JUSTIN

The kids were giggling together as we went in to get breakfast for everyone at the new diner. I wasn’t really all that happy that we were going back to that house, but like I told Brian, everything is new. The cashier let us know that it would be a few minutes, because they had an unexpected rush this morning. I looked around and it was like Liberty Diner invaded. I had to blink twice because, Todd actually got out of the backroom? He saw me and got up to come and see me.

“Hey Todd, how's it going.” I ask, unable to resist.

“Fine, at least I am, but oh boy, Deb is probably going to wish she didn’t take on you and Brian.” He tells me.

“What are you talking about, and keep it G rated, my kids are standing here.” I tell him.

“Deb is finding out that she and Michael aren’t the reason anybody came to the diner. They tried to make sound like you and Brian weren’t the real draw. I mean, we all wanted to see what you two would do next. It always made everyone’s day when Brian would come to the diner acting like it was chore to drop you off, but then sit around watching to make sure no one bothered you. When you both left I think we all only stayed around to see if anyone said anything about the love story of the century. Which apparently happened right under our noses, because that gorgeous little girl is all Kinney.” He tells me.

“Sorry, but until this last week there was nothing to tell. Brian and I went our separate ways and just recently reconnected.” I tell him, smiling at how he saw Brian and me.

“Then it was just on hiatus, because when Brian Kinney wants something, he gets it.” He tells me.

“Brian?” A guy asks, looking at me and Todd.

“Justin, this is Brandon, he wasn’t around when you were.” Todd tells me.

“I wanted to meet Brian.” Brandon tells me.

“Regarding?” I ask him.

“I heard he was moving back and wanted to show him what I’m capable of.” He tells me.

“Look, it’s not a life Brian or I are planning to go back to.” I tell him.

“Sh…, I said that wrong, it’s just, I want to work for someone who knows the ad business is all about risk. Everyone is saying Brian is retiring from the game, but I think he’ll decide that he isn’t finished. I want to learn from a man who wasn’t afraid to tell a client they were wrong.” He tells me, smiling down at Hannah.

“Give me your contact information and I’ll see he gets it.” I tell him when the cashier brings the food to me.

“I wasted so much time hanging around ‘Mr Best Friend’, I should have just found a way to contact Brian myself.” He tells me, writing down his information.

“Brian appreciates people who show him they’re hungry for what they want, not use people to get an in with him.” I tell him.

“I have a list of accounts that show that to him. Michael really had me worried about Brian’s tastes, but then seeing you, I can say I’m no longer worried.” Brandon tells me.

“Keep those eyes off Justin, because if not, Kinney will make you wish you did.” Todd tells him.

LINDSAY

I went to the diner and found it empty, it was always full at breakfast. Deb was arguing with the manager, while Michael sat in the booth looking as if he lost Brian. There have been so many times I wanted to tell him the puppy eyes really don’t work when your almost forty, but then Deb would be in my face.

“Where is everyone?” I ask him.

“Once again it’s all about the fucking stalker twink.” Michael says quietly, looking at Kiki who isn’t smiling at either of us.

“Justin came here?” I ask.

“No, but the way people act, it’s like he never left. They sat here defending Justin and thinking they knew Brian.” He tells me.

“Michael, no one knew Brian the way we did, they all just wanted to be able to say they did.” I tell him.

“I know, but my new friends acted like what I did with Brian and the guy made me sound like a stalker. Most of the time they joked about the way I talk about comics and wanted to hang out here, but I thought it was just the way the gang used to joke.” He tells me.

“Don’t worry, Brian will eventually want the life he had back, and then you’ll be able to show those wannabes that they should have been better friends to you.” I tell him, not believing a word of it, but it keeps Michael where I want him.

“I know, but I was bragging to everyone that Brian was coming with me the day he came home and they think I’m all talk now. It didn’t help when Kiki made it sound like Justin was the one they should go to if they want to meet Brian. It was going to be epic when I walked in the club with Brian.” He tells me, going to wherever his mind goes when he thinks about Brian.

I let him dream as I listened in to Deb and her manager, because Deb was getting loud enough to be able to hear her.

“Michael and I don’t have anything to do with everyone leaving, they just don’t like to hear the fucking truth.” Deb tells him.

“They come here to eat Deb, not to listen to you and your son. I’ve let you get away with the way you treated people because up until now no one seemed to mind the inappropriate conversations, but unlike my father, who kept you for friendship’s sake, I won’t if it leads to an empty restaurant.” He tells her waving his hands to all the empty tables.

“There are people here, and once the others get over the bug up their asses they’ll be back. They know that no one will accept them the way I do.” She tells him.

“I don’t count your son, who never pays for a meal, or her who doesn’t even order here, as customers. Customers buy our food.” He tells her.

“They buy the crap here to talk to me and Michael.” She tells him.

“Then where are they, since you're both here? I don’t see them sitting at these tables. Oh yeah, they went to the new restaurant. Where they don’t have to listen to your son go on and on as if he was still in his twenties and not past the point where everyone sees him as someone who could be their father. Customers aren’t interested in hanging out with you either, and you chasing them down to try to give your kid friends is something you do on your own time. You need to decide if you can give customers the service they want, or if you should look for another job. I’m no longer going to put up with you throwing things at people or telling them they can’t have what they want.” He tells her.

“Then good luck finding someone who will be willing to take this job. Unlike you, your father understood that people came here to see me.” She yells at him.

“My father felt sorry for you, and that child of yours who won’t grow up and face things like a man. I’d tell you to turn in your things, but then you never would wear what you were supposed to. By the way, all that didn’t make you more gay.” He tells her.

“Michael let’s go, I can find a job where people understand how to do business.” She tell him.

“You're more than welcome to come back, but only as a customer.” The owner tells us all.

“He’ll be sorry when I get a job at the new place and shut him down.” Deb tells us, walking to her house.

“It will be fine Ma, everyone knows that you and I were the reason people came there.” Michael tells her.

“Lindsay, where’s Mel? I have some things I made so she can learn to eat right for my grandbaby.” She tells me.

“Mel and I are separating. I couldn’t stay with someone who could do what she did to you and Michael.” I tell them.

“What are you talking about, you can’t leave her when she’s pregnant with my child.” Michael tells me.

“That’s just it, she didn’t use you. I couldn’t stand by someone who could lie to my friends.” I tell them.

“We’ll fucking sue her for fraud or something. She made us believe that Michael was going to be a father. I took care of her, and this is how she repays us. There has to be something Michael can do to get the money back that I gave him to help you girls out.” Deb tells me, surprising me.

“Ma, leave it alone. She isn’t worth all the trouble.” Michael tells her.

“I will not leave it alone, I gave you a few thousand to help pay for the clinic and the things you wanted for the baby. She fucking owes us that back.” Deb tells him, going into the house.

“What are you going to do when she figures out we never got a cent from you? Why did you even ask her for money?” I ask him.

“I just wanted to show my friends a good time. I didn’t want to look like I couldn’t afford a night out.” He tells me.

“You better find a way to pay her back before she runs after Mel. Mel isn’t going to protect your ass. Tell me you didn’t spend it all on drinks.” I tell him.

“No, but I wanted something that was on ebay, a lot of it went for that. Couldn’t you loan me the money so I can give it back to her?” He asks me.

“I don’t have the money, fucking Mel put it somewhere.” I tell him.

“I’ll go to Ted, it’s not like he doesn’t have it.” He tells me.

“Look, see if you can borrow a little extra, I’m going to need it.” I tell him.

“That’s your problem.” He tells me, starting to walk away, leaving me standing there.

“It’ll be your problem too when I go tell your mother that none of the money she gave you was for what you told her.” I tell him.

“What are you two talking about?” Deb asks us from the door.

“Nothing Ma, I’m just going to make sure Mel knows she owes us the money back.” Michael tells us, running off.

“Do you mind if I stay here for a while?” I ask her.

“Sure I could use the help paying the mortgage.” She tells me.

“Until I get some of the money that Mel made impossible for me to get, you’ll have to wait.” I tell her.

“Then I guess you can look for a job with me.” She tells me, going in.

“It might be hard, there aren’t that many jobs around here in my field.” I tell her.

“Then get one that pays for things, nothing is free around here. There are plenty of jobs out there, even if it’s beneath you.” She tells me.

BRIAN

Justin came back with the kids but didn’t ask what was going on. I think it had a lot to do with not really wanting to talk to Mel. Like I told her, there was only so much we could expect from him. It wasn’t until she brought the box down and handed it to Justin that he looked at her.

“Justin, Lindsay had someone watching you. I only found out about it last night. There’s a lot of things in there that should be up to you if you share with anyone. I saw it but only because I wanted to know what it was, please understand I would never have invaded your privacy that way.” She tells him.

“So it wasn’t enough that she spread rumors about my daughter, she had to invade everything.” He tells her.

“It was a lot about how you were doing in college and there are a lot of pictures of Hannah when you were out. The only ones that bother me, were the ones of the hospital and ones that were obviously taken when you were home. She didn’t seem as interested in what Brian did, just where he traveled.” She tells him.

I watched as Justin opened it and looked at the pictures, but didn’t read any of the reports. He flipped through all of them a few times then handed them to me.

“It’s like a chronicle of Hannah growing up.” He tells me, shrugging when I took them.

“Are you going to read what was in the reports?” I ask him.

“I lived it, no need to read about how someone stalked my life, but if it continues then I’ll get someone to see how to make it stop.” He tells me.

“We’ll make sure it stops.” I tell him, looking at pictures of my daughter growing up.

“I can see if we can get a cease order, but right now Lindsay won’t have any way to pay for the information. I moved all the money to an account without her on it. I put the money you gave me in Gus’s college fund.” Mel tells me.

“Justin, once everything with Gus is settled, we are making the permanent move to Chicago. Cynthia and everyone else can handle Pittsburgh, but I won’t have us constantly looking over our shoulders for the next bullshit they come up with.” I tell him.

“Thank you, I didn’t want to make you have to choose what I wanted, but this kind of thing is all we will ever deal with if we stay here.” He tells me.

“I think I’m ready for a change too. Pittsburgh is just a lot of bad memories.” Mel tells us.

“Chicago is a big city.” Justin tells her.

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to deal with me.” She tells him.

“Gus will want you around, it’s not about me, but your son. It’s not like Lindsay is going to disappear completely out of our lives. I just don’t want to be anywhere she is.” Justin tells her.

“Justin, I will never allow her to come to see Gus, if she gets to see Gus it will be here.” I tell him.

“You underestimate your stalkers, they will follow you over a cliff it means holding on to any part of their ‘best friend’.” Justin tells me.

“Then I hope they find their best friend, because there is only one person I consider my best friend, you.” I tell him.