Brian hated the situation; Justin was feeling trapped and he was feeling protective.  Justin had always been very resourceful and independent; his independence the cause of some of their current problems.  But Brian was not going to bring up the dancing as it was something they could not undo.  They were going to address their current situation in the best way possible, put the information out in public, not hide and hope it went away. 

He grabbed the soap and lathered the bar in his hands, inhaling the familiar silky sandalwood and vanilla.  He liked Prada and even the Prada's line of cleansers fit his image of a successful man.  Justin didn't really care one way or another about shampoo and cleansers; he just didn't like anything too strong as it bothered his allergies.  Justin loved the way Brian smelled and inhaled deeply when given the opportunity. Brian was intent on taking Justin's mind off the current snag in their lives, at least for a little while.  He knew the easiest and most pleasant way to do this was to get Justin in the shower and make love to him there.  They both loved water and making love under the shower spray brought back fond memories for both of them.  There was something primeval about water spraying down from above as you entered your partner in the most intimate joining possible. 

Brian stood behind Justin, running his hands on Justin's shoulders and then gently massaging his neck.

"Relax.  We're in this together and everyone is supporting you."

At Brian's words, Justin tensed instead of relaxing.  Brian leaned over and kissed his neck gently and then dug his thumbs and forefingers into the tightened neck muscles. 

"I love you,"  Brian said as he continued the massage, knowing those words would be magical as well.  Justin no longer wondered if Brian loved him and he had come to accept Brian's difficulty with saying them out loud, but when he heard them, it always resulted in a  warm feeling running through his body; a kind of melting of the heart.  Brian chose the times he spoke those words and that made them even more special. 

"Mmm," was the only response Brian received but he felt Justin's neck relax a little and knew his words helped. 

Brian moved his hands to wash Justin's chest, enjoying the slippery feel of the skin beneath his hands.  He stopped to play with Justin's nipples for a few moments, happy to feel the hardened nubs beneath his fingertips.  Brian picked up the soap to lather his hands and washed down Justin's back and sides.  Moving around to his front side again, he played with his stomach as he brought his body next to Justin's back.  Feeling Justin push back against Brian, he dropped his hands down to Justin's cock that was jutting out from his body.  His slippery hands glided up and down the shaft, causing Justin to moan in enjoyment. 

"Like that?" Brian whispered in his ear.

"I need you.  Now!" Justin grunted as he felt the familiar rushing in his body.

Brian took his hands and opened Justin's ass cheeks and played with the pucker, sliding his finger along the outside of the sensitive skin.

"Now Brian.  I'm ready."  He pushed back again and leaned forward a little so Brian would have better access.

Brian gently pushed into the tight ring and Justin sighed in a mixture of relief and ecstasy.  He needed Brian, needed to be joined with his partner, and needed the connection that only lovemaking can bring.  His body needed relief from the teasing and arousal that Brian had quickly brought to it.  Brian completed him and he was thankful he was in his life. They had been through so much to get to this point in life and he was happy that they had persevered.  He pushed back; meeting Brian's thrust and quickly found himself on the precipice of release.  Wanting to postpone the ride but needing a release, the choice was taken from him when Brian grabbed his cock giving him the added stimulation to push him over the edge.  Justin's climax triggered Brian's and then continued to stand under the raining water as their bodies adjusted. 

Justin felt relaxed and peaceful; a feeling that was refreshing after the last few hours. 

"Thank you," he said as he turned around and kissed Brian.

"My pleasure.  Why don't we finish our shower and..."

"Don't.  Let's enjoy this.  Real life will return soon enough."

Brian nodded his head in agreement and returned to his shower ritual.

Forty-five minutes later they returned to the kitchen to start the unpleasant task of addressing the stalker.  Justin was wearing a pair of cargo pants and a blue T-shirt with the MOMA logo on it.  He put on a fresh pot of coffee.  After carefully folding the paper and stacking it on the counter, he wiped down the table with a damp cloth. He grabbed the cloth by the sink and wiped down the counter next to the coffee maker and then wiped an imaginary mark off the stainless steel fridge. 

"Justin, we're not getting ready for a dinner party, just come and sit at the table."  Brian motioned toward the chair next to where he was sitting.  Justin walked to the cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug with the MOMA logo on it and stood by the coffee maker waiting for the coffee to drip into the carafe below.  Brian didn't say anything but nodded his head when Justin motioned toward him to see if he wanted some fresh coffee as well.

"We're only doing this to make you safe." Brian ran his hand through his short brown hair, pushing his bangs back.  He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a wife beater.  Justin always wondered how Brian never managed to get cold in the house, but he never tired of seeing the sculpted muscles of his partner on display.

Justin filled both cups of coffee and ritualistically added the appropriate amount of cream and sugar to Brian's cup.  He blew over his cup and then took a tentative sip.  Giving Brian a half smile, he handed him his cup and sat down at the table. 

"What will they think?" he asked in a soft voice, almost as if he asked it quietly it would soften the impact.

"Think?" Brian said.  He looked at Justin trying to ascertain the meaning of the question and waited for an answer.

Justin took a deep breath, hesitating to put his thoughts into words.  Once he acknowledged his fears, somehow they became more real, not just his imagination running wild. "You, my mom, and Daphne are the only ones that know that I was supporting myself through dancing.  As far as everyone else knows, I was working as a waiter when I was in New York.  It's bad enough that the whole world is going to know I was a dancer in a few short hours, but the whole world doesn't know me.  Carl, Debbie, Mel.... They all know ME; well at least they probably think they know me." Justin placed his head in his hands, not sure if he could continue this conversation. 

Brian did not enjoy angst and hated when anyone was upset.  He definitely hated when his partner was upset. It was painful to see the man he loved in so much pain, but at least this pain was easily controlled. He could understand the practice of buying things to distract someone from the uncomfortable or to cheer them up.  Receiving gifts always made people smile and the old adage that you can't cry when you're smiling was true.  He wished he could take Justin away for some much needed retail therapy but understood that this was one time where the uncomfortable feelings and tasks had to be addressed.

"He that is without sin cast the first stone," Brian said, using words to provide the levity he desired.

Justin looked up and opened his mouth in astonishment.

"I was an altar boy when I was younger, shoot me.  But really Justin, Debbie got pregnant by a drag queen.  Mel did a spread in Playboy.  We've all done things that we aren't proud of."

"Mel did a spread in Playboy?" Justin repeated. His eyes got big as he repeated the statement.

"Yeah, Linds told me about it.  Helped pay her way in law school when her family cut her off after they learned she was a muncher."

Justin scrunched his nose and eyes in distaste and shook his head to get rid of the vision of Mel posing for a centerfold.

"Okay, we all have our sordid pasts.  What did you do?" Justin decided this game was a great distraction, silently hoping it would derail the phone calls he needed to make.

"Remember Judge Roy?  Stuck to the seat in his chambers..."

Giggling as he remembered the pictures on the news, he smiled for the first time this morning. "But that was different.  Did you do anything you regret?"

"Of course.  But we're not here to rehash all my regrets.  We want to finish our phone calls before Tim calls." Brian, never one to share many personal secrets, picked up Justin's phone and gave it to him.

"This isn't over.  We're going to talk some more, mister."  Justin swiped his phone and looked up Mel's number, pushing the dial button when he located it.

"Melanie Marcus please," he said.  Looking at Brian for the much-needed support, he sighed in resignation as the moment of truth was finally here and he could no longer avoid sharing his past.

"Mel, its Justin.  Do you have a minute?"

"My client just left." Looking at her calendar, she noted the next client wasn't scheduled for two hours.  "Sure.  What do you need?"

"I found out more about the guy who sent the pictures."  Justin laid his phone on the table, pushing the speaker button.  Brian grabbed his hand and held it for support while his other hand was placed supportively on his back. 

"Did he call again?" Mel leaned back in her leather chair as she grabbed a legal pad to write down information from the conversation.

"It's kind of a long story.  He told his best friend that we were dating."

"Dating?  Justin..."

"Mel, can you just let Justin tell his story.  This is hard enough without you playing lawyer and giving him the second degree,"  Brian said as he picked up the phone, almost willing Mel to see his frustration.

"His friend went to the gallery to check and see if I was real.  His friend thought something was wrong with the scenario.  After seeing my picture at the front of the gallery, he realized that I was the dancer he'd hired for his friend's birthday party a few years ago.  His friend came to the opening and saw me and it appears that he's developed an elaborate history for us.  Luckily he ran into Carol and thankfully they started sharing information.  Carol called us last night after the friend left. " Justin said the tale as quickly as possible, not taking any breaks for his emotions to come through.  He hoped Mel did not want further details.

"Wait a minute.  He knew you before this started.  The pictures he sent were from your time as a dancer and you danced for him?"

"Yes."

"When were you a dancer? How did he get pictures?  Were you ever involved with him?"

"I was an Erotic dancer for a bit; it helped pay the bills."  Justin swallowed hard and he could feel himself getting warm and was thankful she wasn't there to see his embarrassment.  "But I never did anything but dance.  No, I was never involved with him," Justin yelled.

Brian shushed him and rubbed his back in a supportive measure.  "Calm down, Sunshine.  She's being the lawyer right now, not your friend."

Melanie heard Brian's words and realized their impact.

"Justin, I wasn't accusing you.  I just need the facts so that I can protect you.  If this guy had a relationship with you...   Forget that.  It really doesn't matter if he did or didn't have a relationship with you, you don't have to prove anything to get a protective order.  I'm just trying to understand how this happened."

Justin wiped at his eyes where pools of water were threatening to become tears.  He knew no one but Brian could see him; thankfully Skype was only used when he talked to Carol about work, but he didn't like to have anyone see his tears.  "I was really stubborn and independent.  I wanted to support myself and dancing for "Dancing Beauties" was a great way to earn money at night and be able to paint during the day.  Evidently, the same friend who talked to Carol had hired the company to provide his friend with a dancer on his birthday.  At these parties, people take photos and often give them to the celebrant afterward. This guy kept his photos and when he saw me at the opening a few weeks ago, decided to develop some elaborate fairy tale about the two of us together."

"Shit!!! You aren't letting him out of your sight, Kinney?" Mel said as she furiously made note of the conversation. Something in her feared that this could get ugly and dangerous.

"No, we've got that covered.  He'll be with me or another one of the gang at all times until we catch this guy."

"Good.  So you have his name.  Give me all the particulars and I'll take care of the legal stuff."

"One more thing, Mel..." Justin took a sip of his coffee and swallowed hard before continuing. "I'm going to go public about the dancing.  My agent, Carol, is calling a critic and he's going to interview me and post a piece in today or tomorrow's feeds.  It will be all over the news, or maybe it won't even be a blip on the radar.  But whatever it is, it will no longer be hidden.  I don't want to watch myself forever and I don't want the next nut job thinking he can blackmail me because he has pictures."

"Do you think that will make him mad?"

"Not sure, but I need to do this.  I can't put Brian at risk."

"Ok.  Justin, don't beat yourself up over this.  We all do things we regret.  I know I have and .... The people we love accept us and all our flaws." Melanie thought back to her spread in Playboy and how Lindsay acted when she found out.  In the end, it didn't matter, but at the time, it was difficult.  Brian obviously knows about the dancing and appeared supportive of Justin.  She was envious of the two of them, their love finally so strong that they stood by each other.  She and Linds had to fight so hard, but this was not about her and Linds.  It was about Justin and she quickly brought her thoughts back to the present.

"Thanks, Mel.  How long will it take to get the restraining order approved?  Do you have to serve him with it?" Brian asked, wanting to know the specifics, understanding that Justin was too caught up in the information sharing to be worried about the little details.

"I'll get on it right away.  We do have to serve him, but since we know where he is, it should be pretty easy."

"Talk to you soon.  I've got to go."

"That went well," Brian said as he sipped the end of his coffee and got up to make himself a fresh cup. 

"Do you think she..."

Brian poured sugar and cream into the cup and took a tentative sip before returning to the table.  The sun shone outside and the blue skies were bright with color.  The leaves floated down from the trees as the soft wind blew a gentle breeze.  Brian looked out the glass French doors that led to the back yard and noted he should call Linds and have Gus come over to play in them.  He remembered last year when Gus and Justin spent hours raking the leaves into big piles and then destroying them as they jumped in the damp leaves.  He thought they were nuts to want to jump in them, but Justin convinced him to give it a try and he accepted the call of the piles. The scent of piled leaves was unique, a kind of earthy smell with the added feel of crunch. He didn't remember ever jumping in leaves when he was a child; Joan would never have taken the time to rake them and Jack just plain didn't care. He was more interested in hanging with the "guys" at the hall rather than providing a nice looking yard for the neighbors to admire.

He heard Justin's unasked question and hated that they were even having this discussion. "She cares for you.  We all do.  We are your family and she said it herself.  We all do things we regret.  Now, I do not regret being in a relationship with you and I do not regret what you are going to do in sharing your story with Tim.  I support you 110%.  Stop second guessing what other people think. Fuck em."  Brian leaned over and gently caressed Justin's cheek and then gave him a soft kiss on his lips.  Justin closed his eyes as he took in the feelings Brian conveyed with his gestures.  He opened his eyes when Brian leaned back.

"This isn't fair.  He's the one with the whacked out ideas but I'm the one who has to be guarded. There is something wrong with this scenario." Justin picked up the pad of paper with Brian's notes on it and read Brian's notes.  John Scott.  Peter Helio.  Posing for the next piece.  Safety.  Call Carl.  Call Melanie.  Tim Callen.  Ted and press -  "Didn't Carol get the guy's number so I could call him?  Maybe I should call and tell him to talk to his friend.  We're taking this all out of proportion."

Brian put down his coffee cup and reached his hand out for Justin's.  He squeezed it tight and gave him a weak smile.

"We have his name and we've contacted the police.  We're going to be talking to Tim in a little bit.  His friend already told Carol about his concern; that is the best thing that could have happened.  Now we can act.  Calling his friend isn't going to protect you, and it could make it worse if he decides to call his friend and question him about the facts."  The clock ticked in the kitchen, marking the passage of time. 

Justin grabbed a paper napkin from the holder on the kitchen table and balled it up.  "I hate this.  If I had listened to you when I went to New York and accepted your help, we wouldn't be in this situation.  I guess I should listen to you this time."  Justin got up from the table and walked toward the living area of the house. "I'm going to my studio.  I'm obviously not helpful here.  You seem to have everything under control."  Justin wished there was a door to slam but in an open concept home, there weren't many doors. 

Brian didn't say anything nor did he try to stop him.  He understood how frustrated and helpless he felt and wished there was something he could offer Justin to placate him, but he knew there wasn't anything that could make this situation better until they were sure the threat was eliminated.  Eliminated.  How long do we have to keep guard on Justin before we feel he is safe?  Carl said that we can't have him arrested for sending pictures or notes.  He has to do something that would demonstrate to the courts that he is a threat to Justin or himself.  Shit! This keeps getting worse with each passing moment.  I almost wish he would try something so we could have him put away. Damn  Brian slammed his hand on the table in frustration. 

He had called all the people on the list and had set up for one of the gang to be with Justin at all times.  The guy hadn't made any real threats so he didn't think that an actual security company would be needed.  Of course, calling their friends and telling them about the latest development in Justin's life was not the easiest of conversations and he stressed to each of their "family" that he just wanted someone with Justin, not protect him or forbid him from doing what he wanted.  Still, he hoped the guy would actually come to Pittsburgh and show himself so they could lock him up.

He called Ted to provide him an update.

"Anything I can do, Brian.  Just ask and I'll be there."

"Thanks, Theodore.  Running Kinnetik is thanks enough for now.  You may be asked to accompany Justin occasionally, but I think I have that one locked up. "

"Speaking of Kinnetik, I hate to bring this up but we have those interviews tomorrow for the new person in the art department.  I imagine you will want to be there for those."

"Shit! I forgot about those but you're right.  This thing with Justin doesn't have a timeline and it may go on for a while.  I should be in tomorrow.  I can't watch over Justin forever."

"Okay, Brian.  Call me if you need anything."

Tim was scheduled to call about noon and he wanted to be sure Justin was able to talk.  He walked down to the studio and listened at the door.  He didn't hear any music which was a bad sign as Justin always listened to music when he painted.  He tentatively knocked on the door, but he didn't receive a response.  He waited a few moments and knocked again, but did not hear a response either.  He hated going in Justin's studio without an invitation; it was his private domain and he felt like an intruder, but he needed to talk to Justin before the phone call. Grasping the door handle, he turned it, happy that it was unlocked.  He entered the room, seeing Justin sitting on the futon, head in his hands with his head held down.

"Justin.  Tim's calling in a few minutes. We should go downstairs."  Brian bent down to look up into Justin's face and he could see the wet tear tracks on Justin's cheeks. 

"I'm sorry Brian."

"Sorry is bullshit.  You didn't cause this.  John Scott is the one who caused this.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  We're going to have Tim put the information out there and then we won't worry about anyone causing trouble in the future."

"But, what..."

Brian put his arms out and engulfed Justin in a hug, lifting his face out of his hands and a giving him a kiss on the temple. "My answer is the same as the other times we've discussed this.  I don't give a flying fuck about my business or my customers or what they think.  I only care about you and your safety.  If I lose a few accounts due to their lack of understanding that everyone has to make a living, then so be it, but I really don't care.  Carol has assured you numerous times she isn't going to stop showing your work and our friends will understand.  Stop your worrying and let's get this done." 

Justin nodded his head and wiped his tear tracks away with the back of his hand.  "Brian, I l..."

"I know.  Now let's go somewhere more comfortable where we can both sit.  I'm getting too old to crouch on the floor unless it involves fucking your sweet ass."  Brian smiled as he hit said ass with a playful slap.

Justin laughed a little at the playful slap and followed Brian to the living room where they sat on the couch.

The phone rang and Brian saw the caller ID reading Tim Callen.  He pushed the button for speakerphone.

"Hi, Tim.  Thank you for calling."

"Justin, Carol told me a little about the situation.  I agree that this is a good plan.  While this creep doesn't appear to want to sell the pictures, the next guy could."  Tim was sitting in an empty office in Carol's suite.  Carol had offered him the privacy for the interview as he did not have an office at the magazine.  He was assigned a cubicle but as a reporter, he was rarely seen in the office.  The office was small but would work well for his needs.

"Do you really think having this information out there will stop someone from selling to the tabloids?" Justin asked.  He couldn't sit and stood up, walking to the picture window in the front of the room.  He watched the leaves fall from the trees in the yard and looked up and down the empty street. We are so secluded here if only our lives could remain as secluded as our home. " I mean if the tabloids will still buy pictures, why put the information out there?  It won't really protect anything."  Justin tried one last time to avoid the interview, hoping his argument held some weight.

"Pictures are sensational.  Tabloids like sensational.  If the public knows about the existence of the pictures, they aren't as sensational." Tim looked at the artwork on the walls of the room. Carol had prints of pieces of some of the artists she represented. There was a large piece with bright reds and yellow swirls that looked like one of Justin's.  He walked over to the piece and searched for the signature and was pleased to see that it was one of Justin's.  He congratulated himself in recognizing this man's amazing work.  He knew he needed to reassure Justin that this was the correct plan of action.

"So the tabloids would still buy the pictures even if I come clean about the dancing?"  Justin frowned when he heard Tim's statement.  He held his palms up towards Brian and gave him a quizzical look, essentially asking him if this were true, but knowing Tim had no reason to lie.  Brian nodded his head in agreement and reached out to rub Justin's back again. 

"I'm not going to lie to you, Justin.  The tabloids might still buy them, but if you come out saying you used to dance, the photos lose some of their appeal.  Tabloids go for scandal. By coming out in a controlled setting - through me- you take some of the future sensationalism off the table.  The public may be interested in seeing you dancing, but the allure of a possible scandal "Pop Artist dances for Pay" has been taken away from the tabloids."  Tim talked in an even tone, trying his best to calm Justin.  He knew both he and Brian were probably freaking out about this situation.

"Okay.  I still don't like it, but I get it.  Tell it now when it's not a big deal or tell it later when you're trying to downplay the damage."  Justin sat down on the couch, slouching a little in resignation.

"Exactly. The whole truth comes out now instead of trying to defend yourself later. Plus you'll never have to worry about future accusations, blackmail or slander because they're public knowledge."

Justin took a deep breath, not even close to being ready, but it would be great if they could put all this behind them, "Alright, ask away Tim.  I trust you."

"I understand that you used to dance before you became an artist.  Can you tell me about that time in your life?"

"I'd been living in New York for about a year and I was spending so much time working two jobs that I didn't have time to paint.  I'd come to New York to paint and I was ready to leave if I didn't have time or energy to do so." He thought back to the day when he received all those bills in the mail and was about to give up, tail between his legs.

 "How'd you hear about the ‘Dancing Beauties'?"

"My really good friend, Jake told me about the company.  He worked there and it allowed him to work and attend auditions and get work as an actor.  It seemed the perfect solution." Jake had called that day and they had gone for a beer and some pool and he had shared his little secret about "Dancing Beauties".

"What did you do at Dancing Beauties?"

"I used to perform at birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties and any other gig where they wanted some fancy dancing."  Fancy dancing.  I remember the King of Babylon contest, the night I entered it to show Brian I was desirable to other guys.  I found out I really did have it in me to dance and then years later...

"Did you ever get propositioned?"

"Occasionally, but that is part of the job.  I was there to make a living, not as a gigolo so before you even ask, no I did not ever sell my body."

"Ok."

"Did people take pictures of your performance?"

"Yes."  Justin felt his heart racing as the questions got more elaborate. It was like he was on the witness stand, but he knew Tim was just doing his job.  Tim knew the basics of the situation and he needed all the pieces in order to write a short article for the feeds. 

"Do you have any of these pictures?" 

Justin drew in a breath at that question.  He knew or at least he thought he knew where that was leading, but he couldn't get the feeling that he had done something wrong as he answered the questions. 

"No.  I don't.  I just have my headshots from when I auditioned for the company."

"How long did you ‘dance'?"

"About 6 months.  I got hurt in an accident.  After the accident, I returned to Pittsburgh to paint."

"Thanks, Justin.  I think I have enough to put out a little article about the dancing.  Hopefully, this will alleviate any future problems."

"Can I see the article before you send it?" Justin asked, wanting to give final approval of his "outing".

"Sure.  I should have it ready in a few hours, I'll send you a copy.  Gone are the days when you had a week or two to get an inside scoop.  I just want you to know that I think you're doing the right thing, sharing this information.  Maybe the creepy guy will read it and realize he's dreaming."

"That would be great, but with my luck, I don't think that will happen.  Still, I appreciate the sentiment."

"I better get off and get to work.  I'll send you this in a few hours."

"Ok."

Justin looked at his phone, turning it over a few times in his hand.  He stood up and walked back to the window, looking at the street again, half surprised that it was still as quiet and suburban as before.  He knew that his world was going to change in a few hours, but for now, he took solace in the quiet that he and Brian had built together. 

"You know, it probably won't stay this quiet when the article comes out.  I can't believe you talked me into this," Justin said quietly, refusing to turn around and look at Brian.  "I can always change my mind when Tim sends me the piece."

Brian walked up to him and wrapped his arms around his neck from behind.  He kissed his neck and the top of his head.

"Justin.  You shouldn't feel regret about dancing.  You went to New York to make your way as a painter and this was only a means to an end.  At 23 you have accomplished more than most people your age.  It's just unfortunate that John is building a fantasy life as a result of a few pictures."  Brian ran his hands down Justin's taut body and cupped his ass, pulling him toward him.  "No, we, and I mean we, are going forward with this.  Maybe John will read the article and realize he's living in a fantasy world."

"Maybe."

"But for now, we take this one day at a time.  Let's go spend some time with Gus.  We haven't seen him in a few days and when you're with him he takes all your attention."

Justin turned around and kissed Brian on the lips.  "You always have great ideas." 

The two men left their home and drove to Mel and Linds where they took Gus for an afternoon of distraction.