LINDSAY’S HOTEL - SUNDAY MORNING

LINDSAY

What a horrible time that was! I am exhausted, and the morning sickness has been horrendous! I wait for the wave of nausea to recede, and then sit up slowly...then just about make it to the bathroom! Soon, I am stepping into the warmth of the shower and starting to feel better.

Twenty minutes later I am dressed and realise that neither Debbie nor Michael have been in contact with me. Not even an inquiry as to my wellbeing. I try to see if I have been unblocked by Brian, but I haven’t been. I decide to go and see Mel and the kids. I check myself in the mirror and I don’t look pregnant, but change into a baggier top just in case she notices. Grabbing my purse and a scarf, I head off.

MEL’S OLD HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER

I knock again and again. Nothing. Not even a bark from that wretched dog she bought him. I still need to talk to her about that! I am about to hail a cab when the next door neighbour comes out.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where Mel went?” I ask politely.

“They’ve moved to their new place.” He replies.

“Oh, and…”

“No. I won’t be giving you their new address. Just like I won’t give the address to those monsters of mendacity that were supposed to be his mother and best friend. I suggest you go while you can.”

“What on earth are you...” I protest at his sharp and unfriendly tone.

“Go away, Ms Peterson. You are as unwanted as they are. Birds of a feather and all that.” He then looks me up and down with disgust before walking off down the street.

“What the fuck was that about?” I grumble as I hail a cab.

“Where to?” The cabbie barks at me, I give him the address for the store and sit back and think about the other man’s rudeness. “We’re here, that will be $24.”

“$24!” I gasp and look at the meter and that’s the fare. “Did you take the long way around?” I demand reaching for my purse, I get out and give him $40.

“Yes I did. We had to.” He answers before driving off without giving me my change!

“Hey, come back here!” I bellow, but to no avail. Sighing, I head into the store and towards the office. “Morning, Hopper.”

“Ms Peterson, what are you doing here?” I stop and look at Hopper in confusion. “Your services are no longer required. Please leave the keys to the office, or we will bill you for their replacement.”

“What are you talking about? Where are Michael and Debbie?”

“Mr DeVore and Miss Grassi no longer own this establishment. You are fired. You are leaving.”

“Mr DeVore and Miss...Hopper, I am in no mood for this! Just tell…” I stop my tirade when the door opens and in comes Emmett.

“Ah you. You’re back. How unpleasant. You got this, Hopper, or shall I call someone to assist with the removal of that?”

“I’m fine thanks Ems. Like I said, Ms Peterson, the keys please or a bill. Which I am sure with your dubious association, won’t be too high at all.”

“Can someone tell me what is going on?! I have been snarled at by one of Mel’s old neighbours, fleeced by a cab driver, and you two are talking gobbledegook...”

“Did you know about the notebooks?” Emmett asks, his face pinched with fury.

“Notebooks? What notebooks?” I frown.

“Hmm. I see. Well, it seems that Michael contributed to the abuse that Brian suffered by telling his dad of every infraction that he did. Thus, giving him even more reason to beat him up.” I gasp and steady myself against the desk. “Yeah. seems that he took the lead from his breeder, as she can’t be called a mother, as she started the despicable trend. However, the fact remains that you need to leave and leave now.” Emmett tells me and pulls open the door.

“Okay. I will go and see Brian. He must be devastated by this betrayal! He surely needs one of the few real friends he has left now.” I exclaim and put the keys on the desk before walking out. I decide against getting a cab, but will be getting a cup of mint tea. I head to the diner and am stunned to find it closed. I knock hard on the window when I see Kiki coming through the back. Rolling her eyes, she very slowly comes to open the door.

“What do you want?” She asks coolly.

“Well, I wanted a cup of tea but now I want to know why the diner is closed?”

She taps the sign on the window and raises an eyebrow.

“I can read Kiki, what I want to know is why it is being redecorated?”

“That’s for us to know and for you not to care about. Anything else you want but can’t have?”

“No thank you. I’m going to see Brian, I still can’t believe that Debbie and Michael did this!” As I start to walk off I turn back and knock on the window again, she glares at me before opening the door. “So, where are they? Debbie and Michael I mean. Are they holed up in their house? Because I sure as fuck want a word with them!”

“No, they won’t be there. They have been run out of town. Nobody will take their money, and Brian has kicked them out of his house and fired her from his diner.”

“His…” I stammer in disbelief. “...so where are they then? They are not getting away with treating the father of my child and one of my dearest friends like this!”

“Delores would know…” She looks at me carefully. “...hang on, I’ll get her.”

After about five minutes she comes to the door. “Well, well, well look who’s back. And all outraged to boot.”

“Delores, can we put our differences aside for a minute and think about the one person that matters here? And that’s Brian. I would like the address of those two so I can deal with them in my own way.” She thinks for a minute before handing me a piece of paper. “Thank you.” I shake my head and sigh as I walk up the street towards the loft.

BRIAN’S HOUSE - HALF AN HOUR LATER

BALCONY

VIC

I stretch and look across the garden of his...no our home. The last of my stuff from New York arrived and I have just finished putting it away. The Gaggle have stocked the fridge and freezer, despite me being a qualified chef! I hear a familiar bark and smile as Tyson comes barrelling down the path with Gus trying his best to get his dog to heel!

“Tyson!” He yells but he pays him no mind and charges up the stairs to greet me.

“Hello boy!” I get slobbered on before he inhales the water in his bowl.

“Hey, Uncle Vic, how you doing?” Mel calls out as she approaches.

“Great, Mel! How about you three?”

“Very well. Very well.” She kisses my cheek and Jenny reaches for me.

“Have you heard?” I ask as I tickle Jenny under her chin and she grins at me.

“She’s back in town?” She looks across at Gus who is carefully putting the leash away before he looks at us pleadingly. “Yes, Gus, you can go and wake Daddy and Jussin.”

“Yay!” He cries out before rushing inside calling their names.

“Well what do you make of it?” I ask and put Jenny down as she can hear Brian’s voice and toddles inside.

“Delores and Kiki said she looked furious and Emmett said she looked disgusted…”

“But…”

“I am not sure. But she was protective of Brian, especially against me. So maybe just maybe she’s being a friend, a true one like she was before.”

“I hope so. I really hope so.” I sigh and then smile at the sound of Brian objecting to Gus taking the blanket off him.

“Up Daddy! Up Jussin! Oh were you and Jussin hot, Daddy, is that why you’re not wearing clothes?”

“Mel! Come and get your son!” Brian hollers and we burst out laughing.

“Now he’s my son.” She chuckles and heads inside.

THE LOFT

LINDSAY

I can’t believe how duplicitous he has been! He must have millions of dollars hidden away, that money should’ve gone to Gus! Not only have I found out that he owns the diner and Debbie’s old house, but also owns the entire loft building! He’s not in but at least I have the address for those two. Time to pay them a visit.

BRIAN’S HOUSE - 15 MINUTES LATER

BRIAN’S BEDROOM

BRIAN

Gus is looking thoughtfully at us both from the bottom of the bed. “So were you, Daddy?”

“Was I what, Gus?” I ask and smirk as the blush of a now pyjama bottom wearing Justin, starts to creep up his face.

“Hot? Did you get hot in the night?”

“Yes, I did get a bit warm.” I reply and ignore the jabbing that Justin is doing.

“So that’s why Jussin is with you then? Because he must have been cold or scared? I told you, remember Jussin? I told you that Daddy gives the best hugs. So what were you Jussin, were you cold? Or did you watch something scary?”

“Yes, Jussin, did you watch something scary?” I repeat while doing my best to look smug and not laugh.

Justin looks kind of pissed but then he starts to smile and I know I’m in trouble. “It was something really scary, Gus.” He answers. “I had a bad dream and there was this huge fight with a tiny but annoying snake. But don't worry, I won the fight and threw it out so that it won’t be able to scare me again...for a month or two.”

I gulp when he gives me one of the sweetest smiles and gets out of bed. “Anyone up for breakfast?”

“Sonny Boy, go and join Mommy and Grandpa Vic on the balcony. We won’t be long okay?”

“Alright Daddy.” He trots of to join them and Justin looks at me from the door of the en suite.

“A month or two?” I repeat stalking up to him and he nods.

“Okay, at least that will give us time…” I brush his cheek as I walk past him and start the shower.

“Time for what? As if you could go without this…” He wiggles his butt. “...for that long.”

“True, I most probably couldn’t. But the incentive of doing it raw is enough for me to get off on wanking alone.”

He stops wiggling his butt and turns around to face me. “Raw?”

“You coming...in the shower I mean.” I smirk at his stunned expression.

“Brian.”

“Justin.”

“You…”

“Never say anything I don’t mean. Now come on, let’s get that bubble butt squeaky clean.”

“So could I?” He asks quietly as I help him out of his bottoms.

“Yep.” I reply and pull him under the water before silencing his next question with a deep kiss. “You would go first. I insist on that.”

DEBBIE AND MICHAEL’S NEW HOUSE - SAME TIME

KITCHEN

DEBBIE

“So that’s what happened.” I finish telling Lindsay of our humiliating experience.

“But what you did to him was despicable, Michael!” She snaps and he rolls his eyes. “Debbie has lost her place on the Avenue because of you! Once again!”

“What do you mean once again?!” He barks.

“That two week suspension because of your threatening behaviour towards Ben…”

“That was Ben’s fault. If he had sat down when I fucking told him to then I wouldn't have…”

“Do you still have your rights to Jenny?” She interrupts sharply.

“No. Apparently they have been revoked, and as for the store…”

“Yes tell me what happened there!”

“The father of that twink that he says he loves bought it off me, for a very good price I must admit.”

“So where is my salary?” She demands haughtily.

“Your salary? I am not paying you. You work for them, and…”

“No, Michael, I worked for you. You owe me severance for termination without notice.”

“No I fucking don’t! And you know how hard it has been to get money out of me.” He sneers before heading to his room.

“Debbie, might I have a word outside please?”

Sighing I follow her outside to the garden. “What is it, Lindsay, he’s not going to budge on this you know what he’s like!”

LINDSAY

“You will get him to change his mind and pay me the money for a year.”

“First, how do you propose I do that? And secondly, missie, why would I do that? Michael and I need that money to live on!”

“You are only in the shit with the Avenue because of what Michael did, I mean in those books correct?” I smile at her expression and take my time. “Isn’t that correct?”

“Yes. The Avenue knows I only did it a few times, but stopped when he started to break…”

“Oh, come now, Debbie. This is me. Besides, like I said the Avenue knows about his books...but do they know about yours? Does Brian?”

She narrows her eyes at me before stepping closer. “Now just what are you talking about Lindsay?”

“Your notebook. The one that I found at Michael’s house...the one that has everything that you ever did to Brian. How you got money behind Michael’s back, how you guilted him into paying your bills, how you convinced him into changing whatever plans he had to spend time with Michael instead, and paying for it of course Oh! And let's not forget how much of a bother it was for you to patch him up again and again, how much you despised him for not taking it as a man but you did it because it fit your purpose! So let me ask once again...do they know, Debbie?”

DEBBIE

I lock eyes with Lindsay and then sigh. “I will see what I can do. I can’t…”

“You can and you will Debbie. Now excuse me, I am going to lie down. Being such a good friend to Brian is exhausting!” She turns heel and heads inside.

PEARL, THEIR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR

So that apple didn’t fall far from that rotten tree did it! I swallow my fury and revulsion and head inside. I take some calming breaths. “Right. Time to make some calls.”

DEBBIE

“Fuck and double fuck! Well at least I know where the hell it ended up!” I grumble to myself and follow her in. I wait for her to go upstairs and I almost start destroying my kitchen, but realise that we would lose our deposit if anything gets damaged. Then I get an idea and check my diary, I am pretty sure that Joan should be back from her stupid pilgrimage by now. Reaching for my phone instead, I wait for the call to connect. “Ah Joan, Joan Kinney? I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Debbie, the woman who brought up your son when he proved too troublesome for you. I was wondering if I might pop around and chat. I have some rather disturbing news.”

KINNETIC - THURSDAY AFTERNOON

BRIAN’S OFFICE

JUSTIN

There’s shouting outside the office and before either of us can react the door, it bursts open and in comes, oh for fuck's sake, Debbie and some woman I never met before.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask as coldly as I can. “Haven’t you done enough? You’d better get your shriveled ugly ass out of here before I kick you out by myself!” I turn to the woman next to her. “Hello, my name is Justin Taylor. Sorry, that you had to witness this. Welcome to Kinnetic. How can we help you, Mrs..?”

“Kinney, my name is Joan Kinney. I am Brian's mother and first, you need to apologize for speaking like this to Mrs Novotny. It seems a confession to a priest would do you the world of good, for all the swearing you just did. Mrs Novotny and I would like to talk to Brian. Alone!”

I look at Brian and he stands there, frozen in shock. Shit! His mother is here!

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I sure as hell won’t leave you alone with my partner!”

“Now listen, Brian!” Joan starts. “Tell this...boy to leave and then we will have a much needed talk! Mrs Novotny just told me what happened during these last months, and I must say that I have never been more ashamed in my entire life! How can you put all this dirt on God’s name by being such an abomination? You need to confess your sins and go back to the right path to our holy God to be saved from the eternal fire! Son, how can I look anybody in church in the eyes again when you put so much shame on me? Can you for once in your pathetic, sinful life not think about yourself?”

Just when I am still torn between turning to Brian to comfort him and giving St. Joan the much needed ass-kicking of her life, I see Debs grinning smugly. That's when I snap. Well...I am about to but have to do something way more important first.

“Brian?” I ask, repeating it a bit louder when he doesn't react. “Brian!” Still nothing. I stand before him and put my hands on either side of his face. “Brian, look at me! Love, please!” Finally his eyes start to focus again and he looks into my eyes with so much hurt, but his love for me is there as well.

“Brian, you know how much I love you, right?” He nods and his eyes start to look a little curious. “Because I love you so much and because you are worth every good thing that can ever happen to you and so much more, will you let me handle this, please? Will you let me be strong for you, Brian?” He still hasn’t moved but now there are unshed tears and so much love in his eyes that I am almost blown away.

He takes a deep breath. “Go for it, Tigger!” He says. “Show them how it’s done!”

“Look at you, you stupid coward!” Debs shrieks and I wonder how I didn't notice before, just how evil and ugly she looks. “You can't speak up for yourself anymore? Need your fucktoy now to fight your battles?”

That is the moment when I finally snap. “Stop right there, you motherfucking bitch! And you as well, you wannabe saint with a soul so dark, that even the devil himself would be afraid of it! Your disgusting behaviour towards Brian stops now! Not only that, the second, one of you horrible cunts contacts him ever again, I will end you! Try and hide as far as you want, I will find you, I will make it my mission in life to find you, and when I’ve found you, hell will look like a place for a nice Sunday stroll in the park when I am finished with you! How DARE you come here and hurt him more? Wasn't what you did to him evil enough? Do you really have to add even more pain? Wasn't it enough, that you did nothing but look away whenever his disgusting excuse of a father beat the shit out of him? That you hid in your bedroom with a bottle of vodka instead of being a goddamn mother and help him by taking him and his sister and fucking leaving for example? What kind of mother are you? Having the nerve to show up here, denying him every piece of happiness he finally found?”

“Now just…” Joan begins.

“And YOU! Don’t you ever learn? Wasn't what happened to you enough for you to finally get that you are no longer wanted here? By anybody? Not only did you blame Brian for every fucking thing that happened to you son, that selfish son of a bitch, no, you had to tell his sperm donor every lie poor widdle Mikey fed you to make sure that Brian was punished properly. And after that you played the mother of the fucking century and patched him up to make sure he would always be indebted and cater to your whims. But you know what? This shit stops now, once and for all! And you better not test the promise I gave you earlier! Get out of my sight and leave us alone! OUT! NOW!”

“Brian!” Joan laughs coldly. “You are truly pathetic! You have this mere child defending you like some lion but it should be me you should be grateful to. Don’t you realise what I did for you?!” Joan steps closer but steps back when I step towards her. “Tell this....degenerate child to move!” She orders but Brian says nothing, I can feel his desolation and out of the corner of my eye I see an incandescent Daphne storming up the corridor. “You owe me your life on so many levels!” She spits. “Not only did I not abort you like he wished, and right now despite my faith I wished I had, but I stopped him from taking the beatings too far. Not that you didn't deserve every single one of them but I couldn't let your father go against God’s law by killing you, could I?”

I hear a choked sob behind me and reach my hand back. When he takes mine I know, I just know that he is going to be fine, but right now I need these witch-bitches gone. “Daphne, get them out of here!” I holler.

“With pleasure!” She snarls and I hear the familiar buzz of her Lady. “Now, which one of you wants to resist first?”

Joan looks her up and down as if she’s somehow superior. “Who is this and what is that?”

“I am Daphne and this is a Taser. Do ask your friend and cuntrade in arms what it feels like?”

Brian clears his throat and takes another step towards Debs and Joan. “The sound of her tasering you will be as lovely to hear as the one you will be making the moment it hits you but not before you listen to what I have to say one last time…”