The diner was packed for a Monday morning. Justin had been running non-stop since five. He was tired, and it was only 7:30am. He was so glad his shift was over. His first class didn't start until 9 that morning, but he had some last minute things he had to finish on a project due that day, and he had to get all the way across town to PIFA in order to do that.

Justin was already taking off his apron as he headed to his locker in the back room of the diner. Gathering his books, and supplies, he made his way through the throng of patrons. As he neared the door, he heard Debbie call him back.

"Deb, what is it? I have to go, or I'll never finish this project on time." Justin whined, just really wanting to get out of the diner before Brian, Michael, Ted and Emmett showed up. He had tried to avoid taking any shifts if he knew "The Gang" would be at the diner. He'd forgone going to Babylon and Woody's, which was a sacrifice to him. He missed the atmosphere. He missed the dancing. He missed the carefree feeling. Most of all, he missed his friends, and he missed Brian. But he knew, after the Rage party, that if he were to stay on the scene, it would put Ted and Emmett in a weird situation. He didn't want to do that. They were Brian's friends first, so he'd stepped back, allowing things to go back to the way they were before they even knew him. He'd even stopped babysitting Gus, something he had hated to give up with a passion, but he knew that Brian wouldn't want to see him. Brian needed his life back, which was what the display he'd put on at the Rage party was about. He had wanted his life back, so Justin had given it to him.

"Sunshine! Quit spacing. I said, there is someone on the phone for you. Sounds important." Debbie said, one hand on her hip, lips pursed together in her 'I love you, but you're annoying the fuck out of me' expression.

"Sorry, was lost in thought." Justin muttered, walking over to the counter and taking the phone from Debbie, kissing her cheek quickly, and flashing her his patented Sunshine smile. He knew she wasn't annoyed with him anymore when she swatted him on the back of the head with a towel

Chuckling at her, Justin turned his attention to the phone. "Hello?"

"Justin Taylor?" the disembodied voice of a woman asked.

"Yes, this is Justin." He was confused. Who would call him at work that didn't already know him, because he was sure he didn’t know the woman on the other end of the line?

"Good, this is Connie Bakers. I'm with the Department of Social Services. I have an urgent matter that I need to discuss with you. Would you be able to meet me this morning? It's very important."

Justin's brow furrowed. What would Social Services want with him? "Can I ask what this is about? I have a class at PIFA at 9 and a project I have to finish before then."

"Justin, did you know a Daphne Chambers?" Ms. Bakers asked him.

"Yeah. What's this got to do with Daphne? And could you PLEASE just tell me what's going on? I'm going to be late." Justin said, frustrated that he was now behind schedule and this woman wasn't even telling him why she wanted to see him.

"Alright, Mr. Taylor. I didn't want to tell you on the phone, but I need you to come down here. Daphne gave birth to a baby girl last month. She didn't make it through the delivery. She did however name you as the father. I need you to come in so that we can verify this, and if that is the case, we need to decide what to do with the little girl."

Justin didn't hear anything after he heard that Daphne was dead and had named him the father of a baby he didn't even know she was carrying. 'She's dead. She's dead. Oh my God, she's gone.' The mantra ran through his head as he dropped the phone.

"Sunshine? Is everything alright?" Debbie asked, concerned, as she rounded the counter. "Justin?"

"Oh God." Was all Justin could get out. 'I'm going to pass out' Justin thought to himself as he swayed in place.

"Whoa. What's wrong, Justin? Justin? What happened?" Debbie asked, panic in her voice as Justin refused to respond.

'She died. Giving birth. A baby. She had a baby. She told them it was mine.' Justin was trying to process everything; not even realizing Debbie was leading him to a chair. Not hearing the bell above the diner door. He didn't see who came in. 'She told them the baby was mine. A little girl. But that's not possible. It can't be. How long ago was it? How long? Think, damn it! How long ago was it?' Justin counted back the months in his mind. 'Eight months. It was eight months ago. Oh god.'

"Hey, Ma. Kinda busy for a Monday morning." Michael said, trying to push his way through the people gathered around the counter and waiting for booths. "Ma?"

"Michael! Get over here! Something's wrong with Justin." Debbie called to him. She couldn't see her son yet, but she'd heard him. She hoped Brian was with him, he was the only one who could deal with Justin like this.

"What the fuck happened?"

'Ahh.' Debbie thought. 'Its good people are so reliable.'

"I don't know. He got a call from some woman and he just…I don't know. Freaked I guess." Debbie told him, moving out of his way. As much as she hated the way Brian had treated Justin, and as much as she was worried about both of them, she had to admit Brian took care of Justin when Justin needed it, no matter what.

"Justin? Justin, answer me." Brian said firmly. He was shocked, and a little panicked when Justin's eyes filled with tears. "Justin? You with us here?"

"She's gone. Brian, she's gone." Justin cried, grabbing on to Brian, sobs escaping no matter how much he tried to keep them in.

"Shhh. It's ok." Brian tried to sooth him; quickly falling back on old methods he'd used after the bashing.

"No it's not, Brian. She's gone. Daphne's gone." Justin tried to stop the tears. Tried to hold back his sobbing, but he just couldn't do it. It was too much.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Brian asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"She's dead." Justin pulled back from Brian's arms, wiping at his face, trying to stop the tears. He didn't want every queer on Liberty seeing him cry like some over dramatized queen.

"Oh Justin. Sweetie, I'm so sorry." Deb said, sadness in her voice. Sadness for Justin, losing his best friend. Sadness for Daphne's parents. Sadness for the loss of such a vibrant life.

"Justin, what happened?" Brian asked, truly shocked by the news. He'd genuinely liked the girl.

'The baby. I have to get the Social Services' Justin thought. Quickly standing up, he looked around and spotted his backpack, which he had dropped when he took the call. Grabbing it, Justin quickly rushed to the door, pushing customers out of the way right and left, not caring about the curses and insults being thrown his way for his behavior.

"Justin! Justin, wait. Where are you going?" Brian caught up with him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face him.

"I have to go. They said I had to go see them. I have to go see her." Justin said, clearly not thinking completely in the here and now. He jerked his arm out of Brian's grip, not even realizing who it was that had a hold of him, and ran down the street. He was out of sight before Brian could catch him again.

~*~

Justin stopped outside the front doors to the Social Services building. He wasn't sure he had the courage, the strength to walk through that door. Why hadn't Daphne told him she was pregnant? Was the baby really his? He knew Daphne wasn't one to sleep around, but sometimes things happened. It was possible that the baby was someone else's. The time frame fit so perfectly though. What was he going to do if the baby was his? Why hadn't anyone told him she'd died? Connie Bakers said it'd been a month. A month that his closest, dearest, oldest friend had been gone and no one told him.

He had so many questions, and the only way to get answers to at least a few of them, was to walk in that building.

Justin took a deep breath, willing his heart to slow down. Willing his brain to stop asking questions that he didn't have the answers to. Willing himself the nerve to open the fucking door and walk through it.

Quickly, before he could think himself out of doing it, Justin pulled open the door and stepped inside. The entryway was cool, the lobby stylishly decorated. Brian would have been right at home with the simplicity of the room. Directly across from him was a receptionist. Before he could think, he was at the window.

"May I help you?" the woman was cheery, and it was enough to grate on his already frazzled nerves.

"I uh…I need to see…um…I need to see…" Damn he couldn't even remember the woman's name. Baxter? Benton? Baker? Bakers, that was it. "I need to…uh…see Ms. Bakers?" Justin said, unsure if he were stating it, or questioning it. Mayhap, he was stating the questioning of his sanity at the moment.

"Your name, Sir?" the woman asked, already picking up the phone at her desk.

"Justin. Justin Taylor." He was relieved he could easily answer at least that.

The woman behind the desk talked quietly into the phone for a moment, before hanging up. "If you'll just have a seat, Ms. Bakers will be with you in a just a moment." She smiled at him as if everything in the world were going to be all right. Justin was questioning if the world had slipped into an alternate reality. A reality where openly gay boys become parents unexpectedly, and at 19 years old.

Justin moved over to one of the chairs that lined the waiting room's walls. It was extremely early, so most people weren't even thinking about actually conducting business, they were just thinking about waking up, some of them. If Justin hadn't had school and work, he wouldn't even have considered being up this early in the morning. 'I wonder if I'll be getting up even earlier than this now. I know Gus sure likes to get up early.' Justin's thoughts had drifted from the death of his best friend Daphne, to the daughter she had given birth to. He thought it would be the easier of the two at this moment. Not by much, but at least it didn't hurt as much, just shocked the hell out of him.

'So, I woke up this morning a drama princess, now I'm a male version of Lindsey, except without the Mel type figure to help me out. Oh God, I can't raise a kid! I'll screw it up! And my mom. Oh God, my Mom'll blow a gasket! But, I hardly ever see her anymore. Just the occasional dinner at the house, but I can get out of those easily enough, if I have to. I don't want to cause Mom anymore more trouble than I already have, and this is one stress factor that she does not need right now. I kinda wish Ethan had stuck around now. I could use all the help I can get, but there's no one I can ask. I'm so fucked.'

"Mr. Taylor?"

Justin jerked himself out of his jumbled thoughts at the familiar voice of Ms. Bakers. He didn't think he'd ever forget that voice. "Um, yeah. That's me." Justin said, standing up, wiping his sweating palms on his jeans.

Ms. Bakers was a pleasant looking middle-aged woman. She looked to be just slightly younger than Deb, but not by much. She had a reassuring smile on her face as she motioned him to follow her down the hallway. Feeling as if he were walking in a bubble full of water, Justin followed her to a small office.

"Please, sit. I can see that this was all a shock to you, and for that I'm sorry. I'm sure you'd just like to get down to business?" Ms. Bakers asked, sitting in a chair behind her desk, while Justin took a seat opposite her.

"I don't want you to think I'm a mean person or anything, but could we please do that. I don't think I can handle anymore than business. No one had even told me she was dead." Justin said, feeling his throat closing up over the tears he tried to keep at bay.

"Oh dear. I didn't know. I surely wouldn't have told you over the phone if I had. I'm so sorry." Ms. Bakers said, looking truly upset and sorry for being the person to have to tell Justin that Daphne was dead, and over the phone, at work.

"It's ok. We had lost touch when she moved away. A few calls occasionally, but that was all. I didn't even know she was pregnant. She never told me." Justin looked down at his hands as his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm truly sorry, Justin. I'll try to make this as painless as possible." Ms. Bakers said sympathetically. Justin just nodded. "Ok, first, where do I start? Ok, so now you know that Daphne was pregnant. This is all the information that I have. I'm not supposed to relay some of this to anyone, it's confidential, but I'm going to tell you because I think you need to hear it. Daphne found out, in the later months of her pregnancy, that there were complications. She knew she wouldn't carry to term. She was seven months along when the complications became critical. Before they could remove the child through C-Section, the baby was already on the way. There was some internal bleeding, which is what caused Daphne's death." Ms. Bakers explained, feeling truly sorry for the man, no more than a child in her eyes, feeling the loss of his friend for the first time.

Justin quietly let tears fall as he heard the circumstances surrounding his best friend, his only real friend's death.

"Now, Justin. She did live long enough to fill out all the information on the birth certificate. She'd done it all before the actual labor, and a friend of hers was given permission to name the child should something happen. Daphne wanted her friend to name her Destiny. She named you as Destiny's father. Now, I need to ask you some questions. Simply routine, but before we can decide what to do with Destiny, we have to have proof that you are the father. Do you understand this?" Ms. Bakers waited for Justin to respond. She wanted to get this over with as painlessly as possible.

"Yeah. I understand." Justin said, nodding his head. He quickly pulled his emotions together and pushed them aside for the moment. He'd have time to grieve for Daphne for the rest of his life. Right now, he had a child, more than likely his, that needed to be dealt with.

"Ok. Now, is it possible for the child to be yours? What I mean is, did you and Daphne have a sexual relationship? I know it's personal, but I need to know." Ms. Bakers said, pulling a file folder closer to her, and picking up a pen.

"Yeah. The time frame fits. I can't believe this is happening. I'm Gay for crying out loud, but Daphne wanted me to be her first, and as far as I know, I was the only person she's ever slept with." Justin explained, his thoughts trying to bend around that one. Sure Brian had a son, but he'd done that on purpose, for Lindsey. Here Justin was, the gayest 19-year-old he'd ever known, openly out and proud of it for years, and he accidentally has a baby, a little girl.

"I'm well aware of your orientation, and I assure you, it has no bearing on this. If you prove to be the biological parent, your sexual orientation will have absolutely nothing to do with your daughter. Now, would you consent to a paternity test?" Ms. Bakers asked, smiling slightly at Justin.

"Yeah, I'll take one. That's fine. Um, where is she, I mean, Destiny? Where is she right now?" Justin asked, wanting the see the little girl his best friend had given birth too. His daughter.

"She's in foster care right this minute. I'm going to take you in the back, to one of our staff physicians in a moment, so that we can draw the blood for the test. I'll see if I can't get it run through the lab immediately. If I can, we should have the results today. I'll have her here when you come back. Even if she isn't yours, I'm sure you'd like to at least see her. Daphne's friend from Maine said that you and she were very close." Ms. Bakers smiled a truly genuine smile at him.

"We'd known each other since birth practically. She was my best friend." Justin smiled at his memories of Daphne as a child.

"I'm glad you both had each other. Let's go get that blood work, then I'll need you to sign a few forms. I'll call you when I get the results, try to have Destiny here when you come back." Ms. Bakers stood, as well as Justin, and walked down the hall.

~*~

Justin paced around his small apartment, the same apartment that he'd moved into with Ethan after the Rage party. The happy home, for about three days. Then Ethan went on a trip that he'd had planned, to Italy. He called two weeks into the trip with several students from the music department of PIFA, and told Justin that he had met someone over there, and wouldn't becoming home. Justin had been a little saddened, but it didn't really change anything. He made enough to afford the rent on the apartment and still eat, so he'd taken over the lease, went to school, worked at the diner, and the only one to know that Ethan had left him for some Italian man was his mother. He hadn't been able to tell anyone else. He'd made his bed, and he'd lay in it. He refused to hear how he screwed up, and he refused to put Deb and Vic in a position to have to choose between Michael and himself. So he stayed in the apartment, and lived his life, such as it was. And now, the only friend he had left after the party, Daphne, was gone. He was all alone, with a daughter he already knew he'd raise. He couldn't even contemplate doing anything else.

When he'd finally realized what had happened at the diner before he'd taken off, he'd expected a call from Deb or Brian. But there hadn't been one from either of them on the machine, and the phone hadn't rung once since he'd been home.

He'd left Connie Bakers' office around 10 that morning. For a few hours, he just walked around town trying to clear his mind and figure out what he'd do, and when he realized that decision had already been made, he tried to figure out how to do it. He'd realized on that walk that he wouldn't have to worry about trying to figure out how to tell his mom about Destiny. Molly was staying with his dad for the rest of the school year, because his mom had had to go to Illinois to help care for his sick grandmother. Molly was joining her come summer. He had plenty of time to figure out how to accomplish telling her without her having a heart attack.

He'd finally gotten home around 2 that afternoon, and he'd done nothing but pace the entire time, willing the phone to ring. He was sure of what he'd hear when he went back to the office, but he wanted to hear it, to be sure, absolutely positive. Though the words would make it real, Justin already knew in his heart that Destiny was his. Daphne wouldn't have lied about that, not something this important. He also couldn't wait to see his daughter. He still had a lot that he had to figure out, but he knew one thing for sure. He was not going to give Destiny, his daughter and last piece of Daphne he, up.

Justin jumped as the phone rang loudly in the apartment. He glanced quickly at the clock: 4:34. Taking a deep breath he picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Justin, its Connie Bakers. We have the results. Can you come down?" Connie asked.

"I'll be there in half an hour." Justin said, hanging up the phone. 'Well,' he though, 'today is the first day of the rest of your life.'

~*~

Justin sat in the same seat he'd occupied that morning, across the desk from Connie. As soon as he'd entered the office, he'd seen her. The most beautiful baby he'd ever seen was sitting on the desk, asleep in a little carrier. She was so small. Her light, almond colored skin was a sharp contrast to the white blanket wrapped around her. The light dusting of blonde hair, just a few shades darker than his own, should have looked out of place, but they just added to the overall beauty that he saw. He knew instantly, without Ms. Bakers saying anything, that Destiny was his. She had too many of his features not to be.

"Justin," Ms. Bakers said quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping infant. "Congratulations. You're a dad." She smiled at him, though he didn't see it. He had yet to take his eyes off the sleeping baby.

"She's so small." He whispered, almost to himself.

"Well, she was two months premature. She's supposed to be small. You want to hold her?" Connie asked, already taking the baby out of the carrier.

Justin stood as she approached, and reached his hands out to hold his baby for the first time. He held her close to his chest, staring down into her face. "She looks like an angel." He told Connie, smiling at his daughter. He only looked away from Destiny when he saw a flash. Looking over at Connie, he saw a camera in her hand, a Polaroid picture being ejected.

"I like to take pictures of moments like this, for the family." She said, handing Justin the developing picture.

Justin watched as the picture took shape. There he was, smiling down at his beautiful baby girl. He couldn't help but think of the picture that Michael had taken of Brian that first night with Gus. Now, he understood that look Brian had.

"Justin, we have a few things we need to discuss. Do you want to put he back in the carrier?" Connie asked, laying a hand on Justin's shoulder.

Justin shook his head. "I want to hold her, if that's ok." He never took his eyes off his daughter.

"Sure." Connie smiled as they sat back down. "Now, I've arranged for you to have WIC. That'll help with her formula, diapers, that sort of thing, but it will not, in anyway, cover the entire cost of those things. I know of a place where you can get second hand baby furniture for very low prices. You're going to need more than you would think to take care of a baby. It's a full time job; I'm not going to lie to you. It's hard work. It's day and night. It's exhausting. Are you sure you want to take on that kind of responsibility?"

"I'm sure. I'm not giving her up." He looked to Connie, and she smiled at him.

~*~

Justin let out a large sigh as he pushed the door closed with his foot. He'd spent the rest of the afternoon at Connie's office, going over paperwork, talking about things he would need, stuff that he needed to know about caring for a baby, but didn't. It'd been an exhausting day, and one of the strangest he'd ever had. He'd woken up a single, gay bachelor, and he was going to bed a single gay father. What a difference one phone call could make.

After he'd left Connie's office, in a taxi this time, since he now had his two-month-old daughter, her carrier, and car seat with him, the carrier and car seat a 'gift' from Social Services, he'd had to go grocery shopping. He'd bought more formula, diapers, wipes, baby clothes, bottles and toys than he thought he would ever need. He'd had to get a collapsible crib, changing table, baby bath tub, baby powder, lotion, shampoo, soap, medicines (because you can never be too careful), pillows and blankets for the crib, a bouncer, and just about every bit of baby furniture that he could think of that he might need. He'd used up the majority of his savings, and he knew that the rest would be used the following Monday when he had to pay for child care at PIFA, for the next few weeks, while he finished out the semester. His tuition for the summer semester was already paid, thanks to Brian, but he had no clue how he was going to pay for child care for the three months the semester would last.

Justin looked around his small apartment. Every available space was covered in a shopping bag or a box containing some form of furniture. Right in the middle of it all, in her carrier on the kitchen table, was Destiny, once again sound a sleep and oblivious to the world around her. Justin smiled as he watched her sleep. It was hard to believe, but this little person was his, a part of him and Daphne. The last part of Daphne he had. He'd found he couldn't stop looking at her. All afternoon and evening while he shopped, he glanced at her, stared at her, rubbed her head, bounced her while she cried. He was responsible for keeping her safe, and happy and loved. He vowed he'd do everything he could to provide those things for her. Starting with cleaning up the mess of bags and boxes.

~*~

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Dessie, please." Justin cried. It was 4 o'clock in the morning and he had yet to go to sleep. He had a big project due the next day as a final exam, he was behind on a piece that had been due the week before, he was working double sometimes triple shifts at the diner, the rent had been due three days ago, and he didn't have the money for it, and Destiny was bound and determined the world was against her, and she was going to let Justin know about it.

She had been crying non-stop for the past three hours. He couldn't count how many times Tony, the overweight man next door, whose idea of fashion was an old, dingy wife-beater t-shirt with grease and sweat stains on it, had banged on the wall, demanding he 'shut the fucking kid up'. If it kept up much long, he was afraid they'd complain to the super. And since he was behind in his rent for the month, he was liable to get kicked out.

Justin had tried everything he could think of for Destiny. He'd played with her, fed her, changed her, sung to her. He didn't know what else to do. Sitting down on the sofa, Justin held Destiny as she cried, tears of frustration falling from his own eyes

THE NEXT DAY

Justin sat on the floor, dangling his keys over Destiny's head, listening to her laughter with a smile on his face. The previous night had been horrible. Destiny had finally cried herself out around 6am, just in time for Justin to get a shower, make something to eat, work on his projects, which he knew he wouldn't get good grades on, and get to class. He was glad the semester was over. Now he had two weeks off from school before the summer semester started. A friend of his had agreed to watch Destiny during the day while he worked extra shifts at the diner to try and get the rent money for this month and the next. He hadn't realized how much money it took to take care of a baby. It seemed to him as if she went through all the supplies he'd bought in no time. His savings were empty. He was barely making enough at the diner for food and utilities, even working double and triple shifts on the weekends.

If things didn't pick up soon, he'd have to find a second job, but the problem with that would be that he wouldn't have the time to work on his assignments or spend time with Destiny. He already knew he had to give something up, and he knew it wouldn't be his daughter. He hated to quit school, but at the rate he was going, he was flunking out anyway. He knew where his priorities lie. He wanted to be an artist, but his daughter was more important. He'd do what he had to in order to insure she was taken care of. He'd already informed the Dean that day, that there was a very real chance that this was to be his last semester.

"Well, Dessie. Looks like tomorrow after work, I'll be looking for another job. What do you think of that? You like that idea?" Justin scooped his daughter up in his arms, tossing her in the air a little before catching her. He loved to listen to her laughter.

~*~

"Deb, I need to talk to you, if you have a minute." Justin said, standing at the diner counter.

"Sure, hun. Just give me a second, and let me get this order out." Deb smiled at him before taking a tray laden with plates out to a nearby booth. Looking over he saw 'The Gang' sitting at the booth.

He hadn't seen them in weeks. He'd talked to Deb the day after he'd gotten the call. It'd taken him hours to get her to calm down enough to let him explain that he'd needed time alone to come to terms with Daphne's death. He never told her or anyone else except a few friends at school, about Destiny. He wasn't sure why exactly. He did know that he didn't want Debbie to worry about them. Vic was getting sick again, so she was working extra shifts and taking care of him. She didn't need the extra worry on top of what she already had.

As for the guys, he hadn't talked to any of them since the Rage party, except for the day he'd gotten the call, when Brian had help while he cried for Daphne. There was no reason for them to know. He wanted them to know. He wanted them all to know. He just didn't see the reason in telling them. Although, it had been THEIR idea that he'd slept with Daph in the first place. But he wouldn't have changed a thing, except for the death of his friend.

"Alright, Sunshine. What'dya need?" Deb said, wiping her hands off on her apron.

"I need to pick up as many shifts as I can, but I have to work it around this schedule. Do you think we can do it?" Justin asked, hoping they could work something out. He'd been hired that morning at a fancy restaurant downtown. He was going to try to pick up as many shifts as he could at both, to get his rent caught up and some money in the bank. He had until the beginning of the summer semester to get enough money together for the rent, utilities, food, and daycare. His free babysitter would be back in school then, and wouldn't be able to watch Destiny when the semester started.

Debbie took the sheet of paper that Justin handed out to her. Looking over it, she saw the letter head on the schedule. "Sunshine, when did you start working a second job? And at Papagono's to boot."

"I just picked up a second part time job. I wanted to save up some money, so I can get a better place." Justin lied. He knew he wasn't going to be getting a better apartment anytime soon. He just needed to get the extra money to pay for the one he had. He was glad Debbie hadn't noticed yet that the times were normally when he was in class.

"What about Ethan? Isn't he gonna help out with the apartment thing." Debbie asked, already going over the work schedule for the diner.

"Uh, don't tell anyone, cause I don't want the gang to know, but Ethan and I didn't even get involved, really. We never were." Justin told her in a hushed whisper.

"Sunshine!" Debbie yelled, surprised by the news. Looking around at the patrons looking their way, she lowered her voice. "What do you mean you didn't get together? You've been living together for months."

"Actually, he moved to Italy, and I took over the lease on his apartment." Justin told her. It was partially the truth, so he didn't feel so bad. Pride was a bad, bad thing.

"Why didn't you tell us? You could have moved back in with Vic and me." Debbie said, hands on her hips.

"No, I couldn't. Michael and I are definitely not getting along now, and it would have put everyone in an awkward position. I needed my own space. I need to be independent and on my own for a while." Justin didn't want to have this conversation. Johnny, his babysitter had an appointment in a couple of hours, and he had to get over there to pick up Destiny. "Can we work around the new schedule? Will it be a problem?"

Debbie recognized the change in subject, meaning Justin didn't want to talk about what ever it was. She was sure there was something more than Ethan in Italy, and Justin wanting a better apartment. It hadn't escaped her attention that his schedule for Papagono's were times that Justin normally had classes, but she also knew better than to bring it up when Brian and Michael were here. "I'll work out your new schedule and give it to you on your next shift."

"Thanks. I have to go. Need to meet someone." Justin said, not able to repress the smile that crossed his face at the thought of Destiny.

"Someone special I'd say, by the size of the 'Sunshine' smile." Debbie said, hands on her hips again, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Yeah. About as special as you can get." Justin said, winking before turning and walking out of the diner.

"Brian, come here." Debbie called when she was sure Justin was gone.

Brian rolled his eyes, but got up from the booth where he, Ted, Emmett and Michael were sitting for breakfast. They'd noticed Justin come in, but hadn't said anything. "What did I do this time?" Brian asked with his typical sarcasm

"I was wondering if you might know why Justin isn't going to school anymore." Debbie said, knowing that would get a reaction. Brian had been adamant about one thing, even after he and Justin broke up; Justin would continue to go to school and would not have to worry about repaying the tuition Brian had paid for him.

"What? I haven't heard anything from PIFA. Surely they would have sent me a refund check if he'd quit." Brian said, brow furrowing.

"Maybe you could check your messages. They might have called your office or something." Debbie said, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Brian pulled out his cell phone and quickly dial Cynthia at the office. He knew she'd be there already. She was always there early. "Cynthia, have there been any calls or messages from PIFA?" Brian listened to her response, his brow furrowing. Then he scowled. Without saying good-bye, he ended the call. "That little shit. They direct deposited it back into my account."

"Well, hell. Why in the world would he quit? He worked so hard to get there, and be able to stay. It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Brian said, and left the diner.

~*~

Brian waited outside of Justin's apartment building. He'd already been up, but Justin wasn't home. He intended to wait around until the boy came home. Then, maybe, he couldn't run away from him. He hoped Ethan wouldn't be showing up any time soon. Although, no one had mentioned seeing him recently. 'He's probably one of those recluse artists.' Brian thought to himself.

Brian had been waiting in his jeep for close to an hour when he saw a taxi pull up outside the building. Seeing Justin climb out, Brian quickly got out of the jeep and started to cross the quiet street. He stopped though, when Justin moved to the other side of the car and removed a car seat. 'What in the world.'

The taxi driver was also out of the car, helping Justin with what appeared to be a diaper bag, and another bag of toys, and a collapsible crib. Once Justin was inside, he paid the taxi driver. Brian waited until the taxi had pulled away and was moving down the street before crossing the road and entering the apartment building.

Justin wasn't in the lobby, so Brian pressed the button for the elevator, hoping it actually worked.

When Brian was standing outside of Justin's door, he wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't actually had a conversation with Justin since the Rage party. They'd both been avoiding each other. Avoiding having the conversation that they both knew they would need to have.

Brian may lie to everyone else around him, but he wouldn't lie to himself. He'd missed Justin immensely since he'd moved out. Things were too quiet around the loft. Babylon wasn't as fun without Justin to dance with. Woody's was just another bar, as far as Brian was concerned. He'd missed Justin, but he wasn't going to let Justin know that. He knocked on the door.

After a few minutes, Brian could hear the locks on the door being turned, then the door opened.

"What are you doing here?" Justin asked, stepping out into the hall leaving the door slightly ajar.

"I just got some interesting news today and thought I'd share." Brian said, leaning against the hall wall. Obviously, Justin didn't want him in the apartment. The Fiddle Player was probably in there.

"And this has what to do with me?" Justin was confused. Why would Brian show up at his apartment to share anything with him. He hadn't spoken to Brian in over a month.

"Well, you see, I got this large amount of money drafted into my account today. Funny thing is, it was from the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts. Seems they refunded the tuition money I paid for a certain Twink to go to school on." Brian said, smirking at Justin's shocked look. "Did you actually think that I wouldn't find out you'd quit school?"

"I knew you'd find out, I just didn't think you'd care." Justin said, leaning against the door frame.

"Well, normally I wouldn't except Debbie noticed that your new schedule coincided with times you should have been in class. Now she cares. I just want to find out why you quit." Brian said, stepping away from the wall to stand in front of Justin.

Justin looked down the hallway, down at the floor, anywhere but at Brian. He had never been able to lie to Brian, so he didn't know how to get out of this. A babies cry from inside the room made the decision for him. "Shit. Come inside, but keep it down. It'll take me forever to get her back asleep." Justin said, pushing the door open all the way and walking inside.

Brian followed, closing the door behind him. The apartment was extremely small, and extremely cluttered. Every piece of baby furniture one could possibly need, was in the apartment. Baby clothes, diapers, everything for a baby was piled in every available space. By the window was Justin, standing there, rocking a whimpering baby in his arms.

"I was waiting in my jeep when you got home. I saw you take the baby out of the taxi. I thought you were baby-sitting for someone, but judging by the amount of baby things here, I'd say that isn't the case." Brian quirked and eyebrow at Justin, telling him without words that he would accept nothing but the truth, and he'd know if Justin were lying.

"I've been putting this off as long as possible. I didn't know how to say it." Justin said, sitting on the edge of his bed, baby still in his arms. "Could you warm up a bottle for me while I change her. I'll explain when I'm done." Justin reached into the diaper bag by the bed and pulled out what he'd need to change Destiny.

For once, Brian didn't say anything, just went to do as Justin asked. A few minutes full of silence later, the baby was changed and happily sucking on a bottle.

"So start explaining." Brian said, sitting in the only kitchen chair not covered in clothing or toys.

Justin sighed, bouncing Destiny slightly while she ate to help keep air from settling on her stomach. "The baby's mine. Her name's Destiny."

"How the fuck did you end up with a baby? Did you turn straight and forget to tell us?" Brian asked, a little shocked. He'd thought maybe he was keeping her for someone, or maybe it was Ethan's. He hadn't expected it to be Justin's. He could not imagine Justin as a father, not at his age.

"Well, it's actually Emmett, Ted, Michael and your fault." Justin said, cutting his eyes to Brian. "If you guys had told me it was a bad idea, I would have never slept with Daphne, but you all said I should, and I did, and now I'm have a little girl."

"She's Daphne's?"

"Daphne's and mine. Daphne died giving birth to her about two months ago." Justin explained, looking down at his daughter, whose blue eyes were locked on him.

"But you only got the call about Daphne a month ago." Brian was trying to piece it all together, but he felt as if he were working with pieces of different puzzles.

"Yeah. She'd already been gone a month. None of her friends in Maine, where Destiny was born, knew how to get up with me, neither did her parents. So, when they finally tracked me down, that's when I found out that my best friend was gone, and I had a little girl." Justin took the bottle from Destiny and put her up to his shoulder to burp.

"That's where you were in a rush to get to after the call. We thought you might have just…lost it or something. Why haven't you said anything to anyone? How are you taking care of her?" Brian needed answers.

"I just didn't know how to say it, and, well, me and you haven't been talking. I've not talked to the guys since the party either. My mom doesn't even know. She's with my grandparents. My grandma's sick, so she's helping them out. I didn't want to tell her over the phone. Deb and Vic have enough problems of their own. I didn't want them to worry about us." Justin lay Destiny on the bed, he and Brian watching her wave her arms and legs.

"She looks so much like you." Brian said, moving closer to kneel by the bed in order to get a closer look.

"Yeah. She only got Daphne's coloring as far as I can tell right now." Justin lay down beside his daughter, waving a rattle over her head. She giggle and cooed at him.

"Ethan helping you take care of her?" Brian asked. He didn't really want to hear about Ethan, but he wanted to know that Justin wasn't doing this all by himself.

Justin actually laughed a little. "No. Ethan hasn't been here since two days after the party. He and some of the people from his department had a trip to Italy planed. They left a couple of days after Rages debut. We were never really a couple, Brian. We were friends, and there was something, and things went a little too far, but that was it. That was all there was. He called a couple of weeks after he left. Said he'd met someone in Italy, and he wasn't coming back. I took over the lease and things were fine." Justin sighed, and rolled over on his back, pulling Destiny up on his chest, where she lay her head on his shoulder and cooed. "When Destiny came, I had to buy all kinds of stuff. I don't even have room for it all, as you can plainly see." Justin chuckled, waving a hand around the apartment. "Between the bills, Destiny's thing, and child care at PIFA, I wiped out my savings, and my pay checks. I knew that this coming semester, I'd have no way to pay for child care. There's no one who can take her. I'd had to get a second job just to pay the bills. I just couldn't go to school, work one part-time and one full-time job, and take care of Destiny. I'm already behind on my rent, but I can pay that tomorrow when I get my pay check from the diner. Things are just tight, and something had to give; either I go to school and give up Dessie, or I put off going to school for a while, and take care of my daughter. I didn't really have to make a decision. I wasn't going to give her up. I won't give her up." Justin looked Brian in the eye, and knew that he understood.

"I think you made the right choice. Justin Taylor wouldn't have given up a stray, much less a kid." Brian and Justin laughed. "I am surprised about Ethan though. I wish you would have said something. I could have helped."

"I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted to be independent. It's a little different now though, since I have someone who is dependent on me, for everything. And I wouldn't have wanted to mess up your life anymore than I already have. I stepped back, left the party with Ethan, to give you your life back. I know that I changed things. I know that Michael and the guys, even you, missed the way things had been between you. I wanted you to have your life back, and I wanted to find out what my life was. And boy did I." Justin said, lifting Destiny over his chest. She squealed with delight.

"I didn't want that life back. I admit, I did miss it occasionally. But things change, you move on. You grow up. It's the way life is supposed to be. I didn't do what I did so I could have my life back. I did it because I wanted you to have a chance at experiencing what else life had to offer." Brian couldn't believe he was revealing these things to Justin, but he needed him to know that he hadn't done it out of spite. He hadn't done it to hurt Justin. He done it to help him.

"Yeah. As bad as it sounds, I'm glad you did it." Justin said, putting Destiny back on his chest and turning to Brian. "I would have never gotten the chance to prove to myself that I could survive on my own. It's something that I needed to learn, to experience. Don’t' get me wrong, I was pissed at you at first, because you hadn't let me explain things. That you did what you did. And I've missed you, and the guys, and Debbie and Vic. I missed Gus and Lindsey and Mel. But I've finally figured out who I am."

"And who are you?"

"Just me. Justin Taylor, artists, lover, and father. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't have to be anyone but myself." Justin looked at Destiny, then back at Brian.

"Well, Justin Taylor. It's nice to meet you." Brian said with his trademark smirk. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Destiny." Brian picked Destiny up from Justin's arms, cradling he against his Armani suit.

"Be careful, she might spew. She does that from time to time." Justin warned.

"That's what they make dry cleaning for." Brian tickled Destiny's belly, making her laugh at him. "You should tell Deb about her, at least."

Justin blew out a long breath of air. "Yeah, I'd been thinking about that, and since she's going to hound me about quitting school, I guess I really don't have a choice but to tell her." Justin leaned over to look at his daughter's face. "What do you think, Dessie? You ready to meet Liberty Avenue?" She just smiled at him

~*~

Justin questioned his sanity for allowing Brian to talk him into this. He could just turn around, go home, and forget about this whole thing. He knew they were all in there. Brian said they would be, and he knew Brian would drag them all there if he had to. The same way he'd probably come find Justin and drag him and Destiny in there if he didn't show up on time.

It was slightly earlier than the normal morning crowds rush, and Justin knew Brian had planned that too. Although, how he had talked Emmett into getting there that early, Justin didn't even want to know. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door, then realized, with everything in his hands; his book bag, the diaper bag, the toy bag, the playpen, the bouncer and the baby, there was no way he was going to be able to open the door.

Setting a few of the bags down, Justin pulled the door open just a little, enough so the bell wouldn't ring, and peeked in. There they all were, and it looked like they were the only ones in there right now. He could hear Michael grumbling about the early hour, it was after all only 6:30 in the morning. Brian was sitting in the booth, on the outside for once.

"Uh, Brian." Justin called, getting everyone's attention. "Hey guys. Brian, could you give me a hand out here?" Justin flashed him a sheepish grin. He could hear Michael now asking when Justin and Brian had gotten back on speaking terms. Michael could never just accept something and move on.

Brian quieted Michael with a look, got up, and made his way with his usual saunter, to the door. Justin had backed up and let it close, so the bell rang when Brian left the diner. "What's the matter, Justin? You're not backing out are you?"

"I had thought about it, but you'd just find me and either drag me here, or all of them to the apartment, and it's not big enough for me and Dessie, I know they all won't fit." Justin said with a laugh. "I couldn't get all the stuff in the door by myself." Justin guestured to the bags on the sidewalk with his free hand.

"Why in the world did you bring all of this?" Brian asked, a laugh in his voice.

"My baby-sitter called last minute. He won't be able to watch her today, said something about company coming or something. I didn't have anywhere to leave her when my shift started, so I figured, I'd just keep her here with me if Ded would let me." Justin explained.

Brian leaned down to pick up the extra bags. When he had them all and the door open he turned to Justin. "We're going to have to do something about finding you reliable baby-sitters."

"I'll put her in day care when I get the money." Justin said, walking in ahead of Brian.

Justin couldn't look up from the baby looking up at him with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. He didn't want to see the confused faces of his friends, didn't know what he'd tell them. That it was their fault, for saying it was ok to sleep with Daphne? Thanking them for saying that, because now he had a precious little person, who he loved completely? He didn't know, so he opted to set her down on the counter, while Brian threw the bags in the booth behind the boys, and not say anything.

"Now, let me see my favorite little girl." Brian said, gently moving Justin aside, and picked Destiny up from the car seat. She giggled and waved her arms and legs as he held her up. "Good morning, Dessie. Did you let daddy sleep last night?" He whispered to the baby, cradling her to him, as he sat on a stool at the counter.

"Well, now. If this ain't sight. Brian Kinney, holding a baby that ain't his." Debbie said, having come out of the back room. She had her hands on her hips, her 'I'm confused but I'm not going to ask yet' expression, firmly in place.

"Well, if every girl were as pretty as this one, I'd go straight." Brian said, not even looking up.

"She's absolutely adorable." Emmett gushed, he, Ted, and Michael coming over to see the baby.

"You baby-sitting or something today Justin?" Michael asked, the first words he'd actually said to Justin since the Rage party.

"Uh…sort of." Justin said, watching everyone fawn over his little girl.

"Who's is she? Do we know them?" Deb asked, peeking in the blanket at the baby. "Hey, there Sweetie. What's your name? You are a looker aren't you."

"You know the father pretty well." Justin said, not able to get the actual words out, knowing the looks he was going to get. He knew that they would be shocked, stunned, maybe even speachless, but they wouldn't hate him, and they wouldn't condemn him for it. He didn't know why he wasn't able to say it. He loved his daughter, he was proud of her, he just didn't know how to say it.

Brian, however, was never at a loss for words. "She is a looker. She takes after her father. Ain't that right, Justin."

Justin looked at Brian. Brian's look told him that he wasn't getting out of it. Justin took a deep breath. Reaching over he took Destiny from Brian, holding her against his shoulder. "Yeah. Her name is Destiny, and she does take after her father a lot. Me. She's mine guys. This is my little girl." Justin turned her around so she was facing the group, and set her on his lap.

"Yours. This is your kid? When the hell did you get a kid?" Debbie was practically yelling.

"The same day I found out Daphne was dead. Daphne and I are the parents. Daph died giving birth to her." Justin explained. He looked up at everyone. The guys were looking at him with shock and confusion. Debbie was looking from Destiny, to him, and back again. "I don't know whether to thank you guys, or yell at you." Justin told the three men staring at him.

"What? What did we do? We didn't have a kid." Michael said, looking away from Justin and to Destiny again.

"Yeah, but you guys are the ones that told me I should sleep with Daphne. I don't know how it happened. We were safe, used protection, but seven months later, Destiny was born and Daphne was gone." Justin said, his eyes filling with tears as he thought about Daphne.

"Oh Sweetie." Debbie said, coming around the counter to hug her. "It's ok. You've still got a part of her." She said, hugging Justin to her while running a hand over Destiny's head.

"Yeah." Justin took a deep breath to gather himself together. "So, anyway. I found out about Destiny when I got that call about Daphne. She was already a month old then. She's nearly three months old now."

"You mean, you've had her for nearly two months and you never told us?" Emmett asked, seemingly hurt.

"I didn't know how to say it, and I haven't exactly been on anyone's favorite list. I wasn't sure you guys would care." Justin said honestly.

"Oh, Baby. You know we care. I was never mad at you. I knew why you did what you did. Just like I know why Brian did what he did." Emmett said, shooting a look at Brian, who just looked in the other direction.

Debbie took Destiny from Justin so he could get a strong hug from Emmett. "Thanks, Em."

"Now that the shock has worn off, why the hell did you quit school?" Debbie asked, bouncing Destiny on her hip while glaring at Justin.

Justin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't afford all the bills just working one job. I had to get a second one to help pay for Dessie's things. Between those and school, I would have hardly ever gotten to see her, and I couldn't leave her in a day care all day. Either school had to go, or Dessie. I wasn't about to give her up, so I put off going to school for now. I'll go back one day, I just don't have the time right now."

"I understand. But now that we know, we can help you. You can still go to school. I'm sure between me, Vic, your mom, and maybe even Lindsey and Mel, we'll have someone to cover your baby-sitting needs. And you can just move back in with me and Vic. That'd take care of your rent problems." Debbie suggested.

"I can't do that. It's not that I don't want your help, but you've got enough to worry about right now. I know Vic isn't feeling the best right now, and Dessie, she stays up half the night. Vic doesn't need that. And I can't ask you guys to baby-sit all the time. I don't have the money to pay you." Justin explained, knowing he couldn't take advantage of his friends that way. "The occasional sitting, yeah, but I couldn't ask you to do that everyday. With the new job, I'll have enough to cover the bills and day-care."

"You know you wouldn't have to pay, not me and Vic. We'd do it for nothing." Debbie said, looking at Justin like he'd grown a second head.

"I just can't do that Deb. I need to do this on my own as much as possible. Social Services does checks and stuff. It wouldn't look too good for her to be passed from place to place all the time. The woman who I talked to when I first got Dessie, she was all for it, but because of my age, they're checking up on me all the time. I can't afford to screw this up." Justin said adamantly. He wasn't sure how Social Services would see it, but he didn't want to take the chance.

"Justin, they aren't going to take her away from you. Don't worry about it." Brian said, cupping the back of Justin's head. "You've been doing fine on your own for this long, and they haven't said anything. Why would they take her away from you for allowing your friends to help you?"

"I don't know. I'm just so scared that one day, they're going to say I'm a bad father and take her away. I can't stand to lose her." Justin took Destiny from Debbie, setting the sleeping infant in her carrier.

"You have a sitter for your shift?" Deb asked, looking at all the bags in the booth.

"No, he bailed out on me. Something about his family coming to visit today or something. I was just going to keep her here with me behind the counter, if that's alright." Justin looked at Deb. The rest of the guys had been strangely quiet for a while.

"Oh no you don't." Emmett spoke up. "This is not the place she needs to be. She'd be woken up every time someone came in, and you know how loud this crowd gets at lunch. I'm off today, I'll take her. I don't have anything planned, and she needs to get to know her Auntie Em."

Justin opened his mouth to object.

"Don't you say it. You can pay me, but coming to the apartment and cooking us all dinner tonight. We'll have a baby shower. Though, it's a little late for that, but what the hell, we'll do it anyway." Emmett said, waving his hands in the air.

Justin just couldn't say no to Em when he was in party mode. "Ok, but, uh, you may need some help with all her stuff. She needs more stuff than I could have ever dreamed."

"They all do, Sweetie." Emmett said, picking up the baby's car seat. "Now, Deb, you get yourself and Vic over to the apartment tonight by 7. Brian, call the munchers. Do they know about her?"

"No, I was going to go over there tonight." Justin said, watching Emmett like a hawk while he held his sleeping daughter.

"Well, then Brian, don't tell them what it's for, just get them there. You gonna bring your mom?" Emmett was picking up and shouldering bags as he talked.

"My mom doesn't know about her yet. She's out of town until the fall. I didn't want to tell her over the phone." Justin admitted, looking down at his hands.

"You need to tell her, Sunshine. She's gonna be thrilled." Deb said, smiling at him.

"No, she's going to have a heart attack, yell, be disappointed, then she'll hold her, and everything will be fine. I just want her to be able to actually hold her when I tell her. That way she can get over it quick." Justin laughed.

"Well, you do what you think is best." Deb said. Justin was speechless. He was sure Deb was going to try to talk him into telling his mom.

"We're off. Just come by the apartment when you get done with your shift Justin. We'll stop by the market and get a fabulous roast. I know how good your roasts taste. I just love it. Come on, Teddy. Give us a lift, would you?" Emmett batted his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Sure, Em." Teddy said, already heading for the door.

"You know how to get the car seat in?" Justin said, already standing up and moving to the door.

"Yes, Dear. I know how to put the car seat in. Teddy will even put the top up for us." Emmett said, looking back.

"Don't forget to burp her after she eats. And test the formula before you give it to her. And her favorite toy is the stuffed rabbit. You gonna be able to get the crib up?" Justin knew he was fussing but he couldn't help it.

"Darling, everything is fine. I do know how to take care of a baby. Don't worry. I'll call you if I need you. She'll be fine. Don't worry." With that, Emmett and Ted were out the door with Destiny asleep in the car seat.

"She's fine. You know Emmett. He'll take good care of her." Debbie said, moving back behind the counter as the morning crowd started to pour in. "Now, get to work. I'm going home to check on Vic. He's got a doctor's appointment today." Debbie kissed him on the cheek, and then she too was out the door.

Justin turned to Brian and Michael. "Well, I guess I'll get to work then." Justin stood up and moved past Brian. Brian's arm around his waist stopped him.

"See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" Brian said, pulling Justin close and kissing the side of his head.

"Yeah, everyone took it pretty well." Justin smiled, then made his way to the back room to get his apron.

Brian looked at Michael. Michael was looking at the door Justin had gone through. "I can't believe he has a kid. It just boggles the mind." Michael said, turning to look back at Brian.

"Yeah. It was a little hard to swallow yesterday, when I went to his apartment to confront him about quitting school, and there's this little baby, crying her head off. I didn't know what to think at first." Brian admitted, standing up from his stool. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you tonight at Emmett's."

"You're actually going to go to a baby party?" Michael asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Well, I told Justin I'd be there for him, and I will. I'm not a completely heartless bastard, you know." Brian rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"I know. So, are we supposed to bring presents, because that's what they do at baby showers, and if that's basically what this is, a late baby shower, what are we supposed to get?" Michael asked as he followed Brian out of the diner.

"I have no clue." Brian laughed. "His apartment isn't really that big, and every available space is covered in baby stuff. Did you know that he spent his entire savings last month when he got her?"

"I didn't even know he had her until today, so no I didn't know that." Michael rolled his eyes.

"I'll figure out something to get him, or I'll send Cynthia out. I'll see you later. I've got to call Cynthia, and then the Muncher Moms." Brian waved good-bye to Michael before driving off down the street.

~*~

Justin slowly walked up the steps to Emmett's apartment. He really wasn't in the mood for a party, or dinner, or even a shower. He just wanted to sleep. Between his shifts at the diner and Dessie's three time a night feeding and changing, he was about ready to fall over.

It seemed as if every queer in Pittsburgh had decided to eat at the diner that morning and afternoon. The extra shifts were killing him, but he had to pay rent some how.

Now, he was going to spend the next hour and a half cooking and the rest of the night watching everyone faun over his little girl. He couldn't blame them, though. She was worthy of all the attention she was sure to get. Maybe they'd wear her out enough that she'd sleep through the night for once, but he doubted it and he knew the party would be a lone one. He would have declined the party, except Emmett had been so excited about it. He'd never been able to say no to Emmett.

Tiredly, Justin leaned against the door jam before knocking. He could hear Destiny laughing inside. He could only imagine what Emmett had found to keep her occupied. It was only a minute before the door opened, but it wasn't Emmett, it was Brian, who opened the door.

"Hey, I expected you to still be at work." Justin said, stepping into the apartment, his eyes immediately landed on Em and Dessie, laughing on the floor, Emmett running a feather boa across her face. He smiled at the scene.

"It was a slow day, so I thought I'd come on over and see how Emmett was getting along. I shouldn't have bothered. Neither of them has even acknowledged me." Brian said with a laugh.

"Well, she does take after Emmett that way. If she's focused on something, she doesn't notice anything else in the world." Justin leaned on the back of the couch watching his baby girl waver her hands in the air, batting at the boa. "Emmett, is it ok with you if I see my daughter?" Justin joked, bending down to pick her up.

"Oh! You're here! I thought I heard the door." Emmett smiled at the happy squeal Destiny let out at seeing her dad.

"Yeah, Auntie Em is a riot, isn't he Dessie?" Justin asked her, kissing her cheek. "Were you a good girl today? Did you have lots of fun with Auntie Em?" Justin continued to hold a conversation with his daughter, oblivious to the grins Brian and Emmett were sharing.

"Are you gonna let help you cook, too?" Brian asked with a laugh when Justin took her into the kitchen with him.

"No. You're gonna help me cook. She's just gonna sit here, look gorgeous, and tell me all about her day." Justin said with a sugary smile, as he put Dessie in her carrier.

"Damn, Justin. I thought I was actually going to get a decent dinner tonight." Emmett said, dodging the swat Brian aimed at his head.

"I'll have you know, I'm an expert at helping Justin cook." Brian said, rolling up the sleeves on his silk Armani shirt.

"What he means is, he's an expert at cutting veggies, but that's about it." Justin said, already getting the roast out of the refrigerator to season.

"Well, yeah." Brian said, taking the bowl of vegetables that were in the refrigerator to the sink to wash.

"Well, Sweeties. You just go right on ahead and chop veggies and season roasts, and I'm going to go get ready for the wonderful party." Emmett said, making his way to the bathroom.

"Save some hot water. Dessie and I have to shower, too. I smell like the diner." Justin called to Emmett's retreating back. A waved hand was all the answer he got.

"You look tired. Busy day at the diner?" Brian asked, getting a knife to cut the vegetables with.

"You wouldn't have believed it. There wasn't a lull all day. Was it Pride week and no one told me?" Justin joked, rubbing spices into the roast.

"Nope, just one of those days. You do need to get some more rest though. You've got bags the size of my luggage under your eyes." Brian said seriously, looking over at Justin.

"You try working double shifts and taking care of a three month old and see how much sleep you get." Justin joked, not looking at Brian. They'd only started speaking to each other the day before, and it was just like they'd never stopped. Well, except for the whole sex whenever they were within five feet of each other.

"So, you're just going to add to it by getting a second job." Brian said, with just the right inflection to make it sound serious, but to let you know he was being sarcastic. "Sounds like Fabulous idea." There was no doubt that that comment was sarcastic.

"I don't have much of a choice. I have to take care of Dessie, and pay rent, and would you get off my damn back already!" Justin yelled, startling Destiny who let out a little yelp. Her eyes squinted shut a little and her bottom lip started to tremble. "No, Des, please don't." Justin begged, but it was already too late. The little baby let out a yell any scream queen would have been proud of.

Justin quickly undid the straps and picked her up from the carrier, bouncing her against his shoulder. "Shhh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Shhh, you're ok. Daddy's not mad at you." Justin continued bouncing and spouted platitudes for several minutes, until Destiny was quiet again, waving her arms around, her head on her dad's shoulder.

Brian stood back and watched as Justin paced the room, bouncing and talking to his daughter. It still amazed him that Justin was a father. He hadn't expected to be a dad at 29, and it was hard for him sometimes when he had Gus for the day. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Justin, being a father at 19, well, almost 20, having her all the time, and working himself to the bone to make sure she wanted for nothing. Brian knew that at Justin's age, he would have been too selfish to be a father, hell, he was too selfish now.

When Destiny was settled back in her carrier and happy once again, Justin said nothing, just went back to fixing the roast, and Brian went back to cutting vegetables. The work was completed in silence, except for the occasional happy gurgle from Destiny. When the roast was finally put in the oven and the dishes from it's preparation washed and put away, Emmett still hadn't returned from his room.

Brian watched Justin as he too Destiny, in her carrier, to the living room, where he took her out and put her on the blanker Emmett had left on the floor. He laid down beside her, watching her wave her hands and look around. Brian walked in and sat on the floor with them. "I didn't mean to make you mad. I understand what you're doing, I just don't understand why you won't let us help you out some."

Justin looked at Brian for a minute, seeing that he was sincere. He sighed and laid his head down next to his daughter's. "I did this. I made her, and I don't regret that. Sure, it scared the hell out of me when I found out, but I don't regret having her with me. I just don't want anyone to think I'm a bad parent, or that I don't love her. She's my baby, my daughter. I love her like nothing else. I want to be a good dad, and for me, more than her, I need to prove to myself that I can do it." Justin said, looking to Brian to see if he understood. The look in his eyes said he did.

"Alright, Sweetie. The shower's all yours. I put some clothes out for you to borrow." Emmett saw the looks he was getting from them both. Sighing, he put his hands on his hips. "They look like breeder wear." He said, almost in disgust. Brian and Justin laughed, as Justin picked Destiny and her clothes and diaper bags up.

Justin was about to close the bathroom door when Brian called him. He turned to look at the man he still loved. "I know about proving things to yourself, and to everyone else, but sometimes, that means asking for help." Brian said, never letting his eyes wander from Justin's.

Justin thought about his words as he readied him and his daughter for their baths.

~*~

It was 10 o'clock at night, the party was in full swing, and the guests chatting happily. Come time for the dinner party, the guests arrived, some with excitement, some with confusion. Those who'd found out about Destiny that morning were excited to see the little darling. Those who hadn't, had been kept in the dark and confused about why Emmett would throw a party in the middle of the week. Confusion soon turned to shock as everyone was introduced to the newest member of the family; little Destiny Annabelle Taylor.

For nearly forty-five minutes, Destiny was passed from person to person, everyone wanting to hold her. Even Michael and Ted took turns holding the little girl. To everyone's surprise, it was Brian who fed her, while Justin finished getting dinner ready. Once, everyone was seated, the talk turned to more mundane things, such as work, Justin's classes, who was seeing who on Liberty Avenue. Justin had smiled at it all, loving being back in the family after his 'leave of absence'.

When dinner was finished and cleaned up, everyone milled around, talking, laughing, catching up. Everyone made time to come by and see the little girl that had brought them to the little party. She just ate up the attention with a spoon, as Justin had known she would. That's how it had gone for more than an hour. Brian had just sat back and watched it all. Lindsey and Melanie had even brought Gus, who was intrigued by the little person everyone was passing around. Though his usual smirk was firmly in place, Brian was smiling on the inside. His entire family was in one place, getting along, and getting to know each other again. Just two people were missing at that very moment. Justin and Destiny.

Justin had gone with Destiny into Emmett's room nearly thirty minutes earlier, to change the infant's diaper, and had yet to come back. Brian moved to the closed door and peaked inside. He saw one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. There on the bed was Justin, curled around his daughter, both of them soundly asleep. He caught Debbie's eye and motioned her over. She smiled warmly at the sight, not being able to resist taking a picture.

His family was together. Exactly where they should always be.

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