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After finally talking to Max for the first time in months, Joseph went through a number of emotions and reactions. Elation, anger, regret, sadness, joy, depression... he felt them all. When Web walked in a bit later, he got danced around the room, and then had to listen to a harangue for several minutes about how badly Max had treated him. Before Web realized it, Joseph was again on a high - elated that he might be able to make up with Max... then, he crashed and burned. Web held him while he cried; and finally convinced him to call his shrink.

Dr. Allen listened to, and talked with Joseph for over an hour and a half before Joseph got his perception of the situation back in order. Dr. Allen convinced him that until he met Max face to face and talked it out with him, there was no reason to let it upset him. Joseph dove into his studies with an intensity that astounded his roomy who had previously had little difficulty getting Joseph to do anything extracurricular, now Joseph wanted to do nothing but study.

Like an excited little kid, he could hardly contain his excitement when the day finally came for him to fly home. Rence and Lexy met him at the terminal. He hugged his dad with an exuberance he hadn't shown in months. Ten year old Lexy was delighted when his big brother picked him up and swung him around before giving him a big hug.

Once they got into his dad's big black Lexus, Joseph calmed down, but as they neared the university, he started getting a little agitated. Lexy managed to add to it, by asking if Max was still mad at him. His dad noticed Joseph's exasperated expression as he started to turn in his seat and laid a hand on his arm. "Calm down, Son. It's a question that's on everyone's mind. We're all worried about you. And you know that if we didn't love you, we wouldn't care."

Joseph nodded, looking contrite. "I know, Dad." He let go a heavy sigh, turned his head toward Lexy and said, "Max told me that he's not mad anymore, Lex. We're going to talk... and see if we can work things out."

"Oh, good," Lexy responded. "I like Max."

Joseph glanced at his dad. "I guess everyone's already on Max's case again," he said with a bit of acerbity.

Rence glanced at his oldest son. He couldn't imagine how Joseph managed to hold it together. He had come to the realization that the bond between his son and young Max was real, and something that would cause irrevocable harm to both of them if it was ever totally broken. Joseph's reactions that ended with his being hospitalized were proof of that. Rence felt that if the ties between him and Miki were ever broken, he, too, just might just go berserk... especially, if he was the cause of it. He shook his head at the thought and said, "Max isn't due in until tomorrow morning."

Joseph stared out the window. "Whose picking him up from the airport, do you know?"

"I think your mother said something about Mary going. But if you're thinking of volunteering, please don't, Son. After all you have been through; I really think your first meeting should be on neutral ground, with someone to intervene if he's still angry."

As Joseph watched the scenery pass, he thought about the meeting coming up with Max and said, "Okay, you're probably right." He laid his forehead against the cool glass and sighed. "I guess I couldn't really blame him if he is still upset with me."

"Joseph, at some point, the boy has got to let go and forgive you."

"He's said he has, Dad."

"So, have you two made any plans of where or when to meet?"

"No. I guess we're playing it by ear."

"I would feel better about this if you had Joe and Dave there to monitor it."

"Dad, if you're worried about me losing it again... it won't happen. Besides, Dr. Chestnut is right across the street from Uncle Joe's. He knows I'm seeing Max tomorrow."

"Yes, I know."

"He was talking to you about me?"

"You know Allen wouldn't break your confidence... as long as it's not life threatening. No, I had a long conversation with Web this morning after you left Boston. He's worried about you."

"He called you?"

"Yes, we talked for a long time. He really is your good friend... you know."

"I guess I've really put him through the wringer the last couple of weeks with my emotional roller coaster."

Rence looked at his oldest son. "So, are you doing okay now?"

Joseph looked rather sheepish. "Well, I'm not the basket case I was right after Max called me."

Rence sighed, and shook his head as if to clear it of the thoughts he was having.

"Everything is going to work out, Dad. It has to."

"Joseph, you're not an eleven year old boy. You can't simply believe something - and expect it to be true."

"I know that. But I also know that Max and I are meant to share our lives. If we don't, neither one of us will ever be happy. Max knows this as well as I do. Believe me, we will work things out. Besides, he loves me as much as I love him."

Rence smiled to himself. His son's strong conviction relieved his worries. Joseph had always been a happy, focused young man, even before he'd found Max... and he hoped to see him that way again.

When they pulled into the driveway of the Darcy home, Mabel, Joseph's paternal grandmother, was sitting with his mother on the front porch awaiting his arrival. He was disappointed that Lena wasn't home to greet him, too. He missed his younger siblings. But it was wonderful to be hugged by both of the women, and he reveled in the attention they lavished on him.

His sister came home in time for dinner. The two preteens, Joseph quickly noted, still communicated with single words. Joseph felt more left out than ever when they carried on a conversation around him. Still, he was happy to see them again. His Paolini grandparents called and he talked to both for a minute or so. He found himself wishing he had a close relationship with his granddad like Lex and Lena had.

An hour after dinner, he pleaded exhaustion and went to his old bedroom. Miki had completely redone the whole room after he'd left for school. There was nothing left to remind him of the events that had occurred in the room. He found himself being relieved that other than some of his clothes in the closet and in the new chest of drawers, there was nothing to state that the room had ever been his.

He lay on the new bed with his hands behind his head and thought about tomorrow. He wondered if Max was eager to see him. Joseph could hardly wait to be close to Max again. To be able to touch him, run his hand down his back and over his cute little butt. He got up and undressed, pulled the covers back and lay back down to fantasize about making love with Max. In his imagination, he lightly ran his fingertips through the blonde thatch on Max's chest and followed the line of hair down to the top of his briefs. He could feel Max reciprocating, and as he grasped his throbbing penis, it was Max's hand that squeezed it and then moved the skin up and down the shaft. He envisioned Max sitting on his thighs, their cocks touching as Max leaned forward to lightly graze his lips over his nipples. He could feel Max's tongue licking them as he furiously jacked off. He climaxed, shooting the first spurt up to his neck - the next three shots covered his chest and belly.

As he caught his breath, he whispered, "I love you, Max." He wiped himself off with his boxers, pulled the covers up, and was almost immediately asleep.

With the first light of the new day, Joseph was awake. Dressed for a morning run, he quietly slipped out of the house and headed through the campus to the Tower. Tim and Johnny were just pulling up to join Joe and Dave on their morning run.

"Hey, Johnny, Uncle Tim. Good morning." He loved calling Tim uncle. It always got a reaction out of him.

He trotted over to their car as they got out. Tim immediately wrapped a beefy arm around Joseph's neck, pulling him down to give him a noogy. "I'll 'uncle' you... you weed. Damn, I swear you're still growing."

"Dad's still got a couple of inches on me."

"You planning on running with us?" Johnny asked, as he gave his nephew a hug.

"May I?" he asked, acting like he wasn't sure.

"Of course you can. You know you don't have to ask."

"Oh, good... for a moment you had me wondering."

"Smart-ass."

Joseph grinned.

"So, the word is out that you and Max are getting back together," Tim said

"Really?"

"So, is it true?"

"Ask me again tomorrow night."

"Just want you to know, we're on your side."

"Johnny! There's not any sides!"

Dave and Joe trotted out the door at that moment. Joe, all smiles for his nephew, wrapped him in a tight hug. "How are you doing, Joseph?"

"Pretty good, Joe. I'm holding it together."

Joe squeezed him and then stepped back to let Dave greet him. Dave hugged him, too, and said, "It's good to have you home."

"Let's hope it stays good, Dave."

"It will, Joseph, it will."

"Okay, let's stretch," Joe called out.

After the run, Joseph went home and showered. The run had taken a lot of the built up tension out of him. His dad was up and dressed, sitting at the kitchen table reading the morning paper when Joseph appeared, dressed and ready to meet the day.

"G'morning, Dad."

Rence lowered his paper. Smiling, he studied his son as Joseph poured himself a cup of coffee. Joseph turned with the pot in his hand and offered to refill his dad's cup. Rence held it up for him. "You're looking eager to grab the day. Was it the run?"

Joseph shrugged and smiled. "It does get the blood flowing, Dad. You should try it."

"I'll get my exercise in at the gym, thank you. I am definitely not a morning person."

"No one in this family is... but me," Joseph said, as he sat down.

Rence shrugged, and raised his paper to continue reading. Joseph sipped his coffee, enjoying being home and right back into the routine. A few minutes later, his mother appeared - immaculately dressed as usual. She walked over to Joseph and kissed him on his forehead, and then did the same to her husband, who raised his head for a second kiss on his lips. "Good morning, Love," he said.

Miki smiled her reply and went to the coffee maker. After several sips, she asked Joseph, "Does blueberry pancakes and sausage sound good to you?"

"You know it does, Mom. I've really missed your pancakes."

As the time droned by, Max stared out the airplane window, imagining every scenario that could possibly take place when he finally faced Joseph again. The frumpy little woman sitting next to him had several times attempted to engage him in conversation. He'd answered her in monosyllables until she'd finally given up, then he felt a bit guilty about it because she looked like she'd be someone's sweet little grandmother, and didn't deserve to be treated so coldly. He momentarily wondered what his dad's mother had been like, and tried to imagine this little woman as his paternal grandmother. He almost chuckled at the thought. Realizing he'd forgotten about the impending reunion for several minutes, he almost thanked the woman.

With his thoughts back on Joseph, he felt euphoric - and simultaneously depressed. He was certain that the whole family was aware that Joseph was also coming in for the holidays. Just imagining everyone being on his case to reconcile with Joseph had him wanting to high tail it back to L.A. Imagining all the speculation going on, made him even more apprehensive as the plane finally started its descent. He couldn't get comfortable, even though he sat in a wide first class seat. He fidgeted with his seatbelt, feeling more uptight by the moment.

Of the whole flying experience, Max hated landing the most. As the plane made contact with the tarmac and bounced a couple of times, he gripped the chair arms, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Being thrown against the safety belt only served to agitate him more as the plane braked and the huge engines roared into reverse. Taxiing to the terminal was interminable. When the plane finally stopped, Max, thankful to be in the front row in first class, released his seat belt, excused himself to the little old lady, grabbed his single bag from the overhead storage, and the moment the door opened, he bolted down the tube and into the empty reception area.

This time, rather than renting a car, he expected Gary or his mom to pick him up. He hoped it would be Gary, so he could get the low down on the family gossip. If it was his mom, he knew he'd have to answer a hundred questions and probably have to endure a lecture, and to top it off, he'd probably get no answers out of her. He kicked himself again for not arranging his arrival in the evening, so that his dad could pick him up. His dad was the one person that he could count on for acceptance and comfort without a lot of probing.

He trudged down the long hallways to the luggage carousels, figuring that would be where whoever was picking him up would wait for him. He recognized no one. Having only one carry-on, he decided to wait outside, hoping someone would soon show up.

A blast of chilly wind whipped his light jacket when he pushed open the big glass door and stepped out. He clutched it closed, and quickly zipped it up to his neck, realizing he'd forgotten the difference in weather. The jacket barely cut the breeze. L.A. had been a balmy 78 degrees when he left. UniCity was in the low forties and blustery. He wished that he'd taken a warm coat to L.A., but he'd left all his winter clothes here - at least he would later be dressed for this climate. Dropping his bag on a concrete bench, he stuck his hands into his pockets.

At first, he alertly watched for whoever was coming to pick him up, but after twenty minutes of sitting on a cold concrete bench, he wearied and leaned forward resting his arms on his knees. Huddled on the concrete bench with his bag between his legs, the cold, which he'd grown unaccustomed to in the short time he'd lived in L.A., seeped through his jeans. The weak sunshine did nothing to warm him. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his mother's cell. He disconnected after listening to it ring until it went into record. 'They must be on their way. I guess traffic's got them held up,' he thought to himself.

Someone sat really close to him and rubbed their leg against his. Just as he was ready to let loose his temper and say something, the person nudged him in the ribs with an elbow and said, "Hey, Handsome, waiting to take a ride with me?" Max turned and threw his arms around his grinning uncle.

"Dave," he exclaimed.

"You're looking a little down, Max."

"Oh, it's just that airports get to me. How're you doing? It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Max. Is this your only piece of luggage?" he asked, picking up Max's carry-on bag.

"Yeah, I didn't see why I should bring any clothes, with a closet full of winter clothes here."

He stared at his uncle with a happy grin.

Dave grinned back at him. With a slight toss of his head, he asked, "What, Max?"

"God, I've never been so happy to see you. I had no idea who would be meeting me, and I'd created all these unpleasant scenarios with each member of the family. I'm so glad it was you, Dave."

"Not looking forward to a family reunion, Max?"

"With the way I left, should I?"

"Well, I'm sure it won't be as awful as you've imagined it."

"Dave, I'm sorry for the accusations I made when I left at Thanksgiving. I was upset, and with Joe expressing his opinions - I just lost it."

"Well, it's water under the bridge, so forget it happened. Come on, let's go home."

Max sat quietly in the passenger seat while Dave concentrated on maneuvering through the heavy airport traffic. Once he was on the freeway, he relaxed and smiled at Max. "So how's med school going?" he asked.

Max shrugged. "It takes a lot of studying, but so far I'm acing all my classes."

"Do you know how proud of you that makes us all?"

Max ducked his head, smiling to himself.

Dave glanced at him and thought about asking if he'd talked to Joseph, but thought better of it. Instead, he asked, "So, are you ready for Christmas, or do you have more shopping?" Max thought a moment as he studied his uncle. "Could we stop at McKenzie's for one last gift?" he hesitantly asked.

Dave grinned at him. "Of course."

"Thanks, Dave."

Dave soon pulled his Lexus into a parking space in front of the upscale jewelry store, and as Max started to get out, Dave asked, "Do you need help picking something out?"

Max flushed. "That would be cool, Dave."

As they entered the store, Dave asked, "For whom are we picking?"

Without looking at his uncle, Max said, "Who else, but Joze."

Dave stopped. "Does this mean that...?"

"Yes, Dave. It does." Max snapped, interrupting the question. He instantly looked chagrinned and apologetic.

Dave simply nodded, aware that Max was still touchy about the situation, and just let Max lead the way to the counter that displayed a nice selection of masculine pendants and chains. Max pointed to a split heart. "This is too cliché... and much too obvious, but it conveys the message. Something like it... but not so blatantly trite."

Dave moved to another case. "Hey, Max, what do you think of this one?" He pointed to a square of platinum that was split from corner to corner, with a half carat diamond embedded in the middle of each triangle.

The jeweler handed Max the two triangular pieces, and Max held them together so that they made a square. He looked up at his uncle smiling. "These are perfect."

He asked that they be engraved, and bought a couple of matching chains. Fifteen minutes after he'd paid for them, the pieces had been engraved and gift wrapped.

Max stopped and looked over the top of the car when they got back to the Lexus.

"Dave. Thanks."

"I didn't do anything."

Max grinned at his uncle's modesty. "Thanks, anyway."

"Just glad I could help."

"Your having found these makes them extra special."

Dave just smiled.

After a moment's silence, Max said, "Dave, I still feel terrible about the things that were said at Thanksgiving."

Dave shrugged. "You were upset. I understand."

"Still, I shouldn't have said what I did. I know you would never lie to me."

As they got closer to the Tower, Max began to feel more uptight and anxious. "So, where's Mom? Why didn't she pick me up?"

"She's involved with your grandmother and my mother-in-law on the big Christmas dinner, your dad is in a meeting with some important clients, and Gary went off with some friends... doing something... so I was elected to collect you."

Max studied his hands, and then glanced over at Dave. "I'm glad."

Dave looked a question at Max.

"You let me have my space, Dave. Either one of them would have been firing questions faster than I could answer them." Dave nodded, and Max continued, "I know you're curious. I wouldn't tell anyone else this, but I met a guy at the gym. His name is Ben. There was a strong mutual attraction. After our workout and morning run, I invited him up to my apartment to have breakfast with me and offered to let him use my shower. We ended up in the shower together.

"I couldn't go through with it... I was so ashamed of almost doing the same thing that Joze had done... that I froze up. Ben was trying to blame himself for my reaction, but after I explained what was going on in my head, he decided that since he couldn't be my lover, he wanted to be my friend - and he's become my best friend. Anyway, once I thought about what I had almost done and how it compared to what Joze had done - I realized that I've been a real hardheaded ass to him. Now....I don't know whether he'll ever forgive me for the way I treated him or not, and even if he does, I'm not sure we'll ever get back together again."

"So, have the two of you talked at all?"

"Just long enough to make sure he's coming for Christmas."

"How did he sound?"

"I don't know," Max let out a gusty sigh. "Kind of distant, I guess."

"Well, according to what he's told us, he's still never dated any other guy."

"There's really not much point you know... but I still found myself getting jealous when he stayed in Boston over Thanksgiving with his friend. But deep down, I know he's bound to me just like I am to him."

They were pulling into the garage at the Tower by then. As they started to get out of the car, Max asked, "Do you know when Joze is coming in?"

Dave smiled. "He flew in yesterday, Max."

He watched Max close in on himself, and said nothing more as they walked through the lobby and rode the elevator up. When he let Max off on the 30th floor, he said, "If no one's home, Max, drop your bag off and come on up."