12:02:47

"Honey, I'm home," Craig called cheerfully as he came through the apartment door.

"Gampa!" Bree squealed as she barreled across the living room and flung herself into his arms.

Craig smiled as he hugged his granddaughter and kissed her cheek. "That's the kind of welcome I love to get." He looked pointedly at Susan who had come out of the kitchen.

"Don't expect the same from me," Susan said coldly.

"Susan…" Craig began.

"Don't bother. I've heard all I want to hear from you."

"Well, thanks for calling me to come for lunch with Bree."

"You should thank me. I was tempted not to tell you she was here."

Craig sighed and started to apologize, but he knew it was fruitless. The only thing that would get him back in Susan's good books was for him to walk Molly down the aisle, and he just couldn't bring himself to do that, not with Kinney and his son being there … together.

"What wrong?" Bree asked with a frown. She had been listening to what the adults were saying and watching their looks. Something wasn't right.

"It's all right, sweetheart," Susan said. "Let's sit down to lunch. Bree helped me set the table and make our sandwiches."

"You did?" Craig asked with a smile.

Bree nodded. "I a big girl." This seemed more like her Gampa. Maybe everything was all right. "I flower girl tomorrow. Practise tonight," she added.

"She means the rehearsal dinner which we won't be attending," Susan explained, although she knew Craig was well aware of that fact.

"Come see me, Gampa," Bree pleaded taking Craig's hand.

"I'd like to," Craig admitted. Susan held her breath. "But we won't be able to be there," Craig said with a sigh.

"Why?" Bree wanted to know.

"I … we just can't make it," Craig added lamely.

"Let's eat," Susan said in the same cold voice she had met her husband with when he first arrived. She so wanted to slap him … hard. That would either knock some sense into his hard head or she'd knock him into the middle of next week. Instead she turned and led Bree and Craig into the dining room. She wouldn't say another thing about the wedding.

12:13:17

"Brian, thank god you're here, maybe she'll listen to you," Jennifer exclaimed as she opened the door and gazed up at Brian as if he was her savior then pulled him into the house. Brian did his best not to roll his eyes but failed miserably. Jennifer ignored it. She needed him to talk some sense into her daughter. Sometimes it took a Kinney to get through to a Taylor.

Jennifer ushered him up the stairs to Molly's door. Justin was still sitting on the floor with his hand resting just below the door knob. Brian could see Justin's hand begin to shake from the awkward position. Brian went to Justin immediately, lifted him up off the floor then gently took his hand in his to massage away the cramp.

"Let me have a try at her," Brian whispered into his lover's ear. "Go down and make some coffee, lots of coffee." Brian and Justin rolled their eyes then smiled at each other. If they weren't facing such a disaster, the situation would be laughable. Justin nodded then took his unwilling mother down to the kitchen to allow Brian to work his magic.

Brian sucked in a deep breath, leaned his shoulder against the thin door and pushed his way in.

"Hey!" Molly yelled as the force of Brian against the door sent her tumbling toward her bed. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Molly screamed indignantly.

"I'm about to kick some sense into your ass! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Brian gave Molly little chance to answer. "Do you know your mother has half the city looking for me? I wouldn't be surprised if the cops pulled me over. All I had to do today was spend a couple hours on a tanning bed to look good for your wedding and my so-called fucking family dragged my sorry ass out of there so I could talk some sense into you. Now why do you suppose they want me to do that?" Brian glared at the hapless girl who then burst into tears.

Brian sighed; he hated when girls cried. He hated when anyone cried and the Taylors had some powerful tears. Hell, even Emmett could get to Brian when he cried.

"Shit," Brian said softly as his sat down on the floor next to Molly trying to curl his long legs underneath him. Not a dignified look for the multi-million dollar company owner. He reached for the tissue box that was on the bed and handed one to Molly.

"Tell me what's going on in that little blond head of yours," Brian said softly as he drew Molly into his side to hug her. Molly's breath hitched as it all came spewing out again.

12:26:00

Lunch was finished. It hadn't been half as enjoyable as Craig had thought it would be, when he came home to spend some time with Bree. Susan was giving him the cold shoulder. She answered any question with a one word answer, and refused to be drawn into any kind of chitchat, although both he and Bree had tried. Although Susan was an excellent cook, his delicious sandwich tasted like sawdust in his mouth.

"Gampa, come see me at the pwactise?" Bree asked batting her eyelashes and using her baby talk.

"I can't, sweetheart," Craig said sadly.

"You mean you won't!" Susan snapped. She had broken her own rule about not saying anything, but Craig was just so infuriating. She stood up and started clearing the table. "Take Bree into the living room and spend some time with her," Susan ordered. "You may not see her again for a while."

"Wh…Why not?" Craig asked bewildered.

Susan merely glared at him. He couldn't possibly be stupid enough to think that Brian and Justin would continue bringing Bree over to their apartment, when Craig was going to break everybody's heart tomorrow by not attending the wedding. Especially Justin and Molly's hearts … and Bree's.

Bree climbed up on Craig's lap when he sat down on the sofa. "Gampa," she said nuzzling under his chin. "Pweeze come to the wedding?"

"Did someone tell you to say that?" he asked. He glanced at the kitchen wondering if Susan had put Bree up to this … or Justin … or that fucking Kinney.

Bree frowned. "Don't unnerstand," she whispered against her grandfather's chest. "Want you to see me. I look pretty at the wedding."

"I'm sure you'll be beautiful, just like Mo…olly." Craig couldn't keep the little hitch out of his voice when he said Molly's name. He was going to miss the most important day in his daughter's life, maybe in his own life too, but he couldn't be there. He just couldn't.

"Love you, Gampa," Bree said wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't cry."

He hadn't realized that there were tears running down his cheeks, but there were. "I need to get back to work," he said hastily. "I'll see you later." He set Bree onto the sofa and stood up.

"Tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't think so," he whispered but he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I love you too, Briana. Don't ever forget that."

"'Kay."

With that Craig hastily left the apartment before any more tears escaped.

12:41:29

"What's he doing up there?" Jennifer asked as she poured herself another cup of coffee. That was probably a big mistake because she had had too much already. Her bladder was about to burst.

"Talking to her or letting her talk, either way, you called him. Now give him a chance to work," Justin said patiently as his sipped his own cup. He knew just how stubborn the Taylors were. Brian had years of experience with them. Jennifer nodded then went to the bathroom.

12:43:44

Molly stopped talking and stopped crying. She had exhausted herself into a nap. Brian cradled her head onto his lap. He could feel his own legs begin to tingle as the circulation was being cut off. But he didn't dare move, not yet. He gently caressed the fine soft strawberry blond hair that reminded him of Briana's. He leaned back against the bed and waited.

12:45:06

"I'm going up there," Jennifer declared.

"No, Mom, not yet." Justin prepared a mug of coffee for Brian. "I'll go," Justin said as he took the coffee up to Brian.

Brian brought a finger to his lips as he saw Justin slowly enter Molly's room with the cup of coffee. Justin smiled radiantly at his spouse as he handed the welcomed brew to Brian. Brian mouthed a thank you then indicated Justin should give them a few more minutes. Justin nodded again then quietly left the room.

Brian took a few sips as he felt Molly stir.

"How long was I asleep?" Molly asked groggily.

"Not long," Brian said as he offered some of his coffee to the girl. Molly took the cup, inhaled the strong aroma then took a few sips.

"Mmm, that's good but I wish I had something to go with it."

"Go wash up and we'll get some breakfast … or lunch," Brian quipped as he spied the clock on Molly's dresser. Molly nodded then looked up at Brian. Brian could see more tears forming.

"Brian, what am I going to do?"

"You want my honest opinion?" Molly nodded but yet was fearful of his response. "If it was left up to me, I'd hire a private jet and send you and Owen off to Vegas for one of those nasty, quickie weddings. However, I happen to like my hide just the way it is. So, first you're going to dry your eyes, go down and have a big gooey lunch of all your favorite junk food then you're going to take a long hot shower. Cause frankly, my girl, you stink. Then tonight you do the rehearsal and the dinner."

"But..."

"Molly, I know this isn't exactly what you envisioned for your wedding, but it's not about you anymore it's about your family. I know one little blond princess who will be devastated if she's not your flower girl. And then there's Owen, who along with several other people who have seen me naked today, will be very disappointed if he doesn't marry you tomorrow."

"Naked?" Molly said with widening eyes.

"Almost, I had underwear on. The point is, you concentrate on the outcome, which is you and your man getting married and then you can tell the family to go fuck themselves, because after tomorrow it's no longer about them. It'll be about you and Owen. And that man loves you. Shit! Look at what he's been through over the last year or two. He's put up with all of us. That's got to count for something."

Brian could see the Taylor gerbil running around in Molly's head and he started to laugh.

"What?"

"You look just like Justin."

"Yeah?" Brian nodded, smiling fondly at Molly. "You really love my brother, don't you," more a statement of fact than a question.

"Yes, I do."

"I remember some things from when he got hurt." Molly could feel Brian stiffen as she leaned against him. "I remember thinking that I lost everything in my whole world. I lost my dad, my mom didn't know what to do and I was losing my brother. And there you were, making my brother feel better."

"Molly, that wasn't how it happened."

"In my eyes it did. I was just a kid."

"You both were. I should of..."

"Don't! It wasn't your fault, none of it was your fault. It was that bastard, Hobbs."

"Molly..."

"Brian, I have never seen anyone love someone more than you love my brother. I only hope I can live up to half of that." Brian looked at Molly's face. He saw Justin, Jennifer and some of Bree.

"Shit, what is it about you blond Taylors. I am sooo fucked." Brian brought Molly into his chest for a hug.

"I don't know. Why is it that you, Brian Kinney, can always make it right for us?"

Brian heard Molly say that, as he tried to muffle her words by hugging her closer. Brian heard Molly's stomach grumble and he laughed.

"Another Taylor stomach has spoken. Let's go feed it," he said as he released the girl to let her up. Brian unfurled his cramping legs to stand up.

"Brian Kinney, you are a very sweet man." Molly gave him another hug before they left the room.

"Shit," Brian grumbled, making Molly laugh.

"I am sooo onto you!" Molly giggled as Brian cursed good-naturedly under his breath.