EPILOGUE: Two years later

Daphne and Glenn -

After a destination wedding in Aruba, they were given a month long honeymoon by Brian and Justin. Two weeks after they got home, Daphne found out she was pregnant. She had a wonderful pregnancy, and gave birth to twins, Aiden and Cole. They are making plans for their twins first birthday in a month. Tiffany and Christian were thrilled that their ‘cousins' have finally started walking.

Harriet -

Harriet decided to retire from the family business, Glenn and Daphne would be taking over. Loves her four grandchildren equally. Volunteers at Sunbow Safe House and hires most of the kids to work at the country club. A Belle Dame in every sense of the word, Harriet still rules the WASP nest, alongside Jennifer, with an iron fist in a velvet glove. The new addition to their group keeps both women in stitches with her no bullshit approach to life in general. Amazingly enough, Deb has fit right in, teaching them all not to judge books by their covers, or based on a checkbook. Carl is also well-liked, but prefers to let Harriet, Jennifer, and Deb shine.

Ted and Blake -

Blake moved in with Ted once Tiffany and Christian turned two. Ted is still Brian's CFO and right hand at Kinnetik. Blake works at Sunbow and is the head counselor. Ted also volunteers there when his hectic schedule allows. Although still not parents themselves, Ted and Blake spend as much time with Tiffany and Christian as Brian and Justin will allow. Every now and again, they will call in the Belle Dames for reinforcements, knowing that Brian and Justin will reluctantly give in. It's all done in fun and love, and for the two men who were searching for acceptance in a very wrong place- at the rock bottom of their addictions- they found each other and keep each other on the road to recovery. More importantly, they keep each other sane and secure in themselves and each other.

Emmett and Drew -

They are still together and looking into adopting. Drew retired from football and works at Sunbow as the athletic director. Emmett and Darren's catering business took off and they opened a small bakery on Liberty Avenue for people to come in and sample their creations.

Most of their employees come from Sunbow. Emmett and Darren also have apprentice cooks that they get from Sunbow.

Vic and Rodney -

Followed along with everyone else and got married. Vic took some interior design classes and now does room designs for a lot of the country club members. Rodney now runs the furniture store with Vic. Rodney realized he had a knack for woodworking and makes custom pieces for the store along with teaching woodworking to his apprentices from Sunbow.   

Michael - 

Michael was having the worst time of his life in prison. The shock of being sentenced to 40 years in prison was minimal compared to the reality. It didn't help that when the toxicology report from the hospital was submitted, it revealed Michael Blood Alcohol Content to be four times the legal limit. Coupled with the heroin he had taken earlier that night and remnants of cocaine still present in his system, Michael should have been arrested simply for walking to the bathroom. It was determined that he knowingly got behind the wheel of the car, which killed Catherine Taylor on impact.

Although Craig Taylor officially died of asphyxiation due to a crushed thorax, it was determined that the deployment of the airbag during the initial collision is what caused it. Therefore, Michael was held one-hundred percent responsible for his death. Michael then tried to sue the people who rescued him from his car, saying that if they hadn't moved him, he might have still been able to walk. The case was thrown out under the Good Samaritan Law, although if Judge Roy Russo had his way, he would have sentenced Michael Charles Novotny for being the biggest asshole to ever enter his courtroom. Alas, there was no law against being an ungrateful idiot.

As for Michael's own condition following that crash that irrevocably changed his life, he was living with a severed spinal cord, causing paraplegia of his lower limbs. After the second attempt to reattach the nerve endings, Dr. Harrison informed Michael that his condition would have to remain permanent, as a third surgery would kill him. Michael lived in a permanent state of mental agony. Asleep, he would dream of the days when he shuffled his feet in imitation of dancing and get hard watching live porn when he walked in on his 'best friend', but would wake up to the reality that he would never feel anything below his waist again.

The officers and prisoners alike would have felt sorry for him if Michael had given them a chance to. Instead he whined, complained, and aggravated everyone until the Warden had decided that a time out for everyone was needed. Within three months of his incarceration, Michael was placed in Solitary Confinement for weeks at a time. His second stint in the box was when Deb had gone to see her son to tell him that she no longer worked at the Diner, and to give him the new number for where she would be. He became so irate when she mentioned that she was working in one of the boarding houses that Brian and Justin had began shortly after Michael began his forty year sentence that he was mandated to spend three weeks in Solitary in hopes that he could learn to show his mother the respect she was due.

Michael replied that as far as he was concerned his mother was dead. If she couldn't get him out, she was absolutely useless and that there was no point even remembering her name. When the officers and the Warden looked back to see the heartbroken woman, and after returning from situating Michael in confinement with strict instructions to the attending officer, they all told her to not let his bitterness affect the sweet woman she is. As a result, she gained lots more sons and daughters to replace the one who so callously threw her away. Debbie sends them goodies from Vic and Em's catering service twice a month, and in return every time they're able to make it to Pittsburgh, they visit Deb and Carl, volunteering at the boarding house and doing whatever they can to help the population that so many had turned away simply because of the way they were born.

Michael overheard many of their adventures in passing, and now wished that he was still a part of Deb's life. She never visited him again.  

Ben and John 

Both finished out their contracts with the college and now teach at Sunbow.

Ben has never been happier. Sure he and John fight, but they vowed never to go to bed angry. On the day of Michael's sentencing, Ben cried. Like Debbie, he felt a little responsible for Michael's downward spiral, and like Carl, John told him that Michael's decisions were his own and he was not to blame. Together the two began seeing Alex Wilder to help Ben get over the grief and guilt of his first marriage, so that it would not continue to affect his new relationship.

It took some time, but Ben finally saw that he was indeed trying to help Michael all along, even at the risk of his own sanity. He began to understand that although he loved Michael at the time, he was also being suffocated by Michael's expectations, instead of remaining true to himself. He still sees Alex on occasion, when the old doubts and fears try to creep up, like after the first time Michael called him collect from the correctional facility. Michael had caught Ben in a particularly vulnerable place that day, where the man couldn't help but hear all of Michael's grievances against him. John had walked into the house, taking only a few moments of observing Ben to catch the full gist of the situation.

It was then that John took matters into his own hands, beginning with changing the phone number to an unlisted one and requesting that their address also be stricken from the phone book. Those quick actions, and continued therapy restored Ben's faith in himself and in people in general. And John was never more thankful for that.

Melanie - 

Melanie was still thanking her lucky stars that she wasn't in any worse shape than what she was. Sure, it was hard to watch as Lindsay received the maximum sentence allowed by law for Breaking and Entering, along with Extortion. But all in all, Melanie was happy it wasn't her.

Because of her reputation within the law community, and because of the support of both Judge Alexander and Judge Russo, Melanie was given a suspended sentence providing she completed the court-appointed therapy sessions with Alex Wilder, and didn't practice law for the period of two years. That included not giving legal advice for any reason. Most of the family understood; Lindsay and Michael had not. But she couldn't and wouldn't jeopardize herself for a lost cause again. Loving Lindsay had taught her that lesson very well.

But never far from what she's always wanted to do, Jamison gave Melanie a gift when he allowed her to become a law clerk in his library. He even arranged it so that she could be paid for her work while serving out her sentence. No it wasn't what she was used to making as an attorney, but it did allow her to maintain her independence.

It had taken a while, but Brian and Justin had finally been able to be around her again without all the animosity. She even had to admit that both men were loving fathers to Tiffany and Christian, who referred to her as Ms. Mel. It was during the times when they were in close proximity that Mel realized that Brian Kinney was not the big evil she had always made him out to be. When Mel had flat out asked him why he refused to father the children with her and Lindsay, Brian responded by telling her that he was trying not to be used as the tool that came between her and Lindsay. He said that if they weren't going to be together, it wouldn't have been because Lindsay would keep trying to use him as her shield, while she kept taking emotional jabs at Melanie.

She pondered Brian's reasoning long and hard before discussing it with Alex, who agreed with Brian one-hundred percent. It amazed her that her former nemesis was able to see the deceptions and machinations of Lindsay so much clearer than she could, when she lived with Lindsay for so long. So, armed with information and fortitude, Melanie decided to embark on a new life, beginning with the sale of her house. She loved the place, but there were just too many memories of her and Lindsay darkening the hallways for her to ever feel happiness there again. Fortunately, a condo in an upscale community had just been listed, and surprisingly Jennifer Taylor had been right there to offer it to her.

It was one of the buildings that the older lady had acquired, using a portion of the insurance settlement money. After Melanie toured the building, which had top-of-the-line appliances and an on-site gym, Melanie signed on the dotted line, never looking back. Thanks to her hard work, the house she shared with Lindsay was nearly paid for so the new mortgage wouldn't be so much. Amazingly, the house sold relatively quickly. So Mel took the proceeds from the sale, and immediately paid off the condo, while saving the rest of the money to replenish the rainy day fund Lindsay had wiped out with her extravagant spending.

Melanie's future was looking even brighter when she discovered that her three nearest neighbors were all ex-girlfriends; two dated her before Lindsay and the other during one of their breakups. Leda, Marianne, and Christine were all too happy to renew their acquaintance with Melanie Marcus. Oh yes, things were definitely looking up!!

Lindsay - 

Lindsay was on the second year of a twenty year sentence. It would have been fifteen, except that within the three weeks of being incarcerated, Light-fingered Lindsay, which the inmates had dubbed her, had stolen one of the officer's charge cards, ordering a thousand dollars worth of merchandise for her and her cellmate known as Big Bertha Nielsen. Bertha's real name was Virginia and she had been in jail for the better part of fifteen years for killing her second husband. When Lindsay told the woman her story, imagine both of their surprise to find out that they were blood related through Nancy Peterson. Lindsay decided to stick close to her grandmother, who was the oldest inmate, thinking that if she had to stay in there, it couldn't hurt being related to the hardened woman for protection purposes.

After it was discovered what Lindsay had done, she had gone before the disciplinary board and was given an additional five years to her already lengthy sentence. She tried to get Brian to write a character witness letter for her, feeling that he owed her for all the times she supposedly bailed him out. Also it would be a way to get back into her good graces, since Brian had chosen Justin and his ass over her friendship. Brian did indeed write a letter to the Warden, but it wasn't to laud Lindsay in any way. The letter requested that she be given the maximum sentence under the law in lieu of her history of taking things that didn't belong to her: the first instance resulted in his children, whom he doesn't regret, but some of the purchases which she had shipped to him at Kinnetik, he did.

After reading the letter, the officiating judge granted Brian's request and added to her sentence.

All was not fun and games for Lindsay, despite the fact that she had her grandmother with her. Lindsay learned the hard way about what it meant to cross Bertha, or be insubordinate to the woman. A few months after the hearing, Lindsay was tending to her duties in the laundry room when several of her grandmother's young friends entered behind her. Her smile of welcome quickly turned to worry as they told her that they were ordered to make Lindsay understand that there was only ONE queen within the prison sector, and it wasn't her. Lindsay was beaten mercilessly, having little or no chance of defending herself, even as the guards looked the other way.

To say that Lindsay had made enemies amongst the staff and prisoners alike due to her entitled attitude would be an understatement. That would have been fine, except that it was making things bad for Bertha in the process. After the beating, Lindsay was ordered to clean herself up, and be ready for an afterhours party that was happening in the cell. Lindsay did as she was told, but whatever questions she had were silenced with a look. When the time came, Lindsay was offered up in payment for the drugs that were being smuggled in during the party by a few corrupt corrections officers.

It was then that Lindsay discovered that Bertha ran a large drug and prostitution ring from inside the prison walls, and Lindsay was going to be a part of it whether she liked it or not. In Lindsay's case, she didn't like it and was again beaten for saying so. After she healed, Lindsay learned to keep her mouth shut, and go with the tide. She was fucked by both men and women, at the whims of her grandmother. She often found herself wondering if her own mother had endured such maltreatment at the hands of Virginia Nielsen, as well.

The most disheartening day of her stay in Chez State Prison had come in the form of a newspaper, which featured the opening of the Rainbow Connection Art Gallery, a subsidiary of Kinnetik Corporation. She teared up seeing Brian in the company of Justin and Mayor Deekins with broad smiles on their faces. But it was the two little children- a boy and a girl- who looked just like their father dressed adorably in Armani Kids with necklaces from Tiffany & Co. The caption under the photo read:

"Mr. and Mr. Brian Taylor-Kinney with their adorable children Tiffany and Christian in front of the Rainbow Connection, which showcases Art predominantly from the LGBT community. Also a featured artist, Mr. Justin Taylor-Kinney, will be showcasing a collection of ten award-winning paintings titled "Rebirth" at the Warhol Museum next month. A recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon Master's Degree Program for Business Administration, Justin is the co-founder of several foundling houses and co-CEO of Kinnetik Corporation. Kinnetik's newest clients, Pepsi and the Ford Motor Company, are pleased to sponsor this event alongside Brown Athletics and Remsen Pharmaceuticals, whom Brian and Justin have worked with on a yearly basis since Kinnetik's inception."

As Lindsay continued to read about all that had happened in the last two years for the Taylor-Kinney family, she wished that she could have been a part of it. Instead she was trapped in a web of her own making, due to selfishness. When Bertha found Lindsay, she was told to suck it up, and that she was due in the Warden's office. Lindsay chuckled sardonically in her mind. She had wanted a powerful man to protect her; wanted to be the center of attention always. She had gotten what she had always wanted, and now all she wanted was to get away. Life was full of ironies that way.     

Jessica Moretti -

Still working at Kinnetik and was now Justin's right hand. Their styles mesh so well they have won awards for the campaign artwork they design together. She also volunteers at Sunbow, teaching art classes with Justin. She's now dating Blake's younger brother Jared. They met at Kinnetik's Christmas Party and have been together for over a year. Blake and Justin are helping Jared to plan a proposal very soon.

Laura Wright -

When her mother died along with Craig, she inherited Taylor Electronics. When she found out, she immediately called Justin and told him she was going to sign the store over to him, Jennifer, and Molly. She didn't feel like she deserved to profit in any way. Because no one wanted to have any connection to the store, it was sold and the money put into Sunbow. Laura then married Jamison Alexander and they were expecting a son in two months.

Deb and Carl

Married in a beautiful ceremony at Brian and Justin's home. It was attended by most of Liberty Avenue. After their three month honeymoon, they both retired from their jobs, gave their house to Vic and Rodney and moved into the convent. They run Sunbow for Brian and Justin. Because of Carl's connections in the police department, instead of the police chasing or picking up the kids who have nowhere to go, they will either send or bring them to Sunbow. Deb does most of the cooking along with teaching cooking to any of the kids who want to learn.

Deb still thinks about Michael sometimes, but it is mainly about when they only had each other. Vic lived in New York back then, and Carl wasn't even a glitch on her emotional radar. Those were amazing times, when she was his hero and he was her savior in ways that no one- including Michael- could possibly imagine or think of. But those days were over. When Michael had finally broken her enough that she would never return to his side, she had no idea that she would gain an entirely new family of sons and daughters because of it.

Those who were witnesses to Michael's cruelty rallied around her to offer her comfort. Afterward, word had spread throughout the staff, including from the Warden's lips himself, of how evilly Michael had treated his mother. So the corrections officers had decided to take her as their own. Some had mothers still alive and well, whereas others had lost their mothers due to abandonment and death. But Debbie Horvath was still their ‘Mom'.

They came around and filled the void that Michael's damning words had left behind to overflowing within her heart. They would come and help out at Sunbow and other Kinnetik Corporation businesses, simply to be close to Debbie and by default Carl, whom was well respected by his fellow officers. As a result, Deb didn't have much time to miss and mourn Michael when she had gained so many loving and love-filled adult children in the process. She still wished that Michael would grow up and change for his own sake, but she wasn't going to hold her breath waiting for it to happen. These men and women had taught her that she was special, and that anyone whose love you had to beg for was not worth the effort.

And Michael Charles Novotny was one of those people.

The Taylor-Kinneys -

The past two years had been a whirlwind for Brian and Justin. They got married at their house surrounded by their family and friends then honeymooned in Hawaii, taking Blake and Ted with them to take care of the kids. Neither man had wanted to be separated from the babies for a week. Upon their return, they opened Sunbow Safe House which houses up to one hundred LGBT youth a year and provides on-the-job training in the fields of their choice while finishing their education. Kinnetik Corporation also holds a partnership with the Board of Cooperative Education Services to assist with post-graduate studies such as nursing, medical assistant, and CNA classes for those who have expressed interests in the medical field, dance for those who want to try their luck in the entertainment industry, and a host of other directions a student may take in their self-directed journey towards success. The Rainbow Connection Art Gallery is one of the most successful galleries on the east coast, showcasing predominantly LGBT art.

Thanks to Brian's idea and Justin- alongside Cynthia- hiring excellent staff for the daycare, all of the children were excelling. The parents were thrilled when Early Intervention specialists were also brought in alongside Early Childhood Education Teachers to assists all of the children. As a result, many of the children were far more advanced in their speech and language skills. The older kids, those of general education and special needs- were also improving in their academics in all facets. Justin also added a Life Skills curriculum to the program, when some of the older children expressed interests in other subjects, like cooking.

His philosophy was to never stunt a child's growth based on age. It had become the motto of the daycare, and the key to their success.

As two year olds, Tiffany and Christian, were well loved by everyone they met, and the true darlings of Kinnetik Daycare. Daddy and Papa spent a lot of lunchtimes sitting on the floor, playing with them. Their fathers were quite surprised when, as they started to grow, they both just looked more and more like Justin and each other, neither one looks anything like either of their egg donors. Most people, other than the family, who of course knew the truth, thought they were twins.

Now, at nearly three years old, it became more and more clear that although they looked alike, Tiffany and Christian Taylor-Kinney's personal styles couldn't be more different. Daddy and Papa explained to them that Uncle Blake was going to go live with Uncle Ted and they were going to get to have their own rooms and get new furniture at Uncle Vic and Uncle Rodney's store. Daddy and Aunt Jessica took them to the store to pick out what they wanted because they would be repainting and decorating the rooms. Tiffany wanted a ‘Starry Night' room to match her favorite painting. She had always loved the swirls of color and would stare at the picture and smile.

Christian wanted a lavender canopy bed and trees and a fairy garden painted on his walls. Justin painted Tiffany's room to look like Starry Night while Jessica transformed Christian's room into a fairy woodland, complete with fairies who resembled all the members of their extended family. The ‘twins' spent their last few nights together sharing one of the spare rooms, while their new rooms were being completed. The morning after the spaces were completed, their fathers woke up to find each of them sitting patiently outside their ‘new' rooms. Brian reminded Christian that he needed to wake up Aunt Jessica because she wanted to see if he liked his new room.

When all the adults and cameras were ready, the doors were opened for the big reveal. Both children were thrilled with their new, very own rooms and the transition from sharing a room to getting their own space went perfectly.

For their first anniversary, Justin had a secret D/s room built in the basement. He included a special bed, benches, a swing and plenty of toys. One of Brian's favorite things though, is the pole Justin put in. Brian loves to watch Justin dance on the pole just for him. Even with two children, the room gets plenty of use, thanks to all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents willing to have the adorable, well behaved kids for overnight visits.

So, between the kids, Kinnetik, The Rainbow Connection, and the Sunbow Safe House, they are very busy, but always make time for themselves. They know the reason things work so well for them is because of the deep and unconditional love they have for each other.

What fate brought together, an indestructible bond of love preserved.

THE END