JUSTIN

We were nearing Pittsburgh when Brian told me to pull over and let him drive. I almost said something about knowing where I was going, but when I looked around, I didn’t recognize the place anymore. It was the one place that I never came on tour. Brian made a call while we were parked at the convenience store.

I got out with Ryan and took him to the bathroom and to get some juice for him. Ryan did really well until he asked if we were going home to bed. Brian and I took turns getting up with him when he had a hard time sleeping. Ryan had never slept anywhere but home before. Brian didn’t get upset at Ryan when he got fussy in the car either, he just told me to stop and let Ryan run around. Ryan kept trying to convince Brian a puppy would make driving forever easier. Brian explained rather nicely that puppies need to stop more than Ryan did for bathrooms.

Brian was still on the phone when we got back in. He wasn’t sounding too happy and hung up frustrated.

“I need to take you to Lindsay’s house. Apparently, Michael is camped out at the loft.” He tells me.

“He stayed there even when you told him you wouldn’t be home?” I ask.

“Cynthia said he's been appearing on and off since her cousin started working. He's been bitching at her because she let other people in but not him. I need to make sure Cynthia doesn’t quit.” He tells me.

“As long as Lindsay doesn’t mind, it will be fine,” I tell him.

“She said to bring you over, I need to find out if they got everything done and tell Michael to go home.” He tells me.

He drove us by the loft and I watched a guy and woman arguing out front. Brian kept going saying if I see that guy, to stay away from him. I told him didn’t plan on being here long enough to worry about it.

“I want you to know if you need a place to go, it's always there.” He tells me, parking in a driveway.

“My life will never give you privacy. One day it will become too much and you’ll leave to save your sanity.” I tell him, getting out of the car.

Lindsay opened the door and let us in. I felt bad when she didn’t know what to say to me. It happens when people meet me, they tend to worry about how I'll react to them.

“I have to go deal with Michael driving Cynthia nuts. So could you fangirl out and get over it.” Brian tells her.

“It's just didn’t want Justin to feel like I was crowding him.” She tells him.

“I wanted to thank you for helping me with finding my mom,” I tell her.

“Brian asked and he rarely does. It wasn't much, but you're welcome.” She tells me.

“Daddy, my tummy is hungry,” Ryan tells me.

“I made some sandwiches when Brian told me he was bringing you. I can feed him for you. Come in after Brian leaves.” Lindsay tells me.

“I’ll be there in a minute, you go with Lindsay,” I tell Ryan, who holds out his hand to her.

“I’ll be back by the time Gus shows up, hopefully, he won’t drive you crazy,” Brian tells me.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting my number one fan,” I tell him.

“Justin, if you need me, call me. I’ll come straight back here.” He tells me.

“I wish I’d met you before I left here. I have a feeling my life would have been different.” I tell him.

“It’s why I wanted to find you. I felt like there was something I was missing by not meeting you. I was waiting for you to see it too.” He tells me, kissing me before walking out the door.

I went to the kitchen and Lindsay ended up dropping the cup she was holding. It was time to get her over this because somehow I don’t see Brian not being in my life in some capacity.

“Is it me or is Brian a bit bossy?” I ask her.

“It’s like he’s the only one who can see how you need to do everything.” She tells me.

“What’s he like?” I ask.

“It depends on who you ask. My wife would tell you a few not so nice things, but only because the two of them tend to do that with each other. Some people think he’s selfish and doesn’t care about anything. I’ve always seen someone who gives everything to the people he loves.” She tells me.

“I really didn’t know how to take a guy who tracked me down and seems to want to know everything about me. Those are the people I usually have to get restraining orders on.” I tell her.

“He couldn’t understand the two different people that you seem to be. He never really paid a lot of attention when Gus started listening to your music. I really didn’t know what to think when Brian took off to find you, it’s not something he would do.” She tells me.

“Emmett said that too. I don’t understand why Brian seems to want a relationship. He talks like he never would.” I tell her.

“He never has before. He sees something in you, something that changed his mind.” She tells me.

“Want to tell me why Michael seems to be a pain in the ass?” I ask her, to change the subject. It’s something Brian and I really need to talk to each other about.

“That is a conversation that requires a lot of alcohol and no little ears. Speaking of little ears, can I tell you he’s adorable.” She smiles at Ryan.

“Daddy, do you think Brian went to get my puppy, he said I could have one,” Ryan tells me.

“I think Brian just lost a few points,” I tell Ryan.

BRIAN

I pulled up to the loft, and Michael must have left since he wasn’t standing in front. I pulled into the back since I was driving Justin’s car Michael wouldn’t think I was here. I got up to the loft and wondered what it would take to keep Cynthia working for me. Pissed didn’t seem to be a strong enough word for the fire coming out of her eyes.

“Brian, I will not be responsible for what I do to him if he shows up again.” She tells me.

“Why were you arguing with him?” I ask.

“The guy, Blake, that Drew sent here, kicked him out when he followed another tenant in. Michael demanded that I call you to evict Blake from the apartment. When I wouldn’t, he told me if he wants something, it’s my job to make it happen for him. I let him know where he could stick that statement. Normally I can deal with him, but it’s been two days of him non-stop, not the few minutes that I usually have to put up with.” She tells me.

I looked at the wall and it didn’t look like anything had been done. Cynthia walked over and pressed the wall, opening it. “Just ignore the hole, Anthony put a ladder on the wall and said he could put in stairs when time wasn’t an issue. He spent the whole night just getting the wall unit in first. He called three of his guys to work on making a way to the loft above.” She tells me.

“We need to make it so a child can’t fall through that,” I tell her.

“Brian, what the hell is going on beyond helping Justin hide?” She asks.

“Justin wasn’t pulling diva moments when he disappeared, he was going to see his son. He doesn’t want Ryan to be exposed to the things the press does to children of famous people. His agent, who he fired, decided to retaliate when she was fired. I brought him here to see his mother and keep Ryan a secret.” I tell her.

“I can understand if he was a client, but this is more than you’d do for a client.” She tells me.

“I won’t represent him. I want a different relationship with him,” I tell her.

“Does he know that?” She asks, smirking at me.

“He isn’t jumping at me, but he’s not resisting either,” I tell her.

“Anthony can come back and finish what you need to be done.” She tells me.

The buzzer was going off and Michael’s voice came through the speaker. I went to close the wall when Michael was yelling through the intercom. Cynthia took off her heels and went in and started up the ladder. “I’m going to go before the idea of ruining my heel by planting it in Michael’s head becomes a reality.” She tells me.

I closed it behind her and looked at the wall. I could see it now but not when I looked the first time. I went and let Michael in. I went to the bedroom to change while Michael was on his way up.

“Cynthia, I better get the fucking key before I leave, and you better believe I'm telling Brian about you bringing people here when he wasn’t home. Where the hell are you?” He yelled.

“Cynthia left, but not before she told me what you've been doing,” I tell him.

“Brian, she changed your locks and let strangers in the building. The asshole she let rent one of the lofts threw me out. Then she acted like I needed to leave, not the asshole who thinks it's okay to treat me like that.” He tells me. “Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?” He asks.

“I didn’t plan to, but with you bothering Cynthia enough that she wanted to quit, I didn’t have a choice but to show up and deal with you. She can’t do her job when she has you constantly annoying the shit out of her.” I tell him.

“You told her to change the locks?” He asks.

“My tenants wanted the security upgraded. I agreed because NO ONE should be allowed to come in uninvited if they don't live here.” I tell him.

“Since you’re back, why don’t we go out tonight? I thought we could spend time together since you took off without me.” He complains.

“I have things to do. I’m sure Ben would love to spend time with you.” I tell him.

“He hasn’t really been calling me lately. I really need someone to talk to, I think he wants to break up.” He tells me.

“Michael the only person you should talk to about that is Ben. What the hell would talking to me do for you? I have things that require my attention, only because you can't fucking leave my assistant to do her job. As I said, I’m only here because I had to come here and deal with you.” I tell him.

“I was watching out for you. If you had called and told me that Cynthia was doing what you wanted, it wouldn’t have interrupted your precious time away.” He tells me.

“Why did you need to know? It has nothing to do with you. I need to go pick up Gus since I’m here.” I tell him, trying to get him out of the loft.

“I can go with you, then we can talk.” He tells me.

“I said I was spending time with Gus. It means I don’t have time to listen to you. Why not go open your store, I’m sure you can find some preteen to complain to.” I tell him.

“I need new keys to the building and the loft before I leave.” He tells me.

“No, you don’t. If you had been listening you would have heard what I said. No one gets keys if they don’t live here. I don’t need to lose tenants because you can’t respect that they pay rent to live in the building.” I tell him.

I open the door, hoping to hurry him off, but Michael didn’t seem to get it.

“Where is your jeep, I didn’t see it?” He quizzes me.

“Michael get out. I have places I need to be.” I tell him.

“I’ll come back later after you spend time with Gus. Hopefully, by then you’ll stop being an asshole.” He tells me.

“Michael, unless I call, don’t come here expecting a better reception. I’m not happy hearing how you spoke to Cynthia.” I tell him.

“She’s the one who acted like I wasn’t welcome here. She needs to stop acting like she owns you.” He tells me.

“She does what I ask of her, unlike you,” I tell him.

I pulled him out, locking the door behind me, trying to figure out how to get to the car without Michael seeing it. Michael was standing on the sidewalk pissing and moaning about the way I was treating him when a guy pulls up and tells me he would get me to my next appointment. I got in the car, not sure what was going on until Michael started yelling at him that I didn’t want his ass just because he moved into my building. Blake took off, leaving Michael to yell at the air.

“I’m not sure Justin being here is a good idea. Your friend is nosy as fuck, he spent most of the day trying to get people to let him in.” Blake tells me.

“I’ll make sure Michael won’t be here when Justin comes,” I tell him.

“I’m still going to suggest to Justin that it would be better to just meet his mother and let me get him and Ryan out of town. No offense at what you tried, but it would just be a matter of time before reporters showed up at your door. Justin and Ryan can’t sit in a loft for days on end, which they’ll have to do because Michael shows up almost hourly.” He tells me.

“If Justin can’t stay there, then we figure out another way. A way which doesn’t include him disappearing without me.” I tell him.

“If Justin asks us to do it, there is nothing you could do to stop it.” He tells me.

Gus got in the car when he saw me. I could tell he wanted to ask why I was here.

“Justin needed to leave town,” I tell him.

“So I don’t get to meet him?” He asks, disappointed.

“If you promise me that you won’t talk about meeting him, then you can when we get home,” I tell him.

“He’s here?” Gus asks, practically begging me to say yes.

“Gus, I need you to promise me,” I tell him.

“I promise.” He tells me.

We barely got in the driveway when Gus ran to the house and stopped, not opening the door. I walked up to him to see why he didn’t open the door.

“What do I say to him?” Gus asks me.

“Gus, he’s human, talk to him like you would anyone else,” I tell him.

I opened the door and had to drag Gus behind me. Justin came out of the bathroom, but Gus was looking in the living room. Gus didn’t see when Justin came up behind him. “I don’t see him, do you think he would sign my CD’s?” He asks me.

“I could if you wanted me to,” Justin tells him.

My outgoing son became mute. He stuttered and couldn’t seem to find a single word to say to Justin.