Gods Gift Master

Title: God's Gift Author: Lisa Rating: R Character: Original – Rick Disclaimer: The following story has been written with no intention of claiming ownership or solicitation, nor does the author claim the movie character(s) as his/her own. The movie character(s) have been borrowed solely out of a love of the particular movie and is not intended for any other purpose but amusement and entertainment. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Part One His gray eyes scanned the help wanted ads in the newspaper. He was crazy that was all there was to it. What was he thinking, quitting his job in New York City, a good paying job to spend half his savings on an old slightly beat up Ford, just get in that car and drive? It had somehow seemed right at the time. He was 23 years old and had been clubbing around NYC for several years. He was tired of the whole scene, tired of the meat market, tired of the faceless, nameless atmosphere. He wasn't sure what he wanted but he was convinced that lifestyle wasn't it. He had been so sure that if he could just get away from New York, he'd figure out what he was looking for. So he'd packed up what little belongings he had and drove away. Now he was sitting in a tiny coffee shop in a small town trying to find a job. He had officially run out of money yesterday. Two months of driving around the country had completely depleted his bank account. He pushed a lock of hair back off his forehead. //Wonder how many jobs there are here for a waiter who used to work at the Four Seasons?// He shook his head sadly. "You've come a long way, Rick O'Neill" He took another swallow of his now lukewarm coffee. He turned his attention back to the newspaper. Wanted: waiter or waitress for exclusive resort. Must have experience with formal as well as semi-formal dining. Full time hours, good benefits. Call The Crowe's Tavern at 555Crow (2769) ask for Liz or Peaches. "Well, well, that sounds hopeful." Rick looked up as the waitress refilled his coffee cup. "Are you from around here?" "Yes," The young redheaded waitress blushed prettily. She had been eying the handsome man since he came in. His blonde hair was styled causally, maybe a little shaggy, like he needed a haircut. A few long locks swept over his forehead. He had the most amazing eyes, they were a steely gray. She could hear a hint of New York in his accent so she knew he wasn't a local. She leaned over, knowing full well that a fair amount of her cleavage would be showing. "What can I help you with, darlin'?" Rick smiled at her blatant come-on. "I was just wonder if you knew anything about a

place called 'The Crowe's Tavern?' Appears that they are hiring." "It's part of a resort complex outside of town. I don't know too much about it. You can't really get in unless you're invited. I've seen a couple of the guys that live there when they come into town for groceries and what not. They must be related because they looked alike." She leaned a little closer and rested her hand on his arm. "I get off in an hour. I could show you around." She ran her tongue lightly across her lips as she made eye contact with him. Rick carefully removed her hand. "I appreciate the offer but you're really not my type." Rick was not ashamed of his sexual orientation so he had no problems telling the waitress, "I like my partners a little more masculine if you get my drift." The waitress backed away quickly. "Oh, so that's how it is. O-kay" She set his bill down on the table and left. Rick could hear her whisper under her breath. "Figures, all the goodlooking ones are gay." Rick chuckled and reached into his pocket for his last two bucks. Throwing them down on the table, he grabbed his newspaper and headed outside. Blinking in the harsh sunlight, he slipped on his sunglasses and walked to the pay phone. He dug in his pocket, finally located the coins he would need to place his call. He glanced at the number in the paper and quickly dialed. "Here goes nothing." Someone picked up on the second ring, Rick was surprised by an Australian voice saying, "Crowe's Tavern" "Um, Yeah, I'd like to speak with.." He looked down at the paper, "Liz or Peaches, please." "Can I ask who's calling?" "Rick O'Neill. I'm calling about the ad in the paper for a waiter." "Righto. I'll go get her. Hold on." Rick heard the click of the hold button. Soft music started to play. It wasn't anyone he recognized but he enjoyed the lead singer's deep voice. "I need somebody from outside of me, to come and give me all the things that I have used up..wrapping other people, wrapping... So afraid to begin, so afraid to start again...." He was just getting into the song when he heard a click and a woman's voice say "Hello? Mr. O'Neill?" "Yes, this is Rick O'Neill" "Hi, This is Liz. You were inquiring about the waiter's job? Have you got any experience?" "Yes, I've got experience. I worked at the Fifty-Seven Fifty- Seven Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City for four years." Rick smiled at the barely muffled

"wow" that came over the phone line. "I'd really like to come out for an interview. I'm in town right now. I've got references if you need them." "Great. How about you come out here in about a half hour?" //Perfect// Rick thought, keeping his fingers crossed. "So how do I get out there?" "Just take the road heading west out of town. Stay on it, you can't miss the place." Liz knew that the magic of the Nest would lead him straight to it. "Okay, I'll see you in about thirty minutes." Rick turned his car into the parking lot outside a building marked "Crowe's Tavern" On the drive in he could swear he saw an airstrip and a enclosed arena of some sort. He had even noticed some stables located down the road. He could see a sprawling hotel surrounded by beautiful gardens, situated next to the tavern. //Wow, this is some place.// He pushed open the heavy door, pausing for a moment inside to let his eyes adjust. He looked around. It looked bigger on the inside that it had from the outside. There were booths all along the outside edge of the room with a fairly large dance floor in the center. The dance floor was ringed by various sized tables, ranging from intimate tables for two to large tables that could easily seat six or ten people. He knew his mouth dropped open a little at the sight of the ornate bar that took up one whole side of the room. There was a young man drying glasses behind the bar so Rick walked towards him. The man hadn't noticed him yet so Rick took a minute to look him over. //Nice enough looking guy but someone ought to tell him that Elvis is dead. Lose the sideburns, dude.// The guy looked up when he heard Rick clear his throat. "G'day. Sorry about that, didn't hear you come in. Can I help you?" Rick smiled, "Yeah, my name is Rick O'Neill. I've got job interview with Liz." "Colin O'Brien. Nice to see another Irishman about." Colin extended his hand. Rick shook it firmly, "If you don't mind me pointing this out, you really don't sound Irish. Australian, isn't?" Colin faked his best Irish accent, "Aye, but me ancestors came over from Ireland many generations ago. So I'm an Irishman at heart, laddie." Rick couldn't help but laugh. He responded in an accent which was a lot more authentic than Colin's, "Aye and I was born in Belfast. So I'm an Irishman by birth, laddie." He crossed his arms smugly. Colin jaw dropped. "Fair dinkum, mate? Really, you were born in Belfast?"

Rick slipped back into his normal voice. "Yeah, but my parents immigrated to New York when I was two. My da could tell that the fighting was only going to get worse, so he wanted to get his family out of there as soon as possible. So I ended up an Irish kid, raised in New York City." Rick chuckled at Colin's enthusiasm. "But right now, I'm more of an Irishman in need of a job so if you'd tell me where I might find Liz?" "Oh, yeah. Hold on, I'll go get her." Colin slipped through a door behind the bar. Rick sat down on a bar stool. He desperately hoped he got this job. He had less than half a tank of gas in his car, the rent on the room he was staying in was due at the end of the week and if he wasn't mistaken, he had a whole whopping $1.50 in change to his name. He jerked, startled when someone behind him spoke. "Excuse me, do you need something?" Rick turned to look at the man standing behind him. The guy was wearing a white short sleeve shirt and dark creased pants. Rick stood, he was taller than this guy but he was sure that the man outweighed him by a good fifty pounds. Fifty pounds of solid muscle if he wasn't mistaken. He looked vaguely familiar. Rick took another second to look him over. "Shit! Has anyone told you that you look exactly like that thug cop from L.A. Confidential." Rick noticed that the man's green eyes narrowed slightly. "No offense, man." Bud tried to tamp down his irritation at the "thug cop" comment. This kid standing in front of him obviously had no idea who he was. "Yep, I get that alot. In fact, you can just call me Bud." He extended a hand. Rick tried for a firm handshake back. " Nice to meet you, Bud. I'm Rick O'Neill. I'm applying for a job. I'm just waiting for Liz." "Do someone go get her?" "Yes, Colin did." "So that's were he went to. Damn it. Guess, I'll just have to fix my own drink." Bud started around the bar when a hand on his arm stopped him. "Hold on, I'll do it." Rick slid around the bar before Bud could protest. "If I'm going to work here, I might as well get used to the place." Bud couldn't help but smile at the young man's arrogance. "Okay, then, I'll take a single malt scotch, straight." "Coming right up." Rick was leaning over, reaching for the bottle of scotch when he heard an Australian voice. He popped his head up and saw a man about his age, in a sleeveless plaid shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He glanced back and forth from the

younger man and Bud. They looked almost identical except for the years. They both had the same clipped haircut and the same blue-green eyes. Now that Rick thought about it, Colin had the same color eyes, too. //What the hell?// "Hi. Can I get you something?" He poured Bud's drink as he was talking and handed it to him. "I'll take a VB." East looked at Bud as Rick walked to the cooler at the end of the bar. "New bartender?" "He seems to to think so. He's got a job interview with Liz." Bud turned at Liz's approach. "Hi, doll. Got the new guy working already." "I see that." Liz kissed both Bud and East on the cheek. "How's he doing?" Bud lifted his glass, "Does okay with Scotch." Liz looked at the young man as he reached into the cooler. He was tall, with sandy blond hair. He had slight build, more of a swimmer or runner type. When he turned around, she thought, //Not bad to look at either. He could probably hold his own in this sea of RC testosterone.// She smiled as he walked over. "Hi, I'm Liz. You must be Rick." Liz reached out a hand. Rick had the good sense to blush at being caught behind the bar. "Hi!" He realized almost too late that he was holding a frosty beer bottle in his hand. "Whoops, sorry about that." He set it on the bar, wiped his hand on his jeans and grasped hers firmly. "Nice to meet you." "Well, Rick, you certainly made yourself at home here." Liz grinned as the blush spread across Rick's pale skin. "It's okay, really. So you bar tend too?" "Yeah, did that as a sideline to the waiter job." "Well, Rick, come on back to my office and I'll take a look at your references." Later that evening, Rick sat on the bed in his cheap little room and looked at the insurance information Liz had given him. He was still a bit surprised that she had given him the job after catching him behind the bar. His mum had always said that his boldness would get him into trouble someday. She was almost right today. But it had all turned out okay. He'd almost asked Liz what was up with the guys who looked alike but obviously came from different places. But it really didn't matter. The important thing was that he got the job, would finally have a steady paycheck and wouldn't have to call home and beg for money. He lifted another slice of pizza from the box sitting on his bed. Thankfully, Liz had agreed to loan him part of his first paycheck so he wouldn't starve.

He finished the pizza, washed his hands and went over to the tiny table in the corner to fill out the insurance forms. Name: Richard Patrick O'Neill Date of Birth: 2-12-78 Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland Next of Kin: Patrick John O'Neill Relationship to insured: father Any pre-existing conditions: No Are you willing to submit to blood testing: Yes Date of last HIV test: Rick chewed his lip at the last question. Should he have told Liz about being gay? He was clean, he was sure of that. His last HIV test was 2 months ago and he got regularly tested. But he knew that some people had problems with gays. Didn't matter if there was a law against discrimination. Oh well, first he'd dazzle her with his fine waiter and bar tending abilities, then he'd tell her. He quickly filled out the rest of the form and set it aside. He'd better get a good nights sleep. Liz was going to show him around tomorrow. Sounds like it is quite the place. According to her, between the Tavern and the Hotel, there were six dinning rooms ranging from formal to casual as well as meals served in the bar itself. He'd eventually be expected to work in all of the dining rooms, occasionally tend bar at the Tavern and once in a while deliver some room service. //Things were never going to get boring in this job.// Part Two Rick pushed open the door of the Tavern promptly at 9 a.m. There were a few people sitting at tables drinking coffee but the place was almost deserted. He waved at Bud who was sitting over in the corner drinking coffee with someone Rick hadn't met yet. Bud motioned him over. "Hi ya, Rick. Meet John Biebe." Bud motioned to the longer haired man sitting across from him, "John meet Rick O'Neill. He's the new waiter slash bartender." John stood, extending a hand to Rick. "Nice to meet ya." "Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you too. Say, have either of you seen Liz? She's supposed to give me a tour of the place today." They all turned at the sound of someone approaching. "G'day, I'm Andy." A young man about Rick's age walked up. "Liz got tied up with some unexpected business so she asked me to show you around." //Another Australian? This place is full of them.// Out loud Rick said, "Okay. Lead on."

Andy did a great job of showing Rick around. They started with the Tavern, and Andy took Rick down to the basement to show him where they kept the supplies. Rick was impressed with the vast storeroom, full of foodstuffs and beverages. He walked over to the extensive wine cellar. "Impressive," He gently wiped the dust off a label. "Very impressive. Jesus, this stuff is over $1500 dollars a bottle." They toured one of semi-formal dining room next. Rick liked the lay-out, very efficient yet elegant. Crisp white tableclothes covered tables set up for two to four diners. There was adequate space around each table, lending an air of intimacy to even the tables sitting out in the middle. Rick quickly counted eight tables. Rick remembered Liz telling him that there were three more semi-formal dining rooms. "So are they all set up about like this?" "Yep, these are the rooms that get used the most. Well, that and the cafe at the Tavern. Most of the guys eat there or cook in their rooms when their ladies aren't here." Andy started towards the kitchen that was situated between the four dining rooms when Rick stopped him. "What a minute. What do you mean guys?" He was puzzled, "Do some of the staff live her?" "I wouldn't exactly call them staff." Andy wondered just how much Liz told Rick about this place. He pulled out one chair for Rick and one for himself. "How much do you know about this place?" "Just that it's kinda an all-inclusive resort and by invitation only." "Well, there are twenty-two of us blokes who live here full time. Most of us live in small apartments above the Tavern." Andy hesitated to tell Rick about where they came from. Maybe he'd talk it over with Liz and Peaches, maybe even John and Bud before telling Rick everything. Lord knows, the poor bugger would probably run screaming from the place if he knew the truth. "We help out around here. Do the odd job, tend bar, ya know stuff like that." Rick recalled the resemblance between Bud and the other Australian from yesterday. "So are some of you related? I noticed that some of you look a bit alike." Andy chuckled nervously, "Yeah, well, we're all kinda related in a way." He quickly changed the subject. "Come on, I better finish your tour before Liz gets back. I think she's expecting you to work the lunch crowd at the Tavern." They quickly finished up their tour. Andy showed him the two formal dining rooms with the one large kitchen behind them. He demonstrated what looked like a solid wall between the two rooms could be retracted to make it one very large room. Rick was amazed. He would have never guess that it was a simple divider.

"Wow, that's fucking amazing." He walked over to the divider and rapped on it. It sounded solid. "Totally cool. So do you use this as a big room very often?" "Not really. Just for the occasional formal party and things. Fair dinkum, the Tavern's were most of the action is." "Fair dinkum?" Rick remember Colin saying that yesterday but wasn't sure of the meaning. "Whoopsie. Sorry, mate. It means honest or true." Andy felt his cheeks getting slightly pink. "Half of the blokes around here are Australian so if you're gonna work here you'll have to get used to the slang." "No problem. My mum and da are from Ireland. I'm sure some of the slang is similar." He smiled, "Come on, let's see the rest of this place." He followed Andy into the kitchen. He was introduced to a woman in a long apron. "Rick, this is our most esteemed and wonderful chef, Anabella." Andy motioned to her. She wiped her hand along her apron and extended it. "Anabella, this is Rick. He's the new waiter." Rick shook her hand firmly. She seemed like a nice lady and the kitchen was unbelievable. Things were neatly organized and several people were working together as a team. "Nice place you got here." Anabella smiled, "You should have seen it when I first arrived. Nothing but preprocessed junk." She shook her head in disgust. "Thing's have changed a bit since then." "Hey, Anabella" Andy spoke up, "How about you show Rick around the kitchen? Explain how you do things around here?" "Sounds good," She turned to Rick, "Is that okay with you?" "Sure" Rick waved good-bye to Andy and followed Anabella farther into the kitchen. Andy turned and raced back to the Tavern. He skidded to a stop at the door when he almost ran into Liz. "Just the person I needed to see. We've got a problem with the new guy." "Rick? What's wrong?" Liz thought that Rick seemed like a nice guy and couldn't figure out what could possibly be wrong. Andy grabbed her hand and lead her into the Tavern. He pulled up a chair at one of the larger tables. Glancing around, he noticed Peaches and Cort sharing a small table. He motioned them over as well as Bud and John. When the group was all assembled, he spoke. "Okay, I was showing Rick around. Told him that some of us live here. But I didn't

tell him everything. But he has already noticed that some of us look alike." "Some of us?" Bud chuckled, "Hell, all of us look alike if you look close enough." "I know that. So what am I supposed to tell him?" Andy asked. Peaches spoke first, "I say we don't tell him anything yet." She turned to Liz, "If he is a good as you think he is going to be, we can't lose him." "I don't like the idea of not telling him." Cort believed that honesty was best. "What is he going to think when he discovers that we lied to him?" Peaches leaned over to brush a kiss across his cheek. "We are not really lying to him, love. We just aren't going to tell him the whole truth until he is firmly entrenched in this place." "I agree." John added. "This place is crazy enough to get used to when you belong here. For an outsider the thought of a place where characters from movies come alive is incomprehensible. It would seem like some sort of Twilight Zone episode." "Okay," Liz looked at the group. "We all agree to keep this hush, hush for now." She winked at Bud when he rolled his eyes. "Yes," The group agreed, even Cort. Rick settled in to a comfortable routine at his new job. The first week passed quickly. He came to work about 10:30 on the weekdays. He worked the lunch crowd in the Tavern then slipped over to the semi-formal rooms for the evening diners. After he was finished there, he'd jet back to the Tavern to tend bar for a couple hours. He was in heaven. This was so much more fun than working at the Four Seasons. He loved the varied pace and tasks. He didn't mind one bit when the weekend rolled around and Liz asked him to come in at three to work the dinner crowd then stay and tend bar until closing. And he had to admit that the pay was good. At this rate he'd be able to move out of his one room dump soon and move up into something that might be classified as a dive. He chuckled at the thought. He was behind the bar washing some glasses when Liz and Peaches approached him. "Rick," Peaches exchanged a glance with Liz, "Liz and I were wondering if you would be able to change your hours for a little while." "Not very long, just a couple of weeks." Liz added. Rick shrugged, "Can't understand what the problem would be. What would you like me to do?"

"Well, I know it's gonna sound strange but could you come in at seven and leave at ten or eleven." Liz could see Rick's mind working, figuring out that they wanted him here at the Nest for sixteen hours a day. "Okay, let me see if I got this right. You want me to come in at seven in the morning and leave at eleven in the evening?" Rick's tone put an emphasis on the words morning and evening. "Sixteen hours?" Peaches jumped in, "Not sixteen hours straight. You'd have breaks in between the breakfast crowd, the lunch crowd and the dinner service. It's just that we are a little short handed right now. A couple of the waiters went back to school. We just need a little time to replace them and train them. " "During your breaks, you'd be free to use the facilities. You know, ride horses; go swimming in the pool or at the lake. Anything that the guests do here." Liz threw in. While the thought of horseback riding didn't do anything for Rick, the thought of swimming in the lake held a great deal of appeal. He had drove past it once when making a wrong turn to leave and had been immediately enchanted by the sandy beaches and the rolling waves. He loved to swim and the idea of being able to swim amongst the pull and ebb of a lake was too much to resist. "I'll do it." He returned the two women's grins with one of his own. It faded only for a minute when he asked, "So how long a breaks are we talking about?" Part Three Rick was behind the bar, his head stuck in the cooler taking inventory of the beer supply when he heard someone clear their throat. He popped his head out and came face to face with one of his worst nightmares. There was no mistaking who or what this was, after all it was tattooed on the man's throat. Rick was amazed that they let his type in here but he wasn't the owner, he was just the staff. He put on his best 'I'm here to serve' face and asked, "Can I help you?" "'Bout fucking time you realized we were here. I'll take a beer." He sighed when the man next to him gave him a pointed look. "Make that a large glass of cranberry juice instead." The skinhead motioned to the man next to him. "General?" "Just a glass of water, thank you." The older man's cultured tone and politeness clashed with the younger man's rudeness. As Rick turned to fill their order, he could hear the older man reprimand the younger guy. When he handed him the drink, the Neo-Nazi uttered begrudging thanks. "I don't believe we've met." The older man extended a hand, "My name is Maximus and this snarling young man next to me is my training partner, Hando." Rick shook Maximus' hand and nodded to Hando.

"Rick O'Neill, recently hired waiter and bartender." "Thank you, Rick, for the beverages. Come Hando, we still have much work to do today." The odd couple walked off together, Hando a step behind Maximus. Rick's eyes widened when he noticed Maximus pick a sword that was resting by the door. It didn't look like a prop or a toy. It looked like an honest to goodness sword. A heavy one at that, judging by the way that Maximus' forearm muscles bunched as he picked it up. "Wow, this is some place." Rick whispered to himself. He shrugged. "Takes all kinds, I guess." He went back to the cooler. He quickly finished up the inventory. He jotted down a couple of notes for Liz about what things needed to be reordered. Glancing at his watch he realized it was time for his morning break. He waved at Andy. "I'm taking my break now. See ya in a hour." "Have a good one, mate." The young Australian replied. Rick grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. He glanced up at the darkening sky. It looked like a thunderstorm was brewing. //So much for a walk.// He detoured to the back of the Tavern and sat down on the porch swing. He smiled as a few fat drops of rain began to fall from the sky. He was sheltered by the overhang so he could enjoy the storm without getting wet. He loved the feeling of rain out here. In New York all a rainstorm did is make the city more muggy and the people more hostile. Here it seemed to wash everything clean. He pulled out a book. The rain pattered on the rooftop above him providing fitting background noise for his reading. Rick was engrossed in a particularly graphic description of a murder when he realized he was being watched. He looked up to see a man in a dark purple suit standing before him. Rick looked him over from the top of his perfectly groomed hair to the bottom of his polished shoes. He carried himself with arrogant self-confidence. He reminded Rick of polished yuppies that dominated the streets of New York's financial district when he was a kid. "You know that he's got it all wrong, don't you?" The man's voice held a hint of a sneer. Rick's eyebrows raised, "What?" The man motioned to the book in Rick's hand. "That book, John Douglas. His theories are inaccurate." "He was the top profiler for the FBI. Seems to me that he'd be a pretty reliable source." Rick held out his hand. If he was going to debate with this guy he wanted to know his name. "By the way, the name's Rick." The man nodded but didn't shake Rick's hand. "Sid. And you shouldn't take the FBI seriously. They don't know shit. I've read that book. Oh, Mr. Douglas comes off like he's some expert about serial killers. Gives you some mumbo gumbo about being in the killers

mind." "Doesn't seem like mumbo jumbo to me. He's helped solve some of the hardest cases." Rick was a fan of John Douglas' books. Sid barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Ha. He couldn't solve the Green River killings. They even had Ted Bundy helping them out." "Ted Bundy was a sadistic killer who was only trying to postpone his own execution. He wasn't really trying to help." Rick watched as Sid stood straighter. "Ted Bundy was a brilliant man. And I wouldn't call him sadistic. He rarely tortured his victims before he killed them. It was the thrill of the kill not the torture that he enjoyed." "Yeah, right, and John Gacy was a good artist." Rick snickered. He couldn't believe he was sitting here arguing the merits of serial killers with a man in a purple suit. He glanced down at his watch. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat with you but my break is over." He stuffed his book back in his backpack and started walking towards the back door of the Tavern. Sid fell into step beside him. "Actually Gacy was a good artist. His self portrait which was painted while he awaited execution sold for several thousand dollars." Rick rolled his eyes. What was it with this guy? He seemed to have a thing for serial killers. "It was the novelty of it that caused it to sell for that much, not the quality of it. I doubt the art world misses him now that he's been executed." "Execution. State sanctioned homicide is more like it. Some of the most brilliant minds in history have been eliminated in the so called name of justice." Sid's voice was indignant. Rick tossed his backpack behind the bar. "Brilliant minds, my ass. Oh I admit you have to be smarter than the average person to commit multiple murders but all of them screw up eventually and get caught." Sid's smile was wicked. "Not all of them." He turned and walked away. "Well, thank god that's over with." Rick said to himself as he walked over to Andy. "Hey, man. I'm back." Andy looked up from where he was wiping off a table. "Good break?" "Strange is more like it. I was sitting on the porch swing reading when this guy in an ugly suit comes up to me and starts talking." "So you've met Sid." A look of concern crossed Andy's face. "He didn't bother ya, did he?"

"Nah. Thinks he's some sort of damn expert on serial killers though." Rick was still shaking his head at some of Sid's comments. Brilliant minds, ha. "Well he should know." As soon as he said it, Andy knew it was the wrong thing to say. How was he supposed to explain to Rick about Sid having the personalities of all those killers in this head? Andy was saved from having to answer by the arrival of a group of the boyz coming in for lunch. He motioned to them. "Looks like the lunch crowd's here." His next break couldn't come soon enough for Rick. For some reason, today seemed to the day that everyone wanted to eat at the Tavern. The storm outside probably had something to do with it. Rick was running his butt off taking orders, serving people and mixing drinks. He breathed a sigh of relief when the last person was served their meal. He turned to Colin who was sitting on a stool at the bar. "Can I get ya something, Colin?" "No thanks, mate. I'm right." Colin motioned to the half full glass of Coke that he had helped himself to. "You about ready for your next break." "Just about." "Fancy a game of pool?" Colin had hit it off immediately with Rick and was thrilled to discover that Rick was a wicked pool player. They had spent many of Rick's breaks at the pool table nestled in the corner of the Tavern's game room. "I was hoping for a swim." Rick looked out the window at the sun breaking through the clouds. "And it looks the storm is going to lift just in time. Maybe some other time?" "No worries, mate." Colin took another drink of his Coke. "Have a good swim." "Thanks." Rick used the bathroom in the back to change into his swim trunks and a tshirt. Slipping his tennis shoes back on, he grabbed a towel and stuffed it in his backpack. He walked back through the Tavern, waving at Colin as he strolled by. "See ya in a couple of hours." "Tooroo." Colin waved back from behind the bar where he was refilling his glass. As soon as he got to the front door, Rick threw it open and dashed out, anxious to get down to the beach. He promptly collided with Arthur. "Whoops, sorry man. Didn't mean to run you over." He reached out a hand to steady the young man. When he could see that the Welshman was no the worse for wear, Rick continued on. He set off on a steady jog down to the waterfront. The air was hot and slightly sticky from the morning rainstorm and Rick's T-shirt was plastered to his back by the time he reached the lake. He kicked off his shoes, peeled off his shirt and waded out into the water. The cold lake water caused his breath to leave in a gasp. But it felt good against his overheated skin. He turned and dove under an upcoming

wave. He popped his head above water and skimmed his hair back out of his eyes. He headed towards the middle of the lake, his arms slicing the water in clean strokes. When the muscles in his arms and legs started to burn he flipped over and floated. He stared up at the clear blue sky as he bopped along on the gentle waves beneath him. He thoughts ran rampant as he floated along. He liked it here. He was enjoying his job, he liked the people he met but there was still something missing. Or maybe it was more like there was someone missing. He wasn't expecting to find a lifetime partner but he longed for some companionship. //All I want is someone to talk to, someone to laugh with, have a good time with, cuddle up with on a rainy night. Is that too much to ask?// He let out a big sigh. If he couldn't find it in New York what made him think he would find it here? Shaking aside his melancholy thoughts, Rick flipped back over and began to swim towards shore. Jeff was running with Kath when he noticed someone swimming in the lake. His steps slowed and Kath pulled ahead slightly. She turned to see what was slowing her running partner down. "Jeff?" "You go on ahead, Kath. I'm going down to the water for two ticks." Jeff tried not to blush. "I'll see ya later." He wasn't sure why but he felt drawn towards the figure down at the lake. Kath was a little confused by Jeff's actions but continued running. She looked back once and saw that Jeff had jogged towards the edge of the lake. She could see that there was someone in the water. Figuring that Jeff has stopped to talk to that person, she continued on her way. Jeff watched as the most amazing looking man he had ever seen rose up out of the water like a god. His blond hair was plastered to his head. The hair on his upper body was so light, it was almost invisible. But tiny droplets of water clung to it and reflected the bright sunlight. His build was light but muscular, long and lean. Jeff guessed that this man might be a little taller than him. He watched as a drop of water traced its way down the bloke's chest to disappear into the waist band of the wet swimming trunks. He blushed when he realized that he was staring. Rick was grateful that he was still partially submerged in the cold lake water. It helped hide his body's reaction to the man on the beach. The guy standing in front of him was unbelievable. He had obviously been out running because his tank top was plastered to his chest with sweat. He had strong muscular arms and well defined legs. Seems like the running paid off. He was wearing a baseball cap that shielded his eyes but Rick could see medium length dark hair flowing from under the cap. And Rick could swear that the guy was actually blushing but maybe he was just flushed from the run. When he was sure that he had his body under control, Rick emerged from the water. "Excuse me? Would you mind handing me my towel?" Jeff reached over and picked up the towel that was laying on the rock next to him. He

watched as the blonde man slowly walked out of the water. Jeff extended the towel to the bloke as he stepped forward. He stared openly when the man covered his head with the towel to dry off his hair. Jeff's eyes scanned his body. He was right, the bloke was taller than him by several inches. His lean hips were encased in wet swim trunks that clung in all the right areas. Jeff quickly tore is gaze away before his body betrayed him. //I have no idea who this bloke is, best not be caught having a perve.// Rick noticed that the man standing before him was blushing again. It was definitely a blush. He wondered at the cause but figured maybe this guy was shy, kinda like that Arthur dude that he had met yesterday. Rick smiled reassuringly and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Rick O'Neill. I'm a waiter here." "G'day, Jeff Mitchell. I live here" He shook Rick's hand. He was having trouble keeping his eyes off Rick's muscular body. //Crikey, am I so desperate for a shag that I'm imagining things with the first guy here that I'm not related to?// He pulled his hand away quickly. "Haven't seen you around." Rick pulled his t-shirt over his head. Jeff tried not to notice how the fabric clung to the waiter's still damp skin. "I haven't been around much lately. Sid's been more of a asshole than usual so I left for a bit." Jeff wasn't sure why he was telling Rick this. "Sid's a bloody wanker." Jeff couldn't help but chuckle over the decidedly non-American expression being uttered with a New York accent. "That he is, mate. But I've never heard a Yank say it before." Rick grinned back at him. "My da was from Ireland. It's one of his favorite expressions and I picked it up from him." Rick shrugged. "And it seems to fit Sid." Jeff laughed. He already liked this man. He noticed Rick looking at his watch. "Well, I gotta get back. My break is almost over and I need a shower." Rick jerked his head towards the Tavern. "You headed back?" "Yeah," Jeff struggled to keep from staring at Rick. "I'll walk back with you." Rick gathered up his backpack and turned towards the Tavern. Jeff fell into step beside him, "So you play any footy?" Part Four "Oomph!" Rick's air left his lungs in a whoosh as Lachlan tackled him. He lost his grip on the ball and Jeff scooped it up and took off running. Rick lay there in the grass of the

footy field panting as he tried to catch his breath. He watched from upside down as Jeff ran back towards him. Jeff laughed as he said, "Get up, ya bloody Yank. This isn't grid-iron. You don't get to have a lie-in after you are tackled." He nudged Rick with his foot. "Come on, mate. Up and at 'em." Rick slowly climbed to his feet. "This isn't a real sport, is it? It's something you Aussies came up with to torture us Americans." He groaned as he leaned over to brush the grass off his knees. Colin walked up beside him. "Actually, the first Aussie rules game was played on August 7, 1898 between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College on the site of what is now the Melbourne Cricket Grounds." Rick glared at him. "Well thank you very much for the history lesson, O'Brien." He slowly straightened. He was beginning to regret agreeing to learn how to play Australian Rules football. If anyone but Jeff would have asked, he'd have politely declined. But there was something about Jeff Rick just couldn't say no to. "Ready for another scrum, mate?" Colin slapped Rick on the shoulder. Rick's smile was grim. "Hardly. I wasn't ready for the last one." He limped his way to the bleachers and slumped down next to Steve. He ignored the jeers of 'wimp, wuss, pussy' coming from the group of Australians still on the field. "How many days have you been letting them beat you up like this?" Steve looked at the bruises, both old and new, covering Rick's legs and arms. "Too many." Rick leaned back and closed his eyes. "Actually, would you believe it's been less than a week?" Less than a week since he met a handsome footy player on the beach. Less than a week since he discovered they were close to the same age and got along famously. He had thought he'd made quick friends with Colin but that was nothing compared to how fast his friendship with Jeff progressed. By the time they had got back to the Tavern, they were kidding each other like they'd been buddies for years instead of minutes. Then Jeff had uttered those fateful words, 'Do you want learn how to play footy? You're not scared, are ya Yank?" National pride had forced Rick to agree. Now he was sprawled on the bleachers, pride be damned. He wasn't moving for nobody. He groaned as someone shook his foot. "Go away. Can't you see I'm dying here?" Jeff's laughter filled the air. "Come on, mate, we're headed inside. Colin's shout." Rick didn't open his eyes, "Colin's shouting what?" Jeff shook him a little harder. "Colin's buying the booze." He extended a hand to help Rick up. He really did feel sorry for the bloke. He was giving it a go but he just wasn't

built to play footy. But Jeff did have to admit that the man looked really good in the footy gear. He gave himself a mental shake. //None of that!// Rick put his hand in Jeff's and allowed him to pull him upright. His muscles protested the movement. "How can you guys play this everyday?" Johnny came up behind him and slapped Rick firmly on the shoulder. "We don't normally play everyday, mate. Just for you." He walked off laughing. Rick was on his second beer when someone bumped into him. Pain exploded up his side and his breath left in a hiss. Rick set his glass down on the bar with a thud. He gripped the edge of the bar and struggled to keep the blackness from closing in on him. Jeff immediately turned. "Something wrong, mate?" Rick shook his head. "Nope just a sore spot." Jeff looked at Rick's pale, sweaty face. "Looks like more than just a sore spot. Let me see." Rick gingerly lifted up the back of his shirt and exposed a large bruise extending over his lower back and side. Jeff could swear the bruise was getting darker even as he watched. "Shit, mate. That's one hell of a sore spot. You sure you're okay?" Rick nodded and lowered his shirt. "As long as nobody bumps me, I'm perfect. It only hurts a little when I move. Let me tell you, Lachlan does a wicked tackle." "Tell ya what. I've got some liniment that East gave me. Bonzer stuff, it'll take the pain away in a snap." Jeff motioned for Rick to get up. "Come on, mate. Up to my room and I'll get it for ya." Rick followed Jeff up the backstairs of the Tavern. Jeff unlocked the first door at the top of the stairs and motioned Rick inside. "Welcome to my humble flat. It's not flash but it's home." Rick looked around. There was a simple couch with two chairs on either side facing a modest entertainment center. Off to one side was an open kitchen with a small table in front of a sliding glass door that lead to a balcony. Through a door on the other side, Rick could see a bed. "Compared to the place I'm staying at this is a fucking castle." Jeff pointed towards the couch. "Have a seat. I'll get the liniment. Only be two ticks." He disappeared through a door off the side of the living room. Rick sat on the couch. He started to lean back then quickly changed his mind at the streak of pain that radiated from his bruised back. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on

his knees. He didn't have to wait long for Jeff to come back out. He was carrying a small tin. "Okay, here we go." Jeff popped the lid off the tin. "Don't smell the best but it's bonzer stuff." Rick reached up to take off his shirt. He grunted in pain as he tried to lift it over his head. It wasn't going to work. The pain in his back prevented him from pulling his shirt over his head. Jeff grabbed the edge of Rick's t-shirt. "Let me. You're never gonna get it off." Jeff tried not to notice how Rick's muscles bunched as he slowly lifted his arms over his head. He tamped down a wave of desire. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. There was no way that Rick was going to be able to put the ointment on his own back. So that left only one person to do it. Jeff wasn't sure that he could rub liniment on Rick's lean body without it turning into a caress. "Maybe John should come look at this, mate. It could be more than a bruise." Rick shook his head. "It's okay. Really. Just slap some of that wonder cream on it. It'll be fine." Rick had never wanted anything in his life as much as he wanted to feel Jeff's hands on him. Even if it was only to rub some ointment on a bruise. Rick figured that would be the closest he'd ever get to Jeff really touching him and he was willing to take what he could get. //Am I pitiful or what? So hot for this guy that I don't stand a chance with.// "It'd probably be easier if you laid down." Jeff led the way into the bedroom. He watched as Rick gingerly lay across his bed. //Another bad idea. He looks too right laying on my bed.// Rick rested his head on his crossed arms. He waited with anticipation for Jeff to rub the liniment into his skin. He knew it was crazy to have such strong feelings for a guy he barely knew but he couldn't help it. He hoped that he had succeeded in hiding it. Nothing like a healthy case of lust to mess up a friendship. Jeff stared in fascination at the tattoo on Rick's left shoulder. It was a stylized capital letter L with intricate knot work inside a bright blue outline. The knot work itself was yellow with gray and black shading. The design looked old but the tattoo itself looked recent. Jeff couldn't stop himself from reaching out to trace the design with a single finger. Rick jerked at Jeff's touch. He was expecting the feel of cold liniment not a warm finger. He let out a nervous laugh. "I see that you have discovered my tattoo." "The work here is amazing. Celtic, isn't it?" "Yes, it's out of The Book Of Kells. I got it a couple of years ago when I was in Ireland."

Rick's voice held a hint of sadness. "Why an L?" Jeff could see Rick stiffen. "Never mind, it's really none of my business." "No, it's okay. It's an L for my older brother Logan. I was in Ireland with my parents to pick up his body." A wave of melancholy threatened to engulf him. It was still hard to believe that Logan was gone. Everyday Rick expected to pick up the phone and hear his brother's cheery voice teasing him about something. Rick blinked rapidly against the stinging in his eyes. Was it ever going to stop hurting? "Oh Rick, I'm sorry." It sounded like empty platitudes to Jeff. He never knew what to say in a situation like this. "Thanks," Rick didn't turn over. He just laid on his stomach with his head resting on his arms. "He went back to Belfast to see some of my cousins. Logan always felt a pull to Ireland that I never understood. Maybe because he could remember what it was like to be Irish. He was six when we moved to the states. I was only two." He took a deep breath. "Anyway, turns out my cousins were very active in the IRA. It was stupid. My brother had no idea what he getting into. He was a American for fuck's sake! He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up dead." Jeff laid a comforting hand on Rick's shoulder, right over the tattoo. "I can't think of anything to say except that sucks, mate." Rick gave a forced chuckle. "That's actually the most honest thing anyone has said to me. You are right. It does suck." Rick cleared his throat to force away a lingering hoarseness. "Okay, let's get this stuff on. My beer is getting warm downstairs." Jeff respected Rick's desire to change the subject. He scooped up a glob of the liniment and carefully placed his fingers on Rick's back. He took a deep breath. //You've done this before for Lachlan. This is no different. He's just like one of your brothers.// Jeff could feel the warmth of Rick's skin beneath his fingertips. //No different? Yeah, right!// He rubbed the liniment into the bruise. Jeff tried to keep his touch light so he didn't hurt Rick but not so light that it might be misconstrued as a caress. He tried to keep his thoughts focused on anything but the smooth skin underneath his fingers. He willed his body not to respond. Rick tried desperately to control his breathing. He was trying to appear unaffected by Jeff's touch. It was all he could do to not arch up into Jeff's hand. Rick had never thought of liniment as erotic before but then he'd never had Jeff Mitchell put it on his back either. Suddenly Rick realized that there might be an advantage to playing footy again. There was always the potential for more bruises. He stifled a moan as Jeff's hand slid from his back around to his side to cover the bruise forming there. Rick wanted nothing more than to roll over and drag Jeff down for a kiss. //Now wouldn't that just shock the hell out of him?//

Jeff heard Rick make a small noise. "Sorry mate, didn't mean to hurt ya. The liniment should start working soon." "No, it's all right." Rick twisted just a little. "Feels better already." Rick slowly sat up. Luckily he was still wearing shorts. Shorts that were loose enough to hide his partial erection. "Thanks, man. I can't believe how much better it feels." He reached over and grabbed his shirt. He easily slid it back over his head. "Shit, East ought to market that stuff. It works great. Ready to go back downstairs?" "Nah, you go on ahead." Jeff motioned towards the bathroom. "I'm going to grab a quick shower while I'm here." "Alrightly then. I'll see you later." Jeff waited until Rick had shut the door behind him before stripping of his clothes. He shook his head in disgust at his raging hard on. Luckily, Rick hadn't noticed the bulge in his shorts. He walked slowly to the bathroom and started the shower. Jeff stood under the spray of water. He'd tried cold, he'd tried blistering hot and nothing reduced the ache in his groin. //Well there is more than one way to relieve sexual tension.// He wrapped a soapy hand around his cock. He slowly slid his hand up and down its engorged length. Closing his eyes, he tried to picture Kevin. He tried to pretend it was Kevin's mouth wrapped around him. In his mind's eye, Jeff reached down to tangle his hands in Kevin's blonde hair. Jeff's eyes jerked open. Kevin didn't have blonde hair. A sigh escaped his lips. Closing his eyes, Jeff tried again. He tried to imagine kissing Greg. He pulled him into for a deep kiss, their tongues tangling in passion. He imagined looking into Greg's dazed gray eyes. Shit! Greg's eyes were hazel much like his own. It was hopeless. Finally Jeff gave into the fantasy that had been pushing against his mind this whole time and it was Rick's name he hissed out between clenched teeth as he came. Rick had just stepped out of the back room where he had taken a quick shower and changed into a pair of jeans when Andy called out to him. "Hey Rick," Andy motioned him over, "I don't believe you've met Cort yet." Andy gestured to the man standing next to him. Rick noticed that the man's dark hair was a little longer than his own and he was dressed in an off-white western shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. But there was something about this man. This was no cowboy wanna-be. Rick had a feeling that this man was the genuine article. The man's soft southern drawl as he greeted Rick cinched it. "How do you do, Rick." Cort extended a hand to him, "Nice to meet you." Rick bumped the glass on the table as he reached across for Cort's hand. He tried to grab it but Cort was faster, righting the glass without a splash of water hitting the tablecloth. "Wow," Rick couldn't disguise the amazement in his voice. "You are fast."

Cort gave him a slight smile, "Years of practice." Rick couldn't decide if he had imagined the pained look that skidded across the other man's face or whether it was real. It happened so quickly that he couldn't be sure. He smiled and shook the man's hand. He watched as the older man walked off. Turning to Andy, he said, "I hope I didn't offend him." "No worries, mate. Cort's kinda quiet. Keeps to himself for the most part." Both men turned when Colin shouted at them. "All fixed up now, Rick?" Colin asked. "Oh yeah. East's stuff worked wonders." Rick demonstrated by patting his side. "Ripper! So you ready to get your ass whipped at pool?" Colin grinned and motioned towards the game room. "Ready to kick your ass, kangaroo boy." Rick started toward the pool table. Looking back over his shoulder, he challenged Colin. "First one there gets to break." Rick took off running with Colin closing on him quickly. //Don't bend over, not in those tight jeans. Damn!// Jeff stifled a groan as Rick leaned over the pool table. His eyes traced the curve of Rick's denim encased arse. Jeff was leaning against the wall of the game room watching Rick and Colin play pool. Jeff wasn't sure why he was torturing himself like this. It was a practice in self control not to pop a hard on while staring at Rick's butt. Jeff took another long swig of his beer to relieve his dry mouth. He had to turn away as Rick aimed the pool cue at the ball. There was no way he was watching the sensual slide of the cue through Rick's long fingers. Jeff had never thought of pool as a sexual sport before. But then he had never watched Rick O'Neill play pool either. At this rate he'd never stop taking cold showers. Jeff couldn't quite figure out this attraction to Rick. He felt this awareness every time Rick was in the room. But Rick had never given him any indication that he felt the same way. Jeff sighed. It was so much easier in Sydney when at least he knew where to go when he wanted companionship. No guessing whether a bloke was a poofter or straight. If he was in the Prinny, he was gay. No doubts about it. Things were much more confusing here.

Part Five Rick grabbed the ball and ran with it. He glanced over his shoulder once to see Jeff gaining on him. //Damn, I'm going to have to start running everyday if I want to play this game.// He pushed himself harder, swerving to the right then the left to try to keep away from Jeff. He felt Jeff tackle him. They went down in a tangle of legs, arms and laughter.

Rick ended up flat on his back with Jeff on top of him. Jeff looked down into Rick's eyes and their gazes locked. They both stopped laughing, in fact neither was even breathing. Rick reached up to brush the hair out of Jeff's eyes. He watched as they darkened with desire. Jeff leaned down to kiss him. He brushed his lips across Rick's once, twice then settled in for a deeper kiss. Rick could feel Jeff's erection pressing against his own. He reached into the elastic waistband of Jeff's footy shorts and..... Rick sat straight up in bed. "What the hell?" He rubbed a hand across his face. He had been only dreaming. He let out a shaky breath. //Erotic dreams about Jeff again? What the hell is wrong with you, O'Neill?// He realized that the ringing of the phone had been what had shattered his sleep. He reached over to pick it up. "This better be good." He said into the mouthpiece, his voice husky. Laughter bubbled through the line. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything, big brother." Rick immediately recognized the voice of his sister, Kareen. "Nothing real. What do you want, brat?" "Mum wants to know if you are coming home for our favorite aunt's party." Kareen added a touch of sarcasm to the words 'favorite aunt'. "Nope, gotta work." Even if he wasn't scheduled to work that day, he'd volunteer just to avoid his Aunt Edna's anniversary party. She'd been married more times than Rick could count and off hand he wasn't even sure what her current husband's name was. "Lucky dog. Can I come stay with you?" Kareen pleaded. Rick looked around his tiny rented room. There was barely enough room for him to stay here. Company was definitely out of the question. "No room at the inn, sweetie." Rick could hear Kareen groan. "Look, pretty soon I'll be moving to a bigger place. I promise you can come visit then." "When?" "Soon. I just need a few more paychecks and I'll have enough money for a deposit." At least he hoped so. He was getting really tired of this dump. "You know that mum and da would loan you the money in a heartbeat. All you have to do is ask." "But I'm not." Rick was firm on that fact. He was twenty three years old. For once in his life, he was going to be responsible. "I'm doing this on my own. Drop it." "All right, all right." Kareen could tell when her big brother was finished with a topic so she moved on. "So how's the new job?"

"Good. I really like the place. I get to swim everyday and the guys that live there are great. At least most of them are." "Anybody special?" Jeff's image immediately jumped into Rick's mind. "Not really." He said noncommittally Kareen was attuned to her brother's moods. She knew that something was up. "Not really or not at all." Rick couldn't believe he was about to confide in his teenage sister. "Okay, there's this one guy. I really like him..a lot. But..." His voice trailed off. "What's the problem Is he straight?" Leave it up to her brother to fall for a straight guy. "I'm not sure. That's the problem. Sometimes I catch him looking at me and I think yep, he wants me as much as I want him. But other times, I don't know, it seems like he's just being friendly in a guy to guy sort of way." Rick rubbed a hand wearily across his face. "All I know is that I've never been this attracted to someone before." "Well, why don't you ask him?" Seemed simple enough to her. "Kareen, I can't just go up to Jeff and say, 'Hey man, I like how you look in those footy shorts. By the way, are you gay?' Straight guys get very weirded out when you do that. He's a good friend, I'd hate to lose that." "But what if he is gay and you're missing out? Come on, Rick, you've never been a chicken before. Go for it, big bro." Kareen's voice held a hint of maturity that Rick had never noticed before. Looks like his little sister was growing up. "Have you told him that you are gay?" Rick sighed, "No." "Tell him. His reaction will give you an idea on your chances with him." "I can't believe that I'm getting relationship advice from my seventeen year old sister." Rick groaned. "And good advice it is. Trust me on this one." Kareen paused. Rick could hear his father's voice in the background. "Gotta go. Da needs the phone. He sends his love. Mum, too." "Tell them I love them too. And you, brat. I'll talk to you soon." Rick felt a wave of homesickness. They were a close family and he missed them. "Think about what I said. Call me when you two get together." Kareen giggled when she heard Rick let out an exasperated breath. "Love ya. Bye."

"Bye." Rick set the phone back on the base. Was Kareen right, should he just take a chance and talk to Jeff? He lay back on the bed with a sigh. Things were confusing out here. At least in New York, if he made eye contact with a good looking guy in a club, he knew exactly what he was in for. Rick rolled over and looked at the clock. It was just eight o'clock, he'd barely been asleep for four hours. Since it was the weekend, he didn't go into work until three in the afternoon. But he worked the evening at the Tavern and usually didn't get home until three or four in the morning. He lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. He finally drifted back to sleep. The buzzing of the alarm clock found Rick tired and groggy from lack of sleep. And he still didn't have any answers. He lay in his bed staring at the fingers of sunlight that leaked through the threadbare curtains. What was he going to do? He just didn't feel like he could go on like this.He either had to make a decision to ignore his attraction to Jeff once and for all or he was going to have to do something about it. As he showered, he weighed the pros and cons of telling Jeff that he was gay. What's the worst that could happen? Jeff could turn out to be homophobic and never talk to Rick again. But if he reacted like that did Rick really want him as a friend? Rick toweled his hair dry and stared at his reflection. What was he thinking? He'd never been ashamed of himself. From the moment he realized that he liked men, he'd been open about it. Nodding, Rick decided that it wasn't fair to his friendship with any of the men here to hide what he was. Either they would accept it or they wouldn't. It was their problem not his. //Another coming out party? Haven't done this since I was thirteen.// Rick couldn't help but laugh. Lachlan was the only one at the Tavern when Rick arrived. "Where is everyone?" Rick asked as he look around the deserted bar. "Pipe broke down at the stable. Almost everyone is down there either moving horses, cleaning up or helping Jeff fix it." Lachlan leaned over to look at his friend.He could see dark circles under the blonde man's eyes. "You alright, mate? No offense but you look like shit." Rick nodded his head. "I'm okay. Just didn't sleep very well." Lachlan was one of the guys that Rick was eventually going to have to tell but he really wanted to talk to Jeff first. Lachlan grabbed his jacket. "Now that you are here, do you mind if I leave? I've got a soft spot for one of the neddies and I'd like to make sure she is all right." Lachlan flashed him a smile when Rick nodded. "Ripper! Ta, mate." With that he bolted towards the door. "You're welcome, bye." Rick said to the man's retreating back.

It was several hours later when a muddy and exhausted group of people made their way back into the Tavern. Rick was ready with lots of hot coffee and tea. Jeff reached for a cup then realized how dirty he was. "If you can keep that hot, mate, I'll be back in two ticks."He gestured to his filthy clothes and face. "I just want a quick shower." "No problem." Rick nodded. "When you get back, there is something I need to talk to you about." Jeff turned at the serious tone in Rick's voice. "Something wrong, mate?" Rick shook his head. He could already feel the nervousness knotting in his belly. "Nothing's wrong. I'll talk to you in a bit." Jeff shrugged and headed to his room. By the time he got back downstairs, the dinner hour was in full swing. He found out from Andy that Rick had been pulled to work in one of the semiformal dining rooms. Jeff thought about heading over there to see what Rick needed to talk to him about but decided not to disturb him. Rick's break was coming up soon and Jeff figured he would talk to him then. Jeff had his head underneath the sink in the Tavern when he heard Rick tell Andy that he was heading out back for his break. Today must be the day for busted pipes because Jeff hadn't been a bit surprised when Andy came running to him saying that there was water flowing out from under the sink. As soon as he was finished here, Jeff was going to find Rick and they were going to have their talk.

Finally done playing plumber, Jeff walked out the back door of the Tavern and quietly made his way over to the porch swing. He could make out Rick's outline illuminated by light coming from the window above him. Jeff started to call out to him when he realized that Rick was asleep. He walked close enough to see the shadow that Rick's eyelashes cast against his high cheekbones. Even in the faint light, Jeff could make out the smudges beneath Rick's eyes. Poor bloke was beat. Jeff leaned forward to brush back a lock of hair that had fallen over Rick's high forehead. He decided to let Rick sleep so he turned and walked back into the Tavern.

Rick slowly opened his eyes when the alarm on his watch went off. He'd set it so that he could take a 'power nap' during his break. He had seen Jeff working on the sink in the Tavern and knew that they weren't destined to have their talk during this break. Or maybe he was just looking for an excuse. He had to admit that he was nervous about this talk with Jeff. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was going to change everything. It was how that he was unsure of. He stretched and slowly walked back into the Tavern. Time

for his shift as bartender. "So what's it like working here with all these Russell Crowe characters?" A petite blonde leaned against the bar. "Pretty strange, huh?" "I'm not sure what you mean." Rick's brow furrowed in confusion. He continued to wipe glasses and put them in away as the blonde prattled on. "You know, all these guys from Russell Crowe's movies. They start as movie characters but in some freaky way they come to life and come here when the movie is done." Rick couldn't remember serving this woman any alcohol but she must be drunk. There was no other excuse for her ranting. "I'm not sure how much you've had to drink but I think it's enough." The woman took offense to Rick's comment. "I am not drunk. Look around," she started pointing to various men in the room. "There's Bud White from L.A. Confidential. Over there is John Biebe from Mystery, Alaska. That guy in the green suit is Sid 6.7 from Virtuosity. And don't tell me you don't know General Maximus from Gladiator. All Russell Crowe characters, all here and alive. I am not drunk." She walked off in a huff. Virtuosity, Mystery, Alaska and Gladiator, all movie titles that Rick recognized. Granted he hadn't seen the movies but he had heard of them. But he had seen L.A. Confidential when it first came out. His thoughts wandered back to his first day here. //Has anyone told you that you look exactly like that cop from L.A. Confidential?--Yep, I get that alot. In fact, you can just call me Bud.// Holy shit! That woman was right. Suddenly Rick couldn't breath for the tightness in his chest. He had to get out of here now. He motioned Andy over. Jeff was sitting at a table talking to Colin when a cold shiver streaked down his spine. He stopped in mid sentence. His eyes swept the room frantically. There was something wrong with Rick. He wasn't sure how he knew that but he was positive he was right. He finally saw Rick behind the bar talking to Andy. Even from across the room, Jeff could see the panicked look on Rick's pale face. "Jeff?" Chelle asked with concern. "Something's wrong with Rick." He gestured to the blonde waiter who was practically running for the back door of the Tavern. "I gotta go." Jeff stood and started towards the bar. Colin and Chelle were close behind him. "Andy, what's wrong with Rick?" Jeff asked as soon as got to the bar. "I don't know. He just asked me to take over. He said he needed some air." "I know." Everyone turned to look at the Welshman standing off to the side. "Some lurker

explained who we are." "Shit!" Jeff groaned. He knew Rick would have to find out sometime but this was not the way he'd hoped. "You mean he didn't know?" Chelle looked pointedly at Colin and Jeff. "I can't believe you guys never told him." "Easy, luv. We were waiting for the right time." Colin held up his hands in surrender. "Really we were." "Come on. Poor bastards probably freaking by now." Jeff headed out the back door. Rick was leaning against the porch rail. He was still trying to catch his breath. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Jeff, Colin and Andy walking towards him. Chelle was following slowly behind them. His gaze darted between the three men. Now that he knew what he was looking for he could see the similarity. They were simply different ages of the same man. Rick started to back up as they came closer, his hands up to ward them off. "Stop right there. Don't come any closer." "Rick," Jeff tried to keep his tone gentle. He could see the scared look on Rick's face. "I know this has got to be kinda surprising." "Surprising? Hell, it's more like the goddamn Twilight Zone. What sort of fucking freak show place is this? Movie characters coming to life?" Rick could hear the panic in his voice, feel his chest getting tight again. He continued to back up. "You're not real, none of you are real. Stay the hell away from me." He motioned to Chelle. "And you, what about you? What movie do you come from?" Chelle's voice was kind as she stepped around Colin and walked towards Rick. "I'm just like you Rick. I didn't come from any movie." She turned to the men behind her. "Why don't you guys go inside and let me talk to him?" Everyone turned to leave except Jeff. He couldn't take his eyes off Rick's panicked face. He was worried that he had wreaked their friendship forever by not telling him. Jeff sighed when Colin grabbed him by the arm and led him back into the Tavern. Rick stood there taking big, gulping breaths. He knew he was hyperventilating but he couldn't stop. He swayed as a wave of dizziness overtook him. He tightened his grip on the railing. Michelle took him gently by the arm and guided him over to the porch swing. She could see that he wasn't handling this very well. She silently cursed the people that made the decision to hide the truth from him. If she ran this place, thing would have happened a little differently. He gripped her hand like a lifeline as he slumped onto the swing. He was still panting and Chelle was worried that he was going to pass out. She placed her other

hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. "Rick, sweetie, look at me. You've got to slow your breathing down." She locked gazes with him. She could still see the terror reflected in his gray eyes. "Come on, breathe with me. That's it, nice and slow." She watched as he matched her slow breathing pattern. "Better?" Rick nodded. The tight feeling in his chest was gone and the panic had subsided. All that was left now was a feeling of confusion. He looked at Michelle. "What is this place?" His voice was barely a whisper. "I know it's hard to understand. But this is a place where the characters from Russell Crowe's movies come when their film is over." She took a deep breath. How was she to explain a place such as this? Usually the people who came here knew exactly what was going on. "So nobody's real." Rick's voice was sad. "All my friends here, Colin, Andy, Lachlan, Johnny and," there was a small catch in his voice, "Jeff. None of them are real?" "Aw, Rick," Michelle tightened her grip on his hand. He looked so lost and lonely. "Of course they are real. They are as real as you and I. When they come from their movie they become real. They have histories and families. They feel, they hurt, they bleed and" her voice softened as she thought of Colin. "they love." "But how?" Chelle shook her head. "No one knows for sure. It just happens. You'll have to talk to one of the boyz about how the transition between movie and real life happens. But you've got to understand, these men are real. They are no different today than they were yesterday when you played footy with them. All of your friends here are real, Rick. Of course what their character is like in the movie determines how they will be here. Their movies are their history." Rick rubbed a hand across his face. This was a lot to try to comprehend. "It still seems like a Twilight Zone episode but I think I'm starting to understand." He gave a tiny laugh. "And it helps explain some things about Sid." "Sid," Chelle shared his laugh. "Yeah, he's a doozy. Maybe you should watch his movie. It'll help you understand where he is coming from." She suddenly got a brilliant idea. "Why don't you stop by the Hotel library sometime? All of the Boyz movies are there. You could start by watching a few and get a better understanding in to their characters." "I think I just might do that." He looked at his watch. He had been outside for over 45 minutes. "I should get back in and finish my shift." He started to rise. Michelle placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Rick, you've had quite a shock. No one expects you to work anymore tonight. Stay out here for a while." She looked up and noticed Jeff standing at the backdoor with a forlorn look on his face. Turning back to

Rick, she said, "Feel like a visit? I think there is someone who really wants to talk to you." She motioned to Jeff. Rick nodded and gave Michelle a quick hug. "Thank you." "You are welcome. Grab me before you go to the library. I'll help you pick out the best movies to start with." She brushed a soft kiss across his cheek. "It'll be all right, Rick." Rick watched Michelle walk back to the door. She paused for a moment to whisper something in Jeff's ear. He nodded and gave her hug. Rick's eyes were downcast when Jeff walked over. Jeff sat down next to him. He started to speak, "Listen, mate.." His voice cracked. Clearing his throat, Jeff started again, "Listen, mate, I can understand if you're angry at me. I feel lower than a snake's belly. We should have told ya. Hell, I should have told ya." Rick turned sad eyes to Jeff. "Why didn't you? Was our friendship so unimportant that you thought it didn't matter?" Jeff shook his head emphatically. "No. I mean, yes. Fuck!" Rick had to laugh at Jeff's confusion "I think I understand what you mean." Jeff laughed in relief. "Thank God. I'm not sure how I was supposed to word that." He placed a hand on Rick's shoulder. "We like you, mate. That's why we didn't tell ya. We didn't want you to leave." "I feel so stupid." Rick ran a weary hand through his hair. "I've been here for almost a month. You'd think I'd have noticed by now." He shook his head at his own lack of observation. Jeff tightened his grip on Rick's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself, mate. You're not the first person who didn't realize what was happening here and you certainly won't be the last." Jeff looked at Rick earnestly. "You aren't still mad at me, are ya?" Rick shook his head. "No. I was never mad at any of you. Just confused." He peered at Jeff closely. "So you were really just a movie character?" Jeff sat up straighter. "Just a movie character?" He shook his head. "Nah. I've always been me. I can't explain it but I have memories of being a kid, playing with my cousins at my grandma's house, Christmas with my mom and dad. In my mind, I've been alive for twenty-four years." He wondered if he ought to spring the next bit of news of Rick now or wait until later. //Might as well get it out in the open, as the actress said to the bishop.// "Here's the tricky part. I was twenty-four in nineteen ninety-four and I'm still twenty-four. I'll always be twenty-four because that's how old I was in my movie." He watched as Rick buried his face in his hands.

"So not only are you guys all movie characters but you don't age either? Jesus fucking Christ!" came Rick's muffled reply. He looked up. "Any thing else I should know about this place?" Jeff smiled, "Nope, I think that's the highlights." "Thank God! I'm not sure I could take any more revelations tonight." They both turned when the backdoor of the Tavern opened. "Sorry to interrupt, mates," Colin said from the open door. "but East just rang. That pipe is leaking again." "Fuck!" Jeff swore under his breath. He looked back at Rick. "I gotta go. Can we finish this talk later? I'm not sure how long I'll be." Rick patted Jeff's hand. "Sure. I think I'm going to head home. I need a little time to absorb all this." "No worries, mate. If you have any questions just give me a ring." Jeff stood and looked down at Rick, "Any time, day or night. I mean it." "Thanks, Jeff." Rick shook Jeff's hand and watched him walk off. Rick sat outside for awhile looking up at the stars. //What an amazing place this is.// Funny, now that he had accepted it, the whole concept didn't seem so strange. He'd grown up on tales of fairies and leprechauns. Movie characters coming to life didn't seem so improbable. He stopped by Colin and Michelle's table. She went with him to pick out some movies to watch. Together they decided that Sid and Hando were good ones to start with. Michelle figured that the movies would help Rick understand the two men and help him deal with them better. Finally Rick pulled Jeff's movie off the shelf. He'd never had the chance to tell Jeff he was gay. Rick hoped that watching Jeff's movie would give him insight into Jeff's reaction when he finally did tell him. Rick drove back to his room. He unlocked the door and tossed his keys and the movies on the small table next to the door. He had thought that with all the excitement today that he would be too tired to sleep. But he was exhausted. He'd barely kept his eyes open on the drive home. He knew he had the next day off so he figured he's sleep late then have a movie marathon. //I hope I'm ready for this.//

Jeff sat on the bleachers spinning a football in his hand. It was barely dawn and silvery,

orange tendrils of the sunrise broke the horizon. But Jeff was oblivious to the scene in front of him. His thoughts lingered on the events of the previous evening.= Jeff could still recall the look of terror on Rick's face when he realized what this place was all about. It was Rick's day off but he usually came by anyway. Jeff was amazed that the blonde waiter was still determined to play footy with the rest of the blokes. Jeff sighed. He knew that Rick wouldn't be coming by today. More than likely, he was still at home with his head buried under the covers praying that it has all been a bad dream. Jeff wouldn't be surprised if Rick took off and never looked back. What surprised him was how much the thought of that hurt. Jeff looked up when Colin sat down next to him. "What'da reckon?" Colin looked at his 'brother'. Jeff was usually one of the most cheerful of all the blokes that lived here. Colin still remembered how much Jeff had helped him when he first arrived. Hell of a thing to be dead in a car on the beach one minute and the next minute alive at a hotel. Jeff's chipper Aussie voice was one of the first things Colin heard. But Jeff didn't look so happy now. And Colin had a good idea of the reason. "Heard from Rick?" "Nope." Jeff shook his head. "Didn't really expect to." He turned to Colin. "Did you see the look on his face, mate? Bloody hell! We scared the piss out of him. I wonder if he'll even come back." "Chelle talked to him. You talked to him." Colin debated on telling Jeff that Rick had a copy of his movie. He decided that was something better left between the two men. "He'll be right, mate." Colin took a deep breath. "This may be none of my business and you can tell me to go to hell if you like but..." Colin paused. He was treading on shaky ground here. But he had watched his brother fight this thing for almost a month. Maybe it was time for Jeff to face it head on. "What are your feelings for Rick?" Jeff looked away before his face betrayed him. "He's a good mate." Colin laid a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "That's not what I mean and you know it. I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one is noticing. " Colin could feel Jeff stiffen. "It's all right." Anger and embarrassment warred in Jeff's mind, anger won. "What the hell do you want me to say? That I think he's good-looking? That I'd like to fuck him? Is that what you want to hear? Dammit, Colin." He buried his face in his hands. His next words were muffled. "Bloody hell! He's one of the few blokes that I'm not related to here. And all I can think about is how much I want him." "This is going to sound crazy but I think he is here for you." Colin had given this a lot of thought. Rick wasn't the only non-RC man here but he was the only one that hung around during his off time. He was the only outside bloke they were friends with. And Colin couldn't get the fact out of his mind that Jeff knew something was wrong with Rick last night, even though Jeff had his back turned to the bloke. It was too much like the

connection that the guys had with their ladies to be a coincidence. Colin told Jeff his theory. He finished with, "I can't say for sure that he is gay but.." His voice trailed off. Jeff's head popped up. "So what the hell am I supposed to do about it?" Colin thought about Rick watching Jeff's movie. He figured that if his theory was right, Jeff wasn't going to have to do anything. "Nothing, mate." He stood and gave Jeff a brotherly pat on the shoulder. "I have a feeling it will work itself out." Jeff watched Colin walk away. He gave the football another spin. "Easy for you to say." Rick rolled over, squinting at the bright sunlight steaming across the bed. He blinked several times to try to force his eyes to focus. A throbbing headache made him slightly nauseous. He felt like he'd been on a three week bender but knew he hadn't drank anything last night because he had been working. Working! It all came back in a rush. He worked at a place where movie characters come to life. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Not just any movie characters but Russell Crowe movie characters. Who would believe it? Maybe it was all just a bad dream. He opened his eyes and carefully looked at the table next to the bed. Stacked neatly on it was three movies. Hando was glaring at him from the cover of the top movie. Damn! It wasn't a dream. Rick slowly got out of bed. He decided that he would go out and get something to eat first. He thought about the things he should do today. He should deposit his paycheck, buy a few groceries, take a walk, maybe drive back home to New York. He shook his head. He wasn't driving home and he knew it. He was just stalling. He had kind of accepted the theory last night. But in the harsh light of day, it seemed more unlikely. Somehow he knew there would be no denying it once he popped those movies in. Noon came too quickly for Rick. He'd done everything he could possibly imagine doing and there was nothing left except to watch some movies. He had stopped by a local deli to grab some soup and a sandwich. He was hoping that the feeling in his stomach was caused by hunger. It couldn't be nerves. He had nothing to be nervous about. Right! Rick took the stack of movies over to the VCR. Jeff's movie was the only movie he had that wasn't in its original case. Michelle has said something about coffee getting dumped on it. It really didn't matter to Rick because he wasn't going to look at the covers anyway. He thought it would be better to watch the movies with as little bias as possible. He looked at the movies trying to decide which one to watch first. He remembered his conversations with Sid. Time to see what that guy was all about. Rick watched Virtuosity while he ate lunch. Totally stupid movie but it explained so much about Sid. Now he understood why the guy walked around like he had a stick up his ass and thought he was so much better than everyone else. Most of all it explained Andy's comment about Sid being an expert on serial killers. Plus, it also explained what all that blue crap had been splattered across the bar after that fight between Sid and Bud. Kinda creepy to think that guy was real. Yet, Rick couldn't help but be intrigued. He

loved true crime and the thought of someone who such first hand knowledge about it was tempting. But then Rick thought about the movie. //Um, maybe not such a good idea after all.// He put in Romper Stomper next and watched in morbid fascination. He admitted that the movie was well done but it wasn't easy to watch. He found himself disgusted by the violence and slightly ashamed of himself for feeling sorry for this band of thugs. He couldn't believe how much sympathy he felt for Hando when everything the skinhead had known came crashing down around him. //Get grip, O'Neill, he's a fucking Neo-Nazi and would kick your ass if he knew you were gay.// Rick made a mental note to stay away from both Hando and Sid as much as he could. He was pretty sure that neither one of them would have much tolerance for his sexual preference. He went for a quick walk around town just to loosen up muscles that had cramped from sitting in front of the TV. He only had one more movie to watch and that was Jeff's. He admitted that it felt kinda strange watching movies about people that he already knew as real. They didn't feel like fiction, it felt more like watching someone's home movie. He walked back to his room. He didn't know why he was so nervous about watching Jeff's movie. He and Jeff were friends, it shouldn't feel so strange. He wished Jeff was here with him maybe then it wouldn't feel so much like he was invading the man's privacy. Rick slid the movie into the VCR and sat down on the bed, a salad that he had picked up sitting next to him. He smiled slightly as Jeff's voice came on. His smile widened as he watched the black and white footage of young Jeff playing with his grandma and the other kids. Yes, this really was like a home movie. He leaned back, munching on his salad as he watched Jeff jogging down the street. He looked so much like he did the day Rick met him on the beach. Rick was still amazed at how good that guy looked in shorts, all sweaty. He laughed about loud as Jeff berated his dad for not turning off the water completely. Hadn't he just recently gotten that lecture from Jeff when he didn't tighten the faucets in the tavern kitchen? Rick resisted the urge to rewind back to the part where Jeff walked away, whisking off the towel. No sense giving himself more ideas about the man he considered a friend. Rick dropped the fork back into the salad in shock. Did Jeff's dad really say what he thought he said? Mr. Right! Yep, there he said it again. Good god, Jeff was gay! The man he'd had all sorts of erotic dreams about and felt guilty about was gay. Why hadn't Jeff told him? But then he'd never told Jeff. Rick sat back, his salad forgotten as he watched the rest of the movie. He sat in stunned silence as the credit's rolled. He was already crazy about Jeff and watching this movie cinched it. It was easy to let his platonic feelings for Jeff slide into something more sexual. Now he wondered what he was going to do about it. //Well, Mum always said I was a bold one.// He took a quick shower, splashed on a little cologne and slipped into a smoky gray silk shirt. He pulled on a pair of black jeans. Jeans that he knew were just a little too tight so they hugged his body and showed it off to the best advantage. He looked at himself in the mirror. //Hope you know what you're doing, buddy. You could be wrecking a good

friendship.// He winked at his reflection. //Or you could be starting something a whole lot better.// Rick pushed open the door to the Tavern. It was a typically slow weeknight. He scanned the room, looking for Jeff. Andy greeted him. "G'day Rick. What are you doing here? I thought you had the night off." "I need to talk to Jeff. You seen him around?" Rick hoped he wasn't being to obvious. "As far as I know, he's upstairs in his room. I haven't seen him tonight." Andy gave Rick a puzzled look. "Everything okay? I could give him a ring if you'd like." "Nah." Rick waved him off. "I'll just run up there and check for myself." Rick strode up the stairs and knocked on Jeff's door. Jeff opened it. He was wearing a worn pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He smiled at Rick. "Rick, how are ya?" He opened the door wider. "Come in." "Hi, Jeff" Rick turned as Jeff shut the door. "I need to talk to you. You got any plans I'm interrupting?" Jeff shook his head. "No, mate. Just planning on watching a little tele then going to bed. What's going on?" Jeff was worried. There was a tension about Rick that he had never noticed before. The blonde man seemed nervous about something. "Sit down, I'll grab us a beer." Rick waited until Jeff was seated next to him on the couch. He took a swig of his beer. //Might as well get this started.// He cleared his throat. "I watched some movies today. Michelle gave them to me. She thought that they might help me to understand some of the guys from this place." Jeff was curious but he already had a bad feeling about where this was going. He could almost guess what one of the movies was. He asked, "So whose films did you watch?" "Sid's, Hando's and," Rick stared into Jeff's eyes, "yours." "Oh." Jeff was almost afraid to ask, "So is that why you are here?" "Yeah. Jeff, how come you never told me you were gay?" Rick's voice was soft. Jeff was too nervous to sit. He stood and started to pace around the room. He pushed his dark hair back with one hand. This was it. Everything might change in this one moment. His back was to Rick when he said, "Should I have? Would it have made a bloody difference?" He froze when Rick stood behind him. He could feel Rick's hand on his

shoulder but he couldn't turn around. "Jeff, look at me." Rick pleaded. He met Jeff's gaze when he turned. //Here goes nothing//, he told himself. Rick carefully laid a hand along the side of Jeff's neck. His thumb grazed the underside of Jeff's jaw and his fingers slid under the hair at his nape. Rick watched as Jeff's eyes widened and his breathing sped up. "It makes a difference because I'm gay too. And I really, really like you." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Jeff's. Jeff was dumbfounded, too startled to react. It was one thing to think it and another thing to hear Rick actually say it. Rick was a poofter. He suddenly realized that Rick was pulling away. He reached out a hand to stop him. "Where ya going, mate?" "I thought.." Rick's words were cut off when Jeff pulled him back. Warm lips crushed his in a passionate kiss. Rick gasped and Jeff used the opportunity to slide his tongue into Rick's mouth. Their tongues dueled with each others. They broke away panting. "Good lord!" Rick blinked a couple of times. He'd been kissed before but never like that. "Man, can you kiss!" Jeff chuckled, relief making him giddy. He could feel his cheeks getting warm. He averted his eyes from Rick's gaze. A finger under his chin forced him to look up. Rick's smile was bright. "Don't go all shy on me now, Mitchell." He pulled Jeff back for another kiss. Their hands roamed across each others bodies. Jeff delighted in the feel of Rick's lean body though the slick silk. He loved the way the fabric slid across Rick but he longed to lay his hands on the skin underneath. He reached down for a button and carefully slipped it free. He slowly undid the next one and the next. Jeff was driving Rick crazy. He was moving way too slow for Rick's comfort. He'd waited too long for this. Rick placed his hands over Jeff's and held them tight against the edge of his shirt. Staring into Jeff's eyes, Rick pulled his shirt apart. Buttons scattered across the floor. Grabbing Jeff's hands, he placed them on his chest. Jeff moved his hands along Rick's smooth chest. He ran a thumb across a flat nipple. He smiled as it tightened to a peak under his fingers. Leaning down he tongued it while he reached up with a hand to tease Rick's other nipple. Jeff delighted in Rick's low groan and the way Rick's hips pressed forward against his. Rick gasped and buried his hands in Jeff's dark hair. Blood immediately rushed to his groin and suddenly his jeans were way too tight. Rick pulled Jeff up for another bruising kiss. At Jeff's waist, Rick's hands bunched the fabric of his T-shirt. Rick desperately wanted to pull it off, needing to feel the warmth of Jeff's skin against his own. He broke off the kiss long enough to remove Jeff's shirt. He then pressed himself against Jeff's broad chest and groaned as Jeff's heated skin caressed his.

Jeff slid his hand down Rick's chest, past his tight stomach to the bulge in Rick's jeans. He rubbed his hand over and over the straining fabric. His own erection swelled at the sound of Rick's harsh groan. "Maybe we should move this to another room, mate." "Most definitely." Rick followed Jeff back to the bedroom. Rick was barely through the door before he whirled Jeff around for another kiss. This time it wasn't a soft, gentle kiss. It was a kiss of two men working through a month of sexual frustration. Neither wanted to stop but they had to breathe sometime. Rick finally broke away and rested his head against Jeff's forehead as he struggle to take in air. "Oh..my..god." Jeff chuckled. "You can say that again, mate. Maybe we ought to slow down a bit." Rick reached down to Jeff's waistband. "Next time we'll go slow." The two men struggled to get each other's clothes off. Jeff's hands got in the way of Rick's and finally they decided by unspoken agreement to undress themselves. Jeff reached for Rick again. They kissed as he pulled him towards the bed. The back of Jeff's knees hit the mattress and he lost his balance. He ended up flat on the bed with Rick hovering above him. He could feel the heat of Rick's erection pressing into his thigh. He started to reach for it when Rick's hand stopped him. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this." Rick's voice was husky. "Let me touch you." "Alright, mate, as long as I get to return the favor." Jeff groaned as Rick gently traced his fingertips across Jeff's lips then followed it with a tender kiss. He moved on to the cord along Jeff's neck, his fingers tracing a line down Jeff's throat before placing his tongue along the same spot. It didn't take Jeff long to realize that where Rick's fingers touched his mouth soon followed. Rick traced a path down Jeff's chest, stopping to tease flat nipples into tight peaks. He followed the faint line on hair down Jeff's chest until his hand met the hard flesh at the junction of Jeff's thighs. Rick could swear that his hand was trembling as he reached out to touch Jeff. It wasn't his first time, not by a long shot but he had never been so in tuned to the other person's response before. His hand encased the velvet flesh and began to stroke it. Jeff knew what was next. Although he was enjoying the feel of Rick's hand wrapped firmly around his cock, he was hoping for more. His anticipation was short-lived as Rick leaned over and began to gently kiss his way up Jeff's shaft. Rick nuzzled across the tip of his penis and ended the caress with a long, slow swipe down the hard length. Jeff groaned as Rick took him fully into his mouth. His hips arched up and Rick gently pushed him back down. "Easy." Rick's breath caressed Jeff's penis as he spoke. "Relax and let me do the work." Rick returned his attention to the body beneath him. Rick took him into his mouth again,

closing over the head. He teased Jeff for a bit with flicks of his tongue and light sucking. Jeff squirmed. Rick slid a little lower and increased his sucking, drawing Jeff further into his mouth. Jeff reached down to tangle his hands in Rick's hair trying to urge him on. "Oh god, that feels so good." Jeff's voice was low and husky. He gasped when the sucking increased in intensity with more of his shaft sliding into Rick's mouth. The rhythm built slowly. Jeff could feel the tension in his groin increase. He was so close. As much as he was enjoying this, he wanted more. He wanted to bury himself inside Rick and never come out. He pulled Rick up for a burning kiss. "I want to be inside you, mate." Jeff's voice was barely a whisper against Rick's ear. Rick didn't think he could get any more turned on but Jeff's growled words in his ear nearly sent him over the edge. He stared down into Jeff's eyes. "Oh yeah, I thought you'd never ask. You got any...?" He left the question unfinished, knowing that Jeff would get his drift. Jeff's face fell. He could feel his cheeks start to flush. "Actually no. It's just that I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen here. It's okay, not a big deal. We can do other thi.." Rick silenced him with a kiss. Looking down into Jeff's eyes, Rick said with a grin, "No worries, mate." He bounced off the bed and ran out to the living room seemly unaware of his nakedness. He grabbed his ever present backpack and strode back into the bedroom. "Got my handy, dandy New York City date pack in here somewhere." Rick dug around until he located a small zippered bag. "Ah-ha." He held it up triumphantly and jumped back on the bed. His landing caused him to tilt a little and Jeff reached up to steady him. Jeff used the opportunity to run a caressing hand along Rick's hip. He slid his hand around the front and stroked Rick's erect penis. He smiled when Rick let out a little gasp. "So tell me. Just what is a 'New York City date pack'?" Rick playfully batted Jeff's hand away. "I can't think when you do that, man." He unzipped the bag and dumped the contents out on the bed. He held each one up. "One tube of lubricating jelly to slide things along. One strip of condoms to keep things safe and one package of spermicidal jelly just in case anything gets through." Jeff grabbed the lubricating jelly and tossed the rest on the floor. "We don't need the rest. I'm not sure how it works but there's aren't any diseases here." Rick groaned and snatched the tube away from Jeff. He quickly prepared himself and Jeff then crawled up Jeff's chest and straddled him. He leaned in for a fierce kiss. As he slipped his tongue into Jeff's mouth, his hand fell back to take Jeff's length and guide it into his opening. Jeff moaned as Rick's slowly descending weight forced him deeper inside. When he was

finally buried deep inside Rick's waiting body he grasped Rick's hips to give him time to adjust to the intrusion. It wasn't long before the legs on either side of his hips tensed as Rick raised himself up. Jeff met his descent eagerly, thrusting his hips upward. Rick cried out in ecstasy as Jeff met each downward push with increasing strength. Rick set the pace for a while then reached down to place Jeff's hands on his hips. He relaxed and let Jeff guide him up and down using the grip on Rick's hips for leverage. He threw his head back as sensations swept over him. They continued to move together, each driving the other towards completion. Jeff took one hand off Rick's hip and grasped the other man's erection. He stroked it in sync with the thrusting of his hips as he pushed in and out of Rick's body. Rick wasn't sure whose orgasm started first but they both climaxed almost at the same time. He heard Jeff's groan then felt the warm rush of Jeff's ejaculation inside his body. That set his own release in motion and Rick stiffened as his jerking shaft covered Jeff's chest with fluid. He collapsed forward onto Jeff, his breath leaving in a sigh. Jeff wrapped his arms around Rick as he drew him up for a tender kiss. He sighed as Rick shifted to eased himself off Jeff's slowly softening penis. They lay next to each other gently stroking the other's body with tender caresses. Rick snuggled up against Jeff. Pushing aside Jeff's hair, he nuzzled his lover's neck. He didn't want to move, he wanted to stay this way forever wrapped in the arms of the man he loved. //Man I love?// Rick stiffened slightly. Just when had that happened? When had love slipped into all this lusting? Rick lay back against Jeff, a hand against the other man's chest. He traced idle circles in the drying stickiness as his thoughts whirled. So he was in love with Jeff Mitchell. Just what was he supposed to do about that? Part Six Jeff looked down at the man resting against his chest. He reveled in the opportunity to just stare at him. No sneaking sideways glances hoping no one would notice. He could just look all he wanted. Jeff reached over to sweep a lock of hair off Rick's forehead. Smoky gray eyes lifted to lock gazes with him. Jeff automatically smiled when Rick's full lips curved into a sated smile. "I can't believe.." Rick started to say at the same time that Jeff said, "Who'da thought.." They both laughed. Rick rolled over so he could look Jeff in the eye. "We wasted a lot of time, you know." Jeff smiled at Rick. "I know. I wanted you from the moment I met you." Rick grinned as he remembered their first meeting. How he had to stay in the water until he could control his body's response to the man on the shore. "You could have had me the moment I met you."

Jeff leaned back with a groan. "Now you tell me." He looked up as Rick turned towards him. His lips curved into a smile as Rick tenderly brushed a kiss across them. "What was that for?" Rick blushed, "Just for being you." //Sheesh, could you get any sappier, O'Neill?// He was glad when Jeff rose and headed to the bathroom. He lay back against the mattress with a groan. "I've got to play it cool," he whispered to himself. "Can't rush this, it's too important." Rick was sitting on the side of the bed when Jeff returned from the bathroom. He looked up as the handsome plumber walked towards him. "I should probably shove off." "No!" Jeff almost shouted. Flushing, he lowered his voice, "I mean, you don't have to. You could stay. Um, that is if you want to..but you don't have to." Rick grinned and flopped back on the bed. "I'd love to." He crawled back under the covers and motioned for Jeff to join him. This time it was Jeff's turn to snuggle under his arm. He smiled as Jeff smothered a yawn. "Tired?" "Stuffed." Jeff laughed at Rick's confused expression. "Yeah, I'm tired. Didn't get much sleep last night." Rick reached across to turn off the bedside lamp. The light from the full moon outside bathed the room in a soft glow. There was just enough light for Rick to make out the features of the man lying against him. Long lashes lay against Jeff's cheeks. Rick resisted the urge to brush a finger against them to see if they were as soft as they looked. "Goodnight, Jeff." He gave him a tender squeeze. Jeff smiled sleepily. "Goodnight, Rick." It didn't take long for the cadence of his breathing to change as he drifted off to sleep. Rick looked down at the man resting against him. Jeff was shorter than him and that's what made it perfect. He fit so neatly against Rick's chest. Rick wrapped his other arm around him and stared at his lover. Who would have thought that he would want to stay awake just to watch Jeff sleep? Jeff's dark hair was still damp and tousled from their previous lovemaking and a few locks curled against his forehead. A wave of love overwhelmed Rick and his arm tightened. Jeff murmured in his sleep, his hand unconsciously caressing Rick's chest. "I love you, Jeff." Rick whispered as he closed his eyes. A knock on the door jerked them both awake. They exchanged glances, both blinking in the sunlight that streamed through the curtain. Jeff stretched and yelled through the door. "Go away." The knocking didn't stop. He sighed and got out of bed. Leaning down, he kissed Rick deeply. "I'll be right back."

"You better be." Rick winked at him. Jeff padded through the living room to the front door. He wrapped a towel around his waist as he reached for the doorknob. He was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he opened the door to Colin's smiling face. "G'day, mate." Colin's glance swept the room. He could see a gray shirt tossed carelessly across the couch with some of its buttons scattered across the carpet. His smile widened to a grin as he looked back at Jeff's red face. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" "Ease off, Colin." Colin only laughed. "Don't suppose you've seen Rick lately, have you?" He laughed harder as Jeff's face turned red. "Why would I have seen Rick?" Jeff asked innocently. Colin grinned, "Cuz he's sleeping in your bed, mate." He walked towards the bedroom with Jeff in tow trying to stop him. "Up and at 'em, O'Neill. You're late for work." He chuckled when Rick's tousled head popped out from under the covers. "Holy shit!" Rick struggled to get the covers off him "What time is it?" He grabbed the bedside clock. "Son of a bitch!" "Okay, Colin. You've had your fun, now get out." Jeff motioned towards the door. Colin paused at the door. His expression was serious for a change. "I'm not kidding, Jeff. Rick really is supposed to work today." Jeff got back into the bedroom just in time to see Rick sprint out of bed. He watched as Rick tore past him into the bathroom cursing the whole time. "Jeff?" Rick quickly adjusted the water for the shower. He jumped in and yelped as the too hot water scalded his skin. Jeff reached in and turned the cold water up. "Slow down, you're gonna hurt yourself." He turned to the vanity and dug out a new toothbrush. He spread paste on it and handed it into the shower. "Thanks, Jeff." Rick quickly showered and brushed his teeth. He decided to forgo shaving today. Luckily his beard was light enough to skip a day without being obvious. He pulled on his jeans and raced into the living room where Jeff was sitting on the couch drinking a cup of tea. He smiled as Jeff held out a dark maroon shirt for him. "You might need this, mate" Jeff handed him the shirt. "Yours is a little worse for wear."

Rick slipped on the shirt. It was a little too big through the shoulders but looked all right. He left it untucked to hide his skintight black jeans. This would have to do until he could get a chance to go home for a change of clothes. "Thanks, Jeff." He leaned over to kiss him passionately. His hand tangled with the plumber's dark hair. When he pulled back they were both breathing heavily. "Come find me later?" "You bet your ass." Jeff winked. He watched as Rick walked out the door, closing it gently behind him. Jeff leaned back against the couch with a silly grin on his face. "Ripper." He reached over to grab Rick's silk shirt. Holding up to his nose he inhaled deeply. God, he was acting like a lovesick teenager. But it was true. He was lovesick. He was crazy about the handsome blonde waiter who had shared his bed. Jeff sighed. Maybe it was the way he was raised or something but he didn't feel like the stereotypical gay man. He wanted a relationship, he wanted the same person beside him every night, and he wanted to wake up in the same bloke's arms every morning. He wanted Rick forever. Not just a fuck once in a while. He was in love with him. He could only hope that Rick felt the same. After the third person asked him why he was wearing Jeff's shirt, Rick had finally had enough. He scanned the room. Bud was in the corner reading the paper. Colin and Chelle were eating at a small table for two. Alex and Johnny were hard at a pool game. Rick stood on a bar and tapped a glass. "Excuse me! Hey!!" When he had everyone's attention he shouted, "Let me save you all asking me the same question over and over. Yes, this is Jeff's shirt. I'm wearing it because he ripped the buttons off mine. Yes, I spend the night with him. And no I did not sleep on the couch. And with any luck I'll be spending a whole lot more nights with him. Thank you for your attention!" Silence settled over the bar. Suddenly someone coughed and Rick turned to see a blushing Arthur hightailing it out the door. Rick realized what he had just done. Had he really told that whole place that he and Jeff were lovers? He jumped down and lowered his head to the bar, banging it softly but repeatedly. Jeff came down the stairs just as Rick made his big announcement. He walked over to the bar. "Well, mate, that's one way to get it out in the open." Jeff smiled tenderly at the waiter. "But if it's all the same to you, can we skip the public service announcement when Sid or Hando is around?" Rick looked up. "Oh god, Jeff. I am so sorry. I wasn't even thinking." He met Jeff's gaze, hoping that he wouldn't see anger in those sparkling eyes that he loved so much. "It's right, mate." Jeff ran a caressing finger across Rick's full lips. "Most of the blokes around here don't care that I'm gay. Ya just have to be careful." Rick nodded. He looked over at Colin as he walked to the bar. "Can I help you?"

"All I can say is that it's about bloody time." Colin gave Jeff a slap on the arm. "I was getting tired of you two pussy footing around this like a couple of blue rinses at a B and S Ball." Rick turned to Jeff with a confused look on his face. "I didn't understand a fucking thing he just said." Jeff laughed, "Colin's rubbing it in that he knew we were gonna be together before we did." Colin just grinned. "Good on ya!" He gave Rick a pat on the shoulder and returned to his table. Rick just shook his head. "You're all crazy around here, you know." He turned as Lachlan came up and placed an order. Jeff tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I'll leave to you work. Come find me later?" He echoed Rick's earlier words. Rick grinned back. "You bet your ass." He gave Jeff a look that promised more of what they had shared last night. His eyes followed Jeff as he walked away. "Ehm." Lachlan cleared his throat to gain the waiter's attention. He couldn't hide his smile. Maybe he hadn't found his soul mate yet but he knew what it looked like when someone did. Rick jerked his head around; his cheeks reddening at being caught blatantly staring at Jeff. "Hi Lach, what can I get for you?" "Well, if you can tear your eyes away from my brother for a minute, I'll have a cup of tea and brown toast. Don't forget the vegemite." He reached out to grab Rick's arm. "I'm happy for ya, mate and for Jeff, too. He's waited a long time for someone. I'm glad it was you." Rick looked down, embarrassed at Lachlan's words. "Thanks, Lachlan." "And it explains something." Lachlan's voice was rich with laughter. "What?" Rick asked as he went about making Lachlan's tea. "Why you play footy like a bloody poof." Lachlan laughed at Rick's expression. The rest of the day went quickly for Rick after his late start and before he knew it was time to go home. The late afternoon crowd had been pretty slow so it was decided that Rick might as well go home early. Only home wasn't where he intended to head. As soon as he was finished, he high tailed it up the stairs to a certain handsome plumber's room.

He stood at the door with a six-pack of VB in one hand and a bag with sandwiches in the other. He tapped on the door lightly with his foot. His smiled widened as Jeff answered the door. Rick held up his packages. "Honey, I'm home." He grinned, "and I brought dinner." Jeff grabbed him and pulled the waiter inside. "Is the take away hot or cold?" Rick's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Cold, why?" Jeff's lips descended slowly. When they were almost against the other man's lips, he whispered, "Because I've been waiting all day for this." He lowered his lips the rest of the way and tenderly drew Rick's top lip between his own. He drew it in to lightly suckle then switched to give his lower lip the same treatment. Jeff deepened the kiss until they were both breathless. He pulled back to stare into Rick's smoky gray eyes. Part Seven (back to top) They undressed each other slowly, gently touching and tasting each other. Tonight they had time to explore. The initial haste of a first coupling was over, now was the time to enjoy the pleasure of discovering a new love. Jeff pressed Rick back onto the bed. Rick gasped as Jeff lightly kissed his way across his chest. His back arched as Jeff's warm mouth engulfed one of his nipples. The plumber's long, talented fingers gave the other nipple equal attention. Soon they were tight and throbbing just like his cock. Rick arched up trying desperately to rub himself against the man leaning on him. Jeff soothed him with soft kisses and tender strokes. "Easy, mate. This time we take it slow." He pressed a knee between Rick's thighs, forcing the man to spread his legs apart. They both gasped as this new position pressed their straining erections together. They moved closer and Jeff sighed as he felt Rick's hardness against his own. He held Rick tighter against him. Rick groaned as their cocks rubbed together in the tight channel created by their entwined bodies. Rick began to rock, slowly at first then picking up speed as Jeff caught on. They ground against one another in an easy rhythm that could go on for a long time. But their mutual desire for one another wouldn't allow them to drag this on. Soon they were bucking together, their sweaty skin pressed close as rivulets of moisture trickled down between them. His cock pumped into the slick space between them as his hips thrust in time with Jeff's. Their lips met in a mindless kiss of passion and Jeff moaned as Rick nipped gently at his lower lip then the moan built to a groan of desire as Rick nipped harder. The movement of their hips increased and Jeff gripped Rick's back harder. He was struggling to maintain some semblance of control when Rick bit harder on his lip, the sting just this side of pain. Jeff could feel his control snap. The grinding of his hips became harder and more frantic

and Rick followed him stroke for stroke as they drove themselves towards that hard, gasping finish. Rick could feel his orgasm welling up in his balls. His hand slid low along Jeff's back as he struggled to contain his release. He slipped a finger along the crack between the plumber's buttocks. He found the tight bud of the man's opening and slipped a finger inside. He heard Jeff cry out then felt him shudder as the wetness of his climax splashed into the space between them. That was all it took to send Rick over the edge and his own semen joined that of his lover. They both lay joined as they shivered out the last of their release. Their penises twitched in tandem as they spilled the last of their orgasms. Jeff sighed, fighting for breath. "Shit, that was good." "Yeah," Rick said sluggishly as he pressed soft kisses against the side of Jeff's neck. "Ready for round two?" Jeff giggled breathlessly. "I don't think I could." When he was sure that his legs would support him, he stumbled into the bathroom to retrieve a washcloth to clean them up. He lay back down next to Rick and gently wiped away the lingering remains of their lovemaking. He tossed the soiled cloth over the side of the bed and lay down next to Rick. He propped himself up on one elbow to look down on the handsome waiter. "Did you mean what you said be..before?" Jeff stuttered. He couldn't believe how nervous he was. "You know about spending a lot more nights with me?" Rick reached up to caress the side of Jeff's face. "Yeah, I meant it. Every word of it. It's just.." Rick paused. "What?" Jeff looked intently at him. Rick shook his head. "Oh god, this is going to sound so sappy." "What?!?" "It's just hard to believe that I could pick this place to work, a place that doesn't even exist for most people. And in doing so, I'd find you. It was like something led me here. Some sort of..oh I can't describe it. But I feel some sort of..." Rick halted, at a loss for words. "A connection?" Jeff's voice was soft. "Yeah, that's it! A connection with you. For the moment I saw you on the beach, I felt it." Rick's smile was full of love. Time for the big moment, he decided. He looked intently into Jeff's eyes. "I'm crazy about you, Jeff and I can't think of anything I'd rather do than spend time with you. And it's not just the sex, although that is good. I love just being with you." He took a deep breath. "Hell, Jeff, I love you."

Jeff just lay there with a stunned look on his face. He couldn't believe that everything that he had wanted was coming true. "Um, I've never said that to a guy before but I think this is where you're suppose to say that you love me too." Rick said nervously. Maybe Jeff didn't feel the way he did. Maybe he'd just made a fool of himself. Jeff blinked a couple of times and swallowed hard. He laughed self-consciously. "Sorry, mate. Didn't expect you to come right out and say it." Rick started to say something and Jeff stopped him so he could finish. "I just didn't think that you'd feel the way that I do." He leaned over the brush a tender kiss across Rick's mouth. "I love you, too." Rick pulled him close and enveloped him in a tight hug. He sighed as Jeff snuggled against him. Recalling one of the last lines from Jeff's movie, he whispered against the handsome man's dark hair, "Everything turned out real nice after all." And the rest, as they say is history.