“I know,” Ben responded, “but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to keep me away from our home. Michael knows that just because we don’t agree on some things doesn’t mean that I’m just going to roll over and do what he wants. And sometimes he comes around to my point of view. He did with Hunter.”
“True, but this is different than the whole Hunter situation. I mean, we are talking about Brian going against the mother of Michael’s daughter. I don’t think Michael wants to think that the girls might be capable of neglect, even if it’s in favor of Annie. This may be the first time that Michael won’t be defending Brian.”
“What worries me is what this may do to everyone in the group.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that, for all the differences that exist between everyone, we belong to a very tight knit group,” Ben explained. “We fight, argue, sometimes get downright nasty with each other, but over all we are there for someone when it’s needed.”
“One big, dysfunctional family.” Ben laughed at Emmett’s apt description. Emmett joined in for a minute before becoming serious once more. “Do you really think that this can divide the group? I mean sure, right now it looks bad but everyone’s just acting on emotions. Maybe once we all have time to think about what’s happening, and why Brian’s doing this, things will calm down.” Ben just looked at Emmett. “Then again, maybe not.”
“Look, Emm, I know I’m one of the newest members of this family, but even I know when something is going to tear it apart, and this just may be it,” Ben said. “If it was anyone but Brian that had said that Gus was being ignored in favor of Annie, I don’t think we would be going through this. We would probably discuss it and try and work something out, which is what I think Brian wants, if he hasn’t already tried to do just that.”
“From the way that Justin was talking, it sounds that Brian has said something, at least to the girls.”
“And yet it doesn’t appear as if anything has been done to change it, most likely because it came from Brian. Justin said it perfectly, Melanie hates Brian. She lied to him, shit both of them lied to all of us about Brian no longer having his parental rights. They even tried to get Michael to sign over his parental rights to Annie. No wonder they backed down when he said no. They probably already knew that the judge would deny the petition.”
“I still can’t believe that they didn’t tell any of us,” Emmett stated. “Do you think that Justin was right about them keeping it a secret because that way they could basically keep threatening Brian with keeping Gus away from him?”
“After some of the things I heard tonight, not to mention what I’ve witnessed since I’ve been with Michael, yeah I think there’s more than a good chance that Justin was right,” Ben replied. “I think the girls kept it quiet is that they had something to hold over Brian’s head. They are constantly pointing out to Brian that he isn’t Gus’s legal parent yet at the same time, whenever they need something for Gus, he is the first one that they go to, no matter what it is.”
“Like when they needed money for Gus’s clothes because they had to spend what they had for the nursery for Annie.”
“Or when they were trying to get him into that school and asked Brian if he would be willing to pretend that he and Lindsay were married.”
“I so wish I could have seen his face when they asked that,” Emmett laughed. “That had to have been one hell of a conversation considering how Brian feels about the happy hetero family. Not to mention how much he hates lying about how he lives his life.” Their conversation was interrupted when Ben’s phone went off.
“Hello?”
“What?”
“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down Hunter. I can’t understand you.”
“Okay now tell me what’s happening.”
“What do you mean Michael is packing? Packing what?”
“He said what?” Ben looked over at Emmett, unable to believe what his foster son was telling him. “No I did not tell him I was moving out. What gave you that idea?”
“He did, did he? No that’s not what happened and no I don’t want to get into it over the phone.”
“I’m at Woodys with Emmett.”
“Fine, fine, come on over but do me a favor. Put Michael on the phone for a minute.”
“What’s going on?” Emmett asked as Ben waited for his lover to get on the phone.
“That’s what I intend to find out.” Ben’s attention was drawn back to the phone. “Michael, what the hell is going on over there?”
“What do you mean that you think it would be best if I moved out for awhile? Why?”
“You have to be kidding me. Just because I don’t agree with you over this whole custody thing, you’re breaking up with me. That has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You’re being completely unreasonable…”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’M BEING UNREASONABLE?” Emmett couldn’t help but wince as he heard Michael’s voice come through the phone loud and clear. Ben held the phone away from his ear as Michael continued to yell. “BRIAN KINNEY IS FUCKING SUING THE MOTHER OF MY CHILD FOR CUSTODY OF HER SON SAYING SHE IS UNFIT AND INSTEAD OF STANDING BY MY SIDE, MY LOVER HAS GONE OUT OF HIS FUCKING MIND AND DECIDED TO SUPPORT HIM.”
“Michael, I never said I was supporting Brian,” Ben tried to remain calm, hoping to work out something with his lover. “All I said was that we need to do what was right for Gus. And, that, now that it was brought to our attention I can see why Brian is concerned. We have been favoring Annie.”
“ANNIE IS MY FUCKING DAUGHTER. WHY SHOULDN’T I FAVOR HER?”
“Damn it, Michael,” Ben swore, “I’m not saying that you shouldn’t favor Annie, just like it’s completely understandable that Brian would favor Gus, but that doesn’t give Melanie and Lindsay, not to mention the rest of us, the right to treat him as if he doesn’t exist. We were supposed to be at the girls’ house on Saturday for Gus’s birthday and we completely ignored him. He left his own party. Thank god that Brian was the one to find him.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE TAKING HIS SIDE.”
“Damn it Michael, how many times do I have to tell you that I’m not taking his side in this.” Whatever Michael’s reply was, Emmett couldn’t hear.
“Michael, don’t be like this.”
“Fine, you want me to move out, I’ll move out. But what about Hunter?”
“Actually no, he can’t stay with you if I’m not there. Not legally.”
“What I mean is that I am Hunter’s foster father. He’s my responsibility.”
“What do you mean you won’t let me take Hunter? It’s not your decision.”
“Actually I was planning on letting Hunter decide where he wants to stay. He’s had too many people try and dictate to him already.”
“Michael I’m not going to argue with you about this. You’re the one that is kicking me out of our home over something that we have no reason to be involved in. Gus isn’t our child. He’s not our responsibility. It’s between Mel, Lindsay and Brian.”
“If that’s the way you feel, then I guess there’s nothing I can say. Have Hunter bring a suitcase or two when he comes to Woodys.”
“Because he wants to see me and I want to explain things to him. And I am not willing to put him in the middle of this.”
“Goodbye Michael.” Ben hit the off button of his phone, looking down at it for a minute trying to figure out what had just happened.
“Ben are you okay?” Emmett asked, worried about his friend. “What happened?”
“I have no idea,” he replied, still reeling from the conversation he had had with his lover.
“What did Michael say?” Ben raised his head. “Well I mean, I heard some of what he said, but you know what I mean.”
“He said that if I didn’t support him against what Brian was trying to do, then he didn’t think there was any reason that we should stay together,” Ben tried to explain. “Basically it went along the lines of I was choosing Brian over him and he wasn’t willing to live with someone who obviously didn’t trust his judgment. I kept trying to tell him that I wasn’t supporting Brian but Gus, and he didn’t want to hear it.”
“That doesn’t sound like Michael. He loves you.”
“That’s what I thought too, but apparently I was wrong if he’s willing to throw it all away because of this. Christ we don’t even have anything to do with this. At least we shouldn’t. And now Hunter is going to be caught in the middle of this mess between Michael and I and that’s something that he doesn’t need either. ”
“Can I be honest with you, Ben?” Emmett asked.
“You know you can,” Ben reassured his friend. “What is it?”
“I think, if it came down to it, I’m supporting Brian. After listening to Justin, and hearing and seeing how everyone else is reacting, not to mention doing quite a bit of thinking about it, I think Brian is the better parent for Gus,” Emmett concluded. “I’m not saying that Linds and Mel are bad parents, they aren’t. It’s just...”
“It’s just when it comes to Brian, and his relationship with Gus, they can’t see straight and it’s starting to affect him,” Ben finished. “I know. I see it too. And I think you’re right. I think when it comes down to it; Brian is the better choice for raising Gus. And I think, if given half a chance he’ll be damn good at it. He’s already proven that he can change, even if no one else wants to see it.”
“I think a lot of that has to do with Justin,” Emmett pointed out. “Then again, I don’t think that boy will be giving up on Brian Kinney any time soon. Those two have gone through too much shit to throw it all away.”
“Well, Justin already showed that he is supporting Brian in this.”
“I know. Thing is, this will be the first time that Justin will be going against the rest of the group,” Emmett said. “Even after he left Brian for Ethan, we all stood by him, which is something that we can’t say about supporting Brian. It won’t be easy for either of them.”
“Then I’ll guess we’ll just have to make sure that they know someone is supporting them,” Ben stated.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to be supporting Brian. You were going to support Gus.”
“I think in this case, supporting one will be supporting the other. I don’t think there will be any middle ground in this fight. Nothing is going to be the same again.” Emmett nodded his head, not knowing how true that statement would be.