Michael tried his best to ignore them but he knew since he sat there trying his best to eat his cheeseburger and fries that, not only had Ben slid in the booth beside him but Mel and Lindz were staring him down and his mother was standing there tapping her foot and popping her gum. He wouldn’t be able to ignore them much longer but should he tell them? Yeah, he would.

"What?"

"Don’t you ‘what’ me. Where the hell did you and Sunshine go off to this morning?

"We went to find Brian. When I tracked down Justin last night he was a wreck at the loft because of what Brian had done. "

"What had he done, baby?"

"Nothing."

"Michael Charles Novotny! You tell me what you know and you tell me now!"

"We found Brian this morning."

"Where was he? What did he say? What the hell has gotten into him?"

"Ma, I can only answer one question at a time. He was at "Happy Springs". He didn’t say a thing to me and I never saw him."

"Why not?"

"Because Justin was being an ass. I told him that Brian should’ve just left him lying there and then he just threw me outta the car that we were riding in and I had to grab a cab back here. Do you know how much that cost?"

"You told Sunshine what?"

"Look Ma. I know that I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry that I said it. Really I am but Brian is in a rehab facility. There’s gotta to be more to the situation."

"Mel and I can vouch for that Deb. When we went back home last night, Brian had left us a bank book for Gus and let’s just say, he doesn’t have to worry about anything ever again. He really doesn’t. When I was at the loft and Justin showed me the deed he signed over to him, he also showed me the life insurance policies - a million dollars for Gus and Justin.

"Did you know Brian owned his whole building?"

"What did you just say, Michael?"

"What Lindz? That Brian owned the building?"

"No."

"Oh. That Brian has a million dollar life insurance policy for Gus and one for Justin?"

"Oh, God. I’m going to be sick.

Everyone watched as Lindz ran off to the bathroom.

"Michael. Why would you say that? Sometimes you’re such an ass!" Melanie ran to see if she could catch Lindsay.

JUSTIN POV

It was weird. Justin listened patiently to everything that the doctor said, and boy did he have a lot to say. He had to look forward to them cutting open Brian’s neck. A small incision, most of the stuff was done with lasers nowadays and Brian wouldn’t have a stoma. Thank God. I don’t think I could take seeing that every day, although he will have a small incision that I have to learn how to clean, and a shunt for drainage because it will be hard to swallow. For the first week after surgery Brian will be able to eat through a feeding tube in his abdomen and I will need to keep it clean. Brian didn’t want to stay in the hospital and I wasn’t going to make him. Claire was going to help us. She was a nurse. I never would’ve figured that. I remember the first day she came over in that blue coat and I asked Brian what she did and he said that she worked in a hair salon. He actually said the stupid bitch could barely read. She was no professional. That was what was so weird. She was here, looking scared and sniffling to herself. She loved Brian. She really loved him. Why did he act like he didn’t have anyone? Or maybe, just maybe this was guilt.

Right now she keeps turning her gaze on me and trying her best to give me a smile. Brian was feeling some discomfort and they gave him something. It’s almost like he’s not even here. He’s awake but something inside of his shirt has his attention instead what the doctor is saying. It seems like they don’t want to give him any strong medicine since we’re in a rehab facility but I don’t know. I’m thinking we’re putting that on the back burner for now. All I know is that I can do this.

I can. Right? Not even a whole year ago Brian took me in. He would wake up in the middle of the night and rock me after a nightmare, then help me to bed once I was so exhausted and could barely think straight from my moment of rage. I could do this, right? Then the side effects talk - nausea, photosensitivity, seizures, dry skin, excessive diarrhea. There were so many. Then there was depression, paranoia – so many things that could happen. Brian was so emotional now and they said that was common when someone is going through a major change. That their mind is trying to grasp any signs of normalcy and the person wants to be in control but they can barely hold it together. Nightmares, disorientation, black outs. Shit! All of this from cancer. Could I really do this? I’m not well myself I had to do this. This would show Brian how strong I am. Then after this he will realize that he made the perfect choice when he gave me his heart. I’ll show that fucking Mikey that he did the right thing when didn’t leave me in the street.

"Shouldn’t I be the one doing that?" Lindsay turned to see a worried-looking Melanie standing in the doorway.

"I’m fine and I’m sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for? It’s Brian who I wish I could get my hands on."

"I know. Can you believe this?"

"Exactly. Rehab! I doubt that’s all that’s wrong with him."

"I thought I was the only one to pick up on that, Melanie."

"We have to find out when Justin comes back."

"Exactly and then we have to do what is best and get Justin to leave him."

"What?"

"Lindz. I always told you that Brian’s lifestyle would be his demise. He’s not like Ben and he’s not like Vic. He obviously has "IT" now and is ashamed to show his face because everyone told him so. Now when Justin comes to you, because he will and say how he wants to be there for Brian, you tell him to run."

"I will do no such thing; Brian has finally told Justin that he loves him."

"Yes and it only took contracting HIV for him to do it! Justin is barely twenty-years-old and it’s selfish for Brian to tie Justin down. Then we’ll have to pick up the pieces when he dies and leaves Justin all alone."

"You don’t even know for sure if that’s what he has. You’re just drawing your own conclusions."

"What else could it possibly be? He doesn’t wanna show his face because he knows what the outcome of being Pittsburgh’s Biggest Whore has finally got him. He has "IT", and that’s an honor he’ll literally have to take to his grave.

"What about Gus?"

"Nothing about Gus, Lindsay.

"I’m not evil. Gus will spend as much time with Brian as he can. He has to get to know him, because, well he won’t be around when he’s older.

"What has gotten into you, Melanie?"

"I’m sick of this. Okay!"

"Look at me. I’m standing here carrying our baby. We should be happy. Deb should be out there swooning at the fact that she is going to be a grandma. But no, once again we’re here worrying about Bitch Kinney and all his problems."

"I can’t. I just can’t look at you right now. I have to find Justin. I need answers."

BRIAN POV

"Justin!" Brian awoke from yet another nightmare about his father. Jack was a bastard when he was alive and now he haunted his dreams. It wasn’t like he was beating him or doing anything awful in his dreams. Now he was just sitting there with a smirk on his face. Why? Because he’d got him. Strike Two. Cancer, fucking cancer.

Brian looked around the room and noticed that he was all alone. Where was Justin? He had promised he’d stay. Right? Did he leave? Was he even there at all? Brian began to panic, his breath coming in sharp bursts. He couldn’t breathe. He felt hands on him and he knew right away it was Claire.

"Shhh. Calm down. He just went to get something to eat while you slept. He said he’d be back in an hour."

"Oh."

"When he comes back I’m going to leave."

"What?"

"He wants to be here for you and I know you want him to be. I’ll come back when you have the surgery and I’ll move in when you’re home but he wants to be here for you. He doesn’t need me crowding you. Now pull yourself together. He didn’t leave you. He chose you. Go to the bathroom; take a shower, and when he comes back, be normal. You’re going to beat this Brian. You have once already---no! Brian? We don’t talk about that?

"No-one knows about that."

"What?"

"Of course Michael must know?"

"No-one knows".

"You’re going to tell him. Right? It might help him understand why this has you so worried.

"No. He’ll leave for sure if he knows that I had Cancer, that this is the second time."

"Brian. Before it was childhood Cancer and you beat it. You’ll beat this too."

"Yeah and then it’ll come back and kill me. Strike three, you’re out."

"Brian. I didn’t mean to bring you down."

"It’s fine. I’m going to shower. I don’t really feel like talking."

Justin knew that he really shouldn’t have lied to Claire telling her he went to get something to eat but there was something he had to do. Brian was going to lose it if he had to stay in that place one more night so he was at the loft. He was going to bring Brian home where he belonged.

"Are you sure that I should be here, Justin?"

"Ethan. You are the only one who can help me do this. Brian doesn’t want anyone to know and well, you’re the only one I know who isn’t a part of our clan. God, that’s sad.

"No. It’s not. It just means that you are all a close-knit group. So what shall I do with all this?

"I don’t know. I would say ‘drink it and smoke it’ but that wouldn’t be good, would it? You told me your brother owns a bar so you can take him the booze that hasn’t been opened and then we can flush the pot."

"I’ve never seen this much before. All of this was really here?"

"Yeah."

"Here in this one little room?"

"It’s Brian's form of pain management; he didn’t really have a life full of sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, so this is how he deals when nothing goes his way."

"Well, I’m glad that you called me. If you need a friend and someone to talk to know that I’m here for you."

"I know."

"I’m sorry about us."

"It’s fine. So we’ll drop this off at "Heaven" and you’ll give me that ride to the airport?"

"Of course. I still have Daph’s truck. I’ll drop you off at the airport and then I’m going to bring Brian home."

"Okay but Justin, be safe."

"I’m fine; I told you he doesn’t have ‘IT.’

"Then if it’s not that then why won’t you tell me what’s going on?"

"It’s not my secret to tell Ethan. Can you just be a friend to me?"

"Of course."

"Come on. We have to go.

MICHAEL POV

So, I’m standing at the airport with Ben. Suddenly he tells me that has a big surprise for me. He doesn’t want to tell me what it is, so now I’m on edge. Apparently another Bruckner is rushing into town. I mean, Ben never talks about his family. Never! I’ve always figured that they were estranged. That maybe they disowned him after finding out that he was gay, or that they couldn’t take his HIV status. I just wondered who the hell was I about to meet and I hoped that they liked me.

I was standing there when a blonde head caught my eye and it was Justin. He was standing at the gate with his "Rat." They were laughing and smiling and then it shocked the hell out of me what happened next. They kissed right there at the terminal. It was a real kiss. That fucking twink just gave me all this shit a few hours ago and here he was making out with this fucking weasel. Son of a bitch!

"Ethan!"

"I’m sorry. I know that I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just…well, I thought that you and I would be finally starting our life together. Not that I would be leaving to go on this big tour."

"Ethan. You and I will always be friends but this is where I want to be. I love Brian and you saw it. He loves me."

"Yeah. I just hope that he really realizes it and doesn’t let you go."

"He does and thanks for earlier."

"You’re welcome. That’s why I had to get that one last kiss from my muse so I could go and be dazzling."

"Good luck, Ethan. I’m serious."

"You have my address. Why don’t you drop me a line sometime and let me know if everything is okay."

"I will. Now you go and take care of your man.

"Oh, Michael. Here she comes! I look in that direction and I see who we’ve been standing here waiting thirty minutes for. A beautiful, tall woman comes off the plane. She has long, black hair ringed with curls. She has naturally-tanned skin but not from a tanning bed. I can see Ben's likeness around her eyes, and when she looks this way and actually sees Ben, she comes running.

She squeals ‘Benji’ and jumps into his arms. This woman is in good shape. She has a well-toned athlete’s body that looks like she works out. She’s young and attractive and I think that she’s Ben’s sister. He spins her around three more times and then she hugs him and won’t let go. She looks at me and smiles. That’s when he finally realizes that he hasn’t introduced us. I notice that she’s wearing nothing but this little, skimpy black dress and she reminds me a lot of Mel’s ex, Leda and I wonder if she’s a lesbian but I didn’t really understand what Ben said when he introduced us.

"I’m sorry, Ben. What did you say?"

"Oh, Michael. I would like you to meet Peta Bruckner, my mother."

"You’re what!"