Welcome Again! As is usual, all legal disclaimers apply. If the laws where you live prohibit the viewing or reading of this type of material you or you are not yet of the minimum required age to do so, PLEASE leave now! If the subject of homosexual relationships is offensive to you, please read no further. This is not the story for you!
The story is true, however some names and some places have been changed for reasons of privacy. Additionally, some individuals identities have been obscured beyond recognition. Therefore, if you think you recognize yourself in this story, you don't!
The Author reserves all rights. Copyright 2000. Archival rights granted to Nifty. The Author is Terrence 'TJ' Julian with additional input by Andrew Simon van Ryan.
Andys' Homepage is at: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/baronavr/myhomepage/profile.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------
Special Notice!
The next four parts of our story(XXI, XXII, XXIII and XXIV) should be read in one sitting. It's just easier to keep the events in perspective that way. The other thing I have to tell you is that the NEXT part to come (XXV) is when you find why this story is entitled "Anything to Turn You On...".
We have received a great many e-mails asking about the title, so next posting is when you finally find out WHY!
Thank you all for reading this and sending us e-mails!
Love, TJ and Andy
Anything to Turn You On....
Part XXIII
by Terrence 'TJ' Julian
Copyright 2000. All Rights Reserved
I could hear Andrews voice, but it sounded like an echo. My head seemed like it was a lead weight and my body felt like it was suspended in cotton candy.
I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt too heavy. "Andy" I whispered.
Andrew spun 'round away from Peter and crouched next to me "TJ?" he said softly "TJ, did you say something?" I groaned and whispered "Andy" again. "Yes, TJ" he replied "I'm here". I tried to open my eyes again, but only one of them half-opened. Everything was a blur so I closed it. I attempted to reach for Andy but only my fingers moved. Exhausted from just this small effort I drifted off again.
"What?!" Polly cried "A Maternity Clinic?!" She turned to the driver and asked if there wasn't some mistake. He insisted this was the only clinic on the street. Steven said "Wait here" and stepped inside. He went to the receptionists desk and in very poor French asked if two boys had been brought in. He had to repeat himself several times before she understood. When she figured out what Steven was on about she held up her hand and called for the Doctor.
"Yes, I am the Doctor" the man said as he approached Steven. "Were two young men brought here from the Harbor?" The Doctor replied smugly "Are you referring to Mr. Julian?" Steven nodded and the Doctor said "I've already taken care of his arm and he's been sent home". Steven thanked him and started for the door. "Could you remind him to send someone to pay the bill tomorrow?" the Doctor called out. Steven agreed and hurried to the cab. "What's going on?" Polly asked. "Get in!" Steven cried "They're at the apartment". Anita gave the driver the address and they sped away from the curb.
"You should have seen him, Daddy!" Linda sniffled into the phone "He was wearing eye makeup and looked like he hadn't slept in a month! He didn't even care it was me and he called me a stupid fat cow!"
"Well, you come on home honey. At least you can put him behind you now" Mr. Hamilton said to his daughter. "OK, Daddy" she whined "I hate England!". "Call the airline and have them put you on a flight out tomorrow. I love you Linda" he said. "I love you too, Daddy" she said and hung up. "So" she said turning to the Swedish boy she'd met in the lobby "Wanna get naked?"
The cab screeched to a halt. Polly and Anita sprang towards the door into the stairway as Steven paid the driver. They flew up the stairs and found the front door unlocked. Steven ran to catch up. "Andrew?!" Polly shouted "Here!" he shouted back at her. Andy stepped towards the doorway as she came through it.
"Oh, Andrew!" she cried and threw her arms around him. She began sobbing heavily as Andrew hugged her. Anita entered the room behind them. "Oh, Terrence my angel!" she said and ran to the bed. Anita began weeping as she knelt down next to me. Steven entered the room and looked around. Noticing Peter he asked "Who are you?" "It's OK, Steven" Andy said "He pulled me out of the water and brought us into port. His name's Peter and I've hired him to stay with us a few days". "Why?" Steven asked. "He used to be a medic with the Royal Air Force. Besides, he's a witness. He was taking photos as the man pushed us overboard".
I could hear voices. Three, four or five? I couldn't tell. I could hear someone crying too. The crying seemed to be close by so I struggled to open my eyes. They fluttered open and I stared at the ceiling for a minute, trying to focus. Andrew was still comforting Miss Polly when he glanced at me and noticed my eyes were open. "TJ!" he cried and stepped to the bed. I looked in the direction of the blur moving towards me. I stared and slowly Andrews face came into focus. "Andy" I whispered "You're OK".
Andrew dropped to his knees and reached out to hug my neck. "Oh, TJ!" he sniffled "I love you". The rest of the room began to come into focus and I noticed Polly and Steven. I could still hear soft crying and I looked for the source of the sound. Anita was next to Andrew and tears were falling from her eyes. "Whats wrong Anita?" I asked with a slur. "Oh, Terrence" she cried "I was so worried about you".
I suddenly remembered Andy and I falling, no! Being PUSHED! I looked back at Andrew and said "Who pushed us?"
Steven spoke up saying "A crew member, TJ. Don't worry. They've caught him and he's under arrest". It slowly sank in and I nodded. Then I asked "Where are we?". Andrew said "At the apartment, TJ". I frowned. The fog in my head had slowly begun to lift and there was less time between my questions now. "How did we get here?" I asked. "Don't you remember the sailboat?" Andy asked. I shook my head. "We were rescued by three men on a sailboat and they brought us to the harbor" he explained. I suddenly remembered looking at my arm while we were in the water.
"My arm!" I said and tried to raise it. It felt ten times its weight and I looked down to see the cast. "What happened?!" I cried as I really began to wake up. Andy explained how I had hit my arm on the rail and broken it. He explained how I'd passed out from the pain and the shock . Andrew then said "Peter and I went to the Clinic with you and they set your arm". "Peter?" I asked "Who's Peter?". Andrew said "He's a Photographer, TJ. He was on the sailboat that pulled us out of the water". I heard someone clear their throat. I looked and there was a stranger standing in the corner.
"I'm Peter" the stranger said and everyone in the room turned to stare at him.
Polly said "You're a photographer?" with a note of anger in her voice. "Yes" Andrew said "and he got pictures of the man pushing us overboard, so no one get mad at him, alright? Besides, I've hired him for a few days to help care for TJ. He was a medic with the RAF".
Everyone looked at Andrew and they all started to open their mouths to protest. "AH, AH, AH!" Andrew said holding his hand up. "I've already hired him and I don't want to hear any more about it!"
Anita turned back to look at Peter and asked "You were a medic?". "Yes, ma'am" he replied. "For the RAF?" she asked. "Special Forces" he replied. "Really?" she said "Well, Andrew. If you think so".
"I do" he answered "He stayed with me at the clinic while the Doctor set TJ's arm, too".
"Speaking of the Clinic" Polly asked "Why did they take you to a Maternity clinic?" Peter and Andrew swiveled their heads to stare at each other. "That's why he wanted to get us out of there!" Peter said in a knowing way. Andrew nodded his head. "Who wanted you out?" Anita asked. "The Doctor" Andy replied "As soon as it seemed like TJ was going to wake up, he sent us home".
Polly was still looking at Peter. "Why were you taking pictures" she asked. Peter sighed and said "I was hired by a newspaper to get photos of Terry and Andy on vacation" he answered "When they appeared on the top deck we started shooting. We caught the entire incident on film". Steven asked "Who's we?". Peter explained about Ian and Perry. "Where are they?" asked Polly. "I would imagine they've gone to get the film developed. There's a photo lab here in Cannes. Once the film's developed, They'll head back to the sailboat in the harbor".
"I'd like to see those photos" Andy said "Can you go get your two friends and bring them here?". Peter nodded and Andy asked Anita to have Jean-Paul drive Peter to the harbor.
Once Peter had headed out to find Ian and Perry, Polly asked Andy why he wanted to have Peter around. Andrew sighed and said "I'm not sure, Polly. He just acted so honest with me. While we were at the clinic he stayed right with me. He took care of me while I was waiting to see TJ. I was crying and he was like a big brother" Andy paused and said "I guess he acted the way I wish my own brother would".
Anita returned to the room and sat on the bed. "How are you feeling TJ?" I looked at her and replied weakly "I'm alright. Really". She smiled at me and said "Thank god. I was so worried". I thought for a moment and asked "Why did he push us?" "Yeah" Andrew repeated "Why did he push us?"
Steven had talked to some of the crew while the ship was returning to Cannes and he spoke up. "The crew told me that he'd been goin' on about 'faggots and queers' and that kind of crap ever since we came on board. He said he didn't think you deserved to own a ship because your gay". I could see Andrews face flush red with anger as he spoke up "So he was trying to kill us by pushing us overboard, wasn't he?" Steven nodded and said "Yes Andy"
"I saw his face as he pushed us" I said softly. They all looked at me. "He had this look of anger and hate" I said "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen".
There was a sudden loud knocking at the front door. Steven ran and answered it. He swung the door open and there stood a policeman holding Peter by the shirt. Standing behind him were Ian and Perry and another policeman. "Do you know this man?" the policeman said with a heavy accent. "Uh, Yes" Steven said cautiously. "He assaulted the prisoner we were bringing ashore" the policeman continued "Do you want us to take him in?" Steven smiled and said "Hell NO! Give him a medal. Now let go of him!" The policeman smiled and let go of Peter. Steven motioned him inside. Ian and Perry stepped forward and Peter said "They're with me". Steven let them in then thanked the police. Closing the door he asked Peter "What did you do?" Peter sheepishly explained "They were bringing the bastard down the dock as I arrived. As he walked past, I punched his lights out". Steven patted him on the shoulder and laughed "Good man!" Looking at the others he said "Come on, follow me".
As Steven stepped into the bedroom he cried out "Good News! Peter here just punched out the man who pushed you!"
"What?!" Andrew gasped. Peter explained and everyone cheered. I even smiled and thanked him. Ian stepped forward and asked "Would you like to see the proof sheet?" I nodded and he handed the sheet to Andrew. Andy slid over beside me and we began looking at them. "Here" Perry said and offered us a magnifying glass.
Studying the photos, I noticed the look on Alonzos face and it sent shivers up my spine. I saw the picture of my arm being broken and the memory of holding it while in the water came back to me. Andy was looking at the first two photos and suddenly cried out "TJ! You were getting a hard on!" I looked at Andrew in shock as everyone began laughing. "Why don't you just tell the world!" I shouted. Andy put his hand over his mouth and his face turned red to match mine. "Sorry!" he muttered. I just shook my head saying "Some things never change!"
The photos were shown all around and both Polly and Anita made little comments about Andrews observation. I looked at Peter, Ian and Perry and asked "You won't print that, will you?" Ian repiled "Not without blacking out the, ah well.... you know what I mean!" For the first time since waking up I laughed a little. "OK, that's good!"
Andy had made his way into the bed and was now lying snug against my side. "I'm glad you're laughing" he said "Now I know you'll be OK" He reached over and hugged me. When he did a dull pain shot up my arm. "Ouch!" I cried and he jumped away nearly falling out of bed. Peter jumped forward and caught him. Andy looked up. "Thanks!... Again!" he smiled. "No problem, mate".
Anita said "I am going to hire a bodyguard for the two of you and I'm not taking no for an answer this time!" she stated. I looked at her and sighed. Andrews shoulders drooped then he suddenly looked at Peter. "Hey, you were in the Special Forces, right?" He nodded. "Did you train to protect people?" Peter smiled and said "Well, yeah. After I was in the Special Forces in began to train as an MI5 agent".
Andrew turned to Anita and said "What about him?" She asked Peter "Would you want to be a bodyguard?"
"Oh, yeah!" he said excitedly "That's the kind of work I've wanted to be doing!" Anita's eyes narrowed and she asked "Why aren't you with MI5, then?" Peter looked at the ground and hesitated "I got dismissed" he said. "Why?" she asked suspiciously. He looked up and said "They found out I'm gay".
In true stereophonic sound Andrew and I both cried "You're Hired!"
Late in the afternoon Anita was sitting next to the bed talking to me. Andrew was napping curled against my side. "He hasn't left you for a second, has he?" she asked watching him sleep. "No" I whispered "He hasn't even gone to use the bathroom!" I giggled as I said it. Anita smiled then she said "I guess you won't be wanting to go back to the ship then?" "Why not?" I said. "I like it there. Andy got over being sick and was having fun, too". She raised an eyebrow and said "So, you wouldn't mind going back aboard?" I shook my head and said "I'm ready when you are. Just make sure to pick up my pain medication first". "Will do!" she smiled "I'll go call the Captain!".
As the August sun was sinking into the waters of the Mediterranean, the launch carrying us arrived alongside the Roman Holiday. Peter insisted on carrying me up to the deck. The crew was assembled once again and they all saluted as Peter set me on my feet. I had to return their salute with the other hand however, and when Spelling stepped forward to shake I again used my other hand.
"I am so very sorry for the behavior of my crew member" he apologized. "It's alright" I said "He's where he belongs now".
Andrew took hold of my good hand and said to Spelling "Thank you for capturing him". Spelling laughed and said "I think you'd best thank Antoine for that". Neither of us had been told how Antoine had knocked Alonzo out with the frying pan. When it was explained to us Andy turned to Peter and said "That makes twice!"
Spelling looked puzzled and Steven told him how Peter had punched Alonzo. Spelling laughed and said "That makes three times. When they were taking him down to the launch he mouthed off to one of the policemen. He punched Alonzo and knocked him out, too!"
I giggled and said "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!" Spelling looked at me and said "I'm so sorry, Mr. Julian. If there is anything, anything at all I can do for you, just ask". I thanked him and we started to turn towards the salon. I felt Andys grip on my hand tighten and I stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Just a second" I answered and turned back towards Spelling.
"Excuse me" I said "Is it true a Ship's Captain can marry people at sea?" He looked at me and replied "Yes, that's true". I squeezed Andrews hand and said "I want you to marry us". Andrews eyes widened and his mouth swung open.. "Well, I could perform the ceremony" Spelling said "but I don't think it would be a legal marriage". "I don't care about the legal aspect" I replied "It's the ceremony we want".
"Alright then" Captain Spelling replied "When do you want to do it?" I looked at Anita and said "We need to invite a few people and give them time to get here. I want Mother to come if she can. We need to get rings, too". Anita said "Two weeks?" I was about to say yes when Andrew loudly cleared his throat. "Aheeemmm!" he uttered "Aren't you forgetting something?"
I looked at him blankly. He stared back at me for a moment then said "You haven't ASKED me yet!" I looked at him with the biggest smile ever and said in a loud voice "Andrew Simon van Ryan, would you marry me?" He beamed at me and said "Yes, Terrence Allessandro Julian. I would be honored to marry you!" He wrapped his arms around me gently and we kissed right there in front of everyone! Our friends, the assembled crew and the Captain all began cheering and clapping. When we broke our embrace both Andy and I had tears flowing down our cheeks. "I love you forever, Terry" he said "I promise 'till I die". I wept tears of joy as I hugged him tightly.
................Continued