Jennifer crossed the room to where John and Peter sat isolated from the rest of the group. Seating herself next to John she asked if he was okay. She had seen the looks that passed between the boys during the altercations and then when she and Emmett had told Debbie what Michael had said all those years ago about Justin.

John said, "Why would Michael say something like that about Justin? And if he is Uncle Brian's best friend, why would he pull some garbage like he did tonight? As mad as I might be, I could never do something like that to Peter. Honestly, I'm glad Justin went off. If he wouldn't have, I would have."

Jennifer shook her head. She had asked herself the same thing during Michael's speech to Justin. Why was it so difficult for Michael, a married man, to accept that his best friend was in love with someone else. "It's true that Michael didn't act honorably but oft times jealousy doesn't allow a person to be reasonable. The young man that Brian had the altercation with was Justin's boyfriend back when you were a kid. The relationship lasted only a few months. I suspect he came here tonight to push his suit to reclaim my son but as you can see nothing will ever come between Brian and Justin again."

"So what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

Peter who had been most quiet since arriving at the Kinney residence earlier in the week and still had trouble being near anyone except John spoke then. "Will Uncle Brian and Justin be arrested? The beatings they dished out were pretty brutal."

Jennifer nodded. They were very brutal but she could understand why. "I can't answer that. I would hope not since technically Ethan came here to Brian's house and Michael was invited but because there is so much bad blood between the four of them, I really can't say what will happen or if Brian and Michael will be able to mend their life-long friendship."

"What about you and Ms. Debbie? Will you still be friends even though your sons can't stand each other?"

"I'm sure we will but why do ask?"

"I don't know but I feel safer here and don't want to leave. If Uncle Brian gets angry..."

Jennifer chuckled. "That's something you don't have to worry about. If there is one thing you should know about your uncle is that once he gives his word, he'll never go back on it. Besides I think having you two here is good for him. You have a rare chance to heal and rebuild your relationship with him and he with you; a real chance to get to know the man, not the opinion you've been force fed about him. Whether Debbie and I remain friends or not, which I'm sure we will, it doesn't have anything to do with all of our protection of the two of you. Whether you can believe this or not, you've gained a whole new family. The people in this room, even Michael with all his stupidness this evening, have been your uncle's adopted family for a long time. Justin and I came along later and we were embraced just as if we had been here from the beginning. I have considered Brian my son for as long as I can remember even though I'm not sure when it happened. Even so and based on that I consider you two family and I dare anyone to say differently. Got it? "

Her eyes had taken on a hard glint for a second but John and Peter saw it. They nodded realizing the truth of her words and her eyes went soft again. She reached out to take Peter's hand. He winced but relaxed into her touch eventually. Jenn offered him a reassuring smile, remembering when Justin had done the same thing after his bashing some years ago. The only one he could let near him was Brian. She suspected it was going to take some time for Peter to trust others again just as it had her son.They may be grown men in their own right but they still need mothering. Lord knows their own mother left a lot to be desired.

"And that goes for the rest of us as well," Tuck said as he, Emmett, Ted, Cynthia and Colby had come upon their little group. "Jen is not to be played with when it comes to her children. Does this mean I have gained a few more, Darling. You're turning me old."

She flashed a blinding smile at her husband so like Justin's. "You were never young, Sweetheart."

Everyone laughed, even John and Peter. Tucker was clearly younger than Jen but it had always been a running joke amongst the family that they number twelve was a good one for the Taylors. As Brian was twelve years older than Justin, Jennifer was twelve years older than Tucker. Originally Justin had a major problem with the fact that his mom would be labeled a cougar, advising that Jennifer was old enough to know better. Once Jennifer bristled and told her son that she expected the same leniency she showed his and Brian's relationship, the matter was closed. Over the years, Justin had gotten used to the idea with the knowledge that Tucker was not taking advantage of his mother nor was he going anywhere. Since Tucker and Jen's marriage, the relationship which was once strained and uncomfortable, smoothed out into an easy camaraderie between the younger men. And Jen was never happier. She still used ‘Taylor' for business purposes but in everything else she was known as Mrs. Tucker Armstrong and it suited her to be so. Her marriage was full of life and fun. Tucker kept her laughing and young and although they shared a WASPy upbringing, they couldn't be further from it. Whenever Jennifer would regret her marriage to Craig, Tucker would tell her not to stating that if it weren't for him the two of them wouldn't have stood a chance. She had to know what a bad man looked like so that when he came along she would give herself a chance to be happy with a good one. He accepted Molly and never tried to ‘parent' Justin which made for a relatively peaceful transition into the life they shared. It also helped that he was gorgeous and intelligent.

"So Darlings, how have you guys been settling in?" Emmett asked John and Peter.

Ordinarily, John would have had a problem with a man addressing him as ‘Darling' but strangely he found Emmett comforting despite the fact that he was gay. "We're doing okay even though we've only been here a few days. The estate is amazing."

"Yes it is," Em agreed. "Brian has lived here for the past nine years."

"Wait. He doesn't have the loft anymore?"

"He still has it but he only uses it when it's necessary. He hasn't really lived there since the year after Justin left for New York. I really hope you guys will like it here." Emmett smiled even as he felt Drew put an arm around his waist and nuzzled the side of his face."

"Peter, I understand you're in your junior year at Carnegie," Ted said. Brian had pulled him and Cynthia aside the day after Peter and John had come to stay with he and Justin advising that he wanted Peter in the internship program but he wasn't sure where and that they were to find out during the party.

"Yes," Peter said, taking a deep breath. He wasn't used to attention and it made him shift a little uncomfortably. John saw it and nudged his shoulder making him look up at him. The small wink he gave Peter put him at ease instantly. The others saw but didn't say anything or show any outward sign of how touched they were by it. Peter continued. "Yes, I'm in the Marketing program and minoring in Finance. The semester has been going okay so far."

Ted nodded. Peter would definitely seem to be an ideal candidate but he needed to know a bit more. "Which area of marketing are you looking to go into?"

"It was always my plan to get in somewhere where I could bring John along as a graphic designer so I was mainly looking to begin in the car and truck industry. It's the least I could have done since John gave up college for me."

The attention turned to John then. "Why would you do that?" Jennifer answered instead.

"Ted, do you really have to ask? You know about Brian's family just as the rest of us. Joan and Claire aren't exactly the promoters of self-improvement." Her look was meaningful to the rest of those assembled. They all knew bits and pieces of the Kinney household and all agreed that it was a miracle Brian ended up the most stable and sane of the bunch...and that was saying a lot.

"If I know the first thing Brian is going to want to do, it is to get John enrolled in school," Cynthia said. She looked at John directly. "I've been told the full truth of the matter, even if Ted wasn't as of yet. I want you to know that I do not approve of the situation...at all. However, that said, I'm willing to trust your uncle's opinion in the matter. I've known Brian a long time- longer than you could possibly imagine- so if he's willing to take a chance on you even after everything that's happened between you two, then I will take the same chance. But understand this, my first loyalty is to Brian, now and always. If you fuck him over, you won't have to worry about him. You'll have to worry about me. Are we clear?" Cynthia kept her voice sugary sweet but the look in her eye told John that she meant every word.

"You don't have to worry about me, Cynthia. It is enough that he's getting Peter and I away from my mother and grandmother. As far as the gang goes, my part ended when they made my brother a target. I cannot and I will not say what would have happened had they not but I am learning to take people as they are, not who they do. I will not say that my views on gayness will change tomorrow because then I'd be lying and of all the things I am, a liar is no longer one of them. I learned my lesson about that years ago because of what almost happened to Uncle Brian due to my lie. This a learning and life-changing experience. Considering that I've grown up all my life having the opinion that all homos are hell-bound and not to be trusted and that my asshole is in jeopardy every time I'm near one reiterated and drilled into me with every other conversation, you cannot expect me not to think of it or even act a certain way at times. I can only try to change daily. What I do know is that I love my brother and will do whatever I have to do to protect him."

Cynthia nodded. It was what she needed to hear from him. She could see John's potential but she would be damned if she stood by and watched Brian get hurt by hisfamily again. There were many nights that she watched Brian drink himself into a stupor when the rest of the staff had gone home. It was usually after he had had a run-in with Joan or Claire. The night of John's betrayal had sent him so far over the edge that she thought he would overdose on coke, which he rarely did and only when he was thinking of ending it all. He'd scared the hell out of her when he asked questions for which she had no answers. It was the first time she had ever seen him so broken; the first time in all the years she'd known him that he'd cried in front of her. There were other hard times for Brian where he got drunk and cried but none had been more despairing than that and she never wanted to see that side of Brian Kinney ever again.

"Then we need to plan your future so that you won't be tempted to get into any more trouble. I understand from Justin that you designed a car detailing program but he said that you have a key chain full of USB drives. What's on them?"

"Why?"

"Because based on what's them, we may be able to find a program that combines all of your interests. We already know that you have an interests in cars, art and computers. The ultimate goal is  to spend less time in school and get you on a more career driven path."

John nodded. That was always his plan even before giving up college. "Sounds good but can I ask you a question?"

"Sure as long as it isn't about my age," Cynthia said smiling.

John smiled back. "Why did you chuckle when Justin punched Michael?"

"Because he had the courage to do what I've wanted to do for years." Everyone had gone silent at her words but it was Lindsey who spoke. She and Mel had slipped back into the room when Cynthia was engrossed in conversation with John.

"I think we can all agree with the sentiment tonight. Mel and I had the devil of a time calming Jenny and Gus down. They actually violently argued for the first time in years."

"How are they now?" Colby who had been silent and listening to Cynthia and John's conversation asked. Justin had also pulled him to the side to speak with him about John's knack for programming. "Do you need me to go play referee?" He looked at Lindsey who smiled back at him.

"No I think they're fine for now. But Michael's act tonight caused a trauma I don't think will diminish anytime soon. Jenny was ready to throw a punch when Gus said he deserved the one he got from Justin. What's funny is that as much as she doesn't like being around Michael, she still acknowledges that he's family and she should defend him." She turned to Cynthia. "So I understand why you've wanted to hit him. I have wanted to every since the day at the restaurant. In fairness, Justin warned him."

"What? When?" Emmett asked. "It's hard to imagine Justin warning anyone -especially Michael- about getting pummeled...well at least not with his fists." Everyone laughed hearing the innuendo followed by Emmett's quick clarification. Justin fucked just as much as Brian did and his reputation as a top was well known in the gay set. Peter was even advised that he should try for Justin since Brian rarely tricked anymore. Until that moment, Peter hadn't put two and two together. The reason his Uncle Brian didn't trick anymore was because the notorious top was his new uncle Justin. Emmett nodded slightly when Peter looked at him to confirm the thoughts. He crossed over to sit next to Peter but didn't touch him. Justin had explained to him what happened to Peter and Emmett was the only one of their set beyond Daphne who knew what that situation could cause. "Don't worry, Sweetie. We'll help you navigate the gay world. Hell if Ted and I hadn't known Justin before he became the reigning Prince of Liberty Avenue, we probably would have imagined fucking him too."

"EMMETT!!!" the group yelled followed by laughter.

"What? It's true." He defended himself. "There's no ass hotter or dick more notorious except Brian's, even though Brian can't compete in the ass department. Justin holds that honor all by himself." Just then he remembered Jennifer was sitting there. " Oh sorry."

She waved her hand and laughed. "I've given up any illusion that my baby was innocent long ago. My son's antics are well known and with him being involved with Brian...well let's just say I wouldn't really have expected any less."

Lindsey redirected the conversation back to Emmett's question. "Brian and I were having lunch when I first moved back. He was trying to make sure that being in Pittsburgh and all it entailed was the right decision for me. During our conversation Michael showed up. Of course the conversation immediately turned to Justin and why he was back. Michael did his usual song and verbal dance, ‘He lied to you and took from you,' blah, blah, blah. Anyway as Michael was busy assassinating Justin's character once again, Justin stood by silently listening until he chose to speak up."

"That must have taken a lot of restraint on his part," Cynthia said. She hadn't heard this although she'd known that Justin showed up to the restaurant that day. Brian had come back to the office and asked her to make copies of the documents he held personally and give a set to Ted- a task he rarely asked her to take care of even as his personal assistant. She then filed his set of the documents in the safe within Brian's private office. Ted also put his copies in the safe with in the CFO office before returning the originals to Justin and Daniel Quinn.

"It did, Cynthia. It really did. I was appalled at the venom Michael spewed even then especially after all Justin had done for him."

Colby asked. "What do you mean? As far as I know the two of them can't stand to be in the same room together."

"Oh they can't but it didn't mean that Justin wasn't looking out for him as a courtesy to Brian. Justin has allowed Michael to keep all the profits from Rage."

"What?" Melanie asked. "You mean to tell me that the little fucker has been able to afford more than six-hundred dollars for child support all these years?"

Lindsey nodded. "The average gross of the first five editions of Rage total well over ten thousand dollars even right today. The other ten issues from when Justin was based in New York are still best sellers and being printed all the time. After taking twenty thousand off the top which pushed Justin into the millionaire bracket, Justin told Michael to keep whatever came in after that. His art was doing extremely well at that point and he was selling out his shows even prior to that."

Ted added, "Plus JT Designs was doing exceptionally well. His individual investment portfolio matched that of the annual gross of Rage sales both here and abroad. He didn't have time nor inclination to attend the Cons or do the legwork required for promotion but Michael did. Justin figured he should be compensated for it so I arranged that Michael keep all the proceeds. Between the store which is the only retailer to carry Rage as a distributor and an Amazon and Ebay affiliate, Michael has made over forty thousand dollars a year since 2007 just based on Rage alone. Given that Red Cape Comics also carries other rare and collectible comics, I'd say that Michael and Ben have been financially sound for a long time but none of it would have happened if Michael had to pay what he really owes Justin. If he wanted to he could really sue Michael all the way back from the first issue because all of the stories including the latest ones have involved Brian and Justin's history being used."

"Although he agreed to some of them, I know for a fact that he didn't agree to most of them," Emmett said.

"Then why draw for them? If he didn't agree with the storyline, why take the time to basically endorse the work?" Melanie was genuinely puzzled about that. She was a firm believer in holding true to one's ideals.

"We're here as a result to why he did it," Emmett said. "To Justin, it provided a way to gain equal footing financially with Brian and the sooner the better, even if that meant compromising his ideals for a time. Was he happy about it? Absolutely not. He was even less happy about working with Michael again but he did it for himself and for Ben, who he knew was footing all the bills so that Michael could travel with him. One of the main reasons Justin thought of ending his and Brian's relationship entirely was to avoid Michael and his machinations. Justin was tired. He is tired. There were times Michael would call him- especially when he heard Brian was in New York- to question and harass Justin. Or to monopolize Justin's time when he would be with Brian, although Michael didn't know that they were together for certain. Or Michael would call Brian and of course you know how that conversation often went. The other reason was because of business. Brian was determined to have Justin even if that meant they continued their long distance relationship. As long as they were finally committed and saw each other regularly instead of once every two years or by chance as they did in Toronto, Brian didn't care; he wanted permanence which was shocking enough. Justin, on the other hand, wanted to stop being Brian's best kept secret. From what Daphne said, while seeing Brian was a comfort being away from him sent Justin into an emotional decline. He became a shell of himself. We all know that the same happened with Brian, too but Justin didn't."

Melanie looked at Lindsey. "You knew all of this? About Michael and Justin?"

Lindsey shook her head. "Not while it was happening. It wasn't until he hired me and I had the first of many business meetings with Ted, that I discovered the situation of the money. As far as what Em said about Justin coming back planning to end things at first, this is the first I'm hearing about it. I remember the night that Justin came back from Rochester and they argued but not this. Hell I didn't even know that their affair was ongoing before or after they visited us in Toronto."

"How did they act in Toronto?" Colby was genuinely curious. "Based on the scenes I've witnessed between Brian and Justin in the short time I've known them, I can't imagine them being any different then they are now."

"Oh, they were," Melanie said. "At least for a time, they were almost shy around each other. Lindz and I just thought that it was because they hadn't seen each other in nine years at that point. We had no idea of the other undercurrents of their relationship. But based on what Emmett said, it was surprise at a disruption in scheduling?" She looked to Emmett for confirmation.

Emmett nodded. "Since 2007, just after Justin's first showing in Toronto." Emmett grew sad momentarily remembering the events surrounding Justin's request that Brian keep away from him for a time. "He was extremely busy with work, as was Brian. They met briefly in Venice by accident." Emmett smiled at the memory of Justin's panicked phone call at three o'clock in the morning EST.

"How do you accidentally run into someone in Venice?" Colby laughed. "That's one helluva accident."

Emmett laughed. "Trust me. That meeting wasn't planned in the slightest. In early fall of 2008, Brian had gotten a new account for Maserati. He'd accepted, I mean who the fuck wouldn't. The problem arose when he walked into the showroom to see a familiar ass bent over picking up a paintbrush. According to later accounts by Brian, no one could ever look at Justin's ass and forget it. Justin had been over there for over a month sketching out the requested mural which kind of explained the missed calls and unanswered instant messages between the two of them. Consequently, it also played on their individual insecurities."

Cynthia nodded. "Working for Brian during that time was hell with a capital H. Nothing was right or could be done right. I think he fired Ted and I at least six times an hour which we disregarded because we knew he couldn't reach Justin and it was affecting him more than he would admit. The Kinney mantra of Work-Drink-Fuck was truer than ever. So when the Maserati account came through, he jumped at the chance to get out of town and regain some normalcy. He thought Justin just didn't want to be bothered; that he was having the time of his life with someone else. Ordinarily that wouldn't have bothered him except that he and Justin hadn't seen each other since the year before and he knew something was wrong but when asked Justin would just evade the question."

Lindsey nodded. "Well, it's nice to have some explanation to the awkwardness. I mean they eventually snapped out of it but the two of them were never uncomfortable around each other...well not since the whole Ethan thing." Lindsey cringed as she remembered their first time seeing each other after the Rage launch party. Justin had come into the diner as they were all sitting having lunch. A wealth of words was said in the way Brian watched every move of Justin's while the latter tried scrupulously to avoid the looks but was unsuccessful until Debbie sent him to take out the garbage.

Ted, Emmett and Mel must have had the same memory because Mel agreed that it was exactly like that. "The tension between them was thick. So much so that even knowing we had the spare rooms, Justin offered to stay in a hotel. Brian in his usual fashion called bullshit. We heard them arguing that night and whatever was said must have cleared the air because the next day they were back to being Brian and Justin. "

"And it's a good thing they did otherwise tonight wouldn't have happened," Cynthia said.

"What? The ceremony? By the way Emmett, it was fabulous!" Mel said, leaning over to give Em a kiss on the cheek earning her a big smile.

"I was talking about the subsequent actions of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson upstairs. I sincerely hope they got it out of their systems by now. We can't have the dual CEOs of Kinnetik, Corp and JTK, Inc. fighting in public, no matter that it was more than well-deserved especially not with the other trouble surrounding them," Cynthia said meaningfully.

They all nodded but Melanie, John and Peter had not been informed of the threats against Brian and Justin. The other members of the party began to bring the three up to date but Colby was noticeably absent.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Colby made his way to the media room to check on Gus and Jenny. He was coming to care for Gus in a way that he probably shouldn't and he considered Jenny an adorable, out-spoken little imp but she was growing on him too. Colby had never wanted children but if he did, he decided that he would want them like Jenny and Gus. Honest, brave and natural born fighters for what they believed in, they were amazing kids to him. Gus had taken to running with him in the mornings. As a result, they developed an easy friendship. When Gus had asked him what it was like to be gay, Colby told him that he wasn't. Then went on to explain that he was bisexual and all that entailed; that it wasn't necessarily that he wasn't limited to liking what was between a person's legs but more attracted to the person themselves. Since sex is a natural progression in relationships he went with the flow in that regard. Gus in turn shared his two dads' advice with him and Colby had advised that it was sound and that if he should have any other questions, he could come to him.

Walking into the room, he smiled a little wistfully. Gus and Jenny had fallen asleep holding hands and with their heads together in the dual recliners. When he turned to go back to the living room, he had not expected to bump into Lindsey who was standing behind him and looking at her children over his shoulder.

"Peaceful looking, aren't they?" She smiled at the view of how Jenny and Gus had fallen asleep. "They used to fall asleep like that all the time when they were little after they coaxed me into letting them finish their movie passed bedtime. I would often find them like that as the credits rolled on the screen."

Colby laughed. "Well it looks like you came just in time then." The screen on the television had just gone dark.

Lindsey nodded. "True but I also wanted to ask you something."

"Okay." Lindsey pulled him further down the hall heading back to the living room but apparently in no hurry to get there.

"Why did you kiss me the other night?"

"I thought we already covered that," Colby said, smiling softly at her and the memory. "But to state it again, I wanted to."

Lindsey nodded again. Then taking him by surprise, she pushed his large body up against the wall and kissed him heatedly. Colby sighed into it as she kept control of it by pressing her long fingers into his scalp and holding him there as she explored his mouth roughly then gently then rough again. When she pulled back, he was slightly dazed and ridiculously horny.

"If you think you want me, Colby, come and get me. I won't be easy and I'm damn sure not cheap."

"I'm not threatened easily, Lindsey."

She shook her head and smiled. "No, I don't imagine that you are. I just want you to know what to expect when dealing with me. It's only fair since I already know what to expect with you."

"And that is?" He liked her and he liked a challenge.

"Detachment. Aloofness. Sex without a conscious. If you were a woman you would be called a slut."

"Is that all you think I'm after, Lindsey? A little roll and tickle between the sheets and then I'm gone?"

"Yes but it will be on my terms, not yours."

Colby nodded in understanding her point but he said, "You're wrong you know."

"Prove it." Lindsey leaned in again placing a final kiss on Colby, then turned on her heel and walked back toward the living room never looking back once.

Colby smiled to himself, pleased that he'd decided weeks ago that he didn't mind being landlocked after all.

When he walked back into the living room, he noticed that Lindsey had rejoined the conversation with Emmett, Ted and Melanie while Tucker and Jennifer spoke with John and Peter. Although Cynthia was also apart of that conversation she threw him a sly, all-knowing smile. He chuckled as seated himself next to his cousin and bumped her shoulder. Nope. Not didn't mind being landlocked at all.