Title: Blood Lost – Chapter 4
Author: Romantique (The Original)
Classification: John/Diana but the Rayburn family is here.
Rating: M for language, drinking, drugs, suggestive sexual situations. The F Bomb is dropped frequently. This is Bloodline, after all.
Summary: Takes place at the end of Season 1, exploring the aftermath of a Rayburn's death, and the arrival of his unknown son.
Disclaimer: MAJOR SEASON 1 SPOILERS. This Bloodline fan fiction occurs after Season 1. If you haven't watched, you've been warned.
Legal: These characters do not belong to me. I'm just a fan and have not made a dime. Please email me to obtain permission to post.
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
After school, Janie took a different school bus and headed straight for the Inn. Ben had soccer practice that afternoon, as usual. The bus let her off about a quarter mile from the road that led to the Inn. As she turned and approached the road, she could see Bobby walking a good ways ahead of her.
"Hey!" she shouted. "Bobby! Wait up!"
Bobby stopped and turned around, shielding his eyes from the sun. "Oh, hey!" he gave a lackadaisical wave and waited for her.
When she reached him, she said, "I thought I'd come visit. TGIF."
"Cool," he said, as they resumed walking at a much slower pace.
"How's school going?" she asked. "I know changing schools can be rough. One of my best friends, Mia, is in your algebra class."
"Not my best subject," he commented. "I'm having to take it over again."
"Well, if you need some help, Mia's a whiz. She's really nice. She said she thought you were nice, too."
"Thanks," he nodded. "Good to know."
"How's it going living here?" she asked.
"Oh, Sally's been great," he answered. "The proverbial grandmother. But I do have to ask you. What do you do around here for fun?"
Janie laughed. "Yeah, this is not Miami. Have you been bored?"
"A little," he admitted. Frankly, he was becoming restless.
"Well. When I come over here, I like to cook, bake. Snack on good food to my heart's content, and not the healthy stuff my mom makes us eat. Listen to Mama Ray's stories. Then, if there's room, I like to go out on the charter boat and do a little diving. Do you swim?"
"Yeah. My Dad taught me how to swim," he answered. "He'd say 'You have no business living in a state surrounded by water if you don't know how to swim.'"
Janie giggled. "My Dad says the same thing."
Bobby commented, "No offense, but your Dad seems like a bit of a hard ass."
"A bit?" Janie laughed. "He IS a hard ass. Comes with being a detective, I guess."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Makes sense." Changing the subject back to diving, he said, "I didn't know I could go out on the charter."
"Sure you can. As long as you're not taking the spot of a paying guest, and you're polite to all the guests. Mama Ray says we all represent the Inn at all times," she informed him. "You can fish, too. Everything is free for us. Hey, if there's room, want to go out this afternoon? It's the off-season. There's a good chance there's room for both of us."
"Sure," Bobby smiled. "That sounds great." His prospects for the weekend were suddenly looking up.
"It's a lot more fun hanging around here, when you have someone your age to hang out with," Janie suggested. "Ben and I will be around all weekend while our parents are away."
"That'd be great," Bobby said, suddenly realizing that his boredom may have been mistaken for loneliness.
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
Diana stirred, waking John.
"Hmmmm. What time is it?" John asked, smelling the salty air.
Diana glanced at the clock. "A little after 4:00. Is it just me? I'm wiped out."
"That was something," John agreed. "I'm spent, too. Want to order room service for dinner?"
"Yeah. Maybe after we whirlpool?" she suggested. "You ran again this morning, right?"
"Sure did," he answered, propping his head with this hand. "And I'm going run every morning we're here. Kev and I have a little competition going."
"The whirlpool will be great for sore muscles," she went on. "It's very relaxing, too."
"Alright," he agreed. "Whirlpool first and then, we'll order in."
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
"Hey, Bobby," Sally greeted her grandson, as he entered the back entrance through the kitchen. "And Janie, my girl. I was hoping you'd come here."
"Hi, Mama Ray," she said and gave her Mama Ray a hug. "Where else would I be on a Friday afternoon?"
"Where's Ben?" Sally asked.
"Soccer practice," Janie answered. "Where else?"
"Where else, indeed," Sally smiled. "I sure hope your folks have a good time, Janie. Lord knows your father needs it."
"I'm sure they're having a blast," Janie said with a smile.
"So, what do you two young people have planned this afternoon?" Sally asked.
"If there's room, we thought we'd take the charter out and do some diving before the sun goes down," she offered.
"Can you swim?" Sally asked Bobby.
"Of course, he can swim," Janie answered for him. "I already asked him. He said Uncle Danny always said 'You have no business living in a state surrounded by water if you don't know how to swim.'"
Sally smiled. "That's what your grandfather used to say."
"Ohhhh. So, that's where that saying came from," Janie was always interested in the stories. "Grampa."
"That's right. Your namesake, Bobby," Sally glanced Bobby's way. "And Janie, I'm sure Bobby is perfectly capable of speaking for himself."
"Right," Janie grumbled.
"But back to the charter? There are three vacant spots this afternoon, so you two are in luck," Mama Ray smiled. "Be nice to the guests."
"Always, Mama Ray," Janie kissed Sally on the cheek. "C'mon Ben. Let's change into our suits and head to the dock. You have a swim suit, don't you?"
"Yeah," he answered. "I do."
"Bring your appetites back with you!" Sally yelled, as they left. "I'll have a good supper for you when you come back. I'm making a homemade pizza."
"Better make two, Mama Ray. After all, Ben's coming!" Janie shouted back. "He can eat one all by himself!"
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
John and Diana had dinner served out on the balcony. It was fun to watch the Friday night celebrations out on the beach, yet not be in the middle of them. The bellman lit citronella candles to retard the mosquitos which were rare at the beach, but not unheard of. And he turned some soft music on in the room that carried out onto the balcony.
John ordered a bottle of Malbec with the meal. He was drawn to the local snapper and Diana to a vegan option, the curried cauliflower couscous. They had fruit and cheese for dessert.
After they had eaten their last bite, Diana reached over and placed her hand on top of her husband's. "Dance with me?"
John smiled. "You know I have two left feet."
"Well, then. Sway with me," she smiled back.
"Alright," he agreed and stood up from his chair. "I guess I can do that."
He held out his hand for her, and she stood up and went into his arms.
"You know, you're not as bad a dancer as you claim to be," she cooed.
"Shhhhhh. That's my little secret," he whispered in her ear, holding her close.
If only she had any idea of how many secrets he had.
"I booked us a couple's massage for tomorrow afternoon," she told him. "Other than that? We have no plans."
"I like having no plans," he said. "I thought about making dinner reservations for tomorrow night at some night spot on South Shore. But then, I thought it better to see how we feel, tomorrow night. I have no idea how I'll feel tomorrow night. I think what I want is a vacation away from making plans."
"I know what you mean," she said. "Do you want me to cancel the massages?"
"No. That's fine," he said, holding her closer. "The only commitments I have for tomorrow are a run in the morning, the massages in the afternoon . . . and you." He gazed into her warm eyes. "My Lady Fair." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'd marry you all over again, if I could."
"I'd marry you all over again, John Rayburn. You're such a good man."
He doubted very seriously she'd say that if she knew what he knew. While swaying to the music, he leaned in to kiss her. They shared a long, soft, loving kiss. And they continued to dance.
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
The three cousins sat outside around the fire pit, late after supper, toasting marshmallows along with the guests, making S'mores.
"You do know that you're not the only one named after someone," Janie informed Bobby. "Jane is Mama Ray's middle name. And my brother? His middle name is John, after our Dad. It's tradition in this family. Hmmmm. I wonder what names Belle has picked out for their baby."
There was a very short silence. "I really liked your Dad," Janie offered. "He was the fun one in the family. Well, him and Uncle Kevin. But what's funny about those two is they were so much alike, but they didn't like each other very much."
"Maybe that's why they didn't like each other," Ben suggested. "You know. Opposites attract. Like repels."
"Maybe," Janie said. "Your Dad was a lot more fun than ours."
"Dad can be fun," Ben countered. "You just have to get him out of his element. Away from home and his job. In Dad's defense? He sees some gruesome stuff on the job."
"My Dad was not always fun," Bobby finally spoke. "I mean, he could be. When he was around. Which was not all that much. I spent a lot of my time waiting for him. Sally and I talked about that just the other night. She told me she spent a lot of her time waiting for him, too."
"Don't you feel comfortable calling her Mama Ray yet," Janie asked.
Ben shot his sister a look.
"I haven't really thought about it," he answered. "I call her Sally because I already have another Grandmother."
"So, do we," Janie went on. "We have two. Mom's mom and Dad's mom."
"But I've had my other grandmother since the day I was born," he explained. "I just recently met Sally. She's fine with it. She says she understands."
"Why do you have to ask so many questions?" Ben asked his sister.
"Because I'm curious," Janie answered.
"Nosy is more like it," Ben said. "I bet you grow up to be a lawyer like Aunt Meg."
"No way," Janie corrected him. "I'd like to do something more creative. I like to bake. Do you like to cook?" she asked Bobby. "Your Dad liked to cook."
"Not really," Bobby answered. "I don't know how."
"Me, neither," Ben agreed. "And we don't need to know as long as we can come to the Inn for a meal," he laughed.
"I guess that's true," Bobby smiled for the first time all night.
"You're a good diver," Janie testified about her afternoon out in the water with Bobby.
"All Rayburns are good divers," Ben stated the obvious. "It's in our blood."
The three cousins nodded in agreement.
o-o-o-O-o-o-o
The next morning, the alarm when off at 6 a.m.
"You want me to go with you?" Diana stirred.
"No, honey," he answered. "You go back to sleep."
He kissed her and threw on his running clothes. He grabbed a hat, his inhaler, a bottled water from the kitchen, and a card key and stuffed them all but the water in his pocket, and quietly went out the door.
There was a boardwalk around the ocean front, deserted at this time of the morning. He did some stretches, took a puff from his inhaler, and then, began to walk. The morning air was cool as it was overcast. Looked like it would burn off in a few hours to a beautiful day. After he felt his muscles were warmed up, he began to jog.
Without Kevin there to talk, his mind began to wander to the question that always came up in his dreams about his older brother.
"Danny? Why didn't you fight back? Why didn't you fight harder?"
Because I wanted you to have to beg, and you refused to beg me. So, now? You'll have to beg for your life.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" John asked Danny in his head.
You honestly think you'll get away with trying to pin my death on Wayne Lowry? Oh, Johnny Boy. You're not as smart as you think you are.
"You don't know anything about what they have on your old buddy Wayne," John countered. "And you and me? It was an accident. I never meant to kill you. If I had? I'd have brought a gun with me and shot you three times square in the chest, the way I've been trained."
An accident, huh? What about the night before? When you looked the other way so I'd be killed by that guy Ralph? The one Lowry sent to off me. You should have seen the look on your face when you came down the stairs, later that night. Saw me with the family. It was priceless, John. Reminded me of Cape Fear.
I didn't want you to be killed that night. Fuck! I wanted you to leave town. How many fucking times did I ask you to leave town?
No, John. You thought nature would just take its course. One low life would kill another low life, and your hands would be clean. But it didn't turn out that way for you, did it? Your hands are dirty, John. You're a dirty cop. And now? You're running for Sherriff? What a fucking narcissist you are to think you can pull all this off!
"Me? A narcissist? You are the biggest narcissist I've ever met in my life. And that's saying a lot considering the criminal element I deal with!"
Enjoy this little vacay, all on Mom, of course. Because it's going to be the last one you have for a long, long time. I've got news for you, John. They hate cops in prison. You won't be able to handle it in there.
John abruptly stopped running. Sweat was pouring off his head, and he was breathing hard, coughing up phlegm after he'd been doing so well the past few days. He pulled out the inhaler from his pocket and took another puff. He then bent over and grabbed his knees. After a few moments, his breathing eased, and he glanced at his watch. He'd been jogging for 45 minutes, maybe 15 minutes more than he should have at this point in his training. He'd been lost in his own head. Perhaps he was losing his mind.
(To be continued . . .)