JUSTIN

I don't know why I expected Gus to look different. I guess it was me imagining in my head what our baby would look like. Apparently Brian's genes took over when it came to Gus. He even had Brian's scowl down, which was scary since he was like, eight. I had to give it to Lindsay, she was trying to make him happy, even Jenny tried. He just got sullen and looked out the window, ignoring everything. It really should have shown Mel and Lindsay that it was time to tell him the truth. I went down the 'pissed at the world' road, and it sucked all the fun out of everything.

Lindsay seemed to give up and took Jenny to get ice cream, leaving me with Scowly. Since Molly was really my only kid experience, I was sort of lost at what to do with him.

"Are we going to the art museum again?" He asked, sounding resigned to it.

"I really don't go there when I don't have to," I answered.

"Mom said you were an artist," He said, like it meant all Art all the time in his mind.

"It's my job on occasion, but when I want to relax, sitting around at what I consider my job... not fun," I told him.

"She made it sound like that was what we were going to do," He told me.

"Then let's figure out how to stop her," I said, hoping to get him to smile.

"It's not like I care anyway," He told me, more scowling so it didn't work.

"I do. I wanted to have fun. You think we could convince her to get some real food?" I asked.

"Sure, if you like vegan. Between them and Ben, Jenny's favorite Daddy, that's all we eat when guests show up," He told me.

"What do you do when you go with your dad?" I asked, praying he doesn't get pissed at me.

"He would let me decide, then we'd keep it a secret, since anything he wanted to do pissed off my moms," He told me.

"Gus, we weren't mad, we just didn't like that he wouldn't tell us what you were doing," Lindsay told him, sitting next to him.

"Really? Because even though you didn't shout, it wasn't like I didn't hear both of you acting like he couldn't do anything right," Gus told her, which pretty much told me the kid was far from ignorant to what was likely going on.

"Honey, he misses you too. Why won't you at least talk to him?" Lindsay tried to put her arm around him, but he shrugged her off.

"I got tired of making him feel bad, because he couldn't come when I wanted him to. I have to watch Jenny get her dads anytime she wants, but I hate feeling like my dad can't make time to see me," He told her.

I might not really know much about being a parent, but I know it would kill me to hear my kid say that. Lindsay covered her face with her hands while Jenny stood next to me, dripping. I really wasn't prepared for this, Molly was way easier.

"I'm really craving a giant greasy burger and fries. What you say we blow the diet and have one?" I asked them all.

Apparently meat was the answer and I got it, since the idea of staring at tofu every meal would send me screaming from the room. Gus shrugged, but willingly followed me into the nearest burger place. At first Lindsay stared like she'd never seen meat in her life, but she cheated with us. I have a feeling old Lindsay wasn't really into the abstaining from the sin of meat, since she ordered the half pounder with bacon. Gus smiled and ordered the same thing. Jenny tried to stick to her convictions, but relented with the might be chicken, chicken nuggets.

Gus was actually smiling when he thought no one was looking. He took Jenny to the playground, while Lindsay and I sat and watched. I finished her burger and almost went to order more, before I realized how much I already ate. When my phone alerted me to a message, I dodged Brian by saying I was at lunch, and then knew I was busted when he told me he was coming to see me, without asking where I was. So I did what I'd been doing anytime he scared the shit out people at work, showed him it didn't work with me.

"Your smiling pretty big. Good news?" She asked.

"Might be. See I didn't really tell my guy what I was doing. Just told him I'd be later than I originally told him. I guess he found out where I was and plans to come here," I tell her.

"You're not worried he'll be angry?" She asked.

"Even if he is, I can usually get him happy pretty fast," I told her.

"You never said where you were planning to live," She commented.

"I'm moving back to where I used to live, Pittsburgh," I told her.

"We have that in common, Mel and I used to live there. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss everything. Canada has been nice, but it's just not the same as being with people we've known all our lives," She told me.

"After I left home, I didn't want to stay anywhere too long. I traveled a lot and enjoyed it, but my life was in a suitcase. My whole life fit in it," I told her.

"What do you do with your paintings?" She asked.

"My grandparents keep them. They built a studio on their property for me. When I need to paint I stay there. They live in Philly, so at least when I get a studio set up, I won't have to transfer everything too far," I told her.

"It's strange that we lived in the same place at one time," She commented.

I felt kind of shitty not telling her the truth. I mean, she was going to figure it out when Brian got here, because he probably wanted to talk to Gus about us and the baby.

"I need to tell you something." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"I really came here to see you," I told her.

"Why?" She asked, but seemed happy to hear.

"I wanted to see if you would let Brian see Gus," I answered.

"How do you know him?" She asked, curious.

"He's the guy I've been telling you about," I told her.

"The father?" She asked.

"Yes. And when I found out I was pregnant, I was worried he wouldn't want the baby. I'm friends with Ben, and from the way he made it sound, Brian wasn't really interested in kids, which pisses me off now that I know the truth. I didn't want to like you, but I do, and I think you and Mel need to give Gus a reason to smile," I told her.

"When is he coming?" She asked.

"He said, in time for dinner." I answered.

"I need to call Mel, we have a lot to explain to Gus. I'm not sure how Gus is going to react, but it's summer and it might help us, and Brian, if Gus could stay with him," She told me.

I was back to not liking her. It sounded like she planned to dump her problems in Brian lap. Only it would give Brian what he wanted, so I wasn't arguing about the way it sounded.

"Do you think Mel will agree?" I asked, since this problem stems from Mel.

"I honestly don't care after what Gus said today. We need to stop making Brian into the bad guy," She answered.

"How did you make my dad the bad guy?" Gus asked, standing behind us.

"Gus, what are you doing standing behind us?" Lindsay went to put her arm around him, but he was already angry.

"No. I don't want you to try to avoid telling me." He told her.

"Gus, give her a chance," I asked him.

"Like I care what you say," Gus answered me.

"Gus, you know better than to treat anyone like that," Lindsay admonished him.

"It's the way Mama treats my dad, so it should be okay, right?" He asked her defiantly.

"Lam..."

"That's not going to work, I want to know the truth," He said, not giving in to her attempts to soothe him. "You know. What did they do?" He asked me.

I looked at this very angry kid and almost worried that Brian's wrath was genetic. My problem was, even though I put myself in the middle of this, telling him really wasn't my place. Lindsay looked at me as if to throw the fireball into my lap. I got it, Gus wanted answers and apparently knew his mothers weren't going to do it unless someone else did it for them, which wasn't going to work with me. I rescue the people I care about, and right now Lindsay wasn't one of them. Although Gus was, for being as strong as he was, this young.

"I only know what I've heard, which means I don't know everything. I do know someone who will tell you the truth, since he's never once lied to me," I told him.

"Why would someone you know, know anything about me and my dad?" He asked.

"Because it is your dad. Only you don't want to talk to him, and unless you will, he can't explain what you want to know," I told him.

"You know him?" Gus asked, looking at me as if I deciding if I was up to his dad's standards, which was all kinds of fun. "Wait, is the baby Mom told Mama about, my dad's? If you think he'll be around, you're fooling yourself," He asked, looking even more upset.

"Gus, it wasn't his fault," Lindsay finally answered him.

"I think he knows that already," I commented.

"Why would he have another kid when he doesn't..." Gus looked away from us, but I saw the way his eyes were watering.

"We didn't plan it, but he is happy about it," I tell him, which didn't help. "He talked about how he wanted to be with you when I worried about him not wanting this baby. He had to respect what your moms wanted, and all he wanted was for you to be happy too," I told him.

"I am, when I can see him," He said as he glared at Lindsay.

"I know, and Mama and I thought we were doing the right thing, but we know what it must have been like for you. Seeing Jenny have her fathers in her life... it wasn't fair of us," Lindsay said, but didn't try to touch him. The kid had a bat signal that said ‘Keep Out'.

I was honestly lost on what we could say to help him, and did the only thing I could think of doing.

"How's the weather in Canada?" Brian said as he answered the phone.

"Frigid right now. Look, could you talk to Gus, he's showing me the Kinney is strong in him," I told him.

"What's going on?" He asked.

I got up and walked away from them, not because Gus didn't know what I was going to say, but because I worried about how Brian was going to react.

"He heard Lindsay telling me it was her and Mel's fault that you can't be around. She won't tell him why, and I have a feeling he knows, but wants her to say it. One thing I want to say before you yell... I hope ours turns out just like him," I told him.

"Give him the phone," He said, not giving me any indication what was going on in his head.

"Gus, your dad wants to talk to you," I told him, holding out the phone.

Lindsay went to get Jenny, since Gus wouldn't even look at her. It took a second before he took the phone, and I walked off while he talked to his dad. Lindsay was shaking, trying to make a call.

"I have to tell Mel," She told me.

I took Jenny, who, like her brother, seemed to get that something was wrong. Her lip started trembling, and it was weird, I could see Michael in her big watery eyes, and it worked on her. Not so much on a grown man, but on her, yes it did.

"I'll slide with you, if you don't cry," Man, I had a lot to learn about this kid stuff. She nodded, smiling, like a minute ago she wasn't going to go off like a siren.

The sixth time we went down, Gus was waiting for me at the bottom.

"I'm going with him," He told Lindsay.

"Mama wants to talk to you and explain," She told him.

"Dad already did, and I promised him not to be mad at you, but I don't want to talk to either of you right now," He told her, not like a bratty kid, but like an adult in a kid's body.

"Is that okay?" He asked me.

When I looked to Lindsay she nodded, even though she didn't know me. "Brian wouldn't let Gus go with someone he didn't trust," She said.

"He said he wanted me to get to know you, and to be nice to you," Gus told me.

"I'm sort of used to dealing with difficult Kinney men," I told him, smiling.

BRIAN

Cynthia managed to get Liberty Air to arrange a private flight for me to get there sooner. I didn't even care how she did it, my son needed me and wanted me there, and that was where I would be. Justin texted me that Gus refused to go home with Lindsay. Gus was angry at first that there was going to be another baby, but my son made me proud by telling me that he wouldn't mind another brother or sister.

It was hard to hear the hurt in his voice, but it was better than not hearing it at all. It also meant that I was no longer going to let Mel or Lindsay dictate my time with Gus. I got to the hotel, and turned on my phone, since I forgot when I got off the plane. Mel apparently called a couple times and I would deal with her, but seeing Gus and Justin came first.

In the elevator, my phone started ringing non stop. Mel likely hoped Mikey could keep me from ringing her neck. Which means she told him about Justin being here, one more thing for me to thank her for.

Justin was standing outside the door when I walked up. I stopped in front of him, thinking this is the reason I couldn't walk away, he stared me straight in the eyes, willing to take what I might do.

"Thank you," I told him, kissing him.

The door opened, and all we heard was a gagging noise before it shut again.

"He was explaining to me that he really doesn't like mushy stuff." Justin smiled.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"He's trying, but he still doesn't want to talk to his mothers. I wasn't sure what to do, so we sat around watching TV and I let him order to his heart's content. What is with people thinking meat is a bad thing?" Justin told me, going in.

I walked in behind him, looking at Gus for the first time in a year. The pictures Lindsay sent me weren't enough. He'd grown again, and was still lanky like me, but his hair was lighter. I couldn't let what had been going on since he was born continue, because this proved to me that he needed me in his life, just as much as I needed him in mine.

I walked up behind Justin, before going and sitting next to Gus. "We need to figure out how to do this, because I won't be without either of my kids," I told him.