Pilgrimage

Pt. 2

Tony slipped into a pair of trousers, and threw on a top before hurrying to the elevator with a hundred reasons crossing his mind as to why Gus had shown up at the Plaza. Something must be wrong with Brian, maybe they had been in an accident nearby, and Brian was hurt. Maybe Tony's name was the only name Gus could think of. The poor child must be in shock, but why would the police bring Gus to the Plaza instead of taking him to the hospital? Nothing was making sense, and the elevator wasn't moving fast enough. Tony hit the first floor button again just as the car finally reached ground level. The doors opened, and curious employees turned to watch their normally impeccably tailored boss dash out of the elevator with his shirt tail flying behind him.

"What's the problem here officer?" Tony made it to Gus, and knelt down to embrace him. "Gus, what's the matter? Where's your father?"

"Hey Tony!" Gus was all smiles.

"You know this kid Mr. Massey?" The policeman asked.

"Yes, yes I know him. Where did you find him?" Tony asked.

"We picked him up at a McDonald's where he told the manager that he was on his way to the Plaza Hotel. The manager assumed that perhaps his parents were a guest here who had forgotten him during a family stop at the restaurant this morning. Is that what happened, is he a guest here with his parents?" The policeman further inquired.

Tony stood upright to face the officer. "No he's not one of my guests, his father is a personal friend of mine." he said.

"I told you he's my dad's boyfriend." Gus scowled at the policeman.

"Gus, shhh!" Tony attempted to shush the precious moppet.

The policeman's face flushed to a crimson red. "Perhaps we should call the lad's mother." he suggested.

"My mom is at work, and mommy Mel is asleep with the baby. My dad is probably with Justin. That's his other boyfriend. It's ok if a guy has two. My mom left me with Tony before when mommy Mel was having the baby, and my dad leaves me with Justin sometimes." Gus blurted out, and the policeman's face got even redder,

Curious employees, as well as hotel guests were beginning to gather. "You can leave Gus here with me, I'll see to it that he gets home." Tony wanted the spectacle to end.

The policeman's eyes panned down to the open shirt that Tony had forgotten to button in his haste. "I don't think that's such a good idea." he said.

"Excuse me, what are you insinuating?" Tony took offense.

"I wasn't insinuating anything Mr. Massey. I just…"

"You just what?" Tony growled. "I told you I would take my friend's son home. Thank you for bringing him here. My guard will show you the way out."

Tony nervously struggled with the buttons on his shirt as the policeman was escorted out through the large revolving doors. This was just what he needed. From the corner of his eye he could see the service desk clerks already whispering among themselves. That, along with the expression on the cop's face, and Tony could predict tomorrow morning's newspaper headline. Hotel mogul involved in kiddie sex scandal.

"Wow, this is a big place, let's go see your room Tony!" Gus loudly suggested.

Tony's eyes widened. He looked at Gus, then over at his three service desk clerks. "Isn't there something you should be doing? Don't just stand there, have someone bring my car around!" He barked at his nosey employees, then grabbed Gus by his collar.

"Ouch!" Gus protested the sudden firm grip.

Tony lowered his voice as not to draw anymore attention as he dragged his pint size trouble away from the prying ears of the service desk. "Gus, what the hell are you doing here? Where's your father? How did you find this place? You're going to get me thrown in jail!" he ranted.

Amidst the rugged handling, the determined messenger boy managed to reach inside his back pocket, and pull out the wrinkled invitation. "Here, I brought this to you." Gus handed it to Tony.

"What's this?" Tony snatched the note.

"It's an invitation to my dad's party." Gus wiggled out of Tony's grasp.

Tony tried not to laugh when he saw his name penciled in kindergarten scribble above Brian's handwritten invitation to the re-opening of Babylon. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

"My dad wrote it. He wanted me to give it to you." Gus told the half truth. "So are you coming to the party? Justin is going to be there. You'll like him, he can draw pictures. He drew some pictures of me when I was a baby, and he drew a picture of my mom, and my dad. If you ask him he'll draw a picture of you too. If you come to the party you're going to have to comb your hair, and wear a suit with a tie…."

Tony took Gus's hand, and lead him over to the carved chaise lounger in the lobby. He sat down, and placed his hands on Gus's shoulders, and turned the boy around to face him. My, my look at those hazel eyes. This certainly was Brian's son. "Gus, I don't think I'm going to be able to come to your father's party." Tony said.

The sparkle in Gus's eyes suddenly dimmed. "You don't have to wear a suit if you don't want to." he said.

"It's not about the suit Gus…You see, I haven't been feeling well lately. I was on my way home to get some rest when you came." Tony tried again.

"The party's not till next Saturday, maybe you'll feel better then." Gus refused to give up.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go." Tony said once, and for all.

"You could if you wanted to." Gus's bottom lip poked out, and a sullenness now loomed in the little boy's voice.

At that moment, for some unknown reason Tony's mind drifted back to the showdown between Brian, and Kevin in Chicago. He had never seen the unshakable Brian Kinney so defeated as he was on the afternoon that Brian relived the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the first man that he ever loved. Now looking at Gus's face, Tony saw that same sadness in Brian's son's eyes. "Alright, I'll be there." Tony's heart caved in.

Gus's eyes immediately lit up once again. "Really, you promise?"

"I promise." Tony said.

"Cross your heart, and hope to die?" Gus wanted to make certain.

Tony took his index finger, and made the sign of the cross across his chest. "Cross my heart, and hope to die. Now let's see about getting you home before we both get into trouble." he smiled.

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

Jenny Rebecca laid sprawled across her mother's chest, and the two were still fast asleep when Gus eased back inside the kitchen door. Moments later Lindsey arrived with pizza, just as she had promised. "Hi sweetheart." She kissed her son hello.

"Hey mom." Gus didn't look up from his coloring book.

Lindsey removed her suit jacket, and briefly went to check on Mel, and JR. "They're still asleep." She tiptoed back to the kitchen. "Did they wake up at all while I was gone?"

"Nope, I guess they must be tired." Gus searched through the box for his red crayon.

Lindsey walked over to the kitchen table where Gus was sitting, and gave her son another kiss on the forehead. "Thank you for playing quietly, and letting mommy Mel, and JR sleep. I'm very proud of you." she said.

Gus stopped coloring, and looked up at his mother. "No problem mom." he smiled.

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The stress of Babylon's re-opening was taking its toll on Brian. Mayor Stockwell had gone out of his way to keep the unsavory club closed by levying him with every remote tax, and fine his crony lawyers could dig up from their dusty old law books. No less than five city inspectors had made unexpected visits. Due to its high profile guest list, Brian had to hire extra security. Emmett was having trouble finding local suppliers to cater the event, and Babylon's liquor license had been held up with red tape until the very last minute. Now with only two days before the gala event of the year Brian, and Ted were finalizing their guest list. The last of the RSVP's had arrived.

"Brian have you seen this guest list? This is amazing. I never thought I'd live to see the day Zack O'Tool would be at the same party as Congressman Stroger." Ted marveled.

"I'll just be glad when this is all over." Brian sighed.

Ted looked up from the stack of mail in his hands. "Brian, I don't think you realize the magnitude of greatness you're about to achieve." he said.

"I'm re-opening a fuck bar Theodore." Brian said wearily.

"Fuck bar? This is more than just another fuck bar. By re-opening Babylon you're making a huge political statement. By going against Stockwell, and his Christian right you're making a contribution not only to Pittsburgh's gay community, but to gay communities everywhere." Ted pointed out.

"I don't know about all that, but at least Stockwell won't try anything with the congressman here." Brian was banking.

"Here's a last minute entry. Mr. Anthony Massey." Ted said.

"Tony, who invited him?" Brian snatched the reply card from Ted's hand.

"I thought you did." Ted said.

"Why the hell would I invite him?" Brian snapped.

"Well, because he opened his restaurant for your prom, and almost got himself killed along beside you when Stockwell's policeman raided the place?" Ted rationalized.

"Justin must have invited him." Brian growled.

"Invited who?" Justin entered the office. He walked around behind Brian's desk to give his lover a hello kiss. "I brought lunch." he whispered.

"Mr. Massey, we just received his RSVP. Brian says you invited him." Ted said.

Justin placed the bag of take out down, and looked at Brian. "I didn't invite him." he said.

"Then who did?" Brian wanted to know.

"You?" Justin suggested.

"That's what I figured. Brian was writing so many invitations he probably doesn't remember who he sent them all to." Ted offered his opinion.

"I should have known you couldn't stay away from him." Brian said.

"What? Don't try to blame this on me Brian. What kind of fool do you take me for? You sent that invitation, and you know it. I must have been crazy to believe your lies." Justin said.

"Excuse me, am I missing something here?" Ted looked from one man to the other.

"Lies? Let's talk about lies." Brian continued. "And let's not forget betrayal. That was a very fine performance you gave the other night about how betrayed you feel."

"You certainly are the expert on betrayal. You proved that when you fucked Tony. It was never about loving me, was it Brian? You've always wanted him for yourself." Justin said.

"Maybe I should go." Ted tried to slither away.

"Don't you dare move Theodore. If anyone leaves it'll be that spoiled brat!" Brian hissed.

"Brat?"

"THAT'S RIGHT, BRAT!" Brian made himself clear. "I've bent over backwards for you since the first night I met you. I changed my whole life for you…"

"Some life." Justin smirked. "When I met you, you were little more the whore of Babylon…."

"….And you wanted this whore." Brian reminded him. "You sanctimonious little closet cockhound, how dare you judge me. You think I believe that shit about how you went to Tony because I wouldn't stop seeing other men? You went to Tony for the same reason I did, because you wanted to FUCK him!"

"You son-of-a-bitch, I'm not like you……" Justin said.

"Save it little boy, you're not fooling anyone with that innocent, pseudo-heterosexual, bullshit anymore. You're exactly like me. I know, because I taught you myself." Brian smiled. "No cock is too big for you, and no ride is too rough. If you had your way you would wake up with a dick inside your mouth, and fall to sleep with one up your ass. Do you know what you are Justin? You're the whore of Babylon's whore, and you hate yourself because you know you love it."

Justin felt the color drain from his face. Where was a cataclysmic earthquake when you needed one? If only the floor could have opened up, and swallowed him down. Even a well placed bomb would have sufficed. Anything would have been preferable than to be humiliated like this. For the first time Justin saw himself for what he really was. Just another average gay man.

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NEXT WEEK: Fantasy Season 6 concludes with: Pilgrimage, pt 3

Return to Fantasy Season 6