As
the truck pulled to the curb, JC looked at the building with growing trepidation.
This was not what he expected. He turned off the engine and exited the truck,
meeting Lance and Britney on the sidewalk.
“Britney,” he said, eyes scanning the doorway sign.
No answer. JC turned to Britney and saw that she and Lance were staring at each
other. Staring really hard. As if they’d never seen each other before.
“Britney,” JC called a bit louder. Still no response. “BRTINEY!”
She shook her head, but didn’t remover her eyes from Lance. “What?”
“This is not a psychologist’s office,” JC declared.
“It’s not?”
“No, it’s not.” JC rolled his eyes at the couple. He stepped between them,
effectively blocking them from each other’s view. “It’s a PSYCHIC’S
office,” he complained.
“That’s not the same?” Britney asked, eyes wide with innocence.
JC, however, was not fooled. “You’re not that dumb, so don’t even try and
play that game with me,” he stated. “Why did you tell me this Sylvia
Lightfeather was a psychologist?”
“Because you wouldn’t have come if you knew the truth,” she said simply.
“And right now, you and Justin need some otherworldly help.”
JC looked down at her earnest face. She was right, he thought. As kooky an idea
as it seemed, it was no weirder than everything that’s been happening recently.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You’re a good friend, you know that?”
His lips moved to her ear. “And you and Lance will make a good couple,” he
whispered.
Britney’s cheeks flushed. “I love you, too,” she said, grabbing his hand.
“Let’s get you in there.”
A bell sounded as they entered, and JC was amazed by what he saw. It was every
cliché that one excepted from a psychic. Fringe on the lamps, incense in the
air, and yes, even a scarfed and bejeweled woman sitting at a desk.
“Hello, we’re here to see Ms. Lightfeather,” Britney said.
The receptionist nodded. “Yes, I knew that!” Lance and JC muffled a laugh.
“Come right this way!”
She led them through another door, then down a hall to a dim office. Again,
incense was burning as they entered, spying a woman sitting on a couch.
“My 1:30, I see,” she said, rising with fluid grace and holding out a hand.
“I’m Sylvia.”
“I’m Britney, and this is Lance and JC.”
Sylvia eyed them. “And it’s JC with the problem?” Britney nodded.
“Where’s your partner?” she asked.
JC looked at Britney, but the girl shook her head. “He’s coming in a bit,”
JC said.
Sylvia nodded. “No problem. We’ll start with you.” She pointed to Lance.
“You have to leave, though. Only one person besides the subject in the room.”
She waved at the receptionist. “Ariel, escort him out, please.”
Lance’s eyes narrowed, but did as Sylvia instructed. “I’ll be right
outside if you need me,” he said before the door closed.
“Now,” Sylvia said, indicating for them to sit. “First, please turn off
your cell phones. I find they ring at the most inopportune times.” Britney and
JC both turned off their phones. “From what I can see, you and your young man
are having reincarnation problems, is that correct?”
JC nodded. “Seems I bought a house that triggered memories in us,” he
explained.
“You’re actually lucky,” Sylvia said. “Most people have no ideas of
their previous existences.” She reached out and turned off the overhead lamp,
leaving the room in a pink glow coming from a side lamp. She lifted a candle in
front of JC’s face. “Now, please focus on the candle. Think only about the
candle.” Her voice was soft and melodic. “Only the candle…only the candle…”
A soft breeze brushed against JC, lifting the fog in front of his eyes.
Justin was on the small stage, rehearsing his newest composition, his fingers
quick and sure across the keyboard of the harpsichord. Always the perfectionist,
JC thought with a smile. But this time, Justin was right. The King was attending
tonight’s performance, and for them to have this opportunity was itself a
great honor. JC knew that if His Majesty liked Justin’s work, they would find
patrons for him to continue his writing…
“JC, that’s a bit too far back…”
He smiled, seeing Justin across the paddock. He looked beautiful on the horse,
strong and sure. They were lucky to have found each other, JC thought. The war
had been devastating for him, loosing his parents and his plantation in
Tennessee. He’d headed west, found a distant relative living in Abilene, but
was dying inside without love. JC recognized a kindred spirit, and had whisked
him away from Kansas to his horse ranch in California. It was here they
discovered they loved each other…
“That’s still a bit far back, JC…try to think of Los Angeles…what
happened here…”
JC flinched at the anger in Chris’ face. Why is he acting like this? They
were friends, nothing more. He could never love Chris…he could never love
anyone…why didn’t Chris understand? The hand in his hair hurt. He struggled
as Chris pulled him closer. He struggled as Chris pushed him down to the floor.
He struggled when Chris tore his clothes. He struggled so hard…fought…so…hard…no…no…NO
“Los Angeles, JC…think about Los Angeles…”
He watched as Chris held the knife to Justin’s throat. He knows he spoke,
knows that Chris spoke back to him, but it all sounded muffled, like his ears
were broken. All he knew was that Justin…his beloved Justin…was in danger…and
it was his fault. He watched as Chris raised the knife, then lowered it again,
digging the blade into Justin’s throat. JC knew he had to do something…and
leapt toward Chris, pulling the knife away from Justin’s throat. He felt Chris
fighting, but his strength came through in the end. Slowly…surely…he turned
the knife and pressed it against Chris’ chest. Their eyes locked as JC applied
pressure…and he smiled as it plunged in deep.
JC blinked. The candle was out, and only a faint trail of smoke remained. He
looked over at Britney and was surprised to find her in tears. “Britney,
what’s wrong?” He pinned Sylvia with a look of shock. “What happened?”
She smiled. “Nothing bad.” She reached a hand and flipped on more lights.
“But rest assured, you did nothing wrong in any of your past lives.”
Britney nodded. “And the blood in the house was Chris’. Evil Chris, I mean,
not now Chris.”
“Did I?” JC swallowed. “Did I kill him?”
“Yes, you did,” Sylvia said. “But it was entirely justified, JC. He was
going to kill your love. You had to defend him.” She cocked her head at JC.
“Just as you always do. Just as you always will.”
JC closed his eyes in relief. “So, we just disappeared from LA after I, I mean,
the other JC killed Chris.”
“That’s probably right,” Sylvia said. “A jealous lover out for revenge
probably wouldn’t have been a good defense.”
JC was thoughtful for a moment. “But…what about Chris now?” he asked.
“He’s been acting so strange. How do we get him back to normal?”
“Hmm…seems as if Chris has become a different person. Not reincarnated into
the same scenario as you and Justin.” She rose from the couch and headed
toward the door. “Do something completely out of character for the Chris of
today. That should end any hold that the Chris of the past has on him.” She
opened the door.
Lance leapt to his feet as they entered the reception area. “Well?” he asked,
his eyes searching JC’s.
“I have no idea!” he exclaimed. “Ask Britney, she heard it all.” He
looked around the room. “Where’s Justin?”
“Not here,” Lance said needlessly. “Did he call?”
JC pulled out his phone and turned it on. A beep indicated there was a voice
mail waiting, and JC quickly punched in his code.
“Hey, baby! I’m at home, had to stop off and change. Spilled ketchup all
down my shirt, and figured I shouldn’t see the fancy head doctor with a huge
red stain on my chest! I’ll be there in…Hey Chris! What’s up? Chris? What
are you doing? CHRIS!”
JC felt his entire body freeze. He slowly lowered the phone and turned it off,
lifting his eyes to Lance and Britney.
“Justin’s at the house.” He rushed by them and ran out the door.
“JC?” Lance and Britney called out to him as they reached the truck. “JC,
what’s wrong?” Lance asked.
“Justin’s at the house…with Chris!”
It
was their nightmare come true. Justin and Chris and a knife.
Only this wasn’t the other Chris. The Chris that for some reason wanted to
kill Justin.
This was Chris, their band mate. Their friend.
Their brother.
Which could explain why Justin seemed so calm sitting tied to the chair. He
looked at JC as he entered the room with intense but secure blue eyes. No fear
there. Just relief that JC was there, and total assurance that JC would fix this
situation.
If only JC felt so sure.
“Chris, put the knife down,” JC said, his voice surprisingly strong. “Please.”
Chris shook his head. “No. You’re supposed to be with me!” Chris blinked,
as if that statement was strange sounding even to him.
“No, Chris,” JC said, approaching them slowly. “Not this time. We were
together, in another life.” JC was almost there. “But this time, you don’t
want me.”
“I do!” Chris cried. “I’ve always wanted you…haven’t I?” He
appeared confused by his own proclamation.
“No, not this time,” JC said, slipping right next to Chris and pulling the
knife away from his hand. He threw it far across the room and pulled Chris away
from Justin. “This time you’re not in love with me.”
“I’m not?” he asked, looking deep into JC’s eyes.
JC watched as Chris’ eyes hardened, the deep brown changing to almost black.
“Yes, I am in love with you,” Chris said, his hand coming up and tangling in
JC’s hair. “You belong to me.”
JC shook his head. “No, I belong to Justin,” he argued, remembering
Sylvia’s suggestion and trying to think of something out of character for
today’s Chris. He smiled slowly as the idea came to him.
He kissed him.
On the lips.
A tongue slipping in, head turning, open mouth full blown kiss.
For a second, JC thought he might be wrong. That this wouldn’t work.
Especially when Chris started kissing him back.
But then he felt hands pressing against his chest, pushing him away. “Jesus,
JC!” Chris said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “What the f*ck
are you doing?”
“Chris?” JC asked.
“Of course it’s me, dickweed!” Chris shouted. “Who the f*ck did you
think it was? Justin?” He touched his mouth again. “Why did you kiss me?”
“It seemed the best way to get you back,” JC said, moving over to Justin as
Lance and Britney were untying him. The lovers grabbed each other, arms holding
on tightly.
“Back from where?” Chris demanded.
Lance stepped in as JC and Justin started kissing. “Come with us, Chris,”
Lance said, escorting both him and Britney out of the room. “We’ll explain
it all to you over a drink.”
“Damn straight you will,” Chris said, looking over his shoulder at JC and
Justin, who were still locked in a passionate embrace. Something flickered in
Chris’ mind, but he shook it off. “But let me tell you this first,” he
said to Lance and Britney. “JC is one great kisser!”
“Oh
god.”
Kiss…kiss…
“I thought I was going to lose you.”
Kiss…touch…kiss.
“I knew you’d come.”
Kiss…touch…kiss.
“I couldn’t bear it if I lost you, Justin,” JC said as his eyes locked
with Justin’s.
JC groaned as Justin lowered his head to his lips again, tongue slipping inside
to reclaim his territory. JC shifted a bit to removed Justin’s shirt while the
younger man slipped off JC’s pants. They sank to the carpet together. Soon
Justin’s pants were gone as well, and hot hands were roaming hotter flesh.
Justin slipped lower to engulf JC with his mouth, reveling in the taste and feel
of his love on his tongue. JC’s hips moved in synchronized rhythm to
Justin’s sucking, but moaned in protest as Justin released his hold on JC’s
c*ck.
Justin shimmied back up JC’s body, kissing each inch of JC’s flesh before
situating himself between his lover’s legs. Their eyes locked as Justin seeked
entrance.
JC smiled softly. “We’ll always be together, Justin,” he proclaimed.
“Always.”
“We belong together,” Justin agreed. “Now and forever.”
JC nodded. “Past, present, always.”
This seemed to reassure Justin, who slowly slid into his lover, causing both men
to moan with pleasure.
Sometime later, the lovers were in bed, talking about Sylvia Lightfeather and
what JC had learned.
“No wonder it seemed natural for us to be a couple,” Justin theorized. “We
always have been before. Why would now be any different?’
JC nodded. “That’s what I got out of it, too.” He fixed the covered over
them, and pulled Justin close as he flicked off the light. “But Chris is
totally different now. That’s why we were able to break whatever hold was over
him.”
Justin looked up at JC’s face in the moonlight. “You killed him last time,
didn’t you?’ he asked softly.
“Yes, I did.” He held Justin tighter. “The other Chris was going to kill
you. The other you. I couldn’t let that happen.” JC kissed Justin lightly.
“Not then, and not now. Not ever.”
Justin silently agreed, knowing he’d do anything to keep JC safe. “And
Britney and Lance?’ he asked.
JC laughed. “Well, I guess they’re ready to repeat the past,” JC
theorized. “It just took them longer to find it.”
Justin nodded, yawning loudly. “I’m just glad it’s over,” he said
sleepily. “At least for this lifetime.”
“Me, too,” JC agreed before sleep overtook him.
He
watched them. This pair looked perfect together. So handsome. So loving. But
then again, he always thought he and his love looked perfect together, too.
And they’d made it. He wasn’t sure if this pair would do so…it had been
such a sudden discovery. And not one that is easy to comprehend. That’s why
they usually never remembered from birth to birth. It was always a new adventure
for them.
But this pair had figured it out. So many coincidences. Chris. Lance. Britney.
The house. Everything had dovetailed to create so many hints, so many clues, it
was impossible not to discover the truth.
In the end though, it had all worked out. They’d made it. And their love was
strong, probably the strongest they’d ever been. And that was only right. That
the love got stronger with each new pair.
He felt a breeze and looked to his left. He was here, next to him, as he always
was. He reached out a hand, feeling the warmth as his engulfed it. A ghost of a
kiss brushed his face as his thoughts entered his mind.
“Let’s go, Farm Boy…they’re okay now…they’re going to make it.”
He smiled, took one last look, and followed his love to eternity.
THE
END