Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 19:16:52 -0700
From: dkstories@cox.net
Subject: Phone Call - It's Never Easy Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning, instantly awake.  The sounds of a busy street
could be heard despite the closed windows, but from the height of our room,
they were very faint.  I looked over at the clock on the nightstand and
groaned as it said 4:18 a.m.  Well, it was close enough and I wasn't going
to go back to sleep just yet.

I carefully extricated myself from James and made my way into the
bathroom. As I brushed my teeth and shaved, I looked at myself closely.  I
was now over halfway through my 30th year.  I wasn't extremely fit, but
then again I wasn't out of shape either.  My once platinum blond hair had
faded into a brownish-blond, but the curly style that James had gotten me
to adopt helped.  Of course I couldn't help but be reminded of pre-buzz cut
Justin.  It was even colored a lighter blond than my natural color.  Still
no gray though.  I knew I would freak when I found the first one.  I was
finishing my shave, wiping my face and applying aftershave lotion when I
heard movement from the bedroom.  James came plodding in, rubbing his eyes
and then stretching as he looked at me.

He reached towards me and mumbled `Good Morning' as he gave me a hug.  Then
he moved towards the large roman style tub and began filling it with hot
water.  There was a selection of soaps and even bubble bath, which he
added.  I couldn't help but stare at his nude form.  As the tub filled, he
turned and smiled at me.  When there was enough water, he shut it off and
climbed into the tub.

"Aren't you going to join me?" He asked in a small voice as I stood there
staring at him. I didn't have to be asked twice and was immediately
lowering myself into the hot water.

"Good." He whispered, turning until he was sitting between my legs with his
back to me. "This is so much more fun with two people."

"Anything with you is fun." I whispered into his ear as I ran my fingers up
and down his chest.

We had to refill the tub three times to keep the water warm.  It was the
longest bath we'd ever taken together, and we spent a lot of time figuring
out, um, new things to try.  I can say we both were very clean, and very
hungry by the time we were done.  After drying each other, James went and
ordered breakfast from room service.  I put on a pair of green bikini
briefs and James of course put on a pair of silk boxers that was a
Christmas present from me.  We then wrapped ourselves against the chill of
the outside with the warm terry cloth robes provided by the hotel.  We were
sitting on the couch, snuggling when the food arrived.  We sat down to eat
heartily, talking very little until we both were done eating and were just
relaxing with a cup of hot tea.

"So, love." I asked him softly, my foot stretching under table and
massaging his inner thigh under the robe.  "What do you want to do today
besides shopping?"

"How about Westminster Abbey?  I didn't get to see all of it last time I
was here." James asked me, stretching out in his chair to give me easier
access.

"Sounds good, we can go there this morning them come back through Oxford
Circus for shopping."

"It's plan.  What about tonight?"

"Hmm, how about dinner near Victoria Station.  I know a great pub for
dinner.  Then we can go see a play while we're there, then hit a gay pub."

"A gay pub, eh?" He said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I had fun there last year."

"Good, sounds like our day's planned.  What time do we start?" James said,
lowering himself more in the chair until I felt just how excited he was.  I
almost groaned, but then realized my own dick may be sore, but it was
wanting some more James as well.

"Oh, about two hours." I said looking at the clock.  We could leave around
8:30 this morning.

"Good, we have time then." James laughed, opening his robe as he stood up
and made his way to the bedroom.  The robe was gone before he was halfway
there and I was right behind him, also getting rid of my robe.

"Plenty of time." I said with a giggle.  Okay I was 30, and horny as a
16-year old.  Life is good sometimes.

We didn't make it out of the hotel until after 9 that morning.  As
expected, it was overcast, cold, and drizzly.  Let me tell you something
here: I've lived in hot, arid climates most of my life.  Visiting London in
winter, with this weather, is a welcome vacation.  I don't want dry and
warm England.  I want cold and wet.

I'm just lucky James didn't mind it too much.

We walked arm in arm to the Queensway tube station, buying an all day pass
(again I used my credit card).  On the way, we stopped at an ATM machine
and pulled out a couple hundred in cash.  You want to know another nice
thing about London?  Use their ATM machines.  The machines at most banks
don't charge ANY fees at all.  It's like using your ATM card at your own
bank.  I made a mental note to open an account with a British bank.  Not
for any reason other than the fact that they never charged me a fee
whenever I visit London.

Gee, I wonder if that is part of why they don't charge fees?  Lure in new
customers.  Well, that was neither here nor there as we got on the tube at
Queensway.  Okay, to get an idea of how interesting the underground can be,
Look at a map.  Bayswater and Queensway are on two different lines, but
fairly close to each other.  On the maps, they are shown in such a way that
you might think you need go around a corner or something to get between
them.  In reality, they are just down the street from each other.

Don't ask how long it took me to figure that out the first time.  It's
embarrassing.

We rode the Central Line from Queensway to Oxford Circus and went back
above ground there.  James stopped while we were still in the tunnels and
listened to one of the buskers playing beautiful tune with a flute.  He was
smiling as we walked among the crowded streets, our arms interlaced
lightly.

That was when we hit the stores.  Now, I enjoy shopping (okay, spending
money).  My idea of shopping is going into a store, finding something you
like, trying it on, and buying it if it fits. James taught me a different
way.  I swear I've never really tried on 8 shirts to see how they go with a
single pair of pants, then start over again with another pair of pants
until that day.  Then there was the coordinated under clothes routine.
Then shoe shopping, then shopping for heavy coats and scarves.

Yes, I gave in and we got the matching black leather dusters.  I put my
foot down on the scarves though.  I got blue and gray, he got green and
gray.  Compromise.  It's a necessary part of any relationship.  We took all
of our new clothes back to the hotel where we also ate some lunch.  Then it
was off to Bayswater station to head down to Victoria station.  We got on
the Circle Line train and people watched.

London is a great city to people watch in.  The level of diversity there is
immense.  We heard about fifteen different languages on that trip alone.  I
loved it, and James was enjoying his first look at London from something
other than a bus or chauffeured car.  Believe me, it is two totally
different experienced.  We got off at Victoria Station, and James' eyes
bugged out when we got to ground level. Although not as big as Paddington,
there was a real strong `old' flavor to it that was intoxicating.  We
wandered over to one of the theatres, took a look at the billboards for the
play they had there, and bought tickets.

Yes, we picked good seats that were expensive. James paid for them though.
Then we walked down Buckingham Palace, watching the tourists gawk at the
Royal Guards.  I realized it was a good thing it was so cold when a herd of
teenager German girls came rumbling through.  We were both wearing our new
leather duster coats, scarves, sunglasses (James insisted), and hats.  They
ran right by the pop-star without paying us a second thought.  I felt him
relax as they ran by, and we headed down for a relaxing stroll through
St. James Park.

Yes, I enjoyed St. James park with my James at my side.  He isn't a saint
though.  He's too damn good with that tool of his to be anything remotely
saint-like.  Trust me on this because you're never going to find out.  He's
mine.

We left St. James and walked down a street full of old buildings with
impressive signs on them.  The Royal Guild of Civil Engineers.  The Royal
Guild of Architects.  Those types of buildings.  James took pleasure at
finding each one (okay my first time here I did too), then we finally
reached the square where you find Westminster Abbey and of course
Westminster Hall.  Fortunately the queue (what we Americans call a "line")
was very short and we were soon inside that grand structure.

Have you ever been inside there?  Do you know the American superstition
about walking on graves?  Well, guess what, the place is full of graves (or
sepulchers or whatever fancy word you want to use).  Centuries of English
nobility were buried there, and inscriptions made honoring them.  When
James had been here, they'd spent an hour inside and barely got to read any
of them but the most famous. This time we read every single one until they
kicked us out.  James was loving it, and fortunately, he was finished
reading the last one as we left.

Guess what?  In London during winter, the sun sets at like 3:30 and comes
back up around 8 a.m. or so.  Very long nights.  We went to the a pub
closer to Victoria Station for dinner.  That was when James suggested we go
back to the hotel room and take a hot bath.  He was getting a little
chilled.  I naturally complied.

That bath was great.  It wasn't until 9:00 p.m. that we finally went back
to Victoria station.  We'd missed the start of the show, and decided we
really didn't want to see a play anyway. We'd rather go to a bar and have
some fun.  That's how we ended up at The Stag.

It's a red building right across one of Great Britain's Ministry buildings.
We walked down the dark street and James had this weird look on his
face. It was then that I realized it was much darker than the surrounding
streets and he may be worried.  That's why I picked up the pace a little.
We walked up the stairs and I nodded at the bouncer as we entered.  I
didn't recognize him so I figured that like most bars, the staff had
probably rotated in the last year.

"Bloody hell.  We need to chat with Dom about who he lets in here." A
heavily accented Irish voice said as James and I were removing our coats.
I groaned, then turned around with a smile.

"Watch what ya say, bloke." I told the bartender who had spoken in a decent
London accent.  "If they let a bloke like you peddle here they bloody well
aren't going to keep me away!"

"Davey!" Terry shouted at that point, coming around the bar and embracing
me.  He was a short guy, shorter than James, very skinny with dark, buzzed
hair and a sliver of a goatee.  We hugged for a moment, then he noticed
James staring at us.

"Who's the new bugger?" Terry asked me, a gleam in his eyes.

"It's my boyfriend, James." I told him.  "James, this is Terry, Terry meet
the man of my dreams, James.

"Pleasure," Terry said, shaking James' hand, then turning back to me.
"Does this mean no more singing "Summer Nights", dancing on the bar,
running from the bobbies, or orgies downstairs while you hide from the
bobbies?"

"Not this trip." I answered, smiling a little as James gaped at me. "I'm on
honest man now."

"Bloody hell, it won't be as fun now." Terry said, acting all depressed.
He went behind the bar, and we followed him, grabbing some seats on the
customer side.  James just kept staring me as I hung up our coats on the
hook below the bar and Terry stood in front of us.

"So, I assume you'll have your regular." Terry said to me.  "What about
your mate, here?  What's he want?"

"Give him a Kronie." I said.  I was pretty sure James would like that beer.
Terry soon sat a jack and coke in front of me and a beer in front of James.
I gave him a $1 bill as he rang it up.  He looked at it a moment before
laughing.

"Ya know better than that." Terry said in between laughs.  "We still go the
last one."

Sure enough, the dollar I'd given them the last time I was here was framed
and hanging on the wall.  I'd accidentally pulled a dollar bill out of my
wallet instead of a 5 pound note last year.  I tried to pass it off telling
them how American businesses always framed their first dollar as a good
luck charm.  They had taped it up to the wall and demanded 2 pound 90.  I
laughed at seeing the damn thing framed now.  Of course, Terry told James
all about it, which seemed to snap him out of whatever was making him stare
at me.

"Funny, Davey." James said as I paid Terry.  Like last time, Terry frowned
at the tip, but just sighed as he took the two pound coin.  He thought I
tipped too much.  He's the only bartender I'd ever met who tried to refuse
a tip.

"I thought so at the time." I told him.  James just turned to Terry.

"So, do you guys have karaoke tonight?" he asked.

"We do." Terry said smiling.  I frowned.

"I'm not singing." I said firmly. That's the end of it.  I'm not.

"Okay, okay.  How about a shot?" James assented, then asked.  I frowned at
him.

"Don't try getting me drunk and then talking me up on stage.  You're not
Manuel."

"Now, why would I try something like that?" James asked, eyes wide and
innocent.

"James..." I began warningly.

"Don't worry." James said softly, patting my shoulder.  "Maybe I'll just
sing."

That was when Terry brought over some people I'd met, and partied with last
time.  Of course, they all fawned all over James and got into a contest to
see who tell the wildest tale of what I'd done last time I was here.  I'd
spent 8 nights in this bar last year, and they seemed to remember
everything.  Even the things I'd thought no one noticed, like the skinhead
in the bathroom stall.  I blushed at that one considering some of the
things the guy was yelling out.  I just didn't know they figured out it was
me.  I mean, the lights had been off at the time.

James did not let me go to the bathroom by myself there that night.

Of course I followed him every time he went as well. I just didn't trust
other people to keep their hands off of him.  He's too damn cute.

By 10:30 p.m. I realized I was in trouble.  Have you ever been drinking
with a bunch of Irishmen (I mean REAL Irishmen) and Scotsmen?  If you
haven't, you're lucky.  I think they got six shots and four drinks down me
in that hour.  James was lucky he'd stuck to beer.  He was doing better
than I was.

That was when he announced he was going to sing "Summer Nights" from
Grease.  He mentioned that it was a two person song and he needed someone
to sing with him. Mark, this really cute red-headed Irishman immediately
announced he would.  Mark had a beautiful voice and I noticed that he'd
been looking hard at James all night.  Yes, I got immediately jealous.

"No, I'll sing with you." I announced, not really cognizant of what I'd
just said I'd do.

"But!" Mark started to object until Matt, his boyfriend stomped on his
foot.

"No, I'm doing it." I stated firmly, glaring at everyone lest they say
something.

"Cool, I'll sing the Danny part, you sing Sandy." James said, smiling as
they called our names.  How'd they know to call our names?  I noticed James
also hand something to Mark, but couldn't really see what it was.  (Later
James admitted it was a 20 pound note for helping him lure me onto stage.)

James dragged me up on stage before I could freak out and run.  We stood up
there, the lights shining on us, and James grabbed two microphones.  He
handed me one, and as I looked into his eyes, I suddenly forgot we were in
a bar full of people.  The music started and I lost myself into it as I
looked at him.

"Summer lovin' had me a blast" James sang.

"summer lovin', happened so fast" I sang my line.  You know, when I'm just
the right amount of drunk I don't sing that bad.  That night, I sang better
than I ever had before.

I met a boy crazy for me – James

I met a boy, cute as can be – I sang (note the rest of the lyrics is
James first, then me.

Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights – We both sang.

Tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far?  Tell me more, tell me
more, like, does he have a car? – Everyone in the bar shouted out.

He stood by me, He got a cramp - he went by me, got my suit damp I saved
His life, He nearly drowned - he showed up, splashing around Summer sun,
something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights Tell me more, tell me
more, was it love at first sight?  Tell me more, tell me more, did He put
up a fight?  Took Him bowlin' in the Arcade - we went strollin', drank
lemonade We made out under the dock - we stayed up until ten o'clock Summer
thing don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights Tell me more, tell
me more, that you don't got Him preg Tell me more, tell me more, cause he
sounds like a drag He got friendly, holdin' my hand - well He got friendly,
down in the sand He was sweet, just turned eightteen - well He was good,
you know what I mean Summer heat, boy and boy meet, but uh-oh those summer
nights Tell me more, tell me more, how much dough did he spend?  Tell me
more, tell me more, could He get me a friend?  It turned colder, that's
where it ends - so I told His we'd still be friends Then we made our true
love vow - wonder what He's doin' now Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
but oh, those summer nights Tell me more, tell me more.

As we finished, the entire bar erupted in the loudest cheering of the
night.  The DJ smiled out over us, and James was smiling at me.  I couldn't
do anything but stare at him as he pulled me into him and kissed me hard.
The cheering got even louder.

"You know, it's not every day we a boy band member and a Hollywood producer
in here. Weren't they good?" The DJ said into his microphone and the bar
cheered even more loudly.  I started blushing as James pulled back from our
kiss and raised his microphone.

"Well, it's not every day a boy band member gets his boyfriend to sing
after he's been saying he couldn't sing.  He may not be good enough to sing
with my group, but he's not THAT bad."

"You've never heard him sing Rhinestone Cowboy!" Terry shouted from behind
the bar, and everyone cracked up laughing.

"So, was London the secret destination you two referred to on MTV
yesterday?" the DJ asked, and I groaned.  I didn't really thing about MTV
being international.  Oh well.

"Yeah, he surprised me and flew me out here for some vacation time." James
responded lightly. He was actually enjoying the attention.  PERFORMERS!
Gah!

"Well, I heard the only time we can ever expect to see this bloke is during
the winter." The DJ said, chuckling. "Apparently he's too cheap to come
over here when he would have to pay full fare."

"Oh, is that why you chose this place?" James said, turning and giving me a
mock glare.  Of course everyone cracked up laughing.

"Yeah," I said, finally finding my voice.  "It was so much cheaper."

"Really?" James giggled.  "I didn't know flying on the Concorde was ever
cheap!"

Okay, everyone pulled in a deep breath, then started laughing.  James and I
got off the stage as the DJ called the next person up.  Poor guy, he was so
nervous following us that he had to restart twice.  The group of guys we'd
been drinking with all gave us compliments, and had a fresh round of
drinks.

You know, we must have had every person in that bar come up to us and talk
to one or both of us that night.  They were all supportive of us in recent
events and were fairly gushing.  I'd been trying not to think about my
uneasiness of our coming out as a couple, and the recent troubles in terms
of how it might affect other people, but I learned that night that we truly
were in the public eye now.  While we wouldn't shatter the earth with what
we did, we would have an impact on people's lives on personal levels.

It scared me.  It scared me a lot.

Which doesn't mean we didn't have fun.  We left at two a.m. and stumbled
over to Victoria Station.  There we got a cab (the tube stopped running two
hours earlier) and went back to the hotel.  That night our lovemaking was
energetic and frenzied.  By the time we passed out from exhaustion, it was
almost 4:00 a.m.

The fact that we didn't get out of the hotel room until 10:00 a.m. the next
morning made me realize we probably weren't going to be doing a lot of
sightseeing.  At first, I was worried James would be upset, but he reminded
me he'd been here before.  I calmed down when he let me know he was more
interested in just spending time together.

That's why I took him to St. Paul's and we climbed up to the dome.  I was
chagrinned to find that he was in a lot better shape than I was.  Damn
dance routines.

Have you ever climbed to the top of St. Paul's?  I've done it twice now.
The spiral stairways are fun in and of themselves.  The view from the very
top though...it's spectacular and worth every drop of sweat getting there.
We hugged each other at the top, and got another tourist to take our
picture for us (James was carrying several of those little disposable
cameras in his jacket).  After the trip down, it was after noon and we
decided to get some lunch before going to our next tourist trap.

Lunch was at this little café across the street from the Tower of
London.  I enjoyed my bangers and mash while James had his shepherd's
pie. Two pots of tea later, we went over to the two amid a light drizzle
and got in line for tickets.  No, we didn't take the guided tour, we just
meandered our way through the ancient structure.

Oh, both James and I cracked up bad at Henry the VIII's suit of armor.  Why
would anyone need a cod piece that big?  Don't believe me?  Go see it for
yourself.  They also had this great collection of old firearms that James
couldn't resist touching.  After he leaned over the rope and touched one,
we had to resist the urge to run away from the alarm that was shrilling.
He pulled his hand back, started blushing and looked around.  Several
docents standing nearby just shook their head and smiled.  We moved on
pretty quickly.  When we were on the sliding walkway to look at the crown
jewels, he didn't appreciate my `Look, but don't touch' comment.

That night, Mark and Matt joined us at our hotel for dinner (they were two
of the guys we'd met the previous night).  The four of us had a delightful
time telling stories and generally just getting to know each other better.
We ended up going back to the Stag after dinner, then started making our
rounds of the different dance bars.  By the time we left the Stag, our
group had grown to nine people and we needed three taxis to take us to the
dance club.  Once we got there, James and I immediately started dancing.

The night passed quickly, and it was so much fun.  We just relaxed with
each other, danced both together and with other people from our group, and
pretty much enjoyed ourselves.  We did manage to get back to the hotel by
2:30 a.m. this time.  Too bad we were both tired from the dancing to make
love.  Instead we just went to sleep with James wrapping his arms around me
and holding me.

We did have sex in the morning, but you probably already guessed that.  We
both loved sex when we first wake up.  It seems to make the day a whole lot
brighter. We didn't have a `morning after' glow, we had a `morning of'
glow.

That was pretty much how we spent the next few days in London. During the
day we would sightsee, and spend the evening with our friends.  Dancing
each night until the wee hours of the morning was wonderful.  Spending so
much time together was even better.  The fifth morning in London saw us
traveling by train to Gatwick Airport.  From there we had a short flight to
Brussels, Belgium.

Yes, Brussels, Belgium was our destination.  Don't know much about
Brussels, do you?  Well, if you're American, I can understand that.  I
didn't know much about it before the first time I visited it either.
Brussels has been the home of NATO for decades.  If you don't know what
NATO is, look it up.  Of course if you were born after the cold war, I
wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know about NATO.  Brussels is also one
of the capitals of the European Union.  What most people don't realize is
that it is a great place to visit.

The Belgian countryside is beautiful, even in winter.  We rented a car at
the airport and drove to the La Campanile hotel where we would be staying.
It's a chain hotel with lots of sites throughout continental Europe.  It's
not like a Sheraton or a Hilton, but more like an extended stay.  It also
has a wonderful breakfast buffet (too bad we never got out of our room soon
enough enjoy the food).

We spent the next three days touring the countryside, castles, and old
battlefields.  The evenings we spent enjoying the various restaurants and
bars of downtown Brussels.  Didn't we have a problem with language?  No.
Most people there speak English to one extent or another.  We got home late
on the last night in Brussels and I didn't pay any attention to the
blinking phone.

The next morning, we packed, checked out of the hotel, and made our way
back to the airport for our flight back to London.  I was struck by many
things as we drove into the airport.  First was a mental note to talk to
James about driving in foreign countries.  My knuckles were going white
from gripping the arm on the door.  The next was how we had now spent more
time in the company of each other than ever before and I did not show any
signs of tiring from his presence.  New Years passed while we were in
Belgium.  Guess what we did?  We made love spanning the old and new years.
Much better than Times Square if you ask me.

Have you ever gone on an extended trip (more than 3-4 days) with someone?
I have many times.  Usually by about day 8 I am ready to go home and have
some alone time.  Not this time, though.  I only wanted even more time with
James.  We had all day today in London (we'd be landing around 9:00
a.m. there.) and then we flew home tomorrow evening.  I was not looking
forward to going home, except for seeing Nathan again.  That kid was
growing on me, and I felt love for him somewhere between little brother and
son.

Our flight was uneventful, and we returned to the hotel where we'd stayed
at earlier.  During check-in, the clerk handed us a number of message
slips.  I was surprised, but shrugged my shoulders as the bellboy took us
up to our room.  James tipped him as I began to thumb through the messages.
Most were for me, and were from JMS, Luke, John Frakes (he was directing
our next episode which filmed when I got back), and one from Lynn.

Lynn took priority since it was probably about Nathan.  I picked up the
hotel phone and began the international calling process.  Soon enough, Lynn
was answering the phone.  Her tone was not a happy one.

"Dave!" She said, putting some level of cheerfulness into her voice.
"How's Europe going?"

"Good, Lynn." I told her.  "We've been having a great time so far.  What
can I do for you?  How's Nathan been?"

"Nathan's fine." She said, responding to the worry that had crept into my
voice when I mentioned Nathan.  "Justin and him have been hanging out each
day.  I'm beginning to think that Justin's decided he wanted another little
brother and has been spoiling him rotten.  You're going to have a spoiled
son to deal with when you get back."

"Oh great.." I moaned in mock dismay.  "Tell JuJu that he's going to hear
from me when I get back."

"I will." Lynn laughed easily.

"So, what's with the `urgent' message if Nathan's doing okay?" I asked.

"Well, this isn't going to be easy to hear, so I'm just going to blurt it
all out." She warned, and I braced myself.  "There's a social worker from
the California Department of Child Welfare that's been burning up the phone
lines.  She says that she's been assigned to your case on behalf of Arizona
and must conduct a home interview with you and Nathan immediately.  She was
upset about the Rob Thomas article and believes that you are failing to
provide a good home for Nathan.  When she found out you were in Europe, she
threw a conniption fit and began talking about child abandonment.  She's
demanding to see you as soon as you return, with Nathan.  I think she may
plan on taking Nathan away."

"Dammit!" I shouted, causing James to rush over and wrap his arms around
me.  His face asked what was going on, but he knew to wait a few moments.
"I won't let that happen.  Have Jenny at Free Lance make an appointment
with her for the Monday after I'm back."

"Okay, I'll call her." Lynn said. "If you need me out there in California
when you meet with her, let me know.  I'll fly out immediately."

"Thank you, Lynn." I said softly as I hung up.  It was a moment later that
I started to cry, and James was hugging me, begging me to tell him what was
going on.  I managed to get the story out, and he was furious.  We
eventually calmed down, realizing there was little we could do until we
left tomorrow.  With the flight schedules, we'd still arrive faster leaving
on our scheduled Concorde flight than on a regular airline.  We resolved to
enjoy the day ahead of us.  Before we'd left London earlier in the week, he
begged me to let him plan this day, so I followed him out to a waiting
Rolls Royce limo.  We climbed into the back, surrounded by class and
comfort that only old Europe could provide, and the driver took off for a
destination unknown to me.

It proved to be not that far away in Central London.  We pulled up in front
of a beautiful building complete with doorman who opened the door for us.
We were immediately shown inside and James led me to an elevator.  Inside
the elevator, he pushed a button on the top and a voice asked "Lance, is
that you?" in an American accent.  After James responded, the elevator
began to move.  To say I was intrigued only begins to describe my feelings
at the moment.

My curiosity was soon satisfied as the elevator opened onto a penthouse
apartment and two men stood there before us.  To say I was flabbergasted
just about described how I was feeling.  On our third night in London,
James had asked me what entertainer I thought of as an idol of mine.  My
answer had been one of the men standing there before me.

Elton John.

I had paid $280 for a front row ticket to see him and Billy Joel when they
came to Phoenix.  His video for "I'm Still Standing" had been a
masturbation fest for me as a kid.  I had cried at his playing of the
special version of "Candle in the Wind" during Princess Diana's funeral.
Okay, let's just say I was extremely star struck at that moment.

Yes, I was the boyfriend of a pop star.  Yes I personally knew more than a
few Hollywood legends.  Yes, I was becoming a well-known figure myself.
That doesn't mean I can't be star struck myself.  I was frozen as I stood
there looking at Elton and his partner David Furnish.  Elton immediately
opened his arms and walked over to us, giving James a big hug.

That broke the ice, and my frozen shock.

"I take it he did surprise you?" Elton said smiling as he turned to me and
gave me a hug too.

"Ye...Yes." I managed to squeak out.  "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Call me sir again and I'll show what a bitch I can be." Elton said,
laughing.  David soon joined him and shook our hands.  I guess he wasn't as
outgoing as Elton in some ways.  They led us into their home and soon we
were sitting around the piano room sipping on some drinks as we got to know
each other.

Here we were, two singers and two producers, both gay couples and all
enjoying the company.  I had seen Tantrums and Tiaras, so I knew how bitchy
Elton could be when he was working, but when he was relaxed...well he was
one of the greatest persons I'd ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
We talked about how James and I met, how they met.  We talked about
adjusting to a relationship where the fame and personality of one partner
threatened to overshadow the other, and how we each dealt with the problem.
We also talked about my work, and I found out that they both enjoyed it.
While Elton and James were talking about music, David and I started talking
about movies and television production.  I didn't realize how long had
passed until we sat down to eat dinner.

The food was delicious.  The dinner company was even better.  Our
conversations continued over dinner and soon I realized I had made some new
friends.  I only hoped that I'd get to see them more in the future.  After
dinner, we sat down in the viewing room, which held a large screen
television.  Elton didn't want to miss some show and insisted we watch it
with them.

I was surprised to learn that it was an episode from my series.  I realized
what it was as soon as the opening scene came on.  There was Chad Allen,
dressed in a tight fitting white lycra shirt and leg hugging black leather
pants.  He was sitting on an elevated examination table in the Ganymede
base infirmary.  Standing in front of him with a pneumatic syringe was the
show's doctor played by a dark-haired woman named Maria Schafter.  She had
been an unknown actress until we hired her.

"One of these days, Mr. Bowen." Maria said (in character) to Chad Allen
(his character name was Alex Bowen).  "You are going to catch something I
can't cure."

"But, Doctor." Chad/Bowen protested.  "What's the fun in worrying about
such things?  I've got you here to cure me.  We all know you're a miracle
worker."

"Bowen, you know that flattery won't work with me." She protested. "I don't
believe in sex without marriage."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being married for a day." Chad/Bowen
shrugged, not really giving up.

"Why, you!" she stuttered, slapping him sharply across the face.  He looked
at her in shock, then immediately followed her order to turn around and
drop his trousers.  He complied, smiling at her before she told him to turn
his head.  That was when she pulled an actual needle syringe out of her
pocket and stuck him in the butt with it.  He howled in pain as she
injected the needle's contents into his butt and looked back at her with
anger on his face.

"Why did you do that for?" He demanded, his face red.

"Because I heard you like taking things in the butt." She said with a sweet
smile before walking out.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a very, very bad day?"
Chad/Bowen asked himself as he buttoned up his pants and left the
infirmary.  I was delighted to hear Elton and David laughing (James was
too, but he'd seen it before).

"I can't believe you got that past the sensors!" Elton said while laughing.

"Well, your British blokes wanted to cut out part of the scene, but we
talked them into airing the whole thing.  We convinced them they were
getting a safe sex public announcement disguised in a television show.
They bought the story." I responded.

"You know, you are right in a way." David said while the commercials came
on.  "It really does tell people what can happen with unsafe sex."

"That was actually why I wrote it into the story." I admitted.  That was
when the show came back on and Elton shushed us.  The next hour passed
quickly and I was pleased they enjoyed the episode that much.  During
commercials I answered their questions about the filming and
post-production of different shots.  When it was over, David refilled our
drinks and we sat down talking some more.

"You do realize that we four are now the most prominent gay couples in the
music industry?" David asked as Elton sat down next to him.

"You're right." James said after a moment.  I'd recently realized that
James and I were going to be prominent as an openly gay couple, but I
hadn't realized that there weren't too many other openly gay male couples
in the industry.

"Don't let the pressure get between you in your relationship." Elton
advised sagely.  "I remember all the comments about David being nothing but
a gold digger when we first started going out.  We've managed to overcome
most of that, but you two had better be ready for what people are going be
saying about you as a couple.  Your recent troubles are only a beginning."

"Sometimes I wish NSYNC wasn't so big." James muttered.

"I can sympathize with that." Elton said with a smile.  Of course, our road
so far had not been as rocky as his.

"You know," David said after a few moments.  "Tantrums and Tiaras really
helped us out as a couple.  It let people see Elton, and me in a new way.
Do you two think you might be open to such a film?"

"I'm not sure." I said slowly.

"It wouldn't be just about us." James said just as slowly, clearly thinking
about the idea.  "It would have to include the rest of NSYNC as well.
We're all part of each other's lives."

"Of course." David said, sitting forward.  "But it might just let people
see how hard it is for Hollywood couples as well as gay couples."

"I could fund the project through Rocket." Elton said, referring to the
film company he started after meeting David.

"Why don't you have your staff contact Jive?" James offered after a few
moment's thought, and a nod from me.  I was tending to agree that such a
video might provide some positive insight into us as a family, and might
provide a wake-up call for millions who thought we were just two perverts
taking sexual pleasure in each other.

"Definitely." David said with a smile.  We continued talking a little more
and soon it was late enough that James and I were tired.  He called for the
limo, which would be here in a few minutes as Elton asked me what are plans
were for the following day.  We hadn't really made any before having to be
at the airport before 5:00 p.m.  That was when he invited us to a party he
was going to the next day at noon.  We agreed and he suggested we dress in
suits.  We left when the limo arrived and soon made our way home.

We weren't really tired, just very, very horny.

Our final day in London saw us waking up early and taking breakfast in the
restaurant downstairs.  I was surprised as we finished and the manager of
the hotel came over towards us.  He had a harried expression on his face
and was quite out of sorts.

"Pardon me, Mr. Bass, Mr. Young." He said, almost bowing with our names.
"There seems to be a problem outside.  Somehow, word has gotten around of
your staying here and there is a crowd forming outside.  I've called the
police so that they would not get inside, but I'm afraid your privacy has
been breeched."

"It had to happen sooner or later." James said almost apologetically
towards the poor man.  "Don't worry about our reaction.  We've had this
experience a time or two before.  We'll be expecting a limousine around
11ish so please have the crowd moved back by then.  If you don't mind,
we'll pay to have our bags shipped over to the airport and just check-out
before leaving."

"That will do, sir." The manager said, nodding his head. "The Hotel will be
honored to send your bags to the airport with no charge.  Please, just
leave your access cards in the room and we'll have your final bill sent
directly to your home address. Is that acceptable, sirs?

"Yes, fine." James said.  I was quiet, letting him handle this.  He
certainly had more experience than I.  We were soon back upstairs, quietly
laughing.  Oh well, it was only the last day of the vacation and we were
going to be gone soon anyway.  We packed and called downstairs.  Several
bell hops came and got our luggage.  Most of it was being shipped back
since we had done a lot of shopping and were now over the baggage limit for
the Concorde.  The Hotel was taking care of that as well. We were relaxing
having dressed in our suits, doing nothing more than watch television when
we noticed that it was time to go.

The trip out of the hotel was...frenzied.  About a hundred screaming girls
were there, and about a dozen reporters. Cameras flashed, girls screamed,
and reporters yelled questions.  We waved at all of them and scrambled into
the limo (another Rolls Royce).  The driver took off into the London
traffic while James and I giggled at each other.  Okay, maybe I could get
use to the crowds of little girls after all.  It was actually kind of fun.

As soon as we reached Elton's flat, he and David joined us in the limo.  We
greeted each other warmly, and all laughed as James told them about our
little run-in at the hotel with fans.  I asked what kind of party we were
going to, and David mentioned rather offhandedly that it was a charity
fundraiser.  I almost sighed as I realized we'd probably be spending more
money at this fundraiser.

You wonder why celebrities go broke?  There are a lot of expenses related
to upholding the image of being a celebrity.  I'd probably end up agreeing
to David's documentary film simply for the income at the rate I was
spending money.

We soon arrived at another hotel, and this time the flashes of cameras were
truly blinding.  Elton stepped out first, followed by David.  Then James
stepped out and I followed him (notice the symmetry?).  A murmur ran
through the crowd that was gathered and Elton led us up the red carpet.  He
stopped about halfway and greeted a reporter in a friendly manner.

"Robert!" Elton exclaimed, a genuine smile on his face.  "What the devil do
they have you here covering this event for?"

"We heard you were showing with some mystery guests." Robert replied.
"It's interesting seeing two of the biggest gay couples in show business
show up at a fundraiser together."

"I'm glad the gay press thinks we're so important." Elton said, then
introduced us to Robert, who worked for the Gay Times.  He was nice and
asked us about our vacation, how we enjoyed it, where we went.  We gave him
an edited version, leaving out the sex in all the hotel rooms and the
Belgium countryside.  After a few moments, Elton subtly hinted that we
should head inside, and we followed him.

The next hour we spent being introduced to Sir so-and-so, Lady That,
Countess Somebody or another.  The names went right past me, as did their
inane chatter.  We both donated money to the cause du jour.  I believe it
was some children's fund or another.  We'd been there for two hours,
snacking on hor'dourves and sipping drinks when the crowd murmured and a
gentlemen by the door announced "His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cornwall,
and His Royal Highness, Prince William."

Yep, you got it, Prince Charles and his oldest son had arrived.  Elton
positively glowed as they made their way through the crowd of lesser
nobility that suddenly swarmed them.  It was obvious they were heading in
this direction, but were taking their time to be polite to those around
them.

"You know, I think we're the only commoners here." I whispered to James.
David heard me and started chuckling.

"I'm still a commoner too." He laughed.

"No you're not." James disagreed with a smile.  "You're married to a
knight."

"Shit." David muttered.

"Now, is that any way for the partner of a Knight to speak." A rich,
cultured voice asked, and we all looked only to find that the Princes had
finally made their way up to us.  All three of us blushed while Elton
laughed.  David glared, and Elton turned to introduce James and I to the
two Princes.

"I must say," the blond Prince William said after we'd been introduced.
"My brother will be quite upset that he missed this event to go with his
mates.  He's a big fan of your series, Mr. Young.  He's even planning on
collecting all of your ship models when they become available."

"I'm honored, Your Highness." I said, smiling.  "How about I make it up to
him by sending a complete set from the studio's art department?  That way
he won't have to wait too much longer."

"I would think that my son would prefer to have two sets, both signed by
the series creator," Prince Charles said with a slight chuckle.  "My older
son forgot to mention that he nearly threw a royal tantrum when he had to
miss one of your episodes the other week."

Okay, we all burst out laughing at that point.  I know you've seen pictures
of Prince William.  He's adorable.  Well, he's even more adorable when he
blushes just like he was then.  It's a good thing I loved James because I
would have spent plenty of sleepless nights wanking to that memory.

As it was James gave me a VERY knowing look.

We must have talked to the Royal pair for at least an hour about various
topics.  One of my shows had dealt with the issue of nobility and whether
it was outdated by the time period of my series.  The episode was based on
some things I'd learned while idly searching nobility on the internet years
ago.  I nearly dropped my drink when Prince Charles told me his mother had
watched that episode and was quite pleased with what she saw.  That was
when Prince William informed us that HE had shown it to his father.  There
was a speech in there about `in these modern times, it is the job of the
nobility to provide an example to the people of compassion, love, and
grace; to show the people that it is possible to serve the common good
without sacrificing their own sense of self-identity.'

"The Queen approved of that message so much that I know she will be upset
at not getting to meet you and your partner." Prince Charles said to me
with that urbane smile.

"I'm honored, your Highness." I told him, my voice quavering with
astonishment.  This was a...special...compliment for me.  I totally hadn't
expected something like this.

"Yes, well, next time you visit, you be sure to call my staff and inform
them of the dates of your trip." He told me in a pleasant, but firm tone.
I knew this was something that he expected to be done without argument.
Ah!  To be royalty!  "We will work out a time for you to be presented to
the Queen.  Mayhap a small reception."

"We would be honored." I answered his invitation.  We either were going to
come back real soon or never.  Which I didn't know yet.  Maybe James would
talk our way out of it.  I didn't really want to get involved with
royalty. As if the press weren't bad enough as it was, that would only make
it worse.

How was I to know that Johnny Wright would hear about this and change the
NSYNC Europe leg of the tour so that there would be two extra days in
London?  Well, that's down the road a bit so back to the present.

Altogether, the afternoon passed quite smashingly.  After a while, the
older prince was dragged off by his assistant to talk with some other
people.  Elton and David went to talk to some other people and we were
relatively alone with the handsome young prince.

"I read that you had adopted a young boy." Prince William asked after a few
moments.

"Well, I have legal guardianship of Nathan.  He's 15 now." I replied.

"Oh, do you both plan to adopt him?" he asked.

"Actually, we have just recently discussed that." James answered, smiling.
"If he agrees, we'll be pursuing that.  California is a pretty liberal
state so we hope there won't be too many problems."

"I must say that he's a mighty lucky young man." Prince William said.  It
was then that I realized he was close to Justin's age.  "You will have to
bring him with you when you come to meet the Queen.  I'd like the chance to
meet him."

"Oh, I think he'll love that." James said, this time grinning widely.  "I
seem to remember quite a few magazines with pictures of you."

"Oh, yes, I imagine that would be, um, interesting for him." The prince
replied a little nervously.

"Don't worry, he won't make a pass at you." I said.  "He's already got a
boyfriend."

"Well, from what I hear, there's millions of young girls, and not a few
guys who would love to make a pass at me. I just wish it was for the real
me instead of the `prince'."

"I can relate to that." James said with a chuckle.  That's when they
started talking about marriage proposals in fan mail.  Sooner than we had
hoped for, James watch started beeping, reminding us that we were due at
the airport.  The young prince escorted us to where his father was talking
with Elton and David.  James announced our imminent departure, and a
vehicle was summoned by someone's assistant.  A few moments later, we were
escorted down the red carpet by the four of them, the cameras flashing as
we all waved at the photographers.  Our limo pulled away and I could see
the royal pair getting into a similar vehicle behind us.

The drive to the airport actually took longer than the train would have.
That's why I like London's transport system.  It's actually better some
times than a vehicle.  Nevertheless, we made it to the airport and spent an
hour waiting in the reserved lounge.

Once again the flight on the Concorde was magnificent.  There's something
about chasing the setting sun across the ocean, and beating it to your
destination that was thrilling.  What was even more thrilling was the way
we managed to sneak into the same lavatory.  The attendant smiled at us as
we came out and we realized we weren't as stealthy as we thought.  We
blushed, but luckily it was only another half hour until we landed.

It was James' fault.  He just can't be quiet while I'm on my knees.

We landed at JFK in New York, then made our way to a connecting flight.
Terminal hopping is not fun, but we had plenty of time.  By the time we
landed in Orlando, we were absolutely exhausted.  It was long after
midnight in London, but still relatively early in Orlando.  Justin picked
us up, excitedly yapping about all the things he'd done with Nathan, then
asking us about our trip.  We finally arrived at our Florida home and
climbed out, barely carrying our bags.  In fact, Justin grabbed most of
them, as did Nathan who had been waiting inside for us.

He was overjoyed to see us.  He hugged me first, then James, then grabbed
some suitcases and rushed them inside.  It was almost funny as he started
asking what we brought back for him, but we were too tired.  We stumbled
upstairs and decided to go to bed immediately.  We were out like a light
before our heads even hit the pillow.

It had been a good vacation I thought.


***

Yes, more to come.