"Yahtzee, bitches!" Brian called out triumphantly. Justin and Daphne groaned in protest as the three lay sprawled out on the king size bed in Daphne's hotel room. The boys were taking the doctor's orders for Daphne to get as much rest as possible quite seriously; she had only been allowed out of bed twice so far to use the bathroom much to her chagrin. Justin had ordered room service to be delivered and they had pigged out greedily.

Brian, however, had run in to town with instructions to get enough board games and DVDs to occupy them for the next 24 hours. He had returned nearly two hours later, mumbling under his breath about women with coupons and kids with sticky fingers trying to touch his Armani pants. As Justin and Daphne settled in to a game of Life, Brian tackled Kinnetik business on his laptop, deciding not to return to the peaceful quiet of his and Justin's room; opting instead to spread out on the unclaimed couch. The young duo played nearly every game he had bought before imploring him to join them for a game of Yahtzee.

Daphne gathered the dice, throwing them in to the cup with a little more force than necessary as she scowled at the older man. "You bastard, you're cheating."

Releasing the dice out of their velvet prison, Daphne scrunched up her nose at the poor selection in front of her. How the hell had Brian managed to get two yahtzees when her best roll so far had been a somewhat decent 3 of a kind? Looking over to Justin's score sheet she realized he wasn't fairing any better than her.

"How the hell do you cheat at this game? Do you think I just happened to have a magnet handy that I placed underneath the bed spread and can somehow activate it only when it is my turn? Not to mention the fact that the dice are ivory and not metal. " Brian placed his hand on top of Daphne's head before ruffling her already unruly hair. "You're just a sore loser."

"Yeah, well it's better to be a sore loser than to have a sore…"

"And it's my turn now!" Justin cut in loudly as he snatched the cup out of Daphne's hand and scoped the dice up. The bickering continued back and forth for the rest of the game as Brian won the round readily and Justin suggested they close out the evening with a movie.

"What DVDs did you get?" Justin asked as he stretching to grab for the bag on the side table from where he laid sprawled out at the end of the bed.

"I hope they aren't all black and white…and please tell me there's someone other than James Dean in them?" Daphne scrunched her nose as Brian scoffed at the abhorrent suggestion.

"For your information, there isn't a single black and white, or James Dean movie in there. I went to the "horrible taste in cinema" section and found a couple movies I thought you would love." Brian grumbled as he opened his laptop to check once more if he had any new emails, before calling it a night.

Justin pulled the DVDs out of the plastic bag and began reading off the titles, "The Blind Side, The Goonies, Juno, The Notebook, and Rent. No way! Did you grab someone else's bag by mistake?" Justin asked as he flipped the DVDs over in his hands, staring at the cases as if they were in a foreign language.

In all honesty, Brian had heard the two giggling many times over the years about their favorite movies. It hadn't been hard to select a few he remembered above the others as being obnoxiously fawned over by the duo. "I just asked the guy working there what his girlfriend's favorite movies were and went from there."

Justin looked to the brunette suspiciously as Brian kept his eyes trained to the screen of his laptop; the sides of his mouth twitching just slightly to keep from grinning. This mysterious girlfriend either shared the same brain as his best friend and himself, or this was a typical case of cloak and dagger; Kinney-style.

Not giving the circumstance much thought, and deciding not to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Daphne chose instead to launch herself from under the covers, coming to rest just beside Brian. Refusing to deflect his attention, Daphne put both hands on either side of Brian's face, forcing him to look at her. "I thought for sure you were going to torture me, seeing as how I am on lockdown and completely at your mercy." Removing her hands from his face, Brian nodded his head in acknowledgement before he turned his attention back to the screen. Not allowing the opportunity to pass, Daphne leaned over, placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek, pulling away with an audible smack of her lips as she climbed back under the covers.

Justin laughed at his best friend's excitement; waving his hands to get her attention. "So what are we watching?"

The two looked at each other for a few seconds before they both grinned, replying loudly in unison, "The Notebook."

As Justin popped the DVD into the player, Daphne settled back into the headboard, pillows scattered all around as Brian clicked away on the laptop beside her. As the menu displayed, Justin turned the lamp off beside them, throwing a pillow in to Daphne's lap before he laid down.

Justin turned just enough to hook his foot around Brian's, the older man's furious typing stopping for a moment before resuming its pace.

Daphne grabbed the remote from the middle of the bed, pressing play, she leaned towards Brain so she was just at his ear, singing cheekily. "You so love me!"

Brian nearly cringed at the frightening familiarity of her statement. Sometimes he really did wonder if the two best friends shared the same brain.

As the movie started, neither Justin, not Daphne, noticed the smile tugging at the corner of the brunette's lips as he shut down his laptop and settled in for the duration.

[o][o][o][o][o]

"Uncle Bri, I have to pee!" Came the high-pitched screech from behind Brian.

Glancing in to the rear-view mirror, Brian winced as the toddler repeated her statement only louder this time, bopping up and down in her seat; either because of the song she was listening to or a full bladder, Brian surmised. Motioning to his own ears, Brian implored the girl to follow his directions, "Take the headphones off, Suvi."

The girl tugged at the headphones, trying to remove them from her ears but only managed to get tangled up in the cords.

Buying an SUV that was equipped with a TV/DVD player, last year, for the sole purpose of keeping the child entertained during long car rides, had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Now Brian was questioning that decision. How come the girl never got tangled when she was in the car with Justin or her mom? Was there something fundamentally missing from Brian's vast number of skills when it came to small children?

Leaving Daphne and Justin in Allentown after Daphne's 24 hour restrictions were up, Brian had gone back to Pittsburgh, alone, to spend the rest of the week catching up at Kinnetik and making sure Babylon was still standing. Debbie had been looking after Daphne's daughter while they were gone and refused to give the child up once Brian had returned. Not that he really fought the woman on the subject. Sure, he and Suvi were close…hell, he was one of her two surrogate father's in many ways, but it had been a long time since he had spent any considerable time alone with a 3 year old and to be honest; Suvi scared the shit out of him. She had picked up way too many of his habits over the years; such as a healthy portion of his attitude or his pension for sweet-talking his way out of anything. His frequent urging of her wild ways, to annoy her mom, had come back to bite him in the ass big time.

So Brian let Debbie keep the girl, leaving the boisterous redhead to spoil the girl more than she normally did; while Brian popped in when he could.

He hadn't planned on going back to Allentown until the night before the embryo transfer but everything at Kinnetik was running smoothly and he had managed, with Ted and Cynthia's help, to get everything caught up by Friday evening, leaving him with nothing to do and no one at home for the entire weekend.

Funny how before, that would have been his idea of a perfect weekend. No one to answer to, no one to nag him; a weekend open to debauchery and various shenanigans that would no doubt solidify his iconic status in the burgh.

But that was before. Brian often thought of his life in terms of two specific time frames; before that fateful night when his world was rocked, both literally and metaphorically, and after. Certainly not a conscious effort on his part, but he had long ago stopped denying, at least to himself, how that night changed in him something that had remained stagnant for years. His life slowly started to change the instant he, too, stepped under that lamppost and no amount of fighting and tantrums along the way could off-set the inevitable.

And that inevitable path led him here.

Justin had called to inform him that the embryologist had verified that the eggs had fertilized and were, in fact, dividing as they had hoped and they had scheduled the transfer for Wednesday morning.

Bolstered by his efficient staff, after all, he paid them handsomely so they damned well better be, along with the good news from the clinic, Brian decided he would press his luck even further and surprise the pair back in Allentown. Surprise them not only with his gorgeous face, but that of the equally gorgeous 3 year old who currently was fighting against the headphone cords that she had somehow managed to get caught under her arms.

"Stop struggling Suvi." Brian stated evenly, trying to calm the child as he checked to make sure she wasn't in danger of choking. The last thing he needed was trying to explain asphyxiation by headphones to her mother. Assured the child was clear of any immediate danger, Brian nearly thanked the heavens when he noticed a sign for a rest area that was located a few miles up the road. "I'm going to pull over in a few minutes and I will help you out, then you can go to the bathroom, okay?"

Pulling in to the designated drive, Brian parked and got out of the car. Noticing the few clusters of people who were walking pets and eating sandwiches, he grumbled under his breath, "fucking pedestrians" with a disapproving shake of his head.

Opening the door, Brian leaned over the small child, untangling her from the mess of cords she was entrapped by before he reached around to unbuckle her seatbelt. Lifting her out of the car, Brian walked them both to the small building, contemplating the two restroom entrances before him. Brian weighed his options. He very well couldn't send the girl in to the woman's restroom by herself, but he also knew he couldn't walk in with her without causing a stir. Opting out of either option, Brian looked down to the girl as she danced back and forth from foot to foot before he pulled her towards the men's room. Opening the door with a quick scan of the interior, Brian conceded that it could have been a lot worse.

Noticing a few guys spread out over the span of urinals, Brian cursed under his breath as he cupped his hand over the girl's eyes. "Uncle Bri, what are you doing?" His tiny companion questioned; her voice bouncing loudly off the walls.

"Just go with it Suvi." He begged as he walked steadily behind the girl.

One of the guys caught his eye in the mirror as he washed his hands and smirked when he looked down at the child in consternation. Brian bristled; his free hand balling in to a fist. "Is there a problem?" The guy shook his head as he turned to leave the small bathroom; the smirk still hitched to his lips.

What Brian wouldn't give to wipe that smirk off his ugly ass face right now?

Turning back to the little girl, Brian opened a few stall doors, relieved that most seemed to still be attached to the hinges. Wincing at a few of the toilets, Brian wondered if he would end up having to go in to the women's restroom after all, before he found a, somewhat clean, stall. Flushing the toilet with his foot for safe measure, Brian pulled out one of those weird seat covers that seemed to be made out of wax paper before he placed Suvi gently on top. Turning around to give her a little privacy and to collect his own thoughts, Brian wondered, for what seemed like the hundredth time today, why he ever thought it would be a good idea to go on a road trip with a child.

It was bad enough that time he had driven to New York with Michael, Emmett and Ted.

Fucking Emmet!.

Why hadn't he thought to have Emmett come with him? He practically shared the mind of a 3 year old girl as it was, no doubt he talks the language of small children that just sounded so odd to Brian's ears.

Better get used to it pal. A voice reached in from the recesses of Brian's brain. That is what this whole trip was about after all.

Wasn't it?

Hearing the flush of the toilet, Brian spun around to see the small girl, her hair a mess of brown curls, staring up at him with what Brian could only figure were her father's green eyes; dressed and ready to go. Brian silently thanked her mother for the fact that she was able to accomplish this particular task on her own. Seeing that the bathroom had thankfully cleared out, Brian led the girl to the sink, propping her on his knee as they both washed their hands.

"Uncle Bri?"

"Yes?"

"I'm hungry, and thirsty." Grabbing the older man's hand in hers after they dried their hands, Suvi walked beside Brian as they left the restroom.

Cursing himself silently, Brian realized that he hadn't brought anything along for the ride to feed the child. He was so used to traveling alone that he hadn't given much thought to planning ahead as far as snacks were concerned.

As they walked back towards the car, Brian noticed a fleet of brightly lit vending machines. Reaching in to his pocket, he pulled out some dollar bills causing Suvi to starting jumping up and down excitedly. "Lead the way!" The girl pulled on his arm as she drug him towards the machines that her mother would never let her play with.

She knew there was a reason Uncle Bri was her favorite the little girl thought to herself, practically pushing her face up against the plastic that separated her from the chocolaty, sugary goodness mere inches away.

[o][o][o][o][o]

Justin and Daphne were lounging in Daphne's hotel room, exhausted after a day out seeing the many sights of the city. Ever since Brian had left, they had gone out every day, figuring if they kept busy enough, their minds wouldn't wander as much back to the people they loved back in Pittsburgh.

This was the first time Daphne had been away from her daughter for longer than an overnight visit with Debbie or Jennifer, and while she knew that the temporary separation would be worth it for what they were doing, it stung non-the-less.

Giggling as they recounted the moody group of teenagers they had encountered outside of what looked like a trendy jazz club, both jumped when an impatient knock sounded at the door. Justin slowly pulled himself off the bed as he looked to Daphne in confusion.

Halfway to the door, he heard a muffled plea. "Open the door! It' me."

"Brian?" Justin asked as he reached the door. "I thought you had a key? Wait a minute; I thought you weren't coming back until Tuesday night?" Grabbing for the door handle, Justin yanked it open quickly, not prepared for the sight that met him in return.

Brian stood in front of him; his clothes were rumpled from the long trip that included many potty breaks, fueled by sugar-heavy drinks and snacks. His arms were fumbling around the coloring books, games and the half-opened, Dora emblazoned backpack as Suvi sat perched on his shoulders, her hands buried deep in his disheveled hair. What looked to be chocolate icing was smeared all around her mouth as her shirt had failed to escape the mess as well.

Smiling hopelessly behind tired eyes, Brian sighed heavily. "Surprise!"

Daphne walked up behind Justin to see what was going on. When she noticed her daughter positioned atop Brian's shoulders she squealed in delight, nearly shoving Justin out of her way as she reached for the girl. "Hey baby, what are you doing here?"

"I foolishly thought driving across the state with a toddler was something that was even slightly within the realm of my competence." Brian allowed Justin to take the items from his arms before he reached up to pull the squirming child off his shoulders and handed her over to her mother. "Won't be making that mistake again.

Justin stared up at the taller man in, shocked; fairly certain he had never seen him more undone than he was right now. It was oddly sexy he realized with a raise of his eyebrow.

"How was the trip?" Daphne asked her daughter between bouts of kisses and hugs as the child became increasingly annoyed with her mother's coddling.

"Uncle Bri let me drink pop and eat candy bars." Suvi exclaimed excitedly, smiling proudly at the brunette before she level her expression on her mom. "How come you never let me drink pop and eat candy?"

"You want to know why?" Daphne asked as she bent down to her daughter's eye level. Pointing at Brian as if his appearance was proof enough, she replied to the girl, "that's why! Look at what you did to Uncle Bri! I'm afraid to ask what shape the cars in. Do I want to know?" Daphne asked as she looked first to her daughter and then to Brian.

Brian shook his head.

"How about we let Uncle Bri go get cleaned up, and give him a little time to recoup," Justin laughed, receiving a glare in return, "and then maybe we can go get some real food in your little belly, and maybe we can find a park around here before it gets dark."

"You all go on without me. I feel the walls closing in." Brian stated dramatically, reaching a hand blindly in front of himself. Grinning wickedly, he grabbed the hem of Justin's shirt as he tugged the blonde towards the door. "Come with me, kind sir. I believe I've got a few hard-to-reach places that you might be able to help me with."

Looking back to his friend, Justin smiled brightly as he considered the much-improved direction in which his day had turned. However, he was aware of how they often got carried away and easily lost track of time once the two got started. They had, after all, not seen each other for three days. "If we're not back in an hour…"

"Call room service! Put it on my tab!" Brian interjected over his shoulder just before the door closed behind the pair, thankful that their room was right across the hall as they started removing their shirts before Brian was finally able to open the door after a few failed attempts. It was quite hard, after all, to open a door when your hands are otherwise occupied in far more useful ways.

[o][o][o][o][o]

A/N – Thanks so much to those who have been reading, reviewing, and setting up alerts for this story, it really means so much to me. This story will be a lot of fluff, banter, and fun times, but there will also be some angst coming up as well as further in to the story and more details on exactly what everyone is up to and how everyone fits together since this story takes place in present time, which is roughly 5 years after the finale, will surface in its own time. I promise I am not forgetting to explain things; it shall all be revealed, but please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

This story is completely dedicated to Nalana because she has put up with all my ramblings, has read and reread the chapters for me when I am feeling particularly negative, and she has been all around awesome! She is also the reason I even started watching QaF, so literally, without her this story would not exist, hehe!

I've tried to get a new chapter out every couple days or so, but **hint, hint** reviews makes my fingers type faster, haha! Shameless, I know, but I just love hearing what you guys think; good or bad – I am always up for constructive criticism because it really is the best way to learn and evolve as a writer! Hope you liked this chapter – FYI: I absolutely LOVE Suvi, and I am obsessed with writing for her and Brian. It's not a conscious thing but the plot-bunnies take over and I just can't stop.

Evelyn