BRIAN

The guys didn’t come all at once, but slowly showed up. Nick arranged for them to meet at Mel’s house because Michael and Lindsay hadn’t been there in days. Al arrived last, and there were only five of them. Nick felt it was better to keep them where no one would really notice they were. Hunter confirmed it when he told us that other than Lindsay’s parents, no one really showed up at the house. I didn’t really ever think about it, but Mel really didn’t have any friends other than Ted and Justin, and lately she didn’t have either of them either.

Al was something, what, I couldn’t tell you. My height, more bulk, but still a swimmers body. His hair was back in a bun, which didn’t really fit in with my picture of a Navy Seal. Gus kept staring, and apparently Al didn’t mind. Al didn’t do anything that would make me want to kill him, so I left it alone. At one time, I would have found it hard not to want him, but since meeting Justin, all men paled in comparison.

Mel asked if we could talk alone, after Nick started explain what was going on. Only, I was studying Justin, I’d never seen him like this. He was serious most of the time, but this was different. He sat listening to them, but I could see his mind working, trying to figure out what would work and what wouldn’t. Al, who had been pacing while they were talking, looked at me and came over.

“I didn’t get it either, the way they listen to him. I mean, he’s pretty much a civilian, but he sees things and knows if something won’t work.” He tells me.

“He’s always been like that.” I tell him.

“Yeah, but all I saw was a guy who didn’t fit with my team. I was the new guy at the time, and didn’t get what the big deal was, the guy took pictures, we took the risks. It wasn’t easy to admit that what he did was harder, because he did it without a team backing him up. So I respect him. I just wanted you to know.” He tells me, winking at Mel when she looked lost at what he was talking about.

“She’s die hard on the other team.” I tell him.

“Still doesn’t mean I don’t respect that she has it, or him for that matter.” He says, looking at Gus, ignoring my scowl. “I’m not hitting on either of them, just saying what I see.” He tells me, smirking at me.

“Gus is confused right now.” I tell him.

“Aren’t we all? But eventually it works itself out, or in my case, just offers more opportunities in life.” He tells me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be planning with Super Seals right now?” I ask.

“Dude, they have The Brain, I figured I’d piss off The Brian.” He laughs.

I left him there, dragging Mel behind me before Al said anything else to see if he could piss me off. Nick had always been easy going, and apparently they were all like that.

“What did you want?” I ask her.

“To help if I can, but I don’t understand what’s going on. I know the facts, but I don’t get the way they act like Justin is like them. Alex even acted weird, and told me not to tell him anything that could get Justin in trouble.” She tells me.

“I don’t know what I can tell you. What I know, wasn’t something I could tell people. Not because I don’t trust you, but it’s just the way it is and what I have to do to be with him.” I tell her.

“Brian, he plans to parade himself around Liberty Avenue. With what Deb told you, don’t you think that’s crazy?” She asks.

“Yes, but I also know he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t think he could. You see those six guys in there? They would die to keep him safe, and I have to trust that right now, because I’m barely standing most days. It’s killing me that my life is the cause of all this.” I tell her, which surprised me because she was the last person I would want to let hear any weakness in me.

“I know you hate me, and I deserve it for never giving you a chance. I just want to try to find a some way that we can at least deal with each other, for Gus. I’m worried about how he’s going to deal with all this. He loves Lindsay, even with all the shit that’s coming out.” She tells me.

“Who are you more worried about, Lindsay or Gus? Take it any way you want, but I need to know if you’ve got your head out of Lindsay’s ass or not.” I tell her.

“Gus. I can’t let what I felt for Lindsay mean anything, because Jenny and Gus mean more to me. I don’t know what to do, Jenny is going to find out what her father is like, and while I know she doesn’t have any illusions about him, he’s still her father, just like Lindsay is still Gus’s mother. Gus is starting to get over being pissed at me, and I don’t want him to feel like he can’t come to me because of the way I was before.” She tells me.

“We both let him down. But I figured out that he’s like me, so we have to prove to him that we won’t do it again. After this is over, I know Justin will try to help with that, because he doesn’t see you as a lost cause.” I tell her.

“I should have told you what I heard, it’s just hard when I realize everything I wanted to believe about her was wrong.” She tells me.

“You and Deb have that in common. Maybe you two need to talk to each other, she’s going to need friends, and Jenny.” I tell her.

“Do you really care what happens to Deb, after everything that’s happened?” She asks.

“I can’t be around her, but it doesn’t mean I want her alone the way she’s going to be. She’s lived for Michael, and without him, she ends up with no one. Emmett and Ted are like me, we’ve reached the end with her. She starting to open her eyes and see that the way she raised Michael wasn’t doing him any favors. She’s going to need a family, which Jenny and Hunter are.” I tell her.

“I used to believe Justin brought out the best in you, but it was always there, you just hid it under the asshole.” She tells me.

“The same way you hid it under the bitch.” I tell her, leaving her to think about it.

GUS

It felt nice that my dads let me come and hear what was going on. But watching them listen to Jus as if he did this stuff all the time was confusing. What did a photographer do for the military? I tried to keep my eyes on Jus, but well, the guy who was wandering around the room was hard not to look at. For the first time, my attention focused on one person. It’s what confused me the most, I could look at Luke, but then I’d be studying a girl walking by at the same time. It’s why I didn’t try to have a relationship with anyone, because no one made me stop looking around. Only, Al did. And for the first time I didn’t care if the sex was special, only that I had it. I got up and ran out of the room, because the things my dad did didn’t sound so bad anymore. I ran past my dad when he came back, acting like I didn’t hear him call me.

I ran to the tree house and climbed up there, just needing a minute alone. I used to think the way my dad and Jus were was an anomaly. Since other than Emmett and Drew, none of the other couples around me acted like they wanted to rip each others clothes off all the time. Mom and Mama barely looked at each other most days, and I could see the distance when Ben and Michael were around. It just made sense in my head at the time.

I almost screamed when Al climbed through the window. I didn’t even hear him coming up here.

“You okay?” He asks, sitting against the opposite wall.

“Someone’s trying to hurt Jus, and my mother is likely involved. No, I’m not okay.” I tell him, trying to pull off my dad’s sarcasm, but failing, since the guy made me nervous. 

“Got to say, you’re doing well holding it together.” He tells me.

“It’s my mom, even if she’s doing this, she’s still my mom. I don’t want to hate her, but right now I can’t stop it.” I tell him, thinking Dr Turner and I are going to have a lot to talk about.

“You don’t feel like you can talk to your dad or your other mom?” He asks.

“I can, and they would listen, but they’re dealing with this too. I’m tired of hating someone and loving them too. Why can’t she see what’s she’s doing to us?” I tell him, trying to figure out why I’m telling him anything.

“I wish I could tell you. My life was pretty great, so I don’t have any real advice other than sometimes people disappoint you.” He tells me.

“It’s just… I’m having a hard enough time with my issues, but I want to find a way to help them too.” I tell him.

“Issues?” He asks.

“Yes. And your now one of them.” I blurt out.

“What did I do?” He asks, smiling, and really, did he have to have dimples?

“Nothing. But look at you. I mean I’m not sure, but well you’re…” I didn’t know how to explain that he made the confusion lift.

“Odd, funny, charming, and maybe mouth watering, are some of my favorites.” He really thinks joking is helping.

“Why odd?” I ask.

“Because to me it doesn’t matter whether it’s a girl or a guy, just that they interest me.” He tells me.

“Your bi too?” I ask.

“Bi, Tri, whatever. If I like you, I do.” He tells me.

“How could you like me, when this is the first time we’ve met?” I ask.

“I didn’t say that I did. And right now isn’t the time for me to figure it out. Only, your dad thought maybe we should talk to each other. Not that I don’t find you interesting. It’s just that I know what it’s like when you’re trying to figure yourself out.” He tells me.

“I know, but it worries me because of seeing the way my mother acts. She married a woman, but still wanted other people. My therapist and I talked about it, and while I know in my head that it doesn’t mean I’ll be like either of my parents, I get why both did the things they did. I mean, I made out with my friend, and still wanted to flirt with other people.” I tell him.

“Then he wasn’t the person for you. When you find them, you’ll be like Justin, willing to do what it takes to be with them.” He tells me.

“You think I’m like Jus?” I ask.

“I wouldn’t know. I’m just saying, when Justin decided to be with your dad, he walked away from anything that could take him away from your dad. It’s what I hope for when I do fall in love with someone, that nothing else matters but them.” He tells me.

“Can I do something, and than I need to deal with my family.” I tell him.

“Sure, then I’ll get back to why I’m really supposed to be here.” He tells me.

He didn’t even react when I crawled up to him. When I moved in to kiss him, he opened and let me do what I wanted. When I pulled back, he wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me back until I was on his lap, forgetting there were things we both needed to do. Only, when I started trying to take off his shirt, he stopped me and pulled his head back.

“Trust me, I’d love to, but it should be something we do because we’re thinking with our big head. Even though my little head is ready to kick my ass.” He tells me.

I leaned in one more time, just because I needed to feel it again. “You made me stop.” I tell him, getting up and going down to the ground. I smirked the way my dad does when I heard him saying ‘damn’ over and over, only sounding like he’d been hit by a truck.

My dad was standing outside waiting for me. “I’m good.” I tell him.

“Was he?” He smirks.

“DAD!” I yelled, embarrassed, while he laughed. 

“Just be careful.” He tells me, meaning more than one thing.

“Can we go see if I can help?” I ask him.

“Gus, I don’t want you to have to deal with her.” He tells me.

“I’m the only one she tells the truth to; it’s like she thinks I’ll protect her.” I tell him.

He knew it, but my dad is a protector as much as Nick is, and me getting hurt isn’t something he could deal with. 

“I need to know the truth, even if I don’t want to.” I tell him.

“Gus, it isn’t just her, it’s Michael too. She wouldn’t want you hurt, but she really doesn’t seem to get that Michael sees you as one of the reasons we aren’t together.” He tells me.

“What’s going on?” Jus asks, coming out.

“He wants to talk to Lindsay.” Dad tells him.

“No. I know you want to help, but we can handle it.” Jus tells me.

“You can make it safe.” I tell Nick, who came out.

“You really think I’m going to get my ass kicked? No way kid.” Nick tells me.

“I listened, and none of you know what she’s really doing. If Michael falls for what you guys planned, he’s going to try to blame her. What if she doesn’t really know what Michael was really doing? I could get her to tell me if the baby is Dad’s, because she will tell me.” I tell them.

“We could make it safe for him.” Al tells them, making him way too perfect.

“How?” Dad asked, willing to listen.

“She’s going to have to get her things. Gus being here wouldn’t be a surprise to her. I don’t like it, but he’s right. We need to know who this baby belongs to.” Jus says, but I could tell he didn’t like it.

“I could hang out downstairs with Hunter, like we were friends from college.” Al tells them.

“What about Mel?” Dad asks Nick, but Mom never tells Mama the truth.

“She isn’t going to talk to Mama.” I tell him.

“She’d talk to Justin.” He says, not liking it either.

“KISS is always the best way to find out what you need to know.” Al tells him. Yes, I blushed.

“I just don’t find it simple to put Gus in the middle of any of this.” Jus tells him.

“He’s just going to be here and talk to her.” Al tells him.

“Gus, you don’t have to do this, we’ll figure it out.” Dad tells me.

“We need to know. I, need to know.” I tell him.

“Fuck. I don’t like it, but you keep him safe or I won’t be responsible for what I do.” Dad tells Al.

“What is Gus doing?” Mama asks, adding to the crowd in the backyard.

Everyone but Mama and Dad left the area, because for the first time they both agreed this was crazy. Jus smiled at them yelling.

“They both love you, you know.” He tells me.

“And?” I ask, as they start talking about another way to get my mom to tell them the truth. Which included Mama kicking her ass, Dad shipping her off to Siberia, and a few things I’d ask about later. But it showed me how much they really loved me. 

“Later they’ll fight about Jenny, and that we want to be there for her too.” He tells me.

“You think they’ll be friends?” I ask.

“Not that they’ll ever admit it.” He tells me.

“What your planning, promise me that it will be okay.” I tell him, because I need that from him.

“I promise to do what I can to always be okay. Sometimes things happen, but I’m not alone. I won’t lie to you.” He tells me, but he wasn’t worried, so I let that be enough.