JUSTIN

I had Gus and Hannah ready to walk down the aisle, before sitting down. It was really beautiful the way the chapel was set up to look as if Emmett and Charles were walking through a forest. Emmett chose a purple pinstriped suit to Charles in classic black, but with a deep purple shirt to match Emmett’s. Gus had the same shirt and black pants. Hannah wore a shimmering dress that changed from the deep purple to black as the light hit it. Charles’s parents managed to make it for the ceremony. Apparently my husband managed to get them on a flight to be here as our gift to them. Emmett had a dilemma about choosing a best man, since he felt Ted and I shared an equal place in his life, we told him to let Gus and Hannah do the honors for both of them.

Emmett and Charles walked in together behind our giggling children, and had the kids stand on either side of them. When asked if they wanted to say anything, Charles, as usual, a man who only spoke enough words to convey his thoughts, was short and sweet. Although it took Emmett, a man of many words, much longer to come to the same point.

“Emmett, you honor me by tying your life to mine forever. Thank you for showing me the world through your eyes and giving me the chance love you.” Charles said, kissing Emmett.

“Charles, you have shown me each day we have known each other, that you would stand by me. You didn’t give up on me when I couldn’t say yes, but asked again and again. I wish I’d been ready the first time, but my life before you made me wary and you were the one who ended up patiently waiting for me. You constantly amaze me with the way you love me and help me heal, when I felt lost in my world. I didn’t say no because I didn’t want to marry you, but because I wanted to be someone who deserved the love you gave me. I wanted to know I was whole when I married the man I love. Today I feel we stand here as equals about to commit to a new life together.” Emmett tells him, laying a huge kiss on Charles.

We all sat waiting for Emmett and Charles to come up for air. Charles’s parents were laughing as the minister just finished the words and pronounced them married. Gus and Hannah looked at us, not knowing what to do with the rings they hadn’t put on yet. Ted took each ring from the kids and helped them get them on, not interrupting the kiss. We left them at the altar and headed to the restaurant, letting Emmett and Charles follow or not, it wasn’t like they’d miss us.

We were all getting our appetizers when they showed up, still too lost in their own world to care about entertaining us.

“Do you want to do something like this?” Brandon asks Ted.

“I’m good with any way you want to do it.” Ted tells him.

“In other words, call Emmett when he gets out of his love coma enough to help you.” Brian tells Brandon.

“Are you guys going to do it again?” Brandon asks.

“Maybe someday, but for me what we did was fine.” I tell them.

“If Justin wants to, then we do. I never really cared how it happened, just that it did.” Brian tells us.

“Baby never really got the ‘wanting the whole package’.” Emmett tells them.

“I do when I get married.” Hannah announces.

I’ve never seen Brian turn that shade of gray before. We all changed the subject while Brian was probably imagining all the hoops he would put anyone who wanted to marry his kids, through.

MICHAEL

Lindsay showed up at my apartment, pissed at the world. You know, being Lindsay as usual. Nancy followed behind her, invading my place like the queen. I waited to see if Lynnette was following but they seemed to be it. I can’t really say I was disappointed that Lynnette kept her crazy ass away.

“Lindsay, there was nothing we could do.” Nancy tells her, while Lindsay silently fumes.

“This big plan you had, seems to have only made things worse.” Lindsay fumes.

“I thought you said the big shot would help?” I ask.

“I’m sure we don’t need you to add to the conversation.” Nancy tells me, like they weren’t in my place.

“Mother’s solution was to circumvent anything legal. Apparently, Russo is being investigated, and I’m being thrown back in jail. Thanks Mother.” Lindsay sneered.

“Why not thank your father and Justin’s parents? I got you out.” Nancy tells her.

“What about the lawyer who you told me was going to bring Brian to his knees.” I asked.

“It would have helped if one of you had told me Lindsay lost all rights to Gus; for threatening, on fucking tape, to kill Justin.” Nancy raged, then smoothed out her dress, calming down.

“Or YOU could have realized Daddy is no longer your whipped husband. I’m sure he’s laughing at you, expecting him to feel like he has to still agree with all your decrees. It would have been good of you to check that I couldn’t sign off for myself.” Lindsay sneers.

“If you two want to bitch at each other, do it somewhere else.” I tell them.

“Mother decided that I could stay here until something was decided.” Lindsay tells me.

“No you can’t, I’m not getting my ass in trouble for you again.” I tell them both.

“Then you need to hand over the keys to that dreadful shop to me and pack your bags before finding a new place to live.” Nancy tells me.

“Why would I give you the keys to MY store or leave MY place?” I ask.

“Neither belong to you any longer, since my daughter and I paid off the store and the rent here for six months. I wanted insurance that you would hold up your end, by putting it all in my name. Either Lindsay stays or you lose it all.” She tells me.

I left them in my apartment and went to get my old landlord's number. I never read the paperwork before I signed it and couldn’t remember where I put it. When I called him, he told me that when they paid for the store, the old lady insisted that she be the one on the title. My apartment at least still had me on the lease, she couldn’t get me off that. I was worried though with the way everyone talked, that the DA might put my ass in jail with Lindsay for this. I went to the police station, wanting to find out if I could get in trouble. Carl saw me and took me to his office.

“What’s your problem now?” He asked, continuing to work.

“Lindsay’s mother told me Lindsay has to stay with me. Ma made it sound like I could be in jail for having anything to do with Lindsay.” I tell him.

“Yet you let Lindsay in your apartment?” He asks.

“Yeah, but it’s not like I invited her, just let her in when she and Nancy came over.” I tell him.

“I know you were explained what harboring a fugitive was, why let her in?” He asks, getting up and calling someone to the door. He spoke quietly to the other cop before sitting back down.

“The DA told me, but it wasn’t like I knew Lindsay did anything.” I tell him.

The door opened and another cop came in, shutting the door and leaning on it. “Do you know now that Lindsay did anything?” Carl asks me.

“Of course, it was all over the news.” I tell him.

“So there is no doubt in your mind that Lindsay is a fugitive?” The guy asks from the door.

“She broke the law, so yeah.” I tell him, turning to see Carl shake his head.

“Michael Novotny, you're under arrest for harboring Lindsay Peterson, who fled before being put back into custody.” The guy says, handcuffing me.

“I don’t understand why am I being arrested when I didn’t know she did anything.” I tell them.

“Your being arrested for acknowledging that Lindsay was once again hiding out in your home. You said Nancy brought her?” Carl asks.

“She’s the one trying to hide Lindsay!” I tell him.

“Don’t worry Mr Novotny, you and the Petersons can share a cell with Russo. You’ll love his opinions on you.” The guy says, as he takes me to the back of the station.

BRIAN

We left Vegas, with plans to go to Pittsburgh, but Jen called to let us know we could just visit, since it was unlikely Nancy would have time to sue us while defending herself. I called my lawyer when Jen let me know that Nancy was checking out a new decor. She let me know that she would see that the case was dropped and get back to me. It took an hour before she called back saying Lynnette wanted to talk to me and Justin about her nephew. I told her to tell Lynnette that we didn’t feel the need to talk to her about a nephew she didn’t even know.

I called Jen back to thank her for helping us. She let me know Craig and Ron had helped just as much, and that Craig dug up dirt on Russo. I told her about Lynnette’s request and that we had no plans to talk to her. We hung up, trying to figure out why these women kept trying when they lost completely.

Justin and I talked about what Craig did. He asked if I would be okay keeping Hannah and Gus while he went to see Craig alone. I think he wanted to see if anything really changed with Craig, before bringing our kids around him. I wanted to be there but he needed to do this without us, the way I would want to if it was any of my family.