BRIAN 

Justin and I were staying at the loft this weekend with Gus, while Mel and Lindsay stayed at Drew's place. Michael came to the airport for Jenny, acting like we were putting him out because he had to be here if he wanted Jenny.

“I'll keep her and bring her on Sunday. It's really inconvenient that I can't have my visitation because of the distance between us.” He tells Mel. 

“Which, as I told you was not a big deal because we would meet you halfway. You only have to call and tell us when.” she tells him.

“Jenny shouldn’t have to be the one traveling.” He tells her. 

“It’s the way it will be so that you get your visitation. No amount of griping at me is going change where we live.” Mel tells him.

“I guess only Gus gets to have a father.” He tells her, walking away with Jenny.

“I’m going to let it go, because I promised myself not to do this with him.” Mel tells us.

“He’s never going to be happy, even if we lived here he’d have a problem with it.” Lindsay tells her.

I was already regretting telling Justin that I would try to talk to Michael. We didn’t even get out of the airport without his bitching. I kissed Justin and went to follow Michael to his car. He was putting Jenny in her carseat when I walked up.

“Look, I can’t help the way I feel about Jenny living away from me.” He tells me.

“You can help the way you talk to Mel about it, she isn’t keeping Jenny from you.” I tell him.

“I just have a lot going on and it would be nice to see my daughter more.” He tells me, getting in and driving off.

“Guess that didn’t go so well.” Justin tells me.

“I didn’t expect it to, but you looked like you were going to kill him when he started in on Mel.” I tell him.

“Being upset is bad for the baby and the mother.” He tells me.

“You understand, with her being a lawyer, she tends to get worked up when cross-examining a witness.” I tell him.

“Why did you tell me that? Now I’m going to worry about that too.” He tells me scowling.

“At least I convinced Deb to do dinner tonight, instead of tomorrow. You can spend all day calming all your women down tomorrow.” I tell him, smirking.

“Don’t worry, I have a spa day planned in case it goes south tonight.” He tells me, sticking out his tongue.

DEB 

I was thrilled when Brian called to let me know that everyone was coming to dinner tonight. It will be the first time we're all together in years. I started making lasagna and the homemade noodles for spaghetti. Carl promised to pick up chicken and veal. It felt great to cook for a house full again. Hunter walked in and sat at the table staring at his hands.

“Why the long face?” I ask him. 

“I'm trying to decide if I should tell Michael something.” He tells me. 

“Honey, I know things have been going bad with Ben and Michael, but they both love you.” I tell him. 

“I'm bringing my girlfriend to dinner tonight, I just don’t want him to overreacting about it.” He tells me. 

“I'm so happy for you.” I tell him hugging him.

“We've been dating for a few months and I want us to be able to do things without hiding it anymore.” He tells me. 

“Did she want to hide it?” Trying to hold back my anger.

“At first we were just hanging out, so I didn't see any reason to say anything. Then we didn’t want everyone making a big deal out of it. I'm just ready for us to be out in the open with it. Her parents were great even though I could tell the HIV scared them, but we reassured them that we weren't ready for that step, and when we were that we'd take every precaution, because I love her too much to risk her like that.” He tells me. 

“It sounds like you really talked everything through with her. Michael only wants what's best for you.” I tell him. 

“I hope so, but he’s been so busy fighting with Mel that I just stay with Ben.” He tells me.

“You just bring her here and I’ll help you with Michael.” I tell him.

Carl and I were so busy getting things ready that I didn’t realize the guys had trickled into the house and were setting up the table. I smiled at Justin when he came over to grab some cheese cubes. I plan to feed him this weekend, he’s getting too skinny. Carl came over to get dishes so we could get started and I smiled when the boys sat down. Michael came in with Jenny and Ben, which I wish was different but I promised Carl that I wouldn’t get involved. Mel and Lindsay came in laughing about who knows what and I see they are happier than I’ve ever see them. Michael sat Jenny between Ben and him, but I could see the separation that grows as each day passes. This is not how I wanted Michael’s life to go.

“Are we going to eat?” Michael asks when everyone sat around spying the door.

“Hunter’s still on his way.” I tell him.

When the door opens I see Hunter first and pulling... Daphne?

“Hey, we made it.” Hunter tells us like he didn’t just blow me over.

“What are you doing with Daphne?” Michael asks confused.

“I wanted everyone to meet my girlfriend.” Hunter tells him.

“Where is she?” Michael asks.

“Right here.” Hunter tells him, putting his arm around Daphne and rolling his eyes.

“Very funny, you two.” Michael tells them.

“I brought her here to introduce her as my girlfriend.” Hunter tells him.

BRIAN

I looked around and I could see everyone waiting to see how Michael took this. He turned to me and then looked at everyone else. I could see that he realized that no one was acting surprised at it. I had two theories on how he would take this; he’d be happy for Hunter but not thrilled that it was Daphne, or we’d see Michael erupt like a volcano. I’m leaning towards volcano since he’s standing up with his arms crossed and turning a shade of red that really does nothing for him.

“Am I the only person you haven’t told?” He asks Hunter.

“I haven’t told anyone, but there were people who knew.” Hunter tells him, trying to shield Daphne. Hunter has a lot to learn about her.

“If you want to be pissed, be pissed at me, because I told MY BEST FRIEND.” Daphne tells him.

“I’m not pissed about Hunter finding a girlfriend.” He tells her.

“Then why are you standing there, instead of welcoming her to the table?” Emmett rolls his eyes and gets up to pull them to sit down.

“It’s just interesting that something that Hunter should have came and told me about, he didn’t.” He tells us glaring at Justin.

“You make it hard for anyone to tell you anything.” Hunter tells him.

“It sounds like your girlfriend is telling you what to think.” He tells Hunter.

“No, it comes from watching my father act like an ass when people don’t do what he wants or expects.” Hunter tells us. 

“I don’t see you keeping Daphne a secret as being very adult.” He tells Hunter.

“I asked him to wait until we were sure this would even work. The last thing I wanted was everyone making bets on how long we’d last.” Daphne tells him. I swear she and Justin are open books to each other.

“It’s most likely because you and Hunter wouldn’t like that we were right. I’d put twenty on you two breaking up in less than a week.” He tells her.

“Then hand it over since it’s been a few months.” Daphne smirked at him.

“Hunter needs to be worried about school, not keeping you happy.” Michael tells her.

“Daphne’s the one making me study, and she’s the one who kept me from dropping out when I was about to.” Hunter tells him.

“Hunter why were you going to drop out?” Ben asked, concerned.

“I just felt out of place, a lot of the assholes I went to high school with are going there. It took less than a month before they were telling people about me. Daphne came by the diner when I was about to say fuck it and quit. She made me see that I couldn’t let people who won’t be in my life a year from now, keep me from a future.” He tells Ben.

“Thank-you for that.” Ben smiles to Daphne.

“He was doing really well and I didn’t want him throwing it away for people who are narrow minded.” Daphne tells him.

“Which you should have told us about, not her.” Michael tells Hunter.

“You would have acted like I should suck it up and scurry around. You and Ben both acted like I should have been able to handle the shit that happened in high school.” Hunter tells him.

“Your answer was to run away.” Michael tells him.

“Your answer was to hand me the money to leave, so it’s not like either of us were making great decisions.” Hunter tells him.

Michael stood there for a minute and then walked out the front door slamming it shut. Ben shook his head when Deb went to get up and go after him.

“That’s half his problem, us running after him to smooth things over.” Ben tells her.

“At least we stick by him.” Deb tells him.

“Deb, Ben tried, your son didn’t.” Carl tells her.

“He needs someone he can talk to, and right now there’s no one.” Deb tells him looking at me.

Justin stands up and starts walking towards the door. I get up too, because I don’t want him doing this.

“Brian he’s mad at you, Mel, Ben, and well, the world in general. He and I need to talk anyway, might as well do it when he’s too angry to guard his words.” Justin tell me.

“I don’t want him lashing out at you.” I tell him.

“Let him, it’s not like our friendship can sink any further than it already has. I want my best friend to not have Michael using her and Hunter as a way to avoid what’s really bothering him.” He tells me.

“Go eat with everyone and let me see if I can help.” He kisses me and opens the door.

JUSTIN

I looked around and didn’t see Michael out front so I walk to the end of the walkway and look down the sidewalk to see him walking away from Debs.

“Michael you know you have to come back and get Jenny if you leave.” I tell him, catching up to him.

“Why the fuck would my kid think I would be upset that he found a girlfriend?” Michael asks me continuing to walk.

“Because that’s how you just acted.” I tell him.

“Why the fuck did it have to be her?” He asked out loud.

“The same reason it’s always someone, they found something they like about each other.” I tell him.

“Please, we know what they like about each other.” He tells me, rolling his eyes.

“They haven’t even gone that far, your son wants to wait until he sees them with a future.” I tell him.

“At least that's one less thing for me to worry about.” He tells me.

“Even if they were, you and Ben were careful and they will be too.” I tell him.

“I miss this.” He tells me.

“I couldn’t do this with you, but Daphne means a lot to me, it doesn’t change that I hate you for saying what you did.” I tell him.

“I hated you for ruining our friendship.” He tell me.

“And everyone else acted like it was okay what I did. So you decided that someone had to see it as wrong?” I ask him.

“It’s like no matter what, you always come out as being right. No one cared that you shit all over your relationship, because they all thought Brian should have treated you better.” He tells me.

“I didn’t deserve anybody siding with me. I cheated on him for a while and then when he called me on it, I expected him to tell me he loved me. Instead of staying until he could look at me again, I ran off with Ethan.  I knew what I was doing was wrong, but used Brian fucking Rage as a reason to leave. I can’t help how other people viewed it.” I tell him.

“I was angry because I felt like you used me when I was listening to you talk about Brian.” He tells me.

“Michael, I wasn’t thrilled with you for going behind my back and telling Brian about Ethan, but I never would have said what you did. For once just admit the truth, I had what you always wanted and tossed it away, you couldn't understand that.” I tell him.

“He gave you everything.” He tells me.

“You realize how big of a hypocrite you are don't you? You constantly tell us open relationships are doomed to fail but then act surprised that we did. Look, I didn’t chase you out here for this, but to tell you if you want Rage to continue, then you go in and tell Hunter you’re happy for him.” I tell him.  

“You're blackmailing me?” He asks me.

“Why not? It gets you what you want, and saves the rest of us from your bitching.” I tell him.  

He turned and started for the house again. We walked in silence towards it. I think we both see that we’ll never be the kind of friends we were, but we can deal with each other.

Walking in and hearing Daphne say, “When I transfer to New York School of Medicine, we want to see if Hunter can get into NYU.” was all it took for the peace to end.

“What the hell are you thinking? Because if you follow her to fucking New York, I’m not helping pay for it.” Michael yells at them.

“I can get scholarships, so it’s not a problem.” Hunter tells him.

“This is all your fault, they all fucking want to move because of you.” Michael tells Brian.

“They want to move forward, not stand still for the rest of their lives.” Brian tells him.

“Now it’s my fault that you convinced Mel to take my daughter there instead of here?” He asks Brian.

I sit next to Daphne, because well, this is better then him being pissed at them.

“All that it took was her remembering what it was like to deal with you.” Brian tells him.

“I guess since I wanted my daughter, they had to deal with what a real father was like, for the first time.” Michael tells Brian.

“That was never about Jenny, but a way for you to show Mel and Lindsay that no one gets away with not telling you things that were none of your fucking business in the first place.” I tell him.

“Bullshit, it was about giving my daughter a home, unlike the shit they did to Gus.” Michael tells him.  

“They took care of my son, so I didn’t feel that being a single mother was something to make an issue of. Which considering, you shouldn’t have seen it that way either.” Brian tells him.

“You just always have to be right about everything don’t you?” Michael asks him.

“At least I don’t close my mind the minute I don’t agree with something.” Brian tells him.

“What, that Hunter wants to follow Daphne? What happens to Hunter when she finds a guy who isn’t going to come with Hunter’s issues?” Michael asks us.

“What issues?” Hunter quietly interrupts them.

“Hunter, you know what I’m talking about.” Michael tells him.

“No I don’t think I do, so explain it to me.” Hunter tells him.

“What happens when she decided she wants kids? You can’t give them to her. She’s going to have to spend all her life scared of a condom breaking, or if this cold is going to be the one that manages to do what pneumonia didn’t do the last time. You expect her to be able to handle that with the life she’s had? You’re both kidding yourselves, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you I approve of this when Daphne doesn’t have a fucking clue what it’s like to be on the other side of it.” Michael tells us, and walks out to get Jenny.