The lights went down and the music started. It was strange music... Claude could feel it in his gut. It was... he laughed as he thought of the perfect word. It was tribal. And he knew that rhythm. His heart had beat to that rhythm since he was 17. Looking to either side of him, he saw that the others felt it, too. And if that was just the opening sample to what this night was going to be like... Boy, oh boy, was this going to be an experience.

The music picked up in intensity and actors started creeping out from the sides of the stage to take their places behind the sheer, gauzy curtain. One figure led another out into the center of the stage to take her place... and as the curtain dropped, the one in the center began to sing. To his right, Dionne let out a breathless little squeal and grabbed onto her husband, "Oh my G-d, Hud! It's me! I sing the opening number!"

To their left, Crissy let out an equally breathless scream, "Guys! Guys, guys! The one that walked her out! It's me! And there's Sheila! And Hud!"

Woof jumped in, leaning over to Berger saying, "I see me back there! And Jeanie -- Oh my G-d... they made her pregnant! And, Jesus, Berger! That's you! I'd know that hair and vest anywhere!"

Berger's eyes were eagerly searching the stage, only vaguely noting Woof's excited babbling as he looked for the only person that really mattered to him. And when he found him, he breathed out the name like a prayer, "Claude... There..."

Claude leaned forward, peering between the formation of singers to see where Berger was pointing and nearly shot to his feet in shock, "Jesus Christ on a crutch! That's Cloud!"

At Claude's shocked exclamation, Sheila, Hud, Dionne and Berger leaned forward in stunned amazement. Dionne was the one who said it, "So that's what he's been up to since he graduated! No wonder he didn't want to tell us!"

Claude swung his head to the left to look past Berger to Woof and Crissy... who didn't look surprised in the slightest. He hissed at them, "Traitors! You two knew about this!"

Woof tucked himself down in his seat and whimpered as Crissy patted his shoulder comfortingly, "Yes, we knew about it. I'm sorry we didn't tell you. Now shut up and watch the show! We'll talk about it later."

As the first song wound down and the Tribe spread out across the stage, "Berger" stepped forward and started spouting off some nonsense on transcendental love. Claude leaned over and nudged Berger, "Guess you were high that day, huh?"

Berger snorted in response, "When was I not?"

Before Claude could answer, "Berger" stopped right in front of them and shouted, "Hello!" Though startled at being addressed, the audience answered back, "Hello!"

Once he had their attention, "Berger" gave them a beaming grin and introduced himself, saying that, "He didn't dig George too much..." The seven in the front row recognized the opening to the litany right away and all leaned over to poke at Berger, who hunched down and threw a couple of nervous glances over his shoulder at the row of kids behind him, "Aw crap..."

Then everyone abruptly halted the teasing as "Berger" reached the end of the litany and pulled off his jeans to reveal a fringed loincloth underneath. Claude threw Berger a leering grin -- he remembered that loincloth... and he missed it the way Berger missed Claude's old jeans. Berger just gave him a wide smirk and waggled his eyebrows in response. Meanwhile, "Berger" made a few more joking remarks as he worked his way towards stage left, then turned his gaze over to Crissy with a wide smirk, "Hey."

Crissy stared up at him in stunned disbelief and pointed a finger towards herself with an incredulous look on her face. He nodded, an evil twinkle in his eye that they all recognized and made his way down the stairs to the flushed brunette. When he reached her seat, his smirk widened, "Hey, pretty lady. Would you hold my pants for me?"

Crissy just gaped, caught between horror... and pure enjoyment. It was about this point that the audience started cluing in to how very different this show was going to be. Finally, Crissy came to a decision and reaching up both hands, gave "Berger" a beaming smile and said, "It would be my pleasure, Unzipped-Berger! You just let me know if you need 'em back, honey, OK?"

Entranced by Crissy's willingness to play along, "Berger" planted a soft kiss on her cheek as he leaned over to give her his pants, "You're cool, babe." When he stood up he then made a 'call me' gesture near his ear with his right hand and waggled his eyebrows at Crissy. She laughed and gave him a thumbs up.

At that point, "Berger" abruptly looked to his left and his eyes lit up in a bright smile when he spotted someone wearing torn jeans and a fringed vest of his own. Bounding down the row, he stopped at Berger and pulled him to his feet, spinning him to face the audience. He then yelled out, "Hey, everyone! I almost forgot! My mom's here! Say 'Hi!' Mom!"

For just a moment, Claude thought Berger was going to drop out of the poor man's hold and hide under his seat... but he needn't have worried. After that one moment of panic, Berger got his feet back under him. Wrapping an arm around "Berger's" shoulders he beamed and waved wildly at the audience. Then he turned back to "Berger," planted a smacking kiss on his cheek and said in a very high pitched voice, "Make me proud, son!"

Even more taken with Berger than he'd been with Crissy, Claude could almost see it as "Berger's" energy level revved up another notch. He even slapped Berger lightly on the ass as he went by. When Berger whirled around, eyes wide, his doppelganger just smile and waggled his fingers in a little wave, "Love you, Mom!"

Laughing, Berger shook a finger at the other man and sat back down. Claude was almost in tears, he was laughing so hard. Berger poked him hard in the shoulder and whispered, "It wasn't that funny!"

Claude managed to control his mirth just enough to meet Berger's eyes and say, "Oh, yes... it was! It was great to see you finally get a taste of your own medicine!"

Before Berger could retort, Dionne busted out laughing to their right. "Berger" had stopped at Hud's seat and put one bare foot up on the chair arm so that he could swing his fringe... and other things... straight into the man's face. Poor Hud looked like he hadn't a clue what to do about it or even where he should look. He finally settled for sending a panicked glance in his wife's direction. Dionne, however, was too busy indulging in hysterical giggles to answer. Finally, he raised his eyes back up to meet "Berger's." The other man just smiled a wicked grin and said, "Hey man... you have a dollar?"

Hud's mouth dropped open in shock. Beside him, Claude heard Berger draw in a breath, "Oh, Hud... that was not the smartest idea..." Fortunately, Hud seemed to realize that and snapped his mouth closed, no doubt grateful that this wasn't the summer of love. Amusingly enough, it was Sheila that came to his rescue. Smiling widely, she raised up her hand and waved a dollar bill towards "Berger" to catch his attention.

Once he saw what she had in her hand, "Berger," sure enough, came right back over and planted his foot up on her chair arm. Well... Sheila did the only thing she really could do. Putting the dollar bill back in her purse, she pulled out a twenty and tucked it neatly into "Berger's" loincloth. Then, smiling up at the younger man, she said, "That should cover all of you, I should think..."

Beaming, "Berger" pulled her to her feet and spun her around in a crazy dance of joy before allowing her to return to her seat. Raising her hand to his lips, he gave it a soft kiss, "You're cool, too, lady. Maybe you, me and the hottie down the row," At this point, he waved at Crissy, who waved back, "Can all get together and have a little shindig later on."

Sheila, fully in the moment, contemplated that for a minute, then draped herself sideways into Claude and Berger's laps, "Only if I can bring my boyfriends, too."

"Berger" let out a crow of delight, "Now that is my kind of woman! You are on, lady!" He then danced away from her and back up onto the stage. Claude was just able to catch a glimpse of Jeanie's form in the wings, bent practically double she was laughing so hard. Well, good, they shouldn't be the only ones getting amusement from this!

The laughter continued through the first several songs, Berger's raucous "Donna," the oozing, almost flashback-inducing "Hashish," Woof's "Sodomy" -- an ironic title choice given that Woof was still one of the straightest among them -- and Hud's "Colored Spade." At least Hud seemed to enjoy that last. It was a pretty catchy tune.

And then... finally... Cloud slid his way out of the background to center stage, stopping right in front of Claude and Berger to tilt his head back and crow. When he brought his head back down and caught Claude's eye, he winked, then started saying his lines... in an extremely fake British accent. Claude's face started doing a slow burn and he started slouching down in his seat. Berger, on the other hand, was delighted.

It wasn't until Cloud started reciting his social security number that Claude shot back up in his seat, a look of horror on his face. Crissy leaned over, "Holy crap, Claude -- is that your actual social?"

Claude buried his face in his hands, letting out a quiet moan, "Not quite. She changed the last two numbers, at least... though knowing Cloud, he may have changed it just now when he saw the look on my face. Jeanie and I are going to have to have a talk about this. Using my name is one thing... my name and my social security number? Fuck."

Cloud, however, was continuing, introducing himself -- by his full name, as promised -- proclaiming his own beauty and declaring himself to be from Manchester... that is, until another Tribe Member stepped forward and said, "Uh-uh. He's from Flushing, Queens!" They then broke into another song.

This one... he'd never made a big deal, that first night, of the falsehood that he was from England. But once the Tribe had gotten to know him, it would certainly get brought up in teasing, now and again. But what he heard in this song -- what Jeanie had brought to light through it -- was his own yearning. It forcibly brought to mind how lost, how adrift and alone he'd been, before meeting Berger and the Tribe. His life had been so empty. He'd spent countless hours hiding in the movie theatres in the desperate hope that his father wouldn't find out he'd dropped out of school, something which eventually proved to be a very vain hope, indeed.

Berger's hand reached over to take one of his and pulled it back into his lap, lightly stroking it for comfort. Of course... of course, Berger understood. He'd been the one to explain it to Sheila for him all those years ago. Smiling, he used his grip on Berger's hand to bring it up to his own lips and plant a light kiss on the knuckles. Cloud happened to be looking their way at the time and Claude could almost see the moment when the boy managed to successfully avoid rolling his eyes... barely.

When that song was over, Woof, Hud, Berger and Claude's characters stepped up to center stage, then started the cast off singing another song. Claude felt his heart lurch, yet again, at Cloud's opening line... "I'm invisible." G-d, how he remembered that. Wanting to be invisible... to just float around and perform miracles. He'd been so naïve, so innocent... so young. Just before he could let himself drift off on a little angst fest, however, he was distracted by the sound of Berger snickering beside him. He looked up at the stage... to find "Berger" pinching one of Cloud's nipples. And Cloud... either he was a really good actor, or he honestly didn't object. And... oh my. Cloud was looking straight at them, an evil grin of monumental proportions on his face. After all... turnabout was fair play, right? Claude just slunk further down in his seat, cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.

That song turned out to be a lament to the have-not generation. Of course... they'd had nothing because they hadn't worked for it... but hindsight was forever perfect. Just as "Dionne" got finished singing her lines, there was a trumpet fanfare... and out came "Sheila," whom "Woof" proclaimed to be Joan of Arc. She was riding the shoulders of two of the young men on stage, a beatific smile on her face. Claude recognized that smile -- it was the smile of the goddess, the smile of the saint that was too good for anyone else to touch. It was the smile that had drawn him to her to begin with. Beside him, the real Sheila clapped a hand to her mouth, clearly torn between giggling and wanting to hide her face. "Sheila," meanwhile, was prancing around the stage and seemed to be torn between singing about the virtues of love and the virtues of standing up for one's country. It was actually a brilliantly written song. Jeanie had captured Sheila to a tee, cleverly showing the conflict between Sheila's two strongest driving forces: her passion for her cause and her passion for the two young men she loved.

And after that song... that was when things got a little strange. First "Sheila" led a protest on stage, complete with waving signs, as they again reprised the anthem to the "have-nots." Claude particularly liked the one that read, "I've seen G-d and she's black!" Berger would later tell him that his favorite had been the one that read "Lay Not Slay!" -- which wasn't exactly a large surprise. Once the protest had drawn to a close, "Crissy" and "Dionne" toddled forward, lightly dancing their voices around the same few notes. If Claude didn't know better, he'd have started wondering if Berger had slipped him something before the show, because this whole experience was sure as hell starting to feel like a drug trip.

Eventually, "Jeanie" popped out from behind the two wearing a gas mask. "Crissy" and "Dionne" dropped away to roll around on the floor. Down in the front row, Crissy and Dionne were trying to hold in the laughter at their alter-egos actions up on stage. And there was something... Claude couldn't quite place it, but he thought he knew the song. Sulfur and breathing... he'd have to ask Jeanie.

When the song drew to a close, "Jeanie" stepped forward and gave the audience a pained smile, "I wired my parents for money. Told them I was pregnant. They said, 'Stay pregnant!'" Then she threw her hands wide and yelled out, "I'm the slum goddess of the Lower East Side!"

Claude winced. He knew that Jeanie didn't think of herself that way anymore, but it still pained him to know that he'd let her think it of herself at all. "Dionne" and "Crissy" stepped forward so they could introduce each other as Cloud plunked himself down on the ground with a newspaper just to their left. Oh no... Feeling his heart sink, Claude could guess where they were going next.

Up on stage, "Dionne" looked out at the audience and pointed at Cloud, "And Jeanie... loves Claude."

And... there it was. Berger lifted a hand to gently rub his back, then pulled his head down to rest on his shoulder. He and Jeanie had discussed this situation more than once, but as stressed as he'd been about all the other things that might be revealed by this play, he'd managed to forget this particular tangle. But... Jeanie had seemed to find some measure of peace as regarded her unrequited love for him. And she wouldn't have put it in there if she wasn't OK with it. Jeanie's character walked over to Cloud and started expounding on her love for him, even going so far as to say that she wished her baby was his... and to describe him as her own personal acid. Oh boy. Claude hid his face in Berger's shoulder. He was really going to have to do something nice for Jeanie after this...

When he next looked up, the scene had changed. Cloud was still reading the paper, true, but... His mouth dropped open, "Oh my G-d. Berger... I think those are supposed to be my parents."

Berger just laughed and pulled him closer. Watching that scene... even more than the rest of the show had been, it was like watching a snapshot of his old life. His mother in her robe and hair net, vacuuming the stage. His father in his housecoat and slippers, walking around with the paper and a disappointed look on his face. Himself... flouting every single concern they had for his future and well-being. In spite of how it had all turned out, looking back, he could almost feel pity for them. Certainly, if he'd had a child and that child had put him through what he'd put his parents through... it would have broken his heart. For the first time in a long time, he felt a squirm of guilt in his gut. Maybe he ought to call his mother when they got home. Or at least write her a letter... let her know that he was all right.

In spite of the gravity of what he was watching, he laughed along with everyone else when his "mother" said, "Face it! You're a Polack!" Jeanie was right... there had been humor in this moment. He just hadn't been able to see it at the time, as terrified as he'd been by that piece of paper that Cloud was holding in his hands. But now... Good grief, that bit with his mother's beads... and his pants... It was even more hysterical because it was true. Quietly he snickered into Berger's shoulder. Berger leaned closer and commented, "Man, Claudio... you were really a brat, weren't you?"

Claude tilted his head upwards and smiled innocently, "Yeah... I guess I kind of was, wasn't I?"

Crissy leaned over from further down the row and winked, "So, now we all know who's really to blame for Cloud, huh?"

Berger swatted at her and giggling, she leaned back in her seat. Claude just smiled and said, "Thanks, love."

Berger smirked, "Don't mention it, dear."

That scene led into another big number that was all Cloud's, then a cute little ditty about Lyndon Johnson's war against the drug counter-culture of the hippies. Claude had to applaud Jeanie -- a lot of these songs were pretty clever. And then...

"I finally got out!"

"Out of who?"

"Out of whom."

"Of your curriculum!"

Next to him, it was Berger's turn to hide his head for a moment, though in his case, it was to stifle laughter. When he looked up to watch the Tribe enact his expulsion, he was practically bouncing in his seat with glee, "Claudio... this is great!"

"We do not send our chemistry teachers on trips!"

"The chemistry teacher liked it!"

"...He jumped out a window!"

"The chemistry lab is on the ground floor."

Claude could only laugh right along with him as another rousing number started -- this one comparing Berger to the first among the Fallen: Lucifer. It was such an apt comparison that the entire front row was in stitches and leaning over to poke whatever part of Berger they could reach. Halfway through the song, seeing all the antics going on in the first row, "Berger" decided to get in on the action, too. He hopped down off the stage to run over and serenade them, even going so far as to straddle his "mom's" lap for a few bars. Berger was delighted. He was even more delighted when the entire cast started simulating sexual positions during the last chorus of the song. He leaned over to Claude, eyes alight, "I love it! Claudio, was I really this wild?"

Sheila leaned over to answer, "Banana-Berger, you were worse. You're this wild now... but you've mellowed."

Attempting to look contrite, but only managing to look smug, Berger said meekly, "Oh..."

The song ended with the whole Tribe collapsed on the ground. Well... almost the whole Tribe. Cloud was kneeling on the highest part of the stage, a dull expression on his face as he hung his arms over the railings and stared out into the audience. In a dead voice, he intoned, "I am the son of G-d... Beware. I shall vanish and be forgotten." Claude stiffened. Berger immediately wrapped his arm back around him and gripped his left hand tightly. Sheila took his other hand.

On stage, "Jeanie" and the rest of the Tribe started calling his name. Cloud climbed down from the top balcony to the lower platform. In spite of all the shouted questions from the rest of the Tribe -- even "Jeanie's," "Did the doctors dig your body?" -- went unanswered. Cloud sought out "Berger's" eyes, a panorama of fear visible in his own. "Berger" saw that look and backed up a pace, a look of horror spreading quickly across his face. At "Berger's" recoil, Cloud started to answer "Jeanie"... but was interrupted. "Berger" stepped forward again and made a chopping motion with his hand. He said firmly, "No. Don't tell us. Just..." His voice dropped into a pleading tone on the last words, "...please don't."

The fear in Cloud's eyes transmuted into sadness and he just solemnly nodded. The rest of the Tribe exclaimed in horror and Cloud slowly climbed down the remaining bit of scaffolding into their waiting embrace. But he seemed to want none of them. Ignoring their grasping hands, he had eyes for only one person -- "Berger." Making his way resolutely across the stage to the other man, he pleaded, "Berger... You have to help me! What am I going to do?"

"Berger" was frozen for a moment, seemingly without an answer. Eventually, he tossed out, "Dance bare-assed down 45th St.!" At Cloud's irritated look, "Berger" slung an arm around his shoulder and smiled, "Just take me down to the induction center with you. Tell them I'm your girlfriend... and you can't sleep without me!" When Cloud shrugged him off with a look of disgust on his face, Claude didn't think he was imagining the hurt that he saw in "Berger's" eyes. This boy was good. And it reminded him...

Leaning over to whisper in Berger's ear, Claude said, "I... never did apologize for brushing you off, then, did I?"

Berger just shrugged, "You were scared and you needed to lash out at someone, Claudio. I knew that even then. It's OK."

Shaking his head, Claude answered, "No... no it isn't OK. I'm sorry. If... G-d, Berger, if I'd just done what you suggested then... Hell, if I'd run off to Canada with you..."

Pulling him closer, Berger silenced him with a brief kiss, "Don't do that, Claudio. You can't win that game. You didn't do it. Things happened. It all turned out OK in the end... so don't worry about it." Poking him in the shoulder, he forced a smile, "Just watch the show, OK? Jeanie's gonna be pissed if we talk through the whole thing."

Still not entirely satisfied, Claude nonetheless did as Berger asked. The rest of the Tribe on stage had been throwing out their own suggestions, each more ridiculous than the next. Eventually Cloud got disgusted with them, too, and holding out his hands, muttered, "Oh... if only this too, too solid flesh would melt..." Then what did he do? Made a beeline straight back across the stage to his Berger. In a desperate tone, he said, "Berger... if I go, I'll be killed. Or get a leg shot off, something. I don't want to die!"

"Berger" seemed to, for once, be at a loss for words. He stood there, staring back into Cloud's eyes, an equally terrified look in his own. Seeing no answer forthcoming from the one person he'd always expected to have all the answers, Cloud's eyes shuttered and he turned away, "They're not gonna get me."

That seemed to bring "Berger" back to himself and he chased after Cloud, a look caught between desperation and anger on his face, "Oh, yes they are!" He grabbed Cloud by his jacket sleeve and pulled him out of the knot of other tribespeople he'd retreated into, "You will go! And you will loot, rape, kill and do exactly what they tell you to do!" With that last shout, he shoved against Cloud, causing them both to overbalance and fall to the floor. Cloud had a look of hurt and betrayal on his face... which turned quickly into fear and upset with "Berger's" next words.

"I got kicked out of school, Claudio." Green eyes met blue in perfect understanding as he finished, "Now I'm Viet Nam bait, too." The other members of the Tribe started chiming in with their own angry comments, but Cloud and "Berger" had eyes only for each other. The magnetic pull between the two was palpable all the way to the back row. If they'd fallen into each other's arms and started making out, Claude doubted that anyone in the audience would have been surprised. And just when Claude was really starting to fret at the depressive turn the play was taking...

"Yoohoo! Excuse me, young man! Could I ask you a question?"

All heads in the audience whipped around to the right hand balcony. An older woman and her husband had risen from their seats and it was the woman who had spoken. Sheila muttered, "Well, shit. That's rude."

Fortunately, Cloud and "Berger" took it all in stride. "Berger" got to his feet and headed over to the balcony ladder while Cloud pasted on his sweetest smile and said, "Sure, lady. Would you like to come down?"

The woman, seeming to realize what a predicament she'd just gotten herself into, got a look of panic on her face and said, "Oh! Oh, no. That's quite all right!" Unfortunately for her, "Berger" and "Woof" had already reached the balcony. "Berger" took her hand and "Woof" grabbed her husband's and they dragged them through the door to the stairs. Once they were hidden from view, her voice called out from behind the wall, "Oh! Oh, no! Don't touch me there! That's inappropriate!"

As the audience laughed uproariously, Sheila snorted and said smugly, "Serves her right for interrupting the show."

Berger's eyes were narrowed, "Claudio... there's something about that woman... I'm not sure she's a 'she'."

Claude whipped around to look at him and when their eyes met, understanding finally dawned. Berger dissolved into hysterical laughter and Claude just barely managed to gasp out to Sheila, "Margaret Mead and Hubert!" before doing the same. Having overheard, Woof and Crissy also broke into giggles. Sheila looked confused for a moment, then her eyes also lit and she turned to whisper to Hud and Dionne. That set off the three of them.

By the time "Berger," "Woof" and their guests made it onto the stage, the Tribe in the front row had calmed down to the occasional snicker and they were able to pay attention again. Those had been some of the only unalloyed good days he'd had during the weeks after he got his draft notice. It hadn't actually happened that day, like Jeanie was portraying it, but it had happened a day or two later and there had been more than one visit. Meg and Hubert had stopped by at least once a day the entire time they were in the city to visit the hippies they'd grown so fond of. Claude had spent many a quiet afternoon talking to Meg, trying to figure out how she'd gotten the courage to do what she'd done, to give up everything for a chance at true happiness with the man she loved. And he remembered wondering then what it would be like if he and Berger could pull it off... If he and Berger would still be together at their age. It hadn't occurred to him then, but he couldn't help noticing now... Sheila hadn't been in that mental picture. And it hadn't even occurred to him that her absence from that fantasy should have been glaringly conspicuous. He hadn't told Berger about it then because he'd been afraid to spook the boy who lived only for the moment. Looking over at the other man's profile, he smiled softly. Maybe it was time he shared those fantasies, because he had a feeling that the man Berger had become... not only would he not be scared off, he'd be touched.

The conversation with "Margaret" and her husband led into another rousing song. And this one... good Lord. Cloud and "Berger" were all over each other! Berger turned to look at him and grinned a wicked grin. Once they got through the first chorus, Cloud and "Berger" were both down into the audience -- "Berger" up the left-hand aisle and Cloud down in the front row. He sprawled across laps, stood up on chair arms, messed up people's hair... and eventually landed himself in Claude's lap, an evil smirk on his face. Reaching out a hand as he was singing, he grabbed the tie that Claude used to hold his hair back and pulled, releasing Claude's shoulder length, honey blonde hair. He then reached out and buried his hands in that hair, mussing it up with a gleeful grin. That accomplished, he shoved the tie into his pocket and leapt off Claude's lap to race back up on stage. Claude just gaped after the boy, still stunned.

Beside him, Berger was laughing his head off, slapping his thighs with mirth as he bounced up and down. When Claude turned to glare at the other man, Berger wordlessly held up a peace offering... his old headband. He must have stopped by the apartment some time that afternoon to retrieve it for just such a possibility. Looking into Berger's sad-but-hopeful eyes, Claude gave in to the inevitable. Finger-combing his hair back into some semblance of order, he separated the layers and slid the headband on in between. That accomplished, he raised an eyebrow at Berger, "Satisfied?"

Beaming and glomming onto Claude's arm, Berger said, "Quite!" then turned back to watching the antics of those on stage. "Berger" groped Cloud at center stage for a while, then they split up to go down into the audience again. This time, they traded off spots, Cloud running up the left aisle and "Berger" coming down into the front row. Seeing Claude now with a headband and hairstyle nearly identical to his Claude's, he momentarily looked confused. It was the first time he'd broken character all evening. Claude smile apologetically and slouched down in his seat. Fortunately, the boy recovered quickly, climbing up onto the arms of Sheila's seat to mess with her hair, then pulling her to her feet to dance around in the aisle with him.

When the song ended, all the Tribe members made their way back onto the stage where the hilarity resumed. Cloud and "Berger" were standing together, arms wrapped casually around each other, beaming smiles on their faces. "Margaret" sang her song, daring the parents in the audience to let their children be who they were, inadvertently becoming the spokesperson for the Tribe's guiding anthem: "Be free. No guilt. Be whoever you are, do whatever you want to do... just as long as you don't hurt anybody." Or as Berger had put it all those years ago, "No restrictions except to do no harm, no taboos except to listen when someone says 'No,' and no limitations but your ability to trust."

When the scene was over, he laughed right along with everyone else at the great "reveal" of what was... or wasn't under "Margaret's" dress. And that moment of great hilarity had been desperately needed to break up the increasingly depressing tone of the show. Especially as they all knew that they hadn't even reached the worse part yet.

As Margaret Mead and her husband made their way off the stage, a familiar form came catapulting through the back stage door -- Democracy's Daughter, herself. After describing her recent journey to D.C., Cloud cuddled "Sheila" close to tell her how much they'd missed her. In the front row, Sheila also crowded up against Claude to whisper in his ear, "OK... this is eerie." At Claude's questioning look, Sheila raised an eyebrow, "Don't you see? We practically enacted this scene outside before the show."

They turned back to the stage to watch and Claude was forced to conclude that Sheila was right. They'd run through that little act so often when they were younger and Sheila had just returned from some time away... It had felt so natural to do it before that none of them had even questioned it. When they got past it to the bit about the yellow shirt, Claude felt Berger bury his face in his shoulder on the other side. Sheila smiled softly at his dejected form and reached a hand around Claude to stroke through Berger's hair, "Hey, Banana-Berger... forgiven, forgotten, OK? And I'm sorry about how I reacted to the news you'd been expelled. I... could have handled that better, myself."

Berger looked up, eyes grateful, and nodded, "Forgiven, forgotten, Sheila. Thanks." Berger's eyes then narrowed, "Wait a second... That 'groovy guy' you met..."

Unexpectedly, Sheila's cheeks flamed a bright scarlet and she hid her face in her hands. After a moment, she raised her eyes up again and nodded, "...Was Brad, Berger. We met in D.C. and when he found out I went to NYU, he offered me a lift back here. Even though I told him I was seeing someone, he transferred from Georgetown to Columbia the next semester to be closer to me." She snorted out a soft laugh, "Said he was willing to wait."

To Sheila's surprise, Berger just reached out a hand to stroke her cheek and said, "I'm glad." At her shocked look, he smiled, "Really, I am. I'm glad you found someone who loves you that much. And if he was willing to move across four state lines on the off chance that you might change your mind about him... well, I guess he's OK."

Sheila smiled in return and clasped Berger's hand tightly, "I'd love for you guys to meet him someday. Not to mention my two younger ones." Smile widening, she added, "I think they'd love you."

When Sheila's torch song ended, and "Berger" made amends by offering to sew that stupid shirt back together, "Jeanie" again stepped up to the front of the stage. Jeanie seemed to be using these moments to make her character act as a narrator of sorts, revealing all sorts of uncomfortable truths that Claude would just as soon keep safely hidden. He slumped in his seat, face flushing, just knowing that he was going to feel guilty all over again with whatever it was she was going to reveal this time.

Eyes sad, "Jeanie" pointed a finger over at where "Berger" and "Sheila" were cuddling at stage right, "This is the way it is. Sheila's hung up on Berger." Turning those sad eyes towards where Cloud was walking over to join the pair, she continued, "I'm hung up on Claude." She sighed, "Claude's hung up on a cross over Sheila and Berger." She made a disgusted face as the audience started to laugh, "And Berger's hung up everywhere. As a prospective mother, I would just like to say that there is something highly unusual going on around here!" Turning, her eyes lit up with the fire of passion for her subject, "And furthermore, Woof's hung up on Berger--"

Before she got any further, "Woof" interrupted with a deadpan, "No, I'm not." He shouldn't have, as with her acting as narrator she should have been "invisible" to the rest of the cast... but with Woof's strange way of seeing things that no one else could... that was appropriate, too. At "Jeanie's" aghast expression, he walked up to her and shyly smiled, "Shows what you know. I'm hung up on Mick Jagger."

Crissy immediately started giggling and poked Woof in the side. Woof just offered up a sheepish grin, "Well... I won't deny it. It's still true."

Berger scoffed as he also poked Woof, "Admit it. You were hung up on me, too -- at least a little."

Woof gave Berger a gentle smile, "OK... a little." At Berger's smug grin, Woof rolled his eyes, "We were all hung up on you a little, Banana-Berger."

Berger laughed, then turned his eyes back to Claude, "She got one thing a little wrong, though." At Claude's raised eyebrow, he smiled softly, "Even then... I was more hung up on you than anyone else, Claudio. From the beginning."

Raising Berger's hand to his lips, Claude planted a gentle kiss on the knuckles in response, "I know, Sexy-Berger. Even then, I was more hung up on you than anyone else, too."

Sheila snorted, "And what the hell was I? Chopped liver?"

Dionne reached out an arm and gave her a comforting hug, "Oh, come on, girl. This isn't news. We had this figured out even back then, didn't we?" With a sigh, Sheila nodded. Dionne gave her one last squeeze, then let her go.

"Woof," meanwhile, had joined up with "Berger" and another Tribe member to sing a song about the flag. When that was over, "Jeanie" and Cloud had another scene. Seeing the book in "Jeanie's" hand, Claude let out another groan and hid his face in Berger's shoulder, "Oh G-d, she didn't... Damn it. I'm going to have to buy her something really nice."

As much as he tried to block his ears, he couldn't hide enough from the biting cut of Cloud's delivery of the line... "Be a good fly and buzz off," and "Jeanie's" sad response of... "He loves me."

As Cloud left the stage, Claude didn't think he imagined the narrow-eyed glare that he received in passing. Oh... he was going to hear about this one from his spiritual son, later, of that he had no doubt.

But now... now it was Crissy's turn to squirm as her character, too, brushed Jeanie aside in favor of hanging around the Waverly to wait for her biker. Wincing, she muttered, "Damn it. This just had to make it in here, didn't it Jeanie? My G-d... was I ever really that stupid?"

Woof wrapped an arm around her and placed a gentle kiss on her head, "You were never that stupid, Crissy. Young and innocent, sure. A little naïve? Maybe. But never stupid."

Crissy turned a grateful smile up at the older man, "Thanks, Woof. You're sweet."

Once the Frank Mills song was done, "Crissy" left the stage and the Tribe started filing back in from the lobby doors. They'd had a costume change for the be-in and they were handing out flowers as they went, smiling beatifically and singing a song about the merits of smoking pot. Berger loved every minute of it. Claude was fine initially... then started squirming again when he saw his "parents" join the hippies on stage. They started expounding on the evils of sex and drugs. Easy enough to ignore... until his "father" proclaimed in a broken voice, "My son doesn't like me. He... he doesn't like me."

Claude felt those words like a punch to the gut... and the next ones like a knife through the heart. "But he is willing to go to Viet Nam and die for his country... and I'm proud of him!"

Heart pounding, Claude curled around that unexpected pain. He'd never... he'd never had a chance to make peace with his father. The entire time he'd been in Kansas, they'd hardly spoken. He'd disappointed the man, he could tell. But he'd never understood why. And it was this giant pink elephant that was in the room with them every time they were together. His inability to keep a girlfriend... settle down... have children... to be the man his father wanted him to be. No matter what he did, he'd never been good enough. Never good enough... He'd never made his father proud... and now he knew that the one time he'd tried, it had nearly destroyed his life.

Vaguely, he became aware of Crissy's voice murmuring at him to take deeper breaths and keep his head tucked between his knees. A hand was gently rubbing circles around his back. Lifting his head slightly, he saw Crissy's worried face in front of him where she knelt on the floor, talking softly. Firmly telling himself he was not going to pass out, Claude gave her a somewhat sick, though grateful smile, "Thanks, Crissy. I think... I think I'm OK, now."

Eyes full of relief, Crissy nodded and crept back to her chair. Berger leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Claudio... what the hell?"

Claude gingerly shook his head, "Later, Berger. I'll tell you later, OK?"

Unhappy, but unwilling to push, Berger settled back as Claude sat up. The Tribe on stage was dancing around in an orgy of wild abandon as, one by one, they burned their draft cards. Once "Berger" had burned his, Cloud was the only one left. Dionne's character enticed him forwards, calling out to their Aquarius... and he came as though entranced. Staring out at the audience, he slowly lowered his card towards the flames... and at the last moment, pulled it back.

Even knowing that it was coming, Claude gasped in horror along with the rest of the audience. To this day, he still didn't know why he hadn't done it. Why he hadn't told the officers at the induction center that he slept with men... why he hadn't run away with Berger to Canada. As though sensing his thoughts taking another downward spiral, Berger wrapped an arm around him and pulled his head down to rest on his shoulder. It was a good thing he did, too... or he'd never have made it through the rest of that first act. Because that last song... oh, dear G-d, that last song... First the fist to the stomach, then a knife through the heart... and that last song was a kick in the balls. Scratch all those nice things he was going to do for Jeanie. After this set of emotional blows... she owed him. So far gone was he in the memories of that emotional anguish that he didn't even notice when the rest of the cast stripped entirely naked... right there on the stage.

Berger did, though, and prodded him back upright until he looked. Sheila's soft voice sounded off to his right, "Oh... my..."

Dionne's satisfied purr answered her, "Oh my, indeed. Jeanie, you are one ballsy chick... and that is for damned sure."

Once the song ended, the stage went dark and the house lights came up. Intermission at last. Claude barely waited for everyone to notice that the act had ended before biting out an "Excuse me," and bolting from his chair for the relative safety of the bathroom.

Berger watched him go with wide eyes, "Well... shit. I thought I was supposed to be the problem tonight."

Sheila sighed, "I think those last few scenes hit him harder than he expected they would." At Berger's confused look, she elaborated, "Berger... if I still know Claude half as well as I once did, then there's a lot of this past that he never dealt with. He's been running from it... like he does everything else. He wasn't ready to face it and it's probably been a little too much for him. I'd say we should give him a minute to calm down, then one of you should go after him before he gets himself well and truly tangled over it."

Hud frowned, "One of us?"

Crissy snorted, "Well, Sheila, Dionne or I could follow him into the men's room... but that might cause a bit of a scandal."

Berger sighed, "Good point."

However, before he could volunteer to the be the one to go, Hud stood up, "I'll go. I think... Somehow, I think he'll handle this a little better coming from me." Steadily meeting Berger's eyes, he silently asked permission.

Berger slowly nodded, "Yeah... maybe you're right, Hud. Just... I'll come down with you and wait outside, in case you need me, OK?"

A nod, "Agreed." With that decision made, the two headed down the stairs to go do what they could for their wayward friend.

A/N:

Claude: Really? I mean... really? You haven't had enough of dumping on me, yet?

R-chan: *deadpan* No.

Claude: *whimper*

R-chan: *sigh* Oh for goodness' sake... It gets better at the end of this fic, OK?

Claude: O_O That's what you said with the last one! And the one before that! *pause* O_O And the one before that!

R-chan: *archly* And did I lie?

Claude: *opens mouth to retort, then deflates* *grumps* No... I guess not.

R-chan: *smirk* So if I tell you it'll get better...

Claude: *pout* It'll get better.

R-chan: *kotc* Exactly!

Berger: *sneaks over to the chibi* Exactly... how much better?

R-chan: *eg* Why Sexy-Berger... you read my mind.

Berger: *cheers* Yes!

Claude: *sweatdrop* I... think I don't want to know.

Questions, comments, passionfruit?

Berger: *snickers* Don't mind if I do...

Coming Soon: And the show must go on! Once we have Claude settled back in his seat and the immediate crisis is averted, Act II begins. And eventually, our beloved characters find some small measure of peace as regards this past... which is just as well. Especially as we have a few unexpected surprises to dole out for when the show is over!