I Won't Give Up

As Angel and I walked through the mall, I found a little shop that I knew Dawson would have loved. As soon as I thought that, I ran in, looking around in haste. "Greg, what's wrong?" I heard Angel say, though it seemed distant.

"I've screwed up, Angel," I said, just over a whisper, my eyes not stopping as I continued to look. "I've done more than that. I've royally fucked up. Anniversary, wedding in a few months." I started to hyperventilate, my heart racing at the thought of losing Dawson.

"Go to him, make it better," Angel said, placing a hand on my back. "I'll find something."

"No, no," I said, throwing my hands up to put space between us. "He'll know. He always knows. He's my version of Chase," I said, causing Angel to curse under his breath. "He's more intense than mom, though. Oh, so much more intense."

Angel soon began to look as well, and we soon started getting the other's opinion on various things. Nothing seemed to work. "I'm so dead."

"No, no. You're not," Angel said, causing me to look at him. Looking past him, I saw a jewelry store, getting an idea. "What? What is it?"

"Maybe I'm not dead, not just yet," I said, rushing past my twin brother and weaving myself through the crowd.

Time Elapse

Once I found the perfect thing -- a 24-carat locket, with both Ameila and Junior on either side -- I paid the man, and walked out. "That looks expensive," Angel remarked, making my heart break.

"We can't be doing this, Angel," I said, looking at him with sad eyes. "I relished in the joy of seeing your face, and now everything just may be on the line."

"Are you saying you want me to leave?" he asked, making my eyes water. In sign language, he went on. "I've worked so hard these last four years looking for you, and now I have to leave."

"You have no idea how bad I want you to stay. Like the good old days where all I needed was you by my side, keeping me sane," I replied, in voice. Grabbing the back of his neck, I pressed our foreheads together. "Right now, though, I'm at risk of losing my family that I only just got."

"You love him," Angel whispered, my eyes closing at the sound of his voice.

"If you only knew. Oh, god, if you only knew." Pulling away, he and I started for the doors of the mall, our shoulders brushing against one another. "I had been so broken over the years, losing you, and so much more, and because of all that, I became a shell of who I was. I was this angry, pushing man, who only ever wanted to see others succeed where I couldn't."

I looked at the sky once we were outside, the clouds were barely showing. "Then Dawson walked in my room. So much determination, so much fight in him. He forced down every single wall I had built, and all he had to do was push real hard just once."

"I'll step out for a few days, give you guys your time," Angel said, getting into the passenger's side of the car. Sliding into the driver's side, I turned the car on and rolled the windows down.

"Where are you staying?" I asked once we pulled up to the stop light leading out of the mall parking lot.

"At the hotel near your house," he replied, causing me to nod. "You'll get through this, Greg. If you have gotten anything from Dean, it's the ability to make things right."

"If only it were that easy," I whispered, making a left once the light turned green.

Time Elapse

I pulled into the driveway, seeing boxes on the porch. "Yeah, I've fucked up big time," I said, closing the door. I saw the note, slid it in my back pocket, and grabbed the locket. "Dawson, I know you're in the living room, on that recliner, holding on to the 'Believe in Music' pillow. I know there isn't any excuse for me to have done what I've done today. I'm not here to make excuses."

I heard him mumble something, but it was too low for me to make out. "Angel isn't here. He's promised to stay away for a while. If he's anything, he's true to his word. I didn't want to turn him away, but I knew it was the only way I'd have the slightest chance of staying by your side." Walking over to the door, I twisted it once. "Changed the locks. I can tell by the key hole."

Opening the mailbox, I dropped in the case that held the locket. "There's something in the mailbox for you. Nothing much, but when I saw it, it screamed you. I didn't get it just for today, but because it's something that you'd hold on to for dear life, whether it was given today, or next week." Pressing my forehead against the door, I said just over a whisper, "I'm not expecting you to forgive me. I'd understand if you didn't. I'm going to head to the hotel, crash there for the time being. You have my number. Just call if you need anything."

At that, I started grabbing a few boxes, and taking them to the garage. After about forty-five minutes, the porch was cleared. "I'm leaving the car with you. You're going to be needing it more than I will," I called out. Rolling up my sleeves, I started jogging, knowing that it may be a few days before I would ever hear a word from Dawson.