Epilogue
Ten Years Later....
"Uh oh. Mike watch it!"
"What?" Mike turned around and got water dunked right on his head. Laughter could be heard throughout the entire tour bus. A man with spiky brown hair stood behind him with a grin. He had flames tattooed up his wrist and pierced ears. Tattoos also covered his back and down on his leg.
"Chester you ass!" Mike cried as he got up and scooped the younger man into his arms. Chester grinned at him.
"Oh come on Mike!"
"You just got me soaked!"
"Yea well now you don't have to shower."
Mike still couldn't believe how similar Tyler's son resembled the Chester he knew in high school. He had everything almost exactly the same. Except the scars. There were no slashes on his chest or wrist. No tally marks on his back. But that was ok. He smiled slightly.
"I guess you're right."
Chester grinned at him and winked, "So when do we get to the next stop?"
"About a half hour."
"Cool."
Mike laughed and then took Chester's hand. They walked down to the bunk room and Chester sighed before looking down.
"If I'm not good enough for you Mike, it's really ok."
"Hey, don't you ever say that," Mike said softly. Chester looked away.
"I know you still think of him. Especially today."
"But don't you too?"
"Yes," Chester whispered before lowering his head. Mike wrapped his arms around the younger man and let him cling on to him.
"I just don't want to feel like you're trying to replace him with me. I'll never be what he was for you."
"You want to know what?" Mike asked softly. Chester shivered and buried his head into Mike's shoulder. "Hey, don't cry."
"You've just done so much for me. God, you've helped me through so much," Chester said, "I'm sorry if I'm being pushy."
"Ches, listen, he gave me a ring the one day and asked me to be with him forever. I told him I would," Mike said softly as he stroked the younger man's hair. Chester clung onto him tighter. "And then, on the day he died, he told me to take it off. To find someone else. I told him I would never be able to find someone like him. That he was irreplaceable. But I did."
Chester slowly raised his head and stared into his eyes. They were shining with tears. Mike raised his hand to the side of Chester's face and gently brushed them away.
"I found someone that was just as perfect as he was. Just as sweet and kind and caring. I found you," he said softly. Chester gave him a watery smile and Mike leant down and kissed him gently. He put his hands on Chester's waist and smiled as the other man kissed him back.
"I love you Chester. I love you so fucking much," he said. Chester laughed softly and hugged him tightly.
"I love you too Mike."
"You're my little angel Ches," he said quietly, "And I have something I want to give you."
"Ok," Chester whispered. Mike felt tears in his eyes as he pulled out the little wrapped box and gave it to the younger man. "Mike? What is it?"
"Just go on," Mike said softly. He watched as Chester opened the box and he stared down at the little chain inside. "He had one just like it."
Chester sniffled as he pulled the golden chain out with the CB on it and the angel wings, "God Mike......"
"Look at the back."
Chester's eyes filled with tears as he read the back. The little text carved into the gold. He held onto Mike as he cried.
"To think you did so much for him. He deserves to be with you. Not me."
"Chester, I love you, why can't you see that?"
"I don't know," Chester shook his head as he let Mike hook the chain around his neck. Mike kissed him again and Chester's shoulders shook.
"I never even met him. I never got to say anything to him but I miss him so much. And you think about him all the time. I don't know if I can keep being strong for the both of us.
"I'll always think about him. But you're here. You're my present, the past doesn't matter right now," Mike said as he slowly kissed the other man. Chester sighed softly and kissed him back.
"Am I as good as he was? In bed I mean?"
"Ches.....anyone would have a tough time beating him in bed."
Chester smiled at him, "Ok. Can't argue I guess."
"No you can't."
"I just.....I wish I could've met him once. Just to see what he was like," Chester whispered and Mike hugged him tightly.
"You know what else he hated?"
"What?"
"He hated crying in front of other people. He thought it made him look weak."
"What'd you tell him?"
"I told him to just let it out. That it would all be ok eventually," Mike whispered and he watched as tears rolled down the younger man's face, "You know, you're so much like him even if you don't know it."
Chester smiled through his tears and Mike glanced at the clock. It was just minutes until midnight on March 20th. He took Chester's arm and led him out of the bus. They were in Agoura Hills, California. He walked down the street and smiled slightly as he opened the gate. He'd come here a lot. He stopped in front of a flat grey stone. Chester stood next to him.
"This is him?"
"Mhm," Mike whispered.
Chester Charles Bennington
Born March 20th 1990
Died March 20th 2008
Chester knelt down in front of the grave and traced his finger over the name, "Hi Uncle Chester, you never met me, but I want you to know I would've loved to meet you. Mike's really nice to me. He said he loves me. I love him too. I see why you liked him so much. He really is amazing. I hope you're causing trouble in heaven. Mike said you were going to be an angel. I think he was right. I'll come with him every time he comes here. I'm sorry I never got to say that I love you."
Mike wiped the tears out of his eyes and wrapped his arm around Chester's shoulders, "You ready to go back?"
Chester sniffled and nodded, "Don't you want to say something?"
"He already knows what I say. I've said it too many times," Mike said quietly. He kissed Chester, "I said I love you."
Chester smiled slightly and they walked back to the tour bus. They'd be hitting LA very soon.
He laid down on the bed and motioned for Chester to come over and lay down, "Now come here beautiful. I want to tell you a story."
"Does this story have a happy ending Mike?"
"Yea of course it does."
"Ok," Chester said softly. He laid down next to Mike and cuddled up to his chest. It was quiet for a minute before Mike took a breath and began the story that he'd told to the boy he loved ten years ago.
"This is about a little boy. He was probably around fourteen years old. And he didn't get along very well in school. So one day, he decided to change who he was, into someone new........"
END
A/N: I'll put Author's Note tomorrow. :)