If I'm not back again this time tomorrow / Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.
Queen -- Bohemian Rhapsody
~*~
When Justin gets the call, he wishes he could be surprised- but he's not. He never really imagined him as one of those people who would live to be old and gray. He wouldn't want that. Wouldn't want for his image to be tainted in any way. His image always was the most important thing to him. Isn't that what his actions towards Justin always proved? That in a lot of ways, his image and reputation was more important than his feelings towards Justin?
He's at Deb's when the call comes, which is probably for the best. Everyone's there so it'll save him on having to repeat what happened over and over again. Justin watches the people around him react to the news. Mostly they're in shock, not knowing how to react and all of them are watching Justin carefully. Waiting for it to hit him. Waiting for him to lose it. Waiting for him to break down. Not that he will. Justin's stronger than that. It's one of the most important lesson he ever taught him.
As Justin goes to leave, everyone trips over themselves to offer him rides and places to stay if he doesn't want to be alone. He turns them down. When else is a better time to be alone? Michael follows him out to his car. He knows that out of all of them, Michael understands his pain the best. Michael doesn't say anything, which Justin is grateful for. Michael just gives him that small sad smile of his and holds him for a good five minutes in a tight hug that would make Deb proud.
Later on, Justin will have to watch the small child react to the news. News that its father's gone and never coming back. It's always most sad when a young child loses a parent. Or at least that's what Justin's heard. The child will run to Justin and throw its arms around its second father, since, that's what Justin's always been. Almost in some ways, a better father than the real father. Even though no one's out right said, they all know it's true. Justin will supply the 'meaningless words of comfort' that he would have hated, to soothe the sobbing child and will begin to feel a bit better himself when it works.
Justin doesn't attend the funeral. As much as he wanted to be strong, as much as Justin wanted to be the man he taught him to be- he can't. Even though things weren't always the best, Justin still loved him and it was just too damn hard for him to face. Everyone understands and no one gives him a hard time, not that Michael would have let them. Justin's self appointed guard dog through all of this.
Justin goes that night to the cemetery to see where the man, who was for so long the most important person in his life, will spend eternity. The headstone is made of a simple marble with a simple inscription:
Here lies Craig Taylor
He will be missed
10/26/04