Chapter 24

November gently segued into December with very little fanfare. Kinnetik N'rgy was taking New York by storm, 'advertisingly' speaking, of course. Stacey and Ken continued to butt heads but it made for innovative ads. Stacey called upon Cynthia and Scott frequently. Scott had been where Stacey was now and she found his input very helpful.

Edna's Treasures was getting back to normal. The family kindly left Brian, Justin and Bree alone for their first week home and Brian decided to work from there. Briana needed time to readjust from her time away from home and she appeared to be sticking to Patrick like glue when he wasn't at school. Brian needed the time to unwind and recuperate from the stress of setting up the new office. Admitting to himself that he was aging, Brian thought it prudent to make an appointment with the good Dr. Morrison. He passed the exam with flying colors and made a promise to learn how to delegate more. Justin was now in full "prepare for the show" mode. All Brian, John and Bobby could do, was to stay out of Justin's way for fear of getting mowed down. Brian took that opportunity to reconnect with Bree and his brother and family.

While cold out, the days were still sunny. Brian and Briana bundled up to do the last gar-gar of the season. Brian's precious flower beds were tended, groomed and mulched. John had added the shutters to the Wendy house. The flower boxes were cleaned and stored away, the shutters were closed and the furniture brought into the playhouse. The Wendy house and gardens were prepared for winter. That left setting up the Christmas lights outside along the path to the door and on the trellis around the front door. Brian was doing just that when his eyes left his own front door and wandered towards Rachel's house.

"Brian?" Rachel opened her front door to see her brother-in-law standing there. "Come in, you must be freezing. Where's Bree?"

"She went with Justin to the Pitts."

"Ah, yes, his show. When does it open?"

"The date got pushed back a little but they're hoping for the 12th."

"I can't wait to see it. Um, Brian, are you okay?" Rachel noticed the slight scowl on Brian's face.

"I'm fine," Brian replied curtly.

"You know, when Bobby gives me an answer like that, I know everything is definitely NOT fine. Now, spill."

"Are you happy here?"

"Happy? You mean, here, in this house, in the middle of nowhere? Of course, I'm happy. I'd be a lot happier if I could persuade you to come into the kitchen for coffee rather than standing here, freezing by the door." Brian mouthed, sorry, then followed Rachel into her kitchen. This was really Brian's first time in her house and he was taking his time looking around.

"How rude of me, you've never been in here, have you?" Brian shook his head, no. "Then let me give you the 50-cent tour." While the coffee was brewing and some muffins warming, Rachel showed Brian around her home.

"It's a very nice home, Rachel. I see why you didn't want to go down without a fight," Brian commented as he sipped his coffee.

"But now you feel we're intruding on your little corner of the world." Rachel was brutally honest with Brian.

"I didn't mean to imply..." Brian sputtered, now embarrassed by his misgivings.

"Don't be embarrassed. There's nothing wrong in voicing your opinion. Bobby may be the lawyer in the family but I'm the family mouthpiece. Brian, tell me the truth. Are you upset that we moved the house here?"

"Not really, and I can barely see it from my house. Our hedges and rose bushes have grown so high that they block off most of the view of your home from my front door."

"But you know we're here." Brian nodded silently. "Did you know that Bobby had reservations about the move too?" Brian's eyes grew wide. "But not for the same reasons. He thought I'd want to be Patrick's mother. I'll admit the thought did cross my mind but only for a second." Brian tensed. He couldn't help his protective mode from kicking in.

"Brian, I know that look, I've seen it enough in John's eyes. What's with you tall, dark and handsome types anyway? Always looking out for the younger blond or in this case, the red-head. Bobby's one lucky son of a bitch. Now before you get your knickers in a knot, I already had a long chat with my brother and we're cool. I love Patrick and I will always be there for him, but Bobby and John are his parents. I'm satisfied knowing that that little boy is so well loved by his fathers and by his uncles. Just as I know that your little girl is just as loved."

Rachel paused to refill Brian's cup.

"Brian, my family and I are very grateful to you and Justin for transferring the land to us. I promise we will respect the land and surrounding forest. We're quiet people and the girls will be going away to college before you know it. You'll hardly know we're here. I'm a stay at home mom; I'd love to babysit Briana at anytime. I've already started to pick up Patrick after school. There's no reason for me not to spend time with Bree. Besides, we girls have to stick together. I don't think you or Justin wear enough pink," Rachel stated with a straight face.

Rachel and Brian cracked up with laughter then Brian got up to hug his new neighbor.

*****

"Justin," a soft voice called out from behind a sculpture.

"Susan? What are you doing here?"

"I read about your show in the papers. I was hoping I'd see you."

"Where's Craig?"

"Working, where he always is lately. I'm sorry, Justin, I know you're busy but I don't know who to talk to. Your mom doesn't need to hear any of this. She lived with the man long enough to know what he's like."

Justin grimaced at Susan's admission.

"I'll apologize, again. You don't need to hear it either." Susan looked miserable. "In spite of what he's done, I still love him."

Justin directed Susan to a nearby bench. "How can I help?"

"I'm not really sure. We have a year until your sister's wedding but I don't think I can last that long. Your father grows more miserable every day. He's stopped talking to Molly and barely speaks to me. Christmas is coming, and I booked us on a cruise. He's using it as an excuse when friends ask what plans we've made for the family. I'm running out of ideas to distract him."

"How long will you be away?"

"Three weeks, two on the ship, one week in St. Croix. We'll return after the New Year."

"That gives us some time to think of a plan. Look, Susan, I want to be there at Molly's wedding and as much as I'd be honored to escort her down the aisle, that honor should go to Craig; even if he is the biggest bastard this side of Philadelphia. But right now, I have to concentrate on this show. And if I know Brian, he's gonna want to do a big Christmas, a very big Christmas. We've been away for a long time. I'm going to be caught up in that."

"I understand. I'll leave you alone."

"No, Susan, that's not what I meant. This show will be here for at least six months before it goes to New York. I have to come in to rub shoulders with my fans once in a while. We can meet here again when you get back and we'll think of something."

"Do you think I should call Molly?"

"No, she's just as stubborn as Craig. We need to work up a plan to get the two of them talking and for him to at least entertain the thought of me and Brian coming to the wedding. For now I think you should go home and pack. Um … and if you don't mind some advice?"

"I'll take whatever advice you can give me."

"You say you love Craig."

"I do, Justin, so help me I do. With all my heart."

"Then I suggest you do what I do when Brian has his head up his butt."

"What's that?"

"Distract him." Justin smiled a very sly smile and Susan turned a deep crimson.

"Oh."

"Mmm hmm. You wear your sexiest bikini on that cruise and get his attention then keep him occupied."

"Do I get to come up for air?"

"Maybe. If you were a man, I'd ask if you were UP to the job."

"I'm not a man but I'll make sure my man is up for the job."

"Eiw, Susan, TMI!" Susan and Justin doubled over with laughter.

*****

With Justin spending each day in Pittsburgh, Brian decided to take charge of the decorating. The occupants of Edna's Treasure thought it made more sense to purchase and decorate one large tree and have it set up in the sun porch rather than having a tree in each cottage. It was a week before Christmas when Brian went to the garden center to buy fresh wreathes, bows and garland to decorate the sun porch. He also purchased a Christmas tree worthy of Rockefeller Center. Brian drove the Cherokee as close to the sun porch entrance as he could and began to unload. Both cottages were quiet. The winter months were a quiet time for John and his business. He spent most of it working on his special designs and doing consulting work. Brian knew John should be home. He was going to require his brother's help to get the tree unloaded and set up in the porch.

As Brian unloaded the last of his loot, he heard a chopping noise coming from around back close to the shed. As Brian walked closer, he could see John dressed in flannel and a warm down vest. He had an axe in his hands and appeared to be making match sticks out of chords of wood that were all stacked neatly for their fireplaces. Brian waited until John chopped the last bit then drove the axe into the chopping stump.

"John?" Brian said gently so as not to startle his brother. John turned around to face Brian, his eyes were red-rimmed, John's face streaked with tears. Brian's eyes grew large, fearing the worst.

"No, Brian, everyone's fine," John said understanding his brother's unspoken fears.

"Then what happened?" Brian said softly as he drew closer to his older brother.

"Beau. When he didn't come to the kitchen this morning for breakfast, Mom went to the barn. She found him, curled up like he always did when he goes to sleep. His nose was tucked under his tail. He died, Brian, in his sleep. He just went to sleep and never woke up." Brian brought John into his arms.

"But Beau was so young," Brian couldn't believe the big old dog was gone.

"Brian," John stepped back a little to look into his brother's eyes. "We've known each other for ten years now, Beau was six when you and Justin first came into our lives.

"He was that old? He always looked so young, so full of energy." John nodded and then the tears began to flow. "I'm so sorry, John. I loved that flea bitten old mutt too," Brian gently groused.

"You know, we always had a Beau at the farm. He's had many incarnations. Even Kinney had his Beauregard," John explained.

"I remember reading that in his journal. And I think I remember Beau when Jack brought me to the farm."

"That was the Beau I grew up with. We even have a Beau cemetery out behind the barn."

"You are joking, aren't you?"

"No, I found it when I was a kid. I was playing back there and tripped over a rock. Or at least I though it was just a rock. When I examined it closer I saw it was carved. You could just make out the name Beau and a date."

"You were the rock man back then, weren't you?" Brian snarked with a small smile. John nodded; he was always curious about why things were made. "After we set up the tree, we'll go to the farm and give old Beau a proper send off." John nodded in agreement. Then Brian hugged his brother close, comforting the man who had been his rock, his support all those weeks in New York.

"We'll get through this," Brian reassured John. The brothers stood silently for a while. A few snowflakes began to fall, whirling around them in the wind. They then went to unload the tree. The only noise for miles was the crunching of their boots on the path.

*****

"Hellooo!"

"Oh for fuck's sake. I thought I gave him a key," Brian groused then buried himself under his pillow.

"You did give me a key," Emmett said as he lifted the corner of Brian's pillow to peer at the man trying to sleep late on Christmas morning.

"Holy fucking shit!" Brian exclaimed as he saw Emmett's eye staring back at him. He abruptly sat up in bed, his chest heaving hard. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Brian looked around and noted his bed was lacking one blond boy. "Justin?"

"Have no fear, oh heaving one. Our sweet little Sunshine is over at John and Bobby's doing breakfast for the masses." Brian looked at the clock.

"Ten? You all let me sleep until ten in the morning?"

"Brian, honey, I woke up early to start on the hors d'oeuvres. Justin was up early too. We noticed that Santa was very busy last night or should I say very early this morning. Now this fairy godmother decided that Santa deserved to sleep in. Oh, just thought you should know, Mikey and Ben loved sleeping on the brass bed last night. Drewsie and I had lots of fun upstairs."

"I noticed."

"The coffee's ready. Why don't you shower then join us out in the porch." Brian nodded and was about to get out of bed when he noticed that Emmett wasn't leaving.

"Out, you pervert."

"I'm not a pervert. I just know what I like to look at." Brian snarled at the tall queen.

"I'm going, I'm going. You never let me have any fun," Emmett griped then was out in a flash. Brian shook his head then got ready to face the day.

*****

"Where is she?" John said anxiously. The family was waiting for Claire Anderson-McNally and her husband to arrive at Edna's Treasures. The whole family was gathered, chomping at the bit, wanting to open the gifts that were neatly arranged under the enormous tree. Emmett was correct; Santa Kinney had been busy. There were at the very least two gifts for each adult and each child had a pile.

"Here we are!" Claire called out as she entered at Brian's end of the cottage. Brian was there to greet her.

"You have it?" he whispered. Claire nodded.

"Outside with Steve. He'll come through the porch door when you're ready."

"Okay, let's do this now before your old man freezes his..."

"Brian!"

"Let's go."

As Claire entered the porch, the whole family greeted her.

"Mother, where have you been and where is Steve? I was worried." John shot up from his seat to give his mother a hug. He stepped back and suspiciously gave his mother and brother the once over. "What's going on?"

"Jackie, sweetheart, Brian and I wanted to give you something special."

"Mother, I have everything I could possibly want or need." John gave his brother a crossed eye look. Brian smirked with his tongue stuck in his cheek. Claire then waved at Steve at the door.

"Merry Christmas, Jackie!" Steve quickly came through the door.

"Um, Steve?" John looked at his step father with a question on his face.

"Oops, sorry son, Merry Christmas," Steve said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a six month old shepard mix puppy and handed him over to John.

"Merry Christmas, big brother, and let me introduce you to..."

"Beau!" John and Brian said in unison.

Everyone greeted the newest addition to the family then Brian playing Santa one more time with Justin as his very own elf, handed out all the gifts.

*****

"Patwick, come pway with me." Bree used her baby talk and coyly batted her eyes at her best friend. Patrick couldn't resist and followed the toddler to her room. There they sat on her bed surrounded by all her stuffed animals and Muñequita. Bree began to regale her cousin and best friend all about New York and the liberry that her Gamma Joan brought her to. Bree's grey bunny was perched on her lap.

*****

The family all gathered at the dinner table ready to enjoy the enormous Christmas meal Emmett and family had prepared. Brian aka Santa was given express orders to sit back and relax. His job, other than passing out presents, was to carve the ham and roast.

As they passed around dish after dish, Brian requested a pause then asked Joan to say grace. With moist eyes, Joan recited a simple prayer asking the God she believed in to bless her family and she expressed her best wishes for a Happy New Year. It became relatively quiet as the family dug into the wonderful meal. They shared quiet conversations.

Bree and Patrick were sitting next to each other as they usually did. They were accustomed to sharing and tasting off of each other's plate. The grey bunny that Joan had given Bree was sitting in a place of honor next to Bree in her chair. Patrick leaned over to whisper into Briana's ear. Bree nodded as she popped a few peas into her mouth. . Brian was carving up more ham.

"Dada?"

"Yes, Squirt?"

"Me and Patwick..."

"Yes, Squirt."

"Do we have mommies?"

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