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!!!
I have received many emails from people who have enjoyed it and some from those who do not. I would enjoy hearing from you. Any emails you send, please tell me what chapter and story you are commenting on. Thanks.
jmsotc@yahoo.com
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Chapter 42 Michael and David
The next morning Lance and I got up and showered. As we dressed and packed Lance asked me about what happened through the night while I was gone.
"The emotional outburst triggered my mutation. That's how I first discovered I was a mutant. I expanded my powers a little last night, adding electricity and empathy to it."
"How can you add empathy? Isn't that just understanding another's feelings?"
"Let me show you." I walked over to Lance and placed my hands on either side of his head. I did not touch him, though. "Relax. This won't hurt."
I relaxed myself and felt my mind reach out. They began to mix with Lance's and I felt his fear and concern for me. I sent out waves of reassurance toward him and he relaxed enough, the concern and fear subsiding a bit.
When I brought my molecules back he looked up at me.
"Wow," was all he said. "That's amazing."
"Yeah, sort of. I thing what happened with the person down the street triggered that. It may not have been the person's death but the emotional impact of those at the scene."
"Are you going to be okay with this?"
"Yeah. I think I learned to control it last night. With the great explosion of my powers I learned also how to control it. Everything should be okay."
"Good."
Lance smiled at me then kissed me. We finished packing up and I called my family telling them goodbye and that I would call them when I got back from Canada. I sent them my love and we headed off to the airport.
Within two hours we were on our way to Canada to visit David and Michael.
"How were they doing?" Lance asked.
"Michael didn't look good at all. I don't know how he will be now. Hopefully better. I would like to see him recovering."
"Do they know you are a mutant?"
"No. And I don't want them to know. They don't need to see me in a different light. Especially now when they need to see me as they already do, someone familiar and there to help and support them."
The airplane landed and we picked up another rental car and headed off to David and Michael's apartment. When we got there it was locked up and dark.
"Where are they?" Lance asked.
"Perhaps Michael had a doctor's appointment. They may be at the hospital."
"Let's get to a phone and call around."
We did just that. It was the third try that we found the hospital Michael was in. We drove there and went to the front desk.
"Hello. I'm Eric McCoy and this is Lance Bass. We are here to see Michael Cuccione. What room is he in?"
"I don't think you are on the guest list. Let me call up to his room." The guard called up and moments later hung up. "You may go up. He's in room 5151."
"Thank you," I answered and Lance and I got into the elevator.
Within moments we were on the floor and walking down the corridor to the room. We knocked and David opened the door.
"Eric!" he said with a sigh of relief. He took me into his arms. "I'm so glad to see you."
"Hi, David. It's good to see you, too."
"Hi," Lance said to David.
They shook hands and David invited us in. I looked over at Michael on the bed. He looked like he was deteriorating slowly. I held back the tears.
"Hey, Eric," he greeted.
"Hi, Michael. It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you. Come over here and give me a hug."
I went over and gently embraced Michael. The hug actually lingered for several minutes...and I felt my mind mingle with his. He didn't have a great fear about him. Either he was confident he would recover or he wasn't afraid of death. I think he sensed my puzzlement and the latter impression flowed over me like a gentle wave. He was not afraid to die.
I stepped back and he looked at me smiling. Then he looked over at Lance.
"Hi. I'm Michael Cuccione," he said shaking Lance's hand.
"Lance Bass."
"I know who you are. The TV show I worked on was a spoof of boy bands. Even though we spoofed the idea of boy bands, we really enjoyed the work you guys did."
"Yeah. If it hadn't have been for us, you wouldn't have had the TV show."
They chuckled.
"Really, though," Michael said, "some of us liked your work. I have NSYNC and Backstreet Boys CDs. Aren't you coming out with a new one soon?"
"Yeah. It's called 'Celebrity'. Its much more techno than the others."
"Cool. I can't wait to hear it."
David looked over at me and I looked at him. I knew what he was thinking because I was thinking the same thing. Michael may never get to hear NSYNC's new album. I tried to calm myself down. It wouldn't due for my body to start shooting arcs of electricity all over the hospital room.
I motioned for David to come with me outside.
"What?" he asked when he closed the door.
"When was the last time you were out of the hospital?"
"Christmas Eve."
"That's been almost two weeks. You need to recuperate some, get your strength up. You cannot do anything for Michael if your strength is gone. I think we had this conversation before."
"Yeah. We did. You're right. I just..." David burst into tears. "I want to spend as much time with him. I love him."
"Come here," I said pulling him into my arms.
There was nothing I could say so I just hugged him tight. His body shuddered as he sobbed. He seemed to be carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulder. After a moment, he regained control and I released him.
"Stay here," I said. I stepped in the room and said, "David and I are going out for a little bit to get some fresh air. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Lance said.
"Yeah. He needs to get out." Michael answered.
"Okay. We'll be back in a little while."
David walked in and heard what Michael said.
"What? I need to be here with you!" David said a bit angrily.
"David, you need to get out and live life. Mine may be ending but yours isn't."
"Don't say that!" David yelled. "You're going to get better! Do you hear me?! You're going to get better!"
Everyone looked over at David. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Michael was blushing with embarrassment and anger. David also flushed with embarrassment. He turned and stormed out of the hospital room.
"I'll go talk to him," I said.
"Thanks, Eric," Michael said.
"Sure thing."
I left the room and looked up and down the hall until I saw which way he went. I noticed he was running so I ran after him. He entered the stairwell. I entered and saw him going up. I followed.
The stairwell opened to the roof of the hospital. David was standing on the edge looking out at the city. Ran began to fall lightly. I walked up to him.
"David," I said softly.
I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. He jerked away.
"Don't touch me!"
"David, talk to me. Let me help."
"Let you help? Let you help?! What in the world can you do?! Psychobabble us to death?! Michael's dying and nobody, no power on this planet can cure him! I'm losing my soul mate! I'm losing the only man I've ever fallen in love with! What am I going to do when he's gone?"
David collapsed with tears streaming down his face, mingling with the falling rain. It seemed as if heaven itself were crying along with him. I knelt down and wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight.
"I feel like there is so much I need to say to him. And he keeps talking about him leaving me...forever."
"It's not that he's rejecting you, David. He wants you to face one reality. There is a chance that he will not survive. There is also the chance he will survive. We need to be hopeful that he will survive, but prepare ourselves for the event that he may not. He doesn't want you to be completely destroyed by it if he dies. He wants you to have this accepted in yourself, just in case."
"But I don't want to accept it. I need him!"
David burst into another torrent of tears. All I could do is hold him as his tears fell and the rain fell all around us.
When David stopped crying, we stood up.
"Thanks," he said turning to me and embracing me, his face buried in my neck.
"You're welcome, David. It was the least I could do."
I could feel his heart beating fast. It must have been the result of all the emotional torment he was going through. He turned his head and ran his nose along my cheek. I turned my face toward his and his lips met mine. He began to kiss me. It took me a minute to realize exactly what he was doing.
"David," I said pushing myself away from him. I still held him but kept him at arms length. "We can't do this."
His face flushed with embarrassment. "Eric...I...I'm sorry."
Before I could respond David took off running back down the stairs. I pursued him.
"David! Wait!" I called.
David would not stop. He was embarrassed by his actions toward me. I knew he didn't mean any harm by it. He was reaching out to feel something other than the despair and heartache that he had with losing his lover. I didn't blame him for his actions. It's actually quite a regular occurrence for someone to fall in love with their therapist, or someone who represents an authority figure trying to help through a difficult time. I'm not saying David was falling in love with me, but he did feel something toward me, or with me, due to all the help I gave him and Michael.
David ran all the way to the garage. I came out and saw him run up to the wall and start punching it. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he cried out while hitting the wall.
I walked up to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "David. It's okay."
"No it's not! I'm losing it, Eric! I have the most wonderful man in the world and he's dying! And even before he dies, I make a pass at you, my therapist and friend! What is my problem?"
"Your problem isn't your choice of actions. Your problem is that you don't know how to deal with what you are going through. So many go through the exact same thing you are going through."
"I just...I just want to feel alive. I feel so dead inside crying over losing Michael. You make me feel alive. You always concern yourself with how I'm doing, how I'm feeling and handling everything. You are so selfless. You care about us. I've taken care of Michael for so long I've forgotten what it's like to have someone take care of me."
"It's okay, David. Come here."
I pulled David into another embrace and realized this could've confused him. But he also needed this closeness, this touch, to help him feel supported and loved and cared about. I didn't deny that I loved him. But not in the way he and Michael loved each other, and not the way Lance and I love each other.
"What...what do we tell Michael and Lance? They are both going to hate me."
"First thing, David, we don't need to tell them anything. Nothing happened. And even if something did happen, Michael is going through enough and wouldn't need anything more to be placed upon his shoulders. Understand?"
David nodded then muttered, "Yeah."
"Good. Let's go back upstairs. I'm sure they are wondering what we've been up to. With us being so wet we could tell them we've been playing in the rain."
David chuckled. I put my arm around his back and we walked toward the stairwell.
To Be Continued...
I know this is a bit shorter than other chapters, but I wanted to keep this chapter flowing into the next and this was the best place to end it.
I'd like to know what you think of David's actions. Was he in the wrong for what he did to Eric? What about Eric's explanation? I'd like to know your thoughts on the matter.