Part Six

Brian called that night and Justin listened as he talked about Lindsey's condition and what the doctor's had said. They cleared her for transfer, but only if she was accompanied by one of their facility staff. Brian had spent the afternoon arranging the transport to a respected Pittsburgh facility and for a moving company to pack and store Melanie and Lindsey's home. Mel would spend part of the next day packing the necessities they would need for the coming weeks and those things were to be shipped to Britin.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to need to keep the movers on retainer," Brian sighed. "Did you manage to hire a nanny?"

"She's coming tomorrow," Justin said. "If she passes muster, I'll spend a couple hours at the loft getting things finished and moved. I've already called the movers and hired a couple laborers to help out."

"Good," Brian sighed and Justin could hear the rustle of sheet through the phone line. "Christ, I'm tired."

"Me too," Justin sighed and settled himself under the blankets of their bed. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," Brian said. There was a comfortable silence between them. "Justin, have you thought about all of this yet? What it will mean?"

"Yes," Justin sighed. "We have some decisions to make."

"I won't try to take Gus from Mel," Brian said. "And I know Mikey can't handle JR right now, so she'll definitely stay with Mel. But what about the twins? She never asked for them, and I'm not certain she can cope with them, even with a nanny and with the family around. She only speaks about Gus and JR. It's like the twins don't exist for her."

"How is she holding up?" Justin asked.

"She's barely hanging in," Brian said. "Fuck, I never thought I'd see the day when I felt bad for Melanie. Lindsey really fucked her over."

"Lindsey fucked us all over," Justin muttered, his anger at the woman just below the surface.

"What do you want to do, Justin?" Brian asked, bringing the subject back to the babies. "I'll support you whatever you decide."

"Really?" Justin asked. "Because it's one thing to take Gus for a weekend and another thing to have two infants taking over every aspect of our lives."

Brian was quiet. "It's not what I would have chosen, but I won't make you decide between me and your children. You've always supported my relationship with Gus."

"I just feel like this isn't fair," Justin said quietly. "Nobody seems to want them."

"You want them, don't you?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, I do."

"So we keep the twins," Brian said. "I'll talk to my lawyer tomorrow and see where we stand legally. And I'll discuss it with Melanie. As long as Lindsey is ill, Melanie has power of attorney. She'll sign over custody without a fight."

"But what if Lindsey wants them back when she gets well?" Justin asked.

"I don't think that will happen for quite some time," Brian sighed. "When and if it does, we'll have already established custody, and you, as the biological father, do have rights."

"You really think Mel will let them go?" Justin asked.

Brian said, "I think she already has. In her mind, those babies are just another symptom of Lindsey's problems. They aren't real to her, no matter how many diapers she changes."

"That's just..."

"Sad."

"Yeah," Justin said. "So you really are okay with having the babies here, with us?"

"We'll have a nanny, right?" Brian asked. "And your mother and Debbie will be beating down our doors to baby-sit. We'll be fine. And I don't think I'll mind that much. I missed a lot of Gus' life being a part-time dad. I wouldn't ask you to give that up. In fact, I'm sort of looking forward to some of it."

"Just not the late night feedings and diaper changes," Justin chuckled, relieved that Brian truly seemed to want the babies with them.

Brian ignored the remark and said, "We can give them stability and security."

"And love," Justin said.

"And love," Brian agreed. "We can do this. But only if you want it."

"I want it," Justin said and he felt a weight lift from his heart. "I want them."

"Then we are agreed," Brian said. "I'll call the lawyer tomorrow, and you start getting a nursery ready. After you get our shit from the loft. I want my wardrobe where I can look at it every morning."

"I know how much you must miss your labels," Justin said dryly before letting out a long yawn and closing his eyes.

"Justin?"

"Yeah?"

"I..."

"I know. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

BJBJBJBJBJ

The nanny, Sylvie, turned out to be a godsend. Debbie and Emmett had both gone home the night before, but Jennifer had stayed to help Justin through the night. Unfortunately, Jennifer had an early showing and Justin was left to deal with four children on his own for two hours before Sylvie had arrived. After that brief time, Justin was almost ready to give up on the idea of being a father to anyone.

"Let me guess," Sylvie smiled as she walked into the kitchen where the kids were all gathered for breakfast. "First time father?"

Justin nodded. "And feeling a little bit over my head, to be honest."

Gus and JR were covered in their breakfast cereal, as was the floor below them. The twins were screaming in their carriers. And Justin realized that he hadn't had time to shower or change out of his sweatpants. They must look a real treat. He was surprised the woman didn't run away screaming. Justin sighed and sent JR and Gus to their rooms to change clothes. Gus would help his sister.

"Oh, don't worry about it, honey," Sylvie said. "They wash. So does the floor. And you'll get the hang of things soon enough."

"Well, Gus and JR are only here for a few months," Justin said quietly. "Just until their Mama gets settled down. But the twins are mine. And they are staying."

"I won't ask how all that came about," Sylvie shrugged as she started putting formula into two bottles for the babies. "Ain't any of my business. Besides, I expect most families are a little different these days."

Justin smiled as he took one of the bottles and picked up Sam to feed him. "We are a little more different than most. Gus is my partner's son. Gus' mom is the mom to the twins. Their mom's partner is the mother of JR. And JR's dad is my partner's best friend."

"Sounds complicated," Sylvie shrugged. "I just have one man and three kids by him. He stuck around and he takes care of us. That's a real find these days. Though it looks like your man takes care of you, too."

Justin laughed. "He does. I'm an artist, which doesn't exactly pay the bills yet. But Brian is very successful. He owns his own advertising agency. Sylvie? I have to go to the loft for a couple hours, but when the kids are down for their naps today, can you help me put together a shopping list? Brian said that everything from their old home except clothes and a few toys was going into storage. JR and Gus have their rooms here, but I don't have anything set up for the babies. All we have for them is what fit into their diaper bags, really."

"Sure we can, honey," Sylvie said. "Babies need a lot of stuff, but we'll get them outfitted. Now, let's finish feeding these two so we can check up on those other two."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Brian and Mel returned on Friday, by which time Justin, Sylvie and the kids had established a routine of sorts. Justin spent much of his morning following Sylvie around, learning how to take care of the children, especially the twins. In the afternoons, while the younger three napped and Gus was settled in to watch a movie, Justin and Sylvie worked on getting the twins' room set up. Then, if there was still time before Sylvie left to pick up her children from school, Justin would paint for an hour or two.

When Brian and Mel came home, Justin was feeding all four kids their dinners in the kitchen. It was a lot less chaotic and messy than that first breakfast. Brian and Mel just stood in the doorway observing for a few minutes unnoticed.

"Justin?"

"Yes, JR?" Justin looked up from where he was feeding Eli his bottle.

"Babies like chicken nuggets?"

Justin laughed. "Honey, Sam and Eli don't have any teeth yet, so they can't chew the chicken nuggets."

"Oh, okay." JR went back to dipping her nugget in ketchup and licking the sauce off.

"Do I have to eat the carrots?" Gus asked, pushing the small orange discs around his plate.

"Yes," Justin said as he put Eli back into his swing before picking up Sam to feed him. "They're good for you. They help your eyes get stronger. And I didn't give you too many. I know they aren't your favorite."

Gus sighed but forked up a carrot. "If I finish them all, do I get dessert?"

"Cookies!" JR yelled enthusiastically.

Justin smiled. "Alright, you can each have a cookie for your bedtime snack. But you have to finish everything on your plates. Not just the ketchup, JR. And not before baths and pajamas. Deal?"

"Deal," the two children agreed somewhat reluctantly.

"It looks like you have everything here under control," Brian said from the doorway. "And I was worried you would be overwhelmed."

"Dad!" Gus yelled and rushed to give Brian a hug.

"Mama!" JR chimed in and left her place at the table as well.

For the next several minutes, chaos reigned in the kitchen while the children greeted their parents. Justin watched while he continued to feed the babies. He noticed that Mel didn't even look at the infants as she spoke quietly to Gus and JR.

"Gus, you heard what Justin told you," Mel was saying when Justin tuned back into the conversation. "No cookies until you finish your carrots and get ready for bed."

Gus pouted, "But Mama!"

"No buts," Mel scolded. "You'll do what Justin said, and after you have your snack, you, me and JR will go up for story time before bed. Okay?"

"Yeah," Gus said, a slight frown still marring his features.

Once all the children were fed, Mel took Gus and JR up to their rooms to get ready for their bedtime. Justin and Brian were alone with the twins, and Justin was taking a wet cloth to wipe away any formula or spit up. He was startled when Brian wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"I missed you," Brian whispered in Justin's ear as he nuzzled the younger man's neck.

Justin smiled and turned to face Brian. "I missed you too. These two should be ready for bed soon, and I'm sure Mel will want to take care of Gus and JR. Which means..."

"Which means we will be free to fuck like bunnies until these two wake up again," Brian grinned.

"Which won't be until midnight," Justin said.

"Well then, why don't we get these two into their jammies and get to bed," Brian leered.

Justin laughed and turned away from Brian before picking up Eli, "Did you hear that, little man? Daddy's gonna get fucked tonight. Brian, will you get Sam? They had their bath earlier so they should be all set once we change their diapers and put them into their sleep sacks."

Brian followed behind Justin with Sam in his arms, making silly faces at the squirming infant. "What is a sleep sack?"

"Oh, Sylvie recommended them," Justin said. "They are really cute and since infants can't really sleep with blankets, the sacks keep them nice and warm. They are sort of a cross between a nightgown and a sleeping bag. The twins seem to really like them. You'll see."

BJBJBJBJBJ

An hour later, Brian and Justin were curled around each other in their bed, recovering from their private reunion. Brian was spooned up behind Justin and rubbing soothing strokes on his arm. "I missed this," Brian said softly.

"I know," Justin teased. "Five days without sex must have seemed like an eternity."

"Fuck you."

"I think you just did."

"How you can be uncertain after the way you were begging by the end, I don't know," Brian retorted. "Besides, that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?" Justin asked, more serious now.

"I meant holding you," Brian said. "I meant sharing these private moments and talking."

"You mean cuddling?" Justin asked.

"I suppose," Brian reluctantly conceded. "There was so much happening while I was away, so many things I wanted to say to you, to share with you."

"I know," Justin sighed. "This week has been pretty tough. I baby-sat for Gus and JR when they were infants, but there are so many things I didn't know. Like the fact that keeping to a strict schedule with babies can help them sleep through the night, even as young as Sam and Eli are."

"Does that mean no two a.m. feeding?" Brian asked hopefully.

Justin nodded. "As long as we keep to the schedule and feed them at midnight, they should be okay until about six in the morning. They're still getting used to the schedule and might wake up occasionally, but overall, it seems to be working."

"I did notice the addition of a baby monitor to our décor," Brian said. "And their room has changed quite a bit since I left."

"Sylvie's been a godsend in more ways than one," Justin admitted as he rolled to face Brian. "She knows our situation, and she's been really great about everything, but I told her that she was primarily being hired to care for the twins. Gus needs to get back to school, and JR really should start preschool. Sylvie thinks she's in desperate need of socialization with children her age."

"Mel and I talked about that," Brian said. "And she spent some time this week on the phone with local schools. Gus will start on Monday and JR on Tuesday."

"Was Mel able to do any job hunting this week?" Justin asked.

Brian nodded. "She has two interviews set up for this week. She didn't have any luck with her old firm, but she developed a reputation as a very good litigator before she left. There are those that still remember her."

"Do you think she'll get one of them?"

"I think she'll have her pick of the two," Brian shrugged. "And she'll probably start work next week."

"She's that good?" Justin asked. He knew Mel had always helped when one of their circle needed legal counsel, but he'd never really thought about whether she was good at her job before.

"Yes, but I'll deny ever admitting it, so don't bother telling her I said so," Brian told his lover.

Justin laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it. Who would believe me if I did?" Justin paused for a minute as he gathered his thoughts. "How is Lindsey?"

Brian sighed. "She's... Well, she's doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. At least that's what the doctors keep telling us. The patient transport service should have arrived at the hospital tonight. They've asked us to stay away for a few days while she settles into the new environment. They kept her pretty doped up all week, but she recognized me when I saw her."

"I feel bad for her," Justin said. "I feel bad for you and Mel, and the kids that you have to watch someone you love go through this. But I'm still just so damn angry with her at the same time."

"I know," Brian said and pulled Justin closer into his arms. "I talked to Mel about the twins. She seemed relieved that you want to take custody of them. When our lawyer finishes the paperwork, she'll sign. We've got an appointment with him on Friday."

"Good," Justin sighed. "I'll feel better once we have something in writing."

They laid there in silence for a time, basking in each other's presence, before Brian spoke again. "So, we've still got two hours before the twins wake up. How do you think we should spend them?"

"I've got an idea how YOU would like to spend the time," Justin smiled as he felt Brian's hardening cock nudging at his hip. "And I'm all for it."