Part 5


Time went quickly for Brian and Justin and before either of them knew it, it was the day before Brian’s release. Brian and Justin were in Brian’s bed following a mid-afternoon romp, both men somewhat lost in thought, when Brian spoke up.

“I can’t wait until tomorrow night when I can finally go to sleep in my own bed,” Brian said, oblivious to the consequences of his words.

“Tomorrow? You’re leaving tomorrow?” Justin asked in a panic. He knew their time in rehab was almost over, but didn’t think about the fact that Brian would be leaving before him.

“Yeah, my six weeks in hell are up.”

“Oh…I didn’t…realize…” Justin stammered quietly. “What about… never mind.”

“What about what?” Brian prodded.

“What about us?”

Brian sighed. He didn’t want to have this conversation at that moment. He’d been trying not to think about his leaving and what it would do to their involvement. “Justin, there is no us. We’re just having fun, remember? I have a life to get back to, and so do you.”

Justin tried to mask the pain he felt as Brian’s words sliced through his heart, but he wasn’t able to stop the tears that started forming behind his eyes.

“How can you say that? How can you say that our time here together was just for fun? Brian, we’ve been through so much together…shared secrets with one another that no one else knows.”

“Justin, we agreed going into this that it was no big deal. I don’t do relationships. I told you that in the beginning,” Brian said softly, knowing that he was probably hurting the blond, but also knowing that he didn’t have a choice. 

“But I thought…I mean, I guess I just assumed…”

“That I would change my mind because we fucked a few times?” The words hurt Brian as much as they were hurting Justin, but they needed to be said. Not only were they miles apart in years, the difference in experience was too big to ignore. Brian was a grown man with a job, a loft, and a son. Justin was still a kid, fresh out of high school. He may have lived through a lot of shit, but not enough to bridge the gap between them. Besides, Justin still believed in love and relationships. Brian had given up on those dreams while still living under the same roof as Jack Kinney.

The pain Justin was feeling by Brian’s brush off was suddenly replaced with overwhelming anger. How dare he turn what they had, and they did have something, into just a few fucks? He jumped out of bed, pulling his clothes back on quickly, trying to get away from Brian as fast as he could. “You know what? Forget it! Go ahead…go back to your life and forget all about me. I was just a convenient fuck to get you through your six weeks of hell, right? I’m glad I could be of service to you!”


Brian was startled by the sudden change in Justin. “Justin, wait a minute.”

“Fuck you, Brian. I’m sorry I ever agreed to this! I’m sorry I ever allowed myself to get close to you! I’m sorry I ever fucking met you!” Justin was out the door before Brian could reply, slamming the door on his way.

“That went well,” Brian said to the empty room.

After Justin left Brian’s room, he wandered the halls a little lost in thought.  In 24 hours Brian would be gone, leaving Justin all alone.  It was the same feeling he had after he came home from the hospital.  His boyfriend had disappeared and with the exception of Daphne, so had everyone else he had considered his friends.  Now Brian had become his safe haven and the thought of losing it was almost too much to bear. 

	Brian wasn’t sure if he should go after Justin or not.  The kid had to realize they weren’t some happy hetero couple hiding together from the world.  Another week and Justin would be out as well.  They’d both be living their own separate lives again.  It was better to just say good-bye now then promise to call and never pick up a phone.  Justin was a complication in Brian’s life that he couldn’t afford to have in the outside world.  No one could possibly understand the connection they shared.  Brian was so involved in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear anyone enter the room until he was pulled into a strong embrace.

	“Shit Mikey, you scared me,” Brian exclaimed once the shock had worn off.

	“Sorry Bri, I figured you had seen me enter the room.  I was standing right in front of you,” Michael responded.

	“Well, I didn’t.  I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

	“Like getting out of here and coming back home.  The nurse in the lobby told me you were getting sprung tomorrow.  Why didn’t you tell me?” Michael whined.

	“Because I didn’t want to say anything until it was a sure thing.  Plus I don’t want to be bombarded by the well-meaning family until I’ve had a little time to myself.  So do me a favor and don’t tell anyone.  I’ll do it in my own time.”

	“Yeah, like you did when you checked in?” Michael asked sarcastically.

	“It’s my business and no one else’s.”

	“Fine but don’t expect me to stay away too.”

	“Don’t worry, I’ve already seen my fair share of miracles this year.  Now go back to the professor and tuck each other in.  I’ve got to take care of some things before I leave the premise.”

	“Are you seeing the boy before you go?” Michael asked tentatively.

	“Maybe, but he’s one more topic I don’t intend on discussing.  So nightie night Mikey and I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” Brian said and leaned over to give him a chaste kiss.

	Justin had finally gotten sick of walking in circles and decided that he would never rest unless he saw Brian one more time.  His pace slowed to a crawl as he approached Brian’s room.  The door was only half closed and opened completely after Justin’s gentle nudge.  Peering into the room, Justin was welcomed by complete silence.  Brian’s almost full suitcases lay open on the floor, waiting to receive the final few items.  Quietly Justin entered the room, his fingers lightly grazing the bedspread as he headed for the closet.  Most of the hangers had been emptied, which was exactly the way Justin felt inside.  The floor of the closet was still covered with stray shirts and jeans.  Justin reached down to pick up a t-shirt and held the material to his nose.  He inhaled Brian’s unique scent, feeling almost dizzy from the wonderful aroma.  He was just about to put the shirt back when he noticed the top of a bottle sticking out from under the rest of the clothes.  Leaning down, Justin tossed aside the other materials to expose the practically full bottle of Jim Beam.  Justin stumbled back in surprise.
	Although the more logical part of Justin’s brain was begging him to leave it alone, the other side had never been so thirsty for a shot in his entire life.  Brian had obviously partaken in it for at least part of his stay in rehab and still managed to succeed.  Maybe Justin could do the same thing and take just enough to get through the loneliness.  A few sips and Brian’s departure wouldn’t be so bad anymore.  Before Justin could analyze the situation any longer, he had somehow grabbed the bottle and was in the process of unscrewing the top.  His heart began to beat faster as it anticipated the soothing liquid.  The bottle was at his lips, when a booming voice startled him from behind.

	“Put the fucking bottle down Justin.  You can bet your tight little ass I’m not gonna let you ruin everything you’ve worked for over one tiny sip.  It’s not worth it.  I’m not worth it,” Brian stated angrily.

Justin jumped, startled by the voice echoing through the room. “What do you care? You’re as good as gone, remember?” He brought the bottle back to his lips, only to have it pulled away before the first taste.

“Justin, you don’t really want this. Think about what you’ve been through in the last year? Do you really want to go back? Do you want to go back to being that person who hurt Molly again?”

Justin sighed at the reminder and sat down on the bed. “I just don’t know if I can do this on my own, Brian. You’ve been here since the beginning, helping me through. Once you’re gone I don’t know if I can keep it up.”

“That’s bullshit, Justin!” Brian exclaimed. He noticed the way Justin jumped at his tone and took a deep breath; calming himself before he continued. “Look, you can do this. You’re one of the strongest people I know. Hell, if it wasn’t for you, I would have been drinking my way through my whole recovery. It’s because of you that I can honestly say that I’ve been clean and sober.”

Justin looked into Brian’s eyes and saw the sincerity in them. He’d wondered about Brian’s drinking ever since the day he found him with the bottle, but never saw any signs of alcohol after that and refused to ask him outright. “You really think so?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t,” Brian replied honestly. 

“I’m sorry I queened out before. I guess I just thought…I thought that we were becoming friends and would stay in touch after all this was behind us. You’re one of the few friends I have left. The ones from school gave up on me once I started drinking and using. The ones since then were never really my friends to begin with. They just liked having someone to get high with.” Justin couldn’t help but think back to all of his so called friends with disgust.

Brian heard the anguish in Justin’s voice and wanted to offer him some kind of reassurance. “Well, maybe we can get together sometime.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Pittsburgh isn’t that big. I’m sure we’ll run into each other from time to time; especially since the bar scene’s out for us. There aren’t that many other places to go.”

Justin took Brian’s words for what they were; his way of saying that they would indeed see each other again. He’d have to hold on to those words to get him through until he was out again and saw what happened. Brian was right. Pittsburgh wasn’t all that big and he’d make sure their paths crossed again. “Well, then I guess this is good bye for now.”

Brian knew that he should just say good bye and let Justin walk out the door, but something inside of him prevented him from doing that. “What’s your rush? We still have the rest of the night.”

“What did you have in mind?” Justin asked, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

Without replying, Brian pulled Justin to him, taking his lips in a soft but passionate kiss. Any thoughts he might have had about sending Justin away died when Justin parted his lips allowing Brian to slip inside. Most of their encounters since the first time had been hot, fast and animalistic, but this time was different. It was almost as if the thought of being apart was causing them to take their time to enjoy each other in ways that they didn’t seem to need before. Brian slowly pulled off Justin’s shirt before nudging him on his back and reaching for his pants. Once Justin was undressed, Brian removed his own clothes and climbed up on top of Justin, taking his mouth once again.

Justin ran his hands softly down Brian’s back, taking the time to feel every bone, every muscle. He refused to allow himself to think that this could be the last time he ever held the older man in his arms. There was no urgency in their pairing, and by the time Brian finally entered him, Justin thought he would go crazy with want and desire. Brian’s thrusts were slow and tender, causing their prolonged orgasm to take them higher than ever before. It took Justin a long time before he came back down and was finally able to speak.

“That was…incredible.”

“Were you expecting anything less?” Brian asked, teasingly.

“No, not from you,” Justin replied, feeling his eyes begin to tear as thoughts of the following morning tried to force their way in.

“Don’t worry, Justin. You’ll be just fine,” Brian tried to assure him as he held the blond close.

“We both will,” Justin whispered. 

They stayed alone in Brian’s room for the rest of the evening, talking about the future but deliberately avoiding any discussion of their relationship or lack of one. Brian finally drifted off, but sleep wasn’t as easy for Justin. Instead he lay there into the early morning hours, watching Brian and wondering what would happen in the future. As the sun started coming up, Justin silently slipped out of bed, throwing on his clothes and taking one last look at Brian before heading back to his room. He couldn’t stay there anymore. He knew he couldn’t be around as Brian packed the last of his things and walked away. It would just be too hard.

When Brian awoke the next morning, he wasn’t surprised to find himself alone in bed. He was actually relieved. Knowing how upset Justin was by his departure, he didn’t want to have him there while he was getting ready to leave. It would just make leaving that much harder. Jumping out of bed, he made his way into the shower then finished packing his things. Once that was done, he walked down to Chuck’s office for his final one on one.

“Hey Brian, are you all ready for the big day?” Chuck asked as he saw Brian standing in the doorway.

“I’ve been ready since the day I walked in here, Chuck,” Brian replied with a smile as he sat down in the vacant chair.

“I wouldn’t say that, but I do think you’re ready now. How are you feeling about going back out in the world?”

“Okay, I guess. It’s strange though. I never realized how much my world revolved around drinking and drugs until I thought about what I was going to do when I got out. I guess Woody’s and Babylon are out, huh?” Brian joked.

“Uh…yeah, I think they’re definitely off your agenda. Do you have any other ideas on what to do with your free time? Aside from the meetings, of course.”

“I haven’t really thought about it too much. I’m hoping to work things out with Lindsay and see my son more, but other than that, who knows?”

“Well just remember that the meetings are the most important thing right now. Don’t think that you don’t need them; they’re part of the program, too,” Chuck reminded him.

“I know, I know. Anything else or am I free to go?” Brian asked anxiously.

“You’re free to go. Just take care of yourself, Brian; and remember, one day at a time.”

“Words to live by, Chuck. Thanks, it’s been fun, “ Brian said sarcastically with a smile.

“That it has, Brian.” Chuck reached out and shook Brian’s hand, wishing him well before watching him walk away. He said a silent prayer, just like he did every time one of his patients walked out the door, hoping that Brian would make it through.

Brian went back to his room and called a cab, then waited until he saw it pull up before grabbing his things and making his way outside. As he climbed in the back, he felt a shiver run down his back; the tell tale sign that Justin was close and turned around to see the blond standing by the door watching him go. Their eyes met briefly and Brian hated the pain and loneliness he saw there. He smiled slightly at the blond before closing the door and giving the driver his address. It was time to move on to the future and he was more than ready.

Justin tried to stay away, but he knew he needed to see Brian one last time before he left, even if it was from afar. He walked down the hallway in time to see Brian leaving the building and went to stand by the door to get a better view. Suddenly Brian turned and their eyes met, causing a lump to form in Justin’s throat, but he couldn’t look away. Seeing Brian smile at him was worth the pain of watching him go. Once the cab was out of sight, Justin slowly made his way back to his room to rest. It had been a long sleepless night and all he wanted to do was sleep away the day, if not the next week.

Brian slowly pulled back the loft door, taking a deep breath before walking inside. He looked around, noticing nothing had changed, but yet feeling as if everything was different. He’d called his cleaning lady a few weeks before asking her to dispose of all the alcohol and he’d used up the last bit of his stash on a bender before signing himself into rehab. The loft was alcohol and drug free for the first time ever. Dropping his bags off in the bedroom, he went over to the answering machine and hit play, listening to the voices coming through the small speaker as he went to the refrigerator

After that was done, he went and sat down at his computer, staring at the blank screen. He felt so out of sorts; almost as if he had nothing left in his life. His world always revolved around drugs and/or alcohol in some capacity. He finally booted up, ignoring his email, just sending off a note to Gardner letting him know that he would be back to work in a couple of days. He needed something to fill his days and work was the only thing he could think of to keep him busy. Taking a deep breath, he got up from the desk and headed into the bedroom, grabbing his bags on the way. Unpacking took all of thirty seconds, causing him to get the faint scent of the blond on his discarded clothes. He knew he needed to stop thinking about the pain-filled blue eyes before he drove himself nuts, so he laid down on his bed, hoping to find solace in sleep. Soon after, he drifted off into oblivion, thankful for the break in reality.

Some time later, he woke up and spent the day going through all the email that had been waiting for him and just trying to keep busy. He watched a couple of movies, read a book and even cooked himself dinner. By 9:00 he was in bed for the night, hoping that he’d eventually be able to live his life again without dying of boredom.  The next morning, Brian awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. He briefly thought about ignoring them, but knew that whoever it was wasn’t likely to go away. He climbed out of bed, pulling on his jeans and staggered towards the door, trying to shake the cobwebs from his sleep-ridden brain.

“Mikey, what the fuck are you doing here?” he asked as he opened the door and came face to face with his best friend. 

“I…uh…came to warn you,” Michael replied hesitantly.

“Warn me about what?” Brian asked, although the look in Michael’s eyes said it all. “How long do I have before they get here?”

“Probably about twenty minutes. I happened to let it slip at the diner that you were due home yesterday. Ma got it into her head that you needed to have a welcome home party. I tried to stop her, but you know how she is,” Michael explained quickly.

“Yes I do…which is why I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut!” Brian barked. He should’ve known better than to trust Michael’s word.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to…it just…kind of came out.”

“Well you might as well come in and wait for the others. I’m going to go hop in the shower and hope for a strong blizzard to sweep in and keep everyone away; although your mother tends to be like the mailman…through rain, sleep, snow, or hail…”

Brian turned and walked away without another word, trying to push away the anxiety he felt knowing that the gang was on their way. Why all of the sudden they care when they all turned their backs on him before rehab was beyond him. He knew he’d have to face his fucked up family eventually, but hoped he would have a couple of days to get his bearings straight first. He took a long hot shower, trying to relieve some of the tension in his shoulders, before the confrontation, but by the time he turned off the water he was anything but relaxed; especially after hearing the voices coming from the living room. He dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, putting on his favorite Prada boots before slowly entering the room to see the whole gang waiting for him. Debbie was the first to approach him.

“Brian sweetie, you’re looking good. Give me a hug,” she said as she approached him with enthusiasm.

“Honey, Debbie’s right. You look fabulous,” Emmett added quickly.

Pretty soon everyone had greeted him and conversation around the room seemed to steer towards the local gossip instead of how great he looked. He noticed that Lindsay was there but there was no sign of Melanie or Gus. He waited until the attention was off him and made his way over to the blond.

“Where’s your worse half?”

“She had to work. She sends her love,” Lindsay replied.

“Oh I bet. What about my son? Did he get a job while I was away?” Brian asked sarcastically.

“He’s…uh…I left him…with Dusty,” she stammered.

“What? Why?” he questioned before reality set in. “Oh, I know. I’m still an alcoholic drug addict not good enough to be around my own son, right?”

“Brian, that’s not fair. I was only trying to protect him. In time I’m sure we could work something out for…”

“In time? Oh, I get it. You want to wait and see if I can make it clean and sober, right? I have to prove myself before I’m allowed anywhere near my son!” Brian exclaimed, losing what little control he had.

“Brian…” Debbie said, sensing Brian’s anger.

“That’s what you’re all doing here, isn’t it? Coming here to see if it’s possible that I might have actually changed? Fuck this! Everyone in this room aside from Mikey turned their back on me months ago. I wasn’t good enough to get the time of day from you people. Now all of the sudden you come over here like everything’s fine while each one of you is waiting for me to fuck up!”

“Brian, that’s not what we’re doing,” Lindsay said quietly.

“Brian Honey, we just wanted to see how you were doing,” Emmett assured him.

“You didn’t give a shit how I was doing six weeks ago, so don’t fucking bother now! I’m going out!” he yelled, grabbing his keys off the counter. “And when I get back, I expect you all to be gone!”

With that, Brian stormed out of the loft, leaving everyone inside, stunned by his outburst. He walked quickly to the jeep without a destination in mind, so he was surprised when he found himself on the freeway heading towards Pleasant Valley. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason the thought of seeing Justin was all he could focus on.

Rehab had been bad enough before but with Brian gone, the days seemed to drag on.  Justin didn’t know what to think of the way they had said good-bye and he had all the time in the world to focus on it.  He obsessed over it in-between his one on one sessions and group therapy.  Damon was the only one who could momentarily distract him with his crazy stories and lewd jokes.  All Justin wanted was to see Brian again and the chances of the beautiful man coming back to visit was slim to none.  Justin’s greatest desire was to succeed in his sobriety and leave the facility as soon as his six weeks were up.  Then Justin could go, find Brian, and force him to admit Justin was more than just a convenient trick.  There was no way he was the only one that felt it.  If only Justin could see him one more time, he knew he could convince Brian to at least just see what happens.

	After a particularly long group session, Justin was restless and headed out to the garden.  He paced back and forth, frustrated by the lack of control he had over his own life.  He felt ready to scream and might have if he hadn’t been interrupted by a friendly voice.

	“Hey Justin, I was wondering where you disappeared to.  I know Alice can run on at the mouth but it’s nothing to send yourself into exile over,” Damon asked.

	“I’m not in exile.”

	“Bullshit, you only come out here when you want to be alone or alone with Brian.  Since I know option number two is no longer available, I’m assuming you’re just out here avoiding the world.”

	“So what if I am?  You have no idea what my life has been like.  I deserve a little piece and quiet every now and then,” Justin snapped angrily. 

	“You think I can’t understand that?  Jesus Justin, you don’t know me.  I care about you, I really do, but you’re not the only one with problems here.  Did you actually think I went to group for the hell of it?  Ask yourself why I haven’t shared anything yet.  Maybe because I haven’t been ready yet to go down that path,” Damon responded passionately.

	Justin was shocked by the emotion in his friend’s voice.  Damon had always been so even keel that Justin had never even thought to question how he had ended up in rehab.  Now he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know.

	“Damon, are you ready to talk about it now?  To me?” Justin asked tentatively.

	Damon hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he could really trust Justin with the past he had managed to keep hidden from everyone, including Chuck.  They knew all about the drugs, of course, but not how he had gotten started in the first place.  Damon took a deep breath before speaking.

	“I was fifteen when I started using.  It started with small doses of uppers but eventually escalated to cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy.  Anything we could get our hands on to numb the pain.”

	“We?” Justin asked

	“Yeah, me and my little brother James, although I always called him Hunter.  Lucky for him, he ran away a couple years back before I switched over to the hard and more addictive shit.  She just wanted us in a comfortable haze as much as possible so we wouldn’t fight back or be less cooperative with the clients.”

	“What clients?” Justin asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

	“You’re a smart kid Justin, don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out already.”

	“You can’t be, no that’s not it.  Is it?”

	“If you’re trying to ask if I was a hustler than the answer would be yes.  And if you’re wondering who the ‘she’ is in the story, it was our mother.  She was an addict herself and used her sons to help pay for her habit, as well as all of the bills.  Once Hunter disappeared, Mom had to work me harder and I began to need the drugs more to get through every day.  It got to the point where each night I was taking hits and fucking strangers.  The night I ended up here I had been lucky enough to trick with a businessman who didn’t appreciate a tweaked out Twinkie dying on his hotel room floor.  He called an ambulance and after detoxing there, I was sent here.  I’m not even sure if my mom knows I’m here.  Once I get out, I have nowhere to go.  I can’t go back to living that way, not with a clear mind,” Damon choked out.

	“We’ll figure something out, I promise,” Justin assured him.

	Gently he touched Damon’s shoulder, causing him to look up, and pulled the young man into his arms.  Damon nuzzled his face into Justin’s neck, inhaling his innocence.  Justin pulled him even closer, stroking his back with the pads of his fingers.  Justin’s eyes drifted closed for a moment, crying inside for all that Damon had suffered.  When they opened again, they came in direct contact with pain filled hazel eyes.  He blinked, certain he must be dreaming, but there was Brian just inside the glass doors and then he was turning and hurrying away.

	“Brian?” Justin whispered.

	“What?” Damon asked in confusion, as he pulled away.  He turned around just in time to see Brian’s back disappear around the corner. 

	“You should go after him,” Damon suggested.

	“Why?  He obviously wasn’t here to see me.” Justin said sadly.

	“Or maybe he was and misread the situation.”

	Justin shook his head.

	“Even if he did, Brian wouldn’t care.”

	“Oh he cares all right.  That’s one thing I don’t doubt and neither should you.  Go find him before it’s too late,” Damon said, nudging Justin toward the door.

	Justin smiled gratefully and darted into the building.  He rushed as quickly as he could to the front lobby but Brian was gone by the time he got there.  He had no other option than to return back to his room and wait for the week to be over.  Then he would find Brian all on his own and be able to explain.

	Brian didn’t stop moving until he was seated in his car outside.  He was breathing heavily and couldn’t seem to get his body under control.  He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed but there was no other explanation.  Brian was hardly gone and Damon had already succeeded in winning Justin away from him.  He didn’t know why that hurt so much but it did.  Brian gunned the engine, wanting to get as far away from Pleasant Valley as he could.  Unfortunately, he really had nowhere else to go.  The only other person who could possibly understand what he was feeling he had left behind and had obviously moved on.

	The next few days dragged on for Justin and then it was finally time to leave Pleasant Valley.  His mother had wanted to pick him up but Justin had insisted on taking a cab home.  He needed the extra time to adjust and think about what he was going to do next.  Justin had arranged with Chuck for out patient care once a week and received a warm hug on his way out of the office.  It surprised him how far they had come.
	Damon was waiting for Justin outside, smoking a cigarette nervously.  The hardest part of leaving was knowing Damon would have to stay behind.  He still had at least another week before he was discharged.  Justin had already mentioned to his mom that he might have a friend staying with them for a little bit, so it wasn’t like the two boys were really saying good-bye.  

	“Shit Justin, I’m really going to miss you,” Damon said, his voice shaking as he spoke.

	“You too Damon, but you don’t have much further to go and I’ll be coming back to take you home before we know it.”

	“You really sure about that?”

	“Of course.  That’s what friends do for one another.  Plus it’ll be nice to hang out with someone other than Daphne.”

	“And Brian,” Damon added.

	“I’m not so sure about that”

	“Just give him a little time and he’ll come around.  He’d be a fool not to,” Damon said smiling.

	“I’ll tell him you said that,” Justin chuckled.

	“You do that,” Damon replied.

	Damon pulled Justin into a tight hug, not letting go until the beep of the cab pulled them out of their moment.  Justin loaded up quickly and jumped into the cab.  As Justin drove off, he turned to wave one more time.  Damon waved back and continued to do so until the cab was out of sight.

	Meanwhile Brian had spent the last two days trying to keep himself busy and not focused on a young blonde who would be showing up in Pittsburgh within the next day or two.  His usual forms of pain management would involve a trip to Woody’s or Babylon but those were out of the question with his new clean regiment.  After rearranging the loft, going over some paperwork Vance had sent over, and watching most of the movies he owned, Brian was running out of things to distract him.  The last thing he wanted was to see any members of his Liberty Ave family.  He hadn’t felt such a strong pull to liquor or drugs since a few weeks after entering Pleasant Valley.  In all honesty, he had been so engrossed with Justin that he hadn’t even thought about taking anything during his last few weeks there. 
	It was almost 10pm on a Friday night and Brian was crawling out of his skin.  He couldn’t stay in his loft one second longer.  Making a split second decision, Brian grabbed his coat and rushed out the door.  Shortly after that, he found himself driving on Liberty Ave and pulling up to what looked like an abandoned old building.  Brian parked his car in back and entered the building.  He walked past a few rooms, until he came to an open door where he could hear voices drifting into the hallway.  Brian quietly walked in and took a seat in back.  A man was just stepping up to the podium.

	“Hi everyone, my name is Hank and I’m an alcoholic,” the man said.

	Brian greeted him with the rest of the audience and waited for the man to continue.  Brian had come too far to revert back after only one week.  At least here people would understand what he was going through.