December 28

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Sunshine?"

"You mean for me or for Gus?"

Brian watched dubiously as Justin helped his son with a new pair of ice skates that "Santa" had brought for him. As he watched his partner lacing up the skates securely, he made a mental note to have a word with whoever "Santa" had turned out to be, because something told him this little "Ice Capade" that was about to transpire was not going to turn out well for either one of his two "men."

"Both," he finally answered his partner as Justin reached for his own skates and began to put them on. The three of them were presently inside the relative warmth of the stables after Brian had followed up on his promise to take his son for a sleigh ride earlier. Now, in a flash of insanity, Justin had volunteered to take Gus skating out on the frozen-over lake behind the house.

"Brian," Justin scolded him. "You know I can skate - you've seen me do it before. And Gus is very coordinated; I'm sure he can learn, too, right, Buddy?"

Gus nodded, eager to get started. "Yeah, Daddy, I'm core-dated like Jus'n. Are you coming with us, Daddy?" he asked hopefully. "Didn't Santa bring you any skates?"

Brian curled his lips under. "No, Sonny Boy, he must have run out of my size. Your Daddy will just have to be content to carry you and Justin around after you both break your legs."

"Brian! Don't make him nervous!" Justin chided. "He'll do fine, you'll see. You can still come out and watch even if you aren't going to skate."

"Well, let me go get my camera first to record the moment of impact when you both fall flat on your asses."

"Ha, ha. You're just jealous because I can do other things standing up besides….well…., you know."

"No, Sunshine, tell me," Brian replied as he leaned against one of the horse stalls in rapt attention and smiled back at him innocently. As he stood there, one of the Clydesdales ambled over slowly behind him to tower over his shoulder, waiting no doubt for another apple to hopefully appear. He jumped a little as he felt a pair of giant lips nuzzling his neck. While he normally enjoyed such an overture, in this case it wasn't quite what he had in mind...He glared at Justin, who chuckled at him in mirth at his reaction.

Gus watched the interaction between his father and Justin with interest, wondering just what sort of other athletic talents Justin might have. "Can I do what else you do, too, Jus'n?" he asked excitedly, wondering if maybe Justin knew how to ski, too; after all, he knew from their sled riding earlier in the week that there were a lot of large, gently sloping hills on the grounds, just perfect for that. Up in Canada where he lived with his mommy and mama, skiing was very popular and he had been dying to try it himself. Hopefully now was his chance!

His father, however, guffawed and to his disappointment told him, "Not just yet, Sonny Boy. The other things that Justin's so good at take years of practice – and excellent hand-to-eye coordination."

Justin rolled his eyes as he finished tying his skates and, grasping one of the nearby wooden beams, pulled himself upright. Before Gus could ask him to elaborate any further, he looked down at the little boy and said, "Ready to go try it out, Buddy?"

Gus' other questions were quickly forgotten in the excitement of what was to come as he smiled and eagerly extended his hand to Justin, who pulled him up to stand next to him. "Now, you'll have to get used to walking on them first, Gus," he told the little boy. "It will take some time. It's not the same as your roller blades so we'll take it slow, okay?" Still clasping the little boy's hand, he said, "We're going to walk around the stables first until you feel like you can stand on your own, and then when you feel like you're ready, we'll go out to the lake to try them out."

"Okay, Jus'n," Gus told him obediently, feeling rather proud of himself as he stood there but also feeling some trepidation at the feeling of standing on a single, metal blade instead of roller wheels. The sensation was definitely odd but he couldn't wait to see how he did on the frozen lake outside.

Brian watched the entire spectacle with great amusement. "Okay, Sunshine, lead him around the stables but make sure he only walks – no cantering or trotting yet."

Justin glared at him. "Brian, this is your son, not a pony."

"Sorry….I forgot."

Justin shook his head; the man was insufferable at times, especially when he was making him do all the work. Brian looked graceful even when he was drunk; surely the man could skate while he was sober, but he was refusing to try, even with his son. Heaven forbid if the man should get too much snow on his Gucci jacket….

After several minutes of slowly practicing around the main arena, Gus indicated he felt comfortable with trying out his skates on the real thing. Justin decided, too, that Gus seemed able enough to stay upright, at least with his help. "I think you're ready now, Gus…..if your father thinks he can tear himself away from all the exertion, you want to use the sleigh to ride out to the lake?"

As Gus nodded in agreement, happy to be able to ride in the sleigh once more, Brian replied, "By all means, Scott Hamilton. Wouldn't want you to get worn out before you make your Britin debut on the ice." He grinned at the two before he reached to open the stall and prepare the horses for one more ride.

"Daddy, will you be coming back to watch?" Gus asked his father as they stood next to the sleigh; due to the recent hard freeze over the past several days, the lake was frozen solid and just perfect for his and Justin's adventure.

Brian couldn't help smiling tenderly at the sight in front of him; both Gus and Justin were dressed like two fluffy, colorful snowmen at the moment, almost identical in beige coats made of down with navy-colored toboggan hats and matching gloves. Brian figured that if one of them DID fall on the ice, which he had no doubt would happen at some point, at least they were padded enough that it certainly wouldn't do them any lasting harm.

"I'll come out and see you in action," he assured his son. "But I need to take the horses back so they can rest for a while. And I definitely want to get my camera – I wouldn't wanna miss the chance to record this momentous occasion." He leaned down to give his son a quick kiss on one pink, cold cheek and then give his other boy a kiss on his lips. "Don't damage anything I might want to use later," he whispered to Justin, who smirked back at him.

"I'll do my best," Justin replied, grinning as Brian nodded briefly and the three climbed into the sleigh a few minutes later.

Ten Minutes Later...

As he and Gus slowly trudged toward the ice, Justin couldn't help admiring the wonderful scenery surrounding them. The thick blanket of snow encircling the lake glinted from the sun now shining overhead, creating a beautiful, picturesque winter photo in Justin's artistic eye. He made a note to come back out later when the sun was setting lower in the horizon to make some sketches he could use for paintings, but for now, he was going to enjoy introducing Gus to one of his own childhood pleasures – ice skating. As a boy, he would love to do just that when he visited his grandparents' farm in Pennsylvania. His Grandmother and Grandfather Taylor had several acres near the Amish country and every year, the large pond behind their barn would freeze over, just perfect for a young boy of 8 to envision himself as the next Olympic gold skating champion.

Of course, that was never meant to be, but that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy his time skating immensely. On the ice, he had felt a certain freedom as the wind rushed in his face as he skated around the ice's perimeter, slowly picking up speed until he almost felt like he was gliding almost on air. And now he had the chance to have Gus experience the same joy.

"Ready, Buddy?" he asked as they approached the shiny, slick surface. It was fortunate that the bank was level with the ice so there would be less of a chance of Gus slipping as he tried to enter the surface. "We'll go real slowly at first until you feel like you've got the hang of it, okay?"

Gus nodded excitedly and smiled, even though his nod was somewhat stifled by the coat zipped up to his face; he almost appeared not to have any neck at all at the moment as he looked up into Justin's eyes with his own shining in anticipation. "Okay, Jus'n," he agreed, tightening his grip on the blond's hand as they slowly entered the ice and he felt his legs threatening to give out underneath him.

"Hey, steady there, Gus," Justin told him as he saw the little boy wobbling a little. "Don't worry – I've got you. I won't let you fall. Just take your time." He smiled down at the little version of Brian as Gus struggled to stay upright. He knew from his own experience that it would take a while for the little boy to feel confident on his skates, but he was sure Gus would get the hang of it eventually.

He was right; he was amazed that after only a few minutes, Gus was gliding smoothly around the lake, albeit slowly and still holding tightly onto Justin's hand. The absolute joy on the boy's face, though, made Justin delighted. "Having a good time, Gus?" he asked.

Gus nodded vigorously. "This is fun, Jus'n!" he exclaimed. "It's almost like flying!"

Justin laughed softly. "Yeah, I know what you mean, Little Man," he told him fondly. As they methodically glided over the smooth surface, the deep blanket of snow served to provide a hush over their surroundings; the only sounds that could presently be heard were the scraping noises from their blades and the soft puffs of cold air escaping their lungs as they continued around the lake together.

"Can we do this every day?" Gus eventually asked.

Justin looked down at his skating partner's glowing face and his heart melted in affection for this sweet little boy who looked so much like his father. He couldn't help thinking at that moment about two things that would fill him with sadness – having to eventually say goodbye, at least temporarily, to this boy and worse, having to say goodbye once more to Brian. "Uh, sure, Gus, at least until you have to leave."

The way his schedule was mapped out, he would actually be leaving on New Year's Day; Gus and his two moms were due back in Canada the day before – only three days from now. At the moment, though, he tried to push that sad thought away and concentrate on the present, happier times.

Gus peered up into Justin's face, noticing not for the first time that same look of sadness he had seen on his father's face earlier. "Justin, why are you sad?"

Justin frowned; was his face that transparent? How did Gus know what he was feeling at the moment? "Sad, Gus? I'm not sad," he denied softly, trying hard to plaster a smile on his face for the boy's sake; there wasn't any point in upsetting him with his morose feelings over having to leave shortly.

But Gus wasn't convinced. "Yes, you are, Jus'n," he maintained. "Just like Daddy."

"Daddy? Why would your Daddy be sad, Gus? Did he tell you that?" Justin wondered if something was wrong with Brian – even now, his partner wasn't always the most upfront person when it came to revealing information to him, at least not when he thought it might somehow upset him. Although, since Brian's cancer, he really had thought Brian was at least trying to make a more concerted effort to do so.

Gus shook his head. "No, but I can tell. He's not happy that you're going back to New York. Why can't you stay here, Jus'n? Isn't this your home?"

Justin continued to hold onto the little mittened hand as he considered that question. Which place did he really think of as home? New York City where he could be the most accessible for his art and be ready to display a piece in a gallery at a moment's notice? Or here at Britin, where he had such fond memories and his heart always remained, even if his actual body didn't? He supposed there really was no question where his home was. "Well, yes, it IS my home, Gus," he finally answered, noticing the little boy staring at him intently. "It will always be my home," he confessed softly.

"Then why don't you just stay here?" Gus pressed. "You have a place to paint here, too."

Justin smiled at the little boy's persistence. "Yes, I do," he admitted, unsure what else to say. "But your Daddy thinks it's better for me to paint in New York."

"But he doesn't want you to go back; he told me."

Justin stopped their forward motion in shock, causing Gus to almost lose his balance in the process. "Sorry, Gus," he said hastily as he placed his hands on Gus's shoulders to anchor him and turned the little boy to face him. "Did he really say that?" he asked, kneeling down to the boy's level and holding his breath as he waited for Gus to reply.

Gus nodded his head. "He told me the other night when he was reading my bedtime story to me."

Justin's heart leapt at that information. He had to ask again, though, just to make sure. "He actually told you he didn't want me to go?" he asked breathlessly. As Gus silently nodded again, Justin couldn't help grabbing the little boy into a fierce hug. "He said he doesn't want me to go!" he cried out, laughing in joy as he stood up and raised his hands in the air in exhilaration. Gus watched in amazement as Justin began to spin around in a tight circle as if he were crazy, but he didn't look crazy – he looked happy.

"Justin!"

Ten Minutes Later at the Stables

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Brian frowned at the sound of his son's high-pitched voice. "Gus?" As he ran out of the exercise arena and toward the front wooden double doors, he saw his son standing there on his skates, looking extremely frightened with tears pouring down his face. "What is it, Gus?" Brian shouted, alarmed, as he came running up to his son and knelt down in front of him to make sure he was okay - his son seemed all right, at least physically. Even more alarming, though, was the absence of his partner; he knew Justin would never leave Gus alone outside. "Where's Justin?" he asked, looking behind his son worriedly for any sign of the blond.

"He's at the lake, Daddy! You have to come quick – he fell!"

Thoughts of his partner lying out on the ice sent shockwaves of almost panic through his body; had Justin injured his head? "Come on, Sonny Boy!" he shouted, scooping his son up quickly and running back toward the arena area. Fortunately, he hadn't had a chance yet to unhitch the two Clydesdales as he quickly placed his son gently onto the front seat and jumped in beside him. "Hah!" he shouted to the horses still bridled as they snorted and slowly began to amble back out of the stable toward the lake.

Five minutes later as they approached the lake, Brian thought his heart would stop at the sight of Justin lying prone on the cold, hard ice, seemingly still and lifeless. "Justin!" he shouted to him as he abruptly pulled on the reins to bring the sleigh to a sudden stop and leaped out of the seat. "Stay there, Gus!" he ordered his son almost as an afterthought; if Justin was hurt really seriously, the last thing he wanted was for his son to see him like that. He knew Gus loved Justin as much as he did.

"Justin!" he cried out once more as he scrambled to reach his partner; he cursed his expensive shoes as they slipped and slid on the snow but having his Gucci shoes ruined and wet was the last thing on his mind at the moment as he continued rushing over to the ice.

Thankfully, Justin was only a few yards from the bank's edge as he slowly slid out onto the slippery ice and began to shuffle over as fast as he could toward his partner. "Justin!" he shouted again; he thought he noticed a slight movement just then as he continued to approach his partner but he wasn't sure.

At last, as he came to within a few feet of the man he loved, he noticed Justin was conscious, his eyes open and blinking as he lay there, staring up at the clear, sunny sky dotted with white, puffy clouds.

"Justin!" he cried out once more as he slid the remainder of the distance and knelt down next to his partner. "What happened? God! Did you hit your head?" He tentatively reached out to touch the blond, but stopped, unsure whether or not he should move him for fear of injuring him any further. If he had hurt his head again or his neck…..

"No, no, Brian, I didn't hit my head," he told the other man, who emitted a large sigh of relief.

Brian reached down now to cradle Justin's head in one hand while he caressed his cold, pale, rosy cheek with his other one. "What happened?" he asked gently, concerned that Justin had fallen but incredibly relieved that at least he hadn't hit his head and was conscious and alert.

Justin wasn't sure at the moment whether to reveal how he had actually fallen; it didn't seem quite the right time to tell Brian he had simply tripped on his own two feet and fallen after performing a joyous pirouette at the news that his partner didn't want him to leave. Besides, something told him now that he wasn't going anywhere for a while. "I tripped and fell on my right leg," he finally answered. "I think I might have broken it."

Brian's brow creased in concern as he saw Justin wince, but he couldn't help shaking his head a little in amusement. "Well, I guess that's the end of your career with the Ice Capades," he quipped. "I'd say Johnny Wier can rest easy now."

Justin groaned, partly due to his partner's flippant answer and partly due to the throbbing pains shooting through his leg. "Help me up, will you?" he asked, biting his lip to prevent the tears that were threatening to fall over his discomfort. Not only was he starting to shiver from having lain on the hard, cold ice for several minutes, his leg was hurting him increasingly more as he continued to lie there immobile.

Brian sobered instantly at the strained tone of Justin's voice and the look of pain on his face. He nodded as he slowly raised Justin to a sitting position by anchoring his hands behind his back, which he noted with alarm was soaked clear through and as cold as the ice he had been lying on. He debated how best to get Justin over to the snowy bank as he looked around, undecided. "Justin, I'm afraid to pick you up but I'm not sure you can walk right now, even with my help. And to be honest, I'm not sure we won't both fall down on our asses if I try anyway."

Justin looked into his partner's eyes full of concern for him. How could he have thought leaving this man again would be for the best? He knew they were going to have to have a long talk about that very issue, but for now, there was a much more urgent matter to take care of. "Brian….I'm fucking freezing out here," he stuttered through slightly chattering teeth as Brian rubbed his hand over his back in a futile attempt to warm him up. "I'd like to try and walk over to the bank if you'll help me."

Brian looked at him doubtfully, but he was beginning to really get worried that Justin might begin to start suffering from frostbite in addition to having an injured leg. "Okay," he finally said hesitantly. "We'll give it a try. But we'll have to go slowly, Sunshine."

Justin nodded as Brian released his hold on him and, using one hand for balance on the ice, managed at last to stand upright next to him. Now was probably going to be one of the trickier parts. He had no idea how he was possibly going to stand while he was trying to pull his injured partner up with him.

A sudden inspiration hit him as he turned to look over at his son. "Gus! Can you bring me the blanket in the sleigh?" He watched as his son nodded and began to retrieve the electric blanket from the floor of the sleigh. A few seconds later, Gus managed to jump down from the running board of the vehicle and, hefting the blanket over his shoulder, began to hurry as quickly as he could toward the lake.

"Be careful, Sonny Boy!" Brian cautioned his son; he didn't need both of his boys getting injured. He knelt down once more to study Justin's face that was full of pain; he watched as his partner tightly closed his eyes for a few seconds as another wave of pain hit him. He reached once more to caress his partner's cheek comfortingly. "Hang on, Sunshine, we'll get you out of here in just a second."

Gus thankfully managed to navigate remarkably well on his new skates to Brian's immense relief as the boy soon approached them with the blanket now trailing along behind him. "That's great, Sonny Boy," Brian told his son as he glided up to him and slowed down to a stop. The boy beamed as his father added fondly, "I'm proud of you, Gus."

Justin watched as Brian laid the blanket out next to him flat on the surface. "I'm going to try and scoot you over onto the blanket, okay?" he asked as Justin nodded.

Brian winced himself as he heard Justin groan at his attempt to turn him slightly so he could roll him partially onto the makeshift gurney. "Sorry, Justin," he murmured regretfully as Justin nodded in understanding.

Finally after a few seconds of maneuvering, Brian managed to get his partner completely on the blanket as he took hold of one corner and slowly stood up. "Hang on, Sunshine," he told Justin softly. "I'll have to take this slow."

Brian's heart filled with pride as Gus mimicked him, reaching down to take the other corner of Justin's blanket in preparation for trying to help with their rescue efforts. "That's okay, Sonny Boy," he gently told him, afraid that his son would fall as well. "I think I've got it."

Gus shook his head. "I want to help, too, Daddy; I can do it, really."

Brian had to admit; the boy seemed surer of himself on the ice than he did. "Okay, Buddy," he finally decided. "But be careful; if you feel like you're going to slip, let go of it, okay?" As Gus nodded, Brian began to slowly half-walk, half-slide toward the nearby bank.

It was a painfully slow process for both Brian as well as Justin as he and his son eventually managed to reach the bank without further mishap. As he came to the water's edge, he walked up the bank and then, kneeling down on both knees, he dragged Justin and the blanket over to the snowy surface before letting out a heave of exerted breath.

Good job, Sonny Boy," he praised his son, who amazingly walked out of the ice and onto the snowy bank without taking so much as a single misstep; the little boy glowed with accomplishment at his father's words. It seemed his son really was athletically inclined, unlike the blond who was currently lying rather helplessly on the now completely-soaked blanket.

Brian reached over to pull Justin back up to a sitting position before he reached under his knees to pick him up in his arms and slowly stand up with his precious cargo. "Brian…." his partner began to protest.

Brian shook his head, indicating there was no room for argument. "Shh….We need to get you to the house and get you warmed up. Then we need to get you to the hospital so they can look at your leg."

"Brian…."

"No argument, Justin," he was firmly told; Brian could feel his partner shivering violently now as he began to carry him over to the sleigh. He wished he had thought to bring another blanket with him to help keep him warm, but he knew if he took his partner directly to the back of the house, it would only take a few minutes by sleigh to get there.

Justin closed his eyes in pain and did as he was told. He felt Brian's hand holding him firmly under his knees while the other held him securely behind his back. It only took his partner a few seconds to reach the sleigh as he opened his eyes back up at the feeling of being lifted gently into the front seat. He groaned again in pain as another shooting sensation convulsed through his body when he was placed inside the vehicle.

Brian flinched at the sound of Justin's pain but he knew it couldn't be helped. "Sorry, Sunshine," he whispered regretfully as he hoisted Gus beside his partner and jumped into the driver's side. "Just hold on a little longer."

Once more grabbing the reins, he jerked on them sharply to get the impatient horses to begin moving again, this time toward the house. The three riders were silent, except for Justin's occasional groans of pain, as they continued rapidly toward Britin, arriving in less than five minutes.

Lindsey and Mel were enjoying their lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches while waiting for Brian, Justin and Gus to return to the house; Mel started at the unexpected sight of the sleigh quickly approaching the house instead of the stables. "Lindsey….Looks like Brian's bringing Gus straight up here to the house."

Lindsey, who had her back to the rear window, turned around to observe the vehicle rapidly coming closer; by now she could see large plumes of powdery snow being kicked up from the monstrously-large hoofs of the Clydesdales. Brian, Justin, and their son had walked to the stables for their ride; why was Brian not taking them back there afterward? A slight twinge of concern hit her as she looked at Mel and frowned. "I wonder what's going on," she asked the other woman, who shrugged in response.

Both women shot up out of their chairs, however, as they saw Brian stop the sleigh and, after making sure Gus had alit safely, turn back around and lift Justin from the vehicle and straight into his arms, leaving the drenched blanket behind. Even from their vantage point inside the house, the two women could tell that something was seriously wrong with their friend – his face was contorted in pain and he looked extremely pale, even for him.

Silently of mutual accord they both began to rush toward the back doors; Lindsey managed to open them just before Gus came rushing in with Brian close behind him. "What happened?" Lindsey cried out as she looked at Justin, whose eyes were closed in apparent pain and who looked even smaller than normal in Brian's embrace.

"He fell on the ice and thinks he might have broken his leg," Brian told the two women as he rushed from the kitchen and down the hall toward the parlor. Oblivious to whatever damage may be sustained to the leather couch, he gently laid Justin down in front of the fireplace, which was thankfully blazing at the moment with a fierce fire. He managed to remove Justin's thick coat, hat and gloves as he placed one of the throw pillows under Justin's wet hair, noticing the blue eyes slowly fluttering open. "Brian?" his partner said in a shuddering whisper, reaching out almost blindly to take the brunet's hand.

Brian clasped his partner's hand firmly; he was alarmed at how cold and red it was. "Shh….Just lie there for a minute – I'm going to get you another blanket. I've got to get you warmed up right away, and then we're taking you to the hospital." He noticed Gus and his two mothers entering the living room, their own faces full of worry as well. He really didn't want to let go of Justin's hand, feeling at least that this was a minor way of helping to warm him up. "He needs to get out of those wet clothes," he stated," and he needs some blankets. Can you get them for him?"

"I'll go get the clothes," Mel said, rushing from the room as Lindsey nodded.

"There's some blankets in the closet next to the bathroom," Brian told the blonde, who hurried down the hallway to retrieve them. A few seconds later, she arrived back with two thick tartan-style blankets, which Brian laid aside temporarily until Mel came back moments later with some new, dry clothes for his partner.

The two women turned their backs tactfully for a few minutes to give Brian enough time to remove Justin's clothes and place a new pair of briefs and a pair of loose-fitting sweats over his legs. As they turned back to observe their friend, they were amazed at how Brian was sitting on the edge of the couch next to his partner, who was now dressed in clean, dry clothes and lying under the two blankets, only his pale head peering out from underneath. Brian was gently brushing Justin's wet, plastered hair back from his face as he cooed soothing words at him. "You're going to be just fine, Sunshine," they heard him say, as he glanced back at them. "Can you go get him some Advil and some water?" He knew this was about the only over-the-counter pain medication that Justin could take due to his allergies; it would have to be a stopgap measure until he could get him to the hospital.

Mel nodded at him and turned to go retrieve the medication and water; Lindsey walked over to sit down near the couch, scooping up Gus into her lap; the boy had been noticeably quiet since Brian had brought Justin into the house. "Gus?" she said, realizing what was wrong. "Justin's going to be just fine, you'll see."

"Are you sure, Mommy? He looks really sad and he's hurting." The little boy's eyes were tear-filled and wide as saucers as he heard Justin cry out softly again in pain.

Justin was unable to keep from audibly expressing how he felt, even though he hated to make Gus upset. He managed to whisper to the little boy, "It's okay, Buddy. I just have a hurt leg, that's all. It'll be good as new real soon – don't worry, Little Man." He tried to smile reassuringly at him as he turned his head to look over at the little boy, but he couldn't quite accomplish it; he was simply in too much pain to pull it off.

"Shh," he was once more scolded. "Don't talk, Justin. Just rest for a minute." As Mel returned with the medication and water, Brian took three tablets and held them out to Justin, cradling his head in his hand as he gently lifted it up. "Here – take this," he ordered, watching until Justin took the pills in his mouth before holding the paper cup up to his pale lips to take a drink and swallow them.

Thirty Minutes Later

Brian pushed the button to lower the car's window and gaze up into the worried eyes of his friends and his son. "You promise you'll call us as soon as you know anything?" Lindsey asked, looking over at Justin, who was propped up in the passenger seat, his head lolling to the side facing away from her and his body once more sheathed from head to toe in a couple of blankets to help keep him warm. Brian had hated to move him again, but he also knew his partner's leg had to be checked out. Not only was it probably broken, but there could also be an issue of possible blood clots. "I will," he promised. "And Gus," he added, looking at his son who was standing in front of his two mothers, still worried about Justin, "He'll be fine. You did real good, Sonny Boy. You helped saved him," he reassured his son, nodding before quickly raising the window back up and driving away.

As the SUV disappeared out of sight and onto the main road, the two women stood there silently, deep in thought. They knew it would be some time before Brian would call with news on Justin's condition, but they already knew one thing now – these two men belonged together. And before they left, if they had to, they would make sure both realized that.