Michael tried to get Deb to listen to him. Only to be told that unless he planned to help her raise her grandchild, she had nothing to say to him. He questioned her on why she quit her job at the diner, which he only found out when he stopped by looking for her. She actually had the audacity to tell him she didn’t owe him any explanation about her life. Michael’s reaction didn’t get him what he wanted.

“Everything you do is my business. You don’t get to have a life unless I tell you I approve.” He told her.

“Which is the reason I never had a life. Because you wouldn’t approve unless it was all about YOUR needs and YOUR wants. You needed me to make Brian stick around when he should have gone on with his life, not have to deal with our problems, or more to the point me asking him to deal with yours because you can’t get your act together.” Deb answered him.

“My life was fine when all of you understood what I expected of each of you,” Michael yelled.

“Which meant none of us could have a life unless you dictated how you wanted it to be. I honestly feel sorry for you, because someday you’ll realize the mistake you and Claire made with this ridiculous idea. I don’t think you get it; even if Gus hadn’t been the child Brian was searching for, he would have still wanted the life he and Justin are building together. He isn’t there just because of Gus, but because he fell in love with Justin, the man who gives him things he never wanted from you. It made me realize the things I did to keep you happy and how I hurt the men I claimed to love just as much as you. They don’t put conditions on me in order for me to be in their lives, and they included me in the family they are all building together. It makes wanting to protect you a betrayal to them.” She told him.

“They only included you because you forced your way into our lives. I couldn’t have anyone unless you were allowed to butt into our lives. Do you know how embarrassing it is when you thought they wanted to hear your opinions on everything we did? They only pretended to listen to you because of me.” Michael told her.

“Think what you want, but understand this- you and Claire are not going to get what you want from this. Brian won’t see this as you giving him what he wanted, but as yet another fuck up you expect everyone to clean up for you.” She told him, ready to kick him out of her house.

“I’ll make sure he knows you see OUR child as a fuck up. Isn’t that what you once complained about to Uncle Vic, that Brian was fucking up my life?” Michael screamed at her, twisting what she said.

“Is that what your little mind heard? I remember it differently. I said YOU were fucking up your life because you couldn’t let go of Brian and what you wanted him to give you. If I remember correctly, Vic, in his wonderful way, tried to make me see that Brian’s only fault in everything was giving in to me when I asked him to help you.” She answered him.

“You need to pick my side. Because if you don’t support me, then I’ll make sure you never see the baby.” Michael told her.

“I picked a side, with the people who, unlike you, see the baby as an innocent child. Not you, who thinks it will miraculously make Brian see you as the love of his life. Michael, something you and Lindsay can’t seem to understand is that if he loved either of you the way he loves Justin, nothing would have stood in his way. You spouted for years that Brian doesn’t do love or relationships. Because in your mind, if he did, then all your hopes were gone because those were things he didn’t want with you. Why can’t you get it through your head- he just didn’t love you, and if he did he wouldn’t have wasted years and encouraged you to fall in love with someone else. Why can’t you see what all of us do- when he did fall in love he didn’t waste time but went after the man he wanted. If you could have just been happy for him, he would have still wanted you in his life as his friend, but nothing more. You don’t seem to understand how Brian would see what you did with your irresponsible thinking.” She tells him.

“He should see it as me giving us the family we should have had. This baby is a part of both of us. He’s taking responsibility for the kid he hated Lindsay for making him have, but I saw the way to give him what he wanted without having to deal with that bitch or the blond shit. He’s trying to do what he thinks is the right thing, by staying until Gus no longer needs him. Then he can come back to me, and we’ll raise our children together.” Michael told her.

Deb gave up because nothing was going to make Michael see the truth. And wasting her time trying to talk to him wasn’t going to change her son’s twisted ideas. Vic warned her years ago that she needed to stop trying to give Michael everything he wanted, and now she understood what he was saying. She raised Michael to believe that everyone around him was there to give him everything he wanted regardless of what it cost them. Deb almost wanted to compare notes with Nancy and Ron, since they raised the same worthless kids. She knew she could change and had people around her who would be there without the scorecard that her own son had for everyone in his life. All of the Taylors made mistakes, but they learned from them and managed to become a better family. She looked at Michael as he continued to talk, not hearing a word he said, but also not seeing a way to help the child inside the man in front of her.

“I have things to do, and to answer your question, the only side I’m on is my grandchild’s, because you don’t understand how to love anyone but yourself.” She told him, opening her door.

“I know Brian loves me because he’s told me all my life.” He answered, walking out.

Deb blew out a breath and silently apologized to Vic for not listening to him back when it might have made a difference in Michael’s life. She felt a breeze on her face and promised Vic she had learned from her mistakes and would make sure to raise her grandchild better. She hoped for the baby to turn out like it’s uncle, one of the best men she knew.

Justin waited for Claire to appear. It was a surprise when she asked to speak only to him. She said she wanted to help him with Brian and to tell him what she believed he didn’t know about the situation she agreed to help with. Justin knew she thought what she would tell him would help her. But she also thought because Justin had been nice he was also the weak link she needed to get her way. Brian didn’t want Justin to go near her, but he waited until Justin explained what he planned to do with this meeting.

Brian wasn’t thrilled, but even if this wasn’t their problem he would still worry about the baby because that was just him. Justin worried because John and Peter would be affected, and he hated Claire for not thinking beyond what she wanted to see that her sons needed to know they were important. He’d watched the boys thrive as they got to know their father. But they still wanted what Claire wasn’t capable of giving them- a mother. Something Justin could relate to because even when Craig was at his worst, Justin still wished for the father he had at one time. Maybe it was wishful thinking for the boys, but Justin got his wish, so he hoped the same for them.

Claire wasn’t happy when she walked into the house that Justin agreed to meet her at, and she was really upset when he introduced her to Melanie Marcus, his lawyer.

“I only wanted to help you, why bring her into this?” Claire asked, glaring at Mel.

“Justin wanted to make sure to get the truth when you gave him your story,” Mel told her.

“I’d think you would be on my side, Brian ruined your life,” Claire told her.

“At one time I would have agreed with you. But stepping back and seeing what really happened to that relationship has me seeing that Brian didn’t cause any of our problems. The relationship was failing because of us, not because of anything Brian did.” Mel answered her.

“This is what Brian does for a living. He can make people believe what he wants. Right now you can’t see it because Brian is telling you what you want to hear, but he’s done that with everyone.” Claire told Justin. Then she pointed at Mel, “She might be saying the right words as Brian would want you to hear them, but she knows he did everything to split her and Lindsay up. You need to listen to me because I spent my life dealing with my brother and watched as he turned his back on us. He can tell you his sob story, but the truth is he was ashamed of us and wanted to forget we existed. He would do anything to hurt me because our father loved me. Brian hated when our parents, who did what they could for us, didn’t give him things that were beyond their ability. He created a hostile homelife for all of us by taunting my father, and then ran to others, claiming our father abused him. He wanted to be the center of the family and made my life miserable because of it.” Claire told him, almost smiling at her tale.

“Sorry. I told you she’d likely tell you a story, but apparently, she went straight to fairytales instead.” Mel told Justin.

“Believe what you want, but I know the truth. Justin, I know you want to believe Brian, but you have to protect yourself. He’s going to leave you when he gets what he wants. He already started it by having you give up Gus. It’s all part of the plan that Brian told Michael about. I know it’s hard for you to believe Michael, but he knows my brother and has spent his life doing what Brian wanted him to, based on the promises my brother made to him. I heard it with my own ears, Brian promised Michael a future with him. Mel can’t deny it, it’s a promise Brian said to Michael in front of everyone, that he always has and always will love Michael.” Claire told him.

“That’s what Michael wanted to believe, not what Brian was saying to him. Brian offered to always be his friend.” Mel told her.

“A promise he broke by turning his back on Michael, and both of us know why,” Claire told them.

“He offered to help Michael. It was Michael who walked away when it wasn’t what Michael wanted. Before you go on with more of your ‘truths’, know this, I don’t need to hear anything else because I TRUST Brian to give me the facts, which he does without your flair for storytelling. I only agreed to come and talk to you for two reasons, one- to make sure you understand the only thing Brian and I are concerned about are John and Peter.” Justin told her.

“You’re so concerned that you and Brian dumped them off on your family.” Claire interrupted.

“Brian and I have commitments that both of us are willing to forgo if your sons need us, but they both feel comfortable with the love they are receiving, not just from us, but from my family and their father. Both John and Peter know that if they need either of us, we will be there to provide them with more than a roof and food. They know they can tell us their fears, their hopes, and their dreams, and that we’ll all, as a family, do what we can to help them. It’s what you weren’t giving them because somehow you saw the neglect you were raised with as something they should have to endure the way you and Brian did. If you really want to be there for them, then do what you’re asked to make your home one they can live happily in.” Justin told her.

“They were fine until my brother stuck his nose into my life. If I’m such a bad mother, then why can I still see the boys? I’ll tell you why. Because Brian only caused all of this to make me look bad. He wants to make sure I can’t do anything when he takes this baby.” Claire yelled at him, ignoring anything that she might have to see as her being wrong.

“He doesn’t want the baby. Which brings me to reason number two as to why I agreed to meet with you here, with Mel as our lawyer.” Justin told her.

“I’m not signing anything to make it easy on Brian. He owes me for my generosity in having this baby.” Clair shrieked.

“You don’t need to sign a thing. What you need to do is understand that if you and Michael persist in claiming that Brian is responsible for the decision you and Michael made in making a child, then as his lawyer I need the proof that Brian was fully aware of your actions. And if you can prove that, then Brian will be filing for full custody of the child, and I will make sure to include the incident with your sons as a reason the child would be better off with Brian and Justin. You also need to know that there will be no financial packet for you beyond what a normal surrogate would get for giving any couple a child.” Mel told her.

“Michael wouldn’t agree to any of this. He promised me that for my generosity he and Brian would take care of me… and my boys. I did this for all of us, and now, as usual, Brian thinks he can have everything and forget what I did for him.” Claire told her, letting her tears fall.

“Then you need to go to Michael with your complaints since none of this has anything to do with Brian. Unless, as I asked, you can show me proof that Brian asked for and agreed to this.” Mel told her.

“I’m sure Michael has what you need, but he won’t agree to anything unless Brian is willing to admit the real reason he’s acting like he wants Justin,” Claire told them.

“Can I add something?” Justin asked, and Claire nodded. “You claim to know your brother. Michael screams the same thing. So answer one question for me. Has Brian ever done something he didn’t want to do, in order to get what he wanted? I ask because the man I know wouldn’t do something unless it was what he wanted. He didn't have to tell me Gus was his child, but he did because he wanted us to have an honest relationship. When we first met, Gus didn’t figure into the whole thing. Brian didn’t know anything about my life or that I had a child. His interest was in me, not Gus. Nothing changed after we figured out that Gus was his child, other than we both went into the relationship because we both wanted each other and we both want what’s best for Gus. The only reason Brian or I would take this child is that we don’t want it to suffer from the same neglect John and Peter did at your hands. We also want to make sure Deb has a chance to be the grandmother she is, and to show the child, the one that you and Michael see as a way to trap Brian into doing what you want is someone that will be welcome and loved by her. Deb can’t pay for your life, and that seems to be the only thing you see as the purpose of having this baby. Brian and I decided to make sure you understood that we wouldn’t do it either. So you need to stop this idea of what you and Michael think will happen.” 

“Brian won’t get near this child if I don’t get what I want.” She told Justin.

“Then good luck raising this kid on your own. Because unless Brian signed something saying he was going to support you and this child, then you’ll be stuck with Michael’s idea of supporting a kid. Which means Deb will get what she wants since Michael’s never taken responsibility for own his life, much less the life you two made thinking it would change anything for Brian. Justin asked if you know your brother. I can tell you, you don’t, because one thing I’ve always known about Brian is that if he loves something, he’ll do everything in his power to make sure he never loses it. To give you an idea of how far Brian would go, he asked me to show you this as proof.” Mel told her, confusing Justin. “Brian had these drawn up, and I did the same for you since I knew you wouldn’t be happy unless you both equally shared everything in your lives,” Mel told Justin, sliding the folder to him. “You already asked me to make Brian your beneficiary in case anything happens. Well, Brian wanted a little more. He also wanted you to know he isn’t going to balk when you want him to do the same.” Mel told Justin, as he read over the paperwork stating that he and Brian were equal partners in everything Brian owned.

“I don’t understand, Brian wouldn’t do something like this to Michael,” Claire said, as Justin went through the paperwork signing where Mel pointed to.

“FOR Michael, Claire. I wouldn’t do anything like this FOR Michael because I don’t love him. I don’t want to spend my life with anyone but Justin and the only child I would want is one that was part of Justin.” Brian told her, coming out of the kitchen.

“You were supposed to let me deal with this. And you better be ready to sign papers yourself.” Justin told him.

“Sign for what? You don’t have anything Brian would want.” Claire told Justin. “Brian, don’t you see he’s after whatever he can get?” Claire told her brother.

“Actually I don’t have a clue which one of us would benefit more from this partnership. It might be a tie.” Brian shrugged.

“What am I supposed to do with this baby now? I didn’t want it. I’m owed what Michael said I would get for doing this for YOU.” Claire shrieked.

“I have a deal for you. It’s not one you’ll like, but it’s the only one you're going to get from me. Find a way to let Deb raise the child. She will love the baby in a way neither of us knew was possible. She has the support of not just Justin’s family but also the friends who stood by her even when Michael made us want to abandon her.” Brian told her.

“What about me? I don’t want to live barely scraping by anymore. I want to do all the things I couldn’t do because you left me to deal with everything when you turned your back on us.” Claire yelled at Brian.

“Am I supposed to support you because unlike you, I got my ass out and made something of my life? I did it on my own with no help from anyone. And somehow you think I’m going to just hand you the life I worked my ass off to make? The one I want to share with the man I plan to marry and the child or children we choose to have with each other? If you want more, you do what it takes, not sit on your ass blaming me for what you didn’t bother to try. Before you get the idea you can use that baby to get anything from me, it won’t work. I honestly don’t want anything that would cause me to deal with Michael or you, but I won’t let a child suffer because of it either.” Brian told her.

Claire got up to leave, almost falling in her haste. Justin helped her to the door, wanting to ask one more question he was still trying to figure out.

“Why are Lindsay’s parents helping Michael?” Justin asked.

“Because your family has everyone closing doors in their faces. No one wants to go against your step-grandfather or your parents, no matter what favor they owe the Petersons. The Peterson’s want to make sure Brian learns his place. The one he overstepped by being welcomed into your families. Which should make you wonder about Brian’s real motives, he always wanted to be better than he really is.” Claire told Justin, stomping to the cab waiting for her.

“Isn’t that what your trying to do, too?” Justin shouted and slammed the door before she could respond.