JUSTIN 

After dinner with Kelly, who is most likely calling her dad, Blake seemed to get Ted to stop trying to find a paper bag. It's always strange the way people react to Grampy. 

“Ted, he's really not that bad.” Blake tells him. 

“Wait, how do you know him?” Ted asked.

“He came by the hospital a lot when Justin was an intern. I met him a few times.” Blake tells us. 

“Grampy was most likely making sure Blake didn’t fail, he hates underachieving.” I tell them. 

“He's going to love you.” Ted tells Brian.

Brian didn’t say anything, but opened his car door. I got in but he seemed to be, as Deb said ‘in his head.’ “Are you really worried about meeting him, he doesn't bite?” I ask him. 

“He either likes me or he doesn't.” Brian tells me. 

“As long as you don't kiss his ass you'll be fine. What is really bothering you?” I ask him, taking Deb's advice.

“My past isn’t going to be all wine and roses. I come from a shitty upbringing and clawed my way out. I am most likely the poster child for what not to do.” He tells me. 

“And?” I ask.

“Just don’t be surprised if your grandfather doesn’t have divorce papers waiting for us to sign.” He tells me. 

“He's never tried to interfere in any of my decisions, because he knows me well enough to know that I'll tell him to kiss my ass.” I tell him. “Can we stop at Mel's, I need to make sure she's resting?” I ask him. 

“Do you think your mother would mind if we stopped to check on Gus?” He asks. “I've never let him stay with people before.” He tells me worried.

“She won't care.” I tell him. 

Brian drove us to Mel's and Hunter answered. He had the ‘Women’ look on his face. “Welcome to hormone central.” He tells us. 

BRIAN

Justin walked straight in and right to Mel, who was sniffling. I just stayed back because you just don't screw with someone who can't fight back. 

“Did Deb tell you about Michael?” Ben asks, holding Jenny.

“Is he giving Mel shit?” I ask.

“No, but I think he's finally understanding what Justin apparently tried to tell him. He's got shingles.” Hunter seemed to think it was funny.

“Deb told us no Sunday dinner for a while.” Ben tells me. 

“So what's with Blondie over there?” Hunter asks, like Emmett hasn't told everyone by now.

“Mel, Jenny doesn't hate you, but she is feeling the stress your body's broadcasting.” Justin tells her, holding the bundle of crying Mel.

“All she does is cry when I hold her, Lindsay was supposed to be here to help.” She tells him sobbing louder. 

“Brian, can you get her some decaf tea?” Justin asks.

“I'll get it.” Ben tells him handing me Jenny.

I look at Jenny, who I can tell is deciding whether to wail like daddy or not, when she farted I figured we were golden. So I started showing her the sights in muncher haven.

“See, she's even nice to him.” Mel tells him wailing.

“Mel, it's because he's not stressed out like you are. Why not go in the kitchen, calm down, then I'll help you with her.” He tells her and she listened. I get why he chose to be a doctor, because it was that or snake charmer.

Justin looked over to Hunter. “What?” Hunter asks, looking uncomfortable.

“If I'm prying tell me, but are you doing okay?” Justin asks him. 

“Yeah, why?” Hunter asks.

“Deb told me about you.” Justin tells him and Hunter got that shitty, defensive attitude he gets when he feels like he's being judged.

“So what, you think a rent boy will infect a baby?.” He sneers at Justin.

“No, I think you would protect that baby with your life. I just wanted to know if you're comfortable with your doctor and taking your meds.” He tells Hunter, who is still not sure of Justin.

“Ben would kick my ass if I didn't take the fifty pills a day. My doctor’s like all of them, you know, not surprised that I'm a soon to be AIDS victim.” He tells us.

“Hunter, he just doesn't have a great bedside manner.” Ben tells us, walking back in.

“He's a dick.” Hunter tells Ben.

“Hunter some doctors just don’t get to know their patients.” Ben tells him. 

“Like Hunter said, some are dicks, but my best friend isn't.” Justin tells them.

“Trolling for the insurance?” Hunter asks.

“Nope, just offering you a chance with a doctor who’ll see you, not a disease. It's up to you if you want to keep seeing someone who makes you uncomfortable.” Justin tells him. 

“Why do you even care?” Hunter asks. 

“Because I can see you're close to not caring.” Justin tells him, not kindly.

“Hunter?” Ben asks, really looking at him, and we all saw what Michael and Ben were ignoring.

“Shit, you and Michael want me to pretend that I don't have this doomsday device ticking in my body. It's all, go to school. It doesn’t matter that people treat me like crap, since I deserve it for peddling my ass for food. You made it easy for me to quit caring.” Hunter tells him, crying.

“No one deserves to get hurt. You did what you did to survive.” Justin tells Hunter. “How the hell could you let your kid do that?” Justin glared at Ben. 

“Ben met Hunter when Hunter offered his ass. Instead, Ben fed him and cleaned him up.” I tell him.

“Oh, sorry, I'm a bit judgemental when I think a parent wasn't taking care of their kids. You need to listen to him when he says that school is getting impossible. The world just isn’t as accepting as you seem to think. There are alternatives to him riding it out in a place that sounds like hell.” Justin tells Ben. 

“Like what, quarantine my ass with the other HIV rent boys?” Hunter asks, because he's reacting like, I would have reacted when I was his age, Justin seems too good to be true.

“You might want to knock that chip off your shoulder, because otherwise Daphne will when you meet her, but an environment where you want to learn because you're not being shit on all day would probably be easier. There’s a night school for kids who don’t want to deal with assholes bullying them. It was set up by a teacher who didn’t like the way the school system seems to ignore the shit that happens.” Justin tells us.

“How would you even know that?” Hunter asks him.

“Being a gay teen is close to HIV in the eyes of assholes. She kept me from dropping out and I paid for her to start the school.” Justin tells him. “Look, think about it and call Daphne in a few days, she’ll at least make sure you're doing okay if nothing else.” Justin tells him handing him a card from his wallet.

After checking on Mel, and getting Jenny to not scream at Mel, we were off. I looked at the man I married, wondering how he seems to notice everything.

“It comes with being a doctor, people lie because they’re embarrassed to tell the truth, you learn to read between the lines.” He tells me, and yeah, he’s good.

Giving me instructions to his mom’s house, we get there and Jen was waiting for us.

“Don’t worry, I know what it’s like when your baby is somewhere else that you can’t see.” Jen tells us.

“Hey Tuck, everything going okay?” Justin asks a guy that’s young enough to be an older brother.

“Yeah, but Gus seems to want to know if he should call me Grandpa.” Tuck tells him laughing.

“Hey, you married the cougar.” Justin tells him.

“Go Mom.” I whisper to Jen.

We get upstairs and Gus and Callie are in a tent on the floor sound asleep. I crawled in and kissed my sonny boy, who was smiling in his sleep. 

“Do you want to stay tonight?” Jen ask Justin.

“No, I need to get to the hospital in a couple hours, Brian just wanted to check on Gus.” Justin tells her.

“Honey you just got back, couldn’t you take a couple days off?” She asks, sounding like a mother we all wanted.

“It’s only from two till eight, I can come for breakfast.” He tells her and I guess she’s used to this with him.

“Brian, Tucker and I were going to take Callie out for a fun day, do you mind if we take Gus?” She asks.

“Which means, ‘Brian, we are taking Gus’.” Justin tells me smiling.

“You can meet us for dinner tomorrow, my father wants you and Justin here.” She tells me and I have a feeling that wasn’t really an offer, but a command.

Justin crawls in to check Gus over and seems to like what he’s seeing. Then kisses Mom and pulls me out of the house.

“Can you drop me off at the hospital? I need to make sure I’m updated on everything before I start.” He tells me.

“You work tonight?” I ask, because when does he sleep?

“Yes, why?” He asks me looking confused.

“You’ve been up all day, apparently trying to save everyone, and now you're going to work?” I ask. 

“It comes with being on for days at a time, you power nap.” He tells me.

“I was hoping to maybe get to know each other.” I tell him, wondering where that came from.

“I’m here and we have time, but you need to understand that sometimes work is going to interfere in my life, and accept it. Otherwise, there’s no point in getting to know each other.” He tells me, jumping out when I get the entrance of the hospital.

Leaning in, he kissed me, and I watch him walking in. I sat there for a couple minutes thinking that being a doctor’s husband isn’t all tea parties. I got home and didn’t do anything but shower and pass out. My energy levels still haven’t evened out yet, maybe I’ll let my doctor check me out.

I got to my office and notice Ted seems to be breathing into a bag in the breakroom. Which would be normal but that usually happens after talking to me. He looked up and started inhaling violently.

“Ted, calm the hell down.” Cynthia tells him, handing him coffee.

“We worked so hard and now it’s all going to blow up in our faces.” Ted tells her then starts using the bag again.

“Brian, go to your office. You have a visitor who seems to think you need to talk to him.” Cynthia tells me when she notices me standing there.

I didn’t even ask, because Mikey’s most likely there to raise hell. Walking in, it’s not Mikey.

“Brian Kinney, have a seat, we need to talk about my grandson.” Mother freaking hell, Warren didn’t waste anytime.

“Normally I’m the one offering you a seat.” I tell him.

“Three Million.” He tells me.

“And?” I ask him.

“You divorce Justin and it’s yours.” He tells me.

“No thanks.” I tell him.

“Five.” He tells me.

“Sorry, but no one pays me off.” I tell him.

“Ten.” 

“You can leave if that’s the only thing you're here for.” I tell him.

“Nope, but impressed so far, so sell me on Brian Kinney.” He tells me.

“I only sell campaigns.” I tell him.

“I’ll give you three of mine, you give me one reason not to believe you're after my grandson for what he’ll get one day.” He tells me.

“Right now I’m not even sure we’re staying married. If you need me to sign all rights away for anything Justin owns or will own, get me the paper and pen.” I tell him, not liking the way he’s trying to buy me.

“I don’t make those decisions for Justin. I just wanted to see if you were really the man my file says you are.” He tells me.

“I won’t apologize for the way I live my life.” I tell him.

“No apologies, no regrets?” He asks me.

“Exactly.” 

“Good, because even though I love Justin, he needs someone to stop his heal the world agenda.” He tells me. Why do I feel like he’s still testing me?

“I doubt anybody could stop him from doing what he wants, and truthfully I’d end this if he couldn’t hold his own.” I tell him.

“So you fell in love?” He asks me.

“Not yet, but who knows Mr Marston.” I tell him, Justin said he likes honesty and that’s all Warren’s getting from me.

“Call me Warren for now. Know anywhere we could get a greasy breakfast? I want one before Justin catches me.” He tells me winking.

“I’ve got just the place, although the clientele can be colorful.” I warn him.

“Can you get Theodore to come too? You picked well with that one. Maybe have Justin change his asthma medication though, because I’ve never seen asthma that bad.” He tells me, walking me out of my office.

I pull the bag and Ted with me, praying he gets over his hysteria before he passes out.

“So Theodore, mind if I call you Ted?” Warren asks.

“Sir, you can call me whatever you want.” Ted tells him, still shaky, but ever the ass kisser. 

“Sir, Justin called and told me to tell you to be nice.” The driver tells Warren as we get in the car.

“What does he think I’m going to do?” Warren tells the driver once we are in the car.

“Mr Kinney, how high was the last offer?” The driver asks me instead.

“Wait, who bet what, Sean?” Warren asks.

“I said Five, Justin said Ten.” Sean answers.

“What did you lose to my grandson?” Warren ask.

“It’s the same Quarter we’ve been betting with for years. Where to?” He asks Warren.

“Liberty Diner.” I tell Sean.

“So Brian, explain to me why you don’t talk to your family.” Warren tells me.

“I left the beatings and hypocrisy behind. I don’t have time for it.” I tell him.

“You’ll do.” He says, as if I just passed whatever test he was giving me.