A Child's Needs

Part 4

The week passed quickly for Brian. He had been extremely busy at the office, and worked through lunch most of the week to avoid having to stay and be late picking Gus up from daycare. A couple of times during the week he ended up having to bring Gus back to the office with him for a few hours to finish up projects he wasn’t able to work on at home.

Luckily for Brian, Gus loved it when his Daddy brought him by the office. Everyone would bend over backwards for Gus’s attention when he came to visit. Not because he was the boss’s son, but because at the ripe old age of four Gus was already a charmer, just like his Daddy.

One good thing about being busy all week was that Brian had very little time to think about a certain blond. Between work and Gus his thoughts of Justin were very few. He only monopolized Brian’s thoughts while he was sleeping. Unfortunately, that was the one thing Brian could not control; the dreams he had of Justin. The only thing that prevented them was sleeping less, which was easy to do with the week he was having.

Friday rolled around way too quickly for Brian. He picked Gus up from school and they went straight home; along with a campaign Brian needed to work on. He fixed a quick dinner for himself and Gus and then sent the boy to his room to play while he worked. He wanted to finish up tonight so that he wouldn’t have to work on the weekend. Brian liked to give Gus his undivided attention on the weekends.

Brian took a break around 8:00, and headed up stairs to check on Gus and get him ready for bed. Gus was sitting on the bed with his PJ’s on, playing with his action figures.

“Okay Sonny Boy, time to brush your teeth and head to bed,” Brian said as he walked into the room.

“I already brushed them Daddy.”

“You did?”

“Yep!” Gus exclaimed proudly as he stood in the middle of the bed and flashed a huge toothy smile for his Daddy.

“Very nice,” Brian said with pride. “Since you’re all ready for bed, what bedtime story would you like for me to read you?”

Gus lay down on the bed and climbed under the covers as he thought of a story. Brian walked over and started to tuck him in.

“How about a story with giraffes?”

“Giraffes?”

“Yup, I liked the giraffe from the zoo.”

“You did huh? Well Sonny Boy, I don’t believe we have story books with a giraffes in them.”

“You can tell me one,” Gus suggested

Brian sat on the edge of his son’s bed and tried to think of a giraffe story. “Alright, how about this? Once upon at time there was a giraffe named George…..”

Gus lay in the bed and listened to the whole story. “I liked that story,” he said when his Daddy was finished.

“Good, now get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” Brian leaned over and kissed his son on the forehead before standing up.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we go to the park tomorrow?” Gus asked somewhat hesitantly.

“Sure,” Brian said. He and Gus usually went to the park on Saturdays so this was not an unusual request.

“Can we go to the other park?”

“What other park, Gus?”

“The one at your other house. I like riding my bike there.”

Brian realized Gus was referring to the park near the loft. It didn’t have a huge playground like the park they usually went to; only had a few swings and a slide, but it did have a nice bike path. He was surprised Gus thought about it. They hadn’t been there since Mel and Lindsay had died.

“Sure, we can go there tomorrow. After breakfast I’ll put your bike in the jeep and we can ride over.”

“Okay. Good night Daddy.”

“Good night, Sonny Boy.”

Brian kissed Gus again before turning out the light and heading back downstairs to finish working. He didn’t want to be up too late because if Gus wanted to ride his bike that meant that Brian would be jogging behind him around the park, trying to keep up.

******

 

Brian woke up around 7:30 the next morning. He shook his head, trying to clear the images of the luminous blue eyes he had been dreaming about.  He never made it upstairs to the bedroom the night before. He had finally finished working around midnight and decided to just stretch out on the couch. He rose from the couch and headed to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker before going upstairs to check on Gus and take a shower.

Brian peeked into Gus’s room, surprised that he was still sleeping. Brian took the opportunity to shower and shave. He dressed in jeans and a light sweater before going back downstairs to start breakfast. Brian was just taking the frozen pancakes out of the freezer when he heard Gus coming down the stairs.

Brian greeted his son at the kitchen doorway.

“You’re finally awake. Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes.”

“Kay.”

Gus went and sat down in front of the TV to catch the Saturday morning cartoons before his Daddy called him for breakfast. After breakfast Brian helped Gus wash up and get ready, then left him upstairs to straighten up his bedroom while he cleaned up the breakfast dishes. About an hour later the jeep was packed with the Gus’s bike and they were ready to go.

Brian pulled up in front of his old home and parked the jeep. He climbed out before walking around to the passenger side to help Gus out.

“Daddy can we go see your old house?” Gus asked out of the blue.

“You want to go upstairs?”

“Do you think the new people there will let us?”

“Gus, there aren’t any new people here. It’s still my house,” Brian said.

“Oh, how come we never come over here anymore?”

“I still own the loft, but I live with you in your house now. If you really want to go upstairs we can.”

Gus nodded his head in answer.

Brian and Gus rode the elevator up to the 3^rd floor. When they entered the loft, Brian stood back as Gus walked around touching the counters and the furniture as if he really missed the place. Brian was a little surprised by this revelation. It never occurred to him that Gus would miss coming to the loft.

“Gus,” Brian said softly. “I had no idea you missed coming over here.”

“Sometimes; it was fun over here, but its fun at Mommy’s and Momma’s house, too.”

“Well, we can come over here anytime you want. Just let me know.”

Gus continued to re-familiarize himself with the loft; he walked throughout the room, focusing on everything in it.

While Brian and Gus were upstairs, the owner of the beautiful face that had been invading Brian’s his thoughts every so often parked his car directly across the street from the jeep.

Justin got out of the car as Tommy opened the passenger side and climbed out. He turned around and flipped the seat forward so that his sisters could climb out from the back.

“Okay guys, let’s go have some fun,” Justin said enthusiastically.

Justin had been worried about Tommy for days. Mrs. Gonzales had called the office early in the week to say that Tommy had stayed out all night again and when he’d finally gotten home he looked like he had been in a fight. Justin went to see him and asked him what was going on, but he told Justin everything was fine and that Mrs. Gonzales was worrying over nothing. Justin was beginning to wonder if Tommy was looking to be kicked out of his foster home.

Justin had picked Tommy up from school a few times during the week and brought him to visit with his sisters. He promised them that he would bring them to the park over the weekend so that they could have a longer visit. Justin decided to bring them to this park because it was one he used to come to as a kid. Whenever he wanted to escape his father’s rages this was where he went.

“What are we supposed to do here?” Tommy asked looking around.

“Your sisters could ride on the swings.”

“Okay, and what am I supposed to do?”

“Help me push them,” Justin said as he swung his arm around Tommy’s shoulder. “You know you want to.”

“Of course I do,” Tommy said as he playfully shoved Justin away. He walked over to his sisters and took them by the hand. “Come on Tonya and Tasha; let’s go play on the swings,” he said with feigned enthusiasm

Justin chuckled at Tommy’s tone of voice. He knew he was putting it on extra thick for his benefit, but he also knew Tommy enjoyed spending time with his family.

Justin and Tommy had the girls in the swings flying high in no time. Justin made small talk with Tommy as they pushed the girls and both smiled now and then at the girls’ squeals and giggles.

It was a while before Gus was ready to come downstairs. Brian allowed him to take his time. When they left the building Brian held tight to Gus with one hand and carried his bike in the other as they crossed the street to the park. Once they reached the park, Brian set the bike on the ground and he helped Gus remove his pack back. Gus insisted on bringing a few toys for Brian to play with so that he wouldn’t get bored while Gus rode his bike.

They walked to the beginning of the bike path and Gus climbed on to his bike, beginning to peddle slowly. Brian walked a little distance behind him. He did not want to be to far behind, just incase the bike tipped over. He wanted to be there to catch Gus. As they made their way down the bike path they got closer to where the swings were located. Brian’s attention was on Gus until he heard the girls giggling. When Brian used to bring Gus to this park he would be the only kid there. There were not too many small children that lived in the area.

Brian glanced in the direction the laughter was coming from, and found himself looking at the back of a very familiar blond head. Brian was shocked to see Justin standing there. A part of him thought it was his imagination. He was even more entranced when Justin turned to speak to the boy standing next to him. He was smiling as he talked to the young boy and to Brian it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Brian could not make out what they were saying, but he could hear Justin’s soft laughter.

Brian turned to glance down the path to check on Gus, not expecting to see Gus to so far ahead of him. As Brian was turning to catch up to Gus he saw the bike start to turn over as the tires ran over rock.

“Gus,” Bike shouted as he rushed to catch up to him. Brian shot out his hand just in time to catch the bike before it actually turned over. Gus was more startled by his father yelling than the thought of falling.

“Daddy you scared me,” Gus said after the shock wore off.

“I thought you were going to fall,” Brian said in defense of his actions

“I’m okay Daddy.”

“I can see that.” Brian looked at the path a head of them. It looked like the path had not been ridden on in a while. It was covered with large twigs and rocks that would make it a bumpy and difficult ride for Gus. “Gus lets ride back this way. It looks like this path hasn’t been used in a while. I don’t want you to fall.”

“Okay.”

Brian helped Gus turn the bike around and he began peddling back in the direction that they came. When they neared the swings again, Brian couldn’t help but look towards Justin’s direction.

Justin could not believe his eyes. He turned when he heard the shouting, and the last person he expected to see was Brian Kinney. Justin watched as Brian walked behind Gus as he peddled towards them.

“You know this dude?” Tommy asked as he watched Justin watching Brian.

“Huh, why do you ask?” Justin said his eyes still on Brian.

“Cause you’re drooling all over yourself. Close your mouth or he may think you’re interested.”

Justin turned to face Tommy. “Tommy what are you talking about? I’m not drooling… I was just looking to see who shouted.”

“Well don’t look now cause he is looking this way.”

Justin looked up and his eyes locked with Brian’s. Brian took a step as if he was going to approached Justin then changed his mind. His first thought was that Justin was spying on him, but he thought better of it. There was no way Justin could have known he would be at this particular park today.

Brian was set to pretend he did not see Justin and he figured Justin would probably do the same, but that idea was out the window once Gus spotted him.

“Mr. Justin,” he shouted as he climbed off his bike. “Daddy that’s Mr. Justin.” Gus started walking in the direction of Justin and Tommy. Brian stood back and watched as his son approached Justin as if he were an old friend.

“Hi,” Gus said

“Hey Gus, how are you?”

“I’m good.” Gus turned to the younger person standing next “Who are you?”

“I’m Tommy.”

“Tommy, come push me,” his younger sister Tasha yelled from behind him.

“In a minute, Tasha.” Tommy said without turning around. He was fascinated to see the interaction between the two adults. It was obvious that Justin knew these people, and even more obvious that seeing them there was affecting him.

Gus turned around to see his Daddy had not followed him over. “Daddy, come on.”

“Gus, I thought you wanted to ride your bike.”

“I wanna play with Tommy.”

Brian picked up the bike and walked toward the group. “And who is Tommy?”

“Tommy is my new friend,” Gus said confidently as he pointed in Tommy’s direction.

“Oh, is that right?” Brian turned to Tommy deliberately looking passed Justin. “Nice to meet you Tommy.”  

Tired of being ignored, Tonya and Tasha came over to join the group.

“Tommy, can we go on the slide?” Tonya asked.

“Yeah, the slide,” Tasha chimed in looking from her big sister to her big brother.

“Sure, let’s go,” Tommy said reluctantly. He wanted to stick around to see what was going on with Justin and the other guy. Neither man had spoken to the other, but Tommy could sense definite tension between the two.

“Daddy can I go on the slide too?” Gus said looking up at his father

“You don’t want to ride your bike anymore?”

“No, I wanna go on the slide.”

“Well then, let’s go on the slide.” Brian started to walk in the direction of the slide.

“Mister, I can take him,” Tommy offered “He can play with my sisters.”

“No that’s okay. I’ll…”

“He’ll be fine with Tommy.”

All eyes shifted in the direction of Justin’s voice.

“Brian, Gus will be fine with Tommy,” Justin said again

Brian’s gaze shifted from Justin back to the expectant face of his son. “Okay Gus, I’ll be right over there on the bench.”

With that Gus, Tonya and Tasha took off running in the direction of the slide as Tommy walked behind them. Brian went towards the bench and sat down. He parked Gus bike next to him and hung his back pack on the handle bars. Not knowing what else to do Justin joined Brian on the bench.

They sat quietly for a while before Justin spoke. “I didn’t follow you here if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“What?”

“I didn’t follow you here. I used to come here a long time ago and I thought I could bring the kids here for a while.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. It’s a free park. Beside how would you know I would be here?”

“Well I just felt I needed to say it.”

“No need. I’m not paranoid. So who are the kids? They are obviously not yours.”

Justin looked at Brian and chuckled. “What you don’t see the resemblance?”

“Maybe if you braided your hair.”

“Maybe… Tommy, Tonya and Tasha are brother and sister. They live in separate foster homes, so I get them whenever I can so they can spend time together.”

“All three are split up?” Brian asked

“No Tasha and Tonya are together. Tommy lives somewhere else.”

Brian was slightly turned on the bench facing Justin. “What happen to their parents if you don’t mind my asking?”

Justin looked at Brian to see if he was genuinely interested in hearing about the kids or if he was just making small talk. Brian posture and facial expression indicated that he was interested.

“Well their father was out of the picture long before child services stepped in. There mother is an alcoholic who cared more about the bottle than her children. When she would get drunk she would abuse the kids. Some days she didn’t even bother to feed them. The neighbors notified child services and I was assigned to the case.”

Justin closed his eyes as he remembered what he found when he went to the Marlow residents. Brian watched as the sad expression crossed Justin’s face. “These kids were living in squaller. There was barely any food in the house and their mother was passed out drunk when I got there. I took the kids that night.”

“That’s rough”

“Yeah and you know the worst part is they didn’t want to leave their mother. They cried when I took them.”

“No matter how bad a parent treats their child, that child will always love them.”

“Yeah, the little ones still ask for their mother. They want to know when they will go home and live with Tommy again.”

“Where is their mother now?”

“She was placed in detox. She checked herself out after a week and hasn’t been heard from since.”

“Sad.”

“Yes it is. She needs help. Tommy told me she used to be a great mom until she started drinking right after their father walked out. He said the few times when she was sober she was like her old self. Sadly she couldn’t stay sober for very long. I don’t condone her behavior, but at least somewhere inside her she did love her kids. She just loved the bottle more.”

The look in Justin’s eyes was rather haunting. Brian thought back to his conversation with Daphne at the zoo. What had Justin been through that would cause that look of desolation in his eyes? Brian was curious, but he refused to pry.

“How old are they?”

“Tasha’s the youngest; she’s four, Tonya is six, and Tommy is twelve.”

“Twelve, really? He seems older,” Brian said

“He had to grow up fast. He’s such a great kid and I want to help, but I can do only so much.”

“You’re doing a lot. Having someone you can trust and talk to sometimes make even the worst home life bearable,” Brian said letting his guard down momentarily

“You sound like you are speaking from experience.” Justin looked into Brian’s eyes to see if he was correct in his assumption, but as quickly as Brian let his guard down it was back up again.

“I’m just making an observation, Justin.”

“I didn’t mean to pry.”

“On the contrary, isn’t that what you’re doing? You’re prying into my life, trying to find evidence that I am mistreating my son.”

“Brian, that is not fair,” Justin said taking the defensive. He always seemed to be on the defensive when it came to Brian. “I’m just doing my job. I don’t want to prove you unfit. I just want to make sure Gus is happy, healthy, and being well taking care of by someone who loves him.”

“Justin, you’ve been doing your job for a number of years, correct?” At Justin’s nod Brian continued. “Does Gus have the appearance of a physically or emotionally abused child? He’s happy, he’s healthy, and he’s loved. The only reason the Petersons contacted you was because they don’t want their grand… Gus raised by a fag.”

“Brian don’t you think that crossed my mind? But I still have to be sure before I say they’re wrong.”

Both men grew quiet after that. Justin looked at Brian as if silently pleading with him to understand his predicament. “I wish we met under different circumstances,” Justin said aloud, shocked that the words came from him. He hadn’t realized he was thinking them until he said them.

Brian’s face relaxed a little and he actually smiled before replying. “As I recall, we did meet under much different circumstances.”

Justin blushed at the reference of their chance meeting at Babylon. He diverted his eyes as he thought back to the passion he felt for this complete stranger, and how much he wanted to feel that passion again.

With out thinking Brian reached out and placed a hand under Justin’s chin, lifting his face until their eyes met again. “I take if from the blush on your cheeks that you remember that night?”

“How could I forget? It was amazing,” Justin answered honestly

The urge to feel Justin’s lips against his own was suddenly very strong for Brian. He glanced at Justin’s sweet lips as they parted slightly, almost as if they were waiting for Brian to capture them. Brian glanced up into Justin's eyes and could see he was feeling the same urges. He leaned forward to close the gap when the two men were brought back to reality by the sound of running feet slapping the ground. They looked up to see Gus, Tasha, and Tonya running towards them as if in a race. Both Brian and Justin reached out to catch the children to avoid then slamming into the bench.

“I won, I won,” Tonya wheezed out. She was out of breath and held on tightly to the arm Brian held out to catch her with.

“I guess you did,” Brian said with a chuckle. He glanced over to see Justin laughing as he was holding on to Gus and Tasha. The two of them were also out of breath.

Tommy walked up behind the group and couldn’t help but smile. He saw the intimate moment between Brian and Justin before they were interrupted by the girls. Later he would question Justin on details of his relationship with the handsome stranger.

“You guys ready to go?” Justin asked as he still held on to an out of breath and giggling Tasha and Gus.

“Do we have to?” The girls whined.

“Well, we can go and have lunch before I have to take you home.”

“I ain't going to any kid’s toy land place for rubber pizza,” Tommy said defiantly

“Daddy can we go to eat with my friends?”

“Gus we’re going to the diner for lunch to see Grandma Deb, and possibly visit Uncle Mikey later. He has been asking about you.”

Gus’s face fell. He liked his new friends, especially Tommy. Gus had never had a friend as old as Tommy and he wasn’t ready to give him up just yet.

“What’s the diner?” Tommy asked

“It’s just what it is, a diner. It’s on Liberty Avenue. A local spot for the community.”

“Justin why can’t we go there?” Tommy asked

“Yeah, why can’t we have lunch with Gus?” Tasha asked looking at Justin with her big beautiful brown eyes.

Justin didn’t want to intrude on Brian and Gus. He was still a little taken back by what almost happened a few moments ago. “Guys, wouldn’t you like to go have a pizza somewhere?”

The girls shook their heads as Justin looked at them.

“It seems the kids aren’t done getting acquainted,” Brian pointed out. “I think lunch at the diner’s a good idea.”

“Are you sure?” Justin asked.

“Look at it this way. You can make it a working lunch and get some observation time in.” With that Brian picked up Gus’s bike and held out his hand to his son. “Do you know where the Liberty Diner is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Brian walked away towards his jeep. He wanted to drop the bike off at home before heading to diner. After he loaded the jeep and Gus was safely inside, Brian glanced back to see Justin helping the girls into the back of his car. Justin looked up to see Brian watching him right before he slid into the driver’s seat.

******

Justin arrived at the diner before Brian and fiddled around in the car to pass some time, but after a few minutes the girls started to get restless.

“Is this it?” Tonya asked

“Can we go in now?” Tasha asked next

“Um, yeah we can go in. Gus and Brian aren’t here yet but I guess we can get the table.”

“Why are you so nervous?”  Tommy asked as he and Justin walked toward the front door.

“I’m not nervous.” Justin let go of Tonya’s hand to open the door. He stepped back as Tonya walked in followed by Tasha and Tommy.

“You seem nervous to me,” Tommy said not letting the matter drop. “Do you want me to tell him you like him?”

“Tommy that’s enough,” Justin said. “It’s not what you think.”

“It looked like what I thought and a whole lot more back there in the park.”

“You just won’t quit. will you?”

“Quitting is for losers,” Tommy said as he flashed Justin a smile.

Justin just shook his head in amusement. “Stop annoying me and see if you see an empty table big enough for all of us.”

The diner was crowded which was not unusual for a Saturday afternoon. Justin spotted Debbie right away. She was taking an order at a table not to far from where they where standing. Justin wondered if she would remember him, but he didn’t have to wonder long.

Debbie glanced towards the door as she was walking away from the table. She saw Justin standing there with the kids and walked towards them. “Hey handsome, good to see you again. It’s a little busy, but there is a booth in the back.” Debbie pointed almost to the end of the diner.

Justin followed her directions. Tonya and Tasha slid in on one side of the booth, Tommy and Justin sat on the other.  Debbie came over to take their order.

“So who are these cuties with you?”

Justin introduced the kids to Debbie. They each politely said hello even though they where a bit mesmerized by her appearance.

“Nice to meet you ladies and gentleman.”

The girls giggled at being referred to as ladies. “We’re not ladies,” Tonya said

“Oh, then what are you?”

“We’re girls”

“Yeah, we’re girls,” Tasha said agreeing with her sister

Tommy and Justin looked on and smiled at the exchange between Debbie and the girls.

“Well then *girls* what can I get you for lunch?” Debbie asked with a smile. She loved kids, and especially adorable ones and these were adorable children.

Before the girls could answer Justin interrupted. “Ma’am...uh...I mean Debbie, we’re waiting for two more people. They should be arriving soon. Could we have a few minutes before we order?” Justin smiled at Debbie

“Honey, with a sunshine smile like that, you can have whatever you’d like. I’ll come back when the others arrive.”

As soon as Debbie walked away the chime over the door rang indicating someone was entering or leaving. Justin sat facing the door, but he didn’t have to look up to know that Brian just entered the diner.

Brian walked in the diner and headed towards the back. He spotted Justin’s blond head almost immediately. Justin stood up as he saw Brian and Gus approach them.

“Hi,” Gus said as he slid into the booth next to Tommy. Brian took a seat next the girls as Justin sat back down.

“This was the largest booth that was available.”

“This is fine,” Brian said, but under the table he could feel his long legs touching Justin’s. “Were you waiting long?”

“No, not long. We wanted to wait for you before ordering.”

Debbie came back to table as Justin was speaking. She was surprised to see that Brian and Gus were who Justin and his group were waiting on. “Hey you two, I was wondering when you would make your appearance. I didn’t know you and Sunshine knew each other.”

“Sunshine!” Brian and Tommy both said at the same time as the younger kids giggled.

“Look at this face.” Debbie reached over and gently slapped Justin on the cheek. “…and that smile, he is pure sunshine. So how do you know Sunshine?” Deb asked  again.

“I just do,” Brian said with a shrug. “Can we order now? Gus is starving.”

Debbie knew that when Brian didn’t want to discuss something he would change the subject. She let it go for the time being and turned to her *grandson* “How’s my Gus today?”

“I’m good Grandma Deb. This is my friends.”

“I met your friend’s Sweetie, and they’re very nice. Now what do you kids want to eat?”

The kids placed their orders first. Gus ordered a hot dog initially until he heard Tommy order a burger. He quickly changed his order to match.  Once all the orders were in Tommy excused himself and the girls to go wash their hands. Gus went with them even though he washed up quickly when they took the bike back to the house.

They were gone for a few minutes leaving Brian and Justin alone.

“So, Gus refers to the waitress as his grandmother?”

“Debbie isn’t just a waitress; she’s a surrogate mom to everyone who walks through that door. I’ve known her for most of my life and Gus for all of his life.”

“She seems like a great person.”

“She is.”

Debbie came over with the drinks. “The food will be right out. Where are the kids?”

“They went to wash their hands,” Justin answered.

“Oh, good kids. So are they yours?”

“No, they’re not mine. I am just hanging out with them today,” Justin answered not wanting to go into any details.

Debbie let the conversation drop, but she was really curious about this young man, and even more curious about his relationship to Brian. Out of all the years she’d known Brian she’d never know him to hang out with people outside of his circle of friends. Any new friends brought into the circle were never Brian’s doing. Even though she only met Justin twice, there was something about him she liked and she wanted him to stick around.

Debbie turned her attentions back to Brian. “I expect to see at my house tomorrow; on time.”

“Tomorrow?” Brian said pretending as if he had no clue as to what she was talking about.

Debbie slapped him playful on the back of his head. “Don’t play with me you little asshole. You know I am having brunch at my house tomorrow. The whole family is coming by.” She glanced back at Justin. “I expect to see you there too, get the address from Brian.”

“Oh no Debbie, that’s kind of you to invite me, but I can’t. Really I can’t.”

“Why not? You have other plans tomorrow?”

“Plans? Um, well...I have...”

“No you don’t, so I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be back with your food.”

Debbie walked away and Justin looked at Brian. “Brian I won’t go. She was just being nice.”

“No she wasn’t. She wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want you to come. Now if you don’t show up she’ll blame me.”

“Well we can’t have that…”

“No, we can’t have that.”

Just smiled to himself. It was the first time in a long time he had been included in anything family oriented, and it felt nice.

When the kids returned, the two men stood up to let them slide back into the booth. The food arrived shortly after, and they were just beginning their meal when they were interrupted.

“Oh my goodness! Hey stranger.”

“Emmett, what a lovely surprise,” Brian said sarcastically

“Who are all these little people and this big gorgeous one?” Emmett said smiling at Justin. “You actually look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?

“Emmett that is the oldest pick up line in the book,” Brian said dryly

“No seriously. I mean I would like to pick you up, but you do look familiar.”

“I was here a few weeks ago. I was sitting at the counter talking to Debbie.”

“Oh, I remember now. It’s really good to make your acquaintance again, Gorgeous.”

Justin flashed one his beautiful smiles again. Brian had to agree with the sunshine assessment from Debbie.

“Thank you. It’s good to see you, too.”

“Hi, Auntie Em.”

“Gus, I didn’t see you hiding behind that big ole hamburger, how is my baby today?” Emmett leaned over and kissed Gus on the forehead and in doing so very deliberately brushed his body up against Justin’s.

“Emmett, don’t you have someplace to be right now?” Brian said getting slightly annoyed with him for flirting with Justin.

“No,” Emmett said as he pulled up a chair to the end of the booth. “I’m waiting for Michael and Teddy. We’re going to grab a quick bite and head over to Woody’s for a drink. You to should come along.”

“I can’t. I have responsibilities now, remember? Can you say that with me?”

“Pity, Justin how about you?”

“I can’t. I have to take the kids home and I have some work to do.”

“Now that really is a pity.”

Soon after Emmett sat down Michael and Ted arrived. They were also surprised to see Brian but even more surprised to see him with his four companions.

“Hey Brian, I figured you would be at home working on that report,” Ted said as he noticed Brian sitting with the children. “And what is this? The Brady Bunch revisited?”

“Is it out of the realm of reality for me to sit and have lunch with people other than you guys?”

“Yes,” Ted said.

“Most definitely,” Emmett added in agreement.

“No it isn’t,” Michael said in defense of his friend. He leaned over and patted Gus on the head before greeting Brian with their usual kiss on the lips. This caught Justin’s attention and he wondered if Michael was more than a friend.

The kiss also caught the attention of Tommy, who up until then was only half paying attention to the adults around him. Other than Justin and then meeting Brian this morning he has never been around openly gay men. Now to actually see two men kiss as if it was the most natural thing in the world; and not one person in the diner seem to think it was out of place, Tommy was intrigued.

He looked around the diner for as far as he could see from where they sat. It was mostly men, but there were a few women scattered around. As he paid closer attention some of the men where holding hands and looked as if they were in intimate conversation. He glanced at Brian who caught the puzzled look on his face.

“Tommy, is something wrong?”

Tommy thought for a moment. “When I asked you what the Liberty Diner was earlier, you said it was a diner for the community. What did you mean…what community?”

“The gay community,” Brian answered honestly

“You mean this is a fag diner?”

“Tommy,” Justin said.

“Justin, gay people can say fag and get away with it. Just like Black people can say ni..”

“Tommy, I don’t like that word and  I don’t like it when you use it.”

“Alright, fine I won’t use that word,” Tommy said before turning to Brian again. “So what you’re saying is that this is a homosexual establishment.”

“Not exactly, it’s a diner that’s in a homosexual community so the majority of the clientele are homosexuals. Now I have a question for you. You’re twelve and you think your gay?”

“I know I’m gay.”

 “At twelve, how can you be so sure?”

“I just am. And I also know that that’s why things are the way they are now.” Tommy glanced at his sisters. They were eating and paying little attention to what the adults where talking about. “I’m sure that’s why people left and we’re where we are now.”

“Tommy, there were other factors involved,” Justin said. He hated that Tommy carried the burden of his family falling apart on his shoulders.

“I was the main factor.” Tommy shrugged as if it was no big deal and continued to eat his burger.

Justin looked at Tommy with a mixture of awe, shock and sympathy. He was in awe of how adult Tommy was for his age. Of how he had a strong understanding of himself and society. He felt sympathy because Tommy never had a childhood; a twelve year old boy shouldn’t have such a burden on his shoulder. And the shock was coming from how open Tommy was being with these strangers. He was revealing things about himself so openly and easily.

“Wow sweetie, twelve years old,” Emmett said in amazement. “I knew I was different at a young age, but I didn’t admit it to myself or come to terms with it until I was much older.”

“I was nineteen when I admitted it to myself,” Ted added

“Hell, my mother told me,” Michael said

All the adults laughed at Michael’s response, including Tommy.

“I think it’s pretty cool you guys hang out like this. I don’t have anyone I can talk to; well, except for Justin. ”

“Well honey, have you tried talking to your friends?”

“My friends wouldn’t understand,” Tommy said and left it at that.

The boys stood around for a few minutes longer. Michael made plans with Gus to take him to see the new Spiderman movie one evening after school, before he Emmett and Ted took a seat at a booth at the front of the diner.

Brian, and Justin finished eating before the kids and they sat and made small talk while they waited.

“What’s it like to own your own company?” Justin asked.

“It’s a blast, I can fire people and make them jump through hoops all day long.”

“You’re not seriously. You’re not one of those bosses who abuses his power are you?”

Brian couldn’t resist taking a jab at Justin. “You believe I can a abuse my son but not my employees? Hmm, interesting.”

“Brian, that not…you know what? Just forget it. I’m sorry I asked.” Justin turned to Tommy who was leaning back listening to their conversations. “Are you ready to go?”

The girls answered before Tommy could. “No!”

“We want dessert.”

“Me too Daddy.”

Brian signaled for Debbie.

“What can I do for you?”

“The kids want dessert,” Brian said, allowing them to order for themselves.

Once Debbie cleared the lunch dishes, the kids drifted into their own conversation as they waited for their ice cream to come. Justin sat back against the booth prepared to ignore Brian until the kids were ready to go.

“It’s really cool being my own boss. Some people think I’m a really good boss…at times.”

“Really?” Justin asked, focusing on Brian again. He took this as Brian’s way of offering peace…for the time being.

“Really, you can ask Ted.” Brian pointed toward the table were Ted was sitting. “He’s the dorky looking one over there.”

“He’s not dorky. He seems nice.”

Brian shrugged his shoulder in answer.

Debbie brought the dessert over and the children inhaled it. Gus offered some to his Daddy whom he knew would decline it. Debbie brought the check over a little while later.

Brian stood up to take out his wallet. Justin tried to hand him the money for him and the kids which Brian refused.

“I got it.”

“Brian, I can’t let you pay for me and the kids.”

“Why not?”

“I would rather pay my portion.”

“Fine, I’ll pay the bill, you leave the tip…and make it generous.”

“Fine,” Justin said knowing it was pointless to argue. He left a more than generous tip for Debbie. As they were leaving Brian stopped by the table to speak to Mikey. The guys said their goodbyes to Justin , Tommy and the girls as they were leaving.

Debbie stopped Justin at the door to ensure that he would be coming over for brunch the next day.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Um, I’m not sure.”

“You’re coming. It’ll be the best home cooked meal you’ve ever had so I expect to see you there.” Debbie insisted. “You can bring the little ones too, if you’d like.”

“We’ll see,” Justin said with a smile.

Brian turned and watched as Justin walked out the door. As much as he hated to admit it, he really enjoyed being in his company today.

Once everyone was in the car and secure Justin drove to the girls’ home first. He and Tommy walked them in to their foster home. They were sad, just like they always were when their visits ended. Tommy gave them both a hug and told them he would see them soon. He headed back to car and waited for Justin while he spoke with Mrs. Johnson, the girls foster mom, to get an update on how the girls where doing.

After a few moments Justin returned to the car. Tommy was subdued for most of the drive. Then out of the blue he asked Justin about Brian.

“So are you going to go out with that guy?”

“What guy?” Justin asked pretending like he did not know who Tommy was referring to.

“You know what guy… Brian. So are you two going to hook up?”

“Tommy, my and Brian’s relationship, if you want to call it that , is not what you think. The guy doesn’t even like me.”

“If you say so. I think he has it bad for you and you have it even worse for him.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You mean you don’t like him?”

“Tommy, that’s beside the point,” Justin said not wanting to answer Tommy’s question. “Look you’re home.”

Justin pulled the car to a stop in front of Mrs. Gonzales house. Sitting on the stoop were two of Tommy’s friends waiting for him. Justin recognized one of the boys from the other day when he picked Tommy up from school. The other boy looked older, and he definitely looked like trouble.

“Tommy, I really don’t like you hanging with those boys.”

“Don’t worry so much. I can take care of myself.” Tommy opened the car door and got out.

“Yo Dawg, where you been man? We’s been waiting all day for you,” the older boy said

“Yeah T man, I thought you‘d be back hours ago.”

“Naw man, I told you I was seeing my peoples today,” Tommy said as he walked toward the steps.

Justin got out and followed him. The older boy eyed Justin suspiciously

“Who’s this with you?”

“This is my boy, he’s cool…Listen I need to go and let Mrs. Gonzales know I’m back. I’ll be out to hang with you guys in a few.” Tommy walked into the house with Justin behind him.

They spoke to Mrs. Gonzales for few minutes and then Tommy walked Justin back to his car. They stood by the driver side door as they spoke.

“Tommy, I know I’m not your father, but I am someone who cares about you. I don’t want to see you hurt or in trouble.”

“Justin, everything is fine.”

“You still have my home number, right?” Tommy nodded his head. “Use it Tommy; call me if you need me.”

With that Justin got in his car and drove away. He had to double his efforts of finding a better foster home for Tommy. Even if he can’t put him and the girls together he needed to get Tommy out of the neighborhood he was in as soon as possible.

******

Brian had just gotten Gus down for the night when the phone rang. He reached for it quickly,  figuring it was Mikey trying to get him to meet the guys at Babylon. It would be the third call in an hour.

“What do you want now?” he barked in the phone.

“Uh…Brian?” Justin said hesitantly.

“Justin? Shit, sorry about that. I thought you were Michael. He’s called twice already trying to get me to go out with him and the guys tonight,” Brian explained with a chuckle.

“Wow, he’s really persistent considering that you said at the diner that you couldn’t go out,” Justin laughed.

“You have no idea how persistent he can be,” Brian replied. “So, what’s up?”

“Well, I was calling to make sure you’re really okay with me going to Debbie’s tomorrow. I feel like you were put on the spot and I don’t want to make things harder between us under the circumstances,” Justin explained nervously. He really wished he could figure out why just talking to Brian on the phone sent his heart rate through the roof.

“Justin, I told you before that it’s okay with me. Besides, once Debbie demands your presence, there’s no way out,” Brian told him honestly.

“Okay, then I guess all I need from you is the address and I’ll be there,” Justin sighed, somewhat disappointed that Brian was so agreeable. A lot of what Tommy had said earlier was still ringing in his ears, driving him crazy.

Brian gave him the address and they said their good byes, before Brian hung up the phone. He suddenly wished he was able to get out to Babylon, because something about the blond was beginning to get to him and he could really use a drink and a trick right at that moment; not necessarily in that order.

Justin had tossed and turned all night, unable to get Brian out of his mind. He tried to tell himself it was because of the case he was working on, but he knew in his heart it was more than that. By the time he finally crawled out of bed, he felt as if he hadn’t slept at all, which was close to the truth. He took his time selecting his clothes, finally making it out of his apartment in just enough time to make it to Debbie’s without being late. He hesitated at the door briefly before knocking, only to be startled when the door flew open and Debbie appeared pulling him inside.

“Sunshine! I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it. Come on in,” she exclaimed as she dragged him inside. “You remember Ted, Emmett, and Michael from the diner, right? This is my brother Vic and Michael’s boyfriend Ben. Of course you know Brian and Gus. Now that everyone’s here, who’s hungry?”

Justin watched Debbie in action and just like when she works at the diner, she had everyone seated with their food in no time. He couldn’t help but smile at the way she took care of everyone.

“So Justin, what do you do for a living?” Emmett asked, still intrigued by the gorgeous blond.

Justin glanced at Brian, a little surprised that he didn’t tell them about him. “I work for the Department of Child Welfare.”

“Really? That sounds exciting,” Emmett replied. “So are you like one of those people who takes kids away from their horrible parents?”

“Well, it’s not that simple, but yes. If I think a child is in danger while living with their parents I take them out of the home and place them in foster care.” Justin explained, feeling Brian’s eyes on him. He was beginning to think he should have stayed home.

Ben was the next one to speak up. “I think what you’re doing is great. I’m a teacher over at Carnegie Mellon and I know what some kids have gone through during their childhood. I’m not a big believer in just taking kids away, but if there truly is some kind of neglect or imminent danger, it’s good to know there are people like you who’ll step in and save the child.”

“It’s not the easiest job in the world. It’s hard when you have to remove a child that’s clinging to their mother, crying and refusing to go, but I have to do my job regardless of my feelings.” Once again he looked over at Brian before continuing. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done. I care about all my children and will do whatever I can to ensure their safety.”

“That’s how I feel about my boys. I love each and every one of them and will do anything to protect them. They may not be as young as the ones you help, but still just as important to me,” Debbie said, glancing around at the guys.

The brunch went well and Justin was surprised to find himself having a really good time. He finally glanced at his watch and realized how late it had gotten. He had a few files he needed to look over before the morning. He was due in court at 9:00 am.

“Well, thanks for the great food Deb, but I’ve got to get going. I have to be in court tomorrow morning and need to look over some files. It was good to see you all again and nice meeting you Ben and Vic.”

Once Justin was out of the house, everyone erupted in a full blown gab fest, praising Justin as if he was next in line to be Pope.

“Isn’t he dreamy?” Emmett said with a smile.

“And he seems so smart, too,” Ted offered.

Even Debbie put in her two cents. “I can’t imagine him being a hard ass when it comes to his work. He seems so sweet and innocent.”

Brian had eventually heard enough. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his day listening to everyone sing Justin’s praises. After glancing over at Gus only to find him sound asleep in front of the TV, Brian lost the little bit of control he had.

“Sweet and innocent? Give me a fucking break. Don’t let his looks fool you. The little shit has been investigating me for weeks. He’s trying to take Gus away from me!”

The whole room immediately silenced in shock before Debbie found her voice. “What? He’s trying to take Gus away? Why?”

“Apparently the Petersons don’t think I’m cut out to be a father so they filed a complaint claiming that I’m mistreating him,” Brian explained as calmly as he could.

“Those fucking assholes. They walk around this earth like their better than everybody else! Who do they think they are?” Debbie stood up, her anger evident in her body language. “Well, Sunshine set them straight, right?”

“No he didn’t. He’s been following me around just waiting for me to slip up so he can take Gus from me.”

“That little shit! Why didn’t you tell me? I invited him into my home and all the while he’s been working with the enemy!”

From there everyone seemed to voice their opinions of Justin, none of them any good. Justin was suddenly a monster set out to ruin everyone’s lives. Brian may not have liked listening to them sing his praises, but he hated hearing them bad mouth him even more.

“I gotta go,” he said abruptly, walking towards his sleeping son. He picked Gus up and carried him out, calling out a good bye as he went.

As the rest of the group sat around for the next hour talking about what they could do to protect Brian and Gus from the evil Justin, Debbie couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going on with Brian and Justin. They obviously had some kind of connection for Brian to be having lunch with him the day before. She didn’t think it was a working lunch for the blond considering he had the children with him. She was also a little confused by the way Brian got so angry, first at the way they all praised Justin; then by the way they turned on him. Thinking back, she began to realize how many times they made eye contact with each other in the last two days. She let the others go on and on about protecting Brian, but decided to dig a little deeper before passing judgment for herself.

******

Justin updated the file he was reviewing and put it way. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 7:00, and he was starving. The thought of going home to a meal alone was depressing him at the moment. He picked up the phone to give Daphne call.

Daphne answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey Daph.”

“Justin hey…what’s going on?”

“Not much , I’m still at work.”

“Why am I not surprised? You know you work way too much.”

“Spare me the lecture. I’m just calling to see what you were doing.”

“Oh, Eric came over. We just finished dinner and are about to watch a movie.”

“Oh, well I won’t keep you. I’ll talk you later.”

“Okay…did you need anything?”

“No….nothing. Good night.”

“Goodnight Justin.”

Justin disconnected the call and gathered up his things. He left the office with the intentions of just going home. Once he was in his car he decided to drive to the diner and grab a bite. He thought the food was pretty good when he went there on Saturday.

When Justin walked into the diner, he noticed it was a lot quieter than it was on Saturday. He spotted several empty booths and was about to take a seat when he saw Emmett and Michael sitting at a table not too far away. Justin enjoyed meeting them over the weekend, and wouldn’t mind having a bite to eat with them.

He walked over to say hello and sensed immediately something was different.

“Hey guys.”

“Oh, well look whose here,” Emmett said dryly. Justin noticed that he was not his flirtatious self.

“Yeah, I…um…I just stopped in for a bite to eat. Hi Michael.”

“What do you want?” Michael said snapping at Justin and catching him completely off guard.

“Like I said, I just came for something to eat. Am I interrupting something?”

“More like disrupting,” Michael said as he faced Justin. “Brian told us who you are and that you’re trying to take Gus away from him.

“Yeah, you sure had us all fooled,” Emmett interjected. “And here I thought I had a new crush.”

Justin was stunned that Brian revealed there *relationship*. He foolishly thought he and Brian made a connection over the weekend. He was hurt to realize that it was one sided. Justin looked from Michael to Emmett. He was getting sick and tired of having to defend himself and his job. His only goal is to help, and he makes decision based solely on what is good for the child.

“I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I’m trying to help.”

“Help?” Michael said as he stood up to face Justin. “How are you helping by telling Brian he’s in jeopardy of loosing his son?”

“I never said that to Brian…I never said that. I am only investigating a report.” Justin was mentally kicking himself. He hated that he allowed himself to enjoy being around these people over the weekend. In such a short period he let his guard down and now he was feeling the repercussions of allowing people into his life.

“Michael sit down,” Emmett said before addressing Justin. “You know Sweetie, Brian Kinney is a lot of things. And included in that list is, narcissistic asshole, slut of Liberty Avenue, loyal friend and compassionate father. Most people know of the first two but only his family knows of the last. So don’t take word of people on the street or some uptight homophobic grandparents, cause they don’t know nor do they care who Brian Kinney really is. Oh, and as loyal as Brian is to us we’re just as loyal to him. So if you hurt him you are hurting us, and that’s a lot to take on.”

“Are you done?” Justin asked sullenly.

“I believe I am.”

“Well for the record, I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially not Brian or Gus.” With that Justin turned and walked out of the diner. He was headed for his car when he heard his name being called. He turned to see Debbie Novotney walking towards him.

“Justin, wait a minute. I want to talk to you.”

“You want to lay into me too.”

“No Sunshine, I just want to talk to you.” Debbie stood and faced Justin. She looked into his eyes and smiled. “There’s so much sadness in your eyes. I noticed it the first time you came into the diner. That sadness reminded me of someone. You reminded me of a 14 year old skinny kid who walked into the diner one dreary afternoon with my son Michael. I looked into this kid’s eyes and I wanted to cry from the sadness I saw there. It wasn’t long before I knew what was going on in his home. The bruises were prominent and he was running out of stories to cover how he got them.”

Debbie took a deep breath before she continued. “Justin, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this and Brian would have my head if he knew, but that boy grew up in hell. His only salvation was the nights he stayed with me, but he paid for them when he went home. Despite all that he went through, he grew into a wonderful man, who heart is full of love. He may not show it to the outside world, but he has a lot of love to give.”

“If you don’t mind my asking? If his life was so bad and you knew about it how come you never reported his parents?”

“Brian protected the sons of bitches. As badly as his parents treated him, he loved them. And even though he would never admit it, he hoped that one day they would love him too. They never did. His father died a few years back, and his mother doesn’t approve of him being gay, so he has nothing to do with her anymore.”

Justin thought for a moment. It was hard to believe that the self assure man he knows as Brian Kinney could possibly have had a childhood as bad as his. Maybe that was one of the reason he was so drawn to Brian?

“So if he has no family or has no contact with them, why did Emmett say only his family knows him?”

“Because we are his family….me, the guys, the girls, bless their souls, and Gus,” Debbie said softly. “Brian never wanted to be father, he was afraid he would end up just like his old man. He surprised himself and everyone around him. Brian loves that little boy more than life itself, and I haven’t seen a more devoted, loving and understanding father as he is to Gus. Oh, honey I know you have a tough job to do. And this one may be even tougher because you are trying to not let your personal feeling get in the way.”

“Personal feelings? I don’t have personal…”

“Sweetie you can’t fool me. I see the way you look at Brian. I know you’re afraid that your attraction to him may cloud your judgment, but all I can say is follow your heart.”

Debbie stepped forward and kissed Justin on the cheek. “I have to get back inside. You don’t be a stranger my door is always open.”

On impulse Justin reached forward and wrapped his arms around Debbie. She hugged him back giving him that motherly affection he so missed in his life.

“And don’t you let those boys in there upset you. They care about Brian and just want to protect him.”

“Thank you…for everything.” Justin climbed back into his car. Debbie watched as he drove away, her heart hurt for this young man. Once Justin’s car was out of sight, Debbie walked back into the diner; her first order of business was to give her son and Emmett a stern talking to.

******

Brian was sitting in his office on Monday, trying to concentrate on the work in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Justin. Lunch on Saturday was nice. They were able to talk and have fun with the kids; something he never thought would be possible under the circumstances. It was brunch on Sunday that had Brian confused. Justin seemed to fit right in with his family and everyone seemed to love him; that was the problem.

Once Justin left and everyone started singing his praises, something inside Brian snapped. It angered him to listen to them all talk about how wonderful he was, knowing that he was the cause of all the anguish he’d been living with over the last couple of week. Brian had always been the asshole and here Justin was, becoming the golden boy in a matter of a couple of hours. He didn’t mean to tell everyone about the complaint the Petersons made but he couldn’t stand there and listen to everyone fawn over Justin as if he was a saint. Saint Justin; yeah right. He knew that if he told everyone what had been going on that they would immediately turn on Justin and find all his faults, which was exactly what happened. The only problem was that as soon as they started bad mouthing him that pissed him off even more. He didn’t like sitting there listening to them talk bad about him and he hated the urge he had to defend him.

He needed to block it out; put it out of his mind so that he could get some work done. The day was half over and he had yet to finish any of the work he had planned for the day. As soon as he managed to focus on the file in front of him, Cynthia buzzed him.

“Brian, there’s a Daphne Chanders on line one.”

“Thanks Cyn,” Brian replied before taking the call. “Hey Daphne, what’s up?”

“Brian, don’t panic but there’s been an accident,” Daphne said, trying to keep her voice emotionless.

Brian felt his heart drop in his stomach at her words. “An accident? Is Gus alright?”

“He’ll be okay, but I think he might have broken his arm. We called an ambulance and they’re on their way. I’ll ride with him to the hospital. Meet me at Allegany General as soon as you can,” Daphne replied.

“I’m on my way,” Brian said, standing up and reaching for his coat.

“Brian, relax…he’s fine; really,” she assured him.

“Later,” Brian said before slamming down his phone.

 He grabbed his things and headed out of his office, stopping by Cynthia’s desk on his way.

“Cynthia, Gus was hurt at school. I’m on my way to the hospital. Cover for me and I’ll call you later and let you know what’s going on.”

“Sure Brian…is he okay?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.

“I think so. He might have a broken arm, but I’m not going to feel better until I see him for myself,” he explained as he headed out the door.

Twenty minutes later, Brian raced into the emergency room, going right up to the desk. “My name’s Brian Kinney. I’m looking for my son Gus. He was being brought in…”

“Brian!” Daphne called from across the room.

Brian spun around and approached Daphne quickly. “Where is he? Is he alright?”

“He’s in x-ray right now. They wouldn’t let me go in with him so I came out here to wait for you,” Daphne explained.

“What the fuck happened?”

“The kids were outside for recess playing on the Jungle Gym and he fell off. It all happened so fast; there was nothing anyone could do to try and stop it. I’m so sorry, Brian.” Daphne could feel her eyes tearing up as she spoke. The whole incident scared the heart out of her. She loved all the kids at the center, but Gus had always been her favorite.

“Its okay, Daphne; it’s not your fault. It was an accident. Kids fall and get hurt all the time,” Brian said, trying to offer comfort to the woman. He wasn’t about to blame her for Gus falling. It could have easily happened while he was at home, too. Before he had time to comment further a nurse appeared in the doorway.

“Mr. Kinney?”

“Yes,” he replied approaching her.

“You’re son is out of x-ray. If you follow me I’ll take you to him.”

“Thank you,” he said before turning back to Daphne. “Why don’t you go back to the school? I’ll call you later and let you know how he made out.”

“Okay, just please call me and let me know how he is. Oh, and tell him that I hope he feels better.”

“I will. Talk to you later.” Brian followed the nurse through the hallway and into a room where his son was sitting on the bed; his arm hung loosely in a sling. “Hey Sonny Boy.”

“Daddy! Guess what? I falled down at school and got to ride in a ambulance,” Gus exclaimed at the sight of his father.

“I heard. Are you all right, little man?”

“Yeah. I’m okay. It hurted really bad at first, but Miss Daphne made me feel all better. She kissed it just like my mommies used to do.”

“Mr. Kinney, I’m Dr. Henry.” The doctor offered his hand and smiled at Brian. “I’ve just looked over Gus’s x-rays and it appears he does have a small fracture in his left arm. Luckily, it’s not too serious. We’ll just put a cast on him and he’ll be free to go. Of course, you’ll have to follow up with an Orthopedic, but he’ll be as good as new in about four to six weeks.”

“Thanks Doc,” Brian replied, relieved that it wasn’t too serious.

“No problem. We’ll get that cast started as soon as we can so you can take this little guy home.” The doctor ruffled Gus’s hair, causing the boy to giggle.

Once he was gone, Brian turned back to Gus. “I’m sorry you got hurt, Sonny Boy.”

“It’s okay Daddy. Little boys get hurt sometimes. That’s what the woman said when she was taking a picture of my arm. Daddy, they have really big cameras here. Did you know that?”

Brian thought back to the many times he’d been x-rayed when he was a kid, thanks to his father, but he decided not to share that bit of information with his son. “They do?”

“Yeah, and do you know what else?” Gus continued to fill his father in on his whole experience, barely acknowledging the doctor when he was making the cast.

By the time they left the hospital though, the events of the day had gotten to him, and Gus was sound asleep before Brian even pulled the jeep out of the parking lot. As soon as they reached the house, Brian carried Gus inside and laid him gently in his bed, kissing his forehead before leaving him to rest. He went back downstairs and reached for the phone, knowing what he needed to do.

“Hey Cyn,” Brian said as soon as Cynthia got on the phone. “I need you and Ted to cover for me for the rest of the week.”

“No problem, Brian. Is everything alright? How’s Gus?”

“He’s fine, but he has a broken arm. He’ll go back to day care on Monday, but I just think it’ll be better if he stays home this week and rests,” Brian explained.

“Of course. Ted and I will be fine without you and if anything comes up that we’re unsure of, we can always call. Give Gus a kiss for me.”

“I will. Thanks Cyn.” Brian disconnected the call then dialed the number of the day care.

“Magic Moments, this is Daphne; can I help you?”

“Hey Daphne, its Brian.”

“Brian, thank God you called. I’ve been worried sick. How’s Gus doing?”

“He’s okay. His arm is broken so they put a cast on. He was so excited about the ride in the ambulance that he hardly noticed when the doctor put it on. He fell asleep as soon as he got in the car and never woke up when I carried him inside. It was a busy day for a four year old,” Brian chuckled.

“Oh, the poor thing. I really am sorry Brian. I don’t even know how it happened. We all feel terrible. The rest of the children have been making him get well cards since I got back.”

“It’s okay Daphne. Like I said before, accidents happen. There’s no way to prevent them. I’m not blaming anyone for this and I don’t want you to blame yourself, understand?”

Daphne sighed. “Alright, alright, I understand.”

“Good. I’m going to keep Gus home for the rest of the week. I think it’ll be best if he takes it easy for a few days, but don’t worry. He’ll be back on Monday.”

“Who’s going to watch him? Don’t you have to work?” Daphne asked.

“I took the rest of the week off. I’d feel better if he was here with me. It’s no big deal. I own the company, remember?” Brian teased.

Daphne knew how busy Brian was at work. The company was still fairly new and she’d seen him come in exhausted on several occasions just trying to keep up. The fact that he would just drop everything for his son touched her deeply. “You’re a great dad, Brian.”

“Thanks Daphne, but I don’t think that’s been firmly established yet. See you on Monday.”

Daphne heard the slight sadness in Brian’s voice and wanted to call Justin and tell him about what happened, but she promised herself she would stay out of it and she intended to keep that promise. Unless, of course, she thought Justin was going to rule against Brian. Then she would kick the blond’s ass for sure.

******

It was Thursday afternoon and Justin was sitting in his office after just completing the rest of the files he was behind on. He’d kept a low profile all week, throwing himself into his work while trying to figure out what to do about Brian Kinney. He really enjoyed the time they’d spent together over the weekend and was still hurt by the treatment he received when he went to the diner on Monday. It was obvious at the brunch that Brian hadn’t told anyone about the case and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened afterwards that caused him to share their *relationship* with his friends.

His mind also kept going back to what Debbie had said when she followed him out of the diner. She was one of the people who joked about the Stud of Liberty the day Justin had overheard the gossip in the diner, yet she seemed to really love Brian and believe that he was a good father for Gus. Could it be possible that Brian had changed after Gus’s mothers were killed? Maybe he really did love and care for his son and just couldn’t seem to shake the reputation he earned during his wild years.

He was so confused by what he should do, but if he followed his heart like Debbie suggested, he knew he needed to keep father and son together. Making a quick decision, Justin jumped up and grabbed his coat, letting his boss know he was going out to do field work for the rest of the day. Shortly after, he pulled up outside Magic Moments and made his way inside.

“Hey Daphne,” he called as he walked inside the large classroom.

“Justin, what are you doing here? I haven’t talked to you all week. I was beginning to think you fell of the face of the earth,” Daphne teased as she kissed his cheek.

“Sorry about that. I’ve been really busy at work this week, trying to lighten up my case load. Would it be alright if I talked to Gus for a few minutes? I promise not to upset him.”

“Oh, I guess you haven’t heard,” Daphne said, pulling Justin off to the corner of the room.

“Heard what?” Justin didn’t like the sound of Daphne’s voice.

“There was an accident here on Monday. Gus fell off the Jungle Gym and broke his arm,” she explained.

“What? Shit Daph, is he alright?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. Brian just decided that he wanted to keep him home for the week to rest. He’ll be back on Monday.”

Justin couldn’t explain the fear that gripped him at the thought of Gus being hurt. “Who’s staying with him while Brian’s at work?”

“No one. Brian took the week off to stay home with him,” Daphne replied, wondering if she should say anymore.

“But what about Kinnetik?”

“I guess his son is more important than his business.” Daphne waited until she saw realization settle in. “Anyway, I’ve got to get back. Give me a call this weekend. Maybe we can go catch a movie or something.”

“What? Oh, yeah…I’ll call you.”

Daphne watched Justin leave with a smile on her face. It seems that he was finally starting to see what she knew all along. Brian Kinney loved his son and would do anything to protect him.

Justin walked back to his car in a daze. To say he was stunned to learn that Brian took the week off for Gus was an understatement. Without thinking too much about the reasons behind it, Justin started his car and headed towards the Kinney residence.

Brian was sitting on the couch with Gus, who was sound asleep with his head on his daddy’s lap. They had just finished watching the Lion King for the 20^th time that week and Brian was thankful for the silence. He loved his son and enjoyed spending time with him, but after a week of being trapped in the house with nothing to do, the boredom was beginning to get to both of them. Brian laid his head back and closed his eyes, wondering if he could catch a nap, too when he heard someone knocking on the door. Gently lifting Gus’s head so as not to disturb him, Brian slid off the couch and went to answer the door.

“Justin, what are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Justin said, trying not to notice how sexy Brian looked in sweats and a T-shirt. “I just heard about Gus and I wanted to stop by and see how he was doing.”

Just then they both heard a faint sound coming from the living room.

“Daddy…my…pillow.”

“Shit, come on in. Gus was sleeping and I don’t want him to get up just yet,” Brian said as he turned back towards his son. He noticed that Gus was barely awake and mumbled an apology as he lifted the boy’s head once again and resumed his position. Gus sighed contentedly and fell back asleep.

Justin went in and closed the door behind him, watching as Brian settled back down with his son when suddenly everything became clear. How could he know the two of them and ever doubt that Gus was in safe? It was obvious to anyone that Brian loved his son, and Gus was definitely thriving under that love. Brian was right; the Petersons were just being spiteful because that felt that their grandson would be better off with them than to be raised by a gay man. Well, being raised in a proper WASP household didn’t necessarily make for a good upbringing. Justin knew that first hand. The most important thing was love and he knew that was what Gus had with Brian. Case closed.

“Would you like to sit down?” Brian asked, pulling Justin from his thoughts.

“Uh…no, that’s alright. I don’t want to wake him. Besides, you look like your almost asleep yourself.”

“Yeah, I am. Do you have any idea how tiring it is to take care of a sick or injured child? By the time he goes to bed at night, I can barely get myself into bed,” Brian laughed quietly.

“But you wouldn’t change a thing, would you?” Justin asked softly.

Brian looked down at his sleeping son and smiled as he looked back into Justin’s eyes. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“Brian Kinney…an old softy. Who knew?” Justin teased.

“Hey, who are you calling old?” Brian tried to look angry, but knew he was failing miserably.

Justin laughed at Brian’s response. “I better go and let you two rest. I’m glad he’s alright. I’ll be in touch.”

Justin took one last look at father and son and made his way back to his car, confident that he was making the right decision by leaving Gus right where he belonged; with his dad.

End of part 4

10/23/04

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