Brian was very quiet on the ride home. He'd decided to pick up Gus and take his family home with him. Justin followed him into his mother's house to get Gus. Justin wasn’t sure what upset Brian more- Lindsay, Michael, or what he had said at the table. It was a moment when Justin felt lacking since his only real relationship was with Gus. Brian sat with Jen while Justin went up to get Gus’s things.

“I assuming things didn't go very well?” Jen asked him.

“I'm not even sure what Randolph’s purpose was tonight. Although Randolph likely realizes that Lindsay isn’t as malleable as she probably led him to believe she is.” Brian told her. 

“He likely doesn’t care, he didn’t marry her for her mind. Arm candy isn’t about a meeting of the minds.” Jen told him.

“He acted more like her father than her husband. He seems to think he can keep her from whatever she thinks she can do to stop what Brian and I planned. I get the feeling he’s going to find out differently after what she did. I got everything we’ll need for Gus.” Justin said, sitting down.

“She acted like a spoiled kid, showing up with fucking Mikey in tow,” Brian said, still pissed about having to deal with both of them.

“He’s always been a bit on the strange side,” Justin commented.

“How do you know that?” Brian asked.

“I’ve seen him at conventions. The other authors talk about the strange ones. I didn’t know he was the friend you kept talking about since it was the first time I’ve seen him since I got here. He actually never bothered with me, but at the time Rage wasn’t one of the major comics yet. Is he always like that with you, thinking you and he have some kind of relationship in the making?” Justin asked.

“I never wanted him the way he thinks I do,” Brian answered.

“I got that loud and clear, too bad he didn’t. Right now I’m more worried about Lindsay and the fact that Randolph really thinks she’s going to back down because he tells her to.” Justin told him.

“As long as he gives her the reasons she went into the marriage for, she will,” Jen told them.

“Tonight he didn’t. What bothers me is that she wanted to talk to me.” Justin told his mother.

“She wanted to get you on her side,” Brian told him.

“Nothing she could say would make it possible with me. She left Gus, and now apparently thinks I’ll judge YOU for your past. She needs to realize that nothing you’ve done could compare to what she did to Gus ” Justin told Brian.

“Do you think she’s going to try to stop what you and Justin planned to do?” Jen asked.

“I got the feeling she wanted me out of the picture. Justin is now her big plan. And she’s delusional enough to believe he will eventually fall in line with what she wants.” Brian told her.

“When she knew me, I did, just to be with Gus,” Justin told him.

“I have a feeling she thinks having Gus will give her what she wants, and somehow that means she needs you to help her,” Brian commented.

“Where did you get that idea? She practically threatened me.” Justin told him.

“She threatened you?” Jen asked Justin.

“Not to worry, Justin handled it,” Brian told her. 

“How?” Jen asked.

“I let them both know I could be a bigger threat, but so did Brian,” Justin told her.

“Which means, she could see you as a way out of a marriage with someone old enough to be her grandfather,” Brian told Justin.

“I left everything in trust for Gus, so she’d be waiting years to get anything if it’s about money. I do have access to it, but there wouldn’t be any way for her to get it.” Justin told Brian.

Brian let what Justin said sink in and started putting all the pieces together. The picture he got made him angry. “You didn’t tell me you left everything to Gus,” Brian told him.

“We never talked about it. In fact, you barely asked about it. I liked that you didn’t seem to care.” Justin told him.

“Why would it matter?” Jen asked.

“It wouldn’t, except that Lindsay likely knows how much Justin’s worth. Randolph obviously showed Lindsay what he found and hasn’t figured out how greedy she can be. Not just for money, but to be able to control her life the way she wants it to be. I need to know how much our son is worth to her.” Brian said.

“It was everything I had that we wouldn’t need. When I put it in the trust it was fifteen million, but it’s grown since then. I honestly don’t know how much because we never needed it. Plus the comic is exceeding expectations, so I put half the money from that in the account too. I make a little over one million a year right now. But it’s going to increase since I’m creating an animated version of Rage. Which I have full rights to since I’m the one creating it.” Justin told him.

“The trust will double when Justin turns thirty. My father wanted to ensure the kids wouldn’t go crazy with the money he left them, so he split the inheritance for both of them.” Jen told Brian.

“What about you?” Brian asked, looking around Jen’s modest condo.

“I kept enough to make sure I didn’t have to stay with Craig, but as Justin did, the rest is in trust for him and Molly,” Jen told them.

“Mom, I don’t need it,” Justin told her.

“No, but it’s there regardless. And it also could help you and Brian if she tries to fight you for Gus.” Jen told him.

“How would it help?” Brian asked.

“Justin could use that money instead of the money he earned, or by taking it away from Gus’s trust. I really never needed it, and I guess you could say I had doubts about my marriage almost from the beginning. My father warned me about getting involved with Craig, afraid that he would only see dollar signs. And while I wanted to believe differently, when my father died, I put the money away for both Justin and Molly. The account could only be accessed by me and the kids when they needed it, or in Justin’s case, when he wanted it. The only condition I put on the trust was that Craig was not to get his hands on one cent of the money. Right now, Justin has all the power over Gus’s inheritance, but eventually, Gus will have it and Lindsay sounds like she would do anything to convince Gus she’s the kind of mother she isn’t.” Jen told them.

“What did Dad say about it?” Justin asked, waiting for another reason to be disappointed in Craig.

“He wasn’t happy about it and it led to problems between us, but he never fought me for it in the divorce. Just told me that it showed how little I trusted him.” She told him.

“Until Gus turns twenty-one the money is still controlled by me. The only problem is that if something happened to me, then the money is controlled by the person responsible for him. It’s why I wanted to see Daphne. Until recently I didn’t think about what would happen to Gus if something happened to me. So Lindsay wouldn’t get anything, even if she managed to get Gus. We should talk to Mel about putting you in charge in case I can’t be.” Justin told Brian.

“We can also get Ted to help tie it up in so many knots that Lindsay couldn’t touch the money. It’s the only reason I can think that she’s trying to talk to Justin. She probably doesn’t know about the trust, and she’s depending on Justin being the guy she thinks he is because he let her use him to keep Gus with him.” Brian told them.

“It sounds like she wants more than money,” Jen told them.

“What else could she want?” Justin asked.

“From everything you and Brian have said here and there about her, she wants what she can’t have, and can’t be happy unless she gets everything her way. Which apparently the husband isn’t doing, by siding with you.” Jen told them.

“Justin would be someone she couldn’t have but would likely want, because unlike Mel or me, he has the kind of background her parents would approve of. I’m sure Randolph, for all his money, isn’t really someone she can show off to everyone and feel superior about since she’s arm candy, no matter how Randolph tries to pretend she isn’t.” Brian commented. 

“She’s lost her mind if she thinks I’d do anything for her,” Justin told them.

“She doesn’t know you, so I think she just assumed she’d get you to believe her version of me. In the past, her version would be something she would have been right about. I didn’t date, barely remembered a name, and my commitment was only long enough to kick the trick out of bed when we were finished. I didn’t plan to change my life. But then you came along.” Brian told Justin.

Gus came yawning into the living room and climbed in between Justin and Brian. “I gots my bear, can we goes now?” 

“Do you need me to help out tomorrow?” Jen asked them.

“Only if Lindsay shows up again. I don’t want her near him.” Brian whispered to her.

“Call if you need me. I have no problem dealing with her.” Jen assured them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael sat in the diner, upset at everything. How could Brian act like Justin Cole meant more to him then he did? He looked up every time the door opened, needing someone to talk to. Emmett finally showed up with Ted and Blake. They all saw him but sat across the diner from him. Michael was about to walk over and demand to know why they didn’t come to him, but Reese walked in and sat next to Emmett. Michael stayed where he was because he didn’t want the bastard acting like he was right about Brian. Michael watched as they were all smiling and having a good time, while not even worrying that he was upset. He didn’t even notice his mother standing next to him until she moved to sit in front of him.

“Who killed your dog?” she asked, as her son’s puppy dog eyes told her there was a problem in his world.

“Brian is saying shit that couldn’t be true. He’s not in love,” Michael mumbled.

“He’s not going to be what you want. It’s time you stop daydreaming and face reality. I’ve told you, he isn’t going to be what you wish he would be. My mistake was getting him to protect you all his life, which didn’t help you see he was only ever going to be your friend.” Deb finally said what everyone knew but Michael.

“He doesn’t really want Justin Cole either. Lindsay told me…”

“When did you talk to Lindsay?” Ted asked as he was walking by, headed to the bathroom.

“She showed up at my place and told me I needed to deal with Brian. It was the first time we agreed over Brian. Brian doesn’t want Justin, but apparently, it’s what he has to do in order to get the kid that he never wanted anyway.” Michael told him.

“That’s where you're wrong. Brian searched for Gus from the moment Lindsay took off. I’m happy to say that he not only found Gus but also someone who he might be able to love in Justin. Which is why he left you out of it. He didn’t need you to do what you tried with Reese, on Justin.” Ted told him.

“I just told the guy the same thing I’ve told anyone who thought Brian would even consider them. Something Brian never said anything about before.” Michael told him.

“He’ll say something now. Justin is different for Brian.” Ted told him. Leaving when Michael once again stopped listening because it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“At least nothing I did stopped Brian from finding someone he could love the way he doesn’t love you. Are you hearing me?” Deb asked when Michael closed off once again.

“I just need to make Justin listen. You’re right Ma.” Michael told her, getting up and leaving, not listening to anything that didn’t end with him getting Brian for himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian opened the loft door, ready to kill anyone if they woke up Justin and Gus. It took them quite a while to get Gus back to sleep after bringing him to the loft. Gus saw the train set and wanted to play. Neither Brian or Justin could tell him no, and they all ended up falling asleep on the cushions, watching Gus giggle as he played conductor. Gus was using the train to take Brian with him and Justin on all their adventures. Brian loved hearing he and Justin referred to Daddy and Dada. When he was almost asleep he found the toys Brian had for him. Including the new soccer ball, which they played with while Justin fell asleep. Gus fell asleep hugging the new soccer ball, and Brian gladly laid down with both his boys, sleeping better than he had in years while holding them both.

Mel was standing on the other side of the door looking like she had a long night. And the long night seemed to be busy trying to seep in into the morning. Which was why Mel seemed distracted and still trying to bang on the door that was already open.

“Mel, as much as I like public sex, I really only like it if there’s dick involved.” Brian joked.

“I have a strap on.” The woman with her quipped.

“I’m sure you do, and it just proves Mel isn’t opposed to dick, just likes it with a chick.” He told her.

“Leda don’t. He’ll just keep going.” Mel told her, kissing her lips to shut up what was about to come out.

“Girls, is there some reason you’re here, other than to turn my stomach?” Brian asked when they didn’t seem to want to stop.

“I got a visit last night from Randolph Jr. He had a lot to say about Lindsay, and none of it good. Lindsay wasn’t originally after the Sr version until Jr turned her down repeatedly. He thinks his father married Lindsay in case Jr got tempted by her.” Mel told him.

“Reese didn’t know that since apparently, the son left it out,” Brian told her.

“It’s all about appearances. And Lindsay doesn’t have access to more than an allowance, which means she really can’t fight us unless she convinces Randolph that you and Justin aren’t the best for Gus.” She told Brian as she walked into the loft.

Justin woke up, hearing them talk. He decided to get breakfast started since Gus would wake up soon. Mel was actually smiling and couldn’t keep her hands off Leda. Justin figured she finally stopped letting Lindsay close her off from the world.

“I think that’s why he asked if I love you,” Justin told Brian, who stilled.

“The father puts a lot of stock in family. And according to Jr, he only wanted to see that Brian wanted Gus since everything Lindsay said made it sound like Brian only wanted Lindsay. Her tale of woe could have made a lifetime movie of the week. Only Jr had a hard time understanding it since everything he found out about you indicated as you said, you like dick.” Mel told him.

“I LOVE Justin’s,” Brian told her, just to watch her squirm.

“I can see it if I wasn’t into pussy,” Leda said, laughing when Brian wrapped his arms possessively around Justin.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Justin told her, enjoying Brian’s scowling lips, kissing him.

“Anything happen last night that I need to know about?” Mel asked, to interrupt the make out.

“Lindsay might want Justin more than she wants me,” Brian told her.

“Lindsay needs to get with the program since it’s pretty obvious where Justin’s priorities are,” Mel commented.

“I’ll never get why you put up with her,” Leda told Mel. 

“Brian thinks it’s because she figured out I’m not who she assumed I was, a poor student,” Justin told her.

“She liked money, but it was more about status with her. She liked hearing I was studying law, just didn’t like that what I did wasn’t high profile. Which I ended up doing when I left her. It’s why I had so many problems with Brian. She made sure I felt inadequate because her ‘best friend’ was the one who led the life her parents would pay attention to.” Mel told them.

“Which Randolph could do for her. So why is she still trying to get it from someone else?” Brian asked.

“Randolph lets his son and daughter deal with it. He’s pretty much retired now and pretty much spends his time at home, out of the circus. He thought it would keep Lindsay from causing problems. Only he didn’t see that Lindsay would be a bigger problem, because she craves attention. Something she proved last night when she told Randolph that if he didn’t help her, she wanted a divorce. She also said that she would make sure to have everything splashed across the headlines if he didn’t help her.” Mel told them.

“She isn’t worried about her life being outed? Of course not, because Randolph wouldn’t want anyone to know he married someone who’s background would embarrass him.” Justin said, thinking about the life he left behind.

“Yep. He wanted to protect his son. And in a way thought he was helping Lindsay too. At least they made sure Lindsay couldn’t get her hands on the family fortune. He did set aside money for her, but nothing that would cause you or Brian any problems. Plus she’ll look like the worst kind of mother since I not only have what Brian gave me but also a few men who the son could get to testify as to Lindsay’s run in prostitution. The son doesn’t care what the media says, he just wants Lindsay out of his father’s life.” Mel said, smiling a shark smile.

“The Peterson’s will care, and we both know it. They paint Lindsay any way that makes her sound how they want her to sound.” Brian said.

“Only they’re dealing with you, and you’ve never cared about what anyone thinks. You’re someone her family didn’t like because you tend to be pretty upfront about everything, not caring what anyone says about you.” Mel told him.

“I think that was a compliment. Was it?” Brian joked.

“Yes, Asshole. I’ve stopped letting Lindsay color my view of you.” Mel told him.

“Daddy,” Gus said rubbing his eyes and going to Brian, wanting to be held.

“Really? You had to make me see this?” Mel teased, as Brian let Gus rest his head on his shoulder.

“Payback for the show at my door this morning,” Brian said, kissing Gus’s head. “I don’t care what we have to do, just make sure we win,” Brian told Mel.

“I’m meeting with Nancy and Ron. It’s time they know everything we have.” Mel told them.

“While it was great to meet the antichrist, I have something I need to do to you,” Leda told Mel.

“Whats you gots to do?” Gus asked.

“Help your Daddy,” Mel said, trying to contain her laughter at Gus’s sudden interest in the conversation.

“I have a Daddy and Dada now,” Gus informed her.

“How’s that working for you?” Mel asked, thinking if life had been different he could have been hers.

“Daddy plays with me and makes my Dada smile lots. I wants ta keep him.” Gus told her.

“I think we will,” Justin said, smiling at Brian.

“I know you will,” Brian told Justin and Gus.

“Then you will. Because Daddy says so,” Mel told him.

“Yous could be my friend too, can you kick a ball?” Gus asked.

“I’ve been told I’m pretty good at kicking balls,” Mel told him, causing Brian to bark out a laugh.

“Okays. Can she kick the ball you gots?” Gus asked Brian, making Justin lay his head on Brian’s shoulder and decide it was time to rein in Brian’s habit of buying Gus toys.

“Sonny Boy, one day we are going to talk about why that was wrong, in so many ways,” Brian said seriously.