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

Justin and Brian continue to work on deepening their relationship; Justin hatches a plan to show Brian just how much he loves him, with the girls' help.

 

 

Thirty Minutes Later...Britin


"They're back!" Kaylee squealed excitedly as she hurriedly pushed the front drapes back together in the study, noticing the telltale signs of headlights slowly approaching up the driveway.  "I wonder how it went?  I can't wait to hear where Dad took Daddy out on their date!  I think it's sooo romantic!"

 

Katie covered her ears and scowled.  "Can you keep it down?  I don't want to go deaf before we get into junior high." She rolled her eyes at her sister as Kaylee sighed dreamily.  "Oh, brother," she muttered as Kaylee punched her in the arm.

 

"Cut it out, you brat!" Katie groused good-naturedly.  "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" she asked as Kaylee scurried toward the open doorway.

 

"I'm going to the kitchen," she told her.  "They'll have to come through there from the garage."

 

"Have I taught you nothing?" Katie asked in disbelief.  "How are we going to find out what really happened if they see us watching them?"

 

"Duh.  Ask them?" Kaylee ventured.

 

"That's not the best way to do it!  Come on," she told her with a Kinney-type smirk as she tugged on her sleeve and headed toward the steps.

 

"Why are we going upstairs?" Kaylee protested, her eyes flashing.  "I want to know where they went and what happened!"

 

"We will!  Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"

 

Kaylee sighed heavily but grudgingly followed her sister up the steps. She was soon smiling, though, as they reached the second floor and she realized what her sister was up to.  Katie promptly plopped down, Indian style, in front of one of the railings and poked her head between a couple of the wooden spindles, just in time to see their fathers come slowly shuffling down the hallway from the kitchen, softly laughing about something. Their dad's arm was around their other father's waist as he leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek and whisper something in his ear, making their father blush.

 

A paper gift bag with handles and some sort of logo on it was clutched in their daddy's hand as he swung it lightly back and forth.  Both sisters watched wide-eyed as the two men stopped to turn and face each other before pulling their bodies together for a lingering kiss, their arms sliding around each other to hold the other man close.

 

The two sisters looked at each other with beaming smiles of approval on their faces, covering their mouths to keep from giggling as the kiss seemed to go on and on.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kaylee scrunched up her nose in wonder, unable to keep from asking her sister softly, "How can they breathe like that?", causing her sister to snicker back at her.  It was a sound that carried more than they realized in the cavernous house as both men reluctantly broke apart to stare up at the second floor.

 

"Uh, Sunshine, I think we have an audience," Brian reported dryly as they stared up at both daughters looking down at them with sheepish looks on their faces.  "You can come on down now, girls."

 

A pair of blond heads rose from above the railing to peer down at them as Justin grinned.  "What are you doing up there?  Shouldn't you both be in bed by now?  Where's your babysitter?  We paid him a lot of money to keep an eye on you two."

 

Kaylee harrumphed as she and her sister came bounding enthusiastically down the steps, now that their presence had been revealed.  "You didn't pay him anything," she pointed out as Justin shrugged with a grin.

 

"He's upstairs in his room on his cellphone, talking to some girl," Katie reported as she wrinkled up her nose in distaste.  "Good thing he has unlimited calling minutes.  He's lying upside down on his bed with this goofy look on his face.  Yuck."

 

Brian chuckled as their daughters reached the main floor; he briefly ruffled both girls' hair in affection as he asked them, "How was dinner?"

 

Kaylee snorted.  "Katie had to eat an entire cow while we were there. Sheesh."

 

"I did not!" Katie argued.  "It was just a quarter pounder - the same one I always order."

 

"Oh, my bad.  A fourth of a cow, then.  Ugh."

 

"Well, it's better than eating a tofu burger.  How can you eat that stuff? Do you know what you get when you eat that many beans? Gas.  Lots and lots of gas. And not the good kind you put in cars, either."

 

Justin laughed.  "Girls, girls!  Let's just be thankful that you both found something you liked to eat.  If you're going to keep this up, I might just have to return what I have in the bag here."

 

"No, we want to see!" They both vehemently protested in perfect choreography as if they had rehearsed it.

 

Brian chuckled as he looked over at Justin in amusement.  "How do they do that?  We may just have a new Olympic sport on our hands: synchronized speaking."

 

"Daaaad!" Katie whined as she reached for the paper bag.  "Please!  What's in there?"

 

Justin grinned as he held the bag up just high enough that they couldn't reach it yet.  "First we need a report on your behavior from Gus."

 

Katie sighed heavily.  "How would HE know? He's been talking to that girl ever since we got home! Half the time he doesn't even say anything.  He just lies there with this moony type of expression on his face."

 

Justin chuckled.  "Oh, your son must have it bad," he told Brian.

 

"What can I tell you?" Brian remarked.  "It's that Kinney mystique; we're irresistible."

 

"And don't forget humble, too."

 

Kaylee's eyes sparkled in anticipation as she impatiently urged, "Come on; tell us where you went on your date!  We want to hear all about it!"

 

Justin smiled as he lowered the bag to pluck out Kaylee's gift first before handing the paper gift bag to his other daughter.  "I'll let you figure it out," he told her mysteriously as Katie looked inside and her eyes widened in excitement as she realized it was an art book.  "And this one's for you, Sweetheart," he told Kaylee as he handed her a small, flat, white box.

 

Kaylee quickly opened the box and pushed back the tissue paper to discover the purse; both fathers instantly winced as both girls let out a shriek of delight as they explored their gifts.

 

Kaylee threw herself into her father's arms as she grasped the beaded purse with the impressionist design in her left hand.  "I love it, Daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

 

"This is awesome, Daddy!" Katie exclaimed as she hugged her father from his other side.  "I can't wait to use it to paint with! Can we do that tomorrow?"

 

Justin beamed at the thought.  "I'm looking forward to it, Katie.  It's a date."  Katie's smile threatened to rival her father's as she hugged him tightly around the waist.

 

"Hey!" Brian protested with a mock scowl.  "Uh, excuse me...you do have two fathers here, you know..."

 

Both girls giggled as they looked over at Brian.  "We do?" they both said innocently at once before they burst out laughing over his expression.

 

"Little fuckers..." he muttered under his breath, realizing they had been playing him all along.

 

"Brian!" Justin scolded him with 'that look' he had.  "Language."

 

"Oh, I imagine they've heard it before," he snickered as the girls grinned impishly back at him.  "I KNOW Katie has."  He shook his head in amusement.  "Maybe we should have kept you two apart after all; you're much too dangerous together."

 

"No, we're invincible together," Katie corrected him instead, a hint of pride in her voice.  "All of us.  You, me, Kaylee, and Daddy."

 

Brian held out his arms as the two melted into his side, his heart turning to instant mush.   "Yeah, we are," he whispered huskily as he bent his head down briefly to kiss the top of Kaylee's head and then Katie's.  He peered over at Justin, both of them mirroring the same, intense emotion on their faces as he held both of them close against his body.  "I wouldn't trade this for anything," he told them unexpectedly as he closed his eyes for just a moment and allowed his sense of touch to take over, still marveling that all of them were finally reunited as a family again. And to have Gus visiting, too, for a while made it all feel all the more incredible.

 

"You bet we are," he heard Justin agree softly as he opened his eyes to peer over at him with a smile.  His heart skipped a beat as an unexpected feeling of contentment washed over him. Who would have thought this would ever happen?  Or that it would even be possible again?

 

"So have the two of you figured out where we went yet?" Justin asked them with a grin.

 

Katie nodded while Kaylee shook her head no.  "I bet you went to the winery."

 

Justin nodded back at her. "Would you believe your father actually painted with me?"

 

"Paint by number?" Katie asked innocently as her father gave her an indignant look.

 

Justin snickered.  "I like the way this girl thinks!" he exclaimed.

 

Brian scowled.  "Well, I don't.  She thinks way too much like YOU."

 

Justin chuckled.  "No, actually your father was a good boy, and painted a picture freehand. Well, he tried, anyway," he added, noticing a pained expression on his partner's face.

 

"Hey, I'm in advertising; that's what I pay my Art Department to do. I think up the amazing ideas."

 

 

Justin nodded solemnly.  "Oh....I see.  Good thing, girls. Because as much as I hate to say it, Katie, you did NOT get your artistic talent from your father over there."

 

Katie giggled.  "Daddy, that's physically impossible, anyway."

 

Justin smiled. "True," he agreed.  "But it doesn't always work that way. Your sister can't draw worth a darn, either, remember?"

 

"Hey!"

 

Justin laughed.  "Well, CAN you?"

 

"Uh....no."

 

Justin smiled at her tenderly in amusement.  "Don't worry, Sweetheart; I know you have other talents.  You're going to be a world-class vet one day, I know it. And we'll have all kinds of animals running around Britin, inside and outside the house."  He grinned at Brian's horrified expression.  "It was a joke, Dad.  You can start breathing again now."

 

Brian let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as Justin explained, "We'll do our best to keep things restricted to the stables...except for the cats, of course."

 

Brian groaned, another ‘colorful metaphor' escaping his lips.  "Fuck, I forgot about the cats!  Wouldn't they be happier back at the carriage house?" he suggested hopefully. "They would have the world's largest, domestic cat house; hell, it'd be bigger than your old condo in Chicago."  One look at Kaylee's expression of dismay, however, and he knew THAT wouldn't work.  "No, I guess not," he decided as Kaylee sighed in relief.  He shook his head in defeat. "When did you two wrap me around your little fingers?" he mused softly.

 

"The first day you saw them, just like me," Justin reminded him as they locked gazes on each other.

 

Brian nodded after a few seconds.  "Yeah, I guess they did," he admitted truthfully. He took a deep breath. "Well, now that you've heard about our date, I think it's time for you girls to head up to bed," he told them as he squeezed them both affectionately before letting them go.  Kaylee already had her purse out, swinging it from her shoulder, while Katie couldn't help taking a few peeks at her new art book as she skimmed over the pages.

 

"Noooo!" both girls groaned in protest as they realized what their father had said.  Justin laughed at the uncanny timing.  "Just a little longer?" Katie pleaded.  "It's not like it's a school night."

 

"Not yet, anyway," Brian responded.  "But I know how cranky you get when you don't get enough sleep, and I suspect your sister here is the same way.  Plus, I know you'll both stay up for at least another hour before you REALLY go to sleep to talk. So off you go. Say goodnight to your father."

 

Katie pouted before Justin reminded her, "We artists have a date tomorrow morning, remember?  So you need to get a good night's sleep. I'll see you then."

 

She smiled in pleasure at that thought before nodding in agreement, walking over to stand on her tiptoes to give both fathers a kiss on the cheek. Kaylee grudgingly followed her gesture before the two of them headed back upstairs.

 

"Don't be looking at that book on the steps,, either," Brian warned Katie, who already had her nose in her art book.  A heavy sigh escaped Katie's lips, but, keeping her finger between the book's pages where she had left off, she closed the book and did as her father instructed.  As soon as they reached the landing upstairs, however, the book was once more wide open and she had her nose stuck in it again.

 

Justin grinned, happy that his daughter seemed to like the book so well.

 

"Why didn't you tell her about the job?"  Brian asked him quietly as he walked over to stand next to him.  "You're not sure about taking it?" He asked.  He tried to keep the indecision out of his voice, but he was suddenly feeling a little anxious. Was there a reason why Justin hadn't told her?  Could it be that he hadn't quite made up his mind about staying here after all?

 

Justin shrugged.  "I guess I want to wait and talk to the vineyard owners first to make sure it's something I'd be interesting in doing, and to get some more of the details worked out. They haven't exactly offered it to me, you know, either. They haven't even met me," he pointed out.  He frowned, noticing a troubled look flicker across Brian's face.  "What?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"Brian..."

 

"Nothing," his partner insisted.  "Just wondering, that's all."

 

Justin turned to place his hands on Brian's shoulders.  "No, there's more to it than that, isn't there?"  He paused as realization flooded his mind.  "Brian, I'm not going anywhere.  We're going to see that attorney tomorrow to work on altering the custody agreement.  Do you think I'd do that if I wasn't planning on staying in the Pitts?"  He peered into the face he knew so well, astounded over the revelation that Brian could actually be that unsure of their relationship, even now.  "I thought I had already made all that clear," he told him softly. "Whether I take that job or not, I'm not going anywhere. And neither is Kaylee.  I told you before.  It may a little while to adjust - cats or no cats," he told him with a wry smile as Brian huffed in response at the thought of the two, furry beasts inhabiting the sacred bowels of their home.  "But this is our permanent home now.  Okay?"

 

Brian nodded in relief, his brow relaxing as Justin's words sunk in.  "Okay."

 

Justin nodded back at him with a half-smile before he rose on his tiptoes as well to give his partner a brief kiss.  "Well, now that that's all settled, I think it's our bedtime, too."

 

Brian laughed.  "It's only 9:00."

 

Justin's smile broadened as he waggled his eyebrows.  "Exactly."

 

Brian grinned back at him.  "I like the way you think, Sunshine.  Actually, I think I need to go lie down; I'm feeling weak all of a sudden. Care to join me?"

 

"I thought you'd never ask."  Reaching for Brian's hand, the two of them turned to head up the steps.

 



Next Morning...8:00 a.m.

 

From his place at the kitchen counter, Brian blinked as he turned to observe his daughter standing in the doorway.  "I must be having a hallucination," he decided.

 

Katie stuck her tongue out at him.  "No, you're not," she told him as she walked in and opened up the door to the fridge to retrieve a carton of guava juice.  Pouring herself a glass, her father shook his head as she held out the carton toward him.   Setting the carton back in the fridge, she turned to walk back over and sit down next to him, like they had so many times before.

 

"Well, that would be the only explanation as to why my daughter is up before 9:00," Brian pointed out as he took a sip of his coffee.  He was soon going to be heading into the city, having a couple of important clients to meet with at Kinnetik.  His eyes widened in epiphany. "Ohhhh.  Your date.  I understand he's quite handsome, by the way."

 

Katie giggled.  "You think so?"  Brian nodded with a smile.  "I do, too."

 

Brian smiled.  "I know he's really been looking forward to it, Katie.  Maybe even more than you have."

 

Brian was dying to tell her about Justin's possible, new job, but he knew he had to abide by his partner's wishes and not say anything for now.  If everything worked out with the owners, however, and they liked him as much as the other resident instructor did, he thought it was a perfect job for him.  And Katie would be over the moon with jubilation.  Instead, he told her, "Gus is going to keep an eye on you two later today.  Your father needs to meet me this afternoon for a meeting at 2:00."

 

She snorted.  "As long as it isn't before noon.  You think I'M bad about getting up!"   Brian laughed as she furrowed her brow in curiosity.  "What kind of meeting, Dad?"

 

He paused, wondering how much he should tell her.   "Just some legal stuff, that's all," he finally said.

 

"What KIND of legal stuff?"

 

Brian sighed.  "Katie..."

 

"Well, YOU brought it up," she pointed out.

 

"It's nothing to worry about, Chiquitita..."

 

"Then why won't you tell me?  It's about me and Kaylee, isn't it?"  Her eyes grew wide with apprehension.  "Dad, what's...?"

 

"Now don't go jumping to conclusions," he responded as he held up his hand.  He was about to explain further, when suddenly someone else spoke up.

 

"We're meeting with an attorney so we can get the custody agreement altered," Justin said from a few feet away as Brian and Katie turned to look over at him.  His hair still damp from his shower, he was clad in a pair of worn jeans and one of his favorite painting shirts:  an oversized, denim shirt that had at one time belonged to Brian and that had long been discarded when it had become ‘less fashionable.'

 

He walked over to slide into the counter seat next to Katie, who was wearing a similar outfit; one that she would not mind getting smeared with paint stains.

 

Her face lit up.  "You are? Does that mean...?"

 

"It means that your father and I will be petitioning the court to have the original custody agreement revised or hopefully thrown out, since it's not applicable any longer."

 

"Then we really ARE going to be a family again," she replied.

 

The two men peered over at her tenderly, Brian speaking for both of them as he told her, "We already are, Princess.  We're just going to go through the formalities now."

 

She nodded in relief as Brian pushed back from the counter and stood up.  "I have to get going," he told Justin as he walked over and rinsed out his mug before placing it in the sink. Walking back over to his partner, he bestowed a quick peck on his lips as he asked, "You want to meet me at Kinnetik around, say, 1:00, and we can have some lunch before we head over to the attorney's office together?"

 

Justin smiled.  "Sounds good.  I wouldn't mind seeing Ted and Cynthia again, anyway."

 

Brian scratched his head with his hand as he told him, "Uh...Justin...that reminds me..."

 

"What?"

 

"It's about what I guess you would call our second date."

 

"Our lunch today?"

 

Brian smiled as he shook his head.  "No, that's a freebie," he told him.  "Gus told me after we got home last night that Debbie wants us to come to Sunday dinner over at Michael's house."  He looked over at Katie.  "All of us, including Gus and the girls.  I think we're finally going to get to meet this hunky construction guy that Mikey seems so enamored with.  And you'll get to see all the old gang again, too.  She's even invited Jennifer and Molly.   Okay with you?"

 

Justin nodded.  He figured they would have to get back into the groove with the others eventually, anyway; they might as well jump in now. "Sure, why not?  I'm kind of curious about this guy, too."  His face turned serious as he added softly, "It'll still seem weird to be in that house without Ben being there, though."  Debbie had told him that Michael has considered moving once Ben had died - the memories painful and raw back then - but ultimately the sadness had been muted by the good times the two of them had shared there, so ultimately he had decided to remain in the house that he and Ben had purchased together.

 

Brian nodded.  "I know," he told him.  He took a deep breath before tousling Katie's head affectionately and bending over to kiss her on the cheek.  "Now you two go paint me a masterpiece," he told them with a smile.  "See you later," he told Justin before picking up his briefcase lying on the counter and heading out.

 

Justin smiled as he watched him go, an idea quickly forming in his head in response to Brian's statement.  It was time, he decided.  Time to change a lot of things.  He turned to his daughter.  "Have you eaten yet?" he asked her.

 

She shook her head.  "Just some juice."

 

Justin nodded as he grabbed his coffee mug and walked over to refill it.  "Well, what would you like for breakfast?'

 

Katie's eyes sparkled in anticipation as she shook her head.  "I'm not hungry, Daddy," she told him as she got up and brought her glass over to the sink to stand next to her father.  "I'm too excited to eat right now."

 

Justin smiled.  "Well, I'm excited to be painting with you, too.  But you must have gotten your lack of appetite from your other father, because he'll tell you that I don't normally skip a meal."  She grinned over at him and nodded.  "I'll tell you what," he decided.  "I'll throw a couple of frozen waffles in the toaster and we'll put some peanut butter on it and make it a portable meal. How's that?"

 

She nodded.

 

"Good," he told her.  "Because I have a very special project that I want the two of us to work on together."

 

Her eyes widened in pleasure.  "You do?  What kind of project? Tell me!"

 

He hurried to prepare their makeshift meal, taking a couple of waffles out of the freezer and throwing them into the toaster.  "I'll explain when we get upstairs, okay?  It'll take us a little while to get it done, but we won't want to rush something like this."

 

"Daddy," she whined in protest as she placed her hands on her hips, unable to bear the secrecy.  "Tell me!"

 

Justin laughed.  "You'll find out soon enough, Katie.  Now grab a couple of paper plates and we'll get this show on the road."

 

Sighing in resignation for the time being, she did as she was told, her heart thumping in her chest.  She couldn't wait to see what her father had in mind!

 


 

Fifteen minutes later, when Justin propped a brand new canvas on his easel and began to explain what his ‘special project' would entail, Katie's heart exploded with joy.  It was everything - and more - that she could have ever hoped to imagine.  It was perfect.

 

"It may take us a while to get it just right, but I think we can get it done in time," Justin explained as his daughter's face glowed in anticipation.  "But I can't do this without you. Will you help me?"

 

Katie beamed as she bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically, her words rushing out in a torrent.  "Are you kidding?  I can't wait to get started now!  I wish we could get it done tomorrow!"  Justin laughed as she prattled on without stopping for breath.  "Oh, my God, Kaylee is going to freak out! We ARE going to tell her, aren't we?  I mean, we'd have to! And what about Gus?  He needs to know, too!  How long do you think this'll take again?"  She asked, her piercing, blue eyes boring into his.

 

Justin laughed.  "Whoa, slow down, Sweetheart!" Katie's face was lit up with excitement as he told her, "Yes, we'll need to let Gus and Kaylee in on what's going on, at least once we get it done. They'll be instrumental in helping us pull this off.  And you and your sister are the consummate schemers, I've come to realize, so I'm sure you will both be perfect for the job," he teased her.  "So do you think it'll work?"

 

"Are you crazy?  Of course it will work!  Oh, Daddy, I'm so happy!"

 

Justin smiled at her as he pulled her into his arms and held her tight.  "Me, too, Katie.  Me, too."  They remained together for several seconds until Justin let her go and began to find the paints they would need for their joint endeavor.  "Ready to get started?"  She smiled radiantly at him and nodded as he handed a brush to her.  "Then let's do it."

 



Sunday Evening - 11:00 p.m. - On the way back to Britin


Justin twisted around to look at his and Brian's daughters in the backseat, their eyes closed and their heads turned toward each other in slumber.

 

"Both asleep?"  Brian asked softly as Justin nodded, his face cast in shadows from the muted glow of the dashboard.  Both girls had IPods in their laps as they slept, listening to their individual, favorite tunes on ear buds.  Oddly enough - or maybe not so oddly - they had quickly discovered that despite some of their differences, they could have easily shared the same IPod; their musical library was almost identical to each other's.

 

Brian couldn't help smiling in recollection.   "They always used to fall asleep whenever we took them for a ride in the car when they were babies, remember?"

 

Justin smiled as he looked over at him.  "Yes, I remember," he told him wistfully.  "It always seemed to calm them down back then when they were cranky.  Much better than you trying to sing them a lullaby."

 

Brian snorted.  "I never sang them lullabies."

 

Justin laughed softly. "No, you didn't. I never could understand why they couldn't fall asleep to Jim Morrison or the Rolling Stones.  I always thought ‘Light my Fire' was rather soothing myself."

 

Brian grimaced.  "You heard me, huh?  I tried to do it when you weren't around."

 

Justin chuckled.  "Obviously you weren't successful all the time."

 

Brian grinned.  "Must have been my calming presence, then."

 

"Well, it couldn't have been the lyrics."  He stared over at him quietlyHis face grew more serious then.  "They always did respond to your voice, though, whether you were just talking to them or channeling Mick Jagger. You're right.  You could work miracles sometimes when I couldn't seem to."  He blinked as memories came flooding back, feeling himself getting choked up all of a sudden.

 

"Hey...What?" Brian pressed, hearing a hitch in Justin's voice unexpectedly.

 

"Nothing."

 

"Now who's not being completely honest?" Brian pointed out quietly.  "Tell me.  No more secrets, remember?"

 

Well, almost none, anyway, Justin couldn't help thinking as he thought about his and Katie's ‘project.'  He had a good reason to keep that a secret, though, at least for now.

 

Justin glanced back again at the backseat before admitting, "We missed out on so many things with them, Brian.  You should have been singing your odd, little lullabies to them a lot longer than you did.  We should have found a way to..."

 

"Justin," was the quiet but commanding voice as Brian reached over to squeeze his hand.  "Stop.  It doesn't do any good to revisit that.  We can't get it back; we can only move forward.  I'm ready to do that, and I think you are, too. So let's just concentrate on making new memories, okay?"

 

Justin swallowed before he squeezed Brian's hand back in agreement and nodded.  "We've already started doing that," he whispered.  "That visit to the vineyard, you painting with me...seeing everyone again tonight."  He smiled, still holding Brian's hand in his as he continued, "It was nice seeing everyone together again, like old times...and Derek seems like a down-to-earth kind of guy.  And Michael does seem happy with him."

 

Brian nodded with a laugh.  "Yeah, who would have thought that Mikey would have roped himself an Italian Stallion as Debbie calls him?  But I have to admit, in a dark, brooding sort of way, he is hot.  There would have been a time I wouldn't have minded checking out his screwdriver myself." Justin rolled his eyes at that as he admitted, "But even then, I wouldn't have done it; not if he had been with Michael and I knew he meant that much to him."

 

"I'm glad you and Michael are still friends," Justin told him as Brian gave him a somewhat skeptical look.  "No, really.  You know, in a way, he helped to bring us back together.  And he was a big help when Kaylee was injured."

 

Brian had to nod at that.  "Yeah, he was."  He paused.  "I'm glad, too.  Mikey and I will always be friends.  But he has his construction guy now, and his kids...and I have you."  He glanced back again at their girls as he added, "And our daughters."

 

"And Gus," Justin added with a smile as Brian nodded in agreement.  He reluctantly let Brian's hand go, trying to sound nonchalant as he asked, "Speaking of which, do you know when Gus is planning on going back to school?  I'm going to miss him when he has to leave."

 

Brian smiled.  "Me, too.  But we'll see him during his Christmas break, one way or the other," he vowed.  "And hopefully spring break, too."

 

Justin nodded.  "I'm glad he's back in my life again, Brian. I've missed him."

 

Brian reached over to briefly squeeze his partner's shoulder.  "He's missed you, too," he assured him.  "And it's great to have him here right now.  It's given him and Kaylee a chance to get to know each other all over again."  He smiled.  "Gus has always loved playing ‘big brother' to Katie; now he has two of them to watch over."  He chuckled.  "He certainly came in handy when your asshole boyfriend showed up, too."

 

Justin huffed.  "Former asshole boyfriend, okay?  Can we just forget about him, please?  I have."

 

Brian glanced over at him, replying softly, "Done."  He never wanted to even think about Justin having come close to marrying someone else, or him being with someone in a serious relationship.

 

Justin peered down at his lap, trying hard to sound casual as he asked, "Uh, you think Gus will be here at last for the girls' birthday in a few weeks?"

 

Brian's eyes widened. "Shit!" He exclaimed.  "I'd almost forgotten about that."  He shook his head in amazement as he peered at the road straight ahead.  "You know this will be the first time the girls have celebrated their birthday together since they were babies?" He mentioned softly.  "I'm sure Gus would definitely want to hang around for that, but I'll double check with him to make sure."

 

"Good. Because if you don't mind, I'd like to plan something special for them, maybe up at the cabin."

 

Brian turned to eye him with a frown.  "You mean way up on the mountain? The cabin I built?"  Justin nodded.  "Why all the way up there, Sunshine?  I was thinking more along the lines of having our family and friends attend a party for them at Britin; and we should invite Daphne to come, too, don't you think?"

 

Justin nodded in agreement as he looked back to make sure the girls weren't overhearing them.  "Of course.  It's only right she should be there.   But if it's okay with you, I was thinking something more along the lines of small and informal.  Just a quiet get together up there with you, me, the girls, Gus, and Daphne.  Maybe an outdoor cookout. We can take the girls up there on the ATVs, and Gus can ride up on one of the horses with Daphne.  She's been wanting to do some horseback riding, anyway."

 

"You mean not invite your mother and Debbie?  They will want to be there, you know, no matter where you have it."

 

"We can take the girls over to the diner or to my Mom's house or Debbie's to have a separate celebration afterward."  He paused as he looked over at him beseechingly.  "I really want it to just be the family for now; our family.  Can you understand that?"

 

Brian nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that perfectly," he replied to Justin's relief. He looked in the rearview mirror to observe the girls still out like a light.  "Plan your little soiree, then, Sunshine," he told him with a smile.  He grimaced.  "I'm not exactly looking forward to her reaction, but I'll take care of Deb when she finds out what she missed, and you can take care of the other grandmother."

 

Justin laughed softly.  "It's a deal."  Satisfied, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat, his mind swirling with thoughts about what he had planned coming up, and comforted by the lull of the car's motor and Brian's hand holding onto his.

 



One Week Later...

 

Brian inhaled deeply as he stirred in half-sleep, a smile breaking out on his lips as he recognized the familiar scent of his lover now lightly snoring in his bed; no, their bed, he decided.  This was the way he was meant to wake up every morning:  with Justin in his arms.  How he had missed this, perhaps most of all, during their long separation!  He was thankful that Justin had seen the folly in trying to remain separate from each other while they continued to rebuild their lives together.  They could have formally slept in separate bedrooms here at Britin, but both of them knew that would have been a foolish endeavor.  No one - and nothing - had ever been able to keep them apart permanently, and nothing, including four walls - ever would.  And now, thanks to their joining forces regarding the girls' custody arrangement, the girls were now, officially, free to be with both of them on their own terms. The judge had declared the agreement null and void, to their enormous relief.

 

Skimming over the creamy-colored, bare shoulder and arm in front of him with the pads of his fingertips, he watched Justin snuggle deeper into his embrace in response as if on autopilot, studying his face that appeared so peaceful-looking in slumber.  He smiled indulgently in recollection, seeing traces of the eager, 17-year-old boy who had been so infatuated with him several years ago on his still-youthful face. He wished he could stay in bed all day, just admiring his partner and continuing to get 'reacquainted.'  But he had some important clients waiting to meet with him at Kinnetik.  Plus, Justin had a class later that afternoon at the winery.  Katie had talked about nothing else ever since they had returned from the vineyard after their first 'date' and she had found out about his new job a week later (once he had decided to accept).  When she had discovered that her father would be teaching the children's classes there, she had been thrilled at the thought of her Daddy, the "great artist," being her instructor.  Right now, though, that didn't mean they couldn't engage in a bit of a wakeup call first before they started their prospective days separately.

 

Leaning over slightly, he kissed the top of Justin's shoulder lightly as his arm gripped the side of his partner's waist, his lips traveling up Justin's collarbone and then onto the side of his neck to gently suck on the tender flesh there, before moving up to grasp the lower earlobe between his lips and bathe it with the tip of his tongue.  He saw a smile begin to appear on Justin's face, signaling his partner was waking up.  A soft mewling sound escaped between his partner's lips that he found incredibly adorable as well as arousing as Justin's eyes finally fluttered open.

 

"What time is it?" he whispered sleepily, flopping onto his back and raising his hands above his head to stretch.

 

Brian smiled as he pulled back to gaze into his eyes.  "About seven.  I have to head into Kinnetik for a while to make sure Theodore hasn't pushed me into bankruptcy. I doubt the girls are even up yet; they're already moaning now about how they'll have to get up early when they have to return to school next month, and Kaylee keeps insisting that she needs her beauty sleep."

 

Justin grinned. "Sounds like her."  The two met for a kiss as Brian draped his longer frame over his partner's and smiled.  "Sleep well last night, Sunshine?"

 

Justin nodded back with a lazy smile.   "I always sleep well after a good workout."

 

"And what a workout it was," Brian declared with a smirk as Justin blushed.  Since they had reunited, it was almost as if they couldn't keep their hands off each other.   "Although, I've heard if you exercise in the morning, it keeps your metabolism up for as much as four hours afterward."

 

Justin laughed.  "Nice try.  But I promised Katie we would paint upstairs in the studio again this morning."

 

Brian almost pouted then like he was being deprived of his favorite toy, making Justin laugh.  The mirth bubbling up in his throat promptly died, however, as Brian wriggled against him and made his desire blatantly clear, his partner's heavy, hot, and hard cock brushing up against his belly.  He couldn't help the groan that erupted as Brian scooted ever so much to the right, the wetness of his tip brushing against his skin.

 

"Brian..." he whimpered then as his partner held onto his upper arms and began to sprinkle kisses on his neck and jawline with his lips; those talented, warm lips.  "God...I, I told you..."

 

Brian smiled against his skin.  "Uh...Yes?  You were saying, Sunshine?" he murmured, the vibration of his lips making Justin shiver with anticipation and need.

 

Justin moaned softly as he reached up and, grabbing Brian's face with his hands, plastered their lips together for another kiss. Their tongue-dueling match carried on for several minutes, arms exploring everywhere on each other's bodies, before both were soon beyond the point of stopping.  Of course, that was not a big surprise to either of them, nor did they want to stop. They always had been like two sticks of dynamite about to explode at any time, and this was no exception.

 

As they finally pulled back to stare into each other's eyes, Justin knew his plans for the morning were about to be slightly altered.  But he couldn't think of a better delay.  "Fuck me, Brian," he demanded huskily.

 

"Now?  I told you I had a meeting," was the exasperating reply as Justin scowled in disbelief. To his astonishment, Brian began to move away from him as if he were really serious about leaving, before he grabbed his lover's cock and gave it a skillful squeeze.

 

"Oh, no you don't, Mr. Hot-Shot Executive," Justin growled as Brian peered over at him in a ‘gotcha' sort of smirk.  "Now that you've got me all hot and bothered you're going to damn well finish the job."

 

Brian grinned widely then, both of them knowing that was what he had been wanting all along.  "Well, I always finish what I start," he told him, waggling his eyebrows before he proceeded to do just that.

 



One Hour Later...


"Hey, Princess," Brian greeted Kaylee with a tender smile as he bounded down the stairs after his and Justin's morning ‘wakeup call,' encountering his daughter sitting on the bottom step with her hands on her knees.  She was still wearing her matching, pink pajamas and her pink bunny slippers, her favorites.  "How are you this morning?"  He pulled on his tie to loosen it; he always did hate how constricted the damn things felt, but he also realized it was all part of ‘the image.'   He furrowed his brow as he stared down at her rigid posture.  "Everything okay?"

 

Kaylee pursed her lips together for a moment before sighing heavily and lifting her eyes to meet his.  "Yeah, everything's just peachy. Couldn't be better. Can't you tell?"

 

Brian frowned at her sarcasm.  Although he knew he was already cutting things close as far as getting to his office on time, there were some perks to owning his own company, and one of them was taking time out to take care of more important matters. And he couldn't think of anything - or anyone - more important than one of his daughters.  Obviously, something was bothering his more emotional, little girl.  Placing his briefcase down onto the hardwood floor, he quietly sat down next to her as Kaylee stared sullenly straight ahead.  "Yeah, I can tell," Brian told her softly.  "Now why don't you tell me what's really going on?"  He watched then as she blinked back tears, sensing the faucet was about to open.  And he wasn't wrong.

 

"They're leaving me out!" she cried out unexpectedly then.

 

Brian lightly clamped his left hand on his daughter's shoulder as he asked softly, "Who's leaving you out, Kaylee?"  It couldn't be any of her friends, because except for the little girl she had met at camp who had become one of her and her sister's allies - Christina, he thinks? - she hadn't had a chance yet to meet anyone else, except for her sister. That would soon change, however, when they both went back to school together in a few weeks.

 

She wiped her eyes with the back of her pajama top sleeve as she told him, "Daddy!  And Katie!"

 

Brian opened his mouth to speak, but promptly closed it as he realized what she was talking about.  Ever since Justin had promised to paint with Katie up in his studio, they had been spending every day up there for the past week.  And then Katie talked nonstop about it every night at dinner, going on and on about how exciting it was to be painting with Justin.  He had noticed that Kaylee had seemed a little quieter than normal lately over dinner, but until now he hadn't put two and two together.  "Ohhh," he said sympathetically.  "Well, I'm sure it's just temporary, Kaylee," he told her.  "Your father can get very absorbed in his work when he's painting, as I'm sure you know. And Katie can be the same way.  I'm sure they're just both excited about being able to paint together, that's all.  Once the newness wears off a little, I'm sure things will be back to normal."

 

"Why should I care?" Kaylee retorted, her quivering voice belying her words.  "I wouldn't want to get paint all over my hands and my clothes anyway.  LET them paint together and get all nasty."

 

Brian offered her a half-smile as he took his hand and brushed some of her hair back from her face.  It was still on the short side, but was slowly growing longer like she preferred it.  When he thought about all the tactics both girls had employed just to bring him and Justin back together - ALL of them back together as a family - he knew there was a lot more going on here than she was intimating.

 

He nodded.  "Yeah, that can be a real bit...uh, nuisance, to get off your hands," he told her.  "Not to mention clothes." He grimaced.  "I've been there before when your father ‘gets into his work' - literally," he told her with a smirk.  "I don't much think that has changed over the years."

 

For the first time, his daughter flashed him a hint of a smile as she shook her head.  "No, it hasn't.  He's still messy, trust me.  And when he paints in front of me, it's almost as if he's on another planet."

 

Brian grinned.  Somehow it was comforting to know that had stayed the same.  He looked at his daughter tenderly as he commented, "But this isn't really about painting, is it?  It's about your father and your sister sharing something that you aren't a part of."   Brian raised an eyebrow when he didn't get an immediate answer.  "Kaylee?" he prodded.

 

"I don't want to paint," she maintained stubbornly, but she sighed as her father continued to stare over at her.  "I just don't understand why I can't at least go up into the studio while they're working together, that's all.  Why does it matter if I see what they're painting?"

 

"Did they say that you couldn't?" Brian asked her, a bit surprised that Justin would be that restrictive toward his other daughter.

 

"Well, not exactly," Kaylee admitted.  "But every time I go up there and open the door, they hurry up and cover up whatever they're working on like it's some big secret."

 

Brian pondered that.  "Well, maybe they want to wait until it's done before they show it to anyone," he suggested.

 

"But why?  Did Daddy used to do that when you watched him paint?"

 

Brian thought back to all the times he had observed Justin either sketching or working on a canvas.  Normally, he was eager to show him what he was doing.  But not always.  "Sometimes," he told her honestly.  He smiled in recollection.  "Especially if he was sketching or painting me.  Then he normally wanted to wait until he was completely done before he showed it to me."  He gazed at her affectionately.  "He loved to show me drawings and paintings he had done of the two of you, though. He couldn't wait to show those to me.  He's always been so proud of both of you, Kaylee."

 

She nodded, feeling a little better but still feeling decidedly left out.

 

Brian glanced up at the grandfather clock nearby, noticing it was getting late.  "Look, Princess, I hate to do this, but I really have to head into Kinnetik to meet with someone very important this morning.   But when I get home, though, why don't the two of us do something together?  Would you like that?"

 

Kaylee flushed with pleasure at the thought as she smiled at him shyly.  She nodded as he smiled back at her before tousling her head.  "Good.  I'll try to cut out early after that; maybe around two, okay?" She nodded again as he told her, "In the meantime, why don't you and Gus do something together?  I'm sure if you asked him, he would be more than happy to do something with you."

 

"If I can get him off the phone long enough," she grumbled.

 

Brian laughed.  "I'm afraid that goes with the territory when it comes to teenage boys.  Why don't you take a walk down toward the stables, then?

 

But Kaylee shook her head.  "No, I can't do that."

 

Brian frowned.  "Why not?" he asked softly.

 

"Well...I...I just don't want to, that's all."

 

Brian nodded, thinking he knew the reason why.  "Kaylee, sometimes you have to confront your fears in order to triumph over them.  Both horses are very tame, and you wouldn't have to get that close to them.  It's just a nice time of the day to take a walk along the trail.  You do know that Ceres would have never done what he did if he hadn't been spooked, right?"

 

Kaylee sighed.  "I know, Dad. I love animals!  But it's so hard.  Every time I look at him now, it just reminds me of what happened, and I...I just can't get near him anymore."

 

Brian peered at her sympathetically.  "I understand.  Maybe one day. Maybe we can all go riding together sometime:  you, me, your father, and Katie.  Maybe that would help."  Smiling tenderly at her, he finally rose to his feet.  "Well, I'm sure you'll find something to do. I have to go, Sweetheart.  I'll see you later, okay?"

 

Kaylee nodded, glumly watching her father go before she finally headed back up the steps to get dressed, wondering how in the world she was going to entertain herself until her father returned.

 



Same Time...


Justin watched proudly as his daughter swept her brush over the brown strands of her brother's hair, taking great pains to recreate the golden highlights.  He was amazed by her talent for someone her age. While he was doing most of the work, Katie was proving to be a quick study.  He had no doubt that if she chose to pursue her skill - and it became a passion to her like it was to him - she could, also, be a professional artist one day.  He wasn't quite sure from his talks with her, though, if this was where her true passion lay, like it did with him. She was a very well-rounded young lady, into sports and her horses, for example, in addition to her art. And while he wouldn't deny that it would please him if she followed in his footsteps one day - and painting with her was a definite thrill - he would be pleased no matter what she did, as long as his daughter was as happy as she appeared right now.

 

"That's great, Katie," he praised her warmly.  "You have a really good feel for the canvas."

 

She blushed over the compliment as she finished the rest of Gus's hair before turning to place the brush back into a small, empty, soup can filled with water.  "You really think so?" she asked as she wiped her hands on a paint-stained, white rag that had once been a tee-shirt of Brian's.  "I know how parents are, though; they say anything to make their kids look good, whether they are or not."

 

Justin laughed.  "You may be right," he conceded as he walked over to her to peer at the partially completed portrait. He smiled at their progress.  "But one thing you will find out is that neither Brian nor I will ever lie to either one of you.  Well, at least going forward, anyway," he corrected himself, thinking that he and Brian had contributed to the biggest lie of all by not telling the girls about each other.  That was all in the past, though.  "So when I say that you have a real, artistic talent, I mean that, Katie."

 

Katie's smile rivaled her father's as she nodded back at him in pleasure before her eyes suddenly teared up.

 

"What?" he asked her in alarm.  "You okay?"  He walked over and stooped down beside her to grasp her by the shoulders.

 

She smiled reassuringly through her tears as she nodded.  "I...I just can't believe this is finally happening," she eventually managed to reply.  "And....and now...."  Her eyes widened as she thought of something.  She smacked her forehead. "Oh, my God!  Daddy!  I have something I have to tell you!"

 

Justin peered over at her curiously.  "What is it, Honey?"

 

"It's something I found out about last year when I was looking for my Christmas present."

 

Justin laughed.  "You do that, too, huh?"  He grinned.  "I should have guessed that was one more similarity between you and your sister.  Remind me to think very carefully about where to hide your presents from now on. Okay, so what did you find?"

 

His smile soon transformed into one of astonishment when he found out exactly what it was.  He swallowed hard as a flood of memories came rushing back to him. "Are you sure?"

 

Katie nodded firmly. "I put it back so Dad wouldn't know...but I bet it's still there!"

 

Justin bit his lip in thought.  Was it possible?  "Can you show me?" He finally asked her as she eagerly nodded.  He tried to slow down his breathing, but it was no use; his heart was pounding as he suggested, "Your father's not here right now; let's go find out!"

 

Beaming back at him with a conspiratorial smile of delight, they both turned to rush toward the door, Justin taking care to lock the studio behind them.

 

No sooner had they left the studio and headed downstairs to investigate, however, did they run into Kaylee, emerging from her bedroom and now dressed in a casual outfit of a pair of light-blue jeans and a short-sleeved, navy-blue t-shirt with "Princess" emblazoned across her chest, along with her favorite, worn pair of white sneakers.  She was feeling anything like royalty, however, as she spied her sister and her father coming down from their hiding place and scowled over at them as she heard Katie giggling.

 

Justin frowned at the expression on his daughter's face as he turned to greet her with a smile.  "Hey, Sweetheart.  Had breakfast yet?"

 

Ignoring her father's question, she glared over at her sister, who raised her eyebrows at her in reaction.  Turning slightly toward her father again, she finally asked, "Do you care?", pursing her lips tightly together and crossing her hands over her chest in a combative stance.

 

Justin's eyes widened in surprise over the acerbic tone in her voice.  "Excuse me?" he asked.

 

Uh, oh, Katie immediately thought. She knew instantly what was wrong.  Why hadn't she noticed it before now?  "Uh, Daddy..." she began tentatively.

 

"No, Katie," he admonished her softly but firmly as he peered over at his petulant daughter.  "I'll handle this.  Kaylee, do you want to explain what's wrong with you, and why you're speaking to me this way?"

 

"Daddy..." Katie gripped his arm, finally getting his attention.  "Please...I know why," he told him softly as Kaylee remained stonily silent.

 

Justin sighed as they all stood there, facing off in the hallway like opponents at a chess match.  "Well, by all means, then, enlighten me," he told her.

 

"She's upset because of all the time we've been spending alone together," she explained.

 

"I am not!" Kaylee protested, suddenly not appreciating being thought of as a big, jealous baby; it was painful to realize that Katie was so perceptive about it. She had tried not to let either her father or her sister know how badly it had hurt her to think she was being left out of something with them, but the truth was it had.  She just didn't want them to think of her as some whiny crybaby, though.  "I don't even like to paint!"  The glimmer of pending tears in her eyes, however, instantly betrayed her.

 

Justin sighed in realization.  Shit. When did he stop being so aware of his other, more tender-hearted daughter's feelings?  At the time he had first thought the idea up, he truly had thought it would be best to keep it just between him and Katie initially, to minimize the chance that Brian would find out somehow what was going on.  He had had every intention, however, of letting Kaylee, Gus, AND Daphne in on the secret soon.  It appeared that he had waited just a bit too long when it came to his other daughter, though, and now he had some major repairing to do.  He felt like a Class-A, major shithole of a father at the moment.

 

Walking over to his defiant daughter, he gently pried her arms away from her chest as he suggested, "Come upstairs and I'll show you what we've been working on - and I'll explain everything."

 

But Kaylee shrugged away from his embrace as she cried out tearfully, "I don't care what you're working on!"

 

"Yes, you do," he told her softly as he reached down to wipe some tears away from her cheeks.  "I should have told you what was going on from the start," he said as he peered over at Katie, who nodded in agreement.  Now you tell me, he thought wryly as he quirked one side of his mouth upward in irony.

 

Kaylee sniffled.  "I told you I don't care what you're painting up there!  Besides, Dad promised to do something with me and me alone when he gets home later today!" She replied as she gave her sister a ‘haughty' sort of look as if to say, two can play this game....'


Justin shook his head in exasperation. He always knew one 11-year-girl could be a handful; until he and Brian had been reunited with both girls, however, he didn't realize how much of a handful two of them could be.  "Kaylee, listen to me," he told her firmly.  "We are going back upstairs now, and I am going to show you why Katie and I have been spending so much time together upstairs.  You have a right to know, anyway, since it's going to involve you, Gus, and your mother, in addition to your father.  And, besides, I can't go through with what I'm planning unless I have your approval."  Although he doubted if that would be a problem, he suspected.  But his enigmatic statement did serve his purpose, as his daughter finally raised her head to peer up at him through water-kissed eyelashes to whisper, "What are you talking about?"

 

Justin smiled at her tenderly.  "Come, and I'll show you. And then you can help Katie and me on our reconnaissance mission."

 

Kaylee frowned.  "Your what?"

 

Justin laughed as he exchanged a smile with his other daughter, who nodded in agreement.  "Never mind," he reassured her.  "We'll explain upstairs, okay?"  He reached into his jeans pocket to retrieve a small package of tissues, one of the number of items he constantly kept in his arsenal whenever he was painting.  He hadn't counted on needing them this morning to calm an upset daughter, however.  Handing one to her as she blew her nose, he urged her gently, "Come see what we're up to, Kaylee Marie.  We're about to plan a BIG celebration."

 

Eyes widening in confused surprise, she finally half-smiled through her tears and nodded.  Her father took her hand as he led her and Katie back over to the door leading back up his studio, relieved that one more piece of the puzzle was about to fall into place.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

 

So what are Justin and the girls planning?  Hmm... 

Thank you as always for reading and for your support; it is greatly appreciated.  Been kind of quiet lately on the site, review-wise, for a lot of writers. Hope you're still out there, readers!:)

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