BEN

I went to Dan’s office when he called me. After what I said to Justin, I wasn’t sure what reception I would get from Dan.

“Okay, the DA won’t agree to prosecute this because Michael can’t keep his story together. You have the option of filing a defamation of character, but since you and Michael are married, it would be like suing yourself.” He tells me.

“If I wanted to would you represent me?” I ask.

“No, because I think you deserve what you got, for all the bullshit you helped your husband do. Oh, and I don’t like you.” He tells me.

“You should understand what it was like for me, it was always Brian.” I tell him.

“Justin loving Brian has nothing to do with why my relationship with Justin didn’t work. Unlike you, I don’t stay in a no win situation. You married a man who couldn’t let go of someone who never wanted him, that’s something only a desperate person does. Wanting someone to love you doesn’t excuse hurting other people, but you and Michael seem to think it does. How does it feel to finally have something in common with the man you married?” He asks me.

“You’ll understand when Brian does something that hurts Justin over and over again. You’ll have to sit and watch someone you love make excuses for Brian.” I tell him.

“It can’t be just that Michael loves Brian the way you want him to love you. What is it really Ben?” He asks.

“I just don’t like how Brian treats people.” I tell him.

“So, I don’t like the way you treat people, but I don’t run off and interfere with your life the way you tried with Brian and Justin.” He tells me.

“Brian gets everything, and did nothing to deserve the life he has. He fucked half of Pittsburgh and didn’t end up the way he should have, an AIDS victim. I never did the things he did, lived with my partner, and ended up with HIV, and married to a man who worships the whore of Liberty Avenue.” I tell him, getting up to leave.

“Once again, how are the mistakes you made trusting the people you trusted to love you, Brian’s fault? Good luck in your life, because you’re now free of Brian as your excuse in life.” He tells me.

JUSTIN

No coffee this time, just Deb wanting me to get Brian to help her. At least coffee would have had me not yawning when she talked, but then, Brian deciding we didn’t need sleep was really the problem.

“Justin, the only way Michael will go to a therapist is if Brian goes with him.” She tells me.

“What do you expect me to do, help your son, who treats me like garbage?” I ask, trying to keep my eyes open.

“You helped Ben and he was a part of it.” She tells me.

“I got Ben a lawyer when he was being accused of something your son made up.” I tell her, putting my head in my hands to keep from laying it down.

“I’m only asking that Brian help me get Michael to see someone to help him.” She tells me.

“Can’t you see that Brian being involved would only feed into Michael’s hopes that Brian wants more.” I tell her, getting up and moving around to stay awake.

“Brian gave him that hope Justin.” She tells me.

“I just figured out why Brian wants to blame himself for Michael.” I tell her. “You make him feel guilty when Michael screws up, what the hell kind of mother are you?” I tell her waking up.

“I just want Michael to get help, and he will if Brian…”

“Stop, just stop. Half the problem Michael has, is you. You enable Michael and then blame everything on Brian and expect him to fix it.” I tell her, wanting to shut up but I was just too tired to filter.

“Me loving Michael is a problem?” She screeches at me.

“Hold on.” I tell her, getting out my phone. “Hey, I’m about to bitch out Deb.” I tell Brian, hanging up.

“Why are you calling someone?” Deb asks.

“Brian and I agreed that we only get to tell people off if we tell each other. So you most likely only have fifteen minutes before he shows up.” I tell her.

“I’ll wait then, and he can tell me how, after everything I did for him, that he doesn’t feel the need to help me.” She tells me sitting back down.

“So you did the things you did, so he’d be indebted to you?” I ask her.

“No, I did it because Brian needed a safe place to go when it got bad for him.” She tells me.

“It doesn’t sound like it, I mean you just pretty much said that he owes you, for giving him a place to go.” I tell her.

“He doesn’t.” She tells me, not looking at me.

“Then don’t ask this of him, let him still see the mother he thinks you are to him.” I tell her.

Deb got up and pulled me into her arms. “Tell him, I get why he loves you.” She tells me, leaving my office.

My door flew open five minutes later and Ted was there, panting and bent over. “I’m here… wait where is Deb?” He asks falling into a chair.

“Hopefully off to find a place to put Michael away for a while.” I tell him laying my head down and closing my eyes.

“You need coffee?” Ted asks me.

“Nope, it tends to do bad things to me.” I tell him, napping.

BRIAN

I laughed when Justin called, but when I told Ted, he took off. I finished reading the report Ted was telling me about when Cynthia came in and sat down.

“I've not asked questions, but you have to help me out here. Who is allowed and who isn't? Also where does Justin fit in?” She asks. 

“Michael and Ben have no reason to come here or call. Anyone else, just ask.” I tell her. 

“Brian, what about Justin?” She asks. 

“He's free to come and go as he pleases.” I tell her. 

“Okay, so I get to tell Michael to go to hell, and Ben to stop thinking you cause his problems, got it.” She tells me. “One more thing, I like Justin, he understands when I tell him you're busy.” She tells me.

“I’m never busy if he calls, I don’t care what I’m doing, you put him through.” I tell her.

“I would, but he told me not to, unless you were free. Your taste in friends is improving.” She tells me.

“He’s more.” I tell her.

“Good, you need someone who doesn’t fall to his knees to please you.” She tells me.

“He would, but then, so would I.” I tell her, smirking.

Ted came back and sat in his chair, looking disappointed.

“Where did you go?” Cynthia asks.

“Deb showed up at Justin’s office and we all know how Deb is.” Ted tells her.

“Justin can deal with her.” I tell him.

“No shit, I ran in, she was already gone, and he falls asleep, not the reaction I expected.” He tells me.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed, I didn’t let Justin sleep when I came home from Babylon. Home? Is that what he is, my home?

“Cynthia, I need you to call a realtor.” I tell her.

“Are we looking for another building?” She asks.

“No, just put them through to me.” I tell her.

“Please tell me we aren’t opening another club.” Ted asks me.

“We aren’t, this is something personal.” I tell him.

JUSTIN

Brian called and told me to meet him at his office after work. I got there and the offices were empty, I found Brian sitting on his couch staring at his drink. 

“I’m here, is there some reason you wanted to meet here?” I ask him.

“I need to ask you something without anyone around.” He tells me.

“Okay.” 

“Am I who you see when you see your future?” He asks me.

“Yes.”

“Do you need time to get used to us, before I push for more?” He asks me.

“I’m not ready to get married if that’s what you want. I want to marry you someday, but just not now.” I tell him.

“I’m asking for a commitment from you that is bigger than marriage, so if you're not ready for that, I’ll wait.” He tells me, putting the drink down.

“What could be bigger?” I ask him.

“Finding a place to call our home, giving you the right to everything in my life. I know that I love you enough that it’s what I want.” He tells me.

“That is marriage.” I tell him.

“No, it’s trusting you with my life.” He tells me.

“Okay.” I tell him.

“Okay?” He asks.

“Let’s do it.” I tell him.

“Say it.” He tells me, resting his head on mine.

“Let’s find a place we can call our home, and whatever else you want, because I trust you too.” I tell him.

“We have an appointment to look at houses this weekend. I want our lives in one place.” He tells me.

LINDSAY

When I opened my door and saw Michael, I slammed it shut. Mel looked at me as the banging continued on the door.

“One guess?” She tells me.

“I’ll deal with him.”She tells me, getting up.

“Mel, I came to say I’m sorry for the things I did, and wanted to talk to you about something that could make up for it.” Michael tells her.

“There is nothing you would want from us that we’d want to do.” I tell him.

“What about a baby?” He asks.

“We have Gus, so we have one.” Mel tells him.

“Lindsay and I could give Gus a brother or sister. Then I could be the father Brian will never be for our children.” He tells us.

“Michael you need to leave, thanks for the offer, but no.” I tell him.

“Mel, for once wouldn’t you rather Lindsay doesn’t dream it’s Brian fucking her? With me as the father, you would know that she wasn’t pretending you were Brian.” He tells Mel.

“I know it when she screams my name when I make her cum, Michael.” Mel tells him.

“Think about it and let me know, I think it’s time for Gus to see me as who I should be to him.” Michael tells us leaving.

“We need to call Brian.” Mel tells me.

“Mel, we aren’t going to let Michael near Gus.” I tell her.

“Lindsay, do you want to be the person who didn’t tell Brian that Michael wants to be Gus’s other father?” She asks me. “He’s losing it, to even come here and suggest we’d use him to have a child.” She tells me.

“I’ll call, but are we really worried about Michael?” I ask her.

“Remember, we promised Brian anything involving Gus we’d all talk about? It’s not something we can pick and choose, if we want to be equal parents to Gus.” She tells me.

“Thank you for not letting what he said to cause you to react, well, I loved your answer.” I tell her kissing her.

“I only speak the truth.” She tells me smiling.