FicWad

Disclaimer: As usual ...
Note: In response to the PRSW 22 challenge on LiveJournal, themes #06, family; #13, loss and #18, rock. This is the second in what I've now decided will be a three-chapter arc. Many thanks to Cmar for permission to draw on Wes and Eric's backstory from her "Turns In The Road" series, the beta, comments and helpful suggestions. You rock, lady! - Hopefully I'll see you guys next chapter; enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out?


More Than Friends And Brothers
Chapter 12: The Price of Love, Pt. 2




Memorial Day weekend.

For the last few years, the date had held nothing but extremely pleasant memories for Tommy, as it marked the anniversary of the first time he and Jason had made love. If they could, they always went back to his uncle's cabin in the mountains, where 'they' had truly begun. This year, though ...

This year, he was sick with worry. About Jason's general state of mind, and whether their relationship would even survive the holiday.

Depending on what Eric has planned ... will it really help Jason? And if it doesn't, will he ever forgive me for bringing outsiders in?

He didn't know, and it set his nerves on edge. Thus he was yea-close to pacing the porch in front of his house when he heard Jason's car pull into the driveway at last. Forcing himself to walk at a normal pace, Tommy went to greet his friend. A surreptitious glance showed that the dent in the right fender still hadn't been fixed, but the stormy expression on Jason's face made Tommy swallow any remark. Instead, he greeted him as naturally as he could manage.

"Hey, Bro!"

Jason just growled and slammed the door shut with unnecessary force before stomping up the few steps.

Wisely, Tommy refrained from trying to hug him. He supposed any emotion was better than the stony withdrawal of the last couple of months, but he knew Jason - his temper, usually tightly under control, was seriously riled and barely held in check. Under the circumstances, Tommy feared an explosion at the slightest provocation. "What's up?" he asked mildly.

With a muttered curse, Jason threw his duffle bag into a corner. "We lost the Stone Canyon game."

"Oh hell," Tommy groaned. "What happened?" Traditionally, championship game or not, the friendly rivalry between Angel Grove and Stone Canyon was the highlight of the high school sports season, no matter in which discipline. With Jason as coach, no game had ever been lost - until now.

Frustratedly, Jason ran his hands through his hair. "I had to suspend the quarterback and two other key players from the game because they didn't pull a B grade average as I'd told them they'd have to. Consequently, we lost - and now most everybody is saying it's my fault; that I should've let them play regardless."

"That's stupid," Tommy immediately took his side. "I mean, sure, winning is great and sports is valuable, if only to get college scholarships for gifted athletes, but it can't be more important than schoolwork!"

"Tell that to the vice principal and at least half the parents."

The two teachers shared an exasperated look. "What is it with some people, anyway?" Tommy groused. "I guess I'm lucky; most of my science students aren't that much into athletics, but every now and then there's another Conner McKnight in my classes, and it's always a struggle to get them to see reason. Man, we used to be seriously into our sports, and we still managed to keep our grades up!"

With an effort, Jason put a lid on his black mood and grinned wryly. "Yeah, well, we also weren't quite the stereotypical jocks. Maybe karate gave us more discipline than football or basketball are giving these kids."

"That, and both our senseis would've had our asses otherwise," Tommy snorted. "Not to mention our parents." The instant the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back, but too late. What little animation he'd seen in his lover's eyes just a second ago drained away like water down a sink.

"Yeah," Jason murmured tonelessly and turned away, his face once more pale and drawn.

"Bro, I'm sorry," Tommy said contritely. "I didn't mean to ..."

"Forget it. Just ... don't, okay?"

There was no need to ask what that 'don't' meant. Don't mention my parents. Don't feel pity. Don't make me remember. For the umpteenth time, Tommy felt that it wasn't a healthy reaction; they really ought to talk it out - and thus maybe lance that festering sore in Jason's mind - but he also couldn't bring himself to disregard his lover's wishes.

"Sure," he agreed quietly instead, hoping that the visit he'd secretly planned with Wes and Eric for the next day might prove to be the catalyst that brought everything out into the open. Just as long as it doesn't turn into the opposite - complete disaster. Have I done the right thing by going to them for help? He could no longer tell, although at the time it had felt like the right choice. Hell, it was the only choice, asking someone for advice; I'm still sure of that much. And who else is there? No-one, that's who. Still, he couldn't help getting increasingly nervous.

As the evening passed, Jason calmed down again to the point where he wasn't completely avoiding Tommy anymore, but as it had become his habit recently, he wouldn't initiate touching, wouldn't talk much ... in short, he was still withdrawn and quiet. Too quiet.

*

After a night spent once more on opposite sides of the bed, Saturday dawned clear and calm. The two men busied themselves during the morning by mowing Tommy's front lawn and setting up patio furniture just below the porch, but their usual banter was missing. Jason's mood still vacillated from frustrated to depressed, and as the day wore on, Tommy's doubts returned with a vengeance. Wes had suggested they drop by unannounced sometime after lunch, using a business trip as their excuse. With the sun reaching zenith, his and Eric's arrival was imminent - and right now, Jason was entering an irritable phase again, snapping at every little thing.

Damn, why did I forget to ask Wes for his cell number? Tommy castigated himself. He still hoped that talking to the other couple might somehow help his lover, but right now it looked as if the visit's timing couldn't have been worse. If I had a way of reaching Eric or Wes, I'd ask them to postpone ...

No sooner had he formed the thought, he noticed a black SUV bumping along the road from Reefside, with a dark blond head at the wheel. Tommy swallowed a sigh. Time to face the music.

"Hey, Jase, we got visitors," he called with a cheerfulness he was far from feeling across the yard where Jason was rolling up the garden hose. "Aw, man, it's Wes and Eric!" Inwardly, he groaned. Could I sound any more fake?

Slowly, Jason straightened and walked back towards the porch. "What are they doing here?" he muttered, clearly anything but pleased.

"I dunno. But I'm sure they'll tell us," Tommy said casually as he stepped down into the driveway. "Come on, let's say hi."

Sighing resentfully, Jason followed him slowly.

*

"Jason doesn't exactly look thrilled that we're here," Wes remarked after a critical glance through the windscreen as he parked the car.

"About as much as I am at coming here," Eric grumbled. "Shit, it's a crazy idea to start with."

Surprised, Wes looked at his partner. "I thought you knew how to get through to him?"

"I don't exactly 'know'," Eric said grimly. "I just think I do. Doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it." Forestalling another question, he yanked open the SUV's door and swung his legs to the ground. "Just let's get this over with."

"Whatever you say," Wes murmured. He still didn't know what Eric's plans were, and it worried him slightly - especially as Eric had made him promise not to interfere.

"Interfere with /what/?" he'd asked, but Eric had just smiled in a way that had done nothing to reassure him; it was an expression usually reserved for major felons about to be taken down by the Silver Guardians.

"When the time is right, you'll know." Wes had had to be content with that.

Shrugging inwardly, he summoned a cheery smile from somewhere and got out of the car as well. "Hey, guys!"

Tommy greeted him with a handshake and a slightly forced grin.

"Hey, yourself. Selves," he amended, offering his hand to Eric as well who shook it perfunctorily. "What brings you to Reefside?"

"Business," Eric replied curtly at the same time as Wes launched into a lengthier explanation.

"We had to check out some new training equipment for the Guardians," he said lightly. "The company manufacturing it is situated in Sacramento, and since this is a holiday weekend, we decided to take a few days off and go together - make a little road trip out of it. We were just driving down the coast when we saw the sign to Reefside and thought we could maybe bum a cup of coffee or something from you guys if you happened to be home. And take a look at your headquarters, perhaps - we never had one ourselves, just the stuff Jen and the others could carry from the Time Ship. So here we are," Wes finished cheerfully. He'd stretched the truth just enough to sound plausible - their supplier was in Sacramento, there was an exit to Reefside on the highway, but they could just as easily have either delegated the task or taken care of it by fax and email. He just hoped that Jason wouldn't recognize the ruse.

"Cool," Tommy said. "Coffee we can do, no problem; I'll start a pot right away. And I'd love to show you the lair."

"Great!" Even Eric looked interested, if not as enthusiastic as Wes.

"It's good to see you guys again; it's been way too long," Tommy continued with an enthusiasm that was only partially faked. This was exactly what he'd mentioned to Jason before things went to hell in a handbasket - spontaneously socializing with other people. True, their visitors were fellow Rangers still, but it was a start. If only Jase could enjoy it as much as I do ... well, if talking to Wes - or whatever Eric has planned - helps, maybe it will! That hope made him say way too brightly, "I can't believe you're here - it's gonna be nice for a change to have company with whom you don't have to watch your mouth about Ranger stuff!"

Wes grinned. "Yeah, I can see how that could be a problem for you. We're lucky in that regard."

"Uh huh." Realizing that he was coming dangerously close to babbling, Tommy caught himself. "So take a seat; coffee will be ready in no time, and then I'll give you the grand tour, okay?

Wes exchanged a glance with Eric, who shrugged. "If it doesn't inconvenience you ..."

That was almost too easy! Relieved, Tommy smiled. "Nope. Be back in a second. Jase, why don't you show Eric and Wes around while I'm in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Jason muttered, not looking at anyone. He was totally not in the mood to make small talk, especially not with one of his former sex partners, and he definitely resented the intrusion into his and Tommy's privacy. Never mind feeling more than slightly steam-rolled. Only his ingrained good manners made him refrain from saying so.

"Fine by me," Wes replied. "Eric?"

"Whatever." The almost-hostile tone succeeded where Wes' politeness had failed - Jason shot Eric an irritated glance that was returned with a grin bordering on a smirk. Even Wes and Tommy looked slightly scandalized.

"Um, right," Tommy said hurriedly, to cover the awkward silence that had fallen over the foursome, exchanging a puzzled look with Wes who shrugged almost imperceptibly. He was as much in the dark as their host, after all - he only hoped whatever his partner had planned wouldn't turn out to be too unpleasant for all concerned. Tommy sighed helplessly. Eric seemed determined to be an ass, and as Jason apparently insisted on ignoring everybody as much as possible ...

Oh hell. Looks like it's gonna be a long afternoon!

"Take a load off, why don't you," he suggested. "Bro, can you get some water or whatever for everybody while the coffee drips?"

Nodding indifferently, Jason silently vanished into the kitchen.

"You're right, he is bad off," Wes murmured to Tommy when he was out of earshot. "I thought you might've exaggerated ... I hardly know Jason, but even I can see that he's not himself."

"Told you," Tommy murmured back, busying himself with opening an umbrella to cast some shade over the seating area. "I would never have asked for your help otherwise."

"Is the situation with his folks all that's bugging him?" Eric asked suddenly, and Tommy started at his unexpected insight.

"No, there's some job-related stress as well ... but later," he interrupted himself hurriedly as Jason came back outside, carrying a cooler with several bottles. "Thanks, Bro."

Jason just shrugged. "I started the coffee, too," he mumbled.

"That's great, thanks."

"Very house-wifely of you," Eric commented idly as he slouched in the comfortable deck chair. "You sure have him trained well, Tommy." Said in another tone, the remark might've been humorous, but Eric just barely missed making it an insult. Jason flushed, but said nothing. Totally at sea, and not a little alarmed, Tommy swallowed an instinctive denial and tried to make light of it.

"Only at my house; when I'm at Jase's, it's usually the other way round."

"Ah, you're taking turns. How ... nice." The innuendo was unmistakable, and this time, Eric's expression was definitely a smirk.

Jason's knuckles whitened as he gripped his chair's arm rest. His jaw worked momentarily, but he controlled himself. "Yes. Not that it's any of your business," he said roughly instead.

"Aw, can't take the truth, kid?"

"I think the coffee's ready," Tommy interrupted hastily, and got up to fetch the carafe and four cups. He served all of them, waiting barely until they'd finished their coffees, then practically herded Eric and Wes into his basement. Once there, he calmed down as he started showing off the Dino Lair with considerable pride, finding an interested and appreciative audience in their visitors. Unfortunately, however, the tour relegated Jason purely to the role of spectator. He hadn't been a part of Tommy's last team and knew very little about the equipment, its operation or the ongoing research Tommy was still doing with Hayley in their former Ops center. He was tagging along quietly, occasionally helping Tommy to demonstrate something or other, but it was painfully obvious that he was out of his depth and could be little more than a gofer.

With almost malicious glee, Eric frequently reminded him of that fact. He never said anything belittling or demeaning outright, but there was a definite undercurrent of condescension and pity in every casual remark, in his expression and in the way he acted towards Jason. Enough so that it managed to set Tommy's teeth on edge - and none of it was aimed directly at /him/!

He didn't know what Eric's game plan was; a quick whispered question to Wes had only produced a headshake and helpless shrug, and it was getting to the point where Tommy no longer cared. He'd asked them to come help his best friend; from what he could see, Eric's tactics were doing anything but that.

I've got to get Jason out of here!

So he finished his tour as fast as he could and led everybody upstairs and outside again, heaving a barely-hidden sigh of relief as they stepped once more into the sunshine. Back in the light, he saw with concern that Jason was even paler than before; his hands were shaking slightly and the dark eyes were stormy with suppressed emotion.

That's what I wanted, isn't it? For Jase to feel again? Isn't that better than the withdrawn silence he's shown these past weeks?

He'd thought so, but now he was no longer sure. The wariness showing in Wes' blue eyes wasn't reassuring, either, and Tommy realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach that all he - or Eric - had accomplished was to light a fuse to a very large powder keg. If it exploded ... things weren't going to be pretty. At all. But how could he distract Jason from Eric's insolence (which was deliberate, Tommy was sure) and get to the real purpose of the visit?

Luckily, Wes came to his rescue.

"Quite a set-up you've got here; it's hard to believe you accomplished that much without major funding or a real lab."

"It helps to have a certified genius working with you," Tommy explained with a smile as the four men sat down once more on the comfortable lounge chairs. "You wouldn't believe what Hayley can do with very few supplies. It's not quite paper clips and rubber bands, but ..."

Wes grinned. "She sounds like a real-life MacGyver."

"It sure felt that way sometimes," Tommy said ruefully. "Only, she has no objections to shooting down the bad guys if necessary."

For the first time in what seemed like hours, Jason contributed to the conversation. "Makes you wonder what she could do together with Billy, doesn't it? Sure, Zordon never hesitated to give him access to all of the Command Center's or later the Power Chamber's resources, but half the time the gadgets he invented to help us came out of his garage lab."

Jason was quite proud of the fact that he managed to keep his voice even; Eric's sly digs had gotten to him more than he cared to admit - his already frayed nerves were yea-close to snapping, and he knew that it was only a matter of time until he couldn't control his temper anymore. If Eric makes one more crack about my relationship with Tommy ... Jason didn't know what he'd do, only that it would likely involve inflicting physical mayhem on Eric.

Man, he was an asshole when I first met him, but I had no idea he could be this bad! He was momentarily distracted by Tommy's cheerful agreement.

"Hell, yeah. Those two, and maybe Justin ... we'd have made mincemeat out of all the bad guys within days!"

"If we could've disregarded the 'never escalate a fight unless the enemy forces you to' rule Zordon gave us, you mean," Jason said wryly, then sighed as a familiar wave of sadness and nostalgia washed over him. He knew and accepted why Andros had had to destroy their mentor's warp tube, but sometimes he couldn't help but wish the ancient sage was still around. Zordon was like a second father to all of us; if he still lived, maybe he would know how I could deal with ... no. Resolutely, Jason turned his mind away from that dangerous path. He knew that if he dwelt too long on his situation, he'd break.

"What kind of a stupid-ass rule is that, anyway?" Eric's voice broke into his thoughts. "You fight the bad guys any way you can, and you fight to win. What else is there?"

Stung, Jason glared at the unwelcome visitor. "A small thing like honor, for one," he snapped. "But an asshole like you would hardly know about that, would you?"

"Jason!" Tommy gasped, shocked. He'd never heard his friend be so deliberately nasty to /anyone/, much less a guest and fellow Ranger! But Jason didn't seem to hear him. He was still standing behind his chair, hands balled into fists and breathing hard as his eyes bore into Eric's who matched him stare for stare.

"I know more about it than you can imagine, kiddo," Eric drawled with a mocking grin. "But that's not something I expect a daddy's boy like you to understand."

Jason stiffened at the thinly-veiled insult. He had always been 'Daddy's boy', in the best sense of the word, until John Scott had cut his son out of the family, out of his /life/. He had been more than just a father - he'd also been Jason's friend, counselor and confidant. All things Jason had thrown away himself with one simple act - falling in love with another man. That was what had torn him from his family ... and what was now slowly tearing him apart, because to choose one love over another was not something Jason could do.

"Shut the fuck up," he grated. "You know nothing about me, my life or my f-..." he stopped, pain and fury threatening to overwhelm him.

"Your what?" Eric sneered, slowly rising from his chair. Inwardly, he congratulated himself. He had Jason exactly where he wanted him, and he wasn't going to let him get away. Ruthlessly, he proceeded to push every one of Jason's buttons, demonstrating that he knew far more about his life than Jason had imagined. "Your father? Isn't he gonna hold your hand anymore, little boy? Or is he too busy telling everyone his kid couldn't swing it even as the leader of a dog-catching squad? Is he letting you run away again to another country, or is he too ashamed that you're taking it up the ass from another guy?" Eric gave a short, derisive bark of laughter. "Face it, boy - you're not his perfect baby anymore!"

For a final touch, Eric flipped his hand limply at Jason, finishing the gesture by giving him the finger. "Fuck you, loser. Only I wouldn't, not anymore!" As if he couldn't care less, Eric turned his back on Jason.

It was the final straw. Finally goaded beyond his endurance, already worn to the bone by weeks of self-recrimination, guilt and mental agony over the choices he'd made, Jason snapped. With an incoherent cry of pure rage, he launched himself at his nemesis.

This was what Eric had been waiting for. His negligent attitude had hidden that all his senses were on full alert, he met Jason's flying fists with an easy block, and only laughed mockingly when Jason's momentum almost made him stumble and fall. "What, too clumsy to throw a real punch, boy? No wonder your precious Zordon let you drop like a hot potato when you couldn't cut it as leader of the Rangers anymore!"

Suddenly there was no more time for insults; within seconds, the fight he'd been trying all afternoon to provoke Jason into was well and truly on.

*

Startled, Tommy and Wes jumped up and incredulously stared at their lovers.

"We've got to break them up!" Tommy urged, frantically looking for an opening to do exactly that, but was stopped by Wes' hand on his arm.

"No, wait! Eric told me not to interfere, no matter what happened."

"But he's beating Jason up!"

"Actually, he isn't," Wes said slowly, watching the two intently. "Just look - it's Jason who's the aggressor. Eric's only defending himself."

"What?" Puzzled, Tommy hesitated and took a closer look. The fight was fast and furious - not surprisingly so, as both Eric and Jason were accomplished martial artists. However, it had very little to do with karate or any other style; at best, it could only be classified as an all-out brawl. To his surprise, he saw that Wes was right - it was Jason who tried his utmost to pummel his opponent. Eric was merely fending him off ... and continued to goad him into even fiercer attacks with more taunts and judicious insults. That didn't mean that Eric wasn't getting in some punches, blows and kicks of his own, but on the whole he was adopting a defensive stance, letting Jason spend his rage and frustration against his skillful blocks. It was painful to watch; the longer he did so, the more Tommy realized that Jason didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. He was too blinded by emotion to be effective, whereas every countermove Eric made came from cool calculation and was designed to keep Jason off balance.

"Kinda like seeing an irresistible force meet the proverbial immovable object, isn't it?" Wes remarked, grimacing as Jason managed to land a kick against Eric's thigh. "Ouch. That must've hurt."

"Yeah," Tommy replied distractedly, too intent on watching. "What is he /doing/?" he wondered, unclear whether he was referring to Jason or Eric.

"I think Eric's trying to make Jason completely blow his stack," Wes speculated. "The way things are going, I'd say he's succeeding."

"Couldn't he have come up with another way?" Seeing that both gave as good as they got and that Jason, while outclassed for once, was in no immediate danger, Tommy gradually began to relax a little. Wes quirked a small grin as he kept an eye on the two combatants.

"I dunno. But if you remember, Eric said we weren't gonna like it."

"Well, he sure got that right!"

"Sometimes, Eric's methods of getting a point across are a little ... well, drastic," Wes murmured apologetically.

"You think?" Tommy said, voice dripping with sarcasm, wincing in sympathy as he heard and saw the impact Eric's fist was having on Jason's stomach. The blow nearly doubled him over. Tommy was still poised and ready to interrupt the fight at a moment's notice, but managed to stay back at Wes' side. A quick sideways glance showed that despite his earlier words Wes was also watching the action alertly, prepared to step in if and when necessary. It was strangely reassuring to know that he wasn't the only one who worried.

*

Eventually Jason was beginning to run out of steam. He'd already exhausted a lot of mental and physical energy in the past couple of months just coping, and while his sheer strength was still holding up pretty well, he couldn't sustain the momentum of his attacks any longer. As exhaustion set in, the cloud of frustrated rage lifted from his mind as he realized who he was fighting and he hesitated a fraction of a second before trying to place his next blow.

Experienced fighter that he was, Eric recognized what was happening and immediately seized his advantage. Now it was his turn to go on the offensive and he did so, using his higher speed to good effect against Jason's greater strength. The only difference was, Eric wasn't trying so much to hurt as to subdue his opponent - and he didn't care that some of his methods were anything but regulation. He was in this to win! His mind firmly fixed on that goal, Eric used every trick he'd ever learned in combat, as a Ranger and in down-and-dirty street fights against various criminals to take Jason down.

Not even blind anger could make Jason fight unfairly. Consequently, he didn't have many tricks up his own sleeve to hold out long against Eric, and soon a series of hits calculated for maximum impact brought him to his knees. In a flash, Eric succeeded to throw him fully to the ground. Jason tried to shake him off, but with his combat experience and background in law enforcement, Eric managed to hold him pinned with relative ease.

Panting, almost completely winded, Jason looked up woozily into the dark eyes blazing at him.

"Why are you doing this?" he gasped, futilely straining against the firm hold Eric held him in. "You have no right ...!"

"I have every right to help someone who needs it," Eric growled. "And if you weren't such a pigheaded idiot, you'd see that!"

Jason shook his head in denial. "I don't need ..."

"Yes, you do," Eric interrupted him, slamming Jason's shoulders back into the ground when he attempted once more to dislodge him. He grinned savagely at Jason's yelp, pinned his legs down with one knee and tightened his grip around Jason's wrists, yanking them above his head and thus immobilizing him even further. "Are you gonna listen to me, moron, or do I really have to beat you to a pulp?"

Groaning with pain and frustration, Jason blinked. "...What?"

The slanted black eyes bore into Jason's. "You think I don't know what this is about? Newsflash, kid - I do." He quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead against his bicep. "So your father kicked you out because you love another guy? Tough luck. Shit like that happens to a lot of people. You must've known it might come to this. So deal!"

Blushing, Jason turned his head away from that too-knowing, hard and uncompromising look. It wasn't as if he hadn't said those very things to himself, but that didn't make them any easier to take from anyone - most of all Eric. He tried to shrug and winced when his shoulder joint hurt against Eric's firm grip.

Eric squeezed Jason's wrist hard, making him gasp.

"Pay attention, dogface; I'm not done talking yet!"

Jason glared back at him defiantly, but unable to hide a guilty flush. "Why should I? What's it to you, anyway?"

"Because you know I'm right - you're hardly the first or only gay or bi guy who loses his family over their chosen lifestyle."

Which was nothing but the plain, unvarnished truth. Jason had tried to tell himself that very thing countless times over the past few weeks, but only now, immobilized, caught in that hurtful grip and faced with Eric's uncompromising look, did it finally sink in. All anger drained out of Jason, leaving only pain behind. Groaning in defeat, Jason went slack.

Eric noticed it with grim satisfaction. "So what's it gonna be - are you going to crawl back to Daddy, tail between your legs, or are you gonna stand by your choice?" he demanded to know. When Jason didn't reply, just turned his head aside, Eric pressed harder, both with words and his fingers. "Are you willing to give up what you have with Tommy?"

There was only one answer Jason could give, even if it came after a long pause ... and in little more than a whisper. "No."

Eric nodded once. "Didn't think so." Slowly, alert for any sign that Jason would resume his attack on him, he released his hold. Just before he let go completely, he not-so-lightly cuffed Jason across the face. "So be a man, not a little boy. You made your choice, now live with it."

Getting up, Eric looked down at Jason, who was still lying on the ground, thoroughly winded. "One more thing, idiot." He waited until Jason stared back at him uncertainly. In a gruff, but not unkind voice, Eric gave him his one piece of genuine advice. "Take it from someone who had to learn the hard way - sometimes, it's okay to ask for help if you need it. Especially from someone who loves you."

Without a backward glance, Eric turned and went towards the table. As if nothing had happened, he grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler Tommy had brought outside earlier and started to drink thirstily. On the porch, Wes and Tommy let out twin sighs of relief that the ugly scene was over, then Wes slowly moved towards his partner. Tommy remained where he was, watching Jason intently.

*

After a few tense moments during which it was anybody's guess whether he'd simply go away or finally face his demons, Jason concentrated on lifting himself at least into a sitting position; not an easy thing to do when he felt as if he'd been hit by a truck. At last, he succeeded. Reaction set in then, and he began to shake. Burying his head in his arms on his updrawn knees, Jason now battled with himself. Could he reach for the help he craved and needed? Or should he try and go it alone?

Like that has been working so far.

Undecided, he cautiously peered towards the porch ... and saw Tommy standing next to Wes, tense and obviously poised to go into action. Jason knew that he'd just have to say the word, and Tommy would punish Eric for all the hurtful things he'd called him - or come to hold him. Jason finally dared look at Tommy's face and met a pair of very anxious brown eyes. Need won out over revenge, and he reached a trembling hand towards his lover.

Reading the silent message loud and clear, Tommy immediately started towards Jason, but was stopped after only a couple of steps by Eric's quiet voice.

"Don't. Make him call you."

"What? Why?!?"

The older man gave him an exhausted grin. "If you don't, I'll have to give him this little lesson all over again, and frankly, I'm no longer in the mood."

Tommy was about to reply sharply to what he perceived as inappropriate flippancy when a soft sound jerked his head around. Jason was looking directly at him and was calling his name.

"Tommy?"

There was no way Tommy could ignore the soft, plaintive cry. All thought of Eric disappeared and he made his way to the sweaty, dirt-streaked form of his best friend, sinking down on one knee next to Jason. Yet he hesitated, some instinct telling him Eric was right, that it wasn't quite the right moment to reach out, although he wanted to enfold Jason in his arms with every fiber of his being,. "Yes, Bro?"

Swallowing hard to dislodge the lump in his throat, it took Jason a few tries until he could form coherent words. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he managed a choked whisper at last.

"H-help me. Please?"

Tommy felt his gut clench with sympathy. "Then stop shutting me out, Jase," he said softly but firmly.

A muscle in his cheek spasmed convulsively and Jason bit on his lip to stop it from quivering, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again to meet Tommy's serious look, they were still filled with pain ... but clear and open at last. "I won't," he promised, the deep voice raw and weary beyond belief. "Not anymore."

"Then I'll give you all the help I can, love," Tommy murmured and drew Jason into his arms. Jason shuddered once, then went almost completely limp, hiding his face against a handy shoulder. Relieved and grateful, Tommy tightened his embrace.

Thank heaven. I've got him back!

*

About twenty minutes later, Tommy found Eric and Wes in the bathroom at the back of the house, washing sweat and dirt off Eric's torso. He knocked on the door frame and waited until they both looked at him.

"Good, you've found everything. Here, I thought you could use these." He handed them a bottle of painkillers and a tube of ointment to prevent bruising.

Wes accepted both with a nod and quiet thanks, but Eric glared at their host. "What the fuck are you doing here? Why aren't you with Jason?"

Tommy smiled slightly, reading the grudging concern underneath the belligerent question. "He asked me for a few minutes alone."

"So you just left him out there?"

"I didn't. Actually, he went into the forest."

"Alone? And you let him?!? What kind of idiot are you?"

He let his smile widen. "The kind who knows his partner better than you do - and who knows when to back off for the time being." Tommy raised his hand to forestall another snide comment. "Hey, I have a pretty good idea where he's off to, and I'll follow him soon. Not that he's going to do anything stupid, anyway. You don't have to worry."

"I'm not worrying," Eric muttered, turning back to the sink to hide his faint blush. "Why the hell for?"

"Yeah, right," Wes grinned, exchanging an amused glance with Tommy behind Eric's back. "No reason for you to care about a friend. That's why you volunteered to get banged up by another Ranger." Then he added in a slightly louder voice, "Now hold still so I can put some of this cream on your back - or do you want to be covered in bruises tomorrow?"

"Hmph." But Eric held obediently still, wincing only occasionally as Wes carefully massaged the ointment into his skin.

Tommy watched and waited until Eric shrugged his t-shirt back on, then led them back towards the kitchen. "You guys want some more water - or would you prefer a beer?"

Wes replied before Eric could protest. Even if he'd die rather than admit it, his partner needed rest after the fight. "A beer sounds just about perfect, thanks."

"Coming up."

Soon, the three men were back outside under the sun shade, chilled long-necked bottles in hand.

Tommy finally addressed Eric. "I can't deny that your method seems to have worked, but - why pick a fight with Jason? Couldn't you just have challenged him to a workout, or something?"

"It's not the same," Eric shrugged, then sent him a knowing look. "Don't tell me you haven't tried that before."

"Well, yeah," Tommy had to admit. "And you're right, it didn't work. Neither setting up a punching bag nor sparring with me."

"That's probably because you held back, right? Didn't want to hurt him?"

Tommy smiled sheepishly and shrugged one shoulder, which was answer enough. Wes snapped his fingers.

"So that's what you meant by Tommy being the last person able to help Jason?" he realized.

"Uh huh. Also - remember saying something about a blank wall?" Eric asked Tommy.

"I guess; why?"

"That's what gave me the idea," Eric explained. Leaning back, he took another pull on his bottle. "Back when I was in the army ... there was this guy in my platoon. Couple years older than me, came from a family who's been in the military since the Civil War or something. Youngest of four, father a colonel on the way to his first star, two older brothers graduated from Westpoint and Annapolis respectively. Hell, even his sister was military - law school, then joined JAG. Anyway, this guy lived and breathed the army, only he just couldn't cut it academically to become an officer. He wasn't stupid, just not cut out for book learning - which had been neatly covered up by the fancy private school he'd gone to."

Eric sent Wes a sardonic look and got a reminiscent wry grin in return. During their time at the private prep school where they'd first met, they'd run into that kind of thing more than once.

"Long story short, the guy decided he'd just enlist as an ordinary grunt; thought his old man would at least appreciate his dedication to the family tradition. He was wrong."

"Uh-oh. I think I can see where this is going," Wes murmured, being reminded of his own father's expectations of him. Sure, he had had no problems with studying as such, but he'd been thoroughly bored by business school.

"Thought you might," Eric smiled, then continued. "And yeah, Colonel Big Shot all but disowned him. He was so ashamed of his son being nothing but a grunt, he got himself transferred clear across the country just so he wouldn't be connected to a common soldier even by name." Eric laid his head against the lounger's back rest, staring at the sky as he resumed his story. "I ran into the guy in the base gym. He was boxing - or trying to, anyway. Total disaster. He had no coordination, no instinct, no technique ... and still he kept going. One day he saw me practicing karate, he asked for some lessons, but didn't do any better. To tell the truth, he was pretty much the worst fighter I've ever seen. Competent enough as a soldier, made marksman and everything, but almost a complete washout at any kind of physical combat. I just didn't get why he kept coming back for more, so I eventually asked him why he kept trying. That's when he told me his story - and that boxing and martial arts gave him someone to lash out at. A real person, not just a punching bag, someone who hit back, who reacted to something he did, even if it hurt him more than the other guy. The way he put it was, 'Anything's better than butting my head against that blank wall my father's put between us just because I'm not what he wants me to be. I can't hit my father, but I can hit another guy, in a controlled environment where nobody's really getting hurt. That's worth the bruises and the embarrassment.' I figured things might be similar enough to work for Jason." He finished his beer in a few noisy gulps.

Wordlessly, Tommy handed him another from the cooler he'd brought outside.

"From what I've seen, you just might be right."

Eric grinned smugly and lifted the fresh bottle in a silent salute.

*

He gave Jason an hour before excusing himself to Wes and Eric and followed down the path Jason had taken earlier. As he'd suspected he would, Tommy found him sitting at the edge of a clearing overlooking a small, serene pond. Back in Angel Grove, Jason would've gone to the ocean, but Tommy's house was too far away from the coast to make walking feasible, and the pond was the next best thing.

Tommy tried to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to startle his friend, but either he made a small noise he wasn't aware of or Jason sensed his approach; when Tommy was only three or four yards away, the dark head turned and Jason greeted him with a small smile. Smiling back, Tommy closed the remaining distance between them. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Jason murmured, patting the spot at his side. "Sit with me?"

"Sure." Tommy sank down onto the moss, then silently heaved a big sigh of gratitude when Jason rested his head against his arm. Tommy clasped the broad shoulders loosely and was relieved that for the first time in weeks wasn't rebuffed. He placed a light kiss into the short hair, a gesture which was also accepted without flinching. Progress at last. Good!

They sat like that for several minutes, then Tommy cleared his throat. "You wanna talk, Bro?"

Jason sighed. "No. Not today."

That wasn't what Tommy wanted to hear. They desperately needed to clear the air between them so they could go forward, not look back. "Jase ..." he began warningly, but was interrupted by a tired chuckle.

"I know. Don't get your boxers in a twist yet, I'm not shutting you out again." Jason lifted his head and looked seriously at Tommy. "I know we'll have to talk eventually; what I meant was, I don't think I'm up to it today."

"Why not? Shouldn't we get everything out into the open?"

"We will," Jason promised, paused, then continued. "Look, Tom ... I know I have a lot of stuff to work through - and I want you with me for most of it. But there are a few things I need to get clear in my head first. And I need to do that on my own."

Tommy considered the hesitant request. Jason certainly seemed sincere, but ... he gazed into the dark eyes, noticed suddenly that they were red-rimmed and that there was still a trace of moisture in one corner. Tears? Jase? Aw, man! No way could he disregard the plea in their depths. He drew a long breath. "If that's what you want."

Jason snorted. "What I want is for someone to wave a magic wand, cast a spell or sprinkle fairy dust over everything to make this shit go away." He gulped once, then with some difficulty went on. "I want Dad to accept, if not approve my choices. I want my parents to want my happiness at least, the way your folks do. But I know that's not gonna happen anytime soon, if at all," he finished with a trace of understandable bitterness. "I'll have to settle for what I need - and that's a little time. Can you give me that? Please?"

"How much is 'a little'?" Tommy asked dubiously.

"Dunno. A few days, couple of weeks at most, I guess," Jason shrugged. "Promise."

"As long as it doesn't take longer than that," Tommy capitulated, knowing that Jason didn't give his word lightly ... and that he'd keep it, too. "Okay."

"Thanks." Sighing in relief at having won that small concession, Jason laid his head back against Tommy's shoulder and slipped one arm around the trim waist in a familiar gesture that he'd denied them both for far too long. Tommy found as much comfort in receiving it as in returning it with another light, undemanding kiss to Jason's forehead.

"In the meantime ... is there anything I can do?" he asked at last.

"Just be there for me," Jason requested softly. "Go on being my rock, like you've been all this time. That's all I need right now."

"Your rock?" Tommy wondered.

"Yeah." Jason looked up at him with a small smile. "To hold on to ... and to butt my head against if I start being an idiot again."

Amused despite himself, Tommy smiled back. It seemed Jason's offbeat sense of humor was making a cautious comeback. All things considered, I guess that's a good thing. Despite himself, he felt his grin widen. Man, I need my head examined!

"You've got it, Bro," he vowed.

"Thanks."

They sat together quietly for some time then until Jason reluctantly disengaged himself. "I guess we ought to go back to the house," he murmured.

"Uh huh. At least to say good-bye to Wes and Eric - if they haven't left already."

Jason harrumphed, then groaned as he scrambled slowly to his feet. "Man, I'm going to be all stiff tomorrow," he grumbled. "Eric packs quite a punch," he added grudgingly.

"He didn't look all that hot when I left, either," Tommy soothed as he stood as well.

"That's something at least," Jason groused, gratefully accepting and leaning on the arm Tommy slid around his waist. "As long as he doesn't expect me to thank him for beating the crap out of me."

"Not even Eric is that arrogant," Tommy said, then frowned. "Is he?"

"Only one way to find out, I guess."

"Right." Slowly, the two men wandered back to the path towards Tommy's house, arms loosely around each other. Just before they left the woods bordering on his back yard, though, Tommy nearly crashed into the fence when Jason unexpectedly asked a question, a twinkle he hadn't seen for way too long in his midnight eyes.

"So tell me ... when and why did you call them, anyway?"


To Be Continued ...