| Hitting Bottom |
| Recovery can't begin until you hit bottom . . . Timeframe: early May, 2001, about a week after "Sonata" |
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| Abbie sipped her coffee and looked at Lennie, concerned. �He�s still not coming out of this?� Lennie shook his head sadly. �Damn.� They had been getting together for lunch every couple of weeks since February when Abbie had �adopted� him and offered to guide him into the world of non-straight sex. Lennie was turning out to be quite the eager student; she was having a lot of fun opening his eyes to new ideas and experiences. Things had been going very well until the boys had gone on a vacation last month. So far, Lennie had been quite happy to be the pair�s bottom. But Abbie had suggested that they switch off, both for variety and to help Jack finally fully accept his bisexuality. They knew Jack still had a few issues, but neither expected the major fallout that had resulted. Jack had panicked in the middle of things, and simply shut down. It had been almost two weeks now, and he still wasn�t responding. Lennie had salvaged the rest of their vacation, getting Jack to start talking about his problems, reassuring him that they could remain close even if the sex was on hold. He even fessed up about Abbie teaching him, since he had a feeling he was going to need her help to get through this. When they had gotten home that Monday afternoon, he took Jack on an internet tour similar to the one Abbie had given him, pointing out some web sites that had a lot of good information that might just help Jack sort out the mess in his head. All that week, he simply ignored the issue, hoping real life would bring a sense of normalcy that would break the logjam. They just had a normal, busy week; cuddling on the couch a bit in the evening, and spooning together at night. There was no lack of �intimacy.� Come the weekend, he was hoping that he would wake up to an erotic dream, finding Jack�s hands on him as he slept; the early riser loved to do that. But Saturday morning, Lennie woke alone, to find Jack sulking in the living room. When he tried to comfort him, Jack pulled away angrily. �How long is it OK, Lennie? How long before you start looking somewhere else?� �Jack, how could you think I�d do that!� But he didn�t want to be comforted, so Lennie went back to do his own sulking in the shower. He sighed as he closed the bathroom door. Saturday. Jack usually shaved him on Saturday. For a Valentine�s �stunt,� (involving a can of chocolate syrup) Lennie had shaved his pubic hair. He had liked it so much, he decided to keep things that way. It had turned out that the act of shaving itself could be very erotic, and ever since then every Saturday Jack had taken care of him . . . he had a feeling it wasn�t going to happen this evening, as it hadn�t happened last week at the cabin. One problem was that as the hair grew back in, it tended to be a bit prickly. But that suited his mood perfectly. He decided that until Jack shaved him again, he wasn�t touching it. He settled for shaving his face then climbing into the shower for a long, hot drenching Now it was Thursday, and he was pouring his heart out to Abbie. �I just don�t know what to do. If I�m not mentioning it, giving him �space,� I�m ignoring the problem and he gets mad. If I try to suggest something that might get him aroused, I�m pushing, and he gets mad. Abbie, I love him, but I just can�t get through!� She reached out and squeezed his hand. �It hurts to watch somebody you love struggle when you can�t help them.� He nodded. �You�ve somehow got to get this issue out of the spotlight. Right now, he sees everything through the filter of this. Even the simplest act of affection can be misinterpreted. We�ve got to shift the focus to you. I�m not sure how. I think I�ve got something here, Lennie. Let me think about it for a bit, OK?� �Hey, at least you�ve got an idea. I�m clueless here.� As they left the restaurant, she reached out and hugged him. �It�s gonna be OK, Lennie. It may take more time than we want, but it will be OK again.� He held her tight, grateful for the support. �I hope so, Abbie, I hope so.� She was a little late getting back to the office for a meeting with Jack to discuss their latest case. Usually he didn�t mind a few minutes here or there, but today he was in no mood for it. When she walked into his office, he stormed around the desk to confront her and stopped dead in his tracks. She had said she was having lunch with a friend; he had thought it was someone over in the US Attorney�s office. But he caught the unmistakable whiff of Old Spice � Lennie�s aftershave. His voice was as cold as ice. �You�ve been talking to him � about my �problem.� // How?!!! How does he know? This could be very bad // She quickly decided not to lie to him. �Yes. He�s very worried about you.� There was no reaction. Then suddenly he exploded. �Get OUT! And stay the hell out of my sex life!� He was pointing to the door; she quickly grabbed her things and left for the safety of her own office. // Thank god I closed the door behind me when I came in. I wonder if anybody heard that? // Jack slammed the door shut behind her, then opened the bottom desk drawer where he kept the scotch. He hadn�t been drinking much lately; he was overdue for a good bender. Later that afternoon, Abbie cautiously peeked into his office. He was passed out over his desk, an empty Scotch bottle beside him. She sighed and decided she�d better call Lennie. It was a good thing Nora was out of the office today. Lennie got there about 6PM; most of the staff had left, a few people were working late, mostly in offices with closed doors. He steeled himself as he opened the door. �Jack.� The head lifted, eyes trying to focus on him. �Oh. You.� Lennie sighed. �Yeah, Jack, it�s me. I know you�re mad at me. But let�s take this home, OK?� Jack managed to push himself up into a sitting position. �You told her about me.� It was an accusation. �Jack, please. Just let me take you home. We�ll talk there.� He got to his feet. �How could you!� He staggered around the desk and took a swing at Lennie. The detective ducked it easily, grabbing the arm and twisting it around his back. // no, that�s the bad arm! Damn you for making me do that, Jack! // Jack cried out in pain, then collapsed against Lennie, passed out again. Lennie caught him and parked him on the couch. He slapped the face a few times, trying to wake his friend. As the eyes fluttered open again, Lennie hauled him up, got Jack�s arm around his shoulders, and all but dragged him out of the office. By the time Lennie drove them back to their building, Jack was waking up again. He managed to get out of the car and up to the apartment under his own power. Lennie suspected it was an act of will; Jack was determined not to accept any more help from Lennie. As Lennie closed the apartment door, Jack spun around and started yelling. �Damn, you Lennie. How could you tell her? I have to work with her every day!� He staggered, nearly tripping over the coffee table. Lennie caught him, but he shook off the assistance. �I don�t need any more of your �help�! �Dammit, Jack. What the hell was I supposed to do? Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you like this and not be able to do anything?� �What more do you need to do, Lennie! Everything was fine until you started this mess! You just couldn�t leave well enough alone! Couldn�t keep your hands to yourself. You just can�t get enough, can you? The more perverted, the better!� // It�s the bottle talking, you know that. // Lennie tried to ignore the pain inflicted by Jack�s words, but it wasn�t working. He was getting mad. �As I recall, you were a willing participant. Perverted or not, you sure seemed to be enjoying it until you panicked. And now, just like always, you hide from the problem in a bottle, instead of letting people who care about you help.� �Oh, like you�ve never done that? And your idea of help is blabbing to my ASSISTANT that I can�t get it up? Who�s next � Nora?� �Who was I supposed to talk to? Abbie is my friend, and in case you hadn�t noticed, she is very fond of you, too. I just couldn�t face this alone. I�m not like you, Jack. I can�t just ignore problems anymore, burying them in a bottle. Hell, you taught me that! Back when I lost Cathy . . . � Jack was furious. He said the most hateful thing he could think of. �You�re just jealous that you can�t drink. What would you give for some of that scotch right now?� He saw his words find their target. Lennie felt like he had been punched in the gut. It was more than he could take. He had had the patience of a saint with Jack these past few weeks; it just ran out. �You�re drunk, Jack. I�m not wasting any more time with this.� His voice was dull, lifeless. He turned towards the door. Jack couldn�t let it go. �You going to find some young stud you can fuck? Or are you headed to a bar? Why not just go to a gay bar and get both?� // It wouldn�t hurt so much if I wasn�t so damned tempted // �Go to Hell, Jack!� He slammed the door behind him. Lennie lost track of how long he had been walking. He had no idea where he was, but the neighborhood was starting to look rough, and it was getting dark. // Better start paying attention to your surroundings, Lennie. Cop 101. // He was just a hair too late, as he felt something hard pressing into the side of his neck. �OK, old man, give it up and you won�t get hurt.� // oh, shit. // He didn�t want to panic the punk into pulling the trigger, so instead of going for his gun or badge, he slowly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. But the movement of his jacket gave the perp a quick glimpse of his gun and badge. The kid panicked, but thankfully instead of pulling the trigger he pistol-whipped Lennie upside the head, knocking him cold. He grabbed the fallen cop�s gun, badge and wallet and ran like a bat out of hell, leaving Lennie lying on the deserted street. Jack was annoyed. Ever since Lennie moved in, he had stopped keeping booze at home. Tonight, he really wanted some more scotch, but there was none here. // gotta fix that tomorrow. // He knew he wasn�t steady enough to go out and get some more, so instead he decided to sleep it off. He staggered into the bedroom and fell into a drunken sleep. He woke up at about 4AM, still alone in the bed. Something was wrong with that. Oh, yeah, Lennie. After that fight, he was probably sleeping in the other room, or maybe on the couch. Jack stumbled to the bathroom, and peeked into the second bedroom. No Lennie. He checked the couch. Empty. // Damn. What did I say to keep him away all night? Where is he? // He crawled back into bed, just barely starting to worry. When the alarm went off at 7, Jack�s head was a bit clearer, but he had one hell of a hangover, and his right shoulder was aching. He remembered the fight. His last words. // oh shit. That was uncalled for. // He was still not happy with the situation, but at least the rage had burned off. He swallowed some aspirin, made some coffee and wondered where Lennie had spent the night. Abbie? Did he dare call over there? Or should he just wait until he got into the office? He decided to wait. He showered, shaved, and dressed. Damn � his bike was still there, Lennie had dragged him home last night. He grabbed a cab. Abbie was already in her office when he arrived. After yesterday, he realized that he would have to make the first move. He tentatively knocked on her half-open door. She looked up. �Jack.� The face was closed � she didn�t know what to expect. He stepped in, closing the door behind him. �Hi. Abbie, about yesterday, I may just have over reacted . . .� Her eyes softened, but she was still wary. �You could say that.� He shrugged. She shook her head and decided it was time to give Jack a piece of her mind. �No, Jack, that�s not good enough. I know you were upset by the whole situation; anyone would be. But dammit, Jack, every time you get upset about something, you retreat into your skull and won�t let anybody help. Or worse, you retreat into a bottle. Do you know what that does to Lennie? Did you even think about him when you decided to get plastered yesterday?� Anger flashed in her eyes; Jack looked away, unable to face them. �I know I screwed up, Abbie. Big time.� He sighed. �Did Lennie stay over at your place last night?� �What? No!� Jack bowed his head, shaken. He had been so sure. �Jack, are you saying that Lennie wasn�t home last night?� Jack nodded. �He dragged me home, we fought, I said something really stupid, and he left me to sleep it off.� Abbie�s anger melted into concern; she reached for her phone and dialed Lennie�s number at the precinct. Ed picked it up. �Ed, it�s Abbie. Is Lennie around? He didn�t? Shit, Ed, we�ve got a problem. They had a fight last night, Lennie didn�t come home. We don�t know where he is. Yeah. Thanks, Ed.� She got up to stand beside him, not wanting to ask the next question. �They�re going to put out an APB, Jack. Do you think he might have gone to a bar?� �Oh, god!� Jack told her about his last words. �What?!! You bastard!� Her anger returned full force; she slapped his face, hard. He stood there, stunned, then sagged against the door as he realized what he might have done. �No!� His anguished cry ripped Abbie�s heart apart. She was furious with Jack for his drunken idiocy, but he was obviously deeply shaken by what he�d done. She gave in and tried to comfort him, laying her hand on his arm. �Jack, there�s nothing you can do now. Why don�t you go back to your office and I�ll make some calls, OK?� Jack nodded and stumbled back to his office, falling onto the couch. He sat there, head in his hands, feeling utterly miserable. He was glad for the stinging in his cheek; he knew he deserved it. His head and shoulder ached, but he stubbornly refused to take the prescription painkillers his doctor had given him for the shoulder. He wanted to hurt. // Oh, Lennie, what have I done?! // He was glad he hadn�t eaten breakfast; at this point his stomach was tied up in knots. If he had pushed Lennie back into the bottle, he�d never forgive himself. A little while later, she came in and sat down beside him, gently laying her hand on his back. �Jack? Ed and I called everybody we can think of, nobody has seen him. All the beat cops are on the lookout for him. Ed is working the hospitals now. I�m sorry I don�t have better news . . .� Hospitals? An even more frightening though began to creep in. // What if I never see him again? What if something happened? What if he dies? I fought with Claire and she died. // Jack took a long, shuddering breath, and the tears spilled over. �Oh, god, Abbie, if I lose him now . . .� �Hey, don�t give up yet! We�ve still got a lot of places to look. We�ll find him, Jack.� �No, you don�t understand. We fought last night. I fought with Claire the last time I saw her!� He collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. Abbie just held him. Lennie woke up with a splitting headache. The light was way too bright. What the hell was he doing outside? In an alley? Where the hell was he? He sat up gingerly. Oh, god, his head hurt. He looked at his wrist and the absence of his watch. Had he been mugged? He reached for his gun � gone, along with his badge. //Shit.// Wait a minute, he was beginning to remember. Out on the street, the gun at his neck, the explosion of pain. He felt the side of his head � dried blood, but no bullet wound he could find. He didn�t remember a gunshot. // Kid must have just hit me with the gun // He felt queasy; must have a concussion. // Need to get to a doctor. // It was all he could do to get to his feet. There were a few people on the street; they looked at him like he was crazy, a street drunk. They stayed well away from him. He staggered down the street. Thanks to those damned cell phones, pay phones weren�t as common as they used to be. It took him three blocks to find one. He fished in his pocket for some change and dialed the only number that occurred to him. Jack was standing behind his desk, staring out the window. His jeans were out of place here in the middle of the day, but it had never occurred to him to change into a suit. Abbie sat on the couch, watching him, worried. It was near noon, and still no word. It was a beautiful spring day, but if you asked him later he would have been sworn it was raining. He had paced the office furiously for a while, but now he had run out of nervous energy. He felt empty inside, except for the huge ball of fear in the pit of his stomach. The phone rang. Jack spun around, startled, and jumped at it as he had every other time it had rung this morning. �McCoy� �Jack, help me.� �Lennie? Lennie!� His heart exploded at the sound of his lover�s voice. // oh my god, he�s alive! // But then there was silence at the other end. Abbie ran to another phone to call Ed; as long as the line stayed connected, they could trace the call. Within minutes, they had the location of the pay phone and an ambulance was on its way. Abbie drove Jack to the hospital, and Ed and Anita Van Buren met them there. They sat in the emergency room, waiting for the doctor to finish his examination. A white-coated man approached them. �You are with Det. Briscoe?� Jack jumped up. �How is he?� �Not bad, considering. It appears he was struck in the head with a gun butt and left unconscious. He has some bruising and a mild concussion, but is otherwise fine. I�d like to keep him here for observation, but he is insisting on going home.� �Can we see him?� �Yes, of course.� They hung back, letting Jack go first. He ducked past the privacy curtain. Lennie was sitting on the examining table, putting his shirt back on. His head was bandaged, but otherwise he looked fine. Perfect, even. �Lennie!� Jack couldn�t help himself. He all but ran across the room to take Lennie into his arms, holding him tight. �Oh, god, I thought I�d lost you.� He pulled back to look into Lennie�s eyes, then leaned in again to kiss him. Thoroughly. Intensely. Lennie felt the hunger in that kiss. // finally. Did it have to take THIS, though? // Jack reluctantly let him go when he heard the curtain moving again as the others got tired of waiting. Lennie smiled as he saw his friends enter. He was pretty sure Ed caught the tail end of that kiss, and it was gonna weird him out no end. Abbie came right over and hugged him, kissing his cheek. �So how did an experienced cop like you get rolled on the street, man!� Ed teased. �I was distracted. Even I�m allowed that once in a while?� Anita stepped in before they could start bickering. �We�re just glad you�re ok, Lennie.� She tried to maintain her professionalism, but her affection for the detective came through loud and clear. He smiled; then the smile vanished. �Lieutenant, he got my gun and badge.� �Don�t worry about it, Lennie; we�ll take care of it. You just rest up; take the rest of the day. Jack, I presume you�ll get him home?� Anita glared at him; she didn�t know all the details, but she knew Lennie had been out there because they had been arguing. Her �mother hen� feathers were definitely ruffled. �Yes, ma�am,� he said, contritely. Abbie ended up taking them to an IHOP for a late brunch � neither of them had had dinner or breakfast � then dropping them at home. The food along with the ibuprofen they had given him at the hospital had Lennie feeling better, but still not quite himself. He shrugged off the sports coat he had been wearing since yesterday, holding it up to examine it. �I think this one�s a total loss,� he said, tossing it in the general direction of the closet. He sighed, leaning against the wall. Jack came over to him, concerned, reaching out a hand to steady his friend. �Lennie, you OK?� �Guess I�m still a little shaky,� Lennie admitted. Jack smiled. �That makes two of us. You want to lie down for a bit?� Lennie nodded and they headed back to the bedroom. Jack hadn�t bothered to make the bed, so Lennie just kicked off his shoes and crawled under the rumpled sheet. // Horizontal. Yeah, that�s good. // Jack followed his lead and slid in beside him, rolling onto his side to look at Lennie. He held back, not sure what to do. He desperately wanted to take Lennie into his arms, but he didn�t want to presume everything could be the way it was before. He had said some awful things yesterday . . . He tentatively laid his hand on Lennie�s chest. Lennie�s hand came up to cover his, squeezing. He let go, extending his arm, inviting Jack to use his shoulder as a pillow. Jack snuggled in with a sigh, draping his arm across Lennie�s chest. They laid there for a few minutes. When he realized Lennie wasn�t drifting right into sleep, Jack spoke. �Lennie, I�m sorry. I lost it yesterday. You did nothing but try to help, and I just got madder and madder.� He buried his face in the shoulder, not wanting to meet Lennie�s eyes. �I said some pretty awful things, Lennie. I wish I could take it all back.� Lennie took Jack�s chin in his hand, turning the head to meet those dark eyes. �You can�t. Ever. But I can forgive you. The hard part is forgiving yourself.� He almost heard the echo in Lennie�s voice. Somebody had once said that to him . . . and Jack knew why. �I�m an alcoholic, aren�t I?� // He finally sees it. // �Yeah.� Lennie�s hand became a caress; Jack tried to turn away as he came face to face with his worst fear. �Just like my old man.� �No. Not like him.� He looked back up at his beloved. �Lennie, I got drunk and hurt the one person I love most in all the world. Show me how that�s different.� Lennie knew that Jack had met his ultimate fear. There would be plenty of time to talk about it, deal with the hurts on both sides, later. Right now, Jack needed reassurance. Lennie smiled and ran his fingers through the thick silver hair, drawing Jack into a kiss. He put all the love in his heart, and all the passion that had been set aside these past weeks, into that one kiss. He felt Jack�s arms wrap around him, pulling him closer, felt his own passion growing and Jack�s response. When he finally broke away for a breath, he caressed Jack�s face. �Your old man would never have done that!� Jack laughed and hugged him close. �Oh, Lennie.� Lennie caressed his face and drew him into another kiss. Jack was practically lying on top of him; he could feel Jack�s arousal pressing against him, and his heart soared. Jack�s hands began unbuttoning his shirt, sliding beneath the undershirt, seeking direct contact with his body. He ran his hands down Jack�s back, stopping to pull the shirt out from the jeans, then sliding back up the warm skin. Jack moaned and moved completely on top of him, letting his tongue slide along Lennie�s jaw, licking the earlobe, moving down along the crease of his neck. He found that special spot and latched on, sucking hard, while his hands clamped down on Lennie�s nipples. Lennie let out a strangled cry. Jack sat up, breathing hard, and stripped off his shirt. He looked down at his beloved. �Oh, god, Lennie, I want you so much. Make love to me, Lennie. The way you wanted to up at the cabin. Now.� Lennie stared at him in surprise and concern � what if Jack balked again? Jack could see the hesitation, and guessed the reason. �Don�t worry, Lennie. Last time I had too much time to think about it, for my subconscious to interfere. Right now I want you so much it hurts. Take me, Lennie, NOW!� He kissed Lennie, hard, tongue probing deeply. Lennie couldn�t help but respond, wrapping his arms around Jack and rolling them over so that he was on top. He traced a line of kisses down that broad chest, his hands working to release the belt and zipper. He slid down to the foot of the bed, stripping off Jack�s jeans and underwear in one motion, then sending his own after them. Jack started to roll over to expose his backside. �Uh uh. On your back, Jack. I need to see your face.� Jack looked at him, confused, not sure how this would work. �Trust me.� // with my life, Lennie. // Lennie took the pillows and stuffed them under Jack�s hips, throwing a towel over them first. He crawled onto the bed, sitting between Jack�s legs, propping them on his shoulders. He snapped on a glove and squeezed out some lube, spreading it gently over his target. Jack gasped at the initial contact; the lube was still rather cold. �Ready?� �Yeah.� Lennie slipped a finger in, watching Jack�s face closely. Jack smiled reassuringly and nodded. Lennie slid his free hand along the length of Jack�s already stiff cock and enjoyed the look of delight on his lover�s face. Jack watched Lennie watching him. He knew he was in good hands. He took a deep breath and consciously relaxed as he let it out, feeling Lennie slip in a second finger. It felt strange, but in an exciting sort of way. Then Lennie began thrusing, pushing in and probing. �ooh!� Jack gasped as Lennie�s fingers found his prostrate. Lennie grinned. �There you are!� Lennie kept it up for a while, still gently stroking Jack�s cock with his other hand. Jack was clearly enjoying this, and Lennie felt none of the tension creeping in like last time. He leaned forward to lick the cock from base to tip as he pushed in a third finger. Jack�s moan was music to his ears. Jack squirmed as he slid his lips over the top and all the way down. �Oh, god!� // OK, it�s time. // As he let go of the cock, he gently pulled his fingers out. He shed the glove with a practiced snap, and began tracing a line of kisses, starting with the tip of the cock, up the stomach, chest, neck, and finally that irresistible mouth. He was laying on top, now, feeling Jack�s cock straining against his. Jack�s arms and legs wrapped around him hungrily. Almost reluctantly, he broke the kiss. �You ready?� Jack caressed his face and nodded. Lennie maneuvered into position, kneeling between his legs again, pausing to apply a generous dose of the lube to himself, and a little more to Jack. He lifted Jack�s legs to better expose his ass, positioning carefully. Jack felt the head of Lennie�s cock pressing against him, and again nodded at Lennie�s questioning look. He took another deep breath, and as he let it out, Lennie pushed in. �Oh!� He was intensely aware of every millimeter. There had been a brief moment of pain, but it rapidly gave way to a growing pleasure. His breathing had gotten shallow, and he grinned up at Lennie. �More!� Lennie was happy to oblige. His heart soared as he pushed deeper into Jack, little by little, until he was finally buried. // Oh, god, it feels so good! So tight! // �Oh, Jack!,� he cried, wanting desperately to hold his lover close. He let the legs drop and leaned forward to almost lay on top of Jack, who responded by wrapping his arms around him, pulling him down for a brief kiss. Lennie�s back protested, and he had to straighten up. Jack took his hands. �Fuck me, Lennie!� Lennie lifed his legs again and began thrusting, first slowly then working up to a hammering frenzy. �Oh, yeah!� Jack�s hand slid over his cock, jerking off while Lennie pounded him. His climax came fast and furious, his cum squirting halfway up his chest. He bucked against Lennie as the orgasm shook him, the contractions sending Lennie into his own explosion. When it was over, Lennie pulled out and gently let Jack�s legs down, pulling the pillows out of the way. He grabbed the towel to quickly wipe himself off, as well as Jack�s chest. He stretched out alongside his lover, and they simply held each other close for a very long time, Lennie�s head pillowed on Jack�s shoulder. He trailed his fingers through Jack�s chest hair as Jack�s hand wandered across his back. Finally, Jack spoke. �Hey, Lennie. Didn�t you tell me the slang for what I just did is �taking bottom?� �Yeah,� Lennie murmured, wondering where Jack was going. �Hmmm� was all the response he got. A little while later, Jack started again. �Isn�t it one of the precepts of AA that you can�t begin recovery until you�ve hit bottom?� OK, now he had Lennie�s full attention. Lennie sat up to better look at his friend and lover, concerned. �Yes. But don�t dwell on it, Jack. Yesterday is the past.� Jack smiled at him, reached up to gently caress his face. �It�s OK, Lennie. I just realized that I really did hit bottom today. In more ways than one. And I think needed them both.� His expression shifted, the smile fading away. �I need you, Lennie.� Lennie gently gathered Jack into his arms. �I�m here, Jack. We�ll face it all together.� Epilogue: the next day. Jack had never been more nervous, not even sitting for the bar exam. Lennie sat beside him, holding his hand. Finally it was his turn. He stood; Lennie gave his hand a final squeeze. He walked to the front of the room. A sea of unfamiliar faces gazed back at him, surrounding the one familiar one. Lennie nodded. He took a deep breath and spoke. �Hello. My name is Jack, and I�m an alcoholic.� Continue on to "Faith" Send me some feedback Back to the Story Index Disclaimer: These characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |