Brian was ready to pull his hair out. Gardner Vance had him over a barrel and he knew it. Brian's contract wasn't up for another year and Vance owned him until it was up. If Brian did quit he wouldn't be able to write for another agency or his own until the non-compete agreement was up. He knew for a fact as soon as it was up he was gone. He had already started putting money away for his own start-up reserve.

But because that was at least a year away he now had to put up with Vance. Which left him stuck in Chicago for the next two weeks. He had gotten the call right after dropping Justin off. Vance told him to get with Remson Pharmaceuticals, Vance had been trying to land them for years. The only problem was that Remson was in the middle of house cleaning. It was a good way to get in but it also meant Vanguard wasn't the only vultures swooping in for the pickings.

Remson's main office was based in Chicago and Vance wanted Brian there. When he had gotten there it was easy to meet with some of the lower management staff but the higher ups were being bombarded with agencies. Not only was there ad agencies but accounting companies and even cleaning services were making new bids.

He stopped by a local diner to get coffee and breakfast before heading over. It was going to be a long two weeks if the day before was anything to go by. He wasn't looking forward to trying to get the account. If he got it then it was another win for Vanguard, if he didn't it was another strike against him for Vance. He was sure Vance was getting a little suspicious and maybe a little worried that he was ready to walk. There was no other reason for the shit he was putting him through now.

Then there was the whole thing with Justin, he hadn't talked to him since he dropped him off at the hospital. He expected to hear from him; Brian didn't even know if that baby had been born yet. Gus's birth was faster than normal for a first time mother. He heard that most are in labor for a while.

The only person he told about his spur of the moment business trip was Michael. He wasn't about to call Justin, that was way too much like what someone in a relationship would do, and that wasn't him. No, if Justin wanted to talk to him, he'd have to make the call.

It had been a week since Justin had brought Briana home. He had carried the complimentary bag the staff gave him. It had formula, newborn diapers and a few bottles. He hadn't known where to go, it all had seemed to go by in a blur. So he got on the bus and headed to Brian's. He was sure Brian would be there but he hadn't been – that was a week ago. Brian hadn't come back to the loft in that whole time. At first Justin thought that Brian was on a bender, but he would have been back by now. Brian hadn't called but he hadn't called Brian either. That wasn't really fair to say because after two days he turned his phone off. Everyone but Brian had been calling him.

He didn't know if they knew about the baby but he couldn't take the risk. After everything that had happened he wanted to bond with Briana without anyone else interfering. It had been a good thing because he had a lot to learn. The nurses showed him how to feed and change her but everything else was trial and error – mostly error.

In the short time he had been a father he had learned his daughter didn't like the same music he did. He learned she belched like a trucker, and he wasn't even going to get into what else came out of her.

Every day he looked to see if there was any resemblance between her and his family. He found none. She definitely didn't look like he thought she'd look like. He thought she would be as dark as Daphne. She wasn't though, she had light skin just a tad darker than his. Her hair was light brown, the same color as Brad/Logan's. It didn't mean anything, his dad had light brown hair, well before it all went gray and fell out.

The color of her hair didn't mean that guy was her father. But her skin and hair was another strike against her according to Daphne's parents. He loved her parents but they were far from perfect. They were very in touch with their roots; they also were against mixing of races. It was a joke Daphne was always made that they would rather her become a nun than marry a white guy.

They were good people but very set in their ways. They had been relieved when she had the miscarriage but had not said anything. He knew this time around she wouldn't be so lucky. For most of the last two months of her pregnancy they were so happy she was okay they didn't push her. But as soon as she was close they started in on her. She didn't even have to tell him, he knew them like he did his own dad. It was one of the reasons he didn't want to file the paperwork. This wasn't her choice, but she still wanted to be the apple of her parents' eye.

There was going to be a time where she realized her mistake. Although Brian was right what if that time is years down the line after him and Briana bonded. What if he wasn't the biological father? What if she did get married and take Briana away from him? He hadn't known as soon as he saw her and held her, he would fall in love with her.

The phone in the loft started ringing, bringing him out of his thoughts. Unfortunately, it also brought Briana out of her slumber. He looked between the baby swing he had ordered last week and the phone. Briana's wails grew and her whole face reddened, she wasn't going to be second to a phone.

He picked her up out of the swing and lightly started to sing to her. The answering machine picked up the call.

"Brian? Hello? I guess you're not going to pick up. I really had fun last night, I wasn't sure which number was you're cell phone or house. If this is your house I apologize, obviously you're not home, and you just left my apartment. Call me when you get this, I can't wait to have a repeat of last night's festivities. Bye."

Justin stood frozen in front of the sink where he was starting to make a bottle. He couldn't make sense of the call. Brian never stayed over guy's places during a hookup. He had to be in control, he almost never went to the other guy's place, and if he did he left right after. This was made clear to Justin early on in their non-relationship.

But this guy had Brian's number, it was unlisted. He would have to give it to him. Justin started thinking about the last week, he had assumed Brian was gone for work. He had told him that his boss had been screwing with him. Now, he knew he had been wrong.

He hadn't been the one for Brian like he started to believe. No, he was a stepping stone. He was the guy that Brian got used to sleeping in the same bed with, now this guy was the one who Brianwanted to spend the nights with.

Justin quickly started to pack his and Briana's things after he got Briana calmed down and back in her swing. It had been a mistake to stay at the loft. In his stupid head he thought Brian would see them and want to be a family. It was a childish thought, he knew now. He also knew it was time to stop thinking like a child, he had one that counted on him. That had truthfully been why he had waited so long to look for a place, he was hoping it won't be necessary. God, he was sounding like Michael. It was time for him to move on with his life. Briana needed a father, not a love sick twink.

He only had a week left before winter break. It had been lucky that his teachers understood that he needed to finish classes and Briana was too little for daycare. It probably would have been better to let his family help take care of her but he worried she would bond more with them. So he was able to work from the loft and turned them in. He only had to be there for the exams, that he would need his family's help.

It was too cold to say out for very long with Briana, he still didn't have a car. That would be his next move. He would call his dad to see if he would take him to a used car dealership. Justin had ordered everything he needed and had it delivered. So far he had a swing, carseat, and bassinet, along with quite a few sleepers and diapers. Brian's loft was climate controlled so he didn't have to worry about her being cold.

The more he packed the more he thought about that call. He had thought he was waiting for Brian, but the more he thought about it the more he felt bad. He hadn't been a guy waiting for his boyfriend, no he had been a squatter. Brian didn't know he was there, and he hadn't given his permission. The whole thing was feeling wrong suddenly. How could he have been so stupid?

Once he got everything that was easy to pack up and the big stuff near the door he called his dad.

The call was picked up after one ring. "Justin?" His dad sounded anxious.

"Yeah, hey, Dad. Or I guess I should call you Grandpa so Briana learns it."

"Briana?" his dad said quietly.

"Yep, the baby wasn't a boy, it's a girl. Her name is Briana Rea Horvath."

He heard a small sob come from his normally stoic father. "I've got another granddaughter?"

"Yep, she's gorgeous, Dad. She has Daphne's nose and cheeks."

"I'm on my way to the hospital now."

"Don't."

"Why not? Don't you want me there?" His father sounded so sad about what he assumed Justin meant. It made him feel worse. While he was bonding with Briana he had shut everyone out. He had a lot of amends to make. His family hadn't even got to see her when she was just newly born. He was the worst son and brother ever.

"No, Dad, it's not that. I was stupid, I'm sorry. She was born last Tuesday. I've been so blinded with trying to make some sort of bond with her that I've neglected my family. I took away something you'll never get back. I'm so sorry." He was a world class asshole. He had been playing everything so close to the vest, he had closed himself off.

It was like those lost memories when they came back changed him. Like they took away all the trust and closeness he once had with his family. Everything in his life was turning out wrong. Not to mention there was someone out there that had tried to kill him. The cops seemed to have stopped trying to find the guy. It didn't matter who his father was, it only mattered that the police chief wanted it buried. Who cares about a queer kid anyways, right?

"Where have you been?" his dad asked, this time he sounded angry – not that he blamed him.

"Brian's, but before you say anything, I haven't see Brian in a week. I just realized I was pushing myself on someone who really doesn't want me. I'm pathetic. Can you come and get us? I want to go get a car, I have enough left from Grandpa Taylor's first trust to get a nice used car and first couple months on an apartment. I've just had a dose of reality, and I want to get out of here before Brian gets home and humiliate myself more."

Justin held his breath while he waited for his dad's answer. He didn't think he would tell him no, but he had never messed up so royally before.

"I'll do this, but you will live at the house until after the first of the year. It'll be a bitch to get an apartment before then anyway." Justin had to withhold the giggle at his father cursing.

It was an easy thing to agree to, "Done."