AN: I solemnly swear I was worked like a houseelf this last week! *sees sceptical looks and tries again* I had to help a cat get an old lady out of a tree? *yet more sceptical looks* OK I was busy and had a bit of a block with this chapter.
"So should I hate her?" Jessie asked as she sat down next to her OBGYN. Barbara sighed as she obviously was deep in thought.
"This will take a long while.." Barbara sighed as she continued. "Back in our junior year, Susan was dating Bobby, with Tommy, Isaiah, and a couple other guys on the side. She knew I had a crush on Tommy since freshman year. When Bobby finally found out she was seing other boys he dumped her. Then she started officially dating Tommy during senior year until the infamous tournament." Barbara paused to wipe away her tears. "After the tournament and subsequent breakup I got to know him a bit more and we started dating. We even went to college in Boston together. Unfortunately Susan followed us. Halfway through med school I dated him while he attended Harvard Law. one day I walked in on them screwing each other silly." Jessie put her hand on Barbara's shoulder.
"And it was going on ever since Susan followed us to Boston! It turned out Ali knew it was going on the whole time and never thought to tell me! After that I moved out of the apartment I shared with Ali and Susan and ignored Ali until I graduated and came back home to serve out my residency. For twelve years I haven't heard from Tommy until after he came back home, with a little girl with him. I tried to fight it but I fell in love with that little girl and gave Tommy another chance." Barbara lapsed into silence for a while, as she composed herself a bit more.
"So...should I try and forgive her?" Barbara asked; she sounded deeply confused. Jessie bit her lip as she thought of how to answer her. "Ali? Or Susan?" Jessie still felt sorry for the brunette after the way Johnny verbally eviscerated her. However she wasn't going to cut the bitch any slack. "Both I guess." Jessie sighed, this was out of her depths.
"Helen is the best one to ask for advice, you know that I'm not one who should dish out advice. Hell I barely tolerate my mom and my older sister. So no I'm not one to ask whether or not you should forgive them." Jessie saw the disappointed look in the older woman's eyes and sighed.
"You should search your heart and soul for the answer to the question because only you can ultimately make that decision." Jessie placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder.
"Regardless what you decide I'll always consider you my older sister and my friend. Now let's meet Amanda and Helen at the contry club for our weekly dinner." Jessie motioned her new favorite guard out of the shadows. Johnny looked at Barbara with a large amount of sympathy in his eyes.
"I don't need or want your sympathy!" Barbara sighed before she continued looking Johnny in the eyes. "I can't have children of my own due to a drunk driving accident shortly after I found out about Tommy and Susan part two." Jessie stepped back as Johnny pulled Barbara in his arms, and held her as she cried. She looked behind Johnny to a concerned looking Tommy.
She cleared her throat as Tommy pulled his wife into his arms. "Drop me off at the country club then go check on Carmen and Rosa." She told Johnny as they left the couple alone.
After dropping Jessie off at the country club he headed over to the hospital to check on Carmen and Rosa. He felt horrible about not being there as often as he could. He spotted Miguel and Sam talking with Dr. Pierce. He just observed the beautiful doc for a few moments. It's been so long since he felt a real attraction for a woman. She turned and smiled at him as she motioned him over.
"We're about ready to bring Carmen out of her coma. Her vitals have stabilized significantly." He was greatly relieved to hear that she was strong enough to come out of her coma. "We will keep her here a week for observation." Johnny followed her, Sam and Miguel into Carmens room.
He watched as she explained what she was doing to a concerned Miguel and Sam as she slowly brought Carmen out of her coma. It took a few minutes before Carmen opened her eyes with a groan.
"Madre dios! What happened?" she sounded sluggish as she warily observed them.
"You've been in a medically induced coma for two days.." Johnny watched as Julie explained to Carmen what happened to her as she examined her.
"Thank you Miggy!" Miguel wiped tears away as he hugged her tight.
"Where's my mother?" Carmen asked a few minutes after Miguel pulled back.
"She suffered massive brain damage due to the blow to the head she took as she tried to defend you. I won't lie to you she has a 70/30 chance of coming out of it. Better than when she came in two days ago." With that said Dr. Pierce left the room to continue her rounds.
Bobby's heart pounded as he waited inside the private banquet room at the Country Club. He reserved it this morning as he remembered it was the seventh anniversary of the day he pulled her back from walking into traffic. It was also her seventh sobriety birthday. Getting Amanda, Helen and Barbara to agree to let him hijack their standing dinner plans wasn't hard once he told them of his plans.
Helen countered the plan that they dine alone with the suggestion he make it a group dinner in the private room. "Don't be so nervous, Jess will say yes." Daniel told him as he and Dutch finished decorating the room.
"That's what he's afraid of. He doesn't want to have her be stuck with an old man like him." Dutch teased with a smirk on his face. Bobby resisted the urge to flip the criminal psychologist off.
"Jess doesn't see it that way though. Once she sets her mind on something it's nearly impossible to stop her. Plus you two balance each other out." Daniel smirked at him.
"I know, and its just nerves getting the best of me. Were you guys this nervous when you popped the question?" Nervous as he was though, he knew he'd never be able to let her go.
"I dropped the ring in her Spaghetti plate, twice!" Daniel chuckled as Amanda came over and put his arm around her shoulder. "That was when I knew he was the one I wanted to be with the rest of my life." Amanda leaned her head on Daniel's shoulder.
"He hid the ring in the desert and didn't warn me until i bit into my molten lava cake." Helen chuckled as Dutch pulled her into his arms. "I forgot which one had the ring in it! Besides it worked didn't it?" Dutch kissed the top of her head. "It sure did, and there isn't a day that goes by that I regret saying yes." Having them there made him feel more confident that she'll say yes. His pocket buzzed letting him know he had a text.
He pulled his phone out and it was Johnny letting him know he and Jessie were on their way. He also said he was going to check on Carmen and Rosa but he should be there by the time the entree comes out. "Ok they're on their way, You ladies know what to do?" Bobby asked Helen and Amanda who nodded as they grabbed the garment bag off the back of the door and headed for the room they designated as her dressing room.
Jessie knew something was up when Helen and Amanda ambushed her as she was about to make her way to the general dining room. "Come with us we have a surprise for you." Amanda smiled as she led her to the pool area bathrooms. "We going swimming?" Jessie asked, huge as she was right now she didn't want anyone to see her in a bathing suit, except Bobby.
"No but part one of your surprise is in here." Helen led her past the reserved sign on the door. Her heart pounded as she saw the designer garment bag and accompaning shoe box and figured out that Bobby planned something big for the seventh aniversary of the day they met, and the day she finally gained and kept her sobriety.
"Bobby is up to something isn't he?" she asked as Amanda unzipped the Givenchy bag and pulled out a gorgeous midnight blue velvet off the shoulder ball gown.
"When isn't he?" Amanda asked as she unzipped Jessie's red, pink and gold floral sundress and Jessie lifted her arms to assist her. She kept them up as Heled lowered the gorgeous gown over her head and zipped her up. The dress was empire waisted so as not to give her any discomfort and flowed down to her ankles.
"You'll find out soon enough." Helen said as she opened the box and pulled out matching midnight blue velvet, low heeled pumps and helped Jessie put them on.
"Now for your least favorite part!" Amanda and Helen snickered as she scrunched up her nose. She hated wearing makeup! However she had a strong feeling he was going to ask an important question tonight. Ten years ago she never thought she'd find the right one for her, let alone entertained thoughts of children or marriage; however ever since they met she never felt so loved and wanted in her life. So she submitted to having her hair redone and a light apllication of make up.
"Wait ten minutes and we'll lead you to your surprise." Amanda said as she and Helen pulled garment bags of their own into their own respective stalls. Jessie's heart hammered in her chest as she observed herself in the mirror. She hadn't looked or felt so elegant since the 'Midsummer's night' ball Helen hosted to celebrate the renewal of her and Dutch's vows.
She couldn't resist twirling in front of the mirror to see the way the gown twirled about her. She stopped when Helen and Amanda emerged from their stalls in gowns almost the same as hers. Amanda wore a deep gold gown with ruffles all along the bottom of the skirt that reminded her of Belle's ball gown from the Beauty and the beast. Helen's flowed straight down in a rich emerald green color.
"Well lets make an entrance!" Jessie giggled as they made their way out of the pool area and over to the private banquet rooms. She saw Moon, Hawk, Aisha and Robby dressed to the nines. She giggled at the disgusted look on the last three's faces.
"Don't like dressing up either?" Jessie commiserated with them, but this is a rare circumstance that she wanted to be dressed up for.
"We were threatened to show up dressed for a formal dinner or be grounded for the summer." Aisha grimaced.
"Well you three clean up good!" Jessie winked at a blushing Robby as she linked arms with him. "Hope you don't mind if he escorts me in?" she asked Aisha who smirked at her almost boyfriend's discomfort.
"I think he can escort both of us! Don't you think Robby?" Aisha used the tone she picked up from them.
"Better do as they say Robby." Bobby spoke with a smirk, She turned to him and resisted the urge to druel. She never got tired of seeing him in a tux.
If it was an adult Bobby would be upset at another man escorting his woman in. But he remembered how awkward he was at 16, and when a beautiful woman asks you to escort her in, it was hillarious to everyone else.
"I'm honored?" He asked as he held his elbows out and Jessie and Aisha each put a hand in them.
"Milady?" Hawk clearly had no choice but to follow his fellow student's lead as he held an elbow out for Moon. Moon blushed as she crooked her arm in his elbow. Robby looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he lead both Jessie and Aisha into the banquet room. He had to admit his woman looked better than he imagined in the Givenchy gown he special ordered for her, when he eventually decided to pop the question.
"You look amazing!" He said as Robby led her to him. He chuckled as Jessie kissed Robby on the cheek and complimented him for being a gentleman. Robby was redder than a lobster as he led Aisha over to their assigned seats
The executive chef of the Country club came over and told him the Hord'eurves were ready but they were holding off on the other courses until the rest of the guests were in attendance. He nodded his head as he put his hand on her lower back and helped her into her chair. As soon as the other couples were seated; the servers came out with trays of finger sandwhiches, crustinis, and in some cases caviar. Thankfully they didn't set the last one in front of Jessie. She never liked the smell of it even before she was pregnant.
He engaged his soon to be fiance in conversation as he waited on the rest of his guests to show up. He knew they had when he heard the commotion in the hall outside. He sighed as Johnny came in wearing one of his brand new tuxes with Sam on his arm. "Ali, Barbara and Susan are fighting in the hallway." Johnny said as he led Sam to her assigned seat, absent was Miguel. "He elected to stay with his mom now that she was brought out of her coma." Johnny explained as he took his seat next to Jessie, Jessie's relieved grin matched the one he was holding in.
Tommy had a time of it holding back his wife, in her Givenchy gown, from attacking Susan. Not that he blamed her, after everything she did to Barbara, and after what Susan just threatened. "Calm down and keep a level head; the last thing you need to do is prove her claims right." He whispered in her ears as he kept an eye on his manipulative ex, and the biological mother of Moon.
"Moon should be with her mother, not some bitch who can't get pregnant." He was about to give Susan a piece of his mind, forgetting the advice he gave his wife. When Ali surprised him.
"The Hell!" Susan snapped as she cupped her rapidly swelling cheek. He remembered Johnny taught Ali the basics of Self defence.
"Get that Bitch!" He sighed as he heard Jessie cheer from behind them as his friends filed out into the hallway.
"I always thought you'd outgrow the heinous, selfrighteous bitch phase when you grew up!" Ali snapped as she cradled her right wrist. "But clearly I was wrong!" Ali turned her attention to his wife who was just as stunned as he was. "I was wrong to not tell you of their affair when it would've saved our friendship. But I didn't want to have to choose between two of my best friends. Although in the end I lost you both. For that I'll always be sorry. I hope one day you'll find it in your heart to forgive me." Ali turned to leave when his Barbie spoke up.
"Look I'm not ready to be besties again just yet. But I'm willing to let bygones be bygones." Barbara surprised him with that statement, and made him proud of her at the same time.
"Are you sure?" Ali hesitated. He was further surprised when Jessie spoke up.
"Why don't you join us, theres still room right?" She turned the last question to Bobby who only nodded his head.
"Thank you Jessica, for the Penthouse.." Jessie had a 'caught red handed' look on her face as Bobby narrowed his eyes on her. "Penthouse?" Bobby questioned with a subtle steel under his tone. Jessie sent Ali a 'thanks a lot!' look before she explained. "Before we left for our respective meetings, 'The Encino Inn' called to let you know your old friend booked a mobile, but they were overbooked they asked if they should walk her to a sister property. And you spoke highly of her the few times you spoke about her. So I went ahead and authorized the use of your penthouse for the duration of her stay. I'll take my punishment like a big woman when we get home." Jessie had the 'I'm adorable, you can't stay mad!' look; that always calmed Bobby down. Bobby chuckled as he turned to Ali.
"My mischievous Jessie, we will be having words at home." His smile took the sting out of his words. "Ali enjoy the penthouse. I'll have the front desk print out meal vouchers for your stay. We have a seat available between Jessie and Johnny." Most of their friends went back in the room, he caught the look Ali gave Johnny, Johnny though didn't seem as interested in her.
"You're looking good Ali." He was surprised at the surprising tact Johnny used.
"You're looking good as well." Ali and Johnny continued to talk as they walked back in followed by him and his wife.
Jessie was about to go in herself, she was starving, not to mention she didn't want to deal with that bitch who was still cupping her cheek.
"Well!" Susan snapped after a few minutes. Bobby looked ready to snap on Susan. She placed his hand on their Jimmy, knowing that it would prevent him from saying or doing something stupid. If it also cemented the fact that Bobby is off limits in Susan's mind than that was a bonus.
"Well what? You're not invited or welcomed at my special dinner!" Jessie pulled him back inside the room.
She snickered at the muffled scream Susan let out as she stormed away. She never reveled in being like her childhood idol Erica Kane so much as she did right then. "That was positively savage!" Bobby chuckled as he led her back to their seats. She noticed there were two empty ones in the end. "Bulk and Skull should be here shortly." Dutch said as he read his phone, then smirked. "An old classmate of theirs accepted the post of Principal of West Valley. They are looking for hotels for he and his wife to stay in." Dutch said. Jessie quickly figured it out. "Dr. and Mrs. Oliver?" Jessie asked, Bulk and Skull talked endlessly about nine of their classmates. "A Dr. Tommy Oliver and Reknowned Gymnast Kim Oliver. Sadly all decent hotels are booked solid through September." Dutch said; she bit her lip, her mom and older sister were set to arrive for the birth of her son within the next two weeks. But Bulk and Skull vouched for them, and those two aren't bullshitters.
"I'll authorize them to stay in the other penthouse, when are they to arrive?" Bobby asked Dutch, as always he seemed to know what she was thinking before she did.
"In a week, they need to get their affairs in order first. What about Jessie's mom and older sister?" Dutch's tone had a bit of an edge to it. Jessie looked to Bobby, who nodded. "They can stay at the mansion the duration of their stay." Jessie really wasn't looking forward to the endless criticism she'll have no escape from. Johnny narrowed his eyes between them.
"My mom and sister are highly critical of me." That was putting it mildly, but she didn't want to damper her special dinner. Johnny sent her a commiserating look but didn't say anything more.
Dutch sent her a look that said 'we'll talk later'; echoed by the one on Helen's face. Oh joy, they were going into psychologist mode; she much preferred when they were strictly her friends. Dutch then sent rapid fire texts before he told them.
"They said thank you, and they'll be here shortly." Dutch said as they lapsed into easy conversations amongst themselves.