Justin awoke early the next morning with the cordless phone still clutched to his chest. He wondered for a moment why he was cuddling against it as if it were a lover. Then he remembered the somewhat lengthy conversation he had with Brian the night before.

"Brian, Brian, Brian..." He mumbled, still caught in that muffled, hazy place between dreaming and awaking. "On the other side of the world and still...I feel like you're right here with me."

He sighed, knowing how ridiculous it all was at this point. The conversation that had occurred the previous night had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was falling all over again. Falling into the same patterns. Falling into the same old feelings. But not falling in love. No...he would have had to fall out of love to do that. And he had never fallen out of love with Brian. Not for a second.

Brian's first words had been a simple, "Hey there, Sunshine." But the simple greeting had sobered him up, had cleared his mind, and had made the world around him disappear.

"Hey! How's Tokyo?"

"Wish I knew."

"What? Don't tell me you've actually been working the entire time?"

"Unfortunately. I've been in non-stop meetings and lunches and brunches and phone conferences and...as far as I can tell they have no plans to relinquish control over me until the entire fucking board of directors are in total agreement on the campaign. It's like I'm on trial, waiting for the jury to get it together and actually agree on the verdict."

"Awww. Poor thing," Justin murmured sarcastically. "Bet the agency has you holed up at some god-forsaken four star hotel too."

Brian laughed lightly. "Asshole. For your information, I've hardly seen the inside of my room. This is the first time I've had more than five minutes to rest since I arrived."

"It's too early for you to go out now...and you have no work to do at the moment. So did you decide that you missed me...or are you just bored?"

"Little of both," he said, and Justin could hear the teasing smirk in the man's voice.

"Ahh. And you called...hoping I might alleviate that boredom?"

"And to check on things."

"Everything's fine," he said immediately, knowing that Brian wanted to know what had happened during his little �talk' with Daniel. "I scared the shit out of him."

"Yeah?" Brian laughed. "Mol mad?"

"She hasn't said anything to me, but I'm sure she'll bring it up again. Eventually. When I least expect it."

"I'm sure. With that freakishly long memory. She's like a damn elephant."

"No kidding. But...I think she was just happy that I didn't kill the kid. And I must say...I put on an amazing performance."

"So you're satisfied? Think he's worthy of princess Molly now?"

"Hmm. Worthy? That's yet to be seen. But I do know that he's not playing her. I can tell he isn't like his brother. That's the important thing."

"Good. Now...didn't I hear you say something about alleviating my boredom?"

Justin grinned sleepily, remembering that the conversation had quickly lead into an amazing, not to mention expensive, session of phone sex. "Damn skippy! No cheap dollar ninety-nine per minute call-girl here. Just puuuuure quality." This comment, spoken aloud in his empty room, caused him to erupt in a fit of giggles, which he quickly smothered with a pillow placed firmly over his face.

A few minutes later, after he had calmed down and the laughter had subsided, he was still sprawled across his bed, tossing the pillow into the air and catching it as it fell. What was it Brian said?

"Nothing like a little ray of sunshine to get me through the day."

Justin sighed. The man knew just what to say and when to say it, to make him completely crazy.

He could see it as plain as day now. He wanted Brian. Needed Brian. More than before. He WAS getting tired of the meaningless sex with random strangers, and his bed had never felt lonelier. Dammit, he hated when Michael was right!

No matter. Brian would be gone for an entire week. That would be plenty of time to think of a plan. And to figure out if the plan in question was to get Brian back, once and for all, or to let go of the idea of having Brian altogether.

A loud retching sound jarred him from his thoughts and he quickly sat up. "Mol?" he called out, as he bolted towards her room. "Molly," he murmured sympathetically as he saw her slumped over the toilet, holding onto the sides for dear life.

She lifted her head slowly and he noticed purple smudges marked the area under her eyes. She looked as thought she was about to say something, when she put up her hand to halt him and began heaving into the toilet once again.

Justin took a rag from beneath the sink and wet it with cool water. He sponged her forehead off silently and she gave him a feeble smile in thanks. When she could finally manage to sit back against the wall and hold the rag against her face, Justin ran to get her something to drink.

"Here," he said, trading the rag for a glass of ginger ale. She took it but was hesitant to sip the drink, afraid that she would only see it again within minutes.

A little while later, she took the last sip of liquid and winced at the small ache as she was forced to swallow one last time. "Thanks," Molly whispered weakly. "Will you...call Deb? Can't...work t'day."

"Of course." Justin nodded and managed to hoist her up off of the floor, both of them stumbling into her room before she slowly sank back onto her bed. Tucking the covers in around her, Justin watched as she drifted immediately off to sleep.

Placing the back of his hand to her forehead, Justin bit his lip in worry. There was no doubt that she had a fever. Now that she had emptied the contents of her stomach, she was cooling down and her body was overtaken with chills. She would need to sweat the fever out, Justin realized and covered her with an extra blanket. He placed a trash can beside her bed, just in case she got sick again, and kissed her temple before leaving the room.

"Liberty Diner, Noreen speakin'!"

"Yeah, hey Noreen. Deb there?" Justin waited patiently as the other waitress yelled for Deb and a shouting match ensued at the diner.

"DEB!" Noreen cried with such force that Justin had to pull the phone several inches away from his ear.

"WHAT?" he heard Deb call back, just as loudly.

"TELEPHONE!"

"Who is it?"

"I dunno!" Justin heard Noreen's deep voice ring in his ear. "Who's this?"

"Justin."

"JUSTIN!" Noreen relayed.

"SUNSHINE?"

Noreen was once again on the line. "Sunshine?"

"Uh...yeah. That'd be me." He felt his ears turning pink. It was amazing that, after all these years, the woman could still embarrass the hell out of him. And he didn't even have to be in the same room apparently.

"YEAH!"

"Sunshine?!" Deb barked, on the other end of the line. "What's the matter?"

Justin laughed. "Yeah Deb. Good to hear your voice too!"

"Sorry, sweetie. But it's been my experience that when any of you boys call me at work, it's bad news."

"Well...it sort of is but-"

"Oh...Sweet mother of...what happened? Is it Michael? Brian?"

"Deb...calm down. Breathe. It's just Molly."

"Molly!?" Deb began muttering all over again and Justin wanted to kick himself for not jumping ahead of her on that one.

"Deb? DEB! Deb, calm down. She's just a little sick. A bug. Maybe the flu or something. I can't tell yet. Nothing serious as far as I can tell."

"Oh. Poor thing."

"Yeah. So, she can't come in to work today."

"Well of course she can't. Tell her we'll be thinking about her. A-And to get better!"

"I will."

"And you take care of her!" Justin could just see her wagging her finger at the phone, as if he were standing right in front of him.

"Yes, Deb."

"Make sure she drinks plenty of liquid!"

"Okay, Deb."

"And make sure she stays warm."

"Got it."

"Call me if you need anything, sunshine!"

"I will, Deb. Bye, Deb."

"Bye, baby."

Justin hung up with a sigh and smiled. "Four, three, two,..." The phone rang right on cue. He picked it up and smirked, "Yes, Deb?"

"Make her rest! She needs plenty of sleep."

"Alright," his grin spread. Deb was forever going to be their mother hen. Once he might have resented the smothering aspects of her helpful instructions. But, since his and Molly's mom had moved to California with their new step-father, it was nice to still have an extra maternal figure around.

"Take care, hon."

"You too, Deb. Bye."

"Bye. Oh an-"

He hung up the phone, catching only the beginning of her next statement. He knew that Deb was only trying to be helpful, but appreciation could only go so far, that early on a Saturday morning.

Especially a Saturday morning in which Molly was sick. He knew that, where Molly was concerned, this was only the calm before the storm.

***

Liberty Avenue was buzzing with activity when Daniel finally found a parking place and made his way towards the diner. The bell over the door wasn't even heard through the din of the crowded restaurant.

The tables were filled with customers and Daniel was just about to take the only unoccupied seat at the counter when he heard his name being called. It wasn't surprising so much as unbelievable. Who would have thought a year ago - hell, a month ago - that he would be a recognizable face in the gay sector? Certainly not him. Still, it was a nice feeling, knowing that he was accepted instead of tolerated.

He turned, looking for the owner of the voice that had called out to him. "Emmett?" He grinned, noticing the man waving at him enthusiastically. Air traffic controllers everywhere would have been proud of the effort that went into flagging him down.

"Come sit with us!"

Daniel nodded and watched as Ted squished himself further against the wall, draping his arm around Emmett's shoulders to provide more space. Although, from the contented smile on both Emmett and Ted's faces, he was sure that wasn't the only motivation for the gesture. Molly had relayed to him, the grand story of Emmett and Ted. They had gotten together years ago, lived together for a year before they finally drove one another insane, and now they rotated apartments. Every other week, they would stay together at the other's apartment. That would give them plenty of space. It seemed like an insane arrangement to Daniel, but what did he know? They were their own little soap opera it would seem.

Michael and Ivan, Michael's lover of almost a year, sat across from them, looking as though they were torn between ordering breakfast and making a mad dash for the first dark corner they came across for a little mid-morning nookie.

"So," Michael began, finally tearing his eyes away from Ivan long enough to address Daniel. "Is there a reason you came all the way to Liberty at this time of morning on a Saturday? I mean...isn't sleeping on Saturdays, like a requirement for someone your age?" As if he didn't know.

"You wouldn't be waiting to see a certain little waitress now would you?" Emmett teased.

"Well, he isn't here for the food," Ted muttered, receiving a firm elbow to the gut for his comment.

Daniel rolled his eyes, feeling a slow blush spread across his face. "Well I-"

"What is this? Did every queer in Pittsburgh decide to take last night off, or are they still going strong from last night?" Deb asked, surveying the crowd as she stopped beside their booth.

The boys did their own survey, checking out everyone's condition. Curios as to why so many people had chosen to stumble into the diner at such an hour. Ivan, however, looked up at Deb and smiled his most angelic smile. "Maybe they all wanted to see your beautiful face this morning. I know that's why I'm here."

Deb and Michael rolled their eyes simultaneously, earning giggles from Daniel and Emmett and a huff, that could be mistaken as laughter, from Ted.

"So what can I get you boys?"

"Usual."

"Same."

"Ditto."

"Uh-huh."

Daniel eyed the other men, and then looked down at the menu. "Um...I don't..."

"He'll have the usual too," Emmett spoke up, closing his menu with a snap. Deb scribbled on her pad quickly and strode off.

When she was gone, Daniel frowned and looked suspiciously at the man beside him. "Emmett, I don't have a usual."

"Hon, believe me. In here, it doesn't matter."

He shrugged it off and looked around the diner for any trace of his girlfriend. Maybe she was helping out in back. He knew she sometimes had to help wash up or cook if it was extremely busy. Just when he had resolved to ask Deb, she appeared at his side with a tray of coffee and water. "Deb? Is Mol here?"

"Oh...Daniel, sweetie! I completely forgot to tell you. Molly's sick."

"Sick?"

"Yeah. Justin called about an hour ago and said she was sick and couldn't make it in today. Shame too. She's always really good at handling this kind of crowd."

"Is she okay?" Michael asked, concerned.

"Sunshine said it was a virus or something. He wasn't sure."

"Oh," Daniel studied the tabletop for a moment in thought. "Can I get my breakfast to go then?"

"Sure!" Deb left and came back with an entire bag full of food. "Here ya go."

"This is the usual?" He asked dubiously.

"No. The one on bottom is yours. The other three are for Molly. Chicken soup, vegetable soup and tomato soup. Make sure she eats every drop. Guaranteed to make ya fit as a fiddle."

"Or sterile. They're still not sure." Ted received another elbow to his ribs. "What? Like you weren't thinking it," he glared at his lover.

"Thanks, Deb!" He tried to pay but she waved his cash away. Quickly, he kissed her cheek and was out of the diner before anyone could tell him goodbye.

"Wow!" Michael grinned.

"He's got it bad." The others shrugged at Ivan's observation but small devilish smiles played on their lips. "What?"

Michael scoffed. "Obviously, you've never been around Molly when she's sick. She's worse than Brian!"

"It's like a lion with a thorn in its paw."

"A lioness, Teddy. And she isn't THAT bad."

"Em. Honey." Deb looked at the man pointedly, as if berating him for an outright lie.

"What? Okay...so she's a little difficult."

"A little? Can we say Exorcist?" Michael laughed.

"Well, either way I think it's wonderful that he wants to be with her. I had my reservations at first, but I think that kid's really good for her." The laughter died down and the boys nodded solemnly.

Yeah. Daniel was good for her. They had never seen Molly happier. And that's all that mattered.

"So," Ted began in a slightly more enthusiastic tone. "I say he lasts another two days." He pulled out his wallet, throwing a twenty on the table.

Deb frowned at the man. "Ted Schmidt..." She stormed off crossly, not even bothering to lecture him any further.

The other three men looked at him pointedly. "What?" he shook his head, feeling a little ashamed for the badly timed bet.

Michael looked towards the back of the diner, where Deb had disappeared. Out of the side of his mouth he murmured, "Put me down for a week."

"Give it another month."

"Boys! This is our Molly we're talking about," Em said indignantly. "I say at LEAST a year."

***

"GET OUT!"

"Wha-"

"Out! Now dammit!"

"Bu-"

"Mol-"

"If you two don't get out of my face, I'm gonna shove that soup where the sun don't shine!"

Justin and Daniel rushed out of the girl's room and shut the door behind them just in time to hear something crash against the wall. "You couldn't have warned me?"

Justin giggled. "Are you kidding? And miss the look on your face when she told you what you could do with the extra blanket? Not in a million years."

"Thanks," Daniel muttered sarcastically. Together, the two made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. While Justin poured them both a glass of water, Daniel hopped up on a stool and busied himself with rearranging the fruit in the fruit bowl.

Bananas on the side. Apples in the middle. Oranges stacked on top. Pears stuck in the gaps between the apples and oranges.

"Wow." Daniel looked up sharply at Justin, who was staring at him, an amused smile on his face. "You must really be uncomfortable."

"Huh?"

"I have never seen someone so committed to rearranging fruit before. I just figured..." He stared at him, giving Daniel the distinct impression that Justin was onto him. "It's okay, ya know. I mean, you don't have to be uncomfortable around me. We're cool."

"We're cool?" Daniel laughed.

"What? Did I show my age or something? Are things not �cool' anymore?"

"No," Daniel smirked. "Cool is still used. Although, rarely. It's just...I never expected you to say that."

"No? You'd rather I was still playing big brother?"

"NO!" The teen cried.

Justin chuckled at his exuberant response. "Ya know, I'm really not that bad. I just have to look out for Mollusk."

"Mollusk?"

"That's what I used to call her when she was little and annoyed the hell out of me. Now that I think about it...I wonder why I stopped."

"What was she like when she was little?" Daniel asked, resting his chin on his folded hands.

Justin looked at him intently before shaking his head. "Molly...she was a brat. Most little sisters are, I guess, but she was an especially spoiled brat and a total princess. She was the baby and she acted it." He glanced down at his hands and then out the window over the kitchen sink, not sure how much or what to say. "She...well she took what happened to me pretty hard. I mean, we might have fought like cats and dogs but we cared about one another. Loved each other. She would send me cards and stuff after I left home. She never let our dad convince her that I was evil." He smiled fleetingly at a memory, but didn't share it.

Some things, Daniel realized, where going to stay between Justin and Molly. He nodded and smiled at Justin, to let the man know that he understood. Justin nodded back and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, after the...um...when I got out of the hospital, I lived with my mom for a while. Molly wasn't quite the brat I remembered. Sometimes, when she thought I was asleep she would sit in the doorway of my room and watch me. Just...stare. She didn't talk much, which seemed to be the biggest difference. But, then again, I wasn't really in a place to pay much attention to the changes I guess. I messed up a lot with her."

Daniel's eyes followed the man as he casually began flipping through a discarded magazine. He could see the regret in Justin's eyes. Regret that had been caused by his own brother. Even after he had realized his feelings for Molly, Daniel had still held onto the belief that his brother had made a mistake but that it had somehow been beyond his own control. That, though it had hurt a lot of people...it really couldn't have been helped. But that was a rather naive way of looking at things, he realized now. Maybe Chris hadn't realized what might happen in the long run, but he had gone into it all with the intent of doing supreme harm to Justin. And, in that, he had succeeded.

"If it helps at all...I kinda like how she turned out."

Justin slowly smiled. "Yeah well...you have her therapist to thank for that."

"I dunno. I think her big brother had a lot to do with it."

"Yeah?" Justin looked into his eyes, wondering if he was being sincere or if he was merely comforting the poor victim. All signs pointed to sincere. "Thanks."

Daniel lifted one shoulder and nodded. After a few minutes of silence, Daniel looked towards the stairs and back at Justin. "Think it's safe?"

"Doubtful. It'll take her at least another few minutes to calm down. Then she'll sleep it off some more. She probably tired herself out with that last fit." Justin grabbed a spoon and some yogurt from the refrigerator before moving into the living room and flopping back on the couch. "Wanna watch a movie? We have like, every Ewan McGregor movie ever made."

"Actually, I think I'll just go and check on her. Just in case." Daniel bounded up the steps two at a time.

"Your funeral," Justin mumbled, kicking his feat up onto the coffee table and flipping through the channels too rapidly to actually see anything.

He muted the television's volume just in time to hear a loud thud coming from the top floor. Followed by a slamming door. He took the volume off mute and pulled his lips in, hoping to hide his smile.

A dejected-looking Daniel trudged down the steps and collapsed onto the sofa beside Justin. "How about Trainspotting?"

Justin smirked and moved to get the movie, "My favorite!"

***

"Wake up."

"Hmmmnn."

"Up."

"Mrrrrrlph."

"Molly get up! Now!"

"Donwanna!"

"DonCARE! Get up! You have a doctor's appointment at eight thirty and then I have to get you to school. I have a faculty meeting at ten, so we have to stay on schedule."

"But..."

"But nothing! C'mon!" Justin pulled the heavy duvet back and laughed quietly when his sister curled up into a tiny ball in the middle of the double bed. Her pillow was immediately pulled over her face. "You are so sad. Come on. Your fever broke yesterday, you haven't thrown up since Saturday, and you've slept enough so that you'll be wide awake for the next two weeks."

Molly peeked out from underneath her pillow. "Then why do I have to go to the doctor?" she whined.

"Preventative measures." He pulled her feet off of the bed and let them drop to the floor. Molly groaned and finally sat up, squinting up at her brother through her sleep hazed eyes.

"You know I hate doctors, Jus."

He rubbed his hand over her hair, tousling it even further than it already was. "I know you do, Mollusk. But I hate it when you're sick even more than you hate to go to the doctor."

"You know he'll tell me I'm fine."

"And then I'll be satisfied and we can go on with our lives. Now get up. Get a shower. You have exactly forty minutes and if you aren't ready then I'll have Daniel drag you out."

"Fine," she huffed. She stood up quickly and stomped into her bathroom. The door opened again and she stuck her head out. "Um...Where is Daniel?"

"Still snoring his little heart out on the couch." He grimaced. "Guess I should get him up too."

"Thanks for letting him stay, bro."

Justin returned her smile and laughed. "Well you were sick. It's not like you two were gonna get into a lot of trouble. Plus, it was nice to have your anger directed at someone else for a change."

"Very funny," she said from behind the door, her voice muffled.

"I thought so," he replied quietly, making his way out of the room and downstairs. "Daniel Hobbs! What the hell are you doing with my sister?!" Justin screamed from the bottom step.

Daniel bolted off of the couch, looking around, shell shocked, "Just'n! Um..I...uh..." Justin's boisterous laughter finally brought him to full awareness and he collapsed back onto the sofa, his hand on his chest. "You asshole!" This only caused Justin to laugh harder, nearly doubling over with the effort. "It's not funny."

"Of course not." Justin said before bursting into another fit of giggles. "Your face! Priceless!"

"You suck!" Daniel quickly realized what he said and his mouth dropped open. This definitely didn't help Justin's cause with the giggles. He was wiping away tears of laughter by that time and Daniel shook his head, blushing bright red.

After finally calming down enough to take in a full breath, Justin grinned at the young man. "Gonna live?"

Green eyes rolled heavenward. "I dunno. Are you?"

"Yeah. Although I think I sprained a lung or a rib or something, laughing that hard," he put his hand over his side and his nose wrinkled as he fought off the urge to laugh again. Fearing that he might do real harm to himself if he did.

"Serves you right! Laughing at me like that."

"Aww, Daniel!" Justin sat down on the sofa and put an arm around the teen. "Don't be mad." He looked at him and fluttered his eyelashes at Daniel sweetly. Daniel put his hands over his eyes and nudged the man with his shoulder amicably.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Justin and Daniel looked up to see Molly standing at the top of the steps, looking down at them. Her hands on her hips. Clad only in her towel. Her long hair, a slight shade darker since it was wet, hung down over her shoulders heavily. Daniel stood up and smiled at the vision in front of him. "How do you feel this morning?"

"Fine! I'm FINE! Certainly healthy enough to forgo a doctor appointment."

"Give it a rest, Mol." Justin stood and entered the kitchen, grabbing the cereal from the cabinet for both of them. "Ya know...to be as smart as you are, you should know how important it is to stay healthy."

"Blah, blah, blah," she mocked.

"Blah, blah, blah," he mocked back.

"Right. Well...while you two children do breakfast, I'm gonna get ready for school."

The siblings stared at Daniel's back as he left the room. "Did...he just call us..."

"Children?" Molly finished. "I believe that's what I heard."

They looked at one another and shrugged, turning their attention to their cereal.

***

"By the way. Thanks for leaving me with the twins twinks from Hell Friday night," Molly began as they sat in the doctor's waiting room.

Justin turned his attention from the year-old issue of some sports magazine he had been reading and looked at his sister. It took him a moment, but finally a light of realization shone in his eyes. "Oh. Right. Sorry �bout that."

She giggled. "It's okay. You were Brianized."

"Brianized?" Justin smirked at the term, wondering what Brian would think about that particular reference.

"Yeah. It's cool. I'm glad you got to talk to him." Justin nodded, the phone call running through his mind again, not for the first time that weekend. Brian hadn't called since then, but Justin was sure the man was extremely busy. That was all. "Besides," she giggled loudly, causing several women to look at her sternly. "We played strip Scrabble."

"WHAT?!"

"Shh!" One of the women shushed him and the siblings glared at her. As soon as the woman's nose was once again buried in her book, they stuck their tongues out at her simultaneously.

Justin turned to Molly and crossed his eyes, causing her to giggle once again. "Now...what was that about...strip Scrabble?"

"Eh. I won. Never even took off so much as a sock. But obviously they weren't exactly a wordy pair and...let me just say, you did not miss a thing."

Justin scoffed and shook his head, not believing his little sister's audacity. Still, he had to smile at her cheek.

"Molly Taylor?" Molly hopped up at the sound of her name.

"Wish me luck!" She whispered loudly.

"Just breathe Mollusk. The big bad doctor won't hurt you. I promise." She flipped him off and hurried to follow the nurse into the back.

Alone in a small private room, Molly hopped up onto the examination table and let her legs dangle over the side. How had Justin talked her into this? Right. He hadn't. He had made her come.

Damn the man.

He just couldn't leave well enough alone. It wasn't enough that she had done a complete one-eighty in the last two days. It had simply been a bug. A twenty-four hour thing. Nothing serious.

But as the doctor entered the room, a too-bright smile on his orange tanned face, a feeling of unease hit her. An apprehension that she couldn't define.

She returned his smile, although not quite as brightly, and clinched her jaw, willing herself to endure whatever may come.

To Be Continued...