JUSTIN 

“What does Michael have to do with this?” I ask Marilyn.

“At first not a lot, he is as clueless as ever. After Brian dies he can’t seem to get over it. The only person willing to listen to him was Lindsay. You need to remember that Lindsay caused all this to begin with. Instead of trying to help Michael through it, she kept telling him that if Brian and Justin hadn’t met he would probably have been in Justin’s place in Brian’s life. She told Michael if he hadn’t run off after other men, Brian would have eventually given into his feelings. You know how Michael was, he finally had someone tell him what he always believed was the reason he didn’t get his fairy tale with Brian. Michael started believing it, and when he died a couple weeks later, he ended up in Heaven, but when he tried to find you Brian, he was told by Vic that you chose to return and try to be with Justin. That was not the fantasy he wanted, and Vic didn’t seem sympathetic to Michael. Michael wanted to find his mother, she would understand him. Vic had to tell him the truth. That Deb got in trouble for hurting Justin’s life. Remember, Michael always blamed Justin for everything, so it was just one more thing that Justin took from him. He convinced Vic to let him see his mom, then Michael guilted Vic into staying in Purgatory with Deb, because he owed it to his sister. Which makes me want to slap Vic, but he loves Deb. Then Michael played fun and games, just like Kira was hinting to you Emmett.” Marilyn tells us.

“I would have known the difference between Vic and Michael.” I tell him.

“Would you? Were you always together up there after you delivered Brian back?” Marilyn asks me.

“No, I wanted to spend time with Kira, we aren’t going to see each other for years. In fact, Vic convinced me I needed to do that for Kira.” I tell her.

“Was he happy to let you spend time with Brian?” Ted cuts in.

“He actually acted like it was a chore to have to keep doing me favors, but I was allowed to come back that night, our first night together.” I tell them.

“What did he say when you went back?” Marilyn asks me. 

“He was kind of pissy because I told Brian things. That little fucking weasel.” I tell everyone.

“Why isn’t Michael in Purgatory? From the way it sounds he would have fit right in.” Mel asks us.

“Michael never really did anything, think about it. Other than chasing Brian, he lived a boring life. He would have been able to apologize and would have been forgiven by all of you. No real reason to keep him out.” Marilyn tells us.

“I don’t understand, what would make the two of them try to change things? Neither Lindsay nor Michael was never going to get Brian. Lindsay because of the lack of a penis, and in a way Michael for the same reason.” Mel tells us.

“They are part of the ‘Cult of Kinney’.” Ted tells us.

“What are you talking about Teddy?” Emmett look confused.

“Think about a cult, you go there because they show you a life where you're wanted. Everything is wonderful and you feel included for the first time. Cult followers are people who were looking for acceptance from anyone. They join and do all kinds of stupid things because the leader asks it of them. Michael was a lonely comic geek who got beat up and no one wanted to talk to. He meets Brian who was popular and they had one thing in common, they were gay. Michael and Brian had a secret that made Michael special because at the time, only he knew. As you and Michael grow up Brian, you protected him and like a good little follower, he took care of you. In fact the only time Michael ever gave you shit was when you chose a trick over him.” Ted tells us.

“Using your theory, Lindsay's family barely noticed her, Lynette was the one they showed off. They made sure Lindsay knew if she wanted to them to be proud, Lynette was the example to follow. She meets you and you become Peter to her Wendy. Your own special club, only she was invited. You let her feel special, she’s the only woman you had sex with and you were always there for her. Hell you let her have the cult’s leader’s baby, in her mind she should have been by your side not Justin.” Mel tells us.

“Somehow this ends up Brian’s fault?” I ask them.

“No, Brian didn’t encourage them to think that way. He was protecting his friends. He can’t help how they took it.” Ted tells us.

“Explain what this has to do with what’s going on?” Brian asks Marilyn.

“Michael here doesn’t know. I need to start with that. Deb is in Purgatory, that was true, along with the reason. Vic did try to help her, but in the end told her she needed to help herself. He couldn’t keep trying to save his sister. Michael guilted Vic until he finally went to stay with Deb. Vic wouldn’t have helped them, and Deb isn’t going to have Michael do something that would hurt her baby. Don’t get me wrong, if she can get out she will, but not at the cost of you two. When she was told that was the only way out, she told them she would stay in purgatory. She isn’t there to prove she's right but to accept her punishment.  She wasn’t happy when Vic joined her, but we can save them. All it takes is getting her to let Michael deal with his own problems, like any other adult. She is hoping we can stop this Michael from becoming the future Michael. Michael can’t come here because, he is, as your daughter put it, on the tip of hell. One wrong move and he won’t be a problem for you. Lindsay was sent here so she is staying out of hell, until she dies. She isn’t going back to Purgatory.” Marilyn tells us.

“What does she want? Sorry, but I’m not going to play her games.” Brian tells us.

“She thinks the only reason she never achieved anything in life is because she wasn’t with Brian.” Mel tells us.

“How do you know that?” Brian asks Mel.

“It makes the most sense, Justin had everything her greedy heart wanted. The man, the career, and eventually a child. Gus was no longer her way to show the world Brian would have only picked her to be the mother of his child. You wouldn’t run after them anymore, you had a life she wanted, right.” Mel tells him.

“Unless it involved Gus, I didn’t talk to Lindsay. Michael agreed with Lindsay all the time, I had other people in my life, I didn’t need the two of them anymore. That happened in the life Lindsay changed? I don’t remember the other future.” Brian tells her.

“You didn’t have time for them in that one either,” Marilyn tells us.

“You know what Justin, it wasn’t stupid, you know that you have to keep learning to improve something. Otherwise you just score the same score each life.” Brian tells me.

“Excuse me but I get 1560 on my SATs this time.” I can’t help it, it’s too great. 

“Wait, you score that high?” Ted asks me.

“No, my first score was 1500. I wanted to do better this time. I think with everything you experience you should be able to take the knowledge and improve yourself.” I tell him.

“Now I understand why I loved you.” Mel tells me. I run and hug the sister of my heart.

“Is that good? I never took the test. My family didn’t pay for anything that we couldn’t eat.” Emmett asks.

“I doubt anyone in this room scored higher on it.” Mel tells him.

 I squeeze her tighter. I look at Brian and he is suddenly looking everywhere but me. “What was your score?” I ask him. I never did ask him.

“Not that good.” He’s such a liar.

“How good was it Mr. Kinney?” I ask him.

“Why does it matter?” Brian tells us.

“1510.” Marilyn tells us.

“Holy shit, why didn’t you tell me. You made such a big deal about my score, even used it to question my intelligence when I made shitty decisions.” I tell him.

“If I told you, you would have thrown it back in my face for the same reasons. I liked that I could use it.” Brian smirks.

“So the idiot twosome are both trying to repeat history, and somehow think it will change.” Emmett asks.

“Change only happens when you work for it. Those two couldn’t change if they tried, it would require us to do it for them.” Brian tells us.

“What does Deb have to do with this? You said three bitches.” I ask Marilyn.

“Not Deb, think of some other person who wouldn’t be thrilled with her life.” Marilyn asks us.

“My mom?” Brian asks. We know she’s in Purgatory.

“No, she is afraid to mention you, because she thinks you stop her from getting to Heaven finally. Really think hard about it Brian, who hates you for getting out of the cycle of the Kinney family?” Marilyn asks.

“Claire. Shit, unless she wants something I don’t even see her. Lindsay and Michael hate her.” Brian tells us.

“They are letting Claire help them.” Marilyn tells us.

“What does Claire get out of this?” I ask.

“She thinks that Lindsay is going to help her get out of Hell. Claire killed herself, no forgiveness for that.” Marilyn tells us.

“I didn’t know Claire killed herself.” I look at Brian.

“It was after, I paid for the funeral, just didn’t attend.” Brian shrugged.

“Why would Claire believe Lindsay?” Mel wanted to know.

“You did when she told you she wanted you to be Gus’s mom.” Emmett tells her.

“You were the best mother he could have had, no matter what shit he pulled, you were there for him and JR. Brian tells Mel. 

Shit JR, what happens to her?” Brian asks Marilyn.

“That depends on how we play out the next few years.” Marilyn tells us.

“Justin and I tow the line and everything is happily ever after, fuck that.” Brian tells him.

“No, I think it’s time we grow up the Queers, starting with the person who taught everyone to take care of her baby.” Marilyn tells us.

BRIAN

“Please tell me Deb and Vic are innocent.” Emmett begs Marilyn. I know I want that too.

“She did everything but she’s in Purgatory for trying to excuse her behavior. She wasn't willing to play out the future, if she was right you lose each other. They told her she had to or stay in Purgatory. Deb told them to go ahead and send her, because she would lose either way. Vic, being self sacrificing, wanted to comfort his sister, not fuck with you guys.” Marilyn seemed relieved about that.

“Hey, that means Emmett and I can go to ‘See the Light’.” Justin tells us.

“Justin, really that is all you can think about?” I ask him.

“Come on Brian, I think we should use it as a group project. Mel want to be my lesbian date?” Justin waggles his eyebrows.

“What are you talking about?” She asks Justin.

“Emmett thinks he got HIV in a couple months when he finds out he didn’t, he turns away fine ass men and runs to this group called ‘See the Light’. They’re all gay people who think if you just fuck your way through it with the opposite sex you’ll suddenly become straight.” Justin tells her.

“You think this is what you need to be doing? We have other problems.” I tell Justin.

“Michael and Lindsay are a pain in the ass. Your sister Claire isn’t worth the tissue to wipe my ass with. So far the only thing that Lindsay has gotten out of all of this repeat and rewind is you are never going to give her what she wants. We can’t change anything for her, why waste the time. Mel on the other hand, doesn’t have to waste years being shit on by Lindsay. Michael can learn, so we help him realize he has to make his own way in the world, no one is going to pick up after him anymore.” Justin tells us.

“So I don’t get Ben?” Emmett pouts.

“No, you get an Ironman.” I tell him.

“JUSTIN!” Marilyn shouts.

“What? I didn’t tell him which one.” Justin always looks so innocent. 

“I marry a football player? Um, aren’t they all like redneck assholes?” Emmett asks us.