PARIS, FRANCE - DAWN

Justin awakes startle to find himself in Brian's bed.   He looks over at Brian lying beside him with a troubled, confused  expression that slowly melts into a small smile. He gazes at him for a moment longer then slowly tries to slip unnoticed out of the bed.

At the slightest movement by Justin, Brian is fully awake.  With a French, Brian asks, �Running away from me, Little Rabbit?�

�I shouldn�t be here Hugh...�

�And where else should you be?� Brian pulls Justin into his arms.

Justin moves away and sadly stares at some of Brian's photographs which are posted on the wall.   �You really are leaving, aren�t you?�

�Lebanon is happening right now and it�s my opportunity!� Brian pulls Justin�s face to his, so they could make eye contact.  �Justin, I never made you any promises.  Don�t let a scoundrel like me ruin your life.�

�Are you a scoundrel, Hugh?�

�More than you�ll ever know... But I wanted you, Justin, more than anything.�

The lovers kiss and embrace.

Justin can feel tears forming in his eyes.  �Oh, Hugh...I feel as though I could die in your arms.�

Brian becomes concern. �But I need you to live Justin.  My world is better place you are in it.�

Sobbing, Justin states, �We may never again know days like the ones we�ve shared.�

�True, but, ah, what memories!�

Taking a sheet and wrapping it around his body, Justin picks up his gym bag and rushes to Brian�s bathroom closing the door behind him.

He splashes water from the sink to his face desperately trying to get rid of his tears.

Brian lights a cigarette and looks about until he finds his underwear. His gaze keeps returning to the bathroom door.  There is a mental debate going on in his mind.

Justin yells still inside the bathroom, �Hugh... I never asked you about your parents.  We should have talked about them, I suppose.�

�What�s to talk about?�

�Well, what are they like?  What do they do for a living?� asks Justin as he puts on his sneakers.

�My mother is a housewife or was only a housewife.  She is dead now.�

�And your father?�

Brian takes his cigarette and crushes it out in an ash tray completely killing embers.

�Father?  My mother was never married.�

Finally the bathroom opens. Justin is dressed in sweat clothes.  �My mother is also dead.  She fell down the basement steps carrying a load of laundry.  My baby brother, Emmett was only 10 months old.  I was six and Lindsay was seven.�

Brian doesn�t know how to react.  �And your father?�

Justin picks up his American Naval lieutenant uniform from the floor and stuffs it into his gym bag. �He�s a farmer.  Just a cheep old stubborn red neck farmer, who never gave me a chance.�

Deeply staring in each others eyes, Brian remarks, �How sad for you, Justin.�  Brian watches Justin pack the last of his belongings and places his arms through the bags handles turning it into a back pack. �Surely, you are not thinking of running all the way back to your quarters?�

�That�s exactly what I�m doing.�

�But that has to be 20 kilometer at least.  You must let me drive you at least part of the way.�

Looking at Brian standing there dressed only in his underwear, Justin smiles.  �In that outfit!�

�Well, I suppose I could, but I had plan on slipping on some pants and maybe a shirt.�

Justin places his finger tips on Brian�s lips to silence him.

�No long goodbyes, please.  Besides, I feel a need to run this morning.  It helps me to clear my head.�

�All right, if this is what you wish.�

Justin kisses Brian passionately.  �Be careful with yourself, they�ll...just be careful.�

Opening the door to leave, Justin exits into the hall way.

�Goodbye, Little Rabbit, and you be careful too.�

�I will.�

Brian closes his apartment door and secures the locks before placing his palms flat upon the door and sigh with disgust.  With no accent, Brian utters, �You�re world class bastard now, Brian.  A real world class asshole!�  Brian�s fists clench as he is almost overcome with rage.  He pushes himself away from the door and settles for another cigarette before heading over to a window to look outside. He watches Justin running away from him until he can see him no more.  Taking a long drag on his cigarette, he picks up one of his cameras with a telephoto lens and uses it to look out the window again.  He checks on the surveillance team that he knows is watching him from across the street.  Seeing the a window curtain drawn slightly aside, Brian could not see who is looking out.
Run Rabbit Run
Chapter 2
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