Part V- TANGLED WEBS

Justin was the first to recover from the shock of what he'd just witnessed. Molly had a right-hook to die for, and she just used it to cold-cock the most hateful woman of their acquaintance. Noticing that Molly was steadily progressing towards the woman crumbled at their feet -more than likely intent on doing more harm- Justin grabbed the young woman carefully by the waist and held her against his body. He always knew that his sister had a temper but had never been one to see it first hand. The rise and fall of her chest demonstrated her ire as she continued to struggle against him. Her fists were balled and although angry, her voice as she spoke threats to the trash on the floor, was even and controlled. She turned to face her brother, eyes flashing as she ordered him to release her.

He swallowed hard and then spoke into her ear, automatically knowing that his next words would make the entire situation a reality instead of a waking nightmare. "You can't Molly, think of the baby. I will not have you putting my niece or nephew in danger for this tragic bitch. Besides you and I have a lot of catching up to do. We can't do that if you are trapped in a cell awaiting trial for attempted murder. So calm down, please."

"How can you say that? After what that bitch did to us, and what she just said to me, how can you tell me to calm down? How can you expect me to?" Molly continued to rant, even as she felt the comforting hand of her husband on her back.

Justin watched the effect Joel's hand had on the irate young woman he'd only known as his kid sister. It was eye-opening as he watched the blue eyes regarding him fill with tears, the fight suddenly leaving them as quickly as it had come. Removing his eyes from hers, he spoke to the man over his sister's left shoulder. Even he was amazed at the low tone of his voice as he addressed Joel. It felt natural, something which surprised him as he slipped into the role of Brian's partner once more and not that of overprotective brother. "We are attracting undue attention right now, which won't be good for your aunt and uncle. I need you to take my sister somewhere and get her calmed down. Once that happens, you are both to return here. Brian and I will handle Marlene and Craig."

"Justin I..." Joel began only to be silenced by Justin's raised hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see to the explanations. We'll take care of it."

Joel nodded, leading his distraught wife away. He had heard about Molly and Justin's childhood, but wasn't prepared for the reality of it. If he wasn't so shocked, he had no doubt that he would have knocked the smug look off of Craig Taylor's face as it loomed behind their group, smirking while his harridan of a companion voiced her inappropriate comment. He would make them pay... but he would give Justin the opportunity to do so first.

Justin looked dispassionately at the woman still crouched at their feet.

"I'm going to press charges against that bitch," Marlene screeched. "That little whore is going to pay for hitting and embarrassing me. She belongs in a cell."

Much to her surprise, Justin laughed. There was no humor in it at all, but he had to give Marlene credit for being as predictable as they come. When he crouched down beside her, he spoke low enough for only her ears to hear.  "You're one to talk about women behind bars. I still wonder why they never kept you. I'm sure that you must have fucked a cop in exchange for him losing the paperwork. Whatever your game Marlene, it didn't work before, and it won't work now."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Justin", Marlene said, anger lacing her tone. She and Craig had devised this little scene upon finding out that Malinda Taylor would also be in residence. Imagine their surprise to find out that she was married. To their warped way of thinking, she had no fucking right to marry anyone without their permission. Looking at the couple who was moving through the gathering, she knew that the only way to get to Molly would be to take away the one thing she was holding on to. She smiled evilly before addressing her stepson again. "Molly will come home where she has always belonged and there isn't a fucking thing you can do to stop it."

Justin's nostrils flared. He didn't know what the purpose of Craig and Marlene's presence was, but he knew that it didn't bode well. He needed to speak to Harry and Greg straightaway. It was time for the failsafe that the three of them had devised long ago in case Craig and Marlene would come for Molly. He knew that initially Marlene's plan was to get rid of him because he protected his sister many times at the expense of himself. He looked to Craig, who was still standing there but keeping his eyes on Brian. Craig's fear of the tall brunet radiated off of him in waves which restored Justin's confidence in ways that the young blond never would have thought possible. There was more to all of this than met the eye. He just needed to find out what it was and protect Molly and himself in the process.

"Brian, is security on their way?" Justin asked, raising his position near Marlene.

Craig laughed at his son's audacity. "You can't throw us out Justin. I don't give a fuck what this asshole's position is or the one he puts your ass in every night. You don't have any authority here."

"You're right Craig, I don't. But Mr. and Mrs. Chartrez do, and since you're here upon their sufferance, I'm sure that they are well aware of the trouble you and this bitch keep causing. After all, this isn't the first time your presence has caused a disturbance this evening, is it?"

Craig narrowed his eyes at Justin. He had always hated Justin. Both he and Molly looked just like Jennifer and were a constant reminder of his failure. Since Molly and Justin's defection, things had gone downhill. Not only had the Sheltons protected his children, but they had gained the inheritance that Jennifer had left for her children. After losing custody of Molly and having to replace all of the money he'd stolen from her college fund, Craig's business had suffered. Not only did he have to pay back that money, but the Sheltons, with the help of Harry Donaldson had sued him independent of Justin for the money he'd taken from Justin's college fund as well. Craig had to put up Taylor Electronics as collateral to keep from doing jail time until the entire debt was paid off. The rest of the money he had stashed away was used to fund Marlene's short-term stay in the Women's prison. But now it seemed that Molly would escape him again.

In an attempt to once again expand his business, Craig had borrowed money from Antonio Laurent, a dangerous loan shark and local businessman who was ruthless in his own right. Upon learning about the full history of Craig and Marlene Taylor, the loan shark had been willing to forgive his debts to them in exchange for Molly. Antonio had never forgotten Molly or the fact that Marlene had promised him a turn with her during the early days of his career. If Craig couldn't produce her within the month -by the time the next payment was due- both he and Marlene could end up dead.

Craig had tried to acquire the recent bequeathment that had come to Molly and Justin from their mother's great aunt, who had died of a sudden heart attack six months prior. After going through escrow and paying the estate taxes off, not only were Molly and Justin the owners of several properties but were multi-millionaires as well. But since the will was in Molly and Justin's names only, Craig couldn't touch a penny of it without permission. He would have been happy to withhold Justin's, after all, he was a faggot and had disappointed his father over and over again. But Molly's inheritance was different. It was to be signed over to the loan shark when he turned her over to him. In addition to that, Taylor Electronics would be bought and paid for during the transaction. Craig had to get Molly back.

Brian interrupted the retort that Craig was about to issue. "I would you suggest that you and your wife retire to your room for the remainder of the evening. If it were me, I would kick your asses to the curb right now and save the time but alas, I will leave that decision to Mr. and Mrs. Chartrez, although I'll still give that as my recommendation. Mr. Benson, please escort them to room 355."

"How did you know where our room was?" Marlene huffed as she rose from the floor. She was no longer garnering the type of attention she wanted and it seemed pointless to remain there, while they talked about her as if she was of little or no importance. She would definitely have some scores to settle by the time they regained Molly's person.

Brian laughed. "I know everything about this place, more specifically how the rooms are assigned and the like. You won a contest to be here, so NO you wouldn't have been given stellar accommodations, since you didn't pay to be here. However, since the Chartrez Resort, in and of itself, is both fancy and fascinating, your room is still pretty top notch compared to others. That said, you are on the promotional package and cannot afford the upgrade to concierge service many of the other guests are receiving. Keep that in mind, when Mr. and Mrs. Chartrez come to speak with you." Brian nodded to Mr. Benson who in turn took charge of the attention-seeking assholes and escorted them out of the ballroom.

"How long do you think it will take before Peter and Priscilla make their way to Craig and Marlene?" Justin asked him, moving closer seeking his warmth.

Brian pulled the younger man closer. He was beginning to understand the toll being in the presence of Craig and Marlene Taylor was really costing his temporary boyfriend. Having been the product of people who should never have been allowed to reproduce, Brian could sympathize with Justin's discomfort. He had experienced it himself countless times throughout the years, even after he was grown and began his career. Jack and Joan Kinney would never win any awards for parents of the year but as fucked up as it was, Brian was glad for having to deal with them so that he could help Justin and his sister. "I think Peter and Prissy are going to let them stew for a few days. Craig and Marlene will be under guard and forced to stay in their rooms until they choose to deal with them. That's something at least."

"Yeah it is," Justin replied, snuggling deeper into Brian's embrace. He inhaled the enticing scent of the man holding him, once again feeling comforted in a way that he never had before. Justin forced himself to remember that this closeness between them was all for show and that at the end of the week, they were going their separate ways, even though they would remain business associates. Pulling out of Brian's arms, he looked up at the man regarding him. He needed to get his head back to business immediately. "Well now that we have officially caused a ruckus and drawn undue attention to ourselves, I suppose we should separate and mingle to reassure them that this ‘family drama' doesn't reflect the views of the Chartrez family or is indicative of the resort's nightly entertainment. This was certainly bad dinner-theater at its worst."

Brian gave a tongue-in-cheek expression at Justin's last statement, which made the younger man snicker in response. "I have a better idea."

"What? Is it legal? I hear that public nudity isn't as regarded in the U.S. as it is in Europe so I guess that's out."

"Dance with me," Brian spoke against Justin's temple when he pulled him close again.

Instead of answering, Justin allowed himself to be led to the dance floor, never taking his eyes from the hazel ones that seemed to be burning themselves into him.  Justin swallowed the lump that formed in his throat at being asked to dance for any reason other than money. Not many people understood what it really took for him to make it to the top of his field as a show performer. Dancing, something that he used to love to do, had become more of a chore. For years he endured countless hours of training with very little downtime, and what had once been his joy became both his greatest asset and the source of his greatest pain. It was his livelihood, his only way out of an untenable situation, but also his only source of salvation from starvation and possible prostitution so that he wouldn't have to see Craig or always be afraid of what the man could do as a means of revenge against him. Dance had been good to him and afforded him a way to hide from everything, including himself. Now at the pinnacle of his career, he was ready to give it up and design a new life for himself. Brian asking him to dance for the pure pleasure of it was only the beginning of the reinvention of Justin Cole Taylor. He welcomed it with an open heart, a bright smile and blue eyes melding into hazel. And for the first time in a long while, Justin was definitely looking forward to the rest of his life.

~LS~

Lindsay left the hotel room fuming at the phone call and being denied access to Brian yet again. She didn't know who that person thought he was, but she would be complaining to Brian about his hired help as soon as she caught up to him. He had duties and responsibilities to her, and it was time he remembered that. Sam noticed her agitation and automatically assumed that it was because Gus was missing. She let him think that. As soon as she got the goods on Brian, Sam would be history; he had served his purpose. She would convince Brian to give her the money so that she could pay the artist back before sending him on his merry way.

Lindsay doubled over in pain as she walked the streets of the city of her birth. She had been having sharp pains like that for a while now. It had begun about three weeks after she had began her deception on Melanie. It wasn't constant but when the pains hit, they made her gasp at their intensity. When she'd mentioned them to Melanie one night after the brunette had spent almost an hour licking and stroking her to no avail, Mel told her that she should make an appointment, that with the stress they had both been under it was possible that she was developing an ulcer. She had made the appointment after explaining the pains to Brian in a late night phone call. He had sent her a check for a thousand dollars since they didn't have health insurance. But upon receiving the check and cashing it, Lindsay saw a lingerie sale in one of Toronto's premier shops. She tried to remember what the money was for, but couldn't seem to think passed her immediate wants. She had gone into the store and blown all but fifty dollars of the money thinking that a doctor's appointment really couldn't be that expensive. Lindsay was in for a surprise when the bill for the remaining balance came in the mail. She had just received the final notice for payment a week ago, forcing her to push her timeline for "Operation Rich Bitch."

The pain had finally subsided, allowing Lindsay to resume her walk at her normal pace. The call with Brian's boy toy wasn't the only one to piss her off during the day. She expected the cold treatment she received from Cynthia, since it was really no secret that Lindsay resented Brian's assistant for being privy to all of his business, both public and personal while Lindsay was always the last to know. She had also expected the cold indifference from Ted when she had spoken to him. It wasn't that she and Ted weren't friends; he was just that Ted was more Melanie's friend than hers. No doubt that his attitude- or lack thereof- was because of Mel. But the phone call that really got under Lindsay's skin was Michael's. He had the nerve to blame her for losing Gus. She really thought that they were on the same side... the side that thought that she should be Mrs. Brian Kinney but it was obvious that Michael had changed his tune. Or maybe he hadn't.

Michael had always carried a torch for Brian- one that would never be returned and Lindsay knew that. If she had ever considered Michael Novotny a threat to her ultimate goal, she would have squashed his ego like a bug in her own passive-aggressive way years ago and none would have been the wiser. Hell, no one except the annoying brunet would have really understood the magnitude of the insult she would have used on the insignificant ‘best friend' of Brian Kinney. And even if he bleated about any infraction done to him as he usually did, no one would have believed that Lindsay could be so vicious as to pick on someone as weak-willed as Michael. As far as Lindsay was concerned, Michael was a crutch that Brian should have discarded the minute he had found her. She was smarter and had access to all of the places that Brian had desired entry. She had been much more of an asset to Brian's goals that the pasta-eating pain in the ass Michael Novotny, with his crude manners and even more obnoxious whining. But she needed him now, if all of her plans were going to work.

The problem was that he wouldn't talk to her at all. She had called Michael's cell phone almost immediately after he hung up on her, and had been alternating calls between him and Brian all day. She had even called Ben's cell phone hoping that he would hand the phone to his wayward husband, but Ben told her that Michael was not there and he didn't think he would be for a long time. She noticed that the professor hadn't said that ‘Michael wasn't home,' but left that alone. Whatever was going on in Ben and Michael's marriage wasn't as important to her as them once again joining forces to bring her and Brian together. That was Lindsay's objective and she would not be deterred from it.

Entering the Liberty Diner, Lindsay was taken back to the time when Brian had first brought her there. They had just come from a party where they had gotten stoned after  Regina Tucci dumped her for Lisa Prince- a bitch even more WASPY than Lindsay with the money to prove it. Brian had been understanding and fun; honest and helpful in his drug-induced advice. He'd told her that she had been dumped because she wasn't sure what and who she wanted. Regina had been feeling neglected every time Lindsay had brought Brian or some other boy home to a family function, while Lindsay kept her on a string like a yo-yo- letting her go only to be pulled back in. After only six months Rebecca had gotten tired of Lindsay's shit and had finally taken Lisa up on her offer. Although Lindsay had thought for a long time that Rebecca's defection was about the money, it wasn't. It was that Lisa was brave enough to tell her parents the truth about herself and Rebecca. The killer to Lindsay, was that the filthy-rich Prince family had accepted both Lisa and her lover with open arms and no judgment while her own parents had virtually disowned her when she settled on Melanie. Lindsay was forced out of her reverie by a screeching greeting that both embarrassed her and relieved her by turns.

"Lindsay, what are you doing here?" Deb grabbed the tall blonde by the shoulders, pulling her into a crushing hug. "Michael told me you were in town. Everything alright?"

"Hi Deb," Lindsay said gently, trying to smile although she didn't feel like it. She wondered just how much else Michael had told her. "Can I get a coffee, and then maybe we can chat and I'll fill you in on everything."

"Sure honey. I want to know all about your adventures in the Great White North especially with Gus and Jenny. Also how's it going at that art gallery you are working in?" Deb bustled about pouring coffee and collecting tabs at the cash register as she quizzed Lindsay. Deb had already heard an abbreviated version of events from both Carl and Emmett. In fact, she had heard MORE than she bargained for from the tall queen regarding her own son's exploits. She would never understand what it was about Brian Kinney that made Michael act like the world's biggest asshole and Lindsay trade true love to be dicked around by Brian, but she kept those thoughts to herself. Brian still hadn't called her back yet but that was to be expected. She and Carl had reservations for later in the week at the Chartrez Resort and she was looking forward to speaking with Brian.  

Lindsay took in Debbie's appearance. It seemed that while married life agreed with her, it hadn't improved her taste in clothes. Lindsay almost laughed aloud as she read the colorful shirt Debbie wore that said: "Your village called, and they want their idiot back. You should go home." The shirt strangely reminded Lindsay of her brief conversation with Ben earlier today. Something was definitely amiss in that quarter. Perhaps after her talk with Debbie she would drop by there to see if Michael had indeed returned home. Gratefully accepting the cup from Debbie, Lindsay sipped the hot brew trying to think of a good place to start. She was happy when Debbie started the conversation off.

"So what's really going on in Toronto?: Debbie held up her hand to forestall Lindsay's automatic ‘Everything is Great' ready-made brand of bullshit. "And don't give me that hearts and flowers fuckery either. I spoke to Mel earlier." She hadn't, but she figured that for once lying was the easiest way to get to the truth. She didn't have to wait long either.

"I guess Melanie couldn't wait to tell you that Sam and I were having an affair again, could she? For once, I wish she would let me tell my own fucking business," Lindsay huffed before taking a sip of her coffee to seemingly calm herself. "Melanie is a micro-managing, controlling bitch but I'm pretty sure you already know that."

Debbie swallowed her own sip of coffee before her response. "Lindsay...sweetie... I've known for years that you were Bisexual." Again she held up a stern hand to stay Lindsay from speaking. "If Melanie is a micro-managing, controlling bitch as you say, then why did you go back to her after you fucked a man? Why not just go on and lead your separate lives if that was what you were going to end up doing in the first place?"

"It wasn't like that Debbie. At first, my sleeping with Sam was an honest lapse in judgment. I admired him; he listened to me about what interested me, and encouraged me. For Melanie, all that was important was her career and her this-or-that which made me feel like because I didn't make as much money, I was unimportant in the grand scheme of Melanie's plan. After the custody case regarding Jenny, we tried to do an in-house separation. Things were going okay...well that was until Mel started dating. We had a major argument one night because she had come in during the wee hours of the morning and Gus wouldn't stop asking for her. Well one thing lead to another and then we're back together. When Mel suggested the move to Toronto, I was willing to do anything to keep us  together and for the kids to have happy lives in the process. It wasn't until later that I realized that married to Mel was not where I wanted to be. But I stayed for Gus and JR so that they would have some stability."

"And so would you," Debbie added knowing that Lindsay was as selfish as she'd always been. "I swear each generation gets weaker and wiser in every area except relationships. Let me tell you something, little girl... Just because you had the kids, did NOT give you the right to make yourselves unhappy. What do you think that you both accomplished by staying together for the sake of the children? I'm sure Gus and JR still heard the two of you arguing over something as simple as a pair of fucking pantyhose. I ask you Lindsay, is that the stable environment you were going for? I'm sure that it didn't help that your kids are now old enough to not only understand what you two are fighting about but that one of you is so unhappy that you ended up betraying your vows to each other. What kind of example of self-respect did you set for Gus and JR when you cheated on Melanie with the same asshole that you uprooted Gus and JR from the family to get away from?" Debbie's voice had risen which each question. She was glad that Lindsay was flinching with every single accusation that she threw at the blonde. If Debbie could get away with it, she would knock some fucking sense into Lindsay the way she intended to do to Michael when she finally caught up with his foolish ass.

But sadly for her, her near-perfect tirade was cut to an abrupt halt. For the red, flushed look that Lindsay had been displaying moments before, became a horrid shade of purple and blue. Deb didn't have time to hop off the barstool before Lindsay crashed onto the floor, completely unconscious. Slapping the leggy blonde lightly at first and then packing a wallop upside her head, panic set in as Lindsay remained unresponsive.

"Holy FUCK!! Call 911!" Debbie yelled as she cradled Lindsay in her arms and began to softly rock her while crooning, "As soon as this episode is over, you and I are going to finish our chat. If you die on me, I'll kill you myself, you selfish bitch. You're so not getting out of this one." Relief flooded Debbie as she heard the ambulance in the distance, rushing to ensure that the blonde would live another day.

~LS~

Melanie and Jenny stepped off the plane, both relieved and apprehensive in their own rights about what they would find once they arrived in Pittsburgh. For Melanie's part, she was ultimately relieved that she would not have to deal with either Michael nor Lindsay until she was good and fucking ready. Brian via Ted had told her that someone would be there to pick her up from the airport upon arrival. From there she would be taken to the manor house- the one which would cause Lindsay to have a fucking cow if she'd known that Brian had kept it.

At the baggage claim, Melanie and her daughter grabbed their bags. Melanie had opted to travel with her briefcase, once again going over the mountain of evidence she had found detailing Lindsay's machinations and Michael's culpability. She couldn't believe that Lindsay had been planning this since their move to Toronto, biding her time until Melanie was no longer useful. Melanie had decided then and there that although she and Brian didn't get along, she would help him as much as she could. As soon as she saw her former partner, Harry Donaldson, step one in her efforts would be assured.

"Mommy, I think I see our driver," the young dark-haired girl said, tugging Melanie's hand.

She knew that Jenny was really worried about her brother. She was too. Ted had assured her that Gus was fine but there would be nothing like seeing for herself that he was. She still couldn't believe the bullshit the young boy had to put up with simply because he was born from Lindsay's womb. Knowing Gus, he had given both his mother- if one could call her that- and that punkass painter a huge piece of his ten-year old mind. She didn't delude herself into thinking that Gus' WASP training had kicked in before his defection and for once she was glad that he had that plain-speaking Irish bastard Brian Kinney as a father. If Gus should have inherited anything from his father, Melanie hoped it was that!

Sticking as close to her daughter as possible, Mel continued in the direction of the limo waiting for them. This was her least favorite part of travelling- the throngs of people, pushing pillar-to-post in search of their destination instead of watching where they're going or keeping in mind that there are also children with parents in the airport. On more than one occasion during their sojourn, Melanie had needed to cuss out a fellow traveller for nearly trampling her daughter.

Breathing a sigh of relief at having made it through the sea of humanity, her breath caught in her throat, seeing the person Brian had sent for her.

"Nice to see you again, Sugar Lips," the leggy brunette said, eyes sparkling with mischief as always, and an answering smirk on her full lips so reminiscent of another brunet- one that Mel most loved to hate.

"Leda."