Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

Justin's encounter with his father inadvertently leads him to reveal one of his most desired dreams; some disconcerting news is delivered to them regarding Adam Stewart.

 

 

Next Morning


It was almost ten o'clock the next day before Justin finally began to regain wakefulness, first stretching out in their spacious, king-sized bed on his back before flinging his right hand over to feel for his husband; when all he came up with was empty space, his eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to stare at nothing but a crumpled sheet.

 

"Hey," he heard softly just then from the other side of the bed as he twisted the other way and noticed Brian standing beside him with a coffee mug in his hand.  Justin scooted up in the bed as Brian sat down next to him; he noticed his husband was wearing the same pair of jeans he had had on before, and that triggered his mind into wandering back to yesterday's events:  the day that had started out so promising with their family and friends, only to be marred later by the bigotry and ugliness epitomized by his father.  He closed his eyes briefly in an attempt to shut out what had happened between the two of them, the pain still raw but tempered now by the tender passion Brian had shown to him last night as they had made love, but he was not totally successful; the emotional encounter with his father refused to go away.  As he opened his eyes back up, another thought emerged to coalesce with the other one as he furrowed his brow in concern and uttered a single word.  "Gus."

 

Brian handed the mug to Justin, keeping his fingers curled around his momentarily before he placed his hand down on Justin's thigh.  "What about him?"

 

"The ice cream..."  Justin turned to look into his husband's eyes with remorse.  "I told him I would bring him back some ice cream yesterday, and I let him down."

 

"Justin..."  Brian gave his thigh a squeeze, amazed that his lover would worry about something like that after what he had been through last night.  "It's okay; I took care of it."

 

Justin frowned as he curled both hands around the mug, observing the wisps of steam rising from the liquid; Brian had already placed cream and sugar in it, just the way he knew he liked it.  "You did?"

 

Brian nodded.  "After you went to sleep I sent Jen a text to ask if she could take Gus into town to the ice cream shop today and buy him a sundae with lots of gooey hot fudge, nuts, marshmallows, and two cherries on top - just how someone else I know likes it," he said with a smile as he leaned down and kissed Justin playfully on the nose; he sobered a little as he explained, "I had to let her know we wouldn't be coming home last night and the reason why; I figured texting her would be the best way to make sure I didn't disturb you and wake you up."   Brian had been glad the two of them had been able to spend some much-needed private time together last night, but he despised the reason why; or rather, the person who had caused his husband so much pain.  Justin may already consider Craig dead, but if HE had the displeasure of ever running into him personally, he would be sorely tempted to ensure he WAS dead in every sense of the word.

 

Justin nodded at him.  "Thanks," he replied softly as he stared down thoughtfully at his coffee.  He felt Brian's hand on his shoulder a few seconds later as he lifted his gaze to stare into his husband's concerned eyes - the eyes he had trusted and depended upon so many times before; the eyes that were reflecting back the love he felt for him.  "I'm okay," he told him in answer to his unspoken question.  He sighed and let out a heavy breath.  "I meant what I said last night, Brian; Craig Taylor is dead to me now."  Despite his words, though, the realization still made his heart heavy with sorrow.

 

Brian reached up to play with Justin's soft tendrils of hair at the back of his neck as he whispered, "I know that's what you say, but I know you, Justin; you can't just turn off your feelings like a light switch."

 

Justin's hands grasped tightly onto the coffee mug, somehow deriving strength and an odd feeling of grounding from the heat permeating through the china.  "No, I can't," he admitted, knowing Brian would realize that.  "But it's going to get better over time.  I've decided to concentrate on what I DO have, and the family that loves me, not that asshole who just happened to contribute his sperm toward my birth."  Despite his statement, he shook his head sadly, though, allowing himself one last moment of what could have been.  "I just don't know how a person can go from being such an involved, loving father to changing into such a bigoted, hateful human being simply because his son decided to fall in love with a guy instead of a girl.  How can someone who professed to love me change so much?"

 

Brian continued to feather his fingers lightly through his husband's hair as he reminded him softly, "It's not like you had a choice, Sunshine; not unless you chose to live your life as one, big, fat lie, and that's not the way you are.  You could have no more lived like that than I could have."

 

Justin nodded as he inhaled a deep breath.  Pursing his lips together in resolve, he stated honestly, "No, I couldn't.  And it's time for me - for ALL of us - to move on and ignore the bastard."  He paused for a few seconds before he asked, "What do you think will happen to him?  It sounds like Danny's succeeded in preventing him from withdrawing any money from that account, so I don't think he could get very far if he tried to take off without it.  But I wouldn't put it past him."  He shook his head.  "I wish I could say with a new baby he would have enough morals to feel obligated to stay here for her sake, but my father obviously doesn't HAVE any morals.  If he did, he wouldn't have kicked me to the fucking curb like a stray dog."

 

Brian nodded as he gently pulled Justin closer to him by the scruff of his neck.  Taking a moment to rest his forehead against the side of Justin's neck, he whispered, "Well, he's the fucking loser, Justin.  Always has been and always will be.  I'm the lucky one."

 

Justin turned his head to look into Brian's eyes from inches away.  "We both are," he whispered before their lips came together for a deep, heartfelt kiss that quickly gave way to a smoldering passion just like it always did.

 

As they reluctantly broke apart several seconds later to catch their breaths, Justin's next words were out of his mouth before he gave them much thought.  "If I ever had a child, I would never do that to him or her, no matter what they chose to do with their life or who they chose to love."  Shit.  Why did I say that? he thought.  Maybe Brian won't pick up on it.  But to his consternation, he did.

 

Brian's fingers stilled on Justin's neck before he reached to place his hand on his lover's cheek; he stroked the slightly-stubbled skin there with the back of his knuckles, watching Justin's eyes shift themselves downward toward his coffee mug, a sure sign that his husband was uneasy about something.  Nevertheless, or perhaps because of it, he pressed him gently, "Justin?  What do you mean by that?  You have a child; WE have a child.  Gus.  And you've already taught him the clear meaning of unconditional love."

 

Justin lifted his head then to turn and look at Brian, a grateful smile ghosting across his lips; it was a smile, though, that didn't quite go all the way to his eyes, Brian thought, adding to his suspicions that he was touching on a subject that Justin didn't particularly want to discuss.

 

"Thanks for saying that, Brian; that means a lot to me," he heard Justin whisper back.

 

Brian nodded as he gazed at his husband thoughtfully; that wasn't good enough for him, however.  "You still haven't explained what you meant just now, though."

 

Justin appeared decidedly flustered, cursing himself inwardly at his spontaneous remark.  "It was just a suppositional statement, that's all."

 

"No, I don't think so," his husband murmured insistently as he slowly stroked his fingers against the warm skin of Justin's cheek and noticed his lover's face flush over the intensity of his gaze.  He stared quietly into the blue eyes that he knew so well, into the face he knew so well.  He frowned slightly as he thought about what Justin had just said and put two and two together , realizing he had never even contemplated such an event.  "I think there's more to it than that."  He paused just long enough to steel himself before he asked, "Justin, are you trying to tell me that you want a child?"

 

Justin chewed on his lower lip as he stared into Brian's eyes, trying hard to ascertain what he saw there.  Love, certainly, concern, maybe even curiosity; but what else?  The question had been framed so softly without any hint of ridicule or judgment that he couldn't tell what Brian was thinking.  His previous conversation he had had with his mother at Britin after Gus had discovered his drawings of the fantasy nursery filtered through his mind.  At the time she had told him he needed to talk to Brian about it, that it wasn't fair to leave him in the dark, and he recalled telling her that during the campaign, with everything going on, it wasn't a good time, that he would discuss it with him later.  But he hadn't counted on this conversation taking place, either, or his own father's involvement with Turner.  He hadn't meant to blurt out his feelings just now about how he would handle being a father; it had simply come out.  Now that it had, though, he knew he was going to have to deal with it.  And in retrospect, his mother was right; it might not be the best time, but it couldn't be pushed aside any longer, no matter what else was going on in their lives.  Brian deserved to know, and whatever came of it, he would have to accept it.  After all, he wouldn't be the only one affected by fatherhood.

 

"Justin?" Brian pressed.

 

Justin turned long enough to set the coffee cup down on a nearby coaster on the nightstand before he turned back to face Brian.  He reached over to take Brian's hand in his and place them both in his lap, glancing down at Brian's wedding band and taking strength from the emblem of their love.  Sliding his middle finger over the smooth surface of the jewelry, he took a deep breath and began to confess one of his most earnest wishes to his soulmate.  "Mom told me I should talk to you about this," he began softly in preamble.  "But at the time I told her it could wait because of everything else going on right now with Fin and the campaign."

 

Brian's thumb slowly rubbed back and forth on Justin's knuckles as he asked, "What could wait?"

 

Instead of answering him directly, Justin began, "Yesterday - when Gus ran off and I went to look for him?"

 

Brian nodded.

 

"Well, my mom showed up just as Gus came running down the stairs while I was still on the second floor, trying to figure out where he had gone, and he had one of my sketchbooks in his hand.  One that I had done some drawings in already.  My mom saw them and started asking me about them.  That's when she said I needed to talk to you."

 

 "Justin, what kind of drawings were they?" Brian asked quietly, not satisfied to let it go at that.

 

Justin let out a deep breath between slightly-parted lips before he divulged, "They were ideas I had for remodeling the spare bedroom next to our master suite."

 

"Justin," Brian urged him a little impatiently.  "What kind of ideas?"  He had a strong suspicion he knew what his husband was about to say, but he had to be sure.

 

Justin bit his lower lip nervously as he finally admitted what Brian had suspected he would say all along.  "Ideas... For a nursery."  He swallowed and licked his lips as he waited for Brian's reaction, his heart pounding anxiously.  What would Brian say now that he knew? Would he explode with anger?  Deride his dream as some hetero, silly nonsense?  Tell him he was out of his fucking mind and to never mention it again?

 

Brian nodded; yes, he had guessed correctly.   "So you do want a child, then."  He let out a deep breath as he stared straight ahead toward the main living area of the loft, trying to decide how he felt about that.  He couldn't really say he was shocked by Justin's confession or that he was all that surprised.  Justin had always been an amazing second father to Gus, and had doted on Jenny Rebecca as a baby.  He had lost count of how many times he had arrived at the Munchers' house to pick Justin up from yet another babysitting stint with her, only to be subjected to his partner's incessant, bubbly chatter all the way home about which sort of milestone JR had passed since the last time he had seen her, whether it was rolling over, beginning to crawl, or getting her first tooth.  To him it seemed way too mundane, but to Justin it was akin to someone scaling Mount Everest.

 

Justin continued to nibble his lip nervously as he nodded in confession.   "I know we never discussed this before we got married..." he began.

 

Brian softly huffed out a sort of ironic laugh as he turned his attention back to his husband.  "No, it didn't seem to come up between our plans for the wedding and Fin's unexpected guest appearance as my father."

 

"I know this is coming out of the blue, too," Justin continued, his words tumbling forth now that the subject was out in the open.  "I really was going to discuss this with you," he insisted.  "You know I never would have gone through with any plans - the remodeling, anything - without you approving them first."  He subconsciously grasped Brian's hand so tightly out of anxiety that Brian winced slightly at the pressure.

 

"Ouch!  You have quite a grip there, Sunshine," he murmured as, feeling awkward all of a sudden, Justin immediately moved to release his hand; Brian, however, refused to allow it, opting instead to place his own hand on top of his husband's and give it a slight squeeze of reassurance.  "Just not so tight," he clarified as Justin looked at him with trepidation.  What exactly was he expecting him to say? He wondered.  Good question, because even he was wondering the same thing.  And why now?  With everything else going on, did they need another dilemma that needed to be solved?  Hadn't they had enough life-altering events lately?  He sighed as he gazed into the uncertain eyes of the man he would give anything to - well, almost anything, anyway.

 

"Justin..." He began, not even sure what he was going to say.

 

But his husband placed the fingers of his other hand over his lips and shook his head in dismissal before he could utter another word.  "Don't say it," he replied somewhat sadly.  "Just forget it; it was a stupid idea, a pipe dream.  I shouldn't have brought it up, especially right now."  As wonderful as Brian was with his own son, Justin should have realized that Brian did not want to be a full-time father; this wasn't like taking Gus for the weekend or even the summer; this would be a lifetime commitment, 24/7.  What had he been thinking?  He should be happy enough with the way their life was already, although a part of him still yearned for the next-to-impossible.

 

"Justin, will you fucking let me speak?" Brian groused as he shrugged off his husband's fingers.  "I think I deserve to have a say in this matter; after all, this would impact my life big time, you know?"

 

Justin huffed as he dropped his free hand to the mattress.  "Don't you think I realize that, Brian?  I just got through saying that I would never follow through on a decision like this alone.  I know you would never want to be tied down that way, so I get it."  He gave a sort of ironic snort.  "Maybe at least I'll wear you down eventually and we can get a pet."

 

Brian bristled for some reason at that statement; it seemed to imply that he was incapable of even considering full-time fatherhood.  "Oh, so now you're able to read my mind, too?" he asked in irritation as he broke off contact with Justin to cross his arms over his chest.  "Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do, husband."


Justin lifted his right eyebrow; Brian had never used that sort of ‘title' with him before.  "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked as he wrung his hands now lying in his lap, silently mourning the warm touch of Brian's hand.

 

Brian rolled his eyes in exasperation.  "If you could stop running your mouth for a minute, maybe you would find out."

 

Justin pursed his lips tightly together in aggravation; he was trying to give Brian an out and this was his reaction?  "Fine, go ahead; I'm all ears," he told him curtly as, eyes flashing, he stared unflinchingly over at his husband.

 

"You know," Brian began, his voice sounding a bit gruffer than he meant it to be, "I should just tell you what you're expecting to hear because you are being a little shit to me this morning."  His voice softened, though, as he saw Justin's eyes widen with the telltale beginnings of hope as he thought about what his husband had already gone through yesterday.  The last thing he wanted to do was cause Justin any more pain - or give him false hope.  But was it false?  Was he going to just dismiss the idea out of hand?  He knew that was what Justin was expecting.

 

He took a deep breath.  "But I won't do that," he reassured him softly as once more he unfolded his arms to reach over and grab Justin's hand with his left one.  "What I'm trying to say is that I won't say yes and I won't say no - yet.  You're right - unless you've already knocked someone up - traditionally speaking or through a cup - this is not a spur-of-the-moment type decision.  And it's not going to matter if we decide now or in a few months after the election is over - is it?"

 

Justin was unable to speak for a few seconds; he was still trying to get past the part where Brian had said I won't say yes and I won't say no.  That almost sounded... well, maybe not promising, but at least it wasn't a slap-in-your-face-no-fucking way-no.  "You mean... You would actually consider it?" he whispered in amazement.

 

Brian shrugged as Justin gaped over at him.  "Is it so hard to believe that I wouldn't just turn you down flat?"

 

"Honestly?" Justin responded with a slight smirk.  "Uh, yeah," he replied in a sort of ‘duh' tone as Brian harumphed.  He sobered as he admitted, "I really never thought you would want to be a full-time father, Brian, and let's face it; that's what it would be if you agreed to do it.  So, yeah, I think deep down I never thought you would actually agree to it."

 

"I haven't," Brian pointed out.  "And I still might not."  He sighed.  "Justin, until I met you I never thought I would do a lot of things.  I never thought I would fall in love, I never thought I would commit myself to one man, I never dreamed I would ever get married; fuck, even now I have a hard time even saying it out loud!  And I never thought I would find a father - a real father - who actually cares about me and is proud of who I am and what I've accomplished instead of wanting to beat the shit out of me.  But I have... and it's all thanks to you," he whispered to Justin, who flushed over the tender look he was receiving.  "So the least I can do is consider one of your own dreams; but it's not a yes, at least not yet - okay?"

 

Justin nodded with a smile; it wasn't quite what he wanted, but it was a lot more than he had actually hoped for.  "Okay," he agreed, relieved actually that the subject was out in the open.  He was glad now that he had brought it up prematurely, because it suddenly felt like some tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  He glanced over at the small, round clock on their nightstand table, noticing it was almost ten; they were due to meet Tony and Fin at their hotel in about an hour.  "I guess we'd better get up," he told Brian as he moved to take his hand away from Brian's to stand up.

 

"Uh, just a minute, Sunshine," Brian murmured as he tugged on Justin's hand and managed to pull his body down far enough so his younger husband was sprawled out fully on the mattress.  He flipped his body so he was lying on top of the one he knew so well as he murmured, "First I need to make sure all of your father-producing parts are in good working order just in case I DO decide to say yes."  He didn't give Justin time to respond before his lips sought out the well-known mouth and their latest lovemaking dance began.

 

They would be running a little late before they finally left the loft, not quite prepared to return to the real world outside and the political drama still enfolding them, but knowing they had to nonetheless.

 



Superior Suite Hotel - Downtown Pittsburgh


Fin grimaced as he struggled to undo his shirt.  "Damn it!" he groused as Tony walked up behind him and slid his hands around to his chest.  "I hate new shirts!"

 

Tony laughed as he began to deftly unbutton his partner's new, white cotton shirt as if it were the easiest thing in the world.  "It's all in the wrist action," he murmured in a deep voice as he nuzzled Fin's neck.  "I'm just more manually dexterous than you, that's all."

 

His shirt unbuttoned in record time, Fin turned in Tony's arms and smirked at him.  "You always were good at extricating people out of situations," he murmured huskily.

 

Tony wound his arms around Fin's neck with a sort of mischievous smile.  "That's why I'm such a crack-ass attorney," he stated solemnly, his eyes twinkling.

 

"I know you're teasing, Counselor," Fin told him softly.  "But you ARE the best."  He sobered.  "I guess we'd better be glad you're not going to represent Justin's asshole of a father, then."  He paused as he leaned down to briefly kiss Tony on the lips before he pulled back to lightly stroke Tony's cheek with his fingers.  "How did he seem?"

 

Tony pushed Fin's shirt apart and down his arms to remove it, the crisp fabric fluttering down to the ground before he placed his hands, palm down, on his chest, enjoying as always the smooth, muscled flesh there.  "He's acting like it's no big deal," he told his partner about Justin, whom he had spoken to earlier while he and Brian had gotten ready to come to their hotel room for a strategy session regarding the upcoming debate with Whittle.  "But I - and I'm sure Brian, too - know better."  He slid his hands up to link behind Fin's neck as he stated, "I'm sure what his father did is tearing him up inside; I can't imagine having a father like that." Tony had been blessed with an understanding pair of parents who had been surprised but had accepted his lifestyle when he had confessed to them about his homosexuality at the age of fourteen; for the umpteenth time, he silently thanked them for their support.

 

Fin nodded, his lips pursed together in scorn over what Craig Taylor had done.  It wasn't a direct slap in his son-in-law's face, but it might as well have been.  He fumed inside as he growled, "That man didn't deserve a son like Justin, and Justin definitely didn't deserve him.  He's well rid of that bastard."  He feathered the back of Tony's blond hair as he asked, "What do you think will happen to him now?"

 

Tony shrugged.  "That'll be up to the Feds and the Election Commission.  I hope they throw the sorry son of a bitch in jail and fine his ass so much he'll never see the light of day again."  He sighed.  "Why is it that whenever these pieces of fucking slime do these sorts of things they always wind up hurting innocent people?  Justin told me he has a young wife and a baby.  Of course he never gave that much thought, though, did he?  He was too busy letting his hatred and bigotry get the best of him, and he didn't care who got in his way - or who got hurt."  He huffed as he spat out contemptuously, "Fucking piece of shit."

 

Fin couldn't help grinning at him in amusement.  "Well, aren't you the little spitfire today?" he murmured appreciatively.  "He'd better hope YOU don't wind up representing the Feds," he said.  "Or he'll be in a world of hurt."  He leaned down to rest his forehead against his partner's as he whispered, "I wish you were, though; it would be a little poetic justice for Justin."  He leaned back to gaze into Tony's eyes tenderly.  "You going to stick around?  Or do you need to head back to Harrisburg?"

 

To Fin's relief, Tony shook his head.  "Danny's on his way back to Harrisburg with the evidence; he's going to ‘anonymously' drop it into a friend of a friend's lap who can take it straight to the authorities.  Craig won't get away with what he's done, trust me.  And neither will any of the others who were involved, including Turner and those two morons who accepted his bribes.  Before everything's all said and done, they'll all get what they deserve.  And to answer your question, I've got one of my colleagues covering for me today; I don't have to be back in the office until tomorrow."

 

Fin nodded as he smiled at his beautiful partner; Tony seemed to get better looking by the month, but he supposed being irretrievably in love might have something to do with that opinion, too.  "I'm glad you're going to stick around for a while; I think Justin might need the moral support, and with Brian and me rehearsing for the debate coming up, we won't have a lot of time to commiserate with him."  He blew out a breath of regret as he reluctantly let go of his partner to turn and look at himself in the hotel suite's long, narrow mirror mounted across from the bathroom door.  He thought he noticed several tired lines on his face that hadn't been there before, and he suddenly felt like some presidential candidate who had gotten his wish to rule the country, only to have his hair slowly turn gray and crow's feet appear as a result of the stress he had to endure.  Would he be like that, too, once (and if) he succeeded?  It wasn't that he was necessarily vain, but Tony was much younger than him; would he still find him attractive a year from now?  Or would some other man more his age come along and sweep his intelligent, successful partner off his feet while he was up to his neck in gubernatorial matters?

 

"Stop that," he heard Tony chide him as he grasped his shoulder from behind.  He leaned in to whisper in his ear, "You're still the sexiest man I've ever known, Fintan O'Connor.  And you always will be."

 

Fin rolled his eyes as he turned to look at him.  "How do you do that?"

 

Tony smiled.  "Do what, read your mind?  I've had plenty of practice, remember?" he told him as a knock sounded at the door.  "Now go let your son and Justin in, and I'll start cranking out the coffee; with THAT midget coffeemaker, we'll need about five go-rounds just to fill up a mugful until I can make a real coffee run."

 

Fin grinned as he scooped up his shirt and hurried over to their bedroom to slip on a soft wool, V-necked, dark-blue pullover sweater as Tony turned to head toward the separate kitchen area of their suite to prepare some coffee; walking over to the hotel room's door, Fin opened it to let Brian and Justin enter, relieved that no one else was out in the hallway.  At least outside of Harrisburg, it appeared somewhat easier to have some much-desired privacy; that and the fact that anyone coming up to their suite had to be either buzzed up by the concierge downstairs after phoning them for permission, or had to have an actual hotel key card.  Fin had already taken the liberty of informing the hotel personnel that his son and son-in-law were to be given immediate access to their floor once they arrived.

 

"Brian, Justin," Fin greeted then warmly as his son nodded back at him in acknowledgment; he and Brian were not yet at the ‘touchy-feely' phase of their father-son relationship.  In fact, he strongly suspected that they never would be.  That wasn't his style and it wasn't his son's, either.   But he was heartened nonetheless when Brian reached out to clasp his outstretched one, as did Justin; his son's handshake was warm and firm, not one of a disinterested, polite party.

 

"Come on in; the little housewife's puttering around in the not-so-spacious kitchen, attempting to actually squeeze out some coffee from our so-called 4-cup coffeemaker.   As soon as it's done I'll get my jacket and we can be on our way."  He and Brian were heading to a nearby, rented recording studio to rehearse his next debate with his opponent; Brian had decided that he would play devil's advocate this time and stand in for Whittle while they engaged in a reenactment of the real event coming up that would take place in front of a live audience this time.  With Turner out of the way, Fin was facing a much more formidable opponent, one that might actually give him a run for his money, and Brian thought it was best to be well prepared.

 

"Housewife?" was the instant, insulted reply from nearby.  "Keep that up, Senator, and I'll be mistaking the rat poison under the sink for your coffee creamer."  Tony walked into the living room holding a round, black plastic tray with four small, beige coffee mugs; he rolled his eyes at Fin, who grinned back at him impertinently.  "Damn thing brews one cup at a time - and a thimbleful, too, I might add.  Great coffeemaker for a $200-a-night hotel suite, huh?"

 

"Nothing but the best in the Pitts," Brian deadpanned as he and Justin sat down on the sofa bed couch.  Brian's arm wound around Justin's shoulders as Tony placed the tray down on the table in front of them before taking his own place in one of the two matching, maroon Queen Anne chairs facing the couch, Fin occupying the other one.

 

Tony glanced over at Justin, silently sizing him up as to his mood.  He had talked to him briefly over the phone after he and Fin had returned back to their hotel room, opting not to stay at Britin, but his friend hadn't elaborated much on what had happened last night, other than to tell him he had, indeed, found his father and they had ‘had it out,' in his words.  Other than adding that he didn't really want to dwell on what had happened anymore, that was pretty much all he knew.  But Justin's normal, animated face was devoid at the moment of the spark it normally had, and he suspected there was a lot more to what had happened than Justin had divulged to him.

 

"Hey, Justin," he greeted his friend softly with a reassuring smile.

 

"Hi, Tony," was the subdued response as Justin placed his hand down on Brian's knee and reached for a coffee mug to take a sip, almost as if he were avoiding any more conversation.

 

Tony eyed his friend intently, dying to know more, but a call on his cellphone just then prevented him from questioning Justin further.  Flashing the other three men a sort of apologetic look over the intrusion, he flipped his phone open.  "Cassinelli."

 

"Hi, Tony, it's Jason - Jason Benton."

 

"Jason," Tony greeted the other man as he caught Fin's attention.  "How are you?"  Jason Benton, he mouthed to his partner, who nodded.  Fin was quite familiar with the Harrisburg Prosecuting Attorney; he had met him on numerous occasions at the house when Tony had brought him home to discuss cases they had a mutual interest in or to prepare for a case they would be working on together.

 

Turning back to his son, Fin took a quick, couple sips of his own coffee before placing it down with a grimace; the stuff tasted more like lukewarm, bitter water than coffee.  "If you're ready, Brian, why don't we go ahead and go?  I'm anxious to get started and this coffee's for shit; let's stop on the way and pick up some real java."  Fin knew whenever Tony and Benton engaged in legal conversations, typically they went on forever, and he was anxious to get started with their rehearsal.

 

Brian nodded as he leaned over to give Justin a brief kiss on the cheek.  "We'll be back later," he told him.  "Make sure to play nice with the hot shot attorney over there, okay?"

 

Justin smiled slightly.  "I'll do my best," he replied.  "Go," he said softly, knowing that Brian was still a little concerned about what had happened to him last night.  "I'll be fine.  Are you coming back here when you're done, or do you want me to meet you somewhere?"

 

Brian shook his head.  "No, I'm assuming we're taking my father's rental."  Fin nodded, knowing they would be more comfortable in his rental car than Brian's somewhat cramped ‘Vette.  "I'll call you when we're about done, then, to give you a heads up and we'll just meet back here at the room."

 

As Fin stood up, he leaned over to place his hand on Tony's shoulder and squeeze it in dismissal for a moment as Tony tilted his head up to meet his lips for a brief kiss of their own.

 

"See you later," Fin said softly, but Tony suddenly grabbed his wrist before he could leave as he heard Benton explain the reason for his call.

 

"Shit!" he growled into the phone as what Jason was saying sunk in.  "What the fuck?  Tell me you're joking, Jason!"

 

Fin frowned at the look of astonishment on his partner's face as Brian and Justin glanced at each other in curiosity; he sat down on the rolled arm of Tony's chair as his partner said into the phone, "Jason, hang on a minute, okay? Do you mind if I put you on speaker?  I have Fin, his son Brian, and Brian's husband Justin here; I think they all need to hear what you're telling me."  He looked up at Fin, who arched an eyebrow in question; he knew his partner well enough by now to know that something was wrong, very wrong.  He felt a twinge in his arm as he recalled what had happened a few days ago after the last debate.  When will they ever be able to finally disembark from the roller coaster ride known as his gubernatorial campaign?

 

Tony pressed a button on his phone and placed it down on the glass coffee table in front of him.  "Okay, I have you on speaker," Tony informed him.  He took a deep breath before he asked, "Can you repeat for them what you just told me?  I'm hoping I imagined what you just said."

 

Brian instinctively pulled Justin closer to him as an unfamiliar, deep, male voice said over the phone, "I wish I could say you did, but you heard me right, my friend.  I got it straight from my contact at the courthouse.  Stewart had his arraignment this morning and he was released on a $100,000 bond."

 

Brian's mouth hung open in shock.  "That motherfucking piece of shit!" he exploded in anger as he looked over at his father in astonishment.  "How can that be?  He fucking tried to KILL me - and almost succeeded with you!  What in the hell? How can someone accused of attempted murder be released on bail?"  He looked then at Justin's face which mirrored his own, only his was also full of worry - worry for him.  He could see him almost reliving that horrible moment all over again.  "Justin..." he murmured reassuringly as he pulled him closer to his side. "How?" he asked again in confusion as he looked over at Tony.  Just when he thought they could concentrate solely on the campaign and the platform issues, something always seemed to happen to disrupt it.

 

"Tony?" Fin asked softly, as Benton remained silent on the other end.

 

Tony's lips were pursed tightly together in unadulterated dismay.  "I'll bet they're going to try him for attempted manslaughter and not attempted murder.   And I'd venture a guess that since Stewart has never been accused or convicted of any other crime and apparently is not considered a flight risk with his ties to the state, under the laws of Pennsylvania he is eligible for bail, believe it or not.  But how did he come up with that kind of money, Jason?"

 

"Regina..." Fin murmured as a horrible thought occurred to him; surely after his conversation with her right after the incident, she didn't give her son the funds to get out of jail.  She had been just as shocked and upset by the assault as he had been at the time.  But she WAS Stewart's mother, and he was well aware that she had been saving her money for a long time while under his employment in hopes of retiring soon and that she had been able to pay off her mortgage a few years ago, so she could have; would she have been his benefactor, though?  He simply refused to believe that; no matter how much she loved her son, he knew her loyalty to him was strong as well as her disapproval over what he had tried to do.  He soon received an answer to his question as Benton spoke up again.

 

"His father put up his house for collateral," the prosecuting attorney told them as Brian huffed out an incredulous breath.  "And you're absolutely right about why he was eligible, Tony," Benton advised him from the other end of the phone.  There was a slight pause before he spoke again. "I'm really sorry, Fin," he told Tony's partner with regret.  "I thought you would both want to know right away, though.  And Fin, just between you and me, I would definitely beef up your security, or if you don't have a concealed carry permit, I'd work on getting one right away.  That guy sounds like a real lunatic."

 

Justin let out a ragged breath; he couldn't agree more with the man's assessment.  His previous worries about both Fin and Brian had just risen dramatically over this unsettling piece of preposterous information.  How in the world could someone who had tried to stab his partner wind up being granted bail?  It was unimaginable to him.  He glanced across the table at Tony, whose eyes were reflecting the same worry for his own partner.

 

"Tony?" Benton added.  "There is one consolation, but I know it's a fairly minor one.  Judge Crenshaw did require him to wear an electronic monitor.  We both know how ineffective those can be, though, when someone is persistent enough.  Like I said, Senator, I would find a way to protect yourself in the way you determine to be best."

 

"Thanks, Jason," Fin told him quietly, finding himself unnerved by this latest piece of news.  For Tony's sake, though, he was trying his best to remain calm and not let his concerns show.  As he looked over at the seemingly detached face of his son, he knew Brian was trying to act the same way for Justin's sake, also.  Inside, however, he was quite worried, not only because he knew Adam was obviously mentally unstable, but because this latest piece of information was, once more, going to detract from what they should really be focusing on - the campaign and its issues.  Perhaps Tony was right - maybe he shouldn't still be running after all this - but he knew he HAD to.  He was committed to his state, and he knew - he just knew - that he could actually make a difference.  He also knew that Tony would continue to back him in whatever decision he made, even if he was worried as hell about him.  His partner's unwavering support of him was one of the reasons why he loved him so fucking much.  He reached over to squeeze Tony's shoulder as his partner looked into his face and nodded, a silent understanding passing between them.

 

He shook his head in relief.  "I'm glad it wasn't Regina; I would have been sorely disappointed in her if I had learned she had put up her own house for her son's bail.  I know she'd paid that house off a long time ago, and had worked hard to not be in debt any longer.  I've never met the father, but from what Regina told me, he's ultra conservative, so I'm not too surprised that he would be backing his son.  He probably wants to wipe all of us ‘deviants' off the face of the earth, too."

 

Realizing Benton was still on the phone, Fin spoke up a little louder.  "Thanks for the information, Jason, - even if it wasn't something we necessarily wanted to hear.  And thanks for the advice - I'll take that under consideration, but I will not run out and get a concealed carry permit just so go walking around with a gun stuffed in my waistband like some fucking vigilante."

 

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out, Fin.  Tony, I'll see you again in court soon, my friend.  Got to go; I'll catch you later."

 

"Bye, Jason - and thanks; I owe you one," Tony told him sincerely.  Closing his phone, he looked over at Fin.  "Well, isn't that a wonderful piece of information," he murmured sarcastically as he wiped his hands nervously on his denim-clad thighs.  "But as usual, the justice system is coddling the criminal and ignoring the fucking victims."  He started to reach for his coffee mug, only to pull his hand back as he stood up.  "I think I could use a drink.  Justin, want to join me?"

 

Justin nodded as he broke off his and Brian's handclasp to stand up; Fin and Brian rose to their feet as well as their partners prepared to leave.

 

"Brian..."

 

"Fin..."

 

Both men addressed their partners simultaneously as father and son stared back at their lovers with the same sort of expression - a sort of look that silently said, We know what you are about to say and we don't need for you to say it.


"Go," Brian said to his husband as he leaned in to kiss Justin softly on the lips.  "We'll be fine.  I'll call Don and have extra security placed around us - as much as I hate the fucking idea."

 

"Well, we hate the alternative even more," Tony piped up as Justin nodded his concurrence.

 

Fin placed his hands on Tony's upper arms to turn and face him.  "Your concerns are duly noted, counselor," he whispered as he attempted to give him a reassuring smile, but he could tell Tony wasn't quite buying it.  "I'll be extra careful," he promised.  "He is being monitored; they'll know if he tries anything."  Tony nodded warily as Fin gave him a quick peck on the lips.

 

"I'm going to hold you to that," Tony told him, "or I'll fucking kill you."  The left side of Fin's mouth quirked up in amusement as he nodded.

 

"Let's go, Justin," Tony urged his friend, feeling the need to get some air.  Justin and Brian exchanged a tender look between them before he nodded and followed his friend out the door, quietly closing it behind them a few moments later.

 

Fin sighed heavily, wishing once, just once, they could escape all this melodrama.  Placing a hand on his son's shoulder, he squeezed it once before saying, "Let's get going ourselves.  We can contact Don on the way to the studio."

 

Chapter End Notes:

 

This was going to be much longer, but I'm still working on the next part and didn't want to wait any longer before updating since it had been a while.  I hope you enjoy what I have so far - I will get the other part updated very shortly.  Thanks for bearing with me and for reading this story.:)  I do appreciate all of your support.:)

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