“When are you coming back?” Justin asked Brian as he packed.

“I really don’t know. Hopefully, it’ll only be a few days. That’s the joy of being the boss, fixing everyone else’s fuckups.”

“Bad word,” Tommy huffed from the couch.

“What the fuck? When did you become the profanity police?” Brian asked Tommy. Tommy looked confused. “The cussing police,” Brian clarified.

“Pa said only dull minds cuss.”

“He did, did he?”

Justin ducked his head, he hadn’t meant for it to sound like that. He was just trying to stop his son from cursing like a sailor. All he had done was repeated something his mother had always told him. He could see now that was a mistake.

“Sorry,” he said quietly.

“Whatever.”

“Be nice to Pa,” Tommy said, jumping off the couch.

“You be nice to Pa, I don’t have to be,” Brian said. Justin could see the smile threatening to come out though.

Marissa cooed in Justin’s arms making him look back down at her. This was going to be the first time he would have both kids over night for more than one night. Two weeks ago, Brian stayed out after Tommy had drawn on his wall. After that, Brian spent the whole next day making it up to the boy.

Now that Maxwell was in jail awaiting arraignment, Justin felt safer. He had pepper spray that got from Erik. Ted and Erik had come over almost every day. Erik seemed to be adjusting to everything that had happened. Ted seemed to be okay with Justin and Erik hanging out, but Justin got the feeling Brian wasn’t. It might have made Justin think something could happen between them again, except for the fact that Brian had just regained his title of Stud of Liberty Avenue. Not that Justin had heard first hand. He hadn’t been on Liberty Avenue since coming back, it was when Justin had Tommy for a few hours and Brian disappeared. He didn’t think it was because he was hanging out with friends. Brian said that he had been ignoring Michael but he was still hanging around him.

Brian sat his luggage by the door before picking up Tommy. “Are you going to take care of the home front for the old man?”

“Yep, I’m a big boy. Bigger than Gus.” Justin laughed, Gus was still bigger than Tommy.

“Wow, that’s pretty big.”

“Uh-huh. One day I’m going to be huge, like you.”

Justin couldn’t keep from falling onto the couch laughing. Brian’s face said it all, he didn’t find being called ‘huge’ a compliment.

“Come back soon, Daddy,” Tommy said, giving Brian a big hug.

“I will, buddy boy.” He looked over to Justin. “What are you three doing today?”

“Ted and Erik invited us to have lunch with them at Liberty Diner.”

Brian sat Tommy back down on his feet. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Michael will probably be there.”

“I can’t hide myself away from the world. Michael was in the wrong not me. If I’m going to be a part of Tommy’s life, I need to became friends with your friends. Not Michael of course.”

“Of course.”

“By the way, have you decided what to do about him?”

Brian picked his luggage up and looked at Justin thoughtfully. “I’m going to let him hang himself.”

“What does that mean?”

“I could tell everybody what he did. They wouldn’t believe me or just blame it on me. But if I do nothing, and ignore Mikey, he’ll go nuts. He’ll show his true colors to everyone. I just have to wait. Maxwell is in jail so we don’t have to worry about him. Carl warned him that if anything happened to you that he would be up on the charges. I think you’re safe, just don’t be alone with Michael. When he starts to self-destruct it won’t be pretty.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Justin lifted Marissa out of her car seat and put her in stroller. Brian was letting him use his jeep while he was away. The parking spot he found was a few blocks away from the diner. That was okay with him, he had both kids dressed warmly.

“I’m so hungry,” Tommy said dramatically. He was clutching his belly.

“We’re on our way to the diner. You can get whatever you want.” Brian had given him some money until his lawyer was able to get his money released from Maxwell’s people, mainly his sister. Justin wanted to get a job but he’d have to wait until Marissa was big enough for him to leave her with a sitter.

This was the life he’d always envisioned. Having Tommy happy, and the baby he thought he’d lost. The only thing really missing was someone to share it with. At first he thought it might still be Brian because of how wonderful it had been. But that had gone out the window.

“Pa, look it’s Wolf’em,” Tommy said excitedly.

Ahead of them was a familiar man raving on a cell phone. It took Justin a moment to place him. Wolfram Bane, a character on Tommy’s favorite TV show. The Wolves of the Fallen City. Justin didn’t know the actor’s name but he was Tommy’s favorite on the show. It wasn’t a little kids show, but more a teen one. Brian said Tommy watched it with Emmett and fell in love with it. Wolfram was the oldest brother of the two leads. The man was probably in his early to mid-thirties, if Justin had to guess. On the show all Justin knew about him was he was nice and called all the kids ‘pup’.

Before Justin could stop him, Tommy took off towards the man.

“Wolf’em!” Tommy yelled happily. The man looked up and ended his phone call.

Stopping right in front of the actor the boy started jabbering. Justin couldn’t keep up with what he was talking about, he assumed it was about the show. Justin had only seen a few episodes. Tommy knew the show was fiction and shifters didn’t really exist. But he was so excited he started talking like the actor was a shifter named Wolfram. He was still only four after all, and so much like Justin when he was little.

“It’s not real, kid. It’s a fucking show,” the man snapped at him.

Justin finally caught up, though he had heard everything.

“I-I’m a Fally,” Tommy quietly stuttered.

‘Fallys’ were what the fans of the show called themselves. Tommy watched clips and fan videos on YouTube all the time.

The man looked down at Tommy with disgust, Justin saw all the work Brian had done slip away. Tommy had gone from a strong and confident little boy, to the boy that he had been in Maxwell’s house. Justin was ready to beat the shit out of the man when he saw Ted and Erik walking towards him.

“Hey, Justin,” Erik said with a small smile.

“Can you two take the kids in a minute for me.” His voice cold.

“Umm…yeah.” Ted picked up Tommy, who buried his face in Ted’s shoulder. Erik pushed the stroller. Soon they were in the diner.

“Listen, dude…,” the man started to say.

“Shut up. Does it make you feel like a big man making a kid cry? My son has been through so much in his four years. He knows the damn show is fake. All he wanted was for you to smile at him, pat his head and call him pup. I would have gotten him to leave you alone. But you couldn’t do that could you? If he was your son would you want someone to talk to him like that?” Justin was fuming.

The man finally looked ashamed by his behavior. “God, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I was fighting with my ex-wife when he came over. Would you left me apologize?”

He looked sincere, which is the only reason Justin agreed. “Give me five minutes, then come in the diner over there. Okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” The man did look tore up about how he had treated Tommy. Justin wasn’t really willing to forgive but he didn’t want this to be how Tommy remembered something he loved.

Justin went inside to see a colorful woman sitting in a booth with Tommy in her lap. Justin could hear him whimpering. The woman, he recognized as Michael’s mother. She was running her hands up and down Tommy’s back while trying to calm him.

“What happened? He’s been like this since we came in.” Erik said.

Not wanting to get into it, he didn’t answer. Walking over to where Tommy was he pulled him into his arms. Justin carried him over to an empty booth, away from prying eyes and ears. He sat Tommy on the table in front of him. Etiquette be damned.

“Wolf’em is mean,” Tommy cried.

“No, the actor who plays Wolfram said something hurtful. It doesn’t make him mean, just human. Just like when Daddy got upset about his couch.”

A week ago Tommy had split grape juice on the couch. It had been Justin’s fault because he didn’t know about Brian’s no food or drink on the couch.

Tommy hiccupped, then giggled. “So mad.”

“Yes, Daddy was very upset but he’s not a mean person. Is he?”

Tommy shook his head. “Nope, he’s the best.”

“Yeah, and Wolfram is a character. The man who plays him was just having a really bad day. He going to come in and say he’s sorry. Would you like that?”

“Uh-huh.” Tommy wiped his tears away with his coat sleeve.

The diner suddenly got very quiet. Justin looked over Tommy’s shoulder and saw the man. Almost everyone in the diner was staring at him. Probably wondering what a TV star was doing in a little diner in the Pitts. That thought hadn’t really occurred to him until now. What was the man doing on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh?

The actor looked around the room and spotted them. Making his way over, he seemed to be ignoring everyone else. He slid into the booth on the opposite side of Justin, setting a bag he was carrying beside him. Pulling Tommy down to sit on his lap, Justin waited for the man to talk.

“Hello,” the man said nervously to Tommy.

“Hi,” Tommy said quietly. Justin rubbed his back letting him know he was there.

“I’m really sorry about being so mean out there. I just got some bad news and it made me upset. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you I’m sorry.”

“You’re not my favorite anymore,” Tommy told him.

“I understand. I’m not my favorite either.”

“Bertie’s my favorite now.” It seemed like Tommy was trying to hurt the actor now. But instead of hurting, the man just smiled.

“Bertie’s my favorite too.”

Tommy’s gasped. “Really? But Bertie is a bad.”

“I never really thought of Bertie as bad, just misunderstood.”

Justin had no idea who they were talking about. He didn’t really pay attention even when he watched it with Tommy.

“Who’s Bertie?” Justin finally asked.

“Pa, don’t embarrass me.” He looked back at the actor. “He’s not a Fally.”

“Oh, well that explains it. What’s your name, pup?”

That was it, Tommy was gone for. He crawled over the table and sat in front of the actor.

“My name is Tommy. What’s your not pretend name?”

“Alexander, but you can call me Alex.”

“Hmm…okay, but only in person. On TV you’re Wolf’em.”

“Understood. I got something for you if it’s okay with your pa.”

Tommy turned around and looked at Justin with big eyes. There was no way he could ever say no. “It’s okay.”

“He said it’s okay. What do I get?” Justin heard several people laugh. He had been ignoring it but everyone was watching and listening to the three of them.

Alex handed Tommy the bag, who proceeded to practically crawl in it. He pulled out a box set of the complete cast of the show. There were at least twenty little action figures in it.

“Mine?” Tommy asked, making sure he didn’t misunderstand.

“All yours. In fact, we’re shooting over in Point State Park this week. I was hoping that you’d come and see us. You can meet the man who plays Bertie, his not pretend name is Hector.”

“Yes!” Tommy set the boxset aside and lunged at the man. Alex caught him and hugged him tightly. Earlier he really was having a bad day. It was obvious now he was mostly good to fans. Justin still wasn’t going to forgive him though; he was just glad Tommy was happy.

“So can you come?” Alex asked Justin.

“I already said yes,” Tommy said.

Justin laughed. “Sure, why not. When?”