11:05:12

Brian was relaxing on a tanning bed at his favorite salon. It was mid-December, his summer browned skin was fading and he thought it made him look pasty. He wanted to look his best and his sexiest for the wedding, and for Justin. His mind wandered through past memories of when he was sick. Brian hated that pale, thin, sickly look he had when he had endured his cancer treatments. He was healthy and planned on staying that way. After all, he had a lot to live for. He had his beautiful daughter, handsome son and one hot blond partner.

A sly sexy smirk began to work its way across Brian's face. He always liked the look of himself with a healthy tan but he especially loved the reaction he got from Justin when Brian was brown all over except for his nether regions. Justin loved Brian's tan lines or rather the paler skin in between the tan. It was a little quirk of Justin's that Brian would do his best to indulge. Brian settled back, listening to the piped in sounds of the music of his choice.

11:16:22

"Brian!" Emmett screeched as he raised the lid on Brian's cocoon, startling the older man.

"Oh for fuck's sake! What is it, and this family's penchant for tracking me down and interrupting my tan?!"

"Far be it from me to disturb your majesty, but if you don't do something to fix Molly there will be no wedding! She won't listen to me or Jennifer or Owen. Now get your ass out of that tanning bed and go over there!" Emmett reached in to try to drag Brian off the bed.

"Take your hands off of me, you big old fairy! For your information Justin is over there right now talking to the girl. I'm sure it'll all work out," Brian said as he grabbed the handle and shut the lid. He could hear Emmett screaming then after a few minutes, silence.

"Thank the fucking gods," Brian murmured as he relaxed again and began to doze off.

11:28:32

"Brian?" This time it was Lindsay who opened the lid.

"Fucking hell!"

"Brian, your cell phone is turned off. Jennifer's been calling everyone looking for you. Molly is having a meltdown . I think she needs you."

"Lindz, Molly has her mother and Justin, she doesn't need me," Brian tried to make Lindsay see reason.

"I don't think Justin's getting through to her. She won't open her bedroom door."

Brian gave Lindsay a death glare to end all death glares then slammed down the lid, forcing himself to go back to sleep.

11:42:19

"Brian?" A gentle knock on the lid woke Brian up. Brian raised the lid to see Father Tom, Debbie and Owen all staring down at him. Father Tom opened his mouth to plead their case.

"Hold it right there, Padre. And not another word, from any of you," Brian growled as he sat up. "Don't you all have anything better to do than to harass me? Don't answer that. Let me get dressed and I'll go over there."

Father Tom, Deb and Owen stepped back to let Brian up.

"Honey..." Debbie began.

"Shhh, not one word!" They watched Brian go into the dressing room as they turned to leave.

"I knew he'd do it," Debbie said smugly. Father Tom made a small sign of the cross. Owen began to breathe.

11:58:27

Justin kept his hand against the door, feeling somehow connected to his sister. She had talked and talked and sobbed and then talked some more. She seemed so unhappy, but he supposed it was good that she was getting it all out.

"Molly," he said gently during one of the prolonged silences.

What?"

"Can you open the door now?"

"No."

"Molly, please, you're going to make yourself sick."

"I'm sorry, Jester, but I don't want this wedding. It's like it's somebody else's wedding, not mine. I hate it."

"I understand, but you really need to eat something. Please."

"Thank you for sitting here with me," Molly sighed. "But I'm not hungry. I just want to die."