“You need anything we're only an hour away, give or take, honey. You call. We'll help you hide the body.”

“Rig looked over at Dick for a long minute and then shook his head and sighed, pushing the cake away. "I can't do this. Dick was right. I'm tearing us all apart and I hoped that... I wanted you two to be happy enough together that I wouldn't. All I could think in that ambulance was that I was losing you and it happened anyway. I'm sorry.""No!" Dick shook his head and took Rigger's hand. "You only lose us if you keep pushing us away."Rock didn't know what to say, he just knew he was more scared now than he had been when Julie had first called that night so many months ago now. He took Rigger's other hand and squeezed. "I'm a stubborn son of a bitch, Rig. I'm not going anywhere.""I don't know if I can stay, Blue." Grey eyes landed on him, filled with tears. "I'm lost and can't seem to figure my way home." Rig's hand was trembling, holding him tight.Rock thought it probably would have hurt less if Rigger had picked up the knife and stabbed him with it.He slid from his chair and pulled Rig's so he could kneel between his lover's legs. His hands found their way into Rigger's shorn hair. "I will do anything, Rabbit. Anything. But I can't let you go. P-please don't ask me to let you go." His voice broke and he laid his head down against Rigger's belly, arms wrapping around the too-thin waist.”

“The crusts, or at least what he assumed was crusts, were already rolled out flat rounds."How many do we need?" Because he could eat one of these all on his own."One for Uncle Slayde and Jenny. One for me and Maggie. One for…Who do you share with?""I think I can probably eat the whole thing by myself." He patted his belly. "What do you think?"Christian looked at him. "You could prob'ly eat a whole elephant.”

“Oh, for fuck's sake, quit being pussies." Montana leaned against the doorframe, Coke in hand."You hit me. I left. Billy got shot. You have this weird...brain thing." Those dark eyes met Jack's. "I don't know what's wrong with you, except that you got that ADD thing, and hey, that's not criminal. You are Billy's friends. I'm Billy's, period. I'm not leaving. You're not leaving. You hit me again, and I'll hit you back. Hard. Now, can we all stop being weird-assed people and eat some fucking potato chips from a bag?”

“Call me Tanny, please. Montana is what my Master calls me.”

“Slayde came out of the kitchen, long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, T-shirt dusted with flour, coffee in hand. "If you wake the kids up before two, I'm going to beat you with a skillet.”

“Get the fuck out of my face, Jim." He pushed Rock backwards, fury filling him. "Don't you dare lecture me, you sorry son of a bitch! I have lived out here in this goddamned place without decent iced tea for years. Lived where I couldn't fucking touch you when I wanted to, where I can't even pretend to be your fuckbuddy, much less your lover. Then I'm out with fucking girls so that I could do the one thing I've never once done with you and MARINES jump me because I'm queer!”