Christmas [2012]

Brian looked around at the his family sitting at the table. It had been a long time coming, getting everyone together after the mess that was two years ago. Lindsay had almost destroyed the whole family with just a few stupid decisions. But looking around now, Brian was a glad everything had happened the way it did. A smile came across his face as he looked across the table at his partner of eleven years (give or take five months), and husband of the past six years. He has almost lost the two most important people in his life (well, two of now nine). But he didn't and for that, he was thankful. He also gained a part of his family back. His childhood family. Looking down a little ways from his side of the dining table, he spotted his sister, chatting away with Ted and Blake across the table like they had been old friends. A little further down from them were Claire's demon spawn, which he couldn't quite call them anymore. Not when they looked up to him with respect and when John was going to college to become an ad man like his uncle. Sitting next to John was Brian's little sister-in-law, who will soon become his nephew's wife.

Is there even a name for that like niece-in-law? Brian mused as he gazed back to his side of the table, just two seats left of Claire. Melanie was the hardest to get to attend this family dinner. She wasn't much for social since the whole Lindsay debacle, but all thanks to Justin's secret demon ninja skills; she was sitting there with little Jenny, who for only being six years old, raised hell with anyone who called her J.R. because she says it's a boys name. Brian just calls her Pipsqueak, which she seems to love from Uncle Bri and nobody else. Across from them were Ben and Michael. Ever since they lost Hunter just a few months back, they had been a little hard to track down, only to find out they had gone on a vacation to be alone together, grieving the loss of their adopted son. Hunter's death hit the whole family pretty hard. They had to look at the good side that the AIDS didn't take him, but him being in the wrong place at the wrong time with a fatal hit and run. At least Ben and Michael had time to say goodbye at the hospital.

Down just a little further were Deb and Carl. They had been a little easier to rope into the family dinner. Once Deb heard Brian and Justin were hosting at Britin, she jumped at the chance to cook, but Justin refused to let her help. He was cooking with the help of Cynthia and Daphne. Turning his attention back to his end of the dining table, Brian had a moment with Justin as they stared at each other and smiled. Brian then turned his attention to Jennifer and Tucker, newly married a year ago and some months. Across from them, a few chairs down was Cynthia, Daphne and her husband Kurt. They have only been married a little over two years and have twin seven month old girls; Briana and Justina. When Brian heard the names he burst out laughing, but of course, his husband started crying. Happy tears, but still, crying. The twins were currently asleep upstairs, having already been fed. Between Daphne and Kurt was Daphne's four year-old son Henry. Just after Justin had moved to New York seven years ago, Daphne had asked him to be the father of her child. She wanted a kid before she started medical school. Justin jumped at the idea and nine months later, little Henry was born. Just like when Gus was born and Justin helped decide between Gus and Abraham; Brian was there when Henry was born and Justin and Daphne asked his advice between Henry and Edward. They didn't tell him which name Justin wanted or which name Daphne wanted because they knew Brian would favor the name Justin picked. Brian decided on Henry because and he had quoted, "Edward just reminds me of that Twilight shit Molly's reading to Gus". Sadly, Edward was the name Justin wanted (after his grandfather). So, to compromise, they named him Henry Edward. Just next to them were Emmett and his new boyfriend Erick. They have been dating for a little over two years, just before the sextuplets were born.

Between Brian and Cynthia sat two of Brian and Justin's sextuplets while two others sat between Justin and Jennifer on the other side of the table. The fifth was sitting on Cynthia's lap and the sixth, Brian looked around only to find one of his sons tugging on the sleeve of his dress shirt. Bending over to he was level with his two year-old son, he smirked and the brunet boy smiled back. Brian lifted his son onto his lap, the kid's back to his chest so he was facing the table. Justin handed the sippy cup over the table to Brian, who handed it to their son. That seemed to set a chain reaction. The four sextuplets still sitting in their own chairs decided they all wanted on someone's lap. One turned to Melanie, one to Daphne, one to Ted and one to Molly. That also decided to change the minds of the two on Brian and Cynthia's lap because suddenly they slid down to the floor. One headed for Emmett and the other to Michael. Laughter from the adults filled the room as they watched the sextuplets rearrange to sit on their favorite aunt or uncle's laps. Rolling his eyes, Brian turned back to his food and joining in the conversation between Justin, Cynthia, Jennifer and Tucker about Justin's new art show after the holidays were over with.

After dinner had finished, the woman took all the younger children to get washed up and ready for bed before heading for the living room where there were presents piled a mile high. When everyone had gotten there, the first thing they had seen was the real Christmas tree that looked like Santa's elves had thrown up on the bottom half, a little messy in the middle and the top was completely neat. Brian explained that Justin decorated the top, Gus the middle and they just let the sextuplets have at it with the tinsel for the bottom. At the very top was an angel dressed in white, a gift from Deb their first Christmas after the sextuplets had been born. In a row across the front at the top were eight ornaments, one for each, Gus and Henry and then one for each of the sextuplets. They had their names hand painted in blue or pink, depending on their gender. Below the names were their birth dates and on the back was a baby picture of them. Gifts from Jennifer and Tucker their first Christmas after the sextuplets were born.

Justin loved them so much, he made one for everyone else, and they were hanging all over the top and middle of the tree. It had taken him forever, so this was actually the first Christmas that they were all finished and hanging on the tree. The first time everyone was able to see them. He had even made one for Hunter and had it placed between Ben and Michael's. There was also one for Vic hanging next to Deb's. There were a lot of tears from quite a lot of people after they saw them and Brian took that time to sneak out for a smoke on the front porch. Of course, he was caught by Ted, who just nodded and pretended not to know anything when eyed by Justin as they reentered the house just before dinner was ready for them. Brian didn't really think it mattered if he smoked outside because he and Justin had only agreed they would not smoke in the house because of Gus and the sextuplets. Brian is also pretty sure that Justin is sneaking a cigarette here and there outside by the pool.

Now, all back in the living room, Deb and Jennifer took the lead and started handing out the presents, making sure each kid got something to open right after the other because they were already bouncing off the walls wanting to tear into everything. The adults had all agreed, presents for the kids only this year. It wasn't long before nice shiny wrapping paper was everywhere. There were toy cars and G.I. Joes for the boys, Barbies and stuffed animals for the girls and of course, clothes for all of them. Gus got a skateboard and art supplies instead of toy cars and G.I. Joes because that was what he was into now. Henry got a new bike, with the training wheels. Jenny also got a bike, but without the training wheels because for months she was complaining about them. There were a few new picture books for the sextuplets, along with little peddle cars. Six of them to be exact. One red, one green, one blue for the boys. One pink, one purple and one yellow for the girls. Like it really mattered the color for them anyway, a peddle car was a peddle car to them. If it was vacant, they were going to take it. Some clothes and baby toys were given to Daphne for the twins. Brian and Justin also gave Brian's nephew Peter a car. It wasn't new but it wasn't a junker either. Brian had been giving his nephew driving lessons for the last year and just two months ago, the kid passed his test.

They also had something for Molly and John, which was more of a wedding present then anything. After the hype with the kids dulled down, most of them passed out on top of and under the wrapping paper, the adults drinking coffee and hot chocolate and talking, they told them. Brian and Justin were paying for their wedding, after hearing that Craig refused to pay when Molly went to visit him the month before. They were also paying for their honeymoon, wherever they wanted to go, for two weeks. Molly started crying and flung herself at her brother while John just smiled, but then suddenly hugged Brian. It was a good time all together.

When it started getting late, everyone decided to stay for the night and head out after breakfast Christmas morning. There were ten bedrooms, minus the master suite. One belonged to Gus and Henry and where Peter stayed for the night, one to the three boys of the sextuplets and one to the three girls. The other seven rooms were just guest rooms for something like this. Deb and Carl took one, Jennifer and Tucker, Molly and John, Ted and Blake, Ben and Michael, Daphne and Kurt with the twins and then Emmett and Erick. Melanie and Jenny were living in a four bedroom house just a little ways down the path that Brian had built. Both Claire and Cynthia went with them to stay in her extra rooms. They were living with them because Brian thought it would be a good thing for Gus and Jenny to still be close after Melanie's divorce from Lindsay and then everything that ended with Brian getting his rights to Gus back and Justin adopting him. Melanie was grateful, after having to sell their house. With all the good nights out of the way, Brian and Justin made their way to their room at the end of the hall.

Life was finally getting back to normal for their family. Or at least as normal as their family could ever be. It would never be the same with some of them missing, but they were all going to make it because they had each other and that was all that mattered to their family at times like these.