Chapter 4

John found Mel in the laundry room, her suitcase open as she piled the dirty clothes into the washer. Her hair was drawn back into a ponytail off her neck and her tank top was ruffled from her fast movements. John smiled and moved up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing the back of her neck.

"Not now, please, John, just let me start the laundry," she sighed, throwing the last piece of clothing in and closing the lid.

He kissed her neck again and she relaxed in his embrace. He spun her around to face him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "There you go, relax," he muttered, nibbling at her neck.

"John, stop it that tickles!" she laughed, trying to push him away, but he only held her tighter.

John blew a raspberry on Mel's neck and she laughed. When he did finally let her go it was to see that she was smiling and wiping the spit from her neck. He winked and pulled a large bag of souvenirs out of Mel's open suitcase and she wiped his spit on the back of his shirt.

"Okay, that was nasty," he laughed, stopping suddenly so that she crashed into his back, her arm rubbing the spit off it.

She squealed and shoved him from behind, wiping her arm on the side of his shirt instead. The two returned to back yard, still laughing and Bella eyed the souvenir bag John was carrying from her spot on top of the water slide.

"Gather round everyone!" John called and Bella slid down the slide and swam to the side of the pool where Matt was. She splashed him and he laughed, kicking his feet to try and splash Bella.

"What did you get me?" she demanded an John dug in the bag. Mel took a seat next to Matt's pool and flicked water at him to make him giggle.

"Be patient, young Isabelle," John said comically. "Youngest first."

Bella pouted and John drew out a lei for Matt, placing it over his head. The boy looked slightly confused and stared at the flowers around his neck like they were a particularly nasty bug. Mel laughed at his face and John pulled out a small plastic ship that he'd bought when the visited Pearl Harbor.

"This, young Matthew, is a replica of the U.S.S. Arizona. Play with it with honor, for it sunk on the tragic day of the Pearl Harbor attack," he said grimly and placed the toy ship in the pool. Matt squealed excitedly at the toy and dove for it, making everyone laugh.

"And now it is your turn Bella," Mel turned to her sister. John handed her the bag and she pulled out another lei as well as a t-shirt and a custom made hula skirt.

"Wow, Mel , very creative, thanks," she said unenthusiastically.

"But wait! There's more!" John cut her off and pulled out a DVD they'd bought her. "It reaches you how to hula dance, cool huh?"

She didn't look very excited, but thanked them nonetheless. Roy shook his head and leaned to talk to his eldest daughter.

"hey, a least you tried," he smiled and Mel nodded.

"Oh well, better luck next time," she shrugged and John dug in the bag once again.

"And for the lovely grandparents, we present you both with leis and t-shirts. For Roy, we give you this fancy little eyeglasses holder thing that Mel thought you'd like," John handed Roy the lei and said items, "And for Linda we give you this nice bag that Mel picked out. Personally I thought a smaller one would have been better but she insisted."

Linda laughed at the purse Mel drew out of the bag and thanked the two of them. John then pulled out almost a dozen cameras and placed them aside to get developed. When all that was done Mel decided to join her sister in the pool and she moved back into the house to grab a bathing suit.

"Oh, John, Randy called, he wanted to let you know that he and Ryann had to fly back up north. He had to go back to work and Ryann was invited to view and OVW training session. She might be offered a contract!" Linda smiled excitedly.

"That's great! Maybe this will convince Mel she should be a Diva as well!"

"I don't think so!" Mel voice met them from the kitchen.

The three laughed and Mel walked out of the house in her black bikini. She dove into the pool with Bella and swam to the edge to talk to John and her parents.

"So Ryann is really going to the Diva contract now? I thought she hated it. All she does now is complain about being deprived during the Diva Search!" she said, he eyes on her mother.

"I know, but she said she really enjoys wrestling. She wants to get into the business to be with Randy. Those two are trying really hard to stay together this time," Roy piped up.

"Maybe I'll see her on Monday. I'll talk to her then.." Mel trailed off.

John opened his mouth to say something and she cut him off, "no, John I told you already. I refuse to be a Diva!"

"Come on, Mel, you're perfect! Did I tell you Vince is dying to give you a contract?" John whined.

"I don't care, I have a son to raise and that is responsibility enough," Mel said, her tone final.

John dropped the subject, looking grouchy and Mel swam over to Matt's baby pool and started tickling his feet. The group watched quietly as he giggled, his bright blue eyes on his mother she made goofy faces at him. Bella swam up behind her sister while she was distracted and dunked her under the water.

John fell over he was laughing so hard and Matt looked stunned before he too started laughing. This began an entirely new water fight, for Mel broke the surface and grabbed a water gun beside the pool. She filled it up as John laughed at her and attacked him with it. He instantly stopped laughing and grabbed his own.

"This means war!" he laughed and chased after his wife, squirting her every chance he had.

XOXOXOXOXOXOOXOX

Two hours later the group trooped back inside, all of them soaking wet and laughing. Mel was toting a fast asleep Matt, who was conked out while watching John chase his mother around. She carried him upstairs, placing him in his crib to sleep before proceeding down the hall to her room to dry off and change. Matt was not the only one taking a nap, Mel past Bella's room to see the she too had fallen asleep, spread eagled on her bed in her Hawaii t-shirt and shorts.

Mel shook her head and continued to her room to find John hopping around trying to put his socks on. She watched him do this, amusement in her dark eyes. When he finally noticed she was watching him he smiled sheepishly and sat down on the bed.

"I look like a fruit don't I," he chuckled and Mel nodded.

"Yes, I have to admit that was rather amusing," she smiled and closed the door behind her so she could change out of her swimsuit.

John watched her as she dried off and pulled on a yellow tank and denim capris. When she was done he pulled her onto the bed next to him and she sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"I don't think your parents are fully convinced the whole Michael thing is completely over," John muttered grimly, running his fingers through Mel's hair.

She shrugged, "I don't know why they are so worried, he's in the most secure prison in the United States. He's not going anywhere."

"I just think they're worried about you. You keep having that dream."

"No, I stopped having the dream the night after our wedding. I haven't had it since!" Mel sat up and looked down at him. "I told you, it was just wedding nerves is all."

"I know, but I don't think they believe you. Roy is still uptight about us being married. I think he's starting to weigh on the age difference now that he doesn't have Michael to blame," John muttered and Mel returned her head to his chest.

"I know, he's just disappointed that I didn't finish my education the way he'd envisioned. He wants me to go to University," she mumbled.

"You can still do it and raise a family! It's called online courses!" John exclaimed.

"I know, John. I've already explained that to him. He thinks its better if I actually attend the school because of my trouble with my online schooling in high school. I was very lucky to graduate."

"Well there's no other way to get it done, you can't leave Matt, especially when I'm on the road as much s I am," John sighed.

"That's what I said and then he started going of about me being a Diva. He told me it was a bad idea because it would restrict my time with Matt even more. To which I strongly agree," Mel added and John frowned.

"But Trish and Ashley love him! They'll do anything to look after Matt. All you have to do is ask and they'll come running. If you have a match just as k one of them to look after him while your gone, win the match and come back!"

Mel turned away form him and shook her head, "It's not that simple. I really don't want to be involved with those women, not that I'm saying they're bad or anything, I just don't think I'd fit in with them. And they have a much busier schedule than the men, all with photo shoots and lingerie videos, it's just not what I see myself doing career wise."

John seemed to give up pressing the subject and he sat up, "Fine, do what you want. I'll tell Devon you don't want training anymore while I'm at it."

Mel shot up and glared at him, "Why do you have to be like this? Just because I don't want to do one thing you have to take away everything! I'll have you know that I value my family higher than anything in this world, so don't get all moody on me because I don't want to abandon our son!"

John looked stunned but kept his mouth shut. He watched Mel turn away from him again and lay back down, her back to him. He swallowed the guilty lump in his throat, knowing he did not mean what he had said and left the room, closing the door with a snap behind him.

Mel chucked a shoe at the door as it closed and growled profanities under her breath as John walked away.