* * * * * *

It was well after one when Larry returned to his hotel room. The others were still out--hitting the pubs, no doubt--and would most likely not be returning any time soon. Larry knew that it had been intended that he meet them for a night on the town, but he hadn't felt up to it.

Wearily, he slid the key card through the lock and the wooden door opened with a soft snick. The room was completely dark, the only light in it spilling in from the open doorway. As he closed the door, Larry made a sweeping gesture with one hand and instantly the lamp across the room, beside his bed blinked on. When he removed his other hand from the door to step away the chain lock stirred slightly, lifted slowly, and bolted itself.

Stretching his shoulders, Larry began to unbutton and shrug out of his heavy clothing. Coat, shoes, scarf, and sweater were all removed and discarded in the tiny closet behind the entry door. Larry stretched again, feeling less confined in only a thin t-shirt and jeans, then shuffled in his socked feet across the floor to his bed. As he flopped down on top of the bedcovers, he idly tossed his key card onto the bedside table. Glancing over as it fell, his attention was snared by the telephone; the little red light was blinking hypnotically, indicating that he had at least one message.

Larry ignored it.

Instead, he rolled over onto his back to stare blankly at the ceiling. The only sound in the room was that of the rhythm of his own breathing. Slowly, methodically. Inhale, exhale. Larry concentrated on that sound and closed his eyes feeling the muscles in his back begin to relax. After a few minutes he had relaxed himself into a meditative state. Inhale, exhale. The world faded and ceased to exist and Larry slowly felt himself drifting into the realm of dreams...

...Only to be rudely jarred awake by the ringing of the phone what seemed to be seconds later. With a groan and a muffled curse, Larry reached over to place his hand on top of the receiver and let it rest there a moment. It immediately grew warm under his touch. The phone rang again, and Larry closed his eyes to concentrate on the sound. Then he smiled slightly. "Adam," he murmured under his breath, laughing a little. He wrapped his fingers around the glossy plastic and lifted the receiver to his ear. He could hear the sounds of someone breathing into the phone and loud music playing in the background.

"Yeah?"

"That's a fine way to answer the phone," Adam Clayton snarked. "Where the bloody fucking hell have you been?!? I've been trying to reach you for hours now... Left like six messages or some such."

Larry smiled at the irate tone, then shook his head. 'My arse is being chewed, and I'm smiling about it...Damn I'm fucked in the head.'

"Lar?" Adam was repeating. "Damn it Mullen, are you even listening to me?"

Larry jerked himself roughly back into reality. "Wha-?"

Adam sighed. "That answers that question. Now what of the other...Where have you been all this while? You were supposed to meet us down at the pub for a couple of drinks hours ago, remember?"

"I remember...I just got caught up and wandered around for a bit, is all."

Adam just made a non-committal noise before speaking again. "Really...You okay? Because Bono has been practically climbing the walls worrying about you. It nearly got to the point where I was sorely tempted to make poor Edge sit on him to calm him down."

Again, Larry had to grin. He let his eyes drift closed again and felt Adam's voice wash over him. Even with all the noise from the pub in the background, the sound of Adam was still calming to Larry's nerves. If he tried hard enough, he could almost picture the scene in his mind--the smoky pub, the dull noise from the voices of the revelers, people drinking, playing pool, and watching television while listening to loud music. He could see Adam sitting at the bar, cell phone in hand, half-empty pint in front of him, with a burning cigarette smoking lazily in an ashtray. Next to him he pictured Edge sitting silently, watching with faint amusement as Bono sang along Karoke style to whatever song was playing on the jukebox.

The image made him wish, for one second, that he had joined the others like he was supposed to, but the thought dismissed itself quickly. Larry realized then that the phone had gone silent and Adam was still waiting for his answer. "I'm fine," he stated to fill the silence.

There was silence for a beat or two longer while Adam contemplated the answer. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm just a bit tired, s'all."

Adam wasn't buying it, and Larry knew it. He could feel Adam's concern drifting over the phone line in large waves. But Adam was apparently letting Larry off the hook because he merely said. "Alright. Are you sure you won't be joining us then? Its not so late..."

"Nah," Larry answered. "I think I'll just turn in early, if its all the same. But I'll see you all in the morning."

"Okay...We probably wont be staying here much longer if we want to get Bono back in one piece."

"What about you, then?" Larry challenged. "You seem awfully sober. Since when are you the responsible one?"

This was met with a quiet chuckle. "Since you weren't here to do it instead. It sucks being responsible!"

"Poor baby." Larry was unsympathetic. "Well, like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Have fun, then; sorry I missed out. Be safe coming back..."

"Yes, mum."

"Bastard... I mean it Clayton!"

"I know ya do. We'll be fine. G'night."

"Night."

~click~

The phone hung up on Adam's end, leaving Larry listening to silence. After a moment he hung up the phone as well, the warm feeling he always got when talking to his best friend still coursing though his body. With a contented sigh, he hauled himself out of the bed to remove the rest of his clothing. The shirt was peeled off first followed by the socks. Then came the jeans, and as his hands worked to undo each button in the fly of the pants, Larry didn't even acknowledge the fact that the bedding was folding down, untouched, at the same time. When he glanced up again, the blankets were turned down, his discarded clothing was stacked in a nearby chair, and the curtains to the room were drawn closed. Larry smiled, satisfied and crawled into bed.

* * * * * *

The ringing of the telephone no more than an hour later had Larry bolting up in bed. "Fuck!" he swore, nearly toppling over. The lamp flooded on instantly. When Larry had righted himself, he reached over and slammed his hand down on the phone. "Edge?" he questioned, his face contorting into a frown. Quickly he snatched the receiver from the cradle and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" he demanded, voice holding a trace amount of worry.

"Larry?" Edge also sounded worried, as well as a bit soused. "We've got a problem..."

'Uh-oh...' Larry didn't like the sound of that in the least. "What's wrong?"

"Um...we seem to have...misplaced Bono..."

"You WHAT?!?"

"Adam and I turned our backs for one moment and in the next he was gone." Even through his worry, Edge's voice was still its normal quiet, calm.

Larry's, however, was not. "You've lost him?" he shouted. "Oh, Christ...I can't believe you've lost him!"

"No we haven't," Edge argued. "We've temporarily...mislaid him. So, yeah...The pair of us have been looking for him for the past half hour, and Adam is still out there."

"Oh, terrific. Now you're going to lose Adam, too!"

"LARRY."

"Yes?" he asked innocently. Edge said nothing, so Larry continued. "Do you want me to join the search party?"

"Yes, actually, we're at our wits end and another pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

Larry sighed. "I'll be there; I just need to get dressed first."

"Thanks mate. Sorry for hauling your lazy arse outta bed."

"No worries there," Larry returned with a laugh. "The headache you'll have in the morning will be punishment enough."

Edge chuckled quietly. "I'll be remembering that the next time you have a hangover," he warned.

"Uh-huh..." Larry replied. "Bet you will. I'll see you in a bit, then. If you find him, call me; I'll have my mobile with me..." he paused for a moment. Then, "Wait! Doesn't Bono have his mobile?"

"Yeah," Edge sighed. "But he left it with me earlier for safekeeping. Said he didn't want to lose it..."

"So he lost himself instead," Larry finished with a grimace. "Fucking fantastic, that is. All right, enough chat, I'll meet up with you in a little while."

"Bye, Lar."

"Good luck with the search. And I hope you find him before I do, because I'm gonna kill him!" Larry stated pleasantly. He hung up the phone with Edge's laughter still sounding on the other end of the line.

Flipping back the covers, Larry began muttering to himself in exasperation. "Nice one Bono...Well, it looks like its back out into the cold for you, Mullen," he stated while reaching for his pants. As he pulled the jeans on, his formerly discarded articles of clothing appeared one by one, on his rumpled bed. Coat, sweater, scarf, and shoes joined the t-shirt and socks and soon Larry was fully dressed once more, and prepared to go out to face the gloom, the fog, and the night.

TBC...