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JUSTIN 

 

I called my mom because we were about to violate Mel's order. 

 

“You're telling me that Brian isn’t allowed to see his son?” She asks me. 

 

“If we come over, Brian will be violating the cease and desist order she put on him.” I tell her.

 

“If they were taking better care of Gus, they’d know where he was.” She tells me.

 

“I just wanted you to know before I brought him in the house.” I tell her.

 

“Justin, they don’t know he’s here, so it’s unlikely Brian would get in trouble for this, just come in the house.” She tells me.

 

Brian and I get out of the car and walk in the door. Gus and Jacob are on the couch staring at Brian. 

 

“Gus, we need to know why your moms don’t seem to know you’re missing?” Brian asks him.

 

“I normally go to a friend’s house for most of the summer.” He tells us.

 

“What do you mean you normally go to your friend’s house most of the summer?” I ask him.

 

“Michael visits for most of the summer and I told Mom I wouldn’t stay in the house with him.” Gus tells us.

 

“Is there some reason you want to avoid Michael?” Brian asks Gus.

 

“He acts like I’m not around when he comes over. I got tired of hearing how Jenny has a dad who wanted to be around. Michael seems to go out of his way to always say it in front of me.” He tells me.

 

“Did you tell them you were going to your friend’s house?” I ask him.

 

“No, just left when I found out where you were.” He tells me.

 

“Your moms don’t ask where you go?” Jacob asks him. 

 

“Not really.” Gus tells him.

 

“My dad would ground me for life if I took off like that.” Jacob tells him.

 

“That’s because he wants you.” Gus tells him.

 

“Just like I want you Gus.” Brian tells him.

 

“Then where have you been?” Gus asks him.

 

Brian seems to be struggling with what to tell Gus. Part of me wants him to tell Gus that his mothers stopped Brian from coming around, but I get that Gus is hurt enough that hearing that would just make Gus feel worse.

 

“Gus, sometimes parents make bad decisions and end up hurting their child. Your moms didn’t want to share you with your dad, so they made it so he couldn’t see you.” Mom tells him.

 

“But they let Jenny see her dad.” He tells us.

 

“They think I’m not a good influence on you Gus.” Brian tell him.

 

“I don’t understand.” He tells Brian. 

 

“Gus, when you were born, I was doing things that I wouldn’t have wanted you to see, so in a way they were right to worry about you spending time with me.” He tells Gus.

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong around me when you did visit.” Gus tells him. 

 

“Gus, nothing was more important to me than spending time with you.” He tells him.

 

“If I’m so important than where have you been?” He asks Brian.

 

“Gus, there are things that made it so I couldn’t.” Brian tells him.

 

“I guess I’m not as important as you keep telling me.” He tells Brian.

 

“My dad said that your dad loved you a lot.” Jacob tells Gus.

 

“Your dad took you away from him too.” Gus tells him.

 

“Gus, your dad didn’t do anything wrong, I did. I thought something and instead of telling your dad, I ran away too. Jacob could have had your dad in his life, if I hadn’t been acting like a child.” I tell him, looking at Brian so that he knows how sorry I am for doing that to him.

 

“Gus, when would your moms expect you to be home?” Mom ask Gus.

 

“I’m just home when I’m there, no one tells me to stay.” He tells us.

 

“Gus, doesn’t anyone check where you are?” Brian asks him.

 

“Not really, I mean Mom knows the parents of my friends, but when Michael is there she told me it’s fine to stay with my friends. The other parents don’t mind because it’s summer.” He tells us.

 

“So what you're telling me is your mom shuffles you off when Michael visits?” Brian asks Gus.

 

 “No, I just told them I didn’t want to be around Michael.” Gus tells him.

 

“Does he not want you around?” Brian asks.

 

“It’s like I said, he’s always saying things like how Jenny is so lucky not to have a part time dad. Which sounded like he was saying I was unlucky to have you for a father. He makes sure I know that only Jenny gets to do things with him.” Gus tells him.

 

“Justin why don’t you take the boys and get them something for lunch, I’d like to spend some time with Brian.” Mom tells us.

 

Brian wasn’t handling Gus’s home life well, so I did what my mother asked me. 

 

BRIAN

 

“Brian sit down.” Jen orders me.

 

“I’m fine.” I tell her.

 

“No your not, but you can’t go up there and do anything without making the situation worse.” She tells me.

 

“How much worse can it get Jen? My son is being raised to believe I don’t want him around. I'm not even supposed to be in the house with him.” I tell her.

 

“Brian, there has to be a way for you to get them to see this is hurting Gus.” She tells me.

 

“I don’t think it matters to Mel as long as she wins.” I tell her.

 

“What about Lindsay? She was always trying to get you to play father.” Jen asks me.

 

“She wants Mel, so she gave up trying to help me see Gus.” I tell her.

 

“I didn’t know them well but they didn’t seem this vindictive when I did.” She tells me. 

 

“Mel wasn’t happy with me when she found out that I knew about Lindsay having an affair, and told Lindsay not to tell her. Lindsay insisted it was over and wanted to be with Mel. Why tell Mel something that would hurt her. When Mel found out, they broke up and I helped Lindsay find a place to live and supported her and Gus. Mel was pregnant at the time with Michael’s kid and Michael wanted custody when it looked like Mel would be raising the baby by herself. Which is funny because so would Michael. Lindsay came to me about how she was left out of it. I hired a lawyer for her. The lawyer made them look like less than desirable parents and they all got custody. Mel seems to think that if I stayed out of it none of it would have happened.” I tell her.

 

“Can you tell me why Michael isn’t helping you with this, because I thought he was your friend?” She tells me.

 

“He wasn’t happy when I didn’t want a relationship.” I tell her, not wanting to tell her the whole mess.

 

“Did you and Michael date after Justin left?” She asks me.

 

“No, I just did something that he misinterpreted as wanting more.” I tell her.

 

“Is this the something that made Justin leave?” She asks me.

 

“Yes.” I tell her.

 

“What happened between you and Justin, because Justin won’t tell me.” She asks me.

 

I tell her the whole story, leaving nothing out because if she is going to help me, she needs to know. I wait for her to kick my ass, but instead she nods.

 

“Justin reacted without finding out what happened?” She asks me.

 

“Jen, if you saw that what would you have done?” I ask her.

 

“Banged on the door and demanded an explanation, but then I’m not nineteen.” She tell me.

 

“Jen, I don’t blame him for walking away. I wasn’t really proclaiming I wanted Justin around.” I tell her.

 

“That part I do understand, you both being able to let go. I want you to know that I did try to get him to tell you that he was pregnant, but he kept telling me that you would feel obligated to be there for him.” She tells me.

 

“I don’t know if I would have or not, but I would never turn my back on my kids.” I tell her.

 

“I know that and Justin was wrong to not tell you. Just don’t let Jacob see you angry with Justin.” She tells me.

 

“I’m not angry… fuck, yes I’m angry. He had no right to take off with my kid and not tell me.” I snap.

 

“You're right.” She tells me.

 

“Justin fucking knows how I felt about Gus and how I would have felt about Jacob. It was fucking childish to run away and then tell everyone not to tell me.” I rant.

 

“You're right.” She tells me.

 

“Being right doesn’t change the fact that I was the one denied the right to see my kids and be there for them, because the fucking other parents don’t like the things I do.” I tell her.

 

“No it doesn’t.” She tells me.

 

“Why are you agreeing with me?” I ask her.

 

“Because they are all wrong for what they did and I think you needed to hear that. I love Justin but it doesn’t make what he did right. If I had known the real reason he took off, I would have dragged him back to tell you about Jacob. I’ll be honest he was finally letting me back in his life, so I just didn’t rock the boat with him.” She tells me.

 

“I want Justin and I to be able to raise Jacob together, but right now I don’t trust him not to run if I do something he doesn’t like.” I tell her.

 

“Make him prove to you that he won’t. I think he’s realizing that what he did was wrong.” She tells me.

 

“I still don’t know what to do about Gus.” I tell her.

 

“Spend time with him, so when he goes back he knows you are here for him. Mel and Lindsay won’t be able to convince him you don’t want him that way. Then they are going to deal with a parent's worst nightmare.” She tells me.

 

“What’s that, me as your son-in-law?” I joke.

 

“No, their son determined to be with Brian Kinney.” She tells me.

 

 

 

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