Three 

“Jussin?” Melody watched unhappily as Justin left the apartment. No one said anything for a second, then she looked up at Joey. “Who're you?” She demanded.

“I'm Joey,” he said.

“Joey,” she repeated, holding up her arms. Joey picked her up and held her easily.

“And that is Lance, and that is Josh.” Joey pointed to them each in turn. Melody giggled as Lance lightly poked her stomach, but when Josh stepped towards her, she whimpered and shrank back against Joey.

Chris had to smile. “I never thought I'd see the day when someone would be afraid of Josh.”

“Fu…I mean, screw you, Chris,” Josh snapped. He sighed. “I'm gonna go after Justin.”

“Maybe you shouldn't, babe,” Lance said.

“He needs to talk. I know him. And I've also known him the longest.” Josh gave Chris an encouraging smile. “You know how Justin is, Chris. He's just upset that he's no longer the baby, and can't hog all the attention.”

“Right,” Chris said. Josh left the apartment. “Well, I guess I need to set up a bed for this little one. I think I have a cot down in storage. She should be okay.”

“Couldn't you call that chick's mom…get her to take care of her?” Joey asked.

“No. She's my…uh…daughter.” Chris was uncomfortable with the word. “I need to take care of her.”

“Why don't you and Joey go get the cot, and run to the store. I know you'll need a few more things, like actual nutritional food,” Lance suggested. “I'll watch her.”

“Maybe she'll be afraid,” Joey said. Melody squirmed out of his arms and got down, running to hug a huge stuffed bear Josh had given Lance.

“Nah…we'll be fine,” Lance said.  

Josh found Justin a few yards down the beach. He was sitting with his head on his knees, toes squirming down into the sand. “Hey,” Josh said, sitting down next to Justin. “We did miss you, by the way. Lance TRIED to be the spoiled little diva, but he just can't pull it off. He DID look damn good in those Daisy Duke shorts you love to wear, though,” Josh sighed, staring off into space.

Justin smiled a tiny smile. “I would love to see that.”

“Not half as much as I'D like to see it,” Josh said, sighing again. “Anyway…glad to have you back.”

“Yeah.” Justin's toes dug in deeper. “I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of me now.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I know I sound like a selfish little brat, but Chris isn't gonna have time for me now,” Justin said. “Did you see the look on his face?”

“Yes, and I also saw the look on his face when you walked through the door. He loves you, Justin. He's loved you for ages, and now that you finally are his, he's not about to just shove you aside,” Josh pointed out. “He has enough love in him for both you AND his daughter.”

“And I guess I'm jealous,” Justin said finally. “I mean, he had sex with a GIRL. He has a BABY.”

“You had sex before Chris…right in front of his face,” Josh said gently. “You don't think that hurt him?”

“That's different,” Justin mumbled, and Josh had to smile. “I just…I forgot all about that side of him, you know?”

“The straight side?”

“Chrissy is NOT straight,” Justin said stubbornly. “Just…confused sometimes.”

“And you think he's gonna go back to this Jennifer?”

“No…I don't really think that. I just…I dunno WHAT I think.” Justin buried his head again. Josh lightly yanked at Justin's curls until he pulled his head back up again.

“Justin, Chris loves you. He needs your help now. He's gonna be freaking out by this time tomorrow, once the novelty wears off. He needs you to help him take care of Melody, and just to keep him sane.” Josh tenderly kissed Justin's cheek. “Can you be a grown up?”

“I am a grown up!” Justin snapped, but he smiled. “Where are they now?”

“I'm not sure. I'm sure they need to run out to the store for a few things. She's in good hands if they leave her with Lance.”

“LANCE?” Justin said, amused. “I thought you'd be watching her.”

“She, uh, she's afraid of me,” Josh said, blushing. Justin laughed out loud.

“Someone's actually afraid of YOU?”

“Ha ha ha…that's just what your boyfriend said.” Josh stood up. “C'mon, J. Let's go back up. I want to spend as much time with Lance as possible. I don't think we're gonna see too much of each other soon.” Josh held out his hand and Justin took it. They slowly walked back up the beach together, hand in hand.

Three 

 

“Jussin?” Melody watched unhappily as Justin left the apartment. No one said anything for a second, then she looked up at Joey. “Who're you?” She demanded.

“I'm Joey,” he said.

“Joey,” she repeated, holding up her arms. Joey picked her up and held her easily.

“And that is Lance, and that is Josh.” Joey pointed to them each in turn. Melody giggled as Lance lightly poked her stomach, but when Josh stepped towards her, she whimpered and shrank back against Joey.

Chris had to smile. “I never thought I'd see the day when someone would be afraid of Josh.”

“Fu…I mean, screw you, Chris,” Josh snapped. He sighed. “I'm gonna go after Justin.”

“Maybe you shouldn't, babe,” Lance said.

“He needs to talk. I know him. And I've also known him the longest.” Josh gave Chris an encouraging smile. “You know how Justin is, Chris. He's just upset that he's no longer the baby, and can't hog all the attention.”

“Right,” Chris said. Josh left the apartment. “Well, I guess I need to set up a bed for this little one. I think I have a cot down in storage. She should be okay.”

“Couldn't you call that chick's mom…get her to take care of her?” Joey asked.

“No. She's my…uh…daughter.” Chris was uncomfortable with the word. “I need to take care of her.”

“Why don't you and Joey go get the cot, and run to the store. I know you'll need a few more things, like actual nutritional food,” Lance suggested. “I'll watch her.”

“Maybe she'll be afraid,” Joey said. Melody squirmed out of his arms and got down, running to hug a huge stuffed bear Josh had given Lance.

“Nah…we'll be fine,” Lance said.  

Josh found Justin a few yards down the beach. He was sitting with his head on his knees, toes squirming down into the sand. “Hey,” Josh said, sitting down next to Justin. “We did miss you, by the way. Lance TRIED to be the spoiled little diva, but he just can't pull it off. He DID look damn good in those Daisy Duke shorts you love to wear, though,” Josh sighed, staring off into space.

Justin smiled a tiny smile. “I would love to see that.”

“Not half as much as I'D like to see it,” Josh said, sighing again. “Anyway…glad to have you back.”

“Yeah.” Justin's toes dug in deeper. “I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of me now.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I know I sound like a selfish little brat, but Chris isn't gonna have time for me now,” Justin said. “Did you see the look on his face?”

“Yes, and I also saw the look on his face when you walked through the door. He loves you, Justin. He's loved you for ages, and now that you finally are his, he's not about to just shove you aside,” Josh pointed out. “He has enough love in him for both you AND his daughter.”

“And I guess I'm jealous,” Justin said finally. “I mean, he had sex with a GIRL. He has a BABY.”

“You had sex before Chris…right in front of his face,” Josh said gently. “You don't think that hurt him?”

“That's different,” Justin mumbled, and Josh had to smile. “I just…I forgot all about that side of him, you know?”

“The straight side?”

“Chrissy is NOT straight,” Justin said stubbornly. “Just…confused sometimes.”

“And you think he's gonna go back to this Jennifer?”

“No…I don't really think that. I just…I dunno WHAT I think.” Justin buried his head again. Josh lightly yanked at Justin's curls until he pulled his head back up again.

“Justin, Chris loves you. He needs your help now. He's gonna be freaking out by this time tomorrow, once the novelty wears off. He needs you to help him take care of Melody, and just to keep him sane.” Josh tenderly kissed Justin's cheek. “Can you be a grown up?”

“I am a grown up!” Justin snapped, but he smiled. “Where are they now?”

“I'm not sure. I'm sure they need to run out to the store for a few things. She's in good hands if they leave her with Lance.”

“LANCE?” Justin said, amused. “I thought you'd be watching her.”

“She, uh, she's afraid of me,” Josh said, blushing. Justin laughed out loud.

“Someone's actually afraid of YOU?”

“Ha ha ha…that's just what your boyfriend said.” Josh stood up. “C'mon, J. Let's go back up. I want to spend as much time with Lance as possible. I don't think we're gonna see too much of each other soon.” Josh held out his hand and Justin took it. They slowly walked back up the beach together, hand in hand.

Four