BRIAN

When Justin and I walked into the restaurant for a family dinner, there was a moment we both paused, because the last dinner started everything. When nothing happened, Justin went to join the rest of the group. Tonight was the dinner before Emmett and Drew tied the knot. Both Justin and I knew we’d be asked when we planned to get married, but we both agreed to tell everyone we were waiting, so Emmett and Drew could have the spotlight. The truth was we were married, we just hadn’t done it yet in this timeline. 

Justin took Kira and the kids to the table, while I went to the bar to get us drinks. I was waiting when Brandon sat next to me. Brandon wasn’t in this timeline as far as I knew, so him being there didn’t make me happy.

“I’m not here to cause trouble.” He tells me.

“You and Justin being near each other isn’t a good idea.” I tell him.

“That’s why I didn’t approach you until he was on the other side of the room.” He tells me.

“I can’t save you, that's your job.” I tell him, actually feeling bad for the asshole.

“How do you control it, the need to…?” He asks, looking away.

“To stop the part of you that wants to ruin someone?” I ask.

“I guess. It’s like I want to make them do the things they hide from the rest of the world.” He tells me.

“You don’t let that side of you win, find the person who can open a curtain in your world and bring the light in.” I tell him.

“I don’t know if it would matter. Justin tried to overpower me and it made me want to kill him.” He tells me.

“Of course. But that’s your father in you. You’re more than your father. Which is why you couldn’t be born in hell.” Gabriel tells him, appearing before us.

“I thought we talked about you just popping in.” I tell him.

“Don’t worry, we made sure everyone thinks we just walked thru the door.” Uriel tells me. “So, still hiding from your father?” Uriel asks Brandon.

“Don’t call him that. He’s nothing to me.” Brandon tells him.

“Yet you’re letting him make you believe your fate is sealed.” Gabriel tells him.

“Isn’t it? No matter what happens, he’s a part of me.” Brandon tells him.

“Can I say something?” Justin asks, standing a couple feet away from Brandon.

“As long as you don’t blow us up.” Brandon tells him.

“When I was, as you say, blowing us up, there was a part of you I was trying to bring out. The part of you that was your mother. She’s the part he needs to expel from you, because then there’s nothing left to keep you from the destiny he wants for you.” Justin tells him.

“Which is what I was trying to tell him, before everyone butted in.” Gabriel tells us.

“Why would you help me?” Brandon asked both Justin and Gabriel.

“Because you’re our brother’s child. Which means you’re also half angel. Granted, a dark angel, but still one of us.” Uriel tells him.

“What they aren’t telling you is, like us you’re part human, which means when it’s time, you’ll be judged for your life, not the parents that created you.” I tell him, to hurry this up.

“Which isn’t going to be easy for you, but you can’t expect it to be easy.” Gabriel tells him.

“It must be nice to be able to walk away, turn your back on your destiny and know you won’t end up in hell.” Brandon tells us.

“It wasn’t easy to do what we did, but if Michael and I hadn’t, than you wouldn’t stand a chance, because nothing would have mattered to me. I would have sent you to your father gift wrapped. Live your life knowing that Brian can see the good and bad, and it’s up to you to show him that your life merits where you end up.” Justin tells him.

“My father said it didn’t matter.” Brandon tells us.

“Of course he’d say that, he knows if you knew the truth then he loses.” Uriel tells him.

“Find the person who will make you be the man you can be.” I tell him, walking off with Justin.

JUSTIN

When we got to the table I saw my mother trying to look as if she was happy. She and Tucker managed to be civil and seemed to use Bree as a buffer between the two of them. It wasn’t easy letting them work it out on their own, but I couldn’t abuse my power to help them. Brian and I talked about it, and he told me if they really love each other, than eventually it will work out. I smiled because I knew he was right, in the first life Brian forgave me because he loved me enough to not let my mistake keep us apart. 

I think the biggest surprise for Beth and Bill was that Michael was included in our circle now. At first Beth questioned it, but like Brian, she let Michael show her he wasn’t the man she once knew. Deb came in with Carl, looking radiant since she was now the wife of a very rich man. She dragged her nephew and his boyfriend in, wanting to show him off. Ted and Blake were next, having realized they weren’t happy without each other. Everything was going well until Brian, Michael, and I were sitting in a silent room. 

“What’s going on?” Michael asked.

“Time to work boys.” Gabriel tells us.

“When you get back everything will be started.” Uriel assures us.

MICHAEL

I wanted to ask if this was joke. Joan Kinney? I looked over at Justin when I couldn’t penetrate the wall she had around her. Justin shook his head too when he seemed to run into the same wall. Neither of us knew what to do, normally you couldn’t stop either of us from looking inside you. The minute Joan looked at Brian all the walls came down. We were treated to her life from childhood until the day she died. The cold hard woman we knew in the other life wasn’t the woman who made sure to tell Brian he was loved before she took her last breath. Sitting in front of us was a woman who was willing to admit she wasn’t the mother she berated Brian into believing she was. Instead there was a woman not asking for forgiveness, but willing to be judged for everything her life led her to.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, smiling at Brian, but looking worried that he was here with her.

“Taking you to meet God.” Brian told her, holding out his hand.

Justin and I didn’t offer our opinion, but we both saw she knew her sins and atoned as much as she could in her final years on earth. 

“You didn’t need us to do this.” I tell Gabriel.

“He needed you both here to do this.” He tells us.

“Will she get to come back again?” Justin asks him.

“When she’s ready. Now is the time for her to heal.” Brian tells us.

We were back, the noise washing over us in waves. Everyone starting exactly where they left off. Brian and Justin getting up to be alone for a minute. Even with everything we now had, knowing that Joan was the mother none of us believed she could be gave Brian peace. Thinking about that, I needed to tell someone something I didn’t get the chance to in all my lives.

“Where are you going?” Conner asked me when I stood up.

I leaned down, kissing him, almost forgetting what I wanted to do. “I’ll be right back, then we have to tell everyone we did the deed.” I tell him, hoping Ma / Aunt Deb wouldn’t kill me for marrying Conner without her.

I went over to Vic wrapping my arms around him. “I know you know it, but thank you for being my father.” I tell him.