Dinner was a pleasant enough experience.  Justin always liked his mom's cooking and he had seconds of the chicken and thirds of the rice.  Molly watched the interaction between Justin and Brian and noticed that Justin gave Brian several "looks" throughout dinner and she was ecstatic.  Her brother had obviously remembered his partner.  

"What did you two do today?" Molly asked.

"We went to the comic store and we went to Britin," Justin said.  He paused and then added, "and we went to Kinnetik too."

"Brian took you to all the important places.  What about the diner or Babylon?  Have you gone there yet?  I bet you're just dying to dance and pick up some guys," Molly said, the knowing tone in her voice.

"Molly," Jennifer said, admonishing her daughter with a glare in her eyes.

"Mom.  Just because you choose to keep your head in the sand and don't think about what goes on in Babylon, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  Right, Jus.  There are lots of guys at Babylon and picking up tricks is a huge part of it."

Brian smiled at the exchange, enjoying the no apologies forthright attitude of Molly, whom he would have to admit was actually his sister in law.  He inwardly cringed at the title, but acknowledged that it was accurate.  

"Umm, Well...,"Justin said as he was uncertain how to answer the question.

"That's a part of it, yes, but we rarely pick up tricks anymore," Brian said. He leaned over and gave Justin a quick kiss on the cheek.

Justin nodded and whispered thank you to him before he sat up in his chair.  

"Then what's the fun of going to Babylon?" Molly asked.  "Justin used to ...

Blushing at the way the conversation appeared to be headed, Justin said, "Things change, Mol."

"But Jus, you..."

"Molly, I think your brother and Brian have had enough revelations for today.  Why don't you help me with the dishes?"

Molly sighed loudly and shrugged her shoulders.  "At least, tell me that you remember Brian is your partner?"

"OK.  Brian is my partner," Justin said as if he was repeating a sentence in class.

"Molly,  come on,"  Jennifer said as she tried to push her daughter toward the kitchen.

Molly wasn't budging.  Turning toward Brian she asked, "Brian, help me out here.  I thought ... I saw..."

Brian snickered.  "You're right, Molly.  Your brother has decided that he will keep me for awhile.  And yes, you are correct.  He does remember that we're together."

Molly shook her head in mild disgust at the shenanigans.  "Okay.  Well, at least that's settled.  As long as you two are together, everything else will work out,"  Molly said and left to help Jennifer with the dishes.

Justin got up to clear his and Brian's plate and deliver them to the kitchen. Returning to the table, he brought the food platters to the kitchen as well. Brian watched and enjoyed watching Justin walk back and forth.  When everything was emptied off the table, Justin moved toward the living area and sat on the couch. Brian quickly joined him and sat next to him.  

"Is she always so bossy?" Justin asked.

"She's a Taylor. Of course, she's bossy.  The Taylor's come in one variety- the kind that tells you what they think.  Shy is not in your vocabulary."

Picking up the remote, Justin played with it in his hand but didn't turn it on.  "So now you're an expert on the Taylors?"
"Yes.  I've been around them for many years.  I know exactly where you get your stubborn streak and your ability to hold your own in difficult situations.  Your mom is a very tough lady."

Justin looked toward the kitchen and heard the distinct banging of pots and dishes and decided they had a few minutes before his Mom and Molly were finished.  "Sounds like you admire my mom and that you are good friends?"

"She's a tough lady."  Brian reached out to take Justin's hands in his own.  "She's like a lioness fighting for her cubs when it comes to you and Molly.  Extremely protective of you."

A flash ran through Justin's mind.  "We were playing ball and she came home.   She asked to talk to you and sent me inside.....  Then you were gone.  I came to your place a few days later and you wouldn't see me."  Justin stopped talking as he fast forwarded through the memory.  

"Brian! Brian! I'm glad to see you."

"Who else could it be? Where you goin'?"

"In."

"Did I say you could?"

"Don't give me any shit, all right? I nearly freaked out five times getting here."

"Well, you're gonna have to nearly freak out five more times getting home."

"I want to see you."

"Well, you can't, okay?"

"Why not? Are you fucking some guy?"

"None of your fucking business. Go away!"

Brian closes the door in Justin's face.



"Justin, my God. What are you doin'? Stop it. Stop!"

Molly, said, "Why is Justin freaking out?"

"Molly, go back to your room. Go on! Justin, please stop it."

Jen tries to get Justin to calm down by grabbing his arm. Justin repels her.

"You told him, you didn't want him to see me anymore, didn't you? "

"It was for your own good and he agreed."

"You had no right!"

"Justin, I want you safe from and that everything will be alright."

Jennifer tries to touch him to comfort but his repels her again.

"Guess what, it's too late! Thing's never gonna be alright. My life is fucked. Chris Hobbes saw to that! He should have killed me!",



"She really did that, told you to stay away and you admire her?"

"She thought it was for your own good. She was protecting you."

"What changed?"

"She saw how upset you were.  She came to me.  Asked me to take you, to love you, to make you whole again.  She knew I cared for you, so she felt it was the right thing to do."

"She knew you cared, then why did she tell you to leave?  And .... How did she know you cared?"  Justin tossed the controller between his hands and then put it on the coffee table.  

Again, Justin was playing 20 questions, trying to fill in the blanks but this was truly water under the bridge.  They had gotten past the prom and had navigated many more treacherous times; therefore Brian said, "I was at the hospital, every night, watching you.  The night nurse told her.  When she told you to go inside, I told her I cared for you.  At the time, she didn't want to hear that piece of information, but soon she saw she couldn't ignore it.  I was her only hope.  Help me Brian.  Help me Brian Kinney.  You're my only hope."

Justin giggled as he recognized the famous Star Wars quote.  "Geek."

"Not."

"Are too.  But go on, Michael junior.  You were saying."  

"Jennifer is an amazing woman.  She truly wants the best for you."

Jennifer had heard voices coming from the living room and this time she restrained herself from barging in and interrupting the conversation.  Molly had started to enter the room but Jennifer held her back, allowing Brian and Justin to move just a few more inches forward in Justin's recovery.  She motioned for Molly to be quiet as she put her finger in front of her lips.  Molly closed her mouth and waited by the doorway. 

"It's still strange to hear you and mom on the same side.  I'm used to her fighting our relationship.  I just remember her being angry and afraid because you were so much older than me."

Justin felt a warm glow pass over him as he realized that not only were him and Brian a couple but that his Mom and Molly and most likely every one of their friends realized it too.  I no longer have to defend Brian to everyone... or do I?  "Does everyone know we're together?"
Brian gave a little shake of his head and scrunched his eyebrows at the question.  "Sunshine, where did that come from?"

Justin laughed.  "I still can stump you.  See, I realized that if Mom and Molly are friends with you and they realize that we're together, I wanted to know if everyone else knew it too?  Are we a couple in front of ‘the gang'?"

Brian leaned over and kissed Justin soundly on the lips.  "Yes.  Everyone knows.  I no longer hide my feelings for you."

"Okay.  I guess I'll find out when we go to Babylon later."  Justin noticed the lack of noise from the kitchen and looked toward the doorway, seeing his Mom and Molly.  "How long you two been there?  Did you hear the whole conversation," Justin asked, his eyes blazing with embarrassment and slight anger.

Jennifer walked into the room and kissed Justin on the forehead and Brian on the cheek.  "Thank you," she said as she directed her comment to Brian.  "Brian is right, Justin.  I just want what's best for you."

"I turn 18 next month.  You promised to take me to Babylon, Brian.  Are you going to keep your promise?"

Jennifer turned toward her daughter and gave her a stern look, and then turned toward Brian and glared at him.  "What is it with you and my children?  Do you have a magic spell I don't know about?"

Brian smiled and reached out for Jennifer's hand.  "Why Mother Taylor, I don't have any spells.  I'm just irresistible to blonds," he said tongue in cheek.

Justin blushed but said nothing.

"Remember, two weeks, Brian.  And I expect you to take me to Babylon. Buy me drinks and show me a good time." Molly crossed her arms showing Brian she meant business.

"You do realize that Babylon is a gay dance club and that the drinking age is 21?"

"Pshaw.  You own Babylon and you bought Justin drinks when he was only 17, so ....   And as far as it being a gay dance club.  Well, you can dance with me.  No one would say a word if the great Brian Kinney danced with a woman."

"Molly, you can't go to Babylon with Brian," Jennifer said.

"Why not?  He owns it and you can go to dance clubs if you are 18.  Justin did it when he was only 17, so why can't I?"

Justin and Brian snickered at the conversation.  It was fun to watch Jennifer try to justify why Molly couldn't go and both of them found this amusing.  

"I forbid it."

Everyone laughed.  "Mom... You saw how well that worked for me.  Forbidding me didn't stop me from seeing Brian.  In fact..."

Jennifer put up her hand motioning for him to stop.  "Okay.  I really don't want to relive more teenage angst.  If Brian will take you to Babylon, then you can go.  And Brian," she said as she glared at him.  "You better watch her like a hawk.  I expect her to come back unscathed.  Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mother Taylor."  Brian looked at Molly and said, "We'll have to go shopping for some appropriate clothing.  Don't want to escort another Taylor with bad fashion taste."

"There's nothing wrong with my taste in clothing, Brian," Justin said as he crossed his arms. 

"There's nothing right with it either.  When is your birthday, Molly?"

"The 30th.  A week from Wednesday."

"Okay.  I promise to take you to Babylon.  Maybe I'll get Daphne to take you shopping.  I'd trust her with my credit card.  It will come back with some credit still available," Brian said tongue in cheek.  "Some people don't know how to show restraint."

"I love Daphne. She's got great taste in clothes," Molly said as she gave Justin a once over and looked at his baggy pants and hoodie.  "She has this really cool pink and orange top with sparkles that she let me borrow for..."

Molly stopped talking, not wanting to give up any of her secrets in front of her mom.

Hearing the pause in Molly's speech, Justin said, "Speaking of Babylon, I thought we were going there sometime tonight."

Molly mouthed ‘thank you' to Justin.

"Ah yes.  Mother Taylor, thank you for dinner.  Justin, thank your mom."

"Thanks, mom."

"When will I see you again?" Jennifer asked, but without any accusation in her voice.

"Daphne and I are going to lunch tomorrow.  I told her I was staying here so Brian can drop me off in the morning.  I'm sure Brian has stuff to take care of instead of watching over me all day."

"I like watching you, Justin," Brian said as he leaned over and kissed Justin on the lips as he pulled his lower lip inside his mouth with a little tug.  Letting go quickly, he said, "But Justin is right.  I do need to take care of some things at Kinnetik, so if it's okay with you Mother Taylor, I will drop Justin off in the morning and I'll be here for dinner."

"Okay.  I'll see you in the morning.  Night Brian.  Night Justin."  She leaned over and kissed both men; Justin on the forehead and Brian on the cheek.  She walked them to the door and opened it.  "Be safe and Brian... watch over him and ..."

"Yes, Mother Taylor.  We'll see you tomorrow."

They walked to the car and each man got in, buckling their seat belt.

"Are you really going to take Molly to Babylon?"  Justin asked as Brian pulled away from the curb.

"Sure.  She's a good kid and she reminds me of someone else.  He was okay."

Justin play hit Brian on the arm as he mulled over the conversation from this evening.  More pieces to my puzzle.  My mom likes Brian and really trusts him.  He was at the hospital- every night.  Brian and Molly-  holy shit.  Brian's told everyone he and I are together.  I think I like this version of Brian Kinney.  On to Babylon and hopefully more memories.

TBC