SNOWSHINE

Chapter 7

       A short time later, the two men emerged, fully clothed, and as handsome and dapper as ever. They held each other around each other's waists as they walked and smiled in a relaxed, sated, and rather sappy way. But they couldn't help it.

       Now that he was a bit more relaxed and didn't have a gun jammed into the back of his neck, Brian was able to take a better look at his surrounding and see where he was.

                   The place he was in was larger and rectangular. It was rather dark but it was clean. There were no windows. The walls were grey cinder blocks. The floor was stone and rather uneven but it was clean. He didn't notice it before but he saw two doors leading off to side rooms on each side. There were no overhead lights. Instead, a series of halogen lamps had been set up throughout. They were plugged into extension cords that hung down from the ceiling that were plugged into...where? Brian guessed they must be plugged into somewhere that led to the Liberty Diner. Their electric bill must be enormous, thought Brian. As well, everyone had a small lamp on their desk if needed.

       Justin led the way over to a desk where a blond, long haired woman in a black, leather, skin tight cat suit and thigh high black boots in heels, was bent over her desk, writing something.

       "Hey Vixen," Justin called, "Is Double G around?"

       "Playroom," she said shortly without looking up.

       Both men let out an audible sigh of relief.

       "Hey, I want to introduce you to Bri -"

       "I'm aware of who he is," said the woman, "I was here when Whiny brought him in and I didn't care then and I don't care now. You should have let him but a bullet in him!"

       "Vixen! Really! Was that necessary? After all, he is..."

       "I know exactly who he is, Snowshine. After all, I was there, remember?" The woman finally looked up, pulled her hair back away from her face and stood up.

       Brian gasped. "Lindsay! Oh my God! You look so...so..."

       "Don't hurt yourself trying to think of the word! Well! Well! Well! Brian Fucking Kinney! You're a sight to make my eyes sore!"

       "Isn't that...You're a sight for sore eyes?" asked Brian hopefully.

       "No," said Lindsay flatly.

       "Oh. Well, I was going to say...amazing, by the way. Why are you wearing that?"

       "It cuts down on wind resistance," she replied.

       At his blank, puzzled stare, she looked at Snowshine who gave a small nod, and an amused smile.

       With a bored sigh, Lindsay (Vixen) wrapped her hair in a bun and fixed in place with what looked like two long thin, silver hair pins. She strode to the end of the room. Then she quickly back-flipped her way down the center aisle back toward them ending in a complicated move involving a twist and landed right in front of Brian. She grabbed Brian's forearm and in an even more complicated martial art move twisted him around and down until he was bent backward and immobilised in her arms. She bent her head and reached up and pulled the hair pins which turned out to be very thin, very sharp stiletto blades. She held one to his throat.

       "Poke, slash...you're dead!" she said.

       "All right, Vixen, I think he gets it. Let him up," said Snowshine.

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       It was a few minutes later.

       Brian and Justin were sitting by themselves. Brian's color was starting to come back but the trembling wouldn't really stop. He couldn't stop the glass of water he was holding from shaking. He took another sip but he wished it was Jim Beam.

       "Don't worry, Brian. We'll have you back and drinking Jim Beam in no time," Justin said, accurately reading his mind.

       "Why!? What on Earth happened to everybody? Does everybody in this room want to kill me!?"

       "Oh Brian! On no! No, no, no, no! Well...yes. Probably. But that's because they don't know you the way I do. And you ARE Stockwell's right hand man. The man's pure evil, Brian, a murderer, a blackmailer, and one who desires to rule over us and subjugate us like a dark and wicked King of old. And so they assume you are just as wicked and a traitor too, since most of these people know you are gay as well. But Lindsay just wanted to show off what she could do. She doesn't really want you dead!"

       "Oh yes I do!" she yelled out from somewhere.

       There was a pause.

       "Ahem! Yes...well! Ahh, well are you ready to meet your son?"

       "I don't know...Does he want to kill me too?" Brian asked sarcastically.

       Justin chuckled. "Oh, Brian, of course not! He's only six! Besides, we keep him away from the TV when the News is on. Mostly... I think."

       Brian gulped.

       Justin led him over to one of the doors and they went through. The change was radical. Happy screams and yelling of children were deafening. The room was huge, like a huge warehouse basement. There was linoleum on the floor and long fluorescents hanging from the ceiling There was an open space to run around in, a large blackboard, an art area, a piano, balls, blocks, dolls and stuffed animals and all manner of other toys all over the place. There was a jungle gym. The whole place was bright and colourful and noisy. Kids from 5-13 ran around and milled everywhere. There was an adult watching over everything but otherwise not interfering.

       We busted into the warehouse next door and soundproofed everything," Justin said, accurately reading Brian's astonishment. "They do not know we are here. There is an adult supervisor at all times. We take shifts."

       He took a whistle out of his pocket and blew a quick blast. The children all quieted at once and turned toward him.

       "Hello, Mr. Snowshine!" they all chorused.

       "Hello everybody! Is everybody having a good time?"

       "Yes, Mr. Snowshine!"

       "Excellent! I am looking for Double G! Is he here!?"

       "I'm here! I'm here!" piped a voice in the crowd and a little hand attached to a little arm reached out and waved itself in the middle of it.

       "Come to me, Double G, I would like to have a discussion with you!"

       The little boy began to fight his way through the crowd as there was a loud, collective UHHHH OHHHHHH!!!!!...from the other children.

       "Pleasant discussion," Justin amended.

       There was a loud BOOOOOO!!...from the other children and they all began to disperse.

       At last, Gus reached the front of the collective and came into view. Brian gasped. Then he smiled and tucked his lips in to keep the good feelings from bubbling to the surface.

       The boy approached them shyly and stood before them submissively with his arms behind his back. He toed the ground shyly and nervously and looked up at them and smiled when he saw there was only kindness in their eyes. He looked at Brian and tucked his lips over his teeth in an identical fashion in shyness and pleasure that the strange man saw that he was good little boy.

       "You look like me," he said prettily.

       "Yes," Brian said simply. "And you look like me." He wanted to say....so much more but he didn't want to scare the boy first thing.

       Gus was a typical sized six year old which to Brian meant he looked extraordinarily small. So very, very small but this may have been because he was so much bigger than everyone else that he just looked that way. What was even more extraordinary was the fact that Gus was a pint sized version of himself. Gus had short, messy brown hair, a roundish head that was Brian's exactly and a pert nose. His eyes were a brilliant green. His teeth were even and perfect. He tucked his lips over them when he was nervous or especially pleased which he was both right now.

       "Double G, I would like you to come with us out into a quiet place so we can have a talk. I want you to meet this gentleman."

       "Yes, Mr. Snowshine," said Gus.

       "Wow, you sure have them trained," Brian said.

       "Postive re-inforcement only. Every time they obey or answer correctly they are praised and/or given a treat. If they were to sass back or act out they are made to sit out for a while and no treat is given. When the collective was large enough, the newbies were given one free pass but if they disobeyed after that, the entire group would be deprived of a treat. After a while they learned to self govern themselves. Now, there's an odd little hiccup once in a while but for the most part they are completely obedient not because they have to be but because they want to be. Isn't that right, Gus?" he asked ruffling his hair.

       "Oh yes, Mr. Sunshine!" Gus said in adoration. He was clearly in love with the white-haired man and acted like he was in a privileged position to have the attention and time of this important man.

       "Then come along," Snowshine said, as he held his hand. Gus took it eagerly and they went out into the workroom once more. They went along the side and went into the second door on that side. The room inside this room was long and large but not as large as the playroom. Another storeroom. A conference table had been set up in here. There were 8 seats, 4 on each side.

       "Vix...Lindsay! Would you join us please? This concerns you too," Justin called gently.

       Lindsay sighed hugely as if this were a HUGE imposition and her shoulders sagged and her whole being seemed to scream in depression as if to say: At last! The day I have dreaded, the day of my Doom, has come at last! But she scraped her chair back and marched over there grimly in accordance with Snowshine's wishes.

       They all went into the conference room and shut the door. Lindsay and Gus sat on one side of the table and Justin and Brian sat on the other side. Justin took Brian's hand and held it in a show of affection and possession.

       "Even before I came to you, this man became very special to me. He has shown that he has a deep desire to know his son. That is one of the reasons that I led him here. To meet him."

       "NO!" Lindsay cried, "I will not allow it! Oh, Justin, why did you have to fall for THIS man!? This is Brian Kinney! The man who is helping our enemy to destroy his own kind! He doesn't do boyfriends! He doesn't believe in love! He just uses men as tricks and throws them away and he'll do the same to you! The minute he gets out of here, he'll lead the authorities here and you'll never see him again! He doesn't want you! Not like you want him! And he certainly doesn't want his son!"

       "That's not true!" Brian cut in. "Granted, that used to be true. But not anymore! Not for a long time! Ever since I started Kinnetic three years ago, I stopped the frantic tricking. And for 5 years, ever since you left for France, every single day I regret not doing something to stop you. But you kept saying it wasn't my responsibility, wasn't my right and God help me!!...I let you convince me. I thought you were still there! What happened?"

       "We were there about a year. Guillaume and I both realized we'd made a mistake so we divorced amicably and I came home. I tried looking up Mel but it was too late. She'd moved on. And you...you'd disappeared. You were unlisted. You never came to the Diner. You didn't contact any of the gang. And I had Gus. I couldn't waste time looking. So I've spent these years looking after him the best I could. Debbie helped with babysitting and money but things have always been tight. But we get by."

       "I guess that was when I was in my workaholic phase," Brian said regretfully, "To think you were back in Pittsburgh this whole time! Oh Lindsay, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry about Mel! And I promise, things will never be "tight" again!"

       "Talk is cheap," said Lindsay shortly.

       "True!" Brian replied, "However, I am not! I'm loaded and I promise, from now on, you will want for nothing!"

       And so saying, he drew out his chequebook and proceeded to quickly write out 6 cheques for $3,000 .00 each, one for this month and then one per month in the future for 5 months.

       Lindsay tried to stop him. "I know where you're money comes from! Stockwell! I won't take a dime of his blood money!"

       "I have lots of accounts that make me money. I just closed one yesterday with a Japanese company that should set me up for life. I got it so I could ditch Stockwell entirely! And now I can! Just consider this money coming from them instead!" Brian answered reasonably.

       However, Lindsay was a woman and a lesbian besides and counted it within her rights to be as unreasonable as she wanted. She opened her mouth to refuse him again but before she could get out a sound another voice piped up.

       "Mother, why is this man giving us money?" asked Gus in a childlike but determined and...intelligent fashion. Unnoticed by anyone, a small hand had reached out and taken the first cheque Brian had ripped off. He was examining it closely. "Sir, why would you care about us? Why are you doing this?"

       "Double G, NO!!!" Lindsay shrieked. But it was too late.

       Brian was on his third cheque when Gus asked his question. He froze. Slowly, he looked up. "What...did you say?" he asked wonderingly.

       "Mother, this cheque is for 3,000 dollars. Why would this man, a stranger, give this to us?" Gus asked Lindsay, as if Brian wasn't even in the room. Then he turned his green eyes to Brian and gave him a cold look, "Not so nice being talked about like you weren't even there, is it?" he asked.

       Brian opened his mouth and then shut it again. His astonishment and befuddlement was total. This place...this place was not a basement. It was a Twilight Zone, Narnia, and a rabbit hole leading to Wonderland all at once. And Brian had fallen in and was falling, still falling, not yet hitting the bottom of wonders. "Huh?" he managed finally.

       "Wow, smart and pretty!" Gus said in sarcasm, "Well then, since no one seems to want to introduce us, my name is GusGus, otherwise known as Double G! And you are..." he looked at the cheque carefully, "Brian...Kinney. So, Brian Kinney...for the last time...who are you, and why are you giving my mother money?"

       But Brian was still shell-shocked. "You're smart! Really smart!?"

       Snowshine decided to step in. "Double G, it's very simple. You see Brian here...Brian is your father. He's missed you very much. And so, I've brought him here to meet you."

       "I thought you said I didn't have a father?" Gus asked his mother.

       Lindsay crossed her arms and sulked. She saw the situation had quickly spiralled out of her control. "As far as I'm concerned, you didn't. Not for a long time."

       "Well, you did! Uhh...you DO!!" Brian said vehemently. "And if I'd known you were around, I would have been around a lot more! I would have visited you all the time! I thought you were in France! I missed you all the time and it killed me all the time to think you were growing up in a foreign way, speaking a strange language, unable to recognize me, even if you wanted to!"

        Gus looked at him carefully. "Do you really mean that?"

       "Yes. I really do.'

       Gus got up on his chair, got up on the table and crawled his way over to his father. He sat in front of him with his legs dangling over the edge of the table. "Now....look at me carefully. Say it again. I promise you, I will know if you are lying."

       Brian looked into the green orbs of the pint sized version of himself and said simply "I want you. I want to know you and to find out what I missed. I want to take care of you and help take care of you when you're with your Mom. I will deny you nothing. Well, as far as I am able anyway. How bout we do something sometime? I'll take you to a baseball game."

       Gus looked deep into the face that looked so much like his. "I believe you." He said just as simply. "You can take me to the planetarium."

       Brian blinked. "The plana-whoium?"

       Gus quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? Change your mind already?"

       "No. I just don't know what that is."

       "Oh for the love of...Well, I'm not going to tell you. I don't have the time or energy to waste. I should be getting back. You'll have to Google it."

       "Google it! Oh, I don't think I've ever heard anything so adorable and disturbing all at the same time! How? How did you get so smart?"

       "I'm a child progidy!" said Gus proudly.

       That's prodigy, GusGus," Snowshine corrected gently.

       Gus waved him off. "Prodigy, progidy, strategy, stragedy," he said dismissively, "Let's just call the whole thing off!"

       They all laughed. They couldn't help it. And then Brian did what he had been wanting to do ever since he had laid eyes on him. He took him into his arms and covered his little face that looked so much like his own with kisses.

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       All too soon, Gus started to squirm and wiggle out of Brian`s tight embrace in the way children do when they figure they are too big for baby stuff. Brian gave him one last squeeze and then gently let him down to the ground.

       "Mama, can I go back to playing?" Gus asked.

       "Of course, punkin," Lindsay said with a smile," Go ahead."

       "Yaaaaaaayyy!" Gus was immediately transformed. He ran to the door and threw it open. He ran out into the workroom and ran toward the Playroom. Several people called out to him and yelled, "Hiiii, Double G!!!" They all clearly adored him.

       Gus stopped and yelled in aforementioned adorable fashion. "Hi everybody! I'm gonna play!!" he rose both arms in the air and waved madly. Everybody chuckled at his antics and more than a few other people answered back, "Hi Double G!!"

       Brian got up and went to the door to close it but watched through it part ways closed. Gus passed by a desk with a young woman behind it who stopped him gently.

       "Hey Double G! Where have you been and where are ya goin'?"

       "I was talkin' with my Mommy and Mr. Snowshine! Wasn't I lucky? Now I hafta go back to the Playroom!"

       "You sure were! How'd you like to do a little job for me before you go back to the Playroom? In fact, when you're done, I'll take you back myself!"

       A job!? What do I hafta do?" asked Gus in adorable six year old fashion.

       "I just need you to take the papers from here...and this photograph...alllll the way down to Mr. Gills down to the end there and then bring me back anything he gives you for me. Can you do that?"

       "I can do it! I can do it!" Gus yelled jumping on the tips of his toes in excitement.

       "OK, here you go!" She gave him the stuff.

       Gus ran down the length of the room. "I'm helping! I'm helping!" he shrieked in joy. Everybody paused in their work to watch him adoringly.

       Brian shut the door on the scene.

       "What happened to him?" he asked, "He's back to acting like...well, like he's six again!"

       "He IS six, Brian!" Lindsay rolled her eyes contemptuously.

       Justin eyed her reprovingly. "Lindsay...try to cut him a break. He's trying to make amends here."

       "I don't care! I don't want them and I don't want his money either!" Lindsay sulked.

       "I'll take the money and give it to the Accountant." Justin pocketed the cheques. "He'll provide the necessary funds when you need them."

       Lindsay growled in grumpy frustration.

       "Hey, an accountant huh! Good idea, Justin! And remember, that money's for Gus, not you! It's not an excuse to run out and buy a lot of clothes or a new living room set!" Brian yelled, going on the attack. He had been nothing but submissive and polite to these people and he was tired of being treated like a punching bag.

       "Lindsay's eyes flashed. "I would never!"

       "Oh that's right! You're more into the leather scene these days!" Brian said nastily.

       "Why you overstuffed, snot-nosed..." Lindsay reached for a stiletto.

       "THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Justin raised his voice just enough and slammed down a palm on the table with a satisfying WHAP! They both jumped and were silenced instantly by the strength and authority of his tone. Reluctantly, Lindsay put away the knife and backed down.

       "All right, this is getting us nowhere. Lindsay, you may go. I will explain things further to Brian."

       "But - but you can't! He wants to take my son! Besides, if you tell him anything more he'll tell Stockwell! You'll practically be handing us over to him on a silver..."

       "That will do!" Again, Justin's voice cut across the scene like one of her stilettos. "I would not have summoned him here if I were concerned that this was an issue."

       "But..."

       Please tell the Seven that we will have a meeting in two hours and that we will have a new member on the council. Thank you Lindsay." It was clear she was dismissed.

       Growling in discontent, she grumped her way to the door. As she reached it, she whirled and pointed her finger, her face a mask of hate.

       "You'll regret this! He'll betray us all! You'll see! And you'll suffer the worst for him! Mark my words!"

       And with this terrible portent, she wrenched open the door and slammed her way out of the room.

       There was a silence.

       "You know, there's no point in antagonizing one who already hates you," Justin said gently but reprovingly.

       "Yes Justin, I know," Brian said submissively, "I just got so angry! I've done nothing but co-operate since I got here and all I get is more and more abuse! I'm sick of this shit! Just what the hell is going on around here that's so secret!? And I still want to know what happened to Gus!"

       Justin teepee'ed his fingers and paused a moment to think about where to start. He decided to explain Gus first.

       "Nothing's happened to Gus. He's a prodigy. I dare say he's smarter than all of us put together. I'm the leader because he's only 6 but actually he's the brains of this entire  operation. But it's terribly secret. He's our most precious commodity. Only the original Seven and myself are aware of his true nature. Around everyone else, and the other children, he acts as if he's six."

       " As for what's going on, well...Stop Prop 14 is going on! That is what is so secret! And that is why everyone is so defensive! The cops have a standing APB out on me. This whole rebel movement is driving Stockwell insane with rage. If he knew about this place he'd shoot everyone here, ask questions later, set the place on fire and doctor the whole thing to make it look like WE did it ourselves! Pittsburgh has become a police state for gays, Brian! How have you not noticed this!?"

       "Stockwell hasn't really called me into work there for about a week now!" Brian sounded sulky himself now. "And I was working hard on my Japanese account to get free of him. After that horrible Prop 14, I was so disgusted with him, I guess I've been ignoring him. And I'm so straight acting and surly, nobody bothers me. So I don't bother with them."

       "Well, if you did, you'd see that our freedoms are disappearing one by one. Cops are everywhere! No gay couples are allowed to even hold hands on the street! Gay adoption in Pittsburgh has been revoked. Stockwell is penalizing gay bars over the slightest infraction to shut them down. Babylon is closed, Brian!"

       "What!! No!!!!" Brian was horrified.

       "Yes! And Woody's and Boytoy! And Meathook has been targeted next, my resources tell me! They've received 3 "anonymous" complaints of noise so far this week."

       "That's terrible!"
       "It's only the beginning! That's why we are so careful to keep our efforts hidden. We MUST defeat him, Brian! If not, our world, or lives will become as blank and dreary as if...as if everything were painted in black and white! And we need your help!"

       "My help!? What can I do?"

       Justin smiled. "Brian...you are his campaign manager! His right hand man! You are the only one who can get close enough to him to get evidence on him! Maybe get him to confess more evildoings to you when he thinks you're "in private". We'll bug you, the same way he did, only WE'll be listening this time!"

       "I don't know...this all sound incredibly dangerous," said Brian.

       "Believe me, it is! But is Lindsay right? Or can I at least trust you to keep our secrets the way you've kept his?"

       "Yes! Of course Justin! However, remember...you want me to spill his secrets!"

       "Yes, that's true! However, I have one thing he doesn't as collateral!"

       "Oh?? What's that?"

       "Your ass!" Justin cried, and jumped onto his lap and kissed him soundly. Brian kissed him back hotly and thoroughly. The chair they were in swivelled around and around as their tongues duelled and both made hungry groans of pleasure and desire in the back of their throats.

       When they finally came up for air, Justin lay his head on Brian's chest. "I missed you," he said, "Every day, I missed you. Did you miss me?"

       "You know I did...Rumplestiltskin!! You little cheeky bastard! Fortunately, I saw the news that night, so I knew what happened and I knew you wouldn't be back but I was still terribly worried. I didn't believe it for a second." He fingered Justin's goatee, which was as soft and silky as the rest of his hair. "But I worried every second. I took to checking those pearls more and more until it became an automatic thing." He giggled. "Nearly drove my assistant, Cynthia, insane."

       "Short drive, with you as a boss," Justin teased.

       "Hmmmph!!" Brian hmmphed. He stroked Justin's hair and goatee and just relished holding his man in his arms at last.

       Suddenly Justin's hand went over Brian's, covering his goatee. "Do you like the beard?" he asked self consciously, "I know it changes my look a little. I wasn't sure..."

       "Nahhh...It's hot! Just like the rest of you! And I meant it! I wouldn't have it any other color!"

       They kissed hotly for a few minutes.

       At last they broke away. Brian kissed him one more time and then looked into his too blue eyes and asked, "Oh Justin, what happened to you? What really happened? And how did you end up here? Not to mention become the leader of...here?"

       "After I left your loft and was picked up with Ethan, he drove me almost to the station where he broke down and told me of a terrible plot. Stockwell had blackmailed him into planting those drugs. He told me there was going to be an inspection and to run."

       "Surely he didn't tell you this out of the goodness of his heart!" Brian guessed shrewdly.

       "No. It turned out he was in love with me," Justin admitted, "He had been since the day we met. Poor Ethan. I never knew."

       "Whadd'ya mean, poor Ethan?" Brian asked jealously.

       "Oh, Brian, don't be like that. Like I said, I had no idea. And he only told me because he could see how in love I was with you. He saw his chance had been lost forever. So he revealed Stockwell's wickedness and I followed his advice and ran but before I'd reached a block away, Ethan's car exploded! He was POOF! Gone, just like that! More of Stockwell's doing, I'm sure but I couldn't prove it. Now, I couldn't prove anything! So I ran. I got as much money from ATMs as I could before they shut down on me and ran into the city. I hid in a homeless shelter for a day. The next day it was full and I slept in an alley. Cops were everywhere. I used a box to hide. I was starting to grow a beard. The next day, I just wandered around. Somehow, I ended up on Liberty Avenue. It was ironic, really. I'd ended up right back where I'd started. Right where I first saw you. So I guess it had to be about 12 days ago that I..."

TBC