Brian was driving Justin to school.  Something Brian was doing more and more these days.  First, they'd stopped off to get Brian his morning cup of Joe.

"You drink too much coffee."

"This isn't coffee, it's latte."

"Just coffee that cost five bucks.  And it still causes high blood pressure, heart attack, poor sexual performance."  Justin counted off on his fingers.

"Haven't had any complaints."

"Not to mention insomnia."

"Well, usually when I'm in my bed I'm not asleep anyway, so it really doesn't matter."  Brian was getting a little ticked off, but Justin didn't notice.

"Fortunately, I have youth on my side.  I can stay up all night fucking and still score fifteen hundred on my SATs."  He paused as what he just said sounded familiar.

"Fifteen hundred?"

"Ah, yeah."

"Wow, you could get into any school you wanted with a score like that."

Justin hadn't applied to any colleges.  He'd been too busy.  "I was supposed to apply to Dartmouth.  My dad went there."

"You're going out of state?"

"Nope.  I've decided to try getting into PIFA.  It won't be easy.  They only accept so many students, but I think I've got a chance."

The jeep pulled up at the school.  "Well, at least you won't have to worry about how to pay for it."

Justin remembered this conversation going so differently.  "Would you have cared if I'd applied out of state?"

Brian gave him a sideways look and rolled his lips inwards.  That told Justin he did care.

Justin jiggled inside.  He got out of the jeep, singing in his head.  Brian cares!  He loves me so much!  He shut the door and bounced his way up the stairs where Daphne was waiting for him.

"Hmm!  Well, you look self-satisfied.  I'd even go as far as to say supercilious."

Justin laughed. "We all know you got seven hundred verbal.  Stop showing off."

"So, what did he say to you?"  Daphne asked.

"Hmm.  It's what he didn't say."  Justin smiled all the way to the classroom.    Once they got there, they found Chris picking on another student.  Justin froze remembering how bad the last time turned out. 

Daph on the other hand snorted.  "Chris, are you sure you're not a closet fag?"

'Oh no!'  Justin thought.  So far Chris didn't know about Justin but judging by the look on his face he might go after Daph.  Just then the teacher came in and everyone went to their seats. 

Justin breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Dickson started calling roll and Chris didn't speak up when Justin's name was called.  Maybe another calamity had been averted.  Once class was over, he warned Daphne.  "Be careful around Chris."

Daphne snorted.  "What's he going to do.  Hit a girl?"

Justin wouldn't put it past him.  It was then he decided that he and Daphne were going to take self-defense courses.

Justin was at the gym while Brian went to checking on courses when he saw Melanie marching into the men's dressing room.   He hurriedly followed her, wanting to know what was up.

All the guys were hustling around trying to cover their dicks.

"Christ, do you think I've never seen a dick before?" Mel asked.

"Not mine!"  Ted hurriedly placed his towel in front of him.

"It's okay!  It's okay, everyone!  She's a lesbian," Emmett assured all the guys there.  Justin found himself a spot to watch the show.

Michael hurriedly pulled down his shirt.  "Melanie, what are you doing here?"

Melanie turned to Brian who continued to dress and wasn't bothering to hide.  "I took your advice and went to see Lindsay.  Uh, when was it you talked to her?"

"A couple of weeks."   Brian shrugged.

"Did she mention anything about a French guy?"

"No."

"A French guy?"  Michael asked while Justin searched his memory.

"I went over to see her and this fuckin' frog answered the door."

Justin winched.   He was raised thinking it crude to address people in those terms.

"So?"  Brian buttoned up his shirt.

"So, when I tried to see Gus, he slammed the goddamn door in my face."

"Well, everybody knows the French are famous for éclairs, oral sex, and rudeness," Ted tossed out. 

"I once had a date that involved all three," Em added and Justin had to smother his laughter. 

Brian saw him and winked.  "Maybe she just got herself a new babysitter."

"From France?" Mel asked.

"A little pricey on her teacher's salary," Ted suggested. 

Justin's memory turned up the time when Lindsay planned to marry this Gui guy and Brian ended up giving his right to Gus to Lindsay and Mel to stop it 

"And how come she didn't tell us about it?"  Mel asked.

Brian was on his cell.  Justin could hear the answering machine at Lindsay's come on and Gui's voice saying, “Bonjour"

"Hey, listen to this."  he turned up the speaker.

"You've reached Lindsay and Guillaume and beautiful baby Gus.  If you have a message for us kindly leave it after the beep."

"Us?"  Brian said, hanging up.

"Pretty pushy for the help," Emmett pointed out.

"Makes it sound like they're a couple," Michael grouched.

"Quelque chose isn't kosher," was Ted's comment.

Justin opened his mouth to tell them things would be okay, but would it?  Another something that he hadn't been involved in before.

This time Brian dragged him along when the gang visited Lindsay's. 

"Hi, Lindsay.  Hope you don't mind us all dropping by like this."

"Actually, you could have called."  It seemed Lindsay did mind.

"We did and got your message," Melanie informed her.

They more or less pushed their way into the house, where Gus could be heard fussing.  Lindsay reluctantly closed the door after them as Gui comes in bouncing Gus.

"Look who's here," Gui tells Gus once he spots everyone.

"This is Guillaume.  I believe you've met Melanie." Lindsay does a minor introduction.

"Oui.  Melanie.  Comment ca va?  How are you?"

"Ca Va.  Just fine," Mel snarks back.

"This is Brian.  Gus' biological father." 

Brian, of course, took his son from the French guy and moved closer to Justin in case he needed to hand him off.

"Ah, oui.  Be assured, my friend.  There is no need to worry about Gus now that I am here," Gui assured Brian.

"Mmm, I wasn't worried when you weren't...mon ami."

"And this is Ted and Emmett," Lindsay reluctantly finished the introductions.

"Bonjour," Emmett stated.

"Bonsoir," Ted corrected.

"Enchante." Gui nodded.

"We were just in the middle of dinner if you don't mind."  Lindsay tried to herd them back out.

"Uh, if you would like, your friends may join us.  There's enough rabbit for everyone."

"Rabbit?"  Emmett asked.

"Yes.  I made a stew," Gui confirmed.

Emmett looked sick.  "With rabbit?  Bunny rabbit?"

"They say it tastes just like chicken," Ted consoled Em.

"Please come try some," Gui suggested.

"Well, maybe just a... little taste."  Ted moved to follow Gui into the dining room.

"I'm a little hungry, so..."  Emmett looked at Mel before following Ted.

"What's going on?"  Melanie asked Lindsay.

"Yeah, who is this guy?"  Brian wanted to know.

"What's he doing in our house?"  Melanie seemed to have forgotten she didn't live there anymore.

"Excuse me, I don't appreciate you barging in here and interrogating me," Lindsay griped angrily.

"Whoa, who's interrogating who?"  Melanie responded.

"We're just asking," Brian contributed.

Justin kept his mouth shut.

Lindsay gave in.  "Guillaume teaches French at the university.  We've been friends for a couple of years."

"Yeah?  Well, how come you never mentioned him?"  Mel wanted to know.

"I did.  You just never listened.  He needed some help and so did I, so I said he could move in."

"So why didn't you tell us?"  Mel asked.

"We haven't exactly been communicating lately," Lindsay accused.

Justin felt like leaving.  But Emmett chose that moment to comment. "Oh my god!  This is fabulous!"  Evidently, he'd gotten over there being bunny rabbit in the stew.

"Magnifique!  That's the best rabbit I ever had," Ted raved.  "Of course, it's the only rabbit I've ever had."

Melanie and Brian just stared at them and they shut up.

"Well, he's a fantastic cook.  And he's wonderful with the baby.  Gus took to him immediately.  And I can't tell you what a relief it is having him help with the mortgage."  Lindsay ranted.

"So how long is he staying?"  Brian wanted to know.

"That depends."

"Until he finds a place of his own?"  Melanie asked hopefully.

"Until," Lindsay laughed nervously.  "We get married."

"What?!"  Brian handed Gus to Justin.

"Are you fucking nuts," Melanie shrieked.

"Don't get excited.  It's just an arrangement.  I get some help.  He can stay in the country and gets his green card."

Gui came back out.  "Alors, I must insist that you come eat tout suite, or else it gets cold."

Justin shook his head.  Doesn't she realize the trouble she could get into?

After they got over the shock and were able to pull Emmett and Ted away, they headed for Woody's for drinks.

"The way he insinuated himself," Melanie grumbled.

"Right, like it was his house," Emmett agreed.

"That he belongs there," Ted backed Em up.

Melanie turned to Brian.  "Like you and I were a couple of strangers.  I need a cigarette bad."

Brian handed her his pack.

"This is all my fault.  If it weren't for me, none of this would be happening."  Melanie spat.

"Aww.  Melanie the Martyr.  Do you want me to set you on fire?"  Brian offered her his lighter.

"Asshole.  Just give me a light."  She grabbed his arm and put the lighter to her cigarette.  "You know, if she goes through with this, he's going to have to live there for at least a couple of years."

"By then Gus will be smoking Gauloises and... not wearing deodorant."  Ted offered making Brian laugh.

"And she'll have moved on with her life.  There's no way we'll ever get back together."  Mel whined.

Justin felt like knocking his head against the table.

"If only she knew how much trouble she could get into.  Well, you know, it's Lindsay...probably wouldn't care.  She's always lookin' out for the welfare of others."  Emmett said and Justin could only stare. 

Lindsay looking out for others?  Not the Lindsay he remembered.  But Emmett was right about the trouble Lindsay could get into.  Melanie as a lawyer should know that.

"The generous one.  And there's me, the selfish one.  I wanted a fuck and boy did I get fucked."

Justin had never really learned the reason why Mel and Lindsay had parted at that time.  He'd been more interested in keeping himself out of trouble with Hobbs and St. James Academy.

A guy walked by and gave Brian the look.  Justin fully expected him to follow, but Brian ignored him.  "There's nothing wrong with getting your needs met," he consoled Melanie. 

"That's no surprise coming from you.  It's your manifesto," Ted remarked and Justin wanted to punch him in the nose. 

"Well, it could be everyone's if they were honest enough to admit it.  Stop blaming yourself.  It's boring.  And you don't deserve it."

That got Melanie to smile.  This was so strange.  Justin couldn't remember Melanie and Brian getting along.

Brian stood up and pulled Justin up to. "Well, it's a school night.  Time to get the kid home."

He wrapped his arm around Justin's shoulder, and they left to go to the loft, but not to sleep.

He told Brian about Hobbs picking on the student and assured him he hadn't gotten in trouble, but that he was checking to see if the gym offered self-defense courses.  Brian agreed that it was a good idea and offered the story about the straight football jock who dumped his head in the toilet.  He'd followed him to the locker and slammed the door on his hand breaking three of his fingers.