When Brian woke up, both Justin and Marissa were gone. He didn’t want to think about why that made him sad. Before he had too much time to dwell on it, little giggles sounded from outside his door. Slipping on some jeans, he opened the door to see what his children were up to at the moment.

“We’re hungry,” Gus whined as Brian stepped out of the room.

“I’ll make toast and turkey bacon.”

“We want to go to the diner,” Tommy pouted.

“No, I have to wait until Glen comes to pick up the jeep.”

“Who’s Glen?” Gus asked as he picked up the toys that had fallen on the ground. Both boys knew not to make messes in the loft.

“He is my mechanic. He’s going see if he can fix the damage to it.”

Both boys had gawked at the dings and broken rear view mirror the day before. Brian only trusted Glen with his jeep. Since Glen didn’t get back into town until today, he had to wait. After that, he would have to rent a car until his was fixed. He was just lucky Mikey wasn’t stronger.

“What’s a mechanic?” Tommy asked.

“It’s a guy that fixes cars, stupid,” Gus said cruelly.

“Don’t call your brother stupid.”

Gus and Tommy, usually had such a great relationship. But out of the blue, he would catch Gus saying something mean to Tommy. He hoped they would grow out of it. It was his goal to stop this in its track before they end up hating each other, like he and his sister.

“But he is stupid.” Gus was glaring at Brian now.

“I’m not stupid. You’re a bitch,” Tommy responded heatedly.

“Stop. Tommy come here.”

Tommy bit his lip before walking guiltily to Brian. Sitting down on the couch, he pulled Tommy onto his lap. Looking back at Gus, he gestured him to join them. He put Gus on his other knee.

“First off. Gus, why are you saying mean things to Tommy?”

Gus looked down at his own hands before looking back at Brian. “Mommy calls him names. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“What do you mean Mommy calls him names?” There was an edge to his voice.

Gus shied away a little but still answered. “Mommy said that you didn’t want Tommy, and only took him so he wouldn’t be given to strangers. She said it’s okay to be mean to him, he’s not your real son.”

Tommy let out a cry, and turned his head into Brian’s chest.

Brian was fuming, he didn’t know what to say. Well, at least not to the kids. He knew what he wanted to say to Lindsay.

“Gus, Tommy is my real son. Just like you are my real son. I don’t know why your mother said that. It’s not okay to be mean to him.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to but Mommy says I have to be mean,” Gus cried, launching himself at Tommy.

Brian just held both boys until their tears dried up. He was completely lost on what to do now. Except for going after Lindsay to find out why she was telling Gus that. He still didn’t know where the stupid comment came from, but he wasn’t about to start that up again. Bitch could have come from him; he did say it a lot. Mostly, when the was talking about his dear mother and sister.

“Let’s only treat each other how we want to be treated, okay?” The boys nodded sadly.

When the hell did I become Mr. Rogers?

He would deal with Lindsay later.

Justin couldn’t believe he had given into his urges the night before. He blamed that damn dream for making him want that kind of comfort. Not that it was bad, or even something he want to take back. It was something that couldn’t happen again. That was a given. Brian had made it clear he wasn’t the settling down type. Not only that, but now that he was soon to be single, he thought it would be fun to have a life outside a relationship. Or at least he could lie and tell himself that he wanted that.

Pushing away those thoughts, he dressed Marissa in a blue jean dress, it had a sunflower on the front. He dressed in some of the only nice cloths he had. Khaki slacks and a dark blue button down shirt. His mother would expect him at noon. She picked an upscale French restaurant to dine. She would be meeting Marissa after lunch. Earlier when he called Ted and Erik, they agreed to take care of her while he was out. He would have to leave soon if he wanted enough time to get there on time.

“I really think this is best for him,” Ben said sadly.

Debbie looked up at her son-in-law. She knew he was right, there was no other choice. For Michael to get better he needed to be away from all of them. Luckily, his ex had volunteered to help out. Ben wasn’t very happy at the prospect to begin with, but if Michael didn’t go he would lose him anyway.

The doctors couldn’t say for sure yet, but they believed Michael suffers from Bipolar disorder. And that lead to some kind of breakdown. Now that have a guess, it was what they were going on. Debbie had called Michael’s ex, David to see if he showed any signs with him. David had admitted that was what he believed was going on. Michael’s refusal to seek treatment ended things. When she asked why he didn’t tell her, he simply said he didn’t think she would believe him. She probably wouldn’t have.

Michael had always been a little more needy than other kids. She just assumed that was the issue now, needing Brian’s attention. But it seemed like that all was more than that. David was friends with the director of an inpatient facility in Portland. He’s going to fly over, and then back with Michael. Ben knew he might not have his husband at the end of this, but at least Michael would be healthy. Usually, they would have to worry about Brian interfering, but he made his stance clear. It wasn’t his concern anymore. She knew he didn’t really mean it, but maybe it was for the best. Both needed to be apart, to get over this crush Michael’s had on him. And the need Brian had to take care of Michael.

It had been three weeks since David took Michael to Portland. Life went on and surprisingly to him, Brian wanted to spend more time together. Like now, they were enjoying dinner in Brian’s loft.

That wasn’t the only big change in their life. Brian seemed to have temporary custody of Gus. He refused to tell him what happened but from what he pieced together, Lindsay fucked up.

The facts that Justin knew was Lindsay started having an affair with the Sam guy. Two weeks ago, she was caught, in her bed with him by Mel. Melanie didn’t even seem that surprised with it. What she did next surprised everyone. She packed her shit and left. Left everything; Lindsay, Gus and her job. None of them had seen her go. It was creepy Brian said. She had fought tooth and nail to be Gus’s parent then she just gave him up. Now she just disappeared, she hadn’t even quit her job, just didn’t show back up. Justin had to agree it was odd, she just seemed to vanish into thin air.

“When are Laurel and Hardy supposed to be here?” Brian asked.

“That’s not nice. He can’t help it if he’s a little big,” Justin defended Ted.

“No, he’s the size of a killer whale. There is something wrong with him. I’ve tried to get him to go to the hospital. Erik has, you have. He just won’t. Even Debbie and Emmett tried to make him. He’s terrified they’ll say it’s a tumor or something.”

“You know what it looks like,” Justin said as he sliced carrots.

“It looks like he’s about twenty months pregnant.”

“Not quite but he does look very pregnant. He won’t even consider it though. He swears about being tested in college, and he wasn’t a carrier.”

“I don’t know what to say, Sunshine. Something is growing inside him, be it a kid or a tumor. Sooner or later whatever it is needs to come out.”

“I wish he would just take a pregnancy test. Then we would know what it isn’t.”

“Good luck with that. Boys! Go wash your hands then set the table,” Brian yelled to the kids. He placed everything they needed on the table.  

Justin mixed the carrots up into the salad. It was the only way the boys would eat them. And the salad was probably the only thing Brian would eat.

The buzzer sounded, telling them that their guests had arrived. Justin buzzed them in before returning to finish the last of the salad off.

He heard Ted and Erik enter better he saw them. It had been a few weeks since the last time he saw them. Ted had taken vacation, Brian thought it was because he couldn’t fit in his suits anymore.

“Hey, wel-

Anything Justin was about to say was cut off when he saw Ted. This had to stop, it had too. How could Erik being a medical professional let Ted walk around with something unknown making him that large?” Ted was bigger than Justin’s Aunt Rhea before the stomach surgery.

“I forgot something at the store, I’ll be right back,” Justin said before grabbing his wallet and keys, running out the still open door.

“We’re just about to start dinner,” Brian yelled.

Justin wasn’t listening, he was going to end one question in his head once and for all. Was Ted pregnant? Or was he really sick? He couldn’t answer the sick one, but he could the pregnancy one. The store on the corner sold anything a person could need, last minute like. He grabbed six pregnancy tests and headed for the cashier. He had one idea how to get Ted to take the test, and Brian wasn’t going to like it.

Now with his bag of six pregnancy tests. Hopefully, Ted will fall for his mechanisms.

Everyone looked at him oddly when he got back but they refrained from saying anything. He set the bag on the couch but didn’t tell anyone what was in it. Dinner was good, but the conversation a little stilted. After the kids finished, they took off for their little sanctuary. Marissa was sitting in the swing Brian had gotten her, it was her favorite thing.

“So, what’s in the bag, Sunshine? Flavored lube? Anal beads?”

“Brian, the kids are just over there,” Justin said pointing to the kids.

“They aren’t paying any attention to us. Seriously, what’s in the bag?”

“Pregnancy tests.”

“Why the hell do you have those?” Brian asked suspiciously.

“Calm down. It’s just a bit of fun. Don’t worry, no more kids for us.”

“Then what is this?”

Justin pulled the first two out. “Erik and I will take these first two.”

“Umm… Why am I taking a pregnancy test? I’m not a carrier,” Erik asked.

“It’s just a bit of fun, like I said. Come on, you first. After you take it, recap it and put it face down on the sink.”

“Fine,” Erik said, grabbing the test and going into the restroom.

Next was Justin, then Ted and finally after practically begging Brian, he did the same.

“Okay, let’s get the results,” Justin said. It was finally going to come out.

Going into the restroom he picked up all four tests.

“I still don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Ted murmured. Looking at Brian and Erik though, Justin knew why they had so easily given in. They wanted to know the truth too.

He mixed the tests up then turned the first over.

“Negative,” he said.

“Of course it is,” Brian said.

Flipping over the next. “Negative.”

“Stop with all the dramatics, Justin,” Erik said, sounding a bit strained.

“Flipping over the next. “Positive,” he said excitedly.

“Well, congrats Justin,” Ted said blandly.

“I’m not pregnant.” He turned the last over. “Negative.”

“Well, I used water on mine. So, it sure as hell isn’t mine.”

Brian snapped his head and glared at Justin. If looks could kill, he would be a dead and gone. Fuck!