"Here's your itinerary for tomorrow," Cynthia said as she came into Brian's office.  "You start at noon at the Salvation Army soup kitchen on Monroe."

"Great," Brian said giving her one of his goofy grins complete with that little wag of the head.

 

Cynthia chuckled.  "Can I come?" she asked.

 

"What the fuck for?"

"I just can't picture what you're going to look like in your Armani suit dishing up Thanksgiving dinner for homeless people."

 

"I'm wearing Prada," he retorted, "and why is it so fucking hard to picture."

"I don't know … because you can't stand anyone who will be wearing what those people will be wearing."

"I'll be sure to use lots of cologne."

Cynthia's smile faded.  "I think it's great that you're doing this," she said sincerely.

 

He stared back at her and knew he didn't want to get into that with her.  He didn't want her appreciation.  He knew, and she knew, that if he really had a choice he would never do this in a million years.  "So, what are you going to be doing on your long weekend?"

 

"Dinner with my parents and my brother and his screaming kids."

"Sounds like a blast."

 

"Oh. And the best part is his fucking wife who keeps trying to fix me up with one of her pathetic friends."

"Don't you want a sweet little family all your own?" Brian asked sarcastically.

 

"Not if it means the kind of supposedly loving and totally bogus relationships I see with my parents and my brother and most of the other fucking families around me."

"You should have been a fag, then they would kick you out and you could live however you want."

"Like you?"

 

Brian stuck his tongue out at her.  "Just like me.  You should be so lucky."

"I'm female.  That starts me off with a few strikes against me."

 

"You've done okay for yourself," Brian said letting her know what he really thought about her achievements.

 

"And I hope to be doing much better when you open your own agency," she added pointedly.

 

"That's a given."

 

That earned him a big smile.  "So, have fun tomorrow.  Is Justin going with you?"

 

"I tried to talk him out of it, but he's like you.  The fascination of seeing me serve, rather than service people, is just too much for him."

"You're lucky to have him."

"I know."

"Enjoy yourself.  I'm leaving in a few minutes."

 

"Have a good Thanksgiving and don't let the turkeys get you down."

"Thanks, Boss," she said as she went out the door.

 

Brian looked at the itinerary she had handed him.  He started his Thanksgiving escapade at the first place at noon, stayed for a half hour and then went on to the next.  Taking into account the traveling time between each place it should mean about four hours work.

 

"I can do that," he told himself.  He knew he was going to hate every minute of it.

 

A few minutes later there was a tap at his door.

 

"Enter."

"Brian, I have the latest numbers on the collection of food.  Including what was collected today from the usual methods, we have almost tripled what was donated last year," Geoffrey told him dropping a pile of papers on his desk.

 

Brian picked up the papers and flipped through them.  "Triple?  Not bad."

"Fucking good!"

 

"Geoffrey, my tender ears."

"I could hardly believe that we have done so well."

"You deserve a lot of the credit for coordinating everything."

"Thanks, but it was your idea," Geoffrey replied.

 

"Well, there's enough credit for both of us.  I'm just glad it worked."

"It should help a great deal to tide the food banks over until the Christmas giving and into the new year."

"It never ends, does it?" Brian said thinking about having to do this all over again.

 

"The need is always there."

 

"Yeah," Brian said with a little grimace.  "So what do you have planned for the long weekend?"

 

"Not much."

 

"That tells me a lot."

"I … I'll be at the Salvation Army kitchen when you get there," Geoffrey said.

 

"You will?  You don't need to do that.  Take the day off."

"I … I always go there for Thanksgiving Day.  I help with their food program."

"You do?  You never said anything about that."

"I wouldn't have now either, but you will be there, so I thought I better warn you."

 

"Consider me warned.  I'll see you tomorrow."

This was going to be one weird ass day.

 

                                                             -----

 

The limousine pulled up in front of the Salvation Army soup kitchen.  Brian hesitated.

 

"What's wrong?" Justin asked.

 

"I'm not sure I can do this," Brian admitted.  "What if I throw up all over some foul smelling bum?"

"You can do this.  I know you can.  And you won't throw up.  I'll be right beside you."  Justin's fingers threaded through Brian's and squeezed. 

 

Brian felt the encouragement and drew strength from his lover.  "I can do this," he said more to himself than to Justin.  He opened the car door a crack and Chuck pulled it the rest of the way.  Brian climbed out and offered Justin his hand.  He wanted that hand in his.  He needed that hand or he might run away.

 

They walked into the building to be met by the head Salvation Army person.  He welcomed the mayor effusively and Brian shook his hand, introducing Justin as soon as he got the chance.  There was a TV camera crew inside the dining area.  They were all set up waiting for the mayor to arrive and do his duty.  There were some print media people there too. 

 

The Salvation Army commander led Brian to the back where the food was set out and people were already lined up to receive it.  Apparently the mayor had to dish up the first meal.  Brian took his position.  He was in charge of the turkey.  Justin stood beside him ready to do the potatoes.  Brian caught a glimpse of Geoffrey who seemed to be at the dessert table surrounded by pieces of pie, and still cutting more.  Brian gave him a little smile and Geoffrey nodded in acknowledgement.  Neither of them seemed to want to make more of a display than that.

 

The first person made their way through the line and Brian and Justin managed to dish out appropriate portions of food.  The still photographers clicked away getting the picture that would appear in tomorrow's paper.  The TV woman came up to Brian with her mike in hand.  She wanted to know what Brian thought about his job for the day.

 

"This isn't my job," Brian told her.  "I'm only here for a little while.  You should be talking to all the hard working people who prepared this food and will be here all afternoon dishing it up."

The woman cleared her throat and tried to cover the glare she gave Brian.  "How successful was the food campaign that you initiated this year?" she asked.

 

"We managed to triple the amount of food from last year.  I'd like to thank all the generous citizens of Pittsburgh who took that extra bit of time and thought to donate to the food program.  Hopefully they will do so again, until the whole program becomes unnecessary.  That is the ultimate goal."

"Isn't that a little 'pie in the sky'?" the woman asked.

 

"Isn't it better than never hoping for an end to the need to do this?"

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor," she said and decided enough was enough.  The TV lights went off.

 

"Good one, Brian," Justin whispered with an evil grin.

 

"Mr. Kinney," a voice said from behind Brian.

 

Brian turned and looked at a man that seemed vaguely familiar.  Slowly the realization of who this was dawned on Brian.  "Adam?" he said.

 

"None other."

 

"I hardly recognized you.  You're not…?"

"No," Adam Pritchard chuckled.  "I'm dishing out the food this time.  I came with Geoffrey when he told me what he was doing today."

"Then everything's all right with you?"

"It's great.  I'm still the superintendent of Geoffrey's building and I haven't had a drink in eight months and five days."

 

"That's great, Adam," Brian said genuinely happy that the man had turned his life around.

 

"I have something for you," Adam said.  He held out his hand with a small roll of bills in it.  "It's the hundred that you lent me.  I said I'd pay you back," Adam grinned proudly.

 

Brian was about to tell him to donate it to the Salvation Army, but he saw the look of pride on Adam's face and knew that he needed to accept the money to complete their bargain.  He reached out and took the money from Adam.  "I better get back to work," Brian said seeing the next person waiting patiently for their meal.  "It's good to see you."

"You too," Adam said with a smile as he went back into the kitchen where he was helping with the food.

 

Brian dished up the next batch of turkey.

 

"Who was that?" Justin asked.

 

"My first lost boy," Brian said enigmatically and left it at that.

 

Finally the commander came back to relieve them of their tasks.  He thanked Brian profusely and said that he was sure his appearance there would help donations to their programs.

 

When Brian and Justin were once more in the back of the limo, Brian leaned against Justin and sighed.

 

"What's wrong?" Justin asked. 

 

"I hope this is worth it."

 

"You did good, and it will be worth it.  Who was that man that gave you the money?"

"Do you remember the bum from the black and white ball?" Brian asked.

 

"That was him?"

Brian grinned and nodded.  "He's turned his life around."

 

"That's wonderful," Justin said and kissed Brian on the cheek.

 

                                                               -----

 

The afternoon wore on.  They went to three more kitchens that were dishing out meals.  Most of them were in churches and the people running the charities were most grateful to have Brian put in an appearance.  There was coverage by one more TV station at one of the venues and print people at the others.  The last stop was coming up.

 

"You can do one more," Justin said squeezing Brian's hand once again and knowing that Brian's tolerance was running thin.

 

"I guess," Brian sighed.

 

They got out of the limo and made their way into the church.  It was just after three-thirty, but it seemed to Brian that they had been doing this for days.

 

As they walked into the basement where the meals were set up, Brian heard a familiar voice laughing.  "Is that Debbie?" Brian asked Justin.

 

Justin shrugged.  They stepped into the room and saw the familiar redhead behind the food table.  "Brian," she called.  "Justin.  Over here."  She waved frantically at them.

 

Brian walked towards the table and realized that Michael, Hunter and Ben were there too.  He heard a voice and looked over to see Lindsay and Melanie at the dessert table doing the same job that Geoffrey had been doing.

 

"Daddy," a little voice called and Brian saw Gus running towards him.

 

He scooped up the little boy kissing his cheek and whispering, "Hey, Sonny Boy."

Gus hugged him and held on.  The person in charge of the meals was waiting patiently to get Brian to start his job of dishing up food.

 

"You go back to your mommies, Gus," Brian said gently.  He set the little boy down and looked at Justin.

 

"Debbie wanted to surprise you," he said.  "She thought this would show her support and make you feel better."

"She fucking thought I couldn't get through the afternoon," Brian whispered.

 

Justin knew that Brian didn't really mean that.  He was just tired.  "She just wanted to show her support, Brian.  Don't be angry at her."

 

Justin looked at Brian and almost thought he saw a tear in his eye.  He reached for Brian's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

 

Brian cleared his throat.  "Let's get this show on the road," he said brusquely.

 

He was shown to his spot in the food line.  Once again he dished up the turkey.  Debbie was beside him doing the gravy.

 

"I'm so proud of you, kiddo," she said once Brian got into the swing of things.

 

"Thanks," he said quickly.  "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to do something to show you that I think this whole food initiative of yours is great.  You have become one hell of a mayor."

"Did you have to bring everyone else with you?"

"They volunteered once I told them what I was going to do."

"No shit?"

"They did.  We decided to have dinner around six at my place.  Then you and Justin and everybody can attend."

Brian was truly touched that they had gone to all this trouble to show that they believed in what he was doing.  He cleared his throat once again to get the lump to go away.  "How are you cooking dinner if you're here?" Brian asked trying to change the subject to something easier for him to handle.

 

"Vic and Emmett are at the house taking care of everything."

 

"Do you think it's safe to leave them there together?" Brian asked tongue in cheek.  He had regained his equilibrium.  "We'll probably have pear puffs and coconut cake."

"And you'll eat whatever the fuck they've made and thank them for making it," Debbie stated.

 

"Yes, mother."

 

That earned him a big smile from Debbie.  "I am so fucking proud of you," she repeated the tears in her eyes very evident.

 

"Don't, Deb.  Please don't," he begged.

 

Debbie realized that Brian was in no fit state to deal with emotions right now.  He had probably been on the verge of overload all day.  "We're almost done here," Debbie said.  "They close at four so everybody has a chance to get back to their families for an evening meal."

 

"Good," Brian said relieved to hear that.

 

The line of people was dwindling.  Michael came over to speak to Brian.  They exchanged a kiss.  Brian waved to Ben and made a face at Hunter who licked his lips suggestively at the mayor.  Brian whispered something in Michael's ear.  The dark man grinned and nodded his approval.  Justin watched all this as he played with Gus, keeping the little boy occupied while his mothers gave out the last of the pie.

 

Brian walked over to them and picked up Gus.  He crushed the little boy against his chest.  Justin realized that Brian needed to get out of there before he lost it.  He whispered to Brian that they should leave.

To Justin's surprise Brian turned to Melanie and Lindsay and asked if Gus could ride with him to Debbie's.  They agreed glad to have the little boy out from under foot as they cleaned up.  Then Brian turned to Debbie.

 

"Deb, I'd like you to ride with Justin and Gus and me."

"Me?  In the limo?" Debbie asked.

 

"In the limo," Brian said softly.

 

"But my car?"

 

"Michael will drive it home for you," Brian explained.  Michael nodded his agreement.

"Oh, my … yes … sure.  Right now?"

 

"Right now."

 

Brian took her hand and the four of them made their way out to the limousine.  Chuck held the door open as Debbie climbed in running her hands over the soft leather of the seats.

 

Justin sat on one side of Debbie and Brian on the other holding Gus.  She took one of their hands in each of hers.  "This is nice," she said with a big grin.  "I feel like a princess."

 

"You look like a queen," Brian said and kissed her cheek.

 

"Isn't that you?" Justin asked with a chuckle.

 

"Ignore the tyke.  He's being obstreperous today," Brian teased.

 

"Thank you, Brian," Debbie said sincerely.  "It was nice of you to do this for me."

"Nothing but the best for you … mother," Brian said.

 

"Thanks, son," Debbie said and let go of his hand to wipe away the lipstick from the kiss she had just given him.  She adjusted her boobs, sniffed once and said, "Let's get this heap moving.  I need to see what kind of fucking disaster Vic and Emmett have managed to create at home."

 

Gus giggled at her choice of words and Brian and Justin grinned at each other.  Things were back to normal.

 

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