By: Brandi1111

“Come on Brian. It’s for a good cause. You only have to show up for a few hours,” Lindsay pleads. “I have to work the dunking booth and Mel is taking JR. I really need you to take Gus around the festival. The Harvest Festival is one of the biggest fundraisers we have all year for the GLC. If we raise enough we can get those new computers, we need so bad.”

“Can’t I just write a check? You know I hate the GLC. The only men at those things are trolls.” Brian sighs. He knows he will agree to go anyway if only to spend some time with his Sonny Boy. He just doesn’t want to agree too easily and ruin his asshole reputation.

“I don’t think it will be an occasion for checking out tricks. It’s a family event. No fucking allowed,” Lindsay admonishes.

“Are you really trying to get me to agree to go? If so,you’re going about it the wrong way. Fucking is always on the agenda,” Brian hears an exasperated sigh coming through the phone line at that point. “Fine. I’ll take the boy but the first time any of those nasty GLC cunts start shit, I am out of there.” Brian insists.

“Thanks Brian. Meet us there Friday at 7pm and you can be out by 10 in time to go to Babylon. Call me later and I will fill in the details. Bye.” Lindsay hurries as she hangs up the phone. He really is going to kill her. She knows he is going to be pissed when he finds out the details of the carnival.

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“How the fuck did I let myself get into this shit?” Brian thinks to himself. Brian is leaning against the back wall of the GLC gymnasium. His ass is cold and he feels so exposed. And not in a positive life affirming way. He is going to wring Lindsay’s neck. What she neglected to tell Brian was that the festival had a costume theme. So here he is, dressed as fucking Peter Pan. Green itchy tights, green knee boots, and even a fucking feather in his jaunty little hat. The brown suede shirt thing he has on barely covers his ass. Justin, that fucking traitor, is even dressed up. Of course he looks fucking hot in his little blue fairy costume. He can just imagine Justin riding him with those gauzy wings on. Gus is dressed as Captain Hook and the kid looks cute. Those crazy munchers could have let him be Hook and the kid be Pan. But no, he is stuck in damn fugly green tights.

“Hey, Tinkerbell, where is Gus?” Brian asks Justin as he approaches. Damn! That blue eyeshadow and shimmery shit Justin has on his face is hypnotizing with his azure blue eyes.

“Gus went home with the munchers ten minutes ago. I was coming to get you. I want to go to the fortune teller booth, then we can go home,” Justin says as he starts to walk away. He adds a sway to his blue boy shorts covered bubble butt for good measure.

“Ten minutes, Sunshine. I have plans for that ass and those wings,” Brian says as he leers at the best ass he has ever been in. He throws an arm around Justin as they make their way to the cheesy fortune teller booth.

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“Come in boys,” says a very male voice from a very female looking drag queen. A six foot, blond wigged, gypsy tramp costumed drag queen to be exact. Brian rolls his eyes as he and Justin take a seat. Justin hands over the money while the gypsy queen rubs her crystal ball. Brian is very ready for this shit to be over and his impatience is starting to show.

“Can we get the quick version? Places to go, people to do, and all that,” Brian says as his ass starts to hurt from the damn kid sized stool he is perched on. He doesn’t have the cushion Justin does.

“Quiet you, be nice,” Justin admonishes. He leans over to look in the crystal ball like it holds the secrets to the universe. Brian huffs out a laugh then quiets down. Better to just shut up and get this shit over with.

The gypsy queen closes her eyes and rubs the ball. “Please place your hands together on the table. I will attempt to contact the spirits on your behalf. Only true believers will be able to seek knowledge from the spirit guides, so open your hearts and minds and the guides will answer your questions. But be warned, disrespect the spirit world and you will pay the price,” warns the campy queen. Brian snorts but shuts up when Justin nudges him under the table. “I feel the door to the spirit world opening. Ask your questions,” the queen tells Justin.

“Will we have a happy future?” Justin asks. Brian lifts a brow at Justin. That’s his Sunshine - no lottery numbers or career path questions. His sentimental Sunshine wants relationship advice. Doesn’t Justin know there are no guarantees, Brian thinks. He knows he loves Justin, but nothing is certain. He doesn’t want to be without Justin in his life or his bed. He does know they have a future together, but still, nothing is certain. Justin is turning him into a fucking lesbian. He is even starting to think about future shit with the little drama princess in the privacy of his own mind.

“The path to love has been a dangerous one. The path is paved with blood and bone. Darkness surrounds your past but the sun will light your way. Malice and jealousy will attempt to crack your path. Fear will block, but hope will open the path. Trust and cooperation will solidify the path. The journey to happiness can only be reached by a path walked by two. Be warned - do not stray from the path,” The gypsy queen finishes.

Justin has a contemplative look on his face that Brian recognizes.  It’s his ‘I have a lot of deep shit in my brain’ look. Brian knows that does not bode well for the night of debauchery he had planned. Justin will want to have one of those all night, analyze every sentence, deep discussion things Brian hates so much. He has to get proactive.

“Could you have been any more vague in response to a fucking yes or no question?” Brian snarks at the gypsy queen.

“I answer the questions how the guides tell me. It is up to you how you interpret the answers. Do not dismiss the spirit guides! They don’t like to be ridiculed and they have a mean streak. Things can happen that you never wanted when you mess with the guides. Now, the door to the spirit world has closed. Your time is up. Have a nice night,” the gypsy queen says as she starts to pack up her booth. Brian and Justin stand up and start to walk away.

Before they could leave, though, the gypsy queen grabs Justin’s arm and hands him two beaded bracelets. “These will protect you if the path is disrupted, wear these for the next 24 hours and your path will continue as it should. Only true faith will right your path,” the queen says as she turns around to finish packing up her booth. Justin thanks her as Brian drags him away.   

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Brian shifts his body as he wakes the next morning. After a long night of fucking Justin into the mattress every which way they could think of, his muscles are sore. A good long stretch feels so good. He realizes his head is under the duvet when he opens his eyes to complete darkness. When he stretches out his hand to move the duvet he knows something is very wrong. The duvet is too heavy to move. He shimmies out from under the heavy duvet to see what the hell is going on. As his head comes out and his eyes focus, he notices everything in his loft seems way bigger than it should be. What the fuck is going on? He sees a small lump in the bed next to him where Justin should be.

“Justin? Where the hell are you?” Brian yells as he tries really hard not to panic. “JUSTIN!” Brian screams. The lump beside him starts to move and Justin’s muffled voice can be heard under the duvet.

“What the hell? Brian get this fucking thing off me. It weighs a ton,” Justin’s muffled voice screeches.

“You have to crawl out. I can’t lift it,” Brian replies in a voice way higher than normal. Brian sees the lump moving to the head of the bed. Brian does scream then as he sees a furry orange cat emerge from under the duvet from hell. The cat blinks at Brian a few times then screams right back.

Justin looks at the solid black cat staring back at him in horror. How the hell did a cat get in the loft? “Brian there’s a cat in the bed. Where the hell are you?” Justin yells as he looks at the cat.

Brian knows he must be hallucinating. He doesn’t remember taking any of Anita’s Tijuana bathtub brew last night. But he must have because that was the only way to explain why he just heard a cat talk with Justin’s voice.

“Justin?” Brian says tentatively to the Justin cat.

How damn much did he drink last night, Justin wonders to himself. The black cat is looking at him inquisitively and he could have sworn it just said his name with Brian’s voice. Justin suddenly feels a little light headed. Is this some delayed reaction from the bashing? He can feel his body start to shake. Fuck he can feel a panic attack starting. “BRIAN!” Justin yells as he tries to scoot away from the black cat. As he looks down he sees orange fur and knows he is definitely going to freak the fuck out.

Brian sees that the Justin cat is shaking and tries to reach a hand out to calm the poor animal. He lifts what he notices is a black paw and draws it back near his body. Brian scrambles off the bed towards his big floor length mirror. He looks at the mirror in horror as he realizes the furry black house cat looking back at him is in fact HIM. He moves his head from side to side and the mirror cat does too. Brian hears Justin whimpering and sees him shaking on the bed. Damn! Justin is in full drama queen mode, not that Brian is far behind him. Brian hops back on the bed, amazed at his own jump, and gets really close to Justin’s head.

“Justin, it is going to be okay. We will figure this out and get through it. Breathe baby. Deep breaths,” Brian says as he rubs his body against Justin. Brian feels Justin slowly start to calm and his breathing slows. Now he just needs to figure out how to calm himself.

“Brian, what the fuck happened? Are we really cats? I think maybe I’m having a reaction from the bashing. I have finally gone insane,” Justin screeches. Justin looks up at Brian with confusion in his big blue eyes.

“I don’t know how or why this happened, Sunshine, but I think we are really cats. You are not insane or in a delusion, unless we are both crazy at the same time,” Brian says more confidently than he feels. Brian smiles when he hears the contented rumbling purr coming from Justin’s chest. Rubbing Justin always did make him purr.

“You think it had something to do with that Gypsy drag queen? She said not to piss off those spirit guide things. What were you thinking about when we were getting our fortune read?” Justin hazards a guess. The boy always was a smart little fucker.

“FUCK! I was thinking some lesbianic shit. Damn it! I knew being around you would turn me into a pussy. A fucking cat. And you always were a little twat so it fucking serves your ass to be a pussy cat too,” Brian smirks as he finishes his tirade. Brian looks at Justin with an inquisitive brow lifted. “Do you think we can fuck like this?”

“Brian, fucking is not our top priority right damn now. We need to get changed back. Damn, we also need some food and water,” Justin huffs.

“I need to take a piss,” Justin slinks down off the bed and heads to the bathroom.

“Fucking is always a priority, Justin. The food issue may be a problem though. I really didn’t think to stock fucking kitty kibble or leave out a bowl of water last night. And don’t you piss on my hard wood floors or I will kick your ass. Fuck, I need coffee,” Brian snarks.

“I am going to pee in the shower. It won’t be the worst thing to ever end up in that shower so your floors are fucking safe. It’s not like we can work that gourmet coffee machine like this,” Justin says as he works his way into the shower stall. He reaches a paw to very carefully pull on the cold water handle. After a small trickle comes out he drinks some water. “Brian come get some water. I will work on breakfast.”

“What are you going to do Chef Kitty? It is not like we can use the damn kitchen appliances,” Brian says as he saunters his way over to the shower stall.

“There’s some fruit and bread on the counter. We have teeth and claws, we’ll make it work, asshole,” Justin hisses at his partner.

“Did you just hiss at me, little boy? Don’t make me swat that fuzzy ass of yours,” Brian says huskily as he joins Justin on the counter. Together they rip open a loaf of bread and chew open a few bananas. “Since when do cats eat this shit?” Brian asks.

“Since I am hungry. I am not going to starve. This is a hell of a lot better than going hunting for a mouse or some shit,” Justin says as he licks the banana off his face.

“There are no rodents in my fucking loft Justin. So, Mr. Boy Scout, what do we do now?” Brian asks as he munches on his bread.

“I think we should put those bracelets that gypsy chick gave us on. She said they would protect us and something about 24 hours. Maybe this shit is like some test or something? Like we have to overcome some shit to get back on our path,” Justin says thoughtfully. He goes to the bedroom and gets the beaded bracelets. He carries them back to the counter in his mouth. He launches himself up onto the counter. Brian thinks he is really graceful as a cat.

“We can’t wear them as bracelets but they should work as collars. Help me get mine on then we can get yours on,” Justin instructs his partner. Brian grabs the beaded bracelet in his mouth as Justin pushes his head into it. Both are thankful for the stretchy cord it is made out of. Brian gets his on with only a few tries.

“I knew you just wanted me to collar you. You know, if this is a kink of yours, we can explore it more once we can actually fuck again,” Brian says with a good old lusty leer. Some things never change. Brian gives his partner a good once over. Justin is the color of ginger and sand. He is fuzzy with a bushy tail. Brian thinks he looks adorable.

Justin knows the look in Brian’s eyes. It’s his ‘I want to fuck you’ look. Justin jumps off the counter and swishes his tail at Brian as he walks into the bedroom. Justin gives Brian a saucy look over his shoulder as he climbs the bedroom stairs. Brian jumps off the counter and stalks towards the bedroom. Shoulders low to the ground and growling. He is all sleek black fur and powerful muscles. The cat is not much different than the man. He’s a predator in whatever form he takes.

“Hey, big boy, feel like seeing what this tail is for,” Justin taunts the hunter not realizing he is supposed to be the cowardly prey.

“You sound awfully confident, little boy. You might have to be punished,” Brian says has he jumps on the bed and grabs Justin by the scruff of the neck. He allows his animal instincts to take over as he gets a sniff of Justin’s scent. They are wrestling around on the bed when they hear the big loft door rattle. Brian hisses as he hears a key hit the lock.

“Brian, we have to hide. We can’t be seen like this. That’s got to be Michael. If he finds cats in the loft and us not here he may call animal control. Brian move,” Justin whispers.

“So fucking what if he finds us? It is my damn loft. Why the hell is he here? He knew we were going out to the house today,” Brian responds getting pissed at being interrupted.

“I don’t know why he is here. Now move. Animal control neuters male animals. You want those balls once we are human again?” Justin hisses. Brian blinks and is in the closet in five seconds flat. Nobody is touching his last good ball. Fuck that. Justin is right behind Brian, trying not to chuckle. They both peek into the open loft to see what the fuck Michael is doing there.

Michael walks all through the loft checking to make sure they are not home. They watch as he goes to Brian’s desk and starts opening drawers. It seems like he’s looking for something. They hear him mumbling to himself. “Where are those damn papers? If the little fucker doesn’t have his copy, Rage is mine when I sell the comic. He won’t ever know. It’s not like he needs the money. Oh no, not with his sugar daddy paying for everything,” Michael finds a stack of papers in the bottom drawer. “What the fuck is this? No way in fucking hell is this real! A fucking partnership agreement? Brian is a fucking dumbass. Doesn’t he know that fucking trumped up twink is just going to leave him again and take half of his shit? He should know I am the only one that will protect him. Always have always will. Not that little fucker - ME and only me,” Michael’s face is twisted in rage. He shoves the papers back in the drawer then he lays his head on Brian’s desk.  

“Brian? Are you ok? Don’t let him get to you. He won’t find the papers. Those are only copies. The originals are all in our safety deposit box. And the key is in the safe at the house. He doesn’t even know about the safe,” Justin whispers as he tries to calm his partner. He can feel the rage in Brian’s body.

“He is trying to fucking cheat you not me, Justin. What I want to know is why the hell would my supposed best friend want to hurt my partner? I am so fucking sick of his bullshit,” Brian growls low in his throat.

They hear the desk chair scrape over the hardwood floor. Justin feels Brian flinch. They watch as Michael climbs the stairs to their bedroom. Michael stands quietly looking at their bed. The bed had obviously been slept in, and even more obviously fucked in, the night before. Michael picks up Justin’s pillow and throws it on the floor. He reaches across the bed and takes Brian’s. Michael takes a deep sniff and cradles the pillow like it is the lost treasure of Atlantis.

“That fucking freak. Remind me to burn that fucking pillow,” Brian whispers to Justin as they both watch with totally creeped out expressions. Creeped out expressions with a cat face just isn’t fucking easy.

Michael starts to rub the pillow on his crotch. He is chanting, ‘always have, always will’. He slips a hand down to unbutton his jeans as he kneels on their bed. Michael’s eyes close as he starts pulling on his little dick with one hand and rubbing on the pillow with the other. He reaches down to pick up Justin’s pillow and puts it in front of him.

“Oh hell no! That nasty, no-dick bastard is not about to shoot his funky load on my damn pillow,” Justin shouts as he springs from the closet and lands on the bed.

Michael hears an inhuman caterwauling growl. He feels the claws sink into his dick just as he notices the ginger cat with its hair standing on end on Justin’s pillow. Michael screams as he tries to dislodge those sharp ass claws. He slaps the hissing ginger cat knocking it off the bed.

“Damn you, motherfucker!” Michael yells as he hits the cat with the pillow.  

Justin hits the floor hard and whimpers.

“JUSTIN!” Brian shouts.

The unholy sound of a demon startles both Michael and Justin. Michael feels teeth sink into his ass as he is leaning over the bed looking at the smaller ginger cat. Claws rake his back as he looks over his shoulder to find a second cat, this one larger, with black fur and angry eyes. The black cat is hissing and spitting mad. Brian catches Michael with claws to the face and hands as the man tries to hit him with a pillow. Giving up on the pillow, Michael hits the demon hell cat with a closed fist. Brian goes down on the bed. Justin vaults off the bedside table to land on Michael’s head.

Justin digs his claws into his scalp as he yells, “Don’t hit him, you son of a bitch!”

Michael hears the smaller cat hissing deep in its throat. The larger black cat stands up and stalks up to Michael. Michael scrambles off the bed trying to get his pants up. In the process, he falls over his own two feet, landing face first on the floor. He looks up in time to see the big black cat jump off the bed and land on the floor in front of him. Justin jumps off Michael’s head.

Brian stops in front of Michael and just stares at him. Brian wonders who his best friend has become. What kind of friend would violate their home like this? Michael eyes the big black cat warily. He slips his pants back up his hips, then yelps as his jeans rub his sore dick and ass. He slowly stands up, eyeing both cats. Both cats hiss as he backs away towards the door of the loft. Brian and Justin stalk towards Michael as he opens the loft door. To their surprise, he leaves the door open then turns toward the kitchen.

Michael grabs the broom and goes around the far side of the counter. Brian looks at Justin and sees the fear in his eyes. Michael advances on the two mangy cats. He would be damned if fucking cats would get the best of him. He figures they were Justin’s cats anyway, so who really gives a fuck if he hurts them. Michael swats at the cats with the broom. They hiss at him. Michael gets an evil grin on his face as he lifts the broom like a bat. “Justin’s cats can get bashed in the brains just like he did,” he says as he brings the broom down.

“RUN!” Brian yells at Justin.

The broom comes down closer to Brian, but luckily he jumps on the couch and then out of the way. Justin runs under the coffee table. Brian launches himself at Michael’s face. He sinks his claws into Michael’s evil grinning face. Michael screams as he tries to get the growling demon cat off. Justin sinks his teeth into Michael’s foot before he can get a good grip on Brian. Brian jumps off Michael. Both cats run to the loft door. The last thing they se is Michael hopping around, unsure if he was trying to hold his face, head, foot, dick, or ass. They run down the stairs and out the front door of the building which was thankfully propped open.

“When we’re human again I am going to beat his fucking ass. I can’t believe that bastard did this. Where the hell are we supposed to go?” Justin says in disgust. He looks over to see Brian with a pained expression on his face. “Brian are you hurt?”

“Only in my heart, Sunshine. He was going to hit us with that fucking broom like it was a bat. And we both know why. He has always been a possessive, jealous little prick when it come to me. But I never thought he would cheat you or hurt animals like that.” Brian shudders with revulsion. “He could have really hurt you, Justin. I am going to kill that bastard when I see him again.”

“Brian, I am fine. A little sore, but fine. I attacked him first remember. He was kind of defending himself. You can’t kill him. But I am going to kick his ass. Hell, we already did. Fuck! I need to wash my ugh...paws. I clamped them down on his poor excuse for a dick,” Justin says, thoroughly grossed out.

“I need fucking mouth wash! I bit him on his hairy ass.” Brian shudders again. “Let’s head toward the Diner. At least that way we will be on familiar ground.”

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Brian and Justin take backstreets and alleyways, trying to avoid cars and the human residents of Liberty Ave. They are two blocks away from the diner when they hear a loud barking and a soft whimpering. They slowly round the last corner before the Diner when they see a large black Rottweiler trying to get at something underneath a dumpster. Justin looks low and sees the dog is trying to get to a small ginger kitten. Justin looks at Brian with big blue pleading eyes.

“Sentimental twat.” Brian whispers. “I will distract fucking Cujo, you grab the fluff ball.”  

Justin nods as he shimmies under the dumpster. Cujo sees Justin and starts going ape shit, jumping up and down, barking, and knocking against the side of the dumpster. The dog is so large it’s antics move the dumpster just enough for Justin to scramble underneath and reach the kitten. Justin hisses at the dog. The dog gets its teeth scarily close to Justin’s face. Before the mutt can get a bite in, Brian jumps up on top of the dumpster. Justin sinks his claws into the dog’s nose. Cujo jumps back at the same time Brian jumps down on the dog’s back, digs in his claws and bites the hell out of its neck. Cujo yelps and shakes Brian off. The frightened dog runs off down the alley to get away from the psychotic cats. Cujo just hopes the dogs at the dog park don’t hear about this.

Justin grabs the little kitten by the nape of the neck and run to the front door of the Diner. Brian is right behind them. They hide under the large mailbox. They are panting as they try to calm their hearts down. Justin sets the shaking kitten down. He nuzzles the kitten close as he looks around for the next danger. Brian sees the protective look in his partner’s eyes. Justin snuggles the shaking little body close to his in an effort to calm the little one down.

“Justin, is it ok?” Brian asks quietly. He knows there is no way Justin is letting the fluff ball out of his sight anytime soon.

“I think he was just shaken up.” Justin looks the little kitten over. The kitten starts to purr as Justin nuzzles it again.

“I am ok,” a timid little voice says. “Thank you for helping me. I thought that big dog was going to eat me!”

“You understand us? What’s your name? Where is your family?” Brian asks quietly. He looks at Justin warily. He knows Justin is definitely going to want to keep the fluff ball.

“The man called me ‘Useless’. He threw my mom and the others from the car over a bridge. I hid under the seat. I was the smallest so I fit. Mom told me to wait till the car stopped, then jump out the window. I think that was two days ago. I heard mom scream when he threw her out. I was so scared, I peed on his car floor. But I listened to mom, I ran when the car stopped. I wanted to be her good boy,” the little kitten cries as he snuggles into Justin’s neck.

Justin is crying too as he lays close to the little animal. His heart is breaking for the small cat. He looks at Brian with watery eyes. Brian gives him a small nod.

“We’re going to make sure you are protected. No one will ever hurt you again. I swear it,” Brian says with conviction while memories of a less than loving childhood go through his mind.

Justin sees the deep pain in Brian’s eyes and know his partner’s emotions are on edge. “I am Justin and he is Brian. You need a name. You will be Joseph Liam Taylor-Kinney. I think you look like a Joey. And you’ll be staying with us from now on . . . if you want?” Justin says as he looks his partner in the eyes. Brian blinks at Justin and calms himself.

“I like Joey. Do I really get to stay with you?” Joey says with hopeful eyes. “Like a family?”

“That’s right Fuzzball. You are going to stay with us. We will take care of you,” Brian agrees. He tentatively nuzzles the little boy in a show of rare affection, other than for Justin or Gus.

“Gus!” Brian exclaims. He hopes his son is ok. “Justin, we need to get to the munchers. What if Gus is in danger?”

“Brian, the munchers live across town. We can’t get there on our own. Besides, Mel would beat the shit out of anyone trying to hurt Gus. We should go into the Diner. We can hide under the booths and Joey is probably hungry,” Justin says rationally. Brian thinks to himself, leave it to his Sunshine to know how to handle a crisis.

Just then a large picnic basket is set down in front of the mailbox. Emmett has leaned down to tie his shoe. He notices a movement out of the corner of his eye and sees the little cat family huddled together under the mailbox. Emmett thinks they are just too cute. He loves cats. He hears the kitten let out a pitiful meow. They must be hungry and cold.

Emmet carefully reaches his hand out to pet the large black cat in a show of friendship. “It’s ok boy, I won’t hurt your family. How about y’all get in the basket and I will sneak y’all into the Diner for some dinner?” The black cat hisses at the southern queen.

“Is he seriously trying to fucking pet me? I will bite his damn fingers off,” Brian snarks.

“Brian, shut up and get in the damn basket. Joey is hungry and it’s fucking cold out here,” Justin hisses at Brian. Brian lifts an eyebrow at Emmett then saunters to the basket and carefully climbs in.

Emmett blinks. Did that cat just give him a patented Kinney eyebrow lift?

“Your turn now little one,” Emmett says as he scoops up the kitten and places it carefully next to the black cat. “Now little Miss, it’s your turn,” Emmett coos to Justin.

Justin huffs and hisses at Emmett. He turns around and shakes his ass at Emmett showing off his balls as he raises his tail. “I have your girl right here dumbass,” Justin huffs out as he climbs into the basket. Emmett chuckles. These cats are something else.

“Now y’all be real quiet and Auntie Em will get y’all some nice milk and tuna.” Emmet lifts the basket and walks into the diner. He carefully places the basket beside him on the booth seat. “Hey Deb, can I place an order? I am starving. I haven’t got to eat all day.” Emmett asks so sweetly it damn near rots teeth.

“Sure, Emmett. What can I get for you?” Deb says as she approaches the southern man. “What’s with the basket?”

“I’m going to the farmers’ market later. I would like a large glass of milk, tuna salad on wheat, light mayo, bowl of fruit, and an order of fries. And, what the hell, give me a pink plate special too. Oh and coffee,” Emmett says as if it was no big deal that he was ordering enough for two grown men.

“Damn, Emmett, you really must be starving,” Deb says as she goes to put his order in. Emmett carefully wedges the basket lid open with the basket handle to let air and light inside.

Ted enters the diner and sits in the booth across from his best friend. He notices the basket but he figures it’s a new fashion accessory and doesn’t ask about it. “Hey Em, Michael called and said he was going to be late. He had some errands to run.” At the mention of Michael’s name Ted is sure he hears a hiss. He must be imagining things.

“I already ordered. Michael still bitching about money? He told me the comic book store was in trouble. He said Ben wouldn’t pay any more mortgage payments until he got a real manager to help him. He really has no business sense.” Emmett whispers.

“I tried to talk to him about a business plan. He wanted to ask Brian for another loan, but I told him as Brian’s financial advisor I would have to tell Brian not to invest any more money in the comic store. It’s a money pit in this economy. Michael got pissed at me and blamed Justin, saying it’s all his fault because he won’t work on any more Rage issues. Justin told him he was concentrating on his art and considering going back to school to finish his degree,” Ted informs Emmett in a quiet tone.

Brian looks at Justin inquisitively. “You’re thinking of going back to school? Why does Ted know this and not me?” Brian whispers.

“Ted handles my money too. I wanted to know if, after my last show, I could afford a few semesters to finish my degree. I was just looking into my options,” Justin whispers back.

“Justin, damn it; we’re fucking partners. My money is your money and your money is my money. We are equals. If you want to go back to school, we have plenty of money to cover the tuition. Unless you don’t want to be partners anymore?” Brian whispers angrily.

“Of course I want to be your partner. I love you. You know that. But I want to contribute to our life, not just take away from it. I love doing my art but I want to be able to do other things too. You taught me it was good to have a backup plan. If something happens and I can’t do art, I need other skills. Knowledge is power and something no one can take from me,” Justin says with conviction.

Brian rubs his head against Justin. “You always were a smart little fucker.” Justin gives Brian a cat version of his megawatt sunshine smile. “You think Honeycutt will give me some coffee if I beg real pretty? I need my caffeine,” Brian teases.

“Is the man really going to give us food? I don’t like people. They are big and scary. That man that hurt my mom was mean. Are these men mean too?” Joey asks in a shy voice.

“It’s ok, Joey. Emmett and Ted are our friends. You see, we’re really people too. We went to bed last night human and woke up this morning cats. So we know these men they won’t hurt us. It will all be ok,” Justin says soothingly.

Debbie brings Emmett and Ted their orders. Emmett waits till Debbie is distracted with other customers before he dumps the fruit from the bowl and gives the cats some milk. Ted is amazed when Emmett puts a bowl of milk in the basket. Emmett puts some tuna, bacon, and a few French fries on a small saucer in the basket next. Ted hears a shuffling from the inside of the basket that grabs his attention.

“What the hell is in there Em?” Ted whispers as he leans over to look in the basket. Emmett smacks his hand away and puts his finger to his lips in a shush gesture. He looks around and lifts the lid. Ted sees the little cat family devouring the food. Brian gives Ted the once over then goes back to his tuna. Justin tries to smile at Ted.

“I think that ginger momma cat smiled at me. The black daddy cat looks familiar,” Ted says, bewildered. Justin hisses at the momma cat comment. Ted jumps back and looks questioningly at Emmett.

“That is not a momma cat - he has balls. He is sensitive about it too. He showed me his ass when I made that comment. Is it possible to have gay cats? They have a baby, but they are both males. I swear the big black cat is protecting the little gingers like they are a family,” Emmett says thoughtfully. As if on cue, the black cat licks the ginger cat on the mouth. “Aw, it’s a kitty kiss,” Emmett squeals.

“Brian, behave. We don’t want to end up on Letterman’s stupid pet tricks,” Justin says as he rolls his eyes. “Act like a fucking cat.”

Justin notices Joey yawn and tucks the little boy into his body. Justin closes his eyes as Brian wraps his lean body around them both. Brian stares at Emmett and Ted trusting them to keep them safe for a small cat nap. Brian closes his eyes as sleep overtakes him. Emmett lowers the basket lid blocking out the light and noise allowing the little family some privacy.

???????????????????????????????????

“What are you going to do with them, Em? Your landlord won’t let you have pets. Before you ask, I don’t want a cat family in my condo either. Blake is allergic. Maybe Deb or Michael will take them in,” Ted asks.

“I wouldn’t let Michael take care of a house plant. Deb’s place is too small. Do you think Brian would let Justin have them? They are moving out to the house in a few more weeks so they will have plenty of room,” Emmett says thoughtfully. He tries to call the loft but doesn’t get an answer.

“They are out at the house right now. Brian threatened to remove my balls with a dull spoon if they were interrupted. Shit, here comes Michael.” Ted winces at that voice.

“Ma, can I get some lunch,” Michael screeches as he carefully sits down next to Ted.

“What the hell happened to you, Michael? You look like you got attacked by a pack of wild drag queens at a wig clearance sale.” Emmett says as he looks at all the scratches on Michael’s face.

“I fell off the porch this morning and landed in that big rose bush in the front yard,” Michael complains in that whiny voice that could peel paint off the walls. He explains it again when his mother asks him what happened. “Ma, I’m ok. Stop fussing. Just bring me some food please,” Michael says, frustrated as all hell. Deb smacks Michael in the back of his head.

“Don’t be such a shit! You know I worry about you,” Debbie screeches as she leaves to put in her ungrateful son’s order.

Michael rubs his already sore head. All he wanted was some fucking coffee, his lunch, and to never see a fucking cat again. He is still trying to figure out how he is going to explain bite marks on his ass and claw marks on his dick to Ben. This shit is all fucking Justin’s fault.

“Have you all seen Brian and Boy Wonder? I needed to ask Brian something.” Michael asks.

“They went out to Britin to do some packing and check on the renovations. Brian said he didn’t want to be bothered this weekend. You better wait till Monday. And, Michael, if you are going to ask him for a loan; I already told you no. Your store is a really bad investment and you are a bad risk for a personal loan. You haven’t even attempted to repay the last two loans he gave you,” Ted says, very businesslike.

“Brian is my best fucking friend. He would do anything for me. He would never expect me to pay him back. You don’t know shit, Ted,” Michael yells.

Emmett carefully peeks inside the basket, unsurprised to see three pairs of feline eyes looking back at him. He props the lid of the basket open with the handle again. Brian narrows his eyes when he hears Michael’s screeching voice.

“Could he be any fucking louder?” Justin whispers. Joey shivers at the sound of the mean voice. He clings to Justin in an attempt to calm himself.

“Michael, Brian has other priorities right now. They are renovating their house, they just bought another car, and paid Gus’s private school tuition. They will have Justin’s college tuition and Gus’s support payments as well. They are not going to throw their money into a bottomless pit like your comic store.” Ted yells back.

Emmett quickly reaches into his pocket to get the money to pay for his lunch. He knows that look on Michael’s face, he is about to go into ‘blame Justin for his entire life’ mode. Ted just doesn’t want to hear that shit anymore.

“Fuck you, Ted. What Brian does with his money is none of your damn business. It sure as fuck isn’t that little fake blond whore’s business either. Brian will see that Justin is just a cheap piece of blond boy ass when he leaves that little twink for good this time. Brian will see the truth and know who really loves him,” Michael yells as spit flies out his mouth. “That fucking twink should have just stayed in New York”

The lid of the basket flies open as Brian jumps on the table, his hair standing on end, back arched, ready to strike. He is hissing and growling like the devil himself has possessed him. Brian narrows his eyes at Michael, daring that motherfucker to say one more word about his Sunshine. Michael stares in horror as the demon hell cat from earlier, stalks towards him. Ted and Emmett freeze in shock as the cat zeros in on Michael.

Michael draws back a hand to slap the cat off the table. The ginger cat jumps out of the basket and hisses at Michael. Michael slaps at the big black cat and throws his plate at the ginger cat. Brian flies off the table and Justin is knocked onto the booth beside Emmett. Michael screams as he feels claws sink into his neck. He grabs at the source and finds a handful of hissing, spitting, fuzzy ginger kitten. Ted grabs the kitten before Michael can throw the little thing to the floor. Brian and Justin jump back on the table. Justin jumps into Ted’s lap to protect Joey, as Brian lets out a high pitched growl that’s enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Michael lets out his own high pitched scream, pisses his pants, and runs out of the Diner.                            

“What the fuck just happened over here? Who’s cats are those?” Deb yells. “Why the hell did they attack Michael? Somebody call animal control!”

Emmett stands up and grabs the basket, setting it on the table. Emmett takes the kitten from a shaking Ted and puts the little thing in the basket. Justin nudges Ted with his head and rubs Ted’s hand with his paw. Ted is amazed when the bigger ginger cat hops in the basket with the kitten. The ginger cat lets out a loud meow. The big black cat looks Ted in the eye and bows its head briefly in acknowledgement. The black cat saunters over to a coffee cup, drinks a few sips, then hops into the basket with its family. Emmett shuts the lid, picks up the basket, and sashays to the door of the Diner.

He turns and calls over his shoulder, “Thanks for dinner, Teddy, but we know when we are not welcome. Call me later.” All eyes are on the southern queen as he leaves the Diner.

“What the fuck just happened Ted?” Deb asks as she sits down in the booth next to him. She quickly jumps back up when she feels the wetness on her large ass. “Fuck! What is all over the booth?” she screeches.

Ted climbs over the back of the booth. He takes out his wallet and pays for his lunch. “I do believe that is your son’s piss. Have a nice day Deb.” Ted says loudly as he walks to the door. “You know, Deb, I always thought your son was afraid of pussy. Now I know it’s true.” The accountant laughs as he walks out the door and hears Deb yelling.

?????????????????????????????????

“Joey, are you ok? You were very brave. I am very proud of you,” Justin praises the young cat.

“I am ok. That man was mean. He hurt Brian and you. I was going to scratch his eyes but I wanted to sneak up on him like my momma taught me,” Joey says bravely as his little chest puffs up with pride.

“You did really good, Fluffball.” Brian says as he nuzzles the little guy.

Brian caught Justin’s adoring look and rolls his eyes. The little kitten purrs happily as he snuggles into the big black cat. The boy quickly falls asleep, lulled by the gentle sway of the basket.

“Brian, what are we going to do now? Emmett can’t keep us. We can’t get back into the loft. We can’t get out to the house. I don’t want to be a cat forever,” Justin says with fear in his voice.

“I don’t know yet, Justin, but I’ll think of something,” Brian says confidently.

He is worried about his family. It struck him then that he was thinking of Justin and Joey as his family. He is scared of what’s going to happen to Joey when they go back to being human. Brian knows they will take care of the little kitten, but it won’t be the same as talking to him. He can only hope for the best.

Emmet opens the lid of the basket and tells the cats to keep quiet. He sneaks up the stairs to his apartment, thanking the gods of show tunes that his landlady isn’t out. Old lady Kowalski is a real bitch when it comes to pets. Emmett shudders as he remembers the stuffed dog she kept beside that ratty flowered chair. He wonders if she had her husband stuffed too. He closes the door and sets the basket on the floor.

“Here you go, gentleman. Welcome to Honeycutt Manor. I am your entertainment director, Emmett. I have some work to do for a client presentation, so please make yourselves at home.” Emmett laughs as he opens the basket. After placing a dish of water down and some newspaper in the corner, he heads to the kitchen table to finish the party invitations for the Coleman sweet sixteen bash.

Brian is napping with Joey, so Justin heads out into the apartment. The décor is a little garish to Justin’s artistic eye but it’s homey. He jumps on the table next to Emmett where he is mixing color samples and theme ideas. Justin watches as Em mixes a tangerine orange and a teal green and hisses at the color choice. Emmett looks up at the ginger cat with an inquisitive expression.

“What’s the matter, boy? Don’t like my color choices?” Emmett laughs. He watches in amazement as the fuzzy ginger cat looks over the samples. The way too intelligent to be natural cat lifts up a dark purple sample and drops it by Emmett’s hand. The cat snatches the orange and drops it on the floor. “I guess orange isn’t the new blue. The teal and purple compliment better. What do you think of the invitation design?” Emmett asks the artistic cat as he holds up the invitation. The cat looks thoughtfully then purrs in approval. The cat jumps off the table and heads back to the basket at the sound of the kitten meowing.

Emmett is starting to think something very strange is going on with these cats. Emmett sits on the couch and observes the cats. Joey is looking at Emmett warily while Justin just nuzzles the little kitten’s neck.

“That man is looking at me. Is he going to eat us?” Joey asks worriedly. He moves behind Justin in an attempt to hide from the colorful stranger.

“That nelly bottom wouldn’t know how to eat pussy if he was starving to death,” Brian snarks as he leaps gracefully out of the basket. Brian saunters to the couch and gives Emmett a bored once over.

“Brian! Behave. Don’t be mean about Em. He is risking a lot by bringing us here. He could have let animal control get us,” Justin admonishes. “Just remember how attached you are to your balls and mine. That should help you be a little nicer.”

Brian looks sheepishly at his partner. Honeycutt’s place isn’t so bad, even if it looks like he decorated it in the dark. It was warm, dry, and safe, and that meant a lot right now. Brian tries to quiet his inner label queen as he wanders around the apartment.

“Justin, does he really expect us to piss on the paper? I am not a fucking dog,” Brian says as he makes his way to Emmett’s bathroom. “I don’t piss on floors.”

“You say that now but remember after the Leather Ball last year,” Justin snickers. “Too bad you didn’t feel that way then. You totally ruined that Ficus plant my mom gave us. She still thinks we forgot to water it. Oh little does she know.”

“Shut up, twat. EMMETT! Come turn the fucking light on,” Brian yells from the bathroom.

Emmett hurries to the bathroom and turns on the light when he hears the black cat yowling. The cat jumps onto the toilet and gives him a look like ‘I want privacy’ so Emmett backs away. Sure enough he hears the cat taking a piss in the toilet. He didn’t know cats could be toilet trained. He wonders if the cat will flush too. Emmett feels suddenly light headed at the unmistakable flushing sound. The twilight zone theme starts playing in his head. He really needs a drink.

After a few - or too many - wine spritzers, Emmett is feeling no pain. He closes his eyes and lays his head back on the couch. Justin hears a small splash and notices Joey playing in a bowl on the coffee table. Brian and Justin jump up on the table after they realize he is playing in Emmett’s goldfish bowl.

“I don’t know what they are but they smell really good,” Joey says as he reaches for one of the slippery creatures and licks his whiskers. Justin yowls at Emmett.

Emmett opens his eyes to see the three cats looking at Mr. Swishy and Ms. Sashay like they are prized salmon. He hurries to move the fishbowl to his bedroom.

“Where are my manners?” Emmett says as he retrieves a plate of leftover chicken from the refrigerator. After heating the chicken, he places the plate down for the hungry cats. With southern hospitality satisfied, Emmett notices the unusual collars the bigger cats have on. He realizes the collars are exactly like the bracelet that gypsy fortune teller gave him last night. Emmett grabs the one he was given out of his bag and compares them to the cat’s collars. Unsurprisingly they match.

“That gypsy queen told me to give this to someone who would need it more than me. Little guy, would you like a collar like your daddies too? Every young man should know how to accessorize early,” Emmett squeals. After a little trimming the little ginger kitten has a collar of his own. “There now, y’all really look like a family. I wonder if y’all would let me put some doll clothes on you or maybe some nail polish?”

Brian lets out a menacing hiss and swipes a clawed paw in Emmett’s direction. There is no fucking way that queen is playing dress up with him. Well, maybe if he had Armani or Gucci, but not fucking girly ass doll clothes.

“If he comes near us with nail polish he gets claws to the nuts” Brian says to Justin as he backs up to the wall.

“He is just being Emmett. He needs one of those little yappy dogs he can play dress up with. He spends too much time alone,” Justin says thoughtfully.

“How can he be alone? He is in and out of love every other day,” Brian asks.

“You don’t have to be alone to be lonely, Brian. He is just under appreciated by most of the men he dates. Emmett is a good guy even if he is a little campy,” Justin replies as he looks at Emmett. “He needs a guy like Ben or Drew. Strong, built, a real manly top. Emmett needs someone that will let him shine, not try to out shine him.”

“I can see that. Honeycutt is a bright ass flame. That can be a little intimidating to a top. A top wants a bottom but maybe not a nelly bottom. He needs a special kind of top looking for his kind of bottom,” Brian answers with thoughtful wisdom.

“Wow, Brian. That is very perceptive,” Justin says in astonishment.

“I am the ultimate top remember. I can assess a trick’s preferences and desires in seconds. I also learned to read people so I can gear a campaign to sell shit to a certain market. It is one of the necessities of a great adman. Personally I like my bottoms more butch, less nelly. You’re a great bottom, soft and hard in all the right places,” Brain says as he gives Justin a lusty leer.

“What is a bottom?” Joey asks between mouthfuls of fried chicken.

“Never mind. Finish your dinner,” Justin says as he narrows his eyes at Brian.

After Joey is done, Justin puts him on the blanket Brian pulled off the couch. Brian and Justin look at Emmett as they continue to consider the southern man’s disaster of a love life.

“I think he was good with Drew. Do you think they could work things out?” Justin asks Brian as he watches Emmett.

“You know, Sunshine, stranger things have happened,” Brian says as he meaningfully swishes his long tail.

“You still have Drew’s agent’s number, right? You could set something up for them?” Justin asks hopefully.

“Do I look like a fucking matchmaker?” Brain smirks. He knows he would help Honeycutt if Justin asks, but he couldn’t give in too easily.

Justin knows this game. He rubs his body against Brian’s. He uses his tail to caress Brian’s long back. He sashays his ass in front of Brian’s face. “I will make it worth your while, Stud.” Justin croons at his furry partner.

Emmett blinks in disbelief as he watches the cats. He would swear on his gold lame pants that the ginger cat is trying to seduce the big black cat. Fuck, it was a Saturday night and he is watching a live action cat porn display right in his living room. The ginger cat swishes his ass in front of the black cat and damned if the black cat didn’t look hypnotized by its display. It reminds him of the way Brian watches Justin when he walks out of a room.

Emmett gets the giggles as he remembers a certain plant that was on his dresser. He picks up the blanket and the little kitten and puts them in the basket. He retrieves the plant from his bedroom and sets it on the floor in front of the two cats. The cats sniff at the plant and a mesmerized look comes into their eyes.

“What the hell is that plant? It smells so good. I feel so fucking warm. Am I floating?” Justin says as he starts to roll around in the plant.

“Fuck, it’s got to be catnip. Catnip is like ecstasy for cats. Damn, I feel horny as hell. Justin, get away from that shit before we do something we’ll regret. I don’t want to fuck a cat,” Brian tries to say as the urge to jump on Justin fills his mind. “That shit can make a cat mean as hell.”

“But, Brian, it feels so good,” Justin says as he rubs himself on Brian.

Brian’s control is slipping. He can feel the heat of Justin’s nimble little body as it rubs against him.

Emmett is astonished when the big black cat whips around and snatches the smaller ginger cat by the back of the neck. The ginger cat lets out a lusty groan when his bigger partner bites down. The black cat is claiming the ginger cat and marking him as his own. The black cat growls deep in his throat and Emmett thinks maybe the catnip wasn’t such a good idea. He grabs up the plant and puts it in the closet. He refills the water dish and cuts the lights down. Best they all get some sleep. Emmett heads to his room and shuts the door.

Brian and Justin head to the basket to snuggle up with Joey. It has been one long day for them all. Brian licks the side of Justin’s head as Joey’s gentle purrs lull them to sleep.

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Brian stretches his long body as the sunlight comes through the window the next morning. He feels something poking him in his side. He reaches down to move whatever it is when he realizes he has hands. He snaps his eyes open as he looks at his very human hands. He lets out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He sits up quickly looking for Justin and Joey. He notices two blond heads snuggled up together. Justin has an arm protectively around a little blond boy.

“Justin, wake up. Come on Sunshine, open your eyes,” Brian says as he gently shakes Justin awake.

“Brian, it’s too early to get up. Let me sleep,” Justin murmurs. He slowly blinks his eyes open at the persistent shaking. He bolts up when he sees Brian’s face. “Oh thank the heavens we are human again,” Justin exclaims.

“We’re not the only ones that are human,” Brian says as he gestures to the sleeping boy between them.

“Brian, Joey changed too! It must have been the collar Emmett gave him. He is beautiful. But what’s going to happen to him? He doesn’t have anyone but us,” Justin says with watery eyes as he looks down at the little boy. He doesn’t think he has ever seen anything so beautiful except for maybe Brian and Gus.

“He is beautiful. He looks like a miniature of you. We will figure everything out. But just know we are keeping him. Now, we need to get some clothes on and get the hell out of here before Emmett wakes up. He would ask a lot of questions we don’t want to answer,” Brian says as he moves to the spare bedroom and looks through Michael’s old dresser and closet.

He grabs some of Mikey’s old clothes for Justin and Joey and sneaks some of Emmett’s for himself. They carefully dress themselves and Joey. They wake the boy and tell him very quietly everything is going to be ok. The boy is scarred but he trusts them so he is quiet as they sneak around the apartment. Justin picks up the pieces of the basket and puts it in a garbage bag. Brian folds the blanket and puts it back on the couch. Justin folds the newspaper and places it on the coffee table. Brian puts the water bowl and plate from the chicken in the sink. They both snatch a pair of flip flops by the door and quietly leave after they lock the door.

“Why did you bring the bag with the basket pieces?” Brian asks Justin as he carries Joey down the stairs.

“I didn’t want to leave any evidence if we could help it,” Justin says. “We can throw it away a few blocks from here. Let Emmett think he was too drunk to remember all the details. We need to take off the bracelets too. That gypsy said they were only protective for 24 hours. Better not to tempt the spirits again. Once was enough,” Justin states worriedly.

“I left a window in the spare bedroom open a little so he would think we got out that way,” Brian says as he looks at his partner.

Justin runs his hand through Joey’s blond hair and notices he has hazel eyes.

“Brian he has your eyes! He is like a little me with your eyes,” Justin says as he chokes up.

The little boy gives Justin a big megawatt smile. The boy looked to be about three or four years old. He is on the small side but looks very healthy.

“Hold it together, Sunshine. We need to get to the loft. We can get the super to let us in. I have a plan but we need to move very quickly before anyone from the family sees us with him. I will explain as soon as we get home,” Brian says reassuringly.

They quickly make their way to the loft and after the bitching super lets them in they lock the doors and turn off their phones.

Brian instructs Justin to hurry and pack them some clothes. They are ready to leave fifteen minutes after Brian makes some calls. They change into their own clothes and put Joey in an old set of Gus’s clothes. They quickly get in Justin’s new SUV and head towards other side of town.

“Brian, we need to make a few stops. We need some things for the house and for Joey. He doesn’t even have shoes. He also needs a car seat. We don’t want to get pulled over before we can explain why he is with us,” Justin says logically as he looks back at the small, smiling boy.

“We can head to that department store by the interstate. I will go get groceries while you get what Joey will need,” Brian agrees.

“Joey, we are going to go to the store and get you some things to make being a human easier. I know all these changes are scary but I need you to be brave just a little while longer. The store might have a lot of people but don’t be afraid. Brian and I will protect you,” Justin says in a calm voice he hopes will soothe any nerves the boy has.

“I will be brave Justin,” Joey says with a small voice.

“Joey, do you know what a daddy is?” Brian asks the boy.

“I know what Daddies are. The dog next door used to talk about something called his ‘champion bloodlines’ and ‘proud sire’. Momma said that meant he had a good dad,” Joey explains.

“In the human world kids can have a mom and dad, two dads, or two moms. We will explain about all that later. But right now we need you to understand that Justin and I will be your dads from now on. We will love you and take care of you. We will protect you and teach you. Do you think you would want us to be your dads like a family?” Brian asks the little boy very seriously.

Justin looks at Brian with tears in his eyes. He doesn’t think he could ever love Brian more than at that moment. Brian gives him the ‘you are such a sentimental twat’ smile as they wait for Joey to answer.

“You mean I could have you both for a daddy? Like a family? I want that very much,” Joey says excitedly.

“We have a house where we can all live together. But, Joey, we have to keep the thing about all of us being cats a secret. If other humans found out they would not understand. It has to be a secret for just you, me, and Justin forever. We can never tell anyone. We will teach you all about being human very soon,” Brian warns.

“Joey, when we get to the store you need to be very quiet. If anyone asks you anything act like you can’t talk. It is only for a short time. Can you do that for me?” Justin pleads.

“I can do that. It will be like a quiet game I played with the others before the man…” Joey says with sad look on his face.

“We won’t let anyone hurt you ever again sweetie,” Justin says gently to the little boy.

He sees the slight nod from his partner that matches the determined look in his eyes. No fucking body was ever going to hurt his boy. His boy. His son. Justin sucked in his breath. He had a son. Brian and he had a son. He looks at Joey in amazement.

“Just hit you didn’t it,” Brian says with a smirk. He pulls the SUV into a parking spot in front of the department store. He hates shopping at these kind of stores but desperate times and all. Brian carries Joey as Justin gets a couple of shopping carts.

“Brian, make sure you get things a kid would eat. Just act like you’re shopping for Gus. Healthy, nutritious, but edible for a kid,” Justin advises as he puts Joey in his shopping cart. “Text me when you’re done and I will meet you at the checkout.” Justin heads to the children’s department very excited to pick out clothes, toys, and such for his son.

Brian watches his new family walk off, amazed at how complete he feels. He loves Gus and Justin but Joey just seems to tie them all together. He is anxious about his Sonny Boy meeting his new little fluff ball. He hopes they got along. Justin will never let Joey go and Brian will never let either of them go either, so he hopes his first son and his new son will get along. Brian knows raising Joey full time is going to be a big change to Justin and his lifestyle. He only hopes they can work through the changes and make their new blended family work.

“Ok Joey, we need to try some clothes and shoes on you to get your sizes,” Justin explains as he picks up a few things and takes Joey into the dressing room.

After getting the right sizes Justin fills the basket with the needed clothes, under garments, and shoes. He also gets Joey a light weight jacket and a warmer winter coat. Mittens and a hat round out his wardrobe. Justin picks the correct car seat before they head to the toy section.

“I know you are not used to toys, but these are something every kid deserves,” Justin smiles at Joey as he points to a stuffed animal cat.

He hands the cat to Joey and smiles when the excited boy rubs his face on it. Justin picks some cars, crayons, coloring book, and a few action figures. He picks a teddy bear for Gus also.

Justin also picks out some toddler dinnerware and some child sized linens. He grabs a couple of packs of pull-ups just to be on the safe side. Adjusting to a toilet after a litter box might take the boy a little practice. Justin feels his phone vibrate, indicating a text from Brian that it is time to go. Justin knows this won’t be the last trip he makes shopping for his son. Justin’s shit eating megawatt sunshine grin is reflected in the smile from his new son.

Brian can’t help but smile at the identical grins on Justin and Joey’s faces. They really do look just alike. “Geez Justin, is there anything left in the kid’s department?” Brian laughs. Justin’s cart is damn near overflowing. But the satisfied contented look on his partner’s face is worth whatever this little trip will cost him.

“Shit! I forgot something. Watch Joey. I will be right back.” Justin says before he takes off down the aisle.

Brian is loading the counter with all their shit when Justin comes rushing back several minutes later. He is carrying a children’s first aid kit and a child sized backpack. He has a large carry-on bag slung over his shoulder.

“Sorry I took so long. I just keep remembering things he may need,” Justin says as he rushes to help load the carts with the bagged items.

“Calm down Sunshine. When we get to the house we can make a list and go out again if we need to,” Brian says as he hands the cashier his credit card. Justin’s mouth drops open as he sees the total. Damn, kids are expensive. Good thing they both make really good money. “I know it looks like a lot of money Justin, but we are doing really great right now. Don’t worry. We can do this,” Brian says in an attempt to reassure his partner. “With just the profits from your last show we could live comfortably. Include the profits from Kinnetik and we should never have a problem taking care of our family.”

“I know you’re right, Brian. I just had a brain fart, sorry. We may have to make some changes but we can work it all out together. I really want us to be a family.” Justin says confidently, assured that his partner is in this with him.

After they load the car and Justin helps Joey put on his shoes, they head to the house. It takes several trips to the car to get everything out. Brian unpacks the groceries and makes lunch while Justin arranges a room for Joey.

“Justin, can you show me how to use the litter box?” Joey asks as he dances the little boy pee-pee squirm. Justin laughs and shows him the ins and outs of the bathroom. With clean hands and empty bladders, they head downstairs for lunch.

“Brian, can we discuss this plan you have now?” Justin says between bites of his turkey sandwich.

“I think it would be best if you and Joey stay out here at the house for a few weeks. That will give you some time to teach him some human things. We’ll just tell the family you are traveling for a commission piece for a few weeks. I have a call in to a guy to get some paperwork for Joey. We can just tell everyone we adopted him from out of state through a private adoption. After we get the papers we can introduce him to the family,” Brian says matter of factly.

“How can you get papers for him? He doesn’t even have a birth certificate,” Justin asks worriedly.

“For the right price, Sunshine, you can get papers for anything you need,” Brian smirks.

“Oh, those kind of papers. Are you sure this guy won’t think we kidnapped Joey and call the cops?” Justin whispers.

“He is paid very well for his work and his continued prosperity depends on his discretion.” Brian replies. “We do need to decide how old he is and give him a birth date.”

“I think his looks closer to 4 than 3 even if he is small. If we could get him evaluated by a doctor, we would have a better idea. We need to pick a birthdate that would allow him to go to preschool but I don’t think he is ready for kindergarten any time soon. I think maybe a birthday where he would start when he is 6 would be better. How about we say he turns 4 in the next month our so?” Justin says as he contemplates the issue.

“You just want to give him a birthday party. But I agree he could use some time at home with you first, then school could come later. What about your plan to go back to college and you still need time to work on your art? You can’t sacrifice your career Justin,” Brian says as he meets his partner’s gaze.

“I was planning to lighten my workload for school anyway. I have a few months off before I need to start working on my next show. We have at least that long to make arrangements for daycare or a nanny. I would prefer a preschool over a nanny. I wouldn’t mind getting a housekeeper to worry about the household stuff. But I want this time with him. I want to bond with our son.” Justin says with a signature smile. “I won’t be sacrificing something; I will be gaining everything.”

“As long as you’re sure, Sunshine, I’ll stand beside you whatever you decide. We need a few pictures for his papers and I want to get him a passport so we can travel this summer. I think as long as we have the adoption papers with a birth certificate and social security card we should be fine for his school needs,” Brian concludes.

“We need to get him a pediatrician here and in the city. I also want to get his bedroom furnished soon,” Justin adds. “I want to talk about some other stuff but I think Joey needs a nap before we can finish talking,” Justin says as he picks up a sleepy Joey while Brian clears the lunch plates.

“Joey went down fine. He looks so cute, sleeping with his stuffed cat. He said it reminded him of his mom. I hope this is a good thing for him. His whole world has changed. We know how cruel humans can be. Is the life of a human really better for him than the life he would have had as a cat?” Justin asks Brian with concern.

“Justin, with you as his dad he will be the luckiest boy ever. I am really looking forward to watching you become the father I always knew you could be,” Brian says quietly as he kisses Justin’s temple.

“Anything I learned about being a good dad I learned from watching you with Gus. Now we will have two lucky little boys. I am so happy Brian. Thank you for doing this with me,” Justin says as he wraps his arms around his lover. “If we get a move on we can get in some bedroom activity before he wakes from his nap,” Justin offers.

Brian grabs Justin’s hand and hauls him off to their bedroom. Justin never has to ask Brian twice if he wants to fuck. Father or not, Brian is still the Stud of Liberty Ave.

????????????????????????????????

Later that night as they are lying in bed Justin is trying to get his thoughts together. He doesn’t want to hurt Brian but he has had enough of the way some shit had been going.

“Brian, you are not going to like this but I need to say something. I don’t want you to get angry and I want you to let me finish,” Justin says as he rolls over to look his partner in the face. Brian lifts an eyebrow but nods his head. “I want to change the locks at the loft. I don’t want Michael or Lindsay to have a key anymore. I also don’t want Michael around Joey too much. You know he is going to talk shit about us adopting Joey. He is going to spout his verbal diarrhea about me tricking you, using you, and leaving you. I don’t want his poison around our son. He is still Gus’s sister’s father so he will be at family shit, but I won’t let him hurt Joey. Also, Lindsay is going to be jealous as all hell when she finds out we are legal partners and have adopted Joey. She still wants her little hetero fantasy. I think you should look into getting visitation rights for Gus. They want financial help, then they can agree to a set schedule. I want the boys to feel like brothers,” Justin says passionately.

“I will have my lawyer look into a custody agreement. I think you’re right about Michael and Lindsay. Michael has a shit storm coming his way he just doesn’t know it yet. I had the locks changed this morning after we left. Cynthia has the new keys. I have to go into the office tomorrow. After we get Joey’s papers I think we should have dinner with your mom and Molly first then surprise everyone at a Sunday dinner at Deb’s. Michael won’t say shit about his adoption in front of Deb or Mother Taylor. They would have what is left of his balls,” Brian smirks.

“My mom would kick his ass if he said anything in front of her grandson,” Justin giggles. He snuggles up to Brian as he drifts off to sleep. Brian soon follows.

????????????????????????????????

The next week was a whirlwind for Brian, Justin, and Joey. Brian puts in long hours at the office. He does everything he can to avoid Michael and the Diner. He skips Babylon and Woody’s in favor of going home to his family in the country. The family is told he is working on hooking a big client to give him some breathing room.

The final renovations are completed at the house. Brian has decided to add a small room to the loft, big enough for a set of bunk beds in case they need to stay in town for some reason. It is a quick renovation because they only need to convert the small storage room at the back of the loft. Anything that needs to be stored is moved out to the house.

Brian got Joey’s papers from his guy. Justin feels more comfortable leaving the house and coming to the city once that is done. Justin and Joey are packing the loft while continuing his human lessons. Justin is sure Joey could pass for human with only a few little things people would just think was kid behavior. Justin has called his agent and told her he and his partner have adopted a child and he is taking some time off. She is happy for them and told him to do some sketches for inspirational use later. They have plans to meet with his mother and sister later that evening. He is nervous but excited for his family to meet Joey. The little boy is smart and a joy to be around.

Joey is amazed by the human world. He is learning new things every day. He likes to color in his book like Daddy Justin. He thinks Daddy Brian is very funny. They like to watch tv and eat cookies. Human food is so much better than nasty cat food. He misses his mom and the others but he is happy with his new family. He likes having two daddies. Daddy Brian had explained that it takes a boy and girl to make a baby but two daddies or two mommies could take care of the baby together.

Daddy Brian also told him about Gus. Joey is glad he has a new brother even if he lives with two mommy munchers. Daddy Justin got mad when daddy Brian said that but Daddy Brian kissed him happy. Daddy Brian kisses Daddy Justin happy a lot. Joey is used to being around people more. He still dosen’t trust most of them but he isn’t such a ‘fraidy cat anymore. Daddy Justin has told him about Grandma Jen and Aunt Molly. He said they were real nice.

Brian, Justin, and Joey get to the restaurant a few minutes early. Joey is sitting between them when Jen and Molly approach the table.

“Mother Taylor. Molly. So glad you could join us on this very special occasion. We would like you to meet our son Joseph Liam Taylor-Kinney,” Brian smirks at the dumbfounded look on Jennifer’s face. Justin puts that megawatt smile to good use.

“What, When, How?” Jennifer stumbles over the words as she looks at the beautiful little boy so like her own son.

“We adopted Joey last week with a closed private adoption. We have been planning this for quite a while but didn’t say anything in case it fell through. We went out of state to a state with more gay friendly laws, but that’s the most we can say to protect the birth parent’s privacy. I am taking a few months off to stay at home with Joey to bond before he starts preschool sometime in January,” Justin finishes with their ready explanation.

“Are you Grandma Jen and Aunt Molly? I am Joey. Hello,” says a small voice. “I am this many years old,” Joey says holding three little fingers up.

“Justin, he is so cute. And I get to be an Aunt. That is so cool,” Molly squeals.

“I am very happy to meet you Joey. Yes, I am your Grandma Jen,” Jennifer says as tears roll down her cheeks. “I never thought I would get to have this. Thank you both so much.”

Brian laughs. “Calm down Mother Taylor. We are glad we could oblige.”

“Oh, hush you. I get to enjoy this moment. Justin, he looks so much like you it’s uncanny,” Jennifer comments.

“He has eyes like Brian’s. I think he even has my smile,” Justin says proudly. “You and Molly are the first to know about the adoption. We don’t plan to tell the family till Sunday dinner. Would you come too for moral support?” Justin tells his mom.

“Do you expect a problem?” Jennifer looks at her son with narrowed eyes.

Justin looks at Brian before he answers. Brian gives him a slight nod of approval. “We don’t expect a problem but we would like to avoid any if possible. Joey is going to be a big shock for some of the family to take,” Justin says diplomatically.

“I see. Molly has plans with Craig but I will be there to stop any problems. And problems better watch out if they mess with my son, grandson, and son-in-law!” Jennifer says, all WASP indignation already.

Brian lifts a patented brow “Son-in-law? Why, Mother Taylor, I do believe we missed a step somewhere,” Brian snarks.

“Brian, you have made me a grandmother at my age! I know you are as close to married as you two plan to get. Hell, you even have a house together. I damn well get to call you my son-in-law if you get to call me Mother Taylor,” Jennifer says with some snark of her own.

“Yes, Mother Taylor,” Brian says sheepishly.

Justin can hold his laughter in no longer and soon everyone is laughing. Dinner is a pleasant event full of love and acceptance of a newly forming family.

??????????????????????????????????

Sunday dinner at Deb’s is always a loud affair. A small space with too many people. Deb, Jennifer, and Emmett work in the kitchen finishing up dinner while the rest of the family mingle around the house. Brian and Justin are late as usual.

“Michael, you need to stop talking about Brian and Justin like that,” Ben lectures his husband.

Michael has been ranting about Brian and Justin for the last week. He is pissed that Brian wouldn’t return his calls. Michael blames Justin for influencing Brian against him. Michael complains his best friend would never treat him this way. Ben isn’t so sure. Brian is a hard guy to understand but Ben knows he considers Justin his first priority. He wishes Michael would treat him with the same respect.

“Brian is my best fucking friend. Justin is just being a jealous little shit,” Michael hisses at his husband.

“Michael, we have all told you, Brian has been busy working on a new client. With Justin out of town he has been putting in longer hours while he can,” Ted says to try to quiet Michael’s rants. He is tired of this same broken record Michael plays at every get together.

“Brian could have at least answered our calls, Ted. It’s just common courtesy. That is all Michael is saying. It could have been an emergency or something could have been wrong with Gus,” Lindsay says as she adds her two cent bullshit.

“That asshole only cares about himself. He wouldn’t give a fuck if his son needed him,” Melanie grumbles as she starts her second glass of wine. Great, it’s the full version of the Brian Kinney is the antichrist opera, Ted thinks.

“Mel, you know Brian loves Gus. He takes very good care of Gus. You forget I know how much the tuition payments for Gus’s school are. So don’t spout your mouth off,” Ted says angrily.

“You are such a hypocrite, Ted. You tell all of us to stay out of Brian’s financial business but here you are spilling it out. I guess you think you’re the only one that has a right to know anything now that you are Brian’s flunky.” Michael says nastily.

Ted jumps off the couch and gets in Michael’s face. “That’s bullshit and you know it. I only discuss Brian and Justin’s business in general terms and only things that are common knowledge in the family. I never discuss specific Kinnetik financial information. I also would never discuss the specifics of their personal finances, or anything else I learn as their financial advisor. You are just jealous and pissed that I won’t recommend that Brian give you another loan for that dumb ass comic book store,” Ted yells at Michael. “My loyalty is to Brian and Justin as my employers, clients, and friends.”

“And we appreciate all your efforts on our behalf, Theodore,” Brian says from the doorway. They had heard the gist of the conversation from the doorway.

“Where the fuck have you been? I have been trying to get in touch with you for days. Didn’t you get my messages?” Michael whines.

“I have been working and at home with Justin and our son,” Brian says casually. Brian chuckles as he sees the scratch marks on Michael’s face and arms. “What happened to you, Mikey? You and Ben get carried away?” he tells Ben, who blushes.

“Son? You haven’t had Gus in two weeks. Don’t use my son in your fucking lies,” Mel scoffs at Brian.

“He is talking about our son Joey!” Justin says as he steps out from behind Brian holding Joey in his arms. Joey lays his head shyly on Justin’s shoulder as the entire room goes quiet. They had warned Joey that these people were very loud but he is still worried.

“Here is my favorite grandson,” Jennifer says from the kitchen. She moves to stand next to Justin and Joey in a show of motherly protection.

“Jen, you knew about this? Why the fuck weren’t we told?” Deb says as she moves to get a good look at the boy. “Sunshine, he looks just like you.” Jennifer steps in front of Justin and holds her hands up in an attempt to ward off Deb’s overwhelming personality.

“We considered it a private family matter Deb,” Jennifer answered in her best waspish tone. “Back off a little, please. You don’t want to scare my grandson now do you?”

Brian smirks at Mother Taylor including herself in their surprise. “We just finalized Joey’s adoption. It was no one’s business but ours until the paperwork was done. We got him last week. That was why Justin was out of town,” Brian finishes and that is all the details he is giving out. “Can we eat?” Brian says as they move to the kitchen.

They get congratulations from Ted, Blake, Emmett and Ben. Emmett comments on how much he looks like Justin. Brian takes Joey upstairs to introduce him to Gus and JR. Justin goes to start helping his mom set the table. Michael, Mel, and Lindsay are left to their own malignant thoughts.

“Who in their right mind would give them a kid?” Mel bitches. “He hardly has anything to do with Gus. They couldn’t care for a house plant fulltime, let alone a kid.”

“I never thought Brian would want to be a full time parent. He didn’t want to father JR either,” Lindsay pouts. Her dreams of country club acceptance pooling at her feet like sludge.

“Wait just a damn minute. There is no way Brian fucking Kinney wants to play daddy and live in the damn country. It goes against everything he believes in. This is all your doing Boy Wonder. What the hell have you done to Brian?” Michael yells as he advances on Justin.

“MICHAEL! Stop right there,” Brian says as he comes down the stairs with the kids. He sends the others to the munchers but hands Joey to Mother Taylor. “No one makes me do anything. We both wanted a child together so we adopted Joey. We are going to raise him together. Justin and my boys are my family. We have a home and businesses together. We are equal partners in all we do. But you know that already, don’t you, Michael.” Brian says with a death glare. “Here is what you don’t know. Since we are spending most of our time at the house we had the alarm system upgraded at the loft.”

“Why would I care about that” Michael says dumbly.

“We had interior cameras and audio equipment put in three weeks ago. Care to hear about what we found on the tapes when we got home last week, Michael” Justin says with disdain. He knew they were lying but Michael deserved to squirm. Michael had turned a very unattractive shade of green.

“What the hell is going on here?” Debbie screeches as she looks from Brian and Justin to Michael.

“Justin was sitting for a friend’s cats last weekend. We have surveillance footage of Michael sneaking into the loft and digging around in our shit. He was very dismayed to find our domestic partnership agreement. He frightened the cats and he got his ass pussy whipped. They ran off after he tried to hit them with a broom. Luckily they came back,” Brian says with an evil gleam in his eyes. He didn’t plan to tell the entire story but enough to let Michael know they know all of what he did in their home.

“This is all your fucking fault. My life is ruined because of you.” Michael screams at Justin.

“You are a very mean man! Leave my Daddy Justin alone,” Joey yells as he rears back and kicks Michael in the shin.

Michael howls and hops around on one foot. Justin grabs Joey in his arms in a protective stance. He hands the boy off to Brian and rounds on Michael.

“You violated our home and my trust. You are no longer welcome in our home. The locks have been changed and you won’t ever have a key again. I have to look at you because ours kids are family but if you ever pull this kind of shit again I will kick your fucking ass,” Justin whispers menacingly. “And just try selling Rage without me and I will sue your ass so fast you won’t have a penny left,” Justin says lowly in Michael’s ear.

“Wait. I found cats by the Diner last weekend. I brought them home but they got out the window. They were very strange cats,” Emmett says as he eyes the new family. He shakes his head to clear the weird thoughts. Justin pats the man’s shoulder as he hands him a drink.

“To hell with the cats. Why were you in the loft, Michael? We all knew they were going to the house last weekend,” Ben says accusingly to his husband. “Never mind. We will discuss this later at home.”

As everyone sits down to dinner there is a tension in the air. The conversation is stilted, only interrupted by the laughter of the three kids.

“Justin, how do you expect to raise a child and still keep up with your art career? Being a full time parent leaves little time for travel and weekends free,” Lindsay says with fake concern, sounding more like jealousy.

“Well, Linds, I have Brian and my mother to help when I need it. But we plan to get a housekeeper to take care of those little mundane household chores most housewives have to deal with. I will be taking some time off and I can paint when Joey is in preschool. One of the benefits of having such a large house is I have room for an in-home studio so I can work at home. My agent has recommended I take some time to get inspiration for future work,” Justin says as bratty as he can with a straight face.

He doesn’t miss the envious glare in her eyes. Brian smirks at his partner’s bitchy tone. Justin can be a big ass queen when he needs to.

“Don’t expect too much help from Brian. He barely helps out with his own son,” Mel says belligerently.

“Since you so graciously brought up my parenting skills, Mel, this is for you,” Brian says as he takes a paper from his pocket and hands it to her. After several minutes of reading, Melanie looks very pissed.

“No fucking way am I going to let this happen,” Melanie screeches as she leaps up from her chair. “You gave him up. It’s too late to change your mind now, asshole.”

“Do sit down, Melanie. You are interrupting dinner,” Jennifer says as she passes the bowl of linguini to Ted.

The rest of the family are looking at Brian waiting for the eruption of Mt Kinney.

“That is where you are wrong. You never filed the paperwork for Gus’s adoption. I had my lawyer check. I still have complete rights to my son. I also had my lawyer void the termination agreement and file paperwork for joint custody. You will never again keep my son from me. You two have lied to me for years, taken my money, and still barely let me see him,” Brian says with conviction.

“No judge is going to give a child to a person with your history. Drugs, booze, and fucking anything with a pulse is not in the best interest of a child,” Mel spits as she looks at Brian with disdain.

“Don’t be silly, Mel. A judge doesn’t have to give Brian anything. He has his rights. You don’t have shit. Your own history is not so spotless either. Linds, care to remind everyone about the affairs and your attempt to defraud the government with that French guy? And let us not forget the thousands of dollars we have paid for Gus’s support over the years. Brian and I are just as legally partnered as you two. We have solid careers with very lucrative investment portfolios, as I am sure Ted can confirm. We have an extended family that includes Joey, my mom, and sister. We have a large home with lots of space. We are the fucking poster boys for the modern gay family,” Justin says with a sickly sweet voice. He turns to Blake and offers him a basket of bread. “Slinging mud is not in anyone’s best interest,” Justin’s warns. He would be damned if he let them degrade Brian in front of the family again.

“I am only asking for the same rights and visitation you two allow Michael with JR. I don’t want to take him away from his home or his family. But I want him to be a part of mine too. Gus and Joey have the right to be brothers just like JR is his sister. Mel, you allow JR to be a part of Ben, Hunter, and Michael’s family. I want the same thing for Gus with Justin, Joey, and me. But I will not sign my rights over again ever,” Brian says as calmly as he can.

Mel is a good lawyer. She knows when to fight and when to settle a case. “Have your lawyer draw up the papers. Joint custody with a set visitation schedule is reasonable. But I want something too,” Mel the good lawyer knows how to make a counter offer.

“What do you want Mel?” Brian asks suspiciously. He eyes Mel before he looks at Justin for support.

“Allow me to be his guardian the same as Linds is for JR? You won’t be giving away rights, just including me like a step parent,” Mel asks as nicely as she can.

Brian thought for a few minutes. He knows a counter offer when he hears one but Brian is a great business man. He knows how to sweeten a deal. He feels Justin’s hand squeeze his knee as he takes a deep breath.

“I would agree to that on two conditions; Justin is named as a co-guardian and Gus’s name will include ‘Kinney’. He can keep Marcus as a middle name but his legal name would be Peterson-Kinney. I will stipulate to a set support payment schedule also. I have always been more than generous with support for Gus, you know that,” Brian says in a compromising tone. The rest of the family is enthralled as they watch the negotiations between the shark lawyer and the business deal closer.

“I can live with that. Would you be willing to keep the life insurance policy still?” Mel asks the shrewd adman with grudging respect. She looks at Lindsay to see her reaction to the talks and receives a weak smile. Lindsay knows this is hard on both of them but an expensive, ruthless court battle is definitely not a good idea.

Brian laughs. He knows she always expected him to die off from his partying ways. He never expected to have any rights to his son again, so he is willing to compromise as long as the munchers are reasonable. Justin leans over and whispers something in his ear and he chuckles. His Sunshine really is a sentimental little twat.

“I will keep the policy as is. I have other policies to cover Justin and Joey and Kinnetik. I will also contribute to Gus’s college fund regularly as always. Justin would like Gus and JR to attend art lessons with Joey to be taught by Lindsay and himself, as available, around their schedules. We also want family portraits with the family seasonally and on holidays,” Brian says as he holds Justin’s hand.

Lindsay looks at Brian and Justin with watery eyes. She is grateful to Justin for including her. She realizes that for the sake of their children it is best if everyone gets along. She knows Brian loves Justin and Justin has always loved Brian. They will be a family. Her earlier childish behavior was shameful but old habits die hard. Brian was never hers to love. That spot has been filled by Justin alone. Lindsay reaches for her wife’s hand hoping she knows she really does love her. Mel squeezes her hand in response.

“We can live with that. Will you introduce us to your son again? We would like to properly welcome him to the family,” Lindsay says with a happy waspy tone.

Justin leans close to Joey and whispers in his ear. He ruffles the little boy’s hair and smiles at his partner.

“My name is Joey Taylor-Kinney. I have a race car bed and a stuffed animal cat. I live with my daddies. I have a big brother Gus,” the little blond replica of Justin chimes in.

He gave Gus’s mommies a big smile. Joey eyes the mean man warily. He remembers the colorful man and his friend from that food place. He didn’t know the others.

“Joey this is Emmett, Ted, Blake, Ben, Michael, and his mom Debbie,” Brian introduces the family to Joey.

Dinner ends much better than it started. Brian and Justin take their son home with lighter hearts, hopeful the family can hold itself together in the face of Michael’s mischief and other’s jealousy.

????????????????????????????????????

Emmett hears a knock on his door as he walks to answer it. He is not expecting anyone.

“Can I help you?” Emmett asks the delivery man on his door step.

“I have a delivery for Honeycutt. Please sign here,” the man says as he indicates the order form. He hands Emmett a small bedazzled suitcase and a box with air holes in it.

Emmett doesn’t know what is in the box but he hears something scurrying around inside. He sets the box down and grabs the envelope off the top and is amazed at the note. The note only says, ‘Something to keep you company’, and is attached to a signed receipt for a pet deposit from his bitchy landlord. He opens the box to find a tiny snow white Pomeranian puppy. The puppy licks his hand as he picks her up. Her collar has a tag that says Scarlet.

“Well, I declare, Miss Scarlet, I shall never be lonely again,” the southern queen squeals.

He remembers the little suitcase and opens it to find water dishes, ownership papers, and a dozen designer dog outfits. The most squeal-worthy item is the package of different doggie safe nail polishes. Emmett has gone to doggie dress up heaven.    

Emmett also notices the small card on the bottom of the suitcase. All it has on it is a phone number. He thinks, what the hell, and dials the number. He instantly recognizes the deep voice that says hello. Drew…

??????????????????????????????????

Two years later

Justin watches as his little boy walks up to the front door of the building. He feels strong arms wrap around him. He tries very hard not to cry. He is so proud of their son but he will miss him terribly.

He hears Brian chuckle and whisper in his ear. “It’s only kindergarten, Sunshine, not boot camp.”

Justin smiles at him and they hold hands as they leave to meet the boys at the diner for breakfast.