Justin went flying down the stairs. He could hear voices coming from the living room, but he ignored them and went into the kitchen. "Justin, what are you doing?" he heard Daphne ask from behind him. Justin searched around the kitchen for his car keys. "Justin, stop and tell me what you're looking for. Maybe I can help," Daphne said.

"I'm looking for my fucking car keys," Justin snapped. He hadn't even driven this SUV. After Allison had gotten into a car accident a few days before his wedding, it was completely totaled. Brian had Ted order a new one, and it had been waiting for him when they got home. He shoved things out of the way, sending things to the floor, and not caring as he searched for his keys.

"You shouldn't be driving when you're like this," Daphne told him. Justin spun around.

"I don't care if I should be driving or not. I need a fucking drink!" he yelled at her, and spun around, looking on the counter.

"Justin, you can't mix alcohol with your pain meds," Daphne said. Someone cleared his throat. It was Jayden. He was holding his car keys.

"I'll drive you. She's right. You shouldn't be driving. Or drinking," Jayden said calmly. He glared at his keys. Then he realized this was the best he was gonna get. He knew no one was going to let him drive a car, so he let them drive him.

"He fucking called me Taylor," Justin ground out. Daphne leaned forward from the back seat.

"I'm sure it was by accident. I sometimes say Justin Taylor, too," Daphne said.

"I wanna fucking kill him," Justin said. Meaning Michael. Trying to forget about Brian. He called him Justin Taylor. And that probably hurt worse than anything. "He fucking comes into my house...it's one thing to treat me like shit. I'm a big boy. I can handle his childishness. I've been doing it for almost seven fucking years," Justin ranted. He looked back at Daphne. "Haven't I been dealing with his jealousy since day fucking one?" Justin asked. Daphne nodded her head.

"You've always been mature about the way you've handled Michael. No one can blame you for hitting him. I'm surprised he's gone this long without being punched," Daphne said.

"Oh, but Brian can. Brian can blame me. He's mad at me. You don't get to beat the shit out of someone because you're pissed, Justin," Justin mocked Brian. "The hell I can! I'm fucking pissed, and I had every right to beat the shit out of him! Almost seven years' worth of reasons to. It's one thing to treat me like that. But not my family. Not Brian's. I won't stand for that! I have a right to fucking kill him if I want to after everything he's said and done to me, and after everything he's done for the past couple of months. No, he's lucky I didn't kill him!" Justin ranted.

Brian walked down the stairs past everyone, and out onto the back porch. He sat down and lit a joint, not caring that his son could actually walk out at any moment. He was too pissed for that. He was too livid to care. He was sure that no one would let Gus outside. In the back of his mind, he had hoped everyone was smarter than to let Gus outside. He heard the slider open, and could tell it was Sawyer. Brian pushed the chair out and laid his feet in it as Sawyer sat down on the opposite side of him.

"Let me guess. After all the shit he said to you and Teresa, you want to go beat the shit out of him, too, and want to order me to stay away from Michael, too," Brian snapped and took a hit. Sawyer rubbed his face.

"Wanna cut me some slack here? I just had to drag my sister down the stairs like a five-year-old having a temper tantrum so she could beat the shit out of the punching bag," Sawyer said. He chuckled sarcastically.

"Yeah, and speaking of her. Who the hell does she think she is, telling Michael what I'm going to do? No one tells me what I feel, and what I'm going to do! That's my fucking business! Not anyone else's," he said. He smoked a whole blunt and rolled a second one before Sawyer even spoke again.

"The things you have to understand about my little sister...she's extremely protective of her family. Like pit bull protective. And when someone does something wrong to her family, she lashes out. Her intentions are good, but the way she carries them out leaves something to be desired. But her feelings behind her actions are out of love. She saw everything that Michael was doing to this family, and she lashed out and let him know where to go and how to get there, because everything Michael did was wrong," Sawyer said. Brian snorted.

"And here's the part where you tell me to dump my best friend," Brian said.

"Don't sit there and begin to imagine how I think! Because you don't know me well enough to have any idea," Sawyer said sternly. Brian looked over at him, shocked. He hadn't heard his father raise his voice like that. Well, he had heard it, but never directed at him. It stunned Brian for a moment. Sawyer cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'm sorry I... I didn't mean it the way it sounded," Sawyer said. Brian didn't say anything. "You weren't raised the way I wanted you to be raised. You were raised with three people who you thought were your family. They were all you had...and they failed you," Sawyer said. Brian looked over at him. "They failed you, as a mother, as a father, and as a sister...so you found a family that didn't fail you. Michael, Debbie and Vic. They were your parents...and Michael was your brother," Sawyer said. Brian looked at his backyard. Sawyer was completely right about that.

"It was easy to dump the Kinneys the first chance you got...because they didn't love you. They weren't loyal to you. You couldn't be who you were around them. But Michael, Debbie and Vic, you could...they were your family, your whole life...so I completely understand that with all this happening. Michael's your brother. I know you're angry with him, beyond anything you can describe for yourself. But you're completely stuck in a hole that you don't know how to dig yourself out of. It was easy to dump the Kinneys, because you never expected anything less than hatred from them. But Michael is your brother, and you expected more from him. And you know what he's doing is wrong, but you're dying inside.  Because you want to put him in his place, but you just can't let your family go," Sawyer said. It was all true. Everything he was saying was completely true.

"That's why you've been avoiding it. You're trying to come up with a way to fix this. But you haven't figured out a solution yet," Sawyer said. Brian huffed and rubbed his face and started smoking again. "Unfortunately, with that fight today, time's running out on what you have to do about Michael. It is your decision what happens with Michael...but it's also Justin's business," Sawyer said. Brian looked over at him.

"How did you know I told Justin it wasn't his business?" Brian asked.

"Emmett followed you guys, and heard the whole fight," Sawyer said sheepishly. Brian snorted. Of course he did. "I know this isn't easy for you. I get that. Michael's the one who put you in this position...and unfortunately, Brian...you have to deal with it. Because Justin loves you. And you love him. And unless you want to wake up to Michael every morning, I suggest you fix this with Justin," Sawyer told him. Brian glanced at him and went back to smoking.

"Right now you might be upset that Justin yelled at Michael, saying he was losing you...but Justin is the one that's hurting. His little sister his missing. You gotta cut him some slack, because we both know this isn't what Justin wanted. He's never wanted to put you in this position. He never wanted this to happen to you and Michael...but this was all Michael's doing. This is all happening because of Michael. And it's unfair to be angry with Justin for finally lashing out. You're lucky he lasted this long," Sawyer said. Brian groaned. Everything Sawyer said was right. "As for calling him Justin Taylor..."

"It was a fucking slip of the tongue! I told him I was going to deal with Michael! I swore I would! Justin Taylor just popped out of my mouth before I could take it back."

"I know that...but Justin doesn't. So, I think you may want to be more careful, and fix that."

"Well, Yoda, why don't you tell me what to do, since you're so smart?" Brian said sarcastically. Sawyer rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I swear, you and Sammy are just alike! When she gets aggravated with me for being a know-it-all, she starts calling me Yoda," Sawyer said and rubbed at his face. "You need to apologize and show him that you're sorry. I think you may need to do something about Michael. He is your brother. And I can understand that. Because you feel the way I feel about Derek. Blood doesn't make our bond better than your bond with Michael. It would break my heart if I had to do something about Derek. So, I can sympathize...but I know I would have to do something...and I think it's time to do something about Michael," Sawyer told him. They sat in silence for a while before Sawyer got up.

"I don't want you to think I'm not on your side. I'm completely one hundred percent on your side. I'll always be on your side. And as someone who's on the outside, I can see from a different point of view. You're just starting on a new journey in your life with Justin. And Michael had every right to be a part of it. Justin was okay with that. He's always accepted Michael with open arms...but Michael's not the same best friend anymore. He's become a toxic person in your life, and in some of your friends' lives. And sometimes you have to get rid of the toxic people in your life...and right now with everything that is going on with Justin's father and sister, Justin and his mother and baby sister should come first right now. Not Michael," Sawyer said and patted his shoulder and went back inside.

Every damn thing his father said was right. He had been avoiding this fight with Michael, because he hoped he'd get his head out of his ass. But Michael had taken things too far. He couldn't just keep waiting for something that wasn't going to happen. So, what the hell was he supposed to do?

"I think you just gotta relax. Letting Michael get to you like this is exactly what he wanted. He wanted to push someone to do something. And you fell right into his trap by punching him, and now you and Brian are fighting. This is perfect in his eyes. So, I think when you get home, you need to talk to Brian. You shouldn't be thinking about Michael. You need to be with your mom and little sister right now. Not out here with us," Jayden said as he drove around.

"He called me Taylor," Justin gritted out.

"And I think that was an accident. Come on! Brian wouldn't call you Taylor to piss you off. The whole reason you changed your name was because of Craig. He wouldn't say that to you. That's going way over the line. I really think it was an accident," Daphne said.

"I really think the way to really screw Michael is to go back to Brian. That would be the ultimate fuck you. And forget about him, anyway. Let everyone else handle him like they've been doing. They kept Michael away from you for months. Let everyone do it again, and concentrate on your family. Then when your sister comes back, then you can kick his ass," Jayden said. Justin wiped at his face in frustration. They were right. And he hated that.

Brian walked back into the house and started up the stairs, just as Sam was coming down with her suitcase. She stopped when she saw him and gulped. She looked like she had been crying. She cleared her throat. "Listen, Josh and I are gonna go stay at Teresa's house," she told him.

"Why?" he asked, crossing his arms. She fidgeted around.

"Because I know you must hate me right now. I'm sorry for what I've said...I didn't mean to make decisions for you. That wasn't my intention. So, we'll just go stay somewhere else," Sam said as she tried to walk by him. But Brian put his arm on the railing. , stopping her from taking another step.

"I'm already in enough trouble with Sunshine. Don't you think making his fag hag stay somewhere else will just add more fuel to his fire?" Brian asked. Sam raised her eyebrow.

"You're not mad at me?" she asked. He moved his arm to rest against the railing and cross his arms.

"I'm still deciding on that one," Brian grumbled. She sniffed and wiped at her face.

"I won't...well, I'll try not to be so bad at butting in on your relationship with Michael. I never meant it to hurt you...I know we didn't grow up together, and you're older than me...but you're my nephew. You're my brother's son and...I protect my family. And everything he's said and done..." Sam trailed off.

"Well, I can't be all that angry with you. I brought you into this. I made you keep secrets, and made you write his Best Man speech. Stupid me, thinking you would just do it and not have an opinion on it," Brian said and rolled his eyes. Sam smiled a little. "Go take your bag back upstairs, Drama Queen. Is there even anything in the suitcase? Or were you just waiting till you saw me, so you could pretend to carry an empty suitcase down?" he asked her. Her smile widened and she leaned forward and hugged him.

"Thank you. And yes, it has shit in it, asshole," she said and went back upstairs. He had hoped Justin would be as forgiving. His stomach growled, and he realized he was super hungry. He hadn't eaten all day, and he had just smoked two joints. He was ready to eat the entire menu at McDonalds. He went back into the kitchen, and his mother was making something at the stove.

"What are you making?" Brian asked. This was the first time that he and Teresa had been alone since he and Justin had returned a few days ago. Usually Justin was attached to his hip, and there were people all over the house. But he guessed after the blow out, everyone had made themselves invisible. No one was in sight. Teresa smiled.

"I'm making some meatballs. I have all this sauce I made yesterday. Haven't decided if I'm gonna make a lasagna or ziti...but I have sauce and meatballs, so I can do whatever I want," Teresa said. He sat down on the island as she stood on the other side.

"I'm sorry for what Michael said to you," Brian said. Teresa didn't look up. She kept stirring the sauce.

"It's not your fault...and it's not like he's said anything that wasn't true. I mean, I did give you up. Maybe everyone's just been too nice about it to me your whole life by not making me face it," she said sadly. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. She still wouldn't look up at him.

"That's some of the stupidest bullshit I've ever heard," Brian said. She looked up at him. "He doesn't have a right to say anything to you, because he's not you. He has no idea what it was like being 13 and giving a kid up for adoption. And if anyone has a right to say anything, it's me. Because I'm the person who got put up for adoption. And if I want to say anything to you about it, I'll be sure to say it, not caring if it hurts your feelings. But I don't feel any of that. I'm not angry at you or pissed. So, if you wanna feel sorry for yourself, then I can't stop you. But I'm not angry at you, so you're wasting your time feeling sorry for yourself," Brian said. Teresa gulped. They were silent for a few minutes. He felt bad for snapping at her.

"Okay, so maybe I would care if I hurt your feelings," Brian said. She slowly looked up and gave him a half smile.

"I've gotten to know you pretty well these last few months. And I know that means a lot coming from you. So, thank you," she said. He nodded his head. "It's not that easy to just forgive myself for giving you up...I don't regret it just for you...I regret it for myself, too. I didn't get to raise you. And I didn't get to watch you grow up. All I have are all those pictures you gave me...I spend so much time wishing I could take it back. It's not easy to just let it go," she said sadly and stirred the sauce again. Brian didn't really know what to say to that, either. After a few more minutes of silence, though, Teresa started talking.

"You may want to make a grand gesture," she said. He looked up at her and raised in eyebrow. "For Justin," she said. He scrubbed at his face in frustration.

"I'm on his side. I don't get why he doesn't see that," Brian said.

"Because his little sister has been kidnapped," she said simply. It was true. Justin would have been more logical if his father hadn't murdered his wife, kidnapped his sister, and abandoned his other sister. "Cut him some slack. And say Justin Kinney a lot more, for God's sake," she joked with him. He nodded his head. They heard the garage door open, making Brian tense. It was time to face the music. He waited for about ten minutes before he heard the door in the hallway open. A second later, Daphne and Jayden came running in. Without Justin. Brian sat straight up.

"We have a problem," Daphne said.

"What the fuck happened? Where's Justin?" Brian demanded.

"The cops pulled up right as we pulled into the driveway. They arrested Justin," Daphne said. Teresa dropped the spoon on the floor.

"Shit!" she hissed, bending down to clean up the mess.

"What for?" Brian demanded, standing up.

"For punching Michael. He's pressing charges," Jayden said. Brian's blood was boiling.

"MELANIE!" Brian screamed loudly, causing the three others to jump. Sawyer, Sam, and Josh came running in.

"What's the matter?" Sawyer asked.

"Where's Justin?" Sam asked Daphne and Jayden.

"He's going to jail for punching Michael," Daphne said. Sam gasped, while Sawyer and Josh's eyes widened. Brian stood there, jaw clenched, and fists balled up. Lindsay and Melanie came running in.

"Jesus, Brian! What's the matter?" Melanie asked.

"Go over to the police station and get Justin out of jail," Brian said through gritted teeth.

"Jail? Why's he in jail?" Lindsay asked.

"Fucking Michael called the cops on Justin because he punched him! Come on, I'm going, too, for this," Sam said as she went to the front door.

"You make sure his mother doesn't find out," Brian told Daphne. She nodded her head.

"We promise. We'll make sure she has no idea what's happening," Teresa said. Sam came back in with her purse and keys.

"Let's go," Sam said to Melanie. Brian walked over and grabbed his own keys.

"Where are you going?" Lindsay asked frantically.

"I'm gonna go take care of my best friend," Brian said through gritted teeth.

"You're not going over there alone. Let's go, Josh," Sawyer said. They all left. Melanie and Sam went to the police station, while Sawyer, who fought Brian for the keys, drove them over to Michael's house. Sawyer hadn't even completely stopped when Brian got out of the car and stomped up the steps and pounded on the door. He could hear Michael yelling inside at someone. Josh and Sawyer raced up the steps to stand next to him. A moment later, a very tired and sick-looking Ben answered the door. Brian stopped.

"Hey. Come join the party," Ben said tiredly and allowed them in.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked him. He tiredly nodded his head.

"It's those meds. I look worse then I feel," Ben said as he coughed.

"Will you keep your voice down, for God's sake?" they heard Debbie hiss.

"This is my fucking house!" Michael yelled loudly at her.

"Ben is sleeping. He's sick, or have you been too busy terrorizing your friends to notice that your husband is fucking sick?" he hissed at him. You could tell Debbie was trying to be as quiet as she could. She was still loud, because Debbie just naturally had a loud voice. But Michael wasn't trying at all.

"You should go to bed," Josh told Ben. He nodded his head.

"I heard the doorbell, and I know Michael didn't hear it," Ben said. He went to take a step, but he struggled to pull himself up. Brian stepped up and threw Ben's arm around his own shoulder. Josh did the same for his other arm, and they helped Ben up the stairs. This just added more fuel to Brian's fire. Michael was so caught up in his own selfishness that he wasn't aware of anyone else around him. He was so caught him in Brian's husband, that he couldn't even see his own husband. They helped Ben back into bed, and then Brian stomped down the stairs and barged into the kitchen, stunning both Debbie and Michael.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Michael demanded. Josh and Sawyer were right behind him, close enough to grab him if he lunged at Michael.

"What the fuck am I doing here? Are you fucking kidding me? You honestly have to ask what the fuck I'm doing here?" Brian demanded. He laughed sarcastically at him.

"Brian, please. Ben's upstairs sleeping," Debbie pleaded.

"No. He's not. He's upstairs, but he's not sleeping. He was the one who let us in, and I had to help him back into bed, because his own fucking husband is down here having another fucking temper tantrum instead of taking care of him," Brian told him.

"Ben's fine," Michael said. Debbie covered her face.

"He's NOT fine. But I didn't come here to talk to you about your husband. That's not my battle. I came here to talk to you about MY husband," Brian said. Michael cringed as he heard the word, and Brian caught on instantly. "Oh, yes, Michael. Justin is my husband. And we're going to talk about him right fucking now," Brian said. Before anyone had a chance, he reached over and grabbed Michael by the hair and yanked him into the living room. Debbie screamed for him to stop, but Brian didn't listen and shoved him over to the couch and pushed him on it to sit down. Michael screamed and grabbed his hair. Brian grabbed the phone and threw it in his lap. "You call the fucking police station, and drop the fucking charges," Brian told him.

"I will not! He fucking attacked me! He deserves to go to jail!" Michael said. He had to admit, Justin did kick his ass. It looked like Michael's nose was broken. And he had a black eye.

"And you're completely innocent in all of this, right?" Brian asked. Michael had the balls to nod his head. "You didn't verbally attack everyone over at my house. You haven't been starting all kinds of trouble?" Brian asked.

"I said the truth. And if they can't handle that..." Michael tried to say, but Brian slammed his hands down on the side of Michael and got right into his face.

"Listen here, you piece of shit! I'm going to get in my car and drive back to the police station to pick Justin up. By the time I get there, I expect Justin to be walking out. While I'm in the car, you're going to be calling them up on the phone to drop the charges. You're also to not step foot on my property. That goes for any of my property. Anything I own, you're not to be within 100 feet of it," Brian said. Michael's eyes widened. "Oh yeah. Little Mikey got it. I own the fucking comic book store. The same comic book store that Ted has changed all the passwords to get into anything on the computer for it. And the same comic book store that I have some bouncers from Babylon standing outside with strict orders to not let you come back in. The same fucking comic book store that will have a locksmith come first thing in the morning to change the locks, and never let you back in. That's the same fucking comic book store that you're never gonna get back into, unless you drop the charges against Justin," Brian told him.

Debbie cried in her hands. Sawyer and Josh just looked at each other. Brian stood back and crossed his arms. "The choice is yours. Is pressing charges against Justin for kicking the shit out of you, which is something that you deserved, worth more than losing your income? The only income you have since your husband is in bed sick? Is it worth losing everything?" Brian asked. Michael gulped.

"So it really has come down to this? You're choosing him over me?" Michael asked. Brian snorted and scrubbed his face.

"Yeah, I am. I'm choosing Justin over you. I'm gonna choose the guy who I want to wake up to every day for the rest of my life," Brian told him. Sawyer smiled. It was a proud dad moment. "And you're not that guy. HE is. And you were wrong. Everything you've been doing is wrong. You're done bullying Justin. He's stayed quiet about it for over six years, and you're lucky you just now got your ass kicked," Brian told him. Josh snorted. "You've really made an ass out of yourself. You've alienated all your friends. Your mother. She should be at my house right now with her friend. She wants to be there with Jennifer, but instead she's too embarrassed to be in my house. She's over here, begging you to stop. And she can't make you do it. But I can. It fucking stops now. Because I own you. I own that fucking comic book store that you love so fucking much. You want to keep it? You stay off my property! You stay away from Justin! You mind your own fucking business when it comes to Lindsay and Melanie's house, and you butt out of my parents giving me up for adoption! Don't you ever fucking say that to my mother again! That she gave me up, so she doesn't belong! I get to decide who belongs in my life! And she's fine right where she's at. So are they," Brian said, referring to Sawyer and Josh.

"So, you're choosing them over me," Michael asked.

"When are you going to fucking wake up? I didn't have to choose anyone! There was never a choice! YOU made the choice! This was all YOUR doing. You created this whole fucking mess. Now you are the one losing me. You don't get to be a part of my life, because you chose not to be. They didn't ask me to choose you or them," Brian said. Michael said something else then, but Brian didn't hear it. Something weird happened to Brian at that moment. He realized that his and Michael's friendship was over. Really, truly over. His best friend wasn't here anymore. Someone else had taken over. Nothing he said was ever going to register with Michael. He was never going to get it through his head...it was one of the saddest moments in his life. Losing Michael. Michael must have said something to anger Sawyer and Josh, because now they were arguing with him.

"Don't fucking talk about her not working! She does more in one day than you do at your own job! I make more than enough money for her not to work. And it's our fucking business! Who the hell are you to say anything about her? You don't even know her!" Josh yelled at him.

"Please. Ben needs his rest," Debbie cried.

"Why is your mother the only one concerned about Ben? Shouldn't you be concerned about him? You're so worried about Teresa and Sam that you haven't stopped to notice that your husband is fucking sick and needs you," Sawyer told him.

"Don't you dare say anything about Ben! You know nothing about him. It's none of your fucking business!" Michael yelled.

"Don't make it my business, then! Don't make us be the ones to carry him back to bed! Then I'll stay out of yours. And I'll stay out of yours when you stay out of mine. You can't be that hypocritical, " Sawyer argued back. "And look what you've done to your mother! This is killing her! And you don't even care. You don't care about anyone but yourself," Sawyer said. Debbie did look like a mess.

"Not your mother. Not your husband. Definitely not your daughter," Josh said.

"That's enough!" Brian said. They all looked at him. "He doesn't hear anything you say," Brian said mono-tonelessly. "He doesn't hear anything any of us say," he said. It was the truth. Michael wasn't hearing anything. He turned to Debbie. "You're always welcome in my house. Never think that you're not. Everyone agrees. And if they don't, tough shit...you'll always be a mother to me and Justin," he told her, making her cry. "But I understand if you may not be able to come back. But I hope you do," Brian told her. She nodded her head, and he turned back to Michael. "You stay away. I mean it. You're no longer welcome at my house. After everything you've pulled, you're lucky," Brian said as he started walking away.

"Oh, yeah, I'm real lucky! After that stupid kid got in the middle of us. After these people just invaded your home. A home you didn't even want. A home that Justin forced you into. These people threw you away. And you're choosing them over me?" Michael demanded. Brian rubbed his forehead and slowly turned around to face him.

"You're not even worth this anymore. If that's what you honestly believe, then you're not even worth fighting with. Because there's nothing to fight FOR," Brian said quietly. Michael just stood there. "Make the charges disappear by the time I get to the police station. Or else.," he said, turning around and heading outside. Sawyer and Josh quietly followed him. "Give me my keys," he said to Sawyer. He tossed them to him and they all got in.

"God, am I glad to see you!" Justin said as Melanie walked out back. She gave him a strong hug.

"Did you say anything?" Melanie asked. He shook his head.

"No, I wouldn't. I said I wouldn't till I had my lawyer," Justin said. She nodded her head.

"Good boy. I taught you well. Took me fucking forever to get back here! Sam's arguing with one of the cops out there. She thinks she can bring your bail down," she laughed as she sat down next to him.

"How is this even possible? After everything he's done? How is the law against me for punching him? He deserved it," Justin said as he started to cry. They were sitting in a large room with a bunch of desks. The cop had just gotten up to leave Justin there, sitting by himself. How had he gotten into this mess? And where was Brian?

"Sweetie, I'm doing everything I can."

"I'm not gonna have to sleep here tonight, am I? Please don't tell me I am," he begged her. All of a sudden, Brian was standing above him. He pulled Justin up by his arm.

"Come on, we're leaving." Brian said.

"What?" Justin asked, stunned.

"Did you post bail?" Mel asked.

"Didn't have to. The charges were dropped. So he's free to go home," Brian said. Justin and Mel stood there, stunned.

"How?" Justin asked, wiping his face.

"Because I went over to Michael's and threatened to take away his comic book store. If he went through with this, then he'd have no source of income. His pride and joy would be gone," Brian said as he pulled him to the front of the police station. When they got to the lobby, they could see Sawyer, Sam, and Josh in a tight circle, talking. Sam saw them first and walked over between Sawyer and Josh toward Justin to hug him.

"Oh, thank God! I was ready to kick some cops' balls in," she said and let him go.

"Let's just get out of here," Sawyer said. He led the group outside.

"You guys go ahead. We'll catch up," Brian said. Melanie, Sawyer, Sam, and Josh left in Mel's van. It was just Brian and Justin outside the police station.

"You threatened to take the store away from him?" Justin asked. Brian nodded as he leaned back against Justin's SUV and crossed his arms.

"Before we get into another fight, because I don't want to, just let me say this. I told you I agreed with you. That if you didn't want him in the house, I agreed with you. Because everything he's said and done was wrong. He had no right to say anything about you, or be cruel to your mom...all of it. And I'm sorry that my words...and my actions today made you question if I was on your side. Because I was. I am," Brian said. Justin gulped, and Brian fidgeted around a little. He hoped he was getting through to him.

"I didn't say the right things...and they made you think I wasn't on your side. So I'm sorry. But I am on your side. One hundred percent," Brian told him. Justin didn't say anything. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "And when I called you ‘Taylor,' it was a fucking accident, Justin! I've known you for over six years, and you've always been ‘Taylor.' It was a slip of the tongue. I didn't mean anything bad by it...next time we're having some huge blowout fight, I'll make sure to yell Justin Kinney at you," Brian said. Justin softly chuckled and put his head down and rubbed the muscles in the back of his neck. Brian just wanted Justin to say something.

"I'm sorry I overreacted," Justin said and looked up. "This whole thing with Molly has me so screwed up...I got to forget for the day what really mattered...I wanted to kill him. For everything he's put me through since the night I met you. I thought we had finally moved past everything. I thought we were friends..." he trailed off and shook his head and looked up at Brian. "You went over there and had some big fight, didn't you?" he asked. Brian took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and then shook his head.

"I didn't need to have a big fight...I realized there wasn't anything fighting for," Brian said. Saying it out loud was awful. It made Brian's insides feel like they had stopped working. Justin's eyes softened. "I went over there and made him drop the charges, and ordered him to stay away from us," Brian said.

"Think it will work?"

"Well, he dropped the charges...but, no, I doubt he'll stay away," he chuckled sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," Justin said. But Brian shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about him...you don't need to deal with that. You just need to concentrate on being with your mom," Brian said.

"Is this fight over, then?" Justin asked. Brian nodded his head, and Justin reached up and wrapped his arm around his shoulders and buried his face in his neck. "I'm so sorry for what happened...but thank you. Thank you for standing up for me," Justin said. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin's waist and put his own head down on the blond's shoulders. He breathed in deeply. This was where he wanted to be. His dad was totally right. It didn't matter what happened to his friendship with Michael, because this was the guy he wanted to wake up to every day.

"Don't forget about saving you from spending the night in jail," Brian said, making Justin laugh as he pulled back. They locked eyes for a few moments, before Justin leaned forward and kissed him softly.

"Come on. Let's get the fuck out of here," Brian said.

Justin's mother had no idea what had happened. Teresa and Lindsay kept everything under control at the house. When everyone walked in, it was like nothing had happened. It was a grueling couple of days. With no word on Molly, Justin and his mother had been lost. Jennifer's mother and sister flew back home after a few days. Everyone had their roles to play. Tucker stayed close by Jennifer's side, like Brian did for Justin. Teresa, her mother, and Sawyer's mother stayed in the kitchen a lot, cooking and feeding everyone. Lindsay and Melanie took care of Gus, Jenny, and as much as they could, Lilly. She still got passed around to everyone, though. Emmett and Ted went back to work, and would stop by as much as they could. Sawyer went back to Kinnetik, and would stay close to Brian, Justin, and Gus when he was there. Daphne and Jayden had gone back home, but came over every night, and stayed on the weekends.

While Sam and Josh were there for Justin.  They were the saving grace of keeping the kids entertained. They played with the kids all day, every day. They'd be outside playing for hours, in the pool or the sprinkler. They let them ride the horses. They played on the swing set, or just ran around for hours, doing what kids do. When they were inside, they played for hours on video games. J.R. would sometimes take a nap, or go to Michael's, and that's when the video games would really start, or they would work on the extravagant town that Brian and Gus were building. Once Gus was bored with one thing, Sam and Josh had something else fun for him to do. She had a million art projects, or cooking projects to keep him busy. He didn't really ask to go somewhere, because they were providing all the entertainment for him.

Justin came into the kitchen one morning and hissed. "What's the matter?" Teresa asked him.

"I can't move my neck," Justin said.

"You have a huge knot in your neck. I told you that three days ago," Sam said as she grabbed a pancake and stood there, eating it.

"Don't you want butter or syrup on it? Or a plate?" Sawyer asked.  She flicked him off and sat on the bar stool at the counter. Brian came in and sat next to her.

"You should go get a massage," Brian said as Sawyer's mother, his grandmother, poured a cup of coffee and poured sugar into it, and then passed it across the island to Brian. He smiled at her. "Thanks," he said and sipped it.

"I'm not going to get a massage right now," Justin grumbled.

"It's not like it's a day of beauty. You're going to get those knots rubbed out of your neck. If you're physically in pain, then go take care of it," Teresa said.

"I don't have any knots. I just slept on it wrong," Justin said. Brian reached up and placed a finger on his neck and Justin yelped in pain and pushed his hand away.

"I didn't even apply pressure. You're going," Brian said as he went back to his coffee. Sam reached forward and grabbed some bacon and started eating it.

"Get a fucking plate," Sawyer griped at her.

"You know you need to have some sex in your life. You wouldn't be so stressed all the time. Teresa, get on that," she said, waving her hand towards Sawyer. Teresa's eyes widened and Brian laughed.

"Shut up!" Sawyer said.

"Samantha June!" her mother said.

"I'm just trying to help them out, Mother," Sam said and grabbed another pancake. Sawyer grabbed a plate and shoved it at her, and then walked out of the kitchen. Teresa shortly followed them. Cynthia stood there, shaking her head at Sam as she ate her pancake and more bacon. She looked up at her mother. "They need encouragement. They should have been together a long time ago," she said and turned to Brian and Justin. "Don't worry. I'm wearing them down. It will happen," she assured them.

"E necessario mantenere il vostro grande bocca grasso fuori della vostro vita sessuale Fratelli," Cynthia said. Sam's mouth fell wide open. Brian and Justin looked at each other.

"Non ho una grande bocca grasso. Non e colpa mia il mio fratello e sessualmente ritardato," Sam said back to them.

"She said retarded," Justin whispered to Brian.

"I'll say a lot worse," she said to them. Her mother huffed and walked away.

"You speak Italian?" Justin asked. She nodded her head.

"You should learn. It's how we always have the best fights. My mom usually speaks Italian when she wants to say something nasty to us." Sam chuckled.

"What did she say?" Justin asked as he hissed again. Brian put his hand on the back of Justin's neck and rubbed gently.

"Oh, this one wasn't bad. I'm sure she was gonna say something else. But she just told me to keep my big fat mouth out of my brother's sex life. So, I told her it wasn't my fault he's sexually retarded," Sam said.

"Told you she said retarded," Justin said. Before Justin and Brian left, Justin went into the living room. His mom and Tucker were sitting on the couch. "Brian and I are gonna go out for a little while. Do you need anything?" Justin asked her. She shook her head.

"Where are you guys going?" Lindsay asked. She was bouncing Lilly on her hip. Lilly still wasn't a happy baby.

"Sunshine can't move his neck. He needs a massage," Brian said. Jen looked at Justin.

"Are you okay, honey?" Jen asked him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Are you gonna be okay here? I'll stay if you need me to," Justin said. Brian grabbed his shoulders.

"Your mother's going to be just fine. She has lots of family around here. Stop trying to get out of this," Brian said.

"I don't need to go, Brian," Justin argued without turning his head. Brian brought up his left hand to the side of Justin's face and snapped his finger.

"Can you turn your head to see my fingers without moving your whole body?" Brian asked. Justin glared straight ahead. "Didn't think so. Let's go," he said. Brian brought him to a massage therapist that Teresa had recommended, and called to get Justin squeezed in. Brian waited for him and played on his phone the whole time, sending texts and reading and sending emails. He was trying to catch up. He had expected to be back to work right now, and had set up some appointments that his father was now handling. When did he just give up control like this? He let his father, along with Ted and Cynthia, run everything at his work. His baby. In just a year, his life really had changed. He knew the exact moment it started to change, too. It wasn't the night he met Justin, although really you could say it was. But the moment that had really changed him was the night the bomb went off at Babylon. Thinking Justin could be dead, he allowed himself to admit for the very first time out loud that night how he felt about Justin when he told him that he loved him. He was alive. And that was all that had mattered.

Brian looked up after an hour to see a very relaxed Justin walk out. His eyes looked glazed over. "Whoever would have thought you could look like that without being high or just gotten fucked?" Brian joked. Justin laughed and moved his neck slowly from side to side.

"It's still kinda sore, but it feels so much better. I just feel so relaxed. Thank you," Justin said and kissed him. Brian smiled and walked forward to pay at the desk. "Give her a great tip," he said. Brian nodded and he paid, and then they left. They were in the car, and Brian leaned his arm towards Justin and rubbed his neck.

"Wow, that huge knot is gone," Brian said. Justin hummed 'mmm hmm' at him, making Brian chuckle. Justin was leaning his head back, and had his eyes closed. It was good to see him relaxed. When they got home, they could hear Gus in the pool. He was yelling and screaming and laughing. They walked into the kitchen, and then walked out onto the porch. Daphne and Jayden were there. It was a Saturday, and the sun was out.

"AGAIN!" Gus screamed as he ran towards Josh and Jayden. Josh grabbed his arms and Jayden grabbed his legs and they swung him back and forth a few times until they threw him in the pool. Gus would come back up, laughing hysterically. Daphne was in the shallow end of the pool with Lilly, who seemed to be calm for once. Sam was over at the table, with a plate full of food, chowing down.

"Hey, guys. How are you feeling?" Lindsay asked as she came out and looked at Justin.

"Much better," he told her, and she leaned forward and rubbed his neck. "That girl was amazing," he told her, making her chuckle. Gus screamed with laughter, and they all looked over at him swimming to the edge to climb back out.

"The boys have been doing that for the past hour. I don't know how they aren't tired yet," Lindsay said. Brian looked over at Sam.

"You know you're gonna get fat," Brian told her. Justin and Lindsay looked over at her.

"Brian!" Lindsay said and smacked him and went back inside.

"Please. I have like the best metabolism. Goes right in and..."

"Okay, we don't need to know the rest," Justin said, putting his hands up. She just chuckled and kept eating her burger.

"Sawyer made burgers on the grill. They're in the kitchen," Sam said.

"I can make you boys a plate," Lindsay said from the kitchen. They ended up getting plates and coming out and sitting on the porch. It was a really nice day.

"Where's J.R.?" Justin asked. Lindsay cleared her throat.

"Mel took her to the park to see Michael," Lindsay said uncomfortably.

"You don't have to act weird about saying his name. He shares a child with you and Melanie," Justin told her. Lindsay smiled at him.

"God, you're so much nicer than me," Sam joked as she was playing with her phone. "Hey, isn't Gus's birthday coming up?" she asked Lindsay. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, in two weeks."

"What are you doing for him?" she asked. Lindsay smiled sadly.

"We'll just have something small here. Not really make a big deal out of it," she said.

"Why not?" Brian asked.

"Well, because of everything that's going on. It's just not the right time. Having a birthday party for my son...is just a slap in the face to Jennifer right now. Her daughter is missing. And I would never do that to her," Lindsay said. They sat in silence for a minute.

"As nice as that is..." Jennifer said from the doorway, making them all look up.

"I thought you were taking a nap," Justin said. She came out and sat next to him on the porch.

"I was. But I heard Gus laughing." Jen chuckled and looked at him get thrown in the pool again. "It's a nice sound to hear," she said and then turned to Lindsay. "You should still have his party. I wouldn't take it as a slap in the face. He doesn't understand what's going on. He shouldn't have to suffer because of Craig," Jen told her. Lindsay looked out at Gus.

"I'M FLYING LIKE SUPERMAN!" Gus screamed as he went flying into the water, making everyone laugh.

"Mel and I were really excited to have a big birthday party with all his new family. Our yard wasn't that big compared to what it is now..."

"We could have it here. It's easier accommodating all of Brian's big-ass family." Justin chuckled.

"I'd love to help decorate for his party," Jen told Lindsay.

"And a Bouncy House. It's still summer, so we could get a water slide kind," Justin said, getting excited.

"You're not putting all that shit on my lawn! I pay good money to keep this lawn looking perfect," Brian scoffed. They ignored him, of course. It was the first time that Jen was joining in on a conversation. She was getting excited for Gus' birthday. Teresa ended up coming out at one point and joining the conversation, and her excitement as a grandmother only got Jennifer more excited. Justin loved it. They sat outside, planning Gus's Superhero birthday party for a few hours.

"How far does your property go back?" Jen asked suddenly.

"Actually pretty far back. There's this huge, long trail back there. Perfect for the horses. I guess the person who built the house made it like this so she could take her horses on walks. Come on, I'll show you. It will be nice to get some air," Justin told her. Jen smiled as he reached his arm out for her to take, and they walked passed the pool and passed the stables and out of sight. Brian was happy. They were both finally relaxing. Justin and his mom needed that.

"Tell me about your honeymoon. I haven't heard too much about it. And right now, it's all I want to hear about," Jen said.

Brian walked back into the house and into the living room. It was the first time since he had returned home from his honeymoon that no one was in here. Everyone was outside. He sat down on the couch, and put his feet on the coffee table and rested his head back. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the faint noise of Gus still screaming with laughter outside. He sat there for over an hour when the phone on the coffee table rang. He froze.  He recalled what Carl had told them before.

"Anytime this phone rings, it's someone calling Jennifer's house. It's automatically being forwarded to this phone. The same with Lindsay and Melanie's house phone to this phone," Carl said, pointing to another phone on the coffee table. "This machine will track everyone who calls any of the phones in this house, including cell phones. But they have to be in this house at the time; otherwise, it won't work. It will only take a few minutes, but everything is being tracked by the police. You hit this button," Carl said, pointing to a red button. "This is alerting the police instantly that this is Molly or Craig. Or even anyone else calling with possible information. Every conversation will be recorded, of course, but once you hit this button is when we start listening to the conversation and tracking them, and we start acting accordingly to find Molly," Carl told them.

It was Jennifer's house phone. No one was around, so he picked it up. "Hello?" he asked. He had answered this phone already a dozen times. Every time a phone rang they all jumped, hoping it would be Molly. But Brian knew it was never Molly.

"Brian?" a crying voice asked. His eyes widened, and he sat on the couch.

"Molly?" he asked. She started crying harder. He reached over and hit the red button. Molly was alive!