It was driving Justin crazy that he knew something was happening around this time, but he couldn't remember what it was.  He was busy with school and working at the diner.  Brian was busy with getting his new business set up and working for Ryder.  They'd talked it over and decided that it made no sense for him to quit a good paying job until they had all their ducks in a row.

Something was going on with Michael and Brian was spending as much time as he could spare with him.

Justin was doing his homework while Brian worked on his computer.  It was really late when Brian shut his computer down and dragged Justin to the bed.  When the phone rang Brian almost didn't answer. 

"What?"

"When?  Yeah, I'll be right there."  Brian got up and began getting dressed.

"What's wrong?"  Justin asked.

"My dad died."

"Shit."  Justin remembered Brian's dad stopping by not long ago and telling him he had cancer.  "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing."  Brian sat on the bed to put on his shoes.  "When I told Deb, he was dying she told me I should tell him that I'm queer."

"And what did you do?"

"I told him.  He said I should be the one dying."

"Fuck."  Damn Debbie and her meddling.

Brian laughed and it was bitter.  "Yeah." 

"What do you have to do?"

"Go to the hospital and get the paperwork started for him to go to the morgue.  Then I guess see if he had any arrangements made, which I doubt."

"Bri, just how bad was your dad?"

The old Brian would have shut this conversation down.  He would have told Justin it was none of his business and maybe gone out to find someone to suck his dick.  So, it was surprising when Brian gave him a look at him out of the corner of his eye and started talking.

"Jack drank.  He drank a lot; he spent his paycheck on booze.  When things would go wrong, he'd lash out."

"He hit you?"  Justin gasped.

Brian nodded.  "Ended up in the hospital a few times.  Debbie and Michael gave me a place to escape to when things got bad."

Justin could see him going over his past in his mind's eye.    "You're a better man than me."

Brian faced him to cock an eyebrow.

"I'd probably just said "Fuck him" and left the whole thing alone."

For once Brian gave him a strange look before bursting out with laughter.

When Justin woke up the next morning Brian was sleeping beside him.  He kissed him on the forehead before getting ready to work at the diner.

Michael, Ted and Emmett had arrived and were playing some stupid game.

"Who would you sleep with?  The Professor or Gilligan?  Emmett asked.

Ted responded right off the bat.  "Easy.  The Professor because of his crisp shirts."

Emmett thought about it.  "How do you suppose he kept them so crisp on a desert island?  I can't do it in Pittsburgh. " Then he changed the subject.  "Fred Flintstone or Barney Rubble?"

Michael shoveled in a spoonful of egg before asking.  Justin wanted to take the fork away from him and show him the correct way to hold one.  "Mmmh.  For a relationship or for sex?"

"One night only," Emmett clarified.

"I would go with Fred, because he's a total bear."  Michael's response caused Ted and Emmett to snort with laughter.

Justin rolled his eyes and stopped listening.  He went behind the counter to start a fresh coffee pot when Brian sauntered in looking tired and slid into the booth behind Emmett.  Justin immediately brought him a cup of coffee.

Ted wanted to know if anyone wanted to go see the new Matt Damon movie.  Evidently there was a dick shot in it.

Emmett was the first to jump on board.  Michael, of course, wanted to know if Brian was going.

"I can't.  I have family stuff."

"What, your sister fighting with her ex-husband again?"  Michael tossed out thinking he was being funny.

"My dad died." 

"Your dad?"  Michael stupidly asked.

"When?"  Ted wanted to know.

"Yesterday.  It was time."

Justin and Daphne were dangling their feet in the school pool, watching the swimmers go by.  Justin couldn't help thinking that they weren't as hot as he remembered.  He let Daphne in on what had happened last time around.  "I can't believe I forgot about Jack dying.  Especially when he had come to the loft to tell Brian he had cancer."

"You don't expect it to happen that soon," Daphne offered.

Glen Reeves walked over and grinned at Daphne.  Daphne jumped up and gave him a hug and a kiss.  Justin's mouth dropped open for just a second, then he remembered learning that Daphne had been seeing him a month, while Justin had been busy with Brian.  It also meant that unless he stopped it, Daphne would want him to be her first.  No way, not this time. 

"You didn't seem surprised," Daphne pouted. 

"I'm not," Justin agreed.  "Hey, I have something for you."

He'd had been thinking and worrying about what he would do if Daphne asked him to be her first.  He happened to come upon Emmett one day eating alone and decided to get his advice.  Emmett had been delighted to be asked to help out.  

"What?  What?"  Daphne grabbed the brown paper bag he held out to her.  She pulled out a plastic wrapped item.  "What is it?"

"It's a dildo."

Daphne made a face and tossed it aside. "Why would I want something like that?"

"They come in different sizes so you can adjust.  I wish I'd had one for that even though I was lucky that Brian was my first.  This one vibrates, just don't let your parents find it."

Daphne picked it back up and studied the back of the package, nodding.  Just like that Justin managed to avoid being Daphne's first.

Justin was sitting in the loft sketching while waiting for Brian.  He'd gone to his parents’ house with Michael to pick out what his dad should be buried in.  Justin didn't remember much about that time.  He'd been living at Deb's and only learned of things second hand.

When Brian did show up, he sank down next to Justin and dumped a bowling ball onto his lap.  "I can't believe I used to live there.  It made me remember why I was always at Mikey's."

"Why is there a bowling ball here?"

"A remnant of my childhood.  To quote my 'loving' mother, Jack spent more time with it than he did with her."  He sat there in silence for a while.  "Can you get off school.  I want you at the funeral with me."

Justin was shocked.  "Yeah, sure."

Brian took the ball and rolled it across the floor before snatching Justin and leading him to the bed.

"We are dust and we will return to dust.  Oh, Mighty God, with the death of your son on the cross, you have overcome death for us..."

Brian was standing with his family.  His mom looked annoyed and his sister was sobbing loudly.  It was snowing and everyone had umbrellas.

"We pray for those who died believing in Jesus and the hope that they will one day rise again."

Brian shook his head and wandered over to where Justin was standing with Michael, Lindsay and Melanie.  "What a bunch of bull," he muttered.

After the service everyone headed to the Kinney home.  Claire was wandering around, picking up plates, and wailing.  Everyone watched as her mother pulled her aside. 

"Daddy just died, Mother.  I'm allowed to fall apart," Claire said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Brian and his friends were on the other side of the room.

"Can we leave?  We've been here for months, years," Emmett pleaded.

"Do you have to be so fucking loud, for Christ's sake," Melanie berated him.

"Sorry, Father," Michael turned around to apologize.  "We have to stay for Brian."

"He hasn't said a word," Lindsay observed.

"Or even cried." Melanie added.

"Claire's doing a bang-up job for everyone."  Michael contributed.

Justin looked to the corner where Brian was planted.  He had wanted to be there with him, but Michael had pulled him away.

Finally, Lindsay got up to say goodbye mentioning something about picking up Gus.  Ted and Emmett also began to make excuses.

Claire stood in the middle of the room.  "I thought it would be nice if we all share memories of Daddy."  She looked to the Priest.  "Father, would you start?"

"I must confess I didn't know him well.  He never came to mass."

"Anyone else," Claire tried again.  Even Mrs. Kinney seemed not to have anything to say.

Lindsay decided to speak up.  "It was a while ago.  Brian and I were in college.  He told me once I smelled nice.  Oh, and then he gave me a mint."

Then Michael decided to say something.  "I remember, this was just after I met Brian.  Mr. Kinney took us bowling and I'm a terrible bowler.  So is Brian.  I think our score was like nine after seven frames.  And then a miracle happened.  Brian rolled the ball and it was headed for the gutter like all the rest.  Then suddenly it changed direction and it was a strike.  We were so excited, and we were jumping up and down.  We didn't realize that Mr. Kinney had come back from the bar and had seen the whole thing.  He ran over to Brian and he picked him up, and he hugged him, and he kissed him, and he told him how proud he was of him."

Justin was watching Brian who looked like it was the first time he'd heard that particular story.

"And, of course, Brian got all embarrassed and ran off.  I guess that moment meant a lot to me because I never had a father.  I'll always remember that day and that hug."

"Thank you, Michael," said Claire.

"That was a lovely story, Michael," Mrs. Kinney said before taking a drink from her glass.

"Yeah that was a lovely story, it makes me want to share a story of my own.  Like the night he found out that you were pregnant with me.  He told Mom to put on her most beautiful dress, took her to the most expensive restaurant in town.  Poured her a glass of bubbly and then, get this, he leaned over...and he said..."Joanie... you're getting yourself an abortion, because I don't want another fucking kid."

Justin was shocked.  He had never heard this story.  "Brian, maybe it's time to go?"

"Yeah, sure."  He got up and went to make their excuses to his mom. 

"Who is this boy?"  Joan asked, turning her nose up.

"Oh, right.  This is my boyfriend," Brian said shocking everyone.  "Justin."

"Your what!?"  Joan shrieked and clutched her necklace before sitting down on the nearest chair.

"Thank god daddy didn't know that you're a fag," Claire spouted.

"He did," Brian said proudly.

Joan gasped and went very, very still.

"Mommy, are you okay?"  Claire asked.  She barely touched her shoulder and Joan fell over sideways onto the floor.

Everyone froze.  Then the priest knelt at her side.  "Someone call 911," he ordered before bowing his head and saying a prayer in Latin while Claire wailed.

It was no surprise that Ted was the one who stepped up and made that call.  Most of the guests made their excuses and left. 

Brian stood there, shocked, with all his friends gathered around him.  The EMS showed up, then the police.   The medics checked Joan out and shook their heads.   One of the policemen made a call. 

"Mommy, mommy!  What's wrong?"  Claire wailed.

The EMS looked at each other, then at the priest.

"I'm sorry, Claire and Brian.  It appears that your mother is ... dead."

"Dead?"  Claire launched herself at Brian and began pounding his chest.  "You fag, you killed my Mommy."

Justin got between the two of them.  "Back off, Bitch.  Brian didn't do anything to the wicked witch."

Brian looked down at Justin with pride.

"Brian, you need to apologize," Michael said adamantly.

"Why?"  Emmett asked, puzzled by the request.

"She just lost her mother," Michael insisted.

Ted was exchanging looks with Emmett.  "So did Brian."

"But he never liked her."

Emmett turned away raising his hands in disbelief.  He had spotted a policeman taking what was being said in.  He pulled Michael away and hissed, "What are you trying to do?  Get Brian arrested."

"Of course not.  I'm his best friend," Michael said.

Just then Justin noticed a plain clothed police officer come in and go into conference with the policeman that had been listening in.  He was surprised that he recognized the man who would later in life become a member of Brian's family through Deb.

He came over and pulled out a badge.  "Detective Horvath, homicide."

"Homicide!  But surely Joan must have had a history of heart problems and your brother never meant to shock her?"  the Priest said in an effort to placate Claire.

"Joan Kinney, the deceased."  Another officer supplied for the detective.

"Okay.  Names everyone," Horvath demanded.  Everyone starting with the priest gave their names with him writing it all down in a little notebook.

"Let's sit down and you can tell me how," Horvath looked at his notes.  "Brian Kinney killed his mother.  Let's take it from the top."

"We had decided it was time to leave," Brian indicated all his friends.  "So, we went over to say goodbye to Joanie and I introduced her to my boyfriend."

Horvath looked over the men and tried to figure out which one was the boyfriend.  There was a dark-haired man who looked older than Brian, a red-haired one who was as tall as, and another shorter dark-haired guy who was looking lovingly at Brian.  It was a surprise when Brian reached over to the young blond.

"Can I see your id?"  Horvath asked. 

Justin was surprised, but he took out his driver’s license and handed it over.  Horvath grunted and asked.  "How long have the two of you been together?"

Brian looked over at Lindsay and asked, "How old is Gus?"

"Five months."

"Who's Gus?"  Horvath wanted to know.

"He's my son, he was born the same day I met Justin."  Brian smiled down at Justin who smiled a sunshine smile back.

.

Doing some quick math in his head Horvath realized that Justin had been legal, though just barely.

"You have a son!" shrieked Claire.  She looked back and forth between Brian and Lindsay.  "You've had sex with a woman?"

"I jerked off in a cup and they squirted it up her."

"Ewww."  Claire's boys said.

"I believe you said that your brother caused your mother's death," Horvath asked trying to get the questioning on track.

Claire was wailing just nodded.

"I believe she might have had a weak heart," the priest threw in.

"Naw.  Mom, remember the doc said she was healthy as a horse.  Could live another twenty years at least," the youngest boy said.

"Yeah, that was when you were pissed that she wouldn't give you any of the money Gramps left."

Brian frowned.  "Mom told me he left nothing but debts."

"You already have money.  Why should you get anything," Claire's eyes flashed angrily.

Horvath closed his notebook and pocketed it.  "With the conflicting information I'd like to do an autopsy.  Any objections? "

Brian shook his head.  Claire might have objected but she was crying so much no one could tell.

"Don't leave town."  Horvath ordered before leaving.