BRIAN’S POV

I am sitting in my home office going over the projects I have for Leo Brown. I hear a knock and see my princess and Blake. Blake asks me if I have a minute. I tell him I do. I ask Mia what she needs she tells me that Justin needs a map of Kennywood printed out. Justin and his planning. I go and print it out for her. She climbs in my lap and rubs our noses together. My princess wants something.

“What do you want?” I ask her.

“I want a puppy, but Pop says you are the master of the kingdom and I have to ask you.” Mia tells me.

“Why do you want a puppy?” I know she and Chad will probably get one no matter what I say.

“To be the royal dog, silly. I want one of those little black and white ones. I think they are from Boston,” Mia has been on the computer again.

“Let me talk to Pop, and if you agree to take care of it. I mean cleaning up pee and poop. It does not mean get Gus to do it for you. We will think about it,” I never say yes right away because she knows that it’s a done deal.

“Daddy you are so silly, you can just hire a maid to clean it up. I want to dress it and love it,” Mia tells me, then runs from the room.

“I guess you get a dog and a maid. The princess has spoken,” Blake says while laughing.

“Probably. But you know, what do you do when she asks for things? Did you need something?” I ask Blake.

“I want to talk to you about JR. I know you aren’t thrilled with the girls or the Novotny's right now, but JR is going to need help if what Gus and David told us is any indication,” Blake would do anything to help someone who was in the situation he had been in.

“There isn’t a lot I can do. Michael won’t listen if we say anything about JR. Mel will make it out to be us trying to make JR look bad. Linds is too self absorbed to care. What are you suggesting?” I want to help her, but it isn’t my choice.

“I can get her transferred to my hospital. It’s her first offence and it isn’t dealing, it’s using. The police and the DA would probably work with me to avoid the paperwork. I can look into getting it expunged when she is 18. There is no guarantee, but it’s better than having to rely on the court and a judge. She will have to finish the program and will be required to have regular testing. I can try to get her in at a discount, if I offer to counsel extra patients pro bono,” Blake has apparently given this a lot of thought.

“Blake, I can offer it, but until they admit she has a problem, they will turn us down. As far as paying for the treatment, I will. I want her to get treated. I care about her, even though she changed and started hating us. I’ll let you know if we can get them to agree,” I tell him.

Blake gets up and tells me that he is going to talk to Cynthia about seeing what we would need to do. I do care about JR, she might have made Gus’s life hell, but she needs help if she is trading sex for drugs at 14.

David called to see if I would talk to Linds. She is still trying to make this Gus’s fault. Gus was at hockey practice when the party was going on. I told Linds what I was willing to do for JR. Linds seems to think I owe her something. I hope Smelly Melly enjoys the results from the police.

JUSTIN’S POV

Chad and I wanted to plan out rides at Kennywood. Drew called to tell us that the park is a go for tomorrow. Mia demanded that kids be allowed in with us. Drew said the players and him were going to pay for all the people who come and also pay for anyone who comes to the park for the day. They didn’t want to announce it because the park would be mobbed. Anybody who comes will be told at the gate they won free passes to the park for the day.

Mia went to see Brian, she wants a dog. I don’t have a problem with it but she needs to ask. Brian would argue with me. I was answering the phone thinking that it was Drew again. Nope it’s Michael. He called Emmett trying to borrow Emmett’s car and money for the trip. Emmett laughed and hung up. I guess it was my turn. He wanted me to sympathize with the plight of fathers. I told him, I pay attention to my kids and would notice if something was that wrong. He was going to go on so I played the Brian card. I told him I would let Brian know. I will, but Michael is kidding himself if he thinks Brian is going to help.

Gus came in and grabbed a sandwich, I asked him earlier about the weight loss. He told me that during hockey season he loses a lot of weight and will gain it back since he isn’t going to be playing. I always thought they gained weight. I really need to find out. I’ll talk to Drew. Gus is still having trouble telling us things.

GUS’S POV

The first thing you have to know about Pop and amusement parks is that he loves them. Second is, he is a planner. If he had a way to time each ride and how long it takes to get from one to the other he would. Mia and I are used to this. We try to mess with his plans once we get there. After we ride every ride we will have two hours of unplanned time planned. See what I mean about the planning. He also brings snacks to avoid having to stand in line for food. Lunch is planned for 12:50pm because everyone is leaving to go back riding and the place will be less busy. He always saves the water rides for after lunch be cause we can cool off. Can you tell we do this a lot?

Mia told me she was going to ask for a dog from Boston. I tried to tell her they are called Boston Terriers. She said “Okay so they're from Boston right?” I just told her sure. I came in to get a sandwich. Pop asked about my weight. I lose weight during hockey season because it helps you move faster. I have to consume less carbs and more protein so that is why it looks like I’m smaller. I figure he’ll ask Dad or Drew and then he’ll be okay.

My mom has been calling my phone, I haven’t answered her. I am still pissed about her blaming me. She didn’t even question it. I expect it from Mel or Michael, they blindly pass the blame. I want to help JR, but how do you help someone who hates you?

Dad came out and told us that he offered the deal Blake made for JR. I hope they do it. She needs help and to get away from that loser Trace. I worried that she would get pregnant. I found out that Mom got her on birth control. I asked Mom if the pills protect from diseases too. She told me it was just in case JR started experimenting. I wanted to tell her she left the experiment stage last year. I just hoped JR didn’t catch anything.

Chad came in with Emmett. Chad makes everyone go fishing. I told Justin the fish were going to outgrow the pond. Chad watches fishing shows so he catches and releases. Emmett, funny enough, likes to fish. He keeps the big ones and cooks them for Drew. Emmett tells us Drew is coming over. He and Emmett are foster parenting and wanted everyone to meet the new kids. I think that Drew is going to have to be the rational father because Emmett is going to spoil a kid to death.

EMMETT’S POV

Drew called while me and my fishing buddy Chad were trying to land the granddaddy of all catfish. Chad and I have seen it surface once in awhile and it’s big. Chad is the one that actually made me want to be a father. He came into the family, scared and needing to be loved. He was hostile with everyone except Justin at first. I think Brian’s size scared Chad. Me, I came in the way I always do, talking and fluttering around and we heard Chad’s first laughter. Justin told me to keep it up because it’s the happiest Chad had ever been.

I also found out that Chad loves fishing. Justin fishes but he rather paint and Brian doesn’t have the patience for it. I was raised fishing. Chad dragged me to the new improved pond, we fished and Chad told me he likes to listen to me talk. Mia made me jealous I didn’t find her first.

I told Drew we should adopt and he told me go for it. We have been working on it but I wanted to wait till we had news. Our friend Lorie told us that if we foster for abandoned LGBT children we could have a child in our home as soon as we got through the multitude of paperwork and home inspections. We got through it and Drew got the call today that they have 2 boys and a girl who need a home. I was going to try to get a younger child, but this to me seems more important. Justin and I both know what it’s like to be told to leave home.

I told Drew to say yes. He is going to pick up the kids they are between 15-17. I told everyone I want their opinion but I really just want the family to meet the newest members. Drew arrived and I went outside to meet them. The two boys are Dylan and Max and the girl is Linda. I started talking a mile a minute telling them that we have to go shopping for clothes and they can decorate their own rooms and we are going to Kennywood tomorrow so I hope they don’t mind. Drew told me to breathe. The kids laughed.

I brought my new family into meet everyone. Linda asked Justin if he was the artist Justin Taylor. Justin smiled and told her yes. Justin asked if she likes his art or was she an artist. Linda wants to be an artist but also loved Rage when Justin was doing it. Justin told her Rage was stopped due to differences in opinion. The boys were quiet and Brian came in and they were staring. Brian still has it. Chad asked if they wanted to see the grounds and if anyone likes to fish. Brian rolled his eyes. Max told Chad he’d like to try, he’d never been fishing. I think that Max has a best friend for life. Mia decided that a boy was just as good as a girl and told Dylan he could play with her. Gus told Dylan that if he didn’t Mia would keep at it until he did.

Justin took Linda with him to his studio and was telling her she was welcome to come over if she wanted to paint or draw with him. I love this family. Blake, Ted, Brian, Drew, and I sat around the table together. Ted asked if we should be taking the kids to Kennywood on their first day in a new home. Drew said that they needed a fun day, each kid was kicked out of their home for being gay. Brian asked how we ended up with three. Drew said that he would have taken them all if he thought we could handle it. The social worker said Dylan had been there for almost a year, Drew wanted to help him the most because he turns 18 next year and would have aged out of the system.

Drew originally want one child but he said he met the three in different interviews and asked the social worker how it worked. She told him that the kids get placed fast because no matter how advanced the world became, most people still don’t adopt or foster these kids. Blake told Ted that he wants to look into the program. Ted said whatever he wanted was fine.

I can’t wait to take them home.

CHAD’S POV

I told Dad when I grow up I want to do fishing shows. Dad said he would buy the boat. Pop told me that we could film episodes and post them. That is why I have the best parents in the world. Drew brought the new kids and Max told me he would try fishing. I told him all about my idea for a fishing show. He told me that he could help if I want him to.

Max asked about the family. I told him the one him and Dylan drooled over is my Dad. Pop is the the artist. Ted is my dad’s accountant and Blake is a counselor. I also told him that Emmett may seem a little excitable but he will do everything to make someone happy. Drew can seem serious but he just thinks before he talks.

Max told me that he was kicked out of his house for being gay. I told him that in our houses nobody cares about that. Treat everyone well and you will get treated well. I told him that my parents died when I was three and Pop saved me. I got to work teaching Max how to fish. We were sitting there and I told him feel free to talk or ask questions. I’m like Drew, I like to think.

Emmett and I have been trying to catch the fish we call Grandaddy. Wouldn’t you know it, Max caught him. I told him to keep reeling, I needed to get his Dad.