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

Father and son, along with their partners, enjoy some private time at last while Debbie tries to analyze her new 'tenant.' 

 


Last Chapter...

 

"Brian..."  Justin looked over at Carl; that satisfied a small part of their curiosity, but not all.  "Carl, what about Debbie having custody of Alex?  Will the judge go along with it?"

 

Carl nodded.  "Yeah; he told me he'll issue a temporary, emergency custody decree granting Debbie and me permission to keep Alex with us until they figure out a more permanent solution."

 

"And how long will that take?"  Debbie asked softly.

 

Carl shrugged.  "No way to really know.  A week, a month, maybe?  Just depends upon how much of a caseload the Protective Services people have. But for the time being, she'll be in our custody until a decision is made, and we will be responsible for her."

 

Brian laughed, wondering if Carl was getting senile.  "You mean him."

 

But to his surprise, Carl shook his head.  "No, I mean her.  Alex is short for Alexandria, not Alexander."   

 


 

Debbie gasped in shock as Brian and Justin gaped over at the person they now knew was a she. 

 

"No way," Brian murmured in disbelief as Alex glared over at him from across the table.  "You're shitting me.  That's a boy."

 

Alex smirked at him.  "Am I?" she countered.  "You wanna see my tits to make sure?"  She dared him as she started to reach down to pull at the hem of her hoodie for proof.

 

"No, don't bother," Brian hastily replied as he held his hands up.  "We've had enough excitement for the day."  He looked over at Carl for help.  "Are you sure?" he asked dubiously, still not believing that the slim, dirty-haired waif staring back at him was a girl.  With her slim figure, short, dirty-blonde hair, and boyish-looking apparel, she looked every bit as masculine as every other kid that age. 

 

Alex snorted at the expression on Brian's face as Carl nodded in affirmation.  "Yep," the older man told him as he flipped his notepad shut and studied the girl intently.  "There's no question about it.  Your runaway is a female."

 

"I am NOT a runaway," Alex quickly corrected him stiffly. 

 

"Oh, excuse us," Brian said dryly.  "You're right; you were just living on the streets because you like sleeping on vomit-covered mattresses and finding gourmet meals in the dumpster.  We'll just call you a world traveler, then." 

 

"Brian," Justin murmured in gentle reproach as Alex maturely stuck her tongue out at him.  He turned to look over at the rebellious girl in a rather new light now.  He had found it difficult enough to imagine someone so young out on the streets alone as a boy; as a girl it seemed even harder to fathom how she had survived all these months on her own.  "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked gently.

 

"What difference would it have made?" she argued.  "I didn't come here voluntarily," she reminded Justin as she stared over at Brian.  "HE insisted, remember?"

 

"Oh, please," Brian retorted.  "It was your choice where you went."

 

Alex laughed in derision.  "Oh, yeah; either come here to this godforsaken place and work my ass off or go to jail.  Some choice."

 

"Yes, it WAS a choice," Brian persisted.  "And now you're going to carry out your end of the bargain, whether you like it or not."  He rubbed his face wearily as her defiant eyes bored into his.   "Life is full of choices," he told her.  "You chose to trash that hotel room, and now you're going to learn there are consequences for every choice that you make."

 

"Blah, blah, blah," Alex quipped as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

Justin shook his head in exasperation as he listened to the exchange; Brian wasn't the only tired one at the moment.  It had been a hell of a day. 

 

As if sensing his weariness, Debbie pushed back from the table and began to pick up the dirty dishes.  "No time like the present to learn the basics of busing," she told her guest.  "You can start by picking up those dishes and taking them over to the sink."

 

Alex looked at her in disbelief.  "I'm not the maid."

 

Carl opened his mouth to protest her lack of respect toward his girlfriend, but Debbie held her hand up in a clear signal that she would handle it.  He had no doubt that she could, too, so he simply nodded as she told the girl, "Well, right now you are.  So get your scrawny ass up out of that chair and do what I say.  Now."

 

"Please," was the snappy rejoinder. 

 

Debbie narrowed her eyes in irritation as she stared at her opponent.  "How's this?  Please get up and help me or I will have you sleeping on the floor tonight and force you to listen to classical music all night long.  Better?" 

 

Alex contorted her face as if she had been asked to pick up roadkill.  Debbie arched one eyebrow in response and stared over at her without blinking until, sighing heavily in melodramatic style, Alex pushed back from the table and silently gathered up her dishes along with a few others and followed Debbie into the kitchen.

 

"Shit," Brian muttered as he watched her go.  "No one deserves this."

 

"Yeah," Justin agreed sympathetically.  "She's had a hard way to go.  I wonder how she managed to survive all this time on her own?  And what she had to do in order to do that?" 

 

"I don't mean her; I mean Debbie."

 

Justin rolled his eyes as Brian added, "I should have just turned her into the cops and been done with her.  She's an ungrateful little shit to say the least."  He was still trying to come to terms with Alex being a she; perhaps if he HAD known that from the start, he might have done something differently.  What, though, he wasn't sure; and now it didn't matter anyway. 

 

The turning of the lock in the front door just then averted the three men's attention away from Alex as the door swung open and Hunter sauntered in.  His hair was cut shorter than he had normally worn it in his high school days, and he was sporting a neatly-trimmed beard which made him appear a few years older than his present age of 23.  He was wearing a pair of favorite, dark blue denim jeans and a gray University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work sweatshirt with the university's blue emblem emblazoned in the center. 

 

"Hey, if it isn't Rage and JT!" he called over to them with a grin, surprised to see Brian and Justin there.  Not that they weren't visitors to the house from time to time, but lately with the campaign he had seen them only rarely in the past few months.  "How's it going?"  He walked over and grabbed an extra piece of garlic bread still lying in the bread basket in the middle of the table to tear off a big bite with his teeth before he slid into the chair that had been previously occupied by his grandmother.

 

He turned to eye Justin with a smile.  "I saw your speech earlier this evening at the debate," he told him.  "You kicked ass; shame you didn't get to kick HIS ass instead.  What a prick." 

 

Justin nodded, grateful for Hunter's support but still feeling somewhat upset about the entire ordeal.  As if reading his mind, his husband reached over under the table and squeezed his hand as Brian replied, "Yeah, well, the prick wound up getting arrested afterward, so his ass is warming a jail cell at the moment."

 

"No shit!" Hunter replied.  "What for?  Disrupting the debate?"

 

Brian snorted.  "Hell, no; he has a lot more to answer for than just being a Grade A asshole.  He's wanted for money laundering.  He's been diverting his company's money to offshore accounts to hide his profits from his hot young thing of a wife.  Seems he didn't want to share his wealth with the new Mrs. Taylor." 

 

Justin pinched the bridge of his nose, wanting the entire evening to just end; every mention of his father's name just brought back unpleasant memories to him.  He knew it would probably always be that way now, sadly.  He lifted his head as he heard Debbie let out a squeal of delight beside him - some things never changed, and one of them was Debbie's unique talent for being loud enough to be heard down the block.  "Hi, Honey!" she shrieked in pleasure, a big smile breaking out on her face as dried off her hands on a rooster-motif dish towel before walking over to Hunter and leaning down to hug him from behind and give him a kiss on the cheek.  She wiped off some of her lipstick from his cheek with one, red-lacquered fingernail as she asked, "Want some leftover lasagna?  I've got plenty left over warming in the oven."

 

Hunter shook his head with a smile.  "No, thanks, grandma; I picked up a sub on the way home."  Just then he heard a dish rattling and swiveled his body around to observe a young stranger placing some plates in the sink.  He frowned.  "Who's that?" 

 

Debbie glanced over at Carl for a moment before she divulged, "That's Alex.  She's going to be staying with us for a while.  She needs a place to live." 

 

Hunter eyed her curiously, thinking he heard her swearing under her breath as she brought her index finger up to her mouth to suck on it from the cut she had just sustained from one of the dinner knives.  "Where'd she come from?" he asked his grandmother, even though he wasn't exactly surprised that his grandmother was sheltering yet another waif; if it hadn't been for her intervention with him years ago - along with his dads - who knows where he would have wound up?  Or if he would have even been alive to wonder about it? 

 

"Probably one of Satan's spawns," Brian muttered as Alex shouted back in reaction, "I heard that." 

 

Hunter chuckled as he looked over at Debbie.  "How did you wind up with her?" 

 

"It's a long story," Debbie told him quietly.  "Don't worry; I'll tell you all about it later." 

 

Hunter nodded as Alex walked back in with her hands jammed into her hoodie's pockets; she stared at him sullenly before plopping down into one of Debbie's overstuffed chairs nearby in the living room area, draping one of her legs over the arm as she swung it back and forth.  "Just what I need; another chaperone.  Does he live here, too?  Exactly what IS this place, a frat house?  Where am I going to sleep - in the basement?" 

 

Brian snorted.  "You're worried about that, after living in rat-infested, abandoned buildings? For someone who's been living like a vagrant bum for the last year, you have champagne tastes.  Just say the word, and I'll be glad to haul your ass over to the mansion known as Juvie Hall." 

 

"Brian, that's not helping," Debbie chided her surrogate son quietly as she held up a hand.  Brian chuffed in aggravation but kept silent as she turned to Alex to inform her, "You'll be staying in my son's old room; Hunter lives up in the converted attic while he's attending college."  She smiled over at him affectionately.  "He's training to be a social worker; isn't that great?"   

 

Alex crinkled her nose.  "Oh, I'm overjoyed," she deadpanned as she stared over at him.  "Now he can psychoanalyze me for his theme paper.  Isn't he kind of old to still live with his mommy and daddy, though?"

 

To her surprise, Hunter laughed.  "I like this kid; kind of reminds me of someone else I used to know." 

 

Debbie grinned.  "Yeah, she does.  But look at how you turned out." 

 

"Well, I knew a good deal when I saw it," Hunter teased her with a smile as Alex stared at the others as if they had all lost their mind.  She felt like she was in some sort of Twilight zone episode.  What in the hell were they talking about?

 

"Hunter is my grandson," Debbie explained as if reading her mind; at least that was how she thought of him, even though they weren't blood related.  Of course, Debbie never looked at relationships strictly through a biological microscope, anyway; if she did, she wouldn't have acquired so many adopted 'sons' and 'grandchildren' over the years, ones that had provided her with abundant joy; much more joy than heartache.

 

"He was a lot like you when he was younger," she went on to explain quietly.  "You actually have a lot in common with him, believe it or not.  I think he could help you."

 

Alex burst out laughing as she stared over at the young man peering back at her; he looked much too 'straight lace' to have anything in common with her.  "I seriously doubt that," she retorted.  "What would I have in common with him?  He looks like a total dweeb." 

 

Hunter snickered at her description, finding it highly ironic in light of his past life.  "If you only knew.  I'll tell you all about it sometime; I think you'll be very surprised," he told her mysteriously. 

 

Alex grunted dubiously.  "Can't wait," she grumbled before letting forth with a heavy sigh.  "If you think you're done with issuing me household chores, I'd like to see this prison cell I'll be sleeping in." 

 

"Don't tempt us," Brian growled nearby, "or I'll be glad to show you a REAL prison cell.  You don't know how lucky you got it," he told her, his eyes flashing over her insolent attitude.  "You'd better start showing this lady some respect; she's going to a lot of trouble for you.  We ALL are.  Now apologize - or I'll drag you over to the police station and file a report about your diva impersonation at the hotel right now."

 

Alex bit her lip; it was clear from Brian's tone of voice and the expression on his face that he meant business, and honestly it wasn't such a bad place, even if it WAS tackier than a tourist gift shop.  It certainly beat whatever else she had been calling a home up until now.  She didn't even know WHY she had chosen to vent her frustrations on that hotel room.  Brian didn't have to let her stay there; it had been very generous of him, considering that he didn't even know her.  So why HAD she destroyed the room?  She didn't understand, either.  All she knew, though, was that she had managed to survive by not trusting anyone or anything, so it would be nearly impossible for her to change now.  But if she didn't she would find herself taken into detention and no doubt farmed out to some foster family.  At least this bunch seemed friendly enough, and didn't seem to mean her any harm.  She would have to keep her guard up, though, just in case.

 

"Okay," she muttered under her breath at last.

 

Brian arched one eyebrow up.  "Okay?" he pressed her.  "Okay, what?" 

 

Alex sighed as her next words came out in a rushed jumble, "Imsorry."

 

"Excuse me?  I don't think I caught that." 

 

"I said - I'm SORRY!" Alex shouted out in disgust as Brian smirked in triumph.  "Are you deaf?"

 

"No," Brian admitted with a smug look on his face.  "Just trying to make a point."  He let out a deep breath as he stood up and glanced over at Justin, seeing tired lines etched around the blue eyes he loved so well.  "If it's okay with you, Deb, Justin and I are pretty bushed.  If you think you can satisfactorily confine Ms. Personality here to her room, I think we'll be heading back home.  I assume you'll be putting her to work tomorrow?" 

 

Debbie grinned as she looked over at her new charge.  "Yep; I work first shift, so I'll get her into bed early.  The breakfast crowd is always the busiest, and they start bright and early."

 

Alex looked over at her hesitantly.  "How early is bright and early?" she asked as she held her breath in dread.

 

Debbie grinned.  "Six o'clock on the dot, baby cakes.  So I'll be waking you up at five in case you want to shower and catch some breakfast first before we head over to the diner.  I'll lay one of my nightgowns out for you to sleep in; you'd better hand over those duds you're wearing right now so I can wash them tonight.  You can't go in wearing those the way they are; they're filthy.  We have a health code, you know.  Come with me," she ordered like a drill sargeant as she crooked one finger at her and waggled it.   

 

Brian pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at Alex's pained expression, but he did derive a certain amount of perverse pleasure from it as he watched the girl reluctantly stand up and shuffle after Debbie toward the steps.

 

"Bye, Boys!" Debbie called over to Brian and Justin.  "Come and eat at the diner tomorrow so you can watch me whip this one into shape." 

 

Brian laughed then as he nodded.  "Can't wait to see the transformation," he called after her as she grinned.  He watched as Alex threw one last glare at him before she turned and began to ascend the steps toward the upstairs, Debbie following close behind.

 

Justin watched her go as he asked Brian, "Are you sure she won't try to just run off in the middle of the night?  What would stop her from doing that?" 

 

"Nothing," Brian conceded as he, too, watched her disappear up the steps.  "She's free to do just that.  But honestly, Justin, where would she go?  Back to the streets?  Even if she IS a brat, I think she's smart enough to realize this is a lot better arrangement than what she had.  And when Debbie works her over, she may just wind up being a decent kid.  Look at Hunter," he pointed out as Hunter fixed a mock stare of insult back at him.  "If HE can succeed, anyone can," Brian added with a smile. 

 

"Thanks - I think," was the returning quip as Hunter broke off another piece of garlic bread and popped it into his mouth.

 

"Brian's right," Carl agreed.  "I'm not going to lock her in here.  If she wants to run, that's her choice.  I can't hold her here against her will, and I think she's fully aware of that.  I've seen enough homeless kids living on the street to be able to read them pretty well, and I don't think this kid is a runner.  Don't get me wrong; I think she has a lot of emotional issues that need to be addressed - seeing what she has would mess up anyone's head - but I think she's also a smart kid to have lived on the streets all this time and kept her wits about her."

 

"You mean smart ALEC kid," Brian corrected him. 

 

"If anyone can straighten her out, it's Debbie," Hunter agreed firmly.  "And I'll be glad to add the wisdom of my own experience, too." 

 

Brian nodded as Justin rose to stand beside him.  "Sounds like a pretty lethal one-two punch," he declared as he placed a hand on Justin's shoulder, feeling how tight his muscles were under his touch.  Perhaps a slow, languorous massage for his soulmate was in order once they got home, along with some much-needed TLC.  "Ready to go?" he whispered to his husband as Justin nodded, more than anxious to leave and have some sorely-desired private time with him. 

 

"Tell Debbie thanks again," Justin told Carl.  "See you later, Hunter," he added as Hunter nodded back at him from his place over at the kitchen table. 

 

"Yeah - And good luck; you're gonna need it," Brian quipped with a smile as Hunter smirked in understanding.  He of all people was aware of how someone could hide under a shell of rebellion and callousness, when it was the furthest thing from the truth.  It had taken his two adoptive fathers quite a while to break through his vulnerability, but he had been affected by them from the first moment they had spoken to him with such kindness and concern.  That had dwelled in his mind for a long time, and he felt so grateful now for what they - and Debbie - had done for him.  Perhaps he would finally have a chance to repay their kindness with this other lost soul who reminded him so much of himself.

 

As the two men left, Hunter turned to Carl.  "Why do I get the impression things are about to get exciting around here?"

 

Carl harrumphed.  "I don't think that's quite the word I would use," he told him.  He shook his head, wondering if Debbie knew exactly what she was getting herself into; although, he suspected she wouldn't have had it any other way.  Debbie's Home for Lost Souls was back in business again; already, though, he could see that old, familiar spark in her eye.  This was her calling - not being a waitress at the diner.  That was just a front for her real life's passion.  He had heard once from Michael that his mother had wanted a long time ago to be a nurse; perhaps she was living that dream by adopting all these wandering, troubled souls.  At least so far between Justin and Hunter - and even Emmett - they had all turned out to be quite remarkable adults.  As for this latest 'adoptee,' he just hoped that both of them were up for the challenge; neither of them were spring chickens by any means, but he knew Debbie would die trying if she had to if it meant being able to help steer this petulant, rebellious girl toward a better life.  Just like Hunter had been, he suspected that this girl was more bark than bite.  In either case, they were all about to find out, because he knew Debbie was in it for as long as necessary.

 

"Go ahead," he told the two men.  "We've got things under control here."

 

Brian gave him a doubtful look as if to say that perhaps he was deluding himself, but he nodded back at him as he placed his arm on Justin's shoulder and the two of them quietly exited through the front door

 


 

"I feel kind of guilty," Justin murmured a few minutes later as Brian pulled out slowly into traffic on their way back to Britin.  Both of them needed some much-needed down time at the moment, but the quiet now was almost deafening. 

 

Brian frowned as he glanced over at his husband.  "Why?" he inquired softly as he turned onto the main road heading out of the Pitts. 

 

"For dumping that kid on Debbie and Carl.  We didn't even give them any advance notice; we just showed up on their doorstep." 

 

"You think I did the wrong thing by leaving her with them?"  Brian's mouth hung open slightly.  "You know Debbie would have reacted the same way whether I had called her ahead of time or not; you know how she feels about playing savior to lost causes." He stared straight ahead into the quickly darkening night before turning his head to look back over at his husband.  "What would you have suggested I do, then, Justin?" he asked, his voice sharp and almost accusatory.   He winced; he hadn't meant for that to come out as caustic as it did as he saw Justin seem to flinch over his tone of voice.  Shit.   

 

Justin sighed.  "I don't know," he responded truthfully as he reached over and briefly squeezed Brian's hand that was lying on top of his leg.  "I know something had to be done.  I just meant that maybe WE should have taken her instead."

 

Brian glanced over at his husband dubiously, one eyebrow raised.  "You weren't exactly enamored with her in the car on the way to Deb's," he pointed out as they left the city limits on the way toward West Virginia.  "So what changed?"

 

He noticed Justin appeared to squirm a little uncomfortably as he shrugged.  "That was before I found out she was a girl," he told him as if that explained everything.  "How do you think she survived all this time out on the streets?"

 

"I'm not sure I want to know," Brian admitted tersely.  "And maybe she doesn't want us to know, either."  He pursed his lips tightly together in thought for a moment before he added, "She probably needs to be tested, you know, for...Well, all sorts of things."

 

Justin nodded.  If it hadn't been for Debbie, perhaps he could have been in a similar situation back when his father had thrown him out of the house and Brian had tried his best to keep him from worming his way into his life.  He could have wound up being careless and having his entire life turned upside down as a result.  Of course, he had been much older at the time - closer to Hunter's age than to Alex's - and he hadn't been a girl.  But if Debbie hadn't been around to help him, too - and if he hadn't had the luxury of Daphne, Brian and their group of friends to help watch over him - who knows?  He could have wound up on the streets just like this kid or worse, just like the dumpster boy.  He bit his lip.  To his shame, he couldn't even remember the guy's name at the moment. 

 

"Justin?" was the soft, concerned entreaty as he blinked and turned his head to focus on a pair of expressive, hazel ones peering over at him.

 

"I know," he finally replied, realizing he had temporarily zoned out.  "I think that would be wise, too." 

 

Brian reached over to lightly ruffle the soft, blond hair at the back of Justin's neck. "You okay?"  He had detected an almost melancholy tone in Justin's voice. 

 

Justin smiled back at him wistfully.  "Yeah," he whispered.  "I was just thinking that if things had been different, maybe I would have been where Alex is now - or at least where she has been.  Or I could have been dead, just like that guy that Debbie found in the dumpster."  He shook his head in disgust.  "Hell, I can't even remember that guy's name now!"

 

"Kemp," Brian instantly replied quietly, thinking back to when the blond with the surfer-type body had been discovered in the dumpster behind the diner, stiff and cold in the throes of rigor mortis.  He could still clearly remember how cavalier he had been at the time about the guy's death, acting more concerned over his lunch than a boy who had been brutally murdered.  Actually, the truth was that he had been scared shitless at the time; not for him, but for Justin.  Because he was right; it wasn't too farfetched at all to think that if things had been different - if no one had cared about Justin's safety - the boy he had found himself falling in love with could have been the one in that dumpster instead of Kemp.  The thought of not having Justin in his life now, and how desolate his life would have been without him, made him shudder. 

 

As if reading his mind, he felt the back of Justin's hand against his cheek, reaffirming his presence as he turned to glance over at him; their eyes locked for a moment as he swallowed hard.  Clearing his throat, he tried to change the subject.  "So what are you saying, Sunshine?" he asked as he turned his eyes back to the road.  "I thought you wanted a baby to raise, not a brat."

 

"I didn't say anything about raising her," he pointed out to his husband.  "And I thought you didn't want to discuss a baby until after the election is over."  Right now, it seemed like ages ago that Brian had discovered one of his secret wishes - to have a child to hold in his arms and to raise him or her together at Britin.  After everything that had happened between him and his father - plus this newest development - even he wasn't sure how he felt about it now. 

 

"I don't," he verified as he headed toward the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border.  "Until my father's campaign is over, I have to concentrate on that."  He snorted at the irony.  "If only that were the ONLY thing I had to worry about at the moment."  He sighed as he pulled onto the main interstate, a fifteen-minute ride ahead of them before they would finally be home and could perhaps have some relaxation time together.  He let out a deep breath.  "Just for one night, why don't we just concentrate on ourselves for a change?  No Alex, no fathers - either one of ours - no campaign, no baby, nothing.  Just the two of us.  I'll stop at that diner in town and get us some takeout and we can go home, turn off all the fucking phones, the TV, the laptops, everything.  I'll start up the hot tub out back and we can just pretend that no one exists until tomorrow morning.  Okay?"

 

Justin nodded as he closed his eyes and leaned back into the soft leather of his seat.  "Yeah; that sounds more than okay," he decided as he felt Brian reach for his hand.  He linked his left hand with his husband's right and allowed the steady drone of the vehicle's motor to finally lull him into sleep. 

 


 

Same Time - Debbie's House

 

Debbie sat on Michael's bed, waiting for Alex to emerge from the shower she was taking.  She had managed to find the girl an old nightgown of hers from ages ago, stuffed in a box in the back of her closet.  This was one time that her penchant to not throw anything away had come in handy, since she had managed to dig out a nightgown that wouldn't possibly fit her now, but would at least suffice for a little girl to wear to sleep in.  Her love of Hagen Das ice cream with mounds of whipped cream on top had long ago transformed her into something just west of 'pleasingly plump.'  Fortunately for her, however, Carl liked a woman who had 'meat on her bones,' as he loved to put it.  She grimaced to herself as she eyed her reflection in the dresser mirror sitting directly across from her.  Silently promising to take better care of herself - but knowing at the same time that she was lying to herself -  she looked up to see her newest houseguest shuffling into the room wearing the sleepwear that was at least two sizes too big for her.

 

"Holy shit," she murmured in shock at the site of a freshly-scrubbed Alex.  "You don't look like the same person."   Alex's short, coarsely-textured mop of hair, which had been hidden under the hoodie most of the time and appeared to be a sort of an ash color before, was actually more of a honey blond color now that it had been washed.  And her face and bare arms almost glowed from the rare introduction of soap to them.  She still didn't have much of a figure - something that perhaps puberty would change - but her features didn't appear quite so androgynous now, especially with the sherbet-green, sleeveless, satin nightgown she was grudgingly wearing. 

 

The girl surveyed her new surroundings with disdain.  "Captain Astro?" she asked incredulously as she took in the drapes and matching bedspread; a threadbare, stuffed animal of some sort was lying on top of the two 'superhero' pillows.  "You have GOT to be kidding me!"

 

"You have something against him?" Debbie retorted as she arched one eyebrow.  "And just how do YOU know who he is, anyway?  He wasn't even around when you were born."  She still remembered how devastated Michael had been when they had killed him off.

 

Alex walked further into the room and stood in front of Michael's old bulletin board which still displayed high school photos of him; only now the oversized board had photos of Hunter and JR scattered amongst the others.  She shrugged, finding her throat constricting.  "My dad... he was a comic book geek."  She fingered the fading, color photo depicting a younger Brian Kinney with a dark-haired teenager, assuming that must be this woman's son.  Turning around, she explained, "How do you think he paid for his habit?  He must have had a thousand of the things lying all over the house; he was at the pawn shop down the street so much the guy knew him by heart.  He used to take me in there with him sometimes," she added, her eyes clouding over as she recalled those days.  She laughed as she fingered the plastic sleeve of a comic book lying on top of the desk, but there was no amusement on her face or in her voice.  "He probably thought they'd feel sorrier for him if he dragged his kid in there with him and he'd get more money for them." 

 

She walked over to the narrow window overlooking the dark street below as she murmured, "All he ever cared about, though, was taking the money he got and using it find his next fix."  She closed her eyes briefly as sorrow swept over her, all bravado gone from her voice.  "And he pulled my mother down with him."  She turned around, noticing Debbie staring at her silently, a look of sympathy on her face.  She shook her head, suddenly feeling exposed.  Her face hardened back into its unreadable shell as she pursed her lips tightly together.  "With all this Captain Astro shit, it'll be a miracle if I can even get to sleep." 

 

Debbie studied her intently, realizing Alex wasn't all that worried about the décor; there was much more churning inside of her at the moment.  "Well, maybe we can just talk for a while until you're sleepy, then," she said softly as Alex stood there a few feet away, her hands wrapped around her thin waist as if she were trying to protect herself.  Perhaps she was.

 

"I don't have anything else to say," she replied tersely as she walked over and sat down gingerly on the end of the bed, a few feet away from Debbie. 

 

"I don't believe that," Debbie told her quietly.  "You had a great deal to say earlier at dinner.  I think you still have a lot to say.  I've been told that I'm a good listener, too." She reached out her hand with the intention of placing it comfortingly on Alex's shoulder, noticing how bony it looked, only to watch her scoot just enough away from her to avoid her touch. 

 

"Well, I'm all talked out now," Alex told her flatly, her lips pressed together and her eyes focused on nothing in particular as she stared straight ahead at the window.  She felt caged up all of a sudden, disoriented, and yes, afraid, even though she would never admit it to this woman.  She had learned long ago not to risk anyone knowing how alone she felt or how scared she might be; that was too personal, too likely to get her into trouble.  On the streets you learned to trust no one but yourself. 

 

Debbie peered over at her, her heart aching over not what this child was saying, but what she wasn't saying.  Hopefully there would be a chance for that later.  She could be a stubborn woman when she needed to be, but she was also smart enough to know when to bide her time.  "Maybe it's just as well," she agreed as she rose to her feet, noticing Alex's eyes following her.  "We both have to get up early tomorrow."  She smiled over at her slightly in reassurance.  "Get some rest, then."

 

Alex stared over at her apparently in indecision before she finally pulled the covers further aside and twisted her body to sit with her back against the headrest of the bed, her knees drawn as she linked her arms around them. 

 

"Want me to keep the nightlight on?" Debbie suggested.  "It can get pretty dark in here at night, and if you needed to get a drink or use the bathroom..."

 

"I'm not some whiny little kid!" Alex insisted.  "I'm not afraid of the dark."  She hugged her body tighter, her eyes flashing at the mere insinuation. 

 

Debbie nodded with another soft smile.  "No, of course not," she agreed, perhaps too readily in Alex's opinion.  "Well, it's right over there if you change your mind, and I'll leave the door cracked just in case."

 

"Do whatever you want," the girl replied.  "I'll NEED it completely dark in order to shut out all these images of Captain Astro." 

 

Debbie had to grin over that statement; Michael always had been over the top when it came to his hero worship fetish.  "I always planned on redecorating this room," she confessed to Alex as she placed her hand on the doorknob.  "Maybe you can help me do that sometime."

 

"I don't plan on being here that long," Alex asserted quickly. 

 

Debbie nodded, but her face couldn't disguise her opinion regarding that statement.  "Get some sleep, Kiddo," she whispered.  "I'll wake you up tomorrow morning.  I'll be right down the hall if you need me."  Glancing over at the young girl trying so hard to appear independent and unflappable but doing only a mediocre job of it, she turned and closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar as she left and heading down the hall toward her and Carl's room. 

 

Alex stared over at the door, her thoughts swirling around in her head.  Now that she was finally alone, her previous bravado and bluster - her armor and her protection - faltered.  Her shoulders drooped as she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, listening to the blessed sounds of silence greeting her.  It was so different than living on the streets.  There, no matter what time it was, there was always a litany of sirens, voices, car horns, and other sounds she had somehow learned to drown out.  She never really got a good night's sleep; if you did that, you risked being placed into all sorts of danger.  Ironically, the only other time she had ever gotten a good night's sleep was in that hotel room that she had trashed afterward.  If she hadn't done that, she would have been back on the streets and not here staying in this house.  Was that good or bad, though?  Was she giving up one sort of problem for another? 

 

She sighed.  Even when her parents were alive, it hadn't been much different.  Living in a run-down, drafty rental house with them was a constant struggle for normalcy, and her parents had fought constantly - not only during the day but while she tried to sleep in her ratty semblance of a bed; a mattress on the floor, really.  A stained, lumpy, and threadbare mattress.  She had long ago lost count of how many times she had tried to drown out their yelling and screaming with her pillow, her hands clutching the thin, cotton lump as she hugged it over her head.  It had done no good, though.  Only when they were stoned would the altercations die down; at least until they ran out of money and the drugs wore off again. 

 

The softness of the mattress underneath her now was slowly coaxing her into sleep as she finally slid down to lie flat onto the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest.  Within minutes she was sound asleep, the stuffed animal clutched in her arms as she lay on her side, lightly snoring.  

 


 

Harrisburg - Tony and Fin's Home

 

"Yeah, God, right there," Tony hissed as Fin pounded into him; his partner's arms were locked at the elbows as he smoothly pistoned in and out of his lover on the bed.  Tony's hands slid up and down Fin's sweat-slicked back as he arched his hips to deepen the penetration.  "Harder, Fin," he growled as his nails dug into the muscled flesh.  "More," he demanded as his legs rose up to link behind his lover. 

 

"Baby," Fin murmured as he began to pick up his pace and reached down to pump his lover's cock, Tony's vocal moans of appreciation increasing, signaling that he was close to climax.  By now they knew each other's body language and sounds so intimately that they could almost reach inside each other's minds and hear their silent thoughts. 

 

"Yesssss," Tony continued to hiss over and over again almost in a mantra as Fin could feel the sweet, familiar tightness coiling inside his body like a snake prepared to strike; his eyes locked on his lover's as he pushed in roughly once, twice more before Tony cried out and exploded between their bodies, his come spewing out and coating their chests.  All it took were a couple more plunges inside Tony's body before Fin, too, joined him in climax, collapsing heavily down on top of him.

 

A few minutes later after cleaning themselves up, the two lovers lay in their favorite position, Tony half-draped over Fin's body with his head lying on his chest.  He could feel Fin idly feathering the top of his head and his lover's strong heart beating beneath him.  After the sex that continued even now to take his breath away, this post-coital time was his most favorite part of their day.  Lately, however, these moments when they could just relish being alone with each other were extremely rare.  He was intent, then, on making the most of it.

 

For several minutes, he just allowed himself to lie there as his own heart assumed a more normal cadence to match Fin's; he felt Fin's arm slid around his body to pull him closer as he bent his left leg at the knee and moved it to rest within the long legs of his lover's; an almost imperceptible sigh escaped between his partly-open lips as he felt Fin shift slightly beneath him.

 

"What is it?" he heard the whisper from above, feeling Fin's fingers still in his hair. 

 

"Nothing," he murmured, but he knew that wouldn't appease him. 

 

"Bullshit, Counselor," was the not-so-unexpected scolding.  "I know that sound; your analytical wheels are turning again.  Are you thinking about your case?" 

 

Tony shook his head in response, his hair tickling Fin's skin as he slowly lifted his head to peer into the steel-gray eyes boring down into his.  Placing his chin on top of Fin's chest, his lips twisted into a rueful shape.  "Just enjoying the view," he finally replied as Fin's arm slid further around his chest; the long fingers splayed firmly against his skin. 

 

Fin's lips curled under.  "The view looks pretty damn good from up here, too," he said with a grin before his expression changed into something more serious.  "What you are thinking?" 

 

Tony stared into the eyes he knew so well - and that knew him.  "The election's only a week away now; so much has changed since it all started." 

 

Fin snorted.  "That's an understatement.  About the only thing that's remained the same is you and me."

 

"Will it?" Tony asked softly.

 

Fin frowned.  "Will what, Baby?" he asked, his fingers lightly caressing the pale skin. 

 

"Will we remain the same, no matter what happens?" 

 

Fin scooted up further into the bed, pulling his partner up along with him until they were eye to eye.  "What kind of question is that, Tony?  Nothing's going to change between us." 

 

Tony gave him a dubious look as he reminded him, "Fin, there's a good chance you will be governor soon." 

 

"And? Your point is, Counselor?" 

 

"You don't think that will change our relationship?" 

 

"Why would it?"

 

Tony shook his head as he laid his hand, palm down, on Fin's taut chest and gazed into his lover's eyes.  "For someone who is so intelligent, Fintan O'Connor, you sure can be naïve sometimes.  When you win the election," Tony began as Fin grinned at the use of the word when and not if, "We're going to have a lot of decisions to make." 

 

Fin reached up to lightly rub the pad of his fingers across the full, soft lips of his partner, mesmerized as always by the expressive, blue eyes and the beautiful, classic face.  Even now after all these years, this man was the most captivating male he had ever met and he could still make his heart flutter in response, just like it was doing now.  He stared into Tony's eyes for a moment before he whispered firmly, "Yeah.  If...okay, when it happens," he corrected himself as Tony quirked an eyebrow upward at him, "you're right; there will be a lot of decisions, logistical and otherwise, that I'll have to make; that we'll have to make.  But there's one area that will not be in question.  Nothing will change between us."  He swallowed hard; just the idea of Tony not being by his side, especially after everything they had been through, was simply unfathomable to him.  "Haven't you figured out by now that I can't live without you, Mr. Cassinelli?"

 

Tony rolled his eyes but smiled at the sentimental statement as he replied teasingly, "So melodramatic, Senator." 

 

To his surprise, he quickly found his face cradled firmly by a pair of long-fingered hands to hold it in place.  "I mean it, Tony," Fin replied in dead seriousness as he stared into his partner's eyes; his voice choked unexpectedly as he added, "Don't you realize that?  Nothing else matters if you're not there with me to experience it." 

 

"You don't mean that, Fin; not totally, anyway," Tony countered. "I know you're passionate about a lot of things.  I know how much being able to help your constituents means to you.  I know, too, how hard you've fought to come out on top of this.  Think of what you would be capable of doing from the governor's office!  Politics has been your life, Fin.  You could no more step aside from that than I could quit trying cases.  It's in your blood." 

 

Fin's heart skipped a beat as he stared into his partner's eyes; he knew him so well. That was one of the reasons why he loved him so much; that and much more.  "Yes," he admitted.  "It is a large part of who I am; who I will always be."  He began to slowly stroke Tony's cheek.  "But I would give it all up tomorrow if you asked me to." 

 

"You know I would never do that," Tony replied. "I would never ask you to do or be something that you weren't.  Your dedication to the people you serve was one of the things that first attracted me to you."  He smirked.  "That and the fact that you were one of the hottest guys I had ever seen in my life.  You know, you're very sexy when you get all fired up in the Senate chamber." 

 

Fin chuckled softly.  "I doubt if the Senate president would put it that way.  He normally prefers to call me arrogant and narrow-minded, especially when I filibuster one of his bills he's trying to pass."  He smiled tenderly at his lover as he stroked Tony's cheek with the back of his hand.  "By the way, you're pretty sexy yourself when you're grilling a witness on the stand, too." 

 

Tony smiled softly at him; his initial worries fading, but only a little.  He knew Fin meant what he said, but he wasn't sure he realized just how hard it might be to follow through on his convictions.  It was one thing to promise they would always stay together now as they lay in bed, savoring one of the few private times they had had the chance to enjoy lately; it was quite another situation once he was ensconced in the Governor's mansion and had to answer to the entire state of Pennsylvania, not to mention how much scrutiny he was bound to experience as the first openly gay governor of the state. 

 

"I just don't want things to change between us, Fin," he responded with quiet seriousness.  "I know once you win our lives won't be the same," he conceded.   "That worries me.  I don't relish the idea of us being under a constant microscope all the time." 

 

Fin's brow furrowed.  "Tony, only our residence will change, not our relationship.  Yes, there will be a lot of attention thrust on me - on both of us - if I win.  But what we do behind closed doors is none of their damn business.  And there's no reason, by the way, why we can't still come back here on occasion to get away from all the other bullshit.  I never want to give this place up; it means too much to me - to both of us.  It's our sanctuary.  But you're my ballast; you're what keeps me sane when things get crazy.  Without you..."  He left the sentence unfinished; it was much too painful to even consider.

 

"I'm not going anywhere, Fin," Tony hastened to assure him as he rolled his and Fin's bodies so that their positions were reversed; his partner propped his longer, heavier body on his elbows as he nestled Tony's legs in between his own. 

 

"No?" was the soft urge.

 

"No way," Tony confirmed as he placed his hands, palm down, on Fin's chest and stared into his partner's eyes; it was rare when he saw any sign of vulnerability in the proud, confident face of such a powerful man, but the fact that he was willing to reveal that to him made him feel so cherished.  Neither of them had a crystal ball, but he did know how much he loved this man.  That would have to do for now; the rest they would just have to make up as they went along.  "I love you too damn much." 

 

Fin's face broke out into a tender smile.  "Not as much as I love you." 

 

"Why don't you show me, Mr. Governor-Elect?  Actions speak louder than words, especially when there's a politician involved."

 

Fin grinned.  "Let's make that my first gubernatorial order, then.  Pound lover into the mattress on a nightly basis in the governor's mansion."

 

"Only once a night?"  Tony grunted as he caressed his partner's shoulders.  His eyes twinkled, pleased to see the old, familiar gleam back in Fin's eyes.  "I must be losing my touch." 

 

Fin leered down at him.  "I'll show you touch..."  And he proceeded to demonstrate his tactile sense for the next hour until at last they both fell into a deep sleep together, temporarily forgetting what still awaited them.

 


 

5:00 A.M. - Next Day

 

A sound, appearing muffled and distant, hammered away insistently inside Alex's brain like a miniature jackhammer as she tried hard to resist it.  Since she had laid her head down on her pillow last night, it had been as if she were sleeping the slumber of the dead.  She had fallen asleep within a minute of closing her eyes, her anxiety over being in a new, unfamiliar place quickly superseded by the unaccustomed safety and relative luxury of her surroundings.  Now, however, a persistent voice was slowly rousing her from sleep as she fought against acknowledging it.

 

She bolted awake, however, her heart pounding as she felt someone touching her.  She shot up in bed, disoriented and frightened, as Debbie jumped back slightly in reaction.

 

Seeing how startled Alex was, Debbie silently cursed to herself; she should have known not to attempt to awaken her in that manner, especially in an unfamiliar place.  She could recall how Ben and Michael used to tell her that Hunter had similar reactions whenever they tried to wake him by the same method.  They had quickly learned to use other means to get him out of bed; it hadn't been easy, since Hunter always had been a heavy sleeper, but once they had found the 'wooden spoon against the aluminum pie pan' trick, that had worked like a charm ever since.    

 

"Wha..?  Huh?" Alex gasped out, startled, as she tried to get her bearings in the dim glow of the bedside lamp.  Where was she?  Her eyes swept across the bedroom, honing in on the gaudy, superhero curtains and the bulletin board plastered with photos before coming to rest on Debbie, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, and she finally realized where she was.  Her heart still thudding erratically against her chest, she took a deep breath before growling, "Shit!  You scar...Don't ever do that again!"  

 

Debbie started to apologize, but then thought better of it.  That was probably precisely the reaction this girl was looking for; an opening so she could close herself back up into her shell again.  Well, she wasn't going to let that happen.   Instead, she pursed her lips together as she informed her, "Oh, my apologies, Your Majesty.  I forgot to draw your bath this morning, too."  She crooked one eyebrow upward as she told her, "It's five o'clock, Princess.  You have fifteen minutes to get dressed and downstairs for breakfast if you want to eat before we head to the diner."  She snorted.  "Trust me; you won't want to eat that shit down there."  She rose from the bed, still clad in her two-piece, matching flannel pajamas and her bunny slippers; her wig, however, was already in place.  After rising to go to the bathroom each morning, that was instantly the next part of her daily routine.  To Debbie, not having her wig on was akin to a toothless man not wearing his dentures.  "Now get your butt out of bed, Missy.  We need to leave in 30 minutes; capiche?  That's Italian for MOVE!" 

 

Alex crossed her arms over her bare shoulders, suddenly feeling a slight chill in the early morning air.  It was still pitch dark outside.  "And what if I don't?" she argued, her mask firmly back in place.

 

Debbie paused by the bedroom door.  "Your choice," she decided.  "But if you don't, I'll just have Carl take you with him to the police station so Child Protective Services can come and haul your ass off to a foster home.  If you want him to take you there in what you're wearing now, fine.  But it's awfully cold out there."  She glanced down at the bed and couldn't help smirking slightly at what she saw.  "I see you and Chewie became acquainted last night; that used to be Michael's favorite toy as a kid when he had trouble sleeping." 

 

Alex wrinkled her nose in dismay; had she actually been sleeping with that threadbare, stuffed animal last night?  Surely not.  "I don't know how that got there," she insisted, even though something told her that was a lie.  Apparently Debbie wasn't buying it, either, from the amused look on her face, which just made her all that more disgusted at the thought. 

 

"Of course not," Debbie told her with a lopsided smile.  "Now get up and get dressed, Alex," she told her in a softer tone of voice just before she turned and closed the door quietly behind her. 

 

Alex sat there in hesitation, her 'fight or flight' emotions waging a battle inside her.  Even if she DID take off, where would she go?  She knew nothing about this city; she could always go back out onto the streets, searching for a place to stay and scrounging for something to eat in the dumpsters that always populated larger cities in the back alleys of restaurants and gas stations. But she didn't know her way around this town, and it was black as ink outside; no doubt it was chilly as well, and all she had was her thin hoody to keep her warm.  What sort of choice was that, then?  At least if she played along with this flashy, brassy woman for now she would have a place to stay temporarily and no doubt plenty to eat.  The woman would probably work her ass off, too, though, thanks to Kinney.  But at the moment, as she glanced over at her newly-laundered clothes - her ONLY change of clothes - she decided that she could at least stand it for a few days until she could get her bearings better and develop a different plan.

 

Grudgingly, then, she pulled the comforter back, gasping a little as the cool morning air hit her bare skin, and shuffled over to her clothes to get dressed. 

 


Two and a Half Hours Later...

 

The ringing of a cellphone jolted Justin out of his sound sleep as he felt Brian move slightly beside him in their bed and curse in reaction over the intrusion.  "What the fuck?" he heard him mutter as Brian reluctantly dislodged himself from his husband's arms and rolled over to grab his cellphone lying on their bedside table.

 

His eyes still closed, he heard Brian answer his phone and knew fairly quickly who was calling.

 

"Mark; hey, what's up?  Something wrong?" 

 

His eyes opened then, worried that something else had happened as he turned his head to meet Brian's gaze; Brian mouthed out the name 'Mark Leon' to verify that it was, indeed, Fin's speechwriter as he reached over to lightly stroke Justin's shoulder in a silent reassurance that everything was okay before Justin heard him say, "Yeah?  No shit!  I'll have to check that out."

 

Brian smiled at him tenderly a few seconds later as he replied into the phone, "Well, that doesn't exactly surprise me; he's my own secret weapon; apparently, Fin's, too."

 

Justin frowned as he continued to listen to his husband's conversation with Mark until, after promising to meet up with him and Fin tomorrow in Harrisburg for a strategy meeting, Brian disconnected the call.

 

He scooted up higher in the bed as he asked, "What was that all about?  Not more problems, I hope." 

 

Brian leaned over to bestow a soft kiss on Justin's cheek as he nuzzled the side of his neck.  "No, not that."

 

Justin arched his neck away from his husband's probing lips as he squirmed, placing his hand on the side of Brian's face.  His heart sped up when he looked into the impish, gorgeous face staring back at him as he murmured with a smile, "Brian, stop that; you know that makes me crazy."

 

"Horny," was the correction against his skin as Justin sighed in pleasure as Brian grasped his cock through the thin sheet and gave it a squeeze for good measure.  He was so damned predictable sometimes.  "Okay, horny, too," he agreed as he felt his body tingle in arousal.  He batted Brian's hand away from his dick as Brian pretended to pout.   "I still...I still want to know what you and Mark were talking about," he struggled to get out.  "Were you talking about me?"  He was finding it a little hard to focus at the moment, though, and utter anything too intelligible; Brian had a way of driving him to distraction, just like he was doing now.  He supposed that would never change; nor would he want it to.

 

"You might say that. Mark told me he just checked the latest polls after the debate last night," Brian murmured huskily against his husband's neck as he rained nips and kisses along the corded flesh, hearing small pants coming from his lover's parted lips.  He smiled, enjoying the effect he was having on him as he added, "it seems your little speech is the talk of the town - or should I say state."  He licked a trail now from Justin's neck to his jawline, heading toward lips to devour them as his morning treat, when Justin gripped his face with his hands, impeding his progress temporarily.

 

Brian," he moaned out.  "Stop for a minute," he managed finally to say.  "What do you mean?  Somebody's been talking about me?" 

 

Brian sighed; he supposed he had no one to blame but himself for mentioning it in the first place; it could have waited, but too late now.  Justin wasn't the only one feeling particularly horny at the moment, however.  "Somebody, Sunshine?  Try everybody. Your name is mentioned in practically every comment on the web at the moment, at least regarding what happened last night."

 

"What!?" Justin exclaimed, his momentary desire for another round with his sexy lover briefly forgotten as his eyes grew large in shock. 

 

Brian pursed his lips together ruefully.  He twisted his upper body just enough to retrieve his cellphone.  Justin watched silently as he brought up his web browser and began to search for the latest polls regarding his father's campaign.  Finding one online article particularly laden with comments, he quickly scanned them as a grin broke out on his face.  "Take a look for yourself, Mr. Celebrity." 

 

He handed the phone to Justin as he began to read through the article first, noting it mentioned the latest poll from Gallup indicated a five percent increase in Fin's standings in the gubernatorial campaign since the last poll taken a week ago.  Then as he scanned the comments underneath, his heart caught in his throat.  Brian hadn't been kidding - practically every comment was in reference to his impromptu speech to his father after he had interrupted the debate between his father-in-law and Whittle.  Interspersed between most of the comments was an occasional homophobic jab or two, but overall the comments were quite favorable and supportive of what he had done - and Fin's right to have the freedom to pick who to love, male or female. 

 

"Holy shit," he exclaimed softly, his mouth agape in disbelief as he continued to scan the comments.  "I had no idea..."  He shook his head in amazement as he gazed over at Brian.  "Why?" he asked.

 

Brian laughed as he gently disengaged his phone from Justin's grasp and set it back down on the night table.  "Why do you think, Sunshine?  You blew them away last night - not to mention you made your asshole of a father look like an even bigger homophobic prick than he already is.  You opened up a lot of eyes last night, Justin, and I think a lot of people are rethinking their opinion of Fin.  Maybe, just maybe, they've decided that it's more important to look at a man's character and what he stands for, rather than who he's fucking in bed at night.  I think my father's record stands for itself; and maybe a lot of other people are finally figuring that out, too."  He reached over to curl his hand around Justin's shoulder to pull him closer against his body.  "What you did last night was worth more than all the money Fin's spent on advertising so far.  We couldn't have paid enough money for what you managed to accomplish with that speech, just by being honest and speaking from your heart." 

 

"I wasn't really thinking about what I was saying," Justin countered.  "I was just so angry with him, and I couldn't let him spout such hatred and lies about Fin.  He is such an honorable and compassionate man, and he deserves to be governor.  He's the better candidate.  What he didn't deserve was to be humiliated and disparaged by my father in front of everyone.  I was just trying to point out who the close-minded one was.  I didn't have any hidden agenda going on."  He shook his head again in shock.  "I had no idea it would get all over the internet like this - and so fast."  He bit his lip as he gazed over at Brian.  "I thought I might have really fucked things up for Fin last night."

 

Brian grunted.  "Not quite," he said wryly.  "I think you might have just given Fin a much-needed shot in the arm.  Mark was so keyed up just now over the phone; he's hoping this might just give the campaign enough momentum to push my father over the top for good."  Brian laughed.  "What poetic justice; I'm sure your father thought by disrupting the debate last night he would cause voters to turn away from Fin.  It seems to have had the opposite effect.  Your father is going to shit a brick when he finds this out, and oh, how I wish I could see his face when Fin winds up becoming Governor!  Talk about a big, giant, fuck-you." 

 

Justin couldn't help grinning a little at that idea, finding that it didn't seem to hurt quite so much now whenever his father was mentioned.  Yes, he still mourned for what used to be, but it was time to move on and look forward.  He had his own family now, and he still had his mother and sister.  Going forward, Craig Taylor was merely going to be an unpleasant memory not worth dwelling upon.  "Yeah, it would be," he agreed softly.  "I'm glad it didn't hurt your father's campaign. And if it did help him to gain a bigger lead, then that's even better." He reached up to stroke Brian's cheek as he told him, "Brian, he's going to make such a difference for this state.  I'm really beginning to think he just might win this." 

 

"Might win?" his husband repeated in mock insult as he pulled back to stare into Justin's eyes.  "This is MY father we're talking about here, Sunshine!  Of course he's going to win!"  His face lit up at the thought.  "What?" he added after a few seconds, befuddled, as Justin laughed at him and shook his head in amusement.

 

"I'm just amazed how far you and Fin have come since you first met. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were proud of him.  And your sentences are sprinkled more with 'my father' here and 'my father' there than they ever were before."  Of course, he knew the truth; Brian WAS proud of Fin, and that made him happy.  If nothing else came out of this whole, occasionally sordid experience, just knowing that Fin and Brian were drawing closer together as father and son as a result made everything else worth it. 

 

Brian briefly thought about bullshitting his way through Justin's statement, but he knew that would be fruitless.  For once, he found himself not quite as glib as he normally would be as he replied, "Well, uh, he has come a long way since then.  Remember he wouldn't even admit he was a queer at first.  Now, he's out and proud.  So yeah, I guess I have a lot more respect for him now that's he's being honest with himself.  And he IS my father and is by far the most qualified candidate; what else would I call him?"

 

"Well, if he's MY father, I could think of a lot of other names," Justin quipped as Brian rolled his lips under in agreement.  His expression changed briefly as he thought once more of how his relationship had deteriorated so irretrievably between him and his own father; a painful lump lodged in his throat despite his previous vow to not let it bother him anymore. 

 

"Hey," was the soft response next to him as Brian grasped him under his chin.  "What did you decide before?" he reminded him as his fingers lightly caressed Justin's cheek.

 

Justin exhaled a heavy breath between his lips as Brian used the back of his hand to stroke his face.  "That I wasn't going to dwell on it anymore."

 

Brian nodded as he leaned in to brush his lips against his.  Pulling back, he stared into his husband's eyes.  "Just keep repeating it.  He's not worth it, Sunshine.  I'm your family now.  Me, Fin, Gus; even Tony.  And you are ours. That will never change."

 

Justin nodded, his eyes glistening.  He knew that was true; he knew he would always have their love and their support, no matter what happened.  A small part of him still wanted to add a little one to his and Brian's family, but he also recalled Brian's wishes not to discuss it until after the election was over.  Soon, though, he knew that time would arrive.  What Brian would decide, however; what they would both decide, was still very much up in the air.  Plus, they had the whole situation now with a certain bratty kid to resolve as well.  For now, though, just knowing that he had a 'real' family that loved and valued him for who he was was enough for him.  "I know," he finally whispered as he smiled tenderly at his soulmate and brushed his fingers against the back of Brian's neck, feathering the soft strands of auburn hair.  "And it's what anchors me and keeps me whole."  His heart swelled with emotion.  "God, I love you so fucking much, Brian.  More and more every day.  You do know that, don't you?" 

 

Justin could swear he saw Brian's eyes glimmering back at him as his husband nodded.  It was a few seconds before he responded; before he could respond, Justin suspected more accurately. 

 

Brian slid his arms around Justin's waist, drawing him closer until he was almost sitting on his lap as he rubbed his cheek against Justin's and cradled his head in the crook of his husband's shoulder.  "Yeah," he finally whispered, his lips vibrating against Justin's skin as Justin slid his own arms around Brian's waist and closed his eyes, breathing in the unique smell that was his soulmate.  "Yeah, I do.  And...And I, fuck, I love you, too, Justin."  

 

They remained that way for several seconds, just breathing in his other's scent and luxuriating in their rare moment of solitude and privacy before Brian pulled back slightly to gaze into the azure eyes boring into his.  Their gaze locked on each other, sharing a silent, deep bond between them, Brian quirked one side of his mouth upward before he whispered, "Let me show you how much," before he proceeded to do just that.

 

 

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