- Baldwin High School, Pittsburgh -


"Casey."


"Here!"


"Carson?"


"Yup."


"Chanders?"

-Silence-


"Chanders?"


The tall, impressive school teacher stops and raises his gaze to scan the class. He's sitting perched on the edge of his desk as he normally is, his long legs dangling off the edge; he detests sitting behind the industrial-type, horrid-green monstrosity that the school provides for him.


"Has anyone seen Chanders today?" he asks.


"Not in the past few days," a girl in the front row answers.


He shrugs, not surprised; in his job it was rare that every student was in attendance every day, so he had come to expect it. He nods, setting the attendance sheet down and reaching over to pick up his textbook. "Okay, class, if you will get out your math books, and..." The door opens just then, and a petite figure enters hurriedly, mumbling an apology.


"And you are?" The teacher raises an eyebrow as the young person takes a seat in the back row. Even though school had been in session for a few days, his class was just large enough that he had yet to familiarize himself with everyone or their names, although he suspected who it was before the girl answered.


"Jen... I mean Jennifer. Jennifer Chanders, Sir," comes the somewhat distracted answer as the girl sweeps a wave of curly hair off her face and places her backpack down on the floor before she takes her seat.


"Don't get too comfortable, Chanders," the man informs her curtly. "I'm going to have to send you to the principal's office for being late to class," he tells her, his tone of voice leaving no room for argument. The girl's eyes widen in dismay, and she opens her mouth as if to protest, but then - apparently reconsidering - she lowers her gaze and moves quietly from the back of the class toward the door. She slams the door harder than necessary as she steps outside, leaving the rest of her classmates - and their teacher - quite baffled.


The teacher takes a breath and lets it out, relatively unruffled; it wouldn't be the first time a student had displayed testiness after being disciplined, and it wouldn't be the last. "Okay, people, we haven't got all day; let's learn some math now, shall we?" the teacher admonishes his class as he notices how distracted they appear.


Halfway through the period, he realizes that the seat in the back row is still vacant. The girl he sent to the principal's office still hadn't returned to class. He frowns slightly as he sits behind his desk now, watching the students who are presently working independently on their algorithms. Feeling like it's his responsibility to find out why, he waits until the ending period bell rings before walking out into the hallway and down the corridor, noticing the principal's office is empty. As he glances through the glass doors that lead out toward the adjoining courtyard, however, he notices a familiar figure sitting alone on one of the benches.


He quietly pushes the door open outside to walk up to her, observing the curly-haired girl perched forlornly on the bench with his face hung down, holding what appears to be a sketch book and a drawing pencil.


"Want to show me what you have there?" he asks softly.


The girl looks up, startled. She hadn't even heard him approach. Her face flushes. "Mr. Kinney..." Swallowing hard, she closes her sketchpad abruptly and raises her eyes to stare up at him. He's almost taken aback when he notices that the girl has clear, sea blue eyes that contrast dramatically with her thick mop of brown hair. He braces himself, trying to avoid the jolt of electricity that suddenly runs from the back of his head all the way down to his spine. He knows of only one other person in the world that owns such deep clear blue orbs. "Care to tell me why you were late to class today, or why you failed to return after I sent you to the principal's office?" he inquires curiously, trying to avoid making his question sound like a rebuke. He can see evidence of some shed tears on her reddened face, so he makes an instant decision not to press her too hard. Still, he couldn't overlook her disregard of his earlier directive.


The girl bites her lower lip nervously before sniffling, but remains mute.


Her teacher nods. "Very well, then, looks like you'll be assigned detention after school today. Not the greatest way to start a new school year," he says, his voice gruff.


"Please, Mr. Kinney! Don't do that!" she pleads, suddenly finding her voice. "I... I can explain...but not now," she answers, her voice trembling. "It's not that I didn't want to be in your class, Mr. Kinney!" she tries to explain. She appears a little embarrassed as she tells him, "I know it sounds...nerdy, but I adore math and science." She pauses and takes a deep breath before letting it out. "I'll try not to be late to your class again, I promise. It's just that..." she stops mid-sentence, trying to keep her composure.


It's obvious to Brian that something is definitely bothering this girl. He studies her quietly for a few moments before coming to a decision. "Well, I'm pleased to know there's at least one class in this school you won't be late to from now on," he replies, sensing the underlying tension. He offers her a half-smile, the matter settled, at least for now.


"Thank you, Mr. Kinney!" she tells him then with a radiant, relieved smile, almost blinding now in its intensity. "I promise it won't happen again."


"See that it doesn't." Brian continues to study her for a few more moments before, with a nod, he turns and heads back into the building, determined to try and gain his student's trust and find out more about this girl and what is troubling her.


_ _ _ _ _


-Later that evening, staff meeting at Baldwin High School...


"Before we begin, I'd like to thank you all for attending despite the late hour. It's the beginning of the school year, so you all know how important it is stay up to speed with our students, especially those new pupils who have transferred in from other schools. You all know that here at Baldwin High we believe it's important to view every kid from a unique perspective. It is vital that we follow their progress and see how they're handling the curriculum, but in addition we can't overlook their mental well-being, either. So before we start, would anyone like to share one significant event that happened during the day in class, or anything that stood out for you?" Melanie Marcus, the school principal - a short-haired, no-nonsense woman in her mid-40's - asks. "Brian? I know you always have good intuition when it comes to these things. Have you noticed anything unusual yet in any of your classes?" she asks him; he is presently sitting in his typical spot across from her, his long legs making it hard for him to be comfortable at the conference table.


Brian looks up from his notes as if he was taken by surprise, which isn't like him, considering he's been a teacher at Baldwin - one of Pittsburgh's finest private high schools - for almost eighteen years now. He clears his throat. "Nothing of significance - not yet," he begins tentatively, trying to decide whether or not to keep his student's odd behavior to himself for the time being. He really didn't know what was going on with her. It had been a long week, as the first few weeks of school always tend to be, not to mention today has been a very grueling day for him.


He pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath, wishing this meeting would be over soon so he could return back home and slide into bed beside his partner, who's probably finished his tasks for the day by now and is waiting for him to return. He could picture him in bed, naked, damp, and warm from a shower. He groans inwardly at the imagery, trying to control his physical reaction to the mere thought of it. Shuffling a little in his chair, he tries hard to push those vivid thoughts aside for now, debating how to further answer his principal's question as she continues to peer over at him. "Well, there was this girl... Chanders. Jennifer Chanders," he decides to reveal. "She was late to my class this morning, and when I sent her to your office she failed to return. I know I should have sent her to detention, but when I saw her later, sitting outside during break, I just couldn't do it. There's something about her I've yet to figure out. She did tell me she's somewhat of a dork, and that she loves math and science...so she has my attention already," he added with a smile. It was always difficult to get his female students interested in math, so he always found those who liked the subject somewhat fascinating anyway.


"Hopefully she's not one of those wide-eyed teenage girls who fall for their handsome, charismatic high school teacher," Mr. Martin, the history teacher, teases.


Brian rolls his eyes in slight irritation. Martin always has been a little bit of an idiot with his stupid comments. "I wouldn't go there," Brian quietly warns as the history teacher shrugs. It's no secret to his colleagues that he's an out-and-proud gay man in a long term, committed relationship. Brian had enjoyed his peers' support and acceptance for a long time, so much so that he isn't just the head of the Science Department, but also the founder of the Gay and Straight Student Alliance for the school. It's a well-known fact that Brian Kinney is a stern, unapologetic teacher who also has a dry, sharp sense of humor. But staff and students alike know that even though Mr. Kinney rarely shows emotions, he really cares about his students and wants them to be the best they can be.


Melanie nods. "Anything else?" she asks as everyone shakes their heads. "Okay. Well, on that note... I know it's getting really late and I'm sure you all have plans for the weekend, so I think that's it for the night. She turns her head to look at Brian. "In the meantime, I suggest we keep an eye on young Miss Chanders. We'll see how things continue in the weeks to come." Brian nods back as they all rise to adjourn.

_ _ _ _ _ _


One Week Later - Friday Morning, Baldwin High School...


"S... sorry I'm late to class again this morning, Mr. Kinney. It's been quite a hectic morning," Jennifer mumbles as she rushes into Brian's science class. He tries to hide his disappointment as he watches her once more take her customary spot at the back of the class.


He flashes an irritated glare at the class as murmurs fill the air, but their snide remarks are cut short at once as he urges them to go back to their assignments.


As the ball rings a few minutes later, he gestures toward the girl just as she's about to leave. "Ms. Chanders, a word?" he asks quietly. She approaches his desk hesitantly, anxiety clearly showing on her face. Before Brian can say anything else, she begins to speak, her words coming out in a torrent.


"I know I shouldn't have been late today, but... it has been a crazy, fu...flippin' week. I promise I'll try to do better, but please don't send me to detention just now..." she pleads, her curls covering her face.


"Why shouldn't I?" he challenges her. "What's going on?" he asks, an eyebrow arched curiously as his piercing eyes stare intently at her, making the girl fidget just a bit. Her response is somewhat surprising.


"Because it's second period, and I'm in art class with Mr. Taylor. I simply can't miss that," she practically begs. "Please..."


Knowing full well that the Mr. Taylor his student is referring to is none other than his long-time, lawfully wedded husband, Justin Taylor - who happens to be an art teacher in the same school - her reason definitely piques his interest, but he doesn't say a word, or indicate just how closely he knows him.


Jennifer shifts her heavy backpack higher on her shoulder, assuming by her teacher's silence that he is agreeing to her wish. In either case, she decides to leave quickly before he has a chance to change his mind. "I really have to go now, Sir. Thanks for your concern, but I'd rather not talk about it just now." She prepares to leave and takes a few steps away, but stops temporarily as Brian addresses her one last time.


"You'd better NOT keep Mr. Taylor waiting," he tells her quietly, her back to him. "Go on to class then," he tells her as she turns around to face him. "But if you ever want to talk about it, feel free to come to my office," he tells her. She nods gratefully and quickly heads toward the door and disappears into the corridor, the brown curls framing her forehead casting a shadow on her small face and partially obscuring her relieved, crystal blue eyes.


Brian watches her as long as he can, his eyes still focused on the open doorway even as she walks out of focus, his brow furrowed with curiosity and concern. It may take a while, but he was determined to find out just what was troubling this girl.

Early morning hours, Saturday - Britin


"What is it, Brian? Why are you so restless?" Justin murmurs softly with concern, rolling onto his side in bed to face his husband.


"Nothing's wrong," Brian responds, grasping his husband gently by his wrist. He smiles over at him reassuringly, but Justin isn't buying it. He knows him way too well.


"You can't fool me, mister," he tells him sternly. "What is it? Beginning of school year jitters?" The younger man smiles, planting a soft kiss on his partner's chest.


"I can't believe I still get those after all these years," Brian answers in a low, husky voice.


"Well, I can, because I feel the same way at the start of the school year, too," Justin replies. "It's kind of like this fear of the unknown; you never know what sort of class you'll wind up with. Will the students really be interested in learning? Or will you have a bunch of mediocre kids who only care about texting on their cell phones or wondering who their next date is going to be?"


"It's not just that," Brian explains after a short pause. "There was this girl in my class the other day..." he begins, noticing Justin listening to him intently. "She came in late, so I sent her down to Melanie's office, but I found out later that she didn't do as I asked. I found her in the courtyard instead. She seemed so upset about something at the time, though, that I just let it go. But yesterday morning she was late to class again, and even though I was pissed, for some reason I still couldn't bring myself to send her to detention, even though I normally wouldn't give it a moment's thought. As a matter of fact, she said she was on her way to your class. Did you notice her when she came in?"


Justin shrugs. "I might have, I don't know...I have so many students in my sophomore class this year...and you know it always takes me a while to learn all their names," he admits somewhat sheepishly. His husband is always teasing him about needing to take some remedial memory courses so he can remember their names more easily. "I'm in high demand, you know," he adds with a smug grin.


Brian snorts. "Think pretty highly of yourself, don't you?" He grins back at him before he becomes more serious. "I don't know, Sunshine. This girl is different somehow," he insists, his fingers absently brushing back and forth across his lover's naked shoulder. "I don't know what it is about her, but she's one of those young people who stands out in the crowd, no matter how much they might try to not let anyone see through them. I bet you wouldn't have missed her if you saw her. She's got a tiny face and a slim frame, but a full head of curly hair and the most amazing set of blue eyes I have ever seen... apart from yours, of course," Brian clarifies with a tender smile as he leans over to press his lips to Justin's.


"What is it?" It's now Brian's turn to inquire as he feels his partner pulling back from under him after a few seconds.


"Nothing..." Justin answers absently, averting his gaze as he pulls himself up into a sitting position, letting the duvet slide from his naked body.


"Come on now, Sunshine. I know you better than that. Tell me," Brian presses, staring into his lover's piercing, blue eyes. But his lover remains silent. "Justin?"


"I've got to piss; I'll be right back," Justin replies abruptly, quickly sliding off the bed as he heads toward the adjacent master bathroom, feeling Brian's heated, curious stare on his back. He doesn't bother to close the door as he uses the bathroom, washing his hands before he returns.


"Better now?" Brian asks quietly as Justin slides back into bed next to him.


"I guess," Justin answers. He sighs. "Listen, could we please not talk about work or about our students while we're in bed? I know we both love our jobs, and it still amazes me how we both share the same work place and keep each other sane through all this. I wouldn't want to have it any other way, but... sometimes it gets to be too much, you know?" Justin's voice becomes lower and fills with want as he rolls to face Brian again, lazily throwing his leg around Brian's waist.


"I know..." Brian responds softly, letting out a deep breath. "Okay. I promise we won't talk about it in bed for the entire weekend, especially since we have a lot of lost time to make up for," he adds, his voice low and husky as he twists a strand of Justin's dark blond hair around his fingers, pressing their foreheads together.


"Good," Justin whispers under his breath. "Because now we're wasting time," he says huskily. His eyes darken with desire as he throws his head backwards on the pillow to give Brian's lips better access to the sensitive spot behind his ear. One deep, soft sigh escapes Justin's lips just as Brian's tongue finds that spot that drives him wild, licking a wet stripe all the way down his neck. He sighs with contentment and anticipation, but then he lets out another less joyful sound as he feels Brian's mouth drawing away from him.


"Why'd you stop?" he complains in protest, lifting his head slightly to gaze at his husband's deep, golden-brown eyes.


Brian lifts his limber, toned body off the mattress. He paces across the room before stopping at the foot of the bed, scratching his messy bed head while pulling his lips inward in contemplation. "I... I just can't understand how it's possible that you could have missed this girl yesterday morning in class..." he ponders.


"Brian! You promised we wouldn't talk about any school stuff until Monday morning!" Justin protests.


"I know, but... if you didn't see her it means she must not have shown up at your art class, either. She pleaded with me not to send her to detention because she didn't want to miss out on your class, but then she ditched yours as well. That isn't right. She broke my trust." Brian's lips press into a tight line. He sighs. "I'm going to have to report this to Melanie...don't you think so? Wouldn't you do the same if one of your students behaved this way in the first few weeks of school?" Brian asks, still not certain what to do.


"I don't know, Brian. I mean... we were all teenagers once, weren't we? We've all had our fair share of mishaps and wrong decisions, and I'm not saying that at times they need a stern hand. But isn't it also important for our students to feel comfortable coming to us when they're going through a tough time? Now come back to bed. It's four in the morning... MY favorite time of day," he tells him, smiling sweetly as he wantonly spreads his legs apart, displaying an impressive hard-on.


"Any time I'm fucking you is your favorite time of the day," Brian replies with a smirk as Justin grins back at him. He groans at the tempting sight before him as he quickly drops back down onto the mattress. Perching himself on top of Justin's thighs, he positions himself closer to Justin's opening. His eyes locked on his beautiful husband, he lifts Justin's legs up, caressing his inner thighs before resting them on his shoulders.


"I won't argue with that," Justin agrees, his eyes darkening with arousal. Unexpectedly he asks, trying to sound nonchalant, "By the way, what did you say the girl's name was?"


"I didn't say. But I thought you didn't want to talk about it now," Brian reminds him with a raised eyebrow, his cock hardening by the second as he prepares to thrust inside his husband's body.


Justin is dying to know for reasons unknown to Brian, but as his husband pushes slightly inside him, all of a sudden it is temporarily forgotten. He always finds it hard to concentrate whenever Brian is in his domineering mode, as he is now, towering over him and preparing to plunge deeper inside him. He gasps as Brian pushes in more, sweat beginning to appear on his brow.


"It can wait. It doesn't matter now, Justin," Brian tells him in a deep voice, thick with lust.

Justin whimpers with a nod, his breath hitching as Brian thrusts in more, his hands gripping Justin's thighs tightly.


"Do you want me to stop?" Brian asks, although that is the last thing he wants to do.

"Nooo..." is the breathless response.


"Tell me what you want, Justin," Brian demands quietly as he holds his body still, his breath becoming rapid and shallow. Fuck, his husband is so hot when he was like this beneath him!


Justin whimpers in frustration now as Brian pauses. "You...I want you," he struggles to tell him. "Now...Please, Brian..."


Brian smiles. "My pleasure," he tells him, his voice lowering an octave. It was a game they often play when they make love. Brian never has to ask Justin what he wants, and Justin never has to tell him. They always know. But Brian still feels a thrill hearing his soul mate say the words aloud, anyway. He stares into the deep blue eyes, nodding back at him as he thrusts in all the way now to the hilt before withdrawing until he is barely inside. Both of them hold their breath, then, as he plunges deeply back inside again, their bodies beginning to rock together in a familiar, but never tiring rhythm. As they continue to quench their desire and express their love for each other, any other problems are quickly forgotten for the time being.

- A few days later, Baldwin High School -


"Brian, could I see you in my office?" A tall, blond, soft spoken woman asks as Brian steps out of his classroom just before lunch break.


"Sure, Lindsay. In fact, I was just on my way to see you," Brian answers, following Lindsay Peterson, the school counselor, down the corridor.


"I'm glad you were," Lindsay says as they enter her office. "Because there's someone I need to discuss with you." She closes the door behind her and offers Brian a seat. As Brian folds his long legs onto the chair, she sits down behind her desk and leans forward. "It's about one of your tenth graders, a girl that recently enrolled here from an out-of-state school. Her name is..." Lindsay pauses to scroll through her computer file on the screen, searching for a specific name, but she soon finds out there is no need.


"Jennifer... Jennifer Chanders," Brian finishes the sentence right away.


Lindsay peers up at him in surprise. "Oh, so you already noticed her?" She asks. "I should have guessed you would by now, seeing that you're one of our best teachers here and always on top of your game when it comes to these kids," she tells him with a slight smile.


"Well, I was one of those troubled kids once," Brian reminds her as she nods; she and Brian have known each other since college, and from what he has told her, she knows he had not had an easy life as a kid. But that only made him more in tune with the ones he taught who might be experiencing a similar rough time. He leans back in his chair and pinches the bridge of his nose. "You might say I noticed her absence more than her appearance in my class, " he explains after a short pause. "Since school started four weeks ago, she's been MIA almost 75% of the time. She's skipped my classes more than she has been attending them."


Lindsay furrows her brow in concern. "Do we know anything about her life here? According to her registration file, she lived with her mother in Chicago before they moved here, but there isn't any other information."


"I have no idea other than what you just told me. I tried to get her to talk the first few times she was late to my class, but she was very reluctant to tell me much about herself. She did mention me that she loves math and science, and I could tell she's interested in art, since she was drawing something when I saw her in the yard. But that was almost two weeks ago, and she keeps slipping away from us," Brian answers.


"This is really frustrating, but we can't lose hope," Lindsay replies. "Isn't that what we're always trying to instill in our students - optimism and determination?" Her voice softens.


"That's what Justin said the other night," Brian reveals, his voice instinctively lowering an octave as he mentions his partner's name.


"Oh, so I'm not the only one who's taking their work home with them, I see," Lindsay responds with a knowing smile.


Brian shifts a little uncomfortably; sometimes his friend knows him far too well. "Well... you know, we do work together. We try not to take our work home with us - or our concerns - but it's not always that easy," he admits.


"I know," Lindsay nods with a slight smile. "So what should we do about this girl? We can't give up on her already," she states, steering the conversation back to the topic. She bit her lip in thought for a few moments before an idea came to her. "Wait! Maybe there is something Justin could do! You mentioned the girl is really interested in art, so maybe she might open up more for him? He could hopefully make her realize that we only want what's best for her," Lindsay suggests.


"I'd like to believe it's possible," Brian answers. "But when I asked Justin if the girl was attending his class regularly, he said he didn't recall anyone that fit the description I gave him. He couldn't remember anyone like her being there, not even from the first day."


"Well, there's only one thing left to do, I'm afraid," Lindsay concludes. "We must contact Children's Services and report it to them as soon as possible. She's still a minor, and it's our responsibility to do what's right. She's been here almost a month, and we can't allow her to slip up any longer. But I think first we must pay her a house call. I'll contact her mother right away." Lindsay sounds determined as she scrolls through her file to locate the telephone number and picks up the receiver to call.


Brian peers over at his friend - curious to hear more about this enigmatic girl - as Lindsay waits for the person on the other end of the line to take the call.


"Hello?" Lindsay finally says after several seconds. "Is this Daphne Chanders, Jennifer's mom? I'm Lindsay Peterson, her school counselor and I've got Mr. Brian Kinney, our Head of the Science Department, here with me. We both have some concerns regarding your daughter's attendance record here at school, and we'd like to arrange a meeting with you to discuss this issue. We'd prefer to discuss this in person. May we come there to speak with you?" Lindsay glances over at Brian as she awaits Jennifer's mom's answer. Informing a parent that their child is not living up to their expectations is never an easy task, but Lindsay has been counseling students long enough to know when there is more to a situation than meets the eye, and she suspects that is the case here. "What would be a convenient time for you to meet with us?"


After a few seconds, Brian observes his friend nodding as she replies, "Yes, that will be fine. We'll be there this afternoon," she verifies as she looks over at Brian, who nods in agreement.

_ _ _ _


-Later that day-


"Have you been to this part of town lately?" Lindsay asks as Brian guides the car through one of the rougher parts of town, searching for the address listed on Jennifer's student record at school.


"It's been a while," Brian responds grimly. " I try not to come here anymore than I have to. I'm more familiar with this part of the Pitts than I care to be."


" I know," Lindsay tells him softly. She doesn't know a lot about Brian's early years, but she knows enough from what he's told her that it was not a pleasant time for him. She squints her eyes, searching for the right number before nodding. "I think this is it," she tells him as Brian nods back at her. They peer up at the small, older wooden home with its peeling paint; a couple of flower boxes with mums adorn the porch, adding a bit of cheer to the place, and it appears neatly kept enough. But the overall effect is still somewhat depressing.
 

As Brian shuts off the motor of the vehicle now parked at the curb, Lindsay peers over at him and smiles, thinking about what her friend had said earlier. "You're a lucky man, Brian. You know that?"


Brian smirks at her. "Yes, I am," he tells her as Lindsay grins over at him and rolls her eyes. "But why do YOU think so?"


She explains, "Because you have such an amazing partner by your side...and you not only live with him, but you get to see him every day at school."


Brian smiles at the thought, wondering why Lindsay was bringing that up right now, but unable to disagree with her. "Yeah," he replies softly. "Damn lucky. And I think about that every fucking day." He gazes up at the house in front of them, thinking how much it reminded him of his own home when he was younger. How things had changed for him in so many ways! But the best part of all was the day he met Justin.


As they exit the car, Brian shivers slightly in reaction to the early afternoon chill in the air. He knows from experience that soon many of the occupants of these homes in this neighborhood will be struggling to stay warm, and the thought makes him sad. "Let's go see what we can find out about Ms. Chanders," he suggests to Lindsay as they walk up the slightly crumbling steps leading to the home.

_ _ _ _ _


The two of them walk up the steps as Lindsay knocks on the door. "Mrs. Chanders?" Lindsay calls out. A few moments later, a slender young-looking women opens the door. She's dressed in a long-sleeved pink top and grey sweat pants. Her slippers look like two giant bunny rabbits. Her curly hair widely frames her face as she lets out a small smile. "Daphne, please," she responds as she opens the door to allow them entrance. There's some loud grunge rock music playing in the background as the young woman leads them towards a small living room and apologizes for the mess. "Please, sit down," she urges them as Brian and Lindsay take their place on a worn but clean sofa, decorated with a flower print reminiscent of something out of the sixties. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Soft drink? I even have some peach yogurt around somewhere," she adds unexpectedly, shuffling towards the sound system to turn the volume down.


"No, thank you," Lindsay tells her as Brian shakes his head to indicate he doesn't need anything, either. He takes a look around the somewhat cramped living room, thinking this petite woman looks more like she could be Jennifer's older sister, rather than the mother of a fifteen-year-old girl. In fact, he can't help but think of Justin just now, and how young his partner had looked when they had first met 15 years ago when he and the gang had spent an evening at Woody's, their local gay bar. A lot had changed in their lives since then. But as he peered over at the nervous-looking young woman seated in a used recliner next to them, he realizes that even today some people who are barely adults still have to accept great responsibility.


Lindsay clears her throat as Brian refocuses on the present - sitting in a cramped living room with the young mother of one of his most troubled students.


"So umm... Daphne, could you please tell us a bit more about Jennifer? She seems to be struggling with her school work, and frequently seems...lost. It doesn't help that she's been absent several days so far, also."


"From what I have determined so far, your daughter appears to be very bright. I know she mentioned to me that she is interested in math and science, as well as art. She told me so one day when I had a chance to talk to her privately," Brian informs her as Daphne nods, unsurprised.


"Well... she got the science part from me; there's no doubt about that. The interest in art must have come from her father, though. He was an excellent artist," she explains, her voice softening in recollection.


"Could you... tell us more about Jennifer's father?" Lindsay asks gently as she and Brian share a look; it appears that subject is a touchy one.


"There's nothing much to tell, I guess," Daphne mumbles, appearing uncomfortable. "I think it was never meant to be. I don't know why I even..." She shakes her head. "Never mind; forget it," she tells them brusquely.


"Mrs. Chanders... Daphne, please know you can talk to us about anything. That's why we're here. We only want to help you and Jennifer," Lindsay says, putting her hand on Daphne's arm. "It might help for us to know more about her background. Research has shown that a student's family life - and their formative years of growing up - can have a profound impact on their academic performance."


Daphne sighs before finally nodding. "Well... it's pretty stupid, actually. No, I was stupid," she corrects herself. "It happened in our senior year of high school. I was stupid enough to ask this guy I had been friends with since third grade to... to ..." Daphne stops mid-sentence and takes another deep breath as her two visitors stare at her silently, waiting for her to continue. "Well, it was a few weeks before our senior prom, and we were all kinda... looking to prove how grown up we were." She scoffs at the notion now as her face warms in embarrassment. "I'm sure YOU know what I'm talking about, Mr. Kinney," she states as she peers over at Brian. He pulls his lips inward and tries to keep his composure as he nods. He could certainly relate to how that felt; he had experienced much the same thing when he had been in high school, even if it wasn't with the opposite sex. "Well, anyway, I guess there's no sense in glossing over what happened," Daphne continues. "About two months before our graduation, I asked him to be my first. I knew it would probably ruin our friendship, and I knew it would lead to massive weirdness between us, but I had no idea just how much it would impact my life."


The day it happened, I knew my parents were supposed to be out for the day, and they didn't plan on getting home until late." She grimaces as she recalls, "my mom had grounded me a few days earlier, making me sit at home and read all of Tony Morrison's novels. But I managed to sneak out after they left to go get a bunch of condoms and this spermicide foam. It's not that I didn't trust him," she hastily explains, "but... well, I wanted to be careful. After we had sex, I didn't hear much from him afterwards. I guess it was my fault, though, because I developed this crush on him. All of a sudden I felt like we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I mean, it was all so overwhelming when it happened, and he had been so...patient with me." She averts her eyes awkwardly, suddenly caught in a flood of emotion. "I know I made him feel very uncomfortable...and I had no one to blame but myself."


She shook her head sadly. "He kept avoiding me in school afterwards, and hardly ever spoke to me until we drifted apart, even before the senior prom. Funny thing is, I never wound up going to the prom, because it was right around that time that I found out I was pregnant." Daphne takes a deep breath and lets it out. "That was pretty much the end of my college dreams when that happened. I was due to start pre-med at Penn State the following fall... but when my parents found out I was pregnant, they threw me out of the house, and I wound up having to live with my aunt in Illinois instead. I can't believe it was sixteen years ago," she concludes wistfully. She seems deflated, but somewhat relieved, as if she had been waiting for an opportunity to share her story. Yet her eyes were still lowered, almost obscured by her curly hair, and she seemed as though there was a huge burden on her slim shoulders.


"What made you decide to come back here, if you don't mind my asking?" Lindsay inquires quietly.


"I've always thought of Pittsburgh as my home, and I simply couldn't live with my aunt anymore. It turns out that one of my aunt's neighbors knew about this place for teenage moms, so I moved there. I don't even know how, but apparently my baby's daddy's mom found out about it and contacted the place. She wanted me to come stay with her and her family until the baby was born, but that didn't work out, because apparently this guy's parents got divorced shortly afterward. Maybe that's why I never saw him again. All I know is that a few days after my baby was born, the guy's mom passes away. Apparently she was sick for quite a while, but I had no idea. I decided to call my baby girl Jennifer after the guy's mom. I'm not sure why I felt that way...but I felt it was the right thing to do for some reason," she explains in a somber voice. She had often thought about what she had done, and whether or not this man had deserved to know the truth. But what's done was done, and she couldn't go back and change it now if she could.


"And does your daughter know all about what happened?" Lindsay asks, her hand still on Daphne's arm in support.


Daphne sighs before explaining, "She's a very smart girl, and I think she's probably figured it out by now, but I've never really been too specific about it. Not sure why...but we've managed on our own...not that it's been all that easy," she added truthfully.


"And does this guy even knows he's got a daughter?" Brian asks quietly, feeling some sympathy for this unknown man. He knew if HE had been in that situation, he would have wanted to know.


Daphne averts her eyes temporarily, looking down at her lap before she reveals, "'No, he doesn't." She lifts her gaze to explain, "He was with me that one night, and only did it because I was persistent. I didn't think it was fair to saddle him with the responsibilities of being a father, just because of some condom not doing its job." She shook her head ruefully. "I would have to be that one-in-a-million person who winds up pregnant the first time - even with the guy wearing protection. I'm a walking example of condoms not being 100% effective." She pauses before adding, "But you know what? I wouldn't change a thing about my getting pregant. My daughter means the world to me, and I can't imagine not having her in my life."


She peers over at Lindsay to add, "I guess you're both wondering how I was able to afford to put my daughter in Baldwin." The exclusive, private high school was quite expensive for anyone, especially someone like her who barely lived from paycheck-to-paycheck. "Even though I never told the father about Jennifer, I wonder if somehow he - or at least someone in his family - knows, or at least suspects."


Brian frowns. "Why do you say that?"


She lets out a deep breath as she replies, "Because a member of his family is the one who's paying for Jennifer's tuition. I don't know why they're doing that...but I know I never would have been able to afford to send her to Baldwin if they weren't footing the bill. But I admit it makes me feel guilty about him not knowing. I just can't risk the guy rejecting our daughter, though, if he did find out. It would just be too much for her."


"It's been quite a lot for you to handle, Daphne," Lindsay concurs sympathetically after a slight pause. She decides it's not her place to judge her. "We just want the best for your daughter, just like you do." She asks her quietly, "Is she here right now?"


Daphne shakes her head. "No. She can be hard to control at times," she concedes. "I work until midnight at the diner, and then once I go to bed, she likes to sneak out. By the time I have to get up early for the morning shift, she's back in her bed, but sound asleep. Often times, then, I don't even know when she's been out and come back, unless I happen to get up to go the restroom or get a drink of water, and notice her gone. But I don't have the heart to wake her up when I leave...so oftentimes, we're more like two roommates living in the same house, but never really getting the chance to talk to each other." Tears come to her eyes as she tells her guests, "I have tried disciplining her by grounding her. And yes, I've talked to her about it, and how dangerous her behavior is, being out at night God knows where. But I just don't know what to do. Nothing seems to work. She is SO smart, which can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. I don't want to see her fail in school. My God, that would be such a waste! She just doesn't realize how important it is for her."


"Do you have any idea where she's spending all her time when she's not in school?" Lindsay asks curiously. At this point her thoughts wonder off to her own teenage son, the one she raised with her now estranged spouse, Melanie Marcus, the school's principal. Gus, their son - who Lindsay gave birth to seventeen years ago after using an anonymous sperm donor - is now mostly living with her, but goes to stay with Melanie every other weekend; unfortunately, things have not been going so smoothly with that arrangement lately. Lindsay knows she can't let her own personal feelings get in the way of this situation, but she finds that to be easier said than done. "I know it can't be easy...but you'll have to be very patient with her, Daphne," she counsels the younger woman. She smiles. "Having a teenager myself, I know how trying they can be. But I can promise you that we'll do everything we can to help," she tells her as Brian nods in agreement before rising to stand up.


"We'll be in touch," Brian tells her as Lindsay and Daphne also rise from their seats. "And please don't hesitate to call us if you need anything in the meantime, or if you have any concerns."


"We'll be working on a plan of action for your daughter; don't worry," Lindsay tells Daphne, who nods gratefully.


"Thank you," she replies in a choked voice. Brian and Lindsay nod at her with a smile before they head for the door, letting themselves out.


"Talk about taking work home," Brian says as they walk back to the curb. "That young woman has a lot on her plate." He smiles over at his friend. "I guess I don't have to tell you that our job responsibilities don't stop the minute the dismissal bell rings, though."


Lindsay shakes her head. "No. But at least you've got someone waiting for you at home," she wistfully reminds Brian, feeling just a bit envious of her friend.


Brian nods his head, his thoughts centered on his beautiful partner. "Yes, I do...and I realize just how lucky I am." He half-smiles at her as she nods back at him before starting the car and pulling out from the curb.

A week later…Baldwin High School-

"So nice of you to join us this morning, Ms. Chanders," Brian greets Jennifer sarcastically as he notices the slip of a girl with the distinctive, full head of brown curly hair settling at the back of the class. "I'd like to have a word with you after school," he continues with authority, his tone of voice leaving no room for argument.

The girl nods glumly in resignation, pulling the hood of her green sweatshirt down over her forehead, leaving a thick blanket of curls covering her eyes and part of her small face. She mouths an angry 'fuck' in response to her teacher’s mandate that doesn’t escape Brian's trained eyes, despite all her efforts to hide it.

"Is there something you want to share with the rest of the class before we begin, Ms. Chanders?" Brian asks.

Her face flushes when she notices everyone’s eyes on her as she squirms in her seat uncomfortably. Rolling her eyes defiantly, she pulls out her chemistry book in silent response.

"Okay, then…" Brian continues, figuring that would probably be her reaction. He smirks at the rest of his class as he informs them, "Time to have some fun with the wonderful world of science, people."

_ _ _ _ _

-A few hours later-

"Are you heading home early today, Brian?" Justin asks his partner during lunch break as they sit in Brian's office.

"I was planning to," Brian answers. He pauses before explaining, "But I think it's important for me to stay at least for a while after school. I have a meeting with that student."

"Which student?" Justin asks.

"The one that keeps skipping school. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. She’s the one we talked about before," Brian reminds him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, her… what's her name again?" Justin replies sheepishly as he takes a bite of his sandwich.
Before Brian gets a chance to answer, there's a quick rap on the door as one of Brian's fellow science teachers walks in.

"Am I interrupting?" she asks, not all that surprised to find Brian’s husband eating lunch with him. They frequently enjoyed having lunch together in private.

"No, not at all," Brian answers with a reassuring nod. "Come in, Linda. I wanted to get some ideas from you for the regional science project fair.” He turns to his husband as he sees him rising from his seat. “Justin, you don’t have to run off,” he tells him quickly. “This should just take a minute or two.”
"It’s okay; I was just leaving anyway," Justin responds. He doesn’t know why he always feels a little self-conscious about other colleagues finding them together at lunch time. It’s not like they were imbibing in some other type of lunch during their half-hour, although the thought does have a certain appeal. He smiles at Brian to let him know he isn’t upset. “I’ll catch up you with you later.”

"Later," Brian answers back with a nod, a little dismayed that their lunch time was cut short. He sighs inwardly. It was going to be a long day, he thinks.
_ _ _ _ _

-Late afternoon, Brian's office-

Brian stares at his wristwatch as he starts to pick up his stuff, ready to leave. He feels disappointed and agitated, but he can't quite figure out why. Is it because the girl – Jennifer – didn't show up at his office as he'd asked her to earlier this morning? Is it because of what Jennifer's mom Daphne told him and Lindsay the other day during their house call? Is it because his partner doesn't seem to be interested in what Brian seemingly wants to share? Is it because it feels like déjà vu to his own twisted, hellish, early childhood and teenage years, living in a dysfunctional family with a drunk, abusive father and a cold-hearted, emotionally crippled mother? Is it because this whole encounter with this girl Jennifer Chanders evokes all those hidden demons in him, things he'd hoped he could forget?
He grabs his jacket and brief case and walks towards the door, suddenly wishing he could swallow down a shot of Jim Beam. But he can't. He would have too much to lose. He's been sober for so many years now. He can't fall back into it.

He walks back to his desk, grabs his water bottle, and takes one huge gulp instead. As he puts the bottle back on the table, there's a hesitant knock on his door. “Come in,” he commands, as he peers over at his visitor.

"Why, it’s Ms. Chanders. “What brings you here to my humble establishment?" he says. So… she made it after all.

"You said you wanted to speak to me," she replies a little nervously, fiddling with the white cord that travels down from her ears to her neck.

"You might want to take those off first," Brian tells her, pointing at her bright pink earphones.
"Fuck, you're SUCH a geezer," she blurts out in a huff. But she does as she's asked. "I don't even know what I'm doing here," she mutters, pulling her green hoodie up over her face.

"I was getting to that, Ms. Chanders," Brian answers with a stern look. He knows he must not allow such rude behavior or profanity from students – even though he readily admits to himself that he certainly uses it often enough in private – but deep down he feels he can't avoid a bit of sympathy towards this rebellious, lost kid. It takes one to know one, as he’s always told Melanie.

"S… sorry," she mumbles self-consciously. An apology? That's a step forward, Brian thinks.

Brian sighs. This isn’t getting them anywhere in particular. Perhaps it was time to take a different approach. "Okay, Look. It's been a long day, so I’ll get right to the point. I was thinking about our discussion out in the courtyard before, and I have an idea. Despite your attendance issue, it’s obvious – at least when you commit to your schoolwork – that you are an intelligent and creative student. So I’m going to offer you a chance to participate in a couple of events coming up here at school.”

Jennifer begins to open her mouth to reply, but finds she doesn’t have to ask the question on her lips when her teacher explains, “But there is one condition.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course there is. Meaning?”

Brian shakes his head in frustration. “Can you please just lose the attitude for one minute? I think you know what I’m about to say anyway, but listen anyway.” He pauses as Jennifer crosses her arms over her chest defiantly, but remains silent. “You will be allowed to submit a work for the Fall Art Exhibit Show for Parents’ Night, or for the Regional Science Fair…provided you do NOT miss any more time from school before then.”

She appears torn as she stammers, "I… I dunno… I… can't." She bites her lower lip anxiously. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Well, I think you can. But it’s your choice,” Brian tells her flatly. “No excuses. Either you take advantage of what could turn out to be a great opportunity to showcase your talent…or you fu…screw it up. It’s up to you. But if you’re the smart kid that I think you are, you won’t pass up this chance. I hope you decide not to throw it away.”

Jennifer juts her lower lip out. “I am NOT a kid,” she insists. Brian finds it difficult to suppress his smirk over that statement. “And no matter what you say, I don’t think most of the teachers here give a flying fuck about me,” she tells him, her eyes flashing in rebellion.

Brian takes a deep breath. It’s been a long day, and it’s apparently far from over. He pushes aside his temptation to just fuck it all and head home – home to his husband, who no doubt is waiting for him. “I’m sure none of your teachers are avoiding you.” For the moment, he ignores her use once more of the “F” word, deciding, instead, to concentrate on what is bothering her.

“Oh, yeah, there is. My art teacher, Mr. Taylor, doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Brian is stunned. There is NO way Justin would do that. He cares about every student in his classes, no matter how large they might be at times. He might forget their names from time to time, but he never ignores or disrespects them. “I find that hard to believe,” he tells her in Justin’s defense. “Why do you say he’s ignoring you? I remember you told me that his class is one of your favorites.”

“Well…he doesn’t ignore me,” she clarifies. “But he keeps nagging me.”

“Well, I’m sure what you call nagging is more like caring about you doing your very best,” Brian replies in rebuttal.

She shakes her head. “No…it’s nagging,” she maintains.

“How?” he asks, curious.

“He keeps telling me to take my hoodie off. That’s none of his business!” she growls, her voice rising. "I HATE school uniforms! I feel comfortable with my hoodie on. Even you understand that, Mr. Kinney,” she points out. “So why can't he?" she asks.

Brian had to admit she had a point. Despite the school rules, he WAS rather lax on enforcing the dress code. But he also knew that it was important to be consistent, especially when his husband’s character was concerned.

"We do have a dress code here,” he reminded her quietly. “You can't wear the hoodie over your face. I allow you to wear it on in my class,” he admits, “…but we need to be sure you are wearing your school uniform." Interestingly enough, Justin himself mentioned absently the other night that he didn't even remember this girl's face in class, which usually isn't like him. A memory creeps into his mind as he tries to keep focused on the defiant, young woman facing him.

In his mind's eye, he keeps seeing a certain beautiful, young blond man, dressed in a white T shirt, faded blue jeans, and a red hoodie, staring at him teasingly with an amazing set of blazing blue eyes from across the room at Woody's many moons ago. Justin was not a teenager when he and Brian first met that night, but he certainly looked like he could have been. He was 22, and in his second year at the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts, but despite his boyish figure – and Brian's vow never to get emotionally attached to another person – he knew right from the start, especially after they spent their very first night having mind-blowing sex until the early hours of the morning in Brian's bed, that Justin was going to be the exception to his rule. And it turned out that he had been right; it didn’t take long for him to steal his heart as well.

"Tell you what," Brian decided as he returned to the present. "I'll speak with Ms. Marcus and Mr. Taylor about perhaps making an exception to allow you to keep your hoodie on in class a while longer…but only until you feel comfortable enough to take it off. And if they agree, you have to promise to follow their instructions…and not ditch any more class, or the invitation I just extended to you will be revoked. Is that understood?”

She ponders what he says for a few moments before she nods solemnly.

"Good. Now I’m going to think positively, and assume you will not miss any more school between now and the time the art show and science fair take place. In the meantime, you can start thinking about what you might want to show as your entry.”

Despite her earlier bravado, Jennifer appears hesitant now as she replies, “I don’t know, Mr. Kinney. I’m just not good enough. I’ll suck big time,” she frets.

“No, you won’t,” he assures her softly, feeling the need to reassure this girl. “I’ve seen what you can do when you apply yourself. Now you have to believe in yourself.” Nodding at her, he stands up and heads for the door. He turns around before leaving to add, “Think about it. You are the one who controls your future.” She stares back at him silently as he slips through the door and disappears.

- Lindsay’s apartment, Sunday morning-

"Gus? Are you ready? Your mom is picking you up in fifteen minutes," Lindsay reminds him, trying to encourage her teenage son. It's not easy for her to juggle her counseling workload at school, along with things at home lately, not to mention having to work with her ex and see to it that their son gets to spend the weekends there every other week.

Things have been more complicated since the beginning of the school year, and twice as challenging for Lindsay when it comes to communicating with her own son. It wasn’t just her son’s obstinacy and rebellious streak that was bothering her, however; the house call she and Brian had paid to Daphne Chanders a few months ago regarding her daughter, Jennifer, had also taken its toll on her, even in ways she didn’t comprehend at first.

Lindsay never spoke about it to anyone in school, but her own story wasn't that different from Daphne Chanders’. Although it wasn’t exactly the same, because Lindsay hadn’t been a teen mom back then, her son and Daphne’s daughter did have something in common: neither of them knew who their real father was. While Jennifer had been conceived the old-fashioned way, Lindsay’s son had been born through the use of an anonymous sperm donor.

About the same time that she and Mel separated, Gus began to ask questions about his father. Lindsay honestly didn’t really know anything about the donor, so she couldn’t be much help to her son in discovering his identity. With Gus almost 17 and in his senior year, however, she knew if her determined son really wanted to find out more about his father, there would be no stopping him until he figured out his identity.

"I'm not going!" Gus screams at the top of his lungs as he stomps down the stairs, bringing Lindsay back to the present.

"Gus! You know she’s expecting you! You promised last weekend that you'd go. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, mom," the tall, slender, auburn-haired teen declares. "In fact, I'm going out," he says, grabbing his backpack and his grey hoodie as he heads toward the door.

"Out? Where? You've gone out almost every day after school for the past month! Come on, Gus! What should I tell her?" Lindsay asks. “She’s going to be disappointed.” Standing at the bottom of the stairs, she still can’t admit it to herself just yet, but when it comes to dealing with her son she's almost at her wit's end. “Gus!” she shouts at him, but he ignores her, the door banging behind him as he storms out of the house.

She picks up her phone, taking a moment to think if she should call Melanie and let her know what’s going on. Changing her mind, she presses a different button on her speed dial.

"Brian? It's me," she whispers into the receiver, frantic. “I'm sorry to call you so early this morning…but I have no one to turn to," she says.

_ _ _ _ _

-A few moments later, Brian and Justin's bedroom, Britin-

Brian leans back against the bed’s headboard as he hears what sounds like desperation in his friend’s voice; his beautiful, naked partner is sleeping peacefully beside him with his right arm lazily sung across his chest. Brian cradles the phone to his ear, trying to figure out what is causing the anxiety in his friend’s voice. Something tells him that it’s probably related to his friend’s teenage son, Gus, since that seems to be the typical focus of her concern.

He and Justin had never really discussed the possibility of having kids; it wasn’t that he wasn’t necessarily against the idea, but after some of the things his friend had told him regarding her son, he wondered about the wisdom of ever considering it.

"What is it, Lindz?" he asks quietly, calling her by the nickname that he rarely uses.

Just as he suspects, she confirms wearily, "It's Gus.”

"What about him?" Brian asks, carefully turning to sit on the edge of the bed as he tries not to wake his husband up. Justin is normally a fairly deep sleeper, and has been known to remain asleep through some pretty noisy mornings, but oddly enough, whenever Brian leaves his side he tends to notice right away. And once his husband is awake, he can quickly become both a demanding and insatiable lover. Brian has to smile at that thought, since that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as he refocused his attention on his friend.

"He was supposed to spend the weekend over at Melanie's, but he refused to go,” Lindsay informs him. "When I confronted him about it, he just took off and left.” She sighs. “I know I haven't talked about it much at work, but it's getting really challenging dealing with him lately. He's almost never home, and when he runs off I don't know where he is, or what he's up to. And on top of that, he's…" she stops in mid-sentence, choked with emotion.

"Lindsay? Are you okay? Talk to me," Brian urges his friend, easily discerning how upset she is. By this time, Justin had flipped his eyes open, rolling over toward Brian's side of the bed and peering over at him with his bright blue orbs. "What's wrong?" he mouths at Brian. The taller man shakes his head at him and whispers, “Later,” as Justin nods, wondering what exactly is happening.

"He's been really restless lately, and I can't blame him. With everything that's been going on between Melanie and me…" she takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. "But now he's started asking more questions about his dad, and wanting answers that I really can't give him. He’s never at home when I arrive from school, and…I don't know… I don't know how to deal with it."

Unable to hear what's being said, Justin can nevertheless tell by his lover's angst-ridden expression that it's not a cheerful exchange. Justin lifts himself off the mattress to a sitting position, wrapping his arms around Brian's lower back from behind and gently resting his chin on his man’s shoulder.

"Hang in there, Lindz. You'll figure something out. Everything will be okay.” Brian spends a few more moments reassuring her before finally disconnecting the call and turning to face his husband. He bends his head, resting it on Justin's shoulders as he wraps his long, lean, arms around Justin's lower back. His legs envelop the younger man's thighs, both of their bare cocks quickly hardening as they rub against each other.

Justin swallows hard, but keeps silent. Brian's tongue slides into his mouth as he plunges in even deeper. "We're so fucking lucky," Brian whispers in heartfelt gratitude when they eventually break off their kiss. Justin sighs in pleasure as Brian's tongue leaves a long trail of saliva down his neck and collar bone before nuzzling the sensitive spot behind his ear, sending tantalizing shock waves across his body. He uses his legs to tighten his grip around Brian's waist, increasing the friction between their rock hard cocks. Within minutes, both men reach an explosive climax, and Lindsay’s unexpected call is temporarily forgotten.
_ _ _ _ _


As Justin fixes some breakfast for the two of them later, Brian finally has a chance to mull over his and Lindsay’s conversation. He is aware that his friend has a teenage son, even though she rarely mentions him. He recalled how adamant Lindsay had been when she and Mel had decided not to have Gus attend Baldwin, because at the time they thought it would be too awkward for him having both parents working at the same school that he attended.

Not for the first time, he reflects upon what it might be like for him to have a son Gus’s age. In fact, there was a possibility that he DID have a son the same age. Unbeknownst to Justin, back when he had attended college, Brian had found himself at a fertility clinic, donating his sperm in exchange for a modest payment to offset some student loans that he had accumulated. He smiles in recollection, remembering how he and some of his friends had hoped that the ad in the paper asking for ‘healthy, young men’ would wind up being a little more adventurous and exciting than squirting into some cup. Most of his friends had scoffed at the idea and decided against doing it, but he wound up going through with it, deciding there was a certain poetic justice in envisioning some hetero couple or a snobby, waspish, spoiled, rich kid winding up with a child whose genes included a fag to the nth degree. Since that day, he really hadn’t given it anymore thought. After he began to work at Baldwin, he remembered when Lindsay had become pregnant, but he really hadn’t given it much thought at the time. Now he realizes that – just like with his experience – the boy’s father could literally be anyone who – just like him – had made a one-time donation in exchange for a little cash. How many other kids out there were experiencing the same situation as Lindsay’s son?

“Brian, breakfast’s ready!” he heard Justin calling him.

“Coming!”

“Not now, later; I’m starved!” was the impertinent reply.

Brian grinned as he headed toward the kitchen, thoughts of his youth – and Lindsay’s present turmoil – pushed aside for now.

- Same time outside Daphne’s Apartment building -

"Psst…"

"Yeah, right here!"

Two figures, one petite and the other tall and lean, with both sporting jeans, trainers, and hoodies pulled over their foreheads, run towards each other in the early morning air.

"What took you so long, Gus?"

"You have no idea what I went through this morning, Jenn! My mom wouldn't get off my case…"

Jennifer impatiently holds up her hand to stop him. "Okay, the main thing is that you're here. Let's get out of here before my mom sees me. Did you bring everything?"

"Yeah…I got it."

"Good," his companion replies with a nod.

Gus makes sure the straps of his backpack are well adjusted to his shoulders before both he and Jennifer take off at a run down the street towards the park.

Once they enter the park, Gus snakes his arm around Jennifer's lower back, pulling her close.
"I've missed you so much Jenn," he whispers to her.

Jennifer turns her head to face the taller boy. She takes her hood off and rises on her tip toes to bury her face in the crook of Gus's neck. "My mom was horrible yesterday. She grounded me again, so there was nothing I could do. That's why I didn't show up here. She also took my phone, so I couldn't even send you a message. But we're here now, right? Come on…" she grabs him by the hand as they walk across the lawn until they reach a more secluded part of the park, where a huge oak tree stands in the middle of a grassy patch. Jennifer pulls a large bag of Doritos from her bag, and they share it between them while sitting cross legged on the ground, their backs against the tree trunk.

"I don't know what I would have done without you, Gus," she whispers in a choked voice. "I'm so lucky I met you that day when I came to pick my mom up from her shift at the diner… that's about the best thing that’s happened to me since I got here. I can't stand staying in the house with her when all she does is yell at me and then grounds me. Fuck! You're so lucky; your mom is so cool," she adds wistfully, a bit of envy in her voice before letting out a huge sigh. “I love my mom,” she explains. “But she drives me fucking crazy!”

Gus shakes his head. “No, you don’t know the real story. She's no better than your mom, trust me. That's why I’ve decided I HAVE to find my dad. I HAVE to know who my dad is. My mom doesn't know anything about it yet. She doesn’t even know that I’ve been working at the diner every day after school since the beginning of the school year, and I'm not planning on telling her that, either. Once I have enough money, I'll buy that car I told you about, and then I'm getting the hell outta here. I'm taking you with me, of course,” Gus quickly reassures her.

Jennifer stares straight ahead as she reveals, "I don't think I'll ever want to know who my dad is, and there’s no way I would want to meet him," Jennifer declares firmly. "My mom says he doesn’t know, and he wouldn’t care. She says I've got his eyes, though, and she told me that’s where my artistic talent comes from," she divulges. "Well, fuck artistic talent! Oh, and did I tell you about my teacher, Mr. Kinney? He keeps nagging me to enter something in the science fair or the art show…"

Gus turns his head to peer over at her in surprise. “Really? I heard it’s hard to be included in that. It’s very competitive. Why won't you go for it?” he urges her.

Jennifer shrugs. "Because I don't feel like it, that’s all. Mr. Kinney is nice and all, but it’s not something I want to do.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “He's married to my art teacher. Did you know that?"

"Oh yeah? What's he like?" Gus inquires curiously.

“He's okay, I guess. And it looks like Mr. Kinney is really in love with him, which is cool.”

“But?” Gus prompts her when she momentarily stops talking.

She sighs. “He’s okay…except Mr. Taylor – that’s his name – he’s always on my case!” She rolls her eyes.
“Sometimes I think he's worse than my mom!"

"Why?" Gus chuckles.

"He keeps telling me to take off my hoodie in class, but I don't want to. Mr. Kinney promised he'd talk to him and to your other mom about it, but I’m not counting on it.” She lets out a deep breath. “So… What about your dad? Did you find out anything yet? Let's see what you've got so far," she urges him.

Gus lets out a deep sigh as he pulls a bunch of documents out of his backpack. “These are names of several clinics in the area,” he informs her, handing the stack of papers to his girlfriend. "I dunno if it helps, but since I'm guessing my mom had to use a sperm donor to get pregnant with me, this might be a start," Gus continues as Jennifer wrinkles her nose. "Eww… that's gross!" she proclaims.

"I know. But hey, at least it’s a beginning," he says.

"Well, it looks like a LOT of work," she replies. "There are tons of names here," she commented, leafing through the pages. "How did you get this stuff, anyway?" She lifts her eyes to look at her boyfriend.

"let's just say I kinda hacked into the clinic's date base," he explains with a smirk. "So, are you gonna help me with this?" he asks.

"You know I will," she answers, leaning over to press her lips to his.

"Wanna see what else I got?" he whispers. She nods as Gus pulls something else out of his backpack. "Where did you get this?" Jennifer smiles as Gus draws a joint from one of the inside pockets.

"I have my ways," he tells her with a mysterious smile, pulling a lighter from another pocket.
"Wow, you never cease to amaze me," the girl exclaims as Gus lights the joint, takes a deep drag and passes it to her. She takes one deep drag, inhales, and pulls herself closer to Gus. He bends his head low enough so he can reach her face. They kiss with the sweet, heavy smoke between them, and then keep passing the joint back and forth as Jennifer rests her head on Gus's shoulder. "You know what I think?" she asks absently as the joint eventually dies out. "I think you're the lucky one, because your mom never really knew who your dad was. As odd as it may sound, there are quite a few advantages to your situation. I mean, it sucks for sure, but it beats not knowing who your dad is, while your mom constantly thinks about him and wonders what he’s doing," she explains. “I asked her once why she just didn’t try to get in touch with him, and she brushed me off. She said she had no way of knowing if he would want to hear about me or not, and it was her way of me avoiding any pain if things didn’t turn out well.”
Gus snorts. “And they keep telling US to learn from our mistakes," he adds in exasperation, his voice somewhat raspy from smoking the joint.

"Yeah…" Jennifer agrees.

“You're SO fucked up,” Gus teases her as he bumps her shoulder playfully.

"So are YOU," Jennifer retorts with a grin.

"Which is why I'm crazy about you," he continues.

"Prove it!" she challenges him, giggling as Gus's fingers trail under her sweatshirt. "Hey, wait! Not HERE,” she pleads. She pulls back slightly as Gus slides his zipper down. “Let's go to our usual hideaway," she suggests, pointing to an abandoned, gated playground a few feet away. "Did you bring condoms this, time though?" she asks cheekily. "Don't get me wrong, Gus,” she hastens to add. “Last time we were together, it was so fucking awesome,” she reassures him, blushing at the thought. “But…I kinda checked out some things online about it, and I think we might need to use protection this time, just in case,” she explains.

To her relief, Gus nods. "Don't worry, I got it covered,” he replies as he helps her to her feet, Jennifer giggling at the thought of just WHAT he was about to cover.
She grins as she hurriedly tugs the boy toward their destination. “I was hoping you would say that,” she responds as Gus chuckles.

-Monday morning, Britin-

Brian's phone keeps buzzing and vibrating from its place on the vanity top in the bathroom.
"I think you’d better get that. It's been ringing nonstop for the past ten minutes," Justin points out as he and his lover stand under a spray of warm water in the shower, trying to make the most out of their morning routine before their new work day starts.
"I don't hear anything," Brian replies huskily as he cups Justin's balls, making his husband moan with pleasure.

"It…it might be important," Justin manages to breathlessly utter as Brian continues his ministrations, making his husband’s head swim with desire.

"So's THIS," Brian grunts, his fingers playing with Justin’s slippery opening before they slowly press inside, making Justin whimper and struggle to maintain control. The phone, however, continues to buzz incessantly, demanding a response.

“Brian….”

Brian’s shoulders droop in defeat as he sighs in resignation. Justin plants a deep, soft kiss on his husband's lips before getting out of the shower, drying his naked body off with a large, gray towel.
"You're going to owe me for this later, Mr. Taylor," Brian warns playfully as he shuts off the water and follows his husband out of the shower, earning an indignant squeak from Justin as he smacks his bare bottom once before grabbing his phone from the marble counter. “This had better be good,” he growls into the phone, not even bothering to see who the insistent caller is.

"Brian, finally! I've been trying to reach you all morning!" Lindsay's distressed tone of voice at the other end of the line sends chills down Brian's spine, making him immediately forget his previous irritation. “Lindsay? What’s going on?” He glances over at Justin, who furrows his brow, as he shrugs his shoulder to indicate he’s as much in the dark as Justin is. He could hear what sounds like Lindsay sniffling on the other end of the phone, causing his own anxiety to rise. “Lindsay?” he presses her again.

"I'm…I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to call you again, but I really don't know what to do. Gus hasn't been back home since yesterday morning. I tried Mel's phone, but it goes straight to voicemail and I'm literally going crazy here.”

Justin walks over to stand behind Brian and slide his arms around his bare back as he continues to talk to his friend. "Try to calm down, Lindsay. I assume you’re coming into school?”

Lindsay says, “I…I guess so. But I’m really worried about him, Brian! He’s been so distant lately. What if he’s run off or something?”

“Lindsay…he’s a teenage boy; they can be just as emotional as the girls. Don’t worry; I’m sure he’s okay. Look, I’ll see you in about an hour at school, okay? We can talk more then. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Okay…” She agrees with a sigh.

Just before Brian can hang up, however, he hears what sounds like a door banging in the background, followed by conversation. “Lindsay? What’s going on?”

“It’s Gus,” she tells him, her voice a mixture of relief but also distress. “He just came back in. I can’t talk right now, Brian,” she quickly adds in a whisper. “I have to go; I’ll talk to you later.” Before Brian can say anything else, the phone disconnects.

Brian stands there, holding the phone as Justin walks around to face him, concern written on his face.
“Brian? Is everything okay?”

Brian sighs. “I’m not sure,” he tells him honestly. “I guess.” He pecks Justin on the lips. “Let’s get dressed and head into school; I’ll tell you on the way.”

_ _ _ _ _

-Later that morning… Baldwin High school-

Walking into his office before the first class of the day, Brian expects to find his friend there to explain what is going on, but he is surprised to find that she is not the only one present. There is a tall, sullen-looking boy who he assumes is Gus standing rigidly in the corner. It’s hard to tell what he looks like, however, with his downward stare, hands jammed in his pockets, and a gray hood pulled low over his head, obscuring his face. In addition to the boy and Lindsay, however, there is Melanie, Daphne Chanders, and her daughter, Jennifer, standing next to the boy. She has her arms crossed over her chest defiantly, her own, bright green hood pulled low over her head, and her lips pressed downward into a pout. As he enters, everyone’s eyes are on him until Lindsay breaks the tense silence.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Gus?” she asks tersely as she addresses her son.

Brian peers over at the boy with renewed interest, his suspicions confirmed that this is, indeed, the boy that he had heard so much about from Lindsay. But what did his student, Jennifer, have to do with this? And why was her mother here as well?

Gus, however, remains obstinately silent as Jennifer’s mother speaks up then. "Maybe YOU have something to say, then," Daphne responds as she turns to her daughter. Except for the different colors of the hoodies, both teens could have been bookends of each other with their similar stance and their lack of communication.

"Nope," she finally quips, glancing sideways towards Gus.

“What’s going on here?” Brian finally asks, totally confused.

Mel speaks up. “It seems that Mr. Peterson here and Ms. Chanders have managed to break every code of conduct rule the school has,” she tells him in a hard, disapproving voice. “But worse of all, they have both broken the trust that their parents had in them. And on behalf of the school, I’m disappointed in them as well.”

Brian pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache trying to emerge. It was way too early in the morning for such drama. “I’m still not following any of this,” he admits candidly.

"Let me explain,” Mel continues. She peers over at Daphne then as she abruptly changes her mind. “Or perhaps you would like to do the honors?”

Daphne clears her throat and steps forward; it is clear that she is quite agitated and in distress. "I know I haven't been the perfect mother, not as much as I could have been, that is, "she begins. “And I know she's been causing a lot of problems in school since she started, and that you’ve all tried to help her…”

“Ms. Chanders, please,” Mel prods her, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

The young mother nods. “Sorry,” she murmurs. “But I never expected to come home from work this morning and find out that she had run away from home…" her voice trails off as she glances over at Brian, who is listening intently. He could definitely tell there was more to the story than he was hearing so far. He peers over at Lindsay, who seems to be on the verge of tears.

She sighs as she stares over at her son, who still refuses to look her in the eye. "That’s not all,” she interjects. She takes a deep breath. “It turns out her daughter here has been spending all of her time for the past six months with our…my son. Who has also been sneaking out of the house, smoking who knows what…and having sex with her!" She shakes her head in disbelief. “Gus, how could you?”

That at last earns a reply as Gus huffs indignantly. “Mom, I’m not a kid! And besides, we used condoms," he helpfully points out as if it weren’t a big deal.

"Well, all but that one time," Jennifer finally speaks up as the three women gasp in surprise. “I said it was just once! Sheesh!”

"Once is all it takes!" Brian growls in irritation, shocked at how nonchalantly they seem to be taking it.

Daphne shakes her head in disbelief as Gus takes his hands out of his pockets and pushes off from the wall to take a step toward his mom. He sighs heavily. “Look…I know it might have been wrong to sneak out without telling you," he concedes as his mom gives him a ‘you think?’ sort of look. "And skipping school and not spending time with you every other weekend," he continues as he looks over at Melanie. "BUT I'm not going to stand here and apologize for what I did, because I know why I did it and so does Jenn. And that’s all I’m going to say about it," he concludes stiffly, turning his face to look at the girl as she pulls her hood off her head, her tousled curls springing up rebelliously. Brian is shocked to see the change that comes over the girl, as she breaks out in a smile when she looks adoringly at Lindsay’s son. It is like he is looking at a totally different person.

"I'm afraid this is not your decision, Gus," Brian sternly addresses him, feeling the need to take control. "You might think we're all too old to understand what you and Jennifer are going through, but believe me we do. And let me remind you that even though you both THINK you're old enough to do whatever you want, you're still minors, and it's still our responsibility as adults to intervene as we see fit."
“And take that hoodie off when you’re speaking to an adult, Gus,” Lindsay commands, highly irritated at how contentious her son is being. “I didn’t raise you to be so disrespectful.”

"Fuck you, mom!” Gus yells as Lindsay winces. “I don't need that from you! I already told you I'm NOT a kid!" he lashes out.

"Then stop acting like one," she fires back, barely holding back her tears. “And do NOT use profanity when addressing me, young man.”

"There…are you happy now?" he shouts, taking his hood off with a swift twist of his hand.

The room falls quiet as they all try to process what just happened, and as Gus pulls his hood away to expose his face, Brian finally has a chance to get a clearer look at him. His mouth falls open in stunned disbelief as his mind travels back in time to when he had been this kid’s age. Gus is approximately the same height as he, with the same auburn-colored hair, full lips, defined, strong nose, bold jawline and deep, moss-green eyes. Even the way he rolls his lips under as he stares defiantly back at the adults in the room with unapologetic pride is an exact replica of what he typically does when he is irritated at something. If he had had a photo at the moment of him at Gus’s age, this would be it…come to life. My God…No way…He stares over at Lindsay. “Lindsay….” He begins, but she shakes her head as if to say ‘Not Now,’ so he turns his attention temporarily back to the two teens, observing Gus sliding his arm around the young girl protectively.

"I…umm…I'm…" Brian, for once in his life, finds himself without words as he tries to concentrate on the matter at hand. He is spared having to think too logically as the buzzer suddenly goes off on his desk, making him and the rest of the group jump, startled. He takes a deep breath before punching the button to respond. “Yes?”

"Brian, Mr. Taylor is here to see you," his long-time executive secretary, Cynthia, announces meaningfully. Brian now realizes that lunch break was approaching, and that Justin is probably waiting outside his office. Brian always appreciates Cynthia's efforts to send him an 'advanced notice,’ reassuring him that the two of them wouldn’t be disturbed behind closed doors during their daily, forty-five minute break. Today, though, it seems their plans are going to be disrupted. "Cynthia, wait…" he says quickly, noticing from the corner of his eye how all the adults in the room – even Daphne Chanders – were unsuccessfully trying to hold back their amusement, knowing precisely what sort of ‘visit’ he was anticipating. But it was too late; Cynthia had evidently hung up.

Before Brian can call Cynthia back to instruct her to have Justin wait, the door opens and his husband steps inside, his normal, cheeky smirk quickly disappearing as he notices to his utmost surprise that Brian isn’t alone. As his eyes scan the people in the room, they fall upon the young mother standing several feet away, and his jaw drops in astonishment.

Daphne’s eyes grow wide as saucers as she recognizes him. “Jus…Justin? Is that really you? What are YOU doing here?”

“I…I could ask the same thing about you,” he finally says, finding his voice. He notices Daphne seems uncomfortable; was it because of how long it had been since they had seen each other…or something else?
Daphne glances over at Jennifer before she silently comes to a decision. There was no way to escape it now. Everyone else in the room seems to fade away, taking her back in time as she explains quietly, “I’m here because of my…daughter.”

“Daughter?” Justin whispers. Daphne nods as he turns to study the young woman standing a few feet away from them. He mentally calculates how old this young woman must be…and how much she seems to be a hybrid…a hybrid of Daphne…and him. “Oh, my God…” he whispers in epiphany, thinking he must be jumping to conclusions. But one look at Daphne’s face, and he knew. He just knew it was true.

Slowly she steps forward from where she stood at the corner of the room and takes a deep breath to compose herself. Daphne swallows hard and turns to her daughter. "I know this is crazy, and maybe this isn’t the place or the time, but…”

“But what, Mom?” Jennifer takes turns staring at her mom, and then at her art teacher.

Daphne lets out the breath she’s been holding before she finally explains, “Honey…I’d like you to meet your dad. Justin…say hello to your daughter, Jennifer.”

Justin looks as he's been stuck by lightning as he shakes his head in disbelief. “Daughter?” he whispers, stunned to hear that his theory had been correct. “This is my daughter?”

Daphne bites down on her lower lip and nods as Jennifer steps closer to peer at the man who up until now had simply been her art teacher. Little did she know just how deep a connection they had! “You’re…you’re my father?!” she whispers, just as stunned as Justin is.

Brian couldn’t believe it. Of all the odds…of all the places father and daughter might have been…of all the destinies that might have occurred…to be here, in the same place at the same time; it was almost too hard to believe. “Maybe we should leave you two alone,” he tells Justin. “So you can talk about this.”
But Justin shakes his head, unable to take his eyes off his daughter. “No…No, I want you to be here,” he tells his husband as he finally turns to peer over at him. “I…I had no idea,” he told him as Brian nods in understanding, his own mind occupied on much the same thing. Only it is focused on the other student in the room. This is all too much to envision at one time, but as he glances back over at Lindsay’s son, he can’t help feeling that Justin isn’t the only one about to be surprised.

Justin turns to his friend, his mouth open. “Daphne, why? Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?” Brian quietly walks up to him from behind and slides his arms around Justin’s waist in silent support, his husband instinctively leaning back against Brian’s chest.

“Justin, perhaps she and Gus should wait outside,” Lindsay suggests, but both teens stubbornly shake their heads.

“No way!” Jennifer protests. “I’m not going anywhere! I’m NOT a kid!” Gus nods in agreement beside her. “I want to know what happened, too!”

Daphne sighs. “Okay,” she finally agrees. She takes another deep breath as she faces her daughter. “I never told you who your dad was, Jennifer, because it was all a mistake.” She hastily continues as she notices the look of hurt that appears on her daughter’s face, “What I mean is…Not YOU but US, Justin and me. We had been best friends since third grade, and I always knew Justin was gay. Heck, I think I even knew way before HE accepted it himself," she reveals, earning a slight half-smile from her friend in response. Her voice trails off again, but then she takes another deep breath before she continues, this time turning to peer over at her old friend. "I don't even know why I asked you to be my…first," she almost whispers that last word, all the time keeping her eyes on Justin. "I knew nothing would ever happen between us, but apparently life throws some huge curve balls at you when you least expect them," she explains ruefully.

“But why, Daph? Why didn't you tell me?' Justin asks, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.
She sighs. “Justin, we were just kids ourselves! I never expected to have it happen. I had gone to all the trouble to get birth control, but it’s not foolproof…obviously. You were doing a favor for me…the last thing I wanted to do was saddle you with the responsibility. And I knew how much trouble you were having with your parents, especially your father,” she points out. “I didn’t want to add to all your stress.”

“My father was an asshole,” Justin mutters in agreement. “After we drifted apart, he tried to make me go to military school, so they could ‘straighten me out.’ He snorts dirisively. “When I refused to go, he then tried to take me to a psychiatrist for conversion therapy.” He shakes his head in disgust. “And when that didn’t work, he fucking kicked me out!” He twists his head to peer up into Brian’s eyes. “If I hadn’t left, though, I would have never met you.” Brian smiles softly at him as he gives him a brief, soft kiss. He turns back around to face his old friend. “Daphne…maybe I can understand your reasoning,” he concedes reluctantly. “But that still doesn’t make it right what you did.”

“I know,” she admits. “But at the time, I really thought it was for the best. I’m…sorry, Justin. I know now that you had a right to know.”

Justin swallows the lump in his throat and nods as something occurs to him. Was it just a coincidence? “You named her Jennifer. Why?”

Daphne seems to fidget for a moment before she explains, “Your mother suspected what had happened, and she got in contact with my mom after I left to go live in Chicago with my aunt. When she found out that I was pregnant with her only grandchild, she agreed to help pay for Jennifer’s schooling. She died before Jennifer was born, but I thought it was only right that I name my baby after her because of all the financial support she had given me. Her money is the only reason why I was able to send her here to Baldwin. Only I had NO idea that you were a teacher here!”

Justin shakes his head in sadness. “And my own mother never thought it was a good idea to tell me? I don’t know if I will ever understand that.”

“I’m so sorry, Justin,” Daphne whispers regretfully. “If I had to do it all over again….”

“It’s too late for that now, Daph,” he murmurs. “But it’s NOT too late for me to get to know our daughter better.” He peers over at his art student with renewed interest. “Now I know where you got all your artistic ability from. It certainly wasn’t from your mother,” he adds, finally smirking at his friend.

“Hey!” Daphne complains initially, but she finally has to smile. “Yeah, I never was too good at drawing,” she concedes.

“That’s being generous,” Justin teases her, chuckling when she huffs indignantly at him. He shakes his head, still unable to believe what had just happened. “A daughter…” He gazes intently at the young woman standing next to him. “I always wanted to be a father,” he tells her. “Now I have that chance…that is, if you want me to be. Do you?”

Jennifer stares into the sincere, blue eyes; eyes that are so much like hers. She nods almost shyly. “Yeah…I think I’d like to get to know you better, too, Mr….” She shakes her head. “I don’t even know what to call you now!”

Justin smiles. “How about you call me Mr. Taylor when you’re in my class…and we’ll take it from there outside school, okay?”

She nods, a small smile appearing on her face as well.

“Good,” he tells her softly. “We have a lot of catching up to do.” He turns in Brian’s arms to face him. “Brian?”

“Hmm?”

“I’d like to invite Jennifer and Daphne to have dinner with us tonight. Would that be okay?”

Brian nods. “Sure.” First, however, there is something he needs to discuss with Lindsay. He peers over at her son to add, “You’re welcome to join us, Gus. In fact, I think it’d be a good idea if Lindsay and Melanie joined us as well…don’t you?” he asks them, directing his question more to his old friend. “I think you may just have something that I need to know as well.”

Justin frowns in surprise. “Something else that could top what I just found out?”

One side of Brian’s mouth lifts as he nods. “Well…maybe not. But just as important. Right, Lindsay?” he asks, his brow lifting expectantly. He could be wrong…but as he looks at the young man who is the spitting image of him, he knows somehow that he is right.

“Lindsay?” Melanie peers over at her in curiosity, noticing how pale her face appears, almost as if she is about to be sick. “You all right?”

Lindsay lets out a deep breath. “Yes,” she murmurs as she peers over at her friend. “And you’re right,” she tells Brian. “I DO have something to discuss with you.”

He nods. He really doesn’t need to know anything else. “I thought as much,” he tells her, leaving everyone else in the dark for now. Whatever happens tonight, though, he knows it will be a dinner long remembered.

Later that Evening – Brian and Justin’s home.

“Holy shit,” Gus murmurs in awe as Brian opens the door to greet them and he, Lindsay, and Melanie enter the home’s grand foyer. They all peer at the elaborate, hardwood staircase leading to the upstairs. “This isn’t a house; it’s a fucking hotel.”

“Gus, language,” Lindsay admonishes him as he rolls his eyes at her. He doesn’t have time to issue any snappy retort as Brian turns around from his place at the front door to softly chuckle.

“It’s okay,” Brian reassures the boy. “Justin and I kind of had the same reaction when WE saw this house, too.”

“Brian, this house is indescribable!” Lindsay tells him in awe, admiring the sculpture arranged around the foyer, and the variety of paintings displayed on the wall heading up to the second floor. She guesses they are all original works of art, and likely worth a lot of money. “The furnishings, and all this art...” She notices a couple of expensive-looking vases by the front door that appear Tiffany-like in nature. She turns to stare, open-mouthed, at her old friend, confused. “Brian…if you don’t mind me asking…”

Brian holds up his hand to stop her. “You don’t have to say it,” he tells her. “You want to know how Justin and I can afford this kind of house on our teachers’ salaries.”

Lindsay nods back at him sheepishly. “Well…that did occur to me…”

“Me, too,” Melanie pipes up, arching her eyebrow curiously. “Last time I looked your salary was nowhere near enough to sustain this sort of lifestyle.” And being the principal – and Brian’s direct supervisor – she would certainly know.

“Trust me, it’s not,” Brian confirms, noticing Gus eying him quietly. He can’t help staring back at him; the spitting image of him. It was almost unsettling in a way. Tonight, though, everything was going to be brought out into the open. He turns back to the two women to explain, “The house was left to me when my grandfather died a few years ago. We had always been close…but I had NO idea what he had planned until the attorney called me, and asked me to attend the reading of his will.” He told them wryly, “My parents had a fit when they found out about it. But there was nothing they could do about it; it was all perfectly legal.” He shrugs. “It’s way too big for Justin and me,” he concedes. “But there’s a big corner room upstairs that has the perfect light for Justin to paint. And we always have plenty of room for guests to spend the night.” He turns to peer over at the boy again, envisioning a time when perhaps he could have Gus here to get to know him better. But at the same time, he realizes he is jumping to conclusions. Or is he?

Their conversation is interrupted then by the ringing of the doorbell. Brian is about to walk over to open the door, but waits when he hears Justin’s footsteps echoing down the hallway from the kitchen. Justin wipes his hands off on the towel he’s clutching in his hands, smiling at their visitors. “Hi, Melanie, Lindsay…Gus,” he greets them. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

"Hi, Justin,” Lindsay responds with a smile of her own. “Thank you for inviting us to dinner. You and Brian have a lovely home here.”

“Thanks, Lindsay,” he replies with a smile as he walks over to Brian. The two exchange a look before Justin opens the door to find his old friend standing there with the young girl he now knows is his daughter. As he ushers them in, he can’t help marveling at the thought. He studies her briefly as she shyly allows him to peck her briefly on the cheek before he gives Daphne a hug in greeting. He marvels at how Jennifer’s features are such a hybrid of him and Daphne, and takes a moment to mourn the fact that he hadn’t been there for her while she was growing up to offer both financial as well as emotional support. He knows at the time she was born he couldn’t have offered much – if anything – in the financial area. And it would have frightened him to know of the responsibility he had just been given, one that would be a lifetime commitment. But now that he knew about her, he vowed to get to know her better, and always be there for her…if she will allow it. He knows it won’t be a simple process. But the fact that she already likes him as a teacher, and that they share the same love for art, is a good start.

“Hey.”
He feels Brian squeeze his arm as he turns to peer up at him, realizing he had temporarily zoned out. Somehow, Jennifer has managed to walk over to stand beside Gus, and he hasn’t even realized it.
“You okay?” Brian asks, his brow furrowed in concern.

He nods with a reassuring smile. “Yeah…I’m fine,” he confirms as Brian nods. He takes a deep breath as he holds out his hand toward the dining room. “Dinner’s almost ready, if you’d like to take your seats.”
Brian leads the group into the dining room as Daphne offers to help her long-time friend with serving the food to them.

“Feels kind of weird, doesn’t it?” Daphne asks him, her piercing, brown eyes peering over at him as she takes the roast out of the oven and transfers it onto an oval platter. “I mean…knowing you suddenly have a teenage daughter.”

Justin half-smiles with a nod. “Weird doesn’t begin to describe it,” he tells her.

She nods back at him, her face turning serious. “Justin…I realize now how selfish it was not to tell you. Not to give you the chance to see her grow up, or at least have that choice. I really thought I was doing the right thing at the time…”

Justin shakes his head to stop her. “I admit I would have liked to have been there, Daph,” he tells her. “But there’s no going back now. We can only move ahead. And if Jennifer will let me, I’d like to be a part of her life now, and not just as her teacher. I want to be a father in every sense of the word. I want to get to know her better.” He pauses. “Brian told me about his and Lindsay’s visit to your home to discuss her…”

Daphne appears uncomfortable as she averts her eyes. “I…It’s enough for us.”

Justin sighs as he places the salad bowl down on the counter and walks closer to her. “Daphne…I’m not trying to criticize or judge you. I admire you for what you’ve done on your own. It couldn’t have been easy raising a daughter by yourself.” He swallows hard in regret. “I just wish I had known…I could have helped you.”

She shakes her head, tears in her eyes. “That was my choice; I did what I had to do. I know now I should have made a different decision. But don’t get me wrong,” she hastens to add. “I wouldn’t trade Jennifer for the world. And I’m not ashamed of what I do. It’s an honest job. And I don’t expect anything from you; I mean, money-wise. I wouldn’t do that to you, Justin.”

“I’m not asking you to,” he points out. “But I’m offering my support, both emotionally and financially.” He pauses, knowing they need to serve dinner soon, or it will get cold. “In fact…Brian and I were talking earlier…”

She frowns at him as he hesitates. “About what?”

It’s now or never, Justin tells himself silently. “You see how huge this house is! Daphne…Brian and I would like for you and Jennifer to think about moving in here with us. We certainly have the room, and it would give me a chance to get to know my daughter better.”

Daphne’s eyes grow wide in shock. “Move in here? Justin, I can’t let you do that.”

“Why not?” he presses, his blue eyes boring into hers. “It’s a perfect arrangement. You and Jennifer can have all the privacy you want when you need it, and we can even take her to school with us each day.” He grins. “At least that would solve our daughter’s truancy problem.”

That earns a grin from Daphne, but she quickly sobers. “But my job…I won’t give that up, just because you’re offering to let us move here. And I wouldn’t live here without paying my fair share. The gas from here into town would really eat into my salary.” Justin licks his lips as Daphne tells him, “I know that look. What else aren’t you saying, Justin?”

He shakes his head. “You always did know me too well,” he tells her softly. “Daphne, what happened to your goal to be a doctor?”

She snorts. “A doctor? With what I make? Are you kidding?” She sighs. “I gave that dream up a long time ago, Justin. Right after I found out I was pregnant. The only way I could get our daughter into Baldwin was because of your mother’s support. That was more important to me than my own education.”
“I agree it was important,” he concurs. “But you’re still young, Daphne. And I know how much you dreamed of going into medicine. You can still do it. And if you lived here, it would make things a lot easier for you to pursue that.”

She narrows her eyes. “How?” He is about to answer when their conversation is interrupted.

“Justin, everything okay in there?” Brian calls out to them from the dining room.

“Yeah…we’ll be right in,” he tells him, knowing everyone must be wondering what in the world they are doing. “Daphne…Brian and I don’t advertise it…but when we moved in here, his grandfather had a lot of antiques that we found out were worth a veritable fortune. He may not have even realized it at the time, but when we sorted out what Brian wanted to keep – mainly the paintings for me, and some sentimental things from his family – we wound up making an ungodly amount of money by having what we didn’t want auctioned off. And we’ve made some very wise investments since that time…”

“Justin, what are you saying?” Daphne asks him.

He sighs. “What I’m saying is…with the money we have earned in interest from that, we can more than afford for you to quit your waitress job altogether and go back to school full-time to earn your medical degree. And Brian and I are both more than willing to do that.”

Daphne gasps in shock. “Are you crazy? Do you realize how much something like that would cost?” Her heart, however, is beating furiously at the thought. “It was a fortune back when we were in high school! I can just imagine how much it is now!”

“Daphne….” He sighs. “Listen to me. Brian and I have talked at length about it…he already knows a lot of what you’ve been going through after talking to you before. We can do this, Daph. Brian and I want to do it. For both you AND Jennifer.”

Daphne’s eyes fill with tears. “You…you would do that for me? After what I did to you?”

Justin nods with a smile. “I know you. And I know that you only did what you did because you thought it was the best thing for you and for our daughter at the time. I’m not saying I necessarily agree with what you did. But I know you would have never intentionally done something to hurt me.”

“But…” Their talk once more is interrupted.

“Justin! Did you have to go out and pluck a chicken in the backyard?”

Justin grins. “No,” he calls back to Brian. “And just for the record, we’re having pot roast, not chicken.”

“Okay, then…you had to go round up a cow. We’re starving in here, Sunshine!”

The two friends couldn’t help giggling then, just like they used to do so many years ago. “Just think about what I said, okay? You don’t have to give me an answer now.”

Daphne lets out a breath before finally nodding. “Okay,” she agrees. “But I’m still shocked. It’s such a generous gift.”

“Come on,” he tells her softly. “Help me take this into the dining room before Brian starts clanging his silverware against our good china.”

She grins as the two friends grab the main entrée, salad, and two side dishes before joining the others in the dining room.

-One Hour Later…Living Room…-

“That was an amazing dinner, Justin! I had no idea you were such a good cook,” Melanie raves with a smile, making Justin blush as he sits next to his husband on their leather couch. The two women are sitting side-by-side in two, identical, matching leather chairs, while Daphne found a spot on the window seat, wanting to admire the sunset slowly sinking over the rolling hillside. The two teens, Gus and Jennifer, are sitting together nearby on another window seat, inconspicuously holding each other’s hands as they murmur to each from time to time, so softly that none of the others can hear what they were saying. It is obvious, however, from the looks both teens are giving Brian and Justin that it has something to do with them.

Brian clears his throat as he downs the last of his whiskey and places his shot glass down on the coffee table in front of him. “Lindsay…I think it’s time we discuss what I mentioned earlier today…Do you want ME to start…or do you?”

Lindsay exchanges a look with Melanie before she decides, “I’ll start. After all, I’m the one who owes you an explanation.”

“Mom?” Gus rises from his place at the window seat to walk closer to the adults. He looks at the anxious expression on his mother’s face, and it was then that he knew his suspicions had been correct. “Oh, my God! I was right, wasn’t it?” He turns to stare over at Jennifer, who slides off the window seat to join him. He shakes his head in disgust. “Shit! All this fucking time, Mom…all this time you knew, didn’t you? You knew who my father really was.” He stares over at the man who could be the exact duplicate of what he would look like in the future. “You’re my father…aren’t you?”

Lindsay gasps in astonishment. “How…how did you know?”

“Mom, I’m not stupid! Look at him! The minute I saw him at school…How could I not figure it out? I knew he was an old friend of yours so it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Did you get knocked up the traditional way? And here I thought you only liked girls,” he replies sarcastically, causing Brian to cover his mouth with his hand to hide his amusement.

“Now just a minute, young man!” Lindsay snaps. “First of all – not that it’s really any of your business – I really did conceive you the way I told you; through an anonymous sperm donor.” Gus snorts at that statement. “You can believe it or not, but that’s the truth.”

“Yeah…and you just happened to give birth to a kid who looks just like him.” He cocks his head toward Brian, who merely raises an eyebrow in response. “What a coincidence.”

Lindsay looks helplessly from Melanie to Brian, while the rest of their party silently listens in. Justin does not appear surprised, however, and for good reason; Brian had discussed his suspicions about Gus on the way home from school, and once his husband had shown him some photos of him when he was the same age, there was no doubt in either of their minds that by some incredible, mind-blowing freak of luck, Lindsay had wound up using Brian’s sperm donation to conceive her child. He really doesn’t need any DNA test to prove it; Gus looks far too much like him at the same age.

“No, Gus,” Lindsay responds quietly as she grips Melanie’s wrist, knowing she is dying to interject her own opinion into their discussion. Part of her and Melanie’s difficulties over the years, in fact, have been born of the fact that Brian is Gus’s father. Melanie doesn’t hate Brian; on the contrary, she has grown to respect his excellent critical thinking skills, and his knack for determining the most effective way to reach each of his students so they can learn to the best of their ability. They will never be the best of friends, but the two are cordial with each other. It has just been uncomfortable at times working at the same place, and knowing that Brian had no idea about Gus. She has wanted to tell Brian about him for years, but Lindsay had always insisted on not telling him, claiming that she didn’t want Brian to feel like she was saddling him with a child he had never planned on even knowing about; that it wouldn’t be fair to him. Now, however, she regrets remaining silent. She realizes that it not only has affected Gus, but Brian as well.

“I didn’t know he was the father!” Lindsay continues to insist, tears springing to her eyes. “You have to believe me!”

“Come on! I look too much like him! Now I know why you never bothered to introduce us, even though you were always raving about what good friends you are. You knew I would figure it out. What a joke.”

“Gus, please…”

“Lindsay, let it go,” Brian asks her quietly from his place on the couch. He stands up as Justin peers up at him. He shakes his head slightly to let his husband know that he can fight this battle on his own.

“Brian, you know it’s the truth,” she tells him, a plea in her voice. “I mean, everything is anonymous. I couldn’t have planned it even if I had tried!” she maintains.

To her relief, he nods. “Yeah…I know. They made me sign all kinds of shit about confidentiality.” He pauses. “When did you know for sure that Gus was my son? I mean, he couldn’t have looked like me all that much when he was just a baby.”

She shakes her head. “No,” she whispers hoarsely. “But as he got older…I remembered, Brian. I remembered how YOU looked when you were his age, and I began to think, was it possible? I knew you needed money back when we were in college, and so many guys were donating to get some extra cash.” She takes a deep breath before she reveals, “I had Gus’s DNA checked against yours. It wasn’t hard to find something at school with your DNA on it. Several years ago, you had a bad cold. All I had to do was lift one of your tissues. When I got the results, I can’t say that I was surprised. It just confirmed what I already knew.”

Brian nods. “Makes sense.” He takes a deep breath. “But you should have told me, Lindsay. I should have had the say as to whether or not I wanted to be involved in his life.”

“I told you, Linds,” Mel responds quietly. “I told you that Brian deserved to know.”

“Yes, it’s easy to play ‘should have, could have’ now,” she counters stiffly as she glares over at Mel. She closes her eyes briefly to compose herself before softly adding, “All I can do is say I’m sorry, Brian. I can’t take it back now.” She peers over at Daphne. “She knows what it’s like.”

Daphne nods. “Yes…and I regret the decision I made now.” She gazes over at her daughter. “I can only hope that both of them can forgive me for what I did. And I hope they can forge a relationship now, so that no more time is lost between them.” She pauses as she looks into her daughter’s eyes. “Your father is a good man, Jennifer. One of the best. I hope you will give him a chance to get to know you.”
Jennifer notices the anxious but hopeful look on her art-teacher-turned-father’s face. She has always thought there was something unique about him. About how kind he is to her, and how enthusiastic he always seems to be about his art; about how he is always trying to encourage her to pursue her own passion for the same thing. But she never dreamed that this would happen. “I don’t really know you,” she whispers, suddenly feeling like a vulnerable, little girl, not a young woman on the verge of adulthood.

“I know,” Justin tells her with a slight smile of reassurance. “And I know it will take time before you feel comfortable around me. But I’d really like to learn more about you, and maybe eventually be the father that I’d like to be.” He is dying to tell her what he and Brian have offered to do for her and Daphne, but he fears that might be too much, too soon. Besides, Daphne hadn’t decided yet, so he doesn’t say tell her about it. “I hope you will let me. For now, though, I’d settle for us being just friends…and then we can go from there. Okay?”

She considers that before she finally nods in agreement. “That would be okay, I guess. You like spumoni ice cream?” she added unexpectedly.

He grins broadly in reaction as Brian snickers; it was a running joke between them that Brian is a much more traditional type of ice cream indulger (when he rarely DOES eat the fat-laden stuff), but Justin prefers the more complex types that have all sort of shit mixed in together. He nods. “I sure do!” he tells her. “And with lots of whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, too.”

“Oh, my God!” Daphne exclaims in astonishment. “She won’t eat it without the exact same thing on it. But she hates those maraschino cherries. I remember now when you used to eat that stuff when we were younger. I had forgotten all about that!”

“Well, there’s one difference between them,” Brian tells Daphne. “He won’t eat any ice cream unless there’s at least two cherries on top.”

“Ewww,” Jennifer reacts with a wrinkling of her nose. “If I’m going to spend time with you, you’re going to have to get rid of that habit. I’m allergic to all kinds of things, including the red dye in those. Plus, they taste more like gum drops than real cherries.”

He laughs. “I will be more than happy to show restraint in that area when you are around.” He pauses for a moment before telling her softly, “I think we’re going to get along just fine,” earning a smile from his daughter in return.

Brian reaches down to tousle Justin’s blond hair affectionately before turning his attention back to his own son. He walks closer to him, reaching out his hand initially to squeeze his shoulder, but drops it by his side as he reconsiders. “Gus…Justin isn’t the only one who wants to establish some kind of relationship with their child. Your mother was right, by the way. When I was younger, I wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with kids. But somewhere along the line, that changed. Maybe it’s seeing all these kids at school who seem so lost and don’t have anyone to confide in or lean upon. I got to thinking that it might be kind of nice to be able to be that kind of person for my own kid.” He shakes his head. “I just never thought I would get that chance,” he explains.

“What, you want to take me to the amusement part or the playground and push me on the swings? I’m not a kid anymore, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Gus, stop it,” Mel chides him. “You’re being rude.”

He turns on her, eyes flashing. “No, I’m being realistic! It’s too late to turn the clock back! I’m not going to go visit Santa with him and sit on his knee, or learn to ride a bike for the first time…or, or…have him help me when I have a nightmare…or watch me play soccer…” He voice hitches slightly as he realizes that he would have liked those things. He had missed having a father growing up, even though he had to grudgingly acknowledge that both Mel and his mom had been there for him when he needed them. He just hadn’t realized until now how much it might have meant to have had a father there, too.
“No, I wasn’t, Gus,” Brian tells him softly, swallowing hard. “And to be honest, if I HAD known about you, back then I don’t know what kind of father I would have been. Before Justin came along, I wasn’t the most responsible or family-oriented person.” He gazes over at his husband, receiving a tender smile in return, before he explains, “But Justin changed that somehow. That, and working with troubled kids at the school. I found out that I can make a difference in their lives, and when I do, it makes me feel fucking amazing. And now that I know who you are, no, you’re right – we can’t go back and redo anything. But I want to be there for you now. Maybe we can’t go back to when you were little, but we can still do things together. I played soccer when I was your age, too,” he tells him. “Are you on the team at school?”

Gus stares over at him for a few seconds before he finally nods. “Yeah…I’ve been playing soccer since I was in middle school.”

“He’s very good at it, too,” Lindsay informs him, unable to keep the pride out of her voice. “So good that the coach thinks he’ll be offered a college scholarship when he graduates.”
Brian is impressed. “Wow, you must be good, then. I was good, too…but not that good. Nowadays, you have to be extremely talented in order to get a sports scholarship.” Gus shrugs in reaction. “We can bat around a soccer ball in the backyard sometime,” he suggests. “And I’d love to come and see you at one of your games.”

“You’re just saying that because everyone expects you to say that,” Gus counters, but Brian shakes his head.

“No, I’m not. You don’t know me well enough yet to realize it, but I never say something unless I mean it, and I plan on following through with it.” Justin nods in confirmation from his place on the couch as Brian adds, “And as for other things we could do, have you ever been rock climbing? Or gone zip lining over a river? Or done any parasailing on the ocean? What about whitewater rafting?”

Gus’s mouth hangs open in astonishment and perhaps some grudging respect. “You’ve done all that?” he asks.

Brian grins with a nod. “Yes…and I still do,” he tells him. “Sometimes Justin joins me…but more times than not, he’s content to watch me come close to breaking my neck while he sits somewhere nearby and draws to his heart’s content. But with you…now I’d have someone else to share it with. That is…if you’ll let me. I don’t expect us to become father and son overnight,” he clarifies. “Maybe never; that will be up to you. But I’d like to try, Gus. I really would. What do you say?” He holds his breath as he waits for the boy to answer him; he can’t tell by the expression on his son’s face whether or not he feels the same way, but he is ready to abide by whatever decision he makes. In either case, he knows that he will quietly support both him and Lindsay financially, whether Gus allows him to be a part of his life going forward. He owes both of them that much, at least.

“How about it, Honey?” Lindsay asks him as Gus peers over at her and Mel in indecision. He knows the three of them still have some things to work out between them, and chances are his mother and Mel would never reconcile. At least, however, they seem to be on the same page when it comes to Brian Kinney. His father. Would he ever get totally used to that idea? And what would he even call the man? He felt just like Jennifer; what did he really know about him? But as he looks over at his girlfriend, she nods slightly with an encouraging smile, signaling that she feels it is the right thing to do. Perhaps they can both learn how to get to know their fathers together. At any rate, he knows he will have her support, and she will have his. So he finally nods back at his father. “Okay. I guess we can do that.”
Brian smiles back at him, relieved, as he exchanges a look with Justin. “That’s great, Gus,” he tells him. He lets out a deep breath. “I’ll give you my cell phone number, and anytime you want to get together, call me. And I promise you I will be at your next soccer game.”

Gus nods, hesitating. “I…I heard the whitewater rafting here in West Virginia is awesome,” he states almost hesitantly.

Brian smiles warmly at him. “Yes, it is,” he tells him. “The Gulley River is wicked. Last time Justin and I went, I had a blast. Justin just got drenched,” he adds with a chuckle as his husband scowls at him. “He made the mistake of sitting near the river rapids to watch, and he – and his sketchpad – wound up getting wetter than the people in the raft.”

“Don’t remind me,” Justin retorts as Brian grins.

He chuckles as he turns to his son. “This is an excellent time of the year to go, too. Maybe you’d like to try it out next weekend? Jennifer could come, too. And I might even persuade Justin to join us this time on the raft…that is, if it’s okay with both moms.”

Daphne ponders it for a moment before nodding. “It’s safe?” she asks.

“Very safe,” Justin assures her. “They have an excellent record, and will not go out unless the river conditions are good. It’s a lot of fun. She’ll have a great time if she’s a risk taker,” he tells her. “You can come, too, if you want.”

Daphne’s eyes grow wide. “Oh, no!” she tells him. “Don’t you remember? I was afraid to even dive into your pool when we were younger! No, I’ll stay on dry land, thank you.”

Justin grins. “I had forgotten that.”

Brian looks over at Lindsay. “What about you, Lindsay? Okay with you?”

She pauses to consider it for a moment before finally nodding. “If Gus wants to, it’s all right with me. Mel?” she asks, surprising the other woman a little by asking her as well. She considers for a moment before nodding her agreement.

Brian rolls his lips under before turning back to his son. “What do you say, then, Gus? Jennifer? Next Saturday? Whitewater rafting? There’s a kick-ass fifties diner nearby that serves heart-clogging hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. I’ll even throw my normal dietary restrictions aside for the day.”
“That’s huge,” Justin tells them with a grin. “Believe me.” He peers over at his daughter, who has been quietly standing next to Gus; he notices the two are holding hands now. “Jennifer? Are you interested in joining us?”

Jennifer is a little fearful about going on such an adventurous trip. But she’s excited at the same time…and the fact that Gus will be there makes it all the better. She is happy that her father and Mr. Kinney seem to be okay with her and Gus’s relationship. Maybe this won’t be such a bad thing after all. So she finally nods. “Okay,” she replies softly as her father smiles, pleased.

“Great!” he tells her, relieved. “Brian and I will be looking forward to it.”

Sensing a break, Lindsay and Mel rise to their feet. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner,” Lindsay tells the two men. “But it’s getting late. We should be heading back.” She turns to her son. “Gus? Say goodnight to Jennifer. We’ll wait for you out in the car.”

“But, Mom! It’s not that late!”

Lindsay sighs. “Gus…please don’t argue about this. Mel and I are tired. It’s been a long day. You will see Jennifer soon, I’m sure.”

“Uh…Lindsay, if I could make a suggestion,” Brian speaks up. “We have tons of room here. And I have a feeling that Gus would fit into my clothes perfectly. I’m sure I could find him something to wear. Why don’t you let him stay the night? Justin and I can bring him back home tomorrow. And Daphne, you already know you and Jennifer are both welcome to be our guests as well. We have plenty of bedrooms. If both of YOU want to stay, that’s fine, too.”

Gus and Jennifer both peer over at their moms hopefully. Both teens desperately want her to say yes. Their faces fall, however, when Lindsay shakes her head.

“No, thank you, Brian. But Mel has to go to a conference this weekend for school, and we drove here together.” She pauses, seeing the look of almost desperation on Gus’s face. She suspects that he and Jennifer will wind up together somehow tonight, but her son knows how to protect himself. And she has to admit, neither of them are babies anymore. She couldn’t guard him 24/7. “But if Gus wants to stay, I suppose it’s okay. Just don’t wear out your welcome, Gus?”

He nods as he grins over at Jennifer, ecstatic. “Thanks,” he tells his mother.

“Mom?” Jennifer asks, licking her lips nervously.

Daphne thinks carefully about it. Her daughter has no idea about the proposal that her father has presented to her. And Daphne still has no clue what she is going to do. She is so overwhelmed at the thought, but also extremely tempted. It has been her lifelong dream to go into medicine, but she had given up on that idea long ago in exchange for making sure her daughter was cared for properly. Now, she has an unexpected chance to fulfill that dream. And to live in such splendor? It is almost too much to comprehend. The decision did not have to made today, though, as Justin has pointed out, and she knows she has to think it over carefully to weigh all the pros and cons. But at the same time, there is no reason why she and her daughter couldn’t at least temporarily accept her friend’s hospitality.

“Thank you,” she tells Justin and Brian at last. “That sounds great. I’d love to see more of the house while we’re here, too, especially your studio upstairs,” she informs Justin, who nods.

Justin sees his daughter’s eyes light up. He smiles at her. “Would you like to see it?” he asks her and Daphne. “It’s a wonderful space.” He’s pleased when she nods back at him, feeling hopeful that they are making a start. It will be a long, gradual process, he knows that. But as he gazes at the new, little family he and Brian have just become a part of, he thinks he can feel the presence of his mother watching over them like some angel wearing a halo, guiding them as she smiles down in approval. He senses their lives won’t be easy; with teenagers it seldom is. But he also knows somehow that it will be the greatest adventure he and Brian will ever take – and the most satisfying one.