Justin's search for the elusive John Aidan Brian Kinney was proving more difficult than it should. Other than some vague references to his art, his penchant for painting the landscapes of the Pennsylvanian countryside and his ill fated marriage, little was written about him. All Justin's usual art research sites were useless. "Think, Justin, if he was so famous, why can't I find him?" Scratching an imaginary itch on his nose, Justin absentmindedly typed the name Kinney into the Google search engine box. What came up didn't surprise him. Brian Kinney this and Brian Kinney that, the gay, blah, blah, blah. The gay, GAY!

Justin refocused his search to gay or homosexual artists. BINGO! Kinney started out as a typical artist of the time, married into a socially and financially well off family. His art was looked at as a hobby that would have been put in its proper place after Kinney married and took his rightful place as landowner and head of a powerful Pennsylvania family. His wife was the only offspring of a rich land baron and since women were not allowed to inherit property, it was up to her to marry well. Her husband would then be allowed to pass on the property to his male heir, manage it until his son became of age and reap the rewards of owning the land. If being gay made you a second class citizen now, think of what a scandal it would have caused back then. Especially for a prominent family.

Okay, so what had he learned?

Brian had an ancestor that was an artist, good enough to be written about in an art history book. Said artist might have had some sort of homosexual affair that may have disgraced his family and there may be some property somewhere that may belong to Brian. Lots of maybe's. But what did this have to do with Claire and this book? And it still didn't answer why Brian's Grandmother wanted Jack to live there with Claire and not Brian. It didn't make sense.

Justin decided to put aside his research on Kinney. It did explain why Brian was so talented when it came to advertising. He knew Brian had an eye for color and perspective, it's what made him so good at what he did and why Justin always knew he'd get an honest opinion from Brian when Justin needed a critical eye to look over one of his creations. Brian had art in his genes. And he'd have an artist in his jeans if he'd only come home.

Justin printed out what he had found out about Kinney, the artist, and placed it into his Sunshine file. Feeling tired, Justin shut down the computer, put the kettle on to make some tea and took a quick shower while waiting for the water to boil. In the shower, Justin couldn't help thinking about the one letter about Brian being hit. As bad as it got with his father, Craig never hit Justin. Before Justin came out, he had a loving father, still had a mother who stood by him, and a wonderful, if annoying sister. The total opposite of what Brian had while growing up and still had. No, that's wrong. Brian did have a loving family now, just an unusual family. But he was loved and Brian knew it, even if he didn't admit it.

The whistling of the kettle brought Justin running to the kitchen. With his cup of "Sleepytime" tea, Justin took the art book back to the sofa and began to flip through its pages, this time exploring the back of the book. Close to the appendix, a photograph was stuck to a page. With the flat edge of the letter opener, Justin was able to pry the picture loose without damaging the book. Turning the picture over in his hand, Justin saw a picture of a happy loving young couple, holding hands and smiling brightly for the camera. The date imprinted on the side of the picture said July 4, 1965. The caption written on the bottom read, "Jack and Claire at the beach."

Justin stared at the picture and then read the caption again. There was another Claire. But who was she? Was she Jack's sister? Had she died and Jack had mourned her enough to name his child after her? Justin studied the picture. Jack and Claire didn't look anything alike. But they looked very happy in the picture. Here was another puzzle to add to the Sunshine files. He carefully placed the picture inside the folder and went up the steps to bed.

The next day Justin drove to Harrisburg and went to the state offices there. He spent the day going through information on the Kinney family, including birth and death certificates. He found the location of the property that was listed on the deed. All his research did was create more questions.

For one thing there was no Claire Kinney that he could find, except for Brian's sister who was certainly not the woman in the picture with a very young Jack Kinney. The property on the deed was listed as belonging to Jack Kinney. It had been transferred from his mother to Jack in 1985. That was long after Brian and Claire had been born. Justin wondered why she would choose that moment to give the property to Jack.

And then there was the whole question of who was paying the taxes on the property. Justin had not been able to find that out. He assumed that Brian's grandparents would have paid it while they were both alive, but with the deed tucked away in that book, it didn't seem like Jack would have paid the taxes. Brian had never mentioned that his father owned any property other than the house where Joan now lived. From what Brian had intimated it seemed unlikely that Jack would have money to pay the taxes on the property. He was always hitting Brian up for money and seemed to have drunk any other money he got his hands on.

As Justin drove back to Pittsburgh his mind was full of questions. Was Claire someone that Jack knew before he met Joan? Was he in love with her? They looked so happy in that picture. Brian never once said his own parents were happy. The word happy didn't seem to have been part of the Kinney vernacular. But in that picture Jack had been happy and so had the woman.

And the firstborn child of the Kinneys was named Claire. Justin wondered if Joan knew who the Claire in the photo was. Somehow he doubted it. Could Jack have named his daughter after that woman in the picture?

Justin arrived home a little after nine at night. The message light on the phone was flashing and he listened to what had been recorded. It was from Brian. He would be in tomorrow afternoon at 1:30. He wanted Justin to pick him up at the airport, but if that was a problem he would just catch a cab.

Justin sat at the desk and pulled out all the papers he had photocopied in Harrisburg. He added them to the Sunshine file and stuck it in the drawer of the desk. He had a lot to talk to Brian about. He wondered how he could broach the subject. Brian was as likely to tell him to mind his own business as to welcome the news of what Justin had found.

Justin sighed. He would have to talk to Brian. He had gone about as far as he could on his own. Brian had information that Justin didn't have. He hoped he would be able to get Brian to cooperate so that they could get to the bottom of the mystery.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, spill."

"What?"

"Spill. You pick me up from the airport without so much as a 'how did it go Brian, or I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat, or I'm horny, I missed you, let's hurry up back to the loft and fuck.' Nothing. Nada. Silence. And don't take this the wrong way, Sunshine; silence was never your strong suit. So, spill. What's got you all worried, occupied and otherwise distracted? "

"You're not going to like it."

"Since when has what I like or dislike ever got in the way of your mouth? Tell me, I'll never have a moment's peace until you do."

"It's kind of involved and I need to show you some stuff. We may also have to go out of town."

"Justin, I just got back."

"Not fly anywhere, we may have to drive into the woods."

"Not with my Vette, we don't. Okay, quit glaring at me. You going to tell me about 'your mystery?'"

"Yeah."

During the drive back to the loft as well as on the ride up in the elevator, Justin told Brian all about the book, about John Aidan Brian Kinney, the letters, the deed and the photograph. Justin silently stood back, bracing himself for the explosion a la Brian to hit.

"Justin, are you going to stand there in the elevator all day or are you coming inside?"

"Um."

"Get your ass in here; show me your file and the book."

Three hours and two Thai takeout dinners later, Brian closed the book and set it on the coffee table beside Justin's Sunshine file.

"Fuck, me!"

"My pleasure."

"Tie a knot in it, little boy. This is amazing, and you found out all of this in two days."

"You're taking this remarkably well. I expected more shouting, at least a growl or two."

"Maybe your annoying maturity is rubbing off on me. Seriously, I am curious to find out about who this Claire is and see if we can find out more about the artist, Kinney. But I'm really interested in the farm. I think I remember going there as a child. I seem to remember this huge property with a small stream running through it. I remember apple trees and sunflowers in the garden."

"Sounds so nice. Do you think the farm exists?"

"Haven't a clue. I don't remember Jack or Joan saying anything about the farm and there certainly was no mention of it in Jack's will, not that he had a real one. All he left us was debt, which I took care of. I bet Joan has no clue about the farm or the rest. I don't think she was with us when Jack took me there. I don't remember Claire either. He called it a boy's day out. We got in his car and drove for hours. We only did it a couple of times. The last time, I remember playing near the stream. I was real little, couldn't have been much older than Gus is now. I slipped and fell in, someone pulled me out. Another boy. I think he was older than me but I was always tall for my age so I don't know. He asked me if I was okay, then took me back to the house. Then he ran back into the woods. I got my clothes all wet and dirty which made Jack angry. He yelled at me and when I tried to explain, he..."

"He hit you."

"Yeah."

"Brian, I'm sorry."

"Sorry is bullshit. I mean it this time, Justin. You have nothing to be sorry for. It was Jack. Something turned him into an angry man. I never knew the Jack that's in that picture. I always thought it was something I did or something I didn't do. Maybe if we figure this out I might find out what really happened. Find out who Jack really was."

"Brian, what if we find out something horrible."

"I'll take my chances. Can't be any worse than when I was growing up. Besides, I've seen you when you're all butch and in protective mode. No one would dare mess with us if you're with me."

"Brian, that has got to be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"I don't do sweet."

"Then how about you do me. Get your fine ass in bed, Kinney, and make like a bottom boy. This butch wants his bitch."

Brian stared into Justin's deep blue eyes. It wasn't often when Justin made his true nature apparent and even rarer when Brian welcomed it. Tonight the gods were shining down upon both of them. Brian smiled softly then gently thumbed Justin's cheek. Placing a chaste kiss on Justin's lips, Brian whispered, "Could you clean up this stuff then lock up the loft? I want to take a quick shower." Justin responded with a nod and his own smile. Both men got up from the cushions. Justin headed for the loft door as Brian went to shower. Within 15 minutes they met in the bedroom.

Brian, still damp from his shower and draped only in a deep wine colored towel, lay seductively on the duvet. Justin slowly removed his clothes, letting them fall in a pile at the foot of the bed. Skin still golden tan from his time in the L.A. sun, Justin reminded Brian of a young lion on the hunt for his first kill. Brian waited for the pounce.

Instead of a ravenous lion chewing on his lips, Brian received kisses softer than butterfly wings. He felt his jaw and neck lovingly nibbled and his collarbone licked. Justin slowly worked his way down, sucking on each dark nipple causing Brian to arch up, feeding more of his breast into Justin's warm mouth.

Justin continued his descent, rimming Brian's navel then following the dark treasure trail to Brian's proud hard aching cock. "Fuck!" Brian screamed out as Justin sucked down Brian's entire length in one swoop. Justin paid homage to Brian's infamous organ, keeping Brian on the edge of the precipice. "Please." The soft plea escaped Brian's lips as he spread his thighs wantonly, bending his knees to allow Justin access to the tight pucker. Justin released Brian's cock then suckled each ball, real and otherwise. He then focused on Brian's twitching hole.

Laving the tight gateway, Justin made sure Brian was relaxed and well prepared. As eager as Justin was to fuck Brian into the mattress, he needed to show restraint. Justin eased one spit slick finger into Brian's incredibly tight hole, rocking it slowly in and out. Before venturing a second finger, Justin reached for the lube and condoms. Slicking two fingers and Brian's anus, Justin opened Brian's hole, gently scissoring his fingers. Brian relaxed around Justin's fingers then began to fuck himself on them. Justin added a third finger. When sufficiently stretched and receptive, Justin donned a condom, adding more lube then pushed his way into Brian. Both men moaned loudly as Brian adjusted to the fullness. Justin slowly retreated then slid back. Brian wrapped his long legs around Justin digging his heels into Justin's ass to encourage harder penetration. Justin began to fuck Brian in earnest.

The sweat poured off each man as they felt themselves nearing climax. Justin grunted with each thrust, his balls slapping against Brian's ass.

"God, Justin, close!"

Justin felt Brian tighten around him then explode, shooting his cum up onto Justin's chest. Justin's orgasm triggered by Brian's, he filled his condom. He collapsed onto Brian's chest squishing the cum between them. After calming their racing hearts, Justin rolled off of Brian, disposed of his condom and brought a warm damp cloth to clean off his exhausted lover. Returning the cloth into the bathroom, Justin snuggled against Brian covering the two of them with the warm duvet. Brian in an unusual display of emotion deeply kissed Justin then buried his head into Justin's neck. Soon, Justin heard the soft wheeze of Brian's snores. Smiling to himself and very much in butch protective mode, Justin encircled Brian with his arms and fell asleep.