GUS

I came home before Al, wanting to get everything set up for him being here. I needed to get groceries and make sure the elevator was working, which it sometimes doesn’t and wouldn’t matter when Al could walk, instead of using crutches. He joked that I was trying to keep us from eloping when his parents said they would bring him to the loft. It was just exciting that his things were going to hang next to mine; that he was going to actually live here. Up until now he had to live three hours from here, which wasn’t far, but he couldn’t commute. He had to be closer to the base when they needed him. We talked about me going to a school closer to him, and I considered it, but in the end I did what I planned. Just being happy he and I managed to make it work.

When I got to my door, Luke was sitting in front of it, looking like he broke off another relationship. Expecting me to be there while he cried about not finding someone, then saying I settled down to soon. Luke could be happy for me, but he also felt left out, because I no longer wanted to hang out all the time. Al didn’t get pissed about the way Luke acted, but sometimes I worried about it. Not because I thought Luke wanted me, but that he could be selfish in wanting my attention. It skirted too close to what my Dad dealt with, and I learned to set boundaries in my friendships for that reason.

“Al okay?” He asks, getting up.

“He’s coming to stay with me here, and we agreed to get married.” I tell him, excited, regardless of what was wrong with Luke.

“That makes two of you. Terry asked his girlfriend last night.” He tells me, which means he’s more upset about Terry than whatever relationship he’s in right now.

“Kara loves him.” I tell him, since Luke wasn’t a big fan of Kara.

“So much that he can’t go anywhere without her.” Luke complains.

“Luke, eventually we grow up and want more in life. Terry isn’t going to forget you.” I tell him.

“Trey broke up with me when I made it sound like Terry was an idiot for wanting to be tied to one person.” He tells me.

“Trey wants more than to be the guy you take home, when you remember him.” I tell him.

“I can’t be like you, ending my life before it’s even started.” He tells me.

“Then you deal with what happens when you see it that way. I don’t. Al gives me everything I want in life, and I don’t see what we have as ending anything, but having it.” I tell him.

“Sorry. I guess it feels like I’m alone right now. Congratulations, since I didn’t say it.” He tells me, hugging me.

“Give Kara a chance. She’d like you if you weren’t throwing girls at Terry. Which is the only reason Al puts up with you, because you don’t do it to me.” I tell him.

“Yeah, well Al could snap my ass in two without breaking a sweat.” He jokes. “Need any help today?”

“I need to get groceries and clean up a little, we can hang and I’ll help you with Trey.” I tell him, since I liked Trey better than some of the others Luke brings around.

“Thanks, but he’s pretty much told me it would take me begging to get him to talk to me again.” He admits.

“What did you do this time?” I ask, grabbing my keys and dragging him to my car.

“Can you believe he got upset because I wanted to have a threesome with his hag?” He asks, like he didn’t get it.

“Really?” I ask, sarcastically.

“Dude she wants it, just not with me. Hell, she’d rather I wasn’t around Trey.” He tells me.

“You know, I’m so glad kissing you didn’t do it for me.” I tell him.

“Kissing Al would have done it for me.” He jokes.

“Too bad you do nothing but annoy him.” I tell him, laughing.

AL

All I wanted was to be in Pittsburgh, after having to listen to my mom and Amanda talk me to death at the hospital about all the things Gus and I would have to do to get this wedding off the ground. They got on to me that Gus and I didn’t celebrate every holiday. Like Valentine's Day. We celebrated, just not in a way that I thought my mom needed to know about. They didn’t get that Gus and I saw a holiday as when we could be together, not a day set aside as if we needed it to show we love each other because of a date on the calendar. It’s also why I don’t see turning our wedding into this giant celebration. If it’s what Gus wanted, we’d do that, but we both really just wanted something small. So I turned to my soon to be father-in-law to keep my mother under control. Brian can control my mom, something even my dad will admit he hasn’t figured out how to do. 

He waited with my parents, while Gus went ahead of me. I think it had more to do with making sure the hospital understood his feelings about the crap with the chick eyeing Gus, like he was candy. Brian rented a car, saying it would be easier for me to ride with him, while my parents flew to Pittsburgh and helped Gus. I didn’t give him shit the whole ride, for rescuing me from more plans.

“When do I get another son?” Brian asked, when we got in the car.

“I tried to get him to elope, but Anna wouldn’t be happy.” I tell him.

“What does he want instead?” He asks.

“We both want something small. But he’s right, we can’t just run off. My team would want to be there, my family, his family… we know we can’t do that to everyone.” I tell him.

“Are you worried about Lindsay?” He asks.

“No. He really doesn’t put up with her trying get involved in his life.” I tell him.

“She didn’t get what would happen when she said Gus could do better than you.” Brian tells me, laughing at being able to see that happen.

************************************

While Brian didn’t interfere in Gus’s choices in life, he was still the father who wanted to be there if Lindsay did anything that upset Gus. Gus brought me, because he knew I wanted to be with him the first time he saw her again. Lindsay served two years in the end, because she didn’t get that good behavior also meant participating in group sessions with the other prisoners. She still didn’t get why she was being treated like everyone else. She believed once she got out, her parents would be footing the bill for her life after prison. Only they didn’t plan to have her around to remind their friends of the embarrassment of them trying to get her out of what she did. It was big fish in small pond versus bigger fish in the ocean, and not getting that Justin and Brian didn’t give a shit what people knew about the situation, just that everyone got what they deserved.

Lindsay was released and ended up at a halfway house, with only what she made while working in prison. The money from before just paid the rest of the lawyer’s fee that her parents stopped paying when Lynette demanded they stop helping Lindsay. She wasn’t trying to save anything but her not liking her name linked to her sister’s in the articles that were written about Lindsay’s background. Lindsay started calling when I was away, and Gus waited for me to get back to agree to meet her for dinner. He assured me it wasn’t because he planned to include her in his life. He didn’t want her near his brothers or sisters. He wanted to explain to her in person that he couldn’t forgive her. Brian didn’t want Gus to do it at all, saying the empty chairs at the restaurant should tell her. Only he was dealing with Gus, and knew he would do it anyway, mumbling under his breath that Gus was as stubborn as Justin. Brian called Mel, and both refused to let Gus go without them. Gus didn’t stop them, but also told them he had someone to hold his hand if he needed it, kissing me.

Prison hadn’t done any favors for Lindsay. She tried to look the part she once played; hair, make-up and clothes, but designer wasn’t in her budget. When we sat down, Gus didn’t let her kiss him or touch him when she tried to, but introduced me to her just as Al. 

“I’m glad you finally wanted to see me.” Lindsay said, looking confused at why I was there. “Is this some new friend?” 

“Al and I’ve been together since the night you ended our relationship.” He told her.

“Gus, I wasn’t angry at you for what happened.” She told him.

“What you did changed the way I saw the relationship we had, and I still don’t want one with you.” He told her.

“We can build a new one, and maybe you could help me out a little. You should see the place they put me. I remember when Mel left me and I ended up in a hole in the wall, barely able to support both of us, but I didn’t care as long as I took care of you.” Lindsay told him, not even hiding the guilt she was trying to push at him.

“Then you should be used to where you are, since you lived in a hole in the wall, which Dad paid for.” He told her.

“So what do you do Al?” She asked, ignoring what Gus said to her.

“I’m in the Navy.” I answered her.

“Are you an officer?” She questioned.

“No.” I answered, and nothing more, since it was none of her business.

“How does Brian feel about this? Hopefully he made sure Al isn’t with you because of what you’ll get one day.” She said bluntly to Gus while looking at me.

“Actually Lindsay, my parents, which you aren’t one of anymore, think Al is perfect for me. Which, honestly I wouldn’t care if they did, because he’s the best thing in my life. He doesn’t want anything but me. Unlike you, he doesn’t see dollar signs when he looks at me. Unlike you, he’d never give me a reason to question why he wants me in his life. He cleared up the confusion in my life. All you ever were was a reason to question everything about my life. Did you have me to keep Dad and his money around? Did you tell me things because you thought they would go easier on you while you played at being my loving mother? You want to know something, not once did I question why Al wanted me. Because he sat with a confused kid, letting me talk, and never once trying to one up me on my problems, or tell me my problems were insignificant. Instead he helped me deal with losing faith in you. I really don’t see the point in this or any future visits, but thanks for the egg that gave me a father to make up for the mother you aren’t.” Gus tells her, getting up and holding out his hand for me.

“Gus…”

“I’m ready.” Gus told me, ignoring her as we walk out. 

Brian and Mel followed us, not even looking at her. She still tried to talk to him, and just learned when Gus Marcus-Kinney shuts you out, you’re out. 

********************************

“Emmett is still going to want to plan something.” Brian tells me.

“As long as it ends in me being with Gus.” I tell him.

“Apparently it will, no matter how I wish it didn’t.” He jokes.

“Please, you love my ass.” I tell him.

“Yes I do. Now take a nap.” Brian tells me.