Max didn’t get why Pa and Dad looked like Nana wasn’t any fun when Pa was told to go to the other room to help paint. Dad just wanted to see how small the closet was. But maybe it was because Auntie Em already told them all the closets were perfectly fine in the house. Max wandered off to see if he could have a cookie, since all the things he could do were done. He liked seeing how happy Colton was when he got to help Auntie Em, and the cookies they said were still too hot before had to have cooled down by now. Auntie Em winked and put cookies and milk on the table since someone had to make sure they made them right. Max agreed, so did Dad when he grabbed two and sat with Max.

“Got thrown out again?” Emmett asked.

“Justin got an idea and once again I’m being tossed out for distracting him,” Brian smirked.

“I was going to ask if you guys wanted us to keep Max tonight since Gus was going to stay over too,” Emmett asked.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Brian asked Max.

“What happens if I need you and Pa?” Max asked.

“Then Auntie Em will call us and we’ll come to get you,” Brian told him.

“We’re going to camp out in the living room. Billy and I will be there if you need us too.” Colton tells him. Max nodded, knowing he could wake them if he needed to.

“Well Colton, all that’s left is to wait for everything to finish in the oven.” Emmett tells him.

“Want to go tell Gus and Billy we get to have you here too?” Colton asked, ready to go play with everyone else.

“Okay.” Max tells him, finishing his cookie and drinking his milk.

Brian cleaned Max up before going to the door and making sure Gus saw him coming out, then returned to have Emmett handing him coffee, and sitting with him.

“If you want we can take Max with us tomorrow too. Drew’s team got together and wanted to have a family day with the team.” Emmett told him.

“Emmett, this is something for Billy and Colton, something that’s about your family. I know we’ve been doing things to try to include all the boys, but for once Billy and Colton need it just to be about them and you two. We have the rest of our lives to do things together.” Brian tells him.

“Why not just say you don’t want Max gone any longer than he has to be.” Emmett teases.

“It never eases either, but damn if they aren’t the best parts of our lives,” Brian tells him.

“Is Max going to be it for you two?” Emmett asks.

“If the twat finally wants a daughter, who knows.” Brian shrugged.

“Yeah I want a daughter, that’s how it works right? Cookies me, daughter me, yet somehow you're the one finding ways to get them.” Justin tells him, sitting down.

“What were you doing upstairs?” Emmett asked when Brian and Justin stared at each other without saying anything.

“Colton mentioned he likes astronomy. We could do the room like that since I’m off. As he gets older you can change it or I’ll help if he wants to keep up a theme.” Justin tells him.

“Billy really didn’t seem interested in the decorating.” Emmett tells them.

“He doesn’t at our house either.” Brian tells him.

“Drew told me it didn’t mean anything.” Emmett tells them.

“Max doesn’t care right now, but it’s just because it doesn’t interest him.” Justin tells him.

“Like it never interested Justin, no matter how many years I’ve tried.” Brian jokes.

They all turned their heads when Jenny walked through the door, muttering about not wanting to play right now. She’d been all over the place with her emotions since coming back. It killed them all that she didn’t want to talk about what was upsetting her. And Michael was only saved because he was across an ocean and not answering his phone right now. Deb was threatening to fly over there and slap some sense into him for the way Jenny returned. Lindsay and Mel couldn’t get anything out of her, and the rest of them did as Hunter suggested and were waiting until Jenny was ready to talk.

“She wasn’t this upset when she came back.” Justin told him.

“Does anyone know what’s been going on?” Emmett asked.

“I didn’t ask, but he talked to Justin.” Brian told them.

“I didn’t ask him as we agreed. It was only advice based off what we all know.” Justin tells him.

“What did you two agree to?” Emmett asked.

“I’ll go check on her.” Brian told them since he knew Jenny’s moods worried Gus.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s something you two didn’t want to talk about.” Emmett told Justin when Brian left.

“It’s something you're going to do too, with the therapist who is going to make sure this is right for all of you. They aren’t just preparing you for problems that could arise with the kids, but making sure that as a couple your commitment is just as strong. Brian dealt with his aversion to therapy because having another child was more important. We had to be honest about everything, even things neither of feels causes problems with each other. Our kids need stability, and lying wasn’t going to give it to them. Gus wasn’t living with us or would have even understood the problems that would have affected him, the way Max will. Both of us talked about the past and what we each felt and things each of us thought led to the things that happened, and if we had found resolutions or did it still sometimes cause problems.” Justin told him.

“I can see why Brian wouldn’t be thrilled with this part.” Emmett told him.

“I won’t go into detail about it because that’s between Brian and me. One of the things that came up was how each of us felt about our relationship with Michael when it didn’t involve both of us. It was eye-opening that Brian was actually jealous of Michael taking my time away from him. I was jealous of how for years Michael was the one he confided in more than me. The therapist asked us both how that related to our other friends, and we really couldn’t name one. Brian half-assed it with the time you kissed me outside Babylon.” Justin tells him.

“And this led to you both deciding how to deal with Michael?” Emmett asks.

“It was more that we both agreed that we wouldn’t involve ourselves in Michael’s life or us involving him in ours, to avoid problems. We took the month to define the boundaries that were acceptable to both of us when it came to everyone’s part in our lives, how we planned to raise a child, the kind of rules we both agreed on, and as a time for ourselves to do things having a child won’t give us.” Justin tells him.

“I didn’t think about it that way, that it would be about more than understanding Billy and Colton.” Emmett tells him.

“There’s no counseling that will do that, they're a work in progress. We’re providing a stable base to help them become who they will be.” Justin tells him.

Brian managed to find Jenny sitting in Drew’s office, spinning in a chair. He’d backed off as far as he could, not wanting her to bottle it in the way he and Mel did at times.

“You want to tell me what’s going on with you?” Brian asks.

“I’m fine.” She told him, crossing her arms and reminding him of Michael.

“Are you angry at me?” Brian asked.

“No… Maybe… It’s not your fault, even though I want to blame you.” Jenny told him.

“It wouldn’t be new to me if you did,” Brian told her, sitting in front of the desk.

“They think I didn’t know everything wasn’t as great as they pretended it was while I was there. When I sort of jumped on Dad it was like everything was okay. But it all went south when Dad heard about Billy and Colton. Now if I call it’s like they’re never together, since I have to call each of their phones to talk to them.” Jenny tells him.

“Are they upset that you call?” Brian asks.

“No, it’s like always,” Jenny tells him.

“Then that’s really all you need to worry about,” Brian tells her.

“Mama said the same thing, but it hurts when I see all of you happy and my dads not,” Jenny tells him.

“You know we’re here for you just like we are for all the kids in this family. No matter what happens, this family will make sure you have everyone you want in your life.” Brian tells her, waiting for her to agree with him.

“I know and maybe it sucks that once again I’m the only girl at the party tonight.” She tells him, hugging him and leaving a little happier.

“DAD, help!” Max squeals, running past the office giggling.

Brian went out to save Max, not giving in to the old feeling of wanting to save Michael. Max gave him rewards. He wanted to save Max.