Chapter 5 

"Damn!" Jennifer exclaimed then cringed. Briana was very capable of remembering the words no one wanted her to remember.

"What's a matter, Gamma?"

"I don't have any hotdogs at home."

"Oh." Bree looked crestfallen.

"Not to worry, we'll stop at the store before we go home and buy what we need."

"Yay!" Bree's smile returned.

Jennifer turned into her local market to pick up the fixings for their hotdog supper. Finding a shopping cart with four working wheels, Jenn lifted Bree to put her in the seat. Jennifer noticed the slight frown on her granddaughter's face.

"What is it, sweetheart? Is the seat uncomfortable?"

"No."

"Then why the sad face?"

"I don't ride when I go shopping with Daddy and Dada."

"No, why? Don't you like to ride?"

"Yes, I like it but Dada carry me."

Jennifer chuckled. "Honey, that's because your Dada loves you so much that he doesn't want you ever to be out of his arms. But I bet if you ask nicely the next time you all go shopping, your Dada will let you sit in the cart." Jennifer tried to remain stoic as Bree thought about what her grandmother said. Bree's happy smile came back.

Bree and Jennifer were almost finished shopping. They were rounding a corner, making their way to the checkout counter when their cart bumped into another cart.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jennifer started before she saw who she bumped into.

"No, my mistake...Jenn?"

"Craig, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, shopping?" Craig replied then Jennifer blushed at the silliness of her question.

"So are we. Someone requested hotdogs for dinner and I'm all out."

"Ah, I seem to recall you never kept hotdogs in the house. I remember sneaking the kids out to the pier to buy them."

"I never knew." Jennifer was astounded. Briana watched the pleasant banter and wanted to join in.

"You not grumpy today, Gampa?" Bree's eyes were wide and so very blue. Craig reached over to caress the fine strawberry blond hair that was done up in the Pebbles Flintstone style.

"No, not grumpy today, sweetheart. She's beautiful, Jenn. Her hair, so much like Molly but her eyes, her skin, my God, so like Justin when he was little. I've missed so much, haven't I?" Jennifer nodded, she couldn't find her voice.

Slowly they wheeled their carts to the checkout aisle.

"Craig, would you like to join us for dinner, that's if Susan wouldn't mind."

"She went to spend the evening with her mother. I was here to pick up something for dinner."

"Gampa, you like hotdogs?"

"Yes, Briana, I love hotdogs." Craig turned to face his ex-wife. "I don't think I should."

"What harm can it do? We have to eat, you have to eat and I have plenty. Join us, Craig. Get to know your granddaughter a little better." Craig nodded. They paid for their groceries then Craig followed Jennifer and Bree back to Jenn's house.

*****

"Shit. Brian, what time is it? We fell asleep." Justin jumped out of bed and began scrambling for his clothes.

"Fuck, it's almost eight. Your mother is going to be royally pissed. You better call her." Brian quickly washed up then got dressed.

"Me? You're the one who suggested this afternoon tete-a-tete. You call her."

"We'll both call her, from the car. Come on, Sunshine, let's boogie."

*****

"Justin, you sure your mother wasn't angry?" Brian asked as he parked their SUV in front of Jennifer's house.

"No, she wasn't. She sounded kind of happy."

"Happy as in she got to spend time with her favorite grandchild, happy, or she was going to get lucky, happy."

Justin gave his spouse a swat in the ribs before he got out of the car. "Ew, that's my mom and Bree's grandmother you're talking about. I don't want to even think about her doing it with someone."

"Doing it? What are you - twelve? Your mother is a very attractive woman and you know what they say about mature women." Justin used his spare key to let them into his mother's house.

"God, Brian, my mother wouldn't do anything with...Dad?"

*****

"Dinner was lovely, ladies, I'm stuffed," Danny said as he rubbed his full belly.

"Would you like some coffee?" Lindsay asked Danny. "The tarts you brought look luscious." Lindsay put on a pot of coffee then arranged the fruity treats neatly on a serving dish.

"Yes, thank you," Danny replied. Throughout the evening JR sat close to her grandfather. She relished that he conversed with her almost as an adult. They discussed the progress Danny was making on his new house and about her school work. Even Gus enjoyed talking with Danny. He found Danny's exploits as Divina fascinating.

"Gus, are you thinking of taking up the baton, so to speak?" Danny asked much to the horror of Gus' mothers.

"Fuck no! Sorry, Mom. I just liked watching the bowling tournament and the show at the theater." Gus blushed with his admission.

"I see. And which lady tickled your fancy?" Danny found amusing the similarities and the differences between the elder Kinney and his son.

"Abunda Ass-set!" Gus' blush deepened.

"Gus!" Melanie and Lindsay shouted out together. Danny couldn't help but laugh.

*****

"Baby, how are you feeling?" Nick and Hunter were cuddling together in their bed.

"Better, since we turned off the phone," Hunter whispered into his lover's chest.

"We can't hide forever."

"I know and I don't intend to but can I just take a short break from the world for a while?"

"Sure. Only promise me something."

"Anything."

"That you remain conscious as you're doing it."

"I promise." The lovers kissed then snuggled down to sleep.

*****

"What's the matter, Michael? Can't sleep?" Michael was pacing in his living room. He shrugged off Ben's question.

"Fucking Brian," Michael grumbled.

"What, baby?"

"I said, fucking Brian," Michael repeated loudly. Ben waited for the inevitable gripe. "He knew that Hunter woke up and what does he do? He tells Steve to go in to see him. Not me, or Nick or the doctor. Steve! Well this is the last time I let him interfere with my family."

"Michael, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I never want to see Brian Kinney again."

"Michael, we have to remain calm. Brian's our friend."

"Not anymore and if you love me, you won't be his friend either!"

"Michael, be reasonable. He's your oldest and dearest friend. You can't be serious."

"Yes, I can. I will never, ever speak to Brian Kinney again for the rest of my life."

*****

"Christ," Justin said shaking his head.

"What?" Brian asked looking in the rearview mirror to make sure Briana was asleep. She had dozed off almost as soon as they had put her in her car seat. Brian was pretty sure he knew what was bothering his husband.

"Do you believe my fucking father?"

"I thought he was very well behaved … for Craig Taylor."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, he didn't ram my fucking car or kick in my ribs."

"Brian…"

"He was … pleasant … enough."

"What the fuck was he doing there?"

"Having dinner with Jenn and Bree."

"But why?"

"How the fuck should I know? Apparently your mother invited him."

"Why now? We're trying to keep Bree away from him."

"Your mother didn't know that."

"I just don't get it," Justin said shaking his head. "All the times I've tried to make overtures to him, and he told me to drop dead. And now, when we pull back, he keeps showing up."

Brian looked in the rearview mirror at his sleeping angel. "I think Bree may have started to weave her spell on him," Brian whispered.

"But we decided that wasn't a good idea."

"Too late."

"What?" Justin asked.

"I know the spell she casts. Once you're in, you can't free yourself … and you don't want to."

"But…"

"Justin, I know I was the one who was worried about Bree, but Craig doesn't seem to want to walk away from her. That's what I was worried about."

"Maybe he can't, if Bree's 'spell' is so powerful." Justin made air quotes around 'spell'.

"She's one powerful little bundle," Brian chuckled as he took another look at her in the mirror.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Justin replied turning to look at Bree asleep in her car seat.

"I always knew you Taylors were a fatal attraction."

Justin looked into Brian's eyes, and for a split second he smiled at Brian's admission. Then the smile faded. "I don't want anyone to get hurt … or die."

"Neither do I, Sunshine, neither do I."

*****

Lacy walked up the steps of Debbie's house. She had been working since six o'clock in the morning and it was almost ten at night. She was taking the long shifts so that she could make as much money as possible. The specter of PIFA loomed large in front of her, and she still wasn't sure how she was going to swing it.

She opened the door and stepped inside to the sound of voices. She frowned as she came into the living room. There she stopped dead in her tracks. "What the fuck are you doing here?" She glared at her father who was seated at the kitchen table with Debbie.

It was on the tip of Roman's tongue to say something glib like he was having coffee with a beautiful redhead, but he thought better of that.

"I came here so that I could speak to you," he said simply.

"I don't want to speak to you. I don't want to see you and I don't want you trying to insinuate yourself into my life. Leave me the fuck alone!" Lacy turned and ran up the stairs.

Roman and Debbie heard her door slam.

"That went well," Debbie said.

"I should go."

"Yeah, you probably should. I … enjoyed our chat," Debbie said.

"Any way that you can help Lacy see reason, I'd really appreciate it," Roman stated as he headed for the door.

"I'll do my best." Debbie closed the door behind Lacy's father. With a sigh she went up the stairs. At Lacy's door she hesitated. Then she gave a brief knock before pushing it open. She knew if she asked for permission, Lacy would tell her to get lost. She had to take matters into her own hands.

"Leave me alone," Lacy said coldly burying her face in her pillow as she lay on her bed.

"I know he hurt you when he didn't come to the gala," Debbie said gently.

"Or when he didn't call for weeks afterwards," Lacy muttered bitterly.

"He needs you … and you need him."

"He has a funny way of showing that."

"He came here to plead his case," Debbie said as she sat down on the edge of Lacy's bed. At least the girl wasn't throwing things at her.

"And of course you bought it hook, line and sinker."

"I didn't buy anything, Lacy. I just listened." Debbie reached out to touch Lacy's shoulder. The girl jerked her body away. "It never hurts to listen."

"Yes, it does when it's all lies."

"But he sounded sincere. He really wants to make it right with you."

"That's what he said last time, and when I listened, he … left." Lacy gulped and swallowed her tears. She would not cry over her fucking father.

"Do you know what he told me?"

"I don't care what he told you."

Debbie ignored Lacy's reaction and plowed ahead. The girl needed to hear this. "He's been going to counseling about what happened to you and his part in it. He wants to know more about you being gay. I gave him some PFLAG information and told him he should contact the branch in Scranton. He said it took him some time to get over the shock of what you told him … and then there's the guilt he feels for making these things happen to you."

"He thinks he made me gay?" Lacy asked with a frown as she sat up and looked at Debbie for the first time since the older woman had entered her room.

"That's what he thought, but the counselors are helping him to see that it's not anybody's fault."

"And you believed all this?" Lacy asked starting to believe a bit of it herself. She wasn't sure she wanted to though.

"I do believe he's confused and upset and guilty. How could he be otherwise?"

Lacy snorted. "So he's upset! Who cares?"

"I think you care, even if you don't want to admit it."

"I don't think so," Lacy said defiantly. She didn't want to admit any such thing.

"Lacy, I've known a lot of lost boys that have passed through the diner. I've seen them thrown out by their parents, sometimes beaten up, unable to ever go home. You have a chance with your father. I think you'd be very foolish not to take it."

Lacy shook her head. "I don't think I can."

"I know you can, if you want to. Think about it. That's all I ask."

"I don't know," Lacy said sadly.

"Yes, you do," Debbie told her before she left the room. Lacy needed time to think and let Debbie's words sink in. Debbie hoped her words would be enough.

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