BRIAN 

Instead of running back to Babylon, I stayed with Vic. I needed to talk to someone, someone who would listen. Ted and Emmett weren’t ready for that yet. I was wandering around looking at all the crap Deb buys from QVC. Vic walked past me into the kitchen.  

“Not running off to join the guys?” Vic asks me

“Maybe in a little while. I wanted to talk.” I tell him. 

“Pull up a chair, guess Michael was right, normally you're running out looking for your next trick.” Vic tells me. My phone starts ringing, I just silence it.

I sit at the table, and wait while Vic gets a drink. Vic was my father growing up, and right now I need that. Vic will at least listen, no matter how crazy it sounds.

“You're thinking awful hard, just say it.” Vic tells me. 

“If you had a chance to go back and change your future, would you do it?” I ask him. 

“Hard to change something, if you don't know what is going to happen.” Vic tells me.

“What if you did?” I ask him. 

“What if you change everything?” He asks me. 

“What if you know that someone is supposed to be the person you spend your life with. But the first time around, you spent screwing up constantly.” I tell him. 

“Before I answer that, please tell me we aren’t talking about Michael.” Vic tells me.

“NO, no, that was never going to happen.” I tell him. I shuddered a little, I just don’t do incest.

“Good, because no matter what Deb and Michael want to believe, it would have been a disaster.” Vic tells me.

“You're probably the only person who thinks that.” I tell him.

“Brian, you need someone who can stand up to you. Michael needs someone to do the standing for him. He needs someone who has the patience to deal with him, when he acts like a child throwing a tantrum. Michael as your friend, you can distance yourself when it becomes overbearing, but a lover expects more. The problem is, that you and Deb have spent your whole lives taking care of Michael. Deb will always do it, she’s his mother. I love my sister and nephew but them making it your job to protect Michael all the time gave them both the idea that you were the one causing Michael’s inability to grow up. My advice is let him make his own mistakes and be his friend, not the person to blame. Maybe we’ll see Michael willing to stretch his wings.” Vic tells me.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to do, but just like right now, Mikey is calling constantly.” I pick up my phone and turn it off.

“Is he calling three times a day.” Vic jokes.

“No, try ten. How does he keep his job?” I ask Vic.

“He hides down the aisles. Now, what were we talking about? Screwing up with the person you want to make a life with?” Vic asks me.

“I guess I wonder if I met the person sooner, did I change something?” I ask him.

“It would have to, I would think.” He tells me. 

“Because we already met, right?” I  ask him. 

“Guess it would also depend on how you interacted the first time.” Vic tells me. At my puzzled look, Vic explains, “Going with the fantasy that you know that you’ll meet the person, by meeting sooner you already know them. With that in mind when you see them again, you're more likely to say ‘good seeing you again’ not ‘Had a busy night? It’s simplistic, but yes you already changed something.” Vic tells me. I stared into Vic’s eyes, why would he say that? I didn’t see anything that indicated that he used the phrase as anything other than an example.

“What if he isn’t where he’s supposed to be?” I ask him.

“Brian, are you okay. We are talking hypothetically, right?” He asks me.

“Yeah, guess I better get going before the gang starts sending out missing flyers.” I hug Vic and walk to the door.

“Brian, the answer to the screwing up is easy, don’t do whatever it was that hurt the relationship the first time.” Vic tells me.

“The problem with that is most of it was fun at the time.” I joke. Vic gives me a strange look, time to go.

I got in my Jeep and turned on my phone. Michael must have been busy calling me for the last couple hours. They can hang on to the bar, I don’t really want to go tonight. I head to the loft, maybe I can watch a movie. Jesus, I’m turning into a old man.

I walk in and there is my best friend, glaring at me. “Where the hell have you been all night? We waited for you and you left us hanging.” Mikey pouts.

“I was helping Vic with your mother, then Vic and I were talking. I lost track of time.” I tell him. Ever wanted to yell for someone to get a life?

“You couldn’t pick up the fucking phone and tell me that.” Michael needs to rein in the jealous housewife routine.

“Well you see, I was talking and some idiot couldn’t try to have fun, no he had to keep calling. Instead of calling constantly, go out and meet someone Mikey.” I just don’t have the patience to pat baby Mikey on the head tonight.

“Emmett and Ted are waiting at the diner, so let’s go.” Mikey orders me. Yeah, not a lap dog Mikey.

“Have fun, I’m going to bed.” I tell him.

“No you're not, you're coming to the diner and spending time with your friends.” Mikey tells me. 

“Actually, yes I am going to bed. Unlike you, I need to be awake at work tomorrow.” I tell him. 

“So you're going to bail on me again. I can’t believe you, it’s like you're trying to piss me off lately.” He tells me.

“No, I just have other things to do, go hang out with the guys. I’ll meet you for breakfast.” I tell him.

“Fine, come pick me up so I know you're going to show up.” Mikey tells me. 

“Later, Mikey.” I want to shove him out the door, why is he so fucking clingy lately?

MICHAEL

I swear I could kill Brian right now. He told me he was going to be here this morning. Emmett tried to convince me to go with him and Ted, I told him “No, Brian is coming to get me.” 

“Michael, he called and asked Ted to pick you up, he said he’d try to meet us. Why make him go out of his way to pick you up, when Ted is already here.” Emmett tells me.

“Just go and we’ll meet you.” I tell Emmett. 

That was an hour ago, I tried calling when he was already ten minutes late. I keep getting sent to voicemail. Brian has a lot of explaining to do. I run to catch the bus, I can’t believe he didn’t show again. Brian better be ready to explain what was so important that he forgot about me.

BRIAN

I got up and made my daily stalking drive. Justin was standing at the bottom of the stairs, talking to Daphne. I watched as he kisses her cheek and runs into the building. I sat and debated whether my ears were going to withstand Mikey’s whine, for not picking him up. I didn’t say I would, maybe next time he’ll stop acting like he can tell me what to do. I decide that I would rather not deal with the Novotny duo this morning. I’ll probably get an earful tonight at the diner with the gang. 

I start my Jeep and head to work. I turn my phone back on and check to see if anyone other than Michael called. Guess Michael complained to Deb, she’s competing with her son for most calls. I don’t even bother to get the voicemails, they will all be the assessment that I’m an asshole anyway.

Cynthia is standing at my desk with a couple dozen message slips in her hand. “Brian, do me a favor and call your ‘Best Friend’, I have things like drinking coffee I could be doing.” She tells me.

“I’ll give you a raise if you tell him and Deb I can’t be reached.” I tell her.

“Keep the raise, I’d rather not have to explain a hundred times to Mikey, that ‘can’t be reached’ means him too.” Cynthia tells me. 

“I’ll handle it. Anything else?” I ask her. The phone starts ringing, Cynthia answers and hands it to me. She walks away shaking her head.

“Brian Kinney.” I say.

“Asshole, I got written up because I ended up late to work. Where were you this morning?” Mikey rants into the phone.

“I called Ted and told him to give you and Emmett a ride.” I didn’t leave him in the lurch.

“I asked you to pick me up, then you don’t even bother to call me.” Mikey tells me.

“You would have just spent the entire time bitching. I truthfully didn’t want to hear it.” I tell him.

“What the fuck is going on Brian? We are supposed to be friends, lately it’s like I don’t even know you anymore. You're almost never around and when you are, you never want to spend time together.” Mikey complains. I hear someone asking Mikey if he took care of the display. Mikey tells them he’s on the phone helping a customer. The person tells Mikey to give him the phone and go take care of the display that should already be finished. Mikey tries to get the phone back, guess he doesn’t want to explain why he’s on the phone goofing off, when he was already in trouble this morning.

“Hello, this is Andrew, how can I assist you?” What to do, humm.

“I was trying to find out if you have KY, in different flavors. I like to taste something other than the guy I’m rimming.” I tell the homophobic ass.

“Well sir, we um...Let me transfer you.” He seemed like he didn’t want to look. I hang up.