The next morning found Brian and I  at the diner for a meeting with Jennifer Taylor.  I was practically bouncing with excitement, more so than Brian, and not because I was  finally getting my apartment back.

As we walk in, I saw Deb hanging up the phone before charging over to our table.  "What did you do to Michael last night?"

I exchanged puzzled looks with Brian.  What the fuck was she going on about this time?   Fortunately we didn't have to wait for an explanation.

"He was so excited about getting together with everyone and going to Babylon."

Brian shrugged.  "What can I say, Deb.  Something came up."

Deb leaned over and pointed a sharp red fingernail in Brian's face.  "And that's another thing, Asshole.    You had no consideration for poor Emmett, bringing a trick into his home."

"I offered to share,"  Brian replied as he leaned further away from the red claw.

I had to hide my snicker before she decided to wave that finger at me.  The weird thing was that if the guy had been a trick, I think Brian would actually have offered to share.

"Oh,"  Deb answered and withdrew her finger and pulled the feathered pen from behind her ear.  "Want your usual?"

Brian rubbed his jaw, which was getting a little scruffy.  And damn it if he didn't look good like that.  "Actually I was thinking of ordering oatmeal with fruit, and coffee."

I was so proud of him.  He was going to need his strength for all that was to come and he was eating healthy.  Not that he wasn't before.  "I'll have the same."

Deb smacked her gum and went to put our order in at the window.  Brian had a newspaper and passed a section to me, the society page no less.  There was nothing interesting, so I was finished as Deb brought out our dishes.    The oatmeal was lumpy and the berries were frozen.  I took a bite nonetheless; I mean how bad could it be?  Blegh!

"Deb, would it be possible to have some brown sugar?"

She actually had the nerve to laugh at me.  "There's sugar right there, honey."  And she pointed to the little packets that contain processed and artificial sugar.  Not exactly what I'd call healthy.

"Honey?"  Brian asked.  Actually honey was not a bad idea.

"Yes, Sweetie?"  Deb cackled back.

I rolled my eyes.  God, what have I done to deserve this?   I glanced at Brian, whose lips were folded inward as if he was trying his best not to laugh and I  couldn't begrudge him.  Lord knows he hadn't had much to laugh about lately.

"Hardy, har!  Can you just get me some honey, please?"

"Sure, Sugar." 

I shook my head as Deb left cackling loudly, hopefully to get my honey.  Just then Michael walked in.  Don't get me wrong, Michael's a nice enough guy.  He'd give you the shirt off his back.  He used to be really insecure.  But lately I've noticed he's changed and not for the better.

"Thanks, Maw."   I'm wondering why he's thanking her as Mikey gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to Brian "What the fuck are you eating?"

"Oatmeal.  Want some?"  Brian dipped his spoon in and offered it to Michael, probably in the hope that Michael would leave.  I was wondering why on earth had we accepted Jennifer's recommendation to meet here?

Michael squenched his nose.  "No, thanks.  Hey, Maw..."

"I know.  One breakfast special coming up, honey."  Deb was cackling again as she passed a jar of honey to Brian.  She was not making eye contact and I couldn't help but think something strange was going on here. "Want some pancakes, too, Baby?"

"Sure."  

"So Mikey, what brings you here?"  Brian asked.

"Can't I have breakfast with my best friend?"  was Michael's response.

Neither Brian nor I said anything since we'd already heard from Ted how Michael had been there this very morning complaining about Brian blowing him off for a trick.  And that's when I understood the thanking, Deb had called him when she saw us coming!  Well, holy shit and it was all thanks to Deb.

Just then Jennifer Taylor walked in.  She stopped and looked around before walking over to our table and sat next to me while sliding a binder toward Brian.  Deb was  currently placing Michael's meal in front of him.  "Jen, what can I get you?"

"Tea, please.  Good morning, Brian, Emmett."  I detected a pause before she said.  "Michael."

Michael's mouth was full but he mumbled.  "Hi."

Brian was already leafing through the binder saying.  "No. No. No." as he turned the pages.

Michael was peeking over his shoulder.  "Hey, that one looks good."

Brian just glared at him and said.  "No."

"Why not?  It looks just like your loft."  He shoveled in another bite.

"What if I don't want something like the loft?  What if I want something different?"

Michael  finally swallowed, then asked Jennifer.  "How's Justin?"

"You got anything else?"  Brian slammed the binder shut and slid it back to Jennifer.  I felt like cheering. 

Jennifer sighed.  "Okay, there are a few properties I can show you."

Brian pushed Michael out of the booth.  "Let's go.  You coming, Honeycutt?"

I nodded and took my last bite before following Jennifer.  Michael started to tail after us, but Brian stopped him.

"You need to finish eating," he said as he pushed Michael back into the booth.

I could hear Michael shouting.  "No, no.  I'm done.  I want to come."

But we were already out the door and off before he could get to the door.  I turned and looked out the rear window.  Michael was running down the sidewalk waving his arms.  I know I shouldn't but I couldn't help it.   I giggled then I frowned.   Was Michael that dense?  Just when had he become so malicious?  Mentioning Justin was a low blow.  I wonder if Jennifer's heard from him? 

I turned back to the front in time to hear Jennifer say,  "I don't know what you want.   Every one of those homes met your criteria."

"Could I see?"  I ask.  Brian passed the binder back.  I flipped through the pages.  I know that one of the important factors was a place for Gus.  While they all met that, some just barely, none of them are well...Brian.  "You found him Kinnetic, perhaps if you looked at it from that point of view."

Our eyes connected in the review mirror and I could tell that that thought had not occurred to her, but you could see the cogs beginning to turn in her head.  We moved out of the suburban area we were currently in and drove nearer to the area I used to live with Michael. 

Soon we pulled up to this building with a for sale sign on one of the two large bay doors.

"What the fuck?"  Brian asked.

"It's the old firehouse!"  I informed him.  It was on a corner lot and had been vacant for as long as I can remember. 

Jennifer nodded.  We got out of the car and she rooted in her purse pulling out a key and unlocking the lockbox on the door and we stepped into ... yuck. 

She flicked on a light and we saw a huge cavern of brick walls and concrete floor covered in scattered papers and oil spots.  Rusty lockers lined some of the walls and a fire pole was set off to one side.   Eighteen feet ceilings housed commercial light fixtures and a set of metal stairs led up to a second floor. 

Brian led the way up them and I reluctantly followed.  The upper floor was open with a commercial kitchen at one end with an old farmhouse sink, ancient countertops and a range that was large and very greasy, I was afraid to touch anything!

Brian was talking with Jennifer and following her from room to room.  Frankly, I couldn't imagine what possessed Jennifer into showing this.   I mean, I know the place has been empty, but please.  I'm fairly fastidious and Brian even more so, and this place was just downright filthy.  The other end of the area was divided into two big rooms, one of which contained beds that lined three of the four walls and are bolted to the floor.  The other wall held a row of lockers, some with the doors ripped off.   The other room turned out to be a communal bathroom, with a row of showers divided by flimsy walls.  The baths had better showers; at least you could see the other guys.

I was shocked, really shocked when Brian asked how much they wanted and more so on hearing the price offering to buy this dump.  I was totally surprised when he turned to me and smiled.

"Trust me, Em.  This is just what I've been looking for."

That smile.  I hadn't seen him this happy since before Justin left, so who was I to rain on his parade? 

A spiral staircase led to yet another floor.  Brian, of course, braved those stairs and I, fool that I am, followed along.  That third floor was dark, but somehow Jennifer found the light switch.  The only thing up there was a dusty wooden table and the fire pole in the middle of the room.  Surprisingly sitting on the table was a long cardboard tube.

We all stopped and stared at it.  Brian was giving Jennifer a hard look, but Jennifer looked just as shocked as we did.    She walked over and picked it up, giving a little gasp before whirling it around and holding it out so we could see the name written on it.

Brian Kinney.

I know my eyes had to be popping out of my head and Brian was glaring at Jennifer.

"Honestly, Brian, I have no idea how this got here,"  she declared and I have to say that I believed her.

Brian took it and went to take off the lid.

"Don't,"  I screamed.  "You don't know what's in there."

Brian rolled his eyes at me and opened the tube anyways, what looked like blue prints slid out into his hand.   He rolled it out and actually gasped,  "What the fuck?"

I had to see what was on those sheets and as soon as did I felt like gasping as well, it was a beautiful rendered floor plan of the room we were in.  It was a master suite to die for!  Brian flipped through the other sheets, plans for the first and second floors.  I could tell he was puzzled because he kept glancing at Jennifer. 

"They're renovation plans," I said, stating the obvious.  "Who did them?"

The only clue was MM written in one corner at the bottom.

Justin's mother shrugged, offering an, "It's a mystery."