Didn't originally plan on continuing this but this ended up happening. I definitly don't intend on writing about what happens in the end - whether Justin survives or not, even I'm not sure - but I might do more snippets.

"So how's dad taking it?" Gus asked, accepting the beer that Justin pulled out of the fridge for him.

"Oh, you know Brian. He's being...combative."

The younger man snorted and leaned against the island counter, ankles crossed casually. Justin would have joined him but the excitement of the day was catching up to him, his energy flagging, so instead he opted for a seat at the breakfast table. "Yeah that's him alright. Combative toward a natural phenomena." Gus took a long swig, smacking his lips together appreciatively. Justin made a face at the poor manners and Gus grinned apologetically. For all that the man looked like a carbon copy of his father at his age, the abashed expression was one that Brian's features had never worn. "But he seems to be...handling it."

They both turned to look through the bay window to the backyard, where the subject of their conversation was being enthousiastically dogpiled by two fair-haired six-year olds. "He'd never slip in front of the girls." Justin said softly. The twins worshipped their grandfather, and in turn Brian loved them more fiercely than any of them ever would have expected. "He'll stay strong for the rest of the day. When you leave though, I have a feeling he'll fall apart." Justin wasn't expecting the most restful of nights.

"Jesus." Gus moaned, scrubbing at his face with his free hand. "What can I do?"

That was the hard part: how to best deal with Brian. The man was unpredictable of the best of days, responding with no discernible pattern, even after spending over half a lifetime together. Justin sipped absently at a plastic cup of lemonade that one of the girls had left half-finished on the table. "I'd say just act normally for today." he decided, "Let the girls wear him out, they're the best distraction. He doesn't want to scare them."

"Shit. How am I going to tell them? Do you want to do it?"

"No." Justin shook his head, loath to do anything that would kill the joyful scene in the yard, "Talk to Sarah first, it's up to the two of you to decide if you want them to know. It's a tough age."

Gus nodded and moved to take the seat to Justin's right, putting a warm hand on his shoulder. "I'll talk to her. It'd probably be best to wait until we know more, see how the initial treatments go. Make the call then." he paused, eyes fixed on his daughters as they darted around the small lawn. Suddenly he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Justin, burying his face in his shoulder despite the fact that he was a good half-foot taller. Justin's heart clenched and he returned the embrace, closing his eyes tightly against the threatening moisture. When he opened them again Brian in the yard had stopped chasing and was staring at them, face unreadable. Justin held his gaze over the top of Gus' head for a moment before Rosie barreled into Brian's leg, demanding attention.

Justin exhaled and kissed the crown of Gus' dark head before pulling back. "You guys know that you can call us any time you need." Gus said earnestly "For anything. Both of you. I know dad would never admit to needing help but you let me know if things go...downhill."

"Of course. I'll keep you posted."

"On both of you."

"On both of us." Justin agreed, smiling wetly.

"So...who have you told?"

"Nobody, officially. Well, except for mother. We visited her while we were at the hospital- right after the appointment."

"How did she respond?"

"Like usual." Justin smiled sadly, "Blinked a lot, kissed my cheek, then asked Brian why her steak was taking so long." a strained chuckle clawed its way out of his throat without his permission. "Then we played cards. She told me all about my first day of school, as if it'd just happened yesterday; she showed me my own baby photos, proud as anything."

"That's sweet."

"It is. Each and every time. I'm going to dinner with Molly and Josh tomorrow."

"Is dad going with you?"

"He would, I'm sure, if I asked. But I called Michael earlier. They're going bowling."

"So Michael..."

"He knows a bit. Brian told him that I was experiencing...troubles. That we suspected it could be something serious." The deaths of his stepfather, mother and husband in the space of two years had just about destroyed their friend. Credit to pulling him back together rested heavily on Brian and Hunter. Since, the two men had regained much of the closeness they'd shared in their youth, and Justin knew that Brian had been leaning on his best friend over the past few weeks while they waited for the test returns. "I expect he'll tell him everything we know. He'll pass it on to Hunter and Callie and JR and Scott, which means we'll have to rush to get to Linds and Mel before they do. We'll call Ted up at some point in the next couple day. Which only leaves-"

"Emmet." Gus whistled softly, "Lord almighty I wouldn't want to be within a hundred miles."

"I'll call ahead to warn you." Justin chuckled, "Give you time to evacuate to the country."

They nursed their respective drinks silently, watching as Brian mock-fell to the grass in defeat, immediately fell upon by the two girls. Gus stood and pushed open the sliding door to call out "Take it easy girls, Grandpa's not a trampoline. Come on back inside, Justin made cookies."

Footsteps thundered up the stairs and over the patio before the two girls flew through the door, blond hair streaming behind them like banners. Brian followed far more slowly, wincing slightly as he rose. "Well, well, sweetstuff made some sweetstuff." he smirked, closing the door behind him. He twins burst into shrill giggles, identical round cheeks already smeared with chocolate. Brian stuck his tongue out at them and ruffled Gus' hair on his way to the living room. Gus and Rosie followed at his heels, chattering away about a million different things.

"Grampa." a soft voice whispered from the vicinity of Justin's knee. He tore his eyes away from the three of them to regard the tiny blonde at his feet.

"Yes love, what is it?" The little girl pursed her lips and held out her arms imploringly. Justin's heart wobbled and he hefted the child up onto his knee.

"You're drank my juice." she whispered, pointing a crumby finger at the empty pink sippy-cup at his elbow. Justin blinked, he hadn't even been conscious of finishing it. "Sorry sweetie! Come on I'll get you some more." he plucked up the cup, scooted her gently off his lap and stood. Annie slipped her tiny fingers neatly through his and together they walked to the fridge.

Gus had never ended up calling Justin 'dad'; by the time he was a permanent enough fixture in the Kinney house, he was too old. That didn't mean that the young man didn't think of Justin as a parental figure; in fact, it had been a point of great pride throughout elementary school that he'd had twice as many mommies and daddies as the other kids. But Justin had always been Justin, half father half older brother.

The day twins had been born, Gus had placed the first tiny bundle in Brian's arms and it had been a blast from the past to stand in the brightly-lit natal ward watching the tender glow in his eyes when he held the baby as if she might shatter. And then Gus had offered the other baby to Justin and grinned in that new-father way and said earnestly "Would you like to hold your granddaughter?" and Justin had fallen just as hard for the little girls as Brian had.

There had never been a doubt in Rosie and Annie's minds about who Justin was. Justin and Brian were their grandpas, equally and entirely. Brian had even said one day when the girls were toddlers, that they looked more like Justin than Brian with their golden hair and fair skin.

It was the one thing that hurt the most, the chance that he might not be there to watch them grow, to see the wonderful adults they'd surly become. Anything else he could stand, but this was agony. He poured the fresh glass of lemonade for Annie and slipped her an extra cookie, winking at her conspiratorially. She dimpled back at him, stuffing the sweet into her mouth and chewing as fast as her little jaw could go, nearly choking when she chugged her lemonade to wash the evidence away.