Twas the night before Christmas and all through Britin, not a creature was stirring, not even a...

"What the fuck?" Brian sat up abruptly, dislodging the blond head resting against his shoulder.

"Huh?" Justin asked groggily. "What's wrong, Brian? Bad dream?"

Brian remained still, listening to the sounds of their home without responding to his partner.

"Fucking sugarplum fairies," he muttered before dropping back down on the bed. Brian pulled the covers back over his shoulder as he turned on his side.

Justin stirred again, something pulling at his mind. Then it hit him, what Brian had said.

"You were dreaming about sugarplum fairies?" he asked, chuckling softly, gazing at Brian's back.

"Shut the fuck up, Justin." Brian scrunched further under the covers. His partner was beginning to piss him off.

Justin, still trying to control his laughter, rolled over toward Brian. He was reaching to stroke his hand down his partner's smooth back when there was a noise from downstairs. Justin froze.

Brian's head jerked up from his pillow. He looked at Justin over his shoulder and asked, "Did you hear that?"

With a brisk nod of his head, Justin turned away from Brian and reached for the phone that usual rested on his bedside table. It wasn't there.

"Brian, is the phone over there?" Justin asked in an anxious whisper, turning quickly back to check for himself.

One look at the bedside table next to Brian assured both men that the phone had been left downstairs - again. Both men climbed out of bed, each hastily donning sweatpants and grabbing their respective robes. They stealthily approached their bedroom door. Brian gently turned the lock and, as quietly as possible, opened the door.

After discreetly checking the hallway, Brian and Justin stepped warily through the doorway. Their eyes automatically went to the closed door of Gus' bedroom. The eight-year-old was usually a sound sleeper, but his fathers were worried that, with the excitement of Christmas, Gus wouldn't be sleeping as heavily and the noise might wake him. Much to their relief it seemed as though Gus was still soundly sleeping.

Brian started toward the stairs, stopping when he felt Justin moving along behind him.

"Stay up here with Gus," Brian whispered without turning around. He didn't want Justin to see the fear that surely shone in his eyes. He was unwilling to risk losing Justin or Gus.

"What good will it do for me to be up here without a phone?" Justin whispered back exasperated, unwilling to allow Brian to go downstairs alone. "Let's find out where the noise is coming from. Maybe we can get to the phone in the living room or the one in the kitchen. What if they cut the phone line? I left my cellphone on the charger in the kitchen."

"Well if they have, let's hope whoever it is isn't raiding the refrigerator," Brian whispered. He tried to sound sarcastic, but knew he probably sounded as anxious as Justin sounded.

The two men quietly descended the stairs then moved toward the living room. Reaching their destination they cautiously peered around the open doorway. Expecting to find a black-clad burglar, Brian and Justin were shocked to find a very rotund man dressed in a suit of bright red trimmed in white, and glossy black boots.

Seemingly unaware of their presence, the man reached into a large red velvet bag and removed a pair of boy's ice skates, followed by a black jeweler's box, both of which he placed under the tree. Surprisingly he reached back to the apparently empty bag and withdrew a child-size hockey stick.

Shocked by what they were witnessing, both Brian and Justin stepped into the open doorway, exclaiming rather loudly, "What the fuck!"

Startled by the voices, the large man jerked upright and took a step back; his foot unfortunately caught on the rug. He stumbled back, arms swinging wildly in a futile attempt to correct his balance. Despite his efforts, he fell backwards, his head striking with a resounding crack on the fireplace.

Without thought Brian and Justin rushed forward. Justin checked for a pulse, but found none. Brian checked to see if the man was still breathing; he wasn't.

"He's dead," Brian said, amazed by the words leaving his mouth.

"There's no visible injury." Justin gingerly moved the man's head. There was no sign of blood on the floor, nothing on the hat. "I guess the hat protected the skin."

"Hell of a lot of good it did him otherwise," Brian grumbled then blew out a harsh breath. "Fuck! ... Justin, find the phone, call 911. I'll see if he has any kind of ID on him," Brian said softly as he began checking for pockets in the Santa suit.

Justin stood up slowly and began to back away. He stopped and turned in a circle, one hand running through his hair as he scanned the room for the phone. Instead of the phone, he spotted something, or rather someone, who shouldn't be there.

"Gus," Justin whispered breathlessly as he turned back to the doorway.

Brian pulled a card from a small pocket that was nearly hidden beneath the wide belt of the suit. Hearing his son's name, Brian turned. There in his begged for Bumblebee Transformer pajamas and matching slippers, stood Gus, his eyes wide taking in the scene. Brian stood up, the card still in his hand.

Gus looked from his father who was kneeling next to a body that looked suspiciously like Santa, to the man he had just recently started calling 'Dad II' who stood a few feet away running his hand through his hair. He looked back at the body on the floor.

"Go back to bed, Sonnyboy." When Gus didn't move he glanced at his partner and spoke again. "Justin, take Gus back upstairs."

"Come on, Gus," Justin spoke softly and started toward the boy.

"What happened?" Gus asked entering the room before Justin could stop him. "Dad?" Gus looked from the body to his father.

Justin reached Gus' side and turned back to Brian. He knew from his partner's expression that Brian was trying to think of something to tell his son without upsetting him. He looked back at the body on the floor. Unable to form words to describe what he was witnessing, Justin simply pointed.

Before Brian could come up with something to tell Gus, he noticed Justin's eyes growing wider.

"Wow!" Gus exclaimed loudly.

Brian gave a quick look at his son before turning around. There on the floor lay an empty Santa suit.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Brian shouted, scanning the room while hoping not to find a naked overweight old man lurking about.

"He just... he just... vanished, Brian," Justin stammered. He couldn't believe it, but he saw it happen; the man simply faded away.

"What?!" Brian demanded.

"Just like Yoda, Dad!" Gus hollered, his body shaking with excitement.

Brian looked quizzically at Justin. "What the fuck is a Yoda?"

Justin was beginning to think he was in some alternate universe. He would have said something about that as well if there hadn't been a noise overhead.

All three looked to the ceiling.

"Another burglar? An accomplice maybe?" Brian whispered to Justin. Now he was worried more than shocked.

"He wasn't a burglar, Brian. He was putting things under the tree, not taking," Justin whispered back.

"The reindeer!" Gus took off running for the stairs, certain of what he would find on the roof.

"Gus, NO!" "Gus, STOP!" Brian and Justin shouted simultaneously.

Gus ignored both his fathers, taking the stairs as quickly as his legs would carry him; he moved fast for a kid. He was at the top of the stairs, already heading to the staircase leading to the attic, by the time his fathers reached the bottom step.

"Gus, wait!" "Gus, stop!" Justin and Brian yelled.

Gus was too excited to listen to his fathers. He knew if he could make it to the attic he would be able to see Santa's sleigh and the reindeer through the attic window.

The two men hurried after the eight-year-old, but much to their dismay, and despite having longer legs, the boy seemed to lengthen the gap. As they turned the corner on the second floor landing they caught a glimpse of Gus entering the attic.

"Fuck!" shouted Brian. He passed Justin in the hallway, mounting the stairs, still managing to sweep the upper floor hallway with his eyes.

From inside the attic they could hear Gus' excitement grow.

"I knew it! Dad, Dad II, you gotta see this! I knew it!" Gus yelled.

The fathers entered the attic, quickly crossing the expanse to the window where their son was bouncing up and down on his toes.

Justin gasped, his hand flying quickly to his mouth, eyes wide in wonder. Brian stopped behind his son, his mouth open to speak but no words would come.

"This is so freaky awesome!" Gus threw open the window and clambered through onto the snow covered roof. The blast of cold air brought both men to their senses.

"Holy shit!" Brian exclaimed.

"Gus, be careful!" Justin called out trying for a calm voice, but he could hear and feel the quiver that actually came through. "Brian, we have to stay calm or we might startle Gus or the..."

"The fucking reindeer, Justin? Because that is what they are. There are eight big fucking reindeer and a big ass sleigh on our roof, Sunshine." Brian felt as if he was losing control.

"I can see that, Brian, but we have to get to Gus before something happens."

Justin carefully stepped through the window; Brian followed right behind. Gus was giggling and petting one of the lead reindeer while watching his fathers approach.

"Gus, don't touch them; they might bite," Brian said firmly.

"No they won't, Dad. Look, they all have nametags on their harnesses. This one is Dasher. Come on you guys; these are Santa's reindeer." Gus couldn't believe his dads were being so lame about the whole thing.

Justin smiled as he watched Gus with the reindeer. He reached out and scratched behind the ear of the animal closest to him. The nametag read 'Vixen.'

"Hey, Vixen," Justin said softly.

Brian ran a hand over his face and mumbled under his breath, "I can't believe this."

"What, Brian?" Justin asked hearing the low rumble of his partner's voice. He turned toward Brian and spotted the card still in Brian's hand. "What's on the card? Does it say he was Santa Claus?"

Brian's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "You're not serious? You can't really think that was Santa. This is just some kind of elaborate joke."

Listening to the exchange, Gus grew quiet. He hadn't really thought about who the man downstairs had been and now he realized that Santa was gone.

"What does the card say, Brian?" Justin asked again.

Brian looked down at the card in his hand and read out loud, "If something should happen to me, put on the suit. The reindeer will know what to do."**

Gus perked up hearing what his dad read from the card. As quietly as possible he edged away and climbed back in the window. He ran to his room and pulled a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt on over his pajamas, changed his slippers for socks and tennis shoes, and headed down the stairs.

He ran into the living room and gathered up the plush suit along with the boots and the empty bag. Gus started for the stairs, but turned back to pull his jacket from the coat closet. Once he had everything he needed, Gus ran up the stairs. He was almost to the attic door when he turned back again. This time he ran to his fathers' room, snatched up what he was looking for and returned to the roof. He found his fathers still standing where he left them.

"Brian, come on, if this is an elaborate prank, who do you know that is capable of something of this magnitude?" Justin questioned with a slight shiver; he was beginning to feel the cold.

Brian's brow creased in thought as he mentally ran through a list of all their friends. He couldn't think of one that would have the capability, or even the imagination, to put something like this together and actually pull it off. He hated to admit it, but Justin was right. He focused again on his partner and noticed he was shivering.

"Cold, Sunshine?" he snarked just before a strong shiver passed through his own body.

Justin smirked. "Yeah. If you'll notice we're standing on our roof, our snow covered roof, in our robes, sweatpants, and bare feet. So, yeah, Brian, I'm very cold. How 'bout you?"

"Smart ass," Brian mumbled as he shivered once again.

Gus cleared his throat garnering their attention and held up their shoes and socks. The two men hurried over and slipped their cold feet into the warmth of the heavy cotton socks and gym shoes.

"Are you going to put on the suit, Dad?" Gus asked innocently.

Brian shook his head as he finished tying his shoe. "No, Gus. We need to call the police."

"But, Dad, the card said to put the suit on. The reindeer will know what to do."

"Gus, you don't really believe in Santa at your age, do you?" Brian asked, bewildered that his son would believe in a jolly old elf who delivered presents around the world one night a year.

"Of course I do." Gus saw the disbelief on his father's face. He turned to his other father. "Dad II believes, don't you?" Gus looked at Justin with pleading eyes.

Justin blushed. He glanced from Gus to Brian. His partner was staring at him, skepticism shining in his eyes. Justin refused to look away as he answered. "Yes, Gus, I do believe in Santa," Justin answered, blushing a deeper red from revealing a truth he had hoped to keep secret forever.

"You're shitting me," Brian said cautiously, hoping that Justin was only humoring Gus.

"Why not believe?" Justin frowned then raised his chin in defiance. "How else would you explain all this?"

Brian shook his head and looked away.

"I've believed in him all my life, Brian. Mom always said he existed; whether it was simply in spirit or true physical form didn't matter. Santa is as real as people want or need him to be," Justin responded softly.

"Maybe you should put on the suit, Dad II," Gus said hopefully.

"I think it would fit your dad better than it would me," Justin said with a sparkle in his eye.

"I'm not putting that thing on. There's no telling where that man had been... Besides, I bet it's not Armani." Brian glowered at his partner.

"Daaad!" Gus laughed despite his disappointment.

The three stood staring at each other with occasional glances towards the reindeer and the sleigh. Disappointed, Gus finally moved to put the bag and the suit into the sleigh. As he stepped inside, Justin made a decision.

"Gus... hand me the suit."

Gus' face lit up. He quickly retrieved the soft garment and took it to his father.

Justin smiled at his son. He took off his robe, putting on the top of the suit quickly to keep from getting any colder. Gus stood patiently, holding the pants and boots while Justin fastened the belt the best he could. Justin took the pants next and pulled them on over his sweatpants. He looked at the boots. They looked to be a lot bigger than the size he wore; however, he toed off his shoes and slipped the boots on his feet. Despite the fact they were too big, they felt fine. Besides, the smile on Gus' face made it worth any discomfort.

The reindeer began moving around, some stomping their hooves.

"I think they approve," Gus said as he climbed into the back of the sleigh.

"Gus, get out of there," Brian admonished as he went to retrieve his son. He climbed into the back, standing next to where Gus sat smiling. He leaned down and picked up the empty bag.

The reindeer became more restless, raising and shaking their heads in anticipation of what was to come.

Justin walked to the sleigh and climbed in the front, his back to the reindeer. Before he could say anything they heard grunting coming from the reindeer.

Brian and Justin looked toward the front of the sleigh in time to see the reindeer start to move. The sleigh jerked causing both men to fall into the seats.

"Oh shit!" Brian shouted.

"Brian!" Justin shouted.

"WOOHOO!" Gus shouted.

~*~*~*~

The reindeer did seem to know exactly what to do. They flew into the air and before long they were landing safely on the roof of another house. The only problem was Brian, Justin and Gus had no idea what they were supposed to do, until Brian picked up the empty bag.

"Here, Santa. Oops, it looks like you forgot something." Brian pushed his tongue into his cheek.

Justin turned and took the bag from Brian. He frowned at the empty sack.

"Maybe our house was the last stop and Santa was heading back for more presents," Gus suggested.

"That's possible, Gus, but why would the reindeer stop here?" Justin asked. He turned back around and looked over at the reindeer. The lead reindeer looked back at him; Justin could have sworn it was smiling. Feeling a sudden tingling sensation all over, he turned back to Brian and Gus.

"Brian?" Justin said, worry lacing his voice.

"Justin?" Brian spoke quietly. There seemed to be sparkling glitter surrounding his partner. Before either one could say anything further, Justin vanished.

"Justin!" Brian shouted.

Gus sat in silent wonder, unsure if this was going to be a great adventure or if he was never going to see Justin again.

Meanwhile, inside the house...

Justin gazed around the unfamiliar room. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to call out to Brian, however he didn't know how to do that without disturbing the owners of the house. Spotting the open doorway Justin decided he would try to find the front door. Hopefully it wouldn't have an alarm. He started toward the door, but was pulled up short when the previously empty bag stopped him. Justin leaned over and opened the bag, surprised to find several gifts inside. He straightened up abruptly before once again examining the contents of the bag.

Satisfied that the bag did indeed hold several gifts, Justin reached inside and pulled out the top package.

"To: Sammy," Justin read out loud. He carried the package to the tree and gently placed it next to the other gifts. Justin continued on in this fashion until the bag was empty once more.

"Now what?" he asked the empty room. Before he knew what was happening, the tingling sensation returned and Justin found himself once again in the sleigh.

"Dad II!" Gus shouted happily, relieved at the reappearance of his second father.

Brian turned from where he was pacing outside the sleigh. He quickly jumped back inside and grabbed Justin in a tight embrace.

"What the fuck just happened?" Brian whispered in Justin's ear.

"I'm not sure. One minute I was here, the next I was inside the house and the bag had presents in it. I put them all under the tree and when I was done, poof, I was back here." Justin's voice was a little shaky. He clutched tightly to Brian.

"Dad II, are you okay?" Gus asked.

"I'm fine, Gus, just a little surprised is all." Justin smiled as best he could under the circumstances.

Suddenly they found themselves moving once again. As the reindeer took flight Brian and Justin instinctively reached back to make sure Gus wasn't thrown from the sleigh.

~*~*~*~

The night had been filled with excitement. Justin became use to the tingling sensation and popping in and out of homes. He was kind of glad he didn't have to climb in and out of chimneys, although he did think that might have been a little fun.

After several stops, Gus begged to go with Justin. Justin wasn't sure that was possible. He was holding Gus' hand trying to explain that he didn't understand how he was able to enter and leave the houses when the sensation started up again. Justin could tell by the look in his son's eyes that Gus was feeling it, too. Much to Brian's dismay, both Justin and Gus disappeared in a sprinkling of glowing glitter.

When Gus bounced in his seat asking to go again, Brian tried to intervene only to find himself caught up in the sensation and teleporting into the house the sleigh had just landed on.

Unfortunately when it came time to leave, two rather large dogs entered the room growling. Brian instantly dropped Gus' hand, taking a defensive posture to protect his loved ones. It was at that instant that Justin and Gus disappeared leaving Brian alone in the room with the dogs. He was about to scream Justin's name when he heard his own name shouted in obvious distress. A split second later, arms wrapped round his waist and he found himself in the sleigh with his family.

From that moment on the family of three entered each house together. Brian wasn't about to let Justin go in alone and he couldn't leave Gus alone in the sleigh. So it was that for the rest of the trip they delivered Santa's gifts together.

Now, they weren't sure what was happening. The reindeer had not made any recent attempt to land, yet they seemed set upon reaching some destination.

Brian and Justin sat with Gus between them huddled together in the front of the sleigh. It was beginning to snow quite heavily making it difficult to see where they were going. The two men kept glancing at each other over Gus' head, neither one wanted to voice their concern about getting home.

Just when it seemed as if the reindeer were going to keep flying, there was a shift in the speed of the sleigh. They were definitely slowing down. The reindeer glided slowly down to earth landing with a gentle thump on the snow covered ground. Once on the ground they continued on for a short distance, finally coming to a stop.

Gus leaned forward trying to see around his fathers. All he could see was snow; everywhere, snow. Then a figure appeared in a cloud of sparkling glitter and stood before the reindeer.

"Look," Gus whispered loudly.

"Brian?" Justin watched the figure.

"Yeah, I see him," Brian answered the unasked question.

"He can't be much older than Gus," Justin commented in wonder. "I think he's an elf," Justin added as he got a better look at the figure standing before the reindeer.

"An elf?" Brian asked with disbelief.

Having heard Justin, the stranger smiled, brushed snow away from a post that rose from the ground and entered a code on the keypad. There was a sound they recognized as a hydraulic lift and the ground beneath the sleigh vibrated slightly just before they began to sink.

As they came to a gentle stop Brian looked up to see the opening close above them, shutting out the cold. Gus looked around excitedly, trying to take everything in at once. Justin watched as several more 'elves' appeared from all sides to release the reindeer, leading each one to a stall where other elves were supplying fresh hay.

"If you and your friends will follow me, Santa, I'll show you to your quarters."

Startled, Justin turned to find a teenager smiling at him.

"Oh, no, I'm not Santa," Justin said sheepishly. "I just... there was... you see..."

"What happened to your verbal skills, Sunshine?" Brian smirked finding Justin's situation humorous.

"If you'll follow me I'll take you to see someone who can explain everything," the elf said smiling.

"If you'll just show us to the nearest airport, we'll be on our way home," Brian said firmly.

"No! Dad, we have to stay! We have to see the workshop and where Santa lives and, and everything!" Gus turned to Justin. "Please, Dad II, we have to see it all!"

"Well..." Justin hesitated for a second, looking from Gus to Brian. "We do need to find out what's going on and if he can take us to someone that can do that, then we should go with him."

Brian pressed his fingers between his eyes. "Justin."

"Okay! I admit I want to see everything just like Gus does. But, Brian, we do need to find out what's happening."

"Fine, we'll follow... what's your name?" Brian asked roughly.

"Larry."

Brian quirked an eyebrow at the name. "Larry. We'll follow Larry, go see this person, find out what's going on, then we're going home." Brian wasn't sure he wanted to find out what was going on; he had a bad feeling about the whole situation and was worried there was more to come.

Having left the sleigh behind, the trio followed Larry, the young elf who they discovered through Gus' inquisition, wasn't so young at one hundred seventy-two years old. He took them on a brief tour of the reindeer's habitat, then into the gift wrapping area, and from there into the workshop.

Justin and Gus were fascinated with everything. Brian was hoping he would remember it all when he woke up. Maybe he could use this in some upcoming ad campaigns.

After leaving the workshop, Larry escorted them into Research and Development. The room was filled with drafting tables, light tables, and easels. There were paints of the most vivid, extraordinary colors. Brian turned to find Justin and Gus both had stopped and were staring in awe at the elves hard at work with the materials surrounding them.

"Oh no you two. We are not staying here." Brian turned to Larry. "Where is this person you said would tell us what was going on?"

"Is there a problem?" came a voice from behind them.

They turned to find another elf approaching, an aura of authority surrounding him.

"Who are you?" Brian asked.

"I'm Bernard," the elf said. He turned to Justin. "It's been a long time since we've had a Santa so young. Come on. I'll show you to your new home. You can change into something that will fit better, at least for now." Bernard smiled knowingly.

"Um... I'm not Santa; my name is Justin. Justin Taylor."

"As of tonight, you're Santa. Who are your friends?" Bernard asked, looking to Brian and Gus.

"This is my partner, Brian Kinney and our son, Gus. And I'm telling you, Bernard, I'm not Santa!" Justin answered determined to make the elf understand.

Bernard looked Justin in the eye and said, "You're wearing the suit aren't you?"

Justin looked down at his baggy clothing. "Obviously."

"The other Santa vanished, right?" Bernard continued.

"Yes," Justin answered warily.

"You read the card, right?" Bernard prompted with a smile and turned to show them the way to Justin's new home.

"No," Justin responded causing Bernard to stumble to a stop in mid-turn.

A hush fell over the room and Brian's stomach flipped. He was certain that this was where everything was going to start downhill - rapidly. No one spoke or made a sound for a full minute.

"You didn't read the card?" Bernard asked breaking the silence.

"No."

"Dad read the card." Gus spoke up before Brian could stop him.

"Wait... you read the card?" Bernard pointed to Brian as he spoke.

Brian rolled his eyes when he responded. "Yeah, I read the card."

"Then why didn't you put the suit on?"

"You're joking, right?" Brian frowned at the elf. He eyed Bernard up and down taking in the elf's colorful outfit.

"Dad only wears clothes from the top designers. Dad II isn't so picky." Gus laughed and Bernard smiled at the youngster.

Another elf approached having overheard the conversation along with every other elf in the room.

"Who delivered the gifts?" the new elf asked.

"I did most of it." Justin wrinkled his nose thinking maybe he had done something wrong.

"Most of it?" the elf asked perplexed by the reply.

"Who are you?" Brian interrupted.

"Quentin. I'm head of Research and Development," he responded to Brian then turned to Justin once again. "What do you mean by 'most of it'?"

"Dad II took us with him a few times. It was awesome!" Gus answered, bouncing on his toes.

Bernard turned to Quentin and demanded, "How is that possible? If he didn't read the card then the suit shouldn't have worked for him... unless..."

Both Quentin and Bernard nodded knowingly. Whispers from the other elves began to fill the room.

"Unless what?" Justin and Brian asked simultaneously.

Quentin turned back to his workers and shouted, "Bring me the Santa meter."

A petite female elf dressed in red scurried over with a device about the size of a cellphone. She handed it to Quentin who accepted it and with a great deal of anticipation, pointed the device at Justin. He pressed a button and the device immediately began playing 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.'

'Ooh's' and 'Ahh's' filled the room.

"What does that mean?" Justin asked guardedly.

Bernard gazed at Justin, amazed. "It means you're a very rare individual... you're a true believer. It's extremely rare to find a grownup who still believes in Santa."

"Grownup." Brian smirked.

Justin blushed and playfully swatted Brian on the arm.

"What are we going to do?" Quentin swung the meter away from Justin, inadvertently pointing it at Brian. The device once again began playing 'Santa Clause Is Coming To Town.'

"What the... point that thing somewhere else," Brian demanded with a growl. He attempted to grab the device, but Quentin stepped out of reach.

"Wow, Dad!" Gus jumped up and down.

"Brian?" Justin smirked at his frowning partner.

"Unbelievable! Two true believers!" Quentin shouted. Shouts of excitement filled the room.

"There must be something wrong with it," Brian said self-consciously, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.

Recognizing Brian's discomfort at the revelation that he, too, believes in Santa Claus, Justin wrapped his arms around him, rose up on tiptoe and planted a soft kiss to the side of Brian's mouth.

"It's alright, your secret is safe with us," he whispered.

Brian wrapped his arms around his partner and gave him a proper kiss. The room filled with ahh's once again plus a few sighs added in here and there.

"They do that a lot. Dad's always kissing Dad II," Gus explained with a smirk worthy of his dad, but with an added sparkle in his eye.

"Well, that's good to know." Bernard tussled Gus' hair and grinned.

"I have a question," Quentin said to Gus. "Why do you call him Dad, too? Doesn't it get confusing?"

"Not at all. Besides, he doesn't look like a 'Pop' and I'm too old to call him 'Daddy.' Since he's my dad," Gus took hold of Brian's hand, "and Justin is also my dad, I decided to call him Dad II. I bet I'm the only kid with a Dad and a Dad II."

"Makes sense to me," Bernard stated and Quentin nodded in agreement. "Now let's get you to your quarters. You'll need to rest for the trip back tomorrow morning. Then you both will have eleven months to get your affairs in order. You have to be back here by Thanksgiving."

Brian opened his mouth to object. Justin stopped him with a touch to his cheek.

"Let's wait 'til we get home tomorrow. Then we'll figure out what's going on." He glanced at Gus.

Brian followed his partner's gaze and noticed that Gus was beginning to wind down from all the excitement. He nodded in agreement and followed with his family behind Bernard.

~*~*~*~

Gus bounded into his dads' bedroom bright and early Christmas morning and climbed onto the foot of the massive king size bed. For a few seconds he contemplated jumping up and down like he had when he was younger, but decided he was too old for that kind of behavior. He watched closely as he noticed movement.

Justin woke slowly. The first thing he noticed was Brian had him pinned to the bed, his head in the middle of Justin's chest with one leg wedged between his. Brian's arm was wrapped around Justin, his hand tucked snuggly under his left shoulder.

The second thing Justin noticed as he blinked his vision into focus, which he was certain was happening one eyelash at a time, was movement. The bed was moving. Not in any kind of horrible morning-after-a-long-night-at-Babylon-hangover-nauseating manner, just a gentle bounce, like someone bouncing on the bed without trying to disturb the occupants - too much.

Justin raised his head slightly so he could see over Brian. Gus smiled brightly and waved.

"You're bouncing again, Gus. You've been doing that a lot lately," Justin said groggily.

"There's just been so many exciting things happening lately, Dad II." Gus' smile brightened more than Justin thought possible.

The chuckle Justin gave at his son's response stirred Brian from his peaceful slumber causing him to groan. Justin snickered at the feeling of something wet on his chest. It wasn't the usual wetness that occurred when he and Brian were in bed. Brian had actually drooled on him in his sleep.

"Jesus, Brian. I never knew you could drool that much."

Brian mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'fuck off' but Justin wasn't sure. He rubbed his hand up and down Brian's bare back in reply.

Gus stood up and walked to the head of the bed, careful not to step on either of his dads, and snagged a couple of tissues from the box on the beside table. He handed them to Justin before moving back to his previous position.

"What the hell?" Brian's head rose with a jerk having felt someone walking behind him on the bed.

"Thank you, Gus." Justin accepted the tissues and began to wipe up the drool on his chest.

"Gus, what are you doing in here?" Brian looked at his son and gave a quick swipe to his mouth with the corner of the sheet. He looked back at Justin with a smirk. "You must be lactating, Sunshine."

"You shit!" Justin laughed at Brian's refusal to admit he drools in his sleep.

"Daaad! It's Christmas morning. We have to go see what Santa left under the tree."

Images flashed in Brian's mind - Santa Claus in their living room - on the roof with Justin and Gus - Justin dressed like Santa - a sleigh with reindeer - a workshop full of toys - and elves - a lot of elves. He shook his head.

"Well, I guess we better get up, Sunshine, or else our son will be bouncing off the walls." Brian pressed a brief kiss to Justin's lips.

Justin grabbed the back of Brian's head, bringing him in for a slightly longer, deeper kiss; one that made Brian wish they could stay in bed a bit longer.

Gus jumped off the bed, grabbed his dads' robes and flung them at the bed on his way out of the room with a shout of 'hurry up.'

~*~*~*~

Walking into the living room with his partner felt almost dreamlike to Brian. Gus was at the tree admiring his new ice skates; a hockey stick stood propped against the table next to the boy. He wondered silently if Justin had bought them and put them under the tree sometime during the night. Somehow that didn't seem possible. The alternative was even more annoying though.

Gus heard his fathers approach and put his new skates aside along with the hockey stick. He reached under the tree and began passing out the gifts, leaving the presents for the rest of the family to be opened when everyone arrived later.

It didn't take long for all the gifts to be opened. Gus reached under the tree for one last gift. He knew Santa wanted this particular gift to be opened last. He handed the small box to Justin.

"Santa must have left it last night... before he went away," Gus said softly.

Justin examined the box closely. It looked familiar, but couldn't be what he thought. He and Brian had agreed upon his return from New York that they weren't ready for this step yet.

"Brian?" Justin looked at his partner, bemused.

"What is it, Sunshine?" Brian looked up from the book Gus had given him about his favorite photographer.

"Didn't you put this in the safe deposit at the bank?" Justin held up the box.

"What the..." Brian nearly stammered, recognizing the little black box. "Where did you find that?"

"It was under the tree, Dad. The tag says it's to Dad & Dad II from Santa."

Justin opened the box, his hands shaking. Inside he found their wedding rings.

Brian moved closer to his partner, looking over Justin's shoulder. He couldn't believe his eyes. The box did hold their wedding rings. Brian knew it wasn't possible, knew that neither of them had been to the bank for anything more than making a deposit. He reached over and took the box from Justin's shaking hand.

"What do you remember about last night, Justin?" Brian asked in a rough whisper.

Justin swallowed hard. He knew what took place the night before, but was his partner willing to believe it.

"It really happened... didn't it?" Brian's gaze moved from the rings in his hand to the spot in front of the fireplace where he had knelt next to a body.

"It really happened," Justin whispered.

"Dad? Dad II?" Gus slowly moved closer. "Is everything all right?"

Brian removed the smaller ring from the box. He looked Justin in the eye as he slipped it on Justin's left ring finger. Then he removed the remaining ring. Handing it to Justin, Brian raised his left hand. A tear slipped down Justin's cheek as he slipped the ring on Brian's hand, never once looking away from the man he loved.

"Everything is more than all right, Gus. Everything's perfect." Brian leaned forward and kissed Justin deeply.

After a moment Gus cleared his throat; his fathers parted briefly before touching foreheads.

"I have a question." Gus watched his dads to be sure they were paying attention.

"What is it, Gus?" Justin asked.

"Which one of you is the real Santa?"

Meanwhile at the North Pole...

Quentin entered the conservatory. Bernard always went to the conservatory when he needed to think. He found him staring up at the stars through the glass roof.

"Which one is really Santa?" Quentin asked his fellow elf.

"We'll know once the change starts," Bernard replied.

Quentin winced. After watching the two men the previous night, he figured if it was Brian, the man's reaction would probably be heard at the North Pole... without benefit of elf magic.

It never occurred to either Brian or Justin to ask which one of them was the real Santa. Both men had been focusing on something more important last night - namely Brian's sanity.

Brian had been certain he was either dreaming or going insane, whereas, Justin had been certain everything was real and was worried Brian would go insane once he learned the truth. Thankfully, they had both been wrong. Brian took the news quite well; that is, until Gus asked his question.

Those eight words spoken by his son reminded Brian of the timeframe for getting their affairs in order. That was when the reality of their situation set in.

Neither Brian nor Justin knew the answer to Gus' question, nor did they want to think about it at that moment.

"I think we need to leave that question to be discussed after the holidays," Brian suggested. "But, Gus, there is something we need to discuss before the rest of the family comes over this afternoon."

Gus looked at his father, he quirked an eyebrow in silent question.

Brian smiled at the boy then became serious. "You can't tell anyone about last night."

Gus rolled his eyes. "I know, Dad. I can't tell anyone, not even the moms or JR, about what happened. They'd probably think you guys gave me too much sugar or something."

Brian and Justin laughed.

"Besides, they wouldn't believe me anyway. They don't believe in Santa," Gus continued with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Well, we know they're wrong." Brian pulled his son close. "But we have to wait to discuss who's going to be Santa. Personally I vote for Dad II. Did you notice how well that suit fit him?"

"Hey!" Justin laughed and playfully swatted Brian on the arm.

Gus giggled at his fathers' antics.

"You guys clean up in here. I'll make breakfast, and we need to get the turkey in the oven no later than 9:30." Justin headed toward the kitchen while Brian and Gus started cleaning up the discarded wrapping paper, ribbons and bows.

~*~*~*~

The holidays continued on without any discussion of the events of Christmas Eve. Gus returned to Toronto with his mothers and sister with a minimum of fuss, reassured that there would be future visits no matter what the future had in store for them.

Brian returned to Kinnetik; Justin returned to his studio. Both men knew they needed to discuss their unique situation; however, neither of them knew where to begin.

The upcoming Valentine's Day brought the matter into the open again when the gang met for lunch at the diner a few days prior to the holiday.

"You know, Brian, you should do something at Babylon for Valentine's Day," Emmett suggested, which earned him a scathing look from Brian.

"Actually, boss, that's not a bad idea," Ted added. "Themed events at Babylon usually bring in a lot of revenue."

"You could have the dancers dress up like Cupid. OH! They could wear little red Speedos with white fluffy wings!" Emmett clapped joyously at the image.

Justin shifted uncomfortably, remembering his desperate time as a dancer at Babylon and the night he had to wear those fluffy white wings. Brian reached under the table and rubbed Justin's thigh in understanding.

Emmett seemed to be on a roll as he continued on talking about how the dancers could dress as leprechauns for St. Patrick's Day and wear rabbit ears and white Speedos with a cottontail attached for Easter. For Halloween they could wear glow-in-the-dark body paint reflecting the skeletal system and for Thanksgiving some would be dressed as pilgrims and others dressed as Indians.

"And then for Christmas, you could dress as Santa and Justin could dress as an elf," Emmett joked with a laugh and the others joined in.

Brian and Justin looked at each other, knowing it was time to talk, that delaying it wouldn't help anything or anyone.

"Gotta go," Brian said brusquely. They both rose and quickly left the diner after dropping enough money on the table to cover their meals.

"Was it something I said?" Emmett asked the others.

They all wondered what had happened to cause the pair to leave so quickly without saying goodbye.

~*~*~*~

After a quick call to Cynthia letting her know he would be working from home the rest of the day, Brian and Justin made a silent drive home. Upon their arrival Justin made a pot of coffee while Brian changed from his suit to jeans and a black t-shirt. Then the two men settled into Brian's home office.

"Any idea which of us is the real Santa?" Brian asked his partner quietly.

"No. It doesn't matter though, because we're in this together. I'll have to go to New York, close down my studio. We can sublet the apartment until the lease runs out." Justin wandered around Brian's office, unconsciously massaging his right hand.

"You're not giving up your art, Justin. It's a big part of you," Brian insisted firmly.

"I'll still be an artist, Brian. Location doesn't matter. Besides, I don't paint twenty-four hours a day. There are days I never pick up a brush. We'll just have to take a lifetime supply of sketchpads." Justin joked, attempting to keep their discussion from becoming too somber.

"You can't give up your career. Fuck, Justin, you're just getting started," Brian growled with frustration.

"What about Kinnetik? You've worked damn hard to establish Kinnetik as the premier boutique ad agency in Pennsylvania. Are you going to give it up after only four years?" Justin asked just as frustrated as his partner.

"Fuck!" shouted Brian.

The room grew silent for several minutes.

"Brian... maybe we should try to contact Bernard... maybe there's a way that we won't have to give up everything we've worked so hard for." Justin watched closely for Brian's reaction.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Brian nodded in agreement. He stood slowly and crossed the room to his wall safe where he removed a small red box with a green button. Brian sighed as he pushed the button.

Justin crossed the room to stand next to Brian. A moment later Bernard stood before them amidst a shower of sparkling glitter.

"Is there a problem?" Bernard asked.

"Yeah," Brian said calmly. "Do you know which one of us is the real Santa?"

Bernard winced. "No, at least not yet. This has never happened before."

"Alright, fair enough. Now... you said we had until Thanksgiving to get our affairs in order. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Bernard started pacing. "Well, it's similar to moving somewhere new, which is what you will be doing. You need to sell any property that you own, but you also need to cancel any insurance policies, close bank accounts, cancel credit cards -"

"Wait a fucking minute," Brian interrupted angrily. "You expect us to just disappear? What about our son, our family, friends?"

"What are we supposed to tell them? Gus already knows what happened, but how do you think he's going to take finding out we won't be here?" Justin asked, anxiously running a hand through his hair. "This was the first Christmas that we were able to spend the entire vacation time together. He's supposed to spend two months with us this summer."

"You're not due back at the North Pole until Thanksgiving, so you'll have the summer to spend with Gus. And you can visit Gus anytime. He can even visit you," Bernard replied nervously.

"What about the rest of our family?" Brian asked. "How the fuck are we supposed to explain to them why we won't be around?"

"You can't tell anyone, at least not unless you can trust them to never tell another soul. No one can find out." Bernard pleaded with the two men.

The tension in the room was thick. All three men were pacing restlessly, each one lost in thought. Justin finally broke the silence.

"What about Brian's career? He owns his own advertising agency. He can't just give that up after working his ass off to make it the best agency in the state." Justin pressed his fingers against his temple, feeling a headache building.

"Don't worry about Kinnetik; I think I know how to handle the agency. What about your career, Justin? Yours is just getting started." Brian took Justin in his arms, one hand massaging the back of Justin's neck.

"I can paint anywhere," Justin replied softly.

"With a little Elf magic, anything is possible." Bernard smiled, knowing these two men would be able to work things out together. "I really need to get back to the workshop. While Santa is gone, I'm in charge."

Justin turned sharply at Bernard's last statement. "Wait, you mean Santa's in charge?"

"Of course. Santa's the boss; he makes the rules," Bernard said with a bright smile then disappeared in a twinkle of glitter.

Justin looked back to Brian, a look of surprise on his face. Brian had the same expression.

"That means -" Justin started.

"We make the rules," Brian finished.

The pair sat down and made a list of what needed to be done.

Brian decided that Cynthia and Ted could be trusted to keep the secret. It might take a touch of elf magic to prove to them that Santa does exist but Brian knew they were his most loyal employees and friends; both had proven that time and time again through the years. The two would be able to run Kinnetik in Brian's absence and only contact Brian when absolutely necessary.

Justin could continue with his career just as he had been doing for more than a year. Now he painted in his studio at Britin only traveling wherever necessary when his agent scheduled shows. It was reasonable that the New York apartment would be paid for through Kinnetik's earnings and employees meeting with clients in New York would use the apartment instead of staying in hotels while in the city.

After making their decisions regarding their careers it was time to discuss the family.

"I think Mom can handle the truth since she was the one who always told me Santa was real," Justin told Brian.

"You think she still believes?" Brian asked, worried that possibly Jennifer no longer held that belief.

"Yes, I think she does still believe," Justin replied. He licked his lips, unsure how Brian would respond to his own question. "Brian... why do you believe?"

A sad expression graced Brian's face before he answered. "When I was a kid Christmas was probably the best time of the year. We didn't get a lot of gifts or anything and mostly Claire and I got clothes and a couple of toys. Jack and Joan didn't want any of their friends or neighbors to think they couldn't provide for their kids... but as the years went by and Jack began to drink more, Christmas wasn't always pleasant." Brian reached for his neglected coffee cup to find the contents had gone cold.

"Come on; let's get some fresh coffee in the kitchen. We could both use some." Justin stood up, grabbing his own neglected cup and led the way to the kitchen.

Settled at the counter with a fresh cup of hot coffee, Brian continued his story.

"The teachers at school would always make us write a letter to Santa. I guess I was about nine or ten when one of the kids in my class found out the teachers were giving the letters to our parents. They wanted to make sure our parents knew what we wanted for Christmas. Of course, it was just a couple years later that the teachers figured we were too old to be writing letters to Santa. By that time Christmas wasn't such a great holiday at home. Jack was drinking more and more. Joan was spending most of her time at church or in a bottle of sherry. Christmas became just another day of abuse and neglect.

"When I was eleven, I spent Christmas Day in the ER. Jack had slapped me a couple of times because I didn't do something fast enough for him. I was running, trying to get away from Jack, ended up falling down the stairs, broke my arm. That was probably the only time he could honestly say I was hurt because I fell down. Anyway, the next year I decided to write a letter to Santa... I don't remember what prompted me to do it... I guess I just didn't want another Christmas like the year before. But all I asked for was a peaceful Christmas Day, one without a drunken father who hurt me and a drunken mother who turned a blind eye."

Brian huffed a strangled laugh. Justin placed a soothing hand on Brian's back, gently encouraging him to continue.

"I mailed my letter a week before Christmas. The only address I put on the envelope was Santa Claus, North Pole. I don't know what I was expecting, but on Christmas Eve Jack got sick and was rushed to the hospital... it was his appendix. Joan stayed at the hospital with him, Claire took off to a friend's, and I was left all alone at the house."

"Santa gave you what you asked for... a peaceful Christmas Day." Justin spoke quietly.

"I never asked for another fucking thing after that. Yet every Christmas after that year, was peaceful... no yelling or fighting, no hitting... Jack would disappear to the Union Hall to drink with his buddies and would pass out the minute he came home... Joan would spend the day in church and when she came home she would sit in the living room and read her Bible with a bottle of sherry... Claire... I don't really know what the hell she did. Then after I met Mikey, I'd spend most of the day at his house."

Wanting to bring his partner out of his painful past, Justin asked, "What are we going to tell Michael?"

"I'm not sure. I do know we can't tell him the truth. He's not a believer. Neither is Lindsay or Mel. And we certainly can't tell Emmett; all of Liberty Ave. would know before we finished telling him. We'll have to figure out something."

Justin nodded in agreement and the pair returned to Brian's office to continue with their plans.

It took the better part of a month for the partners to figure out a plan of strategy so on a Saturday afternoon in late March, Brian and Justin requested the presence of Jennifer, Cynthia and Ted at Britin. Everyone gathered together in Brian's office. Jennifer and Cynthia were seated on the sofa, both sipping coffee and making a valiant effort to not look nervous. Ted was seated rather stiffly in one of the overstuffed chairs with a bottle of water, making no effort not to look nervous since he knew he could never pull it off. Brian and Justin leaned against Brian's desk. Both men were anxious, but it was only noticeable with Justin.

"Before we get started on why we asked all of you here, there's something we would like to know first," Brian firmly stated.

"What is it, Brian?" Jennifer asked, afraid something was wrong.

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?" Brian spoke smoothly, as if he were asking them how their day was going.

Cynthia looked at her boss, puzzled by the question, while Jennifer smiled, obviously amused. Ted's expression hadn't changed; he continued to look at Brian as if he hadn't spoken a word.

Justin glanced at his mother with a slight grin. He knew her answer by the smile on her face; he knew she would still believe.

"Of course I do, Brian," Jennifer smiled brightly at him.

"Brian, does this have to do with a new campaign?" Cynthia asked at the same time Jennifer spoke. She turned to Justin's mother, bewildered by her response. "Did you say you do believe?"

Ted sat unmoving for a moment longer. He turned slightly to look at Jennifer then turned to look back at Brian and Justin. Ted opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He snapped his mouth shut before turning back to Jennifer who was acknowledging her response with a nod of her head.

"I always have believed. When I was very little we lived in a small apartment with no fireplace. There was a very special doll that I wanted, but none of the stores carried it. On Christmas Eve I was so worried that Santa wouldn't be able to get in to leave our gifts that I snuck out of my room to go sit by the tree. I fell asleep waiting for Santa to come. Something woke me and when I looked up there he was, placing the doll I asked for under the tree. He winked at me and then disappeared in a twinkle of glitter." Jennifer's wistful expression pulled at Cynthia's heart and snapped Ted out of his dazed state.

"Did I... did... I'm not... okay, just let me... wait... I'm almost positive that you... you..." Ted stammered and spluttered.

Concerned for their friend, Justin asked, "Ted, are you okay?"

Ted grabbed his bottle of water and took several gulps, draining it, then said, "I'm fairly certain that I never in my life expected Brian Kinney to ask me if I believe in Santa Claus... I did hear you correctly, didn't I? I mean... I... I'm not sure what I mean." Ted shook his head, befuddled by the conversation in the room.

"You heard me correctly, Theodore." Brian smirked. He looked at Cynthia. "No, Cynthia, this is not for a campaign."

"Okay, it's not for a campaign... and from the look on your face, you're serious." Cynthia looked thoughtful for a brief moment. "Well, if you honestly want to know then I would have to say, no, I don't believe in Santa Claus. I haven't since I was about ten or eleven years old... but right now, I have a strange feeling the two of you are about to prove me wrong."

Justin looked to Brian; there was a silent exchange. Justin crossed the room to the wall safe and in a matter of seconds Bernard appeared in a twinkling of glitter. There was a soft thud.

Cynthia sat in shocked silence, Jennifer smiled knowingly, and Ted lay in a crumpled heap on the floor after sliding rather gracefully from his chair.

"For fucks sake," Brian growled as he moved to Ted's side. "I don't believe it!"

"I'll get some water," Justin said. He hurried to the mini-fridge in the corner of the office, returning with a fresh bottle of water.

"Theodore. Theodore!" Brian gently patted Ted's cheek.

Bernard watched the scene with slight amusement. The sensation of someone staring at him pulled his attention from the three men. Looking toward the two women in the room, Bernard knew for certain that the older woman knew he was an elf so she would cause no problems. He caught the gaze of the younger woman and smiled. Bernard wasn't sure what she thought.

Cynthia couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Everything in her said it was impossible, but she knew she had just seen a young man appear before her in a shower of glitter. She couldn't stop staring at him.

Jennifer watched as Cynthia and the Elf continued to stare at each other. Worried he might become uncomfortable, she greeted him cordially, "Hello. I'm Jennifer Taylor. Justin's mother."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Bernard."

A moan from Ted stopped any further conversation. The trio turned to watch the other three.

"Alright, Theodore, let's get you up in the chair." Brian pulled Ted from the floor and dropped him in the chair.

Justin opened the bottle of water and giving a gentle command to drink, he handed it to Ted. Following several small sips, Ted began to regain his composure. He looked at the newest addition to the gathering.

"You're real... I mean... you really are here. I'm looking at..." Ted's eyes rounded. "Sorry, I mean, I'm just so..."

"Surprised?" Bernard asked, eyebrows raised in question. "It's okay. I imagine that would be the reaction most people would have seeing an elf for the first time."

Ted nodded, but didn't say anything further.

Bernard turned back to Jennifer and with a brilliant smile said, "I remember, you wanted one of the new dolls that talked, except none of the dolls had strawberry blond hair. Santa asked us to make one special, just for you."

Jennifer's eyes watered hearing that Santa had the doll made just for her. She had known at the time, and always remembered, the doll was special; she had carried it with her everywhere she went for a very long time. She had even risked being ridiculed by her friends as they all grew older and exchanged dolls for makeup and talk of boys.

"That's right. I wanted one with my hair color, but I had never seen one with strawberry blond hair." Jennifer caught the tear before it could fall.

"Okay, I believe," Cynthia said breathlessly. "You don't have to do anything else to convince me. Just tell me what it is you need me to do."

"Theodore?" Brian queried his friend.

Understanding the unasked question, Ted nodded. "Just tell me what you need, Bri."

Brian felt his own body relax and realized that he had been tense all day. He heard Justin give a sigh of relief then felt him move closer. Brian reached out, pulling his partner into his arms to give him a passion filled kiss.

Bernard remained long enough to confirm that Brian and Justin would be able to return when necessary; however, he did remind them both that their priority would be toys for the millions of children in the world who celebrate Christmas. It wouldn't matter which of them was the real Santa Claus because as partners they were in this together. Before he returned to the North Pole, he informed Brian and Justin that the list would be arriving soon.

After hearing the events of Christmas Eve, the group spent most of the afternoon discussing how things would be handled during Brian and Justin's absence. Ted was able to reassure Brian regarding the New York apartment. It was already in Kinnetik's name, providing the company with a tax write-off.

There was further discussion about Justin's studio. It was a tax write-off for him since he earned his living as an artist. The question was would he still be earning his living as an artist in the future. Justin remained adamant that he could paint anywhere, even the North Pole.

"But, Justin, it's been your dream to be a famous artist since you were little... to see your work hanging in a gallery for everyone to see," Jennifer insisted, flustered at the thought that her son was giving up what he had worked so hard for all his life.

"That's not entirely true, Mom. I will admit that yes, I have always wanted to see my work hanging in a gallery, wanted people to see it and hopefully understand and enjoy. But being famous has never mattered. Famous doesn't equate with what I have in my personal life, with Brian and Gus." Justin looked at the man he loved, saw the understanding look in his eyes. "Our life together is far more important to me than any article in 'Art Forum' or being a topic of conversation at some high society dinner party."

Jennifer's heart ached watching the love between her son and his partner, still worried that Justin was giving up his dream to be with the man he loved. After all, that's what she had done when she married Craig.

Cynthia had been typing away at Brian's laptop while the others discussed the situation with Justin's studio. Once she had all the information she needed, she interrupted their conversation. "I think I may have a solution."

They turned as one with Brian motioning for her to continue.

"When Kinnetik purchased the apartment in New York there was the possibility of the apartment next door becoming available and combining the two. It would have given you the entire north side of the fourteenth floor. Justin would have had his choice of the northeast or northwest corner as a studio. You even joked about putting a studio in both corners so he could have both morning and afternoon light to paint in."

"But that fell through and I kept my studio so I wouldn't be cooped up in the same place all day, every day."

"I know, but I've been watching that apartment. It could become available within the next year. The current tenant works for a company that is looking to expand overseas. Things are really looking good for that to happen soon... and guess who would head the new office?"

Brian remained quiet, watching his lover think about what Cynthia had said. It had to be Justin's decision.

"What else?" Justin asked, chewing on his thumbnail, causing Brian to smile. His partner was getting good at reading Cynthia.

"You said that you were both transported on Christmas Eve just like Bernard was today. So if there's a similar way to transport your paintings from the North Pole to your studio in New York it would solve any problems preventing your career from moving forward. You keep your current studio, then Kinnetik will purchase the apartment when it becomes available, giving you and Brian a larger living space as well as a studio for you. It could even be closed off when someone from the company stays in New York while visiting clients."

Justin contemplated her suggestion for a few minutes. He turned to Brian and said, "That could actually work... that is, if we can transport my paintings."

Brian smiled. "I'll bet Quentin can come up with something."

Justin beamed a bright sunny smile.

So did his mother.

By summertime things were falling into place. Within three months of Cynthia's revelations regarding the apartment in New York, the owner approached Brian asking if he was still interested in purchasing his apartment; his company was going ahead with the expansion. He remembered their prior interest in his place and offered them the first option to buy. They closed on the property the middle of June with the expansion construction beginning the next week.

Gus, who had joined his fathers for the summer, traveled to New York with them. The newly purchased apartment was slightly larger than theirs, so it was decided the larger apartment would be designated solely for their personal use. Any Kinnetik employee staying in the city would stay in their old apartment with the connecting access to the new addition closed and locked.

The family then spent a week selecting furniture for their new living area, which included new bedroom furniture for Gus. He had grown up a bit since his original room had been furnished and his new bedroom was a bit larger so Gus requested a queen size bed instead of keeping the twin size he currently slept in. Everything would be purchased and delivered once the renovations were completed.

Their regular morning routine started again upon their return to Britin. Each morning Gus would join Justin in the kitchen to help make breakfast. The first morning following their return from New York, Gus woke before his fathers. Deciding to watch cartoons and let his dads sleep a bit longer, he made his way downstairs. As he passed the open door to his dads' office Gus glanced inside. With a sharp gasp, he rushed back up the stairs to his fathers' bedroom.

"Dad! Dad II! Get up! You gotta see this!" Gus knocked loudly on the door as the excitement in his voice grew. He almost barged into the room when at the last minute he remembered the last time he had done that and had caught the sight of his Dad kissing Dad II on the stomach. It hadn't been as bad as when he walked in and saw his moms doing grownup things in bed, but he figured that was because his dads had the same parts as him; plus they were still pretty much covered up by the sheet, whereas his moms had been completely uncovered and their parts were totally different.

Inside the bedroom Brian and Justin quickly pulled away from each other at the sound of banging on the door. Concern for their son had both men out of bed, grabbing for robes and at the door in record time. As soon as the door opened Gus grabbed his fathers' hands and pulled them toward the stairs, jabbering non-stop about something filling the office downstairs.

"Gus, slow down! What are you talking about?" Brian asked his son, confused by Gus' actions.

"You should see it! They're everywhere! Probably won't be able to even get in! It's amazing! I bet I know what it is! It'll take forever! Wonder why he didn't send it sooner?" Gus went on and on, about what they still didn't know.

Finally reaching the open doorway of their office, the two men and their son looked inside. What they found were stacks and stacks of red boxes, some stacked almost as tall as Justin.

The trio wound their way between the stacks, careful not to dislodge any, which would most likely start a domino effect.

Justin spotted a white envelope on Brian's desk; it was simply addressed: Santa.

"You want to open it or do you want me to do it?" Justin asked quietly.

"Go ahead, I doubt it really matters which of us opens it," Brian responded.

Justin opened the envelope, pulling a sheath of parchment paper from within. He unfolded it and read aloud, "Here's the list. Be sure to check it twice and note who's been naughty and who's been nice. Bernard."

"Fuck!" Brian whispered harshly. He lifted the lid from the top box of the stack closest to his desk to reveal a two inch stack of parchment paper with names listed alphabetically starting with 'A.'

Gus started giggling, bringing his fathers' attention to him. He smiled brightly and said, "It's from the song."

Justin caught on before Brian did and joined in the laughter. He and Gus laughed harder when Brian finally caught on, rolling his eyes.

"Alright... shit... What are we supposed to do with this? How do we know if some kid we don't even know has been naughty or nice?" Brian sighed.

Justin stopped laughing immediately, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"Santa just knows," Gus intoned knowingly. His dads looked at him; Gus shrugged and took the lid off the box closest to him.

Brian and Justin looked from their son to each other, shrugged and began reading through the list.

~*~*~*~

Those who knew the 'Santa situation,' as it had been labeled, held out hope that the list would reveal whether Brian or Justin was Santa. That, however, turned out to be wishful thinking. It appeared that both men knew instinctively who was naughty or nice. So, checking the list twice didn't take as long as they thought it might. Their plans were moving ahead quicker than they had thought.

Ted and Cynthia were already handling the office with Brian keeping in touch through phone calls and webcam. Everything was still approved by Brian with very little of his time spent in the office. A little elf magic and Brian could 'pop' into Kinnetik for a meeting. He would just need to remember to take his Armani and Prada collections with him to the North Pole.

The renovations on the apartment were ahead of schedule as well. Justin would be traveling to New York to close his studio and move everything at the end of the month. A similar arrangement had been made with his manager to keep in touch via webcam and phone calls concerning gallery showings. Quentin was already working on a device to transport Justin's work.

As for the family, it was decided to tell everyone that Brian and Justin were moving to New York; Justin's career was taking off and he would need to be there, be seen by the right people, in the right galleries.

Michael and Debbie were proving to be the most difficult to deal with after the move was announced. Already the couple was rarely seen except at the occasional dinner at Debbie's. In an attempt to placate Debbie and since Gus was visiting they did try to see her as often as possible. Breakfast or lunch at the diner a couple of times a week kept her quiet for the most part about their impending departure.

Michael was another story. Before finding out about the move to New York, Melanie and Lindsay had agreed and arranged for Michael to have Jenny Rebecca for two weeks during the summer. Michael and Ben had been overjoyed to have the four year old staying with them, while Debbie had been ecstatic to have her little granddaughter back home to spoil.

After his daughter returned to Toronto with her mothers, Michael grew depressed and nothing Ben did seemed to help. Ben kept busy teaching summer classes and Hunter was away at college, taking classes year round in an attempt to graduate early. The store didn't seem to occupy enough of Michael's time so he had taken to calling Brian every day, several times a day.

Even his old jealousy of Justin seemed to appear out of nowhere. Justin understood that Michael was upset; his daughter was living in another country and now his best friend was moving away. Then when Michael found out Brian was selling the loft he threw a fit. He verbally attacked Justin in the diner, blaming him for everything, shocking everyone and scaring Gus. Brian pulled Michael out of the diner and into the alley, leaving Justin to take care of their son.

It took a lot of coaxing but Brian finally convinced Michael they were still friends, that he still loved him, always had, always would. Then he convinced him to talk to Alex, explaining how the doctor had been able to help him with Justin after he was bashed. Michael was stunned to hear Brian had actually sought professional help and agreed to speak with Brian's friend. Once Michael was reassured he wasn't losing his best friend, they returned to the diner where Michael apologized profusely to Justin and Gus. To everyone's relief his apologies were graciously accepted.

Following Michael's meltdown, things began going extremely well again; the renovations were completed early; Justin sublet his studio to a sculptor; it was nearly the end of summer and Gus would be returning to Toronto in a week; and the list had been checked twice and returned to Bernard.

Everything was peaceful.

Brian woke slowly. He reached down to stroke his morning erection as he rolled toward his partner. He admired Justin's peaceful face. Brian reached out to caress Justin's cheek and that's when it hit him.

"Oh, shit!"

Justin woke to the feel of Brian's breath puffing against his skin. Without opening his eyes he asked his partner with a smirk, "Starting without me?"

When the only response was heavier puffing, Justin opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times trying to bring Brian into focus. Brian's eyes were opened wide, focused on him yet with a slightly glazed look.

"Brian, what the fuck is going on?" Justin asked, his vision finally clearing of the sleep induced fog.

Brian's breathing notched up a bit more. Justin began to worry that Brian was having a panic attack.

"Listen to me, Brian. Take a deep breath." Justin waited for Brian to follow his instructions. "That's it, hold it... one, two, three, four, five. Blow it out slowly... that's it, one more time... hold it... one, two, three, four, five. Blow it out slowly."

Brian's breathing began to slow down so Justin took that time to take a better look at his partner. He watched the glazed look leave Brian's hazel eyes, but before he could go any further in his inspection, Brian spoke.

"Sunshine... do you notice anything... unusual this morning?" Brian asked, his voice slightly shaky.

"Is something wrong, Brian? Are you alright?" Justin asked nervously.

Suddenly Brian threw the covers to the end of the bed, leaving them both naked to the cool air of the room.

"Holy Fuck!" Justin screamed as he looked down. He scrambled to his knees, one hand flying up to cover his mouth in astonishment, the other reaching cautiously to Brian's rounded stomach. "What the hell? Oh, my God! Brian, are you alright? Are you in pain? I'll call an ambulance!" Justin turned so quickly to reach for the phone that he nearly fell off the bed.

Brian grabbed Justin's arm worried he would fall. Now that he was beginning to calm down, Justin was working himself into a panic attack. He pulled Justin to him as he sat up. They held each other tight, both trying to comfort the other. Slowly Justin calmed down so they could talk.

"Do not call an ambulance," Brian said firmly.

"Brian, you need to see a doctor. I mean, I know you've been eating a lot more the past couple of months... all that heavy Italian food Deb has been cooking and sending home with us. You've even taken to eating cookies with me and Gus, but this..." Justin stalled out on what to say.

"I've been working out a lot more though, trying to counteract Deb's cooking as well as the cookies you guys force me to eat." Brian tried to scowl.

Justin wasn't buying into it. He had caught Brian eating cookies a couple of times when Brian thought he was alone at the house.

"But, Brian, this is too sudden. This can't be just from all the heavy food and snacks. You need to see a doctor," Justin insisted. He placed his hand gently on Brian's stomach, afraid he might hurt him if he wasn't careful.

"I'm not leaving the house looking like this, Justin. If I see a doctor, he's coming to the house, I'll be fucked if I'm going anywhere outside this house!" Brian growled and tried to sit up straighter jostling his stomach.

A giggle burst out of Justin before he could stop it. He glanced up at Brian who was truly scowling now and frowned at him.

"What the fuck, Justin? This isn't funny!" Brian snapped.

"I know, Brian. It's just..." he stopped, unsure if he should continue.

"What?" Brian said through gritting teeth.

"Maybe we shouldn't be calling a doctor... maybe we should be calling a certain elf?" Justin raised one eyebrow. A matching one swiftly appeared on Brian's face. "It's just that when you moved to sit up, your stomach... well, it..."

"What?!" Brian barked.

"It felt like jelly," Justin whispered.

"Oh, Fuck No!" Brian bellowed angrily. "No fucking way, Justin!" Brian hurriedly moved, leaving Justin sitting alone on the bed. He began to pace the expanse of the room, hands pushing roughly through his hair, teeth gnashing together, mumbling under his breath.

"Brian... Brian." Justin tried to get his partner's attention. He wanted Brian to know he was going to contact Bernard. He crawled off the bed, moving to stand in Brian's path.

Brian came to an abrupt stop, nearly toppling them both over when he found Justin in his way.

"Brian, I'm going down to the office to get -"

A shower of sparkling glitter interrupted Justin, announcing the arrival of Bernard.

"Whoa!" Bernard shouted, covering his eyes and turning away from the two naked men in the room.

"Pretty disgusting, huh, Bernard," Brian sneered.

"Uhm, actually no, just... well, you know... you're both... you know... naked, with everything... you know, n-naked," Bernard stammered turning a bright shade of red.

"Shit, a blushing elf." Brian smirked. "Maybe we should change your name to Bashful."

Justin swatted Brian on the arm then grabbed their robes. They were both covered in a matter of seconds.

"It's alright, Bernard, you can turn around now." Justin noticed Brian was having difficulty getting the robe to stay closed over his stomach. It looked as though it was actually a little bigger than it was only moments ago. He reached over and helped him tie the belt tighter.

Still blushing Bernard turned around giving both men a shy smile.

"How did you know to come? I was just about to get that thing Quentin gave us," Justin questioned the elf.

"Santa's Helper." Bernard nodded. "Well, we've been expecting one of you to change. Actually it should have started sooner. When nothing was happening, we decided to send a few elves to stay as close to the two of you as possible without being seen. They're all armed with a Santa Meter."

"A what?" Brian asked trying to stay calm. He gave a quick glance around the room, but the only elf he saw was Bernard.

"A Santa Meter," the elf replied, "it monitors Santa's emotions, well, your emotions, Santa." Bernard gave Brian a genuine smile.

There was a knock on the door followed by Gus' voice calling out, "Dad, Dad II... are you guys awake? Can I come in?"

"Come on in, Gus," Justin said.

The door opened and Gus trotted in expecting to find his dads still in bed. He was surprised to find not only were they both up, but Bernard was in the room as well.

"Bernard!" Gus shouted, rushing over to give the elf a hug.

"Hey, Gus! Have you been good this year?" Bernard asked with a grin.

"You bet I have! Gotta be when your dad's Santa Claus," Gus replied. He turned to look at his fathers, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Brian's rounded stomach.

"Wow! So, Dad, you're the real Santa! That is so awesome!" Gus squealed.

The instant Gus called him 'the real Santa' Brian felt his world shift. He started toward the bathroom when he caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Moving at a snail's pace, Brian approached the mirror, his eyes trained on his reflection. He pulled the belt loose, letting the robe fall open. After several minutes of quiet contemplation and a thorough examination of his body, Brian retied the belt on his robe and turned to look at the other occupants of the room.

"No," Brian stated emphatically. "I won't do it. I can't."

"But, Dad," Gus whispered sadly, his earlier elation plummeting. He couldn't believe his dad didn't want to be Santa Claus.

"I'm sorry, Gus. I just can't," Brian repeated softly.

Justin approached his partner slowly. He reached out to pull Brian to him, only Brian backed away.

"Brian, you can do this. It's who you are, who you were meant to be." Justin reached again, but Brian stepped further away.

"Justin... if I can't see my dick... no one will... You understand me?" Brian whispered desperately to his lover. He turned and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

The despair Justin had seen in Brian's eyes brought tears to his own. He watched his lover walk away, the door closing, shutting him out. Justin turned in time to prevent Gus from following his father.

"But, Dad II, we have to make him understand." Tears began to fall from Gus' dark brown eyes, the only physical sign that Lindsay was his mother; except for the color of his eyes, Gus was all Brian.

Justin hugged Gus to his chest, placing a gentle kiss on his son's head. He looked over at Bernard. The elf looked as crestfallen as Gus.

"We'll figure something out, Gus. Don't worry, we'll figure something out." Justin wasn't sure what would happen; yet somehow he knew it would all work out.

~*~*~*~

Brian had been in the bathroom a long time. Justin had asked Bernard to take Gus down to the kitchen so he could have some breakfast. The elf was happy to help in any way he could. They left Justin alone in the bedroom for a while, giving him time to think.

When they returned, Brian was still in the bathroom and Justin was sitting on the bed sketching, his artist's case sat next to him. He looked up when they walked in.

"Bernard, you said that the change should have started before now, right?" Justin asked then turned his attention back to his sketchpad.

"Yeah, it should have started when we sent the list or even before that," he responded.

"Any idea why it didn't?" Justin continued to sketch.

"No." Bernard shook his head as he spoke.

Justin picked up a different colored pencil and shaded in a small area before changing to another color.

"Dad II, what are you drawing?" Gus asked, curious about the sketch.

"You'll see in a minute, Gus." Justin smiled at his son. "Be patient."

"Okay," Gus sighed. He sounded so much like Brian that Justin snickered.

After a few minutes of silence Justin put his pencils away and moved the artist's case to the bedside table. He closed the sketchpad, and hugging it to his chest, Justin climbed off the bed and crossed the room to the bathroom where he gently rapped on the door.

"What?" was the reply muffled slightly by the closed door.

"We need to talk, Brian, and there's something I want to show you." Justin spoke loudly through the door, but kept his voice gentle.

Bernard and Gus had both moved to the window seat while waiting for Justin to finish his sketch. They watched anxiously as Justin tried to coax Brian out of the bathroom.

"Please, Brian. I think I may know how to help." Justin continued to talk calmly, although inside he was jumping.

The bathroom door slowly opened. Brian stepped out, not looking at anyone in the room.

Justin reached out, thankful that Brian didn't pull away this time; he cupped Brian's face, stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss lovingly on Brian's lips.

"I love you, Brian... you... It won't matter if you're young and trim or you're wrinkled and fat. I love you and only you."

Brian finally looked into Justin's beautiful upturned face and said, "I love you, Sunshine. No matter what, I love you, too."

Justin smiled a smile to honor his nickname and pulled Brian to sit on the bed.

"I want to show you something. Gus, Bernard, you need to see this, too." Justin waited for the pair to join them. Once everyone was situated Justin opened his sketchpad.

"I've been thinking about what you said, Bernard, about how the change should have started months ago. What if it really did start then? What if Brian's subconscious mind was controlling his body's reaction, not allowing it to change?" Justin turned the sketchpad around.

On the page was a drawing of Brian as Santa Claus - a slender, but not too slender, Santa Claus, complete with a neatly trimmed white beard and hair.

"Fuck! My hair will change, too? And a full beard?" Brian felt his world tilting again.

"Brian!" Justin grabbed his chin, forcing Brian to look at him. "I heard you shaving only fifteen minutes ago. You already have stubble growing in."

Brian reached up, running his hand along his chin, dislodging Justin's hand.

"Fuck!" he said harshly in a low voice.

"You know, Justin may be on to something. If it was your subconscious mind preventing the changes from beginning, then maybe you can control them. Maybe you can keep yourself trim... except during the Christmas season of course. After all, Santa makes the rules," Bernard offered.

"You can do it, Dad," Gus stated with confidence.

"Well, I guess it's worth a try," Brian agreed with a sigh. "But if this doesn't work..."

Only time would tell.

Justin knew something had to be done.

For six weeks he had watched Brian struggle with the changes his body was going through. Justin was already accustomed to waking up every morning to find his lover sporting a neatly trimmed, yet full, white beard, matching white hair, and a smooth rounded belly. If it had been any other man, Justin knew he would have been completely turned off, but this was Brian, his Brian, and it truly didn't matter to Justin what he looked like. He had been honest with Brian in that regard; he would always love and want Brian no matter how he looked.

However, Brian had been honest as well when he had told Justin if he couldn't see his dick, then no one else would either. Any attempt Justin made to initiate anything remotely close to sex in the morning had Brian pulling away immediately. He would disappear into the bathroom until he could get his appearance under control. Brian's ability was growing rapidly, except that for the last few days Brian had not been able to control the beard. His natural hair color wasn't too difficult for him to reclaim; he just wasn't able to lose the beard completely. Thankfully the beard didn't bother Justin at all; in fact he found it extremely sexy. Even Brian was beginning to get use to it.

The main problem was Brian refused to leave the house, refused to see anyone. His subconscious was no longer fighting his changing appearance. When he first had difficulty maintaining control, he would refuse to leave the bedroom. During the times that business dictated that he hold conferences with Ted and Cynthia, he would disable his webcam; he could see them without them seeing him. The one time Ted showed up at the house needing Brian's signature on a contract, Brian refused to come out of the bedroom. From that point on Cynthia would email any papers that needed his signature and Brian would have a courier or Justin return them to the office.

The rest of the family was told that Brian and Justin were both out of town on business. It was rare that anyone made the forty-five minute drive to Britin; however Brian wasn't willing to chance it. Michael was still a bit clingy since Thanksgiving was fast approaching and with it their move to 'New York' despite reassurances that they would keep in touch. There would be phone calls, text messages, instant messaging, and of course the occasional visit home. Brian may have sold the loft, but they were not selling Britin.

Justin carefully rolled onto his side, watching his lover sleep. His ass was still very tender from the exhaustive sex the night before. They both seemed to feel a need to make up for all the morning sex they were missing. Justin decided it was time to put a stop to the 'no morning sex' routine once and for all.

Cautiously inching his hand under his pillow, Justin slowly withdrew the handcuff being careful not to make any sound or sudden movement. He couldn't have Brian waking up until everything was in place.

As gently as he could, Justin moved Brian's left arm until it rested on the pillow beside his head. He placed the handcuff around his lover's wrist and closed it with two soft snicks of the lock. Justin let out a silent breath when Brian stirred, but remained asleep.

Justin smoothly lifted the covers from Brian's body so as not to disturb his still slumbering partner, moving down the bed at the same time. Once Brian lay completely exposed, Justin cautiously moved into position, straddling Brian's legs, pinning him in place. He placed himself in a very strategic position - his hard cock lined up alongside Brian's.

Feeling a weight on his legs, Brian woke with a start. He lifted his head and gave a confused look to his partner.

"Hey," Justin said softly.

"Hey," Brian answered. When he realized Justin's intentions, Brian tried to reach him and was surprised to find he could only extend one arm. He glanced at the handcuff around his wrist before turning an angry glare on his partner. "What the fuck are you playing at, Justin?"

"Does this feel like I'm playing, Brian?" Justin closed his hands around both their erections, slowly stroking up and down with a slight twist when he reached the top. "I'm going to show you exactly how I see you." Justin released the grip on his own cock, sliding back just enough to give him room to maneuver. He leaned over and ran his tongue along the fine line of hair from Brian's pubes to his navel.

Brian's breathing quickened with the sensations brought on by his lover's attentive ministrations. He couldn't believe that Justin would want to touch him, much less have sex, when he knew he looked horrendous.

Justin swirled his tongue around Brian's navel then flicked it in and out several times. He continued stroking Brian's cock, never breaking his rhythm, while his other hand rubbed lightly up over Brian's rounded belly, up to his chest where he tweaked one nipple into a hard nub. Feeling it harden to a peak, Justin slid his palm over it, lightly grazing the tip then flicked it with his finger.

Brian gasped and shivered at the combined stimulation of Justin's hands and tongue.

Hearing and feeling his lover's reactions, Justin moved so he could take the neglected nipple into his mouth. He caressed it with his lips and tongue before biting gently then pulling away.

Brian arched his back in an attempt to maintain contact with those luscious lips. His hips moved constantly, thrusting into the hand gripping his cock. Suddenly Justin's tongue was in his mouth. With his free hand Brian grabbed the back of Justin's head, twisting his fingers in the long blond locks to hold his lover in place while he sucked on Justin's tongue.

Despite the grip Brian had on his hair, Justin managed to pull away. He wanted more and he was going to get it. He smiled down at Brian, ran his tongue across Brian's open mouth, nipped him on the chin, and slowly made his way down to the engorged cock in his hand, leaving a trail of bites and kisses along the way.

Raising his head from his pillow Brian watched Justin, but soon his overly round stomach blocked his view as Justin lowered his head to Brian's crotch. He felt his lover bury his nose in his pubes and breathe deeply. Brian tossed his head, frustrated that he couldn't see Justin. When he turned his head to the right he noticed something out of place. A smile crept over his face as he saw that sometime during the night Justin had moved the free standing full-length mirror. There in the reflection was Justin's bright, smiling face looking back at him.

Justin waggled his eyebrows at Brian's reflection just before he deep-throated his lover's cock.

"Fuck!" Brian shouted, throwing his head back and arching off the bed.

Justin swallowed around the large cock in his mouth. He rolled the balls in his hand as his mouth slid up and back down. He swallowed again then began to hum.

Brian lost all control as his orgasm hit.

Justin swallowed as Brian's cock erupted. He continued to hum and suck not willing to stop until he had milked every drop from Brian. When nothing more was forth coming, he let his lover's semi-hard cock slip from his mouth. Justin sat up and as soon as he was certain that Brian was able to focus on him, he licked his lips.

"Have I made my point?" Justin asked with a devilish smile.

"Point made, Sunshine," Brian agreed shakily. He jiggled the handcuff. "Take this off me so I can take care of you."

Justin looked down at his lap and grinned. "Already taken care of."

Rolling slightly to the side, Brian rose up on one elbow and followed Justin's gaze. Justin's thighs were covered in spunk. He looked up at his partner and smirked.

"You should have waited. You know I love to watch you jerk off."

"I didn't. As soon as you started coming, so did I." Justin laughed.

Brian laughed with him. He rattled the handcuff again and Justin reached over to his bedside table for the key.

"How did you manage this anyway?" Brian asked, wondering how he missed feeling Justin attach the handcuff.

"I set it up last night when you were on the phone with Michael. The other cuff is attached to a short chain that I attached to the bed frame then I slipped the cuffs under my pillow. The hardest part was making sure you didn't wake up when I put the cuff on your wrist." Justin released Brian's wrist, gently massaging it while inspecting it for any damage. It was slightly red, but the skin wasn't broken.

"That wasn't the hardest part, Sunshine." Brian pressed his tongue in his cheek causing Justin to laugh. He stood up and started to move toward the bathroom. "Come on, let's get a shower. We can't stay in bed all day unfortunately."

"Brian." Justin moved next to his lover.

"What?" Brian turned to Justin.

Justin reached up and gently stroked Brian's cheek, down to his beard. "I love you."

Brian leaned over, touching his forehead to Justin's. "I know. I love you, too."

Justin gave Brian a quick kiss. "So, back to morning sex?"

Brian snorted. "Yeah, Sunshine, back to morning sex. Although, I'm not sure how I'm ever going to be able to fuck you with this monster in the way." Brian patted his stomach.

"We'll work something out... Santa." Justin smirked then dashed into the bathroom catching a swat on his ass from Brian.

~*~*~*~

Halloween was a few days away and Brian still hadn't left the house. He had, however, stopped hiding from Ted and Cynthia. Brian realized that he couldn't hide from them forever, so he agreed to have them come out to Britin. Justin had prepared them on what to expect the first time they saw Brian, but even the best laid plans...

Cynthia and Ted were waiting in Brian's office with Justin when the door opened. In walked Brian, his full white beard neatly trimmed, every white hair in place. He made no attempt to control his appearance, wanting to see his friends' reactions. He was wearing dark blue sweat pants with a white long-sleeve T-shirt stretched over his rotund form.

Shocked by the sight of her boss and friend, Cynthia slowly sank into the chair behind her, her eyes wide and her mouth opened in an 'O' with no sound. Not a minute later, though, she smiled.

Ted, on the other hand, gave a short burst of hysterical laughter and dropped like a rock.

"Told you, Sunshine," Brian said with a smug look and a roll of his eyes as he crossed the room to sit at his desk.

"Well, at least this time we're prepared." Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of smelling salts. Kneeling next to Ted, he opened the bottle and waved it briefly under Ted's nose before recapping the bottle.

Ted's reaction was immediate. Justin helped him into a chair then retrieved a bottle of water from the small fridge, handing it to Ted. Ted guzzled down half the bottle, wiped his face and turned to look at Brian.

"Feeling better, Theodore?" Brian asked.

"Holy shit, Bri!" Ted stared at his friend. "It really is you."

"Yes, Ted, it's really me." Brian shook his head. "Now you know why I won't leave the house."

"But, Brian... no one would ever recognize you," Ted insisted. "I mean the only reason I knew it was you is because this is your home, and Justin told us what to expect."

"And yet you fainted once again," Brian pointed out.

"Well, it was such a shock... I mean... I knew what to expect, but to actually see... I mean... I bet if you showed up at the diner or even at Babylon, no one would recognize you," Ted stated with confidence.

"He's right, Brian. I was shocked, too, even though I knew what to expect. But if I hadn't known it was you walking into the room I never would have guessed," Cynthia commented, agreeing with Ted.

Brian noticed that Justin stood quietly across the room. He could tell from the expression of concentration on his partner's face that someone had said something that Justin found very interesting. Brian didn't think he wanted to know. After a few minutes of contemplation, Justin turned to Brian.

"You know, there is a way to test Ted's theory and if anyone does recognize you, it wouldn't cause any problems." Justin chewed the tip of his thumb, watching Brian to see if he would catch on to his line of thought. He smiled when Brian didn't disappoint him.

"Hell no, Sunshine." Brian shook his head stubbornly.

"Why not, Brian? It's perfect." Justin smiled.

"What? What are you two talking about?" Cynthia asked, looking from one to the other.

Ted caught on to Justin's unspoken proposal as well. "He's right, Bri, it is perfect."

"What?" Cynthia shouted. "What's perfect? Would one of you clue in the straight woman?"

Justin laughed. "Babylon's Halloween Masquerade Party this Friday."

"Ohhh... That would be perfect, Bri. You could even go as Santa." Cynthia agreed with Justin and Ted.

Brian frowned at the three of them ganging up on him.

"And Justin could be your elf," Cynthia added when she saw Brian wasn't going for it.

Justin's jaw dropped when Cynthia's suggestion about his costume seeped through his image of Brian walking through Babylon.

Brian's frown turned to an evil grin. "You're right... that is perfect."

Justin pouted.

~*~*~*~

Having made their decision they contacted Bernard who promptly agreed to do whatever he could to help. If attending a Halloween party, dressed as Santa, would help Brian acclimate to his new life then Bernard would deliver his suit.

Brian, however, declined the offer; worried that something might happen to the special garment. He asked Bernard if the elves could make one for the party. He also asked for something special for Justin.

Bernard readily agreed and with a twinkle in his eye, popped all three of them to the North Pole where they met Anna, the head seamstress. Measurements were taken and fabrics selected. Brian chose cashmere for his suit whereas Justin chose vibrant colors in velvet for his outfit.

Brian had been greatly disappointed by the fact that Justin's outfit covered his beautiful bubble butt. However, he had to agree that it was one of Justin's most identifying features and for their idea to work it would have to be more difficult to tell who was in the costume. If everyone knew right away that Justin was the elf, it would be obvious, even to the most doubtful, that Brian was Santa.

The couple chose to remain at the North Pole until the night of the party. They wandered all around the village, stopping in the different departments, discussing toys with the elves in the workshop and visiting Quentin in Research and Development. Justin even designed a couple of greeting cards, delighting the elves and inspiring new ideas.

Dressed in their outfits, Brian and Justin prepared to return to Pittsburgh. As they were saying goodbye, Anna made another suggestion for hiding Justin's identity. Using elf magic, Justin's skin was given a light dusting of glitter, his hair darkened, and his ears stretched to a point. Brian was amazed at the transformation, but drew the line at the suggestion of changing the color of Justin's eyes, even for one night.

~*~*~*~

Brian and Justin appeared unnoticed in a dark corner of Babylon a couple of hours before midnight. The club was crowded with scantily costumed men dancing to the thumpa-thumpa that Babylon was known for. They surveyed the room for their family of friends. Brian let out a burst of laughter when he spotted the group relaxing at the bar across the room.

"Do you see them?" Justin asked.

Brian snickered and pointed across the room. "One guess whose idea that was."

Justin looked to where Brian indicated and laughed hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. "Had to be Emmett," he said still laughing.

It was obvious that Emmett had convinced the others to follow a theme for the evening - 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' to be precise. Emmett was dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in black fishnet stockings, Speedos, and leather vest, a black curly wig and white pearls around his neck. Ted was sporting a very convincing hump and scraggly wig as Riff Raff; his partner Blake was the groupie, Columbia, complete with gold top hat and tails. Ben, in gold lamé short shorts, was the perfect choice for Rocky Horror and finally, Michael - dressed as Janet in a pale pink mini-dress, white cardigan and light brown, shoulder-length, curly wig.

Brian and Justin wove their way across the club, stopping a few feet from their friends. Sipping their drinks, they listened in on their friends' conversations without anyone in the group noticing the pair.

"I knew Brian wouldn't come tonight," Michael said looking at his watch.

"How do you know he isn't here, Michael? Maybe you just haven't recognized him yet," Ben asked his husband.

"If Brian were here I'd know. Everyone would know. I could never get him to dress up for a costume party. The one time he did dress up it was to show me how stupid I was behaving." Michael shook his head at the memory of that disastrous fundraiser at David's home years ago. "I don't think even Justin could talk him into coming here in a costume."

Hearing Michael's comments, Brian decided to make their presence known to their friends. He was standing behind Michael so he leaned forward and said, "Mikey, why aren't you dressed as Zephyr?"

"Brian?" Michael's voice rose as he spun around and came face to face with Santa Claus. He looked around the tall, white haired, bearded man in red to see a short, colorfully dressed elf with a colorful wool hat, but no Brian. Michael turned back to his friends. "Did you guys see Brian? I swear I heard his voice."

Brian tapped Michael on the shoulder causing him to turn around again. "Mikey! It's me," he shouted over the music.

Justin peeked around Brian and gave the group a bright sunshine smile with a little wave.

"Oh my God!" Emmett exclaimed. "It is you!" He set his drink down on the bar and reaching out he pulled Justin into a hug worthy of Debbie.

Ben laughed when Brian scowled and removed Emmett's arms from around Justin then pulled his elf against his rounded belly.

"Watch it, Honeycutt," Brian growled.

"Don't call me Honeycutt!" Emmett huffed and stomped his foot.

Justin turned around, wrapped his arms around Brian as far as he could then lay his head on Brian's chest.

"Holy shit!" Michael shouted. "Brian? Is that really you?"

Brian rolled his eyes and smirked at his oldest friend.

~*~*~*~

After leaving Babylon, the group of friends walked to the diner for a quick bite to eat before heading home. Debbie, who was working the graveyard shift, was delighted when the group entered and sat in the large corner booth.

"Wow! You boys make quite a sight," Debbie shouted boisterously.

Brian waited patiently for the caustic remark about his costume, but it wasn't forth coming. Debbie simply shook her head, taking in her surrogate son's getup. She reached out and cupped his bearded jaw, running her thumb over his cheek with a mother's touch.

Finally she said, "I never would have guessed Brian Kinney would dress as Santa Claus, much less be so convincing." She smiled lovingly at him then added softly, "I don't know why that should surprise me though, since you have done so much to make certain that the wishes of your friends came true."

"What are you talking about, Ma?" Michael asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

Debbie turned and slapped her son on the back of the head, unsettling his wig. "Do I have to remind you about all the help he gave you in high school, fighting off the bullies, giving you answers to tests?"

Michael adjusted his wig and frowned at his mother.

Debbie stood with one hand on her hip, the other pointing at her son. "Thought I didn't know about that, huh? Well, that's the distant past; let's skip ahead to the more recent times. How about how you got the down payment for your store? Or maybe I should remind you about Brian's fucking brilliant advertising campaign that kicked off your very successful comic book?"

Michael pouted and slid lower in the booth.

"Or how about how he gave the girls a beautiful son, my grandson," Debbie turned to Brian, "if it's okay with his dad."

"You and Jennifer are the only grandmothers who truly love him," Brian said softly, bringing a tear to Debbie's eye.

"Brian's right, Deb," Justin added.

Debbie sniffled, cleared her throat and turned back to continue berating her son. "Need I remind you how Brian made sure the girls had that beautiful fucking wedding? Or how he's always patching up their relationship, despite how shitty they both have treated him? Or how he kept Teddy out of jail and had the confidence in him to give him a job that Brian knew Teddy was better suited to do than working as a singing waiter?" Debbie glanced at Ted. "No offense, honey. You've got a beautiful voice, but let's face it, you're a much better accountant."

Despite the hump in his costume, Ted sat up straighter and nodded in agreement.

Debbie again turned to her son. "Or how about how he gives Emmett's business cards to all his clients and tells them that Emmett is the best event planner in the business?"

Emmett reached across the table, patting Brian on the hand. "I've received so much business from your recommendations. That's why Kinnetik always gets a discount, not just because you're a good friend."

Debbie grew solemn as she continued. "Or how about how he never let Justin give up on his dream, his art... but most of all how we still have Justin with us... we could have lost Sunshine if it wasn't for Brian."

The group of friends grew quiet. Justin took hold of Brian's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Now... I think I've made my fucking point... what can I get you boys?" Debbie asked, her pencil poised above her order pad.

After placing their orders the group sat quietly for a few moments. Michael looked at his oldest friend.

"I guess Ma's right... you would make a great Santa." Michael suddenly got a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well... except for the whole belly of jelly thing."

Justin burst into laughter at Michael's choice of words, which caused Brian to start tickling him. He stopped when Justin started screaming uncle. Everyone was grinning at the couple's antics.

Debbie appeared with their drinks; happy to see the group regain some levity after her comments to Michael.

Justin took a sip of his water. He watched Michael take a drink of his soda and with a sparkle in his eye Justin said, "I happen to find Brian's current physique quite sexy." To prove it he leaned over and nibbled on Brian's earlobe.

Michael snorted his drink out his nose and coughed. Ben slapped him on the back as he joined the others in laughter.

Brian grabbed Justin and kissed him deeply. He didn't stop until he heard Debbie arrive with the food order.

"Don't you two start that shit in here. You want something to eat, eat your food."

"But I didn't order anything, Deb," Brian said in his defense. "I need to keep my strength up somehow."

Debbie set an order of french fries in front of Justin. "I gave Justin extra 'cause I know how much you like to sneak them off his plate." Brian opened his mouth to protest, but Debbie shook her finger at him. "Don't try to deny it; we've all seen you do it."

Brian sighed deeply then accepted the french fry Justin held before his lips.

The group chatted as they ate. Brian glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing how late it was. He tossed enough cash on the table to cover everyone's meal and stood up. "Come on, Sunshine, we have a long trip back to the house."

Justin joined his partner and the couple bid everyone goodnight.

Debbie saw them leaving and followed them outside. "You boys drive careful, you hear me?" She kissed them both on the cheek.

"We will, Deb," Brian said before kissing her cheek in return. Justin kissed her on the other cheek at the same time.

"See you soon, Deb," Justin added.

Debbie smiled and turned to go back inside the diner as the two men turned and walked back towards Babylon. Debbie stopped at the door to control her emotions before entering the diner. She stepped back onto the sidewalk and watched them walk away, Brian's arm over Justin's shoulder, Justin's arm wrapped around Brian's waist, his head on Brian's shoulder.

She gasped when they disappeared in a sprinkling of rainbow colored glitter and quickly made the Sign of the Cross. Then, her hand at her throat, Debbie smiled. "I always knew you were special, Brian Kinney. You're secret's safe with me," Debbie whispered, wiped the tear from her eye and pushed open the door.

"You ready?" Brian asked, watching his partner from the doorway of Justin's studio at Britin. It was Thanksgiving Day and they were preparing to leave for Debbie's house. This would be the last family gathering for a long time to come since they would be leaving directly from Debbie's house to begin their new life.

Kinnetik was set. The necessary holiday campaigns were prepared, approved and in place for each client that required specialized ads for the season. Only two potential new clients were scheduled with meetings between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brian and Cynthia had prepared a schedule that allowed Brian to put in an appearance in the office long enough for the meetings and to get the staff working on the ideas. After that everything would be handled through the webcam.

Justin's career was a different matter than the situation with Kinnetik; no one could fill-in for him at meetings or shows. There was no office for someone else to run. His was a solo career with no one else involved other than his agent.

Madelyn 'Maddie' Harris, Justin's agent, had called two weeks earlier to tell him that one of the more prominent galleries in New York wanted him to participate in a showing the week before Christmas. There would only be two other artists participating and the gallery's owner was enthralled with Justin's latest work. Justin understood it was a great opportunity; however, he told Maddie that Thanksgiving through New Year's Day was a time for family; he would allow his work to be displayed, but he would not be available beyond helping to arrange his paintings. She argued that it could damage his career if he didn't make an appearance at least on opening night. The two argued until Brian stepped in and convinced Justin they could manage to be available for opening night. Maddie reluctantly agreed to those terms.

Now that everything was in place they were preparing to leave Britin, not knowing when they would return.

Justin took one last look around his studio before joining Brian. His paintings for the upcoming show had already been shipped to New York. Bernard made certain that everything else was sent to the North Pole and the furnishings and items left behind at Britin were now protected by dustcovers.

Even though Brian had arranged for a caretaker to look after the house and property while they were away, Justin didn't like the idea of someone wandering around in his studio. He closed and locked the door, pocketing the key.

"Everything will be fine, Sunshine." Leaning over, Brian placed a kiss on Justin's temple. Justin, in turn, wrapped his arms around his partner's lean waist, squeezing gently.

Both men were happy that a solution had been found for Brian's fluctuating body shape. A simple comment from Gus had been the key to Brian's understanding that he could control his appearance. Gus, who had become fixated on everything Christmas, was watching 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' one afternoon after school when he became intrigued by how Mrs. Claus was trying to make Santa eat so he would be fat for all the kids in time for Christmas. Gus decided that Santa must lose weight from one Christmas to the next. This revelation prompted a call to his dad.

As soon as Brian answered the phone Gus rattled off his discovery. Brian tried to make his son understand the show he was watching was not reality. Gus, drawing on all his nine-year-old stubbornness, urged his dad to discuss it with Dad II. They talked about other things for a few minutes, but Gus was determined to make his dad understand his reasoning. Brian finally stopped trying to convince his son when Gus said, "All good stories are based somewhat on truth... right, Santa?" and since Brian was stumped for an answer to that, he finally agreed to discuss it with Justin.

After nearly a full day of discussion and experimenting with changing his physical appearance, they came to the conclusion that their son was right and that maybe since Brian had completely accepted his fate, and with it their future, his body would remain in whatever form he chose.

Justin gave his partner another quick squeeze.

"I know." He rose up on tiptoe and kissed Brian chastely on the mouth. "We better get going. We don't want to piss off Deb our last night here."

Brian nodded and they started down the stairs. His mind wandered over the past few interactions he'd had with Debbie. She had seemed different in some way, more concerned and motherly toward him than usual.

"Has Deb seemed... different lately?" Brian asked while they were putting on their coats at the front door.

"You noticed that. I thought maybe I was imagining it. She's been so un-Deb like." Justin opened the front door, followed Brian out after he turned off the lights, and waited while Brian set the alarm then closed and locked the door. "Did I tell you what she said to Michael at the diner the other day?"

"Mikey spouting off again?" Brian still worried occasionally that Michael would go off on Justin, blaming him once again for Brian moving away.

"Not really." Justin shook his head. "He just doesn't understand why I can't continue to paint here. He wasn't mean or rude, fuck, he wasn't even whining about it. He's just curious."

"So what did you tell him?" Brian asked. He opened the backdoor of the waiting town car for Justin to get in. Both men looked longingly back at the house before climbing into the vehicle. Brian gave instructions to the driver as the car started down the driveway.

"That's just it. I didn't have to say anything. Deb smacked him on the head with her order pad and told him that for right now it's better for my career to be in New York and that since we're partners you would want to be with me. She told him there was no reason for us to be apart again and that it was also a great opportunity for you to make new contacts for Kinnetik. Then she told him he needed to grow up just like everyone else had."

"Fuck," Brian said softly, shaking his head.

"Yeah. I'm not sure which of us was more surprised." Justin chuckled. "Deb walked off to take someone's order. Michael looked at me and said 'Never mind, I get it.' Then we both started laughing and went back to finishing up the next 'Rage' issue."

"How's that working out?" Brian asked. 'Rage' was one more thing that had Michael in fits about how they were going to work on future issues.

"It's fine. I assured Michael that we'll be able to work the same way we did when I was in New York before. He's just having a difficult time with all the changes going on." Justin understood Michael's worries; everything was changing for all of them.

Brian nodded and they continued the trip in silence.

~*~*~*~

The front door to Debbie's house flew open as Brian and Justin stepped up on the porch.

"It's about time you got here! Get your asses in here, we're letting all the fucking heat out," Debbie screeched and reached for both her boys pulling them into a bone-crushing hug.

"Deb, we can't come in if you don't let go," Brian mumbled into the collar of her turtleneck sweater. The three of them were wedged in the doorway to the house and Brian was certain that if he was having difficulty breathing then Justin must be nearly suffocating with his face buried in Debbie's chest.

Michael appeared behind his mother, having heard the commotion at the door.

"Ma! Let go so they can come in," Michael said firmly while trying to pry his mother's arms away from his friends. With tears in her eyes Debbie finally released Brian and Justin. Both men spoke at the same time.

"Thanks, Mikey." "Thanks, Michael."

"Hey, I've been on the receiving end of one of those hugs many times. I know how it feels."

The three friends laughed and followed Debbie into the living room after Brian and Justin left their coats in the closet by the door. Everyone else had already arrived and were sitting or standing around the room chatting.

Lindsay and Melanie were huddled with Ben who was holding JR on his lap listening intently to the five-year-old's version, complete with dangerous hand gestures, of the plane ride from Toronto. Jennifer and Tucker were chatting with Ted and Blake while Molly was in the kitchen discussing fashion with Emmett. Drew, who was back in town for the holiday weekend, was watching a football game on the TV with Carl. The only one missing was Hunter; he was spending the holiday with his girlfriend's family, but would be home for Christmas.

While everyone warmly greeted the new arrivals, thundering footsteps on the stairs alerted them of their son's approach.

"Dad! Dad II!" Gus shouted as he bounded down the stairs. "I knew you wouldn't be late!"

"Hey, Sonny Boy, slow down!" Brian laughed as Gus jumped down from the third step.

Gus slowed to a fast walk, reaching his father's side as soon as possible. He wrapped his arms tightly around his father's waist receiving a hug in kind. Then Gus turned and shared the same greeting with his other father.

The family of friends chatted while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Debbie, Jennifer, Lindsay and Emmett were flittering between the kitchen, dining table, and living room, keeping up with the conversations while preparing the table and completing the final touches for dinner.

Once everyone was settled around the dinner table, conversations became lively with topics ranging from day-to-day life in Canada to life on Liberty Ave. The one subject left untouched was Brian and Justin's move to New York. After dinner everyone pitched in to clean up before moving back to the living room.

"Anyone up for one last trip to Babylon?" Michael anxiously asked.

Brian was surprised that Michael was the one asking, but after a brief moment of thought it made sense to him. In the past they had always made an appearance at the club following dinner, even on holidays. This year was different; times had changed, they had all grown up. Brian no longer needed the distraction the club had always offered.

"No time, Mikey. We need to leave pretty soon," Brian said gently, not wanting to upset his friend. "Besides, it wouldn't be the last trip. We'll be coming back to visit; we can always go to Babylon then."

Michael smiled and nodded. The others released a silent sigh of relief and nodded in agreement with Brian's statement.

Gus took that moment to ask something he had been thinking about for a while.

"Dad, Dad II... can I go with you? Just for the weekend?"

Brian turned to Justin. Justin gave him a brief nod and small smile. Brian looked back to their son.

"It's fine with us if it's okay with your moms." Brian wasn't sure if Lindsay and Melanie would agree to Gus making the trip with them. He knew for certain they wouldn't if the women knew their true destination.

Lindsay and Melanie had heard their son's question and were quick to respond when Brian's answer was not what they expected.

"Gus, I'm sure it would be fine, but there's no way your dads would be able to get you a ticket on their flight this late, especially with it being a holiday," Lindsay gently told her son. She shrugged in sympathy. "I'm sorry, lambskin."

"You'll be able to visit them in New York soon, Gus," Melanie added hoping to placate their son.

"Actually, when I booked our flight I purchased three seats," Justin spoke up seeing the slump of their son's shoulders.

Brian gave his partner a questioning look.

"It was going to be a surprise for you and Gus. I wanted to ask Linds and Mel before I mentioned anything. I just haven't had the chance until now," Justin explained, biting his lower lip with the hope they would believe him as well as in anticipation of their response.

Brian grabbed Justin and kissed him gently in thanks of his quick thinking. He turned to the girls to see what their answer would be.

Gus crossed the room to where his mothers sat together.

"Can I go? Please?" Gus pleaded, adding his somebody-kicked-my-puppy look for good measure.

Lindsay and Melanie looked at each other.

"What do you think, Mel?" Lindsay asked her wife tentatively.

"When would you have him back home?" Melanie asked Justin.

"Your flight gets into Toronto at four Sunday afternoon; our flight lands at six. I've also reserved a car to drive us to your house so you won't have to meet us at the airport." Justin sat tensely waiting to hear their decision. Of course he had not booked any flights since they could just pop in and out thanks to a little elf magic, but he had thought ahead enough to pick flight numbers and arrival times to back up what he was saying.

Melanie glanced at Lindsay. Both women smiled then turned to their son, standing patiently next to them.

"I don't see why you can't go. You have enough clothes for the weekend so that won't be a problem. Just be sure to stay with your dads; don't wander off anywhere." Lindsay looked sternly at her son as she finished speaking.

After Gus' jubilant display, which included hugging both his mothers several times each, he ran upstairs and quickly repacked his suitcase. With Gus ready, the trio began their goodbyes.

There were hugs and kisses, a few tears, and many whispered words of 'good luck in New York' and 'keep in touch.' Only Debbie and Jennifer followed them outside. As they were stepping off the porch Debbie reached out and grabbed Brian, drawing him to her for one last hug.

"You be sure both of you dress warm. It stays fucking cold all year round when you get that far north," Debbie whispered in Brian's ear as she hugged him tightly. Tears fell from her eyes when she continued, "Vic would be so proud of you... and so am I... I love you, kiddo, don't you ever fucking doubt that."

Hearing those words Brian realized that Debbie knew the truth. Tears filled his eyes as he gripped her tighter and replied, "I love you, too, Mom."

"Debbie." Jennifer reached over, rubbing her hand gently across the older woman's back; encouraging her to release her hold on Brian.

Debbie pulled away, releasing him from her death grip with a steely resolve.

Brian placed his hands on her cheeks then lightly kissed her forehead before stepping back.

"No doubts..." Brian looked at the small group standing with him. His partner, his son, his 'mother-in-law,' and his 'true' mother. "Never again."

"We better get going," Justin said softly. He reached for Brian's hand, lacing their fingers and gripping it firmly in his own.

"Yeah, Dad. Bernard's waiting." Gus took his father's other hand and the three made their way down the walkway to the waiting town car.

Debbie and Jennifer watched their boys get in the car and drive away.

"You know... don't you." Debbie stated more than asked, knowing she was taking a chance, but felt certain that Justin's mother knew the truth from the support she was receiving.

"Yes, I know." Jennifer hugged Debbie to her side as they continued to watch the car as it moved down the street.

Both women smiled as the car disappeared leaving a rainbow that burst into a shower of colors a second later. They turned back to enter the house.

"Who the fuck's Bernard?" Debbie thought out loud.

Jennifer threw her head back and laughed as she followed Debbie inside. She would have to make certain they had a few moments alone soon for a long talk.

~*~*~*~

Justin was shuffling around his studio preparing to go to New York. His show was in two days and he needed to finish arranging his work in the gallery. Quentin had managed to get all of Justin's pieces to the studio in New York so they could be transported from there to the gallery without the benefit of elf magic. Brian was still preparing for his first Christmas as Santa Claus, but would be joining Justin the day of the opening.

"Are the reservations set for this weekend?" Justin asked. He knew Brian was watching him from the doorway.

"Yes, Sunshine, but if you want we can check again just to be sure." Brian smiled at his partner. He knew Justin was anxious about more than the show this weekend.

Justin had made arrangements for Jennifer and Debbie, along with their respective partners Tucker and Carl, to attend the opening and have a weekend in New York. Brian had been surprised to hear that Justin had included Tucker. He had been even more surprised to learn the reason why. Tucker had actually spoken to Justin about his desire to ask Jennifer to marry him and Justin had given his blessing. Justin told Brian he no longer felt his mother had a double standard regarding their relationship and her relationship with Tucker. Both men thought maybe Tucker would propose to Jennifer during their stay in New York.

"I know, I know. I'm being a silly little faggot." Smiling, Justin turned to his partner. "I can't help it; she's my mom and she deserves to be happy."

"You're not being a silly little faggot." Brian walked over and put his arms over Justin's shoulders. "Anyway, I agree... Jennifer deserves to be happy."

Justin leaned forward and placed a kiss on Brian's chin.

"Besides, she needs reinforcements with Molly in college now... meeting all those frat boys." Brian smirked at his partner. "If Molly's anything like her big brother..."

"Oh my God!" A heavy sigh followed as Justin's head dropped onto Brian's chest.

Brian laughed at his partner's reaction then took pity on him.

"Don't worry, Molly can handle herself and your mom will keep a close eye on her."

Suddenly Justin's head popped up nearly clipping Brian on the chin.

"Do you think she's having sex?!" Justin exclaimed, pushing back from Brian.

"Ewww!" Brian's face scrunched up in disgust. "That is not an image I need, Justin!"

"You started it by mentioning all those frat boys."

"Well obviously I have different ideas of what those frat boys would be doing!"

Justin burst into laughter.

"Of course you would. Just from now on when you want to mention frat boys don't include my sister's name in the conversation." Justin wrapped one arm around Brian's waist and patted him on the chest as he smiled up at him.

"Fair enough," Brian agreed with a grin. "Let's go. We have a lot to do before you head to New York."

They walked back to their rooms to finish getting ready.

~*~*~*~

Ted mumbled to himself as he turned away from the file cabinet. Opening the folder he began to peruse the papers inside. He looked up from the file as he approached his desk.

"Fuck!" Ted shouted throwing the file in the air. He staggered across the two remaining feet to his desk, grasping his chest as he leaned heavily against the large oak furniture before dropping into his desk chair.

"I win," Justin said with a laugh, watching the papers float to the floor.

"You win, Sunshine." Brian agreed with a sigh of defeat.

Still trying to catch his breath, Ted looked up at the two men who had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of his closed office.

"Don't do that!" Ted nearly shouted. "Wait... what do you mean 'I win,' win what? Were you two betting on me?"

"Uhm... yeah, sorry. Brian figured you would faint again. I figured you were getting use to the shock and wouldn't faint. You didn't faint, so I win." Justin beamed a smile at their friend then started gathering up the papers from the floor.

"Well... thank you, Justin, for the vote of confidence. Do I get to know what you won?" Ted asked after finally catching his breath.

Justin snickered.

Brian sighed a very put upon sigh.

"He won another of my magnificent and amazing blowjobs at the location of his choice."

"Wow! ... Wait... another? You mean..." Ted stammered.

"I am gay, Theodore," Brian reminded his friend and accountant.

"I know, it's just that... well, to hear Michael talk... you never... well..." Ted nodded nervously, waving his hand around unsure of how to continue.

"What Mikey knows about my sex life, Ted, is what he was witness to in the backroom of Babylon. I enjoy all sexual aspects of what it means to be a gay man... with the right partner, that is." Brian grinned at Justin with a lustful glint in his eyes. Justin glanced up catching the look on Brian's face. Brian's grin grew when Justin flashed his own lustful glance.

"Wow! ... That means..." Ted stammered again, stopping before he could voice his thoughts on Justin topping Brian. Feeling his face grow hot, he cleared his throat and continued. "Okay, what brings you from the great North Pole to humble Pittsburgh?"

Brian tore his gaze away from Justin's ass; Justin returned to gathering up the last of the papers for Ted.

"I just dropped in to check on some weekend arrangements with Cynthia and thought I would check on the final figures for the Bishop's Winery account."

"Everything's within budget, Boss, and set to go at the first of the year," Ted answered confidently. He nodded his thanks to Justin as he handed him the papers.

"Excellent, Theodore." Brian turned to his partner. "Well, Sunshine, I'm off to check with Cynthia. I'll see you on Friday." He leaned down and lightly ran his tongue over Justin's lower lip before slipping it inside the welcoming mouth for a brief taste.

"I guess I better head to New York," Justin whispered, caressing Brian's face as the kiss ended. He stepped back and disappeared in a rainbow of glitter.

Brian turned toward the door. With his hand on the doorknob, Brian turned back to Ted.

"Oh and, Theodore," he paused waiting to be sure he had Ted's complete attention, "stop thinking about Justin fucking me."

Ted gulped and stammered several unrecognizable words.

Brian smirked and headed out the door to find Cynthia.

~*~*~*~

Brian glanced at the papers lying on the bedside table. Opening night had been on Friday, it was now Wednesday and already there had been several articles written about Justin Taylor, the new artist to watch.

"I always knew you'd be a big fucking success," Brian wrapped his arms around Justin.

The show turned out to be an amazing success for Justin. Maddie played up the fact that he would only be available opening night, telling critics and guests alike that the artist would be too busy experiencing life for his next series of paintings to make any further appearance during the run of the show. Five pieces sold the first night with the remaining three pieces selling the next. The buyers would be able to take their purchases home at the end of the month.

"I had a very impressive role model." Justin lifted his head from its resting place on Brian's chest, smiling at his lover.

Brian rolled his eyes and Justin decided to change the subject.

"Did I tell you I found out why no one ever asked us about our rings?"

Brian raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Mom told me just before we left the gallery for dinner Friday."

"I have wondered a few times. No one said a word about them beyond Emmett's comment one day at the diner that someone was wearing new jewelry." Brian chuckled. "What did Mother Taylor have to say?"

"It turns out that our son called Deb last Christmas morning and told her that Santa Claus decided it was time for us to wear our rings. Debbie knew the reaction that would most likely get from everyone and called a family meeting before they all drove out to Britin."

"Let me guess, she threatened everyone with bodily harm," Brian interrupted.

"You could say that." Justin grinned. "She threatened to tie a knot in each of the guys' dicks and then slap chastity belts on them and throw away the keys."

"Ouch," Brian mumbled with heartfelt sympathy.

"Yeah and when Mel and Linds laughed she threatened them with chastity belts and armor breastplates all locked in place." Justin laughed at the thought of everyone cowering back from a pissed off Debbie wielding chastity belts.

"Fuck. I guess she made her point clear." Brian laughed. "No wonder nobody commented about our rings."

Justin looked at his ring. He could feel the smooth metal of Brian's ring on his back where Brian's hand was now brushing against his skin. He shifted until he was stretched out on top of Brian.

Grinning, Justin felt Brian's cock twitch, his responded in kind. He reached under his pillow, pulling out a condom.

"There's something I wanted to do last night, but didn't get the chance."

"Really? And what would that be, Sunshine?" Brian smirked at his partner while reaching for the condom, but Justin pulled it out of his reach by sitting up to straddle Brian.

Sliding back Justin made certain that his ass rubbed over Brian's cock several times ensuring the desired reaction.

Brian moaned as his cock filled. He moved his hands to Justin's thighs, smoothing them up the pale skin and flexing muscles. Reaching the top of Justin's thighs, Brian dipped his thumbs down to lightly stroke the sensitive skin and golden curls surrounding Justin's cock, skimmed across his balls and back up. He watched as Justin's cock lengthened and filled; it was something he knew he would never grow tired of seeing.

Justin opened the foil packet with his teeth and spit the piece held between his lips to the floor. He slipped the condom out as he moved slightly further down Brian's body, tossing the empty packet to the floor with the rest of the wrapper. Justin looked at the thick nine-inch cock of his lover. He ran the tip of his finger lightly down the large vein. Later he would swear Brian's cock grew another half inch with that touch.

Looking up to his lover's eyes, Justin smiled. His eyes filled with lust and love, he finally answered his partner.

"Well, last night you fucked me hard and fast on hands and knees and then again bent over the table; followed by slow and easy face-to-face, and then on our sides."

"And what? Now you want to return the favor?" Brian asked in a low voice, the one that always made Justin's heart race faster.

"Actually... no." Justin watched as surprise showed on Brian's face.

"Are you saying you don't want to make me your bottom boy?"

"What I'm saying is... I want to be on top." Justin wrapped his hand around Brian's cock and squeezed gently as he slid his hand down to Brian's groin. Twisting his wrist and squeezing a bit tighter, he slid his hand back up to the tip then rolled his thumb across the slit.

Brian drew in a hissing breath.

"Fuck, Justin!" Brian growled.

"That's just what I plan on you doing." Justin put the condom in his mouth. He slipped a few more inches down Brian's body, leaned over and took Brian's cock in his mouth. Justin very slowly lowered his head, effectively sliding the condom on as he went.

Brian gripped the sheets beneath his hands, twisting the material in his fists. He fought the urge to thrust his hips and instead arched his back off the bed, expelling a sharp huff of breath.

Holding the condom in place and keeping to the same slow pace, Justin moved back up Brian's cock, adding suction as he went. Lifting up, Justin moved into position. He knew he still had enough lube inside from their four earlier rounds of sex so that with the addition of his saliva on Brian's cock, he would be able to take Brian in easily. Staring into Brian's eyes, Justin lowered himself.

It always amazed Brian how tight Justin would be no matter how many times they had fucked. He felt a shiver run through his body as his cock was slowly enveloped in the tight warmth of Justin's ass. Brian released the sheets, once again smoothing his hands over his lover's thighs.

Justin pulled his legs in, pressing against Brian's sides, feeling the heat of his lover's skin. He shifted slightly, settling his weight so that Brian was fully embedded inside him. He smiled at the feeling of fullness then gasped as Brian rose quickly, wrapping his arms around Justin.

Brian buried his face in Justin's neck, breathing deeply while placing wet, open-mouth kisses on the warm skin. His hands slid up the silky length of Justin's back.

Justin wrapped his arms around Brian's shoulders, one hand buried in the soft strands of auburn hair. He hissed as his cock and balls rubbed against the taut muscles of his partner's abs becoming trapped between their bodies. Taking a deep breath, filling his senses with the one man he could never live without, Justin began a slow methodical rocking motion with his hips.

A groan spilled from Brian's throat. He pulled his head from Justin's neck and attacked his lover's full red lips, desperate for the taste he would always crave no matter how long he lived. His tongue danced alongside Justin's then briefly pulled back to graze across the kiss-swollen lips before sinking once more inside.

Knowing they didn't have a lot of time, Justin switched from rocking to nearly bouncing on Brian's lap. At the same time, Brian slipped one hand between their bodies. Gripping Justin's cock, he stroked in time with Justin's movements, occasionally swiping his thumb across the tip of the thick shaft.

Separating from the kiss, Justin took Brian's face in his hands. Lips barely an inch apart, they gasped against the other's mouth, maintaining eye contact as they reached shattering climaxes simultaneously.

Despite breathing heavily from the exertion of their lovemaking, Brian tipped his head as Justin drew him closer for the first of several brief kisses. Minutes passed before either one was able to speak.

"I guess we better get cleaned up." Justin nipped at Brian's jaw.

"Yeah." Brian caressed Justin's hips then moved one hand down to hold the condom in place.

Justin slowly rose to his knees, grimacing as Brian's softening cock slipped from his body. He shifted from Brian's lap and sat cautiously on the bed while watching Brian remove the condom, tie it off and drop it in the wastebasket next to the bedside table.

"Think you'll be up to going with me tonight?" Brian asked with concern. He had seen Justin's expression and knew his partner's ass had to be sore from the night's activities.

"I'm definitely going with you. I'll be fine; don't worry. Besides, the sleigh is cushioned." Justin kissed Brian on the cheek then smirked. "Come on. You can take care of me in the shower."

Brian smirked as they climbed off the bed.

~*~*~*~

Brian and Justin were just drying off when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. They each quickly donned their robes, knowing it would be Judy with their breakfast. Justin opened the door allowing the young elf to enter with the cart. He snatched up his mug as she passed him on her way to the table on the balcony.

"Mmmmm... You make the best hot chocolate, Judy," Justin wistfully stated after taking his first sip of the sweet beverage.

"It's an old family recipe." Judy smiled.

Brian scowled as he crossed to the balcony, stopping next to the table where Judy was placing their breakfast. She saw his expression and giggled.

"Don't worry, Santa. The hot chocolate is for Justin. I brought your special coffee for you." Judy placed the carafe of coffee on the table after filling Brian's large mug with the rich brew.

"Ahhh," he sighed breathing in the wonderful aroma. "Judy, I know you will never let me down; especially when it comes to my coffee."

Justin joined Brian on the balcony, each taking a seat and together uncovering the dishes of food.

"I'll come back in an hour to clear the table." Judy smiled and turned away, leaving the two men to enjoy their breakfast.

~*~*~*~

Final preparations for Christmas Eve, which would start at midnight, kept both men busy for the remainder of the day. The excitement of what lie ahead for them fueled their anticipation.

Quentin had already explained how transporting the packages to each destination worked. Everything was double and triple checked before Brian and Justin dressed to leave.

"Brian, did you forget something; or am I going to have to take Gus' suggestion and make you eat a ton of carbs?" Justin watched his partner as he stood in front of the full-length mirror in their room.

"I haven't forgotten." Brian smirked. "And don't you dare try to make me eat anything. You know I never eat carbs after seven... I'm just... preparing myself."

Justin sat down to slip on his black leather boots deciding it was best to let Brian do this his own way and in his own time. His hands smoothed down the front of his outfit. He was dressed warmly in a red suit similar to Brian's except with dark green trim instead of white. Justin pulled his boots on then stood up, stamping his feet a bit before turning back to see if Brian was ready. The sight brought a smile that brightened the room; before him stood Santa Claus.

"Hey, Santa. You look great."

"Hold that thought until we get back." Brian settled the hat on his head and checked his reflection in the mirror one more time, shaking his head at his very rotund belly, the full white beard, mustache and hair.

"We better get going, Santa. We don't want to get a late start on our first night." Justin walked over to Brian and placed a light kiss on his lips.

Brian sighed heavily before kissing Justin as well, then silently led the way to the sleigh. They arrived just as the last of the reindeer was harnessed into place.

Bernard and Quentin were there to see them off with all of the other elves.

"We placed a microphone in the top button on your coat, Santa, so if you have any problems we will be able to hear and send any necessary help." Quentin pointed out the small microphone in the center of the top button. "We've done the same with Justin's."

Brian nodded his understanding and climbed into the sleigh. He watched as Justin joined him noticing that Justin now held a package in his hands.

"I was thinking we should drop Ted's gift off last." Justin set the brightly wrapped gift on the seat behind them.

"You never told me what you decided to give him," Brian said, still curious about the small package.

Justin laughed as he said, "It's just a small sensor Quentin made. It will let Ted know when one or both of us are about to pop in."

"You're taking away some of my fun, Sunshine." Brian tried to look offended, however, he didn't succeed; the slight grin gave him away.

"You'll survive with other ways to torment him, I'm sure... and then on the way back, I figured you could pay up on that bet you lost." Justin wiggled his eyebrows.

"You have any particular place in mind?"

"I figure the reindeer can handle the sleigh on their own long enough for a little trip to the mile-high club."

"I like the way you think, Sunshine."

"No better way to start a new life." Justin smiled brightly at his partner, who smiled back.

At Brian's command the sleigh rose into the night, their boisterous laughter filling the air.

The End.