The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy.

Lance dies tragically saving Justin’s life, as a final act of his doomed love for Joey, probably bleeding out in Justin's arms, telling Justin to take care of Joey while Justin holds him and rocks back and forth and says "I will, I promise, I will--" his voice breaking.

Justin and JC become key (however also democratically elected) figures in the new administration. Joey and Justin work through the inverted power imbalance this causes—oh! let’s say Joey is nobly serving out a prison sentence for—oh, probably killing the guy who killed Lance, but insists on a trial to demonstrate that no one is above the law in the new administration.

Justin visits him in prison with his hair shorn down, wearing a fisherman sweater with sleeves pushed up over his forearms and looking terribly grown and important. They spend time really getting to know each other and discovering that in addition to their smoldering sexual chemistry which they can't act on while Joey is imprisoned (the longing!!) , they also like each other. Joey has gray streaks in his hair and wears glasses and learns how to read in prison.

Chris overcomes his past trauma and becomes a stay at home father to the orphan children he’s raising with JC and he also has a pottery studio where he makes beautiful and functional bowls and mugs and finally finds peace and sleeps through every night in bed curled up next to JC who is sometimes up late working, but only because he has found a meaning and joy through work to better society and also because sometimes the dog who sleeps at the foot of their bed and is devoted to Chris needs to go out and he doesn't want to wake Chris. (They have great sex also.)