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Westpoint Tales

by Kiwi

Entangled Tales - 39 - Tony

Before they were finished eating, a woman, also dressed all in black - trousers, shirt and apron - came over to the table and laid a magazine down between the twins. THE magazine - the Woman's World with their photo on the cover. "I hope you don't think I'm rude," she said. "But, I've just got to ask. That is you, isn't it? In the Woman's World?"

"Yes Ma'am,' Justin nodded. "That's us; Jonathan and I - Justin Reynolds."

"I knew it!" she exulted. "My husband said 'no', but I knew it had to be you - there can't be two pairs of identical faces exactly the same. Would you mind autographing it for me, please?"

"Cool," Jonathan said. "I've never been asked for an autograph before, and it may never happen again either. Got a pen?"

They both signed the cover while she stood and watched. "Thank you so much. I just loved your story too - what a way to find your lost brother - on the TV news."

Justin stood and pulled a chair over from the next table. "Ma'am, would you sit and talk to us for a minute please? Would your name be Mrs. Duncan?"

She took the chair and sat down looking at him. "Yes, that's me - June Duncan."

"Well, Mrs. Duncan, if you've read our story, you'll understand that Jonathan and I know something about what it's like to be separated from a brother, and the joy of reunion too."

Jonathan chipped in, "Yes! Spot on, Justin. Mrs. Duncan, we're living in Westpoint now, where Daniel O'Brien is too. You know Daniel don't you?"

"Of course I know Daniel. He was like another son to me - ever since he was a baby, I've known Daniel. How is he? How's he coping with life in Westpoint?"

"He's not good, Mrs. Duncan. He's not sick, but he's not coping with life in Westpoint very well at all."

"He's not? Oh, poor wee man. I wish he could have stayed here. I offered him a home here with us, but his family insisted on taking him. I love Daniel, you know."

"So do we, Mrs. Duncan. That's why we're here."

"Why? I'm not with you, sorry."

"Ma'am, I presume that Tony is your son? Well, Daniel is missing him really bad. He considers Tony was his best friend, his closer-than-a-brother."

"Yes, they certainly were that - the Terrible Twosome."

"We've come to talk to Tony, Mrs. Duncan. We don't know him, but we want to help our friend, Daniel. We've got an extra air-ticket and we would like to take Tony back with us, to Westpoint - to Daniel, for the holidays."

She sat quietly looking down at the magazine on the table. Then she looked up at the two of them, at the three of them. She pulled out a tissue, wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"You've come all this way? You really are bloody heroes aren't you? I'm not being sarcastic - I mean it. You are heroes, all of you. There must be something in the air down there. I saw you on TV too, at that boy's funeral - that was so moving. Look, boys. I...umm..oh. Come with me - come upstairs."

They all followed her into the back, through the kitchen, and up the stairs to her home above the cafe. "Sit down boys. Justin, Jonathan, and, nobody's told me your name?

"This is my friend."

"Our friend."

"Okay, this is our friend, Billy. He was Jeremy's cousin too."

"Jeremy? The boy who....who died? Hello Billy. Now, boys, first I want to tell you that I know how much Daniel's hurting. He's told me on the phone and I've seen the messages he keeps sending, even though Tony won't answer him. But mostly I know how much he's missing Tony, because I can see how much Tony is missing him. I'm really worried about my boy, it's like he's dead inside. He's shut down all the doors in his head, and he absolutely refuses to talk to Daniel, or to talk about him either. Every time Daniel's name comes up, Tony switches off."

"That's exactly what Daniel's doing."

"Yes. I know that this is how Tony thinks that he's going to deal with their separation, but it's not working. He's getting worse all the time. And he eats! I've heard of people eating comfort food, but Tony is way over the top. He eats constantly, over and over, all day long. He's put on so much weight it's amazing - it's like he hates himself or something.

Anyway, if you could do anything to fix this, I'd be so grateful. I know that you can't bring Daniel back, but we're losing Tony as well. If you could at least try to get him back to the happy boy he was ....."

"We'll do our best, Mrs. Duncan. That's why we came."

"I'll go and get Tony now. You do whatever you can - I can't. I'll leave it entirely in your hands, and thank you boys. Even if you can't do anything, thank you for trying."

She left and soon returned with the plump boy who had served them earlier. "This is Tony. Sit down Tony. These are Billy, Justin and Jonathan, but I haven't a clue which one's which - they'll have to sort that out. These boys have come a long way to talk to you, so you just sit there and bloody listen to what they've got to say. I'll be downstairs."

She left, leaving them sitting there, Tony in an armchair, the other three on the couch, sitting facing him.

The silence dragged on and on until Tony could stand it no longer. "Well? What have you got to say then?" There was no reply, they sat looking at him. "Well? What the fuck are you looking at?"

"We're just looking," said Jonathan who they had agreed would do the talking. "I've never seen a murderer before."

(Justin thought 'Nice one Brother.')

"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not a murderer."

"Yes you are. You're a stone-hearted, cold-blooded killer."

"I don't need this crap! You're a pack of loonies. I'm outa here."

Justin rose and stood in his way. His arms went up and he stood in a half-crouch. His whole stance was threatening. "You are going nowhere. Sit down or I will knock you down," he growled.

Tony backed off and sunk onto his chair. "I don't need this. I've done nothing."

Jonathan grinned menacingly. "Now you've met my brother, Superboy. Piss him off and he'll break your legs. We won't try to stop him, we don't even like you kid. You deserve everything you get."

"What for? I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't murdered anybody; you must have me confused with somebody else.”

"We're not confused at all. Tony Duncan, Main Street, Warkworth, Arsehole."

"Maybe I am! Who the fuck are you?" he yelled at Jonathan. "What have I ever done to you?"

"We told you, I'm Jonathan, that's Justin, and that's Billy. You've done nothing to us, but you are killing our friend - Daniel O'Brien."

"Daniel?" His voice was shaking now and tears were welling up. "You know Danny?"

"Yes we know Daniel, he's our friend and we like him. Why don't you?"

"Daniel?" The dam burst, the tears flowed and he sobbed. “I don't like Daniel. I love him. He's my brother and I love him. I wouldn't hurt Danny."

"But you are hurting him. You're hurting him horribly. If it goes on much longer, he might even top himself. Toddy says he's talked about it. Why won't you talk to him?"

"No! I can't. I just can't." He collapsed in tears. Justin went to console him, but Jonathan held him back.

"I can't," Tony continued, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "It's all over. He's gone and he has to start a new life, with new friends, without me. I love Danny, I've always loved him, more than he'll ever know. So I have to let him go."

"You don't have to. He's not letting go of you."

"Well, he's got to. I'm not what he needs. Look, even if he hadn't moved away, he still wouldn't need me anymore. He doesn't know it, but I am gay. That's right - I'm gay and Danny's not, so he's better off without me."

"You're gay?" said Justin. "That may not be as big a problem as you think." He turned to Billy and kissed him on the lips.

"You're gay too!"

Jonathan said, "Some of us. Not everyone's gay here."

Tony sighed, "But that doesn't make any difference. Daniel could never love me like that, he's not gay."

"That's not what his boyfriend says."

"His boyfriend? Danny's got a boyfriend? But he couldn't. Danny is not gay. He's not. Is he? Is he really? Oh, God! What have I done?"

"Yes, Daniel's got a boyfriend. You wanted him to make new friends and he has. Toddy and Daniel are a couple, and they're doing it - all the time, they're doing it."

"Well that's it then. I never knew, why didn't he tell me? I've really stuffed things up, it's too late now."

"Why didn't you tell him? Yes, you've stuffed things up, but it's never too late."

"It's too late for me. He's moved on if he has got a boyfriend. Does he love this Toddy?"

"He hasn't moved on at all. Yes he loves Toddy, but he loves you more."

"He does? Really?"

"Yes really. Toddy says that Daniel spends more time crying on his shoulder than anything else - crying for you Tony Duncan."

"For me? Do you think I could fix this? Is it not too late? But - how?"

"By growing up. You've got to be a man. Face him and be honest."

"But I can't. He's gone. I'm here and he's there - a million miles away."

"That's his words too. I've heard him say the exact same thing! He's not that far away - he's only at the end of a telephone, or an e-mail. You can still talk."

Tony thought for a while, then said, "Yes. You're right - I can. I can, I will. I will talk to him, if he wants to."

Finally, Jonathan smiled. He stood up. "Of course he fucking wants to. What do you think we're doing here? But you can do better than phone him." He took out the extra air-ticket and laid it down on Tony's legs.

Tony looked down at it, opened it and read it. "I can go there? But why? Why would you do this for me? You don't even know me."

"No, we didn't know you, but we will. We did it for our friend, for Daniel. And because I've got to try to be a hero, like my brother here. And because doing good things makes me feel good."

"But, this is a really, really big thing."

"And I will feel really, really good. So, are you going to do it? Please? Will you come back with us? See Daniel, fix him and see where he's living now, so when he talks about school or the Square or whatever, you'll know what he's talking about. The return flight's an open booking so you can make your own reservations to come back. We live in our grandparent's hotel, so if Daniel's new family haven't got room for you, you can come and stay with us."

"I can? I will! I will do it - I have to. Thank you - oh, thank you!" He leapt up and hugged Jonathan. Justin and Billy both came and joined in a happy four-way hug.

"I'll get my Mum. I'll get my Dad. You wait here - I'll get them."

A happy boy rushed off down the stairs and returned with his confused parents in tow.

"Here they are. They did it. I'm going to Westpoint," he danced excitedly around the room. "I'm going to Westpoint, I'm going to see Danny. Can I go? You have to say yes. Can I?"

"Whoah, Tony. Calm down already. Yes, of course you can go."

"Yes! Oh, Yes. Thanks Mum. Thanks Dad. Thanks Jonathan, Justin, Billy. Yes!"

His mother grabbed and held him in a hug. Over his shoulder she smiled at the twins and Billy. "Thank you, boys. I don't know how you did it, but you've found the right buttons and switched our boy on again. Thank you."

Tony hugged her back, then turned and touched his father's arm. "Thank you Mum, Dad. I can really go?"

"Yes you can go," said John Duncan smiling. "You need to go and fix your friendship. Thanks boys, how much do we owe you for the air-ticket?”

"You don't owe us anything, this is on us. It's all paid for. But there is something that Tony could do for us actually."

"Of course I will. What can I do?"

"Well, we're here for two days and we are all strangers here so we could do with a guide to show us around."

"Yes, sure I will. That'll be cool."

"Wait a minute, there's more yet. You can also help us to get back to the airport on Wednesday. I drove out here this morning, but it was a nightmare in all that bloody traffic."

"That's no problem," said Tony's father. "We will take you back to the airport. I'll drive the rental and June can bring our car."

"Thanks Mr. Duncan. That would be such a relief."

Billy said, "But you drove us out here, and you didn't have any trouble."

"You don't know, Billy-Boy. You've got no idea how uptight I was. I didn't see a thing in the city - nothing but those awful roads."

"Well you don't need to worry. I'll drive you back and you can relax and look around all you like."

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