BEN

I get up and go to stop Michael before he loses Hunter with that speech. It just shows me how little Michael talked to me about his fears. I get outside to see him staring at Justin running around with Gus and Jenny. 

“It’s like no one sees what I can.” Michael tells me.

“They aren’t you.” I tell him.

“Hunter needs someone who can understand that there are limits to what he can give them. I don’t want him to end up alone.” He tells me.

“If they don’t make it, it’s not going to be the end of the world for Hunter. He could have used you telling him for once, that you’re happy for him, not acting like he should let life pass him by.” I tell him.

“It doesn’t seem to matter what I think, he told everyone but me.” He tells me.

“You didn’t help him want to confide in you by treating him like a disease.” I tell him.

“I just think they need to see what I know and not put themselves through years of being together before they figure it out.” Michael tells me.

“I agree, if I had known how you felt I would have saved myself from loving you.” I tell him.

“I didn’t mean us.” He tells me.

“What else could explain that great exit speech?” I ask him, walking away.

BRIAN

Deb of course went into mother mode and told Hunter not to let what Michael said change anything for them. I think Daphne wasn’t willing to sit there any longer.

“Michael said a lot of things that he shouldn’t have said. I can’t listen to someone who continues to fuck up his life tell me how I should view my relationship.” Daphne tells her.

“He’s just had a lot to deal with.” Deb tries.

“Which starts with you making excuses for his behavior.” Mel tells her.

“I just don’t want you all ganging up on him.” She tells us.

“Do you want to know why we all showed up this weekend?” I ask Deb.

“I was hoping it was because everyone wanted to get together.” Deb tells me.

“We wanted to show our support to Daphne and Hunter. We were sure that Michael would disapprove of it. I hate to say it, but we were right.” I tell her.

“Brian, he’s losing everything. He needs his friends.” Deb tells us.

“None of have gone anywhere, but he’s pushing everyone away.” Mel tells her.

“Deb, he has to figure this out on his own.” Carl tells her.

“I know, it’s just that I’m his mother and I hate seeing him hurt.” She tells Carl.

“Unless he can see that moving isn’t us against him, he’s going to be hurt. You managed to see it.” Mel tells her.

“It wasn’t easy for me, but I didn’t want to alienate you and Lindsay.” Deb tells her.

“So you told them you thought it was okay.” Michael scowls.

“I told them that I just wanted reassurances that they’d bring Jenny and Gus to visit. They have the right to make their own decisions.” Deb tells him.

“Everyone has that right.” Hunter tells him, pulling Daphne with him and leaving the house.

“Michael, go tell him that you were wrong to say what you said.” Blake tells him.

“I’m not, so I don’t see the reason to act like all of you.” He tells us.

“You mean like when we all supported you and Ben. I guess we should have tried harder to keep Ben from spending years with you.” Emmett tells him.

“At least Ben and I were adults, they are too young to understand what they are doing.” He tells us.

“Daphne’s Justin’s age.” Mel tells him.

“And if we had been adults, we would have kept him and Brian from the shit they put each other through.” Michael tells everyone.

“We are still together, and without any help from you.” I tell him.

“You really believe that don’t you? I’m the one who got stuck in the middle when you were pushing Justin away. He needed you to show him he was more than a fuck toy but no, you start some juvenile contest to prove to the fucking world that Brian Kinney is still the top of the dung heap. Like I said, you made him walk away by being you.” He tells Brian.

“So why did Ben walk away, if you're so perfect?” I ask him. “No answer? Wow, Mikey finally doesn’t have an answer for something. Shit, we need to write this down in a history book. You don’t get to rub my mistakes in my face until you admit to yours.” I tell him.

“ENOUGH, everyone calm down and sit down.” Carl tells us.

Hell, even I know better than to ignore Carl. Even Michael seems to know this was not the time to test it.

CARL

Do none of them see they are tearing each other apart in a way they can’t fix if this continues? I took a breath before I finally tell them all what I’ve seen from the years of watching them.

“When I met you boys and girls, because to me that’s what you all were. I didn’t understand your lives, but as time went on I was able to see like any straight relationship, each of you found people to love and have a family with. You also made a family, because unlike straight people, you had to look for acceptance. Each one of you found your way into the family you created.” I tell them.  

“Instead of blaming the world for everything going crazy in your life, look at what you did to cause it. Don’t ruin the family you created out of love because you can’t see they don’t want the things you do. Brian, Justin, Mel, and Lindsay get to make decisions for themselves that really don’t have anything to do with you, except that they make sure Jenny sees you. It’s all you should be worried about. Instead you treat it like a campaign to push everyone out of your life. Instead of telling your son you’re worried but will stand behind him, you tell him your fears. Even Ben seemed surprised by what you said, but I noticed Brian didn’t, why is that Michael?” I ask him.

“He told me when Vic died, that he felt surrounded by death. Then outed Justin for knowing something that I should have told Justin.” Brian tells me.

“You married Ben even though you felt that way, and didn’t tell your husband? Are you even seeing where your mistakes were through all this?” I ask him.

“Brian hid things and you’re only yelling at me.” He tells me, pouting.

“I don’t see the reason Brian needs me to say anything. He manages his life without all of us.” I tell him.

“What about Mel and Lindsay?” He tells me grasping.

“What about them? They seem to be happy too, and so do Ted and Emmett. The only person who I’m worried about is you.” I tell him.

“Why do you even care?” Michael asks me.

“You're going to be my stepson. I want anything that keeps your mother from having to worry about you. You need to stop trying to interfere with everyone’s life to avoid what’s wrong with yours.” I tell him.

“I need to get Jenny.” Was the only thing he said.

MICHAEL

I walked outside and sat next to Lindsay. Jenny was having fun and I didn’t want to upset her by leaving until she was ready.

“She really likes Justin.” I say just to have something to say.

“She loves you, Michael.” Lindsay tells me in a soft voice.

“Why didn’t you want me to be the father again?” I ask her.

“The whole fiasco that happened just didn’t leave you looking like a great candidate. Michael, it’s not like you really want more kids do you?” She asks me.

“No, but it would have been nice to have been asked.” I tell her.

“Everything isn’t about you, it’s half the problem you have, you think we should all want what you want. It doesn’t matter now anyway, we already had it done.” She tells me.

“I wish Justin luck with you two, who knows, maybe he’ll understand what I didn’t.” I tell her.

“What’s that?” She asks sighing.

“You and Mel don’t keep your promises, but then, neither does Brian.” I tell her

“He never promised you more than friendship.” She tells me.

“He promised to be my friend, but lately I haven’t seen much of it.” I tell her.

“You expected him to help you with Justin?” She asks me.

“I expected him to ‘always have and always will’.” I tell her.

“He said that when he didn’t see anyone in his future Michael, you can’t hold him to a promise like that when you ran off and started your own life.” She tells me.

“He was at least here where I could still talk to him.” I tell her.

“Was he? Because Michael you and I never talk to him, but at him. I found out that if I waited, my friend would call if he needed me. It felt like the first time that he and I really talked to each other. He wasn’t asking for anything but to for me to listen, because he was about to tell the man he loves something that could hurt them. I wanted to tell him what to do, because it’s human nature, but instead I offered advice that either he could listen to or not. It’s the difference in how he dealt with us. He offered an opinion but in the end he left it up to us to decide. If you want to keep him as a friend you need to stop thinking that your answers are the only answers.” She tells me.

“I need to get Jenny, I’ll see you at the airport.” I tell her.

“Have a good time with her.” Lindsay tells me.

Jenny and I go through the side to the front to get my car. I see Ben talking to Hunter.

“Michael, go tell him you love him, because he still loves you, you asshole.” Daphne whispers in my ear.

“Just don’t hurt him when you realize you need more.” I tell her.

“I’m not the one hurting him right now, so it’s your turn.” She tells me.

I hand her Jenny and walk to Hunter who looks at me with a hurt expression on his face.

“I love you kiddo.” Ben tells him and walks over to Daphne.

“What?” Hunter asks me.

“I’m sorry for not making this night easier.” I tell him.

“You always want to make it harder by not telling the person you should have that you needed help to deal with your fears.” He tells me.

“I don’t think Ben cares anymore.” I tell him.

“Not if you keep giving up without a fight, he’s not going to find any reason to stay for you.” He tells me.

“When did you become the grown up in this relationship?” I ask him, smiling.

“I hate to say it, but I think I always have been.” He tells me.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did. If you love her than that’s all I need to know. Well, maybe one other thing.” I tell him

“We are being careful.” I tell him.

“I was just wondering how you managed to land her.” I tell him, snickering.

“She couldn’t resist me, I’m probably the only not gay man she knows.” He jokes.

“Yeah, I could see.” I tell him.

Hunter ran off after Daphne, and Ben brought me Jenny, he helped me get her into the car.

“Would fighting for you have made a difference?” I ask him.

“It would have showed that you cared.” He tells me.

“I do, I just don’t know how to change everything about me.” I tell him.

“I want the guy who wouldn’t give me the basketball unless I agreed to a date.” He tells me and walks to his car.