Brian saw Justin walking directly for the coffee and doughnuts that some rookie cop had just brought.  Brian got up and walked up to Justin like nothing was happening even thought his heart was beating so fast that he felt it was going to break out of his chest.

“Hey.”

Justin looked at Brian and gave him a quick smile.

“How is it going?”  Brian asked.

Justin shrugged.

“I guess it’s okay.”

Brian nodded and they just stood there for a few seconds.  Brian was trying to talk without choking on his words and Justin waiting for Brian to say something.

“You were right.”  Brian said.  “I was running away.”

Justin smirked.

“Do you think we can talk about it tonight?”  Brian asked.

“Sure.”  Justin told him and bit into a glazed doughnut.  “I expect some answers.”

Brian nodded.

“You have been an asshole, you know.”  Justin told him.

“We’ll talk about it later.  I’ll explain to you why I pushed you away.  Then I will beg for forgiveness.”  Brian told him the last part sarcastically.  “Oh and can you stop grinning like a fool.”

“I like being right.”

Brian smirked and nodded before he walked away.

“What was that all about?”  Rick asked.

“Not much.”

“Taylor.”

“Barlow.”

“What are we, ten?”  Rick asked.  “I have been your partner for twelve years.  Now tell me what’s going on.”

Justin looked at his partner and nodded.  He pointed towards one of the investigation rooms and walked ahead.  Rick followed him and locked the door.

“What is the mystery about?”  Rick asked sarcastically and started to laugh.

“Brian and I are trying to be together.”

Rick’s laugh died.

“Are you serious?”

“Why would I joke around with that?”  Justin asked.

“You are always joking around, Justin.”

“I know but this is serious.”

“Wow.”  Rick said frowning.  “This is not going to affect your work is it?”

“Of course not.”  Justin assured him.  “It’s been going for quite a while actually.  I kept it really quiet because Brian is still having doubts about it.”

“I see.”

Justin nodded and waited for his partner to say something else.

“Do you love him?”

Justin scoffed.

“Don’t get all lesbian on me now.”  Justin told him.  “I thought you would be telling me how this is wrong and…”

“Justin.”  Rick said in a dry voice.

“What?”  Justin asked.

“I have known you for a long time.  And you have never been with someone for more than six months.  I want to see you happy.  I’m asking you because now it all makes sense.  Why Brian was so protective of you.  Why you smiled at him like a lost fool.”

“I do not.”   Justin protested.

“Yeah, whatever.”  Rick said.

“Do you think I’m making a mistake?  What if it doesn’t work?”

“People can’t live by what ifs, Justin.  Your life would pass you by that way and you will never accomplish anything.”  Rick informed him.

Justin frowned.

“I think you are right.”

“I’m always right.  I’m wiser.”

“You mean older.”

“Fuck you Taylor.”  Rick said smirking.  “So what did Brian want to talk to you about?”

“He says he wants to talk and I hope he comes to his senses and admits he can’t resist me.”

“You were always so full of yourself.”  Rick said laughing.

Justin laughed and then got serious.

“That’s why I was so cranky this past couple of months.”  Justin told him.  “I’m sorry.  I should have told you sooner.  We kind of stopped seeing each other after Lindsey died.  Things just got complicated and he freaked out.”

“That’s okay.”  Rick assured him.  “But don’t keep anything else from me, Justin.” 

“I won’t.”  Justin agreed.

“Yeah, I will have to kick your ass for not trusting me.”  

Justin smirked and nodded. 

***

Justin’s badge was hanging from his neck when he entered the building.  Rick was after him and they went up the stairs to the third floor.  A couple of cops in uniforms were waiting for them.  Rick took his gun and got ready to enter the apartment.  When Justin was ready he gave the signal and one officer kicked the door in yelling it was the police.

Justin and Rick entered the apartment after two officers.  They started searching the living room when behind a door the man they were looking for came out shooting at them.  Justin jumped behind the couch and lay low.

“Fuck.”  Rick hissed when a bullet hit him in the shoulder.

The aggressor was about to shoot Rick again when Justin jumped and pushed Rick out of the way.  Justin raised his gun and shot the assailant when he saw him about to shoot once more.  Justin saw the officers running into the room and he got up.  He walked over to Rick and checked him out.

“Are you okay?”  Justin asked.

Rick nodded and looked at Justin.

“It’s just a scratch and it…Justin?”  Rick asked as he saw his partner’s face go blank.

Justin landed on his knees before he went face down into the carpet.  More cops started to come and some ran to were Justin was.  Rick got on his knees to check his partner.  Justin had been hit and he hadn’t even realized it.

“Turn him around.  Put pressure in the wound.”  Rick instructed the officer next to him.

“We have a man down.”  The other officer reported.

Soon enough paramedics were inside the apartment.  To Rick it had been like an eternity.  He had tried talking to Justin but Justin was as pale as a ghost.  He could feel Justin’s cold face and he was starting to get scared.  Once Justin was taken away and he followed in another ambulance, he couldn’t help but think that the bullet was meant for him.

***

Brian knocked on the door a couple of times but he didn’t get any response.  He used his key to let himself inside the house.  He called for Justin a few times but still didn’t get any reply.  Brian went to the kitchen and took out a beer before he went and sat down in the living room.  He was going to wait for the blonde.  He was sure that Justin was going to come home at any minute.

Brian turned of the T.V. and looked at the time.  He had been waiting for two hours and no Justin.  He had called Justin’s phone but it had been turned off so he just decided to go home.  Maybe Justin was punishing him some how for what Brian had done.

Brian picked up the flowers he had brought for Justin.  He wondered what the hell he was thinking.  He closed Justin’s house and on his way out threw the flowers in a trash can he saw near where he had parked.  Brian got into his car and drove home.

Brian parked his jeep and got out.  He felt like beating the shit out of Justin for being such a kid.  He had told him he had wanted to talk and Justin had bailed on him.  Brian used his keys to open the apartment and stopped on his tracks when he found Molly crying on Stacy’s lap.

“What’s going on here?”

“Brian!”  Jessica said coming out of the kitchen with a fussy Gus on her arms.

“What is it?”  Brian asked knowing something was terribly wrong.

“It’s Justin.”  Molly shrieked.  “He got shot.”

Brian started at her like she was a lunatic.  He tried to move or say something but he couldn’t.  He felt a chill run all over his body before he started to feel his heart picking up the pace.  This had been the main reason that he had pushed Justin away.

After he had lost Lindsey he didn’t want to ever feel like that again.  It all had been in vain since he still felt his heart crushed at the news that he just had received.  Brian looked at Jessica who was trying to calm Gus when Daphne came out of the kitchen and hung up the phone.

“What happen?”  Brian asked.

“He’s alive but they don’t think he is going to make it, Brian.”  Daphne told him.

“I’m driving.”  Stacy said getting up.

“I’ll stay with the kids.”  Jessica told them.  “You guys go.”

Brian nodded at her before he followed Stacy.  He looked at Stacy who was ready to take on the world and Daphne who looked calm but her eyes told you another story.  Then he looked at Molly who kept sobbing.  Brian realized all the time he had wasted.  All the time he had been away from Justin instead of loving the blonde.  He just wasn’t just talking about when they started fighting; he meant since they had first met.