Lindsay looked at her phone for the fifth time in ten minutes, not wanting to answer it. She was… happy. Such a foreign concept. It scared her. She’d never really been happy before. Answering her mother would put an end to it. For once no one controlled what she did. People fawned over her, kissing her feet to be allowed to attend her parties. And she was happy, so it made no sense to answer the phone. Her past could be just that, her past, as long as she didn’t answer. She’d thought long and hard about what would happen if she got on the plane yesterday, as she had been ordered to do by her parents. She’d lost and she knew it. While part of her wanted to win, another part of her was tired of the games she’d played that won her nothing and lost her the one person who at one time loved her, flaws and all. She had lost him, and in doing that lost the person she thought she could be when he for once didn’t give her what she thought would make her happy. Smiling at Luciano, she wanted the chance again to find the girl that had been lost for so long. Instead of answering her mother she sent a message to the person who forced her to stop punishing Brian because he was better than she was. For hating him for becoming a success, for living life on his own terms, and loving in a way Lindsay still couldn’t understand. It was selfish in so many ways that Gus had nothing to do with her decisions when she had used him as her reason. She texted Justin’s number, not congratulating him on winning Brian Kinney because she’d never been able to do that. She texted him for loving a child that she couldn’t. 

“He’ll never doubt it.” Was the only reply Justin gave her. 

For a second she felt the usual anger at anyone getting things she couldn’t and for not bowing down at her feet for her generosity. She let her revenge on her parents fill the want to hurt the person who at one time did what he could for Lindsay. In a way, she wished she’d been there to see the looks on their faces when asked all about the things Lindsay had done after they tried to buy her child. But Lindsay preferred the view in front of her. Why they thought anyone would care if they now acted as caring grandparents just made Lindsay wonder why she ever thought her mother was really the master at games. She was onto bigger and better things. She loved watching the women around her hating her for taking all the attention their money had to buy from the young men and women around. Lindsay’s life was what she dreamed it would be like to be the Queen. Luciano smiled at the thought that Lindsay somehow thought he gave a shit about her when he only did it because it kept the money flowing from Randolph. With promises of anything he wanted if he kept Lindsay right where she was for the next couple of months. After that, the only thing that Lindsay seemed to love, her power over everyone, would disappear, along with the money she was spending as if she had an unlimited supply. 

Michael kept his temper in check. He was doing the one thing he swore he’d never do, work at the diner. He was now on the outside of everything instead of being the guy everyone once admired. He was still angry at his mother, who cared more about a baby than she did about him. She wasn’t even fooled when he tried to convince her that his son needed him to live with them. Instead, she told him to give her a couple of days and she’d once again help him. Michael waited, thinking of plans to get Emmett and Ted back on his side. He was sure once they heard what happened to him and how he was only trying to help Brian be happy, they’d understand why he did what he did. When his mother told him to meet her at the diner he’d already found out about the trust fund Brian must have set up for their son and planned to make Deb think he was changing his ways so she’d eventually give him control of everything. 

Lindsay’s parents had complained bitterly that the judge cut them off, not caring about what Brian did to Michael. Michael had no clue they could care less what the little idiot had to say. They were dealing with the backlash of public opinion about them. They were only listening to Michael because he’d been useful up until now. When he came to them trying to get out of the job, they finally had enough of the foolish man’s promises that he’d make sure Brian helped them to diminish the gossip by standing with them, making others see what they wanted them to see. Leaving Michael no choice but to take the job he’d been ashamed of his mother for doing all his life to support them. Deb had long passed the point where nothing but making sure Michael could take care of himself mattered to her. She would always be his mother, but it didn’t mean she would allow her or the innocent baby to suffer for Michael’s delusions.

Brian and Justin were busy with their own lives. The visited when the family had events. Had John and Peter over when the boys wanted to come. In essence, everything in Brian’s life was filled with real family and friends, nothing else could eclipse it for him. He didn’t bother to worry about Lindsay’s or Michael’s lives. Instead, he appreciated what they’d done, strangely enough, because without both of them and their attempts to get him for themselves he wouldn’t have Justin or Gus. They were what was waiting at the end of his search. He’d never feel grateful or thank his ex-best friends for what it took, but looking around his life, and the happiness that surrounded them, he viewed their parts in his life as necessary to where it eventually led. 

Which, two years later, led to a daughter, and a life filled with even more messes to come. But ones that were filled with happiness and the family Justin started by looking at Gus and saying. “He’s mine.”