A/N: As I was writing this, I noticed Brian was reading a little OOC.  My explanation for this is I think Brian needed to evolve and Justin was the one that could pull that evolution from him.  So yeah...he may seem OOC, but I think that what it is may be the real Brian, the one that he keeps hidden away, finally being allowed to emerge.  :)

P.S. Thanks for all of the comments and reviews. It sometimes is the motivator to get this story written down from that thought bubble in my head.

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~Michael~

Ben has been gone to some symposium-whatever that is-in LA for about three days now.  So of course I am bored out of my fucking mind and decided to head out to Woody's. 

As I sat down at the bar and ordered myself a drink, I overhead someone talking about Brian. 

"Hey, did you hear that Kinney's back in town."  Tall, dark and skinny was saying to a chubbier brunette.  "Yeah.  Stephen-- you know the nurse over at Allegheny, was saying that Kinney's little blonde twink was sick again. Hey, but don't let Kinney hear you calling him that." He said laughing. The two bent their heads closer together so I had to strain to hear "Did you know that Stephen once had a fuck with Kinney while a patient in a coma was in the next bed..."  Oh, yeah, that was a typical Brain move. 

As their voices trailed off, I couldn't help but think what the littlest stalker was up to now.  I mean every time that I think Brian has freed himself from blondie's little grubby claws, he goes and gets hurt or sick or something.  It makes no sense.

It was awful when he left for New York.  Just when Brian had given him everything that he had ever wanted, Justin turned his nose up at it all.  After that Brian moped around for about a year and then it was like he just lost it.  He started drinking again and going out again.  Brian has always been the type that could pull any trick he wanted, but it was like he wasn't even trying anymore.

What shocked me, was a few weeks after that, he just left.  I mean, he didn't call, he didn't let anyone know, he just left.  Ben said that he thought Brian needed to move away to stop all of the memories from taking over his life, but I don't get it.  We have memories too, good memories.  Why would he want to forget that.  I have never understood why he just left me behind.  I could have gone with him, at least for a little while.  Ben could have even come with me.  When I told Ben this, he just shook his head and told me that Brian was growing up and I should let him.  He also said that Brian should have never left Justin, which I totally did not understand, Justin left him.

Anyways, that is beside the point. The real important question is why did he not tell me that he was back in town?  I am his best friend, always have been always will be.  A fact and Justin still doesn't get. 

I think I might go by and see Brian. He probably needs a break from Justin and all his drama anyway.

~Jennifer~

The coffee that I had been drinking all day had finally worn off and since Molly had arrived I decided to go home and grab us a change of clothes.  Justin had been in and out of consciousness all day and my nerves were stretched to the max wondering if he would just to fall away again.  The doctors had said that they had noticed improvement with his cognitive functions, but well, fear had a way of taking all rational thought and explanations and tossing them out the window.  Molly had finally convinced me that I could go home for a little while and she would watch over him until I got back. I agreed only with the condition that she would call me the minute he woke up again.  She said she would and to not worry so much.  Little did she know that when you have children, that is sometimes all you can do. When I left he had been asleep with Molly reading a required assignment from her philosophy class to him.

I know that Daphne had been to see him earlier and what she told me, I can truly say I was shocked.  I had no idea that Justin had been going to the house that Brian had bought for the past few years.  I had not even known that Brian had kept it.  Most people didn't know that he had purchased the house to begin with, but being his realtor at the time afforded me that luxury.  After their "split up," I had just assumed that he had used another realtor to sell it.   To know that he kept it gave me pause as to the validity of their break up.

Even as that thought crossed my mind, I dismissed it.  Justin would never have gotten to the shape he had if they had still been with each other.  The only conclusion that I could draw, is that Brian just couldn't part with the house.

See, Brian is this person full of contradictions.  He is often more sentimental than he would have you to believe.  He can also do and say the cruelest things. It's just often times himself that he hurts the most.  I fully believe that the break up was his idea of sacrifice to the greater good.  Even so, I am not sure as to how I feel about it all.  I mean, I understand Brian, as well as anyone who is not Justin at any rate, but I am Justin's mother and his wellbeing is my top priority.  So whether or not, things were supposedly done in Justin's best interest is a matter of interpretation, and from where I am standing, it was done only to his detriment.

I finally arrived at the house and walked inside only to hear the landline ringing.  I remembered that I had turned my cell phone off earlier when I was in with Justin. The caller ID already had me rolling my eyes.  Debbie. Which meant somehow the gay grapevine had finally reached its peak and Debbie knew that Justin was in the hospital.

"Hey Debbie."

"Why didn't you tell me that Sunshine was in the hospital?!"  The screeching in my ears had me pulling the telephone away.

"Debbie, I really haven't had time yet.  He just regained consciousness a little earlier this morning and Molly came in, which is the only reason I am here instead of there."  I love Debbie, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, especially when I am bone tired, her personality wears on my nerves. My nerves which happen to be at this moment already stretched too thin.  So, if I came off a little snappish, she would just have to give me a little leeway.

"Well, I guess I can see how you would be really busy. I was also calling to give you a heads up.  Michael just called." Great, just great.  I have never really understood Michael, or his dislike for my son.  Although, I had strong suspicions that jealousy had a lot to do with it. "Michael was out last night and overheard that Brian was back in town.  You don't think-" she trailed off.

I knew where she was going, and a few years ago I could honestly say that I did think Brian would show up.  Now though, after everything I had heard and seen, I just didn't know.

"I don't know Debbie.  I don't know if he would go there or not.  He broke it off with Justin, moved to Chicago and I don't know why.  And now Justin has basically given up and it shows.  In every way it shows.  He has lost so much weight that I am surprised he was up and walking when he arrived at my house.  His eyes are dark and sunken in and there is no life in them at all.  Brian did this.  I trusted him Debbie, it took a while but, I trusted him with my baby and this is what he has done.

I was shocked by my own outburst.  I never meant to say any of that.  I guess I didn't realize how strong my own feelings were about all of it until just now.  Brian's return to Pittsburgh seemed to have heralded my own meltdown.

"I'm sorry Debbie."

"It's ok hun.  I don't have a freakin' clue what he was thinking when he broke it off with Sunshine, and I told him so.  He just told me to mind my own business.  Huh, go figure."  I could literally see her shrugging her shoulders.  "Look, you don't worry about anything but Sunshine right now. I'll handle Mr. Asshole if I have to."

"Debbie...I think that I am going to get back to the hospital.  I just needed to get a few things from here."

We hung up and I quickly grabbed my overnight bag as well as some snacks for Molly and Me.  Knowing that Brian was around town made me nervous.  What if he hurt Justin further?  What if Justin found out he was in town and Brian ignored him?  What if Brian showed up?  And the question that stood boldly out in my mind...what if I couldn't forgive him?

~Molly~

Leaving Brian with Justin was not my ideal set of circumstances, but if the look that Brian had on his face was any indication, it was safe for right now.  That is not to say that my mother will not go ape shit when she finds out, but that is another problem for another time. 

Just then my text went off.  Mom.

"Hi Sweetie.  Heard Brian was in town.  Just a heads up."

Yeah, that would have been nice about an hour ago. 

"I know Mom, he showed up here."

There was no response to that, so I figured that she was busy blowing her top, or whatever she did when she was about to snap.

"If it helps mom, he looked torn up."

And then...

"Ok."

Ahhh...Mom's go to answer when she can't figure out just what to say or do.  I put my phone back in my back pocket and wondered back to Justin's room.  Brian was still there talking to my brother in a quiet voice.  I decided to go wait in the lobby for mom.  She may not like it, but those two had unfinished business.  Hell, I didn't like it, but I knew enough to know that Brian was the only person that would be able to pull Justin through.

~Brian~

As I sat looking at him, years of words left unsaid poured from my mouth.  I told him that I was sorry for everything and that sorry was not bullshit if you really meant it.  I talked to him about the new office and how it almost killed me to put it in Chicago instead of New York.  And then I told him it would have killed me if I had put it in New York.  I told him how much it would have killed me each day to know that we were in the same city, yet miles apart.

I talked until my mouth was dry and then some.  After sometime I noticed that tears were leaking from his eyes and I bent over him.

"Please don't cry, Sunshine." I whispered as I kissed his eyelids.  I didn't even notice the mirrored tears on my own lashes.  Just as I unbent to sit down, I saw a hint of blue.  Not the bright happy blue that I had remembered, but blue nonetheless.

"Sunshine." I breathed.  His hand tightened around me in recognition.  And then I heard something that I had heard only briefly in the past few years. 

"Bri.." His voice.  It was weak and scratchy, but it was his.  He turned his head to look at me and as his eyes caught mine and held, I felt that I had come home.

"Hey, we are going to work this out Sunshine," My voice was low, but strong "we are going to work this out and we are going home...to Britin."

As I was speaking, I could see the moment of understanding in his eyes, the moment he understood that my self-imposed exile was over.  That we were done with "it's only time."  Our time was now.

~Justin~

Lying here with my eyes closed listening to Brian talk was getting to me.  The things that he was saying made me believe that he had finally finished becoming the Brian that I always knew he was.  People said that I was insane to love this man, who on his good days was a benevolent deity deigning us with his presence, and on his worst, an arrogant egotistical asshole who spent his days fucking and sucking and the hell with what anyone else thought.  But I, Justin Taylor, knew different.

I saw the things that no one else saw.  Like when he would hold Gus or when he would trace the contours of my face at night when he thought I was asleep.  That is the private Brian Kinney that I was privileged to know. 

I guess that is why when he called me and broke things off, I fell apart.  I didn't know where it was coming from.  But listening to him, I learned that I could forgive him.  At the time he had still been growing, and it scared the shit out of him.  So, as always when something gets a little too different or deep for him, he backs away.

I don't know and I don't think that I ever will know what would have happened had I not been brought to this point.  And while my brain is still foggy, it is not foggy enough to stop the pressing question as to how he found out.  But, right now my main concern is letting him know that, yes, we will work through this, and that Britin has always been my home.

"I know we will Brian. I want us to.  I still love you."  He had this look on his face that I could only describe as complete and total admiration and love.

"And I you Sunshine.  Now you rest, and I will be here when you wake up."  I nodded as my eyes started to feel heavy. 

~Jennifer~

As I approached Justin's room I could hear voices.  They were low so I could not make out the words just yet, but I would know them anywhere.  As I approached the door, I could hear the conversation more clearly.  It was obvious by the end of it the two men had an understanding.

I decided to go to the lobby where I might find some more coffee and maybe my daughter.  If the two of them did get back together, I had a lot of thinking to do as to where I needed to stand on the decision.  As I turned and started down the hall, I was stopped by a voice really didn't want to hear. Shit.

"Mrs. Taylor."

"Michael." I could already see he was headed in the direction of Justin's room.  "What are you doing here?"  I was trying to remain cordial, but knowing what I know about Michael, it was becoming increasingly difficult.

"I heard that Brian was here and I wanted to see him."

Of course.  I guess the fact that my son was fighting for his life didn't enter his mind.  "Michael, right now may not be the best time for you to visit with Brian."  I was still trying for calm and collected.

"Of course it is.  I am his best friend and I know that he would want to see me." 

Again trying for a calm I didn't feel, I tried to talk some sense into him, "Michael, Justin is very sick right now and I don't think that Brian would be good company."  His face didn't change from the determined one that I had seen a moment before.

"Look Mrs. Taylor, I don't think that you would really know what Brian would want." 

I guess you could say I pretty much lost it. "Look here you stubborn misguided little man, I may not be Brian's "best friend" but I am Justin's mother, and as such you are not going in that room.  I will call security if I have to or maybe I should just call your mother!"

Michael looked at me for a moment.  Finally, he just raised his hands.  "Fine, but I am going to wait here until I get a chance to talk to him."

Stupid, stupid little boy.  All I could hope was that this time Brian would see fit to finally put his "best friend" in his place.

~Brian~

Shit, Mother Taylor.  She can't be too impressed with me right now.  After all, look at what all has happened.

Double Shit...Mikey.  I can hear them arguing in the hall.  And by the sound of it Mother Taylor is giving him hell.  I look over to the bed where I can see Justin's eyes are open and he is listening to the semi battle that is taking place in the hall.

"Brian?"  I squeeze his hand to let him know that I'm listening.  "No, just no. I don't want him here.  He doesn't care about me and right now I can't deal with him and his whining."

"Alright, Sunshine.  No Mikey."  He gives me this look.  "I mean it.  It's me and you, no room for anybody else in this relationship." 

His face became relaxed again and a small smile grew on his face.  "Thank you."

It hurt to have him be so thankful to me for something that he should have expected from me in our relationship.  And let's face it, that was what it was and always has been, a relationship, even if I was to blind and stupid to see it.

"Sunshine, you shouldn't have to thank me for something that should have been to begin with." And then he astounded me by saying, "But Brian, that is what makes our relationship mean something now.  I never take the things you say or do for granted.  If you had said you loved me all the time, or always catered to my every want, I would never know how deep your love really is for me.  And if I had never had to push and fight with you to get something I wanted, you would never have known how much I would fight for you. "

His faith in me, in us never failed to humble me.  I reached inside my shirt and pulled the chain that I always wore under it over my head.  Suspended from the chain that I now held in my right hand, was the two wedding bands from our aborted ceremony.

"You kept them."  His voice was filled with awe.  "You really kept them."

I looked over at him shyly, "I couldn't get rid of them.  Just like the house."  I unclasped the chain and pulled the smaller of the two off.  I took his left hand and place it on his index finger.  He gave me a sad smile.  It would no longer fit his ring finger, the ring was too big.

"When you get better, I will move that to the finger it is supposed to be on.  And for right now, I will wear mine on the chain around my neck and close to the heart."  He looked like he was going to cry again, but instead gave me a watery smile.

"Brian please..." he patted the mattress on the other side of him.  So, I walked around to the other side and carefully climbed in behind him.  I scooted as close as I could get and he snuggled back into me.

As I lay there with my arm thrown across his middle and my hand on his heart, I felt a peace settle over me.  The steady thump, thump, thumprhythm of his heart lulled me into sleep.