MEL 

Looking at the clock, I grabbed my robe to go feed the girls. I wanted Lindsay to sleep because she worked so late getting a show ready at the gallery. It's been different having her supporting us. With the move and the girls, Lindsay wanted me to take the time off like she did with Gus. I'm still setting up my firm, but not worrying about working until I'm ready. We've managed a routine where Brian and Justin have the kids after school until after dinner. It gives Lindsay and I time alone which made our home life more manageable than before. 

I walked in and didn’t comment on my visitor, just handed him one of the bottles. It's become our nightly thing to sit with the girls and talk quietly. My reaction the first time I found him here was confused, because he was changing Bella and talking quietly to Jasmine. When he looked up and saw me he just pointed to the bottles he was warming. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked him softly.

“Justin agreed to take six and I took two.” He answered as if it made any sense.

“How did you get in?” I ask him.

“You know, all the years of people barging into the loft taught me that if they could do it, so could I.” He tells me.

I still remember Lindsay and I doing exactly that and not expecting to see what we saw. To this day I’m still amazed that they didn’t kick our asses out. I decided that if he wanted to come at two, then why fight the help.

“Bella, I thought we agreed to no poop unless one of the others was holding you.” Brian talks to her as if she understands.

I wish I could figure out what Brian does that makes the girls stay so quiet when he’s around. They gurgle and coo, but that’s all when he’s in a room with them. 

“Are you ready for us to introduce them to the family this weekend?” Brian asks me.

“I’m just relieved that they all agreed to wait two weeks. I expected us to be overrun with visitors the minute we pulled in the driveway here.” I tell him.

“You can thank Jen and Justin for that one. They both made it clear to the others that no one came until they were invited.” He tells me.

“Have you talked to Michael? He’s supposed to have Jenny this weekend but I haven’t heard from him.” I ask him.

“He’s been working on Rage and updating the store to get more business. I think he’s just been trying to stay busy. I think when he heard that Ben wanted to get married, he had a harder time than he thought he would with it.” Brian tells me.

“It must have been hard not to fall into old habits with him. Normally you’d be running to the rescue.” I tell him.

“Deb and Alex want all of us to let Michael learn to deal with things and not solve everything for him. It’s been different when he calls, because he isn’t asking me to help him all the time.” He tells me, laying Bella on his shoulder.

“It’s hard not to wish they had worked it out.” I tell him.

“It’s also easy to see why Michael never changed. I was thinking about when I reopened Babylon and  how Michael could have misunderstood everything.” He tells me. 

“We should have made Justin go to be with you that weekend. “ I tell him. 

“It was his first chance to visit you and Lindsay. He missed Gus and Jenny, so to us the choice was simple. Babylon will always be there but the kids were more important to Justin.” He tells me. 

“You think that's what caused Michael to still think you were still his future?” I ask him. 

“It was just the things that happened that night. We were all dancing but Michael took the platform with me, leaving Ben below us while he did the things we did before Justin. I remember standing above them dancing with my eyes closed but when I opened them it was to see Michael smiling at me like I was where I should be, doing the things that he expected. He didn’t make a fuss over Justin not being there.” He tells me. 

“It's strange to look back at something and see it so differently, isn’t it?” I ask him.

“Looking back on it, I almost wonder if Justin had been there would Michael have not lost Ben.” He tells me. 

“Brian, no matter how much we all wanted to blame anyone but ourselves, you weren’t the reason we made the choices we made. I know that when I cheated on Lindsay, it had nothing to do with you, just my selfish decisions. I wanted to blame you because Lindsay was talking to you but not me. I didn’t do anything to make Lindsay want to talk to me, so in the end it was us, not you. Michael wanting to believe you were still going to be there with him later was Michael’s fault, and nothing would have changed unless he wanted the change.” I tell him.

“I always find it hard to believe that Justin stood by me, when I always put Michael ahead of him.” He whispers.

“He didn’t need you the way Michael did, Justin could do things without having to cling to you. I always thought it was one of the things that made you chase Justin.” I tell him.

“In the beginning I was just worried he’d get hurt. A lot of my problems with Justin were because of his independent streak. Whereas Michael couldn’t make a move without me, Justin might tell me later what he had done when I wasn’t around.” He tells me.

“You were so used to everyone looking to you for answers.” I tell him. 

Brian got up and kissed Bella and Jasmine then wandered out of the room. I knew his next stop was to look in on Gus and Jenny before he trekked back to his house. I stood up and went to the window and watched as Justin opened the door when Brian was almost there. They both would sit on the steps and share Brian’s cigarette before going back in.

Brian might be letting Michael learn to take care of himself, but he still tries to see what he could have done to help. I’m learning it’s who he really is; not a selfish uncaring asshole, but a man who cares too much for the people he loves. It’s like the asshole was his defence when no one could see him for who he is, Brian Kinney, friend, father, and partner.

“Girls, love that man with everything you have, because he’ll give you the world for the taking.” I whisper to them.

MICHAEL

I laughed at Emmett’s idea of dealing with heartbreak. Ice cream, spray whip cream, and movies about people who get back at the men who left them. It hurt when Hunter told me Ben was planning to propose to Wes, but more because I never gave him a reason to come back. 

“Are you really okay?” Emmett asks me.

“Emmett, he needs the chance to be with someone who only sees him. I'll always love him, but I screwed up my chance. Being in therapy makes me a bad candidate for a relationship right now. I have Jenny and Hunter, so I'm not alone.” I tell him, stealing the ice cream. 

“Are you and Brian still talking?” He asks me. 

“We still call each other but I don't try to get him to solve things for me anymore.” I tell him. 

“I'm proud of you for really working on things.” He tells me, stealing the ice cream back.

“It was hard to admit to myself that I am still in love with Brian because I didn't want to see it. I spent so much time acting like he needed me for everything, when I knew that he really needed Justin. I even went to see Devina, thinking that he would be help. It made me realize that Ma did what she did because she didn’t want me disappointed by a father who really never wanted to be one.” I tell him. 

“Drew and I wanted to invite you to go with us to Mel and Lindsay’s house this weekend for the babies’ party. Ted and Blake are riding with us too, so it will be like a road trip with the gang.” He tells me.

“Why not, it would be fun to hang out together again.” I tell him.

We watch the ‘Waiting to Breathe” and I told Emmett that the chick who set the car on fire would be Justin if Brian ever pissed him off.

EMMETT

Brian Kinney is a sneaky bastard that’s all I’m going to say. When we went to pick up Ted and Blake first, there he stood. I must have looked confused because Blake explained why he was here.

“Brain, thought it would be nice to reenact Justin running away.” He tells me laughing.

“Did you lose him again?” I ask Brian.

“The twat seems to think the girls can’t do anything for Bella and Jasmine without him.” Brian tells me, but then I see Justin coming out of the bathroom.

“Baby, are you riding with us?” I ask, hugging him, which of course gets Brian to drag him away.

“Nope, I wanted to hang with the cool guys.” He tells me winking.

“Drew, Justin and I are going to go together so you old men can play.” Blake tells me.

Brian, Ted and I stood and watched Drew drive away with Justin and Blake. I have a feeling they are going have more fun. Michael pulls up and smiles as he see the three of us standing there.

“What are you doing here, aren’t we going to see you?” Michael asks Brian.

“Justin seems to think we don’t get to spend time together and hijacked our men.” I tell him.

“Road trip, Road Trip.” Teddy starts chanting and then Michael and I joined in, but as usual Brian didn’t. 

“Get in the car, my babies need Daddy to keep them from too much muncher time.” Brian growls at us.

We get in and I check to see the car has a spare because it would be just our luck to get a flat on the way there. 

“I’ve always thought it was funny that none of you could change a tire.” I tell them.

“You really think I don’t know how, I just didn’t want to get dirty.” Brian tells me.

“I’m going to admit that Ma always did it for me.” Michael tells me.

“I handed you the things you asked for.” Teddy defends himself.

“It would have been nice if I didn’t have to explain to you exactly what I needed.” I tell Teddy.

“Michael, learn to at least lie about certain things, no one needs to know you're a Mama’s boy.” Brian jokes.

“You always said to take pride in what you do best, and I am the original Mama’s boy.” Michael smirks.

“At least you're not an ex crystal queen living with an ex crystal queen who was once your rehab counselor.” Ted tells us.

“Or in love with a rent boy who can’t speak English.” I add laughing.

“Or acting like a teenager when your boyfriend was the teenager.” Brian adds.

“Or running with your sperm in a paper cup across town because you didn’t want to explain it to a taxi driver.” Michael tells us.

“Or get caught cumming while you're straight boss walked in.” Ted tells us.

“Or thinking that you could sneak a trick in the muncher’s house only to be caught when he howled like a dog loud enough for the neighborhood to hear.” I tell them.

“Or sneaking into Ma’s house every night, thinking she hadn’t figured out I was there with Justin most nights.” Brian tells us.

“Man, I’m never going to be able to sit on that bed without worrying about what the stain on the wall is.” Michael groaned.

“Be more worried about the one on the ceiling.” Brain tells us, and you know, there was just no way not to imagine how he managed that.

For once it was just the four of us being kids and no one getting hurt by it.