BRIAN 

It started after dinner. It was the ringing of my phone. I stared at Michael's name in the phone and wanted to hurl it into the fireplace. Everything good was about to become a reason they needed to invade my life. Justin pulled the phone from my hand.

“We aren't going to deal with this tonight.” He tells me. 

“I have to drop Gus off. Lindsay isn't going to just let me drive off.” I tell him. 

“Then I'll drop him off, I want you to relax tonight.” He tells me. 

“You think she isn't going to say anything to you?” I ask him. 

“I'm sure she will, but it's not like she's expecting me. I doubt she'll know what to say to me.” He tells me. 

“I never wanted you to have to deal with the people I thought of as friends.” I tell him. 

“We all have people we look at and wonder how we stayed friends. You needed them at one time.” He tells me.

“I just don’t want them to hurt you or Gus.” I tell him. 

“Brian, we need to talk about Gus. If they start making it harder on him, I want him here, away from all that.” He tells me. 

“Then our lives get poured on a table for everyone to see.” I warn him.

“I'm proud of our life, so let them. Daphne would love to show how good she is in a courtroom.” He tells me. 

“Mel wouldn’t know what hit her.” I smile.

“Go be Dad, let me deal with this for you. If they want a fight we can let Drew kick their asses.” He grins.

“So we are going to meet finally?” I ask him. 

“He's willing to come and help with the kids. They’re who I worry more about.” He tells me. 

“I promise you that our children will stay safe.” I tell him.

“Just like I told Drew, I know you will. He said it doesn't hurt to have help.” He tells me. 

“I know I keep saying this, but if it gets to be too much tell me. We'll move back to New York.” I tell him. 

“No one is going to make us run. It's time to just deal with it.” He tells me. 

“I should take Gus home. It's my fault they even think they have any say in my life.” I tell him. 

“I married you for better or worse. We've had better for five years, and all I see is great as we go on. If they think they’re going to change anything, they’re fools.” He tells me. 

When it was time to deliver Gus, I let Justin do it. He told me he needed to see what we were dealing with. It was hard not to pull him out of the car and go myself.

JUSTIN 

Gus wasn’t thrilled to go home but he was worried about Jenny being by herself.  

“Don’t your moms take care of her?” I ask him.

“They do, but she has a hard time when they yell.” Gus tells me. 

“What about you?” I ask him. 

“I tune it out and play with her.” He tells me. 

“Gus, if it gets bad call and we'll come get you.” I tell him. 

“What about Jenny? She's too little to have to be there by herself.” He chews on his lip.

“We can call Grandma Deb to help too.” I tell him. 

Gus gives me a weak smile. I wanted to turn around and take him back to our house but he would be worried about Jenny the rest of the night.

We get to his neighborhood and I watch him trying to act like he's okay.

“Gus, we can go back to the house.” I tell him. 

“I don’t want Mom to bother you.” He tells me. 

“I can handle it, don't worry about me.” I tell him. 

“You could just drop me off and go.” He offers. 

“I don’t run from anything, especially if it involves you.” I tell him. 

“I love you.” He tells me as I stop the car.

“I love you back. I promise nothing is going to change that.” I tell him pulling him in my arms.

“Mom is starting at us.” He whispers to me.

“Go in and play with Jenny. I can handle it.” I tell him. 

We get out of the car and Lindsay comes towards us.

“Gus, go in I need to speak with him.” She looks at me like I'm a kid she’d like to slap.

Gus walked in with his shoulders slumped. I waited for what Lindsay thinks she needs to tell me. I almost laughed when she couldn't seem to say anything at first, but I think she realized I wasn’t going to help her.

“You need to tell Brian that he is the one who should be here bringing Gus home.” She tells me looking down her nose.

“Why would I?” I ask her. 

“As Gus’s father he is the one who should take care of him.” She tells me. 

“Which he does.” I tell her. 

“Not if he is letting a stranger drop Gus off.” She tells me. 

“Well here's the thing, I'm Brian husband and Gus’s stepdad, so I'm not a stranger.” I tell her. 

“I know nothing about you, which makes me uncomfortable that you have my son.” She tells me. 

“I'll give you that, so let me introduce myself. I'm Justin Kinney. I'm married to Gus’s father and have been involved in Gus’s life for five years.” I tell her. 

“I'll think Brian needs to explain why he never mentioned you.” She tells me. 

“That's an easy one I can answer for you. He felt you weren’t someone I'd want to know.” I tell her smiling. 

“I'm Gus’s mother and had the right to know anything that involves him.” She tells me. 

“You know now so get the fuck over it. Brian got married to me, which isn't about you.” I tell her. 

“This is between Brian and me, so why don't you go play house and let us deal with it.” She sneers at me. 

“Before I go play with Brian, I want to say one thing.” I tell her. 

“Go ahead.” She tells me. 

“Gus doesn’t need you or your wife dragging him in the middle of this. If he shows up upset, you are going to be dealing with me. Regardless of what you think, that won't be easy. I'll drag out every skeleton in your closet to win.” I tell her. 

“You better hope you don't have any either.” She tells me. 

“Good luck finding one.” I tell her. 

“Brian is going to hear about how you talked to me.” She tells me. 

“Call him, I doubt he'll take the call.” I tell her. 

“I think you'll be surprised at who he'll side with.” She tells me, going in and slamming the door. 

I drove home wondering why we've been worried about her. She's just a bitch with entitlement issues. I think we need to talk to Deb and Carl about Jenny. Gus is right he can’t leave his sister alone in that house. I pull in and decide to work on making Brian forget until tomorrow. I see him sitting on the couch reading to JJ and Julia. Julia was asleep on his chest and JJ was trying to keep his eyes open. Brian was smiling as he read to them. I want him to always have these days.

“Let me take her and you take JJ.” I tell him pulling Julia in my arms.

“Everything okay?” He asks me as he picks up JJ.

“We'll talk about it after we put them to bed.” I tell him. 

Brian follows with JJ to Julia’s room. I put her in bed and kiss her head. I grab JJ and let Brian kiss her.

“Sweet dreams my princess.” He whispers. 

We take JJ to his room and he was asleep minutes after being tucked in. I take Brian’s hand and head to our room. I wanted us to just be us, so I didn't give him time to say anything, just dropped to my knees, pulled his sweats down and swallowed his cock.

“We are going to talk.” He tells me, groaning as I lick around the head of his dick.

“No, we're going to make love and sleep. Tomorrow we'll talk.” I tell him, pushing him on the bed and taking his clothes off.

He grabs the lube while I pull off my clothes. When I was ready Brian turned us so I was on my back and took my dick in his mouth while using his fingers to open me up. I loved when he stimulated every erogenous zone in my body. I pushed his hair out of the way so I could watch as he pleasured me in the way he knew would drive me insane. He waited until my thighs were quivering to sit up and pull my legs on his shoulders. 

“You're the only reason I exist.” He tells me pushing into me.

“You're my everything.” I moaned as he bottomed out.

I started using my legs to pull myself to him and get him to give me what I needed. Brian angled so that he hit my sweet spot with every inward thrust. We started moving faster and I held in the screams I felt as he moved us to the rhythm that makes me cum like a fountain. I felt the beginnings of my climax and grabbed my dick to help me reach it. Brian began thrusting faster and when I came all over us he let go.

We laid there until our breathing returned to normal and he got up to get a washcloth. I laid there and let him clean us up. When he was done he laid down and pulled me in his arms.

“This is the only thing that's important.” He tells me. 

“Then we don't play their games.” I tell him. 

TED 

I promise Blake that no matter what they did, I wouldn’t let it get to me. My problem was my two best friends needed my support. Brian was capable of dealing with this, but he shouldn't have to do it without a friend in his corner. Emmett was who I was more worried about. Every day it was like we were losing more of him. I called to see if he wanted to meet for breakfast, and was surprised he agreed to come without Calvin. I just hope what Brian suggested works. I want my Emmett back. 

“Hi Tedd… Ted, thanks for inviting me out.” He tells me sounding like anyone other than him.

“I wanted to hang out with you.” I tell him. 

“It's crazy that we all seem so busy lately.” He tells me. 

“Are we late?” Brian asks as he and Justin sit down.  

“Nope we just got here.” I tell Brian. 

“Morning Teddy.” Justin tells me in a bubbly voice.

“Who's this gorgeous Ba… man.” Emmett asks me. 

“I'm Justy. I married this fabulous god.” Justin giggles and slides on Brian's lap.

“You got married?” Emmett squeaks, then pulls back to Calvin's creation, FrankenEm.

“I was bouncing like a groupie when he asked me.” Justin tells Emmett, while bouncing on Brian’s lap. I barely managed to not roll my eyes.

“Emmett this is my husband Justin.” Brian tells him. 

“Oh my god, you should really come out with me. We could have all kinds of fun changing this hetero look you have going. I think you're hiding your light under a bushel.” Justin imitates what we told him Emmett was like at one time.

“My boyfriend likes this look.” Emmett tells him. 

“Honey, you look like an undertaker, get some color.” Justin tells him. 

“Justin, Emmett is afraid of embarrassing himself.” Brian tells him. 

“I guess you love me enough that you don't care I'm a Queen.” Justin tells him. 

“You're my Queen. I married you because of who you are.” Brian tells him. 

“Ted, I have to go.” Emmett tells me and runs out.

“I hope it worked because I had a hard time doing that to him.” I tell them. 

“All we can do is remind him of who he is, he has to be the one to light the flame.” Brian tells me. 

“This Queen needs to go see the gallery owner who wants to display my work.” Justin tells us.

“Just stay away from the Bloom Gallery.” I tell him. 

“I already told them no.” Justin tells me. 

“Don’t be surprised if Lindsay tries to change your mind.” I tell him. 

“After last night she probably wishes she never met me.” Justin kisses Brian and takes off.

 “What happened last night?” I ask Brian as we order.

“Justin dropped Gus off. It's all he would tell me. He said let him deal with her.” I tell him. 

LINDSAY 

“I just don’t get it, most artists would die to get a solo show.” I tell Sydney. 

“He said he wasn't interested in my gallery.” Sydney tells me, upset.

“I could talk to the artist if you want me too.” I tell him. 

“He told me he wouldn't change his mind and honestly I would have been more surprised if he said yes. He’s big enough he can turn anyone down.” He tells me. 

“Who is it?” I ask him. 

“JJ Taylor.” He tells me. 

“You called him in New York?” I ask him. 

“No. I found out he moved here, this would have revived the gallery. After Sam left us in the lurch, people started going to other galleries.” He tells me. 

“Look, let me try. Do you know where he lives?” I ask him. 

“I just managed to get a number by calling in favors. Lindsay, you might need to start looking for another job.” He tells me. 

“We're still selling, we'll make it.” I tell him. 

“Artists are looking at Grant Nichols to promote them. JJ is planning to show there too. I don't know if I can compete with that.” He tells me. 

I wait until he goes to his office to freak out. Fucking Sam couldn’t stay and have his show. I should have made him wait to have me, because the minute we fucked he packed up and left. Sydney and I ended up without an artist the night of Sam's show. He left two awful painting for us, and a note saying he couldn’t make it. People stayed for a hour until it got around the artist wasn’t coming. Now Sydney’s lucky if we get a customer a week. I have to get JJ Taylor to show here. I left and waited across the street from Grant's gallery to see if I could catch the artist. When Brian’s bitch showed up I almost left, but Grant came out vibrating to see him. I rolled down my window to see why he cared about the kid.

“Justin it's an honor that you want to show here.” He tells him.

“I was impressed with your gallery. My agent said if I was going to show here, you were the one to do it with.” Justin tells him as they walk inside.

What the hell is going on? I left to see if Mel could make any sense of this. She was sitting at her desk staring blankly at her monitor. 

“Mel, that fucking kid that Brian’s with was at the Nichols Gallery.” I tell her. 

“We're in trouble because of that kid.” She tells me. 

“What?” I ask her. 

“I didn’t know who he was.” Mel tells me. 

“He's Brian’s idea of a joke.” I tell her. 

“The joke's on us then.” She tells me. 

“Mel, tell me?” I ask her. 

“He’s fucking famous and he makes Brian’s finances look like pocket change.” She tells me. 

“Who the hell is he?” I ask her. 

“He's one of the JJ Lloyd’s grandchildren. Your parents would give their left nut to know him.” I tell her. 

“How did a Lloyd end up here? Why would he take Brian’s name?” I ask her because I know of the Lloyd Banking family.

“Justin’s mother was the Lloyd. Until now he went by Taylor. ” She tells me. 

“So he comes from a rich family, it doesn’t mean anything. I did too.” I tell her. 

“Well his grandfather left everything to him and his sister.” She tells me. 

“Why do you care?” I ask her. 

“Because we fucked with a kid who could take everything from us.” She tells me. 

“Like what?” I ask her. 

“With his lawyers, he could make us look like bad mothers and take Gus. Of course he and Brian already have kids so maybe he doesn’t want Gus.” She mumbles.

I stand to leave because it can't be true that Brian had children with someone else. 

“Where are you going?” She asks me. 

“I need to convince Brian that Gus stays with us, and find out why Justin is at the Nichols gallery.” I tell her. 

“Probably because he's a famous artist.” She tells me. 

“There's no way, I would have heard of him.” I tell her. 

“You have, he goes by JJ Taylor, instead of Justin Kinney. We have to do something, Gus’s support is the only thing keeping us from losing everything.” She tells me.