Brian was thankful that he and Justin were able to escape out the back of the courthouse after the trial adjourned for the day, shielded from the boisterous, pushy crowd that was planted outside the front entrance waiting like a pack of wolves, hungry for their latest bit of salacious news.

Keeping an arm wrapped firmly around Justin's waist, he cast a concerned glance at his partner, who hadn't said anything since the trial ended for the day. He could feel the younger man trembling slightly, from what exactly he wasn't sure. As they walked toward Brian's car in the parking garage, he squeezed the slender waist a little to get his attention and he bent down closer to whisper near his ear. "Are you all right, Sunshine?" After several seconds with no obvious response, he was really starting to get concerned. "Justin?" He stopped and leaned against the car now, turning his partner to face him. "Talk to me," he encouraged tenderly.

The long lashes closed briefly, before tearful blue eyes slowly rose to meet Brian's. "I had no idea how hard today was going to be," he admitted softly. "It was so embarrassing, Brian," he explained. "I feel so ashamed." He looked down, averting his gaze now.

Brian gently placed his long fingers under Justin's chin, gently forcing the man to meet his stare. "Justin, you have NOTHING to be ashamed of, do you hear me? Why in the fuck would you think that, Sunshine?"

Brian's compassion only served to make Justin even more emotional, as he answered in a shaky voice, "I should have realized that it was him. How could I have not seen it? How could I have been so blind, Brian?" he asked. Pausing for a few seconds, he finally added, "I'm sorry I have to put you through all this."

"Put me through what, Justin?" Brian asked, a bit of fierceness unexpectedly rising to the surface. "Put me through telling everyone what an arrogant, pompous, conniving and dangerous asshole Prescott is? Put me through making sure he's put away forever so he can never try and hurt you anymore?" Abruptly pulling his partner into a strong embrace, he murmured against the other man's hair, "I love you, Justin. Don't EVER apologize for making me do what I need to do in order to keep you safe."

Justin's arms wrapped themselves tightly around Brian's waist as his heart warmed to his partner's words of comfort. The two remained in a fierce embrace for several seconds, before they both broke loose of their own accord. Brian reached up with both thumbs to gently brush Justin's tears off his cheeks. The blond smiled slightly as he said, "Let's go home, Brian. I want you to fuck me all night long and make me forget for a while."

Brian smiled at the man he loved tenderly. "THAT will be my distinct pleasure, Sunshine," he confirmed, opening the passenger door for Justin.

Waking up the next morning in Brian's arms after several combination rounds of just-down-and out fucking mixed in with some tender lovemaking made Justin feel much better. He felt his partner slowly waking up as the long, lean arms moved slightly and the sun's early morning shadows played over his handsome face. Justin had fallen in love at first sight with this loft in Lawrenceville, even before he realized that it would be his new home, THEIR home. And one of his favorite parts of the upstairs living quarters was the pair of sunroof windows that allowed the rising sun to flow into the bedroom each morning. Even though Justin would never be mistaken for an early riser, he enjoyed being the first one to wake up here, so he could indulge in one of his favorite pastimes – gazing at Brian while he was still asleep. While his partner slept, all of the bravado and bold façade fell away, leaving the loving, vulnerable person only Justin was privileged to see.

Brian's hazel eyes, still somewhat cloudy from sleep, slowly fluttered open, becoming clearer as he focused on his favorite view. "Hey, Sunshine," he said softly, reaching up to brush an errant stray hand from the blond's head. "How did you sleep? After I fucked you senseless, I mean," he added wickedly.

"Better," Justin confirmed. "Of course, you DID wear me out first. That ALWAYS makes me sleep better," he answered, as the other man raised his eyebrows innocently.

"Just as good as Ben Gay, Sunshine – deep, penetrating heat does it every time," he explained, causing Justin to roll his eyes. "Besides, if I recall correctly, you fucking gave back as good as you got," he answered, smirking, as Justin bent down to give him a small kiss.

"What was THAT? Are you THAT worn out, you twat?" he asked, before reaching his hand around the blond head to abruptly yank his partner's body down, his entire length suddenly stretched completely prone against the brunet's. "That's better," Brian murmured, before firmly pushing their mouths together to conduct a little tongue-fucking. A couple of minutes later, the two men reluctantly pulled apart, panting breathlessly . "Ah, Sunshine, so MUCH to do, so little time, unfortunately. We only have about 90 minutes before the trial reconvenes. That's barely enough time for a quick shower and change of clothes. Not NEARLY enough time for what I'd LIKE to do with you."

Brian regretted mentioning the trial as soon as the statement left his mouth; the pained look that quickly appeared on his partner's face confirmed that Justin was thinking again about the trial and Brian going back up on the witness stand. Reaching up to lovingly caress the soft, blond hair, he tried his best to reassure him. "Look at me, Justin. It's all going to work out. I know it's hard, but we have to do this. To make sure that bastard is put away for a LONG, LONG time. And when it comes your turn to testify, I'll be there with you every step of the way. When you think you're going to falter, you just look at me and no one else - okay?"

Taking a deep breath, the topaz eyes stared back at him. Finally, a response: "Okay," he agreed. Smiling slightly, Brian reluctantly released his hold on his partner and rose from the bed. Reaching out his hand to Justin, he said, "Come on, then, let's go take that shower and get ready."

Justin was grateful that Greg had told him about the back door; despite the burgeoning media crowd outside, thanks to the other entrance they were able to slip inside unnoticed by the press. As soon as they rounded the corner toward the Courtroom #B, the two men noticed the prosecuting attorney waiting for them just outside the door.

"Good. I'm glad you got here a little early," Greg said. He turned to Brian as he instructed him seriously, "I just wanted to remind you, Brian, that it's extremely important you keep your cool in there while Sinclair is cross examining you. If I feel he's out of line, I'll definitely call him on it. And don't forget, as the prosecutor, I will have the opportunity to ask you additional questions for clarification or rebuttal purposes during the redirect. So if you feel Sinclair is trying to slant anything toward his client, don't worry – I will definitely follow up on it."

He then turned toward Justin, advising him, "You will be the next witness after Brian." As Justin nodded his understanding, he added, "I still don't know for sure if Prescott will be testifying in his own defense. I think he and Sinclair are most likely waiting until after the two of you testify to see if they feel it would be in his best interest. If Prescott DOES testify, of course, that opens him up for ME to cross-examine him, which could do him more harm than good. So we'll have to wait and see what happens. Just tell the truth. I think after the two of you are finished, Prescott will have more than enough NAILS in his coffin."

Justin took another deep breath, letting it out in a rush. "I hope you're right, Greg. The thought of this guy running around free makes me nervous as hell." Brian certainly had to agree with that statement; the only good thing that had come out of Justin's ordeal was that he did not remember what happened right after he was given the GHB; in an ironic way, that may have saved him from having more nightmares than he had been having, although when he DID have them, they were enough for the blond to awaken terrified, drenched in sweat and his hair plastered to his forehead. Only after several minutes of Brian holding him tightly and caressing his back softly did Justin calm down enough to try and go back to sleep. Brian didn't even want to think about the nightly horror Justin would endure if this man were allowed to walk out of here with a not guilty verdict.

"Ready?" Greg asked them, receiving an affirmative nod in return. As he held the door open for them to enter, Justin noticed that his mother and friends were once again in attendance, a silent, strong symbol of their affection and support for him. He smiled at everyone as they noticed him and Brian arriving; he would definitely need their reinforcement, especially while Brian was being cross-examined. And as much as Brian would probably deny it, HE needed it, too.

As Justin went to take his seat beside his mother, Greg told Brian, "You'll be recalled as soon as the trial resumes shortly, so be ready." Matthews then proceeded to walk toward the prosecution table up front.

Brian acknowledged their support group as he once again took his place next to Justin, reaching automatically for his partner's hand as he sat down on the courtroom bench. Shortly thereafter, they all stood up as the bailiff announced the return of the jury, judge, and the defendant. Just like the day before, Prescott was perfectly dressed in a dark gray, Armani suit with a white tailored shirt and royal blue tie. Enjoy your fashion show while you can, you fucker, Brian thought. I hope your skin doesn't look too pale next to the orange and white stripes.

"This court is now is session. The Honorable Judge George Mason presiding. Please be seated," the bailiff instructed.

As everyone took a seat, the judge instructed the bailiff to call the last witness to the stand. As Brian's name was announced, he briefly squeezed Justin's hand before releasing it and giving him an hopeful smile ; standing, he walked once again back toward the witness stand, never providing Prescott with so much as a backward glance of recognition as he was reminded that he was still under oath.

Wyatt Sinclair, also attired in an expensive, custom-made suit, salt-and pepper hair perfectly styled, rose fluidly from his chair to face Brian.

"Now, Mr. Kinney," he began pleasantly enough. "You testified yesterday about your business relationship with Mr. Prescott. How much did you know about my client before the two of you met?"

"Well, I always do research on prospective clients, so this was no exception."

"And what types of information do you obtain during your research?"

"Normally it involves information about their background – where they attended school, where they live, their hobbies, as well as financial information."

"The reason being?"

"It helps me formulate the best approach for my initial meeting with them, as well as showing the prospective client how much I want their business."

"And what was your impression of Mr. Prescott when you did research on him?"

"Well, I found out he was very influential and powerful within the fashion industry, and was very successful at what he did."

"And once you met him? What was your personal impression of him?"

Puzzled, Brian asked for clarification. "I'm not sure I understand the question. My personal impression of him?"

Sinclair smiled slightly, almost predatorily, appearing as if he was only trying to make Brian relax. "Yes. Did you find him attractive, Mr. Kinney? Isn't it true that you were FLIRTING with my client during that meeting?" Justin closed his eyes as Sinclair addressed his partner; somehow, he knew it was no doubt the truth. At that point in their relationship, they weren't even together; it would have made perfect sense for Brian to be attracted to a man that was as powerful and handsome as Lane.

Before Brian could even formulate a response, however, the prosecuting attorney rose to his feet swiftly. "Objection, Your Honor!" he stated sharply. "There is NO relevance to that question."

"Sustained, Mr. Matthews. Please keep to the facts at hand, Mr. Sinclair," the judge admonished him.

"I apologize, Your Honor," Sinclair responded smoothly. Taking a slightly different tack, he attempted to rephrase the question. "Okay, Mr. Kinney. Tell me how your first meeting with Mr. Prescott went?"

"Again, I'm not sure what you mean." Could this man be any more obtuse with this line of questioning? Just what is he getting at here?

"What was the result of your meeting? Did he sign on as a client of yours?"

"Yes, he did," Brian confirmed.

"Okay. At the time of your first meeting, did Mr. Prescott mention he was going to be attending a benefit auction for the local gay and lesbian center?"

"Yes, he mentioned it before he left."

"And did my client ask you to go?"

"He mentioned he had an extra ticket and gave it to me in case I could attend," Brian explained carefully. "He said it might be helpful to his advertising campaign if I were to see some of his fashions in person."

"I see. And did you go?"

"Yes, I did."

"WITH Mr. Prescott?"

"Actually, I didn't know he was there until later. I came separately."

"And was it not at this auction that Mr. Prescott bid on a painting by Mr. Taylor, your partner?"

Brian hesitated. "Well, he DID bid on a painting, but at that point in time Justin and I were NOT partners. We had broken up," he said, elaborating. Sorry, Greg, he thought. I know - too much information.

Sinclair, however, was quick to pick up on any information he was given. "You were not together at that time?" he prodded.

"That's correct," Brian reluctantly divulged. "We remained friends, but we had broken up."

"Isn't it true, however, Mr. Kinney, that once Mr. Prescott had successfully obtained Mr. Taylor's agreement to have dinner with him the following evening, you arranged for an off-duty policeman to FOLLOW the two of them during their date together?"

"Yes, that's true," Brian stated without apology. "I was concerned for his safety," Brian explained. As an afterthought almost, he continued, "And it WASN'T a date. Justin was simply following through on a commitment he had made to the GLC. By agreeing to have dinner with Prescott, he was able to obtain a contribution of $50,000 toward the Vince Grassi House." Brian thought he saw Matthew's eyebrows draw together in disapproval at his being too free with handing out information.

"I see," Sinclair acknowledged. "Would you not agree, however, that Prescott's interest in Mr. Taylor instigated your dislike of him?"

Before he could really think it through, Brian rashly answered. "Not exactly. It was his RUDE, POMPOUS, and ARROGANT attitude that irritated me the most!"

Matthews rose hastily from his seat as the crowd murmured loudly, causing the Judge to issue a stern warning for order. As the volume died down and the courtroom audience became silent, the prosecuting attorney slowly sat back down, still somewhat on edge. This was partly what he was afraid would happen between his witness and the fiery defense attorney.

Appearing unflappable by Brian's clear disgust for his client, Sinclair continued his questioning. "Mr. Kinney, is it not true that Mr. Taylor not only went out to dinner with my client the day after the benefit, but actually agreed to go out with him again?"

"You'd have to ask HIM that," Brian responded, clearly annoyed. The less he thought about Prescott and Justin's little sojourn to the Big Apple, the better off he was. That was a period in his and Justin's relationship he would just as soon FORGET.

"Are you saying you were not aware that the two of them had another tryst after the first dinner?" Sinclair asked pointedly.

Out and out angry now that Sinclair was continuing to press him on a most unpleasant subject, Brian almost shouted, "It was NOT a fucking tryst! They just had dinner and went to a goddamn museum!"

"Order!" Judge Mason bellowed. Turning to Matthews, he sternly lectured, "Counselor, kindly tell your witness that if he continues to conduct himself in this manner, he will be subject to a contempt of court order! I will NOT tolerate profanity or disrespect in this courtroom! Is that clear, counselor?" he asked, eyes peering out from his glasses as if he were a school marm.

"Yes, Your Honor." Matthews acknowledged. "Might I have a brief recess to address my witness, Your Honor?"

"Make it VERY brief, Counselor," the judge warned.

As Sinclair nodded to him briefly and turned to sit down, Matthews approached Brian, who was looking suspiciously like a puppy about to be scolded. "Brian, what did I tell you?" Matthews asked him in a guarded whisper. "You are NOT going to help Justin's case if you allow your emotions to rule your answers. You have GOT to keep your cool and not come off like some jealous, lovesick schoolboy! Do you understand?" he asked him pointedly.

Brian rolled his eyes and sighed before finally answering, "Yes, I understand. I don't like it or HIM. But I will try – for Justin's sake." Shaking his head in understanding, Matthews indicated to the judge he was ready to proceed.

Sinclair once again rose to resume his questioning, as Justin continued to stare at the drama unfolding in front of him. That man is trying to make Brian look bad in hopes Prescott won't come off as an evil guy here. Well, Sinclair, just wait until I get up there, he vowed.

"Now, Mr. Kinney. Let's move on to the security detail you set up for your loft in Lawrenceville. You stated previously that Mr. Keller told you your associate, Mr. Schmidt, had called in to cancel the detail."

"That's right," Brian answered a little warily.

"But you insist it wasn't Mr. Schmidt that called in to cancel it after all?"

"That's correct."

"Do you have any proof that it was NOT Mr. Schmidt that called in, or that Mr. Prescott, in fact, was behind the cancellation?"

Brian's normal confident, cocky manner stalled slightly as he stammered, "Well, no, but Ted told me he didn't do it."

"Isn't it actually correct, Mr. Kinney, that your comptroller, Mr. Schmidt, has a prior arrest record?"

"That has nothing to…."

"Just answer the question yes or no, Mr. Kinney."

Justin gasped a little. Poor Ted. Why does his name have to be dragged through the mud here? How low will this man stoop?

"Objection, Your Honor! That question has no relevance." Matthews insisted, once again standing to address the judge.

Mason paused a few seconds to consider. "I will allow the question, Mr. Matthews. Overruled. The witness may answer the question."

Brian glared at Sinclair for a few seconds. "Yes," he finally hissed at him.

Satisfied, Sinclair advised, "I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor," he declared, returning to his table to take his seat.

"Mr. Matthews? Redirect?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Mr. Kinney, when Mr. Prescott met with you at Kinnetik, did you indeed make a pass at him?"

What the fuck is Matthews DOING? Didn't he object to that kind of question before when Sinclair asked it?

Even Sinclair appeared surprised by the prosecuting attorney's question. "Mr. Kinney?" Matthews pressed.

Furrowing his brows in anger, Brian silently prayed that Matthews knew what the hell he was doing before finally answering, "I guess you could say that."

"And what happened when you did?"

Brian swallowed hard before answering; he really was uncomfortable discussing this subject in front of Justin. The two of them had never really addressed this privately before; in fact, he didn't even think Justin was aware of the fact. Unbeknownst to Brian, however, Justin's reaction was not one of surprise at hearing this admission; after all, Justin knew it had been second nature to Brian to make a move on anything attractive that had a dick, at least until they made a commitment of monogamy. He knew Brian had changed since then and he no longer had any reason to doubt his love or dedication to him.

Calming himself before answering, he supplied, "Well, he said he found me attractive, but he made it a policy not to mix business with pleasure."

"And what was your reaction? Did you continue to pursue him?"

How could I have EVER thought that smug asshole was attractive? Brian wondered silently before answering the attorney. "No. I didn't," he responded firmly. "I suppose at first I was disappointed a little," he admitted truthfully, "but I thought it was HIS loss, not mine."

Matthews smiled a little. "I see. And as for Mr. Schmidt, what type of employee would you say he has been for Kinnetik?"

Brian answered truthfully, "He's been a tremendous help to me and Kinnetik. He's made extremely wise business decisions that have resulted in the company being very profitable since the first year it was created, and he even filled in for me when I was seriously ill," the brunet answered in a rare admission of his previous health scare. "I trust him implicitly," he summed it up.

"Thank you, Mr. Kinney." Turning to the judge, he verified, "I have no further questions for this witness."

"In that case, you may step down, Mr. Kinney," the judge instructed. Brian risked one intense glare at Prescott before walking through the swinging door separating the front of the courtroom from the audience in attendance. He stepped resolutely toward Justin, trying to gauge his partner's reaction on his face. He sighed in relief inwardly as he saw Justin give him a tender smile in return, reaching out a slender hand to grasp the brunet's as Brian took a seat beside him. "We okay, Sunshine?" he asked him briefly.

Justin nodded before whispering a reassuring, "Yeah, Brian, we're okay," to his partner. Brian couldn't contain his relief and lifted his other free hand to briefly caress the blond's cheek. "I'm glad," he verified, smiling tenderly.

Both men looked up as the judge made an announcement to the courtroom that the trial was recessing for lunch. As the crowd dispersed for an hour, Brian and Justin remained seated, politely declining invitations from Jennifer and their friends to accompany them down to the cafeteria. Soon they were left alone, with only their thoughts on how Brian's testimony went and worry over Justin's upcoming appearance on the witness stand that afternoon.

"Justin? Brian?" Greg Matthews appeared seemingly out of nowhere, temporarily disrupting their privacy. Smiling a little apologetically at the two, Matthews explained, "I'm sorry if you thought I was out of line asking about your first meeting with Prescott, Brian. But I felt it was important to stress to the jury that you were not some aggressive pursuer of the guy, and that your testimony wasn't tainted by some anger over being turned down and wanting to take retribution. I have no doubt that Sinclair was going to make you out to be some kind of sore loser over who wound up with his client, you or Justin."

"But that is totally fucked!" Justin insisted.

"I know," he reassured him. "But I need to make sure the jury focuses on Prescott's actions and doesn't get deterred by some scheme of Sinclair's to discredit either Brian or one of his employees. The man is just desperate to get his client acquitted. But Prescott's actions could have cost you your life," he said. "So trust me, before this trial is over, I am going to prove that all the preparations he underwent make it clear that no one who was insane, temporarily or otherwise, could have carried out what he accomplished. He may have been obsessed with you, but this man's mind was as clear as a bell, I have no doubt. And before we're done, the jury won't have any doubt, either."

The man's confidence helped to diffuse some of Justin's fear about the outcome. "I hope you're right, Greg," he said, still nervous about his upcoming testimony.

"We're going to nail him, Justin, don't you worry. But I won't kid you. Your testimony is going to be key to the whole thing. I can't stress how important it will be."

"Don't you worry, Greg," Brian assured him. "Justin's a LOT stronger than you know. He's going to kick his ass," he said, proudly looking at his partner, who smiled at the brunet's confidence in him.

"Well, I'd better get back to the table. I'll see you shortly. You might want to go get a quick bite to eat to help settle your nerves," he suggested, before turning toward the front of the room.

"I think he's right, Sunshine," Brian responded. "You should try to eat a little something - come on." He gently pulled his partner up, placing a hand around his waist. "Everything's going to be fine," he reassured him once again. "This will all be behind us soon."

I hope you're right, Brian, Justin thought silently, as he followed him out the rear door and toward the cafeteria.