JUSTIN

Marilyn follows us into the loft and walks over to the answering machine. Brian and I watch as she erases all the messages. What is she doing?

“Nothing on here is worth the time it took for them to record it.” She tells us.

“Are you trying to stop us from hearing something?” Brian tells her.

“Yes, the people you consider family. Deb wants an apology for the way you talked to her tonight. The next several messages were from her wanting to remind you of all the things she did for you. I didn’t think you had the patience to listen to the long list. The next couple were from Lindsay, telling you that with the foreknowledge you both have you need to work together. I doubted that would improve your mood. Vic called and wanted to talk to you about what happened with Deb. I got rid of those because Vic is on my shit list. Emmett called to tell you he should be here in a minute. He is actually walking up the stairs now.” She tells Brian. Emmett knocks on the door.

“Emmett, you have a key.” Brian reminds him.

“I just wanted to make sure if you and Justin really were fucking on every surface, that I was courteous enough to knock.” He tells Brian.

“Could you teach that to Deb, she once walked in on an orgy.” Brian tells Emmett.

“You will not distract me with that juicy bit of gossip.” Emmett tells Brian. 

“Promise you’ll tell me about it later?” Emmett begs Brian.

“Can we get on with what you suddenly feel we have a right to know about our lives.” Brian tells Marilyn, while ignoring Emmett.

“I need to ask Emmett something first.” She tells us.

“Ask, but I’ve been holding back all my questions about tonight. If I don’t get some answers soon I’m going to blow up like the confetti at Babylon.” Emmett tells her.

“Right this minute you can hold on to the belief that the people you know are essentially good people. Do you understand what I’m telling you?” She waits for Emmett to answer.

“Yes, but nothing could be that bad.” Emmett tells her.

“If you stay and hear this, first you need to understand none of this is happening here, but in a different future. A second in Heaven time, moves differently. ” She tells him.

“Wait, when did I die? Am I up there and seeing this?” Emmett asks her.

“A long time from now, and no, because you're still alive right now. In this timeline the only people who can be in both places are people who died before Brian.” She tells Emmett.

“In other words, once she tells us, you can’t unknow it. She just wanted to stall for time, by telling you a long winded explanation.” Brian glares at Marilyn.

“I was also trying to protect Emmett. He is about to have an illusion about people he loves, shattered. I refuse to let him hear this without letting him make the decision if he can deal with that. There have been too many half truths and outright lies going on. People trying to move you and Brian like chess pieces to get the future they want.” Marilyn tells us.

“I’m willing to hear you, but understand no matter what you say, I will form my own opinions.” Emmett tells Marilyn.

“Brian, Lindsay didn’t just figure it out, she was brought back again knowing everything from the moment you met her.” Marilyn looks at Brian to see how he’s going to take that.

“Justin guessed she’s been here longer than she told us tonight. How was she able to know for that long. Before you answer, why was Ethan’s memory erased but Lindsay can’t have the same done to her?” Brian asks her.

“I really don’t want to be the one to tell you, but if I don’t, I doubt the others will. When Deb released Lindsay to make up for her mistakes. Deb was sure Lindsay couldn’t change anything that was supposed to happen in Brian’s life. When Lindsay proceeded to wipe the correct future from existence, Deb and Vic were brought before God himself. God wanted to know why Deb did it. Deb told him that Lindsay deserved to have a chance to be in Gus’s life. She felt that the future that had Lindsay dying of an overdose was the wrong one, that the Lindsay she knows was a loving mother. Deb told everyone listening that she knew Brian, and Lindsay couldn’t change what Brian did to screw up his own life, so Deb wasn’t at fault for what Lindsay ultimately did. One of the angels told Deb that by disrupting your timeline, she ruined the life you would have had. Deb told everyone that if Justin had stayed, you and Justin would have broken up anyway, so she felt she didn’t change all that much. Deb was aware that you and Justin stayed together, but in her mind you would have eventually broken up and Justin would have run away from you. So when she was told that Lindsay changed your fate, her answer was that she knew you better than anyone, and you would have still have ended up alone either way. Needless to say, Deb got in trouble for telling everyone they were wrong. God decided to reset the timeline, with all the players, only God wanted Brian and Justin to have the same knowledge that Lindsay was given. He told Deb they could watch how it plays out. He allowed Lindsay to come just as early as Deb sent her, but wanted Brian to come back later, so as he put it, Brian didn’t have to wait three decades to see Justin. Just so you know, Vic didn’t tell me all that, I snuck passed his barrier, while he was confessing to me.” Marilyn tells us.

“What does this have to do with Vic?” Brian asks Marilyn.

“Nothing, it comes down to Vic trying to save his sister.” Marilyn tells Brian.

 “What do they gain by this?” Justin asks Marilyn.

“Before I answer, please know I didn’t know this part. I wouldn’t have agreed to help if I did.” She tells us.

“Sounds more like your trying to save your ass. ‘You didn’t know’, seems to be the excuse we get when no one wants to tell the truth.” Brian snarls at her.

“I never looked past the explanation, I didn’t try to read Vic’s thoughts until now. He was always a good man, why would I not believe him?” She looked directly at Brian.

“So what was he really trying to do?” Brian asks her.

“Save Deb, she is in purgatory.” Marilyn whispers to us.

“When?” Justin asks her.

“It was maybe a week or so after Lindsay died.” She tells me.

“When Brian and I were in our timeline?” I ask her.

“You and Lindsay were never there at the same time, you wouldn’t have been. Deb sent Lindsay back and you died as the result. Deb didn’t die in either timeline until you or Lindsay were already there.” Marilyn tells us.

“I think with fifteen to twenty cosmos, this conversations would make more sense.” Emmett tells us.

“In a nutshell, in the correct timeline, I never died. Lindsay eventually OD’s. Deb, who dies later gets to Heaven and convinces Vic to let her go see Lindsay. Lindsay is sent back, changed everything and that results in me dying in a plane crash. When I end up in Heaven, no Lindsay or Deb yet because I died before them. Got that?” I ask Emmett.

“Unfortunately yes, because I have a feeling I know what Marilyn is trying so hard not to tell us. Excuse me but I need to get something.” Emmett grabs the Beam, unscrews the lid and chugs till half is gone. “This shit tastes like gasoline, okay hit us with the really bad part Marilyn.” Emmett tells her.

“In order for Deb to be allowed out of Purgatory, she has to be right. It’s a lesson they wanted to teach her, that she doesn’t know everything. That is what Vic has been up to, trying to make sure Deb get’s out.” Marilyn tells us.

I watch Brian, he sits down next to Emmett and grabs the bottle. He tips it and doesn’t stop until it’s gone. I watch as he rolls his lips and stares at the floor shaking his head. Like he’s trying to unhear that the people he loves, were sacrificing him and his happiness to save themselves. He finally seems to come to a decision.

“In order for Vic to save Deb, he has to take Justin from me, or was trying to get us to leave each other?” Brian asks her.

“You two break up and never see each other again. If that happens Justin is taken back.” Marilyn tells Brian.

“You can’t be serious.” Emmett seems to plead that it isn’t the truth.

“They didn’t choose that, it was a consequence for thinking she knew better than anyone else.” Marilyn tells us.

“Yeah that makes it so much better.” Brian tells her.

“And Vic was doing all this knowing what would happen?” Emmett asks her. Marilyn nods but seems to not be able to talk.

“Why not, they let me sacrifice my life for Michael. Deb might love us like sons, but none of us are. In the end the only thing she cares about is her family, not us. Vic was raised by her, think of the shit she did to Vic before he died. He couldn’t have a life if she wasn’t invited. She spent all her time telling everyone how she wiped his ass for him. She belittles all of us, but it’s just Deb being Deb, so we all coddle her and try to make her world better. Vic was trained to believe he owed it to Deb to fix things.” Brian tells us. He’s almost too calm.

“Brian, neither Vic or Deb that are here know what’s going on. You're going to punish the people who didn’t do any of this yet.” Marilyn tells him.

“That was my first thought, hurt them the way I’m being hurt, but I think with Justin and Emmett’s help I have a better idea.” Brian tells her.

“Brian what are you thinking?” Marilyn tells him.

“Can’t you tell me?” Brian smirks at her.

“No, you're drunk and your thoughts are all over the place.” She tells him.

“If you hear or see my thoughts, butt out Marilyn. Until I know we can trust you, I don’t want your help.” Brian tells her.

“Justin, can’t you talk to him. I came here to tell you the truth. Vic lied to me too.” She tells him.

“You really think I can stop Brian, I will definitely help him. I think it’s time for everyone to be allowed to make their own lives. If they worried about themselves and not what they wanted Brian to do, we wouldn’t be here now. Brian and I get some of the blame, we agreed that I would go to New York. Would we have agreed without Lindsay using her knowledge of our lives? Obviously not, because I stayed with him in one of the futures. We’re all level now, so out go all the rules.” I tell her.

“Justin, ready to open Kinnetik?” Brian asks me.

“Brian, it’s too soon.” Marilyn tries on Brian.

“We’ll see won’t we?” Brian tells her.

BRIAN

I walked to the door and opened it for Marilyn. She needs to prove to me that she isn’t fucking me and Justin, without lube. She walks towards the door and stops but must have realized now wasn’t the time. I slam the door and grab another bottle. Opening the seal, I take a long drink and hand it to an already smashed Emmett. Emmett takes a swig and hands it to Justin. Justin hands it to me and walks to get a beer.

“I think I need to stay sober, you or Emmett might decided to do something stupid, I need to be able to stop you.” Justin tells us.

“I have a fan, Wonser boy.” Emmett slurs.

“What’s your plan, Emmett.” I ask him. I almost fall on my ass trying to stand up.

“Jussy and you itch everyone out and then we play the lottery or something and go buy an I, I mean aisle, no I meant a Island. Yeah, that’s it.” Emmett smiles right before he passes out on the couch.

“So Jussy, want to buy an island?” I ask him.

“No, but I want to know what’s going on in that head of yours.” He tells me.

“It’s time to turn our friends into adults. I’m no longer going to stand silently by when they blame me. If I don’t clean up their mistakes, then they see the results without us smoothing it over.” I tell him.

“What do you mean by that? Please tell me that when Michael breaks up with David, you are going to tell Deb it’s not your problem.” Justin waits for me to answer.

“When Vic complains that Deb won’t leave him and Rodney alone, I’ll tell Vic to grow a set of balls bigger than his sister’s.” Brian tells me.

“You won’t let her shit on you at the funeral? You should know that she told Vic to fuck off for not letting her practically live in his new life. Then never apologized for it.” Justin the shit stirrer.

“We get to raise the Queers.” I laugh at the thought. 

“I think we better get the Queen a blanket.” Justin says, motioning toward Emmett. “Then you can at the least fuck me in the shower, on the vanity and in our bed.” Justin tells me.

“Hum, just don’t make me jealous, I haven’t gotten laid lately. And you still need to tell me about the orgy.” Emmett mumbles at us.

“Use the pillows like earplugs, I plan to make Justin scream tonight.” Brian tells Emmett.