Title: Like We Never Loved at All
Author: Adrian Jade
Summary: You never looked so good as you did last night underneath the city lights. There walking with your friends, laughing at the moon. I swear you looked right through me.
"So how has your mom been these past couple of months?" John asked once they were on their way to crash Eve's date.
"She's been really busy, she works for TNA now so there will be times when she will be held up in her office for hours and she;ll only come out to cook us dinner and put the boys and Zoey to bed" Jayson explained.
"So who watches Bray and Jon while your mom is working?" John asked making a mental list of everything he didn't like about his kid's new living arrangement.
"Either Chase or our next door neighbor Jade"
"And how old is she?"
"Nineteen I think"
"What about Chase is he a nice guy?"
"Yeah, he's really nice and he really seems to care about all of us but he's not our dad"
"So you guys don't call him daddy?" John asked unsure he'd want to hear the answer.
"Umm ... no, both me and Zoey are old enough to know who our dad is and the twins don't really talk yet"
He was amazingly relieved that his children weren't calling someone else daddy but he was also incredibly pissed at Rory for lying to him. He was going to have a long chat with his younger cousin the next time he saw her.
"Mom is going to be mad at us" Jayson predicted.
"Do you blame her?" John asked "well let's just let her know you guys are alright before she calls home to check up on you and discovers you two busted out"
John grinned to himself if they just happened to ruin the date while they were at it all the better for him.
"What's the name of this restaurant?" John asked as they were driving.
"Antonio's Resturante it's 2 blocks away" Jayson replied while playing with Skylar in the back seat. He had to admit he was growing attached to the little baby. He no longer felt resentment towards her. John was happy that Jayson was able to accept Skylar ... now if only Eve was that easy.
"It's right over there" Jayson pointed to a little whole in the wall restaurant.
John parked the car and went to the back to grab Skylar's carrier. Jayson helped Zoey out of the car and the foursome headed towards the restaurant.
"Daddy carry me" Zoey said holding out her arms to him.
John placed Skylar's carrier on the ground for a second so he could pick up his oldest daughter. Once John had Zoey comfortably against his hip supporting her with one arm. He used his free hand to pick up Skylar's carrier once again.
"You ok dad?" Jayson asked when he saw the almost strained look on John's face.
"Yeah it's all a matter of balancing"
Jayson walked ahead of John and opened the door to the restaurant for him. John thanked him and stepped inside.
"Can you see her?" John asked Jayson.
Jayson scanned his eyes over the restaurant, he saw Chase first and then his mother. They were sitting in a private little corner towards the back.
"Hey mom" Jayson said walking up to the table.
"Jayson what are you doing here ... is everything alright?" Eve asked instantly concerned.
"Hello Genevieve" Eve could have sworn her jaw hit the floor. Her ex husband whom she hadn't seen or heard from in months was standing next to her son holding their daughter with one arm and a baby carrier in the other.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked agitated at the appearance of her ex.
"Apparently our children decided them wanted to see me so the snuck into the back of Randy's truck and what kind of person would I be not to let my ex wife know that our children were safe and sound" he put Zoey down.
"You must be Chase" John said extending his hand "I'm John, the father of Eve's children"
Chase didn't seem to want to shake his hand so he pulled it back and stuck it into his pocket.
"You are making a scene John" Eve venomously hissed.
"Me ... what the hell did I do?" John asked "would you rather not know where Zoey and Jayson were cause your babysitter is doing a crack job at making sure they are ok"
"Chase I'll be right back ... John come with me"
"Jay keep an eye on Zoey and Skylar ok" Jayson nodded.
"What the hell is your problem" Eve exploded at him once the were out of the building "you haven't been around at all for 6 months and now you show up while I am on a god damn date"
"I have every right to see my children" John stated.
"Yes John and that right didn't just appear you have had that same right for the last 6 months ... your sons call Chase daddy how does that make you feel?"
He knew she was trying to hurt him by saying this and he would have believed her if Jayson hadn't already told him that the boys didn't.
"You are absolutely fucking right Eve and tomorrow I am going to come by and pick up my boys"
"Ok sure now that you feel threatened so now you decide to do something about it ... you are so fucking paranoid that the minute you find out I'm with someone else you come running"
"For once Eve can something not be about you" John stated calmly "you have no idea how hard this is for me to not see my kids and then look at you standing there all worked up and wanting nothing but to take you in my arms and kiss you but I can't because no matter how much I still love you it doesn't seem to matter because you are with another man"
"How am I supposed to overlook the fact that you cheated on me while I was in labor with our sons and then not only that but I had to find out from that psychopath Jessie"
"Look I made a mistake but I am making the best out of a bad situation, I take care of my daughter and from now on I'm going to do right by my sons and my other daughter ... besides Zoey isn't your real daughter but you love her all the same why not give Skylar that same consideration"
"This has nothing to do with Skylar, I don't hate Skylar she is an innocent baby what I hate is what she represents ... she represents something I don't even want to think about. Zoey was conceived before I even knew you and I can't blame you for that anymore than you can blame me for having Jayson but you can't seriously ask me to accept a child from an affair that is just way too hard for me to do right now" she looked away from his so that he wouldn't see the tears.
"Then you aren't any better than the stepmother who made your life hell as a child" he said walking back into the restaurant.
Zoey was sitting on Jayson's lap in the chair that Eve had vacated. They were laughing and joking around. It killed him to know he was going to have to leave them again even if it was only for a few hours.
"Hey guys I have to go but I'll see you tomorrow" he gave Zoey and kiss on the cheek and ruffled Jayson's hair.
"Be good and I want you to know I love you both and nothing will ever change that"
"We love you too dad" Jayson said.
"Both of you get over here and give me a hug" both Jayson and Zoey stood up and John kneeled taking both kids into his arms.
"Be good and listen to your mom" he kissed the tops of their heads "I want you to kiss your brothers for me and if you need me for any reason just call me and I'll come and get you ok" Zoey and Jayson both nodded.
"Luv you daddy" Zoey said.
"I love you too Flicka"
John picked up Zoey carrier and left. Eve sat back where she was for a few minutes longer. She saw John walk to his car and put Skylar into the back. She sighed sadly to herself, how had things become so screwed up? She composed herself and walked back into the restaurant. She wasn't about to let John ruin her life.
A/N: Damn it feels good to update this again. I wrote this in April of last year I believe and I lost the notebook I had written it in. While I was searching for something else I found it this morning and the first thing I did was hop onto the computer and just type until I was finished. So enjoy and I promise the next update will be up a lot sooner.