Gus was dreaming. He was playing Twister with his cousins. He smiled in his sleep as he wiggled around trying to get the correct square for his foot. He knew he was going to win this time. But he just couldn't quite reach the blue square where his hand was supposed to go. He struggled to reach it. It was so close but his hand wouldn't move far enough. He whimpered in his sleep. He wanted to win. He wanted to show his father and his cousins that he was a big boy, that he could win the game.

Gus struggled a little more and then his eyes popped open. John and Peter were staring at him and laughing. He frowned and tried to get up. He could barely move. He looked down at his sleeping bag and found he was trussed inside it with a belt and shirts tied around him. He tried to free his arm, but it wouldn't budge. John and Peter laughed louder.

"Let me out," Gus said firmly fighting back tears. He didn't like this feeling of being trapped.

"You can get out yourself. We didn't tie it that tight," John said with a big grin.

"I can't," Gus said struggling against his bonds. The first tear rolled down his face. "I want my daddy."

"Don't be a baby," Peter said.

"I'm not a baby."

"Then stop crying," John ordered.

Gus began crying more. "Let me out," he begged.

John and Peter looked at each other. This was supposed to be a joke, but Gus seemed scared. It had gone all wrong.

"Gus," John said untying one shirt. "We were just playing with you. Stay still and we'll get you out. We didn't mean to scare you." He struggled with another knot while Peter undid the belt. Finally Gus was free.

Gus sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "I'm going to get my daddy," he declared.

"Don't, don't do that, please," Peter begged. "We're sorry. Honest."

Gus studied his cousins. He was mad that they had tied him up and called him a baby. Slowly he realized that they seemed scared just like he had been a few minutes ago.

"I have to go pee," Gus said trying to decide what to do. He still wanted his daddy to put his arms around him and tell him everything would be all right.

"We'll help you down and into the house," John said with a smile trying to make things right with the little boy. He didn't want to face the wrath of an angry Brian. He still remembered his face being shoved into that toilet.

Gus realized he didn't have to be afraid anymore. "I can show you how big boys pee," he said to his cousins.

"Huh?" Peter said.

"Come on," Gus replied.

The two boys followed him down to the balcony where Gus whipped out his little penis and peed through the railing. Peter and John watched in disbelief. Then with a laugh they joined Gus in the morning ritual the little boy had first shared with Justin and his father.

"That's cool, Gus," Peter said as he stuffed his dick back in his underwear.

Gus smiled. He liked getting praise from these boys. Maybe they weren't so bad.

"Let's get dressed," John said. "I'm hungry."

The boys climbed back up and started pulling on t-shirts and shorts.

"Gus," John asked. "You won't tell your father what we did, will you?"

Gus wasn't sure how to answer that, but the boys seemed much nicer now. He wanted them to like him. "I won't tell," he said slowly.

John and Peter looked at each other. They smiled a bit. Maybe they could get away with what they had done after all. They didn't mean to hurt Gus. It was fun tying him up while he was asleep. Maybe they weren't supposed to do stuff like that now that they had been sent to the farm. John felt something he couldn't identify. If he had been older he would have called it remorse.

The boys made their way down from the treehouse and Gus ran to the barn.

"Daddy, daddy," Gus called. Beau bounded out to greet him licking all over the little boy's face and making him giggle.

John and Peter held their breath before deciding that they really didn't want to know what Gus would tell his father. They went into the house.

"Hey, Sonny Boy," Brian called from the loft of the barn.

"Daddy," Gus said and began climbing the ladder to get to his father.

"Hey, buddy," Justin said. "Be careful climbing up here."

"I can do it."

Justin and Brian pulled on their shorts as Gus neared the top. Bobby and John did the same on the other side of the barn. Brian grabbed Gus' arm and helped him up the last step.

"Did you sleep good?" Brian asked.

Gus nodded and then debated telling his father what his cousins had done. "We peed through the railing," Gus giggled, deciding that would be all he would say.

Brian groaned. He'd have to go hose down the grass again. He made a face at Justin who was smirking at him with an 'I told you so' look on his face. "Say hi to Uncle John and Bobby," Brian said.

Gus looked across and yelled, "Hi." He turned back to his father and said, "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Brian admitted. "Someone gave me a workout last night."

"I worked up an appetite too," Justin smirked.

"Us too, despite you two keeping us awake for hours," Bobby said.

"Okay, Gus," Brian said. "I'll go down first and then you come next. Be careful on the ladder. The steps are far apart."

"I know, daddy. It was hard climbing up here," Gus told his father in a serious tone.

When they all arrived at the main house Claire had already assigned jobs. Peter and John were making toast.

Brian approached them and asked, "How was the treehouse?"

"Um … good," John said.

"Gus tells me you were naughty boys."

"Uh … what? What do you mean?" John cringed inside. That big baby had told his father.

"Gus says he taught you guys to piss off the balcony," Brian said with his tongue in cheek.

"Oh, yeah, right, he did."

"I guess I better go hose the grass down."

"Are … are you mad?"

"No, John, who do you think taught Gus to do that in the first place?" Brian winked and disappeared outside.

John let out a breath of relief, but then he frowned. Gus hadn't told on them. That was good, but he didn't feel particularly good about it. And he wondered when something might slip and Brian would find out.

"May I be excused for a couple of minutes?" John asked. The elder Claire nodded and Justin took over helping Peter with the toast.

John made his way outside to where Brian had the hose going to wash the grass around the base of the tree. "Uncle Brian," he said.

"Yes, John." Brian knew something was up. He could tell from John's reaction inside that something more than pissing off the balcony had occurred. Now maybe he was going to find out.

"I … I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to get mad."

"I can't promise that, if I don't know what it is."

John sighed. "This morning when we woke up…"

"Yes?"

"Gus was asleep and he looked so cute, so we took our shirts and belts and tied him up in his sleeping bag and then he woke up and he was struggling and we laughed at him and then he started to cry and he was scared and we got scared and we untied him and then we pissed off the balcony and Gus promised not to tell but I thought you knew in the kitchen and I was scared so I thought I better tell you before you found out." John drew in a very deep breath. "Did you know?"

"No, John, I didn't know. Gus didn't tell. But I know now." Brian turned the full Kinney glare on his hapless nephew. He watched John cringe under the scrutiny.

"I'm sorry. Peter's sorry too." John said weakly.

"I hope so. And this will never happen again?"

"Never. I promise," John said solemnly.

"Okay. Gus seems to have forgiven you, so I guess I can too."

"It was just supposed to be a joke."

"Sometimes jokes get out of hand." John nodded. "Did you learn something from this?" John nodded. "Care to tell me what?"

"I learned that things that seem like fun may have consequences and I should think about those before I do anything."

"That's a very valuable lesson, so let's leave it at that." John nodded and ventured a little smile. "You still a brat?" Brian smirked.

"Yeah, you still a fag?" John grinned.

"Yeah," Brian said ruffling John's hair.

"I'm really sorry," John repeated.

"I know. Let's go get some breakfast."

Brian let his hand stay gently on John's shoulder as they walked back to the house.

When Brian and John entered the house, Claire and Justin knew immediately that something was up. Brian shook his head and mouthed, 'later' at them both. He went directly to a large bowl of oranges then asked the elder Claire if juice was needed. She nodded, smiled and handed Brian the old fashion juicer, a knife and several pitchers. He rolled his eyes, sighed dramatically then began to cut up the oranges. Little John pulled up a chair and sat next to his uncle.

"If you show me what to do, I can help." John looked up into his uncle's hazel eyes that in the past he feared and hated. This time he saw understanding and affection. Brian showed John how to use the juicer. Working in concert together, in no time juice was done.

After the previous day's antics and hilarity, Sunday's breakfast was quiet and subdued. The family knew that they would all go home and the summer was coming to an end.

Claire and her sons were looking forward to going home, leaving the farm behind but they were also nervous and anxious. They feared that leaving this very special environment, their old behavior would reemerge and that was unacceptable. Claire had the appointments that Bill set up for her written down and secure in her bag. She resolved to learn from the past and move herself and her boys forward.

Debbie was unable to stomach all this quiet. Looking over to the elder Claire, she made a very loud suggestion. "I realize that Bobby has to work next weekend so that you all coming to us for Labor Day may not work, so do you think you can put up with all of us for the long weekend. We'll be sure to bring plenty of food and more games."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Claire confirmed. "We'd love it! Wouldn't we, John?" Claire asked of her son.

"I'm not so sure," John mumbled into his juice.

"What?" several people cried including Bobby who started to flush with embarrassment that his lover could say such a thing.

"Jackie, what do you mean?" Claire said sternly.

"Well, if the whole family is coming up here, I may get a hotel room for me and Bobby."

"John Anderson, you better explain yourself and this better be good." Now Claire was getting angry.

"Brian, I love you and Justin but you two never stop. You guys kept us awake all night long!" John said with a smirk.

Without a second thought, Brian countered. "Hey, I can't help if I'm the best fu..." Brian stopped himself, suddenly realizing that there were several little ears in the room. He coughed then began again. "I can't help it if Justin snores. It's all those damned allergies of his." Brian then smiled sweetly at his brother who winked backed and the two of them cracked up at the look of sheer indignation on Justin's face.

All of a sudden a small piece of toast smacked Brian between the eyes. Brian looked up at his seemingly innocent lover and scowled. He picked up a grape and sent it careening over to Justin. It bounced off his cheek. The more mature adults realizing that an all out war was imminent picked up their plates and guided the younger children out on to the porch.

As everyone got comfortable on the porch, they waited for the sounds of the food fight. Several minutes passed and all they heard was quiet and occasional soft moaning. The family looked around the porch, each questioning and puzzled at the silence. Michael stood up, "I'll go." He quietly slipped into the kitchen. He was not surprised at what he saw.

Justin was sitting on Brian's lap happily feeding Brian his toast, sharing bits of fruit and several kisses. Bobby was equally ensconced on John's lap similarly feeding his lover.

Michael quickly and quietly slipped back out.

"Well? What are they doing in there?" Debbie impatiently asked.

"You know Brian." Michael shrugged and sat down next to his husband to finish his breakfast.

"They're not, not on the table are they?" Lindsay asked.

"Oh no, but I would give the four of them a few more minutes to, um, calm down."

"I don't understand," the younger Claire spurted out shyly.

Again it was Gus who had the answers for his aunt. "They're kissing, Auntie Claire."

"Oh, OH! They do that a lot, don't they?"

"YES!" The whole family answered her back and they all shared the laugh. Breakfast continued.

After breakfast Michael, his family and John set out on their bikes once again. Justin and Peter went down by the stream to draw. The women cleared the dishes in the kitchen and then went to look at the Kinney paintings in more detail in the hall of Claire's home. Carl and Emmett joined them. Ted took Gus' hand and the two went for a walk with Beau. Brian sat in a lawn chair in the yard soaking up some of the last rays of summer.

Brian closed his eyes and thought about the transformation in the spawn. He would have to stop calling them that. John had finally done the right thing telling him about tying Gus up. Brian had done his best to contain his anger when he had first heard what the two brats had done. But he quickly realized that Gus had not been hurt or his son would have said something. He also saw John's fear and remembered his own fear from his childhood. Lesser things than what the boys had done would have earned him a beating, and he had always vowed that he would never stand by and see that happen to a child. And he would never do that to a child, even his nephews, even when they did something like that to his son. He also knew that if they had really hurt Gus he might not have been able to keep that vow. He wasn't quite as evolved as he might like to think he was.

"Brian," a soft voice said.

Brian opened his eyes and squinted up at his sister. The sun was in his eyes. He sighed. "Yes, sister dearest."

"I hope you're not saying that in the way it was used for Joan Crawford," Claire said frowning.

"I was just being a shit."

Claire chuckled. "You were always good at that."

"My trademark."

"That and knowing how to push people's buttons."

"You think?" Brian asked his tongue in his cheek.

"Oh yeah!"

"Seems to me that you pushed a few of mine over the years."

"We haven't been very nice to each other, have we?"

Brian shook his head. "But then we had excellent role models in dysfunctionality."

"Still do," Claire admitted with a rueful grin.

"How is dear old mom?"

"You should visit her. She's not getting any younger."

"Let's not go there," Brian warned. "I don't want to end the weekend by throwing up all over you or having to kill you on our walk down memory lane."

"Okay," Claire said thoughtfully deciding she didn't want to ruin their time together either. "I've been thinking," she said softly.

"That's always a dangerous thing."

"Will you listen to me for a minute? I want to say this before I chicken out." Brian studied his sister wondering what she was going to come up with this time. He nodded for her to continue. "Brian, I think I've learned more about you this weekend than I've learned in the last fifteen years."

"Maybe that's because you were stuck here with me. You were kind of a captive audience."

"It made me open my eyes to some facts. I … I'm glad you're happy."

"I wasn't … for a long time."

"I know. What changed that?"

"Justin."

"He's a fine young man. He seems to have taken Peter under his wing."

"Yeah, they both like art. It's good to have a hobby."

"Do you have one? A hobby I mean."

"Until I met Justin I would have said my hobby was fucking."

Claire blushed. "That's some hobby. And now?"

"I … I take photographs and I read and we watch movies together, and I … study Justin."

"Study Justin?"

"He teaches me so much about who I am and who I could be."

"I have to say he's done a fine job with you so far."

Brian chuckled. "I agree, but he still has a lot of work to do."

"Not so much," Claire said sincerely. "I'd say you're a fine man just as you are."

"God, Claire, my head is going to explode with all this sweetness."

"Sorry if I'm sending you into a diabetic coma, but I mean every word."

"Thanks … Sis," Brian said leaning over and kissing Claire's cheek.

Claire blushed some more. "Do you know how long it's been since we shared any affection?"

"Did we ever?"

"Asshole!"

"That's my girl, the sister I know and … love."

Claire looked into the hazel eyes and she smiled at Brian's use of that word. She never thought she would hear him say that to her. "I'm ready to go home now."

"Me too."

Before long everyone had returned. They decided to have a quick swim in the stream before leaving for the long trip back to Pittsburgh. Emmett brought a beach ball which he blew up and they spent a lot of the time batting it back and forth in a game of water volleyball. The spawn joined in as did Claire and Debbie and Carl. It was a fun time for them all.

When they finally had all the cars loaded and ready to go, the hug fest began. Bill and Steve arrived from the farm having been called by the elder Claire. They hugged the boys and young Claire encouraging them to continue with the strides they had already made.

Promises were made that everyone would return for Labor Day. Brian said he would bring Claire and the boys. They were riding back to Pittsburgh with Brian, Gus' booster seat having been transferred into Ted's car. Lindsay and Gus would go home with Ted and Emmett.

As they drove down the lane, Justin turned to Brian. "That was a great weekend."

"I agree," Brian said with a slight smirk. He did agree but it was never his way to be too effusive about anything.

"I think it was a new beginning," Claire said, "for us all." She looked at her boys who sat with her in the back seat. They nodded in agreement. What more could she ask for?