The Grand Hotel

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Justin's POV

I stand alone in the dark elevator and try not to freak out. I'm sure it's just a malfunction; the thing is ancient after all. Brian or Michael will surely realize I didn't make it to Brian's room and come looking for me.

I jump when a red light comes on from somewhere above me and then icy fingers of terror rip through my heart as I look down on the floor and see Brian lying in a pool of blood.

My head starts to spin and I feel panic, horror and fear. What in the hell happened? How did Brian get here? "No! No!" I cry out, but I can't hear myself. I realize with terror that I can't hear anything. I drop to my knees and go to staunch the wound in Brian's stomach. I'm surprised to see a bloody hunting knife in my hand. I look from the knife to Brian and drop it quickly as I press my hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

I am shocked again to see my arms clad in brown wool. I glance down at myself and see that I'm wearing the suit from the painting. Looking at Brian I see he is back in his suit as well. My heart beats in my chest as I pray for Brian to be all right. But, he's already dead, right? My heart stops. Is this a memory? Oh my God.

Brian's eyes flutter open and he looks up to me. He's saying something but I can't hear him. I struggle to make out the words, but it's impossible. I cry out when I see the trickle of blood that begins to trail from his lips. I try desperately to answer him, to try and understand, but I still can't make a sound either. God, please be okay, Brian!

Finally I hear something, but it's not from Brian, who is now weakly clutching at my arm in distress. It's the sound of laughter; an evil, malicious sound that grates my ears and leaves me feeling horribly desperate and alone. "Stop it!" I yell, but again no sound emerges from my lips.

The laughter stops, but my torment doesn't when a voice begins to speak, the sound bouncing off the walls of the car. "Justin, save him," it whispers to me. "Why can't you save him? He's dying, Justin."

It echoes all around me, but I can't take my hands from Brian's stomach to cover my ears. "Please stop." I whimper.

"See what you've done." the voice is now in my ear and I can feel warmth on my skin, and a foul odor wafts under my nose. I'm too frightened to turn and look. "You've killed him, Justin. It's your fault. All your fault."

"No!" I try to scream. I would never hurt Brian. Could never hurt him.

I look back down into my lover?s eyes and they seem unbearably sad now. He slowly raises a blood soaked hand to my face and gently cups my cheek. His hand falls, his eyes close and he gives one last breath. Then his chest is still.

I scream in silence as I throw myself down onto him. Sobs are wracking my body and still I can't hear anything but the voice telling me that Brian is dead and it's all my fault.

After many long moments I push myself up and run a bloody hand through Brian's beautiful hair. "All my fault," I begin to repeat over and over in my head. "All my fault." I lean down and place a gentle kiss on Brian's blood stained lips. "All my fault."

I sit back and remove my jacket and then slowly roll up the sleeves of my shirt, my eyes never leaving the beautiful body of my lover. It doesn't even register with me that the silver bracelets that I have worn on each wrist forever, are now gone. I reach down and brace the handle of the knife between my legs. I place my wrists on either side of the blade near the handle and draw them slowly upward, watching my blood mingle with my lover's with morbid fascination. I sway dizzily, but all I can think is that I have to find Brian. I don't want to be without him.

In my haze of pain and guilt I feel my body being jerked with a violent lurch and then I see Daphne's face swim before my eyes. Slowly I begin to sway and she reaches out to catch me. "Justin, no!"

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Daphne's POV

As I watch Brian climb the stairs I can tell he is seething with anger. I'm not sure if he even knows we're behind him when suddenly he spins around and grabs Michael by the collar. "Are you really that fucking stupid? You put him in danger. You put all of us in danger!" He slams him up against the wall and I can hear the torment in Brian's voice. "If anything happens to him Michael, if anything happened to you. Fuck!"

Brian lets go and pushes himself away from his friend. Michael's voice trembles as he tries to explain. "I" I though it was you. I...I'm so sorry, Brian."

Brian continues to run up the stairs muttering, "Sorry's bullshit."

My heart begins to pound when I hear a wicked laugh piercing through the darkness. In my mind I can hear Justin screaming, but no one else seems to be aware of it. I push past Michael and grab Brian's hand. We run up the stairs together and when we get to the elevator all we can see is the open area where it should be.

Brian is standing frozen with terror in his eyes as he swallows hard. "Daphne, I can feel him. He is re-living it. I need to get to him." He tries to walk forward but is suddenly stopped as though a wall is blocking him. He hits at the air and Brian cries out in pain when his fist connects with something solid. "Why can't I get through?" he cries in a panic.

I take hold of his hand and look him in the eyes. "Because it was too late. You can't help him now, just like you couldn't back then, Brian. Remember, you had to watch helplessly in spirit as he placed the blade to his own wrists?" I reach up and dash the tears from my eyes in frustration. "Brian, listen to me. There was nothing you could do then, and there's nothing you can do now."

Brian's lips tremble. "I can't lose him again Daphne. I just can't. After that day I never saw him again."

I brush my hand across his cheek and I feel the icy breeze of his anger and fear flow through me. "Can you get me a candle? I'll go to him like I did in your room last night."

Brian composes himself and tries to hold his emotions at bay. He clears his throat and nods. "Okay"

I sit down on the floor at the entry way of the elevator. I take a deep, relaxing breath and try to center myself. I can hear Ben and Michael walk up behind me. Without turning around I growl at Michael. "Go get your mother and tell her what's going on and that I'm going in to get Justin."

"How are you going to do that?" he asks doubtfully. "There is no way you can get in there."

I turn around. "Michael, yes I can, but please get your mother. I might need her help and I know you didn't mean for this to happen but I need you to help me fix it. Just run, okay?"

Another laugh pierces through the darkness and now we all hear the entity telling Justin it's his fault. A blood curdling scream pierces through my mind and then Brian is there handing me the candle.

I feel Ben sit down next to me. "If you need me call, and I will be there in a flash."

I smile at him. "Thank you."

Ben takes hold of my hand and helps to ground me. I set the candle on the floor in front of me and Brian sits down on my other side and takes hold of my other hand. He kisses me on the cheek. "Good luck," he whispers softly.

I turn my hands and rest them on my knees, palms up. Brian and Ben's hands are still interlinked in mine. I can feel them both letting me use their strength. I choke when I realize how weak I truly feel and that's when I notice Brian and I are drawing strength from each other.

I close my eyes and feel the heat of the flame enter me. Breathing through my chakras I open my spirit eyes and part from my body. I can hear Ben chanting ancient Asian words of protection for me. I encircle a white light around me as I evoke Goddess Isis for guidance and protection of my mind, body and spirit.

I look down the elevator shaft and can see a red light radiating from the car. I take a deep breath and feel the anger, pain and torment trying to overcome me. Justin's cries pierce through my spirit as I gasp, trying to hold back my own tears when I hear his pain. "It's all my fault, all my fault."

Slowly I descend down the elevator shaft and the dark forces around are watching me intently. I can feel arms reaching out to me, scratching at my spirit. I hold my breath and focus on the white and blue lights around me for protection and healing.

My spirit enters the elevator and I am taken back by the suffering and misery filling the small space. All the memories begin to flood my mind, yet I can't see Justin. I can only hear him whimpering in the dark. I am startled when I hear a child sobbing. A small voice breaks through the darkness of the room. "It's daddy, Mommy. Daddy hurt himself." Her voice is shaken and I feel my own heart break at the sound.

A red light begins to glow in the elevator again and I look down and gasp at the little spirit tugging at me. "Mommy, daddy is over there." She points to the corner and all I can see is a black haze. She covers her hands over her face and she is in tears. "He's hurting himself and he's covered in blood. Why is he covered in blood?"

I can feel my spirit shaking. I am so confused about what to believe at the moment. Is this really the baby I lost the day after the murders? I kneel down in front of the spirit, who has come to me on many occasions, yet this time she seems different. I caress my hand through her blond hair and look into her blue eyes. "Dana, is this really you?" She turns her head swiftly and I hear her chuckle wickedly under her breath.

Quickly, I stand, trying to keep a distance between me and the entity pretending to be my little girl. My heart breaks again and I can feel my human body crying as my spirit body weakens. I am becoming trapped in my own nightmares. I focus all of my energy, and invoking Goddess Isis, I scream out, hearing my voice echo through the car.

I feel a battle taking place around me. The good energies of love and light are forming around me, but the sensation of darkness is still strong and clinches within my soul.

I think of that afternoon following the murders when I lost my little girl. I was six months pregnant and the stress had caused me to go into premature labor. The physician had hope she would live, but her heart and lungs were not strong enough and she died before I was to deliver her. I cover my hands over my face and sag against the wall.

The past rushes over me and I remember the pain of having to go through it all alone and how I had slowly slipped into a deep depression. Justin was there, but he was never the same, and he lost the memory of our child along with memories of Brian and everything else. God, it was all so painful.

"Fuck!" I scream out remembering why I am here. I can hear the entity laughing wickedly around me. Fuck, I need to get to Justin. I push the past behind me and make my way through the black haze. I feel an electrical current rush through me as I cross the barrier to Justin. I envision a white mist to confuse the entity and then invoke Justin's spirit guides to protect us.

My heart aches when I see Justin covered in blood and shaking. I am reminded of that night all over again. He looks at me in a daze. "It's all my fault."

Slowly I kneel down in front of him and caress his cheek. "Justin, no. It's not your fault. That's just what the darkness wants you to believe, but it's not true." I keep my own tears at bay knowing I need to be here for him. "You did everything you could to save Brian." I look at him. "You need to find the strength in yourself to believe this, okay?"

I see the white mist forming around us and I can hear growling, but it is a soothing sound. Blue eyes pierce through the mist and the ghost-like white wolves become more visible as they circle around us. I look over and see a vision of Brian's bloody body lying next to Justin and then slowly it begins to vanish.

He shakes his head. "No!" Tears are streaming down his face. "It's my fault. I killed him. I had the knife in my hand I killed the only man I ever loved!" He screams at the top of his lungs and I can feel the elevator shifting and it feels unbalanced. We are jolted when it drops slightly.

I feel myself begin to panic. "Justin, you've got to listen to me! You didn't do it! You did not kill Brian."

He stutters, "But...but the knife." He lifts his hands to his face, marking his skin with blood. "Oh God!"

I feel the elevator shifting again. "Justin you have to listen. We need to get out of here but I won't leave you alone."

He shakes his head as he digs his fingernails into himself. "Save yourself, Daphne. I am already dead." He laughs bitterly and I can see the anger in his eyes. "See the marks?" He smiles sadly, holding up his wounded wrists. I gasp when I realize his silver bracelets are no longer on him. "I know the truth now Daphne. The bracelets came off and I see the marks where I..." He trails off and gulps in another breath. "Because I killed Brian, I killed myself, I killed Brian." he repeats again as more tears are streak down his face.

I feel the tears pouring from my own eyes. "Justin, listen to me," I beg again. "The spirit is fucking with you. You did not kill Brian! You killed your..." I am unable to complete my sentence and fear rushes through me as the elevator drops slightly again. I watch helplessly as Justin fades in and out of consciousness.

I can hear Michael, Ben and Debbie talking above us. Brian yells down, "Daphne you two need to get out of there! I don't know how, but the elevator is going to drop!"

Suddenly Ben's spirit appears to me and I can see the determination in is eyes. He points to a small crack appearing from the floor below us. "When it drops again lets hope we are able to get through to the fourth floor quickly. I'll get his top half." He gets behind Justin and wraps his arms around his chest under his arms. Justin is now completely limp and mumbling incoherently. "Are you able to get is feet?" Ben asks me.

The elevator drops again and I feel my spirit trying to draw back into my body. Ben looks at me. "Hang on with us. I'm going to need you, Daphne."

I nod my head and take hold of Justin's legs. "I'm not going anywhere."

He smiles and nods. "Good. Let's get Justin out of here as soon as there is enough room to get through."

I nod back and the elevator drops again leaving an opening just big enough for a person to fit. Ben motions for me to crawl through. "Ben, I can't leave Justin."

"You're not, you're saving him! Jump down and take hold of his feet. I'll help lower him down."

Carefully, I climb out of the elevator and jump down to the ground. My heart lurches as the elevator drops again. "Noooo!"

I am relieved when it stops again, leaving an even bigger opening for Ben and Justin. Quickly I grab hold of Justin's feet, and then Ben and I lower him to the ground. Just as soon as Ben jumps out I hear a loud screeching sound and watch in horror as the elevator rapidly vanishes. A loud crashing sound echoes up from below us. I hold Justin close to me with tears streaming down my face.

Ben's eyes are wide. "Fuck!" All I can do is nod in agreement. "Are you okay for me to go back?"

I smile at him nervously. "We're fine. Thank you Ben. Hey, would you mind bringing me back with you?"

He smiles and kisses me on the forehead. "Not at all. I'll be right back."

I cradle Justin next to me kissing him on the forehead. I can taste the blood on my lips and feel myself shaking while I rock him. I take hold of his hand and see the wounds on his wrists closing on their own. Soothingly, I caress his blood streaked face.

Suddenly I feel strong arms move around me and I look up to see Brian, wearing a distraught expression on his face. He carefully takes Justin out of my arms and sits down to cradle his lover. He looks at me and I can see his lips quivering. "Thank you, Daphne."

I can hear my own voice shaking. "There's nothing to thank me for. He's my best friend. I couldn't let anything happen to him," my voice breaks as I whimper.

He chokes back his own emotions. "You were crying before the elevator started to fall. Is everything okay?"

I am thankful to see Ben coming with my body in his arms. I close my spirit eyes and reenter my body, awakening with a gasp. Ben lowers me to the ground. "Thank you again." I say to him.

"Your welcome."

I look over to Brian and he is still waiting for my answer. I sit down next to him and Justin and gently caress Justin's blood soaked hair and look into Brian's hazel eyes. "Dana came to me." Suddenly more tears trickle down my cheeks.

Brian gently lets go of Justin and wraps his arms around me. "Are you all right?" I hear the sadness in his voice.

"Yes. I think so anyway. I know it wasn't her. I have seen her before, but this was not her."

Softly he rubs my neck. "I know I always say sorry is bullshit, but I truly am sorry about Dana," His voice breaks. "We were all looking forward to her arrival."

"Are you and Justin okay? I think I need to..."

He kisses my forehead. "We will be fine. I'll have Michael and Ben help me." He looks over my shoulder and I hear Debbie and Lindsay behind me. "You shouldn't be alone right now. You should go with Debbie and Lindsay." He states firmly.

I feel Lindsay's arms wrap around me as she softly caresses my hair. I can feel her tears on my cheek. "I heard what you told Brian. I'm so sorry sweetie." She pulls away and looks down at me as she takes hold of my hand I stand. "Come with us and we'll have some soothing tea and talk."

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Brian's POV

Ben opens the door to my suite and I carry Justin straight back to the bathroom. Christ, he's such a mess. I can't believe how much blood there is. No wonder he made himself forget everything.

I notice that Ben has followed me, but Michael has remained in the sitting room. I'm sure I've scared the shit out of him. "What can I do?" Ben asks me quietly. I've never been more thankful that he is so cool and level headed.

"Start the shower, he's freezing." Ben nods, flips the lid to the toilet down for me and turns to start the shower. I gently set Justin down so he's sitting on the toilet seat and kneel down in front of him. "Justin," I shake his shoulders gently. "Hey, Sunshine, come on. Come back to me."

His blue eyes flutter open. "Brian?" he rasps out.

"Yeah, Sunshine, it's me." I start to unbutton his shirt. "Let's get you out of these clothes and into the shower."

"M...cold." He starts to shiver and I move even faster to get his shirt off. "So much blood." is all he says as he looks down at his hands.

I shudder a bit. "We'll get it off. It'll be okay."

Ben gets the shower going and comes back over, crouching down next to Justin to add his support. "Need some help?" he asks softly, resting a gentle hand on Justin's shoulder.

I nod. "Can you lift him up a bit so I can get his pants off?"

Finally we get Justin undressed and Ben holds onto him while I get my own clothes off. When I'm ready he hands my barely coherent lover back to me and I maneuver him onto the bench in the shower.

"You got it?" asks Ben.

"Yeah, I think so." I pick up a washcloth and gently run it over Justin's face. "Can you take his clothes out?"  I turn back to Ben. "And mine too. Throw them away."

"Okay." He picks up Justin's bloody, discarded clothes.

"Hey, Ben?" I call out to him.

He turns to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Tell Michael..." I stop and sigh. "Look, I know it was an accident, just tell him we're all right."

Ben gives me a small smile. "I will. Thank you Brian, he'll be relieved to hear that." He closes the shower door and starts to head out of the bathroom. "We'll be out here to help you get settled in when you're done. Yell if you need anything." he calls from the door.

I turn my attention back to Justin. His eyes are open and he's staring at the scars on his wrists. I lower myself to my knees in front of him. "Justin?" I ask him quietly.

"Huh?" he looks at me.

"Are you all right? Please talk to me."

"I...I can't right now." He looks up at me pleadingly. "I just need?"

I stand up and put a finger to his lips. "Shh, it's okay, let's just get you warm and clean for now."

He shakily stands and moves into my embrace. "I love you, Brian." he says as he puts his arms tight around me and lays his head on my chest.

"Me too, Baby." I reply as I begin to gently separate the strands of his soft blond hair, trying to rinse out the splotches of dried blood.

Suddenly his body convulses and all I can do is stand there and hold him as he lets out all his grief and fear from the past hour. My tears join his as they wash down the drain with the swirls of our mingled blood.

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Emmett's POV

Ted yawns and stretches, sitting up in my bed. "I can't believe you let me sleep so long, Em."

"You were really drunk." I reply from my spot on the sofa where I'm giving myself a facial and perusing my latest Playgirl magazine. I've been feeling uneasy for the past hour and I know something is going down around here, but I've decided to stay put unless someone calls for me.

"Well, I've got a ton of work to catch up on at home." Teddy replies as he starts to pull on his shoes. "I better be going. I need clean clothes. I stink and my mouth tastes like ass. What the fuck did I drink last night?"

"Oh, a little of this and a little of that." I reply casually. Thank God he doesn't seem to remember anything else from last night.

Ted puts on his jacket and heads to the door. I get up too; it's time to wash off my mask. As Ted opens my door there's a commotion out in the hall. We both curiously step out to see what's going on.

We're just in time to see Brian rush past carrying Justin, who is covered in an obscene amount of blood. "What happened?" I ask Ben and Michael, who are trailing behind.

Michael stops for a second. "It's a long story. I don't really have time to explain right now, Em." Michael rushes off, but he's got a guilty look in his eyes and I know I'll have to do some investigating on my own later.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do!" I call after him.

I turn to Ted who is pale and still staring down the hall where Brian had disappeared. "Wasn't that Brian? The guy who used to own this place?" He asks in a daze.

"Yes." I answer, as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

"I thought he died." Ted replies. "Was that other guy covered in blood?"

"Hmm, I think so." I say nonchalantly.

The next thing I know Teddy is making a weird squeaking noise as his eyes roll up in his head and he's on the floor in a dead faint. "Oh, well." I sigh to myself as I drag him back into my room. "Saves me the trouble of knocking him out again."

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Justin's POV

Brian and I lay in his bed in silence. After he revived and cleaned me up in his shower he bundled me into his bed. Michael and Ben were there, hovering in the background, until Brian finally told them we'd be fine and they left.

It's not that late, but it is dark outside and Brian has lit his gas candelabras to give the room a comforting glow. I know it will be a long time before I can sleep in the dark after what happened today.

Brian dropped his robe and crawled in bed beside me so that we both lay naked. I have just been laying here trying to gather my thoughts. I have so many questions, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to know. After today, I'm thinking amnesia was the more appealing alternative. But now that things are coming to light I know that I have to know the truth. As painful as it may be, it's the only way Brian and I can move forward and heal.

"Brian?" I ask, finally breaking our silence.

"Yes?" he's letting his thumb trace over one of the newly revealed scars on my wrist and for some reason it's comforting to me.

"Tell me what you know of that night." I say quietly as I look into his eyes. "Tell me about the night you died."

Brian rubs his other hand through his hair and sighs. "I'll tell you all I can remember, Jus, but it's gets fuzzy for me toward the end." He brings my wrist up to his lips and presses his lips to the scar. "Except after I passed over, that is. After that I remember everything with frightening clarity."

I nod and let my attention wander back to the scars. I can't believe she was able to hide them from me all these years. I always knew she gave me the silver bracelets that I never took off, but I didn't know how much they truly hid. She must have done something to them; something with her magic.

"Hey." Brian lifts my chin with a finger. "Are you ready to hear this?"

I look into his eyes and nod, taking a deep breath. "Go ahead."

"It was Halloween." he starts off. "You and I took Gus trick or treating right at dusk. We drove him down the hill into town. He was so fucking excited in his little Batman costume." We both share a smile, thinking of Gus that night.

Then I realize that as Brian tells me the story I can see it all in my head. it's like his words alone are painting the memory back into my brain and I know what I'm seeing is true. "Go on." I whisper to him, anxious and a little frightened for him to continue.

"We went around a few blocks and then came back to the hotel. Of course Gus wanted to eat all his candy, but you insisted that we go through it when we go back so we could take out anything that looked dangerous." He smiles wryly at that last part and I know he is thinking of the danger that obviously was lurking in Gus' own home. "Anyway, that gave you some time to eat half the candy in the car on the way back."

"Hey." I state indignantly.

"Don't shoot the messenger, Sunshine. I'm just telling you the facts."

I settle back down to listen. "I guess I do have a sweet tooth."

"Yeah, no kidding." he snarks. "So, we got back and took Gus back up to Lindsay's rooms so we could all get ready for the big party." He stops and takes a shuddering breath. "That's the last time we saw either of them alive, Justin."

A tear trickles down his cheek and I wipe it away. "You don't have to go on." I tell him.

"No." he shakes his head. "I need to say it and you need to know." He takes a breath and gets himself back under control. "Lindsay has since told me what happened from there. The caterers for the party had a problem and Lindsay went down to check on it. She told Gus to stay in their room and that she would only be a few minutes. When she came back she found Gus dead in his bed. She thinks he was smothered. Before she could call for help someone came up behind her and cut her throat."

"God." I choke out as my own tears start to flow. "No wonder she was so wracked with guilt."

"Yeah." he agrees. "She's been pretty fucked up. I think it's because you're here that she finally found Gus again."

I look at him startled. "But I didn't do anything, Brian. Plus, look what happened to Lindsay last night."

"I know, but look what happened later. Mel, Linds and Gus are all together again."

"I still don't think I have anything to do with it." I reply. "Why don't you finish the story now?"

He pulls me closer to him. "Well, we finished getting ready for the party and went up to get Gus and Linds." His arms tense around me. When Linds didn't answer the door I used my key and.."

He trails off with a sob and then I suck my breath in as well. "Oh, God Brian." I whisper, "I can see it. I can see it all." Lindsay's limp form lying in a pool of blood, cradling Gus' little lifeless body in her arms, but then my memory goes black. "Then what?" I ask through more tears.

Brian clears his throat. "Fuck, Justin, before we even had time to register what was going on he attacked us. He jumped out of the shadows. I tried to fight him, but he was too fast and he stuck the knife in my gut."

Those images flood my mind now too as I remember my surprise and fear. My brain is awash with the horrifying scenes of that night. "And I pulled you out of the room and slammed the door." I continue for him as he nods. "I was trying to get us to the elevator to get help. We almost made it, but he caught up to us..." I trail off.

"And he came after me again, but you fought him, Sunshine. I was so amazed by your strength that night. You got the knife away from him and stabbed him in the chest."

I shudder as I pick up the rest of it. "Then I pulled you into the elevator so I could get you down to the lobby and get help." The lump in my throat swells and I can barely talk around it. "And then you died in the elevator, oh God, you died, Brian, and I was so lost and alone." I can't hold back my tears anymore and I begin to sob again.

"Then you cut your wrists." Brian finishes for me as he places tender kisses on my brow.

"I could see you, but I couldn't stop it." he says.

"I didn't want to stop." I sniff, and then change the subject. "I can't see his face in my memory. I know I should be able to. Who would do such a thing Brian? My, God, to even kill a child! Who is that sick?"

Brian's eyes meet mine again as he brings his hands up to frame my face. "It was a very sick man named Craig Taylor."

My blood turns to ice as he utters that name. "But...but that can't be." I utter in shock.

"Yes, it can." Brian replies. "It can and it was, Justin. It was your father."

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