Thanks to our readers and reviewers for being there for us and sharing your opinions. Also thanks to Eka for the beautiful banners and to Lois for betaing for me. Justin’s POV I hear Brian call out my name in a panicked voice and I don’t even get to him before he hits the floor, although I'm running as fast as I can. I reach Brian and immediately drop to the floor and cradle his head in my lap. The kids have followed me and they are both crying and begging to know what is wrong and for me to fix Brian. Tears come to my eyes as I worry about, not only Brian but what this is doing to our children. I try to calm down the kids as I call 911. I tell them what is wrong and as soon as they say they are on their way, I hang up with them and call Molly. When she answers I beg her to come and take the kids to the hospital because I plan to ride in the ambulance. When she says she'll be right here and we hang up, I return my complete attention to Brian and the kids. I still have Brian’s head on my lap and now I have one child under each arm and all three of us are running our fingers through Brian’s hair, trying to offer what comfort we can to the unconscious man. The EMT’s and Molly arrive at about the same time so while the paramedics are checking Brian over and getting him into the ambulance, Molly and I are fighting to get the kids into the car. Both of them don’t want to leave Brian and they are crying and screaming and fighting to stay with Brian. We finally get them into the car and Molly drives off as I hurry to the ambulance where they are now loading Brian. “I’m coming with him.” I say with steel in my voice. “Who are you?” One of the paramedics asks with a compassionate look on his face. “I’m his partner.” I say, figuring that they don’t need to know what kind of partner I am. The EMT nods and as soon as they finish loading Brian, I jump in and sit next to him. When I’m settled I immediately grab Brian’s hand and hold on for dear life. Every couple of seconds I clench my eyes close and pray to everything and anything that is listening that Brian will be fine. We arrive at the hospital and within what seems like seconds, I am in the waiting room, pacing and praying some more. A couple of minutes later Molly comes in with the kids and they immediately run to me and cry for Brian. Molly and I spend a while calming down the kids and telling them that Brian will be alright, hoping we aren’t lying to them. About twenty minutes later the doctor walks in and asks who’s there for Brian and we all move up to him, waiting for him to give us good news or destroy our world. “You’re his partner?” The doctor asks before saying anything. “Yes.” I answer, using the same lie to get me information. “Okay, well Brian’s fine. His chemo made him vomit a lot and because he doesn’t eat enough when his stomach was empty and he was still heaving, it tore a little of his stomach and he was vomiting up blood.” the doctor said in a reassuring voice. “But if that’s all that’s wrong why did he pass out?” I ask, because nothing is making sense to me right now. I was so sure something was really wrong and I’m having a hard time believing the good news. “He passed out because he is severely dehydrated and malnourished. He can’t keep on like this, he needs to eat and drink more.” the doctor says gravely and I feel like I have failed him. I was the one who was supposed to make him food and he is so malnourished that he landed in the hospital. “Can I see him?” I ask, fighting tears of guilt. “Yes, you go right ahead. He will be in here until at least tomorrow while we try to get him hydrated and get some food into him, but you can stay with him if you want.” The doctor says kindly. “Yes please.” I say before I head to the room I was directed to so I can see for myself how Brian is doing. All four of us enter the room at the same time and the sight of Brian laying in that bed hooked up to a couple things is too much for me and I don’t know how I am going to deal with it. I can tell just by looking at the kids that both of them want to run and crawl into Brian’s arms but they are scared and finally Brian opens his eyes and sees us. “Hi.” he says a little weakly and it’s like a dagger to my heart that he’s this badly off and it’s my fault. He obviously can tell what the kids want too, because he motions them over. “Come over and give me loves.” Gus immediately goes over to Brian and Molly helps him carefully climb onto Brian but Kyla still looks at him with want in her eyes. As soon as Gus is situated Brian realizes Kyla hasn’t come over and he looks over at her and beckons again. “What, I don’t get loves from the little princess?” he says in a teasing voice which while it still sounds weak, is soft with feeling for Kyla and it makes my heart flutter. Kyla’s face breaks out in a huge smile and she runs over to him. I quickly follow her so I can lift her onto his bed on the other side from where Gus is. And after many kisses are exchanged between Brian and the kids, Gus speaks up. “Daddy, is you okay?” “I’m going to be fine Gus, but I’m just a little sick.” “Are you gonna leave like our mommies did?” Kyla asks a question she and Gus obviously talked about because he is nodding his head. My heart chills at what our children have been thinking and Brian quickly glances at me before turning his full attention to the kids; but in that one little look, I can tell how sorry he is for making them worry like they have. I step closer as Brian starts to explain it to them. “No kiddos, I’m not going to leave like your mommies did. I’m just sick but I will get better, I promise.” Brian says while holding on to both children. After a while we get the kids to calm down so I ask Molly to take them to get something to eat. Molly can tell that I need to talk to Brian so she says she’s going to take them to a diner down the street instead of the cafeteria and that she will get me something as well. As the three of them walk out of the room after another round of kisses from the kids, I hear the pleas for McDonald’s start and Brian and I smirk at each other knowing that with the two of them together, they will be getting McDonald’s. As soon as the kids are out of the room, I go back to Brian’s side and stare down at him for a minute. “Are you really alright?” I ask him softly. “Yes.” He answers, giving me a reassuring smile and I believe him, so I smack him in the arm. “Hey, what was that for?” “You know why you’re in here, you idiot? Why you scared me and the kids half to death. You’re here cause you didn’t eat, even though I have been coming everyday making you food and you haven’t been eating it, have you? Do you know that watching you collapse fucking nearly drove me nuts; I didn’t even know if you were alive or dead.” I continue to bitch at him while his eyes get wider and wider. “What the hell? I don’t need to listen to your bitching. Who are you? You’re just my business partner not my partner.” Brian growls out. At first I’m shocked by his outburst and then I realize that he is right. I have no right to act like this; I am nobody to him really. I know I want him and I like him but there is nothing really between us, no matter what I feel or the kids think. “I’m sorry Brian, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just worried about you and the kids were freaking and I guess I got a little bit stressed.” I say apologetically. Brian looks at me weirdly for a minute but seems to accept my apology and I go and sit in the chair across the room from him. We attempt idle chit-chat but all I’m really doing is waiting for the kids to get back so we can leave because I now feel uncomfortable in Brian’s presence. About five minutes later the doctor comes in to talk to Brian. “Hi Mr. Kinney…” “Brian, Mr. Kinney was my father and I don’t want to be confused with him.” Brian cuts the doctor off in a harsh tone. “Okay Brian, as I have already told your partner,” Brian gives me that strange look again at those words. “You are going to be in here at least overnight because you are severely dehydrated and malnourished and we need to get you balanced again which is rather easy to do. But the thing is you can’t let it get this far again. It weighs on your body and next time you’re this badly off you might not be able to fight it this easily. Do you understand what I’m saying?” The doctor is talking to Brian in a stern voice and I can see that Brian wants to tell him to fuck off but the doctor continues. “You don’t want to leave this young man without a partner and your children without a father.” I watch as the mention of Gus makes Brian accept the doctor’s words and I listen as he promises that he will do better from now on and I know by the look on his face that he will. Not that he really has much to worry about, seeing as his treatments are all over as long as he passes his tests clean. I know that this is the last hurdle of this kind he has, as long as they got it all. “Now on a more pleasant note. Because your partner made sure you had a private room the kids and Justin can stay in here with you.” the Doctor says, his whole demeanor changing back to the one I saw on him earlier and once again I see Brian raise an eyebrow at the word "partner." At the same time as the doctor was walking out of the room, Molly and the kids are walking back in. I immediately get up to grab Kyla so we can leave because I don’t feel comfortable here with Brian any more, after I let so many of my feelings show and he basically just threw them back in my face. After I pick her up, I turn back to Brian and look it him for a minute and then I speak. “Where do you want me to drop Gus off for the night?” I watch as what I’m saying dawns on Brian and he blinks one time but before he can answer, Gus speaks up. “NO, NO, NO. I WANT TO STAY WITH DADDA!” Gus yells at the top of his lungs. “I want to stay with him too.” Kyla adds in a demanding voice. We both try to calm the children down and convince them to leave but we are getting nowhere with either child. Finally after about three minutes of screaming children, Brian speaks up. “Why don’t you all just stay here, Justin? The hospital planned that you would anyway and they are going to bring a bed in.” I want to argue but I can’t so I go out into the hall and ask them to bring in a bed so we can put the kids to bed. Molly goes home as soon as they bring the bed in and after kisses and hugs goodnight, I lay on the bed with the kids to put them to sleep. I’m not tired and as the kids go to sleep, I look across the room and find myself locking eyes with Brian.