IN PITTSBURGH
At Liberty Diner, Debbie watched as Gus stuck a spoon into his ice cream sundae. She frowned at him and looked over at Brian, "You okay for him to eat that shit for breakfast?"
Brian was leafing through the newspaper, "I am today...we've gotra flight to catch in four hours, so he can eat what he likes"
Gus laughed at him, "Thanks Dad"
Brian exchanged the laugh, "you welcome kiddo...", he smiled at the page he was reading, "...well, the financial markets are looking healthy...my investments are doing just great"
Debbie served a customer and then leaned over to Brian, "So...four hours huh? Is there any room in your flight bag by any chance for a little one...?"
Brian looked up at her and frowned, "A little one...?"
She laughed, "I was kinda thinking I could slip along...Ohhhhh, I could do with a bit of Californian sunshine, the freezing cold is just around the corner"
Brian closed up the newspaper and stood up from the stool, "well, I sincerely hope you enjoy all that winter magic, Deb...but me and Justin will be hot on the beach"
"And me", piped in Gus.
Brian looked at him, "Sorry son, but that will be a party you won't be invited to"
Gus screwed his face up, "Aaaaaghhh, grose!"
XXXxx
At the medical center, Josh was pushing Nathan in his wheelchair to the main exit, "Are you sure about this?"
Nathan looked up in his baseball cap, "they aren't gonna miss me for a couple of hours will they? Anyways, by what you said about Dad, I wanna see what's going on"
The taxi cab pulled up, and Nathan gathered up his crutches, Josh eased him out of the wheel-chair, "jeez...are you sure about this?"
"Yes! Now help me into the god-damned car will you"
Josh helped him into the back seat, the driver looked at them, "So where you going?"
Nathan looked up, "Maloney Auto repairs..."
Xxxxxx
Brian looked up to his building. He had lived in the loft for so many years. It was sad to go. An end to an era. But life had to go on. A new life in California.
He smiled to himself remembering all the wild parties he had in there. All those incredible fucks with hot guys and then Justin.
All those great nights out at Woody's, Babylon, The pink parrot. That was all going to be in the past now. It was time to look forward.
He pulled his coat around him as a chill wind gusted around him, and then noticed a group of people approaching him. Micheal was leading them. There was Dave and Carl, Ted, Emmet, Sam and a few others he had hung around with on the gay scene.
"Awwww you shouldn't have..."
Michael rolled his eyes, "and there's the sarcasm...we've come to see you off!"
Brian stepped forward, "...or to make sure I'm really going?"
Michael shrugged, "I sorta thought that...apart of me still doesn't want you to go"
Emmet pulled Michael into touch, "What? Are you mad? Who the hell would stay here, when you could have all that glitz and glamour in sunny LA...they don't call it tinsel town for nothing you know"
Michael shook his head, "but it's not all glitz and glamour like I said..."
"Michael, honey...IT IS!", insisted Emmet with envy. Ted piped up changing the subject, "Where's Gus?"
"Spending the last hour with the Peterson's while I can tie things up here...", he nodded up to his apartment, "...apparently the new owners are gonna be moving in tomorrow"
"Do you know who they are?", asked Carl.
"Oh yeah...it's Eddie and fat Steve...they made a quite fortune running that gay sauna on Bridge Street...they gave me the full asking price, and Eddie has always admired me and my life...I think HE thinks he will turn into me when he moves in"
"It's a real shame Justin isn't coming back to Pittsburgh to say goodbye...", told Ted.
He sighed and turns to them all, with outstretched arms, "That's because he's got better things to do...Well come to daddy...group hugs and all that sentimental bullshit are the thing aren't they...lets just get it over with"
And they all group hugged.
Xxxxxx
At Maloney Auto repairs, Patrick came out of the office to see a cab pull up. He squinted in the sharp sunny glare and saw Josh helping Nathan out of the car.
He hurried over to give a hand, "Hey son...what the hell are you doing here?"
Nathan shook his arm off and shot his father a glare as Josh paid the driver, "don't give me all that bullshit...Josh has told me that Uncle Brad's working here...Dad...I can't let that happen...not after all what he did"
Patrick shook his head, "I have NO choice...your medical bills need paying"
Nathan leaned on his crutches, "Brian paid them...it's him we owe...and we can still do that"
Patrick frowned at him, "How? We need to keep this place going ...we need to make sure the money is coming in to pay him back"
"We can still do that!"
"How?"
Nathan went and leaned on the side of a car that was currently in a state of disrepair, "by selling this place...sell the business to to highest bidder..."
Patrick looked surprised, "but what about you? I was leaving this business to you and..."
His son cut him off, "Dad...I don't wanna be a car mechanic...not really...it's not what I see myself doing in the future...look, I know it's been in the family for years but, I don't want it...and it's still YOURS to sell, Grandpa left it to YOU remember...not Uncle Brad"
Patrick was thinking about it. He was at the age to retire. He had arthritis. He could do without all the hassle anymore.
Josh came to Nathan's side, "You okay? Not in any pain?"
Nathan looked at him, "Josh stop fussing"
Patrick was about to answer, when Rhona came over with baby Leo in a buggy, "Hey...what's going on?"
Nathan smirked at her irked demeanor that he was there, "Dad has come to a decision...haven't you?"
Patrick shook his head and turned to her...
Xxxxx
At the airport, Brian had checked in, and he and Gus were sitting out looking at airplanes. Gus turned from the view, "Gran and Grandpa were real sad when I said goodbye...they said they might not see me again"
Brian watched a Delta airlines plane take off through the glass, "they'll get over it...anyway, the only reason for them might not seeing you is not us moving, it's your stupid Grandpa's phobia of flying"
Gus stood and put his hands to the glass, "Grandma said that Mom is watching me"
Brian shrugged at that with a smile, "No doubt she is"
Gus frowned and looked back at him, "I hope Melanie isn't watching me..."
Brian totally agreed with that statement. He shook his head and looked at him whilst standing up, "fuck no...you and me both, kid"
Brian then popped a cigarette into his mouth and was about to light it when Gus flicked it away with his hand, "Dad! No! You want us to get chucked out of here..."
Brian gave a disgruntled look to nobody in particular, "Who made up the stupid rule you can't smoke in airports"
And then their flight was called.
Brian picked up his flight bag and looked at his son, "That's us sonny boy... sunshine state here we come"
"...errrr I think that's Florida, Dad"
"I didn't mean the state...Fuck who cares, lets go"
Xxxxx
At the same time as Brian and Gus left Pittsburgh for good, Rhona was in a it of rage at her husband.
"Patrick NO! This is OUR business...you can't sell it just because you want to pay off some fag whose stupid enough to settle Nathan's medical bills"
Patrick stood in the kitchen of their apartment above the garage, "I have to...AND I want to retire"
Rhona wasn't listening, "...and what about Leo? He's YOUR son too...or...", she chuckled.
Patrick looked up, "What...?"
Rhona smirked at him, "Oh what the hell...do YOU remember when you were in hospital with your appendicitis that time? Me and Brad alone here...well...he saw to me what I've been missing all these years..."
Patrick was shaking as he realized what she was saying.
"Brad fucked me. FUCKED ME! In the mouth in my pussy and up my fucking ass, and I loved it it, I LOVED IT"!"
Patrick was too quiet.
"You and your boring accounts and your boring life...drudge and clearing up after you and your dirty fag son...ALL THOSE LIES! Saying what Brad did to him when I KNOW Brad is straight as the next man..."
"Stop"
"No I won't! LEO IS BRAD'S BABY...NOT YOURS"
She laughed at him, like she was mocking everything about what he stood for in life.
And in a fit of rage, Patrick flew at his wife, he dragged her by the hair and towards the stairs", GET OUT OF HERE, YOU DIRTY FUCKING WHORE! GET OUT!"
And he let her go and she fell down the stairs screaming...
And then silence after a crack. Nathan was at the bottom of the stairs with Josh, he looked up at him...
"Dad? What have you done...?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
One more to go after this chapter...I know this story hasn't been to everybody's taste, but those who have read, I hope you enjoyed it. PS sorry for the delay, I've been in hospital.