Justin was looking around as Brian was talking on the phone on their way to lunch. They were getting close to the diner when Brian pointed to a deli further down, across the street. Justin stopped next to a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to cross when he saw a flyer about Rage. He pulled it down, trying to figure out when he said he'd do another signing at a place he'd never heard of. Brian hung up and started crossing until he realized Justin wasn’t with him.

“Something wrong?” Brian asked, going back to get Justin.

“I need to call my publisher and see if she arranged this without telling me. Something she never does.” Justin told him, handing him the flyer and digging out his phone.

“Let's order and I'll explain this,” Brian told him.

“You know about this?” Justin asked.

“I heard and ignored it, but can explain it to you. A friend of mine wants to meet us for lunch, but I have time to explain it to you first.” Brian told him. 

“Another friend to convince me I have reasons to visit you? Trust me, I now have a reason.” Justin teased.

“Just ignore any questions he asks, his curiosity sometimes takes it too far,” Brian told him, not on board with Reese questioning Justin.

“Is he a fan of Rage?” Justin asked since he was used to fans asking all sort of things.

“I don’t know, but he just thinks it’s his job to question my friends,” Brian said, feeling like a total asshole for agreeing to this.

Justin went to order, telling Brian it was his treat. Brian sat down, hoping Reese didn’t cause him to regret agreeing to this. Although Reese did mention he couldn’t find any link to Lindsay other than that they both lived in Pittsburgh around the same time. He did say that they never really would have crossed paths since Justin was in elementary school when Lindsay and Brian started college. And it was also when Lindsay started rebelling against her upbringing, which meant not being in the places Justin would have been at the same time. Brian was impressed at how fast he was able to get even that much information. Reese just told Brian never to ask how he got it.

“So explain the flyer,” Justin said putting down their drinks.

“The friend who wanted us to get you to sign the comics at the convention saw us together yesterday. Somewhere in his warped head, he thinks I was making it up to him for not doing what he wanted us to do for him. I wasn’t really paying attention to him when he was yelling through the door after I got him out of my office. He said something about flyers and I was too busy trying to control my temper that my receptionist let him through to really pay attention to what he was saying. So until I saw that, I didn’t realize he actually put up the flyers he was yelling about.” Brian told him.

“He just assumed you’d do what he wanted?” Justin asked.

“Yes. Because it’s what all of us usually do. Only, I didn’t plan to ask you to do it.” Brian told him.

“Even if you did, I couldn’t do it unless my publisher agreed to it. The conventions aren’t just publicity. We get paid to be there. It’s in my contract since the publicist and the venue get a cut of what I make doing them. Even though I wish I could say I only do them for the fans, it’s also revenue I make for creating Rage.” Justin explained to him.

“Which makes sense, because in the end what you do is a business. Something Mikey doesn’t understand since he really doesn’t know anything about running his business, just every detail of comics.” Brian told him.

“He thought you could charm me into it?” Justin asked.

“If it gets him what he wants. But he’s wrong. Because I didn’t keep wanting to see you for any reason other than that I want to. Mikey will figure it out when you don’t show up.” Brian told him.

“Am I interrupting?” Reese asked, sitting down.

“Not at all. Justin this is my FRIEND Reese.” Brian introduced them.

“Nice to meet you. Brian said to ignore you if I didn’t want to answer you.” Justin told Reese, making Brian want to remind Reese that Justin was his. SHIT.

“He just hates when I play big brother,” Reese said, smiling at Justin.

“So how did Brian convince you to give him the time of day?” Reese asked.

“Let’s see. At first, I hadn’t a clue who the guy who bumped into me at the airport was; only thinking, too bad he wasn’t there to pick me up. Then when he asked me out for a drink I said yes, since he gave the kids at the convention a way to buy the things they normally couldn’t.” Justin told him.

“So his generosity got him a date?” Reese asked.

“Nope. It was the fact that he noticed my son at the airport.” Justin told him.

“I was surprised you came here, normally you skip this convention,” Reese said, sounding as if he was big on the comic scene.

“Brian told me you weren’t a fan,” Justin told him.

“I’m in the closet. But Rage would be enough to pull me out of one. It went from underground to bestseller faster than most.” Reese told him.

“I didn’t expect it to do as well as it did,” Justin told him.

“The reason I kept buying them was that you allowed the hero not to be perfect in every aspect of his life,” Reese told him, while Brian couldn’t hide the shock of Reese being a comic nerd himself.

“I wanted him to be someone others could relate to, and for Rage, he doesn’t see what he does as being a hero, but necessary,” Justin told him.

“It works. I heard buzz that they wanted to make it into a movie?” Reese asked him.

“Yeah, but with the changes they wanted to make, it wouldn’t be Rage. They offered all sorts of ludicrous amounts for the rights. I just couldn’t let them change Rage into what Hollywood found acceptable.” Justin answered.

“Most would jump at the chance for the kind of money they would offer. Hell, they’d likely sell their first born and soul for it.” Reese told him.

“I’m sure they would, but my son is worth more than anything they could offer, and I really didn’t need the money when I started Rage. It was just something to do.” Justin told him, thinking Reese being worried about him hanging out with Brian was for the same reason Justin’s ex pretended he wanted him.

“Brian mentioned you had a son. I sort of expected you to be our age.” Reese told him.

“The minute Gus was put in my arms, it didn’t matter to me. He was mine.” Justin told him. Neither Reese nor Brian could miss the truth in the way Justin said it.

“I guess the mother didn’t feel the same way since Brian mentioned you were raising him on your own,” Reese told him.

“Brian seems to mention me a lot, considering we’ve only known each other a couple of days,” Justin answered, looking at Brian.

Their order was called and Brian got up to get it since it did sound strange that Brian was talking about Justin as much as Reese was telling Justin.

“It’s why I wanted to meet you. Brian isn’t normally much on talking about anyone. When he brought you up I could tell you mean something to him.” Reese told him.

“We really don’t know each other, but he wants us to get to know each other,” Justin told Reese.

“He told you about the baby?” Reese asked, knowing the answer.

“He sort of had a meltdown. Which I could understand since I’d never stop looking for Gus if that happened to me.” Justin told him.

“Until he talked to you, I don’t think the baby was real to him. Or maybe he just wouldn’t let it be. I’m not really sure, but now that it is, he’ll do anything to find the baby. Just know, the one thing he wouldn’t do was pretend to feel anything if he didn’t.” Reese told Justin. Justin was confused as to why he would say the last part.

“Are you happy now?” Brian asked, letting Reese know to stop.

“Completely, and I should have trusted you about Justin,” Reese told him.

After lunch the three went in different directions, Brian to Kinnetik to wait for Reese to come, and to get a few guys to take down the flyers they found. He made it a point to tell Jessica to let Reese in, and was thanked for her lunch. Brian waved it off, more worried about what Reese might have found that had him practically interrogating Justin. Reese found Brian staring off into space behind his desk.

“I come in peace.” Reese joked.

“So you understand why I didn’t think he was guilty of anything?” Brian asked.

“In my business, we verify first. Especially when there are reasons the client might not want to listen to anything but what they want to hear. I only wanted to meet him, and ruffle your feathers. My investigator was able to get a lot on Justin fast because he didn’t really cover his tracks, just made it harder to find him. Another thing, you don’t have enough to outdo what he inherited and left alone. He uses the funds he makes from the comic to support himself and the kid. I don’t have how he ended up with Gus yet, but we should soon since we know the name Lindsay used when she met Justin. He’s lucky she never figured out how much he had.” Reese told Brian.

“You didn’t like Lindsay, but I never asked why,” Brian stated.

“Everything about her was about status and popularity. She didn’t care who she had to hurt to get something she wanted. She likely thought I didn’t like her because she looked down her nose at me for coming from the wrong side of the tracks. But the truth was that everything about her seemed fake.” Reese told him.

“She didn’t like you because she thought you wanted me. She told me that.” Brian told him.

“Yeah, I did. But I preferred to be friends and not a trick. Which were the only two options with you.” Reese answered.

“Friends who haven’t talked to each other since college?” Brian asked him.

“Doesn’t change that I do see you like that, and I can admit your taste in men has improved. Now on to Mel. I went the direct route with her. She wants nothing to do with you or Lindsay. Apparently, she’s still slightly bitter about the whole thing. Once we get the reports on her, I think she will be in the clear. She did say the doctor Lindsay went to verified that she was pregnant when she left, something she thought you knew. The dates line up that the baby would be four years old by now. And depending on how long she lived in Chicago, the baby could have been born there. I should have something for you in a couple of days about that.” Reese told him.

“I feel like shit keeping this from Justin. It’s going to affect him too.” Brian told him.

“The longer you wait, the worse it will get. Right now he might be able to understand. But if you wait till later it just makes it look like you kept it from him.” Reese commented.

“But by telling him, I could lose any chance with him,” Brian said without thinking.

Jessica was ready this time since Michael never seemed to give up. When he ran past her, she jumped up and ran to block his way to the door. No way was she willing to let him past her. She wanted to show not only Mr Kinney but Cynthia, that they were right to give her this job. One of the interns ran in after Mikey but stopped when he saw Jessica and turned to go to his office. Jessica really thought Brent could have at least come and help her, it wasn’t like there were copies to make or faxes to send with everyone out for lunch.

“Mr Novotny, unless you have an appointment, you need to leave,” Jessica told him.

“Brian needs to explain why the people who work here are tearing down my flyers,” Mikey demanded like Jessica was somehow to blame. He looked into Brian’s office, only to get pissed. “Why the hell is he here?” Mikey demanded, remembering the guy Lindsay once taunted him with, saying he was the kind of guy that just proved Mikey didn’t stand a chance with Brian.

“Someone Mr Kinney invited to see him today. Which is why I could let him into his office.” Jessica told him, glad he was still too far away for Mr Kinney to hear.

Mikey left angry since Brian used to skip out on him for that guy, and only saw him because he was spying on Brian at the college. While he never saw them doing anything but talking, eating lunch, and playing soccer together, he didn’t like the way they hugged each other on the field at the end of the game or the way Brian never introduced the man to him. He stood across the street watching as Brian walked the guy to a car, both of them getting in and driving off. All Mikey could think was this better just be another trick for him, since Brian was his. Mikey walked off, still mad about the flyers and going to have more made. He cheered up when he convinced himself it was likely Brian was going to make better ones.

Brian couldn’t resist a ride in the Corvette, thinking he might need to get one of his own. They drove a couple of blocks before heading back. Reese dropped him off, telling him he’d call as soon as he got the information Brian needed. Brian invited him out the next time he and the guys planned a night out. He walked into his office, to see Jessica smiling.

“Everything okay?” Brian asked since normally she was on the verge of tears.

“Great. You have a call waiting on line one.” She tells him, wanting to be the one who told Cynthia about it first.