BRITIN - A WEEK LATER, SATURDAY MORNING

BRIAN

There is a distinct chill where my hot husband is supposed to be lying. I feel the sheet, then look at his bedside table, his monitor is gone. I look at my side and mine is switched off. With a smile I head to the bathroom then the bedroom.

MJ’s BEDROOM

I chuckle softly as Lilah trots ahead then chirps at the door. Slowly but surely, Milo opens it and they both pad downstairs.

“Thanks.” I whisper and step inside.

My heart almost explodes with love and laughter as I take in the beautiful scene. She is sitting up, grinning at me, but it is Justin that is making my heart skip a beat. He always does, but since MJ came along, it's more so. Somehow, he has managed to get all of himself into her crib. Jen had said not to get her a bed until she is at least three; I was confused and he was embarrassed. Then she took me to one side and explained that when Molly would cry in the night, Justin would get in and comfort her. His sperm donor insisted she have a bed, so she got used to it. It took a good few screaming and crying nights to break the habit...she was screaming for Justin and he was crying like a pansy ass baby for her.

“Hey, beautiful.” I call out, and her arms go up.

“Dadadada.” She buries her face in my neck, and I chuckle again. Seems he has given her banana cookies as she smells of them. “Let's go downstairs for a minute so you can see Granny Alice, and…”

“Give her to me.” Alice whispers, startling me a little. She has a very soft tread when it comes to MJ...not because she doesn't want to scare her, far from it, this is so she can catch her in any act of naughtiness. And there's one thing she is, with all our genetics, and that is naughty! “You try and unkink his knots.”

She shuts the door quietly behind her and I gaze at the gorgeousness that is Justin. And to think that if it wasn't for me staying with him for that year, he would have given up. Not that it would've caused a problem, because I know my Sunshine would've made it anyway. No, what is special about it, is that it was also the year I asked for it to be just him and me…

Start of flashback

BRIAN AND JUSTIN’S TOWNHOUSE, NEW YORK - EIGHT YEARS AGO

LOUNGE

BRIAN

I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life, even though I know he won't say no, because this is all he has wanted. I give the room a quick check as I hear his key in the door.

“Hey!” He calls out as his messenger bag and portfolio hit the floor. “How was your day?”

“Great…” I greet him with a glass of wine,  but before I hand it to him, I kiss him hello, soft, deep and sweet. When I pull away, he steps forward just like I did after he kissed me when I almost fired him all those years ago, after he handed my balls to Eyeconics, by saying orange. “...wanna do it raw tonight and every night for the rest of our lives together?” I call over my shoulder as I head back to the lounge. The next sound is the glass hitting the floor, then silence. “I need an answer because…”

“Are you asking me to marry you again?” He whispers as he comes in, his eyes as big as saucers.

“No! Hell no! Not after the last time! I am…”

“What have you done in…” He is looking around the room in shock. “...is that a picnic?”

“Yeah. Are you hungry and going to answer my question?”

“Yes and yes.” He walks up smiling his eyes bright. “Which is first?”

“The pic...where are you going?”

“To clean up and get another glass! What was that anyway?” He calls rushing out of the room.

“Barolo 2008.” I smile and wait for him to come straight back, this is his absolute favourite year for Barolo. “Yes, I said 2008. Now get a glass!”

“You’re something, you know that?”

“Your one and only something. This wine is not going to drink itself.” Ten minutes later, we are just sitting, staring into the fire, sipping wine and playing with each others fingers.

“Why? And don’t even think about asking if I am talking about the picnic!” He grins.

“Because, like I said before you went, it was only time before we saw each other again, and it’s time for this commitment to you. To us.”

“You…” His voice cracks and he takes a gulp of wine before sitting astride me. “...are the most secretly romantic man I know.”

“Hmm. So...come and be made…” I drop my head onto his shoulder as my phone rings; he sighs and starts to get up. I shake my head again his eyes go wide as I turn it off. “Switch off yours as well.”

“Does he know you are with me?” He quickly turns it off then slides both phones to the other side of the room. “I will owe you a new one if it is damaged in anyway. So, does he?”

“No, he thinks I am in Chicago, as does everyone else.”

“Chicago? Everyone?”

“Yep. I told them that I am trying to set up a branch of Kinnetic there. And the everyone means everyone, well, apart from Cyn, and I suspect Ted knows something’s up but values his assets.”

“Wow. You...you lied to him?!” He starts to giggle, I do love his giggle. “He is going to be pissed when he finds that out.”

“Are you going to tell him?” He stops moving entirely and then holds my chin. “Because I won’t until there is a need to...you need me, we need us, more than he needs me.”

The kiss blooms from one of relief and gratitude; me for him saying yes, and him...he later told me...for putting him first. Then it changes as our lust and excitement gets to us. The food is forgotten. All that we care about right now is this moment. I am taken back to when I asked him to marry me and how we made love, not fucked or screwed, how we made love on the floor at Britin. I slowly pull away from his mouth and start to undress him, he reciprocates and soon we are naked.

“Think I will explode the moment…”

“You are inside me. Me too, Sunshine, me too.” Again the wide eyed stare. “Uh, this is where you take me to heaven.”

“But...I have to…” He stammers.

“Already done, just need you.” I get onto my hands and knees and almost lose it as he slides the butt plug out. “Justin…”

“I’m coming.” He whispers, and five minutes later we both do. As we lay replete in each others arms, I run my fingers through his hair and he sighs. “Will never forget this. Never.”

“Me neither. You need to cut your nails, I have dents.” I rub my hip where he gripped.

“Hmmm.” He yawns, and although part of me is a little put out that he is going to sleep, I pull the eiderdown over us, then chuckle. “What?”

“Just remembered the one time you fell asleep when I was trying to ravish you.”

“I fell asleep?!” He sits up indignantly. “When?! When have I ever fallen asleep on you?!”

“At the beginning of Rage. You and he were brainstorming ideas, and you fell asleep.”

“Really?!” He searches my face and the blush coming up his cheeks tells me he only sees the truth there. “Well, you can eradicate that memory right now!”

NEXT MORNING

BALCONY

“You okay? You don't have any regrets do you?” Blue eyes look worriedly at me.

“Not a one. But do have two, no three questions. Please, can we not tell anyone we are…”

“Nobody's business but ours. Second question?” He grins and tops up my coffee, then sits on the other end of the sofa and puts his feet in my lap. “Well? Second question?”

“Second and third rolled into one. Do you want to get married or have kids in the future?” He goes still. “Just tell me truthfully, is that something you want?”

“It is, but I want you as well, and if you don't want…”

“I do, I really do, but like this, it has to be when we feel it is right...

End of flashback

“How the hell did he get in there?” I mutter as I unlock the front of the crib, then the sides. Slowly, he unfurls like a blossoming flower, and I wait for the chill of no blankets and the tingle of the blood flowing back into his legs to hit him. It doesn't take long for him to inhale sharply and open his eyes. “Morning.” I help him up and start to massage his arm. His hand is so much better these days, even in the cold.

“Morning. Where's MJ?” He mumbles as I lead him to the en suite and load up his brush. “She grimbled. You had a long week, and…”

“You mean grumbled. With Alice. And we both did. I will get up with her tomorrow. Brush.”

“No, definitely mean grimbled.” He smacks his tongue and seems to be waking up a bit more. “Combo of grizzled and grumbled...grimbled.”

“Uh huh, and who is that word from?” I ask knowingly.

“Our Pitbull of course. Jeez, I can't wait for tomorrow just to be able to see all of the family and find out what has led to the Stark/Ugerstacht lockdown.” He looks pensive. “You don't think one of them is sick do you?”

“No, they would say. Now come on and stop worrying, you will get wrinkles!”

“Boys!” Alice bellows. “Come down and rescue Lilah and Milo...she’s raiding their food again!”

“The appetite is all you!” I grin down at his peeved expression.

“And the impishness is all you!” He retorts, flattening my bed head. “She copies everything you do. Any you keep, don't even try it, you keep picking at the salmon before you feed them!”

“I do not pick. I test…”

“She is...MJ, do not eat the kibble! That is not a cracker!”

“You are changing her nappy!” He orders, and I do nothing but watch his angry ass bounce out and smile.

TREEHOUSE - SUNDAY AFTERNOON

LOUNGE

CARL

“Let me repeat that.” I order. We are all in shock, shock and relief that we know what is wrong and relieved that it is not any of them. “He is sick, needs bone marrow, and you have all been getting tested?”

“Yes.” Zee grimaces.

“And so now what happens?” Debs asks, covering up DJ and MJ, who mercifully will never know that shithead.

I smile at my two great granddaughters looking like two peas in a pod. Each with their curls and angelic until they are making devilment looks. DJ has inherited the dark curls of her parents, and MJ the golden red ones of her mother, Daph, and her fathers. Although she recommended a surrogate, when it came down to it, there was only one that they wanted to be the mother of their child, their chief supporter and champion, Daph.

“He finds a match, and we help,  I guess. There is no…”

“What do you mean, find a match? You guys can't donate?” Gus looks around in confusion. “None of you guys match him?”

“Nope.” Faal scratches his head. “None of the family does, well none of the Stark family do.”

“But how come?” Justin frowns.

“Biologically he isn't my brother.” Luc scrubs his face. “Damn hell of a shock. Let me give you a bit of history of us. We, as in Luther and I, were adopted. We have always known that. We assumed that as we were adopted together, that we are brothers, but we're not.”

“So, could anybody be tested to see if they match?” Jenny looks around us all, daring one of us to challenge her. “Well, apart from Dad and Hunter, but we could all be tested?”

“Yes, but why are you suggesting this?” Mel asks quietly.

“Because he needs to serve his time!” She asserts. “He is not using being sick to get out of jail time!”

“Did any of you say anything?” Faal looks around the brothers and Zee and they are looking at Jenny in wonderment, shaking their heads.

“Say what to who?” Leda demands.

“Anything to Jenny.” Faal drops a kiss on her head before lifting her chin so that she is looking at him. “Because that is exactly what Zee said.”