“What do you mean you and Justin are thinking about adopting a child? Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to adopt a child? No, you don’t. But I do. I wouldn’t change what Ben and I had to do for Hunter, but you two would have to cancel everything you seem to enjoy doing, which neither of you have done yet. It would require you and Justin’s life to change from the way it’s been since the beginning. You and Justin need to think about what it will do to your lives. Neither of you has really had to give up your freedom the way I have. But that’s what children do to your life. Was this Justin’s idea? Because you need to stop doing things just because he might want something. You thought he’d want that big ass house and look how that turned out. You both backed out of your wedding and sold it. You can’t do that with a kid. Look, wait until Ben and I get home, we’ll talk then. Maybe buy Justin a dog… Brian… Brian… are you there…?” Michael looked at Ben, confused as he hung up.

“He hung up on me,” Michael told Ben.

Ben had no doubt he looked shocked when he heard the last part of that statement, he didn’t even try to mask it. He already knew they weren’t ‘thinking about it’ they were just waiting for the final paperwork to come through, which Ben congratulated them on before telling Justin he'd deal with Michael.

Justin called Ben yesterday and explained what Brian planned to tell Michael today. Ben thanked Justin for the warning and asked who else knew about the cutie in the picture Justin sent to him. Ben wasn’t shocked that they left them for last, or even hurt by it. He felt the same way Brian and Justin did about their privacy because he has so little since marrying Michael.

He knew their friends still wondered how he didn’t go crazy married to Michael, and there were a lot of times he wondered the same thing himself. Maybe it was that things got easier when Brian and Michael’s lives started changing after the girls moved and Justin was gone. The group dynamics changed. They no longer met every day. And as time went on they became involved more with their partners than the original four. Brian looked to Justin instead of Michael; Ted and Blake’s careers became more important; Emmett’s business needed his attention, and then Drew reappeared to win his Emmett back. Meanwhile, Ben became published and Michael didn’t resist leaving Pittsburgh once Hunter started college. Ben knew that at first Michael liked the trips because he’d been left in Pittsburgh while his friends were traveling and started to feel like they had nothing to talk about anymore. More recently Michael was actually interested in the places they were seeing and Ben felt like Michael understood that spending time with each other is important to a couple. The only glitch was when he found out Brian and Justin were treating Justin’s show in Paris as a month-long vacation, not just a business trip.

Michael started making plans for Brian and Justin to fit into Ben’s schedule. Not once realizing he wasn’t invited by Brian or Justin, or even asked to visit them. It caused a huge fight between Michael and Ben when Michael started calling everyone to complain about being told by Brian not to show up because this was for Justin and him alone. The fight got so out of control that Ben questioned if Michael was who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It shocked Michael when Ben didn’t just think it but actually said it. They spent a couple of days barely speaking before Ben told Michael how he really felt about the way Michael butted into everyone’s lives. Michael listened, trying to say he didn’t see it as him butting in because they were his friends. Ben pointed out that not one of their friends questioned any time he and Michael want to spend time with only each other, but were happy to give them the time. Michael was told that if he persisted in not offering the same to his friends, then Ben would be happy to finish the tour alone, so Michael could be with the people he deemed more important than his relationship with Ben. For the past month, Michael had been good, but Ben had a feeling he’d have to deal with it again after what he had just been told.

“Neither of them is willing to settle down,” Michael said out loud when Ben just sat there.

“By your definition, probably. Everyone else sees that they got married and do what they can to be together as much as possible with their schedules. Before you say anything, they also take care of Gus and our daughter anytime they’re asked. Setting aside anything else if it conflicts with the kids.” Ben told him.

“They ran off to Paris for a month, which conflicted with time with the kids,” Michael told him.

“No. They took time for themselves after making sure it didn’t interfere with Gus’s needs. Let's call it what it really was, they didn’t make time for YOUR neediness. You need to understand something that you don’t seem to get when it comes to Brian or Justin, they don’t come first in each other's lives. Gus comes first for them and now he will have to share it with the child that will be lucky to have them as fathers. Which is how I hope you rank our children in our lives.” Ben told him.

“Of course I do. No one is more important than Jenny and Hunter, other than you.” Michael told him.

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way to us,” Ben answered.

“I don’t mean for you to feel that way, but Brian doesn’t get that just because Justin wants something it doesn’t mean he has to give it to him. A kid is a lot of responsibility. It’s something they don’t have a clue about since they only deal with Gus for a few days at a time.” Michael told Ben, not even recognizing how hypocritical his statement was.

“Hunter was a teenager and self-relent when we adopted him. Jenny lives with her mothers and we have the same visitations as Brian and Justin do. Brian and Justin didn’t let a week go by without seeing Gus when the girls moved. You and I showed up here and there. I think Brian and Justin know more than we do about responsibility.” Ben answered.

“We couldn’t afford the trips.” Michael tried to argue.

“Not by plane like Brian, but we could have driven there the way Justin did at the beginning,” Ben told him.

“This is a major change in their lives, yet they didn’t even tell us they were going to do it,” Michael told him, not wanting to argue when he didn’t have anything to argue with on that one.

“Which I told Justin I was happy that both he and Brian are over the moon about Max. Michael, they aren’t waiting, they have Max already. You need to accept that as fact, and not something that you have a right to tell them your opinion on. Maybe you should think about why Brian didn’t tell you until your opinion wouldn’t matter to him.” Ben told Michael, watching him walk out of the room.

Molly laughed as Max let her twins use him to hold themselves up. At first, she thought her mother was joking when she told her Justin and Brian made her a grandmother again, since no one told her they were even thinking about adopting a kid. It didn’t bother her, because she knew they likely were waiting for news and didn’t need people constantly questioning them. She looked over at her husband as he sat behind Max to make sure the girls didn’t drive the poor boy nuts, but the minute they saw Max they decided he was theirs. Molly looked into those bright blue eyes and could see why Brian and Justin didn’t have a doubt Max belonged to them. There were days she wondered how she got so lucky that everyone in her family got along the way they did. Her girls were normally slaves to her brother-in-law, and they still were, but now they had Max, who seemed to love all the attention he was getting. Molly planned to make sure he knew she and Jason were going to be big part in his life too.

Max’s Aunt Molly told him he didn’t have to just play with Allison and Megan, but he liked helping them. They were the only people who were shorter them him too. He’d asked Dad how to tell them apart and used the freckles on Allison’s nose like his Dad told him. Gus was playing football with a friend who came over with him and told Max he could play too, but Max wanted to play with his cousins since that’s what everyone told him they were and that was new in his life. He was busy, so he didn’t see Auntie Em when he showed up. It wasn’t until Pa came with drinks for him and his cousins that he noticed Billy and Colton standing behind Auntie Em and Mr Drew. He didn’t know if he should go over there or not since they’d been nice to him, but it wasn’t like Gus was to Max.

“What are you thinking about little man?” His Uncle Jason asked.

“They look scared, like I was before Pa smiled at me,” Max told him, as Justin sat down.

“When was that?” Justin asked.

“When you came to Ms… Aunt Lindsay’s class, and only smiled at me. That’s why I talked to you at the museum. Because you weren’t a stranger because you only smiled at me.” Max told him.

“That Taylor smile does it every time.” Jason agreed.

“Do you want to go talk to them?” Justin asked Max.

“Maybe Gus could, cause he’s good at it,” Max told Justin, making Justin laugh at Max’s belief in the power of Gus.

Billy looked around, not wanting to act like it meant anything that he and Colton were invited to what looked like a family thing with... Emmett and Drew. He still had a hard time calling them by their first names since most adults expected to be called Mr something or other. He spotted Max sitting with babies and two other men, looking like he was part of everything. Poor kid. Max didn’t realize you don’t get attached, because these people came and went in your life. He didn’t live under any illusions anymore. He would thank Emmett and Drew for a chance to go somewhere and then he and Colton would go back to what they knew at the end of the day.

“Hey, you guys want to play with us?” An older kid yelled, making Billy look behind him to see who the kid was talking to. “You two.” He said, pointing to Billy and Colton.

“Gus.” A woman said, like she wasn’t happy with him.

“Sorry Nana, but I didn’t know their names,” Gus told her.

“Oh, sorry. This is Billy and Colton. The yeller is Gus, who will fill you two in on everyone else around here, if you two want to play with them.” Emmett told them.

“We can sit over there.” Billy offered, pointing to the far end of the pool.

“Or we could see if we can show Gus some moves.” Drew said to Billy and Colton, wanting them to get use to being included.

Billy and Colton followed Drew, who caught the ball tossed to him, then threw it back to Gus and the other kid. Gus nodded to Billy before throwing it to him. Colton was curious about Max and shook his head when Billy nodded to him, walking over to see Max. He stood there not sure what to do, since Max wasn’t alone.

“My girls don’t bite if you want to sit down. I’m Jason.”

“They just like to climb a lot.” Max told him, scooting over.

“Where is this angel I heard about!?” Screeched Deb as she came to the backyard, causing Max and Colton to jump at the noise.

“Over here, Deb.” Justin told her, as she ignored everyone to get to them.

“Carl told me to give you two time, and for once I did.” Deb laughed, staring between the boys.

“This is Max. Max, that’s Grandma Deb. Emmett brought Colton and Billy with him today so we could get to know the boys.” Justin told her, pointing out everyone.

“How do you feel about having Sunshine for a daddy?” Deb asked Max.

“Sunshine?” Max asked Justin.

“It’s the nickname I gave Justin when he was a lot younger. His smile was like seeing the sunshine.” Deb tells him.

“He’s my Pa.” Max informed her, and agreed his Pa’s smile was like sunshine.

Colton worried for Max, it was better not to think like that. Billy taught him that. He didn’t say anything, figuring he could get Billy to explain it to Max later. Not getting attached made it easier when you had to leave.

“How do you feel about Drew and Emmett wanting to adopt you?” Deb asked Colton, who looked confused and then scared because, what about Billy?

“Deb, we haven’t told him yet.” Emmett said as he caught up to her.

“I don’t want to be adopted, maybe you guys could take Max.” Colton tells him.

“Pa and Dad are keeping me.” Max told Colton, climbing into his pa’s lap and looking at Justin to tell Colton for him.

“Yes, we are. You’re ours.” Justin assured him.

Colton started to panic, he couldn’t leave Billy alone. Billy and Colton were going to take care of each other. Billy ran toward Colton when he saw the panic attack start. He was angry at everyone for upsetting Colton.

“We want to go back now!” Billy told Emmett.

“Calm down, son.” Drew said following behind Billy when he ran, not sure what was going on.

“They want to adopt me.” Colton told Billy, pointing at Emmett and Drew.

Billy bit his lip, trying to think through his panic at not having Colton around anymore. He looked around and saw the kind of life Colton could get with Emmett and Drew and did what he always did, what was best for Colton.

“You should let them.” Billy said, trying to be brave about it.

“Hold on, let's take a walk. I think we need to explain what Drew and I want to do for both of you.” Emmett told them.

“Stay here. We’ll start getting the food ready so when you’re done everyone can eat.” Justin told them.

Justin helped Jason pick up the girls and letting Deb help Max. Deb mouthed she was ‘sorry’, but Emmett was more concerned about the boys right now. He look at Teddy and shook his head, he and Drew needed to do this since the boys would be theirs one day.

“Everyone’s staring at us.” Colton whispered to Billy.

“Probably because Drew and I totally made a mess of this. We should have talked to you before you ended up hearing it from everyone else.” Emmett told him.

“Colton needs a family more,” Billy told them.

“You don’t think you do?” Drew asked Billy.

“He doesn’t believe anyone wants him anymore.” Colton told Drew, when Billy didn’t answer.

“We do, if you both want us,” Emmett told Billy.

“Why?” Billy asks him.

“You know, at the time I didn’t get it when Justin said the same thing about Max. But for some reason, I think you two were supposed to be ours. Justin’s logic seems to work well for him, he believed Brian would be his one day too, so I’m going to let it be my logic.” Emmett told them.

“So we’re going to live with you?” Colton asked.

“As soon as everything gets approved which isn’t going to be overnight like we wanted it to be. We plan to spend as much time as they’ll let us with you so both of you are sure you’d like having two dads.” Emmett told them.

“If we could you’d be living with us now. But understand, we are going to do everything to make that possible soon. But like Emmett said, it’s still up to you two to decide if we’re good enough for you.” Drew tells them.

“Can we think about it?” Billy asked, not wanting to say yes if they changed their minds.

“Of course. Take as long as you both need, we’ll make sure we spend enough time with you to help you decide to become our sons. Now, how about we go eat one of the many choices of Max: pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, and spaghetti?” Drew asked them.

Blake sat with Ted, watching everyone. Both of them were ready to get up when they heard the commotion, but didn’t because Emmett shook his head at Ted. Ted had been telling Blake about when Brian spent all day at work the other day waiting around for Ted to ask about Max, and continued after knowing Emmett didn't need his help. When Emmett and Drew turned up with the boys it made Blake wonder if he and Ted were ever going to have the conversation. Both of them had been busy and enjoying their lives, not really feeling like anything was missing.

“Do you want to do that one day?” Ted asked, not really sure if he wanted to adopt.

“I haven’t thought about it before now, but maybe,” Blake answered him, wanting time to think about it.

“If we did, we don’t have to do what everyone else is doing,” Ted told him.

“How would you want to do it?” Blake asked.

“For me, I’d want to have a baby that came from you,” Ted told him, liking that idea.

“I’ve always wanted a little Teddy,” Blake told him, wondering if he should tell Ted about his sister’s offer to donate the egg.

“My mother will be thrilled either way. She was starting to think she wasn’t ever going to get a grandchild.” Ted told him.

“I think that’s you saying yes,” Blake told Ted, kissing him.