Ben looked down into the eyes that Jenny got from Michael and understood how Brian could be a slave to a set of eyes. Just like Brian, he couldn’t say no when they looked at him. Jenny was the best parts of Michael, and there were days Ben worried she’d also get some of the worst parts. Only, she understood things that her father couldn’t seem to grasp. Like at the moment she was happy seeing Billy and Colton getting the attention they never had and wasn’t upset that Gus was paying more attention to Max than to her. She didn’t have a problem with Lindsay enjoying spending time with Molly’s daughters, or the fact that Mel had to bow out today to deal with a client. No, for her it was enough that she was with everyone. Ben loved how the boys rallied around Jenny only wanting her to have as much fun as the were. 

“Can we talk alone?” Jenny asked him.

Ben nodded and they made their way to the ice cream shop, ready to get out of the heat anyway. Ben ordered and brought their treats to the table, wondering what Jenny wanted to talk about.

“You have the floor.” Ben said, as Jenny stayed quiet at first.

“What did it feel like when you fell in love with my dad?” Jenny asked.

“Why are you asking?” Ben wondered.

“I’m just curious. I mean, it seems like it’s different for everyone. Uncle Brian said it took him a long time to figure it out, and Em says for him it was just there waiting for him to accept it when it came to Drew. Uncle Teddy said for him love was there but the timing wasn’t right until it was. My moms said they knew from the minute they met. So how did you know?” She asked.

“When I first met your dad I just thought he was someone I’d like to know. For me it was a slow process, because there were things that your dad did that I couldn’t understand.” Ben told her.

“Like that he put Uncle Brian ahead of everyone?” She asked.

“Yes. Because it wasn’t something I would do. For me, friendships shouldn’t override the person I love. It’s fine to want your friends to be there, but not to the point where you can’t be happy for them and happy with your own life.” Ben told her.

“Is it bad that even though I love my dad I’d rather be here with all of you?” Jenny asked.

“It’s not on you that Michael isn’t here.” He told her.

“I know that, but I guess what makes me feel bad is that I didn’t want him here ruining things. He wouldn’t see how much this means to his friends. To be able to give their kids things they hadn’t really had all their lives, and how for them it’s not about what the Uncles are doing for them but about having a family. All I see is that now I’ve got more brothers to love me. And I don’t understand why he can’t see they'd love him too.” Jenny told him.

“It’s hard to explain because that’s something even I don’t understand about Michael,” Ben told her.

“It’s probably harder to explain why we still love him too.” Jenny said, wishing her father wasn’t such a mystery.

“I love him because for me he’s just the guy I fell in love with. I won’t change that, because I got you to be my daughter.” Ben told her.

“It’s the same for me, because my father gave me you.” Jenny told him.

“I don’t know if things will work out, but I’m going to try.” Ben assured her.

“If he doesn’t get it then he loses the best thing he ever gave me,” Jenny told him.

*******************************

Brian knew his life was going to be forever ruled by blue eyes. The eyes in question at the moment were Max’s pleading ones, wanting to go on ‘It’s A Small World’ again for the third time. Justin gave Brian a break and took Max, while Gus laughed as Brian couldn’t stop humming the blasted tune. Of course, Gus was able to run off to do things with Jen while Brian continued to give in to anything Max wanted to do. He rode freaking ‘Teacups’, and there was photographic proof as Lindsay took pictures he figured she blackmail him with eventually. The fact that Brian wanted Max to have a lot to show his class had nothing to do with it. Brian was about to give in again when Jen showed up and rescued him from the nightmare that was ‘it’s a small world’.

“Billy and Colton wanted to spend time with you. And I decided to let you out of your punishment for a while.” Jen smirked.

“If I’d kissed you there wouldn’t be any punishment.” Brina told her, taking off to hang with the boys.

Billy saved the ‘Space Mountain’ ride for Brian since Gus thought it would be funny to watch his dad scream like a girl. Brian really didn’t hate roller coasters as much as he protested, and managed to keep from screaming louder than the rest of the people around him. He was also willing to do anything to see Billy and Colton’s faces light up as they went from one to the next. He couldn’t wait to see how they liked his next surprise for this vacation. He’d made arrangements for the boys to have a private tour of Seaworld. Justin had laughed as Brian argued that if they were here the boys should get to do everything available before they had to go home. Actually, it was really for Jenny after she mentioned wanting to swim with the dolphins to the boys, who in turn told Brian. Brian felt ten feet tall knowing they didn’t doubt him. 

Justin got everyone together for lunch, needing to sit after walking all over and riding everything. He smiled as Drew and Emmett showed up, not able to stay away from their boys. They both looked relaxed and ready to spend the rest of the day with the boys. Lindsay took a picture of them in their own world.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them this happy.” Lindsay whispered, showing Justin the picture.

“Billy and Colton gave them the last thing missing in their relationship.” Justin told her.

“Just like having Max was what you and Brian were missing?” Lindsay asked.

“We were ready to share our lives and have you to thank for giving it to us.” Justin told her.

“After you wanted to rip my head off for Max being left at the museum.” Lindsay joked.

“In the end, it gave us Max, so thank you for letting him go,” Justin told her.

“Thank you from us too.” Emmett told her.

“For what?” Brian asked, bringing everyone else with him.

“For finding Max for us and Billy and Colton for Emmett and Drew.” Justin told him, hugging Lindsay, who was blushing.

Brian leaned down, kissing Lindsay just for being the friend she’d been all his life. Mel came in, rolling her eyes as everyone laughed. She no longer saw anything but the friendship Lindsay and Brian would always have. Mel smiled as Lindsay’s face lit up when she saw her. Mel felt like shit for taking a call that could have been handled when she got home, but instead of getting mad, Lindsay took off, wanting to help Max with his show and tell. They’d come a long way from their days of turning everything into an argument. It helped that Lindsay no longer felt the need to compare everything in their lives to that of Brian and Justin’s. Lindsay stopped feeling like she needed to be part of Justin’s success to feel complete. Instead she found her own way to be happy. 

“I have a surprise for Jenny.” Brian whispered to Mel.

“God help me.” Mel teased, loving Brian for seeing Jenny as part of his life.

“Since we’ve done everything here, I thought we’d go see something Jenny wanted.” Brian announced to the group.

“What?” Jenny asked, excited.

“I arranged for all of you to get a private tour of Seaworld.” Brian told her.

“Who told you I wanted to go?” Jenny asked, not wanting everyone to give up their fun for something she wanted.

All the boys raised their hands giggling as Jenny’s smile got bigger. 

“We’ve never been to the ocean.” Billy told her.

“It sounded like fun when you showed us.” Colton told her.

“Max likes to swim.” Gus told her, as Max nodded.

Emmett smiled as the boys were trying to make what Brian did as something about all of them and not just Jenny. It said a lot to all of them, that for them it was for their sister. Drew got up and went to help Brian get the food. The boys all sat at next table with Jenny to plan the rest of the afternoon.

“Sometimes I can’t believe it’s not just some dream I’ll wake up from.” Emmett told Justin.

“They’re yours. So it’s as real as it gets,” Mel told him.

“I want everything in their lives to be everything I wished my life could have been. Only now I don’t regret the life I had, because it got me here, with Drew and my boys.” Emmett told her.

“It’s what makes all the things that happened in the past not matter as much as what you have now. I don’t regret that I married Craig because that gave me Justin and Molly and being able to be a part of their lives. I would do it all again because I have two great kids and two more in their spouses. Craig misses all of this because he can’t accept that Justin could be happy with Brian and that Molly isn’t willing to raise her daughters to see anything wrong with the uncles who worship her daughters.” Jen told him.

“I don’t get being attracted to another man, but it’s because I’m not. It doesn’t mean I have the right to see anything wrong with it.” Jason told them.

“It’s why I love you, because you only see Brian and Justin as two people who love each other and as part of our growing family,” Molly told him.

“We couldn’t be happy without you in it.” Brian told Molly.

“Even if you were a brat, Mollusk.” Justin teased.

“Right Jester, I was the brat.” Molly teased back.

“Okay children.” Jen said, laughing as they stuck their tongues out at each other.

Colton came over and leaned on Emmett, wanting to be close to his dad. He liked seeing them all having a good time, and knowing that no one would act like he was bothering them. Emmett pulled Colton onto his lap as they ate and talked. It was such a small thing, but for Colton, it was showing him he’d found a family. 

“Wait, you know what this means?” Emmett asked, excitedly.

“What?” Colton asked.

“We need to go shopping for beachwear.” Emmett answered as Drew groaned good-naturedly.

“Brian.” Justin warned as he smirked looking at Justin.

“I see skimpy blue shorts in your future.” Mel teased.

“Nope. I don’t need to kill anyone for wanting to see my favorite parts.” Brian growled.

“But Daddy, Pa can’t help that people like his smile,” Max told him, smiling as everyone giggled.

****************************************************************************

Hunter stayed out of it as long as he could, but finally, he’d called Justin, wanting to know how Ben was really doing. Justin was vague, saying he didn’t want to interfere, but that Ben hadn’t given up on Michael, yet. Hunter knew Brian and Justin were staying out of this mess. But for Hunter, Justin was willing to offer what he thought of the situation. Hunter agreed with him that Michael hadn’t really ever had to fight for anything, instead having it handed to him by everyone. Which led Hunter to a problem, how to get Michael to get off his ass and doing what Ben needed from him. 

Ben wanted Michael to fix this but it’s not like the man had ever been good at dealing with anything. While it should be Michael doing this on his own, Hunter didn’t want to see his parents split up. Ben hadn’t been happy when Hunter told him he was too busy to go with everyone. It was the truth. Hunter had other commitments, but he also didn’t want Michael to keep screwing up his life. While he knew he should leave it alone, he loved Michael and couldn’t. 

Michael was sitting in his store trying to pretend his life wasn’t falling apart. He kept trying to figure out when him caring about his friends became a problem with Ben. It wasn’t like Ben didn’t know him, yet he acted like everything Michael did lately was wrong. Michael knew he acted like an ass around the kids, and in his head, if he wasn’t happy then no one around him should be either. Of all of them, Michael had the perfect life, yet he was the one who was losing everything. 

Michael came out of his thoughts as Hunter came into the shop. Seeing Hunter brightened Michael’s day since he hadn’t abandoned him. 

“Hey, what brings you here?” Michael asked.

“I wanted to see how you were doing.” Hunter told him.

“Still pissed that Ben is acting like nothing I do is right.” Michael grumbled.

“Name something you’ve done right since coming back,” Hunter told him.

“Why does everyone act like it’s anything new? I always say crap when I’m upset.” Michael told him.

“Because you said something that could affect their kids.” Hunter told him.

“It didn’t.” Michael said, trying to excuse his behavior.

“Only because Max, Colton, and Billy know their dads love them. You don’t get what it’s like when you have no one who gives a shit. You had something the rest of the guys didn’t have growing up- a mother who tried to give you everything and loves you even when you don’t make it easy. And trust me, you don’t make it easy when you don’t like something anyone else does.” Hunter told him.

“They never used to do things without telling me. And now it’s like I’m wrong because I got upset that they kept things from me ” Michael argued.

“Why do they owe you an explanation when it has nothing to do with you? Brian and Justin wanted Max, it has nothing to do with you. Emmett and Drew saw their future in Billy and Colton, which once again has nothing to do with you. And I’ll add Ted and Blake, who decided they were ready to be fathers. Which is something everyone can be happy about but you. Yet when you and Ben decided to take me in, they all were there, supporting both of you. Not once did they try to tell you how to live your life. They included me and never once said anything that would make me feel like shit, because they knew what it was like to feel unwanted or unloved.” Hunter told him.

“I… they…” Michael sat there unsure of what to say. Hunter was right, he had never had to live the way Hunter described.

“What you don’t get is the guys aren’t shutting you out for any other reason but to protect their kids from your need to prove they don’t have a right to have what you don’t. Ben isn’t here because he knows if anything is going to change YOU have to be the one to fix this. For the first time, I’m asking you as my father to make it so I don’t have to visit my parents separately. Ben still loves you, but eventually that won’t be enough for him to stick around. In truth, I’m angry at you for hurting Jenny with this bullshit. It’s time for you to get off your ass and figure out what should be more important to you, your friends' lives or your family- Ben, Jenny, and me.” Hunter told him.

“Ben, you, and Jenny are the most important thing to me. I love you, you know that.” Michael told him.

“I do, but I also know when Brian does something for Justin you stop thinking of us and act like Justin forces Brian into doing whatever he and Justin decide on together. Yet you’ll be the first person to say Brian wouldn’t do something unless he wants to. One thing I’ve noticed since I met Brian is there is no one in the world Brian loves more than Justin, and it’s the same for Justin.” Hunter told him.

“It wasn’t like that the whole time.” Michael reminds him.

“Which has nothing to do with now, or the fact that Ben isn’t sure he sees you as part of his future,” Hunter told him.

“How can we fix anything if he isn’t here?” Michael pointed out.

“He isn’t here because he needed to make sure Jenny knew he’d be there for her no matter what happened between the two of you. Does that make you feel good knowing that your ranting made Jenny think she could lose Ben?” Hunter asked.

“I didn’t…” 

“Mean it? Well whether you did or not, Jenny only heard what you said, and being her father, and a supposed grown up, she took it for granted that you wouldn’t say something unless you MEANT it. Which is also why all your friends decided not to let the words you say you don’t mean be said in front of their kids when they saw what it did to Jenny.” Hunter told him.

“What am I supposed to do?” Michael asked, starting to see why everyone was discluding him.

“Get off your ass and figure it out like an adult. For once, fight for what you want, which hopefully is the life Ben gave you.” Hunter told him, getting up to leave.

“I’ve tried talking to Ben.” Michael whined.

“Words don’t mean anything unless your actions show you mean them,” Hunter answered before walking out.

Michael sat in his shop the rest the day, knowing he needed help but also knowing it was up to him to do what it took. He picked up the phone and called the therapist he lied to Ben about seeing and made an appointment.