Title: New Day
Author: StormyBear30
Author E-mail: StormyBear29@cox.net
Pairing: Shannon and Tomo
Rating: R
Summary/Notes: Life and then death lead to some changes for Shannon.
WARNING: Slash fiction…so that means two men. ***CHARACTER DEATH***
Disclaimer: I don’t know them. I have no idea of their sexual orientation. These are just stories that the muses in my head forced me to write.
Feedback: I live and breathe for it.
Archiving: Anywhere…Just ask!

The day started out as any other day. I got up, got dressed, ran down to the local coffee shop and picked up my morning coffee and then waited for Jared to pick me up for studio time on our next album. It had been my routine for months since the touring had stopped and for once in my life, it didn’t bother me that I wasn’t on the go all the time. If felt nice to have a sense of normalcy in my life. I should have known that it wouldn’t have lasted for long, should have known that life was going to knock me down and kick the living shit out of me because everything was just going too well.

“You’re late” I chided my brother with a grin as he pulled up in front of my condo.

“Well someone persuaded me to stay in bed just a bit longer this morning and who was I to resist him” He smiled back, looking so happy and content with his life as well that I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. “How is Matt?” I asked, buckling my seat belt as we drove towards the studio.

“He’s great. He’s wonderful…he’s amazing” Jared sang, smiling once again as he looked at me quickly before turning his focus back onto the busy streets in front of him. “Losing my pride and begging him to come back to me was the best thing I have ever done in my life” He smiled even wider. “Have you even thought about talking to Tomo yet?” He asked, glancing at me quickly once again.

“No…” I replied briskly, leaving no doubt that I didn’t want to talk about that topic of conversation any longer. Thankfully he didn’t push it as we arrived at the studio and prepared for our day. Tomo and Tim arrived shortly afterwards and the rest of the day was spent working on new music and just hanging out like normal guys do. We ended the day rather early because Matt was only in town for a few days and Jared wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before he had to head out with his band again.

“You want to come over and have dinner with Matt and I?” Jared asked as we drove away from the studio.

“Nah…” I smiled, knowing that he was just being polite and really only wanted to be alone with the man that he loved. He didn’t say anything to that, but the giggle that escaped him proved me right and again I couldn’t control the pang of jealousy that shot through me. The truth was that I was happy for Jared. He had been devastated when Matt had left the band, despite his vain efforts to hide it. Everyone thought that Matt had left because of control issues with Jared, but in truth it was because of his love for my brother. It was all very complicated, but the gist of it was that they loved each other very much, but at the time each wanted different things. Matt wanted stability and a family and Jared just wanted to get the word of Mars out there and nothing else, not even his love for Matt mattered. Matt tried to be there for Jared, but it was a lost cause and eventually they drifted apart. Matt married Libby not long after that and then left the band altogether when the love that he held for Jared hadn’t dwindled. He felt he had to give his marriage at least half a chance and leaving was the only way that could happen. The marriage had been rocky from the start, each of them filled with pain and loss over the ones that they truly loved. I figured that Jared would be miserable forever and prepared myself to suffer right along with him, but one night he just disappeared with no phone call or notice, showing back up a week later happier then I had ever seen him in my life. He had tracked Matt down in another country and declared his love for him and that he was willing to do whatever it took to have him as a part of his life once again, they’d been together every since.

“I just happen to know that Tomo isn’t doing anything tonight” He broke the silence between us. “You should give him a call and hang out…maybe tell him a few truths and see where it goes from there. Trust me when I say that you won’t be disappointed”

I prepared to tell my brother once again to stay out of my love life, but life decided to change everything in a nano second before I had the chance. “JARED…LOOK OUT” I cried out, watching as a semi truck swerved over into our lane of traffic, slamming into Jared’s car as we skidded off onto the side of the road, the wheels hitting something large before control was lost and we started flipping over and over again. Both of our screams echoed within my ears as the car was tossed like a feather blowing in the wind, coming to a grinding halt as it slammed into something large and hard on Jared’s side. I couldn’t say anything for what felt like forever as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Every inch of my body screamed out in pain, the seatbelt wrapped painfully around my body, the airbags shielding my view. Somewhat coherent, I jerked my head to the side in order to check on my brother, regretting it immediately at the sharp pain that blazed down my back. “Jared…” I cried out, ignoring it because I saw no movement, heard only the sounds of a running motor and the birds chirping outside. “Jared…” I cried out even louder, noticing for the first time that we were hanging upside down. “Jared…” I repeated, more frantically because I still hadn’t received a response. “Jared…please” I begged, trying to find the button to release my seatbelt but being unsuccessful. I was in a near panic, my heart ready to burst from my chest and then I heard it. It was faint and barely a whisper, but it was from Jared and I knew he was alive. “Jared…don’t move” I rushed out, closing my eyes as I fought the urge to cry in relief.

“Shan…” There it was again as I fumbled with the belt once again, finally able to release the belt as I fell forward, the airbag saving me from topping through what was left of the windshield.

“Just stay still Jared…I’m coming” I shifted forward, the bag deflating some as I took in the first look of my baby brother. He was still strapped in his seat by his seatbelt, the left side of his head a bloody mess, but that wasn’t the worst of it as his arms were each twisted at weird angels, crushed by the fucking airbag.

“Tell Matt…I love him” His strangled words reached my ears as I continued to move towards him, my eyes stinging from the tears there. “Tell Tomo you love him” His eyes closed and the world around me got very quiet.

“Jared…no” I screamed, gritting my teeth because the pain within my own body was near enough to cause me to black out. “You are not dying on me Jay” I was determined as with a final pull of my body I was as close to him as I could get. “Open you eyes baby brother” I demanded softly, reaching out and placing my hand upon his bloody face. “Come on…open your eyes and look at me” He did and what I saw there brought the tears crashing down upon my own face because all I saw was acceptance and pain. “Jared…” I whispered, my heart beating and breaking at breakneck speed because there was no doubt in either of our minds that he was dying.

“Promise me…you’ll tell him” He sputtered, coughing at the stain of the words, small droplets of blood splaying across his bottom lip. “Wanna know that you’re happy Shan…tell him” His breath was raspy and wet as I cried even harder, wanting to release my brother from the hell I knew he was suffering in, but unable to move any more then I had. “We did good huh?” He asked, coughing even harder that time, more blood oozing down the side of his lip.

“We did good” I smiled through my tears because I knew what he meant with out him having to explain it. Growing up Jared had always wanted to make a mark on the world, always wanted to make a difference and all I could do in that very moment was thank the heavens above for allowing him to do just that.

“Love you Shannon. You were…good big brother” He struggled with those words, leaning into the hand I still had pressed against his cheek, a small smile upon his face. “Love him Shan…don’t let him…away…pro…mise” His words were growing weaker, I having to strain to hear them, but my heart would have understood them just the same.

“I love you Jared” I told him, watching as those beautiful blue eyes smiled upon me one final time before heavy lids drew them away from me and then my world went black.

“Shannon…” I heard an angelic voice speak my name as I tried to open my eyes, finding it almost impossible. “Shannon…wake up…you have to wake up” I heard the voice again, it causing my heart to soar despite the fact that no matter how hard I tried I could not move. The feeling of warmth on a patch of skin upon my arm forced me to become more focused, as I willed my eyes open, blinking sharply from the pain the sudden burst of light brought.

“Tomo…” I tried to speak, but the words never came, just a rough gurgling sound that brought on spasms of pain throughout my entire body. “Tomo…” I tried again, ignoring the pain as I opened my eyes once again and found myself getting lost within beautiful watery eyes of the deepest brown.

“Shannon…” I heard him sob, the warm patch on my arm growing as he continued to hold his cheek upon it.

“Lo…” My frustration level was growing, the words refusing to surface no matter how determined I was to speak them.

“I love you too Shannon” He said them back to me without even having to hear them. “I just love you so much” He repeated, leaning forward as I closed my eyes and relished the beautiful press of lips that I felt against my own. I’d never been so happy and so sad in my life time as he pulled back, tears blazing down his handsome face.

“Gone…” I managed to croak, causing the man that I loved to cry even harder, my answer received without a word spoken. Tears slid down the sides of my face as I continued to gaze into eyes that I planned to gaze into each and every day. I lost my battle with the darkness once again, but I didn’t mind because I knew once I finally rid myself of its clutches that I would be forever by the side of that man I was determined to spend the rest of my life with.

The End…