As Drew predicted, he had to drag Emmett out of the house. Emmett finally left after promising both boys that he’d be there to make them breakfast. Brian and Justin had put Max to bed, to give Emmett and Drew time with the boys. Justin, figuring they’d want to talk before they left, grabbed some wine and beers and told Drew to meet Brian and him outside. Brian grabbed a beer from Justin then kissed him before settling down on one of the lounge chairs, wanting to relax after the eventful day.

“Hopefully tomorrow won’t be as exciting,” Justin told him, sitting on the end of the lounge chair.

“Even if it is, we’re together in dealing with it.” Brian joked, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Justin.

Emmett and Drew stopped watching Brian and Justin. Emmett thought back to years ago when the two of them were practically ruling all of Liberty Avenue, and the idea of them settling down wasn’t something Emmett could see happening. Yet they did, in their own way, not letting anyone tell them how to do it. The group used to theorize Brian had kept Justin at a distance for the first five years because he didn’t want Justin to ever look back on his life and regret the things he might not have done if he stayed with Brian. Drew told Emmett one night after hearing them talk that he thought Brian was giving himself time to be ready to give Justin the life he wanted them to have. 

“Are they settled in?” Justin asked Drew.

“Having their own rooms seems to strange to them,” Drew told them, as he and Emmett sat down.

“If they want to share a room, they can,” Brian told them.

“The first week Max was here he ended up in bed with us every night. We’ve managed to get him to sleep in his room now that he’s a little more secure that he can come to us.” Justin told him.

“I’m trying not to go crazy wanting to give them everything,” Emmett told them.

“I felt the same with Max. But right now they need to know they’re wanted more than anything we could buy them. In the classes you're going to take, one of the things you’ll hear about the most is issues with attachment, depression, and acting out. A lot of the kids have displacement issues too. Which makes sense, because they float from home to home they’ll cling to the things that never let them down. Billy and Colton have both lived this way longer than Max did, so you both need to make sure they don’t see material things as love.” Justin told them.

“They also need time to get used to everything at their own pace. They feel like guests right now, but only time will change that for them.” Brian told them.

“In other words, no trips to Disney tomorrow.” Emmett joked.

“God help me. We have to do that again?” Brian pouted.

“It was fun.” Justin laughed.

“I just want to get this right for them,” Emmett told them.

“Emmett, of all of us you are the one person we all saw having a child one day. You open your heart to people and only want what’s best for them. Billy and Colton are lucky that you and Drew want them.” Justin told him.

“It’s so weird how I didn’t have any doubts they were waiting for Drew and me. It’s like everything in my life led me to them. Now I’m in a hurry to get to do the things I used to dream of doing for my children.” Emmett told them.

“My mom wants to help when you need it too. We were talking about schools earlier and we were thinking they might do well at Gus’s school. They’d have Gus there if they needed him, and the school also makes sure children with alternative families can come to them if they have any problems.” Justin told them.

“They also test the kids to determine area’s they need help in and will work with Hunter to catch them up. It will make it easier on Billy to see excelling as a good thing.” Brian told them.

“At least Justin can help if it gets above our heads,” Drew commented.

“Before Drew drags my ass out of here, I’m cooking in the morning for everyone. If you two want to sleep in have at it. We’ll entertain the kids while you two entertain each other.” Emmett joked.

“I know you don’t expect us to thank you, but for once deal with it, for loving our children too,” Drew told them, hugging Justin just to piss off Brian.

Billy went to check that Colton was sleeping and was glad Colton wasn’t scared and was asleep. He started back to his room, only to find Max watching him.

“You okay?” Billy asked, planning to make sure Max knew he could count on him from now on.

“I heard you. What are you doing?” Max asked following Billy into his room.

“Still spinning kid. You want me to put you back to bed?” Billy asked.

“Why’s you spinning?” Max asked.

“It’s just hard to believe everything that’s happened,” Billy answered.

“Why?” Max asked.

“I’ve had people tell me they wanted me, and it didn’t happen. It seems like I’m dreaming because this time feels real. You seem to be doing good with Justin and Brian.” Billy told him.

“Pa says he and Dad was waiting for me. Maybe Auntie Em and Drewsie was waiting to find you the way my Pa found me.” Max told him.

“You really like your Pa?” Billy asked.

“He smiles his sun smile and it makes everything okay. I like when it’s only for me, but if you want I can tell him to give you one.” Max told him.

“What about your Dad?” Billy asked.

“He scares the bejesus out of people if they hurt Gus, Pa, or me. Your daddy told me that.” Max told him, yawning.

“I can take him,” Brian whispered, making Billy jump.

“I’ll do it,” Justin told him, picking up Max.

“I was just talking to him,” Billy told Brian when they were alone.

“That’s okay. Did he wake you up?” Brian asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Billy told him.

“Do you want a snack, since Justin’s going to be a while?” Brian asked.

“I could have put him to bed for you guys,” Billy told him, following Brian.

“Justin loves doing it. He was like that with Gus too.” Brian told him, pulling out milk and the oreo’s he’d never admit he ate.

“Why didn’t you and Justin have another kid the way you did Gus?” Billy asked, before feeling like he shouldn’t have. “Sorry. It’s none of my business.”

“Neither Justin or I care if our child shares our DNA, so adoption was what we decided. As for Gus, originally I didn’t plan to be a father. And for the first few years was really just a visitor in his life.” Brian told him.

“Why?” Billy asked.

“I didn’t think I’d be a good father, with the way I was raised. It was always something I thought I’d do just as badly as my parents did. Only, between Justin and Gus, they wouldn’t let my past be a reason not to love either one of them.” Brian told him.

“Other than Colton, I stopped trying anymore,” Billy told him.

“Do you still feel that way?” Brian asked.

“It’s hard not to. Every time I thought something good would happen, it never did. It was easier not to get attached to anything because it made it harder when it would disappear.” Billy told him.

“So you pushed it away to keep from being hurt,” Brian told him.

“Yeah. And it didn’t matter, because it still hurt even knowing it would happen,” Billy told him.

“Or you could find people who really love you and will push back. I’m an example of that. I didn’t believe Justin could love me. I didn’t want to believe a seventeen-year-old had any idea what life was, let alone love. Yet every time I pushed away he came back, and I almost lost him because of it. I let him go, not saying what I really wanted was for him to stay. Because in my head he’d eventually be gone. Only, he would have stayed if I’d held out my hand and told him everything I was afraid to tell him.” Brian told him.

“You're together now,” Billy commented.

“Because Justin gave me a reason to be, by giving me time to be ready for him. Like you, I’d spent my life dealing with disappointments and had a hard time believing a seventeen-year-old kid would change that for me. I stopped fighting him when I realized that the only person who would lose was me, by fighting it.” Brian told him.

Billy sat there looking at the glass in front of him, wanting to ask but also not wanting to offend anyone. Then decided he wanted the answer more.

“Why did you do it for Emmett and Drew? Take me and Colton in?” He asked.

“You and Colton were going to be a part of all our lives, which means all of us would do anything to make that happen as soon as we could. Justin and I didn’t like it any more than Emmett and Drew did that you would have to be somewhere we couldn’t make sure you were both cared for the way we wanted you to be.” Brian told him.

“I hope Emmett and Drew are the kind of Dad you are,” Billy told him.

“You don’t have to hope, son. They are two of the best people I know.” Brian tells him.