Brian trudged along behind Justin as they walked through the frozen grounds of the cottage. Brian had Bree strapped to his chest and he kept a blanket over her head. It was fucking cold.

"Justin, what the fuck are we doing? We're not going to find anything."

"Yes, we will," Justin replied trying to be positive. "We've got fifteen acres."

"This is crazy," Brian protested. His toes felt they were going to fall off. "We can buy one in town. It'll be a lot less trouble."

"I don't want to buy one. I want to find one," Justin said his patience starting to wear thin.

"You sound like a fucking explorer."

"Just call me Leif the Lucky."

"So far you haven't been very lucky."

"Ah, but my luck is about to change," Justin gushed. "Look at this one." Justin stood beside a well formed pine tree about eight feet tall.

"Isn't it a bit tall?"

"We have to cut some off the bottom. I think it will be fine."

"If you say so, oh Great Woodsman," Brian snarked.

"Are you ready to start sawing?" Justin grinned.

"Me? I have the baby to look after."

"I can hold her for you."

"What about you?"

"Fine," Justin said in an exasperated tone. "I did all the hunting for our first Christmas tree with Bree. I guess I can do all the sawing too." Justin let out a loud sigh.

"Fuck!" Brian knew when he was beat. "Take the Squirt and I'll saw the fucking thing down."

"Brian!" Justin chastised him. "Watch your language." Bree was now awake from Brian's loud exclamation. Her face was screwing up ready to start a crying jag.

"Easy, little one," Brian cooed as he kissed Bree's head. "Daddy Justin will make it all better while your manly father cuts down the tree for you. Okay, sweetheart?"

Bree gurgled as Brian unhooked the harness holding her to his chest. The tantrum was forgotten. Brian handed her to Justin. Justin gazed down into eyes that matched his own. "Let's watch Daddy Brian show us his muscles. Okay, sweetheart/"

Brian sneered at his husband and started sawing. It didn't really take that long to saw through the narrow trunk. Brian pushed it over with a final snap.

"Ooh, look Bree. Daddy's done such a good job." Justin batted his baby blues at Bree and then at Brian.

"So how do we get this thing home?" Brian asked looking at his handiwork.

"Why you drag it, of course."

"I drag it? Me?"

"Why yes, you are the manly one after all."

"Double fuck!" Brian exclaimed but he grabbed the end of the trunk and started towards the house.

"Your Daddy Brian is in a foul mood. We'll have to kiss him and make it all better when we get home." Bree kicked her little feet and smiled up at her father. "That's the way, baby. I know you can wrap him around your little finger."

Brian was stomping on ahead dragging the tree behind him. He kept on going so that Justin wouldn't see the big grin on his face from his husband's words. He'd exact payment from both of them, but they'd be only to willing to give it and he'd be the lucky one to receive it.

*****

The next day they brought Gus to the cottage to help decorate their tree. This was part of their continuing attempts to make sure the boy felt part of their family and wasn't left out of anything.

"So you actually sawed this down yourself?" Gus asked looking at his father in disbelief.

"I most certainly did."

Gus shook his head. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Do I detect a note of skepticism in your voice, young man?" Brian asked.

"No, but I really would have liked to have seen it."

"How about you come with us next year and you can help me cut down a tree and drag it back here," Brian suggested.

Justin's mouth dropped open at Brian's words.

"I'd like that, Dad."

"Then it's a date."

"Are you sure, Brian?" Justin asked. He didn't want Brian making promises he wouldn't keep. "You should have heard all the griping while I was trying to get him to do this."

"I bet," Gus laughed.

"If I didn't complain about how put upon I am and how difficult it was to cut the tree down, I'd simply be taken for granted," Brian explained logically.

"You!" Justin reacted.

Brian grinned and they all laughed. The phone chose that moment to ring.

Justin went into the kitchen to answer the phone. Gus and Brian were starting the monumental task of decorating the huge tree. Gus had a holiday art project due when school got back in session. He was chronicling his holiday in pictures. With Brian's digital camera in hand, Gus was taking pictures of the decorating of the tree, cottage and the preparations for the family dinner. He even got his father to reenact the dragging of the tree into the house, much to Brian's chagrin.

Father and son wired up the tree with the lights, and twined around the garland. At some point a bit of silliness attacked Brian and Gus, and Briana. Justin discovered his daughter wrapped up like a precious Christmas package with shiny garland and a bow on her head. Gus had more photos for his project. They were just about ready to hang the ornaments on the tree when Justin slammed down the phone, startling the three of them. Father and son arched a brow. Brian placed Bree in her playpen and went into the kitchen to see what got Justin so upset.

"What is it?" Brian asked softly.

"I'm going to miss Christmas," Justin replied, looking so much like a disappointed little boy.

"Why?"

"Paul is having trouble with a scene. Brett wants to replace him if he can't get it. He wants me out there ASAP or I'll lose my Rage."

"What's the problem with the scene?"

"Paul's okay with the action parts but he's having some difficulty with the one on one scenes with JT. He just doesn't seem to get it. I'm not sure if it's a hetero thing or maybe it's bad writing. He doesn't seem to understand that two guys can be affectionate, compassionate and it not be sexual. Brian, I don't want to go out there. It's Bree's first Christmas. I want to be here, in our home. With all of us."

Brian gathered the distraught Justin into his arms, hugging him close, gently rocking him as they leaned against the island.

"Shhh. It'll be okay. We'll figure something out," Brian whispered.

"How, Brian? How do I get Paul to understand?" Justin looked up into Brian's eyes.

"Jus, maybe these will help." Gus stepped close and held out the camera. Justin took the camera out of the boy's hand and checked the display. Gus had taken photo after photo of Brian offering comfort to Justin. It was all there; love, support, concern, compassion. All on the faces of Brian and Justin. Rage comforting JT. Brian drew his son into the hug.

"You did good, Sonny Boy. You may have saved Christmas." Brian kissed the top of his son's head. Briana, not wanting to be left out, let out a short wail. The three men went to the playpen and Gus picked up his sister to join in the hug. The family of four stood together for a few moments until a distinctive aroma hit their noses. Gus handed his sister back to Brian.

"Sunshine, I'll take care of the Squirt. Why don't you and Sonny Boy upload the pictures and email them to Paul and Brett. Maybe between the two of them, they'll get a clue. Let's go, people, we have Christmas to do!" Justin and Gus went up to the office as Brian went to change the baby.

*****

Christmas this year was again at the Kinney/Taylor cottage. The renovated sun porch held the entire family comfortably. The porch was sparkling with decorations and with the chandelier shining in the middle above the long table. The cottage being midpoint between the farm and Pittsburgh guaranteed no overly long drives. The whole family was able to celebrate Briana's first Christmas. And thanks to Gus, Justin was there, right where he belonged.

When the day was over, Gus was in his room, blowing something up on his video game. Briana was tucked into her crib, fast asleep. Brian and Justin were cuddling in front of the fire on their sofa. Justin's head was tucked under Brian's chin.

"Bri?"

"Hmm?"

"Did something strike you as different today?"

"What do you mean by different? Other than Ted, who was actually carrying on a very interesting conversation, must be Allen's influence, everyone was well behaved. It was a very pleasant day. I had a good time."

"See? Different."

"Oh, because I didn't lose my temper and no one made any 'there's the ex-stud of Liberty with a baby,' comments?"

"Exactly. I wonder why?"

"I have it on good authority that everyone, except for Lindsay and Ben, were threatened by Debbie. And no one crosses Debbie."

"You're kidding."

"Yeah, I'm kidding, about the threatening part. Debbie did have words with a few key family members and that word was passed around. I think she felt it was time for the snark to end. We've all grown up, Sunshine."

"Brian?"

"Mmm."

"Are you okay with growing up?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Justin, if I hadn't grown up I could have never been able to commit to you, be a better father to Gus and be any kind of dad to the Squirt. Yeah, I'm okay with it."

Justin squirmed around in Brian's arms so that he could look into his husband's eyes. What he found was truth and love, lots of love. Justin smiled warmly. Everything he had ever wanted was in this cottage and in his arms.

"I love you, you know," Justin said with confidence.

"I know," Brian replied with a twinkle in his eye for the only true love he had ever known.

*****

"AH CHOO!" Justin sneezed loudly then blew his nose with a resounding honk. "I wish someone would just kill me now," he moaned into another tissue.

"Gesundheit, Sunshine. And if you wore your sneakers in your studio, you wouldn't have caught a cold." Brian admonished his death warmed over looking lover. It was February and Justin was gearing up for another show, spending many hours in his studio and not paying too much attention to anything else. Including how cold it sometimes got out there.

"Brian, you don't catch a cold from a cold floor. You catch them from germs. Someone probably sneezed on me when I went into town for more supplies," Justin said as he took a sip of juice that Brian offered him.

"Probably that little sales jerk, Hal or Cal, whatever the fuck's his name. Why don't you order your stuff online like I do, then have it delivered?"

"Oh sure, then I'd become a hermit like you get. I swear Brian, if it, it...AH CHOO!"

"Gesundheit!"

"Thank you, if it wasn't for the fact that your clients actually want to see you in PERSON, you'd never leave this house at all."

"Why would I want to leave? I have you, the Squirt, my beautiful home. I can have a business meeting in practically every room of the house if I want. Nope, I never ever have to leave," Brian proclaimed with a very smug look on his face.

"Get. Out. Go. A. Way."

"I'm hurt, Sunshine. My husband doesn't want me. I've been rejected," Brian groused with feigned broken heartedness.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Brian. I'm sick. And I don't want you and Bree to catch it. Don't you have a client to harass or something, and leave me to my own misery."

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint. Cynthia's been getting the run around by some asshole. I was planning to go to the Pitts today and ream the guy a new one. I'll take the baby with me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. I'll call Claire. I'm sure she has some soup or something to bring over. And I'll pick up some of Debbie's soup on my way home."

"Okay. Lemon bars too?" Justin mumbled as he buried himself under the blankets. Brian reached under the blanket to caress the blond's cheek, ruffle his hair and check for fever. Justin was a bit warm but it was more from being bundled up than from fever. Justin had a cold. He was miserable but he'd survive.

"Lemon bars too, my brave little Sunshine," Brian giggled as he saw Justin's one finger salute rise above the blankets. "And you play with our daughter with that hand?" Brian huffed then went into the bathroom to start off his day.

Brian got washed up and dressed to kill. Briana was dressed in her very own designer labeled pink sleeper with matching hoodie sweater. With Briana in her snowsuit and Brian in his trench coat, both Kinney-Taylor's were ready to face the day.

*****

"Cynthia!"

"You bellowed, boss. Oh how I've missed that," Cynthia giggled as she gave her partner and friend a hug, then snatched the littlest ad exec out of Brian's arms so he was able to shrug out of his coat.

Brian's office was equipped with a portable playpen and age-appropriate toys for Bree. Kinnetik's employees as well as Part Deux were quite used to Brian's 'executive assistant.' Many of Brian's regular clients were either impressed or it didn't affect them one way or another when Brian brought Bree along. As long as Brian and company kept cranking out killer ads, clients didn't care. But every once in a while, Kinnetik wound up with a prospective new and homophobic client.

"So what's the story on this jerk?" Brian asked as he hung up his coat.

"Carson Pullman, owner and CEO of Westbury Foods, family man, bigot, chauvinist pig and homophobe," Cynthia explained as she kissed Bree and set her down in the playpen. Bree kicked her feet and gurgled happily. "She's such a little angel."

"Not giving you ideas, is she?" Brian asked with an arch of his brow.

"No," Cynthia giggled. "I told you we wouldn't be having children. Still, when I see what a good little girl you have…" Cynthia's voice trailed off as she tickled Briana's feet.

"I may have to stop bringing the Squirt with me if she's going to turn you into a pile of mush," Brian said with a grin.

"Maybe Mr. Pullman would like me better if I had a baby on my hip and walked around barefoot and pregnant," Cynthia said sarcastically.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was."

"What the fuck is this guy doing at our agency if he's homophobic and chauvinistic?"

"According to dear Mr. Pullman, he only deals with the best and Kinnetik is the best."

"At least he has good taste," Brian sneered.

Cynthia made a face. "Usually I can take anything clients dish out and give it right back to them, but he has perfected the art of undermining my authority. He's so good at it that … well, you're here, aren't you?" Cynthia dropped her arms by her sides in a signal of defeat.

"I've never known you to give up, slugger."

"Normally I would have told the old bigot to hit the road, but…"

"But, what? If he's that bad, kick him to the ground and throw him out."

"The contract would be worth ten million if we get it."

"Fuck!"

"See, I thought I could handle him at first, but he's a slippery old coot."

"I think it's time I met this gentleman."

"He is a gentleman, you know. He comes across as the epitome of a southern gentleman, but then he kills you with sweet words."

"I can't wait to see him in action," Brian smirked.

"I'm telling you, Brian, you need to be careful with him."

"I've never been known for being careful."

"That's true," Cynthia chuckled. "Those were the good old days."

"I miss you too," Brian said softly.

"Do you think I've gone soft without you to model myself after?" Cynthia asked seriously.

"I think … you've done one helluva job for Kinnetik since you took over here. You don't have to second guess yourself."

"But … that's what the old buzzard has done to me."

"Does he know I'm going to be here for this afternoon's meeting?"

"No, he thinks it will be with me."

"Let's leave it that way. If we use the conference room I could see how he operates and step in if necessary."

"I wish I didn't have to call you in on this. I feel…"

"Don't, Cynthia. You have my trust. I know you will do what's best for the company."

"But I should be able to handle this on my own."

"You can."

"What? I called you here because I couldn't handle it."

"We need to have a serious chat and then we will sit down and work out a strategy for dealing with this Carson Pullman."

"Sounds good."

"It will be good."

*****

Carson Pullman walked into Kinnetik with an air of confidence. He had this Cynthia woman exactly where he wanted her. He knew she was drooling all over his ten million dollar contract. He grinned. Little did she know that before all was said and done she'd be doing fifteen million dollars worth of work for ten mil in pay. He tapped his briefcase with his fingers as he thought about what he had woven into the contract that he had inside. Women … they should never have been allowed to get so far in business.

"Carson Pullman to see Ms. Morgan." He made the Ms. sound like some kind of slur and that was exactly how he intended it. He gave the receptionist an appraising look.

"Yes, Mr. Pullman. Ms. Morgan is waiting for you in the conference room … down the hall and to the right."

"Thank you, little lady," Pullman said in his most condescending and charming voice. He made his way down the hall.

"Mr. Pullman," Cynthia said holding out her hand to be shaken.

"Ah, Ms. Morgan," Pullman said taking her hand and patting the back of it like she was some geriatric old lady who didn't know what the fuck day of the week it was.

Cynthia cringed but she kept her best face forward. "Please, have a seat, Mr. Pullman."

Pullman sat down and placed his briefcase on the table. "What do you have to show me, little lady?"

Cynthia wanted to tell him that she didn't have anything to show a fucking asshole like him, but she bit back her anger and proceeded with the plan she and Brian had come up with. "As you know, we have been working up the rough draft of a campaign for your products. Here's what we have."

They spent the next half hour going over the preliminary ideas for radio ads, commercials and print material that the Kinnetik team had come up with. Cynthia knew it was very good, and she could see the interest in Pullman's eyes.

"So, what do you think, Mr. Pullman? We have a very comprehensive program for your products."

"Not bad," Pullman said with a frown. "But … I think we need to also include some kind of supermarket component to this campaign. I'm surprised you didn't come up with that part of it."

Cynthia bristled inside, but she merely smiled at the old fart. "We did come up with something quite unique for the supermarkets," she said sweetly.

"You did? What is it?"

"Not so fast, Mr. Pullman. If you want to see that, we need to have a signed contract between us and it will cost you an additional five million dollars."

"What the…! I specifically told you that the budget was ten million."

"Then something has to go and I would say that is the supermarket component."

"But I want that."

"You heard my terms," Cynthia said evenly. They were down to the crunch.

"Well, your terms, as you call them, are unacceptable. I want to see Mr. Kinney. I never should have agreed to deal with underlings."

"I am not an underling, Mr. Pullman," Cynthia spat out. "I am a partner in this company and I have full rein over this office. Those are my terms."

"They are not acceptable. I will be on my way until I can speak with Mr. Kinney himself."

"I'm right here," Brian said stepping through the open door. He had listened to enough of this nonsense. "Brian Kinney, at your service."

"Perhaps you can talk some sense into this vacuous woman," Mr. Pullman began. "As men, I am sure we can come to some sort of agreement."

"You think so, do you?"

"I do," Pullman said feeling more secure dealing with a man who was obviously in charge.

"Cynthia," Brian said and paused. He could see Pullman smirk thinking that Brian was going to send Cynthia out of the room. "Would you tell Mr. Pullman what we think of his business?"

"WE think he's an arrogant, conniving, misogynist who thinks he's going to get something for nothing by bamboozling me. But WE know better. WE know that WE don't need business from the likes of Westbury Foods. WE suggest that you take your business elsewhere."

"But…" Mr. Pullman said looking at Brian.

"Perhaps you should check out Vangard. I hear they're in desperate need of clients. I'm sure they'd be happy to take on your account at any price. WE on the other hand choose not to deal with you. Get out!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Get your ass and your fucking ten million dollars out of Kinnetik and preferably out of Pittsburgh."

"But, I, you, I never, I can't believe…"

"Believe!" Brian said as he took Mr. Pullman's arm and bodily assisted him out of the conference room.

As he was doing this Ted came scrambling down the hall carrying at arm's length a crying and visibly upset Briana. "She won't stop crying and she smells funny and I don't know what to do with her," Ted gasped.

"Theodore," Brian bellowed forgetting all about Pullman. "Give me my daughter before I have to fire your ass."

Pullman was trying to regain his dignity as he made his way down the hall. He felt compelled to turn and look at the man who had just thrown him out. He watched Brian Kinney take a baby in his arms and lean over to kiss her little head.

"It's all right, sweetheart," Brian cooed. "Did the bad Ted man scare you? You need your diaper changed. Daddy will do that for you right now. Come on, Squirt; let's make everything right in your little world." Briana had stopped crying and was looking up at her father with her big blue eyes. Brian had made everything all right with the touch of his hand. He walked over to his old office where he had left Briana's bag. He needed a clean diaper right away by the smell of it.

Pullman watched all this transpire and shook his head as he went out the door. Ted looked shell shocked and Cynthia smiled as everything returned to some semblance of normal at Kinnetik.

"How does he do that?" Ted asked. "Turn it on and off at will."

"That's who he is, the man with his daughter, that's the real Brian Kinney. The other stuff he pulled with the asshole client, he can call up at will."

Ted shook his head again. "I think dealing with the baby's tougher."

He and Cynthia shared a laugh, which was strange as with Brian's help they had just turned away a ten million dollar account.