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BRIAN 

 

Marilyn rushed into her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

 

“You’d better be ready to spin this, because Carl is on his way here.” She tells me. 

 

“Do you even remember how to spin things?” Mikey asked. “You own galleries now, not an Ad firm.” Mikey explained when Marilyn looked at him.

 

“Interesting. Was it to try to give Justin a reason to find you?” Marilyn asks.

 

“Yes. But he went into publishing instead, which isn't important right now. What am I supposed to be telling Carl?” I ask. 

 

“Carl is the verify everything kind of guy, so he checked out Brian Kinney. Who he then talked to, and since this Brian has no clue what's going on, it had him tracking me down. We're lucky that Justin distracted Brian so we only have to deal with Carl, who wasn't thrilled to see Brian and Justin together when you claimed you didn’t like young boys.” She tells me. 

 

“Why is he coming here?” I ask. 

 

“He cornered me asking what game we were playing. I told him you were just taking Justin home. That you wanted to keep him out of trouble and didn’t want anyone to hear about the set up. He said he'd be here in an hour, to make sure you were really just taking the kid home. I figured it was better for him to find you here, since he didn't need to go to the loft and find out where you really took Justin. Only now, this Brian left knowing something was up, and will most likely show up wanting to know. This is one of the reasons you have to be careful when you involve anyone. Because there are two of you here.” She tells me. 

 

“Mikey can handle this Brian. Now it makes sense why he's here, because at this point I wouldn’t have listened to Justin.” I tell her. 

 

“Oh you would have, this Brian was all for doing anything for your Justin.” She tells me. 

 

“What do you mean by that?” I ask.

 

“Shit, are you jealous of… well, you?” Mikey asks, laughing.

 

“Look, right now this Brian can't feel the bond to this Justin, because he felt it with the wrong one. But it will eventually change to this one, not that it matters because once you stop everything, this time line stops moving forward to the wrong ending. Then the correct time line plays out.” She tells us. 

 

“Is that why Kira told Justin that Michael had to come?” I ask. 

 

“Brian, if your daughter tells you anything, listen. That girl gets a lot of leeway when it comes to the rules. Although it really had to do with making sure Craig didn’t try to do anything to your Justin.” She tells me.

 

The knock on the door interrupted me from asking what Craig was going to do to Justin. Carl came in, seeming happy to see me standing there. He looked over at Michael strangely.

 

“I guess you got over being pissed Brian took the kid home.” Carl tells Mikey.

 

“He's always running off trying to keep the kiddies safe.” Mikey says, trying not to laugh.

 

“You weren’t saying that when I left the bar. You implied Brian had different plans.” Carl tells him. 

 

“Why were you talking about anything in a bar where someone might overhear you? If anyone knew what you were looking into, then everyone would know. Trust me, tell one person in Woody’s and half the bar tells the rest of Liberty Avenue.” I tell him, when Mikey didn’t have an answer.

 

“So you acted like you didn’t know me?” He asks. 

 

“If he didn’t then people would be trying to find out why you and Brian were talking. When Brian’s around everyone pays attention to him.” Mikey tells him. 

 

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask, when he accepted what Mikey told him.

 

“I'm assuming there's a cop involved in this, since you pretty much told me there was. Which causes a problem, because it means my guys can't stake out the bar, because he would know who they are. Which leaves me either going to IA, or asking you to help by letting them proposition you. We can be outside listening in and raid the place, but if you want to bust more than the hustlers, I need proof of who is running it.” He tells us.

 

“I'm going to need to check on some things first, but once I'm sure, then Mikey and I are willing to help.” I tell him. 

 

“Let me know. Did the kid get home okay?” He asks, as he's leaving.

 

“He's right where he should be. Do me a favor and let me contact you.” I tell him. 

 

“Okay. By the way how old was he?” He asks. 

 

“Seventeen about to be eighteen.” I tell him. 

 

“At least he's age of consent, not that you need to worry about that.” He tells me, leaving.

 

“You must be glad this time Justin is actually your age.” Mikey snickers.

 

“Grab your coat, we need to figure out if they recognize us.” I tell him. 

“They know who you are, but not that you're not from here. Craig was too scared to tell them, you guys could come back.” Marilyn tells us. 

 

“Why did Kira come for Justin?” I ask. 

 

“Because Craig wasn’t planning on letting Justin walk out of there. It's a dangerous game when no one would report you missing. Kira came because Justin was in danger, and like I said, she gets more leeway than anyone else.” She tells me. 

 

“Why? I get that for some reason the Big Guy is on our side, but like everyone reminds me, there are rules.” I tell her.

 

“Yes, but for some the rules are different. Ask Justin about something he told Emmett when Emmett went to purgatory. Then you'll understand why your daughter plays by her own set of rules. I can’t tell you, it's part of the rules I have to play by. Just know she's special for more than being your daughter.” She tells me. 

 

“Where are we going?” Mikey asks.

 

“I need to figure out if we need to involve Emmett.” I tell him. 

 

“Why?” He asks. 

 

“Because I left my life asleep in a bed I'd like to get back to. If using me or you doesn’t work, then we convince Emmett. They won't be expecting that.” I tell him. 

 

“Emmett is going to think you're nuts.” Mikey tells me. 

 

“Actually, Emmett was the easiest one to convince. Mel and Ted took a lot more convincing.” I tell him. 

 

“Emmett knew about you guys?” He asks. 

 

“At the time we needed help, it wasn’t just Lindsay.” I tell him. 

 

“I feel like shit that I helped her.” He tells me. 

 

“Why did you?” I ask. 

 

“I can tell you why this Michael did it. It's not something that makes any sense to me now. He thought after Ben died, and with Justin gone, that there was nothing standing in the way of you and him being together. Only he ended up living alone, because you never got over Justin. When he got upstairs it was to find out you were given the chance to try again. Only once again, it wasn’t going to be him. When Lindsay came along telling him he could finally have you if he played it right, he didn’t think twice about it.” He tells me. 

 

“You talk like it wasn’t you.” I tell him. 

 

“I don’t feel that way about you, he did. There has to be a reason I came back, because I won't believe it's to repeat my past. I want more, and for once I'm not going to stand by waiting for my life to happen.” He tells me. 

 

“You finally did it, Mikey.” I tell him. 

 

“What?” He asks. 

 

“Grew up. I've been waiting a few lives for it to happen.” I tell him, kissing his head.

 

“Then can we go with Michael? Since I finally graduated the Kinney School of Lost Boys.” He jokes.

 

We got to the bar, and there was the murdering asshole, talking to someone of the guys in the bar. Michael told me to let him see what he could find out, since Rickert and Michael never met. I went to a dark corner and watched, really proud of Michael for being the person I always thought he could be. It made me feel like my judgment in my friends wasn’t as bad as I was starting to believe. 

 

We'd avoided seeing Lindsay, since I knew I couldn’t pretend anything with her. Unlike Michael, she wasn't going to redeem herself. Not just because of where she ended up, but because she keeps trying. There's also the fact that we could tip them off, if Lindsay realized who we really were. Part of me wonders why Kira didn’t go after Lindsay herself. 

 

I miss my daughter, she grew up to be the best parts of me and Justin. She got Justin’s heart, and unfortunately my ability to cut through the bullshit. She and Gus were inseparable, because when either needed the other they always seemed to know and would be there for each other. I remember the day she came home crying because she told Vince she wasn’t ready to settle down. The phone rang and it was Gus, asking to talk to her. After that she left, saying she was going to get married. It was hard to hear that someone else was going to be the man in my daughter's life, but if she had to marry anyone Vince was it. It's still strange when I knew who Vince once was, but it made sense why he never settled down with anyone, because Kira didn’t exist in this world, so Vic lived as he did because the next life was the one where she came.

 

Michael sat in front of me after Rickert left. “He was lining up ‘dates’ for his boys. They're all supposed to meet here Friday to go home with the pervert who's paying to do anything they want to the kids.” He whispers, looking disgusted.

 

“Did he say anything to you?” I ask. 

 

“No, he ignored me, but explained to the others, if I wanted in, then it was a thousand for the weekend, and to avoid bruising any part of them that would show. Jesus, he acted like the kids were merchandise, not kids.” He tells me. 

 

“Michael, to him that's all they are.” I tell him, ready to get out of here.

 

We were walking out when Rickert saw me, he walked up, almost smirking at me.

 

“You’re both new here, and I'm not really comfortable with that. Is there some reason you're following me?” He asks, suspicious.

 

“Why would I follow you?” I ask, sarcastically. 

 

“That’s what I asked.” He tells me. 

 

“Shit Brian, you were right, I shouldn't have believed my boyfriend's best friend. David wouldn’t have come to this shit hole.” Michael cuts in, when Rickert kept at us.

 

“Since he wouldn’t come here there's no reason I'd see either of you here again, right?” He warns us.

 

“Only if I was trolling.” I sneered, walking off.

 

Michael caught up with me. “You think Emmett could deal with that?” He asks. 

 

“Honeycutt could deal with that and more. He only acts like a Queen because it makes him happy. There's more to him then you know.” I tell him. 

 

“How do we see him, without running into me?” He asks.

 

“We don’t. This is one that you get to sit out.” I tell him. 

 

“You're going NOW?” He asks.

 

“Michael, if we want to get back, it means getting shit done. When it comes to dealing with this Brian, it's your turn.” I tell him, walking away.

 

I showed up after stopping off for a drink, spilling some on me, because for this Michael, my drunk ass showing up wouldn't raise any questions. He answered the door, half asleep, but let me in. Emmett rolled his eyes as I stumbled to the couch and fell on it.

 

“Take him home.” Emmett whispers.

 

“Just let him sleep it off, at least he isn't with that kid.” Michael tells him, sounding happy.

 

They both closed their doors, for once Michael wasn’t hovering over me. I waited half an hour, then went in Emmett’s room. He pulled up his eye mask, glaring at me. Before he could wake Michael back up, I shook my head to tell him to be quiet.

 

“I need your help.” I tell him, totally sober, shocking him into silence. “I also need you to make sure no one knows about it. It’s big Emmett, which means you can't tell Ted, Michael, or half of Liberty Avenue.” I tell him. 

 

“Why me?” He whispers.

 

“Because I need someone who will believe in the impossible. What I'm going to tell you isn't easy to believe.” I tell him.

 

“I'll listen, but it better not be some bullshit you're trying to sell me.” He tells me. 

 

I told him everything, not stopping even when he gave me the look that questioned my sanity. When I got to the end, he pinched himself, not liking that it hurt.

 

“This isn't a dream.” I tell him. 

 

“It sounds like a nightmare. You're telling me that I end up with a football player turned actor. That somehow this kid you've been treating like a trick ends up being the man you spend your life with? Yet tonight you were ignoring the kid?” He asks.

 

“It this life, I wasn’t ready for him for years. I don't want live without him for the rest of my life, and if they succeed, I will.” I tell him, looking in his eyes to show him how serious I am. 

 

“You need my help?” He asks. 

 

“Yes.” I tell him. 

 

“I must be crazy, because I sort of believe you.” He tells me. 

 

“Why?” I ask. 

 

“Because the Brian I know wouldn’t ask anyone for help.” He tells me. 

 

“He didn’t figure out that you were the kind of friend you are.” I tell him, just wanting to go home to the love of my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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