Photograghic Memory

Photographic Memory
Warnings: Mentions of bondage drug use, maybe.
Word Count: 2939
Disclaimer: This is fiction. I don't own the people or the characters. I make no claims about their sexuality or lifestyles. No profit made. Fake, false, a figment of my abused imagination. It has ghosts in this chapter, do I really need to say Not Real?

Chapter 17
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Dom and Eric left the others watching the TV in the den. They entered the living room and took only a few steps before coming to a dead stop. Standing in front of them was a tall man with brown hair. He wasn't wearing any shoes and had on brown trousers with a faded out, off-white T-shirt. Except for the slight beard he bore a striking resemblance to Orlando.

The three men stood there staring at each other for a few minutes before the stranger spoke. "Excuse me, did you see which way Peter went?"

Dom was frozen in his tracks. He kept staring at the man with his mouth hanging slightly open. It didn't even register when Eric jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

Eric didn't have the slightest idea what Dom's problem was. "Are you related to Orlando, you look alot like him."

"Orlando?" The man looked puzzled. "Do you, by any chance, mean Viggo's friend?"

"Friend, yeah." Eric said with a chuckle.

"So you are Viggo's friends as well?" The young man took a step toward them.

"Well.. Not quite the same way as Orlando, but yeah, I.. I guess we are Viggo's friends. Just not the same." Eric stammered.

The man studied Eric briefly then starting laughing. "I understand." He paused, turned his head toward the door as if listening. He nodded his head then turned back to face them. "You will like it here." He said with a smile. "I'm sorry, you must excuse my manners, I'm Jonathan. He extended his hand to Eric.

"Eric." As he shook his hand Eric couldn't help but notice how cold the man felt.

"Your friend, is he alright?" He nodded toward Dom.

"Dominic," Eric elbowed him again, "Isn't himself tonight."

"I'm, uh, Dominic, Dom for short." Dom managed to get it out and even stuck out his hand to shake.

Jonathan took Dom's hand in both of his. "It is very nice to meet you Dom. I was expecting you, but not you." He nodded at Eric and continued to hold Dom's hand in his own. "You are here to help Viggo, aren't you?" He was looking deeply into Dom's eyes and as much as he wanted to, Dominic could not look away.

The first thing Dom had noticed was that Jonathan's hands felt real. They were solid yet soft to touch and cold. He didn't think you were supposed to be able to touch a ghost. The longer Jonathan held his hands the colder they became. In fact, the man's hands were like having ice wrapped around his and it seemed to be soaking into and under his skin. Dom tried to pull away but Jonathan held him firm with his hands and his deep searching eyes. Dom could feel the icy cold creeping up his arm.

"C-cold." Dom's voice was barely a whisper.

As Eric watched the two men staring intently at each other, he noticed the room seemed to be getting colder. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about this man was not quite right. Dominic seemed to be very uncomfortable and when he heard Dom mutter he knew something was wrong. Eric had no idea what he should do. So he said the only thing that came to mind. "Have you seen Viggo?"

The man jerked his head toward Eric; "You shouldn't even be here. You should leave. You are not part of this, but if you stay you will be." Jonathan considered him for a minute, then asked, "Have you seen Peter?"

"Huh?" Which was the most intelligent thing Eric could think of at this point.

"Peter? Have. You. Seen. Peter?"

Dom whimpered, his face was etched with confusion. His free hand felt like lead as he tried to lift it in an attempt to push Jonathan's hands away. His mind hadn't accepted what was happening and everything seemed to be running in slow motion. Fear hadn't entered into the equation, yet, but he could feel it slowly rising up inside of him. His arm was ice cold up to his elbow and he could feel the icy tendrils spreading up.

"Haven't seen any Peter. Where the hell is Viggo?" He looked from Jonathan to Dominic. Eric was starting to get concerned; or maybe a little frightened, it was hard to tell which at this point. Dom's lips had turned bluish and his teeth were chattering. "Exactly what the fuck are you doing to Dom?"

"When you see Peter, tell him I am looking for him. Viggo is more likely than not with Orlando. And as for Dominic.. I am searching for his heart, his conscience."

"Jonathan!" A stern voice called from the doorway. Eric never thought he would be so happy to see Viggo.

"Let go of Dom!" Viggo did not look happy. "NOW!" He shouted when Jonathan did not comply.

Then Viggo lowered his voice; "I am going to tell Peter." .

Jonathan jerked his hands back, spun around and began stalking toward Viggo and Orlando. "Have you seen Peter?" He demanded.

"He is usually at the barn. No, he's always at the barn, why don't you ever look there first?" Orli looked real brave standing behind Viggo.

"Because I always start in the house. Don't you know anything?" Jonathan rolled his eyes at him.

"It's not my fault you can't keep up with your boyfriend. You don't see me running around asking where Viggo is all the time, do you?"

"That is because you don't let him out of your sight. Or rather your grasp. You are so sex crazy if you don't have him in you every 15 minutes you are moping around sulking and pouting!" Jonathan began to wring his hands together and poked out his bottom lip while making sniffling noises.

"That is not true and I don't act like that! Vee-goh!" Orli wailed.

Viggo winced and began rubbing the ear Orli had yelled in. "Can't you two just try to get along. Are you all right, Dom?"

Viggo went to Dominic to check his hand. Dom had been cradling it with his other hand and blowing on it, trying to warm it up.

Eric watched Orli and Jonathan. They were facing each other and except for the small beard on Jonathan, they were mirror images. When Orli raised his right hand to point at Jonathan, Jonathan raised his left hand to point at Orli, increasing the illusion. Eric had begun to get this surreal feeling that maybe this was all just a dream.

Viggo wrapped one arm around Dom's shoulders and started to steer him toward the door. "Let's get some heat on this. It will be alright." He spoke softly to Dom.

Orli and Jonathan took one step back, crossed their arms over their chests and stuck their tongues out at each other. "So there!" They said simultaneously.

Eric watched Viggo usher Dom across the room. At the doorway Orli and his look a like, Jonathan were posturing and making faces at one another. They shifted their feet, their arms, even stuck out their tongues at each other at the same time. This was the point where Eric decided he really needed a lie down. Just spread out on the sofa, close his eyes, and wait for the dream to shift, the way dreams do. Either that or he would wake up back in the car, before they ever got here.

Then he felt a cold hand rest upon his shoulder. In the instant that it took him to register how cold it was, he made a decision. That decision was simple, he was NOT going to turn around to see who, or more likely, what, was standing behind him.

The polite, well-mannered, man, (man?), they had been talking to was now standing in the doorway acting like a five year old, as was Orlando. Dom had somehow gotten hurt and Viggo was trying to get him out of the room. And now, on top of everything else, something cold was standing behind him with its hand on his shoulder. Nope. Not going to look. Hell, the way things were going it was probably a giant rabid purple bunny rabbit, and as soon as he looked, it would eat him. Of course, then he would wake up. That's the way dreams usually went, he reasoned.

Whatever it was behind him sighed deeply and Eric shivered when he felt the cold air ghost past his ear. "Jonathan. Orlando. Stop that this instant! You are upsetting Viggo's friend, Eric." Then he pointed to Dom, "Jonathan, did you do that?"

"I'm sorry." Jonathan muttered, looking down at his feet.

When Eric heard the voice behind him he had to rule out giant rabid purple bunnies. He knew, before he saw the man step out from behind him that this guy was going to be a dead ringer for Viggo. He sounded just like him.

The man crossed the room quickly. Walking through the sofa he stopped in front of Orli and Jonathan.

He just walked through the sofa. Walked through the sofa. Walked. Through. The sofa. It kept repeating in Eric's head. That was the point when his mind froze up and decided to refuse any further input. He felt his knees go weak and his vision start to fade.

"Viggo." Peter reached out wrapping one icy hand around Viggo's free arm.

Viggo stopped and turned to look at him. "Yes, Peter?" As he spoke he protectively tightened his hold on Dom, without even realizing it.

"Eric!" Orlando saw him go down and jumped over the sofa to get to his friend on the floor.

"This had better work," Peter spoke softly to Viggo, "I love Jonathan just as much as you love Orlando, but eternity with these two together will be hell for both of us."

"It'll work, trust me." Viggo tried to push Dom through the door.

"You have lost control.. There are too many wild-cards."

"Only temporarily." Anger was rising in Viggo's throat. "Look, Dominic is hurt, I need to take care of him!" With that he pushed Dom through the door and into the hall. Glancing back, he saw Orli kneeling over Eric and was torn. He knew Eric would be fine, he had simply passed out. However, he had never left Orlando alone with any of the ghosts before. Not intentionally anyway.

He was trying to decide what to do when Peter put his arm around Jonathan. They started walking across the room together and disappeared.

"Orli, I'm taking Dom to the bathroom. Is Eric alright?"

"I.. I think he fainted, Viggo."

"I need to get some heat on Dom's arm. Are you.."

"I'll stay with Eric. We'll be fine. Go."

Viggo watched him for a couple of seconds before turning around in the hall. The first thing he noticed was Victoria, sitting on the floor at the bottom of the stairs drawing patterns in the dust. "Well, I see you decided to come back." He commented as he herded Dom toward the bathroom.

"What happened to him?" She asked in that eerie echoing voice of hers.

"Jonathan held his hand too long. I need to get him warmed up."

"I'm sure he was only playing." She defended Jonathan as she got up and followed them to the bathroom. "It's just that you mortals are so.. I don't know, fragile?"

"I'm sure." Viggo responded dryly. "I don't suppose you can hand me a towel."

She crossed her arms, cocked her head to one side and smirked at Viggo.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Sit here Dom." He closed the lid on the toilet and sat Dom down.

"I could get you one, Vee-goh, but you know I leave that.. What does he call it? Oh yeah, slime, on anything I touch from your world."

"If you aren't going to help here can you please go see how Eric is doing?"

"You are just trying to get rid of me." She pouted at Viggo.

"In more ways than one." He muttered.

"Fine then. Be that way." She turned and started toward the door.

"And leave Orlando alone." He called after her, as she was half way through it.

Viggo sighed as he grabbed a towel and ran hot water over it. He rung the water out and wrapped it around Dom's arm. "This will be a little sore tomorrow, like after a work out, but it's going to be ok."

"Uh-huh." Dom was quiet and staring at the floor.

Viggo squatted down to look him in the face. "Are you ok, Dom?"

"Uh-huh."

"Fuck." He finished wrapping Dom's arm, sat down on the floor and pulled Dom down into his lap. "Listen to me," He put his hand under the other man's chin turning his face so Viggo could look him in the eyes. "Dominic?" He spoke gently; "Can you hear me?"

Dom gave him a little nod then he leaned into Viggo, placing his head on Vig's shoulder.

"Look, we will get through this night. The sun will come up tomorrow and you will go home. Then you can forget all about this whole thing. This house, it takes some getting used to and you have had quite a bit thrust on you in one night. I've found the best way to deal with it, is not to deal with it. Just tell yourself ok, this happened. Don't try to figure out why or how it is possible. Just go with it, ok?"

"Viggo?" It was the tone of Dom's voice that bothered Viggo the most. He had never heard him sound so.. defeated? Lost?

"What Dom?"

"Can you kiss me? I just.. I dunno. Never mind."

Viggo pulled him close and kissed him gently, tracing Dom's lips with his tongue before he pulled back to look at the man in his lap.

"Better?" Viggo spoke with a kindness he normally reserved for Orlando.

"I need you, Viggo. I'm not whole without you." He sounded so weak, so small, his voice dripped sorrow.

"You have Elijah." Viggo softly stroked the side of his face.

"He's not you." Dom whimpered then and nuzzled his face into the side of Viggo's neck.

Viggo's hand moved to Dom's back sliding up and down. "He's good for you, Dom. I never was."

"You always took care of me, I need that, Viggo. I have to take care of Elijah, I do love him, but it's not the same. Do you know what he wanted to do the night you called about the party?"

"Dom.. "

"He wanted to use handcuffs."

Viggo sighed, "You like handcuffs, as I recall."

"Yeah, but it really freaked me out at first. All I could think of was you. I felt like I was cheating on.. I dunno, us? The memory of us? I kept expecting you to show up.. angry at me."

"Did he treat you right? Did he stop when you said stop? Did he take care of you after, Dom?"

"Yeah, he was real careful. Really thoughtful, but he wasn't you."

"Have you told him about us? About the things we did?"

"No. You said not to and .. and it would hurt him. He could never understand."

"Orlando and Elijah trust us. That's why they aren't in here right now. I love Orlando too much to do anything that might hurt our relationship and I know you feel the same about Elijah. What you and I did was act out fantasies. It will always make for great memories, but it wasn't something we could have built a long-term relationship on. It was intense because we both knew it wasn't going to last."

"I miss you. You can do anything you want with Orli. It isn't like that with me and Lija."

"Who suggested the handcuffs?"

"He did."

"Maybe he wants to try different things, but he's afraid or just doesn't know if you would be interested. Maybe he is afraid of scaring you off. Dom, I chose him for you because I knew you would be good for each other. Elijah was very open to trying new things before. You just have to tell him what you need. I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

Dominic thought this over for a few minutes. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Sure, anything."

"What did he mean, um, Peter, what did he mean when he was talking about eternity and something working?"

Viggo studied him carefully. Trying hard to decide if he should tell him and what he should tell him. "It's complicated."

"Oh. You know you can trust me."

"Dom, it seems that whoever owns this property is bound to it. Orlando and I both own this house. I have conflicting information at this point, but apparently there is something we have to do to avoid spending eternity here."

"What do you have to do, Viggo?"

Viggo closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"How's your arm, Dom?"

"What? It's ok, sore, but better. You didn't answer my question."

"I'm not going to. I have already told you too much. Come on." He pushed Dom up, then pulled himself to his feet. "Let's see if I can get this back under control."

"Just tell me what to do, I'll do whatever I can to help, you know that." Anything for you, Viggo. But he kept that to himself.

"Thanks Dom. I may get you to help me serve some drinks."

"Like last time?"

"Yes. I may have no other choice."

Dom nodded as he followed Viggo out of the loo.

~Continued~