80 year old Brian Kinney was the most contented man in the world. It was Christmas day and the clan was all assembled at his son Ryan's house. Brian was in his favorite easy chair surveying the scene. The children, the grandchildren, even a few great grandchildren were there. Not bad for a couple of old fags. Justin was on the floor playing with a few of the younger kids. He's always been such a kid at heart, even if he is 68. It had been Justin's job to put the toys together. My son Ryan has a PhD in aerospace engineering and even walked on the moon. But when it comes to assembling Christmas toys, he's all thumbs. He's a real life example of that old Christmas joke. What three words strike terror into the heart of every parent on Christmas Eve? Some assembly required.

Your three month old great grand daughter Debbie is curled up on your chest sleeping. The excitement must have been a little to much for the little tyke. Maybe it had been a little to much for her great grandfather to. I'm about ready to catch a little nap myself. I hate getting old.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

My Dads had a great time. They always enjoyed seeing the kids but this year was extra special. Brian and Debbie had really hit it off. I don't think he ever put her down. Imagine Brian Kinney changing a diaper. I have a great picture of the two of them. Brian's sound asleep in the recliner and Debbie is sound asleep curled up on his chest. I don't think two people ever looked more at peace.

About the middle of the afternoon the party started to break up. It had been snowing lightly and the roads were a little slick. Everyone thought it was best if they got home before nightfall.

We got the news a few hours after it happened. There had been some kind of car accident. My Dads were gone. Maybe that they had died together had been a blessing. They had been so much in love and had spent so much of their lives together I don't think either one could have survived a moment without the other.

I called Gus and broke the news. Between the two of us we got everyone notified that we could. Who we couldn't found out the next day. The story was on page 3 of the local paper. "Former Pirate, Local Artist Die in Car Crash." read the headline.

Gus and I had been lucky. We had been given a rare chance to really know our parents as human beings. A writer contacted our parents just before the 25th anniversary of the World Series for a story. After one of the interviews they showed him the boxes of letters they had gotten over the years. He suggested they should do a book, a biography of our parents highlighting those letters.

Amanda and I read one of the first editions together one night. The book told everything and brought tears to our eyes. How could grandpa do that to Brian growing up? They must have been trying to break the cycle of violence in Brian's family because they never laid a hand on either Gus or I growing up. I can only imagine how scared Justin was that first night on Liberty Ave. And how lucky he was that it was Brian he found. And I still tease Gus on how he got his name. And that he's named after a teddy bear. We also finally learned the whole truth about the prom. That 600 pound gorilla which had always been sitting around the house and nobody would talk about. How did Brian survive those two weeks? Don't know if I could have made it if I was in his shoes. The writer even made the effort to find Chris Hobbes. But Hobbes had died a few years before in prison. He died a bitter and broken man who had blamed all his problems on everyone but himself.

The second half of the book was about the people who had written those letters. The author tracked down as many as he could. Some had become pro athletes. Others were doctors, lawyers, and business people. Each had their letter printed and an interview about them. There were some really beautiful stories.

Gus and I decided to have them buried together in a single casket. Curled up together with their arms and legs intertwined. Justin's head resting on Brian's shoulder, just like how we saw them sleep together when we were kids. We knew they slept like that almost every night of their lives. We figured they would like to be like that for eternity.

The turn out for the funeral was huge with friends, family, co-workers. The biggest group was the graduates of the Mark Houses. Justin had originally wanted it to be for homeless gay kids. But he and Brian changed that pretty fast. Gay or straight, boy or girl, any teenager who knocked on the door and asked for help got it. We must have had over 500 people there. And over half were those "kids" with their husbands or wives or partners and their families. They came to say thank you and goodbye.

We tried to make it, not a funeral, but a celebration of their lives. Don't know if Justin's WASP ancestors would have approved but after a couple of shots of Irish whiskey and a couple choruses of "Danny Boy" Brian's Irish ancestors must have been happy with the grand send off we gave them.

About a week later I finally had the chance to down load the Christmas pictures. And there they were. Laughing and smiling again. At least their last few hours on Earth had been happy ones. I lost it when I saw one particular photo. Brian was in the easy chair with Debbie in his arms. Justin was sitting on the arm of the chair with his arm around Brian. The proud great grandparents had the hugest smiles. Everything about the last week that I had been holding back finally came out. Amanda found me sobbing uncontrollably over the keyboard. She just hugged me while I let it all go. It reminded me of why I love her so much.

If you go to the grave site today all you'll find is a small granite marker. No last names and no dates, just six simple words that say it all, "Brian and Justin, Always and Forever."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You're standing in an endless expanse of white. It feels familiar but you don't remember how you got there.

"Justin."

You know the voice. You turn around. It's a younger version of Debbie.

"Know where you are Sunshine?" she asks.

"I think so. I think I've been here before."

"The prom?"

"Yeah and a couple of other times when I was a kid cause of my asthma. But they said it wasn't my time and sent me back. It's time?"

"Yes, it's time."

"Brian?"

"He'll be along. They like the new arrivals to be greeted one at a time. But there's someone you need to see first."

She points behind you. You turn. It's Mark. He's the man who died saving you at the prom. You stand there in shock for a moment. Then all you can do is just grab him, hold him tight and start crying. "I'm sorry." is all that comes out. You've always felt responsible for his death.

Mark lets you cry and get it out of your system. Then he puts his hand under your chin and raises your head up so he can look you in the eye. "It wasn't your fault."

"But if I hadn't asked…"

"Free will. I chose to be there. It was never your fault. No one ever blamed you."

"But…"

He looks you right in the eyes and says it as firmly as possible. "It wasn't your fault."

After all these years you finally realize Mark doesn't blame you. The tears finally stop and all the guilt you've carried all these years finally leaves you. Mark smiles as he realizes his words finally got through.

"Good," Mark says, "you finally understand." He puts his arm over you shoulder and starts to lead you back to Debbie. "We'll have time later but will you answer one question? Did you have to name it after me? You know how busy it keeps me looking after those kids?

You start to laugh. "You love it and you know it."

Mark shares your smile. "Yeah maybe I do."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You're standing in an endless expanse of white. You have no idea where you are or how you got here. You think you're alone.

"Brian." you hear a familiar voice say.

You turn to see who the voice was coming from. It's a familiar face you haven't seen in years but it's younger then you remember. "Debbie?"

"Yeah Brian, it's me."

"But how, you're dead?" You stop and think about what you just said. "So am I, right?

"You always were a smart kid. The boss sent me down to meet you. She likes to send down a familiar face to meet new arrives."

"She?" you say with a little edge of panic in your voice.

"Don't worry Brian, you made the cut."

"Justin?"

"He'll be along. But there's someone you need to see first." You begin to hear a piano. You turn and recognize the pianist. It's Chris. It's been so many years. You were just a kid. Maybe it had been some stupid school boy crush. Maybe it could have been more. But you'll never know. In the end you couldn't handle your life and being gay so you tried to kill yourself. After that you ended up going to a different school and never going back. But you always kept the memories of him. The memories of his music and his smile stayed with you for a long time.

"We were just kids you know."

His voice interrupted your thoughts. You didn't realize he had stopped playing. "I know but it didn't make it any less real."

"In the end you found who you were supposed to."

"Did I?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"Guess I do."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The white surrounding you started to form images. Soon you find yourself standing in an alley. You recognize it as the one behind Babylon. I hope Debbie is right about this being Heaven because I never could tell the difference between Pittsburgh and Hell. There's your black jeep. You always loved that car. So this is gay heaven, an endless dance party and a back room that never closes. I can live with that. Debbie is still with you and she taps you on the shoulder to get your attention and points across the street. And there he is, just like the night you first saw him, standing under that same street light in that yellowish glow. You walk over but this time Justin speaks first.

"How's it goin'? You had a busy night?" Justin says echoing the first words you ever said to him. "Just checkin' out the bars." You answer trying to remember what he said to you.

"Where you headed?"

"No place special."

"I can change that."

"I bet you could." You say running your hand through his hair. "Well brat, looks like I'm stuck with you for all eternity."

"Lucky you." he said giving you the biggest sunshine smile you ever saw.

I think we both knew where we were going when I took his hand and lead him to the jeep. We both looked over and smiled at Debbie as we climbed in.

"You two play nice." she yelled as we took off down Liberty Avenue heading for the loft.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Three people were watching across the street as events unfolded between Brian and Justin. They stayed and watched as the Jeep drove away down Liberty Avenue.

"You know the boss said those two were the biggest pain in the asses since Romeo and Juliet. I give them two centuries." said one of the strangers.

"I'll take a piece of the action Gabriel," said the second, "put me down for one."

"Two weeks tops." said the third.

"You're such a doubter Thomas. How can you say that?" said the second person. "You know how much that old geezer loves a happy ending."

Suddenly they hear thunder in a cloudless sky.

The second yells at the sky. "Well you are an old geezer. And don't start having another mid-life crises. The last time that happened it rained for 40 days and 40 nights."

Brain and Justin continued to drive away oblivious to the argument going on behind them. But they already knew the answer to how much they loved each other and how long they were going to stay together.

Always and forever.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Authors note: So that's it. I started this almost a year and a half ago. And this is where I always wanted it to end, with the boys driving off together into the sunset. There is room to fill in this universe I created so maybe the boys will tap me on the shoulder one day with another story to tell. (Personally I'd rather have Randy tap me on the shoulder and ask for a date but I know that's not going to happen.)

To everyone who wrote me, thank you. It's been an amazing experience knowing my words have touched so many people. Again thank you readers, one and all.