BRIAN

Justin was spinning a disk around between his fingers, he handed it to me when I came in. I sat next to him, waiting for him to say something about what was on it.

“I didn’t look at it. It’s something only you have the right to say is okay for us to look at. Daphne said it was nothing spectacular. Michael bought it from the owner of the club and didn’t really even try to hide what he was doing,” He told me.

“He wouldn’t see any reason to,” I told him.

“What he did could get his ass thrown in jail, but he didn’t think he should hide it?” A girl said, sitting next to me.

“Brian, meet the person who shut down Babylon, Daphne,” Justin told me.

“I’m just curious why you said he wouldn’t see any reason to hide it?” Daphne asked again.

“If you met him you wouldn’t see the asshole he is,” Emmett told her.

“He comes off as caring, and he’s childlike in the way he carries himself. It’s like Ted seeing what he saw and thinking it was water. His mind excused it because it was Michael, someone who everyone thinks who wouldn’t hurt anyone.” I told them.

“Those are the assholes you watch the closest. They’re the ones who will rob your house, then come over to help you clean up the mess while consoling you,” Gran told us.

“I made sure he knew that he wouldn’t be consoling anyone. I also made it so the owner knew it was Michael spiking a drink that put his ass in jail. Even with the disk, Michael can say it was water. But I doubt the owner is going to deny what he sold Michael if it gets him any leeway,” Daphne told us.

“You shut down the club we go to?” Emmett asked from the stove when he realized how Justin had introduced Daphne.

“I would have left it alone because kids sneak in clubs and drink underage all the time. It’s just, having things recorded and sent through a site without the consent of any of the people who were recorded messed with my moral code. The sleaze needed to see he couldn’t get away with having feeds of what people thought was private, supplementing his income. I sent what the police needed to put the asshole with people who don’t look kindly on a pedophile,” Daphne told him.

“She also did one other thing,” Justin told me.

“I just made sure someone told Michael you have proof. The chickenshit ran like his ass was on fire,” She told us.

“My ass was on fire once, it’s why I quit smoking,” Gran said, out of the blue.

“I could see that,” Daphne told her.

“I’ll leave this for Mel to look at. Ted’s bringing Deb, Vic, and Rodney from the airport. Deb doesn’t need to see what her son did,” I told them.

“Deb will probably blame herself for Michael,” Emmett told us.

“Why would she? Just because she raised him doesn’t mean what he does as a grown adult reflects on to her. I didn’t raise my daughter to love a jackass, but somehow she did,” Gran told us, grabbing bowls to put the chili she made for us in. Riley ate like he'd been starving, and Gran plopped another in front of him.

“Deb always felt like she had to compensate for Michael being raised without a father,” Emmett told her.

“He had a father, it’s just, he wouldn’t be the one Michael wanted,” Deb said, as she came in through the backdoor with Vic and Rodney.

“Too bad. You could have been fun,” Gran said, looking Vic over.

“Too bad what?” Deb asked her.

“Too bad this one is interested in dick, I wouldn’t have minded taking him for a spin,” Gran told Deb.

“You should come to Pitts, my dick has friends who wouldn’t mind meeting you,” Deb told her.

“You and Carl finally talked to each other again?” Emmett asked.

“I went to ask him about what Michael did. He told me that unless Brian could prove what Michael gave him, there wasn’t a lot that could be done. He asked me to dinner, and we’re going out when I get back,” She told us.

“Fuck me!” Riley yelled, grabbing water.

“How much red pepper did you put in this?” Justin asked, taking Gus’s.

I took a bite and it was definitely hot, bordering on ulcer-inducing. I liked it.

“I made Riley’s with a little something extra. Hopefully, it will set his bed on fire, like the six dildos he left on my pillows,” She cackled.

I watch Deb look as if she’s found a lost sister. “Honey, use what won’t ask ‘what's for dinner?’ five minutes after a two-minute marathon,” Deb told her.

“You got two minutes? That’s one more than my last,” Gran laughed.

“I think that's how my son was conceived. Since I didn’t realize we'd started when he seemed to think we were finished,” She told her.

“No Gran. PLEASE!! I need to keep all my illusions that Mom was an immaculate conception,” Justin smirked.

“At least it would have been an excuse for your grandfather's performance. Let's hope it's not genetic.” Gran commented.

“Nope, it skipped Justin,” I said without thinking.

“I think you and I need to become better acquainted,” Vic told him.

“Really, I've always wondered about older men,” Riley flirted.

“Son, I would die a happy man, but still die. Rodney would make sure of it,” Vic joked.

“While it could be fun, I'm waiting for Gran to let me teach her the secret of O,” Riley wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Honey, when that happens, I'll know I'm dead,” Gran told him.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Deb told him.

“Hey, anybody want to surf?” Riley yelled, running out.

“Hopefully the farts from this won't knock him off his board. What he always wants, beans,” Gran told us.

JUSTIN

I waited until everyone was asleep before leaving the house. I walked down to where my stuff was stored to finish a few little touches I wanted to make on my sculptures. Normally I'm done with it all by now, but Brian’s distracted me lately. I pulled the paints out to shade in on the one for Tobey. I managed to get a picture of his father in all his gear. I wanted Tobey to see his father, the fireman, almost lifelike. It was the only one that didn’t match my theme this year. I just had a feeling it was something Tobey would love seeing, the hero he had in his father. I set up lanterns to be able to see everything.

“I wondered about that one. Gran said they were after Time Bender,” Brian told me, walking around in the dark.

“They are, it's just that Denise is about to tell Tobey she's marrying the sheriff. Tobey likes him but misses his real dad. To me, this is a way for him to see him,” I tell Brian.

“You love this place. I can see it in the way you made these,” He told me.

“It gave me a place where I didn’t feel like I had to do anything except for things that were fun,” I told him.

“So you could stop the thoughts that were screaming in your head,” He said, watching me.

“They never stop, but they aren’t as loud here. I can sit out in the water and see there are bigger things than the next movie that wants things bigger and better than the last,” I told him.

“So this is it for you? Staying here?” He asked.

“What are you asking?” I asked him.

“I can’t stay here forever. Everything, my son, my business, is in Pittsburgh,” He told me.

“Why are you worried about it now, when we still have time?” I asked him.

“I don’t want you to break my heart,” He answered.

I put the brush down and turned to look at him going in and out of the light. He stared at the empty case. “Why is this here if you don’t plan to use it.” He asked.

“It’s there because this year I’m using it. I just didn’t know what it was supposed to look like,” I told him.

“Why not?” He asked.

“I never knew how to put a face to the person who this is supposed to be,” I told him.

“You found it?” He asked.

“I did. But I don’t know if Time Bender is ready to give up everything for it,” I told him.

“Why does he have to give up? Why can’t he continue with someone at his side?” He asked me.

“Good question. I never really thought of it that way. I think I always thought his soul mate would change everything about Time Bender,” I told him.

“Not if he loved him enough to want to take the journey with him,” He told me.

“It would change everything about Time Bender. He always worked alone, straightening out the mistakes others did to change time,” I told him.

“What was in the vortex?” He asked.

“No one ever asked that question,” I told him.

“I’m asking. Because, why jump in just to escape, when he could have gone anywhere?” He asked me.

“It was the one place that no one could find him,” I told him.

“So it was your life. You left it where you left your life,” He told me.

“Only I didn’t do it to hide. It’s not like people couldn’t find me. I still get calls, but I choose what I do,” I told him.

“If I asked you to choose to leave here?” He asked.

“If I asked you to stay?” I responded.

“I would,” He told me, heading to the fence.

“Why?” I asked.

“Love makes you want to give everything to the person,” He told me, shutting the fence.

I sat there trying to figure it out. Did he just tell me...? I turned off the lanterns and ran to the fence, thinking he left without waiting to see what I would say. I opened the fence and there he stood.

“I would. You’re right, love makes you willing to do all sorts of crazy things,” I told him.