Season 7 - Episode 1 - March 2011

"Daddy" Gus voice echoed in the house.

The two lumps in the bed stirred "Brian" Justin voice said pulling the covers away from his face he nudged Brian who was laying on his stomach "get up before he comes in" Justin mumbled into the pillow.

The duvet was thrown off and Brian got out as soon as his bare foot touched the floor he recoiled at the cold. Brian walked out of the room and down the hall "Daddy" Gus's whined as his bedroom door opened.

Brian looked down at Gus, "What Sonny boy?" Gus hugged Brian round his waist "You have another dream?" he said picking the boy up.

Gus put his arms round Brian's shoulder "I miss Mom" he mumbled as he tucked his head under Brian's chin "can I go see her?" he asked.

Brian walked into Gus's room and sat on the bed "You have school tomorrow until 2.30 so we'll go then okay" Gus nodded his head "Now it's bed time okay daddy has to get up very early in the morning okay"

Gus crawled back into the bed and settled himself in the covers "okay Daddy can you stay" he pleaded putting the cover over his mouth.

Brian tucked Gus' in and sat at the side of the bed "Now go to sleep" he said. Gus closed his eyes and moved onto his side. Brian watched him fall asleep, he stayed until Gus's breathing evened out as he fell back to sleep. Brian stroked Gus's hair out of his eyes "I mis your Mom too" he stated before standing up.

Brian watched from the doorway before shutting the door behind him and leaving.

Brian climbed back into bed "is he okay?" Justin asked turning round to face him.

Brian propped himself on his elbow "he had another nightmare that's all" he said.

-QAF-

Gus kneeled on the hospital bed as he gently sat down next to Lindsey's body, if you didn't look closely you would think she was just asleep but the many scars that marred her face suggested that she had been laying there for at least a few months. The ventilator down her throat helped her to breathe.

Gus laid his head on Lindsey's chest as he listened to his mother's heart.

Brian stood in the doorway watching Gus stroke Lindsey's hair; he looked at the clock on the wall.

Justin walked down the corridor with beside him "So how was Mel's funeral last week" he asked.

Michael sighed "It was hard actually" he said putting his hands in his pockets. "You know how Melanie's parents disowned her, they attended I think out of obligation I'm not sure" he explained "Lydia was there with her girlfriend"

"Haven't heard from Lydia in a while what she doing now?" Justin asked as they reached the coffee machine.

"She has her own business now, with a partner and everything" Michael said putting a quarter in the machine "So how is Gus taking the whole thing with Lindz and everything?"

Justin shrugged "Don't know, last nig

ht he had a bad dream and he wouldn't tell me or Brian what it was about" he explained, Michael handed him his tea. Justin looked down at the tea pensively "How's JR taking it?"

Michael smiled "I don't think she quite understands though, she thinks Melanie's gone on a long vacation" he said "she starting her new playgroup today"

Justin sat on one of the seats "I never thought a year ago I would be married and have a child to look after" he stated, looking down at the cup again.

Michael sat down next to him "Me either. I always thought Mel and Lindz would always be here to look after JR, it's just unexpected that one minute there here and not the next" Michael licked his lip.

"Michael Novotney please report to reception" the speaker box stated above them.

Michael stood "I'll talk to you later"

Justin waved "thanks for the tea" he said.

Michael walked away.

Justin sighed before looking up as Brian came out of the door "Was that Michael just a minute ago" Brian asked sitting down next to him, Justin nodded as he put his hand on his thigh.

Brian leaned back; he glanced into the hospital room "Justin" he looked up "the adoption papers came through this morning"

Justin gasped and smiled "Really" he said.

Brian nodded.

Justin grinned "I'm a Dad" he stated biting his lips "shit" he said leaning forward and kissed him on the lips.

-QAF-

Hunter sat at the dinner table he played with the chicken on his plate; he had a feeling sense of De Je Vu as he watched Ben and Michael sit at opposite sides of the table in silence eating their own dinner.

JR flung her pea across the room as she sat next to Hunter, she giggled as she could get away with it as Daddy and Ben were too engrossed.

Hunter smiled and ate his chicken. Michael drunk some water "So Hunter I heard you aced this semester"

Hunter nodded "with a little help yeah" he said.

JR looked over at Michael "Daddy I need a pee"

"Go on then" Jr smiled and ran out of her seat and disappeared into the hallway.

Hunter rolled his eyes "You know just because she's a child doesn't mean she doesn't get that you're not talking to each other" he noted.

Ben pursed his lips and was about to say something. Hunter stood up letting his fork crash against the plate "just talk to each other I'm fucking sick of coming home to weekends filled with angst all the fucking time" he shouted.

Michael leaned back in his seat.

Hunter picked his plate up "you'd think I was the adult in this family" he said walking into the kitchen and put his plate in the sink "I'm out don't bother waiting up" he said walking out of the back door.

Michael put his knife and fork down just as JR came rushing back in "Daddy's where's Hunter go?" she asked sitting on her seat and shuffling backwards

Michael smiled "he finished his dinner Sweetheart" Michael put his hand on the table "You don't have to eat that Honey why don't you go upstairs and play"

JR smiled and got back off the chair "thank you Daddy, Bye Ben" she waved and ran up the stairs.

Michael stood from his seat and picked up his and JR's plates before walking into the kitchen. He sighed as he put the plates in the sink and leant back on the counter "Do you ever think you could talk to me?" he asked looking down at the floor.

Ben licked his lips "I don't know Michael" he said.

Michael bit his bottom lip "I get it Ben, I understand that I abused your trust and I'm sorry for that but I don't want to be in this house with my daughter when I can't talk or feel guilty every time I come home" he explained "maybe it would be best if I move out" he stated turning round and filling the sink up with warm water to clean the dishes.

"I don't want you to go" Ben said.

Michael leaned on the counter "it's not the point Ben" he said looking out to the back yard "I can't live somewhere knowing you're never going to trust me like you used to"

Ben sighed and looked down at the table "can you blame me Michael"

Michael turned back round "I know that Ben I'm always going to remember what I did" he walked out the door leaving the dishes in the sink.

Ben stood picking up his plate and walking to the sink. He watched Michael as he stood in the backyard placing his dishes in the sink he opened the door "I knew someone that went to a couple's counselling"

Michael uncrossed his arms "did it work?"

Ben pursed his lips "I never asked"

Michael looked over his shoulder "I'll do anything to try and get back to the way we used to be"

-QAF-

Emmett stared at the ceiling as turned on his side leaning his head on his hand "I didn't think I would hear from you again" he said pulling the sheet over his hips.

Calvin licked his lips "nor of you" he said.

Emmett sat up holding his body up with his arm "Why are you back"

Calvin sat up "Because I miss you Emmett" he leaned over and kissed his lips "And I can't work in LA any more, I lost a client and I paid dearly for it" he explained "being an attorney sucks" he sighed and slammed his body back on the bed.

Emmett leaned down and hovered over his mouth "Do you really think you could live down here again and live with me"

Calvin looked up at him and kissed him on the lips "are you asking me to move in with you?"

Emmet smiled and pecked him on the lips "Yes" he said. "But you're stuck with my dad"

Calvin shook his head "as long as I have you"

Emmett turned round and stood up from the bed pulling the sheet with him "Thank you Calvin, I really like hotel rooms but I want to go home reluctantly to my dad" he smiled walking to the en suite bathroom and turning on the shower "Calvin if you remember I wash really quickly" he called.

Calvin jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom shutting the door behind him.

Emmett laughed as the shower turned on.

-QAF-

Michael crossed his arms.

"So Michael, Ben has told me that you both haven't talked in a while" the woman said.

Michael licked his lip "at least 16 weeks" he stated "we haven't really talked about anything except about my daughter JR. Her mother recently passed away back in december from an accident so I have full custody"

"I'm sorry for your loss" The psychiatrist said. "Ben has told me his side of the story, could you please tell me when your problems started"

Michael uncrossed his arms "honestly I think it has been stewing for a while, I mean once my daughter moved to Canada I was working all the time. I own a comic book store so it was easy to forget to come home"

"About a few months in Me and Ben stopped having sex and then I came home one day and there was no note and no Ben"

12 Months ago

Michael rubbed his eyes with his fingers as he opened the front door of the house, he stepped inside and put his keys on the table "Ben" he called walking into through the living room into the kitchen. He yawned walking over to the phone. There were at least two messages on the answering machine.

He pressed play as he walked back into the kitchen, "Ben I have some great news, we got the go ahead to Take a group of students to Tibet for 10 months" Michael licked his lips as he opened the fridge and took a bottle of water out. Michael deleted the message, the other followed straight away.

"Michael" Ben's voice said "I'm sorry for not telling you but I've got this great opportunely for my students, I'm sorry you had to find out this way but I'll call when I land in Tibet" he explained "I've left some chicken in the oven Love You" he said and the message ended. Michael bit his lip and threw the bottle across the room.

Michael opened his eyes "he called two weeks later" he stated "I swore I would never cheat on anybody but I was so angry. I felt so furious that he could leave just like without telling me. I was having trouble excepting the fact that my daughter was at least 200 miles away and my husband had left go to Fucking Tibet and he had told me when he got there" he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I could easily say that me catching HIV was Ben's fault but that would make me someone I'm not"

The psychologist wrote down some notes. "What person would that be?" she asked.

Michael sighed "someone that blames their partner on the fact that they cheated because they got no support from them." he blinked "to be honest everybody thought I would catch HIV by Ben"

"How do you feel about your HIV"

Michael leaned forward holding his head up with his hand "I'm fine with it" he said shrugging "it may shorten your life span but I've lived with an uncle that had it and Ben has and I know what to expect, how to deal physically and emotionally. A lot of people have trouble with it but I just see it as a part of your personality"

"If we could can Ben comes back in and then we'll discuss the steps" she smiled.

Michael nodded "Sure"

The lady stood from her seat and pressed her intercom connected to her secretary "James could you please inform Mr Bruckner he can return to the room" she said "will do" he replied. She walked back to her seat and sat, crossing her legs.

Ben sat next to Michael.

"We've discussed a few things and I want to inform you I want to book a few more sessions as I've noticed you both have resentments with each other and I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this"

Michael nodded "that's great"

Ben looked at Michael and smiled gently taking his hand. "I really want to work this out"

The Psychiatrist nodded "it's great to meet you both and I want to book an earlier session will the end of the month be okay for the both of you?"

Michael and Ben agreed for their next session on the 30th March

-QAF-

Brian lit the fire in the living room; Justin had Gus in his arms as he walked over to the couch. Brian sat on the sofa next to him; Gus crawled over to Brian's lap and lay his head on his chest "Gus me and Justin have something to tell you"

Gus looked up "is it something bad?" he asked.

Justin stroked Gus's hair "No its good news"

Gus nodded and looked up at Brian.

Brian hugged Gus "I know you've started to call Justin Papa but How would you like to be his son officially"

Gus grinned "Really" he exclaimed. He looked at Justin and nodded his head and launched himself into Justin arms.