On the other side of the city, trapped in a less than romantic situation, but still just as cute, Zacky walked into his apartment after a day of working on new designs that had gotten him extremely frustrated because his hand wasn’t drawing what his head was seeing, to find his fiancé, a small child and three animals on the couch watching a Disney movie.

Brian seemed to be trapped, with Kennedy in his arms as the two of them cuddled underneath a blanket, and Ichy, Majesty and Pinkly on his legs, preventing him from moving.

“Honey, I’m home” Zacky said as he walked into the living room, smirking at the sight of his fiancé on the couch. Brian looked up and smiled, but didn’t move, meaning Zacky had to lean down and kiss him as Kennedy glanced up at the two of them, barely able to take her eyes away from the movie screen.

“Hey baby how was work? I’d go get you a beer, but I’m kind of stuck under a pile of dogs and Kennedy” Brian replied when Zacky finally pulled away, and smiled, glad to see Brian finally looking a little happier. The court date was looming ever closer and the nearer the day got, the more nervous the man became. Without wanting to disturb the little girl, he discreetly pointed at her and Brian glanced over, shrugging.

“It’s date night. Jimmy took Ellen out and asked if I could watch Kennedy for a little while. We found your stash of Disney movies and have been working our way through them since three this afternoon” Brian explained softly. It was around eight now- they’d been at it for almost five hours. Zacky could only guess that their cupboards were at least half empty, and that the dogs had seized the opportunity to be lazy and sleep on one of their owners legs.

“Help me…I think my legs have fallen asleep” Brian whispered as Zacky started to move away, and just with one glance at the puppy dog expression on his fiancé’s face, he caved and glanced over at Kennedy, who was almost half asleep. Jimmy would kill them both if she wasn’t asleep by the time he came by to pick her up, and then Matt’s parents would kill Jimmy because she was hyperactive still.

He got up and grabbed the remote, pausing the movie and shuffling the dogs off of Brian’s legs and into the kitchen, where they waited patiently for food to arrive. Taking care of their dogs was like taking care of Jimmy sometimes- they only paid attention when the prospect of food was floating around.

“Come on Kenney, honey, it’s time for beddy-byes” Zacky said as he lifted her up out of Brian’s lap, leaving him to sort of flop himself onto the floor so he could get his legs to work again and he could stand up. She shook her head, curling up in his arms anyway.
“I’m not sleepy, Uncle Zacky” she murmured, stifling a yawn as she did so, and Zacky laughed, watching Brian haul himself to his feet and then promptly fall back down again because his legs still felt like jelly.

“Yes you are sleepy, little miss Kenney. I bet your daddy’s sleeping right now and that he’s dreaming about you” Zacky said as he carried Kennedy through the apartment until they reached the spare bedroom where Kennedy and sometimes Jimmy would sleep whenever they stayed over. She shook her head again but didn’t protest as he laid her down on the big double bed.

Already in her kick ass little Batman pyjamas, she crawled underneath the large blanket before sitting back up again, staring over at her two uncles as her forehead scrunched up. She was thinking.
“Daddy’s never coming home, is he?” she asked quietly and Zacky’s eyes widened.

“Of course he is sweetie. He’s coming home really soon, OK?” he told her as he knelt down to her height, feeling Brian put his hand on his fiancé’s shoulder and sit on the bed next to Kennedy.

“Then why isn’t he here now? I don’t want to have to sleep somewhere different every night; I want to be with Daddy! Why can’t he be with me so we can be a family like all the other kids? I want him to come home!” she cried, hot tears making tracks down her little face. Brian pulled her into a hug as Zacky looked on helplessly, unsure of what to say to this little girl. She was at her lowest, he’d never seen her so hurt as she looked right now.

He wished with all his might that he could magic Matt here to stay with his daughter, but it was impossible. Matt was in prison, probably wishing that Kennedy was with him too.

“I know you do, baby, and I know it hurts a lot but we have to be strong OK? You know your Daddy loves you so much, and he misses you a lot. But he wouldn’t want you to be crying- he’d want you to be happy for him. Can you do that for me baby?” Brian asked her softly and though she was still crying a little, she nodded, curling up tightly in his arms. She needed her father most of all- but she had second best sat right beside her.

“Come on. You can sleep in the big bed with us, OK Kenney?” Zacky asked softly and she nodded as Brian lifted her up and carried her into their bedroom, tucking her up under the blanket.

“You are going to make the most amazing father, Baby” Zacky whispered as he wrapped his arms around Brian’s waist, watching Kennedy slowly drift into sleep with his head on Brian’s shoulder. The other man sighed and held back, wishing he could stop his heart from hurting so much. The sooner he could win this case- the better.

***

“Zack. Zack wake up!”

Jimmy was nudging him in the side and he groaned, having to unwrap himself from his fiancé to stare over at the other man. It was only a little light outside, meaning Jimmy had somehow gotten into his apartment at the ass crack of dawn and woken him up. What was going on?
“What do you want Jimmy? It’s way too early…” Zacky asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling Brian shuffle around next to him, but barely even try and wake himself up.

“Where’s Kennedy? I kind of lied to her parents and said she was staying with me cause Ellen and I ran over a little…” he asked, glancing around the room to see if she was hidden in the closet or something. Zacky sat up, frowning. Last time he checked, and that was just before he fell asleep, Kennedy had been cuddled up in Brian’s arms, sleeping peacefully. Now- there was just an empty space.

“Did you check the other room?”
“Empty dude. So is the rest of your apartment. Did you hide her in the bathtub again?”

Zacky’s eyes widened in horror and he nudged Brian hard in the ribs, so much so that the other man groaned and opened one of his eyes.

“What the fuck? I thought after six years together you would’ve learned that I am NOT a morning person. Oh…hey Jim” Brian grumbled as he turned over and glared at Zacky. But neither man cared about Brian’s sleeping habits, because both of them were suddenly on edge.
“Jimmy- how did you get in here?”
“Door was unlocked”

Zacky swallowed a rather large lump in his throat and looked over at Jimmy and then at Brian, who noticed how nervous the other man was acting suddenly. This was all their fault and Matt was going to murder them all and not even care if he went back to prison. They’d lost her.

“I think Kennedy’s run away”