Disclaimer: This story, though maybe not in this chapter but in subsequent chapters, will have celebrities in it. I have no knowledge of their sexuality and this is not intended to imply their sexuality. This is all from my own mind. Scary!! People actually get a glimpse into my mind!!!
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel and all related characters created by Joss Whedon. Copyright 20th Century Fox.
Batman, and all related characters created by Bob Kane. Copyright DC Comics and Warner Bros.
X-MEN, and all related characters created by Stan Lee. Copyright Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox.
Star Trek and all related characters created by Gene Roddenberry. Copyright Paramount Studios.
I don't know for sure if I will use all the above elements, but just in case, I have myself covered.
In this story, which has been floating around in my head most of my life, you will find many universes merging, as the above copyrights reveal. I hope you all enjoy this. I appreciate any feedback that you may want to give. This story doesn't deal so much with sex, sex, sex, but more of my feelings that I struggled with and am starting to come to terms with. Part of his background is mine. I do hope that you enjoy it!!!
jmsotc@yahoo.com
Chapter 8 Healing and Growing...Together
The following day, I had heard nothing from any of the guys. I knew I had to give them space and time to heal, especially Justin. I didn't want him to think I was taking advantage of his situation. I had a rather quiet day and went to bed early to catch up on much needed rest.
On Monday morning, I went in to work and did my duties, making some careful observations of the older male clients Joshua has. Some seventeen and eighteen year olds didn't look too bad. Unfortunately, it was not a good idea for me to get involved with them. They had a sordid past with much confusion in their minds. It would not be wise to get involved with them for their sake as well as my own.
At around lunchtime, I got a telephone call from JC.
"Hi, Eric."
"Hi, JC. How are you guys doing?"
"We're coping. We've all heard stories about vampires. And we all have background with religion. But when you come face to face with it, it's kind of scary."
"Tell me about it."
"Listen, would you be able to come over tonight, just to hang out? I think the guys may want to talk about it, but are afraid to ask you anything."
"What made you think of me?"
"Well, we trust you, first of all. Second, we remember you said you prayed over your water. You must have some kind of knowledge of what happened."
"Okay. I will be done at work around 5:30. I'll go home and shower, eat and then come over to the hotel."
"Okay. Thanks. We appreciate it."
"Sure thing. See you tonight."
I hung up with JC and felt bad for what they went through. It was truly a difficult time for them. My heart went out to them. So many changes in such a short amount of time, changes they were not ready for.
When I finished up at work, I went home quickly and showered. Grabbing a sandwich at the fast food place Batman made his first appearance at, I went on over to their hotel. The manager was much more obliging and allowed me up immediately. When I arrived on their floor, I was met by Lance.
"Thanks for coming over, Eric. We appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure. I hope I can do whatever I can for you guys."
Lance took me into the room they use as their living room. I sat in a chair while Lance sat in the other chair. JC stood against the wall and Joey, Chris and Justin sat on the couch.
"Eric," JC began. "We asked you over here because we want to know about what went on Saturday night. What can you tell us? Did you know he was a vampire?"
"I had my suspicions, though, no facts."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Justin said.
"I wasn't sure of vampires until Friday night when I was attacked by some."
"You were mugged by vampires?" Lance said rather shocked.
I nodded in response.
"Did you get hurt?"
"Not too badly. Someone showed up and helped me."
Justin looked at me. "Do you know how to fight them, fight vampires?"
"A little bit. Why?"
Justin looks down. Chris, however, spoke up. "Justin has been getting phone calls at night, by Turic, we think. He's threatened to turn Justin into a vampire. Justin..."
"I don't want to have anything to do with him," Justin interrupted. "He lied to me. I can't trust him. I can't trust anyone."
"We were wondering if you could help us out."
"How?" I wondered. By now my curiosity was peaked.
"We want you to stay here with us for the next few weeks, at least until Turic is taken care of."
"I don't know. What would you want me to do, specifically?"
JC walked over to where Lance was sitting and sat down on the arm of the chair. "You would be here in case Turic attacked us. You could help us fight him off."
Were these guys asking me to be their bodyguard? I'm just a psychologist's assistant. I'm not a bodyguard. Okay, so I'm Batman. But I do what I do not because I'm hired to do it.
"I don't know, guys. I'm not sure about this."
"Please."
I looked over at Justin, who spoke that one word. He looked at me with eyes pleading with me. They wanted someone they could trust. They've only known me a week but they felt they could trust me. I wonder if Joshua had a hand in this. It's not surprising. Someone who, in some way or another is a hero to you makes you trust him, no matter how long or short you've known them.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks," Justin replied.
"I'll have to go home and get a few things. Is that alright?"
"Yeah," JC replied.
"I'll go with you," Lance offered.
"Okay. We will be back in a half hour."
It didn't take Lance and I long to get to my apartment. I went into my bedroom and packed up some clothes, cologne and deodorant and the all-important toothbrush. I also packed my suit into a bag, too. One never knows...
As soon as the zipper was shut, Lance came back to my bedroom. "Did you need any help with anything?"
"No, thanks. I've got it all." I walked past him and noticed he was staring at something. "Are you okay?"
He quickly snapped out of whatever was going on in his head. "I'm fine."
We excited the apartment house and descended the stairs to the street. Once there, however, people sent by Turic, obviously, because of their rather pointy teeth approached us.
"This is as far as you go," one said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Turic wants you nowhere near Justin. You have corrupted him."
"Justin doesn't want anything to do with Turic, so back off!" Lance replied.
The two vampires snarled at us.
"Lance, inside, now."
We took off to the apartment. I opened the door and we ran up to my apartment. There, I unlocked my door and we both went in. I closed and locked the door.
"Great. What do we do?" Lance asked.
"You are going into the bathroom."
"For why?"
"Because you will be safe there. Here," I reached up and grabbed a brass-painted plastic cross off my wall. "Take this. If any of them get in, you can use this to keep them at bay."
"How can they get in?"
"If I invite them or if they kill me."
My words obviously didn't make Lance feel any better. I pushed him into the bathroom and closed the door. I also took the liberty of locking it from the outside. Being locked from both sides ensure that no one could get in unless Lance chose to let them in. It also ensured that he could not come out on his own, which is what I needed at the moment.
I stripped down and suited up in my Batman suit. Now, to make them think I was not...I. I climbed out the window and down the fire escape. I looked in the dumpster and found some broken furniture and some old rope. Quickly, I made my own cross and hid it behind my back. Then, slowly, I walked up to the front of the building. They were nowhere to be seen. Unless...
I quietly walked to the front and ascended the stair quietly. The two were standing at the top of the steps knocking on my door. I could hear them calling to me. "Come on out, Eric. We only want to discuss this like rational human beings."
"Excuse me," I replied after going inside. "Is there some kind of problem?"
"Beat it, freak."
"Did you call me a freak? Funny, I'm not the one with a terrible overbite."
They snarled at me and jumped down at me. As he landed on top of me, I pulled the cross out and held it up. It burned him pretty bad. He jumped up, chest smoking.
"How do you know what we are?" the second vampire said while walking down the steps.
"The Huntress and I dealt with some of your friends last night. I staked three of them. It was rather easy. I always thought you guys would be tougher."
The vampire whom I scorched with the cross jumped at me. I was ready. I pulled the cross up and he ran into the pointed bottom, right in the heart. I watched as he turned to dust.
"Like I said...easy."
This infuriated the other vampire and he jumped at me. Taking me by surprise, we tumbled through the door and down the steps. We rolled away from each other. I stood up and looked around, not seeing where the vampire went. Without warning he landed right on top of me, knocking me down. He stood up rather quickly, grabbed me by my throat and lifted me up.
"You are puny. You are weak. You are a poor excuse for a creature of the night. I'm going to make you."
"Make me? Make me a vampire?"
I swung my leg out and kicked him in the balls. He dropped me and fell to the ground clutching himself. Taking some very needed deep breaths, I picked up my homemade cross and staked him before he could recover. Once the immediate threat was taken care of, I looked around the apartment building to be sure there were no more vampires. Having been satisfied it was safe, I went back up the fire escape and into the window. I tripped and immediately Lance called out.
"Eric? Is that you?"
"Hold on a minute, Lance."
I rushed in changing and putting my suit in my bag. Then, I opened the door.
"I'm glad you're alright," Lance replied. He looked as if he was ready to hug me but restrained himself. "What happened?"
I pulled out the cross I had made and said, "Batman. He must have seen them watching the place or followed them here or something. He handed this to me through the window and left."
"Is it okay for us to go?"
"Batman thought so. Shall we try this again?"
Lance and I left and in moments arrived at the hotel. By now it was awfully late and the guys were getting tired. I changed into shorts and a tee shirt to sleep in. JC got me a blanket and Joey got me an extra pillow from his room. Everyone said their goodnights and turned in. I sat in the dark and prayed, something I wish I had kept up on.
I had grown up always believing in God even though my parents never went to church, never mentioned Jesus Christ except in swearing, and prayed only when disaster struck. I had devoted so much of my younger years learning of God through the Holy Bible and studying it, making it part of me. As it says "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee". I took that and countless other verses to heart.
It was also because of ministers' interpretations of the Word that I condemned myself who had not committed any real sin since coming to Christ. I was always taught that homosexuality was sinful. I believed it at one time, hating myself and not figuring out why God had saved my soul, cleaned me up from sin and brought me so close to Him when I could do nothing to shake my desires. I fasted, prayed, received prayer and left it in God's hands for countless years waiting for a miracle that didn't come. Some may think that I did not have enough faith, that I had, in some way, failed God, which was why I never received a miracle. The fact of the matter is God gives miracles when they are needed. And since I did not get a miracle, I took it as God's way of saying "I don't care that you are gay. You are my child and I love you for you." In a sense, He helped me come out to my family.
I had struggled with telling them. I was so afraid. I always backed down when it came time to do something or say something that I knew they would not like or agree with. And I knew I had to tell them. So, God, being so wise, put me on a three-day fast. It was then that I received the strength and courage to tell my sisters. Later I would tell my parents, but I won't go into that. That's a whole other story.
After I told them, I quite going to the church that taught me so much about God because I knew that they would never accept me if I came out. So I quietly slipped away. Then, I stopped praying, fasting, reading as much as I used to and drifted a little with my spiritual walk with God. But, He has always been faithful to me, giving me His advice, guiding me by His Spirit. But the spiritual strength comes from staying in His presence, something I had neglected to do. And I knew that physical strength would not be enough to beat Turic. I had to have the strength of God to aid me in my fight against this demon.
"Ahem," I heard someone clear his or her throat. Turning around I saw...
"Justin. Is everything okay?"
"I can't sleep. I can't get relaxed. What were you doing?"
"Praying."
"Really? That's cool." Justin walked over and sat on the couch. I had been standing in the doorway of the balcony looking up at the night sky, always my favorite place to pray. "What were you praying for?"
"Strength. And wisdom to fight Turic."
"Why do you need to pray for strength? Couldn't you just work out?"
"The kind of strength one needs to fight a demon is not so much physical, but spiritual strength."
"But what about the Huntress at the nightclub? She seemed awfully strong."
"Because she was born with that strength, chosen to be a vampire slayer. I was not." I noticed he never mentioned Batman's fight with a vampire in the nightclub. I had to keep from laughing.
"Do you think everything will work out?"
"Yeah, I'm sure of it."
"Would you mind if I stayed out here with you?"
"With me?"
"Yeah. Or if you want, we can go into my room and sleep."
"I don't know about that. I guess we can stay out here."
I sat down on the couch and Justin and I talked for almost an hour. Slowly, ever so slowly, he fell asleep and ended up leaning on me. Not wanting to disturb him too much, I moved him down to where his head was in my lap. Being careful, I reached down and was able to get his feet and legs up on the couch. Covering him up with the blanket, I sat there for a while, watching him sleep. The moonlight lit his hair ever so subtly. I was in awe, in heaven with him resting in my arms, my care. Part of me wished this night could go on forever. But the realist in me knew it was not any personal feelings he had for me that brought him to me. It was fear. And I could never take advantage of someone's vulnerability. That would be wrong. Eventually, I, too, drifted off to sleep.
"Eric," a voice said, startling me.
I woke up to find the sunlight streaming in through the open balcony. I looked around to see who said my name, only to find JC standing behind me laughing.
"Good morning, sleepy head," he greeted.
"Good morning."
"Are you comfortable?"
"Comfortable?" I looked down and saw Justin still sleeping peacefully on my lap. "Yeah."
"Good."
"What time is it?"
"8:00."
"I have to be at work in an hour." I looked down at Justin and regretted what I had to do next. "Justin," I said running my fingers through his hair. "Justin. Time to get up."
Slowly he opened his eyes. "Turic?" Then he jumped. "Turic!"
"No, Justin, it's just me," I reassured.
He looked around and his eyes settled on me. "Oh." Then he sat down. "For a while there, I thought you were Turic. I felt so safe with him."
I understood what he meant by that. He felt as safe with me as he did with his previous boyfriend. I was flattered, but also apprehensive. I would hate for him to turn his anger towards Turic towards me. But I never plan on hurting him like Turic hurt him.
"Did you sleep okay with me on your lap?" Justin asked.
"Yeah. It was very comfortable."
He smiled at me. "I need a shower." With that, Justin stood up and walked out the room.
"I need one, as well. JC, could I use yours?"
"Sure," he said. "Here's the key card."
I took my bag and went into his room. After a nice shower, I came out to see everyone awake enjoying a nice breakfast.
"Good morning, Eric," Lance said beginning to stand up.
"Good morning."
"Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah. How about you?"
"Yeah, okay." He looked over at JC. "It could have been better." He smiled at JC, who smiled back. Must have been an inside joke.
"Any plans for today?" Joey asked.
"I have to be at work in a half hour. Other than that, I will be back here tonight."
The guys nodded.
I left for work. It was a rather busy day, with steady appointments all day. Josh sent me out to pick up his lunch. When I got back, I sat in his office to eat with him.
"Josh, do you know why the guys asked me to stay with them?"
"I suggested it."
"Really? Why?"
"Your application says you've spent two and a half years at a Bible Training College. You had several semesters of Demonology. Vampires are demons, right?"
I nodded.
"I thought you might have studied vampires and could help them out."
"Oh. Well, we didn't study vampires, specifically, but we did learn a lot in class concerning spiritual warfare."
"See. You didn't think psychotherapists believed in a spiritual realm."
We both laughed.
After lunch, he and I cleaned up and I went back to my desk.
This went on for nearly three weeks my staying with the members of NSYNC. Turic had not made any type of contact with Justin and, as a result, Justin went back to his room to sleep. However, our sleep did not go back to normal hours. He and I would sit up after everyone else had went to bed and talk about anything and everything until well after midnight. One night, though, it changed...
Justin and I had just got done laughing at something stupid I did.
"You are so amazing," Justin said.
"Thank you," I said sarcastically, figuring he was being silly.
"No," his chuckling died down but his smile remained, "I'm serious. You are amazing."
I looked into his eyes and could see something more than was there before. He leaned into me and kissed me. I leaned away from him, shocked.
"Is something wrong?"
"I don't know if we should do this."
"Why?"
"I...I don't know. You've just gotten over Turic. I don't want you to be taken advantage of."
"You could never take advantage of me, Eric. These past few weeks I've felt so safe and secure because you are near. I found myself thinking about you in the middle of rehearsals. When I see something funny on TV, I wish you were near to laugh with me. I enjoy being with you. You bring out the best in me."
I couldn't believe my ears. Someone who I had loved for a few years was now admitting his love for me. I never thought I would hear those words. I smiled at Justin as tears welled up in my eyes.
"Are you okay? Did I say something to upset you?"
"No, not really. I just..."
"Sssh...No more words."
With that, Justin leaned in and kissed me again. This time I did not resist. I kissed him back. We must have sat there for several minutes just kissing, becoming so much part of each other. Finally, he broke it off.
"Why don't you sleep in my room tonight?"
I stood up and went into his room. There we slept in each other's arms. We did not have sex, as many of you reading this might have assumed. Sex is wonderful, but it doesn't always have to be present in a moment of intimacy.
To Be Continued...
Comments are always welcome. More to come! Also, in the future songs will be "sung" in this, almost like a musical. It would be great if you had Napster and could download the songs and listen to them at certain points in the story. It would help you feel more of what the characters are going through.