For You

Written by: D’be-D’be


Oliver awoke to the sound of cupboards and drawers from the kitchen being open and shut.

“What the hell is David doing down there?” he mumbled to himself as he jumped out of bed, pulling his robe on at the same time. As he walked down the stairs, the smell of coffee tickled his nostrils.

“David?” he called out as he made his way down the hall. “Are you trying to demolish the kitchen?”

Hearing no reply, Oliver shook his head knowing in an instant why his partner was making so much noise and why he wasn’t replying to his inquiries. His suspicions were confirmed when he entered the kitchen and found David dancing around with a set of ear buds in his ears and his MP3 player clipped to his pyjamas. With his back to the door, David was singing along with whatever tune, was pounding in his ears.

Oliver leaned against the doorway and smiled as he listened to the angelic voice of his young partner. He didn’t recognize the tune but the words were lovely. He walked over to the young man who was now pouring pancake batter unto the grill and did his best not to startle him. The last thing Oliver wanted this morning was to clean batter off the floor.

He gave his young Brat a tiny tap on the left shoulder, just enough to allow David to realize the older man’s presence. David slowly turned around and gave Oliver his best good morning smile. Oliver motioned to him to shut off the portable player and to remove the ear buds. David did as he was told and then leaned in to give his partner a loving kiss.

“Hi, Ollie; are you ready for my famous pancakes this morning?”

“I am now after being shaken awake with the sounds of thunder coming from down stairs.”

“Oops.” David smiled. “I guess I didn’t realize I was making so much noise down here. I’m sorry.”

Letting out a tiny chuckle, Oliver returned the kiss then reached up for his favorite coffee mug; the one David bought him from the Academy gift shop. It had NYPD in huge blue letters painted on one side and the police crest on the other.

David had graduated from the police academy and the FBI hostage negotiation coursed four months ago, and was satisfyingly settling in to his new career.

As Oliver sipped his coffee, he leaned against the cupboard and watched David flip the pancakes. The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg filled the air and Oliver heard his stomach grumble. He didn’t realize how hungry he was. He grabbed the plates and utensils, and then set out to set the table. He poured them each a glass of orange juice, and placed a variety of jams and syrups on the table. He refreshed his own coffee and poured David a cup. By this time, the pancakes were ready to be dished out.

Over the delicious breakfast, the two men made small talk about their day ahead and what they would like to do this evening. As Oliver forked out two more pancakes from the tray, he took David’s hand and asked, “Hey, Baby, what was that song you were singing this morning when I came into the kitchen?”

Blushing a deep shade of red, David replied, “I wasn’t aware I was singing out loud. I hope I didn’t give you an earache?”

“Don’t be foolish, honey. You have a beautiful voice”

“You think so?”

“Yes; absolutely. Now what was that song you were singing?”

“It’s a song I downloaded from I tunes called ‘For You’ by John Denver. I’ve been trying to get the CD that the song is from but since his death, it’s almost impossible to get a hold of the records he recorded after he left RCA. He started his own record company, so it’s very difficult to find that music.”

“Did you try E-Bay?”

“Yeah, several times, but with no success.”

“What’s the name of the CD that this song is from?”

“It called ‘Higher Ground’ and he recorded it in 1988.”

“The words of the song are beautiful.”
“They sure are. And every time I hear it, I imagine myself singing it to you because the words say exactly what I would love to say to you, if I had the talent to articulate my feelings in that manner.”

“Oh Davey, I have no problem in the way that you express your feelings for me. I didn’t know you were a fan of John Denver.”

David’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude and love for the man sitting across from him and although he knew Oliver meant what he said, there was a small part of him that always felt a little inadequate when it came to expressing himself.
It was a feeling he successfully kept to himself; until now that is.

“I was introduced to his music by my university English Professor. He was a big fan of Denver’s music and often used the lyrics to show how words can express true feelings. After listening to a few songs, I was hooked by Denver’s words and the expressive way he got his message of love and caring through.”

“Every day I learn a little more about you and it makes each day a new adventure.”

David was about to reply to Oliver’s gentle teasing when he heard the sound of the grandfather clock in the hallway chiming 9:00 am. He gulped down the rest of his lukewarm coffee as he got up from the table. “My shift starts in two hours, so I better get a move on.”

“Go take a shower and I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher and clean up here.”

“Thanks, love, I appreciate it. Are you working out of the home today?” David asked before slipping upstairs.

“Yeah, I have to develop the pictures I took when we were in Washington. I have some great pictures of the President I was allowed to take when you and your class had lunch at the White House.”

“You mean you didn’t develop them yet? Jeez, Ollie, it’s been over four months since we’ve got home.”

“I printed off a couple but I was saving the rest until I had a contract to do a story, and that only came through yesterday.”

“Terrific! Who is it with?”

“The New Yorker. Now hurry up or you’ll be late.”

“Yes Sir!” David gave a mock bow before running up the stairs to get ready for the day.

**********************

While David was making his way into the city, Oliver was on the phone with an old friend who worked at Rolling Stone Magazine. After a few minutes of catching up, Oliver asked him if he could get a hold of John Denver’s old Manager, Hal Thau, in order to purchase all the CD’s Denver recorded under his own label ‘Windstar’, especially the CD titled ‘Higher Ground’. When Oliver’s friend inquired why he was making such a request, Oliver explained it was for a very special graduation present for the love of his life. After taking down Oliver’s number, the Rolling Stones reporter promised to see what he could do to honor his old friend’s request. After hanging up, Oliver finished cleaning up the kitchen then went down to his basement studio and got down to work.

At the same time that Oliver hung up from this friend, David was on his way to his first major hostage negotiation. It seemed a man was holding a couple hostages in their home and was refusing to reply to any requests for communications the first officers on the scene were attempting to make.

David pulled up to the scene with his partner and went directly to the officer in charge and began to get a swift briefing and to ensure that any actions by the police would not lead to the hostages being harmed.

The officer in charge told David all he knew so far. The house belongs to the young man’s parents and for some reason after he came to visit, things got a little out of control. The next door neighbor told him he saw the young man, whose name was Scott and who was the couples only son, arrive around 9:00 am. The neighbor said he was working in his garden when he suddenly heard shouting and threats being made, and then a loud pop like a rifle going off was heard. That’s when the neighbor dialed 911. The officer reported that he and the other officers arrived on the scene about twenty minutes ago, just before the news van pulled up. He told David that he tried to call the number given to him by the neighbor, but all he got for his efforts was gunfire and a warning to leave him the hell alone.

“Fine,” David stated as he turned to his partner. “How do you want to handle this Jack?” he asked the senior hostage negotiator he was training with.

“I want you to try to see if you can get some communication going and if you can, I want you to carry the ball.”

“Are you sure I’m ready for it?”

“Baptism by fire, kid; everyone has to start somewhere. I know you can do it, so take a deep breath and try to get the man to talk to you.”

David walked over to the squad car and pulled a bull horn out of the trunk. His legs were a little weak and his hand were a little shaky but he didn’t let nerves deter him from what had to be done.

Clearing his throat, David put the bullhorn to his mouth and began to speak. “Hello, Scott. My name is David Bradford and I would like to talk to you if I could to see what I can do to help you get out of this situation. I’m going to call you on the phone and it is my sincere wish that you pick it up. Unless you talk to me, I won’t be able to help you resolve your problem. Okay?”

David put down the bullhorn and reached for his cell phone. After what seemed like an eternity but was only a few rings, the hostage taker answered the phone.

“I’m so glad you decided to answer, Scott,” David stated in a soft, calming voice.

“How do you know my name?”

“The next door neighbor let us know who you were and who else lives in the home.”

“What else did that nosey old bat tell you?”

David could hear a variety of emotions in the young mans tone; anger, frustration, fear and resentment. “She didn’t tell us anything else, Scott, but maybe you could fill in a couple of blanks for me.”

“Yeah; for instance?” Scott replied.

“Well of course the major one is why are you holding your parents hostage and secondly, what can I do to alleviate the situation?”

“Do you really give a damn, David, or are you just doing your job?”

“I really give a damn, Scott. If I didn’t, I would be in another line of work. Now, can you give me a small hint as to what took place this morning that has got you so upset?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me, Scott; you may be surprised.”

“I don’t know……”

David could hear a sense of trust in the hostage taker’s voice. Maybe he was getting through to the boy. He took a chance and asked, “Scott, before we go any further, will you tell me how your parents are? Is everything all right with them?”

“I didn’t blow their brains out, if that’s what you’re alluding to. The closed-minded assholes are just fine. They’re sitting here mumbling some prayers for my soul or something.”

That gave David a small clue as to what the problem might be. Scott’s parents were a religious couple and Scott must have done or said something that went against their beliefs. It was something that was probably building up for some time and whatever reaction they had to Scott’s news, was the final straw.

“I’m glad to hear that you didn’t harm them. Can you share with me what set things off?”

“Are you sure you’re open-minded enough to hear what I have to say, Cop?”

“I feel I’m a very open-minded individual who has the belief that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and way of life. I have no right to judge anyone. My life partner tells me that was one of the things that attracted him to me.”

“Your life partner is a man? Are you telling me you’re gay, Cop?”

“Yes I am, and I’m very open with it. Do you have a problem with this, Scott?”

David heard a small sigh then silence. He could feel the tension in the air and his fingers were beginning to ache due to his holding the phone so tightly. He was about to ask the question again when until he heard more dialog.

“Oh sweet Jesus, I can’t believe my luck. I finally get to talk to someone who will truly understand what I ‘m going through.”

“Go on, Scott; tell me all about it. Take your time; no one is going to force you out. I’ll stay here and talk to you for as long as it takes.”

“I knew I was gay from a very early age. My father, who is a minister, did everything he could to rid me from what he called the devil’s influence. He sent me to councillors and camps where they tried to ‘fix’ me, but of course that was impossible. I moved out of their home but kept in touch with my mother. Well, a year ago I met a wonderful man and two months ago he asked me to move with him to Massachusetts and marry him. Of course I said yes. This morning with his encouragement, I came to tell my parents the news. I don’t know why I thought their reaction would be of acceptance and needless to say, it wasn’t. My father went ballistic. He told me I was dead to him and when my mother tried to defend me, he hit her and called her a heathen. Seeing the look of despair and fear in my mother’s eyes was the last straw. I grabbed his rifle from the closet and….well, I don’t know what I planned to do, but we began shouting and he began praying for my soul and I told him to be quiet and when he didn’t, I shot the gun into the air to shut him up. I guess that’s when the old busy body next door called you guys.”

“Scott, what is your partner’s name? Would you like me to call him and ask him to come down here?”

“His name is Danny and no, he’s in Massachusetts getting settled in his law firm.”

“Oh neat, he’s a lawyer. My man is a photo journalist. Maybe you’ve seen some of his work. His name is Oliver Newman.”

“The Oliver Newman who won the photography award for his coverage of the 911 attacks?”

“The one and only.”

“Man, you’re a lucky guy. He’s real hot!”

David let out a short chuckle as he told Scott he wholeheartedly agreed, before getting back to the situation at hand. He wanted to end this as soon as possible and peacefully as well.

“Scott, I know it’s hard when your parents or one parent disagrees with your lifestyle. But you have to remember, it’s your life, not theirs, and you have to live it and make the best of it. It sounds like you have a great chance at happiness. You know your father is wrong but you also must know by now there is nothing you can ever do to change the way he thinks. Don’t give him the satisfaction of ruining your life. Let them go before this escalates into something we don’t want to see happening. If you end this right now without causing anyone harm; I think the judge will take this into consideration. I’m sure you’re a good kid who has never had any run-ins with the law before, and since this is your first offense you may get off with a suspended sentence. Although, I am not one hundred percent sure on this, what I do know is if you insist on keeping your parents hostage and tempers start to spark and stress leads to violence, the life you and Danny have planned will become just a memory.”

David let the words he had just spoken sink in. He hoped Scott heard the sincerity in his voice and took his advice to heart. David’s heart began to pound in his chest when he heard the phone go dead. He held his breath for what seemed like an eternity, but let it out in a short burst when he saw the front door open and an elderly couple walk over the threshold and onto the porch. He threw his phone down and ran up the stairs. As members of SWAT lead the couple down the stairs and to safety, David ran into the house to find Scott sitting on the sofa.

Scott had thrown the gun on the floor as he lay down and began to cry softly into the sofa cushion. He looked up when he felt the presence of someone in the room.

“Hi Scott, my name is David. We spoke on the phone earlier.”

“I made a mess of things, didn’t I?”

“Not entirely; at least I don’t think so. Come on, I’ll take you down to the station myself and while there you can call that lawyer of yours. I’m sure he’ll be on the first flight out of Boston and together we’ll work things out. I promise to be with you every step of the way.”

Scott stood up and gave David a short hug of gratitude. He then allowed David to lead him out to the police cruiser, where his rights were read to him by David’s partner.

“Hey, hero!” David’s partner stated as he slapped David on the back. “A gentleman from the local news wants you to give them a statement.”

“I don’t think I want to do that, Jack.”

“Hey, that’s part of the job. Now go make nice with the reporters; we need them on our side. Trust me; the camera will love that adorable face of yours.” Jack and the rest of the team let out a laugh as David let out a groan and made his way over to the reporter.

************************

While David was handling his first major hostage negotiation, Oliver was busy finishing up his assignment for the New Yorker, before going upstairs to begin dinner. He had just finished preparing the salad and placing it in the fridge to chill, when the phone rang. It was his colleague from Rolling Stone.

“Hey Ollie, old buddy, I got some great news for you. It so happens, that Hal Thau had an office here in New York and he was more that willing to sell you copies of the CD’s John Denver recorded under his own label. He can have them at your apartment in two hours and all you have to do is give me your credit card number to begin the process.”

“Man, I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you. I want you to know I owe you a big one. Hold on while I get my wallet.”
By the time Oliver hung up the phone, he was on cloud nine. He looked at his watch and saw it was now 3:00 pm. David would be home around 6:00 pm that gave him plenty of time for the CD’s to arrive, and finish preparing dinner. He was about to walk back into the kitchen when his phone rang again. This time it was Elliot.

“Hi, Elliot. What’s up?”

“What’s up? What’s up? Turn on the TV to WLBZ and you’ll see what’s up!” Elliot was so excited he was practically shouting into the phone.

“Calm down, Elliot. What happened? Is there another attack or something?”

“No; nothing like that! Turn on the TV and you’ll see that cutie you’re involved with is on the tube. He just saved a couple’s lives.”

“What? Oh my God! Hold on, Elliot, while I…..damn! Where is that stupid remote? Oh here it is. Hold on while I turn on the set.”

“I’m going to hang up so you’ll be able to concentrate on the story. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah see you,” Oliver mumbled as he slowly let himself sink into the couch, observing the beautiful face of his Brat as it filled the screen. His heart swelled with pride as he watched David answer each question with confidence like a well-seasoned veteran, instead of a four-month rookie. He shook his head as he listened to David describe the situation without giving out confidential information, and when the reporter called David a hero, Oliver’s eyes filled with tears of pure love for the man who instantly rejected the title and claimed it was the young hostage taker who was the real hero.

Oliver shut off the set when David closed the interview and walked out of camera range. He couldn’t wait until David got home to get all the details of the event. He was certain that his partner trusted him enough to tell him the whole story without breaking the rules of confidentiality the police abide by.

*******************

Oliver had just finished putting the roast in the oven when the doorbell rang. The CD’s had arrived. He thanked the Fed Ex driver and after giving him a generous tip, took the package into the den, ripped the box open and began to look for the CD entitled ‘Higher Ground’. Discovering it in the middle of the pile, he took it to the stereo system which was connected to the surround sound and hit track number eight. The smooth, clear voice of John Denver filled the room. Oliver sat in the big chair and listened to the words of “For You’. The words made tears form in his eyes and roll down his cheeks.

“Oh David, I love you so,” he whispered to himself as he heard the words that David stated he wanted to say to him.

By 6:15, David had arrived home to the welcoming aroma of the roast and baked potatoes. Oliver met him at the door and greeted him with a long, tender kiss.

“David, I saw you on television this afternoon. I’m so proud of you, baby, and I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you to, Ollie, and I want to tell you how lucky I feel to be your partner and to have the support of our family and their acceptance of who we are.”

They kissed again with a promise of more to come later. They walked arm in arm into the kitchen and over a delicious meal, David confided all the details to his Top.

Once more Oliver repeated how proud he was and how much he loved him. With that being said, Oliver stood up and took David’s hand and led him into the den.

“I have a surprise for you, baby. Sit down in your favorite chair and listen to this.” Once David was settled, Oliver pressed play on the stereo remote and for the second time today, John Denver’s voice filled the room with his sweet melody.

David jumped up and ran into Oliver’s arms as he screamed with delight. “Oh Ollie, where did you find it? Did you copy it from the internet?”

“No, I pulled in a favor and Denver’s Manager sent me all these CD’s.” He pointed to a pile of disks lying on the coffee table.

“Oh Ollie,” was all David could manage through his tears.

“Now stop the tears and come dance with me.” Oliver took David into his arms and they began to sway to the music.

By the time the song began to play for the second time, David had fully recovered from his excitement. He pulled out of Oliver’s arms just enough so he could look into his eyes and he began to sing along.

Just to look in your eyes again
Just to lie in your arms
Just to be the first one always there for you
Just to live in your laughter
Just to sing in your heart
Just to be everyone of your dreams come true

Just to sit by your window
Just to touch in the night
Just to offer a prayer each day for you
Just to long for your kisses
Just to dream of your sighs
Just to know I’d give my life for you

For you, all the rest of my life
For you for the rest of my life
For you alone….only for you

Just to wake up each morning
Just you by my side
Just to know that you’re really never far away
Just a reason for living
Just to say I adore
Just to know that you’re in my heart to stay

Just the words of a love song
Just the beat of my heart
Just to pledge my life, my love
For You

As the song faded away, David became silent and tears were flowing generously down both their cheeks. They kissed passionately and once again shared their true feelings for each other. Then Oliver took David’s hand and led him upstairs to the master bedroom, where after a long sweet period of foreplay they made hot, passionate love to each other until the sun began to rise.

As the glow of the sun began peaking through the blinds, the two men started to fall asleep in each other’s arms. But just before David drifted off, he said a silent prayer, he softly whispered.

“Dear John Denver, I want to thank you for your beautiful words that allowed me to share my true feelings with this beautiful man lying next to me. I hope you knew how your talent touched so many people. I will be eternally grateful for both my Oliver and your marvellous music.

The End.

Postscript: As stated in the story, if you are interested in hearing the song ‘For You’, you can download it from the CD ‘Higher Ground’ or from the CD ‘John Denver’s Wildlife Concert’.