Michael was smirking when he heard Blake saying that Joan was refusing help. They didn’t know Joan the way Michael did, and he felt vindicated that they couldn’t ‘help’. Michael was standing as close as he could get, planning to make his move to remind Brian that he was the only one who understood Brian and his family. Michael rolled his eyes when the blond walked over, thinking the guy needed to stop acting like Brian belonged to him.

“What did she say?” Blake asked Justin.

“She agreed to go to the rehab.” Justin told him.

“How did you get her to agree?” Brian asked.

“I used her self righteous need to be right against her. She plans to prove us all wrong, so I goaded her into doing it.” Justin told him.

“I’m truly sorry.” Brian said, looking over at Blake.

“What for, it’s what we wanted her to do.” Blake told him.

“But now your stuck dealing with St Joan.” Brian smirked.

“Trust me, she isn’t the worst I’ve dealt with, or even the most deluded. I don’t really care if she likes me, since for the first few weeks she’s going to hate me. I also need to make sure you keep everyone away from her until she’s through the detox and until we have time to deal with why she turned to drinking in the first place.” Blake told Brian.

“In other words I need to keep Claire away.” Brian commented.

“I don’t think she’s going to want your mother to get better. Which means she’ll do what she can to convince Joan we, and not the drinking, are the problem. Eventually Joan will have to do that for herself, but for now she wants to believe we’re making an issue out of something that isn’t an issue for her. I need to push her out of her comfort zone, and keep her away from the people who let her pretend there wasn’t a problem in the first place. I called a place out of town that has an opening, and the DA is willing to release her to me today.” Blake told him.

“We’ll go with Blake. So why don’t you and Justin get out of here.” Brett told him.

“Are you guys kidding? Nothing is going to change Brian’s mother.” Michael interrupted.

“Is there a reason you’re still here?” Brian asked, not really wanting an answer. Instead, he walked over to Brandon.

Michael watched Brian walking off, getting angry at everyone for getting involved in his ‘best friend’s’ business. When Justin started to follow him, Michael wanted to say something, but for once he kept quiet, because knew he needed to convince everyone to be at the dinner he had planned.

“Look, I know we got off to a bad start, but it’s because we both care about Brian. Can we try to bury the hatchet?” Michael asked Justin, getting strange looks from everyone after his earlier performance.

“I doubt we could, unless Brian stopped wanting me.” Justin said bluntly, trying to figure out Michael’s new angle.

“Then I’m going to ask for my mother, who wants us all to get along. So could you at least do that for the woman who gave Brian a mother better than the one you're actually helping?” Michael asked him, while ignoring Carl, who stopped to hear what Michael was saying.

“So far your mother hasn’t had a problem with us.” Justin answered.

“Jesus. Look, the gang has a tradition of dinner with my mother every Sunday. I just wanted to make sure the guys don’t bail on her, the way they have on me. For once, can everyone stop being selfish and think about her?” Michael said, looking at Brian when he walked back with Brandon in tow.

“I thought we could take Brandon to lunch.” Brian said to Justin.

“What about Sunday? I wanted to make sure Ma knows who can be there.” Michael asked, when they started walking off. 

“Since Deb will likely call all of us, there’s no need to worry about it.” Ted answered for all of them, following Blake to Carl’s office.

Michael started after Brian, intent on inviting himself on their lunch date, only to have Carl stop him.

“Your mother better not be sorry she agreed to this dinner, son.” Carl warned him.

“Right now she should be sorry she’s desperate enough to keep you around.” Michael told him, stomping off.

Brian thought about dinner with Deb, and even though Michael was likely using this for some other reason, it would be a good time to get Drew into the mix. He’d been trying to figure out a way to get Emmett and Drew in the same place. He thought about the club, but it had too many avenues for Emmett to escape from dealing with Drew. 

After dealing with Joan, seeing Deb would remind him again that all mothers weren’t his. Justin’s mother was too new in Brian’s life, and in a way he didn’t want to take that from Brandon. They both needed someone of their own. Not that Brian didn’t eventually plan to include her in his life. He just didn't want to explain his past to her while his relationship with Justin was so new.

“Why did you change her mind?” Brian asked as they all got in the car.

“I guess because even though you don’t see it changing anything for either of you, you still wanted her to get better. I could tell that even though you sat there like you didn’t care what she did, you do care. I didn’t do for any other reason but for you.” Justin told him.

“I’m still amazed she agreed.” Brandon added.

“She agreed because she really doesn’t believe she has a problem. I might not know her that well but it wasn’t hard to get a read on her. She needs to feel like she’s right and wants to be able to hold it over Brian’s head.” Justin told them.

“Like the way she held her religion over my head all her life, making sure to remind me that all I’ve ever done was disappoint her.” Brian commented.

“Only because you weren’t willing to pretend everything was perfect with the Kinneys.” Brandon told him.

“And you’re the reason too.” Brian joked.

“God, don’t I know. She spent the whole night telling the hospital staff that my mother lured Jack to sin and I was the result of all their sinning. Man, I really didn’t need a reminder that my mother and Jack did the deed.” Brandon said, wrinkling his nose.

“Really, you two joke about this?” Justin asked.

“We don’t let it mean anything to us. St Joan can pretend all she wants, but Jack only married her because he didn’t have a choice when she got knocked up with Claire. She can try to paint the picture that they were a loving couple and Jack was lured away, but Brandon’s mother wasn’t the first, or the last. Just the one who ended up with another kid that Jack shit all over.” Brian told Justin.

“At least we hope I’m the only other one.” Brandon told Brian.

“After you he went in to fix the problem. Not that he said it was why he did it. Instead he told Joan he didn’t need any more reasons for her to add to his time in prison with her.” Brian told him.

“He should have worn a condom.” Brandon mentioned.

“Yep, but I’m glad he didn’t, since I have you.” Brian said in a voice that was sickeningly sweet.

“Aww, you love me, big bro.” Brandon replied in kind.

“Okay children, can we change the subject?” Justin asked.

“What do you want to talk about?” Brian asked.

“Why would Michael want all of you to have dinner at his mother’s house? I don’t get it.” Justin asked them.

“He wants Brian, Emmett, and Ted there, since until you and Brian started seeing each other Michael still had his minions.” Brandon pointed out.

“Fuck you.” Brian told him.

“I get that part. It’s just, why bother to guilt me, when he’d rather pretend I don’t exist?” Justin asked them.

Brandon let them know his theory. “Because even if Michael doesn’t want to believe it, Brian wouldn’t show unless you agreed to it. He likely thinks he can make you look bad, but he has to get you and Brian around him to see it.” 

“By what, starting a fight with me?” Justin asked.

“That wouldn’t get him anywhere.” Brian assured Justin.

“It’s worked in the past. And Michael isn’t anything if not predictable. He uses what worked in the past, not even willing to believe it won’t always lead to the same result. It’s like when he was seeing Dr Dave, he liked that you weren’t happy about it.” Brandon told Brian.

“I wasn’t happy with the way Michael was treating everyone. Dr Dave wasn’t bad as long as I didn’t have to deal with him.” Brian commented.

“Yeah. And when you started encouraging Michael to give him a chance, that’s when he stopped wanting him around.” Brandon told him.

“You think he’ll try that again? Because right now I’d gift wrap Michael for anyone who wanted him.” Justin commented to Brandon.

“Yeah, but when they opened the present they’d ask for the receipt to return it.” Brandon joked.

“Brandon.” Brian said warningly.

“What, you want me to pretend I give two shits for the little asshole?” Brandon asked.

“No. It’s just that Michael would be a nonrefundable gift to anyone who got him.” Brian smirked as they laughed.

“So, are we going? I sort of want to let Michael try to mess with me.” Justin asked Brian.

“He’s not even in your league. But hey, if he wants to mess with the guy who managed St Joan, let the games begin.” Brian told him.

“You know, I might be willing to crash dinner just to see it.” Brandon told Brian.