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.Then ahuge silence -- weeks and weeks of nothing where his heart hurt and his belly hurt and heworried.Then, finally, today, another comm, Paul looking thin and messy, black circles under hiseyes."Hey, Petey.Been missing you.How's it going with Bowie?"He shook his head, fingers frantically paging Bowie to come."We m.m.miss you.Where are you? Come h.h.home.""I miss you, too.I'm around.Don't really have a permanent spot yet.Been working hereand there.What did you do for your birthday?""M.missed you.C.c.cried.Pauly.Pauly please.I w.w.want to see you.""You are seeing me, love." Paul looked at the unit."Don't cry, love.You're okay."Bowie came around the corner from the kitchen."Peter, is everything -- Paul!"Paul nodded, hand sliding over his shaved head, then gave Bowie a little wave.He couldsee a long bruise covering Paul's arm, leading up into the dark shirt."Hey.I was justcalling to see how you both were."Bowie growled low when the bruise came into sight."Worried out of our minds.Comehome, Paul.""No reason to worry.I'm cool.Playing around.Trying to find a spot of my own, youknow?" Someone yelled and Paul's eyes closed for a second, before that bright, horrible,fake smile appeared."I'm going to have to go soon.My.ride's waiting for me.Miss youboth, though.Lots."He shuddered, tears filling his eyes."Oh, d.don't g.go y.y.yet.N.not y.y.yet.Youj.j.hust c.called.""I have to turn the stove off in the kitchen," Bowie said."Please stay on the line while Ido that.I'll be right back.Please Paul, we've missed you so much." Bowie stepped awayfrom the vid, pulling out his personal commlink and speaking quickly and quietly into it."Oooh, what's for dinner, love? Fruit or noodles?"Peter grinned and shrugged."B.b.bowie's cooking.W.w.what d.did you h.have?"Braided - 121"Oh, they've got all sorts of nutribars and stuff you can get.They're sort of gross, but theyfill you up for a couple of days." Paul gave him a smile, this one real."You look tired,Petey.You should sleep more.Tell Bowie to take better care of you.""I w.w.want you to c.c.come and help, P.p.paul." More than anything."I was screwing shit up, love, you know it.I couldn't be good worth a damn and beingbad just pissed everyone off.It's better like this.Nobody cares if I'm a bitch out here.""The only way you screwed shit up was by leaving, Paul." Bowie stepped up next to him,hand reaching for his, holding it tightly.Bowie hadn't slept much since Paul had gonemissing, had spent most of his spare time looking for Paul.Bowie'd even hired a privateinvestigator."You can't run away from things just because they aren't easy, Paul.Thethings worth having aren't easy.Please.I promised you I had no intention of comingbetween you and Peter.Don't turn me into a liar, Paul.Come home."Another yell sounded and Paul looked worried."I can't.I have to work.I owe somebodymoney from last night.Wanna have coffee later? Maybe?""You have a job here.Come home tonight and I'll loan you the money.You can pay meback." Bowie was growling, face fierce with the dark bags under his eyes and the tightlines around his mouth."Peter needs you.I need you.""Do I still have a job there?" Peter could hear how badly Paul wanted to come home."I made arrangements with Malachi to bring in a trial replacement.If you're here andready to start working again before the man's three months are up, then yes, you can haveyour job back." Peter noticed Bowie left out the fact that Paul was going to have toapologize to Mal and promise it wouldn't happen again.Bowie cleared his throat."Paul.Come home.Please."Another scream, this one closer and Paul nodded, quick and scared, skin paling."As soonas I can.Promise.I gotta go.I miss you both.So much.""Paul! Bring them here -- we'll be waiting at the side entrance with money." Bowiebarked the order out, voice urgent.Paul nodded and started to run, the comm going black.Peter reached out for the comm."P.Pauly!"He looked up at Bowie, shaking."H.h.h.he's c.c.c.coming home?""I don't know, Pretty, I just don't know." Bowie wrapped strong arms around him andheld him tight.Bowie raised his personal comm unit up."Jackson? Do you have him?"Braided - 122"We've got him in sight, Sir, you want us to pick him up or follow him?""Follow him."Bowie snapped the communit shut and kissed his forehead."Come on, Peter.If he doesn'tcome home, the priv-eyes will bring him home."Peter nodded, his hand sliding into Bowie's."H.h.he looked t.t.tired.Sc.sc.scared.Sk.sk.skinny.I.I.I'm glad he c.called." He still wasn't sure why Paul had gone.Hedidn't understand.He didn't care.He just wanted Paul home.Now."I am, too, Peter.We needed him to call to pinpoint his location.We sure as hell weren'thaving any luck finding him just by trying."Bowie strode over to the desk he'd added to the sitting room, taking a small briefcase outof the back of one of the drawers.Bowie opened it, looked inside and shook his head."Isure hope this is enough.It would take days to trade in chips for more cash." Then Bowieheld out his hand."Let's go see if he shows up, Pretty.""H.he will.H.he p.p.p.promised."They headed down to the side entrance, holding tight to each other.Paul would come.Hewould.Bowie looked so angry as they slipped out the side doors and waited.Pacing, back andforth, Bowie would growl every now and then, or come over and give him a hug and akiss and tell him it would be all right.Paul hurtled out of the public transport, landing hard on the port, a pair of big menfollowing behind, shoving him with their feet."You owe us for the transport, too, bitch.You'd better not be trying to stiff us."Bowie puffed up, chest barreled out, and scowled, heading toward them after giving hima quick "stay put.""You hurt him and you'll get a lot more than you bargained for," growled Bowie.Paul sat up, wiping blood off his lip."Not stiffing anybody.Not."Peter fluttered, watching as the two men glared down at Bowie."This piece of shit owesus thirty half-chits.Said you'd pay us."He stopped, blinked.Thirty half-chits? But that was nothing.Nothing.Less than theymade in an hour of working.Braided - 123Bowie glared back, undaunted by the two men."Thirty? What for? You wouldn't betrying to con us, would you?""Filthy little whore crashed in our transport last night AND we gave him water thismorning.He said he'd pay us today." Paul shifted away from another kick as the mantalked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]