Ted just wanted to sleep and dream of Blake, but his boys needed him right now. For a second he was angry they’d thought they had to keep it from him. But by the time he landed he realized he couldn’t be angry; they wanted something they didn’t have to share with the world. The realization came when he already had arguments prepared as to why it was none of their business if he and Blake were together. 

They’d watched Blake’s downward spiral and Ted running himself ragged to help Blake get away from all the people who contributed to it in order to keep Blake from seeing what the parties, drugs, and alcohol were doing to him. He knew Brian and Emmett still didn’t trust Blake not to fall again and leave Ted to have to clean up after his mess. Which only made Ted not want to tell them he wanted what Blake wanted. Ted got out of the car at the house in the middle of nowhere. The one that Justin Taylor purchased to protect Brian’s life. Brian hadn’t said it, but everything around the house did. From the eight foot walls to the trees blocking every possible photographer from being able to peep into the house. For that Justin Taylor was now someone Ted considered his friend since he was about to lose one.

Ted spent the whole flight reading up on the two men who he was going to have to protect as well as Brian and Emmett. The reporters weren’t going to get much on Justin since he seemed to lead a quiet life with his family in New Hampshire. Everything Ted found on Justin only made him look like a saint who married the sinner. The fans were mixed on the marriage, but Ted expected it, since they likely fantasized about Brian belonging to them. Ted snorted at that thought, thinking Michael would enjoy reading those comments, likely thinking the same thing. Looking at Justin’s pictures that were available Ted could see why Brian would be interested. 

Drew was a whole different and much bigger problem. He was engaged to a woman, yet he and his fiancee didn’t seem to want to set a date at all. Ted decided beard, because the pictures of them together reminded him of how friends look at each other. Not the ‘I want you alone so I can do bad things to you’ look. Every time the fiancee was interviewed, she found a way to change the subject from their marriage to her pet projects. When Drew was interviewed and asked about her, the only answer was ‘she’s my best friend’. A phrase that Ted had come to despise because it had caused nothing but trouble for Brian.

Deb’s call about Michael was just the topping on his shit day, and he let her know he’d deal with it too. Michael couldn’t avoid the conversation from behind bars the way he likely planned to anyway. He managed to keep Lindsay from saying anything to Brian or Emmett, asking for time to deal with Michael. He also reminded Lindsay that his conversation with Mel was done as a client and she shouldn’t have been listening when he and Mel were talking. 

“Hey, everyone is in the pool house,” Justin said as he stood by the door, watching Ted looking around the grounds.

“Hello Mr Kinney.” Ted said, trying to break the ice.

“It’s Justin to friends,” Justin told him.

“Yesterday I really wasn’t sure, Justin,” Ted told him.

“What about today?” Justin asked as Ted followed him to the of the house.

“Today you are probably the only one that I like,” Ted told him, looking around.

“Brian and I didn’t know about Drew either.” Justin told him.

“How did you two do it?” Ted asked him, stopping them.

“By living up to what people expected of us. Which was easy for me since my family taught my sister and me since birth.” Justin answered.

“Do your parents know?” Ted asked, wanting to know about anyone who could talk.

“My parents and sister do, but only because my sister found out Brian and I got married and blurted it out only to my parents. My parents are used to me not telling them things, so it was nothing new to them.” Justin told him.

“Does anyone else in your life know?” Ted asked.

“My best friend does since she helped me buy this house. Since it seems like you’re asking, she hasn’t told anyone in the three years Brian and I have been together. My family kept it to themselves, and my agent reamed me out this morning when I finally picked up, for not telling her either. Brian’s privacy wasn’t up for debate with me, because the interest in my name this morning isn’t the reason I love my husband.” Justin told him.

“I’m asking so I know who we have to prepare when the press starts finding them.” Ted told him.

“Sorry. I’m  just stressed about this, I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I just wanted this break to give Brian a chance to relax. I hate feeling like we have to defend ourselves, even though you asked because your the one having to do it. And it’s new to me since my career doesn’t have this kind of exposure.” Justin told him.

“I’m about to add even more stress.” Ted told him, as they enter the pool room.

Ted had no doubt the reflective glass was so they could see out but no one could see in. Justin gave Brian a place he could be without the outside world invading no matter how hard they tried. Ted couldn’t see a reason Brian shouldn’t have married Justin when everything was done to protect Brian.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Emmett told Ted, as Drew stayed back.

“You shouldn’t have felt like you had to. I would have understood, but both of you did what you thought was best for you. Now we need to sit down and talk about where we go from here, because there’s more I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.” Ted told all of them.

“Did you find out who leaked our marriage?” Brian asked.

“Cynthia’s working on that now. Once I find out we’ll handle that too. But your marriage isn’t the only problem we’re dealing with.” Ted told Brian, looking at Emmett.

“Drew and I talked about it, but we don’t see a reason to change anything,” Emmett commented.

“You two won’t have a choice,” Ted told them.

“Why?” Brian asked.

“Because the towel boy decided to announce it for Emmett.” Ted told them.

“WHAT!!!… How could he???…” Emmett asked, devastated.

“I’m going to kill that motherfucker, do you understand me.” Drew told Ted, wrapping Emmett in his arms and trying to comfort him.

“He hasn’t told anyone who you are, so you still have an out. Ben offered to come and help Emmett dismiss it as nothing but gossip by making it look like he and Emmett are trying again. If we choose that direction, you can’t come near Emmett for a while. Which also means killing the motherfucker is off the table.” Ted told him.

“It could work.” Emmett told Drew, hating the idea.

“No, it wouldn’t, because I won’t sit around watching you with someone else. I’m tired of pretending there's anything wrong with who I love.” Drew told Emmett.

 “How will your fiancee feel about it?” Ted asked.

“Sierra probably likes Emmett more than she likes me.” Drew told him.

“Is she going to like dealing with what people are going to say when it looks like you used her?” Ted asked.

“She and I talked about it, and she told me she would support me if I ever fell in love.” Drew told them.

“I want you both to discuss this and decide what you want to do, while I talk to Brian.” Ted told Emmett and Drew. 

“The only thing I see with you and Justin is going to be people trying to find out everything. Justin’s life will really limit them. The marriage being only a year old helps us, because Brian was no longer making headlines being the bad boy of rock. Unfortunately, that wasn’t true for the previous two years you two were together. Even during year two, you were seen with others.” Ted told Brian.

“The key word is seen. Nothing happened, but they were happy to act like it did.” Brian told him.

“It won’t matter.” Ted told him.

“Brian and I left our relationship open the first year. It wasn’t exclusive and we both agreed. The second year that changed, and being seen with others, then disappearing, became what people expected. After we were married, he just started disappearing, since we no longer cared what anyone expected.” Justin told him.

“And all because you did something I didn’t expect the night we met.” Brian smiled.

“By the end of the night I wanted to see if your dick in my ass would really magically shut you up.” Justin said, kissing him.

“Okay boys, Uncle Teddy needs your attention now. What I was trying to say is, if asked, what you want me to say, three years or two?” Ted asked.

“Two?” Justin asked Brian.

“For Gus, it would be better, and we really didn’t call it a relationship until then.” Brian tells him.

“Emmett, what am I doing with you, Ben or Drew?” Ted asked.

“Me.” Drew told him.

“Hopefully, the reporter Michael told will sit on this, trying to find out which Ironman. But we need to make sure Sierra is ready too.” Ted told them.

“Justin, you said your family is used to not being told anything, are there problems?” Ted asked wanting to cover everything.

“No. Both of them were just shocked that I married Brian.” Justin answered.

“They were hoping for stockbroker, not rockstar.” Brian joked.

“Dad got over it, when you kicked his ass at the golf tournament. But to answer your question, my parents aren’t the ‘home for every holiday’ kind of people. After Molly and I left the house, they jumped back into the social whirl. My Dad wasn’t thrilled I was gay, but he lives with it; while my mother turned into a Dark Angel fan, for her new son. One thing they understood because of our life, was what the press will do if they smell gossip, and so they kept it to themselves.” Justin told him.

“Brian’s family knows what they’ll lose if they talk. Mel and Lindsay know you two got married, but they were shocked at finding it out through the press. I'm dealing with Michael through Mel, and I have a feeling Lindsay’s hurt right now. I'm only telling you this because we know Lindsay sometimes reacts like Michael when Brian does something without telling her.” Ted told them.

“They knew Justin and I were together.” Brian told him.

“So, likely Lindsay was thrilled that she got to know when Michael didn’t. Now she’s dealing with the fact that she didn't get to know it all. If it becomes a problem then I need to know.” Ted told him.

“Here’s the part I’m telling you, not asking either of you. Michael is out. I’m done letting either of you show him the loyalty he didn’t show either of you at the diner yesterday. I’m also enforcing the NDA he signed, if asked, as the reason for termination. He doesn’t get to shit on Emmett or you any longer. Deb wasn’t calling either of you because she was upset, but because she was worried, and she wants you to call when you’re ready for her to meet Justin. I told her already that Mel and I will deal with Michael. I’ll be arranging for new numbers for all of you, which will only I’ll have, it’s up to you who else gets them. I’ve also canceled any interviews that were scheduled until both of you are ready to talk.” Ted told them.

“Emmett, if you and Drew need to stay here, it’s fine,” Justin told them.

“Since he bought a fortress it would make sense,” Ted told them.

“You can stay too Ted. You look like you need some sleep.” Justin told him, making Ted think Justin was really too much of a saint and that he was attracted to Brian because he needed a little sin in his life.

“Actually I just need to deal with this stuff right away. I have a life I’d like to try to live myself.” Ted told them.

“Keeping your own secrets, Teddy?” Emmett teased, not wanting to think about the rest.

“I didn’t know until Blake told me.” Ted answered.

“Now that you do?” Brian asked.

“It’s no one else’s business.” Ted said, which Brian and Emmett understood.