Something To Prove

Chapter 1

Plot bunny courtesy of the fabulous Judy

Justin was just putting the final touches on his painting when the phone rang, pulling him away from his creation. He quickly went to answer it, hoping that the sound didn’t wake his son who was sleeping on the other side of the room.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Hey Jus, how’s your day going?”

Justin smiled at the sound of his partner’s voice. “Hey Wyatt, things are great. I’m just finishing up the final piece for my showing. After today I’ll be able to go back to spending my evenings with you. How’re things by you?”

“Good here, too. My publisher loved the first couple chapters I showed him and is anxious for me to continue. What do you say we go out to dinner tonight and celebrate? We can ask Maggie to come over after Aaron is in bed so it’ll be just the two of us,” Wyatt replied.

“That sounds good. I’ll give her a call now and see if she’s available. What time do you think you’ll be heading home?”

“I should be on the road in an hour or two. I just have a few things to finish up here first,” Wyatt told him as he glanced at the stacks of papers on his desk. He’d been working part time for a local newspaper for the last couple of years and even though he and Justin didn’t need the extra money anymore, his love of writing kept him on the payroll.

“Okay, I’ll see you then. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Justin hung up the phone and went in search of Maggie’s phone number. She was a sweet older woman that lived down the street from them. Her husband died about ten years earlier and her kids were grown and living out west. Justin and Wyatt had met her soon after their move to Vermont and she fell in love with Aaron immediately once he came along. Her own grandchildren were virtual strangers to her because of their distance and she’d taken on the role of Aaron’s second grandmother instantly. Justin and Wyatt couldn’t be more pleased. Joan Kinney loved her grandson, but living in New York kept her away too much and Jennifer Taylor refused to acknowledge any part of Justin’s disgusting lifestyle. Aaron could use all the love he could get. After a quick conversation, where Maggie agreed to baby-sit, Justin got back to work, set on finishing up before his partner got home.

“Daddy, when’s Papa getting home?” Aaron asked softly as he made his way over to Justin.

“Hey baby, what’re you doing up? I thought you were still sleeping,” Justin said as he put down his paintbrush and picked up his son.

Aaron was the product of Justin’s close relationship with one of his childhood friends. Dani had been his best friend all throughout elementary school and she and Justin kept in touch through the years. When Justin expressed his desire to have a child four years ago during a phone conversation with Dani, she immediately volunteered to help him. Justin wasn’t so sure it was fair of him to allow her to have a child she wouldn’t be raising, but she insisted she’d be okay handing over her baby to Justin, knowing that he or she would be cared for and loved. Since Aaron’s birth, Dani had settled down and married her true love and moved to a beautiful house in Texas, keeping her promise and sending Christmas and Birthday gifts signed Aunt Dani. Everyone was happy with how it all worked out and Wyatt and Justin had a beautiful son.

“I woked up and I’m thirsty,” Aaron replied sleepily.

“Well then, we’d better get you something to drink, huh?” Justin carried Aaron into the spacious kitchen and put him in a chair before pouring some juice into a cup for him. “Here, make sure you hold it with two hands.”

“Okay Daddy.”

Justin watched Aaron for a moment before going to the refrigerator and looking for something he could fix his son for dinner. He smiled as he thought about how happy he was. Six years earlier he had been living in New York, struggling to pay his bills and absolutely miserable. His parents had disowned him when they found out he was gay and he was working two jobs trying to pay his rent every month. One of those jobs was at local restaurant where he eventually met Wyatt Kinney. The first time Justin saw him he felt a strong attraction to him and did his best not to drop the man’s order in his lap. After that, Wyatt started frequenting the restaurant on a regular basis until he finally got up the nerve to ask the blond waiter out.

They immediately fell into a whirlwind relationship and within six months they were living together. They came from two totally different worlds. Wyatt’s family had money and his parents were loving and supportive of both his and his older brother’s gay lifestyle, where as Justin’s parents were lower-middle class and refused to accept Justin and what they considered his poor choices. Justin was used to supporting himself and living paycheck to paycheck and he refused to take the hand outs that the Kinney’s were always offering. Luckily Wyatt was a proud person and like his brother wanted to prove to himself and the rest of the world that he could make it on his own, with the emotional support of his family, but not their money. Wyatt was a writer and paid the bills doing freelance work while trying to write his first novel and Justin was an inspiring artist. After many long discussions, they agreed that moving up to Vermont would be beneficial to both of them. It would put some distance between them and Wyatt’s well meaning parents and give them the space to work on their dreams.

Their first year in Vermont was a struggle, but they survived living on canned soup and their love for one another. Eventually Wyatt finished his novel and found a publishing company to take on his book for next to nothing in starting costs. Justin had also found his opportunity in the small community and began to work diligently on his paintings. After Dani had agreed to have a baby for them, they found an old house that they could afford nestled in the woods and started to set up their home. It took awhile, but they both enjoyed the life that they were living and couldn’t ask for anything more. They had their budding careers, a home of their own, and a beautiful three year old son.

“Daddy, I’m all done.”

Hearing Aaron’s voice pulled Justin out of his thoughts and back down to earth. “Okay buddy, go wash your hands and then we’ll see if we can find something on TV for you to watch.”

Justin settled Aaron down in front of the TV and finished up his painting with just enough time to straighten up before Wyatt got home. When Justin saw his partner walk through the front door, he was once again struck by the love he had for the other man.

“Hey Jus,” Wyatt said as he walked inside and planted a kiss on Justin’s cheek. “Where’s our son?”

“He’s in the family room watching TV. I was just cleaning up. Maggie’s going to be here around eight,” Justin told him as they walked towards the other room to find Aaron.

“Great. I can’t wait to get you alone for awhile. Maybe after dinners over we can drive out and park by the lake. The weather outside is perfect. You know how much I love the fall,” Wyatt replied with a smile.

“That sounds perfect,” Justin said as he thought about the evening ahead. He and Wyatt spent a lot of time sitting by the lake at night and talking about their future. It was rare that they’d ever go out at night without spending at least a few minutes in their favorite place watching the moon reflecting off the water. “Aaron, Papa’s home.”

“Papa!” Aaron exclaimed as he abandoned his favorite TV show to greet his father. “You’ve been gone so long and I missed you.”

“I missed you too, son. How about if we go upstairs and play with your trains for a little while before your dinner’s ready?”

Justin laughed at both Wyatt and Aaron’s excitement. He was sure that his son’s love for trains stemmed from his partner’s love of them. “Okay you two boys run along while I straighten up down here.”

Once they were gone, Justin washed the few dishes that were still in the sink and began preparing dinner for his son. Wyatt always teased him about being the little woman, but the truth was that Justin thrived on being a stay at home dad, taking care of their son and keeping the house in order. Since he worked in his home-based studio, he was able to satisfy his desires without compromising his career. When the phone rang, Justin dried off his hands and answered it, hoping it wasn’t Maggie calling to cancel.

“Hello?”

“Hey Justin, its Brian. How are things out in the middle of nowhere?” Brian teased. It was a long standing joke between them. Brian thrived on New York City living while Justin preferred the quiet peacefulness of living in a small country town.

“Just wonderful Brian. How’s the big apple?”

“Larger than life, as always. Is my brother around? I wanted to talk to him about Mom and Dad’s anniversary.”

“Sure, he’s upstairs playing trains with Aaron. Let me go get him,” Justin said as he made his way out of the kitchen.

“Is that boy ever going to grow up?” Brian sighed good naturedly.

“I hope not. I love him just the way he is,” Justin replied. “Hang on a second. He’s right here.” Justin walked into the playroom and chuckled at the sight of Aaron and Wyatt on their hands and knees watching the train go around the tracks. “Wyatt, Brian’s on the phone.”

“Oh okay, hang on a minute buddy. Papa’s gotta talk to your Uncle Brian.”

Justin watched his son for a moment longer before going back to the kitchen to finish his preparations. Yeah, life was good.

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Justin and Wyatt made it home from their night out just before midnight. Wyatt drove Maggie home while Justin went upstairs to check on their son. He saw that he was still sound asleep and kissed his head before quietly backing out of the room. He went into the bedroom, stripped off his clothes, and climbed into bed to wait for Wyatt’s return. He felt himself drifting off to sleep while he waited and lost the struggle to wait up. The next thing he knew, he felt Wyatt’s strong protective arms wrapping around him.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t seem to stay awake,” Justin said softly as he leaned back into the embrace.

“That’s okay. You’ve been working so hard lately. Just go back to sleep. I enjoy holding you almost as much as making love to you,” Wyatt whispered in the darkened room. “I love you, Jus.”

“I love you, too,” Justin whispered back before slipping back into sleep.

Justin was woken up by the sound of his son crying out from down the hall. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was just after two. He carefully slipped from Wyatt’s arms, trying not to wake his sleeping lover and threw on a robe before making his way down the hall. Aaron was sitting up in bed, crying softly when he arrived.

“Hey baby, what’s the matter?”

“I…don’t…know. I…just woked…up,” Aaron replied tearfully.

“Well let’s go downstairs so you don’t wake Papa up. He’s got to be at work early.” Justin picked Aaron up and carried him downstairs, laying him down on the couch. “Stay here and I’ll go get you a glass of water.”

Justin went into the kitchen and filled up a glass with water before returning to his son’s side. He helped the little boy drink a few sips before putting down the glass. Lifting Aaron back up again, Justin sat down on the couch, placing his son in his lap. He was immediately rewarded by small arms being wrapped around his neck. He leaned back and closed his eyes, holding on to the small boy in his arms and drifted back off to sleep.

The next time Justin woke up, it was to the acrid smell of smoke throughout the room. His heart immediately jumped in his throat as he quickly came to and realized that there was a fire inside the house. He grabbed Aaron, who was still on his lap, and ran to the front door. He struggled momentarily with the lock before finally getting it unlatched and throwing open the door. He heard the sound of fire trucks in the distance and hoped that they were on their way to them. Aaron had started crying in fear and Justin wasn’t sure what to do next. He needed to get back inside to Wyatt but couldn’t just leave his son on the sidewalk. He looked around and saw a few people starting to gather at the end of the driveway and rushed over to them.

“Don’t worry son, help is on the way. I saw the flames from my bedroom window and called 911,” once of the neighbors called to him.

“Here, someone please take my son. My partner’s still inside. I have to go get him,” Justin cried frantically as reality started setting in.

“You can’t go in there,” another neighbor called. “You’ll never make it. Wait until help gets here.”

“No please…I can’t wait. Wyatt needs me.” Justin could here the hysterical tone of his voice and was relieved when the fire truck turned the corner and pulled up in front of the house.

“Is everyone out of the house?” one of the firemen called as they all climbed out of the truck.

“No, my partner’s in there!” Justin screamed again. Why wasn’t anyone listening to him? He turned around and looked back at the house in time to see the whole structure become engulfed in flames. “Wyatt! Wyatt!”

Justin felt someone take Aaron from his arms and started running towards the house. He reached for the doorknob and pulled back quickly as the heat from the fire burned his hand. “Wyatt! Wyatt!

“Sir, you need to get back and give us some room.”

Justin’s brain barely registered the voice behind him as strong arms grabbed him and pulled him away from the burning house and his partner. He tried to fight it, but he was no match for the man who was dragging him away.

“Please…please…I have to go to him. He needs me,” Justin cried as he struggled unsuccessfully. “Wyatt!”

Justin heard someone calling his name from behind and turned to find Maggie standing there in her robe and slippers with tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at him with such despair as she opened her arms in silent invitation. Justin ran to her, sobbing.

“Maggie, Wyatt’s still in there. He needs me. I have to go get him.”

“Honey, I’m so sorry but you have to let the firemen do their job. Aaron needs you out here,” Maggie said as she cradled the poor man in her arms. She knew without being told that it was too late for Wyatt. He was lost to them forever.

The last thing Justin heard was the sound of the old house beginning to crumble before everything went black.

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When Justin woke up, he glanced around the room a little disoriented as his brain tried to register where he was and what happened. He vaguely remembered a fire at the house. He and Aaron had gotten out, but he didn’t remember anything after that. Panic started setting in until he saw a nurse standing over in the corner of the room. She could help him. He needed to see his family.

“Nurse, where are my partner and my son?”

“Mr. Taylor, I’m glad to see you’re awake. Let me go get the doctor,” the nurse replied nervously.

“I don’t want the doctor. I want my family. Where are they?” Justin called out to deaf ears as the nurse scurried out of the room without answering him. He lay in bed, trying to force his mind to remember the events from earlier and growled in frustration when his thoughts refused to unscramble. A few minutes later the door opened and a man dressed in a white coat came walking in with a tentative smile on his face.

“Mr. Taylor, welcome back.”

“It’s Justin. Mr. Taylor is my father. Where are my partner and my son?” Justin asked, quickly losing patients. “Are they alright?”

“Your son is with,” the doctor began before looking down at the file in his hand for confirmation. “Maggie Freeman. He’s a little shaken up but other than that, he’s fine.”

“Thank God,” Justin mumbled in relief. “And Wyatt? Where is he? I want to see him.”

“Mr…Justin, why don’t you let me examine you real quick. You’re suffering from smoke inhalation and I’m worried about your lungs. Our records indicate that you were treated here a year ago for asthma.”

“Not until I see Wyatt. Would you please get him for me? He must be worried sick,” Justin insisted. He saw a strange look cross the doctor’s face. “What? What is it? What aren’t you telling me? Where’s Wyatt?”

“Justin, I need for you to calm down,” the doctor ordered softly. “It’s not good for you to be getting excited.”

“Then tell me where the fuck my partner is!” Justin exclaimed as he struggled to sit up. He needed to get out of bed and go find Wyatt. He had to be there somewhere.

“Justin, you can’t get up yet. You need to just lie back and relax.”

Justin felt the doctor’s strong hands on his shoulders, preventing him from getting out of bed. He saw him reach for the call button and moments later another nurse appeared at the door. Everything around him was becoming fuzzy and he couldn’t make out the muffled words that were exchanged between the doctor and nurse as he lay back down and tried to breathe. He was suddenly exhausted, but he needed to see Wyatt. He just needed to know that he was okay. “Please doctor, just let me see Wyatt,” he pleaded.

“Justin, Wyatt didn’t make it,” the doctor said regretfully.

The words sounded foreign to Justin’s ears. What did he mean Wyatt didn’t make it? That was crazy. Of course Wyatt made it. He would never leave Justin behind. “There must be some mistake. Please, just go get him. Tell him I’m fine and that I want to see him.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could.”

Justin saw the nurse return with a syringe in her hand as panic started setting in again. “No…where is he? Please, tell me that he’s okay. I need to know that he’s okay. I only left him for a little while. Aaron needed me, but I was going to go back.” Suddenly, flashes of the night washed over Justin as his brain began remembering what had happened. He and Aaron had gotten out, but Wyatt was still inside. He tried to go back in…he needed to go back and get Wyatt, but they wouldn’t let him. “Oh God…no, no, no…please…just go get him. Wyatt! Wyatt!”

Justin could barely make out the sounds of his own screaming as he felt the doctor stick him with a needle. Everything started to swirl around as he felt a darkness begin to overtake him. “Wyatt…I…love…you,” he mumbled right before giving in to sweet oblivion.


End of part 1
08/17/05
 

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