"Come in." Brian called out at the soft knock that sounded on the door. The heavy mahogany door creaked slowly open. When he looked up after a silent moment, Gus was smiling timidly back at him, his head poking around the door shyly. "What's up Sonny Boy?"

The door opened fully, though Brian didn't catch the way the boy's eyes rolled at the nickname. At 10 years old, that nickname was starting to wear thin with the boy. Gus entered the room slowly, it was by no means his first time being in his dad's home office, but the room felt too much like ticking time clocks and oversized calendars.

He made his way over to the desk, fiddling with one of the dozens of identical pens that stood lamely in a leather covered holder. The boy flopped down in the chair facing his father. Brian peered over the top of the contract he was reading as his son picked up the framed picture that sat atop his desk.

Gus ran his fingers along the perimeter of the frame, the corners of his mouth twitched as he studied the picture. It was one of his favorites. His dad hated getting his picture taken, which explained the lacking photographic representation of the brunette around the house. There were countless pictures of Justin, Daphne, Suvi, and himself from over the years, even a few of various other family members that Justin had put out as well. Yet, there were less than a handful of his dad.

Posing for stuffy pictures was too obnoxious for the brunette, but he hadn't been able to escape a few scenarios that were usually perpetrated by his traitorous husband and equally traitorous son.

This picture, however, the one that his son held almost reverently in his hands was special. It wasn't taken on a particularly meaningful day, a Tuesday evening if Brian recalled. He had come home from work earlier than normal and had decided to lay out by the pool before they had decided to enclose the space. Daphne and Justin were in the pool with Suvi trying to teach her how to swim, with Gus' expert demonstrations as Brian let the young girl's squealing wash over him un-phased. The weather was gorgeous and the pool was bathed in deep shades of red as the sun was in its final descent.

The heat from the summer day was almost enough to lull Brian to sleep as he stretched his toes and settled in further, until he felt a wet heaviness flop down on to his stomach. Opening his eyes he was greeted by his son's ecstatic face. "Dad, you really have to come in the pool, it's so much fun."

Brian didn't miss the devilish glint in his son's eyes as the boy fiddled with something behind his back. Before he could question his son any further, Justin unceremoniously plopped down beside him on the rather large chaise lounge they had bought not long after moving in. Luckily the chair was made out of water resistant material; the beads of water pouring off his soaked husband were only a minor annoyance as it hit his hot skin. He turned his attention back to the boy who was perched impatiently on his stomach.

"Sorry Sonny Boy, I think I'll sit this one out." He said as he patted his son's leg reassuringly. The boy's face fell slightly.

Justin jumped in. "Come on, Brian. It will be fun."

"Nope."

"You've never refused to swim with me before?" The blonde pouted.

"There was never an audience and children present, either." Brian countered.

Justin leaned in, whispering in Brian's ear. "If we wear the children out swimming then the pool will be all ours."

Brian gave the idea some thought as the blonde's warm breath washed over his neck, mixing in a dangerous way with the droplets that fell from his wet hair. Brian was too lost in the moment to notice his son's shifting movement until a bright light flashed with an audible pop in his face. The two older men snapped out of their daze to look at the grinning boy, clutching the digital camera in his hands.

"What the…" Brian started, blinking away the multicolored spots that danced in his head before the blonde clamped his hand over his mouth.

Justin cleared his throat loudly.

Gus shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"Gus…" Brian warned.

"I know, I know dad. One more? Just the three of us?" Brian squinted his eyes as he looked over to Justin who beamed back at him. He knew he certainly couldn't count on the blonde to help him out.

With a dramatic sigh, he relented. "Only one, no matter how it turns out. Deal?"

Gus nodded his head firmly. "Deal!"

Gus let out an excited yelp as he flipped over so he was lying half on Brian and half on Justin. He wiggled his way between them enough to be comfortable, looking first to Justin and then to Brian. He extended his hands above them, pointing the camera in their direction.

He only had one shot at this; he needed to make it count. "Dad, you have to smile." A long finger poked in to the side of his stomach as he scooted closer to Justin. "Say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Justin replied in unison with the boy. Brian remained silent. Just when Gus was about to divert his attention, the same fingers attacked his sides with much more fervor than before. Giggling wildly, Gus jumped in surprise; his finger triggering the camera as the light once again blinded the brunette.

Gus sat up quickly. "Hey, that wasn't fair." Turning the camera over in his hands the younger brunette reviewed the pictures.

A year later, the picture of the three sat proudly on his father's desk. The fact that it was slightly blurred only made the picture all the better. His dad's mischievous smile was captured perfectly; Gus's head was thrown back in laughter as Justin looked happily at the two beside him. They were all sun-soaked and wet, the perfect lazy summer evening.

It was the only picture of the three of them together but that was ok.

Gus still hadn't said anything since he'd sat down; he just kept staring at the picture. His eyes lost.

Brian cleared his throat. "Gus?"

"Sorry, dad."

"Did you need something?"

Gus set the picture back in its proper place, his hands coming to rest nervously in his lap. "I know you are working…when you are in your office that means you're doing important stuff, but I was just wondering if maybe we could go and do something today." Gus raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze. "If you're not too busy?"

"Sonny Boy, I would love to be anywhere but here right now. Doing anything with you. But if I don't get this done for my meeting tomorrow, these clients will walk…along with all the money in their bank accounts." Brian sighed heavily.

Gus nodded his head slowly, his lips pursing in thought. Brian grinned when he noticed the action. It was something the boy had picked up from Justin, without a doubt.

Brian straightened up in his chair. "I tried to clear a lot of the work for when you came down but this was unavoidable."

Gus shrugged his shoulders. He'd heard this excuse before. "It's ok, dad."

Brian nodded solemnly. "I'll make it up to you."

"You always do." Gus grumbled as he pulled himself from the chair, trudging heavily to the door. With one final look back into the room, the boy shut the door softly.

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

Thirty minutes later, Justin was making his way to the studio when he stopped abruptly. Gus was inside. Deep in to the room, surrounded by the amber rays of the setting son, Gus stood in front of the easel as he stood back to study his creation. He was wrapped in a white paint-splattered smock that Justin had bought for him years ago, his right hand clutched one of the nearly-empty vegetable cans that Justin had taken recycling, preferring this approach to using palettes where the paint tended to become clumpy before drying out. Multiple cans were laid out before him, each filled with a different color as he wiped at his forehead, leaving a streak of maroon in its wake.

Justin noticed the tense set of his shoulders as he contemplated his next move, dipping the paintbrush into the brown water, wiping it vigorously on his smock before dipping in to the bright orange can. His strokes were long and quick, almost hasty as the boy tilted his head to the side in order to view his subject in a new light.

Justin could hear Suvi approaching, but before he could stop her, she sped past him in a flash. "Gus!" She squealed happily, stopping at his side and observing his actions.

Justin ducked back behind the wall so as not to be seen, stopping Daphne as she quickly rushed after her daughter. He silently shook his head as the two peered back around the door. "Why can't I go in?" She whispered.

"I want to see what they do when they are alone." Justin nodded in to the room.

Suvi's high-pitched voice rang sharply in the cavernous room. "Gus, can I paint, too?"

The boy looked around the room. Usually Justin was with him when they painted. He wasn't sure what to do with the small girl when there weren't any adults around. He spotted his old plastic easel that Suvi now used; a large pad of paper was fastened to the board instead of canvas. He pulled the easel over beside his and located her yellow raincoat that he had seen her paint in before. Helping her pull on the coat, he made quick work of fastening the buckles before plopping the cap down over her wild curls.

"Just don't make too much of a mess. I'm not above blaming a child." Gus replied with a weak grin as he handed her a small brush, motioning to the cans of paint before he returned to his own work.

"That went well." Daphne breathed out as the two continued to watch the pair in the room.

To be honest, Justin had worried that Gus would have easily dismissed the girl. "He's definitely upset, but I don't think it has anything to do with Suvi."

Daphne scrunched up her nose. "How can you tell? Did he say something to you?"

Justin shook his head, keeping his voice low. "He didn't have to. Look at his painting." Justin pointed towards the canvas. "It's predominantly done in shades of red, which in this case seems to signify anger. All of those reds, the maroons, oranges, even a little bit of yellow… plus the way he's painting, the strokes are heavy handed and uncontrolled. The paint is thickly applied, almost haphazardly. He's mad about something. But see in the corner, there's a little patch of blue? He's hopeful but guarded about whatever is bothering him." Justin finished, his head leaning against the door frame as he continued to study the boy.

"You got all of that, from that?" Daphne asked, her eyes growing wide. "Ok, Mr. PIFA. If you are so good, then what does Suvi's painting mean?"

They both looked to the girl who was using her brush to splatter paint on her paper as she kept looking to see what Gus was doing. "It means she wants to make a mess."

They both laughed. "She does think it's the most rebellious thing in the world to get paint on herself." Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, I've seen similar painting sell for millions…that looked like they were painted by a 3 year old. Maybe we'll all get lucky and we could all retire early and let Suvi take care of us." Justin grinned.

"Don't get my hopes up, Warhol." Daphne looked back to Gus who seemed lost in his own little world. "So what are you going to do about Gus? If he's upset about something shouldn't you talk to him, or tell Brian?"

"Gus is very complicated when it comes to his emotions. Unfortunately he is like his father in that sense. He becomes very contemplative when he's upset about something, I'll give him some time…maybe he's just missing his moms?"

Daphne's eyes lit up. "I've got an idea." She exclaimed as she grabbed Justin's arm and drug him behind her in to the room. Gus and Suvi turned around quickly when they heard the adults approaching. "Sorry to interrupt your flow, or whatever goes on with you artsy types." Daphne winked conspiratorially at Gus. "But how does everyone feel about an ice cream party tonight?"

Suvi let out a loud yelp as she started jumping up and down at the prospect of copious amounts of sugar being ingested in to her tiny body. Gus shrugged his shoulders but he couldn't quite hide the grin that was forming.

Daphne walked over between the two. "Gus, how about you go with me to the store and we will pick out as many different flavors as you like."

"Mommy, I want to go." Suvi whined expectantly.

Daphne could feel Gus tense slightly beside her. "Baby, how about you help Uncle Juss clean up in here and then you both can go track down all those sprinkles and candies that Uncle Bri hid from the last party we had."

Suvi leaned around her mother to whisper to Gus. "Uncle Bri said candy and sprinkles were filled with cards and would make my teeth fall out."

"Cards?" Gus asked.

"Carbs." Justin corrected with a laugh. Justin reached in to his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Once he found what he was looking for he handed the plastic card over to Daphne. "Get whatever you want."

"Anything?" Gus asked skeptically as he removed his smock. Justin pointed to the bit of paint still on his forehead as the boy quickly cleaned it off with a wet rag he had been using.

Daphne looked at the card, her face breaking out in to a wide smile. "You can get anything you want, my man, because your dear old dad is footing the bill." Daphne practically sang as she ushered the boy out of the studio.

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

Forty-Five minutes later, Daphne and Gus arrived back home; their arms full of sugary goodness. Gus emptied the bags in his arms on to the table and silently started putting the treats away. Justin eyed the boy, noting his quiet demeanor. He had hoped that getting out of the house without his dads or Suvi would have gone a little ways towards boosting his spirits.

Justin pulled Daphne aside when Gus made his way in to the den to watch TV; Suvi close on his heels chattering away. "Well, any luck? Did he say anything about why he's upset?"

Daphne shook her head. "If memory serves correct that boy is fluent in the language of grownups-couldn't-possibly-understand-shit. I should have kept a running tally of how many times he sighed dramatically when I asked him a question."

Justin frowned. "Damn. I thought maybe you could get something out of him. Between all of us, you are definitely Switzerland in this equation. He didn't say anything?"

"Nope, he was practically a mute. Though he did seem to really enjoy the freedom of buying whatever ice cream he wanted. That kid's face lit up when we hit the freezer section at the store."

"I'll take him out tomorrow while Brian is at work; maybe I can get something out of him." Justin pondered the thought when Suvi came running in to the kitchen.

"Ice cream party, ice cream party." The girl yelled, bouncing across the floor.

Daphne scrunched her nose. "I should have thought this through a little better. Do we really want to put sugar in to that already-hyper little monster?"

Justin laughed as he scooped up the squirming girl. "Can't back out now. She knows where you sleep."

Justin moved the girl to his shoulders and entered the den. "Come on Gus, there's what looks to be a dozen different ice cream flavors in the freezer with your name on it. I can only hold this one back so long if you want first dibs." Justin smiled wickedly when Suvi started to protest and squirm against his hold.

Gus stood up from where he had been laying on the couch, a small smile tugging at his lips. He made his way past Justin, turning around just before they were at the kitchen, his smile faded. "Is dad coming?" He asked quietly.

Justin heart dropped. It all made sense now. Justin placed Suvi back on her feet as the two stared at him expectantly. "Since we can't lure you dad out of the office, how about we bring the party to him."

Gus's eyes lit up. "Really? He hates ice cream."

"Nahhh, he just says that and then steals bites of everyone else's when they aren't looking."

Suvi nodded her head in agreement. "He really does. He steals mine all the time."

"Let's get this show on the road." Justin exclaimed loudly as he led the kids back in to the kitchen where Daphne was setting all the ice cream and toppings on the counter along with deep bowls and large spoons. "Change of plans, Daph. We're going mobile."

Justin handed Gus and Suvi as much as their arms could carry before he and Daph grabbed the rest. The four made their way slowly and carefully down the hallway. Justin used the tip of his shoe to knock on the door, causing Suvi to giggle loudly when he almost toppled over. Brian's voice called them in but he didn't look up immediately when they all entered.

"Uncle Bri." Suvi implored with a stomp of her foot causing the brunette to finally look up from the papers he was studying.

Brian didn't know how to respond to the four people in front of him who seemed to be carrying their weight in ice cream and various other utensils, bowls, and toppings. "What the fu…what's going on?" He asked cautiously.

"Well immediately my arms are freezing off from all this ice cream so I would suggest moving anything that could get ruined so I can put these down." Brian continued to stare for a minute before quickly clearing his desk before the blonde dropped the thawing containers down on to the cherry wood surface. Justin continued, "We're having an ice cream party and since you refuse to join the land of the living, we're bringing it to you." When Brian's eyes met his own, Justin motioned towards Gus with an expectant expression as Brian looked to the boy, whose eyes were so hopeful.

"Ok, but I really only have a couple minutes." Brian relented as hands grabbed for containers, spoons and bowls. "I really do have to finish this pitch, though."

Suvi climbed up and sat on the edge of the table. "I want that kind." She said as she pointed to the mint chocolate chip. Daphne began dropping spoon-fulls in to her daughter's bowl as the girl grabbed for the butterscotch and rainbow sprinkles.

"Are you sure? That might not taste the greatest." Daphne asked but relented when Suvi nodded her head seriously.

Gus hung back for a few minutes, watching everyone around him carefully, but most of all he watched his dad. He looked almost stunned at all the commotion that had descended upon his quiet office. Not upset, but he wasn't happy. Gus knew that Justin had arranged all of this for him, because he knew he wanted to see his dad, but now he just felt guilty for disturbing him. His dad was always busy with work. He should be used to this by now. When his dad comes up to their house in Canada he doesn't have to work, other than the occasional call he'd have to take, but visiting down here was a different story entirely. He knew this…so why did it bother him so much all of a sudden?

"What kind do you want, Gus?" Justin asked, spoon at the ready.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Ummmm, actually I think I might eat some later, I'm kind of tired." Placing his bowl down on the desk, Gus made a quick exit as the three adults looked after him; matching looks of confusion coloring their faces. The boy lived for sweets. In that sense he was so much like Justin it was almost scary. He'd never refused ice cream before. And since when did he voluntarily go to bed? He was a master at bed-time evasion tactics.

"I thought for sure this would have done the trick." Daphne sighed heavily, leaning against the desk in defeat. Her plan had officially crashed and burned.

"What's going on?" Brian asked, sneaking a spoonful of Suvi's colorful concoction from her bowl and in to his mouth, much to the little girls dismay.

Justin looked at him incredulously. "Were we not looking at the same kid? Gus is upset about something but he won't talk. Did he say anything to you? I thought for sure he just wanted to spend some time with you which is why we brought everything in here."

Brian shook his head. "He came in a couple hours ago wanting to do something but I explained to him I was too busy. I told him I would make it up to him and he left. He didn't say anything to me."

"Something is bothering him." Justin's lips pursed as he continued to stare at the door the boy had exited from, as if the answer would magically appear.

"Look, I really have to get this campaign ready for tomorrow's meeting, but when I get home tomorrow, I will talk to him first thing, ok?"

Justin waved his hand absently as he began collecting the remnants of their failed attempt. "I want to take him somewhere tomorrow, but I'm not sure where to go. It has to be something he really likes."

"What about the raceway? He always likes going there when he visits." Brian asked as he looked over one of the numerous boards that were stacked beside his desk.

Justin leapt towards his husband, kissing his cheek and nearly spilling the contents of his arms in to the brunette's lap. "That's perfect! I don't care what anyone says, you really are a genius."

Brian laughed at Justin's burst of excitement before frowning. "Wait…who's saying what about me not being a genius?" He called after the blonde who was already heading back towards the kitchen with his arms full of ice cream containers.

When he didn't get a reply, Brian looked to Daphne who stood beside Suvi, picking at a thread on her shirt that was stretched over her extended belly. Suvi was so consumed with her desert she hadn't paid a bit of attention to what the grownups had been discussing. When Brian silently questioned Daphne about his husband's comment, she simply shrugged her shoulders. Perching her daughter on her hip, she, too, made a hasty retreat.

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

Was there a single moment in which children realized they didn't have to wake up with the sun, in favor of relishing in the joys of sleeping in? Or was this something that happened gradually? Last summer Brian and Justin had to implement the rule that if the sun wasn't up, Gus shouldn't be either. Waking up at ungodly hours, the boy busied himself in his room with his vast collection of toy cars and motorcycles until the first rays of sunlight hit his carpet; at which point he was down the hall banging on his dads' door. Minutes later, Justin would trudge out of the room, blindly steering the child towards the kitchen in search of food and the day would begin with Brian following minutes later; heading straight for the coffee machine in search of liquid energy. This summer however, if left undisturbed, Gus would sleep long past the rising sun, heading further towards the afternoon.

At this particular moment, Justin found himself gently shaking the boy in an attempt to wake him. "Gus. Wake up." Justin said quietly, not wanting to startle the boy.

Gus grumbled unintelligibly and turned on to his side.

Justin raised his voice a little, trying to break through the barrier between sleep and consciousness. "Gus!"

A low snore escaped the tiny brunette's mouth.

Justin couldn't help but laugh. More and more Gus was turning in to a mini version of his father. Brian was often the first one to get up in the morning as he got ready to head in to work, but on the random days when he was allotted the chance to sleep in, he was practically dead to the world.

Justin pursed his lips as he thought about how he could best rouse the kid when an idea came to him. He bent down to the boys upturned ear, invoking two of his favorite words. "Motor Raceway."

The boy's eyes flew open as he tried to rub the sleep away and looked to the blonde expectantly. "What?"

"I knew that would wake you up." Justin laughed loudly.

Gus groaned in annoyance, covering his eyes against the sun. "That was an evil trick."

Justin smiled. "Who said it was a trick?"

"It's like you are talking in code." The boy mumbled as he pulled the pillow from behind his head and onto his face. He continued talking but all Justin could hear was murmurs.

Justin grabbed for the pillow but Gus held tight. After a brief battle of wills, Justin proved victorious as he pulled the pillow away from the boy's face. "The longer you lay in bed the less time you'll have behind the wheel." Justin shrugged, rising from the bed.

Gus jumped from under the covers, practically attaching himself to Justin's back as the blonde headed for the door. "Are you serious? We're going to go to Motor Raceway?" Gus asked excitedly as he disengaged himself from Justin, his feet hitting the thick carpet with a thud.

"Your dad has to work and I sent Daph and Suvi with Grandma Jen for the day so it's just you and me. Thought you might want to get out of the house for a little bit." Justin nodded. "You can even drive this time."

The boy's eyes lit up. "No way! Dad never lets me drive. He says it's because I could get hurt but I know that's not why he won't let me drive."

"We both know why." Justin agreed.

Gus smiled. "Because he wants to drive himself."

Justin rubbed his hands together conspiratorially. "Well, he won't be around to hog the wheel this time, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him, will it?"

Gus threw himself at Justin. Gus was less and less comfortable with showing affection to his parents in public, but he still managed to have his moments when there wasn't an audience. "You sure dad won't get mad?"

Justin shook his head. "I'm not going to tell him, are you?"

In truth, Justin had already talked to Brian that morning before he left for work. Brian reluctantly agreed that Gus was older and mature enough to drive the go carts himself, but they both agreed that, at least initially, he needed one of the instructors with him to get him used to the machine. The tracks were lined with tires stacked higher than the go-carts themselves and with how wide and low to the ground they were, it would take a lot to actually over-turn one.

All of this was unknown to the boy, however. It was kind of fun to let him believe the two were defying his father a little. Let him revel in this small act of rebellion.

Justin cupped the boy's neck affectionately before heading towards the door. "Hurry up and get dressed. We'll grab something to snack on, on the way there, and then we'll get pizza for lunch."

Fifteen minutes later they were pulling out of the driveway, granola bars in hand as they made their way in to town. Gus didn't complain when Justin informed him that he would be driving, initially, with an instructor, and once Gus had made it around the venue on his own a few times, Justin hopped in the passenger seat. Gus played hard to remain serious and focused while trying to prove his driving abilities to Justin, but he did let a few giggles break through when he couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

When Gus's growling stomach could be heard over the roaring motor, Justin insisted they take a break for lunch, having to practically dislodge the boy from the go-cart himself. The indoor area had, among other amenities, a pizza shop that they particularly liked. They had the best calzones in the area. They ordered a large combination pizza with lots of breadsticks, marinara sauce and pop to feed a small army, and found a free table that looked like it was made out of old tires with a glass top; the chairs were made out of smaller tires and were held together with welded tire-irons. The smell of gas and various other fumes hung low in the air, not the best mix when eating, but Justin figured it was all a part of the experience.

"So, you having fun?" Justin asked as they each grabbed for a slice of pizza.

Gus shook his head enthusiastically as he took first a bite of pizza and then chewed off a piece of saucy breadstick. "This has been the best day ever. Wait until I tell everyone at school, they are going to flip out."

Justin was more than happy with that answer. He smiled brightly. "Good, I'm glad you're having a good time." Now he was going in for the kill. "I noticed you've seemed a little upset since you got here. Anything you want to talk about?"

Justin tried to keep it light, slurping loudly on his straw as he leaned back in his chair not wanting to lean forward and appear anxious.

Gus tensed slightly, shrugging his shoulders. Suddenly his food became the most interesting thing in the world. "Not really."

Justin's eyes narrowed. "You know, you can tell me. I won't tell your dad if you ask me not to."

And that was the truth. He wanted Gus to feel like he could confide in him without the fear of Justin running to Brian if he didn't want Brian to know. As long as Gus wasn't in any danger, Justin would never break his confidence.

"Does it have anything to do with the baby, or Suvi?"

Gus dropped his head slightly, swirling the end of an uneaten breadstick in the red-sauce bowl. "It's not that, not really." Gus slouched back in his chair. Justin had thought that maybe outside of the confines of the house, and in a public area, maybe Gus would feel more comfortable talking to him. Without the fear of being interrupted or listened in on. Now he wasn't so sure this was the best idea.

He kept his eyes low but started talking. "It's not that I hate Suvi; she's not so bad. Not as annoying as Jenny. But it kind of sucks when she's around my dad. I know it sounds mean but she just gets right up in there…" Gus looked like he was struggling for the right thing to say.

Justin took a stab at it. "In ways that you can't?"

Gus nodded his head. Suvi didn't think twice when she would climb in to Brian's lap while they were watching TV, or when she sat on his desk last night during the ice cream party. She had an ease with him that Gus felt he'd never had.

Justin saw where this was heading. "It's hard seeing Suvi so close to your dad, isn't it?"

He felt ashamed that he felt that way, but he couldn't deny it. He nodded his head slowly.

Justin sat forward, leaning his elbows on the table. "Gus look at me." He pleaded softly. Gus complied. "Suvi is young, we can give her that much. And this is going to sound really unfair because it is something that you could never control, but your dad is different than he was when you were Suvi's age. Don't get me wrong, he loved you more than anyone, and still does…" Justin made sure Gus understood what he was saying before he continued, "but when you were Suvi's age, he was still learning how to be a father. Of course, he isn't Suvi's father, but your dad and I are the closest thing she's got to a father. You lucked out, you got two moms and two dads, but Suvi only has her mom. That's why we try to help out as much as we can, yeah?"

Gus nodded.

"But Suvi entered the game during a time when your dad was a little more comfortable, so she's kind of gotten the better end of the deal in a lot of ways." Justin laughed knowingly.

"Tell me about it." Gus rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide his smile.

Justin continued. "Suvi, nor this new baby, will change how anyone feels about you."

Gus nodded once more but seemed to relax a little. He remained silent for a little bit and Justin decided not to push the issue any further unless Gus continued.

They ate in a comfortable silence. Once they had somehow managed to finish all the food, they threw their trash away and headed back towards the track.

Just before they reached the entrance, Gus stopped. "Do you think my dad will be around tonight?"

Brian worked such sporadic hours that Justin had stopped keeping track years ago. He had grown used to the fact that on any given day Brian could come home at lunch time, while other days he might not get home until hours after dinner. Justin was a grown man and had long since stopped complaining because he knew how important Kinnetik was to his husband. That didn't stop him, however, from wishing he was better able to control his hours when Gus visited. It bothered him and he could only imagine how it made Gus feel.

"I would say if everything goes well with his meeting, which I am sure it will, he'll be home fairly early." Justin surmised, hoping he wasn't setting the boy up for disappointment if Brian didn't make it home until late.

Gus's eyes lit up. Much like his father, his eyes spoke louder than anything he could ever say verbally. "Do you think maybe before I go back home he can come with us back here and watch me drive?"

Justin was both inspired and saddened at how much that simple request hung in the air like lead.

"Gus, we will get your dad back here before you leave, if I have to take the battery out of his car myself. But I have a feeling it won't take much convincing. I know it may not seem like it, but your dad really hates how much he misses when you are here."

Gus shrugged his shoulders before walking through the gate and on to the mat that surrounded the track. "I guess."

Justin leaned against the gate that separated the two areas and watched as Gus talked to the instructor briefly, pulling on the mini suit he had picked out and then his helmet. He walked towards the go-cart but just before he climbed in, he turned around, tugging the helmet up so he could talk freely.

"Wanna race? Trash duty for a week says I can beat you." His eyes flared under the note of competition.

Justin smiled. Yep, totally like his father. "You're on!"

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

Brian made it home just as everyone was sitting down to dinner. Gus regaled the group with the day's events; making sure to repeatedly mention how he had easily beat Justin in their race, though Justin swore he let the boy win. Knowing Justin's pension for driving right at, if not under the speed limit, it didn't surprise Brian that his daredevil son had beat his husband in a race.

Once dinner was done and the kitchen was cleaned up, everyone congregated in to the den to watch TV while Brian looked over some of his notes on the couch. The meeting had gone better than was expected but there were still some areas that needed tightened up before the campaign could go national.

Justin silently watched as Gus stole glances every now and then to his father before the two locked eyes and the boy shrugged his shoulders once again. At this point he was just thankful that he wasn't holed up in his office.

Sometime later, after Daphne and Suvi had left to go home and Gus had gone to bed, Brian unlocked the liquor cabinet to celebrate Kinnetik's new account. Flopping down on to the couch beside Justin, Brian made sure he didn't spill any of the Beam in his glass. Propping his bare feet on the coffee table, Brian rested his head on Justin's shoulder, nuzzling into the blonde's neck. "It seems like you and Gus had a good day, judging by the number of times the word "totally awesome" was used."

"It was really fun." Justin giggled as Brian nudged his nose at the sensitive spot behind his ear. "Next time, you should come with us."

"Believe me, Sunshine, I would have rather been with you and Gus today rather than confined to listening to the ridiculously inane ramblings of yet another ancient fossil telling me how to do my job when they obviously came to me for the sole reason that I do my job better than anyone else." Brian sighed heavily, slowly emptying the contents of his glass, letting the dark liquor slide comfortingly down the back of his throat. Drawing air threw his teeth, Brian loved the burn that always chased the liquid.

"I know you would, but Gus is really missing you. He's been here almost two weeks and you've been practically shut away in your office every moment you've been home."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Christ, it's not that bad."

Justin shifted, causing Brian's head to lull for a moment before he set up straight. Justin swung his leg around, straddling Brian's lap; his hands resting on the brunette's shoulders. "If you're not eating, sleeping, or taking a piss, you are in your office."

"Hey!" Brian took offense. "Don't forget, dear, that I've managed to fuck you senseless on a regular basis. I never see you complaining then. Would you rather I use that time elsewhere?"

Justin pushed back gently. "Actually, after seeing how upset Gus has been lately, I would."

Brian wasn't expecting that answer; he fumbled for a response. "It doesn't really matter anyways, because Gus is always asleep when we fuck."

"All I'm saying is that Gus is really missing you. I know you are busy with work, but can't you delegate a little more the few weeks he's down here?" Justin lightly brushed his nose against Brian's.

Brian scrubbed his face with his hand. "I do have the next few days off for the weekend."

"Then make it count, spend every waking moment with your son. He knows you love him, but sometimes it's harder to remember at his age."

"I told him yesterday that I would make it up to him."

"Like you always do?" Justin accused, crossing his hands over his chest.

Brian's hands came down roughly on the blonde's thighs on either side of his lap. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Your version of making things up to him usually involves some large, expensive gift."

"Excuse my gross error in judgment. I must have forgotten that 10 year old boys absolutely hate getting the very toys that they beg their parents to buy them."

Justin rolled his eyes. "That's not what I am saying. Yeah, Gus loved the soccer set you bought him…but don't you think he would have rather had you there to play with him, even if all he had was an old ratty soccer ball and not a top of the line netting system and regulation equipment?"

Brian remained silent.

Justin's hand found its place in the thick hair at the base of Brian's neck. "Kids love gifts just as much as the rest of us, but at the end of the day he wants you more than your money."

Brian thought over the blonde's proposed dilemma with a smile. Grabbing Justin's ass firmly, he pulled him against his chest and captured his mouth. "Sunshine…you really are too smart for your own good."

Brian removed the blonde from his lap and stood up, stretching his tired muscles and hoping he was up for what he had in mind. This could turn out to be a very long night. He grabbed Justin's hand and led him up the stairs and in to their bedroom. Quickly divesting himself of his clothing, Justin was confused when Brian walked in to their closet and came back out a few minutes later, not in his pajamas, though he rarely wore clothes to bed regardless. Instead he was wearing a warn pair of jeans and an equally warn hoodie that looked suspiciously college-esque.

"The Art Institute of Pittsburgh?" Justin nearly squeaked.

"So?"

"That is where you went to college? At an Arts college?" After all these years, Justin couldn't believe it.

"Looks that way." Brian said as he pulled on a pair of boots. "Has one of the best advertising programs in the country."

"You never told me?" Justin's eyes widened.

Brian smiled sweetly. "You never asked."

With a quick kiss to the blonde's lips, Brian stood up from the bed and walked out of the room.

Justin followed close behind. "Where are you going dressed like that?"

Brian looked hot, that was for sure, but it would be hard to name a time when he wasn't. Something about seeing him dressed so casually, and not even in his usual top-unbuttoned jeans and tank, was both new and oddly enough, thrilling. But this was not his standard clubbing outfit; hell, this wasn't even his standard grocery store outfit. This was just…different.

Brian poked his head in to Gus's room and spotted the boy sound asleep, curled up in the middle of his large bed, burrowed deep under the covers. He turned back to Justin, whispering. "I'm making every moment count."

Justin didn't follow Brian in to the room, but chose to hang back and observe from afar.

Brian walked slowly to the bed, his whole body gave off vibes of uncertainty, but his shoulders were set. He was on a mission. Lightly, he reached down; running his fingers lightly through the boy's hair for a moment, before he gently shook his shoulders. "Gus."

Gus squirmed somewhat before he opened his eyes sleepily.

"Dad?" He asked, confused.

Brian shook his head.

Gus groaned. "What is with everyone in this house and waking me up?"

Brian acted as though this was nothing new and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the problem is, I've got a play set out back that I promised Suvi I would build but I'm kind of having a hard time. I could use some help." Even in the darkness of the room, Justin could see Brian biting down on his lower lip to keep from smiling.

"What about Justin? Can't he help you?" Gus rolled on to his stomach with a pronounced sigh.

Brian looked back to Justin and winked. "He could, but he kind of sucks at building things."

That made the boy laugh. "You really want to do this now?"

Brian remained casual in tone. "All the snacks and caffeine you can handle for one night only. I figured, maybe we could get it done and surprise Suvi in the morning. I've got the whole weekend off, so if the weather holds out, maybe we can do a little camping or something."

Gus stared up at his father incredulously. "Dad, you hate camping."

"True, but this will be camping Kinney style. Plus, the house is only like 10 feet away. No self-respecting man can go without a clean bathroom for that long."

This caused the boy to laugh even louder. "Dad, you're such a queen sometimes."

At that, Justin couldn't remain silently hidden any longer as he busted out laughing. Brian grabbed one of the pillows from Gus's bed and threw it at the blonde. Justin dodged the pillow and decided to take the cue and head down to the kitchen. He didn't think he would be able to get much sleep with Brian and Gus both outside most, if not all, of the night, so he set to task gathering snacks and drinks for the two.

Ten minutes later Gus and Brian came down stairs, dressed and ready to tackle the play set. Brian drove his old jeep that he had kept and had repaired all those years ago, and turned the lights on so they could see what they were doing. With the promise to keep the music low, Brian let Gus pick out whatever radio station he wanted and the two set off to work.

Justin made a pot of coffee and enough hot chocolate to sustain a small battalion and settled in to a chair at the kitchen table where he could easily see out in to the back yard. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he contented himself to watching Brian and Gus as they slowly but surely put the play set together. They argued over proper placement of random parts and laughed wildly when they inevitably realized they had both been wrong.

At some point, Justin had fallen asleep at the table, only to be woken up sometime after the sun had come up, by a beaming Gus who insisted that Justin had to see the finished product. The boy grabbed his hand and propelled him to his feet, dragging him out the French doors towards an equally pleased brunette.

"What do you think, Sunshine?" Brian asked, failing to mask his excitement at finally conquering the beast before them. The play set looked sturdy enough.

"Looks great." Justin smiled brightly. "But I'm not going to be the one to test it out, that's for sure."

Before Brian could respond, his shirt was sharply tugged towards the ground; catching him off balance and nearly causing him to fall over. He looked down towards the offender only to find Suvi, still in her pajamas; hands on her hips and ten shades of pissed off. "Uncle Bri, you said that I could help you and Gus."

Daphne was soon approaching, clutching her belly as she padded barefoot towards them. "She saw the play set as soon as I sat her down for cereal and took off." Daphne warned.

Brian crouched down to the girl's level. "I know I said that, but Gus and I wanted to surprise you with it when you woke up so you could spend all day playing on it."

Suvi looked at him, assessing his statement before looked over to Gus.

Gus nodded his head, a sheepish grin forming. "Surprise."

Suvi's face lit up as she launched herself at Gus.

Daphne laughed when all three of the boys yawned in unison. "Have you all been up all night long?"

Brian and Gus slowly nodded.

Justin spoke up. "I think I got 10 minutes at the kitchen table. After so long, coffee just stops working."

Suvi had ahold of Gus's hand and was swinging it between the two. Gus held their hands still to get the girl's attention. "If you let me go get some sleep, I'll play with you later on, ok? You get first run at it so you'll have to tell me what sucks."

Suvi took off towards the monstrosity but Brian caught her before she reached the swings. "What do you say we do some camping tonight, all of us?" He asked as he held the giggling girl high above his head.

Daphne looked around. "At 5 months pregnant, this girl is not sleeping on the ground."

Justin shook his head in agreement. "I think I should probably keep her company."

Brian shook his head at his traitorous companions as he settled Suvi back down to the ground as she took off for the swings. He looked back to Gus. "And you said I was the queen. Looks like it's just us, then."

Gus yawned once more. "Need sleep."

Brian pulled Justin back against his chest as the two followed the boy towards the house.

Maybe it was delirium from lack of sleep, or maybe it was simply because he couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun with his son, but Brian felt like he was flying. He had intended to not say anything for a while, but his mood was simply too good to keep the surprise any longer as he called after his son. "Got any plans the last week you're down here?"

Gus stopped to think for a moment before he shook his head. "No."

Brian made sure he spoke loud enough for Suvi to hear him. "Good, because we're all going to Disney World in exactly 2 weeks."

Gus's smile rivaled that of Justin's in that moment, but the boy remained silent. He looked first to Brian and then to Justin, all sporting matching sleepy grins, before he nodded and ran up the stairs. He waited until he was in the privacy of his own room, behind closed doors, before he jumped up and down and did a little dance before jumping head-first under the covers. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

A/N – I feel like all I am doing anymore is making excuses but I do apologize for the amount of time between chapters. My uncle passed away a couple weeks ago and with the quarter starting things have been pretty chaotic around here. But for those who sent their best wishes my way, I am happy to report that my dad is doing wonderfully after his surgery. But I am hoping that this chapter, and how long it is, might go a little ways towards making up for it, lol!

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with my other story; Vacation of a Lifetime, but that is actually where this all came about. My initial thought was simply what it would be like if the whole gang went to Disney World, at which point I came up with Suvi (who might actually be my favorite character), and then just kept thinking of moments within this little core family that I wanted to expand on that soon became this story…so here I am.

At this point in this story, this is when the two converge. The next chapter I do will be wrapping up Vacation of a Lifetime and then after that, this story will pick back up. You don't HAVE to read VoaL (you won't miss anything too important) but just think of it as a short companion story, to this, that might be fun. The next chapter of this story will lightly touch on their Disney trip but for anything more detailed you'll have to read VoaL.

I also want to say that VoaL is somewhat of a crossover story, just in that it includes some characters from another show I loved, Life Unexpected, simply because Britt Robertson (Lux, LU) and Gale are both in Secret Circle, now, and I thought the two coming together would be fun. The other characters really just act as secondary charris to bring in a little fresh blood. No harm, no foul, hopefully!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter…the next one will really start pushing the story towards the end as everything starts to come together. Feedback is always loved and the last chapter was fun with the little game attached. I might have to do that again soon!

Evelyn