HUNTER

Jenny begged me to let her stay with Gus, instead of coming with me to see Mel. Brian was waiting outside when I left. I figured he’d question me eventually. There was a time when I saw Brian the way Michael does, but over time that faded, because I figured out something Michael never did. Brian was like every other person with flaws, and honestly, the day he brought Justin to meet everyone, only a blind man wouldn’t have seen that Justin owned Brian. Of course, it didn’t really surprise me that Michael was blind to that fact. 

“You and Justin still hang out?” He asks me.

“He told me the first time we really talked, that I could come to him if I needed anything. I made sure to be the friend to him that he was to me. He started calling me when he needed someone to talk to; someone that didn’t offer their unwanted advice.” I tell him.

“I didn’t know you two stayed in touch.” He tells me, sounding... jealous?

“After we spent time together, I figured out he wasn’t the person Deb and Michael made him out to be. He didn’t think he was better than us, he just didn’t waste his time with people who treated him like crap. Which should tell you something, if he hasn’t given up on you yet.” I tell him, getting in my car and driving to Mel’s cousin’s house.

Mel came outside, saying her cousin didn’t like strangers in their home. We sat on the steps. At first I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to start a fight with her. Only I kept seeing Jenny at my door, saying she was tired of the moms. When Jenny first came along, I was jealous of all the attention everyone paid to her. It wasn’t like it was with Gus; everyone paid attention to Gus, but not the way they did with Jenny. Brian always made sure Gus didn’t feel it. Justin didn’t come around when he and Brian got serious, but I noticed more often than not that Gus would take off with Justin when he dropped Brian off at dinners. Lindsay would dote on Gus when Brian was there, making sure to piss off Mel, but would leave him to Brian when Deb and Michael started in on Mel about Jenny. She seemed to enjoy the way Deb and Michael criticized Mel for anything related to Jenny. I really didn’t think a lot of Lindsay, she was never nasty or anything to me, just didn’t really bother to try to know me beyond the superficial things. I didn’t care, because Lindsay treated Jenny the same as Gus. And even if I didn’t agree with the shit Mel said, she equally put down both Brian and Michael, never realizing Gus and Jenny didn’t need to hear her doing it.

“Jenny doesn’t want to stay with either of you. I’m asking you to let her stay with me, at least until you and Lindsay get your shit settled. Which you should understand, since you and Lindsay demanded Gus come home for the same reason.” I tell her.

“I doubt the college is going to be happy about Jenny staying in your dorm room.” Mel tells me.

“I moved into an apartment next to the campus last semester. There’s an extra room for her to use.” I tell her.

“How did you afford that?” She asks..

“Ben paid off my college tuition, and Justin and I worked out an agreement where he’d pay for an apartment for me until I finished school. He tried to just pay for it, but I don’t want to use him and Brian as if they should have to pay for my ass.” I tell her, wanting to see how she reacted.

“I never wanted Brian to pay for anything. And regardless of what Deb thinks, I didn’t want money from Michael either.” She tells me.

“Then pay them back. No one said you had to take anything. It’s why I wouldn’t take the money for my expenses, unless Justin agreed to consider it a loan. If it bothered you so much, you could have just returned the money, no one made you take it. It’s not like Brian held it over you or Lindsay’s head either, yet you act like he did.” I tell her.

“How the fuck does he do it, get everyone to act like he’s some kind of hero? He leaves his family behind and no one acts like it matters. Then Justin just forgets all the shit and lets the asshole come home. He never has to face the bullshit he does.” She tells me.

“You don’t have a fucking clue, as usual. Justin didn’t forget anything that happened, but right now Brian needs them to help him. Just like Brian would, Justin takes care of the people he loves. In truth, I don’t see why you think it’s some slight on you every time Brian does something you seem to think he should be punished for. It has nothing to do with you.” I tell her.

“I’m Gus’s mother, but somehow Brian’s more important to him.” She argues.

“Gus spent half his life with you putting Brian down, and never once has he had to hear Brian say shit about you. If I was him I wouldn’t really want to be around you either. Why do you think he needs to choose between Brian and you? I grew up with no one giving a shit about me, so the idea of having four parents that care sounds like my dreams on the nights I hid from the fucking Johns my mother sold me too.” I tell her.

“You had Michael and Ben.” She says, as if that changed everything.

“I had Ben. Michael was okay at first, only, like a kid with a toy, I got tossed aside for his new one. Then Jenny eventually got tossed aside for Michael’s favorite toy, which she can see for herself and doesn’t need you pointing out how unwanted she is. Of course, she really doesn’t feel all that wanted by you or Lindsay; since the minute you two started in on each other again, neither of you gave a shit that she took a bus across town to find me. I’m asking for my sister that you let her stay with me. She doesn’t need to be more disappointed in you and have to watch you destroy everything in your life, forgetting that your children need you. You keep saying Brian never has to deal with shit, but when you run away from your life, what do you call what you do? Brian didn’t leave Justin with no way to take care of himself, the way you did and do with Lindsay. Yeah, he didn’t show up for the kids birthdays, but then you barely bothered to remember the son you ran around getting pissed that Brian was the father of, and always will be. He’s not a hero, but a man with flaws the same as all of us. What he did with Michael this last year, yeah it was shitty to Justin and the kids, but not to you or anyone else.” I tell her.

“Justin shouldn’t encourage Gus to forgive the asshole.” She tells me.

“I let Justin know that he shouldn’t encourage Gus to forgive any of his PARENTS for the shit they do. Since he’s pissed at you and Lindsay, that should be all kinds of fun for you. Since this conversation is making me wonder why I ever thought you were open minded about anything, I’d just like your permission to keep Jenny.” I tell her.

“She should be with me and Lindsay.” She tells me.

“Yes, she should, but right now all she wants is to be anywhere but with either of you. As her brother, I want what makes my sister happy. Possibly that is foreign to you, but for me it’s all that matters, that Jenny is happy.” I tell her.

“Deb thinks Jenny should have to stay with her and Michael, according to our custody agreement.” She says, changing the subject when she got uncomfortable with what I was saying.

“Which only Michael can enforce, so I don’t see it as a problem for you. Deb can say what she wants, but anything that takes Michael away from Brian won’t happen.” I tell her.

“I’ve made a mess of everything haven’t I?” She tells me.

“Maybe you should figure out why. But for now it would be better for Jenny not to have to be around you guys.” I tell her.

“Okay. But when Jenny needs anything, you call me and I’ll take care of it. Don’t call Michael or Deb.” She tells me.

“I wouldn’t go to Deb and Michael, they would only treat it like you owe them. It’s why I stopped talking to them, they never let me forget where I came from and how they saved me.” I tell her, leaving.

DEB

Brian fucking changed his number, like that’ll fucking stop me. I hung up the phone when Kiki came in and asked me why Michael was put in jail. She blanched when I asked her what the hell she was talking about.

“One of the hustlers said Michael got hauled in yesterday. I figured you knew.” Kiki tells me.

“If he was put in jail, he would’ve called me. You need to tell whoever told you that to stop spreading lies.” I tell her.

“Why would they bother to lie, they don’t really give a shit about Michael?” She shrugged, walking away from me.

As the diner filled up, a few of the others mentioned seeing Michael in the back of a squad car, waiting to see what I would say. When I assured them it wasn’t Michael, they all looked at me as if they felt bad telling me something I didn’t know. I left to look for Michael after the breakfast rush was over. He wasn’t at his store or house, and when I called Brian’s house the person who answered told me no one but the cleaning service was there. The police station was quiet when I walked in, and I saw my old boyfriend Carl talking to the woman he started dating after leaving me. 

Carl didn’t like hearing what I thought about his parenting, but seemed to think it was alright to tell me it was time to cut the apron strings to my son. I didn’t feel he had the right to preach to me when he hadn’t had a relationship with either of his kids in years. Carl saw me and walked by, escorting my replacement out the door. I waited, but when he came back in he acted as if he hadn’t seen me at all.

“Don’t ignore me.” I tell Carl.

“If you need something the desk sergeant is standing in front of you. I’m no longer at your beck and call.” Carl tells me.

“Is Michael here?” I ask him.

“Like I said, if you need information, talk to the desk sergeant.” Carl says, going in his office and closing his door.

“Well is someone going to answer me?!” I ask loudly.

“Not if you plan to shout the house down.” Sergeant Cannon tells me.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the desk. “Is my son here?” I ask, through gritted teeth.

“Name?” He asks.

“You fucking know his name.” I tell him.

“Like Detective Horvath's said, none of us are at your beck and call. Name?” He smirks at me.

I wanted to slap that smirk off his face, the fucker hated that Carl stopped ignoring the homophobic comments slung around because of me. 

“Michael Novotny, my son.” I tell him.

“Let me check.” He tells me, looking in the computer as if he didn’t know who I was talking about. I stood there getting pissed and decided Michael wasn’t here and Cannon was just wasting my time.

“He was booked yesterday.” He finally tells me.

“For what?” I yelled.

“Breaking and Entering.” He tells me.

“Bullshit. Not my son.” I tell him.

“According to this, the charge is breaking and entering a private residence, while doing damage to the residence.” He tells me.

“Really, and because he was my son you denied him a phone call?” I ask, glaring at him.

“Actually he was granted three calls, two more than most prisoners, and only because Detective Horvath asked that we let him make whatever calls he needed.” He tells me.

“I want to see him.” I tell him.

He led me to a room and told me to wait while he brought Michael in. Michael was brought in with handcuffs, and the officer left us alone. Cannon told me Michael was here, hell half the diner told me, but I couldn’t believe it.

“Hey Ma.” Michael greets me.

“Why the hell didn’t you call me?” I ask.

“I wasted all the calls trying to find Brian’s new number.” He pouts.

“Son, we’ll deal with Brian after you tell me why they charged you with breaking and entering.” I tell him.

“That fucking whore called the police, I know he did. They said I didn’t have a right to be in my home.” I tell her.

“You were arrested for being in your house?” I ask, confused.

“I was at Brian’s, I was working on making it my house, getting rid of the whore’s things. Then Ted showed up with the police and I got kicked out of my home.” Michael tells me.

“Justin had you arrested?” I ask, ready to go after the shit.

“Who else? Brian wouldn’t do it. It’s all Justin’s fault that Brian isn’t at my side taking care of me and keeping all the promises he made to me. Well, he’ll see what happens when Brian finds out what he did.” Michael tells me.

“You should have called me. Let me see what I can do to get you out of here.” I tell him, going back out as they take Michael to his cell.

“You need to get Brian Kinney on the phone and tell him to clear this shit up.” I tell Carl, barging into his office.

“Brian knows, since he’s the one who asked us to arrest your son. Now I have work to do.” Carl tells me, dismissing me.

“I want Michael out now.” I order him.

“Take it up with the front desk.” Carl tells me, waving me out of his office.

“This is complete bullshit, all of it. Michael has always been welcome in every part of Brian’s life. That piece of shit Brian married is only trying to make Michael pay for Brian helping my son.” I tell him.

“It’s somehow always someone other than your son.” He sighs. “Regardless of what you want to believe, Brian was the one who called us to have him removed. Standing here protesting won’t change that Michael was arrested for being on Brian’s property without permission from either him or Justin. I have work to do, so if you have anymore questions, ask Sergeant Cannon.” He tells me.

“You once gave a shit about me.” I tell him.

“Until I figured out the only person you who matters to you is Michael.” He tells me, pushing me out of his office and slamming his door.

Sergeant Cannon let me know Michael’s bail, which was more than I had. I left, deciding that Ted was going to help, since he helped the shit put Michael in jail. I got to Kinnetik, marched straight up to Cynthia and demanded to see Brian and Ted in Brian’s office. She gave me that fake smile and asked me to wait while she found out where they were. I stood there, tapping my foot. 

A couple minutes later two large men came up and asked me to leave. I stood my ground, letting them all know I wasn’t leaving until I spoke to Brian or Ted.

BRIAN

Ted and I were going over accounts and financials when the shouting interrupted the whole building. We walked out of the office, and Deb glared at both Ted and me. Before she could say a word, I signaled to the guards to escort her out.

“Has Ted told you where Michael is?” Deb asks, ignoring the men trying to get her to leave.

“Make sure she’s barred from the building.” I tell the guards, not speaking to Deb.

“Brian, I took care of you, and this isn’t how you repay me.” Deb shouts.

She finally admitted the truth, that everything she ever did for me was to keep me indebted to her. Only, the pain that should have come with hearing those words didn’t happen. I went back into my office, ignoring her protests as she was taken out of the building. With those words she freed me from any belief that she was the mother I had built her up to be in my head. Ted came in, sitting down as if he was waiting for me to go off.

“Justin agreed to keep helping here while I go through treatment. I’m still going to be available if you need me.” I tell Ted.

“Good to know.” Ted tells me, following my lead and picking up the paperwork to finish going over things.