*Let me take you down cause I'm going to*

The water bed shifted and Alec looked over, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. Nettle smiled as she ran a hand through her hair, shifting it out of her eyes. Alec smiled dreamily and reached out and touched her face.
"Hey..." he said his voice thick and otherwordly. She put her hand over his and kissed his fingers.
"Hey yourself, baby. What are you doing?" she asks, laying on her stomach looking into his eyes.

*Strawberry fields where nothing is real, and nothing's to get hung about*

Alec rubs his eyes and looks over to her, stamping out the joint. He smiles dreamily.
"Looking at you, love."
Nettle snorts, her eyes narrowing a tad.
"Love? Did you say love?"
Alec looks at her a moment trying to read the humor in her face, and finds none. Her eyes seem clouded, angry, annoyed. Alec rolls over and props himself up with an elbow. Looking into her eyes again.
"Yeah, I said love. What's the matter?"
"Love, you? Puh-lease don't make me laugh."

*Strawberry fields forever...*

"What's all this, Nettle? I thought we agreed-" he began his face a mask of questions and not more than a little hurt. Nettle sat up quickly and grabbed the baggie of drugs on the nighttable.
"Don't you ever use the word love around me again, Alec. You don't love me, and you never will, this!" she says putting the baggie in his face, "Is what you really love! A good time, good drugs, good music, and a good fuck to top the night. I'm more of a drug to you than any of this! You want some? huh? You want your fix for tonight?" She says her voice becoming more and more thundering as she begins to take off her clothes quicker and with more passionate anger than ever before.
Alec sat up quickly and shook his head, "I don't know what's gotten into you tonight, but you can stop...now.." he said his voice shaking a bit with anger. Nettle put her hands on his chest and swung her legs around him, her hands begining to fumble with his clothes.
"I'll tell you what's gotten into me tonight, 'love'. The truth!" she hissed as she nearly ripped his pantsuit off of him, leaning forward she took his face into her hands, "C'mon Alec give me a little truth baby," and with that sat down hard, Alec closed his eyes letting her.

*Living is easy with eyes closed, not understanding all you see*

Alec opened his eyes once again, finding himself sitting and just about to take a sip out of a large cup. Looking around startled, his eyes darting around the coffee house as the band played on and notably out of key.
"A woman scorned can be very scary, eh?" The man sitting across from him said with a wink. Alec nodded and took a sip.
"I'm not sure what I did to deserve that."
The man shook his head chuckling, folding his arms on the table and leaning, "Why do you have to *do* something to make her angry. Maybe it's what you haven't done, ever think of that?"
"What haven't I done? Your'e talking nonsense, old son," he said gulping down the coffee. The man shook his head and nodded towards the band.
"Good aren't they?"
Alec raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "John, you of all people, should have better taste than that, I'd say they're bloody awful," Alec said looking at the band. His eyes widened as he dropped the cup in near surprise. "Crikeys! They're all me!" he said seeing that indeed the band was made up of four Alecs, all playing horribly out of time and key.
"That's right, old boy they are all you, every last selfish one of them. Let's see ah yes; the guitarist is flashy show off Alec. See how he just demands the spotlight, And look the bassist, Dark Alec, see how he avoids everyone, just standing off doing his own thing and not caring how it affects others. The singer, look at him, look at how's he's trying to score with that bird over there," John said thumbing at a beautiful blonde.
"If you look hard enough, you can see right through him. All fucking style and dick, no substance whatsoever. And the drummer, oh he's my favorite. Look at him bang away, banging at the skins of the past," John laughs, "Look he's crying, what a prat! Oh Sylv! Oh Sylv what have I done! He's mouthing the words but not a bloody thing is coming out." John leans in and whispers, "You ever just think a moment? Think that maybe Sylv was screwing not out of love, but out of instruction? Think about it, sex is one of your foci right?"
Alec dazedly looked over to John and then stood, "Tell me how you really feel, John!" he shouted. "That's right, bring out the humor, bring out that shield and armor. It's all you've got really."
Alec gave John the finger and stormed out of the club.

*It's hard to be someone but it all works out*

Alec blinked as the door closed behind him, looking about himself into the nothingness he had walked into. John walks over to him, "It's not that easy, Alec. You can't escape," he said tapping his temple.
"We all have choices, easy ones, difficult ones, ones we don't even realize we make. You need to start paying attention." he said walking by Alec.
Another Alec walked out of the darkness, "Music is the only way to express yourself sometimes.
Words just aren't enough," he said walking back into the dark.
"Or are they? Or perhaps it's just easier to say, well it's just a song." John said.
Nettle emerges from the void, she grasps Alec's hand and looks him in the eye, "That's right lover, it's just a song, doesn't mean anything really, just a pretty poem.'
"No, songs mean something, they have to." Alec said.
"Do they? How about these," John said holding up the baggie of drugs, "What do they mean?"
A pale sickly Alec limped from the darkness, "They mean escape, escape from all the hurt, and the pain, the love you could give, but are afraid to let go."
"No! That is not true." Alec shouted. Nettle laughed in his arms.
"Truth? I thought we had this discussion," she said reaching down the front of his pants and grasping him.
"I thought this was all the truth you needed, lover."
"No there's more than just that, there has to be!" Alec said losing himself from her grip. John walked over and slapped him on the forehead with the palm of his hand.
"Well, well, look who's finally decided to join the emotionally mature. If there must be more I give you a choice. A choice not all of us get," he said motioning to the side. Alec looked over as two spotlights winked into view.
One brought another Alec into view, he was a bit older, and his eyes gave a look of wisodm, the kind that only comes through enlightenment. The other spotlight gave view to Nettle, she was smiling at him and looking down at the ring he gave her.
"Tough choice don't you think? Enlightenment, or love," he said and drew in a sharp breath, "Clock's ticking..."
Alec looked from one spotlight to the other. Deciding on his choice Alec walked over and stood. John watched Alec make his choice and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice," he said walking over.
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" he asked.
Alec stood firm and nodded, "Yes, I am."
John nodded, and the spotlights winked out leaving the two of them alone. John reached into his pocket and brought out a joint, lit it and took a drag. "Want some?"
"No, I think I want to go back now."
"Alright then, old son," John said as Alec walked away, "Alec."
"Hmm?"
"Remember, we all shine on..." he said with a smile and began to whistle as he walked out into the darkness.

*It doesn't matter too much to me*

Alec awoke with a start, checking the time, he hurridly got out of bed and walked out of his room and down the hall, towards Nettle's room. Quietly opening the door, he walked over to Nettle's sleeping form and carefully kissed her forehead. She moaned and rolled over still fast asleep. Carefully pulling up a chair, he sat and watched her sleep.
"M'sorry Nettle," he whispered, and sat his chin on his hands.