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Ask Me No Questions and I'll Tell You No Lies	By : OpenPage Category: 1 through F > 21 Jump Street Views: 2448 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own 21JS or the characters. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. All characters and events in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter List
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I apologise for the length of time it is taking me to post chapters at this time. My only excuse is that I have struggled to get back into "writing mode" since my holidays. Please bear with me :)
Grabbing his bag out of the trunk of his Cadillac, Dennis slammed the lid closed and stood for a moment staring up at Penhall’s apartment building. He had received the phone call from Doug five days before, informing him that the video was now in circulation. Upon hearing the news, his immediate concern had been for Tom. His lover’s happy disposition over the last few weeks had been testament to the many positive steps he had made in his road towards recovery and it had given him great joy to hear his friend sound so positive about his future. However, after speaking to Doug, he now knew that his lover had again spiraled into a deep black pit of depression and his mental state was as fragile as it had been when he first left prison. Although deeply concerned, the true gravity of the situation only became clear when Tom refused to speak to him and it was then that he knew that if he did not act immediately, he would lose his friend forever. Their relationship would be over and there would be no more second chances.
It was then that he made his decision. He could not afford to sit around and wait for the Nevada prison system to coordinate his transfer, he needed to leave his job and go to California to be with Tom.
Steeling himself for what he was about to face, Booker crossed the road and walked into the lobby of Penhall’s apartment building. Doug had fully prepared him and he was under no illusions as to what he would see when he laid eyes on Tom. His lover had stopped eating, was not sleeping and he had once again withdrawn into himself. His debilitating panic attacks had returned and he suffered up to four or five a day. He had once again refused to leave the safety of the apartment and he spent his days curled on the couch staring blankly at the television.
However, it was when Tom stopped taking Dennis’ phone calls that Penhall knew that the situation was becoming dire and he had phoned Richard Farmer and begged him to visit and assess Hanson’s mental state. After his examination, Doctor Farmer had increased Tom’s medication and had promised to visit again in a few days. It was however, little consolation for Doug, who was in the middle of a case and hated leaving Tom alone, so when Dennis had rung him to say he was coming to California, he had sighed with relief. As much as he loved Hanson, he did not feel equipped to deal with his depression and he was more than happy to hand the reins over to Booker.
Taking the stairs up to the third floor, Dennis could feel his muscles tightening. His last words to Tom had been on the night they had phone sex and he had told him he loved him. That had not changed, if anything, he loved him a little more as each day passed but he was nervous about demonstrating his love. Tom’s mind often confused affection with the rapes and now that he had regressed, Dennis knew that he needed to tread warily. Any wrong move could push Tom into a state of psychosis and he did not want to see his lover hospitalized again. Hanson had suffered enough traumas for one still so young and hospitalization would just add to his feelings of hopelessness.
Walking down the corridor, Booker stopped outside of Penhall’s door and took a deep breath. He had planned his arrival for early in the morning so that he could speak to Doug privately before seeing Tom. Penhall had advised him that exhaustion usually took its toll on Hanson around dawn and he would fall into a fatigued sleep for several hours before the nightmares woke him up. It was now 6 a.m., which gave Dennis about an hour to discuss things with Doug. Then, when Tom woke up, he would tell him his plan and they could once again pick up the pieces of their lives and start over.
Rapping his knuckles softly on the door, he tried to settle his nerves. The knowledge that his lover was in pain overshadowed the excitement of seeing him after weeks of living apart. He shuffled nervously as he waited for the door to open. Inside, he heard soft footsteps and a moment later, the door opened and Doug’s fatigued face stared through the crack.
“Hey Doug,” Dennis greeted quietly. “Is he still asleep?”
Penhall nodded his head and opened the door so that Dennis could enter. “He’s upstairs,” he whispered. “He sleeps on a mattress by my bed now… not that he sleeps much but it means I don’t disturb him when I get up to go to work.”
Booker nodded silently and placing his bag on the floor, he gave Doug a worried look. “Does he know I’m coming?”
Doug shifted uncomfortably before again nodding his head. “Yeah, I told him,” he muttered softly. “At first he got angry, telling me that I shouldn’t have called you. But when I pointed out that you would have known something was wrong because he refused to take your phone calls, he settled down again.”
“Oh,” Dennis replied dejectedly and his eyes filled with sadness. “I thought he’d be pleased to see me.”
Placing a meaty hand on Booker’s shoulder, Doug gave him a gentle smile. “Trust me, he will be but you’ve got to understand, this whole thing with the video has shaken him to the core. He’s ashamed and embarrassed and they aren’t easy emotions for Tom to deal with. He was always such a private person and now…” Doug lowered his gaze so that he did not have to meet Booker’s eyes. “He’s feeling violated all over again.”
Dennis could feel his hands balling into fists and he struggled to keep his voice low. “Does Tom think I violated him or is that just you putting words in his mouth?” he hissed angrily.
Penhall blushed with embarrassment. Before he replied, he motioned towards the couch. Once Dennis was sitting stiffly on the edge of the seat, he sat down next to him and sighed heavily. “Look Booker,” he murmured quietly. “You and I have had a lot of animosity since Tom was kidnapped and I admit it, I may have said some things that I shouldn’t have. But we need to put that behind us and focus on Hanson’s recovery.”
Dennis’ dark eyes gave Doug a penetrating stare. “So are you now saying that you don’t think I raped Tom?” he asked through gritted teeth.
The blush on Penhall’s cheeks deepened and he nodded his head. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to say,” he mumbled apologetically. “All I can say in my defense is that I was angry and confused... confused about you and Tom being together because I never imagined him wanting to be with another guy. But looking back, I see how much you love him and I know you’d never do anything to intentionally hurt him. I know now that you didn’t rape Tom and if I’m honest, I think I even knew it back then. It was a stupid thing to say and I’m really sorry I said it.”
It was a resounding victory for Booker to hear Penhall admit that he was in the wrong but he did not feel the need to revel in his conquest. He appreciated how difficult it was for Doug to confess his biases and he was happy to leave it at that. Unclenching his fists, he let go of his anger and extended his hand in friendship. “Bygones?” he asked with a small smile.
Doug’s lips formed his familiar lopsided grin. “Bygones,” he agreed as he shook Dennis’ hand. Happy that they had managed to put their past animosities behind them he turned his attention to the present. “Are you hungry?”
Shaking his head, Dennis’ eyes gazed up towards the mezzanine floor that served as Doug’s bedroom. “No,” he replied quietly. “I just want to know how he is.”
Understanding Booker’s need to talk about Tom, Doug stood up and gave his new friend a smile. “Okay, let me make a pot of coffee and then we can talk.”
Settling back against the couch cushions, Dennis watched Doug as he busied himself in the kitchen. In a few short minutes he would have an update on Tom’s demeanor and then he would know what he was about to face.
**
Booker and Doug spent the next hour discussing Tom’s rapid decline in hushed tones and it had pained Dennis to hear all the details of Tom’s recent panic attacks. However, the one bright light was when Doug told him that Doctor Farmer continued to monitor his patient by making daily phone calls and that he had even put himself on twenty-four hour call if needed. For Dennis, it was a huge relief to know that Tom had a professional who truly cared about his wellbeing and it made the months of separation that they had endured worthwhile. As much as he wanted to believe that his love and care could help Tom through his traumas, he was under no illusions; Tom needed Richard Farmer in his life and probably would for many years to come.
He also felt better knowing that he and Doug had managed to put their differences behind them and that they were now on the same page regarding Tom’s welfare. Although not always perceptive, Doug understood the need to give the two men some space and therefore, he left for work early so that they could have their privacy. Now, as Dennis stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to Doug’s bedroom, he felt his heart pounding with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. It had been two months since he had seen Tom and he longed to lay his eyes on his lover’s beautiful face.
Taking slow, measured steps, he climbed up the metal staircase and reaching the top, his gaze immediately turned to the figure lying curled up on a mattress on the floor. Tears filled his eyes as he took in Tom’s pale, drawn face and moving silently across the room, he sat down on the floor next to the sleeping form. He remained silent, content to watch his lover sleep, although it took all his resolve to resist the urge to run his finger down the smooth, white skin of Tom’s tranquil face. Ten minutes passed, then twenty and when Dennis shifted his position slightly he saw Tom’s body twitch. Not wanting to startle his lover, he waited until Tom’s eyes started to flutter before he leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Baby it’s Dennis, wake up.”
Tom’s eyes slowly opened and turning his head, he focused on Booker. He showed no signs of happiness when he saw his friend gazing down at him, instead, he ran his fingers through his tousled hair and let out a heavy sigh. “What are you doing here?”
A stab of pain pierced Dennis’ heart at the tone of Tom’s voice but he remained calm. “Don’t play games Tommy,” he replied softly. “Doug told you I was coming.”
Sitting up, Tom pulled his bent legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. “Yeah he did,” he muttered flatly. “But that doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
Dennis could feel his frustration building and tiredness from the trip made him snap. “Oh for fuck’s sake Tom!” he cried out. “I know about the tape and Doug told me how badly you reacted to the news. You stopped taking my phone calls so what was I supposed to do, stay in Nevada and wait until you decided you wanted to talk to me again? We’re a couple, or at least I thought we were. Why are you shutting me out?”
Wrapping his arms tightly around his legs, Tom avoided Dennis’ gaze by resting his forehead on his knees. Minutes ticked by before he lifted his head and stared impassively back at Booker. “That tape changes everything,” he mumbled despondently.
“Why?” Dennis exclaimed in frustration. “We knew about the tape, why does it matter now?”
“BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING US!” Tom screamed hysterically and clambering to his feet, he began to pace agitatedly around the room. “Jesus Christ Booker! Don’t you care that people are watching you doing those things to me?”
Coldness gripped at Dennis’ heart and his expression immediately hardened. “Doing those things to you?” he echoed through clenched teeth. “You make it sound like I had a choice.”
Sitting down on Doug’s bed, Tom buried his head in his hands. “That’s not what I meant,” he muttered softly.
Scrambling to his feet, Dennis stared down angrily at his lover. “Really? ‘Cause I’m thinking it was a Freudian slip and that’s exactly what you fucking meant,” he replied furiously. “Well you know what Tom? I’m starting to get a little tired of your hot and cold feelings towards me. If you haven’t worked out by now how much I love you then I don’t know what else I can do. Maybe this relationship really was doomed from the start and we should just cut our losses and go our separate ways.”
Without lifting his head, Tom gave his reply in a dull voice. “Maybe we should.”
Too hurt and angry to care that his and Tom’s relationship was slowly unraveling before his very eyes, Dennis walked over to the top of the stairs. Turning back around, he stared at Hanson’s bowed head. “Take care Tom,” he muttered. “I hope one day you find peace.”
When he was half way down the steps, he heard Tom’s frantic voice calling him but he refused to turn back. Tears stung at his eyes and quickening his pace, he reached the lower level and grabbing his bag, he hurried from the apartment.
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Ask Me No Questions and I'll Tell You No Lies