Chapter Title: Some Things Are Best Left Alone

Specs didn't know how he had been talked into coming home. He had every intention of spending his Spring Break hold up in his apartment avoiding everyone and everything. He didn't any reason to go home. He had gone home a few weeks ago for his dad's wedding. That had been a nightmare, because now he not only had a stepmother that didn't like him but he had three stepbrothers that refused to leave him alone when he was home. Hadn't he been through enough?

Apparently not, because he sat in the back of David's Jeep watching the scenery pass by as David and Mush talked in the front seat. He hadn't expected the two of them to show up at his apartment in the middle of the night and Shanghai him into coming with them. He had put up a fight, but Mush was almost a foot taller and outweighed him by sixty pounds. You don't mess with someone like that when the odds are against you.

David looked in the rear view mirror to check on Specs. He was slouched in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. His scowl alone was enough to make David feel sorry for him. But he had to get him home. Dutchy was coming home, and they had things that they needed to sort out. If they didn't Specs would just get worse. No one knew what had happened between them, but whatever it was it had to be bad. No one breaks up with the person they've been with for six years over nothing. No one had seen it coming.

Everyone would ask questions. That's what they had done after Dutchy told them what had happened. Specs had had to change his number and his e-mail address before he closed himself off from them for six months before he started talking to them again. Now he wished he in Boston in apartment shutting out he rest of the world. What if he ran into Dutchy? He hadn't seen him since they broke up. He had heard Dutchy had spent last summer interning at a record label in California. He had said that he would move out there once Skittery decided to try to start his music career. So Specs just had to make it through the next two weeks and he would be fine. Dutchy probably wouldn't even come home. He could hope right?

XXXX

Dutchy stood in Jack's living room wondering why he had come home. Seth sat on couch that Dutchy stood next to. No one had said anything since they had shown up. Jack was the one who had invited him over, so why was he acting like a jerk? Okay, so maybe Dutchy hadn't mentioned that he would be bringing his boyfriend with him. But he couldn't tell Seth that he couldn't come with him. He had been so excited about meeting Dutchy's friends. Dutchy hadn't expected him to say yes when he invited just hours before his plane left for New York. But he had, and Dutchy couldn't take back what he had said.

His parents had been nice enough to Seth. But his mom had pulled him aside and asked him about Specs. She still held out hope that they would get back together. She kept pictures of them on the mantle. Dutchy had ran through the living room at break neck speed trying to get rid of them before he let Seth come in the room.

Jack sat across the room staring at Dutchy wondering what was going through his head. He should have known better than to expect Dutchy to wait for Specs to come around. No one had tried harder than David to get the two of them back together. And now he had brought Jack in on it. He was a little apprehensive about what was going to happen when David and Mush showed up with Specs. How was he going to react? Jack had a feeling he wasn't going to be as receptive as everyone else.

A car door slammed outside and Jack walked to the window to see who it was. Specs was walking up the walkway and Jack was at the door before he could get to the bottom of the stairs.

"Goldstein, how you been?" Jack asked as Specs walked past him.

"Fine." Specs said giving him an uneasy look.

Specs started towards the living room but Jack put a hand on his shoulder stopping him. Specs gave David a panicked look over Jack's shoulder.

"You're twenty-one now right?"

"As of a month ago." Specs said nodding his head.

"Let's get a beer." Jack said steering him towards the kitchen.

"Okay." Specs said sounding unsure of himself.

"Mush you can go in the living room. David can you come with us?"

David followed them into the kitchen wondering what had gotten into Jack. Specs sat at the table nursing his beer as Jack hopped up on the counter. David stood next to Jack leaning against the counter.

"I wanted to warn you about something before you went into the living room." Jack said breaking the silence.

"Okay." Specs said with a nervous laugh.

"Dutchy is here."

"I figured he'd be in town." Specs said sadly.
"You don't understand. He is here, in the living room."

"What?" Specs said rising from his chair.

Mush came into the room with a confused look on his face. He sat next to Specs wondering what was going on.

"What's wrong Mush?" David asked giving him a worried look.

"Dutchy's here."

"Yeah Jack just told us." David said as Specs started pacing the room.

"No you don't understand--"

"Mush, just stop. Don't say another word." Jack said giving him a warning look.

"No, what were you going to say?" Specs said turning to face him.

Mush looked at Jack giving him a worried look. Jack sighed before hopping down from the counter.

"Dutchy brought someone with him."

"What do you mean?" David asked folding his arms across his chest.

"He brought his boyfriend."

"I'm gonna kill him!" David said walking to the door.

Mush went after him leaving Jack alone with Specs. Specs stood frozen where he was looking more pathetic than Jack had ever seen him. Jack felt sorry for him. David had told him about how hard Specs had been taking things since they broke up. Specs still had issues trusting people. Jack stared at him with a worried look. Specs sat back down at the table before letting out a sigh.

This never would have happened if they had all left things alone. No one had set out to make things worse. They thought the two of them had gone long enough without talking. Maybe now they would be able to work out their differences.

Yelling could be heard from the living room and Jack silently left the room. When he walked back into the living room Dutchy was backed into a corner with David staring him down. Mush was trying his hardest to hold David back, but all he was accomplishing was tearing David's shirt.

"When were you planning to tell us you were bringing someone?" David asked his face inches from Dutchy's.

"Why should I explain myself to you?" Dutchy yelled trying to move away.

"You knew Specs would be here? Don't you care about his feelings?"

"What was I supposed to join a monastery after he broke up with me?"

"You're an asshole you know that? Why didn't any of us see it before now?"

"I don't know why didn't you?"

"David back off."

David looked over his shoulder to see Specs standing in the doorway. He let Dutchy walk past him without breaking eye contact with Specs.

"I'm gonna take off." Specs said just above a whisper.

"It's another ten miles to your house." Mush said giving him a questioning look.

"I've got time. Don't worry I'll be fine."

"Go ahead walk away. It's what you do best." Dutchy said from across the room.

Specs stopped in his tracks before turning around again. He was across the room before anyone could stop him.

"Do you want to do this now?"

"Specs--" Jack said trying to get in between them.

Specs put up a hand to stop him before shaking his head.

"He wants to do this then fine. Lets bring it all out."

"I don't have anything else to say to you." Dutchy said folding his arms over his chest.

"You never did. You'd rather keep it inside. At least then you can hide from it, right?"

"How many times do I have to apologize before you accept it?"

"When I see that you mean it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You had been looking for a way out for two years before we broke up. I gave you what you wanted."

"John what is he talking about?" Seth said from the couch.

Specs turned to look at him not noticing him before. He looked him up and down before rolling his eyes.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Ethan." Specs said stretching out his hand.

"Seth. You're Ethan?" Seth said shaking Specs' hand.

"So he has mentioned me?"

"Just in his sleep."

Specs dropped Seth's hand like something had bit him before turning back to Dutchy. He shook his head before letting out a sigh.

"You two want to fill us in on what's going on?" Jack asked from next to them.

"There's nothing to explain. He got what he wanted. While I was left to clean up the mess, as usual."

"Oh yeah, you're real responsible." Dutchy said sarcastically.

"I wasn't the one who cheated on you. Remember that?" Specs said fighting back the urge to hit Dutchy.

The room was filled with silence and tension. Specs shook his head before walking out of the room. Dutchy sat down next to Seth with a scowl etched across his face. Everyone stared at him like they didn't know him. David left the room after hearing the front door slam. The door opened and shut again a few seconds later. Jack broke the silence when he asked Dutchy and Seth to leave. Seth shot up off the couch and quickly walked into the foyer. Dutchy slowly trudged after him with his hands in his pockets.

No one had been expecting what had just happened to happen. But now that it was out in the open they wished that they could turn back time and change the course of how things had turned out. Specs was honestly getting better. He hadn't been out on a date since they broke up but he was working towards that. Hopefully one day they would be able to be in the same room without fighting.

XXXX

Later that night Jack watched David get ready for bed. His dad was working the night shift and David had told his parents that he would be staying at Jack's anyway so no one thought anything of it. He knew he needed to talk to David about moving to California after graduation. It wasn't like Jack could move back to New York. He had a once in a lifetime chance that not many people got. His professor had had to do a lot of talking to get him this job and he wasn't going to turn it down. So the only other option was for David to come to California. That was easier said than done. David had always wanted to work for the New York Times or The Daily News. He had an interview with both coming up that summer. Opportunities like that didn't come along everyday.

David lay next to Jack watching him as he read later that night. He knew something was bothering Jack. And it wasn't just Specs and Dutchy. He put his magazine aside and turned to face him.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" Jack asked looking at him over the top of his book.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No." Jack said in an even tone.

"Then what are you thinking about?"

Jack sighed before putting his book on his nightstand. He turned to face David before propping his head in his hand. He should just be up front, it wouldn't hurt anyone just to bring it up.

"I think you should move out to California."

"We've had this discussion already Jack."

"And neither of us are getting anywhere." Jack said giving him a blank look.

"Who says things won't work out? They've worked for the past three years."

"I know. But what happened earlier made me think."

"I would never cheat on you."

"None of us thought Dutchy would cheat on Specs either."

"No answer I give is going to make you happy. So can we not have this conversation?"

"Fine." Jack said rolling over and folding his arms under his head.

David sighed knowing that it was going to be a long night. Jack was the king of sulking. He was even better than Skittery. David never knew what to say to him when he was like this. So he turned out his light and turned to face Jack before getting situated under the blanket. He looked at him one last time before closing his eyes. Hopefully things wouldn't be tense the entire time they were home.