Epilogue

"I got a message from J.Jay today," Justin told Brian as they packed suitcases.  

‘How is he doing?"

"He is so excited. He and Henry are in Chicago right now. He said the mural is going well. They should be back at Britin long before we get back from Ireland. He has also been talking to his dad regularly. His dad has actually gotten a therapist for them and they have weekly video counseling."

"That is really good to hear. And I am glad they are both planning on coming back, too. You did such great work this summer, I don't want people to forget about your academy."

"That won't be a problem. J. said Henry is helping with the emails that come in since J. is so busy."

"It's hard to believe we will be in Ireland in a couple of days. Thankfully, Rachel and Sonya will be here this afternoon and they promise they have activity packs for each of the kids."

"Aren't we flying at night so they will sleep?" Brian walked up behind Justin and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting the tips of his fingers on Justin's fly. His fingers tapped. 

"We don't have time right now, Brian. We need to make sure the kids' stuff is packed." 

Brian slowly pulled down his zipper and slipped his hand into it. "The girls will be here tomorrow and can do that."

Justin was now leaning against Brian moving his ass against Brian's fly. "But, Charly has the kids now..."

"And Shadow is with her." Brian gently bit Justin's earlobe.

"Oh, hell! Brian Kinney, will there ever be a day you can't do this to me?" He turned and put his arms around Brian's neck, pulling himself as close as he could against Brian's lean body. 

"I hope not." Brian's lips moved downward and joined with Justin's. Soon their shirts were pushed up, while their pants pooled around their ankles, and neither of them heard their cell phones.

Twenty minutes later they were redressed and Brian picked up his phone. "Dad is going to pick up the girls for us and come for dinner. He has some files for me. He found some family connections I can check out in Ireland.

"I'm glad you are interested in your heritage. I think Kevin would like to know more about himself. I remember him talking one night when he had been drinking a bit. After talking about Anna, he started talking about his family and growing up in Iowa. His father, your grandfather, talked about coming from Limerick, but wouldn't say anything more. I bet those papers Kevin has will give us a little information about the Cain family. Wouldn't it be great if we found some long lost family?"

"If that's what he wants I think that would be a great project for me to work on with Gus."

"I agree. Gus will love that!" Justin walked over to Brian and kissed him once more. "Now we better get moving. You want to help Gus pack and I'll start with Jessi? When I'm done with hers, I'll come to the boys' room and help finish up Aaron's." 

Brian gave him a long hug. "I love you. I can't wait to explore Ireland with you."

Chapter 1

"I didn't know if we would ever get them to sleep," Brian collapsed on the sofa in the hotel suite, pulling Justin down with him. 

"Thank god for Rachel and Sonya. The kids weren't happy when they found out we couldn't go to the house today."

"They weren't happy, that's for sure." Brian kissed Justin before laying down, putting his head in Justin's lap.

"I hope they sleep at least a few hours. The time change will be crazy for a couple days." Justin ran his fingers through Brian's hair.

"Well, what is it, 2:00 a.m.? Our van is supposed to be available by 6:00 a.m., so if they wake up we will just drive to Killinaboy."

Justin kept stroking his hair, "And we will get by with one vehicle?"

Brian smiled up at him, "There is supposed to be a little sports car we can use at the house so if we want to go out for dinner or something, the kids, and Sonya and Rachel can have the van." He closed his eyes.

"Let's try to get a few hours of sleep." Justin suggested. Brian sat up and together they stood and walked to their room. Jessi was asleep in a crib near their bed, so they quietly undressed and slipped under the covers. 

"Brian, we never really talked about the information your dad brought," he spoke softly so he didn't wake up Jessi.

"Well, I think there are more questions than answers, but at least I have a couple names and a time span to look at. If only his father would have told him about his past. Dad said he would get angry if anyone asked him anything. The one thing he overheard one time was a phone call and he heard the word twin."

"So your grandfather has a twin?" Justin said as he slipped another inch closer to Brian.

Brian tightened his arm around him and kissed him. "I hope to find out. Sleep, Love. You know our kids won't be down long."

"Love you, Bri." Justin's voice was already sleep laden.

Brian glanced down at the blond head laying on his chest and he felt a lump in his throat. He was so overwhelmed with love; love for his husband, love for his kids, and for some reason, being here in his ancestral homeland everything felt multiplied. So why did he feel an apprehension, too?

"Daddies, I awake." Aaron had crawled into Brian and Justin's bed and now sat between them. "I not tired." As he said this he yawned widely.

"Shhh," Justin said, pulling him in under the covers. "Jessi is sleeping."

"Dadadada," Jessi's voice came from the crib. "Out!" She was not happy.

"Come here, sweetheart." Brian lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek. He laid her on the bed where she immediately moved over to Justin and curled up next to him whimpering.

"What's wrong, Jess?"

"I ..." she didn't get anything out but whimpered louder."

"Oh, baby, I know what you mean."

"What's going on? Why wasn't I invited to the party?" Gus walked in rubbing his eyes and then he jumped on the bed with the rest of the family.

"Well, it looks like everyone is awake." Justin looked at Brian. "Why don't you let the girls know we are awake. It's a bit after 6:00. Why don't you tell them to be ready at about 7:15."

Jessi started crying louder so Brian stepped out of the room. When he came back a few minutes later Jessi was a little quieter, sitting in Gus' arms. "I called room service and asked them to send up some breakfast. I figure some food might help the moods. I know it is hard to know if it is breakfast or lunch time."

"I'm hungry, Daddy. Did you order pancakes?"

"I didn't see pancakes on the menu but I am sure you will like the sausage and bacon and eggs and toast and..." Brian started tickling first Gus and then Aaron. Both boys were racked with giggles. Their laughter quieted Jessi. "Come on, boys. Let's get dressed. We are going to drive past a castle on our way to our house."

"A real castle?" Gus asked doubtfully.

"Yes, a real castle, and I promise, we will go there someday soon."

"Cool!" Gus said.

"Ya, Cool," Aaron repeated. 

A half hour later, everyone was dressed and Sonya and Rachel had arrived, ready for breakfast.  Everyone questioned some of the food that arrived with breakfast. They all enjoyed the eggs and fresh soda bread. The bacon was more like ham but it was very good. None of them were sure about eating baked beans for breakfast and none of them were ready to try black or white pudding. 

Brian received a text letting them know that their van was waiting whenever they were ready. There was also another van that would bring their luggage, so they just needed to follow and didn't have to worry about getting lost on the way. After leaving the city of Limerick, the green hills spread out in front of them. They followed the lead van into a small village. 

Rachel had dozed off in the back of the van, but when she woke up and looked out the window she said, "Did we go back a century or two while I slept?" It really did feel like they had stepped back in time."

"Daddy J., look! There's the castle! It is so big!" Gus could barely stay in his car seat.

Justin reached over and squeezed Brian's shoulder. "This is going to be even better than I could imagine."

"Do you think you will be inspired to paint?" Brian smiled over at him.

"What do you think? Just look at the landscape. The colors and the buildings, think about what those walls have seen."

The front van turned off the small rural road and onto a driveway. Brian followed it up to a stunning house. It was even more beautiful than they expected.  

"Our house?" Aaron asked.

"For a while, Aaron." Rachel helped him undo his car seat. "Hold my hand, please," she said and Aaron took it. Justin took Jessi, and as Brian directed the young man with their luggage, everyone else walked toward the house.  

As they got close the door opened and a plump, short, woman of about 60 stood there.  "Welcome! I am so sorry you couldn't get here last night.  Oh, look at the wee ones. You can never have too many children around."

"Molly?" Brian asked.

"Oh, forgive me. Yes, I am Molly. I will be here most days from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. although I may take an hour off here and there."

"We can talk about hours. Let me introduce my husband, Justin. He is holding our youngest, Jessi. The little blond is Aaron and the oldest is Gus." Gus waved at her, but Aaron hid behind his big brother.

"Oh, little man, we will be friends, I am sure."

Brian continued, "And these lovely ladies are Sonya and Rachel. They will be splitting child duties. Sonya officially will be Gus' tutor, but they will be working out their time."

"Well, it sounds like you are a well oiled machine. Please, why am I keeping you outside? Come in!" She turned and led the way. Gus rushed up behind her with Aaron and they walked in, followed by the adults. "Liam, go help with the bags and bring them upstairs. Just leave them all in the hall. They can sort them out." A young man had appeared and then disappeared up the stairs with the driver behind him. "Liam is my grandson. He takes care of the heavy lifting. He also takes care of the lawn and anything else that needs to be done." Molly looked at them, "Look at me doing all the talking."

"I am afraid we are all suffering from jet lag," Justin smiled as Jessi started to whine in his arms.

"Let me show you your rooms. I will let you all get settled and you just investigate inside and out. If you are hungry, come find me in the kitchen. Otherwise I will have some lunch ready around noon and you can come any time. This is your home, and I am here to care for you."

"Oh, Molly, that sounds wonderful." Justin gave her a side hug and to his surprise the unhappy  little girl in his arms reached for the older woman. 

Molly took Jessi willingly. "Come here, Lovey. Let's go find everyone's room and then if you don't want to take a lie down, you can help me in the kitchen."

"Miss Molly, can I help you in the kitchen?" Gus asked politely.

"Gus, I am always happy to have a handsome young man in my kitchen, but of course you will need permission." 

Molly pointed out the bedrooms and made some suggestions. "Sonya and Rachel, I thought you would like a little more space so if you are good with it, I think the third floor would be perfect. It is the old nanny quarters. It separates the two beds a bit but has a little sitting area and a private bath. It was set up so that you can hear what is going on in the nursery which is where the boys are."

"That sounds perfect," Sonya responded.

"Why don't you two go unpack," Brian suggested. He had picked up a very sleepy Aaron whose head was now resting on his shoulder. "We have the kids for now."

"Let us know if you need our help," Rachel called back as the women went up to their room.

"Daddy J. come look at our room!" Gus called Justin into the room he would share with Aaron. "Look how far we can see! And it is SO green everywhere. What is that over there? I think they are animals.  Maybe they are cows."

"Actually, Gus, those are sheep. You will see lots of sheep while you live here."

"Miss Molly, do you think I will be able to see them close up?"

"I am sure you will have lots of chances." Molly had been rocking as she stood in the room and now Jessi was sound asleep. "I will lay this one down in the next room. There is a grand cradle there and then I will be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Thank you, Molly. I can tell we will be well cared for while we are here." Justin smiled at her as she walked out the door with their sleeping daughter. Justin helped Gus put his clothes into drawers and then quickly put away Aaron's as Brian got the little boy comfortable in one of the beds. 

"I'm not really tired, but I will lay down by Aaron for a while," Gus said as he stifled a yawn.

"That's very sweet, Gus. We will be right across the hall if you need us." Justin kissed him as he laid down next to Aaron, and Brian and Justin pulled the door shut as they left the room. They checked on Jessi, who was in the room next to theirs. She slept in a huge crib that looked to be hundreds of years old. It was obvious to them she would not be getting out of that on her own, and at the moment was sleeping soundly, so they moved through the door that linked their room to hers, leaving the door open a bit in case she woke up.  

"I might be scared if I woke up in a strange room with such a massive bed." Brian said as Justin looked at the stack of suitcases near the closet. "No, that will wait," he said as he pulled Justin into his arms. "I need an hour in your arms. We don't need to do anything. I just need to feel you against me." The men slipped their shoes and shirts off and pulled the duvet back before lying down and pulling the blanket back up. Justin wrapped his arms around Brian and Brian's head rested gently on Justin's chest.

"You're thinking about your family, aren't you?"

"Yes. A couple years ago, I had never wanted anything to do with my family, but now, with Dad's family, I want to do it for him. But if I am honest, I want to do it for myself, too. I want to do it for Gus, well, all the kids, but Gus carries the Irish blood." Brian's finger played with Justin's navel and his fingers began to play with the light trail of hair that led downward. "That doesn't sound wrong, does it? You know how much I love all our kids but he just..."

"Brian, I understand. And the other two are too young to totally understand what the heritage would mean anyway." Justin tilted Brian's head up and he kissed him. Brian's hand had begun to have an effect on him. 

Brian's skilled hand undid Justin's fly, and then his hand found what he was seeking. He moved and tugged Justin's pants below his knees and then brought his mouth down on Justin's penis.  As his tongue began to travel up and down the growing member, his hand gently massaged Justin's balls and stroked the tender skin behind them, taking his time to work his way to the puckered bud, and as he slipped his finger in, Justin arched, trying not to lose his erection yet. 

As Brian slowly inserted his finger and started to move it against Justin's prostate, he gave in and fed Brian the nectar he had to offer. Brian did not miss a drop, and then slowly moved up Justin's body and captured his mouth in a gentle, lingering kiss. "Let's try and get a quick nap. I don't expect the kids to sleep that long, but hopefully it will be enough to keep them happy until an early bedtime and then by tomorrow they will have adapted to the new time."

Justin pulled his pants back up and tied them before laying his head on Brian's chest. Brian held him time tight. "I hope you're right. I can't wait to start exploring." Brian kissed the top of his head and they both drifted off in their own thoughts.

Justin woke up when he heard Jessi. He moved to her room and picked her up. He quickly changed her diaper and peeked in the boys room. The room was empty. Before he could panic he heard voices coming from below. "A wee cookie has never ruined anyone's lunch." Justin heard Molly say as he walked down the steps.

As Justin walked in, Gus looked guilty, "Miss Molly said..."

Justin smiled at Gus and then kissed both of them on the top of the head. "I don't have a problem with you having a cookie. I know cookies are normally for after lunch but it is our first day in Ireland and none of us know what time of the day it is."

"Cookie peeeeze," Jessi asked and as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Justin set her in the high chair and Molly put a cookie on the tray. Jessi gave her a shy  smile as she took a bite.

"Molly, thank you so much for making us so welcome."

"I could tell as soon as I saw all of you that we would get along famously." 

"We will come up with a basic schedule in the next couple days but we are very flexible. Rachel and Sonya will have the kids most of the time, and Brian will be working from the office here part of the time, but we plan to take day trips from time to time, and I admit, I plan to do some painting and I can lose track of time when I am doing that." There were sounds coming from upstairs and the two young women came in.

"Maybe tomorrow morning we can talk about some of the plans, but I can make anything work..." She smiled at the women as they walked in. She handed them each a cookie "Shall we plan on a bite to eat in about 20 minutes? If you would like to take the children in the back for a few minutes I will get the food ready."

"And I will go see if Brian is still sleeping or if he is showering or something." Everyone went their own direction. Justin walked into their room and stopped. Brian was sound asleep, looking so much like Gus when he was in a deep sleep. He hated to wake him. He had been going nonstop since they left Atlanta. There had been a couple nights he didn't even come home. He had meetings at Kinnetik and with Kevin at Legacy. As he watched him, Brian stretched and gave a sleepy smile when he saw Justin at the door. After propping his head on a hand he patted the mattress next to him. "I wish I had time to get in there with you but..."

"There is always time for you to come kiss me." Brian reached toward him and Justin walked over to the bed. He leaned over and kissed Brian, but before he could move Brian pulled him into his embrace. The kiss went on for several minutes.

Justin brought his mouth to Brian's ear, "We have lunch in about ten minutes."

"The kids are all up?" Brian was surprised.

"You are the last to wake up." Justin enjoyed absorbing Brian's heat. "Molly has snuck them all cookies already and now the girls have them outside running in the field. She is putting out lunch now and then mentioned a light supper and then the kids can go to bed early and hopefully they will be back in sync tomorrow. The boys aren't doing bad, but Jessi is not our normal sweet girl."

Brian stood up and stretched before pulling on his shirt. "I know this sounds like bullshit but there is something about being here. I feel like I'm home, even though I have never been here."

"Well, if everyone is as sweet as Molly, we are going to have an amazing time."

"This afternoon you need to spend some time setting up a place to paint and scouting the best places to work."

They started to move toward the steps. "Why are you so anxious for me to paint? Do you want me away from here?"

"You know that isn't true. I just know how horny you get when you paint all day. That bed up there is super comfortable and did you notice how big it is?"

As Brian made the last half of his comment they walked into the kitchen. Everyone was sitting at the table and both Sonya and Rachel cracked up at Brian's comment. "Daddies, I hungry!" Aaron said as he picked up his fork.

Rachel patted his shoulder, "Be nice, Aaron. Molly has made a wonderful meal and you need to be polite."

"Sorry, Rachel. Sorry, Molly."

"Oh, Aaron, what a fine young man. We are going to have a splendid time, aren't we?"

Thirty minutes later they all were so full they could barely move. "What shall we do?" Brian asked the kids.

"Can we go outside and take a walk? I want to see the sheep closer."

"That sounds like a plan," Brian said. Soon Brian and the kids, along with Rachel and Sonya, were heading across the hills. Jessi was walking between the girls while Brian pushed an empty stroller. They figured by the time they came back one or both of the younger children may want to ride. 

As soon as Brian was out of the yard with the kids, Justin turned to Molly who was finishing up the dishes. "Molly, we were told there was space for an art studio on the property. Could you tell me where it is located?"

"It may not look like much when you see it but I think it will inspire you. It is the old stables right back there." Molly pointed to an old building in the back. "I think the loft would be the best place for you to set up. On a clear day you can see all the way to the ocean. And when the fog is thick everything becomes magical. The fairies come out and dance in the wind."

Justin had to smile. "Well, I look forward to meeting one. I will be out there if you need anything.  How far are we from the ocean?"

"We are about three kilometers. You may enjoy taking the scooter to the cliffs some days. There is a sidecar that could hold your supplies."

"Oh, that sounds like it would work well. Thanks, Molly. Oh, did the supplies I ordered arrive?"

"They did. Everything is in the loft."

Justin carried his bag that included his brushes and a few other tools he had taken along and he quickly walked across the yard and into the cool, dark building. His first thought was the building was dark and cool, but as he moved up the stairs the light flooded the space and it had a whole different feel. The first word that came to mind was magical. He pulled out a canvas and he started painting.

"Baa," Aaron said, trying to run over to the sheep but Brian scooped him up and onto his shoulders. The sheep ran away.

"Aaron, you scared them!" Gus grumbled, and under his breath he said, "Dummy." Aaron's lips quivered.

"Gus, that's not very nice," Brian said to his oldest son. He lowered Aaron and put him into the stroller behind his sister. "Why don't you take those two back to the house and Gus and I will be home soon."

"Sure, we'll give them baths and put on fresh clothes so after dinner they will be ready for bed," Rachel said as they started moving toward the house.

Gus looked up at his dad, "Am I in trouble, Daddy? He scared away the sheep after we walked all this way."

"I'll give you a pass this time because we are all still adjusting to Ireland, but let's..." To Brian's surprise, Gus burst into tears. He dropped to a knee and pulled his son into his arms. "It's alright, Gus. I know you didn't mean it. Why are you crying?"

"I don't know, Daddy. I am tired and I just feel like crying."

Brian pulled him even closer. "You know what? I have felt like that a time or two myself. There is nothing wrong with crying."

"But I'm not a baby anymore. I shouldn't just stand here and cry."

"You are never too old to cry, Gus. And you are tired from our trip. I think you will feel better tomorrow, but if you don't, talk to me or Daddy J. But I think you will be just fine in the morning."

"I think you're right. I like it here."

"I do, too, Gus. Next week, would you like to come and help me find out about our family? Remember, Grandpa said he had family here. I want to see if there is anyone still here."

"Just you and me?" Gus looked into his dad's face.

"Just you and me."

"Yeah, I love you, Daddy."

"Oh, Gus, I love you, too."

Justin glanced out the window and had to smile. Brian was walking toward the house with Gus on his back. He looked at the canvas in front of him and quickly added Brian and Gus on the distant hill. By the time Brian and Gus arrived in the garden, Justin met them. He kissed Brian, a little too long for Gus' liking.

"Dads, that's enough. You are so embarrassing," Gus giggled. Justin walked behind Brian and lifted Gus off and then slid his hand across Brian's ass.

"You've been painting, haven't you?" Brian asked as he turned and caught Justin in his arms. 

"I have," he watched Gus run into the house and then pressed his pelvis against Brian. "You better have saved some energy for me tonight."

"I promise, I have plenty." Brian held him tightly as their lips again fused.

Gus had found Molly in the kitchen. "Well, Gus, did you bring your dads with you?"

"They are outside kissing. They do that a lot."

"That's because your dads love each other." Molly ruffled Gus' hair.

"Ya, they do that a lot."

"Would you like to help me with supper?"

"What's supper?" Gus climbed up on a stool.

"Oh, that is just what we call dinner sometimes. I know everyone is still a little tired from your trip yesterday so we are going to eat a little earlier and then I think everyone will go to bed early, and I will go home to my own bed."

"You don't live here?" Gus followed her actions and started snapping green beans in half and dropping them in a bowl.

"Do you remember the wee house you saw when you drove up to this house?"

"I think Sonya called it a cottage."

"It is a cottage and that cottage is where I live."

"All by yourself?"

"Liam, my grandson, lives there part of the time, but I have lived alone a very long time."

Gus hugged the older woman standing next to him. "I like you, Miss Molly."

"I like you, too, young Gus."

Brian and Justin walked in with their arms wrapped around each other's waist. "Well, looks like you have a good helper." Brian said.

"Daddy J. did you know that Molly lives in that cottage at the end of the drive?"

"I kind of suspected she did." Justin winded at Molly. "Molly, you have had a very long day already."

"I will be going home as soon as supper has finished. Normally, I will leave before supper, but will have it ready for you."

"Dad, did you know that supper is another word for dinner?" Gus asked Brian."

"I did and now you do, too. I know we usually say dinner but different parts of the world call it different things."

"I like supper." Gus declared as he jumped off the stool. "Be right back. I need to go to the bathroom."

"When you are done, could you tell the others supper will be ready in 30 minutes?"

"Sure," he said and was gone in a blur.

"That is a special boy. I think he is a bit of a Luck Child. That's what we called a child that always seemed to do what was good."

"Well, he always has had a good heart."

"And he has been taught to truly love through example. Now, let me finish up this meal. I think all of you will be ready for bed soon with the jet lag and all the fresh air today. The house will be quiet early."

Molly was right. Before the family had finished eating, Jessi was asleep with her head on the tray of her high chair and Aaron was resting his head on Rachel's arm. "We can take them up," Sonya said.

"Would you mind helping Molly clean up? We want to put them to bed," Justin said.

"No problem."

"Gus, why don't you come up with us. You still need a bath," Brian suggested.

Gus was about to say he wasn't ready for bed, but he really was tired so he followed his dads who each carried one of the little ones. Once Jessi and Aaron were in bed, Brian started the bathtub water while Gus undressed and Justin got out his pajamas.

Although Gus usually enjoyed sitting in the tub for a while, tonight he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Justin held his head up while Brian shampooed his hair and once the soap was out they drained the water and together they dried him off and put on his pajamas. Brian picked him up and carried him to the boys room.

Justin leaned over and whispered to Brian, "Careful with the back. I have use for that yet tonight."

"Damn," Brian growled softly. They tucked Gus in and then, hand in hand, walked back to their room. They softly shut the door and then they were again in each other's arms. "Is it my imagination or have we spent more time kissing today then we have in the last month?"

"I knew I would love Ireland." They continued kissing as they slowly undressed, running their lips across heated skin as it was revealed.

Justin pushed Brian on the bed once they were naked and moved between Brian's legs. It wasn't long before Brian was gritting his teeth trying to control his ejaculation, but when Justin started to stroke his perineum and gently started probing his bud, he lost total control. He arched, and as he did Justin found his prostate, causing Brian to bite his lip to stop from screaming and waking the kids. 

Justin then continued to stroke him until he again was rock hard. Justin then began to position himself above him, but Brian flipped him and pinned him to the mattress. He then positioned him and sank into him in one smooth move. Moments later they both orgasmed and then collapsed side by side.

"I might be getting too old for cumming twice in a matter of minutes."

"No, Bri, you will never be too old for that. That was amazing!"

"I'm not arguing about that, but I think now it is time for us to go to sleep. Hopefully those three will sleep a normal night and be back on track tomorrow. I think I will take Gus into the village after lunch. Sonya will hold his classes in the morning."

"He is going to love that. I think I might go to the ocean and get an idea of what I want to paint first."

"Are you glad we came?" Brian pulled him close.

"It is obvious how much the kids are already enjoying it, and I will never run out of things to paint. I love it here and I love you. Good night, Brian."

"Love you, too, Justin."

Both men fell asleep thinking of the weeks ahead.