It is very late by the time they go up to bed and Sharon is exhausted, but happier than she's been in a very long time.

It doesn't take her long to get ready for bed and it takes all her remaining energy to pull back the covers before falling into bed.

The next thing she knows Darrin is shaking her awake. "Sharon, it's alright, you aren't alone. You'll never be alone ever again unless you want to be." Darrin says pulling his crying sister to him and holding her.

"Here, Sharon, I thought you might like this." Max says handing her a glass of water once she isn't crying so hysterically.

Once Sharon takes the glass Max feels awkward and stammers out that he'll be leaving now.

"Wait, Max," Sharon says halfway to being asleep once more after drinking the water.

Max stops and waits for her to continue. "Do you love my brother?"

Max smiles softly at her, "More than anything, Sharon. I would do anything for him and give him whatever he needs or wants if it was in my power to do so."

"Would you be willing to come out for him and stand by his side? To let his family be your family if yours won't accept you for who you are?" Sharon asks sleepily ignoring how still and stiff Darrin has become as he holds her.

"I," Max looks over to Darrin and smiles, "I would be willing to do that."

"Darrin," if it was possible Darrin became even stiffer than before. "Do you love, really love Max?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in him at all. 

"Then prove it." Sharon demands fighting sleep to get this out of the way.

"How would you like me to prove it?" Darrin asks her curious.

"Come out and announce that you are gay. Then let everyone know that you are taken with that very good looking man there." Sharon says sleepily.

"Sharon, he will be inundated with paparazzi if I do that. He won't have a minutes rest."

Sharon forces herself to look at Max, "Are you willing Max? Truly willing, because the paparazzi are relentless and full of lies." She might not have had to deal with them a great deal since Tristan never took her anywhere, but she does know that they twist things around to make sales bigger.

Max at first turns pale then stands taller and says, "I am willing to do so. I don't want Darrin to feel like I'm his dirty secret."

"I would never feel that way about you." Darrin says shocked. He's shocked but pleased by Sharon's interference. He's wanted to ask Max to marry him for some time but couldn't due to their not being out.

"Max," Sharon says softly almost completely asleep once more now that that was out of the way, "How do you feel about my other brothers? Do they scare you?"

She feels Darrin tensing once more at this question as he waits for his lover's reply.

"To tell you the truth they do intimidate me a bit." At Darrin's enraged look he hurries on. "It's nothing they've done or said. They've been nothing but kind to me and welcoming. Far more so than my own family has been to me. It's just, I guess I'm a little insecure. They are all tight knit and I've never had a loving relationship with my family. My siblings always got my parents love and I was left with the crumbs. They call me when they want or need something. Lately they want me to use my connection with the Northrups to help them get a contract with them. That's why they called when I was talking to you. They refuse to listen when I tell them that I don't interact with them on a business level and they need to ask them directly." Max shrugs.

Darrin snorts, "Like I would have anything to do with them after they way they treat you."

"Max, you don't have to, but I think it would be better for your state of mind if you went no contact with them." Sharon tells him sleepily.

"If I come out as gay, I won't have to go no contact with them, they will with me." Max says with a frown.

"I thought your parents disowned you when you went to beauty school?" Sharon says one last thought as she falls back asleep.

"They did, but once they found out that I was one of Darrin's helpers they couldn't wait to have me back in the fold." Max tells her just as she is falling back asleep. Sharon makes a noncommittal noise after that and is fast asleep.

Darrin gently sets her back on the bed and covers her once more. Together with Max they leave the room and find the other brothers waiting for them.

"Why was she screaming?" Michael demands.

"My guess from her words, she had a nightmare about when Shaun was in the car accident." Darrin says running his hand through his hair in agitation. "How many times has she had this nightmare and dealt with it on her own? It's a sure bet that Townsend was never there to help her or care for her."

The brothers mutter agreement as Max decides to slip away. 

"So what are you going to do to Townsend now?" Z demands of his oldest brother. They all know that there is no way that Darrin is going to let what little destruction Sharon did be enough. Not after witnessing what was on the video footage they saw.

Darrin gets a very dark and wicked look. "Nothing, at least not yet. I think he's planning to do something to Sharon. But I don't think Sharon is done with him. I'll wait for a little while and work on destroying the Cosmo family once and for all. 

"I believe you all have the majority shares of their company now?"

"Almost, If one more person will sell them we'll have enough to take the business out from under them." Michael mutters and is angry that the one person is taking so long to be willing to sell.

Darrin gives them all a very wicked and deadly smile, "Won't matter. Save your money. Tomorrow Cosmo Inc will belong to Northrup. I think I'll give Sharon a large portion of the company shares." Darrin looks to his youngest brother, "As for you, I'll let you decide what you want done. I'm putting you in charge of their companies."

"ME?" Z damn near squeaks out.

"Oh yes, baby brother, you. You are fully capable of doing so. I am well aware of your abilities in business even if you don't like the duties. That family owes you, owes you more than any of us. They've hurt and destroyed many peoples lives and if they dared do to you what they did then they most certainly did it to others."

There is no doubt that their father didn't know or wouldn't have believed Z if he was told. When it came to his so called friends they could do no wrong. No matter what disgusting things they do. More than one of his so called friends were taken to court over various things. Most getting off with little to no punishment because of their money. Their father was no better than his friends.

"I don't want that business albatross." Z states once he's over his shock.

Darrin shrugs, "Then you will be welcome to sell it off by pieces or whatever you wish to do with it."

Z stares at his brother in shock.

"Salt the earth little brother, salt the earth." Michael whispers to him as they make their way back to their rooms.

Soon Z is standing alone in the hall and a slow wicked smile comes onto his face. He knows just what he's going to do with the business empire of the Cosmos.