When I left the doctor's office, I walked past Deb and Michael, refusing to engage in the fight they wanted. After talking to Brian I was ready to deal with them. One of the things I noticed about Deb was her way of getting all the guys to believe in the myth that she loved them equally. In her world you were judged by how you treated Michael. While I never did anything to Michael, I never hid that the fact that I had no use for him. It wasn’t just what he said to me, it was watching the way he manipulated everyone. Michael used anything he did for someone as a reason they should be thankful he was their friend. He couldn't do it with me, because there was nothing he had that I wanted from him. It's probably why he didn't even try to win me over, but used his friends and mother to show me I had no place in the circle of Brian’s life. As the years went by he most likely hated me more because his circle started to splinter, they were no longer taking sides.

Emmett stayed neutral at first, but as time went on didn't like the Michael he was seeing. Michael made the mistake of showing his true colors one day when he came over uninvited to my house. He couldn't resist with Brian out of town. Emmett was upstairs working on Cameron's room, right before Cameron was born. Michael didn’t know he was there, so he didn't even try to pretend he gave two shits about me. Michael felt I should hear his feelings on me forcing Brian into fatherhood with me.

“You and your brat aren’t going to save you from Brian dumping your ass. He might be saying all the right things to you, but when he's with me, it's a different story. He feels trapped in this marriage already, and only did it because you got hurt. It's the reason he took you back, when he’d basically forgotten you existed. He told me already that our friendship meant more to him than anything you could offer. One day I'm going to be available, and when that happens I'll make sure Brian understands you and your bastard are out of our lives!” He screamed.

“Well until you manage to do that, get the fuck out of my house.” I tell him.

“No problem. I'm sure Brian is going to love hearing you kicked me out. He thinks I came to try to settle our differences, since you won't.” He tells me, smugly running out.

“Jesus, is that what he does to you?” Emmett asks.

“Do me a favor and don't mention this to Brian. He wouldn’t believe you.” I tell him.

“Baby, he needs to know that this is what you put up with.” He tells me.

“He believes everything Michael says, then acts like it's my fault. I'm starting to think I made a mistake agreeing to marry Brian. Michael is the only thing we fight about, it's like he doesn't believe Michael is anything but who he believes Michael is. It's really better if you don’t get involved like I've asked, since it would only cause problems for you.” I tell him.

“Like I run from anything. Well maybe my family, but that's only because it just lowers my stock to be related to them.” He jokes.

“Nothing could lower your stock for me, you're one of the best people I know.” I tell him.

“Don’t let Michael make you believe Brian wanted you for any reason other than you were the one he couldn’t let go of. He might have done things in the past that Michael likes to tell you about, but for Brian it was his way of dealing with losing you. Now let's go decide on colors for the room that Brian said no expense is out of the question on.” He tells me, hugging me.

Brian came home and never brought up anything, even though I knew Michael had told him. Cynthia called me to let me know Michael showed up, complaining about how I treated him. She hated all things Novotny, and loved me for not falling for ‘Michael the Innocent’.

“Why did you quit fighting for us?” Brian asks, before I could leave the room to deal with Deb and Michael.

“You were proving everything that Michael told me the night you introduced me to him.” I tell him.

“What did he say to you?” He asks.

“To enjoy you while I could, but when it comes to you, he'll always comes first. Which you confirmed with this last year. No one mattered but Michael. You asked me why I quit fighting for us? It's hard to fight when Michael called you and my birthday wasn’t important. Michael showed up and you didn't show up to the weekend we planned for Gus’s birthday. Apparently partying with Michael was more important than upsetting Cameron on his birthday too. Why would I fight for you when you abandoned us?” I ask him.

“He said WHAT?” Brian asks, trying to get out of the bed.

“Why does it matter, since he was obviously right. You were at a fucking White Party, that says it all.” I tell him.

“I went to find Michael. Deb was worried because he was depressed. I tried to get him into a clinic because he was acting unstable. I wasn’t at a White Party, and I never cheated on you.” He tells me.

“Is that supposed to make it all better? Because you still put Michael over our sons. You still accused me of being the problem whenever Michael was upset. Our marriage only made it through Cameron's birthday because you only stayed home long enough to sleep and run. I was left to handle everything, including keeping Kinnetik from going under. I'm tired Brian, tired of being the one person who can't demand anything from you, but I’m expected to sit by and be told that I'm just a there until you get bored of playing house with me. I'm tired of you not seeing that Michael grieving for Ben became Michael’s way to do exactly what he told me would happen. I don't like the person I'm becoming because I stayed a year longer in a marriage that wasn’t a marriage anymore.” I tell him.

“I'm asking you to give me time to repair the damage I did.” He tells me.

“Brian I'm only here because you ignored your health. Our sons need the chance to forgive you, and in order for you to do that we need you healthy again. I just don’t see a way back from this.” I tell him, opening the door.

BRIAN

“I want to see Michael, then I want him and Deb gone.” I tell him.

“We'll see, it's hard to trust you when it comes to Michael.” He says, leaving with a direct hit.

Michael must have run to my room, because Justin was barely gone a minute before he barreled in.

“Ma and I are being treated like shit, because of HIM. He'll get it when I move in with you.” Michael tells me, as if I everything I said to him before I landed in the hospital went ignored.

“I think he got it when you first met.” I tell him, acting like I approved.

“He needed to know that I came first in your life.” He tells me, smirking as Justin silently came in.

“The way Ben knew?” I ask.

“He always knew, not that I had to say anything. I just wanted to make sure Justin knew not to think he was more than a convenient piece of ass while you waited for me.” He tells me.

“What was I waiting for?” I ask.

“All the things we promised each other. Why are we talking about the shit when we need to get the doctor in here and have him and his brat kicked out of here.” He tells me.

“Cameron’s here?” I ask Justin, only Michael thinks I'm asking him.

“Drew brought him, because he thinks you want to see the bastard’s kid.” Michael says, risking his life with Justin.

“Drew apparently gets what you don't, that CAMERON is my son.” I tell him.

“Well CAMERON didn’t stop you from being with me.” He says happily.

“Which brings me to my other question. Why does everyone think I was at the White Party, tricking?” I ask.

Michael snickers as if thrilled at something. “Look, it was a joke, but at least he figured out it was time to give up on you.” He tells me.

“How did you do it?” I ask.

“I paid the waiter to answer your phone when you got up to pay the check. He was hoping to get a big tip from you that night, so he did what I asked. Justin didn’t even leave a message, but he definitely got mine.” He tells me.

“Thanks for clearing that up.” Justin says, making Michael jump.

“Brian, call the doctor, it's time for HIM to know exactly who you want here.” Michael orders.

“Do you want to do the honors?” I ask Justin, only Michael takes it as me asking him.

“Absolutely. Bye bye now.” Michael taunts Justin.

“It's so nice of you to agree to go.” Justin says, opening the door and letting security in, who get pushed out of the way by Deb.

“Brian, can you believe the doctor said Michael and I have to leave?” Deb screeches.

“Mr Kinney?” Security asks Justin.

“They aren't to be admitted, for any reason.” Justin tells them.

“The only Mr Kinney in this room is Brian.” Michael sneers.

“Actually like you, Mr Novotny-Bruckner, my name reflects my husband. So learn it and get the fuck out.” Justin tells him, nodding to security.

“Brian, you let HIM do this and you're dead to me.” Deb tells me.

“Bye bye now.” I tell her, ready for them to go, just as tired as Justin’s feels with everything.

They left, but not before making fools out of themselves. The last thing Deb got out before the door was closed was I wasn’t competent to make decisions. The door opened again with Justin ready to kick someone out. Only stopping when Cameron ran to my bed.

“Ares you okay?” Cameron asks, climbing up to smother me with kisses.

“Not yet, but I will be.” I tell him, holding him tightly.

“I'll be back.” Justin tells me, trying not to make Cameron see he was upset.

“Daddy’s sad, but Gussy was mad, a lot.” Cameron tells me, laying on my chest.

“I'm working on it son.” I tell him, falling asleep, comforted that Cameron was still too young to understand what was going on, and what I’d done to our family.