Making it Through the Summer: Chapter 15 [Pt 1/2]
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 15
[Pt 1/2]
Monday, September 9th
Continued
10:00 p.m.
Liberty Avenue
Justin had left Woody's after having a few drinks and was walking down Liberty Avenue. Ever since Daphne had suggested that he was the reason for Brian's decision to sacrifice the Sherbourne account, his mind had been reeling. He had hurried out of the apartment before Daphne could stop him and had somehow found himself at Woody's.
Justin didn't know what to make of Brian's behavior over the past few months. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. In some ways it almost seemed like he wanted him back, yet at the same time Justin had a hard time believing it. Wasn't Brian the one who had pushed him off the cliff? Wasn't he the one who didn't seem to care when he had left to be with Ethan? Why all of a sudden would he want him back? Yet, it might explain his actions at the auction, his constant mocking of Sean, and his lack of concern over losing Sean's account.
Then there was the stalking. Maybe he had misjudged when he automatically assumed Brian was stalking him to convince him to agree to helping with Grazzini's. It was hard to tell, but then, Justin thought of the comic. Was Brian behind Michael's inspiration for the new issue of Rage? Had he attempted to use Rage to send him some type of message?
The only thing Justin knew at this point was that Brian's actions somehow didn't add up, and that it was likely that the family knew more on the subject than they were willing to admit. The blond had already been suspicious of Michael when it came to the comic, but after the auction he had reason to be suspicious of Emmett and Lindsay also. Emmett clearly had to have known what Brian was up to in order to pull off the clothes switch. Justin suspected that Lindsay was somehow behind it also, since she had delivered the clothes herself and had hinted that Sean was in fact behind them. If Lindsay and Emmett were involved, that probably meant Ted and Melanie were too. The only three people that didn't appear to be involved seemed to be Ben, Debbie, and Vic.
Debbie... Suddenly Justin felt the need to see his surrogate mother. Maybe she would be the one to talk to, maybe she would be able to provide him with some guidance in dealing with this mess. Without even thinking about it, Justin found himself entering the diner.
***
"Sunshine!" Debbie exclaimed as she saw Justin enter the diner by himself.
"Hey Deb," Justin gave a faint smile.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing here tonight all by yourself?" Debbie asked, as she observed his appearance. She could tell something was wrong with her Sunshine. He seemed much paler than usual and had a perplexed look about him.
"I stopped at Woody's earlier to have a drink and I thought I would stop by to see if maybe you had a minute to talk," Justin replied, unable to hide his confusion.
"For you Sunshine, I always have a minute to talk," Debbie put her arm around Justin. "Kiki," Deb called to one of the other waitresses. "I'm taking my break now."
***
"Now you sit that bubble butt of yours down and tell me why you have such a glum face," Debbie ordered, indicating to an empty booth in the back of the diner.
"Okay, Deb," Justin agreed as he sat down across from her. "I'm not really sure where to begin..."
"Well, why don't we start with a name," Debbie suggested. "Does the name Brian Kinney sound familiar to you at all Sunshine?"
"How did you know it was Brian?"
"Honey, there's only one person who can put that sad and confused look in your eyes, and we both know it's Brian," Debbie stated in her typical no nonsense manner. "So, now that we've established the who, why don't you tell me what the asshole did this time."
"I don't know how to explain, Deb. Something is going on with him and I can't quite pinpoint what it is," Justin began.
"This doesn't have anything to do with that stunt he pulled at the auction, does it?" Debbie questioned.
"In a way yes, but I think there's a hell of a lot more going on and I'm not sure how to get to the bottom of it," the blond explained.
"Well, being that you're one of my boys, why don't you tell me your suspicions and maybe I can help you figure out just what the hell Brian is up to this time," Debbie offered.
***
"Let me see if I have this straight, you think the entire family, aside from myself, Ben, and Vic knew what Brian was up to the night of the auction?" Debbie asked, wanting to make sure she understood her Sunshine.
"Unfortunately, yes," Justin nodded.
"Hmm, well I can tell you that Michael is up to his ears in whatever the fuck this is. Believe it or not, he's suddenly your and Brian's staunchest supporter," Debbie revealed.
"I thought as much, considering the latest issue of Rage," Justin surmised.
"So, Sunshine the question becomes, do you want to get to the bottom of this or not?"
"Of course I want to get to the bottom of it," Justin sighed.
"Then I propose we have a family meeting tomorrow evening, minus Mr. Kinney of course. Perhaps then we can learn just what certain family members have been up to, and perhaps learn what Brian's agenda really is," Debbie suggested, although after everything Justin had told her, she had a fairly good idea what Brian was up to. However, it was important that Justin figured it out on his own.
"Do you really think this will work Deb?" Justin asked hopefully.
"Sure, Sunshine, with me helping you get to the bottom of this, we'll be sure to find out everything your "supposed" family knows," Debbie assured.
"Thanks Deb," Justin gave his trademark smile.
"Now that's more like it, Sunshine." Debbie was pleased to see the smile on his face. "Why don't you stop by my house tomorrow night around 7:30 to deal with the family."
"Sounds like a plan," Justin agreed, hoping that the family would be able to provide him with the answers he so desperately needed.
Tuesday, September 10th
Noon
Vangard
Brian was on his way back to his office after a meeting in the boardroom when he spotted Justin walking in his direction.
"Hey," Brian called out to the blond.
"Uh, hey," Justin tried to avoid Brian's gaze.
"You coming over tonight?"
"Uh, no," the artist shook his head.
"Don't you think you should? We need to talk about our project," Brian indicated.
"I can't tonight. I think tomorrow might be better."
"Fine, we'll plan on tomorrow," Brian agreed. "By the way, you haven't heard from Connolly at all, have you?"
"Sean? No, why should I?"
"I was just checking to make sure he didn't try to continue yesterday's conversation."
"No, I don't think we need to worry about that," Justin murmured, again trying to avoid Brian's eyes. "Uh, listen, I uh, really need to get going," the blond excused himself, before hurrying off in the other direction.
***
Brian stood in the hallway, watching as Justin walked away. He couldn't get over how reserved Justin had seemed around him. Hell, the kid hadn't even looked him in the eye. While Brian knew that he had some major "repair" work to do if he had any intention of winning Justin back, he had thought he had at least made some progress in the past two days. However, it now appeared that he was back to square one, without a clue as to how to proceed.
As Justin walked away from Brian he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had found it difficult speaking to Brian with so much currently unresolved between them. Justin was hoping the family meeting would at least provide some type of clarity as to just what the man was up to and give him an indication of how he should proceed. For now, though, he was sticking to his original plan. He was going to finish the proposal for Grazzini's, quit Vangard, and put Brian behind him once and for all. It was his only option.
7:10 p.m.
Debbie and Vic's Living Room
"So Ma, what's up?" Michael asked, taking in the group that had assembled around him. Earlier that afternoon, Debbie had called her son and had insisted he stop by tonight with Ben for a very important family meeting. While his mother wouldn't give any details over the phone, Michael suspected that perhaps it had something to do with Brian and Justin.
"Yeah, Debbie, how come you called all of us over here tonight?" Ted questioned, observing that in addition to himself and Emmett, Michael and Ben, along with Lindsay and Melanie had also been summoned.
"It appears we have a bit of a crisis in this family," Debbie began.
"Crisis?" Lindsay immediately became concerned.
"Sis, what is it?" Vic inquired.
"It appears that Justin is in need of our help," Debbie stated.
"Debbie, what are you talking about?" Ben asked worriedly.
"I think each and every one of us knows damn well that Brian is up to something. Hell, his little spectacle at the auction the other night proves it. However, the question becomes, what does he want with our Sunshine? Now I know that there are certain people here in this room tonight who know what Brian is up to and I expect them to fess up when Justin arrives."
"Debbie, really," Ted protested. "I don't think any of us know what Brian is up to."
"Uh-huh," Debbie eyed Ted suspiciously. "Somehow I don't think that's the case. In fact, I know that's not the case. Don't think I'm stupid enough to believe that there are people in this room that haven't been secretly helping Brian manipulate poor Sunshine."
"Ma, this is ridiculous," Michael argued.
"Michael, I can assure you it's not ridiculous. You should see poor Sunshine. He's a wreck because of that asshole's manipulations. He doesn't know what to think. That's why I called all of you here tonight. I think it's time certain family members leveled with him," Debbie announced.
"I think Debbie's right," Ben agreed. "You're all supposed to be Justin's friends, yet I'm getting the feeling that maybe some of you have done things you shouldn't have."
"Now when Sunshine arrives, I expect each and every one of you to confess your part in Brian's scheme. Do you understand? I'm warning you, if you don't, you'll have me to answer to," Debbie threatened.
***
Ten minutes later, Justin arrived. He had to admit he was uncomfortable as hell. How was he supposed to accuse his friends of things he wasn't even sure they had done? The blond only hoped Debbie knew what she was doing, and that by the end of the evening he would have a better idea of what Brian was up to.
"Sunshine, I'm glad you made it," Debbie warmly greeted the blond. "As you can see everyone is here," she indicated.
"Uh, hi guys," Justin gave a hesitant greeting.
"Hi baby!" Emmett smiled, always happy to see the artist.
"Justin, it's good to see you," Lindsay gave a nervous smile. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal about Brian. She didn't want to break her best friend's confidence, but she knew that Justin was desperately in need of some answers.
"Justin, why don't you come sit next to me," Ben invited, knowing that his friend would want to be near someone he could trust.
"Thanks Ben," Justin breathed a sigh of relief, before sitting down in the chair next to his friend. He knew he could count on the professor's support.
"Now Sunshine, I've already told everyone that we're here tonight so that you can finally get some answers in regard to Mr. Kinney, and that I expect each and every one of them to tell the truth," Debbie explained.
"Uh, thanks Deb," Justin gave her a small smile to show his appreciation.
"So, who would you like to start with, Sunshine, or would you like me to begin for you?" Debbie offered.
"No, that's alright. Uh, maybe I'll start with Ted," Justin decided.
"Me?" Ted looked surprised. "Why in the world do you think I have anything to do with Brian?" he protested.
"Perhaps because you would love to see him in your debt? Perhaps because you would like to see him brought down a peg or two?" Justin suggested.
"Well, while that might be the truth, that doesn't mean I've been helping him with anything," Ted argued.
"I see. So if you haven't helped, like you claim, do you happen to have an idea as to what he's been up to the past two months?" Justin inquired.
"Well... uh... not uh... really," Ted began to feel uneasy as Debbie glared at him.
"Are you sure about that Ted?" she interrogated.
"Well, uh..."
"Ted?" Debbie continued to stare at the former accountant.
"Alright fine, I give up. Yes, I've been helping Brian for over two months," Ted confessed in a flustered voice.
"Two months?" Ben repeated in shock. "For someone who claims to hate Brian as much as you do, Ted, this comes as a surprise."
"Well put, Ben," Debbie agreed.
"Answer me this, Ted," Justin stood up from his chair and walked over to his friend. "Why in the world have you been helping him?"
"Well, uh... you see, Justin," Ted began to stutter, turning red as well. "Brian sort of uh, bribed me."
"Bribed you?" Justin looked at the man in disbelief.
"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that," Ted nodded in embarrassment.
"And just how did he do that?" Debbie inquired.
"Actually," Emmett replied, deciding to take some of the burden off of his lover, "Brian bribed the both of us. You see, Justin, Brian arranged for Teddy and me to receive season tickets to Schickel Hall for the upcoming opera season. It's been a dream of Teddy's for years to have season tickets to the opera and a partner to share them with, and well, I personally saw Brian's gesture as a lovely tribute to George's memory."
"Let me see if I have this straight," Debbie began, "You assisted Brian in shamelessly manipulating poor Sunshine for a lousy fucking pair of season tickets to the opera?"
"But Ma, they were important to Ted and Emmett," Michael protested.
"Since when are opera tickets more important than friendship and family? Emmett, do you think George would be happy to see what you've been doing?" Debbie questioned.
"No, of course not," Emmett stated. "However, Teddy and I didn't exactly know what we were getting ourselves into with Brian. We had no idea when he asked us for a favor in return that we would be helping him stalk Justin," Emmett protested.
"That's right Deb," Ted concurred.
"No offense guys, but you had to know that Brian was going to take advantage of you," Justin argued.
"You're probably right, baby," Emmett sighed.
"So now that we've established that Brian bribed you into assisting him, did you ever ask him what he was up to or why he was doing what he was doing?" Justin questioned.
"Honey, I didn't need to ask him what he was up to," Emmett remarked. "I knew right away what he was up to. It was obvious he wanted you back."
"Wanted me back?" Justin repeated.
"Of course he wants you back, why else has he been chasing you for the past two months," Emmett pointed out.
"I see," Justin paused for a moment. "Did he ever tell you he wanted me back?" the blond asked.
"Uh... well, uh... no, not in so many words," Emmett replied.
"Well, if he didn't say that, then what did he say?" Justin demanded.
"Now that I think about it, we really only talked about his agenda once. I think when I asked him about it he said it was none of my fucking business," Emmett admitted.
"Typical Brian," Melanie couldn't help but laugh.
"Mel," Lindsay glared at her wife.
"Sorry," Melanie apologized to the group.
"However, I think he did mention something about knowing what's best when it came to you," Emmett added.
"I see, so how does this equate to wanting me back?" Justin inquired.
"Well, uh,..."
"I thought so," Justin interrupted. "What about you Ted, do you know what Brian's agenda is?"
"I guess I thought the same thing as Emmett," Ted shrugged.
"Did you ever ask Brian about it?" Justin questioned.
"Uh... well, Emmett and I tried to last week when we went to tell him that we weren't going to help him if he had anything planned for the auction," Ted indicated.
"You actually told him you weren't going to help him?" Justin looked surprised.
"Well, uh... we uh... attempted to, but uh... you know how things sometimes work out," Emmett winced.
"Right, we all know your plan must not have worked, since you obviously helped him switch my clothes," Justin pointed out. "So while you were talking to Brian about the auction, did he tell you what his goal was?"
"No, actually he didn't baby," Emmett admitted. "Personally, I thought he was going to make some type of public declaration to you."
"Well, he obviously did that," Debbie huffed.
"So if I understand this correctly, Brian bribed both you and Ted with opera tickets. You helped with his scheme for two months, never got an answer from him as to why he was manipulating Justin, and when you tried to tell him you didn't want to help him with the auction, you suddenly found yourself willing volunteers?" Ben questioned.
"Uh, I suppose that's the way it happened," Ted weakly admitted.
"You two are pathetic," Michael remarked, shook his head in amazement, having been unaware of their full participation in Brian's plan.
"I wouldn't talk Michael," Justin argued. "I think you've got some explaining to do yourself."
"That's right, Michael, you do," Debbie agreed, making it clear to her son he wasn't going to get out of this.
"What do I have to do with any of this?" Michael protested.
"Perhaps this might refresh your memory," Justin suggested as he held up the new edition of Rage he had brought with him.
"Fuck," Michael muttered, realizing he had been caught.
"So, Michael, whose idea was it for Rage to rescue poor J.T. from the evil fiddler's mind control?" Justin demanded.
"Obviously not mine," Michael grumbled.
"I thought so. Did he write the entire issue?" Justin asked.
"Well, no, not really. He just suggested what to write," Michael admitted.
"You know Michael, I find this very puzzling. Just a little under two months ago, you hated my guts. Yet, a few weeks later, you're following Brian's orders and having Rage battle a violin player of all villains. Somehow, something doesn't quite add up."
"Justin's right, Michael," Vic agreed. "You sure seem to have developed a change of heart when it comes to Justin," he observed.
"Do I have to answer this?" Michael whined, not wanting to confess how he had been manipulated into helping his best friend.
"You're damn right you do. Now spill it, Michael," Debbie ordered.
"Alright," Michael sighed loudly. "Basically about a month ago, Brian confronted me about a few things," he began.
"A few things?" Debbie looked at her son skeptically.
"Fine, a few major things. Let's just say I hadn't been as good of a friend as I could have been while he and Justin were together."
"I see," Justin murmured.
"I also said some things to both him and Sean that weren't very nice about you," Michael admitted. "He told me that I was being an asshole and that I should be grateful to you for making my dream of creating my own comic book come true. He told me some things about you I never knew."
"What things?" Debbie demanded.
"Things like the fact that Justin was the one who put our friendship back together after my 30th birthday, in addition to Justin being the one to save his ass when he was accused of sexual harassment. He confessed that Justin was the one who comforted him after the prom when he should have been the one to comfort Justin. Brian also mentioned how Justin was the one who was there for him when his mom discovered he was gay," Michael revealed as Justin looked on at him in shock.
"Oh my God," Lindsay whispered, stunned at what Michael had just revealed.
"There's more," Michael added, realizing that maybe it was time he did the right thing. "Brian told me how Justin apologized for his relationship with the fiddler and how he begged Brian to show him he cared," he said, as Justin felt his eyes begin to well up with tears. "He told me how he refused to show Justin he cared, and how he told him he wouldn't love him. Finally he told me how he had decided that he no longer wanted Justin anymore."
"He told you that?" Justin asked his business partner, stunned by the man's revelation.
"Yeah," Michael confirmed. "He also told me how he pushed you off a cliff at the Rage party just like he did to me on my 30th birthday."
"Christ," Debbie muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Brian said that if I didn't get past my resentment towards you that I could end up losing everything - Ben, him, the comic," Michael went on to explain. "I realized he was right, and he told me I had to apologize to you and make things right. Brian thought I could do that by getting the comic back on track. That's when he suggested I use this idea he had come up with. I have to admit I thought he had gone insane. I remember accusing him of art imitating life. He said that the art would reflect what should have happened in real life. That made me begin to think he wanted you back, so I asked him about it..."
"You asked him about it?" Justin interrupted in surprise.
"Uh-huh."
"Michael, what did he say?" Debbie questioned.
"Well, Ma, now that I think about it, he never really answered the question," Michael sheepishly admitted. "I recall him asking me what ever made me think that, and something about if he were to decide he wanted Justin back it would be without the family's interference."
"Christ, doesn't the man know the meaning of yes or no?" Debbie muttered, becoming frustrated with Brian's obvious evasion of a particular question.
"Apparently he doesn't," Melanie observed.
"Obviously," Debbie agreed.
"As for the auction, I honestly didn't know what he had planned. He mentioned being up to something, but Brian never mentioned anything beyond that," Michael offered.
"Uh thanks, Michael, for your honesty tonight. It means a lot," Justin said, wiping a tear that had fallen.
"Well, I was an asshole to you for a long time, so I suppose it's the least I can do," Michael begrudgingly admitted.
"Oh, Michael," Justin suddenly remembered something regarding the comic that had been bothering him.
"Yes, Justin?"
"You didn't happen to mention to Brian any of the problems we had with the drawings for this issue, did you?"
"Uh, yeah, I did," Michael replied with a guilty smile.
"I thought as much," Justin surmised as he thought back to the shake down in the closet at Vangard.
"So, now that we've dealt with my son, along with Ted and Emmett, it looks like the remaining conspirators are Melanie and Lindsay," Debbie observed. "Would either of you two ladies like to enlighten us as to how you aided Mr. Kinney?"
"Lindsay?" Melanie turned to her wife expectantly.
"Oh, what the hell, I suppose it's time to fess up," Lindsay conceded. "Now before you accuse me of anything, I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you, Justin," she instructed.
"Alright," Justin agreed.
"You know that Brian and I are close," Lindsay began.
"Of course," Justin nodded.
"Because of that, I can't tell you everything that Brian specifically confided in me and asked me not to share with anyone else. However, I think there are a few things that I can share with you."
"I understand," Justin murmured, respecting Lindsay's need to protect her friend's trust.
"Back in July, Brian came to see me. Apparently things were not going well between the two of you at Vangard, and he was concerned. It also hadn't helped matters that he had accused you of having an affair with Ben."
"He accused Ben of sleeping with Justin?" Debbie interrupted in an appalled voice.
"Ma, it was a stupid misunderstanding," Michael protested, not wanting to remember the foolish accusations he had made.
"Clearly, neither Ben nor Sunshine would do something stupid like that," Debbie remarked.
"Anyway, he knew that he had to somehow improve the situation between the two of you, and asked for my input. At that point I suggested being nice," Lindsay continued. "After you started seeing Sean, Brian stopped by our house one night while Melanie was out of town. He informed me that he hadn't done anything else stupid when it came to you and mentioned that you had been out with Sean. I asked him if he had come up with a plan to win you back yet, and he said no."
"Why did you ask him that?" Justin wondered. "Did he ever tell you he wanted me back?"
"Well, no, but you have to understand that I know him well enough to figure out what was going through his head."
"Lindsay does have a point, baby," Emmett observed.
"Okay," Justin conceded. "So, tell me what happened next?" he asked.
"He said he had something to show me. It was actually two sheets of paper. The first list, he uh, referred to as a blueprint."
"A blueprint?" Justin gave Lindsay a puzzled look.
"Yeah. You see Justin, the sheet contained a list of his bad qualities and it was in your handwriting," Lindsay revealed.
"Oh my God!" Justin cried. "I can't believe he found my fucking list."
"What list?" Debbie demanded.
"It's this list I made at work of all of his bad qualities. I was uh, using it to help me get over him." The blond couldn't believe Brian had snooped in his desk, especially when just the day before he had denied even knowing about the list's existence.
"It must have been pages," Ted couldn't help but remark.
"Very funny," Lindsay shook her head. "Actually Brian let me read it, and I think Justin tried to streamline it enough to only list his most difficult qualities. Needless to say, Justin, he also found the other list."
"The one that Melanie wrote?"
"Yep," Melanie admitted. "Lindsay was so mad at me for initially hiding the fact that you were going to work at Vangard and for writing that list, that she uh, sort of ordered me to help her with Brian as a way of making it up to her."
"Well, I can see now why you've been helping him. I thought it was rather strange, considering how much you dislike Brian," Justin observed.
"After Brian and I discussed the list, I suggested to him that perhaps he should take a page out of your book, and try stalking you if he really wanted you back. At first he seemed utterly appalled by the suggestion, but obviously he warmed up to it," Lindsay couldn't help but laugh.
"You can say that again," Melanie agreed.
"I'm getting the impression that unlike Michael, Ted, and Emmett, you actually offered your services to Brian instead of being manipulated into providing them," Justin noted.
"I think that's a fair assessment. You know that nothing would make me happier than to see the two of you back together," Lindsay confessed. "I honestly thought Melanie and I were helping Brian for a good reason."
"I know you probably meant well," Justin conceded.
"Justin, you must know how much Brian cares for you," Lindsay argued.
"He sure has a funny way of showing it," Justin protested.
"Well, Sunshine, that's Brian for you," Debbie sighed. "While the man may have been a complete asshole these two months by manipulating you, I think it's safe to say that he does still care about you, or else he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble. The question becomes, do you still care about him?"
"Of course I still care about him, however, that isn't enough this time. We don't want the same things and I'm not about to settle for anything less ever again," Justin declared. "Now I probably should be furious at all of you for helping him behind my back, but I know that deep down you all meant well. However, if you ever help him in one of his convoluted schemes again, I won't be so forgiving next time," he warned.
"I promise baby, we won't. I think Teddy and I learned our lesson this time, didn't we?" Emmett turned to his partner.
"Yeah, Em, we sure did," Ted agreed.
"As for Melanie and me, we were really only trying to help. However, in the future, we won't make the same mistake of going behind your back again," Lindsay promised.
"And the next time Brian tries to get me in on one of his schemes, I'll keep in mind that I've also been the victim of a Kinney manipulation and tell him I'm going to pass," Michael added.
"Good, I'm glad we've gotten this cleared up. As for Brian, since he's been considerate enough to keep so many secrets from Sunshine the past few weeks, I don't see the need to fill him in on our meeting. I think Sunshine's got a lot to think over when it comes to that asshole and, he doesn't need us interfering in any decisions he may make. As for you Sunshine, I want you to know that as a family, we are going to support you in any decision you make regarding Brian. If you want to give that asshole a second chance, we'll be right here behind you. However, if you decide you're ready to put him behind you, I want you to know that you have our support," Debbie offered.
"Thanks Deb," Justin smiled, before he was wrapped in a motherly hug. He knew his surrogate mother was right; after everything he had learned tonight, he had quite a bit of thinking to do, and he didn't have clue as to what his decision would be.
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 15
[Pt 1/2]
Monday, September 9th
Continued
10:00 p.m.
Liberty Avenue
Justin had left Woody's after having a few drinks and was walking down Liberty Avenue. Ever since Daphne had suggested that he was the reason for Brian's decision to sacrifice the Sherbourne account, his mind had been reeling. He had hurried out of the apartment before Daphne could stop him and had somehow found himself at Woody's.
Justin didn't know what to make of Brian's behavior over the past few months. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. In some ways it almost seemed like he wanted him back, yet at the same time Justin had a hard time believing it. Wasn't Brian the one who had pushed him off the cliff? Wasn't he the one who didn't seem to care when he had left to be with Ethan? Why all of a sudden would he want him back? Yet, it might explain his actions at the auction, his constant mocking of Sean, and his lack of concern over losing Sean's account.
Then there was the stalking. Maybe he had misjudged when he automatically assumed Brian was stalking him to convince him to agree to helping with Grazzini's. It was hard to tell, but then, Justin thought of the comic. Was Brian behind Michael's inspiration for the new issue of Rage? Had he attempted to use Rage to send him some type of message?
The only thing Justin knew at this point was that Brian's actions somehow didn't add up, and that it was likely that the family knew more on the subject than they were willing to admit. The blond had already been suspicious of Michael when it came to the comic, but after the auction he had reason to be suspicious of Emmett and Lindsay also. Emmett clearly had to have known what Brian was up to in order to pull off the clothes switch. Justin suspected that Lindsay was somehow behind it also, since she had delivered the clothes herself and had hinted that Sean was in fact behind them. If Lindsay and Emmett were involved, that probably meant Ted and Melanie were too. The only three people that didn't appear to be involved seemed to be Ben, Debbie, and Vic.
Debbie... Suddenly Justin felt the need to see his surrogate mother. Maybe she would be the one to talk to, maybe she would be able to provide him with some guidance in dealing with this mess. Without even thinking about it, Justin found himself entering the diner.
***
"Sunshine!" Debbie exclaimed as she saw Justin enter the diner by himself.
"Hey Deb," Justin gave a faint smile.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing here tonight all by yourself?" Debbie asked, as she observed his appearance. She could tell something was wrong with her Sunshine. He seemed much paler than usual and had a perplexed look about him.
"I stopped at Woody's earlier to have a drink and I thought I would stop by to see if maybe you had a minute to talk," Justin replied, unable to hide his confusion.
"For you Sunshine, I always have a minute to talk," Debbie put her arm around Justin. "Kiki," Deb called to one of the other waitresses. "I'm taking my break now."
***
"Now you sit that bubble butt of yours down and tell me why you have such a glum face," Debbie ordered, indicating to an empty booth in the back of the diner.
"Okay, Deb," Justin agreed as he sat down across from her. "I'm not really sure where to begin..."
"Well, why don't we start with a name," Debbie suggested. "Does the name Brian Kinney sound familiar to you at all Sunshine?"
"How did you know it was Brian?"
"Honey, there's only one person who can put that sad and confused look in your eyes, and we both know it's Brian," Debbie stated in her typical no nonsense manner. "So, now that we've established the who, why don't you tell me what the asshole did this time."
"I don't know how to explain, Deb. Something is going on with him and I can't quite pinpoint what it is," Justin began.
"This doesn't have anything to do with that stunt he pulled at the auction, does it?" Debbie questioned.
"In a way yes, but I think there's a hell of a lot more going on and I'm not sure how to get to the bottom of it," the blond explained.
"Well, being that you're one of my boys, why don't you tell me your suspicions and maybe I can help you figure out just what the hell Brian is up to this time," Debbie offered.
***
"Let me see if I have this straight, you think the entire family, aside from myself, Ben, and Vic knew what Brian was up to the night of the auction?" Debbie asked, wanting to make sure she understood her Sunshine.
"Unfortunately, yes," Justin nodded.
"Hmm, well I can tell you that Michael is up to his ears in whatever the fuck this is. Believe it or not, he's suddenly your and Brian's staunchest supporter," Debbie revealed.
"I thought as much, considering the latest issue of Rage," Justin surmised.
"So, Sunshine the question becomes, do you want to get to the bottom of this or not?"
"Of course I want to get to the bottom of it," Justin sighed.
"Then I propose we have a family meeting tomorrow evening, minus Mr. Kinney of course. Perhaps then we can learn just what certain family members have been up to, and perhaps learn what Brian's agenda really is," Debbie suggested, although after everything Justin had told her, she had a fairly good idea what Brian was up to. However, it was important that Justin figured it out on his own.
"Do you really think this will work Deb?" Justin asked hopefully.
"Sure, Sunshine, with me helping you get to the bottom of this, we'll be sure to find out everything your "supposed" family knows," Debbie assured.
"Thanks Deb," Justin gave his trademark smile.
"Now that's more like it, Sunshine." Debbie was pleased to see the smile on his face. "Why don't you stop by my house tomorrow night around 7:30 to deal with the family."
"Sounds like a plan," Justin agreed, hoping that the family would be able to provide him with the answers he so desperately needed.
Tuesday, September 10th
Noon
Vangard
Brian was on his way back to his office after a meeting in the boardroom when he spotted Justin walking in his direction.
"Hey," Brian called out to the blond.
"Uh, hey," Justin tried to avoid Brian's gaze.
"You coming over tonight?"
"Uh, no," the artist shook his head.
"Don't you think you should? We need to talk about our project," Brian indicated.
"I can't tonight. I think tomorrow might be better."
"Fine, we'll plan on tomorrow," Brian agreed. "By the way, you haven't heard from Connolly at all, have you?"
"Sean? No, why should I?"
"I was just checking to make sure he didn't try to continue yesterday's conversation."
"No, I don't think we need to worry about that," Justin murmured, again trying to avoid Brian's eyes. "Uh, listen, I uh, really need to get going," the blond excused himself, before hurrying off in the other direction.
***
Brian stood in the hallway, watching as Justin walked away. He couldn't get over how reserved Justin had seemed around him. Hell, the kid hadn't even looked him in the eye. While Brian knew that he had some major "repair" work to do if he had any intention of winning Justin back, he had thought he had at least made some progress in the past two days. However, it now appeared that he was back to square one, without a clue as to how to proceed.
As Justin walked away from Brian he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had found it difficult speaking to Brian with so much currently unresolved between them. Justin was hoping the family meeting would at least provide some type of clarity as to just what the man was up to and give him an indication of how he should proceed. For now, though, he was sticking to his original plan. He was going to finish the proposal for Grazzini's, quit Vangard, and put Brian behind him once and for all. It was his only option.
7:10 p.m.
Debbie and Vic's Living Room
"So Ma, what's up?" Michael asked, taking in the group that had assembled around him. Earlier that afternoon, Debbie had called her son and had insisted he stop by tonight with Ben for a very important family meeting. While his mother wouldn't give any details over the phone, Michael suspected that perhaps it had something to do with Brian and Justin.
"Yeah, Debbie, how come you called all of us over here tonight?" Ted questioned, observing that in addition to himself and Emmett, Michael and Ben, along with Lindsay and Melanie had also been summoned.
"It appears we have a bit of a crisis in this family," Debbie began.
"Crisis?" Lindsay immediately became concerned.
"Sis, what is it?" Vic inquired.
"It appears that Justin is in need of our help," Debbie stated.
"Debbie, what are you talking about?" Ben asked worriedly.
"I think each and every one of us knows damn well that Brian is up to something. Hell, his little spectacle at the auction the other night proves it. However, the question becomes, what does he want with our Sunshine? Now I know that there are certain people here in this room tonight who know what Brian is up to and I expect them to fess up when Justin arrives."
"Debbie, really," Ted protested. "I don't think any of us know what Brian is up to."
"Uh-huh," Debbie eyed Ted suspiciously. "Somehow I don't think that's the case. In fact, I know that's not the case. Don't think I'm stupid enough to believe that there are people in this room that haven't been secretly helping Brian manipulate poor Sunshine."
"Ma, this is ridiculous," Michael argued.
"Michael, I can assure you it's not ridiculous. You should see poor Sunshine. He's a wreck because of that asshole's manipulations. He doesn't know what to think. That's why I called all of you here tonight. I think it's time certain family members leveled with him," Debbie announced.
"I think Debbie's right," Ben agreed. "You're all supposed to be Justin's friends, yet I'm getting the feeling that maybe some of you have done things you shouldn't have."
"Now when Sunshine arrives, I expect each and every one of you to confess your part in Brian's scheme. Do you understand? I'm warning you, if you don't, you'll have me to answer to," Debbie threatened.
***
Ten minutes later, Justin arrived. He had to admit he was uncomfortable as hell. How was he supposed to accuse his friends of things he wasn't even sure they had done? The blond only hoped Debbie knew what she was doing, and that by the end of the evening he would have a better idea of what Brian was up to.
"Sunshine, I'm glad you made it," Debbie warmly greeted the blond. "As you can see everyone is here," she indicated.
"Uh, hi guys," Justin gave a hesitant greeting.
"Hi baby!" Emmett smiled, always happy to see the artist.
"Justin, it's good to see you," Lindsay gave a nervous smile. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal about Brian. She didn't want to break her best friend's confidence, but she knew that Justin was desperately in need of some answers.
"Justin, why don't you come sit next to me," Ben invited, knowing that his friend would want to be near someone he could trust.
"Thanks Ben," Justin breathed a sigh of relief, before sitting down in the chair next to his friend. He knew he could count on the professor's support.
"Now Sunshine, I've already told everyone that we're here tonight so that you can finally get some answers in regard to Mr. Kinney, and that I expect each and every one of them to tell the truth," Debbie explained.
"Uh, thanks Deb," Justin gave her a small smile to show his appreciation.
"So, who would you like to start with, Sunshine, or would you like me to begin for you?" Debbie offered.
"No, that's alright. Uh, maybe I'll start with Ted," Justin decided.
"Me?" Ted looked surprised. "Why in the world do you think I have anything to do with Brian?" he protested.
"Perhaps because you would love to see him in your debt? Perhaps because you would like to see him brought down a peg or two?" Justin suggested.
"Well, while that might be the truth, that doesn't mean I've been helping him with anything," Ted argued.
"I see. So if you haven't helped, like you claim, do you happen to have an idea as to what he's been up to the past two months?" Justin inquired.
"Well... uh... not uh... really," Ted began to feel uneasy as Debbie glared at him.
"Are you sure about that Ted?" she interrogated.
"Well, uh..."
"Ted?" Debbie continued to stare at the former accountant.
"Alright fine, I give up. Yes, I've been helping Brian for over two months," Ted confessed in a flustered voice.
"Two months?" Ben repeated in shock. "For someone who claims to hate Brian as much as you do, Ted, this comes as a surprise."
"Well put, Ben," Debbie agreed.
"Answer me this, Ted," Justin stood up from his chair and walked over to his friend. "Why in the world have you been helping him?"
"Well, uh... you see, Justin," Ted began to stutter, turning red as well. "Brian sort of uh, bribed me."
"Bribed you?" Justin looked at the man in disbelief.
"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that," Ted nodded in embarrassment.
"And just how did he do that?" Debbie inquired.
"Actually," Emmett replied, deciding to take some of the burden off of his lover, "Brian bribed the both of us. You see, Justin, Brian arranged for Teddy and me to receive season tickets to Schickel Hall for the upcoming opera season. It's been a dream of Teddy's for years to have season tickets to the opera and a partner to share them with, and well, I personally saw Brian's gesture as a lovely tribute to George's memory."
"Let me see if I have this straight," Debbie began, "You assisted Brian in shamelessly manipulating poor Sunshine for a lousy fucking pair of season tickets to the opera?"
"But Ma, they were important to Ted and Emmett," Michael protested.
"Since when are opera tickets more important than friendship and family? Emmett, do you think George would be happy to see what you've been doing?" Debbie questioned.
"No, of course not," Emmett stated. "However, Teddy and I didn't exactly know what we were getting ourselves into with Brian. We had no idea when he asked us for a favor in return that we would be helping him stalk Justin," Emmett protested.
"That's right Deb," Ted concurred.
"No offense guys, but you had to know that Brian was going to take advantage of you," Justin argued.
"You're probably right, baby," Emmett sighed.
"So now that we've established that Brian bribed you into assisting him, did you ever ask him what he was up to or why he was doing what he was doing?" Justin questioned.
"Honey, I didn't need to ask him what he was up to," Emmett remarked. "I knew right away what he was up to. It was obvious he wanted you back."
"Wanted me back?" Justin repeated.
"Of course he wants you back, why else has he been chasing you for the past two months," Emmett pointed out.
"I see," Justin paused for a moment. "Did he ever tell you he wanted me back?" the blond asked.
"Uh... well, uh... no, not in so many words," Emmett replied.
"Well, if he didn't say that, then what did he say?" Justin demanded.
"Now that I think about it, we really only talked about his agenda once. I think when I asked him about it he said it was none of my fucking business," Emmett admitted.
"Typical Brian," Melanie couldn't help but laugh.
"Mel," Lindsay glared at her wife.
"Sorry," Melanie apologized to the group.
"However, I think he did mention something about knowing what's best when it came to you," Emmett added.
"I see, so how does this equate to wanting me back?" Justin inquired.
"Well, uh,..."
"I thought so," Justin interrupted. "What about you Ted, do you know what Brian's agenda is?"
"I guess I thought the same thing as Emmett," Ted shrugged.
"Did you ever ask Brian about it?" Justin questioned.
"Uh... well, Emmett and I tried to last week when we went to tell him that we weren't going to help him if he had anything planned for the auction," Ted indicated.
"You actually told him you weren't going to help him?" Justin looked surprised.
"Well, uh... we uh... attempted to, but uh... you know how things sometimes work out," Emmett winced.
"Right, we all know your plan must not have worked, since you obviously helped him switch my clothes," Justin pointed out. "So while you were talking to Brian about the auction, did he tell you what his goal was?"
"No, actually he didn't baby," Emmett admitted. "Personally, I thought he was going to make some type of public declaration to you."
"Well, he obviously did that," Debbie huffed.
"So if I understand this correctly, Brian bribed both you and Ted with opera tickets. You helped with his scheme for two months, never got an answer from him as to why he was manipulating Justin, and when you tried to tell him you didn't want to help him with the auction, you suddenly found yourself willing volunteers?" Ben questioned.
"Uh, I suppose that's the way it happened," Ted weakly admitted.
"You two are pathetic," Michael remarked, shook his head in amazement, having been unaware of their full participation in Brian's plan.
"I wouldn't talk Michael," Justin argued. "I think you've got some explaining to do yourself."
"That's right, Michael, you do," Debbie agreed, making it clear to her son he wasn't going to get out of this.
"What do I have to do with any of this?" Michael protested.
"Perhaps this might refresh your memory," Justin suggested as he held up the new edition of Rage he had brought with him.
"Fuck," Michael muttered, realizing he had been caught.
"So, Michael, whose idea was it for Rage to rescue poor J.T. from the evil fiddler's mind control?" Justin demanded.
"Obviously not mine," Michael grumbled.
"I thought so. Did he write the entire issue?" Justin asked.
"Well, no, not really. He just suggested what to write," Michael admitted.
"You know Michael, I find this very puzzling. Just a little under two months ago, you hated my guts. Yet, a few weeks later, you're following Brian's orders and having Rage battle a violin player of all villains. Somehow, something doesn't quite add up."
"Justin's right, Michael," Vic agreed. "You sure seem to have developed a change of heart when it comes to Justin," he observed.
"Do I have to answer this?" Michael whined, not wanting to confess how he had been manipulated into helping his best friend.
"You're damn right you do. Now spill it, Michael," Debbie ordered.
"Alright," Michael sighed loudly. "Basically about a month ago, Brian confronted me about a few things," he began.
"A few things?" Debbie looked at her son skeptically.
"Fine, a few major things. Let's just say I hadn't been as good of a friend as I could have been while he and Justin were together."
"I see," Justin murmured.
"I also said some things to both him and Sean that weren't very nice about you," Michael admitted. "He told me that I was being an asshole and that I should be grateful to you for making my dream of creating my own comic book come true. He told me some things about you I never knew."
"What things?" Debbie demanded.
"Things like the fact that Justin was the one who put our friendship back together after my 30th birthday, in addition to Justin being the one to save his ass when he was accused of sexual harassment. He confessed that Justin was the one who comforted him after the prom when he should have been the one to comfort Justin. Brian also mentioned how Justin was the one who was there for him when his mom discovered he was gay," Michael revealed as Justin looked on at him in shock.
"Oh my God," Lindsay whispered, stunned at what Michael had just revealed.
"There's more," Michael added, realizing that maybe it was time he did the right thing. "Brian told me how Justin apologized for his relationship with the fiddler and how he begged Brian to show him he cared," he said, as Justin felt his eyes begin to well up with tears. "He told me how he refused to show Justin he cared, and how he told him he wouldn't love him. Finally he told me how he had decided that he no longer wanted Justin anymore."
"He told you that?" Justin asked his business partner, stunned by the man's revelation.
"Yeah," Michael confirmed. "He also told me how he pushed you off a cliff at the Rage party just like he did to me on my 30th birthday."
"Christ," Debbie muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Brian said that if I didn't get past my resentment towards you that I could end up losing everything - Ben, him, the comic," Michael went on to explain. "I realized he was right, and he told me I had to apologize to you and make things right. Brian thought I could do that by getting the comic back on track. That's when he suggested I use this idea he had come up with. I have to admit I thought he had gone insane. I remember accusing him of art imitating life. He said that the art would reflect what should have happened in real life. That made me begin to think he wanted you back, so I asked him about it..."
"You asked him about it?" Justin interrupted in surprise.
"Uh-huh."
"Michael, what did he say?" Debbie questioned.
"Well, Ma, now that I think about it, he never really answered the question," Michael sheepishly admitted. "I recall him asking me what ever made me think that, and something about if he were to decide he wanted Justin back it would be without the family's interference."
"Christ, doesn't the man know the meaning of yes or no?" Debbie muttered, becoming frustrated with Brian's obvious evasion of a particular question.
"Apparently he doesn't," Melanie observed.
"Obviously," Debbie agreed.
"As for the auction, I honestly didn't know what he had planned. He mentioned being up to something, but Brian never mentioned anything beyond that," Michael offered.
"Uh thanks, Michael, for your honesty tonight. It means a lot," Justin said, wiping a tear that had fallen.
"Well, I was an asshole to you for a long time, so I suppose it's the least I can do," Michael begrudgingly admitted.
"Oh, Michael," Justin suddenly remembered something regarding the comic that had been bothering him.
"Yes, Justin?"
"You didn't happen to mention to Brian any of the problems we had with the drawings for this issue, did you?"
"Uh, yeah, I did," Michael replied with a guilty smile.
"I thought as much," Justin surmised as he thought back to the shake down in the closet at Vangard.
"So, now that we've dealt with my son, along with Ted and Emmett, it looks like the remaining conspirators are Melanie and Lindsay," Debbie observed. "Would either of you two ladies like to enlighten us as to how you aided Mr. Kinney?"
"Lindsay?" Melanie turned to her wife expectantly.
"Oh, what the hell, I suppose it's time to fess up," Lindsay conceded. "Now before you accuse me of anything, I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you, Justin," she instructed.
"Alright," Justin agreed.
"You know that Brian and I are close," Lindsay began.
"Of course," Justin nodded.
"Because of that, I can't tell you everything that Brian specifically confided in me and asked me not to share with anyone else. However, I think there are a few things that I can share with you."
"I understand," Justin murmured, respecting Lindsay's need to protect her friend's trust.
"Back in July, Brian came to see me. Apparently things were not going well between the two of you at Vangard, and he was concerned. It also hadn't helped matters that he had accused you of having an affair with Ben."
"He accused Ben of sleeping with Justin?" Debbie interrupted in an appalled voice.
"Ma, it was a stupid misunderstanding," Michael protested, not wanting to remember the foolish accusations he had made.
"Clearly, neither Ben nor Sunshine would do something stupid like that," Debbie remarked.
"Anyway, he knew that he had to somehow improve the situation between the two of you, and asked for my input. At that point I suggested being nice," Lindsay continued. "After you started seeing Sean, Brian stopped by our house one night while Melanie was out of town. He informed me that he hadn't done anything else stupid when it came to you and mentioned that you had been out with Sean. I asked him if he had come up with a plan to win you back yet, and he said no."
"Why did you ask him that?" Justin wondered. "Did he ever tell you he wanted me back?"
"Well, no, but you have to understand that I know him well enough to figure out what was going through his head."
"Lindsay does have a point, baby," Emmett observed.
"Okay," Justin conceded. "So, tell me what happened next?" he asked.
"He said he had something to show me. It was actually two sheets of paper. The first list, he uh, referred to as a blueprint."
"A blueprint?" Justin gave Lindsay a puzzled look.
"Yeah. You see Justin, the sheet contained a list of his bad qualities and it was in your handwriting," Lindsay revealed.
"Oh my God!" Justin cried. "I can't believe he found my fucking list."
"What list?" Debbie demanded.
"It's this list I made at work of all of his bad qualities. I was uh, using it to help me get over him." The blond couldn't believe Brian had snooped in his desk, especially when just the day before he had denied even knowing about the list's existence.
"It must have been pages," Ted couldn't help but remark.
"Very funny," Lindsay shook her head. "Actually Brian let me read it, and I think Justin tried to streamline it enough to only list his most difficult qualities. Needless to say, Justin, he also found the other list."
"The one that Melanie wrote?"
"Yep," Melanie admitted. "Lindsay was so mad at me for initially hiding the fact that you were going to work at Vangard and for writing that list, that she uh, sort of ordered me to help her with Brian as a way of making it up to her."
"Well, I can see now why you've been helping him. I thought it was rather strange, considering how much you dislike Brian," Justin observed.
"After Brian and I discussed the list, I suggested to him that perhaps he should take a page out of your book, and try stalking you if he really wanted you back. At first he seemed utterly appalled by the suggestion, but obviously he warmed up to it," Lindsay couldn't help but laugh.
"You can say that again," Melanie agreed.
"I'm getting the impression that unlike Michael, Ted, and Emmett, you actually offered your services to Brian instead of being manipulated into providing them," Justin noted.
"I think that's a fair assessment. You know that nothing would make me happier than to see the two of you back together," Lindsay confessed. "I honestly thought Melanie and I were helping Brian for a good reason."
"I know you probably meant well," Justin conceded.
"Justin, you must know how much Brian cares for you," Lindsay argued.
"He sure has a funny way of showing it," Justin protested.
"Well, Sunshine, that's Brian for you," Debbie sighed. "While the man may have been a complete asshole these two months by manipulating you, I think it's safe to say that he does still care about you, or else he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble. The question becomes, do you still care about him?"
"Of course I still care about him, however, that isn't enough this time. We don't want the same things and I'm not about to settle for anything less ever again," Justin declared. "Now I probably should be furious at all of you for helping him behind my back, but I know that deep down you all meant well. However, if you ever help him in one of his convoluted schemes again, I won't be so forgiving next time," he warned.
"I promise baby, we won't. I think Teddy and I learned our lesson this time, didn't we?" Emmett turned to his partner.
"Yeah, Em, we sure did," Ted agreed.
"As for Melanie and me, we were really only trying to help. However, in the future, we won't make the same mistake of going behind your back again," Lindsay promised.
"And the next time Brian tries to get me in on one of his schemes, I'll keep in mind that I've also been the victim of a Kinney manipulation and tell him I'm going to pass," Michael added.
"Good, I'm glad we've gotten this cleared up. As for Brian, since he's been considerate enough to keep so many secrets from Sunshine the past few weeks, I don't see the need to fill him in on our meeting. I think Sunshine's got a lot to think over when it comes to that asshole and, he doesn't need us interfering in any decisions he may make. As for you Sunshine, I want you to know that as a family, we are going to support you in any decision you make regarding Brian. If you want to give that asshole a second chance, we'll be right here behind you. However, if you decide you're ready to put him behind you, I want you to know that you have our support," Debbie offered.
"Thanks Deb," Justin smiled, before he was wrapped in a motherly hug. He knew his surrogate mother was right; after everything he had learned tonight, he had quite a bit of thinking to do, and he didn't have clue as to what his decision would be.