MEL 

I wanted to talk to Brian and Justin with Lindsay first, so I asked Ben if he and Michael could take the kids home in their car. I wanted the opportunity to at least ask Justin his feelings on this.

“Brian mentioned you were worried about how we are going to handle raising the baby.” I tell him. 

“I'm not willing to do it if you expect me to sign over my rights. Brian told me that you wanted to co-parent the kids. I'm good with that, but not if it becomes like what happened with Gus, and then Jenny. I'd rather not have kids, than play tug of war with them.” He tells me. 

“Lindsay and I both agree that you and Brian will share equal custody of Gus and the new one.” I tell him. 

“I'm also trying to understand why you think this will be different than when you were pregnant with Jenny. You think Michael was a pain in the ass but I plan to be at appointments and will express my concerns if you aren’t taking care of yourself.” He tells me. 

“Michael took it too far, he stalked me around a grocery store. Everywhere I went, Michael was somewhere close by.” I tell him. 

“He wanted to be included. Although using Justin’s stalking methods were the wrong way to go about it.” Brian tells Justin, smirking.

“He's never understood how it works, I mean, I got you.” Justin tells him, smiling. 

“Are we going to agree to have a baby together?” I ask him. 

“As long as we agree that our child belongs to all of us, than yes.” He tells me. 

“We can put it in writing if you need that. We have to do that with Gus anyway.” I tell him. 

“Okay, as long as you don't name the baby Abraham if it's a boy.” Justin tells me, giggling.

“It's a good name, but we can all decide together when we know the sex of the baby.” I tell him. 

“I'm voting for anything that doesn’t turn the kid into an outcast.” Brian tells me. 

“We could name it after you, asshole has a nice ring to it.” I tell him. 

“Really Mel, I'm hurt, because my pet name has such a pleasant ring to it.” Brian tells me.

“Now we get to tell Michael, do you want to do it asshole?” I ask him, smiling. 

“Sure, I'll tell him you wanted someone prettier this time.” He tells me. 

MICHAEL 

Ben and I put the kids to bed, so there wouldn't be any excuse to avoid the conversation about the baby thing.

“I wonder if she wants me to donate again?” I ask him. 

“Wouldn’t she have talked to us first?” Ben tells me.

“Who knows with them. What would you think if they want me again?” I ask him. 

“You're already unhappy with Jenny being so far away. Do you really want to do it again, knowing they live here?” He asks me. 

“You heard Gus say they were planning to move back, so they'd be close by.” I tell him. 

“We are putting Hunter through school and sending what we can afford for Jenny. There is no way we could afford another one, without putting a strain on our budget.” He tells me. 

“We can explain that, so they know.” I tell him. 

“Why don’t we wait to see what they are planning?” He asks me. 

Brian, Justin, Mel, and Lindsay come in the house and I let them know the kids are asleep, before they try to run off.

“So, Lindsay and I decided to have one more before I'm unable to. I've asked Brian and Justin to help make that possible.” Mel tells us. 

“Brian’s donating again?” I ask her. 

“No, it's going to be Justin.” She tells me. 

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to be the father?” I ask her. 

“Michael, you have Jenny and Hunter. Lindsay and I want to share this with Brian and Justin.” She tells me. 

“You’ve already decided, without telling me about this, haven’t you?” I ask her.

“Yes, because it about us and them.” She tells me. 

“It affects Jenny, so we should have talked about it.” I tell her. 

“Until Justin agreed, there was nothing to talk about.” Brian tells me. 

“Justin needs to remember what happened to us, before he agrees. Think about it Brian, do you really want him dealing with them telling him when he can see his kid?” I ask Brian.

“Michael, it's not going to be like that.” Lindsay tells me. 

“They told me that too Justin. Came into the shop tore up the agreement they wanted me to sign, then they tried to make it impossible for me to see Jenny.” I tell him.

“We never made it impossible for you to see Jenny. We just didn't think it meant we had to discuss OUR relationship with you. Instead of talking to us, you sued for custody.” Mel tells me. 

“I didn’t want my daughter raised in a broken home.” I tell her. 

“By a single mother, we know.” Brian tells me.

“We've all talked about it and I'm okay with how we plan to raise Gus and the new baby. Brian and I are not in a place to raise a child full-time, and I don't want to wait years and realize we waited too long. We weren't leaving you out, it just didn't make sense to tell you anything until we made a decision.” Justin tells me. 

“We thank you for including us, right Michael?” Ben asks me.

“I want to know what Gus was talking about, are you finally going to bring my daughter back? I know I supported the move but I feel we're being left out of her life.” I tell Mel, ignoring Ben.

“We all agreed to move back, but right now the time line hasn't been decided on, so when it's decided we will let you know.” Mel tells me. 

“Why can't you all see you should come home now. What's so important that you have to wait?” I ask them.

BRIAN 

If we let Michael, he'll keep us here all night trying to tell us what to do. I guess it's up to me to get through to him.

“Michael, we each have things that make Pittsburgh not where we need to be right now. I want to expand Kinnetik into New York and it helps that Justin needs to be there now. Mel and Lindsay needed to work on their relationship, which seems to have benefited from being away from everyone. It's not about you, but our needs. I'm sure you and Ben like being able to make your own decisions without everyone getting involved, give us the same opportunity.” I tell him. 

“What is so bad about having people you can turn to when you need us?” He asks us. 

“It’s that you think we have to tell you things that don't have anything to do with you. Michael, what goes on in our lives shouldn’t be gossip, but it becomes that because everyone wants a say. Mel pointed out that Brian and Justin don’t need anyone giving them advice, but we all think we have the right to tell them our opinions. I couldn’t see that I was doing it either, but I do. I hope Justin can just keep reminding me that he knows what he's doing but puts up with me wanting the best for him. Ben said it, they create for themselves and that's what matters. I think what each of us wants is for our personal lives is to be just that, ours. Mel wants to have a baby with Justin, we've told you, so instead of spending the night doling out advice, accept it. You're here to see Jenny, so do that. Let everyone do what they planned on doing and enjoy your time here.” Lindsay tells him. 

“I'm proud of you.” Mel whispers to her.

“I'm proud of myself, for listening to my wife.” She tells her.

“I'm ready to barf, are we done?” I ask them.

“We can talk about it later.” Michael tells us and I swear Mel growled.  

BEN

Michael doesn’t deal well with people not telling him things, but hopefully he'll see that this isn't a bad thing. I want Jenny closer and it looks like they are working towards coming back. I follow Brian outside as Michael talks to Justin about the comic.

“How many people know?” I ask him. 

“Everyone but Deb now. I'm sure you'll be wishing you waited a week to come.” He tells me. 

“He didn’t tell me until we got here that he didn’t call. Then he acts surprised that Lindsay wasn't happy about it.” I tell him. 

“Mikey means well.” He tells me. 

“It's hard on him that everyone moved on. He feels left out. I hope he really listened to what Lindsay said, because she really seems to understand that you don't want everyone in your relationship.” He tells me. 

“Justin and I have always been able to deal with it, not that we should have had to. Maybe when Mikey sees we can manage without him, he’ll stop trying to make it better.” Brian tells me. 

“Or worse, he tends to get blinded by what he thinks.” I tell him. 

“About the moving back, we all plan to, but not the way Michael will like. Mel and Lindsay are going to live on the property Justin’s house is on. They need to be away from Michael and Deb just popping up all the time. They managed to figure out how to make their relationship work and I never thought they would. I want them to be able to keep it strong, but If it's like it was, we could see another meltdown.” He tells me. 

“Do you ever get tired of taking care of everyone?” I ask him. 

“It's what I do, I'm just lucky Justin understands it.” He tells me, lighting up. 

“You seem to deal with Justin doing the same thing too.” I tell him. 

“Ted says that Justin can make what I say easier for everyone to understand. I think he just says it nicer, but it's his upbringing.” He tells me. 

“He just knows that everyone needs to be handled differently. When Lindsay started about Justin’s career, he didn't make an issue of it, just shared his feelings.” I tell him. 

“You see why I don't bother, Justin can handle himself, but I've always known that, it's why I love the twat.” He tells me blowing out a smoke ring. 

“Finish that so we can go, Michael’s convinced we can do a whole issue of Rage convincing the mothers of his and JT’s kids that ‘The Frozen Fortress’ is brainwashing them.” Justin tells him.

“Don’t tell me, Zephyr sends emails that break the brainwashing?” Brian asks, pulling Justin to him.

“Don’t give him any ideas, Blake is ready to kill him already.” I tell him. 

“Why is Blake upset?” I ask him. 

“He doesn’t send you anything does he?” I ask him. 

“No.” I tell him. 

“Lucky you, we all love being told by article Mikey’s opinion.” He tells me. 

“You know how parental controls are put on kids? Put Ben control on Michael.” Justin tells me. 

“Guys, before you go, we should make plans for the kids.” Michael tells them.

“We have plans, have fun with Jenny.” Brian tells him. 

“Which we do too, so you guys have fun with Gus.” I tell them looking at Michael. 

“Justin, don't let them talk you into having a baby. Brian and you should do like we did and adopt when you're ready.” Michael tells him.    

“I like the idea of a baby that comes from Justin, if you are feeling left out I'm sure you and Ben can adopt again.” Brian tells him, turning Justin towards their car.

“I'll send you an article about kids who need parents.” Michael yells as they close the car doors.

“Michael leave it alone.” I tell him. 

“Ben, they could really help some kid, we did it.” He tells me. 

“It was right for us, not everyone wants the same thing.” I tell him. 

“Look at our life compared to theirs, they need us.” He tells me. 

I kiss him to shut him up.