Chapter 1- 11 Years Later
September 7th, 2000.
Spoilers: Pilot episode.
"And that's all for today on The Fire Pitt with Aiden Novotny. I'll be on tomorrow at three barring my grisly demise. Peace!"
Aiden signed off the air and laughed.
At 29 she finally had it all – well, almost everything.
She left on her motorcycle, a Ducati Monster, and decided to ride around for an hour. When she got back to the apartment she was sharing with her boyfriend, there was a phone call on their answering machine.
"Aiden, it's Melanie. Lindsay's in labor. Where's Brian?"
"Holy shit," Aiden muttered.
She ran back out and got back on her bike.
When she got to the hospital, her boyfriend Nick was already there but there was no sign of Michael, Brian, or the others.
Aiden wasn't sure where things with Nick were going. He was okay as far as boyfriends went, but the fact that Melanie had set them up in the beginning had caused things to become awkward. Aiden had intended to dump him when he told her he was running for District Attorney, uncomfortable at the prospect of dating someone elected to a political office of any kind. Melanie had gotten angry and had then compared Aiden to Brian in terms of Aiden's sex life, resulting in Aiden deciding to stick things out with Nick.
"Typical. Nick shows up, Brian doesn't," Melanie snarled.
"What did I do?" said Nick.
"Nothing… I'm just frustrated. I wanted you to be the father but Lindsay said no," said Melanie. "She said it had to be Brian or no one else."
"I'm dating her friend, who also happens to be your friend. Too awkward and not the same thing as when the two of us used to study together in law school," said Nick. "Not to mention that kid would've had a lot of cousins… if I can get Aiden to agree to marry me. I proposed to her while her uncle was in the hospital and she said she'd think about it."
"Why didn't you wait until he was better?" asked Melanie.
"Wasn't thinking," said Nick.
Melanie rolled her eyes and went back into the delivery room to be with Lindsay.
"I got the ring..." said Nick.
"You also got Melanie mad ya stupid sap," said Aiden. "Just because I love you doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you."
"What's your answer?" asked Nick.
"Lindsay's in labor, this isn't a good time," said Aiden.
"Course it is, who knows when the kid will make his entrance into the world?" asked Nick.
Aiden laughed.
"Yeah… yes," said Aiden. "Yes, I will marry you."
QUEER AS FOLK
September 8th, 2000.
It was nearly two in the morning when Brian, Michael, and a blonde teenager showed up.
"I see that asshole finally popped the question," said Brian. "Has my son been delivered yet?"
"So glad he wasn't here to hear you say that," said Aiden. "As for the baby, yeah."
"Wow, twice the good news tonight! Congratulations! Where did he go?" said Michael.
"Lindsay and Melanie's friends kicked Nick out of the delivery room… de facto baby shower rule of no dicks allowed so he's at home," said Aiden. "I left of my own accord. Watching Lindsay give birth and the thought of going through it myself makes me wanna vomit."
Brian, Michael, and the teenager laughed before the four of them entered the delivery room.
"Oh my god," said Brian.
"Say hello to your son," said Lindsay.
Aiden saw the look on Brian's face and couldn't tell if he was happy about the birth of his son or wanted to run for dear life.
"Well… go on," said Michael.
Brian walked over to Lindsay, Melanie, and the baby. Aiden watched as a blonde teenage boy followed him.
"When did it start?" asked Brian.
"Around seven," said Melanie.
"Six hours later, there he was," said Lindsay.
"Wish I could've been here," said Brian. "How often do I get to see snatch?"
Aiden and Michael laughed.
"He looks just like you, Brian," said Lindsay.
"Guess he must be mine, then," said Brian.
"Wanna hold him?" asked Lindsay.
Brian took the baby from Lindsay's arms.
"Careful! Don't drop him!" Melanie yelled.
"Because that's exactly what I was about to do," said Brian.
"We're thinking of names," said Lindsay. "Melanie wants to name him Abraham after her grandfather, but I like Gus."
Brian looked at the teenage boy. So did everyone else. Who was he?
"What do you think?" asked Brian.
"You wouldn't survive a day at school being named Abraham, but I guess Gus is okay," said the teenager.
"Thank you very much, and who the hell are you?" said Melanie.
"His name is…" Brian couldn't remember. What was the kid's name?
"Justin," said Michael.
"You were on the phone when he shot his load all over me," said Brian.
Melanie, Lindsay, and the friends of theirs that were present groaned.
"Porca miseria," Aiden muttered.
"Brian," said Lindsay.
"He can't help it, he's only 17," said Brian.
"So you and Lindsay each had an infant tonight," said Melanie.
"You popped his cherry, didn't ya? Nice going," said Aiden.
"Mine doesn't suck on my tits – not unless I want him to," said Brian. "Gus. It's a good butch name. C'mon Gus… give your daddy a smile."
Michael took a picture of Brian holding Gus with the Polaroid camera he'd brought from home. He couldn't wait to show Emmett and Ted the photo.
QUEER AS FOLK
Michael and Aiden found Brian on the roof of the hospital smoking a cigarette.
"Disgusting – all those lesbians fawning over him and making goo-goo talk," said Michael.
"That's what women do over babies," said Brian.
"Not me," said Aiden.
"Who's talking about the baby? I meant Justin," said Michael. "It's kind of weird, you having a kid. Still, it's exciting, isn't it?"
"What? Having some wrinkled little time clock ticking away? Remind you that you're getting older by the minute? By the second?" said Brian.
"Keep thinking like that you're gonna end up prematurely grey… I think I see one," said Michael.
Aiden laughed as Michael plucked a hair from Brian's head and Brian hit Michael in the arm.
"Why didn't somebody try and stop me?" asked Brian.
"Are you serious? Michael, he's serious," asked Aiden.
"Hello, somebody did – but you wouldn't listen," said Michael. "You had to let Lindsay fill your head with all her bullshit flattery. 'Oh Brian you're so good-looking. Oh – oh Brian you're so smart. Oh, oh you've got such great genes Brian and I don't mean your 501s.' And now you're stuck with a kid – for life."
"Life…!" Aiden dramatically whispered.
"There's always one solution," said Brian.
He got onto a ledge bordering the hospital roof.
"I could end it all right now!" said Brian.
"Oh that'd be dramatic!" said Michael. "Just like ER, birth and death in the same episode?"
"Except Doug Ross isn't here… George Clooney is so handsome," said Aiden.
"Get down, Brian!" Michael yelled.
"You'll have to come get me," said Brian.
"I'm serious, stop clowning," said Michael.
"Or I'll jump!" Brian yelled.
Michael got on the ledge next to Brian and held his hand.
"Both of you get down from there right now!" Aiden yelled.
"Brian's being dramatic, it'll pass," said Michael.
"I'll jump! I'll take him with me! You'll be an only child!" Brian yelled.
Aiden got on the ledge and took Michael's hand.
"You jump, we all die," said Aiden.
"You're a third wheel, get down," said Brian.
"Michael's my twin brother, Brian. Being without my twin would suck, so just jump already," said Aiden. "It'll be fun. We fly, then we die, then we go to heaven and get all the cock we want."
Michael managed to drag the three of them back down to the roof, a safe distance away from the ledge.
"You're both insane," said Michael.
"Not me, just him," said Aiden. "I just wanna go where you go. You live in Pittsburgh, so will I. You jump, I jump."
"Cut the twin crap so we can leave," said Brian.
"Asshole!" said Michael and Aiden.
QUEER AS FOLK
After they got back inside, Brian took off while Michael, Aiden, and Justin went to wait in Brian's jeep.
"I know who you are. You're the woman who runs that talk radio show 'Fire Pitt'!" said Justin.
"Yeah," said Aiden.
"Awesome!" said Justin.
QUEER AS FOLK
The four of them were riding around in Brian's jeep. Brian was in the back with Justin, Michael and Aiden were in the front. Michael was driving as Aiden attempted to make small talk with Justin, who was attempting to decipher a stoned Brian's ramblings.
"Brian what did you take?" asked Michael.
"A-B-C-D-E-E-E…" said Brian.
Aiden laughed so hard her sides began to hurt. Brian was attempting to seduce Justin, so Aiden stopped trying to talk to the kid. Justin was more interested in getting laid than making small talk anyway.
However, the last straw for the twins was when Brian began going down on Justin in the back seat. Michael swerved the car all over the road, hindering Brian's concentration and sending Aiden into a fit of laughter.
"Shit!" Brian yelled.
"Sorry," said Michael. "Didn't wanna run over that doggie."
"Fuck. The doggie," said Brian.
"Bestiality is disgusting, Brian," joked Aiden.
Michael laughed.
QUEER AS FOLK
When Aiden finally got home, Nick was asleep in bed.
From the look of it, he hadn't even tried to wait up for her.
"Shit," Aiden muttered.
She quietly went to the bathroom and masturbated in the shower before going to bed.
QUEER AS FOLK
The next day saw Aiden at WBZN 104.6, the radio station in Pittsburgh where she had her talk show "The Fire Pitt", which talked about politics pertaining to the LGBTQA community, women's rights, and other topics. She liked to play music and tell jokes on her show as well. Events pertaining to holidays such as April Fool's and Halloween also took place.
A half hour before her show was about to start, she got a call from Michael. His co-workers were trying to set him up – with a woman.
"I've said it before and I'm going to say it again – quit," said Aiden. "Everyone at the Big Q, except you, are a bunch of homophobic assholes."
"Where else would I work?" asked Michael.
"Not sure, but that's not a good environment," said Aiden. "You're still in the closet over there."
"And with good reason!" said Michael.
"And good reason for you to quit," said Aiden.
"I'll think about it," said Michael.
"Okay," said Aiden.
QUEER AS FOLK
Aiden was annoyed to discover a message on her answering machine from Nick saying he would be working late – while she knew that murder didn't allow a district attorney to keep reasonable hours, she couldn't remember the last time she had had sex.
Aiden then got a call from Michael to meet her at the Liberty Diner. Aiden walked over to her brother and mother and gave them both hugs. She noticed that Justin was there as well. The three of them ordered food and talked to Debbie.
"How's the night shift Ma?" asked Aiden.
Debbie just shrugged.
"Been near a TV lately?" asked Debbie.
"What for?" asked Aiden.
"I usually change the channel when I see campaign ads, but this congressman from Philly is campaigning for the U.S. Senate… and he's got a great ass like Sunshine over here," said Debbie as she pinched Justin's cheek.
"Ma!" Michael and Aiden moaned.
Justin was shocked. That woman was their mother?
QUEER AS FOLK
After getting rid of Justin – for now – the three of them walked to Debbie's house. While the twins no longer lived there, they still considered it a home away from home.
"The lights are on… something must be wrong with Vic!" said Debbie.
The three of them ran into the house.
Prior to the trip to Italy Vic and Debbie had taken, Vic had been in the hospital for four weeks with a severe case of pneumonia. His HIV had progressed to AIDS in 1996 and it had been highly unlikely that Vic would survive his last stint in the hospital.
"Vic? Is everything alright?" asked Debbie.
"Just couldn't sleep," said Vic. "Hey Mikey, hey Aiden."
"Hey Uncle Vic," said Michael.
"Hi Uncle Vic," said Aiden.
"Are you in pain?" asked Debbie.
"Yeah," said Vic.
"Where? Tell me," said Debbie.
"My wallet," said Vic.
He handed Debbie his credit card bill. Aiden could tell that it was a big one.
"Holy shit!" Debbie yelled.
"What is it?" asked Michael.
"It's the MasterCard bill from our trip to Italy," said Debbie.
"First-class airline tickets, the Excelsior in Rome, the diamond-and-coral earrings I bought you in Capri… they're all here," said Vic. "Problem is, so am I."
"Don't say that!" said Debbie. "It's a miracle you're still alive."
"It's a miracle how I'm gonna pay for all this," said Vic.
"Hustle?" Debbie joked.
Debbie, Vic, and Aiden laughed.
"I'm paying it off and I'm not taking no for an answer," said Aiden.
"Thank you," said Vic.
Aiden smiled and made a promise to bring a check for the credit card payment the next day before she went back home.
Porca Miseria is Italian for Oh Hell. Next chapter will be up soon.