Chapter 2

Brian awoke with a start. It was daylight, not exactly dawn, but not late either. He turned his head and looked at Justin where he slept peacefully beside him. He was home. A little smile curled the corners of his mouth. He rolled towards his husband letting his hard on press into Justin's side. Justin groaned and shifted away. He pressed a little harder eliciting the same reaction.

"Fuck!" Brian muttered loud enough that he hoped Justin might hear him. No such luck! Justin continued to sleep on. "Some fucking homecoming," Brian grumbled as he threw back the covers and got out of bed.

He took another hopeful look at Justin but decided that the man probably needed his sleep. The events of last night were beginning to dawn on Brian. He grabbed some sweats from the closet and pulled them on. He went out into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.

While it was dripping, he knew where he wanted to go. He quickly padded down the hall in his bare feet. He stopped at the door to Briana's room and turned the knob. Quietly he opened the door. It stopped part way and wouldn't move farther. Brian frowned and slid through the narrow opening.

Briana was asleep on the rug behind the door. Her little body was blocking the door from opening properly.

"Ah, Squirt, is that where you slept all night?" Brian whispered as he carefully picked her up. He noticed the little pink sneaker that she had used to bang on the door, abandoned next to her.

She didn't wake up but snuggled against his chest. Brian carried her over to the old rocking chair where he used to rock her as a baby. He sat down and gently rocked his little angel with the crooked halo.

Brian thought about what he was doing with his life. Bree had been fine until he went to New York. Justin had time to paint when Brian was around to help with all the chores and looking after their daughter. The office in New York was a fucking mess. He couldn't seem to get anything done there. It was eating away at his confidence. He knew he was driving Ken and Simon crazy. Maybe he should just forget the whole fucking idea. Maybe Brian Kinney couldn't handle New York. Maybe that was why he had been turned down for that job all those years ago. Maybe they all knew something he didn't.

And then there was the fact that he hadn't had any … for three fucking weeks. Justin was too tired to help him out last night, but that was one of the main reasons he had come home. He wanted to be with Justin in the way that they could do so well.

He glanced at the little clock on the dresser and realized he had been sitting there holding Bree for almost an hour. He kissed the top of her head and gently laid her down on her bed. He pulled the covers over her and brushed the hair off her face. They'd have to deal with Bree when she woke up.

Right now though, it was time he and Justin had some intimate time together. He slipped out the door, closing it gently behind him.

"Justin Taylor, here I come," Brian hummed as he walked down the hall, a happy smirk on his face.

As Brian pushed open their bedroom door, Justin abruptly sat up in their bed. Sleep and exhausted strain clearly marked Justin's face. Justin looked confused as his hand ghosted over the cold expanse of sheets that was devoid of his partner. 'Shit,' thought Justin. 'Was it a dream? Did Brian come home? I punished Bree! I turned down sex with Brian Kinney. I yelled at Bree. The house looks like shit. I turned down sex with Brian Kinney! My paintings are for shit. I feel like shit. Oh God, I turned down sex with Brian Kinney!'

"Brian?" Justin managed to squeak out. "Oh Brian, I'm so sorry." Brian crossed over to the bed that held his distressed mate.

"Shh, it's okay, Sunshine. Everything will be okay." Justin lost it, cradled in Brian's arms, he lost it. Brian set aside his own needs. Justin needed him to be strong and Brian Kinney was determined to make things right.

They sat cuddled together, Brian slightly rocking the younger man as the stress of the past few weeks bubbled out. Brian tried to smooth out the blond mane made wild after Justin fell asleep with damp hair. Brian feathered Justin's tearful face with gentle kisses. They held on tight for dear life.

"Dada?" A weak voiced echoed through the hall.

Silently, Brian guided Justin down the hall to their daughter's bedroom. Brian picked up the sniffling child, cooing words of comfort. He then brought both of them into the bathroom. Sitting his blonds on the toilet, Brian started the shower. As it warmed up, he stripped then stripped Bree and Justin and led them into the shower, adjusting the spray to a warm gentle stream. As if following some ritual, Brian began to wash his blonds.

Using their favorite body wash, Brian started with Justin, slowly, methodically washing the stress and anguish down the drain. He bent low to wash all of Justin's tender bits then sank to his knees to wash Justin's feet. Father and daughter held on tight as Brian continued his ritual by washing Bree. Gently washing away the tears and sweat. When satisfied, Brian took their favorite shampoo to wash his precious blonds' hair. With his ritual completed, Brian gently moved them away from the spray to wash himself. As he began to shampoo his own hair, Bree and Justin inhaled the spicy scent of Brian's shampoo. The scent combined with the warmth of the steam helped to relax father and daughter even more. Violet blue eyes gazed into the ocean blue.

"Dada home," Briana whispered to Justin.

"Dada home," Justin whispered back. The familiar scent of Brian healed the rift between father and daughter and they clung together, tears of joy replaced the tears of sadness.

Before the water could run cold, Brian had his family out of the shower and wrapped in warm fluffy towels. Quickly toweling himself off, Brian donned his thick forest green robe that brought out the green in his hazel eyes. He wrapped Bree in her little pink robe, drying off her hair and putting up the hood. He reached for Justin's matching blue robe, drying his hair also putting up the hood. Brian then led them to the kitchen and settled them at the breakfast table.

Brian worked quietly and efficiently, putting on the kettle for Justin's herbal tea and getting out bowls for cereal and cut up fruit. Brian popped bread in the toaster then set jam and butter on the table. Bree, needing the reassuring contact of her father, sat quietly in her daddy's lap as her dada put breakfast on the table before them. Brian snatched up a piece of dry toast, took a sip of coffee and turned on the kitchen radio to some soft cool jazz. As his blonds ate, Brian went about setting the kitchen to right.

Brian scrubbed down the granite island and all the counter space. He glided around, cleaning the stove top and wiping down the cabinets. He then grabbed the all in one mop, spraying the cleaner to mop down the sticky floor. Looking like Fred Astaire with his mop as Ginger Rodgers, Brian danced to the delight of Bree and Justin. They giggled out loud as Brian twirled his mop. As a song was ending, Brian finished up by swinging the mop around then sliding it back into its cabinet. He sat to the applause of his beloveds.

"Thank you, Ladies and Germs!" Brian exclaimed as he kissed his blonds. The Kinney-Taylor family felt whole again.

*****

"Brian, your garden."

"What about it?" Breakfast was finished. They all pitched in to clean up the table and they were relaxing in the living room, sitting huddled together on the sofa.

"We had a bad storm the other day. It came in so fast, we had just enough time to get the garden furniture stowed away in the shed and John boarded up the Wendy house but your garden. I haven't had the time to clean it up." Brian let it all sink in before declaring their next move.

"Let's go put on our overalls and take a look."

When they were all dressed they stood at the door to the garden. Brian slid back the door and stepped out into the carnage. The larger evergreens and smaller bushes survived but many of their branches were stripped bare by the wind. Leaves, twigs and broken plants lay strewn on the garden floor. Many of the brightly colored annuals had been ripped up by the roots. Some of the decorative pots had toppled over. Justin watched as Brian's shoulders drooped. After a few minutes Brian straightened his shoulders and turned to face his family. A look of determination splayed across his face.

"Okay, troops, here's the plan." As Brian laid out his plan of attack, John and Bobby watched from their kitchen door.

"Shouldn't we go out to help them?" Bobby's grey blue eyes looked up into his husband's hazel ones.

"No, let them be for now. I'll go out to check on the Wendy house in a while."

"John..."

"I know, baby, I know but some things they have to work on for themselves," John said while drawing the younger man close to his chest.

"I feel so helpless. I wanted to help Justin but I've been so caught up with work and Patrick's in first grade. He..."

"Bobby, we can't interfere. As much as I wanted to go in and take over, I couldn't. Justin is Brian's partner. Briana is their child. It would have been wrong to assume Brian's place. No, Bobby, as much as it hurts to watch, we have to let them take care of this on their own. We'll be here to help if they ask."

"But they look so torn apart, like Brian's precious garden."

"Baby, they've known each other for a very long time. They've weathered a lot more storms than I can count and they've managed to come out of it stronger and closer. We have to let them do this. You bring Patrick to school. I'll go out and check the playhouse and the progress on Rachel's house. Gordon and the guys should be here any minute."

"You're sure about this? I could arrange to work from home today."

"I'm sure. Go and take our son to school." Bobby nodded and called for Patrick. They kissed each other goodbye and began their day.

As the morning wore on, Brian, Justin and Bree had the garden looking so much better. Justin and Bree swept up the broken plants as Brian pruned back the bare branches. The pots were set back into place and the annuals removed. Everything was neatly trimmed back. The evidence of the storm was removed.

"Sunshine, why don't you take Bree into the house and get cleaned up. After lunch we can go to the garden center to pick up some fall mums."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Justin smiled brightly, the sadness all gone from his face. Briana was smiling too. Her daddies were with her and all was right in her world again. As father and daughter went into the house, Brian walked the path toward the play house. John went out to join him.

"Brian?" John called out softly as Brian studied the play house. The windows were still boarded and the window boxes and fence were gone.

"Hey, big bro."

"Don't worry; the fence and the plant boxes are inside along with the play furniture. I had just enough time to secure everything before the Nor'easter hit."

"Justin told me."

John took out a hammer and began to pry off the boards. Brian opened the door to take out the fence and boxes.

"God, what a mess," John murmured to himself. "I think I'll make proper shutters for the windows. They'll come in handy for the winter and other storms." Brian nodded at the idea. He knew John would come through for him.

"John, why didn't you help?"

"What? I put up the boards."

"No, with Justin and Bree, why didn't you help?" John was about to lay into Brian but then caught himself.

"Brian, come with me." He put down the hammer then turned his brother around and marched him toward the front of the house. At the edge of the drive, John pointed toward the end of the lane. Brian saw Rachel's house sitting on its new foundation.

"I've been a little busy."

Brian had come home the previous evening hoping for his little piece of sunshine, and he never noticed the newly planted house.

"Shit!"

"Yeah. Besides, I'm your brother, Justin's brother-in-law, not his second partner. Did you really expect me to swoop in and take over while you were away?"

"No, I..." Now it was Brian's turn to lose it. John hugged his brother closely offering his strength and comfort. "It's going all wrong. New York sucks. The ad sucks and the office looks like shit. I've had a three week headache and when I came home thinking everything here was perfect, I found a disaster. John, what am I doing?"

"You're doing what you always do."

"Fuck up?"

"No, not at all," John chuckled. "Brian fucking Kinney does not fuck up." Brian arched an eyebrow. "Not in business, anyway. You've had a set back but you've had them before and that very creative smart brain of yours always kicks in and makes a brilliant save."

"I'm not feeling very brilliant. Maybe I'm too old to take on New York."

"Brian, even if you were a hundred and two, you'd never be too old to take on New York."

"But the ad, the office..."

"I can't help you with the ad but I can light some fires with the office. When were you planning on going back?"

"Tuesday."

"Then I'll go back with you. Gordon and his crew can finish up here. All they have to do is hook up all the lines and test everything. They don't need me for that. I'll go with you and take charge of the office remodeling. I'm still licensed in New York."

"You'd do that?"

"Of course, I'm your big brother, after all."

"God! Thank you." Brian slumped a little in John's strong arms.

"Brian, let me make a suggestion."

"Anything, I need all the help I can get at this point."

"Take Justin and Bree with you back to New York. Take Cynthia and Ted too. You can't do this alone and you shouldn't have to."

"Have they been talking about me?"

"No, not really, but they know the shit you've been going through. I've been going into Pittsburgh giving estimates and dropping off Bree at school. Cynthia's worried. She's been getting the calls from the temp agency you've been using and it's not pretty."

"Not one of them can make a decent cup of coffee."

"So, I've heard. You can afford to put them up in a good hotel for a while. Do it, Brian. You've worked with Cynthia for how long?"

"Got to be close to twenty years."

"And Ted?"

"Since I started Kinnetik but we've been..."

"He is your friend as much as you hate to admit it, he is your friend. Let him help. That's what you hired him for." Brian nodded. It all made sense. John made sense.

"Let's go have lunch. I sense two little blonds that really need your presence."

Brian nodded again as they turned to go back into the cottage.

"John," Brian stopped to face his brother. "Thank you."

"Hey, I'm your big brother; it's what I do." John winked at Brian and they walked into the house.

*****

Later that evening Brian, Justin and Bree were sitting in the wicker chairs on the sun porch. The sun had gone down and the stars were twinkling above them. The gardens were almost back to normal and everything seemed right. Bree sat on her Dada's lap. She couldn't seem to get enough of him since his return. They were all quiet, thinking.

"Bree, I want to talk to you," Brian said seriously.

Bree looked up into her father's eyes. She knew she was in trouble for the way she had acted the day before. She wondered if he was going to make her go back to her room and not come out. She would do that if she had to. She knew she was in the wrong. "Yes, Dada," she replied batting her baby blues at him. It was worth a try.

"You were very naughty yesterday."

"Yes, Dada."

"You called your daddy a 'bad daddy'. He's not a bad daddy. He loves you very much."

Bree looked down wondering what this meant. Her Dada was speaking so softly, not yelling like last night. "Sorry, Daddy," she said with a little sniffle. She looked lovingly over at her father.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Justin said.

Bree let the tears start to roll. She pushed away from Brian and slid down off his knee. She took the two little steps over to the chair where her Daddy was sitting. She raised her arms for him to pick her up. Justin reached down and pulled her into his arms kissing her cheeks.

"Sorry, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Let's try not to get mad like that again. Okay?"

"'Kay," she whispered as he held her against his chest.

Justin looked over at Brian and they all had tears in their eyes.

After a minute Brian cleared his throat. "How would both of you like to come to New York with me … for a couple of weeks?"

"New York?" Justin asked. "Why?"

"Um … I haven't been very happy in New York these last weeks. Things have been going downhill since I got there."

Justin understood how hard it must be for Brian to admit that. "Is there something I can do to help?"

"Just having you and Bree there would be the biggest help of all. John has volunteered to come and help get the renovations of the office done."

"They're not finished yet?"

"Haven't hardly started. They're on fucking strike."

"I … I didn't know," Justin said sadly. He had been so wrapped up in what was going on at the cottage and with his art that he obviously hadn't heard what Brian was telling him over the phone. Even if Brian didn't complain in so many words, which he rarely did, Justin usually knew when things were going right or wrong by the tone of Brian's voice or by what he didn't say. This time he hadn't been listening.

"I didn't say much about it, but I'm beginning to think I made a big mistake trying to open a branch in New York."

Justin heard the sadness and … defeat in Brian's voice. That shocked him. Brian Kinney never gave up on anything. "You don't make mistakes, and Bree and I would love to come to New York with you. Wouldn't we, Bree?"

Bree looked at her two dads and nodded. Her Daddy sounded excited about this and it sounded like she would be with her Dada. She didn't like it when he wasn't there. "New York," she said. "Yay!"

"That's my girl," Justin laughed giving her a hug.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Brian said hoping this could be the start of better things in the Big Apple. "I missed you both when I was there by myself."

"And we missed you."

"Missed you, Dada."

"This is what I came home for … to hear my two favorite people say they were glad to see me. I'm home at last," Brian said with a contented smile.

Bree and Justin stared at this strange Brian Kinney person. They weren't sure what New York had done to him, but they would be there from now on to make sure everything was fine.