Best Friends

Best Friends 24

{Best Friends is partly fictional. As I am writing this story, I am above the age of 21. If you want a story with lots of sex, look elsewhere.

This is a love story. Seeing, as it is a love story, sex is in there, but it is in realistic balance in the characters' lives.

Any similarity to any real events, names, or life events is purely accidental. If you are underage, (according to your state laws, a minor), if this literature is offensive to you or to anyone around your viewing area, or it is illegal for you to view such content where you are reading it, stop reading the story.

This story cannot be distributed in any way; shape or form without the author's expressed written consent.}

Written by Romeo

Edited by Trish

Here is the link to all my story where you can find future chapters before their posted on Nifty:

http://jacobmillertex.com/

Chapter 24

"Why the hell are you calling me!?" Tyler interrupted venomously. "After what you did, you and I have nothing to say to each other. I can't believe you would even have the nerve to call me after what you did. How the hell could you do something like that!?"

"I had no choice Tyler; I couldn't take care of him anymore. I wasn't making enough money to support the both of us so I gave him to you. It broke my heart to do so, but I knew you would take care of him in the way I couldn't right now. I needed to find a job and a place for us to live before I can take care of him in the way he should be taken care of."

Tyler wasn't buying the teary act and made that known. "If you needed help Teresa, all you had to do was ask me and you would have gotten it. I told you that when we broke up. You know I would have done anything to see that Terry was taken care of. You and I are not together anymore but I love that kid like he was my own and will do anything to see that he's safe, healthy, and happy."

That statement made the harshness in Teresa's voice clearly come out. "Why the hell you think I left him with you instead of taking him with me!?" Her voice got colder as she continued but it had no affect on Tyler. "I'm just calling to let you know I will be coming back to get Terry this weekend. I found a job and a place for us to live."

"There's no way I'm letting you take my son away from me again!" The smirk on Tyler's face was clearly distinctive through the phone. "You don't have custody of Terry anymore Teresa! When you abandon him at my office, I contacted DDS and filed for custody and was awarded. Terry is now mine, and I'm not giving him back to you so you can abandon him again."

The tirade he was getting from Teresa made Tyler smirked even more. He let her continued for a minute longer before interrupting her. "Don't even think about showing up at my house or office Teresa! You abandon Terry and put his health in danger when you left him at my office and disappeared. It will be a cold day in hell before I give you the chance to do it again!"

When Tyler hung up the phone, he could hear Teresa still ramping and raving. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves before getting himself and the boys ready to go. As he was locking up his office, his phone kept ringing but he ignored it because he knew who it was. When he stepped out of the elevators on the lobby floor, Mark and Carlos could see there was something wrong but said nothing. They knew Tyler would tell them when he was ready. Instead Carlos just asked if they needed to take care of anything on the way home.

"Yes, I need to do some shopping to get a gift for someone." Tyler then told the guys what he needed to buy and why. "I need to call Chris to see if he could meet us at the mall or if he's going to shop somewhere else for his gift."

Tyler then took out his cell phone to called Christian. Just as he opened his phone to dial, it started vibrating and Christian's ringtone started playing so he answered. "Hey baby, good timing you have. I was just about to call you."

"Well, then it's a good thing I called. I wanted to know if you wanted me to pick up something for dinner on my way home, or would you rather meet me somewhere and eat out? Why were you going to call me?"

Tyler told Christian about their shopping trip and asked him if he wanted to meet them at the mall or if he was going to shop somewhere else for his gift. "It won't take long for me to buy my gift because I know what I'm getting her." He then told Christian about his phone call from Justin. "Once I have purchased it, we can then shop around for your gift and grab something to eat at the mall to save time."

Christian thought that was a good idea and told Tyler so. "I'm sure I can find something there that I can get her. In fact, I think I saw something there that will go perfect with what you guys are getting her. Where do you want to meet?"

Tyler suggested they meet at the store where he's buying his gift. "We can quickly get that out of the way before shopping for your gift. We can then stop and get something to eat on our way out. There's something I need to discuss with you, Carlos, and Mark anyway."

"Okay, I'll see you when you get there. What do you need to discuss with us?" Tyler told him he'll tell him later because he didn't want to talk about it in front of the boys. "That could only mean that we have another fight on our hands." Christian sighed exhaustedly. "Okay, we'll talk about it when the boys are not around. See you in a few minutes."

They disconnected and Tyler sat back to relax for the rest of the ride. Not long after, they arrived at the mall and quickly found a space to park before heading inside. As they approached the store, they found Christian waiting in front for them. He gave Jeff a hug and Tyler a kiss as he took Terry's carrier from him before taking his hand and walking into the store to purchase the gift. It didn't take them long at all to accomplish that task because the item was exactly where Justin said it would be. Once they had the item purchased, they shopped around for Christian's gift until they came upon something that Christian was looking for. They purchased that item as well before going to the food court.

Before sending him off with his security detail, Christian gave Jeff some money for his food while he, Tyler, Carlos, and Mark found a table away from the others so they wouldn't be overheard at which time Christian would feed Terry as well. As soon as they were seated, Tyler began telling them about his phone call from Teresa. When he was finished, he gave his instructions on what he wanted from them to assure Terry's safety.

"Mark, I want a daily update on all the flight, train, and bus schedules. If she's traveling that way, then I want to know in advance." Mark assured him it will be taken care of. "Good, now Carlos, I want you to show everyone a picture of Teresa. I want them to memorize her description just in case she's traveling by vehicle. She's not to come within fifty feet of Terry without my consent."

"I'll take care of that just as soon as we get home. I also think you should call Steve to try and get a restraining order on her. Right now there isn't one, so as his mother, she's perfectly within her rights to see him, and there may not be anything we can do about it."

While Tyler thought about that, Christian took the pause in the conversation to give his opinion. "I don't think she has any rights where Terry is concern. In fact, there should be a warrant out on her for abandonment. We need to check with Steve on that as well. But no matter what the situation is, she's not coming anywhere near Terry. I'll be damn if I let that happen!"

"Okay, you both gave some good points. I'll check with Steve tomorrow and see what he can do. In the meantime, we keep a close eye out for her. Teresa's not stupid, and we don't know if she's working alone, or if she has any accomplices working with her."

All three guys agreed with Tyler and assured him they would follow his instructions. By the time they had finished with the conversation Terry was done with his feeding. Christian and Carlos went to get the four of them something to eat while Tyler burped Terry. Just before they returned, Terry let out a big belch so Tyler put him back into his carrier so he can enjoy his own meal. They had to be quick about it though; there wasn't much time left to pull off their plan before it got too late.

Just as they had finished eating, Carlos and Alex went to get the vehicles while Christian and Mark threw away their trash. When he sat back down at the table, Christian remembered they still needed to have the gifts wrap so he called over two of the security guys to take care of that for him. Of course they had no problem in doing that and was returning just as Carlos and Alex was pulling up outside so they informed everyone. Before walking out to the trucks, some got a refill of their drinks. Christian was still a little hungry so he got a slice of pizza to go with his drink.

As the others were leaving the mall, Kevin and Travis were just leaving Flo's after a quiet dinner there for the two of them. While they were eating, Tyler had called to invite them to join him and the others for a party which Kevin agreed to after checking with Travis. Kevin asked Tyler if he could bring anything so Tyler asked him if he could pick up the cake he had ordered. Kevin said he can do that and Tyler thanked him. Now they were on their way to meet up with the others after picking up the cake.

As Travis drove around the parking lot looking for a space to park, Kevin was on his cell phone double checking with Tyler on the room number of where they needed to go. Just as he was finishing with his call, Travis was pulling into an empty space and parking. They climbed out of the car and Travis grabbed the cake from the backseat while Kevin grabbed the bags containing the ice cream, paper plates, and plastic utensils, then locking the doors before walking into the hospital and towards the elevators.

When the elevator opened on their floor, they got off and started looking around for the room number they were given. They could hear laughter as they walked along the hallway as they got closer which told them they were headed in the right direction. When they got to the room, they could see everyone there enjoying themselves while waiting for them. After being introduce to the birthday girl and the others who didn't know them, Christian helped them set everything up before everyone started singing happy birthday to a surprised woman who had a few words to say to a couple of men when they finished singing.

"I'll get you for this Tyler Jackson and Justin Cramer! I told you guys I wanted no party, but you threw one anyway." She tried to sound stern but no one was buying it. They could all hear the amusement in her voice.

"Hush up old lady, make a wish and blow out the candles." Both Tyler and Justin smiles made everyone laugh. The laughter got even worse when JR commented on it. Maria Lopez couldn't help but laugh with everyone herself before surrendering and doing what she was told.

Everyone continued to converse with Maria and Manual while eating their cake until it was time for Maria to open her gifts. The gold and black suade skirt suit from Tyler and the pearl earrings from Christian went well with what Justin and JR got her. Seeing they were all of the same color, she raised an eyebrow at the four of them. "Is it just me, or am I'm detecting a theme here?"

"Yes you do grandma." Tyler smiled. "Once you get out of here, we're taking you and Manny out to dinner in Beverly Hills and a night on the town for another birthday celebration. We want you to wear these items because you'll be The Queen of the Night."

Another round of laughter broke out but everyone including Maria knew Tyler was being serious. She could never say no to her adopted grandchildren so she did the only thing she could do, she sighed in defeat. It's not that she didn't appreciate the invitation, it's that she didn't want them spending their hard earned money on her even though either one of them could afford to do so many times over. "I know it's useless in fighting you on this one, so let me just say this, please don't go overboard this time."

This time it was Tyler and Justin who raised an eyebrow so Maria sighed again. "Alright, alright, I get it. I guess we'll once again be visiting spoiled city." Tyler and Justin just smiled in victory. Maria then looked at Manual who was smiling also. "Wipe that smile off your face Manual Raymond Lopez; you were no help at all."

"What do you want me to say grandma? You and I both know they won't accept no for an answer when it comes to spoiling you on your birthday. You haven't beaten them in a fight on that yet. They've always gotten their way."

Everyone laughed once again. The rest of visiting hours was spent talking. While Maria was getting to know a little about Danny and Davy, and what may lie ahead for them and JR, Christian was getting to know Manual. "What do you do for a living Manny?" Manual told him that he was out of work at the moment but used to manage a small electronic franchise that went out of business. That got some ideas running through Christian's head. "I may be able to help you with that Manny." He pulled a business card out of his wallet and gave it to him. "Give me a call and we'll set up a meeting to discuss it."

Manual said he would call Christian tomorrow morning and thanked him for any help that he could give. Around eight o'clock the announcement came on that visiting hours was over. Everyone said goodbye to Maria, wished her happy birthday again, and started to leave. Manual left with the others taking all of the presents home with him. He didn't want them in the hospital where they were easy to be stolen. Not everyone in the hospital is trustworthy and he didn't want the guys to suffer from the lost even though they could afford it many times over without making a dent in their bank accounts.

By the time the guys got home, Terry and Jeff had fallen asleep. Christian and Tyler put them to bed before joining the others downstairs to watch a movie on television. Towards the end of the movie they were all starting to get sleepy themselves so they headed off to bed. Most were out like a light as soon as their heads hit the pillow. The last two days had been busy for everyone and the rest of the week pretty much looks the same. Christian and Tyler were of the ladder though; they spent some time discussing Christian's idea for Manual before drifting off into dreamland.

When the alarm went off on Wednesday morning, no one wanted to get up. They rather spend the whole day in bed but knew that wasn't possible. They had work to do and meetings to attend. Even Christian and Tyler had difficulties getting the boys up. It was clear to everyone that they all needed more sleep when they all met in the kitchen. It took several cups of coffee for some of them to get their mojo up and running. But by the time breakfast was over, they all were ready to face the day.

While the others tidy up the kitchen, Mark and Kevin asked Tyler if he could meet with them about the housekeeping position. "Sure guys, let's go to my office where we can get out of everyone's way and have some privacy."

Mark and Kevin agreed and they went to Tyler's office where Tyler sat behind his desk while Mark and Kevin sat in front of it. Kevin then began telling Tyler of his interviews while saving the best for last. He explained to Tyler if they hire that one, they will not only be getting a housekeeper but a butler and two cooks as well. Kevin thought that would be the best one to hire because they would be filling several positions at once. Mark then told Tyler of his background check on them and they all checked out okay. He will do a deeper check if Tyler agrees to hire them.

"Okay, ask them to come to my office today for another interview with me and Chris. I want his input on this because he will be their boss as well. If we're both not happy then they won't be hired. In the meantime, keep looking for more housekeepers because I don't think one will have enough energy to keep this whole house spotless."

Kevin said he will give them a call and inform them. "I'll also hold more interviews of applicants to the position. Hopefully by the end of this week we'll be completely staffed. But there's one more thing we need to discuss though." Tyler asked what that was. "I think we need to hire a new gardener to do the lawn. The one we have now has been slacking off for a couple of weeks."

"I'll leave that up to you. After all, you're in charge of the house when I'm not here. Just have Mark do a background check on them, and that includes their work status. I want someone who is reliable, not someone who we'll have to let go in another six months."

Kevin said he will take care of it and for Tyler not to worry about it. They ended their meeting and joined the others in the living room. As soon as they walked in, Travis kissed Kevin goodbye and quickly ran out the door because he was running close to being late for work. The others took a more leisurely time to get ready to go because they weren't in a rush. Christian handed his garment bag to Alex to hang in the SUV because he was riding with Tyler.

After arriving at Néné Incorporated and settling the boys in, Christian kissed Tyler and headed down to his office. Tyler checked his messages before making his call to Steve. He gave Steve a brief summary on the situation before asking Steve his favor. "So Steve, can you help me in getting a restraining order on Teresa?"

"I'm not sure Tyler but let me check on it. You did say there's a warrant on her, did you not?" Tyler said he wasn't sure but he suppose there is one because Terry was reported abandon when Teresa left him at his office. "Then I'll check on that also. If there is one, then it should be no problem in getting the restraining order."

"Thanks Steve. I appreciate your help on this. By the way, what's the situation with Jennifer Thompson? Is she being expedited back to Malibu to face her charges yet? Or, will I have to take matters into my own hands to get her back here?"

Steve told Tyler what he could do, and what Tyler could do, to get things moving to get Jennifer Thompson back to Malibu to face the charges of abandonment. As they discussed it, a plan was already starting to form in Tyler's mind. All he needs to do now is run it by Christian before putting it into motion. He told Steve he'll be in touch once he has a complete plan worked out. Steve has no problem with that. Tyler thanked Steve once again for his help before ending the call and calling Christian.

Christian was sitting at his desk going over some applications for a corporate president of his shops when Trish buzzed him of a call. When he found out who it was from, he told Trish to put it through. "Hey baby, are you missing me already?"

"Actually yes, but that's not why I called." Tyler smiled at the playful tease and knew Christian was smiling also. "I just spoken with Steve and there's some things we need to discuss before I can make any final plans." Tyler then told Christian everything he knew. "Now I need your input on the situation."

For the next hour they discussed their plans, and where Steve could be of help. Both guys were taking mental notes so there wouldn't be any evidence of their involvement in it. Once they had their final plans formed, they disconnected and started making calls to get it on the way. Forty five minutes later both guys had accomplished their task and was satisfied with it all. Now they only have to see what the results would be of their well thought out ideas.

Just as Christian completed his last call, his secretary buzzed him of another call. "Please put it through for me Trish. I'm expecting his call." Trish replied in affirmative and put the call through. "Hello Manual, I'm glad you called. There are some things I want to discuss with you."

Christian discussed his ideas with Manual before asking him of his thoughts on it. "It sounds like a great opportunity but can I think on it? I first want to make sure that grandma will be taken care of if I take the position. I just got a call from the hospital informing me that she should be release within a couple of days."

"That's fine with me. Give me a call with your decision once you know it. I'll keep the position open until Monday before I start interviewing candidates. I need to get this position filled right away because I have other positions I need to fill as well."

"Okay, you should have my decision hopefully no later than Friday, Monday for sure. I just want to make sure everything is arranged for grandma before I can make my decision that's all. Once she's taken care of I can really give the position some thought."

Again Christian said that would be fine with him and he was looking forward to Manual's call. Towards the end of the call, Manual asked Christian if he could pass the information about his grandmother along to Tyler. "Sure. I'll give him a call as soon as I get off."

Manual thanked Christian for the job opportunity and said he'll be in touch before disconnecting. Christian then called Tyler to pass on the information Manual gave him about Maria Lopez. During that call, Tyler asked Christian if he could come up to his office for an interview with some potential staff members for the house. Christian said he'll be right up before hanging up and gathering his things. On his way out, he informed his secretary of his whereabouts in case he was needed.

He made it to Tyler's office just before the applicants arrived. Tyler asked Janet to put them in the conference room and they would be right there after they check on the boys. After viewing the files on the applicants and seeing that the boys were okay, Christian and Tyler went to the conference room. After Tyler made the introduction, they started asking questions. Christian kept a close observation on every person sitting across from them. He wanted to make sure they weren't hiring any bigots or anyone that would be a threat to them or their boys.

When the question and answer period was over, Tyler and Christian rose to their feet. "Okay, we're going to discuss this in my office. Please wait here until we get back. Then we'll let you know whether or not you have the job."

They all agreed so Christian and Tyler went to Tyler's office to discuss the interview among themselves and make their decision. It wasn't difficult to make, so within five minutes they were back. Everyone was happy with the decision so Christian and Tyler spent the next ten minutes going over the job description including salary, benefits, and vacation package which suited the applicants just fine. After all, they have no other family member besides the four of them. Tyler thanked them for coming and said he will have a contract ready for them to sign by 10am tomorrow morning.

"It's not required but we want to cover all legal basic. We want you to feel like you're protected financially, physically, and emotionally. We don't want you to feel at any time that you're being cheated out of anything containing to our agreement."

They all agreed to be there by ten thirty to sign. After shaking hands, Christian and Tyler walked them out before heading back to Tyler's office to rest until their next meeting with the security details. An hour and a half later as Janet was just returning, Tyler woke Christian up for the meeting. They decided to make it a lunch meeting so Tyler sent Janet out to pick up some Chinese food. She was setting it all up when they walked into the conference room.

"Don't worry about the boys; I'll take care of them while you're in your meeting. Jeff and I can have our lunch together in the lounge and I'll feed Terry as well. You two just take care of business and keep those boys safe."

They both thanked and hugged her for her loving kindness. " I'll make sure there's a bonus in your paycheck this week. And don't even say I don't have to do that, you deserve every cent of it. Just use it towards your wedding dress. You know that will be expensive."

Janet had no other choice but to agree reluctantly. At that time, all the security details started entering the room so Janet made her exit. Christian and Tyler suggested everyone make themselves a plate of food before they get the meeting started. No one objected to that suggestion. They all started passing around the containers and filling their plates as soon as they sat down. Once everyone had what they wanted, Tyler began explaining why he called the meeting.

He made it clear that under no circumstances is Teresa is to have any contact with Terry. If she's to come in contact with any of them, then they're to notify either Mark, Carlos, Christian, or him about it right away. "I wouldn't put it pass her to try an attempt to kidnap Terry, so I want everyone to stay on alert." He got agreements from everyone around the table. "Carlos is now going to give you some additional information on Teresa."

Carlos stood and started passing out flyers to everyone. "On this flyer is a full description of Teresa. I want everyone to memorize it because we don't know how she's traveling as of yet. Mark is keeping check on all flight, train, and bus terminals but she may be traveling by vehicle. If that's the case; then I want a full description on it."

Once again they got agreements all around so Christian adjourned the meeting. "Well that's all we needed to discuss with you at the moment, so why don't we finish off this delicious food before it gets cold."

No one hesitated in refilling their plates and enjoyed the rest of lunch. By the time everyone's stomach was full, there wasn't a crumb left. The other guys volunteered for clean up duty so Tyler and Christian headed back to Tyler's office. While Christian checked on the boys, Tyler called his attorney to have the contracts drawn up. They then looked over some applications for their McDonald's corporation. Actually, Christian looked over the applications while Tyler made the calls to schedule the interviews. Once that was done and Terry's diaper had been changed, Christian decided to take another short nap on the sofa before he had to change and go to work on base.

Tyler woke Christian up around three thirty so he could change and be on base by four which was his starting time. So after saying goodbye to the boys and kissing Tyler, Christian left. He arrived on base and was heading to his office building just as Travis was exiting. The two stopped for a short talk which at this time Travis brought Christian up to date on the going on of the day's events.

"Oh, by the way man, stay away from Troy Blackman. He's being a real bitch today. I was ready to kick his ass the third time he came into my office with his bitchy attitude. Lucky for him, Christine was in there with me for a meeting."

"Well, he better not start any shit with me or he'll find his ass on the floor!" The menacing sound in Christian's voice was unmistakable to Travis. "I've already had a long day; and it's not nearly over yet. What the hell is his problem anyway?"

"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, he's about one bitch away from having the whole squadron taking him bungee jumping without the bungee. Maybe it's that time of the month for him, and he hasn't taken a Midol to keep him from going coastal city on everyone."

"Well, like I said, I'm not in the mood, so he better stay away from me or he definitely will be going on that jump. Right after a first class ass kicking. I'm already tired and I'm here until midnight. Plus I still have to find four more models for Tyler's project."

"Then you better get going so I can get home to Kev. I'll see you tomorrow morning. That's if you can get your lazy ass out of bed!" Travis teased Christian which earned him a punch on the arm.

The two bumped fist then continued on their way. As soon as Christian reached his office he got started on the list of models. He wanted to get that out of the way before tackling what was on his desk. This time Christian went to other floors as well as checking on his floor. After two hours of interviewing, Christian was satisfied with what he had. Not only did he have enough models for the calendar, but the next one as well if Tyler decided to continue with the project. Christian is going to make sure that will happen! Not only will that give him more time to spend with his boys and the love of his life, but it can continue to raise money for the base as well.

Travis walked through the door at the house after a rough day at work just as everyone was placing the food on the table. Tyler had left work early today to prepare a delicious meal for his family before the new staff starts the next day. After saying hello to everyone and kissing Kevin, Travis went to quickly change and joined them for dinner. No one could wait to taste Tyler's homemade barbecue chicken, scallop potatoes, and broccoli au gratin. For dessert he made a homemade cherry cobbler and whip cream which he was sure will go over well with everyone.

During dinner, the usual conversation went on with everyone discussing their day. All eyes and ears was focused on Travis when he told about his. It seems that he left some things out when he spoke with Christian. "All I can say is that Troy better watch his step around Christian. With the mood he's in, he's libel to tear Troy to pieces."

"Don't worry, I'll take them some dinner and have a talk with him." Tyler assured Travis. "We did have a pretty busy day and now he's putting in eight hours on base. That will put a damper on anybody's mood. He's probably just tired and needs to sleep it off."

That made Travis less worried about Christian. If anyone can calm Christian down it would be Tyler, especially when Tyler visits Christian on base after a long and hard day of work. When everyone had their fill of dinner, Carlos and Mark brought out the whip cream and cobbler. As Tyler suspected, they all did love it with some going back for another helping while others stopped at one which was not easy to do. Everyone praised Tyler for the delicious dinner and told him to remain sitting while they take care of the cleaning up. Kevin even offered to make some plates for Christian, Alex, and Matt which Tyler thanked him for doing.

After Kevin handed the plates to Tyler, he, Carlos, and Mark left for the base. Tyler's visiting pass was still active so they were let through the gates with no problem. As the small group of civilians walked from the parking lot to Christian's office, all eyes fell upon them. Many of them couldn't believe what they were actually seeing. Was Tyler Jackson on their base? Many thought their eyes was playing tricks on them because they never seen Tyler on base before, and most didn't even know that Christian knew him.

Matt knocked on the door to let Christian know when he and Alex saw them coming down the hall. He heard Christian calling for him to come in so he cracked the door open. "Tyler's here to see you Christian."

Christian's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Well, don't just stand there Matt, let him in."

Matt chuckled as he opened the door. Tyler walked through and Christian came from behind his desk to hug him. "Hey baby, what are you doing here?" Tyler told him that he brought the three of them some dinner. "Oh thanks baby! Now we don't have to eat what they're serving in the mess hall tonight. Let me lock up and we can walk over."

Christian locked his office and grabbed Tyler's hand. As the guys walked over to the mess hall, Christian saw everyone staring at them with interest. He smiled to himself knowing that none of them has a chance with the gorgeous model that's all his and his alone. As Tyler was hinting around the subject of Troy Blackman, Christian noticed Troy looking their way with disdain in his eyes. Christian cut Tyler off and told Tyler that Troy is safe as long as he stays away from him. But, if Troy tries to push his buttons then Christian wouldn't hesitate to put him in his place because he wasn't in the mood for his bullshit. Tyler accepted that and hoped that Troy does stay away from Christian until he's in a better mood.

After Christian, Alex, and Matt finished eating, they walked back towards Christian's office. Christian suggested to Tyler that he not go back into the building. "I don't want my coworkers staring at you instead of doing their work."

Tyler agreed so as they got close to the building, they started walking towards the SUV. Carlos and Mark climbed in as Christian kissed Tyler goodbye then stood there waiting with a smile on his face as they drove away. That smile never left his face all night long which made his coworkers happy. Everyone could see that Christian was in a better mood but was disappointed when he arrived back without the popular hunky model with him.

Tyler spent the rest of his night when he got home taking care of the boys and counting down the hours until Christian got home. As the time grew closer, he started feeling more and more tired but tried to stay awake although he lost that fight. The day's events proved to be more of a drain on him then he wanted to admit. Around eleven o'clock, he fell asleep from watching a movie with the television still on. He was so dead to the world that he didn't even feel when Christian climbed into bed with him when he got home.

A knock on the bedroom door jolted Tyler awake wrapped in Christian's arms the next morning. Christian pulled Tyler close to him as he answered sleepily. "Come in, it's open."

The door opened then Kevin and Travis walked in carrying two trays of food. "We thought you may like to rest a little more so everyone decided to make you breakfast in bed." Kevin said. "Also, don't worry about the boys either. We'll take care of them until you get up."

After the two sat up, Kevin and Travis place the trays across their laps. "Thanks guys, we really appreciate you doing this. Can you also please call the new staff for me Kevin and ask them to meet us here at the house. I'm not sure if I'm going to the office today or work from home."

"Sure Tyler, Is there anything else that you need taken care of?" Tyler told him there was none that he could think of. "Okay, I'll go and do that now. If there's anything that you two need, just call any of us on the intercom."

Christian and Tyler thanked them once again as they started eating their breakfast. Kevin and Travis left the room so they could be alone. When they got back to the kitchen, Kevin informed Carlos of Tyler's plans. "I'll give Janet a call and ask her to have the contracts deliver here. I don't think Christian or Tyler even remembers that they suppose to be delivered to the office today."

Carlos walked out into the hallway to make his call. Travis leaned over and gave Kevin a kissed goodbye. "Sorry babe but I got to go or I'll be late." Before the pout on Kevin's face got a chance to form, Travis stopped it. "Put that pout away buster. I'll be home for lunch."

Kevin's pout quickly turned into a smile. Travis grabbed his take away breakfast off the counter and walked with Kevin to the door where Kevin again kissed him goodbye before Travis left for work. Kevin then returned to the kitchen and joined the others for breakfast. When breakfast was over, Kevin went to make his calls while the others cleaned the kitchen. Mark on the other hand, went to check the travel listings. He didn't know why, but he was sure that Teresa would travel by either bus or train.

Around ten o'clock Tyler and Christian came downstairs ready to start their day. They called their three head of security into Tyler's office for a short meeting to catch up on what has been done so far. Kevin told them that everything had been arranged and everyone should be there at the appointed time. Mark then informed them that there was still nothing on Teresa but will keep checking. Lastly, Carlos told them that he had Janet carrier the contracts over and they're sitting on his desk ready to be sign. Both Christian and Tyler nodded their thanks.

"Can I speak with you in private for a moment Tyler?" Mark asked and Tyler nodded yes. Everyone started leaving the room but Mark held Carlos back. When he heard the door close, Tyler asked Mark what was up. "I finally decided on my present."

"It's about time!" Tyler teased. "You've been putting that off for months now. Care to tell me what you decided?" Tyler was surprised at what Mark told him but didn't show it outwardly. "Okay, you make all the selection and arrangements, and then I'll have the money wired to cover the cost."

Mark hugged Tyler to show his gratitude for Tyler's generosity. Just as they were breaking it, one of the guys from the security room came over their walkie talkie announcing the arrival of their appointment. "Let them through Frankie and I'll meet them at the door." They heard Kevin say.

"Well looks like it's time for me to get to work." Tyler sighed then pulled his phone out of his pocket to give his instructions. "Put them in the living room and offer them some refreshments for me Kevin. Chris and I will be out just as soon as we review the contracts to make sure everything is in order."

"Sure Tyler, no problem." Kevin replied just as Christian opened the door and walked in. Carlos and Mark excused themselves so the guys can get down to business. "Alright Ty, let's go over these contracts so we can go out and close this deal."

It took them about ten to fifteen minutes to make sure that each contract was in order. Christian read them while Tyler took mental notes to see if any changes needed to be made. Seeing that everything was the way it's supposed to be, they walked out to greet their guess. When they walked in the room, everyone started to stand but Christian asked them to remain sitting. He walked Tyler over to the sofa where they took their seat. The others waited patiently to see who was going to be the one to start speaking.

"Thank you all for coming." Tyler began. "We know the change of location was on a short notice and we appreciate you arriving on time. Chris will hand you your contracts that we want you to read carefully to make sure that you're satisfied with what we discussed yesterday. If you see any changes that you feel should be made, then don't hesitate to let us know."

Christian handed each person their contract before sitting back down next to Tyler. For the next five minutes, each person quietly reviewed their contract. No one could see any changes that needed to be made, and told Christian and Tyler they were satisfied with what they read before signing. When the contracts were handed back, Christian and Tyler also signed then dated them. Now that business was out of the way, Tyler called Kevin to give them a tour of the house while he and Christian make some lunch for everyone. The new staff tried to object, but Christian told them it was no problem. They were their guess and it was close to the weekend, so therefore they will not be starting until Monday. They can use the rest of the week to settle in and familiarize themselves with the house.

While Kevin was giving the tour, Christian and Tyler got started on lunch with the help of Carlos and Mark. By the time Kevin had finished the tour, they had a delicious lunch of lasagna, macaroni & cheese, and Spanish rice ready. Just as they were sitting down, Travis arrived as promised. Everyone including the two new cooks was impressed and complimented the four guys on their culinary skills. The other three said it was all Tyler doing but Tyler wasn't having that. He made sure to give credit to all of his helpers which left them furiously blushing.

Throughout lunch, conversation flowed very easy. They all had learned a little more about the new staff and wanted to learn more. By the time lunch was over, everyone felt they would fit right in with the rest of the household. Jeff especially likes that the new cooks can make every kind of dessert that he can think of and more. The guys took care of the cleaning up while Christian and Tyler took their guess out into the pool area to do some more talking while Christian feeds Terry.

After their guess had left, Christian and Tyler went into their offices to make some calls. Tyler wanted to check with Janet to see how everything was going at the office and the construction on the cafeteria. Christian also wanted to see how everything was going at his office and if there was any word yet from Manual. Everything was as they should be at the offices, and there was no word from Manual as of yet, so Christian and Tyler went down to the gym to workout until Christian had to report on base. He left about three thirty which left Tyler with nothing to do so he decided to get dinner started.

Once everything had been laid out, he called everyone to the table. It was also time for Terry's feeding so Tyler fed him before starting on his own dinner. Unlike other times, not much conversation went on during dinner so instead they watched television to catch up on the news. Tyler wanted to see if his plan had been put into affect yet or not. He needed to know where things stand so he can begin making some plans for his next move.

In the meantime, Christian was trying to get through his day on base. It seems to him like the morning just flew by, but for some reason the evening wanted to drag on. Not even socializing with his coworkers when he came in seemed to kill much time. He just finished the paper work that was on his desk and now was wondering what he could do until he goes on his dinner break. Then he remembered that he needed to get the new models measurements. He didn't think that would take a long time, so one by one, he called them into his office.

It actually took longer than he thought it would take. Many wanted to talk and ask question about Tyler Jackson. No one can believe he was on base yesterday, nor can they believe that Christian actually knows him personally. *If they only knew how personally I know him.* Christian smiled to himself. It looks like his private life is still private. Although he wonders when Troy will start to cause more problems for him or Tyler that Christian will have to take care of.

Just as that thought popped into his mind, Matt knocked on the door. "Come in." Christian announced. Matt's head then appeared through the crack of the door. "Christine says she needs to speak with you Christian."

"Send her in for me Matt." Matt nodded and opened the door to allow Christine to enter closing the door behind her. "Please have a seat Christine and tell me what I can do for you." Christian asked motioning her to a chair in front of his desk. From the look on her face, he knew this wasn't going to be good news.

Christine sat down but didn't speak right away. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Troy's starting shit up again Christian, and you need to put a stop to it." She then told Christian what Troy's been saying. "As usual not many people believe him, but he's beginning to piss a lot of people off with his accusations, and the accusations are getting worse."

Christian looked at the schedule on his desk. He needed time to cool his temper so he didn't take his anger out on Christine. When he looked back up, Christine could see that anger burning in his eyes and the confident smile on his face. "I wouldn't worry about that Christine. Tyler can take care of himself. Troy or anyone else can try that if they want, but they won't get far on it."

"Are you sure about that? I mean, he's spreading this around pretty fast so there will probably be more than one, and most likely all at once. Can Tyler handle that many? I don't know why Troy's doing this Christian. But you better stop him for good, before someone gets hurt."

"Like I said before Christine, don't worry. I'll have another talk with him and straighten him out. If he doesn't heed my warning this time then I'll have no choice but to let Tyler deal with him. Believe me, Tyler's more dangerous than I am, and he doesn't even have to lay a finger on him."

Christine wondered what Christian meant by that but didn't ask. She wasn't sure she wanted to know anyway. "Okay, I'll leave it up to you. I hope this is all over soon because he's making things around here very uncomfortable. In the meantime, I'll keep my ears open. If I hear anything else then I'll let you know."

Christian came from behind his desk and hugged her. "Thanks for all your help Christine, I really appreciate it. You're really a great friend." She told him he was welcome then left his office. Christian sat back behind his desk contemplating on what it will take to stop Troy from trying to sabotage Tyler's project. He was so deep in his thoughts; he didn't even hear Alex knock on the door.

When Alex didn't get an answer from Christian, he knocked again. When he didn't get an answer the second time, he opened the door to find Christian sitting at his desk with his mind a thousand miles away. "Christian, hey Christian, earth to Christian."

The third time Alex called his name, Christian finally snapped out of his trans. "Huh, what is it?" Alex asked him if he was ready for his dinner break yet. "Oh, okay. Just let me lock up my office and I'll be right with you."

Alex nodded and stepped out in the hall to wait. Christian locked his office then the three went to dinner. Alex and Matt could tell that something was on Christian's mind because he was mostly quiet throughout dinner so didn't bother him much with conversation. At one point, Christian called home to talk to Tyler. He needed to hear his voice to lift his spirits. Just hearing Tyler's voice did lift his spirits and he was in a better mood by the time they returned to base.

After talking to Christian, Tyler was in a better mood as well. He spent some time with Kevin and Mark in the kitchen discussing some candidates for the housekeeping position and making appointments for interviews. "Before Kevin makes any calls Mark, I want you to do a more thorough background check on everyone. Any applicants that seem suspicious in any way will be scratch from the list."

"I'll do the checks tomorrow morning. Perhaps you should hire the ladies that come in twice a week to clean on fulltime. Their background checks have already been done and they're clean. That will save us a lot of time with this, and we're not bringing a lot of strangers into the house."

"That's a good idea." Tyler agreed. "I'll give them a call to see if they want the job after I discuss it with Chris. I want to be sure he's comfortable with it before I make the offer. In the meantime, we'll keep searching until we find the right ones."

Both guys agreed and the meeting ended. Tyler went looking for the boys and found them in the theater room with Carlos and Travis watching Disney The Little Mermaid: and joined them. As soon as he was seated, Jeff climbed onto his lap. Tyler pulled him close and Jeff rested his head on Tyler's shoulders. Seconds later Kevin and Mark also joined them. The only sound that could be heard in the room was coming from the big theater screen.

By the time the movie was over, Terry had fallen asleep on Travis's lap and Jeff Tyler's. Carlos picked Jeff up off of Tyler's lap offering to put him to bed and carried him upstairs followed by Travis carrying Terry. Kevin and Mark locked up the house and set the alarm while Tyler made sure there was no trash lying around in the theater room before retiring upstairs themselves. Tyler waited up for Christian as long as he could, but just like the night before, his exhaustion won out and he fell asleep.

Christian, Alex, and Matt arrived home about twelve thirty tired but glad to be home. Christian's shift went by so slowly he thought it would never end. And when it did, they couldn't wait to get out of there. Plus the situation with Troy was giving him a splitting headache and making his blood pressure rise to the boiling point. Not to mention his anger as well. All he wanted to do now was snuggle up with the love of his life and have a good night sleep because he's working the day shift tomorrow.

After locking the door and resetting the alarm, he said good night to Matt and Alex and headed upstairs. He entered the bedroom and found Tyler sleeping but not peacefully. Tyler's body was trembling and he was mumbling something in his sleep that Christian couldn't quite understand. But there was one word he could make out though, Terry. Christian instantly realized Tyler was having a nightmare and knew what he had to do. He quickly but quietly undressed and got into bed, trying his best not to frighten him. Gently he pulled Tyler close and wrapped his arms around him then whispered in his ear. "It's okay baby. No one will hurt you. You're safe in my arms."

That had the desired affect and Tyler instantly relaxed and snuggled back into Christian's arms. Christian stayed awake for several more minutes wondering how long these nightmares will go on. He thought they were a thing of the past, but it doesn't look like it, and Tyler still can't or won't talk about them at all. Maybe he can get Tyler to talk about this one since it has something to do with Terry and not the orphanage. Soon his exhaustion caught up with him, and Christian found himself drifting off to sleep.

To Be Continued...

Writer's Corner:

Welcome back one and all to another chapter of Best Friends. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Now let's get to the summary of this chapter, shall we?

It looks like Terry's mother Teresa wants him back. Tyler is going to do everything he can to make sure that doesn't happen. He keeping a look out on every possible way she can come back to town.

Maria Lopez got a party and some nice gifts for her birthday. Christian and Tyler's gifts matches Justin and JR's which she was informed to wear out for her birthday dinner. Can you guess what those gifts are?

Christian offered Manual a job. I gave some hints in this chapter as to what that position might be. But first, Manual needs to make sure that his grandmother is being taken care of before he can make a decision on that. Find out what he does in future chapters.

Christian and Tyler decided to hire the family team as their new staff. They're filling many positions at once, but more needs to be hired. No matter who they are, Tyler is being very careful with the selection.

Troy is starting to piss off his unit with his sabotaging tricks. What do he has up his sleeves this time? Whatever it is, Christian better put a stop to him before someone gets hurts.

Mark made his decision as to his birthday gift from Tyler. I think we know what that gift will be, or do we? It's that waiting game time again guys, and my lips are sealed.

Tyler had another nightmare, but this one was about Terry. Christian will try to get Tyler to tell him about it. That may be easier than getting Tyler to tell him about his nightmares of the orphanage.

If I had missed anything in my corner, I hope my editor will catch it in her corner. I need to get started on writing the next chapter for you guys to enjoy reading. Don't miss a chapter or you will be kicking yourself in the ass for it!

So much is going on and not enough time to write it all out! New plots are going to open and some will close. Keep reading the future chapters and enjoy! Please let me know how I'm doing. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions at {romeo.jacobmillertex@gmail.com} thanks.

Editor's Corner:

 Another great chapter from Romeo. He pretty much covered all that was going on in this chapter.

Troy is becoming a pain and I hope Christian or Tyler will not get into trouble because of it. So Tyler is hiring all new position could there be a bad seed that get through all the back ground checks.

Teresa coming back in the picture again is not a good sign.

Don't forget your emails to Romeo and let him know what you think of the plots.

Trish