BRIAN

I was sitting in my office praying that the decaf would somehow fool my body into believing it was the real thing. It’s starting to get ridiculous, I’m tired all the time, but instead of sleeping I end up stripping Justin and neither of us are getting any sleep. Only, Justin can drink himself awake.

It was starting to have people talking about catching me sleeping everywhere. Then Brandon and I fell asleep while brainstorming on a campaign, Brandon seemed to think Katie needed him when she got up every two hours. Justin walked in to find us both snoring, I think he made that up, while mumbling at each other.

Emmett came in and sat down while I tried to keep my eyes open. He put a chocolate muffin on my desk and real coffee. I stared at the fat farm maker, then snatched it, trying to stuff it all in my mouth at once.

“That's quite the appetite you seem to have.” He tells me.

I continued eating, not responding and disappointed when there wasn't more. I ran my hand down my perfectly chiseled abs, apologizing for what I'm doing to them.

“I was sort of craving a chocolate pancake. Then I decided to eat a Hershey bar, but I bought too many.” He tells me, placing a king size one on the desk.

I had to pretend to put my hands behind my head when it tried to take the bait Emmett seems to be using to get the gossip.

“You know, I think I actually want it.” He tells me, reaching for it.

I swiped it off the desk and into my pocket before he could get it. “Is there a reason you're here discussing food.” I sneer, hoping he’ll leave.

“Yes, after watching the Mikey and Miles show, I decided to make an honest man out of Charles. I came to invite you guys to Vegas with us.” He tells me.

“Fine, you can go now.” I tell him.

He got up and went out the door. I pulled the candy bar out and tore into it, taking a big bite. Emmett comes back in and smirks at me.

“Something you need to tell Auntie Em?” He asks.

I would have said so many things, but they got lost in my moan when the chocolate melted on my tongue. Now how to get Justin to get his ass in here so I can take care of my other recurring problem.

“Brian, I’m waiting.” He tells me.

“You saw Michael?” I ask, when my mind remembered him saying that.

“I let it go when Lindsay was here, but Michael isn’t going to come here pulling his bullshit. He wants to do that he has all of Pittsburgh to do it in. Although I’m still trying to figure out who taught him to fight.” He laughs.

“I’m waiting for Deb to come and drag his ass back to Pittsburgh.” I tell him.

“That’s different, usually you’d be over there telling Michael what you think.” He tells me.

“I can’t do anything I won’t let Justin do.” I tell him.

“You really think Justin isn’t planning his own trip over there to kick Michael’s ass. Justin is just more patient than me. He’ll eventually do something that none of us will ever figure out. Do I need to mention Kip?” He asks me.

“Why did you bother if you believe that?” I ask, not caring anymore and biting the candy bar.

“It was more to see if I could do what Lindsay used to do and turn them on each other. I’ve got to give her props, it works.” He tells me.

I threw the bar away when he mentioned Lindsay. Alex called me, saying I needed to get her custody permanently revoked. Lindsay gave Alex permission to tell me anything, she felt that it would help me see things her way only, so we could be together.

“Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to bring her up.” Emmett tells me.

“I’m pregnant, is that what you came to find out?” I ask, trying get him out of here.

“I’ll go, but congratulations.” He tells me.

“Alex called, telling me he thinks we should make it so Lindsay can’t see Gus at all. Lindsay started trying to act confused and changing things that were about Justin and me into being about her and me.” I tell him.

“She’s never going to be someone healthy for Gus to be around. You know that, it’s time to deal with it. You can’t let him around her.” He tells me.

“She’ll only agree to it if I show up with the papers. It’s another game, she wants to see if she can get me to play. Justin and I can take it to court, but it would be faster if I could get her to sign the papers.” I tell him.

“Then play one more time, only let Justin tell her about you. I think she likes seeing if she can hurt Justin. Only he isn’t the victim that she thinks he is.” Emmett tells me.

“You want me to ask Justin to go there and deal with her? I promised him he never had to see her again.” I tell him.

“It’s something you need to let him do, he needs to show her that he’s the original and she’s the poor imitation. Justin never needed anyone to protect him from her, but you do. You still see her as the girl she was at one time. The one she managed to fool everyone into believing she was, she can’t do that to Justin. He got to see the real woman behind the mask she puts on for everyone.” He tells me.

“He asked her if it was hard to pretend all the time. It was the first time I saw a break in her persona.” I tell him.

“Yet all the therapy in the world doesn’t seem to get her to lower her mask, the way Justin can with a few well placed words. Seeing Alex is probably fun for her. She doesn’t care what he thinks, nor does she believe there’s any reason to bother with therapy. With Justin she can’t not engage, she needs to believe that he is everything she thinks he is.” He tells me, leaving my office.

Justin seems to be the only one she can’t hide from. Emmett was telling me the truth, none of us really saw what she’s like, because with Mel and I she was careful not give us the any reason to think we were seeing the monster behind the sweet caring woman she portrays for all of us. I don’t want Justin to be asked to do this. I needed to tell him what Alex called me to tell me, but I thought Alex should hear Emmett’s opinion on it too. Justin came in with lunch rolling his eyes at the candy bar wrappers in my garbage.

“Alex called me the other day.” I tell him.

“I figured.” He tells me putting the sandwich down on the desk.

“Why haven’t you asked about it?” I wanted us to be open, but here I am not telling him things again,

“Sometimes I like to forget Lindsay will forever be in our lives.” He tells me.

“We need to get her rights permanently revoked. She told Alex that she’d agree only if I show up to see her.” I tell him.

“I don’t want you to go near her, not now.” He tells me.

“We could go to court, it’s just this way we don’t have to spend months doing this. I don’t want to do it but I want it done.” I tell him.

“Brian, I don’t want you stressed out, it’s not good for you.” He tells me.

“Then we go to court.” I tell him, not willing to ask him what Emmett suggested.

“What aren’t you telling me?” He asks.

“Nothing important.” I tell him.

“Are we going to do this again?” He asks, frustrated.

“What are you talking about?” I ask him.

“Where you decide something for us without telling me.” He tells me.

“Emmett suggested you go see her, but just like you don’t want me going to see her. I don’t want you doing it either.” I tell him.

“Why did Emmett think I should do it?” He asks.

“He thinks she can’t resist taunting you, and the person she wants people to believe she is slips around you.” I tell him.

“He’s right, she can’t help but want to prove her point to me. When she had me in the car I kept at her until she couldn’t win.” He tells me.

“I made you a promise that you didn’t have to see her.” I tell him.

“We promised Gus we’d always protect him, I plan to keep that promise. If it takes taking her on again, I’ll do it. My son will not have her screwing with his head.” Justin tells me.

“If you do this we talk to Alex first, unless he gives us the okay then you don’t. We have enough that a court wouldn’t give Lindsay any visitation.” I tell him.

“What happens when she gets out? She’ll be everything she needs to be to be able to see Gus.” He tells me.

“We can deal with it when she gets out, we don’t have to now.” I tell him.

“I want to know that when this baby is born there will never be a Lindsay in it’s life. If I can get her to show she’s a danger to us then we don’t ever have to deal with it again. Call Alex and ask him what he thinks and tell him what I’m going to do, regardless.” He tells me, kissing me before leaving to get the kids.

“Alex, Justin wants to be the one to talk to Lindsay.” I tell him when he answers.

“She’s not going to like that you won’t be there.” He tells me.

“She doesn’t get to tell us what to do. I don’t want Justin to do this, but when he wants to do something no one can stop him.” I tell him.

“I’ve really wanted to see how she is with him, but I wouldn’t have asked that of Justin.” He tells me.

“She can’t stay in character with him. Justin has a way of making you say and do things you don’t think you could.” I tell him.

“He got you to fall in love, so I would say Justin can do the impossible.” He tells me.

MICHAEL

Miles and I fought in the yard and I ran in his house locking him out. He threatened to have the police kick me out. I told Miles that his ex would love another reason to keep his kid away from him. He was pissed because he knew having to explain why cops have to keep coming here would only make it sound like his house wasn’t stable for his kid. He told me that I needed to be gone in a couple days, he tried to tell me to leave the next morning. I didn’t care, I just needed a way to talk to Brian, then I won’t need to stay here.

He went out to a job interview, and I had him drop me off at Hawthorne-Kinney. The front desk guy stopped me before I could get past him. He told me that unless I had an appointment I didn’t get in at all. I was about to tell him to call Brian when I saw Brian and Justin walking by above me. I yelled Brian’s name to get his attention.

“William, can you call James and tell him to remove Mr. Novotny from the building and ban him from entering again?” Brian tells the guy in front of me.

“We need to talk, I came all the way here because you're fucking up your life.” I yell.

“Sir, I need you to come with me.” The security guy tells me as Brian and Justin walk off out of sight.

“I want Brian to come down here and say it to my face that he wants me gone.” I tell him, not moving.

“When I’m called, take it as he just told you.” The guy tells me, waving me to the door.

“You tell him I’ll be outside waiting.” I tell him, walking out and leaning on the building.

“I’m to tell you that if you're still here in an hour, that your mother will be glad to see you.” William comes out a few minutes later, to tell me.

I stopped leaning and walked away.