         "Just one thing," laughed Hunter, "Take off your aprons and hang them up."

         Brian and Justin laughed and ran to comply.

         "Hey Hunter!" Justin yelled from the back as he hung up his apron, "How about we do a little shopping on the way?!"

         There was no reply.

         "Hunter! How ‘bout it?"

         "Maybe he can't hear us from back here," Brian suggested, hanging up his hated apron for the last time.

         "Hm. Good point. Hey Hunter! Wanna go shop-OH GREAT NEPTUNE!" he yelled as he burst through the door.

         He had got a nasty shock, like when you open the flour canister and find a rat inside.

         Hunter was sitting there on one of the stools about halfway down, a garish, toothy, half moon smile stretched across his face. Only the whites of his eyes showed. It was Guardian.

         "Good afternoon, Prince and King," he intoned in his unnatural deep voice. "Congratulations on passing the first test!"

         "He went like this as soon as you went through the door," quavered Fred, "Justin, what's happening?"

         "It's OK, Fred. This is kind of an alternate personality that came out after the third test...well, disaster," he amended, "Hunter calls it Guardian." To Guardian, he said, "Get out. Leave him now. We are starting to heal and we...he no longer needs you!"

         "I'm sorry...Did you call me an alternate personality?" Guardian asked in great amusement.

         "Yes. Isn't that what you are?" asked Justin.

         Guardian thought about it. "I suppose I am. I have my own personality that is separate from Hunter. In that way I am an alternate personality."

         "Then you heard me. Get out! Hunter it's time for you to st..."

         "However..." Guardian interrupted in an icy voice, "I am my own person. I am...my own entity. Would you like to ssssseee me, young Prince of the Sea?"

         "How did you know that?" whispered Justin, "We never told Hunter anything about my former nature."

         "I know many thinggggssssssss....that Hunter does not!" Guardian said in a hissing voice, "And now...here I am!"

         Next moment, all four men were making various noises of horror and disgust.

         Hunter's neck, right in the front of his throat began to stretch forward, to undulate softly, expanding and decreasing in a grotesque fashion, much the same way a bullfrog's does when it takes its fancy. But this was no bullfrog, this was a boy and the effect was horrifying.

         "Oh, God! Stop! Stop it!" yelled Justin when he could take no more. "What on earth ARE you? Where did you come from?"

         "You could not possibly comprehend where I came from," Guardian said, "I am a spiritual entity seeking to be made real. I heard Hunter's cries of anguish and sorrow and came to help him, as I said. But as I guard and protect him, he guards and protects me too. I am here..." His throat undulated again and then returned to normal. "...growing and feeding until I am ready to be born."

         "You're a parasite!" said Justin in disgust.

         "I prefer to think we have a symbiotic relationship," Guardian said, "But essentially, yes that is right. But it's not as bad as all that. Hunter will suffer no ill effects. Is not any baby before it is born, a parasitic life form? Just think of Hunter as pregnant." Guardian laughed unkindly. The others did not laugh.

         "Get out of him at once, you vile creature!" Justin commanded.

         "Very well," said Guardian in that deep voice that did not fit Hunter at all, "Bring me a carving knife...the bigger...and sharper...the blade, the better."

         Justin went into the kitchen and rummaged through the drawers and found a wicked, curved, carving blade. When it was brought to him, Guardian hissed/sighed in satisfaction.

         "You have chosen well, young Prince," Guardian said, "Now....Slit...your...throat!"

         "Wh- WHAT!!" gasped Justin and Brian.

         "Come now! It's only fair! If I leave my host now, I will die! If you can ask me so callously to kill myself, then why can't I return the favor? Come now! Who do you love more? Hunter? Or yourself? Slit your throat!" Again Guardian laughed unkindly but he was deadly serious.

TBC