JUSTIN

Hunter seemed to be everywhere, unless it was some placed I looked. I went to see my mom and surprise surprise, he just left to go help Beth with the kids. I get to Brian’s parents house, and he took off, saying he had to return a library book, which would have been believable if he ever went to the library. I finally cornered him when he tried to sneak into the house. Brian had gone upstairs to tuck Gus and Jenny in, and I planned to wait all night for Hunter to show up.

“We need to talk.” I tell him.

“Can we talk later? I have tutoring at the butt crack of dawn.” He tells me, trying to get past me.

“Hunter, there's a lot going on, and in order to protect our family it's time to stop playing games. I know it wasn't a coincidence you hung around my business, and somehow knew my mother and sisters.” I tell him.

“Our mother and sisters.” He corrects me.

“How long have you known?” I ask.

“The day I went looking for something to eat, and mom paid for my food at the restaurant she worked at. Then I spent time trying to find my brother.” He tells me.

“How did you find him?” Brian asks, coming in the living room.

“I followed Cynthia, after she told Mom that she had found Justin.” He tells us.

“Then made me chase your ass.” Justin tells him.

“When no one seemed to know anything, I thought maybe I was nuts. Like the life that kept playing in my head was really just in my head.” He tells us.

“Is it just playing in your head, or have you been there?” Brian asks.

“No, not really, but I think they tried. It was when I went to the diner to get lunch for everyone. One minute I was walking in the door and the next I was hiding from Rita. Then Vic bumped into me and everything went back to normal after a few minutes.” He tells us.

“Nothing else happened?” I ask.

“Not since then. Why, did something happen to you?” He asks.

“We found out there are people trying to restart the life we thought we’d changed. Your biological mother is one of them, Rickert is also involved.” Brian tells him.

“Why?” He asks.

“Most likely because we got lives they wanted. We need you to help us, because the people involved aren’t just pissed about Brian and me. What they are doing could hurt everyone we know.” I tell him.

“You and Brian are together, what could they do?” He asks.

“Pull us into the old timeline and stop this one.” Brian tells him.

“All because they’re losers, who will still be losers even if they get what they want.” Hunter tells us.

“We don’t know what they think will happen if they can pull this off. We have to get Michael to remember. Which none of us knows how to do. He knows a way that we can go back and play by the rules. Lindsay didn’t want Justin to live without my best friend.” Brian tells him.

“Seriously. Michael?” Hunter asks, not seeing it any more than we do.

“Trust me, I understand the skepticism, but we were told we needed him.” I tell him.

“We are talking about Michael. Who not only has to have the instructions read for him, but needs someone to put it together for him?” Hunter jokes.

“He’s also what we have to work with in order to live this life.” Brian tells him.

“He always dreamed of being a hero. Let’s hope he’s ready for the role.” Hunter tells us.

BRIAN

Emmett and I were at a loss as to what would make Michael remember anything. It’s different now that Michael hates everything about me. We showed up at the diner to talk to him, but Ethan was there sitting at the table, which worked for me, since I had a warning for the fiddler.

“Why did you bring him?” Michael asks, rolling his eyes at me when I sat down.

“He’s one of my BEST FRIENDS, and business my partner. Which means we always have and always will hang out with each other.” Emmett tells him.

“Well, I always have and always will tell you, I’d rather not suffer with you.” Michael tells him.

“What Michael is trying to tell you is you’re really not welcome in our lives.” Ethan tells me.

“Not having you in my life. That’s a dream I’ve had since we first met. Unfortunately, you keep turning up. If you and your little group want to fuck with my life, than you get me fucking up yours.” I tell him.

“Why are you threatening Ethan?” Michael asks me.

“I’m making sure he knows the playing field is level now.” I tell Ethan.

“With this many players in a game, you’re going to be fighting them from all sides. Once I find out what I need, well, let’s just say ‘checkmate’.” Ethan smirks.

“There’s only one way for Michael to give you what you’ve spent years with him for. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s going to be thrilled when he remembers you.” Emmett tells Ethan.

“What are you guys talking about?” Michael asks, looking at each of us.

“Nothing Babe, you know Brian gets on my nerves.” Ethan tells him.

“Tell Ben, what he knows has nothing on what we do.” I tell Ethan, getting up and walking out.

Michael got up and pulled away from Ethan, following me. One thing that hasn’t changed about Michael is him wanting to tell you why you're a fuck up.

“You want to know why I never liked you?” He asks.

“Not really, but I’m sure you feel I need to know.” I tell him.

“I didn’t like the way you treated me. Like you were too good to be friends with me, because my family wasn’t perfect like yours. We can’t all have Mommy baking cookies and Daddy buying us everything, the way your parents did for you. It didn’t make you better than me, but for some reason you thought it did.” He tells me.

“I never judged your life. That was you, never being happy with what you had. You want everyone to worship Ethan the way you do, but I have a problem with seeing what he does that you seem to think makes him worth the money you lose by being with him. I couldn’t be your friend because you wouldn’t like my thoughts on him.” I tell him.

“I couldn’t be your friend because you wouldn’t like what I think about your boyfriend.” He tells me.

“Other than telling Ethan his book was a waste of trees?” I ask.

“He thought Ethan would sell himself to get a book deal. It doesn’t matter how boring Ethan’s book is, nothing would be worth what Justin told Ethan would get him a deal.” Michael tells me.

“Boring. Is that what you told him, or did you say that you were still reading it?” I ask.

“He worked hard on it.” He tells me.

“He’s your partner Mikey, you have to take his hand and sit him down and tell him it’s a steaming pile of horseshit.” I tell him.

“Would you tell Justin… never mind, I need to go.” He tells me, looking confused.

“Mikey, I wouldn’t have to tell Justin anything, the lad’s a genius.” I tell him, when I could see him starting to remember.

“That’s not helping.” He tells me, running away.

Ethan and Emmett came outside, watching Michael take off. “Good luck. I doubt when he remembers you he’s going to be bringing you roses.” I tell Ethan.

“That was fun, but what now?” Emmett asks.

“Now Justin and I figure out how to take what Mikey knows and use it to show them they aren’t going to win.” I tell Emmett.

“We all do it, not just you and Justin. This is about all of us.” Emmett tells me.

JUSTIN

Hunter and I were sitting in my office waiting for Brian to get back when Michael burst through the door with Cynthia following him, trying to stop him.

“I need to talk to him, and you aren’t going to get in my way this time.” Michael tells her.

“Just like old times. Only now it’s my PA and office.” I tell Michael, when he shut the door in Cynthia’s face.

“Yeah well, I’m not in the mood to walk down memory lane. I’ll be at Beth’s house.” Hunter tells us, pushing Michael out of his way and leaving.

“How is he with you?” Michael asks.

“My mother gave him a home where he didn’t have to question his place in her life. He probably knew you and Ben couldn’t offer him that, after living with you two the first time. So Brian got you to remember?” I ask.

“How did I end up with Ethan?” He asks, looking like he swallowed a bug.

“I think my daughter thought you deserved it after what you and Lindsay tried.” I tell him.

“Why did you want me to remember?” He asks.

“We need to know what Lindsay told you. At first we didn’t want you to remember, because we were worried about what you would do with what you know.” I tell him.

“I didn’t plan to use it. Anything that came from her didn’t sound like something you would do, unless you were begging to go to hell.” He tells me.

“We don’t have a choice. People are trying to change the past life, and we don’t need them to succeed. What did she tell you?” I ask.

“She said, “In order to go back, you have to go to a fixed point in time, in the time your in”. I really didn’t understand it. Like there’s something that will always be where it is, even if everything around it changes, and that you can go back by using it the way you did at one time. Like I said, it sounded really confusing.” He tells me, as Marty, Brian, and Emmett come in.

“She said ‘a fixed point in time’?” Marty asks him.

“Yeah. She kept saying it’s where you begin.” Michael tells him.

“Thanks Mikey. I know it can’t be easy to wake up to this life.” Brian tells him.

“Well let’s see; I just figured out the guy I’ve been with all my life is the asshole I hated at one time, that my best friend is the guy I sort of hated, but wanted in every other life, and that my mother is my aunt. It’s been a day, thanks for making it possible.” Michael tells him.

“Now we just have to figure out what to do with what you know.” I tell him.