Chapter 1

Water flying up from puddles below, Gary cut the corner short and dodged 
into the dark alley to avoid his pursuers. As he reeled, breath pounding 
in his chest and ducked behind a dumpster, he caught sight of them passing 
the opening. Catching his breath, Gary tried to remember exactly what he'd 
said to them, why the brawl had erupted in the middle of his drink, but 
mostly he prayed that they wouldn't come back this way to find him.

Between gasps for breath, he poked his head around the edge of the 
dumpster to check for his pursuers.  Each time he didn't see them, his 
breathing came a little easier and the anxious knot that the adrenaline 
rush had formed in his stomach loosened.  He squatted quietly, trying to 
focus and calm himself enough to leave his shadowy haven.  His feet 
shifted uneasily amongst the trash beneath for a good twenty minutes 
before he finally relaxed enough to venture forth.

The booze started to take over for his adrenaline again as he made his way 
out of the shadows and into the hazy streetlights. Looking slowly down 
toward his favorite bar, he made note that the street was empty save a few 
of the locals looking for change and a hooker heading the other way, and 
decided it was a safe bet to leave the alley. As he quickly walked past 
McRay's, swaying slightly, he checked in through the window, no sign of 
any more trouble.

The broken stool still sitting near the door started to bring back bits of 
what had happened. He looked down at his arms and hands to see if there 
was anything that appeared broken or bleeding. Other than a bit of red he 
was certain would be darkly bruised tomorrow and a layer of much from the 
dumpster covering his hands, he looked okay. He wasn't sure if the 
slightly blurred was from too many drinks or if one of his eyes was 
swelling, he would worry about that when he got home. 

As he walked through the damp, post rain air of the city, he tried to 
remember again what had happened. He had been shooting pool in back, and 
as he was drawing back for the win, caught a glimpse of someone passing 
the bar. Someone he never thought he'd see there, and who he was certain 
he wanted as far away from "his" bar as possible. She was with two or 
three other people, none of whom he recognized. Unable to resist saying 
something, he left his cue stick on the table and started toward her.

Mike, his pool partner, confused at the sudden chance of losing the game 
turned to him. "What the fuck?" Mike's voice carried well over the bad 
80's pop and the murmur of the crowd. The confusion dropped from his face 
as he looked to see where Gary was headed, and stepped in front of him. 
Gary nearly plowed straight through, until Mike got a secure hold on his 
arm.

"You don't want to do this, not right now, you're trashed."

"I sure as hell do want to do this, I need to say my piece, I'll be good, 
I promise." Gary didn't look half as convincing as he had hoped he would. 
He knew he couldn't, not after the way things had ended.

Knowing he had no chance of talking Gary out of it, Mike stepped aside, 
his final words to Gary, "Just don't do anything stupid, those look like 
some oh so wonderful guys she's with." The sarcasm dripped off of the 
wonderful in a way that only Mike could make it work.

Catching the bartender's eye as he neared the bar, Gary waved for a shot, 
and turned his eyes back to Alyson. She looked a bit ragged, a bit tired, 
worse than he remembered her ever looking when they were together. As he 
reached the end of the bar, his hand reached out, swapping money for the 
shot and downing it in one motion. She turned, mid-laugh and saw him. 
Immediately, she turned her head away too quick for him to make eye 
contact. Gary saw her face go white and her jaw drop though as she turned 
to tried to look completely occupied by her friends' conversation. He 
reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his eyes, back toward his 
ponytail. He grinned a little for the first time since seeing her, knowing 
that she had finally noticed him there. He'd at least get to see her face 
when he said his piece, if not get an answer.

The burn from the tequila working its way down his throat, his chest, his 
stomach, he drew a deep, cool breath and stepped toward her. Slipping 
around a couple involved in their own world, he caught a glimpse of 
himself in the mirror behind the bar, his eyes red from the booze, his 
face flush with anger. Gary's arm reached out slowly, taking what seemed 
like hours, and brought a single finger down, tapping on Alyson's 
shoulder. She twitched slightly, trying to seem too enthralled by her 
conversation to novice. He tapped again, waiting for her to turn around. 
No one with her looked up. The guy she was talking to wouldn't even turn 
his head to acknowledge Gary's presence. 

As she started to turn, a look of distress on her face, he said, "Hi." The 
smirk, still half on his lips, she stammered and searched for an 
appropriate greeting. He continued before she could finish. "Come here 
often? No! What a surpsrise seeing you here, or at all. I was certain 
you'd died, or at least run off to another country with someone else."

She managed to push out a response of, "No, I'm still here."

The volume of his voice rose slightly, from polite bar room chat to mild 
anger, "That's it, I'm still here? That's all you have to say?"

"I just...I can't...what should I..."

"How about, I'm leaving you? Or maybe, I don't think this is working? No? 
What about, fuck off?" Gary's voice grew louder with each question. The 
bartender looking over the shoulder of Alyson's friends to Gary, eyebrow 
raised. Gary shook his head, knowing he needed to get this out, hoping 
that no one would be thrown out before he could (knowing it wouldn't be 
him that was asked to leave).

The grungy, stringy haired, face with the angles of a rat guy Alyson had 
been talking to before Gary came over finally broke his staring match with 
the ground and started to look up as Gary's voice rose. Stopping him 
short, Gary reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Hi, Gary Riece! 
Nice to meet you, don't mind me, just having a little talk with Alyson, 
hope you don't mind, we go WAY back." The rat's head dropped down a 
little, eyes looking up from furrowed brows at Gary.

Alyson broke in, her strong southern accent (the one she turned up when 
she wanted something, or tried to play innocent) all too familiar, "Gary, 
listen, I don't know what else to say, it was just me, I don't know 
why..."

"And I'm guessing he had nothing to do with it? It was just you...and 
him?" 

A chill ran down his spine, he had thought something might have been 
happening behind his back, but, staring down the truth brought a whole new 
set of emotion running through him.  The chill brought with it another 
rush of anger, one that he hadn't felt since he'd gotten home to find 
everything she had there gone without a trace.  He had been amazed at how 
empty things seemed that first night, and now, the feelings he thought he 
had gotten past all came flooding back.  Without a conscious thought, he 
reached around Alyson, grabbing the first drink his could reach on the 
bar, and tossed it, most of it hitting the nameless, rat faced boy she was 
with.  The rest of the clear drink, splashed on Pam and an innocent 
bystander behind her.  This was definitely the moment things had gone 
horribly, horribly wrong.