Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2014 14:33:59 +1100 From: duncan thomas Subject: Never Give Up 23 revised Never Give Up 23 By Maxieplus Please feel free to e-mail me at ...maxieplus@hotmail.com And please Donate to Nifty Archives. 23 Cody They electrocuted me relentlessly, both at the same time, I could feel the blood dripping down my neck, my body spasms made me feel numb, I just didn't feel it anymore. My heart exploded into a erratic dance, my blood pumped through my arteries then started to slow. I heard April's voice, then my Dan's screams. I was untied and laid on my back someplace. Soothing water started to take the heat out of my head. "Never give up" I heard before I saw Dans face. I said my good byes to him, it hurt to say but I knew my heart was giving up and was draining away my life. My father came to meet me, he folded me in his strong arms and said, "Not yet Cody my beautiful boy, not yet, never give up and never forget I love you, and tell your mother I will always be with you both. I love and approve of Dan very much." I looked into his beautiful eyes he smiled. He lead me along a green path. He waved and walked into a white light. I was pulled into a black void where everything that had happened to me over the past year flew past me. Dan's face was there looking at me with red teary eyes he mouthed, "I love you forever." Dan I woke up with a jolt in hospital, I remembered Cody dying, I screamed, "NO!" I wept loudly into my pillow, mum was there with me, she held my hand tightly and leaned over to hug me. She said, "Dan you have had a big shock so the doctors are going to keep you in here perhaps for a few more days, you have already been here two nights." "Oh mum how am I ever going to live without him, how am I ever going to go on, I just want to die. Cody please take me with you." I sobbed, "Don't leave me here on my own." I sobbed bitterly and loudly, a doctor came in and said, "Take this pill Mr Lawrence, it's only a mild sedative but it will settle you." "Your friend is looking a little better this morning, his colour has returned to normal and he keeps asking for you. Do you feel you can get up and we will go see him, it will help settle him down also, he's constantly agitated and worried sick about your state of mind." I looked at him then mum, I couldn't believe they were playing games with me, or was I dreaming. I saw mum smile and nod her head, I realised what the doctor was saying and said, "Codes is alive?" "Yes Dan, he's alive." mum said, "thanks to that angel April." "Oh my god, oh my god I wept, thank you, thank you, take me to him please now." As I threw back the sheet covering me I sat up and instantly fell back. "Slowly does it Daniel just slow down, I'll get the nurse to bring a chair, your not ready to run marathons yet." They wheeled me into another room and I saw Cody sitting in a chair next to his bed with his mum, Luke and Mike, he had his head bandaged and was hooked up to a lot of monitors. I stopped my wheelchair and just gazed at his face, he hadn't noticed me. I whispered softly, "Codes" He looked up abruptly and smiled, "Dan" He stood up and held his arms out to me, his tears streaming down his face and we held on forever. I was kissing his face all over, he was whispering beautiful things in my ear. "I thought I would never see you again Codes, I prayed for you to take me with you, I don't want to live without you Codes, don't ever go away from me." He kept whispering, "I won't Dan, not for a lifetime, I am here with you and I'm not going anywhere." The room was empty when we broke apart. I immediately kissed him and held him tight. I said, "Codes I can't believe your here in my arms it's like a dream, I watched you die Codes." I was still weeping as I held him close. He said, "Dan I did die, I saw my father again and he said he loved you and sent me back to you, he said it wasn't my time." I looked to the ceiling and said, "Thank you almighty god." Some orderlies came in with another bed, they set it up in Cody's room and said to him, "Would you like a room mate Cody?" He smiled at me and said, "Yes please." Then he giggled. I got him into bed and laid at his side, we made little noises and stroked each others cheeks. I looked into his eyes forever, "What happened to you?" He took a long time. "Well I got a call from Gino, he sounded really upset, he cried he had to see me to apologise. I went there and was hit over the head, the rest you know." "I could feel my heart failing, they tasered it relentlessly Dan. April saved me, she kept it going till the ambulance arrived. My heart had stopped beating and I did die. I also died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I am hooked up to this machine that monitors it and the outlook is good, more than good Dan, great. There's no damage." "Now you have been in a self induced coma for two nights Dan, I was more worried about you than me, my father saw to that, I know it's not my time, or yours. You went into shock, they will keep us here for a few more days just to monitor us, you need to get your head into a better space and I need to help you do it." He kissed me tenderly and ran his fingers through my hair. I soaked it up like an old oil rag. Detective Gow came and took statements and said, "I'll be in touch." He winked at us both and said, "Please try to stay out of trouble you two, my boyfriend is starting to think I'm having an affair with you both, keep safe." He winked again as he left us with our mouths open. Cody Our mums came back, mum was beaming, she was still thinking of what I told her about dad. Luke and Mike both kissed Dan and held him tight, "You worried us big brother." Mike said, "Don't ever scare us like that again." Dan blushed, "Sorry." We held hands while we slept and ate, we showered together and generally never let each other go for the next two days. We were discharged at the same time and arrived home to a big welcome home party, everyone was there. I had already thanked April, I knew she was special when I first met her. Dan and I took some time to ourselves while the others celebrated, we walked to our rock and made out, he wouldn't let me go and I didn't want him to release me. That night we made love, him in his black jock strap and me in my leather thong. "Now where were we before we were interrupted?" The sex was extremely satisfying. Poor Dan threw out three loads, I could only manage two. Next morning he couldn't quite get it on in the shower but we had some fun just touching and kissing. I faxed the designs I had chosen and decided it's time to get back to normal. The finals for the footy had started and our team was still number one on the ladder. Some of the scrag rags were still sprouting rumours of us four and we even got in a photo or two but we didn't mind, we even thought of doing our own shots and sending them in. Armani were still buying my new designs and I slipped a couple of Rory's in with the last ones. The day the container arrived at the back door we all pitched in and unloaded it. I put the boxes marked with an "x" aside telling Rory that they contained designs I had made for Armani. Because the shop was open six days a week, we came in the next sunday morning as the alterations to my shop had been finished, also, I told the guys that Armani had rented a spot. Dan, Luke, James and I worked all day to get the space filled and we hung a big sheet to hide everything. I had organised Rory to arrive at work at ten am. We had dinner on the terrace, the sky was cloudless and my stars shone brightly, Dan nibbled at my neck and Jamie was excited about something. He said to Luke, "Babe do you hear a motorbike?" He answered, "No Jimmy." "Oh okay but I'll just go downstairs and check." I kept Luke busy for another five minutes then sent him home. We heard the music start and a sort of yelp come from Luke's throat. Dan and I giggled and had a party of our own, just us two. "Codes?" "Yes Dan." "Now I know what you meant about harming family." "Do you Dan?" "Yes Codes, I do" "I came so close to losing you, I never want to go through that again, I keep thinking about the parents of these people who ruin their lives and am counting my blessings every day." "I know how you feel Dan, I couldn't stand it either, I would have found a way to go with you forever." "Please don't say that Cody, I wouldn't want you to come with me that way, you have so much to live for." "And so do you Dan so it goes double for me also." "Goodnight Codes." "Goodnight Dan." Oh no not again. "Codes?" "Yes Dan?" "Don't leave me here alone." "I won't Dan, let's just enjoy our time together." "I love you Codes, very deeply. Goodnight." "Goodnight Dan, I love you forever." The next morning, Jamie and Luke came for our morning ritual and I cooked my men a special breakfast. I said, "Today is a day of celebration, we are all in good health and still together, we will forge on with our chosen careers, nothing and I mean nothing will come between us." We all hugged and held hands. I then said, "Except a six foot two mother fukker of a biker with a tight ass." Luke went scarlet red (how does he do that?), his shoulders slumped, he looked upset. "You told them Jamie, I'm devastated you told them, a tear escaped from his eye." (God he's good at this.) "I'm sorry babe, they thought he was me." I said, "What?" Luke whispered, "We didn't want you to know Dan and Cody but we met a bikie at the hospital and he wanted to have a threesome with us badly, that was him last night." "Oh Jamie I'm so mortified they know, can we go home now." "Okay babe." When Dan pulled himself together he roared, "What the fuck are you doing Jamie? Selling Luke's ass to anyone, I thought you loved him? Luke I'm sorry I didn't know, if Cody did that to me I would be devastated." Luke looked at us and they both said, "Sucked in." "God I love our family Daniel Lawrence, fucking way to go Jamie." We high fived each other. We laughed till our sides ached. "As if Dan", Jamie said. I added, "Well Mr Lawrence, wasn't that a biker dude you screwed three times, week before last? Dan looked at me and said, "Yes, but no, Codes it was you, you idiot. Oh hell I'm out of here let's get to the shop." We arrived and most of the available staff were there when Rory arrived. He came in the door and we shouted, "Surprise!" I pulled the sheet down, he really didn't know what was happening. "What's going on Cody, why is everybody here?" I replied, "Everyone is here to celebrate the opening of the new range I've introduced to the store. "Oh, the Armani stuff, when was that unpacked?" "Yesterday Rory." "Have a champagne mate and go have a look." He grabbed a glass and started to look through the racks, he started pulling out items he had known intimately these past eight months, he looked at me then the labels then he fell to the floor and started crying out loud. Adam patted me on the back and said, "Was that the reaction you wanted Codes?" I said, "Not quite, but it will do." I walked over to him and helped him up. I said, "Cody Mitchell rewards hard work and dedication very generously. Today you have witnessed the opening of our "Rory" youth collection, totally designed by my store manager Rory Simpson. Three cheers for Rory, hip hip hurrah! Rory looked into my eyes and said, "Thank you so much for bringing alive my sketches Cody." I replied, "Rory this is your own label, it belongs to you, I'm just so glad you showed them to me. I have papers in the office for you to sign, you could to start your own company and then we will work out where you go from there." "Also, I didn't think you would mind so I slipped two of your designs in with mine when I sent them to Jaques, he loved them." I handed Rory the cheque. He was speechless, he held me so tight for such a long time weeping his little eyes out. I think this is the best thing that's ever happened to him in a long time. He spent the whole afternoon just handling his range and admiring the workmanship. He was taking photos of items and uploading them to his Facebook page. We would have a small catwalk opening in the next month but for now we want to get the public's reaction and by the look of the first weeks sales, it's a hit. Another thing that happened that week was Gino turned on his priest and had him charged with abuse, sexual and mental. He had been abusing Gino for a few years now and others in his church came forward to make statements of their own, they found child porn on his computer and busted three others in the church. So my kidnapping and attempted murder was put aside for the moment till they sorted out which of the charges were going to get the maximum time. We won the Grand Final and Dan was carried around the ground, after the ceremony we went to the players bar and celebrated till late. We were looking forward to going to Spain and my mum dropped off the villa key to us the following weekend. "Cody, when do you have to be back here?", she said. "I don't really mum, Dan can work anytime, the football is over and I can design anywhere, the boys can run the store, why?" "Well, I have to go to London next month and I thought you might like to fly from Spain and maybe meet me there for a couple of weeks, I would like to show you both off to my friends." "Okay Mum I'll talk to Dan and see what we can come up with, we need to hunt up a hotel and try to change our flight home but I would love to see London." "Ummm Cody, you don't need to find a hotel darling." "Oh don't tell me, I own an apartment there don't I?" "Don't be absurd, no Codes, I do but you will eventually", she said laughing. When I told Dan he said, "Fuck Codes I hope her friends aren't royalty." We all arrived at the farm saturday, lunch was a family affair. Poor Mike was noticeably quiet so I looked at Jamie and told him to put him out of his misery. He gave Mike a loving look, Mike flinched. James said, "Sucked in mate, big time, as if I would do that to Luke, I know I got the right twin." Mike's face changed back to a mischievous one. He won't let this one go easily. We all laughed. "Fuck I love this family", I said. "So do fucking I Codes", Mrs L said back. "Mum", said Luke. "Oh Luke, live a little, Jamie are you really sure Mikes not making you throw a boner?" "Mum stop it." Poor Luke, my healer is copping it from all corners. I took his hand and said, "Luke come with me, I want you to show me the barn." "My pleasure Codes, let's go." "Codes stay here", Dan roared at me. "No Dan, I'm going to the barn with Luke, I want to see what I'm missing out on." "Okay, Jamie how would you like to go for a ride down to the lower paddock?" "Daniel Lawrence your not taking Jamie down there, your taking me." "Lets go Squirt." Later that night we sat on the back porch and watched the stars. Dan had taken me down to the lower paddock and made love to me up against the tree. I was still in rapture as we sat and talked about nothing. "Codes I love you so much, I could just eat you." "You did Dan, I loved it too." "Dan?" "Yes Codes?" "Can you stay with me always, even if we drift apart?" "Never going to happen Squirt." "Why Dan, it could." "Because I fell in love with you Codes, I didn't fall in love with being gay itself, it was only you I wanted and will ever want." He added, "If and when we start to move apart we will have to talk about it, but we have at least another sixty years before that happens." "God I love you Daniel Lawrence." to be continued... Thank you all for reading my story, and the wonderful feedback I have received. A special thank you to Duncan my buddy who helped clean up the spelling. Sorry Derek