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The showdown at Kinnetics was instant fodder for whispers around the water cooler. Haters insisted that they saw it coming, while others reacted to the demise of The Royal Trio with genuine regret. Amidst speculation and rumors Brian went on about his business as if nothing had happened, while everyone else tried their best to tiptoe around the large pink elephant in the office. Eventually word of the break-up reached Liberty Avenue where it quickly spread throughout the clubs and the bars. Debbie caught wind of it at the diner. She told Michael, who was quick to tell Lindsey. When Brian broke his promise, and failed to show up for his son's Halloween party, Lindsey decided that it was time to go check in on him.

Lindsey rang the bell, and waited for the big steel door of Camelot to slide open. Finally a disheveled, red-eyed Brian stumbled over to let her in. "Hi!" she smiled.

"Lindsey," Brian uttered.

"I hope we're not disturbing you," she said.

"We?" Brian tried to focus.

"Trick or Treat!" Gus jumped out from behind his mother.

"What time is it?" Brian tried to clear the frog from his throat.

"It's after noon. Did we come at a bad time?" Lindsey asked.

Gus didn't wait for an answer. "It's time to get up!" he said, as he walked past his father.

Lindsey followed her son inside. "We were expecting you for the Halloween party," she said.

"I got a little tied up." Brian's eyes followed Gus.

"You missed it. We made ghost cookies, and peanut butter Rice Krispie treats. I brought you some. Got any milk?" Gus headed for the kitchen.

Brian turned to Lindsey. "You really should have called first," he said.

"I did call. You're not answering your phone. We were worried about you," Lindsey said.

"Who is we?" Brian asked.

"Michael, Ted, Emm..."

"I'm fine," Brian interrupted her. "Don't you people have anything else to do besides worry about me?"

"Where's Justin? I brought enough stuff for him. Is Tony back?" Gus stuck his head inside the refrigerator. "There's no milk in here! I told you we should have brought milk, mom. There's nothing in here but beer!"

The bedroom door suddenly slid open. "Shit!" It quickly closed back again.

Gus turned toward the unfamiliar voice. From where he stood he could see the outline of a figure rustling about behind the frosted glass panels. It was too tall to be Justin. "Who is that? TONY!" Gus called out.

Lindsey happened to catch a glimpse of the naked man. "Come on, Gus. We better go." She beckoned for her son.

"We just got here. We haven't even eaten yet," Gus reminded her. "Who is that, Pop?"

"It's no one. It's just a friend," Brian attempted to shush him.

The bedroom door opened again. This time the stranger stepped out. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that Brian was expecting company," he said.

"We're not company." Gus walked over to confront him. "Who are you?"

The stranger finished tucking his shirttail inside his pants. He looked down at Gus, then over Brian and Lindsey. "I didn't know it was this late. Like I said, I didn't know that Brian was expecting company. I guess I'll be on my way. I'll catch you later, Brian." He hurried to the door.

Gus watched the big steel door close behind the stranger before turning back to his father. "Who was that, Pop?" he asked.

"It's time for us to go now, son," Lindsey said again.

"Where's Justin? JUSTIN!" Gus called out.

"Justin's not here, Gus," Brian said.

"Where is he?" Gus asked.

"He's with Tony," Brian said.

"Who was that man, and why was he in your bedroom?" Gus asked.

"I told you he was just a friend," Brian insisted.

Gus thought for a moment. He had been over to his Pop's house lots of times, and the only people he ever saw in his bedroom were Justin, and Tony. That was ok because they were married, and married people are allowed to be in the same bedroom. "I don't believe you," Gus decided.

"You're being rude, Gus. How many times have I told you to stay out of adults business?" Lindsey frowned.

Gus ignored his mother. "Justin wouldn't let another man in your bedroom," he said.

"Listen to your mother. Stay out of adult business," Brian snapped.

"Is that why Justin left with Tony?" Gus suspected. "It is, isn't it?"

"Lindsey, take your son and leave," Brian said.

Lindsey walked over, and grabbed Gus's hand. "We're going," she said.

Gus snatched his hand away from his mother. "They're not coming back, are they? You made Tony go away, and now Justin is gone too!" he said.

Brian had heard enough. "GODDAMN YOU, SHUT UP!" The frustrated father lunged at his insolent son, who was quick to take cover behind his mother.

"BRIAN!" Lindsey stopped him.

"Get him out of here. I want both of you gone, NOW!" Brian insisted.

Gus cautiously stepped out from behind his mother. "I hate you," he hissed. "You're not my Pop anymore."

"GUS! Go outside, and wait for me in the hall! I mean it!" Lindsey ordered.

"I'm never coming back here. I'm going to go live with Tony," Gus grumbled as he headed to the door.

"The hell if you are!" Brian followed after him. "You spoiled little brat. Like it or not, I'm your father, and I'm always going to be your father! NOT TONY!"

Lindsey caught Brian's arm, and turned him around. "What the hell has come over you? Have you lost your mind?"

Brian snatched his arm away." Get out," he said.

"Gladly." Lindsey started for the door, then stopped short, and turned back to Brian. "I don't know what happened between you and Tony, and Justin, but whatever it is, you'd better fix it!" she said.

"Some things can't be fixed." Brian reminded her.

"Well, you better try." Lindsey kept her voice down. "You can't just bring people into your son's life, let Gus fall in love with them, then take them away. It doesn't work like that, Brian. Of course Gus is going to look for Justin. He's been in Gus's life since the day that he was born, and Tony...... Gus looks at him with the same eyes that he looks at you! As far as he's concerned he had three fathers, and now he's down to only one, so don't you dare yell at him for being concerned. If you ask me, you could learn a lesson from your son. At least Gus knows who should and shouldn't be in your bed."

Brian took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do, Lindz? What do you want me to say?" he sighed. "Do you want me to say that I fucked up? Alright, I fucked up. Now what? It's not going to change anything. It's not going to make Justin or Tony come back to me. Don't you think I know what everyone is saying behind my back? I know what a fool I was, and that I deserve exactly what I'm getting. If I could, I would just lay down and never wake up, but I can't be that lucky. I have to try to move on, and pick up the pieces of what's left of my life, not only for my sake, but for Gus's sake as well. Right now, all I'm asking for is a little time. Please take my son home. I don't want him to see his father like this."

What does one say when a man crumbles in front of you? Lindsey searched for the right words, but there were none. Instead, she walked over to her friend, and gathered him in her arms. Brian hugged her back, and softly cried into her shoulder. Unbeknownst to his parents, Gus had been listening outside the door. He peeked his head inside, and watched as his mother tried to console his father. A wave of guilt suddenly came over the boy. Maybe he had been too hard on his Pop. Maybe the man in the bedroom was just a friend. People do need friends. Otherwise they get lonely. With Tony and Justin both gone, no doubt his Pop was very, very lonely.

 

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Lights out at Melanie, and Lindsey's house. Gus crawled out of bed, and over to his desk. Carefully he eased his chair over the squeaky floorboard, and took a seat in front of his laptop. While he waited for the internet to download, he again went over what he was going to say in his e-mail to Tony. This might be his only chance. If his moms found out that he was up on the internet this late at night, they would take away his computer for sure. "www.amassey.com" Gus typed. "Dear Tony. This is Gus. My pop is very very sick. He might die. Please come home and bring Justin with you."

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