BRIAN

I left Justin asleep and answered the call Sam made tonight. I wanted Justin and me to have tonight be only about us, but reality wasn’t going to wait.

“I just wanted you to know that Lindsay and Michael are still around. I didn’t want you to think I had anything to do with it,” He tells me.

“Did they say why they're still here?” I ask.

“Lindsay said she wanted me to see that we should be together. I think she has Michael footing the bill, otherwise I couldn’t tell you why he stayed,” He tells me.

“Hopefully they'll stay away. This is a big opportunity for Justin, but he'll give it up if it affects our family,” I tell him.

“I'll make sure he doesn't even know they're here. It was just a heads up for you, because of your children. Lindsay found out about Lily,” He tells me.

“Did she say how she found out?” I ask.

“No. But she really didn't seem to care about the baby. She went on and on about how her ‘lambskin’ needed her, because you've replaced him with another kid,” He tells me.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I tell him, hanging up.

“Did Sam really want me in his show, or did you talk him into it?” Justin asks quietly behind me.

“He and I only talked to each other after you kept refusing. You kept using the excuse that you didn’t have time, but the paintings he wanted were already finished. One of the things I won’t let happen is letting my past hurt your life. I did tell Sam why you were saying no. If he didn’t want you for his show then he wouldn’t have done what he did to get you to agree. Your talent is what got you this show. I just wanted you to say yes or no based on what you really wanted,” I tell him.

Justin came over to me and led me to the couch. We sat there holding each other with me thinking that it was time to do what Ted did- face the people who tried to screw up my life.

“I need to talk to Lindsay and Michael,” I tell him.

“The way they seem, do you really think they’ll even listen to you?” He asks.

“I don’t know, but I don’t want either of them to keep reappearing and causing problems. Michael staying around can only be because he wants something from Ted. Lindsay doesn’t care about me or Gus, so I can only think something happened and she doesn’t have her father spoiling his pampered princess,” I tell him.

“Even if you offer to pay them to go, they’ll just come back when they need more money,” Justin tells me.

“I don’t plan to offer them money, they would both just keep expecting more. I want to show them they aren’t dealing with the people they were when we were in Pittsburgh,” I tell him.

Justin and I went back to bed and in the morning I told him we could meet for lunch with the kids. Tonight we were going to announce to the family the decision we made.

Sam told me the motel Michael and Lindsay were staying at. It wasn’t a place Lindsay would have been happy to stay at. They were both bickering in the room loud enough that everyone could hear them. It took a couple knocks before they both quieted down and Michael answered, rolling his eyes at seeing me stand there.

“To what do we owe the honor of you showing up?” He sneered.

“I’m giving you both the chance to go away and not sue you for what little you have,” I tell them.

“For what? Staying in New York. It’s a big place, and really we aren’t the ones who violated your restraining order, you are,” Lindsay tells me.

“The rats are jumping the ship. Mel seems to think turning on you two will get her somewhere. Well, Lindsay’s safe, but since you used your computer at your shop to send emails to companies I do business with, you’re really not. Wait, Lindsay loses everything, because Mel was smarter than I thought, nothing belongs to Lindsay, everything is in Mel’s name. Truthfully, I’m not feeling very charitable, but I’ll leave you alone Michael - if you leave and never return. Lindsay on the other hand, stay, but know this, Sam will close every door to the art world in your face. Even Sydney won’t keep your ass if the artists Sam know refuse any invitation to show with him because of you. I guess daddy will help, or will he? I should call your mother and ask her. Or, like I said, leave and maybe save something that won’t have you both living in shitholes like this,” I tell them.

“Why was my mother helping you?” Lindsay asks.

“I haven’t a clue. Only that in helping me she was once again showing you how much she loves you,” I tell her.

“I really wondered why Sam wanted some unknown artist. But I guess the kid saw the advantage of having your baby. He and I could compare notes, since we seem to have so much in common,” Lindsay tells me, not even caring that she admitted why she had Gus.

“And he has talent that Sam admires, let's not forget that. Apparently the talents you used, he didn’t admire,” I tell her, leaving her fuming.

I got to my car before Michael came up to me.  “Something you need to add?” I ask.

“I used to laugh that you believed we were friends. People called you the stud, but really, you were just another whore of Babylon, without getting paid for your services,” He tells me.

“It was better then being you anyday Michael. Of course, I got a father worth having, through Jack Kinney. I wonder how the shrine you call your father compares to the Drag Queen who really is your father,” I tell him, getting in my car and leaving.

TED

I pretended to be asleep when Blake got up. After the opera, Blake invited me to his apartment. We barely got in the door when he started taking off my clothes. I hadn’t talked to him about what my shirts hid, but he saw them. I waited all night for him to ask and then when we were both in bed for the first time I forgot about anything but the man who enjoyed what we did together and made sure I knew he did.

“Ted, I made breakfast and I know you're awake,” He tells me, rolling me over to face him.

“I’m not ready for the night to be over,” I tell him, kissing him.

“There are going to be more nights and maybe days in our future,” He tells me, sitting down next to me.

“You aren’t going to ask?” I ask him, to get this over with.

Blake pulled my arm onto his lap and ran his finger over the scars. Then leaned over, kissing each one. “You're here with me. These are your past,” He tells me.

“I look forward to my future with you,” I tell him.

JUSTIN

I came over to get Gus and Lily. When I saw Gus, I decided to send Brian the picture. Carl was on laying on the couch with Gus laying on top of him, both dead asleep. I went into the kitchen to hang out until they woke up.

“Where is everyone?” I ask, when I only found Joan and Shelly in the kitchen talking.

“CJ took John and Peter with the rest of the family to breakfast and then they wanted to show the house they are planning to buy,” Shelly tells me.

“Ted and Blake left after the opera, and CJ told us Emmett went out with Drew,” Joan tells me.

“We decided to enjoy the morning of quiet,” Shelly tells me, smiling at Joan.

“It’s going to be strange to go home after having so many people around,” Joan tells her.

“Brian is going to miss them all,” I tell them.

“Carl and I talked about it and we both plan to visit often. CJ and Brian live here, he even invited me to go with him to visit when Vicky has the baby,” Joan tells us, blushing.

“Where’s Brian?” Carl asks, carrying in Gus and Lily.

Gus got down and climbed in my lap, laying his head on my shoulder falling back to sleep.

“He stayed up late, wanting to see us when we got back,” Carl tells me.

“Since I have you and Joan here, I wanted to ask your permission to marry your son,” I ask them.

“I would be happy to call you my son,” Carl tells me.

Brian came in to Joan running over and hugging him. “You couldn’t wait could you?” He asks, smiling.

BRIAN

Justin was thinking hard about something in the car. I thought he was going to ask about Michael and Lindsay, but it wasn’t what he was thinking about.

“I want to change my last name when we get married,” He tells me.

“You're known as Justin Taylor in art circles. It’s better to stick to a name that’s recognized,” I tell him, not wanting Kinney attached to Justin.

“I would keep Taylor for my career, but I like the idea of Lily being a Horvath,” He surprises me.

I sat thinking about that for the rest of the day. One of the reasons I hadn’t thought of it is because like Justin, my career was built as Brian Kinney. It was the only thing I could say the last name was worth to me.

We were getting ready to have dinner with everyone, since my dad wanted everyone to share in our news, and I kept wondering if it bothered Carl that my last name wasn’t his.

“Do you think my dad cares that we don't have the same last name?” I ask Justin.

“If he does he hasn't made it obvious. It’s something I sort of thought about. If I change my last name, you could hyphenate yours to reflect mine changing. It wouldn’t have to change in business, He tells me.

“It doesn’t bother you that Taylor won't be included?” I ask.

“Taylor isn't a name that means anything to me. My father is the only one left that it attaches me to and he's not really a reason I'd want it,” He tells me.

When we got to the house, I'd made a decision.

“We’d like to announce that Justin and I are getting married. Justin requested that instead of keeping his name he'd like to take mine, so Kinney-Horvath it is,” I tell everyone.