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

Mel and Lindsay get to see the new house for the first time.  Gus presents them with a surprise. What other surprises will be discovered?

 

 

12:30 p.m.

 

"Are you sure this is right?" Mel asked as she took a left turn onto a one-lane road.  "This is really off the beaten track.  I still can't believe Brian would decide to live out here," she added. 

 

"Well, that's what the GPS is saying," Lindsay replied, holding the device in her hand. "It says to go about 1 ½ miles and make a right onto Broderick Avenue."  She looked around at the houses that were scattered far apart from each other.  "Well, I knew Brian wanted to find a backyard for Gus to play in, and that he said the new house was only about 20 minutes away from Kinnetik, but I didn't think he would wind up in another state," she admitted.  "It is pretty out here, though, don't you think?"

 

Mel shrugged.  "Yeah, I suppose, if you're into cows and rolling hills," she conceded.  "Still can't believe this was Brian's first choice. You think Justin talked him into it?"

 

Lindsay laughed.  "Brian? I hardly think so.  Brian makes up his own mind.  I'm sure he picked it out because he felt it was the best one for Gus." 

 

Mel strained to look for a sign indicating they were traveling in the right direction.  "I guess.  But this Justin seems to have really gotten under his skin."

 

Her partner grinned at the double entendre.  "That's one way of putting it."

 

Mel snorted as she realized what she had said.  "That would be a given," she agreed dryly.  "But you know what I mean.  This is not like Brian at all."

 

"He does appear to be genuinely taken with him," Lindsay agreed.  "I admit the age difference surprises me a little. But he seems like a nice, young man, and Gus is very fond of him." 

 

"I suppose," Mel conceded grudgingly. Their son continued to talk about Justin frequently; it was obvious Gus really cared about this relative stranger, and he had been talking incessantly all week about the barbecue today. At last, they were about to see this new home that Gus was so excited about as well - and further observe the man who had become such an important part of their son's life.   "I still want to get to know him better, especially if he's going to be spending so much time with our son."

 

"Well, if we ever find the place, this should be a good day to do that," Lindsay told her as she scanned the road ahead.  "There it is," she told Mel as she pointed to a sign on the right.

 

"That's his street?" Mel asked in amazement.  "I can't wait to see the house, then."  The road was narrow and relatively nondescript, seemingly stuck out in the middle of nowhere, although the bushes surrounding the entrance were neatly trimmed, and the grass strip on either side of it had been cut recently. 

 

"Well, Brian said it was to the right of the cul-de-sac; he said there's an iron gate with some greenery around it," Lindsay reminded her as they slowly drove down the street.  "There!" She declared, seeing an entrance that seemed to fit the description perfectly.  As Mel steered the car to the right and headed up the driveway, their mouths dropped open as the house on the hill came into view for the first time.

 

"Holy shit," Mel murmured as she stopped the car a few moments later in front of the house.  They were apparently the first guests to arrive, since there were no other cars in the driveway at the moment; they had left early, not being sure how long it would take to get there.  "This isn't a house; it's a fucking university!" 

 

Lindsay's eyes grew wide. Mel was right; this was no ordinary residence.  "Oh, my God," she exclaimed as Mel turned the motor off.  As they got out of the vehicle a few seconds later, they couldn't take their eyes off the home Brian had purchased.  They knew he always believed in pulling out all the stops whenever he did something, whether it was in business or in his personal life, but this was hard to believe.  "This could be a hotel," Mel murmured as she looked up to study the looming building. 

 

Lindsay shook her head.  "I would have never imagined something like this in West Virginia of all places."

 

"You're sure we have the right address?" Mel insisted. 

 

"Of course. It's the right house number; there's the address right there," she pointed out, noting a brass plate to the right of the door with the numbers etched in it.  "This has to be the place."

 

"Maybe you wrote it down wrong."

 

"Mel..."  Lindsay replied in exasperation.  Just then, the question was definitely answered as the front door opened, and their son came rushing outside to greet them.  "Mommy!  Mama!" Gus shrieked excitedly, his eyes shining with happiness.

 

"Hey, Honey!" Lindsay greeted her son, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek and pull him to her side. 

 

"Hi, Gus," Melanie replied with a smile as she, too, leaned over to grasp their son by his shoulders and give him a brief peck on the cheek before letting him go.  "Where is everybody?"

 

"Daddy and Justin are out in the backyard," their son reported.  "You got here before everyone else," he confirmed.  "You want to see my room?" he asked, taking both women's hands and beginning to pull them toward the front door.

 

Lindsay smiled.  "We sure would," she told him as they entered the house; both women stopped immediately as soon as they were inside, their mouths opening in astonishment in reaction to the majesty and masculine opulence of the interior.  "Wow," she murmured in awe. "This place IS huge." 

 

"Come on," Gus urged them as he headed confidently toward an imposing staircase.  "My room's upstairs."  The two women followed their son up to the second floor and down the hallway to the right, stopping at one of the rooms on the end. As they entered Gus's bedroom, once more they were stunned into silence.  The room had been converted into a virtual train depot, with a model train running across the room near the ceiling; someone - presumably Justin - had even painted a Thomas the Tank mural on one wall with incredible detail. 

 

 

train

 

 

"Isn't this cool?" Gus chirped as he ran over to his bed and dived onto it, giggling as he bounced lightly up and down on it.  "I love my room!" he gushed as he quickly sat up and scrambled off it to turn and face his mothers. 

 

"This is wonderful, Sweetheart!" Lindsay conceded.  She eyed the mural closely.  "Did Justin paint that for you?"  Gus bobbed his head up and down affirmatively and smiled.  

 

She walked over closer to the mural and studied it intently.  "He really does have an incredible eye for detail," she told Mel as she noticed all the things Justin had put into the mural.  He had recreated a virtual village on the wall.  "I wonder when he even found time to do this?" she murmured.  "The movers just came last week." 

 

Thomas the tank engine

 

Mel walked up to her side to admire the handiwork.  "He is quite an artist," she had to admit.  She turned around slowly to look at the entire room.  "And this room..." She peered over at their son, who was grabbing his wooden toy whistle off the desk; a small display case above it contained several cast iron models of trains, enclosed behind what appeared to be Plexiglas. Even Gus's light was constructed to look like an old fashioned engineer's lantern.  "We may never get our son back home again," she stated, only half-teasing.  Secretly she was a bit jealous that Brian and his new partner had managed to create such a perfect bedroom for Gus, but she had to admit - they had certainly put a lot of thought and detail into it, and it was obvious how much Gus loved it. 

 

train room

 

 

"This is like the perfect room for Gus," Lindsay commented, echoing her thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it - and despite his relative youth and lack of formal training as an artist - it was obvious that Justin was in a league by himself.  His talent would be apparent to anyone, whether they had a creative eye or not. There was something almost visceral about his work.  She couldn't deny she was impressed - as well as envious.  "This is just amazing, Gus," she told her son, who beamed at her as he clutched a die-cast train locomotive in his hand.

 

"Wait until you see my real big train out back, Mommy!" he exclaimed excitedly.  "Come and see!" he told her and Mel as he placed the die-cast model down onto his desk and scurried out the door.

 

The two women exchanged an amused look.  "We'd better follow him, or we're liable to get lost up here," Mel told her partner as they hurried to keep up with their lively son.  They struggled to catch up to Gus as he rushed helter-skelter down the steps, causing both women to hold their breaths and shout out a simultaneous ‘be careful!' until he reached the bottom landing and confidently headed to the right, down the hallway toward the rear of the house.

 

Noticing Gus sliding open a glass patio door and heading outside a few seconds later, the two women paused as they came to the kitchen, mesmerized by the sheer size of it and the gourmet appliances.  "Would you look at this?" Lindsay exclaimed as the two women stood next to the kitchen island.  She noticed an open door nearby, apparently leading into a pantry; she could see canned goods inside.  She shook her head in disbelief.  "I bet that storage area over there is as big as our entire kitchen.  Why would he need all this room?"

 

Mel smirked.  "That's Brian Kinney for you.  Always has to top everyone else."

 

As they slid the door open leading out to the backyard a few seconds later, the first thing they noticed - or rather heard - was the sound of Brian and Justin's voices nearby. The second thing they noticed was the enormous backyard itself, along with the ‘train' Gus had evidently been referring to:  a full-scale model like the ones you would let your child ride at the amusement park.

 

"Holy shit," Mel muttered as they watched Gus run over to the steam locomotive and promptly hop in.

 

"All aboard!" They heard Justin shout with a smile as he walked over to stand next to a control box and press a button. They watched as the train slowly began to move, providing Justin with just enough time to walk over and sit down beside their son to ride with him.  They could hear Gus giggling with delight as he reached up to pull a rope above him, causing them to cover their ears as a high-velocity ‘toot' sounded and fake smoke began to billow from the top of the smokestack.  They watched, open-mouthed, as the train picked up a little more speed and slowly wound itself around a track in the yard, heading toward the open field. 

 

"I...I don't believe it," Lindsay murmured. Was there no end to the surprises today?

 

"Linds, Mel."  They turned their heads to acknowledge Brian standing next to a state-of-the-art barbecue station several feet away.  He was wearing a dark blue apron tied around his neck and chest, and was wielding an extra-large, metal spatula in one hand, a beer in the other.  "I see you found our humble little abode." He smirked as he waved the spatula around.  "Try to find a seat somewhere if you can" he kidded them - truth be told, there were MORE than enough seats around the four patio tables scattered nearby.  "The steaks will be ready soon.  There're drinks in the fridge."

 

The two women eyed the expansive sitting area around the outdoor kitchen as they walked up to their host.  "Brian," Lindsay greeted him breathlessly.  "This house...And Gus's room.  I don't really have the words for it."

 

Brian grinned.  "Oh, so he showed you the train depot upstairs already, huh?"

 

Lindsay nodded as Mel took a closer look at the backyard.  "What was this place?  Surely it wasn't a private residence.  How many bedrooms are there here?"

 

"Six. It really WAS a private home originally, until the owner died and it was deeded to the church. After that, it was used as a seminary until the place went bankrupt and had to be put on the market." 

 

Mel guffawed.  "A seminary?  How...totally ironic."  Brian couldn't help smirking at her comment as the two women heard Gus shrieking with delight while he and Justin continued to slowly make their way around the train track.

 

"And where in the world did you get THAT?" Lindsay asked, nodding her head toward the ride.

 

"Amusement park that went belly up, too; bought it on an online auction, and had it shipped here." 

 

The two women collectively shook their head; where had the real Brian Kinney gone?  Perhaps he had been there all along, and had just been lying latent, just under the surface. Either that, or he had been waiting for the right person to come along. Was it possible it was Justin? They both knew - even Mel - how much Brian loved his son and would do anything for him, but all these changes were almost too much to fathom. 

 

Just then, the train slowly came to a stop near where it had begun, and they could hear Gus cry out, "Again, Justin!  Let's do it again!" 

 

Justin laughed as he reached over and affectionately ruffled the little boy's hair.  "I promise we will...later," he told the little boy, whose face fell slightly.  "After lunch, maybe your moms will want to ride with you." 

 

Gus smiled at that thought as Justin disembarked from the train and turned to help the child down, making sure he was safely on the ground before he walked over to join the two women and Brian.  He smiled politely at them.  "Hi, Melanie. Hi, Lindsay," he greeted them.

 

Lindsay and Melanie returned the smile, with Lindsay the first to speak.  "Hello, Justin," she replied.  "All settled in now?"

 

Justin nodded, still feeling a little awkward around these two women. He was never quite sure if they had some type of particular agenda or not, and wasn't certain if there was any hidden meaning behind that question.  He already felt a little uncomfortable over the fact that Brian was basically paying all the expenses for the house, although he had convinced him to accept a good chunk of his pay from Kinnetik in partial reimbursement for some of the household utilities and groceries.  Did these two women feel he was taking advantage of Brian? he wondered.  "Yes, Brian and I have most of the unpacking done now."  Trying to steer the conversation to something else, he asked, "Would you like something to drink?  We have iced tea, beer, and some wine, along with bottled water and some chocolate milk for Gus in the fridge over there."

 

Chocolate milk; Gus's favorite drink. That fact did not go unnoticed by both women.  "Some bottled water?" Lindsay asked Mel, who nodded in agreement.  Justin nodded back at them before walking a few steps over to the compact, outdoor refrigerator, opening the door and retrieving a couple plastic bottles of spring water. Before he could stand back up, however, he felt Brian smack him on the ass. 

 

"Hey!" Justin growled in mock protest as he stood up and glared over at his partner, who laughed.

 

"Sorry, Picasso, it was too much of a temptation to resist." 

 

Justin's mouth slowly stretched into a grin before Brian leaned over and grabbed him by the back of the neck to give him a brief kiss before he turned back to his job as griller, flipping over a couple pieces of steak.

 

"Would you like to sit down?" Justin asked the two women as he handed them their water.  HeHe led them over to the nearest table as they took a seat, placing a carton of chocolate milk down on the table for Brian's son.   Moments later, Gus jumped down from the swing he had been using to run over and join them.

 

"Mommy, Mama, do you want to ride the train with me after lunch? It's really fun!" Gus told them as he sat down next to them and reached for the milk carton.  The two women watched as Justin automatically retrieved a silly straw wrapped in plastic out of his pocket, and Gus handed him the milk carton to open it. Justin deftly pulled open the corner of the carton and stuck the straw in before handing it back to Gus as if he had done it a thousand times before.

 

"Thank you, Justin," Gus told him politely as the young man smiled back at him.  Justin laughed as the little boy took a big slurp of it and then set it down on the table with a satisfied "aaah" sound, licking his lips in pleasure.

 

"Good?" he asked as Gus nodded enthusiastically as Justin smiled at him affectionately.

 

"Justin? Would you go into the house and bring me those tongs out of the utensil drawer, and the rest of the meat?"  Brian called over to him then. Justin nodded as he walked over to the back of the house and slid the door open to disappear inside.  A few minutes later, he came back bearing the requested tool, along with a small platter of hamburger patties and two hot dogs. 

 

"Hot dogs today, Gus?" Justin asked as the little boy nodded eagerly.  He was always in the mood for his favorite food. 

 

"Uhh...Justin...Gus can't eat hot dogs made out of pork; it upsets his stomach for some reason," Lindsay informed him.

 

"He knows," Brian informed them.  "Those are turkey franks; Justin picked them up earlier today at the store," he explained.  Justin walked over to Brian and handed him the tongs and the platter with the additional meat on it, before finally turning to walk back over to their guests.

 

Mel studied the handsome, young man intently as he sat back down next to them.  "You seem to know our son pretty well, Justin," she commented.  She didn't know whether to be impressed or slightly envious over how well he and Gus had bonded in such a short time.

 

Justin blushed.  "Well...I guess part of it is because I'm an artist. I have a good memory for details, and when Brian and Gus were vacationing down in Tennessee I remembered Brian telling me about his problem with regular hot dogs.  And he was a big chocolate milk drinker at the restaurant where I worked," he explained, "so when I go to the grocery I try to pick up the right foods for him."

 

Mel nodded, her estimation of this unusual choice of Brian's for a partner ramping up a notch or two.  Despite her wariness regarding this man who had virtually appeared out of nowhere and had now entrenched himself so firmly in her son's and Brian's lives, he did seem to genuinely care about Gus, and by the way that Brian's face softened as he glanced over at him occasionally, it was apparent that both father and son were smitten with Justin.  She had never seen that particular look on Brian's face before.  As much as it pained her to admit it, it was almost akin to the same sort of tender looks that Lindsay bestowed on HER at times.

 

The three of them continued to engage in polite, small talk as Gus sipped on his chocolate milk until they heard the doorbell ring, signifying some more guests had arrived.  "I'll get it!" Gus shouted as he bounded off his chair and ran over to the backdoor, sliding it open with surprising agility and heading into the house to answer the front door.

 

Everyone chuckled as Brian dryly remarked, "Our own personal valet." He shook his head.  "That kid has surprising strength; I can't believe how easily he can open that door."

 

A minute later, the door slid open again, and Gus stepped out with Cynthia and Ted in tow.  "Unbelievable," Ted murmured as the two of them emerged onto the patio, both mouths agape much like Lindsay and Mel's had been as they slowly tried to digest all the opulence of the estate. 

 

Cynthia turned to greet her boss.  She wasn't that surprised in a way to find that their newest intern had been invited to attend Brian's barbecue, noticing Justin currently sitting directly beside Melanie Marcus and Lindsay Peterson.  It looked decidedly cozy, and she once more pondered how this young man fit into Brian's life.  Smiling at her boss and friend, she walked over to stand next to the patio table as Ted slowly followed her, still admiring all the grandeur he saw.  "Brian," she called over to him as he nodded and smiled back at her, still ensconced in front of the smoky grill.  She nodded at Mel and Lindsay, having met them on occasion before when they had visited Kinnetik or appeared at other social occasions involving Brian, such as the official grand opening of his business.  She turned then to peer down at the handsome, young man quietly sitting beside them, and couldn't help smiling at him. There was just something humble and likable about Justin that, even though she did not know him well, made her feel comfortable around him.  "Hi, Justin.  Nice to see you out of the office in a more informal setting." 

 

"Hi, Cynthia," he greeted her with a soft, nervous smile of his own.  "Nice to see you, too."  Justin focused his attention on Ted then, as the accountant joined them.  "Hello, Mr....uh...Ted," he acknowledged him.

 

"Justin...I didn't know you were going to be here," he commented, glancing from the young intern over to Brian, who was busy trying to bat away some of the smoke from his face. 

 

"Shit!" Brian growled then, temporarily interrupting their conversation.  He started coughing and sputtering, causing Justin to giggle as he glared over at him.  "Keep it up, Picasso!  And I'll have YOU standing here over this fucking grill!"

 

"Oh, I wouldn't dare touch the great Mr. Kinney's newest toy," Justin quipped with a grin.

 

Brian smirked back at him.  "Wrong!" he corrected him with a lopsided smile.  "I have a newer toy up in the bedroom you haven't been introduced to yet," he informed him as Justin promptly blushed a deep red.  Brian looked over at his two employees, whose eyes were wide as saucers in reaction.

 

"Oh, come on! Are you going to tell me you hadn't already figured out that Justin and I were..." he struggled for the right word, finally deciding on "involved outside the office?  I thought you were more astute than that." 

 

"But you were the one who wrote the work policy on non-fraternization," Ted pointed out.  "You told me it was bad business for employees to be involved romantically with one another; that it would create awkwardness and bad morale among co-workers if their breakup was less than amicable."

 

"Glad you can recite the employee policy and procedure manual word-for-word," Brian told him dryly as he slid the spatula under the last of the steaks and flipped them over to brown on the other side, using the tongs to do the same for the two hot dogs.  Turning the grill's burner down and lowering the lid to allow them to cook more slowly, he walked over to the group, wiping his hands on his apron before approaching his partner from behind and leaning down to slide his hands around his upper chest to lock his arms around him.  Justin's heart pounded as Brian leaned down and nuzzled his neck, making him gasp softly in surprise.  His face warmed as he saw everyone's eyes fixed on him. 

 

"Brian," he murmured in reproach as his lover curled his lips under mischievously. "Stop it."  He glanced over at the others, knowing there could be no doubt now that he and Brian were much more than just employee and employer. He knew eventually it had to come out, but this had been one of his biggest concerns.  As he risked a glance over at Cynthia and Ted, he wondered what must be going through their minds.  Would they think less of his abilities, or treat him any differently, now that they knew the truth about his and Brian's relationship?

 

He watched then as Ted's face broke out into a triumphant smile.  "Looks like you'll be treating me to lunch Monday, Cyn," he told his co-worker, who rolled her eyes at him. 

 

"If you'll recall, Ted, I merely said I wasn't sure something was going on between them," she corrected him. 

 

Ted shrugged. "Same thing.  A bet's a bet."

 

Cynthia shook her head in resignation.  "All right.  Lunch Monday at Dante's, then. But Brian's paying; it's his fault, after all, for violating the no fraternization clause."

 

Justin frowned over their banter until he heard Brian chuckle.  "You know what?  I'll do you one even better.  I'll treat you both to lunch, and Justin and I will join you."  He pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, placing his hand on Justin's knee under the table and giving it a squeeze.

 

Justin watched as his two co-workers grinned in agreement before he turned to face his partner, noticing Brian smiling back at him.  "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he murmured, before he placed his hand behind Justin's neck and propelled him closer so he could bestow a tongue-washing kiss on him, breaking it off with a decided smacking of lips as Gus came running up to them. 

 

Justin stood there slightly dazed and breathless next to Brian as Gus asked hopefully, "Is it time to eat now, Daddy?"

 

"Not yet, Sonny Boy.  We're waiting for a few more guests to show up first."  He grinned as his son's lower lip jutted out in disappointment.  "Don't you worry, though, Sonny Boy," he reassured him. "It won't be long now. If everyone isn't here within fifteen minutes, we'll start eating either way, okay?"

 

Gus nodded in resignation, not exactly happy, but a little more appeased as another idea occurred to him.  "Okay."  He looked over at Justin then.  "Justin?"

 

Justin smiled at him fondly, feeling a bit more relaxed now that Cynthia and Ted didn't seem too shocked over his and Brian's relationship.  "Yes?" 

 

"Can I go up to my room, and bring down our surprise now?"

 

Mel repeated curiously, "Surprise?"

 

Gus nodded in response, but his eyes remained focused on Justin.  "Can I, Justin? Please?"

 

"Wouldn't you like to wait until after you eat, Gus?" he suggested, again feeling everyone's eyes - including Brian's this time - on him once more; even Brian didn't know about this surprise.  But Gus stubbornly shook his head, and Justin knew he wouldn't give up until he agreed.  "Okay.  I guess it won't hurt. But be careful going up the steps, and hold onto the railing!" he called out to him as the little boy suddenly turned around and ran headlong toward the backdoor, a boy on a mission as he disappeared inside within seconds.

 

Brian laughed.  "That's my son - doesn't know any other speed when it comes to doing anything except warp drive."  Everyone smiled knowingly as Brian addressed his partner. "What is this all about?" he asked.

 

Justin smiled mysteriously.  "You'll see soon enough.  I'd give him about three minutes."  Brian was extremely curious, but he knew he didn't have to worry if it involved Justin and his son.  He was so thankful that the two males in his life were this close to each other, and he cherished Justin all the more for treating his son the way that he did.  

 

Sure enough, just as Justin had predicted, Gus came rushing back out the door soon afterward, holding some sort of rolled up paper in his hand.  Smiling proudly, he hurried up to his two mothers and told them a little breathlessly, "This is for you." 

 

Mel and Lindsay exchanged a glance.  "A present for us?" Lindsay asked.  Gus nodded and shyly smiled as his mother accepted the object and laid it down on top of the table.  Slowly untying the simple string fastened around it, she pulled the two edges back to peer at it as both women gasped with astonished pleasure.  It was a carefully detailed drawing of their son in a backyard setting - apparently here at Britin - as he sat on the grass, his knees drawn up to his body and his hands wrapped around his lower legs.  He was wearing his omnipresent engineer's cap at a casual angle on his head as he smiled in delight at a butterfly that had landed on a bush nearby.  In the corner Justin has signed his name, and a small but life-sized handprint - no doubt Gus's - was placed next to it. The drawing was whimsical in nature and depicted Gus's zest for life perfectly. 

 

The two of them peered over at Justin in wonder and appreciation as Justin's face grew warm.  "Justin..." Mel began as she glanced back down at the exquisite portrait of their son that Lindsay was holding down on the table.

 

Gus stared over at his mother.  "Do you like it, Mama?" he asked shyly, noticing the astounded look on her face.

 

Mel stared at the drawing in disbelief; this likeness of their son was just as good as the one from the park.  "This...this is beautiful."  Her smile widened as she looked at her son and told him, "It's so lifelike.  The best present I think I've ever had; at least, after you were born, anyway." 

 

Lindsay had to nod in agreement, still somewhat envious of how much talent this young man possessed for someone who was relatively untrained.  "She's right," she had to reluctantly admit.  "You have captured Gus so well here.  You really have an excellent grasp of light and shadow, especially."  She continued to stare at the drawing of their son before deciding, "Mel and I are going to have a disagreement over who gets to keep this after we have it framed."  She was only half-kidding.  "I know she wanted that other portrait to hang in her office..."

 

Justin's eyes widened with concern; he hadn't thought about that.  "Well, uh...I can draw something else if you..."

 

Mel shook her head.  "No, Justin, don't worry about it," she told the young man softly. "Something like this needs to be enjoyed by both of us - at home."  Lindsay nodded gratefully as Mel inhaled a deep breath and let it out before saying, "Thank you.  We'll treasure this." 

 

Justin nodded.  "You're welcome," he murmured self-consciously.  Wanting to change the subject from him to something else, he wracked his brain to come up with another topic, but was spared the need as the doorbell rang again, and once more Gus rushed back to the house to open the front door. 

 

"I'll get it!" he shouted again as everyone laughed.

 

Chapter End Notes:

 

 

Okay, I am officially refraining from promising one more chapter - ha!  But I will try to wrap this up soon! Thanks again for all the support.

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