ALEX

I honestly wanted to tell my assistant no when she told me who asked to see me. Debra wasn't someone I felt was treatable. She only sees things the way she wants to and expects people to take it as the only truth. The only reason I could see her coming here was to cause problems for my patients, who were finally beginning to heal. In true Deb Novotny form, she wouldn't budge unless I saw her.

I made a call, because if Brian or Ted wanted me to, I would let Debra sit there all day. Brian said it was up to me and hung up, sounding like his new life made the old one unimportant. For that I silently thanked his family and Justin. Ted gave me an abbreviated version of what happened in New York a few days ago, with the final thing he said being that he saw tears in Deb's eyes after Brian said something to her. Curiosity got the better of me and I let her come in.

“Before we talk there are rules you will understand and follow. I will not speak about Brian or Ted’s therapy or listen to anything you feel should change my view of my patients. There will be no questions involving their lives unless it relates to how you abused their trust in you. Michael will not be innocent, regardless of how you twist the facts to suit him. I won't listen to anything that preaches how being a mother outweighs being a father. Those are the rules that decide whether there is anything left to talk about,” I tell her.

“I’m not here to cause any more problems for Brian, he asked me to let him be happy. I can’t defend Michael anymore because I saw something in eyes of the guy Ted is dating that I never saw in Michael’s when he looked at Ted. The girls I can’t control, and I will no longer can stand by them since I saw how happy and confident Gus has become, when he always seemed to shy away from people before. I came to you because I want to be someone my brother loves again,” She tells me.

“Fair enough, but therapy involves seeing yourself for the things you did to cause the people in your life to push you away. It also means admitting that as a mother and sister you've failed in those relationships. You can’t change the facts that I know, and would be better off with a therapist who doesn’t know you if you want to continue to lie to yourself. If you want me to work with you, you get to schedule an appointment like every other patient I see, because I won’t see you just because you force your way in,” I tell her.

Deb nodded, getting up to leave my office. “Thank you. I know you don’t like me,” She tells me.

“I don’t have to, but hopefully with time I can help you figure out a way to help you like yourself,” I tell her.

JUSTIN

Brian called, asking me to come see a house CJ was thinking of buying. I had been at Sam’s house looking at the paintings for his Pandora’s Box show and caught a cab to meet Brian and CJ. The door was open when I got there, so I went in and started looking for Brian and CJ. I found Brian standing in the living room alone.

“Where’s CJ?” I ask, looking around, thinking CJ had good taste in houses.

“Diana wanted to look at a house a block over,” He tells me.

“Are we going over there too?” I ask.

“I thought we could look around this one first. It’s five bedrooms with a large yard in the back,” He tells me.

We walked around the upstairs and I could see why CJ would like it. There was room for the family to grow. The kitchen had all new appliances and the back yard was fenced in with a pool and room for the kids to play. I couldn’t find any reason why CJ and Diana were looking at another house. Brian grabbed my hand and told me we had one more room to look at.

“It’s was designed to let light in from all angles,” He tells me.

It was an artist’s dream for a studio. There were windows overhead so lights would only be needed at night. “What do you think?” Brian asks.

“I think I’m jealous, but it’s a perfect place to raise a family,” I tell him.

“I thought so too, but wanted to make sure you loved the home I want us to buy,” He tells me.

“What?” I ask.

“I want us to buy this house and raise our family here,” He tells me.

“You have a house, and so do I,” I tell him.

“We have two children who are going to need their own bedrooms, you need a studio, and I need an office. This house has those things. I share the ownership of the house I live in with Ted and Emmett, which they can afford to buy me out of. I need to let Ted have more independence, because one of the steps in his recovery is taking control of his life. I want this with you,” He tells me.

“You had to make me love it didn’t you?” I ask, kissing him.

BRIAN

Convincing Justin that we needed this house was really just the easy part. The next part was where I wasn’t sure he would think we were ready.

“Marry me?” I ask.

“You want it all, and there's part of me that wants to say yes, but…” he says, but I stopped him.

“I know it's fast, and we could wait until we’ve known each other longer. If you need that then I'll be okay with it. For me, it will only be you, so waiting won’t bother me. One of the reasons I don't see the point in waiting is that our children need the legal aspects a marriage provides. If something were to happen to either of us, it could open the possibility of Gus and Lily’s custody being given to the wrong people. I still have to prove I'm Lily's father, and I'm hoping you'll be willing to adopt Gus so he never lives with the fear of his mother getting him again. All that aside, we both love each other, which like I said, won’t change for me,” I tell him.  

Justin leaned his head back to look in my eyes for a second. “Are you sure?” He asks.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” I tell him.

“I’ll marry you whenever you want,” He tells me, sealing it with a kiss.

I called CJ to see if he'd watch Gus and Lily. I wanted to celebrate tonight.

EMMETT

Ted was climbing the walls waiting for everyone to get ready to go to the opera tonight. CJ and Edward were happy to stay with the kids. I figured I'd have a early night with Ben and Jerry, after making snacks for everyone.

When Blake showed up, Ted forgot he was bringing the women with him and almost left without them. Carl told Ted he’d drive his daughters and Joan. Carl wasn’t as thrilled, but was going because Joan and Peter were excited. John told the guys it was something Peter hid from Jack and Claire, apparently only faggots liked classical music according to them.

“Yet Emmett, Brian, and Justin aren't fans, so once again it proves how little either of them knew,” CJ tells him.

“They both wanted Peter and me to believe Uncle Brian would make us gay. Yet all Uncle Brian did was help us. I told my mother before she was sentenced, being gay wasn’t as bad as beating your kids,” John tells him.

“Being gay doesn’t change the person you are either. I serve with men and women who come from all walks of life, and the only important thing about any of them is knowing they will have your back if you need them,” CJ tells him.

“Is that why you didn't have a problem with Uncle Brian?” John asks.

“He's my brother, that's all I see. It’s the only thing that should ever matter. My father taught us to know someone before judging and convicting them. He had a hard time at first with Edward, but only because people still see the color of skin, not that Edward loves my sister or that she loves him. I remember he and I arguing about it and I remembered an old show where the people on the planet were at war because of one difference in them. One side of their faces were blue and the other side was white. It was only a difference in left and right but it mattered to them, regardless of the fact everything else was the same. I asked my dad if he would love his grandchildren less because they weren't completely white. He told me it didn’t matter because we were family. In a way it made it easier for us to accept that Brian was gay, because in the end it's about loving your family,” CJ tells us.

“It's why I called Uncle Brian, he didn’t care how we treated him, only that we needed him. Even after having to listen to me repeat the same things my mother and grandfather said to him, he still helped us,” John tells us.

I was enjoying the debate and ran to answer the door, hoping to put my opinion in. Drew was standing there a with flowers, and that was more interesting to me.

“I meant to call and see if you'd like to have dinner with me,” He tells me.

“Go ahead, have fun. John and I will fill you in later,” CJ tells me.

“I didn’t want to leave Gus, in case,” I tell him.

“Brian and Justin are only a phone call away. I doubt they would want you to ruin a night out, when they'd come anyway,” Edward tells me.

“I need to get dressed,” I tell Drew, leaving him with everyone.

I hurried, but wanted to look good for our first date alone. I came out to see the younger kids crawling all over the guys who were playing a video game. Drew was holding Lily with Gus sitting next to him. He really just had to give me another reason to want to have a relationship with him.

“Uncle Emmett says he wants lots of munchkins one day,” Gus tells him.

“He probably hopes they'll be as good as you and your Lily,” Drew tells him.

“My dad and daddy say no one could be better than us,” Gus tells him, smiling.

It took me a second, because Gus’s confidence was a victory to savor. It was everything Brian and I worked towards, after what happened. It was also a moment when I realized my role was changing from being the strong one. Brian was coming home, and I could let go and be me again.

“I'm ready,” I tell Drew, meaning it in more ways than one.