BRIAN 

Justin told me that I get to call Kelly about dinner, since he's willing to call it a date, then I'm willing to get Cynthia to arrange it. It only took snapping my fingers four times to get her to stop staring at Justin like he might disappear. 

Apparently where he was there wasn’t time to play on the computer, so when Gus dragged ‘Daddy’ to the computer, Justin seemed to forget everything else. I grabbed the boards and started writing changes, when Callie came and sat next to me.

“Why are you writing on the picture?” She asks me. 

“They aren't what I wanted.” I tell her. 

“Oh, I thought because they weren't pretty.” She tells me. 

“They aren't, that's my job, to make them into something better.” I tell her. 

“Uncle Justy likes to draw, he's really good, but told me he wanted to be a doctor because they save people.” She tells me. “Uncle Justy, maybe you could draw it so Uncle Brian doesn't write on it.” She tells him. 

“Angel, I just draw for fun.” He tells her, then mumbles that the points on the game need to go up faster.

“He's really competitive.” She tells me. 

When I threw the boards on the table, Justin got up and looked down, wrinkling his nose at them.

“My thoughts exactly.” I tell him. 

Before Justin could say anything else, Lindsay comes running in past Cynthia. 

“Brian, look I couldn’t tell Mel.” She tells me but then looks at Justin. “Oh, sorry, but why are you here, is Gus okay?” She asks him. 

“Sorry Brian, she got past me before I could stop her.” Cynthia tells me.

“Can you take Callie and Gus to see Ted?” I ask her.

“Maybe he could go with them, I need to talk to you alone.” Lindsay tells me, looking down her nose at Justin.

I wait until Cynthia gets the kids out and turn to see what she could possibly think she’s going to accomplish, after I already told her no.

“Really Justin, this is something that Brian and I need to talk about alone.” Lindsay really thinks she’s going to get me alone and I’ll suddenly change my mind.

“Justin stays, because right now he’s part of my life.” I tell her.

“Jesus, first you run around saying you're married and now you're tricking again.” She tells me, but I have a feeling it was for Justin’s benefit.

“Lindsay, what did you not understand about I’m not taking the blame for this?” I ask her, ignoring everything else.

“Brian, I need you to do this or Mel will leave me again.” She tells me.

“It’s the bed you laid yourself in, not my problem.” I tell her, as Mel comes in, looking exhausted. 

Cynthia stood there trying to figure out what to do. I waved her off.

Justin walked over to Mel and made her sit down in a chair that Gus hadn’t been in. 

“Are you okay?” He asks her.

“Justin, wasn’t it.” She asks him looking confused.

“Yeah, how’s your daughter doing?” He asks checking her over.

“She good, I left her with Ben and Hunter.” She tells Justin like he knew them, and I guess he knows her.

“Mel, did you drive here?” Justin asks her.

“I was careful.” She tells him, and I wanted to ask who the woman in the chair was.

“I know your doctor probably told you not to drive, and there is a reason they tell you.” He tells the sweet biddable, Mel?

“Mel, you should have stayed home in bed with Jenny.” Lindsay chastises her.

“And I would have, if I didn’t want to know what the hell you and Brian were doing.” She’s back.

“Look I was jealous and did something stupid.” Lindsay tells her and you know I shouldn’t have expected her to tell the truth, but I did. “I went to the clinic and got them to get me pregnant again, so Brian didn’t really know until I told him recently.” She tells her.

Justin looked at me and I shook my head. Lindsay is really in a class all on her own at making up all sorts of shit. I think she should remember that Mel had my sample destroyed, most likely to keep this from happening. 

“Lindsay, I want the truth, because none of the lies you’ve been telling are working this time.” Mel tells her.

I didn’t expect that one.

“Why would I lie to you?” Lindsay just can’t accept defeat.

“I don’t know, but obviously you don’t want to tell me the truth, which isn’t making me think the best right now. Don’t come home until you can.” Mel tells her, getting up to almost fall to the floor.

Justin caught her. I really admire the upper arm strength. “Mel did you eat anything today?” Justin asks her.

“I just got home, and decided stupidly to see if I could get the truth from Lindsay.” She tells him.

I hand her the rest of my pasta salad when Justin was looking for something for her to eat. Mel tries to turn it down but Justin seems to have her number.

“You are a brand new mother who needs to the food in order for your body to produce the milk your child needs. So eat this or I’m going to personally feed it to you. Then either I am or someone else is going to drive you home. Do you understand that I’m not giving you a choice. I can come with you and check on that beautiful little girl if you want me to.” He tells her, smiling the whole time. Shit, I’m kind of worried when Mel seems to maybe fall in love at his bedside manner.

“Where am I supposed to go?” Lindsay asks like anybody cares right now.

“Maybe spend some time with Lynette, since you and she have never figured out how to tell anyone the truth about anything.” Mel snaps.

“I’ll just stay with Brian until you stop acting like this.” She tells her, smiling to herself at the thought.

“Find somewhere else, because the loft isn’t available.” I tell her.

“Brian, are you going to seriously put me and the baby on the street.” Like we all know she won’t just go see Mummy and Daddy.

“Don’t, Lindsay. I’ll keep Gus, but NOT you.” I tell her.

Lindsay leaves, yelling for Gus. When Mel starts to get up Justin tells her to stay and tilts his head for me to deal with it. Why do I feel trained; because instead of balking, I run out the door.

“Lindsay, you’re leaving Gus here. You need to fix this before you start moving him all over the place.” I tell her.

“How could you not help me?” She was leaking tears and it just wasn’t working this time.

“Your life doesn’t outweigh mine anymore. I have a marriage to consider, and standing in front of my husband lying just doesn’t build confidence that I’m worth his time. Think about that, since Mel is supposed to be the love of your life.” I tell her.

Lindsay looked at Justin and then at me. “Are you kidding me?” She asks, trying to go back in the room.

“Do not go in there and embarrass yourself.” I tell her.

She yanked her arm away and stomped off. I was just exhausted at this point and realized I still had to get through dinner and God only knew what next. I felt an arm around my waist and Justin leading me to the couch.

“Look, I’m going to take Mel home, check on the baby and then I’ll take Gus and Callie with me to your place. So finish what you're doing and go take a nap.” Justin tells me. 

“I can take the kids home and…” 

“No, because I was going to let them run their little legs off at the park first so they can nap. I’ll call my sister and see if she can come watch the kids tonight. Daphne and Andrew are bringing Andy home today and I think Callie is still resistant to the idea, so this is helping everyone.” He tells me, and I get why Mel is so, not Mel. He makes everything sound like we are being unreasonable.

After they leave I pack up and head home. I had told Justin I didn’t need a nap, which would have been more believable if I hadn’t fallen in bed, straight to sleep.

JUSTIN

Mel just seemed to almost deflate when I put her in my car. Blake offered to drive her car home and then ride back with me. I really didn’t expect her to say anything but it was like a dam opened and flooded the car.

“I just don’t know why she can’t tell me the truth. I screwed up once, and if that was all it was for her then I can deal with it. Maybe I’m lying though, because I could deal with another woman but another man, I just don’t know. How am I going to deal with a child from an affair, because that’s what this is. I want to say it’s okay, but right now I’m too angry that instead of the truth she keeps trying to lie about it.” She stared out the window the whole time with tears.

“Mel, you have a baby that will feel the stress if you keep worrying about this. Right now the only thing you need to do is hold your daughter and rest, all of it will still be there to worry about after.” I tell her, because she really shouldn’t be this stressed out after a having a baby.

“How do I deal with all of this? I’m the one who takes care of everything.” She tells me.

I park in front of the house she pointed at and really, what could I say. It’s not like I get why Lindsay seems to think telling the truth is any worse that all the stories she seem to be making up. Blake was on the phone when he got out of the car and I refrained from telling him how many accidents come through the ER for that reason alone. 

“I waited to call until I got here.” He smirks at me, motioning toward the phone.

“I’m not saying anything.” I tell him.

“I could see it in your eyes.” He tells me. “Mel, Ben and Hunter are coming over to hang out and make sure you don’t do too much.” He tells her.

“They don’t have to.” I could tell she wasn’t really upset at them coming over.

“They want to, Ben said with Michael being stuck at Deb’s for a couple days, that it freed up all his time. Which I almost asked, but managed to hold my tongue, if he was married to or raising Michael.” Blake tells us.

“I would say raising because the man has some serious issues.” I tell them, and they both stare for a second at me.

“How many times did it take you to figure that out?” Blake ask seriously.

“The minute he started spazzing over Gus.” I tell him.

They both end up laughing, but hey, if Mel can laugh than she’s not crying. I smile and take her in the house while Blake runs to the kitchen and makes her some lunch. Looking at the pictures, I smile at one of Brian, sleeping with a baby on top of him.

“That was just after Gus was born.” Mel tells me.

“He looks like he’s comfortable being a father.” I tell her, sitting next to her.

“He loves Gus more than anyone in the world.” She tells me almost surprising herself that she said it.

“I could see that, are you going to be alright?” I ask her.

“The guys will probably mother me until I scream, but yeah. Um, why were you at Brian’s office?” She asks.

“I’m kind of his husband.” I tell her.

“Mel, are you okay.” Blake came out to see why she’s practically hysterical.

“He… just… just… said… he’s… married… to... Brian.” She gets out between convulsions of laughter.

“Mel, he is.” Blake tells her and she stopped.

“You are either the bravest man in the world or going for sainthood.” She tells me then starts giggling.

“Thanks, I think.” I tell her.

Ben and Hunter show up and I check Jenny, who was just beautiful, and leave Mel with my number in case she needs me. Getting the kids and running them ragged worked, because I carried to sleeping kids to the elevator and used the key Ted handed me to get in. I laid them down on the floor cushions and went in to check on Brian, who didn’t seem to have gotten any further than falling on the bed.

It was almost like we were married when I pulled off the shoes and got his coat off. I smiled that I could still do it without waking up the person. Looking through the cabinets, I call Molly and ask her to get some things for the loft and to see if she could watch the kids tonight. My sister, ever the brat, agreed only after complaining that I never call unless I want her to be my slave. So I made a joke, that opening the loft door meant dealing with my mom sooner than planned. I know how juvenile it was, but Mollusk brings out the kid, I stuck out my tongue.

“So Justin, is there some reason you didn’t tell me you were married?” My mom asks.

You think I could pretend the door closed itself? Nah, me neither.