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Then As It Was, Then Again It Will Be	By : OpenPage Category: 1 through F > 21 Jump Street Views: 1347 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 7
- 8
- 9
12 months later
A cold blustery wind drove heavy rain against the windows of Booker’s office. Sitting with his feet up on his desk, Dennis read the notes of his latest case. As a qualified Private Investigator, he was earning enough to be choosy as to which cases he took on. He had a nice office in a respectable neighborhood, which in itself, brought in a better class of clientele. His latest assignment was a case in point. Rich, elderly widow searching for the baby she had given up for adoption. Dennis had already made contact with the adoptee and she was thrilled at the thought of meeting her birth mother.
Preparing to phone his client with the news, he glanced over to the window and noticed a figure scurrying past. Several moments later, a knock sounded at his door.
“It’s open,” he called out, dropping his feet from the desk in a burst of professionalism. Beginning to stand so he could welcome his visitor, he froze half way when he saw the rain soaked figure that walked through the door.
“Hey,” Penhall greeted, grinning his lopsided grin.
Booker remained silent, his look changing from one of shock to one of resentment. After walking out of Tom’s hospital room Dennis had not returned. He could not cope with Hanson’s rejection after everything they had been through since signing up to the Huntsfield College case. Secretly, he had hoped that Penhall would keep him informed as to Hanson’s progress but over the ensuing months, he had received no contact from any of the Jump Street officers. Depression had hit him hard. He used alcohol and sex to dull his pain, which ultimately cost him his job at the mall. It did not take long for his meager savings to dry up and within a month, his worst fear had been realized; he was homeless and living in his car. It was however, the wakeup call he needed. He cleaned himself up and obtained his Private Investigator’s license. His first few cases had barely paid the rent on his office space, meaning he slept and worked out of the same building. However, it did not take long for word to spread and he quickly gained a reputation as a thorough, if somewhat unorthodox investigator. Within five months, he had moved to his current location and was renting a trendy apartment overlooking the ocean. Memories of Hanson were never far from the surface but Dennis had learnt to push them aside in favor of keeping busy. In truth, it was the only way he could survive with day-to-day living. Thoughts of Tom and what could have been were just too painful.
Now his past had once again caught up with him in the shape of Doug Penhall. Silently moving around to the other side of his desk, Booker moved some paperwork off a chair and motioned for Doug to sit. Returning to his leather recliner, he sat down and leaning back, he hoped he gave the appearance of nonchalance. “So,” he stated sardonically. “How did you find me?”
Penhall ran his fingers through his dampened hair. “Police officer, remember?” he quipped. “Anyway, I kind of figured this line of work would be right up your alley.”
Anger flushed the skin of Dennis’ face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Doug raised his hands in mock surrender. “Whoa, take it easy Booker. I just meant you were a good cop and being a security guard was a waste of your talents.”
Booker’s face relaxed. “Sorry. You being here is a bit of a shock. I mean… it’s been twelve months Penhall, why has it taken you this long to track me down?”
Doug let out a sigh. “I couldn’t before ‘cause I had to do what was best for Tommy. But over the last few months things have changed.”
Dennis could feel his pulse quickening. He was about to get news about Hanson after a year of not knowing. Now that the time had finally come, he was not sure he wanted to know. Sometimes, as the saying went, ignorance was bliss. What if Tom had not fully recovered? Did he really want to have his memories of Tom tarnished? Even though he knew he would love a disabled Tom as much, if not more, than an able-bodied Tom, he was not sure his emotions could take it. He knew his heart would break knowing that Tom was suffering. But burying his head in the sand was not how Booker wanted to live his life. He had achieved so much in the last six months and he feared he would once again lose everything if he did not face up to reality. As he chewed nervously on his bottom lip, he came to a decision. No matter what, he needed closure.
Raising his eyes, he stared unwaveringly at Penhall. “Changed in what way?” he asked.
Penhall face once again broke into a lopsided grin. “He wants to see you.”
**
At Penhall’s revelation, Booker felt tears welling in his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he hurriedly blinked them back. Sensing Dennis’ emotional state, Doug remained silent until Booker had composed himself. When Dennis once again met his eye, Penhall recounted the last twelve months of Hanson’s recovery.
Hanson had made slow improvement at the hospital but it had taken a further two months before he was deemed fit enough to be moved into a rehabilitation facility. It was at Grove Rehabilitation Center that he had begun the painful process of learning to walk, dress and feed himself again. He had an aversion to being touched, which made rehabilitation much harder for the therapists. But they persisted regardless, even when he was screaming for them to stop. He had also received extensive speech therapy as he had developed a debilitating stutter, which the doctors believed was a result of his head injury. During this time, Doug explained how Tom had become severely depressed, which had hindered his progress even further. It took several months of trial medications before Hanson was once again mentally fit enough to continue his treatment. Dogged determination had seen him finally able to walk with only the aid of a cane. His speech impediment had unfortunately persisted and it caused Hanson a great deal of unhappiness. The doctors were unsure as to whether it would eventually correct itself, saying only time would tell. Tom had spent a total of seven months at the center and when the doctors finally signed off on his release, he and Penhall had found an apartment to share. Doug had taken two months leave so he could be with Hanson during the initial settling in period. It had been tough on them both, Hanson had turbulent mood swings, often brought on by pain and frustration and Penhall regularly found his patience tried to the limit. Their friendship however, had seen them through the worst of it and over the last few months, they had settled into a chaotic routine of sorts. That was until a few weeks ago when Hanson’s nightmares had started. Up until that time, he had not remembered any of what had happened to him. Told of the rape through therapy sessions, it did not hit hard until the nightmares began and his memories slowly started to filter back. It had been not long after that he had begun asking Penhall questions about Booker. Unable to give Tom the answers he needed, Doug had agreed to find the ex police officer.
This time, Dennis was unable to contain his feelings. The tears that had been threatening to fall finally brimmed over. Frustrated at his lack of control he furiously pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes in an effort to stem the flow. He felt strong arms embrace him and he struggled to pull away. But Doug held him firm and he found himself giving into the comfort and sobbing deeply into Penhall’s broad chest, the pain of Tom’s ordeal too much to bear.
After several minutes, Dennis gently disengaged himself from Penhall’s hold and rubbed an arm across his tear stained face. It took several minutes more before he felt strong enough to speak. “What do you want me to tell him?”
Doug did not hesitate to answer. “I want you to tell him the truth… the truth about everything.”
Dennis’ eyes narrowed skeptically. “Is that right? ‘Cause last time I checked, no one wanted to believe that Hanson and I had feelings for each other. What’s changed?”
“Tommy’s changed!” Penhall snapped back angrily. “Damn it Booker, I’ve spent the last year of my life seeing my best friend struggle like a toddler. Every accomplishment that he was so damn proud of broke my heart. I don’t give a rat’s ass about anything now except Tom’s happiness. He wants to see you, I make it happen, end of story.”
Dennis closed his eyes for a moment before replying. “What makes you think I’m the one that’ll make him happy?”
“You’re the one who can give him answers Dennis, as for the rest… I can’t answer that,” Doug replied.
Booker nodded slowly before giving Doug a hesitant grin. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”
As the two men walked outside into the cold, damp night, Doug wondered how Tom would cope with everything that Dennis was about to reveal.
**
Sitting in Doug’s car, Dennis nervously drummed his fingers on the dashboard. He was starting to wonder if he had made a huge mistake. It would have been far more sensible to go home and think through what he would say to Hanson rather than go barreling in with no plan of attack. If what Doug had told him was true, any wrong move could send Tom over the edge and Booker did not want to be responsible for Hanson’s relapse. Just as he was about to tell Penhall to turn the car around, Doug lashed out at Dennis’ drumming fingers. “For fuck’s sake Booker, stop it!”
Dennis pulled his hands away. “Sorry,” he replied sheepishly. “I’m kinda nervous.”
Turning his head, Penhall gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t be. Just... you need to be prepared for how he is now, okay?”
Dennis did not reply. Penhall’s words only increased his anxiety. He was terrified that he would not be able to keep it together when he eventually laid eyes on the man who had once meant so much to him. This was not how the story was supposed to go. They should have fallen in love in a slow, dramatic style like in the movies and in the end, they would have caught the bad guys and lived happily ever after. None of what had happened to Tom after he left the college bar that night was in the script. It was supposed to be a love story, not a horror story. But as Booker’s mother used to say, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. There was no point in longing for a different outcome. This was the hand that had been dealt and all Booker could do now was play it.
As Doug pulled the car into a parking space outside his and Tom’s apartment, Dennis felt his fear increase. Twelve months of not knowing had led to this moment. Within minutes he would see his beloved Tom, talk to his beloved Tom and maybe hold his beloved Tom. However, as quickly as the fear had come, it dissipated and Dennis suddenly felt a calmness traverse through his body. He was longing to get inside and see for himself how Tom really was.
Only then he would know for sure if a new love story was about to be written.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Then As It Was, Then Again It Will Be