"Okay. Let me have it."

"Let you have what?" Justin snipped.

"You've got something to say. I can tell. It's all in the look."

"The look?"

"Yeah. You're giving me the pissy housewife look."

"Believe me, that did NOT help your case!"

"What case? Come on. I have to know what I should defend myself against."

Justin looked sullenly at Brian's tie, focusing on the silver threads that intertwined with the bright red silk. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said, almost too quietly for Brian to hear.

There was no doubt about what Justin was asking about. Molly's news. More like Molly's bomb. Actually...it was more like Molly's BUN...in the oven. "It didn't seem important."

"Brian, remember that talk we had about priorities?"

"I just didn't think it was my place to tell you."

"Just like it wasn't your place to tell me about Hobbs?"

"Exactly."

"Okay. Fine," Justin nodded. "Maybe that's true. Maybe I'm just tired of feeling like the two of you are always hiding things from me. "

"We don't hide things from you."

"No? You knew about Hobbs. About...this! Fuck! You were even the first to know when she got her first period!"

"HEY! That was a complete accident!" Brian declared. "Just because I happened to run into her in the super market and she recognized me as your nice friend..." He shuddered, recalling the adventure of helping Justin's little sister pick out the perfect maxi pad. For some reason he just couldn't say no to the girl, even then. "And what does that have to do with anything? I didn't hide that from you."

"No...but I needed another example!" Justin replied, lamely. "But...when she comes to me with news like this...LIFE-changing news... And then I find out that you KNEW? I just don't want these things hidden from me."

"That's not hiding. It's just...withholding information so as not to upset you. You really think she would have told your parents about this right away?"

"It's not just this. She always goes to you."

"That's total bullshit."

"And why wouldn't she go to you?" Justin continued on as if Brian hadn't said a thing. "The man that can do no wrong."

"The m-Justin, have you lost your mind? Do you KNOW how many times she has barged into the loft, my office, Babylon...only to chew me a new asshole, all on your behalf? Whenever I screw something up, she makes damn sure that I know it. She loves you, Justin. She came to me first because she was afraid that she would hurt you." Brian covered Justin's hand on the tabletop. "And of course she's not gonna want to tell you everything. You legally have the right to ground her," he smiled teasingly.

Justin rolled his eyes but he knew that Brian was right. Brian was always right. Damn him for always being right!

Brian watched Justin intently as he pulled his hand away and began to shred a napkin into millions of tiny pieces. "What's this really about, Justin?"

Justin sighed. "Fuck if I know." And he didn't. His emotions and his thoughts were all jumbled up into a giant mess. Like a knotted up ball of twine, there was no noticeable beginning or end and everything in between was nearly impossible to separate and sort through.

"Wanna know how she told me?" The blond asked, never taking his eyes off of the pile of shredded napkin. He pressed on before Brian could respond. "She took me to an abortion clinic. Hey bro...guess what?" Justin's eyes finally met Brian's and they mirrored the heart-ache and horror that Justin had felt all day long.

"You mean she...?"

"No. She decided she couldn't do it." He sighed deeply. "Scared the shit out of me."

"I'll bet." Brian slid out of his side and into Justin's. He pulled the other man into a tight hug and kissed his forehead as Justin's head settled onto his shoulder.

"What the fuck is a...nearly eighteen year-old going to do with a baby? And school...what about college?"

"She'll be fine. She has you...and me. Everything will work out."

Justin turned his head up to look at Brian and smiled softly. "Brian Kinney...did you ever know..."

"What?"

"That you're my hero?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"And...everything I wish I could be?"

"Justin...you'd better not be having a fucking Bette Midler moment! I will hurt you!"

"And...I can fly higher than an eagle..."

"JUSTIN!"

"For you are the wi- ACK!"

***

After checking her schedule for the week, Molly chatted for a few minutes with Walter, the cook. He didn't say much so the conversation was fairly short. Still, it bought her time. Time that she wouldn't be caught in the middle of the Kinney/Taylor drama of the day.

If Brian and Justin didn't figure things out soon, she was going to have to take a few drastic measures!

She walked back into the front and noted that the boys were still fighting. It wouldn't do to approach the two at that point, if she wasn't looking to be pulled into the fight along with them. So before either of them could spot her, she ducked into the bathroom.

Catching sight of her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she frowned and turned on the tap. She splashed a bit of cold water on her face, not sure what it would accomplish, but it seemed to be what people did when they were upset or frustrated or whatever and they just happened to be in a bathroom. Using the bottom of her shirt, since they were out of paper towels as usual, Molly dried her face and turned back to the cracked, dirty mirror.

Her eyes. Her nose. Mouth. Hair. Ears. All of it was examined closely, as if she might see some sort of change occurring before her eyes.

"Still the same. Same person I was." She said sternly to the girl in the mirror.

"If you're the same person...then what happened to you?" Her reflection asked in reply. "What was that back there? A neat little solution to a problem? Kind of like taking that razor to your wrists, right? Simple cop-outs...that's all you want."

"Shut the fuck up! I didn't do it, did I?"

"What do you want? A medal?" The reflection asked snidely. "I know what you were thinking. You were thinking that just because you had a boyfriend for a while, that life was going to be nothing but roses and you get to rely on him to make you happy the rest of your life. Right?"

Molly bit her lip and shook her head in denial.

"Sure you did. You've always wanted some dream. A fantasy that just doesn't exist in the real world. It can't! Because there ARE no simple outs. There ARE no easy answers. Life cannot always be poetry."

"Yes it can!"

"When did you become so fucking deluded? Okay...fine! If you really believe that, then why did you let him go?"

"I love him! I had to do what was in his best interest. It was the right thing to do!"

"Right - shmite! You wimped out! All for the sake of love? Pu-lease! You think that somehow you are worth less than him? That you have to save him from himself? From you? Wake the fuck up girl!"

"Shut up! I had to do it."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Is there an echo in here? Yes - WHY? Because his mommy said it would be best? And when did she say that? When she handed you that nice little blank check?"

Molly blinked away tears and sniffled. "It's what's best for him. He doesn't need someone like me. He deserves to have a wonderful life! To be HAPPY!"

Her reflection stared back at her and softened a bit, whispering, "And you don't deserve that too?"

Molly turned away from the mirror and her betraying reflection, taken aback by the question. She wasn't sure how to answer that. Wasn't sure that she could answer it.

To Be Continued...