Chapter 58 - Mr. Clean.

Tuesday it was back to school for Justin. Emmett had offered to keep Brian company again so they followed the same routine. Cynthia chauffeured Em to Britin's Chapel and then took Justin to PIFA. The young artist managed to get around to his classes in spite of his celebrity status, avoiding most fans by simply staying inside until it was time to dart off to the next class.

Back at the house, Brian was feeling restless. He had officially been on bed rest for a week now and it was making him crazy. What he desperately wanted to do was get up and start organizing things in the new house. Granted, they didn't have all their stuff here yet since the loft was still beset with reporters and the occasional stalwart protester, but Brian knew what he had there, what was here and how he wanted it all arranged. He couldn't stand that nothing was put away where it belonged. But, since he was forbidden to get out of bed except to get to the couch or the john, he had just been stewing about the mess without any outlet.

Today, though, Brian had Emmett. And, since they still didn't have a TV at the house, Em didn't have the excuse of watching movies to distract Brian. Which meant that Brian was free to order Em around all day.

The Prego dictator started off by ordering his friend to bring out the black leather lounge chair from the bedroom and to set it up in the doorway of the kitchen. Then he seated himself regally and commenced ordering around his guest, now turned housekeeper. He directed him to first clear out every single kitchen cupboard and drawer. Once everything was laying in view on the counters, Brian directed Em how to put it all back and rearrange things to Brian's very precise specifications. As they went, Brian ordered Em to bring him his laptop, which he used to place online orders for various storage containers and organizational aides as they proceeded. It seemed The Containerstore.com was likely going to have a record sales day.

Three hours later, Em was allowed to put away the final kitchen implement. Then the helper was allowed a short break while the dictator, who was feeling more fatigued than ever, in spite of his bursts of organizational frenzy, took a short nap. Em spent most of the break time complaining via text or phone to Justin, Ted and anyone else that was available (other than Michael who was still forbidden to know about the house) about Brian's autocratic behavior.

After his nap and lunch - which Justin insisted Em force Brian to eat even though the man complained that he really wasn't hungry - they logged onto a local news channel and were able to watch a video clip of Joan's press statement from earlier that morning. Joan read the carefully worded statement that Brian and Cynthia had prepared for her in a stilted and grudging manner. But, she DID read it.

"I apologize to my son, Brian, and his partner, Justin, as well as to the whole gay community for my unthinking comments," Joan read, scowling at the words that were being forced out of her. "I hereby retract my support for Rev. Bishop and any other group that seeks to deny my son or other gays the right to raise their children as any other loving parent would be allowed to do . . . "

"Well, it's nice that you got her to say it," Em commented at the end of the short clip, "but do you think anyone will buy it? She looked like she was trying to force out a particularly nasty bowel movement during the whole thing."

"Unfortunately, that's pretty much how she always looks," Brian joked as he shut down his computer. "But I couldn't care less how the bitch looked while she was speaking, as long as she said the words. Now, if only I could be sure she'd go crawl under a rock until it's time for her to buy the farm, I could maybe relax. I'm afraid that her reformation will only last until after her trial when I can't hold the threat of revoking her bail over her head any more. Let's hope that the justice system moves super slow just this once."

"Now, how about we move on to the nursery and start organizing there," Brian suggested congenially, ignoring Emmett's groan as he got up and headed towards the baby's room with his reluctant assistant dragging his feet behind.

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Brian was due back at Chiefy's office that afternoon for a follow up appointment. Justin and Daph hurried after classes to meet Em and Brian at Deb's house, which was where the car service was picking them up - Justin was being extra careful and therefore didn't trust even the car service with their new home address. They knew it was unlikely they'd avoid the press entirely, but Justin was determined to make things run as smoothly as possible. Justin was still smarting a little over his panic-driven response the evening before and wanted to make sure Brian's confidence in him was restored. He also wanted to shut up Brian's teasing remarks and get him to stop calling him 'Desi'.

Surprisingly enough there wasn't a huge contingent of reporters waiting for them at the hospital entrance this time. This was even more proof that Dr. Dave and his Records Department friend had been the source leaking their appointment dates to the press. It was very nice, for a change, not to have to fight their way through the crowd to the doors.

Chiefy was very happy with Brian's condition this afternoon. The medication seemed to be working - Brian's bp was significantly lower than it had been the week before. Sitting around all day had also been good for Brian's weight gain. He had put on another pound over the past week and was once again tentatively in the range of 'normal' weight gain for this stage of pregnancy. Brian felt obliged to grumble at the additional weight, but he looked pleased with himself nonetheless.

Justin beamed with pleasure to see that his man was progressing so well. That is, until Brian had to explain the bruises on his back and shoulders from the chaise fiasco the night before. Brian just had to include a little bit of the story of how Justin had rushed off to the hospital without him in the car. Daphne and the doctor both got quite a few laughs out of that while Justin turned bright red and glared at Brian through the whole recitation. By the end of the appointment, even Chiefy was calling Justin 'Desi'.

Based on her measurements, Chiefy told the expectant dads that the baby seemed to be right on target for all development criteria. The baby was probably at least five pounds, his heart rate was good and he seemed to already be situated head down in the traditional birthing position. From the amount of movement the baby engaged in throughout the exam, the doctor thought that it would still be several days - maybe more than a week - before Brian was likely to go into labor. She explained that most of the time babies got quieter and were more still in the day or two right before birth. But, she cautioned Brian that he could still go into labor at any time. They talked a lot more about how to tell the Braxton-Hicks contractions from real labor and then she lectured 'Desi' on not panicking and walked him again through what he should do the next time he thought Brian was ready to deliver.

They even got Brian to agree to a scheduled delivery date - a week from Friday - if he hadn't gone into labor yet. That would put the baby at a gestational age of 39 weeks, which was more than enough to be considered full term. Brian still wanted to give Kevan all the time he needed to develop before rushing into an early C-Section, but it looked like he was getting tired of being pregnant, not to mention being secluded at home in bed, and was finally as ready to get this over with as everyone else.

In spite of how well he seemed to be doing, Brian was ordered to remain on bed rest. However, after a lengthy spate of grumbling and complaining, he was given a small reprieve - Chiefy agreed to let Brian stay out for two hours after they left the hospital so they could go out for dinner instead of eating at home for another night. Justin was put in charge and ordered to keep Brian as stress-free as possible and told to cut the adventure short if it looked like his charge was getting too tired.   The patient had to agree to leave whenever Justin said it was time. Brian conceded to these small contingencies readily, so excited to be getting out for even a short time that it really emphasized for Justin how truly hard this was on his normally active partner.  

Someone must have noted their arrival because as they left the hospital, they were greeted by the usual panoply of reporters. Brian was in a good mood and took the situation in hand without seeming very stressed at all. He led his party over to the flower beds as always and then gestured for everyone to hush. Since no one had seen Brian in several days - only Justin taking on the protesters - the media was all glad to get an updated photo op. The brilliant showman waved and smiled for the cameras, posing in a campy profile shot so everyone got a great view of his watermelon belly. He announced that everyone was doing just fine and then repeated he had no other comment. To shut everyone up, or at least shake them up, today Brian grabbed and kissed Daphne in a passionate smooch that surprised everyone including the object of his attentions. Justin laughed, covered his eyes pretending he couldn't bear the sight, but he was smiling. So was Daph when she was allowed to come up for air. Brian put his arm around Justin's shoulder as they walked to the waiting car and left a conciliatory kiss on the blond cheek, too, just so his boy wouldn't feel completely left out. The press ate it all up, loving the teasing fun mood displayed by the three and again opening up speculations about the young woman's role in the group. Daphne loved being part of the scandal.

Once they got in the car there was a vigorous debate as to where they were going to have dinner. Justin wanted to go somewhere quiet and out of the way. Brian immediately nixed that idea.

"Fuck that, Sunshine. We're going to the Liberty Diner like always," Brian insisted vociferously.

"No way! The minute we step in there, everybody you know is going to want to bother you. I don't call that low-stress, Brian," Justin argued, even though he wouldn't mind a bacon cheeseburger.

"Justin, I'm not going to get stressed out just from going to the Diner. I've been going there since I was fifteen. It's practically a second home. Beside, it's just like with the media at the hospital - if I don't make the occasional voluntary appearance, they'll track me down against my will and hound me. If we show up for dinner at the Diner, everyone on the Avenue will know that Brian Kinney's alive and well and they'll back off. Besides," Brian added a bit sheepishly, "I'm kind of craving the hash browns again . . . "

That settled it. Justin couldn't deny the man his Folic acid. "Fine. But, if it starts to get crazy or too busy or anything else, we'll leave when I say. You already agreed that I get to make that call. So, if I say we're leaving, you can't argue."

"It's a deal, Sunshine!" Brian agreed with a happy and excited gleam in his eye at the prospect.

And it really was clear that Brian was in his element as soon as the trio walked into the Diner. Since it was early on a Tuesday evening the place wasn't very full, but everyone there seemed overjoyed to have their Brian Kinney back. His name was shouted out from every corner. People Justin didn't know we're jumping out of their seats to surround Brian, talking to him, patting him jovially on the shoulders, kissing him hello - some a little too enthusiastically for Justin's taste - and just generally wanting to be near their very own celebrity. Brian glowed with all the fuss while he joked, kissed back and laughed at everyone vying for his attention.

Justin decided Brian had had enough long before the center of all the attention was ready for it to end, but he didn't fight it when Justin shooed everyone away and led him to a booth in the back. Which left the floor open for Kiki to move in and restart the Kinney-Appreciation rant. Apparently, without Justin being aware of it, Brian had directed Cynthia to see to providing bail and/or legal representation for all of the anti-protesters who got arrested in the fracas at the loft the other day. Kiki was enthusiastic in her thanks to Brian for bailing her and a couple of her sisters out of the clink. Brian, in that self-deprecating way he always got when someone was trying to thank him, blew off her professions of gratitude.

"I sure as hell didn't bail you out just so I could wait endlessly for my dinner. Do you think we can order anytime soon," Brian replied with fake gruffness.

Brian's manner didn't deceive the brash waitress who snapped her chewing gum at the obstreperous man, made a show out of pinching Brian's cheek and only then got out her order pad. "Go ahead, Sweetcheeks," she teased.

The three of them ordered as usual, but before their food arrived the bell over the front door dinged announcing the arrival of more patrons. Brian and Justin looked up at the same time and then looked at each other with dismay as soon as they noted who was entering. The new diner however seemed overjoyed at who he found inside.

"Brian!" Michael shouted gleefully as soon as he saw his Best Friend, trotting over to the booth with a big dorky grin on his face. "It's so great to see you! I thought you were still on bed rest or something and couldn't come out. Fuck! I'm so, so sorry about all that, Brian. I didn't know you'd get so pissed off that you'd pass out. I know Lindz and I shouldn't have stressed you out like that. I'm really, really sorry. But it looks like you're all better now, thank god. . . "

"He's not 'all better', Michael," Justin interrupted the boisterous greeting. "Brian is still technically on bed rest and dealing with the preeclampsia which means that YOU shouldn't be here babbling at him and continuing to stress him out."

"I wasn't talking to you, Boy Wonder," Michael spat back at the interfering blond. "Besides, this is all your fault anyway. You really shouldn't be talking. Brian wouldn't be in this mess if we hadn't had the bad luck to run into you that night we were leaving Babylon."

Justin was about to snap back at Michael but was stalled by a touch from Brian. "Mikey," Brian said with a wistful sigh, "you still just don't get it, do you? This isn't some 'mess' that I'm being forced to deal with against my will. THIS is a baby. I'm having a baby. And I'm not upset or bothered by it - I'm thrilled with the prospect."

"Here," Brian grabbed Michael's hand and laid it on the top of his tumescent belly, holding it there even when Michael tried to pull back. After about a minute, Brian smiled and looked up at his oldest friend. "There. Did you feel that? That was my baby kicking. Isn't that the most amazing fucking thing you've ever experienced? It is for me - every single time. This isn't just some problem, some mess, I'm being forced to deal with, Mikey. This is the most amazing, incredible, wonderful thing that's ever happened to me." Brian finally let Michael withdraw his hand. "Just be happy for me, okay?"

Michael looked overwhelmed. He was holding out the hand that had felt the baby kicking and staring at his palm like he didn't understand what he'd just experienced. Without saying another word, the confused little brunet nodded at his friend, turned and walked out of the Diner.

Brian slumped down against the booth seat in defeat as Michael retreated. Justin threaded his fingers through Brian's, clasping the older man's hand tightly "He'll come around, Brian. Give it time," Justin reassured in a hushed voice.

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Brian seemed even more restless and unsettled than ever after the run in with Michael. The rest of the evening, he was quiet but antsy, seemingly unable to decide what to do with himself. It made Justin equally uneasy. In desperation, Justin gave the loft keys to Daphne and sent her to fetch Emmett and Ted to help her retrieve the television and DVD player. Brian needed a distraction before he drove Justin to distraction himself.

Within an hour, their helpers showed back up with the large plasma screen television. It was set up in the bedroom and Brian was ordered to sit and watch his favorite Marlon Brando movie, 'One-Eyed Jacks'. Justin went out to say another round of thanks to the moving crew. By the time he returned to the bedroom after saying goodnight, Brian was already asleep. Justin happily undressed and crawled into bed with his man, equally worn out after the busy day. He was asleep as well almost before his head hit the pillow. . .

. . . Only to be startled awake a few hours later when he rolled over, reaching for Brian in his sleep, but unable to find his bedmate. Justin almost leapt out of bed, panicking at not finding Brian immediately. He noted right away that there were no lights on in the adjacent bathroom. So, where the fuck was the man who was supposed to be on bed rest?

Justin pulled on some sweat pants and ran out of the room looking for his lost Prego. There was light coming from the end of the hall as well as some clattering noises, which led Justin to the kitchen. There he found his wayward stud, seated on a tall bar stool hunched over the kitchen sink and wearing an apron over his own tee and sweats with bright yellow rubber gloves pulled up to his wrists. Brian was scrubbing at something large in the basin with a toothbrush. He looked up guiltily as Justin came near.

"What are you doing up at . . . " Justin looked at the wall clock then back at his partner, "one o'clock in the morning, Brian?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I . . . I thought I'd do a little cleaning?" Brian said with a contrite look, obviously aware he shouldn't be up and definitely shouldn't be trying to clean the house.

"Brian . . ." Justin started to berate the man but then stopped when he saw the guilty, hang dog look Brian was giving him already. "What is that," Justin asked instead, pointing to the plastic and metal contraption in the sink that Brian had been working on.

"The vacuum cleaner?" Brian offered hesitantly. "I was going to vacuum because there's all this dust settling everywhere, probably from the construction earlier. But, then I noticed how filthy the vacuum itself looked and I thought it didn't make any sense to clean up with something so dirty, so . . . Well . . . I tried to just clean it but then I decided it would be easier to take it all apart and wash all the pieces in the dishwasher. But, I couldn't put the motor parts in there, of course, so while the other parts were in the wash, I thought I'd clean this big section by hand . . . "

"So you're scrubbing the vacuum with a toothbrush?"

"I couldn't get it clean with the regular scrub brush," Brian explained. "There are too many little nooks. . . "

"Do you even know how to get it all back together?" Justin asked, spying a nearby pile of random screws, washers and bolts with suspicion.

"Probably," Brian admitted, sounding decidedly unsure.

"Brian, you do realize that you are insane, right?" Justin said, shaking his head but grinning as he said it.

"No I'm not . . . My mother had me tested," Brian grinned back and joked, realizing how crazy he looked and tossing down the toothbrush into the sink.

"Come on, Mr. Clean," Justin ordered as he pulled the yellow gloves off Brian's hands and untied the long chef's apron. "We'll deal with this in the morning."

"But I was almost done," Brian weakly tried to protest, half turning back to his chore.

Justin got behind Brian and started physically pushing him down the hallway towards the bedroom, laughing outright now at the irritated look his nesting partner was giving him because he wasn't being allow to finish his vacuum 'cleaning'.

"No, Brian. You're done now. I'm taking you back to bed and unless you promise to stay there like a good boy for the rest of the night, I'll get out the handcuffs again."

"Fine," Brian conceded with poor grace. "But you'll have to figure out how to put it back together all by yourself tomorrow," Brian said and stuck out his tongue like a five year old.

Then, the tall Prego Stud stomped off back down the hall under his own steam, muttering under his breath about how Justin liked keeping him chained to the bed a little too much.

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