BRIAN 

Mel showed up on her own, without a lawyer. Lindsay came in twenty minutes late, dragging Michael with her, once again, no lawyer in sight. Daphne looked at me and rolled her eyes.

“Are you sure you want to proceed without representation?” She asks Lindsay and Mel.

“I thought this was to talk about why my kid was staying with him.” Michael points at Justin.

“No, this was to talk to Mel and Lindsay about Gus, not Jenny.” Daphne tells him. 

“I came here because I want to know why my kid isn’t home with her mothers.” He tells her.

“Then you can discuss it with them after we finish here, because this is a meeting with the PARENTS of Gus. Jenny is really something you need to discuss with them in private, since it really only concerns the three parents of Jenny. Now, we are here to decided where Gus will be living and who will have primary custody of him until your situation at home improves.” She tells Mel and Lindsay.

“I will not have my son taken from my home, so this is pointless. I expect Gus home tonight as usual.” Lindsay tells us.

“I think that it’s more important that Gus stays with Brian. He’s less anxious and is able to let his sister do things on her own without feeling as if he has to do everything, including feeding her.” Matt tells her.

“Who is this?” She asks me.

“I’m Matt Boyd, a child psychiatrist who spent the weekend observing your children.” Matt tells her.

“There is nothing wrong with Gus loving Jenny.” Lindsay tells him.

“When children take on roles they shouldn’t, such as the role of a parent, there is a problem.” Daphne tells her.

“Brian, we could have talked about this yesterday, but I guess you like having people hear about what your life is like. We don’t need to change Gus’s life because you and he want to play daddy to Gus.” She tells me, looking pointedly at Justin.

“Lindsay, this discussion will be with me, not Brian.” Daphne tells her.

“I’m not changing my mind, Gus comes home.” She tells us and crosses her arms.

“Jenny needs to come home too. I won’t have my kid around people I don’t know.” Michael crosses his arms and scowls.

“I’m willing to do what is best for both the kids, and right now we aren’t what’s best for them. Really Lindsay, we agreed last night that we weren’t staying together, so how are you planning to support Gus?” Mel asks her.

“I guess Brian will just have to help me out, just like every time you want to split up.” Lindsay tells her.

“Brian will now only agree to pay his support if you insist on taking this to court.” Daphne tells her.

“That’s not what we agreed to Brian. You remember when Gus was born, you told me 'anything for him'. His children shouldn’t get more from you than Gus.” She tells me, glaring at Justin.

“ALL my children are treated equally Lindsay, I’m just not willing to support YOU.” I tell her.

“Brian, you never wanted to be a father.” Michael tells him.

“No, not at first, but my children exist and I’m happy to be their father.” Brian tells him.

“Can we stop trying to sidetrack this conversation and get to why I asked you to be here.” Daphne tells her.

“You're trying to convince us to give up Gus. I won’t do it.” Lindsay tells Daphne. 

“Then we settle this in court. Brian was willing to agree to swap custody, you have Gus every other weekend and two nights during the week where he can stay with you or go home to his father, it would be Gus’s choice.” Daphne tells her.

The door opens and a well dressed man walks in and sits next to Mel. 

“Sorry I’m late, but Mel didn’t feel we were going to be doing much but agreeing to where Gus will live until she and Lindsay decide how to split their assets. I’m Allen Callahan, representing Mel.” He tells Daphne.

“I won’t agree to anything that takes my son from me.” Lindsay tells everyone.

“Did you bring an attorney with you?” He asks her.

“You're here, so you can help me.” She tells him.

“No, I’m hired solely for Melanie.” He tells her.

“Since we are married, you work for me too.” She tells him.

“My client told me that you and she are separating, so no, I don’t work for you. Mel would like to retain guardianship of Gus and share custody of Jenny until she feels that she can provide a suitable home for the children to stay with her. As long as you agree with her, then she’s ready to sign.” He tells us.

“Mel doesn’t have custody of Gus, I do, and I’m not giving up my son.” Lindsay tells us.

“Allen, why don’t you and Mel take these papers to Brian’s office and make sure you agree to the terms.” Daphne tells him.

“I’m not agreeing that my child stays at their house.” Michael tells them.

“Get a lawyer then, because you only have visitation, not custody. You gave that up when you didn’t want to pay child support.” Mel tells him.

“Maybe Brian and I should talk privately, because Gus and Jenny are our children. I understand Lindsay, Mel, Brian, and I being here, but he isn't one of the parents.” Michael tells Daphne, looking at Justin. 

“Just as in the case of divorced parents, Justin has the role of stepparent, and since the reason we are here is to discuss Gus, then Justin is needed to agree to help in the raising of Gus. I  honestly don't understand why you're in the room.” Daphne tells him.

“If you'd listened to a word I said, then you'd know my daughter is involved.” He sneers at her.

“If you'd been listening, that has nothing to do with why I'm here, which is to meet with Gus’s parents. You need to find a time separate from this one to talk to your daughter's mother.” Daphne tells him.

“Brian, you and I need to talk without everyone butting in.” Michael tells me, ignoring Daphne.

“Sure, why don’t you head to Woody’s and wait for me. In fact, let me walk you out.” I tell him. 

“Michael, you agreed to stay and help me.” Lindsay tells him. 

“Like the lady said, this is about Gus, Brian and I can talk about how we are going to take care of my daughter.” He tells her, getting up and hurrying out of the room.

“Lock the door.” Justin whispers. 

“That’s my plan.” I tell Justin, kissing him.

I walk out and shut the door. Michael seems to think he's won something. 

“Brian, I think we need to provide our kids with a better home.” He tells me. 

“I provide Gus with a home. If you want to do that for Jenny, then you need to do what you have to do to make that possible.” I tell him as we get to the front door.

“Don’t you want our children to grow up together? We can make that possible.” He tells me.

“We can talk about that when I’m through here.” I tell him, just wanting him to get the hell out.

“I’ll wait for you.” He tells me smiling, and finally walks out the door. 

“Hey Michael.” I say to him, after he is outside.

“Yes.” He asks excitedly.

“I just remembered that Justin and I have plans tonight, so I won’t be able to make it.” I tell him, closing the door and locking him out. I walk away to him banging on the door, hopefully he’ll get the hint when he can’t get back in.

JUSTIN

Lindsay seems to want to tell Daphne all the ways that she could make Brian lose all his rights to Gus.

“If this goes to court, Brian’s lifestyle will lose him any chance of seeing Gus. I think that I’m actually generous with my willingness to let Brian to see Gus.” She tells Daphne.

“Brian has been in a stable relationship for five years, raising two children and running two businesses. That’s what the court will see.” Daphne tells her.

“I would hate to have to bring up how he brought home strange men every night. I could talk about the fact that there wasn’t a drug invented he didn’t try, and that his drinking was so out of control that he should have been put in treatment.” She tells Daphne.

“I’ll bring up your numerous affairs, the last being with Sam Auerbach. We could also bring up your attempt to marry to provide a green card, not really a great idea to involve your child in illegal activities. Didn’t you also want the man to adopt Gus so it would look more real? Then there’s the fact that your debt is at the stage where bankruptcy needs to be considered. I plan to have Gus talk to a child psychiatrist, because we need a psychological exam to declare him competent to speak in front of the judge. Here are some of the questions the judge will ask your son; Does he feel that you provide for his emotional needs. Why do you feel your father’s home is a better place to live than your mother’s. He will be asked to tell what makes one home worse than the other. We want to spare him from having to tell a judge that he sees you as an uncaring parent.” Daphne tells her.

“I didn’t go through with the green card marriage.” Was all Lindsay could say.

“It doesn’t make that you were willing to go through with it, and that Brian and Mel will testify they stopped you before you left the house with Gus in tow look any better. You were taking your child with you to commit a crime.” Daphne tells her.

“You think you can make Brian look better?” Lindsay sneers.

“Yes, Brian has a past, but he also wasn’t Gus’s primary caregiver, and didn’t do anything that could hurt his son. He also didn’t drink, use drugs, or have men around, when Gus was with him. You can bring up his past all you want, because the court is going to look at his life as whole, and we don’t plan to hide anything. The one thing you're not grasping is that he isn’t that person anymore, and has enough people to testify that he’s changed his life for the better.” Daphne tells her.

“We’ll just see about that, won’t we?” Lindsay asks her, and gets up to leave.

“Lindsay, I’ll give you some advice, don’t lie to your attorney because it won’t help you. Mel and Brian have agreed that Gus should stay with Brian until this is settled.” She tells Lindsay.

“Then I’ll enforce my custody agreement.” Lindsay tells us.

“Which is that Brian can have Gus whenever he wants.” Mel tells her, walking in with the papers.

“He only gets two days a week and weekends.” Lindsay tells Mel.

“That’s what we let him have, we never put it down on paper Lindsay. Remember, you felt that we should leave it open so Brian could be there whenever he wanted.” Mel tells her.

“We can force him to bring Gus home.” Lindsay tells Mel.

“I'm not forcing Gus or Jenny to come home. Unlike you, I see that they need to be anywhere but with us. You can fight Brian, or you can for once not think of how to get Brian to bleed green for you. Gus shouldn't be how you pay for your lavish lifestyle. I have a question we all want answered. Why were you looking into that life insurance policy?” Mel asks her.

“Lindsay, I'll be asking that too.” Daphne tells her. 

“I was… it… look, if Brian wants to watch Gus for us then I'll allow it, but this isn't over.” Lindsay relents.

“Just remember that Gus has a say in where he lives, and right now you and I aren't the people he wants to live with. Lindsay, you and I are over, so I'll fight you if you try to take Gus from Brian.” Mel tells her. 

“You’re nothing but a woman I married, which makes nothing you say relevant where Gus is concerned. I think Gus pointed that out when you tried to keep him from Brian.” Lindsay tells her and leaves the room.

Mel hangs her head down and laughs through her tears. Brian comes up behind her and offers her his shoulder. 

“Why didn’t we see that Wendy was really Captain Hook?” Mel tells Brian, letting him hold her. 

“I think we didn’t want to believe we loved someone like that.” Brian tells her.