BRIAN 

I asked Justin to come with me to Kinnetik, we needed to talk. I needed to know why he hadn’t told me everything. When we got in the building I let Cynthia know there would be no interruptions.

“Brian, we can talk later.” Justin tells me. 

“I want to know why you didn't tell me.” I tell him. 

“We had just started seeing each other, and I hate sounding like a victim. You’re one of the good things that has happened to me, and I didn't want the bad to taint this, what we have together.” He tells me. 

“Dan knows everything?” I ask. 

“So do you, it's just, Dan blows things out of proportion. I thought I was done with it, and wanted to move on.” He tells me. 

“If you don’t like how Dan kept things from you, you can’t expect me to like you doing it.” I tell him. 

“You know how I said I've talked so much about it, that I don't want to anymore?” He asks. 

“Yes, but we've never talked about it, so you're going to have to help me understand what you don't want to talk about.” I tell him. 

“My father hates that I'm gay. Chris hates that he is gay and wants me. Michael hates me for reasons I couldn’t tell you. My mother left when it became too much, and I've been on my own since I was sixteen. I have very few people who know anything about Chris and Michael because I end up looking like I can’t take care of myself. I liked that, when you saw me, you didn’t see ‘Justin the Victim’.” He tells me, looking at the floor.

“I still don’t, there are things in my past that should have you questioning whether I’m someone anyone would want to get involved with, but you're making decisions based on getting to know me. I wouldn’t be with you if I thought you couldn’t take care of yourself.” I tell him.

“Are we okay?” He asks me.

“Justin, if we want this to work, we talk. I don’t want to find out things like that because you feel like you have to tell me.” I tell him, glaring at the door when I see Deb standing there.

“We need to talk.” Deb tells me.

“About?” I ask her.

“You hired a lawyer for Ben.” She tells me, pointing her finger in my face.

“No, Brian didn’t. I got my friend to check into what Michael was accusing Ben of doing. I couldn’t see letting Ben end up in jail for something no one believes he did.” Justin tells her.

“You’re helping Ben after what he did to you? Deb asks Justin accusingly.

“Don’t you think that’s strange, if Justin wasn’t interested in Ben?” Deb asks me.

“No, I don’t.” I tell her.

“Ben hurt Michael, and your new boyfriend is helping Ben. Your boyfriend, who Michael had problems with in the recent past.” She tells us, getting upset.

“Which Michael caused, not Justin. Make sure you understand that part Deb, Michael harassed Justin, not the other way around.” I tell her.

“Because Justin wouldn’t leave Ben alone.” She tells me.

“Not according to Ben, or you, or were you just saying that to keep the peace? It was all because Ben couldn’t handle his own jealousy over your son not being able to love Ben the way he promised when he married him. Do not come here and think for even one second that you can blame Justin for not wanting to see an innocent man get his life ruined because of your son.” I tell her.

“Brian, there’s no way Michael would have hurt himself like that. It’s something someone crazy would do.” She tells me, trying to convince herself.

“He needs help Deb, because you're right, only someone crazy would do what he did.” I tell her.

“Michael isn’t crazy, it’s just he…” 

“He destroyed his kitchen, then called the police when Ben stood there trying to figure out what Michael was doing. Go see your son-in-law, he doesn’t have a mark or bruise on him. How would that be possible if he and Michael practically brawled in the house. Why didn’t the fucking neighbors hear anything? Those fuckers are the nosiest people I’ve ever meet. Trust me, if Michael was telling the truth, someone would have heard the shit crashing all over the house. Open your fucking eyes, to more than Michael’s broken arm.” I tell her.

“He wants to see you.” She tells me.

“It won’t get him what he wants from me. I can’t stand by someone who could do what Michael is doing, not only to Ben, but to everyone.” I tell her.

“Brian, I’m asking you to at least talk to him.” She tells me.

“No, you're hoping I’ll find a way to clean up the mess he just made.” I tell her.

Deb stared at me like she used to when she expected me to help her son. “He wants to be a victim and I don’t have room in my life for someone like that.” I tell her and Justin.

DAN

Brian called me and told me to meet him and Justin at Woody’s. I walked in and picked Justin up from behind, while Brian rolled his eyes. I looked over at Ted and give him my toothy grin, he still looked good, happy with the new guy, but good. Emmett was sitting by them, so I kissed Justin’s head and bumped Emmett over.

“Did you actually give my number to your assistant?” I ask Emmett.

“Yes, but you kind of came on a bit strong. Renny doesn’t trick.” He tells me.

“Hopefully he calls.” I tell him.

“Hi, I’m Ted and this is my boyfriend Blake.” Ted tells me.

“Yeah, I know you’re Ted. Good job landing Ted.” I tell Blake, smiling at Ted’s confusion.

“Apparently before Dan got better taste, he wanted you.” Brian tells Ted.

“Very funny, Boss.” Ted tells him.

“I did, but Michael thought I wanted Brian, and you got away. It was a very heartbreaking moment for me.” I tell him.

“Which means he tells you he will love you forever, then finds a trick to help it mend.” Justin tells us, messing up Dan’s hair.

“Justin, um, hey. You told me to come?” Grant tells Justin, arriving next.

“Yes, but could you maybe look at Dan when you want to say something to Brian.” Justin tells him. 

“He’s having problems looking at Brian and talking.” Justin stage whispers to me.

“You never had that problem with me.” I tell him, pretending it hurt.

“That’s because you're one giant pain in the ass.” Grant tells me.

“Grant, let’s go play a game of pool.” Brian tells him, pulling a whimpering Grant behind him.

“So I heard from Emmett you found a new love.” Justin tells me.

“Who knows, maybe, but until this thing you want me to do is done, it’ll have to wait.” I tell him.

“Emmett told us you were helping Ben? I would have left Ben and Michael to deal with their own shit.” Blake tells me.

“I would have too, but Justin asked, so I do.” I tell him.

“You’re a better person than I could be.” Blake tells Justin.

“There was a time when no one believed me. I can’t sit by and let Ben be blamed for something he didn’t do.” Justin tells us.

“Neither could I.” I tell Justin.

“I know, it’s why I called you.” He tells me.

“They used to date.” Emmett tells the guys.

“Brian doesn’t have a problem with you calling an old boyfriend to help?” Ted asks.

“Brian knows for me, there is only him. Dan knows Brian is it too.” Justin tells them.

“Brian told me that getting character witnesses for Ben might be hard, but if I asked you to testify to both Michael and Ben, who would come out better?” I ask Ted, Emmett, and Blake.

“Ben, but only because Michael’s a piece of shit.” Blake tells me.

“He might still be a bit angry with Michael.” Ted tells me.

“Ben, but only because I can't see him doing what Michael said happened.” Emmett tells me. 

“Hopefully, when we do the walk through it will end this. I really hate helping the guy who caused you problems.” I tell Justin.

“So since Brian like kicked my ass, is there anyone who sucks at pool so I can win.” Grant asks, looking at me.

“He still can't get past squeaking.” Brian tells us.

“I can, I just don't talk directly to you.” Grant tells Brian, looking at me.

“Ted really sucks.” Blake tells him. “At pool, get your mind off my boyfriend.” He tells me. 

“Missed that opportunity.” I tell Blake, laughing at Ted blushing.

TED

“You’re kind of quiet.” Blake tells me on the way home.

“I'm just realizing that maybe I need to stop seeing myself as plain old Ted.” I tell him. 

“Only you seem to see yourself that way, to me, you're gorgeous.” Blake tells me. 

“It's just, to me you're one of the most beautiful men I know. It was always hard to understand why you were with me.” I tell him. 

“Because I love you, and to me you make even a bad day good, just by being with me. If Dan had managed to meet you, you'd be fighting me off with a stick to win you.” He tells me. 

“He wouldn’t have stood a chance, like Justin said about Brian, it’s you for me.” I tell him.

MICHAEL

I sat on the couch, wanting to go find Brian. Ma came home and said that Brian wasn’t coming, then started questioning me about why Ben would become violent.

“He was angry, like I told you. He’s been upset ever since he found out Justin was dating Brian.” I tell her.

“Michael, maybe instead of pressing charges, we get Ben some help with his steroid use.” She tells me.

“He didn’t do what he should have.” I tell her.

“What are you talking about?” She asks me.

“I mean… um, he shouldn’t have taken out his anger on me.” I tell her, going to my room.

I dialed his phone just to hear his voice. “This number is no longer in service.” That little shit made Brian change his number. I sat there getting angrier that I couldn’t even just call and hear Brian’s voice on his answering machine. I tried to find out Justin’s address, but fucking Lindsay seems to think I don’t need to know. I couldn’t call Chris because apparently ‘Daddy Dearest’ is monitoring all Chris’s calls, to keep him from causing problems. Everything would have worked the way it was supposed to if Ben hadn’t gotten better after his last bout of pneumonia. I realized then that Brian was finally ready to have a relationship, because he came to take care of me when I called. After that, he wasn’t running out tricking anymore, and I knew it meant he was just waiting for me to be free of Ben. Only, when Ben got better, Brian backed off again, and I wanted him back, showing me he loved me. When Ben started talking about Justin, I saw it as a way to get Brian to come back to me. I made sure everyone heard about how the little asshole was trying to break up Ben and me. Brian was there, letting me cry on his shoulder, until he brought home the asshole that was causing my pain and stopped talking to me again. Now Brian isn’t coming when he knows I need him to help me through this. 

“Michael.” Carl calls me from the doorway. “I need you to be ready in the morning to meet with the DA and Ben’s attorney. They both want you to walk them through exactly what happened.” He tells me.

“I wrote down what happened, why do I have to show them?” I ask him.

“Because even the DA is finding it hard to believe that what you described happening, actually happened. Ben doesn’t have a scratch on him.” He tells me, staring me down.

“What could I have done, Ben is a giant compared to me. I just tried not to get killed while he was raging.” I tell him.

“If there is anything in your statement that wasn’t true you’d better tell me now, before we deal with the attorney that Ben has. Dan doesn’t take cases unless he believes the person is innocent. I could tell he does, and so does Brian.” He tells me.

“Brian came to see you?” I ask, getting angry.

“No, he brought the attorney representing Ben. Even your best friend is finding this hard to believe.” He tells me.

“When Ben’s in jail, Brian will realize he shouldn’t have turned against me.” I tell him.

“The better question is, why Brian doesn’t believe you?” Carl asks me, leaving.