Chapter 31

“Morning,” Gus yawned, as he walked into the kitchen.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Brian greeted him, ruffling his son's hair as he shuffled past him, still half asleep.

“What's this?” Gus asked as his eyes widened and he looked at the table in front of him.

“People usually refer to it as breakfast,” Justin quipped as he took a sip from his coffee while biting into his waffle.

“But... it's huge!” Gus exclaimed, looking at everything on the table. There were pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, bagels and so much more. He could also see fruit salad, yoghurt and what looked like orange juice, freshly pressed of course.

“Daddy and I cooked,” Luke helpfully informed his brother.

“You really are feeling better, huh?” Gus chuckled, looking at his father with a smile before he moved over to the table.

Brian's last chemotherapy treatment had been over two weeks ago and once the treatments had ended and Brian's body had been able to recover from the chemicals that weren't only attacking his cancerous cells, but also his healthy cells, he had started to feel better bit by bit.

So far the doctors were optimistic that no further chemotherapy treatment might be needed. They hadn't been able to detect any further or new cancerous cells so far and for that Brian had been eternally grateful.

He had felt so relieved when all his tests had come back negative after the treatments had ended and for the time being he was officially in remission and healthy. The doctors were still monitoring him closely and he still would have to go in for continuous tests, making sure that no new cancerous cells would pop up in his lungs or somewhere else, but for now Brian felt good.

He still tired easily and he still looked like shit what with all the weight he had lost and with his loss of hair, but for the first time in months he was finally starting to feel human again and was finally starting to feel like he could have a normal life once more.

Everyone in their family had been overjoyed at the good news, though Brian and Justin had tried to be honest with Gus and Luke and had explained to them that even though Brian might be healthy for now, cancer could come back and they might have to do another round of chemotherapy if that happened.

Nonetheless, the boys had been ecstatic and it had done them good to see their Daddy do better day by day.

“I am doing great,” Brian said with a smile, giving his son's shoulder a squeeze.

He knew how hard the last few months had been on his family, he knew how worried Gus and Luke had been for him and he didn't want to worry them any more than was necessary. For now he was doing well and that's what he wanted them to see.

“Now have breakfast. We have been waiting for you. We have plans,” Brian announced, nodding towards the clock that showed almost 10.30am.

“Plans? What plans? It's Saturday. Aren't you heading to the hospital soon?” Gus frowned as he sat down in his usual seat at the kitchen table and grabbed a waffle and some syrup.

“It's a surprise,” Justin announced. “Your brother was almost ready to barge into your room and wake you up himself in all his excitement.”

“A surprise? What surprise?” Gus frowned, obviously still not fully awake.

“It wouldn't be a surprise if we told you, would it?” Brian winked, then grabbed a piece of bacon from Justin's plate.

“Hey, that's mine. Get your own,” the blond exclaimed to the amusement of both boys. They were used to Brian stealing food from Justin's plate all the time.

“Yours tastes better,” Brian just grinned, then ate it in front of Justin's face.

“It tastes exactly the same,” Justin pointed out with a huff, before deciding that this conversation wouldn't lead anywhere. They had had it before.

“So, are we going somewhere?” Gus asked, trying to divert the attention back to the surprise their fathers had obviously planned for him and Luke.

“Yes, we are,” was all his father replied and Gus just rolled his eyes, not surprised he hadn't found out more.

An hour later, everyone was ready to leave and they were all seated in the car. Justin was driving, looking at Brian with a conspiratorial smile.

They left Britin and headed for Pittsburgh. That still didn't give the boys much of an idea of where they were headed, until they pulled into the parking lot for the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

“We're going to the zoo?” Luke exclaimed in excitement, looking at his fathers in the front of the car. “Really?”

Justin found a parking spot and then turned around with a smile. “Yes. We thought it would be nice to have a day where it was just the four of us. All day. We can go and take a look at all the animals, maybe do the zipline, we can go and sketch some of the animals,” he added in Gus' direction, knowing that the boy claimed to be too old for the zoo, but still loved coming here with Justin to sketch the animals and improve his art.

“Yay!” Luke exclaimed much to Justin's and Brian's amusement. They had known that he would love the idea. He loved the zoo, loved the elephants, penguins and polar bears in particular and always got excited when they went to the zoo.

“That's cool,” Gus agreed, though in a much calmer, less excited way than his younger brother.

They left the car and made their way to the entrance of the zoo, Justin talking to Luke while Brian walked with Gus. “You okay, sonny boy? Not disappointed?”

“No, this is cool. I love coming here. Maybe Papa and I can try sketching the penguins this time.”

Brian nodded to the huge bag that Justin was carrying over his shoulder. “It's full of pencils and sketchbooks. He's all yours,” he winked, then nodded towards Luke. “I promise to keep him busy with the polar bears, so you two have time to sketch.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Gus smiled, appreciating that his Dad would keep Luke busy, so he and Justin could have some time to sketch on their own.

For the first part of their visit they stayed together, the four of them heading from animal exhibtion to animal exhibition, until they reached the PPG Aquarium.

Justin and Gus looked for a good spot to be able to sketch the penguins, while Luke quickly got bored and urged his brother and father to move on and go and see the next exhibit.

As Brian had promised, he agreed to go ahead with Luke to see the polar bears and they agreed to meet up again in the aquarium later.

Everyone seemed happy enough and they all had a good day.

Once their trip to the zoo was over, Brian turned back to the boys in the backseat. “Are you guys tired or do you feel ready for another surprise?”

“Another surprise?” Luke's eyes had gotten large, not able to believe his luck. Two surprises in one day? It had to be his lucky day.

“We're always ready for surprises,” Gus announced, nodding at his smaller brother, who eagerly agreed with him.

“Okay, then on to the second surprise, Sunshine,” Brian said, squeezing Justin's thigh as he put the car into drive and got out of the parking lot.

They left Pittsburgh and made to return home, but when they passed the exit to Britin, Gus frowned. “Where are we going?”

“You'll see,” Justin said, smiling back at the boy in the back seat. “It's a good surprise. You'll both like it.”

“Yeah, you will,” Brian agreed, a smile on his lips.

Another ten minutes later they pulled into the parking lot for the hospital and Gus was the first to catch on. “NO WAY!” He exclaimed, looking in obvious excitement from Brian to Justin and back.

“What? Why are we here? Are you sick again, Daddy?” Luke asked, recognising the hospital, but not quite understanding why they were here. So far, every time they had been here, they had visited Brian who had been a patient.

“We're not here for me, sonny boy. Don't worry. I am good!” Brian assured him, seeing the concerned look in his younger son's eyes. “How about going and visiting your sister?” He said and he couldn't help but chuckle when Luke's eyes widened. God, he really was a mini version of Justin.

“You guys want to go and see her?” Justin asked, smiling from ear to ear when he turned around to look at the dumbfounded boys in the back seat.

“We can see her? Really?”

“Really, sonny boy,” Brian assured, opening his seatbelt. “She has been doing a lot better in recent weeks and the doctors said she's ready to be in the normal neonatal ward now. No more intensive care unit for her which means that you can now come and see her as well.”

“Oh God, yes, please!” Luke happily exclaimed, being his usual bundle of engery and excitement.

As they all got out of the car, Gus walked next to his father and leaned into Brian's side. “This is great, Dad. I am so happy to finally see her.”

“I know, sonny boy. And I am happy that you'll finally get to meet her.”

Brian rested his arm around Gus' shoulder and held him close as they made their way up to the neonatal ward.

“Can I hold her, Papa? Please? I promise I will be careful,” Luke asked his father, firing one question after the next at him. Justin just smiled and took them all in, understanding and honestly feeling quite happy about his son's excitement.

It had been weird to know that Luke and Gus had a sister and for them to not know her for three months. He and Brian had tried to involve the boys as much as possible and had shown them as many pictures and sketches as they could, but deep inside Justin had been afraid that maybe they would never be close because they hadn't been able to build a relationship when Vicky had been a newborn. He hadn't realised until now, when he felt his relief, how real that fear had been. Thankfully, both Gus and Luke seemed more than excited to finally meet their sister, which made Justin feel better about the whole situation.

“Of course you can,”Justin promised as they rode the elevator up to the correct floor.

Once there, Brian turned to both Gus and Luke. “There are a lot of small babies in there who scare easily, so no yelling or running or anything, okay? Just try to keep it quiet.”

Both boys nodded, making it clear that they understood what their father had said.

They made their way along a corridor, until they stopped outside a room. When Justin opened the door, he smiled when he saw that Vicky wasn't alone. They had called their family earlier, had asked them if someone could go and be at the hospital while they spent a day with the boys, a day that was much needed by the boys and by them and thankfully several people had volunteered and Vicky hadn't been alone while her fathers had been gone to spend some time with her brothers.

“Hey guys,” he greeted the group in the room. Emmett was holding Vicky in his arms, giving her her bottle, while Debbie sat at a nearby table, talking to Ted and Blake, all of them watching as Emmett fed the small girl in his arms.

Everyone in the room smiled back at them, all of them knowing that this was the first time Gus and Luke met their sister.

Emmett came over with Vicky in his arms, slowly handing her over to Justin, who carefully took her and continued feeding her without a break.

“How was the zoo?” Emmett asked everyone, happy to see four faces smiling back in response.

“It was great, Auntie Em,” Gus answered quietly. “Papa and I sketched the penguins.”

“Oh, you did? That's nice.”

“Do you wanna see the sketches?” Gus offered, knowing that his Auntie Em loved seeing his art.

“How about later, sonny boy? There's someone you have to meet first,” Brian interrupted, reminding his sonny boy why they were there.

Gus nodded, returning his attention back to the baby in his Papa's arms.

“We'll go and get some coffee,” Debbie said, squeezing Brian's shoulder as she walked past him. He smiled gratefully at Ted and Blake and Emmett as they joined her and left him and his family alone.

For the first time it was just the five of them. Him, Justin and their three children.

Justin settled down in one of the chairs with the baby in his arms, then urged for Gus and Luke to come closer.

They immediately went over and stood at his side, watching in fascination as he fed her.

“She's so small,” Luke said in obvious awe.

“You have no idea, sonny boy,” Brian said as he joined them, ruffling his son's hair. “She was a lot smaller when she was first born. She was hardly bigger than your Papa's hand.”

“Really?” Luke asked from wide eyes, looking as the little girl looked at him and Gus, then her Papa and Daddy, then continued sucking on the teat in her mouth.

“Really,” Justin agreed. “She has already grown a lot in the last three months.”

When the bottle was empty, Justin removed it and looked at the baby in his arms. “Hey princess, you think you can do this one without crying?” he said gently, as he lifted Vicky up, ready to burp her. He nodded gratefully as Brian handed him a cloth, so his clothes wouldn't get dirty.

She immediately started crying in Justin's arms and Justin smiled at her from gentle eyes. “You're a drama queen, you know that?”

“Why is she crying?” Luke asked, looking at the baby in his father's arms in concern.

“She doesn't like it when I burp her. She prefers when your Daddy does it,” he winked, then handed her carefully over to Brian, who had already appeared by his side and taken the cloth from his shoulder, to settle it on his own. When Brian had her in his arms, he started slowly walking around with her, while he tried to burp her.

“You are a big drama queen. Your Papa is right about that one,” He winked at the baby who had immediately calmed down once she had been settled in his arms, leaning into his chest.

Justin watched from loving eyes as Brian held her securely until she burped. He then nodded at the chair next to Justin's. “Do you guys want to hold her?”

“Can we?” Gus asked, obviously not having listened to Justin's and Luke's earlier conversation.

“Yes, of course,” Justin nodded, pointing at the chair beside him. He then got up and nodded at his own chair as well. “Just sit down there. While she's still this small, it's easier to hold her when you're sitting.”

Both boys eagerly made their way over to the chairs and immediately sat down in them.

“Luke can hold her first. I have held him when he was a baby, I know what it feels like,” Gus announced generously and both Justin and Brian eyed him gratefully. At least there wouldn't be a fight about who could hold her first. Thanks for small mercies.

When both boys were settled, Brian came over with Vicky and placed her in Luke's arms. “That's it, sonny boy. Just make sure that your arm lifts up her head and that you hold her securely.”

Luke nodded, looking really focused as he carefully held his baby sister.

“Hey Vicky, say hi to your big brother Luke,” Brian said quietly, still holding on to her small hand while Luke held her. Vicky looked from him to Luke, obviously confused about what was happening and why her Daddy wasn't holding her anymore.

Just when it looked as if she was about to burst into tears and Brian had gotten ready to take her back, she opened her mouth for another loud burp, then settled into her brother's arms peacefully.

“Drama princess,” Brian joked, his eyes meeting Justin's.

“Your daughter,” Justin mouthed at him and Brian held his arms up in innocence which made Justin laugh.

Luke held her for several minutes, before she became a bit restless and started getting fussy in his arms.

“Did I do something wrong?” He immediately asked in concern, but both Brian and Justin calmed him down immediately.

“You did great, sonny boy. She's just getting tired. This has been a lot of excitement for her as well.”

“Yeah, she still sleeps a lot and gets tired easily,” Justin agreed with what Brian had said, watching as she calmed down once she was in his arms again.

It amused Justin to no end how Vicky seemed to have a special connection with Brian somehow. Every time she was about to start crying or was crying, she would stop immediately when he started holding her. She would continue crying in anyone else's arms, be it Justin's, her grandmothers' or her uncles' arms, but the moment Brian held her, she would calm down.

At first Justin had felt a bit sad about not having that special connection with his daughter, but then he had realised that it was probably due to Brian having carried her for months. She must have realised that he had been the one to carry her. How could that not create a special bond?

By now, Justin mostly found it amusing how she would tear up in everyone's arms, until she was placed in Brian's and would immediately calm down in his.

Or maybe Brian just had a magic touch when it came to babies. Who knew? Both Debbie and his mom had told him that Luke had hardly ever cried either when in Brian's arms.

Not that Justin could blame either Luke or Vicky. He loved being in Brian's arms and knew how comforting those arms could be when they held him securely.

Over the last three weeks, ever since they had first been able to hold her, both Brian and Justin had done a lot of kangaroo care with her and had held her naked body to their bare chests, holding her close, allowing her to hear their heart beats, to feel their skin and their body heat and it had done all three of them a lot of good.

It had given Brian and Justin, especially Justin, a chance to build a relationship with her and experience a new closeness with her that he hadn't experienced with her before, unlike Brian who had been carrying her and it had helped her to regulate her breathing and heart rate, to sleep more deeply and to generally be more quiet and alert and less crying.

They had quickly found out that Vicky loved lying on their chests, loved touching their chests, their faces and everything she could reach with her small fists, while she looked at everything from wide eyes.

It had done all three of them good and had helped them a lot, building a relationship after the long months of her being in the incubator and them not being allowed to touch her.

“Do you want to hold her?” Brian asked Gus, who was still sitting in the chair.

“Only if it's okay. I don't want to upset her.”

“It will be fine. She's tired, but you should be fine for a couple of minutes,” Brian assured his son, before he carefully handed over the baby in his arms.

Gus securely held her, making sure that her head was supported and looked at her from awed hazel eyes.

“Hey baby sister. I am Gus. Your big brother.”

Vicky looked at him, as if trying to understand what he was saying, reaching out her small hands in his direction.

Gus took one of those small hands and gently held her fingers. “I promise to always protect you, no matter what. Just like I did when Luke was a baby,” he said, taking her hand to his mouth and gently kissing it.

Brian's and Justin's eyes met and they both had unshed tears in their eyes.

Both Gus and Luke would be amazing big brothers, they had no doubt.