---~^~^~^~--- Taylor Condo, Pittsburgh, PA Jennifer was putting the finishing touches on dinner when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it mom!” Molly yelled from the living room. Molly opened the door to find Lindsay standing there with Gus in her arms and his bag thrown over her shoulder. “Hi Molly.” “Hi Lindsay, can I take that bag for you?” “Thanks sweetie, Gus here is getting to be a handful.” Lindsay responded happily. Justin heard Lindsay’s voice from the top of the stairs and was glad that she had arrived first. It would give him some time with Gus, before he got tense from discussing things with Mel. He walked down the stairs smiling at Lindsay. “Hi Lindz. Hey there little man. Wow! You’ve gotten so big!” Justin reached out to the small miniature of Brian. Gus grabbed on to Justin’s finger and cooed joyously. “Seems the Kinney men can’t resist you, Justin.” Lindsay said. Justin’s smile faded a bit. “Oh Justin, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…” “No, no Lindz, it’s okay. I need to be able to think about him. It won’t do me any good being sad about it. It won’t bring him home. Can I hold him?” “Certainly. You take him so I can get his jacket off.” Justin carefully took Gus into his left arm, being as it was stronger, and then protectively wrapped his right arm around Gus’ back. He was so happy holding the small boy. When Lindsay had his little arms out of the jacket, he carried Gus over to the wingback chair in the living room and sat down. He set Gus on his lap, and Gus grabbed onto his fingers and began to bounce happily. Molly was sitting on the floor in front of Justin watching as he played with the small boy. Lindsay stood in the entryway to the kitchen watching with a smile on her face. She was so happy to see Justin smile, and glad that her son could bring him some happiness. Jennifer came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel. She too smiled at her son. “Hi Lindsay, how are you?” Jen asked. “Hi Jennifer, I’m doing as well as can be expected. I still can’t believe that Brian left. I have always been able to see him and take Gus to see him since Gus was born. Brian left me the money to take care of Gus, but I’m ashamed that he felt that that was all we needed from him. I know he was scared to be a father, but he was starting to get pretty good at it.” Lindsay said with a soft voice. Jennifer linked arms with Lindsay and turned so that they were facing the living room. “We just have to be thankful that we still have our son’s to love and care for. We have to do that for Brian; he loves them both so much.” Lindsay turned to face Jennifer with a shocked look on her face. “I didn’t think that you…” “Could believe that Brian loves Justin? I can’t deny that I had my doubts, but seeing him, seeing the despair in his eyes, how he condemned himself for Justin getting hurt; I couldn’t doubt his love for Justin any longer.” The two women were disturbed from their discussion by the laughter coming from the living room. Justin was teasing Gus with his stuffed bear while Gus giggled with laughter and tried to reach his toy. Molly was just laughing at how silly her brother was being with the baby. Seeing that her son was in good hands, Lindsay asked, “Can I help you with anything in the kitchen?” “You could help me with the table, and if you have anything you need to prepare for Gus we can do that.” “Okay, let me grab Gus’ bag.” “When do you expect Mel to get here?” Jen asked. “She phoned around one o’clock and said that her meeting across town was at 4:00. She was coming here as soon as that meeting was over.” Glancing at the clock, seeing it was ten minutes until six she continued, “I would suspect that she will be here soon.” “Everything here is just about finished. The chicken has about five more minutes so that should time things about perfect. Do you need to heat up anything for Gus?” “Yes, here is his supper; it just needs about thirty seconds in the microwave, so we can wait for Mel.” “Why don’t we go to the living room and check on the kids while we wait.” Jennifer suggested. “Sounds good.” ---~^~--- Melanie pulled her car into the driveway of Jennifer Taylor’s condo and turned off the ignition. She sat for a moment collecting her thoughts. A short time ago she was sitting in the board room of Hobbs Steel, Inc. listening to the offer that Rhett Carrington was offering Justin. She was totally stunned when Derek Hobbs had phoned her office personally asking her for a meeting at four this afternoon. What had startled her more was the stoic attitude of Mark Hobbs, Chris’ father. She had expected him to be arguing and fighting for his son, but he seemed to feel threatened by his brother, allowing Derek to control the meeting. She had listened attentively to the points of the plea bargain as they were set out by Mr. Carrington and couldn’t say that she was completely disappointed by what they were offering. It included jail time for Chris as well as a hefty settlement for Justin, but she knew she had to confirm with him that he wanted to settle. She didn’t want to take away Justin’s day in court if that was what he wanted. Taking a deep breath she collected her briefcase and exited the car. “Mom, Melanie just pulled up.” Molly said, as she was looking out the front window. Sitting by the door, Jennifer got up to let Melanie into the house. “Hi Mel, I’m glad that you could come for dinner. Justin is having such a good evening playing with Gus. Lindsay got here about twenty-five minutes ago with him.” “I’m so happy that he is having fun.” “What did you find out today?” Jen couldn’t help but want to know what kind of fight she was going to have to put up. “Well it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.” As Mel was about to continue, Justin appeared. “Hey Justin, it’s good to see you up and about. Your mother was just telling me that you have been keeping Gus occupied.” “Yes, he is the best baby ever! We were having a very good time, but Lindsay needed to change him before dinner. Did you want to talk now?” “Not one to beat around the bush are you?” “Mel, you know bush isn’t my thing.” Justin said with a gleaming smile. “Justin Taylor!” Jennifer scolded. “Don’t worry about it Jen,” Mel said laughing, “It’s good to hear him teasing and joking around. Why don’t we eat dinner first, and then we can talk.” “Okay.” Justin said. The two families sat around the table getting ready to share a meal. Jennifer had brought up the high-chair that she kept for when her brother brought his kids at holidays, for Gus to use. She placed it between Lindsay and Justin’s chair. Justin was heating up Gus’ dinner, while the others prepared their plates. “Thank you Justin.” Lindsay said while trying to take the dish from him. “Can I feed him, please?” “Are you sure? He can get a little fussy.” “It’s all right, please.” “Be my guest.” Lindsay replied. Justin put Gus’ bib around him and waited for the food to cool a bit. Melanie smiled as she watched Justin carefully make sure that Gus’ dinner wasn’t too hot. She remembered how scared he had been when she had angrily busted in to Brian’s loft when Lindsay had left Gus with Brian, during the time that she had to go to the teaching conference. She really was being unreasonable that night, but she was only thinking of Gus and she was so mad at Brian for leaving him that she didn’t consider Justin’s feelings at the time. She knew now, just as she had known then, that Justin would never put Gus in harm’s way and would do anything to protect him. She was beginning to believe that Brian felt that way too, but he still needed to prove that to her. “Okay Gus, if you won’t eat it then I will.” Distracted from her memories, Mel watched as Justin brought Gus’ spoon to his mouth as if to eat the food. Gus immediately cried out and reached for his spoon. “Oh you want this now do you?” Justin teased Gus. “Here it comes.” Justin moved the spoon around as if it was flying into the young boy’s mouth. Gus giggled until Justin had placed the spoon in his mouth. Gus continued to eat as Justin continued to make a game out of it. While Gus would eat his food, Justin would take small bites of his own dinner, so that he and Gus were eating at the same time. When Gus finished his food, Justin cleaned him up and gave him his sippy cup of juice and a couple of animal cookies, while he finished his own dinner. Lindsay, Melanie and Jennifer all watched Justin as he cared for the young boy. Jennifer felt a bit of regret that Justin would probably never have the chance to have his own children, but maybe he could be something like a father to Gus. Molly had finished her plate and played with Gus and his animal cookies until everyone was finished. “Mom, do you want me to clear the table?” Molly knew that Melanie had come over to discuss the case against Chris Hobbs, and she didn’t need to be around. “Thank you, honey, that would be great. Once you do, leave the dishes for later and join us back in the living room.” Jen replied. Molly responded with a surprised look. “Are you sure mom?” “Molly, you are part of this family, and I won’t shut you out. I want you to know what is going on.” “Justin? Do you mind?” “Molly, you’ve been great through all of this. I don’t mind at all.” Justin smiled at his sister. Molly began to clear the table, and was infused with a sense of pride that her brother and mother were treating her like an adult and not closing her out. Everyone else was settled into the living room when Molly entered. Justin was once again in the wing chair with Gus in his arms. The baby was dozing off while playing with Justin’s fingers. Jennifer sat in the chair adjacent to Justin, and Mel and Lindsay were sitting on the sofa. Molly sat down at her mother’s feet and anxiously waited for what Melanie had to say. Jennifer took a sip of her wine, and then looked at Mel. “What do we need to prepare for, Melanie?” “Well as I said when I first arrived, it wasn’t what I was expecting. Mr. Carrington presented a plea bargain to me, under what appeared to be the strict supervision of Derek Hobbs.” “Who is Derek Hobbs? I thought Chris’ father’s name was Mark?” Justin asked. “Derek is Chris’ uncle. He holds the controlling stock in Hobbs Steel, Inc. He’s also gay.” Justin’s eyes became as large as saucers. He couldn’t believe that his attacker had a family member who was gay. How could he do this to Justin, when his uncle was gay? “Why then…” “I have gotten the distinct impression that Mark Hobbs and Derek Hobbs have been estranged from each other for some time. I am also certain that Mark Hobbs poisoned his son’s mind against anyone who is gay. I think he was afraid that Chris would turn out like his brother.” Justin couldn’t help but scoff at that comment, knowing what had transpired between Chris and him in the sports shed. Melanie continued. “I believe that Derek may be using your case as a way to get at his brother, and I don’t want what you have suffered to be put in the background because of a feud between them. I’m going to go over what they are offering you and then we can discuss your options.” “Okay.” Justin took a deep breath and prepared his mind for what Mel was going to tell him. “First off, Chris is being charged as an adult.” “Yes, but what will he be charged with?” Jennifer asked. She knew that Melanie had been upset after her first visit with the police. “Assault and Battery” Melanie answered. “What does that mean?” Justin asked. “It means that he is being charged for two crimes actually, one crime defined as one in which he intended bodily harm and a crime in which bodily harm was actually carried out. Both of these crimes are also defined as civil wrongs for which you may file a suit for damages.” Justin nodded his understanding. “Hobbs and his lawyer based their settlement offer on the fact that I told the police that I wanted him charged with Homicide 1 which is attempted murder. They must have had enough uncertainty in their case and enough belief that I could get it to make this offer.” Melanie paused to get her notes of the offer. “By reducing our charge to Assault and Battery they are offering the following: Chris will spend up to three years in a minimum security facility, with the chance for parole after eighteen months. If he gets parole, he would have to serve 1000 hours of community service. If he doesn’t get parole, then he will have to complete 500 hours of community service when he gets out. They have agreed to not pursue any charges against Brian for striking Chris and they are also offering 1.5 million dollars in damages.” The room went quiet. Justin couldn’t imagine ever having that much money, but beyond that he couldn’t believe that they were actually offering jail time. He thought for sure that Chris would get off with a slap on the wrist. “Mel, what happens if we don’t take the offer?” Jen had to ask. “If we refuse the offer, we could attempt to counter offer with other stipulations or we go to trial.” Mel responded. “What happens if we go to trial?” Justin questioned. “It wouldn’t be pretty Justin. I won’t lie to you. There would be a jury, we could get a judge who is conservative, not to mention that you would be dragged through a media circus and all your history with Brian might be brought up.” “I’ll take the offer.” Justin said. “Justin! Shouldn’t we talk about this?” Jennifer looked astonished at her son. “No mom, this is my decision. I want to put this behind me. I need to focus on getting better, not worrying about a trial. They are offering a lot of money. I can’t ignore that, it would ensure my future for college and then some. I would have eighteen months of knowing that Chris is behind bars, I wouldn’t be looking over my shoulder all the time. I think it is the best.” Justin rationally explained to his mother. “And what about Brian, we don’t know where he is.” Molly inserted into to the conversation. “I have to say that I agree with Justin, Jen, and Molly has a very good point. One of the biggest complications of the trial would be Brian’s role in all of this. If we refuse the offer, they could charge Brian and with his disappearance it could make it that much more difficult and shift the jury’s decision.” “If this is what you want to do Justin, I’ll support you completely.” Jennifer said. “Thank you mom, that means everything to me.” Justin smiled at his mother, reinforcing his statement. He would have gone and hugged her, but he didn’t want to disturb Gus. “So what do we have to do to make this happen?” “I will call Mr. Carrington first thing tomorrow and set up a meeting. Is there a time that is best for you, Justin? I’ll need you to be there to sign the papers.” Justin tensed at the thought of having to see Hobbs. Melanie sensed his uneasiness immediately. “Justin, he won’t be there. It will just be me, you, and Mr. Carrington.” “Can my mother come?” “Of course she can be there.” Melanie told him. “Good; Tuesday or Thursday would be best. I have therapy on the other days.” Justin said. “Do you want me to see if we can meet tomorrow or would you prefer to wait until Thursday?” Justin looked over to his mother, wanting her opinion. “Let’s try to meet tomorrow and if they can’t then we’ll meet on Thursday.” Jennifer suggested taking the pressure off of Justin. “It’s only eight o’clock, let me try to call Mr. Carrington and see if I can make the arrangements. I’ll be right back.” Melanie took her cell phone and stepped out onto the front porch to make the call. Justin had seemed to shut down. He was gently rubbing his hand through the downy soft hair on Gus’ head, watching the small chest rise up and down. “He is so perfect. He has the same tiny little snore that Brian has when he is in a deep sleep.” Justin said softly. Molly sat silently at her brother’s feet with a single tear sliding down her cheek. She was so sad that Justin had to go through this. She was frightened when Justin acted as if no one was there. She was afraid that he would never come back. “Justin?” Molly’s soft small voice reached out to her brother. “I’m fine Molly. He just looks so much like Brian. I miss him.” Justin’s voice caught in his throat. Molly stood and sat on the arm of the chair that Justin was sitting in looking down at the baby boy. “Well if Gus looks like his daddy, I can see why you loved him so much.” Justin looked at his sister and looked at her with an appreciative smile. “You know Mol, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m pretty lucky to have you as my sister.” Molly smiled. “I’m pretty lucky too Jus.” Lindsay sat and watched the two siblings. She hoped that someday she or Mel could give Gus a little brother or sister. She didn’t want him to be an only child; she wanted him to have family that could help him when she and Melanie got older. Someone who could be his friend no matter what, someone he could teach things too, and someone who would look up to him. Melanie entered the living room and sat down next to Lindsay. “What were you able to work out, sweet heart?” Lindsay asked. “It seems that the Hobbs family wants to get this done quickly. Mr. Carrington set the meeting for tomorrow at eleven o’clock. Justin, is that okay with you?” “Yes Mel, that’s fine.” Justin answered. “You and your mom can come to my office around 10:45. I requested that they come to us. I thought it would be more comfortable for you if you were on more familiar ground.” “Thanks Mel, I appreciate that.” “Justin, there is one other thing I want to mention. Mr. Carrington asked if you would mind if Derek Hobbs attended the meeting. He wanted to speak to you.” “Did he say why?” “No he did not. I told Mr. Carrington that if you did not want to meet with Derek I would call him back and let him know. It’s completely up to you.” Mel made sure by her tone that Justin knew that he did not have to meet with the man. “I’ll meet with him. If he is gay, I don’t think he will be a threat. I would like you and my mom to be there with me.” “No problem, sweetie, we will stay with you the whole time.” Melanie reassured him. Lindsay stood signaling the end of the evening. “We need to get this little man home to bed.” She went to Justin to collect her son. “Justin, you can come and see Gus when ever you want. If you’d like you can take him to the park or just play with him at the house.” “I’d really like that, thank you.” Justin handed the sleeping boy to Lindsay, aching from his absence. Jennifer led Melanie and Lindsay to the door, handing Mel Gus’ things. “Thank you for all you have done to help Justin, Melanie. I don’t how to begin to thank you.” “Jen, you, Justin, and Molly are family, and I don’t abandon my own.” Jennifer took Melanie in a tight embrace thankful that Justin had met and befriended these amazing people. Leaving the embrace Jennifer spoke again. “We will see you tomorrow around 10:45. Is there anything we need to bring?” “The only thing you might bring is medical documentation or any hospital bills you have received, just so we can make copies to keep in the permanent file. I have already obtained Dr. Hamilton’s notes on Justin’s treatment and history, since you signed the release allowing him to provide them for the proceedings.” Mel answered. “I’ll bring them.” Hugging Melanie once again, and waving to Lindsay as she put Gus in his car seat, she said good night to the women, and went to check on her children. ---~^~--- Molly was upstairs getting ready for bed. Justin still sat in the wing chair in the living room. “Are you disappointed in me mom?” Justin asked, all of a sudden uncertain about his decision to take the settlement. “Justin, absolutely not! You made your decision based on what you felt was best for you and your future. How could that disappoint me?” “I’ve always been such a fighter, and I feel like I’m copping out, being selfish.” “Justin I want you to listen to me.” Jennifer kneeled down in front of her son. “You are still a fighter. You are NOT being selfish! As much as I want to help you and take away your pain, I know I can’t. I don’t know how you feel, and that tears at my heart. But I do know you, Justin. You will survive this. If accepting the settlement will make your recovery easier, then I’m one hundred percent behind you on your decision. I want you to fulfill your dreams. I want to see you go off to college, and be the biggest success that you can be. I have to agree that knowing that monster will be behind bars while you are getting settled, does ease my mind tremendously. So please don’t give up on yourself; don’t give up on what you know is right for you. I’ll be here no matter what.” Jen cupped her hands around Justin’s face and wiped away the tears that were falling from his eyes. Justin fell to the floor and allowed his mother to hold him and absorbed her strength. Jennifer gently rocked him as he cried. Jennifer wasn’t sure how long she had consoled her eldest child, but Molly’s soft sniffling made her aware of her presence. She gently nudged Justin to make him sit up. “It’s been a long day. Why don’t we all get some sleep? It will be another trying day tomorrow. We will all need to be well rested.” Justin looked to his sister sitting on the stairs and nodded to his mother. He stood helping her to her feet. “I love you, mom.” “I love you too, Justin.” Justin walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked up at Molly. “Come on Mol, I’ll tuck you in.” Molly smiled and reached out for Justin’s hand. He gripped her small fingers and healed just a bit more. ---~^~^~--- The dawn of a new day arrived and the dawn of the rest of Justin’s life came with it. He and his mother were now sitting in Melanie’s office waiting for Mr. Carrington and Derek Hobbs to arrive. The ride over had been filled with silence. Molly had stayed at the house with her friend Teresa, so there wasn’t any idle chatter coming from the backseat. Melanie sat behind her desk organizing the paperwork that would need to be signed. She wanted to make sure that this meeting would go as smoothly as possible. Since Justin had agreed to all the stipulations of the settlement, it shouldn’t take too long to conclude the proceedings. Once everything was signed, she and Mr. Carrington would present the agreement to a judge for the final approval. Chris Hobbs was still in the county lockup and would be transferred to Allegany Minimum Security Center after the papers were signed by the judge and filed in all the appropriate places. Just thinking about that monster made Melanie’s skin crawl and her blood boil. She knew that Justin’s decision was the best one for him, but there was still a part of her that thought the little bastard, Hobbs, was getting off easy. Glancing up from her desk, she noticed the demure posture of Jennifer Taylor and the nervous agitation of Justin. He was bouncing his leg, and chewing on the end of his thumb. He looked like he was in the principal’s office and was about to be punished. “Justin, are you okay?” She asked. She wanted to make sure that he was not going to have a panic attack. Startled out of his blank gaze, “Yeah, I’m okay,” Justin replied. I just want to get this all settled so that I can move on.” “I know sweetie. It will be over soon.” “Mel? Do you know what Derek Hobbs wanted to speak with me about? I’ll have to admit I’m uneasy about talking to him.” “He didn’t say exactly, but I think he wants to at least make some sort of effort to apologize for his nephew’s actions. He has been a big help in making things go smoothly for me during the preparations for the settlement, and I think he has kept his brother and nephew out of it, so that you would get the most benefit.” Mel answered, needing to reassure Justin that Derek meant him no harm. He really had been a big help. “Thanks, Mel. Mom said that she had met him briefly at the club several years ago, and that he seemed like a decent man, but I still have my doubts.” “Justin no one can blame you for being cautious. You have been through a great deal, and you still are recovering, but I can honestly say that I don’t think Derek means you any harm.” Just then the intercom to Mel’s office buzzed. “Ms. Marcus, Mr. Carrington and Mr. Hobbs are here. Should I show them to the conference room?” “Yes Kristen, thank you. Tell them we will be there momentarily.” Melanie collected all the documents she would need, allowing Justin to collect himself. Justin stood and gripped his mother’s hand. Jennifer looked up at her son with pride and conviction. She was glad that this would be over soon. Justin absorbed his mother’s strength and squared his shoulders. “Let’s go, Mel. I’m ready.” Justin said with a steady voice. --~^~-- When Melanie, Justin and Jennifer entered the conference room, Mr. Carrington and Derek Hobbs stood to greet them. Mr. Carrington was cold and aloof barely acknowledging Justin or Jen, while gruffly shaking Melanie’s hand. He was still angry at being lead around like a dog by Derek Hobbs. Derek was patient and calm. He cordially shook Mel’s hand as well as Jennifer’s. He waited for Justin to come to him. Justin recognizing Derek’s efforts slowly reached out his hand, offering it to Derek. A genuine smile graced the other man’s face at the gesture. “Shall we get started?” Melanie began. “We have all the paperwork prepared and it just needs to be signed by all the parties present.” Mr. Carrington spoke. “Very well.” Mel collected the documents from her opponent and reviewed them carefully, making sure that nothing had been changed or tampered with. She didn’t trust Carrington not to try to pull a fast one. “They are the same as they were before Ms. Marcus.” The other attorney said. Melanie just glanced at him with a condescending look and continued to read. She didn’t care how pissed the man got; she would not let Justin sign anything until she was completely assured that everything was perfect. Once she finished, she reviewed all components of the agreement with Justin and Jennifer to ensure that they understood them. Finally, Justin signed all the documents and initialed where he was instructed to. Melanie then followed suit, before relinquishing the documents to Mr. Carrington and Derek Hobbs. Both men signed below Justin and Melanie’s signatures. It was done. Justin sat back in his chair and watched as Hobbs’ lawyer collected everything. “I will see you tomorrow in Judge Gavin’s chambers to file the papers, Ms. Marcus.” “Yes, see you at 10:00, Rhett.” Melanie replied, not giving the man any respect by calling him by his first name. Aware of the snub, he grabbed his briefcase and left. Derek still sat at his place around the table in the room. He wanted to apologize to Justin, but how do you do that to someone that has lost so much. “Mr. Hobbs?” Justin had left his seat and approached the other man. “Mel said that you wished to speak to me.” “Yes.” Derek hesitated. He didn’t think it would be this hard. “I wanted to say that I am sorry for all the pain and damage that my nephew has caused you, but it just doesn’t seem adequate.” “You are right. It doesn’t. But you had nothing to do with it. You didn’t put the bat in his hand; you did not swing it; so you trying to apologize really doesn’t make sense.” Justin said quietly. Derek looked up at the strong young man in front of him. He was astonished at how Justin could be so calm. He figured he would be angry and frustrated. Yet he was neither. “Justin I may not have taken the actions that Chris did, but I feel responsible for his feelings of hate and lack of tolerance. I knew how his father was, how he felt about me. I should have known that he would teach those same views to his son. Maybe if I had tried harder to be a part of his life, this wouldn’t have happened.” “Mr. Hobbs, it is too late to go back now. We don’t know for sure that any influence you might have had on Chris would have made him any different than he was. The only thing we can do is move forward. Try and prevent something like this from happening again. Try and teach tolerance to others. We can not force it on them; they have to want to embrace it. If they choose not too, we can only hope that they will not seek out violence as a way to show their disapproval.” “Justin, you are an incredible young man. I wish you the best of everything. If you ever need anything please don’t hesitate to contact me. I know you are an artist and every artist might need a sponsor from time to time. Please keep me in mind.” Derek said with true genuine meaning in his words. There was nothing else he could say. Justin would be a benefit to the world. He was just glad that his nephew had not succeeded. He stood and once again extended his hand to Justin, which the young man accepted. This time his grip was firm and confident, Derek knew that his apology had been acknowledged. He didn’t know if he would ever hear from Justin, but he would follow his progress and maybe one day he would own a Taylor original. He said his goodbyes to Jennifer and Melanie, while making sure that Mel would contact him if Carrington or his brother tried anything. Melanie graciously thanked him and said that she would keep in touch. “I’m so proud of you, Justin.” Jennifer said to her son. “Thanks mom. It wasn’t easy, a part of me wanted to blame him, but I knew that wasn’t right. He wasn’t at fault. He seems like a good man. I could sense that he was sincere and that if there had been anything he could have done to prevent this he would have. And the fact that he has been in my corner and has seen to it that Chris is behind bars and we will be able to take care of all of my medical bills and then some, I just felt that I had to ease his conscience.” Justin offered. “You are a good man Justin. I just know that in the end you will be a great big fucking success!” Melanie said with a gentle knowing look in her eyes. For the first time in quite a while Justin smiled a smile that reached his eyes. That was what Brian always told him. The best way to get back at all the homophobes was to be the biggest, richest fucking success you could be; and now he was on his way. ---~^~^~^~--- Jackson Hole, Wyoming The sun rose gracefully over the awakening landscape. You could hear the frogs croaking and the birds tending to their morning chores. Brian stretched as he looked out the window from the bed. It was the earliest that he had gotten up since arriving at The Sassy Moose. He chuckled; he still couldn’t get over the name. “Knock, Knock, Knock!” Came the banging on his door. “Brian, get up! We’ve got to go see my friends today! Get up sleepy head!” TJ shouted from the other side of the door. “I’m up.” Brian answered. “I don’t believe you! Let me see!” Laughing at TJ’s antics, Brian got up out of bed, slipped on his jeans and went to the door. Upon opening the door, he was practically bowled over by the red-headed whirlwind. “See I’m up. You little man need to slow down; you are making me tired already.” “But you can’t be tired! We are going to see the bears and the wolves today! You promised!” TJ pouted, taking Brian literally. “I was just teasing TJ. Are your grandfathers up yet?” “Yes, they got up when I did. I got them up first!” “Okay, let me take a quick shower and then I’ll be ready to go.” Brain said while he looked down at the small boy. “Well hurry, okay!” “Okay!” Brian replied. TJ turned and headed out of the room just a quickly as he had entered it. Brian closed the door and went to take a shower. He knew that he had better be quick about too, otherwise he was going to have an inpatient red-head banging on his door again. Twenty minutes later, Brian was dressed and ready to go, well except for his morning coffee that is. He realized that he wasn’t nearly as cranky as he usually was without it, but by no means was he giving it up. Coming around the corner he got his first whiff of the delicious aroma. “Good Morning, Brian.” Jesse said while handing Brian a fresh cup of coffee and placing the sugar jar next to him on the counter. Brian gratefully accepted. “Morning. I hear you have been up for a while now.” Brian said looking at his host with a wicked smile. “Yes, we have been. Thanks to TJ’s excitement. But I can honestly say that I don’t mind. TJ being up so early will make it easier to wear him out, so that he won’t be so testy to bring home this evening.” Jesse said with an air of experience. Brian drank his coffee and ate a slice of toast that Jesse had given him. As he was placing his cup in the sink Tyler and TJ came barreling into the kitchen. Tyler chasing TJ as if he was a bear, growling as TJ shrieked with joy. “Save me Brian, save me!” TJ screamed as he ran behind Brian’s legs using them as a defense against his grandfather. “Halt you scary bear! Don’t you scare my friend.” Brian said playing along. Tyler came to a stop and became grandpa again. TJ came out and ran to his grandpa and jumped to be picked up. “You ready to head out on our adventure?” Tyler asked his grandson. “Yeah!!” TJ yelled with delight. “Okay, well we’ve got the Jeep all loaded and we are ready to go. So let’s get this show on the road boys!” Tyler said, motioning for Jesse and Brian to follow. Brian and Jesse smiled at each other and followed the other two outside. TJ and Tyler sat in the back while Brian was in the passenger seat beside Jesse. “Brian, I put an old camera of mine there in the front for you. I thought you might like to take some pictures. It is about a two hour drive and we will be seeing some amazing country. We will be driving along the Snake River and then past Jackson Lake. We’ll take a break at the South entrance to Yellowstone National Park, stop at Old Faithful and then head on to West Yellowstone. We should get there around eleven o’clock.” “Wow, I hadn’t realized this was going to be such an excursion. But I’m ready!” Brian said. “If you see some place you’d like to stop for a picture, just holler, and I’ll pull over.” “Sounds good.” “Okay gentlemen we are off!” Jesse announced as he backed out of the driveway and headed down the road. --~^~-- The grandeur of the mountains and lakes left Brian breathless. He had asked Jesse to stop a few times before they reached the south entrance so he could take a few photos. If he ever got back to Pittsburgh he wanted to share what he had seen with his family. They had just finished watching Old Faithful erupt and were heading on toward the bear and wolf center. TJ was getting more and more antsy the closer they got. If he asked Jesse “how much further?” one more time Brian wasn’t sure he wouldn’t get out and walk the rest of the way. Finally Brian saw the entrance with the National Park Service kiosk and knew that they were almost there. “Just a few more minutes TJ.” “Yippee! I can’t wait to see Austin!” “Who is Austin?” Brian asked hoping to engage the boy in conversation until they reached their destination. “He is my best friend at the center. He lets me help and tells me what the bears and wolves have been up to. Sometimes he lets me feed Stoke!” “And just who is Stoke?” “He is the coolest bear there! His brother, Revel, is cool too, but Stoke is the best!” “Wow, are you going to let me help too?” “Well I don’t know?” TJ said in all seriousness with a look of concern on his face. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. The bears and wolves don’t know you, they might get scared. Austin says they only hurt you when they are afraid, so we will have to ask Austin.” “I guess you are right. I wouldn’t want to frighten them and get eaten up.” “No! We sure wouldn’t want that! Maybe you should wait in the car?” TJ said, and Brian just laughed at the boy’s innocence. “I think you would do a pretty good job protecting me, so I’ll chance it.” Brian said. TJ puffed his chest out with pride, with the idea of protecting Brian. “Here we are guys.” Jesse said as he brought the Jeep to a stop in front of the center. After being released from his restraints, TJ practically leaped out of the Jeep and headed straight for the entrance. “TJ! Slow down, wait for us!” Tyler yelled as he, Jesse, and Brian tried to keep up. They caught up to the young boy just as Austin was picking him up for a hug. Austin was a young man probably about twenty with light brown hair cut short and sleepy brown eyes. He was tanned from his work in the sun and wore a grizzly and wolf discovery center t-shirt with well worn jeans. Brian looked on at the pleasant view but did not feel any inclination to do more than that. He had learned his lesson. “Hey buddy, how is my best helper doing today?” Austin asked. “GREAT Austin!” TJ said as he moved to be put down. TJ ran over to Brian and grabbed his hand, beckoning him to follow. “Austin, this is Brian; he is my new friend. We have to keep him safe. He wants to meet my bear and wolf friends, but we don’t want them to eat him!” “You are so right, TJ, we’ll look out for him.” Austin said, while smiling up at Brian. “Are Revel and Stoke outside Austin?” Tyler asked when he joined the small group, having paid the entrance fee. “Yep, they are out there frolicking around as usual.” Still clinging to Brian’s hand, TJ pulled him out toward the habitats outside. Reaching the habitat, TJ pointed out the two bears to Brian. “There they are. Stoke is the one that looks almost black. Revel has a lighter face.” Stoke was pushing on a tree and then finding some branches he had knocked off earlier he began to play with them, tossing them around with his huge paws. Revel was in the opposite side, interacting with another bear. “That is Spirit in there with them this morning.” Austin said coming up behind TJ. “Have you told Brian how Revel and Stoke got here, TJ?” “Oh, I forgot! See Revel and Stoke are twin brothers. Their mommy was killed by a mean man in British Columbia, Canada when they were cubs. They can’t survive on their own as babies, so they brought them here. Now they are safe and happy!” TJ told Brian. “That’s some story TJ! I bet they are happy that they met you too.” Brian said smiling at the small boy. “TJ, I’m getting ready to feed the pack; you want to help?” Austin asked like it was no big deal. “REALLY! COOL!” Austin lead TJ over to the area designated for the wolves and showed him how to lift up door that would give the wolves’ access to their food. That was all he was allowed to do, but to TJ it was the most important thing. Tyler and Jesse walked with Brian over to the outdoor habitat and explained a little bit about the pack. “The wolves are known as the Gallatin Pack. It consists of six wolves, four female and two males. They were born into captivity, so they could not be released into the wild.” Tyler explained. “It has been so interesting seeing the wolves reintroduced into the wild here in Yellowstone, but the wolves here are used to promote discussion and educate people about restoration and future management of the ecosystem as the wolves become an active part of it again.” “This is really amazing. I never thought I would see something like this.” Brian said in awe as he watched the pack move about the acreage. “Do you see that one there?” Tyler pointed to a male, with dark coloration throughout his gray coat, and distinct black markings on his face. “That is Hayden, TJ’s favorite. He’s the alpha male we were telling you about.” Brian found the animal in question and watched him. He stood on an outcropping of rocks looking out at the other creatures below him. It reminded Brian of his perch at Babylon on the catwalk, where he would observe over his “kingdom”. How his life had changed in such a brief amount of time. He would more than likely be like the beta male now. He was sure that some young stud had been taking over his reign. He waited for the sensation of outrage or horrifying contempt to take over him, but it did not come. He didn’t care. Brian was discovering a whole new man that was inside of him, that he had never bothered to see, since it wasn’t expected to be there. He didn’t think he wanted to be the same person he had been. Oh, he would undoubtedly still have his moments of sarcasm and disdainful wit, but he didn’t want that to be all that he was. He began to realize that the person he was seeing himself become was the person that Justin had sensed in him all along. The person that Justin was trying to love. He felt a snap of cold shoot through his body. Why did Justin have to lose his life for him to have this epiphany? “Brian. Brian?” Jesse gently placed his hand on Brian’s shoulder gaining his attention. “Where did you go?” “Just back in time. I’m okay.” Jesse didn’t really believe Brian but he let it go for now. TJ wants to go to the IMAX and see the movie that is playing there, “The Splendor of Yellowstone”. Is that alright?” “Yeah, sounds good. Just let me make a pit-stop first.” “I think we all should.” Jesse replied. Brian turned back to the wolf one more time taking in his majestic stature. He snapped a photo and then left. He would save that one for sure, a reminder. --~^~-- It was coming up on five o’clock TJ was getting hungry. “Grandpa, my tummy is making noises! It needs food!” Brian couldn’t help but let out a boisterous laugh. It sounded like something Justin would say. “We are going to get dinner now.” Jesse answered. They pulled the Jeep up along the street and parked. Brian helped TJ out of his seat and turned to look up at the restaurant. “What is it with you two and moose?” Brian stared at the name of the establishment, “Bullwinkle’s Saloon and Grill” “What we happen to think that they are extremely handsome creatures.” Tyler answered. “You’ve got to be kidding?” Brian looked at his host in disbelief. “No we’re not!” Tyler said smiling at Brian and pushing him toward the entrance. TJ was given a set of antlers and was happily coloring the picture on the back of his placemat, while the adults relaxed and sipped at their drinks. “So, have we worn you out yet, Brian?” Jesse asked. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit tired, but it is a good feeling. I’ve had a really wonderful time today. Thanks for sharing all this with me.” Brian said to the men sitting across from him. “You are more than welcome, Brian. TJ has so enjoyed showing you everything. I think it has made him feel grown up and important. You are really good with him. Your son is very lucky; he has a great dad.” Tyler replied to Brian. Brian felt filled with pride having this man tell him he was a good father. He definitely didn’t have the greatest role model. Tyler’s statement had gone a long way to letting him know that he was not following in his father’s footsteps. That had always been his biggest fear, from the moment that he had agreed to father Gus that he would inherently be like his old man. An angry, resentful drunk. In the clarity that he was experiencing on this journey, he realized that he had made a conscious decision to help Lindsay have a child, his child. He should have known then that he wouldn’t be like Jack. Jack had never wanted him, but despite his outward appearances and statements to the contrary, he really did want to be a father. Looking over at TJ as he colored, Brian had to wonder if he would ever get the chance. He had left under such horrible circumstances and he had made no contact with his family and friends, with the exception of his postcard to Jennifer. They would all be so angry with him, blaming him. He couldn’t think about it anymore right now. Their food had been delivered to the table so he put his thoughts to rest and focused on his meal. They had finished dinner and were on the homebound trip. The sun was beginning to sink in the west and the slightest hues of orange and pink could be seen at the tips of the jagged rocks of the mountains. He sat in the back at TJ’s insistence and cradled the boy in his lap as he slept soundly, his oversized fingers running through the red locks. Again he was transported to a time when he would wake and watch Justin sleep, gently caressing stray strands of gold from his brow. What he wouldn’t give to do that again. A ghost of a smile spread across Brian’s face as he imagined sharing all he had seen today with Justin and his son. The two young men would have frolicked around like puppies at all the wonder, and when Gus had gone to the land of Nod, he and Justin would have held each other under the stars and watched as the mountains engulfed the sun. Maybe if he was lucky, he would someday at least be able to share it with Gus. Pulling back into the drive way of the Sassy Moose, Brian roused TJ. “We’re home champ.” “Uhmm.” TJ moaned as Brian disturbed his slumber. The gentle humming of the Jeep and Brian’s caressing had left him in a deep sleep. Brian shifted the small boy, and climbed out of the back. He then picked TJ up and carried him inside. He was about to hand him over to Tyler, when TJ spoke. “No, Brian put me to bed, I want a story.” “TJ, grandpa will tell you a story.” “I want Brian to tell me one!” “It’s okay, Tyler, I don’t mind, as long as you don’t?” Brian looked at his host questioningly. “Are you sure?” “Of course, it’ll be good practice for me. Gus will want stories soon.” Brian said, not going on to describe if he was able to see him again. “Okay, his pj’s are in the top drawer of the dresser, and he can put them on by himself. His toothbrush is next to the sink.” “I’ll find them. Come on champ, pj’s, clean teeth, and then a story.” Brian said to the young boy in his arms. TJ was all set for bed, and ready for his story. Brian had tucked him snuggly under the summer blanket, and sat on the side of the bed. “So what kind of story to do you want to hear?” Brian asked. “The “once upon a time” kind.” TJ replied. “Humm.” Brian contemplated what he could possibly tell him, and he decided on the truth, well the truth that could be told to a small child. “Once upon a time there was a very handsome man. He lived in a great city and had many friends. He had a wonderful job and thousands of toys at his disposal. One night, he was getting ready to head home, when he saw the most beautiful young man he had ever seen. He had hair like spun gold and eyes as blue as cornflowers.” “What was his name?” TJ interrupted. “His name was Justin and he fell instantly in love with the man. He was new to town and wasn’t sure if he should talk to him or not. But the man, Brian, walked up to him and smiled.” “Hey he has the same name as you.” “Yes he does. Now where was I, Oh yes. Brian walked up to Justin and asked him if he would like to go somewhere to talk. Justin knew instantly that he could trust Brian and went with him. Over the next months, Brian and Justin became good friends, but Brian could not admit that he loved Justin, and this made Justin sad. He so wanted someone to love and love him back. On Brian’s birthday, he decided that he would give himself and Justin a present and tell Justin about his feelings for him. Justin was attending a dance with his friend Daphne and Brian went to see him. When he arrived, Brian was very scared. Afraid that people would make fun of him, but he had to do this. Brian and Justin danced a beautiful dance. After the dance was over, Brian had to leave, and Justin needed to take Daphne home. Justin walked Brian to his car, and they shared a beautiful kiss. Brian new in that moment that Justin was for him.” Brian looked down and saw that TJ had fallen asleep. He was relieved because he had no idea how he was going to spin his reality so that everything turned out all right in the end. He stood up slowly and leaned over and gave TJ a small kiss on his forehead. “Sweet dreams champ.” He walked quietly to the door and turned off the light, keeping the door open so a beam of light could creep in from the hall. “Interesting story.” Jesse said as Brian entered the hallway. “Damn! You scared the shit out of me!” Brian had his hand clasped over his chest and was calming his breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” Jesse looked at Brian shamefully. “Yes you did.” Brian said without malice. “I know that both you and Tyler have been curious about me since I arrived.” “I don’t mean to push Brian, but you just seem like you really need to talk about something. You have moments when you seem so happy, but yet there is a shadow over that happiness that keeps it dampened.” “Maybe you are right, maybe I do need to talk about it. Why don’t you go and get Tyler and I’ll meet you in the living room.” Brian couldn’t believe that he was actually going to open up about what had happened to Justin. Self discovery certainly was a bitch; but if he couldn’t be with Justin, he was at least going to try to be the man that Justin knew he could be. ---~^~^~^~--- AN: The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is a real place and the descriptions of the animals are taken from their web site. I have visited there myself and it is an amazing place. You can check out the animals there at: www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org Also Bullwinkle’s is an actual restaurant in West Yellowstone. I would also like to say ‘The Sassy Moose is an actual Bed and Breakfast in Jackson, WY. I have used actual descriptions from their website, but no disrespect or infringement is intended. I just thought it was a cool name and would be fun for the concepts of this story. Here is the web site if you are interested. www.sassymoosejacksonhole.com If you have never been to this portion of our beautiful country; I highly suggest it. All should see the majesty you can find there! Finally, a huge thank you to all of the readers, and those who have provided feedback. Your encouragement has kept me going!