The month of September flew by. The school schedule was in place and everyone was making adjustments. The parents were glad to see their children excited about school. Even Gus had found a comfortable spot, liking his teachers and classmates. The fact that some of the students boarded at the school and some lived in their homes gave the school a unique atmosphere.  

The men set up their own schedules. Griff and Justin spent most days in the studio. They both knew as the project moved along they would spend many evenings and weekends there, but for now, they went there when the kids left for school and tried to be back at the houses when they returned in the afternoon.

Terry spent three days working at clinics and the other two with Brian, working for the company. Of course there were times that he had emergencies, but Brian could handle the load when that happened. Brian was still working with the police and security to track down the web stalker.  The FBI Cyber Crimes Unit had gotten involved since the person targeted someone as young as Gus, but so far they had not been able to track the perpetrator. The first thing that came to mind was the crime family connected to the kidnapping, so they started looking into them, but also started analyzing the path to Gus' emails.

In the afternoon when the children got home, it was family time. Homework was done around the dining room table or by a desk that was in the area. Justin and Brian would spend time with each of the three, hearing about their day and helping with the school assignments. Once Emma had dinner ready, they ate as a family. Sometimes Emma and Joshua joined them, and on a rare occasion during the week Terry and Griff, along with Elian, would share the meal, but usually the weekly meals were just the five of them once the food was ready.

After dinner they spent time watching a movie or playing a game. Each one of them got to plan one of the nights. Sometimes Gus would skip the movie if it was a ‘little kids' movie, but he didn't do it more than once a week. 

Weekends were meant for friends and family. The season was changing quickly. The nights were very chilly as they entered October but the days still warmed up nicely. One Saturday afternoon, the kids, Luke, and Willow swam for a while. The heated water made it very comfortable, but it was too cool to sit outside so Terry and Brian got a bonfire going. When the swimmers got out of the pool they wrapped blankets around themselves and then sat by the fire, roasting marshmallows and drinking some hot chocolate Luke made.  

The three artists had been holed up in the studio since breakfast. Emma had made them sandwiches for lunch and Terry brought them over to the men so they didn't have to stop. As dinner time came closer Luke asked, "Is this normal? Do they always stay away all day?"

"It isn't unusual," Brian said.

"I'm going to go tell them they need to stop and come to dinner." Terry was already moving across the lawn. He stopped and turned, "Elian..."

"Go. We've got him." Brian waved Terry on and then turned to Luke. "There are days you are going to hate it, and that's okay, but let me ask you something. Listen to the whole question because it isn't what you think. Is your sex life better when Matt is working on a project?"

"I..." he thought for a minute. "When he's around, he... OOH.  Ya, when he is in a creative mood life can be very interesting."

"For the next eight months I expect times I can't get his attention, and there will be times that I need to sleep all day because we didn't sleep all night."

"As long as he is happy," Luke said.

"Luke, the sex is great, but there will be at least once during this project that I will want to kill him and I might say he will feel the same. He will sleep with the kids or in the studio."

"Brian, why are you telling me this?"

"I just want you to know that when it does happen, you aren't the only one."

"That couldn't happen to us. We always have been able to talk things out."

"Luke, Justin moved out and lived with Griff when he was first hired. Justin hired him to help with a project, but by that time Justin was wound up," Brian noticed a panicked look on Luke's face. "I don't expect that to happen to you. Justin just has a crazy streak when it comes to this. He's had a major head injury. Who knows if that might be part of it. It happens when he is sleep deprived. His personality changes a bit."

"That does make sense. Shut me down if I step out of line, but Matt said Justin reacted to being asked about his dad. Does the head injury have something to do with his father?"

"Let me check on the kids and you can pour us each a drink and I'll meet you in the den in ten minutes." Brian headed to the kitchen while Luke headed toward the bar.

Emma and Willow had the kids. They were all playing a game at the table and when Brian offered to take the kids they insisted they wanted to finish the game, so Brian left them and went to the den where he found both Luke and Terry sitting in the deep leather chairs.  

Luke handed Brian a glass before he dropped into a seat across from them. "So are our husbands going to make an appearance?"

"Yes, they should be up here in about an hour. They are finishing up on a mold for part of one of the attached sculptures. They will have to leave it alone for at least 24 hours so they should be all ours tonight and tomorrow." 

Luke smiled from ear to ear at Terry's news. "I'm glad. I know how much Matty likes to do his art, but he works so hard during the week and then we come here and he gets so absorbed... You both know about that. Now, Brian, you were going to tell me about Justin and his father."

"Well, you know Justin is a lot younger than me. Justin was a high school senior when we met.  That was when he came out to his parents that year. Although Jennifer, his mom, wasn't sure what to think at first, his dad basically threw him out, and he ended up living with me part of the time and then with another family part of the time. That was Craig's first strike. It was at his prom that he got injured. He didn't really have anything to do with bashing."

"Bashing?" Luke was stunned by that word.

"Yes. A classmate took a baseball bat to his head." Brian's voice faded out as he went back to that time. He brought his glass to his mouth and took a sip.

"Brian are you..." Luke started but Terry reached over and patted his hand indicating he should let him go on. "Was Justin there alone?"

Now with a soft, hoarse voice. "I had stayed for a dance and then he walked me out to my car," He took a deep breath. "I turned to get into my jeep, and in the mirror I saw the kid coming up behind him."

"Oh, Brian, that's terrible. He obviously came out of it."

Brian drained his glass and got up to refill it so Terry went on with the story. "Craig bought off some of the hospital staff and Jenn was told that Justin passed away."

"The asshole let Jenn and me think he was dead for over a year."

"But Brian always felt Justin was still alive."

"I can see that. I think I would know Matty was still alive. His aura is so strong."

"It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I started stalking Craig, and finally he led me to him. That was strike two."

"What could be worse than that?" Luke was now sitting on the edge of the chair, listening.

"Strike three at least has a good side to it. One of Justin's therapists became Craig's lover and is Aaron's birth mother." 

"How did Aaron end up as yours?"

"Craig didn't want another child and Dani wasn't ready to be a mom."

"Let me guess, Justin wouldn't let him go."

"Exactly," Brian agreed. "And although it took a little bit for it to soak in, he belongs with us. Gus needed a sibling and... you've met the kid. You just have to love him."

"Excuse me, Dad?" Aaron's voice came from the door. "Can I go with Dusty on the cart to see Big Gus?" He walked over to Brian's chair and sat down on the arm before he leaned over and kissed the top of Brian's head.

Brian wrapped his arms around him and said, "As long as you are back in time for dinner."

"Oh, Terry, I was supposed to ask if Elly can go, too. He's helping put the game away."

"That's fine. Make sure you put on jackets. It's cooling off quickly."

"We will." Aaron gave Brian a big hug before going to the door. "Oh, Jessi is helping Emma, and Gus went to his room." And then Aaron was gone.

Brian wiped at his eyes. "He is so much like Justin. I look at him and picture what Sunshine was like as a child."

"He is definitely a wonderful child. His kindness just overflows everywhere he goes. You have some great kids."

"Daddy!" Jessi came running in and jumped on Brian's lap. She hugged him tightly around the neck. "I love you!"

"I love you, too, Sweetheart." 

She jumped off his lap and ran toward the door but stopped. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." And then she was gone.

Brian smiled looking at the door. "I remember when Gus would do something like that. Now he's sullen and distant sometimes."

"He is fine, Brian. He was kidnapped and had a badly broken leg, not to mention he is a tween.  He is adjusting very well at school and he has a great family. He is doing great, Dad." Luke smiled at Brian.

As Brian said, "Thanks, Luke," there was a commotion coming from somewhere in the house. "I am guessing our long missing husbands are here."

"We aren't married, but I'll take it." Luke stood and he and Brian walked out of the den. 

"Are you going to get married?"

"I don't think so. We don't need it. We don't plan on having kids of our own. When we get a little older we have talked about being foster parents."

Brian draped his arm around Luke's shoulders. "You would be great foster parents."

The energy in the kitchen was high. The three artists looked tired but the adrenaline flowing was obvious. Justin had Jessi in his arms when Brian came over and kissed her on the forehead and then kissed Justin. It wasn't a long kiss but the electricity between them made the air sizzle. Terry and Griff were both in the cat house and Matt strode over to look, put his arms around Luke and pulled him tightly against him. "Today was amazing. I can't wait to tell you about it. I learned so much watching those two work together."

"You could probably learn a lot if you watched us in other places, too," Justin said and then quickly looked around and was glad Gus wasn't there. He then asked, "Where is Gus?"

"I'm here, Dad." Gus said walking in the door. "I was helping Dusty with the horses. Did I miss something?"

"Nope. We are just ready to eat," Emma said without skipping a beat. "Go wash up. I smell a hint of Catori on you." She patted one of his cheeks and he smiled at her before turning around and moving toward the bathroom. 

The dinner was boisterous and fun-loving. The love and laughter continued until all were full and the children had a movie they wanted to watch. It was something even Gus wanted to watch so they all went up to the media room. It only took minutes for the men to clear the table and they decided to play poker. As the liquor flowed the game got more raucous. At one point, Willow stopped by to get a snack she had left in the fridge and when she saw the shape the men were in, she volunteered to go check on the kids and stay with them until they were asleep. She went back to the fridge and got juice and some small snacks for the kids as well.

"Thanks, Willow. You really don't have to. I can go check on them," Justin said.

"Just enjoy yourself. If you don't care, I'll just bunk in with Jessi. All of you can enjoy yourself to whatever limit you want."

"Thanks, Willow, we owe you," Brian said.

"You don't owe me anything. You are paying me to work and you are paying for my college. I am just earning some of that."

Brian smiled, "Isn't Dusty going to miss you?"

"He has a headache and fell asleep at his folks, so I would be alone anyway. I love your kids. I love hanging out with them."

The kids were thrilled to have Willow with them and they decided to have a slumber party in Aaron's room. Willow texted Justin and let them know the plan.

As they finished a hand, they decided to take a break. Griff moved to the window and turned to the other men who were all stretching, looking at their phones, and getting water, or coffee. "Did anyone else notice it is snowing?" Griff asked.

Luke moved to him and draped an arm over his shoulder and said, "The first snow of the year is always so peaceful."

Justin caught Brian's eyes, and smiling said, "I think we need to get naked and hit the pool. It is like a big hot tub out there. That's why we put seating at one end."

"I love the way he thinks," Brian grinned. I also love the way he..."

Justin interrupted him and said, "I'll go grab some towels and blankets for when we get out." He glanced at Luke and saw a nervous look on his face, "You can wear trunks. It doesn't bother you if we don't, does it?"

Luke smiled, "No, I'm sure I will enjoy the view." 

Ten minutes later the men were sitting in the small pool where clouds of steam rose up into the sky. It was obvious, very quickly, that the men weren't out there to chat. Even though they were all in the pool, they had paired up in three separate corners. Each couple was in their own world, kissing and touching as the warm water moved around them as the snowflakes landed on their hair and face. 

There was a low murmur of voices as each pair spoke privately to their partner. It wasn't long before Luke and Matt excused themselves, wrapping one of the large towels around both of them before darting into the house and into the room they called their own. The other couples, not wanting to make Luke and Matt feel uncomfortable, had been holding back, but now that it was just the four of them, each pair felt free to do anything they wanted to do.

As Terry and Griff did their thing in one corner, Justin pulled Brian's hips out, repositioning him on the underwater bench and then as they kissed, Justin's hand moved between his legs and up the valley between his cheeks until he found the circular bud he was looking for. He pressed his finger into Brian's ass, and as Brian helped Justin remain above water, he massaged Brian's prostate until his whole body convulsed and he threw his head back, crying out.

From somewhere in the distance a cougar responded to the noise and all four men pulled themselves together. "I'm not worried it will come here, but let's get inside. It's starting to snow harder and it's getting cold." As Justin finished the statement they heard the cat again, closer this time.

"And it's fuckin' creepy knowing how close they are out there." Brian stood and the other three followed. They wrapped themselves up in large towels and entered the house. They had barely gotten the door shut when an enormous mountain lion walked out of the woods and passed right by the pool. Both couples stood in awe of the powerful beast. "Holy shit! That was close." Brian grabbed his cell phone that had been left right inside the house and texted Joshua about the cat. "Stay here until we hear from Joshua."

"Do you think the animals are safe?" Justin asked.

"I want to say yes but Joshua always said they wouldn't come this close either." Justin wrapped his arms around Brian's waist and laid his head on Brian's chest, listening to his rapid heart. Griff and Terry put their clothes back on as they waited to hear from Joshua. Justin slipped into their bedroom and came back with robes for them, then they moved to the kitchen, and with nothing better to do, made coffee.

There was a soft knock at the door and Terry went and opened it. Joshua walked in and took a cup of coffee out of Brian's hands and took a swallow. He shoved the cup back at him. "That is like drinking candy." Justin handed him a mug of black coffee and Joshua nodded his thanks. "He's gone now. I think I have seen that one before. Never this close. In the morning we will track him and see if we can change his territory."

"You can change where he roams?" Terry asked.

"We'll check the trail cameras and put up some barriers if possible or lead him away by baiting with food far away from here."

"Is it safe to be outside?" Justin asked.

"He won't be back tonight, or that would not be normal behavior. If you two are ready," Joshua looked at Terry and Griff, "I'll walk you home." He drained his coffee and handed the cup back to Justin before heading to the door with Terry and Griff behind him.

Justin linked his arm with Brian's and they walked to the bedroom. They took a hot shower. The buzz of the alcohol had gone after all the excitement and coffee. As they tried to relax in the stream of warm water, Brian slowly ran his hand down Justin's cheek and then encircled his waist and pulled him close. His mouth followed the path his fingers had just made and then his mouth sought Justin's and as their lips parted, Brian's tongue entered Justin's mouth. It searched every millimeter of his warm, wet orifice before they both took a breath.

"We need to talk about the cougar, but first we need to make love," Justin said as he turned the water off and they both stumbled out of the stall, not wanting to break contact. They continued to steal kisses as they dried off and then made their way into bed.

They moved together in a perfect dance of lovemaking. Their skin heated as their blood pumped faster. Brian gently bit Justin's neck as they both neared the finish. Together, they began to tremble and then both sighed softly as they found release. Moments later they were both sleeping soundly, limbs intertwined.

Brian woke early, and after taking a quick shower, stood by the window overlooking the area they saw the cougar last night. Had they made a mistake? Was he endangering his family living here? He had really thought this was a good move for both his family and for Griff and Terry's. An image of Jessi standing eye to eye with the large feline made him shiver.

He was so into his own thoughts that he didn't hear Justin come up behind him, and jumped as Justin's arms wrapped around him. "Sorry, didn't mean to surprise you. Where were you? You were deep in thought."

"Can you see the tracks? He was huge. What if one of the kids..."

Justin turned him around and put his arms around his neck and kissed him. He put a hand on either side of his face and softly said, "Damn, I never get tired of that face." They kissed again before Justin continued, "Brian, it was late. From everything I have heard, if there had been a lot of noise, which there always is if the kids are involved, he would have gone the other direction."

"But I was being noisy when we heard him."

"He was probably just curious and he didn't show himself until he thought it was all clear. He's a little bigger than KC and JC but he is still curious." Justin's hands landed on Brian's hips and had just started to lower the boxers he had on when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey Dads, can I come in?" Gus' voice came through the door.

Justin kissed Brian once more and then moved to the bathroom to shower as Brian called out, "Come in, Gus. Justin's in the shower but should be out in a minute."

Gus walked in and said, "I wasn't sure you could shower separately." The comment had a little sarcasm in it, but with humor not spite.

"Yes, I am already done showering. He slept a little longer than I did. What's up? Not that I mind if you come to our room."

"Last night, did you see the mountain lion by the pool?"

Brian was surprised by the question but tried to make it no big deal. "We did. I thought you were sleeping in Aaron's room."

"I couldn't fall asleep on the floor so I went back to my room. I saw the light on out back and when I looked out, I saw the cat walk away from the house."

"We did see him, and we had Joshua check it out. He is checking trail cameras this morning and will make adjustments if necessary."

"Did you see how big he was?"

"We did," Justin said from behind him, with just a towel wrapped around his waist. "I'll be right back." He ducked into the walk in closet.

"Dad, Joshua isn't going to hurt him is he?"

"Of course not. He is checking trail cameras and seeing if he can see what led the cat this way. He said he had a few ideas how to lead him away," Brian commented.

"I wish I could have gotten a better look at him. He was so cool." Gus stopped to think a minute, and his face got very serious.

"Gus, is something wrong?" Justin asked, concerned about the change in him.

"I just thought... what if I would have run into something that big when I was..." He physically shuddered.

Both Brian and Justin moved to him and wrapped their arms around him. "It didn't, son. Thank God it didn't! It is never good to think about what could have happened rather than what was." Justin kissed the top of his head.

Then Brian added, "Maybe you would like to take some training on how to survive out there.  You did so amazingly when you were out there, but I know there are places in the area that could teach you what to do if you ever find yourself stranded again."

"Could I really? I would like that. I think there might even be something at the school. I've heard some of the kids talking about it. I heard some of the older boys talking about wilderness training."

"I bet Luke has information about that or knows where to find the information." Justin smiled as he saw the spark come back in Gus' face.

"Do you think he is up by now?"

"I would check the kitchen. You know how much he likes to cook," Brian said.

"Ok, Dads." He moved to the door but stopped and looked at his fathers. "Thanks for not making me feel like a baby for being scared." And then he was gone.

Justin stepped into Brian's arms and said, "One minute I'm not sure if he likes us but the next he is the same sweet boy we know."

After lunch, Joshua played clips from the trail cameras that showed the path track the cougar had taken the night before. "You can see this is a tagged animal. I have a call in to the wildlife  department to see what they can tell me about the animal. It's Sunday, so I doubt they will get back to me today. I am not worried. Just don't wander far from the house after dark."

Emma chimed in for her husband, who could be a man of few words. "Every few years we have one that finds his way to the house. Most we only see once but there was a time, when Dusty was about Aaron's age, that we had one that kept coming around for weeks. We found the best way to scare him was by ringing the bell outside the door. He never really threatened us but he made us uncomfortable."

The children, along with Dusty, rode their horses around the ranch buildings while the artists went to the studio to work on some individual projects before Luke and Matt would be going back into town.

Gus talked to Luke about a survival club and he said he would look into the couple he knew about. He wasn't sure what the age limits were on the two clubs he knew about but told Gus that he would have an answer soon. 

By dinner, it was just Brian, Justin, and the kids. As soon as the sun was down they all wanted to watch for the cougar to return. Justin had downloaded the trail cameras that led to the house so they pulled them up on a TV and they played a game hoping something would turn up.

Just as they were putting the game away, an alarm went off and they all saw the mountain lion. The camera that was triggered was located about half a mile from the house, so they watched him until he sauntered out of view in the opposite direction. 

Justin went with Aaron and after he put on his pajamas and brushed his teeth he got in bed and Justin laid on the bed next to him and they were on their sides facing each other. "So, Aaron, any fun things planned this week at school?"

"School is usually fun, but we are starting to plan the Halloween party. It is less than two weeks away. Elian and I were wondering if maybe... could we have a party up here? Remember when you let Gus have the party at our pool on the island."

"I remember Gus getting in trouble," Justin smiled at his son.

"Daddy, I promise I won't drink beer."

Justin had to laugh, "I'm glad to hear that. Have you and Elian talked to your teacher about this?"

"Our teacher said that the plans she had made had to be changed. I said we had lots of room."

"Tell her to call me tomorrow afternoon. I will talk to your dad and Elian's and see what they think. Oh, and I will check with Emma, too."

Aaron leaned forward and kissed Justin with a big smack. "Thanks, Daddy."

By the time Justin came out into the hall, Brian was waiting for him. "Aaron must have been talkative tonight. What were you talking about?" He put his arm around Justin's shoulders and guided him toward the stairs and they moved down together.

"Our son and El are scheming about having their Halloween party here. I will try to talk to their teacher tomorrow."

"Let me do that. I don't have much on my agenda tomorrow and I know you and Griff have a lot going on. Don't you have a conference call with state representatives tomorrow?"

"I do have an important call and that might take up most of my morning. Just make sure you know the time range and the number of kids. You know the basic questions to ask." Justin said as they walked into the bedroom.

"Justin, I think I can get the important statistics." He turned and pulled him close.

"Oh, we need to mention it to Emma, too." Justin's mind was buzzing.

"Leave the details to me," Brian said and then pressed his mouth to Justin's and lingered there. They slowly undressed as they continued to kiss.

When they were both naked, Justin dropped onto the bed and Brian joined him. As Brian sat across Justin's hips he began to kiss and stroke his bare skin. After a little while, Brian slid farther down and as he positioned Justin's legs, he entered him and kept gliding in and out until Justin climaxed. Brian rolled off of him and Justin moved to lay his head on Brian's chest.

"Brian Kinney, you are very good at details. I love you," he said in a sleepy voice.

"I love you, too, Sunshine."