Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:21:24 +1100
From: Marcus McNally <marcusis32@live.com.au>
Subject: RE: Love On The Rocks - 30

This story contains sexual situations between males. If material of this
nature offends you then you should not read this story.  If you are under
18 years of age you are probably not legally allowed to read this story.
This story is purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons
living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely
coincidental. The author claims all copyrights in this story and no
duplication or publication of this story is allowed (except by the web
sites to which it has been posted) without the consent of the author.

*************

It was a fact that life with Tyson Hill meant never knowing what upheaval
might be waiting around the next corner and while I was able for the most
part to take each problem in my stride, I felt momentary dread that Lachlan
and Ellie had been dealt a blow.

"Is everything alright?" Ty asked tentatively.  "Lachie? ..."

There was no response.  Lachlan and Ellie remained fixed in each other's
gaze, their expressions impossible to read.  Was it sadness?  Was it shock?

The sound of voices had drawn Scott from his room and he wandered into the
lounge and stood for a moment saying nothing, as he surveyed the four
silent people around him.

"What's up guys?" he asked cheerily, again to no response.

"Ellie?" I ventured.  "Is everything alright with the baby?"

Ellie eventually dragged her eyes away from Lachlan and looked at me, as
though she was seeing me for the first time.

She nodded, and Ty and I immediately sighed with relief.  She looked again
at Lachlan.

"Actually, everything's alright with both babies," he said, as though he
couldn't believe what he'd just said.

"What?" Ty asked, confused.  "You mean? ..."

"It's twins!"

"You're having twins???"

"That's what they told us."

Ty was all over his brother, slapping his back and kissing him, while Scott
stood back and gave Lachlan the `thumbs up'.  I drew Ellie into a hug and
kissed her cheek.

"You had us really worried for a moment," I said.  "We thought you'd had
bad news."

"Sorry guys," Ellie said, finally finding her voice.  "It's just ... we're
still a bit stunned."

"We certainly weren't expecting this," Lachlan added.

"But you're happy?" I asked tentatively.

"You bet!" Lachlan grinned, as he grabbed me and squeezed the breath out of
me.  "Just a bit ... shocked."

In another masterstroke of timing, George walked in with a bottle of
champagne on a tray and six glasses.  Setting it down, he hugged Lachlan
and Ellie.  "This is marvellous news!" he chirped.  "Just marvellous."

Ty popped the cork and poured the bubbles, and everyone but Ellie took a
glass.  While Scott gave Ellie a cuddle, Ty grabbed Lachlan in a bear hug.
"Atta boy, Lach!" he beamed.  "You're out of the Army now and you're still
firing perfect bullets!"

"It's all about having the perfect rifle!" Lachlan chuckled.

"Oh for God's sake, not more dick talk!" Ellie said, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of which," Ty grinned.  "Did they tell you what sex the babies
are?"

"They said they could, but Ellie asked them not to," Lachlan smiled.

"I like the element of surprise!" Ellie said.

"Hey, do Mum and Dad know yet?" Scott asked.

"No, you're the first to know.  We're still kind of adjusting to it
ourselves!  I haven't even told my Mum or my sisters."

"Why don't you share the news in one hit?" I asked.

Five faces looked at me blankly.

"You could ring your Mum and your sisters and ask them over for drinks and
nibbles tonight, and tell them face to face.  I'll get some more champagne
delivered and George and I can rustle up some hors d'oeuvres."

"That's a great idea," Lachlan enthused.  "But Ty's got the TV show
tomorrow.  You wouldn't want a late night mate?"

"I can bow out early and go to bed if you decide to kick on," Ty assured
him.  "It'd be great to finally meet Ellie's family, so let's do it.  And
we'll invite Steve as well, Mike?"

"Well, yeah, I guess," I said.

"He's family too, Mike," Lachlan reminded me.

While Ellie and Lachlan rang Ellie's family, I quickly rang Steve before
joining George in the kitchen.  Already the bench was dressed with platters
waiting for finger food and champagne glasses waiting to be filled.  "I
think we should order some pizzas, sir," he suggested.  "We can cut them
into squares. I'm warming some baby quiches, and we have dips, cold meat,
cheese and Turkish bread."

"You've got it done then George," I smiled, "as usual!"

"Sir, if you don't mind me suggesting it," George began hesitantly.  "Maybe
you should go out and pick up the champagne, about the time the other
guests are due to arrive.  That way it will look like Mr. Hill's lawyer has
dropped in to join the celebration."

"Great idea, George," I said automatically.  It was only later, when I was
driving to the bottle shop that – for the first time – I registered
the fact that Ty and I as a couple were still persona non grata.  Not that
it bothered me particularly; all I needed was Ty.  But it was still a
realisation that I had to be careful how I shared my happiness.

I pushed the thought away when I pulled up outside the house at about
8.35pm, politely late.  I wandered in, did the greetings chastely, handed
over the champers and introduced myself to the family.  I met Lou, Ellie's
Mum, and her two siblings; Annie was the older sister and Frances the
younger.  They were lovely, as I knew they would be.

Ellie's Mum took a shine to me; she had a "thing" for lawyers, apparently.
Annie got involved in a fairly deep discussion with Ty and Ellie about the
way the music industry was heading, and Steve had cornered Frances.  He was
using his best pick-up skills, and Lachlan was on to it.  He excused
himself from his conversation with Scott and, sidling up to Steve, he asked
Frances, "how's that boyfriend of yours?  Casey is it?"

Steve knew when to back off and he joined me, only to find Ellie's Mum was
assessing my eligibility for Frances.  A single lawyer was always fair
game.  Somehow he knew I was squirming and he just distracted her,
flattering her with compliments about her daughters, and her jacket!  My
brother was better skilled than I in the ways of making a woman feel
special.

I was saved from further scrutiny when Lachlan announced it was time to
call Dot and Frank.  We all gathered around as Lachlan called the farm and
told his parents they were on speaker phone.  One by one he introduced
Ellie's family and Dot went to great lengths to let Lou know how much she
and Frank adored her daughter.

I could see Lachlan and Ellie were waiting for the right moment to make
their big announcement, and the opportunity presented itself when Dot
assured us that she had knitted more than enough clothes for the baby's
first two years.

"That's great Mum!" he grinned.  "But I'd keep on knitting if I were you!"

"Oh Lachlan," Dot tittered.  "How many clothes do you think one little baby
needs?"

"You'll certainly have made enough clothes for one baby, Mum!" Lachlan
continued.  "But not for two little babies!"

There was a moment or two before the penny dropped, and Ellie's sisters
shrieked.  Lou put her hand over her mouth and gasped, "twins??"

From the speaker we heard Dot coming to terms with the news.  "Do you mean
you're having twins?  Lachlan?  You and Ellie are having twins?  Frank, did
you hear that?  Frank?  They're having twins!"

Merriment ensued and Lachlan and Ellie once again found themselves being
hugged and kissed.  They each took a private moment on the phone with Dot
and Frank, before handing the phone to Scott for his customary round of
questions from the folks.

As more champagne flowed, I worked the room, sharing the platter duty with
George.  I joined Ellie and her sister Annie in a conversation with Scott.
Annie was making a real point of saying how much Scott looked like Ty, and
while Scott was normally full of beans in these sorts of social situations,
he didn't seem himself tonight.

I did another round of drinks and was about to hand Ty a fresh beer when he
suddenly disappeared to take a call on his mobile.  I wondered on and off
for the next 30 minutes who he might be talking to and tried to read his
face when he returned to the room.

After a while he excused himself to go to the bathroom and a minute or so
later, I disappeared in the same direction.  In the sanctity of our en
suite I was finally able to ask "what's up?"

"Shit!" he sighed, as he pissed into the bowl.  "Vince wants me to do a
personal `in-store' tour of the country, signing copies of my DVD."

"When?"

"Starting Monday!"

"Oh."

"Vince reckons we can push it to double platinum if I do the appearances.
But it comes back to me having to go out there and smile a lot while I take
money off people."

I thought about what he said.  "Mate, you're not stealing people's money!
They're offering to pay for something they want.  They want your DVD.
You're a commodity.  And seeing you up close in person is the bonus."

Ty sighed.  "You sound like Vince!" he remarked.

"Well, sometimes Vince is spot on.  You made the DVD.  It cost a lot of
money.  Everyone needs a slice of it now – the DVD company, the record
company, the song publishers.  And you.  And you're the only one who can
make it sell.  You signed a contract with a multi-national and one of the
clauses bound you to `every effort' to enable sales of the product.  That's
the only way it can work."

"Really?" Ty asked, scratching his chin.  "I'll be away for a week, maybe
eight days."

"Yeah?"

"You won't miss me?"

"Of course I'll miss you.  I won't sleep properly."

"The record company could just run ads plugging the DVD couldn't they?"

"No Ty," I smiled.  "The fans want to see you. They want to say hello to
you, and tell you how much they love you."

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do!"

"You wanna kiss me?

"Yes!"

"Then why don't you?"

"Because in the mirror I can see Lachlan outside the door waiting to
interrupt, and I don't want to scar him with the mental image of his big
brother kissing some horny lawyer in a bathroom."

Ty laughed.  "Whadda ya want Lach?"

Lachlan stuck his head around the en suite door.  "You girls finished
touching up your makeup?"

"Fuck you!" I chuckled.

"Yeah, you wish!" Lachlan retorted.  "Ellie's mum and sisters are going.
Questions are gonna be asked if you two stay in the dunny too long."

Ty and Lachlan went back to the lounge while I washed up and I joined them
in time to say goodnight to Ellie's family and to Steve. He had an open
invitation to stay whenever he liked, but he had another early start and
was keen to make sure he was home in time to get a good sleep.

I helped George clean up and finally slid into bed next to Ty.  He was
sleeping lightly, but he woke when he felt the doona move, and turned to
hold me.  He was sleepy but frisky and we kissed for a while, but I was
aware of his early start in the morning and I pushed all the buttons that
made him drowsy.  Five minutes later, he was out like a light.

**********

I had no idea what time it was when I woke, but I felt happy and secure, my
arms wrapped around the guy I loved as he lay facing away from me.  And his
arm was around my chest.  That realisation eventually caused me some sleep
confusion.  If I was cuddling him, how could he be cuddling me?

I was still trying to figure it out when Ty stirred.  He stretched and then
reached back with his right hand and cupped my balls.  By now I was awake
and before he got too carried away, I leaned in and kissed him and
whispered, "We're not alone."

Ty sat up and looked towards the door, but saw it was closed.  He scratched
his head in confusion, before turning to look at me and immediately
noticing his youngest brother spooning against me on the far side of the
bed.

"What's Scott doing here?" Ty whispered to me.

I shrugged.  "No idea," I whispered in reply.  "He must have come in some
time during the night.  Just lie back down and we'll snooze."

Ty obediently got comfortable again and the three of us lay in sleepy
formation until George rapped on the door at 8.30am sharp.

"Come in," I yawned and George entered carrying our breakfast.

"I don't wish to alarm you, sir," George deadpanned.  "But there appears to
be something nasty growing on your back.  Shall I lance it?"

I laughed.  "It will wake in a moment George and it will be hungry," I
warned.  "Be ready with food."

George returned to the kitchen for more supplies and as Ty and I sat up to
pour our coffee, Scott started to stir.  He opened and closed his eyes a
couple of times before focussing on me and smiling sheepishly.

"Morning, mate!" I grinned.

"Hey Mike," he replied cautiously.  "Hey Ty."

"Morning Scott," Ty said.  "You gave us a surprise."

"Yeah, sorry.  I just couldn't sleep.  I just wanted to be with someone.
I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about Scott," I assured him, ruffling his hair.  I
could see him eyeing our breakfast and quickly pushed the tray out of
reach.  "George is bringing you something to eat."

Scott was sitting up in bed when George returned with more cereal, egg and
bacon and a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Thanks George," said Scott.

I looked at Scott's plate and said to George, "you gave Ty and me more
bacon, and we got two slices of toast each."

"That's correct, sir," George replied dryly.  "I like you and Mr. Hill more
than I like Scott."

Unusually, Scott didn't bite back.  When Ty jumped out of bed to take a
leak, I asked Scott, "are you OK, mate?"

"Yeah, sure," he sighed. "Why?"

"I dunno, you just don't seem yourself."

"Nah," he shrugged.  "I'm just tired I think."

Ty came back to bed and I got up to have a piss.  When I'd finished, I
shaved quickly and jumped under the shower.  I tied a towel around my waist
and returned to the bedroom to find Ty cuddling Scott under the donna,
stroking his hair.  Their low-voiced conversation seemed private, so I
moved into the walk-in wardrobe to get dressed.

Scott had disappeared when I emerged, and Ty was sitting up in bed deep in
thought.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I think the whole Simon thing has hurt Scotty more than he's letting on,"
Ty said.

"What did he say?"

"Well, nothing exactly.  Just a hunch.  He just seems sad, as you've
probably noticed."

"Yeah, I figured there'd be a bit of a crash at some time."

"You'll keep an eye on him when I'm gone?"

"Yeah, of course I will.  He'll be fine, Ty.  He's just gotta work through
it.  It hurts for a while."

I leaned across the bed and kissed my guy.  "Gotta go get some groceries,"
I said.  "What time are you leaving?"

"2.45pm flight, so Vince is picking me up at one," he replied.

"We'll have time for lunch then.  Anything you fancy?"

"Yeah, I've been craving steamed greens."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, can you get me a slab of prime 100% Aussie Mike Stewart tube steak
to take on the road with me?"

I rolled my eyes, grabbed George's shopping list and headed for the car.  I
worked the supermarket, and then hit the Asian market to find Ty the
freshest greens.  Back at the house, Ellie helped me unpack while Lachlan
lumbered around the kitchen in his boxers making something for him and
Ellie to eat.

"You two are having breakfast late," I grinned.

"Yeah, we slept in," Lachlan replied sheepishly.  "Neither of us slept very
well."

I looked at Ellie, and she smiled.  "We didn't sleep very well because
Lachie had some middle of the night wood, and some early morning wood too!"
she giggled.

"You're an animal Lachlan!" I admonished.  "The poor girl's exhausted
carrying your twins and you expect her to give in to your unnatural carnal
desires at all hours of the night and day."

Lachlan put on a hurt, little boy expression.  "I don't mean to do it," he
pouted.  Turning to embrace his girl, he added, "but she's just so fucking
Goddamn beautiful and sexy that I can't keep my hands off her spectacular
body!"

I stuck my fingers down my throat as Ellie melted.  "Oh Lachie," she mewed
as she hugged and kissed him.  "You can wake me up whenever you like!"

"I love you baby," Lachlan beamed, nibbling her ear and rubbing her tummy
in gentle circles.

"Oh please!" I groaned.  "You two are destroying the natural balance of
this household.  If you have to be straight and madly in love, can't you do
it in your own room?"

Ellie giggled.  "Speaking of madly in love," she said, "how are you gonna
cope with Tyson out of town for a week?"

"Well," I sighed.  "I have Sudoku.  And my knitting ..."

Ty strolled into the kitchen with a grin.  "You're knitting for me mate?"
he chuckled.  "I need a new willy warmer!"

"Oh," I played along.  "I don't think I have enough wool for that ..."

We all did our own thing while George corralled Ty into the bedroom to get
his luggage packed.  At midday, George was back in the kitchen, serving
lunch on the balcony.  Four of us had Spanish omelette while Ty dug into a
platter of greens, as happy as a pig in poop.

At around ten to one, Vince arrived to make sure Ty got out the door and to
the airport on time for his flight.  Vince worked the room, congratulating
Lachlan and Ellie on their big news, commiserating with Scott about having
to cut short his holiday because of homesickness, and bantering with me
about how all that lay ahead for me and Ty was Hellfire and damnation.

Half way through the Vince diatribe I kissed him, which instantly shut him
up.  George marched Ty into the lounge room in time for Vince's 1pm
deadline and suddenly, we were into the goodbyes.

Ty took a deep breath and held out his arms.  He hugged his brothers and
Ellie before he got to me.  He dropped his bag, and in full view of
everyone for the first time ever, he grabbed my face and pulled me into a
long, wet kiss.  When he pulled back, he said, "You, I fuckin' love."

He was propelled away from me by Vince, who feigned repulsion.  "Jesus
Christ!" he muttered as he stomped down the stairs to the car, shaking his
head.  "As if being a faggot isn't bad enough!  But a fucking lawyer??"

**********

Ty and Vince had no sooner turned the corner when Lachlan and Ellie
announced they'd be spending the rest of the day in Ellie's apartment,
getting it ready for rental.  Before they left, Lachlan pulled me aside in
the kitchen.

"Is Scotty being weird?" Lachlan asked quietly.  "He's not his usual self
and I kind of get the impression he's almost avoiding me."

"He's hurting," I replied honestly.  "He got fucked over by someone he
really cared about.  And it's the first time for him.  He's struggling a
bit with it, that's all."

"So why's he being weird with me?"

I carefully thought my answer before I responded.  "This is just the way I
see it mate, not necessarily the way it is," I cautioned.  "But he's been
cuddled and fussed over by Ty.  I don't think he's really sure of where he
is right now with you.  You still haven't delivered the `consequence', and
you still haven't given him any sure sign that you've forgiven him."

Lachlan opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again, while he thought.
"Well I haven't really forgiven him."

"So there you go!"

"I mean, I've forgiven him on one hand because he's my brother.  But he
still fucked up."

"He knows that Lachlan.  He's living it."

"He's not getting off Scot free," Lachlan huffed, before chuckling at his
own pun.

"He knows there's no `get out of jail free' card, mate," I replied.  "He's
gonna be fine.  He just needs to mope a bit."

"You'll keep an eye on him won't you?"

I laughed.  "Yeah, I already promised Ty."

"Scott really loves you, you know," Lachlan said.  "And so he should,
you've been fantastic to him.  You're another older brother, without the
annoying bloodline."

I gave Lachlan a big manly hug and followed him into the lounge where Ellie
was waiting with the car keys.

"I'm feeling like a deep fried Mars Bar, honey," she said as soon as
Lachlan appeared.  "And I want a pickle"

"A pickle?"

"Yes, a pickle Lachie," Ellie sighed.  "I'm craving a pickle.  And I want
it NOOOOOOWWWW."

"What kind of pickle?"

"A big pickle, Lachie," she giggled.  "A big, fat one!  I'll make it easy
for you baby.  Let's stop by the deli and you go buy me the pickle that
most resemble your penis."

"How many do you want?"

"Just the one," she smirked.  "Then I'll probably want the real thing ..."

They were gone in a flash.

There were a few hours before Ty was appearing live on the TV show, so I
hauled out the case notes I'd neglected the past few days, and got stuck in
to a nasty publishing dispute.  A couple of hours went by, and I stretched
my legs.  I wandered into the kitchen to help George prepare dinner before
disappearing into the study to make a couple of calls and send a few
emails.

When I returned to the lounge, I noticed Scott alone on the kitchen
balcony, sitting on the decking with his arms curled around his knees
looking out to sea.  At his feet, Scruffy was lying prone, watching Scott's
every move and lapping up the pats he was occasionally receiving.

I let him be while I finished reading my papers, until George was ready to
serve dinner.  We shared a simple spaghetti Marinara with garlic bread and
a garden salad and while Scott made an effort to be part of the
conversation, his heart wasn't really in it.

While George and I cleared up, Scott disappeared into his bedroom.  I
started to explain my concerns about Scott's mood, but George already had
it sussed.  "It's the aftermath, sir," he nodded wisely.  "A combination of
feeling embarrassed, hurt and sorry for himself.  If I may use Scott-speak,
he `screwed up big time' and he knows it."

I shook my head.  "You never cease to amaze me George," I smiled.  "I
reckon you can read all of us like books."

"I dare say that's true, sir," George chuckled.  "And young Scott has just
come to the end of a chapter and isn't quite sure how the next one starts."

George and I sat on couches in the lounge room with a glass of wine,
waiting for `Music Max' to begin.  I was thinking whether or not to call
Scott when he suddenly appeared.  He walked across the room, his minder
Scruffy at his heels, and sat down next to me.

As the program started, I held out my right arm and Scott slid in next to
me for a cuddle.  He rested his head on my chest as the host did his
preamble to the big introduction, building Ty up in a series of film clip
montages and interview grabs.

The teaser dissolved and the host welcomed Ty, who strode on to the set
looking like a million dollars.  He was wearing form-fitting Levi 50s with
a thick belt, black boots and, to my surprise, my navy blue and grey
pinstriped shirt which I had to admit looked better on him than it did on
me.  Around his neck, a thin leather band from which dangled the plectrum
Leonard Cohen had given him.  His hair was a mass of curls that framed his
gentle face.

"It's like I'm looking at you in 10 years time," I chuckled, as I gave
Scott a squeeze.

After a few generic questions, Ty got into a discussion about the music he
listens to on his iPod.  He singled out the tracks I was expecting, from
his favourite artists ... Cohen, John Hiatt, Jimmy Barnes, Eric Clapton,
Genesis, U2 ... all accompanied by film clip grabs.  There were others I
remember from car trips and showers ... Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Randy
Newman, Lucinda Williams ... and others that were a complete surprise
... Robert Johnson, Pete Seeger, Malvina Reynolds, the Edwin Hawkin Singers
and even Dvorak.

Ty was enthralling with the story of his own musical voyage of discovery,
and how he explored different styles of music as a young boy.  He talked of
family visits to see his parents' friends and how he always gravitated to
other peoples' record collections to see if there was something he hadn't
heard about.  How he taught himself to read music and spent endless hours
working out the chord progressions of songs he liked.

Detailed descriptions of music structure were interspersed with amusing
anecdotes about how his incessant singing, playing and listening to music
drove his brothers "nuts" and how often his Dad called out "turn that
bloody music down" and "have you finished your homework, Tyson?"

After the final ad break, the show returned with the host doing the
obligatory plug for Ty's `in concert' DVD – the `money shot' as Vince
called it – before he moved to the main set where Ty was seated on a
stool, guitar in hand.

"What song have you chosen from your iPod to sing for us tonight?"

"Hard choice!" Ty grinned.  "I'd like to sing most of them!  But I've
always been a Peter Gabriel fan and I was only a young boy when he released
his album `So'.  I can remember sitting on the lounge-room floor at home
watching the video clip for one of the tracks, which showed the despair of
a man who'd been completely crushed by hardship and the economic downturn.
It had a huge impact on me at the time, and the song has always stayed with
me."

"That's `Don't Give Up' of course," the host replied.  "And it's usually
sung as a duet," the host remarked.

"Yes, Peter Gabriel recorded it with Kate Bush.  And since then it's been
sung as a duet by everyone from Willie Nelson and Sinead O'Connor, to Bono
and Alicia Keys."

"You're on your own tonight though!"

"Yes, it's just me singing, but in my head I'm hearing a duet.  I'm singing
it tonight for my mate Daniel Keneally, who's doing it tough health wise at
the moment."

The camera zoomed in on Ty's face and he looked straight into the lens,
gave the thumbs up and said, "`Don't Give Up' Dan!  You inspire me, mate!"

Ty plucked the introduction and started to sing, clear-voiced and strong.
I was so touched he'd thought to dedicate it to Daniel, and by the time he
got to the chorus, I was tearing up ... "Don't give up 'cos you have
friends, don't give up you're not beaten yet, don't give up I know you can
make it good ..."

I swear even George had tears in his eyes by the time Ty had finished the
song, and the screen dissolved to credits after a close-up of Ty once more
giving Daniel the `thumbs up'.

For more than 45 minutes after the show had finished, I tried to get Ty on
his mobile, but the calls kept diverting to his voicemail.  Lachlan called
to ask what we thought, and he agreed it was one of Ty's finest TV moments.

"Man, when he dedicated it to Daniel, Ellie and I were gone!" he said.

"Yeah, I hope Daniel remembered to watch.  I think he'll be blown away."

"I rang Mum and Dad, and they wanted to know who Daniel was," Lachlan
chuckled.  "I explained it all and now Mum's knitting him some beanies!"

It was close to 9.30 when my mobile rang and I finally got to talk to Ty.

"It was great, mate!" I enthused, as I moved into the music room to talk.

"Thanks Mike!  It felt good."

"The chat part was really interesting."

"Yeah, I really enjoyed talking about some of the music I grew up with.
These sort of interviews I enjoy.  They're so much more worthwhile than the
`what's your favourite body part?' interviews!"

"You were hard to get hold of after the show!"

"Yeah, I rang Daniel straight after from my dressing room.  I wasn't sure
how he'd react."

"And? ..."

"Mate, he was stoked!  He was so excited!  He's even had texts from kids he
was at school with, who haven't stayed in touch since he got ill."

"Nothing like a bit of star power behind him to give a kid some status."

"How's Scotty?"

"Well, you know.  Much the same.  But he watched the show and he thought
you were great."

"Mate, sorry to tell you this but Vince wants me to stay at the airport
hotel tonight because the flight to Adelaide in the morning is early.  I do
the Adelaide in-store tomorrow night, then fly to Melbourne on Monday.  The
in-store there is Tuesday and I'll fly back into Sydney on Wednesday
afternoon for the in-store at Grace Brothers that night.  Sorry mate, I
tried to get out of it but Vince wouldn't budge."

"That's cool," I sighed.  "No cuddles for me tonight then!"

"Or for me!  I love you, Mike."

"Yeah I love you too, mate," I said.

I was about to return to the lounge when I heard voices.  I stood in the
hallway and looked in the mirror, where I was surprised to see George with
his arm around Scott on the couch.  It confirmed for me that their constant
sparring masked a deep affection.

"But I really trusted him, George," I heard Scott say.  "I gave him my
heart and he kicked me in the guts.  Now I'm back home, and I've got
no-one."

"Not at all.  You've got a house full of people here who love you, for
starters," George smiled.

"Yeah, I know I've got you guys," Scott sighed.  "But you know what I mean.
No-one special, like Ty and Lachie have."

"In my day, people would say `there are plenty more fish in the sea',
Scott.  You have so much to offer, and you're only eighteen.  Your tastes
will change the more you get out and live your life.  And the right guy is
out there somewhere, just waiting for you when you're ready."

"You really think so?"

"I know so!" George confirmed.  "Just remember, in order to find your
Prince, you first have to kiss a lot of frogs!"

Scott giggled.  "You think Simon's a frog?"

"Indeed he is, Scott.  He should consider it a compliment!"

I made a point of closing the music room door as I walked back into the
lounge, by which time George and Scott had straightened up on the couch.
George stood and helped me clear glasses and plates and by the time the
kitchen was clean, I was ready for bed.

I said goodnight to George and was surprised to find Scott still on the
couch.  "I'm off to bed now, mate," I said.  "You should probably turn in
soon too."

"Yeah, I will Mike," he said.  "Just thought I'd stay here for a while and
think about stuff."

"Goodnight, mate," I smiled as I walked towards the bedroom.  I turned back
to him before walking into the hallway and added, "If you're feeling lonely
... I've got a half empty bed ..."

I got ready and climbed under the doona.  I was almost asleep when I felt
the cover lifting and Scott quietly sliding in next to me.

**********

Sunday was a busy day.  Scott took Scruffy to the beach and stayed there
most of the day, no doubt lost in his own thoughts.  George met his friend
Henri for brunch at a nearby eatery and I caught up with family emails
before meeting Steve for lunch in the city.

It was a surprising day.  Surprising in that I thoroughly enjoyed spending
time with my brother, and didn't notice how the time slipped by.  We ate,
we drank, and we made each other laugh.  We walked along the beach and ate
ice cream.  We rang Mum and our sister Lyn, and we walked through a park
tossing a tennis ball to each other, as hard as we could, something we'd
done so often when we were bored young boys.

It was surprising to get home quite late in the afternoon to find that
Scott and Scruffy were still lying on the beach.

"He's been there all day, sir," George sighed.  "He seems OK. But he's very
reflective.  I've gone out there three or four times to take him water and
to make sure he's done the slip, slop, slap."

"Where are Lachlan and Ellie?" I asked.

"They spent last night at Ellie's apartment.  It's almost empty, but I
think Ellie just wanted to have one final night in her own space."

"Does Scott still think Lachlan is ignoring him?"

"That's probably the way Scott's reading it, sir," George sighed.  "Not the
case at all, of course, but it tears him apart to think he's let either of
his brothers down.  Mr. Hill is back to normal with him, but Lachlan isn't
behaving quite as he normally would around Scott."

How right he was.  "How do you get this shit, George?" I asked.

"Years of reading people, sir," he replied.

Dinner was another George tour-de-force, but the occasion was awkward.
Scott had enquired where Lachlan and Ellie were and when I explained they
were staying one last night at Ellie's apartment, I knew he took that to
mean that Lachlan didn't want to be around him.  He picked at his food and
while he answered direct questions, he contributed little to the
conversation.

He was happy to join me for a cuddle on the couch as we watched TV, but he
nodded off quite quickly.  I let him doze until 10, when I woke him and
announced it was time for bed.  He sat up and stretched, and looked at me
questioningly.

"Yes!" I chuckled.  "You can sleep in the big bed!"

Scott was under the covers by the time I'd brushed my teeth and on the
floor to his side, watching intently, was the ever-vigilant Scruffy.

"Come on, Scruff," I said, clicking my fingers.  "Your bed's in the
laundry."

Scruffy looked at me with sad eyes and didn't immediately move.  When I
clapped my hands, he reluctantly stood.  He looked again at Scott and then
padded past me out the door.  I closed it and slipped into bed, and that's
when the whimpering started.  I finally got up again to let him back in and
he darted straight to Scott's side.

"Don't tell Ty!" I said to Scott, as he leaned down and patted his
four-legged friend.

When George woke us the next morning for breakfast, he looked at Scruffy
and then looked at me.  "The dog in the bedroom, sir?" he asked.

"He wanted to be with Scott," I explained, "and he just sat outside the
door whimpering, so I had to let him in."

George served us breakfast and then returned with a treat for Scruffy, who
was already sharing some of Scott's bacon.  When we'd eaten, Scott rolled
over and dozed some more while I got out of bed and started getting ready
for work.

Scott was much on my mind as I showered, and I decided suddenly that my
plans for the day needed to change.  I made a quick call to the office
feigning illness, before dressing in jeans and a tee shirt.  When I
returned to the bedroom, Scott looked at me from under the covers and said,
"how come you're wearing jeans to work?"

"I'm not going to work, mate!"  I grinned.  "It's a Public Holiday."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is.  I checked."

"What's the holiday?"

"It's Scott Hill Day.  Only in New South Wales though."

"What does that mean?"

"It's means it's your day, and we're gonna do stuff that's gonna make you
start smiling and laughing again, even if it kills me!  Now get your lazy
ass out of bed and go get dressed."

It worked!  He jumped out of bed and headed to his own bathroom and after
showering, he met me in the kitchen dressed much the same as I was.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"First up, we're taking Scruffy for a walk."  We hit the beach with Scruffy
in tow and we strolled along the sand for about a half kilometer.  Scruffy
was in his element, chasing seagulls and pissing on shrubbery.

"I can never work out how Scruffy can pee so much," Scott laughed.  "I
guess he's marking his territory."

"He's not actually peeing a lot," I replied.  "Dogs don't piss in one hit,
like we do.  They piss a lot of little amounts.  And they're not
necessarily marking their territory.  They do it so that if they get lost,
they can follow their scent home."

"You don't even have a dog!" Scott chuckled.  "How come you know all this
stuff?"

"I told you before, mate.  I'm a lawyer!"  I smirked.  "Lawyers know
everything!"

I put my arm around Scott's shoulder and we strolled back to the house.
After taking Scruffy to his water bowl I grabbed my keys and wallet and
shepherded Scott out to the car.

"Where now?"

"You'll see!"

We drove to Bondi Junction and parked, and walked to the cinema complex.
Scott went to the toilet while I organised two Gold Class tickets, knowing
he'd not yet had such a comfortable cinema experience.  He seemed excited
as we settled into our recliners in the intimate room, in time for the 11am
screening of the new Brad Pitt movie `Moneyball'.  He looked at me when the
attendant handed him a snacks and drinks menu and I told him to choose
something for the two of us.

He ordered spicy chicken bites with blue cheese dips, and nachos for two
served in individual clay pots with corn tortillas, refried pinto beans,
melted cheese, sour cream, guacamole and tomato salsa.  For Scott, it was a
mixed berry smoothie and I settled for a small bottle of Perrier.

The movie was good, and Scott sat glued to the screen from start to finish.
He was almost disappointed when it finished, although I wasn't sure whether
he wanted the film to go longer or whether he didn't want his Gold Class
experience to end.

"Do you think Brad Pitt's hot?" Scott asked as we walked out of the cinema.

"Yeah, he's OK," I replied honestly.  "Not a patch on my guy though!"

"Yeah?" Scott asked, wide-eyed. "You'd pick Ty over Brad Pitt?"

"You bet I would!"

"Fuck, I wouldn't!" he giggled.

"I should hope not, mate!" I laughed.

It was getting towards half past one and even though we'd snacked during
the movie, I could tell Scott was hungry.  He's a Hill and Hills are always
hungry.

We walked through the Junction to the shopping plaza and took the lift to
the top floor, home to one of Ty's favourite steak houses.  We were seated
at a table for two overlooking Bondi beach, and while I enjoyed a salad, I
marvelled as Scott worked his way through a rib eye Scotch fillet with
young greens and walnuts with a Shiraz dressing, followed by sticky date
and walnut pudding with vanilla bean ice cream.

I settled the bill and excused myself to take a leak.  I was in the men's
room when my mobile rang.

"Hey, Ty!" I enthused.

"Mate, what's up?" he asked.  "I called your office and they said you were
sick."

"Nah, I'm taking a sickie.  I wanted to spend the day with Scott."

"Yeah?" he replied.  "Is he OK?"

"Yeah, he's cool.  Just trying to get him over the glums."

"What've you been doing?"

"Took Scruff for a walk, went to see `Moneyball' at Gold Class, and we've
just finished lunch at Monroes."

"You're too much, you know?" Ty sighed.  "Thanks for looking out for him."

"Meh!" I laughed dismissively.  "I get where he's at right now.  Just
letting him know we're all here for him."

"Fuck I miss you, mate," Ty whispered.

"Yeah and I miss you too!" I whispered back.  "So does my cock!"

When I looked up I noticed a guy two basins along washing his hands.  He
grinned at me in the mirror and gave me the thumbs up.  "Nice work, mate!
Chicks dig hearing that shit!" he laughed.

I grinned back.  "Yeah, they do," I chuckled.  "So I'm told ..."

**********

On our way home, I took Scott to a car dealership and suggested he wander
around and check out some wheels.  He was right into it for a while,
checking under hoods and inspecting interiors, but he eventually gave up.

Walking over to me he shrugged and said "I'll never be able to afford one
of these, eh?"

"Well, you've got your birthday money."

"Most of that went on my overseas trip ticket and that was non-refundable."

"Yeah, I've meaning to talk to you about that," I smiled.

"What?"

"I got a refund on most of your ticket."

"Seriously?" Scott exclaimed, his face lighting up.  "How?  It was
non-refundable."

"I charmed the pants off the travel agent!" I grinned.  "Plus, he got an
autographed Tyson Hill CD."

"So they're giving the money back?"

I scratched my head.  "What part of `I got a refund' didn't you get?"

Scott's face lit up and he hugged me.  "You're a fucking legend Mike!"

"Yeah, yeah.  All part of the service."

Scott had a couple of test drives and we took business cards from a couple
of over-eager young salesmen.  By the time we were driving back to Point
Piper, Scott was all but back to his happy self.  He was chattering and
laughing, and every now and again he sang along with the radio.

Back home, I helped George prepare dinner for the five of us, and checked
my email before grabbing a glass of wine and heading to the lounge to watch
the news.  I was surprised to find Scott wasn't propped in front of the
television, and when I called him he responded from the en suite. I moseyed
into the bathroom and found him soaking in the bath.

"I had a great day, Mike!" he beamed.  "Thanks.  You know.  For
everything."

"Hey, it's worth it to hear you laugh again mate," I said.  "You want me to
wash your hair?"

"Yeah," he smiled, handing me the shampoo bottle.  "I'd like that."

Once he was clean, he stood in the bath and waited for me to hand him a
bath wrap.  While he dried and dressed, I went to check on dinner.  George
was fussing over his cannelloni while Ellie was wrapping garlic loaf in
foil.

"Was that Scott I heard before, laughing?" Ellie asked.

"That was him!" I smiled.

"Lachie's been a bit worried about him."

"How do you feel about asking Lachlan to talk to him?" I ventured.

"What about?"

"Scott needs to know that Lachlan's forgiven him.  It's very important to
him.  The worst thing in Scott's world is thinking his brothers don't
respect him.  Scott's aware of Lachlan's disappointment and it's gnawing
away at him.  I think they should talk."

"You bet they should!" Ellie replied, clearly surprised that she'd missed
the signals.  "Leave it with me ..."

**********

George had a light dinner of grilled fish fillets and salad well underway
by the time Lachlan arrived home from his doctor's visit and I noticed the
subtle way Scott exited the kitchen and pretended to be filling Scruffy's
water bowl, in order to avoid any awkwardness with his brother.  Ellie
glanced at me and then followed Lachlan out into the lounge where I could
hear them quietly talking.

A few minutes later, Lachlan strolled back into the kitchen.  He looked a
bit rattled, as though what Ellie had explained to him hadn't occurred to
him.  He smiled at me and then called to his brother.  "Scott, you got a
second?"

Scott walked back into the kitchen and stood his distance, looking
tentatively at Lachlan.

"Is something going on here I'm not aware of?" Lachlan asked.

Scott sat at the kitchen table and shrugged his shoulders.  "Like what?"

"You tell me, mate.  You're acting strange around me."

"You're still pissed off with me."

"You bet I'm pissed off with you Scott!  Why wouldn't I be?"

"But I said I'm sorry.  I know what I did was wrong."

"It's all very well to be sorry after the event, Scott," his brother
admonished.  "You did something that could very easily have killed you.
Were you thinking about me and Ty when you did it?  Were you thinking about
Mum and Dad?  You were just selfish and irresponsible."

Scott's bottom lip started to quiver.  I contemplated interrupting but
Ellie beat me to it.  "Lachie," she urged.  "Don't upset him ..."

Lachlan turned and looked at her.  "This needs to be said, Ellie," he
explained.  "He's 18 and he broke his word."

Tears welled in Scott's eyes.  "You hate me," he choked.

Lachlan sighed before pulling up a chair next to Scott.  "Get this
straight, Scott.  I don't hate you.  I could never hate you.  You're my
brother, and I'll always love you ..."

George tried to lighten the moment by bursting into song: "If I should
stay, I would only be in your way, so I'll go, but I know, I'll think of
you ev'ry step of the way ..."

Lachlan tried not to smirk, and under my breath I said, "Careful George.
He's a spanker."

Lachlan ploughed on.  "You promised me before you left that there would be
no drugs, and a week later you're tripping on fucking mushrooms.  All that
tells me is you don't care about me or anyone else in your family."

"That's not true," Scott said softly as a single tear slid down his cheek.
"I promised Ty I wouldn't fuck up too, but he's forgiven me."

 "Ty's a pushover, Scott, and you know it," Lachlan replied.  "All you've
gotta do is give him puppy dog eyes and he's putty in your hands.  Ty
forgets there are consequences."

"You won't tell me what the consequences are," Scott shot back. "It's like
waiting for the death sentence."

"OK mate, I'll tell you the consequence.  I've been thinking about this a
lot, and you're coming back to Stanthorpe with me and Ellie and Steve just
before Christmas."

I think I was as shocked as Scott by Lachlan's announcement.  "Back to the
farm?" Scott gasped.  "But why?"

"Because you need to spend some time with Mum and Dad.  You need a
refresher course in the values that were instilled into all of us."

"But I want to stay here with Ty and Mike," Scott protested.

"I'm sure you do, mate," Lachlan countered.  "And do what?  You have no
job, no plan for the future.  You need to get back home and think about
what happens from now on."

"Please Lachie," Scott sobbed.  "I don't want to go back to the farm."

Lachlan sighed.  He stretched his arms out and covered Scott's hands.
"Mate, it's not as bad as it sounds.  Mum and Dad are still getting used to
the idea that Ellie and I won't be living with them.  It'll be Christmas
and I'm thinking Ty and Mike and George and Steve will be there with for
Christmas too, so we'll all be together anyway."

"Can I come back here after Christmas?" Scott asked hopefully.

"If I can see that you have some goals set, then sure you can.  Let's talk
about it again after Christmas."

"And you really don't hate me?"

Lachlan visibly softened, as he reached over and hugged his brother.  "I
could never hate you, mate," he said, as he kissed Scott's face.  "You know
how much Ty and I love you.  You just need this to be a wake-up call."

Scott wiped his eyes and looked quizzically at Lachlan.  "So what am I?" he
asked, and Lachlan immediately knew what was needed to finally reassure
him.

"You're an asshole!" he chuckled.  "Now go wash your face!"

Scott scampered from the room and returned after freshening up.  Dinner was
a fun affair; things had finally returned to normal and the subject wasn't
raised again.

We all helped George clean up and while I got things sorted for work in the
morning, Lachlan and Scott shot some pool.  We watched a bit of television
and Lachlan and Ellie turned in early.  Scott and I watched a new episode
of `NCIS' before it was time for us to head to bed.

I said goodnight to George and, noticing Scott seemed to be preparing to go
to his own room, I asked, "you're not joining me?"

"Nah, I'll sleep in my own room tonight," he replied.

I feigned heartbreak.  "You don't need me anymore?"

"Nah, nothing like that," he grinned.  "Just desperate for a wank!"

**********

The new working week was a hectic one and while I certainly missed not
having Ty to curl up with every night, I had little time to dwell on it.  I
had a recording artist who was considered in breach of her contract for not
delivering six fully mastered tracks for an upcoming album, and a
prime-time television reporter considering a sexual harassment suit.

Life at Point Piper was back on track and Scott was back to his mischievous
self, bantering with his big brother and baiting George.  Steve met me for
a quick lunch on Tuesday in his break from the building site and handed me
another $750 in cash towards what he perceived as his debt to me.

I returned home from work in time to briefly meet George's friend Henri,
who was dropping him off after their aperitif.  He was absolutely charming,
open and friendly, and eager to put faces to the names he had no doubt
heard from George.  Their close friendship was obvious.  Were they lovers?
Hard to tell.

On Wednesday I got to talk to Ty briefly when he arrived in Sydney ahead of
his early evening in-store.  He filled me in on how things had gone in
Melbourne and seemed to want to chat some more, but Vince rounded him up
for some photographs.  I told him I loved him and wished him well with the
event ahead, before returning once more to the TV reporter who'd been
slapped on the ass by the newsroom chief.

I had just finished at the office and was about to drive home to Point
Piper when I realised I could go and check out Ty's in-store appearance at
Grace Bros. in the city.  The George Street store, where Ty was signing
copies of his live DVD, was only a couple of blocks from my office so I put
my briefcase in my car, removed my tie, and took a leisurely stroll through
the city.

Grace Bros was teeming with people, as it usually was during peak hour, and
it was a battle getting to the music department, which was crammed with
fans.  Ty's DVD was playing on two large screens and fans were lined 10
deep waiting their turn to meet their hero and get their purchase signed.

Two security guards were keeping the queue orderly, but I suspected that
the job would take more than the one hour allocated for the signing.  So
thick was the crowd that I had to stand on tiptoes to actually see Ty, who
was seated at a long table with a felt pen in his hand.  He was all smiles
and as each fan stood in front of him he would stand and either shake hands
or kiss a cheek; Dot and Frank would be so proud.

It was an interesting experience watching Ty in action in situations like
this.  He was the consummate professional, making everyone feel at ease.
Dressed every inch the rock star, he masked his shyness with an air of
great confidence while he patiently listening to outpourings of admiration
and posed for photographs.  But I knew in his heart he didn't really think
he was worthy of the slavish devotion, and that he'd really rather be at
home sipping a beer.

I was also struck, again, by how wide his audience was.  I looked on as
teenagers – male and female - got something signed, alongside people our
age, people my mother's age and many young children.  I recalled Vince
telling me very early on that Ty's long-term success was guaranteed because
he appealed to such a wide demographic, the majority of them with
disposable income.  Ever the businessman.  And there was Ty, who just
wanted people to listen to his music.

Still, he was meeting Vince half-way, playing the game in situations like
this which he really didn't enjoy.  And he was doing it well.  He was all
smiles, fussing over the older women, and getting down on his knees to talk
to his five and six-year-old fans.  Vince could never accuse him of making
people who had waited in a queue a long time feel like they'd wasted their
time.

I could see Vince hovering in the background, no doubt mentally adding up
profits as each DVD was purchased.  He looked up and saw me, smiled and
waved.  I held my finger in front of my lips to say "shhh" and he started
making his way around the crowd to the back where I was standing.

"G'day mate," I grinned as we shook hands.

"You checking up on the boyfriend?" he whispered back.

"Nah, I've just been missing him."

"Jesus, he's only been gone a couple of days!"

"I know.  But I'm missing him."

"God, I can't escape.  All I've heard from him since we've been on the road
is `Mike this' or `Mike that'.  I wanna punch him!"

Vince looked at me and noticed the copy of Ty's DVD in my hand.  "What's
with the DVD?"

"I bought it on the way in."

"Why?  Ty's got boxes of promotional sample copies."

"I wanna get in the queue and get him to sign it!"

Vince's eyes widened.  "Whatever you do, don't kiss him in public!"

"Nah, I'd never do that!" I laughed and as he started walking back to the
table, I added, "Is it OK if I crawl under the table?"

He turned back to me with a smirk and mouthed "Faggot!"

I waited until someone taller than me joined the queue and then fell in
behind him, and patiently waited.  After half an hour, I was one away from
meeting the cute rock star with the curly hair and dimples.

As luck had it, Ty didn't look up when I moved in front of him and placed
my DVD on the table.

"What's the name?" he asked politely.

"Mikey!" I replied with a chuckle.

He looked up and took a second to register, before his face broke into a
grin.  "Mate!" he beamed.  "What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you're behaving yourself!"

Ty looked over at Vince, who rolled his eyes.  "I don't have time to even
think about misbehaving!" Ty laughed, nodding in Vince's direction.
Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Fuck, I miss you Mike!"

I smiled and Ty picked up his pen.  He scrawled something on the cover and
handed it back to me, shaking my hand as I walked to the side and another
expectant fan took my place.

I clapped Vince on the back, told him it had been good seeing him, and made
my way out of the store.  I was back in my car in the office basement car
park before I realised I hadn't looked at the DVD cover.  It read:

"I'd love to fool around with you, but I live with an insanely jealous guy.
Warmest regards, Tyson Hill".

 I chuckled, on and off, all the way home.  I'd been in the house only 10
minutes and had just enough time to pour a glass of wine, when my mobile
sounded a text message:

"Tyson Hill cordially invites you to join him for dinner at 8pm in his
suite at the Intercontinental (2906).  PS: Bring a toothbrush."

My face lit up and there was a twitching in my suit pants as well.  George
looked at me curiously.  "Good news, sir?" he asked.

"I won't be home for dinner, George," I beamed.  "Got a hot date!"

"I take it Mr. Hill is in town?"

"He is!  And he's invited me to dinner!"

"I take it you won't be home tonight, sir?"

"You got that right, George!"

"There are pressed shirts, clean underwear and socks in the laundry, sir,"
George replied.  "And in the third drawer in your vanity there's a wet pack
with a razor and shaving cream, cologne, toothbrush, paste and floss.  A
backpack should do it.  You can take Scott's from the hallway closet."

I grabbed George and kissed him on the cheek.  "What would we do without
you, George?" I smiled.  "I hope Henri appreciates what a gem he's found."

"Indeed he does sir," George replied dryly.  "and the way things have been
going, I think he might want to polish it ..."

**********

I valet parked at the hotel and stepped out of the elevator on the 29th
floor at three minutes to eight.  I knocked lightly on the door of Suite
2906.  The door opened and Ty's head poked around the side of it.  "About
time!" he grinned, as he grabbed my tie and pulled me into the room before
closing the door loudly.  "Dinner's been ordered for nine, but you're the
appetiser!"

He pushed me against the lounge room wall and sank to his knees on the
carpet.  In less than 60 seconds he had my belt unbuckled, my pants
unzipped, my boxers around my ankles and my cock in his mouth.  As my knees
started to buckle and my hands gripped Ty's hair, I was reminded of one of
the more serious reviews of `Hill Songs' in the music media, where the
critic noted that Ty is one of the few vocalists who sings correctly.  His
actual words were "Hill knows how to use his throat to its best advantage".
If only he knew! ...

By 8.45pm, I had been blown, kissed, cuddled and fucked, and was lying next
to my naked guy who was spread-eagled on his back, knees drawn up, his
sagging bag of boy baubles resting on the sheet.  I moved closer to him and
rested my head on his chest, enjoying the accelerated beat of his heart,
always a sign he'd enjoyed our lovemaking.

I ran my hand over his hairy chest and stomach, and I noticed that further
down, a creature was stirring.  My fingers had just tickled their way to
his pubes when there was a knock at the door.  Ty jumped up, threw on a
robe and closed the bedroom doors before letting the room service guy in to
set up our meal.

He called out when dinner was ready and I joined him in the main room,
where a table was set for two overlooking the Harbour.

"I ordered for both of us," he grinned.  For me, he'd chosen pan-fried
snapper with a ragout of scallops, prawns and clams and a tomato fondue.
For himself – as so often – several small bowls of steamed green
vegetables.  For dessert, he'd picked the Tahitian vanilla panna cotta with
berry compote, followed by a share plate of Australian cheese with chutney
and lavosh.

Over dinner, I updated him on Scott and Lachlan.  He was relieved to know
that they were back on track, and interrupted eating his greens to send a
text to Lachlan thanking him for not being too rough on their much- loved
younger brother.

We were just starting on the panna cotta when Lachlan responded: "Yeah, the
asshole's back to giving me cheek!  George tells me you're spending the
night under house arrest, in the hands of your lawyer! PS. Love ya mate!"

As we shared dessert, Ty filled me in on the conversation he'd had with
Vince on the flight to Sydney, about ways of raising some money for
Daniel's mother, to help her with the mounting bills that were were
relentless because of her only son's illness.

Vince had made the expected suggestions, all of which included good,
`feel-good' publicity, but Ty had knocked them all on the head.  As always,
he wanted his philanthropic gestures to remain private.

"He finally came up with a good idea, though," Ty grinned.  "He reckons
Daniel and I should write a song together for the next album!"

"What a great idea!" I enthused.  "He'll get 50% of the mechanicals."

"Actually, I'm going to let him take 100% of the publishing, and I'll just
keep the performance royalties.  Do you think Ben might waive the
publisher's commission on that one track, seeing it's all going to help
Dan?"

"He will if I tell him to!" I assured Ty.  "Ben's a great bloke.  He'll do
whatever he can to help."

We finished our bottle of wine at the end of the meal and after relaxing
and enjoying the Harbour lights, Ty dragged me off to the bedroom.

"Seeing I'm under house arrest," he smirked, "I think you should frisk me.
I'm carrying a concealed weapon!"

It wasn't concealed for long ...

**********

Ty and I had made love into the small hours, so late in fact that I'd slept
in.  It was the smell of just-delivered freshly brewed coffee that woke me
and by then, Ty had showered and dressed and was opening the curtains.

"Wake up, horny boy!" Ty chuckled as I sat up and shielded my eyes from the
harshness of the bright sun that now streamed into the room.

"Didn't even hear you get up, mate," I yawned.

"You were out to it!" Ty laughed, as he handed me a bowl of cereal with
fresh fruit and yoghurt.  We ate together and, realising how late it was, I
jumped from bed and hit the shower.  I got dressed and ready to head to the
office.

"What time do you fly out?" I asked.

"Not til 3.30," Ty replied.  "Wanna meet me at lunch time and we can drop
in and see Daniel?"

"Sure mate," I nodded.  "I'll swing by here at 12.30 and pick you up."

Ty saw me to the door of the suite and before opening it, he pulled me in
for a nasty kiss.  "Fuck you're hot!"  he smirked.

I made it to the office on time, thanks mostly to a run of green lights,
and was headlong into meetings before I had time to even open my briefcase.
I was back in my office by 11.30 and made a series of calls, including one
to Frank to see how he and Dot were getting along, and to ask a favour.

I flew out of the office at 10 past 12 and picked Ty up five minutes later.
On the way to the hospital I pulled up at a shopping strip and told a
baffled Ty I'd be back in a moment.  He grinned when I returned with a bag
containing the Big Mac, fries and thick shake I'd promised Daniel the last
time I'd seen him.

We were laughing about whether Daniel would be happier to see Ty – or
the Big Mac – as we walked down the corridor of 3 North.  We opened the
door and walked into Room 6 to find it ... empty.

The bed was made, awaiting a new patient.  Daniel's belongings were all
gone and the room looked as though nobody had ever been in it.

Ty turned to me, panic written on his face, when we heard a voice say, "Can
I help you?"

We turned to the door to see a nurse holding some towels.

"Where's Daniel?" Ty asked frantically.  "Is he OK?"

"I'm sorry sir, we've just done the handover.  Everyone on this shift has
just started."

"I need to know where he is, what's happened?"

"Are you a family member?"

"No, we're friends. I only spoke to him on Saturday night ..."

"I'm sorry, I can't discuss patients in this ward with non-family members."

"Please?  I just need to know he's OK?" Ty pleaded.

"I wish I could be of more help," she smiled apologetically.  "You need to
get in touch with the young man's family."

With that, she turned and continued along the corridor, as Ty slumped in a
chair and held his head in his hands ...

**********

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