Chapter 2

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Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! Justin took a moment to regard the others and try to find any sign that this was some kind of elaborate hoax. He studied the faces of his mom, Brian, the doctor, and then Molly. Fuck! Molly! He studied her more closely and could definitely see the little girl he knew as his sister in the pretty young woman's face. She's a fucking teenager! He quickly did the math. God, six years! That would make her about sixteen.

When no one broke out into laughter and no camera crew busted out of the bathroom Justin started to panic just a little.

"Justin," Brian began, but Justin held up his hand.

"I need a minute," was all he could utter.

The others nodded thoughtfully and watched intently as they gave the young man a few minutes to process what was happening.

First he turned to his mother. She basically looked the same, maybe just a tad older, but still beautiful. Upon further inspection, he could see some subtle differences.. Gone was the look of the beleaguered suburban housewife. His mother now had the appearance of a strong, confident business woman. Even in his addled state, she made him feel proud.

His eyes grazed Molly again, but he couldn't go there at the moment. It was just too much to take in.

Last, he let his eyes wander over Brian. Something had seemed off when he had first awoken, and now as he studied Brian he could see why he had been thrown. Brian was still as beautiful as ever and dressed as exquisitely (even in his current rumpled state), but different. His hair was longer and there were a few more lines on his face.. Justin thought they only added to his beauty. God, Brian, thirty-six and still alive to tell about it.

Six years! The enormity assailed him again and he took in a deep, shuddering breath. Brian stepped forward, but Justin raised his hand to stop him again. He didn't want anyone to touch him right at the moment. Not even Brian.

Then he saw it. The glint of platinum on Brian's left hand. On Brian's left ring finger. His heart stilled for a moment and he slowly let his eyes trail to his own left hand where he saw the matching band adorning his own ring finger.. He did some more math in his head. Oh, God, he wasn't eighteen anymore.. He was what? Twenty-four? He was twenty-four and apparently married to Brian-fucking-Kinney. And he didn't remember any of it.

Justin began to shake and gulp in gasping breaths.

The doctor moved quickly, but Brian got there first. Brian may have spent the last year mostly apart from his lover, but he still knew a Justin panic attack when he saw one. He hopped onto the bed behind Justin and pulled his lover back into his chest. "Breathe, Sunshine," he whispered into Justin's ear. "I've got you. Just breathe slowly, in and out."

Dr. Dale looked momentarily surprised as Justin immediately began to calm down. He reached to take the younger man's pulse while the nurse slipped an oxygen tube under Justin's nose to give him a little extra help. When the doctor eyed Brian, he shrugged. "Panic attack. We've been there before.."

Dr. Dale simply nodded at the other man. He had read Justin's file. When Justin seemed completely calmed, his eyes began to droop. "Tired," he muttered. "Head hurts."

"We'll get you something for the pain." The doctor nodded to the nurse.

"Thanks," Justin breathed out as he simply relaxed into Brian's arms, falling into sleep.

Jennifer looked at Dr. Dale with concern. "Is he all right? How could he just go to sleep like that after all that just happened?"

The doctor laid a gentle hand on her arm as he addressed all of them. "I believe he is fine, Mrs. Taylor. We just have to remember that he does have a fairly serious concussion, though, so he'll probably be fading in and out for the rest of today. Let's go out in the hallway to talk, shall we, and let Justin sleep?"

Jennifer nodded and cast one last worried glance in Justin's direction as she let the doctor lead her from the room.

Brian gently slid out from behind Justin and followed the others into the hall. He leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair before he regarded the two Taylor women and the doctor. "What now?" he asked.

"First of all, I want to tell all of you that this is most likely a temporary condition.."

"Most likely?" Brian eyed the doctor.

Dr. Dale nodded. "Despite what we see in movies or on television, amnesia is almost always very temporary. The brain is a very complicated organ and we still don't understand all of its workings, but it's my experience that patients who suffer memory loss usually gain all or, at least, most of it back over time.."

"How much time?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, that's where it's all guesswork," answered the doctor. "It varies from patient to patient and injury to injury. Now, Justin has had previous head trauma so that could make a difference in his recovery.. There's no way to predict. We'll have to just wait and see.."

Brian rubbed his eyes and nodded. "How long will he have to be in the hospital?"

"Well, now that he's awake, I'll want to watch him for a few more days. If everything looks good, he can go home as soon as Thursday. I'm going to send one of our psychologists to talk with him and all of you about dealing with this when he does return home. In the meantime, I think it's best not to tell him too much about the last six years. If he asks questions, answer them truthfully, but let's not flood him with information. Hopefully he will remember most of it on his own."

"We'll be taking him back to Pittsburgh as soon as he can travel," Brian said firmly.

Dr. Dale nodded. "I'm sure they can refer you to someone there." The doctor's pager went off and he looked down at the device. "I'm sorry, I'm needed elsewhere. If you have any more questions, let a nurse know and they'll contact me."

Brian, Jennifer and Molly all nodded and watched the doctor move off down the hall.

Brian covered his face with his hands and began to shake from his place against the wall. Jennifer quickly moved to his side to provide comfort. She was disconcerted when she realized he was laughing. "Just, what the fuck is so funny about any of this?" she demanded.

Brian took his hands down and looked at his lover's mother. "He remembers the fucking prom. Can you believe that shit? In time, he remembered the bashing, but he never could remember the prom or the dance we shared. Now he remembers the prom and nothing else. We can't seem to get a fucking break, can we?" His voice broke.

Jennifer could see the pain in Brian's eyes as she pulled him away from the wall and into her arms. "It sure seems that way," she agreed softly as her eyes met with Molly's concerned gaze over Brian's shoulder..

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"Mom?"

"Yes, Molly?" Jennifer replied, rubbing her aching neck, from where they both sat next to Justin's hospital bed. They had finally convinced Brian to head to the hotel to get some real sleep in a bed. It had been almost funny how Brian had made Jennifer swear to watch over her own son.

"Are you going to tell Dad about Justin?"

Jennifer tried to keep her feelings hidden as she answered her daughter. After all, Molly still had regular visitations with Craig and a fairly good relationship. Jennifer didn't like to put Molly in the middle of the problems she had with her ex-husband. "No, I don't think so," she answered.

"Why? Don't you think he'll care?"

Jennifer met her daughter's frank gaze and decided she was too tired to placate the girl. Molly was smart and Jennifer was sure she could handle the truth of things.. Craig had, after all, made his own bed. Now he could lie in it. "No, honey, I don't think he really cares about your brother."

"Because he had him arrested last year?"

"How did you know about that?" Jennifer gaped at Molly. She had no idea Molly knew about the protest Justin had headed up at his father's store.. "Did Justin tell you?"

Molly shook her head. "No, I heard you talking with Aunt Debbie about it."

"Did you talk to your father about it?"

"No, I didn't really want to hear his bullshit about the "homos" again," Molly replied vehemently. "I get tired of listening to it. Especially when he starts to go off about Brian."

"Molly!" Jennifer exclaimed with a laugh. She had most definitely been underestimating her daughter.

"Well, I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed in the last six years," came Justin's quiet voice from the head of the bed.. "Dad really had me arrested?" He eyed his mom.

"Oh, Justin, honey." Jennifer stood up and kissed Justin. "I see you decided to join us again."

"Mom, I want to know. Why did Dad have me arrested? What did I do to him?"

While Jennifer pondered how best to answer the question, Molly blurted out, "There was, like, this proposition to ban gay marriage and Dad supported it. You, Aunt Deb, and a bunch of other people protested at the store and Dad had you thrown in jail.."

"Molly!" Jennifer exclaimed again in shock. "How did you find all that out?"

"I did some research when I found out what happened," she shrugged.

For his part, Justin seemed to take it in stride. "Whoa, cool," he replied..

Jennifer rolled her eyes at her two "teenagers." "Well, luckily Carl was able to look after you until I could get there to bail you out."

"Who?" asked Justin.

Jennifer shook her head. "Never mind, honey. You'll meet him soon enough.."

"Where's Brian?" Justin asked, dismissing his mom's comment and searching the room.

"I sent him to get some rest," Jennifer replied.

"Right here," Brian answered at the same time as he stepped into the room..

Justin smiled and reached out to his lover. Brian stepped over to the bed and kissed Justin on the lips.

"Brian, are you sure you got enough sleep? Did you eat anything at all?" Jennifer asked with concern.

Justin stared at his mother. Last time he checked, she could barely stand his lover. He shook his head. Of course last time he checked, Brian could barely stand him, so what in the hell did he know.

"Yes, Mother Taylor," Brian answered. "I slept plenty and I ate.. It is after five, you know."

Jennifer looked at her watch. "Oh my God. Molly, you must be starving."

"I am kind of hungry."

"You girls go eat," Brian insisted. "Then head to the hotel. I took the liberty of ordering massages and facials for both of you. I had one and it did wonders for the kink in my neck. We'll be fine here."

"Oh, Brian, thank you," Jennifer gushed as she and Molly both kissed him on the cheek. "I so need a massage. My back is killing me."

They said their good-byes to the two men and headed out, chatting happily.

Justin sat staring after his mother and sister, still not believing how affectionate they both had been with Brian and how Brian had let them be affectionate to him. "This is so fucking weird," he commented.

"No shit, Sunshine," Brian replied, tongue in cheek.

The two men regarded each other for a moment until Justin finally broke the silence. "Brian," he started and then stopped. He looked down at the ring on his left hand and then spoke again. "Are we…are we really married?"

Brian gazed at his own ring and pondered how to answer. Yes, in his eyes, they were, but of course it wasn't official. He was pretty sure that it didn't constitute a real marriage is one of the parties is unconscious during the vows.. He wasn't sure how to explain it all to Justin though without going into the whole too much information thing the doctor had warned them about. Finally he went with a simple, "Yes."

Justin looked serious for a moment and then his face lit up with a smile. "I knew you so loved me," he replied archly. "See, I knew you gave a shit about me!"

"Yeah, I guess so, Sunshine," Brian smiled and moved in to kiss his husband soundly.

Justin returned the kiss fervently and then pulled away a bit. His smile had faded. "I am so fucking scared right now, Brian."

Brian rested his forehead against Justin's. "I know you are. I am too, but we'll be okay. Believe me, we always are."

Justin nodded.. "I believe you."

"I love you," Brian whispered.

"Holy fuck!" Justin replied.