BRIAN

On my way to work, I looked at these kids that Justin wanted to help. I drove away wondering if this was how to spin Drew. I called Warren to tell him to bring Drew in, then I called Justin because I know how this is going to look, but it could help too.

“Brian, Michael is in your office.” Cynthia tells me before I go in.

“I’ll handle him.” I tell her.

Walking in and seeing the look on his face, I just don’t have time for this.

“Michael, today isn’t the day for you to come here. You screwed up, fix it yourself.” I tell him.

“So Lindsay and I are no longer your best friends?” He asks.

“Why does that have anything to do with you showing up in my office when I’m busy?” I ask him.

“So he’s convinced you to turn your back on me. I guess that he gets to have it all, while people like Ma and me struggled. Do you think it’s fair that MY FATHER ran around taking care of some spoiled rich brat and not me?” Michael seems to think that yelling it was a way to get me to side with him.

“Right now I think that you need to go home to Ben and figure out how to solve this thing with Hunter, because I have a job to do.” I tell him as Warren comes in.

“Sorry Brian, but we’re waiting and Justin has to get to the hospital. I was just checking to see if you were ready.” Warren tells me, not looking at Michael.

“I guess you plan on ignoring me like my father did.” Michael tells him.

“What do you need Michael?” Warren asks.

“I want to know how my family could ignore me and Ma.” He tells him.

“That’s something you can ask your father when he comes.” Warren tells him.

“Well Uncle Warren, I’m asking how some spoiled kid rated attention, but I didn’t.” Michael tells him.

“MY Grandson grew up with advantages, but that didn’t make him spoiled. I don’t understand how having a mother who loved you and did everything she could was a hardship.” Warren tells him.

“We didn’t have things that we could have had if my father had thought about us.” He tells Warren.

“Danny didn’t have much more than you did when you were young. He was raised in family similar to yours, so there wouldn’t have been much coming from that corner.” Warren tells him.

“What are you talking about, your all loaded.” Michael tells him.

“I’m ‘loaded’ as you say, because I worked for it, in order to give my family everything. Have you ever worked for anything, or were you handed everything by your mother, Brian, and now Ben?” He asks Michael.

“I own a store, nothing in your league, but I started it and run it.” He tells Warren.

“How did you pay for it again?” Emmett asks, as he comes in with Drew.

“I sold the comic Brian gave me.” He tells me.

“Which means that once again, Brian helped you. Really Michael, now isn’t the time for this.” Emmett tells him.

“Why are you here if Brian needs to work?” Michael asks.

“It involves me and Drew.” He tells Michael, who looks confused.

“Wait, you're the one he cheated with?” He asks Emmett, but then turns to me. “So this is what's so important that helping me isn’t convenient?” He looks at Warren and I, but when Justin walked in he zeroed in on him. “My husband is pissed because of you running your mouth.” He tells Justin. 

Justin walks to Michael and pulls him by the arm out of my office. We follow him out as he walks past Cynthia and towards the front door.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Michael yells.

“I’m making it so that I can get to work, people at the hospital have real problems that make listening to you not as important. So I need to find out why Brian wanted me here and then I need to get to work. In order to do that it means, cousin dear, that you need to leave.” Justin tells him and opens the door.

“I don’t have to do anything you want me too.” He tells Justin outside the door.

“Sean, could you take Michael to his place of business.” Justin completely ignores Michael.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Michael tells him.

“Really, you want to have some advantages that I did, here’s one that I can give you. I suggest you take advantage of riding in the back of a chauffeured car and maybe come up with the real reason you hate your life enough to screw up with Hunter, then maybe someone will want to listen to you.” Justin tells him closing the door.

We all backed into my office before Justin saw us. He walks in and acts like he didn’t just kick Michael’s ass out.

“What?” He asks.

“You just took him out of here. Didn’t put up the shit we all usually do.” Emmett tells him.

“I deal with people when their emotions are all over the place. I learned that it’s easier not to fight with someone when they aren’t really thinking but acting on misplaced feelings. In Michael’s case he seems to just want to blame me because he fucked up, I don’t play that game with anybody.” Justin tells him.

“Brian, why are we here?” Warren asks me.

“I need to talk to Justin first.” I tell them, leading Justin to my bathroom and shutting the door.

“Nice bathroom, but I really do have to get to work.” He tells me, kissing me.

“Didn't you just leave the hospital a few hours ago?” I ask.

“Yeah, but since I was scheduled for Saturday, I traded with another doctor so I could go with you.” He tells me.

“I thought you were setting up your own practice?” I ask him.

“I am, but until Daphne and I have everything done, this fills time. I’m used to being busy. Now can you tell me why you wanted to talk to me?” He asks me.

“I need to do something that might seem almost like I’m using those street kids. I’m not, but it’s to help Drew and possibly help them too.” I tell him.

“Why are you telling me?” He asks.

“Because I don’t want you to see this as taking advantage of these kids. I want to explain to you why I’m going to suggest this to Drew and Warren, before I even think about doing it.” I tell him.

“No, you're going to explain it to them, and I’m going to give you something I give very few people, my trust and belief that you're doing the right thing for all of them.” He tells me.

“I’m planning on using the profit…” I try to tell him.

“Trust is a marvelous thing, use it well.” He kisses me and walks out.

I didn’t move for a minute, he’s trusting me by not letting me explain to him my idea. I walk out and I will not fuck this up.

“Justin said he would bring dinner over tonight.” Warren tells me.

“Then we need to get to work, we have a full couple of days coming. Emmett, can you go tell Ted to drop everything and get in here.” I tell him.

“Brian what are you thinking?” Warren asks me.

“I’m thinking that I can help your grandson and Drew at the same time. It’s going to require an open checkbook, because an outreach center for runaways isn’t cheap and will need constant influx of funds. The money that Kinnetik makes from this will go straight into the center. Drew you're the face. The press is going to want Drew to talk and when he does he is going to talk about the Ironmen sponsoring a center for all runaways. When they ask about the affair, Drew is going to learn to how to turn the question. One way is that you tell them, as much as everyone wants to know about the scandal, that the center is too important to him for it to be brushed aside for gossip and innuendo.” I tell them.

“This would also be a way to get the team one charity in common.” Warren tells me.

“So I can keep Emmett out of this?” Drew asks.

“No, because your ex did an interview this morning telling how Emmett was originally the wedding planner.” Warren tells him.

“Fuck, I didn’t want him to have to deal with all this shit.” Drew tells us.

“You're my safety on the shore.” Emmett tells him winking at Warren. I didn’t ask because I’m sure Emmett would take an hour to tell us.

“Emmett, you need to go with Ted and find a building that’s for sale. Drew can’t go with you because right now you're still not recognizable, but he is.” I tell him.

“What do I do?” Drew asks.

“You and your agent are going to sit with Cynthia, who will work with you on how to turn questions to what we want them to hear.” I tell him.

Warren stayed on the couch as they all left and leaned back with his hands over his stomach.

“What did this have to do with Justin?” He asks me.

“Justin wants to save those kids.” I tell him.

Warren sat up nodded and then walked to my door. “There is no limit on what you need from me.” He tells me.

“That’s a dangerous thing to say.” I tell him.

“Justin wouldn’t think twice about giving away his entire trust and I want to prevent that.” He tells me.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because I want Justin to be selfish for once in his life and use what I gave him on himself.” He tells me.

“I don’t think he could.” I tell him.

“What did Justin say when you told him?” He asks me.

“He wouldn’t let me tell him. He’s going to trust me to do the right thing.” I tell him.

“Do you feel like we might be doing the wrong thing?” He ask me.

“We offer those kids a place to sleep, eat, get in programs to get jobs, and counseling. I don’t see how it could be worse than starving and other things that could happen to them. They don’t have to go through red tape for food and a chance and that’s better than a lot of programs out there that are bound by rules.” I tell him.

“I noticed you said all runaways not just LGBT, why?” He asks me.

“That part was for Drew, I don’t want it to be all about being gay. Sexuality has nothing to do with who those hustlers sleep with, because Hunter’s not gay, it was just men are the ones looking for action with little boys.” I tell him.

“He’s a good kid for the kind of things he went through. Don’t look at me like that Brian.” He tells me when I stare him down. “He talked to Helen and she told me, I would not have investigated a kid.” He tells me.

“No, just anyone in my life.” I tell him.

“No, anyone who enters Justin’s life. You just interested me when I read about your life and career. It reminded me of my life.” He tells me.

“How you liked to trick?” I joke.

“I think, like me, you're the kind of man who will only ever love one person for the rest of your life. My grandson would be lucky if it was him.” He tells me, leaving my office.