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JUSTIN 

 

Emmett and I left Deb's together to get things for Jenny. Brian told me to get her things she needed, because the clothes Lindsay and Mel packed for her wouldn’t be enough for a long amount of time. 

 

“You know, Lindsay is really working it.” Emmett tells me. 

 

“What happened to all of them after I left?” I ask him.

 

“A lot of it was their own fault. Michael couldn’t seem to see that Brian wasn’t going to give him what he wanted. Lindsay and Mel were fighting and making up all the time. Of course Lindsay had to constantly try to drag Brian into the middle of every fight. It left Mel using Brian as the reason they were fighting all the time. I told them both the affairs were the reason they had problems, not Brian. I tried to stay neutral, but Drew is firmly in Brian’s court. I was mad that you left, so Brian got to feel it from me.” Emmett tells me.

 

“Emmett, neither of us were right. Brian didn’t do anything that should have caused me to keep Jacob out of his life.” I tell him.

 

“He could have let Michael hang himself with Ben, but Brian was always protecting Michael.” He tells me.

 

“I think he thought it would be harmless. In a way, if I hadn’t seen it, it would have been.” I tell him honestly.

 

“It kind of sucks, because Drew told me that being pissy with Brian because you left was wrong when I didn’t know why you did it. Now I know I kind of owe Brian an apology for my less than welcoming attitude.” He tells me.

 

“At least you weren’t trying to castrate Brian.” I tell him.

 

“Who did that?” He asks me.

 

“Daphne seems to think that I wouldn’t need Brian’s balls.” I tell him.

 

“Ball.” Emmett comments absently while looking at clothes.

 

“What?” I ask him.

 

“Shit, he didn’t tell you.” Emmett says to himself.

 

“Didn’t tell me what?” I ask him.

 

“Maybe you should ask Brian. I’m sure he is going to tell you.” He tells me.

 

“Emmett what is it?” I ask him.

 

“Brian had cancer a few years ago, he only told Ted. So I’m not really supposed to know.” He tells me.

 

“But he’s fine now?” I ask Emmett.

 

“Yes Baby, according to Ted, they removed all the cancer and gave him a clean bill of health.” I tell him.

 

“He had chemo and everything?” I ask shaking.

 

“Justin calm down, he’s fine.” Emmett tells me.

 

“I left him alone Emmett. He needed me and I wasn’t there for him.” I tell him, feeling more guilty than ever.

 

“He probably wouldn’t have told you either. Brian handles everything on his own, you know that.” He tells me.

 

“Do you think he’s going to tell me?” I ask Emmett.

 

“Justin, I doubt he thinks about it much anymore. I mean I’m sure it’s always in the back of his mind, but he survived and that’s all Brian would really think about.” He tells me.

 

“So I shouldn’t bring it up?” I ask him.

 

“Unless you plan to have another kid, it’s not going to be an issue. I heard that chemo can cause sterility.” He tells me.

 

“I don’t know if either of us needs another kid. I mean we already have three right now. I'm not sure either of us wants to add a baby in the mix.” I tell him.

 

“So Jacob was all you ever wanted to have?” He asks me. 

 

“Emmett, I didn’t get pregnant on purpose. I love being a father, but Jacob wasn’t planned. I wouldn't change having him, but I'm not sure if I want another child.” I tell him. 

 

“Well Drew better be sure.” He tells me. 

 

“So you're ready?” I ask him. 

 

“And pregnant.” He smiles.

 

“You're telling me but not Drew?” I ask him.  

 

“I don’t know how to tell him.” He tells me. 

 

“How about ‘Drew we don't need practice, you already got it right’.” I tell him. 

 

“I was going to tell him his baby makers scored a touchdown.” He tells me. 

 

“Or that the receiver caught the pass.” I tell him giggling. 

 

“How about the quarterback crossed the goal line.” He tells me. 

 

“I'd try to come up with something else, but Jacob’s the football fan.” I tell him. 

 

“It's exciting and scarey at the same time.” He tells me. 

 

“Be excited now because by the time you should be scared you'll be too tired from being up all night to care about anything but going to sleep.” I tell him. 

 

We finished shopping and loaded everything in the car. Emmett told me he was going to tell Drew tonight. I tried to act like I wasn't still thinking of Brian and cancer, but one of my issues was that he didn’t talk to me about anything. To me cancer is a big thing, but Emmett’s right, it's in his past. I just want us to be able to tell each other everything. 

 

BRIAN 

 

I stayed behind at Deb's with the kids and Drew. I wanted to give Jenny time with Deb. Jenny was really quiet after coming back in the house and I hoped she'd tell Deb if she needed someone to talk too. I watched her walking around the room touching things with her thumb in her mouth. I wasn’t sure what that meant, so we waited.

 

“She’s tired.” Gus tells me.

 

“You don’t think she is upset about your mom?” I ask him.

 

“Jenny is used to Mom being like that.” He tells me.

 

“Jenny, are you ready to go?” I ask her.

 

She nods her head and walks over to me for me to pick her up. When I picked her up she put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

 

“Brian, she’s been playing with me and Carl all day. She’s probably going sleep all the way home.” Deb tells me running her hands through Jenny’s hair.

 

“Yeah, she’s tends to just pass out.” Gus tells me.

 

“Take care of my grandkids and call me to let me know when we’re going to Justin’s place.” Deb tells me.

 

I carry the sleeping bundle to the car and realize I have a little girl. I never thought I’d have more than Gus, and now there are three. Drew climbs in the car with me. Emmett was going to meet us at my house with Justin. I rounded the car to get in when I hear Michael calling my name. Nope, not my problem, so I jump in and drive off before he reaches the car.

 

“Interesting way of dealing with Michael.” Drew tells me.

 

“That guy still running after the car is the Michael guy?” Jacob asks.

 

“I wonder why he is running after us.” Gus asks as the boys look out the back window.

 

“How long do you think before he stops.” Jacob asks Gus.

 

“Michael would follow Daddy over a cliff.” Gus tells Jacob.

 

“I think he’s slowing down.” Jacob tells Gus.

 

“How much you want to bet that Michael starts running again when you have to stop for the stop sign?” Drew whispers.

 

We get to the stop sign and I wait until Michael gets a couple feet away. I roll down my window and wave at him then hit the gas. Michael stands there for a second then starts trying to chase us down the road. 

 

“That was mean.” Drew tells me.

 

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had with Michael.” I tell him, laughing when we reach another stop sign.

 

“Daddy, he’s still running.” Jacob tells me.

 

“Don’t worry, he won’t be able to keep up when we get to the highway.” Drew tells them.

 

I look in the rear view mirror to see Carl following Michael in the squad car and hit my brakes. Michael looks at Carl’s car then at mine and starts running for my car. I let off the brake and gun the car out of Deb’s neighborhood. 

 

“He standing in the middle of the road, I think he’s yelling.” Jacob tells me.

 

“He’s just telling us to have a safe trip home.” I tell them.

 

“Only in your dreams.” Drew whispers to me.

 

MICHAEL

 

I was going to Ma’s house to tell her about Jenny. I saw Brian go to his car and decided that he and I needed to come to an understanding on who was going to raise my daughter. He must not have heard me calling him because he gets in the car and pulls out. I start running to try to catch him and when he stops I was glad. He must have realized I was running to catch him. I was almost to the car and he waves and starts down the road. I run to try to get him to stop, but when we reach the next stop sign, Carl pulled up behind me and told me to get in the car. I look at both cars and see Brian’s brake lights and run after him. He just guns the engine and keeps going.

 

“Michael get in the car, you look like an idiot running after Brian.” Carl tells me.

 

“WHY CAN'T HE JUST STOP?” I yell.

 

“It's probably the same question he asks about you.” Carl tells me.

 

“He and I need to talk. If he wants to help me raise Jenny, I'm fine with that, but no way is his piece of ass raising my kid. Well, Ma will just have to keep Jenny until Brian talks to me.” I tell him. 

 

“You know what Michael you might want to keep running then, because Jenny is on her way to said piece of ass right now.” Carl rolls up his window and turns his car around and leaves me standing there.

 

“Carl, where are you going?” I yell.

 

My answer is him gunning his engine and driving away. Ma is going to hear about everyone leaving me standing in the street. I turn and start walking back to Ma’s house. When I get there she is standing there waiting for me.

 

“Michael, it's late and you need to go home.” She tells me. 

 

“Ma they all left me.” I head towards her.

 

“What were you expecting when you've been nothing short of a pain in the ass to everyone?” She asks me.

 

“Why does Justin get it all?” I ask her. 

 

Ma walks over to me, I walk to her so she could hold me. SLAP.

 

“Sunshine gets it all because he isn't sitting around expecting to live someone else's life.” She tells me. 

 

“Brian belonged to me first.” I tell her. 

 

“I'll tell you what you want to hear, yes Michael, Brian belongs to you. You should be the one he marries, not Justin. Does that make you feel better?” She asks me. 

 

“Yes.” I tell her. 

 

“That's wonderful but it’s still a lie, just like it’s always been.” She tells me, walking into the house. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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