I Own Nothing

AN: This got too big so had to make a second chapter.

CN: Brian's not about to believe Michael's story.

Brian was waiting outside the diner when the cops brought Michael out. He had wanted to strangle his former best friend for what he had done. He had thought better of it when Cynthia had reminded him that Gus didn't need him locked up for murder. He had been that furious, he'd done the only thing else he could do; the cops. Cynthia had given him Justin's message that Michael ran out with Gus not even stopping when he'd shouted for him to stop. Michael hadn't even been by the loft since he had buried Lindsey and Melanie. His so called best friend hadn't called him except to ask if he'd be at Woody's. He'd left messages that Debbie could watch Gus for the night while they went out..

The last two weeks he had been like a walking zombie. It was work, home, take care of Gus, and go to bed. He got up every morning and repeated the process. He was thanking ever who was watching over his sanity at the moment he had Justin. He had taken the bottle away from him before he could drink it. He'd told him he was going to man up and they were going to take care of Gus together. He'd be damned if he let him become his father because he knew how much he loved Gus.

He still felt like a zombie from the pain of losing Lindsay. Justin might be seventeen, but he was more mature than he'd ever been at that age. Hell he was more mature than Michael who stole Gus. He'd only nodded before he'd let his self finally break down not caring that Justin saw him vulnerable that day. He didn't know what it was about the younger man that had him feeling something for him. Justin had been taking care of Gus and him both. Especially when he'd had that cold the week before. He still wanted to make that up to Justin knowing it couldn't have been easy. It was why he had asked Daphne if she would watch Gus for at least two hours the next day. There was an art show he knew Justin would like to see he wanted to take him to. How things were going now he might skip it or take Gus with them instead.

He hadn't thought twice about what Justin had said to Cynthia about Michael. It was that closeness he'd developed with Justin that had him trusting what he said. Closeness that came from cleaning up not only his son's puke but his own. Justin had done so much especially in those three days they'd been sick. He had told Justin more than once he could throw in the towel. He wouldn't think less of him, but Justin had told him to stop talking and go back to sleep. He also knew that Justin hadn't looked that great either, but he had still been there. He'd given him time to rest when Justin clearly had been miserable. He shouldn't have let it happen, but he had felt that bad. It was time he made things up to Justin and Gus too.

~BJ JB BJ JB~

"Thank god, Brian tell them to let me go. I didn't kidnap Gus. Justin wasn't even in the room watching him. He left him in the bed. He could have fallen in the floor or anything." Michael said trying to get Brian to believe him. He couldn't believe that Justin had him arrested. "Tell the little shit to have me let go. I wasn't going to hurt him Brian."

"Michael, you just said in there that Justin was asleep. So what is it, he was asleep or not in the room?" Brian asked looking at the man he had once loved like a brother. He saw the look in Michael's eyes realizing he'd heard it all. He had been in there until the cops had him cuffed. "Justin didn't call them either, I did. Kidnapping is a crime, Michael and I'd trust Justin before I'd leave you alone with Gus." He said before moved passed Michael.

"Brian." Michael said in a defeated voice looking at his best friend's back. "But I'm your best friend. He's just the twink you fuck that won't leave." He added hoping one last time to get Brian to see it his way.

"When I find a sitter for my son I'll be down there with my partner. I had a best friend once, but he just betrayed me." Brian said not bothering to look back at Michael.

"He's not going anywhere we take kidnapping seriously." The officer said. "If you can't find someone to watch your son I'll be glad to come your home; once he's booked." He added remembering the cries of the little boy. He had a son of his own and could tell he was scared. He might be little, but he knew children could tell when something wasn't right.

"Thank you," Brian said before he gave the officer his address. He didn't want to take Gus out or leave Justin for that matter.

He was doing his best not to slug Michael knowing that it would be worse. He wanted to go back inside and wrap his arms around Justin and Gus both. He wasn't sure if he could even be away from them if he had to. The man that was being taken away couldn't be the friend he once had. It had to be someone else that took over Michael's body. He hadn't known that Michael's hatred for Justin would go this far. Gus could have been hurt the way he acted, but Michael didn't even care about that.

~BJ JB BJ JB~

Brian hadn't had the car seat in the Jeep since Daphne had taken Gus and Justin home earlier. Michael hadn't thought to grab it to carry Gus since he didn't have a vehicle either. Brian hadn't wanted to go home to get it so he'd walked with Justin home. He'd hated having to face Debbie the most. She had been standing there when he'd walked back in to get them. Gus had cried his self into an exhausted sleep and he hadn't wanted to wake him up. He'd hated having done what he did, but he hadn't known what else to do.

He hadn't known what to say so he hadn't just gave her a look before he left with Justin and Gus. If Michael had kidnapped Gus from the loft trying to make him toss Justin out he wasn't sure what he'd do the next time. When things settled down he'd talk to Debbie. He doubted she would hate him since she had been there when it happened. He had seen the shock look on her face like his own probably. Someone you know all your life does something like that you don't know what to think.

Now he was sitting on the couch holding Gus in his arms after he had given him a bath. Gus' diaper had been ruined with pee and poop. Justin hadn't said anything except to the cop who had come to take their statement. He knew that Justin had been furious and he was waiting for him to break. He'd been silently crying trying not to let him see, but he knew it wasn't allergies. He gave Justin a look when he came from the bedroom after taking a shower. His shirt was off and he could see the bruise on his ribs where he knew Hobbs had once again got at him. It pissed him off that the asshole messed with Justin all the time because he was gay.

"It's not your fault, Justin. I wouldn't have thought he would take Gus like he did. It's not your fault that you wanted a nap. I took one the other day when I was in my office while Gus was asleep on my lunch hour." Brian said not wanting Justin to feel guilty. "If you want you could try home school if you don't want to be a punching bag anymore. You don't have to take the abuse." He added because he felt his own guilt for not finding some way to protect Justin.

He'd known him four months, but felt responsible for him. He also owed him so much for helping him when most teenagers would run the other way. It probably wasn't fair, but Justin had been the one to tell him to stuff it before he could object. He hoped that Justin knew how much he loved him for what he was doing. He did more than anyone would have done for them. He was sure the whole world would know he was living with him again soon enough. They would also know he'd said partner in reference to Justin.

"I got scared. I didn't even think to call the cops. I kept calling you because I knew it was Michael. I thought you changed your mind, but you would have come home to do that. You wouldn't send Michael to take Gus. Then I said his name and he hauled ass like I didn't know he could. I thought you'd blame me for losing him. I don't know why I thought it, I guess I'm tired." Justin sighed not wanting to admit defeat. "I love Gus and I love you, but I was exhausted and didn't want to ruin tonight. So I took a nap with him. I don't want out of this, I just needed a little sleep. I'm not throwing in the towel, I think maybe I need help."

Brian heard the vulnerability in Justin's voice. He had told him multiple times if he wanted out then he could always go. He wouldn't think any less of him for doing it, but Justin stayed. They'd been navigating life with Gus together and he was letting Justin help. He was holding onto him like a life line, but it wasn't really fair. He also couldn't let Justin go even if he never had done relationships before. He knew that he had been right earlier.

Even Cynthia had told him he had to start thinking of another idea. Justin was great with Gus, but he was still young too. He couldn't count on him every second even if Justin wanted to do it. There was a thing called daycare even if he didn't want to. His work hadn't suffered so far, but it was a matter of time before he felt burned out too. Cynthia had jumped his ass already about letting Justin take care of both Gus and him when they'd been sick. She was the only one that had known beside Debbie and Vic. Though she was the one that had seen that Justin had been sick too when she'd stopped in to check on them.

He knew those three days he was sick, Gus too; he wouldn't have made it without Justin. Right now though he had to do better before they both sunk with the ship. He got off the couch going over to Justin placing Gus between them so they had a one arm hold on him each. Justin's arm had gone automatically there to support Gus.

"I don't know what I'm doing Justin. I never thought I'd be a full time dad or that I'd even love Gus at all. I'd planned on being a drop in dad like I told you. I took him when the cop brought him here to tell me Lindsay and Melanie were dead. When you came here and stopped me from getting wasted I realized something else. It didn't matter about your age or how I kept trying to get you to leave in the past. I didn't want you to leave again, I couldn't see past you holding Gus in your arms. You started singing to him when he cried before long he'd stopped. You looked up at me and said 'see I'm onto both of you Kinney men. I got you both figured out.'" Brian said looking at Justin who was looking back at him.

He didn't know what Justin had done to break down all of his walls in four months of knowing him. He didn't feel like the same person he had been. He felt complete standing here with his son between them. It felt like the last two weeks had started bringing things out more though. The girls dying was how he had gotten here now and he loved this. Hated that they had died, but loved this even on the hard days.

He leaned in closer making sure not to let go of Gus pressing his mouth to Justin's kissing him. A four month old and a seventeen year old had made him grow up in the last two weeks. He put what he felt into the kiss not sure if he could say the words yet. Justin was kissing him back so he knew he had helped some of those fears. Michael hadn't helped and he could see how tired Justin was. He was going to have to start helping out more instead of letting Justin do as much as he had been. That wasn't fair to put a ton on Justin even if he didn't care.

"We can figure this out together. I love you both so much. I think I can make it a few more months there. I get to come home to you two every day so a few hours of hell is nothing. Thank you for believing me today." Justin said resting his head against Brian's not feeling worried like he had been.

"I trust you, Justin. Even if I have known Michael half of my life I knew you wouldn't cry wolf like that if it wasn't true." Brian said. "Let's go lay down. I'm tired and just want to fall asleep next to you two." He smiled knowing that they would have Gus between them for the night.

"Thanks, that sounds like a good plan." Justin added before he took Gus in his arms completely with Brian's going around him. "We're sleeping in tomorrow and not leaving the bed unless we have to. I need you two close and maybe we can take him to the park together." He offered up the idea.

"I was going to take you to an art showing that you talked about last week. I want you to know that I never meant to put every thing on your shoulders like I have. Monday I'm going to make some calls see if I can't find Gus a day care. Vic also mentioned he would watch him some if we need him. No more putting everything on you. I shouldn't have done it even if you said it was okay." Brian said after they got in the bed. He looked at Justin now holding Gus and knew he loved him. There was no doubt about that. "I love you and I promise that the next time the three of us are both down with a cold I'll help out more." He smiled.

There were a lot of other things including maybe finding another place to live that should be looked into. This place was too small for the three of them. Gus had a crib that was store-able because he wanted him next to them, but movable. It was stupid and two weeks was long enough to be living in a zombie land. What Michael did woke him up so he'd do better as a dad and a partner.

"I love you too." Justin said with a smile placing Gus in Brian's arms enjoying one of his favorite sites. He knew that Brian would do better, but he would have kept going even if today hadn't happened. Brian was a great dad, they both needed more help was all. "We can take him to the art show. He loves watching me draw." He couldn't part with Gus for anything. Though Brian was right daycare would help more during the day.

~THE END~