JUSTIN

Getting back to the real world meant dealing with the things that had been going on while we were gone. Apparently, Ben is somehow trying to work on his marriage with Michael and just doesn’t understand why everyone can’t just support his decision. Hunter ended up showing up at Deb’s and asked to stay for a while. Ben seemed to think he needed to talk to Brian, and I just sat and tried to figure out why he needed Brian to be involved at all.

“Brian, I know Michael’s made some bad decisions, but I think it’s more how he feels about commitment, and he’s admitting that he’s jealous that you and Justin are working while he and I are having problems. He understands that he isn’t going to chase after you if he wants us to work. The only thing he wants is a chance to know his entire family.” He tells us.

“Auntie D doesn’t have a problem with talking to Michael.” I tell him.

“Justin, he wants to try to find a way for you and him to get along.” Ben tells me.

“Why? I’m going to be honest, I don’t like him. I just can’t find anything about him that makes being friends possible.” I tell him.

When Brian’s phone rings he gets up and walks out of the room to answer. I wait for Ben to explain why he thinks I need to be involved with his problems.

“Michael just feels like the reason his aunt, uncle, father, and cousin seem resistant in getting to know him, is because of you.” He tells me.

“Ben, my front door is right there.” I point. “Use it.” I tell him, getting up and walking into my kitchen.

“Justin, you have to admit that your family seems to rally around you.” Ben tells me, what part of leave is he not getting?

“Ben, you and Michael have the right to think what you want and do what you want, but don’t come in my house and start blaming me for Michael’s issues with my family.” I tell him.

“Michael hasn’t had a lot of family…” 

“I don’t have a lot of sympathy, so save it and leave.” I tell him.

“What were you and Michael thinking?” Brian comes in seething.

“That Jenny deserves a home with two loving parents. You should understand, isn’t that why you never sought custody of Gus?” Ben asks us.

“So you're here to get my family to support you and Michael taking Jenny from Mel?” I ask.

“We just want our daughter to be raised with two parents.” Ben tells us.

“Then go try that, hopefully you two will do better with a baby than a teenager.” I tell him.

“We aren’t trying to take her from Mel, just give her more than Mel can. Lindsay’s supporting us.” He tells us.

“Ben, you aren’t welcome here anymore.” I tell him and when he looks at Brian he realizes that he isn’t getting any help from there either.

“Oh by the way, Lindsay is going to sue for Gus.” He tells us as he leaves.

It didn’t even bother me when Brian threw his phone hard enough to shatter it. I stood back and let him decide what he needed in that moment. When he turned and opened his arms I walked into them.

“I have to fight her on this.” He tells me.

“Then we fight.” I tell him.

MEL

When Brian and Justin showed up, I was still sitting next to Ted holding the papers they delivered this morning. How could she act like she wanted us to be friends and then do this?

“I called Brian.” Ted tells me as he lets Brian and Justin in.

“You seem to be having one hell of a maternity leave.” Brian tells me. 

“She's suing for both children.” I tell him. 

“Then we need to show her that it's the wrong thing.” Brian tells me. 

“How, with Michael I'm being push from both sides?” I ask him. 

“Justin and I are going to help you push back, but I need you to help me.” He tells me.

“You want to take my rights.” I always knew this day was coming.

“No. I want to have rights too. You and I know that it was always possible.” He tells me.

“She came to me this weekend and acted like we could be friends.” I tell him.

“This is what you warned me about, isn’t it?” Justin asks Brian.

“Yes, I just expected them to lick their wounds longer.” Brian tells us.

“Ben is trying to use what happened when I came home as my lack of being able to deal with a new baby and Gus.” I tell them.

“You know I was impartial on Ben, but now, not so much.” Justin tells me.

“I contacted a lawyer I know and he thinks we should try to meet together in a neutral place and see if we can get them to see that uprooting the kids wouldn’t be what is best. He wants you, Lindsay, and me to meet first.” Brian tells me.

“There’s nothing to meet about, if Mel had been taking care of the kids instead of leaving them with everyone else I wouldn’t be doing this.” Lindsay tells us from the door.

“Get out of my house.” Mel tells her.

“I’m here to see my son and daughter, are you really going to deny me the right to see them. Oh wait, they're at Deb’s and Jen’s house instead of home again.” Lindsay smirks.

“Why?” Brian asks her.

“For the kids, remember you said she was leaving me for the children’s sake. I think that the fact that she can barely deal with Jenny without your husband showing up just tells me the kids would be better with me. When I explained that to Michael and Ben, they seemed to understand too.” She tells him, turning and leaving.

BRIAN

I walk out after Lindsay, because even with me expecting her to do something, this wasn’t what I thought.

“Lindsay, why are you doing this to her?” I ask.

“Brian, it’s not about Mel, but that she can’t be a single mother with two kids. What is she going to do when she has to go to work? Do you really want our son shuffled everywhere while she works the kinds of hours that she does. I can be home when Gus gets out of school and Michael and I have already worked out a schedule for Jenny. So we both decided after that wonderful family dinner, that it was time to form a family too.” She tells me.

“Then the lines are drawn, see you on the other side of the table.” I tell her.

“What are you talking about?” She asks frowning.

“Justin, Mel, and I will be together to see that you and Michael don’t get what you want.” I tell her.

“Brian, your past will not look good for Mel.” She tells me.

“I wonder how Justin’s will look.” I tell her.

“You want to see how the drunken marriage looks?” She laughs.

“I think it’s going to look good compared to the affair with Sam. We only have Justin’s family behind us, but that’s probably nothing that would scare you, right.” I tell her walking into the house.

“Michael I could understand, but Lindsay, what does she get from this?” Justin asks me.

“She wants Mel to pay for leaving first.” I tell him.

“Brian, we need to join our lives.” Justin tells me.

“Why?” I ask.

“We need to show that this is more than a drunken marriage. To me, you're the person I want to see when I open my eyes every morning and when I close them at night.” He tells me.

“Ted, we have some work to do, Mel we need you too.” I tell them.

Mel and Ted met us at Kinnetik. Grampy was there talking on the phone, but hung up when he saw us.

“What’s going on?” He asks Mel.

“I’m being considered an unfit single mother.” Mel tells him, tears running down her cheek.

“Brian?” Warren asks.

“Lindsay and Michael.” I answer.

“Darling girl, it’s going to be fine.” He tells her, rubbing her back.

“It’s just that she came to me offering to try to make it work and I fell for it. At least Michael didn’t surprise me.” She tells us.

“Why not Michael?” Justin asks.

“He told me that he didn’t like that Jenny was going to be raised by a single mother. Then went on and on about how he and Ben are back together.” She tells us.

“Why show up at my house, that I don’t get?” Justin asks.

“Who?” Warren asks.

“Ben, he came over saying that he wanted to find a way for Michael and I to get along.” Justin tells him.

“If we support Michael, we aren’t supporting Mel.” Warren tells Justin like it should be obvious.

“Justin and I need to take care of some things, if anything with Drew needs to be handled then get with Cynthia.” I tell Warren.

“I actually came by because of the benefit tomorrow for Doctors Without Borders. Your Granny and I wanted to go with you.” He tells us.

“Is there a reason?” Justin asks.

“To show my support to my grandsons, and Mel we’d be honored to bring young Gus with us.” He tells us, leaving to mostly likely mess with someone else today.

“Ted, I need Justin added to everything I own.” I tell him.

“I’ll get my accountant to call you Ted, so that my accounts get transferred to here and joined to Brian’s.” Justin tells Ted. “No arguments, we are in this for life.” Justin tells me.

MICHAEL

Lindsay showed up looking upset. Truthfully, I really wanted her to move out, since I didn't need her to help me get my daughter. 

“What now?” I ask.

“Brian is supporting Mel.” She tells me.

“So, he isn’t legally anything to Gus.” I tell her.

“Yes, but he paid support and we’ve pretty much let him see Gus when he wants. In a way we gave him the rights of a father.” She tells me looking at the table.

“So?”

“So, any good lawyer could argue that Brian still has rights.” Lindsay tells me.

“Like he wants Gus around when he’s playing house with the doctor.” I tell her.

“Look, Mel told me this when I took the money Brian was giving us, and she’s good, but you don’t think they aren’t going to get a great lawyer to try and keep Gus.” She asks me.

“Sounds like a problem for you.” I tell her.

“It will be a problem for you, because you want me to tell everyone what a great father you are.” She tells me.

“When Ben wasn’t willing to talk I needed you, but now that I have a partner and a home for my child, what you do really doesn’t matter to me. In fact I would really like for you to get your things and leave.” I tell her, smiling until I see Ben standing there.