Melanie stood just outside of the hospital main entrance waiting for Brian. It had been a little over thirty minutes since she had called the man about getting to the hospital and she still didn't fully know what she was going to tell him. She wasn't even sure he would believe a single word out of her mouth. It wasn't like they were friends - why would he?

"Mel."

Melanie turned to find Brian sauntering up to her, lit cigarette in hand, Gus in his carrier in the other.

"Why isn't he with Deb?"

Brian rolled his eyes. "Mikey and Dr. Dave are taking her out tonight, remember?"

"Oh." Melanie sighed. "Fine, finish that and then we can talk."

"Or I can finish this while you tell me what the fuck is going on."

Shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest as Brian sat the carrier with Gus at his feet and leaned against the brick wall of the hospital, Melanie fully turned towards the brunet.

Brian took a drag of his cigarette. "Just fucking tell me."

"Did you know Justin was pregnant?"

"What?" Brian's face scrunched up in confusion. "What does that have to do..."

"It's your kid asshole."

"The fuck!" Brian straightened up. "How the fuck did you figure that out? And what the hell happened to him?"

"I got a call from the hospital as one of his medical proxies..."

"Why?"

Melanie huffed. "Look asshole, I'm still trying to figure all this out too. All I know is Lindsay has a lot of explaining to do when she gets back on Monday." She held up the envelope in her hands. "She had a lawyer draw up adoption papers."

"Okay..." Brian took the envelope and pulled out the papers, quickly scanning them.

Melanie could see the moment he reached the agreement for the closed adoption of said child of Justin Taylor to Lindsay Peterson and Melanie Marcus. She waited for the Brian Kinney explosion and didn't have to wait long.

"What the fuck is this shit! You and Linds were just going to take the baby from the kid?" Brian growled, his eyes blazing as he looked up at her. "If that baby is mine why the fuck was I never told or given an option?"

"I didn't now about this until this morning when the hospital called and the lawyer showed up at the house with those." Melanie nodded towards the papers. "I came straight here to find out more. Justin's friend is in there and she accused me of the same thing. Lindsay has apparently been planning this for months."

"And just how the fuck did she find out he was pregnant?"

"Justin told her."

Melanie and Brian both looked up at the young girl as she stood before them. Daphne was angry but the doctor had been by to tell her Justin was out of surgery, he had survived with a broken leg and the removal of his spleen - and the delivery of a very healthy and alive baby boy. She wanted to ignore the fact that Melanie - and Brian she had assumed at the time - where there but knew she needed their help with Justin and the baby. She had promised Justin not to try and tell Brian herself all those months he was making the deal with Lindsay, but now she needed to break that promise.

Melanie had been right in Brian needing to know. Daphne also hoped that once the man got over the initial shock, he would be able to talk Justin out of giving up the baby. Daphne knew her friend, knew he didn't want to give up his child. But Lindsay had gotten in his ear about being a teen father, a single and gay teen father at that. She had gotten Justin to doubt his abilities, doubt himself in even caring for himself, let alone a child. Even if they weren't a couple and raising the baby as a family, Daphne wanted to believe Brain would do the right thing to help raise his child at least.

"Who are you?" Brian rushed as Gus let out a wail.

Melanie bent down and quickly scooped Gus from the carrier to settle the baby down. Daphne stepped closer to the pair as she watched Gus with a smile.

"Daphne Chanders. I'm Justin's friend." She turned her attention back to Brian and frowned. "He tried to tell you. You turned him away before he could. When he tried again he ran into Lindsay and spilled everything to her."

"And this?" Brian shook the papers in his hand.

"She manipulated Justin into giving the baby to them to be raised with Gus."

Brian looked at Melanie and his son. "How the fuck did she expect to explain the sudden arrival of another baby?"

"Fuck if I know." Melanie sighed as she bounced Gus in her arms.

"Justin is out of surgery."

"How is he?" Brian asked. He never talked about the boy around his group of friends. Ever since that night he had not been able to get the blond kid out of his head. After he had finally pushed him away Brian had realized he missed the little shit and always hoped that the kid would push his way back into Brian's orbit again but it had never happened, so Brian had moved on. That night had really changed Brian's life though.

"Broken leg and had his spleen removed. The baby is also healthy and doing just fine." Daphne replied. "Justin is getting settled into his own room now and the baby is in the nursery."

Brain nodded as he looked between Daphne, Melanie, and the papers still in his hand. "I want a DNA test done..."

"The baby is yours." Daphne hissed, her anger returning in an instant. "Justin was never with anyone else after you!"

"Fuck, calm down." Brian growled. "I want a DNA test to prove it for the sake of voiding this adoption."

"Those aren't signed yet, there is no need to do that."

"If Justin doesn't want to keep the baby..."

"Then what?" Melanie laughed. "You're going to take him?"

Brian frowned. "It's better than this!" He shook the adoption papers again and making a decision he took his cigarette between his lips and with both hands ripped the papers in half before shoving them back into the envelope. He then turned his attention back to Daphne as he finished his cigarette and stubbed it out against the wall. "Who's his doctor?"

"Follow me."

Melanie got a settled Gus back into his carrier before she and Brian followed Daphne back into the hospital and up to the second floor. They reached the waiting room where Melanie had first met Daphne. Melanie went into the waiting room with Gus while Brian followed Daphne to the reception desk.

"Could we speak with Dr. Gains about Justin Taylor?" Daphne smiled at the nurse sitting there. "He just got out of surgery."

The nurse nodded with her own smile. "I'll page him for you."

"Thank you."

Daphne and Brian returned to the waiting room and sat with Melanie. Five minutes later a gray haired older man walked in carrying a clipboard and because they were the only people currently in the waiting room, he walking right up to them.

"Dr. Gains." Daphne stood up and Brian followed. "This is Brian Kinney. He's the baby's other father."

The doctor shook Brian's hand. "I can tell you your son is healthy and doing just fine. If you want more information you're better off asking Dr. Langden, she's Mr. Taylor's OB/GYN and was the one to perform his c-section while I dealt with Justin himself."

"I'll do that." Brian nodded as he took his hand back. "Unfortunately I was never actually told about Justin's pregnancy. We know I'm the other father, but I would feel more comfortable with a DNA test if it's possible."

"Of course. If you would follow me we can get that taken care of right away, then you can spend time with your son in the nursery if you wish."

Brian was soon following the doctor out of the waiting room. Daphne took a deep breath and returned to her chair across from Melanie. Gus sat at Melanie's feet sound asleep in his carrier once again. Melanie had the envelope with the torn adoption papers sitting in her lap.

"Why didn't you ever find and tell Brian yourself if you were so against what Lindsay's been trying to do?"

Daphne looked at the older woman and sighed. "Justin made me promise. He didn't want to burden him. I tried but Justin caught me asking around Liberty Avenue for him as I've never met him until today. That's when he made me promise."

"When was this?" Melanie frowned, vaguely remembering the rumors from a few patrons from the diner a few months back about a young girl asking around for Kinney - a lot had laughed about her being a long lost daughter of the Stud of Liberty Ave. She remembered it had angered Michael and Brian had just ignored it all together.

"About four months ago when his parents found out and kicked him out of the house."

"They kicked him out! Where has he been living since?"

"With an older couple, Frank and Marjorie." Daphne sighed again before sitting up straight and cursing. "I need to call them. They're probably worried sick that he never came home last night!"

With that Daphne just up and all but ran from the waiting room, leaving Melanie and a sleeping Gus alone. Melanie looked around not really sure what to do now. It wasn't like she was still actually needed there - right? Ten minutes later, just as she was going to take Gus and just head home, Brian returned rolling his shirt sleeve back down his arm.

"I'll have the results in about a day or so." He sat down where Daphne had been sitting before she had left. "Where'd she go?"

"Apparently to call the couple Justin has been living with the last four months."

Brian frowned. "He doesn't live at home with mommy and daddy?"

"They kicked him out." Daphne returned and sat down next to Brian. "His dad was furious when they found out and told Justin to either get rid of the baby that day or to never come home again."

"Fuck." Brian and Melanie echoed.

"That was the day he agreed to the adoption." Daphne sunk lower into her chair. "He was so scared. Lindsay had taken him to Frank and Marjorie and they instantly took him in."

"Lindsay knows this couple, I've never heard of them before."

"I guess Frank is one of the night custodians for the gallery she works at?" Daphne shrugged. "They're on their way now."

They fell into silence as they all thought about different things. Melanie was still fuming over Lindsay's stupidity, still trying to figure out just what the blonde was trying to accomplish. Daphne was trying to figure out a way for Justin to keep his baby and maybe Brian himself. Brian was still reeling about the fact that he had a second kid. Another son. After he had gotten his blood drawn for the DNA test he had found himself hesitating to head for the nursery to look at his son and before he could really think about it he had returned to the waiting room. He just wasn't ready yet.

"Do we know which room Justin is in?"

"Down the hall on the left. B16." Daphne replied, pointing out of the waiting room.

Brian nodded, sighed, and stood. Without a word he left once again and headed down the hallway. When he reached the right room he paused with his hand on the doorknob. He took a deep breath and just as he was about to open the door, it opened on it's own accord and a nurse almost walked right into him.

"Oh I'm so sorry." She smiled as she side stepped him. "He's still asleep but you can sit with him. I'm sure he'd love to see a familiar face when he finally wakes. If you or he need anything just hit the call button."

Brian nodded and watched her walk away back to the nurses station further down before turning back to the room. Taking another deep breath and straightening his shoulders he stepped into the brightly lit room, closing the door behind him as his eyes fell onto the blond he wished he had never met but wished more that he had never pushed away nine months ago.