BEN

I pull into the driveway and don't know what I'm in for. Hunter woke up, grabbed his phone looking excited, and ran inside. I followed at a slower pace. I walked in to see Michael setting the table with a smile.

“I made breakfast, but we'll just call it dinner.” He tells me.

“We ate on the way here.” I tell him, waiting for him to get angry.

“At least have some juice.” He tells me.

I sit down almost worried, because he's so calm. I grab the glass and take a sip. I try not to wince at how sour it is.

“I tried to sweeten it with honey but limes are going to be sour.” He tells me smiling.

“Why lime?” I ask him.

“It provides vitamin C which is good for you.” He tells me.

“That was thoughtful of you.” I tell him.

“I've decided that you and Hunter need a healthy diet. So instead of the diner every morning I'll cook for us.” He tells me.

“I need a shower, but it was nice that you went to all this trouble.” I tell him.

I get up and Michael follows me into the bathroom. He runs to get towels and washcloths. I get in and see new soap and shampoo.

“I got soap that's not made with harmful chemicals.” He tells me.

I smile because I'm not sure what he expected from me. Instead of giving me the washcloth, he grabs the soap and starts washing my back and then the rest of me.

“Rinse off and I'll do your hair next.” He tells me.

I let him take care of my hair, then as I climb out he's wiping me down and tying the towel around me.

“I pulled the sheets back, so you can rest if you want to. I'll make your tea and be up with it in a second.” He tells me.

After he leaves I sit down on the bed and check if I came to the right house. Yep, right place, but what is Michael up to?

“Did you have to drive all the way here?” He asks when he comes back with my tea.

“Hunter has a late shift, so I let him nap.” I tell him.

“Maybe I should get a second job so Hunter isn’t running himself ragged.” He tells me.

“I think he likes to work.” I tell him, still confused. Did Michael just offer to get another job for Hunter?

“It would help us too. With Justin not doing Rage, it cuts down on what I can help with.” He tells me, and I feel like we're back on stable ground. “I understand what I did would make it hard for him to talk to me. So I was going to see if Ma has shifts I can take to help out.” He tells me.

Then he gets up and walks down to Hunter’s room. I listen to him talking to Hunter.

“I can go in for you if you need the rest. I left you a plate on the table, so at least eat before you run off. Call me and I'll pick you up, or we can walk home together. I hate the idea of you walking home alone. “ He tells Hunter.

“I usually take my car.” Hunter tells him.

“Just be careful driving, if you're too tired, call me about an hour before you get off and I'll walk there and drive you home. Hunter you need to put on warmer clothes. We need to get you a new jacket.” Michael tells him.

“You just got me this one.” Hunter tells him.

“I know, but we should have thought about how cold it's getting and gotten you a warmer one.” He tells Hunter.

“I need to get going, so later.” Even only hearing them talk I can tell Hunter is as confused as I am.

“Maybe I should see if Ma can knit him warmer sweater, until I can get him a jacket that's warmer.” He tells me from the doorway.

“It's not fall yet, so I'm sure he's fine with the jacket he wears.” I tell him.

“You're right, but I just don't want him to catch a cold.” He tells me.

“I think I'll nap for a while.” I tell him.

“Here let me tuck you in.” He tells me pulling the blankets around me.

I know I was staring at him strangely because I'm not sure why he's being so accommodating. He leans over and kisses my forehead.

“I'll take this with me, if you want more I'll make a new cup.” He tells me.

He walks out and closes the door. I just realized Michael is acting like Deb. I don't know what's worse, Michael ignoring me or the Deb clone that just walked out.

EMMETT

Drew asked me if I wanted us to try again and instead of jumping at it, I asked for time to think about it. He had a meeting with Brian, so he asked if I wanted to go out to eat tonight. I agreed to go, but wanted to have a little time to think without Drew distracting me. Justin was taking the girls and his mother to see the new house. I went along to see what Brian bought for Justin this time. We pulled into a courtyard and it's not a mansion, but it's not far from it.

“It's beautiful. “ Jen tells Justin.

“Now Brian and I have to decide what style of furniture to use. He told me my studio can have my tacky furniture, but he wanted the rest of the house to be new.” Justin tells us.

Everyone separated to look around the house. Justin had a small smile as he and I looked at the bedrooms.

“He seems to always want the best for you.” I tell him.

“He told me the first house was his way of giving me a home. I realized he was right, I was homeless for most of our relationship. ” He tells me.

“No you weren’t.” I tell him.

“Until I bought that shitty one room apartment, if you think about it, I didn’t have a place of my own.” He tells me.

“It's weird, but I can almost say the same. When we met I lived with Michael, who took me in. I stayed at the apartment until Ted and I got together then it was a series of places I stayed. I really should have moved out of Debs when Carl moved in, but he asked me to stay. I've been thinking lately that it's time to find my own place.” I tell him, looking at the fountain in front.

“Maybe Drew will move back there.” He tells me.

“He still owns a place there, he offered it to me. I'm trying to believe that he's ready for what I want.” I tell him.

“What’s stopping you?” Justin asks me.

“This is going to sound like I disapprove of the way you and Brian did things, but I don't. I just can't be in an open relationship, the way you were. He isn’t asking for that, but I left him because he wasn’t ready to settle down.” I tell him.

“Brian and I were able to separate other people from us. Most people couldn't, so it's fine that you couldn't. You either trust Drew when he tells you he's ready or you don't. Mel told us that she understood the way our relationship worked because when she cheated she didn't love the other woman, she just wanted something different. It's really how we both saw it. Drew knows you aren’t going to agree to an open relationship, so he's not offering one.” He tells me.

“How are you so sure what Drew wants?” I ask him.

“He asks about you.” Justin tells me.

“You sneaky little shit, you've been talking to Drew haven’t you?” I ask him, smiling.

“Brian had Drew check on me once in awhile. So we'd sit around talking, usually about you. At first it was because we really didn't know each other, then it was because he asked. He told Brian and me that he wanted more than a one night stand. He wants you.” He tells me.

“I want him too.” I tell him.

“Then take the chance he'll give you what you want.” He tells me.

“I want the fairy tale.” I tell him.

“Reality is better.” Justin tells me.

I'm standing in Justin’s reality and he's right, fairy tales are escapes to worlds that don't exist. Drew is real and wants me. Why hesitate when my feelings haven't changed? I pick up my phone and call him.

“I'm ready to do what it takes.” I tell Drew.

“Really, because I kind of promised Justin we were going to be just us.” Brian tells me.

“Why are you answering Drew's phone?” I ask him.

“Drew's busy getting undressed.” Brian tells me.

“Excuse me!?” I ask.

“What's wrong? “ Justin asks me.

“Brian said Drew's undressing.” I tell him, freaking out.

“You said I could watch, fucker.” Justin tells Brian after hitting speaker on my phone.

“WHAT?” I ask Justin, ready to kill anybody looking at my Drew.

“You'll see when I have the proofs. Drew is still weirded out by standing in underwear in front of everyone.” Brian tells Justin.

“Yet, he can run around a locker room naked.” Justin tells us.

“Justin, it's not the same as being on a billboard in Times Square.” Drew says through the phone.

“Drew, I'm ready.” I tell him, unable to keep it in.

“Give me a second.” I hear him say, but realized he was talking to Brian.

“I'm going to see what mom and the girls are doing.” Justin tells me, leaving me alone.

“Okay, I'm alone.” Drew tells me.

“Me too.” I tell him.

“I love you.” We both say.

“I guess my only question is, how we make this work?” He asks me.

“You like living here, don’t you? “ I ask him.

“I can live in Pittsburgh if it's what you want.” He tells me.

“Or I can have faith in us and live here with you. My business partner Darren would be thrilled to move here.” I tell him.

“Only if it's what you want.” Drew tells me.

“Pittsburgh was just where the bus stopped and I got off. I always thought I'd move on, now I see I was waiting for you to be ready.” I tell him.