Gus knocked on JR's door, quietly, not wanting to startle her. "It's me Jay." No one else called her that, just Gus. They may drive each other crazy sometimes, but he was still her big brother.

She opened the door and he came in, closing it softly behind him. She looked miserable and starstruck, if there was such a combination.

"What's up?"

She just shrugged in response. He sat on the bed in front of her, since she was sitting against her headboard hugging her giant teddy bear. It was smaller than her now, but it wasn't too long ago that it was bigger.

"You can tell me you know. Whatever it is I promise to just listen… and I won't laugh, or get upset… unless you need to beat someone up." That got a little chuckle from her. They both knew that Gus would never hurt anyone else, but if someone had hurt his sister, he would do whatever he had to.

"I've… I don't think I've ever seen Justin before."

Okay, not where he thought this was going to go, but he'll go with it, maybe she needed to think about something else.

"Yeah, he moved to New York when you were just a baby. I've only seen him a couple times since then."

"He said he used to babysit me. How does he know our mom's?"

"He used to babysit both of us at times. You've had to have heard about him before though, mom and mom have talked about him before, I'm sure of it, if you were too little or not paying attention, then surely Grandma Deb has talked about him."

She thought about it for a while, and then it hit, and she felt so stupid. "He's that Justin? That means he's… he's, I mean Uncle Brian… your dad, they're… together," she whispered that last word like it couldn't be true.

"Yeah, he's that Justin. And why did you say it like that? You can't possibly have a problem with them being together."

"What? Oh my god, no! That's not what I meant, it's just, well, he's… he's so young. I never thought. I mean I've heard about him, yeah, not that I really pay attention, it's kind of cool to know someone who lives in New York, but I don't know much about him. And I don't care who's with who, but he's so young."

Gus had to chuckle at that, and then explain when it looked like JR looked hurt that he might be laughing at her.

"It's ok Jay, I'm not laughing at you. It's just funny to hear you say he looks young, he's always looked young. Just don't tell my dad that, you know how he is with age. Justin's like 12 years younger already, and Justin's looked like that for as long as I've known him. He looks a bit older when he has a beard, but dad was just saying he still gets asked for his ID, and he's like 34 or 35."

JR didn't know how to respond. She just couldn't wrap her mind around the Justin she'd heard about and the man that just showed up to their house. He didn't look even close to 34 or 35.

"That's old."

"You think Justin's old? How old do you think mom is, either of them, or our dad's?"

"They're ancient."

Gus couldn't help it, he fell over onto the bed laughing. His dad would be furious if he heard that. He could just imagine what he might say. His laughing and what she just said made JR laugh as well. They laughed for what felt like several minutes. Once they caught their breath and calmed down, Gus had a couple more questions to ask.

"So what's with all these questions about Justin?"

"I, umm…." she couldn't stop the blush if she tried. SHe even hid her face in Jess. She loved the bear, he was huge, but so soft. She was bigger than he was now, but she remembered when they went to a carnival for the first time when she was 5 and Gus won him for her.

Gus was watching, but wasn't believing. He got it, finally got it, and he couldn't believe it. He was trying really hard not to laugh. She was too young when he had his first crush to understand, although at least his first crush wasn't on a family member. He was holding back his laughing, but couldn't prevent a snort from coming out.

"Gus!" she practically yelled at him, if you could yell quietly, she clearly didn't want anyone to hear her.

"You do realize that he and my dad…"

"I know, okay? I know, I got that, but it's just…" she had lifted her head to respond to him and he noticed that her eyes were red, and shiny, like she was on the verge of crying.

"It's just what?"

She shook her head, and hid her face again, he could just make out "you'll make fun of me."

"I won't make fun of you, and I'm sorry I laughed, okay? You gotta admit it's kind of funny, though."

"Nuh-uh."

"I mean he's kind of cute, but not my type."

"That's cause guys aren't your type."

"None that I've met so far anyway."

At that she lifted her head up fast and stared at him with wide eyes. "You're… are you gay?"

"No, not gay. I like girls, but there's a couple of guys I've seen that are pretty hot. I don't know if a straight guy is supposed to find other guys hot, although I don't want to, you know, kiss one or anything, but why limit my options to just one gender, you know?"

"I suppose, I mean, I didn't think you could just change like that."

"It's not a choice, Jay. Love or attraction shouldn't be defined by one gender, or what society tells you love or attraction is. You're still young…"

"Oh, like you're so old."

"I may be only 5 years older, but that's enough to have learned a few things you haven't learned yet. Sexuality is fluid, there's no right or wrong, as long as everyone involved agrees. I'm not going to go around telling everyone I'm straight, or gay, or even bisexual. I suppose at the moment I'm straight, but if I'm ever attracted to a guy, or even someone that might bend the gender limits, like a drag queen or someone else, then I wouldn't be straight. I wouldn't change from straight to something else, I just found someone different to be attracted to. Labels are something you're going to find a lot of people need, so they know how to treat you. It's shitty, but that's life. I don't like labels, but even if you want a label so other's understand you, know that it doesn't matter what label you pick, you are who you are and you can always change that label, but it doesn't change who you are."

Brian had stayed with Justin for a few minutes before heading out to have a smoke. He saw the munchers all the time, and while they had a much smoother repartee than they used to, he still didn't care for being in their presence too much. He stayed out there for a while before going up to check on Gus and JR. He had a funny feeling what was going on, but didn't want to say anything.

He was surprised to hear the speech that Gus had given his sister. That was somewhere he didn't see their conversation going, but he couldn't have been prouder of Gus, and he was so relieved that Gus was growing up during a time that he could say that. There's no way that that was true when Brian was growing up. To know that Gus, or JR, could be in a same sex relationship one day and not be attacked or ridiculed for it was… well, it was amazing. He also wished he would have had Gus's confidence when he was growing up.

He opened the door slowly before commenting. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

JR jumped like she had seen a ghost, and Gus shared a startled look with his sister a few times before looking back at Brian. He looked like he didn't know if he should be ashamed or saved.

He went to sit in the chair, letting them have the bed to themselves, "That was a great speech sonny-boy. Certainly more wise than I was at your age. I won't tell you the horror stories of growing up myself, I'm sure you'll hear them at some point in time, but what Gus said is absolutely right."

Neither of them looked like they knew what to say. "Everything okay in here?"

They both nodded, but Gus still looked worried, although it was clear that Brian agreeing with him went along way to know that he wasn't upset at what Gus said. "So why so somber? Anything you want to talk about?"

JR looked right at Gus and shook her head minutely, or at least it would have been barely noticeable, but he was Brian, and he noticed a lot about people, even if others didn't think he did. He never did like beating around the bush, may as well be as forthright as his usual self. Although maybe with a little more tact since this was his son and JR.

"In that case, I'll do the talking. Let me guess," he said to Gus, who was avoiding JR's frightened eyes, "you came up to comfort JR after having seen Justin for the first time, not realizing who he was and maybe crushing on him? Is that about right?"

He assumed he was right at JR's squeak and buried her head in her teddy bear and pillow, while Gus looked completely surprised.

"What, you didn't think your old man noticed? Neither one of you are even close to old enough to hear my stories, but believe you me, I know that look anywhere, and considering I've known Justin for as long as sonny-boy here has been alive, quite literally, I know that look when it's given to Justin."

JR was sniffling, and Gus was still looking surprised, but much more relaxed. Brian looked to Gus, then at the kleenex on her nightstand, and then back at JR. It took a few times, but he suddenly got the idea. Gus jumped up to get some kleenex, hand it to JR, tapping her shoulder to let her know, and leaving his hand there for comfort.

"It's okay, princess," using his endearment for her that he rarely used in front of others went along way to calming the situation, "your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone."

At that she finally lifted her head up, looking so small and young, even younger than a 12 year old who's just barely started puberty can look. "Really?" she whispered.

"Really." He looked straight in her eyes, knowing that while a pre-teen wouldn't understand the depth, she would at least know that he was telling the truth. She sat up more fully, Gus leaning back, before she wiped her eyes and then looked toward Brian.

"Did you have a crush on him when you first saw him, too?"

Gus snickered at that, looking to Brian to see where this was going to go. Gus knew their story, mostly, and knew that that was a far cry from what Brian felt, or would have admitted to feeling for several years after they first met, but he couldn't explain that to JR.

"I suppose you could say I did have a crush on him when I first met him. Don't tell your moms I told you this, they'd probably be calling me an asshole and kicking me out of the house. Justin was Gus's age when I first met him, and I was 12 years older, of course I didn't know that when I first met him."

"How did you meet?"

"Well, you're too old for the full story, but suffice it to say I was leaving a party when I saw him the first time. He wasn't invited, so he couldn't go in, but all the cool kids were there, and he was just standing outside across the street, like he really wanted to be there, but couldn't."

"He wasn't cool? But he is cool, I mean, I think he's cool, and, well…" she was blushing too hard to finish that sentence, and Gus was desperately trying to keep from laughing, not at JR, but at his dad's story. He was so going to give him a hard time for this later.

"He is cool, definitely, but older kids don't always know when younger kids are cool, you know?"

She nodded, because she did know that. She was younger than other kids on her middle school campus, and the cool kids didn't think she was cool. She wasn't sure she wanted to be cool, but she knew what that was like.

"So there he was, standing across the street, the light shining in his hair, looking like a blond beacon in a see of forgettable brunettes," he was purposely looking at JR because she looked entranced with his "love story" and not at Gus who he knew was going to give him a hard time about the ridiculous way he was wording this story, "I had… dated… a lot growing up, but never someone like Justin. He was handsome, smart, funny, and not afraid of going after what he wanted."

"And he wanted… he wanted you?" JR asked carefully, not realizing the depth of that statement, or what it meant.

"Yeah dad… did he want you?"

Brian glared at Gus, not that it did any good, he was snorting and quietly giggling anyway. He looked back at JR, "ignore your brother, he's being a dork."

This caused JR to giggle, "that's because he is a dork."

"Hey!" Gus finally stopped laughing to glare at JR.

"I didn't realize what I had with Justin for a long time, too long it felt. Oh, I knew he was hot, and we got along great, most of the time, but let's just say that because of how I grew up, and believe me you don't want to hear about that, I thought that love and relationships were stupid, and that I didn't need anyone or anything but myself."

"But we all need someone. Love is great, and being in love is the most powerful thing in the world. And… well, if what Gus says is right, then love can come from anyone and you can be with anyone you want if you love each other."

"And he's absolutely right. ALthough I think you're too young to know what being in love feels like, it took me a long time to realize what being in love felt like and that it was okay to be in love."

By this time Brian was getting a bit too drained with all the emotions and tender stories, but it seemed to do the trick. Gus was relaxing and listening, pleased that his dad agreed with him. And JR was sitting up and leaning forward, just holding her bear, but in a much more open posture than she was when he first walked in.

"Well I hate to stop this love fest of feelings, but that's about my daily limit of soul searching," he said to both of them as he stood up, "you ready for our adventure today?"

Gus nodded at him as he said, "yeah, gimme a sec and I'll be right down."

"You got it, take your time."

Brian then looked to JR and opened his arms, they were closer than some of his friends thought they were, and she always liked his hugs. He may get tired of sharing feelings, but he never minded sharing with JR and Gus. She happily jumped up and into his arms. He spoke quietly, although he wasn't trying to prevent Gus from hearing, "don't worry about anything princess, we all have crushes as we grow up, it's just something we have to learn to live with. I'll gladly kick the ass of anyone who breaks your heart, but getting our hearts broken is a part of growing up. And you're too young to get your heart broken, or fall in love at the moment."

She nodded against his chest as she hugged him back. He gave the best hugs, even though no one believed her when she told them that. After the first couple of times she just stopped trying to convince people that Uncle Brian was a good person who loved very deeply, and he loved her. She was still embarrassed about her crush on his boyfriend, but she was glad he wouldn't say anything. Her friends had had crushes before, and they didn't seem to last too long. Although she felt that she would really like Justin for a long time, maybe that would change.

Brian left the two teenagers to finish whatever Gus wanted to say, and let JR compose herself. He was grinning as he came downstairs, unable to keep from smiling wider when he looked over at Justin, who was still regaling the munchers with tales of New York. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, knowing that Justin would know he'd find out later. Brian would make sure that no one knew about JR's crush, but he wouldn't mind teasing Justin about it later.

Shortly after he made his way to the living room, Gus came barreling down the stairs shouting about being ready to go. He was waiting at the door with Brian when Justin finally came over. They exchanged goodbyes, Brian exchanging later, because he never said goodbye, when Justin looked towards the stairs, "Isn't JR coming down? I barely even saw her."

"She was a little sleepy so decided to lay down for a bit."

"Is she okay? I'll go check on her, and…"

"Mom," Gus said to get Mel's attention, "she just wants to rest by herself for a little while, okay?"

"And she told you, but not us?"

"For crying out loud Mel, leave it alone. Their both kids, they weren't doing drugs, they were just talking like teens like to talk… without adults interfering."

"And what would you know about what teens talk about."

"I dated one remember?"

Which stopped whatever comment Mel was about to make, they all couldn't help but laugh at that. Mel and Linds would probably both be up checking on JR the moment Brian, Justin and Gus left, but at least with this brief conversation and knowing that Gus was talking to her, and not knowing that Brian was up there, too, they would believe whatever JR came up with.

End notes: This story will be finished by the end of the week, it's mostly finished, just not edited.

I know I have other stories to work on, I have not forgotten any of my WIPs, I just have way too many things that take up my time... darn real life. I can't really take a sabatical to write fanfiction, you know?

Happy birthday, Jackie! Love you, babe... hope you enjoyed what I've got so far.