Ted greeted Peter as he walked into the bank. He had called Emmett to check on things at the house. As Emmett relayed all of the information about Jenny and Gus, Ted felt a burning anger that one would never think the mild-mannered accountant could have been known for. Theodore Schmidt had NEVER wished hurt, harm or danger on anyone in his life until now. But now, the only thing that would have been more gratifying to him was if he could get the chance to administer it himself.

Ted sent a quick message to Brian updating him on everything. He knew that Sarah had instructed that he and Justin be kept pretty much under lock and key during the process of bringing everyone to justice. Since Brian and Justin were the primary targets of this entire operation, Ted knew that it was wise to do so, but that didn't mean that he agreed with the theory that his friends should be kept in the dark about efforts being made on their behalf. If he knew one thing about Brian Kinney, it was that he didn't like being told what to do and he didn't like being made to feel helpless. And if that was true-- which it was-- then it was even worse where Justin Taylor was concerned. Justin was even more reckless and fearless than Brian and when thwarted in any manner, just as ruthless. If time would have permitted, he might have chuckled at the irony that Brian had ended up with the most stubborn man of their groups' acquaintance, especially since everyone bought into Justin's innocent, picture-perfect looks. But Ted had gotten to know Justin very well and, along with Emmett, had figured out that there was so much more than met the eye with that young man.

Turning his attention to the matter at hand, Ted hugged Peter briefly before asking, "Did you remember the list?"

"Got it right here. I think we'd better hurry. With Gus having been kidnapped and Jenny in surgery, there's no telling when Sarah will need it."

Ted nodded. "How did you guys compile this so fast?"

"Gus and Tucker. Although Gus is much younger, he has a fantastic memory and could remember bits and pieces of conversations that he'd heard over the years, especially when it came to the confrontations he wasn't supposed to hear, like those between Lindsay and his ‘aunt.' Also, as you know, Tucker grew up WASP so he knows backround on every one of the people financing the fall of his Uncle Brian and Uncle Justin. Peter and I were able to add bits and pieces as well. I know that John Remson and Leo Brown might also have some insight for you, too. Julienne and Celene may also know things, which is amazing since they aren't from Pittsburgh, but they've had business dealings with a few of the people on the list. Celene is a black WASP- otherwise called a BAP which stands for Black American Princess and a Hornet because she's mixed race and is rolling in dough in her own right. Her insight and perspective into this situation is unique since she's has a background similar to Daphne's growing up in that environment. Her father owned CCK Architectural before it passed along to her. She is now the CEO of the company and runs it along with other business ventures she has with her husband Gareth- also a Hornet. However, Julienne is familiar with the organization from personal experience and having practically been born into the world of organized crime, at least up until the time she escaped. They shouldn't be far behind me coming here."

Ted was amazed at the information John and Peter had managed to accumulate on such a short amount of time. He could see that when this was all over, the boys would certainly make fine additions to the Kinnetik staff but first he needed to decipher the names on the list with covert motives and obvious money to make his friends' lives a living hell.

The List

Samuel Hobbs, Sr.- he's a homophobe and scared that Brian and Justin will use their money to negate any influence he and his family have within the WASP nest (Tucker confirmed)

Samuel Hobbs, Jr.- vendetta against Brian and Justin for ruining Chris' football career (Tucker confirmed)

Craig Taylor- vendetta against Brian for killing his dreams of a happy hetero home for Justin, a vendetta against Justin for embarrassing him by being gay and also pissed off that they're both a helluva lot richer and more respected than he is or will ever be. Vendetta against Justin also for refusing to die either during the bashing or the Babylon bombing so that Craig could collect the $$$ from the life insurance policy he had set up in Justin's name. (Gus and Tucker confirmed)

James (Jim) Stockwell- vendetta against Brian and Justin due to failed campaign and subsequent exposure of his part in the cover-up of the murder of Jason Kemp - who was killed by his former and now-deceased partner, Kenneth Reichert. Thanks to Brian's money and advertising expertise, as well as Justin's Prop-Art tactics detailing many of Stockwell's campaign philosophies and comparing him to Hitler, Jim lost potential votes and eventually the election. He also holds them responsible for the vigilante justice-league-style ambush during a rally at the GLC, which pointed out the unsolved murders and cold cases ordered closed by Stockwell without investigation. Once indicted and sentenced, he lost his house, job, kids and the bulk of his supporters. (Tucker confirmed)

Kevin Dixon- vendetta against Justin Taylor, unable to find an adequate teaching job due to his involvement with Justin's bashing and has now lost his meal-ticket in Janice (Tucker and Gus confirmed)

Garth Racine-- most prominent A Gay afraid of losing his influence within the WASP nest, who generally overlooked the fact that he's gay because of his bank account. Brian and Justin are richer than he, is both individually and collectively. In his mind, if Brian and Justin demand to be let into the elite, Garth would no longer be the Top Gay Dog within the upper-class community. (Tucker confirmed)

Virginia Hammond- Schickle-- vendetta against Emmett Honeycutt, Ted Schmidt and Brian Kinney. Auntie Em's Elegant Creations took over her favorite catering company the day before a major party at her home. As a result of Emmett refusing to service Virginia Hammond, not only was the party ruined but she was humiliated in front of 600 guests. Brian and Ted made the sale and subsequent take over possible by loaning Emmett the start-up capital. (Tucker confirmed)

Marty Rider- Brian's ex-boss who was making a tenth on every contract brought in by Brian Kinney during his time with Vanguard Advertising. With Brian starting Kinnetik, Marty has had to give up his home in Bermuda and move into a two-bedroom apartment back in the U.S. His wife left him for John Remson which is one of Brian's clients and a good friend to both Brian and Justin. (Tucker confirmed)

Gardner Vance- lost business due to firing Brian Kinney and the opening of Kinnetik; also wants Justin to come and work for him for free. He feels that if Brian were removed from Justin's realm, the young man would be a sitting duck and easy to force into doing whatever Gardner wants especially if his family is threatened. Having an affair with Claire Townsend (Peter and John confirmed).

Gary Sapperstein- scorned would-be-lover to both Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor (Gus confirmed)

Sean Sapperstein- scorned would-be-lover to Justin Taylor, both envies and hates Brian Kinney (Gus confirmed)

Joan Kinney- pious, bigoted mother of Brian Kinney. Would rather see him dead than gay (Peter, John and Gus confirmed)

Claire Kinney-Townsend- jealous and bigoted sister of Brian Kinney who feels that all of Brian's success should be hers or if not, that he should automatically take care of her and Joan without any stipulations attached. She feels that paying their mortgage is not enough when compared to what Brian makes in a year. As far as she's concerned, if Brian was dead then all of his money would go to her and Joan as his next of kin. The boytoy and the bastard son of the lesbians didn't matter. She and Joan would fight to have Brian's Will nullified if they have to. Vance had promised to help her get the correct lawyer and a judge that would rule in her favor if she joined the group and helped him get rid of Brian.(Peter, John and Gus confirmed)

Michael Novotny- vendetta against Justin Taylor for stealing Brian and refusing to accept the offer from Brett and Connor to make Rage into a movie. Justin's refusal to do what Michael wanted/ordered when Michael had ALREADY said Justin would do it, caused Michael to lose valuable contacts he'd made because of Justin. Michael's comic book store is in foreclosure and because there hasn't been any substantial revenue from ‘Rage' since Michael ordered Justin to kill himself off, Michael holds Justin responsible. Especially since Justin refused to keep drawing it afterward. Also pissed off that Brian told him he wouldn't bail him out again for any reason. Michael feels that it's all because of Justin. Feels that if Brian could pay for Justin to attend PIFA then he should have not had a problem supporting Michael too. (Emmett confirmed)

Marvin Telson- scorned would-be-lover of Brian Kinney and a closet case. Also Brian turned down his account for Kinnetik (Gus confirmed)

Mitchell Perkins- former Headmaster of St. James Academy. Vendetta against Justin Taylor since he was fired for willful negligence during the time Justin attended, which resulted in the bashing. Forced into ‘early retirement' with half his pension and has not been able to find work since. (Tucker confirmed)

Thelma Murray-Gold- ex-wife of Ethan Gold, vendetta against Justin Taylor for preventing her from gainin Ethan's undying love and affection. Also jealous of Justin's success, whereas Ethan's career was short-lived. The violinist divorced her (without having to pay alimony) when it became evident that his career was over. She's stuck working at the Big Q, making just enough to rent a room within a house and buy food. In her mind, if Justin had just stayed with Ethan even though he was married to her, she would have been taken care of in the manner in which she had grown up in. When it was decided that she was going to marry Ethan, her parents disowned her completely since they didn't like Ethan and she called off her engagement to a prominent man within their community only three weeks before the nuptials were to take place. (Tucker confirmed)

Harris Grant- owner of the Ironmen-- vendetta against Brian Kinney for costing him millions when Drew Boyd sued him for discrimination. He reasons that if Drew had not been around Brian Kinney, his affair with Emmett Honeycutt (a close friend of Kinney's) would have remained a secret and he would still have been married to his daughter Sierra (Tucker confirmed)

Howard Bellweather- jealous of Brian Kinney for his sex appeal. Also has a vendetta against Justin Taylor for costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars in book sales with the rise of Justin's career and Brian's success despite his predictions that Brian would drag Justin down. Due to his biased opinion, and because he had been exposed when a Bare Backer who just happened to be friends with both Brian and Justin wrote a tell all book about him, his book ‘The Gay Gauntlet' tanked. Later Kinnetik took on the advertising for the expose against Bellweather and it subsequently became a bestseller. Bellweather no longer has a career and blames Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor equally. (Gus confirmed)

Tannis Brent- a member of the A Gays, who feels that Brian and Justin's lifestyle negates all she and the GLC board are trying to do for the Gay community (Tucker and Gus confirmed)

Nancy Petersen- blames Brian for corrupting her daughter, Lindsay, into the gay lifestyle and thwarting her plans to marry Lindsay off to her husband's business partner. Also blames Brian that Lindsay would not agree to sign over the parental rights to one Gus Kinney so that the child would be raised in a stable home and by her sister Lynette, who is unable to have children. (Gus confirmed)

Lynette Petersen-Brandt- Still harbors feelings for Brian Kinney who once advised her that there would never be anything between the two of them. Dates back to when Lindsay first brought Brian to meet her parents as ‘a friend' and Lynette tried to seduce him. She hates Brian for giving Lindsay the one thing that she could never have-- Gus-- and for fucking Lindsay when they were drunk and high as she looked on. (Gus confirmed)

Judge Roy Russo- Denied State Supreme Court Justice position due to evidence of misapplying the law in 146 cases beginning with the trial of Christopher Marc Hobbs. Upon further investigation, Russo was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury and served five years for accepting bribes and perjury. Originally, he tried to cover up the bribery charge by stating that the money was owed to him and the people he lent it to finally decided to pay it back. When it was discovered that every single one of the ‘loan payments' came from the families of people on trial in his court, the paper trails- which included checks electronically deposited into the banking system- uncovered the real reason for the money transfers. Also, through the investigation, it was discovered that the former judge liked mail-order brides. His latest, Svetlana, was only 17 and sold against her will by her parents. She was given asylum, promptly divorced the judge, who had abused her both physically and sexually, and now lives in an unknown somewhere in the U.S. He holds Justin Taylor responsible for the beginning of his downfall since the first bribe he took was from Samuel Hobbs, Sr. to issue community service as the maximum penalty for the bashing.

Ted's eyes grew wide as he listened to Peter and viewed the names on the list. The most notables of the Who's Who in Pittsburgh were there, as well as people with the most to gain if Brian and Justin were dead... Claire and Joan!  And if that wasn't bad enough, Michael's name appeared there too. Ted knew that Michael was jealous of Justin but to be so mean and spiteful as to want to make Justin, and therefore Brian, suffer like that... well that was just plain unbelievable. He wanted to chalk it up to Michael just having a lapse in judgement; to the fact that he really didn't know or understand what it was that he was really signing up for. But all of the excuses that Ted tried his best to come up with to justify Michael's plan of revenge didn't ring true. In fact, Ted couldn't have been more angry with the man he now considered his ‘former' friend.

"Let's get this matter taken care of, Peter. These financial records have to be researched and compiled and forwarded to Sarah and her team immediately. Every fucking person on THIS list has to pay."

"Even Michael?" Peter asked, shocked at Ted's evident vehemence. "But I thought he was your friend."

"That's just it, Peter. He WAS my friend, but not any longer. MY friends would never do this awful thing to each other, no matter how much we piss each other off. Michael Novotny just keeps proving that he is no friend at all. If he would do this to Brian, who he called his ‘best friend,' for more years than I could count, then what would it take for him to do this to any of the rest of us?"

Peter couldn't help but feel a little sad for Michael, even if he did agree with Ted's take on the matter. The man was about to get the rudest awakening of his life. And, by default, so were Brian and Justin. It was a sad situation all around but he would certainly help protect the two men who had taken him in and given him and his brother a safe place to hide until this whole mess was over. It was the very least that he could do for the men who ultimately saved his life.

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

Home is Where the Heart Is...

Michael reluctantly stepped out of the SUV in front of his mother's house. Looking up at the only home he'd really ever known until his marriage to Ben, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. His time with David helped put things in perspective, but there was still nothing like the feeling of being there in the Pitts within easy reach of the only woman who'd really ever loved him. Too many times she had been willing to overlook his faults and defend him any way she could. If ever there was a lioness who protected her cubs, surely Debbie was it. Sort of like how Mystique protected Magneto for a time in the X-Men series. Debbie handed out love with one hand while meting out discipline with the other. David seemed to think that she handed out that discipline to everyone BUT Michael. And he supposed David was right in a way.

Michael grabbed his hastily packed duffel bag and headed up the stairs to the red painted door. ‘Fucking Red' was what Debbie called it. He smiled gently when he remembered asking her why she chose that color. She responded, "Because it's the color of passion and love, both of which are found in equal measure at Debbie's Place." He thought back to that statement and realized that it was true. His mother had a big heart and never hesitated to show it to those in need-- those who had come and gone from Liberty Avenue over the years, taking what wisdom and love she had to offer and then disappearing as if just passing through. Michael would often feel jealous of the attention she lavished on those people whose names even now escaped him, as well as on people whose names he wished would escape him. She had taken in Brian and Justin many years apart, but their stories were so similar.

Michael would never admit it, but as much as he loved the fact that Brian was his best friend and the Stud of Liberty Avenue, he also hated that Brian had garnered Debbie's attention away from him. Sure, Jack beat the shit out of him and Joan was no better with her indifference, which was only relieved when she chose to heap condemnation upon Brian's head. No doubt that Brian needed the love that Debbie gave him but Michael couldn't see that. And just as he was jealous of Brian, he was also jealous of his mother because Brian loved her back the way she wanted him to. It was a hard lesson that Michael had learned early on, one that would always haunt his psyche; that Debbie had what Michael never would. She had Brian's heart.

And then there was Justin. Justin Taylor had endured his own special brand of abuse and, like Brian, Justin had fought back in his own unique way. Instead of going away quietly or enduring the abuse, Justin had stood up for himself-- something Michael had never done and could never do. Justin didn't look for people to fight his battles for him; he did that himself and would often come out victorious. Sure he had battle scars but instead of making the younger man ashamed, he wore them proudly and Michael wasn't just thinking of the ever-present reminder of Justin's near-death experience from the prom so many years ago. Justin had emotional baggage, but whereas Brian would drink and drug to forget, Justin would remember, and fight his way to move beyond them. Michael, on the other hand, would always look for someone to rescue him from the messes he created. He could acknowledge that now as he still stood looking at that fucking red door wondering if he should even bother to go in.

The revelations of the past few days were not easy to face but Michael couldn't hide from them. David wouldn't let him. He had been forced to acknowledge that his jealousy and pettiness had dug him a hole so deep that he wasn't sure he could climb out of it. He couldn't even expect to be forgiven this time as he had in the past. The wounds of his latest folly were too deep to even begin to know what to do. Debbie had been the ONLY one trying to call him-- not Brian and not Ben. No one else but his mother seemed to be concerned that HE was missing, even if he really wasn't. David asked him if he thought he deserved another chance since he had been abusing his friends and family for as long as he'd known each of them. Michael's first response was ‘Hell Yeah! He deserved their forgiveness.' But then David asked Michael the one question he really didn't want to face.

"Michael, how would you feel if someone who you THOUGHT was your friend ruined the most important day of your life out of spite and petty jealousy?"

Michael had sat still for a moment and thought seriously about what David was asking him. It took a moment to process that David really understood what Brian was feeling in that moment when Michael had so thoroughly betrayed his trust by bringing Ethan Gold into THEIR home. He didn't just violate Justin, which had been his intention; he violated Brian. And Brian's trust was very fragile. Michael immediately began to regret that he would NEVER have it again. "Look, I know I fucked up David, but I've fucked up before and he never ditched me. He's always forgiven me; he could do it again."

"Sure he could forgive you, Michael. But the question you need answered is if he'll WANT to. I have to tell you honestly that, if I was in Brian Kinney's place, it would be a long time before I ever even thought about letting you back into my life. But you know Brian...once you're out, you're OUT. I wouldn't hold out much hope if I were you. Instead, I would concentrate on what I could do to fix what is supposed to be the most important relationship of your own life."

"What?"

David rolled his eyes. "Your marriage, Michael. You have to go back to Pittsburgh if for no other reason than to seek closure, if that's what you want. Otherwise, you still have to go back to salvage whatever is left of the mess you made of your relationship with Ben. I would imagine that he is probably still angry and disappointed in you, but at the same time, he loves you, flaws and all. You owe it to yourself-- to both of you-- to at least face the music and talk to him. If you don't, neither of you will be able to move on with your lives."

And that was why Michael had gotten into the car and drove back all night without stopping. The car was running on fumes but he needed to get to the only place that he'd ever felt completely safe in order to be himself. If he was going to have that much-needed conversation with Ben, Michael figured that he'd better stock up and bask in the constant glow of his mother's love. Because he was sure as hell going to need it.

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

The Wisest Course of Action...

Evangeline sat listening to Gardner Vance spout off about all the reasons why they should just cut their losses and move on. abandoning this revenge plot of theirs. She really wanted to shoot the man in the head, but for the moment he was still needed. He was the only one within the organization that really had an inside track where Brian's business was concerned. Sure they were competitors in the Advertising business, but if anyone could get answers about Brian's latest moves and the accounts vying for a chance to become Kinnetik's latest clients, it was Gardner Vance. Using his connections through Vanguard was how Evangeline was able to approach most of the prominent people in Pittsburgh with the offer to ‘get even' with some of the world's most wealthiest queers. The fact that each person on that list had felt powerless to stop Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor in their own right was just the kind of leverage she needed in order to coerce them into doing her bidding. Through Gardner, she had made the offer to use her position as a Federal Agent to make Brian and Justin pay for all slights done to each of them, while the group as a whole would escape punishment. But as she continued to listen to the elegant accent of Gardner's voice as he negated every argument of why they should continue, she wanted nothing more than to shut him up....permanently.

"And furthermore, now they have involved YOUR colleagues, Evangeline. You said so yourself that once Agent Morrissey got started on a case, she wouldn't leave a single stone unturned until she had her man or, in this case, woman. This is all the more reason why I say we fold up shop here in Pittsburgh and rebuild our network in another city. If we stay here, we're fucking sitting ducks. Brian and Justin are being protected better than Fort Knox ever was. There's no way that-- even with all of our money-- we can compete against that," Gardner continued to pace as he finished speaking.

"Have you forgotten that we now have his precious son? I doubt very much that there isn't anything Brian Kinney wouldn't do for his boy."

"You're right that there isn't anything he wouldn't do," Gardner agreed. "He also wouldn't hesitate to make our lives living hells in the process. Brian is NOT a man to go quietly or to take a slight lightly. He will enact his revenge and will succeed. Just ask Stockwell and Sapperstein," Gardner said. His conviction to stop going after Brian and Justin was in the forefront of his mind. No one knew, but Gardner had been given an ultimatum by the Feds that very morning, which he was seriously considering. If he could stop Evangeline in her folly, he would be given a reduced sentence in exchange for turning state's evidence. If he wasn't, he would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which included not only jail time for the embezzlement charges he incurred for cheating his own company but also the accessory to kidnapping charges and even charges for committing hate crimes since the organization was specifically formed because Brian and Justin were gay. In short, Gardner would become the very thing he was trying to avoid being.... Somebody's bitch.

"Vance, you have more than made your position on the matter clear. I don't need a reminder of what those fucking punks did to me," Stockwell's stern voice rang out. "I have lost everything because of the two of them. My life, my job, my wife and kids....everything. I want to make them pay for it!"

"Yes but at what cost, Jim? Do you really want to go back to prison, especially so soon after getting out? You've already done time in the Federal pen. If you continue with this, I promise you that you'll be going back, and this time there will be no hope of getting out. You must have really valued your one-hour of yard time per day to want to go back to that existence. As for me, I value my freedom much more."

Stockwell looked hard at the man as Gardner uttered that last comment. There were so many reasons why Vance was right to want to walk away from this whole thing. It seemed that they were the only ones assuming the bulk of the risk while the Black Widow, Evangeline, constantly weaved these elaborate webs that they all dangled from. The fact that she had leverage over all of them while they had nothing on her, didn't help to ease his mind any more than it did the others. But if they could pull it off, the rewards of seeing the fall of Kinney and his boy toy were endless. Making his decision and looking toward Evangeline, Jim asked, "What's the next step?"

Evangeline gave Stockwell a full-on smile. She knew that out of all of them, Jim Stockwell would side with her in her revenge. He was the one with nothing more to lose and everything to gain. "Well, my sources tell me that Brian and Justin arrived at Allegheny General several hours ago but no one has seen hide or hair of them since that time. I heard that from Dixon, who has been admitted into the emergency room of the Washington County Medical Center. Apparently, he ran into that fucking wildcat Julienne McKay and she cut him pretty deeply. He said that they were going to take him into surgery to try and save his hand. Useless prick! He was sent there to gain entry and get Justin Taylor to trust him, not to start a fucking war with that bitch."

Hobbs laughed. "Well, you know Dixon. He could never be satisfied that what was supposed to be his had escaped him. Although she would have been working for Gardner, she would have been forced to fuck him. He'd made a deal with Tamara's lover to share her favors between them. It would have rankled that she was still walking around free and, from what I've heard, she's married with a child of her own now. Dixon wouldn't have been able to leave her alone since his would-have been-toy was not under him where she belonged."

"I will deal with Julienne when this is all over. She may have escaped that fate for the interim but her marriage means nothing. She will still belong to the organization at a time of my choosing. In the meantime, I need the three of you to find Brian and Justin. They must still be at the hospital since no one has seen them depart the building. I don't give a fuck what you have to do, but I want Justin Taylor secured and Brian Kinney dead as soon as fucking possible. This is NOT to be a repeat of the Julienne debacle or, so help me God, I will castrate every fucking one of you. Once I have my property-- meaning Justin-- I will release young Gus so that he can mourn his father's untimely death. After that, he will no longer be of use." Before she could finish her speech, her cell phone rung. "What?" She answered tersely.

"We have a problem," Mark answered her just as curt. "The gates to the property are closed and there is no way to scale that huge fucking wrought iron fence."

"What about the back garden gate?"

Mark shook his head although she couldn't see him. "What the fuck is wrong with your intel, Evangeline? Kinney had the fence changed months ago to the same kind surrounding the estate. The security system they have is also unable to be tampered with. It's a fingerprint detection device, so even if I was able to disarm it, the secondary kicks in and automatically alerts the local law enforcement."

"What about blowing out the gate?" She could feel a migraine coming on and worked hard to disguise the pain beginning to knock behind her light brown eyes. Brian Kinney was one smart and paranoid sonofabitch. Whereas, usually that would work to her advantage, this time it was proving to be the bane of her existence. Mark's sardonic laughter on the other end of the phone wasn't helping matters.

"What do you think?" he asked humorlessly. "I just said that even if I was able to disarm one alarm system, the other would kick in. Do you really think that he would be idiotic enough NOT to arm the fences as well?"

"Fine!" Evangeline yelled, thoroughly annoyed with her employee's opinion. "Take care of the Liberty Diner and that moronic detective, Horvath, and his wife's home. I want to see it on the fucking evening news. If I don't..."

Mark swallowed hard on the other end. Evangeline was the ONLY woman he'd ever feared other than Tamara St. Giles herself. Both of those bitches were as ruthless as any man he'd ever met. And if the rumors about Evangeline's partner were to be believed, he would have even more to worry about if that volatile FBI agent caught up with him. It was time to fucking skip town again, but first he would do what Evangeline Charles demanded. After this job, though, Mark was getting out of this game. He didn't want to be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life wondering when this bitch would find him. "I'll call you when the shit is done." He hung up the phone, not waiting for a response and not realizing that he had been spotted on the security cameras of the Britin estate by Emmett Honeycutt who promptly picked up his phone and dialed Sarah. Mark was about to meet the Phoenix firsthand... and it would be a meeting that he remembered and haunted him for years to come.

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

Check Mate

Daphne was exhausted as she went back into the waiting room of Allegheny General. Debbie had promised to keep trying Melanie and Lindsay's phones while she worked on Jenny to save her life. The young girl had been hit in her left arm right above the brachial artery. It was touch and go for awhile but Daphne and her surgical team had managed not only to stop the bleeding but to save the young girl's arm entirely. Jenny was resting comfortably but would still be listed in critical condition since the next twenty-four hours were crucial. The extreme loss of blood was another factor that they would have to watch closely since the artery carried blood in and out of the heart by turns. They needed to watch for clots to prevent a heart attack and a stroke in their young patient. Daphne related all of this information to Debbie and again to Lindsey, Melanie Tuck and Drew upon arrival. Needless to say that it was an emotional time for the party as Daphne endured many thank yous and questions.

"Dr. Daphne Chanders," a familiar voice sneered behind her.

Turning around to look at who was speaking to her, she viewed the last person she would have ever expected to see. "Stephen." Drew moved forward but she stayed him with a gentle hand on his chest before turning back to see him. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"We have unfinished business, you and I."

"We have NOTHING to talk about business or otherwise. Go back to your family, Stephen." She moved to turn away from him but he gripped her arm.

"I can't do that. Ciara left me because of YOU," the irate man yelled.

Daphne jerked away. "Take your fucking hands off of me! What you and YOUR wife do is none of my business. LEAVE!"

"Is there a problem here, Daphne?" Troy asked coming up upon the ensemble. He had been at the front desk writing his report on Craig when he heard the beginning of a commotion. He was surprised to see another man with his hand gripping her arm to turn her towards him. Judging by the looks on the faces riveted on the scene, Troy had a pretty good idea who the man was.

"Everything is fine, Troy."

"Like fuck it is. I want to talk to you now," Stephen interjected.

"And I said that we have nothing to fucking talk about," Daphne said through gritted teeth.

Everyone around them could tell that she was becoming angry. Drew stepped back to give the young woman room, already anticipating what was coming. He pulled Tucker with him even as the ladies followed suit although they didn't know why.

Troy looked closely at Daphne. He had seen her angry but never THIS angry. He did the only thing he knew to do to bring her back into focus and give her the strength she needed to deal with the odious man. Grabbing her around the waist, he turned her to face him. Without pause, he gripped her tightly as he sealed their lips together. She gasped through the kiss, allowing his tongue to gain the entry it sought. Troy had never been as masterful or as forceful as he was in that moment. He knew that he should pull back before the kiss went beyond his control but he was having the damndest time disengaging from her full lips. He wanted nothing more than to savor the sweet morsel in his arms. The catcalls and sputtering brought him back into focus and he released the sweet lips that he'd held captive a short moment ago. He looked down into her face smiling at the dazed expression he'd found there but their moment of sensual delight was short-lived.

"Just like the fucking whore you are, you found another doctor to spread your legs for."

"Better a whore to a better man than a slut to your tiny-dick. And for the record Stephen, there's no question as to who the better doctor ever was. Take your sorry ass away from me before you actually NEED a doctor."

"Whorebitch!" Stephen exclaimed slapping Daphne.

Before any man had a chance to step in and defend her, Daphne threw a two-punch combo landing Stephen in the jaw. As the man bent to recover, Daphne took off her lab coat and stethoscope which she tossed to Troy. Without a second thought, Daphne punched the fucker again, not letting up even as Stephen fell to the ground. She climbed on top of him, throwing jab after jab at his face, yelling and resisting those who had tried to pull her off of her victim. That was the scene that greeted Sarah as she re-entered the emergency room.

She couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her seeing the diminutive woman atop a man clearly over six feet tall, banging his head with her fists repeatedly. Sarah couldn't help but admire the doctor as she watched the angry woman constantly hissing and spitting epithets at her victim. Sarah knew she had to put an end to it but she certainly was reluctant to do so. It was in that moment that she understood Brian and Justin's kinship with the woman that would always be more than just their friend.

Making her way over to the scene, Sarah nodded to Drew to assist her in pulling up the fierce young woman. With great effort they had managed to pry Daphne's legs loose and drag her up. But they couldn't stop her feet as they repeatedly kicked the man in the ribs or the sneaker-clad foot that stepped ruthlessly on the man's cock.

"Daph...you have to stop otherwise I'll have to handcuff you. I might have to do so anyway but at least give yourself a fighting chance here," Sarah tried to reason with the struggling and surprisingly strong young woman.

"I'll happily do my fucking time in jail if you let me finish the fucker off. He hit me!"

Sarah looked around for confirmation, noting that everyone within the room was nodding. She had never seen so many shocked faces in one place in all of her career although she could understand why they would be. Daphne Chanders was a doctor who took her oath to do no harm very seriously. The fact that ordinarily compassionate and conscientious doctor was now in the midst of a personal altercation was indeed offensive but none within earshot could blame her. Stephen had crossed a boundary- one that he was not prepared for- and had reaped what he had sown.

"Daphne, you have to stop now. I'll have the local law enforcement arrest him for battery but you'll have to give a statement and possibly testify that it was self-defense. Understand? I need you to calm down and remember that you ARE the professional here. This is YOUR place of business. Do not allow the motherfucker to win by having your medical license revoked in favor of a vendetta," Sarah spoke low into her ear so that no one else other than those closest to them could hear, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Daphne had taken what she had said into consideration.

"You are right. My job is to save lives, not to take them no matter how tempting." She turned to her lover. "Troy hun, can you get me some surg tape for my hand and take me off the rotation schedule until I've had a chance to ice it?" she asked sweetly.

Everyone around them chuckled but he answered her. "Sure Tyson. Should I find you an ear to bite while I'm at it?"

Daphne smiled back at the man. "Only if it's yours Holyfield."

"I want that bitch arrested for assault and battery," Stephen yelled from his place on the floor.

All eyes turned to him but it was Sarah who addressed him. "Actually, thanks to a room full of witnesses, it is you who will be arrested for that charge. Had you left and not put your hands on the victim when she asked you not to, you wouldn't now look like you've been beaten by several men." She turned to one of the officers that she had signaled. "After he receives medical care, take him to the Pittsburgh P.D. and book him on formal charges."

"You can't do THAT. And I'm a fucking doctor so I'm perfectly capable of treating myself."

"Even fucking better," Sarah mumbled. "Just as an attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client, a doctor who treats himself when he has several broken bones has an ASSHOLE for a patient. But the choice is yours. Are you officially waiving your right to receive emergency medical care at this establishment?" Sarah asked innocently.

Stephen looked around at the irate faces of Daphne's coworkers. He knew that they would have to treat him without bias but based on what they had witnessed between he and Daphne, he couldn't bring himself to trust them to do so. "Yes I am."

"Good. Officer Imes, please take this idiot directly to the precinct."

"What? What about another hospital?"

"We are in a perfectly good hospital and yet you denied your right to be treated so NO there will not be any other stops along the way taking you to jail. Get this vermin out of my sight."

The order was immediately carried out as the officers cuffed the perpetrator none-too-gently. Daphne sat demurely allowing Troy to tend to her bruised knuckles. She was too embarrassed that her personal life had become fodder for the gossip mill around the hospital but Troy told her not to worry about it. Overhearing the conversation, Debbie, Melanie and Lindsey stepped forth to console the young woman who had become so dear to each of them.     

Debbie said, "Listen sweetheart. We all have someone from our past that we would rather stay buried or get buried." Everyone laughed at the statement which Debbie followed by a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "That doesn't make you any less of a person in the eyes of anyone here. You hold your head up high, Daphne, you hear me? I know for a fact that Brian and Sunshine would be damn fucking proud of you. And so am I."

Daphne turned tear-filled eyes to her and looked at each of the faces she considered family. Her eyes rested on Drew. "I'm... I'm sorry Drew," she said but he held up his hand.

"No need to apologize Daphne. If you hadn't creamed the smug-face fucker, I would have. I'm glad that Ciara left him and took their kid with her. She deserved better and so do you."

Looking at the man still dressing her hands, she nodded. "I think I've already found him," she whispered. No one could miss the dreamy-eyed looks that passed between the two doctors. And they all couldn't be happier.

Josiah Higgins entered the Emergency room just then seeking out his number one. "Hey, any word on Taylor?"

Sarah laughed. "He's already been Mirandized, Boss. Besides he's not going anywhere." At his puzzled look she continued, "Let's just say that Karma is a real BITCH and she severed his spine in three places."

Everyone heard and although they were cheering inwardly, they winced outwardly.

"Well I came to bring you some news."

"And a phone call wouldn't have done the trick?"

"Not in this case, Morrissey. We've busted everyone except..."

Sarah raised her hand. "Except?"

"Evangeline, Mark and Novotny."

A collective gasps was heard but one voice rung out. "Michael? What has my son got to do with this?"

Josiah and Sarah exchanged a look. After much silent debate, Sarah decided that she had a right to know. "Mrs. Horvath...Debbie... I hate to tell you this but it appears that Michael was involved with the people trying to destroy Brian and Justin."

"No! There has to be some kind of mistake! Michael would never do anything to hurt Brian. He's hurting right now because his fucking best friend cut him off."

"Debbie, I know that this is going to be a little hard for you to digest but I need to ask you a very big question." Still in shock, Debbie nodded her consent. "Did you recently re-mortgage your house and give the money to Michael?"

"Yes I did. He said that he needed money to keep his store open. Usually it was Brian that would have helped him but the asshole told Michael that he wouldn't give him any more money; that he should off-load the store and live on the proceeds."

"How much money did you give him?" Josiah asked.

"A hundred thousand dollars."

"What the fuck? Debbie why would you give him that much money? Michael can barely handle twenty dollars," Melanie said.

"He said he needed it for the store. I couldn't watch his dream go down the drain. You remember what happened the last time he had no direction in his life right after David and before he opened Red Cape Comics. I couldn't see him go back to that."

Josiah handed the confused woman a piece of paper. "Mrs. Horvath, your house had been signed over to Gardner Vance at the beginning of the year. Michael's comic book shop has been paid off for the last five years. The document you are reading shows that the one-hundred thousand dollar payment which your son signed over was to the Organization that is trying to kill the Taylor-Kinneys."

"I....I....why would he do something like this?" Debbie asked as tears began to flow down her face.

Lindsey spoke then. "Isn't it obvious? He would have done anything to be rid of Justin and this was a way to do it without his name being officially attached to the deed. Only it didn't work out for him the way he planned."

"No it didn't," Josiah confirmed.

"What did they promise him?" Debbie looked at the two FBI agents.

"For Justin to be taken away from Brian. And for Brian to be his."

"His? What the fuck would make him think that it would ever happen?"

"What Michael didn't know and probably still doesn't is that if Evangeline and her camp had their way, Justin would be theirs and Brian would be..."

"Dead," Brian said from behind Josiah.

"How the fuck did you get out?" Sarah asked.

Brian and Justin chuckled. "Funny thing about Sunshine here. He can pick a lock with just about anything including the smallest paper clip that we found while we were showering."

Sarah shook her head amazed at the two men. She had never met a more evenly-matched pair in her entire life. "How much did you hear?"

"How much was intended for us to hear?" Justin countered. "And why is Debbie crying and my best friend sitting there with her hands in bandages?" The anger was clear in his voice.

Before anyone had a chance to answer, Josiah's phone rung in his jacket pocket. "Detective Horvath, any news."

"...uh-huh..."

"But didn't...."

"No... I don't want you to...."

"Okay.... Keep me informed," Josiah said as he disconnected the call.

"What's happened?" Sarah asked.

"Do you want the good news or bad news first?"

"I'd prefer it straight no chaser, Boss. Now what the fuck was that all about?"

"The Kinney boy is safe as is Ty."

"What? How?"

"Apparently, that fucking bumbling idiot Kip rammed into the car which had Vance, Stockwell and Hobbs in it. One of our men was tailing the latter three and so saw the accident happen. Carl and Frankie were following the lead for Gus' back-up phone. That's one smart and gutsy kid. With the help of Ty, they caused the van to swerve hitting the car as they were passing the Wiltshire Hotel. Apparently, while Kip was trying to prove his intelligence to the others, he'd mentioned that his uncle was meeting with the Boss along with Hobbs and Stockwell. They knew that they couldn't let the opportunity go by without trying to free Gus so both Ty and Gus took a man. According to Horvath, none of the occupants, save for Gus and Ty, were unharmed. Kip is in especially bad shape. Gus had taken offense to some comments made about his sister and dads. Ty and Carl had to pull the young man off of him. He also might need hair plugs for men."

Brian and Justin couldn't help but snicker at the last comment. "Looks like he takes after his father," Justin teased as he squeezed into Brian's arm a little tighter.

"No more than he does after you Justin. You've broken quite a few noses in your day too." The two shared a kiss before getting back to the business at hand. "I take it that the Bitch is still at large?"

Josiah sighed. "Yeah, Evangeline is still out there as is Mark..."

"Who else?" Brian asked, reading the situation correctly. "Who is it that you aren't saying?"

Brian and Justin looked around noticing that no one would meet their eyes. Always astute, Justin figured out the answer to two of his questions. "Well at least I know why Debbie is crying. Why are you trying to catch Michael?"

"Michael?" Brian asked, his voice incredulous. "What the fuck does he have to do with anything?"

Sarah closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was to hurt these men who were fast becoming part of her extended family just as much as Celene, Julienne, Shelia and their husbands were. This piece of business was going to destroy Brian and Justin would be left to pick up the pieces when all was said and done. Carefully and not leaving out any details, Sarah relayed all of the information they had gathered so far about the list that Peter and John had compiled. She detailed how each person on that document was called into the bank, including Joan and Claire Kinney. Brian and Justin remained stoic as she detailed how the trap was laid and the end results. She then explained to them Michael's part in list, what his goals were and ended in finally telling them what he had done to his own mother in his quest to be by Brian's side.

"Debbie, I'll take care of the mortgage," Brian said, voice devoid of any feeling. It was evident to anyone who knew him that in that moment, he felt nothing for Michael Novotny.

"I can't let you do that Brian," Debbie protested but Justin cut her off.

"You're not letting us do anything, Deb. We'll take care of it. But you had better pray that the police find that chicken-hearted, jealous, manipulative, idiotic, backstabbing bastard son of yours before I do because this time I WILL KILL HIM!"

He then turned and left the hospital with Brian hot on his heels.