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

Kaylee continues to recover from her injuries while Justin overhears Brian's innermost thoughts; Gus and Katie conspire to help bring the fathers closer together.  Someone thought long gone reappears.

 

 

Fifteen Minutes Later…

 

The hospital transport personnel had Kaylee transferred in record time to a regular room; a nurse came in shortly afterward by the name of Nichole to make sure she was as comfortable as possible and to attach the necessary oxygen monitor and IVs to her before, with a statement to Justin to buzz the nurse’s station if she needed anything else, she quickly exited the room to tend to the next patient, leaving father and daughter alone for the first time in quite some time.

 

Justin clasped his daughter’s hand, relieved that the cervical collar had been removed but thinking how small she looked in the hospital bed; swaddled with a white sheet and a thin, cotton blanket, she appeared even younger than she actually was.  She stared up at him drowsily as he swallowed hard at the sight of her lying there.  He knew she was supposed to recover fully, but the thought of what might have been made him realize how tenuous life could be – and how things could change in a heartbeat.  Perhaps it also meant that it was time to reassess his priorities and decide where his and Kaylee’s lives went from here – but any analysis of that would have to wait until at least his daughter was discharged and recovering.

 

“Can I get you anything, Honey?” he asked her softly as he slowly caressed her hand with his thumb in reassurance.  He reached over with his other hand to tenderly wipe some sweaty bangs back from her forehead, almost instinctively using his action to search for any lumps or other bruises the doctor may have missed.  To his relief, he didn’t feel or see any as he withdrew his hand back.

 

“Thirsty,” she rasped out as Justin nodded, reaching over to grab the plastic cup with water he had filled for her earlier.  Raising the head of the bed up slightly with the remote, he held the cup for her as he watched her grab the straw and take a few sips before she nodded slightly to signify she was done.

 

“Get some rest, Kaylee,” Justin murmured as he placed the cup back down onto the wheeled table nearby.  “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

 

“Where’s Dad?” she managed to whisper out a little hoarsely as her eyelids fluttered in exhaustion tinged with pain; the medicine Brian had managed to procure for her earlier from the less-than-hospitable nurse seemed to be kicking in and alleviating her discomfort somewhat, however. 

 

“He went to tell your brother and sister and Michael how you were doing and that you were being moved to a room,” he explained to her soothingly.  “He’ll be right back.  Now try to go to sleep, okay?” 

 

“I wish my cats were here,” she said as her eyes slowly closed and her face relaxed just a bit.  “I miss them,” she breathed out a little mournfully.  Justin watched her thoughtfully for several seconds until he heard her breathing evening out, signifying that at last she was asleep, before he leaned back a little further in his chair beside the bed and sighed.  Had it just been a short while ago that the two of them had been living a fairly ‘normal’ life in their condo?  Sometimes it seemed like a lifetime ago. 

 

He winced as he shifted his body in an attempt to get more comfortable and felt a jolt of pain shoot up his leg; his ankle seemed to have stiffened up from all the walking around he had done earlier and it was starting to throb now.  He desperately wished he, too, had some sort of pain medicine to help ease the achiness he felt, but he wasn’t about to leave his daughter to go find any.  He would just have to deal with it. 

 

He didn’t realize he had lain his head sideways down against the cold metal side rail of the hospital bed and nodded off until he felt the familiar touch of his ex-partner’s hand on his shoulder.  Lifting his head somewhat sheepishly as he opened his eyes, he turned to stare up into Brian’s concerned face.

 

“Katie and Gus?” he asked as he lifted his head, covering a yawn with his free hand as Brian reached over to pick up a lightweight chair and place it down beside Justin to sit beside him.

 

“They’re right down the hall,” he whispered as he looked over at their daughter, speaking softly so as not to disturb her.  “Gus said he will stay with Katie for now in the waiting room so we can keep an eye on Kaylee.” 

 

Justin nodded, grateful that Gus was there, even though they had had some rather difficult conversations both in the diner and the car.

 

“How’s she doing?” Brian asked as he continued to peer at their daughter intently.

 

“I think the pain medication has started to take effect now,” he told Brian as he, too, stared down at her quiet form.  To his relief, her color appeared closer to normal now and she seemed more at peace.  “She fell asleep not too long after she was brought in here.”  He glanced around the room, noting it was Spartan but comfortable; another hospital bed, currently empty, sat against the far wall by the large window with a small side table separating the two and a combination chair/sleeper unit perched in the far corner.  “I’m glad she was able to have a room to herself,” he commented.  “There’re enough interruptions normally in a hospital without having another patient in here.”

 

Brian nodded as he noticed a grimace appear on Justin’s face and immediately ascertained the reason why.  “Your ankle’s still bothering you?” 

 

As Justin nodded simply in confirmation, not feeling a need to lie, he watched with surprise as Brian reached inside his pocket and pulled out a medium-sized bottle of ibuprofen.  “I walked next door to the drug store and picked these up,” he explained.  “I thought you might be needing some of them.”

 

Justin stared at him in wonder, secretly touched by Brian’s thoughtfulness.  Not in any mood to question his motives at the moment and deciding to take the gesture at face value, he nodded as Brian opened the bottle and took out three caplets – the standard dosage he used to take when they lived together and his hand would start bothering him. 

 

“Thanks,” he told him softly as Brian handed him the pills; despite his focus on their daughter’s condition, he couldn’t help the old, familiar thrill from coursing through his body as their fingers brushed up against each other before Brian broke contact to reach over and pour him a cup of water. Downing the liquid and placing the cup back on the tray, he turned to stare back down at their daughter, his thoughts in a whirl.  They weren’t just concentrated on Kaylee, however; as much as he had professed earlier to not wanting to even think about his and Brian’s future, he couldn’t help intertwining the two together in his mind.  Could there be one without the other? He wondered.  Would he want one without the other, despite what had happened and how much time had passed?  And why did everything always have to be so complicated?

 

Brian stole a glance over at Justin, noticing how tired he looked.  He, too, was exhausted, at least mentally; between his heart-to-heart with Michael, the accident, and having to face Justin again to explain what had happened to their daughter, it had been a hell of a day, not to mention the fact that he absolutely abhorred hospitals after what had happened that day so long ago to Justin.  He knew, though, that neither of them would be leaving Kaylee’s bedside tonight; at least HE wasn’t planning on going anywhere.  But Justin had the added issue of his own injury.  While it hadn’t been his fault directly, he still felt somewhat responsible for what had happened.  “Justin?” he whispered as he turned to look at his ex-partner.

 

Justin turned his head to stare over at the hazel eyes he knew so well; even now, even after everything that had happened, Brian could make his heart lurch just by saying his name in a certain way, much like he was doing now.  “Yes?” he answered softly as he continued to grasp Kaylee’s hand.

 

“I’ll stay here with Kaylee.  Why don’t you go get something to eat?  You could even lie down on the other bed over there until your pain medicine kicks in.  You need to get off that ankle.  You know I won’t leave her.”  As Justin partially opened his mouth to no doubt protest that he wasn’t a fucking invalid – Brian could just hear him saying that already in his head – he took a chance and placed his fingers gently over his ex-partner’s mouth, forcing himself not to recall memories of just how those lips had been used so many times in the past.  “Don’t argue,” he urged.  “You know you won’t do Kaylee any good if you’re dead on your feet, and you know she would be pissed at you for not taking care of yourself.”  He paused for just a second before adding the word, “please,” knowing that Justin would pick up on the fact that he just said a word that was not normally in his vocabulary. 

 

Justin tried not to concentrate on the feel of Brian’s fingers on his mouth, but felt his body flush in reaction just the same.  He pursed his lips together a little in irritation, not wanting to come across as weak right now, but he grudgingly had to admit that Brian had a point.  He needed to be the best he could be if Kaylee was going to be discharged tomorrow.  Of course, that brought up another question:  just where would she be discharged TO?  He had a good idea where Brian would suggest she go – Britin.  Of course.  She didn’t HAVE to go back there, though; there was always his mother’s condo or a hotel; hell, even Debbie would undoubtedly let them stay there if need be.  In fact, she would probably be thrilled to death to hover over both of them like a mother hen.  At the moment, though, he didn’t want to think about that; the throbbing in his ankle was prohibiting him from thinking of much else.

 

As Brian withdrew his fingers, Justin reluctantly nodded, realizing the sense in what his ex-partner was saying.  “Okay,” he grudgingly agreed as he eyed the other bed nearby a little longingly.  “Maybe I’ll lie down over there for just a little while until the pain subsides.”  Even sitting down, the ankle continued to ache like crazy; perhaps elevating it on the unoccupied bed would help.

 

Brian nodded as Justin gently detached his hand from Kaylee’s and stiffly stood up, biting back a groan at the pain that flared up in response.  Brian reached over to help scoot the chair back enough for him to walk around it before he slid over to occupy Justin’s previous place closer to the head of the bed and reached to hold Kaylee’s hand much like Justin had done.

 

Justin stayed just long enough to make sure Kaylee hadn’t noticed the temporary lack of touch before he shuffled slowly over toward the other bed and climbed up onto it to lie down on top of the blanket and sheet.  The inexpensive foam pillow encased in plastic crunched softly under his head as he closed his eyes, intending to merely rest for a few minutes until the pain in his ankle subsided.  Less than two minutes later, however, he was fast asleep.

 


 

In the waiting room down the hall, Katie restlessly flipped through a People magazine, not bothering to stop and actually read any of the stories that she normally would find inordinately fascinating with all the latest gossip regarding some of her favorite celebrities.  She was much too worried at the moment about her sister and her fathers, though, to be able to concentrate on any of the actual content.

“What do you think is going on in there?” she asked Gus who was sitting right next to her. 

 

Once Gus had shown up with Justin and they had found out Kaylee was being transferred to a private room, Michael had quietly excused himself, telling them that if there was anything else he could do to just ask.  He promised not to tell both grandmothers what had happened, at least not yet, knowing both Jen and especially his mother would blow everything out of proportion and come rushing over if they found out about Kaylee’s accident.  Now that they knew she would apparently be okay, he figured the newly-reunited family would need some privacy among themselves before the grandmothers swooped down to confront them.  He had quietly left with the hope that some good would come out of what could have been a tragedy.

 

“I don’t know,” Gus answered her truthfully, his left arm draped across the back of Katie’s chair and his long legs splayed out in front of him as he squirmed awkwardly in his seat.  “I imagine they’re just making sure she’s going to be okay and is getting enough rest.”

 

“But do you think they’re talking?” she couldn’t help asking hopefully as she glanced over to look at her brother who appeared somewhat uncomfortable in his rather cramped chair.  One glance at her brother and there could be no question that he and their Dad were father and son; both had the same issues with finding furniture that would adequately handle their long, lanky bodies.

 

Gus sighed; he knew exactly what sort of ‘talking’ she was referring to.  He turned his head to look over at his sister.  “Just because they’re in the same room together doesn’t mean all their problems will just go away, Katydid, and all their issues will be resolved,” he told her, using his pet name for her that had originated when she was around three years old and had developed a fascination with the large, green grasshoppers of the same name. 

 

“I know,” Katy protested a little stiffly, somewhat miffed that her big brother would think she could fall for such romantic notions and that she would naively believe that everything would now be hunky-dory just because both fathers had been brought together over their joint concern for her sister.   Silently, though, she had to admit that was exactly what she was hoping; that somehow her two fathers would bond over her sister’s bedside and emerge with their arms around each other like they were back in love and nothing had happened.  Well, actually, that wasn’t exactly right; she already knew they were in love.  That wasn’t the problem.  If only it were that easy...  She sighed in frustration, silently she thought, but it came out as a mournful sort of audible breath to her brother’s ears.

 

Gus eyed her thoughtfully as Katie cast her eyes downward and set her magazine down on the empty seat beside her, knowing she couldn’t possibly concentrate on it right now.  “Did Dad ever tell you what happened to break them up?” he asked her unexpectedly as she raised her head to peer over at him.  After what Justin had told him, he was beginning to question what the true version was regarding that day in his father’s office, and he was curious just what his sister did know.

 

“Not much,” Katie admitted to his disappointment.  “At least not to my face.”  She bit her lip before admitting, “But Kaylee and I did hear something they said up in Chicago when Dad came to get me.”

 

Gus peered over at her curiously.  “What?” he pressed her softly, seeing distress on her face; apparently whatever she and Kaylee had heard had been upsetting to them.

 

“We… we were supposed to be upstairs while I was getting ready to go back home with Dad,” she began to explain.  “But Kaylee and I stayed on the steps downstairs and listened to them while they were talking.  They were arguing about Dad breaking a promise to Daddy.  About how he had, had, fu…”  She knew what the word meant, and while it was a bad word to say out loud, even if it hadn’t been, she couldn’t say it.  Just the thought of their two fathers not being faithful to each other was too hard for her to understand and too painful.  She let out a deep breath before she finished.  “How he had been with someone else behind Daddy’s back.”  Even now she found that fact hard to believe in light of how much they loved each other, STILL loved each other.

 

Gus nodded sympathetically.  “I guess that must have really hurt to hear that,” he told her gently.  God knows how much it had hurt him when Justin had left back then; only now was he beginning to fully understand the reason why.  The father that he had always kept on such a high pedestal was beginning to show just the slightest edges of tarnish now. 

 

Katie’s eyes filled with tears as she relived that moment; yes, it had hurt.  She would have never thought that their father would do that to their daddy.  “How can people who love each other do that, Gus?” she asked, her voice slightly choked up.  “If I loved someone, I wouldn’t think about being with anyone else.” 

 

Gus reached over and grasped her smaller hand.  “Sometimes I don’t think love has anything to do with it, Katie,” he told her softly, the drone of the television in the far corner the only other sound in the empty room besides their voices.  He sighed.  “You know Dad.  Sometimes he does things and thinks about the ramifications later.  I think that was one of those cases.”

 

She frowned slightly as a realization hit her.  “You know exactly what happened that day, don’t you?” she pressed him as she noticed her brother tense a little.

 

Gus looked away, a little uncomfortable.  Yes, he had more insight into what had happened, but his sister was still relatively young, despite the typical bravado and maturity she normally portrayed.  How much should he tell her?  And was it his PLACE to tell her?  Right now, too, he felt like he only knew two halves of a story, not the real, unvarnished truth.  Yes, he knew more than she did, but did he know the whole story himself?  How should he answer her?  He didn’t feel right lying to her, but he wasn’t sure even HE knew the whole truth.  “I know some of it, just like you do,” he finally replied as he lifted his gaze to stare into her blue eyes, so much like her father’s.  “But most of what I was told came from our father, not from Justin.  I don’t want to tell you something that isn’t true.” 

 

“But Dad wouldn’t lie to you,” Katie pushed, knowing how close her brother and her father were.  She and her Dad had a special bond, a unique bond, but so did they.  The dynamics were different, perhaps due to the age difference, but even at her age she knew that sometimes despite how much her father loved her, he and her older brother shared things that she wasn’t privy to.  “Tell me what he said,” she urged him. 

 

Gus sighed.  “Katie…”

 

“Gus, please; I have a right to know.  Don’t you think there’ve been enough lies going around already in our family?”

 

Gus had to smile softly at that statement.  “You mean lies – or schemes?  Katydid, from what I’ve heard you and Kaylee have been pretty busy yourself sneaking around behind your fathers’ backs.  Do you think that was fair to them?” 

 

Katie tilted her nose up in the air in insult.  “That’s different,” she huffed.  “I didn’t cause the two of us to meet.  And I didn’t keep us apart for all this time, either.  I've just been trying to fix things; somebody has to do it.”

 

“No,” Gus admitted readily.  “You didn’t.  And I know how much that must have hurt when you found out what happened; it hurt me, too, not to see Justin all this time.  I loved him – still love him – as much as the two of you do, and before he went away with Kaylee I thought of him as a father just like you do now.  But this is different, Katie; you can’t force someone to remain together if they don’t want to be.”

 

“No, you can’t,” was her surprising answer as she jutted her chin out in determination.   “But you wait and see, Gus.  They WILL stay together; I just know it.”

 

Gus leaned over until their heads were touching as he continued to hold her hand, thinking how simplistic his sister's thinking could be.  I hope so, Katydid, he thought to himself.  For your sake and for Kaylee’s – and yes, for mine, damn it – I hope so, too.

 


 

Justin didn’t know how long he had been asleep; by the time he woke up, though, he could tell more time had passed than he would have liked.  He hadn’t even been intending to fall asleep, but his mental and physical weariness, along with the pain medicine kicking in, had lulled him into slumber.  Now, turned onto his side and facing the window, he could see the sun rapidly beginning to set low in the horizon and he knew it had to be close to dinner time. 

 

He was about to turn over to check on Kaylee when he heard Brian sigh behind him.  Then he began to hear him speaking, the sound of Brian’s voice filtering clearly over to his side.  Even though his ex-partner was obviously trying to whisper because he didn’t want to wake him, he could still clearly make out everything he was saying. 

 

Brian reached over with his free hand to slowly stroke Kaylee’s blond hair back from her eyes where some strands had fallen down into her face.  “You remind me so much of your father, Princess,” he murmured tenderly as he tucked some hair behind her ear.  “Beautiful but feisty.  Passionate about what you care for and willing to fight for it.  And,” he had to smile, “ridiculously romantic at heart.” 

 

Justin’s breath caught; he had to be told after the prom what had happened – and what those words signified.  He swallowed hard, a lump knotted in his throat like the blade of a knife as Brian continued, feeling somewhat guilty about not letting his ex-lover know he was awake, but feeling almost incapable of revealing himself even if he wanted to.  He wasn’t sure, but he suspected that Kaylee was still asleep; he heard no response from her as Brian continued to speak softly at her bedside.

 

“I… I’m so glad that you’re going to be okay, Princess.  If anything ever happened to you or Katie…”  Brian inhaled a deep breath to calm his emotions, unable to even venture the thought of what might have been.  “I love you and your sister so much; I couldn’t live with either one of you being hurt in any way.   And don’t you worry; I promise – whatever happens between your father and me, I will always be in your life from now on.”  Brian huffed softly as his eyes filled with tears of regret.  “Just try to keep me away.”

 

Justin bit his lip and held his breath, unwilling to miss anything Brian was saying.  It was like peering inside his ex-partner’s head vulnerable and bare to his scrutiny, and the rare opportunity was just too good to pass up.

 

 


 

 

His elbows braced on top of the hospital bed’s metal railing, Brian cradled his chin on his hands as he stared over at his daughter, almost frightened by just how much he loved her and Katie.  A long time ago, before Gus was born, he would have never thought his heart would be open enough to love a child as much as he loved his son and daughters, but that day his son was born – and he met his soul mate – his life had been irrecoverably changed and he had never gone back to the man he had been before.  He realized that now.  Was it too late for all of them to start over again, though?  Was it even possible to retrieve what he thought had been forever lost?  Perhaps not.  But I’m not giving up, he thought firmly.  Not without fighting for you and for your father, he vowed silently. 

 

He glanced over at the other bed then, seeing his ex-partner’s still form lying there with his back to him and totally unaware that Justin was, indeed, awake and hearing every word.  God, I still love you so fucking much, he couldn’t help thinking, even if you ARE the most obstinate man in the world.  He sighed again as he turned his gaze back to his sleeping daughter, grateful that she was finally able to rest; well, grateful that both daughter AND father were able to rest.  He knew that Justin had no doubt been on his injured foot way too much today.

 

Leaning over to grasp his daughter’s hand once more, he was unable to stop the flow of words that continued.  “I really messed up before, didn’t I, Kaylee?” he murmured.  “I let the best thing that ever happened to me slip through my fingers like sand.  I didn’t even understand why I did it back then, though; not until I talked to Mikey.  He helped me to understand.”  He laughed softly, almost silently, as the words spilled out like a much-needed balm to his wounded soul.  “I was afraid; do you believe that?  Your old man was afraid that all that domestic shit would change him into someone else and he would no longer recognize himself.  That’s why I did what I did; to prove that I was the same old Brian Kinney that I always had been – to prove to myself that I was a man.  But you know what, Princess?  I’ve discovered that I don’t want to be that man any longer; I had already changed into someone else long before that even happened.”  He snorted in self-derision, his voice tinged with just a hint of sadness.  “I just didn’t realize at the time what being a man really meant.”  He restlessly brushed back some of his hair from his forehead in frustration, wondering how someone so perceptive when it came to advertising could be so fucking dense when it came to what really mattered in his life. 

 


 

Justin continued to hold his breath as Brian spoke so eloquently and sincerely; it still didn’t quite explain exactly why he had fucked that client’s son that day, but it did go a ways toward trying to decipher it.  For the first time, he began to understand his ex-partner’s mindset that day and he felt his anger diminishing just a little.  The hurt was still there, but it was now tinged with understanding, also.  He decided to stay ‘asleep’ for a few minutes longer before he turned around to let Brian know he was now awake, not wanting his ex-partner to know that he had overheard him.  They were going to have a lot to discuss once Kaylee was discharged tomorrow.   But just then he heard a soft scuttling sound behind him and he had to resist the strong urge to turn over to see what was going on.

 


 

At the sound, Brian twisted around in his chair to observe Katie and Gus standing in the doorway.  Smiling tenderly at them, he quickly placed his fingers over his mouth to warn them to be quiet and then motioned for them to enter as they softly crept into the room to join him. 

 

“How is she?” Katie asked with nervous concern as she walked over to stand on one side of her father’s chair; Gus took up the other side as both children placed their hands on his shoulders and stood there peering down at their sister together.

 

“She’s doing better,” Brian confirmed as he broke his handhold with Kaylee to reach up to place his hands on top of both of his children and give them a squeeze before letting go to retake his other daughter’s hand.  “Her color’s better and she’s sleeping more comfortably now.   I think as long as she stays this way, she should be able to go home tomorrow morning.”

 

“That’s great,” Gus replied with a relieved smile.  At last he would get the chance to get to know his sister better while she was recuperating.  He glanced over at Justin’s still form in the next bed.  “Is he okay?” he asked Brian.

 

Brian nodded as his own gaze swept over to his ex-lover’s.  “Yeah… His ankle was starting to bother him and he looked really tired, so I convinced him to go lie down for a little while.”

 

Gus nodded at him as he glanced back over at Justin; in his position he suddenly looked rather small and vulnerable, even though Gus knew he was far from it.  In fact, Justin had always been one of the strongest people he had ever known back when they had interacted so much while he and his dad were together.  But he also knew from their earlier conversation that Justin did have one weakness; his dad.  He might give the impression that their break was irreparable, but no matter what happened, he knew their lives would always be intertwined forever.  He looked down then at his own father, noticing the tired lines around his eyes and the strained look on his face.  Justin might have been physically injured, but he wasn’t the only tired one. 

 

“Dad, why don’t you go get something to eat or drink and Katie and I will stay with Kaylee?”

 

“No,” Brian told his son with a slight shake of his head.  “I don’t want to leave her; I’ll be fine.”

 

“Come on, Dad,” Gus gently chided him.  “You said yourself she seems to be doing much better.  Go on down to the cafeteria and find something to eat or get some coffee; I promise I’ll text you if I need to, and besides, Justin’s here.  If something should happen, all I’ll have to do is wake him up.”

 

Yeah, Brian couldn’t help thinking sadly.  As far as the hospital goes, HE’S her father, not me.  At least he and Justin had both promised to rectify that, but right now any possible future court action would do neither of them much good now, so Gus had a point.  It wasn’t as if Kaylee would be left alone and helpless if he stepped out for just a moment.  He inhaled a deep breath and let it out, feeling the weariness seeping all the way into his bones now.  Giving Kaylee one last look to make sure she was still apparently doing okay, he nodded as he stood up and picked up the chair he’d been sitting in and softly placed it back down so he didn’t disturb either her or Justin. 

 

“Thanks, Sonny Boy,” he murmured as he reached to envelope his son into a bear hug for a few seconds, and then leaned over to grasp Katie by the shoulders to give her a kiss on the cheek.  “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”  Casting one more look over at his ex-partner, he nodded before quietly heading toward the door.

 


 

Brother and sister sat down next to Kaylee, Gus reaching over to lightly grip her shoulder through the thin, aqua green hospital gown she was wearing.  “You look so much alike,” he told Katie in amazement as he stared down at her twin.  “It would be hard to tell you apart if you were wearing the same clothes.  You even have the same haircut.”  He looked over at his sister as she laughed softly.  “What?” he asked curiously.

 

“It didn’t always look that way,” she informed him.  “I convinced her to cut it so we couldn’t be told apart.”  She smiled at him.  “Duh,” she teased him as Gus rolled his eyes in response. 

 

“I should have known,” he retorted as he looked over at her, but there was no sting in his voice, only admiration.   He studied his other sister, presently sleeping on her back, her lips slightly parted as she slept through their conversation.  Apparently Kaylee was a heavier sleeper than Katie; he always liked to say that Katie would wake up if you dropped a pin beside her bed.  She could hear the slightest of noises sometimes.  “I wasn’t planning on getting to know my other sister this way,” he remarked softly as he stared at her face.  “But I’m glad I’m going to the get the opportunity, though.”  He paused as Katie nodded beside him before he added, “You think she’ll be going back to Britin when she gets out of the hospital to recover?” 

 

Katie placed her hand on her brother’s forearm as she, too, gazed down at her sister’s face, now peaceful in slumber.  “I don’t know,” she whispered back honestly.  “No one’s said anything about it yet.” 

 

“Well, we’ll just have to see that she does,” Gus declared firmly, his mind made up.  “I’m sure that together we can both be very persuasive.” 

 

Katie grinned from ear to ear; she liked the way her brother thought.  “Yeah,” she agreed.  “They won’t know what hit them.” 

 

Gus chuckled softly as together they continued to stand watch over their sister.

 


 

Justin waited a few minutes longer before he finally decided it was safe to ‘wake up.’  Making a show of stretching his hands over his head and flopping over onto his back, he succeeded in getting Gus and his daughter’s attention as he opened his eyes and stared over at them.  “When did you get here?” he asked, obviously already knowing the answer.

 

He twisted to rise up on the bed into a sitting position, gingerly lowering his body to the ground and finding to his relief that his ankle was much less sore than it had been before; apparently the rest, along with the medicine that Brian had procured for him, had done a good job of diminishing the previous pain.  He walked quietly over to Kaylee’s bedside and glanced down at her to make sure she was okay before he brought his attention back to the other occupants in the room.

 

He reached over to take Katie’s outstretched hand and clasp it firmly as she said, “Gus and I got here a few minutes ago.”

 

Justin nodded as he broke his grasp of her hand and gazed over at Gus who was eyeing him thoughtfully.  He still felt a little uncomfortable around this boy – now almost a young man, really – that he had known so well a long time ago but had since lost favor with, but he was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he was breaking through the boy’s shell just a bit.  At least Gus was no longer looking at him like some pariah, anyway, but instead had more of a neutral-type expression on his face. 

 

He nodded briefly at Gus as he played along and asked, “Where’s your father?”

 

“I persuaded him to go find something to eat or drink, or just to take a break,” Gus informed him.  “I told him we would watch over Kaylee until he got back.  And you were here, too, so if anything happened I knew I could wake you up if need be.”  He paused for a moment before he asked, “How’s the ankle?  Dad said it was bothering you a lot earlier.”

 

"It's doing better," he told him.  Thanks to Brian, he added silently as he glanced down at Kaylee.  “She seems to be resting comfortably now,” he observed.  He let out a ragged breath.  “God, I’m so relieved,” he admitted to them.  “When I heard what had happened…”  He shuddered at the thought before he sucked in another breath and let it out, smiling slightly over at Katie in reassurance, knowing she still felt responsible for what had occurred.  “But she’s going to be just fine, Katie; she’ll be good as new in no time.  She's very resilient."

 

He reached out his left hand in invitation as his daughter got up from her chair and, walking around the bed, was promptly swept up into a tight embrace as he comforted her; as she leaned her cheek against her father’s chest and Justin held her in his arms, he peered over at Gus to observe him thoughtfully watching them.  He squeezed her tight for just a moment, letting her go as Brian walked into the room holding two Styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands; their eyes locked on each other’s as his ex-partner gave him a half-smile. 

 

“How is she?” he asked Justin softly as he handed him one of the coffees he had purchased down in the cafeteria.

 

Justin murmured, “Thanks,” before he told him, “She’s still doing well; hasn’t woken up yet, which is good.  She needed some rest.”

 

Brian nodded as he looked over at their daughter to confirm for himself that she was, indeed, still asleep, before he returned his gaze back to his other children.  “Look, I appreciate the two of you watching her for us, but it’s going to be a long night.  Gus, why don’t you take Katie back to Britin with you?  Justin and I can take Kaylee back home tomorrow morning once she’s discharged.” 

 

Katie stole a glance over at her brother, both no doubt thinking the same thing.  “So Kaylee’s coming back to Britin to stay until she gets better?”  she asked Justin as she peered at him then, noticing a look of indecision on his face; before he could say anything, though, she plunged back in, hoping Gus would take his cue and back her up.  “It really would be for the best, Daddy,” she implored him.  “That way, we take care of her, too.  Plus, she hasn’t even really gotten to know Gus yet.  If she doesn’t stay where Gus is, how are they ever going to get to do that?  You’re WERE planning on staying with Dad and me at home, weren’t you, Gus?” she asked innocently, knowing full well that was where her brother normally stayed when he came to visit; her father didn’t know that, though. 

 

Gus immediately knew what to say.  “Yeah, sure; that is, if it’s okay with Dad.  This might be my best chance to get reacquainted with my sister.” 

 

Brian’s face broke out into a smile; he knew exactly what ‘game’ both of his children were playing, and he had no intention of changing the rules now.  “Of course it’s all right,” he told him warmly just as Katie and her brother thought he would.  “That is… If it’s okay with Justin,” he added as three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him intently.

 

Justin flushed at all the attention.  Shit.  What could he say?  If he refused, Gus would think he was a shitty father for keeping him separated from Kaylee, and there had already been enough of that between the two girls.  And he saw where that had led to; anger, distrust, and resentment.  No, he would not continue to perpetuate such feelings, even if it WOULD make things awkward between him and Brian.  Sighing, he replied, “Okay, yeah.  I guess she can come back there.  But only until she recovers, okay?  I DO have a life back in Chicago and obligations to get back to, you know.” 

 

Brian forced his face not to reflect the deep disappointment he felt over that statement; Katie, on the other hand, wasn’t as adept at hiding her feelings.   As he looked over at her, it was as if a cloud had fallen over her as he thought he saw the faint signs of tears in his eyes and his heart went out to her.  As he watched Justin walk over and sit down beside his daughter’s bedside to once more clasp her hand in support, he silently thought, You talk a good talk, Justin, but we’ll just see about that, Sunshine.  We’ll just see…

 


 

As Justin pretended to focus solely on Kaylee by her bedside, inside his mind was in a whirl.  Why in the hell had he said that?  Yes, he did have a life that he had carved out in Chicago for his career, and for Kaylee’s schooling.  And yes, Kaylee was involved in a number of after-school activities that she would probably miss, along with a lot of her friends, if she were never to return to the Windy City.  And Chicago was definitely a thriving, cultural city.  But apart from that, did he really have that significant a life there?  Truthfully, no; especially since he and Alex had broken up.  Yes, he had made some friends there and had some art contacts that he would hate to give up, but did they really have such deep roots in Chicago that there would be a significant impact if he were to leave there? 

 

If he were honest with himself, he knew the answer would be no.  Then why had he just said that to Brian?  To hurt him, the same thing he had done to him?  To let him know that he was still in need of a better explanation for what had happened that day that had changed everything?  To protect his heart from any more pain if things didn’t work out between him?  As he gazed over at Kaylee’s face and tried to come to grips with everything that was happening in their lives, he silently prayed for guidance that whatever his decision might wind up being would ultimately be the right one.

 


 

Same Time – Chicago

 

Alex let out a tense breath as he drove up to Justin’s condo; it had been several days since he had last spoken with his former fiancé, but he hadn’t been able to get Justin out of his mind.  Their words, spoken so bitterly and angrily before, were now muted with time and he found himself desperately wanting to somehow make amends and right the wrongs that he felt both of them had inflicted on each other.

 

Of course, there was still the major problem with Justin’s bratty child, but as he stopped the car and turned it off to stare over at Justin’s condo building, he felt confident that somehow they could overcome that issue.  How, he wasn’t sure.  All he DID know, though, was that he was still hopelessly in love with the man and just couldn’t let him go. He had tried for days now to email and call him, but had been relentlessly met with silence.  Finally, he decided it was time to talk to him face-to-face, despite the chance that his rebellious daughter might be the one to answer the door.  It was a chance, however, that he will willing to take.

 

Closing the car door behind him, he walked up the steps and opened the exterior door, taking a deep breath to steel himself before he trotted up the stairs going to the second floor.  Arriving at Justin’s apartment a few seconds later, he took one more breath of courage before he rapped smartly on the door.  His hope of having the door opened by his former fiancé, or even the insolent child herself, however, were foiled as no one came to open it, even after he knocked three separate times.

 

As he emerged outside a few minutes later, frustrated by his lack of success, he stood there on the sidewalk as a sudden inspiration hit him.  Turning and walking the few steps over to the other building’s door, he rapped on it loudly to get the attention of the occupant inside.  He already knew from past experience that the woman who lived there was hard of hearing. 

 

He had to wait at least a couple of minutes before he finally heard a shuffling noise from the other side of the door and then the door being unlocked and slowly opened; the occupant kept the deadbolt chain securely attached, however, as she cast a wary eye outward through the crack.   “Yes, who is it?”

 

Alex plastered on his most winning smile as he greeted the woman.  “Hello, Mrs. Bailey, do you remember me?  I’m Justin’s friend, Alex.” 

 

He waited impatiently until he thought he saw the woman’s mind click in recognition; sure enough, she nodded her head.  “Oh, yeah, Justin’s beau.  Yes, I remember you,” she told him as her beady-little eyes peered over at him intently; her face remained fairly passive, however.

 

“I was hoping you could tell me where Justin is,” Alex told her smoothly, deftly keeping his anxiety at bay as he watched what appeared to be indecision flicker across her face.

 

“I thought you were his boyfriend,” she told him flatly as Alex’s attention was diverted to a motion at her feet; he instantly recognized Kaylee’s cats, Dali and Picasso, weaving in and out of the woman’s somewhat plump legs, their backs arched up as they rubbed up against her.  Interesting, he thought.  Apparently Justin was out of town, because he knew whenever he had to leave for business, he always asked this woman to watch their cats.

 

“I am,” Alex replied in assurance, the lie smoothly rolling off his tongue.  “But, well, you see, Mrs. Bailey; Justin told me he had to go out of town on business, but just before he left he and I got into a little tiff, so he left without telling me where he was staying.  It was a silly little argument, really; and now he’s not answering my calls.” 

 

The woman’s eyes pierced into his as he continued with what appeared to be an apologetic smile, “I really want to apologize to him and make it up to him.  Tomorrow’s the anniversary of when we first met, and we always celebrate that day.  I really need to see him and make amends.  It was just some silly lover's spat, and I know what a romantic person you are,” he told her as she smiled a little over the compliment, “so I’m sure you can understand the significance of what that day represents.  I love him so much, Mrs. Bailey,” he told her mournfully.  At least THAT part was true, he thought dryly.  “He must have told you where he was going and left some sort of contact information in case of emergency.  Can you please tell me where he went so I can make things right with him?  I would be forever indebted to you, and I know Justin would feel the same way." 

 

Mrs. Bailey hesitated, clearly torn over what to do.  Justin had told her where he was headed, but hadn’t really given her a lot of information; he had merely said he would be staying with his mother for a few days, maybe a little longer, and that it was in his home town of Pittsburgh.  She already had his cellphone number, so more information wasn’t really necessary.  But as she looked into this handsome young man’s imploring eyes, she was finding it hard to resist his request.  And besides, he and her young neighbor, who she cared for very much and thought of as a fine person and a good father, did always appear happy together whenever she saw them around the neighborhood.  The last thing she wanted, then, was to prevent them from making up after they had had such a trivial argument.  Justin deserved to be happy; he worked so hard.

 

“Well, I don’t really know all that much,” she began hesitantly… and Alex knew at that moment that he had her. 

 

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

There will be another chapter of this story posted before I move onto "Tame The Wild Stallion" that will detail their return to Britin; hope you'll stay tuned for it. Thank you for reading and for your comments!:)

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