Oh Mother Machree

It was a cold winter night and the crackling fire blazed away in the fake fireplace, giving the loft a golden glow. The guys were situated in front of the fire - with the roar of the fireplace the only thing disturbing the happy silence - until ….

"I heard you asked Jason how Brandon was coming along, Bri," Justin broke the spell. "That was nice of you to be concerned."

"Yeah," Brian replied laconically. "I'm walking down the street this morning, minding my own business, and here comes Jason the other way. He knew me and I knew him so I had to say something. So I asked him about Brandon and he said Brandon was just about 100% again. I guess 100% of Brandon is enough for some people. And how come I can't walk down the street without you knowing what happens?"

"You're not so bad at spying yourself, Kinney," Justin laughed. "But Jason told Hunter and Hunter told Malcolm and Malcolm told Mikey and Mikey told me."

"Geez, Twink," Brian laughed back at him. "With all those intermediaries, how can you be sure you got the story right?"

"My informants are all highly trained professionals," Justin informed him, "And I did get it right, didn't I? You really did ask Jason how Brandon was doing, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," Brian admitted, "And I suppose I'm glad he's doing well too, but I can think of a lot of things we could do - and even some things we could talk about - that would be better than talking about Brandon. What do you say?"

Justin hesitated for a few seconds before responding - long enough for Brian to wonder. "What?" Brian demanded of the kid.

"You know how I hate not telling you stuff and how guilty I feel when I do something like that," Justin half-stammered. "Well there's something that I guess I should have told you a week or so ago but I didn't cause I thought maybe I wouldn't have to, and maybe I wouldn't have had to, and it's still a long time away, but I'm feeling guilty, and it's a little bit about Brandon - so while we're talking about him, maybe I should tell you this. You don't have to do it, Bri. Whatever you want to do will be fine with me. I do not want you to think that I want you to do this. OK?"

"OK what?" Brian laughed. "If this is something that makes you that nervous, it has to be something really out of the ordinary. And as long as I don''t have to do it, I guess I can stand to hear what 'it' is. Proceed, Twink."

"OK, Brian," Justin commenced. "I think you knew that Brandon was a minority owner of Babylon for a while. Well after him and Jason got together he sold that."

"I think I did know he sold it," Brian looked quizzical, "But I cannot see where this is going. This one's a toughy. By the way, if I had owned part of Babylon when we got together, would you have made me get rid of it?"

"Well, you know, Bri, Brandon is Irish, like you," Justin continued, ignoring Brian's question. "And he liked owning Babylon so he bought an interest in that Irish pub, Harp and Shillelagh. It's over in Market Square."

"I know where it is, Baby," Brian said. "I've even been there a couple of times. If you want to go there, we can go. That's not so bad. I am Irish, after all."

"I am not finished, Bri," Justin told him. "There's a little more to come. Seems Brandon likes Irish music and stuff so Jason talked to the other owners and they're going to do a St. Patrick's Day party for Brandon - to celebrate his recovery. It's gonna be a few weeks before March 17 though because they're gonna close the restaurant that night and it's gonna be a private party. You can't close down an Irish pub too close to St. Patrick's Day so it'll be early."

"And we're invited - or we're going to be invited," Brian began to see the light. "I guess we could go, since I think you want to go. It won't interfere with our usual party on March 17 up at Gino's."

"Brian," Justin protested, "I don't want you to go because you think I want to go or that I want you to go. How can you be so sure anyhow that I want to go?"

"Because you always want to go, Baby," Brian proposed. "And you always want to do the right thing, and the right thing here is to go, and because you didn't just tell Jason we couldn't come. That's what I would have done if they asked me and I didn't want to go. I would have told them we were busy that night."

"Yeah," Justin smiled. "That would have been a good thing to do, Brian. Especially since they haven't set the date yet. Anyhow there's more, Sweetheart, if you'll let me finish."

"The worst is yet to come, isn't it?" Brian grinned.

"Maybe," Justin admitted. "This is going to be really big bash, Bri. They're going to have some of the best of the local Irish musicians there. Brandon likes to sing - and he's pretty good too - and very into Irish music. And he plays the guitar and some crazy Irish instruments like the penny-whistle, whatever that is. It's gonna be a pretty musical party. Ethan can't come because the symphony will probably be on tour, but maybe Gus is going to play a few Irish reels on the violin."

"Who's idea was that?" Brian interrupted.

"I think it was Hunter's idea to start with, Bri," Justin answered quickly. "It was not my idea so please don't blame me if you're mad. Turns out one of Gus' violin teachers is a fiddler in a group that plays regularly at the Harp and Shillelagh and he thought it would be a good idea too. But I told Linz and the others that if you said 'No', then that was that."

"And you probably also told them that you would make sure I didn't say 'No,"" Brian laughed.

"Did not," Justin defended himself, "And I didn't suggest that you and Mikey should take your guitars to the party either. I think Malcolm was the one who suggested that to Jason, and Mikey said he'd do it if …."

"If you could force me to do it too," Brian finished Justin's sentence in a way Justin did not intend.

"You know I would not do that, Brian," Justin insisted. "If you go to the damn party, of course I'll go with you - but if you don't want to go, that is definitely OK with me. It is - and that's my final word on the subject. I'm not mad or anything but I am finished talking about it. If you need more information you can ask somebody else. Justin Taylor has no more to say."

"You know what, Baby," Brian conjectured. "You know how Brandon used to always be challenging me to some kind of contest in the bad old days? Maybe now he's actually challenged me to a guitar contest. He wasn't about to win any of the other contests but maybe he thinks he can win this one."

"Brian, you're beginning to sound paranoid now," Justin exclaimed. "You're scaring me. I don't think Brandon would do any such thing. He likes you now - and he should. You helped him when he needed help. You know, I think maybe we shouldn't go to the party at all. I'll take care of it. Just forget about the whole thing. They can have a good time without us."

"And let Brandon think he scared me off." Brian told him. "Not a chance. We're going - and I'm even gonna let you carry my guitar for me. Brandon's challenge will not go unanswered."

"Cut it out, Brian, " Justin pleaded. "Brandon does not even know there's going to be a party and he probably won't know until he gets there. I don't know if it's that kind of surprise or not, but I know he does not know now. Jason told me he doesn't know - and if Jason says Brandon doesn't know something, then he doesn't."

"Sounds familiar to me," Brian gibed.

"Dammit, Brian," Justin came back at him. "I think you really want to go. You like Irish music and you want to go. And you want to give me a hard time too. Admit it Brian Kinney - you are a trouble-making ogre - the very worst kind of ogre. That's what you are."

"Nope," Brian demurred. "But we are going to Brandon's party - and that's my final word on the subject. I'm not mad or anything but I am finished talking about it. Brian Kinney has no more to say."

Justin threw both arms around Brian's neck. "I love you, Brian Kinney - even if you are a mean old ogre," he told the big guy. "I guess I love a mean old ogre."

"Suits me if it suits you, Baby," Brian told him back. "You know what though, maybe I told Jason this morning that we'd be glad to come to his party - and maybe your well trained professionals didn't get that information back to you."

"And maybe they did, Brian - maybe they did," Justin drawled, dozing off in Brian's arms with his head on Brian's shoulder.

"I may not be the only ogre around here," Brian mused to himself and to the sleeping Justin. "No, I don't think I am. But I guess I'm crazy in love with a trouble-making ogre. That's the very best kind. Sure makes life interesting."

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