Chapter 1 

Justin 

I’ve always wanted Sophia to know her other father and her brother but I never knew how it would go so I have always worried about getting them to meet. would they want to know her? would Brian believe that she was his? would she like him? would they have anything in common? there was so much to think about and so many things that could go wrong. As much as I wanted to get them to meet, It’s something that I have always wanted to be her decision and i have always made sure she knew that if she ever wanted to meet them I would do whatever I could to bring them together. She has always had an interest in knowing her papa and her brother but never actually asked to meet either of them until now. 

“Do you think it would be ok to meet my papa? i’ve been doing an assignment at school and for part of it we’ve been looking into our family trees and it got me thinking about him more also it would be kinda cool get to know my brother too.” she looked at me her  hazel eyes pleading to me to say yes while she absentmindedly twirled her blonde hair through her fingers. she really is the perfect combination of Brian and me, every time I look at her i see him in so many ways. 

“Of course, I’ve always said all you needed to do was ask. you get out of school for summer at the end of the week so why don’t we make a trip to see them then, I think they still live in Pittsburg but I’ll see if i can find out for sure and I’ll get things organised for us to go.” almost immediately after I tell her we will go, I am engulfed in her arms and I couldn’t help but smile, seeing her happy is everything to me. Getting pregnant and being a dad at 17 was never something I had planned but the last 15 years I have done everything I can to be the best dad I can be despite being as young as I was when I had her and right now the look of happiness on her face tells me I must be doing something right.

“Thanks, I wasn’t sure if you would have second thoughts on me being able to meet him. I know that you’ve always said I could if I wanted to but I didn’t know if that was just something single parents said to their kids to make them happy, not that I think your a liar or anything… sorry dad that came out wrong… I didn’t mean.. I guess i’m just a little nervous about it but I’m excited too and I can’t quite get the right words to come out.” she looks at me cautiously trying to see if she had offended me in any way.

“I know what you mean, it’s ok. After not being in you’re life all these years it’s bound to make you a little nervous but i’m glad you’re excited too. I want you to know that I would never have had any problem with you meeting them, I can’t tell you how things will go with either your dad or your brother but I would never have gone back on my word to give you the chance if you wanted to have them in you’re life, it was always going to be you’re choice i would never have gone back on that.”

Sophia

At school we’ve spent the last month looking into genetics and as part of that we all were told to look into our family trees, I knew everything about dad so that side of my family was easy enough to look into but the more I worked on my assignment the more I realised how little I knew about my papa. Dad has told me everything that he knows about him but it’s not a lot, I knew his name was Brian Kinney and that he is from Pittsburg and that I have a half brother called Gus that was born on the night they met but that’s not really a lot to go on. I’ve always wanted to meet my Papa and my brother but i don’t know how much they would want to know me, i’ll just be crashing into their lives without any warning but as nervous as I am about it I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about anything in my entire life as I am about this.

When I asked dad about meeting them i wasn’t sure how he would take me suddenly deciding to want to meet them instead of just having the quiet interest in them that i’ve had most of my life, but to see him be so okay with me reaching out to the other side of our family couldn’t make me happier… I have got the best dad in the world.

I give him another hug before grabbing the onions and helping to prepare the spaghetti Bolognese that he was making for dinner. Cooking together is one of my favourite things, it’s one of the things my dad taught me how to do and It’s something that I want to do for a living. I wonder if when I meet my papa and Gus I should offer to cook a meal for them sometime.

“Do you think that when we go meet papa and Gus we could invite them over to ours sometime so that i could cook them a meal, it might help bond with them a little maybe. I mean if we get along they could visit us sometimes couldn’t they? it’s not too stupid to hope they would want to visit us at some point is it?” “Well let’s just get through meeting them first and then we’ll see about making further plans with them.”

We finished making dinner and while we were eating we began to discuss the things that we had both done during the day but my mind kept on drifting off to papa and Gus. Will they mind us just making an appearance after all these years? Will papa be as good as i hope he is? Will Gus like me? he’s only 9 months older than me so we must have some things in common. We could be really close, some of my friends like Alicia and Kyle Morton are best friends as well as siblings so maybe Gus and I could be like that. I’ve never wanted time to go by so fast, well except around christmas time, I can’t wait to meet them.

8 Days Later

Brian

This account is possibly the biggest one i’ve had to try and get all year and trust the art department to keep fucking it up. How hard is it for them to just do what i say and follow the specs that i’ve passed on to them, some of them seem to feel that they can stray from what they’ve been asked and just do their own thing. If they carry on I might just have to start handing out the pink slips but i hope Murph can get them to actually do their jobs properly soon because the last thing i need is only half of an art department when i’m trying to win a $15m contract. I snapped out of my thought when i heard a knock on my office door.

“Hey boss, I have some insurance forms and a couple contracts for you to sign.” Ted said as he approached my desk, who knew that this former crystal queen would end up being one of my most valued member of staff and also one of my best friends. Don’t get me wrong Michael has always been my best friend but over the years our lives have gone in very different directions and we don’t have quite as much in common these days. I am focused on my business and Gus while he still wants to keep the party going like we were still in our 20’s, sure I like to go out but I only go out maybe once a week because I have more important things to focus on.

The fact is all of us have grown up over the years while he’s stuck in the past but Ted has become the one I can trust with anything, and know that he won’t pass any judgment on what I say or do.

“Ok, give them to me.” I sign them and thrust them back into his hands “Go home ted, there’s not really anything else for you to do this afternoon.” 

“Really? I don’t mind waiting here until the art department bring you the boards, you know just in case you want to going on a pink slip spree.” he says while smirking, he knows how tempting it has been to fire many of the art department over the past 2 months.

“There’s not point in you being stuck here getting in my way if you don’t have anything to do. Now fuck off and get back home to Blake and do what ever you losers do with each other.” 

Finally at 3pm Sandra and Murph brought the boards for me to look over, they still aren’t exactly what I asked for but they are a hell of a lot closer to what they were asked to do than anything they’ve produced up till now. I Began to go through my emails when Cynthia came into my office looking confused.

“Um I don’t mean to disturb you but there are two people in reception asking to see you, they don’t have an appointment but they said that when you know who they are you might want to talk to them. should I let them in to see you?” What the fuck? Who could possibly want to see me so badly that they couldn’t be bothered to make a fucking appointment?

“Fuck it, let them in i’m curious but it better be quick. The sooner they say whatever it is they want to say we can get back to work.”

A few minutes later they came into my office, the man looks hot even though blondes aren’t my usual type although there have been a couple exceptions in the past in fact he reminds me of that guy i met the night Gus was born. He has to have been one of the hottest guys i have fucked ever and for a virgin he was a total natural.

I remember the look on Mel’s face when i brought him into the hospital room and asked him his opinion on what to name my son, she was pissed that I came to meet my son with a complete stranger… The young girl looks sweet and roughly the same age as Gus age but they both look apprehensive… what is this about? 

“OK what is it you two needed to see me for so desperately that you decided you didn’t need to make an appointment like everyone else?” 

“Sorry about not making an appointment but we really wanted to see you. My name is Justin Taylor and this is Sophia” He pauses for a moment and looks towards the girl and smile reassuringly at her before continuing

“You and I met 15 years ago, I wouldn’t expect you to remember me it’s been so long but we hooked up and i got a little more out of that night then what I had expected and well… I got pregnant. This is our Daughter. I know I should have told you at the time and I’m sorry for that but i’ve always told her that if she ever wanted to meet you that i would do what i could to make that happen so here we are.” he said nervously.

Is this real? is he just trying to claim she’s my daughter so he can get money out of me? although he does look a little familiar and she does look a bit like Gus, especially the eyes so maybe she’s mine. before i had the opportunity to say something, sophia spoke up for the first time since stepping into my office.

“I don’t mind doing a DNA test if you want proof that i’m you’re daughter” she sounded more confident than her dad did.

“That sounds like a good idea. how long are you here for? I can make an appointment for us to have the test done.” I said as I opened up my diary so I could see when I have some free time.

“Well dad said we could stay in Pittsburg for the summer so we’ll be here for a couple months” she looked to Justin who still looked nervous but slowly looked like he was becoming more comfortable.

“I understand if you want to get it done sooner rather than later to prove things either way so if you have time maybe we could get the DNA test done tomorrow”  I couldn’t disagree, the sooner I find out if what they are saying is true the better.

“I’m spending the weekend with my son so I can’t make any plans but i’m free on Monday if you want me to make an appointment then, if you give me your number I can text you the time and place once I've got the details.” I passed him a piece of paper and a pen for him to write his number down for me.

“How is Gus?” he asked as he wrote down his number and I couldn’t help but be shocked.

“How do you know my son’s name?” He stopped writing and then gave me a small smile before saying anythings else.

“I came with you to the hospital the night he was born, I’m the one who named him.” 

Holy shit! I’ve thought about him from time to time over the years and now he is here… wow.

“fuck, I thought you looked familiar when you came in my office but I didn’t think it was actually you, he’s fine by the way. I’ve not got anything else too important to do here today, why don’t the three of us go to the diner and we can talk more there.” I couldn’t help but smile widely at the both of them before I stood up and walked towards the door, opening it for them and then I followed them out. 

As we passed Cynthia’s desk I told her I was done for the day and Justin, Sophia and I made our way to the diner. Today can not get anymore strange but i’m not gonna lie this is pretty amazing. I never thought that I would see him again after we hooked up, he was a one night stand after all, but I could never forget about him for some reason and now he’s here and apparently we have a daughter together, never would I have predicted that this would be how my day would turn out when I woke up this morning.

Chapter 2

Deb

He keeps on looking at the door as if his life depended on the right person coming through the door, and I would bet my entire life savings that the person he is waiting for is Brian. Why Michael is so fixated on him but can’t be anywhere near as focused on anything else in his life never ceases to amaze and frustrate me.

The sound of someone coughing behind me brings me out of my thoughts and Kiki tilts her head slightly in Michaels direction

“What is up with Michael? he looks like he’s about to burst.”

I look back over to the back booth where he is sat drinking a cup of coffee as slowly as he can as if to prolong his time being in the diner and decide that I should probably go and talk to him but I just know it’s not going to be a conversation that involves anything different from the usual things that he seems to think are the end of the world and i honestly don’t know if I can tolerate too many more conversations like that. I know he’s my son but everyone has their limits on bullshit and I am so very close to reaching mine.

Michael

I’ve been needing to speak to him for the last week but Brian is always busy, at least he said he is but I just can’t believe he’s so busy that he is ignoring his best friend. the last time I saw him he got really pissy about me asking for some money to help with some things but I can’t understand his problem with it since he’s got plenty of money to spare and after everything i’ve done for him in his life I figure he owes me so when I see him I will get an apology from him for his behaviour and then ask him again but this time I will just have to be a little more forceful in my approach. 

I can’t help but look up every time I hear the door go because he always come to the diner no matter how much of a mood he is in so if I am going to be able to catch him anywhere it’s going to be here. Looking at the time i do realise that It’s getting close to the time that kids are coming out of school and so i don’t have long before I need to get back to the shop so that I can be there for when the kids come in for their usual half an our browse before they just buy the latest comic book they usually buy. 

As I sit thinking through the various ways I can phrase things to Brian about how he practically owes me the money that i’m asking for from him and how really he wouldn’t even notice $100k missing from his bank balance since he has made Kinnetic such a big success a small but sharp smack to the back of my head brings my attention to my mom who is now glaring at me from the other side of the table.

“what are you doing? you’ve been sat nursing that cup of coffee for a long time, and i’m not stupid. Whatever it is that your doing or whoever it is you’re waiting for give up and get back to work, child support isn’t going to pay itself and if you still want to have a say in the things Jenny does you need to keep paying, and the only way you will have the money to pay it is if you actually work like everyone else does.” I can’t help but roll my eyes  which instantly results in her reaching across the table and smacking me in the head again.

“What the hell was that for, I didn’t say anything and…” i’m interrupted before I could continue speaking.

“You don’t have to say anything to be being rude, don’t ever roll your eyes at me like that again.” I hear the door go again but it’s still not Brian.

“Well I will get back to the store soon but i’m waiting for Brian as i need to discuss some important things with him.”

Deb

How did I raise him to be this way, where did i go wrong. I tried my best to raise him to be a good, strong and independent man but instead he just follows Brian around like a little puppy waiting for attention and he can’t seem to do anything unless he thinks it would either look good to Brian or impress him and worse is always expecting things from him when he will never even think of giving anything back in return. 

He says that he needs to talk to Brian about something important but I have a gut feeling that it’s just him wanting something from him again as it usually is. I saw Brian a few days ago when I dropped by his loft to see him because he didn’t come to dinner at mine and he told me all about Michael asking him for $100k, I can’t even begin to imagine what he would ever need that sort of money for. Sure his store isn’t the most successful business but then he sells comic books so it’s not exactly a fortune making opportunity but it definitely gives him enough to live on.

Brian has always been like another son to me and I will protect from anything and anyone I can but I can’t help but have my heart break slightly that these days i’m having to try and protect him from my own biological son. 

When we sat in his loft talking and smoking some weed, something I only ever really do with him, not only did I see him angry that Michael was just expecting him to give him such a large amount of money no questions asked but he also had a look of deep hurt in his eyes. The fact that someone he thought of for so many years as his best friend only has interest in his money and not him is something that would devastate anyone and he has spent the last week working every hour humanly possible working to hide how he’s feeling but I can see through it, I always can.

“what kind of important things, he’s very busy so it had better be life and death type of important because anything less than that he really doesn’t have time for right now from anyone.” 

Michael

How the hell does she know anything about how busy he is, nobody has been able to see him all week, he told me that he wasn’t seeing anyone at all because he was too busy. She must be lying and I hate it when people lie to me.

“how do you know ho busy he is?” I snap at her furious that she might know something about my best friend that I don’t.

“I went to his loft a few days ago and talked to him, he told me how hectic things are at Kinnetic at the moment and that he’s going to be working pretty much non stop on the campaigns he has right now.” she replies but I still don't get why she got in to his loft and when i’ve tried he clearly hasn’t been in or he would have let me in immediately. Before i have any chance to say anything else she stands up and moves to be next to me and reaches to grab my arm and lift me up out of the booth. 

“Like I said he doesn’t have time to sociable right now so why don’t you go back to work so you can support your daughter, it’s a much better use of your time right now.” I’m quickly ushered out off the door and I’m in shock, did my own mother just kick me out of the diner? What the hell did i do wrong? I start walking back towards my story and I just know that something will have to be done about this, as my mother she shouldn’t be doing that to me and i add her to the list of people who need to be put in their place.   

Kiki

I have waited so long for Deb to do that, I know that she has been getting more and more pissed off at Michael’s behaviour lately but this is the first tim that she has actually kicked him out of the diner, even if it was done subtly. I doubt that Michael will take the hint this time though but if this happens a few more times hopefully he will start to learn that his behaviour is wrong especially towards Brian. How does he seriously think that he is Brian’s best friend while constantly taking advantage of him and practically stalking him. 

“Well done, i’ve been waiting for you to do that for ages, in fact the entire avenue has. I know that kicking your own son out of the diner isn’t something you’ve ever wanted to do but it needed to be done.” I tell her as she comes back around the counter.

“I just wish he would get a grip on reality and see that all his pining for Brian is going to get him nowhere and in the meantime he has a gorgeous daughter who he could and should be focussing his time and money on.”

She looks so disappointed, more than I have ever seen when it comes to Michael and I can only hope that this is finally the time when his bullshit will stop getting a pass from her.

Deb

Looking at Kiki right now i can she how truly proud she is of me for finally taking a firmer stance on Michael and his behaviour and i have to admit I am proud of myself too. I guess for too long I was forgiving him a Little hastily or ignoring things because at the end of the day he is still my son and I do Love him but now he is more than overdue done tough love.

The door goes and I see Brian coming in with a young girl and a hot blonde guy and am so glad that Michael is not here right now. Having been told that Brian can’t socialise right now because of work, seeing this would infuriate him but I have to be honest I am a bit curious as to who they are as  I don’t think i’ve ever seen them before and certainly not with Brian. Once the three of them sit down I pick up my pad and make my way over to them.

“So, I’m guessing you’ll have your usual, Brian.” He gives me a brief nod and i write it down and the turn to look at the other two sat opposite him.

“And what would you two like?” They look at each other then at Brian and then back to me.

“Well what do you  think is best?” the young girl asks.

“I’d say a pink plate  special but i’ll warn you that this little asshole will just sit there moaning about all the calories your consuming..” Brian glares at me but he’s smirking slightly so I know he’s not really annoyed at me for saying that.

“As long as i’m not the one consuming that artery clogging monstrosity I don't give a fuck. Get them the pink plate special, we’ve got a lot of things to talk through and get to know about each other so they might as well pig out a little while we do that.”

“Oh yeah, since when do you get to know people unless forced into it?” I ask getting more and more curious about these two people.   

“Debs, This is Justin and Sophia, Justin and I hooked up 15 years ago and Sophia is our daughter. We will be having a DNA test to prove it before you ask but we wanted to get to know each other a little bit.”

“Fucking hell Brian, you know how to shock people. How long have you known, I hope not too long because keeping Gus from meeting his second sister would be a really shitty thing to do.” I tell him with my hands on my hips waiting for him to respond.

“We only told him today, I asked dad if I could meet him and this was the soonest we could get here.” I Look towards sophia who really does look like the perfect combination of these two men and smile.

“Well if you’re going to be a part of Brian’s life then you are part of my family so I expect you both to come along with Brian to dinner on Tuesday.”

“Are you sure, I mean we really don’t want to just bulldoze our way in to peoples lives.” Jesus christ this man is polite.

“Why is dinner happening on Tuesday? I thought you always did Sunday dinners, is everything okay?” Brian asks with a small bit of concern but mostly confusion.

“Carl is taking me away for a long weekend. He thinks I’ve been working too hard recently so he booked for us to have a small spa break and we come back Monday evening so I’ve moved dinner to Tuesday.”

“He’s right, you have been working too hard. Make sure that you keep your phone on silent, you’ll never relax if your constantly checking up on things here.” He tells me firmly and I can’t help but smile at him.

He may be an asshole but he’s an asshole with a heart of gold, even if he does try to hide it from the world. I gently stroke his cheek and then smile to Justin and Sophia before going to place their orders.

Justin

I don’t know what just happened, I’ve never had someone I don’t know just spontaneously invite me or my daughter to dinner before.

Sophia

What the hell just happened? I would ask dad what he thinks about that lady pretty much summoning our presence but he looks just as confused as I feel.

“Who was that lady?” I ask because judging by the way she spoke she’s obviously someone important in my papa’s life.

“That’s Debbie, she’s basically been my surrogate mother since I was 14, she’s also the matriarch or the queer community here. Any queer who ever needs anything, they all come to her and she supports them anyway she can.” He explains and a small smile plays on his face.

“If she’s like a mother to you why did she call you an asshole?” Dad queried and I have to admit that it does seem a bit unkind.

“Don’t pay attention to that too much, if she calls you an asshole it’s just like her letting you know she cares. It’s an affectionate thing, Besides I am an asshole so I can’t complain if she points it out.”

 Brian

Sophia looks as if she has a million questions rushing through her head and can’t quite figure out when to ask them or in what order to ask them. 

“Ever since I was little, Even though I didn’t know that much about you, I’ve always thought about you as being my papa. Do you mind if I call you that or would you rather I call you something else?”

I can’t help but be thrown a little by that question as it’s not something i’d thought about yet, but I guess it makes sense for her to keep to what she knows.

“Sure, If that’s all you’ve ever referred to me as, why change it now.” 

For the next 2 hour we sit in the diner swapping stories and asking each other questions and laughing like we had always been a family, even though we’d just met today. I can’t help but feel a little sad that i’ve missed out on her growing up but I am determined to make up for some of the time i’ve missed. 

Chapter 3

The Next Day

Gus

As much as I really do love my moms and jenny I can’t wait to spend time with my dad away from them. To be honest my dad is my favourite but I can’t live with him all the time but I will take as much time with him as I can, he’s more that just my dad, he’s my best friend. Just as i start to sit down to eat breakfast my phone goes. 

“Gus can we please not have phones at the table.” 

“Sorry mom, it’s just dad telling me that he’ll be here within the next 20 minutes.”

“okay, but in future that phone does not come within 2 metres of this table if anyone is eating, it’s rude.”

“Linds he knows it’s rude but he doesn’t have much time till Brian gets here. It’s the same every time he goes to stay with him. Maybe at this point we make an exception that he can use his phone at the table if he’s waiting for Brian.” 

I can’t help but smile that finally mama is using common sense and changing the rules a little.

Brian

When do I tell Gus that he has another sister, and that she’s here for a few months. If I tell him now will he be annoyed that he has relatives that he’s never met just suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Causing the rest of the weekend to be unbearably awkward. Will he be exited to have a sibling closer to his own age that he can relate to. 

I haven’t even finished parking my car when I see the front door open and see Gus stepping out, He looks up and gives me a huge smile and makes his way towards the car without even glancing back to see where jenny was watching him from the living room window. I know she always wants to tag along when I take Gus for any period of time, and sometimes I do bring her along for the day. She doesn’t get to spend much time with her dad because for some reason Michael isn’t interested in spending time with her as much as she was when she was a baby. It’s like he see’s her as a small puppy, fun and exiting to have at first but then you realise the responsibility involved in keeping another living being alive and it all becomes much too real, and he will always run from anything with the slightest bit of responsibility. 

Out of the two of us I always thought that I would be the dead beat dad because I didn’t exactly have much in the way of a role model in this department. The fact that Michael is the dead beat dad while I actually spend time with my kid as much as I can and provide for him where it’s needed has really been a huge surprise.

“Hey dad” he says as he gets in and reaches for his seat belt 

“Hey sonny boy, you got every thing you need?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to do today? Shopping? Movies? Just hang out?” I look over to him waiting for my answer when i see the smirk on his face.

“Dad last time you took me shopping I thought my legs were going to drop off from the amount of walking around from each shop. Nobody needs that many shoes.”

“Sonny boy you can never have too many shoes, or clothes before you put that into question either.” 

“Can we just hang out today at yours, maybe get a take away later too.”

“Whatever you want.”

I pull away and make my way back to the loft, still in the back of my mind is this ongoing argument do I tell him about Sophia now or do I wait until dinner at Debs so he can meet her first before he knows who she is.

Jenny

Looking out the window and seeing Gus leave with uncle Brian all I can think about right now is how much I hate my dad. He never wants to spend any time with me and anytime he does it’s only when he knows that uncle Brian is here and then he spends most of that time ignoring me. 

I wish uncle Brian was my dad instead, he always makes sure he’s paying attention to Gus and is doing whatever he can to make him happy. It’s not like he has ever treated me any different to how he treats Gus, but if he were my dad as well instead it would mean that I would have no reason at all to have to acknowledge my dad in any way at all.

“Mom can i ask you a serious question, since you’re a lawyer and you’ll know better than anyone.”

“Of course you can, you can always ask me anything.”

“Well it’s just that dad never pays any attention to me and whenever he is near me he’s only ever paying attention to uncle Brian..” I look up to see her reaction and see that she looks understanding but also confuse at where i’m going with this.

“I was just wondering if, since he doesn’t act like he is anything to me, we could stop him from being my dad somehow.”

“You want to have your fathers parental right’s removed?”

“yes, I know it’s probably a lot of trouble but i just don’t want him to be my dad anymore.”

Just as i Reach forward and give mom a hug i feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’ve wanted to ask about doing this for a while and now I have it feels like a start to a better life.

Lindsey

Overhearing the conversation between Mel and Jenny just now has put me in a much better mood than i’ve been in ages. Work has been very stressful trying to put together a show after one of the artists has dropped out and we still haven’t found anyone to take that place, and then coming home and having to deal with Michael yet again cancelling plans is not something I can put up with much longer. 

Mel and I have been trying to get Michael to come over for dinner and to spend some time with Jenny for ages but he always cancels within 24 hour of having to be here. It’s gotten to the point that we’ve stopped telling Jenny that Michael has been invited over. It will only lead to unnecessary hurt and disappointment for her that she doesn’t need or deserve.

But with her now wanting to strip him of his parental rights, something i’ve wanting to do for a very long time but never wanted to do without her permission or request, we no longer have to even bother with trying. We can just get along with our lives, I can only hope that he doesn’t kick off too much when he gets served the papers. Jenny has had enough of his bullshit and so have we, if he wants to fight this then so be it. 

Chapter 4

Brian

I have to tell him, it’s just not fair to keep this from him. I look up to see him coming out of the bathroom and know that it has to be done now.

“Sonny boy can you come sit down for a minute, I have something that I need to tell you about.”

“What is it, Are you ok?”

“I’m fine don’t worry about that. Yesterday at when i was at work I had a couple of visitors.” I pause to gauge his reaction so I know how best to phrase what I need to say.

“It was a man called Justin and a Young girl just a few months younger that you called Sophia. Justin and I slept together the night you were born and he became pregnant, Sophia is mine and Justin’s Daughter.” He looks at me blankly for a few minutes before saying anything. 

“Did you know that you had another kid, that I had another sister?”

“No, not until yesterday. After they came into my office we went to the diner to get to know each other a little and Deb invited them to come to dinner so you’ll get to meet them in a couple of days.”

Gus just sits for a moment to think and I can almost see the cogs turning in his head as he tries to process this.

“Can I meet them before then, I don’t want to have to try and fight for their attention the first time I meet them. I mean it would be nice to be able to get to know my sister without distractions or interruptions.” 

“Sure things sonny boy. I’ll give Justin a call and see when he can meet us and where…”

“Can’t they just come here to the loft, like now. Or at least sometime today, I feel like if I wait too long to meet them then i’ll just build them up in my head to be something they’re not and if we meet anywhere else you just know that we’ll never get a moments peace.”

“Ok, i’ll let him know you want to meet them here today, but don’t worry about building them up in your head, I think you’ll like them and I know they’ll feel the same about you.”

He gives me a nervous smile and I take out my phone to make the call that will without a doubt change our lives forever.

Michael

Looking at the screen in front of me at all the hard work i’ve done over the last several years I am filled with a huge sense of pride. I have now got enough money saved up to complete our home, of course once he gives me the $100,000 he owes me for all i’ve done for him we can fill it with all of the very best furniture and the money in Jenny’s college fund can easily pay for staff to look after us.

When that account was first set up I thought it was a waste of money that could be spent on more important things but over time I really realised how useful it could be. Of course I don’t put any money in it myself, I would rather have new comics and collectables. But the amount of money that both Mel and Linds have put in on a regular basis, not to mention the little bits here and there that Brian, Ma and the rest of the family has put in there as gifts from time to time, it’s steadily become quite a nice small fortune.

Our dream of living our lives together in palm springs when we retire is going to be happening so much sooner than we ever thought was possible. I’m sure that Jenny will be a little upset that she won’t have her college fund but she doesn’t need it, not really. She’s pretty enough that she can be a world famous model and bring in way more money than she can imagine, I mean that’s all that girls want to be really anyway so she’ll get over it.

Gus

They are going to be here any minute and i don’t think I have ever been so close to having a panic attack in my life. Don’t get me wrong having another sister is cool, but what if she doesn’t like me and wants nothing to do with me that would really suck.

I start to pace around the kitchen and it’s not until dad puts his hand on my shoulder that I stop. He knows that I do this when i’m anxious and he’s always been the only one who can actually calm me down, mom and mama both try but it’s just not the same.

“Gus listen to me, you have nothing to worry about. From the conversation that I had with them yesterday at the diner I know that you and Sophia both have a fair amount in common with each other so you don’t have to worry about that. She’s also really kind, Justin has done an amazing job raising her so you won’t have to worry about that either.”

Before either of us have the chance to say anything else to each other there is a knock on the door and dad gives me a pat on the shoulder before going to open it.

Sophia

I am so excited, I’m finally going to meet my brother. When papa called earlier I think I must have done some serious damage to dad’s  ear drums when I screamed. Dad hasn’t stopped smiling since he called either. This building wasn’t quite what I expected I have to admit, but in a way it’s kind of perfect. 

As the door opens up I don’t waste a second in putting my arms around papa and giving him a hug. It takes him just a second to put his arms around me to and return the hug. I guess that he’s not someone who does hugs much, but thats ok. Out of the corner of my eye I see a boy about my age looking a little nervous and I smile as I run over to him and hug him in much the same way I did papa. Gus immediately returned the hug and as I pull away and look at him I can tell he’s relaxed a little now.

“Hi, I am so happy i’ve finally met you. I love your t-shirt by the way.” 

“Thanks, it’s nice to meet you too, although I didn’t know anything about you until today.” He tells me.

“I guess we have a lot to get to know about each other, but judging by the fact you’re wearing a Queen shirt we obviously have some music taste in common so if all else goes to shit at least we have that in common to talk about.” I tease which make all four of us laugh and any tension or nervousness that was in the room dissipated in that moment.

“Why don’t the four of us get a take away while we get to know each other?” Papa suggests and I can hardly stop myself from smirking, my dad has never been one to turn down any offer of food.

“Sure, sounds good to me.” Dad says whilst giving me a ‘don’t make any smart assed comments about me and food’ look that i’m sure he hoped only I would catch but both Gus and Papa caught the look too.

“What was that look about” Gus asks

“It’s nothing don’t pay any attention to that…” dad says. 

“It’s just him trying to tell me not to make any comments about how he would never turn down any offer or suggestion about food, it’s one of his favourite things. I’m fairly sure it’s right up there with his love of art. He would probably never stop eating if he could.”  This gets both Papa and Gus laughing.

For the next 4 hours we sit here in Papa’s loft asking questions of each other and telling stories and learning all about each other. From the sound of it the rest of the family are an interesting bunch. I can’t wait to meet them all at dinner in a couple of days, most of them sound lovely especially jenny. She may not technically be my sister but if she’s Gus’s sister then as far as i’m concerned she’s my sister too. 

From what they have said about her dad Michael he’s a horrible person, he’s supposed to be my papa’s best friend but he treats him like his personal bank. The fact that he is my sister’s dad makes me feel so sorry for her and if he ever does anything to upset her i’ll kick his ass for that too. Messing with with my papa the way he has done is bad enough but if he messes with multiple members of my family all gloves will be off and I will have no regrets declaring war. I may try and be as kind and polite as possible to people as a general rule but if anyone thinks that means i’m not prepared for a fight if it's needed then they would be sorely mistaken.

Chapter 5

Lindsey

Ok so we have had to change the day that we would normally come over here for dinner and yes we have all had to rearrange some other things in order to be here but I don’t know why Michael looks so pissed off. While we’ve all been waiting for Brian to arrive, fashionably late as usual, He’s been all fidgety and irritable. Well that’s not exactly unusual but he’s even more fidgety and irritable that normal.

“Will you stop this, He’s be here soon then we can start to eat, you’re going to drive me mad with your impatience.” Deb tell’s him which really grabs everyone’s attention because we’ve all heard about him getting kicked out of the diner the other day and we don’t know how she’ll respond now if he kicks off, it looks like she’s not letting him walk all over her anymore.

“I’m not being impatient. But don’t you think this is really rude, always being late to dinner, Surely its time for you to have a word with him about his manners.” He all but snarls at her.

“He is not being rude at all, I knew he was going to be a little late because he’s picking a couple of people up before he comes here.” Deb says just before slapping the back of his head.

“Who the hell is he bringing to a family dinner he has no right to bring anyone…”

“He has every right to bring people who were invited to dinner don’t be such an asshole.” Gus interrupts him before Michael could continue to say anything.

“How the hell would you know anything about these people or if they were invited?” He snaps at Gus which is definitely one step too far for me.

“Don’t you dare speak down to my son like that Michael.” I tell him firmly while gripping on to my napkin tightly in an attempt to keep myself from losing my cool completely.

Looking around the table everyone seems to be having the same thoughts going through their heads. We all want Michael to shut the hell up and also we are all struggling to keep ourselves from punching him in the face for not knowing when to stop acting like a spoilt child who’s not getting the attention he wants. I suppose I should really say from who he wants but he’s never going to get that kind of attention he wants from Brian, we can all see that but he seems completely blind to everything.

Gus

I really don’t know why we all put up with him sometimes. Michael doesn’t know anything about Justin or Sophia and yet the fact that other people are coming to dinner without his knowledge or permission seems to make him think give him the right to speak like this.

Justin

Brian pulled up to the house and turned to look at me as if to gauge how I was feeling about this but I really don’t know how I feel about this. On one hand I’m nervous about meeting his family and friends but I’m also very excited about meeting all these new people.

I get out of the car and make my way to the front door with Brian and Sophia and I know that no matter what happens, if they like us or not, this is a huge moment for us.

Sophia

Just as we stepped into the room they all stopped talking and are now just staring at us. I start walking towards the table which seems to prompt both dad and papa to follow me. But before I actually Made it to the table of the guys stood up with a furious look on his face. I quickly look towards Gus and see him roll his eyes, this is going to be a very interesting meal.

“Who the fuck are you, This is a family meal and therefore strangers aren’t supposed to be here so why can’t you just leave now.” This moron snarls at us.

“We were invited so we are supposed to be here. Why don’t you just sit down and let everyone get on with this dinner in some kind of peace so we can all have a good time.” I tell him in my most ‘Wasp Like’ way and see most faces around the table express various emotions and reactions ranging from shock to utter amusement. I guess people don’t often speak to this guy the way I just have.

“Mikey just sit down, don’t embarrass yourself or anyone else here. Guys, This is Justin and Sophia, they are going to continue being a big part of my life from now on just like Gus is so Treat them The same as you would treat my son.”

“Welcome, come sit down. Ignore my son when he’s saying stupid things, Michael just doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes.” Deb says and we all sit down. 

Very quickly introduction were made and most of us were having a really good time getting to know each other but Michael kept on looking at me and dad as if we had committed some awful crime and had begun to stare daggers at us when he didn’t think anyone was noticing.

Ted

I am not sure if I have ever seen Brian look this relaxed or happy around ‘new’ people before but I like it. Justin looks so familiar but I just can’t quite place where I might have seen him before but I’m sure it will come to me eventually. Michael keeps looking at Justin and Sophia menacingly and then looking around the table at the rest of us and I’m not sure if it’s to try and intimidate us into going along with his views or if he’s trying to find allies in his quest to get them out of the house.

Enough is enough, I’m about to say something to him about his attitude when Someone else beats me to it.

“Iv’e had enough of this now, Michael just tell us what your problem with me and my dad is. You’ve been glaring at us almost from the moment we stepped in this house.”

We all stop eating and brace ourselves for a Michael breakdown and we don’t quite know how bad this is going to be.

“My problem? You want to know what my problem is? Who the hell are you to come into this house to a family dinner, you are not family. All night the two of you have been so clingy towards Brian, Desperate for his attention and it’s sickening. He’s my best friend and I won’t see him  being taken advantage of. I know him better than anyone and I can tell you now he has no need for anyone else but me… I mean us, just leave us alone and everything can carry on the way it’s meant to be.” Michael says in a tone that i’ve never heard him use but it’s disturbing.

“Did you not hear what he said earlier when he said that both me and my dad were going to be a big part of his life from now on, he clearly doesn’t want us to go away so we won’t.”

The tone of her voice really grabs everyone’s attention very quickly. She’s quite intimidating for such a young person

“We are fine without you, Brian and I have always been fine without anyone else getting themselves involved.”

“Mikey shut up. I’ve already said that They are important people in my life so don’t sit there and try and run them off. You don’t get a say in who I have in my life.”

“Brian, they will only be out to get your money we need to protect you from that. While we are on the subject of money we really do need to sort out the loan because i’m getting close to deadlines now and need to pay for things so maybe we can discuss that tomorrow.”

Brian

Money? What the fuck is he on about now?

“First things first they are not after my money and even if they were I am perfectly capable of protecting myself from such manipulations. Secondly I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say we need to discuss a loan, I’ve already told you that I’m not going to lend you any money, as I know I won’t see any of it back.”

“Brian I’m your best friend, We both know you’ll give me the loan. Besides after everything I’ve done for you throughout the years you owe me to help me out now.”

“I don’t owe you or anyone else anything, Anyway it was Deb and vic who really helped when I was younger so if I had owed anyone it would be them.”

He’s been driving me mad for months now but i’m not sure I can put up with him for very much longer.

“No, you need to help me. It’s what you do for the people you love, you’ve always said you love me and always will so it’s time to prove it and lend me this money.”

“He doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, and since he’s said he won’t lend you the money you really should respect his decision and find another way to get the money you want, maybe try this wonderful place called a bank.” Justin tells Michael, and I have to say having Justin defend me feels nice. Considering I don’t usually Like people protecting or defending me this is weird but I like it a lot.

“Who the hell are you to be getting in between me and Brian, back off.” Michael snarls at him and I can’t help the shudderI feel as I realise that the way he said that almost sound as if he was speaking about the two of us as if we were a couple. I could never feel that way about Michael.

“Leave them alone Michael, he’s right. You really should try a bank because the bank of Brian Kinney is closed. You’ve been nothing but rude to Both Justin and Sophia all night and unless you want me to get very angry you need to stop it now.” I snap at him even though I know deep down he’s not going to stop.

“Why the hell should I bother to be welcoming to these two when they’ll be out of our lives soon anyway.”

“They will not be out of my life at all, Justin is someone I care about and Sophia is our Daughter. Just because you think people need to go does not make that a fact.”

“Your daughter!?” is shouted out by almost everyone around the table. Most of them have done so in shock but Michael is clearly angry about that revelation but that’s really not my problem.

What ever fantasy life he has going on in his mind needs to be destroyed because I’m not going to be what he wants me to be.

Chapter 6

Sophia

After the outburst of shock from everyone that didn’t already know about me or my dad a silence grows as I guess they are trying to think about what to say.Well all but one is thinking of what to say, Michael seems to be on his way to having a complete melt down and I know I shouldn’t but I find it a little funny. How does a grown man get along for all these years acting like a 2 year old who had their toys taken away. 

“Daughter? No, that’s not true, It can’t be true. How could you do this and not tell me about it Brian…” Michaels rant is Quickly interrupted by papa who looks so angry right now, if he wasn’t such an asshole I would feel sorry for Michael being on the receiving end of that anger. 

“I didn’t know until very recently, but even if I had have known it would have absolutely nothing to do with you. You do not get to dictate my life in any way. You are not some kind of god that I must bow down to and follow all commandments that you send down. I choose how to live  my life. I choose who is a part of my life. Nobody has any right to force me to do anything I don’t want to do so if that is what you want to do then I guess the times of you being a friend of mine is over.”

Emmett

I never thought I would see the day that Brian would effectively tell Michael to go fuck himself. I am so proud of him for doing so, Michael has been in his life for so many years I guess it just seemed inevitable that they always would be friends but I guess I was wrong.

Sure Michael has been my friend for a long time, but never as close as he was to Brian and as time went on I was closer to everyone else than I was to Michael. I can’t be the only on thinking that Michael isn’t going to take what Brian is saying seriously though.

“You don’t mean that Brian, I know you don’t.”

“Have you ever known Brian to say something that he doesn’t mean, I know I haven’t.” Lindsay says in a tone that I can tell means she has had enough of him too.

Mel 

I keep waiting for Deb to say or do something about this argument but she doesn’t, instead she sits looking at Brian with a proud smile on her face. I guess she really is willing to let Michael face the consequences of his actions without trying to soften the blows for him anymore. It’s about time, I understand that he’s her son but he needs to know that the things that he says and does won’t always get him what he wants and he will just have to deal with it. 

Michael

I can’t believe what is happening right now. He does not get to try and dump me after everything I have done for him over the years. I kept him safe when his parents were abusing him, I helped him build up the reputation he has as the stud of liberty avenue, I gave him ideas when he was stuck on accounts and i’m sure that it was always my ideas that won him those accounts in the end.

“After everything I have done for you, you do not get to throw me away like trash.” I tell him sternly so that he knows how serious I am.

“Michael that is enough, what exactly have you done that you think he owes you for because I can’t think of anything.” 

I turn my head towards my mother and can’t hide my shock that she dares talk to me like that. Mothers are supposed to defend their children not let them be attacked. What does she mean she can’t think of anything I’ve done for him, I brought him home with me for safety. She was there for that every time. 

“What do you mean you can’t think of anything, I kept him safe from his abusive parents and…” I’m interrupted by Brian who seems to be looking at my with disgust. Something that he will pay for later.  

“No you didn’t Deb and Vic did. You may have brought me here but it was them who patched me up and fed me. It was them who let me sleep here to give me a break from being used as a Human punching bag. You do not get to take credit for their kindness. If I owe anyone anything it’s them not you.” 

Justin

I am so angry right now, how can this man sit there and talk to people like this. Brian does not need enemies with someone like Michael in his life, although I doubt it that he will be part of Brian’s life in any capacity now.

“But I am the one who brought you home, so I am the one who made it possible to have somewhere to go. You got to see what a normal family is like because of me. It’s because of me that you have the reputation as the Stud of liberty avenue that you enjoy so much. I’m the one who was at the hospital the night Gus was born, I was the one who pulled you off the roof when you freaked out about being a dad. If it wasn’t for me you would not be here to be the dad that you are, although you don’t spend that much time with him but its better than nothing…”  

“You can hardly talk about my parenting skills, when was the last time you actually spent time with Jenny. Could you even tell me anything about her, do you know her favourite colour? Do you know what music she likes? How about sports, do you know what she sport she plays? I can tell you the answer to all of those. It isn’t a good look for you that I know your daughter better than you do.” Brian takes a moment to calm himself a little bit and puts his hand on my shoulder before continuing with what he was saying.

“You being there at the hospital the night Gus was born isn’t something I owe you for. Nothing would have changed if you hadn’t been there. I would never have done anything that night on the roof, not really, I just needed a moment to think about how things had changed in that moment.” He looks between me and Sophia before turning back to Michael.

“You being there was nowhere near as important as Justin being there that night, He was the one who named Gus, if it wasn’t for him my son would have very nearly been called Abraham.”

Everyone but Michael starts laughing, but Mel was the first one to stop. She turns to me with a smile on her face and I knew she was thinking back to that night.

Lindsay

Oh my god, it’s him. When Brian brought a kid with him the night Gus was born I remember neither Mel or I being impressed that he thought it was appropriate to bring a stranger with him that none of us would see again and yet he’s here now with their daughter. I look at my wife and then back at Justin, there is no way I would ever have predicted that this would happen but i’m glad it has.

“Brian’s right Michael, you need to back off and change you attitude. How can you sit their and make any kind of comment on how Brian is as a parent. You are always backing out of plans to see your daughter whereas Brian spends as much time as he can during the week with Gus and takes him every other weekend. He sometimes even takes Jenny with them for the day sometimes to make up for the fact you don’t do anything with her.”

I look over to Jenny and Gus who I quickly realise are both sat with smirks on their faces, clearly amused by Michaels childish behaviour. I then glance over at sophia who is also seeming to enjoy watching Michael have a tantrum and I just know that there will be absolutely no problem with the three of them getting along. I was about to continue to let Michael have a few more home truths but Jenny  decided it was time for her to have her say so I just sit back in my chair and let her speak.

“Face it dad, I was something you liked back when I was a little kid because I was new and it excited you but you are bored of being my dad now. You just aren’t made to be a parent, you are too much of a child yourself to be a good dad so I’ve asked mom to fix that situation…”

“What do you mean? I’m a good dad and you have no right to speak to me like this. I don’t know when you started to be so disrespectful but it needs to change now.”

“No you’re not a good dad Michael, Jenny asked us to have your parental rights removed and both Lindsay and I agree it’s the right thing to do so we filed to have them removed, you should receive the papers in the next few days.” Mel tells him and I don’t think I have ever seen the Michael go so pale before but after a few moments he shakes his head as if to get his mind refocussed on what’s going now rather than what’s going on in his head. 

“I will fight you for this, you can’t take this… I Mean her from me. I will fight you for this and when I win you are going to regret picking a fight with me.” With that Michael gets up and puts his jacket on and glares at us all and storms out of the house.

“Wow, he just strutted out of here better than some of the drag queens I have seen in the clubs, maybe that’s what he’s been doing with his time instead of being a dad.” Emmett commented before taking a sip of his drink which had all of us cackling away.

If Michael thinks he has us worried about going to court with him over jenny he has another thing coming. His unwillingness to pay child support alone will be a big mark against him but combine that with the fact he has no interest in spending time with her, he has no chance.

The rest of the evening we have a good time getting to know they two newest members of our family. All thoughts of what Michael and what plans he has to fight back at us forgotten for the night.