The next day-Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts

�Brian, been a long time. What can I do for you?� Jerry Stockwell, Dean of Students at PIFA, greeted the ad exec.

�I need a favor,� Brian told his old trick. �I need some information on one of your students.�

�You know I can�t give you that,� Jerry answered. �All information in our students� files is confidential.�

�I understand this, but I would consider this a personal favor.� The way Brian emphasized personal left Jerry with no doubts as to what the other man meant and he smiled.

�Don�t even try it Kinney,� Jerry admonished him. �You and I both know that nothing will happen between the two of us. Even your considerable charm has its limits.�

�I haven�t found them yet.� Both men laughed.

�I see you haven�t changed since we last met.�

�You�d be surprised,� Brian replied, something in his face changing. Jerry watched as a faraway look entered the other man�s expression and he wondered about it. He had heard rumors that Brian had finally gone ahead and done what everyone had thought was impossible, fall in love. He hadn�t thought it was possible, but he could admit that maybe he was wrong. �So, can you help me?� Brian interrupted Jerry�s thoughts by bringing up the reason for his visit. Jerry sighed, knowing what his answer should be, but also knowing what it was going to be.

�What student?�

�Ethan Gold.� Brian watched in surprise as Jerry suddenly seemed to get nervous. �I take it you know who he is.�

�Why do you want to know about Ethan?� Brian took a deep breath, ready to tell him the cover story that he had come up, and then found himself telling Jerry the truth.

�It seems that this kid has decided to try and come between my,� Brian looked uncomfortable for a minute before continuing, �lover and myself. From what I understand he�s been telling Justin all the things that he wants to hear and I know from personal experience that no one is as perfect as he seems to be. I just wanted to know a little more. And, if the look on your face is any indication, you know something about this kid. What is it?� Jerry looked away from Brian�s face for a moment, before turning to face him again. �Jerry, look, I just need to know if I should be concerned for Justin. He�s been hurt a lot the past year, and I�ll admit I had a lot to do with it. I just don�t want him to have to go through anything else.� It was Brian�s last plea that finally got Jerry to open up.

�You have very good reason to be worried about Ethan Gold and his intentions,� Jerry told him.

�Why?�

�Because Ethan Gold is a manipulative little bastard that thinks of no one except in terms of what they can do for him or his reputation,� Jerry spat out. Brian sat back, an interested, yet calm expression taking over his face.

�Sounds like you are the one speaking from personal experience now.�

�Oh I am, trust me, I am.�

�What happened?�

�Did you know that when Ethan Gold first applied to PIFA that he was turned down,� Jerry supplied. Brian�s eyebrow rose at that bit of new information.

�Really. I had been led to believe that he is considered to be some kind of prodigy when it came to the violin,� Brian countered. �I would figure you would have been honored to have someone like him consider the school.�

�Oh, I�m not saying he isn�t good,� Jerry told him. �Ethan Gold has talent; unfortunately he doesn�t have the drive. The passion it takes to succeed. Granted, he likes to think he does. Hell he has most people fooled into thinking that he�s some kind of violin God, when in reality the most he can hope to get with his talent alone is a second chair in a second rate orchestra.�

�Then why is he here.�

�Because one night I was drunk, angry and hurt and got careless and stupid. Not exactly a good combination in my line of work,� he admitted. �And that�s when he struck.�

�What happened?�

�I had just found out that Paul, my partner, had been cheating on me. I later found out it wasn�t true, but at the time I was so hurt by it,� Jerry explained. �I went to Babylon to drown my sorrows, and looking for a little payback. I wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt me and that�s where he found me.�

�Ethan Gold.�

�Ethan fucking Gold,� Jerry repeated. �He came over to me, insisting that he should buy me a drink and giving me a shoulder to cry on. I was so turned on. The fact a hot young thing like him would even be taking the time to even bother with someone like me set me off and the next thing I know I�m at his place and we�re fucking like rabbits. Two days later I got a care package from him. Pictures of the two of us, along with a copy of a birth certificate, showing that the trick from the other night was only seventeen.�

�A little blackmail material I take it.�

�Exactly,� Jerry confirmed. �Ethan would keep our little tryst a secret if I would agree to get him admitted to PIFA, on full scholarship yet.�

�But of course.�

�I didn�t have a choice. Even Paul knew how much trouble Ethan could make for me if it ever got out,� Jerry continued. �Ethan became a member of the freshman class of 2001, full scholarship and Paul and I got to live our lives.�

�You and Paul are still together even though he cheated on you?�

�Like I said, it wasn�t true,� Jerry reminded Brian. �Ethan was very thorough.�

�He set you up.� Jerry nodded.

�Played me like one of his violins, only better.�

�Fuck.�

"Exactly. So, if your partner has attracted Ethan�s attention, the only thing I can tell you is to do anything and everything that you can to get him out from under his control,� Jerry stated. �If you don�t, then god help you both.� Brian sat still for a few more minutes, before seeming to come to a decision. He stood up and held out his hand, which Jerry took, shaking it.

�Thanks Jerry. You�ve been a help.�

�Good luck, Brian. Let me know if you need anything else. I�ll do anything I can to help you out. I would like nothing more than to take that little bastard out.�

�I�ll keep that in mind.� Brian turned and left the office, all the while thinking of what Ethan Gold might want with Justin and what he was going to have to do to get Justin to see that Ethan was nothing but a wolf in sheep�s clothing.

Part 2

Brian looked around the office as he waited for Melanie to get of the phone. He still couldn�t believe that he was actually there, about to ask the woman that enjoyed making his life miserable to help him with proving that Ethan was not all that everyone made him out to be. Finally, just as it seemed as if Melanie was purposely delaying the end of her call, she hung the phone up and turned her attention to Brian.

�So, to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of having Brian Kinney visiting me in my humble office,� she sarcastically greeted the father of her son. Brian took a deep breath and said the words that he never thought he would utter.

�I need your help.� Melanie�s eyes opened wide in shock at hearing Brian�s reason for visiting, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

�Could you please repeat that because I�m sure I didn�t hear you say what I think you just said?�

�I said that I needed your help.� Brian repeated, slowly as if to a child.

�Help in what?� Melanie couldn�t wait to hear what Brian needed her to do. �This is it,� Brian thought, �this is when I finally bite the bullet. Damn, I hope Justin knows how much I care about him to be doing this.�

�I need you to help me find out some things about Ethan Gold,� Brian finally stated, looking directly into Melanie�s eyes, refusing to back down from the challenge he saw in them.

�Ethan Gold,� she said. �Isn�t he the boy that Justin is�.friends with?� There was no doubt that Melanie knew exactly what kind of friends Justin and Ethan were. Hell, it wasn�t a secret among anyone in the group. Mikey had seen to that and, of course, everyone had blamed Brian for the fact that Justin had gone to someone else to get what he needed.

�Fuck it,� Brian said, standing up and making as if to leave the office. He didn�t know why he had even bothered to go there. He should have known that Melanie wouldn�t listen to him. Hell, she was turning into one of the bigger supporters of Justin leaving Brian for the violinist. She had never made it a secret that she thought Justin could do much better than Brian Kinney and in her eyes; Ethan Gold was just what Justin needed. Someone his age who was willing to give Justin the romance and the kind of relationship that he deserved.

Melanie watched as Brian stood and grabbed his coat, ready to leave. There was something about the way he was acting that seemed off, not like the Brian Kinney that she had gotten to know and, although she would kill anyone if they repeated it, begrudgingly like. And, as much as she liked the young man that was beginning to mean so much to Justin, there had to be something seriously wrong if Brian was seeking her out for help.

�Brian, wait,� she ordered, halting him before could leave the office. Brian turned to face her, a neutral expression on his face. �What exactly are you looking for?� Brian looked over at Melanie, trying to decide how serious she was. Finally, accepting that she was at least willing to listen to him, he moved back to the chair he had just vacated and began to tell her what he had learned so far.

�So you�re telling me that the only reason Ethan is even in PIFA is because he set up the Dean of Students and then blackmailed him with pictures of the two of them together before he turned seventeen,� Melanie sighed. She couldn�t believe it. If she didn�t know any better, she would swear that Brian was making up the story that he had just told her, but she didn�t think that even he would stoop that low. �Shit. Would your friend be willing to sign a statement verifying everything you just told me?�

�I don�t know,� Brian shrugged. �He doesn�t want to get into any trouble with the law because the bastard was underage.�

�Technically he wasn�t,� Melanie informed. �The legal age of consent in Pennsylvania is sixteen, so there aren�t any real legal repercussions. And we could probably work something out where he doesn�t get into any trouble with his place of employment.�

�In that case, he might be willing to do something,� Brian said.

�Good. Give me his number and I�ll give him a call,� Melanie promised, reaching over to look through her rolodex. �And I�m going to contact a private investigator that I�ve used in the past, see if he can turn up anything. He�s good Brian. One of the best in Pittsburgh. He would impress even you.�

�You mean, you�re actually willing to help me?� Brian asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Up until that minute, he didn�t think Melanie would believe him.

�As much as you may annoy me. Hell, you piss me off more often than not,� Melanie replied, �you are the father of my son. And, for some unknown reason, Lindsay loves you. And, even if it means being with you, I don�t want to see Justin hurt by this kid, even if his intentions are pure. From what you�ve told me, even if this was only one incident, which I doubt, Ethan is not the man that we�ve all been led to believe.�

�Considering how fucked up we all are, I�m surprised any of you actually took him seriously,� Brian rolled his eyes. �He�s too fucking perfect to be believed.�

�Now that you point it out, he does seem to know exactly what to say to everyone to make us accept him,� the lawyer agreed. �That should have been our first clue that something was off.�

�And here you all thought I was the conniving son of a bitch in the group,� Brian said sarcastically.

�Don�t worry Brian. I�m sure you�re still ranked right up there with the best of them,� Melanie smiled. �And you�ll always be number one in my book.�

�That touches me deeply,� Brian shot back, holding his hand over his heart. �Right here. Really.�

�I�m sure.� Melanie then grew serious again. �Brian, what are you going to tell Justin about what you found out today?�

�Nothing,� he replied. At Melanie�s unspoken question, he continued. �Melanie, you know how Justin gets when someone he cares about is attacked. He goes on the defensive and that includes this bastard. If I told Justin what I just told you, without any proof there is no way in hell that he would believe me. He would just assume I�m trying to break him and Ethan up.�

�So you keep quiet for now until we can get some proof and then we go forward from there.� Melanie looked down at her notes then looked back up at Brian. �What are you going to do if and when we discover what other shit Ethan might have pulled?�

�I�m going to make sure that he regrets ever fucking with me and Justin,� Brian said so seriously that Melanie actually shivered. She had never seen so much anger directed at anyone, and she had seen plenty of anger in her life.

�Okay, so it�s agreed that we don�t tell Justin about this,� Melanie went on. �What about the others? I�m sure they would want to know what�s going on and I don�t know if I will be able to keep this a secret from Lindsay. She loves Justin like a little brother.�

�I don�t want the others to know yet,� Brian told her. �Its not that I don�t trust any of them to not say anything to Justin, but I don�t want to take the chance that they might start to act differently.�

�And Linds would certainly do that,� Melanie agreed. �Okay, so for now this is just between you and me.� Melanie and Brian both stood up, walking over to the door. Neither person said anything else, knowing that nothing else needed to be said. They both knew what had to be done and, their personal feelings about the other aside, knew that they would do it. There was no way they were going to let Ethan hurt anyone in their little family.

Part 3

Three weeks later

Lindsay watched as Brian anxiously paced the space of her living room. He had arrived at her and Melanie�s home fifteen minutes before hand for some kind of meeting with her lover. She knew how Brian and Melanie felt about each other, usually only putting up with the other because of their mutual feelings towards her, and was curious as to what they were meeting about. Melanie had been secretive when she had mentioned it to Lindsay earlier in the day and, so far, Brian hadn�t said so much as one word as to what was going on.

�Finally,� Brian sighed when he heard the front door open and Melanie walked into the room.

�Hey,� Melanie greeted the two people, going over and giving her lover a kiss and causing Brian to make a gagging noise.

�Please, not in front of my son,� he rolled his eyes.

�Fuck off, Brian,� Melanie and Lindsay both replied. The two women broke apart, Melanie placing her briefcase on the table in front of the couch and everyone sat down.

�I take it by your call this afternoon that you�ve got something for me,� Brian stated, wanting to get right to the point.

�I got the investigator�s report this afternoon,� Melanie informed him. There was something about her manner that had Brian on instant alert.

�And?�

�And, it isn�t pretty.� Brian sat back in the chair he was using.

�How bad?�

�Bad.� Brian nodded his head, and then glanced over at Lindsay as if to ask why they were having the meeting at the Marcus-Peterson home instead of Melanie�s office. �She needs to hear this too. She cares about him.�

�I know.�

�Hello, can someone please tell me what�s going on here,� Lindsay interjected, trying to figure out what was going on between the two most important people in her life. From what she could tell, Brian had asked Melanie to have someone investigated and whatever had turned up wasn�t good, but she didn�t know who if could be if she was involved too.

�About three weeks ago Brian came to my office,� Melanie began, surprising Lindsay who looked over at the ad exec, who only shrugged his shoulders.

�Why?�

�I found out some information and I needed Melanie�s help to verify it and find out if there was anything else that I needed to know,� Brian supplied.

�Okay,� Lindsay drawled. �What kind of information?�

�About Ethan,� Brian answered.

�Justin�s Ethan.� Lindsay didn�t miss the wince her comment caused Brian to have. �Sorry.�

�Yes, that Ethan.�

�What kind of information?� �Damn it�s like pulling teeth with these two,� she thought.

�Ethan�s not exactly who he appears to be,� Melanie explained. �In fact, the only thing that he�s told us that is true is his name and the fact that he plays the violin and is a student at PIFA. After that, it�s nothing but so much bullshit.� Lindsay sat back in shock. She couldn�t believe what she was hearing, not just from Brian but from her lover as well. She thought back to the young man that she had met and who had impressed her with the way he was treating Justin, knowing how much it meant to the young artist to have someone give him the attention that he desired. She knew how much it hurt Brian that Justin was seeing someone else but she hadn�t been able to begrudge Justin his shot at happiness. And now, here she is, about to listen to her lover tell her that she had been played for a fool. �Shit, what the hell have we let ourselves fall into?�

�What did he find?� Brian asked Melanie, bringing Lindsay out of her thoughts and back to the conversation on the table. Lindsay and Brian watched as Melanie opened her briefcase and pulled out a file. It wasn�t a thin one.

�He found a lot, actually, but I�m only going to go over some of the bigger things.�

�Bigger things?� Lindsay repeated, not liking the sounds of that. Melanie nodded her expression serious.

�First off, Ethan is not the starving artist living off scholarship that he has led us all to believe. He�s not even from Pittsburgh.� Melanie opened the file and began to read what was inside of it. �Ethan Gold is the only son of Martha and Edmund Gold of Scottsdale, Arizona. His mother is a successful attorney whose practice represents some of the biggest companies in Phoenix. His father runs a multi-billion dollar corporation that deals with medical equipment.�

�Just because his family has money, it doesn�t mean that they have to be giving any of it to Ethan,� Lindsay defended the absent youth, much to the annoyance of Brian. �Hell, Justin and my family is proof of that.�

�True, except for the fact that it isn�t all new money,� Melanie continued. �In fact, upon his eighteenth birthday, Ethan received a twenty million dollar trust fund, which he is able to access with no problem.�

�Then why the hell is he living in some run down walk up studio with a bunch of Salvation Army reject furniture?� Brian tried not to bellow and barely succeeded.

�That I can�t tell you but, from what I�ve been able to find out, I do have a working theory. I�ll tell you about it when I�m done.�

�What else, Mel?� Lindsay wanted to know.

�Well, from what my investigator was able to tell, Ethan grew up wanting for nothing. He started violin when he was five. His grandfather had been a violinist before World War II and his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps. He took to it instantly and his family believed that he was a prodigy and destined for greatness. Unfortunately for him, by the time it was ten, Ethan had apparently peaked. His teacher told him that he didn�t have what it took to be a great violinist. He didn�t have the heart, the passion that it meant to succeed. Ethan didn�t take it well.�

�I bet,� Brian snorted.

�What happened then?� Lindsay asked.

�This is when Ethan�s machinations start to come out. Apparently Ethan told his parents that his teacher made a pass at him, tried to force him to have sex with him. They pressed charges against the man, but they were never proven. Unfortunately the bad publicity was enough to ruin the man�s career. He eventually had to leave Arizona and was never able to teach again.�

�Fuck,� Brian swore, standing up and pacing again. �God damn it. This just keeps getting better and better and this is just when that little shit was only ten. I can only imagine what the hell he�s capable of doing now.�

�Well, your friend gave us a good clue as to what he�s capable of, if not more.� Melanie pointed out.

�I take it you found out some more things,� Lindsay questioned, earning herself a nod from her lover. �What else?�

�Brian?� Melanie looked over at the agitated man who made his way back to his chair. When it appeared that he had finally calmed down, she continued. �Well, after that little bout of manipulation, Ethan only got worse. At first, it was just with the kids at his school, and then with his teachers. Each instance was covered up. The Golds had a lot of money and were not afraid to use it if it meant that their only son wouldn�t be in trouble. Unfortunately this just meant that Ethan never had to deal with the consequences of his actions, until two years ago.�

�What happened two years ago?�

�Ethan was involved with an older man,� Melanie explained. �A much older man. He was in his late forties and was a partner in his father�s business. I don�t know how the two of them became involved. It was difficult enough for my investigator to find out about the affair in the first place, but it appears that the partner was involved in an attempt to take over the company from Edmund Gold, Ethan�s father. From what I found out, shortly after the takeover attempt began, Ethan seduced the other man, even though he was in a committed relationship with someone else.�

�Sounds familiar,� Brian muttered. Melanie nodded her head.

�It does seem to be a popular theme with him,� she agreed. �Anyway, the affair lasted a few months, until the takeover attempt was withdrawn and Edmund�s position strengthened instead of weakened. Ethan ended it quickly and, from I�ve been able to find out, not too nicely. In fact, according to a letter that the partner�s lover discovered, Ethan had only been using the man in order to gather information to help his father and to come between him and the others that were trying to kick his father out.

�Shit,� Lindsay was the one to swear this time. �And this is the same man that had risked a loving relationship to be with the kid.� Brian looked carefully over at Melanie and could see that there was more to the story.

�What aren�t you telling us?� Melanie took a deep breath, knowing that the next bit of news was not going to be taken happily.

�The letter that the lover found,� she stated. �It was a suicide note. The partner killed himself because of what Ethan had done to him. He couldn�t live with himself because of it. And that�s how Ethan came to be on the East Coast. And how he found out about Justin.�

�Fuck,� Lindsay and Brian both said.

Part 4

�What the fuck do you mean, that�s where he found out about Justin?� Brian thundered. While it was true that Brian had his suspicions about the man that was trying to win his lover away from him, he didn�t like hearing that he had reason for them.

�Ethan�s parents sent him to live with a distant uncle of theirs,� Melanie explained. �Apparently they hoped that a change of scenery might do him some good, and at first, it looked like it worked. Ethan�s grades in school got better and he met some people his own age. He appeared to be settling down. Then, sometime last winter he met someone and they got involved. Again, it was an older man, but not as old as the man in Phoenix. The man had just moved to Philadelphia. Seems he was chased out of where he used to live because of something that he had done and it had come back to bite him on the ass.�

�Sounds like someone that Ethan would get along with,� Brian commented. Melanie nodded her head. �And who was this fine upstanding citizen?�

�Does the name Kip Thomas ring a bell?�

�Fuck.� �Shit.� Brian and Lindsay swore at the same time, recognizing the name of the man that had sued Brian for sexual harassment the year before, only to later drop that case for an unknown reason.

�This just keeps getting better and better,� Brian muttered, looking over at Melanie. �And your detective is sure this is the same bastard?�

�Oh yeah, he�s sure,� Melanie affirmed. �He showed me a picture he had gotten of Kip from Ethan�s family. His uncle isn�t as forgiving as his parents are when it comes to Ethan�s faults. They wouldn�t tell me why, but from the indications they gave me when I talked to them earlier, I think Ethan might have done something there too.

�Anyway, I saw the picture and it is Kip. According to Ethan�s Uncle, Thomas Markham, Ethan began to spend all his time with Kip. His grades started to slip. He was constantly skipping school. He got into fights. They didn�t know what to do with him. When Ethan told them that he had decided to move to Pittsburgh to attend PIFA, they were more than happy to see him go. They didn�t want to deal with him anymore. They had no idea what he had done to get accepted, but they weren�t surprised.�

�I can�t believe this,� Lindsay whispered. �I mean, this doesn�t sound like the boy that we�ve met. How can anyone be like this?�

�Not to mention, how the hell did he find out that Justin was even going to be going to PIFA in the first place,� Brian asked, his anger barely being held in check. The more Melanie told him, the more he wanted to go and find the violinist that had wormed his way into his lover�s life and kills him.

�I don�t think he did. Know, that is,� Melanie continued. �From what I�ve been able to tell, that was just an unexpected benefit for him. He was just going to PIFA to study his violin and be closer to Justin, and you.�

�Me?� Brian shouted. �What do I have to do with it? Don�t tell me the bastard is going after Justin because of what happened between Kip and me? Shit.�

�Actually, it wasn�t just what happened between you and Kip,� Melanie proceeded cautiously. �It seems that when Ethan moved, he left behind his journal and his uncle found and read it. My investigator gave it to and, before you ask, no I don�t have it with me. It�s in a safe place at my office.�

�What�s in the journal?�

�It contains a detailed account of everything that Kip told Ethan about his little fling with you, and the reason he dropped the lawsuit.�

�Why do I have a feeling I�m not going to like the reason?� Brian asked.

�Because it involves Justin.� Brian groaned when he heard that, afraid of what the young man had done to help him. �It seems that he picked up Kip and they went back to his place. Justin then got him all hot and bothered and then told him he was only seventeen and blackmailed him to drop the lawsuit.�

�Fucking little twat, I�ll kill him.�

�Brian, he was only doing it to help you,� Lindsay reminded him. �Give him a break.� Brian didn�t say anything, not sure that he would be able to keep what little leash he had on his temper in check.

�I know,� he admitted. �Doesn�t mean I still don�t want to kill him for doing that. Didn�t he have any idea of what could have happened to him?�

�I don�t think he even thought about the consequences,� Melanie told him. �He was probably too worried about saving your sorry ass.�

�Thanks, Mel.�

�Anytime, Bri,� Melanie smiled sweetly. �Anyway, according to the journal, Ethan had decided to take it upon himself to get revenge on behalf of Kip. His uncle said that sometime in the spring, around the same time that Ethan had told them about his decision to go to PIFA, he began to disappear for days at a time. His family had no idea where he went until they found the journal.�

�Do I want to even ask?�

�He was coming to Pittsburgh,� Melanie told them. �The latter part of the journal was a history of what seems to be his stalking of both you and Justin. We�re talking some serious details here. Things I never wanted to know about you, that�s for sure. God, Brian, how many times a month did you feel the need to go to the baths.�

�Mel,� This time the warning came from Lindsay, �not now. Please.�

�You�re right,� she apologized. �We need to concentrate of getting Justin to listen to use about Ethan, whether he wants to or not. And, as much as I know you�re going to hate hearing me say this, Brian, but I don�t think you can be the one to tell him what we�ve discovered. There�s no way that he would believe any of it if it came from you.�

�I know,� Brian sighed, something which neither of the ladies was used to hearing from him. �The little shit would just think I made it all up to get him to leave the bastard.�

�So, it�s agreed. Lindsay and I have to be the ones to tell Justin,� Melanie said, looking over at her partner, who nodded her head.

�Now the only decision is when,� Lindsay agreed.

�As soon as possible I would think,� Brian finished. �And I want to be here, even if I don�t get to say anything,� he said quickly, interrupting Melanie from whatever she was going to say.

�How about Friday night,� Melanie suggested. �Lindsay and I were going to go out to dinner and Justin volunteered to sit Gus. That way we won�t cause him to be suspicious about being asked over. And it will give me more time to talk to my investigator and get him to give me a finished copy.�

�Don�t tell me you still have him looking for things,� Lindsay asked.

�Yeah,� Melanie nodded her head. �He�s talking to a few people that have been involved with Ethan since he moved to Pittsburgh, including a former roommate and some classmates of his. From what he�s already uncovered, things have definitely progressed since Ethan�s come to town and he thinks that these people are the best bet to discover whatever plan he has to get back at the two of you.�

�Fine, then,� Brian reluctantly agreed. �We�ll wait until Friday but, I�m telling you both right now, if you don�t tell him then, I don�t care what it will cost me, I will. I�m not going to let this psychotic little bastard take what�s mine.� And with that final declaration, Brian stood and stalked out of the house, leaving behind to shocked and worried ladies behind him.

Part 5

Friday Night

Brian, Melanie and Lindsay waited nervously for Justin�s arrival. The final report had come in describing everything that the private investigator that Melanie and Brian had hired to find out everything he could about Ethan Gold. Melanie had told both of the other two that the interviews that the investigator had had with Ethan�s former roommate and a couple of fellow students had indeed turned up some interesting tidbits about the violinists and made her feel guilty about her and Lindsay�s part in introducing Justin to the his fellow PIFA classmate. She felt that, maybe, if she and her lover hadn�t taken Justin to Ethan�s concert, maybe they wouldn�t be where they were at that moment. At that point, though, only she knew that the tickets they had received from Lindsay�s friend had actually been at the seemingly off hand suggestion of Ethan�s. She didn�t know how to tell her lover that they, as well as her friends, had been used as unwitting pawns in the game that Ethan Gold was playing with them all. And she really didn�t know how to tell them that Ethan now had a partner in crime.

Promptly at 6:30, the doorbell rang. Lindsay took a deep breath and went over to let Justin in. �Hey, Linds. Ready for your big date?� Lindsay moved to the let Justin in. The teen entered, moving to drop his back pack in the living room. He saw Melanie sitting on the couch and smiled a greeting towards the dark haired woman. A smile that dies on his lips at his first sighting of Brian standing in the doorway between the living and dining room.

�Brian, what are you doing here?� Justin looked between the three other people in the room, confusion evident on his face. He could tell by the serious expressions on their faces that something serious was happening and it began to scare him. �What�s going on? What�s happened?�

�Nothing�s happened, baby,� Melanie assured him, guiding him over to the sofa. �Well, not like you�re imaging I�m sure.� Melanie looked over at Brian who, she was glad to see, was doing exactly what he had said he would. Remain silent. �It�s just that, we�ve found out a few things that we think you should know about.�

�What kind of things?� Justin hadn�t missed the look that Melanie had shot his lover and knew that whatever was going to be said he wasn�t going to like hearing it.

�It�s about Ethan, sweetie,� Lindsay told him, causing Justin to jump out of the woman�s grasps. The teen shot a look over at Brian, who actually flinched from the anger that was in his eyes.

�What the fuck do you mean something about Ethan?� Justin shouted, stalking over to Brian. �What the hell have you been telling them?� Justin turned to face Melanie and Lindsay. �How can you believe anything Brian tells you about Ethan? You know how he feels about him.�

�We do know, honey,� Melanie answered calmly, refusing to let Justin�s anger get to her. She had expected it. �And when Brian first came to me to ask for my help, I didn�t believe him. At first. Then, when he told me what he had heard, my curiosity did get the better of me. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, baby. I didn�t want to see you hurt, so I got one of the investigators that my firm deals with to look into Ethan�s past. Whether to confirm or deny Brian�s claims, it didn�t matter. It was to set my own mind at east.�

�And what did your investigator find?� Justin sneered. Melanie looked over at Lindsay, who took her hand to offer her support. The attorney took a deep breath and answered the angry teen.

�He told me that Brian had every reason to be worried and that Ethan Gold is nothing like the boy that he says he is.� Justin looked at Melanie, looking for something that said she was lying, but could only see true concern on her face. The same could be seen on Lindsay�s. Justin felt Brian�s arms wrap around his waist, pulling him against the older man�s chest.

�Just listen to Mel,� Brian quietly asked, his warm breath whispering against Justin�s ear. �That�s all I�m asking. Just give her a chance to tell you what she�s found out, with no help from me, I swear. If after that, you still don�t want to believe any of it, then that will be the last word.�

�Promise,� Justin whispered his heart pounding. He had never heard Brian make such a plea and his resolve to leave the house was severely weakening.

�Promise, baby.� Brian placed a gentle kiss against Justin�s cheek before releasing him. Justin turned and looked at Brian once; nodding as if accepting what Brian was asking of him and then went to join Melanie and Lindsay.

�Okay, so just what is it that you�ve supposedly dug up that�s so bad?�

�It all started about three weeks ago, when Brian showed up at my office and surprising the hell out of me,� Melanie began. Thirty minutes later, and just as many questions from Justin, she had caught him up to what she had already told Brian and Lindsay about the discoveries her detective had found out about the elusive Ethan Gold.

And, good as his word, Brian hadn�t interrupted once. He sat in the dining room, listening in on every word of the conversation, at times biting his tongue, and waited to see what was going to happen. His heart broke at the look of despair and anguish that began to overtake Justin�s handsome features and wished there was a way to take away the pain his lover was feeling. It surprised Brian to feel what he was feeling. He had never felt so strongly for someone before and the fact that Justin was hurting bothered him and he wished, more than anything, that Ethan Gold was in front of him right then so that he could kill him with his own bare hands.

�Shit,� Justin sighed, falling back into the chair he was sitting in. He couldn�t believe what he had just been told. None of it made any sense. It went against everything that Ethan had told him and yet, Melanie had proof of it. She had shown him everything that her investigator had discovered on his fact finding mission to Philadelphia. Melanie had even brought home the journal that Ethan�s uncle had given the investigator detailing the details of Brian and Justin�s lives up to the point before Ethan had apparently moved to Pittsburgh, right before the bashing. Justin couldn�t believe how many details Ethan knew of his life with Brian, and that included the people that they were involved with. It was obvious that Ethan had made it his goal to know everything and anything he could about Justin and Brian and the teen couldn�t believe that he hadn�t seen it coming.

�Justin?� Brian said, coming to kneel before his lover. The ad exec was worried by the silence that had taken over the younger man, knowing that if Justin was true to type, he was probably blaming himself for whatever Ethan�s plan might be and there was no way Brian was going to let that happen. �Justin, baby, are you okay?� Melanie and Lindsay looked over at each other, not bothering to try and hide their smiles and Brian�s use of the word baby. They just sat back and let Brian handle Justin�s shock, knowing that he was what the teen needed at that moment.

�God, how could I have been so stupid?� Brian heard Justin mutter. �I believed him. Every fucking word and I bought it. Hell, you would think that, after everything I�ve been through I would know better but I still fell for it. All that bullshit he was spouting about romance and relationships and his past and I listened to it.

�Just it wasn�t your fault,� Brian tried to reassure him. �Ethan has been doing this a long time and he knew exactly what you wanted to hear. The bastard�s journal is proof of how long he�s been planning this. You didn�t stand a chance against him.�

�But you saw right through him,� Justin pointed out. �You knew he was up to no good, that�s why you had Melanie investigate him. You knew he was up to no good.� Brian kissed Justin�s forehead, taking him into his arms.

�I just wanted to make sure that he was the right man for you,� Brian told him. �I wanted to make sure that he could make you happy if he was the one that you wanted to be with. True, I didn�t trust him, but that�s my nature. I don�t trust a lot of people, especially those that appear to be as perfect as he always tried to make himself out to be, but I didn�t expect all of this, baby. I didn�t.�

�Maybe I need to learn not to trust anyone,� Justin sighed.

�No, baby. Don�t you dare,� Brian admonished him. �Your ability to see the best in everyone is one of the many reasons I love you.� Justin pulled away from Brian, looking deeply into the older man�s hazel eyes.

�You love me?� Brian heart broke at the pain filled blue eyes that stared back at him.

�Yeah, baby, I love you,� Brian admitted, knowing that maybe the time had come for him to stop hiding behind his emotional bullshit, especially if it meant that maybe Justin would be able to get through whatever was to come. �I�m sorry I haven�t shown you just how important you are to me, but you know how I am.�

�Yeah I do,� Justin admitted, smiling for the first time since Melanie had begun her story. �I love you, too, you know.� Brian nodded his head, leaning forward and kissing Justin�s lips, causing the young man to sigh. A few minutes passed before the broke apart again, Brian moving to sit next in Justin�s chair, the teen curling up on his lap, needing Brian�s comfort.

�Ummm, guys,� Melanie began hesitatingly, not wanting to break the spell that had seem to come over the two men, but knowing that they needed to know what else she had discovered. �I hate saying this, especially now, but��there�s more.

Part 6

�More?� Justin tensed, Brian�s arms wrapping around him as if protecting him from whatever else Melanie had to say. �How much more?�

�A lot,� Melanie admitted, watching as Brian gave Justin another little kiss. �I won�t tell you if you don�t want to hear it. I haven�t even told Brian or Lindsay yet. We can wait until later if you want.� Justin looked up at Brian, a question being silently asked and answered between the two men.

�What else is there?� Melanie looked between the two men and saw the resolve they had to see this thing though and nodded. She reached over to the table and retrieved the thick file that she had placed there a few minutes before, opening and finding where she had last left off.

�Okay, so now after Ethan came to Pittsburgh, he got himself a roommate,� Melanie continued. �A young man by the name of,� Melanie referred to her notes, �Matthew Coyle, a twenty two year old law student at the University of Pittsburgh. They met through the classifieds when Ethan answered an ad that Matthew had placed looking for a roommate. Matthew said that when he had met Ethan, he had been given the impression that Ethan was a teen that had been kicked to the curb, so to speak, when his parents had discovered he was gay.�

�Sounds familiar,� Justin muttered from his perch on Brian�s lap.

�Yeah it does, but in this case we know it�s not true,� Melanie reminded him. �Anyway, it was one of the reasons that Matthew had accepted Ethan as his roommate instead of some of the other people that had answered the ad. He said that there was something sad about him, something that made him seem�..vulnerable and that called to Matt. It wasn�t until a few months had passed that he realized how well he was being played and got away from Ethan, although he said that the breakup of the roommate situation had not been pretty. Ethan screwed him real bad.�

�Were the two of them fucking?� Brian asked. Melanie shook her head.

�Actually no,� she answered. �Matt said that Ethan wasn�t really his type. A bit too serious for his taste, but that didn�t stop him from showing Ethan the sights and sounds of Liberty Avenue. And he answered all of his questions too, and apparently quite a few of them revolved the legend that is Brian Kinney.� Melanie watched as Brian squirmed in his seat until Justin calmed him down with just a touch. At first, Matt didn�t think anything of it. Hell, even he had a thing for the unobtainable Brian Kinney. But then, one day when Ethan was out, right before school started, Matt went into Ethan�s room to get a book that Ethan had borrowed from him and had discovered Ethan�s dirty secret.�

�Why do I not like the sound of this?� Lindsay sighed, already feeling for her two friends.

�Probably because you have good instincts,� Melanie said.

�What did he find?� Justin asked.

�He found a box and, even though he knew he shouldn�t have, he looked in it,� she began again. She took a deep breath and continued. �Inside were pictures. A lot of them. Of you and Brian at Babylon. In the jeep. At the store. The diner. Pretty much everywhere, including the loft. And we are talking some pretty explicit pictures, at least, according to him. And there were a lot of newspaper clippings about the bashing and then the trial.�

�Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.� Justin muttered, almost like it was a mantra. �This can�t be happening. It can�t. It�s not possible.�

�Shhh, baby. It�s going to be okay,� Brian soothed. �I promise.� He looked over at Melanie, silently asking her to confirm what he was promising and was not happy when it didn�t appear as if she would help him. �We�ll get through this, baby. I swear.�

�I wish I could be that sure,� Justin cried.

�Justin, I wish there was something I could say that we could make this all go away,� Melanie told him. �Unfortunately I can�t. The only thing I can do is promise you that we will all be there for you and will do anything that we need to in order to make sure that Ethan won�t get away with it.� Justin nodded, accepting what he was being told and looked over at Melanie.

�Did he find anything else?� Brian questioned, anger in his voice, even though his hold on Justin was still gentle.

�Another journal.�

�Crap,� Brian said. �And what did this one say?�

�Some of the same things that were in the first,� Melanie explained. �But this one also had his plan as to what he waned to do while in Pittsburgh.�

�Damn it, Mel, don�t make me fucking drag this out of you one sentence at a time,� Brian swore.

�Sorry,� she apologized, meaning it. �Well, unfortunately I don�t have a copy of this particular journal, but Matt did read it, again, knowing he shouldn�t have and he told me what he remembered.� Melanie reverted to looking back at her files. �His main plan was to make both you and Justin pay for what you did to Kip, at least at first. But then, over time, apparently your reputation got to him and he decided he wanted to take you down, Brian. Basically, because he likes to be the best at everything, he wanted to be known as the man that takes away Brian Kinney�s lover. What other way can prove, beyond a shadow of doubt, that he is the ultimate gay?�

�That�s fucked,� Brian said. �What? He figured that if he could get Justin away from me that it would somehow make him more desirable to the fags on Liberty?�

�We aren�t talking about someone who is thinking to sanely,� Melanie pointed out. �Who knows what is going through his mind, really. This is a boy who is not exactly mentally balanced and he�s proven that with his actions over that past few years. Anyway, that is only one of the things that Matt discovered. He also saw what appeared to be a detailed list of some of the plans that he was going to use to get what he wanted. The first, of course, was to meet Justin and, unfortunately, that�s where Linds and I fall in.�

�What do you mean, where we fall in?� Lindsay asked, before remembering when Justin met Ethan. �The concert?� Melanie nodded her head.

�I talked to Katie, your friend at PIFA. Seems that one of Ethan�s teachers is Katie�s partner,� Melanie told her stunned lover. �Ethan suggested to Sam that he give us the tickets as a wedding present. Sam didn�t even think of how Ethan might have known about the ceremony, figuring that maybe he had overheard him and Katie talking about it. Sam said that Ethan had suggested that maybe we knew another couple that wanted to go so he gave us the extra tickets. I�m pretty sure that he knew that Brian wouldn�t go.�

�But how did he know that I would even go over and talk to him?� Justin asked.

�Who knows,� Melanie shrugged. �Maybe he figured that you would want to compliment a fellow artist. Maybe he just thought you would find him attractive and want to talk to him.�

�And he got what he wanted,� Justin moaned. �Fuck.�

�Justin, it wasn�t your fault,� Melanie admonished him. �None of us figured out what he was doing. How could we? Hell, we didn�t even question the tickets, thinking they were only a gift. And Katie and Sam didn�t question Ethan�s suggestion. He played us all. It�s just that, so far, it�s affected you the most. Yes, you might have been the one to go up to him first at the concert, but I want you to remember that, no matter what, he would have found a way to meet you. That was his plan. And then, after the meeting, he knew exactly what to say to get you to keep coming back.�

�How did the little bastard know what to say?� Brian demanded. �I mean, stalking is one thing. Seeing Justin from a distance. But he knew exactly what Justin wanted and needed.�

�That�s true,� Justin agreed. �It was almost like he was inside my mind.�

�He didn�t need to be inside your mind,� Melanie told them, knowing that the next bit of information would kill both of the men in front of her, as well as destroy the group of friends that they belonged to. �He had help.�

�Help?� Melanie nodded.

�While Ethan was stalking you two, he found out everything he could about everyone in your lives. I guess he was looking for your weaknesses and he found one. Your biggest one, Brian.�

�What do you mean?� Brian asked, almost afraid of the answer.

�He found someone who would be more than happy to have you and Justin break up and was willing to do what it took to make sure it happened.�

�Who?� The ad exec demanded, already planning revenge on the person who had betrayed him and Justin.

�Michael.�