Billy and Colton tried not to act like it was a big deal that in a month they would be not just living with Emmett and Drew but that Gabriel managed to get the adoption approved as well. Emmett, of course, threw a get together to celebrate the news. Deb and Jen threw Emmett out of his kitchen and recruited Justin, Blake, and Lindsay to help since the others were useless in the kitchen. Brian dragged everyone else to help watch the kids, while Ted let everyone know that the surrogate they hired announced she was pregnant after the first try. Michael did better this time and congratulated Ted and Blake while grumbling in his head that once again everyone got what they wanted but him. Michael had figured out in the last three months that they all expected him to deal with his problems on his own. Ben was at least calling every night, but he was still distant when he talked to Michael. Ben seemed to only call to make sure everything was okay with Jenny and Hunter, not asking Michael if he was okay.

Michael knew he screwed up explaining to Jenny what happened between him and Ben, but he just didn’t get what the real problem was. He kept reading the letter over in hopes he could figure out how to make this right with Ben. Ben didn’t get that Michael might love Brian, but he knew Brian wasn’t going to return his feelings. Michael just didn’t want to lose what little parts of Brian he could have. He didn’t hate Justin, but yes he was jealous of the things Brian did for him. Michael’s real problem came from the fact that Ben respected Justin while he was once again left feeling like Justin was better than him. Seeing how happy Max was to be around Justin and Brian wasn’t any fun since he remembered how hard it was with Hunter at the beginning, and the fact that they had a better relationship with Gus and Jenny than he did. Michael didn’t get it. How did Brian and Justin end up being better parents on top of having a better relationship than he and Ben? It didn’t help that Jenny blamed Michael for everything and Hunter told him, after reading the letter, that all he had to do was figure out what Ben had really been saying to him. Didn’t everyone get that he had never been good at helping himself?

Max didn’t like seeing his Hunter and Jenny sad, but everyone kept saying not to worry about it. Max didn’t understand why Uncle Michael didn’t do like his dad did, and find ways to keep his Pa smiling. He asked Hunter if maybe Uncle Michael needed one of his Pa’s sun smiles, and Hunter laughed. Gus rolled his eyes, saying Pa’s smile is likely one of the problems in Michael’s eyes. Michael got up from behind them and walked over and sat with Molly since she didn’t really talk to him, and that was at least normal when nothing else had been since he got back.

“Little man, for once I think my dads would do better if they didn’t have everyone helping them,” Hunter told him.

“Daddy said Uncle Michael couldn’t find his way out of a doorless house,” Max said, hoping someone could explain why that would be so hard.

Billy tried not to laugh since he felt bad for Hunter and Jenny, but all he could think was Uncle Michael obviously didn’t get that he needed to just talk to Uncle Ben. Billy didn’t get it, because Emmett and Drew fought once in a while, but neither of them left until they solved it. They also made sure that Billy and Colton understood it had nothing to do with them, it was just adults acting like idiots. Billy liked that they weren’t perfect and the fights weren’t huge, just them disagreeing on something stupid like the pool Emmett wanted to be built at the house, while Drew wanted it separated from the house. They both laughed when Colton told them why not just build a house over the pool area and skip the bickering, sounding like Uncle Brian. Billy wondered why they all seemed to back off helping Uncle Michael since they didn’t do that with anyone else and waited until Uncle Brian and he had their late night talk to ask about it one night.

“We spent most of our lives hovering over Michael, and I think that’s half his problem right now. He doesn’t want to see the problem could be him and not Ben. Ben deserves more than us interfering when Michael should be the one who works for what he wants.” Brian told him.

“Jenny thinks Michael is jealous of Pa,” Billy tells him.

“If he worked as hard as Justin did for the things he wanted then he wouldn’t have a reason to be jealous. Michael only sees that Justin gets respect from everyone, not that he earned it for being who he is. It’s why Michael didn’t stand a chance of ever being more than my friend.” Brian told him, smiling.

“Dad feels that way about Daddy Em, and Daddy Em doesn’t mind that Dad seems to like Pa,” Billy tells him, laughing when Brian growled jokingly about Drew liking Justin.

Billy missed the nightly talks until he found Drew waiting for him last night, and like Uncle Brian, Drew didn’t talk down to Billy either. Billy just worried because Grandma Deb mentioned to Daddy Em that maybe this time Uncle Michael really screwed up. Billy wanted even the sour-faced Uncle Michael to be happy like the rest of his uncles. He didn’t like Jenny being sad, which was really what bothered Billy the most. Billy wanted to see her happy and having her dads together was what she wanted. Billy saw Michael get up to go inside after talking to Justin. Billy relaxed when Justin went to cheer Jenny up.

Michael made the call Justin suggested, telling Michael it was time to do something other sit on the fence. Michael almost hung up thinking he had the wrong number since the guy who answered Ben’s phone in the middle of the night wasn’t Ben. There was a fumbling noise and the guy telling Ben to wake up since he had a call. Michael saw red... here he was trying to figure out what to do to get Ben back and the bastard was fucking around.

“Michael is everything okay?” Ben asked, worried since this was the first time Michael called him.

Ben got up off the couch and went to his bedroom, realizing he’d fallen asleep discussing the idea he and Saul were planning to write. He’d meant to tell Michael that Saul’s wife suggested Ben stay with them while they worked, but Michael hung up before he could tell him.

“Are you kidding me, no it’s not fucking okay! Was this really the reason you’ve been acting like you didn’t want me anymore?” Michael screeched.

Ben was slightly confused about why Michael was pissed since it didn’t make any sense to him. “You're the one who left, instead of agreeing to therapy,” Ben told him, not sure why Michael blamed him for Michael taking off.

“Is that what you call what that guy is doing with you in the middle of the night… THERAPY!?” Michael yelled, loud enough for everyone outside to hear him.

“We’re working on the book that I told you about, or did you not listen to that either?” Ben answered, not sure what to make of what sounded like Michael was jealous.

“Right! You’re writing a book in your sleep and the guy just happens to be close enough to just hand you the phone! I think I need to write a book since I’ve been sleeping alone, after seeing the fucking therapist you wanted me to see.” Michael yelled, hanging up. Not even feeling guilty that he lied about the therapist.

“That’s a new way of referring to tricking.” Brian snickered.

“Brian Kinney-Taylor, behave,” Jen told him, rolling her eyes as all the other guys cracked up with him.

“I’m jealous Mommy, it sounds like writing a book could be fun.” Brian joked.

“We could do a self-help book since we know everything there is to know about tricking,” Justin tells him, trying to keep a straight face.

“I can’t believe you guys are joking about my pain. None of you have a clue how hard being married really is.” Michael told them.

“We don’t ignore our problems, so it makes it easier,” Emmett tells him.

“Or you adopt kids to copy Brian and Justin, instead of getting the baby you constantly told all of us Drew really wanted.” Michael lashed out.

“Michael Charles Novotny, shut your mouth,” Deb told him.

“I’m just telling the truth. Drew wanted a baby, instead, he gives in to what Emmett thinks he wants, only because Brian and Justin did it. What a joke, since Brian only adopted the kid to keep Justin happy. Brian didn’t even want Gus when he was born, and now he’s stuck with another kid because he can’t say no to Justin.” Michael ranted, not caring what he was saying.

“Michael that’s enough,” Mel told him, as Brian, Emmett, Justin, and Drew went to check on the kids.

“I told the truth, even if they don’t like what they heard!” Michael shouted.

“No, you shouted what your real problem with Ben is. It’s not that Emmett and Drew decided the age of their child didn’t matter when Billy and Colton came into their lives. It’s also not Brian fault that he wants everything Justin wants and no longer has time to worry about what’s wrong in Michael’s little world. We’ve all agreed not to get involved since we learned from you how little it helps when you thought we all needed your advice. But you know what, I’m tired of my daughter being upset because her fathers are too busy blaming everyone but themselves for the problems in their marriage.” Mel told him.

“Like you used to blame Brian.” Michael smarted off.

“Used to, yes, but you know what Lindsay and I figured out? In the end, Brian had nothing to do with us as a couple, and more to do with an easy way out of dealing with the fact that we didn’t talk to each other. Ben told me about the letter, and while I agree he’s put up with a lot from you, he obviously KNEW it was there and let it fester. I agree it would hurt to see my first love being happy with someone I couldn’t begin to compete with. Only what you don’t seem to get is there is nothing for you to compete with, because Ben doesn’t love Justin, but you. And one last thing you need to know, Ben is staying at the same house as the other writer and the guy’s WIFE. Something he told Jenny. He also told Jenny he loved you and planned to come home next week instead of staying away since he missed you. So instead of making everyone else deal with you, see the therapist that you lied to Ben about and start fixing your problems before no one wants to deal with you. If you love Ben you’ll do what it takes to make it work, the same way Brian did what he could to make sure Justin never doubted him.” Mel told him.

Michael turned, not seeing one sympathetic face behind him, and knowing he’d been an asshole for yelling at them in front of the kids like that. He walked out after apologizing to Jen and Deb, knowing right now none of the guys would listen to him.  

“I think he needs a cookie,” Max told Brian.

“I think you want a cookie,” Brian told him.

“I think maybe you should like get a case and have one of our talks with Uncle Michael,” Billy told Drew and Brian.

“We’d rather talk to you,” Drew told Billy.

“I can make brownies, instead,” Colton told them.

“Or we could have the cake since we all ate the good stuff first like Nana says we have to,” Max told them.

Emmett stood with Drew as the boys took off, not letting Michael’s words mean anything to them.

“I think we should go ahead and plan that trip to Disney.” Drew told him.

“I’ll let Justin know,” Emmett told him, not letting Michael’s words mean anything to him either.