Lois and Carolyn, thanks for the beta...you’re the greatest!  
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Chapter 22 – Things To Tell
Friday Night…(Day 61)


“I’m going to miss this when we get back to New York,” Justin said, as Brian was helping him into the swirling waters of their upstairs hot tub.

“Me too,” Brian agreed as he lowered himself into the water.  “So how did the painting go today?” he asked, as Justin was making himself comfortable, spooned against his chest.  

“I got quite a lot done.  I’m just not sure if what I painted is any good.”

“You always say that,” Brian teased. “Of course, you’re so untalented as an artist...what will you do?”  That comment earned him a swipe on the arm from Justin. “Ouch!” Then he paused for a moment. “Are you going to be okay, painting tomorrow without Gus?” he continued to tease, “I know it was the supreme sacrifice that you both made for him to go to the office with me.”

Justin merely leaned back and kissed him again.  

“What was that for?”

“For trying to give me time alone to paint…like always.  But you know, I’m so used to painting with Gus, it’s not a problem.” 

“I know.  I just thought …”

Whatever Brian was about to say was once again interrupted by another of Justin’s kisses.  And by the time the kiss ended, whatever he was about to say no longer mattered, so Brian just smiled.

“I do need to talk to you about something,” Brian casually began. “I saw Debbie this afternoon.  She finally talked to Michael.  She finally told him everything about his father.”

“I know, I talked to my mom.  Evidently, she had dinner at Debbie’s last night.  She told me that Debbie was going to talk to Michael.  Mom also told me that she met Daniel Devore.”

“Did Mother Taylor say anything else?”

“Not to much.  She mentioned that she and Debbie are going to the Kit Kat Club to watch Divina’s performance on Saturday.”

“This is going to be a unique experience for Jennifer.  Debbie has always been as at home in gay clubs…”

“You know that my mother and Debbie have been hanging out together for some time now.  Debbie’s already dragged Mom into the baths when they were trying to solve the Jason Kemp mystery,” Justin said with a laugh. “So, I guess she’s no longer an innocent.”

“Not to mention all the times she used to drop in on me unannounced,” Brian added with a laugh. “Yep, she’ll be just fine.  Anyway, I understand that Carl may be going with them.”

“I guess that means that Mom will have a date too.  Do you think that she’ll take Tuck?” Justin asked with a pained expression on his face.

“Don’t tell me that you’re still having problems there?”

“That’s not it.  It just that she hasn’t mentioned him in a while.  Neither has Molly.  But then she hasn’t mentioned anyone else either, so it just makes me wonder…”

“My, my…Mr. Taylor…aren’t we suspicious?”

“I’ll eventually get to the bottom of things, just not this weekend.  There’s too much else going on right now,” Justin added. “I don’t have the time.”

Brian couldn’t resist smiling.  He knew Justin was now on this mission, and he wouldn’t let it go until he had whatever answers he was seeking.  Brian knew he was just going to sit back and enjoy watching his partner in action with this.

“Anyway, by the end of the weekend everyone in the family should know about the relationship between Michael and Divina Devore.  Business may call you and I back to New York, but everyone will still be able to support both Debbie and Michael,” Brian pointed out.

“That’s good…  Do you think Debbie and Michael will be okay?”

“Eventually.  Mikey can be really stubborn, but eventually he’ll come to terms with things.  He can’t stay upset with Debbie for very long.  It’s just that right now he’s living in such a fantasy world that’s been turned upside down.  He’s just not reasonable.  Just give him some time.”  

“But Lindsay and Melanie are here with Jenny, so that should help.  Don’t you think?”

“Maybe…it’s too soon to tell…”

“Oh…”

“Listen, I’m thinking to letting the limo drive us back to the city,” Brian causally mentioned. “What do you think?”

“You are?  Why?”

“You’ve obviously got quite a few paintings to take back.  This way we can take them back with us.  I know we could ship them, but then you would lose a day of painting waiting for them to arrive.  So I think, this makes more sense. Unless you think we should rent a van and maybe drive back?”

“If we take the paintings back in the limo, I guess I could have my way with you all the way back to New York,” Justin suggested. “It would almost be like an orgy!”

“I somehow knew that you would find some advantage,” Brian with a smile, picturing the images Justin just conjured.

“I don’t know though,” Justin mumbled,  “It’s so hard to think when my skin is wrinkling…” 

“Already?”

“Afraid so….”

“Well, let’s get you out of here quickly, Sunshine.  You know how I feel about wrinkles.  Especially when I have other plans for you.”

“You do?” Justin teased. “Imagine that…”

“Yes…Imagine that…”

“I’m not sure that I can wait…”  

“That’s better…let’s get you out of here…”

***
Meanwhile back at Debbie’s…Jenny Rebecca was now sleeping upstairs, and Carl had decided to turn in too, leaving Emmett, Lindsay, and Melanie alone in the kitchen.

“Okay, Emmett spill!” Melanie demanded.

“About what?” Emmett innocently asked.  

“Look Em, I’m sure that Carl has a hot spot light somewhere, and Linds is masterful with straps.  I think we have a leather set handy,” Melanie threatened, looking over at Lindsay for confirmation.  “So are you going to tell me what’s going on, or are we going to have to play hardball?”

“Threatening dykes!” Emmett gushed, pretending to fan himself at the prospect. “Now that’s hot!”

“Emmett!” Lindsay and Melanie complained in unison.

“Oh, all right!  You two won’t let me have any fun!” Emmett continued to complain.

“Start talking, Buster,” Lindsay tried to threaten.  

Melanie had to smile, realizing that Lindsay’s threat was pretty weak.  “Lindsay, step aside!  Let me handle this!” Melanie demanded, taking over once again. 

Lindsay recognized the tone and backed away.   

Melanie went into action.  Using her two fingers to poke at his chest, she forced Emmett to sit down.  Then she began her interrogation.  “Emmett, where is Michael?” she asked, with her fingers still pressing on his chest.

“What?” he asked, while trying to breathe.  He was also caught off guard, for he was expecting some question or other, but this one was not one that he expected.  

Since Melanie figured he was stalling, she increased the pressure on his chest again, so he had difficulty saying anything.

 Melanie continued to make her point. “Usually when we come into town, Michael and Ben are almost the first ones here to greet us.  But this time, no one. What’s going on?”

As Emmett struggled a little bit, Melanie released a little of her finger pressure.  But she remained where she was…hovering.

“Well, I’m sure that you know that Ben and Michael aren’t together anymore,” Emmett reminded them, hoping that this reminder would put the issue to rest.  

“I know that, asshole,” Melanie challenged. “That explains why Ben isn’t here, but what about Michael?”

“Ah…what did…ah…he say when you called him?” Emmett asked pointedly, trying to side-step Melanie’s question with this question.  He also tried to wiggle out of her grasp.

“All he said was that he was busy, but that he would see us tomorrow,” Lindsay explained.

“And why aren’t you accepting that?” Emmett asked…now able to slowly sit up straight.

“Because, usually Michael can’t wait to see his daughter.  And now, he can casually postpone seeing her until tomorrow.  Something is definitely up,” Melanie reasoned aloud. “Start talking, Emmett!” she repeated, poking on his chest once again.

“Yes, start talking!” Lindsay echoed. “Unless you want me to get Brian on the phone!” she threatened.

“All right!” Emmett finally relented. He had agreed to do this, and he was going to follow through with it. He wasn’t about to let Brian down. And, he definitely wasn’t about to give Lindsay an excuse to disturb Brian and Justin tonight.  “All right! You two dykes just back off you two!  Gheez!”

Melanie and Lindsay finally gave Emmett breathing room, as they settled back down into their seats at the table.  

Emmett took a deep breath and said in one breath, “You need to know that Michael just found out that his father is alive.”

“But I thought his father died in Vietnam,” Lindsay questioned.

“Yes, died when he was just a baby,” Melanie added.

“That wasn’t really Michael’s father.  That was just someone that Debbie made up to give him a father he could be proud of.   The man in the picture on the mantel, is not Michael’s father,” Emmett began to reveal.  Then he paused to let that information sink in.

“I can’t believe it!” Melanie reacted.   She was about to say more, but she looked over at Emmett, and she could tell from his expression that he still had more to tell them, so she simply nodded for him to continue.

Emmett began once again, “Neither Michael nor his real father ever suspected that the other existed…until about four years ago.  Their paths crossed by accident, and they both started to suspect their possible relationship.  However, back then, no one would confirm it, so the matter just seemed to be dropped.”

Once again, he paused to make sure that Lindsay and Melanie were still with him before he continued any further.  

They were hanging on his every word.

Then Emmett said, “From what I understand, Debbie just recently told both of them, father and son, the truth.  Now, after all this time, Michael knows he has a living, breathing father, and his father knows that he has a 35 year-old son.”

“That’s amazing,” Melanie said with this far off look in her eyes, as she tried to wrap her mind around this new information.

Lindsay just sat there quietly listening.

 “Michael swears that he’ll never forgive Debbie for her lifetime of lies.  That’s why he’s not here,” Emmett added.

“So that’s why Debbie has taken to her bed?” Lindsay mumbled.  Then she said with a sigh of understanding, “I know that Michael means everything to her.” 

“Today has just been a difficult day for her, I understand that she talked to Michael this morning.” Emmett added, “But you know Debbie, by tomorrow she’ll be back up on her feet…especially with JR here.” 

“I know how she feels about Jenny Rebecca,” Lindsay whispered.  “Still, I can see why this must all be upsetting for her,” she added sympathetically.

“Why all the intrigue?” Melanie pointedly asked, getting the conversation back on target. “Emmett, do we know the man, who’s supposed to really be Michael’s father?”  .

“Yes Em, do we know who Michael’s father is?” Lindsay asked, refocusing now too.

Once again, Emmett took a deep breath.  “Does the name Divina Devore mean anything to you?” he asked.

“Divina Devore…Divina Devore…you mean, the famous female impersonator?” Melanie asked, after repeating the name several time to jar her memory.  

“What does Divina Devore have to do with anything?” Lindsay asked, not being able to immediately see the connection.

“It seems that Divina Devore is Michael’s father…or rather the man inside the diva…Danny Devore is.  It seems that he and Debbie dated when they were in high school together.  It seems that Danny left town, without knowing that Debbie was pregnant.  Rather than tell him, she decided instead to create this fictitious war-hero father to give Michael a father he could be proud of.”  Emmett revealed.  

Lindsay and Melanie were silent for a moment.  They were having a hard time taking it all in. 

“That’s not like Debbie.  Why would she do that?” Melanie asked.

“Maybe she thought that having a drag queen for a father was going to be a hard thing for a little boy to deal with.  Remember Debbie was only 17 at the time with a baby…who knows what she was thinking!  And after all this time, it really doesn’t matter, does it?” Emmett quickly reminded them of what NOT to pursue.

Both Lindsay and Melanie immediately understood. 

“What made you tell us all this?” Melanie finally asked, somewhat troubled by what she’d just heard, but determined to understand the reasons for these revelations.

“Brian made the decision that he wanted you two told.  He didn’t want Debbie to be put through the pain of repeating this story over and over again.  He knew there would be a lot of questions, and he didn’t want Debbie to have to answer any of them until she was ready.  Brian also wanted to make sure that the entire family was there to support both Debbie and Michael.  Brian, Carl, Jennifer, Teddy, and Justin already know, so I agreed to tell you tonight.” Emmett recounted. “And now you know too,” he added in a whisper. 

He started to leave the kitchen, but Lindsay held out her hand to stop him. “Thanks, Em, for telling us,” she said quietly.

Emmett merely nodded. “Now that my job is done, I’m going to call it a night,” he said.

“And you say that Michael now knows all the details,” Lindsay asked.

“Yes, he knows.  He’s trying to deal with this truth, along with all the other things off kilter in his life,” Emmett pointed out.  

“I can imagine.” Melanie added.  She said the words, but obviously her mind was somewhere else.

“Well, Goodnight,” Emmett finally said, leaving Lindsay and Melanie alone to talk.

Lindsay and Melanie said goodnight to Emmett, but they remained in the kitchen together.  This was quite a bit of information to process.  They were both no longer sleepy.