Justin and Brian picked Gus up from Jen and made their way to Craig’s house. Brian wanted to be the one who talked to Craig. He wanted to explain that he appreciated Craig's generosity but felt it was something he should have handled since Lindsay was a problem from his past. He understood what Justin was saying to him, but until recently he’d never had a family life like Justin’s. Justin’s estrangement from Craig and his demands the family eradicate Justin from their lives, Brian understood. Craig’s willingness to do what he had to in order to have his son back, was foreign to Brian. It was something Brian didn’t see happening with his mother or sister but was happy Craig managed to see what he was losing by ostracizing Justin. Jen had been surprised by Craig’s change of heart but told Brian this was the Craig that she had once loved. 

Gus ran ahead of them to Craig, who smiled as he caught his grandson. Brian hung back as Craig hugged Justin, thinking that if his family had tried to understand him, Gus would know them too. Craig let Justin and Gus go inside, waiting for Brian. When Brian reached him, Craig made a decision to start where he planned to continue, not just with Justin but with Brian also. He didn’t hold out a hand but pulled a startled Brian into a hug. It took everything in Brian to lift his arms and return what Craig offered him, acceptance.

“If we’re going to be family, we do it all the way,” Craig told him, letting him go to get his bearings.

Brian didn’t say anything but followed as Craig showed him into the kitchen where a tiny redhead that was Cara, was squeezing the life out of Justin.

“I told your father if you didn’t come to see us soon, I was going to just show up at your place. I wanted to know the son Craig seemed very proud of.” Cara told him.

“Honey, can he breathe?” Craig said, laughing.

“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wanted you to be part of my life, and your soon to be brother’s life. Molly spent the first few times we met telling me all about the best big brother in the world, and helping me convince Craig the only person who was losing in this stupid situation was him.” Cara told them, smiling.

“I lost years I can’t get back.” Craig agreed.

“Jen tried to tell you, and for a while, I started to understand why she finally kicked your ass out. He took a while to get there but he sees what he did was wrong.” Cara told Justin.

“I don’t plan to live in the past. I just want to remember the father you were before we stopped being able to agree,” Justin told Craig.

“How about Gus helps me cook while you guys get to know each other,” Cara suggested.

Craig led them to the living room, inviting them to sit down while he got them something to drink. Justin wanted to tell his father to stop trying so hard because Craig had already proven to him he was changing. Brian did as Justin asked and let him ask Craig about what he offered Lindsay to stay away from them.

“I offered her what she wanted; a chance to make a new life. I doubt it will last for long, but I talked to Mel and knew if you wanted the Peterson’s to back off, it would be easier if Lindsay wasn’t around to placate.” Craig told them.

“We don’t want you to feel like you have to do it. Brian wanted to pay you back.” Justin told him.

“There’s no need. Like family, it’s something you're going to have to get used to. Until I acted like an asshole about Justin’s life, one of the things I believed was that as a family we should be there to help. I lost my values for a long time, willing to believe Justin would eventually be who I wanted him to be. Only I didn’t raise him to bow down to people. Let me rephrase that. Jen and I wanted our children to stand on their own, but know we’d always be there. Justin was being the man we raised him to be, while I was being someone I never wanted to become. I also want to make sure you understand I didn’t do what I did with Lindsay for you or Justin, but for my grandson. I’ve seen what the Petersons idea of family is and the idea of Gus being in their world… let’s just say, no price is too big to protect him.” Craig told them.

“She’ll keep trying, and part of that is my fault. I allowed her and Michael to believe I’d protect them from themselves.” Brian told him.

“How is that your fault? They are both adults, and both could have made better decisions. Please don’t get upset with Jen, but she told me what Lindsay did to you, and in the end, she didn’t care that you said no to her. What she did was what she was taught by her family. People like the Petersons run over anyone to get what they want, something Lindsay learned from them, not you. From what Cara and Jen said, Michael was a case of wanting what he couldn’t have from you. Which, with a mother who indulged him the way she did, meant him becoming the man he is.” Craig told Brian, wanting Brian to stop blaming himself for the selfishness of people in his life.

The doorbell rang and in came Molly and Jen. Jen greeted Cara like a sister, while Cara fussed over Molly.

“I hope you both don’t mind but we wanted to spend as much time with the three of you as we could while you were here,” Molly told Brian.

“You three just like ganging up on me. Thank God, with Brian, Justin, Gus, and the baby, the estrogen levels will go down.” Craig told them, laughing.

“Well if Jen would just stop playing the field, you’d have someone to talk to.” Cara giggled.

“Craig wanted to make sure that we were all prepared to help Brian and Justin on the adoption. Which, from what Mel was able to tell us, the Petersons are causing problems.” Jen said, sitting down.

“I talked to my father, who couldn’t believe the run-around Mel’s been dealing with. He plans to look into the case and find out why the paperwork is being lost.” Cara told them.

“Why would he help?” Justin asked.

“He doesn’t like it when favors are being called in and wasn’t happy to hear the people under him were causing problems. He’s the Chief Judge in Pittsburgh.” Cara told him.

“He also thinks if they are willing to do a favor, then what laws are they willing to break if they owe too many?” Craig commented.

“He spoke to the judge presiding over the case and read the case file. He can’t rule in your favor, but he is making sure there won’t be any more problems for your lawyer. He told me to tell you that the ninety days started the day the petition was first entered, and if Craig’s plan works, Lindsay and her parents will think they still have ninety days from today to show up.” Cara informed them.

“Isn’t that sort of like calling in a favor?” Brian asked.

“Nope. It’s following the law as it was written. Craig managed to get the information on Lindsay’s past activities, including letters from everyone who knew about what Lindsay did to Brian added to the file. From what Mel told us, the social worker on the case isn’t happy with what she’s been reading and doesn’t see Lindsay as a good influence on the son she abandoned five years ago. It helps both of you that Lindsay didn’t support Gus in any way, or bother to have any contact with him.” Jen told them.

“She thinks she can use my past to show I’m not a fit father. She told her husband she did what she did because she was scared of me.” Brian told them.

“She should have been. Because what you did in your past is just that, your past. My father told us that yes, your past would be something to look at, but what you’ve done, looking for your child since Lindsay disappeared, and since finding Gus shows the court the kind of father he will have in you. You didn’t walk away but did what Gus needed you to in order to be with him. What the court is going to see is that Gus is a happy, well-adjusted child with you and Justin. He doesn’t have a clue who Lindsay is, and she’s going to figure out any mother earth act she tries isn’t going to change the fact that she’s a stranger to Gus.” Jen told them.

“We need to tell Mel about Lindsay’s family trying to pay Lindsay to give Gus to her sister,” Justin told Brian.

“We can’t really prove it, and trust me, the Peterson’s will make it sound like they gave Lindsay money, the way they give it to Lynette. I agree that we tell Mel, but with everything else, I doubt Lindsay could really stop the adoption.” Brian told him.

“Remember that you both also have us to support you. They could bring up my history with Justin, but it won’t help them because of the support all of us are willing to give both of you now.” Craig told them.

Brian went with Jen and Cara to check on Gus, leaving Justin and his father alone. Justin thought about all the changes in his life, and how he never saw a day his father would support him. 

“What are you and Brian planning after this trip?” Craig asked.

“One of Brian’s clients wants him to plan a joint campaign, which means he’ll be traveling with them. Brian and I talked about it, and Gus and I are going to go with him. It works since I’m busy with my animated series and I’d already planned to take Gus on a vacation.” Justin told Craig.

“Cara and I would like you guys to be here when the baby’s born,” Craig told him.

“We’ll make sure we’re here… I wanted to say this, it means a lot that you want us to have a relationship because even when you didn’t want me in your life, I still loved you.” Justin told him.

“I wanted you in my life too. Don’t ever think what I did meant that I didn’t want that. I pushed you out because of my problems, not yours. Everything that happened was me not willing to admit that nothing changed about you. Loving Brian doesn’t make you any less the son I spent years being proud of fathering. I just didn’t know how to bridge the gap I caused, and I spent years thinking you had to do it.” Craig told him.

“What made you?” Justin asked.

“I planned to do it when Molly said you came home. But I sat here thinking you wouldn’t be willing to talk to me. In a way, I owe it to the Peterson’s; because they thought we had something in common. They spent their lives worried about appearances; something I once thought meant everything. Only, you being gay only meant finding out that the people I thought I wanted approval from weren’t really worth losing everything for. Something your mother learned long before I did by leaving them behind.” Craig told him.

“Brian’s doing the same thing. Before we came here his surrogate mother called us to help her with her son, Michael. Michael kept Brian as his POA and went out of his way to get the doctor’s to believe he wasn’t competent to make any decisions. He wanted Brian to have to come to him and wasn’t happy to see me. Brian told him he either goes to the lockdown rehab we’re willing to pay for or it’s over.” Justin told him.

“It’s over either way. Because I don’t want you or Gus to have to deal with him.” Brian commented, sitting down.

“Why give him the choice?” Craig asked.

“Deb needs to let him go so he can either grow up or fuck up. She’s trying, but as Justin said, if it was our child, we’d likely do anything to help. Michael would play at rehab, and give Deb just enough to fall back into the role he wants her to have in his life; his enabler.” Brian told him.

“What was your role?” Craig asked.

“Whatever Deb asked. But I couldn’t be that Brian and be the one Justin and Gus needed. Michael craves being the center of everyone's attention, wanting to push aside anyone that he sees as taking that away from him.” Brian told him.

“How did Lindsay and Michael manage to deal with sharing you?” Justin asked.

“Until Lindsay got pregnant they each acted like the other didn’t exist. I didn’t see any reason they needed to be around each other since they had nothing in common. Even before Lindsay got pregnant with Gus things were changing. The life I was living wasn’t something I could see continuing. The only people who understood where I was in my life at that point were Emmett and Ted, who were both looking for long term relationships. They both supported me while I searched for Gus.” Brian told him.

“Do you think Michael will do what you suggested?” Justin asked.

“For the next seventy-two hours, he doesn’t have the choice. What he does after that is his decision, because we have more important things to do.” Brian told him.

“Jen, Cara, and I want to make it so both of you can do those things, by letting your family deal with anything here,” Craig told them.

“Brian just realized that OUR problems meant us dealing with things together. Give him time to get used to what having a family like ours is like. It’s something I understand because I was raised this way, and I’m having to get used to it again.” Justin told him, getting up leaving Brian with Craig.

“I’m trying not to push too hard, but I wasted so much time when I could have been a part of Justin’s life,” Craig told Brian.

“You don’t have to do things for me to prove to Justin that it doesn’t bother you that he and I are together,” Brian told him.

“As I said, I did it for Gus. But if you had needed me to I would have shown you the father Justin once had can be the father you never did.” Craig told Brian.